Media Books

I have read the entire Lurlene Mcdaniel series, and the 'Clearwater Crossing' series. Lurlene Mcdaniel's books were such an inspiration, and it is an awesome series, as soon as you lift up the book, you can never put it back down. It's almost impossible to expect to read one of her books, and drop the series alltogether. This is for all ages, mostly teens, and helps out more than ever. She is an inspiring writer, and many writers should more often be like her, and writing books that do effect teens, and can help them.

Carrie Blake is a fifteen-year-old who was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago. At that time, she also had to deal with her parents' divorce. She meets Keith Gardner, an athlete at her high school, who also had cancer, Hodgkin's disease. Both are in the hospital support group. They are both assigned to work on the picnic for cancer patients. As they get to know one another, both become great friends. Keith has a wonderful family who treats Carrie very kindly, while Carrie's parents are both seeing other people. But not everything is perfect for the Gardners. Soon, Keith's cancer returns, and there is nothing that can be done. Keith's family, and Carrie, have to learn how to live without him. This is a really great story, with plenty of emotion, as all of Lurlene McDaniel's books are.

As I sit here I have just finished the book not 10 minutes ago. My face is still tear stained. The book shook me to the core and mand me cry MANY times and is the best book i have ever read. The whole book tought me so much and opened my eyes. My dad has always told me 'the worst thing in the world for a parent to do is bury a child' and this book made me leave my room crying and hug my mom. Its so undiscribeable how this book touched me and how it made the think. This book is something every person should read adults and teens alike.

I LIKE ALL OF LURLENE MCDANIEL BOOKS AND I ESPECIALLY LIKE THIS ONE. IT IS TRUE THAT PARENTS WHO DON'T GET ALONG OR DIVORCE DO EFFECT US. CARRIE HAD MANY FAMILY ISSUES AND THEN SHE MET KEITH WHO HAS A ALMOST PERFECT FAMILY. SHE REALLY STRUGGLES BECAUSE HER DAD AND MOM DOESN'T GET ALONG EVEN THOUGH THEIR DIVORVCE. THEY BLAME EACH OTHER AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY BARLEY EVER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE HER WHEN CARRIE WAS SICK. PARENTS ARE PARENTS AND THEIR SUPPOSE TO LOVE THEIR CHILD/CHILDREN. AREN'T THEY THE ONE WHO BROUGHT US INTO THIS WORLD. SO WHY DON'T THEY TAKE CARE OF US AND LOVE US....

i have read all of the lurlene mcdaniel books and i loved all of them!this one really got my attention though!its about a girl named carrie.her parents just got a divorce and it was tearing her up.Carrie was diagnosed with leukemia and went to a support group.there she gets to know keith gardner.his family becomes quitte close to carrie.keith gets an x-ray and finds he has a tumor in his stomach.the family goes to a camping spot while keith starts to slip away.in this carrie learns what a true family is.i realy recomend this book to all preteens and teens!10-17it really is a 5 star book!

It all starts when Wendell's mom tells him to clean up his room. He goes up to his room and finds a pig lying on his bed eating chips and reading a comic book! Mark Teague's pictures really give us an idea of what's happening. We would be weirded out if there was a pig in our room. We would feel like pigs! It's a great book to encourage people with very messy rooms to clean up!

We used this book for storytime at our children's center to teach, in a fun way,that kids should clean their rooms. We also have a copy of it in Spanish and did a side by side bilingual reading. The 3-5 year olds thought it was funny.

read it when i was a kid and grew up to own it. such a funny-crazy book.

A little boy does not clean his room. Pigs move in and they together make a mess of things. The boy gets sick of the big mess and asks mom to help. She tells him it is his responsibility. He gets the pigs to clean the room and he helps. Soon the pigs find it too clean and leave.

Wendell's mother tells him his room his is looking like a pigsty, but even so he refuses to clean it. Sure enough, real pigs move into his room. He dosen't mind the pigs company... that is, until he finds hoofprints on his beloved comic books. The pigs help Wendell clean his room and finding it too clean for their liking, decide to leave. Teague's whimsical illustrations fit perfectly with the spirit of his story. A great book for those kids who do not want to clean their rooms...and every one else, too.

