D-A Books

This book prompted me to take a closer look at my child's interaction with other kids and take notice of the patterns that are forming. Very interesting and important information for all parents. I saw the summary for this book on ParentsDigest and wanted to learn more - so glad I did. Great book.

I guess I was expecting something more in-depth and less instructional. I am sure this is a fine book for a parent who isn't clued into how some kids are popular and some kids have no friends at all, but I was looking for a more psychological perspective.

I did find the short sections about infants and toddlers very interesting. I think there should have been less emphasis on popularity and what it means to children. The section about people acting a certain way because of a group mentality rather than personal morals captured my attention.

Outatanding book! It has valuable information for adults concerning what our kids social lives are like and how to help them when there is a problem. Children can be so cruel. The book sheds light on a world we as adults don't really understand. This book is well written and easy to read. I highly recommend it!

Hi,My name is Taylor. I read Beacon Street Girls. It was a really great book. You never knew what to expect next. It was so interesting I could hardly put it down. It is a good book for any age girl. I felt like I was one of the Beacon Street Girls. I could see myself there. It is a perfect book for every girl. It has all the personalities of every girl, so anyone can relate to it. The book kept me guessing throughout the entire story. Even when I put it down I kept wondering what was going to happen next. I would highly recommend this book to any girl of any age. I know you will enjoy this and be glad you read it. I hope you will be as excited as I to read the next book and tell your friends.

Alice Miller (author of The Drama of the Gifted Child and Breaking Down the Walls of Silence) has long emphasized that if we are serious about solving society's problems, we must focus on how we treat children --- as individual families and as a cultural. This book is an excellent contribution toward that end.

From thought-provoking observations to practical suggestions about solutions, Best Friends, Worst Enemies is an effective education about social problems that begin in childhood, but do not end in childhood. One point the authors make that interests me greatly is that when one child is being bullied by others, the majority of children witnessing the abuse will either do nothing to intervene or they will join in with the bullying. If you think that is not a reflection of the society in which we live, think again.

As a psychotherapist and author (Embracing Fear, HarperSanFrancisco) who emphasizes personal responsibility and facing fears head on, I hope that more than just parents and educators will read this book. I think there is something here for us all to think about --- no, to do something about.

This is a great book, with arguably universal appeal. The humor ranges from being rather heady and hard-to-follow, all the way down to being non-sequiter and accessable. Pretty much anyone will grow to like this book very much; anyone who has read it previously will love it immediately.

This I guarantee to you, dear friend!

I really enjoyed this book.
I knew i would before i bought it. Chances are other reviews say this already.
But check out www.qwantz.com. This book has the first comic through to somewhere in 2005.
Pretty straight forward.
All the comics are in black and white in this book. Which let me tell you is actually disappointing because the dinosaur expressions suffer.

This book is fantastic. If you are a fan of dinosaur comics, then this book provides is great because of its portability and also because it is very classy b+w. If you are not a fan of dinosaur comics this book is a classy, black and white representation of the comics from the popular webcomic. I have no real reason to repeat what many others have said about Mr. North's work, but I will anyways. It was said best this way:

"Picture watching the same movie again and again, where the dialogue is changed so completely, and with so much skill that you forget that you've seen these images before. Now picture that every day for two years. That's Dinosaur Comics."

This is that, in book form. Awesome.

If you enjoy Dinosaur Comics, you must purchase and read this book. After reading this book, I became a popular and successful person, and because chronology = causality, I attribute my good fortune to this book!

Also, you know who HASN'T purchased this book? Child molestors and shoplifters. You're not a child molestor and/or shoplifter, are you?

-Matt

P.S. See if you can spot the two logical fallacies in this review! If you spotted at least 50% of them, you are eligible to purchase this book immediately!

It must have been hard to pick the 'best' of Dinosaur Comic, because it's all genius. You should buy this book. It will make you more Awesome, and perhaps sexy.

Blue, by Joyce Hostetter is a magnificent book that made me think about life and its challenges in the 1940's. This piece of historical fiction, copyright and published in 2006, is inspiring and factual. It tells a great story while illustrating life during WW2 including the polio epidemic, segregation, and life for families whose fathers were in combat. Main character, Ann Fay lives in North Carolina where a polio epidemic has just hit. Her father is away fighting Hitler and she is home being "the man of the house." When the epidemic scoops up her younger brother her life becomes a whirlwind of emotion. Ann Fay's bravery and maturity are never ending when the polio forbids her from being near family friends. I would give this novel four out of five stars, because it attracts the reader and bestows upon them empathy for the characters. Anyone who is interested in polio or its effects would enjoy this excellent book. Also, many who enjoyed Small Steps: The Year I got Polio, by Peg Kehret would fancy this book. They both inform the reader about polio and paint a picture of the characters and their life.

