Bryan Books

This book does a good job of doing exactly what the title says it would do. I bought this because at work our company has always lived in a Wintel World. But we acquired another company that was Linux centric and it was clear that us Windows people needed a crash course of Linux. I needed some quick exposure to Linux and a way to cut my learning curve by being able to understand how to transfer tasks in Windows over to Linux. This book shortened my learning curve because as good as the net is about giving information to us for free. Sometimes I just like curling up with a good book.

Firstly i live in a caribbean country ..there are no linux user groups ...any info yu get from linux if you find one, user you most likely have to pay for ..I successfully installed linux already but i had no clue what was going on after that ..i have reached chapter 3 in this book and if there were no more pages i already got my monies worth.This book is truly built with the linux dummy in mind ..thanks mr easttom

I hated Linux until i read this book. I haven't turned on my Windows box all month. Very clearly written and easy to read.

It is a book, explaining Linux in a simple,
clear manner. Best for a reader with some
Windows skills.

It was my old dream to learn Linux. I had heard that it
is a stable, free operation system. Having little
understanding about Linux before, I read the book,
installed Linux and now feel comfortable with it.

I found this particular book to be remarkably easy to follow, accurate, informative, and generally a great help. I am not a computer professional by trade, and my only experience has been with Windows. But like many people I have been quite frustrated with Windows and wished to try Linux. With this book I was able to install Linux and to use it to do all the things I had previously done with Windows.

After my Mom moved to Staunton ten years ago, it wasn't long before we heard about Rowe's restaurant. We've eaten there many times, and naturally had to pick up the cookbook as well. It is worth it for the Peanut Butter Pie recipe alone. I've made that pie a dozen times, each time with great results.

I've ordered this book a few times, at my Mom's request so she can give it as a gift. It is highly recommended.

The recipes are well written, use basic ingredients found in most kitchens, and are very easy to make. The recipes are for the dishes from your grandmother's kitchen: Sunday dinner, weekend breakfast, holiday favorites, and family get-togethers. The book also tells of Mrs. Rowe's life, an independent woman far ahead of her time.
If you are in Virginia on I81 at exit 222, stop at Mrs. Rowe's Family resturant (has been there for almost 60 years) for a snack (best pies around) or a meal. I have been doing so for over 20 years. But buy her cookbook at Amazon - it's much cheaper.

I like looking through cookbooks for great recipes which this book certainly has but as an extra bonus, you'll get to know the person and the history behind the recipie. After reading this book, I want to travel to Staunton, Virginia and eat at Mrs. Rowe's Retaurant!

I ordered Mrs. Rowe's Cookbook for a friend that collects cookbooks, and I felt sure she didn't have this one. I also ordered a copy for myself. I have enjoyed the recipes as well as the story of her life. A great gift. My friend was also pleased.

I love this book, it's full of great recipies and at the same time it narrates on the lives of Mrs. Rowe's family. It's a great book, I recommend it 100%. I made the Pound Cake recipie and it's the best.

"My Friend Isabelle" is a book that ALL parents should have on their bookshelf. It celebrates the relationship between two children who are different from one another. It is an important book because today's classrooms are becoming more and more diverse. This book is a great tool to introduce these differences. I have been waiting for a book like "My Friend Isabelle". Thank you Ms. Woloson for being so insightful.

Charlie and Isabelle are the same age but they have some differences. For example, Charlie is tall and Isabelle is short, and whereas Charlie runs fast, Isabelle likes to take her time. The last difference that Charlie explains is when he tells us: "I know a lot of words. Isabelle's words are sometimes hard for me to understand." In the text of "My Friend Isabelle," author Eliza Woloson never comes out and says that Isabelle has Down syndrome and I was thinking that any indication of her condition in Bryan Gough's illustrations might well be too subtle for young children to pick up. But then it occurred to me that if a parent was reading this book to young children, or let them read it on their own, and then there was probably already a child with Down syndrome in the family or in the neighborhood.

This works either way in terms of teaching the lesson that is at the heart of "My Friend Isabelle." Either the child will recognize that Isabelle has Down syndrome and figure out what is really going on in the story, or the child's curiosity will compel them to ask their parent to explain why Charlie has trouble understanding Isabelle. Once Charlie gets to the key difference between himself and his friend, Charlie recalls the words of his Mommy, that "differences are what makes the world so great." Having advanced the idea that differences are a good thing, the rest of the book focuses on the many things that Charlie and Isabelle have in common when they play together each Friday. They both like to twirl, to drink apple juice, and to go down the big slide at the park. At the end, the words of Charlie's mother provide the stories benediction.

