Children's Books

This series was is one of my favorite teen series. The first book really got me hooked, then the next three still kept me reading. I really liked Christy because she was kind of insecure and shy, but she blossoms throughout the books. Todd was such a sweet guy, but sometimes he was a little slow when it came to Christy. I really got involved with the characters, and I felt Robin Jones Gunn did an amazing job of making the characters. They were 3 dimensional and so realistic. I recommend this series!

After many failed attempts during the past few years to find a book or series of books for her to read for pleasure, I gave this book to my 14 yr. old daughter, Amber, in June hoping she would enjoy reading it this summer...I am thrilled to say that she couldn't put it down!!! Not only have I also purchased Vols. II, III and IV for her (she is currently reading Vol. IV)...she has shared her love of the books with her friends and now they have the series and are reading them!!! This has made me so very happy...especially since these are Christian based books with valuable life lessons for our teens. What a wonderful gift to be able to give to our teenage daughters in this challenging & confusing world we live in~~~Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Robin Jones Gunn...from the bottom of my heart!!!!

The first three books in this series are great! It's really hard to put the book down once you've started reading. The three books are fresh, invigorating, very realistic and heartfelt. They really bring you closer to God. I love them!

In SUMMER PROMISE, the first book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series, a farm girl from Wisconsin is invited by her aunt and uncle to spend the summer with them in ritzy Newport Beach, California. However, upon arrival, Christy Miller realizes that she certainly does not fit in with the glamorous crowd that inhabits the town. After rejection and embarrassment, Christy's Aunt Marti suggests that she undergo a makeover; perhaps a transformation is all she needs to make some new friends. With an expensive new wardrobe and a stylish haircut, Christy finds that she indeed captures the attention of Todd and Shawn, the classically good-looking surfer boys, as well as Alissa, a stunning older girl who has lived all over the world.

All seems to go well until Christy realizes that her new friends may have an entirely different definition of a good time. Shawn invites Christy to a party, and she soon learns that it may be unlike any party she has ever been to. After being ignored or laughed at by most of those in attendance, and uncomfortable with the presence of alcohol and drugs, Christy decides to get out. While she makes a wise choice, others do not, and the night soon ends with a tragedy that will change the rest of the summer. Afterwards, Christy begins spending more time with Todd, who opens up to her about his strong faith in God.

Although she has gone to church all her life, Todd introduces her to a new group of people who are serious about faith in a way she has never experienced before. At the same time, Aunt Marti's constant nagging and desire to "improve" Christy begin to eat away at her self-esteem. As her world seems to move faster than it ever has, will Christy be able to live up to the promise she made to her parents not to do anything she will regret? Will she finally be able to figure out how gorgeous, sensitive Todd really feels about her? And why is she being forced to suddenly return home?

SUMMER PROMISE is an excellent beginning to the Christy Miller series. Fans of TV shows such as "The OC" and "Summerland" undoubtedly will appreciate the familiar beach setting and situations. Gunn does an excellent job of filling the book with a plot that is not quite as predictable as those usually found in teen fiction, as well as keeping up with the latest pop-culture references. It tackles many issues, such as self-image and family problems, but underlying all of this is Christy's newfound ideas about God. SUMMER PROMISE is a great read, with an ending that does not resort to the contrived and surely will have readers eagerly awaiting Christy's future adventures.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

I just fell in love with the Christy Miller series. Finally theres a great Christian teen book out there with actual morels. Its a nice break from Gossip girls. It opened up my eyes about God and everything. It also opened my life to reading. This book shows that Christians make mistakes too. If your a girl interested in Christianity then you should definitely read the bible first but if your just looking for someone to relate to i would recommend this book.

Grandchild really enjoyed the book. One of her favorites since not many kids books are about girls.

I purchased this book several months ago for my daughter. She is now nine months old and really enjoys it. Each page is filled with brightly colored objects as well as 3 or 4 different textures to touch. We have another touch and feel book but it doesn't have a story line. On each set of pages, this book has 4-5 sentences describing each of the textured items on those pages and how Violet or her mother use them. I read the sentences and we feel the textures together. Her eyes light up each time we flip to a new page. She absolutely loves this book and I recommend purchasing it for your child.

This is really an awesome book for tactile children. My son loves the book so much that he kisses Violet and her mom on every page they appear. The only concern I have,at least in my 2 editions, is the very last line of the book doesn't make sense. It says, "At Violet's dreaming happy dreams until the morning light." I think this maybe a typographical error. Otherwise, it is a great book for babies and toddlers to explore and to begin a love for reading.

I bought this for my almost 1 yr old granddaughter. She loves it and it has so many things to feel on 1 page.

