Book Description

Approx. 2.5 hours
2 cassettes

Listen to the first two hilariously hip Chet Gecko mysteries in this one audio package!

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse
Shirley Chameleon's friend Billy has disappeared and it's up to Chet, super sleuth, to find him.

The Mystery of Mister Nice
What has happened to Principal Zero?All of a sudden he's nice.And one thing is certain: Principal Zero is not a nice guy.It's up to Chet to prove he's an imposter.

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Reviews (2)

Not as good as the original
I bought this collection for my little one because I really loved it when I was her age. Although the songs are all the same, I was disappointed to discover that the singers and arrangements have changed. Some of the new voices are so annoying and caricature-like that it's difficult to sing along. I wish they would have just re-released the original! My daughter seems to like "Veggie Tales" and "Not for Kids Only" much better.

A Wonderful Selection of Silly Songs
My Sister and I when we were little used to love to sing along with Books and Tapes in the Wee Sing Series, especially this one, because we have always loved to laugh. The Wee Sing books and tapes will take children into a world of fun, they can learn wonderful things from these tapes. However, it never has to seem like learning. That's part of the magic. For on these recorded tours, your childrens tourguides are singers and actors. If you have children be sure to buy this tape you'll laugh your head off with them. My sister and I eventually outgrew these tapes, but I kept them, even copied them onto blank audiotapes so I could give them as gifts to people who have children. Now if only Pam Beall and Susan Nipp could make a sequel to this one and call it Wee Sing More Silly Songs. ... Read more

Book Description

NARNIA ... the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter ... a magical country waiting to be set free.

Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.

Performed by Michael York.

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Reviews (319)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
A long time ago, four children found a magical world beyond (what they thought was) an ordinary wardrobe. This magical world led them to many adventures in a magical place called Narnia. I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in less than three hours because it was so interesting and captivating. this is now my favorite book. After I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I bought the other books in the series. I recommend that others do too. I enjoyed reading this book and then the Magician's Nephew. My favorite character is Aslan. Aslan is a lion that comes to save Narnia from the White Witch. Aslan is very courageous. My second favorite character is Lucy. Lucy was the first to enter Narnia. At the end, Lucy was named Queen Lucy the Valiant. My least favorite character is the White Witch. She made Narnia always winter but never Christmas. She also turned things to stone. She was truly an evil witch. My second least favorite character is Edmund, at the beginning. He lied and could have gotten his brother and sisters killed.Edmund became a better person in the end. My favorite part was when Aslan's army were battling the White Witch's army. I also liked when Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were crowned Kings and Queens. Peter was crowned King Peter the Magnificent. Susan was crowned Queen Susan the Gentle. Edmund was crowned King Edmund the Just, and Lucy was crowned Queen Lucy the Valiant. My least favorite part was when Edmund entered the wardrobe. When he entered Narnia he met the White Witch. Edmund decided to betray his brother and sisters and take them to the White Witch. Then when he got out of Narnia he lied and said he had never been there. I enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I would recommend it to anyone who has an imagination. I also recommend the other books in this series.

Fairy tale about willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice
Four British children, two sisters and two brothers, are sent away from London during World War II because of air raids. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy now live in the large house of an old professor. While exploring their new home, the youngest, Lucy, steps into a wardrobe, suddenly finding herself in a strange wintry world full of creatures from fairy tales and mythology. At first, her siblings don't believe her, but, after a while, all four of them enter the world of Narnia. An evil witch has the land under her spell, but help is on the way -- a lion named Aslan.

"The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe" is the second book of "The Chronicles Of Narnia." Clive Staples Lewis wrote the novel in 1950, yet its theme of the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice makes the story timeless. While the story is primarily aimed at a young audience, Lewis himself points out the following to his niece Lucy to whom the book is dedicated: "... [S]ome day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." An extra bonus are the charming illustrations by Pauline Baynes.

I want to go to Narnia
How can you not adore this? You know how food can be labeled "comfort food" - well this is the type of story that's a "comfort story". I felt so protected, secure and safe while reading this. It takes me back to a time in my life when I reguarly daydream adventures like those in Narnia. I think it reminds us of imagination, and freedom, and child-like wonder. Such a beautiful, wonderful story. Allow it to take you away and suspend your disbelief - you won't be sorry.

Hope
I chose to read this classic by C.S. Lewis because every one else I knew had read it when they were younger. I was told that it was an allegorical novel by a friend, which spiked my interest in what I considered just a child's fantasy. Lewis fills his world, Narnia, with a wonderful array of different and interesting characters. Fauns, Nymphs, Dryads, Naiads, and hospitable beavers all contribute to the fantastic nature of this story. Lewis must have been a creative man to imagine such wonders and write them down. A place where perpetually deadened by the cold of winter, with no Christmas and, therefore, no hope would be a terribly bleak setting. The depiction of Aslan as a symbol of Christ was quite interesting. Even the girls, Susan and Lucy, become similar to the two Marys in the gospel in their caretaking of the lion. So as not to give away the story to anyone else I will end saying this unique world provides more than just a fantasy escape. To both children and adults it provides a reminder that there is hope, even in our world, when it too seems cold and dead.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe a reveiw by Irene
Have you ever imagined being sent away to someone's house, that has a secret that no one knows but you? The house in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe had a secret , which only Peter, Susan,Edmund, and Lucy knows. Once they went through the wardrobe in the house,their adventures would begin in the land called Narnia, and their lives will change.

I love this book, because it tells about Lucy trying to save her friend Tumnus. It tells about the wonderful adventures she had with her friends, Peter, Susan, and Edmund and the great dangers they faced in Narnia. I also liked the little rhymes that describes Aslan, the great lion.

I wish that this book would be longer and the adventures of Narnia would countinue in this book.

I recommend this book for people who like adventure stories, because this book is filled with adventures.

My favorite part is when the dwarf made Edmond a prisoner and used a whip to threaten him to go faster. If the White Witch ( a terrible witch) that calls herself queen of Narnia wants Edmond to go faster, the dwarf whips him until he goes faster.

My other favorite part is when Edmond got tricked into bringing Peter, Susan and Lucy to her because she wants to turn Edmond and his friends into stone. They are smart and she doesn't want them to break the White Witch's spell. The spell is a spell that will keep Narnia always in a winter season.

On the map, I think it is a little confusing because it doesn't show the place where Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy came through the Wardrobe to Narnia, but the story is exciting. ... Read more

Book Description

"Before you go out into the world," Ming Miao told her five kittens, "you must know the true story of your ancestors...."

