Reviews (567)

The House on Mango Street
The House on Mango Street is a story of Esperanza Cordero.Esperanza is sharing her life in a poetic form.She writes poems to describe her life on Mango Street.She is embarrassed to point and say, "That's my house."Her mama says, "It's for the time being," papa says, "its temporary."Esperanza shares her stories of love, friendship, and the trail of life.Esperanza's friend Sally gets into lots of trouble with boys and her papa doesn't tolerate this.Working at such a young age isn't very easy, but papa doesn't want Esperanza to go to public school, he believes you'll turn out bad.Living in the ghetto of Chicago can get difficult sometimes in ways that can just confuse you, like your friend getting married when she hasn't even reached eighth grade.Sandra Cisneros will share Esperanza's feelings and descriptions about neighbors and family great.Boys, where should we start?To Esperanza, they live in separate worlds, you can really only rely on your true friends.In the end, all these moments of feelings only equal one word, Life.
this book is so weird
this books chapter titles were random as hell and so was the book. its so weird.there is no plot whatsoever. i hated it, don't buy it cuz it sucks major balls.

For ESL students
I teach a beginner writing course for ESL students preparing for college, and we use this book to help students develop that all-important voice. The stories are simple but full of feeling, and resonate deeply with my mostly Latino students. Yes, there are incomplete sentences and words that don't belong in academic writing, but I find my students understand the concept of personal vs. academic writing, and can enjoy the book on its own terms. In addition, it could easily form the basis of a reading course for students once they are beyond the very early stages of learning English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bildungsromane    2. Chicago (Ill.)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. General    6. Girls    7. Literary    8. Mexican Americans    9. Popular American Fiction    10. Research And Report Writing    11. Fiction / Literary    12. Modern fiction   

Reviews (9)

For Elementary School Kids and their Grandpa's
This book is said to be suitable for ages 8 (3rd Grade) and up. It's also extremely suited for grandparents. It combines an interesting story line, Captain Lubber is sailing the world searching for the vicious female pirate Arabella Drummond. The book purports to be his journal or log of the trip and what he learned along the way. It is printed on a heavy parchment paper, and filled with activities requiring that you look at a little book glued onto a page, or tie knots with the strings on another page.
Not Just for Kids
While this is graded for ages 3 and older, it's reviewed here so that all ages will see it, as nobody with an interest in pirates will want to miss the captivating, gorgeous PIRATEOLOGY: A PIRATE HUNTER'S COMPANION. Here is the journal of Captain William Lubber, who sailed in search of female pirate Arabella Drummond. Dugald Steer edits an account which is vivid, packed with photos and illustration, and holds pockets of 'letters' throughout, along with a compass embedded in its cover. Maps and drawings are excellent and entire families will appreciate the coverage; not just kids~

Pirateology
Absolutely for all who have any interest in pirates.Beautifully presented and full of interesting information. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adventure & Adventurers    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Juvenile Folk Tales / Mythology / Fables    5. Juvenile Nonfiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Pirates    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Social Science - Folklore & Mythology    10. Specimens    11. Toy and movable books    12. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

This landmark book is a loosely fictionalized account of Governor Huey Long of Louisiana, one of the nation's most astounding politicians. Read more

Reviews (144)

