Young Adult Books

Finally a book that really grips my attention. This book ROCKS! I would recommend it to ANY reader. I now have Dragons #4 too. Robert Stanek is right up there with the other true master authors!! Thanks Robert for such wonderful writing.

I couldn't put it down. What a great book. The plot will hold your attention, the characters are vivid and the action is compelling. In it's entirety, a very enjoyable book. I highly reccommend it and it's sequel.

The ends comes for the men of the kingdoms and the elves of the reaches. The wars they've all been trying to prevent have started, and there doesn't seem to be any hope left, but Prince Valam Alder, and his family are not about to give up. They are going to fight to the end, meanwhile Xith and Noman continue to build the mysterious company they believe can save everyone, and Adrina has a secret key she's told no one about. The dragon is with her and he's trying to hook his claws deeper. It is a great book you should buy it!!!!

The "service of dragons" are by far some of the best books I've ever read, and that's saying something. I'm currently re-reading the set for the second time and am enjoying it just like the first time. It is a MUST read for anybody who like dragons, magic, adventure and climatic endings. It keeps you hooked from the begenning to the end!!! i would give this book a million stars!! Praise to Robert Stanek, he's a master!!

I loved this book even more than the first two!! I could really imagine what was going on! It was full of adventure and magic and action! If you like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, you will LOVE this book! A 5 star winner!

I recently purchased this book for my granddaughters who recently moved to Japan. The book arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. The book has very colorful and fun artwork and the stories are very interesting. Was great to see a different style of storytelling.

My grandparents, who had lived in Japan, had this book at their house and I loved reading it everytime I visited. It just was a wonderful escape where the stories were so foreign, unique and amazing to a child - and still appear so in my adulthood. I'm convinced it's what made me a world traveler.

This book was a good book for younger children. It had wonderful illustrations, and the morals were Wonderful. It's a book that young children would put at the top of their favorite book list.

This book, in my opinion, should get 4.5 stars because it is interesting but also a bit confusing. It was fun to read the first few times, but after awhile the stories seemed predictable. Occasionally, the stories were random and confusing. The pictures aren't very detailed, but they show the point of what they are discribing. I also like the book because of the creativity of the authors. I know that as a writer you must construct creative and understandable stories and I am almost overwhelmed by the uniqueness of these stories. I recommend this book to younger children who enjoy reading simple fantasy stories with adventure.

This book is very special to me as it was a dear part of my childhood growing up in a Japanese American household in the early 1960s. When I was about three years old, one of my "uncles" gave this book to me with a pink hardcover and it has stayed dear to my heart since. I was quite delighted to see it still in print and being offered here on Amazon. What's even more amazing, is that from what I can tell by the image previews for this newest edition, the illustrations are the very same ones as my forty-some-odd year old book. This collection of stories would be similar to a Japanese Grimm's Fairy Tales and were also part of my father's childhood in 1920s Japan. Overall, they are quite simple and to the point and have a cuteness typical of Japanese stories. In recent years, my ex-girlfriend had enjoyed listening to me tell her these stories at bedtime even from my 40 year memory. I'm sure I've mangled some of them and combined them into a hybrid monkey, ogre, old man, cookie tale. I've been meaning to find my original copy, but now I know I can relive my childhood with a fresh new copy.

This is the most amazing, heartfelt piece of literature I have ever read in my fourteen years. I have read and re-read thousands of books, but never has one left me as speechless nor as breathless as Johnny Voodoo. I reccomend this novel to anyone who is in dire need of a good cry, or just wants to read something out of the ordinary, and something so incredibly written that it stops your heart, if only for a second with the many words forming such an experiance, such an indescribable tale. It is one of the best, if not the best novel you will ever let your eyes wander on.

this book is my fav book ever its sooo SWEET i love johnny i wihs for him to be my real bf!well i hope u enjoy the book as muhc as i did!it's sad it went outta print:'(

'Johnny Voodoo' might be the best book i've ever read. The author does a good job of.. 1. drawing you in to the book, so you fee like you're actually right along there with Dedrie 2. Incorperates romance w/o makng it mushy 3. There's both depression and hapiness. it's an awesome book that I think everyone should read.

This book was very intriuing. I was so interested and fascinated with it that I read it in one day. I highly recommend it. Two thumbs up!

Johnny VooDoo was by far one of the best books I have read. Not many books will get me reading to the point where I don't want to stop until it's finished. Dierdre is an outcast in her town. She just moved there and she has no friends. She feels all alone between her home and school worlds and her mother had died years before. Then she meets Johnny and everyhting changes for Dierdre and she learns a valuable lesson. True love always lasts. But is the love between her and Johnny true love or is it just a game. Will their love last?

