5 comments about What You Wanna Know: Backstreet Boys Secrets Only a Girlfriend Can Tell.

1. The book is written where each chapter starts as a form of a question. The majority of the time the subject is danced around and not answered. So happy Brian didn't marry this chick what a gold digger.
   
   So glad Brian has a wonderful wife and beautiful son. Samantha I've heard was married in 2002 and divorced in 2007



2. Aweful! I guess I'm just too old for the BSB. No, I still love their music but this chick is so full of herself!



3. I've had my copy of this book for years, and I really enjoy it. Samantha seems like such a down to Earth, friendly person, and I love her stories about life with the Backstreet Boys! I've been a fan of them for years, and even though I'm in my late-20's, I still find immense pleasure in this book. Wonderful job, and I'm so glad she decided to publish it!



4. Ok I've read this book unlike the two people that bash it. You can tell Nargus hann't read it because she handled the virgin question very tactfully! I loved it. This book is for young readers so it doesn't tell anything bad! In fact I wish now that BSB fans are older there would be a real book about what really went on! Anyway this book rocks and is a good read! Don't bash something you haven't read!



5. I haven't read this book and I most certainly do not plan on reading it. Samantha Stonebraker is a coniving, money-hungry insult to the beauty that is Brian Littrell. I can't believe that this woman would sink so low as to try to make a few dollars off of an ex's success. This personally to Samantha: You are sick and twisted and I seriously hope you get what you deserve for exploiting Brian and the rest of the guys. Get a life.

5 comments about Letters to Oma: A Young German Girl's Account of Her First Year in Texas, 1847 (Chaparral Books).

1. This novella follows the voyage of a young teenager and her family from Germany to Texas in 1847, and their first year of pioneer life. The story is told in third person fiction and letters that Tina writes to her grandmother (Oma) still in Germany.
   
   This is a nice enough story and is informative about the history of German settlers in Texas, unfortunately, it pales in comparison to Ingalls The Complete Little House Nine-Book Set and I found it hard to identify with or care about the characters. But it could certainly hold its own against some of the American Girls books - this was published long before that series existed.



2. As a genealogist, my paternal ancestors came from Germany through Texas. Reading this book, I can associate with their lives and hardships coming to America.



3. I should give it more, but it's fictional, and I like true tales of the past. It's fairly short and somewhat colorful. You get a brief taste of what it would have been like for a German family to make the trek to Texas in the old days of the west. The boat trip alone would have killed most of us. It's a nice story, but I like the Laura Ingalls Wilder books better.



4. I was expecting actual letters and commentary. This is a book written not just at a young person's level, but also for young people. As an adult looking for serious information on the subject of German settlement of Texas in 1847 - I was dissapointed. Perhaps a simple label of "Fiction" would be nice.

   Apart from that - the story is interesting and well written and I would recommend it to people of any age interested in this subject. Don't expect a scholarly account and hard facts, this is fiction but fun.




5. This story, as told from the eyes of a young girl from Germany, gives a fairly accurate account of what life may have been like for a family immigrating to Texas in 1847. It is appropriate for all ages and backgrounds, but is particularly interesting to the Germans who established themselves in Texas. As I read it, I related to the language, customs, and locations presented in the story. I am eager for my father to read it. His mother might well have written the story herself.

No comments about A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines.

3 comments about The Beatles: The Music Was Never the Same (Impact Biography).

1. The Beatles started a total revolution, I've never met anyone who dislikes them, and if someone were to say so, I'm not sure I'd be able to believe them. Almost anywhere you go today, you hear songs originally by a band that was performing there hit songs such as "Love Me Do", "All You Need is Love", "Here Comes The Sun", and more over 40 years ago. Weather or not the songs have been remade by a different band that covered the songs, or just sang by the band themselves; The Beatles have become part of our American culture. The book, The Music Was Never The Same: The Beatles, is quite possibly the best biography I have ever read. Although that may sound like a pretty BOLD statement, but you just wait till you read this book, you'll be saying the same thing.
   
