Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

My son loves this book so much, we wore out the first copy to the point that it was beyond me being able to tape the binding back together anymore. We bought him a second copy that has been "loved" as much as the first, and so we had to buy a third copy for my toddler so she had her own book that didn't have pages falling out while we were reading it. At one point, I had all the words in the book memorized, which came in handy while we awaited the arrival of our replacement book. At first glance, it may seem that this is a Halloween book. Let me assure you, you will enjoy reading this book all year long (I believe that my son asked to have this read to him every night for about 6 months) and the verse never gets tiresome. The story teaches children about compassion and the need to help others, despite the fact that you may not really be in the best position to help at the time it is needed most. Random acts of kindness by the witch thoughout the book are rewarded at the end of it when her friends save her from a fire-breathing dragon, and in return, she builds an even better broom to house her friends as a way of saying thank you. It teaches kids how important it is to be nice to everybody, and to be ready to lend a helping hand, because you never know when you might need a little help yourself.

My 3 1/2 yr old grandson LOVES this book. Great pictures Just enough drama! Discovery possibilities on the pages for a second look. Wonderful pictures and some anticipation on the right hand pages of what will come when the page is turned.

Both my 4 year old daughter and I love this book. It is so much fun to read and so much fun to hear. She laughs everytime I read it. The story is adorable and pictures are great. It is a nice story about friendship and rewarding acts of kindness. I bought this book for Halloween and we are still reading it several times a week.

"Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson is such an awesome book. My son got it when he was four. We have read it so many times that I couldn't even count. Then a couple of months ago, our original copy was involved in a spill-related accident. There was no question that we would replace it. He would have missed it so much!!
The rhymes are inventive and funny, and the illustrations are absolutely wonderful. I do believe that any child would enjoy this book.

My kindergarten students loved this book and had great fun with predicting and participating! The rhyme and repetition are great for young students and it's one of my favorite new books.

Several of the books in this series had a rushed feel to them, I thought the writing got better in this one.
The teens finally figure out a way to free Max from the collective consciousness and free the alien homeworld from it's grip as well. I'd expected the story to be pretty sloppy but was pleased to see it was better.
The Max/Liz and Michael/Maria romances even ran pretty much the way the TV series did with the exception that in this story Michael was going to return to the homeworld with brother Trevor and Isabel was going to go with him. Isabel decides to remain with her "family"and Michael, who had never admitted his feeling to Maria, decided that he too had to stay.
You do kind of get left with a "where's the rest of the series?" feeling as this is the last we see of the Roswell storyline.

OK, this book, in my opinion was the best at the end for romantic reasons. Michael and Maria both had a thing for the other, but, yes, Michael is a little dense, and once he fooled around with this evil Cameron (as you can probably tell, I hate her). Finally though, Michael and Maria admitted feelings, and it was so sweet! (I'm Michael-Maria crazy). The bad thing is that Alex and Isabel practically said (yes, they did) they only wanted to be friends, which totally sucks. Another thing: Max and Liz have always been totally corny in the books, but this time, they crossed the line. They act all lovey-dovey even after Liz's problems with Adam. If you ask me, they're too perfect a couple to be real. All in all, though, this book really came through.

I loved this one, it's my favorite out of the whole series. It was an excelent balance of tying up loose ends and leaving a promise of the future. I was not disapointed with this ending.

Melinda Metz is a fantastic author. I loved her other Roswell books but this is, by far, the best one yet. I was jumping out of my seet from the first page. I love how Melinda ended the book, it was very twisty and tourney and almost made me cry. When I was done with the book I felt good to know what happens but I also felt sad to know that this was the end of Roswell. It's so depressing realizing somethings going to end.

The Salvation by Melinda Metz was truely a terrific ending to the Roswell High series. After all of the conflicts and terrors that Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Alex, and Isabel had gone through in previous books, The Salvation needed a happy ending to calm the reader's nerves. And that's just what Metz delivered. If you've read the other Roswell high books don't even hesitate to read about their final battle in The Salvation.
The only thing I wish now was that she had written more!