And so begins the story of Sagwa of China, a mischievous, pearl white kitten. Sagwa lived in the House of the Foolish Magistrate, a greedy man who made up rules that helped only himself. One day, Sagwa fell into an inkwell and accidentally changed one of the Foolish Magistrate's rules. Little did Sagwa know she would alter the fate -- and the appearance -- of Chinese cats forever! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Wonderful Children's Book!
I love Amy Tan, so I had to buy this book for my 2 year old nephew. He loves the beautiful illustrations of the cats! It is about the mother Siamese cat telling her five kittens about their Chinese heritage. She tells them the story of their ancestor Sagwa, who was a very silly and clever cat who changed a foolish magistrate's foolish laws to wise ones by using the ink to edit his laws from saying "You shall NOT sing and dance until sunset" to "You shall sing and dance until sunset." A very good lesson about the importance of heritage and the need for celebration of our lives. I highly recommend this book!

Beautifully written and illustrated book!
I've read Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" and "Kitchen God's Wife" and had no idea that she's a wonderful children's author as well. I learned about this book from watching the same titled PBS series. The series is cute for kids, but the book is a wonderful story, rich in history and beautifully illustrated. Tan is a gifted writer that children and adults can appreciate.

Siamese cat lovers....
The most exquisitely illustrated book I've ever owned! A fun, fictitious way to describe how white siamese kittens get their colors.
It's a bit long for a bed time story, but really fun! Kids ages 8 or 9 and up may be able to read it themselves, but the beginners may have a hard time.

Great Little Book
This is a great little story book. I bought this especially for my niece who loves the cartoon. It's a bit long so I read it in installments before her afternoon naps and she loves it and can't wait to hear the other parts. This helps her to look forward to nap times now (phew). Although another reviewer labels it as stereotyped I think it still helps kids to learn of and tolerate lifestyles other than their own. The book does so in a simple way after all it is for kids and at that stage of life it is not harmful as they have more time to get into further details.

Adorable
Amy Tan proves her talent with this book. She shows a young kitten's innocence and how it changes the province. A wonderful read for children and adults alike. Amy's got a hit! ... Read more

Book Description

When theatre director Siddalee Walker inadvertently reveals some of the less-savory facts of her Louisiana childhood to the New York Times, the article brands her mother, Vivi, a tap-dancing child abuser. Vivi virtually disowns Sidda, but Vivi's intrepid gang of lifelong friends, the Ya-Yas, sashay in and conspire to bring everyone back together. The Ya-Yas persuade Vivi to send Sidda a scrapbook of their girlhood mementos entitled Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Through a series of flashbacks from Sidda's current crisis to Vivi's youth and early motherhood, the "Divine Secrets" reveal themselves through Rebecca Wells' vibrant, irresistible voice, and provide an incisive look a the tangled and emotional relationship between mother and daughter.

Reviews (1132)

84 thousand reasons to read this book
I'll skip the summarization of the plot since all of the reviews here do a great job of telling you what this book is all about. Let me get straight to the point: this is a wonderfully hilarious, heartbreaking novel with memorable characters, beautiful, witty dialogue, and downright fantastic story telling.

I don't normally read this kind of book; I lean more toward thrillers and horror novels. I must admit, I got caught up in all the Ya-Ya frenzy surrounding the release of the film. Out of curiosity, I picked up Divine Secrets and didn't put it down until I devoured each and every word. These characters have such depth, and I found myself longing for an eccentric hat, a Bloody Mary, a cigarette, and a gaggle of close friends! I could almost feel the sultry heat of Louisiana and smell all the wonderful smells of the south: fried catfish, flowers everywhere, smoky barbeque, lake water. Wells manages to use a simple narrative writing style while painting incredibly vivid mind pictures.

This is a powerful story about a middle-aged woman trying to come to grips with her all-consuming, ever-present mother. These humanly flawed characters have depth and personality. I truly wanted to know what happened to each one. It's so easy to forget that our mothers had and have lives separate from us, and Siddalee gets the chance of a lifetime: to begin to know her mother as a girl and young woman.

I know I'm gushing on and on about this novel, but it really struck a chord with me. I want more of the Ya-Yas! If you think you can get the full feel of the novel by going to see the film, think again. There are so many things that the film omits, and it can never capture the senses the way this book does (although the film isn't bad). If you like good story telling, and if you don't mind a whirlwind of emotions when you read, then grab this one right now.

Friends, Family, Love and Reconciliation
The companion novel to "Little Altars Everywhere" (for the love of God, read that one FIRST!), "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is like a beautiful patchwork quilt of good and bad memories from the great experience of Life.

Rebecca Wells sets up her novel by having Siddalee Walker from "Little Altars Everywhere," now middle-aged and a force in the theatre scene, dealing with her estrangement from her mother, Vivi, over an interview given to the New York Times, and cold feet over her ever-postponed marriage to her loyal fiance (wouldn't we all love to have a lover like Connor!). Escaping to the Olympic Peninsula to sort out direction for her next stage production (and her personal life), Sidda delves into her mother's past with the help of an album, searching for answers and resolution. As she does so, we are introduced to a wonderful cast of characters, the Ya-Yas, her mother's lifelong friends.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The Ya-Yas' antics reminded me a lot of my llama sister and me, and Wells does an outstanding job of making you empathize with Vivi. There are parts that were really painful to read. On the flip side, I found the novel's end to be a little bit too neat and abrupt, and I didn't find the adult Sidda to be a very likeable character. She seemed indecisive and whiny. Of course, I haven't been 40 yet...maybe when I'm 40 and have some more life experiences under my belt, I'll reread the book and change my mind about Siddalee.

Bottom line: You have to read this book...but read "Little Altars Everywhere" first!

Books dealing with the south
For me, books dealing with the South are like pizza and sex---even when they're bad they're still pretty good. That's not to say that "Divine Secrets" is bad, it isn't. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, it's one of the two best books I've read recently that dealt with family sagas, secrets, the south, and a host of other things. The other is a book called "The Bark of the Dogwood--A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens." Both books are entertaining and well-written. But I digress. My point is that books dealing with southern themes and ideas, well . . .you can't go wrong. Why is it that all the great writers are Southern? Who knows. And I don't care. All I do know is that "Divine Secrets" is a rollicking good time with more than a few dark undertones. This one's a keeper.

Needs literary testosterone
I gave this book one star because Wells does have some writing talent. However, her subject matter is somewhat nauseating. A mother and daughter who are on the "outs" because the daughter reveals that Mama was mean to her when she was a kid? That's not exactly a plot that can fill a whole book, but Wells thinks it can. The females in this book are, for the most part, very believable. The male characters are flawless & saintly, female fantasies of what men should be, except without the personality. If she developed male characters as well as she developed female characters, it would make it a lot more interesting. In some places she gets nauseatingly sentimental - it makes me want to take a bath, or go watch "Law and Order" to get back to reality. She goes over little things over and over and over ad nauseam. I would have preferred to read this tale in short-story form, where Mom says "Sorry, kid. I was a bad Mom. I had a rough life. Didn't mean to hurt you." Then the daughter says "OK, Mom." Hug. THE END. I'm not a really huge fan of most "chick flicks" or "chick books" (except maybe Jane Austen stuff), because they lack literary testosterone. But this was the ookiest, sweetsy-est, touchy-feeliest chick book I've ever touched. Yechhh! Oh yeah, and I AM a woman. Rebecca, you have some talent. Next time, please write a real STORY.

