Young Adult Books

I have been a fan of Prosek since his Trout days. This introspective book helped me to understand his precocious talent for observation and drawing and his need to get out on the stream. I wish him well.

The Day My Mother Left beautifully captures the agony and the pathos of an adolescent abandoned by his mother. The novel includes a myriad of conflicts that are typically found in realistic contemporary fiction. We see the conflict of person vs. person with the main character dealing with his father, mother and the school bully. The main conflict; however, is between Jeremy, the protagonist, and himself. His unresolved issues with the divorce, his mother leaving and offering no communication and his burgeoning artistic talent contribute most to the overall theme of the novel: beauty and love can grow from struggles and pain. Each character is round and dynamic; the major characters in this story evolve and change subtly as time progress in the novel. One of the highlights of the book is how the author reveals these character changes. The book is told through the eyes of Jeremy, an early adolescent. His self-centeredness only shows the other characters flaws and transformations when Jeremy finally sees them. Prosek reveals his characters and themes so movingly and realistically. This novel will appeal to late middle school students and up.

Nine-year-old Jeremy has a close relationship with his mother. She goes to every one of his baseball games, cheering him on from the bleachers. Jeremy gets teased for her enthusiastic encouragement, but he doesn't care. The bond they share is special. In fact, she is the only one to whom he has ever shown his collection of bird drawings. But when she abandons the family, Jeremy's world shatters into a million painful pieces.

It starts with an argument about her excessive drinking, the fact that Jeremy's father isn't making enough money, her crazy behavior at the fancy dinner party, his lack of attention, and especially about her seeing another man --- the father of Jeremy's rival, Rick. The two of them met at one of Jeremy and Rick's baseball games. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Jeremy's mom decides to leave and be part of a different family, one that doesn't include Jeremy.

Jeremy's older sister responds by escaping in her car for work and friends, while their father becomes imprisoned in his own despair. Jeremy must decide for himself how to put the pieces back together. Recreating his collection of bird drawings is the first step, since his mom took the old one with her. Jeremy finds comfort in the birds, in mirroring their beauty, in tromping through their wooded habitat. He also takes an art class to improve his talents and meets a girl named Casey.

Over the next three years, Jeremy continues to struggle with the fact that his mother abandoned him and never even called him on the phone, much less paid him a visit. But life continues, with even more obstacles to overcome, such as his dad remarrying and his beloved uncle getting sick. Jeremy learns to wade through the tough times without overloading his heart of bitterness. He even manages to say a prayer for Rick when he needs an operation. But will he ever be able to forgive his mom for leaving him?

James Prosek has created a beautiful story that all ages, genders and races will enjoy. He has an obvious love of nature, which shines through in his vivid descriptions of feathers, fish and forests. His novel's voice is precise and rare, nailing perfectly Jeremy's preteen character enduring pain and grief. Jeremy's spirit will inspire us all to be better people.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

I first became aware of James Prosek through his artistic and literary treatments of fly fishing and thought I would give The Day My Mother Left, his first fictional effort, a go. I am so glad I did--what a wonderful little book! Though it is intended for young adults, as a mature reader I found it very engaging.

This autobiographical novel is a very candid picture of a difficult time in Prosek's, and his protaganist's, life. Prosek tells his touching story beautifully and without remorse. I would liken this book to Angela's Ashes in its portrayal of an unbalanced family and their troubles in a voice that does not blame but instead finds grace in the struggle. In the case of Prosek, his gravitation to art and nature provides ballast and equanimity; he shows us an inner journey enabled by his exploration of the natural world. And it is a damn good story. . .

Yale-educated James Prosek is clearly an extremely gifted and multi-dimensional creative talent. I know of few other YA books that tell such a story of charm and tenderness from the male point of view. I highly recommend it!

Jeremy's mother has often been disappearing for hours at a time, but on a Sunday afternoon all truths are told.

