Fitzgerald Books

The Great Brain is one of the best all time books for boys ever written. In my humble opinion of course. The prose is engaging capturing the attention. The stories are exciting and compelling. The chapters are just the right length. And it has all the elements that young boys love from Cowboys and Indians to cops and robbers. What more could you ask for?

But of course, looking back on my childhood as I place this book on the shelf for my own little boy, I realize that the moral lessons this book taught so covertly were lessons that stayed with me: tolerance for other cultures and religions, compassion for those less fortunate, love of family. These are foundational values and the Great Brain teaches them. And the thing is, as a young person, you don't realize you're getting a lesson, you just know you like the story.

This book is a wonderful protrait of 19th century rural America, but people should be aware that it was written at a time when there was much more freedom of speech than we have today. Topics in the book include suicide, religious intolerance and fear of immigrants. There is a scene where the boys go skinny dipping and also one story concerns John mating his dog, so this book probably should not be brought to a public elementary school for fear it might offend someone. Also there are no African-Americans in the book, and while the book does portray Jews, Moromons, Protestants and Catholics coexisting, there are no Muslims in this book, so it is not very politically correct. Also the "I" word is used casually and no mention is made of the plight of native Americans, except to say that they are the only non-immigrants in America. Women are displayed in subservient roles, always cooking, cleaning and taking care of the sick, although all the boys are portrayed as having chores. [...]

In the book The Great Brain written by John D. Fitzgerld was awesome! The book takes place in Adenville, Utah. There are some main characters this book, Tom (T.D) who is known as the great brain, Swyen (S, D) who is the eldest and acts mature, John (J, D) who is the youngest and is always up to something, Abie who is a store owner, and Mr. Standish who is the new school house teacher who everyone hates. Tom, John, and Swyen's father ordered a water closet, which is a bathroom, and they let people see it if they paid one cent. They made forty cents total. When Swyen got the measles, John was jells because he had never gotten sick first and then got to rub it in his brothers face. So one day John decided he wanted to get sick. John went over to his friend Howard who has had the mumps. So he decided to sneak into his house and started breathing in Howard's sick breath, and what do you know, John got sick. Abie had fainted once, twice, Abie died from malnutrition. They had a funeral for him that very day. Mr. Standish was the new school house teacher. Mr. Standish had paddled Tom for not being a tattletale, and Tom swore he would get back to Mr. Standish. So anways Swyen had gone to a Cathloic school in Salt Lake City so Swyen was gone and it was now just Tom and John. Andy their friend had stepped on a rusty nail and had not been able to return back to school. He ended up getting a prosthetic leg.

I learned that you should not lie for any purpose. Like when Tom found a way to get rid of Mr. Standish and when Tom's father asked if he had known anything to know about it and Tom never spoke a word intill his mamma made him tell. I also learned in this book that helping people is good. Like when Tom helped Basil get out of a fight, or when Tom helped Andy play baseball.

I recommend this book to someone who likes smart kids and funny stories. Like the time John wanted to get sick and he got the mumps. Why I think that the book is funny because it is all about fun and making life worth living.

The is a wonderfully, great, terrific book! They need to re-release the Great Brain movie from 1978 starring little Jimmy Osmond! Also, if I may suggest, try reading the Adventures With Boys book series-- Just as good!!!;)

I poured through these books continuously in my youth. I would beg for a trip to the library so I could find just one more I hadn't read.

I had all but forgotten about them until my oldest showed a keenness for reading. Now I'm ordering them for her for Christmas. I hope she gleans as much joy as I did from them! I used to love to pretend that Papa was handing out his sage advice directly to me.

This is such a wonderfully written series for young readers. You really can't go wrong with them, and hopefully my daughter will review this for you some time after Christmas!

DELTORA QUEST are a fantastic book series for juvenile readers, filled with action and magic and adventure. THE FORESTS OF SILENCE is anything but silent. It absolutely SCREAMS fine work and captivates readers on the first page. The Shadow Lord is a non-appearing villain in this book, much like the main villains in LORD OF THE RINGS and ERAGON & ELDEST, but Rodda makes up for it easily with Gorl the evil knight, the sinister Grey Guards and who could forget the absolutely wicked Prandine. This book is a true modern classic and will and should be remembered for years.

This is absolutely one of the best series. Sure they are short books. There are 15 books in all. The main story is Leif and his friends Barda and Jasmine have to go on a very important mission to save all of Deltora. I'm not going to give any of the plot away though!

I was rather surprised to see so many positive reviews of this book, but I guess I'm not the standard in this case.

