Seven Books

The Captive was by far my favorite and most anticipated of the Secret Circle series. It shows you another, less shy, side of Cassie and shines light on the other side of the coven, such as Deb, Susan, the Henderson brothers, and, of course, Faye. You also watch Cassie struggle with her feelings for Adam and her loyalty to Diana. I thought it was a great book. I couldn't -- didn't put it down.

Of the three books in this trilogy, this is perhaps the slowest one to read, simply because the action is not as quickly paced as the first one, and so much happens during the course of the novel. This is the book where most of the plot development occurs, and this is where we really start to know the characters who are introduced in "The Initiation." This book also serves as set up for the third book, and the climax of the series.

The mystery in New Salem deepens. More people die under strange circumstances, and Cassie finds out that many of the coven members' parents died in the same year, 1976. On top of that, Faye blackmails Cassie, first into finding the crystal skull that Faye covets, and then into voting for Faye when leadership of the coven is being determined.

One of L.J. Smith's greatest strengths is her ability to weave separate plots into a cohesive whole, and none of her series show this quite so well as her Secret Circle books do. The separate-yet-connected events in this book are expertly tied together in the third one, leaving no loose ends in the process and keeping the reader enthralled until the last page is turned.

I loved this book! The first Secret Circle book was good and this one was even better. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this series!

Faye, a powerful member of the coven, is blackmailing Cassie. Faye wants to have more power and be the leader of the coven and Cassie has to help her reach her goals. Cassie soon realizes that her actions may hurt Diana even more than the truth about Cassie and Adam would. Still, Cassie feels trapped and her only way to be free may be to join the dark side.

I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. The action didn't slow down and I was hooked throughout the entire thing. I also liked Cassie's brush with the dark side. It gave the series a depth that it may not have had otherwise. Another thing I liked was how the coven was no longer split up into groups of good and bad members. All in all this is a great middle book that doesn't fail to live up to the first.

"The Captive" is the second book in the Secret Circle Trilogy by L. J. Smith, her most worthwhile trilogy. In the first book "The Initiation", teenager Cassie Blake and her mother moved to New Salem, where she was adopted by a group of witches within the school, who needed a twelfth member for the completion of their coven. There were complications however: although Cassie is instant friends with the coven leader Diana, Diana's cousin Faye is hostile and manipulative toward her. Meanwhile, Cassie has fallen for Diana's boyfriend Adam, and now Faye is blackmailing Cassie into doing whatever she asks - if she doesn't, she'll tell Diana the truth.

And what Faye is after is the sinister crystal skull that the coven uncovered, but that Cassie suspects is somehow behind the awful deaths of several people within New Salem - and she knows that it'll become twice as dangerous if it ends up in Faye's hands. But telling Diana that her beloved boyfriend and her best friend have been cheating on her would break her heart, as well as see her kicked out of the coven. She seemingly has no choice but to get Faye the skull - but first she has to find it...

Meanwhile, Cassie is investigating other strange occurrences around New Salem - she's been experiencing odd dreams, and her mother and grandmother's behaviour is still secretive and aloof. She finds a sealed and blocked off cellar at the local cemetery, as well as an unusual feature on the graves of the other witches' parents - all of them died in 1976. What happened that year to kill so many of the first generation? Another time phenomena strikes Cassie as odd - all the teenage witches celebrate their birthdays within three months of each other, almost as if the parents coordinated their children's' births.

As well as this there is the usual teenager-novel fare: school dances, joy riding, bullying, hormones, raunchy games, and a sprinkling of witchy rituals throughout. Finally though, the story accumulates with the vote for the permanent coven leader, a position coveted by both Faye and Diana, and a disaster that reveals much of the back-story to the terrible happenings at New Salem.

However, the story ends with one of L. J. Smith's frustrating cliff-hangers which forces you to track down and pay for the next book before you find out what happens. I've always found this to be one of the most unappealing components of Smith's books, unlike book series like "Harry Potter" for example, with each installment containing a full, complete plot, Smith's books are divided into several volumes for the simple reasoning: they get more money this way. If there is a publication out there that combines all three of the books into one, I suggest getting that instead of spending money on three separate books.

"The Captive" is possibly the best book in the series, melding several mysteries and plot devices into a whole, with enough intrigue and suspense to keep anyone interested. Cassie's dilemma certainly makes compulsive reading, as does the duality between Diana and Faye, and the direction that the coven can take. The figure of Black John lurks in the background like a sinister shadow (and is certainly Smith's best villain) and again Smith deftly portrays the relationships and attitudes of normal, understandable characters in an abnormal situation. Here we get to see a little more of the personalities of the rest of the coven, and although the Cassie/Adam love match still seems a little unlikely to me, it shakes things up well for the final book "The Power".

The Chosen is the first Night World book that begins from the main character's point of view... at age five. It's Rashel Jordan's fifth birthday, and she's celebrating with her mother and best friend, Timmy, at an amusement park. But before the day is over she watches a vampire kill her mother, eat her best friend, and burn her aunt alive.

Years later we find our beautiful dark-haired, cat-eyed girl a sleek, dangerous, and prestigious vampire hunter. Rashel is The Cat, known for murdering vampires all along the East Coast. She joins up with the vigilante team, the Lancers, on a stake-out (pardon the pun), only to find herself fatally attracted to the vampire she's supposed to kill.

