This magazine style paperback book was recommended to me long after I knew the basics of flyfishing, so I didn't expect to learn much. I was lured in by its price, but very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the content. The author cuts through the bull normally found in fly fishing instruction books and gets to the meat of the topics. Quick. He includes wonderful, humurous illustrations to enhance the reader's learning. This is one book I can say should be read early on by anyone interested in learning flyfishing.

I got my first copy in approximately 1979 and have gotten copies for my daughters since. Anderson presents essential information in a well though out, logical, and entertaining fashion. A must-read for anyone getting into fly fishing, as well as a good refresher for those with some experience. Contrary to what some would have you believe, fly fishing can be a simple and straight-forward sport; this book makes that clear.

The Curtis Creek Manifesto was the first fly fishing book that I could read and truly understand. It is filled with simple illustrations and descriptions that make getting off the ground with fly fishing a breeze. so many other books that I tried to read were filled with tech talk and jargon that confused and frustrated me. I believe that this book saved my trip to Colorado and my first fly fishing experience two years ago. I have reccomended it to all of my fishing buddies and I continue to use it even now.

I read this book years ago, about 1964. It has been an all-time favorite. Beautifully written. Anyone who reads this book is going to love George the Stegosaurus and his two friends, Joey and Joan, the children who found him. This is a wonderful book to read to your older children, age 10 more or less. I suggest we all read this book again for old-times sake!! Enjoy.

By Christie Schultz I'm currently looking for titles by an author that I remember with fondness from my own childhood. I am a teacher, and have been trying to find them for my students, and my own son. E.S. Lampman wrote not only about Native Americans, but about fantasy worlds which put science fiction effectively into the hands of young people. The first two are the "Shy Stegosaurus" books. I found one of them listed and it is "hard to find"; the first is "The Shy Stegosaurus of Indian Springs". It's about a stegosaurus which not unreasonably has a weird liking for bananas (the more ripe, the better), and at some point it is labled as an Indian spirit by the local Native American Shaman. You're right, it's a great story! The second book is "The Shy Stegosaurous of Cricket Creek", the story line of which I forget other than a brother and sister find the last living dinosaur, and it can talk to them. The children are out riding horses in the canyon, and suddenly they see the rock face move...the dinosaur has to live near a mineral spring to survive.... Lampman effectively uses biological concepts like natural camoflage of animals as plot devices, makes reasonable guesses about their dietary needs, and as well she shows an effective grasp of Native American cultural issues. One of her later sci-fi books, "Rusty's Spaceship", was pure fantasy with the weird visits to various planets in the solar system, but it is such a ripping good story that questionable science facts become immaterial! (Jules Verne wasn't accurate either, but he's still in print!). In fact, reading it as an adult, I see it for what it is, the book is a child's dream of what might really be on Jupiter (creatures made of gas bags) or on Mars (armies of flying ants) or how it might be to take your homemade spaceship into space. Another title by this author is "City Under the Back Steps", and it's a precursor to "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and a semi-steal from L.F Baum's "Policeman Bluejay" (another rarity from 1910 or so). Storyline: two children are bitten by the Queen ant and shrink down to ant size....and learn a good deal about the life of a hive of ants. Lampman had a very pithy sense of humor I thought at the time, and I enjoyed these books, and others by her, very much as a child. I wish they were around for youngsters today.

What's amazing is that there are five other reviews here of this obscure children's book, which has to be almost 40 years old. One reviewer here recalls reading the book back in 1964, which is about the year I would have read it. And we all seem to have fond memories of reading this delightful book. This story about George the shy stegosaurus was one of the most entertaining children's books I (and apparently, all the other reviewers here, too) ever read, which, from the title, you might think we were all nuts. But back in the early 60's this was state-of-the-art for children's books, and it really was a great little book. It skillfully integrated a dinosaur theme with the story of the curious little brother and sister who discovered his hideaway, and things take off from there. I understand there are occasional rare, used copies available--but unfortunately they're not cheap.

