Australia Books

Greg Mortenson and David Relin weave a fascinating tale of an adventurer turned advocate for rural education in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of the world, Greg Mortensen succeeds in building schools where the government had failed. As a woman who lived in the region, I found Greg's story not only captivating, but also pin point accurate.
This true to life story of humanitarianism is one of my top ten favorite reads.

Since 1997, after a long stint in the military, I have been travelling the world promoting the cause of Open Source software as a means of accelerating the development of nations less fortunate than the one I am lucky enough to live in. During the course of this journey, I came to understand an integral portion of this mission was that of education, ie, making knowledge available to all who wished to seek it. Greg Mortensen, the central true-life character of "3 Cups of Tea", makes my efforts seem trivial. I view him as my role model and a true life hero. Through my various activities I continue to exhort those, who have the power, to adopt the central tenet of this story which is that the long term means of ensuring we have a future is to make a future for others.

A long time friend of mine in California, knowing of my passion for the advancement of mankind, suggested I should read this book. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. It is very well written and would make the stuff of a great film; for it is full of adventure with the added spice of being a true story. To top it off, the story is inspiring and leaves you feeling good at the end of it. I am now buying copies as Christmas presents for my closest friends and family.

A really great read and about something I would recommend to all. Its about something to which we should all aspire. I hope one day to have the pleasure of meeting and possibly, in some small way, helping Greg Mortenson

Kevin Loughrey (LTCOL retd)
CEO
Non Volatile Technologies

This story is not only emotionally moving and satisfying, but is of immediate importance for ones appreciation of the cultural situation our troops and diplomates find themselves in while serving in Afganistan.

This is an exceptional book about an extraordinary, selfless man. I thought I was well versed in the current events of the geographic areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan depicted in the book. But the book taught me so much more than any news reports have. I hope it is made into a movie so millions more people will be entertained and educated. This is a great book for high school and college students to be exposed to how one person can indeed change the world.

As an American, a woman, a mom and a teacher, I cannot say enough about the message in this book. May we as a nation learn a few lessons and be bearers of peace throughout the world. Please read and share with friends.

Awesome book. This book provides a unique blend of science, politics, people, history, warfare and interpersonal relationships. I am a mathematician with a minor in physics and a former US Air Force officer. I recall most of the names of key players (scientists, military, political) in this book but I never had a concept of how they were all related. This is quite a tome but I just had to sit down and continue reading several times a day. I still cannot believe how Rhodes was able to do the research required for this book and then make it so readable. My high school chemistry teacher took a group of us to hear a lecture by Niels Bohr in the 1950s but I never realized what a genius he was not only in science but in predicting the political consequences of building and using the atomic bomb until I read Rhodes work. The epilogue chapter is a must read and contains many very fundamental and philosophical thoughts that must still be addressed today.

Richard Rhodes provides the definitive account of the making of the Atomic Bomb. This book covers the characters, the technological dilemmas and all of the politics involved in making the atomic bomb. Starting with the various scientists and their backgrounds Rhodes takes us through the major players and their contributions towards the bomb. The book at times does get a little heavy on the physics but it is worth the detail for putting into context how the scientists came together to develop the bomb. The beginnings of the military industrial academic complex are developed and its crystallization becomes clear through people like Bush and Compton. While daunting at times given the sheer volume of the book it is worth taking your time to understand one of the greatest stories in the 20th century. This is truly the best account and a must read for those who want to understand how the 20th century and beyond was shaped by the work of the Manhattan Project.

I'm only half way through the book. However, it is making all the physicist that I read about in my science courses come alive. It is a great read.

This book is exciting to read and technically detailed. It gives a history not only of those involved in the production of the actual bomb, but of the physics and discovery of the atom and its components. No text book from walker or lectures from feynman can compare in how engaging this book makes the science and history. Since I have nothing but approbation for this book, my only complaint is slightly manufactured so as to make this more of a review. I wish that the book went into more details towards the end including maps and diagrams of the enrichment facilities. He may include that with other book and certainly this was long already, but that lack of details towards the end made the reading and experience slighly rushed.

