Clubs Books

Stacey McGill is the new girl in town. Before she moved to Stoneybrook, she lived in New York City. With her permed hair, cool clothes, and breezy-but-mature attitude, her new friends think she's wildly sophisticated. The truth is Stacey's a little shakey. She misses her old friends and the big city. Though she likes being a member of The Baby-Sitters Club, she's worried that they'll find out her big secret - she has diabetes.

In this line of BSC graphic novels, illustrator Raina Telgemeier has done the beloved books justice. She has completely retained the original stories, lifting dialogue - speech and thought bubbles - directly from the original text. Her artwork is adorable, and the characters all look to be the proper ages. The graphic novels are just as squeaky-clean as the books upon which they are based, and I recommend them just as highly.

My daughter was very pleased with this book. The delivery was prompt and it was in perfect condition.

A must read for anyone with type 1 diabetes, or who knows someone with type 1 diabetes, or who likes to read a great book.

I was driving when my 8 year old daughter announced that "Stacy has type 1 too, mom!" "Who is Stacy?" I asked her. "Stacy, the babysitter..." she replied. I started to tell her she didn't have a sitter named Stacy when I realized she was talking about the book she was reading, The Truth about Stacy. How cool! My daughter has type 1 diabetes and had found a heroine who she could really relate to!

We got other BSC books from the old series to read (not the graphic novels), but they hadn't been updated the way the versions Raina Telgemeier illustrated and adapted. Kudos to Raina, who took the time to learn about type 1 and make sure the information was up to date and accurate.

I love the BSC, and the earliest books in the series are my favorites. Ann Martin is one heck of a writer, and this third book in the BSC series tackles some serious issues - Stacey's struggles with diabetes, moving to a new town and fitting in, the loss and re-gain of old friends. A subplot in this book is the girls dealing with a copycat club called the Baby-Sitters Agency that threatens to put them out of business.
Ann, I wish you had written every single book in the series and not used ghostwriters for so many of them!

This book was one of the best books in the baby sitter club serious and you know there were a LOT! This book really got deep in to Staceys feelings about having deiabets and her strugles with that.
Also the whole club is faced with a problem...some one else has started there own baby sitters club!!!!!!!
Now this wouldn't be so bad if that club wasn't getting more people calling them....and then when that club pays a trick on them the baby sitters club knows the other club HAS to go!!!

I just happened to finish reading Ray Fraser's "Featherless Wings" and wanted to see how his book was doing on amazon.com. As is habit, I checked all his books for rankings. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the review from the reader in Vermont.

It would appear that the writer was a woman, but one can never tell. The reviewer has a note that says "check all my reviews." Before you accept their opinion of this book, check their other reviews. They don't like anything. In fact, the only thing they like is the book light which they reviewed.

Some people live lives of quiet desperation. It appears this reviewer has more problems than even Sean Thomas could handle. Everyone I know who has read Ray's books, loves them.

Do yourself a favor and pass on the Vermont reviewer's opinion.

I rated this book some time ago and by chance saw that my one star review is no longer here. I wonder why? This book is totally unbelieveable. I trust some of Mr. Fraser's followers have been writing in all of these glowing 5 star reviews. Notice how many are short and don't have substance in the review? As a mystery and suspense reader I was sucked into buying this book by these apparent glowing reviews. What a mistake, don't waste your money. There's a reason hack writers self publish.

Tantalisingly wonderful until the end...I read it in one sitting..could not put it down...excellent writing.

The book started out like a short story from high school. The author was blunt and forward. But it soon grabbed my attention, the characters became real, the plot riveting. The story had twists and turns some I saw coming others I didn't. I recommend this book to those who like mysteries and suspense. I can't wait to read the next book.

Ray is not only a gifted spirit medium, he's also a great writer. A Change Called Death will keep your heart pounding as you race to turn to the next page. This book has it all, and the ending will take you completely by surprise.

