Travel Books

A light, but fun Time-Travel Romance. Ms. Stover has sassy characters that go through a range of emotional upheavals related to falling head-over-heals in love, escaping bad guys, and working through the distress of being an unwilling time-traveler. I find I need to stretch my concepts of reality and coincidence a bit more than usual with a Deb Stover Time-Travel Romance. So, if you enjoy light romance, a bit of time-travel and some suspense, this book is for you.
A Willing Spirit, Shades of Rose

What more could you want in a book? From the absolute stunner of an opening to the last page, I was riveted by this story. Cleverly plotted, heartbreaking in places, always entertaining. A perennial favorite author.

I could not put this one down. I loved the story, it was rich in detail and personalities. The chemistry between the characters was "pardon the pun" electrifying. Thank you Ms Stover for your time. I am heading off to seek another Deb Stover novel on Amazon.com. Aufwiedersein.

If you like Time Travels you will like this book, I couldn't put it down. Plus this is an author that interacts with her reads, she's online all the time talking to people who love romance books. I think that is really neat.

This is the first Deb Stover I've read and I'm now glomming her backlist. This book is definitely a book worth more than its price - exciting, passionate, and emotional. It made me think a little about the penal code as well.

I actually bought the book for the cover. Don't laugh. But oh, what a serendipity! This book is a treasure.

Tim Severin and his intrepid crew recreate Brendan and his fellow monks' voyage in the 6th century from Ireland to North America in a small ox-hide boat (curragh). The natural materials and traditional techniques that Brendan used are authentically utilized to make the Brendan voyage a successful historical re-creation and a thrilling sea adventure.

Tim Severin is a born storyteller. As far as a historical re-creation event, this voyage has some parallels to the Kon-Tiki expedition. The reason for making the Brendan voyage was to answer the question: Did Irish monks sail across the Atlantic centuries before the Vikings?

This book relates an amazing seafaring adventure. There is one scene where the sea is calm when a pod of orcas spot the Brendan (boat's name). The orca alpha bull comes full tilt at the boat, dorsal fin eight feet above the water line. The crew holds their breath as the bull whale swims under the boat, checking out this strange thing. After an eternal minute of silence, they watch the bull surface and swim back to the pod. High drama indeed.

Tim Severin and his crew are the very definition of intrepid. Severin's level of enthusiasm is amazing; it is never diminished by the cold, wet, and treacherous sailing conditions. His composure as the captain of this little boat is compelling and inspirational.

I would also suggest getting a copy of the hardbound edition, which unfortunately is out of print. The photos of this voyage tell every bit as much of this story as does the text.

Highly recommended.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

I almost put the book down while reading the first half, but stuck with it, and was rewarded in the second half. I wasn't interested in hearing about the cultures of the places where the boat crew came ashore. Actually, I wasn't interested in reading about anything but the "voyage" proper. And, in this book, you'll get info about the history of some of the places they landed and other "side info". As a result, I found the first half of the book slow and boring.

Nonetheless, once they began the largest leg of the journey, and couldn't land anywhwere, the book picked up pace and held my interest. It turned out to be quite a voyage and a heck of a feat. In the end, I'm glad I read it. But, with that said, I'd have been disappointed had I paid full price for the book.

The Brendan Voyage is the true-life story of what has been called the greatest epic voyage in modern Irish history. Author Tim Severin and his friends built a boat using only techniques and materials available in the sixth-century A.D., when St. Brendan allegedly sailed to America. The vessel consisted of forty-nine ox hides stitched together and stretched over a wooden frame, yet it was a seaworthy creation capable of withstanding storms and a puncture from pack ice during its voyage from Brandon Creek in Dingle to Newfoundland. Now in a new edition, The Brendan Voyage has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and proves that St. Brendan could have indeed reached America - though whether he actually did is a conundrum left to historians. Written with narrative skill, and illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs The Brendan an exciting true nautical tale of courage, adventure, and accomplishment.

