Readers Books

I used this book to explain mission work and Project Heifer to my Sunday School children. It is a really good book with an important message. The pictures are vivid and really great. Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful little book that highlights the Heifer International Program. I purchased twelve copies to give to participants in a children's sermon at my church. The sermon dealt with sharing our many blessings with those in the world who are less fortunate.

My one disappointment with this book was the comments by Hillary Clinton on the cover. I work hard at keeping my politics separate from my church, and I was shocked and appalled that a story about this wonderful program was contaminated in this manner. I never would have purchased the book for this purpose had I known.

highly recommend for all kids! great reality check for kids and a very touching story that kids want you to read over again. It got my boys in the mind set to help kids like Beatrice by saving money and buying an animal for a family who really needs it.

My 5 year old adores this book. On one level, it is a charming story of a girl who loves her goat. But while my daughter is being entertained, she is also learning about life in a different culture and about the power of giving in a way that helps a person help oneself.

This book is recommended for ages 4-8, but we checked it out of the library for my three-year-old and it's clear we will have to buy it. She wants to read it every day, and we have promised her that we will buy a goat for a girl in Africa this Christmas. The illustrations are quite beautiful, and the story is so sweet that I often find myself tearing up on the last page, even though I've read it daily for a couple of weeks now.

Most books that claim to be "easy readers" require a first-second grade reading level. Bob Books start out at a much lower level. To read book 1 the child must know only "m" "a" "t" and "s." I have seen no other readers that start at such a basic level.

My children love the characters and feel so good about their reading ability. Only Bob Books afford them the feeling of accomplishment that comes from finishing a whole book. When I first purchased them I was a bit surprised at how "homemade" they seemed, but now I see how perfect they really are for new readers.

I bought lots of phonics books for my pre-schooler, and these were the WINNERS! I recommend them to all my friends with young children and agree with the other reviewers who say these books are "IT!" You will be glad you bought them!

The Bob books should be available to all young children. They are age appropriate through about age 7. Children love their size, charming line drawings, and simple stories. I teach first grade in a public school and feel that this type of book is invaluable for beginning readers. All the children I have ever taught have gravitated to the Bob books. They will literally "toss" aside the high quality literature books that are deemed most appropriate for children by leading educators today. The reason is because the Bob books are truly appropriate for young children. Get Bob! Get Reading! Get Success!

I LOVE these books. I looked everywhere for books to jump start my 5 year old into reading. These are perfect. Almost all the words can be sounded out using the "short" vowel sounds. Untill now every book I found was either too long, or too dificult, or epxected the child to know too many "sight" words and my daughter didn't even want to start. But with the BOB books, she can read a whole book by herself. After working with two of these sets I can truly say she is reading! No need to memorize dozens of sight words before getting started. No understanding complicated "rules". I would recommend these books to all begining readers. They are well worth the money, I wish I found them earlier!

My daughters used Bob Books in 1980 to learn to read. They loved the stories and took great pride in reading to their pre-school class. It is no wonder that I return to buy a set for my Granddaughter . . . I know she will love Sam, Max and all the others as much as her mom and aunties did! Your child's esteem will soar as they progress through the books. This is a 5 star buy for your child.

Pip is a 15 year old boy that drinks and does drugs that you can usually either find at a cemetary or smoking behind a deli. Life at home isn't to great for him, his father is an alcoholic that is usually angry and his mother pops pills. His little brother looks up to him, even though Pip does not want him to, his little brother doesn't understand what really goes on. Pip has to keep good watch of him because he is exposed to alcohol and drugs and doesnt want his brother to get into those kinds of things even though he doesnt get a hold of them. In the book Pip has to death with trying to not get kicked out of school, family issues, forced counseling, drugs and alcohol addictions. This book is excelant because it talks about problems most teen-agers have and are trying to deal with.
-By Kayla

All parents of teenage boys should read this book. It is a remarkable porthole into their minds. Although written by a woman, both my son and I agree that it taps into this young man's psychy. Very good story, well written, informative.