Ann Fay is the man of the family since her father has gone off to the war in Europe. Mama's hands are full with the twins and little brother Bobby. Then Bobby comes down with polio and is sent to the hospital where Mama stays with him. After Bobby dies Mama is not herself and Ann Fay takes on the role of mother to the twins and Mama. With help from her neighbor, Junior, she is able to cope. When she comes down with polio, Mama snaps out of her grief. There is so much packed into the pages but nothing seems to want for it. This is a poignant look at a difficult time but so very well written. A fifth grade student of mine said it best, "This is the best book I've ever read." For those who have read Peg Kehret's Small Steps, try this one.

Ann Fay Honeycutt is only thirteen, but she's already the man of the house. This is thanks to her daddy leaving to fight in the war against Hitler and leaving his blue overalls for Ann Fay to fill.

Trying to keep the wisteria she loves from choking the vegetable garden she's been charged to tend is nearly a full-time job, and that's without counting the extra work of taking care of her baby brother and twin sisters.

Ann Fay thinks these will be her greatest challenges while her daddy is off at war. But then a polio epidemic hits their hometown of Hickory, North Carolina, and Ann Fay learns what real challenge is.

This is a remarkable story of courage and of a spirit that cannot be broken. The flowing language this author uses is just gorgeous, and the voice of Ann Fay is as unique as they come. I stayed up late to read the next chapter and then the next -- one of the highest compliments I can give a book.

Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince

I don't know if this book has won any of the children's literature prizes.But it should!
The tough,funny,true-to-the-South characters, make this a heart tangling story of a young girl's toughness in the face of her father's absence in World War II, the terrifying polio epidemic that sweeps over her home town and her first heart-to-heart sense of what segregation has done to girls just like her, except that they are black.
The story is beautifully written giving a sense of the red clay, the wisteria and the natural environment. Research notes look extensive, but this story reads to the heart.

Ah, historical fiction. Though it was the bane of my youth, in my old age I'm finding the subject infinitely more interesting that I ever did as an actual kid. I was always the child who'd rather eyeball the latest Anne McCaffery rather than choke down an Elizabeth George Speare. Now I almost look forward to delights like "Blue". Especially when they have covers as engaging as this one. Evoking more than a few "To Kill a Mockingbird" feelings through its cover art, Joyce Moyer Hostetter brings us a tale of racism, polio, and war. It's also a story of love, sheer will, and small acts of heroism. And though I'd some problems with Hostetter's methods, this is one of the best-researched thoroughly engaging tales of 1944-45 you'll find this year.

Ann Fay Honeycutt's father's going to war. It's 1944 and American troops are constantly shipping out. Before he leaves, Ann Fay's daddy hands her a pair of overalls and informs his eldest daughter that she's going to have to be the man of the house while he's gone. Ann Fay feels up to the job, taking care of her siblings and tending the family's garden in her dad's absence. Unfortunately, there's a polio epidemic in this part of North Carolina and before anyone knows it the dread disease grabs ahold of Ann Fay's little brother Bobby. Now Ann Fay has to deal with a horribly depressed mother and twin little sisters all in the midst of remaining under a quarantine. When Ann Fay herself comes down with polio, however, she makes the acquaintance of a colored girl and begins to accept what has happened to her with a kind of grace.

Now I have a low down-home-folksy-goodness-mixed-with-hopeful-wisdom tolerance. It's why I'll never be able to join in with my children's librarian brethren in loving books like, "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan or anything by Joan Bauer. And for a minute there, "Blue", had me seriously worried. There are occasional moments that gave me real pause. Imogene, the African-American girl Ann Fay befriends, has a section on "God's bottle collection" that teeters on the edge of preciousness. And I never could quite get used to Hostetter's choice of having Ann Fay's narration written in a kind of southern dialogue. Sometimes she'll be talking in the past tense but put a word in the present (ex: "... ever since his daddy's heart give out a few years ago"). But by and large the book's emotional impact is true and packs a wallop. I won't give anything away plotwise, but there's a moment on Ann Fay's porch when she's watching a fly land and take off that positively wrings the stuffing out of you. For a moment I wondered if this book would be classified by some kids as "depressing". But for all the sad moments in the tale there are just as many cheery or upbeat ones. Of course, this isn't a happy-go-lucky tale of how great it was to be alive in 1944. There were problems and "Blue" takes them all into account. As for North Carolina 1940s colloquialism, it's hard to find phrases any more authentic than, "Your momma always said I spit you right out of my mouth".

