Girls Books

All of the Abbie girl Spy books are great, but The Masterpiece is FANTASTIC!!!!! It is seriously the best book I have EVER read in my life! I strongly recommend this book. It AWESOME!!!

Darren J. Buttler is a very talented writer! He relates to teenaged kids in his books so well! the Masterpiece is the best one yet! Abby Walker is at her grandparents house sulking about not getting to go out with Tyler , a really popular guy. Her aunt who she has only seen a few times in her life comes in the attic and steals a key. When Abby takes the leading role in a play at the Princess Theatur she begins to hear something that no one else does-the voice of a ghost that has been haunting the theatur for 57 years! Abby and her buds get caught up in an adventure that involves a huge mystery! Its soo good I couldn't put it down!

All of the Abby Girl Spy books are fantastic, but this one is the best! It's fun to read The Masterpiece and I couldn't get my eyes off it until I was done. The reference to Harry Potter was brilliant also! If you want to read a great ghost story that isn't cheesy you definitly need to read The Masterpiece!

Darren Butler's 4th novel is a refreshing ghost story. Unlike the cheesy modern day ghost stories, this one is actually entertaining. Not only does it combine mystery and the paranormal, it makes references to Harry Potter, another of my favorites.

If you like mysteries and ghosts, the new Abbie book is fantastic! If you're a Harry Potter fan look for the reference to Harry in the book! Evidently, Abbie is a huge Harry Potter fan too!

As with any other "typical guy" I'm normally not interested in romance novels but this one is great! I picked it up thinking I would be bored to death and I couldn't put it down until I was finished with it!

Pick this one up, you won't regret it! Even guys can enjoy this one!

Really the best romance book I have ever read and I have looked for many. This book is a good book on good friendships too but like THE THORN BIRDS it shows how impatient and unfair it is to wait for true love. When it finally creaps it's way back into the lover's lives, will they be accepting and ready for the challenge of a long relationship? Read this one; it is truly written with insight, ispiration, and love.

Gotta love a good romance, and this is one of the better ones I've read in a long time. The story line is fresh and the characters are interesting. I especially like that Henry made the leading female strong. I can't stand helpless, desperate heroines. I look forward to more from this new author.

Wow, this book starts out like it might be a teen romance but moves ahead quickly to be a rather steamy romance. And there are lots of twists and turns along the way. And a few sub-plots that create extra interest. I especially like the way the author handles dialogue. It is pretty rare to find an author that does this really well. While you may think you know how it will end, along the way you will not be sure. If you are from the Kansas City area, you'll find the local landmarks and places interesting.

A great romance that takes a life time to prepare both people for. It takes place from a teenage crush to twist and turns of loves lost and found that finaly lead them to a mature love that takes place. I really liked that the book takes place in Kansas City where I grew up and brought back fond memorys of the city I love so much. A romance that leaves me thinking all great things are worth waiting for.

I bought this book at an airport for my daughter- but I read it out loud to her and her little brother, and we all enjoyed it. The poems are fun and sad and funny and insightful. It led me to seek out other works by Nye and I've enjoyed them all.

"Ringing


A baby, I stood in my crib to hear
the dingy-ding of a vegetable truck approaching.

When I was bigger, my mom took me out
to the street
to meet the man who rang the bell and
he tossed me
a tangerine...

...the first thing I ever caught. I thought
he was
a magic man.

My mom said there used to be milk trucks too.
She said,
Look hard, he'll be gone soon. And she was right.
He disappeared.

Now when I hear an ice-cream truck chiming
its bells, I fly.
Even if I'm not hungry--just to watch it pass.

Mailmen with their chime of dogs barking
up and down the street are magic too.

They are all bringers.

I want to be a bringer.

I want to drive a truck full of eggplants down
the smallest street.

I want to be someone making music
with my coming."

And so she is. And so she does.
A great joy that accompanies a new book of poems by Naomi Shihab Nye is the expectation that she will begin reappearing at national conferences and conventions, reading aloud from her latest collection. The good feeling I've taken away with me from her past workshops is about as close as I get to church these days.

