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I have read this book several times, and it never fails to make me smile...and make me think. My dachshund, Pirate, gives it five stars, and so do I.

This is an extremely clever book of philosophy derived from the observations of a dog owner. The delightful illustrations add to the book's appeal.

"If it makes your tail wag it's good" is only one of the thought provoking words of wisdom in these colorfully illustrated lessons that dogs can teach us about unconditional love and happiness. Every time I turn through these beautifully written pages my tail wags harder each time. Thank You Amy Jordon Smith for sharing your biscuit.

As a dog owner and lover of animals in general I found this book to be a must! Smith is very keen to remind us that our pets are not just animals but members of our family and their loyalty has no boundries.

LIFE IS SHORT; EAT BISCUITS is beautifully illustrated, and through the eyes of a puppy, reinvents so many of life's "words of wisdom"...sayings we've repeatedly heard, but unfortunately seldom apply. This book is truly Puppy Chow for the soul; especially for those of us that have experienced the unconditional love bestowed on us by our own "Calvin" puppy. Life is indeed short, so take the time, and share a biscuit with someone you love while enjoying this book. Kudos to the author and illustrator!!!

Vol. 6 of Love Hina marks the return of Mutsumi, the girl Naru and Keitaro met on their travels during volume 3. As Mutsumi establishes herself in the Hinata household so she can work towards the Tokyo U exam, she and Keitaro start to grow closer. And by the cliffhanger end of volume 6, Naru discovers a revelation that could mean Mutsumi is Keitaro's long lost "promise girl."

For my money, this volume is the climax of the love triangle aspects of the Love Hina series. In fact, a similar scene was played as such in the anime, and it works just as effectively here despite this being the less-than halfway point of the series. Did Ken Akamatsu plan on finishing the series early at one point? Who knows, but while he does come up with several fresh and intriguing plot threads down the line, none match the emotional angst found here. Next to Naru, Mutsumi has always been the only other serious contender for Keitaro's affections. And with her habit of randomly kissing people, who knows what the next volume will bring?

An important volume of Love Hina. Don't miss it.

This hilarious manga series continues. This time around, we learn who Keitaro's "mystery girl" is (maybe). If you enjoyed previous volumes of this series, you are sure to enjoy this one, too.

If you love manga, be ready to love it even more! Love Hina Volume 6 is packed with prrrrfect graphics, unique and funny characters and a storyline that ever keeps developing.
It has been one year since Keitaro Urashima (our bumbling but lovable hero) arrived in Hinata House, and what a year it's been! Keitaro still has his sights set on Tokyo University, and much to his liking aquires the beautiful Naru as his tutor- again. Still unable to pluck up the courage to tell her how he feels, he takes her out to the cinema. Things are really looking up for the Tokyo U couple until a certain someone shows up on the scene and gets Naru guessing about Keitaro's mystery promise girl... The volume ends in the very sandbox that the promise was made, and the ending certainly made me run and buy the next volume asap!!!

This is one of my favorite manga series. I need to get more cause i only have sailor stars and this one. This is rated 16+ cuz its got some nude and some things that only older teens get. My top mangas are sailor moon, cardcaptor sakura, and Saint tail.

I have no idea how or why I picked up this amazing book. But I like to think it was divine intervention.

Myself being a 17 year old high school student, felt like I had no real direction in life. I was dragging through the days, trying to get by as fast as I possibly could.

But this book... It showed me something.

Much like Keitaro, I lack any major skills and have a lot of doubt in myself. But unlike Keitaro, I wanted to give up, call it quits, try to get by. This amazing story showed me that there's always hope. Hope for new love, new friends, ... a whole new life!

All I can say is that this absolutley breath taking book changed my life for the better. I see now that I can't live my one life by just coating through high school. I have to live it to it's fullest facing all chalanges head one with each and last fiber of my being.

I understand now, and this book showed it all to me. The story, artwork, dialouge, all flawless.

Please, if you haven't read this book, manga, comic, whatever, yet.... Then go out and read it. If a loser like me can pull a 180 and change everything with just 14 volumes of bliss, then I imagine that you can gain even more from these amazing pages.

