Bridges Books

The thing I didn't like about Elijah of Buxton is that I was having trouble with the slang... I understand that it added kind of a uniqeness to the book, but what's the use if you can't even READ the book? So that was a little bit bothersome. And also, there's not as much dialogue, (which for my prefrance, I enjoy lots of dialogue) and Elijah sometimes rambles a little bit throughout the book, which can sometimes get boring and endless.
I had to read this book for book club, and I ended up just skimming it, because I just really didn't like it... This is only my opinion. The one good thing about the book though, is that it's religious, and sends a very positive message to stay strong in tough times.

Christopher Paul Curtis is one of my favorite adolescent authors. I read Bub, Not Buddy to my 8th graders every year (Great Depression) and The Watson's Go To Birmingham: 1963 (during a Civil Rights Movement unit). This school year I discovered Elijah of Buxton and read it to my students during my unit on American Slavery. None of my students had read the book and we were all on the edge of our seats together. This book has great voice and I especially enjoyed the dialect. My students and I throughly enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to students to read, parents to read to their kids and teachers to read to their students! I cannot say enough good things about this book.

Like Christopher Paul Curtis' other books, Elijah of Buxton is full of emotions from laughter to tears. It is a touch of history with a surprise ending. I loved the adventure, the suspense, the humor, and the characters. As an educator I highly recommend this book for adults and older children to enjoy.

*Elijah of Buxton* is an exciting historical fiction book about a boy named
Elijah who is the first child born free in Buxton. It is about the Preacher
who doesn't care for anyone in Buxton and who lies about everything. He
tells Elijah that one type of snake is outrageously dangerous and when his
mom plays a trick on him he finds that they are harmless. He still trusts
the Preacher so he goes to a carnival in a neighboring white town. The
preacher takes a boy in slavery from the white town and brings him to
Buxton. Then a single wife in Buxton finds out that her husband has died so
she gives her wood cutter Mr Leroy the money she was saving to buy her
husband out of slavery so he can buy his family out of slavery. Mr Leroy
gives the preacher his money because everybody still trusts him and because
he has contacts to buy people out of slavery. Elijah goes away from Buxton
and comes back with a slaves baby he found. The book ends with many
questions and is open to lots of predictions and questions.

Elijah of Buxton captured my interest on the first page. It is emotional,
dramatic and leaves you wondering at the end of each chapter. If you are
going to read a historical fiction book start with this one. I would
definitely recommend this book to 4th grade and up.

This is one of the most amazing historical-fiction books that I have ever read! How the author mixes in survival, action, and comedy into the theme is absolutely wonderful. What adds to this already fantastic book is that it touches on how most free slaves in Buxton would never go back to America. That just shows how bad things were. One of the many shocking things is when Mr. Leroy back-hands Elijah to the ground. It was so fast and unexpected. Personally, I find it unsurprising when Mr. Leroy's money is stolen. Also, the fact that Elijah uses chunking stones to fish and defend himself from a vicious dog is very unique to me. The only thing that I did not like was the ending, that is it. There is a lesson to be learned from this story: with persaverence and an iron will you can make it happen. The climax of the book is when Mr. Leroy's money is stolen. The most exciting part is when Elijah and Mr. Leroy go after the thief. That is one more thing people will never forget about Elijah, along with being the first freeborn in Buxton and throwing up on Mr. Frederick Douglas as a baby. This book also shows how much different Canada and the U.S. were back then, and maybe even today.

Every accomplished bridge player has a copy of this book, but don't expect them to lend it to you. This is the oldest and most comprehensive guide to understanding the cards. There is a wealth of information on suit combinations, basic strategies, and other principles of declarer play. You won't be able to read it in a weekend, or even a month, so plan to take it slowly and study each chapter carefully. A bestseller for over 65 years. My mother gave me this book almost 40 years ago, and I still find valuable information in it.

Easy to read, well organized, this masterpiece needs to be studied carefully, a must have for any serious player!

I have 40 bridge books. This one teaches you the 90% of bridge, and all the others the rest 10%. Top classic.

First, my mother tongue is French, I'm sure you will excuse my style. In the past, I read Mollo, Kantar, Grant... always on a quest to find a great and complete bridge book and never entirely satisfied... too simplistic, too advanced, hard to read, poor teaching skills...
I wanted to find a book that was covering both the dummy play and the defense. Also, I wanted to revisit the very basics, to have a solid start, and then to go gradually into more complex techniques, covering virtually all aspects of the play, including the more advanced techniques. I was looking for the ultimate book: the Bridge Bible written by a brilliant teacher!

