Amish Christmas & Faithful Love Collection 16 book box set by Grace Given

Amish Christmas & Faithful Love Collection 16 book box set by Grace Given is a stunning ebook publish by Pure Read and one of the best one if you want to appreciate the essence of Amish life thanks to these set of books.
In the first book the story of two common people who, from New York in vacation met an Amish man with his kid and took a picture. After all they think there is  component of folklore  in that two Amish. Their life so different and distant from the common one.
But...That New Yorker couple will discover that this encounter will bring new hope and joy in their hearts as well.

In the Amish Drummer Boy we are in a period of war, desires.

The story I love the most is the one of Joachim and his three "lost" children.
An Amish community is compact. Sometimes young people wants to go away and they are free to leave this life. Sure: for the community when a young person goes away it's a failure.

Written with great intuition, inspiration, love, "It's a wonderful Amish Life" wants to reassure parents. Joachim will understand that maybe his children wherever will go will be the mirror of the education received before thanks to him and his wife and a reflection of their past life.
There are lessons that won't never be forgotten so no one after all will be lost but a gift for the outside world.

Beautiful book, I bought it after Christmas and trust me when I tell you that it was money very well spent.

These stories are plenty of humanity, simplicity, and reassure us about life and big thematic.


I love the cover so badly.


I downloaded this eBook on Amazon.


Anna Maria Polidori

Feature Writing Telling the Story Third Edition by Stephen Tanner, Nick Richardson and Molly Kasinger

Feature Writing Telling the Story Third Edition by Stephen Tanner, Nick Richardson and Molly Kasinger is a wonderful, fantastic book for every journalist and writer and I started to fall in love for it, when I opened the package. It was another case of love at first...page.

Being a reporter I discovered reading the book the big potentialities that this book offers and the fresh perspective with which all topics are treated.
Published by Oxford University Press this book/tool gives complete coverage to a profession, the one of journalist and writer always more articulated and complex thanks to the new media and the advent of the net. Blogs, videos, social networks.

You can use this book if you are a journalist and you have some doubts or if you need an inspiration and a support in your "featuring stories."
You can use this book/tool as a great support if you are a writer because every aspect of the creative process of writing a story is examined in great detail, attention but at the same time with lightness, without stress.
This book has been thought as a great companion of adventures and an indispensable and secure "land" where you can find certainties.
You will discover many interesting resources if you want more support and every section is clear and transparent.

Divided in three parts the first one, the most creative one is: Mastering the Techniques.
Where do you want to share your news? Today there are many available channels for you, your talent and your interests as well.
Featuring Writing will analyze podcasts, so trendy in big realities and big magazines and newsmagazines, blogs, but also other kind of digital journalism.

The famous questions: "Who, What, When, Where, Why and How" are old like the Time and before the written word, let's remember that men have always been real storytellers using maybe other forms of expression but leaving this world telling us who they were and what they were doing in that moment.

These authors, thinks that this book will be great for you if you search for an intrument in grade of illuminate your mind enlarging your horizon.

What is journalism?

And why writing feature stories?

Feature writers have more freedom first of all and they can write of different, diversified topics.

So, first of all you will learn how to focus on a certain topic, researching for informations. Later once you have created your "shape of the story"  the phase B:  interviewing people a crucial moment of all the process of creation of a story.
You will learn various ways for writing your piece understanding the importance of characters in a story.

We all know that a journalist must be ethical in his/her profession and this topic will be treated abundantly.

Impressive the considerations of the authors of this book.

They say:

"The individual journalist's moral compass develops over time. It is influenced by a range of factors including the family environment in which they grow up, their life experiences, and other impact that other people or groups have on them during the development. These may include friends, church, community, and sporting and political groups." Important also "The inevitable socialization that takes place within a newsroom."

The book's authors are Australians so the moral code of ethical behavior is principally the one of that country but looking better it's not distant from any other ethical behavior recommended in other countries.

Part B of the book treats Different Styles. Covering diversified people from celebrities to common people, passing through obituaries without forgetting other aspects of this profession like investigative journalism, sport features, columns, strategic for a news magazine and creative non-fiction.

The latest part is about reviews, yes the one I am writing at the moment. You can write a review on every topic. Food, drink, including coffee and tea, books, but also travel - travel writers writes books and articles reporting their adventures in the world - games, TV, music theater, cinema.


Published by Oxford University Press this book is plenty of good energy and vibes.

Highly recommended for sure!

Anna Maria Polidori

Confession of an adoptive parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption by Mike Berry

Confession of an adoptive parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption by Mike Berry published by Harvest House Publishers is a very good and interesting christian book about adoption a modality of giving and receiving love from a kid not biologically created by a couple.

Why adopting?
It is common to think that in general sterile couples   experience the biggest joy of this Earth,  the one of maternity and paternity adopting one or more kids. It's a great adventure to growing up babies, educating them and trying to give as much love as possible to them for creating  future men and women to go proud of.

Story can be this one of course, but always more often other typologies of couples adopt: there are ladies "scared" of the changes of their bodies while pregnant, other ones who simply don't want to experience maternity. They don't feel that this is an important experience in their life as in the case of the author's wife.

Other couples have other biological children but they want to continue to give love and more love because they're plenty of love to sharing with and for other children. Reasons are endless. Surely there is a main reason: the one of giving and receiving love.

In general kids arriving in a family didn't live a great life previously.

