Adventure and Sports Books

I'm excited to use this book to plan our hiking and snorkling on Kuaui in January. It seems well organized, with clear and detailed info, and has additional data re: local good eats spots and museums, attractions, etc.

As much as I like the "revealed" series, this book had more detail (on snorkeling particularly), so it was money well spent.

We used this book every single day we were in Kaua'i. It has the best info of any guide book for Kaua'i if you are there to do any adventuring. A+.

I'm a big fan of this series and have their Maui and Big Island guides on my shelf. I love Hawaii because it's a place where I can totally relax without having to think about my passport getting lost or communicating in another language. This guide for Kauai is so straighforward and not only contains descriptions of all the beaches and trails but talks about the island's history and that's what was so interesting.

When I arrive I always head for the beach first and starting in the Poipu area was my first choice. Shipwreck Beach was the perfect day one place to recuperate from jetlag.

For plenty of reliable advice and outsanding presentation and pictures, these trailblazers are right on.

Guess where my wife wants to take me on her summer vacation? Hint: she likes lush resorts with hiking opportunities.

I've been to the other islands of Hawaii several times, but never to Kauai. I don't need the usual 50 pages of cajoling to enjoy myself that most guidebooks feature, and in this era of goooogle, I certainly don't need out-of-date hotel listings. This is a book crammed with info that I may find useful when I get there, concerning the rugged activities that make flying all those hours worthwhile, written in a plain and honest prose. I'd venture to say that this is the most convincing guidebook I've ever encountered.

Another reviewer complains about the absence of maps. I'd agree that lack fo maps would be a problem, except that the maps one finds in other guidebooks are almost always next to useless. My advice: get a real full-sized map and correlate!

This was the best read in a long time. I compare it to the writtings of Jon Krakauer. Truly an amazing story! So much detail to the little things and no sugar coating when times got rough. I felt miserable when David got rained on, but was cheering him on as he met each goal. Truly an incedible read. Thanks David!!!
Rick

I read less than one book a year and usually at a very, very slow pace. This book was so enthralling I was done with it in less than a week. My only caveat is the book is not what I would label as funny. There are moments of enjoyable humor, but those are far less frequent than I expected having read the product description.

This book has taken my mild interest in thru-hiking the AT and transformed it into a passion. I think not having kids will be my #1 regret in life. Having read this book, not thru-hiking the AT - or at least not making a sincere attempt - could be #1a. I feel indebted to the author for showing me how taking a break from the norm is not only acceptable but should be encouraged. Thank you, David.

The author did what many of us hikers, adventurers do not dare to do.
Tired of his 8-5 job he decided to hike the whole lenght of Appalachian Trail. At that time he had well paid job wife and children. Was his trip a form of middle age crisis? Possibly. But the trip beats getting a sports car, boat or a hair transplant.

The book is well written. It reflects the atmosphere of famous AT very well. It provides vivid description of people, small towns, small hostels with dedicated people running them. It also provides reader with honest facts about glory and guts of long distance hiking.

Read it. You will enjoy it.

I have read multiple books about thru hiking the Appalachian Trail and this one is the best so far. While some good tips are shared, this is not a how to hike the AT book. This book was about the thru hike itself and the writer's associations with other hikers, trials on the trail, and memorable moments on the trail. While reading I got the feeling that the author was being brutally honest about the entire experience and what he was feeling thru the entire hike. An excellent read for anyone who has or is considering a thru hike on the AT.

I picked this book up both for entertainment and because I was interested in learning more about the experience of thru-hiking the AT. Satisfaction was delivered on both fronts. The author provides just enough detail that you're there with him on the trail, while not boring you with constant day to day information which could get tedious. This is not a book for planning a hike, however is still a useful read for anyone who may be toying with the idea.

I won't pretend to know what it's like to be on the trail for 6 months and 2173 miles, but at the end of the book I felt a sense of not wanting it to end. When AWOL speaks of his longing and loss in the months following his hike the reader feels a similar nostalgia. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to spark their sense of adventure.