Quinn is legendary in his own right; a vampire dating back to the New England years, known to have a black heart and emotions colder than ice. He also happens to be a killer telepath and terribly dangerous, even to hardened vampire hunters. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up after tangoing with two hunters to find himself looking into the eyes of The Cat.

What follows is an intense hunt. Rashel, face cloaked by a scarf, allows Quinn to escape, tarnishing her reputation and even her own opinion of herself. She attempts to make up for it when she stumbles across Daphne Childs, a fluffy bunny of a girl on the run from supposed vampire slave traders.

Rashel is a deeply involving heroine. She's strong, tough, and always prepared. Despite how jaded she is, we see her helping others at the risk of her own life. She even goes head-to-head with Quinn, knowing his reputation. Quinn is just as fascinating. We saw a peek of him in Daughters of Darkness, but he really shines in this novel. His backstory is heartbreaking, moreso when he's betrayed near the end by one of the only people he trusts.

This is easily one of my top three for this series (and no specific location, as my three favorites are so for several different reasons). Even if you pass on the rest of the series, this is one you cannot let alone.

This is a pretty good book. The characters are good. The plot's great. The writing's wonderful. So what's my problem? It should have been longer! Most of the Night World books by L.J. Smith manage to feel complete despite being short. "The Chosen" was different. The characters, their feelings, and their lives were complex. I especially would have been interested in learning more about Quinn. It just felt a bit rushed to me at the end. Actually, that's probably a good thing, that I loved the characters enough to want more. In any case, for the length she had to work with, L.J. Smith did a pretty good job.

As the fifth book in the Night World series, 'The Chosen' improves on all four of the previous books, drawing on deeper themes and ideas than the rest, and setting the scene for this continuing trend in the next book 'Soulmate'.
Rashel Jordan is only five years old when she witnesses her mother being killed and her younger brother Timmy being drunken from by a vampire. Because she's seen the killer and is telling others about what happened he comes after her when she stays at her Aunt Corinne's house, burning it to the ground. Rashel is alone in the world.
At seventeen years old, she is the bane of vampire-kind. Calling herself 'the Cat' she hunts and kills their kind in all of the major cities, and there is a large bounty on her head. At the time this story takes place Rashel goes to the Lancers, a human organisation for killing vampires and joins in with a small group who're watching a warehouse that has been lately occupied by vampires. Their goal is to catch a vampire and discover its reasons for being there - through torture if need be. Among the group is a young girl named Nyala whose sister was killed by a vampire. Yet when the vampire is caught and the others go to scout around, Rashel finds that to her horror she and the vampire - Quinn (last seen in Daughters of Darkness) are soulmates. Letting him go, Rashel finds that she is suddenly wanted by both sides of the fight - the vampires still have a bounty on her head, and the Lancers think she has defected to the other side.
And it doesn't end there. While on the run from both of them Rashel literally runs into a young girl Daphne Childs, who is one of the missing young girls of late. With her in tow Rashel has access to exactly what the vampires are up to. For unknown reasons - though Rashel suspects its the slave trade - girls are being abucted from a club known as the Black Iris by none other than Quinn himself. Rashel's mission is clear - get into the club, become one of these 'chosen' and thus get herself to one of the secret and hidden vampire enclaves. And she'll have to do it by herself...

As you can see, the premise is a fascinating one, and there is no shortage of interesting characters and ideas. Not all vampires are bad, not all humans are good so it would seem, and there are enough twists and turns, suspence and excitement to keep most people interested. It draws on things mentioned from the other books - the enclave is probably much like the ones Rowan, Kestrel and Jade escaped from in Daughters of Darkness, and the password that Rashel uses with the Lancers 'the night has a thousand eyes/and the day only one' is re-used in the prophesy in book seven. L. J. Smith extends more on her idea and the nature of the Night World than previously seen, and several characters pop up that will have appearences in other books - namely Hunter and Lily Redfern.
The 'mission' plot strand gives the book some focus (too often L. J. Smith's work rambles, changes, backtracks or doesn't know where its going) and the pace is fast and never dwindles.

However, there are a few flaws, the nature of which keeps this book from being a 'five-star' novel. The character of Nyala was a complicated and intriguing one - a girl who was slightly mentally unstable. I don't want to give too much away, but for those who have read the books, I felt that she should have perished in the fire. Okay, that's not very nice of me, but a good author should know when to destroy a character for greater impact in the book's progression. But no, L.J. Smith simply *had* to save her, didn't she. She just *had* to have yet another happy, cliche-ridden ending that is so prevailent in so many of her books. To have Nyala has a tragic figure would have been both poignant and heartbreaking - *that's* what we should have come away from the book feeling.
Secondly, Daphne Child's part in the book is pretty implausible. Let me get this straight - she manages to escape from the jaws of certain death and is saves by pure chance by Rashel. And when she is faced with what she got away with, she wants to...do it again? Huh? Yes, yes, she's very brave about going back to the Night Club and letting herself get kidnapped, but come on! - it was just plain stupid. No one in real life would ever do this to themselves. It was the same when Rashel was at the docks and she turned around to find all the girls still there - face it, they would have run like deer.
It also ended very abruptly - we don't know what is to become of Timmy, of the girls, of the enclave...it ends with simply the boat sailing back to the shore. I for one had many unanswered questions, and since each book tells of a totally different couple, they weren't to be found in the next book.
Finally, the use of the name 'Timmy', brought back Lassie flashbacks: 'Oh no, Timmy's down the well!' Unfortunatly this meant whenever Timmy turned up I was plauged by visions of him floudering in water.

