Adoption Books

This was an interesting book for those that might be planning to adopt from China. It talks about the history of girls in China, and some laws, etc. She also went over the process for them. It was good, but I was wanting a little more of a memoir. It gives you a lot of info. on adoption in China, that's for sure!

I enjoyed this book. For someone who is considering adoption from China, it was very helpful and moving to read about the experience from one who has been there.

I did find however, that the book was slightly repetitive. There seemed to be a lot of "Women are forced to give up their daughters so that they can have sons..." and "Women were forced to abort if they went over the one child rule..." and "Having a son is more important than anything on the planet"...over and over and over. I understood that after the first chapter. But each chapter seemed to repeat this in different words.

I really appreciated the author's personal story. She was honest and real about the anxieties involved in this process, including the huge financial cost of adopting from China. She also made clear the joys of adoption from China. We got an honest look at both sides of the coin.

Overall it was a well written and informative book. I'm glad I bought it used though. :)

This book is very eye opening. Evans paints such a clear picture of the problem with the one child policy in China while at the same time telling the story of her journey to adopt a daughter from China. This book was both heart wrenching and heart warming. After reading this book, I felt as thought I had just experienced a long talk with a close friend about her personal adoption story.

This book is great information for everyone, not just those interested in international adoption.

All I can say about this book is that it really opened my eyes. A couple times while reading I thought to myself, "Could this be real?" The statistics and information given in this book are mind blowing. The book delivers the information in an organized, easy to understand way. After reading so much about the adoption process it was a nice change to read about the culture my child will be coming from. I gained historical and political perspective as well a real understanding about the way things "actually" are in China. I have to say that anyone adopting a Chinese daughter should read this book. I can only imagine it will also help me answer some questions that may arrise as my daughter grows.

A must read. Very informative on China and how the adoption process came to be what it is today & why. Sad and heartbreaking at the same time. Did not agree w/all aspects (belief system of author) but apart from that, it is a really good book.

This book is one of my all time favorite stories! It is about a little girl who goes to stay with her "mean" grandfather high in the Swiss mountains. She thrives in the mountain air and shares a special love with her grandfather. She is later taken away to live in Frankfurt with a wealthy family as a companian for a sick little girl, but being away from her grandfather and mountain air makes Heidi so homesick she actually becomes physically ill. She finally is able to return to her mountain and is part of a miracle that takes place there. This is such an enjoyable book to read and is a beautiful picture of love and forgiveness. I have read it several times and each time it gets better.

this is my favorite book of all time. i started crying at some parts and heidi is cute, genorous, and funny...

the book that arrived was not the one i ordered. I tried to contact seller by email and got no reply. the book they did send was just the plain book heidi it was in great shape and arrived quick.

When I was a child, I was struck in the eye with a rock thrown by my brother. I was injured to a point that I was bedridden for 6 weeks, and had to take one inch steps in order to heal my eye. I was also confined to a dark room. My mother would read "Heidi" to me as I lie in misery. The doctor said that I had to lie still. He did not want me to injure my eye even more than I had.

Heidi is a book that changed my life. It gave me hope as I lie in darkness. It made me taste goats milk even though to this day I never have. I hope to take this book and read it to my 84 year old mother soon so that I may turn the tables. This book is amazing. Buy it. Read it. Share it with your loved ones. I cannot emphasize enough that this story is magic. God Bless all who read this. Jen

This book is marvelous for both adults and children! Very well illustrated, so you can read the book to the tiniest of children and use the pictures to help them along until they're old enough to understand and read the words in the book. Can start children on this book as a picture book and work their way up to reading it. I read it as an adult and found it very enjoyable. You won't regret buying this book!

Adam Pertman, CEO of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, gives readers a comprehensive view of how far we have come in adoption reform. Understanding from where we have come is the vital foundation for motivating us to persevere in the areas of adoption in which we all work and strive. Thank you, Adam, for providing the foundation and the impetus to move forward. You have encouraged me in my sphere of influence.