Great book if you are interested in the subject of science and nuclear physics. The book does a good job of explaining a lot of technical jargon in layman terms and tells a compelling story of the scientists involved. I read this book back in school and fell in love with the side stories and the footnotes in the making of the bomb. The later parts of the book are a bit of a drag and it is easy to get bored. A couple of friends who i recommended this book to did not like it as they felt it was too heavy and they were not really interested in science as much :).

This is an AMAZING series!
i've recomended it to so many frends and family members i can't count and they have all come back begging for more!

If you haven't read this series yet... DO SO NOW!

John Marsden has done an excellent job creating a great and exciting story about friendship, war, and love. I have read all the books in this series and I was so mad when it ended. You feel so close to the charactors that when it's over, its heartbreaking. I wish I could meet every one of the charactors on the book. This series truly has changed my life. I've learned so much and it has changed the way I feel about a war. Now that I know first hand what people go through in a war, I'll never doubt the affects again.

I wouldn't have gone for this book if it was pitched to me: a group of teens laugh, fall in love, and grow up in the context of suddenly having to survive as guerrillas. Yeah, right.

But I think Marsden held this together surprisingly well - there are a few strengths to the book (I was about to continue this sentence along the lines of, `that explain the popularity of the series', but there are way too many examples of popularity not reflecting quality).

Ahoy - spoilers ahead.

I liked the very deliberate way Marsden gave us several chapters of these teenagers simply being recognisable Australian kids. Admittedly he did open with the teaser - the hint of something big and dark - rather than totally selling this as a teen romance/coming of age story before the shocking twist. I could have coped without the early promise of more, but tell me he wasn't consciously thinking he didn't want to lose some year nine boys before they got to the shooting (`Is this a kissing book?'). Actually, you don't have to tell me: he's totally open about consciously writing for this market in his preface. That being said, he does only hint, and then spends some time on getting his target audience of Oz juveniles to identify with the main characters. Hence the greater potency when their world is changed in a moment. It probably resonates far more with old folks like myself who already subscribe to this notion, but it would be great if even a few complacent Australians were woken up to the fact that wars don't happen to qualitatively different people - people that you somehow think, you know, them having their homes bombed and being refugees is the sort of thing they just take in their stride. Reminds me of Steely Dan's potent `Third World Man', where Fagan twists familiar suburban images into those of war, for example, "Johnny's playroom, is a bunker filled with sand," "I saw fireworks, I thought that I was dreaming, `til the neighbours came out screaming'" (OK, it works better with Larry Carlton's exquisite solo). So, sure, hats off to Marsden for putting more of a familiar human face in something usually seen as alien.

But once the invasion occurs our plucky kids don't suddenly morph into a crack military unit (well, they do a bit), nor does the book simply shrink into an ugly Tom Clancy/Chuck Norris jingoistic potboiler. Somehow he keeps the teen (dare I say, the `girly' teen) thing happening: introspection with occasional passable insights (eg. people don't really see things because they give them names - once something is named - such as the canyon `hell', they only perceive their projections in the misleading word; animals aren't so easily fooled), and classic - but realistic - boy/girl confusion over infatuation (save me from the appalling romance of just about any fantasy writer: McCaffrey, Kerr, Goodkind, Kay ... ugh. A legion of teenage readers swallowing supposedly profound relationships that haven't a hint of authenticity or beauty). Marsden doesn't play it for voyeurism, but you do get lines you might expect in Grey's Anatomy preceding a jet firing missiles. There's even time for a little historical detection with regard to the enigmatic hermit - who would have thought it? There's also a usable range of characters with far more depth and room for development than many purportedly adult novels. What? A Christian and a stoner that can't merely be summed up in those words. Blimey.

Realistic? Well, sure it's a bit of the old villain saying, "We could have succeeded in our evil plans if it wasn't for you pesky kids!", and that's attractive to some of his audience - it makes for a more enjoyable story than the naked realism of fly-ridden bloody corpses. But while he crosses the line here and there Marsden quite deliberately has the kids lower their expectations from movie ones, and will have a hero go into shock after a near miss rather than rip off their shirt and run unscathed through a hail of bullets slaying faceless hordes (this would also be problematic as some of the more central fighters are girls). This is refreshing. While he's also been careful not to demonise the enemy, I'd be interested to find out if the rest of the series goes as far as the leap to realising the `enemy' may actually have had as little choice as you about being in this dangerous situation.

