Young Adult Books

This Spanish/English dictionary is the best I've used, primarily for the reasons that it is very comprehensive, and it gives Spanish pronunciations, oddly lacking from other such dictionaries.

I have purchased at least 6 different Spanish/English dictionaries and this is the one I always come back to. I am currently using my second copy since the first one fell apart. This one is held together with tape, lots and lots of tape.

I almost always find the word I am looking for, and the definitions make sense, and I am picky.

I have purchased at least 4 more of these as gifts.

So, my only complaint is that the binding is poor quality - the pages easily come out. Fortunately, they can be taped back in, which adds to the character!

I am a high school ESL teacher for new immigrants to the U.S. Our school buys the Merriam-Webster English-Spanish in bulk so each student has one that is easy to carry around, and because they are cheaper. But after experimenting with various dictionaries, I find that I much prefer to keep The New World dictionary right beside me at my desk, when I'm standing at the overhead projector, when I am circulating around the room to help students. I find The New World easier to read and easier to use. For example, when looking at multiple meaning words such as plot or setting, it is easier to pick out the language arts/literary definition in The New World dictionary. It also offers more in the way of support for people learning English or Spanish -- for example the section that helps Spanish speakers understand English prefix/root/suffix is very useful to ESL students and teachers in a high school setting. This year we are going to buy several for each classroom that has ESL students in it.

I have been teaching English as a Second Language for many years and I have become fluent in Spanish. This dictionary for Americans (North and South) is the best for the money. It has many words that are American Spanish and American English whereas many other more expensive dictionaries use European words and sometimes spellings. It is not a good dictionary for travel but then I don't think most are. I don't use a dictionary when on the road. The paper editions wear out rapidly with moderate use but they are cheap enough. Do not waste time and money on smaller dictionaries such as the Chicago. This one not only has American language, it has many idioms, and a reasonable grammar section. I hope this little gem never goes out of print.

Very descriptive, lots of examples in grammar. This should be the only dictionary that a student will ever need. Everything is there. I have learned so much from this dictionary.

I have read many books about fairies this year but this was the best of the lot. Okay, while I was reading the others I thought the same thing, but this book was a stand out!

Magpie is a fairy who is a devil catcher. Humans have been letting them out to plague the world. She is the only one who has the ability to make the glyphs to rid the world of these foul beings. She finds that a new devil, one who is different and scarier than the rest, has been let out, as well.

She tracks him down in Dreamdark, the home of the fairies. His name is Blackbringer. He is going to destroy the whole world by unraveling the tapestry and swallowing the world into darkness and shadow. Through many adventures, Mags and her crows and a few other fairies wake up a Djinn, fight many frightful devils, and find out the true history of Dreamdark and the birth of Magpie.

I was fascinated with the mythology that has been invented for this book. The world was dreamed by the powerful Djinns and there used to be many creatures in this world that have been hunted out of existence by humans. BLACKBRINGER was a delightful read full of roller-coaster adventures and surprises. I sure hope Laini Taylor writes more about Magpie, the crows, Poppy, Talon, and the Magruwen.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

December 26th 2007, just finished the book and I have to say it's probably the best book I've read all year! And since it was a library book, I think I'll go pick up a copy for myself! Adults (like me) and kids alike will enjoy this one.

I have not read a lot of fantasy as an adult, but I think I will pick it up more often, after reading this book! I forgot how deeper ideas and commentary on our "real" world can be made through the eyes and story of a character like Magpie. I was totally pulled into this YA novel from the get go. The story moves fast, always keeping your interest, and all along Miss Taylor drops just enough hints of what is to come to keep you guessing. Also, I was really taken by surprise and blown away by the climax! I felt like I was watching an action movie in my mind!

This book would be perfectly wonderful for any young reader, and it also holds an adult reader's attention with no problem. It is well written with amazingly imaginative, and even poetic language. I look forward to my children reading it! Can't wait for the next one to come out. :)

"Hurry home, love, through the dream-dark glade/ where moontime beasts lurk in darkling shade/never linger, love, where the shadows grow/the Blackbringer hunts where the light fears to go."

Once upon a time, the Djinn wove the Tapestry of the world, creating forests and animals, mountains and fairies. Thousands of years ago a Devil War was waged when the horrific devils were created by snags in the Tapestry. The brave and beautiful fairy Bellatrix was the great heroine of this war and in the end she and her fellow warriors were able to trap all the devils in unopenable bottles. But then Bellatrix disappeared and the years passed, and something that not even the Djinn had forseen arose: mannies (humans). And mannies, with their insatiable curiosity began opening the bottles, expecting genies but instead releasing devils. Magpie Windwitch is the only fairy who seems to be hunting these devils, forcing them back into bottles. Most of the other fairies have forgotten the old ways, content to live in the safety of their villages. But then a bottle is opened that should never have been unsealed, one containing the awful shadow creature of legend known as the Blackbringer. The Blackbringer is more powerful than even the mighty Djinn and indiscriminately devours everything in its path, pulling devils and fairies alike into the darkness. Magpie, along with her comical crow companions, sets off to find the Djinn King, the only one powerful enough to stop the Blackbringer--but no one has seen him for centuries.

