Schools Books

Night of the Living Dummy is a Goosebumps book by R.L Stine. It's a great book because it's kind of scary, because a girl named Lindy and her sister Kris were walking around the block and they swear they saw a kid hanging out of the dumpster. As Lindy walked closer she realized that it was a dummy. So when she got home she named the dummy Slappy. That night it came to life and started to cause trouble. I recommend this book third through fifth grade, because it would be too frightening. I give this book 5 starS because I like scary fiction stories.

This book isn't to bad. it was very enjoyable. It's a good book for kids 12 and over. I love R.L. Stiens's books whaen i was a kid. I still will read goosebumps when i can't find nothing else. This is probably the best kid's sereis books out there. Night Of The Living Dummy was pretty intense. It Is a good book.

Wow, this book was awsome really awsome toatally triple awsome! I thought this was better than Night of the living dummy 2! I wonder why it shows Slappy on the cover of the book but the main ventriloquist dummy is Mr. Wood which on the other hand isn't as cool and evil as Slappy. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!!!

The books in the Goosebumps series regularly seem to take the vein of a morality tale (of a twisted sort) where one virtue, evil, personality flaw, or issue is taken up as the focus of the story, and Night of the Living Dummy is no exception. The order of the day here is competition...in this volume we meet twins Lindy and Kris Powell who are constantly competing, arguing, trying out do, out wit, and one-up one another. Their parents are frazzled and fed up with these beautiful twins who seem to frequently cross the line into cruelty and viciousness, and often behaving without sympathy toward one another and others.

As we join them, the twins are exploring the house across the way from theirs when Lindy discovers a ventriloquist dummy in the construction dumpster...even better he appears to be in excellent shape. To Kris' horror, Lindy keeps the dummy, which Kris initially distains as stupid, gross, and boring. Shortly after finding him, Lindy manages to gain some skill and when her act becomes popular with their classmates...popular enough to get her some gigs doing birthday parties with her act, Kris decides that she too MUST have a dummy. Her parents initially rebuke her, dummies are expensive and try to get the girls to share which outrages Lindy...she becomes quite cruel toward her sister calling her a copy cat and really wanting this one thing for herself.

When their father manages to conveniently stumble upon a second dummy in a second hand shop for a good price, it seems like the problem is solved...but Lindy is still angry at her sister for trying to steal her thunder and begins to pose the dummy so that it appears to be alive, frightening her sister terribly...when the secret is revealed, Kris is crushed...but shortly after the dummy DOES come to life and the twins are left without their parents support (they are just fed up with talk and whining about the dummies to hear a single thing more about them). Will the girls be able to stop Mr. Wood? Will he make them his slaves? You'll have to read to find out...what you get is always different than what you expect with these stories, and Night of the Living Dummy is no exception, it does have a signature "got ya" moment at the end.

Overall, Night of the Living Dummy is well written and the characters are simple but adequately written. The girls are sympathetic in some instances and not in others...there are times in the story when you think they are getting what they deserve for the way they behaved...but in the end, you want them to pull out of it and save themselves from Mr. Wood. At the very end, just when you think it's all going to be ok, boo...an abrupt shock at the end and the story is over, leaving the reader wondering how the girls will get out of their predicament...this one reeks of sequel, which I understand there are several of. I give it five stars, this is much better written than some of the other books I've read in the series and for taking something that's already kind of creepy (the dummy) and making it horrific several times over.

Lindy and her sister Kris discover an old dummy in a dumpster walking home one day. The dummy is in perfectly good shape and they can't understand why somebody threw the dummy away. Lindy decides to keep it so she names it Slappy. Lindy tries Slappy out on two of the kids her and Kris babysit. Slappy is an instant success. Kris becomes extremly jealous so Lindy decides to keep him. Lindy and Kris's dad buys Kris a dummy of her own which upsets Lindy causing her to play a mean practical joke on Kris. But soon after Kris gets her dummy, strange things start happening. No way it could be Mr. Wood (Kris' dummy) right?

