Anne George has blessed her readers with another splendid Southern Sisters mystery! It's a humorous storyline with two very funny, very down to earth amateur sleuths. The author tells the story from Patricia Anne's point of view, with the occasional third person as well.

For those you who have yet to meet this hilarious southern sister duo, I will introduce you. Patricia Anne is also known as Mouse. She could be a Jeopardy contender, loves Wheel of Fortune and has been married 40 years to Fred, who greatly appreciates solid ground when he is back on it, almost to the point of embarrassment for Mary Alice. Then there's Mary Alice, who has her sister carry home something on the plane that shocks and embarrasses Patricia Anne. She is also a member of the Angel Sighting Society, widowed many times, and worried that her "sell by date" is near expiring and needs to get married this year.

In their latest whodunit, Patricia Anne, her husband, and Mary Alice are back in Alabama after a trip to Warsaw on a visit. As soon as they return, a relative, who they call Pukey Lukey, calls asking for help. His wife has disappeared and he thinks she ran off with a preacher. The cousins agree to help and this takes them to Chandler Mountain where they meet a variety of characters who are so diverse in personalities that it isn't possible to confuse them. One is a sheriff who seems to cause a personality change in Mary Alice whenever he is near. Once at the church on the mountain, they find a victim. She isn't the one they are looking for, but they are still involved because Luke is seriously attacked during the visit and they have to find out why. Later another victim is found, and now things are looking frightening for Luke's wife. The sisters aren't sure who or what is causing the deaths and near tragic happenings. Did the strange things they use during the unusual church services cause it or is it the Chandler Mountain Booger? That's something I think readers will enjoy finding out as they read Murder Carries a Torch.

While the mystery carries on, there is interaction with other members of the family, one being emails between Patricia Anne and her daughter-the grown and married Haley. The interaction blended well with the mystery since it was a relative they were helping, and watching the interaction with other relatives varied from sweet to an absolute hoot.

I enjoyed this mystery from page one. The personality and humor of the characters, all of them, are outstanding. The relationship between the sisters is priceless. The main mystery plot may or may not be one of a kind, but how it's written and handle is. Whether or not you're a fan or familiar with the southern sisters, any reader would get their money's worth with this mystery.

I love the Southern Sisters Mystery series by Anne George. Murder Carries a Torch is the seventh serving of this wonderful series. Sister and Mouse encounter a missing cousin, snake-handlers and two murders on this latest romp thru Birmingham and places nearby. Most authors get stale after writing about the same characters, but not Anne George. The seventh book is as fresh as the first. My only regret is that I'll have to wait another year before another Southern Sister Mystery comes out. I don't know if I can stand the suspense. If you are looking for a lighthearted good read with a heart, you need to read Murder Carries A Torch.

Patricia Anne, Mary Alice, and Fred return from a trip to Warsaw, Poland, to visit Patricia Anne's daughter when they are greeted with a frantic phone call from cousin Luke (nicknamed "Pukey Lukey" by the Sisters because of his penchant for carsickness.) Luke has reason to be upset because his long-time wife, Virginia, has run away with the house painter. The painter is also a preacher and snake-handler, which causes no end of complications throughout the story. The Sisters accompany Luke to the preacher's church in hopes of uncovering some clues as to Virginia's wherabouts. They are greeted with a second body, which sets off the usual hilarious investigation by Patricia and Mary Alice. Reading this series of books is a bit like eating your favorite dessert. Each bite (or page in this case) is to be savored and enjoyed. I heartily recommend this delightful book and look forward to the next one.

This is an elegant story, masterfully told as only Anne Carroll George could tell it. A Southern family is brought together by the death of one of their own--but this is not a story of death; it is a story of life, and of how one life can touch so many others. I highly recommend this book.

