O Books

This book really gets on the level my 4-yr old daughter. Its a gentle reminder of the fruits of the spirit. It leads to kid like discussion that helps them to understand what you expect from them as little girls. I think this book is a keeper. Somethimes when things are going rough at home we pull out this book and plant a little seed of scripture in their young heart. The pictures are lovely as well.

This book is excellent. It aligns the Proverbs 31 scripture along with daily life that little girls understand and can apply.

It's so nice to read something to my daughter that I know is feeding her spiritually. She really connects with the illustrations, and loves to talk about what the girl in the story is doing. This book has naturally lead us into wonderful conversations about what it means to belong to God and what kind of habits we need to be forming as His children.

Beautiful pictures and borders. A great gift to give to parents of newborns and to preschool and primary children. God's Wisdom for Little Boys is equally wonderful.

This beautifully illustrated book is full of wonderful prose and rhymes that could be read to any little girl old enough to know right from wrong. The stanza format is excellent, and if you were to work on and apply each page a week at a time (with repetitive reviews) it will turn into a lasting treasure.

I first saw this cookbook back in 2001. A co-worker had purchased it at a garage sale. I must have photocopied at least 20 recipes from it. I accidentally lost one of the recipes (Chocolate Truffle Pudding, which was amazing), and I had changed jobs so I couldn't ask the woman to bring the book back into work again. Well... I did a search for it on Amazon and found it! I was so happy to have the original cookbook in my hot little hands! This cookbook is loaded, LOADED with gems. Everything I have made out of this book has been fabulous.

This is my favorite cook book - I reference it all the time. I highly recommend it for new & experienced cooks. I've used mine so much it is falling apart after the 10 years I have owned it.

Every recipe that I have used in this cookbook without exception has been wonderful! I especially like the Old-World Rasberry Bars. The cookbook is worth the price just for the beautiful pictures that appear every time you turn the page. The pictures of mouthwatering deserts, entrees, vegetables, etc give the reader an idea of what the finished product will look like. I showed my copy to my mom the other day and now she wants a copy of the cookbook. I would recommend this cookbook to the novice as well as the experienced cook.

I bought this book over eight years ago and still pull it out whenever we have dinner guests in our calendar. The full color pictures are inspirational even if you don't follow the recipe to the letter.

The preparation and cook times are very accurate -- great for when you have guests arriving for dinner at a certain time and the directions are easy enough to follow for when my 15 year old wants to try her hand at dinner.

This book is not just for dinners either! There are great dessert and sandwich recipes as well. All recipes contain quite a bit of butter (it IS a Land o'Lakes cookbook) so they are not for those cooking light, but are very tasty.

The skillet pizza is the only recipe I have not liked so far. My favorite recipes are the deep dish apple pie and chicken Kiev.

I just received this from Amazon the other day.

It is a plastic binder.
This makes it very easy to removed the recipe that you want to make without having to
Turn the book this way or that way to read the recipe and look at the picture.

The other wonderful part of this cookbook is that the pictures help guide you.

The recipes are only on one page and the picture on the other side.

I had this delivered while at work.
I had people clamoring at lunch to look through this cook book.

One person said that it made him drool and another lady stating that she was buying this
Cook book.

Another wonderful part of this is that you can add recipes to this as it is a binder.
This is worth the money I spent.

I have looked for cook books that have pictures and this one is a great buy.

I currently own and co-owned several forums now or in the past. This book is an absolute must read. Whether you are a seasoned forum owner or thinking about staring a forum this book is for you.

This book is an easy follow along guide on how to get your forum stated, from choosing a topic along with a domain name, to setting up a forum without getting to technical. From there it moves on to how to manage and deal with difficult members as well as choosing and managing your staff and much more.

The author uses his real life experiences that he has dealt with now and in the past and gives plenty of examples from developing his forum guidelines, to examples of dealing with those difficult members and how you should manage your staff. These real life examples include e-mails that he uses when there has been a forum violation or dealing with an absent staff member. All are there for you do read and implement them on your own forum.

