Comics Books

Duane Barnharts Cartooning Basics has just been so much fun for my kids ages 12, 10, and 7. Using the Books step-by-step guidelines to cartooning they have created some of the most fabulous characters and cartoon strips. Not only is it great from a drawing perspective, but it also has some fun and interesting facts about the history of cartooning. Love this book!!!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

Great how-to book, lots of practice exercises. The most helpful, how-to book I've read so far, and I've got a ton of them. Wish I'd found this one sooner!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

This book has helped me learn to cartoon, and now, I teach it to my 2nd grade class!

All I have to say is that this series is by far the best manga/graphic novel I've ever read... This is not the plotless violence that you see in many manga series', Eden's story line is one of the better plots that I've read in quite some time. This series is absolutely incredible and a 'must-read' for everyone who loves... well... anything.

Having read the first three volumes so far, I'm blown away. I haven't found a manga this engaging since Akira. At first glance, what appeared to be a typical "post-apocalytic" story is actually deeply fascinating on multiple levels, most especially characterization. The technological elements are as well done as anything by Shirow (Ghost in the Shell), perhaps even better, as they are more clearly explained and shown to be a logical extension of present-day technologies. The future the author has created here is totally coherent and convincing. Like the best sci-fi, you feel like you are simply glimpsing one aspect of an enormous world.

The visual storytelling is extremely well done. The battle scenes are clearly sequenced and paced in a way that is very cinematic. I found myself racing from panel to panel, my eyes frequently bugging out at dramatic and gory moments that are perfectly presented in service to the larger narrative and the emotional content.

The characters are quite convincing and engaging.

This is a fantastic piece of entertainment!

A worldwide plague has struck Earth, and there's no cure in sight. The disease is particularly nasty because your skin hardens into rock-like consistency and then your internal organs liquefy and drain out through your orifices! So you have all these statues of people laying around like so many victims of Medusa. A bio-dome named Eden is constructed under UN control to quarantine uninfected humans from the pandemic sweeping the world. Many years later, all that's left of the once hopeful experiment are two adolescents named Enoah and Hannah, who have genetic resistance, and their dying guardian Layne, who is rapidly succumbing to the sickness. The rest of this first volume fills you in on how Eden, which was once a bastion of Man's hopes, has now become an empty shell of its former self. We're also introduced to Cherubim, a military robot which Eden's now dead inhabitants blamed for their destruction. The second half of the book takes up a different thread, 20 years later as a young boy named Elijah, accompanied by Cherubim, fights to survive in the ruins of civilization.

This first volume of Eden had it all: Sci-fi, Violence, love, human fears, religious symbolism, and realism. The characters at times feel like mythological, if not Biblical, figures given human shape, but they retain our sympathies. They are protagonists trying to live in a world that has been destroyed by forces on a different level than themselves. As in all times of chaos, factions arise to take advantage of the situation and take control. It's difficult to see how these characters are going to fit into the scheme of things. The little violence in this book is graphic but necessary to tell the story. Death isn't pretty. The art in Eden is some of the best I've ever seen in a manga and is reminescent of a more refined Ghost in the Shell style-wise. Video Girl Ai is another series that is similar in art. This is a gripping and thought provoking first volume in what looks to be a great series.

Eden is simply an amazing graphic novel set in a world ravaged by a killer virus, that wipes out the majority of the population. We start with three survivors on an island. A dying man confined to a wheelchair and two children. From this simple begining we delve into complex subject matter. The concept of sin, sexual desire, explore the meaning of life, question the existence of god and man's role in the natural order. Heady stuff to say the least and then there are the mecha robots, cyborgs, mercenaries and global conspiracies. Breathtaking in it's scope and imagination, Hiroki Endo has created a tribute to the cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic survival genre.