This is a book that unfortunately can be read very quickly.
The author sets out to prove that the journal of St.Brenden is not
as always susposed,alogorical, but a very real tale.With painstaking authenticity he seeks out old timers on the west coast of Ireland who still know how to make boats from bull hide,and sets them the task of building to spec the boat of St.Brenden.The rest is as you might imagine; a voyage to America in a 6th century leather boat.Magnificient story of courage and man against the sea.

Tim Severin has organised several voyages in part to prove that ancient peoples could travel far greater distances than previously thought. In this story he builds a traditional leather boat or 'curragh' to show that monks could have sailed from Ireland to Newfoundland around the seventh century. There is an ancient book called the 'Navagatio' (one old copy is in the British Library) which St Brendan wrote about his voyages around the Atlantic Ocean. It is thought from Brendan's descriptions that he island-hopped via the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to get to America, and Severin follows this route in a dangerous and interesting adventure taking many weeks. There is much detail on how he built the boat using only traditional methods and materials which was no mean feat in itself despite their still being used in the south-west of Ireland for fishing. The book contains colour photos of the boat's construction and of the diverse and colourful crew who sailed her. The book reminded me of the 'Kon-Tiki' book by Thor Hayerdahl. Also, the pictures are brilliant - and Tim's descriptions of the ports of call such as Iceland and the Faroes are very vivid and realistic. It's a well-written, interesting book and well worth a read.

i read a few of the other reviews for this book and i was really suprised that so many other people have such a similar memory of it. i too read it a while back, but somehow the story has had a haunting effect on my memory. i used to read a lot of "horsey" books but this one is somehow different. i find my mind still wandering back to it more than ten years later. i would definitely recomend it, either to a young reader or an anyone who i just looking for a good book.

I have had the book since I was a kid and I will keep it in my collection. It's wonderfully written and has a great ending. It really takes a reader through a full range of feelings, happy, dreamy, sad and at times it's a little spooky. I've read it over and over, along with Doty's Summer Pony and Winter Pony (both great reads also) The first time I read this book I couldn't put it down. It will always be a favorite!

I read this book because it had horses in it (back then, I read ANYTHING with horses), but I ended up being blown away with just how good it was. This is a beautiful, haunting book that I still remember clearly more than 15 years later. I hated sad endings then, but this book was wonderful and satisfying. Buy it for any little girl who likes horses.

***The following is from the Scholastic 1980 version of the book; I DID NOT write it****

"Come on, Candy," says Gail, leading her horse, Candlelight. "Let's go exploring."

Gail's parents have just rented a carriage house, about all that's left of an old country estate. The big house was torn down long ago, and woods have sprung up where the lawns and gardens grew. Beyond the woods, fields stretch for miles - perfect for riding.

But when Gail steps through the iron gate near the edge of the woods, she has a shock. Instead of fields, she looks across a wide lawn to an enormous house! And running toward her is a girl wearing a dress from a hundred years ago!

Somehow, Gail has gone back in time. Can she return to the present? Or will she and Candy be caught in the past forever?

*****
My review:
Jean Slaughter Doty, talented author of books like "Summer Pony," "Winter Pony," "The Monday Horses," and "Dark Horse" is an incredibly good crafter of horse books. She continues her legacy of moving and detailed horse stories with "Can I Get There by Candlelight?" a tale of friednship that is ultimately doomed to fail. Overall an extremely good read that will stay with you for weeks after you read it.

I read this book when I was about 11 years old. I'm 33 now and still remember it. It's one of the few books from my youth that I'll pick up and re-read every now and again. This book is the first one that introduced me to fantasy. But it's also mystery, supernatural, and historical as well as a great horse story. When I think of the top ten books that influenced me to become a writer, this is one of them that always comes to mind. I really think they should do a reprint. If you can find it, I highly recommend it for horse crazy girls aged 8-14, but it's still a nice story regardless of age.

This is a beautiful book, with beautiful images. It is entirely worth it, to get a glimpse of the people of Africa. Excellent.

