Book Description

Many have tried to master the slippery slopes of Suicide Hill on their bikes. Marvin's older brother has conquered the hill, but Marvin has steered clear. Until now. The word at school is that Marvin will be taking on the hill with his new mountain bike. But the truth is, he can barely climb on the seat! And the gears--forget about it. How did he suddenly become a daredevil? Does he have to go through with it to prove himself? If Marvin makes it, he'll be a hero. If not, his friends and family may catch the biggest wipeout in history! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Marvin's Back....
How does Marvin Redpost get himself into these situations? The talk around school is that he's got a new mountain bike and is going to take on Suicide Hill. Truth is, Marvin can hardly even climb onto the bike, no less ride it. If he actually survives the ride, he'll be the most popular boy at school. If he wimps out, he'll never be able to show his face again. And if he challenges the hill and loses, his friends and family may get to watch the worst wipeout, ever. Poor Marvin is scared to death and doesn't know what he's going to do..... Louis Sachar has written another charming and amusing story your 7-10 year olds will really be able to identify with. This is a story full of great, realistic scenes, true to life dialogue and characters, so real, they could live in your neighborhood. And as Marvin decides whether to take that fateful trip down Suicide Hill or not, your youngsters will be rooting for him. Mr Sachar and Marvin never disappoint and they're not starting now.

Marvin Redpost continues to please
The newest Marvin Redpost series book does not disappoint its faithful followers. Marvin again gets himself into a sticky situation-- this time he manages to get dared into riding his new mountainbike down Suicide Hill and it's a bike that he can hardly fit on top of. Stick with Marvin through the story and learn how he always seems to come out on top! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Not the best one, but still enjoyable
As a child, I read all of the "classic" Asterix books in Swedish. As an adult living in the U.S., I am reading them again to my children, but this time in English. In addition, this time I am also reading the new ones, like this one, and I am still enjoying it.

My kids asked me to read this one once, and did not ask for it again after that. So I guess that is a sign it is not the best one. I can see why, the story line is not as intriguing as usual, a little hard to believe, and a little bit non-Asterix. The kids do not care for pretty cartoon women and love stories, so that should be avoided. However it was still enjoyable and funny, and worth buying and reading, just do not let this one be your first Asterix.

I find that children the age 5-13 usually really enjoy these books, not just mine. These comic books are a great way to teach children ancient history. Naturally, the adult needs to help with the differentiation between fiction and history. From these books, my kids have learned about the Roman Empire, the ancient Greeks, the Vikings, the Goths, the Phoenicians, ancient Gaul, ancient Egypt, and the ancient Mediterranean world in general.

A BIG disappointment!
I have been an avid Asterix fan almost ALL my life, I have collected pretty much all the Asterix adventures and still love and read them ALL. I think they are ALL brilliant, this is simply NOT Asterix. When I found out there was a new Asterix out there I was very excited, I was reading the other reviews and thought well just how bad can it be, this is Asterix after all... let me tell you, if you are a big fan and familiar with earlier Asterix books, do NOT buy this! It IS THAT bad! I do NOT know what these people who gave it good reviews are on about, Uderzo died a while back and Goscinny has produced some excellent Asterix since, it is not a sudden transition! Call a spade a spade, if you are over ten years old, this is just not worth it, TRUST ME!

oh come on now
it wasn't that bad, u ppl sound like lawyers sent by Goscinny's daughter. i still like asterix and yes it is harder for Underzo
to draw the pictures AND write the dialogue, so cut him some slack and show some support instead of ripping him to shreds during this "crisis."

This is ASTERIX???
I think this is as LOW as Asterix has ever gotten. Come on, Uderzo has simply lost his touch and does not have the same magic as Goscinny. The previous Asterix books were just amazing, but this is just a PATHETIC excuse for an Asterix book. The storyline is weak(ever hear of using an impersonator just to get a helmet and sword? -ridiculous), and the flavor of humor is simply missing, although the old magic is displayed in some instances in the book. However, the drawings are still as good as the old ones, but that cannot save this Asterix from being a flop. I just hope that Uderzo can leave asterix in peace and finish the Great series before damaging its reputation any further.

Asterix has gone to the dogs
Uderzo should really just call it a day and retire. The vast majority of Asterix books are pure genius, but this latest offering lets him down badly. The illustrations, of course, are delightful, although the frames look strangely empty, but there is more plot in a couple of pages of "Asterix and the Banquet" than in this entire volume.
As Brutus was dispatched at the end of "Asterix and Son" to Upper Germania or somewhere, Pompey is cast as the villain, although he only appears about twice. However, the idea of employing such an elaborate device as to hire an impersonator (or impersonatrix, I beg her pardon) just to recover a mere sword and helmet is frankly ridiculous. I think Uderzo just extracted a load of enjoyment from drawing a book's worth of well-favoured women such as Panacea, and thought he could get away with publishing the result as an Asterix book. The dialogue, too, doen't come close to the sublime heights of the earlier adventures, with many of the puns, for example those concerning fish, being recycled from previous books, and the new ones being of the feeble standard of "HGV - Heavy Gaulish Vehicle".
"Asterix and Obelix All At Sea", the preceding offering, was bad enough, but if this kind of downward trend is the future of Asterix, I must say I hope the Romans take over the village as soon as possible and put an end to the whole thing before it gets any worse.

