Children's Books

I received this book from a dear friend about 8 years upon the birth of my daughter. The book is lovely and has provided hours of entertainment for myself and my daughter. I now give this book and The Little Big Book for Dad's to all my friends to welcome their newborn.

I love giving books as gifts and The Little Big Book for Moms is my hands down favorite for baby showers. It also brings back childhood memories with it's games, poems, songs from the "old days". It's a great help for new moms who may not know or remember these tried and true ways to entertain children. There is also The Little Big Book for Dads and also for Grandmothers.

This is a wonderful colllection of timeless childrens' tales adn activities. We received one as a gift and now give one to the new mothers that we know.
How can one go wrong with such great authors such as: Angelou, Caroll, Driscoll and kipling among others.

I received this book from my friend when my daughter was first born and started reading to her early on. She is now 22 months and loves this book. Every night she wants me to read her a story from this book. She carries this book everywhere with her. She loves the illustrations and when we go out to dinner this book does the trick to entertain her while we wait. The book is now falling apart so I'll soon have to replace with a new one. I strongly recommend it.

Product was in excellent condition when it arrived.

This book contains the memoirs of John Hockenberry, a well-known journalist who is disabled. Hockenberry takes us through a blow-by-blow account of the accident which left him paralyzed from the chest down. He explains the nature and extent of his injuries and describes his experiences in the rehab hospital where he learned how to manage the needs of daily life from his wheelchair. He then takes us through the details of his young adult years, his education, marriage, and career. The only aspect of the book that I did not like was that Hockenberry occasionally gets a little heavy-handed with philosophizing. The extensive self-analysis, however is understandable, since this is very much a book about coming to terms with his life-to-date and his culture.

It was the 1980 eruptions at Mt. St. Helens that got Hockenberry his big break with NPR. Hockenberry was covering the reports for a local radio station in Eugene, Oregon, where he was living at the time, and his reports drew the attention of the national NPR news editors. They never suspected that their intrepid Oregonian journalist was in a wheelchair until the day he was not able to phone in a report before the deadline because he couldn't locate an accessible phone. NPR found that Hockenberry was quite talented at finding, writing, and reading news stories, and brought him to their headquarters in D.C. Later, Hockenberry was chosen to be the Middle East correspondent for NPR, stationed in Jerusalem. It was there, far from home and the Americans with Disabilities Act legislation, where Hockenberry faced tremendous challenges that taught him much about the human family.

Although I had listened to countless news reports from Hockenberry on NPR, I never knew about his disability until I heard him giving an interview on NPR about this book. The thought of someone who is paralyzed from the chest down voluntarily navigating through a war zone, managing to transport himself through terrain where wheels can't go, is simply mind-boggling. Hockenberry doesn't tell these stories to boast about his strengths- -instead, his goal is to explain how he is an ordinary person with his own foibles and problems. But his problems aren't insurmountable, thanks to his creativity and determination, and to the willingness of others to meet him partway at times with compassion or a shift in habits or expectations. He's not asking to pull less weight than others because of his disability, but only to be allowed to pull the weight in the ways that he is able, without barriers placed in his way.

Working in Jerusalem gave Hockenberry a unique vantage point for observing the US and its relation to handicapped people. He writes "It is very American to make these ironclad distinctions between the individual merit of a person and opportunities for advancement that have to do with family connections, wealth, wheelchairs, race, and other intangibles...In America the primary virtue is in doing something `despite the wheelchair,' or `even though you are black or a woman.' Succeed by incorporating what makes you different into your goal and you are perceived as having cheated." Later he notes "In America access is always about architecture and never about human beings. Among Israelis and Palestinians, access was rarely about anything but people. While in the U.S. a wheelchair stands out as an explicitly separate experience from the mainstream, in the Israel and Arab worlds it is just another thing that can go wrong in a place where things go wrong all the time." Hockenberry notes how far people in Jerusalem were willing to go out of their way to help him when the terrain was inaccessible, and contrasts that with his experience trying to use the New York subway, where most people refused to even look at him, let alone offer to assist him in stations without elevators.

