Schools Books

Anyone who likes Larry Niven's work at all should be happy with this book.

From Tom Clancy's introduction, along with others by co-authors and editors, through all the stories - and this basically includes his best work of all (Inconstant Moon and All the Myriad Ways), along with some other good stories. In fact, even with the excerpt scores averaging almost 3.50.

Even the excerpts are well done, the fun scene from Ringworld a good choice, for example.

Throughout, Niven offers commentary, and non-fiction pieces include an extensive look at how they put together the setting for The Mote In God's Eye, and also a piece outlining plans to write something that would satirise Known Space as all a hoax.

Then at the end a few thoughts and an advice paper apparently that he and some other writers, including Pournell did for some political body or other.

I'd probably call this a 4.25 I think.

N-Space : excerpt from World of Ptavvs - Larry Niven
N-Space : Bordered in Black - Larry Niven
N-Space : Convergent Series [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : All the Myriad Ways [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from A Gift from Earth - Larry Niven
N-Space : For a Foggy Night - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Meddler - Larry Niven
N-Space : Passerby - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from Ringworld - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Fourth Profession - Larry Niven
N-Space : Inconstant Moon [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : What Can You Say about Chocolate Covered Manhole Covers? - Larry Niven
N-Space : Cloak of Anarchy - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from Protector - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Hole Man [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : Night on Mispec Moor - Larry Niven
N-Space : Flare Time - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Locusts - Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
N-Space : excerpt from The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
N-Space : Mote Lite - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
N-Space : Brenda - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Return of William Proxmire - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Tale of the Jinni and the Sisters - Larry Niven
N-Space : Madness Has Its Place - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Kiteman - Larry Niven


She puffs on Pluto.

3 out of 5


Overcee project farm people find.

3 out of 5


Demon summoming time limit Atom solution.

3.5 out of 5


Murder maybe multiverse.

4.5 out of 5


Slowboat reservation.

3 out of 5


Vaguely lost.

3 out of 5


PI no Martian Manhunter.

3.5 out of 5


A specially adapted ramscoop ship pilot gets in trouble in space, when he sees a large golden alien humanoid. He finds himself rescued and transported 12 light years instantaneously back to Earth.

3.5 out of 5


Various biffo, with or without laser beams.

3.5 out of 5


Alien alcohol test case quad pill investigation.

3.5 out of 5


Really lunary weather we're having.

4.5 out of 5


Strange party alien trip.

3 out of 5


Free Park experiment not bright.

4 out of 5


Three stage dude adjustment.

3 out of 5


Quantum black hole is ridiculous overkill.

3.5 out of 5


Offworld mercenary Cabell nightwalker Spectrum Cure.

4 out of 5


Fuxed up entertainment production mission.

3.5 out of 5


Monkey kid form peak.

4 out of 5


Abandon ship, the little bastiches have weapons.

3.5 out of 5


Hey! That looks different.

3.5 out of 5


Sauron attacks Dagon City. Who'd like to see that?

3.5 out of 5


Heinlein time alteration.

3.5 out of 5


Harem sneaky story.

3 out of 5


ARM to schizo arm.

3.5 out of 5


Flying lessons.

3 out of 5

This book is at the top of my "If I were stranded on a desert island..." list. I don't love everything Niven's ever written, but this sampler has something for everyone. This isn't just the best of Niven, it's some of the best SF written in the last 40 years. What's also nice is the inclusion of hard-to-find stories like "For A Foggy Night" and the non-fiction slice of life stuff. NSpace, Playgrounds of the Mind, and the later Scatterbrain provide an unparalleled look at the career of one of SFs greats. If you read no other science fiction this decade, read these books.

I purchased "N-Space" and its sequel "Playgrounds Of The Mind" in summer of 1992, totally unaware of who Larry Niven was, or that he already had such a lengthy history in the science fiction community. At that point (my first year in college) I had not read a lot of SF beyond the confines of Star Trek novels; save the space opera of W. Michael Gear and the military SF of Chris Bunch & Allan Cole. I didn't even really know what 'hard' science fiction was, and picked up "N-Space" and "Playgrounds Of The Mind" because I was pining for something different--perhaps more challenging?

