Product Description
The book has been written for applied researchers andpractitioners in the disciplines of school psychology, speech-languagepathology, special education, expressive therapy, family therapy,psychiatry, clinical psychology, pediatric medicine, and social work.Elective mutism is discussed within the important context of silenceand gender differences in communication. The elective mutismliterature focuses on the characteristics of specific patients butlittle has been done in systematic theory building. Hadley addressesthis issue and argues for a multidimensional theory of electivemutism.The book has five major purposes: (1) to provide a background for theproblem of elective mutism by identifying the characteristics ofhealthy users of silence; (2) to provide a compendium of practicalapproaches for assessing and treating elective mutism; (3) to suggestetiological models of elective mutism based on the evaluation andsynthesis of case study data; (4) to identify recurring themes andmajor issues in the published literature; and (5) to identifyresearch questions related to the assessment and treatment of electivemutism.A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of an assessmentinstrument for monitoring and recording information about the behaviorof silence users. It can also be used to monitor and record progressduring treatment. The book addresses the characteristics of electivemutism, psychosocial factors of silence and communication,psychosocial characteristics of electively mute persons, theories ofelective mutism, legal aspects of the silence user role, directobservation of behavior, why-questions beyond direct observation,assessment of electively mute behavior, and unsystematic informaltreatments. The treatment section is extensive and includes behavioralinterventions such as positive self-modeling and expressive therapiessuch as play therapy, phototherapy and art therapy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

filled with outdated research citations, inconclusive findin
Not only is this book difficult to read (because of all of the citations), there is no substance to it.

The research mentioned in the book is out of date and inconclusive. All studies mentioned have very small research groups.

A waste of time and money ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Selective mutism (SM) is a severe childhood anxiety disorder in which a person who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak in given situations, or to specific people. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, selective mutism is described as a rare psychological mental disorder in children. Children and adults with the disorder are fully capable of speech and understanding language, but can fail to speak in certain social situations when it is expected of them. It is in presentation an inability to speak in certain situations. They function normally in other areas of behavior and learning, though appear withdrawn and some are unable to participate in group activities. As an example, a child may be completely silent at school, for years at a time, but speak quite freely or even excessively at home. ... Read more

Product Description
A proven therapeutic method that channels workplace anxiety into powerful, confident performance

Millions of people are afraid of work. The situations they fear may be different-public speaking (e.g., presentations and speeches), meetings, conference calls, new assignments, performance reviews, promotions or praise, client consultations, team projects, and so on. But the feeling is often the same: some combination of obsessive worry, fear of being noticeably nervous, clammy hands, racing thoughts, sweating, blushing, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, and more.

That feeling is called "workplace anxiety." And Work Makes Me Nervous is the cure. An effective self-empowerment training program, Work Makes Me Nervous lays out a proven therapeutic method for dismantling the wall between you and your ability to excel at work. The program trains you to:

• Channel workplace anxiety into powerful performance
• Identify anxiety symptoms and pinpoint where fears originate
• Achieve a High Performance Mind through a technique called Mind States Balance
• Abandon fear and ride the wave of adrenaline through every work situation

Filled with real stories of real people and a 21-day developmental program of practical exercises and effective stress-management techniques, Work Makes Me Nervous will enable you to finally say, "I can handle whatever situations come my way." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Thorough and Incisive
This is a well-researched and well-WRITTEN book. Even if a reader does not suffer from this particular disorder, this book stands on its own as a fascinating window into a little-discussed but apparently very common problem. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding Katie is a hands-on storybook written especially for children between the ages of 3-12 years of age who suffer from Selective Mutism and/or social phobia.

Selectively Mute/socially anxious children ‘cannot speak’ and feel afraid when they are in various social situations, such as school.This can be a very isolating feeling.Understanding Katie will help these children realize that they are not alone and there are others in this world who feel as they do.The goal for this book is to help Selectively Mute/socially anxious children identify with Katie’s feelings by reading about her trials and tribulations in ‘a day in the life of’ Katie. Children can color and draw on the illustrations as a means of expressing themselves and personalizing Katie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

More appropriate for GRADES 4 to 8.
While this book is an easy read and provides good insight into SM for older readers, it is not appropriate for children as young as 4 (as indicated in the product information provided).It is too long, contains too many references tothe title character's behavior chart system, and fairly uninteresting pictures to engage the attention of youngsters.I have used it to a limited degree with some kindergarten girls, but I had to adapt the verbiage and skip some of it completely in order to hold their attention.In the end, they voted more for When My Worries Get Too Big! A Relaxation Book for Children Who Live with Anxiety.

