I thought the book was funny when the witch came and knocked on David's door and said, "I am an expert at testing muffins. The other funny part was when the witch went back to the tree and started to cry because David won't let her have some burnt muffins.

Second in the Rulers of Hylor Trilogy, this gives a very interesting characterization, and has wonderful poetic mythological feel to it.

This book really shows kids what they will have to do when and if they get a pony or a horse!

Opal is a ten yearold girl who found a stray dog in a grocery store and takes care of it and in return he helps her find new friends.

He helps her find Gloria Dump,Otis,Stevie,Dunlap,and Mrs.Franny Block.

Otis was the man that worked in a pet shop.Gloria was the old woman that Stevie and Dunlap called a witch.Stevie and Dunlap were the two Dewberry boys Opal called the bald headed babies.Mrs.Franny Block was the librarian at the Hurman W. Block Memorial Library.Winn dixie helps change Opal's dad from being like a turtle in its shell to being a regular dad. All the adventure starts when Winn Dixie helped India Opal Buloni find new friends after she just moved there from Naomi,Flordia. Opal is a 10 yearoldgirl who found a stray dog in a grocery store and takes care of it and in return he helps her find new friends.Otis the man that runs the pet shop plays his guitar for all the animals after he lets them out of their cages. Gloria lives next to the Dewberry boys. Every day when Opal and Winn Dixie go over there Gloria makes them a peanut butter sand which.Stevie and Dunlapare the two Dewberry boys that call Opal names and called Gloria a witch. Mrs Franny Block is the woman in the stoy that has her own library. Also Winn Dixie helped change Opals dad from being like a turtle in its shell to being not like one. Finally Winn Dixie changes Opal from being lonely to being happy.For more info read Because of win dixie.

It's huge, it's hairy, it's a . . dog named Winn-Dixie. One day a girl named Opal goes to a grocery store for tomatoes, white rice, and macaroni & cheese, but comes back with a dog. Soon Opal finds herself making friends with a librarian, a store owner and a sweet old lady. When Opal reads Gone With the Wind to Gloria Dump (the old lady) she gets a great idea. When Winn-Dixie runs away because of his fear of thunder stores it is up to Opal to find him. I think the author was trying to say don't think you can't do thinks if something is wrong in your life. Because Opal lost her mom and she thought she could not make any friends. But that was only until she found Winn-Dixie. My opinion of the book is it was the best book I have ever read because Opal moved away from her old friends just like I had to. I would recommend this book to the fourth grade reading level and above.

A story soon to be a classic and a must read for anyone who has ever felt lost in the world. This story is about a young girl and her father. India Opal and her father the preacher move to a new town in northern Florida. She has trouble making friends and her father keeps himself emotionally distanced from her. He asks her to go to the grocery store and she goes but comes home with something that wasn't on the list...a dog that she named "Winn-Dixie," and it is because of Winn-Dixie that her life starts to make changes.

This book is an enjoyable read for any age. The author has done a wonderful job of setting the location of where the story is taking place, whom the character's are and gives the reader the feeling of being in the story. The text is not hard to read but some of the dialect could be difficult. There is a bit of understatement in the book that may be hard for younger reads to understand but not enough to discourage reading, the writing style is one that fits the story line.

On a personal level I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt lost in the world and needed a friend. Having grown up moving around in the southern states I truly connected to this book and if nothing else this is a great book about a girl and her dog.

For more than a year after my father died, I felt as if I was going in slow motion, while the world raced past me. Time didn't seem to have done anything to heal me, in fact I was feeling worse. My friends tried to talk to me and help me, but I couldn't hear anything other than my own despair. One of my dear friends, in desperation, gave me a copy of The Grief Recovery Handbook. That simple act of kindness changed my life. In the solitude of my own home, without having to try to feel good so others would think I was okay, I began to read the book. Almost against my own will, I began to take the actions and do the exercises outlined in the book. One of the hardest parts about them, was that they were too easy. I began to realize how much I had been complicating the possibility of recovery by trying to use my head to fix my heart. As the direct result of creating an accurate picture of my entire relationship with my father, and completing what had been unsaid or unfinished, I regained the gratitude I felt toward life, and the energy with which to live it. While I have normal sadness and miss my dad from time to time, I am able to sustain a life of meaning and value, even though he is no longer physically here. What happened for me feels like a miracle, but in reality is the result of the safety and encouragement to take action provided by The Grief Recovery Handbook. I am eternally grateful.