We are not amused. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by a BBC full-cast
Two cassettes / 2 hours 56 mins.

Great snakes!It's young reporter-sleuth Tintin and a hilarious and nefarious cast of characters including his faithful dog Snowy, Captain Haddock, and the look-alike detectives Thompson and Thompson, romping through hix adventures from the Sahara Desert, to the high seas to the surface of the moon.Over two million copies of the Tintin books have been sold in the U.S.

Includes:The Black Island; The Secret of the Unicorn; Red Rackham's Treasure; Destination Moon; Explorers on the Moon; and Tintin in Tibet.

Join an all-star cast including Leo McKern, Andrew Sachs and Stephen Moore in these six thrilling adventures of the intrepid boy reported and his trusty dog, Snowy. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Six Adventures of Tin Tin
These audio cassettes are wonderful. The actors do a terrific job bringing Tin Tin to life. My eight-year-old son loves listening to them while he plays or cleans his room or is in the car. It's like old-fashioned radio and far better than watching the TV.

BBC Recordings Add New Dimension To Tintin
Stories include: Black Island, Secret of Unicorn, Red Rackham's Treasure, Destination Moon, Explorers on Moon, Tintin in Tibet. The BBC has pulled out all the stops to provide top actors having fun with the Tintin stories, plus great sound effects and appropriately exciting or scary background music. The voices are quite different from the video taped stories, and so offer a completely new interpretation. And whereas the video tapes focus on visual presentation and pretty much treat the audio as a given (fair enough), these audio tapes fully exploit the possibilities of sound. Tintin is played absolutely straight, but the other characters are somewhat camped up, to provide entertaining parodies of themselves (for instance, the East European baddies have accents worthy of a Bond movie). Be aware that the accents are all very British or are British versions of foreign accents; but very clear recordings would make them easy to follow for most non-British English speaking listeners, I'd say. The stories follow the books more or less; the title 'unabridged' may mislead, as to compress the stories to a half hour each, much has been chopped out - consequently the stories rattle along at a fast clip. What have been added are touches of humour absent from the originals, such as an evil doctor describing Tintin as having signs of mental disorder which include 'infantilism, delusions of grandeur, a dog lover, and plus fours'. I bought these tapes for my 6 year old daughter, but we both enjoy them equally though in different ways: she for the plot and the escapism of the stories, me for the subtleties of the interpretation and the humour. These tapes are a steal at this price. Next stop: volume 2 for me. ... Read more

Book Description

Ramona Quimby is sure fourth grade will be "the best year of her life, so far." She can show off her calluses from swinging on the rings in the park, sit across the aisle from the boy she calls Yard Ape, and enjoy her cheerful new teacher, Mrs. Meacham. Most exciting of all, Ramona has a new best friend, Daisy.

Fourth grade doesn't turn out quite the way Ramona has hoped. Mrs. Meacham wants her to improve her spelling. Ramona also must be a good role model for her baby sister, Roberta. And Mrs. Quimby wants her to spend more time with, the super-perfect Susan. Fourth-grade life isn't always easy, but it's full of adventure, and at the end of it all- a "zeroteenth" birthday to celebrate!

01 AZ Young Reader Award Masterlist (Intermed. cat.), 01 Colorado Children's Book Award (Jr. Novel Cat.), 00-01 Young Reader's Choice Award Program Masterlist, and 00-01 Keystone to Reading Book Award Masterlist

00 Children's Choices (IRA/CBC)

Reviews (46)

Great to be back
Count me amongst the Gen Xers who inhaled these books when we were young! I remembered Cleary stating that "Ramona Forever" would be the last of the series, so imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon the Beverly Cleary website and found that there was a new book I hadn't read.

For the most part, I was satisfied. What felt good was seeing someone FINALLY understand and empathize with Ramona. Usually it seemed as though she was the oddball, the wild mess amongst neater, quieter kids like Susan and Howie, someone who caught the disapproving eye of grown-ups on a regular basis. But in this book, not only does she finally get a laid back best friend with an even more laid back family, but she comes out looking good compared to Susan. That may be one reason other readers find it more difficult to empathize with her -- because Ramona's point of view no longer seems so unusual.

I agree that something felt off, and part of it had to do with the rather cardboard presentations of Mr. and Mrs. Quimby. In a modern twist, Mrs. Quimby belongs to a book club... but whatever happened to her dilemma about taking time off of work to care for the baby? The loveable Mr. Quimby is barely there -- all I recall is his joking statement to Beezus that he was surprised she didn't get her nose pierced, too. What happened to his management position at the frozen food wearhouse? How does he feel about not getting to teach art classes? To fit in information about every character, it almost seems as though the book would have had to be twice as long.

