Non-fiction Books

When I was 8, the same age as the girl in the story (a princess-of course!)I read this book time and time again. I couldn't get enough of it. My mom had died when I was a baby, so I never knew her, and longed for a silver haired granny in a tower who would wash my face with water from a silver basin and have stars on the ceiling of my bedroom. Anyhow, I just read it again after many long years....almost 50! and it's just as good a story now as then...very sweet and nicely written. Excellent!

So it's written for children but I could hardly tell the difference. The simplicity of the storytelling made it all the more appealing and the veins of courage, humilty, and human frailty running through it were impressive and awe inspiring. Like I said it's simple but don't let that word fool you. It's brilliantly written and encourages the reader to look at his or her own character. "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Proverbs 27:19 It's a lesson we could all learn if not relearn...

This book is a good classic for everyone to read because it is an enchanting story about a princess named Princess Irene and the adventures she has. She meets a boy miner named Curdie and she finds a great great grandmother living in the top tower room of Irene's house. Her nurse doesn't believe Irene--that she actually has a grandmother living in the top of the house. Irene eventually goes into the mountain and finds Curdie tied up. I really like the story because I like adventure and I also like mysteries and this story was sort of like a mystery (especially when I had to stop at the end of a chapter and wait to find out what happened next). I also think you could learn a lesson or two from this book: you don't have to see to believe (Curdie learned this). Irene learned that if you are not sure whether or not something is a dream or real, it can be real, and it is wonderful when it is.

Review by EGM, age seven.

Macdonald inspired C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll. He is the father of modern fantasy. This is one of his best. Directed more for kids, but like all of his tales, sophisticated enough for adults.

The Princess and the Goblin is a truly delightful tale that is beautifully told by George MacDonald and deserves five stars. But, I will not attempt to review the story itself, for there are such wonderful descriptions and testimonies from other reviewers on this page concerning the content of MacDonald's work. However, I would like to describe the Puffin Classics edition in a little more detail. Please be aware that the Puffin's paperback cover is very soft and not as durable as other paperback covers. As well, the paper quality is rather grainy, which may not hold up well in the years to come. Thus, I have allotted this product four stars. On a positive note, I am pleased that the publishers kept the nostalgic illustrations by Arthur Hughes. Also, this copy has been edited well for typos and simple mistakes. With these particular points in mind, I would like to encourage the potential buyer to consider other editions of the text as well. Everyman's Childrens Library (The Princess and the Goblin (Everyman's Library Children's Classics Series)) has produced a hardback copy, which may be a better choice if the copy is to be given to a child. Also, for the MacDonald researcher or literary student, I would highly recommend the Johannesen edition(The Princess and the Goblin (George Macdonald Original Works)) since it is an authoritative edition. However, when it comes to the price, the Puffin Classics edition can not help but to be rather tempting. I hope these few notes have been helpful - Happy shopping.

This is by far my favorite book from that genre. I first read it in high school and have gone back several times over the years. I just purchased it again to give to my 13 year old daughter.

I grew up in Santa Fe, reading this book, serving Mr. Bradford coffee at Zook's Pharmacy on the Plaza. Mr. Bradford's book reassured me that my turbulent adolescence was do-able, by lighting the way.
I have not been back there in thirty years. Santa Fe has been taken over by the rich and the entitled and they have squeezed the soul out of what we knew growing up there, though there is plenty of beauty and spirit left to be sucked dry by the commercial people. But if you want to know the siren song of Santa Fe, read this book. Sagrado is, indeed, Santa Fe. This was what it was like there even in the 1960's and 1970's.
I mean, where else could you have that unforgettable horse AND world-class opera AND the mountains AND the humility of entertaining the Native Americans by just being white people on the Plaza?
I read this book, I can smell the pine wood burning in the farolitos, and the breeze in the chamisa after the Summer afternoon cloudbursts.

This is a wondrous short novel. Read it if you'd like to be a teenager again. Buy an old paperback copy showing a teenage boy and girl standing facing each other with their foreheads touching--a very sweet illustration.

Now a good review (recommendation) doesn't have to be long, so let me give you a few lines of description. A boy moves from Alabama to New Mexico during World War II, and while his father is away in the war, the boy finds friends and a home in the small mountain town of Sagrado. One of his new friends is an sculptor who carves stone heads and places them on a hillside.

On the great book cover: Sometimes book covers actually decline in quality with the many printings of a book. This has happened with "Red Sky At Morning," but remember you are buying the book for the story.