When I bought this book I had never heard of Deltora Quest or Emily Rodda before and the only reason I paid money for it was because I wanted to read a marginally written children's fantasy. But this has nothing to do with my taste in books.

As I read it, I became increasingly embarrassed by the writing. The book's pace was unsettlingly quick so by page fifty the characters were already grown up and had families. It's meant as a children's story so the book is given some allotment of cheesiness, but it's taken to another level with the constant barrage of cliched phrases and cookie-cutter characters that are just plain boring. To be honest, it read like an unskilled preteen's idea of fantasy with a plot line thought up during third period math class.

The majority of my problem with this book doesn't lie with the plot because any plot can be made interesting with some crafty writing. This book didn't have crafty writing. The dialogue was weak at best and the occasional attempt at dated language was painful. The zooming plot line mixed with the excruciating descriptions make it hard to read.

I suppose in the end I got what I wanted, thus the two stars, but this book just isn't that good. Yes, it's a children's book and any child would like it, but even children deserve some quality writing and for a seasoned writer, this shouldn't be considered a huge success.

Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. It is about two boys name Jarred and Endon who have been best friends since they where little. They lived in a castle, Endon was the son of the king of Deltora and Jarred was the son of a butler at the castle. Endon's dad has just died and he is about to take over the thrown. Jarred has done some research on the belt of Deltora and knows that if Endon does not where the belt all of Deltora will fall to the dark lord. One of the kings friends talks Endon into thinking that Jarred is going to betray him, so Endon has called the guards on Jarred but will he escape?
Deltora is vast land suppurated into 7 tribes who each had a magical gem. The story of the land goes that there once was a blacksmith. He wanted to bring the tribes together. So he makes a belt with 7 slots to put the gems in. After he made the belt He went to each of the tribes to ask them to set there gems in the belt. One by one the each put there gem inside the belt, then he put on the belt and all of the tribes where united and he was known as the king of delta but what he doesn't know is that someone is planing to kill him.
I would recommend this book to anybody with a great since of imagination and adventure.

This book was my first fantasy book, and it made me a lifelong fan. Rodda's way of writing is magnificent, and her descriptions are amazing. For those who read "epic", if you want your kids to become like you, this is a great place to start, reminiscent of Robert Jordan.

Storyline:
Young Lief of Del, a boy living in living nightmare to all, is called forth by his father, Jared. The first half is taken in the POV of Jared, the second Lief. Lief and Barda set out to the Forests of Silence, to find the first gem of the belt of Deltora.

Pros:
-Nice unclichéd characters, although one reminds me of a character from the Wheel of Time, slightly.
-Good worldbuilding that stretches over the entire series; one that could almost be real.
-Great sense of danger; the monsters are unique in fashion; like the Oz tales.

Cons:
-Random seperations of characters; anger used in unhelpful situations.

How I missed this classic growing up, I'll never know. But my son has discovered the Ramona books, and they are wonderful and very true to life. Ramona's thought-processes and antics are so real, I now know that my son has been behaving like a normal kid! Cleary is so accurate in rendering the child's perspective and writing about it in a way that young children can identify with, that this book can't fail to appeal to everyone, now and for years to come. It hasn't dated, and the humor holds up well. Don't miss this series--your little reader will be eager to pick up the entire series.

Although it was first published in the 1960s, "Ramona The Pest" still speaks to the lives of children today, as a five-year old Ramona Quimby enters the world of "big kids" and goes off to kindergarten. Funny, heartfelt and honest, this book centers on Ramona's eagerness to please her new teacher, Miss Binney, and the difficulties of a headstrong little girl trying to mind her temper and get along with other kids in a complex social situation. This was the first solo Ramona book (Henry Huggins and Ramona's older sister Beezus make appearances, but they are not central to the story) and was the start of a series of Ramonacentric adventures. It includes some classic Cleary gags, such as Ramona getting the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" wrong ("by the dawnzer lee light...") and Ramona's brief career as a "kindergarten dropout". Great stuff - still holds up today. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

I really loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read! It is great for kids of all ages, as it can remind everyone of their struggles as an elementary student.

Five-year-old Ramona Quimby is tired of being called a pest. It's not her fault she doesn't know as much as her big sister Beezus, or that she's always so eager to get things done, is it?

This year, Ramona is finally starting kindergarten. After what felt like years of waiting, she's excited at the idea of learning to read and write like Beezus.

