Children's Space Books Books

I was prejudiced against Bean's fifties incursion into space after the tedium of "Freddy and the Space Ship," but "Men from Mars" proved to be a surprisingly strong title. My six year old son laughed a lot and was thrilled when one of his favorite villains showed up. A good one!

Freddy the Pig and his friends from the Bean farm have come a long way from their first trip to Florida in 1928. Now they have a Farm Animals Republic, a bank, a newspaper, an atomic powered car and even a rocket ship. But, despite the prestige and renown of being Bean farm animals, their basic nature had remains the same - they are honest, forthright, and darned funny.

Things bode ill for the Boomschmidt Circus when Herbert Garble (who has never had an honest day in his life) joins them with six strange looking men from Mars - each a foot high, in red pajamas and wearing red fluffy whiskers. Freddy is sure there is some fraud involved, but the Circus is making a ton of money and the last thing the farm animals want to do is hurt Mr. Boomschmidt. Freddy, Jinx the Cat, Uncle Ben and Mrs. Peppercorn head out to investigate.

What they find is pretty fishy, or rather, pretty ratty. Mean old Simon the rat and his family are up to their necks in trouble making, and Garble's Martians are just the start. If the rats have their way the Beans will be forced off their farm and Uncle Ben will lose his rocket ship. Drastic times call for drastic measures as the animals prepare to go to war.

If things are strange with fake Martians, they get stranger when a flying saucer full of real Martians shows up to investigate. Soon there are rats pretending they are Martians, rabbits pretending they are rats pretending they are Martians, and real Martians stirring the pot. As Freddy nearly is sent to Montana to become pork chops and bacon, everything hangs in the balance.

As always Walter Brooks' tales combine humor and suspense with a natural sense of values that apply equally to animal and man. If the science in this book is a bit silly it is still engaging enough for its intended readership. And the simple lessons of friendship and doing what is right never grow old.

Walter R. Brooks Is witty and intellegent he makes wonderful books and this is wnderful and i think it should be rated ten stars!!!!!



It is so Cool.

I love this book and i think it is one of the best by Walter R. Brooks.
I love Walter Brooks and i love all of his books including Freddy the Pilot, Freddy The Cowboy, and Freddy and the Egnormous.
I highly recomend his books to people of all ages.

It was a pleasure to read Give Us This Mars, the second book in a series that deals with the great heights of achievement human beings are capable of reaching. The books illustrate well how each giant step for mankind is generally the accumulated results of the many efforts of a small group of amazing and inspiring individuals. In Book One, the three heroes of the story ended up with no choice but to attempt the first human settlement on Mars, and after many years of hard and frustrating work, they succeed in developing an efficient, prosperous and fully functioning Mars settlement.

This Martian settlement, thought impossible by people on Earth, is now, of course, the subject of considerable envy, especially on the part of the great powers. The satisfying theme of how the decent little people, with limited resources in a very difficult environment, attempt to outsmart the powerful and unethical big guys, is played out to its fullest in Give Us This Mars. The characters in the story are well developed and the plot unfolds smoothly, but with many unexpected twists and turns. Also, the necessary science in the story is clearly explained, and the author's understanding of the laws of nature enhances the flow of the plot. All in all, Give Us This Mars is a very enjoyable and stimulating read.

For those of you who have read the first book this one is very different. The first book was about surviving the elements of Mars and how to setup a living facility on Mars. The sequel is an action packed thriller that reminded me of the old Wild West. The bad guys arrive into a small town and try to take over. There are [weapons] and everything. Lots of twists and turns that kept me in suspence throughout the entire read.

I am a member of a book club of twelve, and we try to read as diverse a selection of books as possible. That includes SF books, which few of us would read without a prod.

"Give Us This Mars" is as good a page turner as I have ever read. Reading it was like being on a long and wonderful visit to Mars. I began on a Saturday morning and could not put it down. I continued until night, when I was forced to stop, with poor Astrid clinging to life by a thread. Next day brought more excitement, with Don giving me a big surprise. What happens is brilliant.

