Education Books

I love the Harry Potter series, but I was unsure of the audiobooks. Jim Dale really brings J.K. Rowling's books to life. He doesn't read--he performs. I would recommend them to anyone!

The first time I picked up this book, the first in the Harry Potter series, it was with great hesitation. Firstly, it had been a few years since I had done much reading for pleasure, so I was out of practice. Secondly, and more importantly, I had heard a great deal of hype about the series in the media, which automatically made me feel that the books were probably overrated--and I didn't want to be disappointed. In the end, around the same time the film version of this book was released, two of my close friends convinced me to give the series a try, and lent me the first book, which I read shortly thereafter.

Within a week, I had purchased and read the rest of the series (at the time, books 1-4), and was itching with anticipation for book 5. I have since purchased and read the entire series, and just recently decided to reread them all in one go.

So what makes Harry Potter so magical? For me, it was the bare simplicity of the central premise of the series that drew me in instantly. Who hasn't dreamed of having some magical powers to spice up life a bit? Not that magical powers are unique to Harry Potter; far from it, in fact. But it's much harder to really relate to grand tales of epic battles in faraway, long ago kingdoms like Tolkein's Middle Earth or so many others that have followed. What Harry Potter touches is that little daydreaming part inside of us that believes that maybe magic could be real... that it might exist right alongside us in our own "real" world.

Book 1 (The Sorcerer's Stone) will always have a special place in my heart, as it really was the book that brought me back to reading (as stated above). It is imaginative, fun, and has splashes of humor throughout. It introduces many lovable characters who will be with us throughout the series, and does a brilliant job of setting up our journey. It has a comparatively light feel (the later books get progressively darker, without question), but still keeps the reader engaged with elements of mystery and rivalry to generate conflict. And, unlike some of the later books, it is a quick read.

There are, I admit, a few times when one must employ the willing suspension of disbelief (lest the grown witches and wizards of the story seem horribly inept), but otherwise, it is a charming story and a great introduction to the journey ahead. I give it 5 stars, even though it is not my favorite in the series, mostly because this one drew me in so effectively and made me want to read the rest.

What is there to say about this book. All of the books in the series were very good. Unfortunately, I loaned this one to a "friend". Had to replace it as I have them all in hardback.

Writing a review on the first Harry Potter book seems superfluous, as it must surely be one of the most reviewed books in the history of literature.

I will therefore refrain (more or less) from summarizing the story, and instead compare my first reading to my recent re-reading of the book.

In my first reading, I met a boy called Harry, who was the quintessential "uncool kid." He grew up at his aunt and uncle's because his parents were supposedly killed in a car crash when he was a baby. That was at least what Aunt and Uncle Dursley told him. Harry was the uncool kid both at home and at school, hence constantly jumping from the frying pan into the fire. At home, "the Dursleys often spoke about Harry (...) as though he wasn't there--or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug." Their spoiled son, Dudley, also did his best to bully Harry around. And at school, "Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang."

Hence, when Hogwarts' half-giant gamekeeper told Harry that he was a wizard, he could hardly believe it. And when Harry stepped through the Leaky Cauldron onto Diagon Alley, everything was new and exciting. He had not had the slightest clue that such a world existed; accordingly he saw everything through the eyes of an amazed and hungry learner.

And since I as the reader always walked by Harry's side, I, too, had this "sense of awe." Together with Harry, I marveled at Gringotts Bank and its goblins, the power of the magic wands, the magic broomsticks, Platform 9 ¾ and the steaming Hogwarts Express, the gigantic school castle, the meeting hall with its enchanted ceiling, the moving staircases, the "living" paintings, the ghosts, the owl post, and numerous other things.

Harry became like a two-year old toddler again who is excited about discovering the world, and as the reader I was a toddler with him. This is Fantasy at its best. The fact that J.K. Rowling made Harry an "outsider" to the world of magic is of great importance to the experience of the reader. Otherwise I would not have been nearly as astonished about the details of Mrs Rowling's world as I was. It also prevented the technological aspects of the Harry-Potter magic from totally disenchanting her world.

Now to my re-reading of the "Philosopher's Stone" (I still like the original British title better than the "Sorcerer's Stone").

I read the story again shortly after I finished the seventh book. Knowing where the story and characters are headed, many scenes now took on new significance. It was fascinating to read a particular passage and think: "Ah! Now I know why she put that in there." I have to complement J.K. Rowling on having planned the seven books so well.

