This is a story about a little girl named Stacy and her family. Stacy is excited for the birth of her new baby sister Ashley. However she has mixed feelings when the baby starts getting more attention from Stacy's parents then she is. Soon Stacy realizes that she wants to be a good sister and she cannot wait until little Ashley gets old enough to really play with. Sadly one morning Stacy wakes up to a crying. When Stacy goes into her parents' room she is told that Ashley had died that night from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Her parents try to comfort her when she thinks that she may have been responsible for her little sisters death or that SIDS is contagious.
I believe that the author did such a wonderful job in telling a story of a common occurrence with babies, as well as helping children to understand SIDS with a little description in the back of the book. The pictures and the story are just so touching that it would be so easily explained to a young child what Sudden Infant Death Syndrome actually is. If any child has ever lost a brother or a sister to SIDS the author does a great job of explaining that it is not their fault no matter how they felt about the baby.
I loved this book mainly because of the story. I was so sad when I read this book and then I thought of all the little kids and parents could really appreciate this book if they had lost a sibling to SIDS. I have never experienced a loss like Stacy and her family but after reading this book I have a little bit more of an understanding and sympathy.

This is a book about a family and it is based on the little girl of the family, Stacy. Her mom has a new baby and Stacy is jealous of her little sister. She wants all the attention from her parent's back. Eventually she decides that she wants to be a good big sister and wants to start playing with her baby sister. She realizes that her parents haven't forgotten all about her after all. One morning she wakes up to crying and she knows it's not her sister crying. She going into her parents room to see them crying. Her baby sitter had died during the night of sudden infant death syndrome. Everyone missed the baby so much including Stacy.
I liked this book cause it really told how little kids act like when they do get a new sibling. They do tend to be jealous and feel left out because the baby gets all the attention. I also like this story because it has a different twist to it. It is tragic the baby dies but it does happen and I think that it is good to have books to explain to little kids about things like this. It had great, very realistic pictures that really followed a long with the story.
I think the author was trying to get across the point that things like this happen but in a way children can understand it. I don't think children should be blocked off from bad things that could happen to anyone and this story really seems to get that point across. It also seems to say something about cherishing the time you have with someone because you never know when he or she might not just be there.

I bought this book for my son after his sister died of SIDS. He is only 2 1/2, and still doesn't grasp the concept of death, but I think it's a good book, and am glad that I will have it to show him, when he does begin to understand.

I have tried for several years to find this book, and finally found it through Amazon. I had this book when I was 5 years old, I am now 48. I remember the fabulous stories and the vividly colored and illustrated pictures to the stories. It is no longer in print, used is the only way to attain it. The book I received is in great condition and I could not beleive my eyes when I opened the delivery package and saw the book. So many memories flashed back to me of my parents reading me this book. I don't know what happened to my original book, I will never lose track of this one.

This is absolutely the BEST collection of stories for children. The illustrations are numerous, colorful, and splendid. The stories are truly ones that "never grow old" and are of great interest to both the child being read to and the adult who is doing the reading. I received this book as a child, have read it to my three sons as they grew up, and am now reading it to my six grandchildren - all of whom have enjoyed it immensely!

A classic children's book that no child should grow up without. Pictures are colorful and stories well told - short enough to hold a child's interest but not long enough to make the child or the adult squirm. It was one of my favorites growing up in the 50's and again as I read it to my children in the 70's. This book is a wonderful gift from a favorite Aunt.

This translation of the oral epic of Sundiata, the founder of the Mali nation, is African history at it's most entertaining. In 1995, while a college student, I managed to finish this one nght at a laundromat. A real page-turner and example of good history combined with good storytelling. Go for it. BTW-when you finish it, note the similarities between this and Disney's "The Lion King." Hmmmmmmmmmmm........

It is amazing how the author re-discovered such a far-away subject, revitalizing it and bringing it back to our days and our society, in a way that will be fascinating and enjoyable for the average reader. Had it not been for the book, who would ever hope to find such fascinating epic in the tradition of old Mali ? The author did a great job in finding this, and putting it down on paper for posterity.