I began this book not expecting much: the tall, edgy faerie of Holly Black's Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale are one thing, but Tinkerbell-sized creatures are another. Tiny little winged fairies seemed as tough and adventurous as dragonflies to me. Consider me a convert. Little Magpie Windwitch may be tiny, but she sure has spunk. Talon Rathersting, a fairy who joins Magpie on her quest after the Blackbringer kills his father and brothers, is another non-stereotypical fairy. He is a prince of a warrior clan who has been hindered all his life with stubby wings. However, he does have a talent for knitting, and can create "skins" which he can wear to transform himself into a bird and finally have the chance to fly. Blackbringer is sprinkled with other such well-developed characters and Magpie's crows in particular provide a good dose of humor.

One of the most striking things about this book is Taylor's beautiful writing. She creates passages that are best described as lyrical and gives Magpie a unique voice by having her use a lot of fairy slang, like the word "skiving." It is even more impressive that this is her first book--it doesn't have any of the rough edges one would expect from a first time author.

Don't let the fear that a book about fairies will be too cutesy hold you back. This is a spectacular debut novel and absolutely engrossing. Highly recommended.

How many young adult fantasies have you read with a fairy as the protagonist? Stop and think a moment. Having some trouble, aren't you?

That's what makes Faeries of Dreamdark different from any other fairy story. The main character is a fairy. She's a young (in human years, that is), spirited lassie named Magpie Windwitch. The ensnaring and destruction of devils is her trade . . . devils that clumsy humans are (unknowingly) setting free from captivity. When a dark, mysterious creature - that might not even be a devil - enters Dreamdark, Magpie and her crow friends really have cause for worry. And fear.

For some reason, this book strongly reminded me of the Redwall series. It had the same feel to it as those stories. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did I became totally immersed. From the halfway point to the end in particular, I had a hard time setting the book down . . . it was so exciting and good! Faeries of Dreamdark is humorous and thoughtful, and it has a unique kind of magical style to it. From its funny parts to its sad parts, it's obvious that Laini Taylor is quite the powerful storyteller. Despite the slowish beginning, I would highly recommend this book. I had loads of fun with it. Bring on the sequel!

This book was amazing.It has so many things that nowadays gay people debate about their own sexuality and they don't know what to do about it. If decide to be with Gods word without been yourself or been true to yourself and letting God love you as you are. It also contains a different point of view of the bible,and that how God condemns straight people more than gay people. And that they are few bible text for avoiding homosexuality and that their exist more bible text that condemn straight people for what they do.If you like controversy,this is the right book for you. This unleashes secrets way above just what people believe.And that many gay people are good people that also loves God with all their heart and soul and that even if their gay,they have better moral life's and that they can live happy even if in this world complicates their life's because they don't want gay people to be happy. This book changed my way of thinking about gay people,and helped me understand that they deserve to be happy as they are. God is love and he loves us all no matter how we are.

One of the best books I have ever read, period. The dialogue was update and very thoughtful. The references used were amazing and fit in perfectly well. The coming-out, self-acceptance, and love story were also of high cailbur. Definitely worth a look.

like in previous reviews from alex sanchez's books, I have been struggling with my sexuality for quite some time now but after reading this i felt so much better. i go to a christian school and have christian friends and i am a christian (duh). After reading i felt so much better about myself and truly believed that God made me the way I am and will use me in some way. It's a great book and has unexpected turns. You also get really into the characters and are actually arguing with the book(on what you want your characters to do). Also, it talks about Bible stories from a different point of view and makes you really think about other Bible stories involving homosexuality. All in all, you should read this book; it will make you feel better about yourself and you will become sure on what you believe in and teaches you to stand up for what's right.

I just finished reading the newest book by Alex Sanchez, The God Box. I absolutely love this book. The book tells the story of a high school senior dealing with coming to terms with his sexuality, and then reconsiling that with his faith, and what his church has tought him about homosexuality.

Sanchez does an excellent job of taking many of the passages used by many religious leaders to condemn homoseuality, and find fault with the logic that is used. While it is not as indepth as the books published on the subject, he does an excelent job of telling the gist of it. He also offers the books that he used at the end of the book, so you can look into them further if youa re really interested in looking at a scholarly take on the subject.

Even though the book is written with the intent to help young teens reconslie their sexuality with Christinaty, there is very little demonizing of the religious people in the book. Even those characters, who are homophobic and anti-gay, are not portrayed as a completely evil and vile people. They are treated with dignity. While those characters are charactures of the religious fundamentalists that are seen on television, like Dr. James Dobson, they are not at all portrayed to be like the Rev. Fred Phelps.

This is an extremely well written book, and keeps in line with all of Alex Sanchez's other writing. I highly encourage anyone of any age to read not only this book, but all of his other books as well. They are all definitely well worth the time, and maybe you'll learn a little something as well.

As a middle school librarian, I'm always excited for the beginning of summer when I can finally get to the rest of the books I've been meaning to read all year. Sanchez's new book was one I was looking forward to (and enjoyed.) I loved the main characters, Paul (Pablo) and Manuel. Paul's character was developed more fully than the rest, but all of the characters took on strong voices. I thought Paul's self reflection and slow realization of his sexuality was beautifully written and his simultaneous excitement and fear at Manuel's interest was very real.

My disappointment arrived at the (SPOILER ALERT) gay bashing. It seems like a gay bashing is always necessary to demonstrate the dangerous conditions many gay teens face. However, as an educator who works closely with teenagers (and a lesbian who was once a teen myself), I've seen that daily harassment, comments, ignorance and invisibility can cause as much, if not more, long-lasting harm (some of which Manuel and the minor character Stephen experienced - though Stephen's character could have been more developed). However, at its heart, Sanchez's novel is a coming-of-age story and a well written one at that. His focus on the arguments against gay people made by some Christians is explained well and the counter-arguments are clear and easily understood. I think it is an important work and one that should be found in every Middle School, Junior High and High School library. Hopefully some questioning Christian teens, and perhaps their friends, will happen upon the book and find some peace in its pages.