But kindergarten is full of its own problems. As much as Ramona loves her teacher, she isn't always sure that Miss Binney loves her back -- or what she's done to make her unhappy. Ramona also quibbles with Howie, a neighborhood boy who alternates between being her friend and being so exasperating he makes her furious; longs to pull the curls of her classmate Susan, and to kiss shy little Davy.

As always, Ramona is a believable character, likeable and just like any other child readers might hope to meet. After becoming introduced to Ramona, young readers will clamor for the other books, eager to find out what happens to the irrepressible girl next.

Beverly Clearly is one of those rare children's authors who knows how to see the world through the eyes of her characters. There's a reason for all those rave reviews from readers over the years.

Ramona the Pest provides an opportunity for the child in your life to see how Romana's world is much like his own, and learn from Ramona as she makes mistakes.

Ramona the Pest is certain to be a favorite of yours, as well.

I really loved the Phantom Stallion books, and I recommend you start with the first one so you can follow the series. It's a great story, and hard to put down. My mom and I read it together and she thought the writing was great. I liked it because it really tells a lot about how Samantha loves horses and gets over her fear of them after a fall.

I read three more books in the series after this one and will read more. Highly recommended.

IF YOU LOVE HORSE'S YOU WILL LOVE THIS SERIES! IT IS GREAT FOR EVERY AGE GROUP AS WELL! I AM 27 YEAR'S OLD AND COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED BY THE CHARACTER'S BOTH HUMAN AND HORSE ALIKE!!!!!! THE AUTHOR TERRI FARLEY HAS AN SUCH AN ABILITY TO DRAW HER READER'S IN AND GIVE THEM A WILD, DRAMATIC, AND EMOTIONAL RIDE!!! THE CHARACTER'S REALLY COME TO LIFE AND YOU FEEL FOR THEM ( AGAIN BOTH HUMAN AND HORSE)!!!!!!

Phantom Stallion The Wild One is about a girl named Sam. When she was little she fell off her horse Blackie, and was injured very badly. Her dad sends her away to live with her aunt in San Fransisco for two years. When she comes back home Zanzibar (Blackie) has run away and didn't come back. That night, Sam sees a silver horse walking around outside. It has been appearing every night. It has also shown Sam a secret place in the desert where there's a whole herd of wild horses. When Sam, her dad, and some cowboys go on a cattle drive, Sam meets Linc Slocum who wants the phantom for himself. Can Sam stop him?? I really liked this book because it's about horses and I love horses. It is also a great adventure, and the author really describes it well. I hope you'll enjoy this book as much as I did!

liked this because I'm very into horses and this book is about a horse. It's sad about what happens to the horse, but the end of the story leaves you wondering what happens later on. This is a series and I do plan on reading the next book.
A girl named Sam got thrown off by her horse Blackie. It had been a near-fatal accident. Two years later, Sam returned to the farm and saw a silver mustang. She believes it is Blackie because when she said Blackies secret name " Zanziber" his ears would prick up to listen to what she had to say.
I would recommend this book to people who like horses because this book is about how Sam tries to find and keep her horse from being captured.

There is a very simple way to sum up my review. This book, and the rest of the series, is fantastic. In comparison to other horse series, this series ranks the highest, far above most others. This is my favorite horse series.

Here is a list of other horse series I've tried:

The Saddle Club - The books were pretty good. I read the first two, but since the books were never avaliable to me, I never read any more. However, the two books I read were pretty good. The television series was a little too corny for me. The acting and script was awful. There were some decent actors, but some over-acted. Dialogue in the script was not well done. There was a lot of, "Oh, will my horse be okay? Whatever will we do?!" One hundred plus books in a single series is not recommended, either. The main reason this series was a turn-off.

The Horseshoe Trilogies - I read one of the books in this series. It was pretty good, but it didn't make we want to read the rest. The book was too short and lacked a certain zing.

Thoroughbred - I think I read one of the first ones in the series, and I thought it was good. So, I friend went out and bought one of the books further into the series. A different author had taken over and I stopped after the first couple of pages. Not much in comparison to the original author, even if I only read one book that she wrote! Besides, this wasn't the series for me anyway. I don't have the feel of horse racing, because I've never been to a race and it has never been a huge thrill to me. Of course I love watching gorgeous Thoroughbreds race around a track, but I'm biting my nails at the same time, worrying that one will trip or break a leg. Take Barbaro for example. So this series didn't cut it.

Heartland - I liked these books. Many people say the books were too dark, but I disagree. I think they were scary at times, and made me worry, but that kept me reading. Best of all, these books were realistic, unlike other horse series I have come across. The events, characters, dialogue, ect. all seem real. HOWEVER, the books sometimes veered off the subject of horses. I felt there was too much romance and not enough horses. Problems with the horses seemed realistic, though. This series still didn't hit, but it was better. At least it kept me reading.