A very colorful look at Mt. Everest from the Imax Everest expedition. Much better than the Imax movie itself, compelling images interspersed with informative commentary and history from a number of writers.

Compared to Everest: Summit of Achievement this is a lightweight introduction. Yes, you will want to own this and read it more than once. Yes, it's better than the Imax Everest movie (not saying much). Unfortunately this book shares some of the superficial qualities the Imax movie had. The editors would have done well to drive their razor-sharp crampons a bit more forcefully into their subject matter, if you catch my drift...

This is another awesome book to show Mount Everest. If you like nice pictures of mountains(especially Mount Everest), this is the best.

As a former climber, I've always been fascinated by Everest. This is a wonderfully written and beautifully photographed account of the ill-fated assault on Everest that took a number of lives.
Especially sad, since as I was reading it yesterday, we got word of the death of Sir Edmund Hillary.

A stunning photo-journal of Everest, focusing on the tragic/heroic month of May 1996. Excellent narrative accompanied by fantastic photographs.

I bought this book for the photography alone: this is as close as I am ever likely to get to the Himalayas.

The photographs are spectacular, and I can see why so many people are challenged to want to make the journey to Base Camp if not further. Appearances can be deceptive: beautiful colour photographs portray a seemingly benevolent picture of Everest which is quite at odds with reality.

Recommended for those with an interest in the Himalayas as well as to those who admire beautiful photography.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

this is a great interactive book. my 2.5 year old loves the challenge question after every animal 'can you do it??' our fav is the donkey kick. the book is huge. i did not know that. probably the reason why it is so expensive....but well worth it....definitely two thumbs up!!!!

I don't think I've ever quite understood the whole Eric Carle thing. Still, I have to hand it him that his paintins are incredible and the books are simple enough one can force a dozen school lessons from them. This particular one gives repetition to the "I can" phrase as kids imitate the movements of various animals--that's a fun side effect.

Our 20 month old and 3 year old boys love this Eric Carle gem. It combines beautiful pictures of animals with simple rhythmic text showing body parts and actions -- turning heads, bending necks, raising shoulders, arching backs and others. Best of all, it allows active participation by imitating what is on the page. We have purchased quite a few books but this one is magic.

My 18 month old son loves this book! He watched me do the movements as I read it and now he does them on his own when I read the book! Very cute and interactive.

In this book, various animals and children move parts of their body and encourage other children to do so.

Eric Carle is truly a master of this kind of text. Each spread follows the same repetitive structure - "I'm a $ANIMAL and I can $VERB my $BODYPART - can you? I can do it!" - which makes it very suitable both for young children learning to speak and older children figuring out how to read.

The only part I don't like is at the end, when the little boy says to his parrot (in a neat turnaround) "I am I, and I can wiggle my toe". It doesn't sound very idiomatic to me - I would say, in normal speech "I am me", or perhaps (in the form followed in the rest of the book) "I am a child" or "I am a person" or "I am a human".

This book is also, obviously good to encourage kids to move during a rainy-day storytime, or to let them move if they always are fidgeting during storytime.

This travel tale about a diminutive gal on a small wheeled folding bike in Cuba hits a home run. Lynette's brutally honest account of her feelings and course of action taken during this trek is wonderful reading. This story is something which I believe many people dream of yet few actually do. Myself included.

When I picked up this book I thought I'd get a quirky and fun read about a solo woman bike rider traveling and learning about Cuba. Well, it IS that, but it's so much more. It's about a unique woman riding a unique bicycle (Bike Friday), getting deep into the country through living with locals. At the same time, she lets the reader into her life journey, shattering expectations about what a successful Asian woman growing up in Australia should be doing with her life.

If you're adventurous, or if you've ever fantasized about getting on a bike to ride into the sunrise/sunset, or if you're simply looking for a book that you can't put down, this is the one. And guys, check it out. Her grueling bike rides--not to mention boat rides during severe storms--will impress even the toughest bikers.

