Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

This is really a lovely book. The story is sweet..a nice extension of the original Twinkle, Twinkle song. The illustration are just lovely, and somehow shiny on the page, making my one year old love to touch them. My only caveats are that some of the lyrics/words are written in gold ink, and that makes them difficult to see in certain lights. Also, when you sing it, make sure to set a fast enough pace, or else it is a LONG book! Because it's so sweet and serene, it's easy to start off slow and cuddly, but by about the 4th page, you're losing their attention and your patience. Overall I'd recommend..it's just beautiful to look at. I also like that the pages are paper, but a little thickier -- sturdy enough for little hands to turn and thumb through without tearing.

I have this book that I have read over and over to my children when they were little. both kids are in school now and they still love the book. i would highly recommend this book to any parent with little ones whether they are babies or toddlers even up to 2nd grade.

The author does it again with this production. My children and I love her extended versions of these old children's songs. And, as usual, it includes the music on the last page, which is a nice addition and teaching tool. It is wonderful!

We have many Iza Trapani books and my daughters and I usually love them. My 3 year old asked me to read this last night and I decided this is my least favorite. Some of the pages are difficult for me to read in a dim bedroom because of the gold text on blue pages. To me, it drags on more than others and the story isn't as fun. My daughter was concerned about a little girl going out without her mother. I think it is an OK book but was surprised at how many reviewers thought it was wonderful. I just don't think it is as good as "How Much is that Doggy in the Window", "I'm a Little Teapot" or some of the others ( I think we own at least 6 of her books).

This is a great everynight bedtime story. This is actually my second copy because reading it everynight to my boys wore it out so I had to get a new copy for my daughter. It is so precious when they say it back to you as you read it and because they hear the song a lot it makes it easy for them to learn. My 2 1/2 yr old says it almost word for word already. My favorite is the last line... "What a special star you are!" It is a great way to send your child off to dream land.

Loved it!!! Loved Vulnerable, too. Miss Adrian!!! :-( However...am really enjoying the series!!!!

Book 2 Wounded.
This is were the clothe started to be woven better.
The dialogue flowed more smoothly and was more natural, it was the characters speaking, not being told what to say. They had more depth, more dimension/reality to them. Maybe it was the pathos of Adrian's loss, but it had a texture that more tangible than the first book. The plot ran more smoothly, it flowed rather than paused and changed abruptly like it did in Vulnerable. I did wonder why Marcus went from being a stockbroker in Book 1 to a schoolteacher in Book 2, but figured it was an oopsy moment
These are books I really like.

After reading Vulnerable I didn't know how I'd feel about Wounded. I thought I'd miss Adrian too much to enjoy it. I was oh so wrong. It was touching to see the process of Cory (and Green and Bracken) learning to get past the death of Adrian. It was the strength of all three together(along with the help of Grace the vampire, Arturo the former Aztec god elf, Renny the werekitty, Max the cop, Niky the avian & Andres the yummy new vampire) that made it possible for each of them to move on. None could do it alone.

The relationships changed as they learned to depend on one another. Cory accepts her need of other men and her responsibilty to Green's and Adrian's people. Green accepts that he can't belong to Cory alone(nor she to him) due to his position as leader of his people. And Bracken comes into his own as both a man as Cory's lover and an integral part of the community as Green's warrior. And during it all Adrian's memory is carefully preserved.

The book itself shows amazing progress. The story flows. The characters grow, show more depth and seem more real. Again I laughed and cried. Again Amy Lane made me feel. The residents of Green's Hill are becoming family and I look forward to Bound and seeing where they go from here.

If you have the first one you'll love the second one! I didn't think it was possible but, Wounded was better. The tension between Bracken and Corey is fabulous! Then she throws Green and Andres in and how can you go wrong? With a villain that is rotten and heroes that are tormented but loved, you can't help but be sucked into the turmoil and excitement of their world. I can not wait to get my hands on the third one. As for the editing, well I didn't really notice it. If I enjoy a book, I get so into the story that I do not even notice the editing in a book. Wounded is one of these books!

Having read Vulnerable and wanting to stay on "Green's Hill", I immediately started to read Wounded. I must say the only knock against this book is the editing. Misspelled words, inserted words and name switches..., not sure what the problem is since this was the problem with the first book. Read it in 2 days, time out for work and sleep. The characters were more fleshed out and if you didn't care about them by the end of the first book, you did in this one. I love the world Ms. Lane has created. If you can get past the poor editing, and you like the paranormal genre, don't mind raunchy language and some graphic sex, you will love this series.