Having lived in the Middle East myself for five years, I think Hockenberry was probably right about Israelis and Palestinians more readily acknowledging the humanity of situations involving access for wheelchairs. But I'm not sure that non-disabled Americans are intentionally uncompassionate. As Americans, we are taught that disabled people wish to be independent and don't want any attention drawn to their special circumstances, and they don't want us to push their chairs or grab their white canes. We assume that because there is a law guaranteeing access for all, that access exists and is sufficient and already present in the buildings where it is required. Once the law has been put in place, we assume any needs have already been met. Most of us are unfamiliar with the needs of disabled people- -we don't know how to act around disabled people, what we should do, and what we shouldn't, so perhaps that's why we try not to see the disabled. In that respect, this book fills a dire need: it brings us into the day-to-day life of a remarkable yet ordinary disabled person, introducing us to his life story, dreams, and desires.

From buying it (i think) 2 days early and reading over a very nice summer weekend in june 1995, i knew this book was - just- different. Amazing use of the language, probably the best crip biography to date (and it's well over a decade now. Based my Honors Thesis in College on what Hockenberry wrote in this book, traveled miles and miles to see his off broadway play, speaking dates across the country, and even got to know myself - and him, better as well, he ain't on nbc anymore, but this still stands as probably one of the must reads in disability studies or crip liberation.

I shared some of John Hockenberry's book with folks at an elderly home in Alphabet City, NYC. They enjoyed his writing as much as I did, and I'm sure many of them could relate to his experiences in a wheel chair. Hockenberry's words were inspirational to all of us.

I want to keep my review short because, if you have not read this book, reading my review will take up some of the time in which you could be reading the real book. When "Moving Violations" was first published, I heard a review of it on NPR. John Hockenberry is an NPR alum so I expected the book to be almost as good as the review led me to believe. I ordered it from Amazon and devoured it in almost no time. It was actually better than the radio review had led me to expect. A month later, I got a call from Seattle that delivered horrific news. My 21-year-old son had been in a contest with gravity and gravity had won. Although he had just had 18 hours of surgery, there was no way to know if he would ever walk again. Through the years since that time, I have read "Moving Violations" many times. It initially gave me entrance to a new world and was much more helpful to both my son and I than all the rehab publications combined. I knew, from the moment I answered that phone call that both my son and I had crossed into the Twilight Zone and nothing would ever be the same again. The Twilight Zone, however, had at least one map. My son's journey was, and continues to be, unique (as all such journeys are). I did feel, from the very beginning, that we had a preview of some of the directional signposts and even some of the scenic overlooks. I cannot help but think that our family has been living and learning about this new life in a richer way than would never have been possible if we had not read this book. As soon as my son came home from rehab it became clear that he had lost his will to live. I had a captive audience and started reading "M V" aloud. It is well written and mirrors many of the dilemmas in the life of a young male with spinal cord damage. I think it only took two days for my son to get interested enough that he started reading it himself. This book was truly one of the first things that helped him recover his will to live. Living with a catastrophic spinal cord injury is not even at the bottom of the list of interesting travel sites, and while I cannot believe that anyone would take that path voluntarily, "M V" is proof that, along with the horror, there can be adventure and possibilities in life; possibilities that could be so easily missed. So...READ IT! While spinal cord injury may never be a part of your personal life, sooner or later something awful could be. As the Eagles remind us, "The wolf is always at the door." In whatever guise the wolf presents itself, you will have learned something useful about what to do when or if the wolf appears.

Read this book almost ten years ago. Still can't stop thinking about it. Did all this really happen? Is it happening still? Funny, sad, courageous, all of that, and more than that. Poetic, quixotic... almost other-worldly. Spun from the mind of a visionary, a comic, a journalist, with voice as warm as maple-syrup, familiar and self-deprecating, surely in this account we know what it's like to be Hockenberry, as certainly as he lets us know what it's like to be anyone else he writes about, talks about, covers with an excellence and professionalism rarely matched in journalism, and the chip on his shoulder which still gets him the job he wants, the location he wants, and then run out of town on a rail, that is, after they run him into town on a rail. The 1990 ADA cuts both ways, this book will stay with you, long after the prosaic rocks skips and eddies endlessly on a modern day Walden Pond, that is one man's life... on wheelies.

If you read only one book this year, make it this one, and

be sure to laugh with the author, in all the right places.

also; I was enchanted, and when it was done, asked her if I could borrow it. It was her personal copy, and very old (to me), and I loved the smooth, thin pages and the illustrations.... She let me take it home to read, and I felt so special. I still feel special when I remember how much she trusted a second grader to keep her own book safe. I loved it and wanted to find it for my second grade daughter. Too bad there are no copies available here that are under $100 :-)

My 3rd grade teacher in New Jersey read this book to us too! I thought of it all of a sudden today after a long time and I'm so excited to find it is available.

