Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

The best book I've read since Deathly Hallows!
It's a great start to the series, but not much info about the outside world. Otherwise, it's amazing. Basil the wrathmonk shrinks Measle down to the size of a paperclip. By the time he's back to normal... well; you should read the book!

Throw in an ordinary boy named Measle, a completely insane dark wizard, a mysterious train set, 6 very small people, 1 very little brave dog, and a whole dump truck full of danger and you've got a wonderful adventure story with non-stop action and magic.

Out of all the books I've gone through, this is by far the best in all aspects of reading. If you don't believe me, read it yourself. =)))

My 1st grader thoroughly enjoyed this book being read to him, he found Measle's dog hilarious. We have just bought the next two, Measle and the Dragodon, Measle and the Mallockee.

Measle and the Dragodon is the sequel to the successful Measle and the Wrathmonk and the second in Ian Ogilvy's epic Measle series of book which chronicle the adventures of Measle Stubbs. These books are very entertaining as they are a bit like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events but with magic. The second book is sort of an epic, quest type of story in which Measle is living with his doting parents in glam Merlin Manor when they are kidnapped by a gang of Wrathmonks [mad warlocks] who want revenge for the death of Measle's ex-guardian, Basil Tramplebone [he got what he deserved]. The Wrathmonks take Measle's parents to the Isle of Smiles, a sinister abandoned theme-park in the middle of the ocean. The Wrathmonks are being manipulated by a creature whose name isn't revealed but who is the last survivor of a powerful race of beings known as the Dragodons. Now Measle must go on a quest to the Isle of Smiles, into the catacombs and engage the Dragodon in an almighty battle with the fate of the world at stake.
A dramatic climax, a good villain, a convincing plot and rather disgusting [Roald Dahl disgusting, not vulgar disgusting]humour make Measle and the Dragodon an entertaining book to say the least. I'm currently on the third in the series, Measle and the Malockee.

I really really like this book and have read it several times. I hope other readers won't be intimidated by the creepy cover and title because trust me, if you read this you'll want your own copy. This book is really exciting and suspenseful.

"The story is an uplifting, beautifully written and illustrated tale that is appropriate for a wide range of ages, from young children to adults. I have read hundreds of books and this one is unique -- lyrical, imaginative, and truly captivating -- my daughter and I could not put it down."

"As an educator for more than a decade, this is precisely the kind of inspirational story that is so hard to find. It has the ability to teach philosophy and at the same time the human struggle in terms that children can comprehend and relate to. I would love to see this as a video that could be shown at Christmas, Easter, Chanukah, or anytime. Congratulations!!!"
Kary Winther

This book was fantastic, truly captivating. A young boy faces challenges that we all go through, and to overcome he uses only the purity of his nature. A must for parents who want their children to learn valuble lessons. I give this 2 thumbs up. A sequel would be perfect. I say get this one for sure.

There have been so many books about fantasy but this one takes fantasy to a very personal level. It teaches simple lessons about love, honesty, faith, and perseverence. If I could be like Meru for just one day I think my life would totally change. It is a short book but each chapter takes you to a completely different place. I think everyone should read this book, both young and old.

I purchased a copy from the author in hawaii. I was with my husband and daughter and we recieved a signed copy of the book. My daughter is 11 years old and loved the book. I decided to read it and was amazed at the interest i took in it. It is an incredible journey of faith and hope that we as parents need in these difficult times. I am sending this copy to my niece i am sure she will be thrilled. Thank you Scarlet for your wonderful book and incredible belief in a better world...

I lvoe this book. It is so refreshing to have the main character as a strong intelligent woman who is not being described or defined only by anatomy. I strongly recommend this book to high schoolers. Let's start building a more positvie self image for our girls to grow into. I only wish Kagan had written more!!

Fair condition, book was a bit crooked, great story. Scifi mixed with biology and humor.

Great characterizations and an inventive premise make this an absolute favorite of mine. It's character-driven sci-fi, and watching Annie and Leo work through the puzzles Mirabile gives them and their team is a joy.