Reviewed by Anne Marie Medema (age 12) for Reader Views (7/08)

Mary O'Hara is an excellent author because she ties in real things that happen into a fictional family. The breeds of horses O'Hara writes about are real and it is obvious she is educated in each horse's individual characteristics. O'Hara writes using authentic western language terms. In "My Friend Flicka" the story comes alive to the reader as O'Hara writes with much description about the farm, the horses and life out West. O'Hara weaves into her story punishment and reward in real times -- the reward of a boy's joy when he finally receives his filly.

Can you tame a wild heart? The cover states it well. This question explains "My Friend Flicka" to the reader. It is a book about taming both a young boy and a horse. The storyline begins with Ken on a horse ride. While riding, Ken loses many different horse articles. Ken's father had been an army officer and thus raised Ken with firmness and strictness. He demanded respect. Ken has always been dreaming of a horse of his own.

Due to poor grades in school and a missed assignment about horses Ken must repeat a grade in school. His father requires Ken to complete an hour of homework a day throughout the entire summer. Ken's brother gets him in trouble by asking many questions that Ken must answer and tell the truth.

One day Ken scares his father's horses towards a landslide. One horse cuts the other horses off so none of them fall off and are saved. Ken's mother encourages his father to give his son a horse. Ken's father finally gives him a chance to care for a colt or filly. Ken chooses a colt that is a yearling. Since there are many yearlings to choose from, Ken anxiously awaits to make a choice.

The doctor arrives at their farm because four horses need to be gelded. Gelded means the horse can not reproduce and is done to the stallions. The procedure was so horrible and so much blood lost that one of the horses dies due to the gelding. The colts act sad after the gelding. Ken is greatly disturbed by it. This incident means Ken will choose a filly for his horse.

Rocket is a wild horse who has a filly named Flicka. Ken sees Flicka and falls in love with her and wants her. Flicka is caught for Ken. One day Flicka falls sick. After she is sick, Ken finds Flicka in a river lying down ill on a cold night. By the morning, Ken is sick and Flicka's fever is gone. Ken's father wants to kill Flicka but decides against it. Flicka turns into a well-bred horse and a companion for Ken. Flicka and Ken grow up together and learn life lessons from each other.

"My Friend Flicka" by Mary O'Hara is a great book I would recommend for young and old alike. Boys and girls who have a love for ranches, horses and the outdoors would particularly enjoy the storyline. I have read many books in my life time and I rank this one as one of the best. Break-in a book called "My Friend Flicka" and gallop away from the world.

I have to give this book 5 stars. Mary O'Hara wrote an incredibly beautiful story about a struggling family. Many of the details of the story are so true to life. As an adult reading this story, I found the details about the parents to be more interesting than the story of the horse and the boy. O'Hara really understands the concerns of a parent for a struggling child and it's very true to life in the book. Many important issues are touched upon in this book too; responsibility for our domestic animals, love for people and animals, doing our duty in our every day life are all there with out being mushy and sentimental. O'hara also paints a vivid picture of Wyoming and old-time ranch life. It makes me wish it was still like that, so I could visit it. This is another great book for a read aloud family time.

This is a very good book. My granddaughter really enjoyed it.

Although he made his audio book debut just two readings ago, stage, screen and television actor Michael Louis Wells is in full command of the metier with his narration of the classic My Friend Flicka. Many will remember the story as a film with Roddy McDowall, as a TV series or as a current film. Wells is on a par with all of the actors who have undertaken bringing this touching tale to life. The reason for the story's many incarnations is obvious - it is one of our best-loved books and well deserves its place among others that are enjoyed from generation to generation, such as Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty.

Pivotal to O'Hara's story is Ken and his seeming laissez faire attitude. Where his mind is his father, Rob, certainly doesn't know. He's a young boy who would much rather just look out a window than study his arithmetic. He should have studied because his report card is so poor that he's doomed to repeat a grade. Rob undoubtedly wonders whether he'll even catch on the second time around.

Their home is Wyoming's Goose Bar Ranch and Rob is working hard to make a go of it. He doesn't need a son who seems given to daydreams. Then, along comes Flicka, a beautiful chestnut filly, with a wild streak inherited from her sire. Ken is certain he can tame Flicka, and so begins the unforgettable relationship between a boy and his horse.

