Fantasy Books

The stories in this book are almost all winners. Read with care or you will miss critical details. Wolfe never explains completely, and he never gives a clue twice. My favorite is "Seven American Nights," the travel journal of a lost tourist from the Middle East in a fallen America. Pay attention and you may find a second horror story behind the obvious one.

I also loved "The Death of Dr. Island," "The Eyeflash Miracles," "Hour of Trust," and "Tracking Song." Some of the really short ones, like "Cues" are extremely cryptic and seem to be jokes.

Wolfe is the best writer at work in SF and fantasy. These early stories prove just how subtle, exciting and completely riveting his writing can be. Each story is a true gem, and each is totally different. The title story (and the variants on that title) all provide insight into the human heart you cannot believe until you have read them, aand the sorcery of the writing just pulls you right into each imaginary world. Irresistable.

These being the first short stories I've read by Gene Wolfe I went into the read curious, hopeful and genuinely unsure how they'd turn out. I'll be upfront w/my bias; I think Gene Wolfe is an amazing author.

The good news: I'm even more impressed by his writing and stories than I was before.

The bad news: Not every story is amazing; such is reading short fiction collections.

Overall, I rate this as an excellent collection of short fiction, and unless you simply have an aversion to the fantastic, I would highly recommend it. And if you already like Gene Wolfe? Look for familiar devices, such as memory and sense perception. He winds such nice paths...

His Castle of Days comes at the second place.
One other reviewer called this a perfect introduction to Wolfe. It certainly is. Do not begin with The Fifth Head of Cerberus. That one might turn you off.
Wolfe is at his best in these short stories and he keeps publishing them. I hope an additional collection will appear. Even in his novels Gene Wolfe holds tight to his concept of creating tiny gems of writing. Every chapter in the Book of the New Sun could be seen as a short story. Some of them might well stand alone. Will make some weird reading, but that's Wolfe.
This is a review of this collection, so I will return to this book now. This language is one of the best prose I have yet encountered. Vladimir Nabokov is another superb stylist. If the language won't sedate you the ideas will.
This is so good! On par with the greatest of short story writers. Certainly the top of SF in general.
I'm not giving away anything. Just buy yourself a copy and start reading, slowly. Give it the time it needs. SF readers are generally not used to this kind of writing, but don't think you can't handle it. I don't think that many non-SF/F readers come here, but that's fine. They don't know what they're missing.
Other readers recommended the more favorite stories in this collection. Follow their advice. Start with them.

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR DEATH AND OTHER STORIES AND OTHER STORIES (yes, it's supposed to be titled that way), first published in 1980, is Gene Wolfe's first collection of short stories. It brings together 14 works published in the 1970's, some of which originally appeared in Damon Knight's "Orbit" anthologies. Like with any collection of short stories it ranges widely, but the volume does contain some of Wolfe's finest pieces.

The first story in this book may make the reader wonder why exactly Wolfe receives so much praise, for "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" (1970) is a very immature work, an unconvincingly written tale of child whose love of pulp adventure magazines helps him escape a broken home. The next story, "Alien Stones", dates from two years later and shows a dramatic improvement in Wolfe's writing. On the surface it appears to be about a spaceship crew exploring an abandoned alien vessel, but under the surface hints at a darker story. Wolfe, like Larry Niven in his 60's hard science-fiction works, unfortunately underestimates the progress of technology---his spacecraft's computer uses CRT's and manual switches---and his far-future female character seems supiciously like a stereotypical ditz of the early 1970's. Nonetheless, the strong storytelling and intricate plot more than make up for this.

"Three Fingers" is a short diversion, an enhibition of Wolfe's droll sense of humour. "Tracking Song" is another of the high points of the volume, the chronicle of a journey on a frozen world where humanity has evolved into myriad diverse forms. The narration is reminiscent of Wolfe's first great novel, THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

If this collection begins with Wolfe's weakest story, it ends with one of his best. "Seven American Nights" is the record of an Iranian visiting a bizarre post-apocalyptic America for less than honourable purposes, an ironic reversal of the phenomenon of 60's hippies visiting the Middle East for drug tourism. The novella contains the hallmarks of Wolfe's finest writing: unreliable narration, casual relevations, fantastic world-building, the perpetual feeling that the reader isn't getting the whole story, and an ending that shows that all the plot's secrets were really right there in the text all along. This is a powerful work, and it is worth buying the entire collection just for it.

