Coming of Age in Mississippi

Book Description

Born to a poor couple who were tenant farmers on a plantation in Mississippi, Anne Moody lived through some of the most dangerous days of the pre-civil rights era in the South. The week before she began high school came the news of Emmet Till’s lynching. Before then, she had "known the fear of hunger, hell, and the Devil. But now there was…the fear of being killed just because I was black." In that moment was born the passion for freedom and justice that would change her life.

An all-A student whose dream of going to college is realized when she wins a basketball scholarship, she finally dares to join the NAACP in her junior year. Through the NAACP and later through CORE and SNCC she has first-hand experience of the demonstrations and sit-ins that were the mainstay of the civil rights movement, and the arrests and jailings, the shotguns, fire hoses, police dogs, billy clubs and deadly force that were used to destroy it.

A deeply personal story but also a portrait of a turning point in our nation’s destiny, this autobiography lets us see history in the making, through the eyes of one of the footsoldiers in the civil rights movement.

Customer Reviews:

Not angry... Just historically honest.......2007-07-10

Though I read this book many years ago, I had to strongly disagree with part of the editor's initial characterization of this book as being "angry". Powerful, painful and anxiety producing, yes. Angry, no.

I personally came away with the lasting impression of a very honest and heart-felt description of the events and struggles that shaped Ann Moody's life, and her active participation in the Civil Rights Movement. She describes beautifully the fears and pains felt by communities during tragic events such as the murder of the young Emmett Till, and injects the intensity felt by the leaders of the Movement, including MLK Jr., as they constantly tried to dodge authorities.

I strongly believe, and echo other reviewer's opinions, that every High School and young college student should be required to read this book.

Descriptive, emotional, engaging.......2007-03-20

Thus a civil rights advocate was born.

I read this book seven years ago, on a whim, because I was wanting to understand why Southerners were especially proud of their heritage when there was so much suffering among its own people, especially its blacks.

Ann Moddy lived a life that most whites would be ashamed of, but that many blacks endured. This is a part of American history that mainstreem history books seldom cover in any detail and leave to the "Black Studies" department.

Moody lived her life struggling for identity, struggling for change, struggling for advancement. She made something of herself and has never looked back. (I read somewhere that she doesn't like to talk about her growing-up years and has lived a life of seclusion.). She can only be admired for what she has made of herself.

Moody never once expresses hurt. All she wanted was justice for all. She left Mississippi with more than a tinge of anger.

This book should be required reading for all social studies classes. It is engrossing without being sentimental or overly emotional (and it certainly is not "girly" at all.) For anyone, regardless of color, gender or legal status, this should be a must-read.

Wasn't reasonable or logical or comprehensible.......2007-03-05

I quit early on and here's why.
Anne's mother leaves her 6 month old infant and Anne (who is "almost 4") in the hands of her (anne's mother) 8 y/o brother, then later her 12y/o brother, for 12+ hours every day. According to Anne they never took care of them and in fact took off as soon as her parents were out of sight.
Who's feeding the 6 month old for those 12+ hours? They were living on a farm with lots of other black families. Surely the women had some kind of communal child care system going. Where's the wet nurse? I don't believe it.

Same happens with the next infant. Mom's never home. All male babysitters. One male adult would take all three kids (ages 5, 2.5 and a little over a year old) HUNTING with him in the swamps! I don't believe it. I don't believe Anne Moody.

How is it that Anne goes to school at age 5 but her mom's 8 y/o and 12y/o brothers don't?
In Anne Moody's story the boys and some men stayed home and babysat while the girls go to school/work. Now I always thought it was just the opposite. Girls usually stayed home and tended to their younger siblings, cleaned, cooked etc., while the boys if they didn't go to school, worked along side the men.

How is it that little 5 y/o Anne walks 2 miles up and 2 miles back to school everyday all by herself. Just try and picture that in your mind. A tiny little threadbare 5 y/o girl all alone walking 4 miles a day in the rain, humid heat or cold. Then hiding in the schools outhouse for as long as she can because she doesn't like school or the teacher! I don't see it. I don't believe it. Four miles is nothing for a healthy adult/teen/kid but a 5 y/o "baby"? I don't think they'd have the mind to do it nor the legs.

How is it that when Anne is 6 and back at school, her mom just leaves the 3.5 y/o and 1.5 y/o all by themselves, all day at the house, no babysitter? I don't believe it. Was Anne's mother mentally retarded? They're living in town at this time. What about the neighbors, friends or church? Women have always gotten together to help care for the children?

The story just wasn't adding up so I quit. Sorry.

I also don't believe the memoirs of Augusten Burroughs "Running with Scissors" etc. and Mary Karr "The Liars' Club".

Prompt Service.......2007-02-28

I do not have any complaints about Amazon.com service. I got my book on time and in the conditions stated on the site. I am very satisfied. The book is a great addition for my library and it is very helpful for my classes in college.