If you've EVER been to college, even for a short time like me ;) then these comics are for you. Being a comp. sci. major (same as the main characters) these especally appealed to me. Visit the website and read them for yourself, and then buy this book so you can read a hard copy again and again.

Six young men live in a high-occupancy dorm. They love video games, goofing off and parties. Not much of a plot, just weird, twisted fun as they deal with school, girls and low grades.

I've been a fan of Mac Hall from near it's beginning online. It was great, and I had a lot to relate with since I was in college at the time. I've finally gotten the book and it's great. Not only do you get the comic in a form that allows you to get away from the computer :) the commentary from the artist and the writer make for some even funner insite.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of the comic, and fans of web comics in general.

I have to say, this is the first comic collection that I have ever read beginning to end in less than twenty-four hours and it is my absolute favorite among the now vast amount of webcomics out there. Matt and Ian are a writer and artist duo unlike any pair I've ever seen collaborate together before; and I am so happy to see how far MacHall has evolved under their hobby-style devotion to it.

My boyfriend is obsessed with old Calvin & Hobbes comics, and I'm happy to tell him that MacHall's my "Calvin & Hobbes".

Production values for this book are wonderful; the colors are true; the art is engaging and interesting; a number of the strips are laugh-out-loud funny even for someone who hasn't attended college for -- well, let's just leave it at Some While. For these things alone, this book is worth buying and reading.

But.

What I found even more compelling than the comic are the notes from Matt and Ian along the side of every page. The notes not only detail the beginning of the collaboration and the development of the comic, but offer insight into college life, and paint vivid pictures of the authors, and the creative process. *Well* done.

You may not be the greatest manga artist, but you WILL have the confidence to start.

I bought this book for my 17-year old stepson who always loves manga. He is very excited to have this book that can teach him Manga from very basic stuff to the leve he can draw himself.
Ths shipping is very fast although I chose free-shipping for order 25$, it arrived in a week.

I love Amazon!

I'm learning all sorts of things I never knew about manga - the history, the drawing techniques, the characters, and even the storylines. Very impressive! I've never seen a manga drawing book this clear and informative. The simple, conversational writing is easy to follow and funny. It's organized well, so flipping through for pertinent information is a breeze. And, of course, the drawing is amazing. This is a must-read for anyone who loves manga and/or wants to draw it. I'm developing a new appreciation for this art.

I was, at best, ignorant in regards to manga and mediocre in regards to drawing. This book improved both these deficiencies with its friendly and informative text, and its clear and step-by-step drawings. I definitely recommend this book as an accessible introduction to the genre and art of manga.

I bought this book because of my interest in Manga art but, this book took me beyond drawing. The author, besides being a good artist, is a great teacher. This book is full of information and history. I got this book to learn to draw Manga type art but, I became drawn into the words of the author. You can sense his respect for it's history and his want for the reader to understand all there is to know about Manga. The book is very easy to follow and when (and if) you get to the "How to Draw" part of the book, it takes you through a very easy, step by step process.
I feel this book was a wonderful purchase on my part.

This has become one of my favorite comics. Great addition to your Batman Library

If I have a chance to grab only a few graphic novels in a fire, this is one of them. A story that made a lasting impression and I can still visualist many panels from. A fabulous tale of one man's quest to do right, break his conditioning and stamp out an evil.

It doesn't help to have the help of a beautiful woman, Batman, and a master ninja. There are lots of ninjas and clones around, as well.

Masterful art and storytelling.

I was too young to appreciate these stories when they appeared in the Detective Comics I bought (for the Batman appearances) as a young kid. But I remembered them because of the artwork, and was really glad to have found this collection recently. While many of the elements that were fresh in 1974 are conventional today, this is still an example of fully dedicated comic book craftsmanship at its very best. Those who loved the clean, detailed, draftsman's approach to finished comic art that Terry Austin once brought to the pencils of John Byrne and Marshall Rogers will find similar satisfaction in Simonson's work here. A really great collection that shouldn't be missed.

This is an excellent "old" comic book. Through this compilation you can see the evolution of Walt Simonson as an artist, guided by the expert hand of Archie Goodwin.
The stories are short, fast and crisp. A real pleasure to see how an able writer can shrink in 8 pages a plot that many others would need a full book or more to develop.
The final chapter is excellent. Simonson doing his best art, and a silent tribute to Goodwin's writing abilities. A must read.

