Buffalo Books

I teach kindergarten, and this book was great to use for shared reading. The students loved the big, colorful pictures, and the story about funny names.

Adorable as ever :) I'm thinking I might use this for my children's lit paper, hey, why not? Love it just as much as I loved it when I read it years ago. The illustrations are still great (and snarky!), and the writing's just perfect, capturing the imaginations of both young and old. It's truly a tale of individuality for the ages.

Do you what to buy a book you'll love to read? If you do, you should read Chrysanthemum By Kevin Henkes. Kevin Henkes is a good author. Chrysanthemum is a good children's book. If you are a mom you should read it to your child. They might love it like a favorite book. In the book Chrysanthemum loved her name until she went to school. The kids teased Chrysanthemum and said "you're named after a flower" and a girl named Victoria that was in her class teased her the most. Her parents said her name was perfect but Chrysanthemum did not think so. She had dreams that were nightmares like that Victoria was picking her like a flower. The main problem is she is picked on. I chose the book because it is interesting. The characters are classmates and Chrysanthemum and a music teacher and Chrysanthemum mom and dad. The book takes place at her mom and dads house and outside and school. I think the authors message is to not tease somebody (treat somebody the way you want to be treated.) If you want to find out if the problem's solved you should read the book.


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Do you like mice? Then you will like Chrysanthemum. I chose to read this book because it was about mice. Chrysanthemum is a girl who was named after a flower and it came to the first day of school and everyone made fun of her because she was named after a flower. Everybody thought it was a funny name except for her parents and her teacher. Everybody said "That's a dumb name. Your names Chrysanthemum it barely fits your nametag" Every body there told chrysanthemum their names and they said their names were perfect. I'm not giving away the ending. You are going to have to read it. I will give you a hint though it turns out to be pretty good. I think that you should never make fun of someone about them. You're just making it worse and worse for you not the person who your making fun of. Its just an embarrassment. Kids through 1st and third grade should read this book because it teaches you a lesson.

I bought this book for my daughter who is an early childhood education major. She requested it after reviewing it in class. Great book!

A little mouse with a big name. The pictures are adorable, and all kids should sympathize with the girl who happens to have a quality that is a little different.

My son and I really enjoyed this story, and we have the paperback at home. His first grade teacher had been looking in bookstores for this book and couldn't find it, so we ordered it for her. We ordered the library binding, which is sturdier for all the little hands it will be held by! This book has good historical value, and the basic content is accurate, without scaring the children. It's the best "Jack and Annie" book!

I purchased this book in order to replace a damaged one. The transaction was smooth and the price was great!

Magic Tree House has done it again!! Jack and Annie are in for the adventure of their lives when they climb aboard the Titanic!! An unsinkable ship that hits an iceberg. What will Jack and Annie do when they dicover that the Titanic needed twice as many life boats as it had on deck?Jack and Annie find themselves just as sad as so many passengers when they realize that people could have survived if the people who planned the voyage had thought ahead. This is an amazing story that I couldn't stop reading! Women and children were put into the lifeboats first becuase men were brave and cared about their lives. More than 1,500 people lost their lives. Everything was explained clearly so that you don't get confused. After this tragedy, laws were made so that all ships would have enough life boats for all of its passengers and an INternational Ice Patrol was formed so that ships could be warned about severe ice conditions. In 1985 a scienctist named Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the ship under water. I reccommend this book to everyone that I know!!

Here is a summery of this book. There is two kids and they were playing in the woods when they found a tree house. So the kids decided to see in side. So read this book to find out what happens to the kids. The way I found out about this book is because my mom told me to read a book when I was in 5th grade. So I heard about this wonderful series of books. I would love to recommend you to read this book. Who can read this book you ask! Anybody can read this book. If they like to explore then you should read this book.

What did I like this book you ask! The thing I liked was the characters because they are young and they don't know what was going on. They are always getting in trouble and they don't know why they are in trouble. I also like the action in this book. There are so many parts. I don't know how to explain. There are some parts I don't like is the length of the book. It is to short.

I loved this book a lot because it is nice and cool. I really think you should read this book. So read this book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

This is one of the best combat depictions of the Viet Nam War that I have ever read. I highly recommend it for former military readers.

