Brown Books

This book is of great interest to me since I was a volunteer on an Earthwatch Institute team led by Carlos Lopez, tracking, capturing and marking carnivores in a research area on the west coast of Mexico. I was on the team when the first 'Mexican' jaguar was captured (and released) for research purposes.
This book not only lays out history and distribution, etc., but also tells about the unique place this animal has in legend and lore.

Borderland Jaguars is the latest in a series of excellent books by David Brown documenting the natural history of the large carnivores of the southwest including the Mexican wolf and the grizzly bear. This book on jaguars documents their presence on both sides of the border to include Arizona, New,Mexico, and Sonora, Mexico. It is extremely well written, and is accompanied by excellent historical photographs of jaguars from both sides of the border. The last chapter on a conservation plan for borderland jaguars is extremely practical and highly realistic. David Brown and his co-author Carlos Lopez Gonzales are highly qualified wildlife biologists who have devoted themselves to the study of this charismatic large carnivore of the borderlands. Whether you be a professional in the wildlife field or naturalist by choice, this book will greatly enhance your knowledge of one of the most spectacular large predators of the Southwest.

This timely and useful book collates and summarizes in handy paperback form what is known about the northernmost population of the jaguar in the U.S. Southwest and adjoining parts of Mexico. I couldn't put the book down and recommend it highly as an authentic learning experience about the jaguar in southwest history, ecology, and culture. The authors are to be commended for undertaking such a thorough attempt to gather and assess all manner of pertinent information about this animal, past and present. In the recent era, jaguars have been in rare and marginal numbers in Arizona and New Mexico as northern outliers of a larger Mexican breeding population in northern Sonora. Currently, it doesn't look good for these nearest breeding populations--where the two lone jaguars photographed in 1996 in southeastern Arizona most likely came from. The size and structure of this nearest jaguar population (about 120 miles south of Arizona)is largely unknown scientifically and likely in serious decline now. According to the authors' survey results a continual number of animals in the population (including lactating females) are apparently still killed each year in response to livestock predation. Hopefully, improving research efforts like this will lead to a more informed public (here and in Mexico), to timely and more effective conservation measures, and a more certain future for these animals. Otherwise, we may learn all too soon that the presence of but another magnificent creature has quietly, permanently winked-out and will no longer enrich our common borderlands.

With „Borderland Jaguars" David E. Brown and co-author Carlos A. Lopez Gonzalez have continued the investigative writing tradition Brown started back in 1983 with „The Wolf in the Southwest" followed by „The Grizzly in the Southwest" (1985).

While the previous books are considered classic references of the imbalanced struggle between man and predators in the past, the recent spectacular sightings of jaguars in the remote Baboquivari and Peloncillo mountains of Arizona have refueled the public's interest into the present status and future of „tigres" north of the Mexican border.

Brown and Gonzalez show that jaguar visits from the south are not accidental events but follow a complex pattern. One important issue in this respect is the biotic communities of the borderlands providing jaguar habitat, and which are thoroughly discussed. The natural history of the jaguar is highlighted by a carefully up-dated listing of jaguars reported from Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora and Chihuahua between 1900 and 2000, many supported by photographs and behind-the-scene information from eyewitnesses. Through on-site investigations in Mexico, Brown and Gonzalez were able to locate the possible source(s) of those jaguars that periodically show up in AZ.

The ancient symbolic power, as well as the elusive beauty of the jaguar, which trigger our imagination, are omnipresent throughout this book. And, the tension and personal reports of the few lucky Arizonans, who have actually come across jaguars, make this book extremely exciting reading. Putting the reader down in a comfortable armchair in pursuit of a jaguar in an abandoned minetunnel, with only four shells and a dim flashlight, is simply not offered by regular wildlife references!

