Fables and Fairy Tales Books

Imagine an Oz where the characters are more exciting than in Hollywood or on Broadway, where the Emerald City isn't green, and the Ruby Slippers are silver, not red. And it isn't a remake, it's the original! This book made me want to read all the others in the series, and the pictures make you feel part of the book. Children of all ages, don't miss this one

Jason Kruse's 'World of Quest' is a wonderful graphic novel for all ages (and I mean ALL ages). It's hilarious and imaginative adventure, finely drawn by a great cartoonist.

both zen tails by Peter Whitfield are stories to share at home and in the class room. a refreshing way to look at personal responsibility with great illustrations.

different take on personal responsibility, love the illustrations, caught my eye in Borders and purchased at Amazon.

"This book is one of the best books I've ever read. It's very readable. The cover is very colorful and very well detailed. It kept my attention cover to cover." This is what my 10 year old daughter thought. The story is very inventive and just about impossible to guess what the next turn of events will be. For something fun I would also recommend the audio book; a ton a fun for long trips.

This is by far one of the BEST books I've ever read. And I read a lot of books. Inkheart is exciting, energtic, and magical all at the same time. The characters have great personalities. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in fantasy. It's an all-time favorite for me!

This book is so STUPID! It's so STUPID IT MAKES ME THINK IT'S SO STUPID BECAUSE OH YEAH, IT IS STUPID! GRRRRR... IT'S STUPID BECAUSE IT'S A GAME THAT I HATE AND I WANT A REFUND!

You barely have time to breathe from the 1st word of this 1st volume until the last word of the 2d one.
A book about books, you hallucinate when finally you read about those character coming to life when you turn a page, when you go to sleep and think about them. When you read about the smell, the noise and feeling of a book in your hands. But it is much more than that. It is about going from one world (not in the future at all) to ours. It is about good and bad, treachery and trust, family and loneliness in one word as in a hundred it is about life. And what a life. There's a mix of fantasy and reality and I loved it. Cornelia Funke is a great writer, I can't stay in place waiting for the 3rd volume. Enjoy,
Claude

Inkheart - a villan so bad, with a heart so black, it may well be called inkheart.

The villan is that bad. He will scare the patootie off of any child with an imagination. Promise.

The heroes are good. Their motives are pure. And they make you mad with their silly, trusting maneuvers sometimes. This frustration is the hallmark of a great story.

There are characters who are neither heroes nor villans... and they almost make this story. Dustfinger, Elinor, Fenoglio, Farid... these characters are so complex, and they aren't even the main characters in the story!

I think that's what makes me pull a star from this review. The story was almost too complex. The author had so much she wanted to convey, and I became quite impatient with the getting on with it. I don't know whether it was the translation from the German or simply the style of the story. Perhaps I'm just an impatient American. But I found this fantasy a little too verbose for my taste.

The story itself, though, is just fantastic, and well worth the long read.

(*)>

This is such a beautiful translation of the story of Beowulf that all others pale by comparison. Seamus Heaney outdoes himself in his choices and combinations of words that convey more than meaning. They convey emotion, imagery, sound. The dragon "rippled down the rock, writhing with anger" and it "hurtled forth in a fiery blaze." Listening to this recording makes the thousand-year-old epic comes alive in all its beauty and terror. This is the ultimate representation of the Beowulf tale. No movie could unleash the powers of the mind like Seamus Heaney's words do. Let this review stand as a powerful fan letter to Seamus Heaney. Call me crazy:I have memorized more than 200 lines of this powerful poem by listening to it and reading it over and over.

I love this translation! I have read the Dover edition (which is fine if you want a cheap edition to get familiar with the story)but the story really comes alive in the Seamus Heaney translation. I am currently using this book to teach a high school class. The kids are getting very involved in the story line. It's also been fun listening to the kids compare what's in the book to what they've seen in the recent Beowulf movie.

Accused by some as the trecherous read and hailed praise by others, I found the Old English to be quite interesting as laid out next to modern day English. I, as well as those to whom I've lent it out to, have very much enjoyed this book.

