Book Description

Reader t.b.a.
approx. 5 hours
3 cassettes

Ten-year-old Tom D. Fitzgerald is known to everyone as The Great Brain. J.D., The Great Brain's sometimes confounded but always-admiring younger brother, tells his story.Such people as Mr. Standish, the mean schoolmaster, regret the day they came up against The Great Brain.But others, like the Jensen kids lost in Skeleton Cave, Basil, the Greek kid, or Andy, who has lost his leg and his friends, know that Tom's great brain never fails to find a way home. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

The Great Brain Series
It was a sad day when I rediscovered the joy of browsing bookstores and discovered my childhood escapes were gone. The Black Stallion,Henry Huggins, and my most favorite The Great Brain series were no longer amoung the living. Replaced by trash like Henry Potter and Goosebumps. Parents, please do your children a favor and purchase the entire Great Brain collection. They will not read more poignant,funny life instruction than these classics from J.D. Fitzgerald. The story is told from J.D.'s point of view as he shares the adventures of he and his older brother Tom in turn of the century Morman dominated Utah. Tom is the title character who becomes the focal point of an entire town called Adenville due to his uncanny shrewdness and ablity to "swindle" his playmates and even adults out of their money. No where else will a child get a better education on how to go along and get along with those of different religions,ethnicity, and physical limitations. I have read the books at least 20 times a piece and always found something new. It is both a mystery and distressful that none of our publishers have the sense to reprint these classics. Do your child and yourself a favor and find these books!

It's a shame you can't buy the series in a set.
I like most of the other reviewers loved these books as a kid. I recently saw a copy at a relatives house and remembered how much I enjoyed them. I wanted to get the series in a set to give to my 8 yr. old daughter for Christmas this year but can't find it available anywhere. My mother teaches English as a second language to foriegn students and last quarter she used The Great Brain as the book they had to read and report on. She has taught this class for a couple of years and always has a difficult time getting her students to read the book she has chosen. Last quarter was different, most of the class read the book ahead of schedule and she had to come up with something else to finish the quarter. I highly recomend the whole series for children and adults.

Two stars in the story--Tom D. and John D.
Many books have complex plots or narration and attempt to pull together many characters or ideas, or they take place in some annoyingly exotic location. John D. Fitzgerald's books feel natural being in the town of Adenville, Utah and chart the progress of two brothers. Best yet, it introduces you to Adenville so you feel like you're there in a few pages and is overall nice and short--the chapters can stand alone as stories, but the book's short enough you'll have no problem reading it in one sitting. But the best part about this short book is--it has several sequels at least as good.

On the one hand, there's John D., the narrator, who's sentimental and well-meaning but easily pushed around. Being eight he also overreact to everything, yet at the same time the narration tells you exactly what's going on. Then there's Tom D., who uses his Great Brain for swindling and occasionally for helping schoolmates and even adults.

One chapter involves his charging money for kids to see the first instance of indoor plumbing in their hometown and trying to swindle John D., whom he hired to do the dirty work, into paying more than he should when things go wrong. Another involves his teaching a Greek immigrant boy how to be a 'real American'--for a fee, as he pulls some sharp deals along the way. But later Tom helps a friend who is seriously depressed without looking for repayment. You sense it can't last, and you don't want it to, because his hijinks are amusing, and as a reader, you don't have to worry about getting caught by them.

Mercer Mayer's illustrations fit the book wonderfully, and the whole Great Brain series tends to cover issues of potential inferiority without being the least bit whiny. Although this book doesn't contain any of my favorite Great Brain swindles, it focuses more on emotions and people trying to fit in. The whole series is an overlooked set of contemporary classics.

Mr. Locker's 4/5 grade class reading group, loved this book!
Mr. Lockers 4/5 grade readers, Oliver,Tori, Madison,Luc,Sam & Nick, January 26, 2004,
Mr. Locker's 4/5 grade class reading group, loved this book!
The Great Brain was a very funny book. I liked how the Great Brain figures out funny solutions. I think the author did a very good jobwith the book. I like how the author took his childhood and fit it into the book. I thought it was really GREAT!-Oliver M.age10 The Great Brain is a very interesting book. It is based on the funny happenings of the author, J.D.Fitzgerald's childhood.The story is told by J.D., the youngest brother. He tells of the exciting things that his older brother Tom(aka the GREAT BRAIN)does.THis is a very good book.-Madison C. age 9 The Great BRain is a great book to read when you are just having fun. THis book is about a boy named Tom who has a 'GREAT BRAIN'. HIs younger brother J.D., always wants to be like Tom. Sometimes Tom's 'GREAT BRAIN' gets him rewards and sometimes it get him into trouble.-Tori T.-age 10 'Tom (THE GREAT BRAIN) is hysterical with his weird ideas'! I liked this book and hope others do too.-Sam F.-age 11 MR. Locker's 4/5 Grade Reading Group @ Carter Elementary-Palm Desert, CA Loved the GREAT BRAIN!

Also recommended: The Great Brain at the ACademy, Me and my little Brain, THe GREAT Brain does it again, More Adventures of The Great Brain

One Great Brain
I read these books as child by checking them out of a library. Now almost 20 years later, I have decided to reread them all starting from the beginning. The Great Brain book is as good as I remembered. Some things may seem goofy at first from an adult perspective, but give the book a chance and read the whole thing. Many things come together later or at the end. John Fitzgerald gives every book a complete feeling, so you feel satisfied after completing each. Keep in mind the time and setting of the book and you'll be able to enjoy it. The book is written from JD's viewpoint, but is largely about TD aka the Great Brain. I enjoyed these books a child, I am enjoying them now, and my friends in their 50's are enjoying them too. These are for all ages and are my all-time favorite children's series. Now, I hope that they re-release the books or I'll have to look for them used. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Second grade is not turning out the way it should for Ramona Quimby.Her dad has lost his job, her mom has found a full-time job, and her big sister Beezus has "reached a difficult age." In her inimitable way, Ramona decides to take charge. She practices TV commercials in hopes of earning a million dollars, but only ends up insulting her teacher and getting into a prickly mess with some burrs. Then she embarks on a campaign to make her father stop smoking. Mr. Quimby manages to hold up under all these strains, but the challenge is on for the whole family to prove their mettle.

Once again, Beverly Cleary proves her own mettle in this touching and hilarious Newbery Honor Book. Beloved author of over two dozen children's books, and recipient of many awards, including another Newbery Honor for Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and a Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, Cleary's instinct for children's jumbled emotions is flawless. Alan Tiegreen's adroit line drawings perfectly complement Cleary's style; it's hard to imagine one without the other. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (28)

If only we had a million dollars...
Well as they say, "Money can't buy happiness". Ramona thinks it can, well it can but it doesn't have to in this case. Mr. Quimby losing his job was tough on the whole family, especially Ramona. She couldn't do anything about it if she tried. Her father let her know they're trying to be a perfect family and surely enough this reflects back to my family. When my father lost to someone else for this "government" job, it was tough on me. I wanted to get a job, raise money, anything just to see my father happy. We aren't the perfect family and neither is Ramona's. That's why I can relate so much to her.