This is an excellent novel about the Sepoy Mutiny in India in 1857. The focus of the story is the siege of the British Civil Service enclave at Krishanpur (historically this was the siege of Lucknow). A group of Sepoy soldiers was given new rifle cartridges that were wrapped in greased paper, and the paper was removed by biting it off with one's teeth. The word spread was that this grease was animal grease, which was an insult to religion. The sepoys mutinied, killed their superior British officers, and started marauding across India.

Hearing about the mutiny the (tax) Collector in Krishnapur had ramparts built around the British buildings in Krishnapur. Shortly afterwards the Sepoys attacked in waver after wave for a period of several months. Surprisingly author Farrell describes the sufferings of those besieged with a good deal of humor, humor that pricks holes in the pompous beliefs and attitudes of 19th century British colonizers. We bring them progress, a superior civilization, yet they turn on us marvels the Collector. The condescension doesn't stop with the Indians. At one point the Collector speaks to the British women in the enclave, and silently thinks that in reality women are really useless creatures. It is the men of the world that shoulder the responsibility of getting things done. The padre runs around telling everyone that God is punishing them for their sinful behavior. A new school and an old school doctor constantly disagree over medical treatment. In perhaps the funniest scene of the book the old doctor contracts cholera, and instructs his aides to cover him with mustard plasters. The young doctor, who is aware that cholera victims die from dehydration, initiates a saline IV every time the old doc sinks into a coma. The IV brings him around, and he immediately pulls out the IV and insists on getting his mustard plasters, following which he soon sinks back into a coma. Back goes the IV and the doc becomes conscious again. This cycle goes on and on and becomes hysterically funny.

The British thought they were doing wonderful things for the Indians, but the harsh reality of it is they were creating harsh lives for their colonial subjects. The sepoys, for example, were paid near starvation wages. This is an important novel about the misguided philosophy behind imperialism. Perhaps there is a lesson here for us Americans. Should we really be focused on bringing our way of life to other countries?

Chapatis. It is always difficult to start a novel convincingly, but it's a long time since I saw it done better than it is here. The harbinger of the brutal and bloody Indian uprising of 1857 was, in this narrative at least, the secret distribution of chapatis to the intended victims. I have long forgotten what little I may ever have known about these events, and I would actually be delighted to discover that this detail was not an invention of the novelist's but what actually happened.

If paraphrased, the amount of gore and squalor that is detailed here on page after page would seem grotesque and even intolerable. As told by Farrell, it manages to be neither. This was the Victorian era, and the story is a scenario of British Victorians subjected to pressure and strain of near-incredible ferocity. The author does not spare us the specifics, and it will be a long time before I forget the spongy piles of corpses, the sense of near-unbearable heat in which I for one would have had difficulty in even wearing the stuffy formal clothes let alone dancing let alone battling for my very life, the pervasive stench, the outbreak of cholera and the indelible vignette of the lapdog chewing the face off a fallen defender. Even more extraordinary, to me, than the way they keep going is what they don't do and in particular what they think and don't think. There is no real instance of irrational panic whatsoever, and although the Padre for one has clearly gone slightly round the bend, the way this manifests itself is in an obsessional fixation with denouncing Sin and Heresy, and largely with his frantic concern to prove that great Victorian preoccupation The Existence of God from something like Aquinas's Argument from Design.

At the height of the horror, the Collector is still thinking in Victorian vocabulary and expressing himself in subordinate clauses. Staring death in the eye, the young intellectual Fleury is still concerned with his theories, whether in respect of the operation of guns or of the progress of rationalism. The ladies themselves, who might have been expected to be in a state of blind terror, are still weighing up the niceties of how the matrons and widows on the one hand, and the Fallen Woman on the other, are expected to comport themselves. Most amazingly of all, when the cholera first breaks out the two doctors conduct a lengthy and articulate debate on its causes and remedies, keeping the attention not just of each other but of an attentive audience.

