Amazon.com

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry first published The Little Prince in 1943, only a year before his Lockheed P-38 vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. More than a half century later, this fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power. The narrator is a downed pilot in the Sahara Desert, frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane. His efforts are interrupted one day by the apparition of a little, well, prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. "In the face of an overpowering mystery, you don't dare disobey," the narrator recalls. "Absurd as it seemed, a thousand miles from all inhabited regions and in danger of death, I took a scrap of paper and a pen out of my pocket." And so begins their dialogue, which stretches the narrator's imagination in all sorts of surprising, childlike directions.

The Little Prince describes his journey from planet to planet, each tiny world populated by a single adult. It's a wonderfully inventive sequence, which evokes not only the great fairy tales but also such monuments of postmodern whimsy as Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. And despite his tone of gentle bemusement, Saint-Exupéry pulls off some fine satiric touches, too. There's the king, for example, who commands the Little Prince to function as a one-man (or one-boy) judiciary:

I have good reason to believe that there is an old rat living somewhere on my planet. I hear him at night. You could judge that old rat. From time to time you will condemn him to death. That way his life will depend on your justice. But you'll pardon him each time for economy's sake. There's only one rat.

Reviews (335)

Magical, mystical, majestical
This review refers to the T.V.F Cuiffe translation which I was unable to find on Amazon. I don't know anything about the Howard translation.

This amazing book was written supposedly for children and it reads like a children's story. It's also beautifully illustrated. However, it meant much more to me when I reread it as an adult than as a child. I could say the book is an alegory and that it contains much symbolic value but it would debase it's melancholy beauty to attach academic terms to it.

The story is about the narrator, a pilot just like the author, being stuck in the Sahara waiting to repair his plane. He meets the little prince who hails from a tiny planet that's not much bigger than him. The book relates his solitary existence at his home, his travels through the other asteroids, inhabited by single individuals such as the Geographer (which can be seen as archetypes) to his arrival on earth culminating in the relationship with the pilot.

Again, saying that the book is about life, loneliness, love, friendship and finding one's true nature would be missing the point (one which the book beautifully mentions through the mouth of a fox) that the most important things are not said in words. The book has no "themes" as such but it's a fully integrated work. The pictures are as important as the text and contain so much kindness, humour and irony (as does the work itself) that this work is an absolute must.

If you tame me...
Something confuses me about "The Little Prince". Here we have a small simple tale that takes about half an hour to read. It is quiet and philosophical. The plot, such as it is, follows a the Little Prince and his petite adventures. The Little Prince loves a rose very much, but he must travel about the planets to better understand this love. The book is so lyrical in its simplicity that it's no wonder that it's often given to graduating students each and every year. More so than "Winnie-the-Pooh" or "Oh the Places You'll Go", this book encapsulates the world with pinpoint precision.

My confusion? Why has this book been repeatedly ruined for kids? Am I the only one who remembers that catastrophe that was, "The Little Prince", an anima television show that played on Nickelodeon in the 1980s? How about the movie, starring Bob Fosse as the snake and Gene Wilder as the fox? How does a book this perfect become so exploited? I can only liken it to other books of its caliber. Like "Alice In Wonderland", the absurd plot elements make the story poignant. And like "Alice" (or the aforementioned Pooh) the book's simple writing is easily "improved" by the adults of the world.

I don't think "The Little Prince" is ideal children's literature, mind you. Kids may humor their parents by listening to it, but when you sit right down and read the book, it is not gripping stuff. The patronizing tone taken about "grown-ups", the Peter Pan-like elements, etc. all combine to make this a book that is ideally for children without actually saying anything to them directly. This is a book for adults but ostensibly for kids. Few children are going to be fooled by this. They'd rather sink their fangs into something a little more along the lines of "Harry Potter" or Lemony Snicket. But it is a piece of children's literature that will last beyond all our lives. This is a classic for the 20th century, and "The Little Prince" fully deserves to take his place amongst the other classic kid characters encompassed in the cannon. It is an outstanding tale of simply loving small.

nothing is lost with time.
One of my absolute favorites.

This book is something you read as a child; it was magical and it held you in ways you could not understand. And there were so many things in it that seemed above your young head. But you think you get them at the time.

You read it again when you're older....

and it's all the more magical.

You understand - completely.

Everyone should read this book at least twice.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER!!!!!
I read this book in my 5th grade class last year, and I loved it!!! It was so wonderful and really made you think about life, death, and that the things that are really impoortant are invisable! I REALLY SUGGEST YOU READ THIS BOOK!!! It brings you to thinking about imaginary things that everyone dreams about (that are extremely real in this book). So live your biggest dream and READ THIS BOOK!

The Little Prince...I Don't really like it.
This books is just not my type of book. I did not really get anything from this book because I have to go over the metaphors before I can understand it. Anyways, this book tells the grown ups all over the world that they can still use their imaginations even though they have matured and have a job. This is some connections I heard from Einstein. Einstein said that Imaginations are more important than knowledge because Imagination creates knowledge. This book made me read it even though I wasn't very interested to it because it makes me think deeply of some words that are hard to understand and while I read the book, it reminded me of my childhood because I use to use my imaginations, ofcourse, probably all the kids use their imaginations. Now that I have grown, I forgot about imagining because I've grown up a lot. Just like in the book, when the little prince was growing up, he is losing his imaginations. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by Jim Dale
8 hours 17 minutes, 6 cassettes

Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is.That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were.But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright.From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (4768)

A great kids' book that appeals to all ages.
I'm not much into kids' books but when my mom brought home Harry Potter, I remembered it from the NY Times bestseller list. In bed one night I flipped open to the third chapter and after five minutes, reverted back to chapter one. After 11 years of torture living with his foster family (Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley), Harry is shocked to learn that he is actually a world famous wizard! When he was only an infant, a powerful, evil sorcerer killed his parents but was unable to destroy him. All that's left of the encounter is a lightening shaped scar on his forhead. The incident having driven the sorcerer into exile, Harry is a celebrity everwher he goes, from diagon alley(for school supplies) to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry befriends other schoolmates as they learn the arts of magic. While trying to keep his grades in check, Harry learns of a plot to undermine the scools headmaster. Harry risks his reputation and life as he does his best to get to the bottom of the situation. A captivating read, The Sorcerer's Stone contains the imagination of Roald Dahl, the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien, and the humor and suspense J.K. Rawling throws in to even it out.

