Space Books

The central theme of this scientist's theory is summarized in the last sentence of the book.

"The stars and galaxies that fill our view as we survey the depths of the universe are really just a froth delineating the massive, dark unseen structures beneath."

He is telling us that almost all of the matter of the universe is hidden from our view. All of the stars we see just account for 10% of the matter in the universe. The other 90% is invisible.

How does he arrive at this conclusion? A certain amount of mass is necessary to provide enough gravitational force to balance the opposite force in the universe, the force that drives stars away from each other. Without this mass, the stars would be hurtling off into space, not forming galaxies.

And the stars we can see only account for 10% of the necessary mass. What is the other 90%?

He answers this too. The other 90% of the matter of the universe is composed of black holes the size of beach balls and the mass of Jupiter.

What leads him to say that? He'll explain it all to you. It has to do with variations in the light of far-away quasars. He believes that this light is varying because it is being seen through the "lens" of a lot of little black holes that happen to exist in the line of sight between us and those quasars.

What is a quasar? What does baryonic mean? What is a black hole? What is inflation? There is a terrific glossary near the back of the book. It might be the best part of the book. You will learn a lot just from taking your time browsing through the glossary.

It is mind-boggling to me that all these millions of little black holes would have formed within the first millionth of a second of the universe's existence.

If there is a creator, she was certainly not hurried by our conception of time. She came from a place that isn't hampered by time constrictions.

He addresses the debate between the Big Bang and the Steady State theories, and he believes that the Big Bang necessarily supports the existence of a creator while the Steady State does not. I don't really see his point there.

If you choose to believe in a creator (and I can't think of a reason why you should back away from that idea, except for being utterly fed up with the nonsense of Noah chasing around the arctic to kidnap polar bears and haul them to the Middle East in a damn hurry) you are pretty well stuck with her (the creator) even with the Steady State theory. Wouldn't she have been the one who made the stars in the first place? That's her job, no?

This book also leaves us with the cheery thought that the world's scientists tend to be stubborn, jealous, impressed by status, rarely objective, and a bunch of annoying crapheads. Thank you for letting us know. It renews my faith in humanity.

British astrophysicist Hawkins presents his theory as to what makes up the missing mass (dark matter). Primordial black holes - small massive objects that are all but invisible to any attempt to perceive them. They are detectable only by their gravitational influence, which Hawkins believes he has found by examining the variability of light from quasars. All quasars apparently have this variability, which to this point has always been accepted as intrinsic to to the quasar.

Hawkins treats us to the theory only after 130 pages of his own views of the evolution of cosmological thought, complete with his take on the feuds, backbiting, and troubled waters of academic squabbling. His insights are interesting and his book a pleasure to read, but I had the troubling impression that I was being treated to someone else's dirty laundry all the while, though that's the way science works I suppose. Among opinions he expresses that ring true is that of the "HST bias," that results which come from HST observations are somehow given automatic priority over those of ground-based observations, a bias which is clearly not always warranted.

The most interesting part of his book, for me, was his detailed descriptions of his own observational programs - using a series of Schmidt plates of a single patch of sky, accumulated over a period of years, to search for faint variable stars. His hopes were to find microlensing events to bolster his theory. He ended up finding lots of previously unknown quasars, and finding new patterns of quasar variability spanning years, not months or weeks.

Hawkins is an unabashed UK promoter. I had to grin at many of his descriptions of the superior astronomy of the UK. He has a lot to brag about though.

Pretty good if your scientist! It isn't really a good source of information about blackholes, but if your looking for a nice scientific debate...this is the book for you! It mostly discusses arguments. Thats about it. See what you think.