Those of you who enjoyed ADOPTION NATION might like to know that public television wants to produce a documentary special inspired by this book. Like Adam's book, "Adoption: An American Revolution" will show the ways in which adoption today is increasingly inclusive, expansive, and affirming; the project will also include Web resources and outreach campaigns to schools and communities. Please visit www.adoptionfilm.org to find out how you can help: we must complete our funding by the end of 2005 or risk losing the project entirely! And keep watching the site - we expect to post new interview materials with Adam Pertman soon.

"All families are different," goes the wisdom being taught our children in progressive schools, and Adam Pertman's _Adoption Nation_ explores and celebrates this difference in the particular context of adoptive families in the United States today. His is the most comprehensive general account I have seen of the contemporary redefinition of American family life being effected by adoption (among other forces). Pertman, himself an adoptive parent, opens the way to a brave new world in which affiliation is as valid a means of family formation as filiation.

Having read dozens of books on adoption and foster care, I was looking forward to this book. While some of the ideas were compelling, I found the tone to be too aggressive and some of the facts misleading. I would not recommend this book.

Adam Pertman gives one of the most complete accounts of adoption today available. This books covers the mistakes of the past, how we got to where we are now - and asks the tough question of where are we headed? As a birthmother who chose open adoption in 1985 (before most people had even heard of it) I am shocked that the age of open adoption has taken so long to be accepted. Pertman correctly identifies the myths that have so long kept families from executing successful arrangements, and he provides the research and stories that may finally put these myths to rest. Respect and honesty are the base for any successful adoption arrangement and this books not only illustrates this, but examines it from each of the adoption member's perspectives. As adoption touches the life of practically every American, in order to understand what you will go through, or your sister, friend or neighbor - read this book!
Pat

This book was recommended by a social worker and a friend who adopted internationally. It helped me to understand where my child's head is. I was much more patient and sympethedic when he had his rages.

As the mother of two children adopted from Eastern Europe, and having read stacks and stacks of books on adoption and parenting children with attachment disorder, I can honestly say this one was the most helpful. My children were both 2 at adoption and are now both 11. We have weathered suicide attempts and many other serious mental and emotional problems, including a long-term psychiatric hospitalization, and still, when I have a question about my children's attachment development and what I can do to help, this is the book to which I turn. I only wish every teacher and professional that works with my children could/would also read this book.

I just wish I had had this book 2 years ago when I started as a foster parent. Yes it is mostly for adoption but I think it would have helped me tremdously.

You can tell this book is written by a professional therapist. I was looking for some straight-forward, basic help. This book did not do the trick. By the time you filter through her theraputic "mumble-jumble", you are only left with s thimble full of helpful advise. It was not worth my time or money. Back to the drawing board!

This book was a gift after we adopted two toddlers from Russia. It helped to understand how attachment happens and to understand the stages. This book helped our family attachment struggles take a turn for the better. 2 1/2 years later the boys are wonderfully attached. This book wasn't the only tool used but was critical to first understanding how attachment works.

This book should be considered a must read for all of those touched by adoption. Joe Soll's wisdom and guidance will truly guide the adoptee in a journey of self exploration that will provide insight and healing of the issues encountered throughout adoption. The readings, activities and knowledge this book offers compares with no other out there.... except for his other book, Adoption healing for mothers. (also, not to be missed!!! )

This book deals with truth -- not the way people would prefer to hear it, but the truth. There is loss for all concerned. My pain of loss of 'mommy' felt validated by its words. I'm sure the feelings of doubt, fear, anxiety and loss that so many adoptees and birth parents feel will be validated, but the writer doesn't stop there. He gives you exercises to help deal with those feelings. Since so many people are affected by adoption I would like to see this become required reading in schools, certainly by teachers at all levels, and prospective adoptive parents. I strongly suggest that everyone read it. It will help you to understand yourself, your sister or brother, your child, your partner or spouse and your friend.