Lampman also wrote several other books, Rusty's Spaceship, one other shy stegosaurus book, The Shy Stegosaurus of Indian Springs, and The World Under the Back Steps. Rusty's Spaceship was another one of my favorites. In this book, Rusty and his alien friend, Tipia, go gallivanting around the solar system, having various adventures, before returning to earth, where they have a few more in their invisible spaceship.

All these are great books for your kids. If you can find reasonably priced used copies, they're all worth picking up.

This book is short and a quick read, but you need to take your time to absorb the story, eventhough it's very tragic sad story of the only life this 10 year old little girl knew growing up in poverty with her mother and abusive stepfather. Lori Jeans young eyes witnesses her mother's sadness and bruises from the man her mother marries after Lori Jeans own father abandons her. This little girl tries hard to lead her stepfather down a better road. This story involves murder, incest, alcholism, wife & child abuse, poverty (beyond words), abortion, and so much more. But this story also involves love, deep friendship, mentorship, understanding, and most of all....forgiveness
I usually feel a little sad after a book like this, but this book leaves the reader thinking about forgiveness.
This book is exceptional. It's not just fiction, it's a book that makes you realize that others act the way they do because of the life they have lived......but it's not an excuse, only a fact. This author has done a tremendously good job with this storyline.
Don't miss the chance to read and think about this book. This book is terrific.

From the moment Lori Jean begins her story, with "The morning I died it rained. . .", I wasn't able to put it down. Read it and laugh, read it and weep. A most special story. An unforgettable child.
Lori Jean taps into your memories and never lets go. You might think it's a book for women. You may think it's a book for a friend. I think it's just right for anyone who survived childhood.

Not since Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird have I been so taken with a character. Lori Jean's perspective on life in l950's rural Georgia is as delightful as it is sad. She climbs into your heart and stays in your head. A mesmerizing tale of family dysfunction and where it can lead. I wager you will read this book in one sitting and I bet I win. This book was released a year before The Lovely Bones (which I also enjoyed, though it's a darker tale) Sorry I didn't spot Roseflower Creek sooner. It deserves to be "out there".

What? No teepees or war paint? Bravo! Cynthia Leitich Smith's JINGLE DANCER is a refreshing story about a Muscogee-Ojibway girl wanting to participate in a powwow by performing a traditional dance. This contemporary picture book story is free of the stereotypes sometimes associated with Native American tales, and instead shows Jenna watching her grandma dance on a video tape, visiting a friend in a new duplex in the community, and talking with her lawyer aunt. The reader is also introduced to information about a traditional story, game, foods, and dance. Smith's lyrical narrative and captivating story makes this a perfect read-a-loud -- as my five-year-old daughter will attest to. As an Asian-American, I'm always thrilled to see contemporary stories with multicultural characters shown in real and positive ways.

Beautiful illustrations by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu!

Until very recently, there were no large press picture books about contemporary Native children written by Indian authors. For this reason, Jingle Dancer is particularly notable. The story of Jenna, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation living with her family in Oklahoma, is written by a Native author. Rather than focusing exclusively on Jenna's Indian identity, however, the book presents Jenna as an average American kid, living in suburbia, who calls on her Native sensibilities and her broad community of supportive females to overcome a problem as she tries to put together her regalia for the Jingle Dance. Readers who are not familiar with the customs presented here will learn much, but above all, they will learn that Indian children are alive, well, and living rich lives amongst them, a lesson infrequently taught, and rarely so pleasantly. Rich, bright, cheerful watercolor illustrations by husband-and-wife team Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu enhance the presentation and bring Jenna to life. A significantly informative Author's Note and Glossary make the book even more effective.

Cynthia Leitich Smith's, JINGLE DANCER, is a delightful book. Ms. Smith weaves a lovely story of the strong female ties in Native Ameicans matriarchal societies. Smith celebrates the loving, sharing spirit of friends and families. The passages of Jenna dancing through her day from dawn to moonlight are pure poetry. Cornelius Van Wright's and Ying-Hwa Hu's bright lively illustration are a perfect match. Cynthia Leitich Smith's writing is to be applauded as a great addition to the world of children's books.