High Spirits is an excellent book, and Dianne Salerni has an incisive ability to get into the characters' minds. Her characters were actual people, true, but she has a way of taking them out of the past and sitting them right down next to us, making it feel as if we are seeing their story firsthand.

High Spirits actually seems to be two books in one. The first half is the history of the Fox sisters and how they became famous spiritualists, believed to be able to communicate with the dead. As their fame grows, so too does their infamy, and they must deal with nonbelievers and detractors, some of whom are willing to resort to violence. This lends itself to some harrowing, suspenseful moments.

The second part of the book is a romance, as Maggie Fox falls in love with a man who loves her in return, but is unable to find the courage to make his feelings public. Meanwhile, he demands that she give up her life of spirit rapping, which angers her family to no end as it is their sole means of support. Torn between betraying her family or losing the man she loves, a man who makes these demands yet is unwilling to commit, Maggie rides an emotional rollercoaster. We sit by her side at all times, through the constant ups and downs, not knowing how the ride will end.

It is an enjoyable ride, nonetheless, and one well worth taking.

High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance is a novelistic treatment of a real incident from American history, the story of the Fox sisters, whose childish pranks of communicating with the departed were taken seriously first by family members, then neighbors, and then the community, ultimately growing into a genuine phenomenon. The resulting movement, known as spiritualism, became quite the rage from the 1840s until after the Civil War. Traces of it are not unknown today.

By the time they reached young womanhood Maggie and Kate Fox had achieved near-celebrity status. The proceeds from their appearances financed their blue collar family and allowed them access to the highest circles of society in New York City, Philadelphia, and so forth. Maggie, in particular, developed a relationship with Elisha Kane, an adventurer and explorer whose exploits earned him his own corner in history and fiction.

For this reader, however, the history is not ultimately the point of the book. The story is a rewarding and entertaining study of two sisters, their family, and their acquaintances, as they grow and develop and mature (or fail to). The author has done a splendid and totally convincing job of filling out their lives and personalities and putting real flesh on the bare bones of history. The romantic relationship between Maggie Fox and Elisha Kane is especially well depicted, for example. Good historical fiction is capable of putting us not only in other minds but in other eras, and High Spirits does this beautifully. One can read all the history one wants of the position of women in Victorian society but this book can show us what it actually felt like.

In addition the story is masterfully written and edited. All in all this is a first-class novel.

Some movies bring tears to my eyes; books seldom do.

High Spirits starts with the haunting of Hydesville in 1848. It follows the real life adventures of two sisters, Maggie and Kate Fox. Maggie starts the story by telling us that she began the `deception' when she was too young to know right from wrong. Kate, the younger of the two, regrets her sister's use of that word. To Kate, the dead are real, and the spirits talk to her.

I have well over a hundred books sitting on bookshelves in my study. Some of them I've already started. Since I lost interest in most of them, the bookmarks are still waiting between early pages for me to return. Many of the books I buy end up neglected orphans in need of foster parents.

Books on the best seller lists seldom satisfy me, because they are shallow or seem like a story I've already read. It's almost as if most of them were chosen by those politically correct people we know are out there monitoring what we say and think and learn--people very much like a `few' of the characters in High Spirits.

However, when I find a novel worth reading, it's like walking into an undiscovered country. High Spirits was one of those.

High Spirits is about the lives of the Fox family and two sisters that are devoted to each other. Kate and Maggie are credited with starting the spiritualist movement as a prank. When I first picked up High Spirits, I thought I was going to be reading about ghosts and romance.

To my surprise and satisfaction, I soon discovered that High Spirits offers much more. High Spirits turned out to be a story told on many levels. At times I found myself chuckling. At other times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat wondering if one of the characters I liked was about to suffer a horrible fate.

High Spirits is also about a dysfunctional but loving and loyal family surviving in a cruel world. On a more personal note, they are like us. It is easy to identify with them. When danger looms from skeptics that threaten Maggie's life, her older sister Leah Fox rescues her in a daring and risky escape that leaves Maggie in heart-pounding terror. Just thinking about myself in the same situation under the same circumstances had me breaking out in a cold sweat, and I'm a combat veteran that served in Vietnam. Maggie was a young girl.

The romance in High Spirits arrives later in the story. Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the most widely celebrated American adventurer of the day, eventually walks on stage and fall "madly" in love with Maggie. What turns out to be a complex relationship stands equal to Romeo and Juliet; Tristan & Isolde, and Tony and Maria of West Side Story. That's as far as I'll go. My lips are now zipped shut. Hollywood, pay attention. Stories like this are rare, and Maggie and Elisha were real people.

In High Spirits, the harsh lines that separate the privileged and powerful from the working class show that dysfunctional people come from all levels of society. However, those at the top have the power to do more damage. What they are capable of doing to hurt others is more like a tidal wave washing over distant shores and leaving nothing but destruction and misery in its wake. When Elisha's mother interferes with his love for Maggie, horrible consequences are set in motion.

Although High Spirits reveals that most of us are human at heart, a few inhuman monsters populate our world and wreck havoc wherever they can for selfish, egotistical reasons.

If you are looking for adventure, romance, heartbreak, a bit of history, and a story that will touch you, I recommend this novel. Reading High Spirits will be a journey of discovery that might squeeze out a tear or two like it did for me.

