Foster Books

"My Name Is Sara" gives light to the experiences and what it feels like to be a child, abandoned, abused and neglected. I feel everyone in Congress should read this book! It gives real life accounts from Sara's heart. It is the voice of the child herself; sad, happy, confused, with a slight sense of security. This book can touch so many lives. It brings awareness of the abuse and neglect of children throughout this world. "My Name Is Sara" will touch your heart and strike a nerve.

It is difficult to read this book, but everyone who cares about the welfare of our nation's children MUST read it. And read it again when we begin to forget -- because we tend to WANT to forget -- that there are too many children in America that share Sara's heart wrenching experience.

Those who work with abused and neglected children are familiar with the clinical/textbook definitions of abuse and neglect and their impact on children. MY NAME IS SARA gives the reader a glimpse of the realities that a textbook cannot begin to depict.

MY NAME IS SARA gives words to those unable to experess their pain and confusion, and provides the reader a window into the incomprehensible experiences of abused children.

It is difficult to read this book, but everyone who cares about the welfare of our nation's children MUST read it. And read it again when we begin to forget -- because we tend to WANT to forget -- that there are too many children in America that share Sara's heart wrenching experience.

Those who work with abused and neglected children are familiar with the clinical/textbook definitions of abuse and neglect and their impact on children. MY NAME IS SARA gives the reader a glimpse of the realities that a textbook cannot begin to depict.

MY NAME IS SARA gives words to those unable to express their pain and confusion, and provides the reader a window into the incomprehensible experiences of abused children.

Purchased for my grandson (age 12) who has read almost all of this series and is collecting the complete set. As a grandparent, these books foster the habit of reading and we have taken our grandson to several of the national parks written in this series. We first bought a book about 3 years ago at Mesa Verde and our grandson got hooked on them.

Thanks to the author!

I think this book was very good. It had a lot of action and suspense. In my opinion this book is one of the best in the series because of all the drama and suspense.


This book is about Jack, Ashley, and their parents going to Death Valley National Park and they bring a girl named Leesa Sherman. They all go to a place named Skidoo which is suppose to be a Ghost Town. Ashley tells them this freaky story about a man who got hung because he killed a lot of people. He was buried in a mine shaft. Jack gives Ashly a two-way radio and Ashley and Leesa go and look at some things before a sand storm comes. They see Leesa running toward them without Ashley and she said she lost her during the storm. They keep trying to contact her on the radio Jack gave her but there was no answer. All of a sudden they hear a voice come over the radio saying, "We have Ashley Landon and we are keeping her until Leesa Sherman is returned to us."


I recommend this book to a 11-13 year old or someone who likes mystery books.

I liked this book because there was alot of action when Ashley was captured.I also liked in the end how Leesa went back with her mother and not to the Unit. This is a good book to read. If your interested in this book pick it up and start reading, especially if you like mysteries.

After suffering through the prolonged editor's remarks trying to fruitlessless explain Foster's life, go to the real meat of this book. Mr. Foster gives you an insider's look into New York City in the middle of the 19th century. Perhaps he exaggerates some points, but his writing style is rivetting and exceptionally funny for a 19th century author. A must-read!

This book was a delight to read. The fact that it was written as a first person account, using the vernacular of the time, made it even better. Also, the fact that the majority of the book is involved with nocturnal New York, and all the seedy goings-on one might associate with it in any time period, make it even more interesting. I especially liked the way Foster evoked a sense of adventure, by figuratively taking the readers hand and "leading" him down darkened streets and alleys, etc.

For a quick dose of NYC history from a perspective you can't get everywhere else, this book is highly recommended.

Stuart Blumin has done a brilliant job of capturing the essence of George Foster's contemporaneous accounts of New York as he presented it, in "New York by Gas-Light and Other Urban Sketches". By that I mean that this collection of "sketches" are not to be taken as literal accounts. This is not a history. George Foster was one of the acknowledged kings of sensationalism when it came to writing about mid-19th century New York City.

While the Five Points neighborhood was a crime-ridden, filthy neighborhood, its depiction in Foster's accounts are highly exaggerated. And while crime was an unavoidable element of a New York which, at the time, had no real police force, Foster's essays would lead one to believe that merely walking down the street--any street--was an invitation to mayhem. This was not true then, nor is it now. So why did he write these sketches? Why did he make Manhattan seem so undesirable? Because there was a profit to be made. Affluent New Yorkers bought these types of books to make themselves feel better about their own situations, and it offered them a bit of voyeurism into a dark world that was a part of their island. It also proved popular with people in other cities, as they could read about the terrors of a New York City that was cluttered with "filthy immigrants", criminals and chaos. And George Foster played it to the hilt!