While perhaps not ideal for the reader who hasn't read anything but Wolfe yet, this is an excellent work to turn to next if you enjoyed one of his accessible works like The Book of the New Sun, PEACE, or THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

I loved this book. I read it a year ago and I still rememberparts of it, especially the day and night sides of Ryloth. It was neathow the friends kept saving each other.

Usually, in most series by the time they reach book 10 it is beggining to get cheesy and unsatifying, but this is an exception. In fact, I think that this book is even better than the other three books in the second series of Young Jedi Knights, though I generaly liked the first series better. For one thing, even though there is one more book after this one, it seemed to tie in just about all the subplots of the series into a flawless intertwining story, that is much better than most people give it credit for, just because they are kids books. Anyway, in this story, The Young Jedi Knights (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar) finally decide that they have waited long enough for Lowie (their other friend) to return from visiting the Diversity Aliance and they must assume that he has either joined them, or is being held against his will. (both bad things) So they take off to go to rescue him, but are captured by the Diversity Aliance (who is fanacicly anti-human) and thrown into the spice mines to slave out their remaining years in agony. Will they save Lowie and escape? And if they manage to will they survive in the nearly inhospitably cold exterier to Ryloth? You'll just have to read the book to find out. One thing that bothers me, is that when they ask Lusa to stay behind and cover for them saying that they went on a mission or something, well wouldn't the adults imediatly be suspicios? I mean they are just a bunch of fifteen year old kids, wouldn't the adults feel responsible if something happened to them? Yet everyone seems to simply take it in stride as a normal accurance untill Zekk and Lusa come forward and tell the truth for them. Also, these budding relationships between all the kids, while extremly innocent, are starting to get annoying. Actually, the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka is fine, it being fun and interesting to watch. But do we really need more than that? Now new characters have actually been created just so other characters aren't left out of this, or so it seems. Zekk in particular was never one of my favorite characters, though despite myself I am begining to like him more. I am still completly against him forming a relationship with Jaina though, despite the fact they like each other. While I suppose Jaina does like him for the right reasons, they are better as friends. Their so called relationship is not only boring, but also completly unneccacary. A poor attemp to relate to teenage girls who would be reading this book. I'm a girl, and I'm fifteen, but this still seems silly and unneccecary, as is Lusa and Raynar, and Lowie and Raaba. Well now that I'm through complaining, I'll sign off by saying once again that this is a great book that I reccomend to any Star Wars fan, especially those interested in seeing how Han and Leia's kids turned out.

I have recenlty found to my suprise that many YA novels are very interesting. The "Young Jedi Knights" series have a lot of these novels and this particular book is easily representative of the breed. It helped that I have read some of the previous books of the series, however, otherwise I would have been completely lost in the character interrelationships.

This is a great book. one of the beast. A good part is when Jacen & Tenel Ka get lost in the ice land. "The first thing Jacen noticed was the cold. He shivered and looked at Tenel Ka,her lizard hide boots rose to midcalf, but her scaled armor only covered a minuscule portion of her uper thigh and left her arms bare. You must be c-c-cold,he said. This is a fact,said Tenel Ka. Chill wind went into the cave like knives of ice. Jacen, unable to thik of any other comfort, put his arms around Tenel Ka and pulled her to him in hopes of sharing some of his body warmth. Tenel Ka's arm slid around Jacen's waist and hugged him". so they are frezzing to death. It gets a bit more buddy buddy for Jacen & Tenel Ka. Now Jaina &Ranar are in the hot lands. " Raynar did his best to keep up with Jaina as they trudged between cracks, lept over open spaces like ovens, and hid from the heat in any shadows they could find. Now I know what a nerf sausage-- on a hot plate feels like,said Raynar. Jaina couldn't anser. Her skin was red and raw from the heat, her hands and feet had good number of blisters already. Jaina climbed up a rockface, along a cleft in the tones that heid some shade. She slipped briefly and reaching out to steady herself, touched an outcropping of rock exposed to the direct sunlight. She hissed in pain and snached her fingers away. Red burn-welts sprouted on her skin. Working it the mines is starting to sound like a vacationto me,she admitted. we don't have any waterout here, no food or protection...said Jaina". So they have to deal with the heat. This is a great book, to see what happens you got to get it.