Anne was a dear personal friend. She sent this book to me shortly before her death. She told me that she felt that it was her best work and referred to it as her book about forgiveness. It has been a very long time since a book has moved me so deeply. I recommend it highly. Don't expect to find the wonderful, silly Southern Sisters anywhere in these pages. DO expect to find grace in all its guises-- as beauty, as elegance and, yes, Anne, as forgiveness and redemption. It grieves me that we lost this magnificent writer before she could write more books like this one. DO read her poetry, as well.

Readers of This One and Magic Life are in for a rare treat-a trip inside the hearts and minds of the members of a true Southern family. Ms. George manages to endear us to her characters even while exposing their weaknesses, insecurities, and guilt. When the tears began to flow after the first two pages of the book, I knew this was no ordinary novel. The beauty of the words, the depth of the characters, and the strong sense of place all combine to form an unforgettable experience in which we all recognize parts of ourselves and our own family members. Much as the live oak trees in Harlow, the Sullivan family stands tall even while shrouded in the Spanish moss of mystery, hate, sadness, and yet beauty. This family illustrates well how much the past is a part of us, and how much we love this place. Our roots are planted deeply in this soil, and just as the Spanish moss, many of us could not grow north of Montgomery, Alabama. This book has something for everyone, male or female, young or old. It is one that I will reread many times. The warm breezes and starry nights of the Gulf Coast beckon. On every page, I was there, and it touched my heart.

The Scrambled States of America
By Laurie Keller
Reviewed by Jason P. (age 8)

"There's no place like home". That's what all 50 states learned in this hilarious, slightly romantic tale.

It all starts when Kansas (who was very angry) decides to invite all the states to a "states party" to meet new states.
At the party, Nevada and Mississippi fell in love. Later, Virginia and Idaho suggested that all the states switched places. All the states agreed to this, so they all changed places through the day.
Will our fair country stay like this? Find out in The Scrambled States of America!

I liked this book because (like I told you) it was hilarious! I really liked the part when all the states went home.

I recommend this book to kids who: 1) like fiction, 2) can read picture books.

Read this book to find out the funniest U.S. story ever!

It isn't often you come across a children's book that's unique in it's story, fun in it's presentation, and a delight to read. Laurie Keller accomplishes this with "The Scrambled States of America". The unique idea of each state having it's own personality and voicing it's opinions on his place in the country, is both comical and creative. This book brings together colorful illustrations and a geography lesson, which will have children learning the names & shapes of the states after reading the book for just the first time! I highly recommend this book as a source of knowledge, imagination, & fun.

Joi M. Lasnick

As our students read their way across America by earning miles, I decided to read "The Scrambled States of America" to every class in our school from grades 1-6. There is not a class that hasn't enjoyed this hilarious book.

It's been interesting for me as the librarian to see how the different ages respond to the text and pictures. The first class that heard it, fifth grade, had just completed their state reports, and they were in tune with the book from beginning to end, adding all kinds of information they had recently learned. It was a wonderful discussion.

My favorite illustration in this book is where "states all over the country were waking up, having their first cups of coffee, reading the morning paper, and enjoying the beautiful sunrise." When I ask the students to look closely, they first laugh at silly things like Florida shaving, but then they notice that our state, Washington, is still asleep. Pretty quickly, the kids pick up on the time zones, and we end up talking about the time differences in our country.

Our kids get mockingly upset that Washington hasn't arrived to the big all-state party, because they are convinced we'd either bring apples or water (from all our rain)!

The students' favorite page is when they get to see the states all scrambled up. They love searching for our state, and other states they've studied or visited!

This is an entertaining book, one that I never would have predicted to be a hit with all grades. I took a gamble, and I was pleasantly surprised. They love it, and they learn something about geography while they're at it!

Dr. Michael Bradley's book, "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy!" is an
inspiration and should be on every parent's night stand, indefinitely.

From the frightening statistics on teen suicide today to safety and privacy issues, you will finally understand what you're dealing with as a parent and what you can do to make the experience better for your teenager and your family.

Dr. Bradley's grasp of teen fears, trials and needs is a pleasant reminder to be kind to our teens in an otherwise punitive society. This book is a guiding light for parents trying to love sometimes unlovable kids while also providing security in the face of panic. He offers excellent guidelines to help conquer your fears while also helping your teen deal with their own tumultuous world.