Exceptionally well-written book which helped me through a most difficult time in my life. This book is an incredible gift to someone who is grieving. The authors share their most intimate griefs, thoughts, and outcomes with the reader. The book is easy to read. Could not put it down until I had finished it. I have shared this book with many of my friends and relatives who were experiencing loss and grief in their lives. They, too, have benefited by the wealth of information provided in this book about loss in our lives. The book leaves a reader with a sense of understanding about what and how we grieve. I now carry with me one of the most eye-opening thoughts from this book which is: "we are taught all our lives how to acquire, but never to grieve". How true this is. Once we learn how to go through the process, we can then open our eyes to the world again.

"So much of life depends on how well we deal with the inevitable losses that occur. It is wonderful to know that something as helpful as The Grief Recovery Handbook exists to help those who are dealing with death, divorce, and other losses." Jane Seymour, Award Winning Actress, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

"You don't know me, but you probably knew of my Dad, Michael Landon. I have known and been helped by John W. James and Russell Friedman, in seminars and through the incredible process outlined in The Grief Recovery Handbook. Whether your loss was recent or a long time ago, this book is invaluable in dealing with all of the feelings caused by significant losses of any kind." Leslie Landon Matthews, Ph.D.

"I am familiar with the life affirming work of Russell Friedman and John W. James at The Grief Recovery Institute. I am pleased to recommend theri new book, The Grief Recovery Handbook. While we all know how to grieve, completing the pain caused by loss is essential. This book is the toolkit for recovery." Tom Campbell, United States Congressman.

"The Grief Recovery Handbook is an oasis for anyone who finds themselves wandering in the desert of grief and loss. It is refreshing water to a thirsty soul." Rev. Bob Sands, Hollywood, FL.

"I have referred many congregants to The Grief Recovery Handbook, they have all found it helpful. I will continue to use it in my counseling sessions." Rabbi Mel Glaser, N. Brunswick, NJ

"As the bereavement care director for a mortuary, I find The Grief Recovery Handbook an invaluable resource. One of the strong points of the book is its respect for widely varying religious and professional principles when dealing with unresolved grief issues." Agnes Lestico, Lompoc, CA

The View from the Cherry Tree is mainly about a kid named Robby (Rob) who witnesses a murder while in a Cherry tree inhis yard next door. After a short disagreement someone with large hands shoves the Crabby Mrs. Calloway out the window. Now, with his sisters wedding coming up in a few days and relatives crashing in their house unexpectedly he is trying to convince the police, his parents, and anyone that it wasn't an accident. He is determined to prove that she was murederd. Soon this isn't his only problem. Someone is trying to shut him up from trying to tell anyone the truth. Pots mysteriously "fall" by themselves, almost getting hit by a .22, and his chicken is poisoned. Someone is out to get him. This book has a lot of suspense in it for mystery lovers. I thought it was a very good book because it was well written with lots of detail. If your not very interested in mystery books maybe this one will change your mind. when I read this book in class I couldn't wait till the next day when we would read it again. If you pay close attention you may even find out who the murderer is before Robby. If you like looking for clues and reading mysteries I recommend this book. It's also a really good read aloud for classroom teachers who are looking for a good book. I liked this book.

This book was simply awesome. When you find out who murdered Mrs. Calloway, you'll be amazed. It's wonderfully written. Everyone read this book. Action-packed and fullfilling, it speaks to you. You know the characters. The author makes them come alive. Your imagination will run away WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!

The View from the Cherry Tree
By: Willo Davis Roberts
Reviewed by: Evan Nagayama
Period: 5

The View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts is one book that I have enjoyed reading. The book starts out with a boy named Rob and his sister is getting married. Many people are stopping by his house to help or to visit every day. The regular meals are not served all the time and things are really out of order. Rob gets no attention and he is waiting for things to get back to normal. Rob often sits in a cherry tree where he can see his neighbors' house. The old lady that lives next door is not liked by any one in the neighborhood, because she is extremely mean. One evening, Rob climbs into the tree to relax away from the family and he sees the mean lady in her house. All of a sudden as she leans out to get rid of a cat, she is pushed out by two hands that Rob can not identify. Rob tells a few people that he actually saw a murder while most people think it was an accident, including the police. Soon a pot almost hits him, then he is shot at, and then his food is poisoned. There was a murder and the person knows that Rob has seen the crime and he is after him.

I liked this book because it was interesting to read. The back of the book made me interested in the book and while I read, I looked forward to the exciting part. "Something hit the step between his feet with that a sharp splintering sound. Rob glanced down, frowning, and saw that a bit of the wood had been torn away." This part of the book was when Rob was being shot at, but luckily didn't get hit. In the book, Rob tries to re-create the scene in his mind and find out who the killer is. The problem is that he has made up other stories before that no one will believe him now. Also his family is caught up in the wedding, so that Rob has to find the killer himself.

