Customer Reviews:
Great way to get siblings involved.......2007-10-14
I bought this for my 4 year old to fill out for he new baby brother. Some of the questions are hysterical and she loves filling out the information and tracing her feet and his feet. I'm sure both kids with treasure it when they're older to see what she thought of him when he was born.
A perfect book for the younger, new big brother/sister.......2007-07-14
I bought this book for my 3 year old and it is perfect for her age level. With its large text, humorous check lists, and simple art and observational activities, it is perfect for the younger, new big brother or sister (3-6 yrs). This book allows the child to compare themselves to the baby which shows them how special they are, and how much care the baby needs.
Love it!!!.......2007-07-09
This book is exactly what I was looking to get for my stepson. He is so excited about our new baby and this was just icing on the cake. He can't wait until the baby is born so he can start writing in his baby book just like me and Dad will in ours. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is either having another child or bringing a child into a blended family.
Great older sibling baby gift.......2007-05-21
This is a terrific "big brother" or "big sister" gift to help the older sibling feel like they're not losing something having just had a baby. It's a really good quality book and good activity for a parent to do with the older sibling.
great memories.......2007-05-18
This book is great for older siblings to fill out about the new baby. If they can't write yet you can also fill it out for them. Makes a great gift for the older child that might feel left out.
Book Description
Beth is a spirited woman with mental retardation, who spends nearly every day riding the buses in Philadelphia. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors; her fellow passengers are her community. When Beth asks her sister Rachel to accompany her on the buses for one year, they take a transcendent journey together that changes Rachel's life in incredible ways and leads her to accept her sister at long last-teaching her to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Full of life lessons from which any reader will profit, Riding the Bus with My Sister is "a heartwarming, life-affirming journey through both the present and the past...[that] might just change your life" (Boston Herald).
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful Prose.......2007-09-22
This book isn't for everyone, but anyone who lives with a mildy retarded family member will see this book as an eye-opening and touching memoir of the highs and lows of living and coping and dealing with a person such as Beth, the author's sister, with whom she agrees to ride the city buses with over the course of a year.
The chapters are beautifully interweaved with flashbacks to the author's childhood with Beth, who is 18 months younger than the author. The parents' coping with Beth, and how the rest of the family deals with this headstrong and independent girl without once ever mentioning the words "mild retardation" and yet determined to keep together as a family in the early 1960s bring this book to life for many Babyboomers. Rachel did a lot of research on the subject to write for this book, and inserts statistics at logical moments without ever tiring the reader.
Along with the encounters on the bus are small vignettes of the various and varied drivers who deal with Beth on a daily basis. Bus drivers are profiled coming from all aspects of society. Some like Beth, others do not, and many came forward to talk about Beth and her incessant chats while sitting in the front of crowded buses with strangers all around her. Bus drivers are her friends, are her mentors, are her romantic interests and Beth at times reminds us of our girlish teenage crushes...and she is 39 years old while the story takes place.
Although this book mostly deals with Beth and her daily bus rides around town, the author also talks about her own failings; her recent break-up, her move to a new apartment, and we see how dealing with Beth, and talking with bus drivers, help Rachel find the answers for her own troubles.
This book may not be for everyone. One must have a close experience with a person such as Beth to understand the many detailed and sometimes long-drawn-out episodes of city bus travel to truly appreciate this book. Beth is beautifully portrayed in this book, and with all her flaws and handicaps we can see a bit our ourselves through her daily bus journeys.
Read this book with patience and understanding for the mildy retarded people in our society. We all know and have dealt with our own Cools Beths.
This book went on and on.......2007-08-29
and on and on and on..............a shorter memoir maybe I could have, maybe, plodded through without so much difficulty.
This was a great ride!.......2007-08-17
Okay, so maybe not the most original title in the world, but the story sure is. The author decides to spend some quality time with her mildly retarded sister, Beth, (whom she never fully understood). Simons basically takes a very long leave of absence from work and totally immerses herself in Beth's world - which consists mainly of riding the bus system in an unnamed Pennsylvania city. But this is not just a simple journey. She experiences how Beth has carved out a life for herself, the people she has connected with, the joyful outlook she has on life, and realizes that maybe Beth's life is fulfilling in its own way. This is also a journey through her childhood as she
reflects on her memories, her relationship with her family as well as her sister. By slowing down her fast-paced existence and taking the time to experience a year with her sister, Simons certainly discovers a lot about herself, and comes away with a different, more appreciative view of her life. Hopefully you will too. I know I did.
