Children's Books

Excellent story plot for both the young and old.... A story to be passed down from generation to generation

This book is a childhood favorite and even to this day at the age of 21 I absolutely love this book. The adventure and writing style is absolutely irresistible.

One thing I wanted to mention about this particular book is that although it alternates between worlds (earth and Fantasia) and might seem difficult for young readers to handle...the print color changes depending on which world Bastian is in. Makes it easier for kids to handle...not to mention we adults!

I have been looking for this book for years and finally I have it!

Its a wonderful and enchanting story, you get to meet many charming characters along the way, discovering the fantasy world of Fantastica.

A beautifully written story tale for both young and old.

This is perhaps the greatest - certainly one of the most well-known - works of German juvenile literature in the last century. And it is so much more than simply a fantasy adventure, although it certainly doesn't lack in entertainment value.

The book is actually imaginative literature that makes the imagination itself its main subject. It is about the proper handling of one's imagination and how to SAVE the imagination as an essential part of being human. The English reader might not immediately notice this, but the German reader will. In the German original, Fantastica/Fantasia is called "Phantasien," which is derived from the German word for "imagination." Thus, Fantastica could be called "The Realm of One's Imagination."

For a full appreciation of the book, it is important to recognize this. When Bastian, the main character, steals The Neverending Story from an antique book store and starts reading it, he doesn't enter (within the fictitious world of the story) a real place such as Narnia or Hogwarts. Rather, he enters his own imagination and needs to learn to handle his imagination well.

Being an outsider in school, Bastian is tempted to use his imagination in a bad way, namely for egoistical daydreams in which he imagines himself doing whatever he likes and taking revenge on others. Slowly, he learns that this is not the proper way of handling his imagination - that self-absorbed daydreaming is harmful.

So he learns to save his imagination from the threat of "Nothing," which is eating up Fantastica.

The intended parallel isn't hard to find. Michael Ende was a man deeply concerned about the loss of people's imagination in modern culture (about the "nothingness" eating it up), and both his novel "Momo" and "The Neverending Story" deal with this.

Whether you are young or old, whether you intend this book for yourself or your children, it is ideal for growing one's imagination as well as reflecting on its precious realm.

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

First: this should be required reading for every young person in America. McCammon paints a perfect picture of life in the deep south during the 60's. The principles young Corey learns are as true today as they were then. Second: This book represents real life. Sure Corey's lessons came from more dramatic circumstances, but who among us didn't learn the same life lessons in our own fashion. This is one of the finest stories of innocence lost through experience examples I can ever remember reading. Thank you Mr. McCammon! This book IS what a great book should be: a compelling story that encourages us, the reader, an opportunity to drift away to a magic place.

If I was given the choice to read one book before I died, this would be the book. A true classic and should be required reading in every English class across America.

I've always thought a good author creates pure magic with a great story. Robert McCammon does just that with Boy's Life. There's mystery, suspense, humor, horror, spooky things, and just about every sentence will command that you keep reading well past the time you usually go to bed. This author is very gifted and as this was my intro to him, I plan on reading everything else by McCammon I can lay my hands on. Ignore the 'poor man's Stephen King' tags that were placed on him and discover another author who will take you far into a magical realm when you start reading the first page. You won't regret it. Brilliant book!

For many years, when asked what my favorite book was when I was a boy, I have replied, "Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls". I still love that book very much. Boys Life has taken over the #1 spot. Though the intended audience is not the same, the sense of storytelling and flavor is similar. Boy's Life is a cross between the aforementioned book, Summer of the Monkeys (also by Rawls) and several other books that I have read that evoke an authentic voice and time that harkens to an easier and more "innocent" time. Boy's Life is so full of life, death and mystery that it made me stay up too late on too many a night. I was both relieved and saddened to finish it. I love a book that makes you sense for several days that something is missing. That you are forgetting something, have left something behind, only to be reminded that you have left a world apart from your own and yearn to return.
I want to know what Cory is doing now. I want to know what Cory did after this period of time in his life. I want to know if the triceratops, the Lady, Rocket and other characters lived on in some way, other than the fertile imagination of this and other readers. I will wonder for a long time about my friends in Boy's Life as I have often wondered how by good friends Little Ann and Old Dan are doing in Dog Heaven.
Now, I must say this to you, the reader of this review. IF you haven't read this book and it has been recommended to you, as it was for me, and you still haven't picked it up, PLEASE DO. You will not regret it. You will be captured the way I and the hundreds of reviewers before me were. IT SIMPLY IS A MASTERPIECE! Thank you Mr. McCammon for giving me so many hours of true pleasure!