Simply Divine
I saw the movie which was made from this book first, and while I like it, I wasn't just blown away by it. Then I read the book. Boy, did they ever not do justice to this story! The book is so much better. With excellent writing on the same level as "The Bark of the Dogwood" or possibly some of Jan Karon's novels, this tour-de-force story will keep you enthralled from the first page to the last. And it goes beyoned the "womens' empowerment" theme, for there's so much more to this tale: Southern culture, family dysfunction, and power struggles within the family. I just can't recommend this book enough. ... Read more

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Look ma, no textbooks! The Learn in Your Car series treats you like a child--in the best possible way--starting with one-word phrases ("please," "good-by"), counting exercises, and simple nouns ("bus," "train") designed to imitate a child's learning process. First you hear the words in English, then they are repeated slowly in clear, unaccented pronunciations. The method is extremely effective for those who don't know a thing, or for those who want to brush up by testing themselves when the English words are spoken. The tapes emphasize the building blocks of communicating in a foreign country rather than rote phrases that only apply on the tape and not in real-life exchanges. Level 1 painlessly covers basic verb forms, essential prepositions, near future and past tenses, as well as shopping, hotel reservations, and other travel-related situations.The series includes French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, and Spanish in three levels that can be purchased individually or in boxed sets. Each level contains two 90-minute cassettes (or CDs) and an accompanying booklet (not for use behind the wheel) with helpful explanations and scripts for the lessons. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Pretty useful vocabulary builder
I have been using this set of 3 discs for about 5 weeks and have now ordered levels 2 & 3. The first disc is real basic stuff that gets you started, the second disc has lists of various types of vocabulary, like common nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and prepostions, and it is really worth going over these time and time again so as to master both the vocabulary and the pronunciation of these basic word lists. At least once you have go the basic vocabulary down, you have something to build on, so it gets easier.

Disc three is more phrase oriented, though it should be born in mind that each lesson is designed to illustrate some kind of grammatical rule. For some reason my disc set came with the wrong book (French instead of Spanish) so I have relied totally on the audio, though I do have a basic Spanish book that I refer to occasionally if I can't properly identify the spelling of a word from what I hear.

The only beef I do have is that while some of the phrases are obviously very useful, like "donde esta el banco mas cercano?" (where is the nearest bank?), others are not. You can just imagine landing in a Spanish speaking country and the first thing out of your mouth is asking for the nearest ATM or bathroom, but not all of the pattern sentences in the exercises are as useful.

It IS hard work learning Spanish this way, but if you do a lot of driving or can take a CD player with you wherever you are, then it is also incredibly economical with what would probably otherwise be dead time used productively. Being able to communicate in Spanish is an incredibly valuable skill in the workplace these days, and even if you don't use it for that, there are so many Spanish-speaking tourism destinations in the Western hemisphere that learning Spanish while you drive around can only widen your scope. I have already found that after 5 weeks of using this plus the Instant Immersion Spanish discs in my car I can understand lengthy chunks of spoken Spanish, read newspapers and understand 85%, and understand Spanish language posts on the Internet tolerably well. My speech still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected.

So, yes, I do recommend this set of discs, but I would use them in conjunction with something else for variety. You will still spend a lot less and learn a lot more than you would going to classes or on a course. Spanish will be my fifth language, if you count English as one, so I do know of what I speak.

Kind of boring...
I don't know what I expected from this CD... it's cool and it is a good learning tool. It's just so bland. All phrases are said in English, then twice in Spanish. And that's it. Very monotonous. I mean, it serves its purpose, though. I just wish it were more entertaining. Listening to the guy's voice can annoy you after a while (ever heard Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?)... then you'll turn it off... and how can you learn THAT way?

Easy to use
In spite of my Spanish sir name, until I purchased this CD set, I knew very little Spanish. After going through this first Learn in Your Car series however, I feel like I can speak broken Spanish to friends and family. I get a great charge out of it. No doubt, learning a second language after your childhood is a daunting task, but it is possible in my experience. Don't be fooled though, you must do the CD exercises again and again. Repetition is really important; it took me quite a long time to get past the first two CDs, and I have a very long commute.

This first set of CD's really focuses on the basics, like travel, restroom, hotel, and restaurant phrases. I think that I will become far more appreciative of learning Spanish when I get the Level 2 CD's.

Overall, I enjoyed learning Spanish in my car, and I do plan to purchase the follow-up series.

An effective way to learn Spanish if you're always driving
This 3 part CD learning tool is a great way to learn another language, especially for those who are always on the road. It allows one to hear how words are properly said, with accent and all. The CDs start off very basic with individual words and then end in fluent Spanish conversations. Forget books, CDs are the way to go!

Excellent for beginners
I found the lesson structure very effective. They begin simply and build on previous lessons. I had no prior experience with Spanish, but after completing the Level 1 tapes I would feel comfortable trying to communicate basic needs and questions.

I agree with some of the other reviewers that a separate book would be helpful to learn written Spanish. However, the included booklet was all I needed to successfully learn the vocabulary on these tapes. (By the way, I've tried other language methods that do not provide ANY written materials which was very ineffective for me personally. I need to see a word to fully comprehend it and how to say it.)

I ordered the cassettes (since the CD version was backordered), and I did experience some slight volume variances. The volume changes were slight and rare, so overall they didn't impact my ability to learn the materials. I've just ordered Level 2 on CD, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

My one complaint--about the cassettes specifically--is the difficulty of finding the start of a lesson while rewinding. That's an issue with the medium, not the manufacture of the tapes. Hopefully the CDs will make finding the lesson starts easier. ... Read more

Book Description

We've all seen them: children who explode when they're told to do something or when things don't go their way. The ones who completely lose control and become verbally and physically aggressive. Spoiled, stubborn, manipulative children. Right?

Not so fast. These labels suggest that the behavior if such children is planned and intentional, and popular reward-and-punishment strategies are typically used to teach and motivate them to behave more appropriately. But for a significant number of these children, the standard approach doesn't always work. Such children are easily frustrated and extremely inflexible. They get "stuck" over seemingly simple requests, benign issues, and sudden changes in plans. They may be very anxious, irritable, and volatile. They may have difficulty telling you what they're frustrated about or thinking through potential solutions to problems. In clinical terms, they may be diagnosed with any of a variety of psychiatric disorders, including oppositional-defiant disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette's disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder. If this sounds like your child, you're probably feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, guilt-ridden, exhausted, and hopeless.