The book Ramona and her mother is about a 7 year old little girl who is jealous of her big sister Beatrice and she wants to spend time with her mommy as mommy's little girl but Beezus has already taken on that role. In the end, Ramona Quimby gets her wish...To spend time with her mother. You'll need to read this book and find out how it all actually ends. Though this book does have some boring parts, I would recommend this book to any elementary or beginning middle school girl who loves Beverly Cleary books or any girl who might be experiencing what Ramona is going through. I myself can relate because I go through this almost on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm jealous of my baby cousin who gets most of all the attention but in the end (just like Ramona), I get my mommy all to myself.

G.B.M. Sanders - 6th grade - Hammond Middle
Alexandria, VA

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger she will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch the adults refer to her as mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she realizes she will just have to grow up.

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger shes will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch and she keeps getting called mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she relizes she will just have to grow up.

A rambunctious little girl all her life, seven-year-old Ramona is suddenly seized with jealousy, watching New Year's guests compliment her older sister Beezus and call her their mother's girl.

Too young to want all the things that the adolescent Beezus does - but too old to run through the house, flinging Kleenex like bratty four-year-old neighbor Willa Jean - Ramona is filled with strange longings, like squeezing all the toothpaste out of a brand-new tube for no apparent reason.

All Ramona wants - like any of us - is to find her place in the family, and to know that she's ultimately loved, no matter what she does...

Being seven-and-a-half-years-old (right now!) may seem like a simple task, but for second-grader, Ramona Quimby, it's proving to be a mix of difficulty and confusion. After all, she's between two strange ages - seven and eight - and can't figure out what she wants to do. Part of her is determined to stay her mother's little bunny, twitching her nose and being babied; while the other part wants to act like a grown-up, and do whatever she pleases. When Ramona's parents throw a New Year's brunch to celebrate her father finding a new job, she's thrilled to get the chance to eat a mix of breakfast and lunch. But when her best friend Howie's younger sister, Willa Jean arrives, Ramona can't help but feel jealous of the "little angel." For one, Willa Jean has ruffles sewed onto her underpants; and two, she's holding a stuffed bear - aptly named Woger - that Ramona would do anything to get her hands on. But, alas, even at her young age, Willa Jean is determined not to part with Woger. To make matters worse, Ramona's mother leaves her in charge of Willa Jean while Beezus and the rest of the adults get to fraternize with one another over hot muffins, coffee, sausage, and so much more. Ramona can't understand why her parents are treating her like a baby, while Beezus is constantly called her "mother's girl." Beezus doesn't even get in trouble for anything, because everyone says that she's at a "difficult" age. Ramona feels that she's at a difficult age, as well. But she never gets away with anything. When she squirts a whole tube of toothpaste into the bathroom sink, she gets yelled at; when she has a tantrum, she's told to "stop this instant," when she wants to stay up later than her bedtime, she's not allowed. In Ramona's eyes, nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work, and that she's forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother everyday after school, and the fact that Beezus gets to go to her friends houses only makes matters worse. Ramona would do anything to just spend everyday with her mother - sewing, cooking, reading, watching TV. But things never seem to work out the way Ramona wants them to. All she wants is to stay her mother's little girl forever, but the more time that passes the more Ramona begins to realize that, perhaps, her wish will never be granted, and she'll be forced to grow up.

I first discovered Ramona Quimby when I was about six-years-old, and instantly fell in love with her pesty antics, and penchant for throwing tantrums at the worst possible moments. Now, with the re-publication of the RAMONA series, however, I am beginning to realize that I missed out on quite a few of Ramona's tales, and have decided to re-immerse myself in the life of the Quimby family. Now, even though so many years have passed, I find that Beverly Cleary's tales about Ramona are still enjoyable, and quite irresistible. Ramona, as always, is the perfect example of a precocious child embarking on the trials and tribulations that accompany growing up. Her ability to act slightly mature at times, then revert back to full-blown childish behavior is spot-on with how growing children truly act; while her jealousy, and ability to find herself in countless bizarre situations only prove to make her even more hilarious. Cleary manages to balance humor with family problems by placing a slight emphasis on difficulties with money, a parent losing a job, and being bombarded with bills. While subjects such as money problems, and not wanting to grow-up are often sore spots, Cleary presents them in a neutral way that offers parents the opportunity to discuss such issues with their children in an effort to put their minds at ease. However, even by introducing these problems, Cleary never overshadows the humorous side of Ramona, and never talks down to the reader. In fact, Ramona remains as lovable as ever as she traverses the muddy waters of second grade, and works to accept the new teacher whom she's still unsure of; while, at the same time, working overtime to twitch her nose to remind her mother that she is, and always will be, her little bunny. The most obnoxious - yet entertaining - little sister in fiction!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Roses for Mama is my distinct favorite of Janette Oke's Women of the West books. Angela is so sweet she is just about perfect. Yet, there is enough story to move along. If you read nothing else by Janette Oke, choose this book. Enjoy!