By giving attention to the large predators of the Southwest, Brown has brought us a long way, covering the Mexican wolf, the grizzly, the cougar (in a foreword for Harley Shaw's „Soul Among Lions") and now the jaguar. These fine books should be considered a series, and appreciated as a totality. The concept of a jaguar reserve in Sonora as proposed by Brown and Gonzalez has set a high goal for conservation efforts. Until then, the vast majority of us will have to live with Brown`s cold comfort that „the thought of such a cat's presence is enough in itself".

Change your mental image of the big, spotted cat crouching in leafy jungle shadows and enter the world of jaguars living a hundred miles or so south of the US-Mexican border in dry, rugged mountains. "Borderland Jaguars" gives a fascinating overview of these cats: the threats by man's presence and development of its shrinking habitat, and the possibility that the animal may be threatened to the point of extinction in the region. The well-researched book includes sections about how man, from pre-hispanic times to first explorers, hunters and settlers viewed the jaguar. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in these endangered cats, and especially conservation in the borderland region.

This book will grab you and never let you go. Patricia Brown is certainly someone I will reccomend to friends. The characters and storyline are both top-notch.

Hard to put this book down, this writer is going to keep you in suspense until the end! Can not wait to read more of her books.

I just finished reading this book and couldn't put it down! The writing style of this author is very similar to the "Queen of Suspense"... Mary Higgins Clark. Just when you think things can't get any worse for Penny Parker, a new twist makes it even more suspenseful. I love it when I find a good book from an author I've never read. Hopefully, we will see more from Patricia Brown.

"Break Your Mother's Back" will get your attention from the first page! Patricia Brown keeps the action moving and the reader guessing. This book is hard to put down. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

I enjoyed this story-line and loved the characters. The author really made me care about the outcome and feel the fear and the triumph. This is a book to be savored.

If you've ever wondered what the famed "Brimfield flea markets" are all about - now you can find out. Mr. Brown uses a compilation of newsworthy articles and human interest chapters to unveil the mystery surrounding the fields of the tiny Massachusetts town. Each May, July and September the rural village is transformed into a world-renown marketplace, and Mr. Brown is located in the center of it all. A book worth reading.

Brimfield: The Collector's Paradise is a real treat to collectors. It gives the reader a glimpse of what the buzz of Brimfield is all about. A compilation of articles, profiles, etc. gives one a personal peek into what exactly happens each May, July and Sept. Both exciting and informative, this book, written by someone "in the know" is much more than a research volume - it is great fun to read!

I read the book prior to my first buying trip to Brimfield. Mr.Brown passed on some interesting history on the shows. Also, the assorted chapters revealed something of interest in almost all aspects of the flea market. I even had the pleasure of meeting the famous "lady in the white hat!" If you love antique shows as much as I do, you will enjoy this book.

Full of photos, quotes, commentary and good writing, this book is a simple pleasure for everyone interested in flea markets. Dubbed the grandaddy of all markets, Brimfield just keeps getting bigger and better. I've been there and I know, but thanks to Mr. Brown's book, readers everywhere can realize what the hoopla in Brimfield is all about. RECOMMENDED READING *****

When I became managing editor of the BRIMFIELD ANTIQUE GUIDE over eight years ago it didn't take long to learn how significant Brimfield had become to the world of antiques and collectibles.Rob al-ready had a book in mind.

For nearly four years I was witness to the diligent and ardent research assembling an idea into a finished product, from formulating a table of contents to selecting an appropriate front and back cover.

There are numerous dimensions in a location as large and diverse as Brimfield, and Rob has adeptly captured many salient aspects about Brimfield. Taken into consideration is a section on how other writers have viewed Brimfield over the years as well as an overview of the early years when Brimfield was literally a one family affair.

Rob's book is not for everyone, to be sure. But it is a must read for the 1000s of dealers and buyers who travel to Brimfield each year, their "mecca."

