Siblings Books

I read The Best Christmas present ever so I ordered this book. It was as good as the first till the ending which made no sense. They never explained why what happened happened. I was disapointed.

We love all of Barbara Robinson's books. My family read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever when I was young and I read it to my daughter as soon as she was old enough to listen. This book like her other "Best" books make you laugh out loud at the characters and make you see true human nature. It is not just a children's book by any means. I could pick one up and sit down and read it for a good laugh anytime. Halloween is a favorite holiday in our house which made this one appealing. I would highly recommend any of Barbara Robinson's book and especially "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and "The Best School Year Ever" as well. We read all of them out loud to the family or on a long ride and it makes that time go by quickly and with a lot of laughter.

This book is crazy! The Herdmans go into their school for halloween and steal all the candy. When the other kids are looking for the candy, they turn off the power! You really should read this cause it will make you fall over laughing!

Those of you who have read the original Herdman saga, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" will enjoy hearing from the Herdmans again. Yes, there are some unrealistic parts of the story, but that was true of the first story, too. This one is funny and enjoyable, without being too long. A nice addition to your Herdman library.

It's a known fact that whenever there's trouble, the six Herdman kids are behind it. Lose a pair of pants? It's the Herdmans. Find your window broken? The Herdmans are behind it. Find yourself painted green? Blame the Herdmans. It never gets old. Or, at least it never got old before. But this year is different. This year, as everyone is preparing for Halloween, and loading up on candy, the Mayor does something drastic to protect the town from the Herdmans...he cancels Halloween. Sure, without Halloween, the Herdmans are sure to keep their distance from everyone, and cease from stealing the candy that every child has collected. But without the Herman's to contend with, it would also mean that candy is banned for the season. And Halloween just isn't Halloween with a heaping bag full of goodies that will rot your teeth and make you sick. Now, Halloween has turned into a horrible, boring event that will take place at school, with a bunch of parents dressed up as witches and ghouls, ghosts and monsters. Instead of candy, there'll be donuts. Instead of trick-or-treating, there'll be supervised bobbing for apples. This is sure to be the worst Halloween ever, Herdmans or not. But when the lights go off, suddenly everything changes, and everyone begins to wonder whether the Herdmans have what it takes to pull off a spooktacular Halloween that will leave the town cheering.

I don't know how Barbara Robinson does it, but she manages to turn every holiday from a bad experience into the best day ever, and all with the help of the Herdman clan. The Herdmans are enjoyable characters, who, regardless of their bad behavior, knack for pulling pranks everywhere they go, and ability to steal just about anything, obviously have a soft spot, and it is showcased in Robinson's Halloween effort THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER. Robinson shows a different side of the Herdmans in this particular installment into their trying life, allowing readers to see the kindness that they can emanate, when they feel the need. If you're looking for a spooktacular tale this Halloween featuring some tricks, and quite a few treats, look no further than THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

In this book Elizabeth does something really bad, and every one hates her for it. She gets really sad and wishes she was never born. Lucky (or unlucky)for her her guardian angel Laura is listening, and shows her what Sweet Valley would be like with out her. Laura is really funny, and she is the best part of the book! You should really read this book!!!

Sweet Valley Twins always manages to be touching,moralistic,funny and EVERYTHING all et the same time! Elizabeth meets her guardian angel,a smart-talking hippy chic from the 6os.Putting it plainly,its a ItsAWondefulLife type story

Elizabeth takes the Unicorns party money so a homeless family can have a good Christmas.Jessica finds out,and wishes she never had a twin.Elizabeth is heartbroken,so she decides to run away.She wishes she were never born.A 60's style gaurdian angel named Laura shows her what it would be like.Denny Jacabson and Sarah Thomas would be dead,her parents would be divorced,much more.But when Jessica falls off a building,Elizabeth decides the world needs her after all.This wonderful story made me cry.It is my favorite book.