A MAZE ME contains seventy-two of Naomi's latest poems. Younger teens will find these pieces easy to read and relate to. Hopefully, many will be intrigued and inspired by Naomi's ability to create poetry from such sources as a car manual, a newspaper article, a taco sign, "the hair on the head of the girl in front of me in school," Julia Child's patting potatoes, or a vapor trail "X" that a pair of planes have inadvertently left in the sky.

Being a book of "Poems for Girls" there are also the requisite handful of "longing" poems:

"High Hopes


It wasn't that they were so
high, exactly,
they were more
low-down,
close-to-the-ground,
I could rub them
the way you touch a cat
that rubs against your ankles
even if he isn't yours.

So yes I feel lonely without them.
Now that I know the truth,
that I only dreamed someone liked me,
the cat has curled up in a bed of leaves
against the house and I still have to do
everything I had to do before
without a secret hum
inside."

Despite being a guy, I really enjoyed the images and memories conjured up by these poems. Whether reading "Visiting My Old Kindergarten Teacher, Last Day of School," "Turtle" (about the persistent creature that had walked for twenty years), or "Across the Aisle" (about the little girl who coughed "every 30 seconds for seven whole hours" on a transatlantic flight), I've repeatedly interrupted Rosemary's reading on the couch and Shari's grading papers at the kitchen table in order to have an audience with whom to share the poems aloud.
"Big Head, Big Face
(what my brother said to me)


If your head had been smaller
maybe you woulda had less thoughts in it,
maybe you wouldn't have so many troubles.
This is just a guess but seems to me
like a little drawer only hold a few spoons
and you can always find the one you need
while a big drawer jammed with tongs
strings corks junky stuff receipts birthday cards
you never gonna look at
scrambled and mixed so one day
you open that drawer
poke your hand in and big knife go
through your palm
you didn't even know a knife was IN there,
well, that's why I think
it might not be so bad to have a little head
with just a few thoughts few memories few hopes
maybe if only one little one came true
that be enough for you."

Luckily for us, Naomi Shihab Nye has carefully sifted through that drawer to provide an entertaining assortment of poetic images, thoughts, stories, and yoga poses.

Naomi Shihab Nye has a relationship with words and Emotions that few people achieve in their life, regardless of their age. She is my favorite poet as well as my favorite author and I have never dislike one of her poems.

A Maze Me is no exception. Every poem sends a strong message or fills you with a feeling or new idea. Each poem is written so beautifully that no illustration is needed, as it probes curiosity and imaginitive explanations. In my opinion, Naomi Shihab Nye is very philosophical, and this thinking appears through metaphors that are evenly distributed throughout her literature.

A Maze Me is an incredible set of poems and your life will not be complete until you have read this.

Once I read Naomi Shihab Nye's introduction, I felt I was about to turn the pages of something very special. I was right. This unique collection of poems gives the reader a chance to look at familiar life in a new way. Full of nostalgia, intimate and humorous, tender and tearful, this is a book I would love to underline and memorize. I look forward to writing in my own notebook, trying to find the poet in me.

This book by the sublime Naomi Shihab Nye is subtitled "Poems for Girls," but I don't think that this charming book should be restricted to one gender. I certainly chuckled, oohed, and aahed a number of times as I read through it. (Still, it WOULD make a great gift for the young girl in your life.)

Shihab Nye has a generosity of spirit that shines through her poetry like a twinkle in a kindly aunt's eye. Here is a little somethin'-somethin' to whet your appetite (excerpted from "Ringing"):

"Now, when I hear an ice-cream truck chiming its bells, I fly
Even if I'm not hungry -- just to watch it pass.

Mailmen with their chime of dogs barking
up and down the street are magic too.

They are all bringers.
I want to be a bringer.

I want to drive a truck full of eggplants down the smallest street. I want to be someone making music with my coming."

This is a great book- but it has nothing to do with a Native American boy living in the east! Mindy is a Hopi girl living in Arizona!

