Fiction Books

Father Richard John Neuhaus of First Things Magazine recommended this book. For that I am truly thankful. I am only about a third of the way through it but am enjoying it immensely.

This trilogy is amazing! I had tried to read the 1920s translation as a teenager and was put off by the language, but the updated translation by Tunnally is great. As the intro describes, she translates closer to Undset's original style and it's much more comprehensible. Since finishing this book, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The characters are so real and tragically human. Although I got very frustrated with Kristin and Erlend at times, I was still deeply invested in their lives and had a lot of sympathy for them. Simon Darre and Kristin's parents were my favorite characters though. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

This is a long novel, and like War and Peace it goes on throughout the life of its main character. Cold climates make for long novels, I think. I loved it because it handles the life of a Medieval Norweigan noblewoman and her family from childhood through old age and death. It is very accurate and compelling. It reminds me that some issues in women's lives are constant, no matter what.

"Kristin Lavrandatter", Sigrid Undset's Nobel-prize winning trilogy from the 1920s, doesn't appear on any college reading list that I have ever seen, despite its beauty, depth of observations about love, marriage, and family psychology, tour de force representation of life in medieval Norway, and the critical praise heaped upon it. It's length (1,000 pages plus in most translations) is probably one factor, and, some might say, another factor was the "medievalist" style of archaic English used in the Charles Archer translation that until recently was the one available. A very recent translation by Tina Nunnally is done in more modern, colloquial English. I should state here that I am probably in a minority in adoring the Archer translation - I did not, as others report below, find the language a chore at all: on the contrary, I found it enhanced the feel of having stepped into the past. I found the newer translation to be less satisfying, stylistically. Unless one speaks fluent Norwegian and can read the original without the veil of translation between reader and author, the matter is somewhat moot. So far as I could tell, Nunnally did not offer anything in her modernist translation that was substantially different from the story and characters presented in the Archer translation.

This great epic of Undset's is divided into three books: The Wreath, The Mistress of Husaby, and The Cross. Set in the 1300s, in feudal Norway, the novel's central character is Kristin Lavransdatter (literally, "daughter of Lavrans"), the eldest child of well-to-do, upright, respected, landowners. Pretty, intelligent, sheltered yet strong-willed, and the light of her deeply religious father's life, the novel opens during Kristin's childhood and ends with her death in old age. In the many pages between, Undset observes a life teeming with conflict, religious struggle, sexual awakening, marriage, and motherhood. And, through these stages of Kristin's life, Undset opens a window onto life in medieval Norway, of the powerful role of the church in everyday life, the restricted roles of women, the custom of arranged marriages, child-rearing, farming, and politics (Norway's monarchy had passed to Sweden at the time).

Undset's achievement at weaving together this enormous tapestry, of presenting so many characters, in addition to Kristin, with all their varied human foibles, is monumental. You will feel as if you have stepped into an alternative, yet quite real universe. Whether you read and prefer the newer translation or (as this reviewer does) the older translation, Undset's knowledge of the poignant, and apparently eternal, realities of relationship and family life should be equally rewarding. Undset had a strong interest in family psychology, women's issues, and was a convert to Catholicism - these interests, together with the painstaking research she undertook, combine to give us this living, breathing picture of life in the Middle Ages.

Book I, The Wreath (the title refers to the golden wreath of maidenhood worn by young girls before marriage) covers Kristin's life from childhood to her wedding; Book II, The Mistress of Husaby, covers Kristin's life from her marriage to her widowhood; Book III, The Cross, covers her life from the death of her husband through her death.

The central conflict of the novel is Kristin's marriage to Erlend Nikulauson. Erlend, although of a noble family and even more well-born than Kristin, has lived in adultery with another man's wife and has two children with her. After Kristin falls in love with Erlend and refuses to marry Simon Darre, the good man that her father has selected for her husband, and who has fallen deeply in love with her despite the arranged character of the marriage, the relationship between Kristin and her father undergoes tremendous strain. A series of tragic circumstances weakens Lavrans's resolve never to wed his daughter to an adulterer, and at last Kristin and Erlend are married, concluding the first book.

Husaby is Erlend's great estate, thus, Book II, The Mistress of Husaby, takes us through Kristin's married life, the complexities of her relationship with her husband, and years of childbearing. Erlend, at heart an adventurer who prefers the open sea to caring for his lands, flocks, and household, chafes under married life and exhibits an undisciplined, weak character except in matters of warfare. Kristin finds she must provide the strengths that he lacks at home and resents Erlend for it. Simon, meanwhile, eventually marries Kristin's youngest sister, although he never ceases to love Kristin, which opens up a breach between the two sisters.

