Book Description

Unfortunately, Roy's first acquaintance in Florida is Dana Matherson, a well-known bully. Then again, if Dana hadn't been sinking his thumbs into Roy's temples and mashing his face against the school-bus window, Roy might never have spotted the running boy. And the running boy is intriguing: he was running away from the school bus, carried no books, and-here's the odd part-wore no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail. The chase introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, some burrowing owls, a renegade eco-avenger, and several extremely poisonous snakes with unnaturally sparkling tails.
Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen's Florida.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Hoot
I read Carl Hiaasen's first novel for young readers called HOOT. I think that the book is real good. It made me be happy and it made me laugh a lot. I live in the state of Florida so I know what he means by hot summer days.

My favorite part of this book is when Officer Delinko's patrol car gets spray painted by the vandal, which is Mullet Fingers or should I say Napoleon Bridger Leep. It was funny when Officer Delinko falls asleep and when he wakes up sees his patrol car windows are spray painted black. Officer Delinko thought it was early in the morning, but it was really nine thirty. I laughed my head off in this part. Another part I liked was the part that Roy mooned Dana and Dana got real mad and chased Roy about three blocks.

My favorite character was Beatrice. She seemed so tough, but she cared about the owls. She really didn't like her step mom so I laughed when Beatrice bit the ring off Lonna's toe.
With this book I learned you should take care of your environment and stick up for what you think is right! This is a GREAT book!

Excellent Novel
The site of Coconut Cove's future Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is experiencing a slight problem: documents removed, alligators in the port-a-potties, and painted-over patrol cars. But who's behind the clever vandalism and pranks? New Florida resident Roy Eberhardt isn't aware of this going on, but he has often noticed a barefoot boy running down the street faster than anything.Roy was curious, he starts to search around and even follows the boy once, only to be told by Beatrice Leep, a.k.a. Beatrice the Bear, to mind his own business. Despite Beatrice's warning and plenty of bullying from the jerk Dana Matherson, Roy follows the boy, whose name is Mullet Fingers, one day and ends up in the middle of an environmetal mission to save a society of burrowing owls from being bulldozed.

Full of colorful characters, Hoot is a quick-witted adventure that will keep readers hooked. With down-to-earth Roy, dumbfounded Officer Delinko, and construction site manager Curly.The author delivers an appealing cast of characters that keep the plot twisting and turning until the highly charged ending.
This book was great because the plot was some what a reality in a lot of places. Also,friendships,courage and comedy put this story together to make one outstanding novel. I highly recommend this book.

Appropriately named
I love all of Carl Hiaasen's works and HOOT, even though it's touted for the younger set, is no exception. With the same great writing, style, and sense of humor that is found in McCrae's THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOD (though that one's definitely NOT for children), Hiaasen hits his mark once again with this book. Using endangered species as the jumping off point, Hiassen weaves a tale that only he could come up with. The twistedness of his ideas, coupled with great writing, make this one of the most unusual books ever written. Thanks to Carl Hiaasen for giving us this stellar work.

Hoot
With rich detail and the perspective of an eleven-year-old boy, Carl Hiaasen wrote an award winning novel, Hoot. In the story Roy Eberhardt moves to Coconut Cove, Florida from the rolling mountains of Montana. Making new friends is hard but Dana Matherson, school bully, takes all the blame for a wonderful relationship with a tough brother and sister. Going through fights and playing tricks doesn't stop this adventurous threesome from defending something precious and small. Mother Paula's House of Pancakes is coming to Coconut Cove, and right on top of a field of burrowing owls! Competing against an angry grounds keeper and curious policeman, the three will do anything to save the owls. Hoot was an adventurous and funny read. I recommend this book to anyone with a great sense of humor. There are new surprises on every page!

-Tator Tot

Great detective story
In reading the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, I have come to the opinion that the author wrote this book as a mystery novel to show what the job of a detective is like. In the setting of this book there is supposedly a group of vandals some where in the neighborhood. In front of the Mother Paula's stake house, stakes were torn out of the ground, and large sized alligators were put in the guest latrines, leaving it up to officer Delinko to solve. I think the plot of this book shows a great example of this with an outstanding scenario and never ending amounts of suspense. ... Read more

Book Description

What happens when the five luckiest children in the entire world walk through the doors of Willy Wonka’s famous, mysterious chocolate factory? What happens when, one by one, the children disobey Mr. Wonka’s orders? In Dahl’s most popular story, the nasty are punished and the good are deliciously, sumptuously rewarded.
... Read more

Reviews (254)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother.Spurred on by these rumors and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract-touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travelers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers.

A well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space, and the triumph of good over evil. The companion books in the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murry family, are A Wind in the Door; A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. Every young reader should experience L'Engle's captivating, occasionally life-changing contributions to children's literature. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (787)

Space Travel at It's Best
"A Wrinkle in Time " tells the story of Meg and Charles Wallace who, with their friend Calvin, decide to look for their missing father. They meet three mysterious alien women who aid them in their search by giving them interesting powers. With the help of their new alien friends, the children enter a tesseract, a short way of traveling between worlds. They go to a world terrorized by the evil It. Their father is on this world and the children devise a plan to safely leave with him. Their plan goes terribly wrong.

This book has lots of action and it' s characters are children whose reactions are very realistic in their situations. If you like science fiction and love to read about time travel, you will love this book.