Some updating was inevitable, but I'm thankful Cleary never actually had Beezus and Ramona surfing the Internet. Beezus's dilemma about getting her ears pierced, though, felt quite retro in this day of "anything goes" piercing.

My hope is that Cleary might squeeze out a few more books in the series. I would love to see Ramona's reaction to Beezus driving.

Another Delightful Excursion Into Childhood!
Cleary does a wonderful job of portraying 9 year-old Ramona's character by showing, for example, how excited Ramona was to start 4th grade. Ramona was at the bus stop early, and the author says something like: "Ramona was always early. Something might happen that she wouldn't want to miss." What a great summary of the character's exuberant personality!

Childhood comes flooding back reading Ms. Cleary. I forgot how something like a baby sister is such a huge event, you can't wait to tell EVERYONE - the whole WORLD must know this! I forgot how you have a sort of crush on someone and you don't want anyone to know - not even your best friend. I forgot how kids jump to the craziest conclusions! After Ramona has an accident involving her best friends attic ceiling (well, she darn near falls through it!) she cries and cries. Not so much because the scratches and bumps hurt, but because now she can't come play with Daisy any more and she no longer has a best friend! Poor Ramona automatically assumed her friend's mom would no longer want her around. But you can certainly see a child thinking like this.

I still have a lot of Cleary to discover, and I plan to keep reading!

Lawn Monkey
Ramona's World by: Beverly Cleary is a very good book! Ramona is eight years old and thinks that her fourth grade year is going to be GREAT!!! Once she meets her teacher and figures out that she has the kind of teacher that is TERRIFIC at spelling, she thinks the very opposite! Now she thinks that she pretty much knows it's going to be a not so GREAT year for her. She has no friends except the dorky guy next door named "Howie". Then she meets her new best friend Daisy! Daisy and Ramona teach each other alot! Daisy teaches Ramona about school and how to spell. Ramona helps out Daisy by showing her around her new school. Ramona finally figures out that her fourth grade year isn't too bad after all. She gets a valentine from the guy that she likes alot named "yard ape" and she meets her new best friend. She also finds out that her teacher Mrs. Meacham doesn't hate her after all and that she can spell. I liked this book alot because it is about normal kids and what it is like growing up. Ramona gets herself into some situations that every kid can relate to. She's a "goofy" everyday girl that likes to have fun with her classmates. I would recommend this book to other kids my age because it's funny. It is a good read!

Ramona's World
Ramona's World is one of Beverly Cleary's best Ramona books. Ramona is just a regular girl growing up. She is in 4th grade in this book and she has some trouble with kids but in the end she figures them out. I think that Ramona is just like some of the girls I knew in 4th grade. She's even kind of like me! I also think that Ramona is a role model to some people. This book is very easy to read and I would reccomend it to anyone.

Ramona's World
I recommend this book for 4th and 5th. Have you been stuck in the middle? The baby gets everthing? The oldest gets to do everthing? Well then this is the book for you' by Beverly Cleart Ramona's World! Ramona's sister gets her ears pierced and Ramona is like well what if i got my ears pierced what would they think? Her little sister gets everthing and when she cry's her mom gets her and Ramona has to get her she hates it! I really like thiis book and if you are stuck in the middle all the time you should read this ! ... Read more

Book Description

Por fin llega el tan esperado primer dia de clases de Ramona. Ahora podrÁ hacer las mismas cosas que su hermana Beezus y sus amigos.

Los lectores la acompaÑaran en sus alegrias y tristezas, en sus occurrencias y sus travesuras, sus miedos y sus fantasÍas. CompartirÁn la caÍda del primer diente, la primera vergÜenza, las primeras letras...

Reviews (1)

Remembering my youth
Ramona reminded me of myself when I was a little girl. She does things that most kids only think of doing because they are afraid to get into trouble. I love the reality aspect that Beverly Cleary brings to the story. Not only does Ramona LA Chinche take me back in time, it allows future generations of kids to see that they aren't the only ones to think up some of the crazy stunts that Ramona pulls off. This story is a hilarious page turner from the very beginning! I'd recommend it to any school teacher and, of course, all students. What a great read! ... Read more

Book Description

Freddy and friends decide to take a trip to Mars in Benjamin Bean's fabulous space ship. But the intrepid explorers are knocked off course and find themselves on a strangely familiar planet, where danger (and Martians) lurk around every corner! Freddy and his friends from the Bean farm make the trip to explore the final frontier-with hilarious results! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Lord, this brings back memories.
As a preteen I read every "Freddy the Pig" book except "The Clockwork Twins" and that only because my library couldn't find a copy of it. Reading these in order was one of the highlights of my trips to the local library. I'm delighted to see them being re-released in mass market editions. They are absolutely timeless and priceless additions to any child's collection.

Freddy Takes Off
While not the best of the stories about Freddy the Pig, this novel is one of the better ones, coming at the end of the middle cycle. The first few books, while entertaining, were before Brooks really reached his stride as a writer, and shortly after this book he was coming down from his peak. Besides exploring outer space with several friends, Freddy must also help save the Bean family from inlaws who make a plague of locusts look like fun. Even Brooks'least Freddy book is head and shoulders above most other children's books, and most can be enjoyed by adults as well.