Erlend also becomes embroiled in a failed political coup that eventually deprives him of his lands, forcing him and Kristin and their sons to return to Jorundgaard, Kristin's childhood estate, which is now hers by right after her father's death. Thus, the last book, The Cross, takes us through the hardest years of Kristin's life, with an embittered husband who is killed in a dispute not long after the return to Jorundgaard. Kristin's years as a widow, providing hard-won wisdom and comfort to her brood of headstrong sons, and the spiritual peace she finds at last after her tumultuous life, make up the final section of the book.

Throughout all three books, the role of Catholicism plays a very strong role not only in daily life, but in the psyches particularly of Kristin and her father and mother. The struggle to accommodate the high standards of Christian practice and goodness that conflict with human feelings and weaknesses is a connecting theme in the work, as is the immutable nature of character. One cannot help wondering as one reads what would have happened had Kristin done her father's bidding and married Simon, much the stronger and more sensible man, and one who loves Kristin in his way as much as Erlend does. And yet, Undset makes it clear that the love between Kristin and Erlend, despite all the trials it endures, is one that neither could have lived without.

I cannot recommend this unique and brilliant work highly enough. It will stay with you for the rest of your life.

The content is great, and I was buying this book as a present to my customer, but the look and the quality of paper is very poor. The paper is brown, not white, and edges of pages are uncut. Half of pages are wider than other, and stick out from under the cover. It looks like it was printed and binded in some small shop, manually, and at a very low quality. Very disappointing experience. IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A DELUXE EDITION, AS IT WAS PRESENTED.

This book had me reading to all hours of the night! I could not put this down! This is Crystal Lacy Winslow's best! I borrowed this from a friend, and read it in a day and half! The characters were well developed and very exciting! I had to order a copy for myself because this is a keeper. I know I will want read this again!

This was the best book I've read this year. Crystal Lacey Winslow is my favorite female author. I love all her books. They have excitement, sexual explictation, and be page-turners.

Lacey is the female everyone loves to hate. Conceited, money-hungry, and expensive. She is beautiful and had a body to die for but has many personal issues. She deals with "wealthy" and "prominent" men - will her secrets be revealed?

Joshua is married to Parker and their relationship is going down-hill.

Madison had self-esteem problems that she thinks will be repaired with a man.

Theses friend secrets will soon come out. Sit back and enjoy this ride - it will be bumpey!

Life, Love & Loneliness
Crystal Lacey Winslow
Melodrama Publishing
PPP

Lyric Devaney's acting career is on the verge of stardom. Amid turmoil with her past and present lovers, Lyric is making things happen. However, when her life takes a suprising turn, she decides to change her haughty, man-eating ways and change her life to one that includes helping, not using others.

The story of Life, Love & Loneliness is told from the point of view of six characters. At several points in the novel, each individual story seems disconnected from the others. Too many point of views confuse the plot and add uneccesary details. Aside from this, Madison Michael's story is by far the most interesting, possibly more so than Lyric Devaney's.

Life, Love & Loneliness is a dramatic, over-the-top tail with plenty of suprises to keep readers wondering what's going to happen next.

I stumbled on this book and ordered it, simply because it was in my list of recommendations. I am not familiar with this author at all, but I will tell you one thing. I want to get familiar, starting with the order for her other books that I just placed minutes before typing my 2nd rating (the first one was "Project Chick") I just finished reading this book at 2:07 in the a.m, and this book was to die for. Not hard to follow along, nice and long, it took me 2 days between working 2 jobs, baby shower, and birthday party to complete this!! This book simply put was off the chain!! It was soap opera-like, but not too many characters, it gave you something on everyone in the book. It was a total shock. Lyric and Lacey being identical twins, Madison not fully recuperating after the con-man Maurice stint with her, Lyric's murderer being the mayor's wife, Monique not being pregnant by Josh (the white attorney married to Parker a black woman), but by a married judge with children, just something on every page, you can't hardly put the dang on book down. The 3rd book I will ever refer besides The Coldest Winter Ever, and Project Chick.

What can I say. I absolutely loved this book. I never heard of the author before and was kinda of skeptical in purchasing this book. Boy, am I happy I did!!! Ms. Winslow, you have a new fan here. This book will teach the reader alot of things. You can't take life or people for granted because it can all be taken away from you. I loved this book and can't wait to read the sequel. Keep up the good work.

This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

This book was read out loud to me when I was a 4th grader and it stayed in my mind from then on. It is a true story about a boy whose father dies and how mostly he, but also his mother, and siblings get along after the father's death. The boy is nick named "Little Britches" and earns money to survive in many ways, mostly being a cowboy on Colorado ranches. I have purchased this book for my son as a 5th grader and given it to his friend in 6th grade. The whole series is very interesting, this book in particular.