An outstanding Sci-fi!
Do you know those books where you accidentally yell out loud to a character to run or hide because you're so tied into the book? Well if you do, this book is definitely one of those. The book started me off confused with Mrs. Whatsit and her involvement in the book, but soon enough the unique characters of the three children and the odd supernatural women made me want to read more.

I loved how Madeleine L'Engle wrote about the aliens and their planets. Most people believe that aliens are much smarter and stronger that us, but she described them different than us, but with a reasonable intelligence level. It makes sense that she made Earth a clouded planet because compared to Ixchel, our planet is full of hate and evil. The only downside of the book for me was the ending. I expected a showdown between good and evil in the last heart stopping scene, but the book came to an ending with the usual 'love is the best power of all."

Looking at this book and comparing it to Harry Potter wouldn't be fair. First of all because after reading both books the overall excitement of Harry Potter way beyond that of A Wrinkle in Time mostly because of the size of the book. I t would also not be fair because Harry Potter, when I was reading it, was the best book of all time and the excitement in the writing was just incomparable. If you're looking for a good Sci-fi book though to read on your free time you will love it. Then again, I guess what I am trying to get to you is that if I were to choose to read the fifth Harry Potter book or all four of the Wrinkle in Time books (I think they are about the same amount of pages) I would definitely choose Harry Potter.

Hope this helps,
Travis Robinson

Really good!!
I read this a long time ago, but it's still really good! Read it! Anyway, that's not my real point.

Would all those people who are complaining about the "lack of scientific substance" stop?!?!?! This isn't supposed to be a scientific journal! It's a NOVEL! What do novels do? Tell stories! NOT give scientific facts.

So, with that aside, I recommend this book to everyone.

Have fun reading!

A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time is a fantastic Sci-Fi young adults book. It is about discovery of one's self and accepting yourself as you are.

The story follows Meg, her brilliant brother Charles Wallace, and her new friend Calvin as they journey through space and behind an evil cloud to find Meg's father. They are assisted by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, who show the children that they can do anything with the talents (and weaknesses) they have.

The reason it didn't receive 5 stars is because the story fell flat in certain places and many times it seemed rushed. Also, my favorite is A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and comparing this book to that one, this book falls short, but only just a little bit.

Challenging and thought-provoking for all ages
This is one of those amazing kids books that can be read on all different levels by people of all different ages. Is it the story of a bunch of spunky kids out to save their father? Or is it one big metaphysical metaphor?

When gawky Meg, "new" Charles Wallace, and popular Calvin O'Keefe get whisked off across the universe to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace's father, they have no idea that they are part of the greater battle between good and evil.

The amazing thing is that this book does not talk down to kids. It is chock full of graduate-level science, religion, and philosophy. Classical poets and thinkers are quoted without a second thought. A relatively obscure sonnet from Shakespeare serves as an important plot point. But although it challenges, it also rewards. It is never difficult to read or understand.

I have always thought that this book would be a great starting point for a discussion if read alongside Lois Lowry's "The Giver." Both are about dystopias where there is no such thing as individuality and privacy. How are the two worlds different, and how are they the same? "Aberations" are dealt with in surprisingly similar ways. What is the role of "love" in both books? What does Meg mean when she screams "Like and equal are not the same thing" and how does that relate to the snobiness that Jonah's "parents" show towards some professions?

Everyone over the age of 10 should read this book. Grown-ups should not consider it a "kids book," because it can be read on so many different levels. It is a classic, thought-provoking book that will be read again and again. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Since its publication in 1942, The Runaway Bunny has never been out of print. Generations of sleepy children and grateful parents have loved the classics of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, including Goodnight Moon. The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away: "'If you run away,' said his mother, 'I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.'" And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. No matter how many forms the little bunny takes--a fish in a stream, a crocus in a hidden garden, a rock on a mountain--his steadfast, adoring, protective mother finds a way of retrieving him. The soothing rhythm of the bunny banter--along with the surreal, dream-like pictures--never fail to infuse young readers with a complete sense of security and peace. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure. (Baby to preschool) ... Read more

Reviews (66)

A heartwarming, beautifully written book, a MUST-HAVE !!!
I first heard a few lines from this book on a T.V. show, and I was in tears! I ran straight to my computer and ordered it. This book is a must have for every child (and parent!). I have never read a book expressing the love of a mother for her child so beautifully. The mother bunny becomes whatever it takes for her to "find" her little bunny as he dreams of different things to be to run away from her. The mother bunny doesn't condemn him, but conforms to his thoughts and dreams and "chases" after him as he tells her what he will become and how he'll run away. I loved the way the mother spoke so lovingly to her little bunny, letting him know that no matter where he went, she'd find him. My son loves the brilliantly colorful images on every other page. It is a nice contrast to the black and white writing in between. This has become a favorite in my home and I intend to give this book as a gift to any and every mother (or mother-to-be) that I know!

Runaway Bunny
This book is wonderful. My son is in an accelerated reading program at school, he brought this book home last night to read and we had such a great time with it. When the story starts off with the little bunny telling his mom that he'll run away and she says she'll follow him I just thought . . . that is love. I told my son that he was the little bunny and I was the mommy bunny, so throughout the story we pretended that those characters were us. The look on my son's face was priceless, I could tell that he knew that his mommy loves him dearly (children need reassurance). He was so proud to hear that I would follow him like that. The color illustrations kept us laughing. They were just so sweet and cute. This book is a classic. I would recommend it to any parent. I didn't see it as a way a mother holds a child back from adventuring out, but as a way a mother/father can deal with a little child wanting to runaway. My son has told me a time or two that he was going to runaway (I believe all kids do - I can remember telling my mom) next time he tells me that I'll just remind him of this story and that I am a mommy bunny! Call me crazy, but I'm assuming that God has read this book as well. After all He keeps running after each and every one of us. Children of all ages need to know that.