Angela Peterson was only 14 years old and her older brother Thomas was only 16 when they were both left to care for their three younger siblings after their both parents died.
Angela's family moved to the west because their mother wasn't feeling very well and the doctor said that the cooler air might be better for her lungs. Their father sold their farm and they were searching for a new land to build another farm in a region with clear air that would improve their mother's health. Their mother felt better for a while, but when the winter cold made her feel sick again, she knew that she had only months to live. Nobody knew that their father will die even faster.
Now three years had passed. Angela is now seventeen and with the help of her nineteen year old brother Thomas, she worries that she won't be able to raise her siblings to be good people and struggles to teach them what they need to be taught, as her mother would have. Angela also worries that Thomas might soon get married and she'll be left on her own to take care of the children. Angela wishes her mother was still there to guide and help her, but she trusts God and relies on him.
Angela begins to think about her future too. Meanwhile her neighbor's son, a wealthy man from the city moves in and begins to court her. As she begins to know Carter Stratton more and more she realizes that he's not perfect for her, and marries Thane who has been Thomas's best friend ever since Thomas and Angela were little.
I think this book was very interesting and touching. It was also very easy to read. The author described beautifully every point in the story. It's a wonderful story of how God changed their plans, but at the end everything turned out to be even better for them.

This is the third Janette Oke novel I have read, and her books have been consistently good. I think I especially liked this particular novel because the romantic male leads were introduced early, and there were two of them vying for the heroine's attention, which made for a more exciting read. The story begins with Angela and her older brother Thomas running the farm, managing the household, and raising their younger brother and two sisters. Their parents have previously passed away. Enter romantic lead number one - Thane is a good friend of Thomas and the family who works at his father's store in town. It's obvious to the reader Thane is interested in Angela, but she just doesn't seem to see past the old friendship and familiarity to recognize it. Enter romantic lead number two - Carter is the very rich and sophisticated gentleman from back East who comes to town after his estranged father has suffered a stroke and is on his death bed. Angela is taken with Carter's fine appearance, and he makes it know that he is quite taken with her. Obviously, she ends up with one of them, but which one will it be? Finding out is a entertaining read.

My only real complaint about the novel is that it gets a little preachy at one point when Angela explains the salvation process to an elderly neighbor, Charlie. In my opinion, this interupts the flow of the rest of the story. I don't understand why Christian authors feel the need to preach in their novels. Isn't their primary audience already Christian? Wouldn't that audience already understand the basics of the salvation process? It makes me wonder to whom they think they are preaching. I wouldn't expect a casual reader to select a Christian romance novel. Perhaps I am mistaken, and I think this is probably my own little personal irritation anyway. Overall, Roses for Mama is an easy and entertaining read, and the quality is consistent with the other Janette Oke books I have read. I think most readers who enjoy Christian romance novels will enjoy this novel as well.

Janette Oke is a wonderful author and this is a well written series. The reading level is for ages 4-8. My concern is whether it is wise to introduce romance to girls at such a young age? I don't think so and hence my lower rating.
There are plenty other excellent historical fiction series and clsssics for that do not contain romance that I would rather see my daughter reading.