High Spirits is the story of Maggie and Kate Fox from Hydesville, New York, early members of the Spiritualist movement. Their first foray into the realm of Spiritualism was accidental--a prank played upon an annoying relation. However, the contrivance was so successful "that they extended the prank to include parents and their neighbors until deception became their way of life." The two young sisters, barely in their teens and guided by their business savvy older sister, succeeded in convincing people that they were able to communicate with spirits who had passed to the other side by rapping noises created by the cracking sounds of their knees, ankles, and toes. The girls, especially Kate, came to see their séances as a way of providing comfort to grieving relatives by reassuring them that their loved ones were at peace in the afterlife.

The story focuses on the middle sister, Maggie, who falls in love with the explorer, Elisha Kent Kane, who is aware that the Fox sisters' claim to communicate with the dead is a hoax. Before leaving on a rescue mission to the Arctic, Kane extracts a pledge from Maggie that she must give up her rapping, dangling the promise of a wedding before her. She agrees and keeps her eyes on the horizon waiting for her explorer to return.

Dianne Salerni is masterful in recreating the environment of the 1840s that allowed Spiritualism to flourish. Her detailed portraits of the Fox sisters allow modern readers to understand how these young women were able to pull the wool over the eyes of so many, including author James Fenimore Cooper, editor Horace Greeley, and the tragic wife of President Franklin Pierce who had seen her only surviving child crushed in a train accident. Her understanding of the time in which the Fox sisters lived as well as in-depth knowledge of this slice of American history enables her to write this engrossing and compelling story.

There is little I can say about Dianne Salerni's High Spirits that has not already been adequately stated by other reviewers on this page. Although this is Ms. Salerni's first novel, this is not her first book. She has previously published three short teaching manuals of an academic nature, and her experience as a schoolteacher and writer shines from the text of High Spirits. As the well-known curmudgeon of the iUniverse, I can unabashedly say that POD books would not suffer a bad reputation if they all read as fluidly and seamlessly as does High Spirits. The typos are few and the editing is tight. You will feel as if you know The Fox Sisters personally as you turn the final page.

I have been meaning to read Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (illustrated wonderfully in what I assume is pen and ink by Dorothy P. Lathrop) for a rather long time. Several years ago my mother bought me a reproduction Hitty doll by Robert Raikes (big deal carver of dolls and bears though he no longer seems to be making Hitty dolls).

After buying the doll, and doing a bit of research, we found an edition of Field's novel with the original 1929 text and illustrations. There is another, newer, edition with updated text by Rosemary Wells and illustrations by Susan Jeffers. The newer book came out, I believe, to celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Field's original novel. I never read this version, actually sending it back upon realizing it was an adaptation, but other reviewers' outrage at the changes suggest I was right to do so. If you haven't guessed already, Hitty fans are numerous and loyal.

Hitty, amazingly, was real. Hitty.org is but one site dedicated to chronicling the life and history of this amazing doll. The site includes the picture of a Daguerreotype actually mentioned in the novel as well as a variety of other interesting photos and well-researched facts.

As the subtitle suggests, Hitty is already a centenarian at the start of Field's fictionalized account of her adventures. Safely ensconced in a New York antique store equipped with quill and paper, Hitty decides it is high time to begin setting her story down for posterity. What follows is a children's novel that truly deserves the Newberry Medal it received in 1930 for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

Hitty begins her life as a lucky piece of mountain-ash wood carried by an old peddler. In exchange for lodging during a particularly bad Maine winter, the Old Peddler decides to carve his piece of wood into a doll for the family's seven-year-old child, Phoebe Preble. Hitty and Phoebe have their share of adventures during their time together. More, it might be argued, than one doll could manage (including a section that reads very much like part of Moby Dick geared to a much younger audience). But, as readers realize soon enough, Hitty is no ordinary doll. As the story progresses, Hitty passes through many hands and a variety of owners. Like most things, some owners prove better than others in the same way that certain events of Hitty's life are more worthy of space in her memoirs than others.

When you realize that this book is from 1929, well before any other doll novels were published, it becomes clear that Hitty is something special because Field did it first. At first, I thought the novel might come off as dated since it was written so long ago. But I was happily proven wrong and found that the text stood up to my modern standards as well as Hitty's chemise survives her first century. Many of the insights that Hitty expresses throughout the book remain very accurate to this day. Hitty's calm demeanor and buoyant spirit also help to make this doll downright lovable.

Field's prose is wonderful. Even though I knew Hitty was safe in the antique shop, each new peril left me fearing for Hitty and in a state of suspense until I found out if she had survived. The people that Hitty passes during the course of her first century are equally well-realized in the text. In terms of classic children's literature (especially for a younger child), I can't think of many better examples.

If, you want still more Hitty, you can check out Gail Wilson's website. This very talented (and expensive) doll makers features her own version of Hitty available both ready-made and as a kit.

hitty....oh what fun we had reading this together as a family. i certainly did not know what i was geting in to when i started reading it aloud. very well written book; descriptive; memorable. after reading each chapter we wanted to rush to the library to find out about the place she had been. we also cooked a few things from different countries. we did not have a plan; it was so spontaneous; i think that is what i loved about it so much....learning at its best. my older children, after five years still remember vividly certain paragraphs. and we all smile thinking about how much fun we had reading this book together. i can hardly wait to read it to the younger ones. recently i purchased it for my shelf. it is certainly a keeper. copywork, narration, cooking, art, geography/history, a little science, etc... a years worth of curriculum in one book. all you need is a math book and your set. honestly, each chapter is like a springboard and it should not be hard to find a topic to learn more about. make some happy memories, read hitty aloud to your children. they will love it! (and you will, too...)