When I was not really looking for a book anymore, I finally tried Watson's book. I hesitated at first, because I was told his style is a bit dry and too detailed. EUREKA!!! I regret not having started with this book the very first day I played bridge. This is the ultimate BIBLE! Not only it fulfilled all my above expectations, but it goes one step beyond, he is a genius, each chapter is a revelation. I did not learn techniques; I learned the principles underlying the techniques. It is like being thought secret knowledge by a wise guru, realizing how simple everything was in the first place. His style is clear, concise, and straight to the point, but he covers a lot of material. His summaries are ideal for fast and easy review. I don't have to mention how drastically my level of play changed.

My quest is now over, I found the Grail, I now understand why Watson's book is recommended by most schools around the world. This is probably the only book you will every need about the play of the hand.

There is no other book comparable to this book for learning, improving and reviewing. I bought this book 30 years ago and I still go back and read some of the advanced chapters. Although the book is a little wordy, it pays to concentrate on what Watson is saying, if you are really interested in being a good bridge player.

Evan S. Connell's "Mrs. Bridge" is one of the truly outstanding works of Twentieth century American literature, a restrained, yet brilliantly wrought fictional portrait of upper middle class married life in the decades surrounding World War II. Connell tells the story of India Bridge in 117 short chapters, each a spare vignette of her enervated life in the perfectly manicured "country-club district" of an affluent Kansas City suburb. Linear in its narrative and meticulously realistic in its style, "Mrs. Bridge" follows India's life from marriage, to the birth of three children, to the rejection by those children of the repressed life of their parents as they grow into adults, to lonely suburban widowhood. While it is, at its heart, a grim tale of one woman's life of repression and, ultimately, loneliness and resignation, Connell's flawless and restrained narrative ultimately leaves the reader feeling exhilarated at the sheer literary achievement of "Mrs. Bridge".

Ostensibly the story of a marriage, Mr. Bridge is noticeably absent from much of the narrative. A successful lawyer, he is a man who is unable to express love or affection for his wife or his children, a man who is focussed on becoming "rich and successful," the epitome of the status-conscious husband and father whose identity lies in material possessions. "The family saw very little of him. It was not unusual for an entire week to pass without any of the children seeing him. On Sunday morning they would come downstairs and he . . . greeted them pleasantly and they responded deferentially, and a little wistfully because they missed him. Sensing this, he would redouble his efforts at the office in order to give them everything they wanted."

Mrs. Bridge, too, is powerfully repressed, unable to articulate her feelings of dissatisfaction, a woman who is beholden to the expectations of respectability and obsessed with appearances. "She brought up her children very much as she herself had been brought up, and she hoped that when they were spoken of it would be in connection with their nice manners, their pleasant dispositions, and their cleanliness, for these were qualities she valued above all others." Thus, she ultimately drives all three of her children from her life, her unthinking obeisance to social convention destroying any thread of relationship that she might have had with them. Her oldest daughter, "curiously dark", flees to New York City, where she pursues her more unconventional dreams. Her second daughter, an accomplished golfer, enters an ill-fated marriage with a college dropout who cannot provide the country club life that she has been weaned to expect. Her son joins the army, asserting an act of individuality that Mrs. Bridge never seems able to accept or reconcile.

It is, most notably, however, in her relationships with her peers-with the other affluent housewives of the "country-club district"-that the grim and vapid nature of Mrs. Bridge's life becomes most apparent. In particular, her friend Grace Barron becomes a kind of outward manifestation of India Bridge's discontent, someone who lives a life of equal desperation, but not so quietly as Mrs. Bridge. Grace Barron "was a puzzle and was disturbing" to Mrs. Bridge. Why? Because she actually questioned the life she led, moving outside the banal, the conventional, if only in her discourse. As Grace once said to Mrs. Bridge: "India, I've never been anywhere or done anything or seen anything. I don't know how other people live, or think, even how they believe. Are we right? Do we believe the right things?"

Unlike Mrs. Bridge, who talked of "antique silver, Royal Doulton, Wedgwood, the price of margarine as compared to butter, or what the hemline was expected to do," Grace Barron talked of "art, politics, astronomy, literature." Ultimately, Grace cannot cope with the ennui, the claustrophobia of her life, and she does what Mrs. Bridge ultimately lacks the fortitude to do; in a sense, Grace is a sort of "double" who acts out the dark alternative to Mrs. Bridge's repression. And when Grace does act, all that comes to Mrs. Bridge's mind is something Grace once said to her: "Have you ever felt like those people in the Grimm fairy tale-the ones who were all hollowed out in the back?"