This was incredible. Why wasn't I assigned to read this in high school? I want to read more like this. This is up there with Homer. This new translation is a very easy-to-read one, I sat down and pretty much read this straight through. I really enjoyed looking back and forth at the old English vs. the contemporary. This was really really great.

I may be one of only a few that somehow made it through high school and college without having to read Beowulf. In fact, I made it all the way to 62. I really don't know at what age I would have begun to appreciate it as much as I did now. If it has been many years since you have read it, you might want to try it again. It is a fantastic epic of honor.

The bilingual portion was lost on me; though it was interesting to look at the Old English alongside of the Heaney translation.

I am anxiously awaiting the movie version Neil Gaiman is working on.

What an wonderful retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I actually like it better than the 'original'. Beauty is more beautiful inside than out (her real name fits her better than 'Beauty'), her father, sisters and brother-in-law are loving and only want what's best for her. I really enjoyed the growing relationship between Beauty and her Beast, especially the way she comes to think of him *as* 'her' beast, and the way their interests seemed so similar. The ending was not in the least 'mawkish' or overly sentimental but I was glad she left out the outraged villagers led by the jealous huntsman trying to kill the beast that we saw in the play. All in all, a wonderful story for those who love fairy tales with happy endings - a real keeper.

This is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. McKinley did a wonderful job of describing visual details and emotional pangs, making this a delightful read. I've read several books by this author and this is my favorite. The story's enchanted world was just a little different than usual and the characters had more depth and more admirable qualities than in the traditional telling.

I liked that Beauty grew into her beauty, rather than being gorgeous from the start like her sisters. The love shared between the family was a good aspect of the story and brought lovely motivations for each of the characters. I don't mind that Beast was relatively civil, seeing as he had been a beast for hundreds of years. He had already had loads of time to come to grips with his new self, leaving him sorrowful and repentant more than angry and fierce.

Good then, and good now. A library of all the books ever written, a thousand details that make it all feel real.

By now you all know how much I love romantic things. Well the book "Beauty" is an enchanting re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast story that many of us have grown up with. However, it is refreshing and very believable. It is one of those book that make you sigh happily at the end and you wish it would not have ended... and then you want to read it all over again. Robin did an excellent job in her version of this tale.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

This a simple but beautiful retelling of the classic fairy tale. The added details are lovely and the style is old fashioned and warm.

After seeing the movie, which I loved, I purchased this book to give it a try. I know it's a children's book but thought what the heck. I loved the illustrations in the book, I wish "grown-up" books had pictures too. The reading was easy, as it should be. The book is very short, wish they would put together one book of all 5 in the series, instead of charging 10.00/each. I read this in about an hour. I enjoyed this book as much as the movie. I recommend this book for any fantasy lover out there and budding fantasy lovers. But as another reviewer stated, make sure you have the remaining 4 books in the series ready to go, this one will read very fast and you'll need the other books to keep the story flowing.

I bought this book for myself not my kids. That may have been my first mistake. But I had suddenly felt out of the book series "bandwagon" loop so I decided to start reading this series. This was before any talk of the movie. I read it and it was a cute story. Very short (which I don't mind) and mildly amusing. The book however was more of an introduction in my opinion. It ended in a sorta clffhanger (if you can call it that). I ended up being curious about what would happen to the characters and how the story would unfold but was not so interested that I actually read the next book. Luckily for me the movie came out & I saw that and I didn't have to wonder what happened anymore. I wonder though if the problem lies with the book or with a 30something deciding to read a kids book series.

This first book in the Spiderwick Chronicles was a fun, quick read. Although smacking a little bit of Lemony Snicket (three kids with unique skills and parent-abandonment issues), it is definitely worth a read. The presentation of the book, at least the edition I read, is nice too as the artwork parallels the tone of the text. This lends the book a definite ethos that although not as profound as some books (again like Lemony Snicket), it is distinct and engaging.