Another example of the decline in a book's cover is seen in the early cover for "Summer of Night," by Dan Simmons.Summer of Night (Aspect Fantasy) The 1991 "Warner Book" edition has a window with a cut out. Through the window you can see some boys riding their bicycles at night. When you open the book, you see a mysterious school in the background.

The later covers of "Summer of Night" were not half as mysterious or fun.

As many others have said, it's impossible to get tired of this book. My parents gave it to me when I was 18 and (again, like several others) the first time I read it I found it a little slow and disjointed. It gets better and better with every read - each time I pick up on the subtleties of a scene for the first time.

Rather than boring the reader with a bunch of obnoxious capers and hijinks, Bradford envelops you in his characters' community, and it's this day-to-day banality (which turned me off so much the first time) that really draws you into the story. Josh's adjustment to Sagrado takes time, but when it comes it's so natural and amusing that you're almost completely unprepared for the sobering conclusion of the story.

I had no idea the book was so loved until I read these reviews. There are so many special moments in the story - the big wet snowfalls that ruins Chamaco's fiesta, the horribly backward residents of La Cima, the refreshing "white trashiness" of the Cloyd sisters, even Parker Holmes tearing an elk sandwich apart with his teeth.

I wish these characters existed in real life, and I wish I could be their friend.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book, I do not know how I missed it for so many years. It was recommended in Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" (which you really should buy if you are an avid reader.) I have never been dissapointed by her recommendations.

Josh, as the narrator in "Red Sky at Morning" is a 17 year old high school senior at the end of WWII. His dry wit mad me laugh right out loud several times. I loved his sensibility and humor. The cast of characters in this book reminded me of some of the characters in "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year, so much so I will probably hunt down a hard cover edition for my collection.

Is there *anyone* on the planet who doesn't like Beverly Cleary's books and the wonderful characters she created?

Beezus and Ramona (along with Henry Huggins and the rest of the gang on Klikitak Street) were part of my childhood. 40 years later, they were just as appealing to my own son. And don't tell anyone -- although we bought these audiobooks when he was about 8, at 12 he still likes to put these on ocassionally and listen. Why? In large part because of Stockard Channing's masterful performance here. Her rendition of Ramona is EXACTLY how we imagine this impish little creature would talk.

I highly recommend these books, both because of the delightful stories and characters that Mrs. Clearly created for us, and because Stockard Channing has brought them to life so perfectly here. The stories are reminiscent of simpler times and will take parents back to their own childhoods while providing toddlers to tweens with good, wholesome entertainment.

We listened on road trips, and unlike certain kids entertainment (a certain purple dinosaur comes to mind), you won't want the kids to wear headphones to preserve your sanity. You'll want it on the main speakers for everyone in the car to enjoy.

Five stars!

If you have a little sister and think she's annoying, think again. Does your sister think Bendix is the most beautiful name in the world? Does she ruin your birthday cake--twice?! Sometimes little sisters are annoying, but Ramona is impossible! Beezuz, Roamona's big sister finds out that no matter what happens in her childhood with Ramona, they will think it funny when they grow up. I hope you'll enjoy this book!

Beezus really got annoyed with Ramona, she wrecked the art class, she bite into all those apples,etc. I would have probably screamed if I had Ramona for a sister! I like Beverly Cleary's books. I own this particular book of hers, and I read it again and again! It's awsome! I totally recomend it, along with Cleary's other awsome books!

I recently read this to my 8yo daughter (who has a 4yo brother) and she loved it even moreso than some of the more Ramona-centred book, I think because she could relate so much to Beezus's feelings. She was particularly taken with the first story about Ramona's obsession with the libary book as we have similar issues with The Very Hungry Caterpillar at our house.

Ask any older sibling about younger siblings, and you'll get one common answer...they're A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. They steal your toys, throw tantrums, and constantly steal the spotlight. But, even the most perturbed older siblings know that, deep down, it's impossible not to love younger sisters and brothers - sometimes.