Oh boy, did I ever get my wish! I soon discovered that "N-Space" is not a straightforward science fiction novel, but rather a mega-compilation of short stories, novellas, and outtakes from novels, spanning Niven's (apparently) decades-spanning SF career. I spent the fall and winter of 1992 totally falling in love with Niven's various universes, and the characters that inhabit them. Moreover, I fell in love with the 'hard' aspect of Niven's work, which compared to the space opera I had been previously reading, was rigorously rooted in the realities of physics and science. I was enchanted by the idea that you could stick to real science (mostly) and still tell amazing and adventurous science fiction stories. In fact, much of Niven's hard SF ranks superior to a great deal of softer material precisely because of its 'realistic' flavor. The generic, and often rubbery gadgets and technology of softer fare is religiously replaced in Niven's work by concrete extrapolations, based on what we understand about the universe in the present time.

Now, with that in mind, I would caution younger or less experienced readers, where "N-Space" is concerned. Especially since the book is not a novel unto itself, it's easy to get lost or distracted in this book. So many different ideas, concepts, times, places, and characters, are all hurled at you at once. If you're not ready to hang on for the ride, you're liable to get thrown off! Thus, if you're brand new to science fiction, or if you were like I was, and only familiar with media SF or military/opera, you need to understand that "N-Space" is a very different kind of book that gives a very different kind of read.

Still, Niven has enormous talent, not just for telling hard SF stories, but for telling them with wit, insight into character, and not just a little humour. His imagination when it comes to world-creation is dazzling, and his alien races and places are some of the most memorable I have ever read. Like a smorgasbord, "N-Space" gives us a healthy portion from virtually all of Larry's playgrounds, both well known and obscure. By the time I was done with "N-Space" I launched voraciously into "Playgrounds Of The Mind", which is essentially the second half of "N-Space"; the two books serving as the first and second parts of one, giant collection.

I've since gone on to explore the majority of the works that "N-Space" touches upon, and after a decade of consuming Niven I consider him to be, perhaps, my all-time favorite SF writer. "N-Space" is not his best single work, it is the best from his best, and as such, makes an outstanding primer for anyone who has never read Niven, but wants to becoming broadly and deliciously acquainted with his work.

At one time the term "science fiction" caused eyebrows to raise. "Isn't that reading for losers who can't relate to others well?" Larry Niven is one of the authors who forever changed the way SF is perceived, one whose fiction emphasizes science without cutting short on any of the tools of your typical brilliant writer of fiction. This gives us well-sculpted characters, even in the shortest of stories, with eye-opening and theoretically sound scientific concepts, plot twists, and remarkable endings. Satisfying story after satisfying story.

What's unique about this collection isn't that it includes a foreward with comments by other authors and fans, or that the author comments on each piece within the collection. Those are commonplace. But in Niven's world, he likes to let you into his world in a special way, perhaps by dishing some dirt on an SF mag who rejected a story that turned out to win a Hugo, etc. He openly questions his finished product, saying that "Today I'd write this story differently," etc. As if we could lift the lid on his cranium and step inside for a moment, seeing how the stories are crafted. Very interesting.

Not as interesting as the work, however, another unique thing about this collection: Not only short stories are collected here, many of which only appeared in one issue of some now-defunct SF mag or other, dating back to the mid 1960s upward to 1990 when this book was first published. He also includes essays, such as an unforgettable commentary on the problems Superman would have if he tried to mate with Lois Lane, as well as excerpts from his published novels at the time. A terrific sampler of a terrific author, whose early-70s work "Ringworld" stands as one of the most brilliant works of speculative fiction of all time. Intelligentsia still debates the validity of its scientific assumptions, and while even Niven admits that most of these have been disproven, how many SF works do you know that sparked so much debate while still being so widely admired?

Niven is far, far beyond any alien shoot-em-up author. This ain't "Star Trek." This is real scientific fiction told by a natural storyteller who loves what he does. We readers love him for it.

I am a lapsed Niven fan having discovered him in the late '70s as a kid. Something spurred me to buy N-Space as a way to rediscover what I cherished about his unique mix of hard sci-fi and realistic human emotion.
Thank goodness! When I was done I had to immediately start picking up where I left off with "The Mote in God's Eye" and I look forward to re-reading treasures like "Footfall." Perhaps I'll just start at the beginning and work my way up? :)

I have been teaching French, Spanish and ESL for many years. I have tried every teaching tool I could find. I can honestly say, this book is the best language tool ever! My students take this book with them everywhere they go and they are the ones who started calling this their "bible."