My Thoughts on 'Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey'.......2007-05-29
This is the story of Rachel and Beth. Two sisters close in age but share little in common. Rachel is a working woman. She barely has time for herself let alone her sister. Beth is a fun-loving care-free flamboyant woman who has an extreme lover for life and her beloved buses. Beth is also mentally reatrded. Rachel experiences gui;t for not having spent much time with her sister. She promises her sister that she will ride the bus with her for a year. All Rachel wnats out of this is time with Beth. She gets way more than planned. She meets all of the quirky and exotic bus drivers with diverse personalities. She meets thoughtful Jacob, and hunky Rodolpho. They all teach her very important lessons that reshape her life. Rachel also learns a lot about her sister. She never knows how to deal with her mood changes and odd behaviors. All she knows is that she loves Beth and Beth loves her, and they care about each other. In the end Rachel turns her life into the "big life" she has always dreamed of. This story will benefit you also. You can learn many things from this book that may just help you turn you life into the right direction.
A Lesson in Life.......2007-04-22
This is a story about Rachel, sister of "Cool Beth". Beth is mildly retarded. She lives on her own and lives on disability. She doesn't have a job. She rides the local buses in her Pennsylvania city, every day. Looking for something to write about, Rachel decides to visit her sister and spend a day with her. This leads to an article in the newspaper. The experience has surprised Rachel and it has sparked a new relationship with Beth. So, Rachel decides to "Ride the bus with her sister" and she does. Every two weeks, every month of the year. This book is about that journey. It isn't just a journey on a bus. It is a journey through the life of Rachel and Beth. Rachel learns to come to terms with her feelings and having a sister who is mentally challenged. She gives the reader flashbacks to their childhood and how hard it was sometimes. Their parents divorced when they were young. Beth was separated from Rachel and her brother and sister. She lived with their mom who married an ex-con abused Beth and her mother. There was a period time where they didn't know where Beth was. Now, as adults, Rachel wants to be a better sister and learn how to understand Beth and her handicap. This is one of those books where I now want to buy a bunch of copies and give one to everyone I know. The writing style is very personal and full of emotion. A reader learns many lessons reading a book like this. It's not exclusively about mentally handicapped people and how to understand them. Rachel's experience with Beth riding the buses and getting to know the drivers taught her about regular people and their insights on their lives and what brought them to where they are now. Rachel was amazed by the friendly drivers who befriended Beth and had more patience than she could ever know. She was surprised by their kindness and generosity when Beth needed support during an operation or help finding a bathroom. Rachel's life changed as well. She learned to open her heart and slowly let people in. It changed her life. This is definitely one of the best reads I have experienced. Highly recommend!
Book Description
How to Get Over the Drama and Live Your Best Life! piritual Lessons for My Sisters takes readers one step beyond the advice found in Munson's successful first book and shows them the path to a happier, more productive life. Offering strategies to help women remove themselves from the drama, issues, obstacles, negative people, bad environments, and fears that are holding them back, Munson helps them create the kind of life they have always wanted. From basic lessons like 'Be Careful Who You Hang Around' and 'Life Is About Timing,' to more complex advice like 'Leave a Legacy' and 'Patience Is a Form of Faith,' Spiritual Lessons for My Sisters is a perfect complement to Munson's Life Lessons for My Sisters and belongs on the shelves of women of all ages.
Customer Reviews:
Spiritual Lessons for My Sisters: How to Get Over the Drama and Live Your Best Life!.......2007-07-17
Reading Spiritual Lessons for My Sisters is like having a real heart to heart chat with a close friend- the type of friend who stands beside you during the tough times and inspires you to do better but also calls you on your self-destructive behaviors and kicks your butt when you need that too.
The book consists of seventy-five life lessons. Each of these realizations is explored using analogy, common situations, real life experiences, and in some cases poetry. These notes encourage woman to look within, take responsibility for their lives, seek happiness, and to have faith in themselves, their future, and in their spiritual beliefs.
Spiritual Lessons for My Sisters contains a powerful message that speaks to our often hidden genuine selves- the part of each of us that wishes to take control of our lives, seek healthy relationships, strive for fulfilling careers, and ultimately enjoy both the good times and the more challenging aspects of our lives. The author shows us that achieving our goals and having a life of contentment is completely realistic and within the grasp of all who choose to work towards that end.
PICK YOU UP WHEN YOU ARE DOWN.......2007-02-01
I readed Ms. Munson first book and enjoyed it over and over. I actually read the book twice. But when I started reading "SPIRITUAL LESSONS FOR MY SISTERS" I enjoyed her writing even more. Natasha, really have express her self in both books for young, old, divorce and single. The book had a changing effect on my life. I would like to tell everybody who have had great experience in their life and bad expperience in their life to read this book it will change your life for the better.