Elizabeth takes The Unicorns treasury money to give to a family to pay for a new apartment for the holidays,She feels guilty.Elizabeth Wishes she had never been born,so a hippy guardian angel named Laura takes her on an Adventure she'll never forget. Mary would have never Been Mary Wallace If not Elizabeth had reunited Mary with her mother. Denny Jacobson died of a surfing accident,because Elizabeth wasn't there to save him,so did Sarah Thomas,She died too,of falling down the stairs. Elizabeth did lots of things.

Elizabeth Wakefield plays a modern-day Robin Hood,taking money from a party fund and giving it to a poor,homeless family at Christmas time.When she is caught she feels absolutely awful,everyone is mad at her and she whispers,"I wish I had never been born."Enter her guardian angel,Laura,a wise-cracking hippy chick from the 1960's.Just like in the classic film,It's a Wonderful Life,Elizabethh will be shown what life would be like without her,and realizes that we are all here for a reason and that she is very special.Also,Laura is fun to read about as she is so funny!

Here is the story of a fourteen year old girl dealing with all the issues that many other fourteen year old girls go through. Zeises tells the story through Lara Doyle without any dead spots and lots of action. However, some of the characters seemed a little fake and unrealisitic to me. Even Lara (the main character) seemed to go overboard a few times. Even though it was cliche, I would suggest this book for any girl just now going into puberty or just now starting to read young adult fiction. It's a good starter book but for advanced readers, I wouldn't really suggest this book.

lara you should write a squel to it because it fun exicting a gives a view of things you tell the story like your are really her and take the book into a far away land that you can't put the book down you just keep on reading until the book is finish and we want more and want to see if another book is coming out.We love your book and you should write more for your fans out which is me and million and billion of people

Lara I absolutly love your book i consider myself somewhat of an avid reader and have read around quite a bit and let me tell you, future readers of this book preprare to be delighted by the realistic charm and humor that lucy (biscuit) exudes. As much as i loved Contents Under Pressure I found myself wishing for more. Do Tobin and Lucy stay together? What happens to the baby. TELL ME!!! please help me by writing a much awaited sequel!

Contents under pressure by Laura M. Zeises is a really good book for teenagers ages thirteen to seventeen.

This book is really good because it is really easy to relate to. This is a good book for teens going through adolescence because they can relate to what fourteen year old Lucy is going through. Like having an older boyfriend, wondering about dating, having your older brother's pregnant girlfriend move into your room, and having a dad who's always at work instead of with his family.

After reading this book I couldn't put it down I finished it only a few hours.

This is the first book I have read by Lara M. Zeises, and I was happily surprised.

The book follows fourteen-year-old Lucy Doyle as she falls in and out of friendships, battles home conflicts, and eventually gets a boyfriend. I found the story itself, quite readable and realistic.

One of the things I liked about this book was that it didn't seem to make any of the horrible and all-too-common mistakes that other books have. For instance, I hate it when main characters treat depression, mental illness, and other family problems with an almost bored tone as in "I'm so-and-so, I'm tall and skinny, have a dog, and have a mother who hasn't gotten out of bed in three weeks." Another thing I hate is when the girl/boy's situation is a my-dad-is-in-jail-my-brother-is-suicidal. "Contents Under Pressure" avoided both these problems. The situation at home was realistic and just as life-changing, and the Lucy had genuine reactions that changed over the course of the book.

You can sympathize with Lucy and all of her friends at the same time, instead of hating one person one page, and hating another the next. The same thing goes for her brother, jack, and his girlfriend, Hannah. The way she meets her future boyfriend is quirky and unique.

Overall, I definitely recommend "Contents Under Pressure."

I like Laurels's character the most. She have the same character as i am-shy. well, it's a sad story considering the fact that daisy's died in a car accident. it's a touching story but, hey, i luv it! :)i hope that diane will write more books like this!

luv, matul

This is the third book of a 4-book series. There are 4 sisters, and there is a book for each sister for the year they turned 16. Each book is written in first-person by that particular sister. The sisters, in order from oldest to youngest, are: Rose, Daisy, Laurel, and Lily.