Nine-year-old Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby has always been a quiet soul, content with spending her time embroidering pot holders, helping her mother do the sheets on Saturday's, and reading the countless books she checks out of the Glenwood Branch Library on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, her four-year-old sister, Ramona, is the exact opposite of her. Ramona has one thing on her mind, and that's making as much noise as possible, and driving the whole family out of their mind. Beezus can't stand it, especially since the responsibility of taking care of Ramona, and ensuring that she behaves, is often delegated to her, so that her parents can get their work done. Ramona, however, refuses to obey Beezus. Unless, of course, she's reading one of her favorite books - The Littlest Steam Shovel, or Big Steve the Steam Shovel - to her. But even that doesn't keep Ramona occupied for long. When Beezus is in the midst of creating pictures for her art class, Ramona is there to cause a mess, and challenge Beezus' imagination. When Ramona is offered two marshmallows as a snack, she uses them as powder puffs, as opposed to putting them in her tummy, where they belong. During checkers games with Beezus' pal Henry Huggins, Ramona destroys the checkerboard, and wreaks all sorts of havoc - even some involving Henry's beloved dog Ribsy. In Beezus' eyes, she can't win - even when it's her birthday. But as she gets older, and learns more about her mother's relationships with her siblings, Beezus begins to realize that, as obnoxious as Ramona is, she's still her sister. And even though she may become angry at Ramona for her crazy antics; she still loves her - just not all the time.

I fell in love with Beverly Cleary's RAMONA books when I was five-years-old, and now that I have decided to re-read them, I'm finding that I can't help but fall in love with them all over again. I feel as if I have reverted back to my five-year-old self, and can actually relate to the mishaps that continually take place during both Ramona, and Beezus' lives. Beezus is such a fun character, who seems wise beyond her years, and is serious to a motherly extent. Ramona, on the other hand, is carefree and impossible to handle. Her wacky thoughts, and determination to always have her way is humorous; while some of the debacles she finds herself in are downright cringe-worthy. Cleary has penned a book here that is essential to read aloud to both older and younger children. The message of love is clear on every page, and truly helps to bring siblings together. Clever, funny, and irresistible.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Those that are positive that this book is a fantasy and therefore will not be read by them really needs to think straight. No, this is not a fantasy, which did surprise me considering Ms. Snyder's passion for the weird. Instead, it is a book about those oh-so-classic themes of family, friendship, and growing up.

Snyder makes a wondrous world between two small-town friends who are as different as different can be. One becomes enchanted by the passion and creativity of the other, and this is a friendship that leads them through the changes of life.

It's touching and inspiring. A great girl book.

There are some typical "teen novel" elements but overall this is a great story of friendship. Shy, awkward, overweight and sensitive Martha Abbott is a misfit in her own shallow and constrained upper-middle-class family, who take her for granted. Martha befriends the vibrant, imaginative, and outgoing Ivy Carson, herself a misfit in her own poor, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, criminal fringe family. Their sometimes-misunderstood friendship nurtures and sustains them over the years, and their imaginary games help inspire their own inner talents. Even through separation and quarrels, their bond remains strong, and the reader can see how much each owes the other as they grow. A touching tribute to both the power and joys of friendship and the imagination. A blessing to see it's back in print.

This book gave me new ways of looking at the world, at myself and at my neighbors when I was 11 years old and read it for the first time. And the second. And the third... I don't think there are many American girls who could not identify both with Martha and with Ivy, in turns, as these tender characters vividly represent the dichotomy of female adolescence.

I have sought out, purchased and given away a number of copies of this book in recent years, and now that it is in print again I have just ordered two copies. One is for my friend's 14 year old daughter who lives overseas and has few options for books in English, and the other I will save for my granddaughter, who was just born. Her mother will re-read the book in the meantime (after I do) and we will both relive a wonderful experience which helped us cope with a most difficult time of life.

The Changeling is a very intresting book. Martha Abott goes through some tough times at Roosevelt High School. The Changeling is such a wonderful book. This book is confusing yet mind boggling. The Changeling's end is very sad. Sad enough to make you cry. Martha Abott meets someone who she thinks is from supernatural parents. When Martha spends time with this person,she discovers

Recently, was at the book store helping my 10y son look for a book to read, I ran across a copy of "The Headless Cupid" I bought it and asked to order "The changeling" but they couldn't get it for me, So I turn to the internet (Got to love eBay) and found it. I read it as soon as I received it. I've ordered several more of Snyder's books as well. Maybe my kids will enjoy them as much as I have.

I was 12y. at the time I first read it. I wasn't a "reader" this was one of the first I had ever read that I didn't force myself to finish. I lost myself in the pages. I felt a huge connection to Ivy our life's were so similar, she had a better outlook on life one I longed to have. Since then I have read a fair amount of books but none ever touched me the same way.

Wonderful book. Have self prescribed a good laugh or cry each day. Now many days ahead.
At first did not read between lines for emotions, much. Now on 4th re-read and is better each time. First read somewhat terse, emotional-less, last read totally opposed.

