Science Books

This a a very interesting book. If you like stories about girls who have powers. Then this a a good book for you to read. IN this book it is about a girl name Catty. In this book she is trying to find her real mom. While she tries to find her mom she bumps into something strange. A guy is trying give her this little message thing to help her. BUt she still doesn't know that who it is though. So anyways she finds out a little thing about the passage. In the middle of the story she finds out who her mother and all that good stuff.

What would you do if you had dreamable powers? Clean your room, get rid of your annoying younger sibling, who knows maybe even same the world? An amazing book named The Secret Scroll is about four girls that have unbelievable powers. The Secret Scroll is part of a series called Daughters of the Moon. In this book one of the characters is named Catty. Catty has never met her birth mother. So, Catty travels back in time (which is her power) to meet her mother. Her mother gives her a necklace that could destroy the evil Atrox. The only trick is she has many people that are working for the Atrox, trying to find her.
I think the book was incredible. A lot of stuff comes up that you wouldn't suspect. I definitely recommend this book.

This is a series of books that are about 4 girls that have special powers. This one is better than the 3rd one for me. each book is about a different girl of the 4 girls and it tells their points of views. i thought this book was a lot more exciting. my favorite one was the 1st one. when the chapters end they just leave you hanging and it makes you just want to keep reading it. you never know whats going to happen next and it makes you really think about it. when you predict something will happen your usually wrong because its hard to guess what will happen next. it was just a really good book to read!

This is the best in the series so far. (I am currently reading the 5th book) Ewing's portrayl of Catty is the most realistic and fully realised. She even comes across well in the other books, her character is always well defined and unconfused. This book also focuses a little more on the technicalities of being a moon goddess than any of the others and sounds far less hokey in doing so. Stanton has a nice featuring role, which is good, because he is the strongest character in the whole series (the most interesting too, that bad boy that needs to be redeemed is always appealing). It is also nice to see a glimpse of another generation of Moon Goddesses and how someone else could be as frustrated with Maggie as I am. I hope this is a sign the rest of the series is picking up in quality.

I read this book over the week-end and loved it. stanton played a great role in this one by the way he went out and helped Catty. The story also introduced a new character but Stanton is still my favorite. The scene at the park was the best with the merry-go-round.

I am a K-5 school librarian and am always looking for good books to recommend to my students. This series is truly excellent!

This second book of the "Underland Chronicles" continues the journey of Gregor and his baby sister Boots. Meeting new characters and encountering more tests for all involved. The author weaves a wonderful tale and my son absolutely adores all the characters. I also enjoy reading this series to him, we both become very caught up within the stories and with all the characters...it's hard to put down!

For the third time, Gregor and his little sister Boots descend to the Underland to fulfill an ancient prophecy. In this story the Curse of the Warm-bloods is a terrible plague that threatens every mammal in the Underland. On their journey to find cure, the heroes encounter Luxa, her bat Aurora and Hamnet, Luxa`s long-lost uncle. Although I enjoyed it, the story jumps around far too often and also fails to answer questions from previous books. As one and two were okay but not great and this one is only so-so I don't think I'll read any others.

I've read the last two Gregors and when I finished them i couldn't wait until the third. Collins is a genius. The last two have been about the usual stuff you read in these kind of books today but this took it to a whole new level. Theres plenty of violence for those of you who don't like sissy books and plenty of action that will keep you on the edge of your seat through the whole book. This in my opinion and out of all the books I've read this could be the book of the year.

Having listened to the first two books on audio and loved them, I continued with the third book "curse of the warmbloods" On CD. I love it when a childrens series continues to grow, in both content , character maturity and overall plot wise. I have read books before that seem to go nowhere with ever installment and I quickly tire of those.

This book, is my favorite out of the three so far. The first one "Gregor the Overlander" correctly laid out the mythos and introduced the characters in a nonconfusing way (there are so many and types!) It made you want to read more. The second book "Prophecy of the Bane" continued where the first left off but wasnt as exciting or compelling. This third book launches Gregor back into the underland for another adventure and its all about true realities, growth, family and way darker than the first two, much like Prisoner of Azkaban is to the Harry Potter series.

Gregors family isnt just chilling in the overland allowing him to sew his wild oats underground, they are struggling with mental illness (because his father was tortured by the rats) Money issues (his mom has to be the sole breadwinner) His sister is scared to death of losing her family wouldnt you be if three of them just dissappeared underground and came back talking of giant rats, squids, roaches, and bats? The underlanders of course eventually need Gregor, but his Mother puts her foot down and says NO! Not even to help them out with a Plague that is killing them and Gregor is the "one" to find the cure according to another prophecy.