Ramona and her father
The book I read was Ramona and her Father. This book is about a girl a named Ramona and her father. Her dad was fired from his job, so that meant that he would get to spend more time with Ramona. She was happy about getting to spend time with her dad. But her dad smoked and she did not like that. It was bad enough that they weren't going to have much money since her dad wasn't working but then he was spending the money he did have on cigarettes. Ramona did everything she could to try to get her dad to stop, but he just wouldn't. But they did other things together that Ramona did like. They did things like draw big pictures and they got to spend a lot of time together. Ramona liked to be able to spend so much time with her dad but she didn't like the fact that he smoked.

The main character was Ramona. Her appearance is a little different than most peoples because she just seems a little weird at times. Her personality seems ok until her sister Beezus comes around, then Ramona always fights with her. Some of the traits that are the same with Ramona and I are that she always fights with her older sister and I always fight with my older brother. Also I like to spend time with my dad and so does she. Some of the things that are different between Ramona and I is that she is a lot younger than me. Her dad smokes and mine doesn't. She has an older sister and I have an older brother.

I liked this book because it reminded me a lot like me. My favorite part was when Ramona was trying to make her dad stop smoking and her and Beezus made cigarettes out of paper and wrote stuff on them and put it in their dad's cigarette box instead of his cigarettes. Yes, I would recommend this book to a friend.

Stockard Channing Reads Ramona
Since no one seems to have left a review pertaining to the audio edition, I thought I'd add my 2 cents.Stockard Channing's reading of all the Ramona books is excellent.She puts a lot of emotion into her readings and gives what I consider an almost theatrical performance.It's been 10 years or so since I last listened to one of her readings, and I can still hear her voice in my head when I re-read the Ramona books.Definitely think about buying this set.They're perfect for long car trips or just sitting around the radio at home. :)

Review from a 3rd Grader: Don't miss Ramona And Her Father
Wow!This book was amazing and spectacular.I loved it.Some of the parts were sad but it was happy at the end. It was about a little girl in second grade.She lives with her sister Beatrice, her mom, and her dad, and of course Picky-Picky, their cat.The funniest part was when Picky-Picky ate the jack-o-lantern.It was so funny.I love this book.You should read it.It is called Ramona And Her Father.

Ramona and Her Father
Cleary, B. ( 1975). Ramona and Her Father. New York: Avon Books, Inc.

Synopsis: Ramona is having an average, ordinary day.Ramona, her mother, her sister Beezus, and even her cat are in the kitchen.Ramona is waiting for her father to come home from work.She is writing her Christmas list months in advance and hoping that when her father comes home, they can go to her favorite restaurant since it was pay day.However, everything changes when her father comes home with the bad news that he lost his job.During this time, Ramona also goes on a crusade to help her father quit smoking.Ramona and her family show that although her family is having financial problems, they work together to remain strong for one another.The reading level is 5.1.

Evaluation: The main conflict is between Ramona and her father.At first, Ramona is happy to be able to spend more time with him since he lost his job, but notices changes in him.Now, he is more irritable and this is where the tension occurs. Ramona is also worried about her father's smoking habit and wants to help him quit.Ramona also struggles because she wants to make everything better for her family.Children can definitely relate to this when there is a family problem and they want to help.The dialogue and narration makes the story very realistic.The conflicts are also realistic.The problems that arise from the father losing his job also create realistic situations like the fact that the cat is even being effected by financial stress.The dialogue helps to lighten the seriousness of the conflicts.The dangers of smoking and losing a job are very serious, but the dialogue helps ease the severity.Ramona's character helps to make the story humorous.This is why children have enjoyed Ramona's adventures for so many years. ... Read more

Book Description

Hitting the ball is hard work, but after lots of practice and advice from his friend Willy, Bobby learns how.

I Can Read Books are the premier line of beginning readers encouraging children to learn -- and love-to read. Featuring award-winning authors and illustrators, I Can Read Books offer a full spectrum of entertaining stories for every stage of a child's reading development.

Now the beloved characters and adventures from this popular line of books come to life with I Can Read Book & Cassettes. Each package includes a best-selling beginning reader storybook and a lively audio recording featuring:

Reviews (3)

Your Out of Here!!
I didn't particularly like Here Comes the Strikeout. I thought the reading level was a little higher then what they said it was. It was also a little long and I don't think it could keep a child's interest. Young children are mainly looking at the pictures and this book didn't have good pictures that really illustrated what the book was trying to say. I would recommend with book for first graders maybe, but not kids younger then that. The vocabulary is simple but some of the words in sentences are quite tongue-twisters and I think this will get children discouraged if they can't say them. All together, I really don't like this book for young children.

Baseball and Inspiration
Nobody gets anything right the first time, except those kids you never really liked anyway. So most children will be able to relate to Bobby, and how he struck out a good 21 times in a row ... after getting some good advice (and practice) from a friend, baseball has some potential for him. Kids will be inspired to keep trying at anything they've been having trouble with in life, especially if they love it deep down and heart, and really want to succeed. Where there's a will, there's a way. Go Bobby!

Gets young sports enthusiast into reading!
This book was action packed for a young reader book. It got my son to put down the ball and read enthusiastically! He read with more excitement than I had ever heard from him. If you are having trouble getting a active young sportsman into books, give this one a try! ... Read more

Book Description

Joey Pigza can't sit still. He can't pay attention, he can't follow the rules, and he can't help it -- especially when his meds aren't working. Joey's had problems ever since he was born, problems just like his dad and grandma have. And whether he's wreaking havoc on a class trip or swallowing his house key, Joey's problems are getting worse. In fact, his behavior is so off the wall that his teachers are threatening to send him to the special-ed center downtown.

Joey knows he's really a good kid, but no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing, something always seems to go wrong. Will he ever get anything right?