I like bicycling books with a lot of bicycling in them, and there isn't all that much bicycling in this book. That notwithstanding, it's a really good book. This lady is observant and perceptive, not to mention brave and adventurous. She is also, at times, wickedly funny and doesn't spare herself when it comes to pointing out human foibles and follies. I thought I got a real flavor of Cuba from the book as well. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys real life adventure stories.

I recently rode my Bike Friday with Lynette and some 40 other "Friday" enthusiasts through the historic towns of Southern Arizona, so I was pleased to find that the personality that exudes from her every pore was clearly revealed in this entertaining, funny, bittersweet, educational account of her biking through Cuba. I can't think of a better way to spend a couple of hours (whether or not you like biking and travel) than to view Cuban everyday life through Lynette's perceptive and objective eyes. The only thing better would be to actually take a bike ride with Lynette.

In "The Handsomest Man in Cuba: An Escapade" Lynette Chiang wrote about her adventure biking in Cuba. Originally from Sydney, Lynette travelled light with a bicycle that can be folded, a tent, and a few other necessity items for travelling. It was a great way for Lynette to learn about the culture, food, and people in the country. Even though she was a foreigner with U.S. dollars, Lynette was determined not to travel the way Castro expected tourists to; paying exhorbitant amount of money for hotel or food. Most of the time, she stayed with families or friends that she people she met recommended or just if the rooms were cheap. She was able to learn a lot about Cuban families and their way of life in Cuba.

What I like most about the book is that the author was candid about her observation of Cuba, of the poverty and at the same time of the friendliness of the people. Unlike some foreigners, she did not romanticize Cuba. It was most fascinating to read about the characters she met along her journey, which I thought was definitely the highlight of her travelogue. However, I wish that the author shared more about her personal life, and what brought her to Central America in the first place. This would have made the book even more engaging than it already is. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Cuba and the Cuban people. A fantastic summer read.

i love this book, and i have read many books on the AT-- this is by far the best account.

'A Walk For Sunshine: a 2,160 mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail' tells the story of Jeff Alt who walked the entire 2,160 Appalachian Trail to help raise $100,000 for his disabled brother. Embarking on an adventure few people would ever think to take on, you will be inspired by his adventures and learn about the simple way of life that might be better than the hectic stress-full ones that we deal with every day. If you are a hiker or just want to be inspired to do great things, this is a wonderful read!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt is the story of his 2,160 mile trek-through on the Appalachian Trail, from the southern end in Georgia to the Northern end in Maine. This is the oldest trail in the United States, started in 1921. Jeff's dream since childhood was to walk it without interruption, but it was not until the end of his college degrees in marketing that he was able to do so and to accomplish the feat with an extended purpose. He has a mentally retarded, cerebral palsey brother who is in a care center, Sunshine, in Toledo, and Jeff decided to promote his walk and gather sponsor's money for equipment for Sunshine. With lectures, slide shows, newsletters, emails, and magazine and newspaper articles he gathered more than his goal of $10,000. He perservered through six months of blistered feet, rain, sleet, snow, heat, varmits, doubts, fears, and lonliness to go all the way to Maine. His book, a portion of which goes to Sunshine, is the fascinating detailing of the dream trek, which thousands wish to do and only several hundres accomplish. Jeff now sponsors annual fundraisers and leads short Appalachian hikes to continue to raise funds for Sunshine. He has raised now over $100,000. A really gripping and inspiring book!

Jeff Alt's AT book is a "must read" for any armchair hiker. It will get you off the couch and onto the trail. Whether you hike for charity or for yourself, this book will motivate you!

Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (2/08)

"A Walk for Sunshine" is a non-fiction account of Jeff Alt's thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in Spring 1998. The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, is a 2,160-mile trail through forests, meadows, mountains, and streams from Georgia to Maine. Hiking from one end to the other straight through takes 3-6 months. Jeff Alt did his walk in 147 days. He did this hike not only for himself, but also as a fundraiser for Sunshine, Inc., a group home for people with disabilities, where his brother lives.