I first read "Roses For Mama" when I was 13 (many years ago), and was completely "hooked" on this story from the start. I have read it over and over and keep thinking about the characters and events even though it's been about a year since my last read. This is excellent fiction for readers of all ages - particularly for teenage girls, as it provides good moral lessons that are strongly needed today.
Though I do agree with some reviewers that Angela is a bit on the perfect side, you can't help but love her. The love that gradually develops between Angela and Thane is very sweet and memorable. One of my favorite scenes between them is after her birthday party, when Thane gives her the necklace (swoon!).
This book is really a page-turner. Thank you, Mrs. Oke, for this story...I wish there was a sequel!

I read this book when I was a kid and it's wonderful. Anyone sho loves dogs should read all of Terhune's books.

As long as you can ignore the bigotry of the author (he was a rich, white aristocrat of the pre WWI variety, so he was a snob and a bigot), his writing about the nobility of dogs, his ability to make them live in your mind is still unsurpassed. The author wouldn't pass a modern "political correctness" test, but if you love dogs and you are mature enough to understand that authors are people and thus flawed, this is a book you should NOT miss.

I asked my grandma if she could take me to the library. We were looking around for books together, her boring adult books, me books by Margaret Peterson Haddix and dog books. I was in the aisle R-V and spoted a book with the word "dog" on it. I quickly grabbed the book and held on to it tightly glad no one else had seen it. I looked at the cover and saw an adorable dog on it and decided to check it out. When I got home the first thing I did was start reading it. It was new stile of writing for me; a bunch of chapters that were in order but SOMEHOW a bunch of short stories about one dog, put together. It got my interest right away. I stayed up till about 3:00 A.M reading it. It still hadn't finished it. The next day I continued to read it and I finished it. It was the most wonderful, exellent, heart-warming, special, terrific, best, most interesting book I have EVER read (until I read Terhune's other books)! I bought the book shortly after. I discovered there was more Lad books and got them all. I decided I loved Terhune's books and went on a book shopping spree.

For the REAL review: I HIGHLY recommend this book as well as all of Terhune's dog books to everyone young and old. It changed my life dramaticly and I am very thankful for the day I found the book. But, this book is different from Terhune's other books. Not the best, but in my opinion, the very most special. After all, it IS Albert Payson Terhune's firt book and the first book of his I read.

Here's my sister, Shannon Hyle's feelings for this book:
"Reading about Lad, a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune fired my desire to own a dog, not just any dog but a faithful tawny collie who would keep me company, lick away my tears and save my life (it might have been from falling through the ice or from that car speeding around the corner or maybe from our cantankerous cow with the cock-eyed horn. Terhune's book series was based on the very real Sunnybank Lad, "a thoroughbred in body and soul."
I also found Terhune's books very satisfying reading and couldn't get enough of them or of Thomas Hinkle's horse stories.

are now legion, as they say. But Terhune was the first person to make them worthwhile to read! I recently came across Albert Payson Terhune's oeuvre, Sunnybank, and Lad, etc. while preparing to purchase a collie for our home. Although we did not eventually get the 'dog of our dreams,' all of my hopes and aspirations, which had been fueled by watching "Lassie" almost fifty years ago, were codified, given life, and made literate in the many books by Mr. Terhune.

His way of writing, (though repetitive in terms and phrases from book to book- a relatively minor point, for the writing is evocative, even if repetitive) is nevertheless easily on a par with many 'good' modern authors today, and is therefore of more merit, than perhaps when they were first written!

As Chronicles of history (the era when cars were first being mass-produced & made available by the 'monthly payment with interest scheme,' so burdensome to modern life) when gentlemanly conduct and lady-like manners were not 'chauvinistic,' all of Terhune's books would make a very nice study of American mores and morals of the 1910-1930's era, especially for boys aged 9-12. Where he [Terhune] shines most evocatively, is in giving that sense of awe and wonder, as one looks with love and affection on a dog that many consider the noblest examplar of the breed as a whole!

What was also pleasant to read, is the honest way in which Terhune describes how literate, intelligent, and societally well-to-do [white] folks looked upon the world, their neighbors, the rise of crime as a mobile menace with the advent of said motorcar (and thus, Terhune makes an eloquent 'apologia' for limiting, rather than expanding[!] mass transportation from inner city to outer suburbs in modern metropolises!) with a frankness that is woefully missing today. In short, when needed, Terhune, like almost all men of his era, is willing to 'call a spade a spade.' Some might call his use of terms for some of the less seemly characters he portrays, 'racially insensitive,' but that is only because we have been brainwashed into thinking civility and crassness are interchangeable cogs on a multicultural wheel!