Sean

I read this book as a kid and adored it. I go back and re-read it, and it's every bit as fascinating and powerful now as it was then, but even though I've read it at least 8 times, I still pick up new subtelties every time I read it. It's a great book.

Having read and re-read most of the best-known works of apocalyptic and dystopian science fiction, I was reduced a while back to reading second-rate works, some of which are pulp or at least border on it. Never having heard of David R. Palmer, I opened his twenty-five year old book Emergence expecting another near-pulp experience . . . and was immediately captivated. I was greeted by Candy Smith-Foster, a winsome 11-year-old whiz kid of a girl, sardonic and vulnerable by turns, writing in an abbreviated form of shorthand (sans articles and occasionally nouns to save time and space), and utterly endearing. Candy's character, and the literary devices Palmer uses to create and convey it, are alone worth the read. The plot, too, is engaging, if not outstanding, and is also noteworthy for its ceaseless optimism and hope even in the face of repeated danger and tragedy. Having begun this book by bracing myself for pulp, I now consider it one of my favorite books of the genre. Highly recommended.

Hi, people. I hope the webmaster's rules permit this.

First, thanks for your enduring loyalty. It's been 25 years since my last book.

Some of you will be pleased to learn that "Tracking," the sequel to "Emergence," is being serialized in three parts by Analog SF magazine, commencing with the July/August double issue, due out toward the end of this month. Inchoate talk are also underway with Wormhole Press to bring "Tracking" out as a hardcover and paperback sometime next year.

Secondly, I've also completed "Spcial Education" (dunno if that'll show up properly in HTML; it's "special," with a long-vowel diacritical bar over the "e," as in "species"), sequel to "Threshold."

Thirdly, I just finished "Schrödinger's Frisbee," an unrelated SF novel about a boy and his dog, his girlfriend -- and alien abduction.

And finally, a movie option has been sold for "Emergence"; a screenplay now exists. The efforts of anyone who wishes to join me in breath-holding and finger-crossing will be appreciated.

Wormhole Press is equally interested in them, and in rereleasing "Emergence" and "Threshold." Check back here occasionally on amazon.com; coerce your local booksellers. Tell two friends; ask them to tell two friends, etc. Repeat this to a depth of 20 conversations and you've alerted over a million friends.

Thanks again for your enthusiasm and patience -- and for the kind thoughts embodied in the occasional, somewhat premature eulogies I've read here and on other websites.

Very truly,

David R. Palmer

Emergence is an inspiring and often touching book about a very intelligent girl, who must deal with a post Nuclear/Biological war world. As others have noted, there are similarities in feel to Heinlein's juveniles. However, I feel there are too many deus ex machina points that provide cracks in an otherwise excellent story to give it a full five stars. Palmer's attraction to the superhuman proved a dooming weakness in his second novel with an adult protagonist, but here it's still workable. I believe it was John W. Campbell who observed that it's all but impossible for human authors to write about the superhumans, save at the beginning of their rise in childhood, or during their final faltering decline during old age. Emergence handles a gifted child well.

Generally hard to find, but a very good gift for a bright pre-teen.

This is an unusual book, strange in so many ways I'm going to have trouble listing them all. I'll try, though. I will say that at some level I enjoyed this book, and if you can overcome the shortcomings that I'll list below, you may enjoy it more than I did.

For one thing, there's the issue of the author's name. This *isn't* the Michael Collins who was the first president of Ireland (of course not, he's been dead for 80 years) though the author was born over there. He's also not the astronaut who stayed on Apollo 11 while Armstrong and Aldrin wandered around on the moon. And he's also not Dennis Lynds, who has a series of detective novels featuring a one-armed private eye named Dan Fortune, and who writes novels under the pen name Michael Collins. This is the other other other Michael Collins. Very weird.

The plot of the book is pretty complex. All of the plot takes place in the late 1970s, a strange choice for the author. It works at some levels, though. Frank Cassidy is a small-time next-to-nothing, working at a burger joint, married to a woman who is at first a dispatcher for a trucking company. They have two kids, though the older one is from her previous marriage. Frank gets word that his uncle has died, and he decides to return to his hometown for the funeral. However his cousin and the cousin's wife are very angry at this.

This is where things begin to get strange. It turns out that Frank's wife, Honey, was married before, and her husband killed two people and is now on Death Row. She beats the son she had with the first husband. Frank, meanwhile, steals cars and money in order to finance their trip back home. As the novel progresses, there's not a single solitary character in the whole plot who's truly honest, good-hearted, and/or selfless. Everyone's out for themselves, dishonest, and nasty. It's sort of a cross between American Beauty and The Grapes of Wrath.