Furthermore, reading the first book from the retrospective view of the whole series also makes a difference for the moral custodians among us. If you only read the first book, you might come away thinking that Harry Potter tries to justify the means by the end a little too much. Harry's magic is at first set into motion when he is "upset and angry", the toffee-nosed know-it-all Hermione turns likable by lying on Harry's behalf, and one of Harry's chief character traits is that of a rule breaker.

Aside from the point that novels--including juvenile ones--don't have to portray their main characters as saints, the series has, in fact, turned out to be of great moral depth. Given Harry's final moral choices at the end of Book VII, Book I can now be seen as the beginning of a "Bildungsroman." That is, a Coming Of Age Story in which Harry goes through all the stages of childhood and adolescence, to finally arrive at moral, social, and psychological maturity.

If that is not an ideal way of making teenagers aware of their own journey to maturity, I don't know what is.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

Well, This book and the whole Harry Potter Series is excelent, I love them. I'm currently thinking if I want to get the last Audio Books before the movies. I love the movies but books will always be better (although the first three movies I think are almost as good as the books). I did not give this 5 stars because I've heard the Audio Books by Stephen Fry (not sure if the spelling is right ;-P ). I have to say, in my humble opinion, Fry's voice is more grown up as a narrator and his character voices are excellent. His voice sounds over all more respectfull and apropiate. Jim Dale has done his version for the american audience which doesn't mean it's bad, but I like things in their original state. If a movie is made in the US, England, Mexico, or Spain, I usualy prefer it as it came out first. But that is my opinion. Listen to a sample of the Audio Book by each of the readers before you buy.

THIS BOOK HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD BOOK. THE GOOD THING ABOUT NOT JUST THIS BOOK BUT ALL THE BOOKS IS THAT THEY TELL WAY MORE INFORMATION THEN THE MOVIE DOES. BUT THE PROBLEM ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IN THE BEGINING IT STARTS OUT REALLY SLOW BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOUT 300 TO 350 PAGES READ IT STARTS GETTING REALLY GOOD AND YOU DONT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PROBOBALY THE BEST PART IN THIS BOOK IS THE ENDING WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU JUST INCASE YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK. OVERALL I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BUT IS IS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE SO I A'M GIVING IT A 4/5. OH AND HERES A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS THAT READ THIS BOOK.
"DID YOU LIKE THE BOOK WHEN YOU READ IT?

Ok, we all know and love the Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. And of the seven books in the series, I think Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is probably none other than the best. It's plot is amazing and it has the best descripion a book could possibly offer. The only critizisim I could give it is that things can be a bit predictable at points... The author uses a lot of conversation and dreams to really keep the book flowing. Now, here's a bit about the plot: Anyone who has read the Harry Potter series knows that the main characters are Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione. It mainly follows a plot where the Triwizard Tournament happens at Hogwarts and it hasn't happened for 1'000's of years. Three schools are competeing, (where else would tri come from?) Hogwarts, Beauxaton's, and Durmstrang. They compete in various challenges and only one student does it per school. That's all I can tell you. Read it to find out what happens! I would highly recommend this book.

The Goblet of Fire is truly a special book. Delving even deeper (and darker) into the villainy that lies just below the calm surface, so to speak, Rowling succeeds...yet again.

The plot of the series thickens, what with fellow students turning their back on Harry, who is taking part in an old, old, old Wizard Tournament. It all culminates in a climatic battle with the flesh and blood Voldemort in a graveyard.

Rowling's writing style is so engaging and effective. She positively reduced me to pathetic tears in the closing chapters of this EXCELLENT book, leaving us on the verge of a looming danger.

As Gandalf might say; "The battle in the graveyard is over, but the battle against Voldemort has just begun."

Okay, that was a bit stupid...but true. Stupidly true.

Zap! Lord Voldemort's and Harry Potter's hex and jinx came zooming out of the tips of their wands and became connected. Find out what happens by reading J. K. Rowling's fabulous book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry has to spend another grueling summer with his evil Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley, until his best friend, Ron Weasley, invites him to the Quidditch World Cup. After the exciting game every body gets attacked. Luckily, Ron and Harry are ok. On September 1, as always, Harry and his friends get on the Hogwarts Express to go to school. A few days after their arrival 2 other schools come. The schools are Beauxbatons and Bulgaria. That night Dumbledore (the head master) revels an old goblet. He explains that only 3 people may compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The tournament has 3 dangerous tasks. 3 names come out of the goblet. Then a 4th . Harry Potter. He has no choice but to compete. Towards the end Lord Voldemort comes back. Does Harry live? Read to find out!