My friend Beetle was there. Lee Burns was there. Others were there. Nolan writes almost as if HE were there. It happened before I got in-country, but it was a legendary fight by legendary Marines and Nolan tells the story so very well. I am proud to have helped carry these Marines in my helicopters and supported them in every way possible. They are heroes in the truest sense of that so misused word. This book is an EXCELLENT read!

Keith Nolan has managed to capture the absolute confusion and fear associated with modern combat in Operation Buffalo. I started this book in 1997 or there abouts and was unable to finish it. As a former Marine who was in boot camp in San Diego when this operation took place I had a difficult time with the content. Lose an entire company of Marines to a sly enemy? Impossible. And then to read about the loss of additional Marines in trying to recover the dead and wounded (something that is very important by the way) that had fallen the day before....difficult. I just couldn't finish the book.

Well, I picked it up again, after ten years, and read it completely. In a very belated way I have to compliment Mr. Nolan on not only his ability to tell a difficult story, but to tell it in a way that makes sense and then manages to touch the heart. As another reviewer stated, Operation Buffalo hurts the heart of the reader and this reflects the sensitivity that the author weaved into his tale.

The doctrine at the time was that the Marines divided an area in to map grids. The Marines would sweep a grid with a company, clear it, and then move on. The NVA would wait for the Marines to leave and then move into that grid knowing that they were probably safe for a while. The battle that took place in July of 1967 is the result of the Marines out smarting themselves. They decided to sweep the same map grid twice, trying to catch the NVA off guard. It worked. But a single company was no match for what the Marines stepped into.

The American fighting man has been depicted in less than a glowing manner in Viet Nam. Brutal, drug crazed killers. I think while some of that may be deserved, the bulk of that criticism is undeserved and is served up by people who have never humped a pack or shared water out of a canteen. Nolan does a huge service for the Viet Nam vets by explaining the sheer meaness of the NVA in how our wounded were treated. Well done.

Operation Buffalo isn't a book for the weak of heart or for those who don't really want to be informed. It is a book that speaks well to the commitment of American fighting men in general and of U. S. Marines in particular.

Semper Fi.

This is as terrifying an account of the Vietnam war as I've ever read. Forget the melodrama and sensationalism that characterized much of Vietnam war literature in the early and mid-eighties: Nolan's sparse style and clear representation of what took place on the DMZ in the summer of 1967 will give you nightmares. Don't look to find refuge here in a simple war story: Nolan tenaciously presents history as it unfolds.

This is a must have book for your library. After over 30 years you forget why you hated Vietnam until you read a book that brings back all the memories. This is such a book. I served with 1/1 and 3/1 after these battles and am amazed that keith Nolan is able to bring to life what it meant to serve in a Marine Corps Infantry Bn in Vietnam. I got angry, I laughed and I cried as I read this book. At times I felt like I could reach out and touch some of the people, the writing was so vivid. Everyone should read this book and remember what the Marines paid in blood for that war. THANK YOU USMC for what you gave me and THANK YOU Marines all over the world protecting us now.

A wonderfull romance, exciting, fast read , romatic and very touching. I loved both Enid & Nick, would love to read the next one by Ms Reeves.

I met B.K. Reeves at the 2000 Golden Triangle Writer's Conference in Beaumont recently. Of all the author's offerings, her book, My Buffalo Soldier, is the one that will stick with me the longest. Many years ago B.K. wrote this interracial historical romance and the fact that has only now been published speaks to the shortsightedness of the publishing industry. I highly reccommend My Buffalo Soldier to men and woman alike. It is in no way a traditional Harlequin style romance. B.K. paints on a much larger canvas.

I must admit that I didn't have any expectations when I read "My Buffalo Soldier". This is a story that will get you involved without knowing it. It's fun! And, it will knock you over with it's contrast of sensitivity and brutality set against a backdrop of life in West Texas after the Civil War. And, there is always an underlying tension that is pertinent to today's society because the main characters are a black, educated Union soldier and a white Confederate widow who try to avoid falling in love. This is a story about a dangerous relationship and love is the catalyst. As the story develops you will become absorbed in the characters, the times and the underlying anticipation of the inevitable battle between good and evil. Suddenly, and without realizing it, the story has snuck up on you and absorbed you. You can't turn the pages fast enough. You can't put the book down. If you are looking for a good time and great reading I highly recommend "My Buffalo Soldier".

