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Just as brilliant now as it was 20+ years ago when it was first published, this book for young readers discusses the varying ideas and attitudes to (Christian) Heaven, and death and dying. It also promotes an acceptance of death, almost non-existant in Western societies. This book is for children who are in Western society where Christian beliefs are known, but young readers need not be from Christian families themselves for this book to be very useful in helping them understand death and the Christian ideas of Heaven.

Finally, the book emphasises that what is important, whatever your belief systems, is to be kind, to tell the truth, to be happy (and it explains _how_ to do each of these things).

Aloise Buckley Heath, the late eldest sister of William F. Buckley, Jr., and herself the mother of 10 children, periodically wrote essays for her brother's magazine, National Review, during the 1960s. Many of them addressed life with her children, and several were about their preparations for Christmas. However, the title derives from an episode in which her child asked Aloise whether a neighbor was committing a mortal sin by voting for LBJ. Mom explained her views on responsible and moral voting, then composed a song predicting that the neighbor would go to hell. As she explains, she really couldn't blame the children of the neighborhood for calling Mrs. Major morning, noon and night to sing her the song. Mrs. Heath had, after all, delighted as her own kids brought all of their friends round to hear Mom's outrageously funny song, and pretty soon, Mom was arranging harmonies and rounds. The poor children probably couldn't think of anything else.

Mrs. Heath's look at life -- at soap operas (and their necessity for the modern housewife), movie magazines, politics, child-rearing, and husbands -- was imbued with self-deprecating humor and an unusual insight into and respect for children. Her book reveals a compellingly sympathetic person, for whose sudden death (of cerebral hemorrhage) the reader grieves, even decades later.

This book was written by Doctor Pashkow and Charlotte Libov who is a journalist who underwent open heart surgery. I happened upon this book by accident while I was mentally preparing for open heart surgery myself. Ms. Libov provided some of the best advice I'd found. She explains in great depth many heart conditions and provides practical tips as well. This book greatly allayed my fears and answered a lot of questions. I read it from cover to cover twice and thanked my lucky stars that I'd found it. This is "must" reading for anyone facing this operation and his/her family.

A vocabulary teaching/learning tool that's both truly useful and fun? How can this be? I don't know how many vocabulary workbooks you've seen, but I've seen plenty, and they're generally just horrid. This one, in contrast, is terrific.

I don't know why Amazon doesn't provide needed information about this book. It's a workbook, and it's clearly meant to be used in a middle-school classroom. That doesn't mean it would have to be used in school; anyone between the ages of ten and fourteen could pick it up and get useful information about words and how to use them . . . and enjoy it.

Several things about this book struck me as unusual. The word lists that begin each lesson actually present solid, useful, appropriate words. The definitions are, amazingly, actually understandable instead of containing words harder than the one being taught. There's nary a diacritical mark to be found; every target word is "respelled" to clarify its pronunciation. And that's just the first page. The rest of each lesson consists of exercises, often quite clever ones, that provide opportunities to see what the words actually mean and how they can be used. There's also quite a bit of simple art and lots of jokes that use the words--all adding to the general idea that word acquisition is anything but tedious.

This book almost made me want to get back into a classroom.

This book is for anybody who might encounter tough challenges. In other words, this book is for everybody. In sixteen short and very readable chapters Dietz offers an abundance of practical advice which can transform hopelessness into optimism, sullenness into joy and a defeatist attitude into a willingness to overcome every tough challenge life may present.

I LOVE yoga but I never have time for it, and it's annoying following the same routine on a video or in a book. This program is GREAT! I can choose the poses I want to do, the order I want to do them in, and I can even watch my favorite TV shows while doing it (I know this is not recommended)...but it works me and I'm so happy to have my Yoga on the Go!

This book is great! If you truly want to get more energy and improve your outlook of life in general, you need to get this book. It walks you through the steps and gives you the reasons and methods to change your life forever.

This is without a doubt the most useful book a teacher, both new and experienced, can have! It is filled with wisdom from a woman who clearly has a passion for teaching and boy is it contagious!Every tip is told in a style I can relate to, with humor and years of experience behind it. I may not have survived my first year of teaching without my "bible" by my side. And now, after several years in the "force" I still re-read it for inspiration and a quick pick-me-up. Thank you Renee Rosenblum-Lowden for creating such a user-friendly, practical, supportive and direct guide/book to help so many teachers like me! And thank you for making a difference in my life!

I bought this book in 1994 after a trip to the Napa Valley. Zin is one of our favorite wines and this book is filled with wonderful, sound recipes that are great with Zin or by themselves. I've used other wines in some of the recipes and been equally happy with the results.

It's a great book!

This novel, a Newbery Honor book for 1996, consists of two very different parts.

In the lighthearted beginning of the book, Kenny and his quirky family, the Weird Watsons, have a series of funny adventures in their hometown of Flint, Michigan. Kenny's older brother, Byron, provides much of the hilarity, from his sub-zero mirror-kissing fiasco, to his ill-fated attempt to consume an entire bag of stolen cookies. However, some of Byron's stunts cross the line between innocent hi-jinks and juvenile deliquency, and the Watson parents decide to intervene. They arrange a trip to visit awe-inspiring Grandma in Birmingham, Alabama. The Watsons set off in their car, equipped with an Ultra-Glide record player and all the latest tunes.

Until three quarters of the way through the story, the tone remains lighthearted. Shortly after the Watsons arrive in Birmingham, though, Curtis changes gears. The event that causes this rather abrupt shift is the bombing which killed four young girls in a Sunday school class. The story's mood becomes dark as Kenny grapples with the deaths, and the existence of evil in the world.

Although I recognize the importance of including the serious event, I confess that I did not enjoy Curtis's writing as much after the change in tone. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book for its fascinating characters and funny adventures.

In this book, I liked how at the end Bryron came together with his brother Kenny and talking to him and making him feel safe. Although they had alot of conflicts between each other, he finially realized that the love he had for his brother. When I read that Joetta was in the building that was was bombed, my heart went out to her because she was so sweet. The thing that amazes me is when a look alike of Kenny led Joey away from the dasaster. Who was that gifted person, who was chossen to save an innocent life? Over all the book was really GREAT!

The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is definitely a five-star book. It is hilarious but also has some good historic information. The main character is Kenny. Kenny has a younger sister and an older brother named Byron who is a juvenile delinquent. Kenny's mom starts to get tired of the things Byron does, and decides to send him to their grandmother's house in Birmingham, Alabama. Finally they leave Michigan to go to their grandmother's house. While they are there, someone bombs a church that Kenny's sister is in. Luckily, nothing happens to her. This book is also funny. Kenny gets caught in a "whool pool"; whom Byron says is Pooh's evil brother. It is especially funny when Byron gets his tongue stuck on the car mirror, and his dad makes fun of him saying that he is attracted to himself. Another part that I liked was when Kenny stayed behind the couch, a.k.a. the pet hospital, hoping it would make him feel better. He didn't come out for days. I think this book was well written. It also deserves the Newberry Honor medal that it received. If you want to find out more about this book, then you should read it. My recommendation is that everyone should read it, but that's your decision.