Science Fiction Books

This book is as wonderful today as it was years ago! I agree about the missing Burpers - I want them back! But still a wonderful and fun way to instill principles of courtesy in the reader. A wonderful reminder of years gone by and if we are lucky a promise of what we can be in the years ahead. Just be nice to one another! Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

Two boys, 5 & 7 can often forget the importance of manners. Being tired of preaching and threatening, I saw this book and thought I'd try it. While they sipped hot chocolate, I read this to them. Neither of them said a word, but were paying complete attention! I couldn't believe it! I wasn't sure my kids would be able to enjoy and/or process this. They did, and I am very pleased with this book. Looking forward to buying all the other editions.

I wish this book had been around for my children when they were little. Their great grandmother had told them about it, but it was no longer in print. I bought six copies... so they could read it to their chilren when the time comes AND one for my class of kindergartners. My K kids LOVE it!

I had Munro Leaf books when I was achild (I am 61 now) and loved them. This is a fabulous book. All kindergarten and first grade classrooms should have this book. It explains why manners are important in a way that children will understand that their life will be better if they use good manners.

I picked up my copy of this book at a yard sale. Many of the line drawings have been colored in, and in a few places someone is practicing her letters. It's that sort of ownership this book invites, with its childlike drawings and simple lessons on getting along with others, table manners, sharing, and cleaning up. Halfway through we also meet the Whiny, the Noisie, the Me First, the Bragger, the Sulker, the Bathroom Wrecker and many other undesirables. A great book for 3-7s.

The concept of this book intrigued me and so I was anxious to read it when it came in. I started and finished it in the same day because I just couldn't put it down. I was impressed with the subject matter (the supernatural has always fascinated me, but it is very difficult to find supernatural writing from a Christian perspective). The characters are well written and believable and I must say that the settings are pretty amazing as well. It starts in one part of the world and ends in America and I felt like I took the trip with them. I did figure out one of the mystery parts in advance but that didn't take away from the rest of the story.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series which is supposed to come out this year. If you like the supernatural or have teens that do, then you would love this book!

"Never Ceese" is the tale of a vampire and a werewolf who seek what we all seek deep down in our souls...redemption. Both were cursed unwillingly, and both have fought all their VERY long lives to never pass on that curse to another, but to cling to their beliefs that were ingrained in them as children.

Ceese finds herself lured to the castle of Penelope and Richard against her will, not certain what she will find once she arrives there. Richard isn't fond of visitors of any kind, and especially not visitors of Ceese's nature.

But Penelope persuades them both to accept one another and that they can help the other break the curse that binds them, thus giving them the ability to choose their own final destiny.

I know it sounds so far fetched that two of the most unimaginable creatures and most make-believe beings could have such strong desire for the things of God...but believe me, IT WORKS! And it makes the lure of God's redemption all the more powerful to see it played out in a work such as "Never Ceese".

This book will stretch your imagination to its farthest reaches, and almost make you believe...but not quite, because believing in something Sue writes so well is just, well, not something I find myself wanting to do!!

I'm giving "Never Ceese" five out of five bookmarks, with a tiny cross as a charm...because that is where our destiny changes, no matter who we are or where we're from. It all starts and ends at Calvary.

Happy Reading!

Deena

Richard has been cursed so long he can't even remember his life before he became a vampire. He spends his days with his long time friend, Penny, in his luxurious castle in Britain. Richard's world is forever changed when a young werewolf named Ceese arrives at his door claiming to be old friends with Penny. Ceese has also carried her curse for ages and she wants nothing more to be rid of it once and for all. Richard has long ago given up hope of ever being free from his curse and Ceese must convince him to hope again. Now vampire and werewolf must work together to discover a cure for the immortal curse that binds them both.

Sue Dent has done what few have dared to try, mixing elements of vampire and werewolf lore with themes of faith and spirituality. The result is an intriguing and exciting piece of fiction that is obsessively readable and entertaining on every level. Richard and Ceese are cleverly crafted characters who face insurmountable odds in their quest for redemption. Dent adds to the richness of the story by giving equal balance to both werewolf and vampire mythology. Many of these elements were familiar to me, with a few surprises that only added to the mystique of each character. The incorporation of faith is never forced and fits seamlessly into the storyline, making the messages of sacrifice and redemption that much more powerful in the end.