In the period following the Civil War, many African American males joined the Union Army in hopes of getting employment and national respect. They traveled west, as soldiers, to help the government claim Native American lands for the United States. During this same period, many non-military people also moved west, looking to begin new lives on the frontier.
In MY BUFFALO, it was in such a time and setting that Enid Jamison met Sergeant Nick Balfours. Nick, as a soldier, was no stranger to racism and near the end of his military tour. As a result of inheritance and keen business acumen, he'd amassed a small fortune. His plans were to leave the army, relocate to Paris, paint and live well.
Enid is a recent widow, the daughter of an abolitionist, and the sister of a Ku Klux Klan leader. She wants to get away, find peace and solitude. When rested, she plans to start teaching children and adults, without regard to their race, ethnicity, or culture.
It is under these diverse histories that these two people meet. They are attracted to each other, but the racial tensions and prohibitions of that time are both real and imagined.
MY BUFFALO SOLDIER is an excellent book with accurate historical references. It's fast paced with lots of action obstacles. It's a love story, but a whole lot more.

Reeves, Barbara B.K. MY BUFFALO SOLDIER. Columbus, Mississippi: Genesis Press, Inc. 2000. 265 p. Paperback: $8.95. ISBN 1-58571-013-X

My Buffalo Soldier is a compelling story of an impossible love between a man and a woman. In 1871 when Nick Balfours feels an attraction to Enid Jamison, he knows he must ignore it. Even a century later the love between a black man and a white woman will be barely tolerated.

Fighting his heart Nick refuses to allow Enid to teach in a black school at Fort Clark. "A white teacher, young and delectable, beautiful and blonde, standing up before all those horny black soldiers" was unthinkable.

When Enid's racist brother, Paul, discovers she is teaching ignorant black soldiers, he threatens to confine her to an asylum. Enid recognizes her own attraction to Nick. Both struggle to hide their longings for each other. Nick attempts to save them both from the many opposing villians, knowing he has no business wanting a white woman.

Just when true love seems to have conquered all, Enid's brother brings his gang of cutthroats to wreak vengence on those who would love enough to defy customs.

The prejudice and bigotry of the Reconstruction South almost defeat the love of a black Buffalo soldier for a white Confederate widow.

B.K. Reeves writes western, science fiction, contemporary, and historical novels. She teaches novel and short story at San Jacinto College. My Buffalo Soldier is BK's sixth published novel.

I read this book over, and over and over...I have memorized the opening and closing lines to this book, along with everything in between. Something magical happens within these pages, even if some details or concepts are far-fetched. At seven years old - so what?! And almost 20 years later I still say so what. This book inspired me to start writing my own books at such an early age because the story that played out in my head while reading this was so vivid and real I wanted to create that same vision. My younger sister soon snagged this book from me and she too read it many times over. I had to mask the whole book back together with tape and secure loose pages because it was used so much it fell apart. I still have my original copy of this but it looks like something found in an ancient riun so I just purchased another copy on Amazon. Trust me, this book is worth it. Growing up I loved horses and longed for a girl to admire. The romance is just right for the age group. There is adventure at every turn of the page. I am going to preserve my newest copy for the kids I hope to one day have. Buy yours before they are gone forever! You or your kids will read it over again and again.

This book is my favorite book ever! You need to read this book, It has Adventure, Danger, and Romance!!! Its such a good book. I picked this book up when I was 10. I loved it! Now im 13 and I still fall in love with it more and more every time I read it! Bill Wallice NEEDS to right a sequel to this book, I want to know what happens! Does David and Amanda get married or do they go on another adventure that comes in there lives!? What does Amanda say to Philip? What happens to Potlicker? Bill Wallice I need to know what happens! PLEASE make a sequel! and you need to read this book! If you read this book trust me you wont regret it!

I read this book first when I was about 9 and have read it many, many times since. I even have a hankering to read it again right now and I'm 19 years old and in college! It's is a beautiful and subtle romance, but, even more than that, it is a journey of discovery. I really identified with Amanda's changed feeling towards a place because i experienced the same sort of "traumatic" move and uprooting from what i was used to. I think that this book is not only a good read for those who are younger than 12 but also for anyone who loves a fun, happy, well told tale that puts life in a good light. My mother read it more than once and loved it as well. This book is for the young and romantic at heart.