One point I think worth making is that the author isn't an American. You've got to wonder what these guys are thinking (I'm thinking of the guy who wrote American Beauty) when they move here in order to write stuff and tell us what jerks we are. I wonder if an American could move to Britain or Ireland and write a novel like this, and get it published, let alone receive awards. Needless to say, all the gushing blurbs on the back of the book are from British and Irish newspapers, which all insist (of course) that it reveals "America's long malaise".

The author *can* write, though. There's not that much of a plot, unfortunately. Instead, we get a bleak, desolate account of Middle America a quarter century ago. While the author isn't positive about anything, it's interesting to watch the characters wander through the plot. The mystery angle isn't (as is traditional) important to the book, and the solution, when revealed, seems rather forced and quick. Luckily, as I said, it's not that significant.

I enjoyed this book within these parameters. I might recommend it, but you've got to be aware of how annoying it can be at times.

This is where things get weird, however.

This book is a pleasure to read. The writing style is effortless - Mr Collins is a skillful and inventive writer.

The story follows a 1970s family who return to the Frank Cassidy's hometown for his dad's funeral. As the mystery around the death unfolds, other themes are also addressed. In a couple of generations Frank's family has moved from primary industry, mining and farming, into the service econony (flipping burgers). The novel shows the impact on families, on men and women and their ideas of their place in the world. Some people can survive in the modern world of corporate farming, of colleges which free people from their tie to the soil. It is not an easy journey but the ability of people to survive shines through, especially when the benefits of education are used to change for the better. In the background the impact of a war fought overseas is also in the air.

Ultimately, a novel about hope. Perhaps even an update of the American dream? Great book, deserves more recognition.

The hero is a pragmatist in a Godless world. The protagonist, Frank Cassidy, had not had a day off in two years when he quits his job in New Jersey to go the the Upper Peninsula, Michigan for reason of a death in the family. He steals a car and later robs a man named Melvin. Frank's brother-cousin and his wife, Norman and Martha, dread the arrival of Frank and Honey and Robert Lee and Ernie, the children.

In the boarding house where they stay there is a hint of opulence. It is learned that the body of the deceased uncle, Ward, is being held by the authorities. Honey feels they should try to get jobs in the town. Frank works as a security guard and Honey in the business office of a college undergoing a transition from a community college to a four years residential college with a Great Books curriculum.

For Thanksgiving it is decided to eat at Cedar Lodge and stay there through the long weekend. Listed winter activities are ice skating and ice fishing. In a telephone call Frank learns that his cousin Norman is collapsing. Norman upended the sheriff's car when served with papers of foreclosure. Frank and his family go to Norman's place where it is discovered the dairy herd has been killed. In the end Frank uncovers and clarifies mysteries that have always surrounded his boyhood. The atmosphere created by the author matches the subject of the search for meaning by being indeterminate, foggy, bewildering. The children are presented in interesting realistic detail.

~ Frank Cassidy learns in a newspaper of the death - possibly, murder - of his uncle, and goes back to North America to investigate any possibility of inheritance; to find out why his uncle died; and to sort out loose ends left in his head from a fire at his family farm in his childhood...

This book starts off quite promisingly. The writer evidently knows the mechanics of how to write well. But the book lacks sufficient plot after about the first hundred pages (of a 360-page book) to keep the reader very interested in continuing with it. The journey to the end of the book becomes boring, too unstimulating, too slow, too drawn out, with too much description and detail just for the sake of giving description and detail, too much describing of humdrum life, with the reader wondering if the book is going to go anywhere sufficiently interesting to be worth going on turning the pages. The characters in the book aren't made particularly interesting in themselves. The story ceases to be interesting. The reader is left in the dark for too long as to where the book is heading to, or why all the details are supposed to be interesting, or what the point of the book is supposed to be. Whilst what really happened many years before, in Frank's childhood, is revealed to us in the last fifteen pages of the book, by the time the reader gets there, he will probably have lost interest in the tale anyway.