Now there is a new way for you, your child, and your entire family to find help. In this groundbreaking new book, Dr. Ross Greene, a child psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, makes a compassionate argument that the difficulties of these children stem from developmental deficits in two critical skills: flexibility and frustration tolerance. He asserts that if such children could do well, they would.

Drawing upon recent advances in the neuroscience, Dr. Greene describes the factor that contribute to "inflexible-explosive" behavior in children and why the strategies that work for most children aren't as effective for inflexible-explosive children. Then, with the help of "snapshots" from the lives of children, parents, and teachers with whom he has worked over theyears, Dr. Greene lays out a sensitive, practical, effective, systematic approach to helping these children at home and school, including:

reducing hostility and antagonism between the child and adult

anticipating situations in which the child is most likely to explode

creating an environment in which explosions are less likely to occur

focusing less on reward and punishment and more on communication and collaborative problem-solving

helping the child develop the self-regulation and thinking skills to be more flexible and handle frustration more adaptively

In Explosive Child, you'll find ways to regain your sanity and optimism and rebuild the confidence to handle your child's difficulties completely and lovingly. With Dr. Greene's compassionate, expert advice and insight, you and your child will rediscover newfound hope and a relationship you can both feel good about. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

a book you'll want and need to pass on to others
I've read this book at least 20 times and have purchased copies for teachers and other parents of difficult kids. Whenever I feel burned out with my wonderful but explosive child, this books helps me to pull myself back together and renews my hope and energy. The Collaborative Problem Solving technique works! What a relief after so many failures.

Dr. Greene writes about these kids with affection and respect - and less face it, if your kid is explosive and inflexible, affection and respect from teachers, therapists, doctors, police, etc (maybe even from yourself) has been hard to come by. I can't begin to describe the relief and hope I felt when I finally saw a description of my child that FIT (!) and didn't blame either her or myself for being horribly inadequate people and causing the whole problem in the first place.

If you parent or teach these kids - you need to read this book. Your outlook and actions will change and so will the child.

Understand How it Feels to be your child!
Excellent description of children (and adults) who are very inflexible, easily frustrated and very difficult to understand. As a teacher and parent of children diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory Integration Dysfunction, I was impressed by the way this book explains how it feels to be the child who is so difficult to manage. I have read many books on difficult children and this is the first one that finally forced me to realize how hard life is for the child and not just the parents or teachers of these kids. The book offers constructive approaches and, even more importantly, tells adults what NOT to do with these kids. Each school library should offer this book to teachers and parents. You won't be disappointed. You will find yourself looking more realistically and sensitively at your explosive child. You'll want to rush to school and start fresh right away!

Phenomenal
This book has changed our lives! I have read it several times through, and given copies to all of my daughter's educators. I cried when I read the opening chapters - it described my life to a tee. But now, after using the methods discussed in the book for about a year, the difference in my daughter, my household and my sanity are remarkable. This methodology is phenomenal!

This book saved our family
Finally somebody who understands what we live with. After several years of professionals suggesting that we just needed another parenting class, we were ready to fall apart. "The Explosive Child" acknowledges that children like mine exist and that we have to understand why they are the way they are and how we can start to bring some sanity to our lives. For desperate parents, this book is like oxygen. It provides a great template for dealing with explosive children on a day to day basis. Dr. Greene's book gave me the courage to stop accepting answers that clearly weren't in our daughter's best interest. This gave me the understanding of how to start advocating for my child. If you find yourself thinking that 'something just isn't right with my child' and 'how can I live with this behavior forever' and 'we need help because nobody understands what we live with', then this book belongs in your hands today. I am not exagerating when I say this book saved our family. We actually have hope that we can raise our child to be a happy and self-sufficient person instead of ending up dead or in jail.

A family in progress.
We were completely unprepared for the bundle of determination and independence we produced. We had tried many traditional forms of discipline and strategies in attempt to parent the spirited child we have. This book was an excellent recourse recommended by one of the many counselors we have seen. Our situation is similar to many others here. It is very hard to get 'buy in' for the three basket approach from those who are not familiar with it and do not deal with extreme and violent breakdowns. It is very much seen as 'giving in' and can result in much input form others. I have found myself needing to purchase multiple copies for some of our family to help educate them about our new parenting method for our visits. This book did not transform us completely but it really has helped to greatly reduce the hostility, hitting (from our son), yelling (by all) and tension in the household and allowed us to enjoy playing, teaching and simply being with our preschool son. ... Read more

Book Description

Here's an Adventures in Odyssey Classics Album chock-full of American History!From Christopher Columbus's grand voyage, throught the colonists' struggle for independence from England, to the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner, as well as the Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln, the attack on Pearl Harbor and stories from World War II, this collection has something for everyone.

Book Description

Considered one of the greatest American writers, the youthful spirit of Mark Twain lives on in the characters of his two classic novels, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Raft along the river with Tom and Huck on their boyhood escapades and misadventures in this full-cast classic production. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by Lana Quintal
Approx. 2.5 hours
2 cassettes

Available now for the first time on audio—four Junie B. Jones stories in one collection brings four times the laughs!

Includes:
#13 Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl
Junie B. is tired of everyone treating her like a baby.Too bad she wasn't picked to be flower girl at her aunt Flo's wedding.Then she could really show everyone how grown-up she is. But surely she can still find some way to get everyone's attention!

#14 Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine
Junie B. gets a big, mushy Valentine's Day card from a secret admirer! Who is this secret mystery guy, anyway? Junie B. is determined to find out!

#15 Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
When Junie B.'s homeroom takes an end of year field trip to a farm, everyone is excited—except Junie B. Jones.Farms have scary ponies and scary roosters. Will there be anything good about this place or will this be the "worstest " field trip ever?


#16 Junie B. Jones is Captain Field Day
Afternoon kindergarten is having a field day, and Junie B. Jones is team captain!As Captain Field Day, it's up to Junie B. to stop room eight from winning the championship.Will Junie B. find a way to lead her team to victory?Or will someone else save the day?




... Read more

Reviews (4)

So much fun in a book!
Junie B. Jones books are so funny! Barbara Park has a real talent in being able to write as if she is really a little girl... Some parents might complain about Junie B.'s "bad grammar", but the fact is that she is only a kid trying to immitate the way adults act and speak around her. Read them and laugh out loud, they're so good---for kids and for adults with a sense of humour!