Cross Creek is located just south of Gainesville, Florida, and in spite of the urban sprawl the community is today almost as isolated as it was in 1928, when Marjorie Kennan Rawlings and her first husband Charles Rawlings purchased a farm house and citrus grove in the area. At the time of the purchase, Rawlings was a failed novelist in a bad marriage, and both farm house and grove were neglected. A decade later she was a respected writer on the eve of her most popular novel and happily divorced, and the farm and its citrus groves were very much going concerns.

Rawlings would eventually remarry, and both her second marriage and her literary success would gradually lead her away from both her farm and the Cross Creek community--but she would never leave them entirely, always returning for the inspiration that fed her best works. The property was still in her possession and still in use as both a citrus grove and occasional residence at the time of her sudden death of cerebral hemorrhage in 1953. Rawlings left the it to the University of Florida, and in 1970 the property was turned over to the State of Florida for restoration and management. Restoration was completed in 1996, and while the large citrus grove that once surrounded the farm house has been reduced to a representative portion, visitors can now see the property as it existed in the 1930s and 1940s.

Although Rawlings won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel THE YEARLING and would publish several other novels and short story collections, today her literary reputation rests largely on the book CROSS CREEK, in which she details both her own struggle on the land the lives of the community as she knew it during the 1930s. While the book is clearly autobiographical, it is not autobiography per se; she gives little attention to her personal history, preferring to focus instead on the landscape and the individuals that surround her. The stories she offers are by turns funny, sad, thoughtful, each informed by an intensely felt observation of her environment. And while critics may accuse her of having been excessively sentimental in her fiction, no such sentimentality besets this particular work. It is brilliant from start to finish.

CROSS CREEK was published in 1942, and while it is very much of its era in its depiction of rural society and racial considerations, it also proved very much ahead of its time. It is profoundly concerned with ecology long before the term was popularized, and not only are its characters vividly alive, they move against a landscape that is as alive as they, a landscape that at once harsh and nurturing, at once giving and indifferent, and throughout the text (and most particularly in its final chapter) Rawlings repeatedly takes the point of view that we are not the owners of the earth, but its trustees; its care is in our hands.

I have read CROSS CREEK several times, and I returned to it in the wake of a visit to the Rawlings farm in 2003--and while it is not necessary to actually visit Cross Creek in order to fall in love with this book, they each inform the other. The book is somewhat obscure; the community of Cross Creek is difficult to find on the map and awkward to reach, hardly a place you would stumble upon by accident. It must be reached in deliberation. The guide at the Rawlings farm told me that in spite of this they received some forty thousand visitors from around the world each year--visitors drawn by the power of Rawlings' work and a determination to share in the environment she so loved. That is both testament and recommendation enough.

--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

Cross Creek is one of the finest memoirs ever written, filled with the grace and beauty of fine writing from one of America's greatest writers, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Perhaps no other writer has so perfectly and honestly captured a place and time like Rawlings did in Cross Creek. It will transport you to that small acreage of backwoods Florida and cause you to wish for a life such as this.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings purchased a seventy-two acre orange grove in this remote area and fled her aristocratic life in the city to perfect her craft and get published. It is here all her beloved books would be born, including this memoir covering the years of hardships and beauty at the creek. Rawlings herself would become a part of the earth and land as she was reborn here in Cross Creek and would leave behind literary achievements such as South Moon Under, Golden Apples, When the Whipporwll, Cross Creek Cookery, and of course, her Pulitzer winner, The Yearling.

Her close relationships with her neighbors at the creek, both black and white, are told with humor and humanity. Their lives were often filled with hardships but serenity as well, for all of them had chosen to live this kind of life rather than conform to society. Especially poignant are Rawlings's observations of a young destitute (even for the creek) couple who would be portrayed so movingly in her short story, Jacob's Ladder.