Ahhh. This book, obviously, is many things to many people; not unlike its bountiful subject matter--- the original mother, Africa.

It is also many things to me, each equally beautiful. Most important, it is a powerfully evocative visual link to the 3 years of memories I carry of my life in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. The photographers saw and captured a lot of what I deeply love about the peoples, the land and the life of Africa. The simple and complex beauty; the extraordinary and the mundane; the joy and the frustrations, the good and the bad. It's just life as it is lived everywhere else on the planet, and how good it is to see it presented from a part of the world that is not often shown much appreciation.

While I appreciate another reviewer's criticism of the book's failure to show more modern infrastructure of urban areas, I disagree that the omission is a disservice. True, there is a great deal of development in Africa, but what is shown in this book is still a good and true representation of the vast majority of people and their lives. Far from being stereotyped shots of suffering and drudgery, I find the photos varied and well beyond cliché as they take us into the rhythm of the lives of everyday people. It is a beautiful book. Place it on your coffee table , but keep it in your heart.

I found this one of the most beautiful representations of the continent that I have seen to date. Instead of animals and Egyptian ruins the photographers have taken a diverse array of photographs that potray the people. In addition, the representation of even the least renowned countries in Africa is accurate.

I am also partial to this book, because the proceeds go towards AIDS prevention in Africa.

Africa is a beautiful continent with immense potential, and it never looked better. The 100 or so photographers who took the pictures did an outstanding job. The pictures are the highest quality I have ever seen ...digital technology, I suppose. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this books value is in millions.
The first few pages feature full page pictures breathtaking scenery. One shows a lone teacher under the shade of a tree, a dog sits at some distance. Another show the Victoria falls in its full splendor and the there that magnificent mountain peak. Well by this time if your aren't seated, I suggest you do so for and stop operating heavy machinery. Across from cape to Cairo and across the Sahara these talented photographer have captured the wonderful essence of Africa.
Having in mind the much maligned western Medias portrayal of Africa and it on the tragic. In my opinion this book treats the subjects, e.g. Pictures of HIV sufferers, with adequate sensitivity.
Lastly I would like to salute the producers and sponsors of the project. It's a noble gesture.

This is an absolutely heartstopping collection of photographs from everyday African scenes. I have to disagree with the reviewer who said that it only presented stereotypical portraits of African life. I agree that the collection would have been enriched with more portraits of urban life, but I don't think that this was a typical "National Geographic" variety volume.

It did have diversity, and it did show that many Africans live in modern homes. However, the sensitivity of the portraits was so deep, and their beauty so stunning, it certainly transcended "look at the natives starving/doing something weird/suffering from disease" type photography. Rather, it showed many of the marvels of Africa-from the artwork thriving in so many areas, to areas where ingenuity and industry thrive against all odds, from the thriving markets of Lagos, to the beauty of the desert. This book is so gorgeous that it is rather a testimony of love for Africa and its people-not in some patronizing way, but a true celebration of its spirit. It shows tragedy, but it shows beauty and people loving life and affirming it as well. Isn't that a balanced and fair picture?

I usually pass on my romance novels... not this one. It's dog eared, well read many times over, and the spine cracked beyond recognition. I pop on here every few months hoping to find that she has started writing again. This book is just so good!!

When I know I am getting to the part about the rabbits, I make sure there are tissues close at hand... because I laugh so hard, I cry.

I do hope she starts to write again. What a wonderful story. I hated for it to end.

I read this one several months ago, and I dearly regret not reviewing it right after I read it. But, I can tell you, it
stuck with me, because of the plot, the charaters, the detail.
It was just awesome. It felt like it went up & beyond what is
required of a time travel, or even of just a great read! That's
how taken with it I was.

On the 1-10 scale, I would be a good solid 12.
On the star scale, 7 stars. This book was that outstanding.

If you're moving to a desert island or running from a burning house, be sure to grab this one on the way out. It's just totally awesome. It's too bad Amy Elizabeth doesn't appear to
be writing anymore. I haven't read much of her work (yet), but
what I have read is outstanding.