Hawkins spends the first nearly two-thirds of the book going over some of the history of cosmology and astronomy and the personalities of some of the great historical figures. He clearly shows that if an idea is not acceptable to the "community" (of astronomers, cosmologists, physicists, etc.), it will most likely be rejected out-of-hand regardless of its potential validity or usefulness. The last third of the book is an explanation of his own theory of the missing matter question. While this book is interesting and historically enlightening, Hawkins spends a good deal of time taking pot shots at the powers -that-be. It is evident after the first couple of chapters that his theory is not taken seriously enough. One cannot help but agree with Hawkins that certain scientists are unpublished and/or unpopular because their ideas conflict with or diametrically oppose the accepted main stream. This close-mindedness and protectionist attitude toward scientific theories needs to be made public and Hawkins expresses himself in a manner that is not off-putting or whiney; he is always professional. If one is looking for a good, easy to read insider's view of historical and current astronomy, cosmology and physics, this is a good book with which to start. I gave it a 9 only because it took him so darned long to get to his theory.

This book surprised me because i personally know the author and his family. I didnt know he had it in him. The storyline is very good and the plot has such unique twists and turns, it blows away all the other books ive read. The character development is great and the area the story is weaved upon is very unique, but yet is not completely far-fetched. For all you Sci-Fi fans, this author is on his way up, and this book is a must have.

This book is a great read. The characters are very easy to relate to. The story moves very fast and you do not want to put it down. The art work helps the reader to see what in fact is going on in the story. I enjoyed every chapter. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.

The Infinite Odyssey is just a blast to read and when I found out the author was a teenage boy I was so pleasantly surprised. What's in the water lately that 2 teenage boys (Chris Paolini that wrote Eragon and Jay Dingler that wrote Infinite Odyssey) can put out such refreshing reads in a genre that's been around for awhile. Infinite Odyssey has lots of cool gadgets, bad meanies and a smart-alecky heroine named Tabitha that keeps you rooting for the good guys to triumph in this traveling in far off galaxies space epic. An added bonus are the multiple lush color illustrations seeded throughout the book showcasing the aliens and major characters as well as exotic foreign planets that are imaginatively created. I look forward to seeing what else the author comes out with in the future, this kid is the real deal.

This book is a suprisingly good and fast paced read. The book has rich and endearing characters. I couldn't believe it, but the lead character Aktar, is a giant regal bird, it's soo cool. The Sci-fi inventions are awesome. And in the back of the book there is even a glossary with definations and more info on the wild and new lands, tech toys and creatures. Even better a smashing good ending, really surprising, couldn't of quessed the ending , just like Agatha Christie. So I don't want to spoil it for you, but lets just say,it all makes sense in the end. I actually know the Author and this is the real deal. First Chris Paloni, now Jay Dingler. The future is now, finally some Science Fiction from an Author under 50 or who isn't dead.

I spent many years avoiding the popular books on the Kabbalah since I was not informed enough to make a judgment on various publications. This book was recommended by a Rabbi who is well versed in the Tradition. Thus, I expected an accurate description of the Kabbalah, but I did not expect such a well written and engaging book. The work had a good mix of technical terms in Hebrew with nice explanations in English. I would recommend this for anyone who wants an accurate review of the Mystical Tradition represented by the Kabbalah.

"Inner Space" is highly recommended for those seeking an introduction to authentic kabbalah. It contains transcripts of a series of lectures on the kabbalistic system given by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, a great teacher of the previous generation, and it testifies to his wonderful ability to transmit profound ideas in a readily-graspable way. Although this is an introductory text, it contains many perspectives that are expressed in a unique way, so it would be quite valuable even for the more advanced student of Jewish mysticism.

"Inner Space" was edited and annotated by Rabbi Avraham Sutton, a disciple of Rabbi Kaplan who has become a great teacher of the inner Jewish traditions in his own right. Today he teaches in Jerusalem, where I merited to meet him, and was deeply impressed by his humility, generosity, kindness, and Torah learning.