The explicit goal of "My Friend Isabelle" is to have young children do their small part to make the world a more tolerant place. The idea that friendships are special and that our differences can make the world more interesting certainly extends beyond children with Down syndrome. Beyond the idea that Isabella can do many of the things that Charlie can do, although sometimes it take her a little longer to them, the book does not get into the specifics of Down syndrome. But the inside back cover provides web sites for finding out more information on Down syndrome from either the National Down Syndrome Society or the National Down Syndrome Congress. Parents will easily be able to find other resources on the Internet as well.

My Friend Isabelle is the story of two young friends that have lots of differences, but manage to find some common ground in which to build a friendship. Though Isabelle is a child with Down Syndrome, it is never mentioned in the text of the book. The wonderful illustrations only give a hint to why Isabelle and Charlie are different. This book is a great addition to any preschool classroom library because it celebrates the differences in all people. The amount of text is perfect for a young audience to listen to and is written at the appropriate age level. This book is a great tool for teaching young children about the differences in people and helping them to understand that they can be friends with people who are different from them.

This book was realy sweet in that it talked about a simple friendship between two kids. We were looking for books that included children with Down Syndrome, but did not ever actually say they had it, and this book did that. It also talked about people being different, so I think it is really good for everyone, not just in regards to children with Down Syndrome.

This book is great. I was looking for a book for preschool children that included a child with Special Needs. Isabelle isn't pitied, excused, or glorified -- she simply IS! Fabulous story, good pictures, and highly recommended by me!

A must have for the legal writer. The Red Book picks up where the Blue Book leaves off. Very useful, practical, easy to find information. Keep this beside you when you need a quick answer. Well worth the purchase.

This book is a must-have for any attorney or law student's collection. I have used it to settle many debates among colleagues :)

This is a wonderful reference work on legal style--comprehensive, authoritative, well organized, and genuinely readable. It covers an incredible range of topics: punctuation, page layout, typography, spelling, grammar, usage, and more. It makes specific stylistic recommendations for many different types of legal documents, including business correspondence, research memos, pleadings, appellate briefs, and judicial opinions, to name just a few. And it's useful for anybody who has anything to do with creating legal documents, from judges and senior lawyers, to raw associates and law students, to legal secretaries; it would even be helpful to pro se litigants (as other reviewers have noted). I really wish that Amazon provided a "look inside" that showed the table of contents - the book covers an amazing amount of ground.

It's too bad that practitioners used to obfuscatory legalese, or who needlessly produce ugly, poorly written, unreadable documents, won't ever buy, much less read, this book. There's a lot of lousy legal writing churned out every day--bad not just in the sense that a writing teacher or design and typography professional wouldn't like it, but bad in the sense of being hard to read and understand and therefore, in the end, unpersuasive. This book is an antidote.

I recommend all of Bryan Garner's books, but this is the one to start with--it's the most general, and the most broadly useful. (If you write briefs, as I do, the second one to get is The Winning Brief). Every once in a while I would quibble with one of the rules Garner espouses, but for every such rule this book must have ten others that have taught me that, much to my chagrin, I (and almost every other lawyer I know) have been doing something wrong, without realizing it, for many years. I wish I'd discovered Garner much earlier; he's really helped me improve my writing and the way my documents look. Law offices ought to make The Redbook standard issue. That's not going to happen, sad to say, but I can't think of a better, more useful book to give to new lawyers about to start their first legal jobs. Or to senior lawyers who recognize that they don't know everything there is to know about legal writing.

One downside to this book is that, because it is so comprehensive, it sometimes will seem a little too basic. If you're really a good legal writer you may want to start with one of Garner's more "advanced" books. But you'd be amazed at how many legal writers seem not to have learned what is taught in high school English classes. And in any case, this book covers much important stuff that just isn't taught in law school, much less high school, and that most legal writers don't manage to pick up along the way.

Highly recommended.

I remember getting an earlier rendition of this book when I was in grade school, and now while in law school, it still comes in handy. If you are in any class or position where you need to write letters, compositions or just about anything else, you need this book. It will tell you when to use what word, when not to use what word, and is easy to use. Can't beat it!

The Redbook is a great have-by-your-side manual for legal or other writing.