5 stars for Brooks
These books are the hidden gems of children's literature in the United States. They are all so warm, smart and fabulously funny. Freddy and the Space Ship is no exception. It sounds like a cliche, but these novels truly embody the spirit of timelessness. They are all a delight. Freddy and the Space Ship continues the formula, providing witty insights and familiar old characters to a new and exciting, albeit naive, story. Wonderful books. Every child, or child at heart should own one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wonderful, almost complete collection
I loved reading the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books as a child, and I loved reading "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle", "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic", and "Hello, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" again in this wonderful collection. The only problem is that "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm" is not included.

Roma Parekh
This is a great collection of all the Mrs. Piggle - Wiggle books. This is such a cute book. I remember reading these books when I was little and am very happy to be reading the treasury ... Read more

Book Description

Lucille is having a sleepover party, and Junie B. Jones can't wait! That's

because Lucille lives in her richie nanna's big giant house. But before Mother

and Daddy will let her go, Junie B. has to learn all the rules of spending the

night. Like no running. And no head-butting. And no talking back to the nanna.

Only, what kind of dull party is that? Surely Junie B. will find some

way to make things interesting...




... Read more

Reviews (15)

the first Junie B. Jones I read
This is the first Junie B. Jones I read (when I was 6).
I have now read all of them,but the most I like was this book.
This book is funny,because Junie B and her friends always did some funny things.You just cannot imagine.
All kids will like it.

"And guess what! I didn't even break anything!"
Her name is Junie B. Jones. The B. stands for Beatrice. Except, Junie doesn't like Beatrice. She just likes B. That's all.
In this Junie B. Jones story, one of a "million bizillon," Junie and Grace are invited over to Lucille's rich grandmother's house for a sleep over. Junie is beyond excited. She humorously packs her bags and passes the time, just waiting for Lucille's Nana's Cattle Act to come pick her up.
Once she is at Lucille's house, hyper-active Junie doesn't know what to do with herself. She wants to have fun, yet obey her parent's rules for spending the night as a guest.
At dinner, Junie seems to do everything possible to upset Lucille's Nana. Junie's excuses and cover-ups are simply hilarious.
In the end, everything comes to a comic conclusion. A-OK!
To me, the Junie B. Jones series is annoyingly adorable. I think that children from ages 6-10 would enjoy the silly adventures that Junie puts her friends, Lucille and "that" Grace through. I loved this book. I recommend it to any one. I guarantee that they will find Junie a witty, lovable character.

Junie B Jones Is a Party Animal
Junie B is going to Lucille's sleepover! There wasn't really any problem in this book, just a story about girls playing.

Junie B. Jones is a party animal
Junie B. is very funny when she chirps.She didn't fit in at first but when she has to go she knows every thing.Even though she knows about other things to . And she has a pillow fight with lucille ,and Grace.

An example of what not to read to your children
Firstly, let me say my giving this book a single star is a stretch.

If you'd like to teach your children to be able to speak and think "in a more better way" than your average 3 year old (that's typical Juniespeak...) these are not the books you want in your child's library. On the other hand, if you want your child to "have fun", "think different" or any other euphemism modern pedagogs can devise for lowering the collective intellectual bar, then get the box set by all means!

Depicting the misspeak of a younger child could certainly be done in a more literary manner than Ms. Park has offered through the Junie B character. Huck Finn certainly wasn't Plato or Cicero, but still we got Mark Twain's point...

Lest you think I'm a stodgy stick in the mud, let me say my two daughters (ages 4 and 5) had more "fun" and laughed more listening to my improvised take on Junie B's grammatically rancid tale than when I actually read the page or two that were coherent.

Do yourself and your child a favor -- buy something that will feed their brain, not make a mockery of it. ... Read more

Book Description

The Freddy the Pig books have long been considered classics of American children's literature and with each reissue by The Overlook Press, this wonderful pig is charming his way into the hearts of more and more readers, adults and children alike. Freddy's Bean Farm is a frolicking place and Freddy--whether he's a pilot, cowboy, explorer, politician, or detective--will always save the day and be sure to have fun doing it.

In Freddy and the Dragon Freddy and friends return from a riding trip through New England only to be met with a rather cool reception from the citizens of Centerboro. Freddy isn't too concerned about it until he receives a message in the middle of the night from his old client and friend Mrs. Peppercorn. Terrible things have been going on--gardens raided, bicycles stolen, houses broken into, and even more alarming, threatening notes demanding protection money! When Freddy--with the help of Uncle Ben, the farm animals and their very own Dragon--face the crime wave head-on the culprits are sure to get their just rewards.