For me the best part is the 1st task. Harry had to get a golden egg from a fierce dragon. He barely gets the egg. I liked this because it had a lot of good words and action. It kept me turning the pages.

The main character is Harry Potter. He is a good kid but gets in trouble by Snape. Ron is Harry's best friend. Professor Snape is the most hated teacher in the whole school. Malfoy is a bad kid and Harry's worst enemy.

I recommend this book to people who like long books, good words, and a great book. I bet you will love this book like me!

Listening to Jim Dale's narration of the Quidditch World Cup makes it all come to life, better than in the film. He is almost without peer. I can't imagine anyone else doing it. The conclusion of the book is effectively emotional and it all complements reading the book itself. Bravo!

This is truly a great book. It is the real starting point for Harry's adventures. The Chamber of Secrets and The Sorcerer's Stone weren't able to give me anywhere near the amount of excitement I received while reading this book. I give this book 5 stars for many different reasons

Harry Potter's skills as a sorcerer aren't very impressive until this book when he learns to use the Patonus...something...I read this a while back lol. Also, the Dementors were the first creatures throughout the whole series to really strike fear into my mind. Sure there were traps that were devastating in the first book, and sure there was the basilisk who could kill people with its glare. But the Dementors were able to make a person suffer horribly through only emotions. I mean, who wouldn't be scared of having all the happiness and good emotions sucked out of you and the environment around you. The chilled air and flickering lights (maybe they actually turned off) scared the bejesus out of me.

Here's a measurement for how good this book is and how it's a turning point for this whole series. I cannot begin to describe how fast I read this book compared to the first two. The Sorcer's Stone took me a whole year because it bored the crap out of me. The Chamber of Secrets...I got up to the 2nd paragraph and actually could not go on reading it. The Prisoner of Azkaban, by far my favorite of the whole series, took me the better part of a week or two to read. The same with The Deathly Hallows and The Half-Blood Prince. Overall, the maturity of this book compared to the first two is pumped up and it is truly a masterpiece for people of all ages.

Mr. Dale has a strange way of pronouncing accio folks, prepare yourself.

We all really enjoy listening to the Potter series on audio CD. They are well done.

We've now bought all the Harry Potter audio books. My husband's not a great reader at home (newspaper and sports mags) but he drives a lot for his job. He loves listening to all these stories. We also play them in the car for the kids when we are travelling. We are big Harry Potter fans and these books have been a wonderful purchase. Now he can join in all our conversations too! Jim Dale is amazing, you completely forget it's only one person reading the book.

This is a very good book, i thought the harry potter books would suck but they dont. they are getting better and better. This was a good book to read

My Favorite book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. This book is funny. My favorite characters are Harry Potter and Ron Weasly. Harry's funny and adventurous. He's fun and likes to try new things and has lots of courage. Ron is funny also, and likes to do almost what Harry does. Ron and Harry make the Harry Potter series joyful.

The author's writing style is joyful and the genre is adventure. J.K. Rowling is best at setting up the setting I think Hogwarts is a wonderful setting.


The best part of this book is that ever character is different in each chapter. They do lots of mini adventures in the big adventure; to find the prisoner Sirius Black. Best yet, Harry tries to go to Hogsmeade but gets caught by Professor Snape. I recommend this book for people in 3rd and above.

This book should have been called: "Three Cups of Me: The Auto-Hagiography of a Modern Day Secular Saint & Savior"

Three Cups of Tea is an over-rated book, with a definite political agenda, about an obsessed, but capricious man who does good things for little brown girls, far, far away. He is the "white savior" found in popular American TV programs of yore, such as "The White Shadow", "Welcome Back Kotter", and "Different Strokes", to name but a few.