Susan has a lovely writing style and a deep understanding of her Hopi culture. I recommend this book for those wanting to learn more about the Hopi culture from the Hopi viewpoint.

This is a timely book, especially with the typical flurry of Native American activities that start in November in schools around the nation. One of the best qualities of this book is that it shows that Naiche is like any other American boy: has a family, lives in a house, eats pizza, plays soccer, and wears cargo pants. Native Americans are still the subject of stereotypes fueled by many aspects of society. For example, sports team mascots that reinforce people's ignorance. This book goes a long way toward showing that Native children have the same dreams and needs as all of our children.

This is a beautifully written and photographed book that should be on every teacher's reading list, public library, and family bookshelves.

Having seen an advance copy of this extremely informative and enjoyable book, I can urge teachers and parents looking for entertaining material on how Native Americans in the East live today to buy this book. It tells the story of a multi-tribal boy and his daily life. Dr. Tayac has an engaging writing style and the history and culture are presented in a very accessible manner.

Naiche is described so stirringly in this book by Dr. Tayac that any native or non-native American would want to know him. Many American children in 2002 grow up multi-culturally and this wonderfully written children's book clearly evokes a compelling portrait of Naiche's world. The richness of Naiche's Indian culture will expand the horizons of any child who reads this page turner.

This book will inform and entertain youngsters from second to sixth grade. Youngsters from about third to sixth grade can read this book independently while first and second graders can have it read to them. It demonstrates the daily life of a real native child and shows how many American Indian children live in the eastern region of the U.S. today. It also corrects common beliefs that many youngsters between ages 6 and 11 or 12 hold, that native children live in teepees and wear deerskin clothes etc. The author, Dr. Gabrielle Tayac, a Piscataway Indian and Naiche's cousin writes clearly and is obviously familiar with her reader and subject. She knows Naiche and his family well and communicates this to her audience in a interesting manner. The photography and the text mesh beautifully to tell the true life story of a contemporary native family through the eyes of a child.

This book is well written and comfortable to read. The characters are developed so well you feel like you have met them. I like that they are real, too. So often christian characters are given to "saintly'ness rather than being average people with real problems. Not in this book.

Pastor Clayton Loverage is facing significant challenges at his church, including a growing number of parishioners who want a more contemporary service and a manipulative church board member at the helm of a power struggle within the congregation.

But the greatest challenge for Loverage, a widower, is the one that lives under his roof: his youngest child, Ellen. His older children have left home to make their own lives, leaving him alone with a teenage daughter he cannot understand, cannot communicate with, and cannot mold into his idea of what a Christian girl should be. That's double or maybe triple trouble for this pastor and father, because he's also a nationally known parenting expert who disseminates his nuggets of wisdom about family life at conferences and seminars throughout the country.

Things heat up when Ellen --- who has been furtively breaking into her English teacher's house and reading for several hours each school-day afternoon --- begins spending time with a classmate named Osvaldo, whose brothers are known criminals. But Osvaldo is as unlike his brothers as Ellen is unlike her own siblings, and in their differentness they find that they are kindred spirits. Their relationship is innocent enough, but when Ellen's illegal entry into her teacher's house and Osvaldo's brothers' crime spree intersect, danger, guilt and a whole lot of explaining result. Oh, and a decades-old secret about the good Pastor Loverage comes to light.

Though its plot is compelling, THE MENDING STRING is primarily a character-driven story, and a beautiful one at that. It was selected as the best "first novel" at the 2005 Christy Awards, and with good reason. Unfortunately, the author, a retired chemist, passed away several weeks before the Christy finalists were announced and several months before his book was named the winner. I can only hope that his readers let him know what a remarkable achievement he had accomplished.

Ellen is a particularly well-drawn character, not the usual rebellious young woman who populates CBA novels. Don't let the back-cover copy fool you; there she is described as "headstrong," but she's a far and welcome cry from the cookie-clutter, petulant, annoying, "Can't we just get rid of her now?" female characters described as headstrong in many other Christian novels. No, Ellen is real. When you get to the part where she's about to be interrogated by the police, you'll see what I mean. (By this point in the story, though, you should already love this girl to pieces, if for no other reason than the earlier rock-fishing incident. That's right --- rock fishing.)