Denounced in 1959 for not being a 'real' novel, Mrs. Bridge is judged differently these days--and rightly so. The novel is a compelling portrait of American suburban bourgeois life; reading it causes precisely the same claustrophobia Mrs. Bridge sometimes realizes she's suffering from. In a way, this is Sartre's La Nausee moved to Kansas City, but an easier read--almost deceptively so. Closing the book though doesn't really relieve the angst the reader shares with poor Mrs. Bridge in the final section (no I won't give it away)--this book is too real. Don't look for plot, don't look for cheap thrills, but do look for detail, look for the Real peeking into Mrs. Bridge's seemingly perfect life in the Imaginary.

I'll be brief: others have said plenty. Just one quick remark: Connell is a stylist of the highest order. His prose is crisp; style matches subject matter. Example: "It was necessary to be careful among people you did not know." Every sentence is carefully crafted to the point where grammar itself becomes a web of cleanliness, clear and transparent. It may seem nothing special, but Connell is a craftsman. All the more striking, both in grammar and in plot, are the few moments, aporia, where something else could have happened--such as when Mr. Bridge is breathlessly studying, in Paris, "a black lace brassiere with the tips cut off," a moment Mrs. Bridge returns to later with vague uneasiness.

I am glad I was recently introduced to Connell's work. It is a treasure trove, and it's a pity so few of his works are still in print. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some more of his novels to read: Deus Lo Volt! is next.

This book is a sharply written work of literary realism, and paints a crisp portrait of the very prim and proper Mrs. Bridge. By the end of the book I was thankful that we all (hopefully) live in less repressed times -- a sentiment made possible because of Mr. Connell's excellent writing. Jonathan Franzen owes a large due to the books of the Bridge's for his in vogue novel "The Corrections" -- much of that family material is first seen in the Bridge books.

Connell's extended character sketch is as close to perfect as novels come. His depiction of a mid-century St. Louis housewife haunted by the limitations placed her on society, but too timid to directly confront those limitations (even in her own mind) is both deeply touching and often wildly funny. Connell never lets his humor become mocking, however; he clearly has great love for the character he has developed here. Although the companion novel Mr. Bridge is excellent, this is the better of the two.

Set in Kansas City of the 30's and 40's the author uses his mother as the basis of India Bridge. She lives in an upper-middle class home in middle America and views her times with detachment born of reliance on her husband -- the subject of a later parallel novel -- and her secure position in the local society. She is comfortable with, but slighly puzzled by the actions and motives of those arround her. She is certain that when all is said and done, everything will turn out all right. The calm and physical and emotional flatness of her surroundings and her life are beautifully developed by Mr. Connell. His precise, intimate but undramatic style is a perfect complement to his subject. I see a whole generation of my female relatives, all deceased, in Mrs Bridge. Satisified, well provided for, devoted to their families, but faintly aware of missing something. They are of a generation that begain to fade away during WWII and had completely disappeared by the Kennedy inaugration. More so than "Mr. Bridge" this novel is an insight into the life and times of an interesting, but nearly invisible segment of our society: the society matron of of urban middle America -- beautifully done and a pleasure to read. They don't make novels, or people, like "Mrs. Bridge" any more.

Maggie Quinn has no plans on going to the prom, a girl with her grandmother's sixth sense, but after a demon starts attacking other students she has no choice. The story is addicting and hilarious. It reminds me a lot of (my personal favorite show)BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.
I hated putting the book down and fell in love with Maggie and the rest of the cast.

Despite the title this book isn't very explicit. Perfect for teens of all ages who enjoy a good demon slaying or just a funny new read!

It is a VERY promising new series Hell Week (Maggie Quinn: Girl vs Evil)

Have you ever heard the cliche that High School can be hell? Well, imagine for a moment that it really is. Not in the figurative sense but literally hell. That's what happens in the book, PROM DATES FROM HELL. Maggie Quinn is on the newspaper staff and is the Yearbook photographer and doesn't want to go to her prom. One day while photographing the Spanish club for the Yearbook, Stanley, the school nerd, asks her out. She's horrified but what happens next is even worse. The resident Jocks and Jennifers come along at that moment and torment Stanley. After Maggie takes a photo and threatens to put it in the newspaper, something happens. Stanley threatens all of them. No one takes him seriously, that is until Maggie starts sensing things and smelling brimstone at the school.