Amazingly Life Changing.......2006-12-16
My initial intention was to read a lesson in this book each time my spirit needed a pick-me-up. However, when I began reading, I could not put it down. I finished reading it in two days. My spirit is now refreshed.
This book touches on several key issues that can hinder one's spiritual growth. There are key points listed that can serve to combat this unfortunate hindrance. It is never too late to recognize the areas in one's life that are craving for change. Change is essential to the developement of a spiritually prosperous life.
The keys to unlocking one's potential are presented within this book. Open it up and you will be surprised and amazed at the impact Spiritual Lessons for My Sisters will have on your life. You will learn how to let go of your past as you move towards a more fulfilling future.
Most Powerful, Life Changing and Empowering Book You Will Ever Read!.......2006-10-29
Spiritual Lessons For My Sisters takes readers one step beyond the advice found in her first well received book entitled Life Lessons for My Sister. Spiritual Lessons for My Sister shows you the path to a happier, more productive life. Offering strategies to help women remove themselves from the drama, issues, obstacles, negative people, bad environments, and fears that are holding them back, Natasha helps women create the kind of life they have always wanted. From basic lessons like "Be Careful Who You Hang Around" and "Trust in Yourself," to more complex advice like "Leave a Legacy" and "The Choices That Affect Our Lives."
Spiritual Lessons for My Sister is written in a voice that comes across like a best sister- friend that loves you enough to tell you when you are out of control, hug you when you're ready to fall apart, pick you up when you're stretched out flat on your face. Spiritual Lessons For My Sisters is one of the most Powerful, Life Changing, Empowering books you will EVER read. It is a perfect compliment to Munson's Life Lessons and belongs on the shelves of women of all ages.
Read and be blessed!
Submitted by: Tonya S. Hall for GoodGirlBookClubOnline & The GOOD GIRL Book Club Worldwide
Book Description
How to Make Wise Choices and Live a Life You Love! earching for a life blessed with peace and happiness? Longing to move past old expectations and learn to live in the moment? Life Lessons for My Sisters is an inspirational guidebook and valuable resource for women who want to live a more meaningful life. Based on Natasha Munson's own personal experiences, the book was written to help young black women avoid many of the pitfalls she herself encountered on her road to adulthood. Written in pithy, inspirational chapters, each concluding with a wise observation about life, the book offers simple advice that women of all ages and backgrounds will appreciate and respond to.
Customer Reviews:
Let go, let flow........2007-03-24
I have literally read this book 4 times and each time I re-read it I gain new insight into my life. A good gift for any girlfriend and or teenager going through life's difficulties.
A book every young lady should have.......2005-09-23
This had everything from poetry to insight and it was all spoken from real life experiences the author lived through. Like another reviewer said, all the topics was followed by a summary that showed a outline of the main points. This book was informative and inspirational and gives teenage girls the best advice they could ever have, to love themselves before they can love others.
Live and Learn.......2005-08-11
Natasha Munson's book Life Lessons for My Sisters is a compilation of poetry, insight, and lessons based on the author's real life experiences. Munson describes in a unique, yet simplistic manner how to succeed in life and in love with an emphasis put on first knowing and loving one's self. I enjoyed that each point was often enhanced by a poem and after each topic, there was a summary to show the main points.
Life Lessons for My Sisters tackles all aspects of life in an informative and inspirational manner. Although the book seems to be geared toward a teenage/young adult audience, it contains information that women of all ages need to heed. I highly recommend this book for any girl or woman who needs guidance or positive affirmations in their lives.
Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
APOOO BookClub
Combines Poetry with Life Lessons .......2005-07-06
Life Lessons for My Sister by Natasha Munson is a motivational book that combines poetry with life lessons for women. Ms. Munson uses her own experiences and life lessons to reach out to other women, especially young adults to help them develop themselves.
The combination of poetry writings along with the inspirational lessons for everyday life makes this book a great motivational find. Life Lessons for My Sister is great for the individual that needs affirmative guidance to help them find their spirit.