In 1991, I had the privilege of being a student at the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth under the direction of then Col James McDonough. A man of deep reflection, he was also passionate about soldiers and ensured that everything we did as students in teh study of warfare and campaign design kept them in mind.

Now I am a university professor offering courses in US military history. Part of what I do is to expose my students to leadership and battle at the small unit level. There is no better book for that purpose concerning Vietnam than McDonough.

Every student takes something different away from this book because, unlike many assigned books, they read it. The book captures you right from the beginning. You really can't put it down. And, it contains more lessons about life and leadership than I can express here.

Knowing the author personally in 1991-1992 is special, for I saw in him then the character that had developed from his time in Vietnam. He tells it like it is, he means what he says, and he stands by his word. His book is more than just a memoir, it is therapy for a man who must live with the past, both for better and for worse.

Platoon Leader was an excellent read, and one I would recommend for all those enjoy military reading. I would especially suggest it to all junior military leaders. Entertaining and well written, the author discusses at length his role as a leader, and what he views as good and bad leaders. The aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was it allowed the reader to see leadership, on a small-unit level, working in real-world combat conditions. Unlike many books leaders read for professional development, it shows how leadership works when employed and doesn't just philosophize about leadership principles.

James McDonough provides an in-depth look at infantry platoon operations in Vietnam. This is a must read for anyone who intends to pursue a military career. The book is very graphic, but also very succint and to the point. McDonough doesn't waste time with superfluous details, every word is well chosen and critical to the telling of the story. Once you begin reading, you will not want to stop. It is a quick read, and well worth the time it takes.

"Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat," by James R. McDonough, chronicles the author's experiences as an officer in the Vietnam War from 1970-71. His platoon is charged with manning an outpost next to the village of Truong Lam.

This is a fascinating, well-written account. McDonough fills his narrative with vivid details that really made his story come alive in my mind. He doesn't flinch at describing the goriest and most horrific images of war. There are also moments of irony and bitter humor. Also noteworthy is the informative material about tactics used in Vietnam. And the author humanizes the story by touching on such "down-and-dirty" issues as the latrine his platoon used.

McDonough's story is populated with a compelling cast of characters. Particularly intriguing is his exploration of relationships among the various groups he encountered in the war zone--U.S. enlisted men, his fellow Army officers, Vietnamese military allies, enemy forces, and the many civilians caught up in the conflict.

While rich in scenes of combat, "Platoon Leader" goes beyond being just an action-packed war yarn. The book explores the ethics and morals of war. McDonough deals directly with the danger a soldier faces in becoming dehumanized by the brutality of war. He vividly portrays the struggle of a leader to remain wise and humane, yet also tough and resolute, under the most trying of circumstances. This book is both a profound meditation on wartime leadership and a powerful work of American literature.

As a junior officer I have an entire list of professional reading that I am trudging my way through, but so far McDonough has been by far the most enjoyable and has made the biggest impact on my own leadership style. Both Platoon Leader and Defense of Hill 781 are great books, but Platoon Leader is so far the best military memoir I have read. It has been over a year since I read this book, but the three things that have stuck with me are:
1. Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
2. Death in a combat zone is more about just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sooner or later your luck runs out, but you have the duty to your fellow soldiers to do everything in your power to protect them.
3. The stealing of a bottle of soda from a grandmother leads slowly but inevitable to the rape of her granddaughter. If you let your soldiers steal at all you are setting the stage for what atrocities they will commit later. You must always be vigilant in your discipline.

While I do not have combat experience, I am currently serving in Iraq and know second handedly that these concepts still hold true.

Other than the leadership aspect of the book, Mcdonough is just a great story teller and is able to make the book engaging and addicting.

Helen Lester has such a wonderful way of writing for children. The illustrations by Lyn M. Munsinger are so captivating that children want to see them again and again. So do adults!
This book teaches us all to accept ourselves for who we are. Trying to be someone we are not just doesn't work.

I don't have any kids, but this book has actually been around for a long time. I was born in 82, and this book was by far my favorite. The illustrations are great and the message is even better. It's a really witty way to tell children that labels don't matter. The illustrations also make the book even better, my personal favorite as a child being when Fluffy sticks marshmallows all over his quills to make himself more fluffy.