Understanding Katie might be somewhat useful for a young child with SM who is already on a chart or token system, but not really a good read for other youngsters.The treatment guide available as a separate purchase is great information, but too expensive for what it is, in my opinion.

Parents review
I bought this book for my 8 year old daughter who has selective mutism. Both of us liked the book however I had to read this with her. The book is probably written for a 10 years or older. I didn't mind reading it with her but she likes to read alone so she found it abit overwhelming, many long words. I think if it was meant for a girl her age it should have had less words per page and more colorful. But overall a well written book and lets her know she is not alone.Understanding Katie

selective mutism
This is a very nice book. I read w/a 12 yo girl w/selective mutism, and she liked it very much. She took it home to share w/her mother. My only complaint is that all the inside pictures are in black and white.

very helpful for my daughter
This book was very helpful for my daughter with selective mutism.She realized for the first time that she was not the only kid with this problem.When we received it she read it every night and started to talk about how she felt.We shared this book with her teacher and her best friend, they too had no idea that this was how she felt.My daughter is 8 years old and this book was maybe a bit on the young side for her.It would be great for younger children with selective mutism and for those who need to understand how they feel.

Helpful for parents, teachers and child
I have found all of Dr. Shipon-Blum's materials to be very helpful in the treatment of SM. It is hard sometimes to explain this condition to others in the family, school, etc....this book gives a basic story of a little girl with SM, how she feels, how she acts and how her parents and teachers work to help her. My SM 6-yr-old and his sisters enjoy reading this story, too, and although he does not experience all of the same symptoms, he does relate to Katie, which I think has been helpful. It is a good springboard for discussion with your child. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum's Guide, "The Ideal Classroom Setting for the Selectively Mute Child" is a wonderfully informative guidebook that will provide parents, teachers, and treating professionals with the advice necessary to help prepare the 'ideal class setting for the Selectively Mute child.'

This practical guide is informative and entertaining and goes into detail as to tactics that can be done in the school to benefit and accommodate the needs of the Selectively Mute child. Recommendations on testing, IEP development and multiple methods to help lower anxiety, build self esteem and increase communication comfort within the school are emphasized throughout this book.

This guide book is easy to read, graphically attractive and is a necessary reference for all those involved with a Selectively Mute child within the school environment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

good resource
A very helpful resource for anyone just learning about selective mutism. I was impressed to read about the great work Dr. Elisa Siphon-Blum is doing in this area.
The only negative comment I have is that the booklet was only 25 pages long.Definitely overpriced for a booklet of this size.

Review from a special education teacher
I am a special education teacher and I have searched high and low for a book that would be beneficial for me, my student, and the parents.After reading this book, I realized that this book is a necessity for anyone who comes in contact with a selective mute child/person/student/relative... ECT... I have gained many techniques and information from this book.Prior to this book, could not find any decent books relating to the selective mute except this one.Not only is this book "decent" it should be mandatory!If you do not purchased this book you will be missing out valuable information that the doctors don't even know!

Something practical and useful at last!
After struggling for two years, trying to teach my son's school how to help him, I found this book and gave them a copy.It is like the clouds have cleared!The school finally feel that they have direction from a professional, and we are already seeing a difference in our son.
Definitely worth buying! ... Read more

Product Description
Anna chooses not to talk when she enters kindergarten, but then she discovers the pleasures of self-expression in the security of a therapist's office. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cat Got Your Tongue book
I used this for a selectively mute child in grade 2. I read it with her and then the teacher read it with the class. The teacher liked using it and felt it increased understanding in the class of the girl's difficulties. I keep it in my library at school. I am a school psychologist so I am sure I will be using it again.

Cheesy and not helpful
I was recommended this book to help my daughter with Selective Mutism - but the book is barely readable, and so preditable, even my daughter couldn't stand it.I'm not sure we even made it through the whole book once.A total waste of money.