The author and hero, er, I mean "saint", Greg Mortenson, and his co-author, David Relin, waste no in time establishing his (Greg's) bona fides liberal credentials. Although he was born with three of the greatest original sins - i.e., being white, American, and male, he quickly demonstrates how he has been purified by penance and how he has made amends for those transgressions against humanity. We learn that he is 1) a multiculturalist 2) a multi-linguist 3) an admirer of Che Guevara and Bill Clinton 4) a disdainer of Donald Rumsfeld and George Bush 5) that he eschews financial security and the creation of wealth 6) that he cares passionately about helping people of color, especially women of color, most especially poor, foreign young girls of color 7) that he cares passionately about "saving the planet" and living in tune with nature 8) that he talks freely with his severely handicapped younger sister about premarital sex and birth control and 9) that he is equally respectful of all religions, but moved by none. For example, he has no qualms about bowing to Mecca five times a day, or uttering Buddhist incantations, so long as that's what the people around him are doing, and also want to see him do as well. But he is silent about his own religious convictions, having been raised by a Lutheran pastor. The perfect "NPR/NY Times liberal" - except for the part about the creation of wealth! This pedigree of his literally has his followers demanding his secular canonization to sainthood, commonly known as The Nobel Prize for Peace! This would place him in the pantheon of other Nobel Laureates and saints such as Al Gore, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Yasser Arafat.

I must state for the record that I do indeed admire the work he has done, i.e. building schools - that is a good thing. However, he seems to view the primitive peoples of the Pakistani Himalayan Mountains, to include, since 9/11, Afghanistan, in the "noble savages" category, a school of thought popular in the mid-19th Century colonial era. For example, he avers that they need his (modern, Western) help, but at the same time he also views their culture and mores as superior to our own (being a good multiculturalist). So, he offers them just a little bit of help; enough to make himself and his financial backers feel good, but not enough to bring them out of grinding poverty, ancient tribalism, and isolation.

The help he offers, which will keep them beholden to him for everything else, is that he provides them with rudimentary, roughly hewn school houses, with poorly trained teachers and "culturally sensitive" textbooks. You may say to me, "Well, at least it's better than nothing!", and I would agree with you. However, Mr. Mortenson, or "Doctor Greg", as he likes to be called, even though he is not a doctor, is very scrupulous to ensure that their culture and way of life is not "ruined" by the introduction of indoor plumbing, heating, and ventilation, or electricity, or television, or automobiles, or computers, or cell phones, or modern agricultural techniques, or the rule of law, or democracy, or a myriad of other "de-humanizing" aspects of modern civilization. According to Mortenson and Relin, not only do most of those things de-humanize us, but they also require energy to power them, and thus they create pollution, and that will destroy the planet. So, it's best if they don't have those things. That's right Doctor Greg, burn Al Gore's "bridge to the 21st Century" behind you!

He bestows more redundant praise for himself and disdain for the United States when he explains that he is working for peace by building schools, in places like Afghanistan, while the U.S. (George Bush) is simply dropping bombs. That claim is either purposely misleading, or willfully ignorant. Again, while building 50+ schools in the villages of the Himalaya's is a laudable accomplishment, it is certainly dwarfed by comparison to the billions and billions of dollars the U.S. has spent in Afghanistan paving roads, putting in water and sewage treatment facilities, building electrical grids, setting up communication links, providing security forces, constructing court houses, sanitation plants, prisons, community centers, and yes, even schools - all, while dropping bombs on international terrorists! But those facts don't jibe with his messianic complex, or with his political leanings, and those of his panting disciples. Only "Doctor Greg" is doing good in Afghanistan.

This book would have been so much more enjoyable to read had Mortenson not co-written this panegyric account of his own
life; even though he tried, unsuccessfully, to come across as just a humble servant. He must be familiar with the axiom, "The surest bait for flattery is humility". Also, if he had avoided the minefield of left vs. right politics, in which he clearly inhabits the left lane, I would have been far more sympathetic to his cause. But he insisted on lobbing those political bombs. And what is his cause? It's teaching young Pakistani and Afghan girls (and boys) how to read, write, and do simple math (hooray!) - and then sending them back to their un-electrified mud huts, which are heated by goat dung, and continue to keep them inoculated from the evils of the First World (boo!)

And what fuels his unquenchable drive to help these people? Is it his faith in Christ, or Allah, or Buddha? No! Remember, he's a secular savior. His followers claim that world peace is his goal. He claims that he is merely trying to raise up brown-skinned, Muslim women and girls. I think he does what he does because he believes the mountain people need him, and he needs them (to need him) and it's a wonderful saintly, salvific, symbiotic - and un-breakable cycle.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

A most amazing look at the world of Pakistani culture, schools..or lack of
and the story of a man who has chosen to do something about them.
It gives the reader insights into the the conflicts and complications
of war time in Pakistan and introduces her or him to what is really going
on over there. It is not a political view, it is a very well written
humanitarian and "heartarian" look at a brave and struggling people.