His mother has found a new love - the father of Jeremy's enemy at school and on the baseball field. A fight occurs between Jeremy's mother and father. His mother leaves, and she takes everything with her - including Jeremy's Book of Birds that he had been illustrating himself.

No one can believe that she left. Especially Jeremy. He feels abandoned and hurt. Through his father's sadness and his own mixed-up feelings, Jeremy recreates the Book of Birds and finds solace within himself through nature.

James Prosek's THE DAY MY MOTHER LEFT is very moving. Coming from a divorced family myself, it's easy to relate and understand Jeremy's feelings. Mr. Prosek uses outstanding details within the story and has also created lovely drawings. It is a great book and experience from beginning to end.

Reviewed by: Jeremey

This book talks about friends putting on a magic show for Hank's cousins. Frankie, one of Hank's friends, is the magician. He remembers that he wants to see a monster movie so Hank says he's going to record it.But he presses the wrong button. Frankie gets mad when they get home. Hank is so sorry he takes the cable box apart. They buy a new one the guy for the cable company has a copy of the movie that Hank didn't record. Then Hank invites Frankie over to see the movie.I like this book because it has a good ending and it like he's talking to you.

This is a good book because it has a lot of action. The book has a lot of action because Hank thought his sister iguana laid eggs in a cable box. Read on to see what happens.

The Day of the Iguana tells the story of a fourth grader named Hank Zipzer and his sister's iguana. Science projects are coming due for Hank, so he has to find a project and fast. He gets the idea to take apart his cable box and see what's inside. Wha† he didn't count on is his sister Emily's iguaua laying 23 eggs.
This book gives you a look at a boy called Hank Zipzer and how he gets through a few months of fourth grade with his best friend Frankie and his sister Emily and her iguana Catharine. The story starts in the beautiful modern city of New York. Hank has to put on a magic show for his twin cousins and promises Frankie to tape a monster movie when there doing the show but he accidentally presses the wrong button and tapes something else. Hank feels so guilty that he decides to take apart a cable box and see if he can prevent that from happening in the future. My favorite part in the book is when the baby iguanas are born. They are so cute. I recommend this book to children and family because it is about honor and trust. It is a great book and teaches kids that iguana birth can make a big change to your life. It also teaches you how to be a great friend.
W.S.

A story about three friends Hank, Frankie, and Ashley. Hank and his friends are a magic act they call themselves The Magik 3. Hank's twin cousins are turning four years old. The twin's parents hire a clown but the clown gets sick. Hank's aunt needs to find an act for the birthday party. She askes Hank if he and his friends would perform. Hank and his friends agree to perform. Then Frankie remembers that there is a monster movie marthon that he can't miss. Read the book to see what happens.

The way I see it, any book that can keep a 10 year old boy away from his video games, gets 5 stars and then some. "Day of the Iguana" and the other eight books will do for boys what "The Babysitters Club" did for girls. I've been waiting a long time for something boys can relate to other than "Yu Gi Oh" comic books and "Captain Underpants." Henry Winkler has done that with Hank Zipzer and his friends, he's made reading fun for boys. You can count on Hank getting himself in a situation that would be best handled being straightforward and you can count on him going out of his way being anything but. The best part is watching you kid choose Hank over the TV. Parents all over will understand just what an accomplishment that is.

This book is a wonderful novel of ups and downs of exciment and feelings. Ashlyn is a high schooler and is faced with a murder of her close counserler. Her boyfriend, Drew is accused as the murderer. Ashlyn promises to find her boyfriend a way so that he does not go to prision, but the more Ashlyn exetagated the crime the more she learns about erself and the others around her... Is she really alive, is her mother her mother, or did DRew really kill The counseler? REad this book to find out!!!!