If you are an educator, parent or administrator, this handbook will enable you to obtain the crucial, leading edge knowledge in learning styles, multiple intelligences, personal neuro-physiology that enables one to "know thyself." Self-esteem and self-awareness, cognitive learning, including the necessary skills to make one prepared for "life at 21 years old," are also main considerations when teaching students to capitalize on their individual strenghts and wisdom.

Schools that Learn also emphasizes the importance of mastery, synergizing curricula presented, and authentic assessment vs. basing students knowledge purely on standardized test-taking.

This helpful manual is extremely important for educators, administrators, and parents, to read as it combines the aforementioned information and applies it to "building strengths that will be useful in career decision making."

Finally,Schools that Learn emphasizes the importance of keeping a "spirit-filled" outlook while learning, the extreme helpfulness of a mastermind group, accelerated and lifelong education, and of course giving back what you have learned to the community. This "cause and effect" is often forgotten in busy professtional lives, but truly ensures success for those who "get it."

SCHOOLS THAT LEARN is both a visionary and practical guide for how schools must evolve to meet the needs of students in the next 20 years. The use of multiple authors and perspectives mirrors some of the changes our schools must make to meet the needs of a new age. As Professional Development Director at a diverse Jesuit high school in San Francisco, I recommend this book to any educator, K-college. Senge's work will help prepare students for an era requiring a strong traditional academic foundation coupled with the need for creativity, and the social, emotional, and intellectual skills to work in high performing teams needed to rebuild our world.

This is an essential book for anyone interested in education. Its comprehensive coverage gives much background, even at the risk of being distracting when you want to follow-up on the leads to so many interesting source-books and links. Though you are told to dip in anywhere, you must read the first section, esp. "The Industrial Age System of Education" by Senge and "A Primer to the Five Disciplines" (Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision, Team Learning and Systems Thinking) (pp. 27-93).

The authors consider this book a "prequel" to their other books about learning organizations (p.7). That's true. Though this is the most recent book, you can start with this one and go on to the others for further depth. Some repetitions may only serve well for mastery.

The whole book is very readable and informative. Concepts are clearly explained. It follows the same excellent editing format as The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook and The Dance of Change.

When you get too enthused by so many ideas and success stories of innovations, heed the advice for "The Strategy of Organizational Change". "Focus on one or two new priorities for change, not twelve. Most school systems are already overwhelmed with change. They don't need a new initiative; they need an approach that consolidates existing initiatives, eliminates "turf battles," and makes it easier for people to work together toward common ends." (p.25)

There are just too many passages that you wish to quote. The book is a treasure mine. However, for those (esp. busy administrators) who find the volume too daunting or verbose (592 pages!) and still want to get a handle on launching into transforming their schools into learning organisations, I would recommend, "Ten Steps to a Learning Organization" and start with the simple questionnaire given there.

Senge became famous for his book on learning organizations. In this book, he and his co-authors apply those concepts and ideas specifically to educational institutions. While much of their focus is on K12, the ideas and process are applicable to higher education as well. So many management books are really fads with superficial value, but Senge's books are very practical and valuable. This book in particular demonstrates a great deal of passion on the part of the author's for their topic.

Having been given the instructions to select a book of vision for a reading group in a graduate class, I didn't expect to choose one of over 500 pages. The length, however, is indicative of the power this book has for changing minds about schools and the way to structure them for learning. I found myself often reading passages aloud to other educators and anyone who would listen. Instead of stifling my curiosity, the book inspired me to dig deeper on the five disciplines. A great book for creating a vision of education that includes schools where students are learning. I may purchase another one to loan out!

This is a great book for anyone who is striving to make changes in their life and their attitude. I found it inspiring as well as instructive. It is written in plain english and is easy to understand. It is direct and to the point. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

What an upper! Reading this lovely, positive, practical book was among the most pleasurable pursuits I've enjoyed in a long time. It's chock full of encouraging stories - many about renouned indivuals who overcame great obstacles - designed to get you off your seat and utalize the power within. Plus it's written in a clear crisp style that makes it easy to turn to any chapter and just dig in.
Like a shot of Vitamin B12! Many thanks to the author.

Dare to Live Without Limits: Rocket Fuel for the Mind is a self-help guide written to work with any lifestyle, no matter how on the go, or downright hectic. Chapters show one how to revitalize one's mind, overcome fear, become more self-reliant, and focus on achieving one's goals. Written by entrepreneur and columnist Bryan Golden, who formed his successful management consulting firm from scratch, Dare to Live Without Limits offers simple but profound motivational truths that stress the immeasurable power of free will. "You don't need to feel depressed; you can choose happiness. You don't need to be afraid; you can choose confidence. You don't need to be discouraged; you can choose action. You don't need to be stressed; you can choose tranquility."