We did much better once we got away from the feel-goodery type of therapy and saw a doctor who addressed the issue with medication. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

a bit to mature
I bought this book for a second grade student in my class who is a select mute. It is a beautiful story, but is above grade level for my children. I have offered it to the parents to read one on one to their child.

Excellent Message
This book uses wonderful artwork and good wording to tell a story that ends with a message that shows a need for tolerance. The book is a great book to read to children to start a conversation about the value of tolerance. ... Read more

Product Description
Clair-de-Lune lives with her grandmother in the tippy-top of a peculiar old building. Every day she practices ballet, just like her mother before her—the famous ballerina who died when Clair-de-Lune was just a baby. Since that day, Clair-de-Lune hasn’t uttered a word.
Then one day the girl who cannot speak meets a remarkable mouse who can. Bonaventure dreams of founding a dancing school just for mice—but he dreams of helping his new friend, too. Soon the brave little mouse introduces Clair-de-Lune to a hidden world inside, and yet somehow beyond, her building—a world that slowly begins to open her heart. Maybe one day her dreams will come true, too.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Lovely Tale
Despite its (minor) flaws, Golds' story is a pleasure to read. It is the story of a girl who discovers life's greatest gift - the gift of love - and the ability she has inside herself to embrace that gift as she overcomes fear. It is sweet and delicate in the best of ways - written for girls and women (okayokay, men, too) who love beauty & dancing & appreciate the difficulties of shyness (or should). Golds does use the expression "Ah!" way too much, and is in many ways suspiciously reminiscent of DiCamillo's "The Tale of Despereaux." I agree with the above review about the recent wave of sentimentality in children's literature, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. This book is ultimately absorbing, lovely, and deeply touching.

Twee
There is a very quick test you can do to determine whether or not you will enjoy the children's book, "Clair-de-Lune". I will now read you a passage from the novel. Ahem. "For when a child sleeps, a little magic bird flies out of the child's heart and roosts nearby, sometimes on the bedpost, sometimes on the windowsill, sometimes - who knows where? - breathing in and out swiftly and murmuring to itself. When the child wakes, the bird returns, flying into her heart the very moment before she opens her eyes". This is from page 22 of, "Clair-de-Lune". Did you like it?Yes?No?I was in the "no" camp myself.By and large when I review first time authors or authors who haven't written in a very long time I avoid reviewing them altogether if I don't like their work. It's hard enough getting your book published by a big-time publishing house. Think how awful you'd feel if some two-bit hack of an Amazon.com reviewer set about tearing your baby, the book you've worked and slaved over for who knows how long, into little itty bitty shreds. You'd be devastated. So if you are reading this Ms. Golds, please stop right now. I am entirely certain that you are charming and that if I were to sit down and have a nice cup of tea with you we could have a lovely conversation about the state of modern publishing. Unfortunately, I was not wholly taken with your book. It is very popular and many people who are not myself enjoy it quite a lot, so my criticism will be just the tiniest of drops in the wide ocean of children's literary reviews. I don't like hurting the feelings of authors and you seem like you have loads of talent.

The plot. As the first sentence states, "Once upon a time - one hundred years ago, and half as many years again - there lived a girl called Clair-de-Lune, who could not speak". And we're off! The girl lives with her stern grandmother in the attic of a large and impressive boarding house. On one floor is a dance studio where Clair-de-Lune takes ballet lessons like her mother and her mother's mother. When the child was just a baby her mother was the most talented dancer of them all. Then one night she died after performing an impressive dance and her little daughter was mute thereafter. Now Clair-de-Lune is attempting to speak but finds that she cannot. Just the same, she makes the acquaintance of a little mouse by the name of Bonaventure who has a dream of his own. He is quite the dancer himself, and he dreams of someday building a mouse repertory company of his very own. He has been watching the dance class on the floor below and he is impressed with Clair-de-Lune's abilities. Making it his goal to help her become happy he introduces her to the kind monk Brother Inchmahome who will help her to speak. In learning, however, Clair-de-Lune must face up to her fears and confront those parts of herself she's eluded and avoided until now.