Ashlyn Brennan becomes great friends with the guidance counselor at her school, Mrs. Rothins. Each day Ashlyn helps out Mrs. Rothins as a student aide. When Ashlyn comes to school one day and finds out that Mrs. Rothins has been murdered she is devastated. Ashlyn soon discovers that her boyfriend, Drew, is a key suspect, for he was seen leaving Mrs. Rothins' office right before she was found dead.

This thrilling page-turner kept my attention and caused me to think. Being a huge fan of mystery, I could not put this book down. Using great description, Betsey Hayes fills this book with action and suspense. While I was reading this book I felt that I could really connect with the characters. This is one book I would definitely recommend.

This book is so good. When i was in middle school i didnt really like to do summary reports on books inless we got to decided which book to read. For once in my middle school life we did. When i went to the library i just started looking and found this book. I took it home and read it in 90 minutes. It is such a great book, it makes you think twice about who really loves you and who you should trust.

My name is Lauren Stewart, for my English class project I chose to read Deadly Deception, by Betsy Haynes. Although I have never read a novel by this author before, I look forward to reading more of her work. The blurb interested me because enjoy to read murder mysteries and Deadly Deception is a great murder mystery. From the beginning Betsy Haynes had me thinking and my many questions were not answered until the very end of the book. I like that becausr if the climax is in the beginning, what is there to look forward to? There are many true-life problems in this novel which makes it 10 times better, ex: drug addictions. The way Betsy Haynes wrote this novel I was on the edge of my seat until the end of this novel.
The novel takes place in a middle class town, nothing exciting. Ashlyn Brennan lives a normal life until obscure events begin to happen. The major event that began to throw her life off track was the killing of a close friend of her's, Mrs.Rothlis,the school guidance counseler. Along the way of Ashlyn's investigation of the murder she discovers information about herself, herboyfriend and her mother that blew her mind. Ashyln's best friends think she needs to slow it down on the investigation because more and more Ashlyn is pushing herself to the limits. Without revealing anymore information about this novel I will leave the rest up to you, read this novel and you will agree with me that it is an "edge of the seat" novel.
Thank you for taking time to read my book review on, Deadly Deception, by Betsy Haynes.

Deadly Deceptions by Betsy Haynes was an excellent book. It was hard to put down. The main character is Ashlyn Brennan, a seventeen year old senior,who is really close to her school counselor. Everything was going well in Ashlyn's life when suddenlly her school counselor was found dead in her office and the last person schedule to see her was Ashlyn's boyfriend Drew.
All the fingers are pointing at Drew. He is the prime suspect in the crime. Ashlyn doesn't believe that Drew would do something like that. So she starts a investigation of her own. She finds a deadly family secret.
I thought that Deadly Deceptions was a very good book. It has romance, drama, and mystery. It is very well writtnen and it captures the attention of young readers.

This book is one of my favorite in the series (although Nancy and Frank don't get together)I like the way its on the cruise boat. Nancy actually has an exciting part (not something that usually happens) If you haven't read this you have to.

This was the first book I read in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys super mystery book and it is by far the best. I think that the plot is great and I really like the way they solve it.

I love Double Crossing well I love any Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery well for that matter I love any Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mysterys period ,Anyway in Double Crossing Nan is all set to get aboard a cruise ship for a little fun in the sun vacation,but as she gets aboard she runs into Frank Hardy undercover as the S.S.Duchess's photographer,and finds out that he and Joe are working undercover,Oh and Joe's working as 1 of the kitchen's busboys,but when Nan overhears a plan to sell CIA secrets to another country, her vacation turns into a high-risk hunt for a deadly secret agent,but when murder comes aboard the slueths find they're in the same boat- facing death on all sides. there is some romantic parts with Nan and Frank but nothing big,I wish there was some more romance between them though ,thats always my favorite parts in the book.

