K Books

Awww. I think this is the book that scored a million and one rabid Tobias fan girls. The plot is still being introduced for the series, but we get to see inside the tragic mind of the wonderful Tobias after his unfortunate accident.

It was a good action book, alot of unexpected things happend to the Animorphs, another good into to the Animorphs series.

This book is interesting for kids that like their mind wonder and imagine how it feels transform into an animal. Also, this book is for kids that like to read adventure. This book is about a group of kid that can transform into diffrent kind of animals, but they cant stay to long into an animal or they will stay stuck into that animal and they cant go back into being a human and they have to act like an animal and think like an animal so that they can survive and live long. Also they have to to eat real live animals, and watch out for predetors that will eat them. It also lets know kids that its ok to be diffrent than others that every kid is unique in thier own way.

Tobias isn't like the other Animorphs. When they're done fighting Yeerks or flying through the sky, they just morph back from their animal bodies to their regular bodies. But Tobias stayed in hawk morph for longer than two hours. Now, he's going to be stuck as a hawk forever. Tobias is trying to deal with this pain, but nothing can make him feel better about it. Especially when he starts to feel attracted to a female hawk--even though he's a human on the inside.

Jake, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco are trying to help him get used to life as a hawk. But they're busy worrying about a gigantic Yeerk ship, and a new secret discovered--the Yeerks need lots of water from Earth for them all to survive. The kids use this information to morph fish and get inside the Yeerk ship. But when they get trapped, it's up to Tobias to save them--even though he's not human.

THE ENCOUNTER is the first Tobias book, and Tobias books are one of the best of the Animorphs. I thought that K.A. Applegate described Tobias's struggle through life as a hawk very well. The only problem that I had with this book was that it was a little boring. The only real action of the book was towards the end. But it's a good-read for Animorphs fans, and a must-read for all Tobias fans.

A delightful find. This is the third book in the young adult/teen series "Animorphs" in which the character Tobias permanently becomes a Red-tailed Hawk. The Animorphs story is generally very good and the characters interesting and rich. The author manages to write about the animal aspects in a believable way. I usually find transformation and shapeshifting stories to have story lines that make the whole point of transformation become lost. Applegate keeps the adventure intact by being descriptive, entertaining, and involving. This series is a must-read for those who enjoy animals, shapeshifting, and adventure.

I bought this book to read before surgery. The book was very informative and has some good recipes in it too. The recipes can be made with stuff you already have in your kitchen and they taste great.

I'd recommend this book to any one.

Alicia
North Carolina

The book is an easy to read comprehensive review of everything a person needs to know if they are looking into having the surgery, preparing for surgery, going through the after effects of the surgery, or having a loved one go through the surgery. Points are presented in a simple format with lists, recipies and other resources to refer back to even after you read the book.

This is by far the best book I have ever read that describes the different types of Weight loss surgery and what one can expect. It details clearly from the preparation to the post- op process all that you will ever want to to know. Anyone who is considering weight loss surgery cannot afford to not have this book in their library.

This is a book that gives both sides of bariatric surgery. It is a helpful tool and is highly recommended.

This was the first of 2 books I read as I prepared for WLS. As my surgery date approaches (10 days) I feel confident about my outcome because I researced my doctors and made myself knowledgeable of what to expect. This book did the last part. It is easy to refer to and after finishing, I went back and high-lighted parts I felt I would need to refer to later. The part I liked best was the way the chapters were outlined at the beginning of each. If you needed information later and couldn't remember where you read it, you could look on the first page of the chapter and see what it contained. Written like a information book should!!!!

The Real Deal! No "Steve Mcqueen" character, but everyone a true hero.The Great Escape

I love the movie the Great Escape and I loved reading the book it was based on. The movie did an excellant job of following the book but reading the book gave me so much more of an understanding of what these men went through and the courage they had. To truely understand the courage these men had and what they went through, you have to read the book.

If you want to know how to make something out of nothing, this is the book for you. I've been reading and re-reading this book since early childhood and that's how I learned to make a needed item out of just what was at hand. McGyver had NUTHIN' on these guys.