B

The Brothers is a coherent and compelling series of autobiographical narratives, alternating among Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril. These perspectives are a valuable record of collective memory, as well as moving individual journeys. American culture from the late 1930s to the close of century informs and drives these voices: here is camaraderie and racism, love and alienation, spirituality and hedonism, cruelty and tenderness, peace and rage, cocky determination and chilling fear, triumph and despair--all related with a palpable frankness. Those of us born in the 30s and 40s will find parts of ourselves here; those born later will see how true it is that "past is present." Lovers of jazz, blues, early rock'roll, funk and r&b, and New Orleans rhythms will revel in the stories of contacts with the "greats." The street language may put off some readers. With all respect to those readers, I suggest their tolerance. It is no small thing that those who struggle with personal demons may find a light to their paths between the covers of this book. Over 300 pages, family photos, discographies, and an index.

This autobiography is actually a quartet of autobiographies as the essence of each of the four Neville brothers come alive in this book. The non-fiction focuses on the individual personalities, their personal take on music including their solo careers and group performances and recordings. It also Includes their evaluation of the last four decades of music especially in New Orleans and their personal trials and tribulations.

All this marks this non-fiction, as several cuts above the typical wave of rock and roll biographies that seem like perfect flavors of the month. Instead this tome provides a "Tell It Like It Is" feel that fans of the New Orleans sound will enjoy. Anyone who reads THE BROTHERS NEVILLE will seek other works by master music biographer David Ritz (see his works on Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin, etc.) as this reviewer plans to do.

Harriet Klausner

The Brothers is a extraordinary look at how music and culture nurture us and redeem us. The power of this book lies in the unashamed honesty of the Neville Brothers and the wisdom and confidence of the author to allow the brothers to tell their own story. Unencumbered by analysis or author's comments, the brothers simply present their stories while the author ties the threads together to show how the Neville brothers as individuals worked through their personal problems and came together as a family and a musical group. There is no other book that means more to me than The Brothers. Their story has helped me to make sense of my own journey as an American journalist and music critic living and working on the island of Trinidad in the West Indies.

David Ritz has helped many rhythm and blues musicians write their autobiographies, including Ray Charles, B. B. King, Marvin Gaye, Etta James, and Aretha Franklin. The characteristics that these books share is the sense that the subject is writing directly to you as you read, and that the bad times as well as the good times are revealed. If you are a fan of the musician, you feel like you have a better understanding of them once you've read the book Ritz helped them write.

The Neville Brothers' story must have been complicated to organize because there are 4 Neville Brothers, Art, Charles, Aaron and Cyrille. They tell their stories simultaneously, a paragraph or two by one brother and then a paragraph or two by another and so on. The story they tell is fascinating and often horrific! Violence, drug abuse, crazy characters, prison terms and danger fill virtually every page. These are fascinating lives to read about, but I wouldn't want to live them! Aaron and Charles seem to be the most forthcoming and the most sympathetic of the brothers. If you love Neville Brothers' music, you'll want to own this book!

THe Neville Brothers are a very solid unit.Great talents.this book takes them not only as a Group but also as People with feelings&outlooks.David Ritz does a Great job of doing books.always Interesting reads.this is a very complete book.long overdue on these greats.but better late than never.

Forester warns you in the first line of this book not to expect a happy ending: it opens with the words "Leading Seaman Albert Brown lay dying on Resolution."

About the only similarities with the author's Hornblower books is that both are very well written and both include a masterly depiction of war at sea.

The book tells the story of the life of Albert Brown from conception to the single handed battle he fights against the German armoured cruiser "Zeithen" at the start of tbe First World War. The book has also been published under the title "Single Handed."

"Brown on Resolution" is a story about heroism and duty, on the part of Albert Brown himself and the mother who throws away what could have been a comfortable middle class life to raise him. It also has a deeply ironic message about the difference between success and glory: Brown strikes a great blow for his country, but in circumstances which mean that neither he nor anyone back home ever knows it. The last sentence of the book is even more moving than the first: I won't quote it in full to avoid spoiling the tale but it includes the words "No one would ever know".