What takes place after that is truly scary, and exciting and heartwarming. More characters are introduced, and we lose more along the way. I rushed out and got the fourth Audio CD's as soon as I could!

I have been a SciFi fan most of my life but had never come across these stories until now. I remember the made for TV movie in the 70's with Kim Darby and William Shatner. These stories tell you much more. A wonderful collection for anyone who enjoys science fiction! Would make a good gift.

Anyone who loves Sci-fi and fantasy, or who just loves a good heartwarming, interesting read will love this collection of stories. Zenna Henderson is a masterful writer who portrays a group of very human-like aliens who are marooned on earth after the destruction of their world. They are good people, far more civilized than us, and perhaps a bit naieve. The problem is, they have some abilities that we don't, and that makes them targets for fear. This collection includes all Henderson's People stories from all her various anthologies and even some stories never seen before. All of them are guarenteed to make you smile, make you think, and even to make you cry. Absolutely marvelous!

One of the BEST ever. Is it science fiction? Is it fantasy?? It does not matter...it is wonderful. I hope that her writings are Never lost in the back cupboards of libraries.

Discovering Zenna Henderson's books in the 1960's was one of the most enlightening experiences I've ever had. A gentle and beautiful way to expose the neophyte to the wonders of otherworldly truths

Zenna Henderson's sci-fi classic short stories concerning the aliens she dubs "The People" are collected in this volume. They follow a general story line that is interesting, if it does seem something of a variation on the "Superman" and his origins theme. That being said, it's a powerful, emotional work that I enjoyed as a moody teenager and enjoyed yet again as a middle-aged man. It gives a sense of connection to those who feel they're alone in the world; at least, it did so to me when I was a boy, and many of those feelings came rushing back when I read Zenna Henderson's stories once more. A thoroughly enjoyable read, though not highly technical in its sci-fi elements.

got a couple of these for moms with small kids in our family... they will read them to their little ones and all of them will have a good time! that was an easy one!

A friend of mine received this book on Mother's Day. Her daughter had glued pages in the front submitted by every child and grandchild she had, with drawings, photos, and testimonials of what she meant to them. I was crying even before I read the book. When I actually got to the book itself, the tears turned to sobbing, but GOOD sobs, if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong -- it's not sappy, just a plain and simple realization of what moms are to kids. I LOVED IT!!

I love Berkeley Breathed, not only for his illustrations but for his witt. This is a great book for children, the story line starts as mom being somewhat a tyrant ,the terrible things we must make our children do! eating broccoli and such. But ends with the ultimate sacrifice we would all make for our children, don't worry no one dies. I think children learn that eventhough we seem to be "the bad guy" as a parent there is no sacrifice too great we would make for them. I hope he writes more! I would buy his books just for myself.

Very clever story that open kids' eyes to how amzing moms really are. Terrific illustrations. I discovered it as a gift to my 5-yr-old daughter, but I now buy it for all my favorite moms.

My son loves this book. We read it quite often. The author is talented and the pictures are great. One of my favorites also.

I can't tell you how much of an impact this book has had on me. I'm also a daughter caring for her mother and it was almost like I was reading my own thoughts. It was just so extremely comforting to know that I'm not alone with the thoughts and emotions I'm experiencing as my mom fades further and further away from me as Alzheimer's takes over. She's in the later stages of that dreadful disease now. This book was written with such honesty and raw emotion. It has greatly heartened me to know that maybe some of my own thoughts aren't so bizarre after all, and that maybe I really can make it through this without completely losing myself along the way. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this part of your life with us. You are truly a gem! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I thought "Mothering Mother" was enlightening, encouraging, humorous and heartwarming. I read excepts from it out loud to my husband and he asked me if Carol O'Dell was writing about her mother or MY mother! My Mom, the Ancient Toddler, has quite a few of the traits that Carol's Mother had. Carol doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she does a terrific job exploring and writing about the many emotions a caregiver goes through. I'm SO glad I read this book!

I have given this book to friends and recommended it to others who are steering the difficult passage as caregiver to a parent. O'Dell uncovers moments of frustration and inspiration but above all, truth, as she exchanges roles with her mother who struggles with deteriorating physical and mental health. There's plenty of humor--like when her mother demands O'Dell wear a slip because ladies do not go outside without one--and moments of heartbreak. In a culture geared toward youth, this powerful book presents details of a parent in decline and a daughter who protects and loves her to the end. But this parent isn't dropped into a nursing home. O'Dell courageously takes her mother into her own home and tries to balance the needs of her enlarged family. For Baby Boomers, Mother Mother is relevent and poignet and I'll continue to give it to the growing number of my friends who find themselves in similar situations.