The book abounds in unforgettable incidents - the smothering cloud of cockchafer beetles, the snowstorm, the slaughter of one rebel contingent with silver forks from the dining-room and marble busts of Socrates and Keats - but what is distinctive and extraordinary about this book is its tone. Its tone is quiet, detached and wry without being aggressively ironic. No heavy lessons are preached (although it's not hard to see which side the author is on when it comes to religion). No particular political standpoint is adopted either, the nearest we get to that being the shoulder-shrugging last paragraph. The whole saga ought to have been a filthy nightmare, but instead the reader feels rather like the onlookers who have come along with picnic lunches to watch the events as if they were watching a game of cricket. It has all been Virgil's `plurima mortis imago' - the omnipresent face of death, and yet it has been a bit of a spectator-sport too. I'm actually rather glad I'm no historian in this instance. I don't know what set off the uprising, and once the relief forces turn up so far as I know things went back to much as they were before. The author offers us no theories or explanations: he just leaves us having witnessed wholesale and insensate slaughter and wondering what it can all have been in aid of.

Its rare to find a book that combines a fascinating story with great character studies and development and meticulously researched history to make a point about our civilizing impulses. It took me a bit of effort to get into it, and then couldn't put it down. The introduction by Pankaj Mistry provides a great synopsis of the themes, and I really enjoyed rereading it after I finished the story.

"The Siege of Krishnapur', the second of J.G. Farrell's now classic works on the British Empire, (see also Troubles (New York Review Books Classics) and The Singapore Grip (New York Review Books Classics)) is a fictionalized account of the Siege of Lucknow during the Great Mutiny of 1857-1858 (aka the Sepoy Rebellion). The mutiny or rebellion, depending on one's point of view, was ultimately defeated by the British and led to the replacement of East India Company rule by direct British governance under the Raj.

Farrell masterfully recreates the insular British upper-class life in India - and the siege only intensifies this insularity. As the siege drags on and on, the inhabitants strive to maintain expected standards of behavior and decorum. Farrell populates his book with interesting characters who debate and dispute morality, religion, progress, and civilization.

Excellent introductions are a hallmark of the New York Review of Books Classics and the introduction to this volume by Pankaj Mishra places the book in historical and cultural context and adds significant value.

Highest Recommendation.

At the climax of this magnificent novel, the book's protagonist, Hopkins, the British civil administrator or Collector of Krishnapur, finds himself trapped in a Union Jack whose flagstaff has been shot down, knocking him to the ground. He recognizes it as the scenario of a persistent nightmare that had been troubling since his small enclave had been put under siege several months before. But it is also a symbol for the entire book.

The initial set-up here is similar to that of the author's TROUBLES: a group of British colonialists crammed together in a decaying building while the threat of native rebellion comes closer. But this is larger in scope, with a bigger cast of characters, grander themes, and a rebellion which is much more than some background disturbance. Unlike the violence in TROUBLES, which is seen at first hand only in the hallucinatory final chapters of the book, this one (the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857) takes center stage about a third of the way into the movel, leading to harrowing scenes of death, starvation, and disease. On the level of a simple war story, these events (based on the siege of Lucknow) make for a stirring story of heroism and courage -- especially where these qualities are unexpected, is in the formerly stuffy Collector who discovers hidden talents for generalship and strategy, and the young poet George Fleury, fresh out from England, who proves to have a strong practical streak and a remarkably cool head.

Also as in TROUBLES, there is a pervasive eroticism to this book, centering around three of the younger woman besieged in the Residency: the debutante Louise, chaste belle of Calcutta balls; Miriam, George's young widowed sister, tired of being assigned to stereotypical female roles, and Lucy, whom everybody knows as a "dishonored woman" although nobody is entirely clear as to the extent or agency of his dishonor. As the siege persists, the courtship conventions of colonial society are turned on their head by proximity and deprivation. There is one almost surreal scene in which Lucy, attacked by a huge cloud of otherwise harmless flying beetles, rips off her clothes and promptly faints, leaving two young men to scrape the insects off her, in the process discovering the differences between a real female body and a marble statue.