When you get into High School, there is a lot of pressure. Sometimes people ask you to do things you don't want to do, like drinking and doing drugs, but you go and do them because you think it's cool. If you decide to go along with it, you may regret it when you look back. In Bottled Up, the main character, Pip, is stuck in a place where he thinks everything's okay, doing drugs and drinking underage is fine. When he finally gets hit by reality, his principal finds out and threatens him by saying if he goes to counseling and his classes, he won't tell his father, Pip has to make a huge decision. His father is the kind of dad that likes to drink a lot and hits his children. Pip figures that if his father finds out, it might be the last thing that ever happens to him. He agrees to go to the 'stupid' counseling and tries to find out who he really is. A good reason to read Bottled Up is that it captures you attention, where the reader could get through this book in a matter of hours without putting it down. It makes the person reading the book feel as though they are really there, right with Pip every time something dramatic happens. Another good reason to read Bottled up is that no matter if the reader is a teen or an adult, this book can still be related to their life. If they are an adult, the reader might being seeing things from a different view, being a parent. The best reason to read Bottled Up is whether the reader is a male or female, the book is still fitting. Even though Pip is a guy, girls still go through the things he does. Whatever age and sex the reader is, the book can still be related to. In conclusion, this is a great book for all teenagers in High School and parents. It focuses in on the trouble of being a teen when you start heading the wrong way. This book shows that no matter how far you go down the wrong path, you can always turn back.


-Sarah Burd
Block 3

Pip is desperate to leave behind his life, and all of his problems. He does this by getting high, drinking and cutting classes. He feels his family, including an alcoholic dad, a doormat mom, and a needy little brother, dont understand. Hes busted by his principal and is given the choice to either take counciling, or be expelled. Pip must turn his life around for the sake of himself, and his brother.

Bottled Up is a great, relatable book for any average teenager. Pip struggles with his alcoholic father at home and overbearing teachers at school. He is responsible for his little brother as well as keeping his grades up and making sure his drugs and alcohol use under the radar.
It's a good read.

The characters in this book are four famous girls. There names are Galleria, Dorinda, Channel, and Aqua. Dorinda is there best dancer that teaches them the moves that they will need for there next chance to be on stage. Aqua is there best singer because she has such a great voice. Channel and Galleria are the ones who work together to write the songs and make the cover on there disk. Aqua, Dorinda, Galleria, and Channel meet Jackel Johnson and get this big chance to live there world wide dream. But Galleria says no and decides to turn her back away from this big chance. Latter her and Dorinda, and Aqua, and Channel meet down town because Galleria's dog gets stuck and shows up on live tv. You wanna now if they become friends again well you'll half to find out yourself by reading this magnificent book. This was typed by: Jenny

Hello.
I'm a Cheetah Girls fan. This book is special. Because it tells different stories from each girl.

Wishing On A Star: You mostly get to know Galleria in this book. So yeah, this is mostly about Galleria with The Cheetah's, Chanel, and the weird guy, Derek with this sidekick, Macarol. Spelling this right??? But anyway, this book is funny and fun!

Shop In The Name Of Love: Chanel uses her mothers credit card and she visits her stepmothers salon. Her mother gets angry. But later lends Chanel the credit card for one thing. Chanel buys more like 20 different things. Then, she gets in big trouble and has to work at Toto in New York....Fun in Diva Sizes. [ Galleria's mothers shop.]This book is hip and hot!

Who's Bout To Bounce: This one's magical. It's amazing how Dorinda has so many brothers and sisters. She really loves them. Miss Bosco [ Her Foster Mom.] Has an adoption party. But, the twist is, for " reasons" she can't adopt her. It's a good book.

Hey, Ho Hollywood!: This is a great book. Angie and Aqua's dad's girlfriend Aballa Shalla whatever. But they [ Cheetah Girls] perform at the Apollo theater and they lose. But this book is sweet.


This is one sassy book! Buy this lovely book!

It's Awesome!

Thank you for taking your time to read my review!

"Welcome to the Glitterdome." Galleria Garibaldi is a diva in training along with Chanel, Dorinda, Anginette or Angie for short and her twin Aquanette or Aqua. All of these girls dreams are to get a record deal, go to Hollywood and become famous. Galleria and Chanel have been friends ever science they were little. Galleria met Dorinda in a chat room and found out that they go to the same school.She met Angie and Aqua at a meeting but soon found out that they go to different schools. Dorinda loves to dance and sing but one day her dance teacher told her to try out for a dance compotion. Dorinda did not think that she would make it but she did. What would you do in her situation? Would you choose to just not to do the dance compotion or to leave the Cheetah Girls? The girls relationship is very strog because they help eachother out all of the time. This book is apart of a series. The plot of the story is these five girls are having a really hard time on finding a record deal so they can go to Hollywood. Will the girls be albe to find a record deal? Find out by reading this fantastic book.