O'Hara wrote a follow-up to her story, Thunderhead, but it never achieved the popularity of My Friend Flicka, a timeless story to be enjoyed over and over again.

- Gail Cooke

I am in the middle of lstening to this book. Its detailed descriptions of ranch life and horses are quite compelling. But what surprised me was the absolutely accurate description of a boy with ADD. This book was written some two decades before attention deficit disorder gained anyone's attention, but O'Hara's descriptions of Ken's behavior are absolutely consistent.

And then O'Hara answers the question of what to do about the condition: give the kid something he really wants to do and stand back. Of course, it helps that Ken has two wise and good-hearted parents; but then, maybe that is the start to solving most problems that children have.

A fine book on many levels, and a fine companion on the road for adult and child.

I first read this book probably fifteen years ago. It has been my favorite Victoria Holt book ever since--and yes, I have read all 32 books she penned under that name. To tell anything about this would be to give too much away so I'll just say this: The romance was breathtaking; the action was, in a way, believable; and the intrigue was shocking. For those of you who need a basic description, here's what the back of the book says:

On the Night of the Seventh Moon, according to ancient Black Forest legend, Loke, the God of Mischief, was abroad in the world. It was a night for festivity and joyful celebration. It was a night for singing and dancing. And it was a night for love.

Helena Trant was enchanted by everything she found in the Black Forest--its people, its mysterious castles, its legends and lore. Especially its legends of love.

Until, one day, she started to live one of them and the enchantment turned suddenly into a terrifying nightmare....

I love it when an author can write a story about two people in love and keep the story clean without explicit sex. This author knows how to write a love story that will keep you reading from one page to the next until the end. I'm very impressed with her work on other novels as well as this one.

This is my absolute favorite novel by Victoria Holt. I cannot praise it any more than anyone else has.

But I must correct the amazon description of "However, Holt creates elaborate characters and sets the narrative in the fabled and romantic Black Forest of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of the Napoleonic Wars."

The book is set in the Black Forest, yes, but the Black Forest is in Germany(and technically was in Bavaria, which was a kingdom within the German Empire after the unification of 1870), and the book was set in the Victoria era.

This is one of my favorite Victoria Holt books. It's romantic, there's intrigue, lies, allies, spies, murder plots, a villain, a hero, and everything in between, using the Black Forest and the mythological characters that the heroine and at times, damsel in distress, Helena Trant, grew up with as a back drop. The forests were in her blood and wasn't afraid when she got lost in the mist.

And here comes a hero to literally sweep her off her feet. A man of many and mysterious identities.

These two discover what Shakespeare knew all along: "The course of true love never did run smoothly".

Both are lied to and deceived by people they thought they could trust, and ironically, some of those same people bring them together again.

No one weaves a story like Victoria Holt. As far as I'm concerned, she only has two worthy peers: Phyllis A. Whitney and Mary Stewart.

If you want to be taken to another place and time, and believe in love and fairy tales, this is the book for you.

I have read some Holt novels I didn't even feel were worth bothering to review because of my lukewarm attitude toward them. This is far from the case with On the Night of the Seventh Moon. If you don't like filthy romance books full of corny, eyerolling garbage like Stephanie Laurens seems to insist on dishing out, complete with their relentless bludgeonings of copulation scenes and weak plots, I urge you to pick this book up instead.

From the beginning I was mesmerized by Holt's characters and rich, complex weaving of romance and the evildoers who would keep Helena and Max apart for a decade until they find each other again. In fact, everything about this book had me so enthralled that I couldn't put it down until the very end. Holt has the ability to write adventurous romantic novels that don't make you want to throw up when you read them, and that's something most authors can't lay claim to. If you like your books clean and well-written, Seventh Moon is destined to become one of your favorites, and I would never steer you wrong about that. I know you will really enjoy this particular novel, because it is just that outstanding.

This book is sheer fun. I discovered it in a used book store and am buying the rest of the trilogy immediately. Before I was through with the book, I was looking into a vacation in Maine. Excellent.