Chestnut Hill - I read the third book in this series and it was wonderful! Again, realistic characters and horses. However, in the first book, why would Dylan do something so stupid? If she was experienced with horses, she would know riding at night and taking a bet from one of those girls would lead to trouble. In the third book, there wasn't as much romance as Heartland, so that was an improvement. And this series seems more on my age level. Plus, the characters dealing with the horses seemed realistic. Lauren Brooke is a very good writer, but again, this series wasn't the best in the world. All of these series seemed to be following a pattern. They were all in the English style and some of them either spoiled their horses rotten, or veered off the subject of horses too much.

Phantom Stallion - That's when I came upon this series. From the first book, I was instantly attached. The author has such realistic characters, plots, dialogue, events, and settings.

Samantha Forster was in a riding accident two years ago. She fell off her colt, Blackie, while riding through a gate. In Blackie's attempt to escape, Sam fell from his back and catapulted to the ground. As she was falling, Blackie's hooves caught her head. Jake Ely, Sam's friend, galloped back to Sam's family's ranch to get help. Two years later, Sam is returning from living with her Aunt Sue in San Franscico, California. She was in a coma and, deciding that being closer to a hospital in California then two hours away in Nevada would be better for Sam, Sam also lost Blackie during all this. He had galloped for the range, the wild blood from his mustang father, Smoke, carrying through the tough events that life on the range can bring.

The night Sam comes home, a stallion comes to her and she knows it's her beloved horse grown and gone wild, with now earning the name of the legendary Phantom. Sam's horse was no longer the midnight-black colt named Blackie, he was now the silver stallion known as the Phantom. But along with every good friendship, their are tough times thrown at them. The antagonist (bad guy) named Linc Slocum, is determined to get the Phantom off the range and own the stallion himself as a "trophy". Sam won't let that happen. She knows the Phantom wants to be free, but how can she guarentee his freedom? Linc Slocum pulls a totally horrible and very realistic stunt that threatens to take the Phantom off the range. Only Sam can help him. But how?

The rest of the series is fantastic. All of the books are packed with adverture, realistic events, exciting plots, believable dialogue, and horses! And the subject does not veer off horses. There is the occasional couple of pages with Sam being in school at Darton High, which is always interesting and fun to read! Every book is a pleasure to read and the best horse series I have ever come across.

The idea for the series is also original. This series, unlike most horse series, features the Western style of riding. It also includes ranch life and mustangs, unlike the usual stable-bred, glossy horses in a fancy riding stable with girls running around pampering them and slipping them horse cookies every second. Sam and her family treat the horses on River Bend Ranch where Sam lives with respect, but they don't spoil them rotten. Sam tries to see through the horse's eyes, but she doesn't make a big deal out of petty things. She uses the same saddle for years, and never complains, she doesn't polish her saddle every time she spots a speck of dirt, and she makes her horse Ace work for his food, a nice warm bed, and a long curry-combing session.

Character personalities, actions, and dialogue are also what keep the series moving. Sam has two best friends, Jennifer Kenworthy and Jake Ely. Jen is extremely intelligent, but is always cracking me up with her sarcastic sense of humor! Jake is the quiet, silent type and is a cowboy through and through. He is always teasing Sam and it's always fun to read about what this mysterious, quiet, and horse-loving guy will do and say next! Another antagonist, although not as big as Linc Slocum, is Linc's daughter, Rachel. She has perfect clothes, hair, and is popular in school. But she has a horrible personality and is determined to make Sam's life miserable every chance she can get. Whether that's by dissing a horse, questioning Sam's clothes, embarrassing her, or flirting with Jake, Rachel will do anything to make Sam want to sock her. Terri Farley depicts all of her characters well and realistically.

The author also doesn't talk down to her readers. For some unfamiliar phrases, she'll take a moment to explain, but she'll expect you to know horse colors, breeds, tack, habits, ect. Terri also goes in vivid detail when describing a horse, a herd of mustangs, or a new character, which keeps me reading. This is a fantastic series. It's adventerous, exciting, realistic, heart-wrenching (but not dark), the horses are treated with respect, but not spoiled rotten, the dialogue is interesting, the characters are fun to read about, and the series is one of the most realistic series I have ever come upon. And most original!

Keep up the FANTASTIC work, Terri! And every horse lover should read this series!