Many may remember Hitty from decades ago; I was introduced to her just a few years ago. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years is a wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated "children's" book that should be on everyone's reading list, regardless of age.

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, as originally written by Rachel Field in 1929, is delightful. The story follows the adventures of a doll, carved by a peddler from a piece of mountain ash, as told in her own words. From being proclaimed a "heathen" goddess on a South Seas Island, traveling with a snake charmer in India, being alternately a fashion plate and a demure Quakeress in the midst of the Civil War, Hitty and her story are truly captivating. Rachel Field has given the world a wonderfully exciting and deeply touching glimpse at history through the eyes of this remarkable doll. The charm of this old fashioned story is enduring, powerful enough to endear itself to each new generation of readers that discovers it.

This book was interesting and fun to read. Ride along with, the doll, as she tells her life story. Watch as she goes from one owner to the next. This book is an adventure to read. Hitty has seen so much you forget she is a doll. This book pulles you in like a vacuum cleaner. You'll love it when she travles to New York. You'll jump out of your seat when she goes whale hunting or when she gets stuck in a tree. There is a couple of settings but it doesn't jump around. The message that i got out of the story is live life to it's fullest I would recomend this book to preteen girls that like history and fiction. This book was fantabouls!!!!!!!!!!

I'll start with the good. The artwork is excellent. There is a rich and addicting story line. The characters have enduring personalities. I really love this series. I typically always start reading Manga and then watch the anime if it goes that far. However, with Inuyasha it was the opposite for me. One of the reasons I was originally hesitant to read the manga was that it goes from front to back instead of back to front. This means the manga has bad editing issues. Basically to do this the editors have to flip every single image and reverse the image order. At first it wasn't too bad, but there is always a character like Sesshomaru... Every time he is in the manga it's like nails on a chalkboard. Because of the flipping everything about him just screams 'Those idiot American Editors Abused me!' His fluffy and armor are on the wrong side. His crescent moon is backwards. And Because of the flipping he always looks like his right arm was cut off and not the left. Because of this technical glitch the manga appears sloppy. However, the poor choice of flipping the contents doesn't take away from the amazing story. It is still a really good read. One just has to get over all the glitches.

I won't spill anything but this second book is very actiony for a second book. Be sure to read all the booms and other thinks like that (it's kinda fun) (^-^). I hope you buy it you won't be sorry

When I first saw InuYasha, it was about a year ago on TV, and I thought it was the weirdest show(of course, I had no idea it was Inuyasha, I was flipping channels. I discovered that recently when they re-aired the episode.). Some guy with long white hair and fangs? Demons weren't my thing. Then, about three weeks ago, after recently getting hooked onto Japanese manga, I was browsing the designated aisle at Borders, and the bright yellow spine caught my eye. I had remembered my little brother going on about it, and so curiosity got the better of me, and I started reading it in the store. I was immediately hooked. It's a thrilling tale, really, with humor, a bit of bad language, and innocent romance. And that's why, after three days of no trips to Borders, I couldn't take it. I resorted to Amazon. It came in pretty quick too, I was surprised. Afterward I got myself hooked on the show, but I'm not here to review that, am I? Anyways, a long review short, it's a great story by a great author, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The first half of this volume concerns the continuing battle with Yura of the Hair, a witch who is able to puppeteer corpses and use her hair to cut off body parts. Yes, she's always having a bad hair day! Sorry about that. In what I believe will be an ongoing trend, Inuyasha finds that he can't defeat Yura alone because only Kagome can see Yura's strands of hair. In the second story arc in this volume, a talking flea named Myoga, with the inappropriate title "Divine Grace" shows up to tell Inuyasha that someone is trying to rob his father's grave! That would-be graverobber is Sessho-Maru, Inuyasha's half-brother and full-blooded demon, which makes him more powerful than our anti-hero. Let's just say there's no love lost between the two, because there isn't any love at all! Looks like Inuyasha might have to call on Kagome again as the two square off.

Rumiko Takahashi is a true manga genius. Her artwork is beautiful. You find yourself actually seeing an anime in your head when you read her manga, because they are so exquisitely detailed, and the characters spring to life. The action is never confusing, and she never shrinks from realistic blood. There is also a sort of warm charm in the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome that seems more real than even most shojo. Classic series.

In Inuyasha volume 2, the story of Inuyasha and Kagome continues. If you haven't read volume 1 and haven't seen the anime, go read it! otherwise you won't understand the following review:

Our two main heroes Inuyasha and Kagome return to the Feudal Era to confront Yura, an evil being that has the power to control hair. Such a power might not seem too dangerous, but she really is deadly! How will our heroes fair in their first fight as a team?

When the volume continues, we are introduced to several new characters, but very important ones since they'll be in the story for its remainder. First, an old flea named Myoga,a vassal to his late demon father, tells Inuyasha someone is trying to break into his father's tomb to steal his treasure. As Myoga explains what's happening, Inuyasha's late mortal mother is also discussed.

Just who is the theif? Why it's Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older full demon brother! Sesshomaru is arguably the most popular character in the series and definitely my favorite. He has brought with him his toad like servant Jaken who wields the Staff of Two Heads(sometimes referred to as Staff of the Skulls) to locate the tomb. It soon becomes clear that Sesshomaru will have to confront Inuyasha to get to their father's treasure. This makes for a very interesting and emotional meeting leaving you with a sense of Sesshomaru's huge level of cruelty(for now).

