Ana's Story. A Journey of Hope :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Child-like writing

2008-05-26
Buying this book on a whim after seeing it featured on the Today Show was a mistake. I was expecting a deep, well-written novel, but that is not what you find in this book. A waste of money to say the least. The book is written completely in "subject-verb" sentence format, which makes it read like a child wrote it. The story itself is completely linear, which I guess is expected, seeing as it is based on a true story. I guess the title should have given it away, it is so unoriginal and expected. Usually you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in this case, you should. I will never recommend this book, not even to the fourth graders who read at the level at which it is written.

Worth the Read and Some Reflection

2008-05-17
It appears that some readers are put off by the format and the fact that this is not great literature. However, it is a well-enough-written book in an interesting format that can be enjoyed by younger and older readers. It is nonfiction and it is the story that counts and we decide how we respond to it. This is a book that leaves room for response and reflection. No, the story is not told in vivid description nor are the characters developed as a novel would be. It is a straight-forward story that less experienced readers can enjoy. When I say "enjoy" I mean it is a story that one feels connected to and it matters little if we have heard similar stories before. This is about one human being and there is enough in it to lead to discussions among young adult readers that will allow them to share their own meanings as it touches their experience and understandings.I cannot belive that some would doubt that Jenna wrote this? Why? (I cannot help but comment that one very negative reviewerdidn't even spell "matter" correctly.) Jenna is an educated woman and let's get over the fact that her father is President, please. Did she have an advantage by having a recognizable name, sure! But the story is still one that is worthy of the telling and the photo easy-to-read format adds to the uniqueness of the book. It is what it is and what it is,is a good read on an important subject. It need not be more. Someone else can write a book about this topic in a more literary format and many young people who will find enlightenment in this will not read that book. There is room for a variety of books for a varied audience in this world.

Pretty good

2008-05-14
i highly doubt that jenna bush wrote the book herself, and yes the spaces and font were HUGE; but the book itself is good. No madder what my views are of jenna bush the book was good so i think that is what should madder most. How good the book was not what you think about the author (whoever the real author was)is wat madders. at least the provits go to charity. i would buy it it was fantastic. a quick read.

loved by teenagers in a Honduran orphanage

2008-05-03
I was given Ana's Story as a gift from my mother who hoped I might like it in spite of my intense hostility toward the Bush administration. I read the book expecting to get nothing out of it and to have further fuel for my anti-Bush sentiment. I was proven wrong. I have experience with teenagers in Latin America- many of whom are HIV+ and/or victims of abuse- and Jenna Bush's telling of Ana's Story is 100% consistent with the stories I have heard.

I recently found the book in Spanish and passed it on to a houseparent at an orphanage in Honduras. The first woman to read it was an 18-year-old who was born with the disease. She has spread the word about how touching the book is. The young women at the orphanage are clamoring to read it and all have been moved because they relate to Ana and are touched by someone- particularly the daughter of the US president- telling a story that is a lot like theirs.

Ana's Story is clearly written for teenagers and I think is right on for that age group- the writing style, the way she deals with tough topics, and the way the book is designed. I applaud Jenna Bush for her work, for using her name-recognition to share this message, and for following her own path.

Great book very inspiring i lover every moment

2008-04-18
I received the book on time. Great condition. I took one night and read this book off very touching loved every moment of the book i even cry i wish i could help to make a different in people who are less fortunate that i. Overall this book was absolutely beautifully love every second of the book. Definitely will recommend this buyer and the book to other people.Good book 5 out 5"

A beautiful real life story

2008-07-23
I loved this book. A friend recommended it and said it's a short read with beautiful pictures. It only took me a couple of hours to read. And I can not wait to loan it out to a couple of friends. I just went to Amazon and pulled up the reviews. I was amazed at how many negative comments people made and all because of who wrote the book. I read a lot and I read everything. This book was an excellent way to reach out to the younger generation about such a serious topic. I can appreciate the format it is short and to the point, which works for this story. The pictures help you visualize the area Ana grew up in. It helps the story grow in your head. The only complaint I have is it ended entirely too soon. I wanted to hear more about Ana, the afterward explained why and what happened. It saddened me to read the reviews and to read someone say it would never have been published had it not been written by Jenna Bush. It makes me wonder how many other lovely stories are out there I will never read because it doesn't fit the "normal" mold of what people want. I will recommend this short sweet read to everyone I know. READ IT READ IT READ IT. Thank you

A beautiful ongoing story

2008-07-06
Jena Bush has written a remarkable story. I love how it is written and I understand why the story is incomplete. In the future I hope to hear that Ana is still doing well and continues to grow. Much was said about HIV/AIDS and much education is being done with this book. I hope that it continues to educate people about this disease. Thank you.

save your money for a better book.

2008-06-25
this is a supposdly true story of a girl named ana who goes through many hardships from having hiv, to losing her parents, to being abused in many forms. this would be a truly touching story if didn't come across sounding overly sweet, plus the pictures/illustrations don't match up with the story. what i found was worst is how gives a false hidden message where all you truly need is love to survive. i got this book from the library and glad i didn't waste a dime other then my time in reading this book.

Ana is inspiring

2008-06-14
Ana's Story, by Jenna Bush, is inspiring and uplifting. Ana's struggles and journey through life helped me realize that my life isn't so bad. I hope others can be blessed by the message Ana has sent through Jenna Bush.

Anna

2008-06-06
It was a very interesting book. The book was very well written. The story was very interesting, hard to put down.