You know what's big right now? Nostalgia. It's sweeping the children's publishing world like a retro-Victorian plague. What won the 2005 National Book Award for young person's literature? The Elizabeth Enrightish, "The Penderwicks", by Jeanette Birdsall. What title from the pen of Kate DiCamillo is working shamelessly at luring innocent adults with its old-timey feel and pictures? "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". With that in mind, "Clair-de-Lune" is just the latest example of a very successful trend. Author Cassandra Golds herself seems at times to be channeling Barrie's, "Peter Pan" with mixed results. Remember that point in Peter Pan that talks about Mrs. Darling's kiss? There's a lot of that feeling in "Clair-de-Lune". There's even a moment that seems like it's a direct reference to Oscar Wilde's, "The Happy Prince". I was impressed by the reference and if you like Wilde's story, that may say quite a lot about how much you'll like this one.

By and large Golds's ideas are good. It's just her writing that needs some work. There was one passage, actually, that was very well-written. Throughout the story, Brother Inchmahome is having Clair-de-Lune think up reasons why she does not speak. At one point she comes up with, "If I do not speak, no one will ever really be able to dislike me, because no on will ever really know me. If I do speak, then it will be possible for people to dislike not just the person they think I am, but the person I am". There are some interesting thoughts at work here, but they are buried under just as many problems. For example, there is the fact that Brother Inchmahome has the ability to listen so well that he can hear what essentially comes down to Clair-de-Lune's thoughts. But this book is all about the magical realism, so this kind of objection comes across as petty. Far more disturbing is what this book is saying about mute people. Apparently if you cannot talk, no one can ever really, "know you". Writing stuff down? Not the same thing at all. You're only ever "known" to someone if you can speak the same language as them. A rather disturbing message to be sending to the young `uns, no? You can often see what Golds is trying to say. It's just the saying itself that can get tangled.There is the occasional non-sequitor as well. The fact that micehave the ability to figure out when one of their number has died and where to find the body psychically is a bit peculiar.

And now we come back to the writing. The passage I began with, the one about the bird that flies out of the chests of children every night, is one such example. There are thousands more. We keep returning, for example, to a mouse from the country that is struggling to make it to the big city to dance with Bonaventure. "This mouse had fur like black silk and a soul so beautiful, so vulnerable, and so sweet that he was loved by all who knew him". A mention of this beautiful soul appears no less than four times. So what you need to ask yourself is whether or not you would like to read this book to a child full of this type of language.Your child may love anything and everything to do with ballet and not care a jot for insistent somewhat saccharine repetition. If so, all power to you. Nothing I say here is going to change your mind. If, on the other hand, you would prefer to avoid books that wade knee-deep in sugar, perhaps this is not the book you should go about purchasing.

But enough of this adult critical mumbo jumbo. What will kids think of this book? I did ballet for seven some years when I was a little girl. Would I have liked this book? Heavens, yes! Yes, indeed. I would have adored it. Beautiful speechless young girl who dances more beautifully than anyone else and has talking mouse friends? Gorgeous flying magical birds, gypsy fortune-tellers, and a handsome monk with a secret? What's NOT to like? You would've pried this book from my tiny desperate hands only with the greatest of effort. Dreamy-eyed children will probably hold this story close to their hearts and love it desperately for years to come. There are those kids out there, however, who will find the premise icky. And there will be adults like myself who'll secretly slip books like, "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "The Princess Academy" into the hands of their child patrons with the hope of distracting them from, what will someday be known as, the-dancing-mouse-book. For all its charms, "Clair-de-Lune" has more flaws than fine qualities. Ms. Golds is bound to do great things. Just give her time.

A wonderful blend of fictitious reality with fantasy
Clair-de Lune is a young ballet student living in an old city many years past. Her mother and grandmother were ballet dancers. In fact, Clair-de-Lune's mother, La Lune (which means "the moon") was a famous, much loved ballerina who died at a very young age while dancing on the stage. She left her baby daughter to be raised by a strict grandmother in the attic of an old and mystical apartment building just behind the theatre. Ever since the night of La Lune's death, Clair-de-Lune has never spoken a word. Everyone believes it is because of the tragic loss of her young mother that the child's lips and voice do not utter any sounds.

However, Clair-de-Lune speaks a special language. "When she was dancing, her arms and legs spoke, and her hands and feet spoke, and her body and the carriage of her head spoke, too. And she felt that just a little of the weight of her heart, the weight of things unsaid, would be lifted." And so Clair-de-Lune loves everything about the dance because it offers her the chance to discover her own story, the story of how she came to be a young dancer raised by her grandmother in a rickety apartment building six stories high.