MRS. Dee Schauer
Texas

It's a shame the publisher decided to put a picture on the cover of Steve McQueen wrapped up in the barbed wire at the end of his big motorcycle escape attempt. Because, you see, that never happened in the TRUE story of the Great Escape contained in this book. The movie (while good) took serious dramatic license, while Brickhill's book presents the facts. And they are quite inspiring and thrilling enough without the addition of fictional elements such as McQueen's stunt riding.
I first read this book while in elementary school, and was hooked to the extent that I've read it many times since over the decades. A truly outstanding story.

This is the (true) story of the efforts of a multinational group of POWs to escape during WW2, and led to what is one of my favourite films.

I anticipated the book to be a bit of a let down after seeing the movie, but it really wasn't. They emphasize quite different aspects, and some parts of the movie were clearly made up with entertainment value in mind (people jumping motorcycles over fences for instance!). I can't blame the movie makers of course, because the compelling essence of this story is the daily slog of tunnelling set against the backdrop of the mind-numbing drudgery of incarceration. No movie could be long enough to get this point across, but the book allows one to build up a better picture of what captivity was like, particularly because it provides such incredible details. I was really struck by the ingenious ways the prisoners found to fake German uniforms and official passes, improvise tools, and build radios and other vital pieces of equipment. The book provides sufficient descriptions to allow you to get an impression of the main characters and camp layout, though I personally would have enjoyed a few photographs of the people involved (good and bad), though I realise these wouldn't have been easy to obtain.

The author has a relatively dry style typical of a historian rather than a dramatist, and at times relates key events remarkably passionately. The book ratchets up the tension without having to try too hard however, and I could sense the tension that existed whenever the guards entered the barracks to check for tunnels. The depression that accompanies every uncovered tunnel jumps out of the page, as does the resolve to keep trying to escape without ever accepting captivity.

I was also pleased that the author described the events some time after the final escape, so that I could see how thoroughly the Allied authorities pursued the main protagonists, and what was their evetual fate.

This book was a fine testament to the memory of the brave men who didn't wilt despite literally years of incarceration in conditions that can best be desribed as spartan. If they had all died without anyone knowing their story the world would be a poorer place.

This is a "pick it up, and cant put it down" book. Bold and honest in it's writing and also pays respect to the other units involved in the bastonge battle. This rates as one of the better books I have read with regard to the Bastonge battles. The freshness and clarity of the accounts shine through, having been written shortly after the battle and make this book a good read. The hand drawn maps showing company movement supports the written work well. A must read. 5 stars. I will be reading more of Don's work

This is the best of the 4 books that Burgett wrote (and all are excellent). This book does a fantastic job of summarizing just how outnumbered, outgunned, under-supplied, and exhausted the 101st was at Bastogne. After reading this book, I've got a new interest in the Bulge and will be buying more books on the subject.

This is an excellent book, the kind you can devour in an night or a few days. I agree with the other reviewer that this book would be worth of 6 stars.

all four of his books are great first person accounts of his military service as a WW2 paratrooper.a very easy read.

This third of Burgett's four books about his experiences in the 101st Airborne during World War II reveals a young man (19 at the time) at what could be easily seen as his finest (or worst) hours. The author gives this book an intense personal touch that is missing in many accounts of this unit during its defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Burgett takes the reader into the hell he lived through, vividly describing the shortages of basic military necessities such as weapons and ammunition, the incredible struggle for Noville in the early days of the battle and the withdrawal back to the main lines, and the difficulties of being ready to fight after coping with the harsh winter of the Ardennes and the lack of sleep, food, and water.

But what really comes through most clearly in this account is death. Burgett sees much of it in just a few weeks. He sees close friends (the "old men" of his company) and replacements die in what seems to be a random pattern. He takes the lives of German troops without a shred of remorse, yet almost shoots a fellow paratrooper who shot a prisoner of war.

Burgett does not portray himself as a hero--only as a man doing his job. He was very good (and I would also say lucky) at what he did. His story is not the nice neat narrative found in many accounts of the Bulge. It is dark, chilling, and brutal. It makes one wonder what men like him endured--both during the war and the many years since. I highly recommend it and the others volumes about his time in the 101st.

Donald Burgett gives a great view of WWII through the eyes of a 101st airborne paratrooper.

