Fantasy Books

wow! did you ever have the feeling that since you'd never heard anyone else talk about a book (or something else) you loved, you were the only person in the world that loved it? i had always felt this way about this CP book! it is by FAR his best YA book, leaps and bounds above the others. i was way into reading his books when i was about 12 or 13 (a little young for the material but i was an avid reader!) and this is the one that has always stuck in my brain like a piece of bubblegum. it is just everything a good book should be- creepy, imaginative, well-written, descriptive, eerie, memorable. i have looked far and wide for this book and just thought to look here and i ordered it! being 24 now it's been a long time since i've read it and i can't wait for it to get here. please read this book! i would recommend this book to people of all ages, it's that good.

I'm 30 years old now and this book still gives me chills. It is literally a groundbreaking book you will never forget.Pike's master form of writing scares unlike any other.
It is symbolic and creepy at the same time.Quite possibly one of the best books I have ever read~and I have read hundreds!

This was a great book, but not scary. This had an amazing plot, great charecters, and Betty Sue was great. Betty Sue was actually a witch for any one who wants to know. The ending though is confusing, was it a dream, or was it real? Only thing we know is Rox died during the abortion.

I read this when I was in middle school and absolutely loved it. I admit I was a little young for the mature subject matter but he wrote it brilliantly. It has been stuck in my head to this day and I am actually buying it to read again.

I would recommend this book.

Whisper of Death has an intriguing premise. What if you woke up and all the people of the world had vanished? That is what happens to eighteen year-old Roxanne (Rox) and her boyfriend Pepper. All the stores are open and stocked with goods, and eventually they find three other teens: jerk Helter, nerd Stan, and beautiful Leslie. The teens soon find that the situation has something to do with Betty Sue, a classmate who killed herself three weeks ago.

The premise was great, and so is the writing in the first third of the book. I keep a journal, and if I see a quote I like from a book, I jot it in my journal for future inspiration. I wrote three sentences from Whisper of Death. The writing was that beautiful.

But as the story progresses, and the true horror of the situation is revealed, the story is too bleak and depressing. I didn't feel the end wrapped things up. I do not agree with the reason for the dead world - Pike said some statements about God that suggest He is not All-Powerful.

Last, there was a lot of sex in the story, and suggestions of incest. I don't think teens should be having sex. However, Pike discusses abortion a bit, which I feel is well-done.

Character development is great here, as well as the eerie setting. I don't feel the plot development built to a strong middle and powerful ending. It just kind of petered out.

I bet there is a few people who are thinking about buying this for a younger relitive, thinking it's like the 4kids anime....you better back away unless you want your 7-10 year old pulling the perverted prank "panty tank". Yu-Gi-Oh! was originally intended for teens until 4kids messed it up so if your looking for some Yu-Gi-Oh! for your kids try "the pyrimid of light" ani-manga (its colored and has the same dialoge as the movie its self)

This is a good volume, of course it starts the series so don't expect anything too deep.The art is okay compared to takahashi's later style in duelist.The best story in this volume is duel 1:the puzzle of the gods cause that is where it starts.The others are fair but in my favorites includes duel 4 and 5.Note this is not for kids since it's too violent,doesn't feature the cards and the names and storyline are completely different from the edited tv show.

The first 7 volumes of the manga is pretty much what happened in the series that wasn't shown in the US. I recommend this to manga readers 11+ but be warned, there is violence and a lot of swears in this manga. I am 13 years old

Try, for a moment, to put aside all you think you know about Yu-Gi-Oh! and imagine something completely unexpected. Forget about the children's TV series. Don't give the card games another thought. And try to get past the tons of merchandise featuring Yugi's image. Let's begin to reconceptualize the character of Yugi.

That is, essentially, all that is needed in order to more fully enjoy Kazuki Tanahashi's creation, Yu-Gi-Oh! In the Manga, Yugi isn't the tough-talking little Goth boy you might expect. Instead, Yugi seems to be the polar opposite of this characterization - and deliberately so. A comparatively small teen with awkwardly-proportioned hands and feet, the slightly-effeminate Yugi struggles daily with schoolyard bullies, cruel adults, and even the doldrums which epitomize teenage life. While everything seems stacked against him from the get-go, Yugi finds himself optimistic, enjoying life whereas other similarly-affected kids would be beaten down by these oppressive forces.