Eden is an awesome manga. If any manga has achieved a literary state it has to be this one. For example, it doesn't exactly present characters the way other manga do, by showing what they look like, and having them act out in a way that would be characteristic. What Eden did in this volume was present the setting first, and have the characters interact with that setting. Being a post-apocalyptic tale, the setting is key, and having certain people react a certain way to the setting will reveal a lot about that character. Personally, I thought this was brilliantly done, and I felt that I knew Elijah, the main character, well enough to like him, even though he was only in three short chapters of this volume.

The story in Eden--in this volume at least--begins with two teenagers, Enoah and Hannah, as they care for their guardian Layne, who's dying of a disease that hardens the skin and turns the insides of a human to mush. While caring for Layne, these kids learn of their responsibility to human-kind, as well as the tragic past that aided in bringing about the apocalypse in which they are living in. Later, the story moves to young Elijah, a boy whose only companion is a robot named Cherubim, as he goes about the everyday job of survival, including scavenging and hunting, as well as dreaming of girls.

Though admittedly the story is slow, and very little is given away as to what direction Eden is heading in, I can't knock it for the simple brilliance in which it is unfolding. Hiroki Endo put an emphasis on presenting the stark setting and conditions of living in the volume, and also made it clear that it is an intelligent plot no matter how slow it is. The back cover states that Eden is "a brilliant love song to post-apocalyptic survival genre" and I would have to agree on that. Eden is a smart story rivaling even Akira, and one I highly recommend for fans of darker, smarter manga.

"The Blood of wolves flowed through ten generations of Wolfrider Chiefs and their Tribefolk...It tied them beyond all untying to the world and it's cycle of life. And if the price was mortality then no one knew it, for rare indeed was the Wolfrider who died peacefully of old age." Once again, the Pini's proved that Cutter was the exception to that rule! The Son Ten Chiefs carried his tribe into a future they were never meant to see, in the name of love. Elf Quest is a classic story, well told and immensly inspiring, proving noone is truly bound to a single fate. I hope Elf Quest will never really go away. I hope Cutter and the Wolfriders will continue and beat the odds and carry us along with them on their incredible journey!

I love it when the characters, plot and storyline all flow as nicely as this one did. Great Job!!!!

I thought that it was a wonderful story full of our favorite characters. It was one of the best of the elfquest books that I've read in a while.

The plot of this story was great! The art was great! It was Wendy's best work!!!!!!!! Buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yet another masterpiece by Wendy Pini. I had only just finished "Forevergreen" (I constantly read them out of order), and to see the crisp, smooth drawings was like a breath of fresh air. This is in no way an insult to Barry Blair, or any other Elfquest artist; I merely mean that Wendy knows best what her elves look like, and captures the essense of each personality. The artwork looks three-dimensional, so that it seems to have a depth that some of the other Reader's Collections lack. I look at each page, marveling "That's how Shenshen and Cutter look like!"

Dreamtime's story wasn't skimped on, either. The dreams add new insights and facets to each Wolfriders' personality, and were told in an inventive way. In favorites, i'm torn between Pike's story and "Dreamtime - Pt?" I don't want to give too much of the story away, though, so I won't tell you too much about it: Just that it's terrific!

An Important Business Man runs into another Important Business Man on Wall Street:

I.B.M. 1: So, have you heard about the story/illustration merger?

I.B.M. 2: Yes, yes, but that's only affecting teens.

IBM 1: Well that's true, male teenagers have been reaping big rewards. But it's having trickle-down effects to younger children as well.

IBM 2: Ha! Look, the next thing you're going to be telling me is that girls will be seeing some benefits. Man, are you out of touch or what?

IBM 1: Well then let me show you (hands over a copy of "Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen Will Travel"). The evidence is right here. The merger has been very successful. It's about a girl who is forced to go camping with relatives she doesn't like. The book itself is the sketchbook that she brought on her trip. It's amazing, she documents everything that happened.

IBM 2: Alright, some kid's drawings. How is this a book?

IBM 1: The story is in there too. It's sort of like a cross between a sketchbook and a diary. Over the course of seven days, Ellie gets to know these people that she had judged as being weird. You ever meet someone you didn't think you'd get along with and end up becoming friends? Ellie goes through that in this book.