This book is about the third sister, Laurel May Walker. Laurel's interest is animals. She has lots of pets; she loves to rescue and save animals; and she works at the Wildlife Rescue Center.

Laurel is shy and likes to wear overalls. She is better with animals than with people. She is not good at speaking in front of a crowd. Will she start dating her best guyfriend? Is he the one for her? But there is also a guy who works at the Wildlife Rescue Center that she thinks is wonderful. (But he already has a girlfriend - shucks.)

The 4 sisters have a wonderful relationship with each other. Their mother Maggie is the best and most wonderful mother in the world. She deeply and truly loves her daughters unconditionally. The whole family loves and appreciates each other.

This book is not just about a girl turning 16. It is about family. The important bonds of family love, linking the past, present, and future. If you don't get anything else out of this book, the book will have been worth reading just for that.

You don't have to necessarily read each book, but I would highly recommend that you do. You will enjoy the books a lot more if you read them all, and read them in order. More of the events and characters will be familiar and will be more meaningful if you've read the previous books.

This was my favorite book of all times. It was very realistic, and some of the stuff in this book reminded me of some people i've known. It is a very true story. And I recommend this book to anyone.

This was such a great book.
Whoevers looking to read it
It shares moments of happiness, mourning, exitement.
It shows there is nothing greater than true love.
There are mixed emotions.
If you are looking for a great read
Read THE YEAR I TURNED SIXTEEN
LAUREL

After reading this book about twice, I thought the author did a remarkable job with this book. It is a touching story about a young woman named Laurel who struggles with family trials after her sister Lily sadly dies. To find out what happens next, read the book! I would reccomend it to anyone who loves to read!

This book is brill as it is all about helping each other. In this story the real teen van comes to MK and A's school.Ashley thinks she is going to win the fashion shoot they shot(so 1 pupil can have a chance to be in the mag! When Ashley goes to winners board she realises it is not herself who won but someone totally different!What is she going to do?

I liked this book because it shows that you should never thinkthat you (Ashley) can win. But even though Mary Kate got picked shewas nice and shared the spotlight with her sister.

In another 2 of a Kind book that reminds me of Sweet Valley Twins,a scout visits Mary-Kate and Ashley's school to choose a one-time model to appear in Real Teen magazine.Ashley couldn't be more excited!She starts turning up at school in sparkly dresses and high-heels.Mary-Kate thinks modelling is silly and playfully teases Ashley over her love of it.There is surprise in both girls when it is Mary-Kate who is chosen as the new Real Teen.Ashley begs Mary-Kate to swap places with her,but after MAry-Kate is conjoled into agreeing ,she starts to regret it.

I would give this book 6 *s(stars) if I could. It is entrancing and funny at the same time.

TWO OF A KIND My sister the super model Reviewed By: Brenda Adams from Tennessee

I give this book five stars because it's a great book about two paternal twin girls. The twins and their best friend, Jennifer Dealber where interested in modeling. The twins both had different opinions on why they wanted to tryout for the modeling contest. With the help of their father, they were able to proceed in the contest. They encountered a few problems but over came them. The reader, will find themselves caught up in the story. Readers of all ages will really enjoy this very cool book!

When Poison's sister Azalea is stolen by the scarecrow, Poison must travel to Shieldtown to rescue her. Along the way Poison meets a wraith-catcher named Bram who helps her survive among the phaeries, and a prisoner of the Bone Witch called Peppercorn. As Poison finds out what happened to her sister, she finds out more about herself.

It's hard to write a review without giving away the ending, but the point is it's a really great book and even though, after reading about the part with the girl (trying not to give anything away here), you can kind of guess, but the ending is still a surprise the first time you read it and you realize all the subtle little hints that you might have overlooked. This book is captivating, somewhat frightening if you read it alone on a dark, cold, windy night like I did, and ironic. I think though, that maybe the simplicity of the plot compared to say, The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, was the reason it didn't get as much recognition. Maybe? What do I know? Read it yourself.