If you can put aside the over-the-top stuff, however, there is much to be learned in these pages. The streets of lower Manhattan were congested, they did smell (think of the wild pigs or of the countless horses that were relied upon for transportation), and the misery of the slums was a given, if you were poor. Foster's language is also an undeniable historic artifact, as it captures the idioms of the day.

For my money, the more historic sketches are in the second half of this collection, the streaks of "sunlight". Here Foster presents a handful of vignettes of every day life in the growing city. "The Eating-Houses" is a delightful look at how ordinary men and women took their meals. And the "Quarter of an Hour under an Awning" is so lucid, so cleanly written--even with its pickpocket story--that it is the most "real feeling" essay in the book. The sudden storm that breaks out during the afternoon rush hour, the inablility to catch an omnibus (bus) or a hack (taxi) rings true to this day. At times, on my lunch hour, I walk by the street corner near City Hall where this quarter of an hour passed, and can watch it all transpire in my head. With so many of the old buildings still extant in that area, it's easy to do.

"New York by Gas-Light and Other Urban Sketches" is a marvelous book about a by-gone era in New York's history, as well as a great insight into the sensational sensationalist that George Foster was.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points and The Five Points Concluded

If I were a writer of children's books, which I am not, and I wanted to write my debut novel I'd start very slow. Maybe write something fluffy and fun to begin with and then slowly, over the years, ease my way into serious historical fiction. I certainly wouldn't have the guts to plunge into a personal narrative and I CERTAINLY wouldn't be able to bring a little known (little known to American children, that is) moment in history to the fore. That is probably why Linda Press Wulf is now slated to become a great author to watch while I spend my days reviewing. Guts? She's got `em. And her debut novel, "The Night of the Burning"? Smart and honest. It has the wherewithal to show that even people who live through terrible disasters together can be willingly separated once that danger is past. So it would be worth our while to follow Ms. Wulf's career.

The adults in the orphanage refer to Devorah as "the sad one" when they think she cannot hear, and sometimes when she can. She hasn't smiled since she and her sister Nechama arrived in Pinsk, and little wonder. Both sisters have lived through a deadly pogrom in their small village as well as bearing witness to the death of their father, their mother, their uncle, and their aunt. As the elder of the two Devorah is still on the lookout for danger wherever the two go. Yet when a kind man by the name of Isaac Ochberg arrives to tell the children that he's taking 200 Jewish orphans with him to South Africa, it is little Nechama who persuades her older sister to go. Once established Nechama is soon plucked up by a family that only wants one little girl. Devorah, for her part, ends with a kind couple who aren't entirely certain how to care for this scarred, sometimes furious child. What Devorah must learn is to let go of the past but always remember where she came from. Once she is able to do that, she may even love her new family, in a way that still pays tribute to the past.

There are certain rules a person acquires over the years when determining whether or not a book is worth finishing. Here's a new one I've just added: If the author can make you tear up by page 10, this is a book worth finishing. To be honest, I'm still shocked at how quickly Wulf is able to engage the reader. On page one you hardly know the characters and by ten you're snuffling in your soup when Mr. Ochberg gently rocks Devorah and sings a lullaby as she cries for the first time since The Night. It's nothing short of amazing.

Plus the character of Devorah was imbued to her bones with life. This was the kind of kid who was easily disturbed by stories, to say nothing of the horrors she'd eventually endure. You get a glimpse of her strength early on when we see her reworking the story of Jael in her head. In the original tale, Jael killed an enemy by knocking a tent peg through his head. Devorah is mildly obsessed with the logistics of this. "How did she hold the tend peg and swing the mallet hard at the same time? What would have happened if she hadn't got the peg in all the way?" Eventually Devorah reworks Jael's situation over and over until she decides that the man could have been trapped by a large metal half circle hammered into the ground around his neck. When Devorah senses an unpleasant problem, she does her best to correct it. Actually, all the characters in this book are rendered beautifully. Kindly Mrs. Kagan, who adopts Devorah but doesn't understand how to communicate with her at the start, is described by the girl thusly: "I couldn't decide about Mrs. Kagan yet. She was big and solid, and she moved like the three girls at my school who sometimes linked arms and plowed through the crowds on the playground chanting: `We. Walk. Straight. So. You'd-Better-Get-Out-of-the-Way'." This is perhaps the best description of a person in a children's book I have ever read. The best part is that we all know people like that.

