Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

"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."

A very entertaining book. Thanks to the other reviewers because without their recommendations I wouldn't have gotten bought this book. You know what they say about Chinese food, how it is delicious and very filling but thirty minutes after you are done you are hungry again? Well, this book is the opposite. It is such an easy read and so fast paced that you go through it effortlessly and enjoy it a lot, but then hours, even days, later you find yourself still thinking about some of the ideas the book introduces and the complex but very satisfying plot (it ties up what you thought were loose ends beautifully). For example, the idea of nanorobots building a complex city from a single robot in the same way a human rises from a single fertilized egg is fascinating. I will definitely be looking for any future books that Richards writes to buy for my family.

The Resnick family has just moved to the most boring place on earth, Brewster, Pennsylvania. The kids, Ryan and Regan, can't figure out why their parents choose to take this job. Their parents had been offered plenty of great jobs all over the world and they'd always declined. Then, out of the blue, their parents suddenly tell them that they are moving to the middle of no where.

What Ryan and Regan don't know is that their parents are keeping a secret from them, an extremely large secret. There is no Proact, the company where the children's parents are supposed to work. Their parents actually work on a super secret project called Prometheus. The truth of this project is absolutely out of this world.

Trapped is a complete thrill ride. These kids use their brains and their creativity to get them into and out of the most amazing adventures. I enjoyed the story so much that I've already picked up a copy of the next book in this series.

After six weeks in Brewster, Pennsylvania, Ryan and Regan Resnick are looking for anything at all to help relieve their boredom. So, when they discover their scientist parents are working in a top-secret facility where something seems suspicious, they want to find out what's going on.

Getting in requires some logic and skill, but they soon find that getting out might pose a larger problem, as will saving their mother from certain death.

As they explore this fascinating location, they come across challenges that test their intellect and reasoning ability. Using the scientific method, they need to discover how to navigate this strange environment that occasionally turns hostile on them. And saving their mother will be the ultimate test.

This book held my interest from the moment I picked it up. Just like Ryan and Regan, I wanted to know what was happening in Prometheus Alpha, and I tried to solve the puzzle of how to get in right along with them.

The alien city was reminiscent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts, where anything could happen, and there were no limits to the places they could go or the things they could do. I would have loved for the kids to spend more time exploring, but under the circumstances, they had no time to waste.

The unique puzzle they needed to solve to save their mother made my head spin, but ultimately their logic was right on. It certainly will give kids something to think about.

This is a well-written and enjoyable science fiction adventure. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger
Bergers Book Reviews

"The Prometheus Project: Trapped" by Douglas Richards lives up to its press release which had these among others:

* The California Department of Education added it to its list of "Recommended Literature for Math & Science.".
* National Geographic Kids senior editor Catherine Hughes wrote "Captured is a page-turner that kids -and their parents-will love reading".
* The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, a home schooling publication, wrote "unlike any book that I have ever read."

The last one captured my interest. As a home school Dad who helps with math and science anything that helps me out works for me!

This is a science fiction book. Sci-fi is a genre I grew up reading. My favorite was Issac Asimov, whose books were always based on factual science, and this is what I expect of my Sci-fi, a little learning with the fun. Trapped did not disappoint me!

The main characters are an older brother and younger sister whose parents are brilliant scientists working on a top-secret project exploring an alien underground city. The kids use their smarts to break into the city and with the help of the telepathic computer teacher in the city, saves their mother from a deadly accident.

I read the book in 2 days, splitting the reading at Chapter 14. The first half seemed rather slow. The only science was a using talcum powder to `see' the laser sensor beams trick, and then there were 2 word puzzles used to figure out the secret passwords, which I liked. However, the second half really packed it in!

The scientific method, gravity and falling objects, nano-technology, and problems of observation and hypothesis are just of few of the lessons the kids learned. Add to that courage and determination to solve these problems and you've got what makes this book special.