The days of Clair-de-Lune are strictly spent taking ballet class from Monsieur Dupoint (whose studio happens to be on the third floor of the apartment building), studying practical school subjects at home with her grandmother, and running brief errands to the market. It is the regimented life of a ballerina-in-training overseen with great care and consternation by her grandmother, until the little girl who cannot speak encounters a little mouse who can speak very well! Bonaventure is a brave talking, dancing mouse who leads Clair-de-Lune on an adventure where she meets a fanciful array of characters who help her learn about true love and how love is the reason for life, especially her own.

Cassandra Golds masters the difficult literary feat of mixing fictitious reality with fantasy. Some readers may be put off by the blurry lines between the factual and the fantastic, but Golds has truly captured in writing the whimsy that every ballet production relies on: genuine people dancing magical stories and making the fanciful appear truly alive.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held ... Read more

Product Description
When her extreme shyness makes her unable to speak at her new American school, twelve-year-old Jinna, newly arrived from China, retreats into her own fairy tale world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A Touching Book
This book is very touching. It's about a young girl who's just moved to America and isn't sure if she'll survive or make friends. And that's until she meets Priscilla, a girl who befriends her and they become stuck together like glue. Readers of all ages will enjoy this short, fast-paced book.

Inspiring and Educational
"The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang" is an important book for children and adults alike to read.In America, we have so many cultures living side by side, it's important for us to attempt to understand one another.Dori Jones Yang successfully creates a book that is enjoyable, educational, and inspiring.I feel many people will enjoy this book because they can relate to, in one way or another, the main character Jinna.After moving to Seattle from China, Jinna (Gina as she is dubbed in English), finds herself unable to communicate in school.Not only can she not understand and speak English, but she finds herself unable to speak AT ALL.Soon after, Gina is befriended by another class outcast, Priscilla, and both children are able to overcome their anxieties and issues with the help of each other's friendship.This is an excellent, inspiring book.I hope to read more books by Dori Jones Yang in the future.

The Best Book EVER!
The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang is one book that you cannot put down. All though in the beginning, it is sort of boring, once you get through a few chapters, you will not stop reading it until you finish.

!!!!!!!
This book deserved 200 stars. I loved it the from the moment i started reading it. It is masterful and wonderful. It is appropriate for a large range of ages (i would say from 8 to 15). The suspense is wonderful, and the ending is MARVELOUS! At the beginning, it may seem a bit dull, but if you read on to the 3 or 4th chapter, you will fall in love and not be able to put this book dowm. The plot is remarkable, and it always seems to have you waiting to see how this wonderfully creative girl will solve new problems. Read this book, and see how GREAT it really is for yourself.

The Secret Voice of Gina Zhang
Dori Yang's ten years in Asia provide her with a rich treasury of Chinese customs.She brings a Chinese family to America and spins exciting yarns.Ms. Yang weaves a colorful tapestry of fantasy, reality, suspense-even desperation.Ultimately, frightening faces become warm and friendly.The language is appropriate and readable for students who need to learn English very quickly.It is an engaging book and important to all students especially to those struggling with our language. ... Read more

Product Description

Though fifteen-year Finn's badly burned hand and broken leg are healing, the traumatic effects of the small-plane crash that killed his parents and sister have left him unable to speak. Psychiatrists have told Finn that to regain the power of speech he must relive each step of the tragedy. Now living with his grandmother on her Vermont farm where he has vacationed all his life and which he loves, he cannot make himself face the horrors of the fatal accident.

Renewing his friendship with Julia, nearly fourteen, helps. A nearbyneighbor, she comes each day to train Gran's new filly. Together, they discover animal -- half wolf, half dog -- living wild in a dense pine forest on the farm, and it slowly begins to trust Finn after he rescues it from a trap. The routine of their lives is jolted when Finn and Julia discover that drug dealers are using an abandoned dry well in the forest as a, drop for their supplies. Then one day, when Julia is away for a week, Finn finds a packet of cocaine carelessly dropped by a local pusher. Should he try it to gain escape from the torment of his memories? And can he and Julia save the wolf dog that is wrongly suspected of killing sheep?