MOTHERING MOTHER is a tough book to read. Carol D. O'Dell shares her real, day-after-day experiences caring for a woman who had once been her mother. She describes an exhausting, exasperating, often lonely life journey that many of us in the "baby boom" generation are facing or will one day face. But just when this challenging existence threatens to overwhelm her and her family, Carol finds the absurdity in the frustration, and the humor in the unbearable. MOTHERING MOTHER is a book that demands the personal involvement of the reader. Join Carol on her journey--you won't regret it.

Carol O'Dell's story of caregiving is both timely and insightful. I thought this book was very honest in it's portrayal of the often lonely and frustrating job of caring for an elderly parent. The author also does a fine job of describing her and her mother's southern heritage and how it defines this stage of their life together. You will find yourself alternating between laughing out loud, shaking your head in agreement and wiping a tear away! A thoroughly enjoyable read!

My two nieces and I read this one all the time.

Gritch the Witch needs piggies to make the piggy pie she craves. But pigs are very clever animals (trufax!), and they quickly disguise themselves.

Every time Gritch asks one of the (disguised) animals where the pigs are, they hilariously quack quack, moo moo, and cluck cluck her all over the farm! Eventually she stops before the Old MacDonald, the man himself, for him to look look here, look look there, etc. and tell her the same as everybody else - no piggies!

All her tantrums don't help. She can't have piggy pie :(

Even the Big Bad Wolf sympathizes, while both of them plot, at the end, to eat the other.

Very funny book. Every page, every word and illustration. My nieces (5 and 2.5) even act this one out!

Only thing is that sometimes they get scared of it, occasionally for a week or two at a time. Other times they bring it out to me and request it, but sometimes they're scared and won't have anything to do with it. Kinda like a roller coaster, maybe?

Check this one out at the library, see if it suits your child's temperment, and consider that it might be better meant for an older child.

Also, be aware that Gritch, being a Wicked Witch, isn't a very nice person. Aside from her tantrums, she insults nearly everybody in the book when they give her the bad news - dumb duck, lousy seed spreader, walking milk machine - and threatens them as well. If this sort of thing concerns you, please be aware of it.

This is one of my favorite children's book and I love to give it as a gift.
As a Kindergarten teacher it is my pick!

My family loves this book. My husband reads it to my children, ages 13, 5, and 1. They love it, he does the voices of the characters, which is great fun for everyone. My oldest says this is her favorite book from when she was little. I'm buying copies for my toddler aged neice and nephew.

Gritch the Witch was pining for some special snacks. Piggie Pie is all that would do! The problem was the main ingredient was 8 plump piggies and she had none at hand. Off to Old MacDonald's farm on her broom to find them, to no avail!

Howard Fine's great illustrations of all the piggies disguised as other animals and even Old MacDonald, himself, will make young children laugh out loud! This book is lots of fun and will be requested over and over again. And, there's plenty of sly humor that adults will tremendously enjoy.

This is a great book for kids 5 and up.

This fractured folktale is about a witch that is craving some `Piggie Pie.' She goes through her pantry and finds she has everything she needs except for that all important ingredient--PIGGIES! At first she is outraged but eventually composes herself and devises a plan. Where can she find a piggy? The zoo? The circus? She finally decides that the best place to secure some pigs would be on a farm. After looking through the yellow pages, she travels to Old MacDonald's farm to grab the missing ingredient. She gives her victims a warning as she writes in the clouds, "Surrender Piggies!" The pigs devise their own plan; they plot to outsmart the witch by dressing up as other farm animals. They fool her by disguising themselves as ducks, cows, chickens, and even old MacDonald. When the big bad wolf happens to come along, he offers advice to the witch and tells her to give up--after all, he remembers those 3 pig brothers! Now, her taste changes from piggie to wolf and she graciously invites him over for `lunch'...
Piggie Pie is a delightful story that incorporates several classic folktales including The Three Little Pigs, Old MacDonald nursery rhyme, the traditional evil witch as the villain, and the famous three little pigs. Due to the structure of this book, students will improve their understanding of the different subcategories of traditional literature. The author includes descriptive language such as repetition, alliteration, expressive language, and affective adjectives that highlight the text and bring the story to life. Such examples include the witch describing her tasty meal options with phrases like "boiled, black, buzzed feet" and "plump, juicy, pink piggies." This whimsical, witty story will capture student's attention and can be used as a model to enhance their understanding of what it means to read like a writer.
Throughout the book, Palatini's text enhances student's vocabulary and contains repetitive phonemes that enrich their growth as a reader. As Cunningham describes, tongue twisters, like ones found in the text, play a crucial role in developing students' phonemic awareness. For example, "eight plump piggies for piggie pie" is a silly and fun phrase that the students will enjoy saying and simultaneously will develop their oral language. Students will be exposed to new vocabulary words, such as curdle, passel, and muttered. Encourage students to use elements of Palatini's writing and transfer her techniques over when creating their own literature.