An added bonus was the dialogue. The adults didn't talk down to the kids, but they did talk at their level. The kids were respectful while arguing and standing up for what they wanted.

I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading the next!

My kids haven't enjoyed a book this much since Harry Potter. They want to know when the sequel is coming out!

Varina has always thought of herself as a normal teenager until her Uncle Jim gets attacked and when a strange boy tries to convince her that she's in danger. Varina willing goes with Chase when she almost gets attacked. Now Chase is trying to convince Varina that she is a scientific experiment or in other words, a clone and that an evil scientist wants them and the other clones distroyed. Varina doesn't believe that she is a clone but she is still willing to help find the others to warn them before the evil scientist can get them first.

I liked this book. It was just soo cool. I like the way the awesome writer L.J. Singleton makes this wonderful piece of fiction seem a reality.

The events in this story sound like it could really, really happen.

Of course it would be amazing if they did. It deals with action, a hint of romance (it's not THAT bad. This book is for kids and YAs. The romance here is like Brock from Pokemon crushing on Nurse Joy or something.), and, of course, adventure.

What a FANTASTIC new series! Besides being well-written, and a real page-turner, it is totally intriguing because it COULD happen! WOW! I couldn't put it down. L.J. Singleton has created a compelling cast of characters who are in big trouble. I can't wait to read the next book and find out what happens. I highly recommend this book!

Varina has been living a fairly normal life with her Uncle Jim, but then she comes home one day to find the house trashed and her uncle seriously injured in the study. Then things get worse. A stranger called Chase tries to ell her that she is a clone - one of five - but she doesn't want oto believe him. Because her uncle wanted her to, Varina helps Chase track down the other three clones. As they search they are hunted by Dr.Victor and his companion Geneva - both want to test them and then destroy them.

I found this novel both gripping and well written. Varina is the kind of character who gets under your skin and makes you pay attention. The stroy of this novel is strong and I found myself on the edge of my seat each time a new snippet of information came through.

Cloning is a hot topic for novels at the moment - Replica is the best known series, but it has come up in other novels like "Starsplit" by Kathryn Lasky. The scariest thing about these novels is that you can picture it happening somewhere out there. This series is similar to some extent to the Replica series, but this is more challenging and more interesting - after twenty-odd novels Replica is getting just a little bit boring. Regeneration is both using an old idea and making it original.

You have got to try this book and make a decision for yourself - but I don't think you will regret picking this novel up.

I met Linda Joy Singleton at a Literary Writing Conference my school held a few months ago. I had a little class with Mrs. Singleton. She was very nice and taught us a lot about writing and publishing books. "Regeneration" is an awesome book with a fun, mysterious, and creative story that you are sure to love. The five books in the series are so good that it takes you a while to find another type of book as entertaning. I would recomend this book to anyone. ~Diandra M. Age: 14

I loved this as a child and my son loves it just as much now that I have introduced it to him. A true classic for kids.

A continuation of a great book. To be able not just to find these houses, but to actually get to live in one... I'm fairly sure this is where my dream of buying an old Victorian fixer-upper came from. It's not a sequel that you wish had never been written, it's one that you're extremely grateful was written. It continues with the same air of mystery - things to be found, adventures to be discovered - all while providing a very happy ending for all of those involved. Definitely a classic that I plan on sharing with my own children someday.

I am spending this summer re-reading all of my favorite children's books. I have a copy of Gone Away Lake, and was thrilled to obtain a copy of the sequel. I also have other books by Elizabeth Enright and hope that my granddaughter will enjoy them as much as I did (and still do). Ms Enright is a great writer.