An outstanding example of what one person can do when they pay attention to what they are being called to do. Greg Mortenson is doing more to promote world peace than any single country. I really wish I could give my tax dollars to him to build more schools.

Read this Book!! I picked this book up at the airport and couldn't put it down. The storyline is engrossing and exciting while the message is heartfelt and so necessary right now. We need more people like Mortenson. His story of failure followed by a long struggle to educate and enlighten the peoples of pakistan and afganistan even made me tear up a couple times; not for its sadness but for how hard he has worked for so long to finally make a huge difference in the lives of these people and the world. If we truly are at war with terror, we need to start by educating, not terrorizing those we fear.

I wish Greg Mortenson had come to me to write this book. I could have saved him thousands of superfluous adjectives. He is built up to be a hero for our times....perhaps he is, but David Oliver Relin's prose is so sickening and (to a fellow aspiring writer) embarrassing that the reader wishes to be done with the story ASAP. Save the money from buying the book and instead send it to Greg's charity, the Central Asia Institute, or Pennies for Peace. You can get the book free at your local public library.

With all the hype surrounding this book, I was excited to get this for my six year old daughter. She loves books, but neither she nor I could get the point of this. The uninspired writing goes nowhere. The plot(?) is strange and doesn't promote any appropriate values for children. Even the illustrations, while "classic", are only "classic" as they are easily recognizable; fact is, they're just not all that captivating.

My family was very disappointed in this book. If you must, take it out of a library, but I wouldn't waste my money.

One of the best kids books in my opinion. I got this and some 'monster slippers' as a gift for friends kids. Everyone should own a copy and read them (if not to their kids than to themselves!).

This book has been a 5 star publication since it's inception! I have never seen a child not love this book! It is definitely a winner!

According to the characteristics of picture storybooks, this is a high quality book. The text and illustrations equally convey with the storyline. The shape and size of the book is rectangular and does not have page numbers. It includes all of the literary elements. The book's strength is its illustrations. The book received a Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. The author does a nice job of telling the story through the illustrations. The illustrations get larger as Max's imagination grows and start to decrease in size as he returns home. The colors in the beginning of the book are duller than the end of the book. As Max's feelings and mood change, the pictures get brighter. The book's reading level is 3.4 and geared toward a lower grade interest level, however, can be enjoyed by older ages. One concern is that there are monsters in the story even though it is a children's book. Introducing this book to primary students may lead to questions and misconceptions. One instructional activity to handle this situation would be to talk about the monsters. Ask Were they scary? Did they change? Show the pictures of Max being carried by the monsters and the way they dance and play. Talk about feelings and emotions (the monsters and Max were not sure about each other at first, but then they grew to like each other and play together). The students can then draw monster faces depicting an emotion.

It's about monsters, for crying out loud! Why on earth would you want to plant the idea of fear and worry with your children just before bedtime? I remember being terrified of this book when I was a child. I will not read it with my kids. I know they will be introduced to it somewhere along the line, and I hope they are not frightened by it. I just do not understand everyone who says they love this book.

I had to buy a new copy of this book because the one I got for my oldest daughter was worn out! This is my youngest daughters new favorite book! She already knows her colors but she loves the rhyming and animals are always a big hit with her.

We actually own TWO of these books... one for the car and long trips, one for home. It is definitely a favorite!

This is a great book. My 3 yr old daughter loves it! It is the one she asks for over and over.

My 7 month baby girl can't get enough of this book. She loves the rhyming verse and the big color pictures. I definately recommend it!

This is my daughter's favorite book of all time. I read it to her daily. This is definitely a book that all children should have. The colorful animals in the book are fun to look at, while the words are pleasant to read and listen to. Very nice book!

The book is extremely entertaining. Cimorene is certainly the kind of princess you don't often see in fantasy. And Kazul is not the typical dragon either. The book is really funny and is guaranteed to make you laugh

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

In the book"Dealing with Dragons"there are lots of enjoyment you can get. For example:during the story, a princess who thinks being a pringess is dull, runs away to become a dragin's princess for a very powerful female dragon. Somehow she finds cooking and cleaning facinating. While reading this book you can find alot of adventure. Some adventures you can find are challenging a Death-Dealing Bird, a Witch, A Stone Prince,a Jinn, lots of Wizards and alot of Dragons, both good and bad. Read this book and dive into adventure with Cimerene and her new best friend Alianora on her journey to complete a very important mission to save the Dragons. The thing i liked about this book is when Kazul became a King because i think Kazul was one of the most powerful Dragons. The thing i didn't like about this book is when a dragon betrayed his own kind just to help out some evil wizards.