An exciting,mysterious fantasy...
I strongly encourage people to read this wonderfully written fantasy. When I first started to read the Harry Potter books,I just loved it so much,I had to read more. I'm now through the fourth book (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and waiting for the fifth book in the Harry Potter series. This particular book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) is fantastic.It is about a boy called Harry Potter who lives with his aunt and uncle(Petunia and Vernon)...also with his huge (fat) cousin , Dudley. He starts to get letters from Hogwarts, but, his uncle Vernon refuses Harry to open the envelope which contains Harry's Hogwarts letter. One day letters start pouring inside the house. Harry grabs one but fails to open it.Soon Harry,Petunia,Vernon,and Dudley are in an old house on the sea.The game keeper of Hogwarts comes and takes Harry to Diagon Ally to buy his Hogwarts school supplies. Then Harry takes the Hogwarts express to Hogwarts.He then gets sorted into Gryffindor House(out of Hufflepuff,Ravenclaw,and Slitherin houses).Then he sets off on the most thrilling adventure you could ever imagine.This book will make you sweat as you read it.It is the best book you could ever read!

The One Book that Started It All: the Harry Potter-Mania
Harry Potter, a fatherless and motherless boy, has never seen a unicorn, has never heard of wizards or witches, and has not a clue what Quidditch means. The only thing that Harry has ever experience is the miserable life that the Dursley's have given him for the first ten years of his life. But everything changes when letters from no one start arriving at the Dursleys addressed to him. Also on the same day that Harry turns eleven years old, a giant of a man arrives at the place where Harry and the Dursleys are staying and tells Harry that he is a wizard and that him, Harry, has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At Hogwarts, Harry does not only meet new friends like Ron Weasly or Hermoine Granger, or enemies like Draco Malfoy, or learns about magic and how to fly on a broom. He also come face to face with Lord Voldemort, his life-time enemy and the person that killed his parents and tried to killed him but only managed to give him a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lighting bolt. But is Harry ready to survive this new life that has been hidden for him for a long time, and is he ready to take hold of the destiny that awaits for him...from now on?

And once "The Sorcerer's Stone" is picked up, can it be put down? Well, I know I could not do it. The world created by JKR is the most amazing and fantastical trance. I loved every single word found in this amazing tale of modern fantasy. Harry Potter is a true hero because is he not only a wizard but a teenager with human characteristics.

Great for kids, teens, geezers and fogies
It's not often that a new series comes out that captures its audience in such a magnificent way as Harry Potter. This series has influenced many other writers, including Stephen King! It has helped children to bond with adults in a fun and magical way. It has introduced a new world to all who read.

In the first book of this series, we are introduced to many of the main characters that play a crucial role in Harry's life. We travel to Hogwarts, a school of Magic where truth be told, I think many of us would like to attend. We meet deep characters, some good and some bad and we learn of magical villages that can be accessed only by those "in the know."

If you haven't done so already, make the HP series part of your library and share it with your children, friends and family.

A Thrilling (Broomstick) Ride
It's not often that a new series comes out that captures its audience in such a magnificent way as Harry Potter. This series has influenced many other writers, including Stephen King! It has helped children to bond with adults in a fun and magical way. It has introduced a new world to all who read.

In the first book of this series, we are introduced to many of the main characters that play a crucial role in Harry's life. We travel to Hogwarts, a school of Magic where truth be told, I think many of us would like to attend. We meet deep characters, some good and some bad and we learn of magical villages that can be accessed only by those "in the know."

If you haven't done so already, make the HP series part of your library and share it with your children, friends and family. ... Read more

Book Description

Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago.Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.

Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty.Esperanza doesn't want to belong--not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her.Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become. ... Read more

Reviews (437)

Not exactly what I expected
I really expected something more from House on Mango Street, especially after reading such glowing reviews.
It's a creative, inventive, courageous piece of writing, painting the coming of age of a young Latina in an ethnically mixed, lower class Chicago neighborhood. Each 'chapter,' some of which are only a few sentences in length, is a little vignette of a different aspect of Esperanza's life in her home, on the street, with relatives, at school, and in her wider neighborhood.
It's written in the child's voice, and maybe that's one of what I would call the books difficulties. A persistent child narrator's voice can become cloying, and it's necessarily limited by 'what the child can know.' I guess that's another way of saying the voice got a little tiresome after while.
But that very voice is also part of the book's strong appeal...
I dunno...You'll have to read it yourself, something that's easily done at one sitting.
House on Mango Street is a very interesting experiment, bound to be dissected and discussed in writing classes for a long time.

A top book in the genre
There is a growing genre of books by people of Latin, Asian, and African-American heritage, describing their lives and cultures, often in juxtaposition to the Anglo mainstream they may or may not have dealings with. The House on Mango Street fits into this genre, and at the same time extends it. Cisneros writes with a deeply personal voice. At her core she is an individual, a watcher, as are most children; she happens also to be a girl in a Latino neighborhood. The people and events in this community are distilled through her eyes into small fables, moral lessons, and epiphanies: the moments and connections that shape a child into the adult she will become. The rhythmic songs of rope-jumpers, a drunk on the street, the potency of one's first pair of high-heeled shoes, the cruelty and kindness of friends; she takes them all in, using everything as food to nourish her dream of someday having her own house. It's not surprising that the adult Seasoners indeed does, nor that its eccentricity puts some of her neighbors on edge - but those are stories from other books of hers, equally worth reading.

Title
Just an obnoxious test... ignore this

AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! BORING CRAP
This book is a complete nightmare. Sandra Cisneros gets a bunch of credit for her fantastic writting, when she really needs to take a trip back to 1st grade and learn to put quotation marks in front of sentences that somebody is saying. She needs to indent, and make her vignettes longer than the mostly 2 paragraph long ones the book beholds. I'm only reading this crappy book because I have to, and believe me, it is all a waste of time, and the 11 dollars I paid for it at Barnes & Noble.
Believe me, Sandra Cisneros is not the great writter she could be when she wrote this peace of s**t.