My son and I really enjoyed this story, and we have the paperback at home. His first grade teacher had been looking in bookstores for this book and couldn't find it, so we ordered it for her. We ordered the library binding, which is sturdier for all the little hands it will be held by! This book has good historical value, and the basic content is accurate, without scaring the children. It's the best "Jack and Annie" book!

I purchased this book in order to replace a damaged one. The transaction was smooth and the price was great!

Magic Tree House has done it again!! Jack and Annie are in for the adventure of their lives when they climb aboard the Titanic!! An unsinkable ship that hits an iceberg. What will Jack and Annie do when they dicover that the Titanic needed twice as many life boats as it had on deck?Jack and Annie find themselves just as sad as so many passengers when they realize that people could have survived if the people who planned the voyage had thought ahead. This is an amazing story that I couldn't stop reading! Women and children were put into the lifeboats first becuase men were brave and cared about their lives. More than 1,500 people lost their lives. Everything was explained clearly so that you don't get confused. After this tragedy, laws were made so that all ships would have enough life boats for all of its passengers and an INternational Ice Patrol was formed so that ships could be warned about severe ice conditions. In 1985 a scienctist named Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the ship under water. I reccommend this book to everyone that I know!!

Here is a summery of this book. There is two kids and they were playing in the woods when they found a tree house. So the kids decided to see in side. So read this book to find out what happens to the kids. The way I found out about this book is because my mom told me to read a book when I was in 5th grade. So I heard about this wonderful series of books. I would love to recommend you to read this book. Who can read this book you ask! Anybody can read this book. If they like to explore then you should read this book.

What did I like this book you ask! The thing I liked was the characters because they are young and they don't know what was going on. They are always getting in trouble and they don't know why they are in trouble. I also like the action in this book. There are so many parts. I don't know how to explain. There are some parts I don't like is the length of the book. It is to short.

I loved this book a lot because it is nice and cool. I really think you should read this book. So read this book.

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

This is the best book I have ever read. It is mainly about a half-naked boy who is a hero. The part I like the best is when the toilet and him fought. This is very cool book.

I love spending time with my grandson and this book is fun to read with him. I also love to hear my grandson laugh.He likes to read now and he takes the book to school for others to read.He likes all the Captain Underpants books.This is an excellent read...

Captain Underpants is a great epic novel series by Dav Pilkey.With his new book Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking toilets we discover his power against talking, eating, mad toilets. He uses cafeteria food and his underware.This book also has more flip-o-ramas than ever.The flip-o-ramas are filled with even more juicy underware fighting.Captain Underpants beats the talking toilets with underware and his extreme power.
George and Harold,the main characters,try to help Captain Underpants but just stir up more trouble.Captain Underpants not only has to worry about the evil talking toilets but also freeing George and Harold.Captain Underpants ended up winning the battle and freed George and Harold.Over all,Captain Underpants is an awesome fighter and awesome warrior.

My book review
What I'm writing for my book review is Captain Underpants. The reason why I'm writing Captain Underpants is because the book is funny and I want to share how the book was funny with the class.
In Dave Pikley's second adventurous book he talks about Captain Underpants and the attack of the talking toilets. Captain Underpants runs around in his underpants saving the world. I know, your wondering why he can't just do these things with his clothes on instead of doing it in his underpants. It was not his fault that he runs around like this.
The top-secret truth about captain underpants. There were two boys named Harold and George. In the book Harold and George are the narrators. Their principal (Mr. Krupp) was always mean to them. So Harold and George bought a hipno-ring that could hypnotize people. Here comes the funny part. Harold and George hypnotized Mr. Krupp! Then they turned him into Captain Underpants! Now whenever Captain Underpants hears a scream, he runs off and says "tralalaaaaaa!" Every time he does this Harold and George have to watch over him, then catch him.
The whole book is a comic book that Harold and George made to make fun of their principal. Harold and George are known around the whole school because of the pranks they pull. One time they put bubbles in the band instruments. Another time they glued everyone in the lower school to the auditorium seats, and another time they changed the words around on the school board to make it say come and see our hairy armpits.
Captain underpants is a funny book and I hope a lot of people read it.

By Jordan

My eight-year-old loves this book, and I think it's hilarious myself. If fighting vicious toilets using underwear and cafeteria food sounds funny to you, you'll love this book.

This book does teach a certain amount of contempt for adults and suspicion of cafeteria food to children. In that sense maybe it's emblematic of our society. I have found it necessary to sit down with my son and explain that all of this is FICTION, and has nothing to do with the real world. Did that have any effect? I don't know. I suppose it's worth it to have him reading.