Jen Murphy A SISTAGIRL BOOK CLUB REVIEWER
This is the best book that i have read .......2005-05-24
I love this book I was in the book store just looking for something to read i and pick this book up i read in in 30 mins it really helped me with all that was going on in my life and i was thinking to myself how can i met this lady she is great i need to talk to her and the next week i walked into the book store and there she was i could not believe that she was sitting there read and talking about this book i was so happy that i almost cryed. she is a great lady and i just want to thank you for writing this book it has changed my life it the best book in the world. it's like she knew me when she was writing or as women we all have the same kind of problems in life and she knows that. I think every girl women needs to read this book, this book need to be givin out in schools. Natasha just doesn't understand how much she has done for me. I have a business everybody on my team has to read this book i give them a book list and this is on top with Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill. Buy 5 copies of this book. Thank you Nataha
Dawn Burnside
Average customer rating:
- What's next? Little House in the Graveyard?
- My Daniel: Reveiw
- Simply amazing.
- My Daniel
- My thoughts of the Book My Daniel
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My Daniel
Pam Conrad
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
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ASIN: 0064403092 |
Book Description
"All I want to find is one dinosaur," Daniel was saying. "And I'll find it right here. Like I do all my fossils." Wandering through the Natural History Museum with her grandchildren, Julia Creath feels the presence of her dead brother, Daniel, she remembers a time when fossil fever hit everyone, old and young -- a time when people would kill for those old bones under the ground. Julia becomes the Nebraska farm girl she once was, as she weaves together the story of the great dinosaur rush -- an adventurous tale of love and treachery, but most of all the story of her own childhood, and of the older brother she loved more than anything. Daniel had a dream that julia shared -- and the she alone would see come true.
Customer Reviews:
What's next? Little House in the Graveyard?.......2007-08-02
If you're fond of pioneer stories, be warned. This is not "Little House on the Prairie." In fact it's not a pioneer story at all, but a book about death, dying, the agony of grief, the bittersweet comfort of memories, and the importance of family ties. Given most publishers' current mania for hitting kids between the eyes with mature issues, they've succeeded here. Perhaps one day they'll again realize that kids want to escape reality with excitement, mystery, and adventure, not be bombarded with mature themes, or complex social issues. Espeically irritating were the jumps between modern and olden times so frequently that the reader was never drawn into either period. No sense of atmosphere was evident.
My Daniel: Reveiw.......2006-02-02
Julia Creath-Summerwaite has many memories of her beloved, deceased brother, Daniel. The more exciting ones include dinosaurs, murder, a psychic, and a villain she was determined to keep away. Now Julia is 80 years old. Everyone from those Nebraska days was gone. All she has left are memories.
While wandering through the National History Museum with her grandchildren, Julia recounts her adventures. She tells the children about Daniel's dream: to find a fossilized dinosaur and save the farm. Julia had the same dream. But only she would see it completed.
Julia takes them to the result of Daniel and her struggles. Here, she feels as if Daniel is with her again. She becomes that Nebraska farm girl once again.
Pam Conrad did a good job writing the book and connecting the memories with the present. The recollections keep you reading. I thought the stories were enticing. However, while still good, I did not find this to be an extraordinary book to read.
Simply amazing........2002-06-24
I had to read it twice to get it because it switches back and forth from present to past. It's a brilliant story; one that reaches out to you. It's one of those books where you say you will only read 2 chapters and save the rest for tomorrow and you ending reading the rest of the book. I think this would make a great movie.
My Daniel.......2001-01-08
This was my favorite childhood book. It inspired me to want to become a paleontologist. I find the study of dinosaurs fascinating. I am now 18 and just re-read it recently. I was just as intrigued with it now as when I was an 8-year-old child. A beautiful book that everyone should read.
My thoughts of the Book My Daniel.......1999-12-14
Julis Creath, now Julia Summerwaite, is taking her grandchildren through a history museum when she remembers her young life when her brother was alive. Julia tells the story to her grandchildren of when her brother got dinoasaur bone finding fever. I really like this book. It leads you from one page to another, not even realizing you're turning the page. Daniel, Julis's brother, finds dinoasaur bones, but has trouble with a greedy paleontologist that is trying to take the bones for himself. During the commotion Daniel gets hit by lighting and is killed. Then Daniel's pa takes over. Julia also has a little something to show her grandchildren in the museum.
Average customer rating:
- An enjoyable teen read, but certainly not Plum-Ucci's best
- Don't bother
- An intricate mystery filled with shocking surprises and memorable characters
- Courtesy of Teens Read Too
- The first-person story is realistic and compelling.
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The Night My Sister Went Missing
Carol Plum-Ucci
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
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ASIN: 0152047581 |
Book Description
A tiny pistol, passed from friend to friend at a party on an abandoned pier, suddenly fires, and Casey Carmody falls into the water below. Kurt, Casey's older brother, endures a seemingly endless night at the police station while the coast guard searches for his sister and his friends are questioned, one by one.