And boy, oh boy, you have NEVER seen polio better represented than it is here. I've always had a vague sense of what the disease did to you. I knew you could lose the use of your legs, just as FDR did. What I never considered was how painful that process could be. It's just awful. And Hostetter's well-researched encapsulation of the treatments for it are enough to make your blood run cold. Having recently read Gary Paulsen's fictional biography, "The Legend of Bass Reeves", which didn't have any bibliographic information whatsoever, you can imagine my delight when I came to the end of "Blue" and found all kinds of fascinating facts. There's an Author's Note that separates the truth in this story from the fiction. There's a list of books about polio, books about FDR, books about WWII, videos on the subjects, and novels for kids that's so in-depth and pleasant, I've little doubt that teachers everywhere will be creating luscious lesson plans out of Hostetter's hard work.

And Hostetter isn't just talented at factual information. She knows how to write a good scene and pull together a host of thematic ideas. In many ways this book is about how unpleasant it is to have to make the cross from childhood into adulthood. Between her mother's incapacitating depression, her brother's illness, having to look after her sisters, her father overseas fighting a war, and the quarantine placed on her by her neighbors, Ann Fay has to be the resident adult. It sounds fun when your dad, leaving, hands you a pair of overalls and tells you to be the man of the house. It's not so fun having to do adult chores and having adult worries when you're only thirteen. This thought really coalesces when Ann Fay is facing a patch of particularly gruesome wisteria head on. Until now wisteria has always been her friend. She has a little hideaway in the midst of its roots she calls Wisteria Mansion. Now it's threatening her victory garden and she has to fight it as hard as her father did. "Wisteria used to make me feel nothing but happy. But suddenly I saw why it put my daddy in such a blue mood. I hadn't wanted to see it his way. I wanted to think of it only as the beautiful wall to my mansion. I wanted to hang on to sunny days with sweet purple petals raining down on me and Peggy Sue". This, better than anything, is the tragedy of what happens to Ann Fay. She hits adulthood head-on and can't afford to look back.

To be blunt, I think Hostetter was doing just fine without bringing the issue of racism into the forefront of her story on page 121. When Imogene suddenly pops into the tale, her presence is fine, but it felt like the story was suddenly switching gears. Now the growing up too fast tale was turning into a tale of Southern racism... sorta. I mean, let's examine the facts here. Ann Fay is a lower income resident of North Carolina in 1944 and she has absolutely no opinions on the African-Americans she's seen all her life? Her parents have never expressed any opinions one way or another? It took a bit of stretching of my credulity to get around that particular thought. Not that Hostetter doesn't cover her bases well. Ann Fay's father isn't exactly receptive to the idea of his daughter hanging out with a colored girl when they're both well again. I'm not saying she doesn't do a fine job with that particular storyline. It just seems extraneous. Like a sudden feeling of "Oh! I should be talking about racism too!", kinda deal. It was a tale that didn't fit in with Ann Fay's previous struggles.

Well, there's strength and weakness to "Blue", but I'm just pointing out the small things that bugged me because the good things were so strong. Hostetter's got a mess of talent at her disposal, and I certainly hope that alongside her previous book, "Best Friends Forever", she continues to write up a storm. This is one of the finer titles of the year, no question. Well-researched, well-written, and certainly bound to be well-loved. Problematic in the best possible ways.

Who wants to diet the rest of their lives? I certainly don't and now with this book, I don't have to. I gotten more out of this one book than all the diet books I have ever read. Believe me, this is the last book I'll need to buy and I am sure you'll find that to be true, as well. You are given numerous choices of ways to loose weight, one that should fit your personality to a tee. Unless you are planning on changing your personality any time soon, once you decide what plan works for you, you'll find it will become a part of your every day lifestyle. You will learn to eat and exercise in a way that you can do forever. Not only do you discover alot about yourself in this book, but you'll find out about all aspects of your life to make it healthier. An investment in this book is pennies compared to the thousands of dollars in medical bills you may encounter if you don't get the weight off.

If someone says he or she can't find a plan in this book that allows them to be successful in losing weight, then I don't think they really want to lose weight. By finding out about my personality type, I was able to choose the plan that works best for my type. It makes it so easy because you don't have to use willpower to succeed. You just honor who you are and work with the strengths you have. Yet, there is so much more in this book. I learned a great deal about the essentials of good nutrition, what to look for in the grocery store, cooking tips, exercise ideas, and how to deal with stress. I realize that my lack of knowledge in some of these areas was part of the problem. No more. The best part of this book is that it's something I can stick with and not call a diet. It's just the new me!