One should study Kabbalah according to the classical sources only when one has already learned Torah and Mishnah and Gemarah and reached the age of forty. I once learned with a great Talmid Chacham who whenever he was asked about the Kabbalah would say that he had never studied it, and therefore could not answer. This is all to differentiate the traditional Jewish reservation before the study of Kabbalah and the wave of popular Kabbalah study which seems to involve many other kinds of things.
Aryeh Kaplan was a great teacher who had a masterful ability to understand and make clear very difficult concepts. In this work he introduces the reader to the Kabbalah to the Sefirot, and then in the second section of the work writes of another difficult subject Meditation and Prophecy. Kaplan's great learning is evident throughout the work and it is highly readable, a great introduction to a most difficult subject matter. I myself however did not feel I was really in the reading mastering the material properly. But then I am not so high in the world of learning, and am not the best example.

Inner Space was based on a series of classes that Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan gave to a small group of students in Brooklyn in 198l. To delve into the spiritual dimension is not an easy one, but for Kaplan he was one of the most gifted and knowledgable men to address Jewish mysticism. This is a rather pop subject having been made so by Madonna and friends. Many such books can be found dotted within the Judaica section of bookstores, but as indicated above few are written by such a gifted author.The amount of misinformation is staggering according to the author and he wanted to give the reader a view of the hidden worlds and how they relate to us in human experience. Although the topics of the various universes, Sefirot, meditation and prophecy are difficult to grasp, few people in recent times could explain them better than Rabbi Kaplan. While alive he wrote some forty books, all of them exceedingly popular for those of us who look for authentic Kabbalah. This is one book that should definitely be purchased by the serious student of Jewish mysticism.

I very much agree with the previous reviews. This book is a rare gem, a treasure, truly a work of art.

It's the finest and most enjoyable mathematics book I've encountered to date, and that's taking into account the existence of many excellent math books. Certainly among books specifically on applied mathematics, this book is uniquely valuable.

The choice of topics, sequence of presentation, level of detail, use of examples, and clarity and elegance of exposition are all outstanding. Batschelet has crafted every chapter, section, paragraph, and even sentence with meticulous care and precision in the finest Swiss tradition.

If you've already studied mathematics through calculus, differential equations, probability, linear algebra, etc., this book is an especially good resource to review it all via a single coherent book.

To illustrate how much I cherish this book, I've bought two copies -- one to read, and the other in case the first is damaged and the book goes out of print.

If you love math, buy this book. If you just have an interest in math, buy this book and read it, and you may well come to love math.

This book is quite the best I've seen, the finest book on applied mathematics ever. This textbook puts to shame nearly all other attempts. Batschelet possesses a mastery of presentation that borders on genius. Chapter 7 --including basic concepts of logarithms-is worth the price alone. Book topics build progressively: Real numbers, sets,logic, relations and functions then power,periodic,exponential & logarithm functions; graphical methods, limits, differential & integral calculus; advanced log & hyperbolic functions,ordinary differential equations, multivariable functions; probability, matrices & vectors, complex numbers.Truly a pedagogical masterpiece.

This is one of the few books I have come across that more often than not will contain the solution to those mathematical problems encountered in the practical pursuit of biological investigation. It is written in a clear and entertaining manner, with many footnotes containing points of historical or general interest. Too often mathematical texts are dry and inaccessible to the non-specialist; Edward Batschelet's book represents a refreshing oasis that has reassured many a reluctant mathematician among the ranks of the life sciences. Buy it!!

I purchaised this book while I was doing my Ph.D. I am happy that I now have a chance to write about it. Few books on mathematics are so enjoyable to read as this one. It explains concepts with amazing clarity. It guides you through all the necessary mathematics and will infact motivate you to take up mathematics as your major. This book should never go out of print. The author has made a long standing contribution by writing this book. There will be thousands of students who will be appreciate this book for generations. I would say buy it, with your eyes closed. You will never regret it.