IBM 2: So there's some stuff in there about being open-minded and giving people a chance?

IBM 1: Yep. There's a lot of humor too. If you've even been camping you know there's a lot of situations to draw from.

IBM 2: What's camping? It that like when you have to go to your second choice restaurant?

IBM 1: Uh, no. I'm sure you've seen it: tents, forests, campfires. Although in "Have Pen, Will Travel" Ellie and her relatives do "fake camping", as she calls it - they stay in a cabin. Look, you're a friend, so I'm going to let you in on this. I just bought 1000 shares of Graphic Novels for Upper Elementary Girls, and I suggest you do the same.

IBM 2: Well that stock has been on the rise lately, especially when the "Babymouse" IPO went public. I may just take your advice.

IBM 1: (iPhone rings) Well, I have to take this call. Back to work!

IBM 2: (Putting book in briefcase) Is it okay if I borrow this book? I think my daughter might be interested.

IBM 1: (Cracking a sly grin) Not a problem.

This story is the book I would have loved to have read as a kid. It is on for 9-12 year olds, and makes the reader feel every part of what it is like to feel unheard, unseen, and unappreciated. A great debut for this new writer/illustrator. Can't wait for the next book!

In the tradition of the delightful illustrated Amelia books by Marissa Moss, 11-year-old Ellie McDoodle details her funny and insightful adventures in this travel journal.

When Ellie's parents must go to a funeral, Ellie and her wild toddler brother, Ben-Ben, are forced to go camping with other family members. Unfortunately, these relatives are not people Ellie likes enough to be confined in a cabin with. Aunt "Ug" spits when she yells, Uncle Ewing has no sense of humor and the cousins are as bad as their parents. Eleven-year-old "Er-ick" lies, steals and licks any available cookies so that no one else will eat them. His twin, Deanna, is holier-than-thou, and little Tiffie sulks.

Happily, at the campground Ellie meets friendly 13-year-old Scott, who is not only nice but knows tons of fascinating nature facts. Along the way, Ellie learns much from him. Readers also become familiar with several games, thanks to Ellie writing down exactly how to play them. Spoons, sardines or hunka bunka, anyone?

Ellie is wise beyond her years, in a sly, wisecracking and enjoyable way. She shares her Rules for Life (including: have courage, learn from the past, respect the earth, play many games, don't drink a lot before bedtime) with Tiffie (who particularly needs the warning about bedtime drinking). Ellie also gives readers "Tips for Surviving Camp with relatives you can't stand," which warns sufferers to "keep your distance" and "don't pick up any of their bad habits." But after the cousins survive a life-threatening adventure by joining forces, Ellie begins to consider her relatives in a whole new light.

There is nothing to dislike in this charming tale, which is heavily illustrated with whimsical cartoonish drawings. It realistically portrays the characters (even the adults!), giving readers much to consider about the pros and cons of relationships, along with hilarious situations and witty asides. There's also a mystery regarding some frogs, nuggets of facts about creatures and plants in the wild, and a bit of spot-on preteen philosophy.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

As far as I can tell, there's no known solution to the problem of being an adult reviewer who reviews children's books from an adult perspective. I don't care how immature you are or how stuck you might be in your second childhood, since you will never be able to replicate the feeling of being a kid picking up a book and reading it for the very first time. It just ain't gonna happen. No, see, when YOU pick up a book you're carrying years worth of baggage on your shoulders. You're viewing the story through the filter of your own perspective and what you see will inevitably be tainted by your past. I'm telling you all of this up front because in order to convey just how much I adored "Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel," I need to make it clear that a significant percentage of that love is rooted in my own experiences as a kid. Author Ruth McNally Barshaw has successfully nailed what it feels like to be a child going on a summer vacation in Michigan. I was a Michigan child. I "camped" in cabins and experienced many of the same things as the heroine of this book. But even if I'd grown up in Bemidji, Minnesota or Walla Walla, Washington, I'm almost certain that I would still have adored this book as a kid. It's another example of the "illustrated novel" brought to brilliant, vibrant life.