I, for one, found this utter frankness of Terhune and his overt masculinity (in his descriptions of events and persons) a breath of fresh air- especially after the 'Illegal Alien May First walkout of 2006,' Hurricane Katrina and the Superbowl, the Million Man March, and all the other 'minority grandstanding' one has to endure in this "PC" mad era. Terhune's evocation of an era that should come again reveal that civility, proper manners, respect for property, life, and livestock on a working farm or kennel, are things that any child (or adult!) could/should take a lesson from. Along with Knight's "Lassie-come-home,' these books (in their original issue, and not in modern reprints, which clearly would be 'santized' for 'modern dumbed-down readers') are now prize possessions in my antiquarian bookcase. I will return to them every year, (and read them to my children, whom I homeschool!) to read of a lifestyle, a culture, that once defined what it is to be free, noble, and American. IF I could put it into the fewest words possible, I would say Terhune writes of: Man, dog, and nature. If one could sum up Terhune, these three qualities shine through resplendently in all of his works. I can honestly say, that, for a work of fiction, I am a better man for reading them.

My book was about the senior year when the guys finally meet the girl of their dream. This guy name Jeremy meets the girl of his dream her name is Jessica Wakefield, who has a twin sister name Elizabeth Wakefield. But their is a little problem that jeremy has everytime he wants to go out with Jessica something has to go wrong. they never get to see each other until the last minute. this book is very interested for young girl like me, i guaranteed that you will enjoy reading this book. if you really want to know what your senior year will kind of be when you finally get there or if you are already their you make think its kind of what you went thru.

This book is a great book. It is about highschool students and their lives. If you like this book you will like the other SVH books. There are lots of other Books like Sweet Valley university and elementary and you get the idea.

I love the whole jessica and jeremy thing, i think he is really good for her. i just wish she would get over will, he is a jerk. i feel bad melissa tried to kill herself, but i mean over a guy? really... melissa is supposed to be super cool, but why is it everytime her and will break up she goes mental? she is not exactly stable... conner is annoying and liz is annoying for trying to be with someone like that. he isn't worth her or maria's time.

This was a really good book. It just didn't have enough Liz/Connor interaction for me. I think Connor is being a jerk at the end. I like how it ended with Jessica and Will makin up and Jessica and Jeremy getting together though. I also like the friendship developing between Ken and Maria. Overall, a very good book.

Following the events in "Your Basic Nightmare" (#6), "Boy Meets Girl" (#7) makes some interesting changes in the main character's lives. For starters, Jeremy Aames finally asks Jessica Wakefield out on a few dates after their first kiss in the previous book. However, their dates never seem to go as planned, and they both begin to have their doubts about whether or not they should continue seeing each other. Plus, there's that added tension with Will Simmons showing up on one of their nights out. His appearance would seem harmless (after all, Jess swears she's over him), but if you read on, you'll see why it's not.

Next up is Melissa Fox, who is hospitalized after trying to kill herself in book #6, right after Will Simmons broke up with her. Most everybody feels guilty about this incident, especially Jess and Will, yet that's not stopping either one of them from thinking about each other. Could there still be some possible chemistry between these two? (I hope not. Jess seems happy enough with Jeremy, without Will ruining things.)

And lastly: Maria Slater had caught Elizabeth Wakefield and Conner McDermott kissing, and now she's not speaking to either one of them, mostly Liz though. And not surprisingly, Conner is now avoiding Liz, too, so she can "work things out" with Maria. More like so he can leave the "relationship" quietly.