Even though I was born after 1964, the year when the last of the boomers was born, I was curious to see what this book was about.  It was neat finding out what life was like when my parents were growing up as boomers.  Makes me realize how much I take for granted, such as the microwave oven and cell phone.   I discovered some great ways to lose weight.  What the author offers is as good for boomers as it is for all ages.  I learned things about nutrition that I never knew and will definitely use to get off these stubborn pounds to avoid the middle-aged spread that my parent's generation suffers from. 

Even though I was born after 1964, the year when the last of the boomers was born, I was curious to see what this book was about.  It was neat finding out what life was like when my parents were growing up as boomers.  Makes me realize how much I take for granted, such as the microwave oven and cell phone.   I discovered some great ways to lose weight.  What the author offers is as good for boomers as it is for all ages.  I learned things about nutrition that I never knew and will definitely use to get off these stubborn pounds to avoid the middle-aged spread that my parent's generation suffers from. 

I felt like I was taking a walk down memory lane as the author shared tales of how it was to grow up as a boomer ... from the diet products to the gizmos and gadgets that were used to lose weight. As I was growing up, I never heard anyone talking about how important it is to take into consideration who the dieter is - what his or her needs are -not just nutritionally, but mentally and emotionally, as well. Even though there is a great deal of nutrition information in these pages (all very well worth the reading), it's the appreciation that one diet approach doesn't work for all. With four different plans geared to the various different personality types, there's no question you'll find a way to be successful. I highly recommend this book and hope others have the success that I've been having. I no longer look at food as the enemy.

I received an email with some of the pictures and fell in love with it. Requested a copy for my birthday! Then ordered another copy for a Christmas gift. My family and I are in love with it.

Seeing these images from the late 1930s to early 1940s is so surprising and still very familiar. These people, places and things are fresh in their freckles, chipped nail polish, rutted tire tracks and dusty streets. Gorgeous photos and fine details on the New Deal programs that caused these photos to exist in the first place.

My two favorite photos were an exuberant, pin-curled girl with her county fair prize ribbons proudly pinned to her new checked dress and the county fair "girlie" show girls backstage, weary and too young in their bedraggled costumes.

I wished that the book had more of these scenes from small town (or even big town life). The last portion of the book focuses on scenes from the factories preparing for war, and the essay explains why these photos were the focus. Nevertheless, the most moving photos to me are the ones showing the small town experience that puts color to the Grapes of Wrath black and white stills in my mind. We are very lucky that these photos have been preserved and so well reproduced for viewers today.

There are some outstanding shots in this book. As a photographer who prefers color, I was fascinated to see transition from the B&W in early part of the century to color. A very good book to have if you are interested in yet another contribution (B&W to color) of these first documentary photographers.

This book is a miracle--a gorgeous collection of crystal-clear, full-color photographs that somehow depict a world that many people, myself included, have long unconsciously assumed existed solely in black and white.

Color photographs, hundreds of startling and beyond-Technicolor images of the tail end of the Great Depression and the first years of World War II, fill this beautiful and artfully designed book, and the experience of leafing through them is a revelatory one, an immersive, affecting, transformative one. Just look at these people, these places, these signs: these are not ghosts; these are not the silvery images of museum walls and newspaper archives; these are people; this is the real world; this is the past looking a terrifying hell-of-a-lot like the present, like you, like me. This is poverty and happiness and history and a world gone by, and this is all of that made immediate, and brought to you and to me as if we had just stepped out of a time machine to wade through it all ourselves.

This book is unbelievable. I don't think I could recommend a book more highly, and the only reservations I hold regarding it are the ones that come from being so altered, so changed, so turned upside down by something like this, by something that can make a person view the past and everything so differently. From Pie Town, New Mexico to Lincoln Nebraska, from UFO-like blimps over South Carolina to fishing holes in Louisiana, this is the past of America made alive, made new, made real.

The book's introduction, by writer Paul Hendrickson, is terrific is well, expertly putting the photographs into context, and invoking both explicitly and implicitly the spirit of James Agee, Walker Evans, and LET US NOW PRAISE FAMOUS MEN. It draws attention to small details of many of the images, details that may have gone unnoticed otherwise, and emphasizes these images' importance to history.