This unexpectedly thrilling read took me into a world of political intrigue, armed conflict, power politics at the highest level, and the physics of trebuchets (medieval artillery, which I understood even though I am not a scientist), with a light sprinkling of Zen philosophy.. All this combines to give a futuristic reenactment of events that took place in the years following the discovery of the Americas by Columbus. The way the trebuchet comes into the plot is not what you might think.

I got a sense of the alien landscape of Mars, and the experience of the dangers of Mars made for exciting reading. At times I even experienced an emotional involvement with the characters and events in the story. The author is usually thorough in his narration of events, but on occasion he shows sophistication, in leaving out the details of events that are best left to the reader's imagination, such as a long journey Captain Derk and his military go on to carry out a surprise attack. There is not much technology/science detail in the story, and if you do not have a science background, I would recommend reading Book Two before Book One. You had better be ready for the directions north, south, east, and west, which are common in the story. I needed the maps and diagram at the end to help me keep track.

There is a discussion early in the book between Derk and Denise about land ownership on Mars. They have very opposing ways of looking at how land/territory is acquired and retained, and it explains many conflicts on Earth. I thought it was the most thought provoking part of the story. The book is definitely not far-fetched science fiction, and this non science-fiction reader closed it with a satisfied feeling, and many things to ponder. Did I see hints in the book of an interesting installment to follow?

Thomas W. Cronin, author of As It Is On Mars, gives lovers of Mars fiction an excellent sequel in Give Us This Mars. The political and suspenseful elements are still there, but Cronin has ramped up the action in this second book. In Give Us This Mars, Denise Lavoisier, John Erway, their two children born on Mars, and Ichiro Sato have not only survived the decade since the first ill-fated manned mission to Mars, but have thrived. The United States and the European Union covet what the Martians have built, and both governments aim to take it from them. The EU crew, commanded by the villainous and brilliant Richard Derk, arrives on Mars first, and sets to work at the job of surveying the Kasei Valley area and "rescuing" the Martians. The Martians are prepared for the "rescue" attempt, but Derk is a tough adversary. Deceit vs. honest wit, superior strength vs. plucky resolve, big government vs. libertarian paradise - Give Us This Mars has all this and more. The typos present in the first book are mostly absent in this book and Cronin's fiction flows more smoothly this time. I enjoyed the first book and I truly think this one was much better! I look forward to any sequel that Mr. Cronin has to offer.

My grandchildren loved the storyline and the illustrations. Very clever of the author to take an aseop tale and create such an ingenous contemporary version. The moral of the story, friends are so important, sends a great message for kids. My husband and I also thought the illustrations were delightful. Can't wait to send Mr. Corwin's next children's book to our grandkids. Hope he has another on the drawing board soon.

My 16 month old daughter is still too young to appreciate the story line of this book, but she really gets into the illustrations, which are excellent. Actually, these pictures would make a fabulous coloring book (take note, Abrams!) Older kids will also get a big kick out of the sound effects and fun wording of the text!

Wow, do I disagree with School Library Journal's review where it says this is not a necessary addition to a collection! Obviously that librarian does not read aloud to children very much! I have shared this title with over sixty schoolchildren and it never fails to elicit cheers. It goes beyond the moral of "slow but sure" and extends into the theme of friendship, a subject of interest to every child. The illustrations are bold and snazzy. Overall, this book was a real pleasure to share with primary children. I hope there will be more by this author/illustrator. if this debut is any indication, he's really headed for the stars!

I am a mother of a five year old boy and three year old girl and this book was great for the both of them. My son loved the race and space theme. My daughter loved the whimiscal illustrations. They both loved the words like Vroom, putt-putt, slowpoke, and of course superduper. Best of all they realized even though they were in a race trying to beat each other to finish they cared for each other. I think the Aesop's fable of staying focused is right on course with this modern retelling to reach children. We loved it -illustratons and story!!

This book surprised me because i personally know the author and his family. I didnt know he had it in him. The storyline is very good and the plot has such unique twists and turns, it blows away all the other books ive read. The character development is great and the area the story is weaved upon is very unique, but yet is not completely far-fetched. For all you Sci-Fi fans, this author is on his way up, and this book is a must have.

This book is a great read. The characters are very easy to relate to. The story moves very fast and you do not want to put it down. The art work helps the reader to see what in fact is going on in the story. I enjoyed every chapter. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.