A few specifics in the plot that didn't really seem to fit together well:
1. It seemed odd for Frank just to dump Juniper, the family pet, in someone else's car, and for that action then just to be accepted by the rest of the family.
2. It seemed odd for Frank to go back home with specific personal missions in his mind, but yet then never actually to get round to meeting up with Norman and Martha face to face for the whole time he was up there.
3. It seemed odd for Norman and Martha just to run away without saying more to anyone, after their herd was slaughtered.
4. Why Chester Green was suddenly being referred to as 'the Sleeper' didn't seem to be explained.
5. It seemed odd for Frank, not rich, not to want to salvage any possessions from either house before they were bulldozed.
6. It seemed odd and too convenient for Frank suddenly to be interrogating Baxter, his new co-worker, for information, which was forthcoming, as soon as he met him.
7. It seemed odd for Frank just to be allowed to be left alone with Chester Green in a hospital unsupervised, particularly in later visits after he had already been suspected of trying to harm or interfere with Chester Green earlier on.
8. Why Baxter suddenly ended up in the sanatorium following the window-smashing incident and ended up getting ECT treatment wasn't very clear.
9. Frank suddenly realising his mother had died in a fall many years ago, by listening to tapes, didn't really ring very true.
10. The detail at the end of the book (page 357), of Frank killing the paralysed 'Chester Green' in the sanatorium, seemed to be a detail borrowed straight out of 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest', where the huge red indian suffocates the comitose Jack Nicholson at the end of that film. That conclusion seems to be borne out by a reference to 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' in this book, just a page later (page 358).

All in all, this was not a very satisfying book, for a variety of reasons - mainly lack of interesting plot and lack of interesting characters.

Frank Cassidy lives on the fringes of society in a succession of demeaning jobs, a wife with an ex-husband on death row in Georgia, an angst-riddled stepson waiting for his father to be executed and an innocent pre-schooler, obsessed with his toy dinosaurs. Frank's edge-of-desperation lifestyle can be traced back to his childhood, his father and mother killed in a fire that erupted on the family farm when Frank was five-years old. His memories of that time are dim, shaped by the overwhelming presence of his uncle, who raised him as one of his own, and the psychological evaluations the doctor hoped would unlock Frank's fragmented memory of the night of the conflagration.

As soon as he is old enough, Frank leaves the farm behind, along with all family connections, to make his way in a hostile world with no patience for an emotionally damaged survivor. His life since then has been a series of misdemeanors, an anti-social approach to the rest of mankind. Frank views his occasional petty crimes as the natural evolution of a careful society, like car theft, his deeds "preordained statistical probability", but refuses to believe that "stupidity and desperation equate to evil". When he reads of his uncle's murder, Frank gathers his family and heads for the past, a dark trek from New Jersey to the vast, empty cold of the far north in Michigan.

Along the way, Frank telephones his cousin at the farm, arguing about the purpose of the trip and the resolution of a shattered history. For Frank, this journey is like poking a stick at a bad tooth, as painful memories surge, taunting and confusing his every action, his haunted youth returning with savage intensity. He makes his way back to the kind of town nobody would willingly return to unless called by tragedy or loss. People here live in despair, inhabiting days frozen in minimal needs and obligations, waiting to thaw. At each phase of his odyssey, Frank is beset by images and memories, the flickering light of a television screen in a starless night, black and white reruns the backdrop for a tragedy buried in his subconscious that fills him with a vague sense of guilt, a mistrust of his own motivations.

Thirty years after the traumatic events that stole his childhood, Frank is called back into the chaos of his youth, the self-destruction that has defined every rebellious action since. Both distressed and comforted by a suffering family he can barely provide for, Frank plunges into what remains of his world, forced to redefine time and place, to make a stand in this frozen wilderness, drawing courage from his own need for resolution and the love of his dysfunctional family. He does so with consummate grace, a tragic character cart-wheeling through free-associative hell on a collision course with the truth. The prose is shadowed and disturbing, a painful view of the underbelly of American life, where the have-nots gather around a burning trash can in hopes of warmth in an indifferent landscape. Luan Gaines/2005.

This is great i mean her dad gets a new job and they have to move Sarah heres a a woman calling for help and she keeps seeing things a little romance in it but this was great and very easy to read but sometimes u get a book and the review always says that you cant put this book down well this is very Very true you cant put it down

This is great i mean her dad gets a new job and they have to move Sarah heres a a woman calling for help and she keeps seeing things a little romance in it but this was great and very easy to read but sometimes u get a book and the review always says that you cant put this book down well this is very Very true you cant put it down

In my english class we had to read a mystery book and make a presentation. I saw that this book was one of the choices that we could choose to read. I had read some of Joans books before and I really liked her writing style. This book was very interesting to read and I could hardly put down the book because of it's suspenseful plot and interesting topics. Joan used very good despriptions and made you feel like you were there with the main character Sarah darnell. I highly reconmend this book as one of the first Joan Lowery nixon books that you would read if you haven't started reading her books and got hooked with her unique writing style.The story gives off a feel of many different feelings and moods that would come natural with the situations that are explained in the writing.This is one of those books that you could be wanting to read later on in the future. I could read this book over and over and not get bored. I hope you decide to read this book if you haven't already and if you have you could probably read it again.