For, despite the bloodshed, Farrell's characteristic tone of comedy is present here too, but now his targets are as much institutional as personal: the hypocracies of colonialism, trivia of class and culture, and Victorian attitudes towards faith and science. As we meet the cast of characters, we find many different points of view: the Padre who believes that the rebellion is God's punishment for sin, the cynical Magistrate who is a confirmed atheist, the Opium Agent who believes only in profit, rival doctors from older and newer schools of thinking, bluff soldiers who do not think much at all but who can yet be excellent at their jobs, the aesthete Fleury whose first reaction to being under fire is to assemble phrases for an epic poem, and the Collector, who believes in progress, but attempts to strike a balance between all points of view. And to a remarkable extent, the author also manages to retain that balance. The siege is a crucible in which every kind of received attitude may be tested, and for the most part found wanting. But Farrell is never preachy or polemical; he does not make everything subservient to a single point of view, even the anti-colonial one. His great gift is to keep you thinking, even as you turn the pages with bated breath. A brilliant achievement!

I find this a very provocative science fiction trilogy. Lewis' view of cosmology and theology is neat, and the story, though somewhat dated, is interesting.

I absolutely LOVED this series. My science fiction loving father recommended it and now I have become a sci-fi junkie because of it. A great story that shows our history and future in interesting ideas. Fantastic read.

Books such as these cannot fail to change you. There have been many books in my life which I could say that about, but short of the Bible, I think these surpass them all (Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or G.K. Chesterton's Man Who Was Thursday being the only serious competition).
I cannot speak about these books without a tone of awe, it would be absolutely useless to try and explain why. Please trust me - read these, and many times, too.

Out of the Silent Planet
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823802

This is the first book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. These books are far less known than Lewis's Narnia series or even his Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters, yet it is just as good as any of those writings and goes to show the versatility of Lewis as an author.

This first book begins with our hero, Dr. Ransom, out for a walking tour in the countryside, dressed in that shabby way for which professors are renowned. His foes are his former schoolmates Devine and Weston. These men believe they need a human sacrifice, and by capturing Ransom they have their victim, for they have made a spaceship and are taking Ransom to Malacandra the red planet.

Once on Mars, Ransom escapes his captors, meets many species, and finds out that on Mars there has been no `Fall' and Ransom from Earth or the Silent Planet is a bit of an oddity. People from earth are considered to be `bent' in nature, from the original sin of the fall.

Follow Ransom as he treks across a strange world, and must find the courage to risk it all to save not only an alien race, but also, possibly his own soul.

This is a first book in an amazing series. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

Perelandra
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823829

This is the second book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first you can start here.

This book takes place some time after the first, but we are not sure how long. Ransom has received a summons to Venus, a planet that is just beginning its inhabited life. This planet's `Adam' and `Eve' are on the planet and they must choose to obey God or to reject his law and face a `fall' as has happened on earth.

Ransom must face his old foe Weston, and try to save a planet from great evil. Can he navigate this watery planet; can he negotiate the intricacies of human weakness, temptation and corruption? Can he conquer himself and help others to learn obedience?

This is a great creation story. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

That Hideous Strength
C.S. Lewis
Scribner Paperback
ISBN 0684823853

This is the third and final book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first, you can start here.

That Hideous Strength, unlike the first 2 books in this series, where Ransom leaves earth and fights evil in space and on other planets, the battle in this book takes place on earth.

Ransom must lead a group of faithful believers against National Institute for Coordinated Experiments or N.I.C.E., an organization that believes that Science can solve all of humanity's problems. He must battle the people in this organization, super aliens trying to invade and control earth and use its population against other planets and against God.

On top of all of that, Merlin has arisen from his long sleep and has arisen in England's time of greatest need. But the question is, who will find him first - N.I.C.E. or Ransom and his team? The fate of the world, and possibly the universe, rests on this question.