All in all however, a good read. One of L.J.'s more suspenseful, darker works. Highly recommended in the context of the Night World series.

But 'Timmy'?...

looking for vampire scum! After a friend and family perish at the hands of an evil vampire Rashel whips herself into killer shape and goes on a rampage as she leads a double life...hunting vampires by night and attending school during the day! All is well for Rashell, kicking vampire butt at night until she crosses paths with a magnetic vampire named Quinn. Rashell finds herself foiling the kidnapping plan and letting Quinn go free!
Their paths then cross again when Rashel goes undercover at a Nightworld night club...
Quinn has no idea the beautiful green eyed girl he meets at the underground club is the same lethal vampire slayer he met that night he was ambushed and then set free by. A determined Rashell wants to be let into a nightworld slave trade and will use all her wiles to get Quinn to let her into the slave trade.
This book has an exsplosive ending! Astonishing secrets are revealed to both Quinn and Rashel. L.J. Smith is my top author and I also suggest Christopher Pike.

This is my all time favourite L.J. Smith book although it is closely followed by Huntress. I loved Rashel's strong character and Quinn was to die for as the vampire guy with no heart. I felt that this was the best written book and the characters were a lot more realistic than in some previous ones. Also nice touch with the flashbacks into their pasts to give them more depth and background.

Rashel kicks butt in her role as the breathtakingly beautiful and devastatingly dangerous slayer of vampires. Ever since she was a kid, Rashel has been picking off evil Night World people and she has never been beaten or caught. Determined to find the vampire who killed her mother, a chance encounter with the deadly vmpire Quinn will change her life.

When she gives him a chance to escape, Quinn realises that this beautiful girl is far from what she seems. Later, they meet again and once again, Rashel is faced with either killing him or letting him escape and possibly ruining her disguise. She lets him go and soon after, he too his faced with the same choice.

Fantastic! Deserves 10 stars! Couple of questions though. Why is it that the humans never seem to want to become vampires? It's not that bad really, from the book description and would solve problems like dying. The best book though!

Typically, I am not in favor of books that show bad role models but the kids in this book are SILLY eaters and most of them are eating healthy foods, just not in a healthy way. (Can you imagine living ONLY on milk or applesauce? THAT'S SILLY-- kids will understand that!) What makes this a GREAT book is the language (the poetry is SO fun to read aloud) and the illustrations which show the toll this kind of "silly eating" has on the huge and quickly growing Peters family. I love Frazee's drawings of family life showing all of the clutter and mess generated by the large family. If nothing else, it will make you feel better if you have laundry that needs folding and dishes piled up next to the sink as you take some time out and read to your kids!

This is a great book, wonderful pictures that help to teach and tell the story. My kids love it. It's well written and fun to read. It captivates a large age span. Yes the family does end up eating cake, but you can teach about picky eating from what is happening to the mother in the pictures. This book has helped with and led to many good converstaions about healthy eating attitudes with my children (ages 7,5,&3). I love this book!

My daughter and I love this rhyming book. We bought an extra copy for her friend's birthday. It is my favorite book to read to her. I bought it when she was 4. She still loves it at 7.

What a book! Where to start explaining why I adore it? A frazzled mother, picky (but not obnoxious) children, a house overflowing with messes and love. Beautifully written with none of the dreary, predictable rhymes found in too many children's books. A storyline of a mother coping as well as she can for as long as she can, finally blowing her cool, and her maturing children stepping up to accept new responsibilities. Ahhh.

Without Marla Frazee's illustrations, the book would still be good, but the illustrations are even more wonderful than the words. The mom is persistent, hardworking, loving. She has a Zen-like serenity, MOST of the time. I love that she's taller than the dad, and that she wears Converse All-Stars, and that her hair falls into her face sometimes. The dad is cool, too, even though he isn't a significant part of the text. I love that the trees grow, the cats have kittens, the apple and lemon trees bear fruit. I love that the family is able to get it together so that the mom gets time to play her cello again. She has earned it, that's for sure.

This book is a treasure. Buy it, savor it with your kids. And the next time you are faced with "I'm bored!", enlist your children's help in baking Mrs. Peters' Birthday Cake. There's no recipe, but start with oatmeal, applesauce, milk, eggs, etc... you may need to add a bit of baking powder, and some sugar. Just wing it. Even if it doesn't turn out "pink and plump and perfect," you will have done something pretty cool with your kids. With luck, they will even help in cleaning it up afterward.

This book has brilliant illustrations and my children love the cadence of the rhyming in the book. It is a very clever story - and the theme of picky eaters is one that resonates with every Mom I know. We have brought it to school to read to the classes and have given it as gifts to many friends. It's our favorite book. Highly recommended!