Before I even finished this book I began using the "dispassionate" techniques Dr. Bradley recommends. The results have been dramatic. My 13 year-old and I have not had a screaming fight in a while (they were happening every other day) AND we have been communicating in a way I thought was lost forever. Dr. Bradley uses an upbeat and candid style to get across all that ails today's teens, from medical insight that supports the notion that our kids are crazy (his term, not mine), to an environment that inundates them with sex, drugs and rock and roll at a very early age. His case studies are enlightening, and sometimes terrifying, but a wonderful way to get his point across without bogging down the reader with too much psychobabble. I highly recommend this book not just for parents of teenagers-my relationship with my 10 year-old is already benefitting from my newly learned parenting skills-but for every parent who has, at one time or another, been frustrated while trying to communicate with his or her child.

Superb! I am the mother of two teenagers and also a professional working with children and teenagers - this book was worth every cent and every second I spent reading it.
I found it very helpful personally, I am already reaping the benefits in my family...
It will also go on my short list of book recommendations for parents of troubled teens.
It is transforming, empowering - and reassuring. Just add a caring parent (even if confused, angry, ineffective - as we all are from time to time).

Just one burning issue - I hate the title which may be fine for parents but is insensitive to teens. I discarded the dust jacket, so all my recently raging teen would see was an innocuous grey cloth binding, as I read the book. Please retool the title for future editions which will surely follow.
And thank you Michael Bradley !!!

Let me start this review by confessing that I am biased. One of my letters from Vietnam is included in the book. I therefore view the book differently from the average reader.

I also got an advance copy of the book a week before the official release date, and have been able to read it.

Andrew Carroll produced this book by reading through almost 50,000 letters and selected roughly 200 that best show what everyday life in the military - and in war - are like from the viewpoint of the average soldier, sailor, marine, and airman.

Andy was able to get these letters by persuading Dear Abby to publish an appeal in her column on Veteran's Day in 1998. The column urged readers to contribute these letters so that the sacrifices of the writers would not be forgotten. The result was a flood of 50,000 letters - some faded, some muddy, some blood-stained, and one pierced by a bullet. One letter was written on Hitler's personal stationary by an American sergeant who worked in Hitler's personal quarters in Germany just after WW II. What could be a better symbol of justice?

The letter writers' views are very different than the views you will get by reading the memoirs of a general or an admiral. When I was in the Army, there was a wonderful comment that explained life in the Infantry:

"The general gets the glory, The family gets the body, and We get another mission."

Your view of the military - and of war - changes depending on your position in this food chain.

Overcoming an enemy machine gun is an interesting technical problem when you are circling a firefight in a helicopter at 1,000 feet. You take a very different view of the problem when you are so close to the machine gun that your body pulses from the shock wave of the muzzle blast.

These letters were written by soldiers while they were in the military. They are describing events that happened that day, the pervious day, or the previous week. Their memories are very fresh. Their views also are very different from the views that someone might have when writing his memoirs thirty years later. In thirty years the everyday pains, problems, and terrors could very well be forgotten or become humorous.

The book groups these letters by war or police action. There are sections for letters from the Civil War, WW I (the war to end wars), WW II, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and Somolia/Bosnia/Kosovo.

Some things never change. The Civil War letter writers grumble about poor food, tiresome marches, mindless sergeants and incompetent officers. The Vietnam letter writers (myself included) grumbled about the same things.

One anguished letter was from an officer in Vietnam who was torn by his need to hide his opposition to the war for fear of demoralizing his men. At the end of the letter is a brief comment explaining that the officer stepped on a mine and died shortly after writing this letter.

Welcome to life in the military. Welcome to war.

You should read this book if you want to see what life was like and is like in the military and in war.

Let me start this review by confessing that I am biased. One of my letters from Vietnam is included in the book. I therefore view the book differently from the average reader.