The mending that takes place in Ellen and Clayton's relationship is no sappy, fairy-tale, father-daughter reconciliation. As a chemist, Cliff Coon would be well aware of not just the volatile reactions caused by certain elements but also of the more subtle results of the combination of distinctively different chemicals. It's that subtlety in the Loverages' relationship that sets Coon apart as an author and THE MENDING STRING as a book.

Simply put, THE MENDING STRING is one of the loveliest books released in the Christian market in recent years. It's sad that we will never know what other stories may have been taking shape in Coon's mind and spirit at the time of his death. But we have this one, and it's a story meant to be savored long after it has been read.

The Mending String by Cliff Coon features strong writing, a believable but not predictable plot, and interesting if flawed characters. There's the teacher who had "forgotten how to smile" ; the teenaged daughter who was determined to be her own person (creating an awkward situation for her pastor-father, who also leads seminars on parenting); her widowed father who had some church members demanding change; the church members with their own agenda; and a sub-plot of a mother trying to keep a step ahead of her criminal sons while building a new life for herself. The reading never lags and is a pleasure as well as a worthwhile book for fiction readers who appreciate substance. The story flows well right to the satisfying and realistic conclusion.

this was WONDERFULLY written...captures the imagination and touchingly/sometimes frighteningly realistic in its depiction of characters.

coon's use of irony, mystery, compassion, keeps you from putting the book down. you have to find out what's coming next. and you're never disappointed!

i thoroughly enjoyed THE MENDING STRING and can't wait for his next novel to come out.

Mr. Coon has written a wonderful novel, with characters so well developed that you not only get to know them, but you care about them, hope for their future, and cheer for! Perhaps Mr. Coon used his relationships with his six children to help build the main characters, but Pastor Loverage and his daughter Ellen are unique in their own right. His characters are seekers, of themselves, of truth, of restitution and reconciliation, and most of all of trust in God. If you've ever wondered where God was in a situation, let this novel help you to see His hand even when it's hidden from your view.

Molly's Surprise
By Valerie Tripp

Molly is trying hard to be excited about Christmas. With her dad gone to war it doesn't seem like Christmas will ever be the same in the McIntire household. Molly wonders if her dad will send a Christmas package, and if he does, will it get there on time? It isn't as important for Molly to have her father's gifts as it is to know that her dad is alright.

Molly, her sister Jill and her brother Ricky put their money together to buy the family a Christmas tree.

Molly discovers the first snow and can't wait to make snow angels, but she is still anxiously waiting to see if her father will send a package.

My daughter Karen enjoyed her Molly doll so much, that I enjoyed giving her Molly gifts for Christmas and Birthdays. Imagine her surprise on Christmas morning when she had her very own Molly package under the tree with Molly's Christmas surprise. It came in a box addressed to Molly McIntire from Molly's dad. This item can be ordered in the American Girl section on Amazon under Molly's accessories.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

ISBN 0937295256 - The American Girl books are quickly becoming favorites of mine, mostly for sentimental reasons. I'm not sure that that reason translates for young girls, but their little consumer-driven hearts will enjoy the "real" stories of their dolls anyway. With a war going on now, this book seemed very appropriate, so I bumped it up the to-be-read list.

The McIntires, like most of America, faced the Christmas of 1944 with a combination of hope and worry. Molly's older sister, Jill, was encouraging everyone to be "realistic", and not waste time hoping for fun presents because they'd be disappointed when everything they got was practical. Their father was off in Europe, in danger every day, but it was still hard to believe that the magic of Christmas would wane this year. No gifts had arrived from Dad and Molly, for one, was certain they would show up soon. In the meantime, the McIntires will have to learn to make do and create their own special surprises for one another.