Maybe they were in an orphanage, maybe in a foster family.
Their life didn't start at all very well.  They need all the possible love from the new parents. Some of them can be sick, other ones maybe met along their path violence of various genre.
These children must be loved and helped to sort out their difficulties, for living the rest of their life in the best possible way.

Enjoy this book and enjoy the long trip for adopting a kid because there is not any other more wonderful act than this one: taking care of an abandoned little soul all alone in this world.

I thank NetGalley for this ebook.

Anna Maria Polidori

The True Story of Saint Valentine of Terni, Italy by Julie McDonald

I want to tell the truth: I didn't know the real story of Saint Valentine and for this reason I downloaded through Amazon this eBook: The True Story of Saint Valentine of Terni, Italy written by Julie McDonald.
Beautiful cover, stunning sweet Umbrian hills, it was a real prosecution this one against Saint Valentine as you will read. The Saint encouraged people at staying together, celebrating secretly marriages while the local Emperor Claudius didn't want to see anymore couples around. Discovered, the poor man was killed but his brutal departure meant a reason for celebrating love.
A lot of interesting facts, trivia, about Saint Valentine's Day follows this first historical part.

Recommended for sure.

I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Backyard Farming for Beginners Easy Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency by Michael Benard

Do you have a house with a good garden? In general during spring and summer-time you cut grass, by Michael Benardand you see how beauty your garden is. Once an old man with a little garden because close to a city said me anyway that, not eating grass, he preferred to plant veggies, tomatoes, zucchini. You had to see the difference with his neighbor, who preferred just to keep cleaned the grass!

Your backyard can become this: a mine of food in particular if it's big enough for animals.

You can't believe it possible?

Backyard Farming for Beginners Easy Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency  by Michael Benard will follow you step-by-step for creating a beautiful reality plenty of satisfaction and where you could also keep if you have sufficient space (and legislation permits it) 2-3 hens in grade of giving to you if your family is of 3-4 individuals sufficient eggs for going on in a daily base without buying it.
Of course you can implement with more animals your backyard if you have space.
Remember that all food you can eat produced by you is always better than the one you buy at a store.

You can add trees, veggies and all plants you think are indispensable for your family like herbs as basil, rosemary and so on.



Highly recommended.


I downloaded this eBook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Valentine's Day How We Celebrate Love and Friendship Around the World by G.B. Sholander

Valentine's Day How We Celebrate Love and Friendship Around the World by G.B. Sholander published by Apple Blossom Media is an ebook that doesn't leave anything out from Valentine's Day. Being this feast close to us, let's give a look at what it means for couples, friends, relatives in the USA and around the world.

In the USA it's no just a feast for lovers but it is a feast of friendship extended to all that people we love.
Relatives, friends, family members. Millions of cards are sent every year sometimes accompanied by with stuffed animals like teddy bears or a box of chocolates to friends, companions, someone loved in a few words.
The legend of St. Valentine is suggestive like also the message that bring with him: don't stop to loving.

It was the poet Chaucer during the 14th century, the creator of The Canterbury Tales who mentioned Valentine in a poem called: "Parliament of Fowls" and later William Shakespeare would have returned to mention this feast in A Midsummer's Night Dream and Hamlet.

The custom of sending handwritten letters of love and appreciation started to be trendy pretty soon in UK although it reached the USA later in 1700 reaching a complete success with the arrival of handmade cards and the first printed cards in 1810 in Europe.

In this feast chocolate is another appreciated gifts, very beloved by Japanese people as well.

A great tradition I discovered thanks to Angels on Earth, a magazine by Guideposts and reported in this ebook the one of Loveland a city in Colorado, where if you send to their local post office greetings cards that should reach people for the day of St Valentine, these cards will be sent to the people hand stamped by the official Sweetheart City Volunteers.

Every year Loveland serves all 50 American States including other 100 nations excited to send a special treat from the City of Love to their companions, wives or husbands.

The book is also specific about the day after and the feast, dedicated  to single people.

The author loves this feast not just because she is American but because her husband proposed to her on Valentine's Day!

I downloaded this eBook on Amazon.

Very nice! Highly recommended.

Anna Maria Polidori

Who Owns the World's Media? Media Concentration and Ownership around the World by Eli M. Noam and The International Media Concentration Collaboration Abstract

Who Owns the World's Media? Media Concentration and Ownership around the World by Eli M. Noam and The International Media Concentration Collaboration Abstract is an interesting book published by Oxford Press.

What kind of roles play corporations? And the net has brought more freedom thanks to social media, various networks and the possibility for everyone of sharing news and what it is going on in the world  in the "now" and "immediate"?

How much diversity and openness has brought the net with it?

Any answers given to this questions means implications in every field of our society because informations and news are not disconnected by the  social tissues.

The book gives voice to 13 media industries, television, newspapers, book publishing, film, and so on.

Every country is examined, compared, seen and read globally at the end.

France, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Spain, Ireland, Canada, USA, Chile, Brazil, Australia just for naming some of countries and the medias taken in consideration.

Highly suggested.

I thank Oxford Press for the copy of this book.


Anna Maria Polidori

The Birth of the Past by Zachary Sayre Schiffman Foreword by Anthony Grafton

The Birth of the Past by Zachary Sayre Schiffman Foreword by Anthony Grafton will be a beautiful fascinating trip through the past for understanding the perception of past cultures regarding it.

Being the USA a new country people look forward and don't tend to cry too much for the past.Once an American correspondent said me that Americans tend to forget. People, facts, everything. It's a society that doesn't give importance to the past in general.

