Literature Books

I thought this book was really great, it made me cry. It touched my heart!

It is such a gift when we have the opportunity to see life through the eyes of a child. This book gives us that gift. Such simple words with such powerful images.... Thank you Jack, for sharing yourself with all of us.

This is a truly wonderful book for both siblings and parents who have experienced loss. The thoughts expressed both warm and break your heart all at the same time. Jack's innocence is touching and very realistic. Bereaved children will certainly see themselves in his story. It is a beautiful tribute to grief and loss.

I recently read this book, published in 2000, written by Annette Simon's son Jack, age 5 (and illustrated by Annette). The rather lengthy title of the book is "This Book Is for All Kids, but Especially My Sister Libby. Libby Died..." The book chronicles Jack's comments and questions to his mother after the death of his younger sister from a rare disorder. Despite the sad topic, the book is surprisingly upbeat and filled with humor, though it brought tears to my eyes, too.

Even more so than in Mocking Birdies (Annette Simon's other book, which I also reviewed), the fonts and colors and illustrations make the book really stand out. Some words are in a huge font, like shouting, while others whisper from a tiny font at the bottom of the page. Clever touches abound, like the question mark that has a picture of the Earth for the period beneath it (on a page with oversized text asking "In heaven, are you as big as you were on Earth?").

Jack's questions and observations range from the mundane ("And when you die, you don't even have food"), to the humorous, to the profound ("And when you die, you're set free"). Overall, the book is uplifting and positive. The Amazon reviews are all highly enthusiastic, too.

I think that this book could help any child to understand and deal with loss. Though the book is focused on the loss of a sibling, I think that it speaks to anyonewho has lost a parent or grandparent or other loved one. And I think that the simplicity and faith of Jack's responses will help adults, too. Which is a pretty remarkable achievement for a 5-year-old.

This review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 18th, 2006.

This book is wonderful. We are sharing them with all of the children at our grief and loss camp and we hope it gives them comfort during such a difficult time. It is important for children to know that they are not alone in their grief and we will use this book to open up dialog so they can begin to understand. We will keep copies of the books at our hospice for all of our families to read.

Peter Hopkirk is a child of the British Empire, having been to many places where generally only mad dogs and English men dare venture; among other exploits he was a soldier with the late and largely unlamented Idi Amin. As a historian he has made a name for himself as a very capable chronicler of the Great Game in Asia in the 1900s. This is his book about the Western Drang nach Osten, the quest of European, an American, and Japanese explorers to investigate Tibet and its secrets.

Tibet was a backwards and forbidden kingdom ruled my monks under the Dalai Lama; with China, Russia and the British in India keen to encroach on Tibet, the Tibetans were at least equally determined to keep foreigners out; officials who let foreigners get past them on their mad quests for Lhasa were at times decapitated on orders from on high. Hopkirk recounts the stories of the various Englishmen, Indians, the American and others who were intent to be the first to make it to Tibet and sometimes Lhasa, who did so in disguise, in an airplane, behind rifles the Tibetans couldn't match and more (I am frugal with details lest I spoil the stories.) I highly recommend them.

When it comes to delineating the history of Central Asia and environs, few writers can touch the craftsmanship of author Peter Hopkirk. In his hands, what could easily be boring history, becomes, instead, vibrant excitement. As in his other books, Hopkirk makes these mysterious and fabled lands come alive. In this book he describes the many attempts by adventurers from the outside world to penetrate remote Tibet and its almost-mystical capital, Lhasa. Chapter by chapter Hopkirk ticks off the sagas of these opportunists, some seeking fortune and fame, some on their majesty's (or tsar's) service. In the contest between Tibet versus the world, Tibet scores early and frequently, thus keeping the others out. But eventually, overpowered by modern weaponry, the outsiders win. It's tempting to cast this in terms of good-guys versus bad-guys. But it's not that easy, as the reader will see. What IS easy is declaring this book a fantastic and exciting history of a mysterious land that just wanted to be left alone.

