Schools Books

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!!!!!!!!!!!!

I teach Year 6 (11 year olds) and read them the first book, Shiloh. They absolutely loved it and have been waiting excitedly as each student reads the next book in the trilogy to get their hands on them. Worth a read for children in this age group.

My 10 year old sons love the first book. It's a tender story in which a young boy demonstrates compassion for a dog that is being mistreated. It has a nice ending and is easy for kids to read & understand. We are a family that loves sagas & trilogies. Books 2 & 3 promise to be just as good. My boys were super excited to get the set for Christmas. +VG57

With the Shiloh Trilogy, Phillis Reynolds Naylor has crafted a trilogy that is on par with some of the finest trilogies ever put in print or on film and has joined a class with members like George Lucas and Peter Jackson. Simply put, the Shiloh Trilogy is the most brilliant book trilogy of all time.

Shiloh tells the story of a beagle puppy who was amused by its alcoholic owner so it ran away. A boy named...well I forget his name, but he found Shiloh and took care of him. Then the drunk guy wanted Shiloh back and there was this big fight. At the end Shiloh saves the day by biting the drunk guy's toes on one foot and then playing "this little piggy went to market" with his other foot.

In the second book, Shiloh Season, the boy is worried that the drunk guy will shoot Shiloh, so he writes his congressman a letter to try and prohibit the hunting season. The congressman says he has to get a petition with 100 signatures, so the boy sends a petition around town and tries to get people to sign it. At the end he gets 99 signatures but can't get the last one. Shiloh is sad and in the middle of the night dips his paw in ink and puts his pawprint on the last blank and saves the day.

Saving Shiloh is the third and final book. At the very start Shiloh falls off a very high cliff and the boy who owns Shiloh must run down the trail on the side of the cliff and get to the bottom to catch Shiloh before Shiloh goes splat. It's a fast-paced adventure that will get your heart racing.

I haven't read the books in a long time so some of that stuff may have been a little off, but the most of it is true. Definitely pick up this great series.

I love this book. I also love the sequils! I read the first one in fourth grade and I read the other two in the summer time. I thought all the books were sad espectially this one. judd is a rude selfish and absolutely unkind resident. I just feel so bad about what people in the book had to go through. he steels and lies and never bothers to help anyone! if you like the first book you'll like all of them!

This story is amazing!!When i picked it up i couldnt put it down!I am now 12 but when i was 7 i HATED to read i would move my eyes across the page and pretent i was actually enjoying the book.Til 1 day my teacher caught me with the book upside down.Well i was caught and the next day she sat there and said she was going to wach me read. She told me to go and pick out a book and well since i dont like to read i naturally didnt care what the book was.The 1st bok i saw was shiloh so i picked it up and started to read and after the 1st chapter reading time was over and i couldnt believe how fast the time had passed by i had actually gotten into the book!Now i love to read! This is a great book for kids and adults and for all those people out there that dont like to read ,next time pick up shiloh. this book turned me around about reading and im sure it will do the same for you!

chandler smith
tx.

The book, The Smuggler's Treasure is a very good book. I love the characters, Elisabet Holder and Marie. Marie and Elisabet meet each other in the story and become good friends. They both go to New Orleans together because Marie works at a bakery store and Elisabet's Aunt wanted Elisabet to help Marie. Elisabet has no family but her Aunt and Uncle. This book is a really good book. What I really liked about this book was that the character Elisabet was very bright and intelligent. What I don't like about the story was when her uncle died.

This is one of the best mysteries I have ever read!! It never had a dull moment. And it's great because you learn about some of the history of our country while getting an entertaining read. I HIGHLY reccomend this book and other books in the American Girl series (especially the Addy books)!!

The Smuggler's Treasure, Sarah Masters Buckey

Elisabet Holder, is the main character in the novel, The Smuggler's Treasure. She is sent from Boston to New Orleans to live with Aunt, because her dad was captured by the British. This takes place in 1814, when America was fightening against the British. Elisabet forces herself to find the smuggled treasure to earn her dad's freedom. In my attention was grabbed right from the beginning. As the book progresses Elisabet realizes the treasure has been hidden in her own house. This book is a great book for people who like mysteries. I liked this book because every chapter has a mystery to it. I would recommend this book to girls.