My 2nd grade teacher was the first person to share this story with me. I heard it again on an audio tape in 3rd grade. It's such a cute story, and I'm glad to see that it's in stock. (Must run to go ask dad if I can get it!)

I first had this book read to me by Mrs. Frohning, my 3rd grade teacher. She helped bring this wonderfully descriptive book to life! I can close my eyes and be back in her class eagerly awaiting the next adventure of Nancy and Plum. My grandmother remembered that I loved this book and searched for this book and gave it to me in my twenties. Now in my thirties, I have two copies and am searching for a third to give to my sister, who also had Mrs. Frohning. My step-daughter and I read the book together and will return to this book time and time again. For all those who want a magical experience that will last a lifetime, buy this book!

I never had anyone read this to me. I stumbled upon it during library time at good old Woodmore Elementary in Bowie MD. I bet it's still there. I loved this book from the moment I opened it. I loved the story, the hard cover, the size of the book, the way the old brittle pages felt as I turned the pages, and even the way the old pages smelled in 1974 (the book had been out for about 20 years by then I guess). I checked it out over and over again and now I hope to read it to my 7 year old. I know she'll love it too. I'm thrilled to see it available on Amazon because you can't get it in our local library and even the used book store in town has given me the shrug. Yay Amazon.

I am a mom of 6 kids (mostly adults now) and grandmother of 1 and was delighted to receive this book to review. The books that have often been assigned or available in school for kids to read if not the "classics" of literature many times have questionable values and language that are not appropriate for grades third through eighth. This book is written primarily with that audience in mind although kids (and adults!) of all ages can enjoy this story and parents can rest assured that while both good and evil are present that there is a clear distinction.

Nick Stewart is an eleven year old boy and he has just been transplanted from his home in Washington, D.C. to Colorado. His mom was killed in an auto accident earlier that year and only Nick and his dad, an anthropology professor, are left. Nick's dad is having a rough time coping with his grief as is Nick. Nick's mom, Laura, was the glue that held them together but now the two of them are drifting apart. Nick is resentful of the time his dad spends with his students and misses his mom very much.

Nick is on a history school trip to an old West town called Silverado where he learns of a legend of Slim Marano who was wrongfully hanged by the town for murdering his boss at Falcon Mine. As Nick goes through the town with the tour guide, some strange things happen. Nick also become convinced he needs to find out who the true killer was and looks forward to researching and writing the paper the history teacher assigned. However, somehow Nick ends up in the wrong place and the wrong time and is accused of stealing Slim's journal from the museum!! Nick knows who did it but it is his word against theirs so he is suspended from school.

Nick's dad is very frustrated with Nick and doesn't know what to think but takes Nick along on a student dig in the mountains only a couple miles from Silverado. Unfortunately there is a cave-in and Nick is caught in it. However the spirit of Slim Marano appears and tells Nick that he needs his help to clear his name so that his family in generations to come will not have the shame of a murderer as an ancestor. Nick agrees to help him and so the adventures begin.

I enjoyed the way the book was written and the many abilities of the "spirits" of Slim and his friends. I also enjoyed the good vs. evil as well as the plot twists and turns that were not too complicated for even younger children to follow but do add excitement and intrigue for kids of pre-teen age. Most of all, I really enjoyed that Ms. Henn did not feel it necessary to add vulgarity or swearing to the book as so many authors do in the guise of making it "real."

Very highly recommended especially for third to eighth graders!!

I read the book Nick and Slim the Legend of the Falcon Mine which is a mystery. What made me keep reading this book was that I wanted to find out who killed Otis. My favorite scene of the book was when Nick first found Slim. The author did a great job of expressing Nick's fear. My favorite character was Nick because he was a great spy for Slim. I recommend this book because it is suspenseful and full of adventure. Any kid my age would really enjoy it. I can not wait for the author's next book to be released.