Southern Storytelling
The author has a way of weaving seemingly far-flung stories into the backbone of this story.If you're used to that sort of thing, you'll be in heaven.If you're not, hang in & go with the flow -- RPW writes as theough he swallowed a dictionary and the complete works of William Faulkner, but before you know it, you'll get into the mental rhythm and you'll feel as though you're in a rocking chair on a hot summer day, drinking sweet tea from a Mason jar and listening to the cicadas.
False Advertising, Blatantly Unethical
Yes, All the King's Men is one of the 5 greatest American novels, for all the reasons people here cite, and more.
A great American classic
If you are looking for a great example of American literature you can't do much better than Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize winning classic "All the King's Men". It ranks up there with Mark Twain, Herman Melville, Harper Lee, Truman Capote and all of the other greats. "All the King's Men" is a quintessentially American tale of politics, greed, corruption, idealism, friendship, betrayal, family, and just a touch of romance (but not too much -- this is, after all, a very masculine-centered novel). It is a sprawling tale of the political career of Willie Stark and his journey from the innocent do-gooder "Cousin Willie" to the jaded, corrupt "Boss" who governs the state of Louisiana with an iron fist. After a failed bid for governor where the idealistic young Stark is used as a pawn by one of the other candidates to siphon votes away from his competitor, Stark is crushed and left feeling like a sap. But he comes back and runs again with a new political attitude -- determined that if winning means playing the game that from now on he will outplay everyone else. And he does it, too, maneuvering and bribing and blackmailing his way to the top like a well oiled machine. When he sets his eyes on the Senate, however, his odyssey begins to spin into tragedy. His transformation is narrated by Jack Burden, a reporter who first met Stark when he was toiling thanklessly as county treasurer and later gets a job in his administration at the capital. Burden was, perhaps, once an idealist too but now stumbles cynically through life all too aware of the foibles inherent to human beings (his name, Burden, is quite apt for this position in which he must live). His struggle asks some meaty philosophical questions (can good exist without evil? Is it necessary to do bad things in order to have a good outcome, and is such a thing possible? and more) and thankfully doesn't get too bogged down moralizing the reader (although Warren does dangerously toe the line in a few parts). Reading this book was unique for me because I found myself unable to read it without a pen in hand so I could underline passages and write notes and reactions in the margins of the pages -- agreeing and disagreeing with what was being said. That was great fun, and it was a thrill to feel so involved in a book to be doing that. I do have a few minor complaints, however. I thought that Warren's chronology was slightly jarring as it went back and forth through time and took long detours to get to the point, but since those detours were usually filled with some meaty themes of their own I can forgive them. I thought that Warren's proclivity for repetition got annoying by the end of the book (hitting it zenith when Anne Stanton proclaimed in one flashback "Oh, Jackie, Jackie, it's a wonderful night, it's a wonderful night, it's a wonderful night, say it's a wonderful night, Jackie-boy, say it, say it!" on page 425), but since this is only really present in the dialogue -- and mostly in Anne's dialogue at that -- I can forgive this too. I also took offense to Warren's portrayal of women as either manipulative or wishy-washy but always responsible for the downfalls or travails of men. That's a tough one to get by, but since he can be equally critical of men for their own corruptions and failings I guess I won't let it bother me too much. It's very much a product of the time it was written and of the setting it depicts, and you can't necessarily fault it for that. At any rate, on the whole I would definitely recommend this classic. I don't know how either of the film adaptations compare, but I can't imagine that they could accurately capture the scale of Warren's epic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literary    4. Literature - Classics / Criticism    5. Political    6. Political fiction    7. Politicians    8. Southern States    9. Juvenile Fiction / Classics    10. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (2)

A treasure for the young and the old alike
I received my copy of Secrets of the Alchemist Dar in the mail two days ago, and let me sum up by saying this: Michael Stadther has done it again.
Strong writing + strong characters = strong tale
I thought that this book would be one that would be mediocre when I started it, but good gracious, was I mistaken! It was a wonderful tale down which I could not put. It was so easy to connect with Zac, Ana, Pook, and the rest of the characters and to follow their journeys. Michael Stadther's writing style just flowed and his illustrations of the people and places just filled my mind with the incentive to know more.I rarely read such interesting stories and the one featured here in "Secrets of the Alchemist Dar" is a gem. If you only read one book this year, then this should be it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages - Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Interactive Adventure    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Treasure hunt (Game)    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Inspirational yet honest, and always rhythmically rollicking, Read more

Reviews (176)

My daughter and I never got tired of reading this book
When she was young, this was one of my favorite books that I read to my daughter. I never got tired of telling her how great she would be when she got older. She also loved hearing it, the rhythm of the words never failed to keep her attention. I read her the entire collection of Dr. Seuss books in the local public library, and this was without question one of her three favorites. As I watch her go through life, I can't help but believe that some of the optimism for success that she possesses is a residual of hearing the words in this book.

Oh, the places you'll go
Great Book for any child, young adult, and even grownups!

So creative
We love all our Dr. Seuss books.This one is so creative and fun.The wording is clever and cute, and the creativity is fantastic! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fiction    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Literature    8. Seuss, Dr.    9. Social Issues - New Experience    10. Social Issues - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance    11. Stories in rhyme    12. Success    13. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Based on the popular bedtime story Read more

Reviews (234)

love the story
This story is adorable.I can finally read it to my daughter without crying.The only thing I didn't realize when I placed my order was that this was such a small book.I would have ordered a larger book had I known.

A great book to read aloud to your little one
This book was my favorite bedtime story when my kids were younger.We had fun going back and forth telling each how much we love each other.The illustrations are also really nice for little ones.