********** (10 STARS!)

I have bought at least a dozen of EACH of her books. I keep lending my copy, wanting my friends to enjoy Kagan's great stories. And I NEVER get the book back!

So I keep buying more.

Because when you find a GREAT read, you want to share it.

I gave half-a-dozen of her books as gifts for Christmas 2001, too - to great readers as disparate in age and interests as a 20-year old in the Army stationed in Uzbekistan to an 80-year old great-grandmother enjoying the sun in Florida.

And the good news today -- Janet Kagan is WRITING again!

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

She took part in a novel-writing contest this year, with a projected output of a 200-page book. (...)

I'm betting that Kagan's "contest" novel will turn in to a published work.

Hoping.

She's been spending a lot of time editing, etc. But she's WRITING again! Life is good.

If you haven't read any Janet Kagan, I think you are in for a very enjoyable read.

What can I say about Janet Kagan? She's written three books, and all three of them could have been justly called Mirabile (Wonderful in Latin). The other two, Hellspark and Uhura's Song are also favorites, but Mirabile is a delight, and just pure fun. Kangaroo rexes! Odders! Tulip bats! Oh the wonderful and surprising things that can happen to the wildlife when someone's been mucking around in their genepool. Annie Jason Masmajean is our heroine, I guess you would call her profession field genetics. It's her job to provide the colonists of Mirabile with the critters and plants they need to survive, and ensure that the strange beasties that keep cropping up (The scientists back on earth got cute with genetic redundancy), don't harm the colonists or the vital species that they need. It's a very light-hearted read, but not lacking one iota of depth. Between this book and her other two Janet Kagan has me itching for more. Anything she produces, I will buy, and there are very few authors I can say that about.

Both of my daughters enjoyed this series. I read it aloud to my younger daughter, who often doesn't have the patience for anything longer than a picture book. And her sister, who was in 7th or 8th grade at the time and reads voraciously, borrowed the set and scarfed them down in an afternoon. So they might be a good fit for middle school reluctant readers, since they have a pretty easy reading level but are capable of holding the interest of an older girl.

But I agree with the other reviewer who said the book doesn't really stand alone. Plan on continuing into the rest of the series.

My 6 year-old daughter and I are reading the 2nd book at present of this amazing series. The characters that Duey creates have awesome depth. Little Heart is so full of care and empathy. It's so wonderful to read of such a young girl putting the needs of others before her own needs. Avamir and Moonsilver are equally wonderful. My daughter and I can't wait to make it through the whole series!

My daughter (that usually hates to read) read this whole series when she was about 10 or 11. We got them through the library one summer and she would put her name on the list to get the books (that were already checked out) because she wanted to read them in order. I am in the process of ordering the series for my son's classroom. I read the series as well and I think it is one of the best book series I've seen in a long time. It is a captivating and sweet story that makes you cheer for Heart.

This is the best book I have ever read. It is really short and easy. If you buy this book you should get the rest of the books in this series, too.

My daughter brought the first book of this series home from the library and really enjoyed it. We looked it up on-line and were very excited to see that there were a total of 8 books in the series. She got all of them and we have really enjoyed reading them together (she is 7). A very sweet story with lots of the things that little girls love.

This was a good book to pick up if you are just getting into the Spawn universe. It does omit issue 9-10 because of writer issues that happened in the 90's, but it is still worth checking out!

Product came in mint condition, smartly packaged, and shipped quickly. The book is great and so was the price.

This is the first 12 comics of spawn created put together into a collection edition which makes it great for all those Spawn lovers who could never get ahold of the older comics.

Very good buy, that is if you're into Spawn Comics and what not. Sadly enough it's missing a few issues for licensing problems. But all in all pretty good deal and I highly enjoyed it.