Remarkable, Unforgettable, Invaluable, Candid, Daring, Astounding..........2007-01-29

This book is one of the the best books to help you to REALLY understand the Civil Rights Movement and what it meant to be black in the south during that era. Anne Moody lets the reader into her life in a remarkable way and helps her audience comprehend what the south was like (not only for the black population, but for black women as well) and why Civil Rights workers, like herself, put up with so much for their cause. It is very hard for me to put into words what a great book this is-it will open your eyes to history even if you don't like history or reading I guarantee you will LOVE this book! Definitely a MUST READ.

Other books that compliment this book well, if you're interested in the subject are: Passing, Quicksand, and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation (Perennial Classics)

Average customer rating:

This book is a LIE!!!!!!
Somwhere between Freeman's vitriol and an ameteur' s efforts
Let's not be hasty
Mead's Samoa hoax has been exposed
read it for yourself

Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation (Perennial Classics)
Margaret Mead
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688050336
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Book Description

Rarely do science and literature come together in the same book. When they do -- as in Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, for example -- they become classics, quoted and studied by scholars and the general public alike.

Margaret Mead accomplished this remarkable feat not once but several times, beginning with Coming of Age in Samoa. It details her historic journey to American Samoa, taken where she was just twenty-three, where she did her first fieldwork. Here, for the first time, she presented to the public the idea that the individual experience of developmental stages could be shaped by cultural demands and expectations. Adolescence, she wrote, might be more or less stormy, and sexual development more or less problematic in different cultures. The "civilized" world, she taught us had much to learn from the "primitive." Now this groundbreaking, beautifully written work as been reissued for the centennial of her birth, featuring introductions by Mary Pipher and by Mead's daughter, Mary Catherine Bateson.

Customer Reviews:

This book is a LIE!!!!!!.......2007-04-30

Please do not buy this book. It is a lie about Samoans. How could she have learned to speak well enough to comunicate with Samoans in 5 months.

watch "Margaret Mead and Samoa"

or read Derek Freeman's work against the book.

The book is all a lie!

Somwhere between Freeman's vitriol and an ameteur' s efforts.......2007-04-19

I was the Medical Director of American Samoa a few years after Mead's six
month in Ta'u, a village in the Manu'a group and spent over two years there. On my trips to Manu'a I found and talked to Chief Tufele and those Mead worked with. With two years study of Hawaiian I was able to converse with them quite easily. Mead studied Samoan for only six weeks in Pago Pago.
There are many errors and self-projections in the work of a 23-year old girl fresh out of college on her first field trip, but not enough to incur
Freeman's wrath. About half of his criticisms are not true.

Let's not be hasty.......2006-09-13

In answer to "Mead's Samoa hoax has been exposed" (see below), which is based largely upon Derek Freeman's work.

Derek Freeman's work has also engendered debate, given its own problems. Both methodology and (inevitably) conclusions have been shown to be suspect. For instance: some of Mead's subjects survived long enough into old age to be questioned by Freeman, whereupon they stated that they lied to Mead regarding their past behavior. With what certainty can it be presumed that they are telling the truth now?

But I shan't go on. Suffice it to say that it is of little use to base a critique of one book (Mead's) based upon another of equally unsound and uncertain scholarship (Freeman's). It is simply dishonest of the writer of that review to attempt to discredit Mead by quoting Freeman, while (conveniently) omitting to mention that Freeman's work is not accepted either.

Without being able to either substantiate Mead or debunk her, her book remains fascinating for its own sake, more than for its admittedly tenuous conclusions, and is interesting not least for the insight that it gives into the nature of its author.

Mead's Samoa hoax has been exposed.......2006-02-23

In the unpaginated `Preface [to the] 1973 Edition', Margaret Mead stresses that her description of Samoan moeurs should be read as applying to conditions at the time of her research. She finds it needful to `shout' that advice because during her 1971 brief visit to Samoa, `young critics even asked me when am I going to revise this book and look unbelieving and angry when I say that to revise it is impossible'.

This is a reference to an abrasive session with students who told her that her description of fa'aSamoa (Samoan custom) was false and insulting. They were miffed by her styling Samoans `primitives' and her pronouncement that since anthropologists enjoy an `immense superiority', they can `master the fundamental structure' [of primitive society] . . . `in a few months' (p. 8). In keeping with this arrogance, Samoans attending university were told by their instructors that their experience of fa'aSamoa was not valid evidence against Mead's scientific study. And, as we've just seen, Mead refused to revise her book even when she knew that it is mistaken in many particulars.

For Samoans this patronizing manner was the familiar voice of the papalagi (the colonial power). Mead's hosts on her field trip, aware that she enjoyed the protection of the Pacific Fleet admiral and Boss of American Samoa, went to great lengths to provide reliable information. When they learned of what they call her luma fai tele (`shameless defamaton'), they could not comprehend how she could have betrayed their hospitality. They were also aggrieved that she deceived them about her marital status. For she accepted the title taupou (ceremonial virgin) although as a married woman she was ineligible. Then she disgraced the title by carrying on with Aviata, a young man regarded as a rake.

While Samoans long knew the mendacity of this book, its correction in academic circles commenced only with the 1983 publication of Derek Freeman's Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth (Harvard University Press). That event shook anthropology to its boots. Such was Mead's prestige that the popular mind identified her with anthropology. If her credibility was seriously questioned in respect to the most widely believed anthropological study ever published, the credibility of the profession was at risk. That is why Freeman was attacked with great ferocity, even by those who agreed with his critique.