There are some spectacular moments in this story, including the conversation between Molly and Jill, where the girls reveal their real concern about the lack of gifts from their father: if he hasn't sent anything, not even a card, how can they know he's okay? The current wars don't really equate to WWII, and the level of patriotism and sacrifice are not exactly the same, but the belief in Santa, the joy of Christmas, the love of family and the worries for the people serving our country... those are always the same. Molly's Surprise captures them very well - I think adults will even find themselves enjoying this one. The educational material at the end of the book is a nice bonus.

- AnnaLovesBooks

In this book Molly McIntire's Dad is in the war so she thinks he won't send presents for Christmas. Of coarse the famly sent him presents but Molly isn't sure her dad will. Then she and her sister Jill find a package from their dad saying not to tell any one about until Christmas. To find out more read the book.

This is another in the American Girls series about Molly McIntire, a ten-year-old girl living on the home front during World War 2. With Christmas coming on, Molly begins to feel a bit depressed. Her father won't be there, the factories are making armaments rather than toys, and her father's special surprise gifts won't be there. But, Molly remembers that her father told her that Christmas is a time for surprises, and as she and her family begin to make their own merry Christmas, she finds that her father was quite right!

This is another great Molly story! Valarie Tripp does an excellent job of telling a story that is realistic, and yet uplifting and fun. Nick Backes' illustrations are wonderful, and add a lot to an already great story. My twelve-year-old daughter loved this Molly story, and so did I. We both highly recommend this book.

I got this book for Christmas and it is very good.Molly is my favorite character. In this book she almost gave up all hope on her christmas gift from her dad but still had a little flame of hope that kept that gift from getting lost or stollen. But all through still she kept the Christmas spirit which is very important. I would recomend this book to any one. Thank you.

When visiting my mum and family in Florida, they always cook Trinidadian dishes for me and when visiting one of my aunts and commented on her 'cook up' she told me that she was fed up of asking and not remembering how to cook food from Trinidad (she is in her sixties). So to help her remember, her daughter brought over from Trinidad, the original to this cook book, which was quite tatty and beaten up, but you could still read. When ariving back from Florida, I immediately went on line to find this cook book and with a little research, found it on this site. I am so pleased that I got it and it takes pride of place in my kitchen, and when I got my Tawah, there was no stoppping me and now I am queen of roti!!!! Excellent receipe book with clear instructions on how get the taste. My dad actually sat for half an hour going through this book and I am secretly getting him one, as I know he will appreciate it. Well recommended.

Highly recommended. Perfect for those homesick for the Caribbean. It took me months to decide whether or not to buy this book because of its high price, but I finally bought it and it was well worth it. It has everything...currant roll, coconut roll/salara, black cake, coconut drop, sweet bread/buns cake, guava stew, macaroni pie, samosa, jamaican beef patty, jalebi, kurma, buljol, sausage roll/vienna sausage or salami roll,cheese straws, gauva jam, fish and chips, ketchup (caribbean ketchup is different, eh), white bread, hops bread, cheese pinwheels/cheese roll, pone, vinegar candy/taffy/gatta, green seasoning, paimie, paleau, souse, curried eggs, dal, flying fish, fish broth, calalloo, pholorie, breadfruit chips, lo mein, sorrel, ginger beer, etc...it's a good book. My mom, who wouldn't pay more than 10 dollars on a book, wants to buy her own copy of this book, after browsing through mine...yeah, it's that good. It is well worth the high price. My only critisism is for the peera, goolab jamoon and ras gulla recipes;they are the Trini version, the other islands make them in the tradional Indian way, whereas Trini's have created thier own versions, so I think they should have included both versions for those 3 recipes, considering the title is Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago AND THE CARIBBEAN (although the Trini versions do look tasty) but other than that, it's a great book.
P.S- As for the peera, goolab jamoon, and ras gulla recipes, I found out that 'Caribbean Desserts' by Dr. Betty 'K' has those recipes, I havent purchased the book, but I think it has the non-Trini version since the author is Guyanese. So, you can purchase both books if necessary.

This is a wonderful cookbook! It has every Caribbean recipe imaginable, and the directions are clear and concise.