I could go on and on about this book, but I am telling right now this is a must read and I will be pulling off my shelf from time to time.

If you're considering to build your own online community or forum, then this is a must-read book. Patrick O'Keefe covers everything from how to start a forum to how to develop and police it. I particularly appreciated that much of this book covers managing people rather than technology. There are lots of other books on how to physically build a site, but this one goes into depth on how to build the actual community of the site. O'Keefe advices how to recruit new members to your site without spamming other sites, and also gives good advice on how to deal with difficult members by offering a lot of examples and how he handled it. You won't have to run a site to recognize some of the difficult types that he describes.

If you're going to start a forum or community site, or if you already have and you would like advice on how to manage the human side of running a site, then I recommend that you read this. If you're not, then I think you would still enjoy reading this. You'll find out how hard it is to run a site and you might appreciate those who do a little more.

I recently finished up reading my copy of Patrick's book Managing Online Forums.

I'm especially glad that I did read it end to end because it had some of the most useful, insightful, and practical advice related to managing online communities that I've ever seen in a book.

In the book Patrick brings forth his real-world experiences running a plethora of major and successful forums and communities online.

You will learn about launching your community, attracting people to it, picking the right software, setting guidelines, keeping the site interesting and much more.

Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards is by far the most comphrensive book for community management I've read to date and I highly suggest anyone who is considering starting a community or even season veterens pick this selection up because it has something inside it for everyone.

After many failed attempts at starting an onlinr forum, I decided that I would start a forum about helping others start a forum. I did some reaserch on the subject and began the process. One of the resources I found during my reaserch phase was a forum called CommunityAdmins.com which was started by and is run by Patrick O'Keefe. The forum is bustling with activity and there is some very good information there. While on the forum I saw an advertisement for Patrick's book, Managing Online Forums. Of course I was inclined to by the book, which I did. While alot of the stuff descussed is very common sense, Patrick does get into some finer points and things I never knew about. This book is a must read for newbies and those of intermediate internet skills.

Patrick practically takes you by the hand and walks you through various scenarios in forum building. He also discusses the pro's and con's of using paid forum posting services. If you have attempted to start and maintain a success online forum but have been unable to, reading this book just may help you. Buying the book just for the list of resources he has added will make your purchase worth it.

I give this book two thumbs up, or five stars :)

Gilberto Cintron
Forum-Starters.com

Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards

I have to confess I chose this book because it was a recent release, and with computers, 6 months from publication means a lot has changed. I was wrong: This book is TIMELESS! Almost every piece of advice here applies to basically every fundamental thing a forum admin HAS TO KNOW, regardless of which software or what version they use. This book will be as good in 2 years as it is now. if you`re trying to become an online community admin and you have no previous experience you should not take a step forward without reading this book first.
PROS: straight to the point, easy to read, CERO prior technical knowledge needed, gives a lot of real life examples, covers just about everything with good and practical advice.
CONS: not too specific about technical stuff, has too many ethical advice, and even though he comments on how to defend yourself from unethical threats from others, real life is usually not the good against the bad but rather the smart vs. the dumb or the more resourceful vs. the less resourceful.
As a side note, the final proof of whether this books has helped me at all or not, should be MY new forum. Today it is absolutely empty, so if you`re reading this review a few months after June 15 2008, come see for yourself if and what this reading material worked for me. My forum will be in w w w dot HydrogenLounge dot kom. Or: [...]

This is one of my all time favorite picture books for all ages. Peter Spiers beautiful illustrations need no words to tell this story. The possibilities for interacting with a child are endless as you wander through the familiar and find the surprising! My granddaughter is 2 years old and loves animals. What could be a better birthday gift?

The happy and humorous tone of this book will make it appealing to any child, whatever the family's religion.

The only text is at the beginning and it is a charming translation of a poem that summarizes the story of Noah. The poem is delightful in and of itself- Spier did a great job of translating.