Freeman's book initiated a reappraisal of Coming of Age in Samoa. Martin Orans and Freeman have recently published studies of her Samoa investigations based on her field notes. They confirm that Mead's account of Samoan sexual moeurs is a travesty. But they go beyond that. Mead recorded the accounts given by her informants, but by ignoring key facts, twisting others, and inventing still others, she contrived to represent Samoa as a free love duck pond. She also misrepresented the research she carried out. She was funded to conduct a study of adolescent girls; and she states that she spent `six months accumulating an intimate and detailed knowledge of all adolescent girls in the community'. Her field notes tell otherwise. She devoted her time to assembling ethnography; the funded study never got off the ground. She states that she conducted `all' her interviews with these girls in the Samoan language (`I spoke their language and ate their food'). Orans found however that her information on adolescent girls came from `English-speaking informants using English to communicate'. He notes that `no conversations in Samoan are recorded in any of the field materials'. This is consistent with Freeman's finding that the study of adolescent girls was not conducted at all.

Mead built her picture of free love by tossing off unsupported one-liners. The `inept lover is a laughing stock'. There are `no neurotic pictures, no frigidity' in Samoa. Masturbation `is a universal habit'. Homosexual activity is `very prevalent' and is regarded as `simply play'. `[Samoan] girls' minds were perplexed by no conflicts . . . [to have as] many lovers as possible and then to marry . . . these were uniform and satisfying ambitions'. The field materials do not show that Mead collected any evidence whatever about masturbation, homosexuality, or incidence of neuroticism and frigidity. She had but one informant about intimate sexual moeurs--an eighteen year old school teacher. In 1981 that person told Freeman that he had an affair with Margaret. Thus Samoa's alleged free love amounts to no more than a loose wife's gullibility to the pillow talk of her teenage lover. Such is the `science' that made this book famous.

Research on Mead's field notes clarifies a feature of this book that has puzzled many readers. It is the drastic and repeated inconsistency between Mead's descriptions of Samoan vigilance of virginity and punishments of straying girls, and the attribution of a casual attitude toward sexuality. What we now can see is that Mead patched her free love pillow talk into descriptions given to her by her adult informants.

How is that anthropologists for so long were taken in by a popular book? One part of the answer is that many weren't taken in. The controversy brought to light numerous statements to this effect. Thus Weston LaBarre wrote: "When I was a graduate student in anthropology at Yale in the late '30's, Mead's Sex and Temperament came out. Puzzled that even a big island like New Guinea should have had three tribes waiting to be discovered to prove her point about the non-biological nature of gender, I went to Edward Sapir with my puzzlement. He said laconically, `She's a pathological liar'. I was startled as much by what he said, as by the fact that an eminent anthropologist and chairman of a department should say this to a mere graduate student. But over the years, I have come to believe that this is literally the case." The next round in the evaluation of Mead's anthropology, we may hope, will collect and critically assess this largely unpublished expert opinion.

Hiram Caton
Editor, The Samoa Reader: Anthropologists Take Stock.

read it for yourself.......2005-12-28

Famous books in any academic discipline draw a lot of attention (thus making them famous). When negative, most such attention arises from personal jealously about the success of others, and given that Mead is a woman, she draws additional scorn from male academics (and their female supplicants). As a result, many myths develop and circulate around academic departments, and even worse, people rely on textbook (mis)representations in place of their own reading. I encourage anyone with serious interest in traditional Samoa and/or anthropology to read this book for themselves, consider Mead's evidence and analysis, and develop your own assessment. Clearly, most of the reviewers here have not read the book. By the way, I give the book four stars because it does have flaws, but read it and decide for yourself.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 2)

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Fun, light, but emotional
Great Summer Read!
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 2)
Ann Brashares
Manufacturer: Dell Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553495011
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Amazon.com

Teens who loved Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2001) will cheer its equally riveting sequel The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. As in the first novel, four teen girls who have known each other since birth (their moms shared a pregnancy aerobics class) further forge their bond of friendship through a pair of thrift-store jeans that magically, impossibly, fits them all perfectly.

Like the summer before, Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena share their individual adventures with the Pants collective, creating an engaging, kaleidoscopic narrative of four voices. This summer, Tibby attends a film program in Virginia and Bridget (Bee), whose mother has died, impulsively jets off to Alabama to get reacquainted with her estranged grandmother. Lovely Lena tries to protect herself from the heartbreak of loving her long-distance Greek god boyfriend Kostos, and Carmen deals (poorly) with her mother dating again and having the nerve to borrow the Pants!

The Second Summer, while breezy and fun to read, deals seriously with love lost and found, death, and finding the courage to live honestly. The teens' lessons are often painful, but the Sisterhood prevails. Quotations from luminaries such as Charlie Brown ("Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love") to Nelson Mandela ("There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered") open each chapter and cleverly reflect the novel's many moods. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Can't wait for the next installment of the Pants? Check out the SPECIAL EDITION of The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, in stores now!
Inside you'll find an exclusive "Who's Your Soul Mate Quiz" and a sneak peak at the third book, Girls in Pants.