Whenever I have occasion to recommend for another serious reader a good book, Boy's Life is the first title to spring from my lips, almost without my knowing I've said it. Even though there's a thirty-year gulf between protagonist Cory's childhood and my own, I recognize every word of it. I remember so well the apple-flavored days of summer, the adventures both real and imagined, the off-beat characters of small towns, and the one weird girl in class nobody liked. McCammon drops the word "magic" quite often throughout the novel, and if I had to use one word to describe the cause of my deep-rooted love for it, I would indeed call it, simply, magical.

This book was so bad that I actually keep it on the shelf so that I wont forget the author's name or the writing style. Nothing seemed coherent in this novel and the dialogue was awful.

I loved this book, even my mom liked it! We liked it so much we had to read the next one. This duet is awesome. I would recommend this book and its sequel to anyone interested in books about a girl who sets out to save her country and in doing so finds something totally different.- OOPS!!- I said to much, you will have to read it to get more info!!!

A great fantasy story of Meliara. She swears to her father on his deathbed that she will reclaim the kingdom, which was once her mothers, and she will reclaim it from the greedy King Galdran. This leads her village to a war against the king and will threaten the lives of the people and their homes. This is a great book for fantasy lovers and people who love stories about court life.

I have to agree with the editorial reviews above; this book is somewhat predictable and the plot is a bit trite (when a male & a female character bicker throughout the whole book, we all know what's going to happen at the end, right?). However, the characters are well-developed and the world is richly detailed, with a unique culture and customs.

As a 20-year-old English major and a connoisseur of young adult lit (it being the only section of the university library I can find my way around in), I'd recommend it for fans of YA girl-oriented fantasy. Anyone who likes Tamora Pierce, Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, or Robin McKinley should be satisfied with this series.

While this book has more action, I preferred the sequel, Court Duel. It's a bit hard to find unless you know what you're looking for - it's very hard to find on its own, but can be found bundled with Crown Duel in one volume, confusingly titled Crown Duel. It appears Amazon has finally cleverly changed it to "Crown Duel (Originally Published as the Two Books Crown Duel and Court Duel) (Firebird) (Paperback)," which clarifies things. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the story.

I love this book. Mel is strong, but believable. You can really relate with her even if you don't always think she is doing the right thing. I could not put this book down, and i did not want to!It is very well written and by the end of the book you feel like you have known Mel your whole life. As if you were there when all these things happened. Great,Great,Great Book!

Court Duel the sequel, is just as good!

Last year, my daughter read this book and came home saying it was the best book she had ever read. She recommended it to me. At first, I was a little bit skeptical. I thought it was just a little fairytale for children, but I was wrong. My daughter began learning and sharing new and healthy lessons with me that she had learned from the book. Now, I can't wait to read it.

I read this to my 7yo son and 8yo daughter. I enjoyed it as much as they did!

This book is a great display of imagination and creativity...but my dictionary does not have any entry for "whangoodle"...then again, it also does not have an entry for "disestablishmentarianism". My 10-yr old daughter & I love reading this, and I've noticed my 14-year old son listening in as well!

I brought this book for my god daughter and i wanted to read it first so she was able to come to me to talk about the book. It is a wonderfully well written book that allows the reader to open their minds to pure imagination, where nothing can stand in your way. Julie Andrews Edwards has produced an amazing book that i would recommend to any age group! Even us big children at heart. The use of words is very different from what you see now a days and she hasn't tried to 'dumb it down' for children it talks to them as though they were they stood in front of the professor learning his teachings. The book was brilliant fun to read and i can not wait till my god daughter starts to read it.