   The book, The Music Was Never The Same: The Beatles, talks about the lives of Ringo, Paul, John and George. It not only talks about the time when they were in The Beatles, but is it also tells about how there lives were growing up, there lives as young adults, and as-well when they were older men. One of the main early focuses of this book is growing up in Liverpool (a very boring city in England). It also tells us about how they all started learning to play their instruments, as well as how they all met each other and started playing as a band with each other. Another subject that the book brings up is when they were becoming more of a hit band (and/or when they were older men), such as the times when they were going on tours around the world, yet as well as when they were younger when they were still playing at bars and clubs. Something else that we learn is when they were releasing albums and how they were reaching the top of the charts along with their idols such as Little Richard, and others.
   
   I think anyone who loves The Beatles, or anyone who loves music will enjoy this book greatly, because without the "revolution" that they started we would not have the types of music that we have today. If anyone even recognizes the bands name, or a name of any of their songs, I'm sure they will love this book, not just because they have great music, but it will help people to understand why they had such an effect on our WORLD. The genre of this book is a biography telling about their lives and their rise to the top of the charts.
   
   For me, I couldn't find anything to relate to this book, because this book is a biography and not a book of fantasy or sci-fi and/or anything of that sort. I also cannot relate it to anything that has happened in my life, though I am not saying that this book is book that I can relate to other then the fact that I love the music, and I play many instruments. But, just because I can't relate anything does not mean that you won't, I'd say that there is a strong chance that you will find something to relate to.
   
   I liked the way the author describes their rise to the top of the charts because I felt that that was very important to know, especially when reading a book about them. But, I feel like he could have discussed their childhood memories and their general lifestyles, because I feel like he was very brief when talking about their childhood.
   
   Although I feel that this book could have touched more on the band's childhood, I think everyone can agree that all books could use a small bit of work in some areas. But, all and all, I think that this book is wonderful, I couldn't have expected anything better, then the book, The Music Was Never The Same: The Beatles.



2. I thought this book was pretty good. I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know about the Fab Four, and it was very informative. The book mentions Lennon's art, but didn't show any of it. The book is great for doing a report, but if you want to know what the Beatles were at heart, it's best to simply listen to their songs.



3. Aimed at young readers, this is a decent overview of the lives and careers of the Beatles from their childhoods in Liverpool through the release of the first Beatles Anthology album. Thirty-eight black-and-white photographs of the Fab Four and other pop music stars are included, along with brief lists of recommended readings, films and videos, and other sources of information. The author generally does a good job of tracing the rise of Beatlemania within the context of the popular culture of the 1960s. Unfortunately, the book devotes many more pages to the Beatles as a cultural phenomenon than to their superb musicianship and their profound role in shaping rock music.

5 comments about Thomas Jefferson: Man on a Mountain.

1. As a life long Jefferson fan, I enjoyed this book immensely, but am concerned that Bober does not offer a critical analysis of her subject. She says that one of her goals in writing this book is to make Jefferson appear more human. While she goes into great detail about Jefferson's family values and other interests aside from politics, she omits any mention of his mortal flaws which are exactly what make him human. Any reader can tell that Bober reveres Jefferson like a Revolutionary God (and indeed he was one), but she is unable to maintain any degree of impartiality as a biographer.
   
   For instance, Bober enthusiastically discusses the various ways Jefferson tried to bring an end to the peculiar institution of slavery through his writings, but she never questions why if this was so important to him, he failed to take advantage of his executive power as president to ensure that the Louisiana territory he purchased in 1803 remained slave free? Why didn't he fight harder to retain the clause prohibiting slavery in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence? The Jefferson of Bober's imagination is not capable of such double standards or inconsistencies in character.
   
   Bober only briefly mentions that while Jefferson professed to be against slavery, he owned several hundred slaves at Monticello and his other plantations. Why was his rhetoric inconsistent with his actions? Bober conveniently ignores the fact that Monticello was built entirely by slaves. (This I know because I have a degree in history, but a less informed reader would be misled). Jefferson may have thought that ending slavery was a good idea, but he did not pursue this cause with the same passion with which he fought for the freedom of white Americans from the British.
   