With a bit of last summer's sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood that wears them embark on their 16th summer.

Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting to both confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once.

Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visit even more painful.

Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over a man. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she's certain of it.

Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman's, she takes a film course only to find it's what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

With a bit of last summer's sand in the pockets, the Traveling Pants and the Sisterhood that wears them embark on their 16th summer.

Bridget: Impulsively sets off for Alabama, wanting to both confront her demons about her family and avoid them all at once.

Lena: Spends a blissful week with Kostos, making the unexplainable silence that follows his visit even more painful.

Carmen: Is concerned that her mother is making a fool of herself over a man. When she discovers that her mother borrowed the Pants to wear on a date, she's certain of it.

Tibby: Not about to spend another summer working at Wallman's, she takes a film course only to find it's what happens off-camera that teaches her the most.

Customer Reviews:

Fun, light, but emotional.......2007-09-07

In the second summer after discovering the mystery pants, Bridget, Carmen, Tibby, and Lena are getting ready for summer jobs, a break from school, and another summer where they will not all be together in the same city all summer long. But they know from last year that they will stay close and share the beloved pants to keep the magic alive. But unlike last year, each of the girls summers is off to a disappointing start.

Bridget has not been feeling herself all year long and her friends are worried about her. She discovers that her grandmother has been attempting to communicate with her for years but her father has kept the cards and letters a secret. Frustrated and curious, Bridget decides to move to Alabama for the summer to see what she can learn from her grandmother and rekindle the lost relationship.

Carmen is beginning to date and wondering how her life will be affected by boys. What she least expected was for her mother to begin to date again as well. That change concerns her more than her own love life. Add the complication of dealing with her stepsister who appears practically at her door after running away and Carmen does not know which crisis is worse.

Tibby is off to film school for the summer and feeling less appreciated by her mother than ever. In an effort to impress classmates that she thinks are "cool" she manages to offend Brian - one of her closest friends and, she later realizes, a true friend. She must work to repair the damaged relationships in her life all the while dealing with the pain she still feels after Bailey's death.

Lena is wrestling with the feelings she still has for Kostas even though in the spring she wrote to him and broke off the relationship. She is trying to salvage a friendship while ignoring the love that she still feels for him. When he surprises her by appearing on her doorstep things look as though the relationship will only improve. But Kostas has a secret that threatens to ruin their happiness.

Brashares has written another fun installment perfect for summer beach reading. It is light and simplistic yet arguably more emotional than the first novel. The reader gets a sense of the strong friendship between the girls and can relate that relationship to the reader's own friendships. But the individual tragedys pull at the heartstrings and are believable as well. This book is the perfect beach read and will entertain from the first page. Sprinkled between chapters are fun and appropriate quotes - both real and invented - that make the perfect transition from chapter to chapter.

Great Summer Read!.......2007-06-23

I just finished reading this book. This book tells of the girls hardships and friendship over the next summer. Ann Brashares did a great job with this book. I really would recommend this to anybody, but you probably want to read the first one first. I was totally interesting in reading this book and couldn't keep it down. It truly was an amazing book. Lena falls back in love with Kostos but he unfortunatley has to marry another girl back in Greece, and also her grandpa died! Tibby goes to a college in Virginia to work in a film class. There she mad a stunning video about Bailey, which shocks all of her friends and peers. Bridget goes to Alabama to meet her grandma, but not as Bridget. She pretends to be a young person looking for a job, to help herself get to her grandma, but in the end her grandma could secretly tell that it was her all along. Carmen's mom falls in love, and Carmen is scared. She breaks them up but eventually feels sad about that, so she reunites them. This is another great book which I would recommend to anybody who likes happy endings.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.......2007-06-05

The pants are back again to work their magic for a second summer. It's 12:00 midnight. The night before the sisterhood will be separated for another summer of adventure, love, and finding their true selves. What will the magic of the Traveling Pants have in store for each of the girls this summer?
The four members of the sisterhood, Carmen, Bridget, Lena, and Tibby pick the lock on Gilda's Aerobics Center, (who knows why anyone would even want to get into that old smelly place besides them) where the four of them first united many years ago when they were still in their mother's stomachs. If you haven't read the first book of this series, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I highly recommend it. Last summer, Carmen and the other girls stumbled across the pants in a thrift shop near their town. They knew the pants contained some sort of indescribable magic when each of them tried the pants on, and they fit each of them perfectly. Over the summer the pants were sent from one girl to the next, keeping the girls connected even though they were oceans apart. Now, it's the second summer that the girls have had the pants, and they are about to take them out of their winter storage bag, where they put them last September. There is sure to be some work for the pants this summer as Bridget seeks out her family in Alabama, Carmen finds love for herself and her mother, Lena gets her heart broken form past loves, and Tibby tries to find ways to cope with her lost loved ones. Through all these hardships their friendship remains true. Remember, "Pants=Love, Love your friends, love the pants."
What I enjoy most about Ann Brashares books is how you can relate yourself to one of the four characters. Whether you're a Bridget, a Lena, a Tibby, or a Carmen, each of the girls represents a different type of personality that everyone can relate to in some way.
The most important key to understanding this book would be seeing how great the friendship is between the four girls. You need to be able to understand the changes the girls are going through as they grow up together, but also how one thing stays constant and true between them, their friendship.
The reason why I recommend this book to you is because I think the message of the story it tells on something everyone should learn. This book, along with the three others in its series, has been the only book I have read that shows exactly what true friendship is. Any teen girls who want to read a happy, uplifting story would be missing out if you passed this book up.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.......2007-05-24