Will Keep Kids Happy in the Car for Hours!
These books are terrific for kids in a wide range of ages--mine are 3, 5, and 8, and they all love them (they are over the head of the 3-year-old, but he's still mesmerized). Amazingly, the audiobooks are even better than the print versions. Lana Quintal, whose child-like voice seems a little grating at first, stands up incredibly well to repeat (and repeat and repeat) listening. She gets the tone just right. My kids are happy listening to these tapes in the car even on those long journeys that are usually occasion for hours of complaining. Worth gold! Check out the collection of books 9-12 too; if anything, it's even better than this one.

My Daughter Loves Junie B!
My daughter, just entering kindergarten this year, adores the Junie B. Jones books! While I admit, that I'm not overly fond of the grammatical mistakes (I tend to edit while reading aloud), the books are great fun for adults as well as kids. These books have helped my daughter deal with everything from a new sibling, to the start of kindergarten. I recommend them highly.

Who is it?
Who is it??

Junie B. Jones got a mushy gushy valentine from a secret admirer!! Who is this secret admirer?? She went outside but she forgot her valentine . She came inside. She saw Jim taking it. She said, "HEY WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" Did Jim give Junie B. the card?? ... Read more

Reviews (20)

fabulous addition to your Sabuda collection
Once you have one of his pop-up books, you will be drawn willy-nilly to buy all of the rest. This is not his most sublime effort on two fronts. The art work is in the exact style of the original, so while it is stunning and beautiful, I think it is not as lovely as his absolutely original imaginings. A few of the pop-up effects such as the little baby changing to a pig face(found in one of the mini books within a book) don't work very well, since only the pig is visible unless you go thro contortions to peek inside before ever opening that page. The same with the scene of painting the roses red.

While a great deal of the original text has been abridged, only a couple of the nonsense rhymes that made the original unabridged alice one of my childhoods read aloud favorites has been included.

Overall, the pop up engineering is still stunning, to see Alice's face inside the White Rabbits home with her arms sticking out windows, and her feet out the chimney and front door, the mad hatters tea party, and of course, the very first telescopic view of her fall down the rabbit hole are not to be missed! My 3 1/2 year old sits thro 90% of the story just as long as he can enjoy the pop-ups again and again!

Another Sabuda masterpiece.
As a huge fan of Sabuda's WIZARD OF OZ, I grabbed ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND as soon as I saw it in the store, and it didn't disappoint at all.

The book is similar in design to WIZARD OF OZ, has several eye-popping pages that literally jump out at you and contains a faithful abridgement of Lewis Carroll's classic text.

The first page, featuring the forest where Alice first encounters the White Rabbit, is glorious, and Sabuda has imagined a remarkable way to give readers a look "down the rabbit hole."

This one's as good as THE WIZARD OF OZ, and it's going to be a great gift for all my cousins this holiday season.

This is the MOTHER of all pop-up books EVER!
I've never written a review of any book before, but am compelled to do so now. (I'm not a very good writer!)

I've been collecting pop-ups for a long time, and this is the Pop-Up to End All Pop-Ups!

This book exceeds all my expectations of any Pop-Up. Innovative, top quality, surprise after surprise, includes full story, just superb!

I cannot give this book enough stars. If 5 is the highest, I give this book a 15! You will not be dissappointed!

AMAZING!!!
There is a REASON that reviewers of Robert Sabuda's "Alice in Wonderland" are AMAZED. This is NOT just another "pop-up book." THIS is a WORK OF ART!!

Robert Sabuda's work is MAGICAL as you literally peer down the rabbit hole. Another page shows Alice in the house; Alice at the tea party; the Cheshire Cat; the deck of cards....

This book can be great to show young babies as it will spark their curiosity, but you have to just have them look at it and keep it out of reach as young toddlers would probably rip the art work. If you know a young boy or girl (ages 4 and up) or a young teenager or anyone who appreciates illustrative art - this is the book to buy.

My mother bought this book for me plus one for her good friend and we both loved it!

Robert Sabuda's "Wizard of OZ" was great....this might be even better!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-up book
Absolutely the best pop-up book I have ever seen. A collectible for sure. Not only do you have large pop-ups on each page, but you have smaller multiple ones on the pages, too!! Beautiful color and excitment for everyone, adults included!! ... Read more

Book Description

A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn. Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to make them into the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Where the Red Fern Grows is an exciting tale of love and adventure you'll never forget.

Wilson Rawls was born on a small farm in the Ozarks, where he spent his youth in the heart of the Cherokee nation, hunting with his old blue tick hound--his only companion.
... Read more

Reviews (804)

Exciting novel
Where the Red Fern Grows
In spite of being labeled as a sad sob story, Where the Red Fern Grows is a priceless novel filled with adventure and excitement. I believe that Rawls uses the two dogs Old Dan and Little Ann plus the emotional ending of the novel to attract the female gender. But to the same affect attracts the males with the adventures that these dynamic three undergo. Billy, a young boy, whose had a dream of owning a pair of coon hunting dogs. Works two long years of backbreaking work to finally raising enough money to purchase the two dogs. He embraces the dogs as if they are his children, working with them none stop so that they could become the very best coon-hunting team in Cherokee county. A lot of the time this book is required reading for many middle school students. So I believe Rawls uses this never give up attitude to encourage the young readers. After working so hard and accomplishing many goals with the dogs Billy enters a competition and wins. Thrilled with his accomplishment he ventures to other events. First place after first place Billy and the team seek higher standards. As you read, we follow the threesome on an adventure of a lifetime. Traveling on foot Billy and his two dogs head to the Tournament of tournaments the Coon Hunting Championship. Billy, unknowing of the dangers of the journey, runs into a little trouble on the way. As the book slows down and almost loses readers, this journey to the championship keeps us into it. Fortunately the team arrives in one piece and enters the competition. The team wins but to Billy's surprise the dogs aren't satisfied. Because they still have one coon to get, Shadow, the coon that cannot be caught. Rawl takes us on an adventure, and yet again has you sitting at the edge of your seat.

And So The Adventures Begin
If you are going to read a book to your class, Having your class reading a book, reading a book to yourself, giving a book to a friend or relative, or any thing else, Where The Red Fern Grows ,by Wilson Rawls is the book for you. it is a wonderful and touching story about a boy, Billy, and his dogs. It starts out with a man looking back on his childhood, and how he dreamt of having some fine dog. Finally he got enough money to buy the dogs his heart was set on, and so the adventures begin. This book is very well written. It brings you to the place, time and point if view of Billy and his family, and without being too descriptive or boring. There aren't those chapters which you find in moast descriptive books where all that seems to happen is you know EXACTLY what a certain character looks like. Not only that, it is a real page turner. No matter how much you read you have to know what happens next. With every chapter comes a new adventure! If someone told you that a book about a boy and his dogs catching raccoons would be a page turner, you probably would not believe them, but you are never satisfied to stop after any chapter. Some people find the way that they talk with a southern accent gets in the way, but soon you will get used to it. I think it ads to the atmosphere. You should definitely at least try out this book and when you do, which should be soon, you will find it is a excellent read.