The ultra high profile and notorious comic book that made the big name companies re-think a darker edge for their mainstream characters, Todd McFarlane's Spawn is here from the beginning. After gaining much notoriety working on Marvel's Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man, McFarlane was one of the architects behind Image Comics, and Spawn helped the fledgeling company get off the ground. We all know the origin by now: government agent Al Simmons meets his demise, and strikes a deal with the devil to return to Earth to be with his beloved wife Wanda. Simmons is resurrected as the Hellspawn: complete with supernatural powers and demonic chains and charred and scarred flesh to boot. When he returns, he finds Wanda has remarried his best friend Terry, and the two have a child together as well. Not to mention that his memory has been practically obliterated, and he soon seeks vengeance on those who did him wrong. Besides Spawn himself, this first collection introduces many pivotal characters that would become icons of the series, including the foul Clown and his demonic alter-ego, the Violator, as well as the equally evil human Jason Wynn, and a host of other deadly enemies and few allies. Full of over the top violence and themes, Spawn marked a new era in comics that started off well, but began a chain reaction in character creation and storytelling that almost buried the industry forever. McFarlane's storytelling still packs a punch, but it's his artwork that is the mixed bag. His regular, normal character models have never been anything to write home about, but it's his design of Spawn that has always made the book a seller, and this is undoubtadly the best the series ever was before it grew into stale repetitiveness. Since Spawn was a smash hit, a feature film soon followed (and we all know how well that turned out, remember?) as well as the excellent and short lived HBO animated series. If you were late getting into Spawn, check this out to see what all the fuss was about, and it's a worthy pick up for those who have fond memories of the series in it's early days but don't have the single issues.

It's been a long time since I have enjoyed a great adventure story such as this! With this book, I recaptured the same experience I had when I first read the "Hobbit". I sincerely hope Paul Kidd,if possible, would consider a second book! Kudos to the others reviewers who have been more eloquent than I!

Mus is one of my favorite books, so I thought I'd share it with a teacher at my school; little did I know it would take a lot of effort to find a new copy of my own. This book is one of the best examples of fantasy I can think of, and I just adore it. It's on my top 5, and that's saying a lot. Let's get it back into print! It deserves it a lot more that most books out there now.

I have already left a message here, but I feel that something else is necessary. After I left a review here, the author was kind enough the email me and thank me. I was too shy to email back and thank him. But I would just like to say that I love this book and that I hope it returns to print. It should,it really should. Even after a couple of years, It is stil my favorite book, and I have read many books. The other people here have reiterated their wonder in the quality of this novel so I will not be redundent. But, let me say that I find the book a sort of sanctuary where I can return to after I grow weary or depressed. Not that I am obsessed or anything. I only read it about 6 times :0)

When I first saw the cover, I thought it was Reepicheep from the Dawn Treader, the talking mouse of Narnia. It had a feather on its head, a needle of a sword and it stood on its hindlegs. This book deserved better attention, unlike blood and gore and cynical world weariness which seemed to pervade most fantasy books today.

Mus of Kerbridge is almost like one of Grimm's or Han Christian Anderson's fairy tales - of knights and castles, ladies and love, magic abound and courage renowned.

In a magical world which was not named, centaurs, humans, satyrs and harpies dwelt together within the same kingdoms. A political intrigue led to an accident which created another sentient race - the mouse of which Mus was the first. Mus was forced to infiltrate the chamber of Miriam, a centaur lady. Turning against his tormentor, and swore to protect his lady.

As war threatened the kingdom, Mus became the source of inspiration to battle-weary soldiers to rally against the invaders.

This book is very much written to relate to children, but cynical adults could learn a lot from it, if only to open themselves to the possibility of beauty and kindness.
Paul Kidd managed to re-create the fantasy feeling of childhood days in an expanded puss-in-boots fantasy.

From the website of original publisher TSR regarding Paul Kidd: "Up and coming novel releases may include... Mus of Kerbridge (2nd release by Streamline)..."

Those of us who have taken immense pleasure from reading and re-reading "Mus of Kerbridge" will be glad to see a second printing hit the shelves. Notice the quote says "may include" - it would be helpful if Mus fans wrote to Mr. Kidd via TSR and to Streamline to help facilitate this reprinting!

Perhaps it was the cute and rather silly picture on the cover, but "Mus of Kerbridge" didn't sell nearly as well as the story inside the cutesy cover deserved. I bought it when it first came out, in spite of the cover... and loved it! The story is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children; it has been a well-received and well-read gift many times. It has certainly kept my attention throughout the years and I still enjoy it quite as much as I did the first time!