I really enjoyed this sequel to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The four girls, Carmen, Lena, Tibby, Bridget, all go on their ways again. This time Bridget is off to Alabama and Tibby goes to Williamston College in Virginia. Carmen and Lena stay home. This book is full of drama, love, heartbreak, deceiving, and everything in between. If you like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then you will love The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. I highly recommend this book to girls age 13 and over. Enjoy!

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood.......2007-05-06

Imagine having a pair of pants that fit anyone no matter what size they are. The Traveling Pants are back in the Sisterhood. This is the second summer with the Traveling Pants for Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby. They try to make it the best summer, but things don't go as well as planned. Bridget sets off on a journey to Alabama to meet her grandma, Greta; Carmen is concerned that her mother is acting like a teenager over a man, and that she had worn the Pants on her date; Tibby makes a movie that she'd like to be proud of and Lena spent months hiding from love until the day she puts on the pants. To find out how these four best friends summer ends, you'll have to read the book.
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood is a companion to the New York Times bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The Second Summer is my favorite out of these two books. I like it because it kept me wondering about what'll happen. I wanted to read on and on to see how they handle their problems. The book also has specific details, good characters, and humor. The author, Ann Brashares, resides in New York with her husband and their three children. With her great writing skills, both these books became New York Times bestsellers. These two books also held my attention very well! The third summer of the Sisterhood also came alive when Ann Brashares wrote Girl in Pants; The Third Summer of the Sisterhood.
If you've read the first book, I would highly recommend reading this one. This is a very good book for teenage girls to read. I would suggest any girls over thirteen years of age because of mature language and events. I would also recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about love, and friendship. I hope that you will be interested in reading this book as much as I was!

The JGirl's Guide: The Young Jewish Woman's Handbook For Coming Of Age

Average customer rating:

The JGirl's Guide
And now, a gentile's perspective...
Awesome is an understatement ! ! !
Well written, Enjoyable and Easy reading
Every Jewish Girl should have this book!

The JGirl's Guide: The Young Jewish Woman's Handbook For Coming Of Age
penina Adelman , ali Feldman , and Shulamit Reinharz
Manufacturer: Jewish Lights Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580232159

Book Description

What does it mean to become a Jewish woman?

Did you ever think that Judaism had any advice on how to deal with pressure from your friends? Arguing with your parents? Feeling stressed out? Well, this book shows you that Judaism can help you deal with all these things—and a whole lot more.

The JGirl's Guide is a first-of-its-kind book of practical, real-world advice using Judaism as a compass for the journey through adolescence. A fun survival guide for coming of age, it explores the wisdom and experiences of rabbis, athletes, writers, scholars, musicians, and great Jewish thinkers, as well as lots of girls just like you—girls who share your worries and concerns, and your joys. Here's a place to turn to for honest, helpful discussion about the things that really matter to you:

• Friendship • Eating • Health • Sexuality • Getting involved • Dealing with authority • Coping with stress • Self-esteem • Communication • Jewish Identity

Now's the time when you are thinking: Who am I? What do I believe in? Who will I become? The JGirl's Guide provides Jewish writings, traditions, and advice that can help.

Customer Reviews:

The JGirl's Guide.......2007-01-04

The subtitle tells it all. This volume addresses teenage girls directly on topics such as Jewish identity, friendship, honoring parents, body image issues, sexuality, health, gossip, social responsibility and more. Three authors make for a somewhat disjointed reading experience. A very long introduction greets readers and tells them (repeatedly) what to expect. The format of each chapter, with its many sections, quotes, questions and exercises, wrings every last drop out of every topic. The style of the book is a breathlessly excited, energetic charge up a mountain of information. The Jewish aspect of each topic under discussion is explained through historical and modern viewpoints, with plenty of back up from original texts. A consciously neutral point of view embraces all streams of Judaism and levels of observance. This book would be an excellent resource for youth group leaders to use in leading discussions or workshops on teen issues. It may also serve as a guide for parents struggling to talk with their kids about sensitive topics. Self-aware young women may enjoy the navel-gazing quality of the book, while others will find it tiresome. Some kids may be turned off by the attempt of the adult authors to sound "cool" by inventing the term "JGirl." Recommended for ages 12 - 18 where Jewish teens are heavily served.
Reviewed by Heidi Estrin

And now, a gentile's perspective..........2005-06-03

I recently purchased this book as a bat mitzvah gift for a young friend, and couldn't help reading through several chapters myself. I was very impressed with the breadth of topical advice, which is presented in a very lively and engaging manner. The authors did such a skillfull job demonstrating the relevancy and beauty of Jewish traditions and history that, raised as a Christian, I found myself becoming a tad envious of the heritage! I definitely recommend this book as a worthwhile read.