Of the many novels Louis L'Amour wrote about the Sackett family, Jubal Sackett may be his best. The story is set in early America in the wild Rocky Mountain country--before the mountain men arrived. The story is addictive. I listened to the CDs at home, at the office, and in my car. It may also be the most creative and imaginative story that L'Amour every wrote. It is highly recommended.

I loved the content and the reader. Louis L'Amour did extensive research for the book and did a fabulous job a capturing the adventure and romance of the era. It's hard to imagine the frontier with all of the modern conveniences we currently have but the author paints a reasonable picture.
The reader did a fabulous job of relaying the essence of the book.

A typical L'Amour book - a dashing, trustworthy protagonist, just trying to live in peace but able to defend himself if and when necessary. Jubal Sackett is loved and trusted by all except the villains, who themselves have absolutely no redeeming qualities at all. In other words, the characters are very flat and monochromatic, and as a result, they come across as very artificial.

One thing you have to hand to L'Amour, though - he writes book easily read in an evening.

A very good story. I would have liked to know more of what happened before it ended. I found out that there are 3 books in the series that I needed to read before this one so I ordered them today. I would recommend this series to my friends and family.

This by far is the best audio book Ive listened to.

The guy reading the story has an accent that fits the story perfectly. While this is a lengthy book it is never boring
The pacing is perfect and the story itself is riviting.
Do yourself a favor and get this on audio. You will not be dissappionted

For all of you Ellen Emerson White fans of "Life Without Friends" don't miss out on the PREQUEL (or as some prefer COMPANION BOOK), "Friends for Life". This lets you see Beverly before she got in to trouble...and from a different point of view. I originally read them in this "backwards" order as well...and still loved them!

This book was amazing! I read it twice, and then checked it out again later. Derek is so funny and kind. Life without Friends will captivate the mind of any reader. I highly suggest you read it!!!

Although it's technically a YA book, the only thing "teen" about this is that the protagonist, Beverly, is just about to graduate high school. Having survived an abusive relationship with a boyfriend who was charged with murder, as well as her mother's suicide and her father's remarriage, Beverly is churning with guilt and anger that keeps her from enjoying life. One day, she meets Derek, a 19-year-old groundskeeper for a local park -- essentially, a complete 180 from just about everyone she's ever known. Beverly is initially mistrustful of Derek, but his sense of humor and concern quickly begin to win her over and help her deal with all the demons that follow her daily.

I discovered this book about 8 years ago in my library's discarded book bin. I was a little disturbed by the Red Sox hat the girl was wearing on the cover, but it was only $0.10, so I got it anyway. Within two hours, I had discovered my favorite book. I have a nice hardback and two paperback copies that I have purchased, scared that I might lose one. I have never read a book so many times, and I carry one with me when I travel because the story is so familiar and comforting. I highly recommend ANYTHING by Ellen Emerson White, for anyone over 12 or so. I am 21 now, and the story still captivates me.

I mean this book was great!
Really superb.
The main character was a Red sox fan!

Well that's getting off topic. But this book was very good. The kind where the main character is in a very bad situation but by the end things have started to go better for them. I usually detest any thing that seems corny, but this was not corny. It was almost inspirational to see how Beverly, the main character, turned her life around and began to regain confidence.

anyone could enjoy this book.

I was lucky enough to see Lois Lowry speak in Knoxville, TN over a year ago. Lowry is a phenomenal story teller--both in print and in person. She told the audience much about her family and growing up...indulged us with photgraphs, stories, and memories. I felt like I was listening to a member of my own family telling me stories; I was completely enthralled and really appreciated Lowry willing sharing her life with so many people. "Looking Back" gave me the same feeling.

The book is not a typical memoir: no linear narration. It is, as she states, "about moments, memories, fragments, falsehoods, and fantasies." Photographs (most taken by herself or her father) are dated and presented with short explanations, memories, or revelations. It brings together two of my very favorite things: pictures and stories. I especially love the story of how she met her second husband, Martin, and her quest for the ideal dog. Fans of Lowry's books (especially of the Anastasia books, Autumn Street, and The Giver) will enjoy quotes from novels which relate to Lowry's life. While reading this book, readers will revel in the extent to which Lowry has placed her own experiences, memories, and stories into her fiction. It's all about stories; how we become ourselves and the importance of remembering.