00-01 Sunshine State Young Reader's Award Masterlist (Gr. 3-5), 00-01 Sunshine State Young Reader's Award Masterlist (Gr. 6-8), 2000-2001 Georgia's Picture Storybook Award & Georgia's Children's Book Award Masterlist, 01 AZ Young Reader Award Masterlist (Teen Bks cat.), 00-01 Minnesota's Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award Masterlist, 00-01 Land of Enchantment Book Award Masterlist (Gr. 3-6), 00-01 Young Reader's Choice Award Program Masterlist, Pacific NW Library Assoc. 2001 Young Reader's Choice Award Masterlist, and 00-01 Lone Star Reading List

Reviews (101)

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
The book that i read was Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. It is very intresting to me. This book is about a very overactive boy. He is a boy who takes medication for his often mood swings. First he's this boy who is just sitting in his desk, then he becomes an out of control, hyper, and excited kid! I can kinda relate to Joey because I have some traits similar to him. Some of them are that I can become really hyper during the day, im also a very excited person all day long.
The book Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key was very fun to read. I really liked this book because I can relate to Joey. ""At school they say I'm wired bad, or wired mad, or wired sad, or wired gland, depending on my mood and what teacher has ended up with me. But there is no doubt about it, I'm wired."" That is very much like me. But i have never swallowed a key before.
There were some parts that I disliked in the book. There is one phrase that Joey always says. It bothers me when he says it. ""Can I get back to you on that?"" That is the quote that i dislike. Joey always says that after almost each remark and joke that he makes.
My favorite part in the whole book is something that happens to Joey. First Joey recives a key to his house from his mother that comes back. There is a string around the key so that Joey wouldn't lose it. So Joey keeps in his pocket and pulls it out during class. Joey swallows the key and takes it out, but his teacher, Mrs. Maxy, cuts off the string to the key and tells him don't play around with that key. But Joey never listens and swallows the key again but, little does he remember that there's no more string on the key and now the key is now stuck in his stomach. That is my favorite part because when I read that it told me that Joey and I are both forgetful and were not even that old.

Student at Western Michigan University
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is definitely my favorite book we read in class. I could just totally picture as a boy I went to school with. Everyone thought he was so hyper and he never really had any friends. Throughout the whole book I kind of was saddened because I felt bad for Joey not being able to find the right medicine to make him normal. People should have accepted him for who he was instead of making such a big deal about him being hyper. It was definatley a story that many children today can relate to. I think that even if you dont enjoy reading you will enjoy this book because by the first page, Gantos has you sucked in. Its a book enjoyed by both children and adults! I HIGHLY RECCOMEND!

Joey Pigza Soars Like a Roller Coaster
Joey Pigza is a kid in Ms. Maxy's 3rd grade class. He is suffering from ADH, and his life is like a soaring roller coaster. Originally, he lived with his somewhat abusive and also hyperactive Grandmother. Their house always looked like a tornado hit it. He had a very hard time at school. He had no friends. Since he could not sit still for 5 seconds, he always got in trouble. One day he sharpened his finger in a pencil sharpener. A big change occurred when his mom came back into his life, and his grandmother moved away. Joey has never met his Dad. One day he swallowed his house key, so he went to a Special Ed class for a little bit of the day. One day at school Joey was making bumper stickers for he and his mom to change the world. So he took Ms. Maxis big teacher scissors to cut the stickers out. He was running with them and tripped and cut off the tip of the nose of one of his classmates. He was sent to a Special Ed school to help him with his problem. They had to do a brain test to make sure that Joey got the right medication. Joey met new people and learned about his condition. He got to go back to his old school in Ms.Maxy's class. I think Jack Gnats did a great job on this book. Out of all the books that I have ever read this was the best one. I am ten years old in the fourth grade.

how dumb can you be to swallow a key
the book joey pigza swallows the key is a very good book. the reason this is a good book is because you never now what joey is going to do because it all matter on weather he toke his meds or not

Charecters for $ale
Buy this character, Joey Pigza, [...] you'll love his entertainment! He is michovus and funny. Also his love for pleaseing you will fil your heart. He'll help you like he helpes his teachers and friends. He'll bring joy and happieness to your home. Face it! He's better than any other kid! Even though he's different, he's superior acts of kindness, prove that he is the one for you! So now you an have him for yourself! [...] ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Burned into my brain
This is a classic work, a brilliantly simple book, with a lovely fantasy story and exquisitely simple, highly memorable illustrations. Definitely a must for very young readers, especially dinosaur lovers.

Quite simply, Danny and the Dinosaur is forever burned into my brain as a favorite of my childhood, and now of my own children. It's Hoff's best, and I expect it will remain a classic for generations to come.

A Classic
AS I think back on my childhood htere are several books that helped to make me an advid reader. DANNY AND THE DINOSAUR is most definitely one. It is a pleasant story of a boy and his dinosaur. The adventures they have together are simple and beautiful. I remember reading this story over and over until the book was worn out. I remember sharing it with other children and reccomending it to many parents. It is a simple, fun, easy story that will lift your spirits and will encourage children to fall in love with books.

Dany and the dino
One day Danny decides to go to the museum where he meets a live dinosaur. Danny and the dinosaur then leave the museum and go exploring around town and have many adventures before it is time for the dinosaur to return to the museum.

The reason I only gave this book four stars is that I find the wording rather strained and awkward. Even though the words are not great, the illustrations are fun. Depending on the version, the illustrations are colored differently. The original (copyright 1958) has better colors in my opinion. They are a mix of pictures in shades of brown and pictures in full color. The main difference between the color quality in the original and reissue is that the reissue has a solid color, and the original almost look as if it were colored in lightly with crayons. I think the color in the reissue is harsher, and therefore prefer the previous. The drawing themselves are wonderful, cute and expressive.

So in my opinion this is a four star book because of the occasional awkwardness with the words and because of the way the pictures are colored in.

Loggie-log-log-log

My two year old loves it!
This is one of the books we find him "reading" on his own. This is one of the most requested books he has (out of hundreds). It's a great read-aloud book because there's enough room to point out the words while your kid is pointing at the pictures. The whole Danny series is great, in fact.

My own book
I thought this book was alright but it was not the best book I have ever read. I liked the way Danny went to the museum and the dinosaur came to life and took Danny to all those places, including the baseball game that they went to. I wish that I could go and get my own dinosaur and we could do all that stuff, but since the dinosaurs are extinct I guess I could not do that. I still like the book. ... Read more

Book Description

In Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. He was rescued at the end of the summer. Brian's Winter begins where Hatchet might have ended: Brian is not rescued, but must build on his survival skills to face his deadliest enemy--a northern winter. ... Read more

Reviews (255)

This is an excellent adventure story for junior high boys!
This book offers an alternate ending to Paulsen's previous book, Hatchet. The story disregards Brian Robeson's rescue in Hatchet and continues his story of survival in the Canadian wilderness. Brian has found a survival kit on the plane that gives him more than just a hatchet to use for survival. However, Brian still has to be creative in finding ways to survive.

His days are filled with hunting, gathering wood, and doing what it takes to survive. When Brian realizes winter is quickly approaching, he knows to survive the winter he must have shelter, warmer clothes, and food. Brian begins to make preparations for the coming of freezing weather. Brian must also survive encounters with many wild animals, such as wolves, bears, elks, and even a skunk. While many things go wrong, Brian continues to learn from his surroundings, and uses that knowledge to survive.