The pilot was a rude but polite man. He gave me shelter w/pay. They finally put him to rest 8 yrs ago. I need a copy of the book. @ 25 S lazona #18 Mesa AZ 85204

When Ernie Gann wrote this book in 1944 he had just come to realize that the love of flying was going to consume his life. Gann was a left-seat man and he was able to tranfer his need for perfection to the printed page. A veteran pilot will find no flaws or mistakes or stupid exaggerations in the technical descriptions in this book. Ernie Gann will put you in the left seat and make you sweat. He will give you the sense and the thrill of flying a four-engine transport under dubious conditions in 1944. I am sorry this book is out of print. That is truly a shame. GANN IS DEAD. LONG LIVE ERNIE GANN.

I would love to receive any comments on this book or the story - my grandmother tells me of him all the time!

Gann keeps you on the edge of your seat as Pilots of the WWII Aircraft Ferry Service search for one of their own that has strayed off course on the way to England. The search continues for the lost and presumed downed plane in the Canadian north. Good story of the fight for survival in bitter low tempartures and what can happen if your unprepared. This story made a good motion picture also. (Andy Devine, John Wayne) I would like to see/buy this story and "The High and The Mighty" ontape if someone has it. Tom Rogers, Boston, MA (Ford2592@ix.netcom.com)

I discovered this book searching for information on Cosmati designs and was delighted with it when it arrived. After looking at murky photos and trying to understand garbled descriptions of geometry in other books, I appreciated the fabulous painstaking in-plane illustrations. The "reader-friendly" (at least to an artist) explanations of mathematics and geometry were an enlightening bonus. This book will be particulary helpful to designers and others who want clarity, great presentation, and concise information.

Wonderfully conceived, researched and illustrated, this is a book which beautifully answers some of the fundamental questions as to the why and how of paving. When I walk through the majestic spaces mentioned in Ms. Williams book I will do so with my curious eyes glued to the ground for a change. Truly a fantastic book; a good read be it for the layman or as a much needed point of reference for the learnèd. The illustrations are almost as good as being there.

This is a must book for history students of the Roman and Tuscan buildings. Contains 58 outstanding drawings of examples of Italian art pavemennt and the text explains them in detail. All architects and designers need a copy.

This stunning look into pavement design of the past 2000 years is brilliantly executed--from the detailed drawings to the in-depth analysis of mathematical principles and design principles/patterns, this book is a treat for my eyes and my mind. In working on my PhD in the stone and paving methods of Rome (and beyond), I've found Ms. Williams book fills a hole in academia left vacant for far too long. You love architecture/history/church building/math/ or design? You must have this gorgeous gift.

This author is one of the most briliant, the most optimistic, and the most enthusiastic writer in all of physics, and in this book, his competence as a physicist and his deep fascination with the physical world is brought out dramatically. He is clearly a man who is feeling a powerful sense of exhiliration of the discoveries now taking place in all areas of knowledge. His foundation and his theme in the book is a simple geometric principle, namely that the boundary of a boundary is zero. He then guides the reader, assumed to have a rudimentary knowledge of mathematics, in a splendid presentation of the power of this principle in gravitational physics.

The first chapter is an overview of the history behind the subject, via the work of people who contributed to our current understanding of gravity. And then, with a masterfull use of diagrams he gives the reader a taste of the simplicity of the equivalence principle and the need to tack on an additional dimension (time) to the 3-dimensional space of everyday experience. The Pound-Rebka experiment is discussed as one that illustrates the idea of the spacetime interval, and the role of time dilation is discussed via the possibility of practical space travel. And such enthusiasm in his dialog: "the universe will grow ever more exciting", he says, and looking at the developments now taking place in today's science, he is indeed correct.