Never Ceese was a pleasant surprise to me and if it wasn't for Eric Wilson's Amazon review, I never would have picked it up. It's a shame that major CBA publishers aren't willing to pursue more "outside the box" fiction like Never Ceese. I'm glad to know there are publishers out there (like Writers' Cafe Press) who are willing to give these types of stories the recognition they deserve. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequel, Forever Richard.

I just finished reading Sue Dent's tale of Never Ceese. I think the other reviews have already covered just about everything that can be revealed without giving too much away, so I will have to be satisfied in saying I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Normally, I am not one to read about vampires and werewolves; not my cup of tea. Other people, however, gave rave reviews that had me very curious. I was suspicious, but Ms. Dent has successfully blended the creatures of horror stories with sound Biblical principles. It teaches about faith and love without being preachy. Much of the subject matter is dead serious (forgive the pun), but Ms. Dent has included plenty of comic relief. Really, I love her offbeat sense of humor. I read it rather quickly since I couldn't put it down for long.

At first? Reluctant. Next? Intrigued. By the second page? Thoroughly engaged. Sue has brought the urban mythos of vampires and werewolves to the spiritual plane. She causes her readers to delve into tragedy while hoping for redemption. Bravo! I eagerly await the promised sequel.

This book is undoubtedly one of R.L. Stine's finest anthologies. It is awesome and consistently scary. So many of the stories are really terrifying. Here are some my favorites:

"Pumpkinhead" 9/10: Great story. I won't give too much away, but it's about a kid, his friend, and his brother who get more than they bargained for when they go pranking in a pumpkin patch.

"Nightmare Inn" 10/10: What can I say? This has it all. Werewolves, creepy inns, and weird receptionists. Great ending, by the way.

"I'm Not Martin" 10/10: This was my all-time-favorite of the book. My score really doesn't do it justice, seeing how absolutely nerve-wracking and disturbing this story is. I won't ruin it, only that you, no matter how much you are desensitized to horror, even you will get at least a moderate fear of hospitals. This will scare you even more than that buckets-of-gore movie "Hostel". This should be make into a big blockbuster summer movie.

"Afraid of Clowns" 9/10: Let's just say you won't want to be a clown's "assistant". EVER.

"The Dead Body" 9/10: Definitely had an awesome twist ending. That alone is worth reading this story for.

Also, the other stories in this book, with a score but no comment:

"Alien Candy" 8/10
"The Most Evil Sorcerer" 7/10
"The Black Mask" 8.5/10
"Make Me A Witch" 7.5/10
"The Ghostly Stare" 8/10

That, in a nutshell, is what I think of the book. At first, I thought it was just a wimpy kid's horror book; but after reading it, I loved it. Definitely one of the, if not the best R.L. Stine anthologies ever. I thought I have just one more thing to say: BUY IT. NOW.

This is a really excellent short story book. Each story is very original, and the art is really crazy for the books. The story synopsis are below, and the rating, just to give you an idea of what they're about.

1. Pumpkinhead: 5/5 - A crazy tale of three kids who go to a pumpkin patch at night, and the terror that lurks within. A pretty awesome tale.

2. Alien Candy: 4/5 - A strange and bizarre tale of an alien lover's club and the truth behind the kids.

3. The Most Evil Sorceror: ?/? - This probably doesn't help, but I didn't read this one. Oops!

4. Nightmare Inn: 5/5 - A pretty humurously scary tale of an abandoned inn where a young girl and her mom are renovating, and the truth about what lies within, and the truth about the nice woman who owns it, Priscilla.

5. I'm Not Martin: 6/5 - Super original tale that is so deeply distrubing because it COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

6. The Black Mask: 5/5 - Almost like a mini book about a group of friends who feel that they can see the fatal past of a group of kids through a black mask found in the basement of the main character's new home.

7. Afraid Of Clowns: 4/5 - Me, being a total freak-out when it comes to clowns, didn't want to read this story, but when I finally did, it was pretty crazy!

8. The Dead Body: 5/5 - This one had a very Twilight Zone-esque feel to it. It was pretty awesomely put together.

9. Make Me A Witch: 4/5 - A pretty freaky tale about a girl who wants to become a witch. Pretty freaky!!

10. The Ghostly Stare: 4/5 - A pretty awesome story about what happens in a graveyard at night, told from the POV of a girl and her brother. The ending is pretty strange and a little unexpected, but still a great story.

Sorry about number 3. I'm gonna read it right after this review. Otherwise, I hope you get the picture and buy the book because it's really awesomely cool and fun and terrifying to read at night!