As an adult reader, I did find the book a tad too easy to breeze through, but I could see this same aspect of the book being exactly why it is so approachable for children. For my own kids, I would steer them towards something a little more cerebral, but I wouldn't object to them reading the Spiderwick Chronicles as well for fun.

The first book definitely encouraged me to read the second, if not the entire series!

When the Grace family goes from their tiny apartment to a creaky old run down house... they find a secret inside the old house, a fantastical world around them. What could this world be? Read the Field Guide to find out.
Jared, Simon and Mallory move from New York City to no where. Their new house looked like a pile of shacks piled on to one another. When Mallory Grace finds an old dumbwaiter inside of the wall, Jared travels up the dumbwaiter and finds a secret library. When Jared is in the library, a figure writes something in the dust, "click clack, watch your back." Jared Simon and Mallory are headed for a BIG adventure! Read Tony Diterlizzi's book to find out.
My favorite part is when Jared woke up to Mallory's screaming; when he went into her room her hair was tied into big knots on the brass headboard. "Just chop it off!" Mallory screamed. Their mom blamed it on Jared because Jared always gets in trouble at school and always did naughty tricks to his sister. Who did this, was it that figure in the library?
I liked that part because it was shocking and surprising. I would have never thought that would have happen.
The book has great details. The way the author tells the story really paints a picture in my mind. It really makes the characters come alive, it feels like I'm actually there, for example: "Standing on it in worn overalls and a wide brimmed hat, was a little man about the size of a pencil. His eyes were as black as beetles, his nose was large and red, and he looked like the illustration from the guide."
When I was reading this book I couldn't put it down. There was always something exciting happening. I've read this book at least 5 times, and today it still makes me feel excited as I was when I read it the first time.
I think this book is good for all ages and fantasy readers. If you're looking for a book that's going to keep you madly turning the pages, read this book today.

Finally a series of books that is fun, positive and cute as a gnome's nose!
Set in an old Victorian home, the three Grace children must cope with the absence of their father, the strains of moving and a very peculiar housemate. The Grace household is believable and the sibling rivalry and arguments are as real as any I have had with my own brothers and sisters. Beneath all the realism lurks a fantasy waiting to hatch before your eyes as every page brings you one step closer to the truth.
After reading Lemony Snicket and being somewhat disappointed in the strange "humor", I picked up Spiderwick to see what this little book had to offer. So many parents had asked me in the past if this book was age appropriate or too scary that I finally had to delve into our store's children's section once again. It was a very quick read, but I found myself actually interested in the characters and the wonderful world that was about to unfold for me and the Grace children. Holly Black is an amazing storyteller and one of several truly talented authors of children's literature. Let us hope that Holly-would does not make a shambles of this marvelous series as much as they managed to destroy The Golden Compass.

Prince Caspian is one of the tales of The Chronicles of Narnia. It takes place after Peter, the high king and his siblings left the kingdom many years before. They returned to find animosity between the realms of prince Caspian and the magical creatures. A knight called Reepicheep that is a talking mouse, a dwarf and the cast off prince find themselves on the same side as the high king Peter and his siblings. After they learn to trust each other, they unite to bring peace to all races and the throne to his rightful heir. A great tale full of action.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

I saw the movie first, and I believe that was a mistake. Because once I sat down to read this book, I was expecting the movie to follow the book. I was, of course, wrong.

To read this book, I believe you got to have somewhat of an open mind and be imaginative. The Kings and Queens come back, and they come back many years later. The last time they left Narnia, they were much older...like young adults, and they come back in this book as children again. Narnia has changed and has changed for the worse. But the children, Prince Caspian, and the other Narnians fight to set things right.

Aslan is not throughout the book, but shows up just in time. But I must admit that I was sad to read that Peter and Susan could not come back because they were too old, and the same time, I completely understood why.

Overall, this was an excellent read, and C.S. Lewis writing is such a treasure. But this one was the book I liked the least out of all the books in the series. I guess the movie did ruin it for me.

