With all the bad news about nursing homes, along comes a retirement home set in the beautiful Virginia countryside where a group of retired people who no longer want to keep house but want the amenities of a home seem to be having a fantastic time.

What starts off as preparation for a church musical turns into a hostage situation for a bunch of perfectly normal people who are only trying to get on with life and do what they love doing. The main character is Dolly, 17, who is full of ideas on how to make this year's musical great. She and the other adults in charge of the musical have drawn up lists of which kids should be in. and which out, and are just starting to get things into full swing when a group of very politicised terrorists grab them during a rehearsal, in an attempt to locate one particular boy. There's lots of dramatic tension, especially in the second half, and good, vivid descriptions of what goes on, so you can really imagine yourself in the church, with those hostage-takers pacing in front and the sleepy children silently huddled together in the pews... But I think the best thing about all Peter Dickinson's books for children, this one included, is that he doesn't dumb down - Dolly (and the other characters in his other children's books) isn't stupid. She watches, she observes facial expressions, and she works things out for herself and the reader. And although the hostage-taking is the main event in the book, the story actually has lots of other interesting bits in it - family, parents, music, singing and politics.

For those who have come late to be adicted to Louise Rich's writings, this is a capstone book to be read last. It fills in the unspoken spaces in the writings of one of Maine's best writers. Alren has let Louise tell her own story and has stayed out of the way of this telling while being supportive at the same time.

This book is based on the premise that the Duke of Clarence survived to become king in the early 20th century, and hence there is a totally different royal family. Good idea, but unfortunately the resulting family is little different from the true one in terms of style and actions. Despite that the plot is good and tight, although the crucial point pulling everything together is given as a rather cryptic side note on the family tree. Overall a fun read, with a little bit of thinking needed to make it all out.

This seems to be a big year for witches and this little handbook is chock full of information. The opening chapter asks if you are a witch and offers ways to test yourself. There us a Federal Witch Identification Exam, a page to list the reasons why you might be a witch, information about famous witches such as those from the Wizard of OZ and the TV program Bewitched, there is even a two page spread listing good witch characteristics and a similar one for bad witches. Chapter two describes witches in history and how those women who often knew herbal remedies and could help heal the sick were often considered witches. One of the more interesting sections of this chapter is the description of witch holidays. The next chapter deals with essential equipment such as a broomstick and how to make one, obtaining a familiar, and a wand. Chapter four describes magic symbols and spells with step-by-step instructions and the proper words to use for a few magic tricks. The last chapter offers more resources for those who want to do more reading about witches or watch some movies and TV shows. There is also a glossary and pages for a journal and another to create an identification card. Fun for older kids who know that this is a spoof and will find the compilation amusing. 2002, Price Stern Sloan,

Peter Dickinson reminds me of two other British novelists, Robert Barnard and J.I.M. Stewart. His works usually contain mysteries, as do Barnard's, and are usually novels of manners, as are Stewart's. And like both, he is at his best when delineating complicated and ambiguous relationships whose history and roots illuminate present events. In addition, Dickinson shares the satirical wit and polished style of the other two.

"The Yellow Room Conspiracy" is a mystery and a novel of manners. Narrated alternately by an aged couple looking back on critical events of their youth, Paul Ackerley and Lucy Vereker, the novel evokes a between-the-wars world of Eton and country house parties followed by a post-war empire whose decline culminates in the Suez crisis.

The double narration Dickinson employs is an effective technique. Between them, Lucy, the society beauty, and Paul Ackerley, the archetypal outsider, recreate a series of events that climax in the death of another outsider, Gerry Grantworth, and the burning down of Lucy's family home.

Who killed Gerry? Who burned the house? These are the questions that Paul and Lucy finally explore after spending a lifetime together -- each secretly believing the other had. Dickinson makes you care about the answers.

My only knowledge of Janice Dickinson was that she supposedly had Sly Stallone's child and there was some type scandal. I bought this book because I love beautiful women and biographies about the fast life in the 70s. This book satisfies on both counts. Not only is Janice beautiful but also virtually every other supermodel till the 90s is mentioned or pictured in the book.

Janice describes her destructive family life and through the typical desire and luck worms her way into the modeling business. Still only on the fringes of the business, she describes her European trips and how she is finally able to generate the heat necessary to grow into a supermodel. Of course, this leads to the failed marriages, self-destructive life style including sex and drugs, and an attitude to eventually hurt her career.