Whispers From the dead is an excellent book. If you like mysteries I'm sure you would like it. Its about a girl named Sara who had a near death expearence. After that she has been feeling that ghosts were watching her. Then her family moves into a new house when she goes into the house she gets an earie feeling. She keeps on seeing werid visions. And hearing a spanish girls cry for help. Can she help the girl? Can she figure out the mystery? Find out for your self by reading the book.

This book is about a girl named Sarah. Her family decides to move to this huge house that was on a beautiful neighbor hood. What Sarah's family didn't know was that someone was murdered in the house before they moved. Sarah found this out first hand when she starts hearing voices and seeing things such as puddles of blood on the floor. When she lived in her old town she almost drowned when she went swimming, Ever since she has been linked to another world. She feels as if a dark shadow was following her and when she moved into the house the Spanish voices whispering to her for help. Sarah finds out that the voice she was hearing in the house was from the girl who was murdered. She from there tries to find out what really happened in the murder.

The things I liked about this book were how the detail of the book helped you see and feel and hear what Sarah did. I liked this because it really gets you into the story and you feel as if it were you, not Sarah. One thing I didn't like about the book was how it was kind of boring. Usually when the beginning is boring the person never wants to read on to find out what happens, but I advice everyone to read on because it is a really good book!

People who would like this book would be someone who likes a little mystery or somewhat scary books, even maybe suspense or thriller novels.

I love this book and the accompaning CD. My grandsons who are now 13 had this book when they were infants, and were still singing the songs when they were 5. I gave it as a gift to my God Daughter, and this one was a gift for my first Great Grandson. Raffi writes stories and songs that children should grow up with. I am positive I will give this book and CD again.

This book is great even if you don't know the music. My little guy 'reads' along while listening to the Raffi CD, but you don't need the CD to enjoy the book. The pictures are terrific for the child and adult. My son insists on reading this every night at bedtime, and that's okay with me!

My sister is a principal and highly recommeded this book for my grandchildren. THey love to read and sing so what better gift than to have it all wrapped into one.

Baby Beluga is a fantastic book for the class I work in. The three and four year old special ed students LOVE this book along with Raffi's music being played. I strongly recommend it for any child. I'm purchasing the book and the CD for my nephews who do not have any disabilities because I know they'll love it too.

My daughter is crazy about this book, and she has been since she was about 8 months old. I think the fact that you can't help but sing the story when you read it makes it much more interesting. I've never actually heard the whole song before, so I can only guess if I'm singing it correctly. She loves it though. As always, the cardboard pages make for a very durable baby book.

This book was EXCELLENT!! I love it!

The excitement of the book kept me reading!! Even thought there was fictional parts in the book, like how Man O' War's Dam was not gentle and sweet but nervous and A LOT like her Sire. And other fictional things like how the new owner did not see Man O' War until after he bought him. Even though these things were false in the story, I think it is great and helps people learn the life of one of the greatest horses in history!! When I read the book I felt like I was there, And I love when books help you do that! I really hope they can mke more books like this on othr famous horses!

I was able to enjoy this book immensely! The details Walter Farley gave were incredible. You didn't miss a thing! You always knew everything that was going on with Man O' War. There wasn't too much detail either. It wasn't 350 pages of blah. In this book you were able to live through all of the races, dissapointment, and momentous occasions of Man O' War and his stable hand Danny. Danny was a loyal young man who more than anything wanted to be with his horse Man O' War. Any horse lover who has a special horse close to their heart or just loves horses in general will be able to relate to Danny's love for Man O' War!
I definitely recommend Man O' War as a must read for any horse lover!
I hope this was of some help for you! Happy Reading!!

This is one of my favorite books ever. I read it a few years ago (in 8th grade), and am still looking for another racehorse book like it. Farley throws you into the story of a colt and his groom. Although in real life, Danny didn't exist, "Red" did and the information on the horse and his races is true. It gives all of the history without getting boring and sounding like a History book. I think everyone who even just likes horses should read it.

It is really goood
the beginning is a little slow but then it grips you and you can hardly put the book down!
it is one of the best books that he has ever written!
If you love horses, or horse racing then this is the book for you!!