I believe that I, as a child or teen, probably would not have been entirely interested in "Looking Back." I believe it takes a more mature reader to realize/appreiciate the intimacy and life experiences and milestones expressed in the book. But young fans of Lowry could enjoy learning more about a favorite author and where her stories came from.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

Browsing at my local library, I stumbled upon this book. "HMMMM, this looks interesting," I thought to myself. Little did I know that I had found a book that would bring me to my knees crying and give me one of the biggest "book hangovers" ever. This book followed me through my weekend, and inspired me as a writer ( who wishes she could write with even 1/100th of Lowry's talent) a teacher (who thought of about a zillion really cool writing and reading lessons I could spring from this book) and as a mother (who realized the joy of life, and exactly how fragile and tenacious it really is).

You must read this book. It is easy, and unfolds into a love story, a story of loss, and a story of absolutely LIVING life with as much passion as the moment allows. I don't want to give this book away, because the suprise of it, the thing that made most of the essays connect, is what left me gasping and delighted on snowy Sunday here in Denver.

Absolutely appropriate for children, but I would guess that the essays would appeal more to girls. And if you are a teacher, you will discover a hidden treasure in the book by and about one of the most talented childrens authors of our day!

Enjoy. Have the kleenex handy.

The memoir I read is called "Looking Back a Book of Memories" by Lois Lowry. The book is a collection of Lois Lowry's memories throughout her life. Lois Lowry is a prize winning writer of fiction novels. Each chapter is separate memory. She begins each chapter with a quote from one of her many novels. In this memoir she relates different quotes from her novels back to life experiences. The memories that she describes seem to be used throughout her novels. Writers will draw on memories and events from their own life as part of their story telling.

Lois Lowry noted that she has a lot of babies as characters in her books. For example, in the novel "The Giver" one of the characters was the baby Gabriel. In the novel "Rabble Starkey" there was a baby named Gunter Bigelow. Lois Lowry thinks that she likes to use baby characters because she likes newborn babies. Her fondness for newborn babies was started by a picture her father took of her when she was born in 1937. Fathers weren't normally allowed in the hospital ward but he worked for the hospital and he was a photographer. Her memoir also includes pictures of grandchildren as babies.

In the book, "Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye", she describes a girl looking up as she is standing in thick forest. She describes the emotions as fearful, humorous, and warmth all wrapped together. When Lois was two years old her father took a picture of her standing in a thick "tropical growth" near her house in Hawaii. She is looking up at her father's camera in the same way that she describes the girl in the book. She comments that her life had challenges but was mostly filled with warmth and humor. She says most of the time she remembers she laughed a lot.

In the book, "Anastasia at Your Service", she describes a scene where a young boy is trying to prove to another young girl that he can read. In this scene it is very important for the young boy to be able to read and prove it. She relates this to her need to want to read. When she was 3 years old and her sister was 6 they would play school. Her sister was the teacher because she could read. Lois wanted to read so that she could be the teacher.

In her book of memories, Lois Lowry describes her life using quotes from her fictional books. She discovered that most of the scenes in her books came from her own experiences. She used her own life as an inspiration for her writing. It would be easy to find scenes inspired by her own life in her books because so much of her own life is in her books. She documented many of these in her book of memories.

Lush
By Natasha friend
Book review by Lauren D

"It's going to be ok just take deep breaths" Samantha's mom is always telling her that, But its not all ok, nothing is okay. Sam is a seventh grade girl who has an alcoholic dad, her mom pretends everything is perfect and solves everything by doing yoga. Sam tries to get through to her mom and is worried about her younger brother who has no clue what is happening in their insane life. Sam needs help, but she is afraid that if she tells her friends, she will lose her friends as well. In desperation, she starts to write letters to someone anonymous.
I adored the book Lush. It is a complex journey filled with secrets, friendships, and grabbing situations. Natasha Friend does a wonderful job making me feel like I am standing right next to Sam, and I can relate to everyone even though I never dealt with such a problem before. The realistic dialog and great pace of the book kept me on my toes with the constantly building suspense.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about dealing with problems, family, and friendship.

-lauren D

I have read all Friend's books but this one is my favorite though I give them all 5 stars! This girl has an alcoholic father and it's pretty good. I probably read this one in like 3 hours? Enjoyed it! I highly recommend it it is sort of eye-opening as well.