Who was foolish enough to pull the trigger? Was the gunfire accidental or deliberate? Or was the whole drama one of Casey's practical jokes? And where is Casey--or her body--now?
Dark secrets are revealed and petty jealousies rear their ugly heads as each eyewitness comes to the questioning room with his or her own version of "the truth."
Customer Reviews:
An enjoyable teen read, but certainly not Plum-Ucci's best.......2007-07-30
The night Kurt Carmody's sister went missing was like any other island dune party when the parents were out of town. The usual crowd of year-round islanders were on the burned out pier horsing around and tossing back a few beers, Troubled rich kid Stacey Kearny brought a glamorously tiny pistol to the beach, and after it had gone through a dozen hands, the pistol went off, and Casey Carmody was suddenly no longer on the pier. With no splash.
Carol Plum-Ucci's fourth YA novel is set in a single night in the island town of Mystic. Kurt is a hostage at the police station, waiting for his parents to return on the soonest fight out of Los Angeles. The small town detectives haven't mastered their new interview room, so Kurt and his best friend Drew can hear the stories of every kid who makes a statement to the police. A web of island secrets and family tensions unfolds in the late-night interviews.
The story is a decent thriller with shifting, just-out-of-reach villains, but the book pales in comparison to Plum-Ucci's What Happened to Lani Garver. Many of the supporting characters are one-dimensional props used to repeat Plum-Ucci's familiar themes about high school cliques and stereotypes. Our narrator is wrestling with college decisions on that evening at the pier, and the book weakly delivers an epiphany about career choices in the final chapter.
Don't bother.......2007-07-09
A sloppy re-hash of Plum-Ucci's other books. The (annoying) narrative voice is almost identical to that in The Body of Christopher Creed. The story of a missing teen is a repeat. And all the heavy-handed themes of popularity and cliquishness are also right out of her other, better novels. Not to mention that the narrative device that allows the main character to listen in on police interviews is ridiculous.
An intricate mystery filled with shocking surprises and memorable characters.......2007-01-05
Kurt Carmody and his sister Casey are at a party on the pier, breaking lots of rules while their parents are out of town. When Casey disappears after a gunshot is heard, Kurt is left to spend the night at the police station, trying to figure out what happened. Everyone thinks they know and are happy to point fingers. Secrets, and much more, are uncovered about the Mystic Marvels, the insulated group that Kurt and Casey hang out with on the island.
No one has discovered a body, so where is Casey? Kurt finds a place to sit and wait at the station, and is able to hear some of the police interviews with other teens from the party. At 17, Kurt had gone to the party having doubts about heading to the Naval Academy. He had argued the night before with his 15-year-old sister about her older boyfriend, Mark Stern. So Kurt was separated from Casey at the pier, busy talking to a geeky kid who seemed to be happy with a set future.
Casey loved pranks. An accomplished diver, she joked lots of times about diving off the pier. So how come no one can find her? Kurt thinks back to the gun that was passed around. It was small enough to be a toy, and no one seems to know whose it was or where it is now.
Several teens think Stacey Kearny is involved. She is a bit of an outsider who has done kind things. But now she is Mark Stern's ex-girlfriend, is rumored to be pregnant, and was heard screaming when Casey disappeared. She is also supposed to have a big crush on Kurt, who grows tired of all the rumors and goes down to help the search.
His Naval Academy sweatshirt washes up, with a clean hole through it, but no blood. He finds Stacey also looking for Casey, who admits she purchased the gun. As each person speaks, Kurt begins to see what no one else can --- that there is more than one victim, and a lot more to Stacey than anyone realizes.
THE NIGHT MY SISTER WENT MISSING has all the suspense and drama of a locked-room mystery. Everyone observed the gun, but no one really saw anything. Carol Plum-Ucci, author of the award-winning THE BODY OF CHRISTOPHER CREED, has crafted an intricate mystery filled with shocking surprises and characters whom readers will remember for a long time.
--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2006-12-19
Carol Plum-Ucci is a phenomenal writer who mixes elements of thrillers, mysteries, and problem novels with great success. In her latest, THE NIGHT MY SISTER WENT MISSING, she covers familiar territory from earlier novels without costing the story a suspenseful edge or satisfying conclusion. With her usual cast of sympathetic characters, readers are drawn into the story and feel as if they have a stake in the outcome.