Must buyfor every new baby..
This book is going to be a classic for all small children.
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Rabbits    2. Bedtime    3. Bedtime & Dreams    4. Bedtime Stories    5. Children's Books/Baby-Preschool    6. Children: Babies & Toddlers    7. Family - General    8. Family - Parents    9. Fathers and sons    10. Fiction    11. Hares    12. Juvenile Fiction    13. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    14. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Editorial Review

"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! Read more

Reviews (108)

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Alot of kids feel that reading is stupid but this book will change their
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
An outstanding book for kids and adults and who want to enjoy a good
A review of the Vinyl Bath Book edition only!
Since my 7-month-old still thinks books are for putting in your mouth, I've been buying him bath books. I bought this one sight unseen from Amazon, and as much as I love the classic "One Fish, Two Fish," I was a little disappointed. First, the book is small, even for a bath book (about 4x6 inches -- the "8.3 x 4.8" dimensions in the Amazon description are just plain WRONG). Second, the book was shorter than I expected. It consists only of the first 8 pages of the original "One Fish." Of course, the baby doesn't know how abridged the book is, so he enjoys it. And the colors are bright, the printing is sharp, and the overall package is high-quality and holds up to lots of handling. But there's not much there to read to him.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Concepts - Counting    4. Concepts - Counting & Numbers    5. Concepts - Words    6. Fantasy    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Readers - Beginner    10. Stories in rhyme    11. Baby books    12. Juvenile Fiction / Concepts / Counting   

Reviews (20)

A Critic of Peter and the Starcatchers
A Critical Essay about Peter and the Starcatchers .
Peter has a devil of a time . . .
Ever wished the cocky look was washed off Peter's face just once, even though you like him and you'd never want the cockiness completely gone? I always felt that way just a smidge while reading the original Peter Pan and found the first book in this series relieved that itch just a bit. It was like Peter Pan, only more humananized and real. And FUNNY!
Peter and the Shadowthieves
Peter and the Shadowthieves
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Characters in literature    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children's Books/All Ages    6. Children: Grades 4-6    7. Fiction    8. General    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Shadows    12. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Reviews (189)

THE END IS NEAR! BE PREPARED!
Ahem. Has anyone noticed that one of the one-star reviews for this book burns Lemony Snicket and William Shakespeare at the same time? If I was you, L.S., be honored! "Oh, gee, you're categorizing me in the same place as one of the most revered and adored authors of all time?!! I think I'll take that as a compliment!" This book is the second best in the series so far, after The Slippery Slope.

The Penultimate Peril
The Penultimate Peril
They stole a cab!
Yep, thats what they did. The only noble person in the story, and they kicked him to the curb.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Family - Orphans & Foster Homes    7. Family - Siblings    8. Fiction    9. Hotels, motels, etc.    10. Humorous Stories    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. Orphans    13. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Orphans & Foster Homes   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (21)

Just Wait For Two More Years!!!
The books are amazing.J.K. Rowling managed to create a magical world that is both appealing to children and adults.The books follow the heroic life of young Harry Potter from age 11.As Harry gets older, the books mature with him.While the first book is very colorful and innocent, books five and six are much darker and emotional, of which love becomes a major theme in the series.
A good value
Our family hadn't yet read all the books, and we were looking for a set. This is a good value. However, with book 7 coming out soon, we are regretting not waiting to get the inevitable 7-book set.

Extraordinary Value
I'm not going to address the quality of the Harry Potter series. After all, if you weren't interested in the plots and storylines, you wouldn't be considering this item. What I will address is the fact that this collection is, hands down, the best value on the first six books of the series you will find, period! (Price at time of writing was $100) I'm a member of several book associations, and even they cannot match it. The books themselves are hardback, with excellent quality paper and high production value. The jackets all show the colorful illustrations of Mary Grandpré, and have raised lettering. The bindings themselves are library quality, and durable, with metallic lettering on the spine. It was a must have for my hardback Fantasy library and collection and, though most of my books for it have been obtained via a SFBC membership, Amazon definitely provided the best value on this one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fiction    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Magic    8. School & Education    9. Schools    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Wizards    12. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (90)