The Infinite Odyssey is just a blast to read and when I found out the author was a teenage boy I was so pleasantly surprised. What's in the water lately that 2 teenage boys (Chris Paolini that wrote Eragon and Jay Dingler that wrote Infinite Odyssey) can put out such refreshing reads in a genre that's been around for awhile. Infinite Odyssey has lots of cool gadgets, bad meanies and a smart-alecky heroine named Tabitha that keeps you rooting for the good guys to triumph in this traveling in far off galaxies space epic. An added bonus are the multiple lush color illustrations seeded throughout the book showcasing the aliens and major characters as well as exotic foreign planets that are imaginatively created. I look forward to seeing what else the author comes out with in the future, this kid is the real deal.

This book is a suprisingly good and fast paced read. The book has rich and endearing characters. I couldn't believe it, but the lead character Aktar, is a giant regal bird, it's soo cool. The Sci-fi inventions are awesome. And in the back of the book there is even a glossary with definations and more info on the wild and new lands, tech toys and creatures. Even better a smashing good ending, really surprising, couldn't of quessed the ending , just like Agatha Christie. So I don't want to spoil it for you, but lets just say,it all makes sense in the end. I actually know the Author and this is the real deal. First Chris Paloni, now Jay Dingler. The future is now, finally some Science Fiction from an Author under 50 or who isn't dead.

I got this book at the library and when I started reading it I couldn't stop reading. I learned that it is about 480 million miles from the sun. I've read other Seymour Simon books but this is the best so far. I also liked Venus. If you want to learn more read the book.

Gorgeous color photos, most from NASA illustrate this book about Jupiter. I appreciate that Seymour Simon writes matter-of-factly, without a patronizing attitude. There are plenty of facts about Jupiter and each of itsý four closest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

I am impressed by the entire series of picture books by Seymour Simon and our family has been enjoying his books, one about each planet, which we are using as part of our homeschooling. I have found that many of the books that attempt to cover all topics about space end up skimping on important general information that Simon easily communicates, such as the temperature and how it compares to Earth, why humans could not survive on the planet, and the general weather conditions and how they compare. The way these comparisons are made really helps children understand the conditions on the planets. This series by Simon is also superior to other books about Jupiter because the photos are in color; they are real, stunning photos, not lame illustrations drawn by hand.

I highly recommend that any parent read these books to their children. Teachers and homeschoolers would find this book a wonderful book to use while teaching about Jupiter.

This book is abut Jupiter.Did you know it has sixteen moons?There are other books in this series.They are all about the solar system.I gave this book four stars.Read it if you want to find out more about Jupiter.

Jupiter, by Seymour Simon is a very educational, easy to read book talking about our Solar System's largest planet. I especially liked all the interesting facts mentioned i this book and it was an informational and short read. Some of the facts that I found fasciating in this book were that Jupiter is one-and-one-half times as big as the other eiht planets put together, Jupiter's atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen gas, and the temperature is 250 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. This book also has some really good pages describing Jupiter's moons, an extremely informative page describing the Great Red Spot- Jupiter's super-hurricane more than twice the size of Earth-, and a page on the thin ring encircling this super-planet. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants detailed information on our largest planet. The color photographs in this book are amazing and really cool to look at.

In Justine Larbalestier's first novel for teens, Magic or Madness, a teenage girl learned the truth about magic: not only does it exist, but it runs through the veins of all of the women in her family, who choose to either use their magic and die young, or repress it and go mad. Despite her name, Reason must accept that magic is in her blood, and that the use of her new powers may have devastating consequences.

Magic Lessons is the second book in the Magic or Madness trilogy. As with all trilogies, the pacing of the story stuck in the middle is crucial to the success of the series. Magic Lessons raises the stakes, testing the magical powers and emotional strength of all of the main characters. Reason is still wary of others, especially her grandmother, but must learn to trust others in order to survive. She also learns about love (or something like it). Her relationship has a serious impact on her and on the overall story.