Rawlings's recollections of her friendship with Moe and his daughter Mary, who was his reason for living and the only one in his family, including his wife, who cared when he came or went, are told with such beauty we feel pain ourselves when he takes his last breath at the creek. Her deep friendships over the years with Tom and Old Martha are told with humor, honesty and a gift for description few have ever had. Tinged with sadness is Rawlings's relationship both as employer and friend to 'Geechee. Rawlings would attempt to help her to no avail as this sweet personality slowly became an unemployable alcoholic, her mistreatment at the hands of a womanizer unworthy of her love at the heart of her problem. It is perhaps at the bottom of a few bitter comments from Rawlins.

But Cross Creek is about the earth and our relationship to it. When we stray from it we become less because it is a part of us. Rawlings came to believe over time that when we lose this connection to the earth, we lose a part of ourselves. The great and wondrous beauty of nature, from magnolia blossoms and rare herbs to Hayden mangos and papaya, are as much a part of this memoir as the people. Particularly hilarious are Rawlings's descriptions of a 'pet' racoon of mischievious nature and such cantankerous disposition as to almost seem human. Rawlings's world at the creek is perhaps her legacy, a gift given to the reader we can never forget.

In order to enjoy this memoir, however, one must read the entire book, taking into consideration a number of factors. Published in 1942 and covering many years prior in a backwoods area of Florida, at a time when racial equality was a distant dream, some may be offended by Rawlings's casual, though never mean spirited observations. Rawlings honestly relates actual conversations from this time and place between blacks and whites, and blacks to other blacks. Rawlings treated everyone fairly but a long string of farmhands prone to drink and violence, including the one who would destroy her friend and employee 'Geechee, prompted her to lump an entire race into one group, her friends at the creek being exceptions.

Her thoughts on the matter, which are included in one of the 23 chapters, do not really fit in with the rest of this memoir. Having first read this over twenty years ago I did not recall it, and it certainly gave me pause. It is only proof, that even someone as intelligent and literate as Rawlings, can intellectualize a misguided view until it sounds right. Taking everything into consideration I do not feel it should keep anyone from reading this most beautiful and heartwarming of memoirs. But others may feel differently, and have a right to do so.

Rawlings's graceful prose, whether describing a chorus of frogs singing at night as a Brahms waltz, the scent of hibiscus drifting through the air at dusk, or a myraid of dishes meticulously prepared and labored over for hours, is delightful and unforgettable. Cross Creek will make you hungry for succulent fruits, cornbread an hot biscuits with wild plum jelly, and most of all, life. Reading this lovingly written memoir will leave you with a wistful desire to walk away from society as Rawlings did and live the life we crave in our very being, even if it is not possible, and can only be lived in our hearts.....

"Cross Creek belongs to the wind and the rain, to the sun and the seasons, to the cosmic secrecy of seed, and beyond all, to time."
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
(1896-1953)

As a native Floridian (although transplanted now to South Carolina), I have found the works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to be a welcomed homecoming and a delightful insight into the "frontier" Florida life of the 1930s and '40s. Rawlings' words are timeless because they animate a timeless period in Florida history--when things were still largely rural, natural, and undisturbed by capital investment and the tourism boon of the last thirty-plus years. "Cross Creek," moreover, is the perfect introduction to Rawlings for the uninitiated, a moving narrative of her life and career amid the backwoods and streams of a bygone Florida. Yet "Cross Creek" is not simply an autobiography; it is a lavish tale in itself. I highly recommend it.

I also suggest the motion picture version of "Cross Creek," starring Mary Steenburgen and Peter Coyote (1982?). It has recently been re-released, so you should be able to find a copy easily. The movie is perhaps "even better" than the book, with its stunning cinematography of the natural beauties of Florida woods, creeks, rivers, and swamps. It stays fairly true to the book, as well, and Steenburgen and Coyote are endearing as Rawlings and Norton Baskin. Rip Torn is another wonderful addition to the cast.