The dialogue is occasionally a bit overdone in my opinion, but can not detract from the overall charm of this well-told tale. The plot is well-woven and the characters have substantial personalities and emotions. They are admirable people, even the enemy queen, showing strength of spirit and courage and a great lesson in appreciation for life.

"Next of Kin" is a winning "anti-war" war book, cut from the same cloth as "Catch-22" and "M*A*S*H." I guess it's more appropriate to say that "Catch-22" and "M*A*S*H" were cut from the same cloth as "Next of Kin" since it was writting in the '50s, whereas the other two came out in the '60s.

The fundamental message of "Next of Kin" seems to be that wars are started and managed by idiots and bureaucrats. Thus, you don't win a war by defeating armies; you win it by bringing down the idiots and bureaucrats. Lt. Leeming, Russell's protagonist in "Next of Kin," understands this perfectly. He'd rather volunteer for a long-term, solitary recon. mission with little chance of ever getting home again than hang around the base and have to put up with high-ranking morons who bark nonsense at him like how an unzipped fly will lead to their side losing the war. Unlike Heller's Cpt. Yossarian or the doctors in M*A*S*H, who struggle just to endure the idiocy and bureacracy thrust upon them, Leeming, from his position as a lowly POW, can see the "illogical logic" of the military mind and exploits it for his own gain. In doing so, he inadvertently infects the enemy's entire bureaucratic war machine with a sort of "virus of ideas" which, by the last page, leaves the reader with the distinct impression that the war is finally about to end because of -- rather than in spite of -- the idiots and bureaucrats on both sides who wear the General's uniforms.

because you will laugh out loud repeatedly.

When I started to read scifi, I believed it had to be very serious to be, in general, considered a good book. Now I have read this book, I know my assumption was wrong. This is a greatly written scifi novel, the author has a great "voice", and his main character is one that will live in my head for quite some time, making me giggle whenever I see the word Nut, or read about someone named Eustace.

This is a book that belongs in a scifi lover's library, next to those very serious, excellent thick volumes of scifi novels.

You won't regret it :)

This book is another excellent bit of Russell, though to be read for fun rather than for any "message".

It is possibly set in the same universe as "Wasp" (though if so it is much further in the future, and the Sirians are now our allies) and at all events in a very similar interstellar war situation. The hero, John Leeming, is of a kind very familiar to Russell's readership, an uppity "individualist afflicted with the fidgets" who is thoroughly allergic to authority and to the military way of life in general, and has a disciplinary record like a crime sheet from Police Gazette - though an excellent combat one. Again typically for a Russell hero, he is the pilot of a one-man scoutship, who likes it that way and doesn't miss human company in the slightest. This was something that drew me to Russell as a boy, and which I suspect is at least partly autobiographical. Sent off on a reconnaissance mission far behind enemy lines, about halfway through the book he is marooned on a hostile world and taken prisoner. The rest of the novel is given over to his attempts to get back home.

Unlike James Mowry, Leeming is not totally alone on his world; in fact there are several hundred other prisoners with him. But while he does accept some help from one of them, and does his best to return the favour later, this is very much the exception that proves the rule. Leeming does everything almost as singlehandedly as Mowry, taking no part in the others' escape attempts, nor involving them in any way in his own activities. These latter are very idiosyncratic indeed, with a distinct touch of the Fortean "we are property" concept which influences much of Russell's work. I shall not give the ending away, but merely observe that (aided by certain local superstitions) they succeed beyond their author's wildest dreams, not only achieving their intended purpose, but much more besides.

If put under oath, I would have to confess that I don't find NoK quite as credible as some of Russell's other yarns. I cannot quite believe in Leeming's success the way I can in Mowry's. But if you are willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the fun, then it is a great read. Go get it.