Events and revelations have a domino effect, so be sure that you read the trilogy in the proper order: Magic or Madness, Magic Lessons, and finally, Magic's Child.

this book Rocks! the vivid descriptions paint a clear image in your mind. if your interested in this you must; A: like books that arnt compleetly true but could posibly be beleived, B: have read the fist one or you will be compleetly lost, and C: be pacient with australian gramar (wich you would be any way if you folowed my instructions and read book 1 first). I'm imacintly waiting for the third and final book in the series.I want to know what happens very badly ,but don't want it to be over.
sincerly,
A magic or maddness adict

MAGIC LESSONS is the second book in Justine Larbalestier's trilogy, and it's just as wonderful and gripping as Magic or Madness (Magic or Madness Trilogy)! In this book, there are just as many questions as in the first, as every answer Reason finds only leads to more questions. For everything that's resolved, there are five more things that I was anxious to find out as I read on! There
is plenty of suspense in this book.

Reason, Tom, and Jay-Tee have all stepped through Esmeralda's magic door into Sydney, leaving behind Reason's evil grandfather, Jason Blake, as well as Jay-Tee's older brother, Danny, in New York. They're being taught magic by Esmeralda, even Reason and Jay-Tee, though they're still not sure they trust her the way Tom does. They've had some bad experiences with magic, but they know now that they have to use it, or else they'll go crazy, like their parents. However, every time they use magic, they lose a little time being alive. Magic is not the blessing it is in other books; in the world Justine Larbalestier has created, it's more of a curse.

The door between Sydney and New York is acting strangely. At first, they think it's because of Jason Blake, but it turns out to be something much more frightening and mysterious. They're not sure what it is, but Reason knows something about whatever it is that the rest of them don't: It's a Cansino. She and Esmeralda are related to it. One more thing: it's old. As in, centuries old. Reason isn't sure what to make of this information, but she doesn't trust Esmeralda, so she's not telling anyone.

Then she loses her chance to share it. She is sucked through the door into New York. Reason's not as lost as she was the first time; after escaping the scary, stinking old man-like creature standing in front of the door, she finds Jay-Tee's brother Danny, and stays with him. She can't go back to Sydney; the old man, the Cansino, is guarding the door. She could always buy a plane ticket home (or, rather, Danny could buy her one; money is nothing to him, and she has none), but there are a few things keeping her in New York. One, she wants to find out more about the man guarding the door, and maybe do something to get rid of him if Esmeralda figures out what he is. Two, there's Danny...

Sequels often don't live up to the high expectations set by the previous books, but MAGIC LESSONS sure does! It's just as great as Magic or Madness (Magic or Madness Trilogy). One thing that I like about these books is Justine Larbalestier's magic system; it's very original, and it seems more realistic that, if magic existed, it would have a price. That makes this much darker than a lot of books about kids who find out they have magical powers, and also adds some extra awesomeness to an already great book.

The number of questions being far more than the number of answers also adds something to this novel. Even though I usually think that a book is made less wonderful by a cliff-hanger ending, I don't think that's the case in these books. First of all, the main conflict of the book is resolved, but, as all answers do in Justine Larbalestier's books, those resolutions bring new questions to be answered in the following story. Nothing here has been what it has seemed to be so far, but everything also makes perfect sense. Add this to great writing, wonderful characters, and brilliant ideas, and you've got an amazing trilogy! I absolutely cannot wait for book number three (Magic's Child (Magic Or Madness)).

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

Teenagers Reason, Jay-Tee, and Tom face a terrible choice: use the magic in their blood and die before they reach their twenties, or go insane. In the second book of this real-world fantasy trilogy, each teen discovers that nothing -- magic, friendships, trust, family -- is exactly what they thought.

I enjoyed last year's Magic or Madness. I *loved* Magic Lessons. I read it in one sitting. Larbalestier has written a sequel that raises the stakes and deepens the conflicts at every turn as the children realize their dangerous potential. A heightened sense of danger and action sequences increase the pace from the previous book without sacrificing any of the lush description, detail, and keen observations that made the first such a rich read.

I highly recommend getting both books 1 and 2 at once, because as soon as you read Magic or Madness, you'll want to dive into this one. Can't wait for the conclusion in book 3!

A very good read for Norton fans, good plot, fast moving, well developed characters. one of Norton's better stories.