A heartwarming tale with an equally heartwarming message
Ever thought of running away? Or, have you ever been really angry at your mother? Well, I have just the cure for that, this book. This is timeless tale of a little bunny who can't help but test the extent of his mother's love, but for every idea the little bunny has for running away, his mother counters with a way of making sure they are always together. For instance, when the little bunny says he will escape his mother by turning into a sailboat, his mother says in reply "If you turn into a sailboat, I will become the wind and blow you home." A wonderful story that displays the unconditional love a mother has for her children.

great book
I think this book is a wonderful demonstration in love.The message is no matter what happens i will be there for you. reading some of the other reviews I feel that some people are reading into a sweet story.

Scary? Disturbing?! Squashed spirits?!? Not at all!
The one- and two-star people have the totally wrong impression. What do you think the (equivalent) age of the little runaway bunny is -- 16 to 25? To what age group are we reading a book like this? You have somehow missed the point, and context.

The idea here is that the little bunny is a very young child, far too young to be on his own -- you know this when he actually tells his mother he is running away! Imagine your child of 4 to 7, momentarily angry about something, who tells you he wants to run away from home, pouting and saying things he doesn't mean, wanting attention, testing your love. (Heck, imagine your adolescent of 16 literally running away, though he wouldn't warn you beforehand!) He is far too young to be on his own, and his mother loves him so much that she will always be there for him when he needs her, and will not let harm come to him. He needs her now, though in his current emotional state he doesn't realize it. Would you let your child run away?

This book's audience is toddler through early-reader, the kind of age where their early needs for independence are joined with an intense need to feel the constant love and presence of the parent -- they need to know their parent(s) will always be there for them. Margaret Wise Brown was not talking about an older child figuratively spreading his or her wings, only to be smothered and squashed by Mother's "love." (The only overall metaphor here is that bunnies = humans.) She's literally talking about an immature child impulsively saying he will run away, and what any good, loving parent would say and do to help and comfort him. The book is from 1942, so perhaps that makes it unclear to some, but from the moment I read it I understood the context; it is a beautiful story if you understand the intent. That little bunny has a great imagination -- the color pages are his mental images of the previous text -- and Mama is fostering it with her responses in kind.

There is one place where I would have worded the mother's part differently: where she she becomes the wind, she says "...blow you where I want you to go." I would have said, "...blow you back to me," and I think that's what the author meant. Also, somebody commented in 2000 about the "I will fish for you" part and said the mother catches him on a hook. Look at the picture -- there is no hook on the line, just a carrot tied on for the little bunny to bite, and a net to scoop him up.

I've replaced our worn, torn paperback with the big lap edition boardbook. We also have the "Goodnight Moon" lap edition, and although they are big and heavy, the size is a plus for the illustrations, and they're virtually indestructible. Our first daughter (4.5) caused many small rips in the pages of her books as she turned them with gusto, and our second daughter (20 mos.) likes to finish those rips when she can! ... Read more

Book Description

The seventh son of the seventh son, aptly named Septimus Heap, is stolen the night he is born by a midwife who pronounces him dead. That same night, the baby's father, Silas Heap, comes across a bundle in the snow containing a new born girl with violet eyes. The Heaps take this helpless newborn into their home, name her Jenna, and raise her as their own. But who is this myster ious baby girl, and what really happened to their beloved son Septimus?

The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads readers on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.

Reviews (21)

Goosebumps & Giggles
Rebeccasreads highly recommends SEPTIMUS HEAP: Magyk as a treasure trove (it looks like a book of spells) of fantastical fun, taking you into a magical realm where dishes wash themselves & magicians do marvelous things. There's a fantastic journey & conflict about good & evil, lost & rediscovered identities. It is rich with humor & heart, & filled with quirky characters & magykal charms, kind ghosts & frightening towers.

A gladsome & grand fantasy with lots of goosebumps & giggles, & a serious theme. Angie Sage hails from London, England & is now living in darkest Cornwall. She has infused this first book about a boy who grew up without a name, with both the light & dark side of life. For those of us who remember learning about the English civil war of the 1600s when the colorful Cavaliers & dour Roundheads battled for the throne (as too for anyone who's read anything about Communism), the life of SEPTIMUS HEAP, until he is found by his family, will ring many alarms bells.

SEPTIMUS HEAP: Magyk is a tale about taken & found children, lost happier times & oppressive rules written in a refreshing & enchanting way. A fine beginning to a new series.

By far the best book I've read!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book is great! So magykal! Its keeps you turning the pages. I'm almost through with it and I'm so sad to end it! You never want to leave this fantasy world Angie Sage invented. As soon as you finish the first chapter........your hooked. BUt basically it has the same fantasy plot as Harry Potter. I totally recommend it! You absoloutly have to read this book.....and the ones following it!

It's really Magykal!
You will surely have fun with this book. I liked the plot, characters, and the "magyk" system and type.

The action take place early in the book, which I found good, and it didn't stop to some boring phase that goes for a long long while in the middle. Actually the events sequence & timing is so marvelous.

And just for the record; I loved Boy 412 soooo much the whole time. He is funny and rational at the same time. Also I loved Stanley, the massage rat.

I recommend this book to my friends and any reader, especially children; I think they will just love it.