The Moosepath league series are fast becoming my favorite books after a lifetime of avid reading. The characters are joyfully delightful and woven into a yarn that is amusing, enchanting and at times magical. Take Charles Dickens Pickwickians, add some "Three Men in a Boat" charm, a liberal sprinkling of P.G. Wodehouse's comic situations, a little Jane Austen romance, a dash of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"'s magic; mix well and spread over a 19th century Maine landscape and you'll end up with this wonderful book. You must read it - however many stars I had to give, I'd give them all.

Van Reid is an amazing story teller. There are many great stories within the larger story. This book was great, albeit a little slow in places. If you liked it at all, you should continue on to the other two books in the triology which just keep getting better.

Van Reid has a magic way with words. In "Cordelia Underwood" he has created each character (and there are many of them)with wit and insight. His characters understand the importance of kindness and respect. They are also, with a couple necessary exceptions, game for adventure, especially when that concerns helping a friend or rescuing a "damsel in distress" (who turns out pretty good at helping herself). There are stories within stories and intersecting adventures, and I found each a delight. They all fit together into as pleasurable a novel as I have ever read. You won't regret reading this.

Van Reid has crafted a delightfully charming work. CORDELIA UNDERWOOD actually made me, a deep-fried Southern Belle, dream of adventuring in the very New England setting inhabited by the members of the MOOSEPATH LEAGUE. I look forward with great anticipation to reading all the books in the series and sincerely hope that there will be many more escapades to read about in years to come. If you are a fan of Miss Read's English villages, Jan Karon's Mitford, and L.M. Montgomery's ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, then Van Reid's Maine missives are for you!

This is such a beautiful SC book. Carole bonds with the mare and it is really thrilling! Then Carole rides the wild mare to set her free. When Carole gets hurt as when the mare stops at her herd, the wild stallion stands over her. Then everyone on the Bar None discovers her, and Carole must explain why she set the mare free.

This book is about a horse who seems sad at Kates ranch and Carole wants to find out why. Then Carole and the horse get a special bond and the horse will do anything Carole tells him to. This book is a must read book. One of my favorites.

I LOVED this book! It's definetly one of the best ones ever! I think that more of the Saddle Clb books need to focus more on Carole, (she's my fav). I recomend this book to anyone who loves horses, or takes riding lessons like I do. Other Saddle Club books I recomend are #13 Starlight Christmas, #68 Summer Rider, #2 Horse Shy, (be warned, it's really sad,)#77 Rocking Horse and #76 Horse Care.

I love this book! I have almost all the saddle club books this is one of my favorites. Stevie Lisa and Carole head out West.Stevie and Lisa run into lots of kitchen trouble. Carole finds something about herself she never knew before. This is a book for new and old Bonnie Bryant fans! Sarah

I just loved the parts with Lisa and Stevie in the kitchen! They were so funny! And I also loved Carol's horse whispering! I recomend this book to all Bonnie Bryant fans!

This was my favorite book when I was a child. I read it, re-read it over and over again. Somehow it was lost and I searched book stores, etc. and finally found it on Amazon. I was absolutely thrilled when I got the book. I read it immediately and loved it just as much as a 50 something year old. I loved that that this little girl went against the Witch and went to school and made friends. And of course, I loved the happy ending....this book should be back in print.

This is the ONLY book I remember from my childhood. I checked it out of my elementary school library as many times as I was allowed. As an adult, I found it at a garage sale for a nickel and snatched it up.

Perhaps it was feeling that I was in the wrong family by some evil accident. I've been in therapy for many years, and needed every minute of it, so that feeling was accurate.

Perhaps it was the feeling, which also proved accurate, that my life would improve as soon as I got my own friends who cared about me which happened in early high school.

I held fiercely to the spirit of this book for many years.

When I found it, I took it to my therapist to prove to her that, even when I was little I felt strongly about these issues.

I also loved school and considered it my saving grace.

I read voraciously as soon as I learned how. And this is the only book from early on that I can clearly remember.

Anyone who wants to start a lovers of Little Witch club, get in touch with me.

I still read LOTS of fantasy books.

I have vivid memories of reading this charming book. The author was the Children's Librarian of the library I practically lived in as a child in Northport, NY. She was perfect in that job. Knowledgable, enthusiastic and devoted to creating life long readers. She certainly helped me become a passionate reader for life.
I can't wait for my granddaughter to be old enough ot understand this story. It will be a "must read" at Halloween.