But...Is it past important for us and how the perception of the past has been lived from other cultures?
Greek people didn't disconnect past and present. According to my modest point of view they have lived for being remembered and for their immortality in art, more than any other culture.

Storytelling was extremely crucial (and still is) as remarked by the author and past was connected with present because it was told, shared. The same Homer maybe didn't exist. It's a discussion that it is still vivid. Maybe Iliad and Odyssey works born thanks to storytelling, created by soldiers, implemented by someone else who would have loved to see an epic tale told forever.
Storytelling where there is not culture of writing and reading is the best way for preserving, facts anecdotes, legends, and for remembering the past.

Renaissance saw the re-discovery of the past and the return of the past under many ways. The biggest inspirations of painters, sculptures were Greeks, Latins.
That cultures saw perfections in bodies, sculptures, paintings, and Renaissance tried to research for that beauty, for that perfection.
The research of that perfect past, that perfect bodies, meant also the re-discovery of immortality and a present made of beauty, harmony, perfection destined to be immortal exactly like the golden ages created by Greeks and Latins.
When the past is back for good for bringing new immortality during a certain historical period it's more than welcomed and appreciated.
Not only but during Humanism and Renaissance a painter wasn't just a painter, but a scientist, a chemist, an astronomer, an astrologer, a magician. You mustn't just search for Leonardo for discovering it. It was a common custom started with the Humanism.
Culture wasn't specialist as it is today, but embraced every possible field. Wonderful.

The latest part of book involves Enlightenment, a period in which God was buried for other ideals and another interesting chapter is dedicated at Christianity.

It's a stunning book this one by Schiffman because he will let us discover again the importance of past. Past has a history tells the author and discovering it, with a fascinating erudite trip to Europe will be wonderful for all of you!

Highly recommended.

I thank Johns Hopkins University for the physical copy of this beautiful book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Christmas Bride - True Love this Christmas by Terri Grace

Terri Grace is a spectacular writer. I just finished to read her Christmas Bride - True Love this Christmas published by Pure Read Ltd. and I found it very touching.
The story is the one of a girl fatherless. Her mother told her that her dad went away with another lady and didn't want to have anything to do with her.
Rhoda grew up the girl without any kind of Christmas Spirit and to them Christmas was in general a day like another one, lived by her mom with great irritation.

When her mother died, the day of the funeral Emma is reached by a boy, the son of a very close friend of her dad living in Seattle, and she will discover that maybe the reality she lived in wasn't the one pictured by her mother.

Emma lived in New York but after all she will move to Seattle where this new family will embrace her as if she would have been  their own daughter feeling for the first time in her life what it means the real Christmas Spirit and the real meaning of family.
A beautiful story, with inserted a love-story as well.

I discovered Pure Read when I downloaded many Amish eBooks on Amazon and I think that all their tales make the difference.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Anne of Green Gables A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler

What a beautiful and sunny book is Anne of Green Gables A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler. Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing the book is dedicated to Lucy Maud Montgomery "who reminds us that nothing is more powerful than a girl with an imagination."

The magic of the story is completely captured thanks to wonderful illustrations, captivating dialogues and a new dynamic perspective of Anne Shirley's story.

This one is the first graphic novel about Anne of Green Gables and I am more than sure that it will be in grade to capture new and old readers. It can be suggested to people in love for this genre as well, and it is a precious gift.

Anne Shirley is a girl who lived, when the story starts, in an orphanage, but very happy now because someone requested her at Prince Edward Island.

Her life has been populated by a lot of misadventures.

She lost her parents when very little, and Mrs Thomas the housekeeper of family Shirley, Anne's parents were both teachers, decided to grow her up with her own children in change of some help.
Mr. Thomas was an alcoholist and Anne for trying to protect herself, her happiness and joy invented an invisible friend with which she could talk when too stressed; unfortunately mr.Thomas died abruptly and for Anne starts a new adventure at Mr.Hammond's house plenty of children and work and a new invisible friend.
Mr. Hammond will also die for a heart attack and Anne's destiny this time was an orphanage.

This one a great occasion for living in a real family and for finding her place in the world.

Marilla and Matthew Cuthberg didn't wait for a girl but for a boy in grade of helping them in the fields and other hard domestic works in their farm Green Gables.

The arrival of Anne will bring a big turmoil. The girl feels again of being refused because the Cuthbergs didn't want her but a boy, neighbors didn't salute her with enthusiasm, what a mess.

Matthew, touched by the profundity of this girl, by her soul, speaks with Marilla and asks her of keeping Anne although it will mean to him to continue all alone the hard work in the fields.
Marilla is touched as well by the moving story of Anne and decides of keeping the girl.

The story continues portraying the beautiful adventures of Anne, vivacious, sometimes messy but asbolutely intellectually honest, at the Cuthbergs.
School, friendship, discussions, love, Anne has her own character but she is a devoted girl as well.
A girl who, in a moment of sadness will also be in grade to take important decisions for herself and other ones considering also the spirit of gratitude Anne feels for her new family.

Sunny, beautiful I suggest this edition of Anne of Green Gables to everyone. A fresh reading with Anne in grade to speak to the heart of every person as only Anne is in grade to do. From one of the latest dialogues, after Matthew's death and the proposal of Marilla of selling Green Gables, Anne will tell her:
"I am home now, in the place I love...I mean to prove it to you with my happiness every day with you, Marilla. It's not a sacrifice. My ambition has just changed. I am going to make you happy Marilla. I imagine those are pretty wonderful ambitions..."

I thank so much Andrews McMeel Publishing for the physical copy of this enchanting book! and NetGalley where at first  I requested it. I tried a lot of times but it was impossible to download it.