An archetypal prince-to-pauper story, The Smuggler's Treasure acquaints the 10-years-and-older reader with a child protagonist whose financial and emotional security change drastically upon the British capture of her father. Opening with Elisabet voyaging toward New Orleans from New England, the book details not only geographical and historical elements of America in 1814, but throws the protagonist into the discomfort of working as a commoner in her aunt's bakery after living the life of a high-society Northerner. Strangely, the novel rushes Elisabet into quick acceptance of her new financial status after a few token days of refusing to give up wearing her thick, hot, woolen dresses of the North. Soon, the heat takes its toll and Elisabet symbolically attires herself in the thin cottons of the South, and immediately the culture shock and grief disappear-just in time for the author to highlight the adventure of pirates, clues, and treasure. Although unrealistic in its character portrayal, and in its speed in tidying away the parental crisis, the book does effectively engage the reader (juvenile or adult) due to the fast plot movement, tantalizing swamp adventure, and the hovering danger.
As the first in Pleasant Company's History Mystery Series, The Smuggler's Treasure serves to entice young readers thriving on excitement. The publishers picked well when selecting it as the heralding book of the series since The Smuggler's Treasure far excels over the rest in the series due to the provocative excitement of Elisabet's struggle against Pirates and her independent ransoming for the freedom of her father.
Sure to be a positive factor with parents, teachers, and librarians, the book's historical "Looking Back" end-section provides accurate photographs, drawings, and facts about Louisiana, the War of 1812, and Pirate Smugglers. Historical documentation provides a framework for the interested child to weigh the difference between fact and fiction and allows teachers an accessible way to frame discussions on history.
The black ink engravings heading each chapter complement the historical nature of the book while the painterly, color illustrations on the cover, frontispiece, and map attract the eyes due to the atmospheric, dramatic, diagonal compositions. It is, however, unfortunate that cover illustrator, Troy Howell, conveys the frightened, scrambling Elisabet with a zombie-like gaping mouth and staring, vacant eyes. If the reader can successfully look past the first cover-expression, and dive right into the intrigue, mystery, and fast-paced adventure of The Smuggler's Treasure, the boy or girl reader is guaranteed to close the book with renewed curiosity about the real-life drama of pirates and the contented satisfaction of an adventure well written.

This is another in the History Mystery series from American Girl, in which a young American girl is confronted by a mystery that will tax her resolve and her ability. This is the story of eleven-year-old Elisabet Holder, an eleven-year-old girl living in New Orleans in 1814. Her father had been impressed into the British Navy, stolen off his own ship, and when Elisabet learns that her uncle had died leaving behind a hidden treasure map, she begins looking for it, so that she can sell it and buy her father's freedom. But, there's someone else looking for the map, and Elisabet is walking into more trouble than she can imagine!

The final chapter is a bit of a bonus, a look at life in America in 1814. This is an exciting story with everything that you could want - pirates, mystery, ghosts, and friendship. My fourteen-year-old daughter has been a fan of the American Girls stories for years, and both she and I greatly enjoyed this story. If you are looking for a great story for your American girl (or for any reader!), then this is the book for you. My daughter and I both highly recommend this book to you.

If it weren't for the illustrations, this book would be rated two stars. I saw this book advertised on Amazon's website among other children's books. The cover was so beautiful, that I had to read the reviews about the content and artistry of this book. I was seconds away from making a purchase when I decided to borrow it from the library instead. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I liked the way the author took a spin on the mean old woman in a shoe rhyme and made it into a loving mother bunny rhyme. Children get to learn all kinds of uncommon words (at their age) like shed, trellis, etc. but the rhymes are just names of rabbits who sleep on those objects - boring and uncreative. Example, "Zed slept on the shed" The whole book from A to Z is like that. I was wondering why such a beautifully illustrated book was not such a hot seller on Amazon's rankings and found out why. It's pretty but not educational. I don't need my little one to learn uncommon names of people that are supposed to rhyme with the objects. If you want a good ABC book, I highly recommend Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. That is by far the best. It is very educational and very fun. As for numbers, I recommend Ten Little Ladybugs and/ or Over in the Meadow. Both are just excellent.

Illustrations are wonderful. Text is silly fun, but instructive in counting and alphabet. Just don't be so taken by the beautiful bunny drawings that you decide to get a bunny for your young one- they're more adult pets, despite their cuteness. They require a lot of care, research, adult attention and space to roam. Let your kids enjoy the pretty pictures instead.