Enjoyable book, for those who are ready
It's sad that teachers are making high schoolers read _The House on Mango Street_. Having read their scathing reviews, I see that most high school students are not ready for this book. I'm thankful that I wasn't exposed to it until I was in college and able to appreciate its themes. The book is written from a child's perspective, yet it explores areas of life which many younger people don't feel comfortable exploring, which is understandable. This isn't a book for everyone, but it's a gem nonetheless and filled with wisdom, there for anyone who cares to recognize it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For a little one who is reluctant to go to bed, sometimes a silly bookis just the ticket. And when it comes to silly books, Sandra Boynton is theundisputed queen. In The Going to Bed Book, an ark full of animalswatches the sun go down and then prepares for bed. They take a bath ("in one bigtub"), find pajamas, brush their teeth, do exercises up on deck (imagine anelephant jumping rope, a moose lifting weights, and a pig doing handstands), andfinally say good night.

The moon is high. The sea is deep.
They rock
and rock
and rock
to sleep.

Reviews (56)

A Fun Story for Bedtime
This colorful board book from Sandra Boynton's is a bedtime treat! An assortment of expressive animals gets ready for bed aboard a giant boat. Boynton amusingly shows then bathing, dressing, brushing teeth ("With some on top and some beneath, they brush and brush and brush their teeth."), and exercising together.

It closes with the animals settling down for the night: "They rock and rock and rock to sleep." Graced by Boynton's well-known illustrations and rhythmic poetry, this is a great book for infants and toddlers alike.

The Sun has Set not Long Ago
Great bed time book. The rhymes are fun, and it is a fantastically silly story. My husband and daughter and I have all had this book memorized since she was 6 months old ( she is two and 1/2 now). We love to recite it to one another, and have had to have two copies of the book (ah that teething stage was hard, she chewed right through everything.) We all love Sandra Boynton, she is a reliable read and a lot of fun.

A rescue item for a tired PARENT
Our son has loved this book from when he was 6 months to now, at 14 months. The story is very loosely based on a Biblical tale (didn't anyone get the Ark reference?) and simply describes what every child can do before bed, brushing teeth, getting changed, a little play, and bedtime. In addition, we tell the story in two languages and ask him to point out certain animals or to make a teeth brushing motion, which he does with increased accuracy. I recommend it to all the families in my mother's group!

Our FAVORITE "Night-Night" book...
We LOVE Sandra Boynton, and this book is our favorite. My 2 yr. old son knows all the words and the hand motions we've made up to go along w/ it. We laugh and read just about every night before prayers. It's a must have for your toddler.

Another Classic Boynton!
Next to Goodnight Moon, this is our top choice for a bedtime read. The text is lulling & the drawings are adorable.
The animals are on a boat (some say this is confusing to children - it is supposed to be silly!) and they are getting ready for bed. They go through the usuals - bathtime, jammies, teeth brushing...with a little goofiness thrown in - a little late night exercise! Just enough for a little grin before settling down.
Classic Boyton!! ... Read more

Book Description

What is a typical guy moment, anyhow? Daniel Pinkwater remembers the disappointment of meeting his Lone Star Ranger hero up close and personal. Gordon Korman relishes the goofy ultra violence of the old Looney Tunes cartoons. Stephen King realizes that having your two hundred- pound babysitter fart on your five-year-old head prepares you for any literary criticism. And that's just a sampling from Guys Write for Guys Read, a fast-paced, high energy collection of short works: stories, essays, columns, cartoons, anecdotes, and artwork by today's most popular writers and illustrators. Guys Write will feature work from Brian Jacques, Jerry Spinelli, Chris Crutcher, Mo Willems, Chris Van Allsburg, Matt Groening, Neil Gaiman, the editors and columnists from Sports Illustrated, The Onion and Esquire magazines, and more. Selected by voters at the Guys Read Web site and compiled by Jon Scieszka, this wide-ranging collection of authors and illustrators shows that guys do read . . . and will read more if given things they enjoy reading. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a delightful surprise!
I purchased this on a whim for my son's 13th birthday after receiving an Amazon recommendation.My son does not read voluntarily unless you count video game cheat sheets and Garfield cartoon books. The book arrived yesterday.I grabbed it along with the day's mail and headed out to pick up my son at school. I started reading the book in the middle, with Gary Paulsen's electric fence adventure, to amuse myself in a very slow carline.I was hooked and began racing through the selections picking out the authors of the stories our family has enjoyed over the years sometimes laughing out loud, othertimes recognizing all too well the growing pains of adolescence.My son finally arrived. I relenquished the book to him and asked him to indulge me and read the Paulsen story outloud.He did and was hooked as well.He read several selections to me outloud then took the book to bed with him, had it with him through breaksfast, and carried it to school as it is the last days of the school year so he will have extra time to read it.This from a boy who has never read anything over 100 pages in his life.

I will wait patiently for my chance to finish the book and will encourage Dan to write his own review but wanted to share the fun this book had brought us.I can see that we will be sharing this with Dad, Grandfather, and my young adult son and that this will be a college graduation gift for my daughter's boyfriend.What a great summer reading book for the whole family. ... Read more

Book Description

To Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother, the house in the country promises a summer of freedom and play.But when they accidently uncover an accident Psammead--or Sand-fairy--who has the power to make wishes come true, they find themselves having the holiday of a lifetime, sharing one thrilling adventure after another.

Asleep since dinosaurs roamed the earth, the ill-tempered, odd--looking Psammead --with his spider-shaped body, bat's ears, and snail's eyes --grudgingly agrees to grant the children one wish per day.Soon, though the children discover that their wishes have a tendancy to turn out quite differnetly than expected. Whatever they wish whether it's to fly like a bird, live in a mighty castle, or have an immense fortune --something goes terribly wrong, hilariously wrong.

Then an accidental wish has horrible consequences, and the children are faced with a difficult choice: to let an innoncent manbe charged with a crime or to lose for all time their gift of magical wishes.Five Children and It is on of E. Nesbit's most beloved tales of enchantment.This deluxe gift edition, featuring twelve beautiful watercolor paintings by Caldecott medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, is sure to be treasured addition to every family's library.