This book shows how a little positive thinking can go a long way. And I do mean little. The short chapters make good, quick reading on the go. I usually have five or six books going at once, so that was great for me. My wife picked it up before I was finished and she found it helpful too. Some ideas in here I found particularly useful:

--Limit your intake of negative information. I used to start my day by reading the newspaper. I cancelled my subscription, and now I skim the headlines online later in the day. My mood and outlook have improved tremendously.

--Don't spend a lot of time thinking about past mistakes. Learn from them, and then put most of your focus on what you've done right in the past. This one suggestion has helped me be a lot more productive.

--Being respectful, thoughtful, and kind gets you farther than being cutthroat. I'm a successful business person, and I have certainly found this to be true. It's nice to have that point of view validated.

--Most successful people have failed. A lot. History tends not to remember their failures, but Golden shows how Thomas Edison, Dr. Seuss, Jonas Salk, and other luminaries in all fields failed time and again before striking gold. That's powerful motivation to keep trying until you get it right.

I would have liked a little more about the author's personal journey as he's applied these ideas to his life, and perhaps a bit about how some of his management consulting clients have worked with them as well. Of course that would have expanded what is now a very digestible little volume.

If you're looking for a detailed, step-by-step how to guide for how to improve your life, this one might not be for you. But if you can use a shot of positive energy to help you get through the day, one without the religious undertones of so many other inspirational books, it's well worth your time.

A great guide. A big message
I found this book to be clear,concise and easy to read. I would consider it a handbook to have on your desk or nightstand. It serves as a reminder that we are what we think about. The importance of being aware of the one thing we can control, our own thoughts and actions. I enjoyed reading the book and will keep it as a reference to look at as needed in my day to day life. I highly recommend this book to all to read and reread. It is uplifting and inspiring.

Freedom River
By Doreen Rappaport and Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Review by Shelley Styles, Maggie Mathena, and Sylvia Robison


This nonfiction picture book is a true story of one of the journeys made by John Parker, a successful business, into Kentucky to help an African American family escape to freedom into Ohio. John Parker owned a foundry where he employed white people. This particular story began with one of John's employees saying that some one had helped a slave woman cross the river during the night. Another employee answered that perhaps Mr. Parker had helped the woman escape. One of John's employees, Jim Shrofe's father owned slaves. Jim Shrofe taunted, "I dare him to cross the river and try to steal my father's slaves, if he does, my father will set the dogs on him and rip him to shreds."
Although there was a $1000 reward for John, dead or alive, he kept trying to help others. In November, John crossed the river and saw a black man in the shadows and told him about his boat to freedom. The man told John that he couldn't go and leave his wife and baby. As the man ran away, a white man swung a club at John, they wrestled and John escaped back to the river.
December and January came and John couldn't get across the river to help slaves escape. Jim Shrofe continued to taunt that John was too scared to mess with his daddy's slaves. John kept quiet, until April. John went back across the river and found the same man and told him that he had come back for him and his family. The man told John to leave him alone because since the first time he had come the master watches them carefully and took their baby and makes her sleep at the end of his bed. He also said that the master has a loaded pistol at his side and would kill anyone who comes after the baby. John went home feeling bad that he could not help this family.
The next night, John rowed back across the river to save the family. They were afraid, so John told the father to hold his shoes and he would go get their baby. Soon John came back with the baby followed by the sound of gun shots. They ran to the boat and rowed back across the river. The man lost John's shoes when he was running.
Soon after John made it home, he heard a knock on the door. It was Jim Shrofe holding John's shoes. He offered the shoes in exchange for his father's slaves. John said that he had never seen the shoes before and invited Jim in to look for the slaves, allowing more time for the family to get a head start to freedom. Jim Shrofe did not show up for work the next day, or ever again.
The author used words like Listen, Listen; wait, wait; run, row to describe how John planned and accomplished his tasks to help others to freedom. She used text to self and text to world to help the reader visualize the events that took place during John's plight. The illustrator used wavy lines across the faces of the characters to represent the river, for the river was the path to freedom.

Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
(Intermediate)

Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.

Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
(Intermediate)

Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.

