JO

In the small English town of Dimmock is located the store, "Looking For Something?" owned and operated by Brodie Farrell. She hunts for things that people want but are unable to find. She makes it a practice to never look for people because the one time she did, she almost got somebody killed. When Hugo Daws comes into her place of business asking to locate his sister in law's sister she almost says no, but realizes if she refuses the request, two young children will be taken into foster care.

Their mother was murdered, knifed thirteen times after a fight with her husband and he disappeared. Brodie agrees to help and when Hugo asked if she knows a teacher who can stay with the girls and his wife she recommends her friend Daniel Hood. He accepts since he needs the money and a place to live but that decision will take him to the edge of his own sanity and force him to make a choice no person should have to make.

Jo Bannister is an excellent storyteller, an author who coaxes her audience to take one step beyond their comfort zone. There is a lot of misdirection and false leads in this British amateur sleuth tale so that readers won't catch on to what is really happening until the author chooses to reveal it. REFLECTIONS will appeal to fans of Alfred Hitchcock.

Harriet Klausner

Reflective Practice To Improve Schools: An Action Guide To Educators defines reflective practice (approaches to teaching that require personal commitment to continuous learning and improvement) and discusses how reflective practice and continuous learning can be spread among teachers and applied throughout school systems to create a better educational base for our children's future. Tables, figures, point-by-point bulletins and black-and-white diagrams help illustrate the benefits of reflective practice. Collaboratively written by Jennifer York-Barr, William A. Sommers, Gail S. Ghere, and Jo Monite in an effort to present difficult undergraduate level concepts in clear language that can be easily grasped, Reflective Practice To Improve Schools poses a challenging, compelling argument and is highly recommended for any educator in search tips, tricks, and techniques for self improvement on the job.

A comprehensive analysis of the issues confronting refugees from Vietnam and their subsequent resettlement. The author paints a vivid three dimensional picture considering varied and comprehensive source data, overriding policy issues (of the time) and makes practical recommendations in relation to resettlement in the future.

A very solid study with practical application to policy makers determining refugee relocation issues for the future.

I am working my way through a little horde of Regency Christmas anthologies, savouring them one at a time. I picked this one up whilst on holiday recently and just read it; what a pleasure it was! I don't ordinarly seek out short stories as a matter of course but I am very fond of this particular little mini sub-genre. Three of the contributions stood out for me.

"The Rake's Christmas" by Edith Layton is the poignant story of a young man, back from the Peninsular wars, saddened and a little self loathing, who throws himself into some half-hearted rakery in order to put the wars behind him. He is taken up by a truly accomplished rake, Lord Shelton. During a Christmas house party, the elder rake plays deus ex machina to young Ian, Viscount Hunt in order to bring him together with Miss Eve Thompkins. Eve is the daughter Shelton never had - the offspring of his true life-long secret and unrequited love. So, he stands in an almost fatherly way over Hunt, helping him to overcome his sombre loneliness and sad boyhood in making a match for him and Eve. Edith Layton is a favourite of mine and she packs a lot of emotion into just a few short pages.

Jo Beverley is a writer whose books I have been collecting with the aim of indulging myself. Why she and Layton and Balogh are not published in the UK is beyone my comprehension - such a shame! I was delighted with her contribution to this anthology. "A Mummer's Play" is the story of Col "Lucky Jack" Beaufort, by default the new Duke of Cranmoore. Justina Travers lost her fiance in the Peninsula when he was under the command of his close friend, Jack. Justina has some reason to suspect that Cranmoore may have been a traitor and, therefore, the cause of her fiance's death. She insinuates herself into Jack's first Christmas house party as the new duke by hiding herself amongst the mummers who come to perform. Her aim is to expose him as a traitor and murderer. The story takes place during the course of just one evening and, in just a few intense, emotional pages, Jo Beverley brings an almost unbearably high degree of tension and emotion as these two lonely, hurt but passionate people find an extraordinary and unexpected love and mutual redemption. Simply excellent.

Mary Balogh's contribution is, as always, as near to perfection as you can get. Hers is the story of three young orphaned children whose wastrel parents largely ignored them. Their maternal uncle, Viscount Morsey, and paternal aunt, Lady Carlyle, reluctantly leave London to come to the depths of the countryside to "do their duty" and make some half-hearted provision for their upbringing. It emerges that the two adults were once engaged but huge family problems, anger and recriminations tore them apart. The story is largely told through the eyes of the children and the theme of the story, as Lady Carlyle discovers, is that Christmas is about birth, parenthood, love, hope and commitment. In the context of this very brief piece, all five players find themselves turned into a loving family. Mary Balogh is pure magic. She writes such poignant, moving and emotional stories which are refined to pure gold. Wonderful.

Do find yourself a second hand copy of this anthology; reading it is simply a pleasure worth the effort.

An IMAGINATIVE story of Robert on his first train ride to visit his Grandmother.

My whole family has just loved this book and the accompanying cassette tape. We have spent hours reading, playing the games and singing the theme song that comes with this book and cassette tape. I have ordered a second copy to preserve for my grandchildren coming up as well. I found a Website on this book if you need more details...

I just loved the train when I was a child and this book brought back so many memories. It's a must have if you have children around you.

Anytime you want to relax and escape to another world, then this is the book for you. Beautifully illustrated this book gave me hours of reading pleasure and lots of ideas for my own house.

Good plot, more plot than frequently found, but easily followed. More characterization, but not confusing.
More suspense, but not frightening.
Real kids can read this or have it read to them and feel it's about other real kids. They can identify.

This book is full of passion and adventure. The romance between the two main characters is touching and very romantic. This book sizzles with sexual tension between the two main characters and you can really feel the love between them.

Wonderfully detailed road trips useful for a state resident or visitor. My husband and I have selected our Michigan vacation stops based on the tour descriptions of natural viewpoints,towns,and shopping venues. Generally vacationing throughout the U.S., we have utilized other books in the "Scenic Driving" series and all are equally delightful! Highly recommended and worth every cent!!!

We have a ton of science books. This is the best, the most user-friendly, and the easiest to prepare. Our children (ages 5 and almost 4) love it. They're the sort of experiments that are fun to do again and again. This book is truly a bargain. I hope that it comes back in print. I wish that there were more in the series.