How would you go about defining the word "torture"? If you were Ellie McDougal (McDoodle, to those in the know) you might define it as, "a family vacation with your monkey-boy little brother, annoying cousins, and boring aunt and uncle in the woods of Higgins Lake." Which, of course, is exactly what Ellie has been subjected to. Stuck with intolerable relatives, she decides to make the most of her ordeal by recording everything in her sketchbook (the one you, the reader, are reading) and getting some time away from the craziness. Of course, a series of incidents shows Ellie that maybe her extended family isn't the crew of monsters she thought they were. Maybe, in fact, they can all be a lot of fun and the summer isn't totally ruined after all. Maybe.

So what is this book exactly? I mean, on the outset it looks like a sketchbook with sentences in between the pictures. Obviously there are a lot more written sections than drawn sections, but the pictures are pretty steady throughout. So how do you categorize this book? It's not a graphic novel, since the pictures are sporadic and pop up only at random intervals. It's not a comic book either, nor is it a straight written novel. At this point in time, the only option left is the phrase, "illustrated novel". It's not perfect, but it's the only thing I've found to describe Barshaw's style. Plus it's a style, moreover, that I think is going to inspire a whole generation of kids. I can picture young 'uns bugging their parents to buy them sketchbooks and blank pages, just so that they can create highly illustrated personal diaries like Ellie/Ruth. Heck, while reading this I myself wished I knew how to draw, just so that I could jazz up my own life with pictures galore. And I know I can't be alone.

And man, did I like it. First of all, there were the obvious Michigan connections that drew me in. Using your hand to describe where you live in the state (complete with an image of a bunny jumping a mitten, in terms of the Upper and Lower Peninsulas). A kid from Kalamazoo (woo-hoo, hometown!). Visiting with other kids and finding that you don't like their cereals. Man, did that ring some bells! Ms. Barshaw has an almost eerie ability to either remember or channel instances from a kid's daily life that are all but forgotten by adults. Plus she just hits characters dead on. The "villains" at the beginning successfully become real three-dimensional people by the story's end. The sketches are great fun, and then there are some great ideas for games. Ms. Barshaw knows that you have to break up your narrative sometimes with an interesting little sidenote here and there. In this case, the sidenotes are games complete with instructions for Human Pretzel, Spoons (something I'd like to try out), Sardines, and others.

The temptation here is to call this book something trite like, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid but for girls!" or some such nonsense. Don't get me wrong. I loved "Diary of a Wimpy Kid too, but I am of the firm belief that, like this book, it is a title that goes beyond gender. Everyone can relate to Ellie. I mean, seriously, who likes to be peed on in the middle of the night? Nobody. But any book with a girl on the cover can be a hard sell to boys. Here's what I'm suggesting, then. When a kid comes to you asking for a copy of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and you're all out of copies, cough surreptitiously into your hand and say, "Sorry, kid. All out. We got something just as good in the back, y'know. As funny as `Wimpy Kid' and there's a lot more pranks and games and wars between kids but ...," shake your head, "I dunno. You might not get it. I mean, it's hilarious, and gross, and it has all these great drawings and sketches, but maybe you're just too young..." After that, reel `em in, give them the book, and watch it fly off your shelves in no time.

Part Harriet the Spy, and part Amelia's Notebook, "Ellie McDoodle" is just one of those books you can't help but enjoy. It flies low on the radar, so I suggest discovering it for yourself. There's never been a better time to indulge in a book that can offer you cool pictures, great characters, a fun story, and a little redemption on the side. A small pure gem.

It's camping time for Ellie McDougal but she's not happy about it. Ellie's parents have to go out of town, so she and her baby brother, Ben-Ben, will be going with their Aunt Ug, Uncle Ewing and cousins Erick, Deanna, and Tiffie. All of the camping supplies are packed and ready to go, including Ellie's sketchbook. Will the trip be as bad as Ellie is afraid it will be?