Apr 5, 2008: Has all sorts of practical vocabulary for everyday situations: household vocabulary, garden care vocabulary, medical vocabulary and many other situations. Would be valuable to communicate with Spanish speaking employees who may have limited literacy, because it is a picture book aimed at adult immigrants. Has lots of words for tools, car repair and furniture that you don't get in high school textbooks.

I am an English as a Second Language Instructor. Every time we use the class set of Oxford Picture Dictionaries my students always want to purchase them. I get a lot of requests for these. I see the students using them all of the time. It increases their knowledge of English & their confidence. I highly recommend it for anyone learning English or Spanish!

I have found the Oxford Picture Dictionary to be a great help for teaching vocabulary words in my ESL classroom. The illustrations are very good and easy to understand. I would recommend it highly.

my daughter is learning Arabic and discovered the oxford Arabic picture dictionary, loved it and then requested the Spanish/English dictionary and loves it too!!With tools like these languages are a lot easier to learn-teachers should get discounts so that more young people can enjoy learning the different languages.

This was hands down my daughters favorite book moving from age 4 to 5. It is filled with beautiful illustrations but the character of the Paper Princess is what captivated her. She is brave, strong, unafraid of adventures and willing to accept the help of many around her to get where she wants to go. She is also loyal and loving. The book encouraged many weeks of creative play and paper dollmaking at our house.

I am a huge fan of Elisa Kleven's work, which is always unique, colorful, thought-provoking, and uplifting. Her stories and her illustrations bring wonder and beauty into a child's reading / listening experiences. The pages are full of ideas. When readers / listeners look into the images, they are transported to a magical storybook world that knows no limitations, no boundaries. Though still, the vibrant images convey a real sense of movement, of energy, of life.

The Paper Princess offers all of these things and so much more. Starry socks and watermelon shoes---what's not to love about this quirky little paper character who, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, wants to find home. :) I like how the Princess begins her journey "unfinished" because that is a very real human aspect. We are often "unfinished" / "incomplete" when we begin our most important (difficult) life journeys, and through those journeys, we are forever changed, marked, sometimes "crumpled," re-arranged, growing into new versions of ourselves. When we return home, our blank page / side has been filled with new messages, thoughts, sketches, hopes, dreams, understandings.

So, with a bald head and a blank back, the Paper Princess is whisked away on an adventure that takes her through many detailed scenes like a meadow, a carnival, a town, a playground, etc. I like how Kleven would show the paper doll's simple blank outline (or portions of it) on some of the most colorful pages; this technique allows children the ability to find her among all the image elements.

Teachers and home-schooling parents can use this book to illustrate values such as acceptance, friendship, courage, compassion, confidence, perseverance, hope, love, sharing, and caring. A good conversation / discussion point would be the scene where a little girl throws the Princess away after she had marked her poorly. [Some people in our disposable society are all too quick and willing to get rid of things that displease them, that contain mistakes and flaws, or that seem "ugly" or tarnished. ]

This is a fantastic book, in my opinion. I feel like I received my money's worth for the joy it has brought into our house.

We also saw this on Reading Rainbow back in 2001 when my older daughter was 3. We bought it for her birthday and it quickly replaced Madeline as her all-time favorite book. We've read it countless times and of course made many many paper dolls (thanks to the other poster who rec'd Soul Mate Dolls--I'm looking at that next!). My girls are 8 and 5 now and they are still in love with this book.

Alas, The Paper Princess was lost in our move from L.A. to Austin last year so I am replacing it and at the same time getting ALL of our favorite Elisa Kleven books from Amazon. She is right up there with Maurice Sendak, Kevin Henkes, and Dr. Seuss as one of the best children's book author/illustrators ever, in my opinion. I am so happy to see that she has made a series of these books. Anyone buying The Paper Princess should get the sequel--The Paper Princess Finds Her Way--which contains what may just be my favorite children's book illustration of all time where the princess is carried aloft by a flock of Monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico. The 3rd book just came out this year--The Paper Princess Flies Again (with her dog). I haven't read it yet but there's no doubt in my mind that it will be a classic as the first two.

Lastly, for anyone wishing to build up their children's book library any of Ms. Kleven's books would be an excellent addition but especially The Puddle Pail, Sun Bread, Abuela (she was the illustrator; the author is Arthur Dorros), or any of the Paper Princess series.