I would say that I'm very much like Professor Savant. I need a dose of the imagination of a child to help me along the way. The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles was the kind of book I would have loved reading as a child. I would have read it over and over again savoring each nuance of color and flavor that this book has to offer. As an adult, I feel that there are some lessons in the story that seem a bit forced but the concept that the imagination is a powerful tool is a good reminder for kids of all ages.

It is the story of the three Potter children who meet Professor Savant at the zoo one day and then later again on Halloween night. He tells them about a mysterious creature called the Whangdoodle. They're not sure whether to believe him or not. But he offers to train them so they can go to Whangdoodleland and meet the last of the Whangdoodles.

The professor teaches the children how to perceive and imagine more deeply than they had before. Lindy, the youngest, learns most quickly. But soon they all put on their 'scrappy caps' and take several journeys to this land of imagination. They find many wonders and a few dangers along the way.

I was worried that the book would falter in the end. But it was quite an interesting way of wrapping things up. The message voices many of the questions we have about life now even though the book was written more than 30 years ago.

This is a well-written book full of wonderful detail and an engrossing story. I recommend this for any child and more than a few adults who need to revisit the imagination of their childhood.

I got this book along with the two feelings book from American Girl for my 12 years old step daughter and she loved it...Her mom really hasn't sat down with her to discuss her body changes and the importance of how things will not happen over night...we found it helpful to let her read it first and then come to us with any questions...she found the book especially helpful for her upcoming braces and how to care for them, she takes it every where with her...THANKS AMERICAN GIRL this book is great!!!

The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls (American Girl Library)
The best guide I have ever seen in helping explain the facts of life! Made having "the talk" much easier. Excellent examples of problems girls face. Does not just explain the changes in the body, but changes in perception, peer pressure, even what size of pads to buy. Covers all the changes they go through, hair, shaving, diet, self perception, and sleep. My daughter has read it actively for the last three nights, which has opened the door to a great conversation on all the ways her body and life will change with puberty. I wish my mom had it!

THIS BOOK IS TRULY A PARENT'S LITTLE HELPER! I GAVE IT TO MY 10 YEAR OLD TO HELP EXPLAIN HER PERIOD.(YES, SHES ONLY 10. AND YES SHE JUST GOT HER PERIOD!)
THAT BOOK HAD AN ANSWER FOR EVERY QUESTION MY CHILD ASKED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, "AMERICAN GIRL!" YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER!!

Initially picked this up at the library to introduce my 8 1/2 year old daughter to the subject of her developing body. She read it cover to cover several times and we needed to buy it because she wanted to be able to use it as a reference book! This was the easiest way to introduce the subject and initiated hours of conversation between us. Highly recommended!

I bought this for my 9yo daughter and she loved it. She read the whole book and is now more self reliant about caring for herself.

I have to say, who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? My daughter is graduating high school this year...she is going on to be a teacher and in her high school years she has been involved in RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and has "taught" at a local preschool during school class hours. She loves to read to "her kids" and Dr. Seuss is always a favorite. I didn't THINK of this as a Graduation gift, but saw that someone else did and I thought it's the PERFECT gift for her. She loves Dr. Seuss and she loves to read to her kids...this book says it all to her...Oh, the Places You'll Go. I love her so much and don't know what I'll do without her, but...she will go places...she has brains in her head and feet in her shoes...HAPPY GRADUATION BABY.

I love this book. It is honest but hopeful. I have 2 copies of this book. One for my son and one for my daughter. Neither of them know about them. I have been having their teachers sign a little message to them at the end of each school year and will give it to them when they graduate from high school.

A true classic whose message is relevant through almost any stage of a person's career and life.

Forget the multitudes of self-help and inspiration books that are out there to help with your career, busines, and life - all the advice you need is contained in the colorful pages of this slim volume.

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!" was purchased as a gift to my daughter upon her graduation from college. It's message applies to all ages and offers encouragement to anyone undertaking a new adventure. The book was in excellent condition and arrived promptly.

there isn't much else to read, apart from the free excerpts available everywhere. Otherwise, a great book for all ages.