Jacen, Jaina and group held off to get Lowie back from the Diversity Alliance but it doesn't go well at all instead they end up slaves in a spice mines leaving Lusa to come after them. Another interesting installment of the Young Jedi Knights asside from a few little details like them traveling around the Galaxy at fifteen or them telling Lusa to cover for them (like no one's going to notice they have left the planet?) I like each book better then the last. They're fun adventures and each charactor is well written. I like the little tiny crushes between Jacen and Tenel Ka and Jaina and Zekk their cute but not overly annoying nor are they the main focus of the stories and that works for me.

I first learned of Mistress Masham's Repose during a game of charades. (Can you imagine trying to act out this title, especially since it's a book so few people have heard of?) I had already read and loved The Once and Future King, and set out to find a copy. I have read this book three times over the past 20 years. Each time it strikes me anew as such a wonderfully funny, sweet and substantial novel. It could be that the title itself is what kept it from becoming a classic alongside Wind in the Willows and A Wrinkle in Time. Read this book! Buy this book for all the book-loving children in your life!

As an American child of about 10, I acquired a battered copy of this book along with a bunch of children's books from a family friend whose children had outgrown them. As other reviewers suggest, I was mystified by much of the book (the poet Pope?) but I still found it a great adventure story and loved the illustrations. It didn't hurt that I resembled Maria myself (a bookish tomboy with glasses--thank God for LASIK). I have re-read the book with pleasure on a number of occasions and now understand the references, but I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to an intelligent American child today. Perhaps it would prompt him or her to learn more about British history and literature. I'm glad to see it has been reprinted.

As kids, both my brother and I considered this one of our favorite books - and we did a LOT of reading. I can't tell you how many times I read it. Our copy was lost at some point, so I am thrilled that it is back in print so I can now read it to my own children. My kids are 3 and 6, so still a bit young for this book, but I'll probably buy a copy now for my own pleasure, and another for my brother.
I have always loved books that lead you to another book, and I just had to read "Gulliver's Travels" after reading this one. As a kid, much of it went over my head, but I still enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, I should re-read that one too...

Although one of White's lesser-known works, to my mind it's easily one of his best (Anne Fine regards it as her favourite children's book). The concept of Lilliputians living in an English landscape garden is superb, and White develops his theme in wonderfully enticing ways - and always with his typical 'feel' for character and setting. There's so much to enjoy in this tale - still a classic after 60 years.

After finishing university T. H. White worked as a teacher in the Stowe School which occupies a gigantic former Baroque stately home: here he conceived of the idea of Malplaquet, modeled after the greatest of all British country homes, Blenheim Palace, where the Dukes of Marlborough have lived and where Winston Churchill was born and raised. Malplaquet, an imaginary dilapidated repository of all its nation's history (we find out the Princes in the Tower were executed in its medieval dungeon, which also contains the ax which beheaded Charles I), would make a wonderful setting for any book, but rather than use it for a Gothic (the obvious choice), here White had the inspiration to make it the setting for a children's fantasy. White's mansion is not only the home of the little girl Maria who has inherited the estate (and not much else) and her warders--some cruel, some kind--but also a group of Lilliputians brought over from their island home during the time of Swift, whom Maria encounters one day. Maria's encounter with the Lilliputians becomes for her a means for learning about the nature of tyranny--both that exercised over herself by her guardian the Vicar Mr. Hater and her governess Miss Brown, but also that she herself can hardly keep herself from exercising over the Lilliputian community hidden on her estate.

This is a children's book that, to be honest, will best be appreciated by adults. White imagined his readers not only familiar with GULLIVER'S TRAVELS but also with some of the history of seventeenth and eighteenth-century England: American children particularly today would be confused as to who Mistresses Masham and Morley were, or what Malplaquet is named after, or even who Gulliver was. And their patience might well be tried by White's love of Wodehousean "types": the bluff Lord Lieutenant with an obsession with horses and hounds, and Maria's mentor the absent-minded and esoteric antiquarian the Professor . But adults (and even older children) should love this book, and its well-structured narrative is a real pleasure.

When I first started this series, I was a little dissapointed. Not only was the dialogue boring and a little tedius to get through, but the characters weren't that likable from the start. BUT, as the book progressed, their were a few more things to keep it interesting. The end of the books was ok, a little abrubt. But, I can't say anything about it without giving away some of the story, so I will let the readers decide.

