Children's Space Books Books

I loved this book. It was given to me by a friend and I felt like it was one of those books you could read agian and agian even if you already read it. After I just finished it I wanted to read it again and I didn't wand to read anything else. This is a great book for 5-7 or 8 grade.

My son was assigned this book for a 6th grade reading group and I came to amazon.com to find out more about it.

I am writing this review in response to E. R. Bird's review. That review made me question the appropriateness of "City of Masks" for 6th grade group discussion. My concerns came from a)the use of the word "sexual predator" for the Duchessa and b)describing the Duchessa as the moral equivalent of Mrs. Coulter in Philp Pullman's "His Dark Materials" books.

After reading "Stravaganza, City of Masks" I believe this book is indeed a young adult book (grades 5-7) and the content is appropriate for 6th grade group discussions. The Duchessa is characterized as typical of her historical period without too much detail. The book explores a 15-16 year old boy's struggle with cancer. The setting isn't perfect and the characters aren't perfect. It isn't a literary masterpiece but it is a fun read for a 12 year old.

"City of Masks" is an action book that tries to gently discuss dealing with cancer. I think the author is good intentioned and the Duchessa is an unrefined tool of the plot. I liked this book, it presents some interesting topics for young adult group discussion.

How would you like it if you could travel to a different world? In the book City of Masks a young boy named Lucien does. Lucien lives in London, England and is very sick with cancer. One day when his father brings him home a diary, he learns that he can travel to a different world. This other world is still in the sixteenth century, and is now known as Venice, Italy. The citizens there called it Belezza. Lucien is very confused when he first gets there, but soon he realizes that he isn't sick in Belezza. He meets a man named Rodolfo, and learns that he is a "Stravaganti" (which means that he can travel from Belezza to England). After many attacks in Belezza, he learns that being a Stravaganti isn't as fun as he thought it would be. I didn't like this book very much, but just because I don't like it, that doesn't mean you won't.
This book was written for people ten and up. It switched around from one part to another, and younger children would have a harder time understanding it. "He began to dream of a city floating on the water, laced with canals, and full of domes and spires..." (in England) "Adrianna watched the whole procession from her brother's boat." (In Belezza)
The book included many characters. Some examples would be Lucien, Adrianna, and Rodolfo. There where many times were you would have to closely pay attention in order to understand who was speaking.
The book was written in second person, and was easier to understand that way. "Much to her surprise, Adrianna was bored."
Although I didn't like this book very much, you might like to read it.

City of Masks is a book about Lucien and his friend Arianna. Lucien is a boy with cancer who just had chemotherapy. When the chemotherapy was so bad that Lucien could not talk, Lucien's dad found and gave him a red and purple swirled notebook to write in instead of talking. When Lucien first received the book, he fell asleep with it in his hands and suddenly found himself in a city similar to Venice, Italy. Lucien looked around at the marble colonnade and thought he was dreaming. That thought changed when a boy about Lucien's age pulled him fiercely into the shadows and hissed, "Are you mad? You could be killed!" Normally a touch like that would have Lucien screaming in pain, but this was a different universe where Lucien was healthy. To confirm that this wasn't a dream, Lucien reached up and touched a head full of curly locks when just a minute ago all he could feel was a bald head from the chemotherapy. The boy that had pulled him into the shadow was taking off his clothes and mumbling to Lucien about how Lucien had ruined his plans that had taken almost a year to come up with. The boy was now stripped down to his underclothes and gave his clothes to Lucien. Lucien took off his changed into the boy's clothes and watched as the boy slipped on a dress and took off his hat. The boy was a girl! Lucien and Arianna introduced themselves and Arianna led Lucien down to a café. There Arianna explained to Lucien that today was the forbidden day to be on the island of Bellezza and they could be killed if the pair didn't blend in. That was why Lucien had to change into different clothes. After eating two crumbly pastries and two cups of chocolate, the pair headed down to a river and watched as the Duchessa picked new mandoliers. The Duchessa rules all of Bellezza and picks mandoliers to attend her school and eventually drive the boat the Duchessa rides in. When the Duchessa turns around and picks out a boy in the crowd, Arianna storms away. The boy the Duchessa picked was Lucien, the person who ruined Arianna's plans of becoming a mandolier. Every day, Lucien returns to his sick body and falls asleep to visit Bellezza. This book takes you through the journey of Lucien a sick and healthy boy at the same time.
Mary Hoffman's style of writing is full of analogies and "juicy" words. She keeps the pace of the book at a comfortable speed and loves to switch scenes very quickly. This book jumps around a lot without losing the reader. I loved reading this book because it kept me wanting to read more the whole time. The characters were very credible and their actions were understandable. I also enjoyed reading this book because the plot kept on making exciting turns while keeping it easy to follow. I would recommend this book to people who love fantasies and like to keep reading the whole afternoon because they can't put the book down.

Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman is the first of three books in a wonderful fantasy series.

Lucien is sick with cancer; he cannot go to school or even get out of his bed, but when he receives an Italian journal from his father, his whole life changes. If Lucien holds the journal while he sleeps, his mind is taken to the city of Bellezza. When he is there, he is completely well, and the more he visits Bellezza the more real it seems. Lucien then finds out that he is able to travel between two worlds; he is a Stravaganza. The problem is, the more he travels to this extraordinary city, the more he seems to vanish from his own world and his family. Will Lucien continue to travel between the two worlds or will he be stuck in a world that he barely knows forever?

I loved this book and can't wait to read the next in the series. Once you start reading, Stravaganza: City of Masks draws you in and you just can't wait to see what happens. You can fall in love with all of the characters and you really start to care about them. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to escape into another world; people of all ages can enjoy a book like this!

I'm from Oregon. In my fifth grade class, hoping to interest us in the history of Native Americans in Oregon, my teacher read us "The Ancient One." Then I loved it, it was scary, exciting and as a tree hugger, it struck a cord with me. But back then I was only ten years old, and unfortunately, this book, in a second reading, did not make the change into a good adult novel.

This book, about a girl who goes back in time to a carter in Oregon that is inhabited by now instinct Native Americans, magical owl people and some very old redwoods (and stones that talk and lizard people and an evil being on destruction...) is just kind of silly. Not silly funny, but silly in that everything (and I mean everything) in this book is explained or solved by one of the characters. Whenever there is a problem, someone has the answer. And the answer always is obscure and comes from a strange piece of lore or magical wise knowledge. There is nothing for the reader to figure out, no mystery that last longer than a page or two.

Also the characters emotions are completely ridiculous and badly expressed. Everyone is either deathly calm and handles unbelievably situations in a way that is impossible to believe, or they claim some emotion but never express it.

In short, as a kid this was a great fantasy novel. As an adult with more reading experience, it was a good idea badly expressed that really went too far in the fantasy department to have any credibility, which every fantasy book must have a little of to capture interest.

Two stars.

The Ancient One is a fascinating fantasy chronicle by T.A Barron. I would recommend to everyone looking for a good read.
Kate went to her great aunt Melanie's house expecting nothing out of the ordinary. When loggers threaten to cut down the eternity-old forrest in Cronans Crater, Melanie and Kate are shocked. 300 years ago all the Native Americans that had lived there disappeared, Brimstone Peak erupted and the crater was left undisturbed and since been untouched. When Kate and Aunt Melanie take action and go up to record the old Halami camp, Melanie tells Kate about a theory that a famous theorist came up with. If places remain undisturbed for a long, long, long time there is a chance there is a funny air pocket that can pull the disturber back in time.
Kate and a logger-boy-helper, Jody, were sent back in time supposedly with help from Aunt Melanies walking stick. The one with the strange markings in its shaft and the the amber owls eyes that seem to have a will of its own. It supposedly sent them back... 300 years ago, back when the Halami's were the only people on the crater.
Here are the basics in some of the more important characters:
Katie is an understanding young adult. She was willing to help and heal when she went back in time. She was patient even though, for a time she couldn't understand her new friend Laioni (a Halami girl about Kate's age).
Jody on the other hand was rude to the Tinnini's and the Halami's and at times was greedy but in the end he learned to understand and accept the death of his parents.
When mythology becomes fact and legends are revealed to be true... Is there a future in the 20th century for Kate and Jody or will the evil and legendary Gashra finish them off?
Native American mythology comes to life in this inspiring novel. I reccomend this to everyone (young and old) looking for a book that hooks.

The Ancient One is a great book to read, whether on a scorching summer day or bitter winter night, this book is perfect. It is one you will want to read again and again. All the components that make a magnificent, once in a blue moon fantasy are here!