The book is not a breathtaking achievement, but it is a solid one on a hazardous premise. A lot could have gone wrong that didn't, and there's a lot that goes right.

Ellie is so articulate, bright, and caring that she makes what would have been an average story into an amazing and believable account of eight young adults out to save their families and ultimately their homeland.

Once I got used to the Australian vernacular, I read this book at an amazing pace because I simply couldn't put it down.

I can't wait to hunt down the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed this book and plan to buy the rest of the series. It has a good mix of adventure and romance so it will appeal to most of my high school students. The characters have distinct personalities and all of them show strengths in the story which could be a great jumping off point for a discussion on how we are all different and how our differences make society function better. Aside from thoughts about teaching, I simply couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what happened next.

This is an AMAZING series!
i've recomended it to so many frends and family members i can't count and they have all come back begging for more!

If you haven't read this series yet... DO SO NOW!

John Marsden has done an excellent job creating a great and exciting story about friendship, war, and love. I have read all the books in this series and I was so mad when it ended. You feel so close to the charactors that when it's over, its heartbreaking. I wish I could meet every one of the charactors on the book. This series truly has changed my life. I've learned so much and it has changed the way I feel about a war. Now that I know first hand what people go through in a war, I'll never doubt the affects again.

I wouldn't have gone for this book if it was pitched to me: a group of teens laugh, fall in love, and grow up in the context of suddenly having to survive as guerrillas. Yeah, right.

But I think Marsden held this together surprisingly well - there are a few strengths to the book (I was about to continue this sentence along the lines of, `that explain the popularity of the series', but there are way too many examples of popularity not reflecting quality).

Ahoy - spoilers ahead.

I liked the very deliberate way Marsden gave us several chapters of these teenagers simply being recognisable Australian kids. Admittedly he did open with the teaser - the hint of something big and dark - rather than totally selling this as a teen romance/coming of age story before the shocking twist. I could have coped without the early promise of more, but tell me he wasn't consciously thinking he didn't want to lose some year nine boys before they got to the shooting (`Is this a kissing book?'). Actually, you don't have to tell me: he's totally open about consciously writing for this market in his preface. That being said, he does only hint, and then spends some time on getting his target audience of Oz juveniles to identify with the main characters. Hence the greater potency when their world is changed in a moment. It probably resonates far more with old folks like myself who already subscribe to this notion, but it would be great if even a few complacent Australians were woken up to the fact that wars don't happen to qualitatively different people - people that you somehow think, you know, them having their homes bombed and being refugees is the sort of thing they just take in their stride. Reminds me of Steely Dan's potent `Third World Man', where Fagan twists familiar suburban images into those of war, for example, "Johnny's playroom, is a bunker filled with sand," "I saw fireworks, I thought that I was dreaming, `til the neighbours came out screaming'" (OK, it works better with Larry Carlton's exquisite solo). So, sure, hats off to Marsden for putting more of a familiar human face in something usually seen as alien.

But once the invasion occurs our plucky kids don't suddenly morph into a crack military unit (well, they do a bit), nor does the book simply shrink into an ugly Tom Clancy/Chuck Norris jingoistic potboiler. Somehow he keeps the teen (dare I say, the `girly' teen) thing happening: introspection with occasional passable insights (eg. people don't really see things because they give them names - once something is named - such as the canyon `hell', they only perceive their projections in the misleading word; animals aren't so easily fooled), and classic - but realistic - boy/girl confusion over infatuation (save me from the appalling romance of just about any fantasy writer: McCaffrey, Kerr, Goodkind, Kay ... ugh. A legion of teenage readers swallowing supposedly profound relationships that haven't a hint of authenticity or beauty). Marsden doesn't play it for voyeurism, but you do get lines you might expect in Grey's Anatomy preceding a jet firing missiles. There's even time for a little historical detection with regard to the enigmatic hermit - who would have thought it? There's also a usable range of characters with far more depth and room for development than many purportedly adult novels. What? A Christian and a stoner that can't merely be summed up in those words. Blimey.