Hopkirk stays on top of the world with this book!

Learn about the "real" Tibet[before China invaded]...

An extensive review of the many attempts to gain access to the hidden city of Tibet. Well done, authoritative, exciting events in the time line of the many documented attempts to gain a look into the mysterious city that has been protected from outsiders for centuries. The reasons from military desires to the hope of finding hidden gold deposits are some of the many exploits of carefully planned adventures presented by Peter Hopkirk. They will keep your interest from beginning to end, guaranteed.

Although extraordinary geography was the best natural defense the Tibetans had against foreign invaders, it can also be the sole reason that lures many a traveler, visitor, and tourists to Tibet to date. Of course, religion, spirituality, culture, art, and life on the high altitudes in the most extreme of climates are other reasons for venturing into this land. In Hopkirk's book, trespassing by foreigners, especially Europeans, was an extension of the Great Game, the struggle between Britain and Russia for expansionism in Central Asia. Military supremacy, a face-to-face encounter with the Dalai Lama, or recognition by the Royal Geographical Society and other prestigious societies at the time was the prize for people from different walks of life--missionaries, soldiers, geographers, naturalists---to venture into this forbidden land. Alas, no matter how well-guarded the country, especially Lhasa, was, the Tibetans' defense was no match to the military might of the British. China proved to be a formidable occupier as soon as the British lost their firm hold on Tibet during World War II. An American pilot was the first intruder from the air---by accident. Nonetheless, relentless trespassing by foreigners was the inevitable truth that many Tibetans must have found hard to swallow.

The book is a masterpiece of historical writing. Starting with Tibet's stupendous geography, the book segues on the origin of Tibetan Buddhism. Eventually the reader is initiated to the challenging craft of punditry, the only way the outside world could glean some scientific information on this forbidden land. If Hopkirk intended to instill wonder and suspense on the reader as he narrates a series of close calls by pundits and disguised explorers from being caught and daring-do attempts by intruders in order to be recognized as the first outsider to set foot on this forbidden land, he has succeeded. With exquisite writing style and a penchant for vivid description of people, places, and events, the book is a highly engaging read. Those who risked their lives and their families to venture into a forbidden land can be easily blamed for folly, but Hopkirk brings out the humanity in them. Every adventure is told so well that can make good reading anywhere and anytime. History reading can't get to be more fun that this!

My teenage son was diagnosed recently with Type 1 Diabetes, it was very scary not knowing anything about Diabetes. This book is easy to understand and it explains everything about Type 1 diabetes. Wonderful help to me.

Great book for the Type 1 patient or the parent/spouse/family member of one.
Gives good suggestions on a variety of topics. Well worth the money.

I have found this book VERY helpful. From time to time we have questions/concerns that come up, we have found easy to understand answers/advise for real life issues.

This book has helped us so much.
The doctors don't help you too much so you are left with a million questions and this book has helped so much.
This disease is so overwelming and this book is so helpful in easy to understand words.
Instead of going into a panic when something happens we now just go to the book and it calms us right down.
Thank God this book is here.

I have only received this book recently, so I have not read the whole thing. The author doesn't recommend reading it from cover to cover, but to use it more as a reference. I started reading it at the beginning and am now on page 46. It is so interesting, and easy to read, that I see no reason NOT to read it straight through! Even though a lot of the information is technical, it is written in such a way so as to make it fairly easy to understand. My 13-year-old son has only had Type 1 diabetes for three months now and I am hungry for this kind of information. I want to understand this disease as much as possible, and so far, this book is great!

I am an Elementary Art Teacher and I us this book in my class room. My kids love it. It really helps the little ones get into the world of Warhol.

My daughter and I both loved this book. I teach art history so I like to find books about artists. Andy Warhol is a character that appeals to children because of his love for everyday things. Having the story told by an actual member of Andy Warhol's family makes it even better. For children I think it reinforces the idea that art is everywhere and that they can be creative too. The illustrations are perfect and we giggled and laughed through most of the book.