I discovered this sequel to the original "Gone Away Lake" just recently, and was surprised because I never realized it existed! Having read "Gone Away" as an adolescent, I was caught up in the story immediately, and always wondered what happened after the story ended. Well, now I know! In fact this sequel is just as good as the original, and actually seems like more of a continuation of the original story than a sequel. You will fall in love all over again with not only the story but the characters as well. Miss Enright just seemed to know exactly how to tell a story to hold a reader's interest and make the characters unforgettable. While written for children, these stories will also capture the imagination of adults, many of whom will remember the original story from their childhood. Kudos to Elizabeth Enright...she will be sorely missed!

I loved this book as a child, looking forward to giving my nephew a copy. Give your children a break from video games and violent movies...

I thought Peter Lerangis did an exquisite job at creating a suspensful setting. This book is about a 14-year-old, Adam Sarno, still trying to relieve himself of the four years of grief in result of his best friend drowning in a hockey accident. He finds a video camera that everyone thinks is broken, but he can see into the past with it. Is he merely insane or gifted? The ending was very shocking.

I found this book very enjoyable. I couldn't put it down. The excitement Peter Lerangis crafted into it was amazing. I loved it, I recomend this book to anyone who loves suspense.

Before I was given this book, it was like pulling teeth to get me to read. After beginning this book, I REALLY could not put it down. I just had to turn another page. And another. And another. It was almost like participating in a soccer game where you just don't know what's going to happen next. I was caught reading this book in class at school. The teacher thought it was so cool that I was so involved in the book, that she actually GAVE me the book! She had never seen me like that, she couldn't believe I was actually reading. Really I couldn't believe it myself!
THIS IS A GOTTA READ BOOK!

I am a teacher in Newark and had my students read this book in class. They could not put it down and kept reading ahead awaiting what would happen next. Any parents trying to get their child to read should get this book.

Wow were the first words that came out of my mouth. That day I had just gotten back from a used book store and picked this book out. This had been the best book I had ever read. The ending was fasinating and the style of writing he used was, well... super. I loved this book so much I rushed to school the next day and got all my friends to read it. They loved it too, but that wasn't enough, I then got my family to read it. My mom was estatic. I then had to get the rest of the series. And, just like the first, I love them and always will.

Four years ago, a boy named Edgar died in an accident while playing a game of ice hockey. His best friend, Adam, is always reminded of that night in his dreams. He knows he could have helped him and he knows he tried, but the fact remains...it was his idea to go out and play on that ice with Edgar and his other friend Lianna. Even though he knows what happened, he doesn't remember it at all for some reason. Nobody will explain to him what happened, either, because they know he's blocked his memory out for a reason. But he was there and he feels ashamed and guilty, worried that he may never know the details...until one day when he comes across a camera that acts strange, displaying the wrong picture and doing other similar things. Adam presumes it's broken until he see's something from four years ago through the lens of the camera. He steps into the scene in which he is ten and reading a book, and it becomes his reality until he chooses to leave or the camera is disturbed. He uses the camera a few other times and actually rearranges history by interfering with the scenes he experiences. Nobody else can see this, either. The four-year anniversary of Edgar's accident is coming up in a few days and Adam is eagerly awaiting the moment so that he can bring Edgar back. The camera, however, will show Adam things he will not want to see. It will show him the truth, but the truth is far from what he thinks happened. In fact, it's much worse. Soon, the camera is missing and time is running out before the day arrives. Adam must retrieve it in time and keep it safe while he attempts to change history and bring back his best friend from the dead.

The second book in the Watchers series is far superior to the first. Peter Lerangis has well-developed his knack for writing the mysterious and suspensful, and in this book even the innermost emotions of a hurting person. It will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last sentence when a shocking ending via Sixth Sense occurs. I enjoyed this book way more than Last Stop and I found it even more envolved and intriguing. It should not be overlooked by anyone of any age.

Shippey walks the reader through Tolkien's lifelong fascination with and love and study of language, which is the golden thread of Tolkien's depiction of humankind through the mists of our earliest time on the planet.