There was really no reason why I disliked the book, because it was interesting and the story flowed fast enough. Overall I really liked this book and it one that I recommend. As Rob gets closer to the killer, more things seem to happen and he gets desperate to tell someone about what he has seen. He tries to call the police, but even they don't listen, because they think it's a fake call. It kept me reading, because I was wondering how Rob was going to make people listen to him and find the killer before he was killed himself.

My favorite part is in the end where everything is revealed and he is in the ladies house with the murderer. He is trapped in the highest point of the house and the killer is blocking the door. Rob remembers that he has a jar full of spiders in his pocket and he throws it at the man. The man is very scared, but the jar doesn't break and the spiders don't come out. So the jar is kicked aside and the murderer comes closer as Rob backs up to the window. Then Rob picks up a huge black widow from the window sill and throws it at the man. Terrified the man tries to get it off him and Rob runs away as the police arrive to arrest the killer.

This is a small book and my first by Cherry Adair; about Step-siblings. Cat Harris loves Luke, no blood-kin, and wants him to love and notice her as his sister. As Luke turns into the perfect brother for Cat, she discovers she is in love with him. He discovers he is attracted to her and trys to ignore the way he feels so he can be a "perfect" brother. The story is delightful and at times I literally laughed out loud. I fell-in-love with Cat and Luke as they SEAL their fate. And I fell in love with Cherry Adair's sensual,sexy, and warm writing style.

Oh, this was *such* a fun story!

Cherry Adair takes a faintly taboo subject - man/woman love towards your step-siblings - and makes a wonderful and sexy romp!

Cat Harris, daughter of a serial relationship mama, wants a family. A real family. One she gets in spades when her mama marries into the Van Buren family. Her mama doesn't stay married, but Cat remains close to her step dad and step brother. Luke isn't really nice to her and Cat spends years hoping for Luke to turn into a real big brother.

Unfortunately, by the time Luke turns into her dream big brother, she discovers she's helplessly in love with him.

After the death of Luke's father, whom she's been taking care of, Cat decides to join Luke in the "big city" and try to land her a husband - and she decides Luke is going to help her. She figures that Luke will realize she's there...and available...and he'll fall in love with her.

What follows is an absolute delight. And if you can keep from laughing during the opening scene of the book, you have more control than I do!!

Catherine Harris has loved Luke Van Buren since she was six years old, when her mother married his father, and he became her stepbrother. She's been in love with him since she was sixteen. But Luke knows how hurt Cat was by him when they were kids, and he's resolved to make it up to her, and put his desires on hold. But Cat has other ideas, and sets out to seduce him within an inch of her life. Little does she know that Luke doesn't need to be seduced, that he's been in love with her forever. However, a little persuasion can't hurt!
This book had me laughing out loud at some of Cat's antics. The beginning was hilarious. It's also a VERY sexy read. I'd recommend it to anyone!

This is the first book of Ms. Adair's that I have read and I am ready to start the next. I am always thrilled to find an author to put on my 'to read list'. What struck me first about this book was the humor. Marnie has just the right touch with Jake, a definite tough guy-loner. The book reads fast and is packed with just about anything a person might want--humor, action, strong characters, hot sex scenes and good dialogue. I hope Ms. Adair plans to write books on Marnie's brothers, they each sound interesting. There is an excerpt of her next work in the back and after reading it I can only hope it is out already, because I'm hooked.

After reading other favorable reviews of this author/book, I decided to give it a try, and I am so glad that I did!

If you love Linda Howard's secret agents and Suzanne Brockmann's Navy SEALs as much as I do, you should give Cherry Adair a shot. I think she'll hook you just as easily as she did me. She keeps things moving at a brisk pace, writes snappy dialogue, and gives us a strong but sweet hero (in the truest form of the word).

Plenty of adventure, action, humor, and honest affection for these characters. And (yea!) it looks like there could be a few sequels for them to pop up in in the future. I wish Cherry's next book was ready for purchase right now - I'm eagerly looking forward to it, and I will definitely buy anything with her name on the cover!

I love stories where the plot keeps you going, the romance is definitly in the forefront of the novel, and the characters are smart and well thought out.

Cherry Adair delivers all three.

Marnie is a real woman - with real flaws. She's also smart and clever. And head over heels in lust - love?? - with a guy she's just met. So she decides to seduce him. Only... he's not responding quite the way she'd like.

Jake is a romance hero - with romantic flaws. C'mon, let's face it - I don't know about you, but there haven't been too many "Spy Kings of the Universe" in my life :-). Barring that, he's a great hero. External scowl hiding his internal torment.

