Lucy's Journey to the Wild West is a delightful look at the sadness and joy of leaving a home you love. Not only does it comfort children who are having to move from a favorite house or neighborhood, it shows them the adventure of moving and the excitement of meeting new friends and experiencing new places. Great for learning geography!
The illustrations are so much fun and for dog lovers, a dog's point of view is always the best!

Anyone with a love for dogs will enjoy this book. Lucy travels throughout the USA and has many adventures. Cute and educational!

This is the 13th of some 30 books written by Charlotte V. Allen and I think, so far, it is the best. I am slowely working my way through all of them. I loved Francis, Hadleigh and Bonita. It got somewhat farfetched toward the end but I loved it. Charlotte, write another one like this or maybe you already have and I haven't gotten to it yet.

from the back of the original paperback book: "They were the unforgettable, passionate men and women bound together by an era of turmoil and tears ... blood and passion, by a search for love, happiness and fulfillment ... FRANCES -- a beautiful, pround Englishwoman torn between her dreams of romance and the reality of her marriage, about to be swept into a maelstrom of secrets, betrayal and forbidden sensuality. HADLEIGH -- the daughter, alone and vulnerable, too hungry for love to know the difference between caring and desire. ARTHUR -- the husbandf, obsessed with a woman he should never forgive, but whom he cannot forget ... or stop wanting. AMANDA -- the other woman, very lovely, very desirable, very devious, ready to fight for the man she loves, ready to destroy the rival she hates. Sweeping across decades from war-torn London to the promising landscapes of New York and Connecticut, from the stormy secrets of the soul to ... MATTERS OF THE HEART."

Mr. Sweetums wears pink is an enjoyable book for children of all ages, especially cat lovers. Mr. Sweetums is an adorable but manly cat who is owned and loved by three little girls. Mr. Sweetum's dilemma is that they dress him up in pink frilly ballet tutus and take him to parties. Mr. Sweetums is quite embarrassed in front of the other neighborhood pets. The illustrations are absolutly delightful and the story is endearing! This is a must buy and must read!! A gem for any children's book collection!

This is such a delightful children's book.The story line and the illustrations are unforgettable! It is the quirky story of a tough male cat whose owners are three little girls who enjoy dressing Mr. Sweetums in a pink tutu! We follow Mr. Sweetums to a Halloween constume party and watch as he begins to discover the joy of dancing!

This book is funny, original and fun for children and cat lovers!

This is to me, without a doubt, one of the best non-fiction book for kids ever created. It's a great book!

The pictures are wonderful- from a baby mammoth preserved for hundreds of thousands of years to the oldest mummy of a human being ever found (5000 years old!).

The facts are interesting, too- for instance, mummies are found all over the world, so long as the temperatures are either really dry or very cold.

It's short enough to keep kids reading, interesting enough to keep them looking, and informative enough to get them to learn... a must for any teacher or kid's library.

Vivid color photographs, easy-to-understand descriptions of the mummification process (both natural and artificial), and a genuine respect for the dead of all cultures make this a must-read for kids who are interested in mummies. While photos of mummified children may frighten younger readers, my four year old daughter loves it and insists on it being read at bedtime! May be too scary or intense for sensitive kids, but for those interested, it's dynamite reading!

When your down and troubled and you need a helping hand and nothing, whoa nothing, is going right. Close your eyes and think of Mr. T and soon he will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights. You just call out T's name and you know where ever T is, he'll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call and he'll be there. You've got a Mr. T Doll. Hey, ain't it good to know you've got a Mr. T Doll?

When I was a child, my grandpappy sat me down on his lap and told me "Sonny boy, I certainly do pity the fool that don't respect Mr. T. He gives folks guidance, teaches them how to live right, and lays down major butt whoopins on fools that don't know the power of T!" Grandpappy was an alcoholic that had an unusual even unhealthy liking for Mr. T, and this was unquestionably during one of his drunken "fool pitying" sessions, but these truths stuck with me far longer than T's glorious run through such classic movies as "D.C. Cab" and "Penetentiary 2." When Grandpappy passed away, he left me his "Rocky III" DVD, his Mr. T Doll, and a gold chain with a "WWMMTDD?" emblem hanging from it. This of course stands for "What Would My Mr. T Doll Do?" and is a living reminder to me to seek the truth of T when I'm in times of trouble and my Mr. T Doll has been inadvertently left at the office, at the gym, or somewhere else where I can't access it's omnipotent powers.

This book is another living and breathing example of the power of Mr. T and I pity the fools that can't bring T into their lives and live by the "WWMMTDD?" creed. It ain't about the gold and the mohawk, fool! It's about living right. If you ain't living like Mr. T or finding strength through Mr. T dolls or books, then you one fool that ain't never gonna learn, and for this I have no choice but to put you on my all-time pity list.