If you like the Wild West, adventure, romance, or all three, this is the book to read. I read my first copy so many times it's falling apart. I had to go buy a new one! It has to be my favorite book in the world. Read it once and you're hooked for life. Take my word and buy it. Belive me-- you won't regret you did.

I was eight when I first grabbed this book in my schools library. 11 years later I'm still wishing to go back and read this book in between my Dragonlance novels. I think that in itself is a testement to how fantastic Buffalo Gal is. Once you've read it, age doesn't matter. It is a classic that stays with you always.

Tullio Bertini has written an earnest, but amateur book about his childhood experiences in Italy. His memories of his life there are interesting, but don't come to life because he's not very skilled at narrative, but only at writing "just the facts". He includes plenty of detail about what was going on in WW II at the time -- a little too much, it seemed to me. He also tells a lot about how things were done in his village, such as harvesting and roasting chestnuts, making charcoal, etc. The book is nearly half over before the Germans show up in town. Then he does relate some telling incidents, such as the first time Allied warplanes strafed some Germans who were mining a bridge, and what he saw and how he reacted. Contrary to the title, he was not liberated by the Buffalo Soldiers, but by Brazilians! The Buffalo Soldiers arrived several days later. This is an excellent personal history for his family to keep, but does not qualify as a professional memoir.

A retired lawyer and former intelligence officer. This personal memoir describes the six years that an American teenage boy spent with his Italian American parents caught by the outbreak of World War II in their native town in Tuscany. It is an indispensible contribution to the grass-roots, social history of wartime Fascist Italy. It's filled with the amazing details and realities of daily life, reflecting an intimate insight into the social life and customs of a small Tuscan town north of Florence. The story starts prosaically with an explanation of why the family has returned to Italy. It becomes an absorbing story building to a dramatic climax. The German Army attempts to "relocate" the villagers acting in preparation of the German defensive Gothic Line north of the Arno. The villagers escape by walking all night on trails through mountainous terrain to reach an Apennine valley probed by advancing American forces. Those forces are the all-black American "Buffalo Soldiers" of the famous 92nd Division. These dramatic events are told in a straightforward narrative style reminiscent of Hemmingway. The account is informed by the seemingly photographic memory of the man the boy grew to be. The maps and background presentation reflect the training of author Bertini's adult interlude in American Army Intelligence. It is a must read for those who want to know what is was like to be caught in the harsh realities of a war zone, and for Italian-Americans and others would enjoy a first-hand social history of survival in the Italy of World War II. I think Sophia Loren, remembering her childhood wartime experiences, would empathize and recommend this book. It is well organized with an index, a bibliographic reference and 26 pertinent photo illustrations. /s/ J. A. Giordano, Stanford AB, JD, '56.

Mr. Bertini's story is a very insightful account of the Nazi occupation, of the eroding Fascist Party of Mussolini, of the heroic effort of the Resistance, and of the liberation of his family's village by the Allies. It's also a narrative of Tuscan village life and Italian family traditions. His descriptions of various crafts of the villagers, methods of farming by the contadini, and the processing and preparation of the typical products of the region are incomparable. I have read Trapped in Tuscany three times and have visited Diecimo after each reading, to relive the events of the war and Tullio's extraordinary boyhood adventure.

[...]This personal memoir, describing the six years that an American boy spent with his parents caught by the outbreak of World War II in their native town in Tuscany, is an indespensable contribution to the grass-roots cultural history of wartime Fascist Italy. It is filled with amazing details and realities of daily life, reflecting an intimate insight into the social life and customs of a small Tuscan town north of Florence. The story starts slowly and prosaically with an explanation of why the family has returned to Italy. It becomes an absorbing story building to a dramatic climax of how three hundred villagers, faced with the attemped "relocation" by the German Army acting in preparation of the German defensive Gothic Line north of the Arno, escape by walking all night on trails through mountainous terrain to reach an Apennine valley probed by advancing American forces, the all-black American "Buffalo Soldiers" of the famous 92nd Division. This is a family history as well as an adventure story of dramatic events told in a straightforward narrative style reminiscent of Hemmingway. It is filled with the details of the village life of a teenager, but informed by the seemingly photographic memory of the man the boy grew to be. The maps and the background presentation reflect the training of author Bertini's adult interlude in American Army Intelligence. It is a must read for those who want to know what is was like to be caught in the harsh realities of a war zone, and for Italian-Americans and others who would enjoy a sharply focussed, social history of survival in the Italy of World War II. I think Sophia Loren, remembering her childhood wartime experiences, would empathize with and recommend this book. It is well organized with an index, a bibliographic reference and twentysix pertinent black & white photo illustrations.[...]