Awesome is an understatement ! ! !.......2005-05-04

Thanks to the JGirl's guide, I finally understand my daughter and wife and all that touchy-feely shechina stuff........you can't go wrong with this book, and I mean this whether or not you are starting from scratch or studying talmud with the Baal Shem Tov !

Well written, Enjoyable and Easy reading.......2005-04-29

My daughter asked me to get this for her after she heard so much about it in school from her friends. I ended up reading it myself right after she finished it. We both enjoyed it immensely and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It was insightful and has even helped me better relate to my daughter during this changing time in her life.

Enjoy!

Every Jewish Girl should have this book! .......2005-04-25

The JGirl's Guide is an invaluable book for young girls. If you would like your friend, daughter, student, cousin.... to get much more out of their bat-mitzvah, and so much more out of being a Jewish teenager - struggling with identity, as well as common teen issues such as food and peer pressure. What a wonderful idea to finally come out with something fun and interesting in an era where we sometimes need to be reminded that even though life can be a party, we must not forget how meaningful it is- and when we are reminded and taught, then it because that much more fun!

Average customer rating:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Summer of Love: The Principles of Love
Emily Franklin
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451220404

Book Description

After a rough spring semester at Hadley Hall, Love Bukowski is ready for some sun on Martha's Vineyard. Running her Aunt Mable's cafe might not sound glamorous, but when she's working with her best friend, Arabella, anything can be fun. Plus, Mable's set up a treasure map of clues for her to find-each one bringing Love closer to the truth about her family history.

But now that those pieces of her past are finally fitting together, Love's future isn't clear. College and senior year are ahead, but the boys of summer are more appealing than ever. Surprises, sun, summer love-no matter what happens, the next three months will be ones to write home about.

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-03-15

SUMMER OF LOVE occurs right after Love's aunt Mable dies, leaving a huge hole in Love's life. She decides to attend the last big hurrah of the year with Jacob. She arrives late at the Vineyard and needs Arabella to cover for her at the cafe.

The summer, once so full of promise, has a very rocky start.

Love discovers that Mable left her clues around the island, a mini treasure hunt of life that has Love thinking about second chances. With so many ideas and choices floating around in Love's mind, it's a wonder that she gets anything accomplished. What will she do with her life now that college applications are looming before her? Should she track down her mother?

SUMMER OF LOVE continues Love's adventures, leaving the book open-ended for the next chapter in Love's life. Love is a wonderful character that readers will immediately find a connection with. Emily Franklin poses great questions that leave the reader thinking long after finishing the book.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both

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Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love and Lose at Both
Laura Sessions Stepp
Manufacturer: Tantor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1400103991

Book Description

An eye-opening examination of the hookup culture, seen through the personal experiences of high school and college-age women who confront the hard lessons of dating, love, and sex. Unabridged. 8 CDs.

All You Need is Love: The Principles of Love

Average customer rating:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Fresh and realistic dialogue in a fluffy teen read
Okay

All You Need is Love: The Principles of Love
Emily Franklin
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451219619

Book Description

After an unbelievable semester in London, Love Bukowski is back at Hadley Hall, suffering from major Euro-withdrawal and an acute longing for her Brit boyfriend. But she had to make a sudden departure from London Academy of Drama and Music to be by her Aunt Mable's side while she fights breast cancer.

As far as long-distance romance goes, let's just say London is not calling. But her ex, Jacob, has popped back into her life. Meanwhile, her dad claims she's picked up some pretty obnoxious habits across the pond, and her Aunt Mable is dropping more hints than ever about her mystery mother's identity. Looks like spring semester may still have a few more surprises to spring on her.

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-07-06

Love Bukowski is back in the United States after a semester in London at the London Academy of Drama and Music.

She had to leave her Brit boyfriend, who, when she gets home to the US, doesn't want to seem to talk to her, until he announces that he's coming for a visit. She had to leave London to be at her Aunt Mable's side because she is fighting breast cancer. She is suffering from major Europe-withdrawals and it turns out that her dad has a new girlfriend -- and he tells her that she picked up some bad habits while in Europe.

As if that isn't bad enough, Love's ex-boyfriend, Jacob, has become super-popular while she was gone!

This book is slow in many parts but you have to feel kind of sorry for Love, who had to leave everything that she loved in London behind. Plus, when she gets back, her Aunt Mable seems to be doing pretty well at first, but then tragedy strikes. It seems like when Love comes back to the US, everything is different then when she left, so it's kind of like culture shock for her, even though the US is her home. This is a cute but sometimes slow read.

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

Fresh and realistic dialogue in a fluffy teen read.......2006-09-19

All You Need Is Love is the fourth installment in author Emily Franklin's The Principles of Love series. Our heroine, Love Bukowski, has moved back to her Massachusetts day school after a stint in London. The plot focuses on Love's long distance romance struggles, her relationship with her American ex-boyfriend, and re-adjusting to life with her father, who isn't too thrilled with Love's post-Europe habits and has a girlfriend of his own now. Throw in a sick relative who is full of dirt on the family secrets, and you've got plenty of tension and conflict for a two hundred and fifty-page novel. The narrative is certainly action-packed, but at times, the number of stressors in Love's life detracts from an otherwise cute storyline. The dialogue is fresh and realistic, so as a pure fluff read, this book is enjoyable. Don't pay full retail price, though.