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This is a wonderful look into how life was... I found myself thinking about the work load on children back then and thinking "and I worry that unloading the dishwasher and keeping their bath clean is too much to ask?!?" Well not any more. A great "classic"

This was one of my favorites as kid. Then, sadly, I forgot about it until stumbling across it in the school library. It is once again one of my favorites. Cynics might roll their eyes at this tribute to good ol' days gone by, but I personally appreciate the nostalgia and the house with its subtle face parts is adorable. You feel so bad for the cute little house! It is also an observation at the change of time. I don't know how intense that is as a theme, but I found it touching and Burton tells the tale with such heart and care.

We live in a very old house in the country and this book was such a cute story about just that. We enjoyed it.

Another timeless classic by this author. It's an amazing story about appreciation. Completely entertaining and like the other books in this series, the artwork is phenominal!!!

This was my favorite book as a child and I am so happy to find it again!! Now I will enjoy it as I read it to my grandchildren.

It was my favorite book when I was little, now it's time for my children to get know bout little house story. I got today from Amazon with free shipping. Great story book delivered to the door. Saving time to seaching at book store with carrying 2 little childrens especially summer hot day!
Thank god Amazon... I'm looking forward to reading this book tonight ^0^/

A co-worker talked about this book at an event and after previewing it, I took it out from the library for then four year old. A few months later, when we are at a book store, she spotted it and had to buy it as a present to herself for turning 5 - with her own birthday money. I think that says volumes to the books lasting power. The story is sweet, the drawings are excellent, and the message is lasting. Nice read for a parent to a child at the end of a long day.

This is a great story about giving back something in life. Great gift idea when combined with a real Lupine plant or seeds. Then the story and flower will be remembered forever.

I just left home and school to live on my own as an intern in DC. I've been doing lots of responsible adult type activities, cooking, waking up early, cleaning etc and was feeling a little strange about feeling so old. As I was walking to work this morning, I took a slightly different route that had a house with lupines just covering their yard. They looked so beautiful in the morning. I immediately thought to myself "what was that book with these flowers??" and called up my lovely mother. It felt like a long lost dream. I could remember the symbolism, but not the specifics. When I was young, I think I was enthralled with little Alice being able to paint the clouds and even more so when she becomes a librarian and transforms the landscape by the sea. This is a truly amazing book. I'm going to walk to the library tonight and check it out again. It definitely made me appriciate beauty in the world as a child, and through my memory of it, as an adult.

This book is a short biography of Barbara Conney's great Aunt Alice Rumphius, who grew up in New England, loved the sea, and wanted to visit faraway places. And also had an objective to do something to make the world more beautiful. I have always loved this book and have had that very same goal ever since the fifth grade when our homeroom teacher read it to us. The book concludes when Barbara Cooney the author says that her Aunt Alice (Miss Rumphius,) tells her that she too needs to do something to make the world more beautiful. But even SHE doesn't know yet what that could be. I personally think that she made the world more beautiful by writing and illustrated this masterpiece. Everybody young and old should have a copy.

This book is beautifully illustrated and is an even more beautiful story of the passing on of values intergenerationally. We have read the soft-covered version to our daughter so often that it is in tatters and we needed to invest in the hard-covered version. Great Aunt Alice spends her life learning how she will choose to make the world a more beautiful place and passes the challenge to do the same to the next generation. If my daughter spends her life living the message of this book, I will have succeeded as a parent. Thank you Barbara Cooney for another great book!

This is a wonderful treasury of stories and pictures designed to keep young children amused and entertained. Gentle lessons in how to be polite and be a good member of a household are delivered with humor, questions to the reader, and brightly colored illustrations.

I used to read this book to my sister when she was very young for hours on end. My 2 1/2 year old son discovered it in our bedroom a few months ago, and now it has become, in his words, our special book, and we read from it night and day! It delights me that he enjoys it so much, and I enjoy reading it with him, and rediscovering my favorites.

This is a book I will likely be sending for Christmas gifts this year!

Love Richard Scarry, but the illustrations in this publication are a bit dull/faded. There is a lot of content here, but still I was disappointed by the faded look. I recommend Richad Scarry's 'I Am a Bunny' Board Book which has superior color and my baby loved it at 3 months! Her first favorite book!!!

I'm very glad to see this back in print, but there are at least a couple of changes between this and the 70's version. First and foremost, the story of Pierre Bear has been replaced with "Good Night Little Bear." I strongly suspect that it was to 'modernize and politically correct' the book. But, I do think that Good Night Little Bear is a better story all round, so no real complaints.
Also, some of the stories and nursery rhymes are a bit abbreviated. E.g. the kittens and the mittens, and for reasons I can not figure out, the illustrations are about 10% smaller than in the Best Nursery Rhyme book.

Also, for the I am a Bunny book, I certainly think it's worth getting the book itself. The unique format makes it really stand out, and the pictures fill the pages entirely, with no distracting empty space.