"Welcome to the Glitterdome." Galleria Garibaldi is a diva in training along with Chanel, Dorinda, Anginette or Angie for short and her twin Aquanette or Aqua. All of these girls dreams are to get a record deal, go to Hollywood and become famous. Galleria and Chanel have been friends ever science they were little. Galleria met Dorinda in a chat room and found out that they go to the same school.She met Angie and Aqua at a meeting but soon found out that they go to different schools. Dorinda loves to dance and sing but one day her dance teacher told her to try out for a dance compotion. Dorinda did not think that she would make it but she did. What would you do in her situation? Would you choose to just not to do the dance compotion or to leave the Cheetah Girls? The girls relationship is very strog because they help eachother out all of the time. This book is apart of a series. The plot of the story is these five girls are having a really hard time on finding a record deal so they can go to Hollywood. Will the girls be albe to find a record deal? Find out by reading this fantastic book.

This is a great book! I first saw the movie and it was GREAT! So then I decided to read the books.It only took me about 5 days to read this book,because I got into it. It is worth every penny and you won't be dissapointed!

Reviewed by India Furney (age 12) for Reader Views (12/07)

Darren Shan travels with Cirque Du Freak--a sideshow of non-human creatures like Wolf Man. He hides under the cover of the cirque from his human family and friends who think he is dead, when in reality he is a vampire prince. Now the cirque is going to his hometown. While there he runs into an old friend and has to make up a story about why he's still alive and hasn't aged.

He has been having nightmares for two years about a shadow-like man called Lord of the Shadows. The dreams are full of death and despair and the worst part is that he doesn't know if the Lord of the Shadows will be him or his old human friend, Steve Leopard, who is now the Lord of the Vampaneze. The Vampaneze are half human, half vampire.

I liked "Lord of the Shadows," but it was a little confusing coming in on the 11th book without reading the previous books. I'll have to go get the other "Cirque du Freak" books because I loved this one!

I was very satisfied with the service from this vendor. The book arrived in the time frame promised and in good condition.

Sent on time product was what I ordered and expected. I am very happy with my purcase.

Darren Shan is a wonderful writer and mygrandson and I love his books keep up the good work Darren you make reading great not only for young people but is old grandmas too Jan

This is the best book ever. It's the best book out of all of the whole series. I am really upset. Darren is going to become the Lord of the Sahdows.

My son loves this book! He can recite it to us, we've read it so much. It is a cautionary tale, but not in the creepy Hansel & Gretel sort of way. It shows how "mommy ducks" can get frustrated with "little ducks" when they don't listen. Daisy is never really in danger... and I think a little anxiety is good! This book has helped my son understand that he needs to listen to Mommy & Daddy because they are always looking out for his safety. When the family is out and about, and my son acts like Daisy (innocently curious, but nevertheless, NOT listening to our cries to stay close), my husband and I say "come along Daisy" or "you must stay close Daisy." This helps my son to remember the importance of listening to Mommy & Daddy. Besides this educational benefit, it is an awesome story! One that the whole family will remember even as my son grows into a man.

a great, interactive and charming story about a little duck named daisy. your little one will enjoy it!

A beautiful cautionary tale that my 30 months old son like it so much. He felt sad when Daisy was all alone. He pretended as Daisy talking with the Frog, bouncing on the bed. He showed his smiley face when mama duck appeared at the end.

When we were out, he sometimes stay close to me when I reminded him Daisy.

Daisy is a little duckling that doesn't listen. She is too busy chasing insects, playing with frogs and bouncing around. Her mom calls her plenty of times and warns her to stay near her at all times but Daisy is a defiant little duck until one day when she wanders too far. Daisy finds herself hiding from big scary things moving in the water under her and big scary birds flying over her head and the one time she really needs her mom, she isn't there. This is a book about a little defiant duck who learns her lesson. The illustrations are amazingly precious, simple yet full of life and sweetness. I very much enjoyed this story because I found the children I read it to playing with their rubber ducky in the bath, that looks like Daisy, hiding from their other toys. They were repeating lines from the story and smiling.