Realistic? Well, sure it's a bit of the old villain saying, "We could have succeeded in our evil plans if it wasn't for you pesky kids!", and that's attractive to some of his audience - it makes for a more enjoyable story than the naked realism of fly-ridden bloody corpses. But while he crosses the line here and there Marsden quite deliberately has the kids lower their expectations from movie ones, and will have a hero go into shock after a near miss rather than rip off their shirt and run unscathed through a hail of bullets slaying faceless hordes (this would also be problematic as some of the more central fighters are girls). This is refreshing. While he's also been careful not to demonise the enemy, I'd be interested to find out if the rest of the series goes as far as the leap to realising the `enemy' may actually have had as little choice as you about being in this dangerous situation.

The book is not a breathtaking achievement, but it is a solid one on a hazardous premise. A lot could have gone wrong that didn't, and there's a lot that goes right.

Ellie is so articulate, bright, and caring that she makes what would have been an average story into an amazing and believable account of eight young adults out to save their families and ultimately their homeland.

Once I got used to the Australian vernacular, I read this book at an amazing pace because I simply couldn't put it down.

I can't wait to hunt down the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed this book and plan to buy the rest of the series. It has a good mix of adventure and romance so it will appeal to most of my high school students. The characters have distinct personalities and all of them show strengths in the story which could be a great jumping off point for a discussion on how we are all different and how our differences make society function better. Aside from thoughts about teaching, I simply couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what happened next.

It was good because the end was the opposit of the beginning. You have to read the book to see what I mean. I'd tell you, but that would ruin the ending - review by Rick, age 6

This is a great story. My kids love this book to be read to them at bedtime.
It make a great gift. The pictures will make you smile.

The book was too small. I wanted the regular size book which I had to go to a local retailer to get one due to its out-of-date production that Amazon does not carry. They should because this is a classic children's book.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
By Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustrated by Felicia Bond

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

One thing leads to another in this cute picture book. When you get finished with all of the mouse's requests, he may just want another glass of milk. And we all know what goes well with milk.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
[ASIN:0979845548 Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)]]

This is the first offering of a wonderfully delightful series of like stories for children. If You Give a Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond tell the story, and the problems you might run into, if you should happen to give a overly active and demanding mouse a cookie. The story begins with a young boy innocently setting by his sidewalk in front of his house. A hungry mouse comes along and the problems begin.

This is a progressive type of tale, where one act of generosity keeps growing and growing. "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw. When you give him a straw, he will ask........." And it goes on and on and on until the poor kid pretty well has a completely trashed house and is exhausted trying to fulfill the escalating requests and the subsequent mess the requests ultimately cause. A pushy mouse and cookies, we find, are not a good combination!

The text is delightfully simple and keeps you turning the pages, page after page. You actually find you self wanting to see what the little rodent is going to ask for next. The story is simple and there is no bang, bang, crash crunch plot nor ending. The only problem I find in this aspect is that in this day and age, I find some children (and even more adults), who have the attention span of ferrets on coffee and if the story is in the least bit mellow, their minds simply cannot track. This is a minor problem though, if it is indeed a problem.

The art work by Felicia Bond is quite well done and goes perfectly with the text. The pictures are simple to understand, cute and quite eye catching. I liked them.

This is one of in a series of books by this team. Others include If you give a Moose a Muffin, If you give a Pig a Pancake, If you take a Mouse to the Movies, If you take a Mouse to School and If you give a Pig a Party. All are as well done. I have noted in reading this book and others in the series that the kids love them and will always ask for repeat readings.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I found this book at a thrift store. It is one of those books I will want to keep. The photos really tell it all even better than the words. It talks to you on every page. It already knows how you've been feeling and what your weaknesses, insecurities, work problems, and strengths are. It tells it all and makes you cheer up and take a fresh approach to life. The photos are worth a million words. It's no ordinary little book. It no ordinary little gift book. It just one of those gems of a book to keep on your coffee table and enjoy talking about and sharing with your company, or sending to a friend who is feeling a little lost in their life. It's a great book. Everyone should have a copy.