Is there *anyone* on the planet who doesn't like Beverly Cleary's books and the wonderful characters she created?

Beezus and Ramona (along with Henry Huggins and the rest of the gang on Klikitak Street) were part of my childhood. 40 years later, they were just as appealing to my own son. And don't tell anyone -- although we bought these audiobooks when he was about 8, at 12 he still likes to put these on ocassionally and listen. Why? In large part because of Stockard Channing's masterful performance here. Her rendition of Ramona is EXACTLY how we imagine this impish little creature would talk.

I highly recommend these books, both because of the delightful stories and characters that Mrs. Clearly created for us, and because Stockard Channing has brought them to life so perfectly here. The stories are reminiscent of simpler times and will take parents back to their own childhoods while providing toddlers to tweens with good, wholesome entertainment.

We listened on road trips, and unlike certain kids entertainment (a certain purple dinosaur comes to mind), you won't want the kids to wear headphones to preserve your sanity. You'll want it on the main speakers for everyone in the car to enjoy.

Five stars!

If you have a little sister and think she's annoying, think again. Does your sister think Bendix is the most beautiful name in the world? Does she ruin your birthday cake--twice?! Sometimes little sisters are annoying, but Ramona is impossible! Beezuz, Roamona's big sister finds out that no matter what happens in her childhood with Ramona, they will think it funny when they grow up. I hope you'll enjoy this book!

Beezus really got annoyed with Ramona, she wrecked the art class, she bite into all those apples,etc. I would have probably screamed if I had Ramona for a sister! I like Beverly Cleary's books. I own this particular book of hers, and I read it again and again! It's awsome! I totally recomend it, along with Cleary's other awsome books!

I recently read this to my 8yo daughter (who has a 4yo brother) and she loved it even moreso than some of the more Ramona-centred book, I think because she could relate so much to Beezus's feelings. She was particularly taken with the first story about Ramona's obsession with the libary book as we have similar issues with The Very Hungry Caterpillar at our house.

Ask any older sibling about younger siblings, and you'll get one common answer...they're A-N-N-O-Y-I-N-G. They steal your toys, throw tantrums, and constantly steal the spotlight. But, even the most perturbed older siblings know that, deep down, it's impossible not to love younger sisters and brothers - sometimes.

Nine-year-old Beatrice "Beezus" Quimby has always been a quiet soul, content with spending her time embroidering pot holders, helping her mother do the sheets on Saturday's, and reading the countless books she checks out of the Glenwood Branch Library on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, her four-year-old sister, Ramona, is the exact opposite of her. Ramona has one thing on her mind, and that's making as much noise as possible, and driving the whole family out of their mind. Beezus can't stand it, especially since the responsibility of taking care of Ramona, and ensuring that she behaves, is often delegated to her, so that her parents can get their work done. Ramona, however, refuses to obey Beezus. Unless, of course, she's reading one of her favorite books - The Littlest Steam Shovel, or Big Steve the Steam Shovel - to her. But even that doesn't keep Ramona occupied for long. When Beezus is in the midst of creating pictures for her art class, Ramona is there to cause a mess, and challenge Beezus' imagination. When Ramona is offered two marshmallows as a snack, she uses them as powder puffs, as opposed to putting them in her tummy, where they belong. During checkers games with Beezus' pal Henry Huggins, Ramona destroys the checkerboard, and wreaks all sorts of havoc - even some involving Henry's beloved dog Ribsy. In Beezus' eyes, she can't win - even when it's her birthday. But as she gets older, and learns more about her mother's relationships with her siblings, Beezus begins to realize that, as obnoxious as Ramona is, she's still her sister. And even though she may become angry at Ramona for her crazy antics; she still loves her - just not all the time.

I fell in love with Beverly Cleary's RAMONA books when I was five-years-old, and now that I have decided to re-read them, I'm finding that I can't help but fall in love with them all over again. I feel as if I have reverted back to my five-year-old self, and can actually relate to the mishaps that continually take place during both Ramona, and Beezus' lives. Beezus is such a fun character, who seems wise beyond her years, and is serious to a motherly extent. Ramona, on the other hand, is carefree and impossible to handle. Her wacky thoughts, and determination to always have her way is humorous; while some of the debacles she finds herself in are downright cringe-worthy. Cleary has penned a book here that is essential to read aloud to both older and younger children. The message of love is clear on every page, and truly helps to bring siblings together. Clever, funny, and irresistible.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