I have to say that I am only a so-so fan of Baby Einstein products, and novelty books don't usually do it for me. But my one-year-old just LOVES this book. It is far and away her favorite and she wants it over and over at least a dozen times a day. It's already clear to me that she can make associations between the words I am saying and what she is touching at the time, and the variety of feelable surfaces are delightful. The rhymes are cute and just long enough without being too long between page turns for small attention spans. My only criticism would be that the book is quite large and doesn't fit on all bookcase shelves, and it's a little bit heavy for a one-year-old on her wobbly little feet to bring over to me, but she likes it so much, that she manages. Definitely recommended and a cute gift for a one-year-old birthday.

This has become my favorite Christy Miller book!
I read the whole regular series when she was in high school when I was 13/14 and liked it then but rereading it now at college age was a little disappointing. They are similar and teenage Christy can be annoying at times. But I've enjoyed reading Robin Gunn's college series for Christy; Christy is slightly more mature and her romance with Todd is definitely more adult and less naive.

I really identify with everything Christy goes through, all her decisions she has to make and her viewpoints on aspects of college life really resonate with me since I am going through the same situations. Either Robin remembers college very well or did her research!

I also love how she incorporated Sierra, Katie and all the characters from her Sierra Jensen Series and her Christy Miller Series, even 1 primary character from her book "Departures".

I highly recommend this book to older and college age Christy Miller fans.

I loved this book to pieces. Christy struggles with saying 'I love you' to Todd, because she isn't sure of her love for him. She makes a sudden revelation that Todd is 'the one' and feels she is confident to say those three little words, until a tragic event happens, changing Todd and Christy's life forever. Christy is having a hard time finding when she can confess that to her beloved, especially when the life-altering accident occurs. Christy and Todd both grow closer to the Lord, and Todd discovers that it is his calling to work in the church. Christy helps, and discovers she is in her element as well. The very end is beautifully written, and wonderfully romantic and sweet, which is another event that changes both Todd and Christy's life forever. Grab the Kleenex box, the end will have you wiping your eyes.

I think these books are the best I've ever read! Once you pick it up, don't expect to put it down anytime soon!! I've read them over and over, and still love them. They're clean, focused on God, and have a sweet romance in them. I also recommend the Christy Miller series.

You won't want to miss these books!!!
~Hope

I was very happy with the shipping time and condition of the book. It actually arrived before the date given to me, so I was very pleased. I would definitely buy again.

I just finished this book and loooove it! It is sooo awesome how Christy and Todd work things out. And Todd is so creative at the end when he... oops i almost said it!! But I won't give it away! You have to read it for yourself to find out what a superb novel this is! It also helps if you have read the other books in the series first.

This book deals with theatre, and I was going into it thinking it would help me audition for movies. I did not learn anything from it. But...if you are into the theatre, you will find it very helpful.

This is a fantastic book with extremely helpful information to any young actor aspiring to become a professional actor. Every actor needs this book so they can improve their auditioning skills and get the part they want! Break a leg!

This is a really great acting book- definitely one of the best i've read. Not only for auditions but for rehearsal as well, (as it states in the book.)

you are probaly brilliant, original and on your way to superstardom BUT before you go out on an audition read this book and be prepared to reread it several times in your career..and when you move to NYC to LA then back again, you will probaly still have this book with you..it is indispensable in a straight forward, manner..it will teach you what mistakes to avoid, what to bring of yourself, what is expected of you..after being in thousands of auditions and conducting several and watching people, this book rings so true..people will make the same mistake so often..people will eliminate themselves just by the way they walk into the room..you think your audition starts when you begin your great acting or singing?..nope..it starts the moment you enter that room and come face to face with the casting people..and the most important thing...they want you to succeed almost as much as you want to..never forget that..they want you to succeed..they want you to make their decision for them..they want to discover that next superstar..

Considering the low price, I can't imagine a more valuable book for the actor. Michael Shurtleff is a luminary of theatre, and this book reads like a private class with him. Remember, this is a guy who basically launched the careers of DeNiro, Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Tomlin, Midler, and Hoffman. His wonderful career included both Broadway and film casting. He knows a lot, and in this book, he shares it with you.

This book may be called "Audition", but the discussions go way beyond the audition. Granted, the opening chapter (Practical Aspects of the Audition) contains sage advice applicable only to the audition. What follows in the book are the "12 Guideposts", the bible of scene study and character development. Following the very readable discussion of the "Guideposts", Shurtleff writes essays on topics such as musical theatre, comedy, pace, and monologues. I know that my copy will become well-worn as I refer back to it again and again.