Mama bunny lives in a shoe, has 26 babes, but knows just what to do. She tucks them into various "beds" as she counts them off. The detailed illustrations are what I like best about this book. My son loves studying them. He gets a kick out of the quirky places the bunnies sleep, esp Frankie in the hankie for some reason. I wish that this was written so that the bunnies' names and the places they slept started with the same letter. That would have reinforced the alphabetic aspect of this book, but maybe it's asking too much. I still really do like this one.

Unlike so many poorly executed rhyming books, this one is a joy to read. The rhymes are well constructed and creative. And the pictures are delightful. Just tonight, my 6 year old asked me to read it again as a bedtime story, because he loves to study the engrossing pictures. And we've enjoyed this book for years. I was happy to just now see that this author/illustrator pair have done other books together.

I'm such a sucker for rhymes. Fortunately, so are my kids. There's nothing like a story with pleasant and soothing rhymes to get them off to sleep quickly (giving me more time to write reviews :D) See, there's an Old Mother Rabbit who lives in a shoe. She has 26 children (those rabbits sure know how to multiply!) but she definitely knows what to do. The tale travels through the alphabet -naming each bunny and where they fall asleep (1 is named Abel, he slept on the table.....and so on) My kids delighted in guessing where each little bunny would sleep (some places were pretty strange - like who could fall asleep in candy???) It also taught them words they don't normally use (e.g. lane, holly, kettle). Counting, the alphabet, and rhyming.... all in one sweet little bedtime story. What more could a parent ask for - besides children who beg to go to bed?

This is a story about a female Paul Bunyan, set in the frontier of Tennessee. In 1815, Angelica Longrider was born in Tennessee, she was a large baby and that was only the beginning of her mighty deeds. Angelica grew and grew and grew, until she was so big that she could pick up a wagon as if it was a toy. As they were moving through, many settlers had their wagons get bogged down in the mud and Angelica would pick them up and set them on solid ground. They were so grateful that they affectionately named her "Swamp Angel."
While life was hard on the frontier, it was made harder by a giant bear that everyone called "Thundering Tarnation." His skin was so think that bullets could not penetrate it and Tarnation would raid the cellars where the settlers stored their food for the winter. Finally, the people were so frustrated that they posted rewards for anyone who could vanquish Tarnation.
When all the men failed, Swamp Angel encountered Tarnation and they started battling. They fought and fought and fought, knocking down mighty trees and even drinking a large lake dry. Finally, Swamp Angel was able to kill Tarnation and his flesh fed thousands of people for the entire winter. His pelt was so big that Swamp Angel spread it over Montana and it became the shortgrass prairie.
The tall tales in this story will delight children and the use of a female version of Paul Bunyan sweetens the treat. I strongly recommend this book for elementary school reading groups.

My 3 year old loves this book! She enjoys looking at the beautiful illustrations and listening to the great escapades of this strong female character. If you and your family like Paul Bunyan stories - this one is great for women to be.

Swamp angel is about a friendly, strong, giant girl; from the South. The conflict of the story is, Tarnation, a giant gorilla is eating up all the food. So, the mayor decides to have a contest to see which man can kill him. Whoever succeeds, will get to keep the pelt of the giant animal. Everyone who dared to try to kill the beast, failed, until one day the Swamp angel stepped in. This book is extremely funny with wonderful illustrations. I believe this book would be suitable for children under the age of eight. I give this book two thumbs up.

Swamp Angel is a great adventurous folktale, with unbelievable illistrations. And a funny southern accent that all will love. A heart warming tale bout a freindly, super-strong, giant girl; who saves her dear little home from dangers like a tornado. Anne Isaacs did an exceptional job to make this book humorous, exciting, adventurous, and fun-filled for all especialy children. Swamp angel is a considerate, generous, and all around nice person. Yet she's strong, brave, and determined. This story is taken place in Tennesse, down south. The problem is that Thunderin' Tarnation is eating all the food, so the mayor decides to have a contest. The first person to kill Thunerin' Tarnation gets to keep the pelt of the giant beast, saves their intire state's food from being eaten, and dthey will have an abundance of food. Many tried and almost all failed but one Swamp angel. But she still hasn't saw Thunderin' Tarnation yet. Until one day by the lake she spotted Old Tarnation. And that was were the showdown between Old Tarnation and Swamp Angel began. If you're a Paul Bunyun fan, well then this book is for you. I thought this was a fun and exciting book. If you read this book, I can almost garuntee that you will feal the same way. I give Swamp Angel two thumbs up!

WARNING!!This review may contain Spoilers!