All of the Erin Hunter books are great! I just love them and have read them many times over. I am not a reader, I hate to read!!! But give me a Warrior series book and leave me alone for a few days. They are the best. If you don't fall in love with Rusty, Greystripe, Blue Star, Raven Paw and the rest of the clan then you know nothing about cats. Thanks Erin for opening up a new world for me.

Yo! It's me, StoryMaker. My Mom was doing this Book-It homeschool program where we have to read a certain book or amount of books in order to get a coupon for a free Pizza Hut personal pan pizza. I'm not always thrilled about this, though. Unlike my sisters, I'm not such a huge reader. Sometimes, however, if a book is just right, it's possible I could get hooked. I usually like books more when they have a style or tone that is readable for the modern kid. I also like a nice, exciting plotline. A plotline is especially good for me if I can understand what the characters are feeling and why they do what they do and if I can feel for the characters. I also sometimes like books more if they aren't "chronicles" - that isn't to say I don't like a series that is chronicles, I just don't always favor a single book where the storyline is in little pieces (i.e. when it just goes from a single event to another single event - it isn't a single, smooth storyline, so it's harder to get hooked because the ending is not as anticipated because, well, there are lots of endings, so there's less of an urge to get to the end). This month, my sisters said this book (Warriors: Into the Wild) should be my goal and my Mom agreed. So, I ended up reading it. Turns out, this is a just-right book.

What twolegs (clan-cat speak for "humans") do not realize is that clans of feral cats dominate the forest beneath their nose. The original four clans are ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan - and there's trouble within the clans. ThunderClan cats have fewer and fewer kits, which means fewer and fewer warriors. The clans are constantly fighting for food, so ThunderClan's lack of warriors makes it weaker. Plus, ShadowClan is being leaded by a fierce tyrant called Brokenstar, adding to the turmoil. Eventually, a group of heavenly cats called StarClan send a message to ThunderClan. The message is, indeed, the phrase on the back of the book: "Fire alone can save our clan." Then, a daring kittypet (clan-cat speak for housecat) named Rusty ventures into the forest. Strange...his fur happens to be the color of fire. It isn't long before he gains his ThunderClan name, Firepaw...and then the adventure begins.

One of the great things about this book's tone/style is that it seems good for the modern kid and for someone who likes classic books. This book really seems like it would be good for many different people. It's full of adventure and it really has all of the good-book requirements I've listed. Of course, I can't say it's perfect. It was a bit annoying that Firepaw didn't tell Bluestar, the clan leader, important information for feeble reasons. I'd also like to note that there is some somewhat detailed violence. Also, some folks (especially parents who ban Harry Potter) might believe the whole StarClan thing to be astrology. I don't really think the idea of StarClan is really harmful, though; after all, #1: It's just a fiction book and #2: It don't really think it's like they worship StarClan. Parents, if the violence and "astrology" worries you, simply read the book before you let your kid read it. When Harry Potter was new and folks complained about it being against religon, my Mom read it for herself in order to approve of it.

I also really like the idea behind it: clans of wild cats, with the cats having different ranks and positions. This makes it great for RPGs and Fan Fiction. It's fun to make up your own forest with your own clans and members. In fact, we first heard of it on a message board where people were doing an RPG for it.

Overall, I think that you should really give this book a try. Due to the violence, I think it's probably best if you are at least 9 if you read this. (Just BTW, at least 3 cats die in it.) Seriously, somebody who isn't such a big reader plowed through chapters in it...give it a chance. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

A couple days ago when I heard of this book I thought, eww it looks terrible, a book about cats who are warriors. They turned out to be really good. These books are action packed with adventure, and really show you the story. I'm now on the third book and can't put it down.

Ok, we know some of the best books ever, Robin Hood, Hoot, Shilho, ect. This book makes all of those books BORING! I'm not to big on cats, but still this book has everything. Drama, action, happiness, everything. I recomend this book to even non- cat lovers. But if will cry every time a cat will die (and I mean burst into tears and have it ruin you're whole week)then this book is not for you. The first one is the best. It is about a kittypet (house cat) named Rusty who just doesn't feel happy with his twolegs (humans). Soon he meets Graypaw, a ThunderClan apprentice, and is given an offer to join ThunderClan. Now, I'm not telling you any more. If you want more info, just go to warriorcats.com. They have a dictonary there that helps you learn any cat language, and understand more. NOTICE: If you don't like spoliers, stay away from certain places on that site! So like I said, this book makes every book seem like boring garbage! I highly recomend it.