Chapter 4 gives a fascinating overview of what the author calls the boomerang, which illustrates the action of curvature on nearby test masses. This thought experiment involves the motion of a spacecraft through an imaginary tunnel through the Earth. The author analyzes the motion from the standpoint of Newtonian physics and general relativity. Curvature as the "grammar of gravity" is the topic of the next chapter, with illustrations of the paths of ants on spaces of zero, positive, and negative curvature. A very intuitive treatment of parallel transport around a closed path on a curved surface is given. The tides are discussed as a natural manifestation of the gravitational influence of the Moon on Earth.

Must difficult for a layman to understand is how spacetime acts on masive objects, but the author explains it brilliantly in the next chapter, taught via the concept of "momenergy". This entity is a 4-vector, and the author uses it to show how its creation in a spacetime region can be written as the sum of 8 terms, reflecting the fact that the "boundary" of a four-dimensional block in spacetime consists of eight three-dimensional cubes. That the contents of these cubes sum to zero is the famous "boundary of a boundary is zero", which is discussed in the next chapter. This chapter is one of the best explanations ever given (at this level) of the physics behind spacetime curvature and massive objects. The actual mathematical quantification of curvature is detailed in chapters 8 and 9, using elementary mathematics. The author discusses nicely the famous Scharwzschild geometry.

Concepts of a more concrete nature are discussed in chapter 10, wherein the author discusses the famous Pound-Rebka experiment and planetary motion. This is followed by a discussion of the elusive gravitational waves in chapter 11. Again with a clever use of illustrations, the author explains the transverse property of gravitational waves, and compares gravitational waves with electromagnetic waves. The role of the quadrupole moment in the creation of gravitational waves is brought out briliantly by the author. He discusses briefly various attempts to detect gravitational waves.

Black holes are the topic of chapter 12, wherein the famous Penrose process for extracting energy from a black hole is discussed, and the "no-hair" theorem for black holes. A neat symbolic representation of the Bekenstein number of a black hole is given. The role of the Hawking process, connection quantum processes with the physics of black holes is briefly discussed. The author ends the book with a look at the expansion of the universe, the missing mass problem, and another very interesting topic that has gained much attention recently: the concept of gravitomagnetism. This is a "weak-field" prediction of general relativity, and predicts that the rotation of the Earth should influence the motion of orbiting satellites. This topic is currently bringing together ideas such as the quantum Zeno effect, Mach's principle, and the notorious "frame dragging" effect in general relativity. Experiments do measure it are currently in play and in the proposal stage, namely the LAGEOS and LAGEOS II experiments, which measure the gravitomagnetic orbital perturbation, which is known as the Lense-Thirring effect.

This is a beautiful, poetic, and generous book. I found that after reading and mulling over each section, I could eventually visualize how space was behaving under the influence of mass, and could also see why one needed to choose one's point of view carefully to understand the physics.

The book is intended as an introduction to general relativity, without much tensor formalism, but it does not neglect the geometrical underpinnings. It presents a very nice way to get at the physics, with creative and light-hearted diagrams.

I'm not so sure that Wheeler's own poems, which introduce many of the chapters, are a great success, but I admire and salute him for including them. Even his poetry helps to open additional doors to understanding general relativity.

A book that is truly beautiful.

This is truely an amazing book. Wheeler does for General Relativity what Hawking did for Cosmology in "A Brief History of Time", and in some sense they are similar books. However Wheeler has a unique, quirky style of writing that makes the book an entertaining adventure to read.

Wheeler is able to pull off a major accomplishment: He explains Einstein's General Relativity in a clear, straightforward manner, with a minimum of math. It's "conventional wisdom" that General Relativity is seriously serious stuff, the domain of hardcore Physics geeks. That doesn't faze Wheeler. He leads the reader along, gleefully pointing out the scenery, making it all look quite simple and understandable. And then all of a sudden, when you least expect it, you find he's derived and presented Einstein's field equations with only a teensy-tiny bit of algebra! Even if you know this stuff already, his presentation makes you think about it with a new perspective.

And did I mention the illustrations? They are really exceptional.

If you have any interest or dealings with GR, ya gotta have this book!