Reviews (16)

My review of "Five Children and It"
This book is about Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother who discover a Psammead,
or Sand-fairy, who agrees to grant the children one wish per day.
Soon, their wishes start to turn quite unlike what they expected.
Then, an accidental wish has terrible consequences, and the kids
are faced with a hard choice: to let an innocent man be charged
with a crime, or to lose their gift of magical wishes.

I read this book in one day, and I thought it was pretty good.
This book turned out to be fairly interesting.
I would probably read "Five Children and It" again.

Sandy delight
This 1902 fantasy, a gift from my parents when I was in fourth or fifth grade, features an irritable Psammead whom Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother dig up in a sand pit. Then the magic begins. The sand-fairy does not like granting wishes, and his misshapen body with bat's ears and snail's eyes bloats when he does. The wishes, lasting only until sunset, all take unexpected, funny turns.

The sand-fairy and other personalities and Victorian details render the magic entirely real-world, believable. This was my favorite children's book and I relived the delight when I found a copy to share with my own children. That this volume is illustrated by one of my favorite people from one of my favorite families triples the delight.

The book is too challenging for independent reading for children under 10, but it's a great read-aloud for small children, as are the classics of Frank Baum, E.B. White and C.S. Lewis.

Edith Nesbit was like J. K. Rowling a single mother in need of a means to support her children. Her books in their era were as popular as Harry Potter in this one. Some of her observations are surprisingly humane. Nesbit's treatment of a clan of Gypsies, for example, transcends the deep prejudice of her time. Not to worry, the book is not preachy or teachy. It's just grand, eloquent fun. Alyssa A. Lappen

Be careful what you wish for...
E. Nesbit's classic story of about some Edwardian children who find a sand fairy one summer is an unsentimental delight. Each day the odd fairy grants them one magic wish, be it beauty, wealth, great size, etc. which will only last until sunset. Somehow each wish they make turns into a disaster, but through their own cleverness and a bit of luck, the children are able to make each problem work out in the end. Nesbit's writing is particularly full of amusing asides and offbeat humor in this one. Her turns of plot are inventive, and as the plucky children face their outlandish predicaments, it becomes clear that Nesbit has her finger on the pulse of the way real children might think. Her work has held up quite well considering it is over a hundred years old. This novel would be suitable for kids in about fourth or fifth grade.

sadly, this classic does not stand up to the test of time
Edith Nesbit is a charming writer. She tells her story with wit and humour, and interjects sly digs that engender a wink and a smile, but while the premise is timeless and interesting, the prose is extremely dated, making the book a bit tedious to read for any length of time. Also, the ideas and prejudices exhibited by the characters date the material.

The five siblings of the title, who have found a Sand-fairy willing to grant them one wish a day, continually make silly wishes that get them into trouble. Their first wish is to be "as beautiful as the day". Right there you get a sense of the book's outdated charm. This is of interest more as a tribute to a talented children's writer of a bygone era rather than for its own sake.

I wanted to enjoy this classic, but I found it hard slogging through. That is just my opinion, however, but I'd suggest you read a bit of the text before purchasing it unless you're already familiar with, or particularly interested in, author Nesbit.

Caveat: The occasional black-and-white line drawings are by H.R. Millar, not the Paul Zelinsky watercolors promised in the Editorial Reviews section.

A cynic's delight
I doubt I would have liked "Five Children and It" even as a child: an ordinary child's troubles are so much more troublesome than the challenges these kids face, it's almost (but not quite) funny. Cyril, Robert, Anthea, and Jane live in a countryside mansion replete with servants, they take trips to toy stores where they can buy whatever their hearts desire (the author informs us that this is the way children ought to be brought up), and inside a gravel-pit they have found a prehistoric sand-fairy that grants them wishes, one each day, but all their wishes have been turning out rotten so far. Well, boo hoo.

It isn't the concept that bothers me; it is the execution. Baum's and Carroll's heroines face comparable situations, but neither authors' books evoked such negative reactions from me. The reasons why the children's wishes fail I found especially abominable: when peerless beauty is wished for, the maid won't let them in since they look like "eyetalian monkeys"; when wealth is asked for and antique guineas appear by the bushel, the kids are arrested for thieves; when stolen jewellery magically reappears, it is Beale, the gameskeeper, who is immediately and incontrovertibly the chief suspect; when the four wish (accidentally) for the baby to grow up, the Lamb (Or Devereuz, or Hilary, or St Maur, as he should be rightly called) becomes a snappish fop. Nesbit draws miscellaneous moralistic lessons from her tale ("I cannot pretend that stealing is right"), but what use are these lessons when you are arrested whether or not you tell the truth? I would much rather Nesbit turn a cynical eye on the people she is describing, instead of using her keen powers of observations to weave an antithetical yarn.

At least her prose is reasonable enough. Nesbit's language is lucid, and while her sentence structure is rather sophisticated, it is not unduly so. Sadly, the same cannot be said of her characters. The four children who are the novel's protagonists are essentially the only developed characters, and while they are developed rather well, with plausibility and realism, they are bland. They are honest, noble, polite, friendly, sociable, and well-off; they treat the servants and people of lower station as functionaries, tools, ways of getting from A to B, and so does the author. Thus, there is little desire on the reader's part to come to know them better. They allow little conflict, little empathy. I'm probably the first to levy the charge that they have little wit and, if not for the fact that the wishes disappear at sundown, they would have great difficulty dealing with ther wishes.