As an adult, I feel that I have to tell you that this series will pull you in and make it extremely hard to put down. This is an emotional series where you get to know the characters and you will laugh, cry, get mad, and hope. Don't laugh, but I actually cried as I read the last few lines of this first series because it was like saying goodbye to all my friends. (At that time, the New Prophecy Series wasn't out). If you can believe it, you get so attached to these cats and you forget that you are reading.

This isn't a childish book series (I was actually surprised to see it marketed in the children's section after I read it). It has love, murder, betrayal, honor, courage, friendships lost, and other aspects of life.
There are twists and turns that keep sucking you into the plot. Actually, there are many plots going on, but they are well written and do not get confusing.

Also, It is a series with good values represented, but in a naturally occuring way. I mean Rusty has to make some hard choices in the course of these books.
Please try this series, I have yet to read another of its kind as no book can compare.
Don't forget, though, they must be read in order.

Oh, and you don't have to love cats to read them!

As an adult who reads a great deal of YA fiction (because I don't care for the smut and language that fills many adult novels), I found Court Duel engaging, refreshing and imaginative. I loved the subtlety of the romance and found the male lead particularly appealing. Mel was believable, with a voice, perspective and humility that carried the story well. I like a heroine who is teachable.

Smith is a skilled writer; the story flowed smoothly from the beginning of book I to the end of book II--with no jarring moments that left me dazed or disappointed. I marveled at the world and characters that the author created and was intrigued by the matter-of-fact ways in which magic was utilized in the story.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. This was a very G-rated book that I look forward to sharing with my daughter and my friends.

When I read the Crown Duel (which is equally as good as this one!), I had to read this book. But I was sadly disappointed when I found out that this book was out-of-print and too expensive (how about $75.00?!)...but I eventually found a copy and I read it in about 3 hours, almost nonstop! I loved it...

When Meliara's brother, Bran, shows up in Tlanth unexpectely with his fiance and the person Mel disliked most, she is to be soon caught up in a dizzying whirl of flirtation, politics, and letters from an Unknown. Not to mention the secret plot against the Hill Folk-- again.

Although I wasn't really surprised who her Unknown was, it was really romantic the way he told her! I loved it. I gave the books to my mother to read as well, and she also liked them a lot. She couldn't stop reading them either. I really liked the way she was confused about her feelings...especially about Shevraeth! (I still call him that, I can't get used to his name being Vidanric!) It didn't have as much sword and fighting action, but the romance totally made up for it. I know it costs a lot, but it's so worth it--you'll LOVE it!

The equally interesting sequel to crown duel. Mel is invited to the royal palace to be with her brother and finally decides she will go. When she gets there she finds out that friends and enemies look alike and intrigue is everywhere. She must learn to fight with wit and words. At the palace she also learns that love can be confusing but wonderful. This story is just as good as the first if not better.

Sherwood Smith did it again with Court Duel the sequel to Crown Duel.It doses not have the same amount of action sences as the first book, but what it is missing in that department, it makes up for in romance. In one review i saw, it said that you don't even have to read the first book, this is true, however in order for you to get the deeper meaning of the things that Mel and the other charecters do and say, i suggest reading the first one too, which is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!

Admitedly, as soon as I started reading this book I could not put it down, I read it in about three hours, only pausing to eat dinner. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it the best book I've ever read? No.

Mel goes to court and becomes a popular lady with many suitors. All the while she is trying to decide if Shrevraeth (was that his name?) would make a good king or if this other woman whose name I fail to recall would be a better leader. That part of the book wasn't very exciting and I felt that Mel wasn't doing very much good.