This story starts out by telling about the birth of a young girl who is amazingly big for her age. No one knows that she will become a great woodswoman since she cannot climb a tree at birth without help:). As she grows older she saves her town numerous times with her strength earning her the name "Swamp Angel".

When a mean bear comes to town many hunters try to capture it before it causes anymore damage.(One is Swamp Angel) Eventually she does capture the bear, named Tarnation, and kills him. Call me a sucker for a happy,happy ending, but I was hoping Tarnation would give up his evil ways and use his strength for good. And then they could have all lived...well you know what I mean.

OK, I bought this based on the 15 other 5 star reviews. I just don't understand them. Yes, the concept is cute. But the book is so poorly written! I think it's confusing for young children who are just beginning to develop their capabilities for logic (I assume that is who it's geared for, since it's a board book). For starters, it's non-linear...on each page, it jumps back and forth between what not to do (the Thingumajigs) and what to do; between the third person "they" for Thingamajigs and the first person "I" for well-mannered children. But they have these silly drawings of perky children, which I assume is who supposedly is saying the parts on good manners, so it's confusing as to whether the perky children are saying they have good manners or the child you're reading to. Then, it's not really clear until the last page that these are behaviors you DON'T want your children engaging in. They make the drawings of the Thingumajigs quite entertaining, and the narrative is merely descriptive, without really stating "DON'T do this" so I suppose it's helpful to view the contrast, but really...I just want my kid not to pick her nose. Maybe I'm being nitpicky, but I don't think this is a great book for the younger crowd. My daughter is 4--she gets it, but I just was annoyed by the book.

This book was a chilhood favorite of mine, so I was very excited to find it!

My grandmother and I were recently discussing how she would read to all her grandchildren the "Thingumajig" books and how we all loved them. I am now 29 years old and still remember how vivid and wonderful they were. I just purchased them for my god sons, I hope they love them as much as I have.

Great book teaching children about manners and right from wrong. I loved this book as a child myself and know my son can enjoy it!

I love this book. I read it to my second graders on the first day of school each year as we discuss classroom rules. Throughout the year if someone is using bad manners I will hear another student say, "Don't be a Thingumajig!"
I also leave this book on my whiteboard tray and it is one of the favorites during free reading time.

This is the first book in Terry Pratchett's Bromeliad Trilogy, and it gets the series started well. It is about a group of nomes who live in a department store--but they have lived there so long that they have forgotten there is a world outside. The only problem is that the store will be demolished in 21 days. It's up to a group of just 8 outside nomes to convince thousands of stubborn people to leave a place they think is the entire universe, then hijack a truck and leave. This book has a perfect blend of humor, mystery, and plot, but the in my opinion the greatest element is the characters. The seemingly emotionless yet somehow smug spaceship computer known only as the Thing provides a touch of science in a world whose inhabitants don't even know what the word "thousand" means. Dorcas del Icatessen, the mad scientist of the nomes, who has complete control over the store elevator system. Angalo de Haberdasheri, who is fanatic about the possibility of life outside the store and has a pet rat named Bobo, and finally Grannie Morkie, the annoyingly apocalyptic nome elder. The final scene, in which hundreds of nomes wielding levers, pullies, and wires manages to hijack a truck and drive it on a chaotic romp through the city, might be one of the cleverest and funniest scenes in the history of fiction. One of the greatest quotes: "Give me a big enough lever, and a firm enough place to stand, and I could move the Store." The next two books in the trilogy are even greater, and do a good job of developing the already marvelous characters.

Pratchett is best known for his off-the-world Discworld yarns, but he also has produced a number of highly engaging, wryly funny, and thoroughly humane novels for younger readers. This one, the first of the "Bromeliad" trilogy, introduces the "nomes," four-inch-high people (well, humanoids) who live on highway medians and under the floors of buildings. They live fast (ten years is a very advanced age for a nome) and humans strike them as slow and stupid. Masklin, in escaping danger in the back of a truck with the last remnants of his tribe, finds himself in the Store -- "Arnold Bros. (est. 1905)" -- where there are thousands of nomes. These are divided into contending tribes by store departments, live a good life in the Food Hall, and worship Arnold Bros. And then he becomes aware that the store is about to be demolished. The strength of the story is Masklin's struggle to convince everyone else of the danger when most of them don't even believe in the existence of Outside, and then to organize an exodus by stealing a truck and learning to operate it. (Think lots of long levers, pulleys, and bits of string.) But the nomes turn out not to be "little people" at all. The nomes' interpretation of the signs they see will give you thoughtful pause, as will their unthinking belief in a nome-centered God in the sky. Or on the top floor. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, regardless of their age.