It has been several years since I have read "Next of Kin," but I have recommended it to every reader I know, whether they are fans of science fiction or not. Unless I am mistaken the story was written in 1954, long before manned space travel, and it is obvious by the description of the spacecraft and the perceptions of space travel. This does not in any way detract form the story, but in some way adds a bit to the humor. John Leeming is the main character. He is assigned to a remote area in outer space to act in some type of military capacity (either diplomacy or intelligence). But he is visited by misfortune and crash-lands on an alien planet which happens to be at war. Leeming finds himself imprisoned and labeled a spy. The story is a slow read until this point (approximately one full third to half of the book), but then the plot takes off into a wildly hilarious sprint that becomes increasingly more ingenious until the finale. Leeming has absolutely nothing at his disposal to aid in escape except for a block of wood and some copper wire that he strips from his prison bed, visual and audible observations from his cell window, and the most important element of all: superstitious and incredibly gullible captors. Leeming sets out on a journey of wit that convinces his jailers that invisible beings are poised to trample them into nothingness at his beckoned call, and that their allies are "nuts" (a term that takes on a whole new world of meaning, hence the creative genius of this work once you read the story).

This book is what all science fiction humor should be. The closest I have found are from the stories of Terry Pratchet's "Disc World" and related series', and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," although "Next of Kin" is far superior to them, at least as a stand-alone story. I HIGHLY recommend this story to ANY reader! It is thoroughly entertaining!

I am not a big sci-fi fan. I rarely read the stuff. Except for the occasional Star-Trek, I rarely watch it. When my dad handed me his copy of this book, I opened it with some trepidation...until I nearly split my gut laughing. Now, this kind of humor isn't funny to everyone. Neither my mom nor my husband finds it nearly as funny as we do. They mainly use words like "goofy" which it is, but as that was the intention, it is absolutely brilliant.

In this story, Leeming is taken prisoner by lizard aliens, far beyond the boundaries of friendly space, and effects his escape, not in a desperate attempt to plunge over the walls, but by calling on his Eustace.

What's a Eustace? I would never give it away. You'll have to read it for yourself and find out.

I also recommend this book to English teachers who are having a hard time weaning their students away from conventional word choices. Even the few swear words are mostly made up!

Back in the seventies, Silverberg really could do no wrong, at least by my estimation. Pretty much everything he did was an interesting bit of SF in its own right and often explored topics that SF didn't normally cover, or did it in ways that were new at the time. And he did this without being overly avant-garde or lessening the emotional impact of the work. "Nightwings" is probably overlooked because it was in its most famous form as a novella and in fact won a Hugo (and was also nominated for a Nebula) that year. Novellas are hard to release because they aren't long enough to warrant their own publication, so you either have to bundle them up in anthologies or piggyback them onto other books that may or may not have anything to do with the story in question. Fortunately Silverberg seemed to get around that problem by writing two other novellas to act as continuations of the story begun in "Nightwings". In the story he takes us to a far-future Earth that exists in the wake of a far more technologically advanced society that collapsed some centuries back. In this world humanity had fragmented into guilds, each serving their own purpose. Our viewpoint character is a Watcher, one of those who scans the skies in the event that we're invaded. Nobody really expects that to happen. But it turns out that everybody is wrong. The invasion, though, is almost beside the point. While it's the main bit in the first novella, what Silverberg does in the other two is deepen what we've already seen, exploring the intricacies of this new society and also how it reacts to sudden outside influence. In doing so, the Watcher sees humanity attempting to figure out if it has a place on its own planet, as well as trying to face its own shameful history that led it to this point. Its telling that for all the attention paid to the pretty flying people, they barely figure into the story, except to symbolize what most of us can't do. Silverberg manages to sketch out a fairly complex society in what amounts to very few pages, giving us enough for the big picture while letting us fill in the blanks, especially when it comes to the past history of Earth. He does this without making the novel six hundred pages and part of a larger trilogy. His prose, as is typical of this period, is sharp and lyrical, and he gives us plenty of nice mental images to take home: Pilgrims slouching toward renamed cities of our day, Fliers soaring into places most people can't go, people walking amongst the ruins of a past nobody can fully contemplate, decadent palaces and men both petty and bestial. It's fascinating and what other writers would spend entire series exploring, Silverberg nails it all in barely two hundred pages. And at the end we don't need to see more, he's shown us enough. Its impact isn't as great as his better known novels (it appears to share some of its themes with "Downward to the Earth") but the images it leaves us with of a future that is still recognizable even after everything is changed makes it one of his more notable works, and well worth giving your time to.