Double Crossing is a great book! I'd recommend this to whoever loves mystery. This book is mainly about Nancy Drew who is on vacation on the S.S Duchess and meets her friend George aboard the ship. She bumps into Frank Hardy (or the so called photographer of the ship) and Joe Hardy (the so called waiter who works in the kitchen of the ship). They are both under cover because Captain Helgesan (I think that's what his name was) found out that there was a thief on the ship and so he hired them to track the thief down. Meanwhile... Nancy overhears a couple of people talking about CIA agents and so forth.

When my mum told that there was a Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series where they actually were in the same book, I was really excited! I was so desperate just to get hold of a tiny snipit of atleast one of these supermysteries! I managed to get hold of a load of the first chapters. AND IN PRACTICALLY EVERYONE i read where Nancy and the boys meet at the beginning is a small paragraph near the top on how Nancy can't be with Frank (even though it is obvious to us fans that they are MADE for each other!!!!!!!)because she has Ned and Frank has Callie. This is pure torture to people who desperately want these to young people to be together!!!!!!!!! Anyway I read this book and it was great as usual!!! Another fantastic book from a fantastic author! I totally recommend it to anyone who has good taste in books!Also if you like the Nancy and Frank side of the book read 'The Last Resort' where they get trapped in a cabin and 'Screts of the Nile' which is the best book ever and nancy and Frank kiss! PLEASE ms Keene can you write atleast one last book where nancy and Frank get together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOr all the fans also read
NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER...
both jordan sonnenblichs are in my top two favorites.
(i cant decide which one i like better)
this book is good for anyone
my friends and family that have read it
a jock,
grandma,
mother,
cousins,
father,
brother,
preppy girl,
girly,
punk,
as you can see this book is good for anyone so READ IT its amazing...... and quite sad

This is my favorite book of all time. I loved everything about it.. one thing is the fact that you can relate to the character so well, and it is like you are right there beside him.. but you can't help him in his time of despirate need. i feel so bad for him and his family, but mostly him.. i mean how hard would it be to have your little brother get sick and for a whole day think that it was your fault that you left him there on his stool alone, when you know darn well that you aren't suppost to, and then spacing out all day and having that be the only thing that you csn think of. i would be crushed. Then on top of that having your mom gone for weeks and a time and the first week her and your little brother are gone your father doesn't even talk to you let alone look at you.. and little did you know that your mother is calling him every night but your father isn't telling you the condition on your little brother.. that he really does have luekmia. But he deals with it pretty well with his music and stuff. that would be the way i would have to do it to.. because to Him and I music is everything. Anyway. i hope that everyone who can get their hands on this novel reads it... because this is truely an amazing book.

From the title, I was expecting a story about a hopeless junior high kid in a quest of girlfriend-finding. But the story turns out to be more about the relationship between the boy and his kid brother. And such a sweet story indeed.

The author manages to make the character realistic. I think the boy is a bit sappy at times, but hey, I never went through that whole experience of being a thirteen-year-old--having been born with a missing Y chromosome. Besides, the author is a middle school teacher. Dare I argue on how a thirteen-year-old boy should be feeling?

The little brother is so cute. I still laugh over the line: "Yeah, Steven! That's my brother!" (Or something to that effect.)

Overall, a very recommended reading.

It is unbelievable the response i received from my entire eighth grade reading class. This book was eaten up by all, including my very reluctant readers. As many of them said it was a book they could relate to. I used the book in all my classes and believe me many students were sad when we finished it. We did have one advantage. My students and I were fortunate enough to meet the author. He was an incredible down to earth person who freely shared his inspirations.

I'm a intermediate school librarian in Utah plowing through the Beehive Award Books before school starts, and although I have not read them all yet, this is my favorite so far. It has a wonderful message with great laugh-out-loud humor and real emotions. The situations are believable and although I was fearing a sappy ending, happily I was wrong! The book is great from cover to cover.

I loved this book!!! The introduction to me was GREAT! It kinda gave you a little hint of what you were about to get into!!! It's just wonderful! This book was really a great read and like it was being told by someone who actually has been through that!!

this book was really good,the main character is like my twin. i recommend this book to everyone 13-16

this book was ok but again another book that doesn't have a good ending, well a ending that excites you this was very boring and typically left me with no expression.