I bought this book because I'm going to school to become a teacher. It teaches kids that it is ok to be your self. Kids will laugh and so will parents.

This book is very appealing to me and my two kids (ages 2 and 5). The illustrations are wonderful, and it is very well written. The kids laugh as we turn the pages, and it is a book that reads well over and over.

I bought this for my three year old daughter...again based on reviews on amazon. Other reviewers were right: this book is a hoot. Everytime we get to: "H...H...H...H...H...Hippo" my daughter bursts out laughing. Highly recommended. Great illustrations set off the writing.

Monty is an insecure rat, insecure because he and his family live in a sewer and create works of art, which is frowned on by the higher class society of wharf rats. Additionally he shares his name with his Uncle Moony, a drunken creator of decorated rings, which shames him because of the derision of the other rats. An interest in the pretty Isabel and a crisis helps him to overcome his insecurity and his shame. I bought this book because I'd just acquired 2 pet rats, and ended up hooked on Tor Seidler. He truly cares about his characters, and while the stories are for children, they aren't childish. Adults with a little imagination will enjoy his animal stories as much as the kids do.

I read this when I was at a friend's house with nothing else to read (it took me an hour or two; I suspect it would take a child a bit more time). It is a cute, amusing book- definitely a nice present for children above the age of, say, 7 or 8. I had no problems suspending disbelief in the talking rats; however, I have to admit I did have trouble suspending disbelief in the rat/human interrelationships (e.g. humans being smart enough to realize the rats were bribing them when they saw large amounts of money intermingled with the remains of poisoned rats).

? Montague Mad-Rat is a young rodent with a strange family: his mother dyes bird feathers with berry juices and creates fanciful hats; his father is working on his hundred-and-seventh mud castle; and his aunt travels the world on cruise ships. His namesake uncle crafts tiny gold rings that he sells to humans. Montague has his own craft: painting exquisite miniatures on tiny shells his aunt brings him. His real adventures begin when he meets and falls in love with the rich and beautiful Isabel Moberly-Rat, whose friends and family are wharf rats who look down upon rats like Montague who make things with their paws. Montague gets involved with a campaign to save the wharf rats from extermination by a new property owner, and comes to appreciate his family and himself for who they are.

This book is absolutely charming. The setting-Central Park, Columbus Circle, and the New York docks-is just right. Seidler has managed to make his rat story romantic, funny, suspenseful, and insightful in its observations of class snobbery.

One element that serves to make this book so successful is Seidler's playful use of language to maintain the fantasy element and to help draw character. The world of the novel is always seen from the rats' point of view. For instance, when the lovely Isabel Moberly-Rat is caught in a rainstorm, she mutters "Oh, people" under her breath, rather than "Oh, rats." The rats don't go for a walk; they go for a "creep." They attend a gathering called the "Great Rat Chat," which is the "backbone of a democratsy," attended by cabinet ministers who are great helpers of "ratkind." When the haughty young Randal Reese-Rat gets a spot of poison on his tail, his parents call in a "general ratitioner." These are just a few of the numerous examples throughout the text. They serve to maintain the illusion that the rat world has its own society, yet one that is eerily reminiscent of our human world. Mrs. Moberly-Rat is a terrible snob, as are most of her fellow wharf rats living in fancy high-rise crates. She is struggling with her weight, and does "petal arrangements" to keep her mind off cheese. However, every time we see her she is eating or serving a different variety, from blue to Swiss to Gruyere. She looks down upon the Mad-Rats because they make things with their paws, marry their cousins, do business with people, and worst of all, live in "S-E-W-E-R-S." Her husband, Hugh Moberly-Rat, has a fancy office with a gilt-edged dictionary for a desk and silver foil gum wrapper wallpaper. Seidler does a clever thing with the speeches that Hugh makes: he repeats every thought in different words, making him even more long-winded than most human politicians. Thus, "How so, you ask," is followed immediately by, "Why, you want to know?" Sometimes he does it in single sentences: " For more deaths, I fear, lurk in the near future-await us in the coming days." It's really quite a comical effect, and is typical of the artificial language that many politicians use in public-and is not the way Hugh speaks in private, either.