When Kate, a teenage girl, visits her aunt Melanie, a mysterious woman who knows a lot about the local Native American tribe, the Halamis, little does she expect anything to happen in quiet and rainy Blade, Oregon. Soon, she is swept up into a battle to save a grove of ancient redwoods that have been hidden inside a crater from some local loggers in need of work. These redwoods, which were usually obscured by clouds, had been found by an aerial photographer. Kate and her aunt use an ancient and dangerous Halami route to get inside the crater. In the crater, Kate and her Aunt Melanie hurriedly make their way to the grove of redwoods, where, in the heart of the grove, there is a tree called the Ancient One. Aunt Melanie and Kate hear the sound of the loggers coming up a trail they blasted through the side of the crater. Aunt Melanie rushes to stop the loggers, but realizes she left her special walking stick against the Ancient One. Kate runs back to get it, and through a series of strange events, is thrust back in time five hundred years. Soon she finds herself on a quest to help rid the crater of an evil being, Gashra, and to get back to her own time.

The adventurous plot, with its underlying message to preserve nature, makes this one of the best books I've read. From Halami times, when Kate and a Halami girl try to save the crater and all its beings, to modern day, where Kate and Aunt Melanie fight loggers that are desperate for work, this book speaks of the beauty of nature. The plot is suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat, for you never know what is to come next. It masterfully weaves a story of two girls who are worlds apart overcoming a force looking to destroy the Halami's world.

Another great feature of The Ancient One is the excellent writing. For example, "She stepped deliberately into a muddy puddle that nearly filled the entire street. The splash of water slapped against her lower leg, pressing jeans against shin, as brown circles spread outward from her submerged sneaker. Only Aunt Melanie's bright green shoelaces, reluctantly accepted by Kate when her own ones broke, remained visible in the muddy water." Writing like this quote not only gives a vivid description of the surroundings, it also gives you the feel of the water against your leg. You feel as though you are taking part in the story yourself, not just reading words on a page.

The magnificent plot and great writing really makes this a must-read. Perfect for anyone a preteen or older; The Ancient One is the perfect light book, roughly 350 pages. I guarantee you will want to read it again and again. I know I never go on a long trip with out it.

this book is awsome!with a surprise and something near imosible to imagine evreywhere(ecept the very begining) !this book is magical and highly recomended and aproved by me

This is a story about a girl who is with her great aunt Melony. She is visiting her for a while because her parents are of on a trip. While she is getting the mail two boys start chaseing her!!! The reason is because they want her aunt's packege because thy want the legal papers in it that way she can't get them and sue them for tring to cut down the achent redwood grove in the lost crater. They end up going into the lost crater to try and stop them. They get up early so they can have some time to look around and look at all the trees. they stop at the Achent One and Aunt Melony leaves her walking stick there acadentaly!
I won't spoil any more for you so you'd better start reading!!!
I hope this review has helped you.

Fast pacing and nonstop, suspenseful plots make it impossible for the readers to put down the book. Readers of this book will love Bobby Pendragon. Put down the wands and spellbooks and get ready to hop into a flume. Hobey-Ho!

Hobey-Ho!

"People don't communicate with real people anymore, they're too busy living inside their own heads and creating characters to act in their own personal dramas. Nothing is happening. Nothing is moving forward. Nothing is real. Veelox is dead."

Prophecy about our own future? Possibly. Description of what happens to a world that is so engrossed in their own fantasies that reality is ignored and the world deteriorates. Definitely.

Saint Dane has outdone himself on Veelox. Aja Killian, the Traveler from Veelox, believes she has the answer to defeat Saint Dane and resents the appearance of Bobby who we find out in this edition has been designated (by whom we do not know.....Uncle Press?) the "lead Traveler". Aja is very smart, but she is also arrogant and naive. A bad combination when you have to fight the ultimate evil.

Veelox is a world in neglect. The inhabitants spend their lives "jumping" into a fantasy world within their minds using a technology called "Lifelight". A jumper lies down in a bed of sorts, is connected to Lifelight, is fed via electrodes attached to their skin and enters a perfect world of fantasy where all their dreams can come true. The perfect fantasy is something everyone wants and gets. It is also something Saint Dane has been planning to use to bring down his first territory. When everyone is jumping, there is no one to fight a takeover.

To fend off Saint Dane, Aja realizes that she must make the fantasy world a little less appealing so that people will jump less and return to their deserted homes and back to reality. To do this, she has developed a "reality bug", a software program that injects just a bit of reality into every jump.

For example, in my ideal fantasy I am spending my life on the beach in Kauai. Since I am perfectly happy, I want to spend my entire "life" there and reality can take care of itself without me. But the reality bug might produce a hurricane, or I might get bitten by a thousand mosquitoes....anything to force me to spend less time in my jump and more time taking care of my home..... and reality.