These books (Truckers, Diggers, and Wings) are a fun romp! Well thought out, well told, with a liberal dose of humor. If you have read any of Terry Pratchett's "Disc World" books, you'll love this light hearted series....

Truckers is the first book of the Bromeliad trilogy (followed by Diggers and Wings).

Masklin and his family are the last ten nomes of their warren, devastated by cold, predators and hunger. Desperately, they set out on a last chance journey and climb up on one of the lorries of the humans.

What they'll soon discover is that this lorry has lead them to the Store of Arnold Bros (est. 1905), the home of thousands of other little nomes who, having never left the Store, think of the Outside as of nothing more than just another fairy tale. The coming of Masklin will be a great upheaval in their quiet lives. And as they learn that the Store is to be demolished, they make plans for their escape.

Although Truckers was originally written for a young audience, it's an enthralling adventure but also a story about understanding other people's ways and helping each other, and no doubt grown-ups will love it too. Because Terry Pratchett's unique sense of humour is lurking round every corner, especially when nomes try to interpret our human world... and what's more to make sense of it!

Terry Pratchett's Bromeliad trilogy is a mix of childlike fantasy and offbeat SF. While the opening book, "Truckers" lags in places and takes quite some time to really get moving, it's imaginative and very funny. Certainly it's a good place to start off with Pratchett's fiction.

Masklin and the other nomes are tiny people who scavenge on the streets, and now there are only a handful of them left. In an act of desperation, they climb into a lorry and ride to... The Store. Also known as Arnold Bros (est. 1905), where a complex civilization of nomes (about two thousand) live in semi-peace and prosperity. They either are dazzled by the idea of "Outside," or insist that the whole world is in Arnold Bros (est. 1905).

Seemingly, everything is fine for Masklin and his friends, especially when the mysterious Thing (a black box that is a spaceship's flight computer) comes to life and tells them more about their history. But suddenly their world is disrupted by the news of "All Things Must Go -- Final Sales." Now the nomes must escape the Store and find yet another place to live.

Tiny people living in a department store? Who are from another planet? That is something that could have bombed easily and hideously. But it doesn't, at least not in "Truckers." Clever plot elements like the sign-based religion (they take "everything under one roof" seriously!) and the department-based clans (Stationari, Corsetri) keep this unlikely plot afloat.

While "Truckers" is a self-contained story in itself, it has plenty of loose threads (mostly involving the Thing and the origins of the nomes) at the end, for the second and third books of the trilogy. The writing has Pratchett's usual sparseness and wit; the only problem is that it takes forever for the nomes to do anything. At least it's a fun slow ride. The wacky truck drive near the end is one of the best parts of the book.

Masklin and his nome band (especially the indefatigable, vaguely frightening Granny) serve as a good window into the nome civilization, since they're learning about it too. The better-off nomes are a bit snottier but eager to explore the Outside. But the Thing steals the show; despite being just a computer, it has a better idea than the nomes what is going on.

"Truckers" will delight fans of Pratchett, but you don't need to be a fan already to enjoy this story. While the plot takes awhile to go anywhere, the quirky characters and wonderful worldbuilding make it worthwhile.

Great illustrations, characters and an amazing setting make Tut, Tut (Time Warp Trio) a fabulous find for young readers. There's plenty of laughs here for parents as well in this very well written novel.

Join Joe, Fred, Sam and Anna (Joe's sister) as they travel back to ancient Egypt through a book that lands them in quite a situation. The problem is that they need that same book to get back home, and they lost it!

There's non-stop adventure and some wonderful history that may well encourage young readers to seek out more information about this period of Egyptian history.

Recommended!

Time-traveling is not as cool as you think. Being mummified, being trapped in a secret room and having your friend almost eaten by a crocodile is not cool. But what is cool is being treated as a royal guest in Thutmose III's palace, sailing in his boat and teaching him basketball. So, if you like things that are cool and not, you should read this hilariously funny book.

The book was about three boys and a girl who go to Egypt through a book that one of the boys uncles gave him. They have to travel through Egypt and find the book to get back home and meet a little challenge along the way named Hatsnat. I liked this book because we had just learned about Egypt so that made it better to understand.