If 1)You are a fan of Dragonlance, 2) You are a fan of Mages in Dragonlance, then you should get this book. It takes place nearly 300 years after the Cataclysm, and really gives insight into the magical side of Krynn.

This is a great book, depicting the attempts of a young man, one Guerrand DiThon, who wishes to become a mage, despite the orders of his older brother, Cormac, and Cormac's influential wife.

But when a mysterious man wearing red robes named Belieze rolls into town and gives Guerrand a magical piece of glass that allows him to see to far places, he and his familiar, a seagull named Zagarus, both set out to the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayrenth to study the arts of magic and, perhaps, even take the Test and become a legend.

Studying under Justarius, Guerrand soon learns of a scheme that would undo the whole of Krynn. Belieze plans to enter the magical Citadel where all the knowledge of magic is stored!

Will Lyim, Guerrand's friend and Belieze's apprentice, fall victim to the evil mage's intentions? Or will Guerrand find himself in an inevitable struggle with the Master of the Red Robes? This awry tale will take you on a trip to Nuitari and back, so hold onto your hats and let Mary Kirchoff, the author of Wanderlust and Kendermore, sweep you away to a land known as Krynn.

I am in the process of reading this novel (half way done) and I came upon some ironic information. For any fan that read and enjoyed THE OATH AND THE MEASURE, I would strongly urgue you to buy NIGHT OF THE EYE. The two books both mention a 5 year period on which magic is at its peak. And while the plot of these books are different, it makes you kinda wonder about the timing of these novels. Both THE OATH AND THE MEASURE and NIGHT OF THE EYE are excellent novels to read at anytime.

I think of myself as a fairly avid fan of Dragonlance. And there are a couple of elements about the series that i like; like the fact that the some, 90+ books that have been written about the world of Krynn are, well, just that, about Krynn. What I mean is that the saga, once you're into it and familiar with the history, geography, etc, you can read a new story and things make sense. Another element that I like about the Dragonlance saga is the fantastic element (ie, dragons, chivalry of knights, and MAGIC). I like that fact that this book reassures me in both of those elements. The setting starts the book around the time slightly before the War of the Lance and the Companions, in a not-so-well known part of Krynn. And since the entire book is about magic and the study of it, it gives a very good look behind the every-day workings of magic, and insight into how and exactly what magic skills mean. Magic has always been such an elusive force in the Dragonlance world, where all they talk about is uttering of words and vague things like, "concentration" and "feeling of magic inside". This book really helps to change that.

This book was an excellent read for magic-lovers like myself, and had most of the elements that make a good Dragonlance book, like a good plot, a love interest, and and a well-developed, main character. If you like magic/Dragonlance/a good read, get this book. It may not be one of the VERY BEST DL books I've read, but it's still well worth the time, especially if you're a DL fan.

In fact, my only problem with this book was one aspect of the ending (if you haven't read the book, you may want to look away now...); Guerrand's sister is not addressed in the ending... She was perhaps my favorite character(i think it was because she seemed like such a helpless caged bird that tried so hard, and i'm really taken in for those "romantic"-type characters) in the book, and everything wraps up nicely except her... what happens to her? Why didn't she find out where Guerrand lived and ran away from home to Palanthas? Why didn't she just run away to begin with?? I know that the second book continues the story, so I'm hoping for the best....

I liked this book a lot, since I'm a mage fan and this book is completly about mages. The author developed the charactors well, like Rand's terrible, (but rather funny) family. The climax was very good, it had me on the edge of my seat. Read the other two books too!

JUST BECAUSE I'M A KID DOESN'T MEAN THIS BOOK STINKS!!!!!!!!! :-) Have a nice day.

I love this book and have read it many times. Although I can't seem to find the sequal. Does anyone know the name of the sequal or where to find it?

This book was fabulous! It is an excellent fantasy tale. I wish they would make this into a movie!

Does this version include the ending of the story? I understand that one of the prints has part one and two combined. I too read the first story when it came out in the early nineties (?) and absolutely loved the book. I always wondered if part 2 ever came out and it sounds like it has.

Is this version for sale the complete story, 1 and 2?

I've read the book and it's awesome. To person in Philly, yes there is a second book, i got mine as a birthday gift so i don't where you can get, but it's out there somewhere.
Please make all the books into movies if someone who reads this makes movies. It would be an awesome edition to the LOTR fantasy world.