Aja explains the reality bug plan to Bobby. They agree to load the reality bug and, hopefully, save Veelox. Unfortunately, Saint Dane is not only evil, but, he is patient (often setting up the path to destruction years and years in advance), and clever. Once the reality bug is introduced into Lifelight something terrible happens. The bug is far more dangerous and lethal than Aja meant for it to be (guess who had a hand in helping Aja design it?). Fantasy crosses over into reality. The reality bug feeds on the jumpers fears and grows into a monstrous killer as it is fed by millions of jumpers.

While Bobby, Loor, and Aja struggle to save Veelox, Mark and Courtney on Second Earth find out that they have been pre-ordained (Bobby's journals are sent to them) to be acolytes (people who help the Travelers by providing clothing, food and other assistance in each territory). And Gunny has followed Saint Dane to Eelong to try and head off his attempts to bring down that territory.

"Pendragon The Reality Bug" is a tremendous book full of action, thought provoking ideas, and plot twists that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very end of the book.....and beyond. The Pendragon series has taken a sharp turn to the dark side and the rules have changed. Bobby, Mark, Courtney, Loor, Gunny, Aja and the rest of the Travelers and acolytes are in for a real battle in the books ahead. They will need to step up to the challenge or Halla will be under the rule of Saint Dane. If one territory falls, they may all fall like dominoes.

Saint Dane makes He Who Must Not Be Named look like a wimp.

By TracyReaderDad

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. On one hand it's one of the most AMAZING scifi books I've ever read. On the other hand it's just sad.
If you've been following the series you'll know that Bobby hasn't lost a territory yet. Well in this one he does. That's all I'm going to tell you. You'll just have to go and read it for yourself but be warned. It's not what you think it is.
You find out really interesting things when you read this book. You also watch Bobby mature into a young man. He becomes solemn, tired, and worn out. This battle isn't about a little kid being a hero anymore. It's a real fight between good and evil and there's a chance that evil will win out in the end.
Definitely one of the best, but also a very sad book.

This book was pretty good especially the amazing detail of all of the crazy things such as lifelight. However, thats just as always (especially the things on Cloral.) Although it was detailed I really wasnt as " i cant wait to read this book whn i get home" as i was with the others. Its definatley worthy of a 4 star but nothing more because it kind of lagged in certain spots like with lifelight the same thing keeps happening. But as i said earlier, its worthy of a 4 star but nothing compared to the others; I hope book is going to be good and all the rest (especially book 8.)

This book seemed just a tad bit dreary as far as the world goes but nonetheless it was a totally great read!

Mary Downing Hahn is an excellant writer! All of her stories are a fun, thrilling, mysterious adventure! I would recommend any of books to readers of all ages. She hooks you from page one and doesn't let go until the final word!

Ms Hahn simply as a gift for writing chilling and yet so romantic spooky stories. As a child this book entranced me. I checked it out multiple times and would let the detailed and rich story wash over me. A great plot, complex characters, and vivid description make this a fantastic mystery.

when i was a kid in middle school this is the one book i couldnt put down and now i have it and will never have to put it down. i am very happy with the purchase because i love this book.

My ten-year-old daughter and I loved this book! The story has so many elements that come together to make it a great read - mystery, conflict, good old-fashioned villain who eventually makes good, friendship, love, grief, and the perfect degree of thrill for the age group it is intended for. Throw in a couple cats and a lovely ending and what more can you ask for. We hated to put this book down.

The book does a particularly admirable job tackling the issues of death and grief, and also makes the reader consider the thought of a spirit world so perhaps this might make younger, more sensitive readers uncomfortable. The writing makes for a descriptive and realistic read despite the ghost story, but there are moments of adult language poking through 10-year-old Ashley's thoughts and I did think the sudden, seemingly complete turnaround of Ms. Cooper was a bit unusual. Nonetheless, the author has created a delightful book that will haunt the mind and heart and leave the reader with warm fuzzies in the end.

I had wished the author had gone further into the ending then she did, but all in all it was a riviting story and kept you turning the page--this would make a great movie if the plot were stretched further to make the ending more complete as far as "closure" goes. It just felt like it left you hanging but all in all a great story for it's age group.

Grim Tuesday was a good read for me. In the beginning, it starts off on Earth, and Grim's Grotesques are affecting the world around Arthur. Houses were sold, including Arthur's own home. His family was in financial trouble, as well.