I am currently in two shows, and I'm putting the "Guideposts" to work for me. I've not had an audition since buying the book, but I am looking forward to using Shurtleff's advice the next time I read for a part.

This is a must-read for actors and directors. Highly recommended.

I always loved reading this... still do ...enough to have 2 copies on my shelf...and I'm 51. It's one of those few books that stick with you thru the years, one you don't forget and makes you think. I always thought it would make a great Disney movie.

Other reveiwers have noted that this book is pretty short and leaves you wanting more, but that is not such a bad thing. I read this a few times when I was seven or eight years old and the story stuck in my head. I couldn't remember the title, but 20 years later I remembered enough details to find this book with a few internet keyword searches. I was not dissapointed when I read it again as an adult. It is an excellent story with a good moral. I agree with past reveiwers that it is good when it could have been great, but I reccomend just taking it for what it is and enjoying it. Also, for anyone under 12 it is a great read and not too taxing. It's a great book for instilling a love of reading, so share it with any youngsters you know.

The book I read is called "The Forgotten Door". It was written by Alexander Key, a fabulous author,in 1965. It is the story of Little Jon, a young child from another planet, who accedintly falls through an abondoned portal to Earth. Bumping his head landing on Earth, he looses most of his memory, but not his amazing powers. He i adopted by the Bean family who understand his situation.They want to try to get him home, but will his amazing powers and mysterious background cause trouble, read the book to find out!
The plot of the book goes like this...
Little Jon is on his home planet, running with his friends and watching shooting stars. Suddenly, the once firm ground gives away, and he plumits away frome everything he once knew. When he awoke, he remeber very little. He was in a cave, and very frightened. he exits the cave and begins walking, trying to find a person. He stumbles upon a doe, and reaches out... to its mind! He talks to it gently with his thoughts, then follows it to a field. all of a sudden, a shot rang out, scaring little Jon. The deer runs off, leaving Jon to face his first human alone. A man comes across the field. He is mean to Little Jon, who cannot understand his language, but uses his mind powers to sence the anger in his thoughts. Again useing these powers that come so naturally to him, he lightens his feet and runs as fast as a deer, leaping over the fence with ease. Eventually he meets the Bean family, consisting of Thomas, the fater, Mary, the mother, Sally, the daugter, and Brooks, the son. They take him in an shelter him, but the rumors of this so-called "wild-boy" spread fast. The Beans help him try to get his memory back, so they can find out where he is from. When they learn he has never heard of "war" before, they reach the conclousion he is otherworldly. They taken him to the cave where he was found,to help him recover his memory. Befor much progress is made, a disaster strikes. A theft has occured in a home not far from the beans, and Little jon is accused. He is taken to court, where he reveals his amazing powers so that the Beans will not get in trouble. Now his publicity skyrockets. His powers disturb many of the towns crimals and ne'er do-wells. Theats start arriving at the beans home to get rid of Jon. One night Jon detects the evil thoughts of groups of the people surrounding the house. Confused and terrified the Beans are running out of options. Suddenly, Jon recieves confermation,through telepathy, from his people that the portal is open and he can come home. But the woods lurks with enemies and if he leaves, the Beans may well be killed. Finally the decide to...
Read the book to see how it ends!

The book I read is called The Forgotten Door. It was written by Alexander Key,a fabulous author, in 1965. It is the story of Little Jon, a young child from another planet who accidentally falls through a forgotten portal, or "door", to Earth. After bumping his head and then landing on Earth, he lost most of his memory, but not his amazing powers. He was adopted by the Bean family, who understands his situation. They want to try to get him home, but will his amazing powers and mysterious background cause trouble? Read the book to find out!
The plot goes like this...
Little Jon is on his home planet, running around with his friends and watching shooting stars. Suddenly, the once firm ground gives way, and he plummits away from everything he once knew. When he awoke, he remembered very little. He was in a cave, and very frightened. He exited the cave, trying to find a person. He stumbled upon a doe, and reached out to it... with his mind! This was one of the astounding things he can do with his mind. He talked to it gently with his thoughts, then followed it to a field. All of a sudden, a shot rang out, scaring away the doe and frightening Jon. The deer ran off, leaving Little Jon to face his first human alone. A man came across the field. He was mean to Jon,and even though Jon can't yet understand the language, he used his mind powers to sense the anger in the man's thoughts. Again, using the powers that come so naturally to him, Little Jon telepathically lightened his feet and ran away, running as fast as a deer.
Eventually he met the Bean family, with whom he learned English. The Beans lived in a small country town outside of Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-1900s. They took him in and sheltered him, but rumors of this so-called "wild boy" spread quickly. The Beans tried to help him get his memory back, but little progress was ever made, even though he constantly returned to the cave he landed in to look for clues. When the Beans learned that he had never heard of "war" or "money" before, they reached the conclusion he was otherworldly. But with rumors spreading like wildfire, it was not long before he was accused of a crime he did not commit.
He was taken to court, where he revealed his amazing powers in order to stop the trouble now surrounding himself and the Beans. His powers were of interest even to the military. This revelation frightened and dismayed the criminals and ne'er do-wells in the town, and threats to get rid of Jon came to the Bean's household. One dark and dreary night, Jon was with the Beans inside, when he heard the evil thoughts of many crooks surrounding the home, lurking in the woods. Confused and terrified, the Beans had run out of options. Suddenly, Jon received confirmation, through telepathy, that his people had reopened the portal and want him to return home. But the woods between him and the cave was crawling with enemies, and should he leave, the Beans may well be killed. Finally Jon...(if you do not want the ending spoiled, DO NOT continue reading!)... had an idea. He quickly explained the situation to his people, and they agreed to the idea of Jon bringing the Beans to live on his planet. Jon made a run for it, distracting the bad people while the Beans left their home and met him at the portal. Then they were gone, whisked off to a perfect world without war, laws, or money, to live where all kind families like the Beans deserve to.
The End :)
By: Eric Stevens