Anna Maria Polidori

The Oxford Handbook of Sex Offences and Sex Offenders Edited by Teela Sanders

The Oxford Handbook of Sex Offences and Sex Offenders  Edited by Teela Sanders is surely a book pretty interesting considering the times in which we live in.
The book is divided in VII parts and explores this complex world of sex offences and sex offenders in all its complexity.
Considering also the thematic and recent coming out of many people, known, VIPS, but also common people and abuses lived at work, domestically this book is extremely important for trying to understand.
This Handbook takes in consideration who the sex offenders and their victims are analyzing social and cultural field of action of predators and victims.
This book doesn't leave alone any aspect of the thematic and I am sure that you will find it accurate and informative.

I thank Oxford Press for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Homemade Bread Cookbook 25 recipes for Baking Bread at Home with Ease by Martha Stephenson

Homemade Bread Cookbook 25 recipes for Baking Bread at Home with Ease by Martha Stephenson is a new cookbook with plenty of delicious recipes about bread, from the most difficult to the simplest one.
The electronic book is directed to all that people who, tired of buying bread in a bakery store want to try this new-old experience and adventure: homemade bread offering a comprehensive and complete little version of the most important recipes about bread for every occasion!
Be sure of it, you will find the best recipes you need for unforgettable meals.
From french bread, to rosemary focaccia bread; from challa bread a typical Jewish bread to cinnamon apple bread, passing through the whole wheat Oatmeal and Honey Bread, or the classic italian bread choices are delicious.

I appreciated the beautiful pictures in every recipes like also the sunny and attractive cover.

I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Living Sugar Free - Sugar Free Baking and Dessert by Karen Iakhani, M.Sc

Living Sugar Free - Sugar Free Baking and Dessert by Karen Iakhani, M.Sc is a Four Point Publishing Book. The author wrote it because there is a real emergence of sugar addicted people in the USA and exactly of artificial sweeteners.
Once someone said me that sugar would have been the most powerful drug of XXI century and under many aspects the story is more than real.

Too many people abuse of sophisticated sugar and I am sure that they are ignoring it.
Different kind of processed sugars can be found everywhere in industrial food, in fact.
At times just because we rush when we do some shopping we don't tend to read labels putting everything we do think could be healthy in the basket.

Some beverages are plenty of sugar as well.
The list of products with some sugar and artificial sweeteners is endless and sugar addiction is a real drug exactly like all the other addiction existing in this world like alcohol, drugs and so on.

This book thanks to delicious recipes will re-direct the attention of an intoxicated body in the proper direction.

Let's start to say that these recipes are not exactly sugar-free. If you don't have any kind of specific illness but you want to avoid artificial sugars because you want to live a healthiest life you will see that you will find different kind of good and healthy "sugars."

Honey will play a big role in this eBook. Why? Honey is the best "sugar" you can find around.

The action of honey is more lazy, less rapid, but more profound than not the one of sugar is and it's the best "sweet condiment" you can think at. Another one will be stevia a new kind of sugar with zero calories. Not bad, don't you think so?

What this eBook wants to offer to its readers after all is not to avoid sugar, but artificial sweeteners.

Trust me, this one is a completely different and healthy approach to a new life-style more conscious and more free.

And these recipes are seriously good!

I highly suggest this eBook to everyone.

I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.

Buon Appetito!

Anna Maria Polidori

Becoming the News How Ordinary People Respond to the Media Spotlight by Ruth Palmer

Becoming the News How Ordinary People Respond to the Media Spotlight by Ruth Palmer published by Columbia Press is a very good book if you want to understand our work as reporters.

Ruth Palmer years ago interviewed 83 people, the most common ones you can think of, removing from her list VIPS, important politicians, connected with press in a daily base, for asking them something about their reaction when they "became the news."

Why a common person ends in the press and let me add: always more often?

For a joyous reason, a prize, or because he/she is witness of a sad or  joyous fact.

Because thanks to his/her hard or good time, this person can be an example for other people.

Some illnesses can be at the attention of media, for trying to understand better what happens and why.

He/she can be a source, and so not mentioned in articles, because too dangerous.

For Spotlight the team created by the Boston Globe common people meant a terrible revelation: stories of systemic abuses perpetrated by many priests of the city  per decades and with terrible psychologic repercussions for all these common people.
These people became real protagonists, crusaders bringing new light into a terrible darkness and for changing thanks to the pen of  that team the state of the things.
You can see in this case the importance of an ethical journalism and what it means for a community a good information.

In that case we see that the news of sexual abuses and pedophilia was in grade to become a big wave in grade to break the borders of a country revealing in many other countries as well a terrible horrible situation.

We mustn't never forget the importance and power of a good information. A good information can change the world and the face of our reality for better.

Ruth Palmer working in New York City, took in consideration mainly newsmagazines of the city like the New York Times, The New York Post, because as she added in the book, if a person is in a newspaper is more than sure that later he/she will end up also on TV.


Highly recommended.

I thank Columbia University Press for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Theodore Roosevelt A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History

Theodore Roosevelt A Life from Beginning to End by Hourly History is an eBook published in 2016 and one of the best ones, being a bit short, if you desire a reading where you can find the most comprehensive facts  for starting to develop an idea about this sunny, strong, and great American President or if you need an exciting reading for some school tests.

Nothing is left out, in fact, and the reading is extremely captivating.

Roosevelt was not born poor as it happened to Lincoln, but his family, he was a New Yorker one of the best known of the city.