Readers will find Brian creative and his adventures in the wild fun to read. While this book will probably be mostly enjoyed by boys, it can be enjoyed by girls, too. The best recommendation I can give, perhaps comes from my 13 year old son, who rarely reads for enjoyment. He only reads when the book totally captures him. He picked up Brian's Winter while stuck in the backseat of the car during a two hour trip and began to read it. He kept saying, "Mom, this book is really good!" I had to make him give me the book, so I could get it read and reviewed for a class assignment. That tells me this is a book that is worth reading and is an excellent book to keep in my classroom library.

brian's accomplishments
Gary Paulsen has done it again he brought you the first survival book Hatchet, and he did it again with the sequel to it called Brian's Winter. It is again Brian Robeson surviving in the Canadian wilderness and only using his instincts to survive. But there is a twist in this book it doesn't take place in the Summer or Fall, it takes place in the Winter. During this book Brian is attacked, frozen, and he learns the real keys to survival. Luckily for him at the end of the first book he got the survival pack, which contained many things he used during the book brains winter. Brian in the book is attacked by a moose, bear, skunk and other things he is pushed to the edge but he pushes back, he over comes obstacles that we wouldn't dream of doing like eating grub and bugs he also eats moose, deer, birds, and rabbit. If you want an action packed survival book you found your book
If your looking for a good interesting survival book this is it. It has everything you need in a book plus survival tips, I would recommend this to any interested survival reader. I would say that this is the best survival book I have read yet. If you are interested in this book I would say read Hatchet first or at least the summary of Hatchet, it will help you understand the book Brian's Winter much better than just reading it first. But you will still catch on because this writer is pretty good a describing what happened in the first book. If I was to rate this novel from 1-10 I would give this book an 8 just on how much detail there is in it. I think Gary Paulsen put a lot of time in this novel.

Brian's Winter
This was a great book. I loved that we were able to find out about Brian after the summer. Gary Paulsen responded well to his readers comments.

Brian winter
In Brian winter by Gary Paulsen there where many ineresting points. Some of them include when Brian home was set on fire. It's was intersting because he Jumped out of the window and saved his self from a bear too. I Will tell peopel about this story. because it was fun and adventureous.

Brians Winter
Thirteen year old Brian was rescued in the hatchet but what if he wasn`t rescued? This book explains what might of happened if he wasn`t rescued. Too survive Brian must make shelter, get food, cook the food, and he has to keep him self warm. This story is mostly character because Brian changes himself in mind and body. He changes his weight because he eats healthier and he changes from unserios to serious he changes his courage bye going deeper in the woods every time. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A fun-filled adventure
Maddie and I read this as a read aloud. Much fun. A great sequel to the City of Ember. Lina and Doon are imperfect and terrific characters that everyone can relate to. Also, the other characters were well developed, too. Wouldn't it be great if there was another book coming...

A Spark of Inspiration!
EMBER was a gripping novel. As soon as I finished it, I emailed the author begging to know what happened next. She wasn't telling, of course. "You'll have to wait for the sequel," she said. Man, was it worth the wait. I rarely tell people that they have to buy a book, that they must not let another week go by without reading a particular title. Literature is very subjective, after all. What I love, another reader may find uninspiring. SPARKS is an exception to this.

Three chapters in, I was literally teary-eyed at the lyricism of Duprau's writing. Six chapters in, I couldn't put it down. I lost SLEEP to finish this book - my ultimate testament to a really good read.

THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS is a post-apocolyptic view of the world, after wars, plague and famine have wiped out most of the human race and the few people left are struggling for survival. In the first book, THE CITY OF EMBER, the City Builders have constructed a small city deep underground and stocked it with supplies in vast storerooms, then sent 100 couples with two children each to live there. The Builders know the wars, etc. are coming, and this is how they will save us all. After 200 years, the city infrastructure is crumbling and the city leaders are corrupt, supplies are running out, and the massive generator that keeps the lights on is failing, about to doom the Emberites to permanent darkness, but two young people find the way out, the way to the surface.

This leads us to book two in the series. The kids have dropped a message back down to the people of Ember telling them the way out, but will anyone come? They do. And they inundate a small settlement, falling on the mercy of the people who live there, a bedraggled lot, starving, exhausted, unable to move on, and without the skills to be useful members of the new community, the tiny village of Sparks. The Emberites have never seen trees, you see, or birds, or large fields of cabbages, or adobe houses, and fire is a terrifying thing.

What ensues is a fantastic story of generosity, deprivation, jealousy, and violence that may lead to the destruction of both communities. The lesson: there are no winners in war, and making peace means taking giant risks. This book has been haunting me for the two days since I finished reading it. If there were a world-wide cataclysmic event, who would survive? Would anyone? Will we ever learn that war only leads to war, violence only to more violence? Can we do something that will take us off the course of self-destruction? Is there hope for the human race?

Buy this book. Buy a copy for your local library. Buy a class set and donate it to your kids' school. It's that good.(...)

An Amazing Sequel
There is no doubt that Jeanne Duprau's first book, The City of Ember, was my favorite of last year. The wait for the sequel seemed like an eternity, but it was worth it! I loved the characters Lina and Doon, the tension brought about by little provisions, and of course, the twist at the end. I'm looking forward to more books by Jeanne Duprau. I hope the wait isn't too long.

Kind of a let down.
I finished reading the first book, The City of Ember, feeling like I needed more information. So when this book was released, I quickly got it. WOW. Could a sequel be more...tiresome? The idea was nice, and like a lot of futuristic books, based in a "President-and-Friends-had-a-bomb-party-and-the-world-blew-up-setting."
I've actually read many books like this. It wasn't a horrible book, but its not a favorite. But Jean Duprau illusrated the human nature well in the conflicts between the emberites and the people of sparks. The characters were well developed, which is a rare quality in books I dont like. I also was a little dissapointed because there wasn't a solid plot and I expected Lina and Doon to fall for each other. But then again, maybe Lina doesn't go for the pipe worker types.

a wonderful sequel !
Sparks is an amazing and wonderful sequel to The City of Ember, with a fascinating and fast paced story line and truly interesting and memorable characters. I was worried that Sparks would not be as great as Ember, but I loved it just as much (if not more) and was so sorry to come to the end. This brilliant and imaginative book will appeal to children and adults alike, and I'm sure will be read for many years to come. Please, Ms. DuPrau, write more! ... Read more

Book Description

Harry, the mischievous little white dog with black spots, tries everything he can think of to get the lady next door to stop singing. Now this best-selling book is packaged with a cassette featuring a delightful reading by Becca Lish.

... Read more

Reviews (3)

As Much Fun Now As When I was a Kid
I grew up with this book and never knew of the others in the series. Seeing as my daughter loves dogs I had to buy this when I saw it in this new edition.