Lewis called this story an adult's fairy-tale. It is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, and a book that will keep your attention as you raptly turn the pages to find out where Lewis will lead you.

Sometimes learning is like sunbathing. You soak up wisdom like you soak up rays--changing, even though you can't pinpoint every little drop that touched you.

I say that because today I completed the second book in C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. True, I can't name one thing I learned (and this series is much more about exploring concepts than telling a story), but I feel very wise. Before you laugh too hard, let me say that my spirit is quiet right now. It's still. Rested. Open. In awe. Ready to receive.

Today I will continue resting, listening. Tomorrow I'll go back over the pages and remind myself what I learned. (And then I'll start the third book.)

I highly recommend these book, but read them only when you have lots of time to reflect.

Tobias books always have interesting perspectives. In this one, the Yeerks have developed an Anti-Morphing Ray that would cause anyone in morph to revert to their normal form. The Animorphs plan to destroy the weapon by being voluntarily captured, which would lead the others to the AMR so they can destroy it. Tobias sees that he is the ideal choice, for the AMR being tested on him would make it seem as though the very science behind the ray doesn't work (and the Yeerks won't bother to create another).

Unique parts of this book include flashback scenes of Tobias's past as a human and other memories of the previous books. Taylor, the sub-visser interrogator, is an interesting new character that appears later in the series. There are some fairly intense torture scenes as well, as a note of caution. You'd think that Tobias would become very messed up after this, (like having conditioned physical responses to red and blue light), but he ends up okay, just a bit more introspective and contained than before. After all, he has Rachel to help him recover mentally and emotionally.

This was a good book, adding in elements of Andalite culture and lore. It's more serious than some other books, fewer wisecracks, but an overall well-written and scripted book.

The Illusion is one of my favorite books for two reasons. Number 1: It's narrated by Tobias. I LOVE TOBIAS. He is definately, by far the best Animorph. Number 2. The whole thing was so well done. I liked the Anti Morphing Ray thing, and once you started it, you were hooked.

A note to all you Animorph readers who haven't read that many books yet: Don't start with this one. It gives away a lot of Tobiias's secrets from earlier books.

This book is about how the Animorphs try to destroy an evil device. Tobias has to acquire A's DNA. The bad thing is, the yeerks thought Tobias was an andelite. They try to make him demorph.There are many main characters, Ax, Rachel, Tobias, Jake, Cassie and Marco. They each have special things about each of the Animorphs. Cassie can morph the fastest.The conflict or problem for the main characters are the yeerks try to take control of the world.They have a device to try to make andelites and humans demorph.This would allow the Animorphs' secrets to be given up. How they resolved their conflict is that when Tobias got captured, his friends saved him.Then they completed the mission and left. That is how they solved the conflict. I would recommend this book to others. This is a good book to read. I didn't want to stop reading.

This book is about how the Animorphs try to destroy an evil device.Tobias has to acquire A's DNA.The bad thing is, the yeerks thought Tobias was an andelite.They try to make him demorph.There are many main characters, Ax, Rachel, Tobias, Jake, Cassie and Marco.They each have special things about each of the Animorphs. Cassie can morph the fastest.The conflict or problem for the main characters are the yeerks try to take control of the world.They have a device to try to make andelites and humans demorph.This would allow the Animorphs' secrets to be given up. How they resolved their conflict is that when Tobias got captured, his friends saved him.Then they completed the mission and left. That is how they solved the conflict.I would recommend this book to others. This is a good book to read.I didn't want to stop reading.

In this book, The Animorphs must capture the AMR (anti-morphing ray) and give it to the Chee to hide. The AMR is a device that makes anything that's morphed return to its natraul form. Tobias volenteers, since his natraul form is hawk. He aquires Ax and morphs him and Ax teaches him Andalite tail blade fighting. Tobias loves the Andalite body. He goes into the Yeerk Comuntiy center and is captured by a sub-visser with a host named Taylor (female host). Taylor is volantary. She tortures Tobias. Will Tobias get out of the Yeerk Pool alive, or will he become a Controller or die? Read the book to find out!

