Book Description

“Practically alone among the American writers of his generation,” wrote Edmund Wilson, “[Sinclair] put to the American public the fundamental questions raised by capitalism in such a way that they could not escape them.” When it was first published in 1906, The Jungle exposed the inhumane conditions of Chicago’s stockyards and the laborer’s struggle against industry and “wage slavery.” It was an immediate bestseller and led to new regulations that forever changed workers’ rights and the meatpacking industry. A direct descendant of Dickens’s Hard Times, it remains the most influential workingman’s novel in American literature. ... Read more

Reviews (192)

1900's Expose' of the American Meat Industry & Labor Abuse
This is the book that the famous literary genius, Jack London ("Call of the Wild", et al) wrote a "broadside" intro about: "Here it is at last! The book we've been waiting for these many years! The Uncle Tom's Cabin of wage slavery! Comrade Sinclair's book, The Jungle! And what Uncle Tom's Cabin did for black slaves, The Jungle has a large chance to do for the white slaves..." and, "It is alive and warm. it is brutal with life. It is written of sweat and blood, and groans and tears. It depicts, not what man ought to be, but what man is compelled to be in this, our world, in the Twentieth Century...". (From Sinclair's 1946 republication Intro). A fitting summation from a fellow humanist.

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968) was a tireless agitator for the rights of the working class and immigrants of America and a good part of his literary talents were dedicated to exposing the deplorable working conditions and labor abuse rampant in the early 20th century. "The Jungle" had one of the most profound effects on society of any novel ever written in it's time. With it's stomach turning expose' of the filthy conditions of the Chicago meat processing industry, it put a serious dent in the sale of meat for decades after and it also lead to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

Sinclair helped establish the League for Industrial Democracy and started the California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

To get a feel for the background in "The Jungle", Sinclair immersed himself in the Chicago industrial areas and living quarters and interviewed a broad spectrum of immigrants, stock-yard workers, slaughter-house workers, meat packing business owners, political figures, etc., so when his scathing expose' was published, he had done his homework and all of his facts were irrefutable- a good thing, for it caused an unprecedented uproar and protestations from the meat industry.

The story follows a typical immigrant, "Jurgis Rudkus", from his entrance to the U.S. and his eventual migration towards the meat industry in Chicago. His trials and tribulations are detailed in an agonizing, but gripping tale of survival in his new country. Overtones of the deplorable working conditions for immigrants in New York City exposed by the famous women's advocate and nurse, Margaret Sanger, are very apparent.

Although "The Jungle" has been a favorite of school teachers and their students fora century now, this is a book that should be on a nationally required reading list for all graduate courses.

The current "Jungle" type expose' is Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" (2002), another scathing indictment of not only the American fast food industry and it`s assembly-line meat production activities, but it's predatory business history as one of America's most ruthless industries. All of the big names in this industry are touched upon, but with special attention to the biggy of them all, McDonalds and it's ruthless ruler, the late Ray Croc. Upton Sinclair would no doubt have been proud of Schlosser's book!

It changed America, but as a novel it is only sub-par
I don't doubt its power.I don't doubt that it was a significant tool for change in America.I don't doubt that it has influenced the way many of our laws stand today.The Jungle revolutionized America much the same way as did Uncle Tom's Cabin.The only difference is that Uncle Tom's Cabin was a masterpiece of a novel, character's, and story, while Sinclair's The Jungle has many flaws, and at its best is a good, but not a great piece of fiction.I know it changed America, but I am looking at it clearly from the standpoint of a novel and a story.

The story opens marvelously at a wedding.A lone bright spot among the midst of depression to come.Young Jurgis, our main character and protagonist is getting married and has no idea the turmoil that is to come.His family is from Lithuania.They come to America with the goal of finding the American dream, like most immigrants do.They have no idea what is in store for them.

Jurgis and his family move to Chicago.At first Jurgis is full of optimism as he gets a new job at the meat processing factory.He can't believe how foul of a mood the rest of his co-workers are in.His family is excited to move into a brand new home and begin living their dreams.....then all hell breaks loose.

First, Jurgis' family realizes that they have been conned into thinking they got a good price for their new home.They realize it is going to cost them more than they thought.His family struggles to stay alive, nearly starving some months.Jurgis' attitude quickly changes at the meat factory.He becomes sickened at the grueling hours and unsanitary conditions that prevail.Things only will get worse, however.Pretty soon, his wife has to sleep with her boss for extra money, and when Jurgis finds out about this he nearly kills the man and gets sent to jail.

After being released from prison, Jurgis suffers two devastating deaths in his life.This sends him on the road and he becomes a drifter for a period.He feels free for a time, but his sadness returns and carries him back to Chicago.Once there, he becomes a gambler and a crook.This leads him to eventually becoming a manager at his former place of employment-the meat factory.

Another tragic event occurs and Jurgis finds himself again in jail.It doesn't seem like life could get any worse for him, until he discovers socialism and it changes his life.
I have condensed the story as down as I could without giving away too much information.At the core, The Jungle is about a man's struggle to make it in America.His life, his struggles, his desires, and his transformation as the cruel outside pressures of society beat down upon him.

This is a relentlessly depressing depiction of the conditions that existed for lower class working America.Some of the passages are sickening and harrowing.They had to be this way, however, in order for action to be taken.The entire food industry and the conditions there were reformed, due in a large measure to Sinclair's graphic description of the things which took place there.They have to be read to be believed.

I wish The Jungle would have stayed more true to its character and not given us a fabricated ending.The ending of this book almost ruined it for me.It was purely a vehicle for Sinclair to unload his socialistic propaganda and didn't give us the ending that we, as the readers, deserved.It totally deviates from what it is all about.This ending comes out of nowhere.I felt cheated at the end.

The only other problem with The Jungle the narration.I wish that Sinclair would have just told his story simply and straight-forward.It seems like he always has to throw in his two cents about everything instead of giving us more credit.We are smart enough, we can decipher what is being told without having us told what to think.Give us a bit more credit.I grew tired of the labels and exclamation marks and the repetition that was involved.This would have been a much better story without Sinclair's narration.If he would have just shown us and not told us, I could have seen an even more powerful theme and message burst through.

Despite its flaws, The Jungle has to be given its due.It should be read, but it is not a masterpiece of fiction.It just saddens me that as a novel (not a motivator for change), it could have been so much better.This book had the potential of being not only one of the greatest novels to motivate change (which it did), but being one of the greatest personal stories ever told (which it did not).It is too bad so many novels sell us short and don't give us what they could have in the end.

Grade: B-

This book has done more to change our life than perhaps the
When you read this book you start to think please no more but it keeps coming. Relentless pain and suffering with no hope and its grasp of abject misery can one spirit hold? The ending felt like a flat tire as if the real ending was % 75 of the story but that would be a reasonable reaction in the face of such organized evil. I give 5 stars despite this propaganda end because of the time the book was written.If you use experience of Jurgis you shall never feel sorrow.

