Adoption Books

I loved this book. Jill Wolfson created a spunky, endearing character in Cal Lavender from the first words on the page. Readers will be drawn into the world (and personality) of this lively, teenage girl living in foster care. But Wolfson's quirky characters don't stop with Cal - short for California which in turn is short for Carolina Agnes London Indiana Florence Ohio Renee Naomi Ida Alabama - there are a whole host of fun, lovable characters to get to know, including the Knitting Lady who runs the girls group home. (Check out Wolfson's website, she loves knitting. Could she be the Knitting Lady?)

No matter what the life situation of teenagers, they inevitable feel alienated from those around them. Wolfson's What I Call Life may be about a teen in foster care, but her voice expresses the needs all teens feel to fit in.

What I Call Life by:Jill Wolfson
What is life? Whats your life story? Are you living your life or someone elses?Then OMG...you have to read this book!!!! Now hurry hurry!!! Time is running out!
It was the best book I have read! The main character is a girl named Carolina Anges London Indiana Florence Ohio Renee Naomi Ida Alabma Lavendar,Cal for short. She has a unabrow,she is 11,and her mom is mentally challenged.Cal gets taken away from her mom and sent to a house that everyone calls the pumpkin house(a foster home). The owner is called the Kitting Lady.The other girls in the pumpkin house are Whitney,Amber,Monica, and Fern.
Once Cal arrived at the pumpkin house everyone starts to change.Amber stops pulling her hair out,Monica isnt scared of everything anymore, and Fern doesn't giggle at everything. Whitney is the only one who didnt realley change. I think Cal learned that no matter what she still has friends and family to support her. She also leraned that what ever she does whereever sh goes is her real life.She and the other girls leave the pumpkin house and the Knitting Lady knows but,didnt stop them. Will they come back?Red to see what happens next!
This book is all about what happens in life and not what will happen. It's even happening as you read this.R ight now there are childeren out there who are being put in foster homes or running away. They are thinking exacly what Cal was thinking. That their parent(s) are coming back for them. But they're not. That's what life is!
Brandi C.

What I Call Life by: Jill Wolfson

What is life? What's your life story? Are you living your life or someone elses? Then OMG...you have to read this book!!!! Now hurry!!!
Time is running out! It was the best book I have read! The main character is a girl named Carolina Anges London Indiana Florence Ohio Renee Naomi Ida Alabama Lavendar, Cal for short. She has a unabrow, she is 11,and her mom is mentally challenged. Cal gets taken away from her mom and sent to a house that everyone calls the pumpkin house(a foster home). The owner is called the Kitting Lady. The other girls in the pumpkin house are Whitney, Amber, Monica, and Fern.
Once Cal arrived at the pumpkin house everyone starts to change. Amber stops pulling her hair out, Monica isn't scared of everything anymore, and Fern doesn't giggle at everything. Whitney is the only one who didn't really change. I think Cal learned that no matter what she still has friends and family to support her. She also learned that what ever she does wherever she goes is her real life. She and the other girls leave the pumpkin house and the Knitting Lady knows but didn't stop them. Will they come back? Read it to see what happens next!
This book is all about what happens in life and not what will happen. Its even happening as you read this. Right now there are children out there who are being put in foster homes or running away. They are thinking exactly what Cal was thinking. That their parent(s) are coming back for them. But they're not. That's what life is!
Brandi

What I Call Life is an excellent read, quirky, fast-paced, interesting dialog, with even more remarkable characters. Cal Lavender (11 years-old) is a strong protagonist trying to survive, emotionally, after being dumped in a group home for girls. Knitting Lady (the group-home-mother) and the other girls are brought to life with fascinating descriptions and realistic dialog. The story intertwines their lives with the story Knitting Lady is telling throughout the book.
Teachers and Media Specialists: This novel does include a little language, so you would want to preview it before reading aloud to a class (it would still be an appropriate read-aloud). It would also be a good novel for introducing or reinforcing the reading strategies of predictions and inferences.

This is such an endearing story - spoken through an eleven year old girl's voice and thoughts with a refreshing honesty. The girls in this group home all display different strengths, coping methods, and vulnerabilities which are revealed one by one as the story progresses.