The book Cry of the Wolf was an awesome book. It has dragons, wolves and griffins, some of my favorite mythical creatures. My favorite character is Adriane. Adriane is about 14; she has two friends' that are total opposites. My favorite part is when she battles the manticore.
Cry of the Wolf is about a girl named Adriane who lets her bonded animal Stormbringer (bonded animal is an animal that balances their magic) go into the magical world Aldenmore with wolves. Adriane gets worried and goes after her. While she looks for her she makes friends with a boy named Zach and gets a dragon for a bonded animal.
The dark sorceress captures her. While she's in the dungeon she finds another mistwolf. With the help of the other animals in the dungeon she gets out. When she gets out she has to battle the manticore . After that Stormbringer comes back with the rest of the pack. So Adriane finds her bonded animal and goes back to earth.

Finally Adrianne is on action. In the book there is alot of action and suspence though one part is kinda sad. Adrianne and her boned animal Storm hav a close bond when these other mistwolves come and Storm decides to join with the pack leaving Adrianne torn. The warrior then goes on a journey to find Storm. She then is on Aldenmore and meets with this one boy named Zach(human) and this strange rock. Soon they become friends and Adrianne soon learns about his past. Adrianne later figures out that the rock is not really what it seems. So far this is my faverite book in the series and I think everyone will love it.

This book is prehaps my favorite out of all of the books. Adriane is willful and strong. When she is pulled into Aldenmore, even if she feels like she can't go on, she keeps her head high and moves forward. The mistwolves are a major part of the entire series and in this book, they are shown in a new light, slightly harsh and sometimes cruel, but always for the safety and wellfare of the pack. I would recomend this book to anyone who is willing to sit down and read a fantasy story about loyalty, friendship and the never ending bond that is love.

I really like how this one is mostly about Adriane and her friendship with Stormbringer. I also love how she meets alot of other magical creatures-=some friends, and some foes. Her experieance on Aldenmor really helped her come out of her shell.

Adrianne and Storm share a bond unlike any other. Storm thinks that she is the last mistwolf living since she has no membory of the pack and Adrianne thinks that she has some blood of a mistwolf but not sure yet... until the mistwolf pack arrive and Storm sadly joins. Adrianne cannot since shes not a mistwolf and the leader of the pack believes that humans always bring destruction. When they leave that does not stop Adrianne from finding Storm. With the help of her friends the d flies make a portal though Adrianne gets sucked in to the world of Aldenmore. The action begins as the warrior fights monsters and meets this rock and this boy named Zach. Eventually Adrianne finds Storm and the pack accepts as Adrianne their wolf sister so shes part of the pack!

Gloha's quest to find a suitable husband leads her across several areas of Xanth. She interacts with a number of characters from previous novels in the series, as well as many new ones. As usual, the Good Magician's Answer is initially unclear to the main characters, but figuring out what he meant is a mini-quest that connects her to people she will need to complete her primary quest.

If you've enjoyed other novels in the Xanth series, you'll like this one too. If you haven't tried Xanth yet, and are willing to endure many puns, you'll find an enjoyable trip through a magical land. The story works its way into being a fine light romance with some interesting twists.

This book was filled with puns, romance, comedy and adventure, nnot to mention the feelings of ambitious Golha, a Goblin-Harpy crossbreed. All Xanthian readers will ove this book, with old-timer Trent, and some new characters as well!

I love the Xanth series, and this was no exception. I don't recommend this book for anyone who hates puns, though, as it is chock full of them, just like the others. As usual, Mr. Anthony provides characters who are fantastic, yet we Mundanes can indentify with. Who hasn't felt that they don't belong? Or wondered how they will find a sould mate? We have all had a crush we know can't work out. But most of us have not had to deal with these things while on an adventure through a magical land while solving riddles and running from dragons. If you liked other Xanth novels, you'll like this one. And, best of all, this series can be read out of order. I don't recommend it, but it can be done. Pick up any Xanth book, and you will enjoy it.