The purpose of this book was for Jeff to tell the story of his hike and how he organized it as a fundraiser. Jeff kept journals throughout the trip and mailed them back home. He did an amazing job of compiling these journals into this book. It was written in an easy-to-read style with short chapters. I felt like I was walking the trail with Jeff. In 3-4 pages we had walked 15-20 miles. His fun storytelling and friendly, easy style made me think. Maybe I could really do this too.

Jeff stresses the importance of family and friends as the inspiration and motivation throughout his journey. Jeff did his hike for Sunshine, Inc., a group home where his brother lives with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Sunshine organized a short accessible day hike to correspond with Jeff's hike. They sent cards and letters to him on a regular basis. His family arranged to meet him at various points on the hike. Jeff made it clear that he could not have finished this hike without them.

The unwritten motto on the trail is "Hike your own hike." Jeff takes that motto one step further in this book. He extends it beyond the trail. Anyone can reach their goals by taking it one step at a time and doing it their own way and from their own inspiration. A Post Script in the book talks about how to organize a charity fundraiser and life lessons Jeff learned from the trail.

This book really inspired me. As someone who has always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, I was so excited to read each page and really soak in what the reality of a three-month hike would take. Jeff makes the point that people need to take the time now to reach our goals--not to wait for retirement or when we have more time. Take the time to make our lives what we want. I recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" to anyone interested in reading an inspiring book about reaching goals.

Jackie and Me is a book about a kid named Joe Stashack. He has the power to touch baseball cards and go back in time to when that card was printed. Joe is supposed to write an essay on African-American Heroes. He loves baseball so much he does his report on Jackie Robinson. There is also a contest where the best essay wins a trip to Kentucky Kingdom. Joe really wants to win. Joe goes to his favorite baseball card shop but they don't have a Jackie Robinson 1947 card. Jackie will break the color barrier which is not an actual barrier but it is the law, yet in 1947 he hasn't broken it yet. So they don't have the card, but they do have a Jackie Robinson 1947 signature. Joe is able to travel back through time and he learns something from Jackie. You must stay cool and do not use violence. This is a great book. -Andromeda Grade 5

The book I am reading is Jackie and Me. It is written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because it has real events but at the same time its fiction. It's about a kid who travels back in time to meet Jackie Robinson. But the next thing he knows he gets stuck back in time. So the next thing he tricked ant a bat boy to give his Ken Griffin Jr. Card back the key to get back to his time. He also wrote Babe and Me Honus and Me.

Jackie andme is the best baseball book ive ever read but the thing i hate about it isthere is a kid namedant whosi very negative and hecalls african americans bad names thatwe cant speak of but i would recomend the book if you like baseball.

This book was very powerful in climaxs and the segregation.As I read this I was mad at the terms and the abuse the african american people had to stand up to and in doing so were at risk of being killed.But at the same time I enjoyed hearing about the early 1900's ball players so i rate this book a 4 star book.

I purchased the book as a gift for my children. They love the series and have all of them. I highly recommend the series. It engages the minds of the readers in a fictional, imaginative way for those avid baseball lovers.

Amy Candler arrives at Wilderness Adventure. For one full week, she's going to be doing extreme ports. Whether is rock-climbing, mountain-biking, or hand gliding, it's all going to be a great time. Only Tasha and Eric know why things are so easy for her. But something is about to happen that isn't so easy. Mysterious freak accidents begin to happen to Amy, almost causing her to die. Then some scary things begin to happen to the other kids. This definitely is not a safe place. Will Amy be able to survive a place that once seemed so much fun?

This is the first special edition in the series. To be honest, I don't think it really is that special. Sure, there's much more pages than a normal Replica book, but it's quality, not quantity. However, I really did like the novel. We get to learn more about Amy's past, and Amy meets someone who may not be as nice as he seems. This is a book you should check out, and definitely a must-read for Replica fans.