Later things start happening to the in crowd--the same ones who'd tormented Stanley. Now it's up to Maggie to find out what's going on. Putting on her Nancy Drew hat she searches to see what's going on and finds out that the prom is mandatory if she hopes to save the school from demons.

I enjoyed this tale. Think Buffy meets Nancy Drew. The catchy dialog pulled me right into the story. Throw in a cute college student, who happens to be researching paranormal happenings and is in her father's college class, a cute Jock, and a foggy demon, who likes to leave messages on her window. Oh, and also some witchy cheerleaders.

What I really enjoyed about this tale was the interaction of Maggie to her father. So often stories have the parents either obvious to their teen or the bad one. Maggie's father is very supportive of his daughter even when he can't see the demon. And her Debbie Reynolds like Grandmother is a gem.

This is a fun ride that makes you wonder if maybe that smell in high school might be something more sinister!

I loved this book. Suspenseful, clever and funny, Clement-Moore is obviously a skilled storyteller at weaving a complex plot that adults and teens enjoy. I left my teenage years a while ago, but I really liked these characters, especially Justin. Maggie Quinn is a character I want to read in future sequels.

This was seriously one of my favorite books of all time!
Rosemary Clement-Moore really outdid herself in this thrilling novel.

I got this book over a vacation. I knew nothing about it, or the author, but I bought it because it looked funny. I finished it in 2 days. (One of which was a 14-hour car ride.) As soon as I finished the book in the car, it was scooped up by both my older brother and mother, because i wouldn't stop raving about it. They have been fighting over it constantly, and both enjoy it. Just goes to show how the book appeals to a wide audience! Definitely worth reading!!!

This book provides in depth knowledge concerning all aspects of whippets: their history, temperment, housing, training techniques, etc. I strongly recommend it as the proud owner of a whippet puppy. The information provided has worked wonders in learing about the whippet breed and managing our little guy.

I have found this book to be an excellent source for Whippet enthusiasts. It is quite comprehensive, has some stunning photography, and deals with pretty much every facet of owning one of these wonderful animals. It gave me a great deal of insight into Whippets in general. Highly recommend it!

i love this book. by reading it, i chose to get a whippet as my next dog. i already have a golden retriever, but she's really my mom's dog and i wanted one of my own to take to new york city when i go to college. as luck would have it, my cousin, raymond, who is one of the top whippet breeders in the country, called me and told me he had two little puppies who needed homes. my mom, my brother, my brother's friend, and i all went to his house one weekend and came home with an eight week old puppy. i named him elton, and he's sitting in my lap right now as a twelve week old adolescent. thank you so much, to the wonderful authors, for helping me choose my next breed of dog!

While the book is fairly concise, it is a very thorough handbook for owning a Whippet. I have referenced it many times in the few months since owning a Whippet puppy and each time it has something valuable to say. I highly suggest owning this book.

Great book - comprehensive guide for whippet owners. Useful information for those primarily interested as a pet owner rather than those looking for specialised advice on breeding, showing etc. Highly recommended. Should be mandatory reading for all prospective/new whippet owners. The information is detailed yet highly readable. The writing is of an excellent standard making it a pleasure to read.

I was immediately drawn to Mark's book when I saw it on the shelf. Upon taking it home, I sat down and read through to the next to last chapter, which I saved to savor with my morning coffee.

I found Mark's honesty and path so compelling and engaging, that I called him for an astrology reading. That reading was the most helpful and insightful I have experienced. He named and honored the deepest part of my nature which has helped me so much in my day to day life.

Blessings to Mark for writing this book. I am awaiting the second volume.

Angelea Martin

Long awaited, well-written, thought provoking and insightful.....Mark Borax takes his readers on a journey of love, astrology and raised consciousness. Guided by William and Sara Lonsdale at their cottage nestled under a redwood forest in the Santa Cruz mountains, a mystery school evolves and for 7 years Mark listens, learns and teaches all that is revealed. Thank you Mark for sharing your very personal and amazing story!