"They are the American version of the great English classics, such as the Pooh books or The Wind in the Willows."-- The New York Times Book Review

"There's a richness to the world of Bean Farm and a strong moral code that is timeless. . ."-- Los Angeles Times

"Freddy is simply one of the greatest characters in children's literature!"-- School Library Journal ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Fire Breathing Pig!!
I am beginning to realize that I was severely deprived as a young child. The little corner library where I got my first library card actually had a pretty poor selection of books for young readers. As a result, I grew up thinking that there were only a few Freddy the Pig books. Actually Walter Brooks wrote 26 of them. That makes Freddy every bit the equal of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Many of these books are out of print now, and hard to find, but The Overlook Press has been gradually returning them to circulation. Set in the rural Northeast at a time (the late twenties and thirties), the books recall a time when the world seemed simpler and more full of grace. "Freddy and the Dragon" is the last Freddy novel, published in the year of Brooks death, 1958.

Returning from a jaunt around New England, Freddy and Jinx the cat find themselves less welcome in Centerboro then they are accustomed. Investigation reveals that many of the town's citizens have had property vandalized mysteriously. Witnesses reported sightings of several animals, including a pig. Since many people are naturally wary of talking animals, the suspect du jour for the humans of Centerboro is Freddy and some of his friends from the Bean farm. Our pig hero has no choice but to investigate before he is either jailed or lynched.

Freddy is aided by many friends, like Uncle Ben the inventor, J. J. Pomeroy the detecting robin, Samuel Jackson the mole (and professional conscience), and the adventuring spiders, Mom and Pop Webb. His first challenge is to track down a rogue bull and bring him to justice. Percy the bull has been doing a lot of the vandalism, but Freddy discovers that Percy, although a member of the gang, is really not a bad fellow, just high spirited. Once the bull is offered a chance to stay at the Bean farm and learn how to be a gentlemen he provides Freddy with many of the clues needed to track down Jack the gangster and his evil henchanimals.

What about the dragon? Well, when Freddy is terrorized by the headless horseman who picks up extortion payments he turned to Uncle Ben for help. After a lot of banging and clanking, Ben comes up with a 3 animal dragon suit that even breathes fire. Freddy's trusty dragon is used several times to great effect, eventually bringing the nefarious criminals to justice. This same spirit of inventiveness pervades the entire story and makes it a true delight. From an atomic car to a spider that uses car headlights to signal, the characters often do the entirely unexpected.

As a child I loved these books for the many exotic and wonderful characters, and the enjoyable parts they play. As an adult, I am surprised at the naturalness and simple honesty of the tales as well. There are good guys and bad guys, but justice somehow prevails. People (and animals) have good points and failings, but, on the Bean farm, diversity, mutual respect, and support are the main order of the day. I can find the foundation of many of my own beliefs in the pages of Freddy the Pig.

Freddy and The Dragon, a GREAT book!
Someone is wreaking havoc in Centerboro, destroying gardens, stealing bicycles and breaking windows. Animal tracks, including pig tracks, are at the scenes of the crimes. The Bean animals are being accused of these crimes. Freddy attempts to track down the crooks, including a headless horseman, with the help of a friendly dragon! As always, there is lots of action.

If you like this book, you should try the other Freddy books. If you liked the other Freddy books, you will love this one--it was great! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the classics for all time!
After centuries of wars between France and England we have finally arrived in an era that the two countries seem to coexist in peace. That does not mean that fun cannot be had at each other's expense, and the way Uderzo and Goscinny make fun of the English in this episode is sometimes subtle, mostly gentle, and always hilarious. The more you are familiar with the pecularities of the Brits, the more laughs you'll have. Enjoy!

Asterix Chez Les Bretons
This is a great read for any fan of the series and for those who speak both French and English. Here is a book that would certainly lose something in translation. The characters in Britain speak French using Englishsyntax. There are a number of good laughs to be found at English idiomstranslated directly into French: ("Je dis ceci est choquant."comes readily to mind). It's also nice to know that Asterix and Obelix areable to help their Breton cousins find their own magic potion in theirstruggles with Rome. ... Read more

Book Description

Five new episodes in the friendship of two hippos: "The Tight Rope," "The Diary," "The Icky Story," "The Big Scare," "The Amusement Park." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

FANTASTIC
I loved this sweet book. It reminded me of myself and my own family. It made me and my children laugh out loud! Enjoy! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Great story, but pages fell out.
(...).

As a child, I read all of the "classic" Asterix books in Swedish. As an adult and now living in the U.S., I am reading them again to my children, but this time in English. This is a good classic. As someone pointed out, the pages of some Asterix books, like this one, falls out after only minor wear. It seems like only the old classics do that. However, they are all out of stock by now anyway. Maybe future reprints of the classics will be as good as the new ones (with respect to binding). In general, the old classics have more entertaining stories than the new ones.

Asterix and Obelix live in a village in Gaul that the Romans failed to conquer. The reason for this is that the village druid knows how to make a magic potion that endows the villagers with super human strength. In this book the village chief, becomes sick from eating too much unhealthy food and is sent to recover at a health spa. Asterix and Obelix are accompanying their chief. Obelix the great Gourmet and Gourmand have no plans to diet, however, which makes his presence torturous to the patients. The main storyline is centered on a missing shield, which a defeated Gaulish King threw before (on) the feet of Julius Caesar. Very entertaining, and filled with great puns, as well as skillful wordplay.