Great author, great writing. My guess is that Wren Journeymage will come out around June 24th (2006!)

Overall, a wonderful book, and a wonderful series. My Thoughts is that in"Wren to The Rescue" we'll see a develooping relationship between Wren and Connor. Also, my suspect is that Wren is part Iyon Dain (Hope I spelled that correctly).

While I enjoyed all three Wren books, I found this one to be a little weak in the end. The war ended somewhat abruptly. I also felt that, while it was obvious the author wanted to leave things a little open-ended for a potential sequel, there were loose ends that should have been tied up before finishing the story.

Generally I think it was a good book, but it could have been better.

Hopefully it isn't just a quartet =P

Anyway, this series is simply fantastic! A friend recommended it to me, so it bought it, all three of them. Guess what? I finished all of them on the same day. And no, I don't usually finish multiple books in one day. I absolutely love her writing style, it's not difficult to read, and extremely lively and interesting. I have no idea why hardly anyone knows of her books, they are simply fantastic! As for the books, I especially loved the ending to Wren's War ;)

ps. Does anyone know of any good Wren fanfiction out there? I can't find any, FanFiction.Net has very little. Thanks.

Hello! Got good news to tell you, Wren Journeymage is coming up in 2005 or somewhere around there. Just heard it myself! I am happy as anything.

Anyway. Wren's War was fantastic. I like it that Sherwood Smith didn't focus the whole thing with Wren as the heroine all the time. She gave Wren's friends a chance to shine as well. Yup. You HAVE to read this.

I have a bad habit of reading books out of order. The reason being my local library doesn't contain certain volumes. Even though, I started with this volume I felt as though I didn't miss a beat. When reading this book I felt that this world is waiting to be discovered and I have to say I'm proud to be one of the few that discovered it. Ms Chester has a unique way of drawing you in and wow, I felt like I was in entirely different universe which separated itself from anything out there. The whole infrastructure of the Viis empire and community was interesting. The Viis being superior to any race out there gave you an understanding of how Ambris felt. She felt supressed and seeking out a way for every race to feel equal. Even though she was a slave turned famous gladiator she stayed true to who she was and what she believed. No mattered what had happened to her especially when she gave birth to genetically experimented children she still believed in the greater good of things. Everything in this book shows how Debra Chester had great depth of knowledge of this universe. So now goes on my search for part one and part three.

The Alien Chronicles by Deborah Chester are among the finest books I have ever read. The journey that the characters undergo is so epic and far-reaching that once you experience them, you will feel as though you have lived an entire life within this alien universe. The characters are well-defined, rich and provocative. The story itself is so much more than what it seems to be. Even though those living within these tales are fantasy species with abnormal customs, they are so unbelievably human. The trilogy revolves around the quest for freedom. The abiru -- a race of slaves who possess no rights whatsoever -- are considered greatly lesser than their Viis superiors. They are beaten, sold and killed at the whim of their owners, echoing the horror of our own history of human slavery. The oppression of the Viis leads to in-fighting and betrayal amongst the abiru, making it nearly immpossible to trust another untouchable. But even amongst this reign of distrust lies the hope of long-lasting, beautiful frienships -- as demonstrated by the wily Kelth thief (Elrabin) and the lovely and powerful Auron pet/gladiator (Ampris). The bond that develops between them is almost instantaneous even though it takes Elrabin years to realize how much Ampris means to him. They share a sort of unrequited platonic love. Unrequited in that it's not what they say to each other but what they do for each other. There are also strong antagonists, from the fear driven mad-gladiator Ylea to the tempermental spoiled sri-Kaa Israi (whose ascension to power is far from pretty). She is such a fantastically written villian that you will find yourself wanting to jump inside the book and slap her silly. The decisions she and those before her make in regards to the abiru are often times disturbing and haunting. (The period Ampris spends in the medical testing facility of Vaas Vess is particularly horrifying.) In summation, this book she be heralded as so much more than dime store science/fiction. It should be placed among books such as 1984 and Animal Farm. I know I will be recommending this book to everyone I meet henceforth. Even those who would never think of picking up a science fiction novel. Deborah Chester should be lauded immensely.