The sixth book, The Vampire Prince, is great compared to the last two. It's a bit slow, but it picks up a bit about halfway through. I had a little trouble understanding the end, but I have a good enough grasp. As for the end...I'm not sure if I like the decision. But I'm sure there are people out there who feel differently. The next one seems good, and I'm hoping we get to see more of the title! (Cirque du Freak)

The Vampire Prince is about a half-vampire named Darren. He was beaten up by Vapaneze, barely survived a treacherous river down Vampire Mountain, and then was treated by roaming wolves. When he was better, he made his way back up to Vampire Mountain. He was trying to find Kurda, the soon-to-be Vampire Prince, to stop him from tracking all Vampires with the Stone of Blood and killing them all! Darren tells everyone what Kurda is up to, but it was too late.The Vapaneze were after him.There was a big fight between Vampire and Vampaneze.Many were killed,some were wounded.In the end,the Vampires won and everyone made Darren into a Vampire Prince.

The book is good,because it is not boring. The book keeps you interested. It is probaly a book most kids would like to read or understand. It is probaly a book most kids would read,because it is kinda scary. You never know what is gonna happen. Every time, there seems to be a knew problem. The character are vampires, so you would expect there to be alot of action. If you lik action books this is the book for you. But the best part about the book is that it has sequels. So, if you like the book, there are plenty more.

This a great book full of gore and excitment. Darren Shan captures you in a world of horror and blood. VAmpire lovers will love this book. All people thinks about vampires as they turn into bats and suck blood. But, Cirque Du Freaak makes it seem really real and that they do not turn into bts as some books put them. it will capture anyones attention. Get the book, trust me it is great!!!

The Vampire Prince
By: Darren Shan
Reviewed by: J. Zhu
Period 6

Darren Shan, a half-vampire, is barely surviving this treacherous river down Vampire Mountain. When he finally stops to a place where the current is slow, he rolls onto his back and he swims toward land. Darren, on his way to Vampire Mountain, meets up with his old pal Rudi. Soon after Rudi howls and Darren is reunited with his wolf friend Streak. One day, Darren sees Mr. Crepsley, Arra Sails, Kurda Smalht, and three other vampires are searching for Darren. After searching all night, the vampires decide to go back to Vampire Mountain. Darren thinks for a while what Kurda might be planning and figures out that he is going to use the Stone of Blood to track and kill vampires when he becomes prince. After Darren finds out, he realizes that he must go back to Vampire Mountain to tell the other vampires about Kurda. When Darren gets to Vampire Mountain, a guardian of the blood sneaks Darren into the mountain undetected. After Darren is actually in the mountain he realizes that if he dies then no one will know what Kurda is planning. Darren then decides to tell his trusted friend Seba Nile. After he tells Seba Nile the story, Seba is outraged and decides that he should do something about it. Finally the investiture began and Seba had men positioned in areas during the ceremony in case any one had a weapon. When Kurda was about to be blooded to become a prince Darren shouted stop and Kurda's men saw him and tried to kill Darren. Luckily Seba's men reacted quickly enough and took Kurda's men out. A while later, Darren finally got to tell the princes about Kurda. It took a while for the princes to agree with Darren, but after a while they finally agreed with Darren and knew that he was not lying. Finally, the vampires went down into the tunnels and had a fierce battle with the vampaneze. One vampaneze took out Vanez's only eye and now Vanez could not see at all and had no eyes. In the end, the vampires won and everyone decided to make Darren into a Vampire Prince!

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it partially because Darren Shan is a wonderful writer. In the book he has many descriptions that gives you a good mind picture such as this quote from the book: " Darkness - cold - churning water - roaring, like a thousand lions - spinning around and around - bashing into rocks - arms wrapped around my face to protect it - tucking my legs to make myself smaller, less of a target." I also like this book because there is a lot of action in The Vampire Prince such as this quote from the book: "Its OK," I lied. "It's only a fresh wound, you'll be up on your- " Before I could say more, he coughed. Blood pumped out of his mouth, a huge torrent of it. His eyes widened, then closed. He groaned softly, fell back, shuddered then died."

My favorite part of the book was when Darren was chosen by the Vampire Princes to be one of them! This was my favorite part because I was really into the book and I felt that Darren deserved to be one. I think he deserves to be a Vampire Prince because after he knew that if he went back to Vampire Mountain, he would be killed and he went back just to warn his fellow vampires of Kurda's evil plot.

"Good fences make good neighbors." That's what Cass's dad said when he found out a black family was moving in next door. Cass even helped him build the fence. But as the new neighbors moved in, Cass couldn't help but be curious. Watching through a peephole in the fence, Cass's blue eye found a brown eye staring back at her.