In general, this is the series that hooked me throughout my jr. high career and some of my high school. I still feel that the earlier books in the series were the most entertaining, and I still think fondly on this particular novel as it brings in a new character, the wonderful world of the ocean, and the still-developing group. I'm saddened to say that not all of the later books were quite this standard, but this one had great charm that appealed to me.

According to my 9-year old, this book is the bomb for kids between the ages of about 9 and 13 (maybe older). The author tells a vivid story and sucks children right into the book! It's great, and my 9-year old would buy it again in a heartbeat. Have a great time reading!

The fiction book I have read is Animorphs The Message. In this book a girl named Cassie and her friends try to save whatever is calling Cassie in her dreams from the bottom of the ocean. At first the others dont believe her but one of their friends Tobias also says he's having the same dreams.The kids morph into dolpins and go into the ocean and try to save what they think is a andilite. They incounter a life threatning battle with sharks and Marcoe gets injured so badly he almost dies. They try to finish what they started before it's to late and Visser Three finds them. I reccomend this book to a 5th or 6th grader. Also for whoever likes suspenseful action filled books. If you do like this book I inspirer you to read the whole series.

I am a sixth grader.The author of the book is K.A.Applegate. The characters names are Cassie,Tobias,Jake,Rachel,Marco,Tom,and Chapman.I liked this book because it has kids who can turn into any kind of animal.It is about friendship.It is also about a mission that they have to go on.My favorite part of the book is when Cassie turns into a dolphin to get to the ocean.What I dislike about the book is that they can not tell us there last name because if they do they will be killed or be made slaves.

I thought this book was really good, the Animorphs took a good underwater adventure. I thought the whole book was fast paced, my favorite part was when they were in dolphin morphs and faught that shark.

This is a great novel by one of America's most talented living Southern writers. Written in epistles, this novel is poignant and memorable. Fair and Tender Ladies is the only book that has made me cry in recent years--a must read.

This is just an excellent novel by a fine writer. In all honesty I'm sort of at a loss here so I'll just say that you should read this book. You'll thank all of us who have recommended it to you.

Oh, I heard Lee Smith interviewed and she's really worth hearing. She's funny, self-effacing and smart.

I love Ivy Rowe; especially the child Ivy whose words and observations make me smile and sometimes laugh out loud.
While I know some readers find adjusting to the letter-style of this book a little difficult, I found it a compelling read from the first page. I wrote lots of letters as a child, so perhaps that is why this style seems so natural to me.
I was most impressed with Ivy's words and style of speaking - this is exactly what Ivy does; she speaks through her letters because they are written exactly the way an Ivy Rowe would speak. It was very interesting to see how there are subtle changes in Ivy's words, phrases and spelings as she gets older and reads more.
I cried when Ivy hears the bell for the last time: I rarely cry when reading and I read a lot.

How I hated for this book to end! I LOVE Lee Smith's writings. She is truly one of THE BEST authors of our time. If you have not read her, PLEASE DO. She NEVER EVER disappoints.

This wondeful book is written in the form of letters by one Miss Ivy Rowe. The letters span the lifetime of Ivy. She LOVES to write letters and writes to friends, family, acquaintances. Ivy chronicles her entire life from a young teenager to her death (SOB!! -- yes, SOB!!) in these letters.

Ivy lives and dies in the Appalachian Mountain area. She lives through World Wars, ups and downs, feast and famine, good times, bad times, pain, sorrow, joy, happiness. Her letters tell all and tell all very, very well. You meet her family and friends all through her letters to various people. She is outspoken, kind, tough, sweet, loving, caring. Ivy's life was never easy, yet she handles every hurdle with common sense and humor.

At first it was a little slow going reading this book as her letters are written in true form of someone who lived in the early 1900's with very, very little education. However, Ivy is one of the lucky people who can read and write and loves to do both.

Her spunk, wit, and just IVY will make this one of your favorite books of all time. I loved the format of the book, it is different than any other book I have ever read. I know this is one book that I will not soon forget. Ms. Lee Smith has the outstanding talent of making her characters so life-like and totally people you believe in. How sad I was when this wonderful tale ended. This book also contained much history of our country and I believe I learned a great deal -- in a fun and interesting way -- about our country's colorful history.