This was a really fun book to read. Each story is different. Each story is scarey. If you loved Goosebumps... this is better. Highly recommended.

R.L. Stine is one of the best authers that i have had the pleasure of reading. Even though this book is for kids, i am still reading it at the age of 16. i still get goosebumps from reading his stories.

Genre: Scary
Three Sentence summary: There were a lot of character but the main ones were Pumkin head, The black mask, and The ghostly lady. The problem was that they were scaring people and being thiefs. The last time they were seen was in a dark cemetary.
What I liked most about the book: I liked the stories in it because they felt real.
What I didn't like and why: I did not like the ending of some stories because they were not that good.
My favorite character and why: My favorite character were the allien bugs because they were bad and thiefs.
The scene,line,or passage that meant something to me and why (page#): "He was a very good friend". Because it tells you there are good friends and bad friends and you have to appreciate the good ones. Page.121
What I would say about this book to someone else: I would say that this book is worth reading because it keeps you in suspense, and it will scare you.
One question i have after reading this book: How does R.L Stines come up with this book.
My strongest reason for recommending this book: It's a good, mysterious book that will scare your pants off.

My daughters are 7 and 8 and they love this book. It was a great story and something to keep in our home for a long time.

I teach high school algebra and found that the addition of children's literature enhances my curriculum. I used this book when we began exponential functions. I read the first part to my students and then had them fill in a chart telling how many grains of rice she received each day for 30 days and ultimately come up with a formula. The book itself is beautiful and even high schoolers enjoyed it. (After the math activity, they asked me to finish the book. :)

I have purchased 5 copies of this book - one for my kids and the rest as gifts. I've also suggested it to others to give children as gifts. My older son is 2 1/2 years old and he enjoys this book. Certainly, I can expect an older child, around 5 or older, to get more of the mathematical detials from the book, but my son likes it too.

Instead of reading the numbers aloud, I show him that Rani shared the single grain of rice with this bird, 2 grains with that peacock.. the bagful of rice with the tiger... etc. He loves it. The illustrations are outstanding!! I always feel like I'm reading a book from the "royal" archives when I pick this up.

Enjoy!

My daughter is three and loves this book -- not just for the gorgeous fold-out illustrated spread of the caravan of elephants carrying the rice on the 30th day -- but because she can follow along with the story. The tale is of a rich greedy rajah who doesn't want to share, but is then outwitted by a young girl and forced to give up all the grain in his storehouses. At the end, he is humbled and vows to be a more fair and wise ruler. My daughter loves to sit with one grain of rice in her hand like Rani on the title page of the book. I can see her forming rudimentary mathematical concepts, but I won't push it. There's plenty of time to return to this book when we introduce the times tables.

The visual progression of the increasing volume of rice is shown by the variety of animals which deliver the daily ration. First, just a series of birds with grains of rice in their beaks. Then on to a leopard, a tiger, and a lion each carrying a small pouch in their mouths. By the sixteenth day, a goat is pulling a cart on which sits a bag of rice. On the twenty-fourth day, eight deer each bring her a basket strapped to their backs. And so on until the enormous procession of elephants! The last page of the book is a very useful table called "from one grain of rice to one billion" which shows the actual numerical progression. Demi outdid herself with this book, which any homeschooling family will find useful.

This is Demi's re-telling of an old folktale of a king who orders that all rice in his kingdom must be stored in the royal granaries so that there would be food in times of famine; but when his people start to go hungry, he refuses to open the granaries, claiming that the situation was not bad enough to warrant doing so - until a small child outsmarts him by asking for a grain of rice doubled every day for a month.

I love this book because there is a lot to be learned from it. Of course, there is the math: the concept of doubling and how quickly doubling makes the numbers grow. There is the art: lovely Indian-inspired illustrations with stunning gold effects. There are also moral lessons, namely that power can corrupt, and that even a small child can teach a mighty king.

Then, there is a special lesson for all little girls everywhere - that girls can do math. After all, the math-smart hero of the story is a little girl herself.

I love this whole series of books. As an individual who has always been interested in the anthropological and archeological study of the Native American people, I find the whole series of books to be well written with just enough historical evidence to form characters and be intriguing and interesting but without being so crammed full of information the story is lost. Another job well done.