Harpy Thyme is beautiful beyond the amazing illustrations on the cover. Piers Anthony takes the story of a Xanth maiden who is alternately accepted and rejected by both species of her family. When she goes in search of a suitable mate, the young goblin-harpy gets more than she bargained for from Good Magician Humphrey. If you love Xanth and/or a good yarn, check this book out!

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and so I decided to check it out. I wasn't expecting it to be a spectacular read. boy, was I wrong! This is one of my favorite books of all time and I'm really eager to read all the other Xanth books. There a so many bad puns including a sar-chasm, Com Pewter, and a great deal of having secs (as in the abbreviation to seconds)! Harpy Thyme is a cute, funny, romantic book, and it's hilarious and fun to read! I'd recommend it to anyone!

Fantasy. Young elementary.

Summary
Jimmy's mother won't give him a moon pie and mil, before dinner. So, Jimmy uses his secret project--his jalopy--to go to the moon. The man in the moon-moon maker gave him 1000 pies. Then he went to the Milky Way for milk. He had an accident and landed on Mars, where it was raining milk from his accident. When a Martian monster came, he made friends with the food. The Martians made a giant moon pie wrapper balloon so Jimmy could get home. He arrived home in time for dinner, and his mother gave him a moon pie and milk for desert.

Illustrations
The pictures seem to be of an older time, but they have a modern look, boy-humor, fun, colorful, and enchanting.

I first discovered this book at my sisters house. My son loves it. Amazing illustrations, fun story with a little nod to the 50's lifestyle. Encourages imaginative play with a little mystery that every kid will love. I can't give this book enough praise. makes a great gift.

A clever, imaginative book. I bought it for my husband, who loves moon pies, and he read it to our daughters, ages 5 & 9. This book has everything: action, adventure, great illustrations, and moon pies for dessert! Eight thumbs up from my family!

This incredibly charming book has fabulous illustrations that will remind some of a 1950s kids book BUT kids won't find it old-fashioned at all! It is a fabulous journey w/ Jimmy Zangwow. I've given it for birthday presents... complete w/ a box of Moon pies from Cracker Barrel. My three year old little girl adores it... as does her 8 year boy cousin! Don't miss it!

It is an absolutely fabulous book! My son has been asking to read this book every night for the past month. We have flown to the moon, Mars and the Milky Way. We have become good friend with the Grimble Grinder, an of course gotten more than our share of moon pie. Yes, it is always shared with the Mars men. This book is on our all time favorites list!

Clever and creative character development, mind absorbing details takes you into the characters lives as it was long ago. A story whose creatively orchestrated plot fascinates you and grips you until the end, anticipating the intrigue of Book II.

A great book to read for all ages which takes you away to the Medieval era with details of life long ago, with virtue and honor and chivalry and nobility to enchant your wishes for the characters and idealize attributes to strive for.

A Very entertaining and enjoyable read with a map to follow and peoples lives at stake for the outcome of Truth.

I read this book in three days while on vacation in Maine. I could not put it down. While it does have a prominent theme of action and fantasy, a Sword For The Immerland King is overflowing with new ideas and true wisdom. F.W. Faller starts each chapter with a quote or proverb that relates to the following chapter. They are all very wise and relevant, and I found myself looking forward to reading each new proverb. For example, two in particular that caught my eye: "Who is the greater prisoner: the caged man whose mind transcends his physical boundaries or the untethered being whose mind holds him in a cage?" and "We are forever doomed to suffer with histories defined by those who are able to shout the loudest.". Faller also deals with some spiritual ideas, such as "cymbic" relationships and the myriad layers of the "vorn" (sort of like the soul). The characters, plot, and scenery are very skillfully developed and described. Aside from everything else, FW Faller has an exquisite way with words, a talent that he exercises in weaving this intricate tale that I will most certainly re-read after I've finished the sequel!