A dark view of early 20th century American immigrant life
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a dark, depressing look at the American immigrant experience around the turn of the Twentieth Century. In addition to the obvious attacks on the Chicago stockyard barons, Chicago politicians, labor practices, and food standards, The Jungle represents Sinclair's attack upon Capitalism, as well.

We follow the main character, Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus, as he and his family establish themselves in Chicago and get to work in the great stockyard industry. He goes from healthy and strong to beaten down and broken, as stockyard accidents, political and commercial swindles, and a succession of personal tragedies eventually drive him to a life of starvation, drunkenness, petty crime, racketeering, and violence.

Sinclair does uncover numerous failures of the Capitalistic system, so I will not begrudge him his attack on the system. It should be pointed out, however, that this is a failure of Capitalism under a collection of exceptional circumstances: corrupt government and law-enforcement at all levels (nothing exceptional there, I hear you saying), combined perhaps with a weak or crooked press, and, most importantly, an unending, unorganized, bewildered stream of immigrant labor which did not speak English, did not understand its rights, and was unable, because of these reasons and because of never-ending fear for its livelihood, to complain. Most of these conditions do not prevail in today's developed world, at least, and not to the same extent and all at once, but The Jungle still serves as a warning concerning what can happen when the Invisible Hand is at work while the other hand covers the eyes of society.

The descriptions of the stockyards are horrifying. Horrifying. The work itself, when it goes according to plan, is grim, filthy, smelly, and difficult, at the best of times. When things do not go according to plan, we find sick and "downed" cattle being slaughtered after normal hours, when the largely decorative government inspectors aren't around; we find spoiled meat left sitting for months boiled in with the rest of the witches' brew that becomes canned meat; we find men slipping on the greasy floors over the boiling vats of soon-to-be canned meat and falling in, after which their bones-the only bits left-are fished out, and the rest stays in the canned meat mixture; we find children accidentally locked inside the buildings at night, where the rats eat them alive before their remains are discovered in the morning.

The cynical side of me tells me that people probably were more outraged about their tainted meat products than they were about the treatment of thousands of immigrants, but, in any case, Sinclair's story caught the public's attention. It appears less evident, though, that his rousing battle cry for Socialism, which took up the last 40 pages of my 290-page text, was heeded. I'm afraid Capitalism and its accompanying Pursuit of the American Dream already had taken hold for good by then.

I had to stop and think for a moment when I considered whether I thought this book was well-written or not. I don't think it matters terribly much, because the point of the story is more important than the quality of the story itself; however, purely for the dark mood of hopelessness running through the work, the writing is effective at worst and grimly evocative of the stark reality facing hundreds of thousands of immigrants at its best. While reading this, I often found myself thinking of the inscription on our treasured Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore." Yes, please send them-we have some use for them. We can keep them tired and poor, and as for huddled masses and wretched refuse, there's plenty of that in the stockyards. Give your family a couple of generations and we'll work on the breathing free bit. Welcome to America.

A well written story, muddled by Propaghanda
The Jungle is the tale of a Lithuanian immigrant named Jurgis, and the struggles he and his family face when they come to the United States with dreams of striking it rich in the Chicago's Packingtown district.What the family finds instead of the immediate success that was promised them is cruelty, lies, coldness, and betrayal at the hands of their fellow man.Upton Sinclair paints a brilliant mental image for the reader, exposing us to the horrors of life in the meat packing district.Although I won't go as far as other reviewers, who vow that you "will never eat meat again!" or possibly "will go vegetarian for at least a few months" because of this book's graphic depiction of the disgusting and horrendously unclean methods of slaughter and preperation, I will say that if you have a weak stomach and a vivid imagination, you may want to be aware of what this book chornicles.

With that said, my review is mixed.On the one hand, Sinclair does well to introduce us to the conflics and daily routine of the poor working-classes who strived for a better life at the turn of the century.However, I found the book to be too full of summary for my liking.Too often, instead of telling the story of Jurgis' point of view, the focus was too much on everyone else in packingtown, and Jurgis was just an observer.True, many very bad things happened to Jurgis, enough to show the reader how bad things really were back then, so little time was spent on exploring the characters in Jurgis' family and life that it was hard to make a connection.The book is also fairly uneven--the first one-hundred or so pages is about Packingtown, with Jurgis simply thrown in as a human face.Soon after, however, when tragedy strikes his family, we really begin to find out more about Jurgis; the kind of man he is, and the kind of man he has always been, and how he is changing, be it for the better or for the worse.His experiences as a homeless "tramp" make up the most interesting story-line in the whole novel.Up till then, and after then, it is mostly flat and rarely focuses on any characters at all.As I've said, the first part of the book is mostly summary; the second part becomes a story; the third, and final, is all political testimony, and let me say that because of this the ending leaves alot to be desired.We find out what happens to the Socialist party in this book, but not of Jurgis and his family!Perhaps that is where I am the most frustrated by this novel.By the last chapter, Jurgis has become just a name the author gives to remind (or fool) the reader into thinking we're reading a novel and not a manifesto of sorts.The fact is, if Sinclair wanted to convince the world the horrible ways of Capitalism and the wonders of Socialism, he would have done far better to continue and finsish the novel through the eyes of Jurgis, and how the world affects him, not by a long-winded "conversation" between high-ranking Socialist Party members!In the end, the well told story of Jurgis' experiences in America becomes lost in a book that could hardly be called a novel at all.For his writing skills, I'll give Sinclair an A+, but for his ability as a story teller, I must give him a C-.So much more could have been written in this book, but instead the reader istrapped by politics. ... Read more

Book Description

8 hours, 40 minutes
6 cassettes
Performed by Alex Jennings

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift-- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

... Read more

Reviews (119)

Thrilling & Exciting!
I have bought the entire sequence of The Dark Is Rising and so far this is definetely my favorite of the pack. I love the thrilling of it all. The Dark, The Light, Merriman, The Rider and EVERYONE! It's so amazing how Susan Cooper can write such AMAZING stories! I love the way that there is always so much fantasy between the two covers on the book. It's so amazing how Will goes through his quest as an Old One to recover the six signs, Iron, Bronze, Stone, Wood, Fire and Water. And while doing so he is also an eleven-year old boy on winter break. And how the Old Ones are battling the Dark so that they may finish the quest. And how they can travel through the doors of time whenever they wish...I just couldn't put the book down. BUY THIS SET! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Dark, chilling, enchanting
"The Dark Is Rising" is the first book of this series that I ever read, and I loved it. You can read this independently from the first book, but knowledge of both is required for the third, fourth, and fifth. This story is better than its predecessor, darker and more magical and intense.