The book Dealing with Dragons is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read. It held my interest and made me feel good. Between adventure and happiness, Patricia C. Wrede catches your attention and makes you want to read it over and over again.
In the book, the characters were really willing to go and figure out why wizards have been snooping around the Mountains of Morning. That's one of the reasons I liked this book so much. My favorite characters are Cimorene and Kazul. As Cimorene runs away from the castle she meets a kind dragon named Kazul, who lets Cimorene live with her. Later in the book wizards secretly working with a dragon named Worag, who wants to be the king of dragons and is trying to get rid of Cimorene and her friends. In this it was a wild adventure for princess Cimorene.
The book Dealing with Dragons was not a boring book. The author Patricia C. Wrede was able to hold the interest of the reader throughout the story. The description of scenes was really descriptive and you could picture them in your head. There were sad and funny parts throughout the book. One of my favorite parts was when Cimorene and Kazul visited Morwen the witch. Cimorene rode on Kazuls back while she was flying over the tall trees. I was imagining that I was on Kazul too.
After reading this book, I learned many different things. I also couldn't believe how good this book was. The major situation was trying to figure out what the wizards were up to. This book will leave you wanting to read it over and over again.

Princess Cimorene is the daughter to the king of Linderwall...where the knights keep their armor polished for show considering nobody's seen a dragon there in years...

Cimorene HATES it at Linderwall. And she wants to do things, not learn exactly how and when she's supposed to scream if someone decides to come and kidnap her. Cimorene takes classes behind her fathers back for extreme fun. She tries fencing...until her father makes her stop. She tries cooking...until her father stops her. She tries magic...until her father stops her. You get the pattern. If things aren't already bad enough her parents are making her marry Prince Therandil. YUCK!

"I'd rather get eaten by a dragon," Cimorene muttered.
"That can be arranged."

With the advice of a "not" enchanted frog she ends up at a dragons cave and before you know it she's the dragon Kazul's princess. And also before ya know it she's on an adventure.

What happens on that adventure? Well...

She meets a powerful witch, a stone prince, snotty princesses, a kind princess, annoying wizards, mean dragons, and a talking frog.

She finds plants that hurt dragons, a dragons magical stone, and a fire proof spell...she's found A LOT of adventure!

I am a young person trying to break into the field coaching. I currently work for a division one program and some times I get discouraged. Coaching is a difficult profession to break into and some times my life gets discouraging. My father got me this book and told me to read it. It was after a particularly bad week that I decided to read this book and it lifted my spirits. Coach Dungy has the right idea in a profession full of wrong ones. Knowing people like him have made it gives me strength to keep going.

Tony has a great testimony! Makes a great gift or a great read, football fan or not!

Whether you are a parent, a coach or both this book is absolutely captivating. I have been reading it with our 12 year old son and found myself reading ahead after he went to bed. Tony Dungy is an inspiring man of God and his wisdom and experience will certainly give adults and young readers a new perspective on life.

I am in the process of purchasing other copies of the book to give to clients and friends. It is a great story and is the best book I have read in years!

Brett Morey
Brentwood, CA

Tony Dungy's autobiography, "Quiet Strength" is a terrific book that contains a message that should appeal to any reader (not just football fans). Dungy speaks of leadership without intimidation, confidence through religious conviction and success through perseverance. The book has a religious tone, but Dungy gets his point across without being preachy. He draws from a stable upbringing by his parents and shares his thoughts about life, football, parenting, dealing with adversity, and being a man.

There's a lot of football references so football fans and those who have followed Dungy's playing and coaching career will certainly enjoy "Quiet Strength". The book should play well in Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Indy because so much of the book deals with Dungy's career as an NFL football coach.

The book is a testament about doing things "right" and treating people with respect in order to gain the same in return. And...as evidenced by the 2007 Super Bowl, nice guys CAN finish first!

Tony tells his story through out the book just like any other biography, but what stands out is what a great coach he is, great father and familyman and great person.
This was a great book. Fast read.