Mur has long been at the forefront of new media, especially podcasting. She's put up several essays, most of which can be found in her podiobook, "Secrets of a Geek Fu Master," and she's started to make forays into fiction.

The thing about a Mur Lafferty story is that she absolutely nails the emotional center of her characters. If you think that authors such as Stephanie Meyers and Kim Harrison do a good job, wait until you read Mur. She humanizes characters, making them utterly believable, regardless of the setting.

She does this here, with Playing for Keeps, a novel about superheroes that, well...just don't have the flashy powers, the ones like Superman or Spider-Man would have. They're the nerds and misfits, looked down on by superheroes and ignored by supervillains. At least until Keepsie Branson, owner of Keepsie's Bar, becomes a pawn in a supervillain's scheme that involves her ability to always keep things that are hers...

I highly recommend this book. It's smart, funny, and you will see more of Mur Lafferty in the future.

Another example of why Super Heroes do not have to defined as only for children. Mur Lafferty takes the genre and gives us a complex adult story about the nature of being a hero and breaking through the preconceived notions of others. This is a brilliant story and deep characters who do not get lost in the action. The twists sometimes surprise and and ending does not let you down. This book is one of those you'll take off the shelf for another read.

Are you sick of reading about superheroes saving the world and grabbing the spotlight? Had enough of people falling all over themselves to meet someone just because they were born with '1st rate powers' instead of just 'talented' or 'gifted' (like you)? Well you're not the only one. Keepsie is too and this is HER story.

Keepsie is one of those who never made the 'super-crowd' because her abilities were not-at-all-super. When told there's no way she will never gain entrance to the Super Academy and join the heroes in their glamorous life, she sets up a bar - right across the road - for Academy-rejects (who could use a good drink) and anyone else sick to death of superheros. In a town filled with average-ordinary-Joes-and-Janes it quickly becomes a popular place.

Then one day a super-baddy tries to use her 'useless' gift to his advantage and suddenly the Academy comes knocking on her door. Needless to say she's not feeling very cooperative.

You should never underestimate what one, very average, very p*ssed off person can do...

While this is not my absolute favorite book of hers, playing for keeps is just a ton of fun to read. Mur Lafferty is a fantastic author who I feel should hopefully have many many more books to come. She has a great sense of humor, and how can you not love a "super" hero who can shoot... well.... theres no delicate way around this, poo, from his hands? If you even remotely enjoy this you should definitely check out all of her other stuff.

From her non-fiction work on Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing, to her podcast fiction like the fantastic serial fiction Heaven, Mur Lafferty is a new media pioneer worth keeping an eye on. I first listened to Playing for Keeps in podcast form, and I'm thrilled to see it in print.

Mur is extremely adept at bringing her characters to life, and Keepsie's world is a vibrant one. The story moves at a quick pace, and has a lot of captivating twists. Plus, this is a book for everyone. If you're a fan of superheroes, Playing for Keeps has plenty. If you think superheroes are all pompous showboaters, then Playing for Keeps is also right up your alley. And if you don't particularly care about superheroes, well, Playing for Keeps isn't actually about superheroes, so you're good to go.

This is without a doubt the worst collection of science fiction stories - and the most wretchedly written - that I have ever encountered.

Who the hell are these people who have collectively given this book a five star rating? I suppose they must be members of the editor's extended family.

This book is an amazing read and a must for all sci-fi fans and a possible entry into the genre for the uninitiated. The stories were selected by the science fiction writers of America and represent the stories they feel have shaped science fiction from the 1920s-1960s. Some of these are classics that the average person may have come across in high school english class, like 'Flowers for Algernon', while others are relatively unknown to today's average sci-fi reader.
If you are a sci-fi fan and haven't read the stories contained in this book, then you owe it to yourself to either buy this book or borrow it from your library, because these stories have laid the foundation for all the sci-fi that has followed. If you want to get your teenager into reading, buy them this book...the stories are short, but they are extremely enjoyable which makes it great for teenagers.

This book, Volume 1, is well worth getting. The stories are the best and many are classics.

I was new to some of these stories. And I was sorry I had not read them years before.Since they date back to the 1950s in many cases, you would think they would seem dated. And some are...but there are so many gems that are worth reading, and reading again. They have aged well. What is a good yarn, written well, will never go out of style.