Do yourself a favor and read this book and then read all of the other treasures that Ms. Smith has waiting for you. You will not be sorry.

Thanks!

Pam

I'll admit that I haven't finished reading this novel yet, and I'm going to try to grit my teeth and get through it. However, I'm finding that Ivy is getting on my nerves, and I'm at about the middle of the book. At first, her childlike observations were appropriate because she was . . . well, a child. However, this gets to be ridiculous as she grows older. I mean, she's starting to seem like a simpleton. I know she doesn't have much education, but even with that in mind, she wouldn't be so child-like. Ater having gotten pregnant once out of wedlock, she starts an affair with another man. Where was her concern about getting pregnant again??? Also, what's starting to annoy me is that she keeps referring to herself as "ruined," but there is barely any outside societal manifestation of this. She is not shunned by anyone, and the man that she grew up with and eventually marries doesn't seem to think anything of marrying a woman who had a child out of wedlock and openly carried on an affair with some hot shot in town. I do not think it would be acceptable during that time for a young woman to openly carry on a sexual relationships like Ivy did. I'm not saying that women didn't have pre-marital sex, but I'm saying that it wasn't done so openly. I hate when authors put contemporary mindsets on people in historical novels.

Overall, this book is engaging at times, but I've started to dislike the protagonist more and more as I continue reading.

Update 6/28/08 - I finished reading this, and overall, I do think that its a worthwhile read. Also, I think the author is talented. I must say, though, that the novel was depressing. It is definitely one that will make you cry at the end, not because of any specific tragedy. It's sad because it so clearly shows us how swiftly life passes. This book is good, but in a way, I wish I hadn't read it because it is not uplifting (I guess you just have to be in the mood for this kind of novel).

The book is perfect for my 6 year old. She had to read it for school..and we truly enjoy the Frog and Toad books. The seller sent it in a timely fashion and it was in excellent condition :)

The Frog and Toad books have helped my 8 year old grandson learn to read--he has been having trouble and these books were so interesting and fun to him that he finally realized how reading could open up whole new worlds for him. He loves these books.

I've read this book over and over and over again to my kids... they're now adults, but they still remember Frog and Toad.

An absolute classic book of short stories - my favorite is the one where one of them is in bed all winter, and the other one is bored, so he tells the sleeping one to wake up because it's spring, even though it isn't quite spring yet... just too cute. They're friends, they love each other - what more could you want in a story that you'll read to a child? One of my family's favorite bedtime books. I look forward to reading this classic to my grandchildren.

And Remember: all Toads are Frogs, but not all Frogs are Toads.

'Frog and Toad Are Friends' by Arnold Lobel is a story is most appropriate for children ages 4-8. This is a great story of friendship between Frog and Toad. Toad tells stories to Frog when Frog is sick, Frog helps search for Toad's lost button, and Frog writes a letter to Toad because he never receives any mail. This book is full of tales of friendship and adventure. Read this book to see all that Toad and Frog do on their adventures.

The books were in excellent condition and arrived earlier than expected. I had checked all local used bookstores. They were not available because of the high demand in our district. Similar books were the same price as Amazon's including shipment. I will not be going to used bookstores again. Amazon saved me time, money & gas!

I pretty much loved this book. Very heartwarming. I was glued to this book. The difficulties that these people went through really touched my heart. I can't tell you how many times I cried in this book. It was so hard to put down. If you're a LaVyrle Spencer fan I think you'll love this book & if you are new to this author I think this would be a great start. Highly recommended.

Lavryle Spencer is my all time favorite romance writer. When she retired in 1997, I seriously mourned. Pick up any of her books and it will leave you with tears, joy, laughter, and a full heart. It's hard for me to choose which is my favorite book from her, but Years has to be right there at the top (along with Bitter Sweet, Vows, Bygones, Family Blessings, Separate Beds, Forgiving). The movies in my opinion doesn't do her books justice at all. I read her book over and over again and they will never leave my library. I have yet to find a writer that matches her skill in spinning an emotionally-driven romantic story.

I purchased this book because of the high number of very good reviews here and was in need of something new and engaging to read. This was my first Lavyrle Spencer book and I didn't really care for it all that much. I thought the development of love between the characters was bumpy and their constant fights (which, I know are supposed to masquerade as their resistance to their irresistible love) were just annoying and I found Teddy's unwavering focus on the difference of 16 years incredibly senseless - I just didn't get that.