I absolutely love this book, so much so that I have given it as a gift a number of times and my copy is one of the most well-worn volumes on my bookshelf.

Among its many outstanding features are the Planetary Tables on pp. 134-135 that show you where the visible planets will be located as the years pass. The tables run from 1997-2006. The tables in the current edition are therefore out of date (type "134" into the "Search Inside" box and look at pp. 134 and 135).

I realize this is a minor quibble, and it is the ONLY reason for my 4-star rating. But these pages deserve an update. There are easy ways to get planetary information on the internet but it would be nice if the tables were updated in the book.

This book is a very good guide for the beginner as well as veteran stargazers. The book's biggest asset lies in the way the stick figures are drawn. Unlike the drawings before this book was published Rey's drawings are realistic in shape, corresponding to the name of the constellation, making them easy to spot and memorize.

This is a great book....reducing the complexities of the always in motion astronomical world to something understandable by ordinary folks with a curiosity.

This book is the BEST format for learning the constellations with your kids, and getting a good feel for the "summer sky", "winter sky", etc... Even my six year old can pick out obscure groupings by using the charts. We spend evenings after dinner finding as many as we can and we can hardly wait for camping this summer!

When I was a kid, my father had a clever response to my "Why?" He threw books at me. Once I asked about the stars, and this book was what I got. And what a book it was! It taught me the mechanics of the nights sky, about the Moon and planets, what the constellations looked like and how to find them in the sky... Everything I needed to go outside and start finding things.

The book didn't stop there. It teaches about the seasons, the difference between 'star time' and 'sun time', why the stars and constellations precess as they do, and MUCH more.

All this was about 1957. For whatever reason, my interest in all this got rekindled around 1997. But my old friend - the book my father gave me - had been lost many years before. So, I went to a local book shop, looking for a some kind of substitute, and to my astonishment, there it was! A copy of HA Rey's book, my long lost friend! So I was off again, looking at the easy-to-use diagrams, finding the constellations in the sky.

You may go to astronomy forums on the net, and you'll find this book mentioned all too seldom. The one most mentioned (to my observation) is "Turn Left At Orion", which is a fine publication, but it is NOT a beginner's book. Rey's is, and there isn't one better, and never has been. (The net forums seem to be for folks that are beyond the beginning stage, and I've found none designed for kids just starting. So, for absolute beginners, these forums can mislead, though, I'm sure, not intentionally.)

For absolute-beginner backyard astronomy, if you're looking for a book for your kid (or you're a kid looking for something to pester your parents to buy), you've found it. And at a rediculously low price to boot.

If I were king, this book would be in every library that calls itself a library. No praise can be too high, for this book does, exactly and completely, what it purports to do. Mr. Rey passed in 1977 (Wikipedia, "HA Rey"), and his work has long outlived both him and his wife. But, as long as a publisher with a heart and brain exists, his masterpiece will continue to show kids (of any age) the way to the stars.

The Three Investigators was an AMAZING series of books,
which for some odd reason has gone out of print. It
featured three boys named, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw,
and Bob Andrews. Jupe was the brains, Pete the brawn,
and Bob the bookish one. Bob Andrews handled research,
Crenshaw was the muscle, and Jupiter was their leader,
the strategist. One day, there was a contest to guess
the number of jelly beans in a jar. Jupiter gave the
best answer, after thinking about volume and space,
and using math, to give what turned out to be the most
accurate estimate of how many jelly beans were in the
jar. The prize was the use of a Rolls Royce (Silver
Ghost), and the services of a chauffer, for what turns
out to be an idefinite time. Over the course of the
series, the chauffer tells the boys that they have been
his most interesting clients. These books basically
taught boys the importance of networking and self-esteem.
For example, Jupiter was "over-weight", some might say
"fat", but Jupiter always insisted on being called,
"stocky".

Do you see "jocks" hanging out with "nerds"? Pete Crenshaw
was the athletic one, capable of throwing a punch. Bob
Andrews handled research, and Jupiter Jones was their leader,
the "stocky" strategist.


But there is more to these books than that. For example, there
is the secret code, the triple question marks, ???, drawn in
three different colours. It was an identifying mark Jupiter
thought of, in case one of them should get lost, or worse, be
abducted. And the "ghost-to-ghost hook-up", an algorithm
Jupiter came up with to aid them in surveillance, or in "lost
and found" cases. They were on good terms with boys from lower
grade levels, who had heard of their fame as investigators.
And so the three would man the phones with a description of who
they were looking for. Each of the Investigators would call
five boys, who would in turn call another five, and so on.
The adults the Investigators were interested in, would not
be expecting children as spies. The kids would then call back
to HQ with details. Their headquarters (HQ) was hidden under
a pile of rubble, in a junkyard, and could only be entered by
secret doors and tunnels) with details. The "ghost-to-ghost
hook-up" made me think of the way girls gossip and share
information, through a "grapevine".

These books taught you communication theory, the importance
of social networks, mentoring, and friendship between boys
and men, of like attitude, if not mind. The chauffer for
example, thought the boys were cool. And they were.
Basically, this series of books teaches boys what feminists
have been teaching girls: self-esteem, networking, mentoring,
etc. These books taught co-operation skills, rather than
competitiveness.