I suppose, in the strictest sense of the term, that "Come Along, Daisy" could be categorized as a cautionary tale. I mean, certainly there are negative consequences for any child that refuses to heed his or her mother while traveling. Still, the book cautions without scaring. It's a remarkably tender little tale that manages to be evocative and dark without descending into morbidity. And it's just doggone sweet.

Daisy is a young duckling, still wearing her yellow feathers and trailing after her mama. While out in the swamp one day, Mama tells Daisy to heed her and to not fall behind. Daisy, however, is too distracted to listen closely to her mother. There are fish to observe and dragonflies to chase. There are lily pads to jump on (with a "bouncy, bouncy, bouncy. Bong, bong!") and frogs to observe at close proximity. Unfortunately, soon Daisy's frog hops away leaving the small helpless duckling very much alone. Things under the lily pad scare her. Things flying up in the sky scare her. And a very loud noise definitely scares her. That is, until she find out that it's just Mama Duck with her customary, "Come along, Daisy". Needless to say, Daisy learns her lesson.

This is just one of the latest in a long line of books that inform children not to get separated from their parents in public spaces. Of course, it doesn't engage in much of the way of practical advice. Mama Duck doesn't tell Daisy that if she gets lost she should stand in one place and not move. But I suppose Mama Duck is in charge of the situation the entire time in this story. In any case, this is a just a good story that tells kids to listen to their guardians when out n' about. Author Jane Simmons also doubles as an illustrator for this story, and it is here that she really stands out and shines. Simmons has a grasp of perpective and tone that just fits her story like a warm comforting glove. Painted entirely in thick beautiful paints, the book shows the slight tints of the early morning sun, the fetid marshes when Daisy is abandoned, and the eerie green cattails of an unknown swamp. Characters are rendered beautifully as well. When Daisy is happy she leaps about with toddler-like abandon. When scared, her eyes stare blankly out behind an enormous worried beak. And when she sees her mother, at long last, her entire body arches towards her, going as fast as she possibly can.

Children can handle tales of abandonment if everything turns out well in the end. "Come Along, Daisy" has the added delight of there never being a particularly dire threat to the little duckling in the first place. Even that dark image of a hawk flying above shows Mama Duck swimming placidly nearby. There is great comfort in reading about Daisy's adventures. This book is a perfect little lesson about the bond between a child and its guardian, specifically that between mother and child. A wonderful beautiful book.

This book is an outstanding resource for readers who devour mysteries. Heising's multiple ways of listing books (geographical, by profession, etc.) provides a wealth of information for the reader who is always on the lookout for a new author. I just wish there was a new edition! I wouldn't part with this one, though. It's always a good way to start on a new author.

This reference work is invaluable in finding mystery series by woman up to 1999 or so, when I bought my copy. However, it is now very much out-of-date and of little use on newer series/authors/titles. I keep checking to see if there's a Detecting Women 4, and can still hope, but possibly this one is the end of the line. What a shame!

This is a wonderful tool to keep track of all those mystery books on your shelves. This book offers a comprehensive listing of women's fiction mysteries. Books are listed by author and title. It is great way to see the order of books written in a series. There is also a check list where you can check off the book once you purchase it, and then check it after you read it. I like to make notations next to the books once I finish the book. Books that have been nominated or received awards are designated with a star by the title.

Watching the Detectives
How far has Sue Grafton gotten in her alphabet mystery series? What's the first book in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series? Who are writing books featuring bed & breakfasts?

As those who love reading mystery series know, it's difficult to keep track of the hundreds of writers past and present who have contributed to the mystery genre, which is why reading sleuths will love "Detecting Women," a guidebook to the distaff side of mysteries.

This handsome, large paper bound book lists more than 600 series and 3,400 books written by women. Each entry contains a biographical introduction with the title and year of each book, and notes if the book has been nominated for any awards. Editor Wiletta Heising has done an exceptional job of breaking down the information, providing extensive lists that break down series by year, occupation, geographic location and even pseudonym.

The brief biographies are gold mines of fascinating information that invites lengthy browsing. Here is where you can learn that Grafton's fictional P.I. Kinsey Millhone will celebrate her 40th birthday once "`Z' is for Zero" appears in 2009 (when Grafton will be 69); that Agatha Christie wrote 35 novels featuring Hercule Poirot, and 12 about Jane Marple; and that the largely forgotten Anne Katherine Green is considered the "mother of the detective story," and was a best-selling author nine years before Arthur Conan Doyle put pen to paper.

