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To say that this particular apple tree is a "giving tree" is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree for a boat. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. + T." "And then the tree was happy... but not really." When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. "And the tree was happy." While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take?Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (345)

Deeply powerful
I had read and treasured The Giving Tree as a child, but I had largely forgotten it when I discovered a copy in a children's book store last year. I picked it up and showed it to my friend. "Look," I said. "I remember this book. What a cute story it was." We read it together, in the bookstore, for the first time in many years.

I nearly cried. What I remembered as a cute and slightly silly children's story is in fact an extraordinarily powerful parable of life and faith. The wisdom and simple power of this book still holds, even after all these years. We have lost a very fine author who wrote some of the greatest children's books in our language.

This is Essential Reading For Fans Of Children's Literature
The Giving Tree, written by Shel Silverstein, is a controversial story for children. People either hate or love it. Like The Little Prince, The Giving Tree ultimately delivers a message which is both moving and profound. The illustrations, rendered in simple black and white line drawings, tell the story of a tree and the little boy who comes to visit her every day. As the story progresses the boy grows into a selfish adult who does nothing but take from the tree. He takes and takes until nothing is left of her but a stump. Finally one day the boy returns as a beaten down old man with no place left to go. The tree, always happy to see him, offers the old man the only thing she has left. She offers her stump for him to rest on. The Giving Tree is a powerful metaphor for the unconditional love parents and children share. Frustrating, sad, and ultimately beautiful, this is a story no child should miss reading.

Preston McClear, author The Boy Under the Bed

The spirit of giving with nothing expected in return
This is my favorite book of all time. In fact, I have designed the nursery for my newborn around this book, with the main focus of the room being a mural showcasing the cover. I believe the book shows that giving without expecting anything in return can be fufilling. The last line in the book states this, "and the tree was happy", what better lesson for a parent to teach their child. Sure you can look at the dark side, and focus on the selfishness of the little boy, but I choose not to. Shel Silverstein purposely left the meaning up to the reader for interpretation.

The Power of Simplicity, Taps into the Deeply Human
There's not really a "plot" in this story in any traditional sense. It is a series of vignettes in the relationship between a boy and a tree. The symbolism is pretty straightforward, the tree representing parental nurturing, but there is nothing trite about it. This illustrations are simple black-and-white line drawings. Somehow this simple book really packs a punch. All I can really say is that I have never once, ever, in dozens of readings, whether alone or to the kids, made it through this book without crying. It's simply...touching.

Further Comments: Silverstein was one weird, scary-looking dude. If you're interested in very idiosyncratic people, Google him and you'll be surprised. He has several other children's books with which I'm only vaguely familiar (I remember Where the Sidewalk Ends being on the shelf at my grade school, but I'm not sure if I ever read it. I think it's a collection of poems). I'd love to see some of those reviewed.

(...)

inspirational
I first read this book 3 years ago when I started working with children...my reaction was that this kid was a selfish little (...). As I have matured I've realized that children are supposed to be selfish and as a child care worker or parent it is our job to sacrafice everything that we have for the benefit of the child and then to give a little more. Personaly I think the highest point that a parent or teacher can reach is that of a stump. Everytime I feel myself tiring as the kid next to me at the dinner table eats 2 servings of potatos and leaves nothing for me, I picture myself as a stump and I pass them the rolls. ... Read more

Book Description

Four cassettes, 6 hrs

Artemis Fowl is a one of the greatest criminal minds the world has ever seen. He is heir to the Fowl family empire—a centuries old clan of international underworld figures and con artists. He is arguably the most cunning Fowl of all. He is also twelve years old.

Artemis' interest in mythology and an obsession with the Internet leads him to discover proof of the existence of "The People"- otherwise known as fairies, sprites, leprechauns and trolls. He learns every fairy has a magical Book. If he can find the Book, it will lead him to "The People's" vast treasure of gold.
With his brutish sidekick, Butler, he sets his plans in motion. Artemis tricks a drunken old fairy woman into loaning him her Book, a tiny golden volume, for thirty minutes. He scans it with a digital camera and emails it to his Mac G6 computer. Back in his mansion in Ireland, he is the first human to decode the secrets of the fairies.

Artemis needs a leprechaun to help him with this plan. He and Butler hunt down Holly Short, a tough, female LEPrecon, part of a gung-ho Fairy commando unit, who is on a reconnaissance mission.
He kidnaps her, and a major battle begins. It's satyr against gnome, man against elf, and for the first time in his life, Artemis must decide what he values most.

For fans of J.R.R.Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Philip Pullman, Artemis Fowl is a high-tech fantasy, mixing faries, leprechauns, and computers, in a brilliant, thrilling story that is destined to become a cult favorite. ... Read more

Reviews (599)

I raced through it!
This is a very fast-paced book indeed. There is something happening on every page so that you never get bored. I read 90% of this book in one sitting and the rest the next morning (I needed my sleep). There is no over-description or indulgence here. It's a story told quickly and smartly.

And I really cannot understand any of the negative reviews here. There are no REAL good guys or bad guys in this book. Everything is rather evenly balanced. So when people moan about Artemis Fowl being a nasty little boy and a villain and so on it really puzzles me. This book is written to be accessible to all ages, so when adults cannot get into the story it's a bit odd.

The plot twists, while intelligent and clever, are NOT hard to follow. You'll be almost oblivious to them practically if you turn the pages as quickly as I did. I like the idea of setting it in Ireland and a 12 year old boy as the lead makes it appealing to kids moreso. My fave character tho was Foaly, the gadget-fixated centaur. I worry tho that maybe the presence of so much super high-tech gadgetry might date the book badly in a few years to come. It's cool to see fairies using plasma screens and surveillance cameras but the original Star Trek series looks badly dated now in retrospect and I worry that the same thing might befall Artemis Fowl. It's a shame because this really ought to be a timeless book.

I'm certainly looking forward to the sequel. And if you like fantasy novels or intelligent fiction for all ages then quickly pick up a copy of Artemis Fowl. I got the hardback copy with the glittering sparkles all over the cover. And it looks way cool.

Interesting!
Contrary to some of the opinions that have been expressed, one of the things I liked most about the Artemis Fowl was the lead character himself, 12-year old Artemis. His ingenuity and brilliance combined with an appalling ruthlessness makes him one of the most fascinating characters I've read in a long time. Artemis is the sort of anti-hero you would despise in real life but root for in a story. In that sense, he reminds me of Carmen San Diego who proves to be just as big a challenge to her adversaries as Artemis is to the LEPrecon unit.

Also, I have to add that comparing Artemis Fowl to the Harry Potter series doesn't really help since the two books are different in so many aspects. First of all, Artemis is definitely NOT Harry. He may be young but he's far from innocent or well intentioned. And I really wouldn't recommend him as a role model for young kids. Secondly, while the Harry Potter series is about the battle between good and evil (to put it simply), Artemis Fowl's story is about a battle of wits between the humans and the fairies where each group tries to outsmart the other. No one side can be simply classified as good or evil (although some people out there would probably disagree and promptly classify Artemis in the latter category). There are many other differences between the two but so far the only thing in common I can find for both Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter is that they both belong to the fantasy genre which really doesn't provide much of a basis for comparison.