All in all, A Rat's Tale is a lovely book that works on several levels, from the story of an unlikely hero to commentary on class prejudice. The black-and-white illustrations are a charming complement to the text. One can't help agreeing with Newsday's comment: "A Rat's Tale may well do for rats what Charlotte's Web has done for spiders."

I just adore this book. I am a massive rat lover and have 8 rats...and this book is a pleasant and innocent page turner...

You will love it!

A Rat's Tale is about a young rat named Montague Mad-Rat, or Monty. He lives a boring, solitary existence in the sewers of New York City. His family is almost considered a bunch of criminals, as they've broken almost every major rule of society, like making things with their own paws. Rats should scavenge for things they need, not make them. But nevertheless, his mother makes hats out of feathers, and his father makes sand castles. Neither of them have much time for him. He is very lonely and bored. The only things he has to do is gather feathers and berries for his mother's hats, and paint the seashells his aunt brings him. Then, one day, he meets the girl of his dreams! Her name is Isabella. She is the daughter of the governor of the rats, and she lives in old abandoned Wharf 62, where only the rats of the highest-class live. He can't stop thinking about her! Then he realizes that a rich, sophisticated girl like her could never love a sewer rat like him.
Meanwhile, the humans want to poison the wharves. The rats had stopped them every year by finding loose change and anonomysly offering it to the owner of the wharves. Every year they had collected $10,000. And every year, it had been enough. but this year it wasn't. So their leader (Isabella's Father) decides that they need to double the Rat-Rent (as they call it). But there's no way they can gather $20,000 worth of pennies, dimes and nickels! Then, Monty figures out a way to impress Isabella. He thought the shells his aunt had brought him might be of some value. After all, everyone said they were great. So he brings the shells to Isabella's father. He says they are great, but they need money, not shells. Dismayed, Monty tells Isabella's father to keep the shells. Isabella gets a90=hold of them, and at first she just hangs the shells on her bedroom wall. But then she has a great idea. her mother told her that Montague Mad-Rat (Monty's uncle whom he was named after) was infamous for doing the unthinkable--dealing with humans (it's like making things with your own paws). He, like Monty is also an artist. He decorates rings and sells them to an art dealer. Isabella decides to team up with him to sell the shells. She knows that dealing with humans is a huge disgrace, but she'll do anything to save her beloved wharves. Together, they are able to get $20,000!
Monty is hailed a hero! His little shells saved the wharves! Monty finally got everything he wanted. He saved the wharves, he's a hero, and Isabella finally likes him. Then the worst happens. What is that? You'll just have to read the book for yourself.
Monty significantly changes. He becomes much braver and he learns to do his best and try his hardest, even when things look hopeless.
This is a great book, and I recommend it to anyone age 9 and up.

I find that the manga of this series is a lot more entertaining and a lot more interesting than the infamous anime. The first volume is actually cool because Utena hasn't come to the academy yet; she and a friend of hers figure out clues she's been sent over the years to find that her 'prince' is at the academy. You find out that she has an aunt she's been living with up to then and that she's not a complete orphan. Then of course she goes to the academy and is thrust into this very strange and seperate world of duelings and winning the Rose Bride as a prize as a step towards "revolutionizing the world." The drawing can be a little wierd, people's faces for exampe are very long and even the women can look a little "mannish." Utena and Anthy as prince and rose bride have a very cute relationship together and along with Chu-chu Anthy's best friend and pet monkey it's all very adorable. As I said though, I like this manga mostly because I can actually make some sense out of it and the mysterious plot lines, unlike the anime which had me banging my head on the wall.