My Favorite Book of All Time
Wow. Where do I begin?
A rich, complex and vastly entertaining read
My college-age cousin told me about this book back in the summer as I was visting during vacation. I had a few books in my car (and some I told her about), but she insisted: this was an extraordinary read. That I simply had to put everything else aside and read it.
THE BOOK THIEF
Liesel Meminger, a German girl in the 1940's, survives the vicissitudes of war through two forces: the power of love and the power of words. At her younger brother's funeral, she steals The Gravedigger's Handbook as a remembrance of him. Her foster father quells her nightmares by teaching her to read, and she soon discovers that books soothe the soul. When her family hides a Jew in their basement, the young man writes to survive, often aiming his words directly at Leisel.Ultimately, it is the strength of her relationships and the reading and writing they inspire that save her life, spiritually and literally.
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Subjects:  1. Books and reading    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - History    3. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Death    6. Fiction    7. Historical - Holocaust    8. Historical - Military & Wars    9. Historical Fiction (Young Adult)    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Law & Crime    12. Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings    13. Storytelling    14. Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Holocaust   

Editorial Review

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.Read more

Reviews (940)

Enjoyable by young and old alike!
The earth is surrounded by a sinister presence - a dark, foul fog that is the tool of an ultimate evil - whose ambition is to enslave the planet with the complete removal of free will. Three magical beings, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which - witches, angels, demigods perhaps - appear to Margaret and Charles Wallace Murry and their friend, Calvin O'Keefe, to persuade them that it is their destiny to battle this evil on its own turf and to rescue Margaret and Charles Wallace's father. Dr Murry has been missing for some months and the kids learn that he has been captured by the evil while he was "tessering", traveling time and space in the course of his scientific research.
A Wrinkle in time
At first my teacher read it. She read the first chapter to us. It had me very excited to read on. So, this book taught me a lot. It kind of keeps you in suspence to.

Hated it.
It seems that people either love it or hate it andI belong to the latter category.How did this become a classic???Having forced myself to read to the end I'm not going to waste anymore time - just read the other 1-star reviews - poor kids forced by their teachers to read this over-rated garbage. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Classics    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Science fiction    8. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (3)

This is truly a "song" of ice and fire
How interesting that Martin's short story, written in 1980, bears minor resemblances to his grand work of today.
There's really no age group for this book
I hold Martin's Song of Ice and Frie series in high regard; the man is a talented writer.For adults.
The Ice Dragon
I got this book on Sept. 26th, 2006, in Dubuque, Iowa.George Martin was on a book signing for the release of this book, and due to this, the bookstore he was at was selling it early.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children's Books/All Ages    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Dragons    5. Fantasy    6. Fiction    7. General    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began

Reviews (2278)

A very good book!
I have been reading books since I was 2 years old and this is one of the best books i have read. It dosn't matter who the auther is or how old he is it just matters if you like the book. I'm 12 now and like I said this book is really, really good. The authur did A good job and that is why it is a new york times best seller!
Eragon the best
Eragon is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read so far.It has all of the qualities of a fantasy book I look for.Compared to Harry Potter it has a great story line with a quick learning character.It has battles, magic, dragons, and monstrous creatures.Christopher Paolini is one of the best authors I've heard of, because he uses great imagery, awesome descriptions, and he keeps you intrigued through the whole book.I recommend this book to any fantasy lover adult, teen, or child.I do understand that this is one of the best accomplishments among someone of young age. So if you love fantasy or you just want a classic in motion take up Eragon.

Not worthy of the hype!
I purchased and read this book just after it first came out to rave reviews and a New York Times Bestseller ranking.I was extremely dissappointed.There is a reason that there are not many well renowned 18 year old authors out there.The writing is poor at best - definitely the work of someone who is just learning the art.The story is entertaining at times, but as many other reviewers have mentioned, it is entirely unoriginal.This book is fine for the younger child but is not in the class of Paul Park's Princess of Roumania, The Golden Compass trilogy or Harry Potter as books that transcend the line between children's and adult literature.I did not read the second book and have no intention of doing so. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Dragons    4. Fantasy    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    8. Youths' writings    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (49)

I LOVED this book!
I thought that this book was one of the best i have ever read. It is good for all ages. I couldn't put this book down- it got you hooked- and after you were done i wanted to read other books by Shannon Hale. I love the action and romance in Princess Academy. Another great book of her's is Goose Girl.

Cute book for it's intended audience and others as well
I plan on purchasing this book some day. I think it will be a fun book for my daughter(s) to read when they're a little older (my oldest girl is three). The book is fun, easy to read and very enjoyable. This book contains everything, action, innocent teenage romance, drama and intrigue.
Great book!
This book was awesome! I read it in one day and it was very meaningful. It was also suspenseful, and fun to read. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to read more of Shannon Hale's books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Girls & Women    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Mountains    10. Princesses    11. Royalty (kingsqueensprincesprincessesknightsetc.)    12. School & Education    13. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    14. Self-confidence    15. Social Issues - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance    16. Telepathy    17. Fiction / General