Through the pages of Ellie's sketchbook, she tells the story of her camping trip. She meets a 13-year-old boy by the name of Scott. He is one interesting character, as he speaks French, Japanese, and English. He wants to learn to draw, which is something that Ellie can help him with. He has to leave but never tells Ellie that he is leaving Campsite 137. She is saddened by her friend leaving. Her opinions of her relatives change throughout the book. In the beginning, she thinks of Erick as being a dinosaur but that changes as it goes along. Erick also collects frogs and thinks he has found the best frog, but holds him too tight -- Oh, no!

The illustrations are very cute and add meaning to the story. The characters you meet in this book are very unusual. The storyline keeps young readers interested. This is a must read for children ages 9-12 who would love to be entertained with a good story and a very easy read. With fewer words and many pictures on each page than most books for this age group, this is a delight. Pack up your bags and get ready for a camping adventure with Ellie along -- it's bound to be a great time! I hope that there are more exciting adventures of ELLIE MCDOODLE books in the future.

Reviewed by: Bri P.

It's essential for any chick who is drawn to the darker things in life to own at least one Emily item but once you enter her bizarre world it's hard to go back. I received both "Emily's Book Of Strange" along with the 2004 calendar for my birthday and those were a perfect introduction to this quiet (but nowhere near shy) cat-luvin' Goth grrl who's preferred favorite color is everything black...or red. Her attitude is anything but cheery but sometimes us open-minded people have to shield ourselves from the ones that are afraid to venture outside the box and to explore what's beyond the edges. I could be wrong but I believe her image is a symbol of encouraging individuality. Or, in other words, to think for yourself without following the crowd by listening and dressing according to what's considered "normal".

There's not a lot of text within these pages (there's often a bare minimum of two words) but the illustrations by Rob Reger and Buzz Parker are creatively "strange" and pure (or is that tainted?) candy for the eyes.

I especially enjoy perusing this on cold, rainy days.

Hey there, my name is Emily, that's not why I love Emily The Strange. I am also 12 years old, but 2 years ago, thanks to someone special, I got into Emily stuff. My friend Ashley, well, her big sister showed me some of her Emily stuff, I really liked Emily then, she told me to look out for some Emily the Strange stuff and that it's probably right up my alley. And she's right, 2 years later, I'm an Emily the strange freak! I collect all the cards, I 've got tons of stuff, actually, I think that's all the stuff I have, Emily the Strange stuff. Maybe a few hello kitty stuff, but nothing else. I went onto hot topic, and spent some of my birthday money on Emily the Strange stuff, I have a really nice bed spread and pillow cases that match. Anyway, about the book, I love every single thing about it. It really inspires me. I like the way Emily can speak cat, I like the plan with the cats to attack the dog, I'm an animal lover, and I would never hurt one, I wouldn't hurt someone either. I like the way in one of the pages it says hell-o-kitty, you have to see that. I have 2 cats, who are very friendly, I have my own posse. This book is a must have, I do recommend the Emily's good nightmares book, I only have 2 of Emily's books, I'm looking out for the other one. I know Emily's morose code all by heart, so does my friend Ashley, we do all sorts of letters to each other with the morose code, that way, no one knows what it says but us!But this book is really cool, I like that it has such big, and discriptive pictures, but with such little words, I like that it's simple. A good item for a strange collection, like mine!
Now, get strange, or get lost!
Emily the strange, the stranger!

I actually had never heard of the Emily books, untill my friend showed me her autographed copy of this book & I fell in love, my copy is on the way via mail, this book has neat pictures with very cool secret writing on each page. A fun book for anyone.

I really like the Emily's Secret Book of Strange because it has really cool pictures. Although, it doesn't really have that many words in it either but the pictures are amazing and fun to look at. the secret messeges that are on the pages are really cool, but you have to look closely to see them. If you like to look at a lot of pictures, Emily's Book of the strange has a lot of them.