All in all, I'd say Artemis Fowl is a pretty good read. The story is inventive and interesting with an exciting pace and an intriguing lead character to match. While it's probably not the best reading material for young impressionable kids out there, I'd definitely recommend it to young adults and everyone else interested in fantasy and sci-fi.

one of the best books ever
Artemis Fowl was fun and exciting. I couldn't put this book down. Who knew fairies could be so tricky, especially the LEP officers. These aren't your regular fairytale fairies. I was so enchanted by it that I immediately started book 2 in this series. I have to know what happens next!

A magical and brilliant parody
People have been known to look for gold in the strangest of places. But the twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl, a brilliant criminal mastermind, decides to beat them all. Everyone knows that faeries possess a lot of gold, and they are exactly from whom Artemis wants to steal it away. But to accomplish his evil scheme the young master Fowl will have to learn the laws and rites of those long forgotten People. He has first to get a hold of one of their Magic Books. When one day his faithful servant Butler brings him a message from their sneaky contact Nguyen Xuan it seems that they finally found what they were looking for. And indeed, what better place is there to start their search from than Ireland, the land of Goblins and Faeries?

First of all an important message: stop comparing this book to Harry Potter! It is like comparing it with Shakespeare, just because it also is published on paper. If you cannot resist comparing it to any book, then take a book written by Terry Pratchett. Maybe Artemis Fowl is in a way more a parody of life than it is a fantasy novel.
But then again, Artemis Fowl is quite unique. Contrary to the older generation of adolescent novels, it treats its readers as a smart, intelligent audience. It is refreshing to see a story unfold where the difference between good and evil is not necessarily defined on the first pages.

Although the novel is action packed and can easily be classified as a page-turner, in the end the complexity of the story is not its biggest asset. Like most first novels in a series it pays more attention to getting the characters and settings in place than it is concerned about the storyline. Even more reasons, I would say, to run to the shop and buy its sequel - something I will definitely do, right now...

Perfect!
This is great! It seems the author is a mastermind too! ... Read more

Book Description

Alexander Cold knows all too well his grandmother Kate is never far from an adventure. When International Geographic commissions her to write an article about the first elephant-led safaris in Africa, they head -- with Nadia Santos and the magazine's photography crew -- to the blazing, red plains of Kenya. Days into the tour, a Catholic missionary approaches their camp in search of his companions who have mysteriously disappeared. Kate, Alexander, Nadia, and their team, agreeing to aid the rescue, enlist the help of a local pilot to lead them to the swampy forests of Ngoubé. There they discover a clan of Pygmies who unveil a harsh and surprising world of corruption, slavery, and poaching.

Alexander and Nadia, entrusting the magical strengths of Jaguar and Eagle, their totemic animal spirits, launch a spectacular and precarious struggle to restore freedom and return leadership to its rightful hands.

The final installment of Isabel Allende's celebrated trilogy of the journeys of Jaguar and Eagle soars with radiant settings, spirits, beings -- and the transformation of an extraordinary friendship.

Amazon.com

A thousand years from now, someone might find a dusty collection of DK'sStar Wars titles buried in a library vault and wonder at the ancientstrife, fashions, and droids of this unusual, unmarked era in history. For onewho didn't know this was a series of film characters and situations beinganalyzed and explained, it would be an extremely believable history resource.For those who do know, it's a fantastic reference guide for all thingsStar Wars. David West Reynolds's impressive scientific writing stylerenders this "visual dictionary" a veritable bible of intergalactic informationrelated to Attack of the Clones, the second prequel to the originalStar Wars trilogy. The most intricate details of the characters,creatures, and equipment of the film are revealed in crisp, annotatedphotographs and authoritative text. We see, close-up, the meltproof Ceramoidmesh of a scouter's pack; the traditional Ansata pattern on Jedi Jocasta Nu'stunic, symbolizing knowledge and learning; and the alarming features of Pogglethe Lesser, ruler of the Stalgasin hive colony of Geonosians. Star Warsfans and future anthropologists alike will be wowed. (Ages 9 and older)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A comprehensive guide to Attack of the Clones
Like the Visual Dictionary for The Phantom Menace, this comprehensive collection of all the main characters, vechicles, droids and creatures is another fascinating book for Star Wars fans. Starting out with a summary of the plot for Ep.2, this book includes character profiles of Padme Amidala, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, Jango Fett, Mace Windu, Yoda, Zam Wesell and many others. One of my favourite Star Wars companion books

Great Book for photo references
This book gives anyone who loves to draw the Star Wars characters invalulable poses and views of all of the hardware and characters. I have been using these books to create my own Star Wars posters and you can't get better detailed photos anywhere else.

Indispensable
For a Star Wars Fan, it is a must. However, as I described in the other books of this series, it has missing the starships pictures, but is is not a major problem, since the book depicts all hardware and aliens that appear in the film.

My Padmae, Haven't You Grown.
The Visual Dictionary of Ep2 once again gives us a more detailed review of the charcters from Ep1 and the arrival of new stars such as Jango Fett and his young cloned son, Boba.

However the best parts of this book is the development of Obi wan, Annikan, and of course the accidental [physcial] symbol of the new Star Wars generation, Padmae Amidala, executed in purfect form by Natalie Hershlag-Portman. Her now famous white combat suit is complemented by her other eyepopping outfits...Very nice.

A must for those who are keeping a library on this epic tail.

Star Wars Episoce II: Attack of the Clones -- The Visual Dic
Actually my son loved the book but it fell apart as did all the similar Star Wars books. (He is not hard on books, our pop-up books all survived his early years intact.) I bought a copy for the library at my son's elementary school and that one fell apart too. These books are to expensive to have the binding be so shoddy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Young Jeremy Jacob is plucked from obscurity while innocently constructing a sand castle and is thrust into a brand-new life as a pirate. Captain Braid Beard and his crew recognize Jeremy as an exceptionally talented digger and they happen to be in desperate need of a digger to help them bury a treasure chest. Jeremy thinks a pirate life sounds like fun, as long as he’s back the next day in time for soccer practice, and so he goes along with the ragtag group of seafaring thugs (with hearts of gold, naturally). And while Jeremy adores the pirates’ lack of table manners and opposition to vegetables, he comes to realize that a life away from his parents lacks some of the niceties to which he’s become accustomed. Nobody tucks him in at night, for instance, and the only book available to read is a treasure map. Melinda Long’s story, narrated with a sense of boastful exaggeration by Jeremy, is full of a sense of high adventure that's lovingly evocative of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tales. David Shannon's illustrations, full of a goofy vibrancy, are a perfect accompaniment to the story. (Ages 4 to 8) --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Beautiful illustrations & cute story
'How I Became a Pirate' is about a little boy who goes away with pirates one day. He learns how to live like a pirate, the joys (eat anything you want, don't brush teeth, go to sleep whenever) and the pitfalls (no one to comfort you, no one to tuck you in). Finally he decides to go back to his family.

This story is fun to read and the illustrations even capture my babies's eye :) I do like the importance based on having a family & having someone to comfort you & read to you.