Will Stanton is an ordinary boy, until his Midwinter eleventh birthday. On that day, he ventures out into a seemingly changed world. There, he encounters a sinister Dark Rider, then a beautiful white horse that leads him to a hidden place, where he finds two of the Old Ones -- the mysterious Lady and Merriman Lyon, one of the stars of the previous book. The Old Ones are immortal, powerful, wise, and it turns out that Will is the last one born.

And as an astonishingly cold winter settles over England, Will is taught some of the ways of the Old
Ones, who fight the Dark (forces of evil, like the Dark Rider). He has one of the signs of power, but must get them all: Iron, Bronze, Stone, Wood, Fire and Water. And he must contend with the Dark Rider, his own failings, and a mysterious stranger whose future is inextricably entwined with his...

Susan Cooper is at her peak here. Will Stanton's adventures have a sense of unreal mystery and magic about them, where the slightest actions can have significance, time is easily manipulated, and two kinds of reality intersect. Welsh mythos and legend is interwoven more deeply here, including hints of the Arthurian tilt that was featured more prominently in "Over Sea, Under Stone." At the same time, Cooper accurately displays a more human side of Will, the side that is deeply attached to his family and home. I have a lot of friends with large families -- I think Cooper's portrayal of the bustling, bickering, essentially happy Stanton family was excellent.

This book is suitable for all ages, though some younger kids may be frightened by parts of it such as the more menacing moments with the Dark Rider, and the kidnapping of someone Will cares about. There is also a slightly condescending attitude towards Christianity at one point during the book; though the church is shown as being a neutral haven, the pastor is rather naive and Will exhibits some dubious theology. This is, however, an isolated incident.

Will himself is an astonishingly three-dimensional character, one of the few that approaches Tolkien's Frodo for reality. He flips between being a smart, quiet eleven-year-old to being an Old One, with all the power that suggests. This transition is not one that is handled lightly, as he gradually loses his innocent, boyish outlook and learns more about the battle between evil and good, and what he must do; he also doesn't "know it all" instantly, but has to learn. Merriman Lyon is a more ancient-seeming, sad person than in "Over Sea, Under Stone," and the reader gets a saddening view of the sacrifices he's had to make for his battle against the Dark. It becomes clear to the reader earlier than it does to Will just who the Walker is; it's saddening when Will goes back and you see the seeds of Walker's existance.

The writing is exquisite. Nowhere to be found is the British-kids-on-holiday atmosphere. It's replaced by an alternately warm-but-not-perky atmosphere, and one of utter magic. This isn't magic infringing on our world, but rather Will stepping from one to another. Her dialogue is more believable, even the little old lady bleating about the snowstorm; and Will tends to think, act, and talk like an eleven-year-old boy who is aged before his time. This is hard to do, but she does a great job.

This book is probably my favorite of the series. Susan Cooper does an astonishing job with "The Dark is Rising," and kids and adults alike can read and enjoy.

KK REVIEW
This is a great book. Although I thought it was boring at the begining it starts getting good around the middle all the way to the end. So if u can endure having to read a couple of information shoving chapters then this is a great book. Im not saying the first chapters are boring well. LOL. I think they are its just that its more like information you need for later on so its kinda of worth it. The rest of the book is nothing but action and adventure thier has been plenty of time my reading teacher has told us to stop reading when i just couldnt put the book down. So i hope u have a great time reading it as
did.

The Dark Is Rising
Will has a special gift that he has to use against the dark. He is sent on a journey to find the great six signs that will help he in the battle to fight the dark, before it rises, and turns everything and everyone evil.On the journey he goes bak in time to find where the signs are hidden.He has to join the signs together to defeat the dark, before it gets him.

A relief
I have read a lot of fantasy books, and honestly, most are very bad. This is a relief mainly because it is just a really awesome story, with good twists. I do have to say that a lot of people will look at the cover and think it's horrible. You can't look at the cover and say that it's pretty. This is not a book I would recommend to everybody (who knows if the person will love it or hate it) but if you liked Harry Potter, thought the Lord of the Rings was downright boring, and loved His Dark Materials, then go read this. ... Read more

Book Description

Once upon a time, when the world was "new-and-all," Man turned to the animals for help--to the horse for carrying, the dog for fetching, the ox for plowing. But the camel refused to do a lick of work, haughtily replying "Humpf!" to all requests. The other animals complained of the inequity to the Djinn of all the Deserts, who used his powerful magic to punish the lazy camel.

Rudyard Kipling's beloved story of how the camel got his hump is a comical tale of justice delivered that's filled with fanciful wordplay and illustrated with wit and great charm by the incomparable Lisbeth Zwerger. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent story for both children and adults to enjoy.
This story has a great moral to it as well as being very entertaining and interesting to both children and adults. The plus side of the cassette is that Jack Nicholson tells it in such a way that everyone will enjoy listening to it over and over again. The illustrations are perfect to fit the story and are great at intriguing the children. We have had this story through both of our sons and they both STILL enjoy this book. Hopefully will pass it on to the grandchildren. Tell your friends and family about this one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Say "Ho" for the wonderful Pooh!
This amazing dramatization of the Pooh books is performed by a marvelously talented group of British entertainers who truly bring the Pooh characters gently and lovingly to life. As for this tape, I finally got this figured out. This is part of a four-tape program that represents the complete two-book Winnie-the-Pooh story collection, except the stories are out of order (probably so that they would fit equally on the tapes). Book 1, "Winnie-the-Pooh," is represented by "Pooh Goes Visiting" (stories in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10) and "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (stories: 5, 6, 7, 8). Book 2, "The House at Pooh Corner," is dramatized by "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (stories in order: 1 2, 4, 3, 9, 10) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (stories 5, 6, 7, 8). When stories that depend on previous information are out of order, it gets confusing. My suggestion: Get the "Winnnie-the-Pooh" / "The House at Pooh Corner" gift pack, which is also four tapes (the same recordings), but in the proper order.