I also got an advance copy of the book a week before the official release date, and have been able to read it.

Andrew Carroll produced this book by reading through almost 50,000 letters and selected roughly 200 that best show what everyday life in the military - and in war - are like from the viewpoint of the average soldier, sailor, marine, and airman.

Andy was able to get these letters by persuading Dear Abby to publish an appeal in her column on Veteran's Day in 1998. The column urged readers to contribute these letters so that the sacrifices of the writers would not be forgotten. The result was a flood of 50,000 letters - some faded, some muddy, some blood-stained, and one pierced by a bullet. One letter was written on Hitler's personal stationary by an American sergeant who worked in Hitler's personal quarters in Germany just after WW II. What could be a better symbol of justice?

The letter writers' views are very different than the views you will get by reading the memoirs of a general or an admiral. When I was in the Army, there was a wonderful comment that explained life in the Infantry:

"The general gets the glory, The family gets the body, and We get another mission."

Your view of the military - and of war - changes depending on your position in this food chain.

Overcoming an enemy machine gun is an interesting technical problem when you are circling a firefight in a helicopter at 1,000 feet. You take a very different view of the problem when you are so close to the machine gun that your body pulses from the shock wave of the muzzle blast.

These letters were written by soldiers while they were in the military. They are describing events that happened that day, the pervious day, or the previous week. Their memories are very fresh. Their views also are very different from the views that someone might have when writing his memoirs thirty years later. In thirty years the everyday pains, problems, and terrors could very well be forgotten or become humorous.

The book groups these letters by war or police action. There are sections for letters from the Civil War, WW I (the war to end wars), WW II, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and Somolia/Bosnia/Kosovo.

Some things never change. The Civil War letter writers grumble about poor food, tiresome marches, mindless sergeants and incompetent officers. The Vietnam letter writers (myself included) grumbled about the same things.

One anguished letter was from an officer in Vietnam who was torn by his need to hide his opposition to the war for fear of demoralizing his men. At the end of the letter is a brief comment explaining that the officer stepped on a mine and died shortly after writing this letter.

Welcome to life in the military. Welcome to war.

You should read this book if you want to see what life was like and is like in the military and in war.

This book, War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, by Andrew Carroll (Editor) is a touching book. With the recent release of the movie Pearl Harbor, the questions that my generation wants to ask the veterans of war are rising out of the ashes once again. Carroll did an excellent job of putting together a collage of soldier's letters which portrays the true emotions of our freedom fighters. Recently having studied many of the wars included in this book, War Letters pulled everything into one book; from the Civil War all the way through Bosnia/Kosovo. The letters in WWI and WWII seemed more hopeful, and 'the great generation' seemed more patriotic. While the soldiers fighting Vietnam had more of a sense of urgency, kind of 'get this over with already' attitude. A common theme with all the letters was they were writing to loved ones, and would claim they would see them soon. Unfortunately, many of these letters were the 'last letters' to the families, some even written on backs of photographs, on scratch paper, or on Hitler's personal stationary. Also, these letters are written a few hours, days, or weeks after the events happened. The soldier has no opportunity to hear what the media said, or how the nation reacted to such a horrific event. They write with their souls, spilling their guts to their families, and shedding their blood for their nation. Granted, having just completed one year of US History helps me understand these events just that much more, but all in all, this book was everything from terrifying to heart warming.

You know those books that you just have to read and can't put it down until two o'clock in the morning when you're finally finished and just can't wait to read the next one in the series? Well, Shadowland is one of them. In this book, you will meet Susannah Simon, sixteen, who is, oh, just an ordinary girl...with one slight twist. Susannah is a mediator, a person who can speak with the dead, but mainly just with the unhappy ghosts, who died with unfinished business they hadn't gotten to take care of. First, she is forced to leave good ol' NYC to Carmel, CA, where she is forced again to share a bedroom with a ghost who died 150 years ago, and who also happens to be a guy (good thing her parents don't know).
When she starts at her new school, she meets Heather, a suicidal maniac, who died over the Christmas break. Heather is furious at Susannah because Susannah just happens to be taking Heather's old locker, 'stealing' Heather's best friend and boyfriend. Heather will do anything to kill Bryce, her ex-boyfriend whom Susannah is 'stealing' away from her, and bring him down with her the land of the dead and no matter how much Susannah explains to Heather that she can't do that, it's no use.
What happens? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out. It's definitely a book worth reading. Trust me, it is. I mean, if I, Lavender Skye, read it, then surely EVERYBODY would want to read it...right?