Like so many others, I read this lovely book when I was much younger, and it has remained with me to this day. It's a deceptively simple story, told directly & clearly, which poses quite a few difficult ethical & moral questions about the world we take for granted. Yet it's never preachy or heavy-handed. Through the eyes of Little Jon, we not only see the flaws of our own society, with its emphasis on greed, power, and selfishness, but we also get a glimpse of another, better world. Certainly any child who is puzzled by the needless cruelties we so easily inflict on one another will welcome this book. Why *does* it have to be that way? Why *can't* we rise above our worst instincts? Well, maybe we can ... and a book like this is a reminder of that possibility. It's inspirational in the best sense of the word, and most highly recommended!

This is a good book for my 4th grade son. It is hard to find books on his reading level that hold his interest. The narator of the story is Hank the cowdog (also self proclaimed head of ranch security). The chapters are only 3 or 4 pages and give my son a sense of accomplishment for being able to read a couple of chapters each night.
Hank also has a few pronuciation problems, allowing the young reader to identify correct pronunciation and grammer. The stories are interesting and funny and have really improved my son's interest in reading as well as his grades in reading and language skills. We now own them all as well as many audio books as well. It was fun to hear Hank's voice and read along.

Some background for this review: I originally purchased Hank in book and cassette form for my nieces and nephews in the early 80's. What first caught my eye was actually The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog. Further adventures? I plucked the Original Adventures book from the shelf and was hooked after the first two pages. These stories are entertaining and funny, the characters, too; and they aren't just for kids, either. Everyone I have given Hank to over the years has enjoyed hearing and/or reading the stories. I also like that it is the author giving voice to his creations.

I loved hanks first adventures in this book.this book is great.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog (Hank the Cowdog 1)

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

This book takes place on a ranch in Texas. The characters are Hank, Drover, Loper, the coyotes, and Bruno. Hank is the boss for guarding the ranch at night. He watches out for the chickens. But Hank got sick of the ranch. He tries to find the kill of the chickens, but eats one of the dead ones instead. Then he went to live with the coyotes and still tries to find the chicken killers. Does Hank go back to the ranch? You will have to read the book for yourself to find out. I really like this book because I got to see the author give a talk and read out of one of his books.

My 2 y/o asks to read this every night before bed. We've had it for months now and she still loves it. A great story... very sweet!

I bought this book for our 18 month old daughter. It is probably better suited for 8 months and up, but it is still an adorable little book. Highly recommended.

My 19 month old son loves his new book! The text is short and he likes that he can predict it so easily. He knows what is coming next! He also thinks the pictures are hilarious, like when the boy has the bowl on his head. I recommend this book!

I absolutely love this book! The pictures and the rhyming text are so adorable. I love reading this to my son. It lets me share with him just how much I love him from the hair on his head right down to his toes. I would definitely recommend this book to any parent!

This is my son's favorite book and we love it. The pages are VERY sharp though and we have gotten multiple papercuts every time we read it. I finally have to stop reading it because we can't bear the papercuts anymore. What a silly shame.

I wasn't expecting much from this book, really.

It was given to us as a gift, and I sort of set it aside in the book basket. My wiley children pulled it out one day for a read, and it has been on the top of the heap ever since.

The text isn't much.