The other books in this series are good. However Marilyn Kaye goes all out in this one. It has captured the original mystery feeling. You can relate to the people and what they are feeling. There are plots and subplots. There are more twists and turns. All along you are so busy trying to catch your breath, so you do not have time to figure out who the bad guys are. The story takes place on a wilderness outing where there is rafting and repelling.

The Best of the Best (Replica 7)

I never knew there were boy clones to come in this series and I never expected it. Reading it, I thought that Brooke was being mean to Tasha by telling Amy that she could be with Andy and Tasha could be with Willard.
I thought Eric was also being mean to his girlfriend because he wouldn't listen to her when she wanted to tell him about Andy. It wasn't really nice from Miss Perfect to kiss Andy, though.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I am looking foward to reading the next ones that are not out yet where I live.
This book was really good. I highly recommend it.

If and I mean if you have read the past five books read this one but if you havn't DO NOT read the summary or even get near this book. Okay, okay I admitt I am being a little forceful but the book gives a little more info about the history of Project Cresent then told. However the title gives it away. "And the Two Shall Meet" well if you look at the second page, the second cover page, there is a pic of a boy. His name is Andy, Amy, get it...anyway he was one of the first batch of clones done in the project of Project Cresent, cresent moon.
So Amy, Eric, and Tasha go to this Wilderness Adventure and the two conselers are weird. One gets killed supposedly by the other one, according to Andy, Andy kisses Amy, a big no no since Amy is going out with Eric, Tasha falls in love with the killer, big mystery(supposedly the organization has something to do with this mysterious junk), Andy and Amy run away, and well it just gets pretty confusing. That is why it gets four stars instead of five.
If you love the books read this if not well I don't care it is up to you. But it is good.

This is the 6th book in the amazing Replica series. In this book, Amy goes on a wilderness adventure for a couple weeks with her best friend Tasha and her boyfriend Eric. While there, Amy meet Andy, and sees that he has the same cresant moon birthmark on his shoulder blade that she has, meaning that he is a clone! Sparks fly and to conclude, great book! The first were we see Andy and certainly not the last! A must read for any YA book or Replica fan. Highly Recommended!

A special hotel/flight deal came up on Expedia that we couldn't pass up. We saw all of the Big Island in 7 days with this Trailblazer guide leading us from amazing site, to awesome stretches of beach and way up to the top of Mauna Kea. We liked the good driving directions following the highway milepost markers. Their freebie tips and Best Of lists were also appreciated.

I'd say if you're flying this far, adding a handy guide like this to show you around is a slamdunk.

Amazon carries it for the lowest price and it only took 3 days to reach us.

Two years ago we took a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately we were in port too short a time and only went on a few packaged bus tours. We returned to the island we liked the best (the Big Island) last month and fortunately had the Trailblazer along as our prime guide. We hiked to and swam in the Blue Lagoon which is on the cover: the highpoint of our vacation.

In the back of the book are hotel and restaurant suggestions from which we made our reservations and were quite pleased. For accuracy and good practical advice it's right on target.