As the hot, dry summer nears its end, tension builds almost unbearably, sweeping the reader along to the riveting climax of the unforgettable novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Jamie cannot wait to start school and spends his time talking about nothing else, but when he walks into the classroom for the first time, he never utters a word. ... Read more

Product Description
ut and Alex make an odd pair. Tut does more than keep his grief over his mother's death to himself-he keeps everything, even his voice, to himself. Alex, on the other hand, is talkative, outgoing, and in-your-face, which is exactly where Tut doesn't want her. Tut hasn't much choice in the matter because Alex isn't going anywhere. But just when Alex has wiggled her way into Tut's life, suddenly she seems to have her own need for escape. Now Alex is in trouble and the only way for Tut to help her is to get back into a boat. Is he willing to risk everything for his only friend? That's what he's desperately trying to figure out. And what if it's just too late? J. D. McNeill weaves a compelling story of loss and survival, peopled with one-of-a-kind characters, in this auspicious debut. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book
I am 12 years old and I just finished this book.It is a great story of love, loss, sadness, and adventure.You will not be able to put this but down.You will be filled with sadness for Tut (thats the main charaters name).Trust me on this review.It is a great story.

loved the setting
this one was tough.the author was really good at making me feel like i was IN new england.i felt the cold and the wind and the water and the salt in the air and smelled the fish.but i just did not feel tut.i even felt alex, his loud, annoying and neglected (almost to the point of abuse) neighbor.

i loved tut's smart allecky internal dialog, but he just didn't seem real enough to me.also,the ending was a little pat.every single thing was tied up and every single part ended happy.not that i don't love happy endings, mind you, this one just didn't feel real to me.

Deeply felt and engrossing
My 11 year old son and I were completey drawn in to this novel. JD Mcneil has beautifully rendered the pain and sense of loss experienced by her main character, a teenaged boy named Tut. A traumatic experience has left him speechless and his father, a struggling fisherman, an alconolic. Life can be bleak in this coastal Maine town, yet ample warmth is provided by the fellow townfolk, who are supportive whilemaintaining their distance. One person who does not maintain her distance is Alex, a new girl Tut's age with family problems of her own. She reaches out to Tut, and she serves as an accent of bright color in this story, otherwise painted with subdued tones.
This book hooked us in from beginning to end. ... Read more

Product Description
A quiet newcomer to the village surrounded by strawberry fields, young Goolam-Habib, befriends an old man making a straw-filled doll, and soon the old man helps the boy find himself. ... Read more

Product Description
Book 4 of the Bailey Fish Adventure series, has won a bronze medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, and was a finalist in ForeWord magazine's Book of the Year Contest. In it, Bailey Fish and her grandmother welcome the first guests at Keswick Inn. Elmo and Feather Phigg bring with them a mysterious, locked green suitcase that contains a Jamestown, Va., mystery. The children want to know what's inn it. Meanwhile, Sparrow, a purposefully mute foster child arrives and Bailey and her friends organize a party to make the child laugh or talk. The mystery deepens when another visitor appears. Like all the other books in the series, this contains book discussion questions, a glossary, Web links, other references, and historical material and a glossary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun to read
Reviewed by Regan Zaborowski (age 8) for Reader Views (12/07)


This book is about a man and his wife, called Elmo and Feather Phigg, who have car trouble and want to stay at the Keswick Inn.But first they meet Bailey Fish and her grandmother, and they help the Phiggs get to the Keswick Inn.They have a green suitcase that is very heavy and no one knows what is in it.Bailey and her friends try to find out what is in the suitcase.They are very curious about it.There is also a girl who comes to the Keswick Inn that Mr. and Mrs. Keswick are going to take care of.She can't speak, and Bailey and her grandmother have a party for her so that she would want to laugh or talk to someone. I was so nervous when I had to wait to see if she would; I really wanted her to.While they are doing this, Mr. and Mrs. Phigg go to Jamestown because they are writing a history book about that place.There is a big surprise at the end when everyone learns about what is in the suitcase.

I liked reading "The Mysterious Jamestown Suitcase" with my mom.The main character in the book, Bailey Fish, seemed to be like me - curious and wanting to know about mysteries.I wanted to read more after I was done with each chapter, because the mystery kept getting stranger.We didn't learn what was in the suitcase until the very end, and it was very funny.I also learned about history of Jamestown, which is in Virginia.It made me want to learn more about the first people that came to live there.I am asking my mom for more Bailey Fish books, because they are fun to read.