I am so thankful that this books exists. I'm an adoptee, and I grew up with adoptive parents who made the most soul-harming decisions. No one in my family ever understood how I felt, and in turn I had no one to talk with or express my entangled feelings. Joe really translates all on an adoptees feelings and I feel for the first time ever someone REALLY gets it! It is a useful tool in my adoption healing!

The author has brought the myths of adoption into the light. Exposing them so we have a better understanding of adoption and why there is a need for healing. He has given the memebers of the triad understanding on all sides. The exercises are easy to understand and do work. The book is a path to recovery and to living again. Thank you

I am a birthmother who read this book expecting to find more about the adoptee's experience...from an adoptees point of view. Instead, Joe speaks to the pain that most all of us experienced including birthmothers, in the closed Adoption system. Letting go of old myths, shame, embarrassment and denial about what was like a crazy experiment gone awry, is not easy. He has given us exercises ,wisdom and rituals that help us face our deepest sadness and take back our power. I knew while reading this book that this author gets it. He understands and validates the unique pain that a birthparent, especially birthmothers feel. This is one book that every collection of adoption books should include.. no matter how one is involved in the adoption experience.

I've been reading and implementing the contents of this book ( and the second volume recently released, see author's website!!Its ALMOST better than vol.1 -get both!!) for over a year. Its certianly not easy to implement at all times, because it shows us what has not been shown in many other books.. that WE as parents must be in a regulated state, before we can raise children who can heal from their trauma.So it takes time to find that ability, since most of us never recived unconditional love from our own pasts.
I have attended 2 different events with Heather, and can say she lives what she writes. That is a big deal to a skeptic like me. I see huge differences in my children when I am able to stay in my regulated state, and am able to love my children unconditionally.. which takes on a new meaning after reading this book. ( and Vol. 2) The science is there to back it up too. Buy it! read it!
As an aside for any Christian's considering reading this, please don't let the idea of no consequences or control scare you off. Look at Jesus' teachings.. He is all about love, we've just been wrapped up in the 'spanking is Biblical' mode for so long we've forgotten what our children need most IS LOVE.. Love never fails.

We have three internationally adopted children at home. They are all under 7 yrs now.
We have tried attachment therapies and all other forms of help we could mannage.
Nothing seemed to fit exactly. This book, although very difficult for the parents
really hits the mark!
Afterall, what is good parenting if it does not allow the parent to heal at the same
time as the children!
We give this book and method 2 thumbs up!

This is the only method that has worked for our family. We have already seen a dramatic improvement in our son's behavior. It has also helped me recognize my own fear-related issues and has given me the tools to regulate my emotions to focus on the needs of our son.

Every traditional parenting method (time-outs, reward charts, etc) have only made things worse is the past. Up until now we've felt that "no one understands! Nothing works for our son!" I highly recommend this book.

I have been a therapist for over 20 years. Heather and Bryan's insights and strategies are the most effecitve I've found in helping clients of any age with any diagnosis. I feel very confident when I tell parents that I have solutions that will work for their children.

Ken Thom, MS, LPC

I loved this book! It really is amazing to bring everything back to Love versus Fear and being present with your child. It sounds so easy, but most people I observe don't do it regularly and well- even "great parents"! It has been huge learning to just be there for my daughter, to listen and really hear what she is saying instead of knee jerk-reacting! It has already affected my life inside and outside of my home and I know it will continue to be life changing if I continue to be aware and grow in these areas!

I heard Dr. Post speak and then I purchased the book. I knew right away that what they were saying made sense and not many others were saying it. I had done a lot of research and had listened to a lot of friends give advice, but parenting my daughter in those ways was not working and was not getting the same results as they were getting or that I even recall having when my mom and dad raised me!

I keep this book available to re-read and re-read. It is amazing how something so simple can get so difficult as we live out day to day life. I need these reminders! Also, Great examples!

Because I so loved this book I did some research and I also just completed a training with one of the authors Heather Forbes (and Eric Guy) of this model -My husband came with me and we both loved it and have been applying it not only to our relationship and interactions with our daughter but with each other.