And this is because he has a mind which is constantly stimulated by the games his grandfather provides him with. You see, Yugi loves puzzles more than anything, and can make a game out of anything. This is the quality that both alienates him from his peers, and gives him limitless courage to face each trial of the schoolyard. In this sense, there's some degree of all of us - after all, who doesn't love a good game? Who among us hasn't daydreamed about getting lost in some fancy labyrinth, or of solving a particularly challenging mind game?

As a result of his passion for puzzles, Yugi becomes someone different from time to time - a personality over which he has no conscious recollection or knowledge. This Yugi is a sadist, one who has no qualms over hurting those who tread upon the weak as a means of poetic justice. This Yugi plays games of a different sort, ones which torture the players unfortunate enough to lose ("Penalty Games," dished out to those who seemingly deserve such extreme punishments - blindness, insanity, death by fire, etc.), but only those who have manipulated others and exploited their helplessness. This Yugi later becomes known as "Yama Yugi" (or, "Dark Yugi").

In creating this series, creator Mr. Tanahashi explains that he had no concept of how popular his little character would become in the marketplace and in the media. Having met with no prior success, Mr. Tanahashi had no way of anticipating what would become of his little "strange story... that centered around 'The Mysterious' in everyday life." The first appearance of the ubiquitous card game based on the Manga does not even make an appearance in this first volume (a 7-issue series which spins off into Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist and nearly concurrently, Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World, and today's hot property Yu-Gi-Oh! GX).

While this book is - as one might expect - very popular with the kids, it certainly isn't the average American-written "kids' book." Inside these pages are tales of abuse, murder, torture... and, sometimes, even some bawdy humour ("Never play basketball in a skirt," says Anzu, the book's female protagnist). Certainly, it is filled with goofy stories light on the plot and occasionally, heavy on the characterizations - so it's a nice, light read. It's a children's title by way of Suzuki Koji, much the same way Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro was almost a grown-up movie disguised as kids' fare.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a fun ride, packed with calculated fear and excitement, and endowed heavily with humanizing imagery (especially poignant is the image of Yugi reaching into a box, having nearly completed the 3-D puzzle he had kept with him for eight years, his clumsy hand searching for the final puzzle piece... only to discover it was missing, for all his pains. After watching him get beaten and extorted by a much larger classmate, knowing that the puzzle was what gave poor Yugi the most enjoyment out of life... This painful little scene is almost too much for dry eyes to absorb). It may not be the best of the genre, but it does deserve the attention it has received.

It also deserves a little more respect as well, but with marketing ever the ceaseless beast, this probably isn't too likely.

Many American children, especially those in the 7-12 age bracket, watch Yu-Gi-Oh regularly. Kids love the action and strategy. Parents love the 'appropriate' factor. Teens, however, hate the kiddiness, and anime purists abhor the editing.

Guess what? It's a lucky day for teens and anime fans.

Threats, fist-fights, and disturbing games (with disturbing conclusions) run rampant in this first volume of Yu-Gi-Oh, and although most people will love it, parents need to be warned--this is not for children under the age of 12.

Also, you won't find the card game 'Duel Monsters' anywhere in this first volume--in fact, it doesn't become the main part of the story until later on in the Yu-Gi-Oh anthology. Instead, however, you'll find out the origins of Yugi and his friends (with their original, un-Americanized names). And while all of this was originally created for a Japanese TV show, when 4Kids brought YGO over to the US, they skipped over the first few story arcs, and got right to the card battles.

Also, it's important to note that as this is a manga (Japanese comics, for the uninitiated) graphic novel, it reads from right to left, in traditional Japanese fashion. Of course, this means that you read the panels and text bubbles from right side to left side, but the translated text is written from left to right. It's ok if you don't understand--VIZ (the publishing company) provides a key in the graphic novel to help you learn how to read it. After 30 or 40 pages, reading like this will become second nature, so don't fret about that.

VIZ translates the sound effects, which is nice. The artwork is very nice (though not amazing), consistent, and easy to look at. The translation is very well done, with footnotes explaining any Japanese pop-culture references you might miss.

Overall, I'd highly reccomend it--to anyone over 12, and especially to older Yu-Gi-Oh fans who want to see a little bit darker take on the story.