The story of the Paper Princess is very imaginative with excellent illustrations. You can get lost in this book by looking at the illustrations and talking about them with your child. It's a great story.

ooh, did we ever love this book... My daughter wanted it for every nap and bedtime once it hit our door. I had a difficult time even getting to read our other library books for this week. The Paper Princess goes extremely well with another favorite book - Soul Mate Dolls. If you have a daughter who will immediately want to make a paper doll after you've finished reading The Paper Princess, get Soul Mate Dolls as well. This story is so good I feel a strong urge to buy every one of Elisa Kleven's other books, sight unseen (I might, in fact, since we also checked out The Lion and the Little Red Bird in the same week and that one is extraordinary as well). Elisa Kleven is an imaginative, talented, and supremely warm author & illustrator. BUY this one!

This book was a very good book. There are plenty of times when I got confused, like about who told on Emily. All of my questions were answered later in the book. It was a great suspense novel.

I first read this book as a child in elementary school. I have since then read it at least once a year. BTW I am 30 and still enjoy it. A must have for any child.

It is hard to overstate how much excitement Angela Lansbury brings to the reading of this mystery book for children. Suffice it to say that at age 52 I enjoyed listening to it as much as my daughter, and would have purchased twenty more had they been available. The text by Barbara Brooks Wallace is also very well done, and very accessible for children's vocabulary while remaining exciting enough for an adult to enjoy without becoming bored. I highly recommend both the book and the audiobook for parents of both good readers and readers who need something a little spicier to get them interested and involved in the story. It concerns a young girl who has lost her parents and goes to live with an aunt in San Francisco. The trials and tribulations to which Emily Lucock is subject make up the the plot of the story, but the author is able to build both mystery and suspense into the telling. The audiobook format is especially terrific because of Lansbury's wonderful technique for building drama and suspense.

When I first saw the cover of this book I thought it would be one of those trashy, dull mysteries (Who stole the peppermint candy from the christmas feast?!?) then I saw the sequal, with it's pretty, intresting cover, and began to reconsider buying the first one (if only so I could understand the sequal). I started to read it and was amazed. It has an amazing plot, and is definatly one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot of books. It is completely Dickensian without the slow-moving plot, and hard to understand language that most children find boring and discouraging. It is a wonderful Victorian Melodrama! I LOVE THIS BOOK!

A bowl of lovely red and white peppermints waits on a table in the parlor . . . but the residents of Sugar Hill Hall are not allowed to touch them. That image sticks with me after finishing the final pages of Ms. Wallace's delightful adventure tale of a young orphan and the dire situation she finds herself in. This Victorian story of dramatic suspense is a perfect story for young readers just starting to break into longer fiction and craving something with adventure and intrigue.

Young Emily Luccock has recently lost her parents, and she is now going to live with her Aunt and Uncle Twice at Sugar Hill Hall, a fine mansion in San Francisco. Emily remembers her visits to see her Aunt and Uncle fondly and is looking forward to seeing them again. But something has gone terribly wrong. Aunt Twice has become a timid woman forced to be a servant in her own home, and Uncle Twice is nowhere to be found. The entirety of Sugar Hill appears to be under the thumb of the icy and forbidding Mrs. Meeching, and Emily is made a virtual slave, working in the kitchen and cleaning the rooms of the despairing old men and women who reside in the rooms of the house. But young Emily is not about to give up without a fight. She's determined to bring sunshine back to Sugar Hill and to discover what has happened to Uncle Twice. With the help of Kipper, a redheaded boy from town, Emily pits herself against the frightful Mrs. Meeching, and all the secrets hidden in Sugar Hill Hall. Ms. Wallace has provided a rousing adventure story that kicks off from the first page and never slows down until the satisfying ending. The story elements aren't particularly original, but the author uses them to good effect with engaging writing that makes us care about our heroes and hate the villains as the story progresses. Emily, for all her apparent fragility, proves herself to be tough in spirit, and to have a caring heart for the plight of others. She's likeable without being overly sweet or too plucky. Kipper adds to the flavor and fun with his cheerful commentary and use of street slang.