But more about those wishes: it is quite surprising how many of them are accidental. In fact, there is little premeditated wishing going on past chapter six: otherwise, Nesbit would have been hard-pressed to find a reason for the children to wish for marauding Indians. What lesson are we, as readers, to draw from this? "Word your wishes carefully?" I'm reminded of the movie "Big," in where a twelve-year-old wishes to be grown-up to impress an older girl, and instead becomes Tom Hanks and scares the heck out of everybody. Just once I'd like a book where the characters get their hearts' true desires and have to come to terms with THAT. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Now, the classic books from the library of the Hogwarts School ofWitchcraft and Wizardry--Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them andQuidditch Through the Ages--are available in hardcover in a sturdy boxedgift set. (These books are written by J.K. Rowling herself under the pseudonymsNewt Scamander and Kennilworthy Whisp.) Finally, Muggles will have the chance todiscover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is bestnot to leave milk out for a Knarl. The Quidditch textbook explains where theGolden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, and why theWigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their clothes. Both books,designed to look like Harry Potter's actual, used Hogwarts textbooks, featuresilly scribblings from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Proceeds from the sale of thisgift set will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world.Harry Potter fans, rejoice! (All ages) ... Read more

Reviews (308)

If you cannot go to Hogwarts, let Hogwarts come to you
Although not a necessary addition to everyone's personal Harry Potter library, these two little books are quite interesting and a lot of fun to read. They are both quite short, totaling less than sixty five pages apiece, but they are wonderfully put together and made to look like copies of real books from the Hogwarts library. None other than Albus Dumbledore himself writes the introduction to each book, explaining how and why these books are being made available to Muggles for the first time and explaining how proceeds from each book go directly to a fund, set up in Harry Potter's name by Comic Relief UK and author J.K. Rowling, which is dedicated to help children in need throughout the world.

Quidditch Through the Ages, penned by Quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp explains the ultimate sport of wizards from top to bottom, giving the centuries-old history of the game as it has evolved. First and foremost, he explains why wizards and witches employ brooms to fly on in the first place, and then he proceeds to give an account of the changing rules of the game from its early days of primitive baskets set atop poles to the standardized and world-sweeping format of today. Of most significance and interest is the story of how the Golden Snitch was introduced into the sport. Different strategies and maneuvers are named and explained, the thirteen Quidditch teams of England and Ireland are identified, some of the seven hundred types of fouls are explained, and some of the most memorable games and individual performances are detailed (including the Tutshill Tornados' Roderick Plumpton's amazing snag of the Golden Snitch only three and a half seconds into a game back in 1921).

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander is a compendium of all the fantastic beasts currently known, from the Acromantula to the Yeti. Prior to the actual listings, Scamander explains the criteria by which some beings have come to be labeled beasts (it's more complicated than you might think) and devotes some time to the obvious question as to why Muggles seem to spot such creatures only rarely. Each listing also carries the classification assigned each beast by the Ministry of Magic, which is important information given that these beasts range from the harmless to the controllable to the incredibly dangerous. Along with fascinating descriptions of the animals we have already encountered in the Harry Potter books, there are some real jewels of information included here, solving several Muggle mysteries such as that of the true identity of the Loch Ness Monster. Fantastic Beasts is a copy of Harry Potter's own personal copy of the book, and its margins are dotted with little notes ranging from the mundane to the bitingly funny written by Harry, Ron, as well as Hermione. Now, if we could only get our hands on A History of Hogwarts; I'm sure Hermione has a copy they can use for the printing of a Muggle edition.

Get your Harry fix and support a great cause!
Although the wait for 2002 and "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is going to be a hard one for a lot of people, these two brief but fun books should fill the gap admirably as well as supporting a great cause. Released for the first time (well, to the general Muggle public), here's two of Harry Potter's schoolbooks, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and "Quidditch Through the Ages."

Slim and quick reads, these books nevertheless are a great deal of fun. "Quidditch" provides us with a brief evolution and history of everyone's favorite broomstick-riding sport, with rules of play, focuses on top world teams, and the revelation that Americans don't really play Quidditch on the world-class level, preferring an American variation called "Quodpot." "Fantastic Beasts" is a brisk and humorous guide to mythical, er, totally real monsters and magical creatures from the Acromantula (giant spider) to the Yeti. This book is Harry Potter's own personal copy, and is enlivened with Harry and Ron's writing and jokes in the margins of the book. Both books feature a wonderfully dry-humored introduction by Albus Dumbledore. Both books are written with a friendly and light sense of humor that's delightful to read and makes great background for the serious Harry Potter fan. Quidditch team Chudley Cannons' motto is said to have been changed from "We shall conquer" to "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

The most important reason to buy these books, however, is to support Comic Relief UK, the British relief organization set up to help children in the disadvantaged countries of the world. Although we can't save the world from manticores or score the winning goal in a Quidditch World Cup match, we can still be heroes by supporting this great cause.

Warning
If your children are Harry Potter fans and read these books the odds are very good that they will throw quotes and 'facts' from these books at you at every opportunity.

These books are very short and filled with information that fills in and enhances the novels of the Harry Potter series. I have found that the information within them rounds out Rowlings magical universe.

If you are looking for a novel however these are not for you. They are reference books describing some of the magical creatures in the Harry Potter series or explaining the origns and rules of Quiddich. Good easy fun.

I would also like to add that these books would be ideal for a child who does not like to read but likes the H.P movies. They just might entice the non reader to pick up the H.P novels.

Two words? Must have.
Harry Potter is a very popular series, and for any fan of the series, this is a must have. It will give you more information about the world of "Hogwarts" and you will feel good about yourself since it's also for a good cause, i only hope J.K. Rowling will write more of these. Books, Movies, and these schoolbooks i consider the official harry potter merchandise, and then Harry Potter themed candy, figures and such is nice also. I have both of these books, and i read them all the time. It's a good price too. I hope you purchase them, have fun reading!

While You Wait.
This is a great "While you wait for book 6" collection. It has the spirit of the Harry Potter books.

The writing is as good as the harry potter books. but the content is not.

For breaif looks into the history of the Harry Potter boos they are great. Particularly for the history of monsters. Hoever id you are looking for a solid READ this is not the book collection for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind… Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddy's in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kate DiCamillo, author of the Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, spins a tidy tale of mice and men where she explores the "powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous" nature of love, hope, and forgiveness. Her old-fashioned, somewhat dark story, narrated "DearReader"-style, begins "within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse." Despereaux Tilling, the new baby mouse, is different from all other mice. Sadly, the romantic, unmouselike spirit that leads the unusually tiny, large-eared mouse to the foot of the human king and the beautiful Princess Pea ultimately causes him to be banished by his own father to the foul, rat-filled dungeon.