I first read Book One "The Oneprince" when it first came out in 1992, at the age of 12; I loved it, eagerly awaited Book Two "The Hidden City," and, when the second volume was not forthcoming, eventually the book got tucked away on my bookshelf and temporarily forgotten. Occasionally I would wonder if the sequel had come out yet, but it was not until 2003 that I discovered the author's web site at http://www.infonline.net/~rapideye/bill2/ and found out that a joint edition of both the volumes had finally been published. I have just now finished reading the dual-edition, and it's so wonderful! Essentially, folks, what we have here is a sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes fairy-tale, sometimes burlesque, and sometimes quite cinematic little parable of the Very Word. See, it doesn't take an astute reader long in Part One to realize that the Oneprince of the title--son of the Oneking Above--is the Christ, as incarnated (or however the logistics work out) in this fantasy world of Redaemus, with its Humans and Rats and Badgers, its Laws and its Demons, its King Pentatutinus and its squabbly Hidden City of Yerushela. It's not a perfect parable, not a direct analogy, but that is all the better as it deftly foils your constant games of guessing which character should be Judas, which Peter, which Mary Magdalene...really, they all take turns fitting one role or another. But you know one thing for sure: This delightful, unforgettable Oneprince, now that they've finally found him, is going to turn their world upside down! In a good way. I highly recommend the book to fans of fantasy, especially of the Narnia variety. Now that I've finally managed to read both volumes of the story, it's taken a permanent place on my list of favorites.

I've been a fan of Sailor Moon since 7th grade and I've been trying to complete the manga collection for the past 5 years. The book I receieved was in superb condition and was sold at a wonderful price. Thanks to you I am one book away from having a complete collection!

Excellent! 10 out 10! The true story of Sailor Moon! If you're into Manga and Anime, I would recommend this manga 100%. Sailor moon is full or Romance, Adventure, Drama and More. If you like sailor moon you might also like Revolutionary girl Utena another Manga written by Naoko Takeuchi.

The last series of Sailor moon is the best. It tells more about the background of each character. And for once all the Sailor Scouts are gone. You finally get to see how Sailor Moon fights by herself! The book has beatiful artwork. Only it has terrible binding. The Sailor Moon Manga books always kinda fall apart. So be very careful with them! Get this book! You'll enjoy it and read it again and again.

This is probley the closest you could get to the 5th season if you don't get it. Now I know you can get it on e-bay, but I don't want to get it used{eventually}.
First chapter:
It is revealed that Chibi Chibi is a sailor scout.
The starlights talk about what happened in the past.
Sailor Galaxia attacks Bunny and Chibi Chibi.
Second chapter:
Bunny and Chibi Chibi survive the attack.
Eternal Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Chibi,Princess Kakyu, and the Sailor Starlights go to the Outer Senshi's planet in hopes of finding the outer senshi.
Third chapter:
The group travels to a river where the scouts memories are taken away.
Sailor Galaxia takes the salor starlights sailor crystals!!!
Rini's picture diary:
Hotaru and Rini goes to her friends store.
An evil ghost takes control of Hotaru.

First off, glamcabbit, Manga or books are not DUBBED, they are TRANSLATED!
Ok. Now that that is straight, this manga was really good. Ther artwork is great. The story is good, but it could be better. It just isn't as good as it used to be. Even Naoko herself said that she was sorry she was so kept up with the anime that she didn't really try to make the StarS series interesting (I think)
Anyone who can't have the Sailor Moon StarS anime should get this manga. It's not SO different from the anime, accept the Villians are SOOO much smarter.
This manga starts out with Sailor Moon fighting Kitty and the Sailor Starlights finally finding Princess Kakyu. Later on in the manga, Sailor Moon is left without Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, or Uranus to help her. She then finds out the shocking truth. She is the target of Sailor Galaxia, the scout of destruction. Set upon rescuing her fellow Sailor Scout's Sailor Crystals, Eternal Sailor Moon goes to find Sailor Galaxia with Sailor Chibi Chibi (NOT SAILOR CHIBI CHIBI MOON! THAT'S ONLY IN THE ANIME!), Princess Kakyuu, and the Starlights. But Galaxia won't let Sailor Moon win that easily! Will Sailor Moon be able to get through all the obstacles in her path?
Unfortunately, this description might not be that good, considering I lost my StarS 2 manga in the Seattle Airport ! :'-(
Oh well. Hope I helped you!