I absolutely love this book, though at times I can barely handle it. I recommend it as highly as I can recommend anything, though I can't guarantee it will leave you unscathed, unchanged, even okay. But get it, read it, see it, and then watch yourself start to see the world, see America, see the past, see it all it in a different way.

The Library of Congress archives held a hidden treasure for over thirty years. The vast collection of photographs commissioned by the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information between 1935 and 1943 were filed away, loosely cataloged, and it was not until 1978 that a historian discovered 700 color transparencies among the 160,000 black-and-white photos. Those 700, along with the 965 images from 1942 and '43 when the OWI ran the project, are a startling legacy. Startling--because there are so few color image of the Depression years that we often overlook the vibrancy and lightheartedness of the time. As author Paul Hendrickson writes in the Foreword, these luminous photographs "...can only add to, not detract from, the black-and-white Movietone reel that's long been running in your head."

Kodachrome film was first marketed in 35mm rolls in 1936; by the time of the earliest known FSA color shots in 1939, the earlier problems with stability of the yellow dyes had been resolved. The 175 pictures in Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43 are amazingly color-true and crisp. The majority were developed onto 2 x 2 Kodachrome slides in cardboard mountings.

The images pull you in. How to describe them? School children studying a world globe in Texas; an aproned craftswoman displaying her quilt of the States; a homesteader couple against a turbulent sky (reproduced on the dust cover); mines, ranches, cotton pickers, Main Streets; a farm in the green mountains of Vermont; a stark geometric scrap and salvage yard; parades, coal docks in Pennsylvania, steel furnaces in Detroit, a steel mill in Utah with snowy mountains seemingly and arm's reach away in the background; a guitar-playing girl in Oklahoma with a flowered hat and solemn expression; a series of real-life Rosie-the-Riveters from Texas to California. There are many photographs from fairs: barefooted families eating barbeque from paper plates; girls from the girly show on a break; children gaping at the wonders of the fair; and the placard quoted in my subject line but not, unfortunately, the bear itself.

Of course I looked for my own state, and found a starch factory deep in the potato country of Northern Maine. And an unexpected pleasure: two street corners in Brockton, Massachusetts that I recognized from my years living in that city four decades later.

A particular pleasure is the series from Pie Town, New Mexico. Photographer Russell Lee went there to take pictures--well, who wouldn't go there, having learned that a place called Pie Town exists?

This collection of color photographs is a legacy too little known by those of us who own it. Browse the FSA-OWI archives on line and by all means get your hands on this gorgeously presented treasure trove. BOUND FOR GLORY--highly recommended.

Linda Bulger, 2009

This is the best Chihuahua book I've read. It's very informative, great pictures and an easy read. The author does a great job covering topics such as purchasing, training, grooming, nutrition, health and much more. It's a good book and I highly recommend it, it's worth the money. Every Chihuahua owner should get this book.

This book was a quick read, but full of knowledge! I have always liked the Barron's dog editions, and this one was great too! It gave wonderful information when purchasing a puppy, what to look for, questions to ask, as well as training tips, grooming tips and more. Some subjects are a bit vague, and you might need another book for, but besides that, just for general understanding of a Chihuahua, this is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it! :-)

I am a first time Chihuahua owner. This book has been such a big help! Our vet was impressed by how much I know about this wonderful breed! I would recommend this book to any Chi owner!
It was also a very easy read!

THIS IS A MUST FOR ALL CHI OWNERS.I ADORE THESE LITTLE DOGS WHO ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND TOTALLY CAPTIVATING...THEY ARE NOT 'PLAYTHINGS' - AS PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE BREED MISTAKENLY BELIEVE - BUT LITTLE 'PEOPLE', AND GREAT PSYCHOLOGISTS! THEY ALL LOVE BEING CUDDLED, BUT ALSO, TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN ANY TASK U SET THEM, AND MAKE IT QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE ENJOYING THEMSELVES...BUT, BEWARE...UNLESS U FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THEM BY STUDYING AND REFERRING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS BOOK, U WILL NOT KNOW WHAT CHIS ARE CAPABLE OF & MOST IMPORTANTLY THEIR CARE & NEEDS..THE DESCRIPTION BELOW THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. EVERY CHI IS A NEW CHALLENGE AS THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. TRAIN THEM STARTING EARLY AND IT WILL REAP RICH REWARDS..LAUGH AT THIS STATEMENT AND THEY WILL HAVE U AT THE END OF THE LEAD! TREAT THIS BOOK AS A BIBLE. I REFER TO IT ALMOST DAILY WITH MY LATEST CHI WHO IS JUST 10 MONTHS OLD & HAS HAD A MIND OF HER OWN FROM WHEN HER BREEDER BROUGHT HER TO MY HOUSE AT 14 WEEKS.

this book is really great! if you are looking for loads of info on chihuahuas,or just a bunch of really cute pics of them, then buy this book. it has great pics AND lots of info.buy it! its great!the best chichi book ever!