I was happily surprised to find out that there are still great fantasy authors out there who can not only spin a good yarn, but also do so in a way that shows morally why some ways of acting are better than others. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.

A Sword for the Immerland King is one of the best, if not the best book I have yet read. It is a fantasy good for almost all ages that can comprehend the complex story line. The characters are real and come alive during the book. It is action packed and the world of Tessalindria is an incredible nation with a complete history. I am strongly looking forward to the next book.

The Sword of the Immerland King captivated me with a story in the epic proportion of the Lord of the Rings. With exquisite imagery and just the right balance of suspense and imagination, the author succeeds in creating a book that you never want to put down. Personally, although I read dozens of books a year, I'm not an avid fiction reader. But since I knew this author, I thought I would give it a try. I was not disappointed. I finished it in less than a week and now I'm reading it to my two boys (8 and 6) who only complain when I stop reading to them!

Fantastic job! I am hungry for the second volume.

Unlike the earlier Fulghum books I've read, this one isn't really a collection of Fulghum's writings, but instead is a collection of stories that were sent or told to him. Fulghum's role here is more as an editor, presenting other people's stories. But what stories! These stories demonstrate the vast diversity of love, and show us that love can take as many forms as there are different people. Some of these stories are sad, others poignant, and many are incredibly romantic. Scattered in between these stories are comments by Fulghum, under the heading "Perspective," where he discusses his impressions of the stories or relates stories of his own. This book is easily as reflective as any of his earlier work, but has fewer "laugh out loud" moments. It provides some interesting perspectives on relationships, and certainly is a must read for anyone who consideres themself to be a romantic.

This is a brilliant little book about how the love bug can strike each and every one of us in unique ways. It's an easy read that can be digested not just by the scholar but by the common man. It's a hopeful book. More books like this should be written.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Of course you'll love this book because it's a true reflection of so many facets of romantic love. And I also personally love it because I wrote the story in it about Danny O'Neal. I don't remember the title of the story, but I'll never forget my accurate description of Danny "He was like Peter O'Toole with a double dose of testorone and a Tommy Lee Jones smile." (:sweet memory and sigh here.:)

I want to make one correction that made a few people from Oklahoma and Arkansas upset. I signed it as Lilly from Fort Smith, Oklahoma. There is a Fort Smith, Arkansas about 5 miles from the Oklahoma line. I did that in a foolish attempt to make sure Danny knew it was really me because Fort Smith, OK was a joke between us. I wrote my story in about 1991. 16 years later - Danny O'Neal remains the most fascinating, thrilling romantic memory of my life.

And, also since I still haven't heard from Danny in all these years, I'm hoping if he ever googles his name, this review will come up. Please forgive me.... but at the very least I want him to know how much he delighted me and that story ws no doubt only chosen because of how wonderful he was to me. :D

Wishing magnificent, thrilling love to one and all,

Lollie aka Lilly.

This book looks at love from all the angles possible. Its an amazing reading. I would recommend it for all those with romantic soul.
Lucia Racekova
visual merchandiser

It's a keeper on my "good book" shelf, hardback with a bookplate, the whole nine-yards. What I love is his selection and the understanding gained that love means different things to different people and (most importantly) at different times in their life. That lesson has helped me cope with troublesom relationships. I loved them for a reason at the time and that time and that reason fulfilled my need. It was enough. That is what I learned.
I don't rate this book up with Fulghums' previous books mostly because it is a compilation with commentary and not pure, chapter after chapter Fulghum. That may seem like a technicality, but it made all the difference for me. It still has the same wit and charm of any of his other books.
I found it difficult to sit down and get through the whole thing and feel "absorbed". It's the kind of book that you can read a few stories, put it down and come back to as you feel the need. I really couldn't read it straight through. I attribute that to the nature of it though, and not to Fulghums' writing.