Magical Fun Read
The story begins with the much anticipated births of "special" babies - the seventh son of a seventh son and the Queen's future heir. But nothing goes as it's supposed to go. There are faked deaths, babies switched, babies found, until nobody know exactly who's who. An evil necromancer overthrows the ExtraOrdinary Wizard (the good guys) and everyone is on the run. The following chase and adventures make this a fun, exciting read.

This is no Harry Potter, but that's okay. There can be only one Harry and I think it wise the author didn't try to imitate Harry. (Although, the name Trelawney does pop up.) In some spots there seems to be a lot being done by the characters but the story doesn't progress much. That's really my only complaint.

I look forward to the next in the Magyk series. I'm glad the Harry books only come out every couple of years. It's opened the door to so many good authors to step up to the plate and really enhance juvenile litature. Not to mention entertaining the adults, too!

Rowling Has a Run For Her Money
I'm in children's publishing and found the advance galleys for Sage's book on a bookshelf at the office. I've seen it mentioned in PW and I've seen it in bookstores, but couldn't bring myself to plop down the money for it. (Which is understandable since, being in children's publishing, I get my books for free.) Spying the ARC, I delightfully borrowed it from my editor, cackling all the while.

This book is engaging. Each word is purposeful, thoughtful, and executed with such precision, it's hard to believe that they were not done so with the greatest of intention. And I thought it was great that Magykal words were treated in a different typeface. (There was a reader who reviewed that they did not like this effect. I myself thought it was a nice visual pop; Magykal words in a different typeface signal a departure from the regular typeface, e.g., the "norm.")

Sage has come to passage as a fine writer, along the vein of Shannon Hale and Cornelia Funke. I've read a lot of children's books in my life--as a kid and for my job--and I'm greatly impressed with Sage's body of work. Though it may discourage readers to find that this is quite a hefty tome, the reading goes rather quickly. I actually slowed my reading down in hopes of making the book last.

Brava, Madame Sage! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

Wonderful
Zen shorts is a wonderful book. The story is fantastic and the illustrations are sensational. Very well done!

Best kids book purchase in some time
I picked this up on a whim because of the title and the gorgeous illustrations. I got a real treasure! My five year old son loves to have it read to him, and I love reading it.

Luminous paintings and pleasant retellings of Zen stories.
Muth's beautiful watercolor paintings are the perfect accompaniment to the Zen stories told by Giant Panda Stillwater.
Every word is chosen perfectly in the stories, which are then discussed by Stillwater and the three children he befriends.

This is a book both parents and children can enjoy again and again.

real books for children
This is a thoughtfully written story that teaches real life lessons in a gentle way. Based on Buddist teachings and stories, the books central character (Stillwater, a giant panda) draws in even the youngest readers. Muth's other book The Three Questions does the same thing. How refreshing it is to read a childrens book that embraces some profundity and is not afraid to go deep into the well of CONCEPT.

Not just for zen kids . . .
This book presents lovely and entertaining retellings of three famous Buddhist stories in a way that makes them appropriate for children from about 3 up (and way beyond).Not just for zen kids, though--these are wonderful stories for kids (and parents) of any persuasion.The panda telling the very short stories to three neighbor children is neither condescending nor preachy, and Muth ably resists whacking you over the head with the morals--when kids get the point themselves (and even young readers will),the gentle teachings will be be more meaningful.Beautiful illustrations, too--this is one your kids will bring to you to "read it again." ... Read more

Book Description

In the ancient Northumbrian town of Fulwich, there is an old man whom nobody knows. This man, Thorston by name, has lived a secret life so that he may stay alive--forever. Call him an alchemist but his posession of The Book Without Words contains the secret of immortality.  But to make this secret a reality, he must sacrifice his minion, Odo, a coal-black raven, and Sybil, his thirteen-year-old servant.  Just as Thorton is on the brink of imortality, Sybil decides she wants to live her own life, and Odo wants the gold he believes Thorton as made.  Who then will live, and who will die?  And who will get the gold? ... Read more

Book Description

Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair.

And it got worse...

His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!

This handsome new edition of Judith Viorst's classic picture book is sure to charm readers of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (76)

a terrible day book
i discovered this book when i was in grade skool and i remember running home and telling my mom all abt it, how it was just like what i used to go through. it's abt this little boy named alexander who has the worst day of his life (or so he thinks.) he wakes up with gum in his hair, goes to skool with no dessert in his lunch, finds a cavity at the dentist's office, wants the sneakers with the red stripes but his brother got them first so he has to have the plain white ones, has lima beans for supper, and is forced to go to sleep in train pajamas. it's such a cute book simply becuz you know kids go through it everyday. if ever yr child is having a bad day, read them alexander and see if they don't improve attitudes just a little.

Still makes me laugh
I'm 17 years old and still remember and enjoy reading this book from when I was younger. A friend of mine and I recently got together to go read children's books all day at the local bookstore, and I was delighted when I found "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" sitting on the shelves ready to be read. Alexander is a typical little boy who believes every obstacle in his life is leading to the end of the world. I laughed the whole way through the book, relating to him on several levels. I think the book is wonderfully written for all audiences; while a child may life, an adult may look at Alexander's tale and reminisce about their own childhood when they received plain white sneakers instead of ones with racing stripes.

Run-on sentences and extremely negative energy.
Allow me to quote the first page of this book:
"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."

This is not posting on an Internet forum about your favorite movies where you can write what, how much, and however you want; it's a book written for children, and we can't have blatant mistakes such as run-on sentences. Therefore, I'm wondering how this page, as well as many other sentences in the book, made it past the editor(s).