The first book of four tells Despereaux's sad story, where he fallsdeeply in love with Princess Pea and meets his cruel fate. The secondbook introduces another creature who differs from hispeers--Chiaroscuro, a rat who instead of loving the darkness of his homein the dungeon, loves the light so much he ends up in the castle& in thequeen's soup. The third book describes young Miggery Sow, a girl who hasbeen "clouted" so many times that she has cauliflower ears. Still, allthe slow-witted, hard-of-hearing Mig dreams of is wearing the crown ofPrincess Pea. The fourth book returns to the dungeon-bound Despereauxand connects the lives of mouse, rat, girl, and princess in a dramaticdenouement.

Children whose hopes and dreams burn secretly within their hearts willrelate to this cast of outsiders who desire what is said to be out oftheir reach and dare to break "never-to-be-broken rules of conduct."Timothy Basil Ering's pencil illustrations are stunning, reflectingDiCamillo's extensive light and darkness imagery as well as the sweet,fragile nature of the tiny mouse hero who lives happily ever after.(Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (77)

Enchanting Fable
A few months ago, I read a little blurb about this novel, and I couldn't wait to read it. Then, it won the Newberry Award, and I finally got hold of a copy. It didn't disappoint. The Tale of Despereaux is one of the most enchanting little stories I've ever read, and I have a feeling it's going to go down as a true children's classic.

The story is so entrancing. It centers around a mouse named Despereaux who just doesn't fit in with the other mice. He is born with his eyes opened. He sees a beautiful world that the others are blind to, and he is shunned because of it. He is able to hear music, and he is able to love creatures of other races. For instance, this tiny mouse falls in love with the human Princess Pea, and that begins quite a chain of events.

Of course, not everything in the story is happy. There is also a dark world that the novel doesn't hide from. There are characters who have had little chance in life and have been harmed because of it. There are characters here who have lead dark lives and are trying to destroy Princess Pea and Despereaux. But, ultimately, this isn't a dark novel but one proclaiming a message about love and hope and the possibility of redemption. It is a beautiful little novel about having the courage to bring some light into the world. The Tale of Despereaux is an amazing novel for people of every age which will be read for an oftly long time.

A Magical New Classic
I have read The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, and liked it much better than her Newbery Honor book, Because of Winn-Dixie. This fairy-tale adventure about a mouse, a rat, a princess, and a servant girl is told in a measured, mannered voice that's a departure for DiCamillo's usual casual style. There are frequent appeals to the "dear reader," which work for me as they do in so few other books.

Despereaux is the youngest mouse in his family. He is runty, with huge ears, and prefers reading books to eating them. We're given glimpses of his family -- his faithless father, his very proper sister, his loutish brother whose favorite word is "Cripes!," and his French mother, whose English is slightly stiff and very amusing. Before long, Despereaux's non-mousely behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where the castle rats will presumably eat him.

He escapes, of course, only to cross paths with a vengeful rat who has taken a slow-witted palace maid into service, to help him carry out his plan to punish Princess Pea, the object of his hatred and Despereaux's devotion.

Forgiveness, second chances, embracing the light, being who you are, the importance of stories, and the restorative properties of a hot bowl of soup all come into play to create a delicate, magical book that I suspect may have more longevity than the celebrated but ultimately somewhat ordinary Because of Winn-Dixie.

awful, reader, just plain awful
Please do not read this book, reader!!! Reader, I had just finished reading Because of Winn-Dixie, and I found it to be a wonderful book and story. But, reader, Tale of Despereaux did not come anywhere close to what I expected a good, or worthy of reading children's book, should be. I also, reader, feel that anyone who has to tell a child what is going on without letting them think for themselves or create their own meanings should not bebale to get their books published. I have always felt the point of getting children to read is to, get them to read! Then the stories and meanings can be discussed later. Children always bring something new the table, and this book ruins a childs creative and imaginative mind.

Teachers, here is your book!
You can get the storyline from the excellent reviews on this page. If you are looking for a terrific read-aloud or book study or novel for your literature circles, this is it. Are you teaching literary elements? This book has it all, character, plot, setting, theme, motivation, point-of-view, genre, voice, elaboration, foreshadowing, word choice...

The wonderful thing is your students will just think you are reading them the BEST story ever. I read chapters 1-3 aloud and then stopped. The kids sent up a chorus of "Nooo, Don't Stop!!!"

We sold so many hard cover copies of the book at our school book fair that we had to reorder several times. Parent were remarking, "He has never begged me for a book before..."

Dust off your French accent and have fun. You will enjoy reading this book aloud as much as your students will enjoy listening to it.

Awesome
A very good book, to say the least. I was recomended this by my librarian and read it, along with Olive's Ocean (another good read, check it out). It deserved the award it got, definitly. ... Read more

Book Description

The Dursleys were so mean that hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does.For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone.Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever?Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told?Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself? ... Read more

Reviews (2308)

PERHAPS THE FUNNIEST ONE SO FAR
Potter 2, THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (1998), may be the funniest one so far. Strangely, I think it is also the one that includes the greater number of physically unpleasant or revolting details, scattered all along the story.
In spite of it, the reading was pleasing to me (I must add I read the Spanish translation first: an eloquent one, but the translators should have probably saved a lot of words). There is a good deal of suspense in the book. Gilderoy Lockhart can make you fall off your chair with laughter. Dobby the house-elf is another brilliantly comic character (we'll meet him again in The Goblet of Fire). Mrs Rowling developes her characters in a way consistent with the 1st book (look up the Weasley twins or Snape, for instance, in Potter 1, since their first appearances until now, and you'll see what I mean). Though the adventurous fever that hits Hermione Granger came as a surprise to me: even her friends Ron and Harry (not half as well-balanced as she is) feel it's strange.
Like in Potter 1, Harry is the less remarkable character in the story, in a way. He's not specially funny or wise or a good student or anything (unlike Malfoy, he's not even specially nasty). Actually, if it wasn't for his scar and his quidditch skills (well, his desperate courage at deadly situations too), JK would have had to choose Mr Filch or that Norris cat to play the hero: Potter would have been as invisible as his cloak. Yet after reading up to the 5th title in the "saga", I think there is some purpose by the author: JK works hard on her books, she's a careful (even too careful) story-maker and character-painter: it cannot be a coincidence that inconspicuousness about Potter's personality. To those having read The Order of the Phoenix this fact is even more urgent, because Potter becomes "remarkable" there -but in the most unfortunate way!! But this lines are not about that book.
Sometimes one can even feel -say, angry with Potter, in this book. He seems to think (erroneously!!) that the best way towards sorting out problems is keeping them hidden from the people who can help solve them: that is Dumbledore in the first place. If Potter's side wins the battle in the end in this book is in spite of him rather than due to him... which is true also about the rest of the series so far. BR>
Finally, that McGonagall's idea, no exams for the pupils because of the hard events they've lived, I think it's foolish: no serious school in the world, even in the fiction world, would ever do such thing!