Read the 84 pages of this text, and you've read a fine piece of West African literature remembered by poets since the 1300's. Read the eleven pages of Niane's insightful notes following this, and you've taken a crash course in the West African tribal/clan system. This epic seeks to explain the creation of the Malian empire of Timbuktu fame. Sundiata's legendary rise to power is presented chapter by chapter, in a fashion that can seem somewhat episodic at times, lending to the book's strong sense of oral tradition. Oral tradition is even defended in this text, with a brief, though thorough lambast of "Other peoples [who] use writing to record the past..."

In addition to its celebration of the adventures and eventual triumph of Sundiata, the book also tracks the adventures of Balla Fasséké, griot (royal poet) to Sundiata. As with many oral traditions from many cultures, a king without a poet to celebrate his triumphs is not much of a king. So their joint adventure, and sharing of duties, is emphasized.

Other side glimpses of West African culture provided (though not emphasized) in the text include: Islamic influences, women's social status, African society before the European invasion, West African sorcery.

In comparison to The Odyssey, this book will fall short for sheer reading pleasure. But it easily outstrips The Song of Roland, Gilgamesh, and The Tale of Kieu, and many another micro-sized epic. Roughly speaking, the epic Sundiata is what Beowulf would be if Beowulf the hero had any kind of human weakness or warmth or personality. Sundiata's conception, troubled childhood, young manhood, his dependence upon others for success, even his moment of confusion on the battlefield---all of this leads the reader to the obvious conclusion that greatness has less to do with one's ability to kill, and more to do with one's ability to remain hopeful in the face of adversity. Sundiata is a fitting hero for Africans, the African diaspora, and for anyone of any culture who is ready to see greatness drawn in human proportions.

Levy presents a well-articulated, easily read treatment of the Tabernacle of Moses, its furnishings, utensils, services and priestly clothing and functions. A great book to read to see how God was foreshadowing His Son, Jesus, well before His incarnation. Levy clearly ties together Old Testament practices & theology, which we often ignore, and New Testament beliefs. I would recommend this to anyone interested in understanding: (a) more about the Tabernacle itself, (b) a deeper insight into Jewish practices and their foundations, (c) a fuller and richer understanding of God's plan of redemption and atonement, sanctification and regeneration, worship and communication with God.

This is a wonderful book. I can't put it down. It has great detail and is easy to read. A great study tool.
I love it.

Easy to read and understand. Material flows easily making the book hard to put down. Very informative and shows how every part of the tabernacle had a prophetic, redemptive and typical significance. A treasure to own and study over and over again.

This book is way over the top. The funniest book I've ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a great read. Without spoiling it for anyone, this Rocky character should have her own television show. She comes up with comments that just blew me out of the water. Methane Madness was my favorite chapter. Right after that is the Attack of The Renegade Gophers. Man, I hope she does a follow up for this book.

I have the e-book of this and enjoyed it very much. It is both funny and I found it hard to stop reading it. I hope others will also feel the same way about this book as I do. A good buy and a great read. This is from a new author and in my opinion is one of the best and deserves the proper reconigtion that goes along with any successfull book. Again I hope all that buy this enjoys it as much as I have.

I found this book to be funny and hard to but down. I hope all those that read enjoy it as much as I did.

Civil War writers, researchers, and buffs will find a valuable source about actual Confederate troop strength in Steven Newton's book. Newton's theme is that the claim that the Confederate Army lost in the battles of 1864 due to serious manpower attrition is false. He proceeds to show, army-by-army, department-by-department that the Confederates largely made good their losses in the great battles of 1863 and started the 1864 Campaigns with roughly the same manpower levels that they enjoyed at their high water mark the previous year.

Here we get a detailed look at the Confederate Army's manpower in all its component armies, departments and commands. A descriptive narrative and new order of battle, based on the latest information and research, is provided for each organization. Newton's review of troop recruiting and movements within and between commands provides valuable background for perspective writers on Confederate grand strategy.