First of all, I will admit that this was my first time reading the Sandman, when I got this version. I was drawn in and the $70-ish price tag is, as well as way cheaper than you'll find at book stores, a great deal. The amount of content is staggering, and even if you've read all the Sandman comics, the extras are pretty great as well.

If you're not sure if you'll enjoy the series, go out to a library and see if they have Preludes and Nocturnes, the first mini-collection, and see if this is your style. I took a plunge and just got this immediately, and it was very well worth it. Actually, I got Volumes 1 and 2, so I guess I'm really lucky I enjoyed these.

Regardless, Sandman contains some of the best fantasy stories I've ever read, and Neil Gaiman is a genius that has it shining through in these stories.

I always love Mr Gaiman;'s work. Sandman is probably his opus given the size and the eclectic nature of the themes. The Endless as interpreted by a Master like Gaiman represent an amazing world that weaves the deepest recesses of the collective consciousness, mythology, history and keep it living enough to be interesting. Aesthetically, the books are great and the artwork is just as eclectic as the are the themes. I wish I was exposed to this stuff as a kid...

I found this book a very creative exercise in perception, script and artwork. The story is mainly told from the perspective of one of the "Endless", Dream, with cameos from Destiny, Death, Desire and Dispare (see satirical opening quote from Jack Dee - "Lots of things begin with D") :-) The third brother in a family of seven, these Endless are anthropomorphic personifications of ideals/concepts and exist, apparently, across even species (one of the stories is told from a cat's point of view). The issues dealt with in the varied stories are some of the usual collection of welcoming death, forgivness, murder, society, slavery etc - in other words what appears to be standard fare for any sci-fi buf. However, there are a few interesting twists with takes on several points of history, biblical references and different points of view of the same issues but told from a different species' perspective which is somewhat unusual. The artwork throughout the collection is consistent and uses high contrast in many of the captions to great effect. The artwork on the covering page for each story is quite exceptional and could even be viewed as works in their own right.

All in all, this is well worth a read, whether you are a fan of the comic genre or if you're new to it, this collection will suck you into the world of the Endless...

I was actually surprised by two things reading these first twenty issues of Sandman: by how many of the characters I already knew, and by how much these comics actually tied into the mainstream DC Universe at the time. I'm used to the current age of Vertigo comics where the characters can NEVER cross over into regular superhero books, or vice versa (the days of Swamp Thing teaming up with Superman are gone). Of course, some of these characters can still pop up from time to time (I'm pretty sure Morpheus was in an issue or two of JSA and Starman, and even more recently Destiny was in The Brave and The Bold).
I was also impressed with the overal mythology Gaiman gave this world, one I didn't really knew existed. I was aware that The Endless existed, but I had always just assumed that Sandman was a series of somewhat interconnected tales, almost an anthology series, that featured him as a central character, but nothing much else. Turns out he had a very large story-arc planned through the whole 80 issue run, and I could see elements of what he would later do with American Gods. I'm glad I stuck it out and waited for the Absolute editions.

Comprising Sandman numbers 1 to 20, the Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1 is the first of four oversized, slip-cased hardcover books that will reprint Neil Gaiman's Sandman completely (all 75 numbers, plus some extras). That alone would be highly recommended, but this book has also a new coloring, aproved my Neil himself, plus a new introduction by Paul Levitz, forewords by Gaiman, a copy of the script with sketches for Sandman #19 (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and also sketches from Gaiman and Michael Dringenberg on the Sandman proposal to DC back in the 80s. Ah, and also all 20 covers from Dave McKean.

All of this would mean nothing if the book wasn't really good, and really good it is. Here you'll read the capture of the Lord of the Dreams and his comeback (early collected in "Preludes and Nocturnes"), his encounter with the deadly nightmare "The Corinthian" (previously collected in "The Doll's House), and four short stories from the past of Dream (as seen before in "Dream County" collection). Many great moments from the series are here: the confrontation in Hell with demons over his helmet, the serial killer convention, the encounter with his sister Death, and the already mentioned A Midsummer Night's Dream, the first and only comic book to win a World Fantasy Award.

This book is a work of art, and high recommended. Can't wait to have the 4 of them on my bookshelf!

the book is so beautifull, as a huge "alice" fan- its the top of my items!!! its like having something taken out from a museun in my house!i highly recomend

I purchased this book because of the last page. I had seen it at my Book Club and knew my grandchildren would love it. They love peaking down the rabbits hole and finding the additional pop ups on each page. A book you will definately want to pass on down the family. Truly a classic come to life.