The finest Pooh audiotapes ever recorded!
[This is a review of the Hodder/Headline audiocassette version] I learned to read by listening (again and again and again and again) to a pair of well-loved and well-worn LPs of the Pooh stories read by Maurice Evans. I always considered them the finest Pooh audiobooks ever recorded. Up until now! Now there's this wonderful series of fully-dramatized adventures of Pooh featuring a brilliant cast of wonderful British actors: Stephen Fry ("Jeeves and Wooster") as Pooh, Geoffrey Palmer ("The Madness of King George") as Eeyore, Judy Dench ("Shakespeare in Love") as Kanga...and best of all, the *incomparable* Jane Horrocks ("Little Voice" and Bubbles from "AbFab") as a squeaky, alarmed, and altogether adorable Piglet. You don't have to be a kid to appreciate these fine recordings (and there are plenty of adult Pooh fans out there who will *love* these versions). Accept no substitutes: this is simply the finest Pooh audio series yet created, beating by a *far* distance the Alan Bennett and (ugh!) Charles Kuralt versions. There's more than just this one tape in the series, too. The series includes "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (ISBN: 1840322195); "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (ISBN: 1840320524) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (ISBN: 1840322268). Type the 10-digit ISBN number into the Amazon search field to go directly to the webpages for these cassettes. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A book well worth your time!
The Children's Homer is a great book for older elementary children if they like adventure and are interested in learning about Greek society. It is an excellent book about the great Greek hero Odysseus and his son, Telemachus. When Telemachus is a baby his father, Odysseus, is called to go to war. When Telemachus grows older, the goddess Athene tells him to go seek his father. Telemachus obeys and great adventure begins. I personally thought that the names were hard to keep up with, but the book holds much magic and adventure. I also would have never wanted to read the book on my own, but I'm glad I got the chance in school. The book kept me interested just about all the time, and I always looked forward to reading more. My favorite character was Odysseus, because he was brave and wise. He would listen to advice given to him and was polite and thankful. I think I will always remember the story because it shows many good character traits that everyone needs.

A Beautiful Adaptation of Classics for Children
Padraic Colum (1881-1972) saw the need to introduce the classics to young children. In 1918 he published this book The Children's Homer which combines the retelling of both Homer's Illiad and Odyssey. It is obvious that his idea and his book has stood the test of time since this book is now in reprint for our children to learn from today. The few illustrations are by Willy Pogany and are well done. This is an excellent way to introduce our children or the younger student to the classics.
Simon & Schuster's Aladdin Paperback published this edition and on the back cover they offer a web site of www.SimonSaysKids.com for all who are interested.

Warning: archaic language
This is a very well-written book -- for its time. I find that the archaic language make it unsuited for reading to children. (It is filled with "thee", "thou," "raiment," etc.) I had to practically translate the conversations between the characters for my son. For example Achilles says: "Deem'st thou I grieve for ..."

I still read it to my son (with plenty of translation and paraphrasing), and he still thoroughly enjoys the Homeric epic. But I think a more contemporary rendering would have been much better.

This is a terrible Book
I hated. I like most books but this one was terrible. I had to read it for school. One person in my whole class liked it, most of the kids in my class did not even understand it . Never get this book for a kid. Teachers if you want to teach your kids to like to read get somthing else not this.

Childrens Homer
This is the worst book i have ever read!!!!!! Never read it!!!! It is soooooo boring! Are English teacher made us read it! Don't read it! ... Read more

Book Description

Ten-year-old Danny lives in a gypsy caravan, works on cars all day, and has a best friend who never runs out of surprises and inventions—his father. When Danny's dad shares the secret passion he's been hiding, the two embark on a unique adventure involving a can't-lose plan sure to make Danny the "champion of the world."

... Read more

Reviews (65)

Something for your son and something for your dad.
In "Danny the Champion of the World" Roald Dahl tells a loving story of a father and his son, Danny. Danny grow up without a mother, but Danny's father is just enough for him to live happily. His father loves Danny more than anything else in the world, and Danny loves his father and teasures every momment with him. Danny helps his father in their automobile repair station, and they live in an old gypsy caravan. Just when Danny thinks everything is wonderful in life, one night his father disappears into the forest with a deep secret. Danny soon discovers his father's secret and that's when the adventure begins.

This is a great book for every child with or without a father, and it is a great book for every father to read as a bedtime story for his children. This is probably my best book of all Roald Dahl!

Chamioning Danny
Roald Dahl is the best children's story teller I have ever read. His stories are creative, compassionate, well written, and meaningful, which of course isn't nearly as important to young readers as the fact that they are just plain fun. Danny the Champion of the World is the story of a young boy and his widower father trying to poach pheasants from a local aristocrat's property. Their appoach is creative and their adventure is exciting, but their relationship is also touching and very effective. It is very easy book and enjoyable for children, and for adults who know how nice a realtionship with children like the one Danny and his father share, it is a touching story. This book is meant to be read aloud, but it is a wonderful story for anyone to read to themselves as well.

The only Dahl book I haven't found to be Wonderful
This is the sixth Roald Dahl book that I have read to my girls (who are now ages 7 and 6), and all of the previous books (Charlie and Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Witches, and Matilda) were all wonderful. That being said, this book however was not at all wonderful, and unfortunately it is the first Dahl book that I wouldn't recommend.

While Roald Dahl generally champions such issues as child neglect, corporal punishment, and preaches against the dangers of too much television, or relying to heavily on calculators (all worthy issues), here instead for some reason or other, he comes out in support of larceny and cheating.

"Danny the Champion of the World" is about a poor boy who lives with his father in an old caravan behind the gas station they own. The father is a widower and the father and son love each other very much. They don't have much money, but they don't have any wants either. They seem to live a very peaceful and happy life. Danny's father seems to be a wonderful guy who teaches Danny the trade of being a mechanic in hopes that one day he might be a great inventor. His father is also a great story teller, and one of the bed time stories he tells Danny is about the BFG (The Big Friendly Giant). (I can only assume Dahl used this initial premise to go on to write the full story in his BFG novel that was very good.)

At this early stage in the story I thought it was a great book, but then things go wrong. You come to find out that Danny's lovable father has been keeping a secret from Danny. After he gets injured he finally has to tell Danny that he used to love to go up to Mr. Hazel's wood who is the richest man in town, and steal his pheasants, and that he has started to do it again. Not only does he tell Danny that he used to do it, but that he tells him that his mother, his grandfather, and some other very good people who Danny has respected all his life in the town used to steal pheasants as well.

Right here is where Dahl loses me. I've come to understand through his other writings that Roald Dahl was a big fan of Charles Dickens and probably liked Dicken's character of the Artful Dodger very much, but his attempt to create a similar character in "Danny the Champion of the World" here fails miserably. The problem was that he goes on to say that it wasn't because they were poor and needed the food that they were going up there and stealing pheasants, (if that was the case I still would consider it wrong, but at least I could understand someone being driven to the point of having to do that, like the Artful Dodger), but rather that they were going up there for the thrill of it, as if they had a gambling problem and needed the high of the game.

Rather than preaching that poaching is dangerous and wrong, and that Danny should stay away from it, he corrupts Danny into doing it as well. Danny could be considered the champion of the world if he can just figure out a way of stealing more pheasants than anyone else has ever done before. (I'm sorry but that isn't exactly the goal I would set for my world champion.)

You are informed that Mr. Hazel is a very bad man, even though he never did anything illegal to obtain his money, he just isn't very nice. Danny's father makes it out like that since Mr. Hazel isn't very nice then it is all right to steal from him. Isn't that a nice message for the kids.

Mr. Hazel isn't a nice man and you do dislike him, but Danny's father even though he is nice, doesn't prove to be any better of a man.