Nick & Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine is a novel for young adults that blends fantasy and the Old West into a rollicking adventure. In the present day, a young Nick is framed for stealing a museum artifact - the journal of the notorious Slim Marano, hanged for murder more than one hundred years ago. An unexpected meeting with Slim's spirit shows Nick that he and Slim have something in common; both of them have been unjustly set up. Nick travels through time and becomes embroiled in a search to expose a dark and terrible conspiracy. Aided by spirits and mortals a like, Nick and Slim must discover the truth, prove their innocence, and rescue lives in the balance. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this lengthy yet enthralling novel.

This was a first rate book by Pamela Henn, I could not put it down, it really holds your attention, I could not wait to finish it to see what happens. I hope she continues with another one, and makes it a series.
She has a wonderful imagination, it reminded me a little of Harry Potter.
Good luck Pamela, I hope you get to publish more in this series.

The Birth of a New Classic
Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine

By Samantha Roberts January 30, 2007 [...]

From the moment I picked up the book, I felt like I was a character in Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine. Every chapter revealed new plot twists and villains, and left me eager to find out what happens next. Even the author, Pamela Henn, said she experienced the same sense of surprise while she was writing the book.

"I didn't know who the villain was until the last couple chapters revealed who made the most sense to be the villain," Henn told me. "That was kind of the fun part of this whole project."

Just when I would start to guess where the story was headed, the storyline would change and draw me further into the adventure.

Nick and Slim is the story of Nick Stewart, whose life undergoes a series of tragic changes. His mother dies when he is 11 years old. His dad Lee then moves them to Colorado where he gets a job teaching anthropology. Nick finds himself in a new school trying to deal with his grief and a work-obsessed father.

On a school trip to the ghost town Silverado, he runs into more trouble. The field trip is part of a school assignment. He has to investigate the murder of Otis Watkins and the hanging of Slim Marano, who was wrongly accused of committing the crime.

Nick notices that the glass in a display case is broken. Before he can react, some of the school bullies beat him up. The bullies had stolen Slim Marano's journal--"the one piece of circumstantial evidence that had convicted Slim"--and slipped it into Nick's pocket. Nick finds himself not only trying to clear Slim Marano's name, but also trying to clear his own.

Later, Nick meets the spirit of Slim Marano, who takes him back in time to help him unravel the mystery and stop Slim's hanging. Slim's ghostly friends Michael, Keenan, and Christopher join in, and they begin on an adventure that uncovers a lot more than they ever expected.

The story of Nick and Slim grew out of a challenge to the author from a friend. Henn was an animation artist for Walt Disney. She worked on The Little Mermaid, Roger Rabbit shorts, Mickey Mouse shorts, Pocahontas, and The Legend of Mulan. She was also the model for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. After 20 years, she quit Disney and started her own business, White Wolf Studios. Nick and Slim is her first children's novel, which grew out of writing classes she taught at the studio.

"I'm really excited about it," Henn said. "I love history, and I use history as the template, or the background that we can lay the characters on. Slim is a ghost or a spirit. He can go anywhere, and he can take Nick anywhere or to any time, so we can explore really neat countries, cultures, and times."

I would compare Pamela Henn's story to The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series. Silverado seemed like a town right out of the Old West. Add a kid from the 21st century and a few spirits wanting to change history, and you have a classic.

Henn is already working on a sequel, Nick and Slim: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove. A third book in the series is in development. I am certainly looking forward to them!

Samantha Roberts is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

This version of "The Night Before Christmas" is by far the best illustrated edition I have ever seen. The artwork is incredible. My children love looking at all the vibrant, detailed pictures, and I even pause while reading the story so I can look at the pictures too. It seems like I find something new in the artwork everytime we read the story. Make sure to get a copy of the book for each of your children. You will want to pass this down to them so they can read it to their own children some day, and I would hate to have to choose who would get this beautiful book, and deal with the ramifications of the one who did not!

Book is so beautifully illustrated, it does the classic poem justice. It made a great "first christmas" gift.

This is a beautifully done book. It is the same classic story we all know and love, and the illustrations are brilliant. Mary Engelbreit's drawings fill the page, are colorful and detailed. Everytime you look at the pictures you will notice a small detail that you've previously missed. My daughter is 3 months old, but when I read this to her, she actually stared at the page with wide eyes as if she was amazed at all the colors. This is certainly one book I will buy for my friends' children, and I highly recommend it.

This is a classic. The art work is very nice and it will be a great read every Christmas with the kids.

The drawings are excellently crafted. This book is a pleasure to read and view!

Nice, colorful, easy to read and has 40!!! stickers, which are the most important part after the kid reads the book. Organized in one full book.