As I finished the first page, the five year old child I was reading to, looked at me funny and wondered why I seemed out of breath. Even she noticed the run-on sentences and found it an awkward listen. So for the rest of the book, where I deemed it appropriate, I paused as if there were actual periods and commas where there should be.

Not only is this book an expert at run-on sentences, but it also showcases an extremely negative attitude in a boy. That may have been justified had the book addressed the issue by the end, but it alas, it doesn't. It just plays it off as if it's normal for children to be this negative. Many people wrote that they can relate to this child and his negative experiences, but if you stretch it, you can say that in reference to many other children's books as well.

Negative people give off negative energy, and without ways to deal with this issue, this is not the kind of book I want children exposed to.

An extremely negative character and ugly grammar does not make a good children's book. I would give it no stars if Amazon allowed it. This is the worst children's book I have ever purchased.

I found a kindred.
As a child plagued with bouts of unluck, I thought I'd found a kindred when I stumbled over the beleaguered Alexander and his tale. He was everything I was. I found this book tucked away in an elementary school's library at a very young age and thought it was hysterical....and I felt the utmost empathy for Alexander, of course.

Everyone has days like these. Grownups can also surely relate to it. I know I still can. It's a great book and I don't see why so many people have posted negative reviews; perhaps they never have bad days??

Children will find a delightful and compassionate friend in Alexander; I would reccomend this book - vehemently - to anyone with children. Or without - if you'd simply like a good smile.

Makes every bad day better!!
This book is great. I read it in a children's literature course in college and I remembered it when I was pregnant with my first son. I know that he'll grow to love Alexander and his very bad day!! Wonderful!! ... Read more

Book Description

What a night!
The moon is full.
Kitten is hungry
and inquisitive
and brave
and fast
and persistent
and unlucky . . .
then lucky!
What a night!

Reviews (2)

My baby loved it!
I started reading Kitten's First Full Moon to my daughter when she was 3 months old, and she has since been captivated by the beautiful black/white illustrations of kitten and her quest for the little bowl of milk.

Here Kitty, Kitty
The cover shows Kitten in a dazzling night garden. The lettering is silvery and the colors of the entire book are grays, black, and white. Kitten sees the moon and thinks it is a bowl of milk. The story shows Kitten (in very clever illustrations) trying and trying to get at the "bowl of milk". Kitten chases after an impossible goal and in the end finds what it was searching for was waiting for it all along at home. Fun for everyone, but cat lovers will really enjoy this book. ... Read more

Reviews (1145)

Prejudice
I really liked S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders because of the unique way the book was written. Instead of the "conventional" writing style, Ms. Hinton wrote the book like she is Ponyboy Michael Curtis, "Greaser." This book was very interesting, it had many unexpected twists and turns. The Outsiders is a very believable book, and in many ways there are real "outsiders" today.

The Outsiders dealt with prejudice, and as you are reading this book you begin to understand what life is like for other groups and how they act towards each other. It's sad because no matter what or who is in the group, they are all classified as "bad," "good," "smart," etc. It made me realize that I too judge and group people too easily, we all do.

I would recommend this book to anyone (over the age of 11 or so) who wants to read an awesome novel about life, family relationships, friendships, social groups and prejudice.

A Student at Secrist Middle School, 3rd period Language Arts

The Outsiders - A Timeless Read
Even though S.E. Hinton's young adult novel, The Outsiders, was first published 35 years ago, it is timeless. Just like Romeo and Juliet, or West Side Story, it is a story of rivaling groups and the emotional and physical scars that the rivalry plays on the individuals of both sides. There is no love story, but the relationships among three recently orphaned brothers and their gang of greaser friends tells of deep attachments, love and hate.

The story is told by fourteen year old Ponyboy who is the youngest of the Curtis boys. He reveals his opinions, insights and feelings towards the people and events going on around him. Throughout the story Ponyboy's sensitivity to the complexities of peoples thoughts, motivations, and actions, including his own, increases dramatically. As Ponyboy develops an understanding of his world, so does the reader develop an understanding of how a teenage mind works and grows.

Hinton's greasers and socs (socialites) represent the cliques that forever seem to reign in middle and high schools. For this reason most readers will find it easy to relate to one or more of the characters. If the reader is an adult, like me, Ponyboy's revelations will shed some light on who some of those other kids in school were, and why they did what they did. For the teen reading the book for the first time,Ponyboy offers insights that might make the road they're travelling easier to understand now.

If you have a teen in your home, don't show them the movie. Give them this book to read. They are sure to appreciate the gift.

The Outsiders - A review
This book is very good. i have read it in 2 days, and you can read it very good. it is not bad.keep cool, Heiko Rabus

The Outsiders is the best book ever!!!!
Hey everyone we had to read the book the Outsiders this year(8th Grade) and then we had to watch the movie we had to do a BIG report on it and it was so0o0 much fun and I got a great mark on it..I liked it so much that in the summer I went out and bought the book and then I rented the movie and I have read the book like 4 times and watched the movie like 5 times it's the best ever if you are looking for a good book to read, read The Outsiders!! It's worth it!!
From The Outsiders Fan
Gel

A girl's review on the outsiders..
I have read this book 3 times and everytime I learn something different. I think everyone can relate to atleast one caracter in this book. I related myself to Ponyboy (the caracter that's telling the story from his point of view.)
The author made me feel like he really went threw all of this, and this book wasn't fiction at all. Many life lessons come out at you as you read...and you don't want to put it down. The main caracter is an intellegent, opinionated teenager who is willing to hide himself and his feelings in order to fit into the world he is forced to live in..but some people he'll trust to open up too. He comes off as a poor troublemaker by the way he dresses, but he is really purer and golden than anyone.
I recomend this book to everyone, especially teenagers. ... Read more