   Bober dismisses the notion that Jefferson had an affair with his slave Sally Hemings and instead suggests that the president's nephew was the father of Sally's children, yet Bober's evidence to support her argument is scant. In fact, she spends as little time as possible on this topic, preferring to discuss Jefferson's contributions to his country. While this approach is refreshing when compared to the massive number of volumes out there on "Jefferson's scandals," Bober has neglected an important part of Jeffersonian history. Recent DNA testing has proven that Sally Heming's children were fathered by a Jefferson male which could be Thomas or possibly someone else.
   
   All this said, Bober does an excellent job of bringing Thomas Jefferson to life and articulating his accomplishments in a meaningful way. It's a shame that her work is decidedly unbalanced and therefore irresponsible from an historical point of view.



2. Thomas Jefferson is to me: one of the most admirable people in history.This book has an amazing fictional aproach but yet it is still factual and educational and you can still be one of the biggest Jefferson buffs out there and not have to do years of studying.This book is to me the most animated biography that mosturizes dry facts to fertile entertainment.



3. I was really intreged by this book because it was understandable, interesting, and filled with facts about this amazing man that I've never read or heard about before.



4. Probably one of the best books I've ever read- it is very informative, but I was able to read it like I would a novel- a rare trait in nonfiction literature. It was written in a way that even one who is not a history buff can enjoy it. It shows that Jefferson was quite ahead of his time, but he was not superhuman as some sources lead us to believe.



5. A magnificent book for an incredible man. Told in story book fashion, as all history should be, Bober's writing style is a mesmerizing tribute to the subject.It is a shame that a man of Jefferson's character and vision would probably be unelectable in today's visionless sea of pluralism and status quo where the details of the day outshine the necessities of tomorrow.

5 comments about William Shakespeare & the Globe.

1. I was hoping for older/known sketches of the globe but instead the entire book is the illustrators drawings of things. I teach and was hoping for big pictures to show my class but it wasn't really like that. I think my real disappointment was that there were no actual pictures, just drawings of things that we really have pictures of.
   To be fair, it is an interesting read. I enjoyed reading it. Nearly half the book is dedicated to the rebuilding of the 'modern' globe theater (a topic we don't really address much in class.)
   So it just didn't serve my needs well but I'm not saying that it won't serve yours.



2. This was a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare. I felt like it gave them enough information without going too indepth. It talked a bit about Will himself, as well as some of his contemporaries. It discussed the playhouse and social system of the time.
   
   The book was written like a play, Act 1 Scene 2 and such and each page had a small quote from one of his plays. It also went on to describe Sam Wanamaker who started the project to rebuild the Globe in London.
   
   Our favorite part was at the end where it showed a list of words and phrases that Shakespeare 'invented' like puke and Knock, Knock, Who's There? It also has a timeline of his life and plays.
   
   For the third grade I thought this more than adequate coverage. We used this as a springboard to read some of his plays (written for children) and we're really enjoying those as well.
   
   I think this book would be appropriate for K through 6th or 7th grade. You could possibly use it for older as well, but by that age they should be going a little more indepth, like Bard of Avon by Diane Stanley and the cartoonish drawings might not be appealing to older kids.
   
   *taken from my review at goodreads



3. I bought this book for my 1st grader as an intro to Shakespeare. For my purposes this book contains too much extraneous information about Sam Wanamaker. His accomplishment of having the new Globe theatre built is amazing, but pales in comparison to Shakespeare's accomplishments, which I would rather hear about. We get to know details about "Will," but not anything about his plays except for some excellent representative drawings of representative characters. What my daughter has taken away from this book so far is that London Bridge really did fall down, Shakespeare died at age 52 and Marlowe at age 29, Cleopatra is associated with a snake, London had city walls, and Queen Elizabeth I came before the current queen, Elizabeth II. That's all useful foundation material, but we'll need another book to really sample Shakespeare.



4. Using this pretty children's book about Shakespeare's theater of choice, I will give you some history this author failed in her effort to influence kids of all ages. The Globe Theater was the most famous of Elizabethean age and built on the south bank of the Thames River in 1599 by members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. The nearby Rose Playhouse built by Philip Henslowe,was not as popular with the populace of London.
   
   The Globe could hold between 2,000 to 3,000 spectators as most would be standing. In an 'aside', the actor would make a brief remark directly to the audience. Plays were performed in the afternoons, requiring no extra lighting. "Hell" was the trapdoor used by the entrances and exits of devils, monsters, or ghosts. "Heavens" were the machinery by which gods and goddesses were lowered to the stage below. There were no women on the Elizabethan stage as boys were used for their roles. In the reverse, we see Peter Pan as always a woman! Strange?
   
   William Shakespeare began as an actor in London in the leading theatrical company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and went on to write thirty-seven plays. He used soliloquy in his plays, which is a single character alone on stage speaking his thoughts in length directly to the spectators. In Drama Class at the old Central High School, we had to perform a soliloquy. I was a shy girl, only 14 then, but the one I chose was a favorite with the other class members. When I finished, they all yelled, "Go on." But, there was nothing else. Needless to say, I did not become an actress. But my husband was a college play director, and we were involved in every phase of putting on dramas of every kind, and sometimes comedies. We also attended plays in Nashville and Huntsville, Alabama. My three boys acted as children in their dad's plays.
   
   Shakespeare's acting company first staged his 'Hamlet' in 1600 or 1601 at the Globe Theatre, when it was relatively new. It was called a "revenge tragedy," which includes a ghost calling for vengeance, and the revenger must always die. They also performed "mystery plays,' "morality plays,' and "miracle plays." Are there such things as real miracles? After the way I was verbally abused by a bus of ghetto people using racial slurs and outright threatening remarks (all the time the driver ignored, saying she could not hear anything!), I have lost my faith in the fellowman and think they should have lived in Shakespeare's time, and they would have been hanged by the tail like donkeys as that is what they were. They should be sent back to Africa.
   
   The art in this little book is fantastic. It is worth the price just to look at the beautiful rendering of the Globe, a unique place to us Twentieth Century Americans.



5. The presentation is clever. Aliki has organized her information into Acts, Scenes, and Asides, with Act Five being the work of Sam Wanamaker to recreate the Globe Theater. She has also laid out her prose text as if it were lines of poetry, furthering the playbook effect. I often checked the text to see if it was written in iambic pentameter (it isn't). The illustrations are lively and highly detailed.
   
   The pages are very busy. Here are the contents of a typical page, from top to bottom: four lines from As You Like It; a drawing of Christopher Marlowe; an information box about the Rose Playhouse and builder Philip Henslowe's diaries; seven lines of text about the Admiral's Men and Marlowe; a drawing of three actors on a stage, surrounded by groundlings; the titles of sixteen Shakespeare plays superimposed in wavy lines over the drawing of the actors; a caption beneath; and a line from The Merry Wives of Windsor.
   
   Aliki's efforts to squeeze as much as possible into this book sometimes become distracting. All of the illustrations have their own text boxes, with additional information provided in up to five sentences. Readers may have to keep backtracking in order to follow the narrative, and I sometimes wonder if texts like this are the best way to format nonfiction material.

No comments about Walking Stars: Stories of Magic and Power.

2 comments about Dear Cara : Letters From Otto Frank; Anne's Father Shares His Wisdom.

1. "I received your kind letter and thank you for it. It was very nice of you to send me your photo, so that I have a better impression of you as a person..."

   So begins Otto Frank's first letter to a young American girl in 1957, a suburban California girl named Cara as much in the mainstream of American society as the pop songs she listens to on the radio. That girl had read Anne's diary, had been deeply moved by it, and had written to Anne's father.

   He wrote back.

   Cara wrote to him again. Otto wrote back. She wrote again. He wrote again. And so on and so forth...for decades. They grew close. Cara faced all the same questions we face, about school, love, marriage, child-rearing, politics, family. But she had a very, very special mentor.

   This book is her story of that relationship. Yes, it's a remarkable pairing. But it's also a remarkable tour through the last half of the 20th century, through the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam, the Watergate days, too many wars in the Middle East; all reflected in a single woman's coming of age. The letters back and forth are always revealing and quite often gripping. They are about private troubles and public issues. And when Cara, as a woman, goes to visit an ailing Otto, by now an old man, it would take a reader with a hard heart indeed not to feel a lump in the throat, at least. Then, when Otto her a collection of something that takes us, the reader, completely over the edge, in the best possible way.

   We recommend this book to anyone, of any age. It is just special.




2. Dear Cara is a book about a man and a woman, across the world from one another, both in miles and the lives they lead. Otto Frank, who survived the death camps of the Holocaust but lost his daughter there, shares his hope and inspiration with a young American woman whose life is unfolding. His shares his unfailing human spirit and his love with Cara, a young woman who first wrote to him at the age of 13. Throughout her life, from her teen-age years, to college to marriage to motherhood, Otto Frank is there with her, offering his support and his inspiration. He listens to Cara's dreams, her troubles, her worries and through their correspondence, she feels the joy that a young person feels when someone is listening. A young woman's voice is heard. When, as an older woman, Cara's world is turned upside down, the wisdom and hope that Otto Frank gave her for twenty years, sustains her through her pain and provides her the support she needs to endure and accept, and ultimately, to grow from her own experiences. This book is must-read for young people and for adults who believe, or want to remember, through pain and turmoil, how important and precious hope, and love, is.

5 comments about Chinese Cinderella: The true story of an unwanted daughter.

1. A truely amazing book Touching Compelling Moving Amazing are the only way to describe this book and even they do not do it justice. Adeline does a great job writing this book. Could not put it down. Brings tears to your eyes. Tears of sadness for Adeline and what she goes through. But tears of joy from the way she writes this book. I am at a loss for words writing this review this book is the best book I have read in a long long time. Everyone should read this book. It truely makes you appriciate everything you have. This book should be on every library's shelf. I am 13 but a very advanced reader I believe this book would be great for anyones reading level. Not to advanced for children about ten but not to easy or dull for advanced readers. A great story wrapped up inside this book that sends a very powerful message to everyone who opens it up. A must read for anyone who is looking for a powerful story with an impowering message!



2. I read this book and couldn't really understand the pain Adeline Yen Mah went through because of the slightly cold, matter of fact tone that is used. On the other hand, I am extremely glad that I couldn't because she went through so much. I was surprised that the author was as skilful as she was as from the blurb I suspected the book might be just one long whinge. Which, I suppose, would have been fair enough but Adeline managed to really supress the temptation that there must have been to just write a book complaining about Niang, her Father and the rest of the family. It is very excellent and a book that I will never forget.



3. Adeline Yen Mah's story is engulfing, it's engaging, and it's enlightening. Out of a sad, often cruel existence, Adeline moved me, dosing her existence with spots of humor... like the American Officer visiting her class. At the end of his talk, which he gave smoking nonstop, he asked if there were any questions. Her good friend Wu Chun-mei at last raised her hand and asked her 'onliest' innocent question, "But can you make smoke come out of your ears too?" - too tickled here.
   
   There was the part about the book, "A Little Princess," her friend, again Wu Chun-mei, loaned her. Very touching to read how Adeline tried to savor that book. Gosh, this part among many others moved me tears watching this child seeing inspiration, and doing what she could to hang on to it. I'm thinking here, "hang on Yen Jun-ling!" I certainly appreciated learning a little about Chinese characters, and the meaning behind names... and, too, the exchange between Ye-Ye and Adeline near the end when she announced her displeasure with reading Chinese... that exchange was absolutely priceless.
   
   "Though life has to be lived forward, you can only understand it backward." - Outstanding Golden Gem!



4. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah is an extremely depressing book... but as the title states, it is satisfying. I saw everyone reading it and thought,AM I GOING TO LIKE THIS BOOK? i went to the library, found the book and sat down. I read the first few pages of the book and then and there, i knew this was going to be my favorite book... and so it is =). This book is about a chinese unwanted daughter who has to struggle to deal with life. It may not sound interesting, and i felt the same way too, but the way the author wrote this book is so inspiring that you would think it's made up. The book is also full of life lessons that everyone should live by... the main one: Be thankful for what God has given you. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about a story that has ups and downs, uplifting, and adventurous. =)



5. This is a wonderful recollection of a young girl's struggles in China. The author does not sugar coat her condition in the slightest, and deeply conveys her misery and sorrow in this compelling memoir. Though many of the issues and situations she deals with are jarring and upsetting to the reader, her story is completely deserving of the reader's attention!

5 comments about From Where I Sit: Making My Way With Cerebral Palsy.

1. I had the privilege of knowing Shelley and had also gone to school with her. Like most kids, I didn't fully understand her CP because it wasn't talked about or discussed in school. That was the biggest mistake the school made because I didn't find out until now that hers wasn't anything having to do with a mental disability, only a physical one. I can't believe it took me this long to come to understand Shelley wholly as a person. This book showed me what a brave and courageous mother she has who had pushed for her daughter in ways that only mothers can. This book also solidified my opinion of the health care system as it still is the same way today - not giving any information out and making patients be 150% proactive when the doctors don't give the help or info you need. It's a health care system that needs a serious overhaul for this reason. This book showed me what a loving family Shelley has - which I already knew, but never to the extent that I have found out. Since her CP was never brought up in school, and we were never required to take a class that explained it (I think health class briefly glossed over it), most of us didn't know what Shelley could and could not do. I, like many, believed that she was limited in everything - not knowing the real God's honest truth. This provided that horrible buffer, this not knowing, and made it harder for Shelley to navigate the social landscape of school. Knowledge is power and if only we, her classmates, knew, it would have made life easier on her as well as us! It's terrible to think of how much time went by before I could realize this gem of information. I loved her stories of her family and her humor. This was a very quick read and only because I am fascinated by this girl's strength. I would love to see this book as mandatory reading in schools. Kids need to understand and embrace differences - not just the cultural ones (which are stressed in schools) but other kinds of cultures as well (deaf, blind, gay & lesbian, developmental disabilities). I am so glad Shelley did so well with this book and is doing so well in life. I hope that she continues to write and lets us know how life has been since she turned 21!



2. I am priviledged to know Shelley and to work with her in a volunteer theater group to which we both belong. Shelley is one of the most uplifting, positive people I have ever met. She meets her disability and its challenges without hesitation every day. Shelley's poetry is often featured in the performances that the group does, and her writings are always greeted enthusiastically by the audience. The poetry in this book is honest, forthright and does not gloss over the hardships of being disabled. Instead, Shelley's book and her life offer other people a view of someone who deals realistically with CP every day, and does not let the disability hold her back from living her life fully.



3. Shelley Nixon was born with Cerebral Palsy. Many readers will expect an informative look at CP, along with an emotional description of dealing with a disability.

   Instead, we get a straightforward look at a young woman looking back on her childhood and adolescence. Shelley's CP is, of course, the catalyst for a lot of her life's events, but she refuses to devote her autobiography to her disability. Instead, she writes, with funny and honest prose, about childhood, friendships, family, crushes, and art - all things important to her. She doesn't shy away from descriptions about her physical limitations and numerous surgeries (and the emotional struggles of dealing with her disability), but she refuses to be defined by Cerebral Palsy, in both her book and her life. She may not be as introspective in "From Where I Sit" as you might like, but insight can be found in her poetry, particularly "A Tree For Me."

   Shelley Nixon may one day write a book about her disability, but first, she chose to write about herself. That alone is a strong statement about embracing one's own abilities.




4. I am a senior Rehab major at Indiana University of PA and I have had over 5 years of experience working with people with CP and other disabilities. I started off having to read this book for a class and loved it! I could not put it down!! This book is an excellent source for anyone who may or who already does work with people with CP. It would also be good for people with CP because it shows everything she had to overcome throughout her life and now she has written a book when many people said she couldn't!! It allows you to view her through her point of view without prejudice and discrimination. What Shelley writes about is everything i have seen with persons with quadriplegic CP. This is not a depressing book. It is inspirational and very eye opening.



5. Based on the positive reviews I read here, I bought two copies, hoping to give one to a young girl with cp, struggling to cope. I was looking for a positive role model for her, someone with a hopeful outlook, who had developed as a person despite their disability. This book is not that. I will not give it to this girl, or give to other students to read. I found this book a very sad autobiography of a girl's life. It was mostly a chronological listing of her life's events. She only touched on the subject of her emotional struggle with cp, but she gives no advice to others in her shoes, leaving the reader to wonder if she herself has emotionally come to grips with her disability. Not a book of success despite adversity that would serve as a model for others in similar circumstances.