Eventually, it becomes darker with Arthur being in the pit, and then when he begins on a journey on a ship that looks like a turtle, his journey isn't so dark. I found the second half of the book was a better read, more interesting. I like the fact there wasn't really a drawn out fighting scene between Grim and Arthur, but more of a competition of creativity. It is quite different, and I wasn't expecting it.

I wanted to add that I was glad to see a difference in personality with the second part of the Will from the first part of the Will. I also like the difference in Grim's Tuesday Noon, Dawn, and Dusk from Mister Monday's Noon, Dawn, and Dusk. All the new characters made the book worth reading, more interesting.

Also, I want to add that I completely enjoyed Suzie. I felt she kind of stole the show with her quick wit and her stubornness. I even laughed at a few things she said and did.

I am very glad to have read this book. I felt like it was a wonderful look into Garth Nix's imagination, and I look forward to reading Drowned Wednesday.

Thanks.

Garth Nix's Keys to the kingdom series is an excellent read. easy to comprehend and follow. I highly reccomend this series. the books are short and you can get them cheap right here on amazon.com

the books are in order
Mister Monday (The Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1)
Grim Tuesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 2)
Drowned Wednesday (Keys to the Kingdom, Book 3)
Sir Thursday (The Keys To The Kingdom, Book 4)
Lady Friday (The Keys To The Kingdom, Book 5)
and two more on the way!

This book was very good to read. This one along with the others that go along with it should be made into movies.

Possibly my favorite book of the Keys to the Kingdom series Grim Tuesday has a lot of twists and suspense. My heart raced from page 2 (not saying page 1 wasn't interesting, it just reminds you of Mister Monday and introduces Grim Tuesday. I couldn't even guess what was going to happen by the end of the story but once I got there I was still in shock. It seemed short to me but nevertheless still a great read

This is the second book in Garth Nix's engaging fantasy series Keys to the Kingdom, although it is billed as children's literature, it contains many sophistocated allusions that most kids probably wouldn't get (and some adults might not get either), and is extremely well written and highly recommended for anybody who likes fantasy, be warned however that it is not typical fantasy, it is sometimes very dark (this book is particularly dark and dreary).

After Arthur defeated Mister Monday and cured the Sleepy Plague which threatened to ravage his town and possibly his whole world, he thought he'd get 6 years off to grow up and relax before having to deal with the fantastical realm of the House again, unfortunately the greedy and corrupt Trustee of the Architect, Grim Tuesday has other ideas, he has sent two of his twisted warped Grotestques to Arthur's world where they have proceeded to commence the ruining of Arthur's family's finances and the finances of a good portion of the rest of the world, in order to stop them, Arthur must find a way back into the House, and once there survive Grim Tuesday's horrible Pit, which he has dug in his greed to mine Nothing, which can be made into everything. Along the way he teams up with various characters, new and old, including the irrepressible and irreverent Suzy Blue, and one of Grim Tuesday's many indentured Denizens, a former Theasureus named Japeth, who has a bad habit of talking, well like a theasureus which provides a certain amount of comic relief in the despair of the Pit. He also must convince the sullen stubborn Second Part of the Will to co-operate with him and beat Grim Tuesday in a contest of artistry in order to obtain the Second Key to the Kingdom of Reality and, most importantly as far as Arthur is concerned, save his family and his world from a new Great Depression and get back home.

All and all this is a great book, although not quite as interesting as the first one, perhaps because the first one had more mystery in it, in this one Arthur knows what is going on.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2Q18Q4MML78DG

I came across this book in the 8th grade when I had to do a book report on something in the science-fiction genre. It was the cover art that caught my eye. The book was truly fantastic. Nobody writes like Ray Bradbury; his ability to command the written word is truly incredible and he exhibits this skill superbly in this book. Young and old can appreciate this tale, of a group of young boys soaring through times and cultures examining the truth behind Halloween. You can read this book over and over again and glean new things from it each time. Truly one of Bradbury's best.

On a race through history, 8 boys must learn the secrets and origins of Halloween night in order that they might save the life of their friend, who has been stricken ill on Halloween. Ray Bradbury weaves an imaginative story that creates a rather simplified but no less interesting history of Halloween night. With his usual imagery, Bradbury really creates a story with eerie and sometimes scary nature that is Halloween night.

I own this DVD and watch it at least 3-4 times a year. I will have to watch it again soon, because I was sure there were three boys and a girl that were going out trick-or-treating.