True, in reviewing this book after it is out of print places me a little behind in the times (although I'm the first to admit that) - but the themes presented in this charming story are truly timeless. The pain of loss and childhood in general are portrayed by the author with an intrinsic understanding of the human condition - using consice language that conyeys it's point while remaining easy for even the most simple-minded of us to comprehend. The painstakingly detailed pen and ink (with a wonderfully suble coloring scheme) illustrations pefectly complement the story's gentle lesson. Speaking of gentle, that brings me to the appearance of famed television celebrity "Mr. T" to the story. In a refreshing change of pace from his rough-and tumble roles from stage and screen, he appears to give guidance and lend his strength to those who truly need it most. A highly recommended read for hungry minds of all ages!

This little book is an absolute gem. It is a brief taste of the authors teachings, published in the "Little Books of Wisdom" series. (Unfortunately, it is currently out of print, but find one if you can. I am currently searching for copies and will be contacting the publisher to see if it might possibly be rereleased).

The book is a simple,eloquent offering of Zen concepts and their application in everyday life. You need not be familiar with Zen teachings to draw insight from the ideas presented as the author relates the essence of Zen (and Life)in a manner that is understandable to all. For more complete readng I know of two other books by C. J. Beck, "Everyday Zen" and "Nothing Special". Both are excellent.

Based upon my reading of her books, it is my opinion that Ms. Beck is one of the true Western Zen Masters. She is one of the few here in America who has managed to keep the Zen in Zen and still make it pallatable, practical, and practicable.

Charlotte Joko Beck's style in this book is concise, humorous, yet in your face. Zen is not salvation, but more like day to day practice which needs a lot of discipline but which eventually makes you reach your natural free self, Joko Beck says.

I have owned this book for about 6 years now. Its among those books you come back to read again and again through different phases in your life.

Despite being one of the fastest growing religious movements in the world today, contemporary Paganism has lacked a strong academic voice until now. While focusing primarily on Paganism in Britain, this collection of papers goes a long way towards filling that void. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone, Pagan or not, who desires a deeper understanding of the current Neo-Pagan movement worldwide.

This collection of fascinating papers resulted from the first academic conference on contemporary Paganism in Britain. The chapters cover all the various traditions which fall under the umbrella of Paganism - Druidry, Witchcraft, Heathenism, Shamanism, Goddess Worship, various forms of magickal practice, etc. There is also an excellent overview of the roots of modern Paganism by Bristol historian Ronald Hutton. A good place to start learning about this "fastest growing religion in Britain" (BBC 'Everyman'). Best chapters are by Harvey, Harris, Simes and Sutcliffe. Excellent read!

This is my 15th of Ms. Charlotte's 37 (?) wonderful novel's and I plan to get through them all as she is a wonderful author. I hope she does a sequel of this one, especially Martin who is the most wonderful man in Literature. He is sooo sweet and lovable. I wonder how Ms. Vale Allen thinks up all her various plots and stories??? I only wish I had her talent.

This is a novel so grounded in painful, yet humorous, reality that it is positively gripping. Following the separate paths of Caley Burrell and Martin Maddox, the reader travels along with the two central characters, waiting for that moment when their paths intersect. And when they do, the physically shattered Caley and the recovering alcoholic Martin are funny and touching and tentative. This is a book about losses and about the possibility of small gains; it's about how fate will send you flying through the windowshield of a car, causing you to become horribly disfigured; it's about how an alcoholic can lose everyone he loves, regain them, get sober, and, even then, having done everything right, suffer unthinkable losses. That these two unlikely people find each other is surprising, and wonderful, and completely believable. A lovely, thoughtful book that delves far below the surface to find what is really important, really valuable, in human interchange. Don't miss this! It's a gem.

I waited six months to get this book through interlibrary loan because I couldn't tell from the description whether it would be something I'd want to own. I read the book straight through and I am now going to buy it so that I can refer back to it.

As a child, I got much more excited about a new subject if I read fiction about a character who was excited about it than if I only read nonfiction on the topic. Reading this book got me engaged in the idea of doing nature study and adjusting my view of homeschooling in a way that the three or four "straight" books on Charlotte Mason education I've read haven't done.

I would recommend this for any homeschooler, whether he/she is interested in the Charlotte Mason approach or not, who is interested in incorporating more nature study into his/her children's education--or for any homeschooler who is feeling burned out and in need of a fresh perspective.

With some books reading is a chore. I abhor the clutter of unnecessary words, repetitive phrases and even paragraphs that waste my time and only distract from an important message. Too many words in too many works, both old and new, seem to have been written just to fill the page, - and perhaps the pocketbook.