I bought this book for our school's art program. The whole school learned about Andy Warhol and did an art project. This book was a hit with kindergarteners on up to sixth graders! It was a fun way to peek into the life of Any Warhol from the unique perspective of his nephew, James. The illustrations were beautiful and the story was well told.

This story held my 4 year old's interest. I have purchased many art history for kids books so that my daughter will be exposed at an early age to art, but this is a great story that deals more with the personal side of Andy Warhol. Indirectly, readers get a description of Warhol's background and mannerisms. Great read.

James Warhola's "Uncle Andy's : A FAABBBULOUS VISIT WITH ANDY WARHOL" is a complete joy from cover to cover. Even for kids who've never heard of Warhola's famous uncle, this is a marvelous book that's certain to inspire children to reach for the paints and crayons. But that's just the start of this book's appeal. For anyone interested in Andy Warhol, this is an indispensible portrait of the man behind the pop art, "superstars," and Manhattan nightlife. It reveals a very warm, loving and dare I say "normal" side of a great artist whose sharp eye for modern culture was grounded in the blue collar practicality of his Pittsburgh roots. James Warhola, whose own keen eye is apparent in his wonderful words and pictures, has filled every page with fond and detailed memories. And reading his description of Uncle Andy, it's obvious that affection was mutual.

I bought this book because I thought it would a fun read. I was right. Gave me ideas about ..ya know... some ideas.. lol. It's well written and I enjoy the just enough trashiness to tantalize my senses. Yummy book for a late night read or middle of the day bordeom buster.

...which led me to buy this anthology.

I enjoyed Therese Szymanski's story `In The Mood' tremendously and then enjoyed 30 other stories by a terrific list of authors including:

Alison Tyler
Tristan Taormino
Rachel Kramer Bussel
Diana Cage
Amie M. Evans
Jean Roberts
Stacy Bias

The stories in this collection are very good, for the most part, though they are sometimes a little repetitive given that they are purportedly "true." The writing is good and, thankfully, most of the stories are about women who identify lesbian and it is mostly male-free space, which is my preference for erotica about lesbians (as opposed to the "Best of Lesbian Erotica" series which has fewer and fewer women who identify lesbian every year and more and more queer/genderbending; it's just not my cup of tea.) This is a must have for the general lesbian erotica afficianado. A couple of the stories are a little awkward in style, but again, they are purportedly confessional type true stories, not polished works of fiction.

So I had really high hopes for this compilation, especially due to the involvement of Stacy Bias, girl wonder. However, some of the stories were simply poorly written. Cliches abounded, and I found myself distracted from what would otherwise be a perfectly hot story with an interesting enough plot by the sophomorish writing.

Don't get me wrong, there are some really great stories with wonderful writing, and some are truly outstanding. It's worth getting. Just not as totally fabulous as I'd hoped.

I adored this book! Each piece was hotter than the previous one. A fantastic collection that every serious reader of erotica should own!

When I bought this I was hoping for some form of indexing of the characters and plots of the novels. What I got was a compendium of author comments on the creation of their novels. Interesting, worth reading, I'm glad I bought it, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping I would get.

Hi all, if you read the star trek novels and have plenty of them this is THE STARTING POINT to figure out what books are placed where in the star trek chronology. Thuis one shows the books covers and gives a synopsis of each book - simply amazing. And its a thick book too, so perfect fot that rainy day to sort through your star trek novels = ) And the price if great too, so click that mouse and get it sent you - highly recomended!!!

Every serious Star Trek fan should have this book. It's interesting and fun.

I cannot imagine all the research that Ayers did to assemble this book. The book is far from complete, but still to track down all the various Star Trek book covers, get interviews, write up summaries is a phenomenal achievement that should help all ST fan writers track down the best in ST fiction.

The factoids concerning the various books are fun and interesting. I, myself would have loved to have heard more on Barbara Hambley's Ishmael where she combined two television shows into one novel.