I read Mr. Wooding's The Haunting of Alaizable Cray and I loved it. So when this book came out, I really wanted to buy it. It needed lots of patience but finally I got it!

It is so AWESOME. I thought it would be like other fantasy story but nope, got to remember that this is Wooding's. The author has delivered more than I expected. Not too far from his style (which can create movie scenes in my head) but it also has surprises. Very recommended, specially those of you who like to think about destiny. Food for thought.

The fantasy genre owes Chris Wooding a huge favour. In a genre awash with sad Tolkien knock-offs filled with magic swords, plucky heroes, wise wizards, princesses-in-distress and other tired clichés, Wooding continues to churn out exciting and intriguing stories that contain a rare force of imagination. Even though "Poison" is not quite as successful as some of his earlier efforts (especially "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray") it certainly deserves credit for its skill, style, fast-pace and clever ideas.

Which is ironic considering I was rather concerned on reading the first chapter. A young girl named Poison lives in the gloomy swamplands of the Black Marshes, together with a woebegone father and a nasty stepmother. An outcast in her own village (she chose her own name, which should give you some idea of her attitude) she dreams of adventures outside her dismal existence. Despite Wooding's snappy prose and deft hand at forming such a grim atmosphere, I couldn't believe the predictability of the opening. Yet perhaps the typical fairytale beginning has a purpose...

It so happens that Poison's baby sister Azalea is kidnapped by the Phaeries, and Poison commits herself to the quest of tracking her down again, seeking out the Phaerie Lord himself to demand her sister be returned to her. Collecting a motley crew along the way, Poison finds her way into the Realm of Phaerie - there are some snags along the way of course, predominantly the horrifying Bone Witch, whose home serves as the gateway between the human and Phaerie worlds. But things get even stranger when she reaches the Realm of Phaerie, filled with rules and quirks (and breathtaking beauty) that baffles even the headstrong Poison. Attempting to negotiate this new world of political intrigue and secret plots, she also has to deal with minor characters who say some rather inexplicable things, like: "you haven't meet half the cast yet," and "at least you're not the typical muscle-bound warrior, beautiful sorceress and amusing thief sidekick."

Poison doesn't have a clue what's going on, but it all seems to have something to do with the mysterious figure known as the Hierophant. It would be wrong of me to discuss anymore of this surprising book, save to say that it gradually gets quite existential and rather reminiscent of "The Neverending Story" in its use of stories-within-stories and the blurring of the lines between author, reader and character, raising some interesting questions about our relationship with books in the process.

It is a book that demands to be read more than once, much like "The Six Sense", one needs to experience it initially, and then retread the story in order to better appreciate the 'rules and clues' that were strewn amongst the story. Ultimately, "Poison" is a book about books themselves - where can a book-lover go wrong with such a premise?

Poison

This book sometimes gets boring because their would be three chapters talking about the same thing over and over again. So I'd say that I would give this book about three stars.

My book is about a girl named Poison that lives in a small town over the ocean called Gull. The Gull has been having issues with children that live there. Kids will catch a disease that has no name. Which is when their kids do absolutely nothing. Then Poison saw a fairy next to her and it said that the Gull is in huge trouble. Poison had found out that kids were being kid napped and dummies replaced their spots. The fairy had also told her that a evil lord had her sister and he was using children to come up with something to destroy every living human. A couple months later Poison had made a plan to travel and save her sister her self. So Poison met this strange man that would take her to a small village. On their way to the town the sky had turned black so they decided to camp out. But Poison couldn't sleep because evil poisonous creatures cover the ground at night. Then it started raining and the man and Poison had to create a tent out of a tarp.


I recommend this book to anybody that likes fantasy.

The Melendy family has moved from New York City. It's summertime and their father is in Washington on important business. The loveable housekeeper Cuffy must leave to care for her cousin who has suffered a fall. Since Willy (also employed by the Melendy family) is in residence, Cuffy decides to leave the children on their own.