I bought this for someone at a time when they were seriously contemplating suicide. This person had basically shut down. It was like nothing was getting through anymore. The Blue Day Book made him genuinely smile. That meant everything in the world to me. I knew he was still in there somewhere. It is now several years later and he is doing well (in case you're wondering). And maybe the book didn't save his life, I mean I can only attribute that to God. But the book is the first thing that was able to shine a light into his endless darkness. I guess it goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful little book.

The Blue Day Book is the ultimate coffee table book. It always lightens my days when I'm feeling down. The pictures are well matched to the sayings.

If you've got photographer friends, this book will be an inspiration for them. But the black and white photos also provide a great pick-me-up for anyone you know who's down in the dumps.

The volume describes myriad ways in which we all may feel under the weather sometimes--all of them illustrated with fetching postures and facial expressions of a large group from the animal kingdom--polar bears, pigs, lambs, monkeys, mice, dogs, kittens, lions, hippos, camels, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, even an anteater--and so on.

But the bottom line is that life goes on--and that people are "only young once...and never old twice." In other words, pick yourself up and enjoy life to its fullest, despite your blues, while you can.

Fabulous.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

One has a picture that is a little racy. And the Hallmark version has that picture substituted. The pictures are funny and worth a laugh, but this is definitely for adults. There is a children's version that is equally funny.The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up

Harpo Speaks speaks of an amazing life with a voice filled with humor and humanity. This is a book to savor. I've now read it 3 times and am looking forward to #4! Just a joy!

i am too lazy, or too busy, or too impatient to sit down and rate books/movies, etc, etc. however, i had to take time out of my day to tell you all that this is one of the funniest books ever written. period. 'harpo speaks' is a page-turner that never gets boring, and will literally have you laughing outloud. page after page, i would say to myself, 'this is to funny/bizzare to be true', yet with each passing page you could see the pieces of harpo's life fitting together to make him the master comedien that he was. this book is an absolute joy. buy it. you won't be disappointed.

From his early days as a ragamuffin loner dropout on the streets of new york, to his years in the spotlight as one of history's greatest comedians, Harpo takes us on a whirlwind ride through his life, and every page is more engaging than the last. I love the Marx Bros, and reading the success story through the eyes of their silent (but not unheard) partner is a must of any fan, be they casual or hardcore. Thank you Harpo, for sharing your rich life experiences with us. I'm forever grateful.

"Harpo Speaks" is one of the few books I've ever read that left an lasting impression on me. I first read it in 1975 when I was a teenager. I had always loved the Marx Brothers movies, and Harpo was always my favorite. My mother loved celebrity biographies, and she knew I would love this book.

Now, some 35+ years later, I still am in love with this book. I have used many of the illustrations with my children over the years. I love the story after Harpo lost most of his money in the crash of 1929, and he came upon a couple who was being evicted from their flat. The landlord was selling their belongings, and Harpo bought a scrub brush for a nickel. If I remember correctly, he gave the scrub brush back to the couple.

Also, I remember how much he used humor when raising his children. Harpo shared throughout the book that if you keep your kids laughing, you will have them in the palm of your hand. That pearl of wisdom is so true, and I always remembered that with my children. They are grown now (well my youngest is 16), and they all have a great sense of humor.

I need to buy this book again. I lost it in a move around 20 years ago. I want each of my children to read this book, and get to know one of the most unique and down-to-earth men in our country's history. Harpo Marx was one of a kind, and we won't see anyone like him ever again. What a shame!

When speaking of the Algonquin Round Table of which he was a member for years - he claims his only contribution was to be a listener among all the great talkers. He lies. His storytelling, practical jokes and childlike sense of fun were an essential ingredient of that famed circle.

No other book, not even Groucho's own autobio, conveys the early 20th century world of Vaudeville in all its raunchy splendor as this book does. There was never so amazing a place as New York of that era. Its a fun read throughout.

Surprisingly, at the heart of the book is the unlikely pairing of best friends Alexander Wolcott and Harpo Marx. Wolcott, sexually neutered by a glandular condition or mumps as his story went, obese, ridiculous and brilliant, saw in Harpo the image of freedom he could never know. Harpo, a second grade drop-out who at fourteen was playing piano in a whorehouse, was perhaps the only human being who really understood his friend.

