Mary Callahan is very candid in describing the difficulties and struggles she encountered in the Maine Foster Care System. She tells the interesting and frustrating story of her struggles to advocate for the children with whom she is entrusted. It is clear to the reader, that Mary's exposure of the system, is aimed at trying to improve life for children and families in need of services from the state.

Mary Callahan's "Memoirs of a Baby Stealer" provides a frank first-hand account of the challenges of being a foster parent and dealing with the foster care system in Maine. If the experience of being such a care giver is not daunting enough, the lack of support and hostility faced, at times, from those administering the rules of the child welfare system would have been enough to dissuade even the most ardent of caretakers. It seeems as if one did not ask questions regarding the well being of children in their care or question their authority, things ran as always. Ms. Callahan vividly chronicles the challenges in the lives of five of her foster children. Hopefully, through her perseverance in presenting their stories, those who are in a position to do so will be motivated to improve the plight and lives of all of those in foster care.

Memoirs Of A Baby Stealer: Lessons I've Learned As A Foster Mother by Mary Callahan is the personal account of a foster parent and her struggles to cope with an uncaring child welfare system -- one that, in the words of the author, is "taking kids from places that aren't that bad, putting them in places that aren't that good, and completely ignoring the bond that exists between parent and child". Callahan's struggles and effort to help children, defend herself against unsubstantiated charges, dealing with power politics, and relate the stories of those in her care make Memoirs Of A Baby Stealer very highly recommended reading for anyone considering offering themselves to their community as a foster care resource.

Orphan Runaway is the best book I've ever read. It makes you keep going on to the book in till your to the end of it because you never want to stop.Something new is happening in the book.You definitley want to read this book if you like mysterys and adventures and you definitley like a good book of orphans and runaway people, then you'll love Orphan Runaway by: Kristiana Gregory.You will definitley have a great time with this book I know I did. I've read this book three times and I'd read it again.

This great book written by Kristiana Gregory is the story of to orphan brother that escape from there orphanage in San Francisco, and try to reach an uncle that lives in a mining camp named Bodie (was created at the time of the gold rush). Captain Billy, Madame Mustache, and Smoky Joe and his friends are here to help Danny and his little brother Judd to adapt to the ruff climate of the mountains until there uncle Hunk accept to be there new father. Danny has one problem, his uncle is friancaded to a woman of Chinese origin. At that time Chinese people were not very well accepted in the United States. After skiing and almost killing himself Danny, Judd and his friends go for a treasure hunt. Will they find it? How? Who was the thief? These questions can be answered if you read the book which I promise you is exiting. The story takes place in a mining camp named Bodie in California. It is the worst mining camp in the hole United States. The story happened in 1879 at the time of the gold rush. A lot of the facts about the story and the characters are true. The book was written in the third person point of view. The conflicts that the hero has to endure are most likely person vs. Nature and person vs. Society. One conflict is that the friance of uncle Hunk is Chinese and that Danny is scared that his friends might make fun of him if his new mom is Chinese. The other conflict is the ruff winters that occurs in Bodie. This book reminds me of how harsh people were in the 1800 hundreds and how lonely an orphan can feel. It will also show you who in those days epidemic were very deadly for everyone. This is a unique book that you will want to read. If I were to rate the book from one throw ten I would give it a ten because its true facts and attractive story. This is a great book to read for young teenagers. I guaranty you that you will never get board but instead you will rapidly finish is to find what happened to are heroes Danny and Judd.

This was a great book. It is about two orphan brothers, 12 year old Danny and 6 year old Judd, who search for their uncle in the California gold camps after their parents die in an epidemic. I noticed that the brothers were related to characters in three of the authors other books, ACROSS THE WIDE AND LONESOME PRAIRIE, THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, and EARTHQUAKE AT DAWN.

This seems to be an excellent book--clear, concise, and very easy to read. I should note, however, that I discovered three mistakes within the first fifteen minutes of reading it. There are three misspellings located on pages 169 and 170 of the third edition, dated 1997. This can be very confusing, especially when the author is attempting to draw a distinction between "counselor" and "counselor" (the second should be "councilor"), or when he states, "Even in respected newspapers, consensus is sometimes misspelled 'consensus' (sic)..."