I have read all of the current books in this series and by far this ranks as my all time favorite. There are also follow-ups that accompany this book, the Anasazi Mystery Series that greater explains in detail about events that actually led up to this book. If I could go back, I would have read those in succession first and then this book. All in all, this book has all of the great elements that I love to read about in a book. It has romance, betrayal, mystery, and complexities that are much like the human experience that occur sometimes in life. It is about the intense love shared by two people and what they sacrificed to finally be together. The consequences for their actions greatly influenced their entire community.

Engaging novel set among the Anasazi of the 1200's. Probably as close to an actual living breathing recreation of that culture as anyone will ever write. These authors do not begin with a modern Christian perspective and proceed from there, they take the good and bad, humorous and shocking of a past nation and tell it like it was, "warts and all.'

at first it was hard for me to get in this story but after a 4th to half of the book it got better and I could not put it down. this book goes good with the new book MOON and the Anazazi triogy books.

I really enjoy this series in my oppion it is best to read the series starting with Book 1 so that you know what is being talked about. If you are a Indian or love to read about Indians and their history then this is a Great Series of Books to read. It gives great in sight to the beliefs of the Indian Nations and their ways of life.

Amazon asked me to review this book, which is funny, considering I still haven't received the copy I ordered more than a month ago! If you really want this book, you might try getting it elsewhere.

I found this book to be a wonderful book that takes you into the world of a passenger on the Titanic and his journey through the disaster. It was a wonderful book with great illustrations that really helped my students look into the events of the Titanic.

I liked the story because when Polar was lost he was reunited with his owner at the end of the story. The person that read me the story said that this story was true because the granddaughter of Polar's owner found this story in her attic and wrote a book about it.

the name of this book is polar the titanic bear.It was a very,very good book. IT IS A TRUE STORY.I is about a stuffed bear that is "alive" and has a very good connection with his master.His master's family was a very rich family,so they traveled alot.The two were on the titanic,& this book has real pictures of the titanic & his family.(masters family)

This book has much to offer, for young readers and for adults. It is a wonderful glimpse into history, told from the perspective of a Steiff polar bear, who is very much a part of the life of young Douglas Spedden. His family's travels and his young life unfold in a beautiful text that is illustrated with sensitive illustrations and historical photographs. The Speddens traveled on the ill-fated Titanic. The incredible drama of that event unfolds in the most personal narrative. The magnficent beauty of the ship is conveyed as the family enjoys its commodious luxury. The drama of its sinking is compelling as well as touching in the describtion of the heartbreaking separation of Polar from young Douglas. This is how a young child would remember such an event. Fortunately, Polar is found and reunited with his friend.

The story behind the story is as wondeful as the book itself. Leighton H. Coleman III found this wonderful manuscript in his grandfather's barn. It was written by his cousin, Daisy Spedden. How brilliant of a mother to convert a traumatizing event into a story for her little boy! Her tender insight, the wonder of discovery and the perfect blending of history and narrative--ocean liners, wonderful bears--all of these components make this a perfect children's book that is both educational and entertaining (for parents, too!). I have given scores of copies to my friends with children and to my many adult friends who are fascinated by ocean liners and the Titanic. The book is well-crafted with much to offer.

I happen to think the Christ story is worth telling over and over again. Did the writer improve on the story...well...really...who could? Did she succeed at bringing a modern day miracle man to life? She did. Was her writing good? I think it was terrific. I too bought it because the reviews were glowing, I'd have to agree with 5 stars!

A close friend and fellow reader handed me this book last year as a "must read." Must read indeed!!! I could not put the book down. Actually, I have read the book 3 times over the past year. The premise upon which the book is written is interesting, different and inspiring. The story introduces us, in the begining, to a young man who is performing miracles in today's world. Who is this man? From whence did he come? This story is intriguing with various twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are well developed. The plot is both complicated and yet very readable and understandable. Readers, as well as the characters in the book, are taken on personal jouneys of self discovery. There are so many different levels upon which you can read this book. It is a mystery. It is inspirational. It is relavant to the world today and to the world in Biblical times. (with it's many references to another young man who performed miracles.) If you witnessed a miracle, what reaction would you have? I introduced this book to my Book Club and we all read it for the April selection. They, too, loved the book. As you can see, I give it 5 stars and a very definete "thumbs up."

I completely enjoyed this book. It presents a question of great importance in a fast paced, fun filled account of modern life. It is difficult for a book to be both thought provoking and fun to read. This one does it all.

I am not a Christian so when a friend told me the premise of this book and urged me to read it I was hesitant. Luckily, I was finally convienced and was pleasantly surprised.