Some of these principles in the book have given us instant positive results- I have never heard my daughter speak out the things that are overwhelming her so clearly or so soon, especially when the beginning of the sharing was her yelling at me that I was "so mean" for say, making her turn off a TV show. With other parenting styles I would have sent her instantly to her room or time out with a "don't you use that tone with me young lady" Now the TV still stays off, but we end up talking, yelling slows down and instead of tears and more screaming, I actually end up hearing her heart about topics totally unrelated to the anger expressed about turning off the TV. It is amazing! Other things we are still working on, mostly on applying things that are in areas I now see I have my own issues not yet healed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, and especially to those whose children have been adopted, have been through some sort of trauma, have attachment issue or very low ability to manage stress and who don't respond to more traditional parenting methods like you would have expected. Actually- to those families the book will be life saving- to any families you will love what it brings into your tool-box!

READ IT! And if you are reading this book and would like another tool in your tool-box, sign up on Heather Forbes' website Beyond Consequences website for free Daily Parenting Tips! I signed up for heather's Parenting emails and was amazed how each day they came so right on target and made me look at myself, not just my child's behaviors. It reinforces what the book teaches in a daily, timely way! **Sorry this post is so long- hopefully you skimmed to get out of it what applied to your life or what you are seeking to know about the book. :- )

Press on! as Heather Forbes would say!

The book was very interesting, but I wounder why the mother did not have her daughter, checked out by a physclogist with all the problems that she was having with her adjusting to her new life??. I enjoyed reading the book and finding out how the children are really treated, I do think that China is selling there baby girls, what do they do with the money that they get, very good book to read and pass along to couples that are in the process of adopting, I am passing to my friend that is adopting hopfully in Jan 09

This book was excellent! I couldn't put it down once I started it! Highly recommend it, along with a box of kleenex's!

I'm so glad the author wrote this book. It's the story about the love an orphan has for her best friend, her little baby. It's not something that the average person would choose to pick up, but I love reading adoption stories and this one was fabulous. Anyone who is about to adopt or even thinking about it should read this. It's heartwarming to read about different ways to create a family.
My friend, adopted from Korea as a baby, also loved it and now hopes to one day adopt from China as well.

This book is amazing!

It is about an American mother who goes to China to adopt a three year old girl. This girl, Jacklyn, has lived in the orphanage for two years where she's taken care of a little boy, Xiao Mei Mei. She's acted like a mother to him and made sure the older boys in the orphanage don't pick on him. When Jacklyn, gets adopted she makes it her mission to get her mom to adopt "her baby". Her mom turns to her own family to help her get this baby adopted. Every night Jackyln asks when her baby is coming to America. "When Xiao Mei Mei come?"

Being adopted from China, I found the book very touching. When I went back to my orphanage this summer I saw a little girl who had been left at the orphanage the night before and I fell in love with her. I, like Mrs. Champnella, know what it is like to feel protective of a child you don't know and love that child with all your heart.

I would recommend this book to people who, like me, aren't too religious but won't mind hearing about it. It certanly didn't put me off the book. I think everyone would love this book because it's about the determination of one little girl to share her new life with the one she loves.

Read it, believe me you will love it!

I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it is an amazing story. I was adopted from Korea, have two other siblings that were adopted, have been involved in adoption groups my entire life and for a time, even worked in an adoption agency, so the book hit close to home in many aspects. I think there were very few pages where I didn't find myself sobbing. And I will also say that throughout reading the book, I would vary from reading the book to trying to persuade my husband to adopt/start the application process! ;) So, those are the reasons why one should read this book.

However, as an adoptee, I would say that I have a problem with the mother in this story sharing her daughter's story so openly. I firmly believe that an adopted child's story is their story and they should be the ones to share it...not their parents'. I understand to a certain degree that as an adoptive parent, your child's adoption is a part of your own story....however, details about the way her birthmother left her child are very private matters. I'm not sure if I would want my history out there for all to read and I don't think that the daughter is of the age where she would be able to fully process what it means to put your story in print. And while the author was extremely honest in this story about her own feelings when she initially met her daughter, I think that there would be a lot of things that would be really difficult to read as her adopted daughter....especially during adolescence.