While the story has its dark elements: murder, betrayal, cruelty, Emily and Kipper's adventure doesn't become too frightening either. The story remains just scary and exciting enough for enjoyment of 9-12 year olds, but doesn't become gory or chilling. The book itself is a short read--those who enjoy such books as A Series of Unfortunate Events and want more of the type would probably find this title to their liking. It's also a good recommendation for young readers who want something with action and adventure, but require something without any fantasy or supernatural elements to it. If I have any complaints about the story, its that I felt the secrets unraveled a bit too quickly and all at once towards the end of the story. After wondering for so long what is going on and what happened to Uncle Twice, readers are provided the answers in short order--just in time for the final confrontations. Despite this, I found myself enjoying the entire story--and I particularly liked how the element of peppermints framed the tale. For those who enjoy this stand-alone adventure, Ms. Wallace has written a follow up story with the further adventures of Emily Luccock titled The Perils of the Peppermints. Readers might also want to check out The Half a Moon Inn by Paul Fleischman and the Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

I'm coming to the end of my undergraduate studies (in PHYSICS!) and I was looking for some insight into what graduate school would be like to to try and figure out if a PhD is in the cards for me. This book is easy to read and FULL of useful tips. However the overwhelming majority of these nuggets of gold come from past PhD students in the medical/biological sciences. This began to get really annoying. I was constantly having to decide which comments to take onboard and which to leave behind (because I thought they wouldn't apply to me). As a result, I probably have in my head a very distorted picture of what grad school will really be like.
The title is very descriptive, it's just missing one word, but I suppose if they added it sales would drop significantly.

This book should be required reading for anyone applying to gradutate school in the sciences (physical or biological). A quick read of the text will give one plenty to think about before making the big decision. The earlier you read it the better off you will be. The most important reading regards selecting an advisor. I am in the process of completing my degree and in hind sight agree with the issues on which the author has choosen to focus.

The following was copied from another website's review of The Ph.D. Process, and I think it describes the book perfectly:

Graduate school in science is not an experiential extension of undergraduate education, where the passing of a sufficient number of courses usually guarantees one a degree; nor is it medical school or law school, where there is a delineated and set curriculum. Ph.D students are actually pretty much on their own--and they will sink or swim depending upon their own interpretation of how the system works.

The purpose of this book is to provide students with some insight into this unusual system. The authors--each a Ph.D. in the sciences--reveal the generally unspoken "rules" of the game. They offer the secrets of survival and success: What should you discuss in your application essay? What types of research advisors should you avoid? What kinds of research projects should you never undertake? How hard do you have to work? Are grades important? What steps should you take now to make yourself "employable" when you finish? What decisions can make or break your career? How can you network in the scientific community? What goes on at the oral defense, and how can you prepare?

Described also is the daily experience itself: research life, classes, seminars, journal clubs, lab meetings, interactions with peers and professors, qualifying exams, professional meetings, oral exams, dissertation preparation, etc. Anxiety, frustration, and joy-- all normal responses to a grad student's life--are also examined. (In quotes sprinkled throughout the text, numerous past and present grad students relate their individual experiences and emotions during their doctoral training.) A separate chapter is devoted to the special problems of foreign students, strangers to our culture and educational system.

There are many intellectual and emotional challenges inherent to becoming a scientist. This book prepares students for each stage of the experience. They will learn what to expect--socially, psychologically, and academically!

The PhD process is a great overview of graduate school in the sciences. It covers most basic topics such as choosing a type of school, applying, preliminary exams, comps, thesis work, etc. Of course each school does these things slightly differently, but the main points are there and the authors do a good job of pointing out where differences between programs are likely to turn up. This book also explains things that graduate programs aren't likely to advertise such as using students as `cheap labor' and what things to look for in an advisor other than interesting research. This is a fun to read honest book, and the anecdotes from current and past graduate students are the best part. I enjoyed reading them because so many of the same things have happened to me, and it's nice to know that I'm not alone.

I wouldn't say that I received any great insights from the book because I had some experience with academic labs before I applied to graduate school and had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. I found it a little calming to read about others' experiences as I was waiting to get started. I think most students who apply to graduate school have already spent much time in labs with current graduate students so this might not be that useful to them as practical advise; however, I found this book to be an excellent resource for my parents. My parents had no idea what graduate school is like, and the fact that I'm at school all day and only go to class for an hour baffles them to no end. Reading this book helped them to understand the structure and goals of graduate school. Though I still don't think they understand journal club. (Why would anyone join that club? It doesn't sound like very much fun.)