"Nightwings", an elegant collection of three novellas, shows the young Robert Silverberg at his lyrical best, telling a haunting, mesmerizing tale of a far flung Earth subjugated by the citizens of a distant planet once ruled by a brutal, imperial Earth. Told through the eyes of a "Watcher" - a former member of a feudalistic guild whose members were in charge of Earth's defense - the entire book works as a memorable tale of almost insurmountable loss, followed by redemption. Silverberg takes us on a magical journey through the streets of Roum (Rome), Paris and Jorslem (Jerusalem). Not surprisingly, the first novella, "Nightwings" - which chronicles the Roum adventures of the Watcher as the city is conquered by aliens - earned a Hugo Award.

The opening story of this collection, "Nightwings," is a classic: dealing with a decayed Earth, sexaul jealousy, a fascinating "guild" system, and alien invasion, it is one of the high points of the post-Golden Age era. The other two stories in the collection, while not terrible, do little more than flesh out the world. The major problem here is that "Nightwings" is avaiable in Silverberg's excellent collection _Phases of the Moon_; if you like science fiction at all, that book should be on your shelf. As such, it renders this collection somewaht unnecessary.

I am happy to say that this is the greatest book for science fiction lovers anywhere!! Silverberg has yet again astounded me with this awesome tale. Anyone who can read should read this book. :)

Long before Silverberg's Marjipoor Chronicles, there was "Nightwings."

This slim volume consists of three linked novellas that tell the story of a man who loses the woman he loves, and through one mistake, fails at his life's work and allows his world to be conquered. But ultimately, this is not a story about failure, but one about growth, renewal, love and redemption.

The story takes place on an Earth far in the future, one that has been brought to its knees by its own former arrogance. It is now a technological backwater in a large galaxy and has reverted to a medievalesque guild system. While some Watch the skies using intricate and decaying machinery, others Remember the world's history, and still others Dominate, using their position abusively where they will. The Fliers, descendants of genetically engineered humans fill the skies with beauty as they soar.

A Watcher loves the Flier with whom he has been travellling, but she loves another. He loses her in an invasion whose early signs he neglected to report. In the ensuing chaos, the Watcher becomes the unlikely custodian to a fallen Dominator and wanders the world trying to rebuild his life. He works as a Rememberer, learns the forgotten history at the heart of his world's downfall, and is ultimately purified, renewed, and given hope in the ancient city of Jorselm.

The story of "Nightwings" is simple and simply told, but it has a lyricism and beauty that make it memorable. Many of its themes resonate profoundly with contemporary concerns about cultural hubris, greed, and the growth of technology without the wisdom to regulate it properly. In the face of political devastation, personal redemption becomes intertwined with societal redemption.

"Nightwings" is a haunting and perceptive book. It made quite a splash when originally it was originally published, and the first part won a Hugo for Best Novella in 1969. It is good to have it available in paperback again.

I read this book 10+ years ago and couldn't put it down. I first read it in Jr. high and it was just amazing. So much imagery and description that it really brings you in to the story. Now that I'm much older I still find myself thinking of the story now and then at random moments. I've always loved horses and books, and this book was just in its own caliber. Even reading it today, it does not lose its charm. Thanks so much for writing this!!!!!

More great writing from Mary Stanton - and it takes us right into the dark heart of the Black Barns this time (those that were tantalised by the pure evil of Scant and He Who Should Not Be Named in the first book will be in their element here!). Along side all this excitement there are again some real moral dilemmas for our heroes to come to terms with, giving the tale the depth and emotional punch of it's prequel.

Stanton's gift for pacing and visualisation results in some truly breathtaking sequences here - and she introduces some great, strong characters to take up where Duchess, Cory et al left off in the last book. Some relatively minor characters are also memorable and provide great comic relief - Namer and the old mare at the rodeo, for instance.