Pick both of these up today!

Laura was a nine year old girl who had dark brown hair and eyes. She lived in the prairie of Minnesota with Ma, Pa, Mary, Carrie and her pet bulldog,Jack. Laura's family worked very hard in their everyday life. Pa would tend the garden,Ma would do the house work,and Mary and Laura would help after they came from school. Sometimes storms struck the prairie and it was devastating. The author,Laura Ingalls Wilder, wanted to let people know about pioneer times. On the Banks of Plum Creek is a very well written book,it made me feel as if I was part of the story.

Laura and her family have moved to a small farm near Walnut Grove in Minnesota. They will have to adapt to Minnesota, the sod house, and a lot more. Laura Ingalls is a seven year old girl who loves to explore the creek, and is daddies little angel. Laura lives with her Ma, Pa , her two sisters Marry and Carrie, and their loyal companion and bulldog Jack. Pa goes out to get lumber and builds a beautiful new house with windows and he farms wheat to earn money. One day Pa said that in a couple weeks the wheat would soon be ready to pick. Then they see this peculiar sparkling cloud that filled the sky. Shortly after countless numbers of grasshoppers cover the field, the creek, and the rest of the farm, including Laura and her family. The grasshoppers consumed every plant including the wheat that Pa worked so hard to grow.
Mary and Laura start to go to school and on their first day they met many friends and some foes. one of their rivals was named Nellie who had a party and invited all the girls from school. Nellie was very rude and very cruel to Mary and Laura. Laura decided to have a party as well, and invited all the girls from school. Laura invites Nellie particulary to get back at her, and boy did she do a clever and a funny prank on Nellie. Then the Ingalls experienced blizzards, storms, and prairie fires which were very devastating. After all the work the family put into the farm and the wheat, their work finally payed off.
This book had lots of surprising, unpredictable, and very exciting events. If I could rate this book on a scale of one through ten, I would give this book a ten. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down, because I was so hooked on it. This book is fantastic and is great for every age, and great for every age, and should be enjoyed by everyone. If your looking for a great book that will excite, delight, suprise, and grasp your attention, On the Banks of Plum Creek is just the book your looking for.

A very exciting book
Everything is going great at Plum Creek. Pa makes a new house out of wood and it has glass windows. a will pay for the wood with the money from their first wheat crop. One day a huge cloud covers the praire and grasshoppers fall from it. Laura is very exciting and daring while Mary is more ladylike than Laura is. Pa and Ma are very loving parents. Read this book to find out what happens next. This is a very catching book. Once you turn the page you'll never want to stop reading it. I liked this book because after every chapter you just want to keep going. I also liked thes book because it told what real people had to go through. The characters do amazing things. I would rate this book from one to five a six. The age group for this book I think is 8 and up. I hope you read this book!

One of the best books I have ever read is The Stones of Mourning Creek. It is a fantastic tale of mystery and friendship. Let me tell you about it.
Fourteen year old Francie Grove lives in Spring Gap, Alabama in 1966. When her mama dies, she and her daddy are overcome by sorrow, but they deal with it in different ways. Mr. Grove goes out at night and drinks, while Francie becomes friends with a girl named Ruthie, and talks to her about her troubles.
Ruthie rescued Francie after being bit by a snake, and this incident was what brought them together. There is only one problem. Francie is white, and Ruthie is black. It isn't easy to stay friends in this segregated time, but nothing can separate them. Francie and Ruthie together go through a lot of the things girls today do, such as bullies at school, family troubles, and crushes on boys. The stones of the creek represent the relationship of these two girls, since Ruthie made bracelets of the rocks for each of them.
As time goes along, Francie suspects that Mama's death was no accident. Little does she know it, but Ruthie holds the secret to discovering what happened to Francie's mother.
This is an extremely emotional book. You will laugh and cry when you read it.