As in the previous two books in the Melendy series, there are adventures enough to last a lifetime. Some are fun and others are darker, sadder and more dangerous.

The children meet Mark Herron. He's a lonely orphan who has a nasty guardian in Oren Meeker. Then there's the wonderful story of Mr. Titus and the 12-pound catfish, an illegal whiskey still, a house fire that results in death, the despicable DeLaceys, the resolve of the children to make sure the canning of the victory garden is done and the house is spotless by the time Cuffy returns home, and a surprise involving Mark and the Melendys. There are obstacles to overcome and everyone pitches in to see that the story has a happy ending.

Then There Were Five is nostalgia at its best. The time is World War II and life is difficult, but the Melendys love each other, care for their neighbors and work hard keeping up their home while Father and Cuffy are gone-and manage to have adventures at the same time. I'll read this novel again and again.

Armchair Interviews says: The entire Melendy series is a must read. Start with The Saturdays. You'll want to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

I read the Melendy books at around the age the rest of you did--but that was 55 years ago. At the age of 65, I'm about to order the Quartet to read them again. I just saw on someone's blog a photograph of a beautiful light-green moth chrysalis with golden flecks that looks like a jade earring. I'd never seen such a chrysalis, either "live" or in a photo, but I recognized it instantly as the one Mona discovers by the brook (forget which book now). I was swept by a wave of nostalgia and came right to Amazon to order the books, and that warm feeling was only intensified as I read the reviews mentioning readers' favorite bits, almost all of which I remember. I can hardly wait to read again the wonderful description of Fafner the dragon at the Met, and the chaotic scenes of Randy and Mona in the throes of preserving summer produce, complete with exploding jars of tomatoes.

I can't imagine why I haven't gotten hold of these utterly magical books that were such a blessing in my childhood to reread long since, but better late than never.

"Then There Were Five" in the third book in the Melendy Quartet, and picks up immediately where "The Four-Story Mistake" left off. We meet the Melendy children again on a hot June afternoon, when they are building a dam across the brook on their property to make it deep enough to swim in. It's a team effort and everybody is pulling their weight. It's typical of this family; they play and share alike.

But unlike the first two Melendy books, which were more or less a series of unrelated adventures, "Then There Were Five has a plot running all through it. World War II is on everybody's mind. Father is away in Washington for most of the book, working at a government job "so secret I have to guard against talking to myself". The four Melendy children are left in the care of Cuffy, their housekeeper, and Willy Sloper, their handyman. The war has everyone involved. Cuffy is growing a Victory Garden. Oliver is adding to the family diet by fishing every day in the brook (Rush has chub coming out of his ears), and Rush and Randy start on an ambitious scrap drive. And its on their scrap drive in the countryside that they meet a person who will become a part of their lives forever.

Chased off one farm by an evil drunk named Oren Meeker, Rush and Randy meet his young cousin Mark Herron, thirteen years old, orphaned at an early age and living with Oren because he has no other family. Oren is cruel and abusive; we learn that on the infrequent occasions Mark has been allowed to attend school, he has shown up with black eyes and an empty lunchbox. But he's managed to survive despite his depressing home; he's bright, friendly, hardworking and resourceful. Randy and Rush take to him right off the bat. If only there were some way they could help him.

Parallel to Mark's story there are plenty of amusing sidelights such as Oliver's obsession with creepy-crawly things, Mona's impulsive decision to can everything in the vegetable garden while Cuffy is off visiting a sick cousin, and a family picnic where Oliver manages to fall down a well. But the story of meeting and rescuing Mark is central to the book, and lends the book much of its undertone, which is darker and more mature than the first two Melendy books. Enright shows her young readers that not all families are happy like the Melendy family; some families are unhappy, abusive and cruel. The Melendy children realize how fortunate they are not only to not have a family like Mark's, but also to be able to share what they have.