I you like books that get you hooked this is one of them. You enter a new world with strange creatures. But it is writen well enough that you can almost see the creatures. This book is about a strange creature called Ampris who is forced to fight as a gladiator. Many of the fights are described including her last one were she makes a life changing mistake, in her fight for piece and freedom...

I you like books that get you hooked this is one of them. You enter a new world with strange creatures. But it is writen well enough that you can almost see the creatures. This book is about a strange creature called Ampris who is forced to fight as a gladiator. Many of the fights are described including her last one were she makes a life changing mistake, in her fight for piece and freedom...

This lives up to the first book and usally you don't think the second will be as good as the first, only on a rare occasion, and this is one. It was better, faster paced, and gives more understanding to the character's roles. If you read the first you HAVE To pick this one up. I waited forever to have this one out, and I couldn't wait very long. This is a good book, Terrific, and Deborah Chester is a great Author.

Spock's family background.


This is definitely an example of a more interesting Star Trek novel.

Spock, as we know, is a hybrid, and humans don't live as long as Vulcans - his mother is dying.

He returns to visit and try and talk to his father.

Definitely interesting to see the background of this family, and if you are interested in less of the ship solves a mission type Star Trek plot, you could try this book.

Praxus, a klingon moon has exploded, due to overmining, or possibly sabotage. The Klingon empire's food production has been threatened, as tidal forces have been disrupted and weather currents change; massive shortages of resource seem eminent.

Chancellor Azerbur continues to work with Federation president and the federation responses with medical aid and food supply relief. Azerbur has issued in a new era of peace and commerce with the Federation. The war with Klingon has been official announced, over.

The hardliners don't want peace. Trayne, alias Saren, a Vulcan, secret plans are to use Kamarg, the Klingon ambassador, to attack federation colonies and turn the federation against Klingon. Kamarg is part of the militant group and believes that Klingon survival depends on warfare and land conquest. The Freelans (Romulans) are using Vulcan slaves, as mind control agents and are manipulating the minds of the Klingons and humuns against the federation and Vulcan. Trayne specifically uses Savel's telepathic power, specifically against Kamarg, causing him too hate the federation through vulcan mind control.

Kamarag manages to draw support of many high-ranking Klingons, in his cause. The hardliners want a military solution, centralized control of the federation, and capture of vital federation agriculture, mineral resources, and technology. Klingon invasion plans are brewing followed by Romulan.

The Romulan empire will wait until the federation is significantly weakened from the war conflict and then swoop across the neutral zone and capture federation territory. The Freelans report to the Romulans Lords. Over the last seventy years, the Freelans have been taking Vulcan hostage and converting them to slaves. The plan has been slow in the making, but all the key elements have been put in place. Millions if not billions of lives are at stake.

Sarek has been correspondence with the Freelan ambassador, Trayne. Sarek seek conclusive proof and infiltrates the Freelan data system with the aid of Soren. Freelan lists are discovered but not accessible for download. Sarek and Soren escape detection just as the Freelan security beams into the data center. Later, Sarek will confined in Spock, about his discoveries.

The Vulcans remain strongly dependant on Federation computer and military technology. Vulcan has strong military technology and leads the federation in scientific research. KEHL design was too weaken Vulcan resolve to stay members of the federation.

The Idol cult sect called the Gol is the oligarchy controlling Vulcan society. Sarek's first wife, T'Rea joined this evil sect and divorced Sarek. Sybok was born. Sybok rejected T'Rea's.

Amanda tells Sarek that "life after life" will happen or not happen. Sarek fight tradition and listens. Vulcan's believe in spirit essences encapsulation and that the new host inherits the spirit essence; this idea is similar in falsity to the idea of reincarnation.

Sarek soon after found Amanda, his true love. At the time of the Freelan crisis, Amanda was 93 and suffering from a rare blood disease. Spock was called home. Sarek was force to leave to negotiate the freedom of orion colony hostages on Kadura held by rouge Klingon warriors, under the command of Keraz. Amanda has Sarek promise, he will read her journal before he leaves. Spock warns Sarek that Amanda is about to die. Sarek manages to reach Amanda with his mind before she dies. Sarek shares with the reader Amanda's life, Spock decision to join the federation, Spocks outcast, Amanda's separation from Sarek, and reuniting.