I loved the book and now love the movie, and Leonard Nimoy makes the movie even more special. There is more here than meets the eye as friends look into themselves to see their relations with the mystical Pip. We see what makes a leader great with empathy and forgiveness and a special warmth that encourages others to be empathetic and giving too.

When it comes to using words to evoke bizarre and stimulating imagery, there is no one better than Ray Bradbury. This book is an adventure conducted by young male trick-or-treaters on a spooky Halloween night. They walk up to the door of the local haunted house and somehow one of them, a boy named Pip, is whisked away to a bizarre place. The mysterious Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud agrees to help the boys rescue Pip and they too are taken off on a journey through space and time.
During their travels, they are taken back to the days when the Egyptians mummified their dead, which is the first step in providing some historical background to the creatures commonly seen on Halloween night. All through the journeys, they come close to Pip, but whatever force that is controlling him always manages to take him out of their grasp at the last moment. At the end, all the boys are returned to their starting point and their most exciting Halloween ever is at an end.
Bradbury describes all this in his own unique and expressive style. For example, when the boys are in medieval Europe, there is the following paragraph:

"Which is to say that all the old beasts, all the old tales, all the old nightmares, all the old unused demons-put-by, and witches left in the lurch, quaked at the call, reared at the whistle, trembled at the summons, and in dustdevils of propulsion skimmed down the roads, flitted skies, buckshot through shaken trees, forded streams, swam rivers, pierced clouds, and arrived, arrived, arrived."

This is one of the best horror stories ever written for children. Furthermore, it also teaches them a bit of the folklore of Western civilization.

I'm a sixth grader. This book was interesting and funny to read. Jason is a seventh grader who has a goal to build a space ship in his bedroom in the midst of all his experiences of the seventh grade. Jason had a fun relationship with his friends and had nicknames for each of them. There were many adventures that Jason experienced throughout the year. My favorite was the camping trip he went on with his class. The author writes in a way that kids our age can relate to what Jason is experiencing. Some of the things that happened were so funny because they are so easy to imagine happening in real life.

The author lets the reader know all about Jason's family and his relationship with each of them. This book is like no other book that I have read. My least favorite part of the book was someone died. That part was also very scary and heart breaking. Other than that, the book was so much better than I thought it would be.
R.A.S.

In the bokk Space Station Seventh grade by Jerry Spinelli a kid named jason wants to build a space station.Ididnt really like this book because the author made the main idea hard to present.I thought that the author jumped around from one subject to another.For example one chapter was talking about football then the next was about halloween.The author focuses on other subjects and doesn't realizes theres not enought infiormation about the main idea

Its a good book about the stuff you go through and all that, but the guy wrote it 20 years ago so its kinda hard to keep up with, sometimes it seems really outdated.

Space Station Sevent Grade was a good book. It started out slow but in the middle it got really good. The end was really good. I hope you read Space Station Seventh Grade!

Written over 20 years ago, "Space Station Seventh Grade" was author Jerry Spinelli's first published book. Oddly, he had not originally envisioned it as being written for juveniles, but instead submitted it to publishers as being written for adults. (The remnants of its adult's oriented writing can still be seen by the rather harsh language used throughout the book). It was rejected by all adult publishers, however, almost by chance juvenile publishers embraced it. Thus started the career of one finest authors of children's/young adult fiction.

"Space Station Seventh Grade" follows the first year of middle school for Jason Herkimer- a suburban Pennsylvanian everykid. The book follows Jason from the sad end of summer to the terrors of middle school where 9th grade monsters prey upon 7th graders, where one has to take a shower after gym, where Home Economics is a subject, and where his teenage hormones start to wreak havoc upon him- creating pimples, making him act up and become a discipline problem, and making him go ga-ga for cheerleader Debbie Breen.

We are also introduced to Jason's homelife- he lives with his mother, his stepfather- Ham (who lives up to his name), his younger sister Mary, whom he can't stand, and his annoying young half-brother, Timmy. Meanwhile, his father lives alone in a big city where he indulges in his passion for kosher food. Jason also has an ecletic group of friends- fellow WASP Richie, Korean American Peter, African American Calvin, and Irish American Dugan. Jason is also an avid, but not particularly gifted athlete, and his interests revolve around dinosaurs and space travel which has led him to build a giant model space station.

"Space Station Seventh Grade" contains many themes that have popped up again and again in Spinelli's other books- a love of athletics, interest in space, sibling antagonism, snow days, unrequited crushes, and the importance of individuality represented here by the character of Marceline McAllister.