Although the book spans only one summer, the Melendy children do a lot of growing up in three and a half months. They prove themselves to be resourceful and resilient, remarkably able to look out for themselves and each other with only occasional adult supervision while Father is away in Washington and Cuffy is off attending a family emergency. We realize how lucky Mark is to become part of this vibrant family. We almost wish we could be part of it as well.

Judy Lind

I agree with those who say that this is the best book out of the four. It's definitely the most complex, and has the most character development. Mark, who was an abused child long before that became a catch-phrase, is sketched out wonderfully. Oren's sister, who he mentioned early on, must have been a good influence on him, because he's resilient, kind and intelligent, despite what he has to put up with from Oren. I agree with Rush when he said the Melendys were the lucky ones, to get Mark for a brother!

Although I did think Rush was pretty rude, barging in every day while the girls were canning, and demanding to be fed immediately! Did he think that just because Mona and Randy didn't have a five-course meal ready and waiting, that they were going to let the guys starve? And it's not like they'd been doing nothing! God bless Mr. Titus for helping them out!

My favorite bits were when Rush and Mark spy on Oren and his pals at the still---that was real adult talk, but still appropriate for a kids' book: not easy to bring off---and the auction and fair. I loved when the Delacey brothers showed up and bid on the boar. "The three of them should be very happy together"---good one, Willy!

And I felt so bad for Oliver when he fell down the well! That was a good device, too. For so long, he'd gotten so little attention because he didn't demand any, and look what finally happened. It forced the other kids to realize how much they cared about him, and show it, and they handled it themselves, showing how capable they were. Good for them!

And I also liked when Cuffy was leaving to visit her cousin and had to cram weeks worth of nagging into an hour. "Close the windows whenever it rains! (Duh!) Call me long distance if anything goes wrong! (And that will help, how?) Don't forget to feed the DOGS! (Like they'd let you!)"

The third Melendy novel has a darker undertone than the preceding two, with the introduction of Mark Herron, a lonely orphan befriended by Rush and Randy, and his guardian-cousin, the fearsome Oren Meeker. There are thrills and heart-clutchers a-plenty--Rush and Mark spying on an illegal whiskey still, a vividly described house fire--but they're nicely leavened by the lighter incidents like the character of Mr. Jasper Titus, rural gourmand, and the resolve of Mona and Randy to undertake the canning of the family's victory-garden produce. And in the end everything comes out right, as it should in a juvenile. This is the book to which Enright was leading up with the previous two, and perhaps the best she wrote. The whole trilogy would make a splendid miniseries on TV (is any executive reading this? I'll even do the script!).

Being a big fan of Guess How Much I Love You, I had to get this book the minute it was published. It absolutely did not disappoint.

None of my children are picture book age any more. The youngest is nine years old, the oldest is 27, but they all love this book too. It transcends age.

For my family, it is particularly apropos, as only three of our kids still live at home, and we call ourselves "Team Bear". So a story about three little bears wanting to know who is best, well, it fits us.

With my three little bears (who I actually married into about four years ago), they've often asked me if I liked them best. This book answers the question pretty much the same way I always have, except that I use their eye colors, blue, brown, and hazel. :)

A great and touching book. Sure to be a classic.

My husband bought this book for our 2 1/2 yr old for Christmas. He will soon be a big brother and this was the perfect subject matter. He loves the story and illustrations.

We stumbled upon this book in our local Children's book store and absolutely love it. We haven't seen many books that speak to triplets so we're so happy to have found it. It's a fantastic book, beautifully illustrated and exceptionally well written for children. We know it will be a favorite bedtime book for our triplets.

We got this book as a gift for our 3yr old daughter, who is soon going to be a big sister. Reading this book reassures her (what we have been telling her all along) that her mommy & daddy would love her and her new sibling just the same. They both would be our favourites. It address the issue that each child is unique and special in their own way, and loved the same by their parents inspite of their differences.

This book is a must have for people who have more than one child. I have three and they all enjoy reading this with me. This book came in excellent condition and in two days like they said it would. Thank you!!