An opera singer has moved into the house next to Harry's. The singer practices all day long, singing loud and high. Harry does not like this sound. Harry tries a number of ways to get her to stop. These do not please his family. But finally, a good way is found and everyone is happy.

As a parent, one of the things I like about this book is that it is clear that Harry is not being good when he howls, leads cows or a marching band, or other tricks. Although we want Harry to succeed, we also want it to be in the right and good way. This book knows the difference.

I loved this book as a kid and I still do. My daughter loves it (hopefully my son will too).

harry and the lady next door
I like Harry and the lady Next Door because Harry doesnt like her sining. I also like this book because Harry brings all these animals. home and the lady sings louder than them. These are reasons why you should read these books.

Harry the Wonder Dog!
Harry goes to desperate lengths to silence the lady next door - her singing is too high and loud. He howls, bits piano legs, steals music, chases cows and bands, but finally succeeds, to everyones' relief. Even the lady next door is happy.

I read this as a child, as did my brothers. This is the first story that my 5 year old has shown an interest in reading by himself. Thanks Harry! ... Read more

Book Description

2 hours, 23 min.
2 cassettes
Performance by Robert Sevra

1949 Newbery Honor Book
1999 Platinum Audio Award - Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

Hear all three magnificent dragon stories in this two-cassette set that begins with Elmer Elevator's trip to rescue an overworked dragon from a jungle island of wild beasts in My Father's Dragon.In Elmer and the Dragon, the friends are forced down in another land as they fly back from Wild Island and meet all the escaped canaries of the world.The final book, The Dragons of Blueland, tells of plans to outwit hunters who are trying to capture the dragon's family.
... Read more

Reviews (25)

A favorite read aloud book!
These three adventurous tales by Ruth Gannett kept my 5 year old son spellbound night after night--he continually begged me to read "just one more chapter!" and we are almost finished with our second time reading it. The trilogy begins with the main character, Elmer Elevator, venturing away from home to save a baby dragon from being abused by the animals of Wild Island. What follows are a series of Elmer's and the baby dragon's exciting adventures. This is a great read aloud book for ages 5-9!

Outstanding read-aloud book, very clever story
Much like Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm, the My Father's Dragon trilogy is a fun read, and has a mixture of absurdity and humor that appeals on multiple levels. It's an easy read to a toddler, with several pictures throughout, and journey maps on the inner covers.

Since the chapters are short, you can do two or three a night without losing continuity. At the same time, the story has enough depth and cleverness that the parent can remain engaged. Thus, it's a catalyst for bonding.

One of the things that makes it special is the main character. Elmer Elevator, on the advice of a stray cat, starts out on a noble odyssey to free a baby dragon from its animal tormentors. In his preparation, Elmer packs dozens of seemingly useless items, including a magnifying glass, brush, sandwiches, and lollipops. While he travels across Wild Island, all these items become essential, and you wonder if the story was being told by MacGyver :-)

We've read the trilogy to completion five times and it's still a hit with everyone.

Delightful Surprise
I was browsing the list of audiocassettes and happened across "Three Tales of My Father's Dragon." I read the other reviews and decided to buy it for my son (who is 4). We absolutely fell in love with all three stories! We listen to it ALL the time! We leave one cassette in the house to listen to at night and one in the car. We have had the tapes for two months and have not tired of listening to them. My son just laughs and loves all the aspects of these stories. The acting of all the characters is so vibrant and you quickly realize that each character has his own distinct personality and voice! I would HIGHLY reccomend these stories! They are fantastic!

My Fathers Dragon
My Fathers dragon written by R.S.G, may be the best book ever! Elmer is a boy who lives in Evergreen city. One day he meets a cat who tells him about a Dragon .The was trapped on Wild Island and Elmer goes to save him, On the way he tricks a lot of animals. One of them was when he gives lollipops to crocodiles to make a bridge. Does he save the dragon? Read this book to find out!

I love this book and recommend it to anyone who likes to imagine, loves excitement, adventure and danger! It's celebrating 50 years in print, I think it is perfect the way it is! With this book you can experience the magic!

Dragons and Adventure - What Kid Wouldn't Love it?
This volume is the complete set of tales about Elmer and his friend the dragon, including the fun illustrations. The complete set includes "My Father's Dragon," "Elmer and the Dragon," and "The Dragons of Blueland."

These stories are perfect first chapter books for kids. The vocabulary is simple and the chapters are short. I'd forgotten just how short until I started rereading them. Yet the stories are packed full of adventure. Elmer is especially resourceful, and I still get a kick out of how he takes the simplest things and makes them work in whatever situation he finds himself.

Whether kids read these stories themselves or listen to them being read, they're sure to become favorites. And adults will enjoy the clever story lines as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Approx. 5 hours
3 cassettes

Bat 6 - that's the softball game played every year between the sixth-grade girls of Barlow and Bear Creek Ridge.All the girls - Beautiful Hair Hallie, Manzanita who gets the spirit, the twins Lola and Lila, Tootie, Shadean - they've been waiting for their turn at Bat 6 since they could first toss a ball.

This time there's a newcomer on each team:Aki, at first base for the Ridgers, who just returned with her family from a place she's too embarrassed to talk about.And Shazam, center field for Barlow, who's been shunted around by her mother since her father was killed on December 7, 1941.

The adults of the two towns would rather not speak about why Aki's family had to "go away."They can't quite admit just how "different" Shazam is.And that is why the two girls are on a collision course that explodes catastrophically on the morning of Bat 6, the day they've been preparing for all their lives. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Bat 6
Bat 6 is told from the point of view of two softball teams from two neighboring towns that play a championship game every year. In 1949 each team had a new player. Aki, who just returned from the internment camps, joined one team, and Shazam, whose father was killed at Pearl Harbor, joined the other. Shazam blamed Aki for killing her father because she was Japanese. At the championship softball game, the hatred came out and a horrific event happened. This book is a very creative story that I liked very much but the pace was a little too slow for my taste. The author also skipped around too much as she went from one girl's view to another's. I would recommend this book to children of ages 10-13 because of the language and the complex story.