The illustrations are then left without text, which is very refreshing, since there are so few picture books nowadays. I enjoy leisurely paging through this book with my young daughter, talking about the pictures in and of themselves, as pieces of art and as pictures that tell a story. I feel that the pressure is off in terms of trying to finish a sentence or a story when there is no text there.

In addition, this book is appropriate for Muslim families as well, since the illustrations (and beginning poem) are sufficiently vague as to accommodate for the small differences in the telling of the story in the Qu'ran and the Bible.

My first Peter Spier book. Not saccharine, wonderful details (including Noah mucking out the ark). Great to have a child read to YOU.

This is an excellent picture book - my three year old really loves it. My only "complaint" is that it takes a long time to go through all the pictures and talk about each one making it less than ideal right before bed unless you want to spend 20 minutes on just one book! Seriously though - the book is just wonderful and allows parents to go into whatever level of detail regarding the Noah story as they feel is appropriate for the age of their child. It is a softcover and the pages and cover are not of the highest quality - it would be lovely to have in hardcover with larger pages.

This book really does not need any words. It is so well illustrated that you can understand every part of the story. His detailing is stunning. Every time we read this book, we find new details. This is the best book of Noah's ark story!

If you want to read about Piscator, Venator, milkmaids, and the rising of huge trout to those "little sailboats", this is not the book for you. If you are stuck in Yellowstone, New Zealand, or the Catskills and are complaining about the hatches while striving for the nature experience, this book is not for you. However, if you are a city bound angler needing to feed his urges, this is a good read. You will enjoy the stories as you gain insight on how to get out and rise to angling bliss when stuck in the concrete valleys. Arelt and O'Kelly have arranged the road trip for the forty-something urban angler.

I'm not a big reader, but I picked this up on a whim cause I used to like to fish and am now stuck in a big city. I really enjoyed the book.

I really liked this book, let me tell you why.

There's a passage toward the beginning of Dandelion Wine where the protagonist is lying on his back in the forest, squinting at the sun as it squeezed it's way through the leaves above him. It's a simple passage that effectively evoked the carefree afternoons of a young boy - it transports you to your own youth - and thereafter you read the book as if you are Douglas Spaulding. Similarly, by taking you along on his first fishing adventure as a child, Chris Arelt reminds you of the tension you feel when getting caught in a childish prank - you're now in synch with the authors as they walk you through their thirty years of piscatorial exploits.

The stories are fun and have a consistent mischevious bent, which for me, strikes home. When I went fishing as a kid, I was always getting away with something. Maybe I snuck out of the house, or was smoking a cigarette, or well, doing something I wasn't suppose to be up to. The Offbeat Angler captures that spirit, and by doing that, captures the essence of fishing.

There are a lot of fishing guides out there that teach you how to land the big one. They're not for me. It was a hell of a lot more enjoyable to sit back & read some yarns that reminded me why I grew to like fishing to begin with. It was all about being young, having time, breaking rules and getting a breath of nature. The dream was catching that big one, but in reality there were a lot of rewarding afternoons where I can't remember if I even got a bite.

So, in many ways, it was enlightening to read this book. I've got kids of my own now, and when I take them fishing, we'll hop a fence, skid down a hill, and pass a no trespassing sign. Then I'll know they know what fishing can be all about.

Buy this book, you'll be glad you did. I'm keeping an eye out for the sequel.

This book is a delight for anyone who has ever gone fishing, would like to, or simply enjoys good storytelling. Fish tales have often been prone to exaggeration, but these tales carry the ring of truth. The book can be enjoyed as separate and complete short stories, or savored as a whole. The authors have inspired me to pick up a fishing pole and go catch some fish.

After reading the reviews I was really looking forward to this book - what a disappointment. Don't the others who reviewed this thing ever leave their apartments? The stories and topics are pretty boring - and not at all well written. I found nothing "offbeat" about their "adventures." After years of angling and reading great books by people who understand the sport and nature, I am dumbfounded as to how others might find this book to be of any real value - especially 5 stars.