The narrator, Kurt Carmody, learns the details of his sister's disappearance while eavesdropping on an interrogation room at police headquarters. Although there were many people there when Casey Carmody vanished, including Kurt himself, each witness' testimony is limited by personal bias against the main suspect, Stacy Kearn. Stacy and her father appear to be guilty of several crimes as well as an assortment of inappropriate personality quirks. Yet readers are wise not to rush to judgment in the story. No one and nothing is as it appears, neither those under suspicion for Casey's disappearance nor those who rush to help her and claim innocence. Like her earlier novels, particularly The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver, Plum-Ucci creates a realistic sense of community guilt for the mysterious, tragic events in the lives of teenagers. Those who are viewed as outsiders and are made to feel unwelcome suffer for the intolerance of others. This message rings through the novels closing chapters without overpowering the reader.
As in previous novels, the author tackles community myths and legends in order to show that there's usually a logical reason behind so-called paranormal events. Although the ghost of a suicide victim is given short-play in this novel, this subplot is engaging enough to leave the reader in doubt about the nature of Casey's disappearance until the novel's conclusion. There may be no better mystery writer in today's market for maintaining tension without sacrificing realistic endings than Ms. Plum-Ucci.
Five stars. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by: Mark Frye, author and reviewer
The first-person story is realistic and compelling........2006-12-10
Carol Plum-Ucci's THE NIGHT MY SISTER WENT MISSING will also reach ages 12 and older with a riveting story: this about playing with a gun, a vanished sister, and a brother's investigation of what really happened that night. The first-person story is realistic and compelling.
Average customer rating:
- A beautifully written book
- The Color of my Words
- Colors
- Read this book!
- Piercing...
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The Color of My Words
Lynn Joseph
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Release Date: 2001-12-24 |
Amazon.com
What 12-year-old Ana Rosa Hèrnandez wants more than anything is a notepad of her very own. Writing is her passion, and words flow out of her pencil onto the paper bags that Papi brings his rum home in, onto napkins, onto gray shop paper. In the República Dominicana, however, only the President can write books. But as Mami sighs and says, "Ana Rosa, there always has to be a first person to do something." These supportive words are difficult for her mother to muster, as everyone on the island knows too well that writers do not have freedom of expression--and in their political climate "silence was self-defense."
When the chilling news arrives that the government wants to buy all the land in the village to build hotels and generate more tourism, people learn what it means to break their silence. Ana Rosa's handsome 19-year-old brother Guario Hèrnandez is appointed as official spokesperson for the villagers' cause, but when an out-and-out rebellion against the government erupts, he--and everyone else--is endangered. As the bulldozers roll in, Ana Rosa and her family discover how utterly worthless words really are in the face of brute force.
Lynn Joseph paints a vibrant, colorful landscape of this Caribbean island where love, warmth of community, and abundant natural beauty soften the kind of poverty that makes paper--and sometimes doing what you think is right--a luxury. Ana Rosa's engaging, heartfelt poems--"Merengue Dream," "My Brother's Friend"--begin every chapter, setting the tone of the events to follow, and reinforcing how words shape her life and how her life shapes her words. Young readers will be inspired by Ana Rosa's drive and talent, warmed by vivid stories of her close-knit family, and moved by those who fight for what's right at the greatest possible cost. This lovely, lyrical book dances the merengue, glimmers with sunshine, and sways with island breezes. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
Twelve-year-old Ana Rosa is a blossoming writer growing up in the Dominican Republic, a country where words are feared. Yet there is so much inspiration all around her -- watching her brother search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be part of a community -- that Ana Rosa must write it all down. As she struggles to find her own voice and a way to make it heard, Ana Rosa realizes the power of her words to transform the world around her -- and to transcend the most unthinkable of tragedies.
Customer Reviews:
A beautifully written book.......2006-02-16
Lynn Joseph masters the art of creating rich metaphors. Every page is full of wonderful, evocative images, such as "My mother had walked straight out of herself and left behind a stranger", and "He was the blue moon shimmering in the night sky". Ana Rosa's poems, which begin each chapter, offer an insight to what the chapter holds. The relationships between the characters, especially between Ana Rosa and her older brother Guario, are sweetly and tenderly portrayed. This is a beautifully written book, and one that can be enjoyed by both adolescents and adults.
The one weakness I found with the book was the sub-plot involving the identity of Ana Rosa's father. This seems as if it would be such a transforming revelation that it can't adequately be dealt with in just one chapter, never to be mentioned again. Such an important topic deserves a more in-depth treatment.
Overall, however, The Color of My Words is an excellent book, and highly recommended.
The Color of my Words.......2006-01-30
I think this book is amazing! I love the ending it is a surprise. A need to read.