But oh, the illustrations. The pictures are full-page cut-paper collages and they will suck you in, as your kids point out all these little details. The people are hilariously real -- you can recognize people you know in their expressions.

Each page has a little peep-through to the next -- we love that!

The paper has a wonderful heaviness -- this is a high-quality book. I need to write another thank-you note to the giver, now that months have gone by and we really enjoy it.

Oh, even the animals in the story have funny little personalities. It's just a darling book.

And the moral of the story is, even when you have nothing, you can make something of it.

This is a great book! My son loves it, and I enjoy reading it to him. The pictures are interesting and there's a lot on each page to entertain the eye. Plus, the story is really cute.

i love this book. the illustrations are great and the story is simple yet enjoyable for all ages.

We were introduced to this book on Between the Lines. I found it at the library and once we got it home, my 3 yr. old feel in love. The message is great, the images fun and the story enjoyable. My son loved the book, but he wanted us to sing the song in the back. We did a poor job, then I found the audio book at the library. We listened again and again. Even my 1 yr. old enjoys it. Whenever my son sees sheet music he pretends to read it and sings "I Had a Little Overcoat". How could I not treasure this book forever?

This is a great book! It has wonderful illustrations, hence The Caldecott Medal, and an engaging story. My son loves this book, especially turning the pages to find out what the overcoat will become next. This is not just a children's book, since I gave it to my professor and his wife and they both loved it. This is one of the books that I don't get tired of reading over and over.

My son and I really enjoyed this story, and we have the paperback at home. His first grade teacher had been looking in bookstores for this book and couldn't find it, so we ordered it for her. We ordered the library binding, which is sturdier for all the little hands it will be held by! This book has good historical value, and the basic content is accurate, without scaring the children. It's the best "Jack and Annie" book!

I purchased this book in order to replace a damaged one. The transaction was smooth and the price was great!

Magic Tree House has done it again!! Jack and Annie are in for the adventure of their lives when they climb aboard the Titanic!! An unsinkable ship that hits an iceberg. What will Jack and Annie do when they dicover that the Titanic needed twice as many life boats as it had on deck?Jack and Annie find themselves just as sad as so many passengers when they realize that people could have survived if the people who planned the voyage had thought ahead. This is an amazing story that I couldn't stop reading! Women and children were put into the lifeboats first becuase men were brave and cared about their lives. More than 1,500 people lost their lives. Everything was explained clearly so that you don't get confused. After this tragedy, laws were made so that all ships would have enough life boats for all of its passengers and an INternational Ice Patrol was formed so that ships could be warned about severe ice conditions. In 1985 a scienctist named Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the ship under water. I reccommend this book to everyone that I know!!

Here is a summery of this book. There is two kids and they were playing in the woods when they found a tree house. So the kids decided to see in side. So read this book to find out what happens to the kids. The way I found out about this book is because my mom told me to read a book when I was in 5th grade. So I heard about this wonderful series of books. I would love to recommend you to read this book. Who can read this book you ask! Anybody can read this book. If they like to explore then you should read this book.

What did I like this book you ask! The thing I liked was the characters because they are young and they don't know what was going on. They are always getting in trouble and they don't know why they are in trouble. I also like the action in this book. There are so many parts. I don't know how to explain. There are some parts I don't like is the length of the book. It is to short.

I loved this book a lot because it is nice and cool. I really think you should read this book. So read this book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

I love the mediator books so much and I want them to go to book seven maybe even ten. I've gotten addicted to them and I don't want them to end at 6.

The story line continues and this book is just as exciting and exhiliarating as the rest in this series. I would highly recommend this book and the previous in this series. Excellent read!!!!

This series is a lot of fun to read, but I did feel that the ending was a little too perfect. Everything tied up in a perfect bow. Throughout the book, I felt that the story was lacking a good central plot to work around. From the beginning, we knew Paul was up to something, and shortly after, we knew what it was, but for some reason, Suze couldn't figure out the obvious. Suze was just confused and unsure and shallow most of this book which is very unlike her character. However, the ending was just what the reader would wnat and I am very glad I read the book. I liked the series so much I had to read all of it in one week. Read it, but it isn't the best in the series, but you'll be happy with the ending. I am left wanting to understand Paul better, but maybe that is for another series. :)

I thought the sixth and final book in the mediator books was an awesome book. It solved all the questions I had about what was going to happen in the end, and it answered them in a very unexpected and extremely pleasing way. I totally recommend this book, but I recommend reading the first five Mediator books before reading this one so you have a better idea of what is going on.

This is one of my all-time favorite books! I LOVE Meg Cabot and ALL of her books! I highly recommend reading this! But make sure you read the 5 before this one or it'll be ruined! Really read this book! It's great!