Samantha Gwynn has a very big secret in the book "Lush" by Natasha Friend. Her dad is an alcoholic and if that isn't enough, she has to deal with 8th grade boys at school and drama between friends. Sam's mom feels practicing yoga will heal their family's problems. As you can probably assume, that doesn't go accordingly. Sam's mom is out every night searching for her dad at random bars or clubs. The whole family never knows what to expect when he comes home except to be ready. After a wild night out, Sam's dad swears his problem is over and he will never drink again, so he says. For maybe a split second, Sam believes him. Of course, his problem only got worse. He was becoming a better liar and finding more places to hide his stash. Eventually, her family checks him into a rehab center after brutally attacking Sam's little brother Luke. While not wanting her friends to know about her family's issues, she finds a random stranger in the library and writes her a letter, in hopes, that she will write back with advice. Although at the end of the story, Sam finds out who the pen pal actually was and boy was she shocked! Samantha was a brave girl who just wanted to be normal. If I was in her position I couldn't possibly imagine what I would do. At the end of the book, I feel that Sam really learns more about herself than anyone else. Although I loved this book and the lessons I learned from it, the book was very predictable. I had a feeling that the father was going to get help and be treated and that somehow the person she was writing to really wasn't who she thought it was. I would definitely recommend this book to kids my age or kids who maybe feel their families might have similar issues to Sam's family.

This book is very serious. Although I'm not quite done w/ reading it yet, I beleave that this book has had a huge impact on me, because it totally explains my past, w/ a few exceptions. Anyways, if you are a teenager I totally recomend this book. It is very well written, and if you are a person who thinks that you have a messed up life, you might think again after reading this book.


A.S.

This book is very serious. Although I'm not quite done w/ reading it yet, I beleave that this book has had a huge impact on me, because it totally explains my past, w/ a few exceptions. Anyways, if you are a teenager I totally recomend this book. It is very well written, and if you are a person who thinks that you have a messed up life, you might think again after reading this book.

Although my 20 month old is too young to understand the story he definately relaxes from the calm that this book brings to me as we read it together. Beautiful illustrations too.

I checked this out of the library and read it when I was 4 and have loved it ever since. It's one of those "must-have" books. It's a children's book but adults can enjoy it as well. The idea of the book is very sophistocated but can be easily understood by kids due to the simple language and color artwork.

I asked friends who practices Buddhism about any books that they could recommend that I could gift to a young friend who lost a companion very unexpectedly. Although they said that the content does not strictly follow Buddhist principles they suggested it with rave reviews. I was intrigued by the delicate simple manner of the story and noticed an interesting element in the illustrations ( read it to discover for yourself!)The story seems to soften the sadness of losing a loved one, reminds the reader of how dying is a part of living and raises hope that there is life after. It also beautifully narrates how fulfilling and rich a simple life can be. The illustrations are soft and enchanting like the story and the ending is all embracing....

I LOVE this book. My 10 year old LOVES it as well. We both had big smiles in our hearts after reading it. This book is about reincarnation and the connection we have with ourselves.

~Shauna Schoenborn

Gorgeous illustrations and a truly beautiful story make this book a rare treasure in Children's literature. A valuable addition to the book collection of Buddhist parented children. Explains the process of death and rebirth/reincarnation in a gentle and interesting way. Not weird at all and so suitable for children of non-Buddhist background as well as it provides an valuable insight as to how Buddhism/other belief systems explain death and the afterlife.

I've yet to find a Victoria Holt book that I don't like. This was a great historical biographical novel. The historical research was accurate. This book made the triangle between Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and LetticeDudley come alive. Highly recommended.

I loved this book. It was absorbing ( I couldn't put it down) and I felt that it was a pretty acurate depiction of the Virgin Queen's life. What better way to learn history than by reading a highly entertaining novel?

This is, by far, one of the best books, if not the best, I have ever, ever read. Victoria Holt really did her research on this book, and it is a pleasure to read both from the fiction-lover's viewpoint, and from the biographers. Be forewarned, however, that if you are not already in love with Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I, you will be no later than halfway through the book.

Interesting read, I was fascinated to learn more about Lettice Knowles. From previous books I have read about the period, I had heard Lettice's name occasionally, and knew there was some speculation about whether or not Henry VIII fathered her mother during his affair with Mary Boleyn. We'll never know.

All in all an enjoyable read - not the greatest in the historical fiction genre, but worthwhile to learn more about the secondary players in the times of Elizabeth I.

I have to say, it's kind of sad that history has all but forgotten Lettice Knollys. She was, according to this book, one of the most vibrant and influential people of the day. But she also made a terrible enemy of her queen, perhaps explaining why more people don't know about her.

Everyone who knows something about Queen Elizabeth I knows that she loved a man named Robert Dudley, a man she gave great honors to and had known all her life. Some historians even believe that he killed her wife so he could marry the queen, and that they may have had a son together. But Elizabeth remained unmarried all her days (and supposedly a virgin) while Dudley had two wives in his life.