There is one scene late in the book where they have this well dressed women hide the stolen pheasants in a baby carriage under her child to smuggle them to each person's house. The child is terrified and almost gets injured by the pheasants as they try to escape. All I kept thinking was that unfortunately some drug dealers may have learned this method of smuggling from reading this book. (I find it inconceivably wrong to use a child in any illegal activity.).

I'd like to forget that Dahl ever wrote this book and focus more on his other great works that certainly are worth much more attention. I spent most of this book explaining what was wrong with the story to my girls and kept hoping that in the end there would be some redeeming message, but it never comes.

Book Review
Dear Reader(s),
This book is about a boy named Danny, who lives with his dad. His dad has a secret that is out and Danny is on a wild adventure to stop Mr. Hazel from finding out the secret. Mr. Hazel is a rich man with many pheasants, who's face turns red when he finds out Danny's father's secret.

This book is about the bond between father and son. There is only one thing standing in between Danny's bond with his Dad and that's the secret. We recommend this book because we like it ourselves. Be prepared, this book will take you on an adventure of a life time! But we warn you, Mr.Hazel isn't so friendly when he finds out the secret.
Our readers have some opinions about the book.
Stu- it was a good book because it was funny.
Zach- at the begining of the book I liked the plot, but I wished it would of changed at the end, more twisted.
Janel- I liked the book, it was funny, but when you learn about Danny's Dad's secret it gets better.
Savannah- It was boring at the beginning, but it got exciting towards the middle and the end.

Danny Champion of the Wrold
This is a very good book. It's about Danny and his dad. Thery love to go poaching to gether until one day. When Mr. Hazzel set a trap and Danny's dad got cought up in it and broke his foot. ... Read more

Book Description

America's Original Pioneer Girl

Meet Laura Ingalls, the little girl who would grow up to write the Little House books.

Wolves and panthers and bears roam the deep Wisconsin woods in the late 1870's. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs, Pa hunts and traps. Ma makes her own cheese and butter. All night long, the wind howls lonesomely, but Pa plays the fiddle and sings, keeping the family safe and cozy.

Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the Laura Years series.

Performed by Cherry Jones.

Reviews (70)

If you love warm, family stories, this book is a good read
Little House in the Big Woods, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was fascinating. I think one of the reasons I liked it so much was because the Ingalls family was so close. One word that comes to mind is cozy. Maybe it's because they lived in a little house in the big woods. Or maybe it's becuase Pa used to play his fiddle by the fireside some evenings for Mary, Laura and Carrie. I remember when I read this book I was interested in the fact that they were pioneers. They might have moved from place to place but they always were positive about it. I loved reading about the three girls dancing at their Grandmother and Grandfather's house and having such a fun time. I remember Laura had a rag doll made out of a corncob that she loved so dearly. And it seemed as though the Ingalls family had such wonderful Christmases. In this book, there was nothing but simplicity. It didn't matter how much they moved or how they lived, as long as the family had each other.

Good book - but not as good as the ones that follow.
I'm a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and fondly remember reading the Little House books when I was a child. I've just started reading the series to my 7-year-old daughter, though, and while she loved Little House on the Prairie, she was far less fond of this one. In fact, although she's usually a good listener, I found her attention constantly wandering as we read this book.

And in all honesty, I could understand why. Laura Ingalls Wilder is without a doubt one of the best children's writers who ever lived, but I think she had barely begun to show her enormous talent when she wrote this book. Although there are wonderful little snippets of family life, and a few hints of the conflicts between the feisty Laura and her more reserved and perfect sister Mary, the truth is, there isn't much of a plot here. And Mrs. Wilder goes on for page after page describing how bullets were made, or butter churned. There are probably children who find that fascinating, God bless them, but my daughter was just bored by it.

I don't think this is a BAD book, but Little House on the Prairie is so much better, so much more interesting that I think if you want to read the series to a young child, that's the place to start, even though this is the first book in the series. This is a book for children who have already fallen in love with Laura and her wonderful family.

Wondeful series for Adults to read (or read again) too
I read these as a youngster and I am re-reading them after a trip near Independence, Kansas where we saw a house where Laura's family once setteld. They are great books! I am seeing the whole experience from a new perspective now that I am 35 (relating more with Ma I think) and I am enjoying the stories completely. It's also nice because the books can be read in a single afternoon or just a few hours. A wonderful look at the pioneer life with details about cheese making, maple suger harvests, and cabin building (in the later novels). I highly recommend these books but suggest reading them in order to keep the story of Laura's adventures straight.

Best of the series
I am an 8 year old girl who loves the Little House series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Why I liked it is because it's so happy and because I liked the little girls. My favourite part is when they go to a dance at Grandma's house and Laura danced with her uncle. I would recommend this book for people who like to read happy books.

Makes you go back in Time!!!
This book shows what it was like back in the 1800's. It tells when they had to travel by wagons and you couldn't go to town everyday. This is a GREAT book and I hope that everybody reads it. I recommend this especially to the people that lives in the cities because you see what the backwoods are like and how it is kind of today!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Before a huge crowd that packed the cathedral square, Esmeralda stood between two executioners. Suddenly Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame, rushed at the executioners and felled them with his enormous fists. He snatched the gypsy girl in one arm and ran into the church. A moment later he appeared at the top of the bell tower. Holding the girl above his head, he showed her triumphantly to all of Paris while his thunderous voice roared savagely to the sky: "Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

Set amid the riot, intrigue and pageantry of medieval Paris, Victor Hugo's masterful tale of heroism and adventure has been a perennial favorite since its first publication in 1831 and remains to this day one of the most thrilling stories of all time. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

"There is all I ever loved!"
These heartbreaking words are spoken by Quasimodo near the very end of this novel but they could just as easily have been uttered by any number of the characters in this magnificent and awe-inspiring story. Because of an inappropriate English translation of the title of this book, not to mention the popular characterization of Quasimodo, it is always assumed that the "half-made" and hideous-looking bell-ringer of the cathedral of Notre Dame is the central character of this tragedy, but he is not. His unrequited love for the beautiful La Esmeralda is only one of the tragic tales told throughout this novel.

The story is set in Medieval Paris in the year 1482. The town has just celebrated the Feast of Fools with Quasimodo being chosen as the reigning Pope for the celebration. Quasimodo is the adopted son of Claude Frollo, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame cathedral. Esmeralda is an exquisitely beautiful young gypsy girl who, along with her trained goat, Djali, performs throughout the streets of Paris to the delight and amusement of the townspeople. Dom Frollo has been secretly lusting after Esmeralda and believes her to be a witch sent by Satan to turn him away from his priestly vows. On the evening of the Feast of Fools, Dom Claude enlists Quasimodo to help him kidnap the gypsy woman in order to do away with her and rid his life of the temptations she represents. Esmeralda is rescued but the night will set into motion a tragic chain of events which will ultimately claim as its victims all three of these central characters. Two other victims in this tragedy are Dom Frollo's younger brother, Jehan, who the Archdeacon cared for from the time he was orphaned as an infant but who turned out to be a great disappointment and Esmeralda's mother, perhaps the most tragic figure in the entire novel, a woman who believed for fifteen years that her daughter was dead only to be reunited with her and have her taken away again all in the space of a few minutes.