I have been reading up on the war in Italy, and this story was a refreshing change from the narratives of battles big and small. I recently visited Diecimo on my way past Lucca, saw the house of Tullio, and spoke with a local who was also a boy during the war. This story helped me understand from another perspective the incredible damage done to the Italian people by the Nazi forces and to the infrastructure by both Germans and Allies.

Bought this as a gift and never got to read it personally, however, was told it was a great book. Marv's a legend, and any Bills fan should take a read, capturing those "glory years" of the Bills.

Extremely hokey and a tad bit hurried through the end, but a pretty good book covering his life of football. *Mr. Levy really needs to lay off the use of superlatives as almost every player or team he has coached was the greatest at one particular thing or another. Also, I don't think Mr. Levy intended that the descriptions he has written regarding his locker room motivational speeches were to betray the fact that the players most likely considered the gravely serious war metaphors that he was constantly drawing on as a little too serious to be applied to a football game. No wonder why they consistently fell silent as he left them to contemplate his words. I can hear in my mind a player asking another "Like, we're playing a game here, right?" as Marv proudly leaves the locker room. Marv comes off as a classy guy hoping to coach again. I hope he gets his wish.

If one were to look outside of one's immediate family for a role model, Marv Levy would be a wise choice. Marv Levy is not all about football, although he has spent most of his adult life in one capacity or another in the game. His body of work is as a human being, caring for his players and family. In this era when books usually have some axe to grind against those who "done someone wrong," Levy seldom has a bad word about anyone, and any are usually absolved before the end of the paragraph. His book details his life, the good times and bad, the celebrations and defeats, and the fights and absolutions. He is a unique man who has written and interesting and worthwhile book about his experiences, written in a positive light about incidents that helped him grow as a man and a leader. For those looking for a good football book, an inspirational book or inpiration of life, read Marv's book. It's well worth it.

[Four of Four stars] Marv Levy of Chicago
and Iowa is sort of the Red Auerbach of
Pro Football. A journeyman, who maintained
his class and sense of humour which is not
just soundbytes in NFL films clips.

Mr Burns does us an injustice below in his
review by criticising the very fine Montreal
Alouettes of the CFL, but CFL fans will love
the chapters on our favorite League, particu-
larly, "My Grey Cup Runneth Over". The only
knock that one can have on Levy, and it's a
slight one, is that he hung too long onto
Kelly at QB (Frank Reich should have started
one of those Super Bowls) and Thurman (fumbles)
Thomas, who was simply an overrated player.

One spot in Marv's fine book, he maintains one
of the hardest things he ever had to do was
keep lightning quick Steve Tasker (one-time
Kansas Jayhawk) on the bench! Tasker, like Levy
is a class act who deserves to be in the NFL
Hall-of-Fame and could have been one of the
greatest RBs or WRs of alltime. Marv, as bad
as the NFL is getting even having you back in
the League at 81, again with the Bills (this
time at G.M.) is a breath of fresh air. Thanks
for all the memories. Your dad and my granddad
chewed a lot of the same turf in World War I.

Recent history has been kind to Marv Levy as the magnificence of having won four consecutive AFC Conference championships is now replacing the earlier bitter pill of lost Superbowls. Marv Levy has become the ceremonial uncle of professional football today. He is to pro football what George Foreman is to pro boxing, the friendly enduring face of a brutal sport.

This is a campfire book, a grown-up bedtime story about a bright young lad from Chicago, one of those lucky folks who got paid to do what he liked. It is a tale remarkably devoid of rancor or regrets but rather a mixture of self-deprecating humor, a bit of self-serving forgetfulness, colorful characters, and the pleasures of the jocular world of organized football. In his preface Levy advises us that his writing style is the re-creation of the pleasures of his memory. Take away the Kansas City Chiefs and he would have had the perfect life.

But before arriving at Kansas City, there were the minor matters of World War II, college, and building a resume. Levy entered the Army Air Corps with the help of a friend who, shall we say, understated Levy's vision impairment. When this problem was later detected, Levy was scratched from pilot training and spent much of the war in Florida as a weather observer. After the war, already in possession of a bachelor's degree from Coe College, Levy began his much heralded graduate work at Harvard. In truth he opted out of the law school in three weeks, choosing instead to earn a masters in history and collecting inspiring anecdotes for use in the Buffalo Bills' locker room years later.