Thanks.

Imagine if you once saved a magical other world... only to return later and find that centuries had passed, and everything had changed.

Well, since the movie adaptation of "Prince Caspian" is about to come out, it seems appropriate to revisit C.S. Lewis's classic novel, the sequel to his even more classic "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." While it has some drippily allegorical moments near the end, Lewis does a pretty good job with what must have been a difficult sequel.

When his aunt gives birth to a baby boy, young Prince Caspian finds himself on the run from his usurping uncle Miraz -- and in the hands of Narnia's secret army of dwarves, centaurs, talking animals and nature spirits. Soon Caspian has an army backing his claim to the throne, but in a moment of desperation, he is forced to blow the magic horn of the legendary Queen Susan -- and subsequently pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia.

But while only a year has passed on Earth, centuries have passed in Narnia, and the kids find that it's no longer the place they left -- they and Aslan are distant memories, and their castle lies in ruins. And as they are led by a very skeptical dwarf to help Caspian, Lucy keeps glimpsing Aslan along the way -- a sign that things are about to change drastically in Narnia, both for the human and magical inhabitants...

The Chronicles of Narnia were probably the first books to feature what is now standard in the fantasy genre -- an ordinary person gets dragged into another world. Just take a look at successful, unique authors like Diana Wynne Jones and Garth Nix to get an example of how Lewis' stories have influenced the entire genre.

If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of "Prince Caspian," especially the second half. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.

But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a lovely little read. Lewis interweaves mythical elements -- dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, witches -- with the chatty, slightly precious style of traditional British storytelling. But this one is a bit darker and more action-packed than "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," with some unexpected twists in the middle of it all. The scene with a strange witch and a werewolf is downright chilling, in fact.

But Lewis' plotting does sag near the end, during a drippy scene where Aslan wanders around fixing life for Narnian subjects. Fortunately after that, he gets back to a mystery that hangs over the whole book -- just where did all these humans come from, if they were such a rarity in the previous adventure?

Peter seems a bit more jaded than before and Edmund a bit more mature, but sadly the girls don't get enough to do this time around. But Caspian is a likable and believable prepubescent king-in-waiting, and surrounded by a bunch of unique Narnians -- a gentle yet fierce badger, a hostile dwarf, a fiery mouse, and the delightfully skeptical Trumpkin, who doesn't believe in lions.

Despite a few rough spots, "Prince Caspian" is a slightly darker, more intricate story, and its finale marks a turning point in the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely give it a read before you see the movie.

I largely credit my love of reading with The Chronicles of Narnia. My fourth grade teacher read the entire series to our class and I loved every minute of it. With the contemporary release of theatrical versions of the first two installments, I've enjoyed rereading the books for the first time in twenty years.

Prince Caspian is beautifully simplistic. Aimed at children, the ideas of duty, compassion, and heroism are wonderfully relayed in an easily digestible format. When I was a child, I found the stories incredibly stimulating, but now as an adult I realize the life-lessons Lewis taught with each installment of The Chronicles of Narnia. Prince Caspian is the story of doing the right thing even when you must go against everything that seems natural. It is the story of putting your faith in a higher power and purpose and leaving mundane worries behind.

Keep in mind, however, that Lewis offered more than just a morality tale. Prince Caspian lays the groundwork for an epic story to come. In Narnia, Lewis created a varied and fantastic world where mythology, religion, and reality seamlessly meld.

I so look forward to reading the rest of this series as an adult and critically analyze Lewis' style and purpose. I also, however, look forward to reading the series to my daughter when she's old enough. I can't wait to see the wonderment in her eyes that only a child can experience.

~Scott William Foley, [...]

It's funny, how you come at these books as an adult and take something completely different away from them than you would as a child. I read these books about 20 years ago when my uncle gave me a complete set for my birthday. As a child, I think I read them simply as a fantasy/adventure story. As an adult, I can see the subtle religious references sprinkled throughout, and while some may see this as a hindrance to the story, at least through the first 2 books (I go by the original published order, not the new chronological order), I can look beyond that to the story underneath.