Great book, I bought it after having figured out which islands to visit using the book by the same authors, no worries Hawaii, which is a must buy if you don't know where to go and what you want to do. Following input from the first book we picked 1 day Honlolu, 5 days big Island and 9 days Kauai.
The big island trailblazer is unique in that the information on trailheads and how to find them is really really accurate, if you have to follow a dirt road for 2 miles and then stop next to a hidden bridge then that information is there. You rarely spend hours searching for stuff, the detail on where to look for something once you get to the end of the trail is less good, but that is because in the islands appear not to go in for signposts in a big way, so we were often looking at something and wondering whether or not this is it. Best ofs were generally good, didn't understand focus on Hilo, we went there on a Sunday and it felt like a run down sad little town, but maybe on a weekday there is a different vibe. The only negative is that restaurants mentioned a little more information on them to help you chose would help unless you like the sticky table-top ketchup bottle and drip coffee atmosphere and generic grub, this is fine if it is what you want, but you don't need a guidebook to discover such places, of course to be fair the book doesn't target the foodie population nevertheless a little more selectivity would help though or just a little more text on the restaurants. From personal experience if you are staying in Kapaa on Big Island try the restaurant Rapanui, a small hole in the wall joint run by a saturnine chef from New Zealand and his partner, its location is not attractive (in a mall when you enter Kapaa on the coastal road from the north on the left after the bend in the first mall), and it is BYOB but the food is really, really well cooked, from a European stand point, fresh, flavourful, beef melts in your mouth, rice/coconut nuttily satisfying, great, cooked but crunchy veggies, freshly made sauces, not a bottle or deep fryer in sight. Another great place to eat is Jays on the road towards southpoint, before the turn-off to Puuhoonuau (I forget the spelling) national park, two step snorkeling and the painted church from Kappaa, it is described in the guidebook, really spectacular and don't be put off by the appearance of the kitchen/living area. Oh and for sandwiches, a satisfying stop is Choicemart on the Highway 19 approximately in the area of the Manago Hotel, Choicemart is on the left, there is a great Vegan Cafe next to Choicemart and the sandwiches sold there and in Choicemart are spectacular. The locals recommend Choicemarts plate lunch especially on Lau Lau Friday. We tried to get it on Sat and it was all sold out. And the snorkeling at two step was the best we had on the island. Ok after all that digressing: if it is culture/food you are after then you need an additional book or to do some food research ahead of time online, for hiking, biking, walking and general reliable information then the trailblazer is a great book. Another option is to get the No worries Hawaii that has almost all information on all islands best ofs etc and then supplement that with a more foodie cultural guide for the islands depending on what you want. We did this for Kauai, although Fodors Kauai while better on culture etc really did badly for hiking and trails and was way less reliable than the Sprouts books.

This guide gave our vacation itinerary a real boost. It has wonderful timeless images of places and people which simply exude calm, chill, beach culture latitude attitudes.

Photography is top notch and the information is partioned into sections so you can chew off each piece to explore at your leisure depending on how much time you've allowed for your vacation. Trailblazers do it good.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. We have traveled to the big island many times, but still have not discovered or seen everything. This book reaches beyond of the general guide books and one of the other more popular reads about the island. Great for those who are into hiking and especailly for driving tours. Snorkelers will like some of the off the beaten path places to go.

HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You simply MUST read this book! So quickly, gallop over to your favorite bookstore, and don't whinny if it's not in stock, you can order it on amazon! Once you are done reading it, you will simply neigh with happiness!!!!!

A wonderful horse story! The plot was a bit far-fetched, but it was still an amazing read. A classic girl-and-her-horse story. I really loved it! I wouldn't reccommend it to readers much under eleven, as they might not fully understand it. However, Peyton's work is so excellant, that I should think adults might love it too! Destined to be a classic, Blind Beauty has earned a spot among such giants as Misty of Chincoteague and Black Beauty.