The only potential drawbacks & why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars (and I might be being critical) is that:
1.) it might give the message that it is okay to leave your family to go off with strangers
2.) also it is fun to not brush your teeth & eat like a slob.

Overall, though, I would recommend this book.

Best Little Boys Book
I bought this book for my 3 y.o. son this past February. It has by far become not only his favorite book but the favorite book of my five year old daughter. They love screaming the words of the crew when we read this book together. The story line is wonderful - a small boy who joins a crew of pirates, learns what he likes and doesn't like about the pirates, lots of exciting adventures, a shark, a bad storm, and a treasure to bury. It's precious, and the illustrations are superb. This is perhaps the best little boys book I have ever bought (I should know - I'm a kid's book junkie), and it's a great book for little girls as well.

Best Pirate Book
2 boys at home almost 4y and just 2y. They love pirates and this is the best pirate book I have found (and we have several) My opinion on other pirate books. Pirate Pete 2.5 ; Everything I know About Pirates (would be better for older kids) 3.5; Pirate School 4; Do Pirates Take Baths 4.5; Pirates (by Anastasio) not a story, just "facts" 4.5. But How I Became a Pirate is the most fun to read aloud.

AYE MATEYS! My 4yo Daughters Favorite Book!
Great Book! My 4 year old daughter wants to hear this book every night! So Cute! Buy It your child will love it

Golden Trap Award Winner
This book is great. I ran out and bought it as soon as I heard it for the first time. This book won the Golden Trap Award winner for all of the islands in our area. My son loves it! ... Read more

Book Description

One evening Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. But there wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight. Fortunately, he had brought his purple crayon. So he drew a moon. He also needed something to walk on. So he drew a path...

And thus begins one of the most imaginative and enchanting adventures in all of children's books. The creative concept behind this beloved story has intrigued children and kept them absorbed for generations, as page by page unfolds the dramatic and clever adventures of Harold and his purple crayon.

Reviews (73)

Power and a Purple Crayon
*Harold and the Purple Crayon* mesmerized me as a child. My 5 year old adores it, and my ten year old can't hide his continuing enthusiasm. With his purple Crayon, sensible Harold creates the moon so that he can see where he's going. He accidentally creates the sea (his drawing hand shakes, thus making waves appear) but soon negates this potential danger by drawing a boat and, finally, land. When hungry, Harold draws a delicious picnic with purple food. Harold copes.

The central idea is that a child, no matter how small, can exert control over the world, and when that child makes mistakes -- drawing a choppy sea, for instance -- those mistakes can be remedied. This book gives a child power. Grown-ups don't count; Harold makes what he needs without help. Under the influence of this book, at the ripe age of 11, I created a club called "The Purple X", in which, using purple markers to send letters, I set out to right all wrongs. Harold goes one better; he makes light and land. And the book makes children who feel empowered to tackle the problems of a big, scary world.

Harold harold bow-berald, banna fanna foe-ferald...
There's something about Crockett Johnson (real name David Johnson Leisk) that is instantly recognizable. Like Matt Groening of "The Simpsons" fame, Johnson had a particular style of drawing that was both simple and infinitely adaptable. Though he drew the comic strip "Barnabus" and the incredibly simple, "The Carrot Seed", it is "Harold and the Purple Crayon" that won Johnson the fame he has today. The story has been ripped off a million times in a million different ways, but we can all credit this original as the first of the first. All hail that spunky Harold and his oh-so purple crayon.

When we first meet Harold he and his magical purple crayon are already well acquainted. No picture in this book appears that Harold does not draw himself (aside from Harold himself). Our intrepid hero sets off on a series of small adventures that are both intentionally and unintentionally caused by his crayon. Drawing everything from the moon (which makes a point to appear on every single page that Harold finds himself on) to dragons to flying balloons to a policeman, Harold has a gay old time.

Wanna hear a petty complaint? A petty, insignificant, hardly-worth-listening-to complaint? Okay, here goes..... it bothers me that Harold's crayon never gets smaller. By logical extension it should, shouldn't it? Of course, by logical extension I should remember that this is, after all, a MAGIC purple crayon. Maybe magic crayons don't get smaller. Obviously I don't know the rules that govern crayons particularly well. If I did I wouldn't be having these problems. In any case, that's my only objection to this book. It is, I know from personal experience, a heavily adored and respected story. People will carry copies of this book with them all their lives. There is something about Harold and his tiny adventures that speaks to the hearts of millions. If you've never had the pleasure of reading a Crockett Johnson book, this is the place to start. If you have read this book, read it again. It's just that good.

One of the best bedtime books ever!
My 3.5 year old son adores this book and I do too. We read it nearly every night. Harold is an imaginative little boy who draws a world of his own. My son is always talking right along with the book about all the wonderful things he is going to draw. I think every child should have this book. I can't wait 'till my son can read it for himself!

Story of a Little Boy with a Huge Imagination
This classic little book is a lovely reflection on childhood imagination and the joys of creativity.

Tiny wide-eyed Harold, in his one piece jammies and purple crayon in hand, wanders through the night using the dark canvas of sky to draw whatever fanciful dreamscapes his curious young mind can conjure.

No dummy is our Harold. He is an inventive little fellow who devises his own path, invents his own moon to light his way, makes a boat when he finds himself enveloped in a purple sea, creates pies when he is hungry, and so on until he is tired. Thanks to cleverly leaving behind special images as pointers to guide his way, he makes it back home in one piece and with lots of exciting stories to tell.

This is such a delightful book for children and one of the reasons is that it can be used interactively. Read the story with your kids then give them some crayons and a huge sheet of paper and let them loose to design and explore their own magical worlds.

Harold et la differance
Under an everpresent crescent moon, Harold's signifying crayon implies the metacritique immanent in all eschatologies: Outcoding the text beneath him, he at once embraces and negates the subject's death in a meeting of poststructural praxis/(post-)modern framing with narrotological desire. Harold, purple crayon firmly in hand, rises from the smoking ruins of continental thought; but having been "written", will our protagonist find fortitude to "write" his way out of the aporias inherent in a de-centered, post-historical dasein?

There is hope....The trace, in erasure of its present presence, loops back from Harold to Johnson, engendering ample clues for resistance to our clinical gaze...But the specter of psychoanalytic eschatology haunts his every gesture. Every slippage is deferred, in its deferral, of Harold's problematized Lacan, leaving no indivisible remainder, defying the fatal strategies of his feints (forgetting Baudrillard) to attempt that final erasure of Derrida's (cottage) industry through a (re)sound(ing) metanarratalogical poetic. Outdistancing at every step all Derridean slippage, Harold's gestures in the dark problematize the infinite substitution and free play within a field of signifiers (themselves privileged signifieds of the wall/not-wall of the enclosing space/page), resisting inevitably all attempts at reconstituting envelopes of perfomative (de-)coding. With startling metaphysical elan, Harold slips the bounds of our logocentric world to inscribe traces of an essentialist foundation light-years beyond the binary opposition (re)inscribed by la differance: beyond Freud, with (in) Freud, with(out) Freud, to be about Freud, forgetting Freud.

