Although the author does a good job depicting the colonization of Australia, I found the reading difficult: too many native words, disjointed text, and awkward sentence structure. Bobby was a delightful character, but I had trouble with some of the other characters seeming real to me. The descriptions of what must be beautiful scenery were repetitive and I did not feel as though I were there. This book probably will have great appeal to Australians or to anyone who has visited there.

Surprisingly, this heart-warming story of relationships was hard to put down! The heroine, Victoria, reaches out and grabs you from the very beginning and you are left wondering what happened to her, what will happen to her, and how she finds the courage and resilience she displays in facing life's difficulties. As a foster child, she lacks many of the coping skills that most of us have, yet she not only survives but thrives in her own way. I highly recommend this book for book clubs, young adults, and other adults.

Although fast-paced and interesting, this book was lacking in depth and character development. I did enjoy learning more about the historical figures of the period, particularly about William Cecil. It was written in the first person from the viewpoint of a young man, aged 20, and for this reason I recommend it for that age group.

This wonderful true story of Conor Grennan's time in Nepal has everything you would want in a good novel. Written with humor and page-turning suspense, Little Princes follows his growth as a person from an adventure-seeking college kid to the founder of a world-wide organization. The tales of the children's antics are delightful, and there is even a love interest. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it highly for book clubs and for people of all ages.

Being from Birmingham myself, I was especially interested in learning how this family overcame the prejudice and unrest of the times. The story begins with Dr. Rice's childhood, including music lessons, school, church and friendships and continues through her years in Tuscaloosa, Denver, Washington, and at Stanford. This book is not about politics or race; rather it is about her parents and the part they played in her life. Dr. Rice presents her parent's values, character, and discipline without their seeming "holier than thou" or any different from their neighbors, although they are doubtless an exceptional family. She also includes information about her grandparents and other relatives; she is proud that she was not the first family member to obtain a PHD! I found the book very interesting and very well written, and although not a "page-turner," I found myself eager to return to reading it. I recommend it most highly, especially for parents!