This is a great book, if you are a sci fi fan. The vendor was first rate. The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition. There are some true sci fi classics in this volume, and the authors from the "Golden Era" of Sci Fi are all represented here. I intend to keep this book on my shelf forever.
Myron

i was leery at first about this manga being so complex with so many character, i had to read each book two times slowly to get all the details. but this is so worth it, it has depth and even the secondary characters are great and filled out. i love kira and kato and set.it takes some concentration and effort but what a great story. i'm a vampire kind of a girl, i never knew heaven could be so evil.ha!if you only read one manga in your life, this should be it. it's totally TASTY!

I'm assuming that if you are reading a review for volume 13 of this series, you've already read volumes 1-12 and so a) know how great the series is and b) don't need any particularly good reason to read the next volume rather than skip straight on to volume 14. That said, I'll stick to an important and helpful matter: this is the North American English edition from Viz. Despite the cover art shown on the product page, which is from the Japanese edition, this is actually the English translation. Enjoy.

The series is still strong. If you have gotten this far you'll buy this manga.

I was turned onto this series just by it's beautiful artwork. The syle is truely unique and angelic...no wounder it's about angels.

The story starts off as a young teenage boy soon finds out that he is in love with is sister! As if that could be strange wait till you here this. The boy, Setsuna, is the re-incarnation of one of the most powerful angel's in history; and now people all over heaven and hell want him.

What will it take to convince Setsuna, that he is greatly needed by humanity...

I hope you thought this useful...

Hypnotic~

This book is mainly focused around Setsuna Mudo and his forbidden love with his little sister Sara. Things get complicated almost immediatly (as it has a plot, a subplot and lots of extras), angels, evils, monsters, evil cd-roms that kill you and craziness insue.

Basically Setsuna is the reincarnation of the Organic Fallen angel Alexial, who has three wings, incredible power and a physchotic twin brother, Rosiel who she 'failed' to kill in the great battle. His best friend is Kira, who seems to be guiding Setsuna, and has been following Alexial through her multiple rebirths. Sara, Setsuna's sister and lover seems like just a normal girl, but is she? Many other seemingly 'background' characters come into role and the whole story starts rolling.

The drawing is so beautiful, I've been turned into a complete Kaori Yuki worshipper. I own her artbook and have read lots of her other works (I recommend Godchild). The characters are so gorgeous, you'll fall in love with them.

The plot is very very twisted and intricate. You have to read the volumes in order, otherwise it will make no sense. I have reread the first few volumes many times to understand (the first volume especially, as the first few pages don't focus on Setsuna) I first read this when I was about 12, so it was desperatly confusing, but it gets easier to read as thigns start falling into place. It's one of those things where all of a sudden a lightbulb lights up and you totally understand everything that happened.

It's such a great manga, it's so gorgeous and has a gorgeous story to go a long with it, what more could you want?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A new twist on the classic superhero story it raises some interesting questions about power.[...] The author does a good job of describing the setting and the characters a very well fleshed out.

Just ordered this book yesterday but am a HUGE fan of the podcast version. This is the type of book you could only dream of finding on your local bookstore shelf. Superheroes, teenage angst, and a smidgen of morality, you can't beat this mixup. Mr. Selznick, thank you for adding this tome of brilliance to our posterity.

Did you like the X-Men movie? Did you like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, etc.? Then you will love these two great tastes mixed together. The protagonist, Nate, is a gangly misfit in the hateful-of-the-strange world of high school. And yet, the things that make him strange makes him fascinating. Makes me nostalgic and I am cheering Nate along the whole time.

This is the first experience I've had with Matthew Wayne Selznick's work and I must say that it was a pleasant one. I didn't really know how the book would be when I picked it up. I really loved the characterization and felt that the characters and the story were really well written. If I were to relate this to the X-Men as so many people do, I think this is the story of mutants who are just discovering that they have special abilities. Even though the story is set in the 80s, I don't think that the elements of the story are limited to any one decade. What would the world be like if all of a sudden we found out that there were superhumans among us? I did feel that it took a bit too long to get to the tension in the story (the story really takes a turn about halfway through), and it was much too short. I wish it had been about another 100 pages longer. Hopefully this will just be the beginning of a much longer storyline.(Please! Please!) There are just so many directions Selznick could take it.

I listened to the audio version of this book and absolutely loved it. It begins with a perfect sense of time and place, set in a small high school during the 1980's, then adds well-developed, compelling characters, and a genuine mystery. From there it develops into a fascinating alternate history, a remix of superheroes, an adventure story, and a emotionally honest coming of age story with some real surprises. I loved it.