Pocketful of Pinecones was easy to read, and a pleasure to read. It is the fictional account of Carol, a mother living in the 1930s, and using Charlotte Mason's methods, particularly her nature study methods. Yet, the book is based on Karen Andreola's experiences with her own children. It is a book that you will continue to pick up until you have reached the last pages telling of the Andreola's life in Maine. I enjoyed the book, and felt i got to know Karen a little better. She is an extremely soft spoken person and this gentleness is evident in Pinecones. The temptations are there, but Carol thinks before speaking so as not to be harsh to her family.

In all our educating we should remember as Carol-Karen tells us,

"...that not all of what they will learn about God's creation will conveniently fit into my lessons. My students have a lifetime ahead of them in which to observe and discover - to become self educated in their leisure, so to speak. My job is to allow their feet to walk the paths of wonder, to see that they form relations to various things, so that when the habit is formed, they will carry an appreciation for nature with them throughout their lives."

As a lover of nature and nature's God, as well as inclined to sketching, Pocketful of Pinecones was a delightful read. I laughed and I cried. I sang hymns. It is inspiring and not just toward nature study. It encourages toward more gentle motherhood and even to humility before our husbands. It inspires God-ward with the many hymn lyrics and the lifestyle portrayed.

"My devotions gave the day its energy... It is proof that I remember Him, depend on His mercy, which is so thankfully new every morning. It is evidence that I trust Him. It is because my days are so busy that I have kept myself from the God-can-wait syndrome. I need my heavenly Father and so I seek Him early. Prayers are the wings of the soul. They bear the Christian far from earth, out of its cares, its woes and its perplexities, into glorious serenity. It is the first God-ward step that the soul takes."

...Pinecones would be an especially appropriate gift for a new mother, a young mother or someone contemplating homeschooling. It gives a gentle introduction to easy methods by way of the example set forth in the story line. It was written for the busy mother, yet I can envision a mother reading it to her children as well.

There are some atypical words for the 30s and even the fact that the family is homeschooling in the United States seems quite unusual for that time period.

Karen has included recommended resources and excerpts from Charlotte Mason's book, Home Education.

Who would ever quess that an obsessed woman could destroy a young man's life the way that Suzanna did? It makes my skin crawl to think about it.
Prince of The Wind begins with the young Prince being rescued by the Zonelanders from a year long captivity on an enemy ship. Riain Cree was only 16 years old and had not tasted manhood yet when the young Prince contacted Labyrinthian fever and had to be nursed back to health by Prince Gunter DeViennes' daughter Suzanna, who was still unmarried and untouched at the age of 29.
Suzanna became infatuated with the young Prince and drugged him, causing his body to become inflamed with desire for her. After their act of intimacy, Suzanna claimed the young Prince as her own. Unfortunately for her, his mother and father had other ideas for him and whisked him away back to his homeland. Even in this fictitious tale, my heart went out to Riain's mother, who would stop at nothing to save her youngest son. But her attempts were in vain!
Suzanna was insane and cursed the young Prince and all those he loved or would love. Selling her soul to a demon, she involved the powers of darkness to weave her web and claim him as her own. However, a sorceress named Maeve had fallen in love with the young prince and swore to save his life and be with him forever. Will her powers be strong enough or will Riain be lost forever in the dark Abyss?
The story weaves in and out with fragments of the paranormal, mysticism, time travel, witches, werewolves, vampires, and romance. Prince of The Wind is a tale of obsessive lust and undying love. What force will win?
A good read, especially for those who like a tale that makes the hair stand up on the back of their necks. This one may just give you a few nightmares!

In 1533 (on an alternate earth), Hesar kidnapped the youngest Prince of Chalea Riain Cree. He frees himself only to be captured by the Northwinds aristocracy. When Prince de Vienes learns the identity of his prisoner, he quickly realizes that their enemy's enemy is their friend as they fight Hesar and do not need to alienate the powerful Cree dynasty.

Riain wants to go home, but suffers debilitating and potentially deadly Labyrinthian Fever, de Vienes's daughter Suzanna is the healer, but she has her own evil agenda involving her ailing patient. Only his mother, a member of the Multitude, understands the threat Suzanna poses to her son and enters the Shadowlands seeking help from the Oracle,

Fantasy readers will gain immense pleasure from the deeply vivid complex PRINCE OF THE WINDS. The hero struggles with overcoming his illness and evil to do the right thing. Suzanna is quite the character spinning a dark web throughout the taut story line so that the audience receives a terse thriller inside a fantasy realm. Charlotte Boyett-Compo shows her tale spinning abilities to paint a unique world with this fresh but darker than usual (at least from this wonderful author) epic fantasy that will send readers to the four corners seeking the tremendous "Wind" novels.

Harriet Klausner