Let me continue the litany of praise for this first time writier and Edgar nominee.

A Criminal Appeal was not just a satisfying read, it was exquisite. It was also realistic. Caution: if you start A Criminal Appeal you better not have any other plans such as sleep because you'll just hate to interrupt this tightly told tale of suspense, legality, conflict, racism, family love set against a backdrop of life-like machinations of the justice system.

Oh yes, and let me also join the chorus of praise for big boned women, whom up til now I have apparently overlooked. Camryn Mannheim of the tv's The Practice is a look alike for Schanker's Nora.

There were two authors in this genre I would buy in hardcover at $25.00 as soon as I see their books in the bookstore. Now Schanker joins Robert B. Parker and James Patterson in that category. He certainly is getting into their catergory in weaving a tale.

As the author reminds the reader throughout this excellent story, Nora Lumsey is a big-boned woman, and proud of it. She is farm-bred, drives a pickup truck, 26 years old and just out of law school, and lives alone in Indianapolis where she doesn't know a soul. Her job is a plum for any recent law school grad -- law clerk to a judge on the state's Court of Appeals.

As this book begins, Nora is assigned to write the opinion denying a poignant, handwritten appeal and affirming the conviction of 10-year-old Dexter Hinton. Dexter, who is deaf, confessed to the murder of an elderly woman and was convicted and sentenced to 55 years, but there were problems with the confession and Dexter and his grandfather now want to "take it back." Once Nora starts wading through the transcripts and case file, she becomes convinced that Dexter's conviction should be overturned, but her judge is adamant that the conviction will stand.

Nora is a young woman of uncommon principle, integrity, and ethics, so even she is surprised to find herself emotionally and personally involved in the case. Moreover, she has never known a black person before and getting to know this black child and his family comes as something of an epiphany to her. When she learns that Dexter's grandfather is her neighbor, she gets sucked even deeper into surreptitiously investigating the case and searching for the truth, knowing all the while that what she's doing could get her fired. "The system" alone does not satisfy Nora. She is a person who believes deeply in justice and the incumbency of all who serve it to seek the whole truth. When Nora and her new friend and ally, Owedia, who is Dexter's former teacher, start asking questions in dark and dangerous quarters and irritating some ruthless and powerful people, disbarment begins to look like the least of Nora's worries.

This book knowledgeably examines such issues as justice and the seemingly assinine complexities of appellate law, politics, race, religion, and gang violence with great insight while at the same time plotting a highly suspenseful mystery with a thought-provoking ending. Nora Lumsey is a down-to-earth, very realistic, and all around wonderful character. Could it be that this big-boned young warrior symbolizes Lady Justice herself? I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of mess Nora gets herself into next.

D.R. Schanker's debut novel "A Criminal Appeal" is a fast paced thriller that introduces the unforgettably big-boned law school grad & 1st year law clerk Nora Lumsey. As a clerk for an Indiana Court of Appeals judge, Ms. Lumsey is assigned to write an opinion confirming the murder conviction of 10-year-old Dexter Hinton. Dexter is a deaf, Black child who confessed to the crime of killing an elderly white woman in a drive-by robbery and shooting. After Dexter's conviction, his grandfather submits a type-written appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals.

When the appeal and trial transcripts find themselves in Ms. Lumsey's hands with explicit instructions from the judge to affirm the conviction, the plot thickens. Nora discovers that Dexter's grandfather, Carl Hinton, lives two houses accross from her. Intrigued by the case, Nora begins to dive into the trial transcripts and starts to question the legality of Dexter's confession and conviction.

She comes face to face with Carl then finds herself invited to his church where he meets Owedia, Dexter's former teacher. Owedia is a sweet, kind woman who is as passionate to Dexter's plight as Carl. She slowly pulls Nora farther into Dexter's case. Against Nora's moral and ethical judgement she accompanies Carl on a trip to see Dexter, then she is pulled further into Dexter's world. The story introduces Nora to racial tensions, gang violence and penitentiary life as a juvenile. With pressure from the judge to hand in the affirming opinion, Nora must choose between her professional ethics and her emotional preservations.