At first I doubted I'd enjoy Dymond In The Rough, I'm not really big on reading. But since I opened Dymond In The Rough, I believe that reading has definitely grown on me. I absolutely loved Dymond and her play cousins, Kera and Porsha.

I recommend this book to all young and curious teens like myself.

Reviewed by: Lauren
OOSA's teen reviewer

Dymond, at fourteen, has a pretty good head on her shoulders. Having a good, open relationship with her mother has been beneficial. But like most typical teens she's smelling herself. Sometimes what adults say go in one ear and out the other, particularly when cutie Kyle Banks enters the picture. Will Dymond give in to peer pressure?

I really enjoyed it. I liked the idea of it and it worked. I also liked the power words. Dymond in the Rough is simple, yet interesting enough to hold the attention of young adults. Dymond is them. She's dealing with common, everyday issues like boys, peer pressure, and coming into her own. I have scoured the bookstores for books geared towards our youth from infancy on up and it's been no easy task. I'm glad that I now have the Platinum Teen Series to look to. It reminds me of the popular series like Junie B and Ramona Quimby, but for us by us. Kudos to KaShamba Williams. No cussing, no violence, no sex and your child is reading. What more can a parent ask for?!?!

The only drawback to this book is it is in need of better editing. It's great that our teens are reading, but let's set an example and give them a good quality product, including proper punctuation.

Enoch's Ghost is in my mind best referred to as the fifth book in the Dragons in Our Midst series. It picks up right where Tears of a Dragon left off, following Ashley, Walter, Karen, and Thigocia on their journey to find Makaidos. Readers should definitely be up to speed on the events in both Eye of the Oracle (Oracles of Fire) and the Dragons in Our Midst series.

Like me, some readers may be put off by the title, but there is no ghost in the book. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say what it refers to, but it isn't anything ghostly at all.

How's the book line up with the rest of Bryan Davis' brilliant dragon books? Perfectly. I really can't say more than that. Great characters, a breathtaking story, and an ending that will leave you waiting for the next one.

What happened after Walter, Ashley, and Karen took off on the back of Thigocia? This book is an excellent sequel to the Dragons in our Midst series! If you wonder what happens next, READ THIS BOOK!!

This is a great book full of wonder and excitement. Journey with two teenagers whose search for a lost kid leads them on an incredible thrill ride. Evil is out to stop them in dragon form. Can they survive the dragons fire? Buy this book and find the answers.

I loved this book. Every moment of it was great. It was suspenseful, the plot was elaborate, and I did not want to put it down. I loved the new characters and settings. It's perfect for all ages. The spirituality in this book is wonderful, I enjoyed the combination of fantasy and Scripture. A very exciting read, recommended to everyone!

As evil forces seek to merge heaven and earth, the former dragons and their allies seek to stop them. Events build to a climax in three different worlds, with an unexpected, heartrending conclusion. My personal favorite of all Davis' books.

Tyler and Lymie have know idea what trouble there getting in by just getting the chicken pox and imatating a famous local artits. The town is having a huge festival for the annversity, also they are dreding the local river to find heads that the artist made. As a joke the boys make heads of there own. If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end then this book is for you. The boys are always getting into mischeif from running into the river with there clothes on to egging the infamous keepouts who want no one near there house not even the a little eight grade kid.Also they are always getting in trouble by there parents from being grounded uncountable number of times to having a gun to there head to riding home in a police car. From reporters chasing them to there home and calling there house you'll be on your seat untill the very end!!!!!!!!

This is a great book! It is so funny and so well written!