This is a beautiful pop-up book, artfully illustrated. Best for an older child who will keep it intact. Worth buying as a collectible.

I love this wonderful portrayal of Alice's adventures in the form of pop-up art. Sabuda's Pop-ups are a constantly source of amazement for my sister. We are full of admiration for the skill and intricate detail that goes into creating these masterpieces. I got this book last Christmas together with Sabuda's pop-up "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" and Nowiki's short story Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 - a charming story with a lot of information about from the world of felines.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D1HQPBU6PKBA This is a brief video walking you through the pop-ups.

SPOILER ALERT:
Astrid Lindgren lost her marbles when she wrote the last chapter. The story is beautiful and as a christian I have no problems reading it to my children as a fantasy rendition. The illustration of evil regimes and quest for freedom is very moving and uncanny in many ways. Worth reading for this alone, but the ending speaks a message that should never have been spoken. The older boy, the hero, would rather kill himself and his younger brother in a suicide attempt, rather than living a life as a cripple. SICK!

I read this book when I was a child and it was one of my favorite. Now I finished reading it to my sons and they love it too. It took me a while to read the first two chapters though, I just couldn't stop sobbing...although I knew the story. It didn't take us long to finish the book, we needed to find out what was happening next...Such a great book, we will buy some copies and give them to friends!!!

What happens when I die? Will I be all alone? Where will mom and dad be when I die? Will they be sad? What will happen to me after I die? These are questions children wonder about. When my daughter was about 5-6 years old she kept talking about "the mysterious beyond" where you go after you die. We have no idea where she got this idea from.

In this book, Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author who also wrote the Pippi Longstocking books, the Emil books and the "Children of Noisy Village" books, address these difficult questions. She does this without giving any definite answers and still she succeeds to give comfort to children via this exciting and beautiful "after death adventure". Astrid Lindgren's writing is very much in tuned with the feelings of children and the story is spell binding and well paced.

Briefly, Scotty (Skorpan in the Swedish version) is a ten year old boy who is very sick. Everyone knows that he is dying except himself. Then one day he finds out in a cruel but accidental turn of events that he is going to die. To comfort him his older brother Jonathan tells him a story about Nangiyala, the land of adventures that lies beyond the stars, where you go after you die. As it turns out Scotty will not be going to Nangiyala alone. In fact the tragic and short life of Scotty and Jonathan and the love they developed for each other during their earthly lives enabled them to be the heroes that Nangiyala needs upon their arrival. The adventures in Nangiyala are much like many other good fantasy stories like the Chronicles of Narnia or the Lord of the Rings, but they also have a deeper meaning to them.

My teacher read this book to the entire class when I was about 9 years old (the Swedish version). All the kids in the class loved the book and we listened intently while our teacher struggled to read it. The death of your child is a parent's worst fear and having to deal with it head on like you do when reading this book is, I think, emotionally harder on the parent then on the child. I and my wife started reading this book to our daughter (8-years old) but she ended up reading the whole book to herself and she loved it.

It should be noted that the story is not tied to a specific set of religious beliefs about life after death, so if you have strong beliefs in what exactly will happen after death (religious beliefs or atheistic beliefs) you may have a problem with this fantasy version. In my opinion this book is Astrid Lindgren's greatest book. However, it is also her most potentially problematic book, so I advise that you read the first third of the book yourself before you read it to your child. This would help you to prepare answers to difficult questions and to verify that you really want to read it to your child. The writing is very sensitive, peaceful, and thoughtful but it deals with difficult questions. Some people have a problem with the ending so check out the ending too (I did not have a problem with the ending). I loved it as a child and so did my daughter but it may not be true for you, so find out.

Way before Harry Potter and JK Rowling came along, European children book writers were taking children more seriously than most English and American writers. At the helm of this beautiful movement of children-centric literary world was Astrid Lindgren of Sweden and the wonderful Erich Kaestner of Germany, both well-known and widely read in non-English speaking Europe and most other places, but conviniently limited to a few of their works in UK and the USA (Pippi Longstocking for Lindgren and The Parent Trap for Kaestner).