So...although I think this is defintely worth reading, for me, it left me with mixed feelings.

I have been using vi/vim for about six years, but had never gotten to the next level. This was mainly because I had kept my usage limited to a small subset of vi (which is even smaller for vim). And it's not just me - I have seen many people who use vi this way. The other reason is the fact that vi has a steep learning curve. And even when you learn something new, you have to use it often, as otherwise there is a good chance that you will forget it. I knew how powerful vi can be as a text editor, but somehow never used it to its full potential. Sometimes I used to search on the internet for vi/vim tips and stuff, and finally realized that all this learning will be much more effective if I have a book that has all the information in one place. I guess most people will think twice before buying a book on a text editor (at least, I did), whereas they won't hesitate if it was a book on a programming language. But an editor like vi, which is quite difficult to master, does need a book. Once you learn it, you will be amazed to see how powerful it is.

About the book, it is perhaps the best resource for someone at the beginner/intermediate level to learn about vi. There are not many books around on the subject, but this book does a great job. It is divided into two parts. The first part teaches vi and the second part talks about a few vi clones (including vim). The book (especially the first part) is organized in a very nice way. Things are presented in a certain order. Each chapter/section builds on the previous chapter/section. The second part deals with different clones of vi, like nvi, elvis, vim and vile. Of these, I use only vim, which is basically is superset of vi. The chapter on vim does a good job of discussing the essential features of vim in some details, although its not complete by any means. With vim having such a huge number of features, it demands a separate book for itself.

All in all, this is a great book. It is a worthwhile investment to make. You will end up doing things in minimum time and with just a few keystrokes. As another reviewer has said, vi is addicting. Use it and you will see for yourself!

Although this is the 6th edition of this book, while I was reading it, I still felt like I was reading the first edition, due to the clunky prose and the treatment of the material.

I know the authors feel compelled to write a book that describes the features of vi that are common on all platforms, but they end up producing a manual that appeals to the lowest common denominator. If you are still editing files on an old Unix machine using minicom and a dial-up link, this book is just right for you. If you are a modern vi user, trying to edit a large Linux project and need to learn some of the more powerful features of vim, you may be better off asking the office vi guru.

The community at large would be better served by a book dedicated to vim that does not have the problems of "Vi iMproved (VIM)" by Steve Oualline.

This book is a fine exposition of the vi editor with a perfect balance between density of information and friendliness of explanation.

The material is divided in two parts:
* Presentation of the vi proper.
* Presentation of the vi clones.

The value of the book resides in the first part (7 chapters). It explains vi so well that it is hard not to understand and like this well-designed editor.

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Vi is an editor of many qualities: portability, price ($0!) and speed. When it comes to speed, file loading is quick, saving is quick, searching is quick, scrolling is quick - everything is quick with this guy!

Everything but... learning. The vi editor has had a bad reputation as being hard to learn and master. The modal behavior scares most people away and the wide range of commands may seem like hard to conquer. This could have been the situation *before* the amazing "Learning the vi Editor" by Lamb & Robbins existed - but now, when the book reaches the 6th edition, there's no excuse.

As "Learning the vi Editor" nicely explains, vi is a layer on top of the ex editor. Ex is a so-called "line-editor", used to edit files in a line-oriented manner. The two modes of vi are nothing else than an expression of this duality. In the so-called 'edit mode', ex is in control. In the so-called 'command mode', vi-proper is in control while redirecting the ':' commands to the underlying ex. Simple, isn't it?

The book exposes this philosophy behind vi with clarity, rigor and friendliness. Once you read this book you realize that, in fact, vi is a simple and perfectly logical editor. It has simple command sintax, simple command semantics and simple command composition rules.