This book inspired the film "Forever England" which was one of the first to star Sir John Mills. Both book and film came out between the first and second world wars. Interestingly, even all those years ago the film industry could take the idea of a tragic ending but not the idea that nobody knows what the hero has done, so they slightly modified the final scene. If you want to know how, you'll have to read the book and watch the film.

It also inspired the later film "Sailor of the King" which was made after WWII; but this time the film industry meddled much more extensively with the story and included a happy ending.

If you are into sea stories or tales of heroism, and you ever see a copy of this book in a bookshop or a library, grab it at once. I originally read an ancient copy in the school library when I was about 12, then bought a copy of the paperback which I found for sale in a cafe when it was reprinted 30 years ago, and those are almost the only copies of this book that I've ever seen.

If you want to read a more upbeat C.S. Forester story of war at sea in the 20th Century, there are three which I can particularly recommend. These are "The Good Shepherd" which is about a convoy escort mission during the battle of the Atlantic; "The man in the yellow raft" about action in a US destroyer during the Pacific war; and best of all "The Ship" which is an absolutely brilliant account of a light cruiser in action while defending a Malta convoy against greatly superior forces.

CS Forester wrote much besides his celebrated Hornblower series, and much of that hasn't held up well. But this is a surprising find, a novel of pointed coincidences set during World War I and written before World War II, that explores the meaning of duty. Neither overwritten or stilted like some of his lesser works, this tale shows terrific story-telling talent on the part of a very young Forester. At this point I have read every maritime-related work of fiction CSF published, and in quality this ranks among the top--even better, I think, than most of the Hornblower novels. Highly recommended--should be read by all high school boys.

Forester's novel set in the first world war War is about the absolute resolve of a mother and her son. The mother that her son will become a naval hero, the son that he will do his duty. Duty over all. No matter what the concequences. Single handedly he contrives the destruction of a German cruiser. The novel is intense, the descriptions exacting. But no happy ending. Made into the 1953 movie "Sailor of the King" with a happier ending and a less detailed plot.

I read it when I was about 16. Its images stuck with me for over a quarter century. It is a tale about doing duty, doing duty whatever the personal costs. It deals with a upbringing in Victorian England by a single mother of her son. She is determined she will make a career for himself in the Royal Navy. The son is the product of an affair with the German Naval Liaison Officer stationed in London before WWI.

She resolves to learn everything about the navy she can and raise her son to serve. And serve he does, until it takes him to a deserted Galapogas Island in WWI where he does deadly battle as a single man with a German Cruiser repairing in the waters after a naval action.

No happy endings, just haunting images that stay with you. For me this is one of CS Forester's best novels. Read it if you can find a rare old edition in the second-hand bookstore.

While I saw the film version of this book during the 1950s, I only realized that the movie was derived from one of C. S. Forester's early works when I discovered a tattered paperback using the American edition title of "Singlehanded" on a remainder table. For $.25 I was able to read a masterpiece now almost forgotten, and all the more amazing because of how young Forester was when he wrote it -- 27.

The story of a brief affair yielding an illegitimate son seemed an odd tale for Forester at any age, but as with most of his other books the writing itself was so good that I held on for the first half of the book. It turned out that there was a relation between the naval officer father mostly in the nearly forgotten background and the destiny of the son, who joins the Royal Navy and serves as a common sailor. As World War I starts, his ship is destroyed in the Pacific Ocean by a German cruiser and he is one of three survivors picked up by the victors. The cruiser retires into a Galapagos haven for repairs, the young sailor escapes with a rifle, and manages to hold up repairs long enough for the Naval officer father's task force to catch the German, with the father and son never knowing of each other's existence.

This is one of the few true irony novels ever written, formed in the literary round, and possessed of truly superb craftsmanship at every level. Any serious reader should have a copy on their shelves.