This novel is filled with unbelievably vivid descriptions of the city of Paris and its medieval inhabitants. Victor Hugo brings the city to life and you will feel as if you are actually walking the streets and experiencing events as they unfold. When Quasimodo is tortured upon the wheel in the pillory as punishment for his participation in the attempted kidnaping of Esmeralda, you will feel yourself almost a part of the jeering crowd. The scene where Esmeralda literally parts the crowd to come forward and offer Quasimodo a drink of water has to be one of the most profound in all of literature! And near the end of the novel when Quasimodo is frantically trying to fend off the soldiers and gypsies who are attempting to ram through the door of the Cathedral and capture Esmeralda, the scenes in which he throws not only boulders but bodies over the balustrade of the church are horrifyingly realistic.

It is hard to capture with words all of the feelings that Victor Hugo evokes with his splendid writing but suffice it to say you will be deeply moved by this story. I have been a fan of the film version with Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara for many years but as is most always the case, the movie cannot hold a candle to the book itself ( the film version has a Hollywood ending and differs from the book.) This novel really defies the ratings here at Amazon but as I can only give it at most five stars, I do so wholeheartedly and with great enthusiasm. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is definitely the finest classic I have ever read!

A sad, but good story
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a good book for adults I think, but if your the kind of person who doesn't like long books, sad endings, or 2 long and boring chapters talking about Notre Dame and Paris don't read this book.But yet this book makes you think of how unfair things were back in those days.Half of the people who were hung in those days were innocent.It's a good book and if you like sad love stories, read it.

Read Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This was a great and marvelous classic. I was not dissapointed after reading it, and I am very choosy about books. The Disney Movie does not give it justice, and the book and movies differ dramatically. This is a sweet, sad, and witty book about a poor deformed waif, a dazzling gypsy dancer, a self righteous soldier, a jealous priest, a rather witty and sinicle poet, a goat the accomplice, and the mystery that enfolds them all. If you want an adventure, a romance, and an incredible realistic account of 15th century Paris, then read this book.

Read this great classic!
The book that I am reviewing is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" written by Victor Hugo. I think this book deserves five stars. It's terrific because it is exciting. This book is about how Quasmodo loves Esmeralda, a gypsy girl, but she doesn't like him back. She likes an officer. She always thinks ofthis officer instead of Quasmodo. The problem is that people think that Esmeralda killed the officer. I'd recommend this book to people who like sad stories. Other books by this author include "Les Meserables."

Emerson, NJ; Fifth Grade Student

The Original Title Would Have Worked for Us
This epic tragedy pits a beautiful, earthbound angel against a venal, earthbound devil, and is set amid the squalor of Medieval Paris.Our protagonists alternately dance and skulk through the chapters, leading to a desperate and heart-wrenching conclusion.Could our angel be a witch; could our devil redeem himself?We desperately hope for any outcome other than the one we fear, and we cannot believe that Hugo would taunt us with such elemental beauty, and then destroy it before our eyes.Myonly complaint is not with Hugo, but with the translation of the title.Why couldn't we anglophones be trusted with "Notre Dame of Paris?"The book is less about Quasimodo than about the conflict between Medieval Paris's lofty aspirations for man and the depredations of daily life. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by Susannah Fellows
Two cassettes / 3 hours 21 mins.

It's one eye-opening (and hilarious) day for Annabel, who awakens one morning in her mother's body!Annabel tries to cope with her mother's problems, plunging madly from one disaster to another.At the end of the day Annabel has learned quite a few valuable lessons, not to mention the renewed respect she has gained for her mother. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

why don't people write like this anymore?
Freaky Friday has been one of my favorite books since I discovered it in my grandmother's apartment when I was 8. I used to take it out and read it every time we visited until finally, she presented me with it as a gift. Annabel's cynical and yet human perspective on being stuck in her mother's body has been a support system for me throughout my own teenage years not to mention being consistently entertaining. The Disney movie with Jodie Foster is most likely the best movie adaptation as Mary Rodgers wrote the screenplay. It seems to capture her intent better than either of these newfangled ones wherein those who have written them appear not ever to have read the book. Still, if you enjoy any of those, I would highly recommend reading this book. It may be slightly dated, but the philosophy behind it is timeless.

For those who have already read it, more are A Billion For Boris and Summer Switch both of which are equally good though if you want more Annabel perspective A Billion For Boris is best while those of you who want to know what goes on in Ape Face's head had better read Summer Switch.

I love this book i really think that you sould read it!!!!!!
I think that the book Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers is really good. It's about a teenage girl named Annabelle Andrews, her mom and her little brother that she calls "Ape Face." Annabelle thinks that her mom has a better life. This all happens in a restaurant were her mom, her moms' fiancé, her little brother and her going to. The owner of the restaurant give Annabelle and her mom a fortune cookie and then they open it at the dame time and read it at the same time but they don't know it, they both hallucinate and feel an earthquake. The next morning they wake up and there in each other's bodies they are really freaked out. I really like the book it was so hilarious I was practically laughing the whole time. I really think that if other people read it they would not have a plain face on the whole time. I didn't like it because the movie had more information so I thought that the movie was a little better.

This book was cofusing but yet interesting!
i thought this book would never end but it eventually did.The first few chapters were boring,but then it got cofusing,then interesting,i guess if you like books were they switch bodys is cool but not 2 me its just plan creepy (...)

A pretty good read
This hilarious book, based on the hit movie, is a fun, light read for ages 8 and up. Although it was written in the 1970s, it still has a lot of appeal and charm to all kinds of audiences. This book is based on the 2003 version of the movie, but you'll find that many parts are different.

Annabel Andrews was a twelve-year-old girl with braces, brown hair, and brown eyes. She was constantly getting into fights with her brother Ben who she called Ape Face and feeling trapped by her parents by not being able to do whatever she wants. So one day, Annabel and her mother have a large fight in which her mother states she will pay for it. So Annabel wasn't really surprised when she woke up the next morning and found she was sleeping in her mother's bed, wearing pins and rollers in her hair and a long nightgown. Figuring that her mother had something to do with this, Annabel decides to play along and see what it's really like to be an adult.

Turns out, it's not easy as Annabel thinks. She has problems with the washer, Ben nearly gets lost in the city because Annabel forgot to pick him up, and she madly goes from one situation to another trying to figure out a way to fix it. Soon enough, Annabel finds herself wishing that she could be back in her own body again and can only hope that her mother, who Annabel figured had ditched school, will do something about it. The ending is okay; it's not too good, not too bad. I think I would recommend this book on an overall basis; fans of the movie may want to try something different.