Cass asked Jemmie, "Do you like to run?"

Jemmie responded, "Run? Girl, I don't run, I fly. Can't nobody beat me."

The race was on. They both sneaked out of their homes the next morning to find out who was fastest, and instead found "Chocolate Milk."

This is the story of their friendship. It's also a story of crossing boundaries, change, and eventual acceptance. Theirs is a natural friendship, a friendship that's tried by the bigotry of Cass's dad, and the stubbornness of Jemmie's mother. It takes the misfortunes of a tiny baby for the parents to begin tearing down their mental fences.

Adrian Fogelin does a beautiful job of portraying tenuous relationships that exist among people trying to understand cultures different from their own, The girls are sweet and fun; their dialogue is well-written, immersing the reader in the long, hot, dog days of summer in Tallahassee, Florida.

CROSSING JORDAN leaves the reader with hope for future generations, that they will be inspired to appreciate each other, just as Cass and Jemmie were inspired to call themselves Chocolate Milk. This is the first book of Adrian Fogelin's that I've read, and I'm sure I'll be looking for more of her titles.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

Crossing Jordan is one of the best Young Adult books ever written. A great lesson in race relations, an admission of being wrong, making amends and building an enduring friendship. It also teaches that friendship is more important than winning. The two girls are compared to chocolate milk, one black, one white that blend together to make a special flavor of friendship.
Adrian writes from the experiences of her neighborhood and the children that populate it. Every adult should read it too. In fact, I recommend it to adults,you will understand your child better. It's a five star rating with five more as bonuses. Once you read Crossing Jordan, you'll be hooked. Adrian Fogelin has a special talent that everyone should experience.
Ronald G. Miller, Amelia Island, Fl.

I enjoyed this book because it was adventurous. This book was about two girls who are of different races and are neighbors. The girls, Cass and Jemmie, eventually become friends in secret. Both of their parents find out about their friendship and disapprove.

Near the end of the book the girls run a race together for Sicle Cell Anemia. They are " Chocolate Milk" ,a team. At the end of the race Jemmie falls. Cass tries to help her but Jemmie says go on. But Cass doesn't. She says we are a team Chocolate Milk and they finish the race together. Everyone cheered them on as they crossed the finish line.

At the end of the book the girls had accomplished running a race, reading a long book called Jane Erye, and brought their familes together for a delicious dinner.

I enjoyed Crossing Jordan immensely. This book is about how two neighbor girls, who are of different races become friends. Both girls, Cass and Jemmie, have disapproving parents, who interfere with their friendship, but they communicate in secret. By the end of the book, the girls have run a race, read Jane Eyre and have brought their families so close that they have a potluck supper.

My favorite part of this book was when Jemmie falls in the race right before the finish line. Instead of coming in first place, Cass helps Jemmie limp across the line and they tie it in last, because they are a team, called "Chocolate Milk". I like to think of them equal in race, and finishing the race equally. They didn't win, but they each won by the other's standards. They also end up on the front page of the newspaper.

I would recommend this book to people all ages, because it has a message that that is never too late to be learned. In addition it has many historical references and generally makes a good read for anyone, especially girls.

Crossing Jordan is a book that will make it cry. It shows you that it doesn't matter how you look, anyone can be your friend. To all the people who dislike people who aren't your skin color, read Crossing Jordan and I know you'll change your mind. -Kayla Parker (11) Tallahassee, FL

My two-year-old niece insists that her mother and grandmother read this book to her several times a day. When I went to visit, I saw this book and immediately remembered enjoying it as a kid. Our neighbor read it to me to comfort me one day when I was upset because my dad had locked his keys in his car, we were locked out of the house, and I was upset because I had stepped in a puddle and my pants were wet to the knee. (I think I must have been 5 or 6 at the time) Mom tells me the neighbor read me this book while we waited for her to come home with her keys and let us back in the house, and it calmed me down.

I bought this for a first grader that I mentor and she has enjoyed it so much, in fact she has read it at least six times

This is another terrific book by Syd Hoff that brings back childhood memories. I loved it then and I still love it now. My kids enjoy reading this book over and over again. It is filled with colorful pictures and the story line is so cute and fun. Another great book by Syd Hoff.

I bought this book for my Grandson,and he loves it.His little Brother wants him to read it to him now too.I love to buy books for my Grandchildren.I am a avid reader and I want them to have the same experience.This is a great book.It is easy to read,even for a early reader,and it is also so cute.All my kids have loved it.It has been around for years.

This book is a classic. My kids always pick it out at the library to read.