OK -- I'm one of the lucky ones. I got to read Mark's book just pre-publication, so it was on the computer screen instead of the page. As someone deeply engaged in the evolution of consciousness, I was riveted. Late at night, daughter finally asleep, I always wanted to read "just one more page," but I also didn't want the book to end. I felt like I was right there in the Lonsdale's living room, deep in the mysteries. I was on Mount Shasta and in the warm pool at Harbin Hot Springs. Mark brought it all to life... and I feel like I've caught the tailwind of his journey -- which is accelerating mine. Thanks, Mark, for relentlessly pursuing the biggest dream of all: the awakening of our species, the awakening of our planet. It's a wild ride out there (which is the primary reason I haven't written this review until today)!!

Wow! I devoured Mark's book in a few days. It was hard to put down! I even put off bathroom breaks due to being so absorbed with the story! Between Mark's personal story woven with the teachings of Ellias (William) Lonsdale, the book is rich with easily digestible yet profound information in a "familiar" setting. It's like being right there with Mark and Ellias and all the others. I gifted this book to my 22 year old son, hoping he might find it of interest. I was very pleased and excited to find out that he too had a hard time putting it down, and even paced himself so that he could savor the story that much longer (he tends to be a fast reader). He also expressed he would be re-reading it again very soon.

Inspired by Mark's story, I arranged and experienced a Soul Level Astrology session with him. Mark's manner is very comfortable, gentle, and enlightening. I felt nurtured and honored at a deep level, so much so that "truth tears" flowed easily from my eyes during the reading.

I hope that you find this book as riveting as I did. And be sure to tell your friends about it.

2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future is part biography, part autobiography, and wholly about spiritual journeys. It begins with the author's experience on Mount Shasta during the beginning of the Harmonic Convergence in 1987 and continues on from there. The bulk of the book contains conversations and lessons with the man who is now known as Ellias Lonsdale.

Both Lonsdale and Borax have poignant things to say as they impart their observations about themselves, each other, and our world. The conversations and sessions with Lonsdale cover a wide range of topics and the book ends up being Borax's way of spreading the word of how the universe is connected and gives us a peek at how things work. Also covered is what each of us need to do in order to fully participate and partake of the energies that will be released during the Age of Aquarius, which begins in 2012.

This book is not so much about prophecy as it is about possibility. There are no dire predictions of calamity here. There are general instructions about what we need to achieve, individually, so as to affect our people and guide everybody toward a more harmonious existence in the largest terms possible. If you're a skeptic, this will not provide any sort of proof to you. If you're a believer, there will be something in here you can take away and apply to your own life. This is very much worth the time to read and re-visit from time to time. There is so much information in here, you'll need to come back to it time and again.

All of Grace was a wonderful book. It was rich with doctrinal truths that believers at any stage of their growth in Christ will appreciate. Spurgeon always humbly directs the focus on God and His word and brings the reader greater understanding into the riches of God's grace. He makes it very clear that God's great mercy and grace is not earned, but given freely - Eph 2:8,9 The chapters dealing with Salvation and Faith are extremely helpful. The book is written in devotion form, so it is excellent for bible studies or for your personal devotional time with the Lord.

Good book about the grace of God and salvation to everyone that believes in Christ Jesus.

We need to believe in the forgiveness of our sins. God gives us a new heart and a right Spirit through salvation.

Recommend to those that want to understand what salvation is all about.

As with all works done by Spurgeon, this is a timeless classic. First printing in 1894, it is still in print. Simple yet profoundly true, Spurgeon explains the true Grace of God with a heart desire that many will come to know Christ through this work. I actually bought a whole case of 120 of these in paperback to give away from Moody Press. The audio version is awesome. I loaded it onto my iPod to listen while on the go.

There are three great strengths of this book; 1)the ability to make the gospel so clear that even a child can understand, 2)it is written in modern english, and 3)the chapters are very short and to the point. Asking someone to read this is one of the easiest ways to introduce the subject of Christ. The book provides a basis of discussion and followup that many can not deny.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is considered by many to be the greatest preacher of the 19th century. This book, subtitled, "An Earnest Word with Those Who Are Seeking Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ," is Spurgeon's great explanation of salvation and God's grace. He explains what God has done and why, and what we must do to be saved and to persevere in the faith.

This is a great book, showing the power and intelligence that form the bedrock of Spurgeon's reputation. But, even more, herein you really see his earnest concern for those who are unsaved and dying in their sins. I found this book to be enlightening and uplifting.

It's a truly wonderful book, a true classic of Christian literature - as much alive and relevant to today as it ever was. I highly recommend this book!