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All this information - and much more - can be found in the first part of "Learning the vi Editor". The second part is dedicated to various vi clones. Here the reader has the liberty to choose depending on which clone he/she feels most comfortable with.

Books which remove confusion and bring light to seemingly arcane areas are rare. "Learning the vi Editor" by Lamb & Robbins is one of them.

If your operating system is down, you don't have access to the "fancier" editors available that actually have interfaces that make sense to normal people. At this moment, particularly if you are in a system administrator position, you must know vi in order to access and modify files. It is so easy to pick up vi the wrong way - usually by word of mouth from someone who has learned vi the wrong way too. This book is the best I've found that is dedicated to properly teaching you the features of the vi editor and how to use them. O'Reilly has experimented with several book formats over the last ten years. This book is what I like to call "classic O'Reilly". It is the same format that most of their other books on Unix tools are generally written in, and if you have their books on sed and awk or Unix Power Tools, you know what I'm talking about.

If you have learned the wrong way, or if you are a bonified beginner, start at the beginning of part one. Don't skip anything. Even if you think you already know something, at least read through the section to make sure you know the best way of doing it. By the end of the first seven chapters you should be a pretty skilled user of vi. The book makes frequent use of practice exercises, answers common questions, and gives advice on what to do when you encounter common problems. By the time you finish you'll even be writing ex scripts and modifying C/C++ code in the vi editor without accidentally inserting all kinds of control characters that will drive programmers crazy once "the real editor" is back on line.

Part two starts at chapter eight and concerns itself with all of the various extensions to vi that are available via the four most popular vi clones available when this book was published. You do get some enhancements such as multi-window editing and even GUI interfaces by using them, but the cost is an increase in the confusion factor that this book tries to clear up as much as possible. If you are not planning on using a vi clone, you may want to just file this section of the book away in case the subject ever comes up.

Part 3 consists of several useful appendices. Four of the appendices are still useful, but the fifth, on vi and the Internet, is a bit dated. I highly recommend this book if the vi editor is in your future, and if you have system administrator duties, believe me it is. You might also want to invest in the very handy "vi Editor Pocket Reference" by the same author. I have mixed feelings about that one. Everything is there in a concise format, but until you get used to it, information can be hard to find.

This book is well written and laid out. Whether or not you are a beginner or advanced user coming to vi, this is a valuable tool for getting the most out of vi.

vi is by no means an easy or intuitive editor, but with a little practice, it can greatly improve your efficiency. The book does a great job of taking you through a logical progression of how to start using the product.

Also, the support for the derivatives of vi is a huge plus. The vim chapter is excellent and I learned several tips and trick that I now use on a daily basis.

As usual, O'Reilly hits another one out of the park.

This book is a cute story, beautiful art of Paris pre WW2. Our granddaughter will love the story about Madeline.

This is the first book of the series that is an absolute nesesity in the library of all little girls

I loved the Madeline books as a child, so when my daughter turned two I ordered this for her.... and it's truly one of her favorite books. The story is a classic, and the illustrations are as charming as ever! Thirty + years hasn't dimmed it's magic for me.

This beautifully written and illustrated, very engaging story, is a classic of children's literature and a delight in every way. You may begin reading this to a child from the age of 7-8 mos on. One of my favorites as a child (65 yrs ago) and so for both my daughters. I have just given this new addition to my baby granddaughter.

"In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines." In 1939, Ludwig Bemelmans began writing stories about a group of girls in a school in Paris, foremost among whom was the irrepressible Madeline. Those books are now considered classics in children's literature, having collected many awards.

This is a great children's book, one that my four-year-old likes having read to her over and over again. Indeed, we now have it down to where she finishes the sentences for me. "In two straight lines they..." I start, and she finishes with, "broke their bread." Well, it's a lot of fun. We both love this book and highly recommend it!

This book was a delightful read. I immediately fell in love with all the Cassons. The characters felt real and lovable, and I loved their quirky life style. It was defintely a unique book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a charming and unforgetable book.