Sacred Ashes is a fantasy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. The twist and turns in this story were so surprising and shocking that I felt compelled to reread the book when I finished it for the first time. Much like how I felt when I saw the movie the Sixth Sense for the first time.

I would urge any lover of great Sci-fi or fantasy thrillers to purchase this book!!!

I purchased this book because of the very high reader ratings, and because the substance sounded intriguing. Next time I will do more homework than just relying on the glowing reports of other readers. I found the writing in this book to be rather impoverished and flat. As a reader I was not prompted to think or inquire more deeply into the occurence of 'miracles' in our life. Rather, this was a retelling of the Christ story, in a contemporary setting, without any penetrating insight into why certain people are drawn to any given set of beliefs. And just in case the author was 'just' writing a story, I must say that it failed to hold my interest.

Cute adventure/mystery featuring the watchmaker turned amateur sleuth mouse, Hermux Tantamoq. Very lively story with plenty of action, suspense, and humor. This would be a great read-aloud. Although obviously the second book in the series, it wasn't too difficult to jump right in and follow Hermux on his adventures. I didn't feel like I was missing too much by not reading the first one yet. Recommended.

This was a cool book about the watch fixing mouse, Hermux Tantamoq! It is the second in a series about him, but it's just as good as the first book(which doesn't happen very much)and I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It all starts when Mirrin Stentrill, puts on an artshow in the museum. When Mirrin was blind, she saw many visions and so when she recovered from her blindness, she decides to paint pictures of what she saw when she was blind. But it turns out that the pictures she paints are cats- a word no one likes to use in the city of mice and rodents. Then along comes Birch Tentintrotter, an old chipmunk, a friend of Hermux's father. He tells a secret to Hermux; a secret no one knows about, and about a map he had found in a library years ago. Birch believes that cats really did exist. To prove that, Hermux, Birch, and their friend, Linka Perflinger, set off on a journey to the Kingdom of Cats. On their journey, Hermux and his friends uncover the evidence that cats once had mice as slaves. Now, Hermux doesn't know if he's doing the right thing to find the whole truth about them.
Michael Hoeye describes all his characters and the scene very carefully and really well. I like the way he gives a personality to a character and he sticks with it. He doesn't mix Hermux and Mirrin's personality together. It's just Hermux. And it's just Mirrin.
I really enjoyed this book because of the great journey that Hermux and his friends went on. It was so exciting and I really loved how Michael Hoeye made me want to keep reading more and more!

Hermux Tantamoq, a distinguished mouse who lives in the heavily populated city of Pinchester, is sailing through life day in and day out, in his watchmaking shop, until one day, an old, weather worn chipmunk missing an ear stops by, says his name is Birch Tentintrotter, and he would like to speak to Mr. Tantamoq seinor. Hermux's father had passed away five months ago, and no friend of his from college would look like that old wreck!
Meanwhile, Hermux's friend Mirrin Stentril's first art show is causing tremendous uproar. She's been painting CATS!!! Everyone (the hamsters, mice, ferrets, squirrels etc.) knows they're not real, right? Well Hermux, Birch and aviatrix Linka Perflinger are out to prove those art critics wrong!
Michael Hoeye combines detail, vocabulary and suspense in this stunning sequel to Time Stops For No Mouse, proving never to overlook history, even if you are afraid.

Watchmaker-extraordinaire and resident cheese lover, Hermux Tantamoq, is in for the surprise of his life, when his good friend, Mirrin Stentrill, reveals the scandalous work being featured in her new art show: cats! After all, mice don't want to hear about cats, even if they never actually existed, and the entire town of Pinchester is up in arms over the showing. Then a long lost stranger known as Birch Tentintrotter, a chipmunk, visits Hermux and lets him in on a very important secret: cats DID exist, and Birch has the facts to prove it. So, on a split second decision, Birch, Hermux, and he lovely aviatrix, Linka Perflinger, set out to the desert to find the lost Kingdom of Cats. While there, Hermux learns many new things about the history of mice, things different than what he was taught as a child, and he begins wondering whether it is really necessary to bring these truths forward.