The characters were all rather weakly developed and I had trouble following and understanding their motivations for their actions: Why was Linnea suddenly throwing herself at Teddy? Why did Kristian want to join the army? Why was Linnea so angry and worked up about the older boys not attending school immediately? Why was Teddy so angry about the baby? Also, I thought Linnea's character underwent an abrupt change once she married Teddy - she became very subdued, very different from the chipper person at the beginning. It was almost as though she disappeared from the book. Very strange.

There were parts of the book that I liked - the sudden snowstorm was a surprise - the detailed descriptions of horse tack and saddling were interesting and the heated, enclosed wagon was something new. It was set in an interesting time and place - with some "modern" conveniences (cars and airplanes), but much still so primitive (wagons and chamber pots). But overall, not a draw for me to want to read it again.

Read this book right before I read Morning Glory, which I found to be a horrible read. Years is the complete opposite--wonderful story, interesting characters, sparkling dialogue, an absolute joy to read. I can't believe the same author wrote both books! I'm buying this for a Christmas gift for my mother, I loved it so much! My only two complaints about it are that the heroine is almost too pure and loving to be believable, and too many characters were killed off at the end of the book--but that's like saying that you loved the movie but the popcorn was a pinch too salty. READ THIS BOOK!! You will love it!

I absolutley loved this book, from start to finish. Lavyrle Spencer has a way of writing two people falling in love, that you feel as if you're falling in love too. My heartstrings were tugged, pulled and squeezed countless times over while reading this book. It was paced perfectly and remained interesting throughout. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

This book is about Linnea and Teddy. Linnea, 18 and fresh from her parents home, has traveled a long way for her first job. She is the new school teacher in Alamo North Dakota who is to room and board with Theodore Westgaard and his family. She has high hopes about her future and is constantly daydreaming about what her new life will be like. Parties, operas, romance.... Then she meets Teddy, a 34 year old, bitter and cynical wheat farmer, who's been badly wounded in the past and cannot bear to even be around women, much less this young and hopeful girl.

Teddy picks her up at the train station expecting not a woman, but a man and refuses to allow a woman, or this "girl" as he calls her, into his home. But because of no other alternatives, she's forced to stay there, against his wishes. Linnea's hopes and "daydreams" are shattered when she discovers she isn't very welcome in his home as she'd expected to be and also becomes bitter towards Teddy for his reactions to her. Bickering and small battles ensue as they spend more time around eachother, but at the same time, neither can understand why they both think of eachother all the time.

Teddy's 17 year old son, Kristian takes an instant liking to Linnea against his father's wishes, because she's his teacher and more importantly because his father recognizes he has feelings for her as well. This makes him uncomfortable, to say the least, but understands his son's heart and tries to stay away from Linnea as much as possible. Linnea notices Kristian's attraction and does her best to keep him at bay and remind him, that even though she's only one year older, she is his teacher and those boundries musn't be crossed.

Over time, Linnea and Teddy get to learn small things about eachother and begin to see eachother in a different light. But there is one thing that is keeping Teddy from giving in to his attraction to Linnea...the years between them. He is 16 years older, and sometimes feels like a pervert for even looking at Linnea in a romantic way. He is constantly battling with himself and refuses to give in to his feelings. Linnea on the other hand, does want to give into these new feelings she's having, she doesn't care about the years separating them, only about her heart and her heart keeps coming back to Teddy.

Overcoming their hurdles is the best part of the book and you'll have to read it to find out what happens. I'll just say....it's perfection. You will NOT regret reading this book! A true romance indeed!

It seemed that this book was simply to get in more minor ideas. Still, it was handled well with some very nice description.

I enjoyed this book. It's about the Animorphs' discovery of a chat-site about Yeerks. I thought that it was an okay book, but they don't seem to mention the people in the chat-site anywhere else in the series (I'd have thought that a whole site full of Yeerk-aware people would be a major thing, but that's just my opinion), so if you are just looking for important books in the series, you can skip this one.