I, too, read this book countless times as a girl, at least 45 years ago. One of my favorite things to do on a rainy or snowy day was to get in bed and enjoy this story. I would get the warmest feeling from the way the story turned out, but also found the situations where Minx and her friends fooled around with the potions to be very exciting! I found a copy in our library about 15 years ago, but no more, so I started the quest to find one for my daughter, not knowing the author. My daughter's name is Anna Elizabeth - could it have been in my sub conscience? Hurray for used book sellers!

I wish I could give it 10 stars!!! I fell in love with this book the first time I read it. It tells the story of a little girl who has a real Witch for a mother. All she wants is to be normal and finally gets a chance at it. Her adventures and struggles are heartfelt and engaging and I found myself wanting to be her friend. The fact she only had one dress didnt stop her determination to get to school and as an adult I love the message it sends to children. I read this book so many times as a child, I lost the cover to it and was surprised to see it again after all these years. It is truly wonderful to find others with an affinity to peanutbutter and lettuce sandwiches also. Hahaha. I recommend this book to anyone whether you have kids or not. I gave my copy to my niece, who loves it as well, in hopes she would share it with her younger sister. She lost it when my sister moved so I am buying another one today to keep the tradition going. The Little Witch has been always been one of my favorites and should be mandatory reading material in schools to teach compassion and to stimulate the imagination. How many times have you looked in a mirror, made a wish and just knew somewhere deep in your heart it would come true?

I just finished reading this book, and actually it's outside waiting for the garbage truck to pick it up as I type this!
Oh yes, the book told my story! The obsession about a guy in my life, but where's the help I need to 'fix it'?? It basically tells me I need to seek a professional to get over it?!? If I could afford a professional, I wouldn't have bought this book!
I was SO into every story, thinking, THAT'S ME! Then I couldn't wait till the point where they told me how to work on this, but NOPE! It never came!
So it get's one star from me. Actually, the star is for the person I bought it from through Amazon! They were great! :)

This book ALMOST describes my abusive, controlling husband exactly. He falls in love immediately, moves too fast, becomes obsessed, refuses to see "his women" as normal human beings and gives up his entire life for his partner. He's done this for 30 years, but I was his first wife. It was HELL!

My only problem with this book, is it talks about how people do this and put up with an abuser. What if doing this is what makes THEM the abuser? My husband controlled every aspect of my life, constantly told me all the things that were "wrong" with me and tried to "fix" me. He gave up all of his interests to dedicate his life to waiting on me, then got mad at ME even though I kept encouraging him to live his life without doing everything for me. I couldn't take the pressure of never being able to live up to his expectations. There was nothing wrong with me... I'd been in long term relationships and knew how to live with someone. When he started attacking everything I did, he slowly beat my self esteem into the ground.

There are number of books likes this (and codependency books) that focus on behavior that sounds EXACTLY like my love addict abuser, but I'd like to learn more about these behaviors when they are applied to a normal partner rather than an abuser.

This book helped me realize my negative behavior and take steps to begin healthly relationships, instead of addictive ones.

People often think that only women become obsessed with someone. It's good to see that someone has written a book for both women and men about the very real problem of obsessive, controlling relationships. John Moore's book cuts through all of the psychological mumbo jumbo and gets right to the heart of why a person becomes so obsessed with a love interest that stalking is the result. Thank you Mr. Moore for offering us all a book that is sure to become a classic.

I read Moore's book and was very impressed with each of the case studies. In some way, each person's story spoke to my own situation in a controlling relationship. There were many times that I had to put the book aside because it hurt too much to keep reading. As I kept turning the pages, I saw all of the patterns in my own life and then the lightbulb went off and I thought, "That's me!" If you are in a controlling relationship or are obsessed with someone else, you have to get this book. It will change your life forever.

On The Loose is certainly one of the most beautiful and inspiring Books ever written. It is simple and short but packed with inspiration. This book should be taught in the schools as a nature primer...children would love it and then continue their journey into the wide world.

but encountering this book again after 35 years brings tears to my eyes.