This is an excellent well-written, beautifully illustrated cook book! Having grown up in the Caribbean the dishes in this book are all familiar and ones I have been cooking all my life - not from written recipes, but from memory - and it wasn't always easy to remember all the specific ingredients or methods. This cookbook saves me the trouble. It is awesome. It takes me back to my childhood and I can now share my favorite dishes with my 12yr old daughter who is just learning to cook. The author(s) go beyond just providing recipes and pictures... they include Notes on Metric conversion for solid and Liquid measure, oven temperatures (in Celsius and Fahrenheit) for mixtures and deep frying, a nutriion index for each dish right on the same page of each recipe, a table of contents, an index, and a comprehensive glossary of terms for those who may not know what "Kuchela", "Chip-Chip" or "Phulourie" is. They even include guidelines for substituions, converting to microwave cooking and a table of abbreviations for measurements. It's all in there. I do wish, however, that they had included a bit of the history of Caribbean cuisine and the sources of the many influences found in it. With that said, the pages are glossy and not flimsy. The recipes are simple and showcase the diveristy of Caribbean cuisine which reflects our african, indian, chinese, japanese, middle-eastern and european heritage. I received this as a gift from my mother (she probably got tired of my "how-to" calls) and the first time I flipped through it I literally squealed with delight at seeing all my childhood favorites. This is a Gem for anyone who is interested in or loves Caribbean food.

It's the type of cookbook with which one cannot go wrong. There are different types of recipes reflecting the diverse ethnicity of Trinidad and Tobago. There are also recipes for diabetics and weight watchers. The colour photographs add a nice touch and allows one to see what the end product of the recipe looks like.
It's definetly a good buy.

Bowe knows the fourth grade.

Julie Bowe's MY LAST BEST FRIEND rings true for anyone who's survived heartbreaking separation.

After Ida's best friend moves away, she's sure she'll never have another friend like Elizabeth. Until the day the new girl, Stacey Merriweather, smiles at her.

The thing I love most about this book is the way Ida thinks:

"She's smiling at you with the kind of smile you don't see on a real person very often. The kind you see a little kid draw with a big fat crayon on a piece of white paper. The kind you have to force yourself not to smile back at.

Trust me, you don't want to get too close to big-crayon smiles. That's because people with big-crayon smiles don't stick around very long. They move away just when you've gotten used to the way their hand feels sticky when you hold it, or the way they hiccup when they talk fast, or the way they whistle by sucking in instead of blowing out, or the way they can touch their nose with the tip of their tongue."

For Ida, entering the fourth grade without Elizabeth is like diving into the deep end of the pool before she's sure she can swim well enough to get back to the edge. She's got no safety devices and feels like no one is rooting for her as she splashes around and tries not to go under.

I don't know about everyone else, but that's exactly how elementary school felt to me sometimes. This is one of those books that comforts its readers with the knowledge that someone gets it. Someone like Julie Bowe.

I can't wait to read the sequel, MY NEW BEST FRIEND!

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

The thing I liked best about this story is that the characters were well-rounded. Even the bully is shown in a different light at the end of the book.

My Last Best Friend focuses on a fourth grader whose best friend didn't keep in touch after she moved away. Feeling lonely and left behind, Ida May decides that she'll never have another best friend.

When a new girl named Stacey comes to school, the popular crowd snatches her right up. The most popular girl in Ida's class is a bit of a brat, to put it lightly, and they don't get along very well. Ida watches the giggling girls from afar, alternately wishing she was one of them and glad that she isn't part of a pack.

Ida writes a note to Stacey but doesn't sign them with her actual name. Stacey responds, and before they know it, the two become secret friends, complete with codenames and a special hiding spot for their notes. Stacey's kindness makes Ida re-think her policy. Maybe having a new best friend wouldn't be so bad after all.

Julie Bowe's debut novel is something that many elementary schoolers can relate to, as they know best how friendships can be fickle. A cute story to share with kids, especially those who have had their neighbors or best friends move away or who have recently moved themselves.

This story captures the flavors of childhood friendship that are both sweet and tart! It's easy to identify with Ida: desperately wanting friendship but holding back because the pain that accompanies losing a friend is real. I sense that the adventures of Ida and Stacey are just beginning to unfold: I look forward to hearing about what they will do next!