However, in the case of Prince Caspian, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of story. It seems to me that the book can be broken up into two sections: the first being the Dwarf relating Caspian's understanding of his role of Narnia's future leader (the entire importance of this seems to be related to him over the course of one evening while star-gazing) and the second being Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy's trek through the jungle to get to Caspian. The ending seemed too contrived for my liking and far too rushed. It was all build up and no follow through as far as I'm concerned.

Looking at the story differently, it is a story about faith; about how faith can be hard to see sometimes, but it's always there and as long as you believe in that faith, it will lead you where you need it to. Overall a good moral to the story, if a little didactic in the telling.

Half Magic
By Edward Eager

Re-reading this book has reminded me why Half Magic was always one of my favorite magical adventures. This time I listened to the book on tape.

Half magic begins with the children wondering why they can't ever have a magical adventure like the children in their library books. Their adventure begins with a shiny 'nickel' found in a crack of the sidewalk.

Jane, the oldest thinks that nothing exciting ever happens and wishes for a fire. She only gets a small fire, in a playhouse. Next, their average, un-magical mother picks up the coin to use as bus fare. When she wishes to be home from a boring visit with relatives, she finds herself half-way home.

After the children realize they have a half-magic coin, their adventures become very fun and their planning is much more thought out.
Occasionally Jane, Katherine, Mark and Martha make mistakes in their wishes, which will change history. They also appear and disappear so quickly, their poor mother believes she is losing her mind.

Children and adults will enjoy the magical summer adventures in Half Magic. You may even find yourself re-reading Edward Eager's books many times, as I have.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood,
Author of magical adventures:
Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

Four ordinary children find a magical charm and discover that it grants wishes, but only in halves. Through their wishing and consequent adventures, the children realize the importance of helping others, love for each other, and what true happiness is about.

This is a humorous book that I would recommend to others. It is written in a writing style similar to that of Eleanor Estes, which suites the book well.

Edgar Eager is a master at telling a tale that is not only funny, well-plotted, but has realistic characters. In all his magic books, beginning with Half Magic, he reveals the reason why children grow up to not need magic in the overwhelming way they feel the need for it as small children.

What I will say now will not in any way ruin your delightful experience of any of the books (I remember secreting myself with provisions so that I could finish each one in one sitting). Eager very cleverly shows that magic is really not what children or adults want. What we want is happy endings and adventures--all of the tales have them. Each episode of encountering magic ends up revealing how very dangerous magic can be, since each of the children in each story ends up wishing for things before they've thought the magic's rules through. So there are exciting and unexpected turns of plot in each book.

It may seem like a criticism to say that these books reveal why children reading them can grow up out of magic of this kind. But in fact the gentle, exciting and challenging stories reveal to the children that not ony do good things happen without their help. But the magic challenges them to get involved in taking action themselves. They end up realizing that magic won't really get them everything they hope for, and it often gets them much more than they dreaded! These books reveal why Peter Pan is in the end a pathetic person, since he wants to control life and people to some degree, whereas the children in these books learn that exciting adventures can be found at any time and any place but that when all the magic's done they are understanding that growing up itself is an adventure and there really is "no place like home."

As a child I devoured these. I wish they had reprinted them earlier so my now college graduate sons could have enjoyed them at a younger age. An analogy may be helpful. My sons and I love the "Veggie Tale" stories. If they had been in preschool at the time they first saw them, they would still have loved them. The Veggie Tales came out when they were in high school--but they still loved them and continue to enjoy them with their adult perspective.

Edgar Eager must have been a very gentle, clever and kind man to write the books the way he did. He takes the reader on a wild ride, but leaves him happily on his own doorstep at the end, with the memories of their shared magic adventures. Hope you love them as much as I did...and do! God bless you!

This book was delightful. It was recommended to me by my aunt and I was not disappointed in the least! Funny and inventive. Can't wait to read Eager's other books.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.