This book was excellent. It kept me wanting to read "just one more chapter" all night long!

In Seattle, Ivy Raymond owns and operates an antique store, ENCHANTED TIME. She normally sees sellers by appointment or in bulk lots, but to rid herself of the pesky elderly woman, she agrees to look at the package. Inside is a book from the sixteenth century that obviously is worth a lot, but the woman insists on $100 or she will sell it to the nearby bookstore owner. A stunned Ivy feels some sort of weird inexplicable connection to the names inside the tome and buys the book.

Ivy reads some of the incantations only to find the spells work though she remains skeptical. However, the last spell she cites sends her back to the drafty abode of a seventeenth century gentleman, Julian Ramsden. As they fall in love, he wonders if she is a spy working for his enemy trying to stop Julian from regaining all he lost. Then there is the Witch Hunter General who will hang female family members of Julian including his beloved Ivy if he is not stopped in time.

This is a reprint of an enchanting mid 90s time travel romance that is one of the sub-genre's best. The story line is exciting due to a tremendous cast who will make moving back and forth in the time stream seem possible. Ivy is a wonderful heroine and her beloved is a delightful hunk struggling between love and desire vs. trust. The secondary characters provide depth to the mid-seventh century especially the Witch Hunter General. Readers will have an ENCHANTED TIME perusing Amy Elizabeth Saunders' appealing tale.

Harriet Klausner

Wonderful time-travel. Ivy is sent back in time by reading a book sold to her by an old lady. She arrives in England at the time of the Commonwealth, witch-hunting & Cromwell from her home & business Enchanted Time in Seattle.

My one hope is that Amy will write a sequel to it for Daisy & Suzanna. I'd love to see them in the 21st. century with their grandmother & Winston. And what about poor Josiah Feake (the witchfinder general) lost in the future. I loved the ending with Josiah ending up in a mental institution & the picture was perfect. Please Amy write us a sequel.

O'Neal has given the reader something pretty serious to think about.Final Conspiracy is a fascinating use of the issue of global warming,something Australians are really concerned about and the lust for power and greed to deliver a very entertaining and seemingly plausible story.It seems there is more to come from Caroline the story's main protagonist. I enjoyed the book, it was a great holiday read. I highly recommend it.

A.M. O'Donovan

New South Wales,Australia _

An exciting, stimulating and thought provoking story; the characters and events are intelligently woven into a fast moving political thriller about the very topical theme of global warming. I was hooked..., suspending other activities, reading eagerly and captivated to the end!
I can't wait for the next novel by Jim O'Neal.

travel to different continents, meet the characters, experience the intrigue...cannot wait to discover the ending...hoping for the next book already...there will be another?!?!

Wow! This book reads fast...I couldn't put it down. Engaging plot line and non-stop excitement. Timing couldn't be better either, now that people are becoming more and more aware to global climate change. Can't wait to read more from the author. New book coming soon???

Final Conspiracy is a great story that features a finely interwoven web of characters whose actions unfold in a powerful and intriguing story of deception, death, greed and lust for power. The story is however plot driven, but it is nonetheless refreshing to have the main character, Caroline, stand out in the way she does. She is a woman, who when faced with the unimagined threat of danger to her son, digs deep and finds the strength and courage to deal with the most unscrupulous and persistent of villains. All too often women in genre fiction--especially thrillers--are portrayed as weak, but Caroline is both feminine and strong. I also liked that the story is told in short concise chapters which lead you on to the next chapter at a fast pace. At the end of each chapter you find out more, which leaves you unable to put the book down until you have finished it. I enjoyed the story and the characters very, very much and look forward to more adventures for Caroline, assuming that she is returning!!!!

"It's a comprehensive and exhaustively researched offering and a fine addition to Wolf's career in helping Pennsylvania anglers better know and respect their home waters. With its detailed maps and hatch charts, it also will help traveling anglers find and fish their way around the Keystone State."