In a gripping, suspenseful novel, D. R. Schanker keeps the reader guessing about the outcome. Each chapter leaves one wondering just what will Nora's next move be and how far will she go to follow her convictions? The author offers a realistic look into inner-city youth, and has simplified the legal appeals process as well.

The majority of the legal thrillers today contain most of the fiction in how the procedures of the law are followed. Not this book! It captured the frustration, tedium and politics of legal procedure *without being boring*. Mr. Schanker has provided the readers with a wonderful novel. It is gripping, thoughtful and moving. He brings home the realities of urban plight, racism and gangs. Though one battle may be won, the war is not over.

The cover of A Criminal Appeal, by D.R. Schanker, says "The truth doesn't always set you free. Sometimes it takes a damn good lawyer." Actually, this story puts the lie to that statement, showing instead that achieving justice sometimes has nothing to do with the law, but rather comes down to simple faith, tenacity, and hard-headedness. Also, being big-boned seems to genetically predispose Schanker's protagonist, Nora Lumsey, for the role of the crusader.

Nora is a newly-minted lawyer working as a clerk for an appeals court judge in Indiana who has before him an appeal dealing with a robbery and shooting of an elderly white woman allegedly committed by a 10-year-old, deaf Black boy named Dexter. Nora is assigned Dexter's appeal and the judge instructs her to write an opinion affirming the conviction. Under ordinary circumstances, Nora would feel only an ordinary level of sympathy and pity for the boy whose life will be wasted serving a 55-year sentence for murder. But it turns out that Dexter's grandfather, Carl, who submitted Dexter's appeal, lives two houses away from Nora. And, as Nora reminds us throughout the story, being big-boned has endowed her with an inordinate amount of stubborn righteousness, and she wants to try to help Dexter.

Curious about the circumstances of the case, and heedless of the conflict inherent in a judge's clerk independently investigating the case, not to mention the blatant violation of judicial rules and ethics, Nora seeks out Carl's acquaintance. Almost instantly, she finds herself being drawn into the case, being invited by Carl to attend church with him, to go to the reform school to meet Dexter, and to meet Dexter's former teacher, named Owedia. Owedia's persistent efforts to involve Nora in trying to free Dexter are met with feeble resistance (Nora tells her she can't get too involved because "I work for the State.") and eventually Nora finds herself enmeshed in the search for the truth of who committed the murder. She fails to convince the judge to overturn the conviction, and despite the danger to her career, she continues to pursue the case, following up leads that take her into seedy neighborhoods and into a world of gang violence she has never experienced firsthand. When the situation turns dangerous, possibly deadly, Nora's big-boned bravado and Owedia's deeply religious faith carry them through.

The major themes in the story are the nature of racial prejudice, the fallibility of the judicial system, and the importance of community and individuals helping others. In the face of corrupt and ambitious politicians, a porous judicial system that allows innocent people to slip through the cracks, and a religious establishment incestuously involved with political machines, it is the individuals willing to put their faith and convictions on the line -- those who will not walk away or hide behind pragmatism -- who set the best example in this story and who accomplished true justice. The story is engaging and uplifting even when the plot takes depressing turns. As a lawyer, Schenker understands his subject matter very well and is able to translate the legal jargon effectively for the lay person. Schenker writes an engaging story which was rewarded with a nomination in 1999 for the prestigious Edgar Award.

I had this on my list of books to read for years now and I finally had the opportunity to read and finish this book. It is such a great read! This book reiterated my importance as a daughter of God and no matter how bad I have been hurt in the past, my future can and will be brighter! Thank You TD Jakes for writing this book!

This book helped me to realized that eventhough I didn't have a earthly father in the household that my Father in Heaven will teach me and validate me as a father should have done for me. It help me to realize that I shouldn't be upset about my earthly father not being there and that God has provided all I need here on earth.

As always T.D. Jakes delivers a powerful and blessed message. In "Daddy Loves His Girls", he speaks to the mind, heart, soul and spirit of women from all walks of life. If you are a woman or father of a daughter...THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! As you read each page, you will grow a little more. By the end of this book you have a perscription for WHOLENESS in life.

T.D. Jakes also provides examples from his own family life, which gives the reader an up close and personal feeling. Some readers need those applicable real life situations in order to interpret the message to the fullest. For those who could do without the life's application...he has also provided Bible Scripture Quotations. I highly recommend this spiritual food...it will be a blessing.

A Very Gifted and much needed Book for many of us women today.

In it you will read about how much Our Heavenly Father Loves His Girls and gives you great insight in how to demonstrate that same precious Love to your children.