No one had ever seen a Freeland, until Sarek. Freelans lived a secretive life. 70 years early, Sarek discovered the Freelan were Vulcan during the Pon Farr incident. The freelans said nothing of the incident. Sarek kept the secret seeking proof.

Now, on earth, Sarek is meeting with the Vulcan consult and discovers that Induma, the KEHL leader, is being Vulcan mind controlled. Induma is leader of the Keep the Earth human league, who chant, "Vulcans go home". Peter Kirk, nephew to Jame Kirk becomes entangled with the KEHL group. Peter alerts Kirk, to the KEHL movement against the Vulcans. Lisa tells Peter that she fears the Vulcans because they have weapons of mass destruction. KEHL leaders start accusing the Vulcans of espionage, selling out to "Vulcan interests". KEHL has linked to a clandestine Vulcan operation (Freelan), conspiracy proof of the Vulcan consultant being manipulated. KEHL discovers Peter and take him hostage. Kirk wants to talk with Peter and discovers he is not on the planet. Spock deduces were Peter's abductors will take him. A rescue plan is put into action.

While Peter is a prisoner, he falls in love with Valdr. Valdr is bethrothed by Karamag to become Karg's wife. Valdr despise Kargs. Valdr feeds Peter each day. Peter falls in love with Valdr. Valdr plans and executes an escape plan. Kirk, McCoy, and Spock find Peter and join in his escape planning to reach a space port for a trip off the planet. Karg intercepts the group and surrounds the group. Karg stabs Valdr with a knife. Valdr declares Peter, her mate. Peter challeges Karg and defeats him in a duel, but does not kill him. Peter reveals that Karg is Chancellor Corkon's murderer.

Sarek prevents Freelan terrorist from starting a war between the Klingon empire and the federation. Sarek and Spock beam on Traynes bridge, after Sarek predicts correctly the new position that the cloak bird of prey will emerge. Sarek has realize Trayne pattern as a chess move used by Trayne. Conclusive proof of a Romulan conspiracy is established. Sarek challenges Trayne to a duel. Trayne acknowledges the challenge and remembers his early childhood fears, at the time his parents were killed. Sarek and Trayne fight against each other with poison blades, both are injuried, but McCoy manages to save both. Sarek returns to Freelan to liberate the Vulcans. Trayne returns to Romulus to report failure. Trayne's second in command aid Kirk in stopping the Klingon invasion and Azerbur troops arrive crushing the rebellion. Peter Kirk abandons Valdr for his career. Azerbur recruits Valdr to become a staff member. Spock formulates the reunionification theory.

Two words discribe my feelings about Sarek by A.C. Crispin: Good Times.

I really enjoyed this book, and in cadence with the other reviewers I couldn't put it down for the last 3rd. Literally, I hid in a closet and a stairwell at work just so I could get a few more pages in. I laughed and cried and gasped in shock many times during my reading. Every one of the characters acted as I thought they should and gave me new insight into those characters that I know so well. Even though officially it is not, in my eyes this is canon since everything jives so danged well and I love the story. And my word is law in some local bowling clubs.

I loved this one, cause it really delves into Spock and Sarek's relationship, plus you get to see Amanda's point of view on things. It also show's a lot of her relationship with Sarek, shows the sentimental side of him that while loath to show it since it would be a emotional display it also makes you understand that they were truly in love and how they were able to make it work...because love is certainly not logical and humans are rather emotional about these things. I also enjoyed how it explained the falling out that Sarek and Spock had when Spock went into Starfleet. I've enjoyed the other books that I've read also that delve into the father/son relationship:

The Vulcan Academy Murders
The IDIC Epidemic
Spock's World

Definitly read this one

As any Trekkie would do, I got this book that's about one of my favorite Vulcans.

This book is the heart-wrenching story of Sarek's deep love for Amanda, their courtship, marriage, and now his agony and fear at the realization of her terminal illness.

A.C. Crispin has a great way of representing the personalities of the characters, as well as the emotions. The anguish Sarek goes through, as well as other emotions, are well represented and touch the heart.

This is a MUST READ for any Star Trek Fan!

i really enjoyed this book. it was a magical tale of discovery that i share with the young chilren in my life, as well as the older ones. this book is appropraite for all ages and should be shared with all looking for a magical tale.