Emily is an intelligent little black and white child who started out as a small internet idea but spawned into a large merchandise line and nows the chance to see for yourself why this little goth girl is so popular. With wit, sarcasm, insight, and her four dangerous cats, Emily will show you the dark side of life that has already been favored by many of us. I love the awesome cover, the illustrations and each page in the book has many secret codes and messages for you to find. I've had this book for months and theres still things i find myself noticing for the very first time! Rock on Emily!

This incredible book for me is a totally new
way of illustrating a fairy tale.
The description of this fantasy world using
postcards is innovative and very interesting.
I strongly suggest this book to all the
art lovers.

As an artist of middle age, I sometimes think of my art as good and my growth as complete... that is, until I look at work like this.

Suddenly I feel like a beginner again, with nothing to do but learn and get better at my art. Mr. Scheurer teaches this teacher how to teach better, just by the inspirational settings he creates and the drawings he does from deep in his imagination. There is a whole world residing in him that is too fanciful to describe. He is my new favorite artist.

Even though this book, at first glance, appears to be an art book, there is a very charming story woven into the "stamp" descriptions, as well. Each page features an illustration of a stamp from the imaginary realm of "Entropia" and a description of the event or history the stamp is commemorating. I read this book in two sittings, only because I had an appointment to keep that tore me away from such a beautiful book. Once finished, this book left me with a strong desire to read and see more of Christian Lorenz Scheurer's "Entropia".

Christian is one of my favorite artist. This new book is full of great stories and wonderful pictures! It's great for all ages.

Bought this book as a gift for a friend but then ended up keeping it for myself.
The fantastic story and beautiful illustrations felt like a mix between Nick Bartock's Griffin and Sabine and Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
This is most inspiring fantasy book I read this year!:)

Actually, this is directed to the Author: "Tracy Lee you have a vivid sense of expression. Extremities set me off in a world-wind; sort-of-speak. Open are your characters and Real is your material. Your style of writing is fresh - keep it up - I'd like to see you on our 10 list someday soon!"

Rarely has a book left me with such a feeling of wonder and empathy toward it's characters. I felt as if I knew each player in this grand drama personally. I can hardly wait for the next release! This an author that is going places! Bravo!

I started to read it on a Tuesday and finished it on Wednesday (the next day)!! Extremities definately kept me interested and anxious as to what will happen next. Real life, real people, real issues are at hand. The story deals with love, happiness, desire, sisterhood, deceit, and pain. All the ingredients of life. I aniticipate reading another novel by Tracey Lee.

This book provides a complete visualization of the characters and what they go through from beginning to the end. Once I started reading it, I found if very difficult to put down. Even as I write this, I still can visualize each character/person and have even placed faces with each of them. I have given this book 5 stars and look forward to reading more books from Tracy Lee.

Loved it. Just loved this book. I can see it on the big screen.... only, I want to play the part of Brian. I think there should've been more to this character and I can make that happen on the screen. Extremities is everything you can ask for in a basic reading explosive, un-edited, story. I give this story of the nineties 5 stars.

Wow, book three again was a fantastic read. The books in the series so far have all been great.

So, what happens in this book? In the first story Ryo and Dee have to investigate separate from each other, one has to chase a psychopathic murderer and the other a human trafficking ring. But both cases have more connections than either of them would have believed.

The second story is a Christmas story, in which we find out more about Ryo's background. And there is a very sweet kissing scene. ;)

And at last there is another story with Bikky and Carol. Bikky finds a competitor in Lai, but both seem to be pretty equal in strength and skill. Maybe it makes more sense to combine their efforts?

This is one of the first mangas I ever read (I got it from my friend) and now I'm collecting the series myself because I couldn't get enough. The characters seem so real, and relationship fits together like puzzle pieces. If you are into yaoi, or even if you're not, this is an awesome book/series and I reccomend it to anyone who enjoys anime. The only thing I don't like about the books is that they needed to continue forever or at least until Dee proposed to Ryo and they got married and adopted a kid (which Ryo already has, practically). That is when I would agree that the series needed to come to a close.