Tyler and Lymie had no idea that having the chicken pox would get them into so much trouble. It was about time for the centennial celebration of an artist named Badaglio. Badaglio was rumored to have made two heads out of stone and thrown them in the nearby river. Tyler and Lymie have some fun and make their own stone heads and they too throw them in the river. Theywere found just before the big Badaglio art fest. Two art critics declared that they were authentic. They fouled everybody. Tyler and Lymie were worried sick , because they thought they would get in trouble. Now the real fun begins. I really enjoyed reading this book, because it was very interesting and funny. I would recommend that one of my friends read this adventurous novel.

In this book EYE OF THE BEHOLDER there are two main characters Tyler and Lymie. All throughout the book Tyler and Lymie have you on the edge of your seats wondering what their next move will be. The story take place in a small town called Wakefield. Wakefield isn't really all that exciting but in just a few days the twon is going to throw a big celebration for the twon's hero the famous sculpter Badoglio,Tyler and Lymie cook up a plan to give the town a big surprise but they just don't know how their surprise will go. I really liked this book alot becouse, it had to do with kids. I could relate and understand also. I would recommend this book becouse it's really good and funny.

I just finished reading Eye of the Beholder.It is a very interesting novel. It keeps you very interested and you just don`t want to put it down. I liked the novel for the most part.The two main characters Tyler and Lymie get into a little trouble during the novel with their interests in art. I like the novel because of what happens during the novel. I would urge a friend to read this novel because it is a fun book to read,and if I liked it I`m positive that they would like it to.

The Flame Tree is a realistic fiction book by author Richard Lewis. This book takes place in 2001in a small town in Indeonesia called Java. Placed around the September eleventh terrorist attacks, this novel weighs Islam and Christianity in a way that makes you really think about both sides of this religious difference.
12 year old Isaac Williams lives with his parents in a Baptist hospital compound, where there is also a Christian boarding school holding hundreds of students. A giant flame tree towers over the compound. This is where Issac makes a discovery that should have been his first clue to realize something was wrong. In the bamboo forest that surrounds the compound, Isaac finds a gate that is hard to see from the inside and even more difficult to see from the outside. He thinks he has found a way to go see his friend Ismail without getting caught outside the compound, but has he found something sinister? He doesn't give a second thought to this. He slips out to go visit Ismail, a Muslim boy who lives with his family in Java. He and Ismail have a great time and Isaac slips back into the compound unnoticed... almost. His mother catches and then scolds him,but otherwise he feels pretty good. His life is that of a normal 12 year old boy. He has nice parents, a home, a loving God, a best friend, and a way to escape from his punishment sentence. Then, the twin towers collapse and kill thousands of Americans. Suddenly, Java's muslims are like a deadly cobra waiting to rear it's ugly head and release it's poisonous venom onto the Americans at the hospital compound.
This was an emotionly hard to read book, but it was very helpful in understanding Islam and maybe why he 9/11 terrorist attacks happened. Don't read this book if you are interested in stories from 9/11. Read this book if you are looking to understand them. This book also has a lot of religious issues and comparisons between Islam and Christianity in it, so if you are interested in that, this is also a good read. I would recommend this to 13 year-olds and older because it has some tough material in it. What will happen to Isaac? What do the gate, the flame tree, and Ismail have to do with it? Read The Flame Tree to find out.

Growing up in a Muslim country, you seem so used to the Muslim traditions and way of life. Just like 12 year old Isaac. The realistic events in this novel are very thought provoking. It opened up my eyes to an uglier side of people. When religion becomes a cause for fighting. When people take on their own meanings of their religion. I was very surprised to find,after reading this book, that it isn't popular. It provides such an insight into the world in which most of us are oblivious to. It is painful, because it is told through the eyes of such a young child. But just like To Kill A Mockingbird, maybe it is only through eyes of a child which true suffering can be seen. I hope that more people, especially Americans pick up the book to read. It is powerful, and provides such a ticket into seeing the complications there exists in this world.