21 Very Different Girls
Bat 6 is an annual softball game played by two teams from small towns in Oregon. The Bat 6 game has been going on since 1899, and all of the girls are determined to win this year's Bat 6 game. The two teams names are Barlow Creek and Bear Creek Ridge. Bear Creek Ridge has won more games than Barlow, and that makes the girls on Barlow even more determined to win this year.
The author chose a very complex way of writing this book. In some parts of the book, you can barely understand what she is trying to say. The narrator changes a lot and that's what makes it even more confusing. I like what she chose to do because you get to hear thoughts from different characters about what is going on in the book. Various characters help tell this amazing, complex story. This book gives a lot of detail and makes you think a lot. It is good for kids eight and older because it might be hard for little children to understand, but I would definitely recommend reading this book.
All the girls on each team are different, just like me and you. There is one girl in particular. This girl's name is Shazam. Her father was killed in World War Two, during the Pearl Harbor attack. She hates all Japanese people now. She thinks all of them are evil and they are out to get her. Shazam joins the Barlow team and definitely stands out from the other players.
Bear Creek Ridge gets a new player too. Her name is Aki and she's Japanese. She can throw left and right and can hit very well. She becomes one of the best players on the team, but the other girls don't mind. They are all kind to one another and they are open to all people.
The Bat 6 game comes so soon. This is the day all of the girls have been waiting for all of their lives. The game is going well; the teams are both doing very well. Everyone is nervous. Towards the end of the game, something happens that will change the girls' lives forever and will go down in Bat 6 history. Something that no one is expecting. A terrible event, maybe the worst the girls had ever seen, something that damaged a person for a long time, maybe even for life.

Complex and Exciting
An extraordinarily complex story of two girls baseball teams with a terrific plot that any girl should have the pleasure to read. The characters are easy to get to know and extremely realistic, each one with a different personality. Virginia E. Wolff makes characters that can be slightly arrogant yet at the same time your best friend. Chapters had great cliff-hangers and will keep you reading up to the end.

Good, but confusing
Bat 6 is the name of an annual 6th grade girls' softball game between two neighboring Oregon towns. It was started in 1899 by the women of the two towns in an effort to get the menfolk of each town talking to each other.

As this book opens, it is the beginning of the 1949 season, and girls on both teams are preparing for the big 50th annual game. New on the Bear Creek Ridge team is Aki, a Japanese-American girl whose family has just returned from the concentration camp where they lived during WWII. New to the Barlow team is Shazam, who lost her father when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. The very first line of the book, "Now that it's over, we are telling," sets up the expectation of something catastrophic happening and that tension is well maintained throughout the book as the girls on each team share bits and pieces of what happened at the Big Game.

Bat 6 was a worthwhile read exploring themes of racial tension, rivalry, and the effect of war on the mind of a child. However, it was difficult going. In spite of chapter headings it was hard to keep track of who was narrating and what team they were on. In fact it took me four chapters just to realize that these girls were on different teams, so I had to backtrack in my reading and pay more attention to chapter headings. A table is provided at the beginning of the book which lists each girl on each team, but to have to flip back and refer to it every time the narrator's voice changes interrupts the reading experience and makes a book like this work rather than fun.

This may be a good read-aloud, but it would be an unusual 9-12 year old who would be able to keep track of the story.

Bat Six
This book is a tense conflict of emotions after world war two. Its extremely real characters and prejudices fit in perfectly with the time and setting. The thoughtful Aki contrasts with the tempermental, troubled, Shazam, and the incident at Bat Six is strongly foreshadowed but shocking even so.
This is a great book!!! ... Read more

Book Description

"If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until it looks so ugly you can hardly bear to look at it."

How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything -- except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don't just want out, they want revenge.

Reviews (84)

Would You Ever Want a Frog in Your Bed?
What would you do if someone put a frog in your bed or made you eat worms while making you think its spaghetti? The Twits is a book about some nasty people who play awful tricks on each other. The author is Ronald Dahl, who is a very popular author. Mr. and Mrs. Twit have bird pie on Wednesday and keep monkeys in a cage and make them do awful things. The father is Muggle-Wump. He has a wife and two children. My favorite part is when a friend comes from Africa and warns the bird by singing this song. "There's sticky stuff all over this tree! If you land on it you'll never get free! So, fly away! Fly away! Stay up high! Or you'll finish up tomorrow in a hot bird pie!!!" So read the book The Twits to figure out what happens to the monkeys and the Twits.

Devilishly Funny
The Twits is so hilarious. I've always been a fan Roald Dahl's, but I had never experienced this comic gem. The giggling begins on the first page, and it reaches a huge climax a quick 76 pages later. You will probably be doubled over laughing by then. Everything about the book is funny as you watch Mr. and Mrs. Twit pull prank after totally original prank on each other (the pranks include frogs, glass eyes, and balloons among other things). Then, you find out that the mean, awful Twits have been trying to raise an upside down monkey circus, and the monkeys want to get their freedom and to get back at the Twits. Their ingenious plot to get back at the Twits provides the biggest laughs of the book. Even the small descriptions are funny. My favorite line in the book comes when Dahl is describing the yard. He writes of the tree: "To one side (of the house) there is The Big Dead Tree. It never has any leaves on it because it's dead." I'm not totally sure why, but that line almost had me crying. This is one of the most fun reads I've ever had, and the illustrations are great, too. Anytime you're feeling bad, I would certainly suggest this delightful (even if a little mean) read.

this book is great
This book i enjoyed very much. I loved how it was really funny, and every chapter made me laugh. It was a easy to read book and it was really imaginative. the only things i didnt like is that the chapters were really short and the begginig to almost the end all they did were jokes on each other for a while. But over all it was a great book.

The Twits Book Review
The Twits are the ugliest and evilest people in the whole entire world. They have caged monkeys at their house. The monkeys want to be free to return to Africa. The Roly Poly bird comes to help them get free. The Roly Poly bird is a bird that origanated in Africa and took a vacation to England. Will the monkeys get? Read the book to find out.

We liked The Twits because it was funny and silly. It was also a short chapter book. The Twits are funny characters. I would really consider reading this book.

The twits
When I read the book called The Twits I thought it was very interesting. It was very extraordinary and exciting. It was also really gross when the writer, Roald Dahl, wrote about Mr. Twits beard. Mr. Twit never washed it and it had bits of food from many years ago in it. It's just a funny little book you can read in your spare time. Mr. and Mrs. Twit fight a lot by planning mean and nasty tricks on each other. I wonder why they are married? The twits aren't just ugly on the outside but on the inside as well! The Twits hate everyone and everything. They are mean to nature and animals. They have no care or respect for anyone, not even for themselves! They catch innocent birds and make them into bird pies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Summerland, his first novel for young readers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon attempts an American Narnia. Inspired by Lewis and Tolkien, he's created his own magical landscape on which to paint a sweeping fantasy quest, but mixes the same ingredients--folklore and new inventions--in a distinctively American way.

The plot is simple and pure, but takes a long time to tell. The setting is Clam Island, Washington, specifically the area on the western tip of the island known as the Summerlands, which enjoys zero rainfall and yearlong fine weather. Ethan Feld, a self-described really bad ball player, is recruited by a 100-year-old scout called Mr. Chiron "Ringfinger" Brown. Ethan is needed to help the ferishers, essentially fairies, to save their world from eradication. On the great infinite tree of worlds, Summerland is on the boundary between two such worlds, and a particularly destructive fairy called Coyote and his band of warriors are nearby and threatening to destroy everything.