This book has away of singing to the most deepest injured parts of your heart and just seems to melt away all those pains through the power of Love Our Heavenly Daddy Has for His Girls

Powerful anointing in healing for the Body, Soul and Spirit :)

I am in the process of developing a deep, personal, spiritual relationship with God and have read many books on the subject of God's purpose of the woman and I have been praising God since for giving me guidance and direction through people like Brother T.D. Jakes.

I have found solace, love and comfort in this book that is real and true. Love that will not disappoint and that type of love can only come from the Father. However you serve the Being greater than yourself, you will be able to relate to what Brother Jakes shares in this book!

It is rare to find an author who refuses to conform to the cliches of the genre and has the unmitigated gall to blaze a new trail, critics be damned! Gordon Morrow is such an author. His passion for his characters comes through in living color through their very human interactions. A vision of his particular fantasy world comes across to the reader as vibrant, alive, and different. In "Maps" he starts us expertly on a multi-book journey with an unusual combination of classic adventure and surprising twists.

An excellent first novel -- please keep them coming, but much faster! =)

MAPS is an absolute delight! Morrow knows these characters so well that he describes them in expert and loving detail. The story is funny, exciting, and incredibly fun to read. The characters are so real that you have little choice but to fall in love with each of them. They fight, they feel, they make love! Morrow has captured the most important element of story telling: truth.

The truth he captures is the realness of his characters. The story is brilliant, the settings are amazing, the action is gripping, the romance is sweet as nectar, and everything just clicks. But it is the "realness" of Gar and Treva and everyone that makes this a wonderful novel that should be read again and again.

I can't recommend this story enough! If you are a fan of fantasy, a fan of fiction, or even a fan of great art - this book is a must own!

All I can say, Mr. Morrow, is that I hope volume 2 is available for purchase soon. I feel like a junkie who needs a Harebell fix now!

Please let your publisher know that I would be more than happy to preorder DMC volume 2 as soon as possible. Want my credit card number? :o)

This book is filled with action, comedy, and romance from start to finish. I can't get enough of it. I eagerly await book two, and I shall read anything this man writes. This book kept me intrigued long after finishing it. I recommed this book to any who enjoy a good and invigorating novel.

Not since Terry Prachett had a I had a good laugh in a fantasy story. Gordons characters are enjoyable and user friendly (you'll get a new meaning of THAT term after reading this) and don;t hold back on anything. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and as this being the first (of many adventures) for these characters, I look forward to reading more adventures with the Dead Magicians Club.

DMC: Maps is a great book for lovers of humor and fantasy. The characters are very fleshed out and the story is very vivid. You'll feel you're there with the characters the entrie way.

The first edition of "Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy" was recommended to us some ten years ago and we decided to update to the 5th Edition. This volume contains nearly 50% more information on the advances in detection, treatment and prognoses of the various types of cancer. Not being a physician, I have found that the references are easily read and understandable. It provides insight on prevention and treatment.

Great strides are being made and this book gives inspiration and hope that our doctors will continue to attack cancer in all forms.

I recommend this reference book to all who want an authoritative source to understand the types and stages of most common cancers.


Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy; Revised 5th Edition: How Cancer Is Diagnosed, Treated, and Managed Day to Day (Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy)

Higly recommend. Great to have around so when you have questions this book will answer them, as we often have questions when a doctor is not around to answer them. Sometimes we may may not want to ask a question well this book lets you find your answers in the privacy of you home. I had 2 previos versions and I preordered this one as the others were very useful and this one has been also.

While working in a very large private hospital in Omaha, I worked in Radiation Oncology. Finding myself alone, without a nurse to teach me how to teach my patients, a friend suggested this book. I purchased it, devoured it and put the information to use, teaching my patients about treatment protocols, systems involved in their treatment process, in terms that they could understand. I recommended this book to many of them, they always returned to thank me for suggesting the book. CC

It is a wealth of information - that every person diagnosed with any type of cancer can benefit from. Having had 2 bouts with breast cancer, I have bought many books. This one is the best resource book I have found. I have loaned it out many times and everyone is thankful for the information.

It is written in an easy style, such that an average person can understand the language. It presents many questions for the patient & family to ask doctors, along with the many options available.

I highly recommend this for anyone who needs any type of information about cancer and it's treatments.

This book is a one stop guide to so many things involving therapies that it is hard to know where to start. Cancer nurses feel this is the best consumer book out there. Information is in plain English, simple terms, with lots of illustrations. Tons of referrals to agencies that may be helpful.