Is there a better story out there?
NO, this has to be the best story I have ever read. I read this book recently to my 7 year old son. Wanting to show him the power of books. I was worried he'd be upset by the ending in this. I shouldn't of worried. I was the one who ended up crying and reading it to him at the same time. As an adult I felt foolish. He wasn't near as upset about it as me and I KNEW what was going to happen since I read it as a child myself. WOW, the power of a book. Simply amazing.

Once upon a time when I was a little girl
I hate it when a reviewer gives the story away, so I won't. Safe to say, though, that when I was a little girl, I read a book in one night, under the covers with a flashlight. That book, of course, was WTRFG. I just re-read it again after 20 some-odd years. I am surprised to find that I cried as hard as I did as when I was 9. I was once again, so engrossed that I read it in one night, ignoring the fact that I had to work the next day. It is a beautiful story, a timeless one. A childhood favorite. I am amazed that it didn't win a Newberry Honor medal, or some other kind of award. This is one of the books that helped instill a loving of reading at an early age. A GEM, don't miss it. A story about a young boy on the brink of manhood and his love for his pups....whom he worked so hard for. You will laugh and cry, at age 9, 29, or 99. Buy it for your kids, and rea it for yourself.

Read This Book!
Wow! this is one of the best book I have written in a long time. If you have not read Where the Red Fern Grows trust me it is the kind of book you will have regeted if you did not read it. Ok well the book is about a boy named Billy that works for his own needs. Billy wants to get 2 dogs that he can train to get racoons. He eventually works for weeks to get the money for his dogs and then gives the money to his grandfather for him to buy the dogs. Old Dan and Little Ann are the names of the two dogs. The exciting advetures that Billy,Old Dan and Little An go through are thrilling and endless. To top it all off the story has a twist at the end. You should definetly read this book to find out whuat happens! ... Read more

Book Description

Grandmother likes Little Bear's picture so much she sends him a thank you kiss. "Will you take it to him, Hen?" she says. Hen passes the kiss to Frog who passes it to Cat who passes it to Little Skunk until Hen decides there is too much kissing -- and finally gives the kiss to the Little Bear.

Reviews (4)

A wonderful book for bedtime
My son, 2 1/2, loves Little Bear from the cartoons on Noggin and was thrilled that we found these books to read to him. He often selects this book (or one of the other Minarik books) from his bookcase at bedtime for my wife or I to read to him. The stories are brief but entertaining and the illustrations are rich and engaging. The books are a bit flimsy and I would prefer that they be available in a more durable format but that is a minor issue compared to the wonderful content of these books.

cute story for beginning readers and/or Little Bear fans
This story about Little Bear is a charming introduction to the world of reading for beginners, especially for those who are already familiar with this gentle cub and his friends. Little Bear is a sweet child to his mother and father, and a good friend to Duck, Hen and Cat. Minarik's simple narrative will be easy enough for young readers, and Sendak's illustrations will hold their attention.

In this story, Little Bear draws a picture for his grandmother, and asks Hen to take it to her. When Grandmother sends a kiss back to Little Bear, Hen carries it until she sees some friends, then she passes it along to Frog, who carries it until he sees a pond and passes it on to Cat .... This is a fun story with a few simple lines and large illustrations on each page. Kids will enjoy the funny ending (and so will you).

My daughter showed real interest in learning how to read
My daughter is 5 years old . She watches Little Bear on T.V. and wants to learn how to read this book because of the show . I will buy more of these books soon as long as she is interested in them . I will also buy them for my niece and nephew as well . I really like the easy to read words that don't discourage kids from wanting to learn to read .The paperback books are easy to take with us . Thank you ,

One of the cutest books I've ever read
This book is cute and funny! The way the animals pass on the kiss and little bear receives it makes this story one of my favorites. The Little Bear series is one of the best. ... Read more

Book Description

A Newbery Medal Book, An ALA Notable Children's Book, A Child Study Children's Book Committee: Children's Book of the Year, New York Public Library--Books for the Teen Age.


From the Audio Cassette (Unabridged) edition. ... Read more

Reviews (293)

ThE wItCh Of BlAcKbIrD pOnD--a GrEaT bOoK--
Kit Tyler was once a rich girl of Barbados, but upon her grandfather's death, she finds out that she now is poor. She goes aboard the ship, the Dolphin, heading for Connecticut Colony, and wishes to live a better life at her aunt's house. While on the way, she becomes friends with the captain's son, Nat Eaton, John Holbrook, a man planning on becoming a minister, and Prudence, a little girl. When she finally arrives at her destination, she tries to fit in with the Puritans, and to keep up with her lively cousin, Judith, and her gentle one, Mercy. After a number of different accidents in the family and outside, she finds becomes friends with an old Quaker woman named Hannah, that lives at Blackbird Pond, who is said to be a witch. Kit does not believe this, and she keeps on being friends with the old woman. But, the villagers see Kit as a threat to the community, since they do not trust her as being a friend to their witch, and she goes on trial. Just as she thinks she is doomed, Nat Eaton and Prudence save her. However, Kit discovers that she will never fit in with the Puritans, and planned on going on the Dolphin the next time the ship came. Finally, the ship docks, and she goes on it, for what seems to be a much better future.

My favorite part of the book was where Kit goes on trial. I thought of this at my favorite part for I think it is very interesting to hear how other people act to problems and try to blame it on someone else. I think it is very funny how people think of small problems and turn them into what sounds like a major disasters performed by a witch. I like the part where Prudence comes in, and stuns her own parents by doing what they had never thought she would be able to do, which was reading the Bible and writing her own name. I think it is not right when parents think very little about kids and think they are still their little babies that always need their parents to help them.

I recommend this book to kids the ages of 10 and up. I also recommend adults to read this book and learn the facts of how kids can do things without any help from their parents or any one else. I believe Elizabeth George Speare is a great author who has written many books that I have enjoyed. After reading this book, I came to really enjoy it. At first I thought it was very boring, but in the end, it became more interesting and fun. I also learned not to judge anyone by what people say about them, but you should always think about your judgement before actually thinking about if it is true or not. I now understand the meaning of "Never judge a book by its cover."