Fishing is connection with nature, which usually means the practitioner learns something about nature - this is the first fishing book I've read that calls a rock ledge an "escarpment" and brambles or thorns "pricker bushes". The authors also seem to think they were the first to ever trespass or to fish for carp in ditches or stripers from a rented rowboat. If the authors were talented storytellers perhaps they could turn these trips into something interesting, but this part of their craft is lacking.

If you want to read well written stories of offbeat angling, get some early Gierach books, not this one. Arelt and O'Kelly write in a breathless style, sharing sophomoric observations and their own opinions, which are neither enlightening nor fact based. Guys, Jane Fonda comes from a fly fishing family and she brought Ted Turner to the sport, so don't worry about her. Instead, worry that people in our society mistake what you do for literature.

Michael D. O'Brien is a masterful storyteller. He has compiled a stunning series, Children of the Last Days, of which Plague Journal is the second. I am now just beyond half way through Eclipse of the Sun, the third. I have two more to go, and by then perhaps he will have written some more. While I'm reviewing his work, I'd like to applaud his latest work : Island of the World. That was a "watershed" book for me.There are not words to convey the power and authority which which he strings words together. It is compelling fiction. Any one choosing to read Michael D. O'Brien's work will be in for a major treat as well as learning experience.

Michael O'Brien has a tendency to overwrite his books (one of his very few flaws as a writer). But in Plague Journal, he reined himself in (or finally got an editor who did) and the result is a book that is no less packed with plot tension, cultural criticism, and character development than his other tomes.

The middle book of a trilogy of books about the Delaney family (starting with Strangers and Sojourners and ending with Eclipse of the Sun), Plague Journal also fits within O'Brien's larger series, which he calls Children of the Last Days. The first of those is the explosive novel Father Elijah.

While Plague Journal is my personal favorite. I recommend reading it after Father Elijah and Strangers and Sojourners, since it needs the other two to provide its context in O'Brien's view of the Last Days.

And O'Brien's view is a bleak one. The government has become the tool of the antichrist, whether it knows it or not, and an honest journalist (even one who doesn't have a living faith in God) can't get an honest shake, but is hunted down.

Swift, sharp, and poigniant, O'Brien provides his readers with everything that Left Behind readers should have gotten but didn't and without all of the silly speculations. This is good literature that shapes the heart and the mind Christianly.

Michael D. O'Brien's novels are among the best I have ever read. Plague Journal is the (chronologically speaking) 2nd book in the Children of the Last Days series. Which should be read: 1. Strangers and Sojourners, 2. Plague Journal, 3. Eclipse of the Sun, and the other 3 in any order (although I'd personally read Father Elijah 4th, Sophia House 5th, and A Cry of Stone last--which is the least connected to the other books). They are deep and thought provoking books, and will make you look at the current trends in society in a whole new light. Although there is an element of action/adventure in this story, it is by no means mindless entertainment. The action/adventure element is always secondary to the philosophical/spiritual element that we see and partake of in the lives and thoughts of the characters; in much the same way as the murder/mystery element in Crime and Punishment is secondary to the philosophical/spiritual element.
I've grown up a Protestant, but these books (along with other influences) have made me take a good hard look at Catholicism. I'd say I'm 9 tenths converted--and almost ready to take that last step. But whatever your religion, denomination, or lack thereof, do yourself a favor and read these books.

O'Brien's "Children of the Last Days" series shows what the apocalypse might be like through Catholic eyes. "Plague Journal" shows what an average man would go through when he sees the very land he loves slowly but surely choke off all joy and life in the name of an efficient government. The main character's actions and thoughts make you slow down and wonder what you'd do. Also, not all the characters automatically do the right thing. Each of their actions has a consequence, whether good or bad, and they have to put up with those consequences, which is more realistic. There's no flashy deux ex machina, but God works through the characters in a way that's somehow more majestic than simply suspending laws of nature to make sure the good guy wins. I highly recommend this book no matter what religion you follow. You will laugh, cry, and think.