Okay.......2006-09-06

Love Bukowski has had to leave the London Academy of Drama and Music, and boyfriend Asher Piece, to return home to Massachusetts because her beloved Aunt Mable is in the advanced stages of breast cancer. She's returned to Hadley (a prep school where she is a day student) to learn that her time in London will not count toward her graduation credits because, while she's actually doing the work, she is not in attendance. She's required to complete a special project if she wants to graduate on time.

Love misses her life in London, but is drawn to her ex-boyfriend Jacob who's matured since she left town. Her nemesis Lindsay Parrish hints at a relationship with Jacob.

Love's male friend Chris is her support system and introduces her to Haverford and Chilton, the new 'kids' at school. And Aunt Mable provides Love with information about her mysterious mother who left her when she was an infant.

Her father has a new love interest and he struggles with his daughter's 'growing up.' But what Love wants is for school to get out, Mable to get well, and her friend Arabella to arrive from London for a visit--and of course, Asher's trip across the pond is what she lives for. But Asher has other ideas.

All You Need Is Love had the potential of being a wonderful story, but there were just too many characters and storylines that were never fully developed. I didn't feel as if I got to know any of the characters (except for Love) and the conflict and tension that would have added much to the story, fizzled. I was also distracted by the way scenes ran together and changed completely without an obvious break.

There will be another Love Bukowski book released in the near future, but I don't think I'm going to read it.

Armchair Interviews says: A good story that could have been better with fewer characters and more clarity.

A New Day at Tanglewood (Coming Home to Ruby Prairie)

Average customer rating:

Great, heartwarming story
Fun, delightful, yet poignant too. Grab the tissues!

A New Day at Tanglewood (Coming Home to Ruby Prairie)
Annette Smith
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802435580

Book Description

There is never a dull moment in Ruby Prairie, especially since young widow Charlotte Carter has opened Tanglewood, a pink Victorian refuge for troubled girls. Sixty-two-year-old massage therapist, Treasure Evans, comes to live at Tanglewood to help with another newcomer to Ruby Prairie, Jasper Jones. Packed with surprises, romances and a bit of trouble, A New Day at Tanglewood is sure to be an enjoyable read.

Customer Reviews:

Great, heartwarming story.......2006-01-04

I, too, loved Annette's first novel in the Ruby Prairie series. But the second one, A New Day at Tanglewood, is even better: more action, plot, suspense, more character development, more romance--yet still more of the same likeable characters in this small town setting. Annette has a way of drawing the reader into the simple Mayberry-like lifestyle, and making you wish you could go there and visit--if just for a day. You'll love the characters, the story, and the setting. I enjoyed this second novel, and look forward to the next one in the series! Rebecca Barlow Jordan, author of 40 Days in God's Presence

Fun, delightful, yet poignant too. Grab the tissues!.......2005-03-01

Although I really enjoyed Annette Smith's first novel in the Ruby Prairie series (A Town Called Ruby Prairie) I must admit that I loved this second book even more. Maybe that's because some romance started brewing (and no, I won't tell you between who :) but also because of some heart-wrenching moments that made even grown men cry. Better keep a box of tissue handy. I can't wait to read the final book to find out what happens next with Pastor Jock, Charlotte, the delightful Treasure--who is a treasure--and the girls at Tanglewood along with the rest of the denizens of Ruby Prairie!

Average customer rating:

Beautiful story
Heartland Review By Andrea
Great Series
Heartland Coming Home
Heartland: Coming Home

Coming Home (Heartland #1)
Lauren Brooke
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439130204

Amazon.com

Heartland is a horse farm with the special mission of healing abused or neglected horses and finding them new homes. Fifteen-year-old Amy works alongside her talented mother, a gifted horse trainer who uses techniques similar to those of the trainer in The Horse Whisperer. While rescuing an abandoned stallion in a thunderstorm, Amy's mother is killed when a falling tree hits their car, and everything at Heartland--and everything in Amy's life--is thrown into turmoil. Amy's older sister, Lou, leaves her job to come to Heartland to help, and Amy begins to cope with the new circumstances of her life, relying on her work with her beloved horses to help her face the future without her mom.

Fans of the Saddle Club, Pine Hollow, and Thoroughbred series of horse novels will enjoy this sensitively told story that combines lots of authentic horse-farm details with Amy's challenges in dealing with her bossy older sister and her mom's sudden death. The story of Heartland is continued in After the Storm. (Ages 8 to 12) --Marcie Bovetz

Book Description

The daughter of a respected horse healer, 14 year-old Amy has a powerful connection with horses. With her mother's help, she is developing her skills as a horse whisperer while tending to the animals at Heartland, a refuge for horses that have been emotionally or physically traumatized. But when her mother is killed in a tragic trailer accident, Amy realizes she will never see her world the same way again.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful story.......2007-05-17

This is a beautiful, touching story of love , strength , hope , and regeneration after an agonizing loss.
Even though it is a young adult novel, I recommend it to anyone of any age.