...A must-read for any true comic fan. Some of the best storytelling, reviving the 1940's hero for the modern age. That a story so pure could be told through a series of 8-page back-up tales is a testament to the skills of Archie Goodwin and the newcomer Walter Simonson. A self-contained story, this is one of the best books you can buy today. It is truly a must-have!

This book is helpful as it has six stories instead of the five it was originally released with, the last WORLDS WITHOUT END being a particular favourite of mine

As a longtime Silver Surfer fan, who didn't managed to keep very many issues over the years, I am delighted to find a collection such as this. I am not at all disappointed with my purchase, but will have to struggle a bit to limit my reading of this to just a few times so that I can keep it in pristine condition.

The art of this collection is exquisitely beautiful, as always with Silver Surfer stories. "Masterworks" is truly an appropriate title because both the art and storytelling are masterful, treating Stan Lee's greatest character creation (in my opinion) with the loving care a masterpiece deserves.

The stories in this book very much embody the true essence of Silver Surfer and everything that is wonderful about his saga. Please excuse any gushing in my descriptions, but I am sure that many other female Surfer fans feel the same way I do about this amazing character.

Having read the six stories in this book without pausing, I am once again mesmerized and awed by the many exceptional qualities of my favorite superhero: self-sacrifice, insight, humanity despite not being human, kindness, trusting nature, sensitivity, the ever-cool surfing the solar winds skills, quick thinking, ability to look at the big picture, amazing speed, no apparent Achilles heel (other than a trusting and kind nature), purity of motives and spirit, no human flaws such as greed or pride, compassion, tremendous power, etc. Also, his expressions are often incredibly endearing; for example, frequent expressions of surprise and delight, which contrast nicely to his normal stoicism. The unique and engaging villains are also an interesting element in these tales.

The morals and values present in these stories are highly significant. I believe kids should definitely be encouraged to read them. Parents striving to raise decent human beings, and the heroes of our future, would do well to encourage this pursuit because the lessons in this book are well worth learning.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles, and Silver Surfer fan

If the comics are reprinted under the Marvel Masterworks title, it's gotta be a masterpiece, and the Silver Surfer stories written by Stan Lee are definitely classics.

The Silver Surfer has always been one of my favorite comic characters, unfortunately, there were never many Silver Surfer books. This TPB collects the first 6 issues of the original Silver Surfer story. Written by legend among comic creaters, and founder of Marvel, Stan Lee, and pencilled by a lengend in his own right, John Buscema. Together they bring us one of the best comics of Marvel, the origin of the Silver Surfer. Originallt named Norrin Radd, the Silver Surfers acquired his powers of the cosmos when the almighty Galactus threatened to destroy Norrin Radd's home planet. To save his planet Norrin Radd became Galactus's herald looking for other planets for Galactus to devour, in the process, acquiring his powers. But when the Silver Surfer defied Galactus when he tried to devour Earth, Galactus trapped the Surfer on Earth. But even though the Surfer save Earth from being destroyed, the humans did not know it and always thought of the Silver Surfer as a menace, too blinded by the fact that he's different to see his good will. On Earth, the Sufer will fight many villains, including a misterious alien race, Mephisto, and even the Mighty Thor, but only because he was decieved by the evil Loki. But even after all he has done the human race just cannot except him, instead they hate and fear him. This book is beautifully written, wonderful story, and great read.

If you're a Silve Surfer fan, this is a must-have, beautifully restored and you are bound to enjoy it.

The reason I give this four stars, not five, is because I didn't like the first two issues collected very much. They are OK, but the series really gets going with issue 3, in which he battles Miphisto for the first time and which is one of the greatest Marvel comics ever! I didn't really care much for Silver Surfer before reading this issue, which captures his unique personality, nobility and charm extremely well. I read the issue without any prior knowledge that issue 3 was regarded as a classic so there was no preconceived notions on my part. I liked it based on its merit alone. Later, I found out that the story is highly regarded in many circules and all I can say is that it truly deserves to be called a classic. Issues four and onwards maintain a high quality also, although not as good as the flawless issue 3. And Buscema's art is brilliant. As much as I like Kirby, he draws the Silver Surfer much, much better. This is even better than his early Conan work, in which he kind of drew Conan looking a bit too weak for my tastes. And I never really held Stan Lee in such high regard before reading the Masterworks volumes. I always thought he was just a self-promoter but his work stands well on its own. The fact that he and Kirby created so many classic characters is testament to his talent as a writer/creator.