As I'm sure most reviewers have said, be sure you read Strangers and Sojourners first; PJ is the second in the series. Also, it is good to read Father Elijah too; it occurs about the same time as PJ.

I read PJ in a week. It is one of the most moving books I've read, but I was reluctant to heed its message in the beginning. In this world of half-truths and deceptions where everyone is a partially educated philosopher and politician, PJ really does show the need to not believe everything we heard or read.

Should we be constantly paranoid? Not really. But a healthy skepticism is necessary.

Yes, it's true. I'm contemplating adding a podcast to my blog. So, I bought "Podcast Solutions" on Amazon and read it, front to back. This is a very useful book, and it comes with a CD of demo software you can use for podcasting.

Anyone who is thinking about podcasting should read this book BEFORE they start purchasing any equipment. One of the most valuable things I found in this book was information about the equipment you will need to get start. A large portion of this book is devoted to getting good quality recordings from your recording sessions so that it doesn't turn potential listeners off with popping, clicking, hissing, etc.

One of the other great things I found in this book is podsafe music. Never heard of it? Podsafe music is music from independent artists that is licensed for you to use it free of charge in your podcasts. Check out these sites: GarageBand and PodShow. The music is really good. I'm digging it.

Until someone writes something really comprehensive, this is the best there is in podcasting.

What is podcasting?

If you don't know by now - what's wrong, have you been living under a rock? ;)

A little over a year ago, I had no clue. I actually thought it was using an iPod to broadcast mp3s over FM waves to a radio (which is actually done quite often, but has nothing to do with podcasting). In fact, podcasting has little to do with iPods at all. If I had had a copy of this book a year ago, I would have know that - and a whole lot more!

"Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting" is just that - a complete guide. Have no idea what podcasting is? This will tell you. Know what it is, but not how to listen to them? This book will tell you. Would you like to know how podcasting started? Look no further. Ever wondered what the relationship between podcasting and blogging is? You can find out. Want to start your own podcast? Then this is the book for you! It even comes with a CD with all the software you'll need to start podcasting right away, and it doesn't matter if you use Windows, Mac OS X, or even Linux - the CD has software for all three platforms. The book even tells you how to start making money with podcasts!

From recording the audio to publishing the XML to getting your podcast heard - it's all in the book. You should really pick this book up if you have any interest at all in podcasting. Highly recommended!

Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass have done a great job in this 240 page book on podcasting. A great book for any podcaster. They do a good job of taking you through all of the steps necessary to learning podcasting. The book runs the gamut of the steps you'll need to preparing your podcast, to recording and subsequently publishing your podcast on the web.The book is easy to follow and has lots of links to websites for additional reference. Overall the best book on the market for podcasting.

I started out knowing diddly squat about podcasting. I read "Podcast Solutions" by Michael Geoghegan (what's up with that name?) and Dan Klass and now I know everything. But much more important than my over-generous opinion of myself I got my podcast up swiftly, easily and on time thanks to this incredible book.

They answer questions with the insight of someone who really knows all the angles, who really knows what they are talking about, who has actually done it. The book will take you through the entire process and get you up and running. And isn't that what it's really all about?

I especially enjoyed Chapter 10 "Getting Heard" which offers rich detail and many astonishing ideas about how to get people to actually listen to your podcast. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Finally, the price on this book is right. Just right. Enough to make you realize you're getting something valuable (which you are) and low enough that it's well within reach of anyone who's ever splurged on a cup of Starbuck's coffee. And isn't that what it's really all about?

Buy the book. Do it now! Buy a brand new book all for yourself. Don't chintz out and get a used one from Amazon. There's a CD inside that you need and it will probably be missing from any used copy.