---Kira

Book Description:

Roy and Dee's new boss Caleb Rose has an agenda of his own and separates our heroes to new teams. Dee is assigned to work with foxy Diana Spacey, an FBI agent in town working on chasing down a serial killer. Commissioner Caleb Rose assigns Ryo to work one on one with him literally while investigating a human trafficking ring.

Can Ryo slip the Commissioner's grasp with out loosing his job and why is Dee coming out of a hotel with Diane? Ah, the heat gets turned up with a little jealousy being introduced. Dee hates the new commissioner and doesn't mind acting like a 2 year about it around Ryo.

Ryo oddly finds himself attracted to Caleb and can not fathom what it is that intrigues him. Ryo must figure out a way to elude Caleb's clever traps to get him alone. Diane is attracted to Dee but can't understand how he can not see how hot she is when standing she is standing right in front of him. At the same time Dee reminds her of someone she knows and can't quite figure it out.

Our favorite boys have several kissing scenes in this edition but not many with each other which causes the emotions between the two to fly high and unknown revelations are blurted out in the heat of arguments. We also find out more about Ryo's background and introduction to his parent's death which was first mentioned in book 1. This books signals new growth in Ryo's and Dee's relationship with a very touching chapter set on Christmas eve.

Bikky, of course, is in the sidelines keep Dee from making any advances with Ryo and when Diane suddenly becomes the target for the serial killer Bikky is there to save the day. In the final chapter we have the addition of two new characters Lai and Lass. Lai and Bikky both hate each other at sight and start competing to prove which is better but soon find that they are pretty equal in strength and skill. And then a bag up cash falls at their feet...who is going to get it?

My Review of the Series:

This series is a must for yaoi lovers. What more can you ask for? 2 cops one with a heart of gold and the other with a heart of passion for his partner. The story line is full of plots each chapter ties in well with the next. As the pages turn, the storyline grows-a nice variety of supporting characters are added in the mix to spice things up. And a wonderful selection of antagonists and triangle love interests (new and old) pop up. All which cause the main boys woes and worries, misunderstanding abound which lead to those wonderful kissing scenes we all love. The art work is good and the imagery is detailed. Ryo's mixed personality of innocent vs. seriousness charms you right off and Dee's devilish side enthralls while the sideline commentary makes you giggle.

Other Great Series/Manga by Sanami Matoh
By the Sword
Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle
Until the Full Moon
RA-I
TRASH

For those who like this series I recommend checking out "Yellow" by Makoto Tateno

This is my all time favorite series - even though it's only Shonen Ai it is the greatest Manga Series out there. The art is great and the story is funny and sweet in a lot of places, especially when it reveals how much the two main characters care for one another. It focuses on Dee Laytner and his persistence to get into the pants of his new partner Ryo Maclean, your average uke not knowing what to make of Dee's advances and Dee isn't the only one after Ryo, their new boss Berkley Rose is and Dee has his own admirers including one hyperactive jealous JJ, who hates Ryo. This is a must have series for any Yaoi or Shonen Ai Fan!

I couldn't help but grin while reading this volume. The story just keeps getting better as the series progresses. If you liked volumes 1 and 2, then you'll love this one. There are few comedy manga titles out there, even less that are the same humor wave-length as me. This one is right on target. I plan to get the rest of the series. Great manga!

By the way, if you are uncomfortable with guy-guy love, this is not a title for you.

well my kids laked you show. But when I told them that you can read garfield they just said you are lieing to us so the next day later i bought it and read it to my kids they loved it I loved it.

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

this is a great book it's very funny and great for gafield fans

Garfield is still alive and tickling funny bones. I bought this for my seven year old son, who has just discovered Garfield and loves him. The great thing about this book is that I laugh with my son!

The 5th Garfield Treasury comes recommended from me, but not without a few problems. As most of you know, these more recent treasuries are cutting out the logos and the very first little box. A shame.