But this wild life makes an interesting read even though it is lightly written.

A second part of the book deals with life after modeling, her final two marriages, birth of her kids, her Stallone affair and the death of her father. It's almost sad at this point to see a person who had it all and how she had so many problems living happily. But that's the interesting part of the book seeing how she copes.

Some of us are built to go to work every day. And some, like Janice are built to live on the edge and reach for the stars. She may not be perfect but it was an interesting lifestyle although I suspect the Christian Coalition wouldn't agree. Read the book for fun.

Janice Dickinson is the first exotic supermodel who emerged from the 70s. Her look during that time was very controversial although her lineage was Polish, Irish and Scottish, she could have passed for Latin, Asian and other ethnicities, this propelled her to front international fashion magazine covers all over the world.

Her tale of abuse is very sad but she doesn't wallow in her own mistakes as an adult. She openly admits to her own drug problems and wild behavior, but it was because she never had a grounded childhood to prepare her for the fast life as a top model.

I've always wanted to know more about her but couldn't find enough on the Internet to really know the person. Now that I've read the book, I recommend it to all persons with an interest in fashion, to be inspired and just something entertaining to read.

Janice Dickinson was one of the first models who not only broke the mold of the blonde, pale and WASP-y supermodel but turned it on upside down, in the tradition of Gia Carangi, Cindy Crawford and Beverly Johnson. Born with looks that turned heads and drove men to their knees, Dickinson was not as blessed when it came to her personal life and self-image. She seemed destined to self-destruct but somehow managed to recreate herself until time, drugs and her past caught up with her.
Does this sound like just another dreary tale of a beautiful woman who let fame go to her head. drugs muddle her brain and life pass her by? Think again. Pick this one up and I doubt you'll put it down again till you've read every sentence. FOr one thing, Dickinson has the courage to spill almost all about the ups and downs of her life (although I'd LOVE to read what she doesn't reveal) and that, in itself, is compelling. She's honest about many of her flaws and revealing about the lives of celebrities who cross her path, including Sylvester Stallone, Christie Brinkley, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and others. This makes for a juicy read. I'll leave it to you to decide what is true and what isn't. What I CAN say is that this book definitely isn't boring or dry. CAUTION: There are some nude photos in the photo spread so, depending on your values, you may not want to leave this one lying around the house.

Vinny has convinced her mother to let her spend summer vacation with her father in Africa. Her father, Sam, is working in an archeological site in Africa without much success. Vinny comes and accidentaly matches a pair of broken skull and Dr. Hamiska, the leader of the site, begins to call her his lucky charm . Dr. Hamiska takes her to a site without much incident and Vinny finds something that wil change history and the world view of human evolution. Millions of years earlier, in the same place a small girl in-between ape and human begins to open her mind. She lives in a Sea-ape tribe accustomed to life on the beach. Her name is Li and gradually her mind is opening up to the world around her. A large current of problems makes the tribe look to her for help and her decision will forever change the future of humanity. A Bone From A Dry Sea is an interesting view into the world of paleontology and the cornerstone of evolution from ape to human. The author chose a unique way of writing by telling the story of these two girls in separate worlds by alternating chapters. Every chapter alternates between past and present. You begin to notice that what happens in the past world is repeated in the present. For example, a male begins to battle the dominant male for power and the same kind of battle for dominance occurs with Dr. Hamiska and Vinny's father. Which goes to show that some things never change.

I had to read the book "A Bone From A Dry Sea" for school and since no one else in my group wanted to read it, I ended up reading it and loving it. The book tells about the adventures of "Li" a girl who lived in Africa 4 million years ago and the story also talks about the life of a girl named "Vinny" who discovers the remains of a dolphin's shoulder blade and who also discovered some of Li's life when she visited her father in Africa.

Loved this book... hard to put down.