My 3 year old loves this book! She enjoys looking at the beautiful illustrations and listening to the great escapades of this strong female character. If you and your family like Paul Bunyan stories - this one is great for women to be.

Swamp angel is about a friendly, strong, giant girl; from the South. The conflict of the story is, Tarnation, a giant gorilla is eating up all the food. So, the mayor decides to have a contest to see which man can kill him. Whoever succeeds, will get to keep the pelt of the giant animal. Everyone who dared to try to kill the beast, failed, until one day the Swamp angel stepped in. This book is extremely funny with wonderful illustrations. I believe this book would be suitable for children under the age of eight. I give this book two thumbs up.

Swamp Angel is a great adventurous folktale, with unbelievable illistrations. And a funny southern accent that all will love. A heart warming tale bout a freindly, super-strong, giant girl; who saves her dear little home from dangers like a tornado. Anne Isaacs did an exceptional job to make this book humorous, exciting, adventurous, and fun-filled for all especialy children. Swamp angel is a considerate, generous, and all around nice person. Yet she's strong, brave, and determined. This story is taken place in Tennesse, down south. The problem is that Thunderin' Tarnation is eating all the food, so the mayor decides to have a contest. The first person to kill Thunerin' Tarnation gets to keep the pelt of the giant beast, saves their intire state's food from being eaten, and dthey will have an abundance of food. Many tried and almost all failed but one Swamp angel. But she still hasn't saw Thunderin' Tarnation yet. Until one day by the lake she spotted Old Tarnation. And that was were the showdown between Old Tarnation and Swamp Angel began. If you're a Paul Bunyun fan, well then this book is for you. I thought this was a fun and exciting book. If you read this book, I can almost garuntee that you will feal the same way. I give Swamp Angel two thumbs up!

WARNING!!This review may contain Spoilers!

This story starts out by telling about the birth of a young girl who is amazingly big for her age. No one knows that she will become a great woodswoman since she cannot climb a tree at birth without help:). As she grows older she saves her town numerous times with her strength earning her the name "Swamp Angel".

When a mean bear comes to town many hunters try to capture it before it causes anymore damage.(One is Swamp Angel) Eventually she does capture the bear, named Tarnation, and kills him. Call me a sucker for a happy,happy ending, but I was hoping Tarnation would give up his evil ways and use his strength for good. And then they could have all lived...well you know what I mean.

A truly enjoyable folktale. With Paul Zelinsky's inventive and endlessly amusing illustrations, the book tells as well as it views. With sentences like, "Varmint, I'm much obliged for that pelt you're carryin'", Swamp Angel's showdown with the bear Thundering Tarnation is of epic proportions. Zelinsky has truly outdone himself in his portrayals of their fight. There are thousands of tiny illustrations hidden on each page for kids to discover and delight in. The fight itself is about good old-fashioned wrassling, and it's a joy to watch. Zelinsky painted his illustrations on actual wood veneer, hoping to give the book a folk-art feel of some sort. The result is a beautiful story that adults and kids will both enjoy. As I might have given away, I'm a fan. book could easily be paired with another tall tales, possibly that of the other gigantic hero Paul Bunyun or the great John Henry. Both would fit in well with this story, though Swamp Angel owes perhaps most of her telling to Pecos Bill more than anyone else.

Masterfully written! The descriptiion and detail put into this book is astounding. Crafted with pure genious I personaly recomend this book to fantays lovers of all ages!

Diana Metz has created a world in which dragons and people share our world. She has a gift for description - if I close my eyes I can imagine I am there among the dragons or soaring above the clouds on the back of one of these magnificent beasts! A wonderful book for any age!

After recieving this book, which was HIGHLY anticipated, i must say that I was not dissapointed in ANY way! Being a fan of both dragons and fantasy, I am particularly had to please with literature, but this book surpassed all my expectations!!! I'm now anxiously waiting for the next installment of Talon, and I must say, a big, "WELL DONE DIANA"!!!