What a guy Steve was, and nobody knew it better than Terri and the children.Terri tells us about the Steve, we all came to know from watching his exciting adventures in the animal world ,played out on our TV screens;better than anyone could;for the simple reason nobody knew and loved him more.
What a great shock it was to learn about Steve's so untimely death.It happened so quickly and unexpectedly;that those of us who knew him only from watching his unbelievable handling and love of wild animals,that when we heard of his death;we were tempted yo ask ourselves;"was he really for real?"
In this wonderful book ,Terry opens up to all of us, what a fantastic person Steve was.If we thought we knew him;she shows he was even a much greater person than we realized.
Steve's unrestrained and unlimited love for animals, and his concern for their threatened futures gave him the strength to carry on and do more for their well being than one could imagine possible for one man.
When one hears or thinks of Steve ,the scene of him gently holding a small, beautiful but venomous snake in his hand ,in some remote place in the wild,comes to mind. A snake he has never seen before,the locals are terrified of;and Steve lifts it to within a couple if inches of his face.Steve and his newfound "friend" seem to be as one ,without fear on either's part. One also thinks of Terri,a few feet away,watching it all going on,with love,admiration and what must have been a bit of trepidation. Steve, just as easily entertained and amazed us tackling a crocodile or mingling with a herd of wild rhinocerous or staring down a poisonous spider.
And did he ever enjoy it all; and just as important was his desire to share it with the rest of the world.
What a terrible loss Steve was to everyone who came to know him;but more importantly what a tremendous loss he was to the world of nature.It seems his life's work was just getting started and we cannot even imagine all the other great things he would have accomplished ,had he been able to continue.No doubt about it,he was a Giant in many ways;and still he was just beginning to accomplish what he dreamed of.
Steve still managed to accomplish much and his efforts will continue to benefit wildlife beyond anything that could be expected from one person.
Thanks,so much Terri, for sharing your life and love of Steve with us.

Readers looking for Steve Irwin's life story in depth may be disappointed. It is condensed and captured by Terri Irwin, but more as a loving tribute. Their relationship was an unpretentious union built around wildlife conservation. Terri simply explains who the Irwin family is, and what they do best--teaching their children and ours about wildlife. If nothing else, the reader will walk away better understanding what the word passion truly means.

This is one of those can't put down books. A book which makes you cry with sadness and happiness, one that makes you laugh and also makes you angry at the injustice to animals and the people trying to protect them.

Whilst we all know what a wonderful guy Steve was with his wildlife conservation and admire and love him for it, this also shows that Terri was equally dedicated.

A beautiful love story, and what a beautiful family! This book made me realize that it really took a special woman to match Steve's vigor for life.

What a unique couple, makes me even the sadder that their love story was cut short and that their two beautiful children do not get to grow up with such an amazing man!

Stellar writing by Terri Irwin. She made you feel like
you were right there with them.

Terri Irwin has written a biography and tribute to her soulmate, Steve Irwin. Known to millions all over the world as the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin (along with Terri and their kids and the staff of the Australia Zoo) have inspired millions to care about the environment and animals that have been killed out of ignorance or fear. Contrary to what some reviewers wrote, you do get to know Steve better than you did through the television shows. Terri was actually quite open, sharing many personal stories with the reader in a way that drew you into the narrative. I felt the pain that Steve Irwin felt when he was the subject of the media witch-hunt regarding the "Baby Bob" incident. You laughed along with them, and felt their sorrows and triumphs. The "cult of personality" is too real a force in our world. People spend far too much time concerned with what some singer or athlete or actor says or does. Here is a subject worthy of such notice, and a story well-told. Thanks, mate.

Yes, it's a book with easy words and big pictures of animals in costumes going to a birthday party. In that respect, it's a children's book. But the depth of the mystery and clues are beyond the reach of most 4-year-olds (and many adults, for that matter).

My own life is a good example. I got this book for Christmas forever ago and loved the pictures, but as I grew older I began to appreciate the intricacy of the clues, and as such still pick it up well into my twenties.