In the book, A Freedom River, the writing of Doreen Rappaport along with the illustrations of Bryan Collier together create a stunning retelling of one particular trip on the Underground Railroad. This is the story of a slave family escaping from the slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio.
The book's uniqueness lies not in its topic, but rather in the characters. John Parker, this true story's hero, was not only a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but also an accomplished businessman from Ripley, Ohio. He was born a slave and worked to buy his freedom. He owned his own foundry, and employed both black and white individuals from both Ohio and Kentucky. He helped to make this book unique because he is not a well known conductor, but his impact on the Underground Railroad was just as great. It is said that he helped over 900 slaves escape to freedom during his lifetime.
A Freedom River draws the reader into the experience of the Underground Railroad. It masterfully pulls forth every imaginable emotion, as the characters must make choices that may end in the separation of families, death or freedom. The pace of the book along with large, bold directives, such as RUN, CRAWL, and LISTEN, create a feeling of breathlessness, much as if the reader too, were running for freedom.
The illustrations work hand in hand with the written word in order to create the overall experience of the book. The multi-textured collages with realistic faces add emotion and dept to the story. Wavy lives found throughout the illustrations deeply symbolize the river and its importance in the search for freedom.
This is a beautiful book and worthy of a rating of more than five stars. It could be successfully used with children from 1st to 6th grade. It is an excellent book for introducing and further understanding the Underground Railroad.

Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state. But just 1000 feet across the Ohio River, Ohio was a free state. John Parker, was as a conductor on the Underground Railroad and helped hundreds of slaves cross that river to freedom. John was a unique individual, an ex-slave who learned to read and write and was able to buy his freedom and a successful Ohio businessman who employed both black and white workers. But he never forgot his slave roots and the terrible pain of being separated from his mother and sold when he was eight years old. Because of this, he risked and devoted his own life to helping slaves escape to safety in Ohio. Freedom River tells the story of one of John Parker's trips to Kentucky to rescue a family of three..... Doreen Rappaport has written a powerful and inspiring story of the courage and determination of one man to right the wrongs of slavery. Her eloquent text makes John Parker and this story come alive and is complimented by Bryan Collier's vivid illustrations that add a real sense of drama and urgency. Perfect for children 8-12, Freedom River is a wonderful introduction to the Underground Railroad and includes historical notes to enhance the story and augment discussion.

I really like the fact that you can open this book anywhere and find ideas to ponder and reminders to remember. It combines most essential metaphysical teaching about the ego, being present and letting go of the past. For someone who is well-versed in metaphysics, even on an intermediate level, this book will not teach new ideas, but rather, cause the reader to re-visit and examine the ones the reader has already accepted on an intellectual level. The only thing I didn't like is that the tone is a bit condescending in that it seems to assume the reader is hearing the information presented for the first time.

Because the presentation is more intellectual than experiential, I think it may be difficult for readers new to metaphysics to fully understand some of the concepts.

What I did like is the charming way J.B. Glossinger has of presenting his personal stories and anecdotes. I like the fact that he comes from a place of knowing both the struggles of the ego, and the spiritual euphoria that comes from suddenly realizing the freedom that comes when we are finally able to let it go, even if only for moments.

The author has a warm, witty and wonderful way of establishing rapport through his descriptive stories, which I would have liked to have seen more of in the book.

Overall though, this is a great book to keep handy on your personal philosophy and metaphysical reference shelf. It's easy to glance through quickly and find wisdom of value to remember.

Moonstone Star White is the author of the personal growth title High Way from Hell: Using Emotion to Fan the Fire of Enlightment.

I have become aware of JB Glossenger via the morning coach website. JB does a daily call which I listen to via podcast on itunes. His calls and book are first class and are a must for anyone serious about improving all areas of their life!

Dr. Glossinger truly got it right! GET OUT OF NEUTRAL had me re-visit many areas of my life. It got me thinking, how I could change if I just refocused myself, and GET OUT OF NEUTRAL!!
Thank you for opening up my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities.

J.B. Glossinger is very insightful in the laws of Spirituality! Even the Secret is not as complete in explaining the Spiritual and Metaphysical aspects of life and how to use them to live a better life. I congratulate the author for writing this revolutionary book! God Bless You!
Manny Sarmiento
Millionaire 101

JB is such a fantastic, real and genuine author. Get Out Of Neutral goes deeper than Awaken The Giant Within, Success Principles and other investing/business books. It is making me realize how to feel powerful and capable from within versus the superficial affect/confidence. I will continue to practice the rituals. Thank you JB for your faith and thank you for creating MorningCoach.com

One day a girl named Claire
gets out of bed and finds a gator in her hair.
Being reasonable, Claire asks the gator (Pierre)
to vacate her head before people stare.
To which Pierre responds "Au contrair!"
explaining why any other girl would wish for a gator in her hair.
Such is the story created by Sean Bryan and Tom Murphy
in their second book where things get topsy turvy.
Now might also be the time,
to mention that it's written in rhyme.