Wulf is also adept at taking a small still moment between two people so as to imbue it with greater meaning. In a graveyard in her village, young Devorah officially vows to always remember her people's stories. Says her Papa, "My heart is full of pride. But my head worries about you. Now that you have vowed, you must remember. But there are different ways of remembering, my child. Hard ways and easier ways. I hope you will find an easier way." For those amongst you who are considering reading this book in a children's book group, this is a good line to parse the meaning of. It's such a pleasure to read a writer who knows how to slip small meaningful moments into ordinary situations. When Devorah hugs the other orphans because a once sick Mr. Ochberg is getting better, Wulf writes, "I can feel their hearts, I thought, I can feel each one's heart."

The authorial technique of flashing between the present and the past was a good move on Wulf's part. Kids will appreciate the reassurance of knowing that Devorah and her sister both survive their village's pogrom by seeing them safely ensconced in the orphanage at the beginning of the tale. By showing them moving to the safety of South Africa, the book is also able to pair a sad tale with a hopeful one, keeping the book from bogging down in misery right from the start. Too many children's books crack the reader's heart in half at the tale's beginning and then expect that same readership to happily skip along to an unbelievable happy ending. And say what you will about "The Night of the Burning", the ending we find on this story is wholly and utterly believable.

Ms. Wulf would be amiss in not mentioning the powerlessness of the indigenous black Africans, and she certainly brings them up once in a while. They do not become the focus of the book, though, so their story is sort of scuttled to the side. I felt conflicted about this choice. For example, almost at the end of the book Elizabeth, the servant of Mrs. Kagan, leaves for the weekend without saying goodbye to Devorah when her sister is visiting. Devorah wonders why Elizabeth didn't say her farewells, but never really resolves the question. Are we to assume that Elizabeth knew the character of Devorah's sister and responded accordingly? I wish more had been said on the topic. In a way, I hope that Ms. Wulf considers writing a sequel to "The Night of the Burning", if only to resolve some of the issues she's brought up with this book.

In any case, a strong book and a remarkable debut. Few if any American children are aware of the work of Isaac Ochberg, to say nothing of the politics of South Africa. "The Night of the Burning" closes another gap in their knowledge and offers a perspective I've not seen before. Linda Press Wulf has shown the world she has a particularly deft hand. Let's hope she displays it again soon.

Debut author Linda Press Wulf presents a poignant and curious tale that rightfully earned her the 1998 Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award. Based closely on her mother-in-law's childhood experiences, Wulf deftly weaves an emotionally charged story that is full of despair and heartbreak, loss and hope. With vivid images and simple, but elegant language, this memorable title is an excellent work of historical fiction that should be included in all library collections.
For twelve-year-old Devorah Lehrman and her younger sister, Nechama, growing up in a Polish shtetl during the early twentieth century is all about survival. Living side by side with their Christian neighbors, food is scarce and work is limited for the few Jewish families of Domachevo. Devorah's parents try to provide for the girls, but are stricken with typhoid fever and the two girls are left in the care of their widowed aunt. On a dark and dreary night in 1921, anti- Semitic Russian soldiers attack the small town, destroy the synagogue, and burn down the homes of the Jews. Devorah's aunt hides the girls in the loft of a barn; the girls survive the night of terror, but their aunt is ruthlessly murdered by a Cossack. .
As orphans, the girls are taken to Warsaw, where they are part of a group of two hundred Jewish children who will travel to South Africa, a much safer country, in order to be adopted by Jewish families. A struggling photographer and his wife take in Devorah while Nechama, now known as Naomi, becomes part of the wealthy Stein family. Separated from her sister, she struggles with her new life and holds on to her grief. In a pivotal moment with her adopted mother, Devorah realizes it is time to embrace her second chance at life and open her heart to joy.
The strength of this compassionate story lies in the power of the first person narration by Devorah, alternating chapters from her past in Poland to her present life in Africa. Historical notes found at the back of the book and a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms scattered in the text will give the reader, a better understanding of the turbulent times the Lehrman family experienced at the early part of the last century.
Ages 9 - 12.
Reviewed by Debby Gold

Eleven-year-old Devorah and her younger sister, orphaned by the pogroms in their small Polish town in 1921, are chosen by philanthropist Isaac Ochberg to be among 200 Jewish children rescued from Eastern Europe and brought to South Africa. Flashbacks and memories detail Devorah's childhood in Poland, the poverty of her family, the tragic illnesses they suffered from, and the persecution they faced. Based on her mother-in-law's life, Wulf creates well-developed characters and Devorah's growth and maturity is heartwarming and real. This is a beautiful and captivating retelling of a little known rescue story and a wonderful way to introduce North American readers to the origins of the Jewish community in South Africa.