I read these when they first came out and they were my instant favorites--the issues featured some of Lee's best writing and art by Buscema (always great). What more could one want? You can read some of the other reviews for summaries, but issue #5 won the "Academy Award" for best comic that year and it holds up well over time.

As I re-read these issues, I was still impressed by everything, but I can also see why the series didn't last. For most comic readers of the time (perhaps today as well), the Surfer is sometimes overly preachy and the conflicts (inner and outer) are very serious with none of the humorous banter that shows up in the FF or the wise-cracking Spiderman. Though originally created by Jack Kirby, the Surfer as taken over by Lee and Buscema becomes more like the early Ditko Spiderman who can't ever get a break. However, Marvel was reaching for an older audience (hence the "expensive" 25 cent larger size), and, unfortunately, it didn't work well enough. The last few issues (in the second volume) are a disappointment as Lee drops back to a smaller comic size and lower price and introduces guest-star battles. Even so, these Surfer issues remain one of Marvel's (and Stan Lee's) brightest accomplishments.

GREAT ! entertainment for the youngsters its aimed at." I know I certainly enjoyed it when I was a kid ! Assuming your youngsters are old enough to read, it's a great way to start a life long devotion to comics. It's a shame used copies are so expensive.

I own all the original Metal Men comics, but with this book,I don't have to take them out of their bags in the attic. These quirky tales personify the Silver Age and are as fun to read now as back in the 60s. Can't wait until future volumes are released.

Metal Men was one of my favorite comics as a child, even though it's a lot less well known than most. Maybe I liked it because getting super-powers is hard (the near-fatal freak accidents that were required seemed scary), while it didn't seem so impossible to become a scientific genius and invent some super-heroes who would look up to you (or even, in the case of Tina the platinum robot, fall in love with you in a kind of reverse-Pygmalion kind of way.)

Looking at the series from decades farther along, you see the plot problems- the amazing coincidences that helped Dr. Magnus (such as always having a "magnetizing ray" on hand when you need one); the fact that Dr. Magnus and 5/6 of the Metal Men had a pre-adolescent male contempt for women (apparently Tina was originally intended by Dr. Magnus only as a pretty thing to look at, and he neither thought of her as a woman nor as a useful fighting member of the team- so she had to struggle mightily to be accepted on both those fronts.) And while the series tried to be conscious of the chemical and physical properties of the metals the Metal Men represent, there are occasional goofs, my favorite being a scene of Dr. Magnus carrying Tina- it's only credible if he has the strength of a construction crane.

On the other hand, Metal Men had some of the most bizarre villains in the comics, and two of the most memorable debut in this collection: Chemo, whose chemical blasts had as unpredictable an effect on things and people as red kryptonite did on Superman; and the Missile Men, an army of duplicates created by a renegade robot who had actually been trying to create a Queen.

The Metal Men Archives Vol.1 is a MUST HAVE for any serious DC Comics collector. They were way ahead of their time and it's easy to see after only a chapter or two why they still grab and hold your attention after all these years. The artwork is amazing and the characters seem to jump right off the pages. Don't be left out, order your copy today and enjoy...it's pure platimum from cover to cover!

In the early '60s, my mother would sometimes bring home a comic book for me to read. One I remember best was a band of robots known as the Metal Men.

Constructed by the genius Dr. Will Magnus, each of these robots had abilities which reflected the metal of which they were constructed, i.e. Gold was very malleable, and could form very thin sheets or stretch to extraordinary lengths. Iron was strong, and often formed battering rams, girders, cranes, and other tools. Lead frequently formed barriers against radiation, as well as heavy objects which Iron would throw or swing against their foes. Mercury frequently boasted that he was the only metal liquid at room temperature, and so could flow into narrow spaces. Tin was physically weak, a flimsy robot easily crushed, but would sometimes form a plating over one of the other robots as a protection against some corrosive agent. Tina (the only robot with a personal name) was made of platinum, and was often observed to stretch herself into a fine wire, ensnaring their enemies by winding herself around them.