As with the first Book, i'm still gunning for an animated movie.. come on people - we've got the technology now. Let's have it! ...The only full-length animated 'horsey' feature to get any press at all in recent years was 'Spirit'. A well-handled movie of 'Piper' or 'Heavenly Horse' (that is to say.. one that sticks fairly closely to the book) would surely trample all over that, given the chance! Especially in the current climate for epic sagas such as LOTR.

[SPOILER!!>>]The day i can sit in a cinema and, over a lapful of spilt popcorn, see that moment where the Dark Lord spends ages flattering Blackjack and promising him untold powers.. only to have him respond nonchalantly 'No thanks!' i'll be a happy woman!

(..even making a mental soundtrack in anticipation..
Nick Drake - way to blue.. Chicane - saltwater... Strawberry Fields for Piper's hallucination... the list goes on...)

Or ..possibly.. could we dare to hope for another book to make a trilogy..? Somehow i suspect not as it's been over a decade - but we could always pray to Equus, i suppose...;o)

I read this book at least 3 times before tracking down it's predecessor and I love it! It's still my favorite book and despite the fact I missed the first half (if not for the "sequel" status noted on the cover I would never had known) I was nay lost at any point during the story. Wonderful characters on a wonderful journey that have inspired many years of writing, drawing, imagination and dreams. What a gem!

In my opnion Piper At The Gate is by far the best book i've ever read. Unfortunitly I havem't had the pleasure of reading it's precessor but I ordered it in hopes it would be half as good as Piper At The Gate. Mary Stanton in an incredibly talented author and I would reccomend this book to everyone I know, whether they were horse lovers or not. Definitly order a copy of this, you won't regret it for one second.

I lvoed this books so much i bought it at ebay for a small fortune, i HAD to have my own copy. Piper does have a few flaws - IF you've read the origonal Heavenly horse. the editor just missed a few facts - like taht it was POnys FOX that was demanded as a price, not Piper himself. Not a big enough deal to be annoyed about though, THis IS a fantastic book and theres a revistiation by our old friend Cory the collie in this book ( a version of him and even of newton the barn cat can be seen in the recent unicorns of balinor boks by the same author)

If you like Basil and dill or even the info about the dark barns of this book your in luck, in the unicorns' books, basil and dill not only make an appperance, but so does the pit and "He whos hall not be named in the dark"

READ READ READ!

I am a fifth grade teacher on Long Island. My lunchtime book club just read, and met to discuss Alan Silberberg's "Pond Scum". The book was a big hit with all the kids, who greatly enjoyed the plot and the characters. The other teachers and I also enjoyed the book, and the discussions it lead to. We would definitely recommend it to teachers from grades four and up as a read aloud, book club book, or class novel. All of us, students and teachers alike, are eagerly awaiting a sequel!!!

I absolutely love this book! I picked up this book thinking it was another one of those strange books impossible to actually like, but think twice before rejecting this book.

This is about a boy named Oliver who is satisfied living in the city, but his divorced mom comes home one day and tells Oliver and his sister Rachel that she got a new job and that they'd be moving. Little did they know, there is an Alliance of animals at the pond near the house whose only goal is to keep the humans away: humans have created too much harm to Pond. Despite the Alliance's efforts, Oliver's family moves in to the old and run-down house anyway.

The interesting part comes when television-obsessed Oliver can't get the channels he wants on his TV. He climbs onto the roof to install an anntena, but a crow tries to chase him away from the house. Oliver falls through the roof and lands on this shiny gem in the attic. He later learns that this gem posseses a secret power that will change Oliver's life forever...

I can't tell you any more...it would give it away. But take my word for it. This book is one of the most fun books you'll ever read, it has a great story and interesting characters, and you'll never want to put it down. Read Pond Scum today!!!

This weekend I read Pond Scum, by Alan Silberberg. I was a bit put off by this book at the beginning. Specifically, I took exception to the introduction of Oliver, a boy who pulls the wings off of flies. What bothered me wasn't so much that Oliver was a boy pulling the wings off of flies (though this is hardly a pleasant attribute). No, what bothered me was this sentence: "He wasn't a bad kid -- just a lonely boy who felt compelled to snatch the flies that kept him company." I mean, shouldn't the author show this, instead of telling us that Oliver isn't a bad kid? Perhaps because I was irritated by this, it took me a while to get into this book.