Frances was a favorite of mine as a child, so I bought the books for my daughter who is 2yrs old. She doesn't quite get it yet, but likes listening to it nonetheless, and I've discovered that these stories are fun for the grown-up reading them too.

This is a great book for young children. My 6 year old daughter loves the entire Frances series. There are lessons to be learned and always a good moral to the story. She loves listening to me read them to her. This was her newest one and she loved it.

I remember my mother reading Frances books to me when I was little, and I couldn't wait to read them to my daughter. The Frances books are wonderful children's stories.

I work in a tutoring program for elementary children. Birthday for Frances is a good book to reinforce what the kids are learning at school.

This is a wonderful story, I love Hoban's books as they work well on both the adult and the child levels. This is bascially the story of Frances, a badger who is struggling with the fact that her little sister Gloria is having a birthday. Frances does not say it out loud, but rather through her actions and her little rhymes we realise that she is unhappy about it, that her sister seems to have all the birthdays and she doesn't have as many. Something which almost all children struggle with at some stage or another.

The lovely hting about this book is that the parents are so lovely and patient, and the sub-text is really fun for adults reading it. What Frances does makes for great fun. She borrows two weeks pocket money from her mother to buy Gloria a present, but then she ends up 'accidentally eating half of it - and the other half looks distinctly threatened by her justification.

I will guarantee your family will enjoy this story, and the other Frances stories as well - they are highly recommended as great good fun.

Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (11/08)

Being a mom of four daughters, including a set of twins, I sure could have used "Chaos 2 Calm" many years ago. Our twins arrived from our third pregnancy so we had already experienced how "easy" one baby at a time was when our "2" arrived. Not that any of this time in your life is "easy," but the arrival of 2 or more at a time is one wild roller-coaster. Many times people would ask, "How do you do it?" and my response would always be, "You can't send them back." Raising well-mannered, well-composed children is not easy but is so very rewarding. You will be challenged daily and will need to rise to the occasion; you will never be perfect but should be armed to do your absolute best.

Filled with instructions, charts, product picks and parent how-to, you will learn as Tonia Tomlin says, "Organization plays a much deeper role in family life that what you make initially think."

Beginning with "A New Way of Life" and progressing to "The Terrible Twos Times Two" you will be led thru your pregnancy, preparing your home for little ones, baby etiquette, and even eco-friendly baby advice. "Chaos 2 Calm" is a wonderful book for mothers to be. You really need all of the information contained between the pages of this book, it will be useful, and should be read long before the baby (or 2) arrival.

Tonia Tomlin shares practical guidance to help any parent have peace and joy while taking on the greatest responsibility of their lives! This book is jam packed full of product suggestions and guidance that is ready to be used. She has thought of things I could have never imagined! Best part is that she put all the forms in a CD that was included with the price of book!

Chaos 2 Calm is a fabulous guide to organizing for not only mom's of multiples but any mom! This essential guide will prepare you and your family for your new baby or babies. Creating the systems that Tomlin suggests is the only way to organize with a new arrival...and you'll be so glad you did.

This book applies to anyone with kids. It is a fabulous tool for first time parents or parents with more than one child. As a former NICU nurse and the mother of three kids, I wish I had had all of the helpful hints and "good- to-know" time saving and organizational tips in this easy to read book. The forms on the CD are great. I have already used the Emergency Contact and Activity Schedule forms. I am sure I will refer to it again and again.

This book is chock-full of practical advice, handy worksheets and product recommendations for families with twins and multiples. There's even a CD with the forms, agreements and sample schedules in the book so you can print them out and use them over and over again. You'll learn things like how to set up an efficient nursery, plan a shower, find good daycare, make your house safe for your babies, travel with twins, and even adapt a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Unique bonuses include a sample letter you can send to companies to receive complimentary products offered to families with multiples, a caregiver agreement form, and a schedule for signing up volunteer helpers! It makes a great gift for expectant or new parents of twins and multiples.