"There is more than one way to burn a book"
The above quote was from the Coda of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I quote it because while looking through all the one star quotes you see a lot of 'Don't let your children read it, it should be banned ect...' In other words they want to ... burn the book 'cos of their frail mind and 'idea's.' What also irritates me is the large amount of fellow Christians here bashing it and calling it 'Satanic' I am a strong Christian, and guess what? It's not. Witch's magic? Oh dear if a kid can't handle that however will they handle the real world? The point of a Fairy Tale is to prepare kids for the real evil in our world! No these books aren't The Narnia. The Chronicles Of Narnia is my favorite series, and these books o course are not supposed to be anything like them so don't expect them to be. Harry Potter isn't allegory (well according to Lewis's idea neither was Narnia) so don't expect the same level of skill or style. He had witches and goblins as well, will you ban him next? (Oh I forgot some "Christians" think Lewis is evil as well.) Besides "The Last Battle" was more horrific on a psychological level and in its vivid description of battle and mayhem then anything in this book (remember the horses and dwarfs?). There you have the destruction of lands, and all hell (literally) being rained down upon them. Here they have people in a state of shock and a villain getting killed. True the purpose behind the events in Narnia were different, all I'm saying is that the 'disturbing for children' was even more in "The Last Battle". These books are in no way evil; they are however entertaining, un-offensive and fine for kids. Don't worry about polluting minds, being sent to hell or comparing it to a completely different style of writing, just sit and read them for what they are. The ironic this is I never even intended to read a Harry Potter book, I made a promise I would in order to get someone to read Bradbury and here I am defending it, so... don't pre-judge and just get and enjoy them!

Oh how fun! What an adventure!
Year two at Hogwarts has a rough start for Harry, who misses his train and has to make his own way to Hogwarts, breaking every rule in the book along the way. He's in a lot of trouble, yet he still manages to hold his head high and trudge along through school.

Draco doesn't let up as he taunts Harry and tries to cause even more trouble for our hero. We are introduced to new characters that we'll see later in the series. While we don't learn much about Harry's past in this sequel, we learn much more about Hogwarts, the teachers, and the students.

If the HP series were a journey "Chamber of Secrets" would be the bridge from "Sorcerer's Stone" to "Prisoner of Azkaban" where we learn much more about the hows and whys.

It's truly a thrill to read.

Great book to follow the first!
This book was enjoyable, but it was a little slow in how it finally present the clues to discover the final showdown, I think it gives the good lesson in good things are worth waiting for. I didn't like how the characters were acting like total incompetents in seeking help and basically acting like airheads, but I guess that should be expected at 12 years old and only second years.

For a small summary: see the movie!

So Silver
Harry Potter two, didn't have as much going on as the first book, but had much more suspense. Action: amazing. Writing: great. Illustrations: beautiful. All what I call a five star book! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (98)

One of my favorite childhood books
There are some memories from childhood that I can never quite place specifically. Things that linger in memory, but are so faint that they are like a sniff of fresh apple pie from down the street that you can't determine which house it is coming from. I recall reading some "magic" children books--at one time, I thought they were Andre Norton, who had several young adult novels with the word magic in the title, but I was never able to find the exact one. Until I ran across this book in the store, and realized a chapter into it that I was eating apple pie.

I love this book, but it may be because I remember it so fondly. I've been trying to catch up on children's fantasy the last couple of years--reading E. Nesbit, Norton Juster, P.L. Travers, E.L. Konigsburg--and, of them all, Eager is my favorite. In Half Magic, fantasy is rolled with some of the logic of science fiction, in that the wishes that the magic coin gives the children only occurs in halves, and they must figure out how to use it. As children, they are quite believable--maybe not as realistic as Nesbit, but not the Bobsey Twins either.

I should note that Eager was himself a fan of Nesbit's, and his stories do resemble her's in some ways. His affinity for her is clearly laid out here, where the children visit the library and one of their favorite books is The Enchanted Castle.

A jumping-off point for years of fantasy enjoyment
I first read this book at the age of 10. I am now 45 and have not changed my opinion that it is one of the most delightful books for children ever written. It involves four fatherless children and a magic charm, which brings many forms of magic to enrich and improve their lives. The story is written with humor and enormous imagination. I couldn't wait to get back to the library to read all the other Edward Eager books it had. Noting that Mr. Eager always gave credit to Edith Nesbit as his inspiration, I also read all the Edith Nesbit books available. I have continued to re-read them throughout my life; I have read them to my kids, and intend to read them to my grandkids. The Bodecker drawings carry the stories beautifully. I now work at a public library and recommend Half Magic to any child who wants stories about real children and magic, because this book opened such a magical dimension to my own reading life.

MAGICALY ENCHANTED
Half Magic
This novel, is about 4 children looking for an adventure. One day the oldest of the children jane finds what she thinks is a nickel. It turns out to be a magical coin. this takes them on the adventure they have been looking for. It takes them to visit sir lancelot, a desert, and turns the littlest one into a ghost. Their mother feels like she is having a nervous breakdown and is becoming mentally ill. Will they get through all these adventures without getting killed by three knights and a half statue, half dog? I give this book 2 thumbs up. It is a marvelous book for children.