I object to the druids name "Getafix". Whoever came up with the English names for the characters did not have kids in mind. The Swedish translation was a lot better concerning this item.

In general I find that, children the age 5-13 really enjoy these books, and so do my children. Adults can enjoy these books as well. The Asterix comic books are a great way to teach children ancient history. Naturally, the adult needs to help with the differentiation between fiction and history. From these books, my kids have learned about the Roman Empire, the ancient Greeks, the Vikings, the Goths, the Phoenicians, ancient Gaul, ancient Egypt, and the ancient Mediterranean world in general.

My ten year old started loving these books at the age of eight and he cannot get enough of them. My six year old started liking them at the age of five. Even though many Asterix puns may be a little bit above his head, my younger son still loves these stories.

In my opinion the best Asterix albums are: Asterix and the Normans; Asterix in Corsica; Obelix and company; Asterix the Gladiator; Asterix the Legionary; Asterix and Cleopatra; Asterix and the Goths; Asterix in Belgium; Asterix and the big fight; and Asterix all around Gaul. The last title is a translation from Swedish and might be wrong.

Its a MUST read for Asterix
This is an important adventure as it goes into the background of certain facts that keeps getting mentioned in all other adventures like Alesia, Vercingetorix.

Great comic - lousy binding!
This book fell apart after one reading. Just a word of caution. The comic itself is good, but all of our Asterix books have fallen apart after 1 or more read-throughs. They need to improve their glue. Now I have to have it spiral bound.

Asterix and the Chieftain's Shield
The humorous depiction of the adventures of the inhabitants of one small village in Gaul, (modern day France) which defies Roman occupation in 50 BC with the superhuman power of a magic potion. Its full of beautiful visuals and excellent pun, especially the play of words in conversation and names of characters. Its gentle satire pokes fun on modern life, art and politics with caricatures of Napoleon, Shakespeare, Zorro and even James Bond.

In this adventure, the Gaulish Chief Vitalstatistix is sick-because of eating and drinking too much. He is advised by Druid Getafix to go on a diet at a famous slimming & health spa at Averne. Asterix and Obelix who accompany him, go touring Averne and get into trouble with Romans. After hearing about the trouble, Caesar decides to humiliate the Gauls by being paraded on the shield of Vercingetorix, the leader of the Gauls whom Caesar defeated in the battle of Alesia, which remains till date, the most bitter memory for the gauls.

But the famous shield is missing. Along with the Romans, Asterix and Obelix start hunting for the Shield for their procession with Vitalstatistix. The hunt for the shield ends when a slimmed down chief comes back and its indeed easy to guess who rides on the shield in the end.

Great fun to read. A must have for Asterix fans & collectors. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

terrific series for beginning readers
Marvin Redpost is a third grader whose friends don't like the new kid in school, Joe Normal, but he finds that Joe is friendly and fun. What should he do? The dialogue is funny, and even though the text is easy enough to be enjoyed by beginning readers the concepts of friendship and family are not too simplistic.

We found this fun book at a garage sale, and based on the interesting characters and fun plot, we will get more of this series.

Was that a flying saucer Marvin saw?
What makes this a standout even among the Marvin Redpost series is the subtlety. As usual, Marvin is faced with a puzzling reality, in this case a new boy at school who never changes his clothes and who has serious glitches in his knowledge base. And, as usual, Marvin is faced with a moral dilemma, in this case: should he be friends with this misfit whom he discovers he actually likes? Marvin, never speculates that this boy could be from outer space, but the reader certainly does. In the end we are left wondering, is he, or isn't he?

Flying Birthday Cake Soars
Anyone who's read any of the Marvin Redpost books knows what a delight they are. This one has some of the funniest moments in the entire series. It's well worthwhile. (As an aside, note that, now that Louis Sachar has won the Newbery and the National Book Award for "Holes," Horn Book has begun to review his books with the respect they have always deserved.) ... Read more

Book Description

The Fourth of July is no day for danger but that's just what's in store for the Bean Farm gang in Freddy and the Perilous Adventure. It all seemed so strange and exciting at first: Emma and Alice, Bean Farm's favorite ducks, and the intrepid Freddy, off for a glorious balloon ride to celebrate the nation's birthday. Of course, if Freddy and Emma and Alice and the other denizens of Bean Farm had known what was really in store for the brave aerialists in the Balloon Ascension they might just as well have remained quietly at home, listening to Freddy's poetry or to the boastful crowing of Charles. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Ducks Lead the Way
When Freddy, in a sudden burst of irrepressible impishness manages to convince Emma and Alice, the Bean Farm ducks, to go for a balloon ride, he little expects that he too will have to take part in the adventure. But Mr. Golcher, the balloonist is every bit as sly as Freddy and, in no time at all Freddy has agreed not only to give a speech, but to ride with the ducks. What he also didn't realize until he was on the way up was that Mr. Golcher was staying behind, and that our pig, along with the duck sisters were on their own. When it turns out that the balloon has a faulty valve our not quite intrepid adventurers discover that they are in for an extended voyage.