PS Would actually be 4 1/2 stars, but I couldn't figure out how to do that! Anyone know?

I got the book within a few days and it was in great shape. I have not read it yet but I know it is going to be a great book because I have read many many R.A. Salvatore books. And He always brings the best to the table.

this book, i feel, can stand out on its own along with reading the series for backstory. it is one of my favorite books out there from one of my favorite authors and favorite series. not many books really follow the more evil side of dealings in the forgotten realms and i enjoy what is in this book.

For any Drizzt lovers, you must know this novel and Sellswords trilogy is about Artemis and Jarlaxle, but it's no less amazing! Salvatore is always brilliant with his politics and action to create a perfect story. His political issues are just as interesting as the action and interactions between characters!

I bought the whole Sellswords in a set ... this was before I knew that "Servant of the Shard" was actually one of the Drizzt books and I already owned it! Oh, well, it looks good and I needed to re-read it anyway.
I'm only on Book II but if you've read any Salvatore you know that you can always count on an exciting read. The comedy aspects of his writings have never gotten much play, but I've laughed more in these books than in any of the Drizzt (and related characters) saga. Jarlaxle in particular is written with many a good zinger in there. Very entertaining.
Anyway, your travels with Drizzt are not complete unless you read the Sellswords. (Artemis Entreri is one of my favorite anti-heroes. What would Freud have said with him on the couch?) Colorful, exciting, great characters ... highly recommended.

I am quite confused!! What is the 1st book in the Sellswords series? We have the Servant of the Shard - Path of Darkness series. Are there 2 books of the same name?? Please assist asap ljkelly@vance.net

Thanks to all!

L

As an English professor and an avid reader, it's been a source of distress that one of my grandchildren doesn't like to read. He is fast-paced and doesn't like to slow down long enough to read; like so many of my students, he'll "wait for the movie." Recently he told me that his class at school had been reading THE SHADOW CLUB and that he had been reading ahead because he loved it. I bought it for him on the spot and purchased THE SHADOW CLUB RISING, the sequel, and two other books by Shusterman as well. He was excited to have them and has told me at length what he likes about the books: the constant action and drama, the characters sympathetic to his age group (11), etc. I thank Neal Shusterman for turning my grandson on to reading at long last!

Book Review
Shadow Club
By: Neal Shusterman

Jared and Cheryl always were second best, always living in someone else's shadow. Jared came in second at the races he was in and Cheryl's cousin would always upstage her. No one likes to lose especially all the time. Always being kicked into the dirt. They were sick of it so they decided to fight back. They gathered all the second-best people and went to their old hide out in the forest and formed a club, the Shadow Club was formed. At first it was just about pulling harmless pranks on their enemies and thinking of ways to hurt them but it went to far. Is someone trying to frame them? What will happen to the Shadow Club?
Shadow Club is a thrilling story that both boys and girls will love an maybe some adults. I wish it didn't have to end. It's filled with action, humor, suspense, and lots of mysteries. I recommend this book to any one who likes to get sucked into their book and forget about the world around them. Its so detailed that it feels like your really there in the story. It will have your eyes glued to it until the last pages have turned.

-Megan C.

Jared, a ninth-grader, is so sick of always being the second-best runner on his team. No matter how hard he pushes himself, he is always beaten by Austin. To make things worse, Austin loves to rub it in when he beats Jared.

Jared's best friend Cheryl knows how he feels. Her cousin Rebecca, who is a year younger than her, is a better singer than Cheryl and she seems to be constantly rubbing Cheryl's face in that fact. Jared and Cheryl are both fed up.

When they feel they can't take it anymore, Jared and Cheryl decide to start a secret club to vent their feelings--The Shadow Club. They invite Cheryl's little brother Randall, who is the number two swimmer on his team. They invite the second best trumpeter, the second prettiest girl in the class, the second best basketball player, and the second best student to join.

All of the members of the club get together and at first aren't sure what to do besides say bad things about those who are beating them all of the time. Then they decide that more needs to be done. Jared comes up with the idea of playing practical jokes on those students they detest. He thinks if no one knows about the club and no one plays a joke on his or her own enemy, all of the club members will escape being suspected of playing the jokes. So it starts.

Green slime shows up in a trumpet before a big solo. The best student's pet tarantula is put in the hood of the best runner's sweatshirt. The best swimmer has his toenails painted bright red while he's asleep.