"Moonsinger" is a reprinting of the first two books in a series of four:

1. Moon of Three Rings
2. Exiles of the Stars
3. Flight in Yiktor
4. Dare to Go A-Hunting

The Moonsinger series is an integral part of Andre Norton's Forerunner universe, explaining a great deal about who the Forerunners were and why they disappeared. (Click on my name to see the list of nearly 40 books in this universe, which can be read in almost any order.) The Moonsinger series takes place midway through the greater story arc of the Forerunner books.

The first two Moonsinger books are told from the point of view of a spaceman named Krip Vorlund and a body-swapping alien named Maelen. The third and fourth books focus more on a third character, but Krip and Maelen are part of the story until the end.

(MINOR SPOILERS - plot summary)
In "Moon of Three Rings," Krip's starship sets down on Maelen's planet, where he encounters enemies who plot to kill him. To save his life, Maelen transfers Krip's mind and soul into the body of a predatory animal. The rest of the book follows their adventures as they try to evade the villains and restore Krip to his own body.

"Exiles of the Stars" picks up immediately after the first book, exploring the relationship that develops between Krip and Maelen as they journey together aboard a Free Trader starship. When the ship makes an emergency landing on a desolate planet, the crew discovers ruins of an ancient Forerunner civilization ... along with an actual Forerunner, a malicious and powerful alien who wants to destroy them all.
(END SPOILERS)

These are two of Andre Norton's best books, by far. They are creepy, exciting, and unpredictable. The writing is much more smooth and focused than many of Norton's more recent works.

In some ways Maelen is like the Wise Ones of Norton's "Witch World" series (she draws on energy from the moon to perform feats that seem like magic), but this is not really a tale of witchcraft so much as ESP, telepathy, and similar mental powers. Maelen tends to behave in a rather cool and arrogant way, but that is the point of the story here. The relationship between Maelen and Krip develops slowly, and it rings true. This is a story about ethics, respect, and conflicting loyalties.

"Moon of Three Rings". When Free Trader ship Lydis lands on Yiktor crew member Krip Vorlund attends a beast show where he meets and is attracted to Maelen, the owner of the "little people" animal players. When he intercedes in an incident involving her, the local law arrests him only to have others abduct him. Maelen mentally stays in contact with Krip and will do anything to rescue him even violate the code of the Thassa that she is a member of in good standing.

"Exiles of the Stars". Krip and Maelen are crewmembers on the Lydis though his body is now that of a Thassa thanks to her sorcery while she hides as one of her "little people" animals. The ship debarks at Thoth, but a religious civil war forces a quick reloading of cargo, the valuable Forerunner artifacts to be delivered to Ptah. However, a gadget hidden inside one of the cargo items forces an emergency landing on an allegedly uninhabited Sekhmet. Instead Forerunners reside on the orb using ESP to control others to do their bidding that is when they do not snatch their body for their own use.

The reprint in one book of two classic Andre Norton tales will showcase how great this author has been over the past five or so decades. Each novel is terrific as science fiction meets fantasy especially with the traits of the various races (some being more science fi while others are fantasy); that ability to move back and forth effortlessly between the two genres is a trademark of the incomparable Ms. Norton. Fans will enjoy the two Krip-Maelen thrillers that entertain yet leaves readers considering ethical principles like a forced body exchange is a rape. This reviewer thinks it is great to see the duo back in print.

Harriet Klausner

Moonsinger (2006) is an omnibus edition of the Moonsinger duology. It contains both Moon of Three Rings and Exiles of the Stars. In these novels, Krip Vorlund is a Free Trader, a minor esper, and the junior crew member on the Lydis and Maelen is a Moonsinger of the Thassa. Drawn together on the planet Yiktor, they fight against native ambition and offworlder intrigue.

In Moon of Three Rings (1966), Krip first meets Maelen at the great trade fair at Yrjar. Krip attends a beast show conducted by Maelen and, after a remarkable performance, he is invited backstage to meet her "little people". They are interrupted by a runner with word for Maelen about a dealer in beasts. Krip accompanies Maelen to her confrontation with the dealer and her acquisition of a much abused barsk, a predator of the highlands that is seldom seen in captivity.