All is not lost by any means. Freddy talks a friendly bald eagle into bringing them a food basket from the Bean kitchen, they weather a stormy night, and see some splendid scenery. Eventually, as all things do, the balloon descends enough for Freddy to get it down. Freddy leaves the ducks with the balloon and, after borrowing a tuxedo from a scarecrow, heads off to investigate. He soon discovers that the worst has happened. Mr. Golcher, infuriated at the loss of his balloon has accused Freddy of stealing it and the police of several counties are trying to capture the pig and bring him to justice. It will take all of Freddy's vast imagination and the help of both the Bean animals and the entire Boomschmidt Circus to get him out of trouble.

The reader will find many familiar characters here. In addition to the denizens of the Bean Farm and the Circus, Emma and Alice's Uncle Wesley manages to return. In addition, there are parachuting mice, somersaulting ducks and an ostrich ticket taker. Nor can one leave out the noble eagle, Breckenridge, who inspires a whole burst of poetry from Freddy. By the time the book reaches its climax the reader will be completely entranced as animals display character and style that we lowly humans can only imitate.

One of the nicest things about Walter Brooks' world is that the inevitable moral lessons are demonstrated rather than taught. And demonstrated in a delightful, ingenious way. In 1942 Brooks uses two timid lady ducks to demonstrate that adventuring is not just for male chauvinists and that having the courage to stand up for your rights keeps bullies at bay. Freddy's honesty saves the day at the end, and, as always, the importance of friends gets a good plug. Best of all is that the right things to do are also fun to do. Freddy is the pig for all ages. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Rosemary Wells's adorable bunny siblings Max and Ruby are back—-thistime with their friend Louise and her Deluxe Beauty Kit complete with wigs,makeup, and instant stick-on nails. Max, as it turns out, is the firstcustomer-victim at the beauty shop. He gets nailed and wigged and moussed andmade up until he actually looks a little like Tammy Faye. But what's this? Thebeauty shop hot line is ringing, and the First Lady needs a shampoo and set! TheQueen wants a manicure! As Louise and Ruby distract themselves with just-pretendcelebrities, Max decides to make his own fashion statement, with a little helpfrom "Rock-around-the-Clock Hair Color." Next thing you know he is Lizard Green.And Sunflower Yellow. And Ocean Blue. In the end, not even Grandma is safe fromLouise's beauty bag! Children who are fascinated by "beauty-enhancing"accoutrements will giggle at the sight of bunny makeovers in this slight butcute Max and Ruby book. (Ages 4 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just gorgeous!
My 3 yr old and 4 year old took instantly to this book --especially Max's iconoclastic take on how to play beauty shop "his way" and the blonde bombshell wig. Grandma always makes a wise choice at the end of these stories, but the real fun is in the illustrations, the expressions on the bunnies' faces, and Rosemary Wells' understated sense of humor.The whole series is fun for the kids and even the adults who have to read the story to them nightly.Both kids are enchanted and now playing "beauty shop" is a standard pastime for them.If you like this one, you'll also enjoy Bunny Party and Bunny Money.

A boy ecides to play Beauty Shop his way
Ruby and her friend Louise have everything they need for their new beauty shop - except somebody to try it out on. Enter brother Max, who becomes the guinea pig in their experiments. True to Max form, however, he decides to play Beauty Shop his way - with revolutionary results.

More Max & Ruby
Max gets made over by Ruby and her friend Louise.When Ruby and Louise gets distracted, Max decides its his turn to have fun!

This book may be called "Ruby's Beauty Shop", but for me, the hero is always Max.If you're a Max and Ruby fan looking for another Max and Ruby book, you'll find this book to be a lot of fun.Rosemary Wells avoids falling into a formula with this new book showing Ruby playing pretend with a friend. ... Read more

Book Description

Adults, children, and reviewers have embraced the stouthearted Freddy the Pig since he and his Bean Farm chums first appeared in 1927. The Overlook reissues of this classic series-with more than 150,000 hardcover copies sold-have brought these timeless adventures to a whole new generation eager for a good time and a good laugh. As a recent USA Today feature about the Freddy phenomenon noted, the Freddy books brilliantly illustrate the cardinal virtues: "fair play and a good sense of humor."

In The Clockwork Twin, Freddy reprises his most famous role-as detective!-and Walter Brooks's talking animals rollick through amazing adventures. They talk, dance, sing, joke, and work out intricate problems. When a mechanical double is rigged up by Mr. Bean's brother, Uncle Ben (who is an eccentric inventor), as a friend and playmate for the Beans' adopted boy, Adoniram, a comedy of errors ensues. The Bean Farm animals then decide to look for Adoniram's real-life brother-it's a job for Freddy the detective.

Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. ... Read more

Book Description

Adults, children, and reviewers have embraced the stouthearted Freddy the Pig since he and his Bean Farm chums first appeared in 1927. The Overlook reissues of this classic series-with almost 150,000 hardcover copies sold-have brought these timeless adventures to a whole new generation eager for a good time and a good laugh. As a recent USA Today feature about the Freddy phenomenon noted, the Freddy books brilliantly illustrate the cardinal virtues: "fair play and a good sense of humor."

In Freddy's Cousin Weedly, the irrepressible Freddy's cousin comes to Bean Farm, and what a timid soul he turns out to be. Jinx, the cat, decides to take charge of him, so as to help him get over his shyness and poor Weedly doesn't know what exciting events are about to occur. Does Weedly change? And what happens when Mr. and Mrs. Snedeker come to visit? Do they get what they came for? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

review
This is the best of the Freddy the pig books in my opinion.

THE LOST HAS BEEN FOUND!
Ever since third grade I have hunted for and read every Freddy book I could lay hands on, but FREDDY'S COUSIN WEEDLY was always among the missing.
Thanks are due the publisher and Amazon.com making this book available again. I was afraid it was a sort of one-off, or a minor book, but ordered it for Christmas and discovered a lost treasure. All our friends are there; Jinx the Cat, Mrs. Wiggins of the uncommon common sense, patient but indecisive Hank, and, of course, that paragon of poets, detectives, and pigs -- Freddy himself.
The book was obviously written after Brooks had hit his stride with the series, having a timeless quality and the morals clearly but unobtrusively stated. This book would've gotten five stars had I not compared it to FREDDY GOES CAMPING and FREDDY THE MAGICIAN. Compared to any other children's books, it gets the full five stars. Excellent! ... Read more

Book Description

A classic Amelia Bedelia story is now an I Can Read Book, and in full color too! With new illustrations based on the original art of Fritz Siebel, this laugh-out-loud favorite comes to life as the lovable, literal-minded housekeeper strips the sheets, pares the vegetables, and makes a jelly roll for Great-Aunt Myra's visit. This new edition is sure to please every fan of Amelia Bedelia'even Great-Aunt Myra!

... Read more

Reviews (6)

thank you amelia bedelia by peggy parish
Amelia bedelia is a very funny character when Mrs.Rogers told amelia to do something she would the opposite.I think that it is a great book and i think you should read this book to find out what Amelia does the opposite of what she is supposed to do.

Thank You Amelia Bedelia
...This is a good book to read. It was really funny. Well about the book, Amelia Bedelia was hired to be a maid. But when I read it some of the words were in script. The first thing she did she cut up all the towels.

We liked the Amelia Bedelia book.
We liked when she hung the beans.It made us laugh. We liked when she planted bulbs. It made us giggle.We like her books a lot.It was funny.

It's very funny we liked Amelia Bedelia.
We thought this book was funny because of the mistakes she made.These are the mistakes she made :Jelly ROLL,String Beans,Separate the Eggs,Match the vegetables,Stripe the Beds,Check the shirts and Change the towels.

The book was very cool.
We think the book is very cool because she does a lot of funny things. One of the funny things is when she makes a jellyroll.One other funny thing is when she strings the beans. ... Read more

Book Description

She's got the beat!

Even though Amelia Bedelia can't play a musical instrument, she plays a big part in the school concert. She is just as happy with flattening a bee as with a B flat, and her favorite wind instrument is an electric fan. But no one can beat Amelia Bedelia when it comes to making a drum roll -- especially hen she's inside the drum!

Reviews (3)

Freddy the Moralist
In 1944, Freddy went up against that violent young lout, Horace Winch, and taught him to be a weekend painter (in "Freddy and Mr. Camphor"). But that wasn't enough! In "Freddy and the Popinjay," published the next year, he's out to reform the rock-slinging thug, Jimmy Witherspoon, and his tight-fisted father. The title of this one could have been changed to "Freddy the Moralist."

If you get past the unusually overt uplift, "Freddy and the Popinjay" contains much pleasant humor at the Bean Farm and environs, as well as a family of dangerous wildcats (who may also be misunderstood).

Interestingly to students of the Bean mysteries, the animals spend some time in this one waxing nostalgic over the days when those fine lads Biram and Adoniram were with them, while giving no clue as to where they have gone.

When Ella and Everett disappeared from the series, they left not a wrack behind. Adoniram, however, left his bathing trunks.

Near the top of my Favorite Freddies list
I don't recall reading Popinjay when I first discovered Freddy back in 1960 (or thereabouts), but I've just read the new Overlook Press 2001 reprint. This story features the familiar, lovable Freddy characters--and a few new ones--portraying a message that we all need to remember these days: Don't judge people by appearances.

The Popinjay Goeth Before the Fall
This book was written just as Walter R. Brooks was hitting his stride as a writer, and is one of the better Freddy books. A robin friend of Freddy's needs glasses, and from there the story gets wilder. The book is great fun and, as in all the Freddy books, has some lessons to impart to the reader, one of them being that conceit is not only a vice, but a rather silly one. This lesson is taught, as always, without a preachy tone intruding on the story. ... Read more