But, that aside, this book certainly has its laughs. I laughed a lot and this book (as long as you bring along EVERY other Treasury and the black and white books) is great for long car rides. People think Garfield is only for the little kids, but he's for the adults, too. The whole family can laugh at the fat cat's hilarious mischief and his practical jokes on Jon, his hapless owner. Some of the colored Sunday strips are from "Garfield Rounds Out," which is one of my favorite Garfield books. Having them in color here is a real treat. An especially funny strip in this one i where Garfield pretends to be a bird-bath, and gets more than he bargained for.

The 5th Garfield Treasury is laugh out loud funny! But then again, what Garfield book isn't?

I am honored to say that I have a signed copy of Forgiving Sam and even more honored to say that I have met the author. As I read this book I was astonished at how well written and descriptive the story was. This book pulls you in with an over powering sense of life, honesty, tragedy, and most importantly, a sense of inner self. I only wish I knew Oprah myself!!!! A book this well written and an author so talented should be both a "BEST SELLER" and a "HOUSEHOLD NAME"!!! Please do not hesitate to but this book; in fact, by a copy for everyone you know. I hope this review puts any doubts aside, it is more than worth the money!!!!!!!!!!!

Sam MacCauley is just nine years old when he is stolen away from his life of baseball, summer, and parental rules that seem too silly. For four agonizing days, a sadistic stranger tortures him in ways Sam never imagined possible. He is ready to give in to death when he is rescued by the most unlikely of allies.

Back in the arms of his loving family, Sam represses the memories as best he can and struggles to adulthood. By age thirty-five, he has a successful career, a talented wife, and two lovely children who adore him. But Sam remains tormented by nightmares and ghost memories of the kidnapping. He erects high, forbidding walls--some emotional, some physical--around himself and his family. Slowly the relationships he holds so dear begin to crumble under the pressures of the past.

If Sam is to save his family and himself, he must face what happened to him during those four lost days. Harder yet, he must find a way to forgive the violated nine year old who still lurks deep in his heart.

Author Powell Clark never falters in this fascinating, horrifying, and ultimately uplifting novel. Her characters are unique, sympathetic, and nearly impossible to second-guess. Her settings feel as real as the ground under your feet. The plot moves quickly as Sam and his family face one challenge after another. Most important, Forgiving Sam offers an emotional toughness and honesty sadly lacking in many works of fiction today.

I highly recommend Forgiving Sam to anyone looking for a novel of substance and intelligence.

This is the first book that I have actually wanted to write a review on because it was such a good book I just had to tell how much I loved it.
I have to say I bought this book because the cover and title intrigued me, little did I know that it was set in Alabama not far from where I live. I also couldn't believe how much talent the author had, and I had never heard of her before. I got the pleasure of meeting her not too long ago and because of her talent it was like meeting a celebrity to me!
This book has a touchy subject matter, but one that every parent or guardian should read.It is about a boy who is kidnapped and molested over the course of a few days. He finally escapes from his kidnapper, but realizes that he will not soon escape the harsh reality of what happened to him. The author takes us through Sam's life as he struggles day by day with what took place in his childhood and finally comes to terms with the fact that it wasn't his fault.
Don't let the subject matter scare you off, this by no means was a "dark" book. It is so beautifully written that one minute I was crying and the next I was laughing. When it ended I closed the book with a smile and the feeling that I was lucky to have read this story.

I have to agree with the other readers of this book! The author did an amazing job with the subject and characters in this book! It is definitely emotionally taxing, but worth the effort. The book is beautifully written about a horrendous subject. I highly recommend it, but make sure you have tissue near by!

This is a book that is hard to recommend because of the subject matter - not alot of people want to face such hard truths and facts during pleasure reading. This an absolutley amazing story - powerful, unforgettable and not to be forgotten. I loved the length of the book and the depth of the story. The reader really gets to know the characters. I wonder how Sam is doing now - when I finished FORGIVING SAM I realized I would miss him!