I adore this book, though it is not completely factual. Of course, Walter Farley never says it was:) It is extremely well written and I strongly recommend it to everyone who enjoys Walter Farley's books, horse racing, Man O'War, or just plain horses!

However, there are a few little facts that are incorrect. In the book it is mentioned that Mahubah, Man O'War's dam, is a gentle, good-natured mare that they bred to "tame the hot blood of Hastings". But in real life, Mahubah was noted to be a nervous, rather high-strung mare, much like her father Rock Sand. Rock Sand was very alert and nervous and had to literally have a padded stall because he would pace and kick so much they worried he would injure himself!

Second, Mr. Riddle did not see Man O'War until after he was purchased. He had an agent buy him at the Saratoga Sale.

Also, I think Walter Farley should have given some credit to Preston M. Burch and his book "Training Thoroughbred Horses" because Man O'War's entire training process was copied step-by-step from that book (which I also own).

Overall though, a great book and one of my favorites by the author. Very much recommended and enjoyed!

I was so glad to find this book again as I had read it to my sons when they were in grade school. This is a very fun book for children big and small! This was our very first Daniel Pinkwater novel and was the biginning of our lifelong love of his writings. Read this to your children - give it to them to read. ONE disclaimer - if they are already immersed in fantasy then they will have little appreciation of how subtly Pinkwater takes you from known to the absurd to the almost believeable.

Lizzard Music is the way I got my son Matt to read as a kid. He could read but wasn't at all interested in the boring books he got handed at school. It was like pulling teeth to get him to read. I gave him lizzard music and asked that he read for 1/2 an hour and that was the last I heard from him except for some laughing and every once in a while a "wow! mom this is great!". He didn't put the book down except to eat and sleep until he finished it and then made me go get more Pinkwater books. So basicly my son reads thanks to the humor of the genius that is Daniel Manus Pinkwater!!! Thanks Mr. Pinkwater from moms everywhere

A very appealing book, and a favorite from Pinkwater. Good for both boys and girls, especially those looking for something funny and original.

Manus Pinkwater is a pretty cool kinda guy. He has the unique feature of being as tall sitting as he is standing, and that makes me wonder if the convex dimensions of an author's backside are somehow related to the quantity of his imagination. You see, Manus writes far-out books. No, no, I mean...realllly far-out books. I think he passes the Twilight Zone somewhere in route to where he goes to pen his creative little novels. Lizard Music may take the cake among everything straaaaange he's written, however. This story puts your brain in a food processor and hits frappe. What's it about? Oh, you want to know that, don't you? Okay.

Lizard Music is about a ten-ish young man named Victor, who is left one summer in the early 1970's in the custody of his free-loving teenaged sister, Leslie, when their parents take a summer vacation. Not ten seconds after the parents exeunt stage left Leslie does the same thing, meeting up with some hippie buds and taking off in a van with the warning that Victor better NOT tell on her for this. Hey, Victor's more than happy to oblige. What ten-year-old wouldn't love being left alone with a full frige, a small stack of spending money, and no rules or supervision whatsoever? Victor has the time of his young life. He eats what he wants, he does what he wants, and he stays up as late as he wants watching previously forbidden monster movies. It's this last liberty, the late bedtime, that sends young Victor's life into some veddy odd places. One night, past midnight, Victor is up watching the TV station sign off after the late-late-late show has concluded and right in front of his drowsy eyes he sees the most peculiar program he's ever witnessed: a jazz group composed entirely of man-sized lizards performs a concert in the minutes before the station ceases its signal. That's not to say it's a cartoon or guys in costumes...these appear to be great big lizards playing jazz. The next morning Victor wonders if it was all a dream. (He had after all been hitting the candy and cola a little hard the last couple nights...) To get to the truth, Victor stays up another night to see if it happens again. It does...and something else does too. Let me just say Victor takes a trip that's even weirder than the one his sister is on with her fellow hippies. "LiKe FaaR OuT, dUdE!!!" Lizard Music is the sort of book no one but Pinkwater could have written, no one could possibly figure out before its conclusion, and that no one will quite know what to make of when they've finished reading its mind-altering text.

I remember the night that my grandmother gave me this book. My mom was in the hospital for what would have been her last round of chemo and I had been beaten up in school that day for tucking my pants into my argyle socks in a rather unsporting display involving football players, loose change, and vending machines. Pinkwater's book kept me sane through the sixth grade and then some. There are a whole bunch of physicists in my department who feel the same way. We are very much in debt to the Chickenman and some other friendly phantoms from Bughouse Square and Pinkwater's memory (real or not, we are smart enough as a collective to get back to them).