Going on fromwhere the 2nd book leaves us off on:
IS TOUGA UTENA'S PRINCE?!!!
I'll give you guys just one little spoiler...he's not.
n this volume it basically talks about the Rose Bride and Utena's determination to go through any kind of challenge to see her prince. Deception and Manipulation. The question in this book is who's telling the truth. Most importantly, is Utena so desperate to find her prince that she'll belive just about anybody? We also find out more about Anthy and her brother. Including more in depth detail about World's End. Why the Dios has the power to revolutionize the world. And the most impotant part... Iwillnotspoilthestory Iwillnotspoilthestory..... OK I won't give you a spoiler but it deals about Anthy and her heart "belonging to no one."
AND WHO COULD FORGET THE COMIC RELIEF OF CHU CHU IN THE END?! ( Chu ) All in all this manga is just awsome.The artwork has gotten better and I rccommend it to all shojo or just any manga fan. GO AND BUY IT NOW!

This is a series like no other. Deeply symbolic, nearly every person, object, and incident means something else on a higher level in addition to the face value. The characters are not just human--they *represent* humanity, both good and bad. They highlight our weaknesses and emphasize our strengths. In this world, power means everything and concepts such as friendship, devotion, and love mean almost nothing. In the pursuit of power and prestige, families and friends are sacrificed for desires. And the life and happiness of one girl are bound to the power to change the world.

This is a controversial series dealing with life, death, change, love, betrayal, belief, truth, and more material concepts such as sex, attraction, and adventure. It messes with your reality, rights it, then scrambles it up again.

For those prudes and parents out there, be forewarned--this does contain incest (love between brother and sister), rape (can you call it that?--Anthy doesn't fight when it happens to her), and lesbianism. That's not to say that it is a bad series--just be warned that their are some controversial themes recurring in the story.

Read this manga or watch the TV show or watch the movie--you will never look at anime or manga the same way again!

I have seen the series in its entirety, and the movie, and I have seen the Japanese manga. Finally READING the manga is a treat.

Having seen the series and movie (I'm praying that they translate the movie manga!), I was prepared for the extremely controversial themes that make this a milestone in the history of anime and manga. There is incest, which is where a brother and sister are a little bit closer than need be; rape (I call it that since Anthy just accepts it as a part of her duties as the Rose Bride ;she's not unwilling, and she's not willing--she's just there)and lesbianism (those of you who have seen the movie know what I am talking about). Death is abstract here; I can't tell you anything more without spoiling some major details of the story. Reality is twisted, as evidenced by the Castle of Eternity, which floats upside down in the air above the dueling arena. Love and friendship come up very rarely, and usually only when dealing with Utena. Power is the ultimate prize--indeed, a girl's life has been sacrificed for the pursuit of power.

The characters play upon each other's emotions, hopes, dreams, insecurities, and fears. Utena fights to protect Anthy, but wavers when Touga implies that he may mean more to her than she thinks. Miki's insecurities and fear drive him to challenge Utena, while Juri's jealousy and hatred are what cause her to raise her sword. Saionji is obsessed, and in his slight insanity, loses reason.

You need to read this series, if only to see what everyone is talking about.

The 3rd volume of the RGU series has turned out to be the best thusfar... For those of you who were disappointed by the 2nd volume, be prepared for the trip of your life with this one. It. Is. Fantastic. You'll read it more than once, I can guarantee it.

The plot flushes away its fluffy-sweet, gaggingly-predictable overtones to reveal an underlying storyline that gets more dark, horrific, and complex with each passing page (while still keeping an innocent PG rating! Now that's talent!) You learn more about all of the character relationships (and I'm happy to say that Juri is less of a joykill in this one) including the practically unmentioned one between Anthy and her older brother, Akio (who you can't help but love.) Our favorite little Dios boy in the sky also makes a guest appearance, which always calls for extra brownie points, though most readers will get mixed signals about Touga and what his motives really are (I'm trying to avoid spoilers. Can you tell?) The whole story becomes an enigma!

Prepare to be drowned in symbolism and rich imagery--and watch out for that killer cliffhanger at the end. It'll leave you BEGGING for the release of the 4th volume! The artist, Ms. Saito's drawing technique has also changed vastly AND apparently...the images have improved so much that you'll feel HONORED to own a piece of her work! You'll definitely start to appreciate how truly talented and professional she is. Even if you've already seen the series and know the ending (which is going to be interestingly warped by the 5th volume anyway) you'll still get a kick out of this book and the memorable circumstance between Wakaba and Utena as it was meant to be. And, of course, there's a funny little bit about Chuchu at the end and character profiles (of Miki, Juri, and the members of Be-papas) scattered throughout the book.

It's a great buy. No regrets at all. Just mix the right amount of fantasy, romance, slapstick comedy, mystery, and plain old talent, and you'll get the miracle that is RGU 3: To Sprout. :D It's so cool. Really, it is.

My son loves this book so much that when it started falling apart, I bought another one! He asks for this book every night. Highly recommend!!

This book is beautifully illustrated. The vibrant colors invited my students to be actively engaged while we were reading it together. The rhyme scheme of the book made my students laugh and learn at the same time. Humor is always a good way to learn. I would reccomend this book to anyone.

This book has been a favorite in our home since we got it over 8 years ago. The pictures are beautiful and fun. The rhymes are great. It is one of the few books that I do not tire of reading over and over and over again to the kiddos.

Only draw-back is that it is permanately stuck in my head. Can't go to the zoo without finding myself saying the rhymes. Oh, who am I kidding, that's not a draw-back...it is kinda fun! hee hee

This book has been loved by all of my children, every one of my children old enough to talk have this book memorized.

This is such a cute book. Bright and colorful pictures to look at, with a story that isn't too repetitive. Readers will not mind reading time and again to children

This book is a wonderfully drawn and written manga(comic) by Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon really shows how much she has matured over the time. It shows you death really is a part of a fight. Love and action is all thourghout this book making you sometimes very sad. If you like the Japanese anime (cartoon) version you'll love this book. I recommend you buy the books in order though.

I thought this was a good book. The writer is a faboulus story writer. I liked the first and second one more than this one though.

This particular story (they don't seem like comics to me) is very emotinal, and (yes!) it has Sailor Saturn in it! Although a little confusing, this story is very exciting, touching, sad, and, as always, there shines a ray of hope for Sailor Moon to save the world! Read it!

the main story is a bit short then theres a "minimoon" (god i hate that name) story and while i am not a fan it was a nice bouns to add vaule to the book as the story and art are the same level of quaitly

This is the book where they fight Mistress 9. I have also seen the anime version of it, and I liked the part where Sailor Saturn appears better in the manga. It was longer, in the anime she was just there for about a minute. However, I liked the part where they were fighting Mistress 9 better in the anime because it's not as confusing. The manga is different than the anime because in the anime Mistress 9 looks like Hotaru with longer hair but in the manga it destroys the body so the Sailor Soldiers are fighting a monster instead of Hotaru. All of the Sailor Soldiers are in this - Usagi/Sailor Moon, Minako/Sailor Venus, Ami/Sailor Mercury, Rei/Sailor Mars, Makoto/Sailor Jupiter, Haruka/Sailor Uranus, Michiru/Sailor Neptune, Setsuna/Sailor Pluto, Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask, Chibi-Usa/Sailor Chibi Moon, and Hotaru/Sailor Saturn. (But the English names are used for the Inner Senshi and Chibi-Usa and Mamoru.)
Everything I just wrote probably doesn't make sense if you haven't read the book or watched the anime, so now I'll explain it. Usagi is Sailor Moon, the Princess of the Moon, and the leader of the Sailor Senshi. Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto are the Inner Senshi, and they are also from the moon. Mamoru is Tuxedo Mask, Usagi's boyfriend in her past life on the moon. Chibi-Usa is Usagi and Mamoru's daughter from the future. Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru are the Outer Senshi. Setsuna/Sailor Pluto was originally supposed to guard the door to the future and Haruka/Uranus and Michiru/Neptune had similar jobs. Hotaru/Saturn is supposed to end the world when she awakens in this book. All of this will make sense if you read the entire series in order. Also there are three talking cats, Luna, Artemis, and Diana. Luna lives with Usagi and Artemis lives with Minako. Diana is Chibi-Usa's kitten from the future and the daughter of Luna and Artemis.
Anyway, in the third part of the Sailor Moon series, their enemies are the Death Busters, Eudial, Mimete, Tellu, Viluy, Sipren, and Professor Tomoe. Hotaru is Proffesor Tomoe's daughter. Their family was caught in a fire when Hotaru was younger and her mother died. Professor Tomoe turned her body into a machine and put an egg in her body so she would become Mistress 9. Now the Sailor Senshi have defeated Eudial, Mimete, Tellu, Viluy, Sipren, and Kaori Knight, Proffesor Tomoe's helper. But then, in the last book, Hotaru took Chibi-Usa's soul (Heart Crystal in the anime) and used it to become Mistress 9. Now in the start of this book she also killed Minako, Ami, Rei, and Makoto (but somehow they came back to life - I don't remember how.) Hotaru is trying to get rid of Mistress 9 and save Chibi-Usa and stop Mistress 9 from destroying her body. Eventually Hotaru escapes with Chibi-Usa's soul and brings her back to life. Meanwhile, Mistress 9 ripped apart Hotaru's body and the Sailor Senshi are fighting with him.
In the end there are facts about all the Sailor Senshi, even Hotaru. There is one more book after this, #11, then SuperS 1-4 and StarS 1-3. There are also five seasons of the anime - Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon SuperS, and Sailor Moon Stars. But the American version is bad - they made it for children, took out episodes, and gave Ami, Luna, Makoto, and Usagi annoying voices. However, you can buy DVD sets in Japanese with English subtitles to see the real Sailor Moon. This is also the only way to see Stars. I haven't seen it yet (actually all I've seen is Season 1, and I haven't watched all of it yet, but I have seen the American version - about half of season one, a few episodes of season two, most of season three, and part of season four. Season One in Japanese is a lot better than in English.) I'm not sure if Stars has the English subtitles or not since I haven't seen it, but I think it does.
Also there are guides to 5 of the characters, fashion dolls, 8 novels, and 18 manga books like this one.

This compilation of 8 stories is perfect for my children. They love Scooby-Doo and you can't beat the price for this set.

The stories are very long but the kids absolutely love Scooby and usually pick this book out for bedtime reading. The only problem I have is that each story has a different font and some of the fonts are squiggly and hard to read and make my eyes water and blur and it's hard to focus. It's weird but if you have the book you'll know what I mean!

My nephew loves Scooby Doo, but he has a rather short attention span, so I was a little worried that this book wouldn't be read much. However, he will sit still for a full story, so this book turned out to be a great gift.

Quality of this book is way better than expected,pages are sturdy, very colorful pictures-great stories for little & big kids.

Here is a list of stories included in this collection:
1. Scooby-Doo in Jungle Jeopardy
2. Scooby-Doo and the Opera Ogre
3. Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders
4. Scooby-Doo and the Weird Water Park
5. Scooby-Doo and the Phantom Cowboy
6. Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost
7. Scooby-Doo and the Fantastic Puppet Factory
8. Scooby-Doo and the Marsh Monster

I would have liked to know the titles in the general description before I purchased this. As it turns out, we already have one of these stories in a stand-alone book and another one on a video. Still, it is a great price for 8 stories, which usually sell for $3.99 each. Worth it for a Scooby fan!

As an English professor and an avid reader, it's been a source of distress that one of my grandchildren doesn't like to read. He is fast-paced and doesn't like to slow down long enough to read; like so many of my students, he'll "wait for the movie." Recently he told me that his class at school had been reading THE SHADOW CLUB and that he had been reading ahead because he loved it. I bought it for him on the spot and purchased THE SHADOW CLUB RISING, the sequel, and two other books by Shusterman as well. He was excited to have them and has told me at length what he likes about the books: the constant action and drama, the characters sympathetic to his age group (11), etc. I thank Neal Shusterman for turning my grandson on to reading at long last!

Book Review
Shadow Club
By: Neal Shusterman

Jared and Cheryl always were second best, always living in someone else's shadow. Jared came in second at the races he was in and Cheryl's cousin would always upstage her. No one likes to lose especially all the time. Always being kicked into the dirt. They were sick of it so they decided to fight back. They gathered all the second-best people and went to their old hide out in the forest and formed a club, the Shadow Club was formed. At first it was just about pulling harmless pranks on their enemies and thinking of ways to hurt them but it went to far. Is someone trying to frame them? What will happen to the Shadow Club?
Shadow Club is a thrilling story that both boys and girls will love an maybe some adults. I wish it didn't have to end. It's filled with action, humor, suspense, and lots of mysteries. I recommend this book to any one who likes to get sucked into their book and forget about the world around them. Its so detailed that it feels like your really there in the story. It will have your eyes glued to it until the last pages have turned.