I loved this book! Diana Metz finds a great new approach to a dragon fantasy! The words weren't neccesarily as fullfing as the plot was, but it was still great! I recently e-mailed the author and found that there was to be another book! And another after that! I can't wait. You're great Diana!

"I don't know who I am anymore" Talon sighed heavily. "A year ago I knew who I was, a young mercenary with a knack for battle tactics. I trained hard, fought where I was told and planned the deaths of hundreds of young men just like me. That's who I was. Now I'm what you, an old man, and now a dragon queen, say I am. I don't know if I like what you've made me." (pg 154)

When I first read this book (I've read it three times now) I found that I could not put it down. The story is amazing. A young boy named Talon once a warrior, now a wizard, forever the Krrig Daa. He goes through many ups and downs, physically and mentally, and through the incredible writings of Diana Metz you go with him. Her portrayal of Dragons as not only intelligent but incredibly social beast full of magic is one of the reasons I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you Diana for such a great book.

I am so glad that Janette Oke contuied with the story about the Davis Family. In this new series Belind'as daughter Virginia is the main charecter. I love this story because it talks about a lot of the kinds of things that teenage girls deal with. Jenny is the girl that we all know from High school. I think that every girl shoul read this book because it really helps you get through your problems.

The tender years by Janet Oke is a very good book. Janet Oke is a very good author, I can relate to this book because just like virgina I am to a teenager. There is so much you learn from this book and is a wonderful experiance. Virgina and her family is a big family like the brady bunch. Almost every one wants a big family. I think every one should read this book it can teach you alot. Happy reading!

I think all 13 - 18 year old girls should read The Tender Years by Janette Oke. It really teaches and tells that in your teens, life just doesn't seem to go your way. Everything seems to wrong. No matter if it's your family or friends; life just seems confusing and frustrating. I also think 13 - 18 year old girls should read this book, because they could, at least, compare themselves to one part of this book. And I'm sure most could relate to the problems the main character, Virginia, goes through. I know this mostly because I'm going on 14 and can relate my friends and me, to this book. You should really pick this book up and give it a try...and it's not just for teen girls either...if you have kids or are planning on them the Tender Years might help you understand your kids a little more.

So far, I like every books I have read that was written by Janet Oke.

Growing up is hard to do. Virginia Simpson, granddaughter of Love Comes Softly's Marty and Clark Davis, finds this out first hand. At the tender age of thirteen, Virginia makes friends with daring and popular Jenny, a girl at her school. Feeling proud to be in the "in" group, Virginia begins to go on some of the group's fun after-school outings. But things start to lose their fun once she gets in trouble with her family. She knows she is disobeying her parents by going out with Jenny and skipping her chores, but she doesn't want to lose her friendship with Jenny. Virginia thinks her family is unfair and strict . . . why shouldn't she be allowed to have fun and grow up without so much supervision?

One day Jenny and her friends go too far. They "borrow" a raft from a neighbor and steal candy from the store, then plan to go rafting on the flooded creek. Virginia realizes that she does not really belong with her group of friends. How could they stoop to stealing?

She leaves the group angrily, knowing it would likely be the end of her friendship, but too angry to care at the moment.

Then, Virginia hears some dreadful news that puts her in turmoil. . . .

As time goes on, Jenny and Virginia become friends again, of sorts. Jenny comes over to the Simpson's house more and more frequently and is fondled by her family. Virginia feels left out and jealous. When it is too hard to bear, she goes by herself and sobs. But she realizes she is wrong. Wrong to feel jealous. Her sister finds her and gently reproves her. Virginia's awful burden of sin is too hard to bear anymore, and she prays to God, feeling a peace she's never known before.

From her sister's marriage, to the trial of a neighbor accused of theft, Virginia's story, The Tender Years, is a book that will touch you and keep you turning pages. It is a book about forgiveness, love, friendship, and happiness that is found only in God.

It is a very good book for teens (or for anyone)!