Picture, if you will, being able to talk to ghosts since the age of two. Now 16, totally devoid of social life and friends (with the exception of one), with matters made worse by your mom re-marrying and dragging you from NY to live in sunny California, you are still cursed with ghost-vision and having to forever help them get to the afterlife. Now you know how Susannah Simon, Mediator Extraordinaire, feels.

Never mind that there's a totally hot dead cowboy living in her new bedroom, or that her new principal is a fellow mediator... She's more concerned about stuff like, how for the first time, she's starting to get friends, and maybe even a boyfriend. But she's not sure if she'll live to keep them, with a suicided (and totally mental, in my opinion) girl ghost after her, the girl's ex (who just happens to be suze's new beau), and everything Suze holds dear. You'll get the whole story, as told by Suze, complete with sarcasm, opinions, and humor.

Jenny Carroll is a great author, whether she's writing under Meg Cabot or any other name. I luv this series, and all her other ones...I recommend this to older children, teens, and anyone else thats interested in teen dilemmas, horror, sci-fi, humor... Or just a plain good read!

Jenny Carroll (Meg Cabot) is an awesome author. Every book that I have read of hers, I like.

"Shadowland" is about a girl, Susannah, who has this amazing ability. Susannah is a Mediator and can see, hear, and touch ghosts. It is her "job" to help these ghosts to find their way to the other side...whatever that may be. As if having an unwanted job wasn't enough, she is also the "typical" 16 year-old girl. She just moved from NY to CA because her mother married another man. In CA, she hopes her life will be different...and it is. As she says, "it's worse". The ghost of a really cute guy lives in her bedroom, a girl who committed suicide wants revenge on an ex-boyfriend and Suze, and Suze finally meets another Mediator-a Priest.

This story is fast paced, and a fun read. I think all teen girls can relate in some way to Susannah. She is quick-witted, quick-tempered, a bit cocky, and tough (sometimes she resorts to "kicking some ghost butt" to send them on their way to the other side). The story leaves room for more books and the reader wanting more. All in all, a good read. Way to go, Jenny Carroll!

The Basketball Diaries
By Jim Carroll

The Basketball Diaries is about a boy who throws a promising life away for drugs. Its set in New York in what I believe is the 70's. Jim Carroll, who is also the author, is the star of this book. He and his few friends go out to seek drugs and get caught up in the stuff that he would regret later on and for the rest of his life. I thought that it was the same thing over and over again. The story had no high points in that it was very depressing. You got to know the characters very well and the author was great at setting the scenes and getting you to picture them in their own world, the drug world. I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 13 because it's hard to understand and you learn a couple things about drugs during the course of the book. I recommend it for people who are interested in what could happen to you if you continuously use drugs. I also recommend it to the people that are big fans of biographies and non-fictions.

I got this book as a gift an I was interested cause I had seen the movie, by within the first 5 pages, I was hooked. I read the entire book right away. It was so intense at times and so well worded that i fell in love with Jim Carroll. This book was about his life growing up in the cruel streets of New York exposing himself to prostitutes, drugs, and more drugs. He let us all deal with hard times with him by writing down his experiances in his diary. I loved this book. And for all of you people who think Leonardo DiCaprio has something to do with this book--forget it. He's not. They just put him on the cover and that's ALL.