This book is quite simply superb in every conceiveable respect. It is written by a scholar who understands and respects Tolkien's own scholarly passion for philology, the science and stories of the evolution of words and language. This is very different from the humanistic field of literary criticism, and Shippey explains at some length what a philologist can and cannot do. The close reader will end Shippey's book with a wistful feeling that some very wrong turns have been made in academia over the past one hundred years, and one of the reasons for Tolkien's greatness in his time was quite simply his refusal to accept or acknowledge that these wrong turns had been made. At bottom, a scholar of literature is, or at least ought to be, someone who loves words. We will always have a few of these people among us, and Tolkien's and Shippey's works remind us that no overgrown pathway is ever truly lost.

Tom Shippey has an intimate knowledge of the mind and creative processes of the late Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, perhaps nearly as intimate a knowledge as Christopher Tolkien himself. The degree of the schism between language and literature professors of his day was most startling, and how that affected the early critics' appraisals of his masterpiece was also not what I had expected. Tom Shippey's knowledge of JRR Tolkien's mind is most revealing and is encyclopedic, and his ability to explain how deeply the master philologist would see legends and myths in the most ordinary of names and words left me thunderstruck. I have read all five of the main Middle Earth volumes several times and have read some of the Lost Tales, but I had not gained any insight from previous volumes saying how Pr. Tolkien created his world. The authors of those books seemed to lack legitimacy. Tom Shippey does not have that problem, and his book demonstrates that he is Pr. Tolkien's bona fide pupil and linguistic heir. Fans of Middle Earth should be thankful for Tom Shippey's insight, an insight that could only be bettered by Christopher Tolkien, or Pr. Tolkien himself.

Tom Shippey is a profound student of Tolkien with a deep love of middle-earth and a deep understanding of it and its origins.

Unlike so many academics, he is a fine writer. He has style, insight and erudition. Professor Shippey succeeded to Tolkien's chair at Oxford and he has the feeling of Tolkien's world in his bones. He knows Tolkien not only as a fantasist but also as a philologist and understands - and can explain in simple and lucid language - how Tolkien's studies of words influenced his creative work. He has also written interesting critiques of science-fiction.

This is a most valuable book that will contribute proufoundly to any reader's understanding and appreciation of Tolkien's greatness without - and this is very important! - destroying the magic.

I know Tolkien's work well and cannot fault this book.

Shippey's "J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century" places Tolkien in the context of his time. "The Road to Middle-earth" has the more scholastically challenging job of placing Tolkien in the context of his tradition. As that tradition is primarily philological and philosophical, these are his subjects. He tells us what Tolkien meant the words and names in his stories to mean; he tells us how Tolkien used modern language to convey modern and ancient styles and philosophies in contrast; he tells us how the Ring mediates two mutually exclusive concepts of evil; he explains Tolkien's complex narrative strategies; he dresses down critics who misunderstand Tolkien and blame him for not fitting into their concepts of literature; and he does all this with such a blistering display of erudition and general intelligence that the reader sits back amazed.

The book is discursive, and the opening theoretical chapters may seem heavy going, but have patience: they provide necessary context. Shippey has Tolkien's measure in full throughout. He explains what was important to Tolkien, what Tolkien thought he was doing, and - no less vitally - why it is necessary to understand this if one is not to bash Tolkien in annoyance for not accomplishing something totally different.

If you read Shippey, will you necessarily understand Tolkien? No. But if you don't read Shippey, and if you also don't have his insight and knowledge, you will not fully understand Tolkien.

I first read A Rustle in the Grass in gradeschool. From then on (I'm 16), I haven't read a better book. Every last character is very well made, from Dreamer to Storyteller to the Spider. This book might look childish when you first see it, but it is an excellent tale for all ages.