In this book, Jake discovers a web site about Yeerks. He shows it to the others and they see the chat room. They decide to pay a visit to Web Access America (not AOL, A reader from U S A). They go to the airport because WAA is too far to fly in bird morph. There they fight over wether to morph flies on a United or Northwest plane (they choose United). Marco eats some shareholder's first class lunch and Jake (?) wonders if there will be an in-flight movie, and Marco (?) says not a movie, the flight's 1 1/2 hours long, more like an in-flight cartoon! Tobias in fly morph is funny. When there in the WAA building, Jake, in tiger morph, Rachael, in Grizzly morph, Cassie, in wolf morph, and Tobias, in his natraul form (hawk), mop the floor. An employee says there crazy, why are they mopping the carpet? Ax and Marco sneak in to the computers (everyones distracted) and find out who MegMom, Fitey777, and Gump (screen names from the chatroom) really are. It turns out Fitey777 is Joe Bob Fenistre is the CEO of WAA. Jake gets a rhino morph and They go to Joe Bob Fenistre's house. I'll leave it at that

Jake has made an amazing discovery: a web site about the Yeerks. Should the Animorphs investigate? If they do, they might walk right into a trap. And if they don't, they'll never know if they're fighting their enemies alone.

Jake and the gang go on a yeerk web page track down fenstre. the find out the the yeerk in side him is a twin of the yeerk in visser three thats why he ordered his men to shoot a the birds (rachel an Ax in bird morph) because visser three is the only controller that has the morphing abillity

Ratha's creature opens up a whole new world of cats. Long before the Warrior cat series, lived Ratha and her tribe. This book is full of adventure and suspense for any age. I couldn't put it down. Make sure to buy this one first and while you are at it, order the other three so you won't have to stop in the middle of this great adventure. If you love the Warrior Series you will love Ratha's Creature!

I am a cat person. I happen to believe that all cat people would enjoy this book, given they like a good infusion of adventure. Clare Bell brilliantly reimagines a prehistory where sentient cats are suggested as being the top species and a cat called Ratha dares to experiment fire. The writing here is top-notch and vivid with description that never gets too flowery. These are cats, but they are not cute and cuddly--think cousins of the saber-toothed cats. Bell gives their characters a wonderful blend of humanity and pure cat instinct. I don't know if I would consider this children's literature, but rather something anyone could read. Wonderful pick for any lover of fantasy adventure.

I have read many feline fantasies,but none of them touch this one.It is better than the Warriors books,and I think that older Warriors fans will love this book.The harsh landscape and the complicated,realistic characters are wonderful!A word of warning,though:this is not a cutsey kitty book.Ratha's Creature is a very deep,allegorical,and thought provoking book.Some of the raw,savage images(mating,wounding a cub,death by fire)may be too much for younger,sensitive readers.I would reccomend this book for mature teens who will be able to understand and enjoy this magnificent,powerful book.Well done,Clare Bell!!

The Named Series is a collection that has survived in the hearts of readers for decades, inspiring fanart, fanfiction, and more. Here is the book that started it all - Ratha's Creature, an epic, memorable tale of strife, forgiveness, and triumph. This novel resurrects an ancient world and delivers in full detail, the savage brutality endured by those of arcane laws, a code of claws and fangs - while thrusting into harsh, honest light, what it means to question and discover the meaning of 'Self Awareness'.
Lion King worshipers, Warriors devotees, Animal enthusiasts - you have not stalked the feline path, until you have unearthed these treasures.

For more information, copy and paste the following links:

Clare Bell's official domain:
www.rathascourage.com
For an exclusive look including fanart, fanfiction, and more visit Trails Of Conquest:
www.trailsofconquest.webs.com
For Named (Ratha) Series Cat Role Play (rp) stop by Into The Mist:
www.intothemistrp.webs.com

I am a huge cat fan and I can't believe that this book has existed for so long without my knowledge! I loved it from the very beginning and the story drew me in. I quickly ordered the other books to read. Any adventure or cat fan should read this book. If you do not love cats or do not have a fasination with animals you will soon. The book, while fictional is very realisitic and the characters are very wild and "animal-like." I cannot wait to read more. I genuinely feel the loss of one character in particular...sigh. Read this book! It is a great escape. Welcome to Ratha's world.