-Megan C.

Jared, a ninth-grader, is so sick of always being the second-best runner on his team. No matter how hard he pushes himself, he is always beaten by Austin. To make things worse, Austin loves to rub it in when he beats Jared.

Jared's best friend Cheryl knows how he feels. Her cousin Rebecca, who is a year younger than her, is a better singer than Cheryl and she seems to be constantly rubbing Cheryl's face in that fact. Jared and Cheryl are both fed up.

When they feel they can't take it anymore, Jared and Cheryl decide to start a secret club to vent their feelings--The Shadow Club. They invite Cheryl's little brother Randall, who is the number two swimmer on his team. They invite the second best trumpeter, the second prettiest girl in the class, the second best basketball player, and the second best student to join.

All of the members of the club get together and at first aren't sure what to do besides say bad things about those who are beating them all of the time. Then they decide that more needs to be done. Jared comes up with the idea of playing practical jokes on those students they detest. He thinks if no one knows about the club and no one plays a joke on his or her own enemy, all of the club members will escape being suspected of playing the jokes. So it starts.

Green slime shows up in a trumpet before a big solo. The best student's pet tarantula is put in the hood of the best runner's sweatshirt. The best swimmer has his toenails painted bright red while he's asleep.

The members of the Shadow Club are thrilled with their accomplishments. But then things start getting out of control. Jokes are being played that no one seems to know about, and they are getting meaner and more destructive by the day. Could someone be trying to frame the members of the club?

I thought this book captured the attitude of many junior high school students--it highlighted the feelings of competition and the petty nastiness that occurs in students of this age. I thought Jared should have been able to see when things were getting out of control, though, and should have been able to stop the club before anything bad happened.

The Shadow Club
By: Neal Shusterman

Review done by: A Mid-Prairie Teen Student

You would have no idea what you would be expecting if you got a book titled The Shadow Club, I sure didn't. The Shadow Club is a great book having middle school to high schooled aged students making mistakes and seeing the consequences in the end.
Jared, a middle school aged kid, is the main kid in this story. He is the second best runner in his school and hates being second best. He absolutely hates Eric, the best runner in school, and would do absolutely anything he could to be better than Eric. This is where the trouble started.
Jared's friend Cheryl, the second best singer, wanted to start a club called the Shadow Club. This means for people to come to this club if they're second best in something. Like second best singer, second smartest person in school, and even second prettiest girl in school. All these second best kids formed this club and got themselves into trouble without even knowing it.
This is quite a story and it is written by Neal Shusterman a fantastic author. He is an American author of books for young readers, and also a screenwriter. He has won and award called the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for The Schwa Was Here, and he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He now lives in Orange County, California with his four children. So as you have seen he has a busy life but he has certainly used some of his time to write great books.
This is an amazing book but I'm not going to tell you what happened in the end. Once you read it, it will shock you incredibly as you will see. I will tell you though that it teaches great things like making friends, the trouble you can get yourself into with just starting little things, and how much hate can really hurt someone else's life.
I dare you to read this book even if you think you're the best person in your school. Just go and read this book so that you can see the secrets some second best people may be thinking right now.

I have been reading the Shadow Club to my 7th graders for more than 10 years. The humor, especially in the character of Ralphy Sherman, keeps the class listening. The suspense builds to the point that I have students begging me not to stop reading. Many students tried to buy the book because they just couldn't wait for me to finish reading. I was happy for a few years that it was out of print, so they couldn't find it to read ahead of me.
There are many lessons that apply directly to children of middle school age, and my favorite is looking at how the students laughed at Tyson McGaw at the beginning, but feel for him at the end of the book. Hopefully they will look closer at individuals and not make fun of them because they are different.
I have never had a student who didn't like this book and it is the only one that I have read that when I finish, the students applaud.