Magic divided by two= A Great Fantasy
Half Magic

Half Magic is a magical fantasy by Edward Eager. Edward Eager has written several books about magical adventures.
Half Magic begins when four children find an interesting looking coin in a crack in the ground. Soon they find out that if you wish something while holding the coin it comes half true. The children go on many magical adventures by wishing everything twice. After awhile the magic starts wearing down. The children decide to give the coin to another child so the magic can go on forever and ever.
I liked this story because it has lots of different settings. If you don't like fantasy very much you could enjoy this book because it travels into history and takes you through some historical events. I would recommend this book to a third grader up to a sixth grader who likes magic and adventures.

A Magical Book
A Magical Book
Half Magic
By: Edward Eager

Half Magic is about 4 children, Jane, Mark, Martha, and Katharine who get a magical coin that only works by halves. Jane the oldest always seems to be different from her siblings. Because she doesn't appear to agree with them much. Mark the only boy and is the second oldest child, doesn't mind much about being the only man around the house and doesn't become annoyed with his sisters much theat often although he wishes to have a dad. Martha the middle child is always ignored by her family. But she is let to say her opinions and ideas very often in necessary times. And Katharine the youngest does mostly annoying things to her siblings that might explain for being shoved under a movie theater seat! But Katherine doesn't mind she just choose to sleep through it.
So these creative children's adventure takes time long ago when movies didn't have any sound and had to be written down. The 4 children's adventures include many things put back in history into Camelot and in the desert. There are man more places that journeys have been taken. Now the old charms to only be worked by halves. The children at first had the coin and coincidently made a wish. But they had not known that the coin had given there wish but only half of it. Then one day when there mother had the coin, she thought it was a nickel and made a wish that she would be home, and only got half of it. She than found herself in the road halfway from home. And there she found a very nice gentleman who gave her a lift there home . Then the children got suspicious and knew what it was now. They had also find out theat you had to wish more than its value to get what you really want. Like " I wish I was twice as far from here.
They had many more adventures then that besides being half invisible . The nice gentleman got to know the family even more on this incredible journey. I believe the theme is " never make a wish without making it worth twice more than what you really want". As my opinion this book is one of the best book I 've picked up on the library's shelf not even knowing what great things were in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

This deluxe edition of Eragon includes an excerpt from Eldest, the next volume in the Inheritance trilogy; an exclusive foldout map of Alagaësia; never-before-seen art by the author depicting Zar’roc, Eragon’s sword; and an expanded pronunciation guide to the Ancient and Dwarf languages.

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire. ... Read more

Reviews (860)

Eragon
<br />Eragon is a wonderful book about a boy named Eragon who discovers a dragon egg, and soon finds himself in a world of magic, wars, and adventure. He travels with his dragon to safety, while seeking revenge on the evil king, Galbatorix, for killing his uncle. With elves, dwarves, and warriors, Eragon and his friends help defeat the orcs sent by Galbatorix. <br />I highly recommend this book to anyone ages 9 and up.

An enchanting and heroic battle between two forces
This is one of the greatest books of all time. One might call it good against evil, but the good aren't that heroic. It is a coming of age story where the main character struggles with himself and his own feelings as well as his enemies. A great epic novel much like The Lord Of The Rings, except it is not as hard to follow.

It doesn't matter if you like fantasy or not. Eragon RULES!!
The suspencful and thrilling story of Saphira and Eragon is amazing, detailed, beautiful, and everything else. It was so(...)etc. GREAT and possibly the best book I have ever read!!! Why? I can't name them all but I can name a few. 1. It talks about dragon in a positive way and I love dragons alot. I'm obssessed. 2. The style of writing is great. 3. The descriptions are amazing. 3.PLEASE do yourself a favor and read this book! I can't wait for Eldest to hit the stores!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOTALLY 100% FANTASTICLY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is definantly the best I've read since Lord of the Rings! It's totally full of action with just a hint of some romance, but it definantly does not overdo it so you will not get bored. It's filled with everything a good story needs, dragons, elves, dwarves, a little bit of magic, a totally evil villian, and a hero you will just fall in love with. You would never be able to tell that he was only 15 when he started to write it. Whoever reads it will not be able to put it down, and those who haven't, YOU HAVE TO GET IT. Can't wait for the other two books in the series. They ROCK!

Awesome!
When Eragon finds a "stone" in the Spine mountains, he never imagines that it might be a dragon egg. When it hatches, Eragon must either raise the baby dragon in hiding, or leave the creature to fare for its own. Then, Eragon's uncle is killed, and Eragon searched revenge. Joined by Brom, Carvahall's storyteller, and his dragon, Saphira, Eragon tracks the Ra'zac (the non-human culprits of his uncles death). On the way he learns how to use his magic, and...well, I let you read the book and find out the rest on your own. ... Read more

Book Description

Since this book's debut, LITERATURE AND THE CHILD has become a popular choice in the children's literature market. The book covers the two major topical areas of children's literature-genres of children's literature (e.g., picture books, folklore, etc.) and the use of children's literature in the classroom. The book is beautifully written and illustrated to reflect the tone and feel of children's books. Extensive booklists are provided for the student to use as an ongoing resource. This book now comes with a four-month subscription to InfoTrac College Edition to introduce related children's literature journals. A new CD-ROM linked to a powerful Web site includes many valuable resources, such as continually updated booklists and access to an online community of instructors and students where you can share teaching ideas, lesson plans, book reviews, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

not the best
This book was the required text for my Children's Lit class. I found it to be very dull and boring to read. Very little coverage is given to the different kinds of awards. Series books are shunned by Galda and Cullinan. The sections on the various genres do a very poor job of explaining each genre in a concise way. The section on Historical fiction is the worst of the lot. The lists at the end of the book have a tendency to be somewhat confusing, and the milestones section left off way too many good books. I also felt that the authors paid to much attention to Harry Potter and not enough attention to other children's literature. The authors need to realize that not all children want to read classics. Overall, this is a boring, dry textbook that spends to much quality time on Harry Potter. The authors need to broaden thier horizons. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is about a book. A magical red book without any words. When you turn the pages you"ll experience a new kind of adventure through the power of story. In illustrations of rare detail and surprise, The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she"s never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over. ... Read more

Book Description

Illustrated in black-and-white. This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets su