Media Books

This has been my favorite book since I first read it in the seventh grade. I couldn't find it until recently when Viz republished it. I love this book more now than I did then. It is a great story for any age. Thirteen or twenty.

In the land of Toyoashihara, the forces of the God of Light and the Goddess of Darkness have been at war for generations. Saya, a fifteen-year-old girl who worships the God of Light, is suddenly pulled into the conflict when she discovers that she is the reincarnation of the Water Maiden, the priestess of the people of Darkness. Saya must come to terms with her heritage and choose which side of the war she will support, for she is the priestess of the Dragon Sword, a terrible weapon that can destroy the gods themselves. Can Saya choose between the Light, which she has been raised to love, and the Darkness, which is her true family, or is she doomed to kill herself like every Water Maiden before her?

Dragon Sword and Wind Child has all the makings of epic fantasy: an exciting battle between Light and Darkness, a Chosen One, a fantastic land, and a young protagonist who is pulled straight into the center of the conflict and barely knows what she's getting in to. The problem is that after a wonderful opening hook, the story just limps along for about fifty pages. After lollygagging along, the author suddenly throws in cross-dressing, possible incest, and an extremely exciting scene that gets the reader interested again. So now the reader is saying, "Ooh, ooh, what's going to happen next?" and devouring the following sections...in which a great deal of nothing happens. Even the battle scenes are un-epic. They end in the middle or are omitted altogether in favor of overly flowery descriptions of the surrounding landscape (although the translator may be partially at fault, since Dragon Sword and Wind Child is a Viz publication and they aren't known for their stunningly faithful translations). Even the ending is a letdown because a. I saw it coming about 50 pages in and b. the author suddenly decides that the story isn't strange enough so she throws in time-traveling. Um...what?

I don't know how the translation is, since I haven't read the book in Japanese (and have no intention of doing so, since I didn't enjoy it in English). However, I can tell you that someone decided it would be cool if they didn't translate all the words...and didn't put the non-translated ones in the glossary. Thus, if you don't speak Japanese and are wondering what "sakaki branches" are, you're basically doomed. (For the record, "sakaki" is a type of evergreen.)

The characters are bland and fairly clichéd. For example, there's a couple of characters who you can tell from the moment they're introduced are going to bite it and ninety pages later...oh, surprise! They're dead! Saya is not only fairly dull, she's also blindingly Mary Sue. She has not just one guy fall in love with her, but three, two of which are immortal and oh-so-hot. (The author spends a great deal of time describing just how hot they are, so the reader doesn't assume that non-hot guys are falling in love with Saya.) What are the chances? She's also stunningly beautiful and completely useless. Princess Teruhi and Prince Tsukishiro, the immortal leaders of the army of Light, could have been interesting characters if Ms. Ogiwara had concentrated more on developing their personalities and less on describing their clothes and how smashingly beautiful they are. As is, Teruhi just seems petty and jealous of Saya's incredible beauty (which is apparently even greater than her own), while Tsukishiro is there simply to go gaga over Saya and look pretty.

The narration is extremely uneven, often spending two or three pages describing a building, field, or forest. That's great for the first couple of chapters, but when the battle scenes arrive, the author seems more concerned with describing the landscapes and Saya's clothes than the actual battle. When she finally does realize that she needs to write a battle scene, she just stops it in the middle and everything goes back to normal even though a whole bunch of people were just slaughtered.

While it has a promising premise, the story never delivers. However, it was Ms. Ogiwara's first book, so there is a chance that the later ones are better. That said, I was fairly disappointed and wouldn't recommend the book to anyone except fans of Japanese popular literature who have nothing better to read.

Noriko Ogiwara creates riddles which seem unavoidable. And they are. However, like the words of any oracle, they are open to *very* interesting and unexpected interpretations.

Don't debate. Buy this book! Thank yourself later.

I first read this book when I was a child. I loved it. I checked it out of my schools library so many times they let me just keep it till the end of the school year. The story line and the people themselves are so hard to put down. The mythology in the book made me look into the shinto myths. I would recommend this book to anyone. I am twenty six now and still love this book!!

Dragon Sword and Wind Child is one of my favorite novels. What's to like? Saya is a village girl in Toyoashihara (sort of a mystical/magical Japan), a land split by the war between the Gods that created the land: The God of Light and the Goddess of Darkness (and Death). Saya has been raised to love the Light and is shocked when strange people start proclaiming that she is one of the Goddess of Darkness's people, reborn again and again to wage her battle against the children of the Light. This revelation is complicated when Prince Tsukishiro, one half of the children of the Light, comes to Saya's village, trying to woo her to the side of the Light by enlisting her as a handmaiden in his palace.

You've heard this story before, right? Honestly, I normally hate this sort of plot set up and the reluctant heroine type. However, Saya is unique to me because her reactions are understandable and even relatable; you see how she subtlely changes and how she makes her decisions and her mental conflicts. As for the plot? Not all is as it seems. Once Saya comes to the palace, she doesn't particularly fit in the whole court atmosphere and furthermore warrior Princess Teruhi is determined to catch Saya collaborating with the Darkness. Prince Tsukishiro isn't much of a help, as it seems this situation has all been played out before in Saya's previous lives (that she has no memory of), and he's still in love with Saya's last incarnation, who killed herself in the palace pond. And the Palace of Light has many sinister secrets... (The novel continues for much longer, not only through Saya's revelations, her final choice in alliances, but also to the final conclusion to the war that has engulfed the land for as long as it as existed.)

Another interesting part of this book is that it's not your usual elves, fairies, etc. Noriko Ogiwara, influenced by Western writers, used Japanese mythology to create this world. The implications of this are just obvious by the summary of the book above. This isn't Good vs. Evil, Dark v. Light of your normal fantasy epic. The issues the characters have to deal with in this book are immortality, mortality, reincarnation along with loyalty and empathy. Are we cursed to repeat the same mistakes over and over through our lifetimes? Does immortality create an lack of empathy? What is sacrificed during war, what is gained, and is it worth it?

I had worn out checking out the library copy all the time, so I was thrilled this classic finally has gone back into print. The deft translation by Cathy Hirano is still intact, except that mentions to Saya's stone has been changed to "magatama". I somewhat miss the old cover, but some interesting drawings have been added to the chapter title pages. I have heard that there are two more books in the series (about what I don't know, as the book pretty much covers all the bases and closes all plotlines), and I'm hoping the other two will finally be translated for English audiences. And I lied earlier. This is pretty much my favorite book (Tied with Dark Lord of Derkhom by Diana Wynne Jones). And I cry and laugh every time I read it.

SPOILERS
The insertion of Chihaya completely changes the landscape of the book. And amazingly, it doesn't feel random and unwarranted. Like Chihaya's the other main character, he's just been missing. The romance parts of the book are perhaps its weakest point, but understandable, and really do drive the plot.

I was born in 1965 and I remember my mom reading this story to me from the time I was 3 until I was 6. I ordered this book, and realized this is where some of my fears come from haha. His airplane blows up and the picture of him going head first into a haystack with a pitchfork in it would prob not pass today's standards lol.. This is old School at it's best:)

Very funny book. Your students will love reading it. Also, they love creating their own story during morning meeting! Take turns going around the circle with one student saying fortunately.....and they next student says unfortunately.....

My 6 yr old boys & 2 year old daughter love this book. I wish I'd gotten it sooner for the boys. I'll be giving this as a gift to every child between 3 & 5. It's very cute. Definitely a classic.

My teacher read us this book when I was in kindergarten. I recently bought it for my 5 year old son and he loves it because it is so funny. It is also short, so I don't mind reading it to him before bedtime.

My students loved this book. Not only were my students able to make predictions, but they were able to create funny predictions that were more elaborate than the story provided. They loved making their own cause/effect book. It was a great way to teach the concept, read fun literature that connected to their lives, and try a different type of writing. They loved sharing their books they created.

This children's book is a great gift for anyone with a heart who loves to garden. The little girl in the story must go to live with her uncle during hard times. He is a gruff baker but his little niece brightens his world with her loving charm and amazing gardening skills.

This is a book is written as a series in letters and has a lot of great pictures. It is about a little girl whose mother and father don't have jobs. She also has a grandmother who gave her, her love for gardening. Lynda-Grace (the girl) has to go live with her uncle who never smiles. When she gets there she finds out that her uncle own a bakery and has helpers. One of the helpers name's is Emma. Emma and Lynda-Grace and Emma have a scheme to make Uncle Jim smile! Read the book to find out what happens!

This is a really good picture book. As I said before, it is in teh form of letters from Lynda-Grace to her parent's and grandmother. It is a fantastic book for all ages!


Give "The Gardener" a try!

My mom bought this book last year for my daughter, now 6. My daughter loves gardening and "old-fashioned" books, and really enjoys the story and the pictures. She focuses mostly on Lydia's garden and cat. I cry every time I read it, because I focus on the little girl leaving her parents. My mom used to read this at a parenting group she ran at a women's prison. She said all the women were touched by it, as they had the experience of sending their kids away to live with other people. My mom pointed out that while Lydia's letters are very brave and positive, the pictures often show the sadness and loneliness of Lydia's situation in the first half of the book. So this is a very complex and thoughtful book, but still simple enough to be enjoyed by young children.

This is one of those books that I call a real book--not for kids, not for adults, not for girls...just a good, well-written and illustrated book that is brilliantly designed to reach you where you are at. It did have the added bonus of making me cry on the last page, in a bittersweet sort of way.

This is a beautiful book that can easily grow up with a child, and also something a whole family can read together and connect to.

The time of this story takes place in the mid 1930s and the family of the little girl of the story has had some hard times as so many families did during those horrible years. Briefly, the little girl is sent to live with her uncle Jim in the city until her father can find work and get the family back on thier feet. The author has chosen to tell this story via letter written back home to the little girl's family, by the girl herself. The story is through her eyes. The story is excellent, as it points out just what one person, even a little one, can do to change people lives. The running theme throughout of course is the little girls love for gardening. I certainly will not go into a blow by blow account of the plot, etc. as that has been done here several times, and done quite well. The text though, is quite readable and the illustrations are great. One other theme, other than the gardening, that runs through the story, is the fact that the little girl seems to be quite concerned over the fact that uncle Jim never smiles. In the end....well, you will have to read the story yourself, does he or does he not smile...you figure it out! Love this book and recommend it highly.

Last Days of the Incas is a splendid book, a complex story well told. Readable and compelling. What I particularly enjoyed: bookending the narrative of fall of the Inca empire with the 20th century hunt for Machu Picchu, Vilcabama, and other Inca sites; inspired comparisons, such as between Wall Street IPOs and conquest expeditions; observations from Machiavelli in the chapter headings, a reminder of how timeless is the tale of an empire's self-destruction.

Dan

What to say about a thoroughly riveting author and subject?! I recently returned from a trip to Peru, having read most of the popular tomes about the Incas. However, I was unlucky enough to have missed this book before I left. Though I enjoy reading history a great deal, I was unprepared for the depth of detail about the "conquest of
the Incas" contained in this book. It could have been presented in a dry manner, but I found myself unable to stop until I had spent an entire day reading the book in its entirety. The author has a very engaging style --- this book read like the best of adventure fiction. If you are considering a trip to the Cuzco/Lima areas, read this book beforehand and take it along! Being able to read his analysis of the battles near Cuzco while actually on-site would be fascinating. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

MacQuarrie delivers one of the best Historical Narratives you will read. The subject matter is very interesting: the Incan Empire 10 million strong being conquered by a Spanish force of less than 200 men - albeit men on horses with superior military technology. But, the thing that sets this book appart is the way the story is told. That's what I mean about this book being a great historical narrative. The author does a masterful job at just telling the story of the Spanish conquest over the Incan empire. MacQuarrie is a masterful story teller!

Kim MacQuarrie has created a vivid and fascinating portrayal of the well-known historical events that followed Francisco Pizarro's fateful arrival in Peru. The retelling is even-handed and well-researched, drawing upon a wide variety of sources from both Inca and Spaniard alike.

Impressively, MacQuarrie successfully makes the book accessible and entertaining, without sacrificing accuracy in scholarship. The details that greatly enrich the drama of the story are judiciously chosen, and it is clear that MacQuarrie goes to great lengths to strike an appropriate balance between historical fidelity and compelling storytelling.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the tumultuous history of Peru. However, I especially encourage once and future visitors of Cusco and the Sacred Valley to read it. The book provides a fascinating back story that greatly deepens one's appreciation for the magnificent and mysterious ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and other Incan sites.

Although I had read several other accounts of the conquest of the Incas, this one is probably the best. It is hard to put down. Starting with Hiram Bingham and ending with him and the several other explorers of the Antisuyu, the author weaves his account of the downfall of the Incas with skill. I had not realized that so many historical records from that time period were available. Evidently much more is available on Pizarro and his conquest than on Cortez and his. Some of the 16th century documents were discovered only relatively recently and were not available to chroniclers such as William Prescott. If you have already read the story of the Incas, you will not be disappointed in reading about them again. One wonders what might have been if Pizarro's small band had been wiped out before capturing Atahualpa.

Ever read any one last wish novels by lurlene mcdaniel? Ever wondered where it all started? Ever wondered how one life changed so many lives. Well if you have then The Legacy Making wishes come true would be the book that answed these questions. Follow the life of Jenny a teenage girl as shes battlen cancer in the late seventies early eightys. Thats not the only thing going on in her mind. Shes falling in love. Copeing with her parents death. And trying to keep in touch with her Three best friends she met in the hospital. I have to warn you there are probley gonna be tears, so be prepared.

Lurlene Mcdaniel has written an extremely wounderful book called "One Last Wish". Themes of discovering the tragic story behind a struggle for survival against impossible odds. The novel is written in first person narrative style by a character named Jenny Crawford. Who is Jenny Crawford? A 16 year old girl who struggles for survival and understands the love and friendships that develop into a legacy of giving. Falling deeply in love, Jenny dosen't really tell Richard Holloway the way she really feels about hime. Closer do they become after finding out that Jenny's life is completly destroyed with leukemia. Though towards the end of the story Jenny learned that suffering does not respect people and who they are. Knowing that she only had little time to live,Jenny made her grandmother promise to make sure she made out her will. She wanted to leave something meaningful behind. A special trust fund of one hundred thousand dollars, for other sick teenagers. Which she called it her "One Last Wish". As I read the story it made me feel all the pain Jenny had to go through, and even though she had leukemia Richard didn't care, and admired her with all his heart. Besides all the extreme characters,I really enjoyed reading this novel by Lurlene Mcdaniel. The imagery in this story gives you an exact picture in your mind, anthor good reason why I enjoyed reading this story. The story could have been better if the author would of let us know what Richard Holloway ended up doing in his life. After reading the pain Jenny had struggled with it was disapointing to read that she passed away. Reading this story makes you realize whats good in life, and the things you should appriciate. The narrator draws you into the world of Jenny Crawford, which is what a good novel is all about.

Lurlene Mcdaniel has written an extremely wounderful book called "One Last Wish". Themes of discovering the tragic story behind a struggle for survival against impossible odds. The novel is written in first person narrative style by a character named Jenny Crawford. Who is Jenny Crawford? A 16 year old girl who struggles for survival and understands the love and friendships that develop into a legacy of giving. Falling deeply in love, Jenny dosen't really tell Richard Holloway the way she really feels about hime. Closer do they become after finding out that Jenny's life is completly destroyed with leukemia. Though towards the end of the story Jenny learned that suffering does not respect people and who they are. Knowing that she only had little time to live,Jenny made her grandmother promise to make sure she made out her will. She wanted to leave something meaningful behind. A special trust fund of one hundred thousand dollars, for other sick teenagers. Which she called it her "One Last Wish". As I read the story it made me feel all the pain Jenny had to go through, and even though she had leukemia Richard didn't care, and admired her with all his heart. Besides all the extreme characters,I really enjoyed reading this novel by Lurlene Mcdaniel. The imagery in this story gives you an exact picture in your mind, anthor good reason why I enjoyed reading this story. The story could have been better if the author would of let us know what Richard Holloway ended up doing in his life. After reading the pain Jenny had struggled with it was disapointing to read that she passed away. Reading this story makes you realize whats good in life, and the things you should appriciate. The narrator draws you into the world of Jenny Crawford, which is what a good novel is all about.

Find out how the One Last Wish Foundation came to be. Ever since Jenny's parents died she has been living with her grandmother. Tradey strikes when sixteen year old Jenny is diagnosed with leukemia. At the hospital she meets three great friends who also have cancer. Together they form a special bond and Jenny learns some valuable lessons.

This is a story of a girl who gets lukemia at the age of 16. She learns many things about life through her battles against the cancer that threatens to kill her. She makes friends, creates even stronger bonds with old ones, and learns the true meaning of love. this is the story of the mysterious girl who started the One Last Wish foundation. Hint: read this book first before the other OLW books and definatelly do not read Please Dont Die before this.

Excellent condition.
Its as good as new - though i paid second hand prices for it :)

I read the book and was immediately able to get to the root causes of a slow running Oracle database. Very well organized.

The way in which the concepts are explained by the authors is Skillful.
Tired of reading obscure explanations about latches?
If so, read this book to learn it.
The authors were able to explain what Oracle latches are and how they work.
It's the only one book you need to understand how Oracle wait events should be used as a tuning tool.
It's a "definitive guide!"

I loved this book and it has helped me many many times to reduce the contention in database , thus by improving the performance by 100% to 150%...

With this book, I was actually able to implement the concepts, whereas other books I read , were more derived from oracle manuals.



Thanks to Kirtikumar Deshpande, K. Gopalakrishnan for this book,

If you need to tune the database, this is the book for you.

This is one of my favorite books. It gives easy to understand descriptions and examples. It is a must have for tuning. It is nicely organized and highly useful in a "crisis" situation.

Hats off to Kirti & Richmond and to the editors I don't have to remember everything 'cept where I put this book.

This rhyming children's book is terrific toddler reading. The drawings are beautiful and our kids have both loved it. Our two year old loves the animal illustrations and verses. A great pick!

We recently ordered 5 copies of Quick as a Cricket for our grandson and as gifts for other children. Our kids grew up with this book and it is timeless. All the copies we ordered were paperback but one arrived supersized. The pages are 15 x17 which is wonderful. The pages of the smaller books are 6x6. Both sizes have their uses but we really enjoy the wonderful illustrations in the larger format.

My children love this book (they are 5, 3 and 1). The illustrations are amazing and the words are few, but very creative. It's very fun to immitate the pages as well.

Cute book! There are puppets that can be purchased to go along with the story, they are great for kids to keep them engaged and involoved.

I used to use this book while teaching children at a learning center, and now I use this book to read to my daughter before bedtime. The pictures are great! The read is short which is great for kids with short attention spans. Absolutely a must have!

"Ramona And Her Mother" is a later entry in the Ramona & Beezus series, and yet it is also one of the finest books of its kind, another in a long line of great books by the masterful Beverly Cleary.

First pubished in 1979, the book finds the gauzy comfort of the Eisenhower era (when the first Henry Huggins and Beezus books were written) replaced by the strain and worry of the recessionary 'Seventies. Ramona's dad, who recently lost his job, has found new work at a local supermarket, but he doesn't like the position, and having both parents out working full-time places new strains on the family. Ramona, who is now seven years old, is no longer an overt brat, but there's a lot going on in her little head, as she struggles with the demands that come with growing up. She is envious of her teenage older sister, who she sees as a goodie-goodie and as her parent's favorite. Her relationship with her mom seems to be up in the air as well, and her parents, both tired from long days at work, have started to argue, which worries the kids. Of course, Cleary finds the silver lining, and while young readers may both recognize their own families (and become anxious for exactly the same reasons as Ramona does) Cleary magically produces happy endings that still do not deny the hardships and imperfections of life. If you've enjoyed Ramona's earlier adventures, you will not be disappointed with this funny, quick volume. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

After reading The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf I went back to Malory -- Lynet was just like in Morris' book, constantly digging at Beaumains and harping on having a kitchen boy substitute for a real Arthurian knight.

After reading the first three books Morris has written in The Squire's Tales, I broke down and bought all he's written to date -- in hard cover. They are absolutely delightful, funny, clever, pretty true to the original romances. I read one, then pass it on to my grandson. We're having a ball.

This was the first book that I read out of many of Gerlad Morris' comical retellings of King Arthur. The information seems to be accurate and the book is just so funny. These books are classics that anyone of any age will enjoy!

I first read this book when I was in sixth (or fifth, or something -- I don't remember exactly when) grade. My church met in a school building, and toddler nursery was held in the library. I was bored one day, and I thought "The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf" looked interesting, so I started to read it. I was pleasantly delighted with my discovery. (My parents had to search the entire building for me -- that's how engrossed in the book I was.)

Unfortunately, we left that building, and my memory of the book's title left with it. It took me until last year to find it -- and I did that only by looking through all of the shelves in the children's section of the local library.

I was again pleasantly suprised by the book -- it's very well-written, immensely funny, and admirably suited to reading aloud (I had my mom read it out loud to me and my younger sister). At parts, it had me shivering with anticipation, and other times I was consumed entirely with helpless laughter.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone. My dad, who doesn't particularly enjoy reading what he calls "girly books", thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, this book has inspired in us a delight of all books Gerald Morris -- and he's never disappointed us.

I love this book. Completely fabulous dry wit. Sassy girl protagonist, great dwarf character. Plot goes along at a good clip. I've been a long-standing fan of Gerald Morris, and this one is his best one, as far as I'm concerned. I've read and re-read it.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a retelling of the story of Beaumains (beautiful hands) the Kitchen Knight. Perhaps some of you are familiar with this story. The basic plot is that a young man comes to King Arthur's court to work in the kitchen. He has beautiful hands unused to hard work, hence the name. Anyway, one day a lady comes to Court to find a champion to rescue her sister who is besieged by the red knight. The kitchen boy is knighted and offers to go with her. She treats him badly throughout their journeys, though he often proves himself. At the end he frees and marries the sister and shows himself as Sir Gareth, younger brother to Sir Gawain.
Well, leave it to Morris to mix this story up! First of all, Lady Lynet is helped on her journey by a mysterious dwarf, Beaumains is a complete dolt, the sister, Lady Lyonesse is a disgraceful cold-hearted flirt, and far more is happening than appears to be! The ending is delightfully satisfying and romantic, and I cracked up hysterically several times during this book. I finished it in one sitting! Definitely a must-read for King Arthur fans!

One of my students wrote the following review:
If you are a baseball fan you should read this book. This book is about a kid with a power. He can go back in time. He goes to 1919 to make the White Sox win the World Series by not letting Shoeless Joe Jackson take money. What will happen next?
It was so fun to read it! I couldn't stop reading this book. It is a long book but it is fun when you read it. There are more books that this author wrote about baseball.
-Brian

The book I am reviewing is Shoeless Joe & Me written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because Dan Gutman doesn't stretch the book and he does not rush it. This book is about a boy named Joe Stoshack who can travel through time with baseball cards. The problem in this story is that when Joe had lost a game because of a bad call, he complains to the sponsor of his team, Flip Valetini. He says that it wasn't fair, and Flip tells him about the Black Sox sandal and Joe Jackson. Now he wants to fix it. But the rest... you will have to figure out. I would recommend this book to anyone from 3rd to 5th grade that loves fantasy books.

Shoeless Joe was a fun book to read. It was about baseball. He was a good player but did not have power. I liked this book because it was about baseball. He was a player on the White Sox. The story was in Chicago where Shoeless Joe was a famous baseball player.
The kid in the book went back in time. The boy wanted to meet Shoeless Joe, so he went to the store to buy the card. Then he packed his tooth brush and clothes. Then he went to his room. Then he hugged the card and went back to the past. This was the most exciting part of the book.

Shoeless Joe and Me is one of my favorite books! The book is about a kid who can Time-Travel by using Baseball Cards. He tries to go back in time to stop the Black Sox Scandal. The Black Sox Scandal was when 8 players on the White Sox were tricked by gamblers into losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds on purpose.

Even if you don't like Baseball, I'm sure you will love this book. I loved it SO much that I couldn't take my face away from the book. I recommend this book to ANYONE, as long as they love a good book. It is part of a series, which include:

Honus and Me
Jackie and Me
Babe and Me
Mickey and Me
Abner and Me
Satch and Me

Haven't you ever wanted to go back in time to prevent something that happened to you? Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the best baseball players in 1919. His career was destroyed by a gambling scandal. Joe Stoshack was a young boy and he heard about the famous player from a guy named Flip who worked at the baseball card shop he always went to. Flip told Joe that Jackson was not allowed to make the Hall of Fame because of the scandal he was in. Flip gave him Joe Jackson baseball card and the little boy thought to himself what it would be like to go back in time to see what the scandal was all about and even maybe prevent it from happening. He thought if it works in movies then it should work now. The next day Joe Stoshack found himself going back to the 1919's and found Joe Jackson at the stadium. He talked to Joe and asked him to leave the game before it started. He told Joe if he didn't something bad would happen. He told Joe he came back from the future and he knew that if the great Joe Jackson did anything to lose this game, he would never get all the rewards he deserved. He wanted to prevent the "Black Sox Scandal" from happening so Shoeless Joe Jackson could get into the Hall of Fame.
I would rate this book a 5, on a scale of 5, with 5 being the best. Grades 4th and up would love it and its great family story.