All in all, this "Harold" represents a remarkably vigorous (re)covery of Saussurean categories.

This is no boy scribbling terse graffitos to a lost master narratology; this is the newly minted currency of our retinal field. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the classic tradition of E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, debut author Blue Balliett introduces readers to another pair of precocious kids on an artful quest full of patterns, puzzles, and the power of blue M&Ms.Eleven year old Petra and Calder may be in the same sixth grade class, but they barely know each other. It’s only after a near collision during a museum field trip that they discover their shared worship of art, their teacher Ms. Hussey, and the blue candy that doesn’t melt in your hands.Their burgeoning friendship is strengthened when a creative thief steals a valuable Vermeer painting en route to Chicago, their home town. When the thief leaves a trail of public clues via the newspaper, Petra and Calder decide to try and recover the painting themselves. But tracking down the Vermeer isn’t easy, as Calder and Petra try to figure out what a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces), a mysterious book about unexplainable phenomena and a suddenly very nervous Ms. Hussey have to do with a centuries old artwork.When the thief ups the ante by declaring that he or she may very well destroy the painting, the two friends know they have to make the pieces of the puzzle fit before it’s too late!

Already being heralded as The DaVinci Code for kids, Chasing Vermeer will have middle grade readers scrutinizing art books as they try to solve the mystery along with Calder and Petra. In an added bonus, artist Brett Helquist has also hidden a secret pentomino message in several of the book’s illustrations for readers to decode. An auspicious and wonderfully satisfying debut that will leave no young detective clueless. --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Sometimes a coincidence is just a coincidence
Eleven-year-olds Calder Pilsay and Petra Andalee live three houses away from each other on a narrow street in Chicago's Hyde Park area. They are both unusually intelligent, Petra the sort of quirkily interesting kid whom others in her class consequently label as "weird," while Calder excels at patterning. He fidgets incessantly with the set of pentominoes he keeps with him at all times, fitting the Tetris-like shapes together to form rectangles of varying sizes. Both Calder and Petra, too, are unusually receptive to the idea that is a theme of this book, that apparent coincidences are not always coincidental. When the coincidences and various unexplained phenomena in their own lives begin piling up--many of them connected with the painter Vermeer--Calder and Petra come to believe that a particular Vermeer painting will be stolen. When it is, they believe themselves peculiarly suited to finding it.

While observing and recording suspicious activity in their own neighborhood, Calder and Petra put their considerable talents to use investigating the theft of the painting and tracking it down. The problem is, it's not intellect alone that they apply to the task: Calder believes that his pentominoes give him hints, while Petra finds herself communicating with the subject of the missing Vermeer painting. Led forward thus by their supernatural helpmates, Calder and Petra make implausible mental leaps that, for this reader at least, make suspension of disbelief impossible.

Though its plot is a disappointment, and it never packs any true suspense, Chasing Vermeer has much to recommend it: likeable characters, some nice writing, Brett Helquist's drawings, and the use of codes in the book, based on Calder's pentominoes. The story may also get kids thinking more about art, as the author surely intended. The inclusion of reprints of two of Vermeer's paintings is a nice touch.

Debra Hamel -- book-blog.com

Good story
"Chasing Vermeer" is a good story-- very interesting with a compelling mystery and likable characters.I would love to see Petra and Calder, the two protagonists in more books-- they're very bright and persistent kids.And the writing is very strong.There's lots of interesting stuff about Vermeer, pentominos, the meaning of art, and the role of creativity in our educational system; despite all that, my 6 year old niece really enjoyed the book (and I enjoyed reading it to her.)

I do have a couple of complaints-- one, the book often seems like an ad for a pentomino company, and two, the plot relies to much on the kids' intuition to solve the mystery.Like I said, Petra and Calder are very resourceful; they could have solved the mystery using more logic and investigative techniques, but too often the plot twists revolve around something like, "Hey, the word 'snake' just popped into my head, must be a clue..."

Fortunately, the book is strong enough overall to surmount such shortcomings.Definitely worth the read, and hopefully there will be sequels.

P.S.Always, Brett Helquist's illustrations are wonderful.

Really Good Ending and Content
I think that Chasing Vermeer was kind of boring at first, but the ending was so breath-taking, I couldn't put the book down.My favorite part is that it include a lot of different content along with the story; like Math (pentominos), Art (A Lady Wrting), History (Vermeer), and cool codes you can uncover.If it wasn't for these contents, good ending, and desription, this book would be a snor fest.

Eliana's Book Review, By Eliana age 10
Dear readers,

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett is one of the best books I have read. The author had to have a lot of skill write this book. It probably took a long time to think of the main characters Calder and Petra. Calder and Petra both help solve an art mystery that is centuries old. I think Blue Balliett is a great author. The illustrator is great at drawing, too. I think the author should make a series of these books like the Hardy Boys. This book has a lot of interesting facts and clues; it is very amusing. It could have a little more about the thief, but otherwise it was good. At the beginning it was a little boring, but then it got good because you started to find more clues and coincidences. This book teaches you a lot of new things and words. For example, before I read this book I did not know what pentominoes were, now I know what they are. I recommend this book to mystery lovers.

Jordan's Book Review on Chasing Vermeer
Chasing Vermeer was okay, but it took my reading group a long time to get to the climax. This book is about two kids who are 12 years old and who solve an art crime. The characters are Petra and Calder. The characters also figure out some wacky things like pentominoes and strange puzzles. Also, there are a lot of things happening in this book so be careful reading it. This book has a lot of clues and turns. I am going to give you a heads up the author will get you to think out of the box .I felt like the author didn't give me enough information to solve the art crime. That is why I gave it 2 1/2 stars.
By Jordan, age 11 ... Read more

Book Description

The complete collection of Beatrix Potter's 23 original books is available in this brand-new 100th anniversary presentation box. There has never been a more attractive way to keep and display Potter's classic tales. This luxurious box features spot lamination and a full-color, decorative scene inside the top. It holds all 23 little books, each of which has been redesigned and features improved reproductions of the illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

aesthetic integrity
By printing each tale as a separate book, this boxed series presents Potter's tales in the form they were originally published. The format allows each story to unfold with a deliberate pace, as the turning of each page reveals a fresh illustration alongside a few sparse lines of text. In contrast, a so-called "complete tales of" volume I looked at totally destroyed the aesthetic integrity of Potter's work by squeezing entire stories into 2 or 3 11" x 8" pages. Furthermore, the illustrations no longer followed the storyline in a linear fashion but instead looked like haphazard afterthoughts. I would recommend this series for preserving that almost undefinable "charm" of the originals.

Family Treasure
My children grew up reading these beautiful little books. Our set is identical to the one pictured, only we bought ours in the early 90s. Now with one in college and one who is a "punk rocker" I can *still* get them both to curl up with me and read Tom Kitten or Jemima PuddleDuck or The Roly-Poly Pudding or their favorite...Ginger and Pickles. Amazing, but true. Both my kids treasure this collection in its lovely case and the set was a very wise purchase. After all, stories like this keep your kids close to you, it is almost a ritual, and a good thing! Other editions of these stories are fine, but there is something about the little books and the special case that creates a sort of magic. Well worth the expense...I *promise.*

An old world approach to children's books
These books were great back in 1909, but now they don't talk to children about their world. They don't even talk about a world of yesteryear in a way that is useful or entertaining. The illustrations are good and can be used to make up a story that is more interesting and understandable to children, but why should this be necessary?