Over the years, I would sometimes recall their individual personalities, level-headed Gold, strong, resourceful Iron, stalwart Lead, boastful, argumentative Mercury, timid, insecure Tin, and most of all, Tina, the stunningly beautiful platinum robot who was more emotionally warm and loving than many human women. These were basic qualities which are seen as ideals or flaws in humans, examplified in not-quite-human form.

Each adventure would pit them against some peculiar foe which would give them an opportunity to demonstrate their personality characteristics, as well as a simple science lesson involving the characteristics of their metal bodies.
In many adventures, one or more of the team would sacrifice themselves, only to be reconstructed by Dr. Magnus, where we would be given a peek into the manner in which they were formed. As it turned out, they weren't assembled like an automobile, but more correctly cast or forged from pure metal, which was somehow animated by a device called a "responsometer". This was what allowed them to change shape without losing alignment of internal parts. They were drawn in a manner which suggested their human characteristics, with very human facial features and physiques with visible muscles, and only small hints at their robotic nature, such a exposed rivets in a few locations, notably at the edge of their face, on their abdomen, and near their wrists and ankles. They resembled living metallic statues with human personalities rather than mere automatons assembled out of parts, and the stories portrayed them essentially in this manner as well.

Most adventures included a bit of an ongoing drama of unrequited affection, in which Tina was in love with Dr. Magnus, who was obviously in denial. He would sometimes slip up and say something kind to her, then correct himself and remind her, usually in an unfeeling way, that she was "only a robot". But what a robot she was! Her cold metal body housed a genuinely warm and tender personality. I often felt her anguish when he would caustically reject her. Seeing her tears wrenched my heart just as it did years ago. Who wouldn't want a friend and companion such as Tina, robotic or not?
I was interested to learn that the Metal Men have had recurring "guest appearances" in other DC comics. The DC One Million series of a few years ago revealed that Tina at least still exists and functions 85,000 years from now, where she gives testimony regarding the identity and authenticity of Superman.

Some of the plot points in these stories from 1962 and 1963 were a little naive, for example their very first adventure has them battling a prehistoric flying stingray which has been mutated by radioactive meteorites.
In another story, an evil robot from another planet was abandoned on a "junkyard" planet, and tried to construct a "queen" to rule alongside it. Why? Apparantly because that was the natural thing to do. When it was unable to build anything other than duplicates of itself, it decided to capture Tina as its queen.
In another adventure, another planet inhabited by robots had exact robot analogies to Earth life forms, so we saw robot birds which laid metal eggs, robot crabs, robot rulers who hunted with robot falcons, etc. Food on this planet resembled oranges, lemons, grapes, etc, although with unique properties.

None of this detracted from the entertainment value of the Metal Men, who were, after all, the reason we were reading in the first place.

I was very pleased to find The Metal Men Archives, which collects their earliest nine adventures from March 1962 to December 1963 into one, hardbound volume. The book is printed in full color, on much better paper than the original comics, and includes the original cover art as well as the contents. These nine adventures were all new to me, apparantly the issues I had read came from later in their run, which lasted until December 1969. At the current price of comic books, this volume is a bargain.

Reading this was very entertaining. I was elated to see the Metal Men in action once more. It was refreshing to see their individual personality strengths and weaknesses, and especially to see Tina professing her devotion to the (totally undeserving) Dr. Magnus.

I enjoyed the team spirit of the group, their positive interactions as well as the occassional bickering between, for example, Mercury and Tina. I found these stories to be somewhat inspiring in that, ideal or not, each robot demonstrated that anyone can do the right thing. Flimsy Tin, although knowing his limited abilities, could face enemies just as bravely as strong Iron. Although unpredictable, when faced with disaster, Tina still frequently managed to think of solutions which would save the entire group. Thus, anyone of the group, regardless of their abilities or personalities, could end up being a hero.