This is a great book! It has simple pictures and words and presents shapes in a fun way!

I am a Developmental Specialist and do Early Intervention with children 0-3 who have delays and disabilities. Some of my older 2's on the Autism Spectrum really enjoyed Gray Rabbit's 1-2-3! for it's simple language and counting concepts. After each reading, one boy enjoyed looking at the other books on the back cover so much that I started collecting them. Changing books can be hard on some children who prefer the familiar only. With the Rabbit series I was able to bring in many more concept books and they were readiliy accepted by my toughest listeners. Plus, as an educator who has to read/work with the books over and over and over, I find them charming and adorable and I never get tired of seeing them!

A beautiful concept book with a very likable character. The text and illustrations go well together, making the whole book comprehensible for young readers eager to learn.

I bought six of the paperback rabbit books for my 22 month old
daughter and she loves them. The little rabbits are so cute
and the author is very creative in the way he integrates learning
concepts into the plot of the stories. These books are definite
winners at a reasonable price.

For a toddler's book about shapes, this book packs a lot! There are bright colors, a clever discovery story in which our rabbit hero finds packages inside packages, and words that are fun to say (e.g., "Whoosh" and "Curly-wurly"). There's even some droll humor as Rabbit is described as "rabbit-shaped!" Along the way, kids will see examples of a rectangle, an oval, a circle, a square, as well as a tube and other interesting shapes. Nice bright colors and a warm, soft-looking bunny make this 21-page book a winner!

I've used multiple pediatrics book either as a main studying source or reference guide, and this book for both causes is invaluable. It's not Nelson or Rudolph but are you going to read those books anyway during your peds rotation? comparing to Nelson's essential or other concise books out there like Blueprints or NMS I'd go with this book in a heartbeat. It covers such vast topics in Peds that almost every time I was able to find my answers in it. I wish it's going to be second edition or multiple editions of this book after 2004 edition and some more graphs and charts. Combine it with Harriet lane for tables and charts and other reference numbers you need and you're more than equipped to shine in peds.

Best review book to prepare for the subject for USMLE. Comprehensive and detailed. Explained some concepts I couldn't find the explanation for in any other textbook. Lots of useful tables and charts. Much better than Pediatrics by Blueprints Series. Don't miss this book if you want a great score in this subject.

This book is very well-written and flows quite smoothly --- there's not so much of the choppy, outline-ish feeling found in other books of the BRS series. Keep in mind that it's 600 pages long, so you'll need to budget your time accordingly. It took me the full 6 weeks of my pediatrics rotation to get through the book. The questions at the end of each chapter (and in the comprehensive exam) are challenging, but they'll prepare you well for the end-of-rotation exam. Highly recommended!

I'm usually not a big fan of the BRS series, they just tend to give me the impression of long text description for each topic with minimal picture/illustration. However, I got this one because one of the authors wrote the school exam for my peds clerkship, and I heard that the exam was based on this book. Turned out that the book was pretty good, and was very comprehensive in the variety of topics covered. The chapters are organized by organ systems (Renal, pulmonary, etc.) Practice questions follow each chapter and there is also a comprehensive exam at the very end. There do seem to be more details than needed for a 3rd year med student level, and reading the entire book once does take some time.

This is one of the best review book out there, definitively the best for Peds. I only wish more BRS were available for step 2. It is much much better than Blueprints Peds, which is the other one I bought. Great questions at the end of every chapter. Excelent format that helps you retain a lot more than you'd do with other review books.

Great book! The exercises really force you to think and clarify the who, what, why and how of yourself and the group you are creating or trying to improve. I highly recomend this one.

With great insight and honesty Michael Jacoby Brown has drawn on his extensive experience to produce a practical and inspiring resource. This book is a must for anyone wishing to organize a group to work for social change or anyone who is part of a community organization which needs to rejuvenate or rediscover its purpose. It is beautiful in its simplicity, addressing its issues in a way everyone can understand, and broad in its scope, addressing every aspect involved in successful community organizing. "Building Powerful Community Organizations" demands engagement by the reader. It contains exercises and the reader gains best value from the book by engaging in the exercises at the point they are presented.