A FASCINATING TALE!
A witch? Someone thinks you are a witch? When Kit leaves Barbados on the lovely Dolphin ship to live in America with her Uncle, she is unprepared for what she encounters. What a surprise when she discovers that being able to read, swim, wear fancy clothes, as well as befriending a kind old woman is odd behavior for this town. In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Spears sends you on a reading adventure. The story includes a number of surprising and suspenseful events including a frightening witch hunt and a big outcry among some angry villagers against their government. Some parts of the story are a little boring, but the elaborate language and unpredictable moments bring you right back into the book. The climax of this book is the best part. It's unbeleivable and exciting. The main character, Kit, is very interesting. You will feel like you know her only after reading a few pages. Fiesty, wise, and stubborn are some of Kit's personality traits. You will also become very familiar with many of the other characters including Kit's two cousins, her Aunt and Uncle, Nat a seaman, and John and William two very interesting men, plus many more! This book has many hidden lessons in it. It teaches you about friendship, trust, bravery, genorosity, and happiness, It will fill you with sorrow and joy, and is a very adventurous story loved by many!

Diverse Religions, and History
Kit comes over to the 13 colonies becuae her grandfather died. When she arrives, she finds a place very diffrent from her former home, Barbados. She is forced by her strict uncle to be a solemn as the puritans, and to set aside her silk gowns and wear homespun dresses. she feels completly stifled by her new life, and one day, after almost cuasing her crippled cousin her teaching job, she breaks. She runs to the "meadow" where she meets Hannah Tupper, a Quaker who is shuned and thought to be a witch by many. All she really is is a kind old lady. She takes kit home and feeds her, and helps her be brave and get her cousins job back. kit goes back to Hannahs house and eventually meets Hannahs seafaring friend, none other than Nat, the son of the man who brought her to America.And yes Nat was on the boat the whole time kit was. Then one day Kit is accused of being a witch. Something not to be taken lightly in the 1600's. She is rescued by none other than Nat. Then hannah is going to be burned out of her house, or if the people have their way, in her house. But Kit goes and helps Hannah get out before the evil people come, and she gets her on a ship... whose ship? Guess. Nats. And so Hannahs gone and Kits life is drudging on a usual.... and then someone comes... like you can't guess who... and something happens...

Now that's what I call a "living" book
I just finished reading this book aloud to my 3 children. They are a tough audience but this book made the history lesson extra smooth. They were begging for "just one more chapter".

This book delves into the Puritan lifestyle,touches a bit on some of the sentiments of the colonists and their fierce independence, briefly touches on some of the archaic medical practices of the times, shows how easily innocent circumstances turned into witch hunts and sparked a conversation about how people can fall into a mob mentality and much more.

There is tons of information here to spark an interest in children to dig deeper. Our family highly recommends it!

Excellent lesson to be learned
I discovered this book years and years ago in the fourth grade. The thought of it stayed with me through the years. I bought the book for my friend's son a couple years ago and reread it to see if it was as good as I remembered. It was even better because as an adult I can see some of the most important themes of the book that weren't evident to a child. Tolerance and acceptance are perhaps the biggest lessons of all to take away from it. Independence is another. I will continue to buy this book every time a child close to me comes to the age where they can understand it. The plotline is enough to keep them interested while at the same time teaching them valuable life lessons, without them even knowing it. ... Read more

Book Description

Approx. 4.5 hours
3 cassettes

When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee to the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico, to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without fancy dresses adn servants they were accustomed to on Rancho de las Rosas.Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression.When Mama falls ill and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperana must relinquish her hold on the past learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community. ... Read more

Reviews (121)

A Story of Hope
Esperanza Rising is the story of a young girl who started out very rich, and though she lost everything she owned, such as her beautiful dresses, servants, and her family's estate, ended up even richer. It is ten years after the Mexican Revoloution, and Esperanza Ortega enjoys a life of luxury in El Rancho de la Rosa. When a horrible tradgedy strikes, Esperanza and her mother must flee to California and leave her grandmother, Abuelita, behind. Appalled at the living conditions and "dirty peasents" that she is forced to be in contact with, Esperanza becomes miserable in the labor camp. But when her mother contracts Valley Fever and becomes very ill, Esperanza needs to start working to earn money to keep her in the hospital and pay the medical bills. Esperanza eventually learns to adjust with the major lifestyle change, and learns a lot about maturity and compassion. No wonder Esperanza means "hope" in Spanish. Based on the life of Esperanza Ortega, Pam Munoz Ryan's (author) grandmother, I highly reccomend this book to anyone who likes a fast-paced, sometimes humorous and sometimes sad, novel.

A Pleasant Surprise
First of all, I would like to say that to read this book would not be my first choice. In fact, a book called Esperanza Rising with a picture of a girl floating in the air is probably not any middle-schooler's first choice of a book. But, fortunatly, I have a really cool reading teacher that knows that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

Esperanza Rising is a story about an 12-year-old girl who lives in Mexico. She is fairly rich, and she lives on a big ranch with her parents.

Then, her perfect life falls apart. Her father dies, her powerful uncle threatens her, and her house is burned down. Esperanza is forced to flee to the United States with her mother in poverty to work in a labor camp. It is the very life she has never known.

This book tells Esperanza's story (A true one!) and how she must adjust to her new life. It is no wonder that in Spanish, Esperanza means, "Hope".

Mexicano Tear-Jerker
This book is the true to life story of Esperanza Ortega by Pam Munoz Ryan. She is a very rich and happy girl until her dad is killed by bandits the day before her birthday. THen her uncle burns down their house because without her father, they're virtually nothing. Then he asks her mother to marry him. She pretends that she will but in the middle of the night before the wedding they pack their stuff and head for California with their servants. They have a very hard life their and her mother almost dies. They turn out ok though. Esperanza and the servant boy fall in love and eventually get married ( this part isn't in the story, but it's in the authors note after the book) Anyways every rich AND poor person should read his book it's great.
Bye

Esperanza rising
I like this book a lot because it has a lot of emotion like when her father died her mom got sick ect.,and most of all
it's a really realistic book/story because what happens to esperanza could happen for real.it's not a fairy tale.It is not fiction.That's why i like this book.At first you're not going to like Esperanza's charecter,but as her charecter changes you're going to like her more.