I eagerly look forward to Volume 2 (as well as the Metal Men movie which is currently in the works).

Geetesh Bajaj and Echo Swinford are both Microsoft PowerPoint MVPs. Both have written excellent books detailing how to get the most out of PowerPoint. Now they've joined forces to show you how to give your presentations a makeover. PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit contains eight case studies of presentations that need some help. Each presentation is OK as it has been done, but Bajaj and Swinford show how, in just a few steps, each presentation can be made better.

The book starts off with a section detailing how PowerPoint 2007 differs from previous versions. There are a lot of changes that have been made, especially the Ribbon menu interface, and it's important for people who have used previous versions of PowerPoint to understand how these changes affect how you use PowerPoint 2007.

Once the basics have been covered, the case studies start. Bland corporate presentations, basic and boring school project presentations, kiosk displays -- they're all covered, and all made over. The addition of Themes in PP 2007 helps designers a lot -- you can give a consistent look to your PowerPoint and other Office documents, and Bajaj and Swinford use Themes to great advantage in this book.

Of course, the book includes a CD-ROM. Each makeover, both before and after slides, is included, as well as many templates and themes, images, and PowerPoint tools. The CD content is valued at over $100, so it's certainly worth the price of the book just to get the CD!

But the book is valuable in itself. You can read and read instructions on how to do something, but sometimes it doesn't really sink in until you actually do something on your own. You can sit down with the 'before' slides in this book and follow along step-by-step with the book, or you can try your hand at doing it yourself, using the techniques you learn in the book. And then you can get to work on all the dull presentations you've got on your hard drive, kicking them up a few notches.

Obviously, PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit assumes you know how to use PowerPoint, and that you have a copy of PP 2007 of your own. But PowerPoint users of all skill levels can learn something from Bajaj and Swinford.

As a program director for a university that presents conferences and seminars, it is my responsibility to review powerpoint presentations given by our speakers. To be perfectly frank, the majority of the presentations are "borrrrrrrrrring". This kit is the perfect tool needed to turn the presentations into presentations that are not only easier to read, but much more interesting to view. The easy to follow exercises make even a "newbie" to powerpoint look like a pro. It's "hands-on" approach is by far the best teaching tool I have encountered. Kudo's to the authors - GREAT JOB!

Where Cutting Edge PowerPoint 2007 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) ends PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit begins. This book is a wonderful addition to any library for those who want to quickly design exceptional PowerPoint presentational slides. Each section is thorough and complete in its content and detail. The authors show both before and after images and instructions to enable the novice to easily gain the talent to completely revamp their own projects.

Whether you envision a simple presentation or a complex Trade Show Loop with all the capabilities PowerPoint has to offer you will find the tools you are looking for within the contents of this edition.

This is a excellent compliment to my own, Presentational Skills for the Next Generation, self-help book.

I have read, reviewed and edited many books on the topic of software and design. This is one of the most engaging and practical software books I've read on the specific subject of a specific application.

Bajaj and Swinford have used an engaging "makeover" approach to demonstrate the features of PowerPoint. This gives the reader an unusually (and welcome) practical application of the concepts--much more useful than reading a technical manual.

The ideas and lessons in the book are not limited to PowerPoint 2007! The design concepts are sound. (Just because you have a design tool doesn't mean you design well, so learn about both!)

If you use PowerPoint to communicate, influence or entertain, get this book.

I own and operate a presentation design and training company. With my responsibilities, it never hurts to stay up to speed with anything related to PowerPoint. This is an excellent resource and I have recommended it to my entire team. In addition, the CD which is included is a great value added item. Overall, this is a great read and resource.

Would anyone in her right mind choose a crazy bag lady as a protagonist in a mystery? Of course she would, if she was Margaret Moseley, a writer with a prodigious stock of good sense, and a seemingly endless supply of eccentric characters. She has given us a delightful crackpot of a heroine in her latest novel, Milicent Le Sueur,the most recent work in a line of novels featuring appealing and resilient women lead characters.