Colors.......2005-08-01
This book was an ok book. The reason why it is not the best is because it skips around alot in the story, you don't really get the story. For example, she will be in a tree, then to her house, then to the beach, then back to the tree - I didn't care for this type of writing.
I would not recommend this book to people who want to read a good book.
Read this book!.......2004-07-14
Ana Rosa was a writer. She loved to write things,but her family couldn't buy her notebooks so she could write all of the things she wanted to or she could write poems. So her brother Guario, told her that every month he was going to buy her a new notebook.
I think the authors message is that if you have money,don't be wastig money in things that you don't really need.Or if you have a lot of notebooks and you don't need them you could give them to people that want to study and don't have money yo buy notebooks. I do recomend this book because is very sad what happens to Guario trying to save Ana Rosa's life
written by: Mayra
Piercing..........2003-08-02
I've never cried and laughed so much in the space of so few pages. Ms. Joseph has captured the heart of a writer in Ana Maria's lush, colorful words flung against the backdrop of the Dominican Republic. I have no critique or summary, only gratitude. This book wounded me sweetly.
Average customer rating:
- A Classical Romance With A Surprising Twist!
- Amazing read!
- Not the most pleasant read...
- absolutely awful
- A Great Big Wow
|
My Heartbeat
Garret Freymann-Weyr
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000HEYVDG |
Book Description
Ellen loves Link and James. Her older brother and his best friend are the only company she ever wants. She knows they fight, but she makes it a policy never to take sides. She loves her brother, the math genius and track star. And she is totally, madly in love with James, with his long eyelashes and hidden smiles. “When you grow out of it,” James teases her, “you will break my heart.” Then someone at school asks if Link and James might be in love with each other. A simple question. But the answer is far from simple, and its repercussions affect their entire lives. This extraordinary, multiple award-winning novel is funny, heartbreaking, and messy—just like its characters, just like life.
Customer Reviews:
A Classical Romance With A Surprising Twist!.......2007-05-25
"I was only in the seventh grade, so super cute was the best cover I could come up with for totally madly in love. Of course my brother told him. `When you grow out of it'James teases her, `you will break my heart' He said. Almost two years later I'm still totally madly in love with James." The book My Heartbeat is young adult fiction and takes place in Maine. Ellen, her brother and James (his best friend) have always been very close. Ellen loves them both very much, but comes to love James in a different way than her brother and one day wants James to feel the same way about her. Link and James tease her about it all the time, but by now it has become routine for them. Even so Ellen knows that she'll never stop loving James, or Link. One day at school someone questioned whether Link and James were a couple. This question puzzled Ellen and she really didn't know the answer. "They are a couple. Of course they are. And yet...I know about them enough to feel this is not how they would choose to describe themselves." When she gets the courage to ask, there are certainly mixed feelings on the whole situation. James feels it's ok to say that, Link on the other had said that's not what he wants. This brings up a fight between them. When Link gets a girlfriend and James seems to have finally fallen in love with Ellen, things seemed to have been set straight, but Ellen knew that James loved Link, and vise versa, the question now was... just how much.
This was a classical romantic story of a girl who was in love, but with a surprisingly simple twist to it. I would definitely recommend this book because it was witty, romantic, dramatic, and very different from most books I've read. This book, while talking about two boys and how much they love each other, stayed very well written, and appropriate. It had well balanced clarity, while never really drawing a fine line that separates gay people from straight people. This book brought into play the well-used question of what really makes a person gay or just extremely loving towards their friend. I also recommend this book to people who don't like to read long novels. This book flew by, and almost makes you want to re-read it. It's not a hard book to read. It's clever yet simple writing adds a sparkle to the story. I learned a lot from this book. It really explained a person in a state of being gay, and another who's afraid and dodges any question of it. While never judging, the author had a way of luring the reader to read on. While giving either point of view, the story had a fine perspective and made me really enjoy reading it.
Amazing read!.......2007-03-10
I am not a big reader but when i picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. It shows two boys and their struggle with their sexuality. The character James, was such a real down to earth character. The whole book keeps you thinking wether or not Link and James are gay, or if their in love. It was a great read! Highly recommended!!!