This book should be required reading for hospitals, foundations, public health agencies and people working on any form of community improvement. Michael has documented his learnings with stories and tools that can equip those willing to learn to build powerful community organization, as the title says. There are lots of various community organizing guides but this one mixes stories and tools in an easy to read, nicely laid out style. His wisdom comes from years of community organizing and translates here into practical, easy to access advice. This is the best handbook I have seen in a long time! The author makes himself available with info on how to reach him as well as a website with blog that makes him more than a distant author; he is approachable and willing to extend his teachings beyond the pages of his book. Not may authors do this.

Written by Michael Jacoby Brown, who has more than thirty years' experience in building community organizations, Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide to Creating Groups that Can Solve Problems and Change the World is a handy step-by-step guide to creating, strengthening, and revitalizing grass-roots organizations for bringing about social change to solve problems in the community or workplace. From how to effectively recruit (learning to "listen not sell", when short or long visits are appropriate, and how to turn success into momentum) to how to mobilize resources and raise money to the steps for setting change into motion and more, Building Powerful Community Organizations walks the reader through the necessary skills and processes while warning against common obstacles and pitfalls. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to harness communal effort and make a lasting difference.

Author Michael Jacoby Brown has created a book with very detailed information on how to organize, create, and lead a community organization. In it he clearly explains all the steps necessary to create an effective organization that can resolve problems. The various areas discussed include the theory of how a group should work, the chemistry involved, the seven basic steps for building an organization, developing a mission statement, goals, and objectives, designing the organization to last, recruiting others, mobilizing, raising money and taking action. Throughout the book are case studies and exercises to help you not only understand how it all works but also to help you work through developing your organization correctly. If you want to change the world and know you need help to do it then you will appreciate this book. Building Powerful Community Organizations is easily the best book on the market today on this subject.

I've been reading this book to my son since he was a month old. He absolutely loves this book! It has great pictures and the poem is very catchy--I sometimes recite it to him and he'll look around for the book. He always laughs at the end when the bee "zooms away!"

My daughter is nine months old and this is one of her favorite books! We love the pictures and the rhymes. We've had this book for 2 months now and she still loves it.

My seven month old daughter gives this book her full attention. She giggles and smiles every time I read it to her. It kept her interest for five consecutive readings! As for the poem and unique illustrations, they are contagious! I think parents will enjoy the book just as much as baby.

We purchased this book for our daughter when she was 10 months old. She is 14 months old now and still loves having it read to her. It is a gentle and soothing book that reader and listener can both enjoy.

The rhythm of this book and the three dimensional quality of the pictures kept my grandson's attention for numerous readings.

My ten-year-old granddaughter just loves the Callahan Cousins series. I gave her the first book and, at her request, rushed her the second. The third is now in her eager little hands. Her mother (very knowledgeable about books for girls) loves the series, too. It's great to find such enjoyable, well-written fare for the little ones.

The Callahan cousins' summer with Grandmother Gee continues in this third book of the series, which is Kate's story. It opens with Kate, an ardent cook, recording notes on housekeeper Sheila's excellent recipes. While she writes, Kate reflects that she is lacking in comparison to her accomplished cousins: exotic Neeve, brave and athletic Hillary, and gorgeous, intelligent Phoebe.

Girly-girl Kate realizes she's a daydreaming homebody with tons of friends. But she also feels stressed by the events of the summer and by the way others perceive her. The cousins tease her about her timid and persnickety mannerisms --- and the worst part of the teasing is that she believes them.