(A note on the description: If you will examine the font in the text, it's "Tang-jar", not "Jang-jar." Tang is the orange flavored powder concentrate that the early astronauts drank in space. At least that's what the commercials said. Untold thousands of ordinary Americans drank it too.)

Excellent, quick read...wide range of quotes both poetry and proes...pics are breathtaking...these two young men have infected me with their philosophy of life.

What a treasure to find that On The Loose is still around. This book is full of wonder and joy on every page. On The Loose found me in 1967 when I was an undergraduate student. It is still with me. I was wandering and On The Loose spoke to me of the wilderness as something full of awe. This is truly a beautiful book. It continues to remind me over and over that, as I can see I will keep looking and as long as I can walk, I will keep moving. I am so happy that with the reprinting of On The Loose it will now find its way into my grown children's hands as they continue to make their way and look beyond the light and dark.

There are so many wonderful and amazing photographs and quotes in this book. This book is truly an invitation towards insights gained by looking outward and beyond. Let yourself go beyond where you can barely see. Buy this book. Always ride for the high points! This is the book to take with you.

D. Budd
Edmonton, AB Canada

If I had to choose 10 books that I would bring with me to a desert island, this would be one of them.

As a voracious reader every since I learned how to read, I BEGGED my mother to enroll me in the Weekly Reader Book Club and waited anxiously for each shipment. This book was so interesting that I've never forgotten it. It's so full of quirky characters, a little mystery, and adventure that your interest never wavers and it's one that I've always remembered. I've purchased it for my own grandchildren and hope they find it as fascinating as I did! A really GOOD book.

I read this book every summer for years starting when I was a little kid. It stayed in my memory since and when I found a copy of it at a flea market in Pasadena, CA for some ridiculous price like $3.00, it had to be purchased. Had it been 10 times that amount, it would have been worth every cent. Same pink cover, same imprint of the "Weekly Reader's Children's Book Club" on the back, same engrossing story inside. Who wouldn't have wanted to go to Florida and have their own summer adventure?
And it's still enjoyable even at this late date.
My Grandmother owned a Motel once, so the basis for the book was instantly appealing.It wasn't too hard to relate to any of it as a child.
This book is a treasure.It cannot be recommended enough.

When I was young I read this book and it shaped my whole view of Florida. As a result, I ended up settling there. I don't have my own Pink Motel, but that magical place is still in my mind and heart even as I drive across the bridge to work in the morning.

A few years ago I sat across from a friend at dinner and was trying to explain my view of Florida. I started by saying "I read this book as a child and it made me want to live in Florida". Before I got any further she said "The Pink Motel" and I almost fell out of my chair. It was her favorite too. It's hard to explain but when reading this book, even today it sill evokes white sands, palm trees in the breeze, brilliant pink buildings against the blue of the gulf. Magic.

My hardback edition holds a treasured spot on my bookshelf and in my heart that no other book can replace.

What a magical book! The Mellon family inherits The Pink Motel on the Florida coast and moves down for the summer to run it. There they meet an assortment of regular guests and find some new ones. The children, Kirby and Bitsy, make friends with a local boy named Big and revive a bored girl guest named Sandra. Secrets, mysteries, alligator chasing, coconuts, wonderful treats from Miss Frith's basket, and some very, very valuable dog guests make for a lively and engaging story. For 1951, the integration between white and black children is natural and straightforward. This is the kind of book I would like to write. I sure enjoyed reading it.

As a girl, I loved this book!

Still love it. I have my hardback on my shelf, in it's pinkness, no dust jacket. Magical. The author, Carol R. Brink, also wrote "Baby Island," another favorite.

Read this a few times, as a kid, and always wanted a Pink Motel of my own. Just the other day, I told my dear Norman, Hunny, let's up and move to Florida, buy a little motel, paint it pink, and have each room different.. just like the book! Palm trees and white sand beaches are calling.. especially since it's been 20 degrees here this week, and miserable!

An adventure for kids. All my daughters read my pink copy. Buy it. Read it. You'll love it too.