Let's be honest. The only reason people stuck around was to read about the developing romance between Shrevraeth and Mel. We endure 200 pages of Mel trying to convince herself that she hates him. How will things turn out between them? Who is the mysterious suitor sending her letters? Hmm..

Yes this book was very predictable and the conclusion was a bit dull. I know I sound very negative but I did like this book. It just didn't astound me with it's brilliance like it did for some other reviewers.

I am sounding lucid? I'm tired and don't want to keep writing.

Yes anyway, I liked the book. It was good but not wow, yippee, this is the greatest book ever, good. At least not to me.

This is either the best or the second best Redwall book. It's the direct sequel to the Original Redwall, so there will be a lot of familier characters. Complete with 3 huge battles, a cruel monster that lurks in the dark, and an evil slaver named Slager, this book is ultimate, and I highly reccomend it!

Why are the most known and far better books of the Redwall universe the first ones done? Well, they're the first ones done, and they were actually pretty good. 'Mattimeo', along with 'Mossflower', and possibly maybe even 'Salamandastron', were one of the best Redwall books. To me. I don't know if it applies to the rest of you readers, but I stick by my comment. 'Mattimeo' was a well done book. It was also one of the biggest, probably the biggest Redwall book. It's actually a quest I'd actually look forward to reading, and for once, the Redwall creatures are showing emotion that is actually true rather than just coming out strained and downright terrible like in Jacques' recent works.

'Mattimeo' takes place seasons and seasons after the 'Redwall' book, the true sequel, and it focuses on Sela's supposedly dead son, Chickenhound. He is now called Slagar the Cruel, has his band of wicked beasts that we know will probably be weasels, ferrets, rats, stoats...those guys. Slagar is noticed as one of the most intelligent, wicked, and more insane of any warlord that came before or after him. His face is horribly disfigured, cause of a snake's bite and painful venom, and he hides his deformity using a skull mask. Believing his own lies of how the Redwall creatures had betrayed him, he plans to seek revenge by stealing the children of Redwall under the Redwaller's noses and selling them to Malkariss, a warlord who dwells in the underground, building an empire, made from the paws of many slave children.

This story works well, extremely well, as Mattimeo, Matthias' son, slowly becomes a hardened warrior during the time of his capture and how he is forced to endure harsh beatings, cruel words, and many deaths as he is led to Malkariss' kingdom. And while the warriors of Redwall chase after Slagar, the Redwallers are having troubles of their own back at the abbey. General Ironbeak and his birds are set on seizing it. The techniques that Slagar uses to outsmart his pursuers are classic and clever, but for some reason I do not like Ironbeak's part in how he tries to conquer the abbey. Either he's really dumb or the Redwallers for some reason are extremely well trained to handle an aerial attack--either one or both, I just don't like how he tries to conquer it when there were dozens of simple solutions, like a total ambush. Grabbing them and flinging them from a range of thirty feet would have done it, but I'm not the writer. When there's a more awesome story going on, I don't care about the weak side story. I just love Slagar and his twisted schemes. This is truly one of my favorite Redwall books of all time.

I would recommend this book because it is full of action and intensity. When I started reading this book, I never wanted to put it down. After every page, it just got better and better. There were many surprises in this book, like if there is a battle or new enemy; it was just full of surprises. I would and have read a book by Brian Jacques, which was Redwall, the first book in the series. Now I am reading the prequel to Redwall, Mossflower. Overall, Mattimeo was a terrific book.

Tis book tells the story of Mattiemo, a young mouse who is captured by Slagar the fox in a break in at Redwall. He and all of his friends are taken to an evil land but Mattiemo's father Matthias is hot on this trail!!!!!

This is a good book for those that have read the series before (Expecially Redwall). It brings back our favorite characters, including Basil Stag Hare, Jess Squirrel, Matthias, Cornflower, Tim and Tess, plus many more.
It has a good plot, plus many emotions including sadness, romance, courage and a huge fighting spirit.

"Mattimeo" tells the story of the son of Matthias the Warrior, who happens to be named Mattimeo. The plot is compelling and whimsical, great especially for younger readers, and I enjoyed it even more than "Redwall". There were only a couple of minor things that kept me from giving it the full five stars.