Just what is the treasure though? It's the Tetsusaiga, a sword made from a fang of Inuyasha's father! The powerful sword can slay 100 demons in one sweep, but it rejects Sesshomaru. When Inuyasha is also unable to get it, Kagome surprises all! Inuyasha eventually gets the weapon, but now that Sesshomaru has transformed into his full demon form, can Inuyasha win?

Overall, this is a roughly 200 page terrific installment of Inuyasha. It reads from left to right which may bother some, though not me personally. I suggest this for all 13 and up as their is nudity and much violence including multiple decapitations. This volume is EXTREMELY action packed. The volume has much fighting, but does a nice job of blending emotion and character introductions. This volume definitely has a great story, introduces interesting new characters, and has much action. The story will only continue to get better!

I first read this book when i was 15 now at 17 i still love this book its such a good read the main character is engaging and clever. You can see in this story what a post traumatic stress disorder may do to a person. It really makes you feel for this character

Ellen Emerson White is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her central character Meg is a strong-willed survivor who can also be an irritable, smart-aleck teen, not a typical heroine, to White's credit! The description of her time with her captors is harrowing. The story of her road to recovery is compelling. All the books in this series are worth reading.

I read a lot of books as a young adult but these books really stand out in my mind. They are incredibly gripping and well written. I have been trying to track this series down for awhile and could not be more happy to have located them. I read them in the early 90's but still loved the 80's culture (Tab and Joan Jett included) and recently purchased a pair it Tretorns because Meg owned them. All in all, great books for anyone to read!

In my opinion, this is one of White's best works. Although this is technically a YA book, the only real "teen" thing about it is Meg's age. She, her siblings, parents and various White House personas are thoroughly fleshed out, as well as the multitude of psychological issues that come along with being the child of a president. Here, when Meg's position in life leads to her abduction -- an incredibly grave situation -- White combines it with the thoughts running through Meg's mind, which are usually humorous and sarcastic. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I think I first read this book back in middle school, in the late 80's; and immediately bought The Presidents Daughter so I could read that too. I'm now 29, and after a LONG search, have FINALLY recovered an original copy of White House Autumn to complete the trilogy. Wonderful writing, who could not love Meg and her family? And I find as I get older, each time I re-read I manage to pick up more detail, more emotion, more understanding. These books are wonderful for teenagers and adults alike. I recently read that a fourth book, titled "The Queen Lives On" will be released this fall; but have yet to get confirmation from any of the publishing companies. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE reprint this series and release the next book!!! I am dying to know how Meg's life has turned out, I would love to read about her college years (and find out if she ended up dating Josh again, LOL).

I AM AN AVID READER AND HORSE LOVER! I STUMBLED UPON THIS SERIES LOOKING FOR A BOOK FOR MY NIECE. THIS SERIES IS PERFECT FOR ALL AGE'S!! I AM 27 YEARS OLD AND THIS IS CAPTIVATING BOOK FOR ME TO READ AS WELL AS MY NIECE!!!! A PERFECT SERIES TO COMPLETE YOUR FAMILY LIBRARY!!!

This is one of many Phantom Stallion books. I would say it's my favorite one so far. The reason this is my favorite book is because I like action books, and horse books. This story has both.
This story is about a girl named Sam and her old horse the phantom(Blackie). Mr. Solcum was accusing the phantom of stealing his new filly. Sam knew that the phantom had nothing to do with it because a blue roan had come and stole her gram's horse, Sweetheart. Can Sam find Sweetheart and the other horses that are missing.
I would recommend this book to people who like horses and adventures. I wouldn't recommend this book to boy because it has a lot of girl things in it like crushes and some stuff like that.

Mustang Moon is probably one of my favorite PS books. It's got such a great and different story line then the others. Linc Slocum is out to get the Phantom-anyway he can. He buys this fancy appaloosa named Hotspot and then this stallion comes and starts stealing all these mares, Hotspot to name one and Sweetheart too. Sam knows it's not the Phantom but Linc tries to prove it-even posting an award for the capture of him! Sam has to prove that the Phantom is not stealing the mares!

I love all of the books except #3 because she lets a bratty girl train her horse. This book is awsome. Every book has an adventure especially number 1 "The Wild One". I love these books and I recommend them to anybody who loves horses. I recommend them to 11 and up becauseyounger children won't understand the amazingness of this book. Do not read this if you don't like horses. You don't have to love them but don't hate them or you won't understand the girl's deep love for the horses. I love horses and would have done everything she did to save them. I'm currently on number 7 and I just bought number 8. I have yet to read it.

Ok, I think I've read every horse book or series in the world. Not to brag or anything. I've read Heartland, Pony Pals, The Sadlle Club, Hoofbeats, Black Beauty, National Velvet etc. I think the Phantom Stallion is better than all of those, even the classics. After reading the first book, I jut had to get my hands on the second. I have to say that Mustang Moon has one of the best storylines in the whole entire series. And that's saying something. It's about how an escaped stallion named Hammer/Diablo invades the local ranches and tries to steal tamed mares. But the problem is, everybody thinks that the Phantom Stallion is responsible and Sam must prove to the town that the phantom is innocent. But that's not it. That's what I like about these books. The plot has other things going on. Sam also has to get used to Darton High School and make new friends. So you see, this book is really good and you have to get out there and read it right now.