Milicent LeSueur is crazy all right, but crazy like a fox, and Moseley uses Milicent's ability to be invisible to put her on the inside track to solving a murder. You know no one pays much attention to the homeless; in fact, people go out of their way to avoid those outsiders who mutter to themselves as they push bag-laden shopping carts through the streets of our cities and towns. Moseley makes the most of Milicent's membership in the homeless invisibles in her plotting.

Making your heroine a bag lady requires a certain delicacy, a gentleness with language, and a boundless respect for humanity, so as to avoid seeming opportunistic or voyeuristic or judgmental. Milicent is a homeless bag lady, but her situation is one she has chosen, her independence is her sustenance, and her voice and character are indelible.

The only other writer I have encountered who treats the homeless community with such affection in fiction is Samuel Delany. He exhibits a gentle acceptance of all sorts of human failings, and manages to embrace them and imbue them with a real strength and love. Moseley does the same with Milicent.

Our intrepid bag-lady heroine has all the traits of obsessive compulsive behavior -- she counts phone rings, chair squeaks, imitates sounds of car doors shutting, and has a full quota of neuroses and psychoses that intrude into her internal and external dialogues with a startling regularity.

Milicent explains her situation early in the book: "Now here is why I am called Milicent Le Sueur. I really am a Milicent, although I think it's spelled different, but it doesn't matter about that. What matters is that I am every woman's worst nightmare come to life."

While she is putting out the garbage in the alleyway behind her house in her old life, an elderly homeless man asks for some food. Milicent feeds him a huge meal, and he goes on his way to Portsmith ("Hear tell they have good alleys to eat from") thanking her and calling her Mrs. Le Sueur because she fed him some sweet peas.

Shortly thereafter she finds herself in the grocery store with 3 carts filled with cans of Le Sueur peas, signing a check with the name Milicent Le Sueur. "There were those who wanted to have me tested, so I just up and moved to Portsmith," Milicent explains, and adds matter-of-factly that her first name had been spelled differently in her old life, but it is Milicent now because that's the way it appeared on her first police report.

It is this matter-of-factness that gives Moseley's book its deep sense of truth. Nothing that Milicent does -- whether it be rooting in garbage cans for food, sleeping in cardboard boxes, bathing in a fast-food restaurant bathroom, obsessively counting leaves or squeaks or building blocks or sounds,acting in a play, solving a mystery or screaming at passersby -- is colored by any judgment. The descriptions are all couched in practicality ... Milicent's actions are simply what a person has to do to survive when that person has chosen to depart from regular society.

That said, Milicent is not your ordinary bag lady. She lives in a smallish town where, being the only bag lady, she has become a tolerated, if not totally beloved, eccentric part of the local scenery. She manages to hold a regular (well, irregularly regular) job, cleaning the toilet in the local KFC in exchange for a meal. She has made a friend of the chief of police and a few respected citizens who protect her in many ways.

At the opening of the book Milicent is a witness to the death of a young woman hit by a car. At least, that's what everyone thinks. But some of the townsfolk wonder whether Milicent herself could be a prime suspect in the slaying, so her pal Wade Tate the police chief puts her in a holding cell to protect her. He also wants as much information as he can get about the circumstances surrounding the accident, which happened near Milicent's sleeping spot, and Milicent is his only source of clues. But getting answers out of this delightfully befogged woman is a chore that would stymie Sherlock Holmes. Wade Tate is no ordinary police chief, though, and he knows how to speak Milicent's language.

Taking the investigation into her own hands, Milicent goes underground to root around and find out who killed this "angel" and why the killer is determined to pin the crime on the town's only bag lady.

Her journey not only solves the mystery of the killing, but it also goes a long way to solving the mystery of Milicent Le Sueur herself. Moseley has given us one more of her delightfully eccentric, strong women; Milicent is a character who will return again and again to the mind of anyone who encounters her.

I seldom pop out laughing when I am reading a book...especially a mystery. As Milicent's character develops and my affection for her increases, I am touched by the plight of all the people she represents. The humor she distributes does not dilute the suspense. Moseley is a natural humorist and Milicent is a most refreshing read. Could there be a sequel?