He started to become an outdoor man because of some health problems and this spirit for adventure, hunting, outdoor life will be a great lief-motif for this fearless man.

He studied in great universities and developed pretty soon a strong political passion. We can say that Roosevelt lived a passionate life, so passionate that sometimes speaking of sentiments was hard to him.
An example?
He lost his first wife and also when he wrote his auto-biography he didn't mention this first, beloved wife disappeared too soon from his existence.

Later he married a second lady with which he has had a lot of children and with which he lived with for the rest of his existence.

Why Roosevelt became president?

This one is a story of an assassination. Roosevelt was vice-president in the cabinet of President McKinley.
McKinley was shot on Sept 6 1901 in a delicate part of the body, the abdomen by a man an anarchist inspired by the assassination of the italian king in 1900.
Problem in this case like also in the case of President Garfield was that a bullet wasn't removed from the body producing gangrene. The President died on Sept 1901.

Roosevelt developed a great program for the USA.

Being an outdoor man he understood that the beautiful, wonderful precious, glorious American lands and forests are a treasure and he created National Parks, preserving them from the action of men.

He also tried to control corporations and he fought with all himself for the rights of consumers establishing that no one would have anymore sold maple syrup telling to customers (it's an example) that that one was maple syrup when realistically was something else.
Labels were introduced and lies not anymore permitted.
Each customer could decide his/her personal culinary destiny :-)

Roosevelt was also re-elected in 1904.

Famous the story of Teddy Bear, an episode I personally discovered just few months ago reading and reviewing American History books, although I received various teddy bears from my correspondents during the years.

The President was a great hunter but once he refused to kill an old and sick bear.
What kind of gusto a person could find when the animal that would have been killed sick and old? There wasn't any kind of confrontation.

The story was pretty soon known and became a commercial success. Teddy Bears are sold now first of all during Valentine's Day but also during Christmas Time and everytime someone desires to affirm friendship, love, good feelings for another person. It's a tender act and one of the most appreciated one.

Roosevelt once out from policy, tried to return in the big scene during the electoral campaign of 1912 but he also was part of a tentative of assassination. The bullet never removed was located in chest muscle.
So what happened? That later this bullet was also one of the causes of his departure. Not just this, but it was of great help unfortunately.

Roosevelt died in peace while he was sleeping in 1919.

I downloaded this eBook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Not yet phone...

...It is still a frustrating situation   and today I couldn't post any review, although I wrote a lot during this week-end because I am rushing for other reasons.
To all my Readers a big warm hug.

Anna Maria Polidori

Not yet back to the normality

Still without phone connection, I just hope you are enjoying these latest reviews.
I just hope that, we lost phone line on Jan 3, we will be back to the normality soon.

Many thanks for reading!

Anna Maria Polidori

Totie the Molar by Hosam Alrquirk, Reema Boufis illustrated by Ana Lornakina

Totie the Molar  by Hosam Alrquirk, Reema Boufis illustrated by Ana Lornakina is the best approach you can think at for trying to teach to your children the beauty of a healthy mouth, thanks to happy teeth, keeping away all the possible nasty sensations regarding dentists and a periodic visit. I downloaded this eBook because when I was little I was scared by dentists.
I lived my first 18-19 years in a conflictual "relationship" with dentists. I didn't avoid them but I was scared.
Irrationality can bring fears and children shouldn't grow up with fears like this one.

Thanks to the explanation of Totie the Molar and all his other brothers and sisters, we will discover the populated and funny world of our mouth! starting with a children's mouth.

I am sure that this children's book will keep children interested and captivated, plenty of questions, looking at all their teeth with immense curiosity and interest, being in grade to naming them and at the same time learning why they exist and which is their respective role in our mouth.

I love so badly illustrations and story.

This one is a wonderful, tender, cute children's book for sure highly recommended to everyone!

Anna Maria Polidori

Vincent Van Gogh and Nature by Richard Kendall, Sjraar van Heugten and Christ Stolwijk

Vincent Van Gogh and Nature is a beautiful catalogue by Richard Kendall, Sjraar van Heugten and Christ Stolwijk published by Yale Press.

This book was born with and thanks to the art exhibit wanted by the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts on 2015.
In this book and in that art exhibit curators choose to focus their attentions on a topic Van Gogh fell in love for: nature.

All these paintings will be in grade to give visually the best perception and idea of the importance and role played by nature in the life of Van Gogh. 

We will see how, nature has followed, accompanied like a benign shadow, the existence of this so tormented painter, bringing him profound reflections, peace, relaxation and distraction from his torments, becoming the center of his fertile painting activity.

In his numerous letters to his siblings and friends, Van Gogh can be "read" also thanks to his letters, he was an avid reader and letter-writer, we can see how this thematic, nature, and the impact that it played in his soul was one of the most fundamental and crucial points of his existence.

Van Gogh loved flowers, trees, fields, landscapes and whatever could connect him with the beauty of this world.
He loved to painting bouquet of flowers in vase and in most cases this flowers were ending their final brief existential life.

His family discovered soon that it was impossible to "encapsulate" Vincent Van Gogh in a profession.
Every tentative a new failure and discouragement started to become more than real and with his parents relationship frequently tense.

Van Gogh loved to paint, a passion later that would have convinced his brother to become an art dealer in Paris.
The period he lived in was the one of Impressionism and Van Gogh spent many years in France but Van Gogh defined himself and talked of himself changing continuously and tumultuously painting-style thanks to his personal originality, strong colors.
He impressed his soul in his canvas. A tragic, beautiful, sunny at times, existential trip.
The one of Van Gogh was a personal research through the power and beauty of nature: an immersion into the beauty of Nature for finding peace.