Brothers Lionheart is Lindgren manifesting Kaestner's frustration at those childrens books authors who think that "children are made out of sweet pastries and cotton candy" (expressed at the beginning of the Flying Classroom, another master piece not known in the English speaking world). I read this book when I was 7 and have continued reading it, mainly in other languages, and had never seen it in English. The translation is good, although I do not like "Scotty" as a translation of Carl's nickname. The real one "Skorpan" (a sort of doughnut) is much nicer and homier.

Brothers Lionheart was very influential in my life. I learnt many lessons from it and enjoyed it very much, and I never felt that I was being preached to or was put down by the author. It is a novel that will appeal to children and even many adults (those who have not forgotten their childhood and thus their reason). I profoundly disagree with the person who is worried about the "negative" effects of the books darker issues (the after-life). It might surprise you that children are a lot more open-minded than their parents: they have not been spoiled by the prejudices we call "our heritage".

This book, I will claim, is one of the best books ever written, anywhere, in any language, and if it was me, I would have given it to all the 6 billion people in the world to read...

A number of stories end with the death of their heroes; this the first one I can recall that BEGINS with the death of its heroes. In addition the sometimes charming, sometimes terrifying illustrations by Ilon Wikland nicely complement the story.

Everyone knew that 10-year-old Karl (Scotty) Lion was dying, what with his crooked legs, his constant coughing, and now being too sick to go to school anymore; everyone except Scotty that is. But now he knows, and he's terrified. His brave, handsome, and loving brother, 13-year-old Jonathan Lion, tries to comfort him by telling him that when he dies he will go to Nangiyala, where all sagas come from, where he will be strong and no longer sick and where Jonathan will eventually join him, and because time passes differently in Nangiyala, it will only seem like a couple of days to Scotty even if Jonathan lives to be 90. But poor Jonathan must live on Earth without his Scotty, maybe for 90 years.

Well, it doesn't quite work out like they thought, but a couple of deeply moving, heartrending chapters later, the boys are together again in Nangiyala, and the REAL story begins. Jonathan told Scotty that in Nangiyala you have adventures from morning to evening and at night, too, but he failed to mention (or more likely failed to grasp himself) that there are adventures that should not happen... but do. There's a cruel tyrant in Nangiyala who has imprisoned the people of Wild Rose Valley and intends to do the same to Cherry Valley where the Brothers Lionheart now live,...

and it is going to be up to them, especially little Scotty who still doesn't believe he is brave at all, to stop him.

Astrid Lindgren, of Pippi Longstalking and Mio, My Son fame, has written a powerful and deeply moving story here that I'll not soon forget if ever. So why only three stars? Because I've got a serious problem with her shocker of an ending.

With far too many sincere but ill informed parents panicking over the Harry Potter books (while Philip Pullman's openly, even proudly Satanic "His Dark Materials" trilogy oozes by under the RADAR), I don't want to hit this too hard, but parents need to be aware of what is IMHO a serious flaw in this book. It is NOT as you might expect with the neo-pagan afterworld her story takes place in; IMHO there is nothing here that anyone whose religious beliefs postulate a different sort of afterlife need fear to expose his children to. It is FICTION after all. The problem is the ending.

SPOILER ALERT

The Brothers Lionheart triumph in the end but at a heavy cost; many friends are dead, including their beloved and faithful horses. Worst of all Jonathan has been poisoned and will soon be paralyzed, but he has a solution. It seems that when you die in Nangiyala you go on to Nangilima, where it is still the time of the sagas but only happy ones and no more adventures that should not happen. So if Scotty will take Jonathan upon his back and jump off a high cliff, just like Jonathan took Scotty upon his back and jumped out of an upper floor window to save Scotty's life from the fire at the cost of his own back at the beginning of the book, they can go to Nangilima now, together.

So that is exactly what they do,...

and I'm sorry, but this is SICK!

Jonathan earns the name of Lionheart when he risks his life, loses it in fact, in order to save his soon-to-die little brother, but when HE faces some amount of life (but probably not all that much) as a paralytic, he talks that very same brother into killing him along with himself, in order to get into a BETTER afterlife a little bit sooner. What in God's name was Lindgren thinking? Oh, I'm not especially worried about children reading this and killing themselves in order to go to Nangiyala, but our children could do without Yet Another message that if you are crippled, you are better off dead. They get quite enough of that from too many so-called "Pro-Choicers" who apparently fear that if people get the idea that life is still worth living even for the severely handicapped, they might begin to wonder about the ethics of killing the healthy but merely too small to scream.