This book was one of my main teaching aids growing up; however, my child will need some time to understand Richard Scarry's concept (along with some of his other books as well) of combining several theories and objects on one page that can confuse a young or developmentally challenged child. Not saying that it's impossible, but would take time. I say let them get interested in colors and basic shapes first, then direct them to the pictures and start introducing them to what they are by definition. Not only are there definitions and body parts and other concepts, but short and concise stories too if you can capture your child's interest long enough to sit still to listen to your reading and place the story with the pictures in a concept that they understand. LLO'C

Parents who grew up with Richard Scarry's books and who are nostalgic about his wonderful characters may be somewhat disappointed with this book. Some stories are taken from the delightful Richard Scarry's busy world (which appears to be now out of print and only available used on amazon for $124). Apart from these, the other stories are in a style which is very different from the Richard Scarry's books which I grew up with.
Until they come out with a reprint of Richard Scarry's Busy world, I would recommend "What do people do all day", or "Funniest storybook ever", where you can find all the familiar characters such as the cat family, lowly worm etc.

I LOVE this book! I had it when I was a child. My favorite word in it is on the kitchen page "Batter Spoon"!!!

This is the only word book I remember reading with my mom back in the early 1980s. I still have my old hardcover edition after more than two decades. Every few years, I dust off the cover and go through the pages to look back fondly at the all-too-familiar pictures. Someday, I hope to pass on this book to my kid/s who will probably enjoy it as much as I did.

I can't forget this book, because of it had several great factors. It covered almost every place a kid may see, with it's name to know what the object is. Each page shows kids different work spaces, lands, city life, even inside a home, room by room.
This would be an excellent book for preschoolers, and even younger as well. Children and their parents may create their own stories with the detailed scenes.

I had this book as a child, although the version I had was longer and more PC. This is a great word learning book. The only drawback is that all the characters are animals, so it has to be for a child who knows the animals are simply playing people roles and doing people things. I would recommend to anyone with kids. You cannot go wrong with this book. The older version is better since it has more pages (20 more pages), but it is hard to find in good condition and at a decent price.

I always purchas this book for baby showers and any gift for very young children. It is wonderful to use for early language development or anyone wishing to learn the English names for nouns. My son wore out three copies and I always kept at least one copy in my classroom as well as my home. Cheryl White

This book was amazing. I started to read the first chapter and automaticlly was hooked!!! I love Shawdow Horse. Alison Hart, when does the next book come out?

When I first got this book I wasn't interested. My Mom and Dad wanted
me to read the book but I kept saying no. One day my Mom said, "Just read
the first chapter." Once I starting reading it I couldn't stop because it
was so good!!!!!! This is what I have to say to Alison Hart: WRITE ANOTHER
SHADOW HORSE book!!!!!!!!!! I say this book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Jas, a kind and fun loving young equestrian lover, was well aware that she had no chance winning a course case against Hugh Robicheaux. After all, he had all the money and the power. She had attacked him, and to the jury, for no apparent reason. But both Hugh and Jas know that she had all the reason in the world, he killed her horse.

Jas is sentenced to two months on house arrest at a small farm for abused animals. She knows that somehow this farm ties into the killing of her beloved horse and she is determined to find proof. Little does she know she will find all that and more! Now the only question is, can she go up against the richest guy in Virginia State, Hugh Robicheaux?

Filled with twist and turns and not to mention amazing passages "Shadow Horse" kept me reading until I turned the last page. This book is meant for younger readers and preteens,(those who are older may find it juvenile). Though the ending was somewhat of a disappointment for me the "Shadow Horse" is a great book for young horse lovers and mystery lovers alike.

This is like the best horse booke EVER! It ends weird though, so THERE REALLY SHOULD BE a sequel!!!!! So to Alison Hart, MAKE ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!!

I got this book back in 2002 or so and have read it countless times...at least 15 times or so. It is extremely well written and keeps you interested from cover to cover. I have been waiting for a sequel since the first time I read it. This book really is a must read!

Remember the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty presented her with 'gifts' when she was born.....

A great baby present with lots of hopes and dreams for the child.

This was given to me as a baby shower gift for my daughter. It is one of our favorite books and I now give it out as a newborn gift to friends and family. The messages are powerful and simple. It is not a long book so it's perfect for bedtime.

This book is an awesome gift! It is a wonderful story that teaches children of all ages many important virtues and lessons!

This is a beautiful book about the wonderful gifts of birth! I have given this as a "new baby" gift to several of my friends, and they absolutely love the book. The illustrations and the words are done in a beautiful way. I highly recommend this as a great baby gift!

Every parent/grandparent needs this book and then every child needs to have it read to him/her over and over again so that he can know how very special the day is that he was born. This book celebrates the child's arrival to the family and helps to foster characteristics that should be a birthright to all children.

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!