These types of errors tend to undermine my confidence that I'm reading reliable information. Aside from this complaint, though, the books seems to be exceptional. A corrected edition would be a great resource for any writer.

Many grammar books are hard to read and even more difficult to use. Barron's A pocket guide to correct grammar is the opposite of both. This book is both easy to read and to use. The index is clear and concise which helps even the most novice user when it comes to comprehending the ins and outs of correct grammar.

This book is a combination of ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH and some other English book. ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH by Hopper, et al., is an excellent grammar, because it not only presents traditional grammar in a concise and straightforward manner but also gives points for differentiating between prepositions and subordinating conjunctions (for example) and other such distinctions. This grammar is especially good for rusty or beginning students primarily because of its simplicitly. It is nevertheless fairly comprehensive. Honestly, I could not recommend any grammar more highly for the average student of English. adveniat regnam Tuam...

A rich collection of prayers from a variety of sources, including some of Foster's own. Periodically the prayers seem abstracted from my own life (though this is to be expected, I suppose, as they reflect prayers especially from Foster's heart), but mostly the prayers in this book are inspiring, deepening, and give words through which one can speak, and listen, to God. I've especially appreciated taking a particular prayer, memorizing it, and reflecting on it with God over the course of several days. Several of the prayers became life-changing through God's tender touch in those times. I actually lost my first copy. Purchasing a secon copy is well worth it. An excellent and rewarding book.

Life's journey is described in this book in great detail. Any problem one could have is described at length in this book, also good times for praise. Poetry, Bible verses and other prayers make this book a delight and a pick-up for those sad, lonely times or the times where praise is appropriate. Wonderful!

Foster has a heart for God, and to know Him fully, and these beautiful prayers written over hundreds of years reflect his keen insight into those who have lived their lives in total dedication to loving and serving Christ.

St. Patrick, Julian of Norwich, and Soren Kierkegaard are just a few of the names that have prayers in this book. These are their heartfelt prayers, reflecting a life of contemplation and seeking to know God in a more complete way.

I have given this little book to others as gifts, and have read the prayers at church gatherings, and have given book reviews, and all are favorably received. This is a jewel of a book.

From the moment you begin this book, you will want to read it aloud and get caught up in the rhythm of the language..."Mrs. Sump doesn't much like seein' the orphans restin' or havin' any fun, so she puts 'em to scrubbin' the floor with toothbrushes. Even the ittiest, bittiest orphan, little Sweetness. So one day, Sweetness hit the road." Children appreciate the humor in the sheriff's attempts to rescue Sweetness from the perils in the desert.The illustrations are an interesting blend of mediums.This book is just plain, good ole fun.

This is the best of the California Young Reader nominees in it's catagory this year. I thought it was a real hoot, and I am adding it to our school library. It is funny and has a good message about adoption. I really think the children are going to have fun with this one.

Saving Sweetness is a very entertaining read-aloud. Children love the characters and are delighted with the humor. Some childrens comments have been: "I like the way that Mrs. Sump starts to say something about the orphans and then changes her mind and says it in a nicer way." " I think its funny that the sheriff thinks he is saving sweetness." The Illustrations are an extremely integral part of the story. In fact, the pictures add a dimension by presenting an aditional point of view.

This book is by no means uneffective , but it seems to me that Culleton attempts to evoke emotion in the reader as a literary device, rather than as a logical cathartic response to the novel's events. While April and Cheryl are engaging characters, others seem displaced and unbelievable. The rape scene is disturbingly effective, however, along with a fitting (albeit conventional) ending. This book will probably be appreciated by a teenaged audience, but is certainly not very rewarding for the adult reader (I'm reading it in college)

Beatrice Culleton Mosionier's "In Search of April Raintree" is a masterfully written fiction novel about two Metis sisters seperated from their family and each other at a young age. The novel, although fiction, gives the reader an all too true account of the plight of the native people. The story follows the two sisters' seperate yet intimately connective lives. That's all I choose to say about the story line as the novel works on many levels. It is brilliantly written and intriguing how the characters evolve and influence each other throughout the book. To say any more would be a disservice to the potential reader. ENJOY!