A high-spirited, wholesome adventure story.
Fourth in the Bailey Fish Adventure series, The Mysterious Jamestown Suitcase is a chapter book for young readers set in modern-day central Virginia. Written to tie in with the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, The Mysterious Jamestown Suitcase blends facts about American history into the enjoyable narrative of young Bailey Fish, her grandmother, and her friends as they are puzzled by the contents of a locked green suitcase. Bailey and her grandmother also reach out plan a party to help a young, silent foster child start talking again; and the mystery takes an unexpected turn when another guest arrives! A high-spirited, wholesome adventure story. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Found "Stinko," and it was GOOD
You know those books that are great stories but the writing is sort of lame?(You know which ones I mean).And then there are books that have really good prose and thoughtful turns of phrases, but they require a shock-collar-zap to make you turn the page because they are dullsville.And then there are books like "Finding Stinko."
DeGuzman's short novel has the right touch of thrifty prose and fast-paced plot, hitting the target exactly with fine writing and a fine story line.In it, the lifer foster-kid, Newboy, makes a break from his latest loveless foster home at the Knox's, who "made a business of their boys".Newboy hasn't been able to talk for years, probably because it wasn't worth the trouble.But once he's on the run, he finds a ratty ventrilaquist dummy in a dumptster, and names him Stinko.To Newboy's surprise and delight, Stinko does all the talking for him.
In this urban quest for freedom and family, Newboy and Stinko must elude bullies and crooks, cops and caretakers.The chase is on, and there is hardly a second for Newboy to feel sorry for himself, or the street kids who become his friends and enemies."Stinko" is gritty without being profane.Its backdrop is hard but not hopeless.In the end, when Newboy sticks out his thumb with his two new buddies and a dummy, I was sure he was hitching to a far better place, and it was the beginning of something good.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
A destitute teen mother abandons her infant in an apartment building, leaving a note with him, printed in childish block letters. "His name is Newboy.He is one week old.Please take care of him.I can't."

By the time Newboy is twelve years old he has stopped talking, and after a series of uncaring foster homes, he is sent to the worst one yet. Medical examinations and testing do not reveal a cause for his silence, but for Newboy, life is just easier that way. The Knoxes keep their flock of foster children on a very rigid schedule and all Newboy can think about is escaping to a freedom that he imagines will be much better.

When he does escape, he takes refuge in a garbage bin where he finds a foul-smelling and damaged ventriloquist's dummy.He names the doll "Stinko."Newboy is able to talk through the dummy and express himself for the first time in several years.Newboy meets other runaways like himself living on the dangerous streets and they form alliances that help them survive.Mr. and Mrs. Knox are relentlessly searching for him...after all, the State pays them for his care.

This is a touching story of hardship, survival, and the friendships of children struggling against nearly insurmountable odds. Newboy's innate sense of right and wrong and his moral values remain intact in spite of his troubles and the young hoodlums that confront him.

de Guzman keeps the tempo fast-paced and exciting, with a cast of wonderful, compelling characters, as Newboy dodges his foster parents and young thugs that mean him harm and races toward a satisfying climax.I highly recommend this book...the short length and rapid pace will make it especially attractive to reluctant readers.

Reviewed by:Grandma Bev ... Read more

Product Description
When grandfather is injured in a violent storm, Alyssa, silent since her parents' death in a similar hurricane three years earlier, must find her voice and help him survive. By the author of Song of the Buffalo Bay. Jr Lib Guild. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

For my Granddaughter....
I bought this as a Christmas present for my Granddaughter, it was one of the books she requested.She was excited that I bought if for her, she enjoyed it.

One of my favorite books
I first read this book many years ago when I was a young girl and I adored it. The story is very captivating and most of the time I could barely put the book down. A couple of years ago I lost the book and have always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to read it again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery stories.

The Silent Storm
I really liked this book, because it had alot of adventure!It alsowas very hard to guess what was going to happen next. I thought it was really great that Alyssa got over her fears that quickly.

I thought the best part of the book was when Alyssa finally had to talk inorder to save her grandfather's life. And then she kept have flashbacks of when she was on her father's boat. I also liked the part whereAlyssa and Dylan finally bond together, ever since before their parents death.