This book is exciting. You always want to turn the page. It is funny and interesting.It takes place in ancient Egypt.In Tut Tut there is a girl named Annie. She is 6 and two brothers. I would tell you to read it.The name is Tut Tut.

I give this book five stars because it is very funny. It is also adveturous. The characters in this story (Joe, Fred, Sam) get in a lot of trouble and Sam almost gets eaten by a crocodile. I don't want to say more because I want you to read it for your self. I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Anthony Durham writes a beautiful novel called Walk Through Darkness, it's a slave trying to desperately seek out his pregnant love that was taken to another state, unbehold there's also a slave tracker that's on his trail that desperately wants to nab Lewis before others do. This novel not only show u how back in times slavery was, but it tells a story of courage, desperation,family, and true love. The characters were described & entailed that the reader feel every aspect of emotion from the beginning of the novel until the last tears you wipe away. Anthony Durham this was a wonderful story told and hope to read more by u in this genre.

This is an extreamly thoughtful and well written novel. It is a modern classic. This guy can flat out write.

David Anthony Durham does a masterly job here of recreating the experience of William, a slave of mixed blood, who knows nothing of the world beyond the limited confines of his plantation life but sets out, nonetheless, on a desperate flight to find the woman he loves who has been taken north to Philadelphia by her owner. Along the way, William discovers what it means to be marked by the color of one's skin in an era when being darker than others deprived you of all rights and left you prey to the pettiness and cruelties of the lighter skinned majority around you. Durham's tale is, at times, overwrought and overwritten and the first half tends to drag a bit. But the revelation of what it would have been like to live as a black man in such a society is vivid and heartwrenching.

Betrayed more often than he is helped, at least at the beginning, William struggles to make his way through a world he neither understands nor is welcome in, all the while pursued by slave hunters set on bringing him back. One, in particular, an old tracker named Andrew Morrison who seems more bent on catching him than any of the others, is a hard man with a bloody history all his own. As William finds himself repeatedly betrayed, beaten and chained, and is driven deeper and deeper into himself, Morrison's own story gradually unfolds in this parallel tale of hunter and prey.

The two are destined to affect one another's lives in a surprising way though Durham gives this away much too early in the narrative. Still, the experience of being a runaway slave in a society which granted you no more rights than a beast is so powerfully portrayed, the despair of living at the mercy of the cruelties and abuses of others so vividly recreated, that it brings tears to your eyes despite the sometimes overwritten passages. Too, the second half of the book is much stronger than the first, as we approach William's final effort to escape to freedom, the slave hunters and, especially, Andrew Morrison, hot on his heels. And yet even at this point, it has a dreamlike, almost nightmarish, quality to it, the narrative feeling forced at times and not quite real.

Though I found myself wiping tears away as William, battered in body and soul, finally discovers his mother's secret, the book seemed to end too abruptly. There is so much to forgive and yet it is all just pushed aside, while we are given no inkling of the fate of those innocent blacks ensnared by the slavers' net in the hunt for William. It seemed as though Durham suddenly ran dry and the near happy ending he gives us is rushed, almost forced and just too pat. Too much is left dangling in this tale of a fugitive slave adrift in a harsh and alien world for surely the damage done to William and to the others would not have been as easily forgotten as the epilogue seems to suggest.

But overall, the tale was powerful for its portrayal of the experience of slavery in pre-Civil War America and what this dehumanizing experience did to the people trapped within its web, though the story wasn't as fully realized as it seemed to promise at the outset.

On the other hand it doesn't add much to one's sense of pride in America.

SWM
author of The King of Vinland's Saga

I read this book because it was assignment in my boyfriend's English class. Usually I'm more of a non-fiction DIY self-help book person but this was definitely worthwhile.

The novel maybe fiction but the story is truth, masterfully told. Truth may hurt and truth may offend but Durham has dared to tell the truth. He has fingered the pulse of America and touched the heartbeat of those years of infamy that have left a scar on the nation until this day.

Walk through darkness is a vivid portrayal of man's inhumanity toward his fellowman. It runs the gamut of the pathos of a people. If pain and suffering could be measured in miles, the agony of the black race would reach beyond the sun. Durham has skillfully conveyed the physical and mental anguish of a people; the strength, tenacity and faith that enabled them to endure the brutality and savagery of those years infamy and still carries them in its aftermath. Anyone interested in learning what it was like in America when it was a young land will find it in the painful pages of "Walk Through Darkness."