I think this is a wonderful book for all ages. Diane Les Becquets is a great author. The Stones of Mourning Creek is about a white girl named Francie who becomes best friends with a black girl named Ruthie during the 1960's in the South. After Francie's mother dies...Francie became unhappy and really lonely since her father seemed to never be there for her. Francie's mother didn't really die in an accident, she stopped a man from raping a girl and so the man killed her. You quickly find out in a couple of pages who the evil man is and who he was going to rape. Francie became friends with Ruthie, after Ruthie saves her by getting help when she found her knocked out from a snakebite. Francie and Ruthie cherished their friendship and let nothing come between them. Francie falls for a boy named Earnest :O) Their town is full of secrets....people they know are not all they seem to be. Francie and Ruthie end up finding out the answers to the mystery of Francie's mother's so-called accident. The ending was........hmm......dunno what to really say about it but you just have to read this wonderful story for yourself to find out the ending...

I know Ms. Les Becquets personally; she even signed my copy of her book, and has read some of my work. You will love her book, The Stones of Mourning Creek. Francie and Ruthie develop a friendship that last through the toughest trials and tribulation. Freindship is what the majority of the book is based on, as well as Diane's own childhood experiences. I look forward to her next book. Keep up the awesome work, Diane!!! All us Meekerites love you!

I read this book almost a year ago, but it still lingers with me. I think the main reason is Cassidy Rain Berghoff, the fourteen-year-old title character. After losing her best friend, Galen, in a tragic way, Cassidy shuts out the world. Months pass before she grows to realize that she has to get in touch with the world again, even if it's through a job. I was really impressed by Cassidy's bravery and strength. The author did a great job making this character REAL. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew Cassidy. The author made me care about her - about what would happen to her.

The book doesn't make it easy for Cassidy to work things out. For example, while working as a photographer in an Indian camp run by her Aunt Georgia, Cassidy finds herself torn between getting involved in an emotional issue and staying professional and objective. Kids are faced with hard decisions all the time, so I found it very easy to relate to Cassidy and what she goes through.

I recommend RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME to anyone who loves a good story and good characters. This book has both!

Cassidy Rain Berghoff's heritage includes German, Irish, Creek-Cherokee, and Ojibway. As she says, "Being a mixed-blood girl is no big deal..." but her Indian heritage is a big part of how she thinks of herself. It's also how her neighbors in her small midwestern town define her, dragging her unwillingly into the controversy surrounding Indian Camp -- a summertime activity club for Native kids. The controversy erupts just as Rain is beginning to venture out into the the world again after six months of self-imposed isolation following the death of her best friend, Galen Owen. Mrs. Owen, Galen's mother, is on a campaign to cut the funding for Indian camp. Rain, still mourning the loss of her friend, has to contend with small town gossip and small-minded thinking. The story of how she perseveres is the heart of the book. Her draws on her family, her artisitc ability, her humor and wit, and her kind-hearted nature. All this is brought to life with a rich and lively cast of well-developed characters. Reading this book is like getting to know a whole community.

Cassidy Rain Berghoff learns on the morning of her 14th birthday that her best friend has died. During her journey towards healing, she uses photography both as an opening to connect with those around her and as a shield. She reluctantly gets involved with her Aunt's Indian Camp, and learns about her family, her peers, and herself. Through her discoveries and support from family and friends, she learns to cope with misconceptions and grief.

RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME is entertaining and provocative while addressing death and multicultural issues. Cynthia Leitich Smith effectively weaves the multicultural aspect gently through the story. I never felt bashed over the head. As a Japanese-American, I identified with Rain and her ambiguous feelings towards her heritage. Strong characters, evocative small-town setting, wonderful story, and a touch of humor make RAIN a must read.