Book Description

With the publication of her first novel, THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER, Carson McCullers, all of twenty-three, became a literary sensation. With its profound sense of moral isolation and its compassionate glimpses into its characters' inner lives, the novel is considered McCullers' finest work, an enduring masterpiece first published by Houghton Mifflin in 1940. At its center is the deaf-mute John Singer, who becomes the confidant for various types of misfits in a Georgia mill town during the 1930s. Each one yearns for escape from small town life. When Singer's mute companion goes insane, Singer moves into the Kelly house, where Mick Kelly, the book's heroine (and loosely based on McCullers), finds solace in her music. Wonderfully attuned to the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition, and with a deft sense for racial tensions in the South, McCullers spins a haunting, unforgettable story that gives voice to the rejected, the forgotten, and the mistreated -- and, through Mick Kelly, gives voice to the quiet, intensely personal search for beauty.Richard Wright praised Carson McCullers for her ability "to rise above the pressures of her environment and embrace white and black humanity in one sweep of apprehension and tenderness." She writes "with a sweep and certainty that are overwhelming," said the NEW YORK TIMES. McCullers became an overnight literary sensation, but her novel has endured, just as timely and powerful today as when it was first published. THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER is Carson McCullers at her most compassionate, endearing best. ... Read more

Reviews (80)

Art Takes Effort!
I was disturbed to read so many negative reviews of Carson McCullers' The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. This book is one of the finest works of literature in the American canon. Oprah's bookclub has lately been doing the admirable work of resurrecting old classics - McCullers WAS, in fact, quite the sensation among her contemporaries. I feel that Heart' is the book around which all of McCuller's other pieces orbit. I'll agree with a few other reviewers in saying that this is not an action book, it is not "funny train station" literature, and the impetus is psychological, and often quite intangible.

As a master's degree student in writing at Sarah Lawrence College, I love this book. As a high school student, I adored it. People picking up something for fluffy entertainment value should probably not read this book. People looking to experience a different kind of life, to read a beautifully written social commentary, to experience psychological empathy pertaining to the human condition...those people should read this book.

It's great writing. Don't bash it because it's not your type of reading material.

To drive my point into the ground, people who enjoy authors in the vein of Flannery O'Connor, Katherine Anne Porter, Tennessee Williams, Anne Tyler, Annie Proulx, Katherine Dunn, William Faulkner, Harper Lee, possibly Jeanette Winterson...these readers, and readers looking for great literature, should sample Carson McCullers.

Slow going at first, rewarded at the end!
After hearing everyone's glowing reviews, and being so excited to start reading this book- after reading Part 1 of this book, I was ready to give up. However, I'm glad I picked it up again a few days later & finished it. Still, the book was not quite what I envisioned, and it does not make my list of favorite books. But I realize I'm not much of a "classic novels" reader, so that probably had a lot to do with how I felt about this book.

I enjoyed the premise of this town full of misfits; a drunk, a bar-keep, a teenage girl who's an outsider, a deaf mute and a repressed black doctor- all of which who made excellent characters. And once the stories of these people really got going, in part 2, I was enjoying the reading. It's just that part one really sets the stage for each of these characters, so it's not very exciting reading. And also, it took me a while to get into Carson's writing style, which is a bit unique- for instance, there were times when her sentence structure was kind of backwards. I'm not sure if this is because that's how they spoke in the 40's, or if it's McCullers's dialect. I will say that this book did have some very poetic thoughts and prose. There were several profound things, and it made the reading all the more worthwhile.

I do recommend this book for reading- just with the warning that part 1 is slow going, but if you make it that far, you'll be rewarded in part 2 & 3. I don't want to give anything away about this story, so I'll leave it there.

Heart Wrenching
Light reading, whimsical - no! Realistic, introspective, entertaining, a wonderful enlightment into the soul - yes! Don't pick up the book if you don't want to think. Otherwise, experience, enjoy and appreciate the brilliance of the characters, the story and the author.

No funny train station literature, but a great piece of art
I enjoyed this book. To those who find it too depressing, I would like to say that anything that deserves to be designated as "literature" irritates the reader. I recommend this book to anyone who looks for reading material that is not just entertaining or funny, but for something that enriches their minds.

Overrated
Overrated. Just god awful, can't stand it. Ok, I know that isn't really helpful, but I have a feeling that this is one of those books that everyone claims to enjoy becuase they don't want to be accused of "not getting it." The characters were really difficult to care about, and the writing was just blah. Truly overrated (like most Oprah books). ... Read more

Book Description

Ten years ago, Jack and Annie found a Magic Tree House in the woods and the world of reading was changed forever. Millions of letters later (from children, parents, and teachers around the world!)the exciting and inspiring four books are available together in a keepsake-worthy boxed set. The perfect gift to encourage a struggling new reader or remind old fans of the way they first discovered the magic of books. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

wonderfully imaginative..........
The Magic Tree House books are wonderful for early elementary kids. My first and second graders love for me to read these books aloud. They are simple and uncomplicated with short chapters which could cause them to be a bit boring for older kids. Each book has Jack and Annie magically going to another time and place by wishing on a book left in the tree house. This series (I have #1-24) have really turned some of my non-readers onto reading.