Jake was betrayed by his first love, and all of his remainding friends are dead. He's not overly trusting, but Marnie has a way of getting thru even his well fortified defenses.

This was a well written book. Lots of twists in the plot to keep you interested. Lots of humor to keep you lauging out loud. Lots of romance to keep you sighing with enjoyment.

A definite keeper!

Casual glancers at the title of this book about the 1912 Scott expedition may automatically assume that it refers to the death of Captain Scott and four of his companions on their return from the South Pole. Instead, "The Worst Journey in the World" was the trip to the Emperor Penguin rookeries undertaken in the middle of the Antarctic winter by Cherry-Garrand, Dr. Wilson, and Lt. Bowers, the latter two of whom would die with Scott on the polar trip. It makes absolutely terrifying reading; the men were not equipped or trained for the rigors of the expedition, and the scientific results from their collection of penguin eggs appear to have been absolutely nil (Shackleton fans will be interested to know that Dr. Eric Marshall suggested such a journey during the 1907-1909 Shackleton expedition, but Shackleton thought the idea was cracked and refused to countenance it). Cherry-Garrand is indeed a bit of a ragged writer, but as a non-heroic account of the Scott expedition (compared to Scott's own journals, written with Posterity in mind and "improved" by J.M. Barrie) this book is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the heroic era of Antarctic exploration.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard has truely given us an epic for exploration and adventure. This book conveys the horror, tragedy, and even ironic humor of Scott's ill-fated last expedition in an extremely eloquent manner.

Cherry-Garrard could not more fairly credit his companions. From the beginning, he is modest and places huge credit on his fellow explorers. In particular, he talks about Bowers, Wilson, and Scott with a sense of awe and immense respect.

The countless horrors of Scott's journey are described graphically, and it was easy to imagine anything from leaping from ice-flow to ice-flow for ours on the depot journey to stumbling upon the dead bodies of his friends. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The Worst Journey was incredibly inspiring. After reading the book, I felt like I could do anything, take on any challenge. The troubles they endured, the lifestyle they adapted to, is mind-numbing. It is difficult to imagine surviving such things.

In the "Winter Journey," one of the most difficult Journey's ever experienced by man, Cherry-Garrard and two other men struggle through the Antarctic Winter to Cape Crozier to obtain Penguin Eggs. They travel in pitch black, around giant crevasses, in frozen clothing, in -70 degree temperatures, and with sleeping bags that take hours to get into. This was the most intense, gripping reading I have ever done.

No matter who you are, you will like The Worst Journey In The World. Fantastic writing, gripping plot, and visual descriptions will keep you glued to the book. And when it's done, you will not want to stop reading.

You cannot read this book without being inspired by the courage of the early Antarctic explorers; you cannot read it without being impressed by the good literary taste of the author; nor can you, after reading this book, fail to have admiration grow in your heart for the self-ignoring author. Cherry-Garrard was a first-rate Antarctic explorer, a first-rate writer, and a first-rate human being. What makes Capt. Robert F. Scott, Dr. Edward Wilson and their fellow explorers particularly admirable is that their chief goal was not fame, but to acquire Scientific Knowledge: it was the interest in the penguins as an important evolution chain that led to the Worst Journey by the three valiant men, and it was, in part, the insistence not to abandon the 30 pounds of specimen (let alone a companion) that eventually resulted in the tragedy of the Polar Journey. Indeed, what a price to pay!

Whereas the book _Endurance_ may have created a "Shackleton mania", it is books of such quality as Cherry-Garrard's book that will have a lasting, lofty place in the history of the exploration literature.

My favorite passage is also the concluding paragraph quoted by some other people, but here I cannot resist sharing with you another one in its entirety (and chuckling one more time), which is certainly a little far from the main subject of the book, but which shows that even in recounting a side episode like this one, Cherry-Garrard surpasses many writers in that he makes memorable, not only the scene, but the words that describe it:

"One day there had been a blizzard, and lying open to the view of all was a deserted nest, a pile of coveted stones. All the surrounding rookery made their way to and fro, each husband acquiring merit, for, after each journey, he gave his wife a stone. This was the plebeian way of doing things; but my friend who stood, ever so unconcerned, upon a rock knew a trick worth two of that: he and his wife who sat so cosily upon the other side.