Anyone who is interested in art should have Lowell's books. The pictures inside are so beautiful they could be framed. He explains things so well that anyone can understand and create their own painting. Very good books, get them all.

Anyone who is interested in art should have Lowell's books. The pictures inside are so beautiful they could be framed. He explains things so well that anyone can understand and create their own painting. Very good books, get them all.

this tecnique is easy to understand and to applicate, I would like if it could be applicated in lanscape and still life

I just received three copies of this book today for my youngest grandchildren. Before I gave it to them I read it myself and loved it. It's such a great story, well written and puts a different perspective on giving, loving and magic. I highly suggest buying Mr. Davis' first book "The Blacksmith's Gift" as well as "An Orphan's Promise". Illustrations are beautiful in both books. Orphan's Promise is about a little girl who goes to help Mr. Kloss be a carpenter but is told she can't because she isn't a boy. This book shows that 'yes, you can'. Well done and recommend both of Mr.Davis' books. Can't wait for the last one to be published in a year or so.

Dan Davis has done what few can do anymore: he has brought wonder and surprise to the tale of Santa. His original take on the centuries-old legend is a joy to read.

While the book is broken down into easily-digestible chapters for younger readers, it does not talk down to children. It is a compelling story for readers of all ages. My teenager picked it up one afternoon and read it through twice. The illustrations are delicate and enduring; they compliment, rather than overpower, the story.

While "An Orphan's Promise" is a great stand-alone book, I highly recommend its prequel, "The Blacksmith's Gift." I eagerly await the continuation of the story of Mr. and Mrs. Kloss.

With the second installment of Second Star Creations' "Christmas Story" series, author Dan T. Davis and artist Christina E. Siravo unfold an intricately weaved carpet for the reader to walk upon. Using a myriad of techniques including inventive layouts, brilliant illustrations, rivetting prose, intriguing myth, and good old fashioned storytelling, the team has created a perfectly orchestrated children's book that should be a given under every Christmas tree. Even the changing moods and seasons of the tale are conveyed not only by the beautiful prose and artwork, but also with the coinciding colors and fades of each turned page. Further illuminating Davis's vision of the origins of Santa Kloss, the story also gives us a good background for his special reindeer and even for the Rudolf story.
In "An Orphan's Promise," a young orphan named Ruby is the main character, and Mr. Kloss takes a supporting role. Both of them are rich, evolving characters changed mightily by the stories end, but it is Ruby who undergoes the most profound change. She is also the person who the major themes, insights, and plots of the tale center around.
Davis does a remarkable job of holding the reader's attention and leading his audience through emotions in order to impart understanding of the message. Interspersed folklore of the Alvar (Norse forest elves) and Nissen (Scandinavian barn fairies) give depth and realism to the Santa legends, and by the end it's easy to believe even if you're an adult now who forgot all about ol' Santa Kloss long ago.
Perfect touches at the end of the book, like the Nissen adding Rudolf to the toy sleigh, the post-script poem for Ruby, and the traditional Norwegian folksong complete with musical notation, are even more reason why you'll find yourself enjoying this story again and again each Christmas.

We always know that when we give books by Skurzynski & Ferguson, the young readers will soon be engrossed in the interesting characters and their adventures. Just gave three of OUT OF THE DEEP to 3 different age youngsters. All a hit!

Jack and Ashley Landon love to travel with their mother, a wildlife veterinarian, who is often called to solve animal mysteries, and their father, who hopes to have a career as a photographer. This time they are on their way to Acadia National Park in Maine to investigate why the marine animals are beaching. But Jack and Ashley have a problem. Bindy Callister, the 14- year-old temporary foster child who has just come to live with the Landon family. Bindy is a liar, or at least Jack thinks so. She claims to know the reason for the animal behavior, and the kids find her near a beached baby whale. Bindy slips away during the rescue operation, determined to prove she know why this is happening, and Jack and Ashley get themselves in deeper than they planned for.The mystery is fascinating reading and an educational experience all rolled into one. I think it's the best one yet in this series for upper elementary or older readers. The mother/daughter author team never fail to teach about science, geography, and human behavior.