Purple Moon also publishes a pocket guide to help mystery fans track of their favorite series, and comes with a notepad useful for noting suspects, clues, and books desired. "Detecting Women" provides a welcome overview of the rapidly expanding mystery field, and can reintroduce readers to now-forgotten and obscure writers. It is nothing less than required, fascinating reading for mystery fans.

How many times have you discovered a new author and tried to unravel the sequence of the series? Publishers sometimes list previous books - provided they published those previous books. Or the author's work is neatly cited in alphabetical order. Great if you've picked up Sue Grafton, not so good if the author is Martha Grimes. Or only the books still in print appear.

I edit two mystery newsletters, one for a general bookstore. My readers want to know series order. Short of tracking all the mystery writers yourself (good luck!), DETECTING WOMEN-3rd Ed. is the very best thing. Willetta Heising also includes bibliographies to catch the fancy of the most fanatic fan - settings, characters, types, historical venue, pseudonyms, and award nominees/winners. The master list even has blank spaces to accommodate future titles.

There has never been a more comprehensive listing. I wouldn't/couldn't prepare a newsletter without it. This is definitely a keeper -- until DETECTING WOMEN 4 comes along!

I was fascinated by Huxley's use of this story as a way of trying to explain his thoughts on "man's deep-seated urge to self-transcedence, of his very natural reluctance to take the hard, ascending way, and of his search for some bogus liberation either below or to one side of his personality" - as revealed by our dependecies on religion and in joining mass movements like fascism or communism, as well as sexuality and substance use and abuse.
In Chapter Three he focuses on the religious aspects of these tendencies to "desire - and desire, very often, with irresistable violence - the consciousness of being someone else."
In the Epilogue ["In amplification of material in Chapter Three)"], he expands on these ideas by discussing substance use and abuse: "Alcohol is but one of the many drugs employed by human beings as avenues of escape from the insulated self." He adds to this the use of "From poppy to curare, from Andean coca to Indian hemp and Siberian agaric, every plant or bush or fungus capable, when ingested, of stupifying or exciting or evoking visions....seems to prove that, always and everywhere, human beings have felt the radical inadequacy of their personal existence, the misery of being their insulate selves and not something else.."
He then continues with the "crowd delirium" of mass movements:
"The professional moralists who inveigh against drunkeness are strangely silent about the equally disgusting vice of herd-intoxication - of downward transcendence into subhumanity by the process of getting together in a mob." leading to "The final symptom of herd-intoxication is a manical violence. Instances of crowd-delirium culminating in gratuitous destructiveness, in ferocious self-mutilation, in fratracidal savagery without purpose and against the elementary interests of all concerned, are to be met with on almost every page of the anthropologists'textbooks and - a little less frequently, but still with dismal regularity - in the histories of even the most highly civilized peoples."
His concluding sentence: "Every idol, however exalted, turns out, in the long run, to be a Moloch, hungry for human sacrifice."

This book is not merely an historical essay describing the lurid details of the events at Loudun [other books on the subject do that job], Huxley covers far more ground and delves far deeper into the experience of being human than that; it can be disturbing at times, but also illuminating.
Huxley's own later use of psychedelic drugs [mescaline, and, as has been said, LSD while on his death-bed] - which he describes in "The Doors of Perception" [1954] - indicates that he was still trying to reach an understanding of self-transcendence - in a more positive light.

It is the early 17th century in Loudun, France. The local parish priest, Urbain Grandier, has become embattled in various local rivalries with civic magnates and ecclesiastical officials. He makes powerful enemies among them but they are helpless to action against for the moment. Both sides are determined to see victory and religious sanctity takes a back seat to revenge and personal gain. Against this backdrop an altogether remarkable occurrence takes place; the inhabitants of the local covenant experience an extraordinary case of mass possession by demons. The head of the covenant, Saeur Jeanne des Anges, experiences the worst of the possessions and under an exorcism conducted by Jean-Joseph Surin she, or the demon within her, places the blame squarely on the shoulders of Urbain Grandier. The moment his enemies have waited for has arrived.

For those who are fans of Huxley's fictional and non-fictional works this book is not one to be missed. Although it falls into the category of non-fiction as it tells the story of a historical event in 17th century France, Huxley uses his creative powers and imagination to make the tale come alive. Granted historians may have an issue with taking such liberties in writing about a historical event, but Huxley's goal is not `pure' history, a pretty questionable term in itself, but rather to tell the story of a remarkable event with all the drama and suspense that it deserves.