Another missing fact. That there were major differences in the hard cover and paperback version to the Star Trek:Generations novelization due to the alterations in the last moment on how our beloved Kirk was killed.

Someone at Pocket Books should consider doing a similar type text for all the Star Trek comic books that have been written. Now, that would be a great book. In a few years, I do hope that there will be a second edition to this text, with some of the non-contributing authors telling their side of the story on getting their books out.

Excellent read.

JThree
[...]

Yes, this book indeed contains each and every volume of officially released StarTrek fiction and not only sketches their plots, but also presents b/w pictures of each cover. What makes "Voyages of the Imagination" more than just a simple bibliography is the stories behind the novels, that Jeff Ayers collected in many interviews with the authors. Just the job of conducting these must have been immense. Still more incredible is the time arrow that places every chapter of the fictional world created by the StarTrek novels in the right year since 5 billion years b.c. until 1 012 260. Compared to that, the presumably giant task of finding a nearly practical structure for the bibliography consisting of miniseries which are part of other miniseries that also correspond to tv series, seems small.

But I could think of many other features that I would have expected from this book:
* The plot summary of every novel or short story never tells the ending and usually isn't more detailed than the back covers. I don't like that since I really was interested in the whole story archs.
* There is never a critique of any of the fiction. "Voyages of the Imagination" doesn't tell the readers whether any of the books is worth reading or not so much.
* I would have liked summarizing articles on which characters from the TV and movie productions appear in print fiction and how they develop; who was newly invented by the authors; where are overlaps between the novels that exclude each other etc.

On my rating: Apart from a complete bibliography and some fun with reading the stories behind the stories, this book doesn't offer me anything of what I had expected. But it gets a big bonus from me for the incredible task done and for the fact that it's the first of its kind. Therefore, three stars.

Martin Jost


I originally wrote my review in German:
Ja, dieses Buch enthält wirklich ausnahmslos jeden Band von offiziell veröffentlichter StarTrek-Fiction und umreißt nicht nur kurz dessen Handlung, sondern präsentiert auch s/w-Bilder vom jeweiligen Cover. Mehr als nur eine bloße Bibliografie ist Voyages of Imagination durch die Hintergrundgeschichten der Entstehung, die Jeff Ayers zu vielen Romanen in Interviews mit den Autoren recherchiert hat. Die Arbeit, die allein dahinter steckt, muss unglaublich gewesen sein. Noch unglaublicher wirkt aber der Zeitstrahl, der in jedes beschriebene Jahr von 5 Milliarden Jahren v. u. Zt. bis 1 012 260 unserer Zeitrechnung kapitelgenau den Ausschnitt aus der fiktionalen Welt der StarTrek-Romane einordnet, in dem darüber erzählt wird. Daneben scheint die ebenfalls nicht hoch genug einzuschätzende Leistung gering, eine halbwegs übersichtliche Struktur für die Bibliografie zu finden, in der Miniserien mit anderen Miniserien verschachtelt sind und dabei noch einer der Fernsehserien zugeordnet werden müssen.
Mir fallen aber auch noch zahlreiche Features ein, die ich mir von diesem Buch gewünscht hätte und die bei so viel Vorbereitungszeit doch hätten machbar sein müssen:
-Die Zusammenfassungen der Handlung jedes einzelnen Romans bzw. jeder anthologisierten Kurzgeschichte verrät nie die Auflösung und geht selten mehr ins Detail als die Umschlag-Rückseite. Ich finde das schade, denn mich hätten die vollständigen Handlungsbögen interessiert, die in der Roman-Welt ablaufen.
- Eine Kritik der Bücher fehlt völlig. Mit dem Handbuch "Voyages of Imagination" lässt sich nicht entscheiden, ob irgendeines der Bücher lesenswert ist oder nicht.
- Zusammenfassungen wären interessant gewesen, aus denen hervor geht, welche Charaktere aus den TV- und Kinoproduktionen mitspielen und sich weiterentwickeln; welche Charaktere neu eingeführt werden; wo es sich ausschließende Überschneidungen zwischen den Romanen gibt u. s. w. Diese hätten am Ende jedes Kapitels in tabellarischer Form oder am Ende der Beschreibung jedes Plots hervorgehoben Platz gefunden.