"A Bone Fromm A Dry Sea" tells the story of Vinny... and her ancient ancestor Li, who lived millions of years ago. Now, Vinny has found a shoulder blade... the blade of a dolphin that lived long ago

I was never into the science fiction type of literature, but this book was an exception. This is one of the titles I chose to read for a presention in a college literature class (Adolescent Literature). I read the entire book in about two days. I gave this book a high rating because I think that the adolescent age frame would really enjoy reading this novel. It's based on the future perspective of the world and how humans have totally destroyed the living space for animals. It has an unreality twist to the plot also when Eva is in a horrible accident and the only way that her mother and father can save their little girl is to turn her personality over to a chimp's body. With the science fiction twist and the easy understanding of the novel, I would definately encourage teens to read it. It's an interesting story with a good story line to read into. Even if you don't like to read science fiction novels, this certain novel is more than just a science fiction novel, it's a look into the future with a touch of family love and scientist's love for animals.

It's one of the best books I've read in a long time. While being highly entertaining, it addresses important moral issues. Eva is a young teenager whose body has been mangled beyond repair in a terrible car accident. It is assumed that this book takes place in the future, when scientists have highly advanced technology. They can save Eva's mind and soul, by putting in the body of a chimp. Peter Dickenson takes us on a fascinating journey told through the eyes of Eva. You won't be able to put it down.

See the other reviews--Eva has accident, has brain transplant, etc. The plot facts simply don't capture the wonder and horror of this book. I had to stop reading and just gasp when I understood what had been done in the operation--it was a complete surprise to me. Dickinson is like Avi with two extra pounds of creativity in his brain. The portrayal of Eva's developing isolation, her celebrity, her acts to gain freedom, and her passing on of culture to the apes is affecting and novel. I didn't really like the portrayal of the decline of humanity--it was too simplistic and predictable, though perhaps OK in a teen's book with other things going on. I have two other comments: first, think of this as an analogy to puberty/adolescence as some if not most teens go through it--a scary image. Second, see Dickinson's (more) adult mystery The Poison Oracle for an interestingly different perspective on the chimp-human phenomenon.

I'm normally a big fan of the Wrox books. They generally do an excellent job of selecting authors and editors. This book, however, was a huge disappointment for me.

Others have said, "It's full of samples." While this is true, many of the samples are for very obvious functionality, whereas very fundamental and complex functionality ends up getting minimal treatment (an example is the Fill() methods for the Data Adapter). While there's more written explanation of the Fill() methods, it is sorely inadequate and the samples are very basic. I would expect much more coverage and probably even an appendix at the end to cover it in more depth.

For the most part, I find the book no more useful than the SDK documentation and samples that you get for free. For a book with 10 authors, I'd expect a lot more insight and knowledge to be passed on and sadly, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Even for the "Reference" books Wrox does, they normally do a much better job of passing along great insight from the authors. If you need treeware docs for ADO.NET, then I guess this book will do but personally, I'm sticking with the online documentation.

This book is the single most valuable book I bought from WROX in terms of being able to borrow ADO.net code for my application.

ADO.net is the most undocumented are of .net and this book offers hundreds of code samples. The COM Interopability chapter is very good and introduces he obcure Recordset fill and how to use ADOMD from .net!

The Transaction chapter is way too small and incomplete. Another flaw is the fact that the book is supposed to cover VB.net and C# but they were sloppy and it is not a 50/50 split. Often they forget the VB.net samples. You would think their editors could count and make sure all examples come in pairs.

I think it is a great buy but I hope they get all VB.net examples in 2nd edition and a re-orgnization to be more task oriented.

Wrox lists this book as a "Programmer's Reference". In a reference I look for detailed information and code samples demonstrating usage all of which should be more extensive than what can be found in the help files or online API. This book succeeds very well as a reference providing a great deal of information that you will want to have nearby while you are coding. The book starts off with a description of ADO.NET which I found to be the weakest part of the book. This section doesn't quite put all the pieces of ADO.NET together in a meaningful way. The remainder of the book is excellent. Each of the key ADO.NET classes (DataSet, DataReader, DataAdapter, etc.) and their constructors, properties, methods and events are discussed in detail with code samples in both VB.NET and C#. Each key class or concept (data relationships, transactions, XML mapping, etc.) is given a chapter in the book. The explanations are much more useful that what you will find in the online help files. Besides covering SQL and OLE, the book also covers the ODBC classes which are not documented in the help files included with VS.NET. In a reference the index is important and here the index is good although some entries seem to be off a page or two. If you are looking for an in-depth introduction to using ADO.NET you will want to look at other books. If you need a detailed reference book then this should be your first stop.