Not the most pleasant read..........2006-08-02
When I first chose this book I thought finally, a new twist to the boring old love story! But towards the end the book was agonizing and it almost felt like the author abandoned her characters. It felt like Link was finally being true to himself when all of a sudden James sleeps with Link's 14 year old sister and ISN'T gay anymore? What about Link? How does he feel? It was never said and the ending felt so sloppy. I guess the biggest problem for me was the characters never stayed true to who they are and everything felt so strained at the end. Not a pleasant read to me but loved the concept and we should defiantly have more stories about these subjects.
absolutely awful.......2006-03-13
Uh, did we all read the same book? Cause I got an entirely different impression. First of all, Ellen, the 14-year-old sounds like a 34 year old trapped in a 14-year-old's body. She and her whole family are unbearably pretentious. The mother is very comfortable with her son being gay, which is not realistic. One of the boys knows he's gay but then turns straight just like that. The author sets up the relationship with the two boys, then sets up one with the girl and a boy and then lets the whole thing drop at the end. The sex scene seemed like it was tagged on as an afterthought. I just felt very led on by this book, then very disapointed and I never emotionally connected to any of the characters.
A Great Big Wow.......2005-11-28
I come down on the side of squeamish when a story veers into fourteen-year-old girls having sex. Many fourteen-year-old girls, of course, will think it's nifty that an author can limn exactly what's going on in their minds: the confusion, divided loyalties, the extreme hotness of a sixteen-year-old Johnny Depp look-alike with his melting brown eyes and square jaw who is gay but could be persuaded (is it hot in here or is it just me?)
The trouble with this wonderfully perceptive book is that it's possibly over the heads of its intended audience. The public library labeled it JF, but I think it's YA or even adult. Not because of the subject matter (the girl in question senses her brother and his best friend are gay) but because the dialogue and observations attain a level of sophistication difficult for the young to fully grasp. Conversations between parents and children reach new heights in hidden meanings, double entendres, and acute self-knowledge, even though the brother is described as not knowing what he is or what he wants (he's gay, but is unwilling to own it).
It could be that elite Manhattan parents leave their young teenagers to fend for themselves with pockets full of twenties and lax curfews. I found the freedom of these characters easy to swallow - if they were twenty instead of the high school freshmen and juniors they were. And these were parents who supposedly cared very much about their children.
Regardless of these reservations, My Heartbeat is a realistic, excellently written, engaging story with living characters. The inner workings of Ellen's mind are right on. The description of Link and James' relationship fits friendships one has observed in life. Especially enjoyable were the discussions about literature and foreign films, and about finding one's own voice. Come to think of it, I would have loved this book had I read it at fourteen. But I was an unusual child.
Customer Reviews:
It was Okay.......2002-08-12
I was not really impressed with this book. I felt that it jumped around too much and the little vignettes from people within her circle really threw off the rhythm of the book to me. She did make some nice points in the book, but the writing was definitely lacking!
Book Review by Sisters in Spirit Book Club.......2000-07-09
This book provided my "Circle of Sisters" with two interesting hours of discussion, that we hated had to end. It was a wonderful read, and Julia touched on every issue pertinent to African-American women of today. From, our view of ourselves as Black women, to our relationships with others, Julia left no stone unturned. We all agreed that this title gave us alot to ponder on. Although there were several points that we all didn't agree on, such as her views on physical punishment, "we're better people despite whippings not because of them", there were so many other things that we did agree with, such as, "when we validate other Black women we inturn validate ourselves". This is definitely a MUST READ for all "Sister Circles". It promises to provide you with a lively discussion!
Helpful piece of Work.......2000-06-30
I think that Julia did a good job on this book. This book was very helpful for a black woman to read, it helps you because different women were sharing their different experiences growing up, etc. Great job Julia.
jnb
Good sound reading!.......1998-12-28
" In the Company of My Sisters" by Julia A. Boyd was to say the least an educationally stimulating discussion. Although some parts were more interesting than others, it was still good sound reading. For those of us that could remember the days when hair combing was a chore and not a pleasure or romance was on edge, the various characters will take you home. For those of us searching for the inner self-esteem we no longer possess or never have, it will assist you in finding your way. In the hearts of the sheltered woman or the man seeking knowledge about true sisterhood this is the book to share with the rest of the world. In the Company of My Sisters allow women to see the other side of the road that has been blocked by the trees or hidden behind the doors your mothers never wanted you to enter.
Every aspect of being a woman...trying to grow beyond the pillars of society and become someone special, to yourself, your family, your children or just special in the eyes of God, "...Sisters" will take you to the aspect of, " don't go there". It went there and came back again. Whatever your problem, whatever your situation this novel may assist you in resolving seemingly un-aidable issues or at least give you another out look on life and living itself. In it's entirety it was rated as a "7" on a scale of 1 to 10 by the women's reading group known as " SOLID" (Sisters Of Life, Independence and Development).
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