"Over the years, a number of books have been written offering insight to the best places where (fishing) opportunity can be found. However, none is as complete as recently released, Dave Wolf's, Flyfishers Guide to Pennsylvania. This book is complete and provides tidbits of information overlooked in the past, but not in this book. The book can not only serve as a fishing guide, but for travel as well, covering where to stay, restaurants, fly shops and much more."

"Wolf, although an ardent trout fisherman, includes in this book information for the ever-growing number of anglers that have taken to fishing for cool and warm-water species using buggy-whip techniques. And it doesn't end there. It is a great reference to the special waters of Pennsylvania even for bait and spinning tackle anglers....

If you are looking for a book to give you general knowledge on better known trout fishing streams in Pennsylvania, then this book will meet your needs. Unfortunately, the author does not do a good job of covering remote streams in many parts of the state that are excellent producing streams and beautiful places to fish. I was especially disappointed in his lack of coverage of streams in McKean and Warren County. I would not recommend this book to an avid Pennsylvania fisherman. The book is adequate for an out-of-state fisherman who is looking to fish some of the more popular streams in PA.

I've had this book for several years and I've found it to be a very useful resource. The hatch charts are extremely helpful, especially for trout anglers. While the author made a better than average attempt to cover the warmwater opportunities in the Keystone State, for the most part only the most well known sites were covered. Certainly Pennsylvania has some world famous trout streams, but the variety and quality of our warmwater fisheries is truly extraordinary. Some of the streams that were covered specifically for the trout they hold probably offer better bass fishing over most of their length. Trout centered thinking is far too prevalent in the fly fishing community and as a result this sort of overemphasis on trout is typical of many fly fishing guides. Indeed, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is guilty of killing thousands of trout annually by stocking them in waters so warm they are almost certain to all die by Memorial Day. I know that Mr. Wolf is a skilled and avid warmwater fly fisher. I hope in the future he will update this guide and give our warmwater fisheries the coverage they deserve.

This is an ok effort by Ms. Goldstein but unfortunately the recipes don't quite result in the amazing flavors that Georgian cuisine is known for. Perhaps it is Ms. Goldstein's substitutions of less authentic ingredients as some ingredients in the "real" dish are hard to find. Perhaps it is something else. (Her "adjika" is REALLY bad/wrong for instance....)

OK book if you want an idea of what Georgian cuisine is like. Not good if you REALLY want the real thing...

This is a marvelous, utterly authentic encyclopedia of Georgian cooking. I tried some of the recipes before leaving for Georgia in summer 2006, and they were great, and gave me a good idea of what to expect. Once in Georgia, the book was an invaluable reference that I constantly turned to whenever I tried something new. Just about *everything* I had is in here, along with many things I didn't get around to sampling.

This book also helped me learn the correct Georgian names for the dishes and many of the ingredients. A significant portion of the book is devoted to providing cultural background on Georgia and Georgian food, such the elaborate rules for a _tamada_, or Georgian toastmaster. With its charming photos of representative paintings scattered generously throughout its pages, it also made me a Pirosmani fan, and better able to appreciate the originals when I saw them for myself.

Most importantly, as the other reviewers say, the recipes *work*. We just made the potato salad with walnut paste (p. 172), and it was delectable. Other dishes we have tried and like include tomato soup with walnuts and vermicelli (p. 73) and green beans with egg (p. 130). Pkhali was one of my favorite dishes in Georgia, and I'm glad to have the recipe for when I get around to making it myself. There is a recipe for beets with cherry sauce, a dish a travel companion had tried but that even some of our Georgian hosts weren't familiar with. For the few recipes that seem to be missing from this book, like eggplant with walnut paste, try Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook, another excellent collection of delicious recipes from all the former Soviet republics.

_The Georgian Feast_ is well worth having even if you don't eat meat - many of the recipes are completely vegetarian. This book is a real treasure.