Levy had abandoned law school because of his desire to coach football. After a stint as assistant coach back at Coe for the mighty "Kohawks," Levy over the next fifteen years crafted a highly respectable resume of work as head coach of generally mid-range college football teams, primarily New Mexico, California, and William & Mary. It was a stunning upset of the nation's number one team, Navy, by an undermanned William and Mary crew in 1967 that brought Levy to the attention of NFL, and eventually to the staff of George Allen in Washington as special teams coach.

Levy could not help but be influenced by his Redskins boss. Allen referred to his defensive linemen as "rushers," benched the popular pass-happy Sonny Jurgensen for the workmanlike Billy Kilmer, and played for the least mistakes. A running offense, a veteran opportunistic defense, and juiced up special teams play were his trademarks. Allen seems to have taken to Levy because of the latter's own imaginative thinking about the critical nature of special teams' play, which comprises about 30% of an average NFL game. Moreover, Levy could not have missed how Allen cultivated an image and played the psychological card adroitly.

Levy, a man not without ambition, was anxious to run his own ship, and in 1973 became the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes. Once the flagship of the Canadian Football League, the Alouettes were an artistic, aesthetic, and organizational shipwreck, bedeviled by an atrocious stadium, poor attendance, and impossible weather. Levy guided Montreal to the Grey Cup final in his first year and a league championship the following season. His five successful campaigns in Canada brought an invitation to come back south of the border and take the reins of the young Kansas City Chiefs.

In many ways the Chiefs Levy inherited in 1978 were very much like the present day Chiefs-a potent offense with a porous defense. He also inherited an overbearing club president, Jack Steadman, who did not understand Levy's priority of drafting for defense [Art Still, Mike Bell, Gary Spani, among others], nor his coach's penchant for a tough ground game a la his contemporary "Ground Chuck" Knox. Perhaps reflecting the thinking of his old mentor George Allen, Levy believed that an adequate quarterback could direct the Chiefs, as Billy Kilmer had in Washington. At Kansas City Levy inherited the aging QB Mike Livingston and drafted Clemson's Steve Fuller. Steadman--and Lamar Hunt himself-- created what was probably an unnecessary controversy in their criticisms of the quarterbacking position, a situation aggravated by the arrival of yet another QB, the gunslinger Bill Kenney.

The Chiefs improved, and the defense became stellar, but neither Hunt, Steadman, nor many of the fans were satisfied with a .500 team. Released from the Chiefs in 1982, Levy would always remember how a meddlesome front office and instability at the quarterback position could undermine an otherwise flawless rebuilding program. Thus, when Levy accepted the Buffalo Bills' call in midseason 1986, it is no coincidence that he had already over the years cultivated friendships with owner Ralph Wilson and his executive staff of Bill Polian and John Butler, and that the quarterback situation was quite stable under the maturing Jim Kelly. Clearly a unity of respect and purpose among all levels of Buffalo management marked Levy's years with the Bills and allowed the team to focus entirely on drafting, development, and execution.

Levy assumes that most readers know of the exploits of the Bills in their glory years, and as a rule he paints with a broad red, white, and blue brush. As a history major himself, he has forgotten or omitted some situations that still intrigue knowledgeable observers: his protest of Cincinnati's no huddle offense to the NFL Commissioner prior to the 1988 AFC Championship [a style of play which, ironically, would become the hallmark of the Bills, the K-Gun] or Thurman Thomas's missing helmet episode at the opening of the 1992 Superbowl. But there is self-revelation as well. Levy was over 60 when hired by the Bills; he admits that he had begun to doubt whether he would ever coach again. How could he know then that his best days were yet to come?

It is a great book very well done but...... my 4 year old daughter liked the story unfortunately, now she is scared to go to sleep because she thinks there is an aligator, that mommy and daddy cant see, under her bed. This is no fault of the book but teachers need to prepair parents for possible fallout.

"There's an Alligator Under My Bed" was on my entering-kindergartner's summer reading list and I can certainly understand why. It is a wonderful story about a little boy who conquers his fears. In this case, a large alligator that has taken up residency under his bed.