As a kid I was very interested in social insects. I had an ant farm, I absorbed hundreds of books on ants, bees, wasps and termites. I watched PBS specials and National Geographic shows whenever the topic was about any one of the above creatures.
So, when I found this book only a few years ago I bought it on the spot.
The story is good but I have been spoiled by my knowledge of how social insects, like ants, really work together, so much of the story seems silly to me. As a child I would have loved it but as an adult who finds facts to be more wonderful than any fiction, it didn't really do anything for me.
It is fantasy, pure and simple, yet it reminds us about another world. While hiking only a few weeks ago, me and a friend, found a few yards of the path covered with a swarm of large ants. They seemed to be searching, foraging, all working together - none that I could see were fighting each other so I assume they were all from the same nest. There must have been thousands on the path and in the grass bordering it. My friend pointed out that there was a jungle right under our feet.
The ants ignored us even as we tried to walk down the path without stepping on them. We were not of their world - not even dangerous giants to flee from. Maybe we were like a storm or a flash flood - a part of nature that they can't do anything about so why get upset over it?
A good book for a child but not really for an adult unless that person had it as a child and had good memories of it.

I first discovered this book when I was nine years old. My parents went to a flea market, and I had a quarter that I was determined to spend. The only thing I found for a quarter was this book- "A Rustle in the Grass." I bought it.

As a fourth grader, it took me nearly two months to finish. But it became my favorite book until this day. (I am now 24.) I made a habit of reading it once a year. When I was in sixth grade, my teacher told the class that she would read our favorite books after lunch time, if we would bring them to her. Naturally I brought this book to her. But I guess she was skeptical, b/c somehow all the other books that kids brought got read first (and some of them were pretty dumb). Finally, a week before school was out, I begged her to start the book. She did. We got through about three chapters and school was done. My teacher asked to borrow the book over the summer. I let her, and the following year received it back. Two years later my younger sister was in sixth grade and had this same teacher. She said in our classroom bookshelf there was a 20-copy set of this book for all of the students to read. Apparently my teacher also loved it.

As time went by I let someone borrow my copy and never saw it again. I had to order another copy from Barnes and Noble (they don't carry it) and then I ended up giving that one to a friend. I bought another used copy but I never seem to be able to keep something so good to myself. Last year I got married, and I just bought a new used copy. I am quite excited to read this book to my husband.

Although relatively unknown and unheard of, this is by far the best fiction book ever written. I love it, and I have no doubt that anyone who reads it will as well. It is a magical story that tells the tale of human nature, the good and the bad, as portrayed by the inquisical little creatures known as ants.

I love this. I picked it up on a whim when I was very young and ended up stealing it from the school library, still have it too. This is one of those books I buy, whenever I see a copy somewhere, just so I can give it to someone or their kid. The story is enchanting, the biology well-used, and the characters are simply unforgettable. Storyteller still fills me with wonder.

There are very few books that make me nostalgic for innocence and childhood. This one easily tops the list. Buy a used copy, for yourself, for your kids, for any reason at all. Treasure this.

OK- here's the carrot- if your kids are the bookish, quiet introspective types (boys or girls) and you want to maintain that, if not reinforce and foment that- GET THEM THIS BOOK.

used copies pop up often. I've got a few saved up for birthdays and the like.

The characters are so well-constructed, and they're ants!!! Rarely has an anthropomorphic take on the insect world worked so well, at least in my eyes. I haven't messed with an ant since I read this when I was around 10 and I still bristle with anger when someone else does. Dreamer and Storyteller, Snake's Toungue, Spider, The Queen... Every character is well-developed and perfectly used. The writing is deceptively simple- i'd say elegant even. The parables that Storyteller weaves throughout are worth the price of the book alone.

Also, it's one of those books that leave you wanting to know more. I remember sitting around and imagining what else happened to Dreamer, wondering about his adventures...

I re-read this one every few years, it takes me back- a wellspring for nostalgia and fond remembrances. It's one of the books I used to get my little brother to love reading... it's wonderful, honestly masterful- succinct chapters, fantastic morals, a celebration of hope and courage and dignity in the face destruction. I kid you not, this book is a panacea for empty, nihilistic trash.