Everyone needs a Millicent Le Sueur in their lives! a Bag Lady? ... yeah, right! A formibable task for for any author. Yet Ms. Moseley flawlessley pulls it off. You not only care deeply about this high spirited and loveable character but you quickly become intrigued with what Millicent will do next. The pages will fly.
The lady with the 10 perfect bags is a breath of fresh air as she floats between her rock and her hard place. What flair! What Style! Makes you want to shout, BRAVO, Millicent!

I had the pleasure of meeting Milicent Lesueurs'Author before Milicent with one L was published, at that time I learned about Bonita Faye and the other wonderful books by this Fantastic Author. Mrs. Moseley can take a charater and make it live, everytime I see a KFC I'll think about a biscuit and coffee. And Milicent with one L, she's a little bit of me and everyone else I know, Wade Tate is a very kind hearted man who cares for Milicent, and wants to protect her. And then there's Miss Vinnie Ledbetter and last but not forgotten KAREN. I've told everyone I meet about Margaret Mosesly and all of her wonderful books, and I was just sorry Milicent LeSueur from the Green Pea LeSueur wasn't longer, I looking forward to more of Margaret Moseley.

Margaret Moseley (of BONITA FAYE fame) manages once again to get inside the head of an eccentric female protagonist and make her readers believe every bizarre twist on the wild ride. From the get-go, Moseley's Milicent Le Sueur captured my curiosity and lured me deeper into a tale of murder and deceit, inviting me to revel in the quirks of the schizophrenic bag lady as the only witness to the killing of a young girl.

You'll find yourself counting along with her as she obsessively accounts for all of her shopping bags, the steps into the police station, and which cell she'll sleep in at the station. She's comedic and tragic, and she'll steal your heart. Don't plan to accomplish anything constructive once you start reading--MILICENT LE SUEUR is a reading-at-stoplights-on-the-way-home kind of book!

This book is adorable and is really nicely illustrated. I love the story and the rhymes are cute and not scary at all for the little ones and the pictures are sweet. I can't comment on my daughter liking it since she's only one year old, but I got her this book for her first Halloween after I briefly thumbed through it at the bookstore. It's even pretty enough to give as a gift. Really cute.

I love this book as much as my little girl. The illustrations are beautiful and really suck you into the story.
I would definately recommend this to any mom out there who is looking for a good Halloween book.

A wonderful poetic book...made for parental pleasure and equally pleasing to the youngsters too. You won't dread re-reading this book multiple times. Goes great with the author's "Twisted Sistahs".

I love this book as much as my (...)son does. He wants me to read it to him all the time. And what a great message at the end of the book.

Since children are always especially entranced while listening to a story about a character who shares their name, when we learned of this book we purchased it as a gift to a very young "Miss Fiona". While it certainly doesn't rise to the really exceptional level of a potential classic, it definitely is an above average story wonderfully complemented by the accompanying color illustrations by Karen Crouch of Miss Fiona and her multitude of cats and pumpkins.

As the title suggests, this is a cheery Halloween story. Miss Fiona is a very old woman who dresses like a witch and lives "past the spooky graveyard...in a big old haunted house". However, if she is a witch, she must be related to the Good Witch of the East rather than the Wicked Witch of the West, since her specialty is preparing MISS FIONA"S STUPENDOUS PUMPKIN PIECES which she refuses to serve until midnight after all the other houses have been visited by the youngsters for their "trick or treat".

The mood is upbeat, and the lessons (regarding how incorrect preconceptions can be - Halloween stories don't have to be scary and witches don't have to be bad) are incorporated into the story in a subtly effective way.

The story is told in rough verse with generally rhyming stanza. It certainly would not win any awards in a poetry contest but is a very effective and appealing way of telling this story to its intended audience.

It is always difficult for me to rate books outside my areas of specialization, particularly books for very young children. (In addition, my knowledge of the subgenre of children's Halloween stories is almost nil.) Nevertheless, based on my extensive reading many years ago of stories to my two daughters as well as my more limited reading of the genre since then, my opinion is that while the illustrations so perfectly fit the story that they might deserve five stars, the story itself and the verse by which it is told combine to produce a composite rating below that level. However, I want to emphasize that this is a story that I believe will be thoroughly enjoyed by the young children to whom it is read and the slightly older beginning readers who can have the pleasure of reading it themselves.

Tucker Andersen