GREAT SERIES
When I found the Magic Tree House series, I was thrilled. Mary Pope Osbourne is writting books with non-fictional details in a fictional plot!! And I love that there are pictures on every other page--it keeps the early readers entertained. My older boys read early so it was hard to find books they could read that weren't "silly" and kept their interest (and had pictures). Even when my two older boys stepped into more difficult reading books, they still wanted to follow the series! Now my 7 year old is taking over!!

I understand that the writting is for younger kids, but last year I worked as a teacher's aide, and every day I would read a chapter to the 4th grade class, before dismissal, and they were sold--found Magic Tree House more fun than Harry Potter!! When we started a new book, we would all wait until the tree house stopped spinning and the whole class would say with me "everything was still; absolutely still" (a standard line in each book)!

Can't Get Enough!
I bought the boxed set 1-4 based on my sister's recommendation. She has a 5 and 3 1/2 year old and they listen to Ms. Osborne's books on tape. They looovvve the stories--yes even her younger son. I decided to give it a try. I thought my bright almost 5 year-old daughter would like to try something different and also, give her a taste of what chapter books were all about. My daughter cannot get enough of these books. They are interesting, intriguing, thought provoking and often times my daughter ends up with her fingers in her mouth because she gets so excited about what's happening in the story. What a wonderful way to broaden your child's look at the world--from Egypt to the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago. I went ahead and bought books 5-8 and look forward to reading them to my daughter.

Great Chapter Books for First, Second & Third Graders
This is the first series of chapter books my son actually wanted to read by himself. While many of the reviewers complain about grammatical errors, etc., I feel these can be overlooked as these delightful stories keep a child's interest from start to finish. Each chapter is fairly short and has frequent pictures (a must for beginning chapter readers). The main characters have all sorts of adventures and the reader actually learns some historical facts. While the books are probably too easy for advanced readers, they should appeal to most beginning chapter readers. I think it is very important that children think reading is fun and the books from The Magic Tree House Series provide a wonderful introduction to chapter book reading!

Great fun to read for both of us!
We were looking for "chapter" books for our 4 year old and a librarian recommended these. We are starting our own collection. Eventhough our daughter can't read yet, she loves them! I deliberately stop midway and discuss what she thinks will happen next. She is then very excited the next day when we finish. Great!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?" Such are the profound, philosophical queries posed in this well-loved classic by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. While many rhymes in this couplet collection resemble sphinx-worthy riddles, Seuss's intention is clear: teach children to read in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It matters little that each wonderful vignette has nothing to do with the one that follows. (We move seamlessly from a one-humped Wump and Mister Gump to yellow pets called the Zeds with one hair upon their heads.) Children today will be as entranced by these ridiculous rhymes as they have been since the book's original publication in 1960--so amused and enchanted, in fact, they may not even notice they are learning to read! (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Rich in marvelous images
Dr. Seuss's extraordinary body of work is a collective treasure, but from that group of books a few stand out as his best. "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" certainly belongs in the category of Seuss's finest. Rich in clever rhymes and memorable images, this book scores a literary home run on nearly every page.

Directed towards early readers, "One Fish" uses simple language in its funny rhymes. Seuss mixes his own created words together with standard vocabulary, resulting in such memorable lines as "just jump on the hump of the Wump of Gump." And these rhymes are accompanied by a rich variety of images that can only be described as "Seussian": A mother fish pushing her offspring in a baby carriage, a bed being commandeered by a menagerie of animals, and more.

Futhermore, in "One Fish" Dr. Seuss introduces us to a wonderful assortment of Seussian creatures: the singing Ying, the hopping Yop, a truly bizarre creature known simply as "Clark," and many more. These images are sure to energize the imaginations of both children and adults.

Seuss's images range from the joyful to the eerie, from the baroque to the earthy. I give "One Fish" my most enthusiastic recommendation.

IF YOU WISH TO WISH A WISH
.

At least two generations of parents and their children have now been immersed in the wonderful world of Dr Suess. The fun filled fantasy world of Dr Suess has lost none of its charm. "One Fish Two Fish" is one of his best.

The theme of this book is "funny things are everywhere". Dr Suess goes on to prove this by introducing a long list of fantastic but friendly characters. The creatures are at times outrageous looking but they are never frightening. There is no chance of monster-phobia developing in children after reading these books.

Anything is possible in this book. You have to love the seven hump Wump with its eight legs. It bears an uncanny resemblance to a camel.

Children will get to love the rhyme and rhythms of the words in this book. Children will be encouraged to make their own word play. It is possible new skills in creative thinking and even musical aptitude may emerge in children after having fun in the Suess world. On thing is for sure, a love of reading will certainly be encouraged.

Spatial thinking is encouraged with humorous signposts to Near and Far, and Here and There. Young minds will adore taking the advice "if you wish to wish a wish".

"One fish two fish" makes a great bedtime book. It is long enough and exhausting enough to pacify the most agile young mind. They can go off to dream land pondering "did you ever fly a kite in bed" and then "curl up with your Pet Zeep".

Prescient political pondering of our polarized prolatariat
Just as Seuss covered anti-intellectualism in Green Eggs and Ham, and alternate lifestyles in Hop on Pop, the Fish book is a trenchant political analysis. Foreseeing the red vs. blue state deadlock back in the idealistic better-living-through-chemistry early 1960s, Suess contrasts the red (as in communist) fish with the all-American blue fish. This motif weaves through the book, teaching little ones the red vs. blue tension of multiculturalism (in the form of strange animals) and isolationism of Ned in his too-small bed. While most younger children will miss the allusion to Procrustes, they may remember the literary echo in Hop on Pop: Ned joins Red, Ted, and Ed in a more appropriately sized bed, and Seuss shows his support for the UN, or at least the International Monetary Fund.