The interrelation of gravity and spacetime is a formidable subject to describe; the author does so with excellence. The diagrams and charts reinforce the understanding.

Unfortunately when a key subject left me rather clueless, (Boundary of a Boundary) I spent quite a few frustrated hours being uncertain on whether or not to continue reading without the support of the material on those pages. As it turned out, the subject became clearer once I read on and returned again. I never did grasp it as completely as the rest of the book.

The book contains the most enlightening description of transverse wave propagation I've ever seen. It also helps solidify one's understanding of interval and relativity.

Not a book to be read overnight.

I got this book at the library and when I started reading it I couldn't stop reading. I learned that it is about 480 million miles from the sun. I've read other Seymour Simon books but this is the best so far. I also liked Venus. If you want to learn more read the book.

Gorgeous color photos, most from NASA illustrate this book about Jupiter. I appreciate that Seymour Simon writes matter-of-factly, without a patronizing attitude. There are plenty of facts about Jupiter and each of itsý four closest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

I am impressed by the entire series of picture books by Seymour Simon and our family has been enjoying his books, one about each planet, which we are using as part of our homeschooling. I have found that many of the books that attempt to cover all topics about space end up skimping on important general information that Simon easily communicates, such as the temperature and how it compares to Earth, why humans could not survive on the planet, and the general weather conditions and how they compare. The way these comparisons are made really helps children understand the conditions on the planets. This series by Simon is also superior to other books about Jupiter because the photos are in color; they are real, stunning photos, not lame illustrations drawn by hand.

I highly recommend that any parent read these books to their children. Teachers and homeschoolers would find this book a wonderful book to use while teaching about Jupiter.

This book is abut Jupiter.Did you know it has sixteen moons?There are other books in this series.They are all about the solar system.I gave this book four stars.Read it if you want to find out more about Jupiter.

Jupiter, by Seymour Simon is a very educational, easy to read book talking about our Solar System's largest planet. I especially liked all the interesting facts mentioned i this book and it was an informational and short read. Some of the facts that I found fasciating in this book were that Jupiter is one-and-one-half times as big as the other eiht planets put together, Jupiter's atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen gas, and the temperature is 250 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. This book also has some really good pages describing Jupiter's moons, an extremely informative page describing the Great Red Spot- Jupiter's super-hurricane more than twice the size of Earth-, and a page on the thin ring encircling this super-planet. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants detailed information on our largest planet. The color photographs in this book are amazing and really cool to look at.

I am studying to be a certified teacher. I found this book easy to comprehend and chock-full of sensible, practical advice. The three authors really know what they are talking about. Highly recommended.

Key Elements is well organized and easy to read. It addresses so many of the frequent issues that come up in a classroom from seating to planning a lesson to intervening with a student to locating resources both on and off campus. Ideas are given for meeting the needs of the teacher, students, and parents. It is obvious that the authors know education as only teachers can. What a great help this will be for new and experienced teachers. Thanks to Joyce, Ginny, and Jan for this valuable resource!

This is a useful guide to changing/improving the way you run your classroom, speak to your students and manage your teaching.
It revolutionised my relationship with a class that had gone feral. They and I benefited from the range of practical advice available in this book. The results of reading it are obvious in all my teaching and learning strategies. Thank goodness for such hands-on help from teachers who still work at the coal face!

Two of the authors, Jan Fisher and Ginny Hoover are regular posters on teachers.net. They have been unfailingly helpful with their advise in the areas of classroom management and teaching strategies. This is what led me to read their book. Their talents,, along with Joyce McLeod's, combine to make a very informative, helpful book. After 33 years in the classroom, I wasn't sure that there was anything left in these areas that I had not already been exposed to. I was pleasantly surprised to learn new "tricks of the trade" to add to my repertoire. I would recommend this book to teachers-to-be, beginning teachers, and seasoned teachers alike.