Joking aside, A Girl and Her Gator (2006) is one of my favorite picture books of all time. I found it in the library where I work last year and have been hooked ever since. I read it to coworkers, I read it to the eight-year-olds that came to my read alouds, I read it to my friends. The point being that everyone--from that wide range of ages--thought the book was great. Sean Bryan's writing is fantastic. You wouldn't think there are that many ways rhyme "gator" but Bryan comes up with quite a few. The story, of course, is funny as Pierre tries to explain the benefits of having a gator in her hair to Claire. But by the end of the story it also shows readers that it's not only okay to be different, it can also be really fun. A great message that I don't think readers can hear enough.

As amazing as Bryan's writing is, the words only really come to life with Tom Murphy's illustrations. The drawings have sharp outlines and simple compositions (just the basic elements needed to convey the story) which are great for younger readers because the images are easy to decipher. The illustration style also makes it great to read aloud to a group because the clean images can be "read" easily from a distance.

I haven't worked out how to use these elements to my advantage, but I also like that the book has a definite color scheme (pink, as the cover suggests) and that it spends so much time on what attire goes best with a gator (I say "pirate wear" though the authors disagreed).

I loved this book so much that I was thrilled when I found out that there was not only a prequel (A Boy and His Bunny from 2005) but also a sequel that was published in 2007 called A Bear and His Boy.

This book is such a hoot! Sean Bryan's whole series with the bunny, bear, and gator are fantastic. They are such perfect toddler read-a-loud stories my daughter does the voice of the little girl and I'm the gator and we just have a blast she has them all memorized! These books are great for bedtime too their not too short not too long. Your kids are sure to love!

This is my daughter's favorite book! Much better than the first in the series, "A Boy and His Bunny"

What an adorable gift. I gave this to my daughter and just bought another one for a gift. Loved the colors and illustrations.

We loved A Boy and His Bunny and so checked out a Girl and her Gator. These stories are just plain fun. The pictures are bright and entertaining; the story line is goofy; the words are fabulous. Highly recommend it.

Although the story of what Bryan went through is devastating, the book is a fantastic read. I found it very eye-opening and humbling, as many of us take our childhood and parents for granted. I could not put it down. I commend Bryan for the courage and inner strength he found to tell his story. I hope there are more books to come written by this talented author.

This is a very moving and thought provoking story. Bryan's delivery of his life story took a lot of effort and must have been emotionally draining on him as well. His story reveals what goes on behind closed doors, something I myself as a former 30 yr. veteran of the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) was ignorant to because they keep everything secret. The sadest part of what this book reveals, is that the JW's elders are NOT qualified counselors and have no specialized training, yet they practice such and have contributed to the suffering of such innocent ones as Bryan and all in the name of their so called, Jehovah God who is actually the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society.

I read the book in 7 straight hours. You can't put it down.

Very well written. It shows how a life and family can be torn apart by a high control group. More of these types of books should be written, to show the world that this happens not just occassionally, but happens frequently. The world needs to know.
I could not put it down.

I could not put this book down! Jehovah Witnesses and non-Jehovah Witnessed could benefit from Bryan's heart breaking experience. We all take life, and being a parent for that matter, for granted sometimes. This book truely opens one's eyes to how easily we are manipulated by our social environment and how it molds us to the core...touching every cell of our being.
The lies and deception that Bryan experienced by being kidnapped from his own mother are devastating! The end results are heart-wrenching....

Bryan Lee McGlothin compelling memoir Have you seen my mother? is the heart-breaking story of one man's quest for love, truth and acceptance. The contrast between the behaviour of both of his parents is most telling. The father professes to be Christian but kidnaps young Bryan from the loving arms of his mother, slandering her in the eyes of the world but more important, in the heart and mind of her love-starved and vulnerable son. The mother, heartsick and desperate in her unsuccessful search for Bryan, flounders mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. While the father "progresses" in his faith and in life, the mother spirals toward tragic circumstances.

Bryan's father's narcissistic selfishness and cruelty are all too familiar to this writer, but the roots of such evil are complex, never easily explained.

McGlothin does a commendable job setting forth his story in his quest for truth. What he discovers will break your heart. It might also educate and humble you.