Blackbelly is a novel of unexpected depth from an author who understands how to tell a morality story without beating a dead horse--or sheep, in this case. Heather Sharfeddin's prose is straightforward, non-judgmental and honest from first word to last. And her characters, Chas McPherson, the proud loner who wants to do right by his dying father, and Mattie Holden, an unassuming nurse looking for a chance to start fresh, ring as true as any I've encountered--on or off the page--in recent memory. Blackbelly is a story of loneliness, repressed needs, and bigotry in a small town. Sprinkled with a hint of the supernatural, a few bible quotes and a layer of underlying tension, it resonates like a clanging cow bell. We haven't heard the last from this outstanding wordsmith. Salmon Run

I read Sharfeddin's book between Hemingway and Terry Kay. She more than held her own against these two great writers. From the first chapters I was drawn in and felt like I was a part of the story. I was impressed with Sharfeddin's ability to capture the lead male character so well. How did she get into the mind of a male so well? Maybe I don't want an answer.
This is an enjoyable book that reaches deep to capture emotions we all face but often hide from. Through this book we can learn a little more about ourselves, our society, and others. I recommend this novel.

I know Heather Sharfeddin personally. I raise Blackbelly Sheep. I grew up in rural Idaho just a few miles from where Heather grew up. With all that being said, I loved this book. I read it in one day just days after it was released. I didn't want it to end. I still think of the characters and wonder how they are and what they are doing. As I was reading the first few pages, I kept thinking how amazing it was that Heather was the writer and that I knew her. It was not long before she took me away from that and led me into the lives of her characters. I am buying this book for almost everyone on my Christmas list. One of the best reads ever--and I read a lot!!

Have you ever hit a dry spell with the books you read? When everything you pick up is missing that special something that hooks you in and holds you until the last word?
I was in just such a dry spell when I picked this book up after having seen in reviewed in the Idaho Statesman. I am so glad I did!
I will wait as patiently as possible for this author to write another novel.

This book is a real page turner that is masterfully written. I am eagerly awaiting a second novel from this author.

We used this book for an Englsh and a Second Language class, works well, but there is a lot of dialect that is difficult for ESL people

Thirty years after its initial publication, Walt Disney Pictures spat out a sanitized version of Paterson's powerful novel, stripping it of almost everything that made Bridge to Terabithia one of the defining childhood experiences of my generation. Issues of class, gender nonconformity, religious blasphemy, and defiance of American patriotism (all made deftly pint-sized by Paterson's incisive pen) are scrubbed from the Disney film, transforming it from a story about the social upheaval of the `60s reaching rural America into a smarmy tale of kiddie friendship and removing the significance of the fantasy world the children create as an empowering sanctuary from their real-world fears.

Katherine Paterson, with vividly beautiful prose, tells a story about the friendship between a young boy and a young girl, and how that friendship transforms the life of that boy from something dull and normal to something as spectacular as a imaginary fantasy land. The book itself is short and an easy read, but what the book really says to the reader is quite a bit bigger than its page count. Much like growing up, this book is both sweet and painful, and Paterson truly has a great handle on what its like to be a ten year old, fifth grade boy. So for all those readers who aren't afraid of a book that will make them cry (for both sad and warmer reasons) than I recommend this book. It doesn't matter if you're a child or an adult, "Bridge to Terabithia" is universal.

10/10 Classic.

Its Jess's first day back at school, and he is ready to run. He had practiced every day all summer for this, races every recess between all the boys in his grade. Every thing seems to be going well, until a new girl at school out-runs all the boys. After this, running just wasn't fun anymore. Although Leslie (the new girl) and Jess are almost completely different, and Jess has "disliked" Leslie for ruining the fun of racing, the two of them seem to become good friends, best friends. And then there was Terabithia. A magical land that Jess and Leslie created, with good and bad creatures. When tragics occur, Jess remembers what Leslie has taught him about imagination.

This is not a book I would read over and over agian. It is a well written story but sad, very sad. My husband read it in 4th grade and didn't care for it and I just recently at the age of 29 read it, I cried. I couldn't believe the ending, I wish I had stopped in the middle of the book. If you want a true touching tear jerker, you've got it in this book. Do not read if you want a happy childrens book.

How powerful are the violent games played on computers? Can they lead to acting out the violence in reality.

You might think twice before playing those shoot-to-kill games on your computer after you read this well-told tale. Take a couple of slightly unstable teenage boys who suffer problems identifying with society in general and let them play a new game and see what happens.