I recommend this book to grad students for their parents or to undergraduates who aren't sure if graduate school is the right path for them. This book gives great insight into what graduate school is really like.

The book definitely unfold the whole map of graduate school life, especially for (biological) science students. Many aspects and stages of doing science research and how to survive in graduate school are covered. However, the lack of insightful guidence is the main drawback of the book. Pointint out possible obstacles does not necessarily makes gradute students' lives easier. The interviews from (past) graduate students do help readers build up confidence because it is comforting to know many people suffer as they do now, but at the same time few specific steps or directions are NOT distilled by the authors. It's like everyone just talks their experiences without any conclusions.

A real tribute to the poet. I couldn't ask for more in this complete and unabridged title.

I bought this as a gift. It is well edited and complete.

This book and The Complete Poems Of Emily Dickinson were my introduction to poetry and I felt such a strong connection to both of them that it led to a life long love of this form of writing.

Lathem's collection is THE collection of Robert Frost's poetry. Nearly every Frost piece ever published is in this volume, and all organized chronologically. Everyone should own this collection.

There are more Robert Frost collections out than there are Robert Frost poems, but this is the only one you need to have. It's complete, unabridged and with numbered lines all the way through for reference work. THE Frost collection, bar none.

Very cute book, lovely illustrations. My kids loved this book when they were younger, so I bought it for my niece's little girl and she loves it too.

This is a superbly lovely book for pre-schoolers and children in the early grades. After seeing it in Australia, I ordered three copies, one for each set of grandkids. My grandgirls, 5 and 7, made me read it to them twice, even though they both can read most of it, and I even caught the 9-year-old eavesdropping. It is one of those books whose illustrations match the charm of the text, and both text and pix are simple, straightforward, yet colorful and delightful and totally enchanting. It's the story of how Hush, a little girl possum, is made invisible by her Grandma Poss's magic and their subsequent search to make her visible again, which they do by cycling around Australia (and sailing to Tasmania in an umbrella) and eating the various specialty foods. Just naming them will make any Ozzie homesick: pavlova, lamington, vegemite, minties, etc. Even a Yank tourist like myself gets a little misty-eyed. The only thing the author left out was Victoria Bitter, but it is a children's book, after all.

This is a classic Australian picturebook which is becoming popular again as those of us from the generation who were kids when it was first published (1983) now are buying it ourselves and reading it to our children or nieces and nephews. Granted there's always the hey I remember this book when I was kid factor that drives up sales but unlike a lot of books which have this factor of when you get home and read them you remember that you never really liked that book back when you were kid because it is infact not that good, Possum Magic is remembered and was popular back in the 80's because it was a good book. Although some of the food (remedies for Hush's invisibility) inside are no longer uniquely Australian (which is a good thing), learnign about them along with the uniquely Australian wildlife inside this book would make an ideal gift or purchase for any Australian now living overseas to read to their kids and teach them a bit about their heritage. For anyone whose not Australian it is a great opportunity to learn something about Australian culture.

The basic tale of this book revolves around a little girl possum called Hush whose grandma (named Grandma Poss) who was an expert in bush magic turned Hush invisible to prevent her being eaten by snakes (now of course in reality snakes don't use sight like we do to find their prey but see the heat from the body like someone wearing night vision goggles does so being invisible wouldn't have actually helped Hush but anyway this is a fiction book and that's a discussion/lesson probably left for an age group older than this book's target market). Although Hush gets into a few dilemmas as the result of being invisible such as being sat on by a koala she still gets up to lots of fun like riding down the back of kangaroos like a slippery dip. Hush however wants to know what she looks like so asks Grandma Poss to make her visible again which Grandma Poss has of course forgotten, although she remembers it has something to do with human food. This is the tale of finding the cure and travelling across (with a bit of poetic licence by riding a bike and in a floating umbrella the vast distances of) Australia to find it.

Other good children's books about invisibility if that's what you were after include My Best Friend Is Invisible (Goosebumps) by R. L. Stine, You Are Invisible: CYOA #48 by Susan Saunders, The Invisible Day by Marthe Jocelyn, Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex, you can even get an illustrated version of H.G. Wells 1897 classic The Invisible Man (Great Illustrated Classics).

Delightful book with illustrations that takes kids 3-6 on an imaginative trip to Australia. I could identify with the main character, "Grandma Poss."