Yes, it's possible that your toddlers may get frustrated by the mystery being over their heads. But don't let them cheat and look up the answers (given in a special sealed section in the back, along with all the clues hidden in the illustrations); instead, let them figure it out - it serves as a great learning and perception tool.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I say that I read it, but really this is more like a book you do. What do you do? You solve the mystery of the poetic story by searching the detailed illustrations for clues. Some clues are more obvious than others, but most clues take real sleuthing to discover. I had so much fun with it, and after about two days of study, I came up with the answer, but there was still so much that I had overlooked. Thankfully, the author reveals all to you in a sealed section at the back of the book. I encourage you to resist seeking the answers until you've tried your hardest to find as many clues as you can. Even if you can't figure out the who dunnit, you will be exited with every clue you find, and will likely hear yourself exclaim, "Ah-ha!". This book is marketed to children but it takes a sharp mind to solve the mystery and discover the clues, so it is really better suited for teens and adults, but even small children will enjoy the story and the amazing pictures. I would give this book as a gift to anyone who enjoys a good brain teaser. So get out your magnifying glass, a notepad and pencil, and have fun!

The story is about Horace the elephant who has decided to celebrate his eleventh birthday, with 10 of his friends in the eleventh month (November) on the eleventh day. After all have arrived the eleven characters participate in eleven games in anticipation of a birthday feast at the eleventh hour of the day. Thus the title of the book - The Eleventh Hour. The day is filled with musical activities, indoor/outdoor games, board games, cards, party games and more. The eleventh hour arrives disappointing the guests with the unexpected disappearance of their birthday feast. Apparently a theft perpetrated by one of the invited guests. Horace saves the day by serving healthy whole wheat sandwiches to all and the birthday cake remains because it had been stored away from the feast. With everyone enjoying the birthday cake, the story closes with a happy ending.

However, this is where one story ends and other mysteries begin. On each page of the book there are puzzles to be solved and clues to lead a more intrepid reader along the trail to the thief of the birthday feast.

I'm a freshman in college and I still love this book. My third grade class room had a set but we were NOT allowed to open the pages in the back! The entire class spent lots of time pouring over the sumptuous pictures and trying to spot each and every hidden...well, I won't give it away. I came across the book in a bookstore recently and bought it immediately because I had such fond memories. Do yourself or your kid a huge favor and buy it!

-- And it's a "kids book"!!!

I'm 26 now, but I remember the astonishment and awe I first felt borrowing this book from my 5th grade class's "library" when I was 10 years old. Back then, I gave up after 4 hours of not being able to figure anything at all out and had to look in the Sooper Sikret Section, but this time around, I got a few more of the clues on my own before having to look up the Section :P

A great book to sate the inquisitive mind of a bright child, honestly. Highly recommended!

I first had this book read to me when I was in the first grade, now I am 25 and still remember the book! Recently I bought it to give to a friend as a baby gift. I read it again and loved it all over again. Its so creative I love it and would recommend it to everyone! Great for a gift for your own children or others.

I teach preschool and used this book as an introduction for our post office theme. The reading level is a bit high for my age group, but they really enjoy seeing the different types of mail that pull out of the "envelopes" in the book. Very interactive and fun to read.

I bought this for my daughter and later I bought it for friends' children. I'll probably search for it for my grandchildren too. You can probably guess that I like it! Buying for kids is such fun because you get the wow factor, and then you get to see whether they really take to it by reading/playing with it. Kids don't fib about this stuff, do they! I can report 100% success. The enthusiam they have for all the hidden messages, cards, games is so sweet. This truly is a gift that grows and grows on them. See also the Christmas Postman - 5 Stars!

Note - if you have to get a used one, verify all the bits are included. The book wouldn't work without those.

I had this book when I was a little girl and Ive been searching for it for 17 years. Its amazing drawings and creativity in the letters, opens up a little girls imagination so big!!! I absolutely love the story and all the characters. Its a MUST BUY!

The anniversary book is significantly larger than the original and so loses some of the charm. However this shallow dip in nursery fairy tales is fun for both the listener and reader. New shrink wrapped books include stationary and 'postage' to encourage the young to build a habit of writing and mailing notes. The story is from a UK perspective and follows a postman who delivers the mail in a community of fairy tale characters. Some of the humor is dated (good for grandparents). Children will enjoy having the book read to them and opening the many envelopes to extract their contents. This book was a favorite of my children back in the late 1980's.