Newton contends that the South lost, at least in large part, due to the poor use and allocation of its troops rather than a lack of men. His case is, in considerable measure, persuasive. His orders of battle, narratives and statistics show where the troops could be found which, when added together, gave Southern commanders approximately the same number of men that they had in 1863. William Marvel, in his recent "Lee's Last Retreat" takes a similar position by showing that the Confederate troop shortage during the Appomattox Campaign was less than has been believed before.

However, it seems that Newton sometimes reached his totals by including assorted collections of backwater troops that would have been of doubtful value in major operations. He fails to sufficiently acknowledge that his 1864 troop counts for the first line armies were often achieved only through the replacement of the high quality veterans lost in 1863 with green recruits and home guard type troops from the Confederacy's interior. I believe that in this sense, the Confederacy did suffer from attrition. Notwithstanding these criticisms, reluctantly made, Newton has provided Confederate military scholars with a wonderful resource. Don't expect dramatic accounts of battles here. But within its specialty it is packed with valuable and interesting information about troop strengths in the various areas and commands of the South. The highly detailed order of battle section, about 175 pages long, alone justifies the price of this book. Readers wanting to learn more about the state of Confederate manpower in the latter part of the war should not miss this book.

Now in a newly revised edition (copyright 2000) incorporating additional details discovered about the titular fight, Jerry Keenan's The Wagon Box Fight: An Episode Of Red Cloud's War is a complex historical analysis of a singularly crucial wartime battle. With black and white photographs, diagrams, exhaustive notes, a bibliography of primary sources and an index, The Wagon Box Fight spares no resource in its in-depth analysis. Very highly recommended for historical recreationists, 19th century military buffs, Native American studies, western historians, or anyone with a keen interest in the juncture of American history that formed the background for "Red Cloud's War".

Keenan does an outstanding job of defining this epic fight during the Indian Wars. His ability to blend the story factually with accounts from participants and archology makes for fascinating reading and will be a book one keeps for further reference. One should have this book in hand when he/she visits the sight/monument.

While only a brief moment in the half century of Indian Wars--it proved the value of breech loading rifles to the US Army as a means to counter being outnumbered during battle. The same senario worked at Beecher Island and didn't work on the Little Big Horn when the Army's Indian opponents had acquired a higher ratio of repeating arms than in the past.

Highly recommended book!!!!

the old pictures are fist class and this book belongs on the den table for all to see.

Pure and simple and beautiful and well writen and and good book. Don't miss a rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming of Age" by: Vedrine

Any avid fan of the Harley motorcycle will make This Old Harley a part of their collection: it provides a history and tribute to the motorcycle, gathers the stories and legends surrounding it, and charts its rise to transportation fame. Evel Knievel, Allan Girdler and more contribute to this colorful tribute album.

Finally a book for all levels. This book is written in a step-by-step style that everyone can appreciate. It explains not only what to do, but exactly how to do it. This book covers everything you will need to train your colt, from the time it's born until the real work begins. You begin to truly think like a horse! Excellent book.

Laurie is one of the most common-sense authors I've come across. Her down to earth style and easy to understand methods helped me to quickly solve problems with my filly. My filly as a three year old is better mannered than most seniors. I attribute it much of her attitude to the techniques I gained from this book.

I've been thru several books on training a young horse, and this was by far the best. The other books seemed to be too complex, working more on the advanced training of dressage, etc-glossing over the basics of training. This book didn't, it covered everything step-by-step, telling you what to look for and explaining each step so you could see it in your mind. Also, there are photographs that help you visualize what you are looking for. I read the whole book in one sitting, and even though my horse is 3 years old, I realized that there were things I had missed in his training that will help me now and in the future. I have been racking my brains trying to find something to explain how to teach him to 'steer', and every book I read pretty much skipped this step. I've been around horses all my life, but they were already trained to the point of being 'bomb-proof', nothing fazed them. I'm training this one from a yearling, and didn't have any idea where to start. My thanks to the author for writing this book-it is definately worth every penny!