His account of the mass possession in Loudun is backed up by an admirable amount of research. It is clear that Huxley's knowledge of both the time and place extend far beyond the details of the story and serve to enlighten his account. His understanding of human psychology as plays a prominent role in this book. It goes beyond a simple recounting of historical events, which as interesting as they are does not in itself make the book a unique one. It is Huxley's continual fascination with the human mind that really makes this book special. After setting out the basic historical framework for the story, he attempts to reconstruct the psychological factors that played a large role there. After examining the individual characters from the Loudun saga, Huxley takes the time to reflect and draw conclusions about humanity in general and what drives people to believe themselves possessed and the further implications this has.

Whether one agrees with the validity of conducting a sort of psychological analysis of historical figures hundreds of years removed from us and then in turn using those conclusions to draw wider ones about humanity or a time period in general, this book is an immensely interesting read.

Huxley has written a wonderful study of witchcraft,demonic possession and social commentary that is an historical cornerstone.Both religion and psychiatry are carefully intertwined in this lengthy novel.Set in France, it explores the human condition at that time.Greed,jealousy,revenge and theatrical performances are core themata.The inquisitional pressure coupled with political appeasement on the local,state and national level are explored.Mad nuns teased by repressed sexual needs and the subsequent outcomes are discussed. The careful documentation of the interplay between religious fervor and satanic influence are revealed in this exacting book.The twisted motivations of maladjusted individuals and the harm they can cause,the somatic possibilities and manifestations,coverups and intrigue are deftly and intellectually examined and detailed.The horrors of torture,self mutilation and sexual deviation as viewed as deviate for the times, gives one a sense of being voyeuristically one of the crowd.Watching the nuns perform their tricks,allegedly possessed by devils for the benefit of the church is amusing.Sister Jeanne,Father Grandier and Father Surin are all players in the game of gods love,human sexual needs,demonic possession and rather kinky goings on in the nunnery.It's a regular satanically,sexual soap opera with much guilt, regret and tragedy at the end.Any fan of Huxley needs to read this if they haven't already.Fans of the origins of psychopathology will marvel at the many mechanisms of defense used as justifiers for actions that were over the top for a pre-enlightened world.For witchcraft afficionados this is required reading.Again, it is a long read but worth it for purely historical anaylysis of the crypto religious/sexual linkage that to some degree is still present today.A must read for lovers of this subject matter.

HOW does a book this important come to be out of print?!!

No matter. Used copies can be had here for very little. Buy one and read it.

One of the joys of reading is how one subject can lead to a serendipitous find. Having recently come across a brief reference to the early 17th century barking nuns of Loudon I went in search of a more detailed exploration. In Aldous Huxley's book I found all that I sought and much more.

Urbain Grandier, the local parson of Loudon, is a very naughty cleric who partakes much too much of the sensual world. One morsel happens to be the daughter of his best friend. She becomes pregnant with unhappy consequences for many people. Grandier manages in this way of behavior to alienate nearly every important Catholic in Loudon as well as make an enemey of Richelieu.

When Grandier spurns the local prioress, Sister Jeanne, she claims demonic possession at the hand of Grandier as do 2 of her nuns. Grandier may have been guilty of many sins, but demonic possession was not among them. Exorcists are brought in as much too destroy Grandier as to throw out the devils (7 specific ones inhabit Sister Jeanne alone). The exorcists produce devils in 14 more nuns. The public exorcisms provide great entertainment, reviving the local tourist industry, but eventually produce the trial of Grandier, who in due turn is burned at the stake. The story continues when the Jesuit Surin arrives to finally successfully exorcise Sister Jeanne's demons.

Huxley's 1952 work explores the psychological aspects of demonic possession and exorcism, sometimes brilliantly against the backdrop of the madnesses of his own time. Liberal rationalists had "fondly imagined" an end to persecutions of 'heretics'. Instead, as he observes "from our vantage point on the descending road of modern history, we now see that all the evils of religion can flourish without any belief in the supernatural, that convinced materialists are ready to worship their own jerry-built creations as though they were the Absolute, and that self-styled humanists will persecute their adversaries with all the zeal of Inquisitors exterminating the devotees of a personal and transcendant Satan...In order to justify their behavior, they turn their theories into dogmas, their bylaws into First Principles, their political bosses into Gods and all those who disagree with them into incarnate devils. This idolatrous transformation of the relative into the Absolute and the all too human into the Divine, makes it possible for them to indulge their ugliest passions with a clear conscience and in the certainty that they are working for the Highest Good."