Tales That Span Generations...
This Peter Rabbit collection is a tiny world of parables, stories and lessons for children and adults of all ages. The beauty of the books is greatly enhanced by their encapsulation in a darling box, and they are just the right size for small hands to look through and admire. The simple pictures tell the story even without words! They are a wonderful addition for the bookshelf of your child, and the lessons they teach are most appropriate today- in a world where trouble exists and ethics are compromised.

Corrections to Editorial Review
This is a great boxed set, but the Editorial Review must be about another set. This one does not have a lock and handle and it has 23 books, not 12. Just so you know... ... Read more

Amazon.co.uk

It's a fantasy, it's long, and it's got dragons in it. Dragon Rider is bound to be another hit book from Cornelia Funke! Ever since the popularity of bestselling fantasies The Thief Lord and Inkheart went global a few years ago, legions of fans have demanded more books from the German author than she can reasonably hope to write each year. So, re-discovering this hefty, earlier novel from 1997 was a logical development--and her keenest readers will devour it as before.

Aimed at slightly younger readers than her previous novels, despite its massive five hundred pages, Dragon Rider is about a brave young dragon called Firedrake who embarks upon a dangerous journey to the Rim of Heaven in the Himalayas--a magical place where silver dragons can rest easy, free from the threat of destruction by mankind and their only hope of sanctuary. The key to its location is a map rendered by a rat who is a master cartographer.

Firedrake is joined on his quest by Ben, an orphaned boy, and Sorrell--a wise-cracking Brownie that is an odd, but ingenious, grumpy kind of fairy. Their journey is not a straightforward one by any means. Created by an alchemist called Petrosius Henbane in 1424, Nettlebrand (a malevolent creature covered in impenetrable gold plates) is their biggest threat--he is intent on destroying them. Nettlebrand is aided by Twigleg, a homunculus who has stowed away in Ben's bag and who is feeding reports on their progress back to his master.

Their exciting encounters are many--and the colorful fold-out map in the book's centre is an added bonus. It is easy to forgive the narrative's excessive length when readers are gorging on such a wonderfully inventive and readable story from an author who has her readers in the palm of her hand on every page. (Age 9 and over) --John McLay ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Excellent book for girls and women..
I adore this book. It is about Princess Elizabeth who has to defeat a dragon when the Prince is kidnapped. Elizabeth has to rely on her own strengths, creativity and ingenuity to win the battle with the dragon. Every female I've read this book to has loved it, from my 3 year old niece to a group of 12 year olds to my university Women's Studies class. The book has a fantastic message about women's potential to break through sex-role stereotyping. The book boosted the self-esteem of the girls I was working with and led to some great discussions about the fact that they don't need to have a boyfriend to be happy, and the need to accept themselves and recognize their strengths. I think this book is empowering and uplifting and I reccommend it to anyone who is in contact with young girls. Heck, get it for yourself. You deserve it.

A Must Read for Four Year Old Girls
I am so happy I got this book for my four year old daughter. It's the perfect antidote to those unrealistic Disney stories (i.e., Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty). And don't get me wrong, I think that those Disney stories can be fabulous, but the subliminal messages are somewhat 18th century. The Paper Bag Princess, on the other hand is decidely modern. Its message is: if a guy isn't nice to you, he's not worth it, leave him. Really, is there a more important message about relationships that we ought to be sending to our daughters? There are other wonderful messages in here for girls: you are resourceful, be strong. And, as an added benefit, this is a great and funny book, both of my daughters love it. This would make a great gift to all of the young girls in your life (and I think the age range should start at 2, not 4).

Very Spunky!
Hoorah for a princess story where substance counts over good looks!

Not the Ordinary Princess.
This is a fantastic feminist tale for any age or gender. Once again, Munsch fails to not please. The Princess' ideals are modern, her feeling she doesn't need a prince.

This may be my favorite book!
What a brilliant story to encourage girls to be strong, smart, and realize beauty comes from within!

I have bought this for all friends with new babies...girls and boys. What a gift when we grace our children with the power of confidence and imagination. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

I just love Dog Heaven!
This book is such a wonderful way to help anyone who has lost a dog, especially children. I teach preschool and one of my student's lost his dog. I gave him this book as well as I'll Always Love You. His parents said the books really helped, and it really helped our entire class learn about the passing of a beloved family member. It's hard for children to understand death anyway, but when it's someone like a dog or cat who just loves so unconditionally, books like this one really help to alieviate any fear that the pet is in pain, or that pet might forget us! I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Comforting to Think about Where our Sasha is now
This is a great book for kids and adults alike who may be grieving the loss of a beloved dog. The illustrations are charming, and the sentiments are great. (God makes dogs special treats in heaven, and they play with angel children, who need their company.) I have given this book to an adult friend who also lost a pet, and she found it very comforting too. We still miss our Sasha dog, but this book helped our family through a rough time.

TEACHER RECOMMENDS!
I have given this book to countless children (and adults) who are grieving the loss of a furry friend. Being a teacher, I am quite often faced with a student who experiences the loss of a beloved pet. If you believe dogs go to heaven, this book offers wonderful comfort in allowing children to imagine what it might be like for their dog in heaven. I would recommend this book to almost any parents trying to ease some of that heartbreak for their child and quite possibly themselves.

A very sweet image of Heaven!
I got this book for my 6 year old son to read for school (to earn AR credits). At the time, he had been very anxious about death, having lost one pet when he was 3 and having another who was very old. We also had two older neighbors die in the past year. He had often had deep worries about death and dying. I was almost afraid for him to read it - worrying that it would bring out those feelings again. But I am so glad he did read it.

The comforting way Dog HEaven is depicted was JUST what we needed. He did ask me if this was real - non-fiction, as he put it. I told him that nobody who is living today has ever been to heaven, so people just have to guess what it is like, and this is what the author believes it is like. That did the trick.

When our second dog passed on, it was very helpful to the children to remember the ideas in Dog Heaven. They were happy that Penny would be able to be with our other dog - Edison; and they had a good time thinking about Edison "showing Penny around in heaven". And also, thinking about our neighbor being there to give biscuits and throw balls to Penny.

It should be on the bookshelf of every family who has a dog!

Great book
This is a sweet book which I initially bought due to my love of dogs. I wanted to share that love with my children and teach them about God as well. Recently our dog passed away and my 4 year old was having a hard time dealing with it. This book helped her to think of Moose being in a special place where he doesn't hurt anymore, he can run and have fun. ... Read more

Book Description

From his very first book to his very last book, here in one big volume are 13 classic Dr. Seuss stories, everyone’s favorites. All of the words and virtually all of the illustrations are included. Each story is prefaced by a short essay by someone whose life was changed by Dr. Seuss or who is simply an unabashed admirer. Also included are photographs of Dr. Seuss, memorabilia, and original sketches from his books. The stories included are: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Horton Hears a Who!, McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, Happy Birthday to You!, Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, Yertle the Turtle, The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, The Sneetches, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss) was born March 2, 1904, and died September 25, 1991.