I am a high school student that just finished reading "In Search of April Raintree" and I must say that it is the one of the best books ever written! It is a story about a Metis girl named April and her sister Cheryl. She was taken away from her parents by social services at a young age. It tells how she struggled from foster home to foster home. Separated from her sister. It gives you a closer look at how foster children grow up and it isn't always pretty! The two girls have totally different values and beliefs but struggle to stay close. I must warn you that this book is pretty graphic, but people should know about what April went through. If you want a good book, read this one. If you can't handle reality then it probably isn't for you.

You will need it with this book. This is a good book about adoption, infertility, broken homes, and how God can help people in their lives. I found the book very emotional. The characters, although not very deep, seem to resonate with a purpose. You don't get to know any of the characters VERY well, but you get an understanding of what Tess & Sherry have gone through.

After all the despair, there is light at the end of the tunnel with this book, as the author places a nice little epilogue at the end...

This book is full of all the emotions that infertility, adoption, and broken homes can bring. Tracie Peterson does a very good job of making the reader feel for the characters in the book. It is not a very long book so it was easy for me to read in just a few days. I gave it 4 stars because while it was done very well, it is not Tracie's best work.

I read this book in one sitting as soon as I got it in the mail. It was a very moving, touching book. The author does not offer easy answers, but deals with real issues surrounding inferitility and adoption. It was great to see the characters draw closer to God as they dealth with this difficult situation. Highly recommended, but be ready for an emotional read.

For those who are like me and have kept track of the series, I'm not going to mention character descriptions. For those who've never read any of the books, I suggest reading "Spell Singer 1", otherwise, you'll have no idea what is being discussed.

Mudge, in this installment goes well beyond his normal complaining self...and some of his predicaments left me rolling with laughter. The book delves far deeper into Clothahump's feelings than any in the past.

The book does start off, however, with some very confusing, and questionable points of logic...i.e. the concept of "nothingness". I'll not spoil it for you, but keep in mind, you don't have to understand that to enjoy the book.

The Spellsinger series has been one of my favorites since I was nine, and I still find myself flipping through a volume every now and then. In this fifth book in the series, reluctant hero Jon Tom and a new band of aliies are on a mission to save the world (yet again). A being of pure chaos has accidentally got itself caught in Jon Tom's adoptive universe, and unless it's freed soon, the world will end. This book is characteristic of the series, full of high adventure, wonderful humor and believable, detailed characters which make this series such a geat read. Foster's unusually personal approach to characters, both essential and otherwise, is given a bit more exposure in Paths' than in most other volumes in the series. While Paths' may not be one of the best books in the series, it's still an excellent read. I reccomend this for SCA members who at any time have thought "You know what we need? A big talking otter with the sophistications of a small lump of gravel and a sex drive you could use to move a thirty ton truck."

Easily one of the most hilarious in a downright funny collection of books. If for nothing else, read it for the punchdrunk, rune-reading koala bear!

I had a hard time reading this book and gave up after only a few chapters. After the first 2 chapters, I wondered if the author was only going to keep telling me all that was wrong with society. Once I decided to stop reading, my life became much simpler.

This book has become very close to my heart, as it has opened up for me a whole new world of understanding. Living in a very "me-based" society, we are not accustomed to thinking of how our choices affect others. This book shows us the impact of over-consumption, and directs us toward a path of living that is more simple, balanced and compassionate. It's the perfect book for those who want to embrace a simpler life, but aren't sure where to begin. It's also great for those who have heard about voluntary simplicity, but desire more understanding of its concepts. I highly recommend it.

I found myself drawn into Simpler Living, Compassionate Life from the first words of the foreword by Bill McKibben. Reading this book helped me examine areas of my life that I didn't even know needed another look. It began a process of enrichment for me that I know will last forever.

The writing is well crafted and the stories rely on heavy erotic dream scenery, reading thru altered my pulse and my breathing, even felt a very private tingling, hot wet dreams are built on this. I reccomend it.

Nicole Foster does it again. Her first collection, Awakening the Virgin, was wonderful. This surpasses it. I love collections of real life lesbian stories and this does not disapoint. I think people of all sexual orientations should read it. It will help everybody understand that love is beautiful in all forms.

This book was wonderful!! I find myself reading it over and over again, each time getting more and more into it!! I loved it!!