This book you will see is divided in various chapters and the authors will illustrate the various passages, formative years of Van Gogh, like also his latest moments and paintings, his relationship with the cities he lived in.

Very well done, it's a captivating book-catalog and you will fall in love for it.

Highly recommended to everyone. It can be if you know someone in love for art a great gift.

I thank Yale Press for the physical copy of this wonderful book!


Anna Maria Polidori

Western Landscapes by Lee Friedlander

Western Landscapes by Lee Friedlander  is a book that you must buy. For the importance of its presence, first of all, the tome is very heavy, big, a real joy when you will receive it, and for the importance of the pictures taken.
Black&White style these pictures speak of our times although they have been taken not yesterday but these past years and from five years massively collected by Yale University Art Gallery.
Order, disorder, passion, chaos, beauty, infinite, immortality, immensity, strength, fertility, aridity, desertification, solitude, silence, wisdom, reflection, calm, peace,  intensity, amazement, there is this and more in these pictures, you will see.
Why? Because there is not a message more powerful than the one that Nature can spread just with a picture.
Paradisiac landscapes are close to ordinary scenes for celebrating the West Wild part of the USA.

This photographs have been taken in many American Western National Parks located in California, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, Washington, New Mexico, Canada, Oregon, Texas, Idaho, Montana, New York.

This book is the product of a great love for and of this photographer, someone who, remarks Richard Benson wouldn't  never go out without his camera. There is always something that can be captured and the possibility of a  new great little picture everyday in grade to make the History of our times.


Highly suggested.

I thank Yale Press for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Touch my Tears Tales from the Trail of Tears. Foreword by Julie Cantrell edited by Sarah Elizabeth Sawyer

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is back with a new, very interesting book called:

Touch my Tears Tales from the Trail of Tears. Foreword by Julie Cantrell.
Sarah Elisabeth edited this book for let know to everyone the tragic episodes occurred to her Native American tribe in 1830: Choctaw lost in fact their pacific battle for continuing to stay in their native land because of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.

In the past they had always lived pacifically in Mississippi.

The advent of the white man changed everything.
Choctaw loved Mississippi, they were planters, they were pacific individuals, but it didn't count.

They were constricted to leave their land for an Indian new Homeland located in Okhlaoma.

It was a shock for most of them because they spent their existence in Mississippi.
They built in Mississippi their life. There, they raised children, became old, buried during the years parents, relatives, friends.

Considering the profound connection in grade to being established by Native Americans, it was more hard than for anyone else to saying good-bye to the past.

Native Americans lived and some of them still live a profound cosmic connection with nature. The structure of Native American religion is not a pyramidic structure with a creature more important than another one. Each creature is dominant and important for the order of the world.
It's a cosmic, beautiful religion, where creatures speak all together, where there is harmony, where humans are integrant part of nature, in fusion with it.

All the time I read a book about Native Americans a big and profound relaxation descend upon me. The universal, cosmic religion of the Native Americans, their wise words are in grade to relaxing me.
Native Americans connect them in a strong way with all the creatures of this world with a purity that the so-called white man can't reach.

Choctaw considered this terrible fact as a betrayel because Choctaw and the other folks arrived from Europe were very well connected together.So, why this?

Everyone who wanted to continue to stay in Mississippi a marked person, everyone needed to go away.

Thanks to their spiritualism, Choctaw thought that they would have survived thanks to their sacred spirit.

The first Story tells the story of Rising Fawn, captured by a white family of Memphis with profound desire of having and raising a kid.

The little girl remembers what they said her: to be a seed, to keep alive her sacred spirit.
Rising Fawn tries her best. At the beginning she misses her family a lot. She doesn't like at all her new family. Then she understands that her new parents are worried for her, because they don't know if she is happy with them, and they are also very sorry for themselves.
They live in great solitude.
It's Christmas Time and Rising Fawn starts to know the meaning of Christmas.

At that time Christmas meant materually some oranges, sweet candies, it was the same also in our rural community and a good dress for the mass of Christmas.
Slowly Rising Fawn will understand that this one is her real family and that there is a new religion as well, but the Great Spirit exists in this new one as well and Rising Fawn understands that her seeds will be planted in this new place with this new family, without forgetting her origins and remembering her past as the sweetest memory she will keep in her heart.


Toward the Setting Sun is the story of a family who abandons their place but that unfortunately will lose someone during that long trip looking with serenity, at the same time at what this trip meant in terms of loss and in terms of opportunity.

Somewhere William Wallace Smiled is the story of Wild-at-Heart and his terrible sin and a story to tell, forever during his life.

All these stories, there are many more, are great, inspirational, and they want to transmit hope, sweetness, through a historical moment difficult for the Choctaw and plenty of sufferance. Because, after all, and let's hope it, after a long night, there is always a new day.

Highly suggested.

Anna Maria Polidori

No phone....

What a mess. But many reviews are ready for you all. I miss my patient readers...

The Spirit of Christmas by Henry van Dyke

The Spirit of Christmas  by Henry van Dyke is an illuminating book regarding Christmas and the most profound meaning of it.

There are some prayers, but also a beautiful tale, and a little essay about Christmas-Giving and Christmas-Living.

Always more often you hear people saying once Christmas approaches: "I don't want any gift and I won't present to people any gift. There is no money to spend for these silly manifestations of love."