"The victim was a third penguin. He was without a mate, but this was an opportunity to get one. With all the speed his little legs could compass he ran to and fro, taking stones from the deserted nest, laying them beneath a rock, and hurrying back for more. On that same rock was my friend. When the victim came up with his stone he had his back turned. But as soon as the stone was laid and the other gone for more, he jumped down, seized it with his beak, ran round, gave it to his wife and was back on the rock (with his back turned) before you could say Killer Whale. Every now and then he looked over his shoulder, to see where the next stone might be.

"I watched this for twenty minutes. All that time, and I do not know for how long before, that wretched bird was bringing stone after stone. And there were no stones there. Once he looked puzzled, looked up and swore at the back of my friend on his rock, but immediately he came back, and he never seemed to think he had better stop. It was getting cold and I went away: he was coming for another."

Over and above anything else, the first thing that struck me about James Lee Burke's "Black Cherry Blues" was the quality of the writing. Burke has an incredibly ability to beautifully describe his settings, making small town Louisiana and rural Montana vividly real to the reader. His descriptions are so good that I would often have to suppress the urge to have a late night snack after having my appetite whet when reading about something so basic as what Dave and his daughter made for dinner. Take away the whole suspense/mystery/thriller aspects of this novel, and it would almost still be worth reading just for Burke's descriptive abilities.

The plot itself is the classic "innocent man falsely accused" story. Dave Robicheaux, who is trying to live a quiet, simple life running a boat dock/bait shop and raising his daughter in New Iberia, LA, begrudgingly helps out an old college friend who is involved with some unscrupulous individuals. This leads to a series of events involving ominous threats towards Dave's daughter, Alafair, and culminates in Robicheaux being accused of a murder he didn't commit. The majority of the book takes place after Robicheaux heads to Montana to attempt to clear his name before his trial begins.

Burke seems to take great care in formulating his plot to make sure all his bases are covered. One small thing he did in this book that I really appreciated was to actually attempt to logically explain some of those bizarre coincidences that happen so often in suspense novels that immediately take me out of the novel because they come off as so unrealistic. There is a scene in "Black Cherry Blues" that is reminiscent of many thrillers, where a character is a second of two from having a knife stabbed into his chest, but is saved when somebody "happens" to walk in just at the right time. Many authors just take if for granted the readers will actually buy this, when my usual reaction is "yeah, right". Burke, on the other hand, actually takes this thriller cliche and gives a logical, believable explanation as to why this person knew to be where he was at exactly the right moment. This kind of care is taken throughout the book.

If I were to nitpick I would say that I was sometimes confused by Robicheaux's behavior, in that at times he seemed like someone who genuinely wanted to lead a peaceful life, and then would knowingly behave in a way that would get him into trouble with the wrong people. To be fair, if I had read the previous two Dave Robicheaux novels in the series (and after the quality of "Black Cherry Blues" I fully intend to) perhaps I would have had a better understanding of his character and personality.

This is the third book in the Dave Robicheaux series and, once again, it fairly drips with melancholy as Dave is still gripped with guilt and remorse over the death of his wife. Fortunately, this mood is tempered by his adopted daughter Alafair, who he first took care of in Heaven's Prisoners. She has provided a spark for his affections and has bestowed on him a much needed reason t act more responsibly.

Dave is drawn into danger, which in turn endangers Alafair, after a chance meeting with an old college room-mate named Dixie Lee Pugh, who is now a washed up jazz musician. Dixie Lee feels he is in some trouble after overhearing a couple of men discussing a murder and wants Dave to investigate. He only actually becomes involved after failing to control his temper which lands him in trouble with the law. To get himself out of this trouble he moves temporarily to Montana which is the setting for the bulk of the story. He takes Alafair with him rather than leaving her with his relatives, underlining his new found sense of responsibility.

James Lee Burke does a wonderful job of capturing the mood of a setting and incorporating it into the story. The Louisiana setting of this and his earlier books proved his affinity with the area with special highlights given to the cuisine. A new facet was uncovered be his wondrous descriptions of the Bitterroot Valley and surrounding locales in Montana.

Having now read the first three books in the Dave Robicheaux series I've found that my appetite for more has been whetted. His forthright style and general toughness in the face of adversity makes him a character who is easy to cheer for.

Burke comes through again with Black Cherry Blues. This is the third Robicheaux book I have read. They all have been good. Dave is running for his life, he is to go to trial for a murder he did not commit. This takes him from the bayou to Montana. He deals with Sal Dio. A crazy man if there ever was one. Burke reveles more of Daves inter-thoughts. He shows a strong belief in God in this book. Burke can make you feel like you are there. The bad guys are after Daves little girl which is bad news for them. Clete shows back up in this book, is a friend again to Robicheaux. Dixie Lee Pugh also shows, a good old country boy from long ago. Burke weaves the people through their paces and make a very good story.