How is it that books like these can go out of print, but
the yo-yo and hola-hoop manage to make their way back
into mass-production? A lot of books it seems, are
also being rewritten to conform to a feminist philosophy
or rather a femi-nazi agenda which promotes male hatred.
And so, the story of THREE boys working together to
solve mysteries may be "buried" just as old Warner Bros.
cartoons showing Bugs Bunny playing baseball against
the Gastown Gorrillas now seem impossible to find.


QUALITY READING MATERIAL FOR BOYS IS EITHER DISAPPEARING,
OR IS DIFFICULT TO FIND. 'Harry Potter' is a distraction.
People who have never heard of 'Harry Potter' are being
told it is evil by others who have never read it. 'Harry
Potter' may be satanic, but why protest 'Harry Potter'
when you could be demanding, "Where's the good stuff?"


Male illiteracy is being encouraged. Femi-nazis want a
relatively small percentage of the male population to
receive a "higher education" - in contrast to a much
higher percentage of the female population. These
"educated" males are the "beta" males: Femi-nazis want
beta males to specialize, doing "mental work", as
doctors, programmers, artisans, etc. In contrast,
"alpha" males are to be used for physical labour such
as "required" in construction work, landscaping, mining,
etc. Alpha males are also used to police (abuse) other
males. Males, both alpha and beta, are being "programmed"
to serve females in specialized roles, for "skilled
labour" requires that they be taught.


Feminazis encourage males to compete with each other, while
encouraging female co-operation. Males are being prevented
from NETWORKING, or protesting against feminazism. (Males
who network may be accused of belonging to "gangs" or
"terrorist organizations", and males who protest against
femi-nazism may be accused of being mentally ill.)


'The Three Investigators' stood for everything femi-nazis
are against. Femi-nazis are for male hatred, and that may
explain why these books are no longer being printed.

The Three Investigators have their first case: to find an authentic haunted house. Jupiter Jones, the intelligent leader, and Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews set out to see if an old castle nearby is truly haunted or not. Built by a silent film star, Stephen Terrell, no one has been able to spend the night in the castle since his untimely death many years earlier.

I first read this book about 30 years ago when I was a kid, and loved reading all the adventures of the Three Investigators, and they quickly became a favorite of mine. Now my 10 year old son and I have just finished "The Secret of Terror Castle," and he loved it, too. We especially noticed how the adventure and excitement was kept up throughout the story. We both agreed that the Three Investigators were much more exciting than the Hardy Boys, having tried to read one of that series without sucess. Instead, we found Jupiter Jones to be far more intelligent and we enjoyed the cleverness of the plot and story. We read the version with Alfred Hitchcock, which I'm sad to see has been changed in most of the books now available.

This is a good series we can recommend for kids who are sometimes reluctant to read, but who enjoy an intelligent mystery.

I remember reading this book when I was young and loved it. Great plotline with great characters and humorous dialogue at times. I started my 7 year old son on it. The first two chapters were slow going for him, but he slogged through it. The fourth chapter hooked him. He wouldn't put the book down for another 6 chapters. Recommended for ages 7 and older.

This book is so much more than a kids book. It was my first introduction to the Three Investigators, and quite possibly the best book in the entire series. The plot is quite intricate, and very intelligent. Adults can read this story and be thrilled and caught up as well, and to be honest, I get out my copy every now and then and visit with Jupiter, Bob, and Pete. The setting in California in the fifties, with Alfred Hitchcock as their mentor, is just perfect. I've read the later updated versions, with all refences to Alfred Hitchcock removed and rewritten, and I just think the original stories worked so much better. There was more of an air of mystery to them, although the stories themselves didn't change. In this book, the setting of an old movie star castle is just right. The writing is sharp, the characters already developed. Everybody at time in their life has encountered a super-smart kid, the one who knew everything. Sadly, the ones I met weren't as likeable as Jupiter Jones. This series is always clever, with strong plots, strong characters. Get these books and enjoy them. Many books aren't this well-written nowadays, especially for the teen-to-adult age range.

Quite a few children's mystery book series have become classics. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift. Even the Boxcar Children are relatively well-known. However, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were well-written books that offered an intelligent, interesting and more contemporary alternative to many of the earlier classic series. Many people recall the earlier series well, but the Three Investigators series, which Robert Arthur wrote and debuted in 1964, has, for now, largely been overshadowed by the other series and generally forgotten. Fortunately, all of these books are available either from Amazon or from other internet sources.

In this book, the first book in the series, we meet Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews. Jupiter is the intelligent, often arrogant member of the group who has a tendency to be condescending. Pete Crenshaw is typically the muscle of the group. Pete is usually quite fearless. Bob Andrews, who begins the series with a broken leg, works at the library is handles records and research for the group.

In this debut story, Jupiter Jones has won the use of a Rolls Royce for 30 days of 24 hours each. Jupiter has also created business cards for the trio with the auspicious title "The Three Investigators," "We Investigate Anything," and three question marks. Jupiter Jones learns that Alfred Hitchcock is seeking a haunted house for use in his next film. The boys offer to find a house for Mr. Hitchcock if he will introduce their first story; thus the reason the title includes Mr. Hitchcock's name.