The members of the Shadow Club are thrilled with their accomplishments. But then things start getting out of control. Jokes are being played that no one seems to know about, and they are getting meaner and more destructive by the day. Could someone be trying to frame the members of the club?

I thought this book captured the attitude of many junior high school students--it highlighted the feelings of competition and the petty nastiness that occurs in students of this age. I thought Jared should have been able to see when things were getting out of control, though, and should have been able to stop the club before anything bad happened.

The Shadow Club
By: Neal Shusterman

Review done by: A Mid-Prairie Teen Student

You would have no idea what you would be expecting if you got a book titled The Shadow Club, I sure didn't. The Shadow Club is a great book having middle school to high schooled aged students making mistakes and seeing the consequences in the end.
Jared, a middle school aged kid, is the main kid in this story. He is the second best runner in his school and hates being second best. He absolutely hates Eric, the best runner in school, and would do absolutely anything he could to be better than Eric. This is where the trouble started.
Jared's friend Cheryl, the second best singer, wanted to start a club called the Shadow Club. This means for people to come to this club if they're second best in something. Like second best singer, second smartest person in school, and even second prettiest girl in school. All these second best kids formed this club and got themselves into trouble without even knowing it.
This is quite a story and it is written by Neal Shusterman a fantastic author. He is an American author of books for young readers, and also a screenwriter. He has won and award called the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for The Schwa Was Here, and he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He now lives in Orange County, California with his four children. So as you have seen he has a busy life but he has certainly used some of his time to write great books.
This is an amazing book but I'm not going to tell you what happened in the end. Once you read it, it will shock you incredibly as you will see. I will tell you though that it teaches great things like making friends, the trouble you can get yourself into with just starting little things, and how much hate can really hurt someone else's life.
I dare you to read this book even if you think you're the best person in your school. Just go and read this book so that you can see the secrets some second best people may be thinking right now.

I have been reading the Shadow Club to my 7th graders for more than 10 years. The humor, especially in the character of Ralphy Sherman, keeps the class listening. The suspense builds to the point that I have students begging me not to stop reading. Many students tried to buy the book because they just couldn't wait for me to finish reading. I was happy for a few years that it was out of print, so they couldn't find it to read ahead of me.
There are many lessons that apply directly to children of middle school age, and my favorite is looking at how the students laughed at Tyson McGaw at the beginning, but feel for him at the end of the book. Hopefully they will look closer at individuals and not make fun of them because they are different.
I have never had a student who didn't like this book and it is the only one that I have read that when I finish, the students applaud.

Tolkien was a very prolific writer. Everyone knows about "The Hobbit", and especially "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But those were not the only books that he wrote, and I was pleased to find these two relatively short stories (compared with the other stories that I mentioned earlier). Both of them are great; in Farmer Giles of Ham,Tolkien tells us about a simple farmer, content with his farm and his land, who ends up being an acclaimed hero because he rids the land of a dragon named Chrysophylax Dives. Just as with his greater stories, this one is full of imagination and Tolkien's peculiar humor and writing style. The other story, Smith of Wooton Major, is about a boy who receives a very special gift when he eats a slice of a cake that was only baked for good children every 24 years, and what happens with that gift. If you want to read some other stories about Tolkien, without having to spend days on end, then I recommend this book.

This book has two stories from Tolkien. I especially enjoyed the second story, Farmer Giles of Ham. I loved the characters from this story and Tolkien's masterful storytelling. Two Hobbit-thumbs up!

I have long been familiar with J.R.R. Tolkein's famous books - The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings - but, this cute little book shows that just about everything that he put his hand to he did beautifully! It contains two of Prof. Tolkein's novellas - Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. The stories are sure to charm anyone who believes in beauty and wonder...and maybe hopes just a little that that land of Faery is a real place after all!

Smith of Wootton Major tells the story of a little town that has a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty four years, and eaten by twenty four good children. But, when a magical Faery star is slipped into this year's cake, it is eaten by the local smith's son. And so the life of the younger smith is changed beyond anyone's imagination - he is marked by beauty of face and voice, and (unbeknownst to anyone) he can even visit the land of Faery whenever he likes. It is a life of magic and giving.

Farmer Giles of Ham tells the story of a farmer by the name of Aegidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Hammo - or in the vulgar form, Farmer Giles of Ham. A no-nonsense man was Farmer Giles, and when someone steps onto his property, he is there to meet him with his blunderbuss. However, when the next person to set foot on his property is a giant, Farmer Giles soon finds himself dealing with kings and knights and legendary swords and, worst of all, dragons!