Zu meiner Bewertung: Abgesehen von einer vollständigen Bibliografie und einigem Lesevergnügen über die jeweiligen Menschen hinter den Geschichten bietet dieses Buch nichts, was ich mir von ihm gewünscht hätte. Einen dicken Bonus erhält es aber für die gründliche und unvorstellbar umfangreiche Arbeit die drin steckt und dafür, dass es immerhin endlich das erste seiner Art ist. Unterm Strich also 3 Sterne.

Martin Jost

Lois Ehlert takes you on a colorful, intriguing story about the life cycle of a butterfly. Excellent for art students at any level! Text is simple enough for preschoolers and can be enjoyed through the elementary grades. Enjoy this exciting trip through nature and its wonders!

As usual, Lois Ehlert stimulates and educates the young reader about the mysteries of caterpillars to butterflies. Not only are the colors absolutely stunning, she provides factual information about different species. This book was a fabulous preparation for my classroom of small children as they watched their own caterpillars prepare for their magical transformation!

Waiting for Wings is a picture book showing the life cycle of a butterfly. The story uses tantalizing pictures and simple words to explain how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The book takes the reader through the stages of the caterpillar's life. Once the caterpillar has become a butterfly the story changes to how a butterfly lives its life. The illustrations pull the reader into this book. The print is large and easy to read for young reader. The text also rhymes for two pages at a time. As the caterpillar grows the pages become larger, until the butterfly hatches. As the butterfly begins its flight the pages are full size. The illustrations and page sizes are wonderful for young readers. This book also contains identification pages on butterflies and the flowers they eat.

I have a three year old daughter who must be read to before sleeping. I also have a three month old baby girl who is often in the bed with us while we read. Often, the baby is restless and cries before we finish our books. Waiting for Wings is a fabulous solution. I find this interesting AND educational for my toddler. In addition, the colors are bright and contrasting, allowing my baby to be entertained while the book is read.

This is a beautiful and very clever book. Pages are cocooned within larger pages, with individual illustrations blending seamlessly into the background illustrations. Like the natural world itself, this book rewards the patient observer, with rich details on the surface and others folded in more subtly. Your kids will be focused in on a little book within the big book, as the caterpillar goes on its journey. It makes the launch to the story within the bigger background pages all the more dynamic, striking as the shift from Kansas to Oz.

It starts with the eggs "hidden from view,/ clinging to leaves with butterfly glue." As we turn the pages of a little book enshrouded in the bigger book, we see the caterpillars hatch, "each one knows what it must do," and we follow the path to metamorphosis. Ultimately, the reader will be rewarded with multiple beautiful butterflies launching up towards the sky, a nice Lepidopterian metaphor for the developmental adventures in store for our little ones. It's a good job of story-telling when we know exactly where the story is going but still find ourselves awestruck.

Finally, as if Ms. Ehlert hadn't done enough, we get several pages at the end on butterfly identification, with information on colors, wingspans shown in actual size, the corresponding caterpillars that precede the butterflies, and the like. We get flower information, and then tips on growing your own butterfly garden. Nice stuff.

Get this book, drill it for a few night-night times, and then take your toddlers to a butterfly pavilion to see the real deal. Good times.

I was hesitant to read this book despite the recommendation of a friend and despite the accolades written here. How foolish. Reading this book was like sinking into a great mattress. I was near hypnotized by the beauty of the text which simply flowed. At times I was so overcome that I had to put the book down, the sadness of it all is wrenching. But never is the book depressing or is it hateful while describing the hate that people so easily engender. This is an extraordinary work.

This book was a gift to me from someone who knows my love of the Irish and of writers from that country. I began it hesitantly, not sure of the country I was entering, until I got perhaps ten pages into the book. The protagonist was describing how his mother sliced bread:

"..She did it in a trice. In the sewing of a wren's mitten."