Implied there is a message: "If you'll present me a gift you won't receive anything in return."

Christmas is a Catholic feast "adopted" from the Pagan feast of Light so loved by Romans and the tradition of sharing gifts is old like the world.

Romans loved to exchange little branches of sacred trees with their friends, relatives, for celebrating the moment of poorest light of all the year.

With Christianity the story of gift became profoundly connected with the arrival of little Baby Jesus Christ. God donated his Child to the world as one of the best presents for the Humanity. He lived for serving people for teaching us the Word of God.

His Dad donated Him various gifts: the one of healing, the one of turning water into wine during the marriage at Cana of Galilee of St. Jude Thaddeus, his cousin. It was remarkable.
And do we want to speak of the moltiplication of fish and bread?

Christmas is a little moment of the year: just one day in which we should demonstrate our love and affection to people we know.

But so: what means for the Christianity this so-hated for some people manifestation of love and connections that a gift brings with itself?


In the book it's very clear: "I am thinking of you to-day because it is Christmas, and I wish you happiness. And to-morrow, because it will be the day after Christmas, I still wish you happiness; and so on, clear through the year. I may not be able to tell you about it every day, because I be far away; or because both of us may be very busy; or perhaps because I cannot even afford to pay the postage on so many letters, or find the time to write them. But that makes no difference. The thought and the wish will be just the same. In my work and in the business of life, I mean to try not to be unfair to you or injure you in any way. In my pleasure, if we can be together I would like to share the fun with you. Whatever joy or success comes to you will make me glad. Without pretense, and in plain words, good-will to you is what I mean, in the Spirit of Christmas."



I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Little Books of Christmas The Giving Season & The First Santa by Toby Woodman & A.W. Pawlowski

Little Books of Christmas The Giving Season & The First Santa by Toby Woodman & A.W. Pawlowski is a children's book that will love to connect children with the idea of Christmas Giving first of all. We all know that Santa Claus brings gifts to all the children of the world but who was the one started this tradition?

Oh yes: it was him! Santa, when he was still a young boy, he decided for Christmas to donate something to his parents.

Nicholas was the name of this boy. News spread and also closed villages started to ptresent gifts to relatives and friends although this tradition at first remained confined in that area. Christmas Spirit is everywhere and saw and heard this news.
He decided to speak with Nicholas, for offering him the best and most work of this world at the North Pole: bringing joy, happiness and excitement during the Christmas Night with gifts to all children of this world.

A wonderful book, very inspiring and very well written! for discovering something more about the Christmas art of giving. I am more than sure that it will be very appreciated!

I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.


Anna Maria Polidori

My Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid Illustrated by Joanna Paek

My Snowman Paul by Yossi Lapid Illustrated by Joanna Paek is a special wonderful children's book.

Let's start to say it won the Mom's Choice Award and the Moonbean Children's Books Award.

When I downloaded it, I was curious because the cover is wonderful.

In the cover there is this kid, Dan, with his dog and a snowman, Paul, hand in hand.


Well: this ebook deserves for sure your attention. Illustrations are superb, wonderful, tender, with that touch of dreaming atmosphere thanks to a technique of soft and warm colors at the same time that I am sure will remain in the heart of your children also when they will be grown-up.

The story is the one os a snowing-day where everyone is at home. Including Dan with his dog.

His mom suggests him of going out for building a snowman. Dan doesn't know what to do because his neighbor friend Billy doesn't have a great consideration of snowmen.
His mom smiles: "Who cares what your friend thinks of snowmen? Enjoy the moment, have some fun!"

Dan, convinced goes out. What a big snowman he creates. Good: but now the head...How should Dan put the head on the snowman? He is more tall than him! At the same time his friend Billy and his smocking smile let thinks to Dan that maybe it's better to return home, but then he hears a voice.

The nice and sunny snowman asks also the head! so that they can live some adventures together.

His name is Paul, tells to Dan.
Dan is shocked. This big a bit fatty snowman is adorable and speaks to him!
Dan doesn't want to go out with him for any walk because he thinks that Billy will judge him severely. Paul reassures him: no worry, who cares about that little boy?

This children's book speak to the heart about diversity, maybe a friend with some difficulties and problems (we have always had a schoolmate with some health problems or special difficulties or a different religious faith) and the desire of our children of spending some time with him/her experiencing judgement of other people and so a possible disconnection for this reason.
This wise children's book invites all children to experiment the word: inclusion in the most diversified fields. Sickness, different faith and religion.
Inclusion important for sharing starting from children's life our existence with all the souls of this world and for not feeling any diversity once grown-up.


I downloaded this ebook on Amazon.

Anna Maria Polidori

Miss Opal Makes a Match A Miss Opal Story Book One by Amy K.Ronglie

A beautiful, ironic Christian book is this one I just finished to read. Written by Amy K.Ronglie: Miss Opal Makes a Match A Miss Opal Story Book One will be a relaxing reading plenty of Christianity, humor and good values for everyone but also a funny, interesting book considering the characters of these two elderly ladies.

It's 1907.

Miss Opal lives with her sister Armilda in Benton, Texas.

They're more than 80s and the two decide to spend the summer time with someone else in their house: a young girl.

They do that with a precise purpose: they want to help, illuminate their devoted preacher to do the right thing, and they ask the help of God.
They put an ad on the Austin Statesmen and Tribune and Lyna Marshall decides to leave for the first time in her life her comfort zone, the ranch where she lives in with her parents for this adventure. After all the pay given by these two elderly ladies is spectacular.