END OF SPOILER

If you disagree with my opinion and own an older edition, The Purple House reprint of The Brothers Lionheart is worth picking up because of the smooth new English translation by Jill Morgan (the publisher herself?).

This book was not up to the usual quality that I had purchased before. But Amazon fixed the problem so all is well.

Dinotopia was the first book James Gurney wrote in this series. The artwork was what initially drew me into the story and I found sweatshirts, posters, calendars, pins...you name it, with these chaarcters on them. The storyline was easy to follow, as it was written in diary format.

The things I really found interesting were the song (notes and lyrics) and the code for the Dinotopian written language (footprints). My students love writing letters and stories in Dinotopian to each other and for daily assignments. After teaching it for almost 10 years students are as much in love with the story as I am and they want to read it over and over. The artwork makes for great writing prompts and gives kids ideas for sculpture and watercolor pieces.

I remember reading this book as a child and loving it. Today I think I love it even more. The illustrations are so rich and well executed. I'm sad it isn't published in hardcover anymore. Every household should own a copy.

You might just end up with "Dinotopia". That's how good the illustrations and paintings in this book are, and should be the primary reason for purchasing the book. The artwork is absolutely first class, and the book can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. I purchased "Dinotopia" in 1992 when it was first released, and subsequently, picked up its sequel "The World Beneath". They both still hold a special place on my book shelf more than 10 years later. HIGHLY recommended!

This book has a lot about dinosaur names and how the dinosaurs lived, even the plants they eat. There are a lot of pictures that can help you to learn to recognize them. It is all very well drawn.

But it has a different perspective because they think of time differently, not as 1 o'clock but as when to do certain things, such as times to harvest.

It is very good realistic fiction because it makes you feel like you are a part of the story. It is written as a journal, kind of like talking to you, which makes the story seem more real.

The plot is very complicated. So it always keeps your attention and keeps you turning the pages. There is not a lot of action, but when there is it is very realistic because you feel the danger and excitment.

This has to be one of the most spectualar books written and would make an excellent Christmas present (any time of the year).
Well researched and presented with the imagine of Jesus the Christ's teachings, this should be a all-around Christmas favorite.

In the Hollywoood extravanganza, 'The Passion,' it is to bad Mel Gibson didn't read this book. There would not have been the sarfical drama and there would have been more reality to what was and what is -- but that is Hollywood 'hype,' and not true historical research.

After reading the massive and extensive research, compiled so secretively, and significantly, I can see the value of this book being the best seller it will become. There's no doubt in my mind that Mr. Christensen of Cordes Junction is profound in metaphysics, spiritual at-one-ment, and hisotrical knowledge and counters any and all Hollywood extravangas. How about airing this one on a special documentary made for television? The ratings would be as high as five stars on this website!

Whatever one believes about historical research of the Star of Bethleham the 'Star Prophecy' outlined reached by Christensen dictates this should be distributed throughout the entire Midest!

Whatever one believes about historical research of the Star of Bethleham the 'Star Prophecy' outlined reached by Christensen dictates this should be distributed throughout the entire Midest!

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.

As an artist with oil painting and water colors and also folkart, I was feeling a lack of motivation to keep up my art. I looked for inspiration on the Internet and found Angi Sullins webpage and also her story of her life journey. I ordered her book "A knock at the door" and also her DVD. I found that it inspired me to keep searching for a new direction for my art and painting. Thank you Angi for your story and your book and DVD it helped me to have hope and to keep on the journey late in life.
Rhona

After everything else that's been said about this, all I can say is:"WOW!". If this doesn't touch you and pull at your heart, there's something wrong with you. You don't need to be religious or spiritual even to enjoy this. It will awaken something inside you and life might be a little better for it. Watch, liisten and enjoy(you might shed a tear also)!

A PERFECT GIFT. THIS IS PURE MAGIC. VERY MOVING..I GOT CHILLS! IT WILL DO YOUR HEART GOOD!!! WELL DONE ANGI SULLINS AND SILAS TOBALL!!