This book has a very sweet and beautiful story written in poem style. It also has beautiful art within each page that helps to make the story seem to come to life. My daughter loves this book! A very good short story to read just before bed time.

This is a nice story. A sweet look at a fairy child and an "earth" child and their friendship from childhood into old age.

Heather mama of 5

As a parent, I like to read books that are enjoyable to read many, many times. This book is written beautifully and I never get tired of reading it. The pictures are lovely and my boys enjoy the story very much. I would recommend this book to parents who enjoy reading aloud and who enjoy a bit of beauty in a story.

As a father with a persistently open mind and a background in comparative mythology I was looking for stories and bedtime readings that encourage open thought when it comes to spiritual life. I have to say this is an outstanding book in that regard. Great visuals and good spiritual concepts without being biased one way or another. Great for a 4-7 year old I would think. My daughter is 6 and it's one of her favorites.

Mann...this was my very first manga. Without this i would never have been into anime or manga. Actually Animerica Extra was my first actual manga preview of Fushigi Yugi. All thanks to my uncle Goku. Really that is his name. Meaning 5th son. But weird part is my grandparents only had 3 boys in the family out of 7. So maybe he was the fifth child born? But Fushigi Yugi is a wonderful book to start if you are just starting to like manga. It is perfect. It has fantasy creatures, humans with either super powers or just super human abilities, revengeful people, and a forbidden romance that could and should never be, but is. But all in all this is a perfect book by Yu Watase. Her best work ever besides Alice 19th and the forever gorgeous book ZETTAI KARESHI!....that is all...

Wow. If you don't have this manga, then there's something wrong with you! Whether or not you're a fan of the Tv series, Fushigi Yugi is a must have for the anime fan. Yu Watase knows how exactly to blend comedy with drama, so you can have emotional trama and kick [butt]fighting, turning into a laugh-a-minute when one of the charactes does something stupid. I particularily like the "Fushigi Auki, The Malicious Play" parodies done by the author every so often, taking a section of one of the chapters and turning it into a farce. GET THIS MANGA it is well worth your dollars.

Yu Watase, Fushigi Yugi: Disciple (Viz, 2000)

The third book in the Fushigi Yugi series dips a bit at first, but quickly roars back to become ever better than before. Miaka and the celestial warriors are basically wandering about waiting to find the next celestial warrior, and they find him in Chichiri, the mystical "cat-guy" whose powers complement the others quite nicely. All of this is well and good, and covers roughly the first half of the book (though we do get more background on Tamahome as well), which is readable, but nothing special. The second half, on the other hand, is all that and a bag of oysters, as Miaka and the crew find out there's a rival priestess and reveal her identity.

Lots of fun. *** ½

Some good news to fans- a new celeestial warrior appears, Chichiri. He trained under the watchful eye of Tai-Yi Jun { I can just imagine spending three years with her... that face
-_-}. And because of that, he learned some cool moves like how to freeze people {no da! ^-^}.

And a turning-point character shows up- Yui, Miaka's best friend. She has a thing for the celestial warrior Tamahome.

In the previous book, Yui goes missing, so Miaka goes back through the Universe of the Four Gods so Miaka could find Yui. She goes to the kingdom Qu- Dong, where she believes Yui might be, followed closely by Tamahome. The good news is Miaka finds Yui. At first Yui wants yo go back to Hong Nan with Miaka and Tamahome, but a conversation they have makes her want to reconsider.

Wanna read the bad news? I'm not telling you anymore than this.

Highly Recommended.

This is volume three in Fushigi Yuugi, a wonderful series. Miaka and Tamahome are a great couple with a wonderful love story. Their love story is very touching in this voloume. Tamahome tells Miaka his feelings and they become boyfriend and girlfriend. As they become a couple, their love is so sweet and touching. When Miaka leaves, Tamahome finds her and hugs her and tells her his feelings. When she leaves to head to a new nation, Tamahome finds her and asks her why she left. Tamahome kisses her and Miaka and Tamahome's love is very touching and romantic. Yui watches this and sees Miaka and Tamahome kissing. When she confronts Miaka about it, Miaka finds a new side to someone she knew. When Miaka discovers the truth of what happened to her, she makes a decision. Tamahome sees her and notices that Miaka is acting differently. He asks her about it- but she isn't sure how to tell him what she must do. Tamahome kisses her and finds out the truth from her. Tamahome tells Miaka that he will always protect her and they hug. This volume has lots of romantic moments between Miaka and Tamahome and they become a couple in this volume. This is a great volume.