Mercer Meyer's illustrations are very entertaining and not at all scary, and I am happy to say that the boy's problem is resolved by brains, not brawn.

My kids love it.

Storytime, as you can imaging, in a preschool can be a bit challenging to say the least. If we are have a crazy day, I just pull out "There's An Alligatior Under My Bed" and the classroom goes silent as a room full of preschoolers sit and listen quietly mesmerized by this story. What more can I say. I love this book!

Like so many of us when we were children, our young hero in _There's an Alligator Under My Bed_ has trouble getting into bed safely due to the dangers that lurk under his bed. Since his parents never see the creature, he decides he must deal with it himself.

With one or two sentences per page, this is a great book to read to your toddlers and preschoolers to start a discussion about bedtime fears.

Why didn't his parents ever see the alligator? Can alligators really live under beds?

My 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter love this book! It is a must read every night before bed. The illustration is wonderful and the story absolutely adorable!!!!

While this book seems largely unknown in the Reiki community, it is a most wonderful resource. It really does help understand the process of living in the moment and feeling the energetic effects of simply being.

The author describes the journey that this book represents not as being a "how-to" guide for Reiki, but as a "why-to." Narrin truly feels that Reiki cannot be adequately described, and therefore she leaves that to the reader to find their own Reiki experience. Thus, the book is left to be a journey into understanding the tangible, real-life benefits of approaching life holistically and with intention.

I strongly reccomend this book to everyone, not just Reiki practitioners. It will honestly enrich our human experience. Jus the author's personal story related in the book is wonderful, and it is so nice to see a Reiki book that isn't regurgitating the same information as every other.

I tried using one of the plant energy experiments on a dead Dogwood tree in our front yard that was killed by lightning over twenty years ago and within four weeks of using the twenty minutes worth of Reiki energy on the dead tree stump, there appeared four new sprouts right beside the stump that were little Dogwood trees.

In the back of the book there is a personal journal for a month worth of your energy healing and journal to learn if you are actually living in the moment being aware and grounded or spending the majority of your day zoned out on other things like daydreaming/ worry Etc...

After reading and studing this book, I have found that the insights Janeanne Narrin brings, along with the "ways" to learn about, and get into contact with this energy bring to life something we all "know" exists. It allows us to step by step tune in and tune up!..

Good reading, and a better study guide.... much "fuller" than any other I have studied...I recommend highly and am hoping Janeanne creates a sequal ...

I love the attention to detail and the beautiful artwork that this book contains. The layout is well done and I find it causes me to be drawn into the text. The exercises are interesting and unique to most Reiki books. Her descriptions make the practice of Reiki easy to understand and the drawings are helpful. The storys add interest and give a refreshing perspective. Certainly a lot of thought has been given to the creation of this very useful Reiki book.

Having read Janeanne's book from the perspective of a novice in the world of Reiki, I was especially drawn in by her stories of personal transformation. My goal in learning about Reiki is similar: to transform my life through new methods AND new perspectives, which her book helps me do. I would highly recommmend this to anyone who is new to Reiki and is looking for a CONTEXT of Reiki in their life's pursuits.

Prior to buying and reading this published version of the Wheel of Fate I'd been a fan of the online version. I was pleased to find differences and additions to the online version, but at the same time I feel that some of the power of the ending was taken away in this new version. The online version was seamless, having been built from the bottom up referring to certain events. I understand the need for the change, as the original made clear reference to events in the Xena television series, and applaud the creative solution that had Smitty tapping into another of her online stories for characters and events.

Perhaps another go-over could have smoothed the transition further, since I think in the new version the necessity of Rosalind's role in the whole drama was sadly diluted, and the whole point seemed to change from Rosalind's ability to "remind" Taryn of the skills needed to ensure Rhea's survival on the wheel of fate and Taryn taking an active role in changing that fate, to Taryn's getting Rhea to butt out then having to passively accept death. Though Rosalind was the catalyst, to me there was a lack of urgency in the climactic scene. I wasn't a big fan of the change; I feel it didn't fit the character of Taryn as well. And the reactions of those involved were a touch off. I am, however, a big fan of these books (this one and its sequel...though again, I'm sure there are some changes in the published version that I'm eager to read), and hope that my nit-picking doesn't put anyone off. I'm just rendering my opinion.