I have recommended these books to all of my friends. They have helped my 4-year-old (born October) read and he LOVES to read them every day, twice a day. He can read sentences with ease like "I want a plane and a crane" or "The hot dog is on a log." In a matter of one month he's learned to read. The stickers offer a great incentive and make it so much fun for him. I have bought these for kids birthday presents (they have enough toys already, right!) and have 5 of them at my home. I wish there were more!

Great for blossoming readers. My kindergartener is really enjoying these funny short books. He loves seeing what happens next as he sounds out new words. My only complaint is that in this series as well as the level 3 the font isn't appropriate for new readers. The "g" is cursive looking & is very confusing. Don't know why that changed from the pre-readers & level 1&2, disappointing.

The best way to expose your child to reading. My daughter reads a couple books on most nights and she has improved dramatically over the past months. She enjoys reading the stories and putting a sticker on each time she does. Every parent that cares about education should get these books for their kids.

I bought this for my 4 yr old after having used the first two sets of Bob Books (scholastic). Now I'm Reading!: Amazing Animals is an excellent next step! Amazing Animals introduces long vowel sounds and vowel pairs (digraphs) in managable chunks.

This set is great for kids who are intimidated by the usual graded learning-to-read books (like Danny and the Dinosaur) or books which rely on the repitition of longer sight words.

Younger readers benefit from these short funny texts with lots of words worthy of sounding out. The illustrations and vibrant colors have kept my dughter enthused through out.

Young children can learn to read too with patience and these great books.

This book is so interesting! I love it! My 5 y.o. daughter even loves this book!

This is an all around excellent book, I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and I highly recommend this book for the pirates enthusiast in your family!!

My adult daughter is mad about pirates. Her niece and nephew (6 and 10) bought this for her for Christmas. It was a hit.

I bought this for my 7 year old nephew who had a newfound fashion for all things Pirate. Being a book (at a birthday party) it didn't get his full attention until later on when he asked his parents to sit and read it to him.
Now it's a year later and I found out the book was a tremendous success from the get-go. He brought it into school to share with the class and every kid there wanted his own copy so phone calls were made and the hunt was on. A few parents were able to get a copy. My nephew and his friends dressed up as pirates and went together to see the latest Pirates... movie. Later my nephew was huddled with his special book, relishing all the details it provided. This book is interactive by design which makes the reading all the more personal and imaginative.

I bought this as a birthday gift for my six year old son. He couldn't have been happier. Just to show you how interesting it is, I kept it in my office at work so he wouldn't find it before his birthday. I can't tell you the number of people who stopped to read the book and told me how interesting it was. I even had people who asked me for ordering information on the book so they could get it for their children. This book is inexpensive and a great read for all ages. All the little pockets, fold outs, letters and maps are a great touch.

Same person posted as before -pokes review before this one- I also love Sweet Dreams. Those two are my favorite young Christy books. The college ones are amazingly awesome too. It really makes you want to hold out for a hero like Todd, huh? I cried because I didn't know that these weren't the last Christys, because they're still the college years, but I cried 1. At the ending 2. Because I thought at the time that this was the last Christy, so it made me so sad, like a lost a friend.

If anyone asked me who my best friend was, I'd almost answer 'Christy Miller'. It's so hard and sad to believe that Christy isn't real, especially when you grow up with her, as I have. Especially after this book. Of all the twelve I've read of Christy, this one was definitely my favorite. Have fifty boxes of tissue on hand at the end. I love these books! Christy's relashonship with the Lord really grows, and it hits an all-time high in this one. I really admire Christy. I can't wait to read the college years. I'm reading Sierra Jensen right now, and they are awesome too. Write more about both of them, Robin Jones Gunn!

Have the tissues on hand, because this ending will have you crying your eyes out. This book makes me wish guys like Todd actually exist.

Man! i love reading the Christy Miller series!!!! i've read them all at least twice and i'm going to go through them again the next chance i get! My sister and i luv Robin Jones Gunn and went completely crazy when we heard of "the College Years"...i just cant wait till we get them here in Zimbabwe!!!!!!!
CHRISTY & TODD 4EVA!!!!