I read this book to my fourth grade students every year. The storyline is exciting and enjoyable for students of all backgrounds. Bruce Coville writes this novel in a way that keeps the children engaged and always wanting more. Each chapter ends with a "cliffhanger", leading to choruses of "Read more! Read more!" The characters in this story are well-loved by myself, and my current and former students. They are all able to sing Igor's bear bopping song long after the last word is read. This is an absolutely fantastic book~one of Bruce Coville's best!

Goblins In the Castle

What would you do if you found a secret passage in your room that led down to a dungeon filled with evil marauding goblins?

Goblins in the Castle is about a boy who does just that. He opens a door he shouldn't, letting out the spirits of a Goblin army. Now he needs to leave the castle and take down the goblins for good. During his adventure he meets people and asks if they will join in his great adventure to defeat the goblins. Oh, did I mention his best friend is a hunchback who whacks people with his teddy bear?

Goblins in the Castle was written by Bruce Coville and illustrated by Katherine Coville. Bruce has written many books you might know like: "Space Brat" and "My Teacher is An Alien."

THE GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE

By: Bruce Coville
The book I'm doing this report on is The Goblins in the Castle. It's about a boy named William, a girl named Fuana, and a thing named Igor. In the book William lived in a castle and finds a hidden passage and meets Igor. On Halloween he accidentally let the goblins out of the north tower. Igor said they needed to see Granny Pinch Bottoms. They go and on the way Igor was stolen by goblins and William falls in a pit and meets Fuana, then goes to Granny Pinch Bottom, she gives him items to save the goblin's land. He went and did what she told him and saves goblin land.
I think William is the kind of kid that just wants some attention. He is brave to do what he's told. He's friendly to his friends. He's kind of crazy.
The problem was William opened the north tower door and let the goblins out. Another one is that he doesn't know what to do. The most important one is trying to find the courage to save the goblins.
The solution was the goblins roamed free because William made them good. He finds out what to do from Granny Pinch Bottom. He finds the courage by figuring out what at stake.
I would recommend this book to people that likes a good mystery. I would rate it at a five star book and because it's cool.

I first purchased this book when I was seven years old at a school book fair because I was raised by my father on The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and the cover, title and description looked cool.

I remember vividly being in second grade and being absolutely tantalized by the day or two it took for me to finish it. It was just a wonderful tale of charming adventure that immediately struck the right chord with me. I'm 21 years old now and I still find myself taking time every year or so to pick up the very copy of the book I purchased when I was 7 to re-aquaint myself with the characters and the adventure and the feeling of being so completely absorbed with a story that can't really be captured beyond grammar school levels that the rest of the world doesn't matter.

This book has stood the test of time for me. It served as a fantastical escape when I was a wee lad and can still provide that exact same charm now as I finish college that I don't believe I'll ever be able to find anywhere else.

Stellar book that will do nothing but encourage young people to read; it's something that's really needed today.

This is a great book. I have read it to my 4th and 5th grade students and to my own children and they have all loved it. It has just the right mix of "scary" and funny to keep the reader's (or listener's!) interest. This book is not one of Bruce Coville's best known stories, but once you read it, it WILL be one of your favorites!

I was either 8 or 9 when I read this book. I read the back of the book and thought it would be OK ,but when I got home I went upstairs to read and I couldn't put it down. That is why I gave this book a 5.

After the amazing fourth Replica book, I was sure the next one would be great too. However, when I noticed it didn't really have to do with the Replica plot, I was nervous about how good it would be. It turned out to be pretty good. Amy Candler has never really bothered with the popular clique. They're all snobs, and Amy didn't want to get into that. However, when mysterious accidents and disappearances start to occur, Amy knows she must figure out why. All signs point to the popular kids...could there be something much more dangerous to them than their personality?

Like I said earlier, the beginning of this book wasn't that interesting. The plot didn't seem that good, and it actually seemed like Amy wasn't the star of the book. I guess I just don't have a thing for secondary characters. Anyway, as I got a little father into the book, I realized that it was really good. Things got much more suspenseful, and I was completely shocked by the ending. I really should have given five stars, if the beginning was a little better. This isn't a must-read for Replica fans, although it's interesting to check out.