This play was very thoughtful and enjoyable, especially if you are able to visualize things while you read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL describes thinker Henry David Thoreau short experience in jail after not paying his taxes. Employing flashbacks within flashbacks, playwrights Lawrence and Lee take on the task of describing Thoreau's life so far. Filled with witty remarks and humorous dialogue, this book transcends what I can say about it.

After having been assigned to read this book for my AP 11 English class, I started out first assignment: Read to page 50. To my surprise, once I got to page 50, I couldn't put it down. My teacher had warned us about this scenario. She said the book was cleverly hilarious and enjoyable. Naturally--it being an ASSIGNED book--I doubted her words.

When I got into the play, within the first few words of dialogue, I was laughing out loud. The writers, whose research was obviously accurate and concise, tickled me when Ralph Waldo Emerson asked "who" his umbrella was, making a reference to his supposed contraction of Alzheimer's disease. Thoreau's teachings of God and fields and notetaking were pleasing and enriching.

Not only was I thrilled by his paradoxical dialogue,

[In a nutshell...
Thoreau to a student: Why are you taking notes?
Student: So I can remember what you say.
Thoreau: But then it's the notebook that does the remembering, not you.
(She puts away her notebook)
Thoreau: Why have you stopped taking notes?
Student: Because you said to.
Thoreau: Why would you do what I say?]

but I also took away something from it, which is a common moral you would see in books and movies today: Do things for yourself, and pay no attention to what others say or think. Though the moral is a bit overused, Lee and Lawrence refresh it and make the lesson new placing it in the midst of witticism and transcendentalist teachings.

Now, the only thing left for me to do is write a thank you card to my teacher for treating us with this wonderful book.

This play examines Henry David Thoreau, his philosophies, and some of the events in his life. During the Mexican American War, Thoreau refused at one point to pay his taxes. He felt that the war was unjust, and he didn't want his money supporting a government that he believed was doing unjust things. (He also believed that the war was not the will of the people, as President Polk had declared war without the support of Congress.)

The play, which takes place on a simple set that emphasizes the imagination of the audience (and the performers) for props/surroundings, also delves into Thoreau's love for nature and his views on sprituality. (The fact that the set is simple reflects another way that form follows content, as Thoreau encouraged people to turn away from materialism and simplify their lives.) The chief journey in the play is Thoreau's decision to return to the world, rather than remove himself from it.

Themes include individuality, the nature of spirituality, marching to one's own drummer (regardless of consequence), the belief that one person can make a difference, the idea of standing on principle/what's right, and the manifestation of the divine in nature and humanity (Transcendentalism).

It's a somewhat academic play, about ideas more than about plot (of which there is virtually none), but it reminds us that theatre can inform and instruct us as well as entertain us. Additionally, the subject matter of the play is very topical (public funds for stem cell research? or the war in Iraq?) and is sure to stimulate thought and discussion.

The authors of this play (two college professors) demanded that it not be produced on Broadway and, to my knowledge, it never has been. This, I may assume, was their own form of "disobedience," as they maintained that a few blocks in Manhattan shouldn't dictate what real theatre is to the rest of the nation. Despite their mandate, however, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail has been one of the most produced plays in America, enjoying wide circulation in regional theatres and especially on college campuses.

While Thoreau was living at Walden, then President James K. Polk declared war on Mexico without Congressional approval. To protest this and the government, Thoreau refused to pay his taxes and was sent to jail. This play fantasizes on what might have been going through Thoreau's mind as he spent the night in jail: reflecting on his childhood, the life and death of his brother, his idol Ralph Waldo Emerson, what lead him to his solitary life at Walden and the impetus for his refusal to pay the taxes. I enjoyed reading this very much as it gave some insight into the great thinker who influenced the likes of Gandhi with his non-violent form of protesting the government.

Henry David Thoreau may be experiencing a sort of revival as of late. His treatise on civil disobidience is a hallmark of progressive action today. Upset that his government declared an unjust war, Thoreau refuses to pay taxes to show his digust, which lands him one lauded night in jail. Thus is the basis for this extremely inventive, timely play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail".

Not just a night in jail, but a brave overview Thoreau's life ensues, showing snippets of his events, meetings, and philosophies that were so critical to the development of his transcendentalism. This isn't a dry biography, however. The authors weave a Thoreau that is a rich tapestry of thought and action. He is both endearing and complex, wise and unaware.

We enter the play with Henry in his cell, and begins to relive some important moments in his life. We meet Emerson and his wife, Henry's mother, and favorite brother John, as they inact with his memories and become alive themselves. The ebullience of John is obvious, which makes his passing much more severe. This play helps to maginify the brilliance of a brilliant man, while making him more human, more real.

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is a great read, and will springboard your interests to study this amazing thinker.

Couldn't put the book down from beginning to end. It was that good. The action kept me on the edge and it had a good premise. The ending was stellar. Starting the 2nd one as soon as it comes in.

This book is a great thriller. It kept me on my toes and wanting to read more. This is definetly a hard book to put down. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes science fiction.

Prowlers is a rip-roaring horror thriller with touches of the 1987 movie The Lost Boys and Dean Koontz's Twilight Eyes. It's not a sweeping, apocalyptic novel set on a grand stage but, rather, is more of an intense and personal study on loss and grief, offset with grim, no-quarter-given skirmishes between average but resourceful Jack and the relentless Prowlers.

Jack Dwyer is a hardworking 19-year old, who helps run the thriving Bridget's Irish Rose Pub with his co-owner and older sister Courtney. His social life is basically nil. The few times he goes out, he does so in the accompany of his best friend Artie and Artie's girl Molly. One night, he is set up with Molly's friend Kate and they double date with Artie and Molly. Tragedy strikes when, on their way home, Artie and Kate are savagely attacked and killed.