This is how Cooper O'Brien nearly loses her life while she is trying to find out what happened to her younger brother, Jimmie. She learns more about computers and the dark side of computer programmers than she ever wanted to know.

Talented author Cheryl Swanson gives the reader something to think about in the possibilities of computer games in this intriguing tale. Will Cooper find her brother? Will she survive the search?

Surprises await the reader in this tale as you follow Cooper from one clue to the next, only to find the trail seems cold or a twist that brings you back to the beginning. Plenty of action and characters who aren't what they seem.

I'm pleased to recommend Death Game as something different in the mystery genre. Enjoy. I did.

I don't want to write this but they're making me. Who?
Oh, you know. The usual. Them. The watchers in the shadows. They tell me, "Go ahead. Tell everybody how cool this book is. Or disappear!"
Well, Death Game is VERY cool. This is one of those rare books that scare you and entertain you while making you think.
Know a teenager who loves violent videogames? Read it. You'll learn a lot.
Think there's any possibility terrorists will attack again on American soil? Read it. You'll stop sleeping at night.
In the story, an apparently ordinary American family gets caught in the net of a gang of bad guys/gals who are as beastly as they come. Villians are never so good as when they are very, very bad. Death Game has everything here from sleaze, to narcissistic personality disorders to those whose life motto is: kill, kill, kill.
The author controls the mayhem well and the cleverness is in the details, such as when you discover WHY this family has been targeted. (Gotta read the entire book first.) And that reason, like the rest of the book, is pretty darn cool.

I read this book start to finish on a plane trip to Rome. The language is lush, the action and dialog so vivid it drew me in even through I don't normally read thrillers. Recommend it to any suspense/thriller fan. It was a great read.

Death Game is the story of an audacious plot to destroy the Golden Gate Bridge. Pop a bowl of popcorn, settle into a comfy chair, you won't be putting it down.

Cooper O'Brien, a kick-a#$ San Francisco gal so real you can't believe you haven't met her, is on a mission to save her troubled teenage brother. Cooper becomes the guardian of fifteen-year-old Jimmie O'Brien after her parents are killed in a drunk driving accident. Cooper suspects that her father--a counter-espionage agent--isn't really dead, but she doesn't tell Jimmie, who is dealing with his grief by immersing himself in apparently harmless games on the Internet.

When another boy ends up dead on his father's yacht, a surveillance tape clearly shows that Jimmie is the shooter. But Cooper is convinced her brother is innocent and her background in visual effects makes her suspect the tape has been altered in some way that defies forensic detection.

From there on, you'll be plunged into a non-stop thrill ride. Closed cities in Russia, Internet death matches, a twisted conspiracy--they all play into this extraordinary tale. A great start to a new series, totally gripping and downright impossible to put down.

Reviewed by Kornelia Longoria for Reader Views (4/07)

At first all evidence seems to point at Jimmie O'Brien as the killer of another teenage boy. The security tape clearly shows images of Jimmie aiming a gun at his victim and firing, and everyone believes that the additional investigation is not necessary. To make matters worse, he disappears, leaving behind the weapon used in the murder. However, Cooper, Brian's older sister, strongly believes that her brother is innocent and she decides to do everything in her power to find out what exactly happened, and most importantly, who and why would try to frame Jimmie. However, shortly after she undertakes the investigation, she discovers that Jimmie's part is only a little piece in an enormous puzzle. The situation is far more complex and the resolution of the crime seems out of her reach. Nobody is what they claim to be and Cooper does not know who to trust.
She does not give up, and relying mostly on herself, she is determined to solve the mystery even when the situation looks hopeless.

The whole investigation revolves around the fans of gruesome and cold-blooded computer games. Cooper's brother who a big fan of computer games, made a lot of online "friends" who share the same passion and she believes that the answer is somewhere in the gamers' community.

"Death Game" is one of the books that pull you in from the very beginning and keep you turning the pages anxiously till the very end. It's full of twists and surprises and it will definitely not disappoint all action lovers. The protagonist is very likable and I would love to see her in more books. The other characters are very well-constructed as well. I really liked the way the gay friend of Ms. Cooper was portrayed. Even though the book contains a lot of references to new technology and focuses on the cyber world, it will not be confusing to a reader who is not very well familiar with the latest technological inventions. I would definitely recommend "Death Game" to all thrill seeking readers.