Soon Jupiter Jones is on the trail of a home owned by silent movie star Stephen Terrill. When the boys visit the late Mr. Terrill's home, strange phenomena in the house causes the boys to go running from the home, scared to their very bones! The mystery continues to deepen as the boys investigate Mr. Terrill's past the history of the strange house that appears to be haunted for real.

I wondered whether I would like these books as much as an adult as I did when I was a child. My answer is yes. Robert Arthur wrote these stories in a way that treated these three young boys as young adults rather than children. The three boys approach their mysteries with creativity, logic and more than a little bravery. The result is stories that continue to captivate readers.

If you are looking for mystery books for children and you are looking for an alternative to the stories I listed earlier, I highly recommend the Three Investigator series, and the best starting place for this series is absolutely with this book.

Enjoy!

This story is the best I, ve read in all the series.It shows Stanton's pointo of view.You get to know him a little better and understand all the problems he faces as a follower because of his love for Serena.Stantons a dream guy.He's cute,mysterious, and has really cool powers.
I think the author should write more books on him and stop writing Sons of the Dark!!
-TLATKD

This was the book that made me keep reading after I read the first in the series. I wanted to get to the book that I knew would be focused on Stanton and his point of view. It wasn't as fufilling as I had hoped, however, it was not as dissapointing as the book told from Serena's P.O.V. What is great about this book of this series as all of the background information we are getting, Stanton's past, that of some of his fellow followers and more of the technicalities of following the Atrox. The book also does a nice job of leaving you wondering what is going to happen next. It doesn't necessarily leave you with a burning desire to find out what happened next, but a mild curiousity that could lead to me reading it, or not.
And I still don't get the attraction between him and Serena. I almost want him to hook up with Cassandra, she seems more interesting in many ways.

I read this book along with the Secret Scroll this week-end. I love Stanton. I can't believe what he did to save Serena. I liked seeing into his life and knowing what he thinks. The book held me captive and I couldn't stop reading until I had finished it.

The Lost One by Lynne Ewing is one book of a fantastic series. The book tells about a 5 girls who become close friends by finding out that they are all special in one way or another. Catty can time travel, Vanessa can become invisible, Serena can read minds, Jimena can tell the future,
and Tianna can move things with her mind. These 5 girls make up the Daughters of the Moon. "Tu es dea, filia lunar. You are a goddess, a Daughter of the Moon"(Ewing 271). These girls come together to try to help Catty who has gone missing. If they dont find her they will all be destoyed forever. Will they ever get Catty back in time? Will the Atrox finally destroy The Daughters of the Moon? To find that out you'll have to read the
book. I absolutely love this book. It is the kind of book that always keeps you on your toes. When you start reading this book you will never want to put it down. The Author mixes mystery, danger and love into this book. I would recommend this book to people who love mystery and adventures because that's all what the book is, a great big adventure.

...I really enjoyed the book. My 18 year old daughter brought the book home last year, and she can't get enough of it or the series of books under the Daughter's of the Moon series.

I wouldn't personally reccommend the book for the younger teen audience, as it deals with some more grown up situations than a 13 or 14 year old may really understand, and with the fantasy elements and the supernatural aspects of the book, a slightly older audience would probably be better able to read the books for what they are.

In all, the book has a great story, interesting characters, and seeing things from a point of view that is not what one would normally find in books of this nature really makes the book compelling.

I would recommend it for the young adult crowd.

I think this is my #1 favorite book of ALL TIME. I have a lot of favorites, but I will never forget this one. I originally bought it at a book fair at my school and read it in the 5th grade (1996). It has stayed in my mind since then and I came here to see if I could find a newer copy since mine is somewhat tattered. ;)

After i read The Juniper Game i just had to find more by the author and this book is a gem. Im tempted to buy it again to see if it is as good as i remember it to be when i was yonger.

I adored this book. I continue to. I read it over and over before I lost it. Years later, I came across a used copy. I devoured it. Read it three times in a row. Couldn't keep my hands off of it.

I have honestly thought about the heroine of this story nearly every day since I first read it a decade ago. She is an inspiration, as is Sherryl Jordan.

And strangely, only upon my latest reading of the book (probably the 200+ reading in my lifetime) did I notice the creepy Jesus imagery. I feel a little violated. I don't know if I'd have liked the book as much if I originally had noticed the Christian bent. It's a real turn-off to me and I know it is to some other people, so I thought I'd offer the warning just in case it helps someone out. It is a *very* slight reference, hardly important, but still made me (Jewish) feel a little awkward. It's out of place.

So, you've already read over and over again what this book is about--I won't bore you with a summary, let me instead tell you that I first read this book in 9th grade and the story was soo rich and imaginative that I am now 24, still own the book and still read it from time to time. You will not be disappointed.

A slave woman sentenced to death (for slacking off) is rescued by the most powerful man in the world. Installed as his handmaiden (a highly covetted position normally reserved for the females of the most prestigious families), Elsa is granted the unique oppurtunity to see the world outside of mine where she was born. However she never forgets where she has come from or what she left behind.