Heartland Review By Andrea.......2007-04-26

Heartland-Coming Home

Heartland is a place of dreams and horses and that's where Amy's heart belongs. Heartland is a place like no other, breaks painful memories and teaches horses to trust again. To what I know Amy's calls Heartland home like no other place in the entire world. Amy loves her family very much and especially her mom. She loves her mom because she has don many things for her. I think Amy likes having her mom's gift, having to be able to understand what they need. And saving the animals by teaching them to stay healthy and stay trusting.

This book is mostly about a girl named Amy. And Amy is trying to help these horses that can't trust anyone anymore. And later in the book something bad happens. Someone get into a terrible accident. But you have to read the book to find out.

Great Series.......2007-04-09

Bought this for my 15 year old daughter. She loved it and actually read it. Which is always nice to have a teenager read!

Heartland Coming Home.......2007-02-17

This is about a girl who loved horses, and her mother owned a ranch called "Heartland". They take care of and help any type of horse. One day they went to rescue a horse and her mom died from getting hit by a falling tree. Amy is left to save Heartland.
I think this story is really good. It reminds me of my life because I take care of horses. I also think that Amy will safe Heartland and be just like her mother. Also I think Amy and Ty will get together. I would recommend this book to people because this story is sad and truthful about life.

Heartland: Coming Home.......2007-02-10

I think this series is the best series ever!!! Ten thumbs up! im sooo sad that there aren't anymore, i would read them forever! I love Horses and everything about this book! I cant stop reading...and i hate reading! Im hooked!!
Make more books!!!!

Girl Coming in for a Landing (Dell Yearling Book)

Average customer rating:

beautifully captures the emotional roller coaster of teenhood
Awesome
Poetic Power
Pegged it!
Breaking the Code

Girl Coming in for a Landing (Dell Yearling Book)
April Halprin Wayland
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440419034
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Book Description

You walk into class—
my head clears.

No kidding.
You are my aspirin.

One girl. One school year. All poems. From friends to first dates, school dances to family fights, this inspiring collection captures the emotional highs and lows of teen life with refreshing honesty and humor. With an authentic voice full of wit and insight, Girl Coming In for a Landing is just like high school: impossible to walk away from unchanged.

Customer Reviews:

beautifully captures the emotional roller coaster of teenhood.......2006-12-23

April Wayland's book portraying the emotional struggles of a teenage girl, Girl Coming in for a Landing, is a poetic account of a year in high school. This first person narrative is the story of life as seen through a girl growing up in Southern California.

The poems are simple but effective in capturing the many feelings every girl experiences while growing up. From getting her period to crushes on boys to bad days in science class to fights with siblings, there is a poem for every traumatic (or dramatic) occurrence in the life of a young woman. Girl Coming in for a Landing expresses beautifully the emotional roller coaster of teenhood.

Black and white art by Elaine Clayton accompanies the poetry. The art uses many mediums: from drawing to photos to collage. Clayton's art is the perfect companion to the drama of teenage life.

I was very charmed by the honesty and straightforwardness of this book of poetry. Any teenage girl could identify with this book. The after words encourage poetry writing as a way to sort through mixed emotions, something every teenager could use help with.

Awesome.......2003-06-24

I thought that this book was crazy good. I'm a huge fan of poetry and love books that incorparate (sp?) it into their stories. Besides the story were awesome illustrations to add to the story.

If you likes Girl Coming In For A Landing or like other stories written in poerty. Check out:

*Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy and What My mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
*The Taking of Room 114 and Split Image by Mel Glenn
*After the Death of Anna Gonzalos by Terri Fields

Poetic Power.......2003-05-04

Not since Sandra Cisneros's House on Mango Street have I admired a book of such poetic power as girl coming in for a landing. Unlike Cisneros though, April Halprin Wayland chooses to use poetry as a form rather than poetic short stories to forward her character's travails about the year in the life of a teenage girl. The setting for the book is in and around Los Angeles where the author discusses kissing games, falling in love, the humiliations that is adolescence, and (of course) triumphing in the end. Any time poetry zings across my desk that is so lyrical, fun, beautifully illustrated (by Elaine Clayton) and enchanting as girl coming in for a landing, the I have to let you know about it.

Pegged it!.......2002-12-16

In so few words, Wayland pegs the feelings and experiences of a teenage girl experiencing a crush, heartbreak, success, deflation, and more. It's inspiring and beautiful writing with fascinating illustrations. This is the kind of diary I wish I'd kept. It's the kind of diary I hope my niece (who's getting this as a gift) will keep.

Book has guidelines at the end for keeping your own journal--they're helpful.

Breaking the Code.......2002-12-14

This book is truly an insight into a young girl's heart. It fit the ying of my school life's yang. All the pain and pleasure I felt as a teen is mirrored by this girl's point of view. I was charmed. I would have like to have like to dated her myself.
Maybe I did date people like her, I just never knew what was going one behind the scenes.

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