I've already written a review of this great book. I have only one suggestion: the basic khmeli suneli recipe can be augmented further to reach the authentic smell and taste. The wikipedia article on khmeli suneli has additional ingredients that can be added to the recipe. I tried that, about 2 teaspoons of each ingredient that's not already in Darra's recipe (less for black and chili pepper), and it came closer to the authentic smell and taste. I think the author of the wikipedia article might have meant safflower (marigold) instead of saffron though, so I didn't add that.

I gave this book to a Georgian and she loved it. It had all the dishes she had eatten as a child. If your looking for a book to fill in any missing recipes this is the book for you.

As someone who was born and grew up in Tbilisi, I was very happy to find this book -- it captures all of my favorite recipes, and when I prepare them according to this book, they taste just like my grandma's cooking.

More than just a recipe book, this is also an exploration into the rich history and culture of Georgia, and how the history shaped the cuisine. I suggest this book to everyone who would like to add some interesting preparations to their cooking. For vegetarians, Georgians have plenty of healthful and filling ways to prepare veggies and beans, and also some mouth watering sauces that will enliven any dish (veg or not).

I enjoy this book both as a cook book, and as a historical book!

This is the third Lori L Lake book I've read and it didn't grab me like it grabbed the other reviewers. But I mostly read romances, so I might not be the best judge since this new book is more of an adventure. Dez and Jay are supposed to be getting away from it all on a camping trip with their friends, but nothing turns out the way they were expecting after Jay gets kidnapped by an unlikely pair of escaped convicts. The book then becomes the story of Dez trying to find Jay in the wilderness and imagining the worst. This becomes a bit of a fiasco and I was found it hard to stay interested, but that could be a matter of personal taste because I always want romance and sex in the books that I read and this one offered neither. Even though the writing quality in Have Gun We'll Travel is the best I've seen from this author, I thought Gun Shy was a better story. Next time, I'm ready for a new plot and new characters from Ms. Lake. I've had my last date with Dez and Jay.

I enjoyed the third installment of the Gun series. I look forward to more in the life of Dez and Jay. This book shows throughout the devotion that each one has for the other and the fact that they both keep going and never give up hope! This book focus is more on the adventure than on the romantic side of the coin. It is a little change from the other in the series. All the same, it was a good book and one that I will keep in my collection. If you are looking for a good adventure, you have found one. If you are looking for lust and sex, this book is not really for you! You will still enjoy the humor and the love that these characters show for one another(for their partners and their best friends).

I didn't read the 2nd one yet, but the first and third novels in this series are awesome.

Dez, Jay, Crys, and Shayna take time out to go camping in Northern Minnesota. It's just a weekend trip, but they plan on camping and hiking quite a bit.

The first morning after breakfast two prisoners from the local correctional facility barged into their camp holding Jay hostage. They ransack the campsite looking for stuff they can use. After tying up the other three, the prisoners (Bostwick and Randall) take Jay off into the woods looking for a Jay's car in one of the parking lots.

Once Dez, Crys, and Shayna are loose and hobbling thru the woods, hoping Jay has dropped their boots along the path. Boots on, Shayna and Crys head back for help as Dez tracks the prisoners down in hopes of getting Jay back unhurt.

Enter the Russian mafia. Bostwick kills one of them and takes the money. Now the mafia (Vanya) is hunting the prisoners down too.

Shayna and Crys finally catch up with Dez, but they send her back to safety with the vehicle. On foot they track down the prisoners having some altercations along the way. Lo and behold two of the prison guards are the first to come to Dez, Jay, Randall, and Crys' rescue.

The best action begins and with the help of Sal Cabot, Forestry Ranger and the National Guard, the St. Paul PD helps to clean up the forests of northern Minnesota.

Fantastic story line and continued great characterization. Couldn't put this one down either.

Great book to just enjoy and take your mind off the day to day workload. I really enjoyed it.