Raw determination overcoming adversity is a common theme in books of all genres. What makes this book unique is that Sherryl Jordan was overcoming adversity of her own when she wrote Winter of Fire. Jordan's own determination gives her writing an edge that enhances the story quite a bit. Furthermore the plot is tightly woven and progresses in a way that is very believable.

Charmed Life is about some kids who go to study magic with one of the official guys in charge of magic. He has a couple of kids of his own, and they are the usual school age to have the school age disagreements and fights and not being nice to each other that goes along with that.

The eldest also gets a bit peeved at being thrown in with the young brats, too.

A young boy, Cat, must deal with his crazy and selfish older sister Gwendolyn who is obsessed with her own magical powers. Certainly much slower and less exciting than Jones' Howl books (read: more for children), but still has her enchanting and seemingly effortless style that captures a world where "magic is like music". Jones is always a good read. The characters are mysterious and thoroughly enjoyable. Gwendolyn is ambiguous and silly and selfish and delightful. Cat is an innocent; Chestomanci is Jones' typical ambiguous and passive wizard. The imagery of magic, particularly Cat's matchstick nine lives, is absolutely delicious. Grade: B

I am constantly on the lookout for new fantasy reads, because not only is it difficult to find a truly lasting (and by "lasting" I mean you think about it all the time, read it again and again, and gulp down every one of the author's other books) fantasy story, but if you do that author is usually what they call A Lofty One-Piece Wonder who writes one astonishingly beautiful story, gives it to the world...then settles into retirement and ignores all letters posted to them begging for a sequel.

Ah, not so with Diana Wynne Jones.

Hearing about her was actually an accident. I had picked up the book "Inkspell", the sequel to a book I'd enjoyed very much (Inkheart) and saw, on the back, that there was a quote on the back from "Diana Wynne Jones, author". For fun, I wandered over to the J's. Only a few Diana books were there -- THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY, ARCHER'S GOON, and -- the book that forever endeared me to this amazingly talented author -- EIGHT DAYS OF LUKE.

Having five dollars just aching to be spent and about that many minutes left till we had to go, I bought it on a whim.

And inhaled it that night.

I was going through withdrawls. NEED -- MORE -- DIANA -- WYNNE -- JONES -- BOOKS!!!

I got back to Borders and began to scrounge the shelves. Hmmm. "Chronicles of Chrestomanci". Looked okay -- not as good as I'd thought "Eight Days of Luke" was, but -- what was?

I read a little, put it down. Read a little more, and -- couldn't stop.

I am now on Book II, "The Lives of Christopher Chant".

I think you understand what I'm trying to say. Buy this book -- and while you're at it get "Eight days of Luke", too.



Rating: Very Good

"Charmed Life" is my first Diana Wynne Jones book (I know, I know ... I'm a little late) and I'll openly admit I came to her work through Miyazaki's amazing film "Howl's Moving Castle". Imagine how stupid I felt when I realized that I had been missing out on one of the best writers of our age. While it starts off slowly, Jones's first Chrestomanci book is still a grand, magical, yet simple adventure that sweeps the reader off their feet into a quirky yet solid world that readers will enjoy again and again.

Eric, a.k.a., Cat Chant, is a small and passive boy who thinks that he has no magical powers unlike his sister Gwendolen. Gwendolen is an ambitious, spoiled, and powerful girl who dreams of controlling the world. One day, when their parents die in a tragic boat accident, Gwendolen's powers attract the attention of the dapper and eccentric Chrestomanci. Chrestomanci is an enchanter, and a nine lived one at that, so that means he controls and governs all magic in the twelve related worlds. Chrestomanci seems to take an interest in Gwendolen, so he invites her and Cat to live in his castle.

When they arrive at the castle, both children dislike it at first. But Cat, being the passive boy that he is, quickly makes friends with Chrestomanci's two children even though he's absolutely frightened to death of their father. But Gwendolen has other ideas. She hates the fact that she has to learn maths and history instead of magic in school, and she is absolutely appaled that Chrestomanci doesn't take notice in her powers. Soon, Gwendolen sets out on a war of wills and magic against Chrestomanci and his castle, and Cat is unbeknowingly caught up in the whirlwinds of his sister's dangerous ambitions.

Jones is brilliant in her prose and writing. She easily writes with a sense of whimsy, while at the same time fleshing out realistic characters and villains. Cat is passive at first, but he soon grows a spine and stands up against the one thing that holds him back (I won't ruin the surprise). Jones' magic is an everyday and casual part of life for the characters, but it comes in second to their emotions and the overall story. The story takes so many surprising twists that shocked and surprised me, I was literally biting my nails towards the end wondering what would happen next.

"Charmed Life" is a delightful and charming surprise. While not a grand and sweeping epic, it will still sweep readers off their feet with the simple and quiet humor, magic, and sheer enjoyment that Jones so evidently finds and puts into her work. This book is not to be missed, and I can only end with saying how foolish I feel now that I didn't find Diana sooner.