There were some really good lists, journal entries, and assignments in "Boy Meets Girl", in particular Liz's freestyle writing assignment about the meaning of love and Maria's "Why Books Are Better Than People" list (my favorite). This is probably one of the better books I've read so far in this series. Jessica is finally back to her old self, worrying about boys and appearances, plus being more assertive, which was the biggest character trait missing in the previous six SVHSY books. "Boy Meets Girl" is worth reading if you finally want to see Melissa get her comeuppance and Jessica land on her two feet again. For readers age 12+

This is a storyline with a unique plot, although I did find some flaws within the story that made this somewhat difficult to read. This is the first Patricia A. McKilip book that I have read and so I am not sure of her writing style as of yet, however the characters were rather empty. If she didn't state plainly that one character was in love with another, by the story surrounding them, I wouldn't have known. The protagonist is even distant as well and reading this story felt like taking a peek at snipets of the lives of others and drawing my own story from what I saw and coming to my own conclusions. This is common in books for young adults however, and being an adult reader used to epic novels, I don't know if I would be fair in faulting it for that. The character dialog was also hard to follow and at times it was hard for me to tell who was speaking. This is makes for a very choppy read at least to me.

This is still a special story that should have been written in novel form and not short story from, as there is som much more potential for it. Peri is the main character of the story and The Changeling Sea begins by describing her hatred for the sea that stole her father's life and captured her mother's soul, spellbinding her. Peri is an unkempt teen who works at the local bar/inn scrubbing the floors and keeping the inn clean. She never dreams of adventure or excitement at all, only wanting to one day escape the sea that so destroyed her life. Peri, no longer receiving the affection and caring from her mother, spends many nights at a village elder's home. The old woman looks after Peri and teaches her spells and hexes. Then one day the woman is gone, no where to be found or heard from again. Most likely lost to the sea, Peri thought. She had had enough of losing people she cared for to the sea and decided to hex it. The story builds from here with adventures of the Prince who becomes her friend and a lost sea-dragon and his mysterious appearance and trying to find answers as to his sudden apparition. She receives help from a mage and works at putting everyone's life together again, fitting in all of the pieces of the puzzle. At the end of the story she succedes in putting the pieces of her own life together as well.

I would reccomend this book for the young adults who have minds capable of seeing and reading between the lines where an adult's can't with a fantasy such as this. Although the story is a little slow throughout the telling, and the tale is implanted with a constant need to "just finish" the story so that one can see what is really happening, this is still a unique story and it is enjoyable. A collector of her works shouldn't pass this book up.

this was a great story. i love this author, she just has a certain style that brings whatever she says to another level. this said, the story isn't perfect. the major relationships between the main character and those around her aren't very strong, not strong enough anyways. at the end, not to spoil it, but she asks someone to come back for her, but the relationship between them wasn't strong enough for her to ask that of him... or at least we the readers weren't privy to it. they don't have to be ridiculously close or anything, the perceived distance between the characters is fine, but the draw between characters must make sense to the reader. if the author spent more time fleshing out relationships i think the story would've been better, because the relationships are very compelling, we just know too little of them. peri says she enjoyed certain people's company because they needed her. unless she is so weak and needy that someone recognizing her existence would make her go crazy, which i don't think she was, there is a part of the story the readers don't know about, or have to fabricate for themselves. so in a way it felt like she was grasping at straws, and the introductions of some characters, namely the workers at the inn, were kind of awkward.
criticism aside, it was a wonderful story. the plot was well thought out and kept me interested. i thought the author did a great job of characterizing the sea. Kir was a great emphasis for this because he was half of the sea himself, so we had the sea both as itself and humanized in Kir. periwinkle was ok, not the strongest heroine but compelling in her own way. i liked her name though, periwinkle, you get few characters with such whimsical names.
it was a great story though. it was short, i read it in a couple of hours, and it left me feeling kind of whimsical .

This is the first book I ever read of hers and it remains one of my all-time favorite books ever. It enchanting and beautiful, haunting and wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. McKillip's writing is so fluid and beautiful, she transports you to her worlds effortlessly and you don't want to leave.