Children's literature, like all other types, is full of conventions. Successful books can use those foundational conventions with enough originality to make the story seem at once comfortable and exciting. Emily Rodda has achieved such a balance in THE KEY TO RONDO. This fantasy tale employs the familiar "quest by unlikely heroes who have stumbled into another world" in a fresh and compelling package.

When Leo inherits an antique music box from his kind but dull great-aunt Bethany, he is flattered to be responsible for an object that has been in his family for generations. Little does he know that the beautifully painted box will be the source of an adventure that will bring him closer to understanding all the Langlander family stories that Bethany loved to share. Leo planned to respect the rules for the music box that had been handed down: don't wind it more than three times, don't turn the key or pick up the box while the music is still playing, and don't close the lid until the music has stopped. But when his annoying and defiant cousin Mimi comes to stay with him and his parents, she breaks the rules right away, thus setting in motion a perilous and exciting adventure that tests their loyalty, reveals much about the Langlander clan, and challenges Leo and Mimi to find strength and confidence in their true selves.

When Mimi winds the music box an additional turn, it brings to life the Blue Queen, one of the figures painted on the box. She snatches Mimi's dog Mutt and heads back to Rondo, the world painted on the box's sides. Despite Leo's warnings, Mimi is determined to follow the queen into Rondo to rescue Mutt. And against his better judgment, Leo goes with her. They find themselves in the street scene painted on one side of the box, but things are different from what they remember: there has been an earthquake in Rondo and much disorder.

A shady character calling himself Tom offers to help the two youngsters find their way to the Blue Queen's castle, but he is scared away by the police. Now Leo and Mimi are on their own and distrustful of everyone they meet. Do Conkers and his talking duck Freda really want to help them? What about the strange-looking Tye, who has the body of a woman and the face of a tiger? What are they to make of the tales of Jim and Polly, who tell them all about the Dark Times and a hero named Hal who thwarted the queen?

As they move closer and closer to the queen's castle, Leo and Mimi must work together to hatch a plan that will free the dog and get them home safely. They team up with a talking pig named Bertha and decide to confront the queen face to face. Along the way they learn about Rondo and begin to comprehend how Rondo and the Langlander family are connected.

THE KEY TO RONDO is great fun to read. Leo and Mimi make a fantastic pair, especially as they come to know each other better and work together to balance their strengths and weaknesses. The supporting characters are sympathetic, and the bad guys are just bad enough without being unbelievable. Young readers will enjoy the twists, turns and surprises; the writing is fresh and the adventure thrilling. Rodda's contribution to this otherworldly quest is a worthwhile one, and she definitely has ended the book with room for sequels. There are still many mysteries of Rondo to be revealed!

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

I really liked this book. The characters were very fleshed out and I enjoyed having a strong female with a cautious male, it is nice to have things switched. It had alot of suspense, twist of characters, and some surprising discoveries. I felt like I could see the world she was creating and thought that bringing in so many fairytales, but with a unique play on them was fun.

Let's see... a magical world where messages are sent by owl... whoops, I mean by mice... The evil White Queen has ruled this world of Narnia -- sorry, I mean the evil Blue Queen, and the world is called Rondo -- and tries to lure Edmond and Lucy, I mean Leo and Mimi, into her magical lair where she can entrap them by freezing them. They spend much of the book wandering through the magical forest with a vain lion, no, a vain pig, as a sidekick. A trusty forest-dweller with a big axe comes to their rescue. They ultimately find their way back to our world through the wardrobe portal, actually, platform 9 and 3/4, wrong again, through a music box, and all is ultimately well. You get the idea. Not as good as the prototypes but still fun to read nevertheless.

This is a book for all ages. The plot develops at a fast pace and brings many surprises. The reader will not be able to lay the book down before the end! It tells of friendship, loyalty, courage and magic. It also tells of the fight to overcome the feelings of solitude and dejection.
A beautiful book, a beautiful story. For all ages.