Quite a funny book which makes ya laugh for ................
Well, the idea of this book was quite funny which makes ya won't hestitate when ya buy it, it was about a 13 teen named Annabel, she was found herself switch places with her MOM, then....... the most borin' part of this book start, she do all the house work for her Mom, really nothing fun here, then she went to the parent's day of herselkf which was quite interestin' and I love the endin' most just go and find it out yourselkf ! ... Read more

Book Description

Beatrix Potter's classic tales have been loved by generations of children.These new, simplified adaptations include Beatrix Potter's original artwork and shortened stories appropriate for children of toddler age to those just learning to read on their own.These handsome, affordable editions are the perfect introduction to some of the greatest tales in children's literature.

Adapted from the original tales by Beatrix Potter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

the tale of benjamin bunny
This book is very easy to like and it makes yo want to read more.It talks about how he lost his clothes and much more if you wat to find out then you better read it.

Benjamin Bunny
My 2 year old loves this story she calls it, the bunny's friend book.She enjoys this story more than Peter Rabbit.I think that the story is more eventful than Peter Rabit;and it is nice that the bunnies get to finishtheir adventure.I have read hundreds of stories to my daughter and weboth find this one enjoyable my 5 month old also seems to enjoy it.Shelikes the colorful pictures.I guess you could say that everyone is happywhen this story is chosen.If you like Peter Rabbit you'll like BenjaminBunny. ... Read more

Book Description

The classic tale of fantasy, this delightful masterpiece depicts all sorts of characters: greedy, selfish, obnoxious, compassionate, loveable, and generous. Recounting the adventures of four children bent on having their own way, the story's moralistic factor becomes uproariously apparent early on.

... Read more

Reviews (254)

Obedience Counts
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great book by Roald Dahl. In this story Charlie Bucket is the main character. He is a poor boy that lives in a shabby house. Charlie and four other children (Mike, Veruca, Violet, and Augustus) all win a tour of Mr. Wonka's secret chocolate factory. Each of the children had found a golden ticket in a Wonka bar. Once they were inside the factory each kid, one by one, got into trouble, except Charlie. Some were so bad they were changed for life! But Charlie obeyed Mr. Wonka and got a big surprise.

I like this book because it has lots of excitement, action, and humor on every page. My favorite part is the end when Charlie's grandparents, who have not been out of bed in years, are put into Mr. Wonka's great glass elevator screaming and howling. The funny thing about it was they did not know they were going to live with Mr. Wonka in his chocolate factory!

People can learn to obey from this book. Four children disobeyed Mr. Wonka and got hurt, but Charlie obeyed and got a reward. I recommend this book for kids age six to eleven. It is also fun and exciting so you will definitely want to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

A delectably delicious book....
This book is so delicious I just want to eat it! "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" might be in many people's eyes a story about morality but to me, it's a story about children and their love of all things sweet, sticky and delicious. Charlie Bucket is the delightful boy (who is so poor all he gets to eat is cabbage soup) who finds a golden ticket in a chocolate bar he buys with money he finds in the street. This ticket entitles him and a companion to enter the wonderful world of Mr. Willy Wonka, the most famous and mysterious chocolate maker that the universe has ever known. Other competition winners include such heinous but wonderfully over the top characters like Augustus Gloop, the greediest boy in the world, and Veruca Salt, a spoilt brat whose father buys 10,000 chocolate bars so she can win a golden ticket. These greedy children and their frightful companions get their come-uppance in various hilarious ways that will have you spluttering with laughter with every page that you turn. Dahl's most famous creation in this book though are the Oompa-Loompas, a race of small people that Mr. Wonka has saved from extinction in the days when he traveled the world. This is a glorious, glorious book, filled with amazing characters, incredible sweets such as the everlasting gobstopper for the child with limited pocket money, and the chewing gum that that is a whole three course meal in itself. Your mouth will be watering throughout the story, and the river of chocolate will make you drool a waterfall. A scrumptious book for everyone no matter what their age.

Everyone will love it
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is brilliant. Roald Dahl's language is eccentric and refreshing. This book is about a boy named Charlie Bucket who lives with his poor family right near a the greatest chocolate factory in the world. When the owner of the chocolate factory, Willy Wonka, sends out five golden tickets, the whole world erupts in chaos. No one has been allowed in the great factory for years, and everyone knows that Wonka is a magician with magic. The story will make anyone hungry for a good candy bar and is easily amusing. I would recomment that everyone read this book at least once, though it was directed towards kids in grades 2-6.

Author Study
Charlie is in a family that is very poor. He lives in a small cottage with his grandparents and parets. He also lives by a great chocolate factory. Charlie is so poor that he only gets one Willy Wonka bar a year. No one has seen anbody or anthing go in or out of the chocolate factory.
One day in the newspaper it said that the chocolate factory was opening up. There were five golden tickets on Willy Wonka bars to get into the factory in the whole world. The prize is you get to go into the factory and bring any person of their choice. You have to read the book to see if he gets a golden ticket.
It was a good book to us because even if you saw the movie the book changed so you didn't know what was coming.

Snozzberries galore...
There's plenty that adults can learn from children's books. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is such a book. Not only is it a great read, it says something about greed, gluttony, and the dangers of the fantastic.

The story is probably familiar to many (thanks to the 1971 film adaptation), but the basic plot is this: Willy Wonka, a reclusive, famous (almost Howard Huges-like) owner of the largest candy factory in the world wraps five golden tickets in candy bars and distributes them to the world. No one has been in or out of Wonka's factory in years, but these tickets allow the ticket finders access to it for one day, as well as a lifetime supply of world-famous Wonka candy. Four tickets are quickly found by families who have the money and the means to do so (one of the finder's father even stops production in his factory so that his voluminous workers can unwrap the thousands of candy bars he's purchased in hope of finding one of the tickets). This is discouraging to Charlie Bucket, who comes from a destitute family who eat mostly watery cabbage and boiled potatoes. Charlie only gets one chocolate bar a year for his birthday - his father's job screwing on the tops of toothpaste tubes doesn't bring much income. Charlie's luck changes when he finds a dollar bill in the snow (after his father loses his job in the toothpaste factory the family begins to starve, and Charlie conserves energy by walking slowly, which helps him find the dollar). Luck leads to luck, as Charlie buys two candy bars and the second one contains a golden ticket. Charlie's 95 year-old (wow!) grandfather agrees to accompany Charlie. So, Along with four other spoiled brats and their families, Charlie and Grandpa Joe tour the Wonka factory. Inside, the factory is filled with amazing things, and the spoiled brats show their worst side and also expose the dangerous side of the fantastic. A river of chocolate is great until you fall into it. Trained squirrels are great unless they mistake you for a bad nut and through you in the chute. Chewing gum that tastes and nourishes as though it were an entire three course meal is great as long as the forumla is right and doesn't turn you into a giant blueberry. Being allowed into the Wonka factory is an amazing experience unless you're a spoiled brat who needs to grab, chew, eat, or touch everything you see. In this case being a brat brings dire consequences. The reward for not being a brat is something unbelievable, but the "losers" still get a lifetime supply of candy and chocolate.