Heroes are desperately needed to counter this threat, and their journey involves a lot of baseball, but also encounters with giants, bat-winged goblins, sea monsters, and assorted cunning magic. The novel features an ensemble cast of equal parts that shine and fade in turn, and yet the undoubtedly fine writing fails to mask the enormity and complexities of the world in which they travel, and the bad guys getting their comeuppance always seems so far away. Readers need to savor every word in Summerland to extract the best flavors from it. (Ages 10 and older.) --John McLay, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (109)

Gives new meaning to "fantasy league baseball"!
You know, now I can't remember what prompted me to purchase this book, but I'm glad I did. It isn't perfect, but it was quite enjoyable. I doubt, however, that someone who doesn't like or doesn't know anything about baseball, would enjoy it much. I grew up in New York, and then lived in Boston for 10 years, and lived for a time two blocks from Fenway Park; we'd go up to the roof with a cooler and lawn chairs, and be able to see a lot of the game. So, while I'm not a baseball fanatic, yes, I like baseball. As I read this, I kept thinking that my late mother, who was far more of a baseball fan, would have enjoyed it even more.

I have picky tastes about fantasy, too, juvenile or adult. A story has to have some subtlety to it, and some rules. And I like a touch of humor. This novel has all three, to a degree adequate for an adult novel, not just a Young Adult. It's also got vocabulary that will certainly send Young Adults, and possibly some older ones, to their dictionaries. One reviewer compared the book to Narnia with a list of similarities; I would say that the differences are that this book has a sense of humor, and it's subtle enough not to hit you over the head with a sledgehammer about its point. Frankly, I never found the Narnia books worth rereading; I've found them simplistic, and the Christian allegory a little too over-riding for my tastes, though I enjoyed them when I was 10. Summerland is not a Christian allegory at all; it combines some aspects of many religions, and some of no religion at all. So those hoping to find "another Narnia" because they want a good "Christian story" will be disappointed. The rest of us, however, appreciate the work that went into picking ideas out of many traditions - Norse, Native American, Celtic, and secular legends.

In particular, the Tall Men seem to represent legendary large figures from every area - there's a recognizable John Bunyan equivalent, but others are clearly from non-Anglo-Western traditions.

Some of my favorite things about the book:
*The Saab named Skidbladnir, Skid for short, and all its dials in Swedish. Hey, now I know the Swedish for gasoline and volume!
*Grim the Giant, who is not quite 5 feet tall.
*The size changes required for Fair Folk to play baseball with Tall Men or even humans, and the comments on how the perception of size affects one's play.
*The wererat; the only other wererat I've read in fantasy is in Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake series, and it's interesting to compare the ideas of what a human-rat were would turn out like. (Note: the Hamilton series is emphatically NOT young adult!!)

Stuff I didn't like: the ending, unlike the rest of the book, was a little too simple. I think I would have liked the victory to be a teensy bit less obvious, and our heroes' trip back home to be more difficult, as, for example, in The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings, where going home again takes some effort, and the characters' experiences have changed them enough that home is no longer as comfortable as it once was. In Summerland, the characters have grown up some, but they slide right back into the limited society of Clam Island as if nobody else noticed anything different.

All in all, worth the read, and then pass it along to someone else who loves both books and baseball!

Summer-dud by Michael Chabon
I usually don't write reviews, but after reading Summerland by Michael Chabon, I have to let one go.This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read.And I've read alot of 'em.This Harry Potter wanna' be reads more like a cross between a poorly written Steven King and a Douglas Adams novel that doesn't make any sense at all.Although, the plot is quite simple, Chabon complicates our journey through Summerland by confusing us with character, objects and places that are given names so complicated, or the reverse, so simplistic, that they become ridiculous and confusing.As Chabon got caught up more and more into the creation of this ridiculously confusing world the reader becomes less and less interested in finishing the novel.I forced myself to finish it, just to see if it got any better; it didn't!

good, but...
Don't get me wrong. This really as a very good book; the writing waspretty !@#$% - ing incredible (it's not overly descriptive and the metaphors/similes are amazing). It somewhat proved that us Americans can also flourish in the world of fantasy novels, a world which has been kown to immediately bring the term "Britain to mind" (Potter, Peter Pan, Matilda, etc.). For that I respect Mr. Chabon to a certain extent; yet another good side to the novel is that Chabon managed to recycle the slightly cliche plot (an outcast kid is chosen against all apparent reason to travel with a bandof magical creatures to save the world from the magical overlord), yet still makeit his own and make the narration sound very "American." HOWEVER, the book is still quite far from what one might want to consider "perfect." There arecertain times duringwhich it is very apparent that Chabon is trying just a little too hard to match up to all of the fantasy hype and write up the "next big thing," so he goes way overboard and does WAY too much. The book has just about frigging everything from willed teleportation to Paul Bunyan. But the more apparent, dissapointing downside, is the fact that he seems to have "borrowed quite a bit of things from other literary works:
A wrinkle in time:
- Both have magical glasses thatsee things that aren't right in front of you, involve a father who has been kidnapped , have a unaturally smart sidekicks (Charles Wallace and Thor), and both have a protagonist who is unsure of themselves.
Narnia:
- Professor Kirke/Trufflehunter the Badger = Cutbelly the Werefox
- Seasepant = Bottom cat
- Wild wastelands of the North = Far territories
- Puddleglum the Marsh wiggle = Taffy the gloomy sasquatch
- Trumpkin the dwarf = Cinquefoil the "Ferisher"
- Icy winterlands = Spell by white witch
- Both have concept of immense time differences
- Talking animals = "Werebeasts"
- Reepicheep the mouse = Pettipaw the wererat (also a has a little bit oftempleton in him)
- Bottom of the world = "Bottomest bottom of everything"
- End of world where sky meets the ground = Glass wall of sky that shields "gleaming"
- BOTH use the term "giantland"
- both told by narrator referring to audience directly
- BOTH villainshave army of strange demonic ceatures
- Wood between the worlds = "the briar patch"
- Both spoken by narrator who refers to magical land as if it were a real place
- Both menton in passing a sun larger than ours
- White witch's sledge = Coyote's "steam Sleges."
Though the list is quite a lot I'll admit, Summerland was NOT a bad book, it's just that certain parts just seemed to be an Americanized Narnia, lol. It still had some unique qualities, particularlly, the whole "Basball is life and governs the universe, etc.," and all of the native American derivations; I especially liked how Chabon turned Coyote into this really suave, demonic guy with all of these armies of creatures and weird machines. Another thing II found enjoyable, was how Chabon very cleverlyy intetwined quantum mechanics witht eh Nordic view of the universe. So overall, not perfect, but good.