While at the beast tent, the dealer threatens Maelen with a snik-claw knife and Krip protects her by temporarily paralyzing the dealer's weapon hand with his stunner. Maelen expects no further trouble from the beast dealer, but he lodges a formal complaint . . . against Krip. Taken for using a weapon on the fair grounds, Krip relinquishes the stunner to his ship captain and accompanies the authorities. Then armed men attack his guards and take Krip away to a far off prison.

This begins an adventure that leads to closer mind contact between Maelen and Krip. Moreover, Maelen exchanges his body with that of the injured barsk to preclude recapture by searchers. In this, Maelen violates Thassa Standing Words and is later confronted by the Thassa assembly.

In Exiles of the Stars (1971), Krip and Maelen are aboard the Lydis as crew. However, Krip is wearing the body of a Thassa and Maelen is encased in the body of one of her "little people". The ship has brought cargo to the priests of Thoth, only to find that the church and state are under siege by a religious insurrection.

Dumping the worthless cargo of pulmn, the Lydis takes on a load of precious Forerunner artifacts bound for sanctuary on Ptah, another planet in the system. The rebels are driven away prior to loading, but a fanatic priest opposes shipment of the relics offplanet and curses the ship before takeoff. At the last minute, another priest comes aboard to accompany the load to Ptah.

A device hidden in one of the relics interferes with the engine and the Lydis is forced down on Sekhmet, an uninhabited planet in the system. There they found jacks looting a repository of functional relics and a few living Forerunners who have preempted the jack operation. The Forerunners have powerful esper powers that allow them to control other people or to force an exchange of bodies.

Both novels involve body exchange -- i.e., the transfer of minds -- between various participants. In the first novel, such transfer is voluntary. However, the second novel includes involuntary exchanges.

In both works, body exchange involves more than mind transfer. Although memories and behavioral quirks are transferred, the physical aspects of the body itself are not exchanged. The receiving body might have different cerebral and nervous functions and its glands could produce a different mix of hormones. Moreover, the body usually retains some residual memory. Thus, the physiological processes of the receiving body affect the transferred mind.

These novels show the author's intermingling of science fiction and fantasy elements. Except for their esper skills, the Free Traders are pure SF, whereas Maelen and the Forerunners exhibit talents that would normally be called fantastic. Within this setting, however, such talents can be accepted as merely unexplained mysteries of the universe. Therefore these works maintain their SF status.

Highly recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of psionics and intrigue.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Work tapes, demos...don't be deceived, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman produce nothing but pure magic. Marvel at the quality of their 'rough' stuff, and the music that never made it. I had been trying to obtain a copy of this set (CD apparently discontinued) for ages; I was not disappointed. Obviously if you are reading this then you like/love Disney music, and this will only increase your appreciation of the beautiful, timeless lyrics and melodies . The accompanying book is excellent, through it you are given an idea of how work on the music for these three films proceeded. The inclusion of the original score to Aladdin is a real gem, and if you didn't already consider these three men geniuses....

This boxed set is INDISPENSABLE for any fan of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's work together, not to mention admirers of their Disney music and films in particular (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin). To hear the composer and lyricist developing what would become some of this generation's most beloved and widely known melodies sends chills down the spine (as does the demo track where Menken works through various iterations of the tune for the title song of "Beauty and the Beast" before finally coming to the best version - you can hear him make the breakthrough on tape.) The discs are inspiring for fans of the duo's work, and a terrific insight into how a great musical number for film or stage is crafted.

Ashman passed away long before his time, and with Little Shop of Horrors and these Disney films as his popular legacy collaborating with Menken, listeners are fortunate to find such a wealth of material here (for a similar "behind the scenes look on Little Shop of Horrors, check out the 2003 Broadway cast edition which features demo recordings as bonus tracks - Little Shop of Horrors (2003 Broadway Revival Cast))

Note that while Tim Rice is given equal billing, this set really is all about Ashman and Menken (Rice contributed to a handful of songs out of the four disc collection). This is an example of a Disney music collection done right, with four full discs to provide hours of listening (the Aladdin score disc isn't as long as the others, but the main discs are jam-packed).