I never looked back. His writing is brilliant, evocative, heartbreaking.

So good that after I had read a library copy, I purchased my own so I could read it all over. This novel takes on indirectly (as in his more recent "A Long, Long Way From Home") Barry's own family's experience as Irish divided between serving the British and aiding those who rebelled against the King. The other reviewers here cover much of the plot, but I might add that a touch of magic realism near the explosive climax makes for a nice touch, and the tension between truth-telling and perceived loyalty moves the story of the modern-day Aeneas along his wanderings efficiently and poignantly.

Barry, also a poet and best known--at least before this novel--as a playwright, brings to his fictional characters a narrative style somewhat at odds with what one might expect. He's not Joyce, that is, striving for a correlative voice to match his character's interior musings. Rather, he takes the rich legacy of Joyce and makes it impel his own telling of the interior life of those that Barry finds empathy with, and whose inner as well as outer itineraries this author feels, you sense, he must tell. This impelling of a writer to find release through his creations makes for a very effective novel, indeed.

...and sure, Mark Twain would likely love the hero of this wonderful book. Eneas is truly an innocent - he never shies from hard work, he loves his family dearly, and (his gift and his damnation) he has no neither mind nor care at all, at all for the politicks. He's not really a simpleton, merely a simple man. Born in 1900, he comes of age with the Irish struggle for independence so vividly painted by events such as the Easter uprising of 1916. When his mates - especially his best boyhood friend, Jonno Lynch - are enlisting in the fight to throw off the British oppression, Eneas, finding it difficult to locate gainful employment, enlists first in the British Merchant Navy (which in itself might have been forgiven by those who deemed themselves his judges later), then in the Royal Irish Constabulary. The RIC being mainly a police force, Eneas couldn't see the harm in lending a hand in that quarter - but as the fight for independence grew more fierce and factional, the RIC was tied too closely in the eyes of some to the hated Tans, who were responsible for some right bloody work. Eneas, finding himself on a blacklist kept by those calling themselves patriots, is given a choice - get close to and kill the much-hated and feared Reprisal Man of the Tans, or suffer the consequences of a death sentence. Our hero cannot bring himself to kill a man, so he refuses - and when he sees that those who have threatened him with extinction mean just what they say, sees no other choice than to flee his beloved Sligo and his native Ireland altogether.

Thus his adventures and travels begin. He signs on with a merchant vessel and winds up in Galveston, Texas. He enlists with the British Army for World War II in order to save France (a country for whom he bears a great love, of unknown origins) from Hitler. After being shell-shocked on the beach at Dunkirk and lodging with a French farmer for a growing and harvesting season, he makes his way back to England, pays a quick visit to Ireland, then winds up in Nigeria, digging a canal for a British company. He finds the best friend of his life in the person of Harcourt, a Nigerian national he first meets on a boat heading to Ireland, then again in Nigeria. Harcourt's friendship becomes one of the true treasures of Eneas' life - and a lifelong friendship it is.

Barry's language and prose capture his characters, the setting and their story perfectly. The reader can't help but feel a great empathy for Eneas, and for others in the book as well. Through the story of one man - and a very believable story it is indeed - Barry lays bare the pain through which Ireland has passed in its journey to find itself. There's a lot of sadness to be found here - but there's a lot of joy as well, so.

Read this book - and read Barry's novel ANNIE DUNNE as well (even better, I think, but that's me...).

The Irish have always been known as great storytellers, but now they're all turning into great writers as well, and it seems they're coming out of the woodwork. Sebastian Barry's The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty places the protagonist in the small village of Sligo where he is an innocent among angry partisans. When he chooses to alleviate his problems of employment by taking a job with the Royal Irish Constabulary, the British-led police force, he irrevocably alters his life - as you might imagine! With beautiful language and ethereal descriptive passages, Barry allows readers to follow Eneas' travels and travails - all of us hoping for a happy ending.