Overall, "Space Station Seventh Grade" is an entertaining depiction of middle school life. It's told with Spinelli's trademark humor which is one of the big reasons he has became such a success, and this book has some very funny parts. However, it does contain a shocking "Bridge to Terabithia" moment with a supporting character meeting a tragic death. It's aged fairly well- granted kids today may not know what a pocket football game looks like, but Spinelli wisely avoided references to pop culture which would have immediately dated his book.

However, if there is one criticism I have with Spinelli's portrayal of seventh grade is that he doesn't really touch upon the overwhelming peer pressure to conform and bullying that results when one doesn't that exists at that age. When I look back on my school days, I now like to remember grade school as a halcyon time and high school as a lot of laughs, but I do not have any rose-colored views of my middle school years which I remember as just a horror show of kids viciously picking on each other over the stupidiest stuff! Although Marceline is something of an outcast for her individualism, Jason seems remarkably untouched by any pressure to dress or act a certain way which is not how I remember middle school.

It's not a bad book. But it isn't highly original, either. I understand that it may be difficult to imagine an entire alien culture, simply for the fact that the alien is too alien to be imagined by terrestrians. On the other hand, if I as a reader recognize the described alien culture as vaguely Japanese on first sight, it's disappointing and seems like authorial laziness to me.

And although fantasy stories like this live off the small details the writer manages to incorporate, it would be helpful if said details would at least, you know, work. Imagining a kind of mummy-wrap topped by a swinging cloak as main garment of the alien culture sounds cool, but would be cooler, if it were at least possible to do such a wrap for people who sport wings between their wrists and waist, just saying.

I will resell my copies (have the whole trilogy), because I can't imagine I will want to re-read them anytime soon. I can find this quality of reading material on the web for free.

A great book that took me for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and excitement. Although it has some strong adult images, and the current tags are accurate, the scenes are not graphic. My only complaint is that I wish it would have ended differently for the characters; because I cared for them so much! (dont want to give too much away).

If you love science fiction, you love this book. Karin Lowachee is cherry, and she's nice as well.

Others have done a good job of summarizing the story, so I won't say more about that. I found the book very well written. The story was mesmerizing and haunting it really did stay with you. Jos was a very sympathetic character and I look forward to reading more about him in the later books.

While recommending this book to any adult reader I cannot but warn him/her that Ms Lowachee has written an extremely disturbing story: I have never spoken with someone who had to endure abuse as a child, but there were passages I felt so realistic I got sick.

The setting is hard SF, very classical, very well knitted. It is the kind of story which is new: the coming of age of a young man who was kidnapped, deprived of his family and cruelly abused as a child and has to cope with all too real wraiths while growing up in an hostile environment.
The author does not indulge in explicit sex or gore, she just hints at them, but many pages of this book scream in your ears with the cruel force of understatement: this may be SF but the characters feel perfectly, painfully real.

The writing is good, the pacing convincing, characterization good if a little obvious, with the possible exception of the main character. I felt extraordinarily moved by Jos' thirst for love and by the mistrust who prevents him from accepting it when it is given.

The book is action packed, so no one will complain about its being dull or slow, but adequate room is given to feelings and reflection, tastefully and convingly done.

My son LOVES this series. Even the used books from this company are in pretty great shape!

I almost didn't get through this book, because the not-very-exciting quest for the crystal sword in the middle of the book was so incredibly tedious. It was nice to bring all of the major characters together for the finale, but "Silver on the Tree" lacks any real feeling of suspense or even urgency. And the contrived nature of the way that the Dark will finally be defeated: whoever cuts the mystical mistletoe at precisely the right instant wins? So the Light has been getting ready for this for a thousand years, and it all comes down to a random moment's action? Everything happens exactly as you'd expect it to, the Drew children have almost nothing to do except show up, and there's way too much gratuitous Welsh. It feels a lot like Cooper was phoning this one in.

If you've made it this far in the series, you might as well finish this last book so you can say you've read them all.

For the last time, the Dark will attempt to rise once again. But Will and his friends of the Light will be there to stop it. This book is the ending to an ancient rivalry between the Light and the Dark. For centuries the Old Ones, a group of magical beings, have been preventing the Dark from rising since the beginning of time. I suggest this to people who like books with mystery and magic and magic because this book is full of it. Susan Cooper's series are suspenseful and exciting; you'll always be back for more. When you read this book you'll find out how badly Will and the Light need to defeat the Dark and stop it from rising this one last time.