As I'm reading I'm sometimes struck simultaneously by the annoyance one may feel (or perhaps jealousy?) at someone for disregarding what anyone else says and asserting that their reality is reality: screw everyone else for their narrow minds, and admiration for those with the courage of their convictions. There's an odd push/pull between the prose being preachy and pretentious, to being taken in by its utter earnestness, which ultimately draws you in to the magic it weaves.

This book is full of a seductive idealism which enchants you. The mysticism and symbolism that are woven throughout lend magic to the tale, and help the reader accept relationships' beginnings and endings that in the harsh light of the "real" world might seem abrupt or unbelievable. The idea of these characters and their world as created by the author is a vivid one, and you owe it to yourself to open your mind and take this wonderful, original, and well-constructed journey.

I was pleasantly surprised when reading this book which is definitely something different in the market of lesbian fiction.
The story and the skilled writing of the author captivates and leaves one with the urge to read it again,
cause you are left with the feeling that if you read it a second and a third time you will see things you haven't noticed before.
It's not just another love story or a story between two people with an age difference. There is so much more to it.

I really appreciated this book and can't wait for the sequel,
anxious to find out if the author was able to write with the same magical skill again.

Finally, a lesbian book with a somewhat new twist. The characters are well developed and you seem to feel what they feel.

Good writing and a plot that keeps you interested. A few typos, but nothing so bad that it's distracting.

I look forward to more from this author.

Fiction has a way of opening up new worlds to us, exposing us to characters from all walks of life, and even changing our attitudes. Susan Smith's Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is one of those rare books that does all of the above and does it superbly. Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is a novel about family, not the family we are born into, but the family we choose as adults. It is a book about the courage to be who you are, about the choices we make, and the honesty to follow through on those choices. Smith has invented a story that is full of love with intense characters who along the way discover parts of themselves for the first time.

Dr. Rosalind Olchawski, a professor at a university in Buffalo, New York, is newly divorced when she is taken to a drag club by her best friend Ellie. Taryn is a young, bold, sexy butch performing at the club, and when Ros and Taryn have a chance encounter after the show, the pull is overwhelming to both. Their tension is immediate, and we are captivated by the possibilities. Rhea and Joe, who are lovers, are Taryn's extended family. Rhea, fiercely strong and stubborn, is slow to accept Ros into their circle. She has her reasons, but are they valid or is she just being selfish? Joe, the family's protector, is the most accepting of Ros. He understands the family dynamics best because of his unique perspective as a transman. He acts as the cohesive bond that helps the characters' interactions evolve, moving from the past through the present to the future.

Smith's writing style has a poetic rhythm that is enjoyable to read. She uses parallels throughout the book to advance the novel and help the reader identify with the dilemmas her characters are facing. At one point she compares Ros' relationship with Taryn to Ros' brother's marriage to a non Christian Indian woman. Both prefer partners with characteristics different from themselves. And both have had to overcome similar obstacles as well as prejudices with the choices they have made.

Of Drag Kings and the Wheel of Fate is a novel that makes a difference. It is filled with understanding and respect for the varied forms that love takes. It discards standard definitions of family, love and gender. Smith's story reminds us that people cannot be put into neat little boxes. Life is fluid and changing, and as Smith so succinctly conveys to us, we must be too.

I read the first edition of this book a few years ago and have recently enjoyed the newest edition. Smith has created colorful, interesting characters to tell this great Uber story. Instead of the typical successful professionals depicted in other novels in the genre, she delivers Taryn, a young Drag King who lives in a house full of witches, and Rosalind, a young professor who has not earned tenure.

I loved the underlying romance. It was love at first sight for Taryn and Rosalind. This happened in spite of Rosalind's recent divorce and lack of previous attraction to women. However, I was a little confused about Rosalind's problems at school. She was called in to her department head's office for supposedly cavorting with a student (ie., Taryn - who isn't a student at all), but there is never any closure to this issue. In fact, Rosalind seemingly exacerbates the situation by enthusiastically bidding on, and winning, Taryn at a local charity auction.

One shortcoming of the book is the characters don't have much depth. The reader is supposed to have a general knowledge of the lives of Xena and Gabrielle. I suppose this device is meant to give Taryn and Rosalind dimensionality. It certainly works if you're a fan of the show, but there is a gap if you're unfamiliar with characters.

An enjoyable read, this book is recommended for a weekend evening home alone with a pot of coffee and a box of biscotti.