The Knitting Lady is an insightful and patient woman, who is not presented as simply "all-knowing and wise", but also as a caring person with her own wounds and self-doubts. She does seem almost too good to be true: occasionally relaxing the rules and letting the girls learn truths on their own, going with the flow and being totally present - but, as I said, she does have her own self-doubts. I feel that the Knitting Lady was not only the girls' mentor in the story, but that she has become my mentor as well.

My daughter observed me while tears ran down my face a few times when I was reading the book and asked, "Why are you crying Mom? Is it sad?" I replied, "Some parts are very sad, but the parts that make me cry are the happy ones.."

This is a very touching book.

The girls, the Knitting Lady, and their stories stayed with me for days after reading the story. Actually, they haven't left - I can still feel them. They make me want to be a better person.

Thank you, Jill Wolfson, for giving all of us this story and for giving us the Knitting Lady.

This is a beautiful book! The author takes you back in time to tell the stories of several generations of Scottish women. The book rings true through the lyrical dialect of the place and period, as these women tell their stories of hardship, abuse, sacrifice and generational trauma. This book will resonate for anyone with a family history of abuse and poverty, but it's not just about the pain. It's about the resilience of the human spirit and the strength and power of love that transcends suffering and leaves you feeling uplifted and renewed.

Jacqueline Wales has written a book worthy of a prize. She is, indeed, a master storyteller. I knew a little about her book before reading it (and loved the cover). At first I was concerned that the Scotish brogue would be difficult but I remained enthralled with the story of family hardships throughout. I am going to buy the CD when it becomes available so I can hear the brogue spoken. A well-written book and a fascinating work.

I just finished When the Crow Sings by Jacqueline Wales in two days, something I don't do with fiction. I couldn't get it out of my mind. It was not, however, until the last sentence that the tears came. No, gentle weeping is more accurate. Although it is very riling, it is also so riveting and cleverly written, that I was in awe at the end how it all came together. I also wanted more ( a sequel maybe?) Even though I have worked for years with women who have been abused and neglected by both parents and spouses, it was this novel that gave me a deep insight into the reality of the pain and consequences that others can inflict on us by their behaviors. So many feelings came up for me and I don't have an abusive background at all. I recommend it for everyone whether you identify or not. It will touch your heart. Claudia Scott, Jacksonville, Fl

This book is a page turner, a shocker, and a must read. An unadulterated account following three generations of Scottish women as they cycle through the destructive and painful annals of time, I felt myself tugged alongside of their struggles. A wonderfully cathartic novel for anyone seeking to face their own familial demons- this story is bound to stay with you for a long time. We should all be so fearless in the retelling of our own histories. Agnes is delivering a manuscript containing her niece's recount from the point of view of the women in her family, starting with her own mother's tragic love story that weaves itself through her own generation, and bleeding patterns into the next generation. The shock and pain of Agnes' realization of events that happen alongside her life can be clearly felt. Despite all the irony that the sense of life's inevitability themematically imparts, the story is surprisingly uplifting and hopeful. The women have strong spirits despite their flaws. The native dialogue will cause you to further immerse yourself in this book- a rare find that became an experience as well as an intriguing and emotional read. This one I can recommend with confidence

My favorite part of this book is how seamless and natural the language is. I got caught up in the story and lost in the wonderful dialect. The women in this book became very important to me and I lost a day of work reading because I could not put it down. It was a great read and left me feeling connected to the women in this family for days after.
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir

I picked this book up about a month ago before kicking off a critical assessment project and it's paid for itself many times over. The numerous tomes in our field often provide hyperbole rather than pragmatic advice you can put into practice. This book helped me not only understand key agile concepts, but explained them in a way that made clear the business value they deliver.

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone seeking to learn more about implementing agile in an organization still relying on the traditional waterfall method.

If you understand Agile and your team adopts all the practices with success overnight, then this book is not for you. If like the rest of us you have an understanding of Agile, but need some help to go beyond a few superficial practices, then buy the book and use it!

Amr starts with the fundamentals of Agile, from its deep roots in team dynamics and individual attitudes, and then guide you towards building a strategy for Agile adoption - not a generic strategy, but one that is adequate for your team and your objectives. Once the strategy is defined, we can put the Agile patterns to good use, one at a time, in good order, while minding the impacts, consequences and pitfalls.

This was exactly the book I was looking for. For my longer review, please refer to: http://freedomforideas.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/agile-adoption-patterns-1-2-3/.