Reading the last sentence of this book 24 years ago changed my life. BOYCOTT the travesty that is the Dark Is Rising film. Keep the pure elements of Cooper alive. The amazing tale she spun, weaving in elements of Celtic/Welsh mythology into a modern narrative leaves me shaking today. This book made me who I am today. I will not stand by and watch it raped and pillaged. READ the BOOK and BOYCOTT the film.

Peace.

The conclusion to the fabulous Dark is Rising sequence brings it all together. The Drew children, Will, Merriman Lyon, Bran, and their human relatives and acquaintances, one of whom will prove crucial, and a traitor will be revealed.

Will and Bran must undergo the most perilous quest, to the find the sword of power.

Again, the clues are poetic :-

I am the womb of every holt,
I am the blaze on every hill,
I am the queen of every hive,
I am the shield for every head,
I am the tomb of every hope --
I am Eirias

At the end, a decision must be made by those who are not mortal, about those who are mortal.

I love this book. I always wanted to see twhat the inside of an At-At looked like, and it shows you. This book tells you about different starships and shows you the inside of the Y-wing. It points to where the weapons, communications and fuel parts are. The thing that I really liked about this book was the cross-sections of the sandcrawler. It shows you what the inside of a sandcrawler looks like and points to where the Jawa's sleep and work. The two things I diidn't like about this book was that when it shows you the inside of a star destroyer, it only shows you like the fuel and power generator things. It doesn't show you where the people are really. The other thing I didn't like was that the book was way to short, they could have showed the A-Wing and stuff like that. I enjoyed the snowspeeder in this book and the cross-sections of the X-wing because it showed you where the controls and pedals were. I would definately reccomend this book. If you were ever wondering what the inside of the Slave 1 or the inside of Jabba's sail barge looked like, this book shows it all. THere are two illustrators in this book, but their drawings look the same. GOOD BOOK!

I always wanted to see more and to be able to look inside of the vehicles more closely, and this book provides that information (and more more) in great detail. I really like the mini illustrations of where in the vehicles that events from the movies took place, it helps to "put a name to a face".

A fun look inside the beloved spacecraft of the Classic Trilogy of Star Wars movies, the book delves into the histories, relationships between, and (pseudo)science behind such iconic vehicles as the Millennium Falcon, the Imperial Star Destroyer, TIE fighters, X-Wings, the Death Star, Slave 1, and so on. A book of incredibly detailed cutaways and well-considered textual notes, this collection nonetheless feels a little thin and less detailed than the companion volumes created for the Episodes I-III, which possess a more premeditated backstory and are rendered in almost exasperating detail. In fact, the volumes for the Classic Trilogy and those for Episodes I-III could be said to warrant criticisms similar to the movies themselves -- the original films/volume feature a whiz-bang melodrama with exciting places and artifacts that allude to an unseen galactic history thousands of years deep, while the new episodes/volumes display the baroque details of thousands of years of galactic history and politics without the unifying resonance of a compelling drama to bring them fully to life. However, I would recommend all the volumes for children of all ages who like to dream and marvel over how things work, or might work, on Earth or in a galaxy far, far away.

Hi, I just would like to tell you that these book its not only a peace of art it's also great collection item if you are a Star Wars fan!!!!! thank's!

These books are huge A3 sized, the drawings are mostly of very good quality, and the amount of information packed into them is huge. They are a wonderful addition for any sci-fi fan.
This edition for the original three films is probably the best, it covers the machines in amazing detail and the technical detail fits reasonably well with what's on the (huge) official website.
Of particular note is the double sized page on the Death Star which is absolutely amazing.


Criticisms
There are two big criticisms with all these books, the main one is that they are far to thin. There are many things in the films that are simply missing, how about cross sections of R2D2, a light sabre, a speeder bike, or things like the ion cannon. Even worse ships like the Star Destroyer although wonderful could benefit hugely from a page or two extra on them.
The second criticism is technical, in some ways things here don't entirely mesh with the movies, although the problems are very subtle and very minor. The films are extremely careful and clever technically, the enormous attention to detail separates the best from the rest. Ok I am a scientist and engineer who has taken an interest in exotic space craft designs for real. Some of the details in the first film in particular are quite staggering, it is obvious that some of the technical people involved had done some real work on the subject. Sadly the people behind all these `technical' books are not always quite so knowledgeable, but they are still very fascinating.