If you have ever yearned to live in another era and realm... Get this book & dvd set! This was 0riginaly available as a free download only through The Durwaigh Gallery website in 2004. Costumers that viewed this sugested a book version. The art work showcases some works of the best Fantasy Artists out there today.(Mark Potts,ect.)The dvd is actually the download itself recorded on a disk, and accompanied by wonderful music.

I found that this also makes a great children's book. My 4 yearold neice always wants to watch the dvd and read the book over and over again!This is one thing that you would never get sick of, trust me parents! I also had to wrestle this from my Aunt as well.

Needless to say, this book will make a unique gift and is sure to be a favorite for the whoever you have in mind!

This is a MUST HAVE for every coffee table or bookshelf! You have to see it!

I won't be able to put an in-depth review since I read the book a while back and am on book 7 right now so my head is swimming with information from all the books.

The second book in the Pendragon series throws the reader back into the territories of Halla. As we last read, Bobby had gotten back to Second Earth to realize that his life there was over. When Loor and Press come to drive him away back to another territory, he once again leaves behind Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond, the two who he had been sending the journals to.

This book has an even more enthralling storyline as you meet yet another traveler, Spader, a young guy from a territory completely underwater. You grow to like him and his "people-person" attitude.

This book continues to show Saint Dane's power, and just what happens in the beginning (I don't want to spoil anything, but it has to do with two floating cities) has a very eerie feeling to it.

This is a must have, as it connects the characters further along in the book and helps make way for book three.

I love this book for multiple reasons.
The first, I think, is because of one of the side characters, Spader. He's so dreamy!!! I love him soooo much!
The second is because the plot is just so fascinating. The idea that a world could exist that is completely on water is just so cool.
The third is because of Saint Dane, the evil dude trying to take over Halla(all existence, all times, all places, and all creatures, great or small). He's such an evil person I just could hit him. ARRGGG!
The fourth reason is because of Bobby. I think he's one of the funniest characters I've ever read about(yes, I'm saying he even tops Ron Weasley in Harry Potter!).
I love this second installment so much!
You should definitely surrender to your craving!! Way to go DJ!

I loved this book, it is fun and creative. I didn't want to put it down. This series is fun for all ages.

Before I begin, let me say that I'm an adult (to give this review some context).

I read "The Merchant of Death" (Pendragon #1) a couple of weeks before ordering this book. I enjoyed "Merchant". I thought it was inventive and unusual, and it certainly addresses issues that young adults face. I'm sure kids enjoy reading books where their peers are heroes.

This book is even better. I say that for two reasons. The setting of the first book is quite grim. That was appropriate for the story it told, but it was kind of a downer, reading about those people being exploited. This book's setting is incredible - a world covered entirely by water where humans live on floating, barge-like habitats. I love water, and if I could somehow visit that world, I would do so in a heartbeat.

The other reason I like this book better is that the new Traveler we meet is incredibly endearing. I like Loor. She's a great person to have at your side. However, the Traveler we meet in this story is very funny, and that makes this book a lighter read (in tone) than the first one. He's also flawed, though, which makes things interesting. I relate to him better than I relate to Loor. (Does she have a flaw? I don't think I've spotted it yet.)

Overall, I recommend this book with a big smile on my face. It's a good ride, the characters are endearing, the setting incredible, the themes well developed, and it leaves you wanting more.

See you at Grolo's! Last one there buys the Sniggers!

Pendragon by D.J mathhale is a great book that I would recommend to kids of all ages. It starts with a 10 year old kid playing with his mom in their back yard and the kid misses the ball and he runs after it and he comes back and his mom is GONE. Then he finds out that his mom is the world`s best DRAGON RIDER!! He hears a very loud roar and it was his mom's old pet dragon and it was his now and he takes a better look at it and it was the biggest red dragon the world has ever seen. So the very tall lizard tells him that his mom has been kidnapped by a very powerful human bean and they set of to TRY and save his mom. How I can describe Jack he is a very smart tech genius he just finds out he is the ONE. Well what he thinks the one means that he can Dodge bullets like a movie he saw. He finds that the dragons name is Alroce and the dragon is the last well only one of the red dragons left. And so Jack can fight this very powerful wizard so he starts training with his pet dragon.I would this book to anyone that likes dragons action and very intence sword fighting Pendragon is a great book that I would recamend to kids of all ages.