Fans of the film (which is mistitled "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" because Charlie is really supposed to be the hero here) will notice some great differences in the story. The famous "Oompa Loompa" song is not in the book, but they do sing, but they sing longer and more detailed songs than in the movie. One of the songs goes on about the evils of television:

The most important thing we've learned
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, never, NEVER let
Them near your television set -
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.

They do not sing "Oompa Oompa Ommpity Doo, I've got another problem for you" such as in the movie. They also give credit where credit is due: the brattiness of the kids is also blamed on the parents. So in a way the story also becomes a lesson in parenting. The Oompa Loompas sing:

For though she's spoiled, and dreadfully so,
A girl can't spoil herself, you know.

Alas! you needn't look so far
To find out who these sinners are.
They are (and this is very sad)
Her loving parents, MUM and DAD.

In this way the Oompa Loompas almost serve the purpose of a Greek chorus. Whenever of the brats "gets it" they sing about the tragedy and probable causes of the event. This book is a very enjoyable read for any age. If you're an adult, don't deprive yourself of great children's books such as this one. If you're a kid, don't deprive your parents of your great books such as this one. Make them read it. Force them to read it. You know you want to. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Ramona...a Pest?
Beverly Cleary is the master of creating timeless characters and Ramona Quimby is a timeless character. I read this book when I was a little girl, I fell in love with it, and now I am reading it to my 4 year old son, who begs for a new chapter every night.

Ramona isn't really a pest, but just a curious child, but that leads to all kinds of trouble as she starts kindergarten. Because of her new found troubles she almost decides she doesn't want to be there anymore.

Beverly Cleary really knows how to realate to children. It is simply no wonder that she has surpassed at least two generations with her work as an uncomparable author. She makes you laugh and feel all at the same time.

Excellent for Children of All Ages!
This is a wonderful book! I read it to my class of second graders, as a read aloud every school year. Even though the protagonist in the story is a little kindergarten girl. The "aged" 7 year olds in my class still love it! They seem to really identify with this character... who am I kidding I identify with her too!
Who among us has never felt excited about a shiny new pair of boots... or some other piece of clothing?
Who among us has not felt embarrassed when we mistake a song lyric?
Who among us has not been swept up in the moment wanting to squish, squish, squish in fresh mud?
Ramona, just like you has experienced all this and more. This book in Beverly Cleary's Ramona series, is full of priceless childhood moments. In fact it is not difficult to picture our own selves in all these moments.
Ramona is a priceless kid... and this book is full of priceless moments of childhood reflection.
Adults to Kids should exerience this one. It is well worth your time.

ramona the pest
I think romona the pest is not ok for me.
I don't like it because ramona pull susan's hair.

ramona the pest
I think ramona the pest is a good book because ramona like davy and ramona pulled susan boing boing curls and ramona talks back to her sister and she gets in trouble by her perents and she got stuck in some mud in her new shoes and howie helped her get out of there

Ranona the pest
I think the pest is great I Like It because It Is Funny. My favrite part Is whene Ramona pulled Susan hair and whene she got her mask. She went to school and they had a party. ... Read more

Book Description

Would you know a real witch if you saw one?

... Read more

Reviews (175)

Another Wonderful Book by Roald Dahl!
They are completely bald and always wear wigs, constantly sneaking hands underneath to scratch their itchy scalps. They don't have any toes and have really broad feet, but they force their feet into narrow, fashionable shoes to blend in. They have really long, curved fingernails that they usually hide by wearing gloves. They are the witches. And the meanest, nastiest witches live in England, where a boy has just gone to live with his grandmother after his parent's tragic death.

His grandmother always warned the boy about suspecting nice women who offer him candy - check for gloves, wigs and pinched feet. He is able to avoid the witches until his grandmother becomes ill and they go to a seaside resort where the English witches are having a convention just like normal people in the hotel. Stunned, the boy overhears the grand witch's plot to eliminate all of the children in England by feeding them candy that will turn them into mice! When he is discovered, the boy knows that the witches are going to kill him, but they test the potion on him instead. Now in mouse form, the boy and his grandmother must use all of their wits and cleverness to defeat the witches' evil scheme!

The Witches is a highly entertaining book by the always inventive Roald Dahl. You would think that a book about witches would be scary, but Roald Dahl has just the right combination of humor and lightheartedness to balance out the scariness. I loved this book when I was growing up and have enjoyed sharing it with my younger siblings and nephews. It is true that it has a couple of slow parts as the author takes the time to set up the story, but the storyline is just so imaginative that you get caught up in the story and don't really notice until you have read it a couple of times. With all of the many details, Roald Dahl can easily convince you that witches are real and that there really are women out there like that! Humor aside, it does show that you should never take candy from strangers - no matter what they look like! Although this book is great for reading alone, it is best when real aloud and shared with children, who always know the right parts to gasp at!

Satisfying and invigorating
The Witches
This book is great, it brings out the excitement and urge to read. This book is a book that makes children wonder what's next. The characters are gruesome and horrifying. The WITCHES starts with a boy and grandmother that live in england... The Boy is very young and curious and is about nine years old. His grandmother is eighty-nine who smokes a lot and she is still very healthy. One evening the grandmother had planed a wonderful trip to Norway with her grandson. Suddenly the woman got sick from her tobacco in her cigars. The doctor came to nourished her and to give her some time to recuperate. Once she had been cured she hollered down to her grandson. The sound of his trampling feet went as fast as they have ever gone. The grandson pounced into his elders arms and and hugged her tightly in his arms. He asked if they where still going on vacation. The doctor sighed and said with his head tucked into his shirt and said.
"Im afraid to say that you can't go far with your conditions, and that you can go to the hotel on the beach." After the boy received a great gift of a pair of mice (A great gift from the doctor of forgivness).They got there parcels gathered them and they left at once. When they reached there destination they unpacked and went there own way, the grandmother staying in the room knitting, and the grandson going to train his mice. Then something terrible happened, the strictly privet party or that's what they seem to call it, discovers him. which the rest is for you to find out.This book is great, the characters come alive which makes you want to read more.

The Witches Book Review
THE WITCHES is about a boy who doesn't have a name. Throughout the story, the kid is called boy and darling. Boy, as I will call him, is living with his Grandmother. His grandmother tells him all of these crazy stories about witches and how to identify them. Boy at first doesn't really believe his grandmother until he's locked in a room full of witches. Will he get out? Will he die