Amazon does not generally carry this set in stock, so be sure to check their marketplace sellers for new copies; also note that Amazon has this collection listed at least three times on their site under different titles and each has different marketplace sellers (and pricing!) - aside from this listing, here are at least two of the alternate listings:

The Music Behind the Magic, the Musical Artistry of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Tim Rice

WALT DISNEY RECORDS PRESENTS: THE MUSIC BEHIND THE MAGIC THE MUSICAL ARTISTRY OF ALAN MENKEN, HOWARD ASHMAN AND TIM RICE

If you adore the music of "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Aladdin", you will love this set. Besides final versions of most songs, it also contains work tapes and demos perfromed by the song writing team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The music and the book that comes with it are gems. As a special treat, the origional score for "Aladdin" by Ashman and Menken is included. They paint a whole different feel for the film

The Music Behind The Magic is simply just that...magic! It doesn't matter whether you enjoy 'Disney' music or not; this collection is a must buy for any serious musical composer. By experiencing these tapes, you actually go behind the scenes to the creation of some of the most famous and magical songs ever written. Want to hear 'A Friend Like Me' in its demo version? How about 8 time Academy Award(R) winner Alan Menken playing around the piano trying to think of 'Arabian Nights'? This set not only includes the entire scores and songs to The Little Mermaid, B&B, and Aladdin (although some minor score cues are left out), but it also includes priceless work and demo versions of these beautiful and moving songs. Imagine hearing Alan on the piano humming the theme to a Whole New World before the song even had lyrics! Or what about Howard Ashman singing Poor Unfortunate Souls with lyrics that were cut from the movie. The book is a great addition, providing photos, great behind the scenes info, and the entire lyrics to all the songs in this collection. You'll not only enjoy the superior brillance of Mr. Menken, and the late Mr. Ashman, but you'll also learn some stuff about composing and writing worthy musical material. It took me months to get a hold of this set. Thank God for amazon.com...take advantage of it and purchase a piece of pure sophistication!

My 4th grader had to do a report on Michael Collins for school, and found this book very helpful. It's easy enough for kids to understand by themselves, and informative enough to be used as a reference.

The illustrations and narrative were just perfect for my 4 year-old son. The details in the illustrations, in particular, don't seem to cease fascinating him - new things are constantly discovered. I look forward to future books by this author.

NEIL, BUZZ, AND MIKE GO TO THE MOON is written and illustrated by Richard Hilliard. Hilliard does an excellent job in both the writing and the pictures. I chose this book because Neil Armstrong gave a rare public speech in my town of Gettysburg, PA not long ago and I thought my kids would like to know more about him since neither of them were born when he and the other astronauts went to the moon. Hilliard does a nice job of telling the three astronauts' story about the Gemini program and their mission. On the sides of the main illustrations are additional facts that add extra information to the main text. However, the book does not get too bogged down with facts, which is perfect for the age group the book is intended for, children under eight. Kids reading this book will learn a nice overview of an important part of history. I think it would also make a good read-aloud. NEIL, BUZZ, AND MIKE GO TO THE MOON is a very nice non-fiction book, that would be a good addition to any library: school, public, or home.
A. D. Tarbox, author of ALREADY ASLEEP (fall 2006)

Beautifully illustrated and easy to read to a four year old, I bought this for my nephew, and now he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up! The book's main theme of working and studying to achieve your goals is a great way to introduce this historical event to kids.

This is a great story for anyone that is into imagination! Let Earl take you on an adventurous journey! The Trees have them down and out Blues and to resuce is no other than Outer Space Earl.

This book was exciting from the start! Earl and Grandpa are out to help save the tress because of their "Blues!" For my younger child the book was a great tool for helping her learn how to read, and most importantly she had enjoyed it!

This book is very well written and so much fun. Grandpa and Earl really keep you entertained with their silly tactics, and we cannot wait for the next adventure that Outer Space Earl takes us on! Love this book and these characters!

Exciting story line with great illistrations that entertain along with the story. CD read along allows my kids to follow the story and with the sound of chimes knows when to turn the page. Great book for kids starting to read. I will get other books in the Long Hill series.