Gee asks the girls to help her gather donations for a raffle and auction to benefit the local medical clinic. The other cousins love the idea, but Kate is terrified at the thought of approaching adults to beg for things. Ugh. She fakes enthusiasm, though, to please Gee. Kate's dread escalates when mean girl Sloan threatens the cousins with "problems" if they ask for donations in places where Sloan has connections. Since Sloan is local, Kate knows she has connections everywhere. Oh, dear.

The cousins tease Kate so much about fearing Sloan that Kate determines she will become an entirely new person. She'll show her cousins! She'll transform herself into a model of not only courage and athleticism, but the epitome of coolness. She'll actually wear her bikini (that she's been too embarrassed to be seen in) and acquire hobbies that are not old lady-like, such as her beloved knitting. When she requests help from her cousins on her transformation, they agree to assist her.

Despite Kate's plans to be a brave new person, she panics when she realizes the cousins must split up to approach businesses and individuals for donations. There is no way she can do it all by herself. Yet she must --- or admit she will never change.

Kate's quest for donations turns out to be even more challenging than she feared. She has difficulty even speaking to the shopkeepers; sometimes she can't quite force out her request. Sloan appears, easily and smoothly retrieving prizes while cowing Kate. Kate yearns to be as cool as Sloan. Is it possible to learn good traits from the surly local? As Kate advances step by baby step toward her goal, is she heading down the wrong path?

Kate's story is filled with genuine conflict any reader can identify with, making KEEPING COOL a page-turner. The coziness, emphasis on family, and lovely descriptions continue to form an appealing backdrop to the plot. I particularly appreciate the emphasis on Kate becoming "healthier" rather than "more in shape." One quibble: an adult character spells out "the lesson learned" in rather long-winded detail, which is certainly unnecessary given the intelligence of the readers (and of Kate herself). But that's just one tiny blip in a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining story, which is excellent escape fiction.

This book, like the previous two, features a group of supportive cousins the same age, a separate fabulous Dorm for the girls to live in, a gorgeous island setting, and a grandmother with a benign hands-off policy, which all add up to a dream come true for any tween girl. Add the character of Kate --- growing and changing in a most satisfying manner --- plus a theme of self-acceptance, and you have yet another Callahan Cousins winner.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

this was the best book i have ever read and i am positively sure that you will LOVE it and I highly reccemend it!

this is the best book I have ever read. I have read all three of the Callahan Cousins books and they are sooooo cool! It's about four cousins who just turned twelve at the same time, and the family tradition is that when you turn twelve you go to Gee's (grandma) house on the island for the summer. So these four cousins, Hilary, Pheobe, Neeve, and Kate get to go to their grandma's mansion. It's a small little island though, so they ride their bikes throughout town. Each book has one of the four girls narrarating it so you get to hear their story.

I highly suggest this book, it's awesome for anyone to read.

The Callahan Cousins: Keeping Cool is part of a series, each of which features one of four strong, talented and nice female cousins.

The cousins: Neeve, Kate, Hillary and Phoebe, are still at their kind and wise grandmother Gee's estate on Gull Island. They all live together in the Dorm (guesthouse) which they've remodeled for their summer stay.

The Callahan Cousins: Keeping Cool is told from Kate's perspective. Kate enjoys cooking, decorating and knitting. The cousins consider her interests to be those that only 'old ladies' enjoy and have begun to tease her daily.

Shy Kate decides to become "cool." Her changes challenge the
cousins' relationship and cause Kate to question if she is being true to herself.

Raising funds and obtaining donations for the island medical clinic
places Kate in unfamiliar and terrifying territory and brings her to a
greater understanding of herself and the mean-spirited Sloan (who
makes another appearance in this book).

The Callahan Cousins: Keeping Cool is another delightful romp with the cousins. They are friends, but they are family first and trusting and caring for each other is the most important thing to them.

Armchair Interviews says: We love the strong moral compass of these
positive books, especially in an era where young adult books lean
toward the dark, gritty and dangerous. This is a breath of fresh air
and a series anyone would want and encourage their children to read.