In Tobias, Wisconsin, Max Trevetti gives away his sister Annette in marriage (see THE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY). Max has mixed emotions as he raised his younger sibling following the death of their mother yet knows her husband Steve is perfect for his little Annette.

At the gala, Max talks with his sister's best friend and former business partner Suz Grant. To his shock, he thinks the little girl is beautiful and when she drives him home as he consumed a bit too much alcohol, he cannot stop himself from kissing her. With their successful business recently sold, Suz plans to stay in town awhile until she decides what she wants to do next. As she begins to help Max with his construction business while he recovers from a broken wrist, he falls in love with her, a feeling she has secretly had for him for years. While Suz must persuade her beloved she is an adult, Max must convince himself that he is good for the woman he loves.

The second tale in Patricia McLinn's "Something Old, Something New" is a charming old fashioned contemporary romance that the audience will like because the lead couple are nice everyday people who deserve a loving relationship (like everyone does). Readers will especially be pleased that Max has found love. Several key support players provide the means to understand the motives of the stars, especially that of the male protagonist. Though somewhat simplistic, fans will relax with this warm loving tale.

Harriet Klausner

Sometimes this book drags on too long. Ultimately though, the characters are likeable and I can relate to them. Crushes from youth always add a nice undercurrent and secondary characters add levity.

For years Max Trevetti has treated his sister's friend Suzanna Grant as just another younger sister. But her return to Tobias, Wisconsin for his sister Annette's wedding leaves Max determined to fight his growing attraction. When a bit too much celebrating lowers inhibitions, Max suddenly sees Suz in her dynamite red dress. Suz does not leave town quickly, however, and Max soon finds himself confronting not only his feelings, but his own self-limitations.

Suz and Max's sister Annette recently sold their joint business, leaving her life suddenly without direction. Unwilling to yield to family pressure to return to her hometown, Suz takes over Annette's responsibilities as Max's assistant while he is overseeing major renovations on a historical landmark. Yet her lack of self-confidence leaves Max determined to bolster her self-image. Neither Suz nor Max, however, are prepared for the consequences of their mutual concern for the other.

New discoveries and life-altering decisions aid an growing romance in the "Something New" part of Patricia McLinn's wonderful miniseries. Once again McLinn demonstrates a dazzling gift for bringing together ordinary, and yet unforgettable characters in an endearing story readers will treasure. Picking up where THE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY concludes, THE UNEXPECTED WEDDING GUEST begins with an unexpected yielding of inhibitions that allows passion to grow into something extraordinary. A heart-warming tale, THE UNEXPECTED WEDDING GUEST comes highly recommended.

I have read Very Old Bones and thought that the theme is true to life. Many people look at their ancestors to discover something of themselves. I found the narration interesting using Orson Purcell, the illegimate child of Peter Phelan to portray the Phelan family. I have also read Ironweed and found that some of my questions about protagonist Francis Phelan (in Ironweed) answered or more informative anyway. Enjoyed both books. I love Kennedy's style.

One of my favorite books. Reads like an old friend. It is a thrill to read his Albany series, as the books relate to each other. Just like a family conversation, one sentance may relate to a person or event from a previous book in which you know the whole story. Read this one first, then any of the others.

William Kennedy is one of America's best living writers. This is far away his best book. Although it shares characters and events with other books in Kennedy's 'Albany Series', its not necessary to have read any of Kennedy's previous work to enjoy Very Old Bones. Kennedy's greatest skill is in his dialogue. He allows his characters to speak for themselves, rather than mouth his own intentions. As a result, his work gives wonderful insight into one family, one city, and one point in time. Despite the fact that his most recent work, The Flaming Corsage, was a waste of paper, Kennedy will one day be the deserving winner of a Nobel Prize. After reading Very Old Bones go back and read the jury's commentary on the Nobel Prize given to John Steinbeck. Their words could just as easily been written about Kennedy. His is a fine American voice.