I received this book as a gift and was reluctant to read it as the subject matter was not of interest. I started to read it just to see what it might be like and was captured by the outstanding writing. It was just a joy to read and the characters will stay with me forever.

About half way thru this book and had to set it aside. I'll return to it later as it is a little too intense and the language is shocking.

I thought his books Beach Music and The Prince of Tides were much better. I could not put Beach Music down.

This is a great military/coming of age novel by Pat Conroy that I would put slightly behind The Great Santini (one of my favorite books of all time) in his catalogue. In this story, Conroy follows a young cadet at the fictional Carolina Military Institute (modeled partly on Conroy's time at The Citadel) as he endures his plebe year and then comes to grip with the fact that the school fosters a great deal of hate, racism and cruelty to accomplish its mission of developing the Complete Man. Conroy's writing always moves quickly with engaging dialogue, humor and entertaining story lines and this book is no exception. It is certainly deeper than your standard pop fiction book, but it reads just as easily and quickly. I would highly recommend it to Conroy fans, people who enjoy good fiction (even my mother likes this book) or people who have interest in military schools or the South in the 50's. A very good book.

Gorgeously crafted, eloquent, beautiful, gripping, powerful. Simply an amazing book. All of Pat Conroy's books have common ties to his childhood, and this one is perhaps the best of them all.

The mark of a successful coming of age story is that you, the reader, can see yourself reflected in the protagonist. For me, this book worked very well. Will McLean, the main character and first-person narrator, a second generation Irish boy, son of a Marine, a mongrel outsider in the pedigreed Carolina Military Institute searches for himself, the man within the boy who is being molded by a system of discipline and honor that doesn't match his internal morality. He's an English major in a college of warriors. He's a basketball player, a finesse guard, in a school of brute force. He's fighting against systems he doesn't understand within a life choiceless in it's inequality.

Pat Conroy, himself a graduate of the model for the fictional Institute, The Citadel, weaves a compelling tension-filled story while eloquent in his setting, Charleston, South Carolina. Employing gracious proper Southern dialect filled with flowers, antiques, and tradition, he describes brutality, racism, sexism, and betrayal. The language works well because it provides within its description the biting irony of the scenes. Will McLean fights through every taboo the South has to offer in the 1960's: a black cadet in the all-white tradition of the military college, an unwed pregnant girl shunned by society for her shame while the father of her baby remains blameless, the brutal plebe system that crushes individuality while remaking young men as soulless military automatons, the classed society of high south old money and it's cruelty to those not born within the circle, and the fact that military honor doesn't equate to individual morality.

Fighting through this maze of pitfalls, McLean has only his closest and dearest friends to rely on, roommates Dante "Pig" Pignetti and Mark Santoro, two brawny, Northern boys of Italian descent and Tradd St. Croix, an "old Charlestonian" (from a very rich and respected family). His moral guide through the story is the epitomy of hard military men, Colonel "Bear" Berrineau, a vulgar battle-scarred man whose character is unimpeachable and whose idea of duty includes awful repercussions.

I loved this story and I couldn't put it down. If I had one criticism to give, it's that Conroy tried to put too much into the novel - too many problems and taboos and tried to fix hundreds of years worth of problems in one book. But, that's not really a criticism because he did it and did it well. Bravo.

CV Rick

LOVE this book - perfect gift for an adult or a child - beautiful pictures and wonderful, meaningful story.

I work with children with Autism and have given this book to each of them once they do not need my services anymore. This book is a rare find! Excellent story and great pictures!

This is an excellent message for children that they are special and not to place too much importance on what other people may think. My 2 and 3-year olds are captivated by the story.

This is a timeless story that teaches a wonderful lesson.
The book was shipped in wonderful condition without defect.

I received this on Christmas morning. I'd wanted it for quite some time, as an aspiring teacher and future parent, and thought it'd make a wonderful addition to my growing collection of children's books. I couldn't have been more right.

You Are Special is a sweet story about a doll maker whose wooden dolls take it upon themselves to dole out stickers to each other based on how they look, or their talents/lack thereof. What happens when one of the "gray dot" dolls meets a doll with NO stickers?

One of the deepest stories I've ever read, the message spans literature levels and ages, touching the hearts of both children and adults as the pages turn and the story unfolds. By the end, you realize what really makes one special, and it has nothing to do with stickers.

I cannot say enough about how beautiful this book is.