In the last third of the book he explores the nature of Sister Jeanne's possession, the possession of her exorcist Surin, and the manner of her recovery. The modern mind has some difficulty here. Clearly Surin and possibly Jeanne believed in the reality of demonic possessions (it is worth noting that many learned men, including those behind Grandier's fall and most Jesuits did not believe in the authenticity of these possessions). At the same, Jeanne is also play-acting at times as she concedes in her own subsequent writings. They believed in the Devil, they believed in possession, but understood that the Devil could not overcome the will of the possessed. Huxley paints a poignant, if oddly amusing, scene when he describes how Surin ordered Jeanne's devils to discipline themselves - in other words to flagellate Jeanne. Two of the devils lay on the whip with gusto, but Balaam and Isacaaron abhorring pain, would barely swing the whip and yet the possessed Jeanne would scream in agonized suffering.

An absolutlely fascinating read by one of the great minds of the 20th century.

these books are a delight to read. i first read them to our sons (the oldest is now 40). this set is for my grandson. charming, well written stories, all with an underlying moral.

These books are classics. I bought them for myself, but plan to read them to my children as they grow older. I had read "Charlotte's Web" in grade school. It was a pleasure to read the others!

So many kids books are written so poorly, and with such poor structure and weak story lines, they make it hard to convey any sense of flow or emotion to your kids. To pick up these classics reminds one of the golden age when authors wrote stories with meaning and impact. Glowing descriptions, scene setting introductions to chapters, polite conversations recorded in proper English, all this is the heritage of EB White and these books. Highly, highly recommended - your kids will not want to stop reading and listening...makes bedtime each night a joy because they can't wait to find out what happens next.

Louis is the main character and he is a swan. He can't talk to other swans. Sam Beaver, a boy takes Louis to school, where he learns to read and write. But this isn't work to other swans and actually Louis was in love with the beautiful swan, Serena, and she spurns hin because he was defective. And Louis's father, the old cob, does a difficult thing. He stoles a trumpet so his son would be able to win his love. Louis wins on his love and pay the trumpet money.

My 6-year-old daughter and I throughly enjoyed all three stories.

Most Creative Story: The "Trumpet Swan" because of the way White takes the reader to different places and settings through the eyes of Louis the Swan.

Most Profound Story: "Charlotte's web". Of all my years of education it took this simple book to grasp a real appreciation of nature and the web of life.

Funniest Story: "Stuart Little". Most of us have on more than one occassion laughed ourselves to tears upon reading, hearing, or watching some funny event. My last time occurred when reading about the trials and tribulations that Stuart had to endure in order to wash himslef in the morning (Picturing him swinging a mallot to turn on the hot water was for me hysterically funny!). I found the Stuart Little of this book much more cute and amusing than the one in a recent movie with the same title.

...and really take my faith seriously. This story is about struggle....and struggle.....and struggle.....and more struggle. It is the story of the life that Christian leads when he follows Christ. A great narrative.

Having stumbled across this book during travels in the Caucuses I found I had come across a book which describes one of the most remarkable men of Soviet Russia.

The book was initially published in the west and smuggled into the Soviet Union due to the state repression of religion and its belief that the late father and his followers were members of a fanatical religious group (a term used often during the Soviet era to describe anyone remotely religious) It was also privately published and distributed amongst his followers and like minded individuals.

The late father was a scholar in art who had been ordained a priest. He was imprisoned during Stalin's most ruthless suppression of religion and transported to a gulag in Siberia where he was to spend 20 years of his life.

The book begins describing the late fathers life at the Gulag. Here it seems there were two main groups, criminals who were sent there for crimes ranging from petty crime to the most dangerous crimes of murder and robbery. Some of the men the father met where without doubt by our standards psychotic, they had raped, murdered and killed many without conscience. The second group were intellectuals, men who had fallen out of favour with the Stalinist regime, usually men who had rubbed party officials the wrong way or who had been condemned with trumped up charges put together by political rivals. These included, doctors, scholars, politicians, artists. There were a smaller group of men who had fought along side Germany in the second world war but they were featured later on in the book.