ESPERANZA RISING
THIS BOOK IS CALLED ESPERANZA RISING.THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK IS PAM MUNOZ RYAN.ESPERANZA IS GIRL SHE IS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD.ESPERANZA WAS BORN IN AGUASCALIENTES MEXICO.ESPERANZA LIVES IN EL RANCHO DE LAS ROSAS IN A BIG RANCH.ESPERANZA IS SPOLIED LITTLE GIRL WHATEVER SHE WANTS SHE GETS.ESPERANZA MOMS NAME IS RAMONA FORTANLY SHE HAS HER DAD TO. HORTENSA ALFONSO AND MIGGUEL ARE THE SERVANTS THAT WORK IN ESPERANZAS HOUSE.MIGUEL IS HTE SON OF THE HORTESNA AND ALFONSO.MIGUEL IS 16 YEARS OLD. TIO LUIS AND MARCOS ARE STEP BROTHERS OF ESPERANZAS DAD.ESPERANZAS DAD DIED A DAY BEFORE HER BIRTHDAY.RAMONA AND ESPERANZA WERE VERY HURT ESPERANZA DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD BIRTHDAY.AFTER HER FATHER DIED A WEEK OR 2RANCH WAS ON FIRE.LUIS IS STEP BRO OF ESPERANZAS DAD.LUIS ASKED RAMONA THE ONLY WAY SHE WON'T SUFFER OF HUNGER WOULD BE IF SHE MARRYS HIM.RAMONA HAD SAID YES BUT SHE HAD PLANED TO LIVE TO THE UNITED STATES.THEY WANTED TO GO TO THE UNITED STATES TO WORK AND TO BE AWAY FROM LUIS. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by Tim Curry
approx. 15 hours
10 cassettes

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Abandoned by her mother, ignorant of her father's identity, Lirael resembles no one else in her large extended family living in the Clayr's glacier.She doesn't even have the Sight--the ability to See into the present and possibly futures--that is the very birthright of the Clayr.

Nonetheless, it is Lirael in whose hands the fate of the Old Kingdom lies.She must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil--one that opposes the Royal Family, blocks the Sight of the Clayr, and threatens to break the very boundary between Life and Death itself.With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog to help her, Lirael must find the courage to seek her own hidden destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Really Great Book
Lirael was a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down and i read it twice.Lirael is about a teen who isnt gifted with the ability to see into the future like the rest of the daughters of the Clayr.She wants to commit suicide, but then is given another chance to be a librairian. There she finds many thing sabout herself and discovers some magical objects that help her in a journey. She is called by the Clayr and is told that they Saw she would be somewhere, but it was far away, so she begins a journey to get to that place, and an this lon gjourney she meets some very important friends, and learns more about herself than ever seemed possible. It has awesome action and suspense, great twists,the characters are awesome, and I could go on and on about how wonderful it was. I Couldn't wait to read the sequel, which I did and it was great too.And I read the one before it, Sabriel. Garth Nix is a great author, I became a fan of his when a friend of mine recomended the Seventh Tower series. I recomend Lirael to any fantasy lover, or any book lover for that matter. Definitely a rewarding read.

Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr
Lirael is a girl who lives in the Clayr's glacier. Almost all the Clayr get the Sight, the ability to see the future, by the time they reach their 14th birthday. The story starts on Lirael's 14th birthday. She still does not have the Sight, so she decides to commit suicide, but ends up hearing an important conversation. The Great Clayr see her, and erase her memory, and ask if there is anything she would like to do. She decides to become a Librarian. She finds a cool dog statuette, and then decides to make a sending (a being made of magic who cannot leave the boundaries in which it was made) that looks just like it. When she does, she accidentally transforms the dog statuette into a real dog. Her name is the Disreputable dog. Lirael finds a secret room, and I won't reveal what happens because it's really cool, but she finds a book, some panpipes, and a dark mirror. Lirael has never been Seen by the other Clayr before, but on the day she finds these things they see her at a place called Red Lake. They send her on a mission to stop a terrible thing from happening there. Something is being dug up. She gets a boat, and starts traveling down the river Ratterlin. At the same time this goes on, Sameth, the son of Sabriel and Touchstone, and the Abbhorsen-in-waiting, runs away. He runs into a forest, and plans to travel to see his friend Nicholas. He had been burnt on his wrists by an evil Free Magic sorcerer and necromancer, Hedge when he was coming home from a cricket game. A necromancer is a person who bring dead spirits back from dead, and binds them to do whatever the necormancer wants them to do in Life. Sameth is afraid of the Book of the Dead, and the bells of the Abbhorsen which his mother have to him. He calls himself Sam the traveler. Mogget, a free magic being, bound and enslaved to the Abbhorsen's will, finds him, and they start traveling to find his friend, and rescue him from whatever dangers are sure to befall him in the Old Kingdom. Eventually they are chased by Shadow Hands (fresh, rotting corpses, that are inhabited by dead spirits). They come to the river Ratterlin, and jump into a metal washing tub that sails them down the river, safe from anything dead, for dead cannot cross running water. Of course Lirael and Sam are destined to meet, but how will they save the Old Kingdom from Hedge and his army of thousands of dead, who are even more powerful than the Shadow Hands?
Lirael is an excellent and intelligently written book, about a girl who breaks the normal mold, a misguided and fearful prince, a disreputable dog, and a free magic creature, bound to form and to serve. All of these characters have an important part to play in the exciting and cliffhanging story of their intertwined destinies, and the close save, or the fall, of the Old Kingdom, a land of magic, evil, and the dead. Each charcter has different qualities, and are desendents of the 7. The 7 are the creators of the Charter (the magic that Lirael and her friends use).
Lirael, published by HarperTrophy and written by Garth Nix, is a thrilling fantasy book that involves friendship, courage, and hope. This book is one of the best I have read in a long time. It has a prequel (Sabriel) and a sequel (Abbhorsen). All of these books tell a story about everything that is important, friendship, love, and a will that will never die. The best part of this book is all the twists. You never know what to expect, and that makes it really fun. You should definitely read this book.

A Great Sequel
Sabriel was an awesome novel that left many readers hanging with questions and anticipation. The same can be said for Lirael. I was quite skeptical when it first came out because sequels usually aren't nearly as good as the first one. However, this wasn't the case. It took a while to get used to some new characters, and put the old ones on hold, but the story line was very gripping. Lirael doesn't answer all of the questions left from Sabriel, but it does introduce a new abhorsen and foes. It also creates the same chilling mood with more necromancers and greater dead. By the end I couldn't wait for the third and final novel to be released, which I'm sure will be just as good.

AN IMAGINATIVE TALE EXCITINGLY READ
He's menacing, he's mesmerizing - he's Tony Award nominee Tim Curry reading a fascinating sequel to "Sabriel" (1996).

Imaginative Australian author Garth Nix gives new zest to fantasy fiction with this return to the Old Kingdom. We focus on Lirael and who she is. Unaware of her parentage and abandoned by her mother, she is unlike any other clairvoyant living in the Clayr's Glacier. Moreover, she does not posses what should be her birthright, the Sight, the gift of being able to see into the present and future.

Nonetheless, it is on her young shoulders that the very existence of the Old Kingdom rests. There is much to oppose her, including an age old evil force. Lirael has little to help her save her own heart, courage, and the ever faithful Disreputable Dog.

Those hoping for a neatly packaged and happy ending will not find it. Instead the story concludes whetting appetites for more with hints that there is greater danger and adventure to come in Nix's third in this series, tentatively titled "Abhorsen."

- Gail Cooke ...