I'm still at a complete loss as to why I had never heard of this book before. The storyline is delightfully complex for as short as it is. The descriptions are lush and beautiful, but not so much as to bore. As a new English teacher, I plan on using this book for my classes during our study of fantasy-based romance. The characters are deep and very profound, and it would be an excellent read for people of all ages. Don't be deterred by how thin and short it seems, it's length doesn't make it any less powerful. I, myself, am extremely picky about what I ready and even more so when I'm reading anything with romance in it. I prefer a strong central female character, which Peri truly is, and of course a strong male central character who isn't questionable in his morals. This book checked all the blocks for my standards and I've put it promptly among my favorites.

I just adored McKillip's novel. A wonderful story, combined with excellently developed characters, and descriptive wirting that takes you soaring through her world, make this novel one of the most memorable you will ever read. For lack of a more fortified adjective, it was amazing. I've read McKillip before and been a bit disappointed, to be honest; but this was just a lovely, lovely, lovely book, one to cherish forever.

I loved this book a kid and bought it for my own children. Each of the three joined my enthusiasm for our dear friend, Dominic.

My son is in the Army and now has a son of his own. I used to read "Dominic" at bedtime, until I knew the story by heart. If I tried to skip a line or a paragraph, my son would interrupt and tell me I had missed a part! Recently, he asked if I would get the book for my grandson. Now my son is reading to his son. I love it! Christina

Throughout my life, I'd always remembered the "first book I ever read" as about some dog who played the piccolo and traveled around with his possessions in a sack on a stick. I remembered it so fondly, like one of those few, golden memories you hold onto from childhood, when you still believed in the tooth faerie and unicorns.

I never remembered the title, though, and the book had long since disappeared from my parent's house. One day I did an extensive Google search with only the words "dog," "piccolo" and "traveler" and managed to stumble across William Steig's website.

I just bought myself a new copy of "the first book I ever read" and can't wait to read it again. It really is a book that has stayed with me my entire life. I just found it astonishing that so many other people wrote the exact same thing in their reviews. How can it be that one book has been the "first book" for so many people? I don't know, but I do know that if you can let it be your kid's first book, they will cherish it forever. I sure did.

I bought this book for my 7 year old because his name is also Dominic. I read it to him each night before bed. He really liked it. Dominic (the dog) is a very witty dog who gets through many different adventures. I actually enjoyed reading this book to my son. This book is positive and definitely gets kids to use their imaginations!

This was the first "real book" I remember reading as a little boy. I suppose I was about 6 or 7. I read and re-read Dominic many times and loved it more each time. I suppose it has be something like 35 years since I first read this book and I still remember it fondly. How many things can you say that about?

I love Ed Emberley and the techniques that he uses to teach drawing.

This book is my favorite because it's packed with all kinds of things to draw. Gumball machines, people in action, animals, trucks, planes, you name it.

You really can draw your own little world.

This would be a great gift with some paper and markers for the young budding artist.

I bought this for a friends son who is 7. This is the only Ed Emberely book that he didn't have. He loves them!

A world is right! So many things to draw in this book. Simple and colorful to enlighten young and old imaginations.

Great book for kids who like to draw but have trouble doing it freehand. Nice step-by-step instructions.

I was disappointed that the inside drawings looked just like the cover drawings... duh, I suppose, but I was expecting more. I gave it to the 9-year-old 'patient' anyway, but wasn't excited about doing so.

There are parts of the book that are clearly written in the immature style of a teenager (colloquial speech) and parts that have been edited so much that they seem to come from an entirely different person. The overall book is choppy in terms of style, although the organization is excellent.

I would have preferred that the author articulate more clearly his emotions that accompanied his experiences. I would have hoped that his editor/professional writing mentor would have worked on making the story more compelling. I was a bit sad to get to the end of the book and not feel inspired. I felt like it was an "interesting story," but inspirational--not quite.

The captions below the photos should either not exist or tell additional information that is not contained in the text. I was annoyed to read a summary statement below the photo that I had just read on the previous pages.

It would be a good leisure read for high school students (or anyone for that matter), although as an example of good quality writing, I wouldn't suggest it.

A wonderful book that will give you a firsthand account of the situation surrounding child labor in South East Asia.