With introductory essays to each story by:

Barbara Bader, Author and Critic

Stan and Jan Berenstain, Creators of The Berenstain Bears

Audrey Geisel, Widow of Dr. Seuss

Peter Glassman, Children’s Bookseller

Starr LaTronica, Children’s Librarian

John Lithgow, Actor and Children’s Book Author

Barbara Mason, Kindergarten Teacher

Richard H. Minear, Author of Dr. Seuss Goes to War

Christopher Paolini, Author of Eragon

Charles D. Cohen, Author of The Seuss, the Whole Seuss, and

Nothing but the Seuss

Pete Seeger, Folksinger

Christopher Cerf, TV Writer, Composer, and Producer

Lane Smith, Children’s Book Illustator ... Read more

Book Description

In the forty years since Max first cried "Let the wild rumpus start," Maurice Sendak's classic picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. Now, in celebration of this special anniversary, introduce a new generation to Max's imaginative journey to where the wild things are.

Winner, 1964 Caldecott Medal
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)
1981 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Illustration
1963, 1982 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1963, 1982 (NYT)
A Reading Rainbow Selection
1964 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Children's Books of 1981 (Library of Congress)
1981 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1988 (NY Public Library) ... Read more

Reviews (195)

A Great Children's Book, in Many Ways
Max puts on a wolf costume and feels mischievous. He breaks some rules and is sent to bed without supper. From there, his imagination takes over, a jungle grows in his bedroom, and he goes on a magical journey of (self-)discovery. The world he explores is populated by colorful, scary, and somewhat silly monsters who all get tamed by Max.

This book is beautifully illustrated, the story flows rapidly and flawlessly, and the language is simultaneously simple and loaded with meaning. While it is unlikely to happen, watch out for your children trying to write like Sendak, with his trademark run-on sentences.

This is the first book I remember reading by myself. It holds a special place in my heart.

Wow! I think that any child can sympathize with Max as he just wants to do what he wants to do, and then gets in trouble for breaking the rules. We also can understand how his frustration and anger cannot be sustained in the face of parental clarity, consistency, and calm strength. He works through his anger during his "journey" through the "jungle" and tames himself as he tames the monsters. Along the way, he discovers how lonely he is and how much he dislikes disapproval. The ending is simple, happy, and realistic.

This is a great book to read with your children, and then turn over to them to read on their own. It opens the door to discuss many simple but crucial issues of childhood. Please buy this book and use it.

Wild About Wild
Maurice Sendak is one of those great children's book creators who could write and draw. He helped me dream as a young boy, and I should pay him credit for helping me imagine things today.

When I was little, I'd stare at the page long after my mother finished reading it to me. Sendak seemed to have found my creative pulse, as he drew me in to wonder about his world of pretend monsters. The monsters are not quite so terrible, and could be considered friendly.

Max and I are both boys, and it must ordinary for we boys to get in a terrific amount of trouble in the process of playing. I related to Max. He sounded like a real boy. I was never quite sure what a rumpus was, but I knew it sounded like a lot of fun.

The pictures are cool. There is a rich, full-of-flavor tension in the art. The expressions and poses of the characters come across as genuine.

Don't be fooled by the amazing pictures. You'll enjoy the carefully laid story just as much, and your child can close his eyes and imagine his own version.

A wonderful book. A classic. If you've got kids, or if you read to your family's or neighbor's kids, this is one book which will be dog-eared from numerous reads.

I fully recommend "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak.

Anthony Trendl

not as good as new books
I am almost 7 and my teachre said we have to say why we like a lot of books or do not like a lot of books this summer on amazon and then print out them and give them to our new teacher next year So I am starting with this book.

My dad reelly likes this book because he said it was good when he was a kid. I dont like it. The pictures are boring and the story is not long. My dad reads this to me a lot and I like the books that are newer. New books have pictures that are pretty and the storys are funner and longer. This book has pictures that look old. I wish my dad would read this to himself and let me read something diferent. Nichole

the book I loved best as a child.
My love affair with Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are" goes back further than I think I can remember. I fell hard for the vibrant prose and unbelievable illustrations. It is a beautiful book throughout and it has absolutely withstood the test of time.

I am twenty-four years old now. I love this book as much as I did the first time I read it. This book speaks to places in the heart and the mind that you sort of forget about as you age. It's a magical book, it never fails to transform me.

Long live King Max....and all of his beautiful monsters.

Great book!!
I took a children's literature class a few years ago in college and I am now expecting my first child and I remembered this book and have recently purchased it. It's absolutely wonderful!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire children, and then gets worse. Their misfortunes begin one gray day on Briny Beach when Mr. Poe tells them that their parents perished in a fire that destroyed their whole house. "It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny felt in the time that followed," laments the personable (occasionally pedantic) narrator, who tells the story as if his readers are gathered around an armchair on pillows. But of course what follows is dreadful. The children thought it was bad when the well-meaning Poes bought them grotesque-colored clothing that itched. But when they are ushered to the dilapidated doorstep of the miserable, thin, unshaven, shiny-eyed, money-grubbing Count Olaf, they know that they--and their family fortune--are in real trouble. Still, they could never have anticipated how much trouble. While it's true that the events that unfold in Lemony Snicket's novels are bleak, and things never turn out as you'd hope, these delightful, funny, linguistically playful books are reminiscent of Roald Dahl (remember James and the Giant Peach and his horrid spinster aunts), Charles Dickens (the orphaned Pip in Great Expectations without the mysterious benefactor), and Edward Gorey (The Gashlycrumb Tinies).There is no question that young readers will want to read the continuing unlucky adventures of the Baudelaire children in The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (675)

a deliciously dark delight!
suspend your disbelief for a moment and imagine that tim burton, edward gorey, and charles dickens were locked in a room for a brainstorming session to create a new series of children's stories. this is what i can easily see when sitting down to read any of the books in lemony snicket's dark, humorous, and cleverly written series.

they are not harry potter. the comparisons alone are ridiculous. they're not even remotely similar. apparently, a "reviewer" can find two books in the same store, one of them being harry potter, and proceed to lambast the non-potter book solely on the fact that they co-exist. i just have to roll my eyes, shake my head, and write a review whenever i see this.

by now, you know the plot of these books. yes, they're pretty much the same, and yet they're different. i think you need to gauge your own child's sense of the morose before opting to read these to them. older children, i think, will delight in them, particularly those with a slightly twisted sense of humor.

i, personally, will continue to read each book in the series, if for no other reason than to see how count olaf will turn up next!