This story and the next ("The Lives of Christopher Chant") are easily the most complex and interesting stories in the Chrestomanci series, and really the ones that the rest hang upon, because they really explain who and what the "Chrestomanci" is, and the role he plays in the fascinating universe Diana Wynne Jones has created. This is fantasy at its best, well written and very inventive, with characters that seem both familiar and bizarrely unique. It is, I suppose, not life-changing fiction but it keeps you there and makes you care and gives an opportunity to wonder. (It is no accident that Hayao Miyazaki based his latest film - Howl's Moving Castle -- on one of Jones' novels: they seem to have imaginations that operate on the same wavelength; like him, she is endlessly inventive and capable of a sublime blending of the supernatural and the ordinary, and loves finding magic in machines, and has an obsession with cats.)

The basic premise of the "Chrestomanci multiverse" is that every time there is a major event that "changes" the world, the world actually divides into two alternate realities, one in which the event occurs and one in which it doesn't. Somehow, though, while the possibilities might seem infinite there are a limited number of possibilities that resemble the one Chrestomanci inhabits enough to warrant his general attention and concern. Within each major world variation, there are nine alternates (don't ask why just nine) that are apparently unified because they have the "same" people doing different things in them. It sometimes happens, though, that an individual within one of those realities has no parallel in the others, and so the "lives" that would belong to the other realities actually belong to him or her. Such a nine-lived individual has powerful magic and becomes a likely candidate for taking over the position of the British-hired Chrestomanci (think a mixture of Rowling's Minister of Magic for an indication of his range of responsibilities, with Head of Hogwarts for his overall competency).

Speaking of Rowling, some have compared Jones to Rowling and there are some interesting parallels -- so many that it is hard not to think that Rowling had at least read some of Diane Wynne Jones' stories. Still, I don't agree with others who say Jones is a better writer than Rowling. There is a way in which she is: for her elegance of prose, her compactness of style, for the overall simplicity and completeness of her stories. Still, I think that Rowling is superior because what Jones doesn't try to do Rowling does very well. Jones creates another world whose basic features are similar to ours, but is different in specifiable ways. In that sense it is pure fantasy, a work of the imagination that she can tinker with and alter in various stories but is basically self-contained and organized in such a way that each story can be really complete. Rowling fits her story of another world into THIS world and sets herself with what seems to me a much more difficult task of accommodating her fantasy to the unknown and improbable and strange and unfinished character of any story set in this real world. The edges in any such story are unwieldy and it is a real tribute to Rowling (though in no way a criticism of Jones who has other aims) that she can wield them so well.

I read these books a few years ago from the library, When a friend picked them up at a bookstore recently, I decided to flip through them again. It wasn't long before I had to buy my own set and re-read them.

Darkest Hour is my favorite in the series as it introduces some interesting new characters and serves as a pivotal turning point in Susannah's relationship with Jesse. The storyline is very intriguing, and humorous, as always. There is plenty to keep the pages turning.

I recommend this series for any girl who likes her love stories a little more unconventional and less Disney. =D

I love the whole series and I recommend it for anyone ages 11 and up. Meg Cabot is my favorite author and this book WOW'd me more than any other book I've read by her! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THIS WAS THE BEST OF THE FIRST 4 BOOKS!! Seriously, my favorite!! From the beginning to the end is amazing and very surprising. I didn't want to stop reading. Im a girl of 13 years old and I seriously recomend the series to grade 7 to up.

My daughter got me hooked on this series and I was surprised at the great writing.

I love this book , and I love the character Jesse. This book is nothing but nonstop action and thrills , and some parts are so sad , and how Suze does to get Jesse back is certainly is unexpected. Although the new character Paul is very intriguing and I like his character , I can't wait to read the next book to find out about him.And I love the ending . Meg cabot really undone herself this time!

this is about a princess who's captured by a dragon, and then chooses to stay with the dragon rather than wait to get rescued by a prince. in fact when a prince comes to rescue her in the first book she turns him away, all of them. the series follows the pattern of a typical 'princess story' and the princess is put in a bunch of stereotypical princess situations, but then she defies the stereotype and takes charge of her own life and makes things happen for herself. basically she beats up her own bad guys, with her brain. there are boys in the series, but she isn't waiting for them to save the day, she takes them along for the ride. the dragon who kidnapped her ends up being one of her good friends.

it's a fun series i really enjoyed in elementary school, but it an appropriate read for anyone interested in the plot (as are all stories... age ranges close your mind). a light fun read, i recommend.

This is one of favorite series. After lending this book out and never getting it back, I was recently able to order it again and it is still great 15 years after I read it the first time. Would definetley recommend to anyone who likes fantasy with humor.

m.a.c

This is such a lovely series. Miss Wrede has a great talent for creating fun, witty characters that are instantly likeable. Humor is abundant and the story is delightful!

I loved this set. It wasn't like I thought it would be from what I read about it, it was better! This is a very unique set and I must say that if all of Patricia Wrede's books are as surprising as this one, I would love to get more of her books. This is definitely a fairy tale, but it has so much comedy mixed in with it, plus there's the romance and all the other good stuff you want in a book. Buy this set, and you won't be sorry. Unless, of course you're the type of person that just wants the same boring fairy tale stuff.

This series is one of my oldest favorites. I first read them in elementary school and now in college I still love them. They are classics that you will go back to again and again. Short and sweet I turn to them if I need that fantastical escape.