A wonderful picture book with a delightful story line and engaging illustrations, Mem Fox provides a culinary tour of the "best of Australia" in her book Possum Magic. Young people will learn about the geography and foods of the Land Down Under as they travel with Little Possum and his grandma searching for the foods that will make him visible again.

I was immediately drawn into this tale of a simple peasant who wants to make more of his life. The story is largely fiction and takes place in ancient Japan. Nonetheless, I've found myself rereading chapters, pondering how the lessons learned by Jiro and Gonsuki can be applied in my own life. It has made me want to learn more about Japan, its culture and history. Thank you for writing this charming little story!

'The Five Secrets of fortune and fulfillment are as ancient as mankind itself - and each already lies concealed within your own minds" - "The Prosperous Peasant: Five Secrets of Fortune & Fulfillment from the Samurai's Temple School" is the story of a small insignificant peasant, who in the golden age of the Japanese Samurai, was not much more that. He breaks the social caste, and trains under one of the masters to learn his skills and the five secrets that he has only heard legends about. "The Prosperous Peasant: Five Secrets of Fortune & Fulfillment from the Samurai's Temple School" is deftly composed and highly recommended for fans of samurai-era Japan and community library fiction collections with a focus on historical fiction history.

This book is very simple and easy to read. The stories are highly engaging. I found myself wondering who would speak next at the Temple School, and what outlandish life adventure they would share. The stories also caused me to reflect on my own life and adventures.

One story in the book was especially meaningful to me. I have often felt frustrated that one of my children has no particular gift or strength. Nothing comes easily to him, although he is eventually successful in everything he puts his mind to. Through this book I came to recognize that his unending effort and perserverence is in itself a gift.

I hope that others who read this book will find it as engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking as I did. And maybe something will resonate with your life as well!

Somewhere between The One Minute Manager and Siddhartha, The Prosperous Peasant delivers both life enriching concepts and a beautiful tapestry of storytelling. A must read for anyone looking to find, or affirm their own, building blocks for a fulfilling life.

The Prosperous Peasant stands beautifully on its own, but is also an excellent follow up read to Tim Clark's previous book, The Swordless Samurai: Leadership Wisdom of Japan's Sixteenth-Century Legend---Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It was that much more enjoyable when characters in The Prosperous Peasant mentioned people or events from that excellent book.

Both books are very engaging and read quickly. Plan to set some time aside as they're difficult to put down! I continue to be amazed at how much the stories stick in my head, coming to mind and offering inspiration during my day to day routine.

Very inspiring messages throughout and a joy to read!

I love it! David Levithan does it again. This book just puts your mind in a different world. It really is the Realm of Possibility. There are gay couples and struggling souls. All of this in the form of some wonderful poems. The church choir girl can fall for the goth guy, the beautiful song writer can fall in love with a girl of her own, and sooo much more. After I read this book I was shocked at how much of an effect it had on me. If I bought it I would read dozens of times. You'll love it. This author really knows what he is doing. I hope you enjoy it!!

I've gotten recommendations for David Levithan's books before, but I'd never read any. I picked this up at the bookstore and was hooked. Although I enjoyed basically every part of this book, my favorite was Charlotte's narrative. I cannot express how much I loved it, how much I wanted to be like her and do that. "The Realm of Possibility" is definitely worth reading; it won't take you long. It is amazing.

Though this book drags in a few of the poems, it's mostly very readable, as free-verse poetry tends to be if you read it quickly. Sexuality and sentimentality - or, if you like, adolescent angst - are heavily featured, but Levithan is so good at rendering them that the book hardly ever feels trite or emotionally abusive. However, the standout entry is clearly "The Patron Saint of Stoners," which deals with a far more serious issue than most of the others, in far less dramatic terms. The narrator of the poem, Clara, is an excellent student who has trouble trying to find some pot; but the important question for the reader is not the how, but the why. "Gospel," told from the perspective of Gail, a fervently Christian and compassionate girl who befriends an outcast, and "Writing," in which a Goth girl, Charlotte, literally puts "the writing on the wall" in a surprisingly uplifting way, are also very good.

Like "Boy Meets Boy" and "Are We There Yet?" the tone of the book is - not relentlessly, but insidiously positive. No one is worse off at the end of their poem or the book than at the beginning; even the 'bitchy' character who gets her comeuppance also has a personal insight.