The second was Lettice. She was the Queen's cousin and possible her niece as her mother was popularly believed to be Henry VIII's daughter through Mary Boleyn. She came to court when Elizabeth came to the crown and soon fell in love with Robert Dudley. Later they would become lovers and eventually marry. But always it was a relationship of three people, the Queen, Robert and Lettice. Later on, the Queen would give her son from her a previous marriage great honors, and eventually was forced to behead him when he led an uprising against the crown. In that relationship too was the Queen, Lettice's son the earl of Essex, and Lettice.

This book is her story. It's a little dry at times, being a supposed memoir Lettice writes before her death at the age of ninety six, but overall not bad. I do like to think of Robert Dudley as an entirely different person as described in this book, but hey, this was the authors vision and if she saw him as grabbing for power (which he was, true) and not truly loving Elizabeth for herself not just for the crown, that's her choice.

The only bad thing about this book is the most annoying way Lettice constantly says how beautiful she is and how she's so much prettier than the queen and all men love her and bla bla bla. It gets old fast. But hey, a vain women would probably write her life story like that.

Other than that, I just like to view Elizabeth and Dudley in a more romantic way then this book does. Possibly I'm deluding myself. But if you're like me, then read this, because its not a story I was familiar with and I bet most people aren't either, and then read the secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, for the very sweet scenes between Elizabeth and Dudley (part of the book takes place right after Elizabeth becomes Queen).

Pale Phoenix is a wonderful book. so detailed and well written that you can see your self there with the main characters. enchanting and a joy to read. i first discovered it 6 years ago at the local library and ive been rereading it(and i dont like to reread books *nods*). adios

This was a great book. The author kept you in suspense until you figured out what was going on. It is about a girl named Miranda and her parents. They take in an orphan named Abby. It was going okay, and then Miranda realized there was something weird about Abby. Then she started searching Abby's past.

This is another fine example of Kathryn Reiss's writing. I think it was a great book. I read atleast 4 times because I loved it so much. I really hope Kathryn Reiss becomes well-known. She has a great imagination and sense of literature. This classic tale about a pheonix rising from the ashes is a great story for young and older people to enjoy. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

The only way that you will reall you will really understand this book fully is if you read the first book, Time Windows. The basic plot is that a girl , Miranda has a very great life with her parents and neighbors in her small Northeastern town until they take in this orphan named Abby to live with them. Miranda and Abby do not get along a weel and things change for Miranda. She beginds to start uncovering Abby's amazing past and helping her deal with it. If you read this book you will really benefit from it becuase, if you read anymore books by this author, the character Abby appears in many of them breifly.

This story is so suspenseful, that I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time! This time-travel book, involves a young, thirteen-year-old girl by the name of Abby Chandler, who mysteriously and magically escapes a horrific fire, in which her family was killed. Abby does not know it, but a small, magical, stone flute carved in the shape of a phoenix, given to her by a Native American woman, Willow, saved Abby from dying in the fire with her family. But the flute did not only save Abby's life, it also threw her ahead in time by at least three hundred years! One second Abby was living in the colonial era, and the next second she was in a field of snow, without any knowledge of the buildings and houses around her.

Eventually Abby crosses paths with a young, fifteen-year-old girl, Mandy Browne, of Massachusetts. Unknown to both girls, but the day these two meet is the day Abby is rescued from her seemingly inevitable fate of living forever.

Mandy discovers there is something about this girl that isn't right. Whenever Mandy hears Abby hysterically crying, she goes to her room, but Abby is not there. What is even more strange, is that Mandy's parents do not hear Abby's wretched crying. In addition, Mandy discovers pictures of Abby's dating back hundreds of years. The strange thing is though, is that in all of the pictures there is a girl who is the splitting image of Abby, with the exception of clothes from each time period.

Twice, Mandy confronts her parents about Abby's crying, and twice Abby somehow returns back to her room, denying all of it, to which Mandy's parents take sides with Abby. Abby now knows that Mandy can unquestionably hear her crying when she has traveled back to her home of ruins. Since no one else has been able to hear her crying when she has been there, she decides to tell Mandy what really happened to her. Shocked and surprisingly moved by Abby's story, Mandy has no idea what to say and she is left speechless. Abby thinks that because Mandy can hear her crying, she will be able to help Abby save her family.

The rest is up to you to figure out what happens to the two girls. I loved this book and I know that anyone who reads it will too!