The weirdness begins when Artie's ghost manifests and warns a still grieving Jack of the true nature of his and Kate's slayers: the horrific, shafeshifting Prowlers. Jack's newfound knowledge puts him in deadly peril as he confronts the ravenous pack of monsters, who quickly become aware that Jack knows more than he should. Very, very soon Jack, Molly, Courtney, and bartender and close family friend Bill Cantwell will be furiously fighting for their very survival against insatiable, superhuman creatures who stalked the earth before man ever crawled out of the ocean.

Christopher Golden takes a slightly slanted approach with this "werewolf" tale. In his take, Prowlers aren't humans who are bitten and then transform into cursed werewolves, but, rather, are murderous, inhuman creatures who assume the identity of humans to blend in with their unwitting, chosen prey.

Prowlers is an addictive, stay-up-all-night kind of read. Golden does take some time to set the stage and introduce the pertinent characters. But, oboy, once he revs up that engine, this novel is a non-stop thrill ride. Golden uses simple, straightforward, yet effective prose to relentlessly drive the storyline. Because Golden makes very sure to emphasize and dwell on the close-knit relations of Jack and friends, the reader invests more into the characters, especially in scenes where they are put in grave jeopardy. Maybe, too, because of the extra exposition at the start, his main protagonists Jack and Molly have substance and thus seem very real to the reader. Needless to say, Courtney and Bill are also very easy to root for.

And here's the good news: Prowlers is the introductory novel to thus far a four-book series. The sequels, in sequential order, are titled Laws of Nature, Predator and Prey, and Wild Things. And if you like the way this prolific dude writes, also check out his Shadow Saga, the Menagerie series and Myth Hunters (book 1 of the Veil series).

Author Christopher Golden puts his own twist on the werewolf story (and then cleverly proposes his "reality" as the genesis of the mythos) in Prowlers, the first entry in a series. Jack Dwyer, 19 (and not Ed Gorman's P.I. of the same name), and his sister Courtney, five years his senior, have lost both of their parents -- their father left and their mother died -- leaving them in charge of the family business, a Boston pub called Bridget's Irish Rose.

After a double date with Jack, a new girl named Kate, and Jack's best friends Molly and Artie, Kate and Artie are savagely murdered on the way home. As if it weren't bad enough that Jack and Molly have lost their best friends, now Jack is also being visited by Artie's ghost.

Artie refuses to "go on" until Jack does something about the creatures who killed him -- the Prowlers. The Prowlers are creatures that are fully animal, but can appear human. Though the police seem to know of their existence, the Prowlers have never made the newspapers because, after every murder committed by them, the Boston police swoop in to clean everything up quickly, making sure that no one tells what they say ... because who would believe them anyway? So now it's up to Jack and Molly to rid Boston of the Prowlers, especially pack leader, Owen Tanzer -- scion of a Prowler dynasty -- and his bloodthirsty (and rather cocky) followers.

After fifty slow pages of exposition, I almost gave up on Prowlers, but it picks up speed soon after. Golden keeps the plot moving briskly but doesn't neglect his characters' inner thoughts or relationships. His ability to get into the minds of young adults in remarkable -- all of his characters are realistic. Though they are caught up in an unreal situation, these characters behave and respond like real people -- albeit ones a bit more heroic than average. This is the first full-length novel I've read of Golden's (I'd previously read the novella included in Four Dark Nights, and it's made me eager to find others. Luckily, to begin with, there are three more novels in this series, beginning with Laws of Nature (Prowlers #2).

After finishing PROWLERS, the first book in this series by Christopher Golden, the only question I have is why it's proclaimed to be a young adult read. I guess it's because the main character, Jack Dwyer, is nineteen--but besides their age, there's nothing about this book that would make it strictly for young adult readers!

Jack's life is pretty predictable. Ever since the death of his mother in a car accident that also injured his sister, Courtney, the two have run Bridget's Irish Rose Pub together, making it into the type of pub/restaurant that their mother would have been proud of. Jack didn't attend college after high-school, but he's part owner of the Pub, has a number of friends, and is basically content with his life. He's even gotten a date with Kate, a friend of Molly's, who dates Jack's best friend, Artie.

Life is good, until after their double-date, when Jack and Molly have been dropped off at their respective houses, and things get ugly really quickly. Kate and Artie are found dead--mutilated and brutally murdered. The cops don't know what to make of it, and Jack--along with Molly--are existing in a sort of limbo, trying to come to terms with the death of their friends and loved ones.

And then Artie comes back--as a spirit from the Ghostlands, the place where spirits reside until they're ready to move on--to warn Jack about the Prowlers. Prowlers--monsters in human clothing, a lot like werewolves but different, who prey on humans and who are responsible for Kate and Artie's deaths.

What is Jack supposed to make of this? First, he can suddenly see ghosts. Secondly, there's monsters roaming the streets of Boston, and he feels compelled to bring them to justice. With cops covering up the murders that are soon piling up in town (including a nasty dispatch of some security guards at Fenway Park), Jack has no one to turn to except Molly, his sister Courtney, and the Pub's bartender, Bill Cantwell.

A fast-paced, compelling, thrilling, and often greusome read, PROWLERS was absolutely awesome! Action, the paranormal, the story of love and friendship, all weave together to make this a book you won't be able to put down once you start reading. I highly recommend it, and can't wait to read the next book in the series.