I was refered to this book after reading THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez. That other book was also set in New York City, and was gritty and dark -- while being a fast, fun read. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES is a darker book than THE LOSERS' CLUB in many ways. While the main character of THE LOSERS' CLUB is addicted to the Village Voice personal ads, the protagonist of this novel is addicted to heroin. Big difference. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES is an amazingly tough book, and the junkie it depicts stays a junkie at the end -- unlike the bogus, "uplifting" ending of the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. The addiction in THE BASKETBALL DIARIES is a true-life drug addiction, without character arcs and any real redemption. The character starts off in limbo and stays there, because in fact he's damned. This is a very tightly written book, wholly unsentimental. A true urban classic, worth its great reputation. Highly recommended.

All her life, Suze Simon has been a mediator, a person with the ability to see and speak to dead people. Because of this, her social life is constantly being interrupted by ghosts with unfinished business on Earth. But there is one plus to being a mediator: Jesse, the cute ghost who lives in her bedroom. Suze is determined not to fall for Jesse, but she does, and it's a relationship that will never work - he is dead, after all. And in spite of her complicated love life, Suze is determined to enjoy her summer break from school. Too bad her stepfather insists she get a job. She ends up working as a babysitter at a fancy resort, where her young charge is eight-year-old Jack Slater, who turns out to be a mediator himself. But then the ghost of Maria de Silva, the woman who had Jesse killed, shows up. She's determined that the truth never come out - even if it means killing Suze. This book contains a lot of amazing revelations that I won't spoil, so you'll just have to read to find out! I highly recommend this book to all fans of The Mediator series and Jenny Carroll's other books.

It's Suze's sixteen summer---her first in sunny California---but instead of relaxing and getting a tan, she's stuck working as a baby-sister at a hotel resort, not to mention the boy she is babysitting, Jack, turns out to be a young, budding mediator or that his older brother Paul does have some boyfriend potential. Things start going from okay to bad when Suze is awakened by Maria de Silva---the ex-finacee of the 150 year old hot ghost that shares Suze's bedroom, Jesse---with a knife to Suze's neck, telling Suze to stop her stepdad, Andy, from digging up Jesse's body from her won backyard. Suze has a good idea that when the body of Jesse is discovered she might lose him forever, but she isn't about to help Maria de Silva. Suze knows, however, Maria de Silva will do anything to stop the digging, even if it does mean killing Suze. As Suze digs deeper into the mystery surprising things happen in a world that Suze can't control, and helping Jesse might even risk certain death to herself, but Suze is ready for the challenge. Wow! What can I say? The best Mediator book yet with revelations at every corner that are more shocking that before. This is definitely a pivatol book in the series and a turning point. The cliffhanger ending makes you want the next book like crazy. Unfortunately Haunted: Mediator #5 isn't coming out until January 2003! I am really going to die waiting!!

Suze gets ready for her summer babysitting the most boring kid on earth, and whose brother Paul seems to stop at NOTHING to get her to go out with him. Only when Suze realizes that Jack (the kid she's babysitting) is a Mediator, and is terrified of ghosts. While she tries to open him up to the fact that not all ghosts are evil, she has even more problems to deal with:

1. Andy and her stupid brother Dopey are digging around in the backyard and just HAPPENED to find the remains of some guy (hint, hint).

2. Maria de Silva and her Psychopathic husband Diego are ghosts and are trying to kill Suze.

Gee, great summer huh? Anyway, so Suze realizes that in helping Jesse avenge his death, then she might loose him, who is the most important thing in the world to her. So what will the outcome be?? Will Jesse and Suze be together in the end? Will Jesse be sent to Heaven, or the Afterlife, or wherever you go when you die and leave Suze with a broken heart?? As they always say, read and find out!

Awww(...)this is the BEST in the series!! As always, the delectable Jesse manages to keep you in love with him, you find out what a pathetic figure Maria de Silva was, and about how Jesse died. And Mediator fans will LOVE the ending. I have to say that i both loved and HATED it. I hated it because it is going to leave me practically CRAVING the next book. I wonder what Carroll has in mind for the Mediator #5.