The Cross Country Quilters are 5 people who meet at Elm Creek quilt camp and become friends. Donna and Megan have been internet friends for a few years but this is their first time meeting in person. Julia is an actress who needs to learn how to quilt for an upcoming role in a feature film. Grace is an accomplished African-American quilter who has lost her muse due to a personal matter that she wishes to keep secret. My favorite character is Vinnie, an 82 year old quilter who celebrates her birthday at Elm Creek every year. Each character has a conflict in their life that they need to face. At the end of quilt camp, they decide to make a challenge quilt--each participant contributing one block. One restriction is that they can't start their block until they have dealt with their personal conflicts. They agree to stay in touch and to meet at quilt camp the following year to put together the blocks they have made. This plot is very similar to what we read in "Round Robin". The main differences being that we are introduced to 5 new characters facing new sets of personal problems and they are making a challenge quilt instead of a round robin quilt.

My only complaints with this book are the proof reading and some minor inconsistencies. For example, I just get a little annoyed when I see things like "her Mother her Mother's". One of the inconsistencies is that Megan knows that Donna has a weight problem. But when they meet, Donna wonders if Megan thought she would be skinny. How can that be if Megan knew through their email that she fought with her weight for years. Overall, though, it was a really good book and I highly recommend it to all quilters.

It was wonderful!! My sister, Susie, told me about the books by Jennifer Chiaverini, said they were so special. She was right! I have just finished the Quilters Apprentice and have just this minute ordered Round Robin!! I can't wait to get it and dive right in. I have been quilting for about 15 years and it was exciting to read a book that named a lot of the squares I have used in my own quilts. Keep the great books coming!! I will have them all for my own collection!

The Cross Country Quilters is the first book by Jennifer Chiaverini I have read. I also know nothing about quilting. Quilting knowledge is not a prerequisit to reading and enjoying this book. Much like Julia, the newest quilter at Elm Creek Quilt Camp, I was slowly drawn into the world of material,color, and design. During a summer session of quilt camp a unlikely grouping of friends takes root, and they promise to continue their friendship through designing and completing their own block of a challange quilt. They plan to meet the following summer to piece the blocks together. The five women, Julia, Vinnie, Megan, Grace and Donna return home not only to face the challanges of the quilt blocks. They also must face the continuing challanges of their busy lives with work, family, careers, and illness. At times it seems that each woman has too much to deal with, without worrying about the planned meeting the following summer. Just as quilting combines materials which don't seem to have much in common, Jennifer Chiaverini, using the theme of quilting and friendship, intertwines these women's varied lives with warmth and believability. I look forward to reading the other books by this author.

I recently re-read the entire Little House series. I remember watching the television series as I read the books the first time. I see things differently now, obviously as an adult. The hardships the pioneers endured to live as they wanted. We get upset if the electricity goes off for a few hours. The sheer struggle of life that these books portray touched me. I also admire Laura Ingalls Wilder for her memory. She wrote these books while in her sixties and seventies. I can hardly remember what I did last week. I will encourage my son to read these when he is old enough.

I received my first Laura Ingalls Wilder book when I was nine years old, and went on to receive one each birthday and Christmas until I had the entire series. They transported me to a world few movies, t.v. shows (including the series!) ever went to...and I am still fasinated with this woman's life. I recommend it for all children and soon will start reading it to my three grandchildren, so their hearts and minds can come alive in a time and world they can only visit thru these wonderfull images of the author. This entire series is only rivaled by Louisa May Alcott...and these are easier for a child to read. Please enjoy the wanderings and hopes and dreams of the Ingalls as they moved thru the midwest...it's worth every moment you spend. The illustrations are so perfect...not glamorizing how Laura or the family looked... in a time before makeup and curling irons, when barefoot along the banks of plum creek was the best! ENJOY

As with all the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, the deep love and rich feeling Laura herself felt and lived jumps comes across as a real, physical thing. I read one of these stories as a child. I remember liking it but I went back and read them recently as a mother. It gave me both a clear, real view of pioneer life. With both the hardships as well as the joys. As through all of the Little House stories, Laura's love and feeling for her family jumps from the pages. I could only wish that all books I read were so true and real.