This is the best christy miller book! i have read all of the christy miller books except #3. i have not read the college years but am dying to. Mrs.Gunn please keep writing Christy books. they have really encouraged me and made me think alot about my life and my future. i can't wait to read the college years! i am reading the sierra jensen series right now. i am trying to read the slowly so i won't be without the books. i read all of the christy miller books in 6 days, they were so good. Please Mrs.Gunn write more christy miller book!

I love this book, especially for kids with big families. As an adult from a big family it is equally fun to read. This account of the journey and the visit at the relatives' house is written from a refreshingly honest child's point of view. A completely delightful read-to book. I bought a copy for all my kids with children.

This story is about some
family members from Virginia came down to some other relatives that lived
far away and the family from Virginia was staying for a couple of weeks. They finished with eating, playing, and hugging. At the end of the story, the family from Virginia goes back to their house, and wait `til next summer.

I liked this book because the book was about family time and this book will be good for any kid at anytime.

Can be the inspiration for many writing ideas- character sketches of family members, preparing for guests, positives and negatives of having company, missing those who live far away, family traditions, what do you all do when you get together, etc.

I use it for a writing springboard for my 4th grade class.

This is a lovely, funny story about going to visit relatives that live far away (you never do find out where they are), and what happens when you get there. From going through a long line of hugging, to eating everything in sight, to the getting-to-know-you looks, to bunking down wherever there's a space. The text is warm and descriptive and the illustrations are evocative and amusing. I am lucky enough to have a family of extended relatives like these, and this books rings very true!

We found this book second hand somewhere - and when we read it, we knew we had discovered a treasure. We took it to my sister's - read it outloud to only adults. We read it to our grandchildren. It is a lovely book filled with something very good about life on earth. Transcends these people - hits us all.

It was a great young readers book, grandma approved wish there where more to come

I just finished reading Revenge of the Witch about four days ago and it is probaly the best book I've ever read! The book never allows you to take a breath, and it's even harder to put down. If you want an exciting,creepy,suspenseful,and just an all-around good book, this is the book for you.

The book starts out with a twelve-year-old boy named Thomas Ward being accepted by the spook to go on a one month trial to see if he is up to the job. The spook wants Tom to spend the night in a haunted house to see what he's made of. After the night in the haunted house Tom goes to the spook's house and starts his training as a spook. Tom learns all about witches and boggarts,(mostly boggarts because he is only in his first year of training,)and even meets a witch named Mother Malkin. The spook keeps Mother Malkin in a pit in the ground so she can't cause any more mischief in the County, but eventually she gets out while the spook is away and Tom goes after her. Tom finds her by the riverbank and kills her. Now that she's dead she can possess another person's body, which makes her hard to spot. Toward the end of the book, Tom goes to visit his family for certain reasons and finds out that Mother Malkin is somewhere in the house and could be anyone, and she wants revenge!!!!! Can Tom stop Mother Malkin and save his family? Will Tom even survive? Your going to have to read the book to find out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is just an outstanding piece of work. Delaney should be lauded for his imagination and brilliance. He has created a dark tale that is actually fun to read. The flow of the story keeps you guessing what is going to happen in the next chapter so that it is difficult to put the book down.
Delaney also has the knack for keeping the reader off-balance with his character and story development. The author definitely closes out the story by the end of the book, but the reader is still left guessing how things are going to turn out for the young Tom Ward.
Well, it looks like I'm going to have to read the next book and the next...

When my 12 year old told me she wanted a scary book to read for Halloween I knew what to get her. I ordered this book from audible a year or so ago and it scared me. She loved it so much she had me go out and pick up the next two books for her. Of course I had to read them first to make sure they were appropriate reading for a 12 year old (that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Having read the first three books in this series, I enjoyed the tales of the last apprentice to the Spook, as they fight off the dark in a place called the County, a cold and threatening land of witches, boggarts, and other evils.

But I read these to see if I wanted my son reading them, and I do not. There is a strong streak of misogyny running through these books. All the women of any importance to the stories are witches, some are in-human, none are to be fully trusted. The women in this book might be loved, but are not lovable... One is left with a belief that a witch must be put in a hole in the ground... even the apprentice's mother is full of secrets and darkened mysteries.

There is also strong anti-clericalism, which is less objectionable, but still not entirely palatable for a young man to be reading. The result is a dark vision of humanity, occasionally rescued by the vibrancy of the writing and the stirring narrative.

If you want your child to have a clouded view of women, then this is a well written and ripping good set of tales for your young child. I decided not.