This edition is for those who truly love Fairy Tale. It is amazing to witness first hand Tolkien's breathtaking ability to weave the tales of Faerie. Any reader who enjoyed The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or The Silmarillion will be greatly pleased.

J. R. R. Tolkien, known almost exclusively for the Middle-Earth tales, has a more humorous side. In his short story, "Farmer Giles of Ham", Tolkien displays a superb sense of irony, and a gentle wit. A satirical mock epic of almost Alexander Pope or Voltaire proportions, "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a lesser known, but intriguing part of Tolkien's body of work.

Farmer Giles (of the village known as Ham in the "vulgar tongue") lives a quiet life with his wife and dog, who possesses the power of speech. Alas! To unsettle his provençial habits, a giant stumbles upon the village of Ham, and it is Giles who reluctantly takes up his blunderbus to clumsily sting the giant in the eye. The irony is, when Giles (who came out of the trial almost as badly as the giant himself) is celebrated as a hero and reknowned in the village and beyond, the giant himself thinks that the hit of the primative gun was nought but the sting of a rather large insect.

And so, Giles, who was the last person in the land to become a hero (very much like other Tolkien heros the likes of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins) must take out a dangerous (but delightfully polite) dragon whose fire and claws have ravaged the country for some time. This he accomplishes in a suit of poorly made chainmail, and an ancient helmet.

As a climax, the farmer-turned-warrior must make battle with the high king of the land so that he may claim the dragon's hoard as his own, instead of trying to slake the king's thirst for wealth. With the help of this same dragon, Giles defeats the avaricious monarch and becomes a king in his own right.

Tolkien's knowledge of Medæval culture and lore make this story an enchanting and amusing tale of the best and worst of humankind. He spares no one in his satire, even condemning the chivalrous knights of the king. With a smile and a pen that stings, Tokien creates here a fantasy story of the deliciously unexpected. Charming and intelligent, "Farmer Giles of Ham" has a light sense of wit and humor that one rarely finds in modern literature.

I just finished Sutters Cross, and I'm savoring the glow that accompanies the completion of a good book. It was so refreshing to read a Christian Fiction book that broke out of the formula and was well crafted. It was complex without being confusing. A southern novel that was not a cliche. Mr. Cramer uses words in a delightful way, too. One of my favorite story lines was the one that followed Eddy and Marcus. He truly captured the magic of boyhood in their story line--I loved it!

This book was also Christian without being preachy, spiritual without being too pointed and obvious. (..."Oh, here's where the author is bringing in the moral of the story....") I give it two thumbs up!

Jake Mahaffey lives with his wife Lori in the beautiful little town of Sutter's Cross in the Appalachians. There is a rigid social structure in the town in which everyone knows his place, especially in Jake's church. All of this changes when a ragged, homeless man comes to town and offends some of the townspeople and charms others. He has an other-worldly wisdom about him which offends his enemies and attracts those who see beyond his ragged exterior. His very presence seems to uncover the towns' hypocrisy, and suddenly the greed and self-centeredness of some of Sutter's Cross citizens are exposed. Important themes such as living through pain and suffering and father/son relationships are explored in this book. The book starts somewhat slowly, but it gains momentum and, in the end, important lessons are learned by many of the main characters. This is recommended Christian fiction.

I've just started reading this book and I can't put it down. I just recently discovered this Author and now I have all his books.

Author seems very knowledgable of his subjects, have read two of his books and found them very interesting.

Sutter's Cross by W. Dale Cramer is a lyrically crafted book. It's Cramer's debut novel, and it truly shines. Harley shows up in town at the church picnic lunch wearing another man's pants and quickly saves an elderly woman from choking. From this auspicious beginning, people in town quickly line up either for him or against him. At first I was concerned the book would be too similar to Joshua, but this book is entirely different and certainly stands on its own merits. Cramer does a wonderful job of characterization, although Orde seems a bit stereotypical. The stories of Web, Eddy & Marcus, and Jake & Harley come together with such a clash that even Web's change becomes believable. The scene of prayer in the church brought tears to my eyes, and the scene of Marcus with the fireflies stands as one of the best I've ever read in fiction: miraculous and moving. Cramer's story is all the more moving for not tying everything up with a neat bow at the end.