The first half of the book narrates stories recounted by former inmates at the Gulag who later on became the fathers spiritual childern examples of his generosity, his compassion to others and even of miracles that were performed. The stories give life to the every day life in the gulag, the punishments, the daily toil, how death was an every day event. There are stories such as when the father stood up for a young intellectual who had fallen foul of the criminals and they both ended up serving 3 days in a punishment cell, a punishment in the freezing conditions of Siberia that usually meant certain death. The father prayed and instructed the young man to do likewise and both were saved by the grace of God. The young man was later to become a follower of the father.

The second part of the book narrates the life of the father on his release from the gulag where he lived in a small town and his students who would visit him, some reaching important positions in the Soviet government others becoming men of the cloth themselves. Each story narrates the lives and struggles of the individual and how through prayer and belief in God they were able to overcome the trials they faced.

I found the book a fascinating one (In fact I read it in just over a day) and was personally moved by several of the stories (The husband devoted to his wife, the young man who became a priest in a small town after being a war hero in WW2, how the father reformed a known criminal and prayed for the dying monk) I would recommend reading this book to not only those interested in religion but also who would like to know something of the life of those who lived in the Soviet Union.

I have mixed feelings about this book. At several different points the stories about Father Arseny brought me to tears. It is clear that God used him to bring humanity, goodness, and hope into the life of the Soviet Gulags. He was a beacon of light that the powers of darkness could not extinguish, by God's grace. Father Arseny changed the people who encountered him, and after reading his story I hope and pray to be more like him.

On the other hand, Christ and the truths of the Christian faith are missing from these stories. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he said: "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). Christ was the sum total of Paul's message. If you take Christ out of Paul's writings, or out of the N.T. there is absolutely nothing left. It is all about Jesus, about his life, his death, his resurection, and the salvation that was wrought on the cross for our sakes. Christ is the all and all of Christian faith and life. Consequently, if you go to the simplest Pentecostal or Baptist church, and attend a time of testimony, or listen to a sermon there, you will probably hear about Christ, the cross, salvation, and living for God.

But in reading these recollections of Father Arseny we find very little mention of Christ at all, let alone the great truths of Christianity. At best we get a sense that Father Arseny was a deeply moral person, who loved those around him, and worshiped (venerated?) Mary, the Mother of God. But Christ himself is absent. The Cross is absent. The gospel, in effect, is absent. Someone unfamiliar with Christianity will not learn few, if any, theological Christian truths from this book. Even at those moments in the book where the gospel would have been most crucial... when someone on their death bed is struggling with their sin and struggling to believe in God... Father Arseny never responds by explaining the gospel or even mentioning Christ. At least no one recollects him as having done so. Compare this approach, for instance, with similar instances in Lutheran bishop Bo Giertz' classic "The Hammer of God."

In sum, there is very little that is specifically Christian about this work, in the sense that it does not proclaim or explain the gospel, or any truths of the Christian faith. There are important moral lessons to be learned, of course, but that is not enough. No doubt, many people will be upset at that claim, but I do not see how it can be refuted. Similar biographies of St. Seraphim of Sarov, and St. John of Kronstadt are unmistakably Christian through and through. But with Father Arseny's book, I could not help but think something important was missing.

A life so filled with the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ spreads the Glory of God wherever that life is told. The living word of God written in the heart of Father Arseny shows us Christ within this humble Orthodox priest. I cannot read more than three pages or so without weeping, both in joy and in profound sorrow that I fall far short of such a Christian. This is not only a book, but a treasure of how to live the Orthodox Christian Faith which has so much to tell us about the Gospel of Christ and how to cooperate with His Holy Spirit in our hearts and consciences. Note: a friend visited a Russian home, and the grandma warned him of thieves in the neighborhood. She made the sign of the Cross over him with prayer. That evening he was indeed accosted by someone who stood, ready to attack, and then ran away into the darkness ..he knows that the Lord protected him - again by the simple faith of Christ's people. Please do not keep this book to yourself, but pass it along to as many as have the heart to receive it. It is a powerful, life-changing testimony.

Most Christians, Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox, think of the great saints as people who lived many centuries ago. But every generation has its saints, its shining lights of God's glory, and Fr. Arseny was one of the 20th century saints. Every person has the potential to become a beacon of God's glory. Fr. Arseny showed how one can become transformed, or divinized, even in the most wretched circumstances. Must reading for all people of faith or doubt.