This book is more complete than the others are. So far each of the previous books relied on knowledge of the book before it in the series. This one can stand a lone. Amy is the focal point in the investigation of the disappearance of several students. How ever the mystery surrounds a girl that recently returns to school and resumes her position of head of a Secret Clique. Even if you can guess what is happening, following Amy throughout the process is well worth the read. What would you do if you were Amy? It is a mind-bending experience that will keep you under the bleachers.

The fifth book of Amy series is finally mature. In this story,students in twelve-year-old Amy's school,Parkside middle school,were disappearing one by one without reasons.Amy tries hard to get into a school popular clique,which is a strange behavior to everyone-she never belonged to any clique,or wanted to,at the very least,not this kind of clique. This one,with a leader name Melissa Mitchel,who had just recovered from a car accident after months in the hospital to receive treatments and operations,had become extremely creepy and exclusive-something more than "cool".
The thing that makes this book diffenrent from all the others before is that for the first time,the danger had not come directly to Amy herself,and she had to use her extraordinary power to protect her schoolmates and friends against people other than the organization that chased after her forever like an old hunting dog. I think Amy was extremely glad to get rid of those organization people for a while(Me too! It's tiring to think about the organization all the time.).
Eric in this book was more active,and had shown his bright side,and he no long gave people an impression that he was sort of stupid and made people wonder why he could be the boyfriend of such a smart girl. And Tash,as Amy's best friend,was acting pretty good too,though she was so mad at Amy's behavior,she still didn't lose faith in her friend.
It is one of my favorite books in the Amy series. Suppose it won't let you down!
Hope this review is helpful to you!

This is the fifth installment in the Replica seires by Marilyn Kaye about a girl named Amy who finds out she is a ... This book proves the cliques [are bad], even though every school has them. I didnt really enjoy this book as much as the previous ones but it was still good and it still needs to be read to understand the series. Recommended.

This series of Sisters Grimm books by Michael Buckley has characters familiar to adult readers and to many kids, too. The characters come from fairy tales and from other children's literature, with this author's own spin on them. The books are as entertaining for an adult to read as for a child. My nine year-old and I both read them very quickly and did not want to put them down.
We also enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but after reading these books find the Potter books to be much longer and wordier than these. These are quick reads, yet have a lot of action in few pages. We definitely recommend them.

The second book in this thrilling fantasy series introducing Sabrina and Daphne's school, filled with strange mysteries. Tantilizing secrets about characters are revealed, an evil plot is discovered, and Sabrina and Daphne, as the fairy tale detectives, must find out what's going on! This fast-moving, magical, epic tale will keep you on the edge of your seat!

My girls, 8 and 10, thoroughly enjoyed this book. They are always begging for 'just a little bit more' every time we have to put the book down. They love making the connections to the fairy tale characters that they are familiar with from other stories.

Reviewed by Nicholas Pettrone (age 9) for Reader Views (7/07)

This is a neat book about these two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, who after their parents disappear, are sent to their grandmother's house to live. They aren't living in a normal town though because the town they live in is full of everafters, storybook people who are trying to live a normal life. There is Snow White who teaches in the grade school, Mr. Hamlin, the principal who is really the pied piper of Hamlin, Prince Charming who is the mayor, and believe it or not, there is even a boy named Puck, who is sort of an ornery fairy, causing trouble with the two sisters.

Sabrina and Daphne try to get their parents back, but run into one problem after another. Finally they think they have it all figured out and are going to grab their mom and dad and run when it happens -- they meet face to face with the person who grabbed their parents. It is a girl in a red cape with a hood and a nasty smirk on her face. If that isn't bad enough, the book ends here and we never do find out if they are going to save their parents.

I liked "The Sisters Grimm Book 2," and how the author put in all the cool storybook characters. I did wish though that we would hear more about Mr. Hamlin than we did, but since the book was good, it really didn't matter in the end. This was a cool book and one that would be neat read out loud in the classroom. I am taking my book to school next year to share. It's too good to keep all to myself!

I've enjoyed reading "The Sisters Grimm", and recommend it.
I particularly appreciate the "Wizard of Oz" references.

One section had me laughing out loud, an unusual occurance (outside of a Stephanie Plum novel). Even today, two weeks later, I still smile thinking about it. Without revealing anything, I'll just refer to the ink "drawing".
...get the series, and read it!