First of all, there are the numerous (that may well be an understatement) descriptions of Slagar's mask. Believe me, if you don't know what material that mask is made of by the end of the book then you have some serious attention problems. Quotes such as "Slagar grinned from behind the silken mask" and "The silk mask sucked into a hideous grin" are okay when used in moderation, but when we are bombarded endlessly with these nearly identical descriptions, it detracts from rather than adds to the story. I'm sorry, *what* was the mask made from again?

The other thing that bothered me was the apparent lack of attention to proportion. For example, at one point, Slagar gets angry at an impudent Mattimeo and starts beating the young mouse with a cane. And yet, according to Brian Jacques, Mattimeo does not feel the blows at all. Am I the only one who thinks this is simply absurd? A fox beating a mouse with a cane would be like King Kong beating a human with an uprooted tree - that's how big foxes are compared to mice. Forget feeling the blows, Mattimeo should be crushed by them!

But despite these things, I really enjoyed the story of Mattimeo, and I would recommend it to anyone who has read other books in the series or who just loves animal fantasy. I also recommend the fantastic "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series by Kathryn Lasky and the "Warriors" books by Erin Hunter.

This is the ultimate Simpsons fan's book. It has all of The Simpsons seasons 1-8 in air-order, so you won't have any problem finding them. There are a lot of pictures and colors as well. There are even a list of Homer's D'ohs, Couch Gags, and Chalkboard Gags for every episode. This is well worth the money you pay for it; definitely should be bought by any simpaholic.

I bought this book when it first came out, and have re-read it often (fully, and partially) since then. It is an excellent reference for any "Simpsons" fan for the first eight seasons of the show. The pages are full of episode summaries, quotes, and trivia facts from the show. It also offers profiles of characters, and a list of who does what voice. A great source if you cannot remember what guest celebrity voiced a character or any other information like that. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the "Simpsons" and wants to know more about the episodes.

Almost everything you could ever think to ask about The Simpsons is in this book. What was Bart writing on the chalkboard in "that one episode"? It's in here. The plots, inside jokes, behind the scenes tales and more await in this excellent resource for fans. This book harkens from the Conan O'Brien-era prime of the series, up to about the late 90's, when the quality (sadly) slipped big time. This was the golden age of The Simpsons, back before the series "became a cartoon." (Anyone who was a fan back in the day knows just what I mean.)

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 1 thru 8. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Ray Richmond. It details each episode and even has extras: The Shorts; Homer Says, "D'oh..."; Homer Says, "Mmm..."; Couch Gags; Seen around Springfield; An Itchy & Scratchy Filmography; Who Does What Voice; and Merchandising, Thy Name Is Krusty.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF
SNOWBALL I:
WE HOPE THAT
THEY CHANGE YOUR CATBOX
IN KITTY HEAVEN MORE OFTEN
THAN WE DID DOWN HERE.

My favorite saying in the book is on p. 64, "When Flanders Failed":
"Hey, Barteleeboobely, care for a steak-a-rooney?" Homer, to Bart as he cooks on the grill that used to belong to Fladners.

I definetly reccomend purchasing this book.

It is hard pressed to find anyone who does not like the animated series "The Simpsons". "The Simpsons" is one of the longest running tv series and one of the funniest tv series in history. Unfortunately the last few seasons have been rather inconsistent and lacks the creativity and magic of the earlier episodes, nevertheless the show is a lot smarter and cutting edge than most tv series nowadays. Thank heavens I can relieve the earlier episodes with this official guide to the popular tv series. "The Simpsons: a complete guide to our favorite family" covers the first eight seasons. This is a really excellent comprehensive guide to the show. As a big fan of the first several seasons, I love this book. I loved reading all of the couch gags from the first eight seasons. I didn't realize there was so many until I read them all. I also dug reading the highlights of each episode. I also loved reading the brief bios on the lesser known but equally funny characters like Cletus, Tattoo Annie, and Lionel Hutz. There is a great list of the actors and the cbaracters that they give life to. If you love "The Simpsons" and the first eight seasons, this book is a must have. It is a true testament to Matt Groening as well as the legacy of the show.