One thing Levithan never addresses is why the twenty characters are writing these poems, or if they even are writing them down. Interesting, because he could have written it off with a throwaway line - for example, "Mr. So-and-so is making everyone write a free-verse poem for English class" - but instead he leaves it unclear whether they are simply internal monologues or poems the characters actually write.

I love everything about this book! Even the length was just right. Every line was so insightful and we can all relate to each character in the short stories and poems. The form of all the poems was really creative and I respect the writer for putting on paper the feeling of so many different human beings. This book is simply amazing- you just have to expirience it for yourself.

I admit it: this book totally sucked me in. The characters are realistic, and I was able to find something about a number of them that I could relate to. And I found a number of them that I simply fell in love with, for all sorts of reasons. My favorite sections were the ones written by Anton, Charlotte, Lily, and Jed.

I found the book somewhat confusing at times, because I kept coming onto names I'd seen before. So i actually went back and made a little list of characters and their relationships, which I shall put up here for anyone that's intested. So *spoiler alert* for the next section of this review (just in case you want to pick up this book knowing NOTHING whatsoever about anything in it... I'm not giving away anything really important):

Daniel: is Jed's boyfriend and is neighbors with Pete
Mary: suffers from anorexia, is Pete's girlfriend
Diana: is in love with with Elizabeth, writes love songs for her
Megan: is in love with Diana, watches her loving another girl while she plays the part of a devoted friend
Tyler: rants about his girlfriend's love of Holden Caulfield
Anton: a seemingly troubled youth- sits in the back wearing black and earphones and writing poetry
Gael: relgion is important in her life, hates injustice, stands up for Anton
Jill: possibly Tyler's boyfriend, stole Cara's boyfriend, feels she doesn't deserve him and regrets the person she is
Anne: nice poetry about random things
Jamie: has just suffered from a breakup, is zack's brother and jed's friend
Pete: Mary's boyfriend
Clara: perfect student lacking a positive homelife, interacts with Jed and Toby
Charlotte: writes haunting messages ("you are foolish in your unhappiness") around school, mesages deeply affect some people, intrigue others (Daniel)
Elizabeth: lives in sister's shadow, tormented by people who disliked sister (Cara), Andy's girlfriend
Cara: loses respect after an incident involving Elizabeth, has fake friends (Jill)
Lia: friend's with Clara, korean, in love with delivery boy
Zack: Anne's boyrfriend, Megan's friend
Karen: no obvious hints as to her relationships
Lily: is close to Jed, although they don't spend much time together, her poetry style is unlike any of the others presented in this book
Jed: is celebrating his one year anniversery with Daniel (it's so sweet!), also- title of book comes from his poem

This book is very good.In this book it talks alot about
Jakes Indian heritage.Jake has to break or gentle a
beautiful paint horse on a Indian reservation.
Sam is right there by his side when he
does.As always Sam has her moment wi-
th the phantom (Zanzibar).




I would recomend this book to anyone.

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I didn't really like this story, but it has a nice plot. Nice finish, but a bit confusing for me.

I really enjoyed this book and have read it about three times! As I write I'm reading it,again. It's about a wild shoshone pony who loves her freedom. Jake attempts to tame her and ride her in the Superbowl Of Horsemanship. But can he tame the fillie's burning desire to remain free? Will he have enough stamina to endure the journey himself? Will a friendship be broken? And will best friends get hurt both physically and emotionally? Find out and read THE PHANTOM STALLION series, book #10 and others and feel a feeling you've never experianced before....SOARING.

Phantom Stallion #10 Red Feather Filly is another great book in a great series. I have enjoyed reading the first 11 books in this interesting and exciting series. I like this series because it has realistic characters and both wild and tame horses. I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes horses.

The best book in the phantom stallion series!!!!!!!! The Superbowl of Horsemanship is coming up and Sam and her friends are really excited. The race is coed and of course her best friend Jen has her race partner staked out, Ryan Slocum. Sam's race partner, Jake, plans to rope and ride a wild filly in the race for a manhood initation. But as the race nears the phantom stallion wants Star and succeeds in getting her. Now Jake is mad at her for letting Star get away. Then Sam goes out alone to find the filly, but Jake finds her first.
It's race day!!!!!!!!!! Sam and Jake are ready as they'll ever be. I won't go any farther. You'll have to find out what happens next.
This is really, really, the BEST book yet!!!!!!!!!!!!