The Kielburger story is one of an incredible journey that he took as a twelve year old to explore the problem of child labor. The "journey" has continued since then into his discovery of the problem all over the world, in addition to his solution through his organization. They build schools, spread awareness through lectures (and their website www.freethechildren.com), inspire young leaders through their programs, and so much more. This is a story that needs to be told over and over again to whomever in hopes that the world can work together to "Free the Children" all over the globe. Get this book and pass it on to any one and make sure they pass it on....

Craig and Marc's stories are so amazing. I used to think that I can't make a difference in the world because I am only 14 years old. This book taught me that even the smallest of actions can create a ripple that affects more people than I can ever imagine. The ideas in this book are really quite simple, but when articulated so clearly by Marc and Craig, it just makes so much sense.

Craig Keilburger is an amazing man and is one of the Worlds greatest heroes. I have learned more from this book then any in the whole world. Even Social Studies!

Follow the further adventures of Sita the oldest vampire on the planet.

After breaking a promise and making her partner a vampire, Sita and Ray try to live a somewhat normal life. Until they hear of some murders in LA.

It seems that someone is killing people an terrible ways. Dismamberment, limbs torn off, and in some cases even drained comepletly of blood. In otherwords the killer is making it look as if another vampire is loose on the world.

Did Sita succeed in destroying her maker or is he alive and finding ways of making her pay?

Is this some new sort of vampire? If so, from whence did it come?

Can it be stopped before the world knows about vampires?

To find out you will have to read this book.

I especially liked...

How the book explained they new vampire. Normaly the peson is a real creep, but with superpowers he is even more of a menace. Quite scary acually.

When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...

Everyone says that they read it again. Not me I went out dressed in black looking for vampire victims......J/K

The author of this Book...

Christopher Pike

He has written a whole slew of teen thriller novels and this is one of his best ones.

I recommend this Book because...

It is packed full of action and vampires and a real cool way in which to make them.

I loved the first book in the series. This may better then the 1st book if possible

I don't recommend this Book because...

There is nothing about this book that I do not recomend.

Further Comments...

The beginning starts with Sita stating that she is not afraid of blood. What she is afraid of is what it can do.

I relly do not like reading but this book got my attention because it is trilling I think it is thrilling besause the vampires are relly strong,fast, smart, and they can hear and see relly good beter the any thing.

Absolutely love this book, and the entire "The Last Vampire" series in general. Following Sita's journey is an exciting and wonderful adventure, and this book is no exception. Sita is 5,000 years old and thought all vampires (aside from herself and her lover Ray) were gone, until a series of unusal murders force her to realize she was mistaken. She must meet this new foe, destroy him, and try to do so without destroying herself. A great (and quick) read.

This book is great. It's a nice sequel to #1, though it does become boring in some points.. There's small sub-stories that get told inside by the characters that dont really seem like they need to be there, but nonetheless, they add to the overall effectiveness of the plot.

I read this whole book last night. I just couldn't put it down! It was about a 3 1/2 hour read without too many breaks.. I found it took me 4 chapters to realize i had to go to the restroom and to actually get up to go.

The bad guy's mother is a bit off her rocker, being as old as she is.. Really sick minded, its no wonder that the boy turned out the way he was.

Anyway, it was a good book and i just couldnt put it down. I reccommend this read to anyone who is a fan of Christopher Pike. :)

Ray is adjusting to being a vampire. He is depressed about having to sever contact with his family and friends, and appalled at having to drink human blood. But Ray doesn't have too much time to figure things out. There has been a series of brutal murders in LA. Sita knows a vampire is responsible.
Sita and Ray are going to LA to investigate and look for the one who is creating vampires. The First Vampire, Yaksha, is supposed to be dead. Even if he survived the explosion at Sita's home, he swore a vow to God not to create any more vampires, and to destroy all other vampires. Sita has not made any more. So who is making the vampires?

A new character comes in: FBI agent Joel Gray. In charge of the murder investigation, he zeroes in on Alisa. Will she have to kill this well-meaning man if he gets to close to the truth?

This story is a better read than the first one in the series. A lot more action for one thing, a compelling enemy, and less of Sita musing on what a hottie she is. Pikes writing is a little better. Still, Pike throws in gems like "I like horny men. I feel they are true to their nature." Riiiiight.