The Flame Tree
By Richard Lewis
Set in post 9/11 Indonesia, this coming of age tale offers an intimate look at the culture of Muslims and their Christian neighbors through the eyes of a 12-year old American boy. While the story is compelling with the kidnapping of the hero (fair-haired, blue-eyed), Isaac, it is perhaps a little too gritty for most 12-year old readers with its graphic description of a brutal circumcision. While the realism of the tale isn't in doubt, once again Muslims' 'bad guy' status is brought into sharp focus. The author does attempt to "normalize" the view of the religion of Islam through the clever introduction of wise, old cleric Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Abubakar, among others, who ultimately helps Isaac and his mother with the tall order of reconciling their anger with friends, God and terrorists.

The book does a superb job of raising questions in the readers mind about the origins of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic faiths in its attempt to show their fundamental similarities, but most middle school readers are going to gloss over these details and get caught up in the "gory details." This book is better recommended for the high school student studying cultural diversity or comparative religion. It would be interesting to see if this author attempts another look at the subject from a Muslim boy's perspective, since that would also be a compelling read.

The divergence of the monotheistic religions came when Ishmael went to Mecca, and Abraham's other son, Isaac, stayed in Palestine. Richard Lewis's The Flame Tree, is the modern example of the continuing conflict that resulted from this divide. Twelve-year-old Isaac is the son of Christian missionaries in Indonesia. He watches the world from the branches of the flame tree and plays with Ismail, a local Muslim boy, along the riverbank.

However, when the Tuan Guru Haji Abdullah Abubakar appears, in their once peaceful town of Wonobo, accusing the missionaries of committing sin against Allah by trying to convert Muslims to Christians, it's not only the boys' friendship that is threatened but their beliefs, as well.

Lewis's depiction of religious conflict is honest, real, and objective. Though the son of American missionaries, his story is neither one-sided nor preachy. The violence portrayed in the novel is shocking and painful but tastefully written.

The Flame Tree is intelligent and thought-provoking. It is action packed and lyrical, a wonderful contribution to young adult literature, and an excellent read for older adults too.

A marvelously, wonderfully spun tale, steeped in first hand knowledge and laced with imagery so realistic, that you forget that it is fiction. As an American living in Indonesia who was deeply impacted by the Bali Bomb, I battled between not being able to put the book down and needing to put the book down to process my response. This is an amazingly informative book. Through it, one is engaged on all levels - intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Lewis' clever whit, ability to lead the reader into intimacy with each of the well-developed characters, and well-balanced approach to cultural and religious issues faced by our current generation, provided a greatly satisfying read. This story cuts straight to the heart, while being full of such great fun, adventure and suspense, that one is able to easily press through what would otherwise be a slow go through amazingly huge issues faced by our world today.

This product showed up speedily and in very good condition. I am very happy with it.

This epidsode will make you want to continue on to the next issues. Its fun, its sad, and it's entertaining.

I own this series in Japanese, and it is a wonderful read! It has all the important elements of a good shoujo manga: it is romantic, twisted, with a shoujo (in the traditional meaning of the word) involved in finding a new family and love triangles galore. It is just a very fun read, no matter the language!

This volume was definately one of the best so far. It was so good, it surprised me! No part of this volume is boring. I loved the parts with Kureno (he's one of my favorite characters), and the class trip was the best! This volume raises LOTS of questions, those of which you'll have to find out for yourself. But trust me, this volume is so worthy of the $10 you'll have to spend, that I'll read it again after just reading it yesterday! Take my advice, you will love this volume. Fruits Basket really does put all else to shame!

I absolutly love this series. While at first it may seen strange you just can't help falling in love with the characters (<3 kyo) and their whole story. Before you know it you end up rooting along with the characters on their journies. While they are aimed at a teenage audience my mom aunt and 12 year old brother even enjoy them! This series was the first Manga I had ever read and its what actually got me started on reading manga and enjoying it. I Absolutly cannot wait until the 14th book comes out...
I highly recommend this series to everyone of all ages.