Okay, I can't understand what all the hype is about!
First of all, I want to state that I am very passionate when it comes to 'good' children's books. The HARRY POTTER books are some of my favorite books of all time (my top twenty list). The Newbery Awards were all given to deserving books that I have adored. For a while everywhere I went, the Lemony Snickett books were being lauded as fabulous children's literature. After seeing a segment on CBS Sunday Morning, I went out and bought the whole 'shebang' (is that even a word?) at my school's book fair (I'm the counselor)! I was terribly disappointed with the first book. Yes, it is easy reading, and yes, it does introduce new words (even though my parents always said, "Go look it up, you'll remember it!"). But the content of the story is so depressing and so unhappy that I was miserable the entire time I was reading! Character development was so poor that I wasn't even sad when horrible things happened to these children. Normally I cry when a baby is kidnapped, bound with duct tape (even over her mouth) and put in a birdcage to hang from the top of a tower! Well, I didn't bat an eye (and I become a sprinkler when reading a Patricia Polacco book).
There are eight books left in my crowded library to read; I'll keep you posted if they get any better!

Very Original!
A very interesting, original story about all the bad things that happen to the 3 Baudelaire children. I absolutely loved the way this book was written and seems to flow smoothly.

However, I think that some of the situations in the book were depressing, and may be scary for very young children. Otherwise this book was wonderful, and I found myself rooting for the Baudelaire children, and despising Count Olaf and his friends.

pointless
Maybe if I hadn't heard so many wonderful things about this book (as well as the entire line of follow-ups) I wouldn't be reviewing it so harshly.
This book is nothing but pointless, weightless children's fluff. Amusing if you are under 10 years of age & looking for some light (ULTRA light) reading, but completely unsatisfying if you crack the cover expecting something more along the lines of 'Harry Potter'.
The plot is very thin, and I can only assume it's due to this being one of a series, and thus the overall tale of the Baudelaire orphans is spread over the 10+ novels that have since been released. But this left the first book with very little substance, and left me feeling like I didn't care enough to give it another go with the second installment.

The Bad Beginning
I thought that this book was one of the best books I have ever read. Lemony Snicket's writing style is interesting as when there is a complicated word he tells you what it means. I thought that there was some humorous parts where he either tells you not to continue the book or he takes you away from the book and mentions some thing irrelevant to the story. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Often compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth or Lewis's Narnia, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabs quickly at our hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginary realms. Four books (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu) tell the whole Earthsea cycle--a tale about a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard reveals Sparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may be far more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challenges her readers to think about the power of language, how in the act of naming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens, especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her characters to evolve and grow into their own powers.

In this first book, A Wizard of Earthsea readers will witness Sparrowhawk's moving rite of passage--when he discovers his true name and becomes a young man. Great challenges await Sparrowhawk, including an almost deadly battle with a sinister creature, a monster that may be his own shadow. ... Read more

Reviews (284)

Inexplicably entrancing
I swore I wouldn't read Ursula Le Guin for the longest time, but curiosity won out over other things. I picked up a copy of "Wizard of Earthsea" at my local library and settled down to read it.

This book follows the wizard Ged, who was born in a Earthsea (a grouping of many, many islands) village in Gont. The boy soon shows signs of great power, the ability to call animals and to laugh even when his tongue has been bound by a spell. But he surpasses the expectations when he saves the village from invaders.

A mage named Ogion apprentices Ged--who is known as Sparrowhawk, as knowledge of his true name would give anyone power over him. But Ogion's discipline and lessons are full of silence and self-examination, something which soon sends Ged to the school for mages in Roke. At the school, he meets two boys that will help shape his destiny: kind, easygoing Vetch, and arrogant Jasper who mocks Ged at every turn.

The boys all study and grow in their power, but Jasper's pride is unchanged. He finally mocks Ged into a magical duel, and Ged attempts a dangerous magic: to waken a long-dead woman. A monstrous creature made of shadow appears with the woman, and attacks Ged, nearly killing him. Ged remains within the school from then on, for the shadow is pursuing him.

But upon the completion of his studies, the now-wiser wizard sets off to an island, where the dread Dragon of Pendor is attacking the natives with its children. The dragon offers him a way to escape the shadow, but Ged refuses for the sake of others. Later, he is tempted again by an entranced queen and a magical Stone -- but again he refuses for the greater good. As the shadow closes in on Ged and his life becomes increasingly imperiled, he must discern what -- and who -- it is, to make himself truly whole.

I do not know WHY I liked this book as much as I did. It has many qualities that often annoy me in fantasy - several years are skipped over in a few pages; we know little of Ged's thoughts and emotions aside from "Ged felt this" and "Ged knew that"; it is also written in a spare mythologic style, which is occasionally broken for interludes of spellbinding nature description. It's a little difficult to visualize some scenes, such as Ged's battle with the dragons, but is relatively easy considering the lack of illustration. (I also liked the maps)

Ged is a classic hero of high SF and fantasy: he is talented and initially hot-headed, but through his misfortunes is tempered into a more selfless, albeit scarred person (both physically and emotionally). A little like Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Apprentice novels. I really fell in love with Vetch, though, that gave it an entire star. Vetch is such a DARLING, so kind and understanding toward his haunted friend.

I wouldn't qualify this book as being equal to Tolkien (NOTHING can match the Master!) but it definitely has a good place among the high fantasy books. Le Guin's mythologic style and Eastern philosophy tones may not be to everyone's taste, so I advise you to get a peek at a chapter of the Earthsea books before you decide whether or not to buy this.

I'll definitely read "Tombs of Atuan" and "Farthest Shore," but am not sure about "Tehanu" (though as a fifth book is reportedly forthcoming, I may read it anyhow). "Wizard of Earthsea" is not the best, but it is pretty high up there.

Terse, mystical, profound
It is an insult to the genius of this book to try to describe it in layman's terms. Words just don't do justice. Le Guin always proves that she has a unique outlook on the world, and the Earthsea books are no exception.

The Wizard of Earthsea is the first part of a series of (now) four books. This part details the origins and youth of Ged - a boy from a backwater village in the great archipelago world of Earthsea. With a magical feat that saves his entire community from barbaric invaders, he shows himself to be greatly proficient in the Art. He is apprenticed to a sorceror (who nevertheless hides under the guise of a simple healer), and makes his way to the Academy on the Island of Roke. There, out of his great pride, he unleashes a shadow-thing in a contest of forbidden magics. Injured, scarred both physically and mentally, he now must flee the thing he brought into this world - or confront it.

One of the most surprising and masterful twists is the terse, epic writing: Le Guin does not spend time to write whole descriptive paragraphs; she sets the scenes with broad strokes of a few sentences, focusing on the most important events. This book is very quick reading.

Ged is an inspiring character. He can be crudely compared to Ender from Orson Scott Card's writings, or perhaps Taran from Lloyd Alexander's, in that he wields great power, by which he is burdened. The reader quickly becomes attached to his grim, brooding persona, as his quest takes him through the world. Ged is also a powerful role-model: he must acknowledge his undeniable talent and shed his fears of losing control of his powers.

The Wizard of Earthsea is undoubtedly a classic, a powerful work of high fantasy and spiritual development.

There's More to Earthsea than the Trilogy
Reading the Earthsea Trilogy was one of the highlights of my childhood. Discovering that it had become the Earthsea Quartet and now Quintet is one of the highlights of life today. Why it's still being featured as a trilogy when there are two further books to be read, I don't understand!