The tension is palpable when the young boy and girl bring home a large, walrus-like pet and wonder how their mother will feel about their deed; no preschooler could miss this reference to the Teapot Dome scandal. Similarly, their advice to get a pet Yink simply because of its fondness for pale red india writing product is a sardonic commentary on rampant consumerism. And the camel-like Wump shows his prophetic realization that our demand for oil would force us to deal with the Saudis on a regular basis.

Seuss warns us of the coming divide in these United States in the introduction: "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere." It starts with the fish, red, blue, and black (but not white, showing where Geisel's sympathies lie), young and old, then proceeds up the evolutionary chain to large land mammals, eventually including the aforementioned school-aged boy and girl. They serve as the Adam and Eve as well as the Joe and Joan Sixpak of the book. They espouse embracing what is different while they reinforce doing the same.

Seuss knew where we were headed in both 2000 and 2004, and this book shows the way out. The US has plenty of (pale) red ink, so we should get a Yink. I think.

Every day, from here to there, funny things are everywhere
You might think that "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" is a Dr. Seuss book about counting or colors (or counting and colors or even counting colors), but that would simply be the hook for something much larger. The thesis of this Beginner Book appears opposite the first page, where we are informed by a small creature with a giant mustache and a yellow star for a belly button that "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere." If anything this Dr. Seuss book has bits and pieces from lots of other Dr. Seuss books. You have a series of opposite because fish are not only red and blue but old and new, you have Ned who does not like his bed, there is Yop who only likes to hop from finger top to finger top, and all sorts of strange looking animals. There is even a creature that looks like the Cat in the Hat except he is completely yellow, including his hat, has a polka dot bow tie, and eleven fingers.

Consequently, if "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" is one of the first Dr. Seuss books that a beginning reader begins reading they should go back and read it again after they have gone through the rest of the good doctor's books because they will then be better able to appreciate some of the familiar faces in this book. However, since this is not a book for early beginning readers, most kids will get to this one after they have covered the basic Dr. Seuss books and become well accustomed to his delightful volumes of rhymed absurdity. This particular book has been inspiring the imagination of beginning readers since 1960 and there is no reason for it to stop with that endeavor at this point in time.

Great book
Unlike most Dr. Seuss books, this book has no real plot. For the most part it is made up of unconnected pages that flow nicely into one another. The lack of plot is not something that harms the book in my eyes, I like the chance encounters with the strange creatures, and I think the lack of a plot helps to make this story special.

Throughout this book we are introduced to a number of cute creatures from fish to Wumps to Zeds. Like all Dr. Seuss creations they are very cute, bold, colorful and expressive. Another characteristic of a Dr. Seuss book is how the words flow wonderful and manage to rhyme well in a manner completely unforced and effortless. This is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books.

Loggie-log-log-log ... Read more

Book Description

They open a door and enter a world. ... Read more

Reviews (319)

Lions, Witches and Wardrobes--Oh My!
Because it is so spectacular, I'm choosing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to be the first book I review here at Amazon. I first fell in love with this story (and the subsequent volumes in the series) when my fifth-grade teacher read it to our class. Though it has been more than a decade since, this book has remained one of my all-time favorite works of literature, and I try to reread it once a year. It has an enchanting effect on the heart, mind and soul that never diminishes.

The novel features four British children: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve) who discover a magical world hidden behind fur coats in a wardrobe. In "Narnia", they encounter an endless parade of fantastic characters and events that aid them in their quest to free the land of Narnia from the spell of the White Witch. She makes winter a permanent season and turns those who oppose her into stone. The most prominent Narnians are the talking animals, but especially the lion Aslan who, with the children's help, must return spring and benevolent rule to the land.

On a more analytical note, I find it fascinating how C.S. Lewis uses allegory to loosely bridge his fictional world with well-known themes and stories from the Bible. You can most easily recognize this in the ever-present battle between good and evil and the symbolic representation of Christ's Resurrection in the guise of Aslan's death and revival on the Stone Table. Which fulfills an "even deeper magic from before the dawn of time."

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a modern classic that should be included in EVERYONE'S library. It will leave you completely satisfied, but at the same time craving more (which can be found in the other six volumes of the Chronicles of Narnia series). Oh, to sit and rule at Cair Paravel while munching on Turkish Delight!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
This book is about a girl named Lucy and her 3 siblings named Peter, Susan, and Edmund. They have to go live with a relative that they call the "Professor." On day they decide to play hide and go seek. Lucy runs to a closet and there she meets a kind faun named Mr. Tumnus in a really cold wintery place. Lucy returns to her brothers and sister and tries to convince them of what she saw. Lucy and her siblings have now entered the land of Narnia where the evil White Witch lives who dislikes children and it always trying to capture them. At the end of the book, there is a big battle between the witch's evil side and Aslan's (the lion) good side. Aslan's courage and loyalty to the children and people in Narnia brings Spring to their land.

This is the best fantasy I have ever read because it keeps the reader always involved. It is really hard to put this book down. Although this story seems complicated and hard to follow, it is fast moving and always keeps the reader in suspense. I loved reading this book and recommend it for both girls and boys. I know this one will be on your top ten list.

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

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

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

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

I wish that this bo