Proven patterns for succeeding with Agile in an organization are presented in a series of case studies and hands-on exercises in Agile Adoption Patterns: a Roadmap to Organizational Success. Here are the most common stumbling points teams face in implementing strategy, along with tips on how to teach, train, and bring customers on board to an agile environment. Any Agile project manager will find this an excellent series of tips, making this perfect for software engineering collections.

There are plenty of excellent books available that explain agile practices. What has been missing until now is the guidance to apply them. Amr's approach to achieving agile practices is filling a need that has been felt by many for several years now. Amr takes an excellent approach to identifying the best means of applying agile techniques based on a combination of business needs and project pains. This approach stays focused on delivering business value to the enterprise as they move towards agile practices.

Amr has an excellent writing style that is both concise and entertaining delivering information in a manner that can be absorbed in bite-sized chunks and applied as needed based on the initial needs assessment. After identifying the business needs or pains the best agile practices to deliver the value or reduce the pain are described in a manner that determines which practices will deliver the best value to meet your identified needs.

I highly recommend that you pick up this book if you are either planning to adopt agile practices, struggling to adopt agile practices or are looking to enhance the agile practices that you currently employ. Well done Amr.

There are many books about the theories and practices that are encompassed in the word "agile". Quite a number of them are quite good in terms of addressing the specific practices and how to implement them. It you want to learn Scrum or XP, there is no shortage of books and how-to materials, along with plenty of advice.

This book, however, addresses the goal of agile adoption from a new perspective - patterns of behavior and thought, and how to specifically leverage and/or address them. It addresses this from the organizational/team perspective, rather than the individual perspective, which makes it particularly valuable for those of us who are working in an organizational transformation/agile adoption environment.

While it might seem that "patterns" would appeal to the techies in its audience, my experience is that Amr has managed to frame his work in terms and concepts that are readily understood by all. This book is readily digestible by non-technical managers and staff, as well as by those of us who have spent/currently spend our time in a technology environment. It is not necessary to understand what design patterns are, for instance, to understand the patterns in this book.

For those who are either anticipating agile adoption or actively engaged in it, or even those who are struggling with what seems to be a failed adoption, this book is required reading. The way in which the patterns are presented, the clear and pragmatic exercises described to help work through them, and the suggestions for ways to approach it all are just what's needed.

Real world, pragmatic, easy to read, and easy to digest - that's what this book is all about.

It will be on my desk and heavily thumbed in short order.

Toby Dillon only partially grew up. Yes, he's a lawyer. But he only does that part time. The other part of the time, he is the assistant tennis pro at the country club where he lives.

Toby has stumbled into the adoption business, helping couples navigate all the legal proceedings necessary to make their new child officially their own. It's a specialty he loves because it allows him to help people.

His latest clients are really special to him. They are Hollywood power couple Brogan Barlow and Rita MacGilroy. But to Toby, they are his best friends. The three grew up together in a tiny town in northern San Diego county. So, naturally, Toby is anxious to help them.

Things go well, and the news of the adoption leads off a whirlwind press tour that Toby becomes part of.

Then comes a phone call with a shocking revelation for Brogan and Rita. Naturally, they want to question the birth mother, but she has disappeared. What's really been going on?

Let's be clear, I loved this book. Between the humor and the twists, I couldn't put the book down.

The story starts a little slowly, with frequent pauses to give us some history on Toby. We do need to get to know him, but frequent flashbacks are a bit of a pet peeve. Still, that was the only flaw. Once the story gets going, I could not put the book down, staying up late a couple nights in a row to read just a little further. The plot twists and turns all over the place, yet I found every one of them logical and believable. And the characters were real. Toby, Brogan, and Rita felt like true friends by the end of the book. And as the book progresses, we are drawn into a darker and darker web.

Author Randall Hicks has created a new series that shows lots of promise. I can't wait to visit Toby and company again.

I love discovering new authors. He really writes mystery/suspense well, but his humor was what made me love the book. He is a 'hoot'. I do enjoy suspense, but if you can add humor - WOW! In my book, he's got it all. Oops, one more thing, he knows adoption, and that's the basis of this book, although this is fiction. What people and criminals will do for a baby! I'm waiting for his new book, Baby Crimes, which comes out in 2007.

Baby Game deserves a much higher placement among Amazon rankings! New author Hicks introduces a new kind of hero with Toby Dillon, a lawyer who's an adoption specialist. Toby brings an unusual background to his job: two years in the Peace Corps followed by law school courtesy of Uncle Charlie.

Toby's one of those tough athletic bachelor heroes with brains -- like Brady Coyne with a lot of rough edges. For a first outing, he helps his childhood friends adopt a much-loved child under bizarre but just plausible conditions.

Hicks cleverly introduces the hero and his past, although at times I had trouble keeping the dates straight. Law school - before or after Peace Corps? Must have been after. A few incidents were a little slapstick. Hicks has to remember that mystery readers tend to identify with upscale values. Robert Parker has this awareness dodwn to an art form in the Spenser series.

And I suspect we'll get gliimpses of the hero's Peace Corps life as the series goes on.

I don't usually like mysteries featuring characters who are supposed to be famous. And I find it hard to believe famous actors realy are so nice and humble and down to earth.

But I didn't feel at all tempted to stop reading or even look ahead, as I do with some authors who are far more established. I really wondered how all the pieces would come together. Hicks knows how to tell a story and I enjoyed getting an insider's view of adoption law along the way, even though I'll never adopt any creature that doesn't come equpped with fur, whiskers and paws.

Let's hope Hicks develops a following and gives us more adventures of his misguided hero.

Hicks has written a particularly engaging character in Toby. I also appreciated his making the celebrity couple real, grounded people. There was interesting legal information which didn't bog down the story, and some good twists along the way. But it was Toby's relationship with his grandfather was particularly touching. The book is a bit mystery light, but is an entertaining first book and a series I shall definitely follow.

The Baby Game is one of those rare books where the improbable works seamlessly. The serious parts make the hairs on the back of your neck tingle and the funny parts are laugh out loud hilarious. An ex Peace Corps, assistant tennis pro, home schooled California attorney, who drives a Ford falcon convertible with a wooden cigar store Indian permanently wedged in the passenger seat sounds like the loser of a Dumb and Dumber contest, but Toby Dillon turns out to be believable, lovable, and competent, in roughly that order. The plot is deliciously twisty and at the halfway point, I still had no idea who the bad guys were. Although there is real jeopardy, there is still some question at that point as to whether a crime had even been committed. Well, actually Toby was well along the way to the five felonies he commits in the course of the book, but otherwise...All is well that ends well and the ending of The Baby Game - "And then I kissed her." The best way to describe it, The Baby Game is similar to Lawrence Sanders' McNally series, only a whole lot better.

This is the book I have turned to over and over again as I stumble my way through my own adoption reunion. The stories of search and discovery are varied enough to touch on many potential issues any searcher may encounter. This is a comforting and yet realistic view of adoption searches, and a must-read for anyone contemplating or in the midst of a search.

A friend of mine recommended this book and although I am not an adoptee, I was intrigued by what she shared about the book. I am glad that I read it. If you're like me and you enjoy the search for a happy ending, you'll enjoy reading "Back to the Beginning." First and foremost, the accounts of adoptees searching for their birth families and vice versa was riveting; however, what I liked most about the book was the way the authors seemed genuinely interested in their clients emotionally. I thought the advice they gave to their clients was very sound; particularly the advice about approaching first time meetings between families, as well as how to manage their expectations about the process and its possible roads blocks. I counsel people every day in my job, so I'm sure what I read in this book will be woven into my practice somehow. Even if it's not, I'll be keeping this book on hand for those moments when I need a feel-good pick me up read...as well as a little perspective on how nice and easy my childhood was knowing my birth parents and siblings.

I was blown away! This book is so interesting!!! From the ins and outs of Private Investigation to the beautiful, touching and heartwarming stories, I could not put it down! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in solid, well written stores about real life.

The warmth and sensitivity of these wonderful women comes through on every page. I've read it twice and recommend it to every single person involved in the adoption process. Then I'd recommend it to every person outside of the process. It's heartwarming and insightful. I wish I had known them when I searched for my birth family, or at the very least, had their book.

As a professional investigator for many years and an adoptive parent, I recommend this book without reservation. It is well written, touching, inspirational, motivating, informative and a great place to start for anyone interested in adoptive reunions or even in becoming a private investigator or researcher.

How many times in my career as a teacher or librarian has someone asked if there was a children's book that dealt with a specific problem? Talk about handy-dandy! Teachers, librarians, physicians, counselors and anyone who works with children will find that this is one of the most dog-eared references on their desk, and parents will become instantly expert in prescribing their own bibliotherapy. An approachable guide that deals with issues in a cheerful way.

Stories are a great way to help children with their concerns. This book is a thorough guide to children's literature, arranged by topics. Issues addressed range from the common - such as potty training and sibling jealousy to the more serious issues of dealing with loss of a loved one. I would recommend it as a good book to have on your shelf to refer to when you children or their friends encounter some of these problems.

You will find countless suggestions for fine picture books that can help kids, and the adults in their lives, deal with sometimes troubling real-life situations. A great guide to good reading!

Cheryl Coon's book is a smorgasbord of information for the literate parent. I have seen nothing like it in my years as a psychologist for children. It provides a `natural' approach to understanding the myriad situations that a parent and child will, hopefully, face together. Nothing seems to bond a child and parents so much as reading a favorite book together again and again.

This concerned mother has done a massive amount of research that other parents can benefit from. "Books to Grow With" should be endorsed by PTA groups, Parent's magazine, Gerber's, and the Head Start Program, to name only a few..." Cheryls' book will help a child develop resiliency and good coping skills.

Great book for anyone involved in the adoption process or those that have already adopted. Great to read of others experiences.
Would highly recommend this book!
Nicole

Born in Our Hearts is an uplifting and informative collection of stories from the adoptive triad and family, including birthmothers, adoptive parents and grandparents, and adopted children and adults. Adoption is viewed through the lenses of a virtual rainbow of participants, in different circumstances and situations, yet overall it results in a very positve and encouraging view - with twists and turns unlike any other. While prospective adopters (both international and domestic) will enjoy the variety of adoption journeys, the viewpoints of the adoptees and birthparents are especially informative and will be of interest to parents who have adopted as well as those considering adoption.

As an adoption professional, I found this book to be a wonderful blend of perspectives. Contrary to popular opinion, adoption doesn't speak with one voice. The wide range of issues raised in Born in Our Hearts illustrates that quite well. As an adoptive parent, I identified with so many stories and so many feelings-the over-the-top excitement, the nail-biting anxiety, the deeply-rooted fear and sadness, and the incredible, indescribable joy. I'd recommend this book to anyone whose life has been touched by adoption or anyone who hasn't but wants to know more about the life experience of an adoptive parent, an adopted person, or a birth parent.

Born In Our Hearts is a deeply honest book. A collection of adoption views written by the adopted children, the birth mother, the adoptive parents and grandparents. This book provides an insight and a true understanding into their world. It will leave you with a tear in your eye.

A MUST read for anyone dealing with children.

This book is so inspiring. As part of a family touched by adoption, I totally enjoyed these stories. Each one is better than the next! This is truly a book that will evoke many emotions; joy,fear,love,disapointment, and hope. Even if you have not been touched by adoption, this book speaks to everyone's heart. This is a great book to give as a gift or to share with a book club! The most important lesson to learn from Born In Our Hearts is that families are made from love, not biology!

This clear, concise, well-written book covers everything you need to know about running a rescue program, from initial organization to volunteer training and management to networking to finding financial support to legal issues to the intake, fostering, and adoption processes. Boneham provides advice on presenting your group to the public and on generating press releases as well. Included are several sample forms and formats. While the book focuses on breed rescue, the information is equally useful for all-breed rescues. Strongly recommended not just for those starting a rescue group, but for those working with already established groups.

I hope to start a rescue of my own one day and this book has it all. Fun to read, easy to follow, its a must for anyone thinking about starting a rescue!

After being involved with Breed Rescue for close to a year, I then found this book on breed rescue. It is well organized, succinct and, in my opinion, complete. There is so much to consider with rescue that it is easy to get lost in the activities. I am now recommending the book to others who want to become involved. To be well informed and have each person in rescue with a sense of the same goal and way of doing things helps enormously. Many thanks to the author who took the time to put together such a wonderful reference. I still refer to it from time to time.

A sincere desire to do the right thing, combined with knowledge and skill in dog care, are not enough to enable people to successfully run the nonprofit business of a dog rescue organization. In this book, Boneham leads people through the necessary decisions and policies. Her advice will help rescuers avoid myriad pitfalls that stop so many from continuing in rescue.

Boneham sets high standards for rescue, and explains the reasons for each criteria. Volunteers working within these rules will have a greatly increased chance of remaining in the work long-term, and people adopting dogs from rescues run by these principles will have good experiences. Most of all, the lives of dogs will be saved, and that's what makes it all worthwhile.

Sheila Boneham's Breed Rescue: How To Start And Run A Successful Program is a complete and thoroughly "user friendly" guide to launching and operating a dog breed rescue. Boneham covers every aspect including getting organized; finding, training and managing volunteers; acquiring financial and community support; networking with other animal shelters and rescue groups; finding the dogs; screening dogs for medical problems; determining a dog's temperament and behavior; placing rescued dogs; and promoting/publicizing the dog rescue program. Breed Rescue also provides lists of contact names and addresses, as well as extensive collection of pertinent sample documents. If you see a need for rescuing dogs in your community but no current resources for addressing the problem, then begin with a careful reading of Sheila Boneham's Breed Rescue!

I had a hard time putting this book down. It is so honest, and truly reflects the emotional and spiritual 'roller coaster' of adoption. As an adoptive mother I could relate to so many of the experiences and feelings that Kristin shares. The author's spiritual relfections are thought provoking and inspiring. This is a much needed resource for Christian adoptive families and will be especially helpful to those just beginning their adoption journey.

Christine Mitchell, author and illustrator of Welcome Home, Forever Child
Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond

We hear about so-called designer adoptions involving Hollywood stars, and while the press they receive helps bring attention to the need for adoption, the truth is that there are many people who would like to know more about the actual experiences of real people. Kristin and Phil Wong were parents of two natural children when they made the decision to adopt two Korean boys. This is their story told from a Christian perspective, because it is important for anyone interested in adoption to know that it is an act of Christian love and not just a spur of the moment, politically correct thing to do in order to get good PR. I doubt if anyone reading this book will not be deeply touched by the experiences of the Wongs.

I can not recommend this book highly enough for Christian adoptive parents. The author describes her journey, and that of her family, through the adoption of two Vietnamese boys. She details God's development of her character through the waiting and uncertainties of the process, and shares about what she learned about such topics as prayer, fear, waiting, God's goodness, pain, and worship. Mrs. Wong's story has been a chief means of encouragment and exhortation for my husband and I as we have felt the refining fire in our own hearts during our own adoptive journey.

This book has applications for any Christian in understanding his/her own adoption as God's child. I plan to recommend this book to my friends, especially those that are adopting children into their family or who have been adopted into a family themselves. My favorite aspect of the book is the author's honesty about her own faith struggles in waiting on the Lord throughout the adoption process.

Here is a scriptural roadmap to aid those who wish to adopt. The story is told from the experience of a Christian family who recently went through the process of adopting two boys from Asia. Through many trials and frustrations Kristin Wong shares her struggles in keeping faith and the Biblical lessons she is taught on the way. She speaks with an honesty and beauty that allows the reader to witness precious moments of joy and love. A heart warming and faith building book.

Esther's Uncle Mordecai is the gate keeper.He raised Esther from a baby. My favorite part of the story is when Esther becomes queen of Persia. My favorite part of the story is when he laughed. When he was done laughing, he said "Esther, you are now queen of ersia". I like the book Esther because it is taken from the Bible. The comments are the same as in the Bible. If you really like the Bible story, I insist that you read this book!

Esther was an ok book. It is easy to read. It was about
this girl named Esther and how she became a queen and
saved her people. I recommend this book to anyone.

Esther's Uncle Mordecai is the gate keeper.He raised Esther from a baby. My favorite part of the story is when Esther becomes queen of Persia. My favorite part of the story is when he laughed. When he was done laughing, he said "Esther, you are now queen of ersia". I like the book Esther because it is taken from the Bible. The comments are the same as in the Bible. If you really like the Bible story, I insist that you read this book!

I like this book of Esther because it is all what God knew what was going to happen. My first favorite part is when the king crowned Esther Queen of Persia. That was God's plan. Later, a man named Haman wanted all the Jews killed. God wanted Esther to save her people. My second favorite part is when Esther shows up to the king uninvited. Esther had the courage to do that. But, will Esther save her people in time? Read this book to find out.

I have read dozens of Jewish books to my kids, and this stands out as one of the few that I am going to keep for THEIR kids. The reason? It portrays Esther as a real person that girls can truly identify with, while not straying from the honest Torah understanding of the holiday. Additionally, the combination of realistic text (presented in the form of Esther's diary) and stunning illustrations make this book a literary treat. I wish this author-illustrator team would get together to create stories about all the Biblical heroines!