As a fan of the first Hermux Tantamoq novel, TIME STOPS FOR NO MOUSE, I knew that I had to check out Michael Hoeye's latest contribution to the series, THE SANDS OF TIME, and I was not at all disappointed. Young Hermux is as adorable as ever, in his quest to find out about the lost civilization known as cats; and his sidekicks, both new and old, are perfect. The wonderful story that has been crafted will delight readers of all ages, and keep them begging for more Tantamoq. A must have!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

I can't believe I found this book again!!! I read this in elementary school multiple times and memories of it have always haunted me through the years. I'm now 52 and have tried for decades to remember the name of this book to no avail. Tonight I did a Google search and typed in "children's classic fantasy underground world" ... and I found it again! As soon as I saw the title I remembered it. So, I'm ordering it tonight and can't wait to share it with my 9 and 10 year old children.

Another classic I've enjoyed through the years is "The Princess and the Goblin" by George Mcdonald.

This is a quirky and lovely book. The text is provided by Mr. Berton and the whimsical illustrations by his daughter Patsy. My children and I read this book over the course of a summer vacation and each one, ranging in age from 6 to 11, loved it. They couldn't wait for the next chapter. The four children in the book go on an underground adventure into a magical world of strange little people.
I especially loved how the brothers and sisters help each other and watch out for each other through it all.
Highly entertaining.

Like many of the other reviewers, this book was read to me by a teacher when I was about 9 or 10. It was magic! It is so cleverly written that it's easy for the reader to escape into the secret world under the playhouse themselves. Now that I'm a third grade teacher, I have read it to my classes and they, in turn, have also shown their appreciation for such a wonderful piece of writing! I'm so pleased to have found a copy for myself. It's difficult to come by in schools these days.

This book was read as a class project when I was 10 years old by one of my favorate teachers. Three years later, my sister had the same teacher and the same project. This became our favorate book, but we never saw a copy outside the classroom. We talked about it on occasion over the years and (we were now in our forties) my sister ran across it on Amazon and ordered copies for each of us. I received mine on Christmas morning (best present that year). We were able to enjoy reading it once again and pass it on to our children and hopefully our grandchildren when it's time. Highly recommended - it's a book you don't forget and those are rare indeed.

I read this story back in grade 4, and I never forgot how magical it was. Now, at the age of 19, I finally received it as a Christmas present from my sister. This story is by far one of the most magical stories I have ever read. It was fantastic, and completely unforgettable.

As a fifty four year old I can still feel the excitement and joy from reading this book in 1960. (or it could be my meds) I had finally found a match for my vivid imagination and have been a reader and writer ever since. A disservice to humankind if this story isn't availiable to any and all.

I discovered these books when I was in Elementary School. I loved spending the afternoon reading about the adventures that these two had. I am happy to see that these books are now once again available.

I loved these books as a kid, and as a 40+ year old adult would love to get a new copy. Please reprint these books!!!

In the 1950's, I "discovered" the books in this series at my grammar school library by accident (sorry, no wonderful teacher story here.). A miracle they had a cool book like this since we had so few books in there. The title, pictures and the easy to read prose hooked me. So much so that I read it several times and even found the second book in the series - "The Space Ship Returns..." and read that a couple of times too.

As I grew older, I would tell people about these books - asking them to keep an eye out for me at used book sales. I even searched the Web and eventually found the entire series from a used book seller. I plan on sharing these books with the little ones in my family. And I hope twenty, thirty, forty or as in my case, fifty years from now, they will do the same.

I hope they get reprinted so more people can enjoy these fun books.

Louis Slobodkin is well known as an illustrator of children's books. He is less known as the author of this 1952 sci-fi masterpiece, the first in a series for ages 9-12, and once a staple in every library worth its salt. It's the gentle, wonder-full story of Eddie, a boy scout who spends summers on his grandma's farm, and his encounter with Marty from Martinea. The two become fast friends and travel the world in Marty's spaceship, disguised as a little green car and powered by secret power ZZZ. Exciting and easy to read, and drenched with Slobodkin's beguiling illustrations, here's a series kids will love to discover.

So why is it out of print? My copy is stamped "DISCARDED," which tells the sad tale of the days when imaginative books were cycled out of libraries in favor of "educational" ones. This was the first book in the series, others being "The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree," "Three- Seated Space Ship," "Round Trip Space Ship," "The Space Ship in the Park," and "The Space Ship Returns to the Apple Tree." The first three books were also reprinted as paperbacks and offered as a boxed set as The Amazing Space Ship Adventures Boxed Set in 1981. Until imagination again gets the upper hand and these books are reprinted, find them used at Amazon and discover Eddie's wonderful world.