This book was a great book
It is a great book for baseball fans it was about Ethan a horrible baseball player who has to save his gunis father by useing his baseball skills he plays catcher. But he also is saving the world. The world this book is like a tree you can leap from one bratch to another close branch but you can leap to far. It never rains it his hometown and it is always sunny. He goes on a adenture when his friend Jennifer T. And the almost robitic like Thor go one a jounery to save Ethan's father and on the way they pick up a friend. Ethan thinks he hates baseball but he'll find out later in the book if he really hates baseball or not. They battle all storts of monters and go though all differnt world from the ice world and the summer worlds. I think this book shows good courage and friendships. I recommand this to people of all ages. It is awsome for people who love baseball and like to read.

Fantasy adventure AND baseball?Now you're talking!
I thought the book was wonderful.It was certainly a change of pace for Michael Chabon, and while I wouldn't say it rates up there with Tolkein or C.S. Lewis, it was a fantasy adventure that certainly rates higher than the Potter novels (which I really enjoyed!)There is one potential problem with the book.My 10 year old son read the book and liked it, but after hearing me read chapters aloud to my 7 year old son before bed, he said that he thought he missed a lot of detail."Too many characters for a kid to keep track of", he was his comment.But, he had the same comment reading Tolkein, so it's no indictment of the book, obviously.Maybe the best bet is to read it to your kids, or discuss the book with your kid as he reads it.The beauty of the book is in the richness of the folklore and the development of the characters, so it is worth discussion. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left, so young Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little House books.

Reviews (29)

EXTRA ! EXTRA ! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
THE LONG WINTER by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a non-fiction story which tells about her interesting pioneer life.The book describes Laura's life in the prairies during a winter in the late 1870's. It tells how she and her family survive the long hard winter that year. It talks about how hard it was to find enough food for everyone.The chidren had to keep up with their school lessons at home because the blizzards were so strong that they had to stay inside.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to about what it was like in other times in history. In conclusion this is a great book to learn what it was like to be a pioneer in the 1870's.

The Long Winter
This Book is a great book because, it is depended on a true story about the person wrote the book, Laura Ingalls Wilder. So far I have read almost the whole set of these great books and I think that the books were exciting and also fantastic. In this book The Long Winter it was hard for the family to survive a very long winter around 8 months that had hard snow with barely any supplies because of the blizzards. The blizzard made the Ingalls have a hard time because the snow made the train with the supplies to take to their town imppossible to make it there so, they had to use Mary's college money to pay for food and warmth because, in the store they raised the price on everything. My favorite part was when the two men went into the storm and got wheat for the store in the big storm. What got me mad was shopkeeper paid for the wheat but charged so much over the price. But the 2 men stood up and said something so he lowered the price of the wheat and sold the wheat to the costumers for the original price that those 2 men got from the man who sold it to them.

You'll get cold just reading it.
The cover on this book is very misleading, showing children happily playing in the snow. In fact, the book is a description of an unbelievably long, devastatingly cold South Dakota winter in which the Ingalls family struggled for survival. This is a good book for a hot summer day -- just reading it will chill you down.
My question is this: After the long winter finally ended, why didn't Pa Ingalls immediately load the family into a wagon and head for south Texas to grow grapefruit? Just kidding, of course, but as a life-long Texan I have a hard time understanding people who live in South Dakota today, with heated houses and cars. It boggles the mind that people lived there in Laura Ingalls' day, when they had to tie up bundles of straw to put in the stove and generate a paltry amount of heat to keep from freezing to death.

Wow! This one is terribly exciting!
I have embarked on the reading of the "Little House" book series, an historical account of the life of pioneer girl Laura Ingalls and her family. This is the 5th book in the series and it is by far the most exciting. Pa, Ma, Mary(who is now blind), Laura, Carrie and Grace get a new homestead but they must move into the town of DeSmet for the winter and they plan to build a house on their new land in the spring. Once settled in, Pa meets a mysterious old indian at the store who warns of a blizzard that will last seven months. And he is right. It comes in October and there is still blizzard in April. It is so cold where they live that there is ice in their bucket of water every morning so they must daily heat it on the stove in order to get water. To keep warm at night they put what is called a hot flatiron in their beds. I think they are pieces of the stove that go on burners. Like all the other books in this series, you learn interesting things: How do you get your horse out of a hole in the snow? How do you make a lamp out of a button and some grease? How do you ward off and treat frostbite? What do you do when all you have to eat for months is potatoes and just when you can't stand to eat one more potato you run out? Yes, they actually ran out of food! It happened twice in this book. You will learn what happens when a family runs out of food. You will learn what it is like to begin starving. You will see what 2 men did in their effort to save a whole town from starving. You will see how some people act when pushed to their very limits. The good and the bad come out in people. When Laura wakes up every morning, there is frost on the nails that hold their roof and walls together. The blizzard has howling, screaming winds with only one day break between 4 day long blizzards. The trains cannot run at all so no food or goods of any kind come into the town. When Christmas comes Laura makes presents for everyone in her family and she is the only one who doesn't get a present at all. But she never says this, you have to figure it out. The whole book covers just this one winter when Laura is thirteen years old.

There is one thing I always wanted to know that this book doesn't tell you either. How does Mary feel about becoming blind? She used to be "friend sisters" with Laura and they did everything together. Now Laura does these things with little Carrie who is now 10.

If you only plan to read one book in the "Little House" series, this one should be it. You'll be thankful for your furnace, your roof, and your food. You'll find out how easy you've got it, and how to be a hero. I'm not planning to read it again, I feel cold and hungry just thinking about it, it was too realistic. But I think it was really really good for the kids to see how good they have it.

The Best In The "Little House" Series
THE LONG WINTER is the best book for a couple of different reasons. First, it's a dramatic tale of a whole town nearly starving to death during the hard winter. Secondly, this seems to be the only book in which not everything is seen from Laura's viewpoint. This was a wise decision on the part of the author, because since Pa was the only one who went out of the house during the bitter weather, he would've had to come back and relate everything to his family.

In addition, the harrowing trek by Almanzo and Cap to find wheat was best told by the author switching to their viewpoint. Also, some of the tension amongst the townspeople when supplies are low and prices are high really gives the novel added flavor and drama.

A third reason that THE LONG WINTER is the best of the series is that it's so educational. Even the most casual of readers can pick up survival tips by observing what Pa, Ma and the girls do to 'contrive', strive and ultimately, survive. It is true that some of the chapters have a sameness, but this makes the reader feel what it was like to face starvation in the freezing dark cold. When Laura feels 'never fully awake', she's experiencing classic symptoms of starvation.

If you choose just one "Little House" book (but why would anyone stop at one?) read THE LONG WINTER. ... Read more