Andrew Marek is the preacher of Benton and he is in a serious relationship with Margaret.
Margaret wants to live in Boston where she would want to build an existence in. Andrew promised to his dad of marrying this girl but his heart is disconnected from her and he is not anymore so certain that this one is the right thing to do.

Lyna is picked up at the train station by Andrew, the preacher, and the two feels during the trip a good connection.
Lyna is surprised to see a lot of libraries in the town. That place, in comparison with her small place was a big reality.
These libraries in Benton and Temple are all Carnegie ones will explain her Andrew.

Once arrived in Daisy Patch Inn as Andrew loves to call the house of Opal and Armilda Lyna discovers that these two elderly ladies mean a lot for the community of the town.
They will involve her in many initiatives while Miss Opal will try all her best for making this match: Andrew and Lyna together forever.

Will the two sisters be in grade to do that?

Enchanting book, ironic, plenty of good humor and feelings, I also loved the book cover and I found romantic the vintage touch of the book pages.

I thank the author of the book, Mrs Amy K.Ronglie for the PDF copy of this book.
I can't wait to read the other adventures of Opal and Armilda!!!


Anna Maria Polidori

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Carnegie's Maid  , as it was
The Other Einstein  the book let's remember it, about the first wife of Albert Einstein Mileva Maric, is another masterpiece of history, feelings, passions penned by Marie Benedict.

I hadn't never herd of Andrew Carnegie and his personal life-story before to reading this book but I thought while I was reading it that I was reading an historic book.
I had recently finished to read and reviewed another book by Johns Hopkins University, John W.Garrett and the Baltimore&Ohio Railroad and now I was back with another business man and the construction of another railroad: the Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh one.

Carnegie's Maid is vibrant and rich thanks to the delicacy and poeticity of Benedict's writing-style in descriptions of places, people and social and political conditions, without forgetting Irish movements of protests, discrimination of Irish people with Catholic Faith, without forgetting strong descriptions of familiar conditions of Irish peasants and farmers constricted most of the time to emigrate in USA for trying to survive. Black conditions and slavery treated largely because of the support at the Yankee cause from Andrew Carnegie.
It won't be forgotten the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and a private situation of a servant of Andrew's mansion searching for the rest of his family.

In Ireland Famine killed many people and most Irish decided to search for a better life in the New World.

In general entire families left for the USA because scared of an uncertain desolating future in their own homeland, but in this case just a girl of 18 years old will leave, Clara, because not adapted for the farm life.

Being a girl attracted by books and culture men close to her couldn't be good as well. 

Who knows? Maybe the USA would have brought good luck to her thought her parents.
The family counted to save the farm thanks to her material help, money, and Clara a dedicated family-girl won't disappoint her family's exigencies.

The trip long was long 40 days. Clara  arrived on Nov 4th 1863 in Philadelphia, and after few days Clara Kelley reaches her new mistress, Mrs. Carnegie in Fairfield, Pittsburgh.

The Carnegies were a family of Scottish people. They built fortune thanks to great investments, perspicacity, and intelligence.

Let's say that Clara will reach the status of Mrs Carnegie's maid hiding something vital, but I don't want to reveal this particular because very important.

Slowly Clara knows the two sons of Mrs.Carnegie but the one she falls in love for and with is the eldest one called Andrew.

Andrew is intelligent, he is a business man, but he also loves to share with Clara his projects. He tells her how he became so rich, telling her his family-story, sharing with her, his passion for poetry and books.

It's always a mess to mix work and love in particular when mrs. Carnegie is the owner of Clara and Clara in this sense is admonished: be careful because servants won't never win, tell her the other servants.

That rigid woman, mrs Carnegie although once poor wouldn't never approved a relationship of his son Andrew with Clara.

What set a man or a woman free when we talk of parents, relatives?
Have people limits although they are born rich or poor?
These limits involve also the most private sphere and so who falling in love with?
How can these limits influence people's future and their destiny?

These ones, you will see, are strong questions in Carnegie's Maid.

Andrew Carnegie decided to give up at a certain point at his past of avarice embracing the cause of immigrants less lucky than him with the creation of many free libraries.
Mr.Carnegie gave opportunity to everyone, if too poor for buying a book, to read books freely in dedicated spaces understanding the big power that culture can means for a man.


Marie Benedict, I want to tell this anecdote because it's very important and makes the difference, says that she loved to write this book because when more than a hundred year ago her ancestors afforded from Ireland to the USA, they couldn't buy any book and they studied, learnt, thanks to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh the first one created by Andrew Carnegie and other public Carnegie's libraries.
With the time this family has had lawyers, doctors, professors and all of them attended the so-called Ivy League Universities.
You see: a great improvement.

Andrew Carnegie was considered a heartless man but at the age of 33 years, he wrote a letter to himself.
A letter he would have kept close to him for the rest of all his life.
In this letter he remarked he wanted to focus on "the education and improvement of the poorer classes."

He was considered an avid man, stingy, plenty of avarice.
Who changed him? thought Marie Benedict.

There is still no trace of the person who changed de fact the course of the personal story of mr. Carnegie, but someone did it in a remarkable and positive way.

Marie Benedict remembers that one of her first relative from Galway worked once arrived in the USA as maid in the mansion of one of Carnegie's partners.
The idea of putting Clara directly in Carnegie's mansion imagining a tender story with Andrew, an inspiring and winning touch.

Mr. Carnegie   married Louise Whitfield , and he has had a daughter.


I recommend to you Carnegie's Maid so badly! to everyone.



Anna Maria Polidori