When Ida May's best friend, Elizabeth Evans, moves away, Ida's life nosedives into depression and isolation. She swears never to have another best friend again --- they're much too painful to lose.

So Ida starts fourth grade without any friends. Her mother tries to set her up with the PTA president's daughter --- the snooty Jenna Drews, who tormented Ida and Elizabeth --- but Ida knows it will never work. How can you be friends with someone who calls you "I-duh"? But to please her parents, she agrees to go to the movies and a sleepover party with Jenna.

Both activities turn out just as Ida expects, with Jenna insulting and rejecting her. But there's one surprise --- a new girl named Stacey Merriweather who has just moved into town and happens to be in the same class as Ida and Jenna. Ida can't help but notice Stacey's huge, friendly smile and senses an instant connection with her. However, Ida fights these feelings with all of her strength; she must remember her vow of no more best friends. They just end up leaving.

Nevertheless, Ida's curiosity gets the best of her. How can she find out more about this stranger without opening herself up for more hurt? She soon figures out a way --- by writing a note yet keeping her identity a secret. Ida scribbles a quick question, signs it "a girl" and leaves it on Stacey's desk. This inspires a secret letter-writing venture that brings light and smiles back into Ida's life. Through the anonymous letters, Ida and Stacey share stories, drawings, jokes and concerns. Without meaning to do so, Ida has slipped into another special friendship. Should Ida risk revealing her true identity?

What a delightful story this is! Julie Bowe has created a thoughtful, funny and realistic look at one girl's struggles with losing her best friend. Readers will quickly bond with Ida, feeling her pain, sharing her hopes and fears, and urging her to open up for a new relationship. The exciting concept of sharing secret letters with a special someone keeps the pages turning fast, and MY LAST BEST FRIEND ends all too soon. We hope to read more from this talented new author.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

This story of a peasant girl named Ti Moune is set in the French Antilles, where racial discrimination persists due to frowned upon intermarriages of the French and the black natives. Ti Moune fell in love with a Frenchman named Daniel Beauxhomme but they are soon parted as caused by the boy's family. Ti Moune's journey to the city, where she has never set her feet upon, to meet with the boy she loves was, unknown to her, being observed by the gods. Agwe, god of water, initially made the meeting of Ti Moune and Daniel possibly through a stormy night; while Ti Moune's journey to the city was greatly helped by the goddess Asaka, mother of the earth. Two opposingly playful gods--Erzulie, goddess of love, and Papa Ge, god of death--bet upon Ti Moune's eventual triumph or defeat. Toward the end, this Little Mermaid-based story would have a triumphant finale but not without a tragic conclusion.

Rosa Guy's mastery in her storytelling craft has led thousands of readers to grieve and laugh with her very human characters. And as in her other stories, the triumph of the human spirit always persists.

This book has long been out of print before I got a copy through an online auction. Not once did I regret paying a premium for this one.

I have read the book and was also in the play--well. The high-school version, at least. I simply can't get sick of this beautiful story...like a modern-day romeo and juliet, with a twist! Pick this up, you WON'T regret it.

Let two worlds meet...

...TONIGHT.

This book is very good, with a nice blending of tradition and rebellion. I believe it is better than it's Broadway companion, Once On This Island, and the theme of the book is wonderfully beautiful. It sings clearly a song of love and is deeply rooted in romance.