The character were amazing. Alyssa was one that had been through so much, and was mute, but she over came it. I also liked Ty because he became friend with Alyssa even though she was mute. I thought that the climax was really interesting because I would have never thought that Alyssa would of gotten over her muteness,especially to save her grandfather.

Applause
This is an excellent novel. I don't usually real teenage type novels anymore but from a surface judgement I can see how wonderfully Sherry Garland writes. The text reads like flowing water, so appropriate for the hurricane and sea themes she explores. It's also a rather unique story about a 13 year old girl who was struck mute after the fateful day her father was lost at sea. I would highly recommend this novel.

The Silent Storm Inside
Silent Storm is about a mute girl who is 13 who lives with her grandfather after her parents died in a hurricane. It tells about the struggles she has with trying to communicate with other people and the challenges she has in life. At the end she has to remember what happened to her mother and father so she can begin to speak again to save her grandfather's life as he has given up hope. It was a very heart warming story just like Sherry Garland's other books. I give it two thumbs way up. ... Read more

Product Description

Melkorka is an Irish princess, the first daughter of a magnificent kingdom -- but this all changes the day she is kidnapped and taken aboard a marauding slave ship. Trapped in a world both unfamiliar and cruel, Melkorka finds that her powerlessness gives her clarity. That she is the master of what she says. Choosing to take a vow of silence, Melkorka becomes an object of fascination to her captors. And then she realizes that any power, no matter how little, can make a difference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Psychologically griping!
The only reason why anyone would give this a negative review is based on the fact that it is somewhat depressing, but the world is not all about sunshine, especially the medieval ages!This book is historically accurate and shows the plight of medieval life for captives and women.This is a novel that will please both adults and teens.

frustrating!
the tale has an interesting concept and i knew there was not going to be a fairy tale ending;however, i was hoping for some action and emotion on the main characters part besides giving up! the author narrates that the main character is constantly keeping up hr spirit and blah blah blah. i thought she just stood around and let her life be taken from her hands. she nevr really struggles or firghts for freesom or anything. i especially did not like the "happy" ending. she resigned herself to her fate without a struggle. i was vey disappointed.

Kind of Disappointing (Some Spoilers)
This book involves old time princesses and Ireland. That was more than enough to make me want to read it while I'm in my historical fiction phase. And it was...interesting.

Set in the 900s, Melkorka and her sister are forced to run from their town to save Melkorka from a terrible fate. While running for their shelter, they're captured by a slave ship. In time, Melkorka's sister manges to escape but Melkorka is stuck there. The only thing she can do is be silent. So she doesn't talk for the entire book after being captured. I think she said something once, to a bird, but that was it. And the ending is so open-ended. I knew it was over, yet kept turning pages trying to find the actual ending or some explination. She probably won't write a sequel either.

But in all, I did enjoy it. It was a good story and I'm probably going to try to read more of her books.

Disturbingly Gripping
The story of Melkorka. A Viking wants to marry her and in order to prevent it, she and her sister run away. They don't get far however, because they are captured and sold as slaves. The sister escapes. Melkorka doesn't.

At first it seems like a tale of magic and folly but as the story continues and horrible things are done to Melkorka. And the ending tries to be hopeful, but doesn't exactly succeed.

I like it, surprisingly. I found it a good book. But it is NOT a happy book. Not in the slightest.

What saved it for me is that it's based off a real event/legend. Which changed it from the creepy imaginings of the author's mind, do the creepy reality of people.

Not a fairy tale Princess (or retelling)
I might have liked it if I had known from the beginning what it was, but I didn't. I had hoped that Melkorka would become the princess whose vow of silence takes her on a quest to rescue her brothers who are ensnared (ala Grimm).Napoli has produced several recent works in which the story takes one of those familiar tales and reimagines it, so that didn't seem unreasonable.However, this is unequivocably something else.I have a sneaking suspicion that Simon and Schuster have put this book at a disadvantage with lots of readers by building this unfair expectaion that the book can't meet, which would explain the range of reader ratings.If this looks and smells like a fairy tale revisited, we want it to be one.I like the concept of taking a snip of history and creating the story from which it sprang, but it needs to be clearer that this is the direction we are taking, and then more attention needs to be paid to the history. ... Read more