Collaboratively written by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson, Out Of The Deep is an exciting mystery novel for young adults which is set in the beautiful Acadia National Park. A baby whale among other marine mammals has beached upon the park shores, and it's up to the intrepid Landon kids to figure out why. Out Of The Deep is a genuinely captivating story that blends adventure with respect for nature and wildlife. Also very highly recommended is another Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson title in the eleven volume "Mysteries In Our National Parks" series from National Geographic Society, Running Scared (0792282329).

If you have ever been in a crisis as a teen and have felt rejected, unworthy and lost, this book is for you! Kimberly Freel writes with a sincere insight and dedication to her characters. This novel understands today's situations in the "real world" and provides a story of hope and love after many realistic struggles. What I found interesting were the stories within the story that portrayed heart wrentching situations and diverse characters. I felt like this novel covered much ground and offered help and suggestions while captivating it's readers with a great story line. I hope Kimberly Freel continues to write!

I have read more books than I can recall in my life, but "Painted Rocks" was the first book I have read that I did not put down once I began reading it. It is an inspirational story about a young girl's struggle to find not only herself, but her place in this world. The novel is wonderfully written and it keeps the reader intrigued about what will happen next to little Sunny Moss. There is never a dull moment and it keeps you on your toes. This is an eloquent and exciting novel that anyone would love. I can't wait to read it again, and I can't wait for Kimberly Freel's next novel. Buy the book, you won't put it down!

Being an avid reader, I can safely say that this was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. I actually stayed up past midnight on a Sunday evening when I had to get up at 6:00 a.m. the next day. Not quite being done by the time I went to bed, I actually got up and finished it before getting ready for work! This is a story of a young teen who just always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time - and the consequences of the poor decisions she makes. Living in the same area, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about places that are familiar to me. Throughout the good and bad that happened in her life, I love the way it all ties together eventually, but that's all I better say. Anyway, it's a winner as far as I'm concerned!!

My daughter and I just read this book last week. It is a great book and I'm glad to have it in our library! :)

The illustrations are very eye catching for young children. My5 yo child enjoyed learning about Italy. She was interested to learnmore about why a city would have streets of water. This book was a huge hit. We must have read this book at least six times the first week after getting it.

This book is a great springboard to learning possibilities such as cats, adoption, fatherhood, gondolas (boats), and Italy. The inside front cover has information to inhance the understanding of the book. Information given on Marco Polo, Venice, Italian words and phrases, and more.

I'm glad to have this book as part of our home library.

I bought this book for my daughter and she loved it! And I found an adult companion book on Amazon: "Chats de Venise" by Robert de Laroche, that I loved, but it turned out to be handy with her, because I could show her the pictures of the real cats in Venice, like Papa Piccolo and his "found" kittens!!

Paradise Boys by Abby Mendelson is a MUST READ!!! Told through the voice of JoJo, the story is poignant and terrifying. Mendelson writes very well and conveys in a most concerned and loving manner the hopelessness of the situation of these boys. I routed for the boys all through their story, and I couldn't put the book down. I really felt that I had gotten to know these youngsters, and I wanted to be able to help them, especially JoJo. I cried for him at the end.

This novel is a glimpse into a world that absolutely terrifies me. I keep coming back to thoughts of the book, as well as Mendelson's description of his personal experience in the epilogue. Powerful, disturbing subject. It leaves me with a feeling of despair for these boys. Intriguing concept how the main character sought self-identity and invisibility at the same time. The former is quite clear from the outset where he always says "I'm JoJo Arnold..." expressing that by virtue of who he is he is better than the next `Boy' and the latter more subtlety with his avoidance of being in a picture. I think writing this book is in some way an act of kindness to those like the characters who are living so hopelessly. Written in the first person, I found that I quickly picked up the flow of the prose, laced with the strange parlance of the Paradise Boys.
A great read.

The author depicts a slice of life most people never see. The author's characterizations are brilliant. As the story develops, the reader is magnetized by the pathos and sometimes hopelessness of the "boys," which understandably elicits pathos and empathy. Mendelson presents a compelling drama, a completely absorbing story.