I love Caribbean fiction and I don't really know why. It's probably the way Caribbean authors tend to blend the beautiful with the brutal. In MY LOVE MY LOVE, drought drives a group of peasants from their village. They are following their cattle to a different place, when a four year old child falls. Seemingly with-out a second thought, her mother abandons her, placing her in the crook of a tree, and continues on her way. For this heinous act, Agwe, God of Water raises a violent hurricane to vent his fury. The child survives to be adopted by an elderly couple and she lightens their years, if she strains their resources and their patience, as children will. Island gods are very real on this island. Pounding rhythms at vaudun ceremonies allow the gods to come among their worshipers. They sometimes borrow bodies to enact their jealousies, posing and posturing and sapping the strength of the chosen, sometimes to the point of death. Frighted by the demon of death, TiMoune flees one such ceremony and sets out on a journey to the city to be re-united with with a rich boy she nursed after his car crashed into a tree. Her TonTon had already made the hazardous journey to the city to search for the boy's family, and as a result, the boy had been rescued in a helicopter while Ton Ton Julian was left to return home on foot. Such is the disregard for peasants on this island. TiMoune sets out to find Daniel Beauxhomme, armed with the rightousness of youth and faith in her gods (especially her personal loa Agwe). She believes that "...the life you save, like the infant you bear is yours to care for, always." She WILL be Daniel's wife. On her journey, she discovers life beyond her peasant village, encounters levels of class she never imagined, and experiences petiness and jealousy, yet she exercises great patience while keeping her dream alive. Early on, she meets another orphan and instructs her in the ways of the world, setting her on the road to her own village where, she assures the child, a love couple is waiting just for her. She equips the youngster with her own wishing cage and teaches her the ways of orphans, dreams and butterflies. Finally, TiMoune reaches her destination and her patience is rewarded. She dutifully nurses the grande homme back to full health, where the best doctors have failed, and of course, they fall in love. At the rich boy's behest, TiMoune is clothed in luxury and she is presented at a ball to the island's elite where the Italian count proclaims her his 'black Madonna' while kissing her feet and an African diplomat desires her, hailing her as a descendant of an African queen. Of course, when the girl Daniel has been engaged to since birth returns from France, the allure of the exotic fades and TiMoune is cast off. Despite advice to accept the diplomat, TiMoune rejects her suitor (and others), so deep is her faith and love for Daniel. This book became the basis for the Broadway musical ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. It is a lyrical beautiful show that maintains many themes of the book, including the peasants' helplessness at the whim of the gods and the rich, and class distinctions between those of light and dark skin. Accented is the belief that even the worst storm will be followed by a sunny day and the show remains mostly up-beat and bright. It differs from the book in that it has a happy Broadway ending and I find I prefer the book's bleak hardness, although I love them both.

Agwe and Asaka, the gods of water and earth, are angry and drought empties the land as their quarrel overtakes the French Antilles. A peasant girl, abandoned as a child in the curve of a mango tree, finds safety in the home of an old peasant couple, but as her beauty grows, she dreams of wishes borne on the wings of butterflies and the love of a rich creole man's son whom she nursed back to health after a car accident. Her belief that their union is sanctioned by the gods, sends her on a journey as difficult as it is enlightening. But a promise to Papa Gé who guards the door of Death, is one that all souls must keep and Désirée must choose between her love and her life. Set in a land where "Misfortune sits at your table and won't leave until He sees your bones," Rosa Guy's haunting, tragic tale inspired by "The Little Mermaid" is the basis for the Broadway musical, Once On This Island. The author of thirteen other novels, Rosa Guy is a masterful storyteller whose prose is as lush and memorable as the original Hans Christian Anderson tale is old.

-- Sheree Renée Thomas

I bought this book for my daughter, and this is what she had to say:
"I have read all of the Amelia books, and have always wished that I could write and draw like her. This book helped accomplish this wish. I highly recommend it to people that like to write! It always saved me from boredom, and after I finished writing in it, it looked sooooo cool!"

This Book is great for kids who love to write thoughts, ideas, and drawings. Like I said, this is an awesome Book.

This book was great! It has all sorts of pages where you write about yourself. I like those sort of books where you have to fill in pages about yourself and what you like, etc, so thats why I got this book. I very highly reccamend it!

I loved this book so much! Everyone boys and especially girls should like this book more every time they read it!

I Like this book. I'm planning on getting an nother one. There so cool! Its good to take it out when ever you get board. Its a really great book! i know i like it! My friends love it two! The best thing of all at Amazon.com is all the sales!!!! Amelia books are so cool! I'm getting ameila hits the road book thats the next one in line!