Le Guin is the daughter of anthropologists and through all her fiction there is a deep, ingrained understanding of societies work and how they are built and evolve (or disintegrate). It's very interesting to see how her own interests have matured and deepened over the decades of writing this series - the latest Earthsea Title - The Other Wind is a fabulous rendition of concerns about gender/sexism/prejudice and the very nature of things. BUT that's for the grown ups, what really matters is that underneath all her incisive intelligence Ursula Le Guin tells a gripping, exciting and devastating series of stories that come at one in a rush of tight telling and delicately realised plots. She is simply one of the greatest writers for older children - or anyone! So start with the Wizard himself, then read on and on....

Where Are The Negative Stars When You Need Them?
I give this book five stars. No, wait, I mean negative five. I cried when I read this book. Seriously, I ran and sobbed in the closet for about half an hour; that's how much I hated it.

There are much, much better fantasy stories out there. I'm very strict with myself about the integrity of my reading- that is, I don't allow myself to skip anything or skim over boring parts. Unfortunately, I realized after I was finished with AWoE, the whole novel was one enormous boring part and I should have flipped through the pages and called it a day.

The author has somehow managed to turn an archetypal journey into an over-reaching, unsubtle literary disaster.

A VERY Inspiring Start into the Fantasy World
I read this book in about 3 days, on and off, and I was so inspired by it. It wasn't my first fantasy book, but it made me want to read more and more of the genre (despite my decision to read all fantasy series years ago). It is so exciting to read this book. I read it at age 13, and am saddened to think I hadn't read it earlier. It has all of the elements of a fantasy book, but is written better than most. It doesn't overkill with words like Terry Brooks (whose writing I do love, especially Shannara) or say too little. You love the technique (Le Guin is the best female fantasy/science fiction writer in the world, in my opinion). I can't describe the feeling you have towards Duny/Sparrowhawk/Ged, and are saddened when it ends after, what, 160 pages? That is the only downside: This book is so short. At least there are 5 others in the series, though. This is a piece of literature that every elementary school student should read. I am happy to say I will introduce this to my nephews/nieces when they grow up. It will be worth it for them.

Darn it, this review made me want to read it again. I knew that would happen.... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Humorist Dave Barry and suspense writer Ridley Pearson have clearly taken great delight in writing a 400-plus page prequel of sorts to Scottish dramatist J.M. Barrie's beloved Peter Pan stories. The result is a fast-paced and fluffy pirate adventure, complete with talking porpoises, stinky rogues, possible cannibals, a flying crocodile, biting mermaids, and a much-sought-after trunk full of magical glowing green "starstuff." Ever hear of Zeus? Michelangelo? Attila the Hun? According to 14-year-old Molly Aster they all derived their powers from starstuff that occasionally falls to Earth from the heavens. On Earth, it is the Starcatchers' job to rush to the scene and collect the starstuff before it falls into the hands of the Others who use its myriad powers for evil.

On board the ship Never Land, an orange-haired boy named Peter, the leader of a group of orphaned boys being sent off to work as servants in King Zarboff the Third's court, is puzzled by his shipmate Molly's fantastical story of starstuff, but it inextricably binds him to her. Peter vows to help his new, very pretty friend Molly (a Starcatcher's apprentice) keep a mysterious trunk full of the stuff out of the clutches of the pirate Black Stache, a host of other interested parties, and ultimately King Zarboff the Third.

The downright goofy, modern 8-year-old boy humor sometimes clashes with an old-time pirate sensibility, and the rapid-fire dialogue, while well paced, is far from inventive. Still, the high-seas hijinks and desert-island shenanigans will keep readers turning the pages. Greg Call's wonderful black-and-white illustrations are deliciously old-fashioned and add plenty of atmosphere to a silly, swashbuckling story that shows us how Peter Pan came to fly and why he, and his story, will never get old. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Book Description

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is Robert Sabuda's most amazing creation ever, featuring stunning pop-ups illustrated in John Tenniel's classic style. The text is faithful to Lewis Carroll's original story, and special effects like a Victorian peep show, multifaceted foil, and tactile elements make this a pop-up to read and admire again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

fabulous addition to your Sabuda collection
Once you have one of his pop-up books, you will be drawn willy-nilly to buy all of the rest. This is not his most sublime effort on two fronts. The art work is in the exact style of the original, so while it is stunning and beautiful, I think it is not as lovely as his absolutely original imaginings. A few of the pop-up effects such as the little baby changing to a pig face(found in one of the mini books within a book) don't work very well, since only the pig is visible unless you go thro contortions to peek inside before ever opening that page. The same with the scene of painting the roses red.

While a great deal of the original text has been abridged, only a couple of the nonsense rhymes that made the original unabridged alice one of my childhoods read aloud favorites has been included.

Overall, the pop up engineering is still stunning, to see Alice's face inside the White Rabbits home with her arms sticking out windows, and her feet out the chimney and front door, the mad hatters tea party, and of course, the very first telescopic view of her fall down the rabbit hole are not to be missed! My 3 1/2 year old sits thro 90% of the story just as long as he can enjoy the pop-ups again and again!

Another Sabuda masterpiece.
As a huge fan of Sabuda's WIZARD OF OZ, I grabbed ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND as soon as I saw it in the store, and it didn't disappoint at all.

The book is similar in design to WIZARD OF OZ, has several eye-popping pages that literally jump out at you and contains a faithful abridgement of Lewis Carroll's classic text.

The first page, featuring the forest where Alice first encounters the White Rabbit, is glorious, and Sabuda has imagined a remarkable way to give readers a look "down the rabbit hole."

This one's as good as THE WIZARD OF OZ, and it's going to be a great gift for all my cousins this holiday season.

This is the MOTHER of all pop-up books EVER!
I've never written a review of any book before, but am compelled to do so now. (I'm not a very good writer!)

I've been collecting pop-ups for a long time, and this is the Pop-Up to End All Pop-Ups!

This book exceeds all my expectations of any Pop-Up. Innovative, top quality, surprise after surprise, includes full story, just superb!

I cannot give this book enough stars. If 5 is the highest, I give this book a 15! You will not be dissappointed!

AMAZING!!!
There is a REASON that reviewers of Robert Sabuda's "Alice in Wonderland" are AMAZED. This is NOT just another "pop-up book." THIS is a WORK OF ART!!

Robert Sabuda's work is MAGICAL as you literally peer down the rabbit hole. Another page shows Alice in the house; Alice at the tea party; the Cheshire Cat; the deck of cards....

This book can be great to show young babies as it will spark their curiosity, but you have to just have them look at it and keep it out of reach as young toddlers would probably rip the art work. If you know a young boy or girl (ages 4 and up) or a young teenager or anyone who appreciates illustrative art - this is the book to buy.

My mother bought this book for me plus one for her good friend and we both loved it!

Robert Sabuda's "Wizard of OZ" was great....this might be even better!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-up book
Absolutely the best pop-up book I have ever seen. A collectible for sure. Not only do you have large pop-ups on each page, but you have smaller multiple ones on the pages, too!! Beautiful color and excitment for everyone, adults included!! ... Read more