But Pond Scum grew on me (so to speak). It's a quirky story about a family that moves into an isolated, long-abandoned house, located next to a small pond. The pond and surrounding wood are positively teeming with wildlife. The various birds, animals, and insects make up much of the cast of the book. There are various conflicts occurring between different interest groups: between Oliver and his father; between Oliver and kids at school; between the pond creatures and the humans (especially the real estate agent); between the "kid" pond creatures and the adults; and between the "adult" leaders of the affiliation of creatures. These conflicts swirl about and intersect throughout the book.

But where things really get out of hand (and this is not much of a spoiler, because it's on the back of the book) is when Oliver discovers a way to turn himself into one of the creatures, and interacts with them directly.

On the one hand, this is a fairly simple story, about animals relating to one another, and a boy who has trouble fitting in. But Silberberg manages to address a remarkable number of larger issues, as well as environmental concerns, all with a very light hand. Oh, I still have a few quibbles over some of the writing (show, don't tell, and all that). But overall, I think that kids will find it an enjoyable read, somewhat reminiscent of Hoot. And it might make them think twice about stepping on insects, and certainly about pulling the wings off of flies. (This review is reprinted here, after being initially published on my blog)

Have you ever thought, "If I could turn into any animal I wanted too, what would it be?" Well, even if you never have, after you read Alan Silberberg's Pond Scum you may. One day Oliver, an 11 year old boy, finds out about his horrid future; he has to move! Oliver moves into a house by a beautiful pond: however, it's the animals that live by the pond that aren't so pretty. The animals hate humans and will do anything to make sure they are not around. One dull day Oliver is just sitting around his room, boared because Oliver's new house didn't have cable. Oliver has to do something, so he finds junk lying around and climbs up to the roof to find his own way to get cable. Antoine, a crow, in one of his crazy plans to get rid of humans, suicide bombs Oliver. he hits Oliver right in the chest, they both fell through the roof. They find themselves sprawled about the attic. Oliver is fine, but Antoine has broken his wing. As Oliver stands up he sees something gleaming out of the corner of his eye. He looks around and finds a glowing stone. Oliver puts the stone in his pocket and decides he would take care of the crow. One day while he was exploring the pond he finds a salamander, he decides to keep it. Later during one of his classes he catches a fly, ans snaps the wings off. Then he remembers he needs to feed his salamander, so he slips the fly into his pocket. All of a sudden the room starts spinning, Oliver quickly runs to the bathroom. When everything stopps spinning Oliver looks into the mirror. He doesn't see himself. He sees a fly! He was a fly! Oliver can't find a way to become himself again; he starts to cry, the only words he can say are, "I wish I was a kid again." When Oliver says those words everything starts spinning again. When it stops, Oliver is a boy again. He reaches into his pocket to get out the fly, but he accidentally pulls out the stone. Oliver soon finds out what that stone really does, transforms you into any animal it touches. Oliver tries it on his crow and salamander and soon has two new friends. Oliver explores the pond and makes new friends, and new enemies. This is a great book, and I would recommend it to people of all ages. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

I bought this book for my 9 year old son. It is very difficult finding books that engage him. He'd rather be playing baseball or tennis. But from the moment we started reading "POND SCUM" and meeting all the buggy characters like Mooch and Willy, he was totally into it. In fact, he loves reading it out loud, because he wants to share with us all the funny things that happen.

The author obviously has spent time researching insects, birds and fish. (Oh, yeah and real estate agents, too.) It is this substantial knowledge that supports the story and creates characters that feel real. (You'll think twice about stepping on an ant or swatting a fly after reading this book.)

As I read along with my son, I can "see" this story and have no doubt we will find it on the big screen soon.(Jack Black as the hungry salamander?)

I bought a few more copies for gifts.

Bravo for "Pond Scum."