A graduate of Lewis & Clark College, Lori L Lake grew up in Portland, Oregon and moved to Minnesota with her partner after graduation. She worked in government for twenty years and retired to spend more time writing. She is active in teaching Queer Fiction writing courses for The Loft Literary Center. She has published five novels since 2001, a book of short stories, and has edited an anthology of stories. Her novels have won several Stonewall Awards. She was chosen the Twin Cities favorite GLBT author in 2002 and 2003. She is also a fellow reviewer for the Midwest Book Review and several other writing services.

Dez Reilly and Jaylynn Savage are opposites who are a couple, as well as both being members of the St. Paul police force. Together with their dear friends, Crystal and Shayna, they embark on a canoe and camping trip to the famous Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Unfortunately, the Kendall Correctional Facility outside Buyck, Minnesota suffers a prison riot and jailbreak relating to mob activity in Chicago, Illinois. A psychopathic monster who has kidnaped a hapless fellow "gentleman" prisoner to use as leverage attacks the women at their campsite and kidnaps Jaylynn. What follows is a chase and manhunt led by Dez to get the love of her life back. Eventually Dez is joined by every law enforcement body in the State of Minnesota, but it is the four women who eventually triumph against all odds:

"In the rapidly advancing gloom, Dez jogged along the dirt road. Her thirst was unbearable, but she'd dropped her canteen when she'd heard the gunshot earlier. She considered filling Jaylynn's empty water bottle from a brook or pond and adding the purification tablets, but didn't want to spare the time. Besides, if she stopped moving, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to go on. She was long past tired, but it was mind over matter now. Every so often she stopped jogging and walked for a couple hundred yards, but mostly she kept up the pace."

Lori L. Lake continues her perfect track record as a premier writer of Lesbian novels. This thriller has all the hallmarks of a best seller: a great plot, character development that pulls at the heartstrings, and a thoroughly spooky backdrop of the Boundary Waters. Lake's writing style is crisp and clear, and she leads the enthusiastic reader around in circles until the grand finale.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

This is a great book for ages 5-15. I read it a long while ago, when I was at the elder end of this age group (the older version of it!) and I absloutely loved it. It brings all the factors of growing up into a purely fun and adventure-like childrens novel. I adore this book for kids!

The book is interesting and funny. It's all about four children, two of whom must go to their cousin's house because it is close to the hospital where their dad will be treated. Suddenly, one the children's toys comes to life and starts talking. He tells them about a magic world and offers them a wish. They want their father to be well, but for that to happen, they have to earn the wish by living in the toy's world - in the time of Robin Hood!
As the children play in the world, they end up messing up history. They even play baseball with the Saxons.
This was a funny book. There were so many funny parts, that I don't have a favorite

Four children and a magical toy castle, what could happen? Everything! When Ann and Roger visit their cousins in Baltimore, Roger is given a toy castle, with toy figures from Ivanhoe and other legends. But the tables turn when they find they can become part of the world that Robin Hood, Rebecca, and Maurice De Bracey inhabited. Can the children solve the problems that they cause as they change the plots of these famous stories? If you like history, and fantasy this book is a definite read. I absolutely adored it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've read all books by Eager from the Magic Box set, and I would rate them in this order (from best to worst):
1)Half-Magic
2)The Time Garden
3)Magic by the Lake
4)Knight's Castle

Knight's Castle was confusing and not as funny as it tried to be. It is about 4 children that live in the story of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood at night. However, there were some good moments between Roger and his sister Ann.
If I were a child between 9-12, I think I would have loved all of them. However, Eager's books are not as modern as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, and won't be enjoyed as much by adults.

...This is a simple little tale of a group of children who discover a little bit of magic in an old toy soldier. In Eager's work, magic has fairly strict rules (in _Half-Magic_, the charm granted any wish--but only in halves), and here the rules work as a kind of companion to the idea that magic can only work if you continue to believe in it (that is, if you start to think of the creatures you are interacting with simply as dolls, they revert to being dolls again). The plot achieves its urgency through a possible problem in the family, but, with a little help, everything can be solved. A little more moralistic and straight-forward than some of his others, but well worth reading--especially if you've never tried Eager before.