This book is called Blind Beauty by K. M. Peyton. This book is about a girl named Tessa who, when she was young went with her mom to live in England. By taking Tessa away, Tessa's mother separated Tessa from her drinking father and horse Shiner. Being separated from Shiner made Tessa so upset that no one could cheer her up and she started smoking and doing terribly in school on purpose. Tessa and her new stepfather hate each other. Her stepfather sends Tessa off to work at Sparrow Wyck after being expelled again from school. There she meets Buffoon, Shiner's baby, that Tessa will do anything to be with. Shiner gave birth to Buffoon in Tessa's Dad's stable, but Buffoon was ugly, so eventually he was sold at an auction and then taken to England where Tessa finds him. Tessa rides Buffoon and shows everyone that he has talent to race long distance races and isn't lazy all the time. Then she meets Tom, another jockey who agrees to ride Buffoon and can get Buffoon to do his best. Tessa really likes Tom and looks up to him. That's when things get worse and Tessa's stepfather ruins Buffoon's chance of winning the Grand National by stealing Buffoon's buddy Lucky. Tessa stabs her stepfather and is sent away to a rehabilitation place. While she is gone Buffoon is sold and Tessa doesn't want to get better. So now Tessa has to somehow shape up and find Buffoon. Read the book to find out what happens!
I thought that this book was good. I liked how there was always something exciting going on in each chapter that made it hard to put the book down. It often felt like I was Tessa, angry at her stepfather or talking to Buffoon. The main conflict kept me interested in finishing the book to see how everything turned out. The main character, Tessa, had a rough beginning which explained some of her behavior for most of the book. By the end she had grown up a little bit more and had figured out who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do. The characters were so realistic that they could just pop out of the book and be in real life. I think that this book could be made into a movie it was a really good story. The beginning was really quick in getting into what was happening and what was going on, so it didn't take too much time explaining stuff. I also liked the ending, it was just the way that I thought that it should turn out.
K. M. Peyton wrote the book like it was in Tessa's mind. The book had what Tessa was thinking most of the time but every now and then it had what one of the other characters was thinking about Tessa or what was going on. K. M. Peyton had a few tough words but otherwise there weren't many difficult vocabulary words. The author would end every chapter with a statement that made you want to read on to the next chapter and made it difficult to put the book down. The author also described every new thing entering the book so that you could picture it clearly. The dialogue in the story went smoothly with what was going on and the mood of the current situation in the book. The tone was upset, angry or cold a lot but there were some happy and a lot of exciting parts. I really liked how the author kept the book moving at a nice pace and didn't slow it down with too many descriptions. I've read a couple of books where the author explains and describes to much that the reader loses interest.
I would rate this book at a seven out of ten compared to other books I have read. The book was good and well written but it wasn't as exciting or page turning as others that I have read. It also didn't have as an exciting plot and climax as other books I have read. I would recommend this book to people who like horses and are over the age of eleven. Younger children might not understand some of the things that happen in the book and people not interested in horses might get bored with the book or not understand some parts.
I thought that this was a good book. Some parts were heartwarming while other parts were disastrous. It was weird how nobody could get through to Tessa except for Tom and how Tessa looked up to him of all people. Also, I think It was weird how Tessa's father didn't try to help or find Tessa after seeing her at one of the races. He did get drunk a lot but he still should have a least visited Tessa. This book was also kind of emotional because of Tessa changing out of her old ways and people getting hurt. I liked how Tessa liked Buffoon and Shiner not because they were pretty (which they weren't) but because of their personalities. Overall I think the book was very well written and exciting to read. If you want to read a book on horses then you should read Blind Beauty.

When I first picked up Blind Beauty, a book by K M Peyton, I wasn't expecting much of it, it was just going to be another silly horse book I'd read to pass the time. I couldn't have been any more wrong. Blind Beauty is a story of a girl and a horse that don't fit in and have troubled lives. They find each other by destiny, and develop an undying bond of love. The girl, Tessa, has always loved horses, and finds peace and serenity in riding her cherished horse, Buffoon, through the rolling green hills of a steeplechase farm called Sparrows Wyck. Through experience, she becomes a skilled rider and begins to dream of riding in the Grand National. Blind Beauty is a story of love, hope, and dreams that stay true through whatever life throws at you, and I highly recommend it.
By Maggie

from the glossy, smooth cover and beuatiful illustration, to it's descriptive words, everything about this book is perfect. Now, I know that there is no such thing as a perfect book, but while reading this, i realize, there is. As i am writing, I am holding this wonderful book in my hand. I am in the middle right now, so am not fully done with it yet, but i can already tell that this is going to be one of my favorites. I HIGHLY!!!!!!!!!! reccomend this book to all people, horse lovers or just book luvers!!!