I found it hard to put this book down. It read so quickly that I was done before I knew it. It was a story of awakening, understanding, and love -- on all levels. I will be reading this book again.

Cogan is a very warm, introspective author. I have had the pleasure of reading all her books & would highly recommend all of them, starting with Winona's Web, then Compass of the Heart. Her characters have so much depth ~ truly refreshing. She knows the heart & soul of them each. I felt my soul grow reading her books. Do yourself a favor, & give her a try.

Excellent Reading!!! I laughed, I cried , - I read the book in 48 hours. I couldn't put it down. This book opened my mind to ideas I already knew existed but had never felt in my heart. The emotion was to real - and very fulfiling.

I loved this book, and I loved Winona. Started reading it on a Saturday afternoon and finished it early Sunday morning and spent Sunday afternood searching the bookstores for the 2nd of this 3-book series. Winona's Web is definitely for any woman or some type of journey and most of those who are not. Winona is an example of a woman who has found herself and an excellant role model to Meggie, who has not. This book is to be coming out as a movie, and I can hardly wait.

This was a sweet book and I encourage women of all ages to read it. Our protagonist, Dr. Meggie O'Connor moves back to the family farm from New York City after her many year-old marriage fails and she is fast approaching her fortieth birthday. She is a psychologist and restarts her practice in northern Michigan. One of her early clients/patients is Winona Pathfinder, a Native American "healer" whose daughter has pushed her to therapy because she insists she will be dying soon, thank you very much. As this relationship grows it becomes more quickly evident to the reader than to Meggie that it is she who is being healed. Meggie learns a good deal about Winona's life, her decisions, and her reasons for the calm prediction of death and is drawn into the validity of the pipe-smoking, and the Native American `medicine' ways. In a very subtle way, Winona draws Meggie into a real change of view about who she is and what her value is. Finally, there is a love interest that, in a surprise in the end, makes the story wonderfully complete.

I too stumbled upon this book as a child and was completely enchanted by the story and characters. I hadn't read it for more than 30 years, but recently bought a copy to read to my children (girl 9, boy 7, girl 4) It hasn't lost any of its magic - I'm enjoying it as much as they are. It includes so many of their favorite things, magic, witches, mermaids, babies - and it blends real and imaginary worlds in the same way that they are blended in the minds of children.

One of my favorite childhood books. I bought this for my niece. I'm sure she will love it as much as I did. A perfect book for young girls with big imaginations!

Forty years before Harry Potter, there was Hannah.

Bookstore displays which feature "if you like Harry Potter you might like these" should place this book and LeGuin's "A Wizard of Earthsea" in prominent view.

What is most satisfying about this story is that it is simultaneously real and imaginary; the events take place, but are also somewhat directed and controlled by the imaginations of the two human girls at their drawing table in Washington, so that, in a way, they are witches too. This is the same premise as Pamela Dean's "Secret Country", and creates the same complications. But this book is easier for much younger children to read, making a good introduction to the concepts.

This was out of Estes' usual territory, and she handled it with both silly fun and knowledgeable grace. Ardizzone's done his homework as well; look at the posters on the walls at Hannah's school. I would give this to any child six years old and up.

This is my all time favorite childhood book. I originally bought the soft cover at the Salvation Army for a quarter. I read it so many times, that it's falling apart. I now purchased the hardcover and look forward to reading this book to my daughter (who, by the way, was almost named Hannah).

The Witch Family is about two girls who while drawing witches pretend to banish the head witch, also known as Old Witch, to a glass hill because she is very wicked. If you multiply the "Old" with one million, you get some idea of how old she was! The girls also let Old Witch do her abracadabra so that she can have a witch girl named Hannah and a witch baby. Old Witch gets to be wicked only on Halloween. At the end, the two girls take pity on Old Witch and turn the glass hill into a real hill with grass. After that, Old Witch is not wicked anymore except on Halloween. I think this is a good book to read on Halloween.