Whew! I'm about a quarter of the way through the book and already I'm thinking I hope no boys come along to read it.

Kids hanging out of windowsills, guinea pigs in the garden, and babies swallowing paint are only a few, but routine, of the bizarre happenings in the Casson household. But in the midst of all this, one girl tries to find her place.

The four Casson children are all named after colors on the color chart, thanks to their artist mother, Eve. The oldest is Cadmium (Caddy), then Saffron (Saffy), Indigo, and Rose. One day, Saffy was looking at a color chart and discovered she was not on there, and soon learned she had been adopted. The other children told Saffy, who was severely upset, that her adoption made no matter and she was still part of the family. Saffy was the daughter of Eve's twin sister, who died in a car crash in Italy. Saffy's grandfather brought Saffy to Eve's family in England. After grandpa died, he left something to each of the children. To Saffy, all he left was "her angel." Saffy leaves to go to Italy with her new energetic friend to search for the angel, but comes home fruitless. But then, almost entirely by accident, Indigo figures out the puzzle of Saffy's Angel, and retrieves the angel sculpture for Saffy.

Saffy's Angel was an excellent read with memorable characters, humor, and fresh storytelling.

A few of the unforgettable characters were Saffy, Sarah, and Caddy. Saffy was funny and simply enjoyable. She always said what was on her mind and was stubborn. In Siena, Italy, where Saffy and Sarah went along with Sarah's parents to search for the angel, Saffy checked her mother's old house and garden multiple times before accepting defeat. Sarah was bound to a wheelchair, but she never let that stop her. Perhaps she was even more stubborn than her friend Saffy, but Sarah was certainly more resourceful. Sarah was always thinking of clever ideas to get what she wanted and to overcome numerous obstacles - it was Sarah who figured out to get into the garden at Saffy's old residence in Siena. Caddy was a genius in disguise. She had street smarts and even some book smarts, but was failing out of her college classes and driving tests. She helped her siblings out of tricky situations, such as Rose's stolen painting, and was a compassionate person.

There were many funny things going on in Saffy's Angel. One was Indigo. Indigo desperately wanted to explore Antarctica, but realized that he needed to overcome his fear of heights. Therefore, to compromise that, he would sit on second-story windowsills and just sit. One time, Caddy forgot to help in back inside, so he ended up sitting on the windowsill for hours into the evening. Another funny happening in the story was when baby Rose swallowed a tube of paint and had a yellowish tint to her skin for a few weeks after. Yet another humorous event in this story was Saffy's journey to Siena. Sarah and her parents had been planning on going, but Saffy was not invited along. Sarah and Saffy planned a way to bring Saffy along, so Saffy hid inside a beanbag chair sitting inside the car on the ride. When they were halfway there, Saffy popped out and scared Sarah's parents, who were then forced to bring her along.

There were quite a few examples of originality and fresh storytelling in Saffy's Angel. One was the Casson's house. It was called the banana house, but did not resemble a banana for even have a banana's coloring. It also had a spacious garden, in which guinea pigs grew more than any plant. Another original element were the names of the children. The children, as mentioned before, were named after the color chart, which was very unusual, yet delightful. Another original element was Caddy's driving lessons and tests. She would purposefully fail the tests so she could continue the lessons, as she had a crush on the instructor.

Saffy's Angel was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good book. It had memorable characters, comedy, and pure originality, making for a great book.

-Elizabeth H =]

I would reccomend "Saffy's Angel" to a reader that likes a cliffhanger and a reader who likes a page turner type of book that is hard to put down. Saffy's is a quiet, shy girl. Saffy likes to accomplish goals on her own. Saffy is a mature girl. I loved reading this book. I never wanted to put "Saffy's Angel" down. It was a book that leaves you hanging, so I wanted to keep on reading. I thought that "Saffy's Angel" was such a page turner.

I rented this audio CD from the library and it was wonderful! Too bad that you do not stock it.