Stone Books

People have been telling me to read Harry Potter since I was in high school ten years ago. I finally started reading the series this weekend after my running buddy convinced me to, and I have already finished the first three. JK Rowling is really clever and witty. I know her intended audience is kids, but I think they are appropriate for all ages. As I read these books I oscillate between wondering if children can grasp everything she writes about, or whether I need to give children more credit for what they can understand.

As I ponder why I enjoy these books so much, I have come to several conclusions. First, I really enjoy Quidditch. Secondly, Rowling has an amazing ability to write child characters. I remember people from my own life who I identify with characters in Rowlings book. These stories are great not only because the story is interesting, but because they bring back memories from my own childhood. So, for any of you who were like me and did not want to read the series everyone has been talking about, start reading the series.

I'm an 11 year old girl, and I began reading the Harry Potter series when I was about nine. By far, this was my favorite one. I think I've read it about... seven times now. Definately worth it!!!

I love the Harry Potter series, but the first book in the series is a favorite. The characters are rich and fully developed. The substance of Rowling's world is well thought out and detailed. Rowling's writing is wonderful and great for all ages.

We had this on cassette tape, and just purchased it on CD. Jim Dale is outstanding! Very entertaining on long car rides.

I have to admit that I came upon the whole Harry Potter phenomenon pretty late, even though I've been aware of the franchise for about 10 years. I had always observed and respected Rowling's incredible success but I couldn't finish watching the first movie and always put off reading the books. But then last Christmas, magic happened. Well, sorta. My brother bought me the movie version of Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix. The problem was that I had never watched any of the four movies that came before it! And only in the last 2 months or so did I go back and watch the movies in order, and I found I really enjoyed them once I gave them a chance. So when summer vacation started I sat down to read the first book and really liked it.

Harry Potter has led a hard life all of his short 10 years and is on the brink of starting an equally dismal eleventh. His parents died in a car wreck when he was an infant and he was reluctantly taken in by his aunt and uncle Dursley. They treat him like dirt, relegating him to a small crawlspace underneath the stairs in lieu of a real room, that just gives him space enough to lay down and sleep. The Dursley's son, Dudley, is equally vicious to Harry. While Dudley gets every toy and luxury the Dursleys can afford, Harry never gets anything nice. His aunt and uncle think Harry is weird and has strange abilities that they cannot explain. Things change on Harry's eleventh birthday when he recieves a letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even though the Dursleys want Harry to be a normal kid and quit being so strange, Harry soon learns the truth about his parents. Namely, that they were powerful wizards that were murdered by an even more powerful sorcerer named Valdemort. This same Valdemort is the entity that left a scar on Harry's forehead the night he killed his parents. Harry is famous among magic users for being the only person to survive a face to face encounter with Valdemort, a man whose very name inspires fear. Now, Harry must set out on his own journey to become a great wizard, and along the way, make new friends and be accepted as a human being worthy of respect and kindness.

Who doesn't want to escape the crazy existence that is life on Earth in the 21st century, to get away from war and and the paranoia of religion and terrorism? To live in a world where magic allows incredible miracles...but also incredible evils. That's the cool thing about Rowling's story. Things are not all hunky dory in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. There aren't a lot of kid heroes whose parents were murdered in cold blood and then have a scar burned into their flesh. And let's not get into the cruelty that Harry has to endure for almost eleven long years by relatives who should have been turned over to the cops for child cruelty. Some of the things in this book are very dark. This isn't a world of magic where everything is covered in fairy dust and everybody smiles all the time and gets along with each other. It has a strong vein of realism, at least in the spiritual trials the characters face and their relationships with each other. Friendship and the importance of it is one of recurring themes, as illustrated by the bonds that form between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I was also impressed by Rowling's ability to take a formula, (a magic school) and make it seem fresh and original. This book could have easily turned into a hack job. But the author's imagination sweeps aside any such notions and whisks you away for a couple hours of your life. A great read.

I bought this book for one of my children for a summer reading project. I needed a specific version and was glad I could search Amazon by ISBN. The book arrived quickly and the price was reasonable. I'm sure other family members will enjoy the book when the projcet is complete.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

I purchased this series, having read it a long time ago as a young teen, and found it to be every bit as good as I remembered. My only complaint is that this boxed set version has some truly terrible CGI art on the cover. I remember the edition I read as a child was very mysterious and ancient-looking. It's too bad that that much superior artwork was not used for this edition. That's the only thing that stands between this set, and my 5th star.

I remember reading this series years ago and since then I have always thought that it would make a great movie and guess what someone else thought so as well. IMDB is reporting that this movie is in production and will be released in October 2007. I am very excited about this and I am really wishing and hoping that they translate it well to the big screen. I have since lost my books but I have just purchased this set to read all the books again and relive my youth again.

I can't even begin to describe this series and I won't try to. I'm afraid I'd only do it a disservice! Susan Cooper says SO much in so few eloquent words that her books are rather like listening to fine music. I rank this easily with the Narnia series as well as Lord of the Rings. And while I adore the Harry Potter books and think JK is a fabulous writer, I truly feel that even they cannot live up to the quiet serious intensity of these books.

Every year I read this series again. I love it more and more with each read.

Recently many illiterate folks have called these books 'boring' and 'flat'. Those same modern day readers often have to be babied through text & dazzled with fancy action scenes. It has also become a fad to bash things that have won awards or recommendations.

This is a story told with very deep and quiet emotions and if you give it a chance then I can promise you, you won't be disappointed. :)

The series as a whole is great. if you have never read them before but enjoy other great fantasy such as Harry Potter, the Forgotten Realms, or even the Lord Of The Rings these are a must read. they have been great books for the last 35 years or so and will continue to be great books 50 years from now.

This series is my son's absolute FAVORITE. He's 8 and I recently decided to introduce him to the books, and he ate them up. He said he likes how the bad people aren't always perfect, and he likes the way the Drew siblings work together in OVER SEA, UNDER STONE and again in GREENWICH and SILVER ON THE TREE. I'm pretty sure that he didn't understand all the symbolism in THE DARK IS RISING, though he liked it and made up his own belt of rings as a result.

This series is really wonderful, and I agree with other reviewers - it should be better known. It's mythical elements mix well with the action scenes. Plus, it's very well written and edited - creating really unique and interesting characters.

I'm sort of judicious with my 5 star ratings, but this one definitely deserved it. Pick them up - you won't be disappointed.

I have forgotten all about this book until someone mentioned it in a bookclub that I belong to. She reads it to her son every night. And I remember how much fun I had reading it to my nephew 13 years ago on vacation, so I scurried online and ordered a copy of it. My sons (even though they are probably too old for it) request it every night since it arrived. They think it is a hoot and a hollar. And they beg me to keep turning the pages (I must be raising some fearless boys!) and when they get to the end, they giggle with glee.

My advice is, don't wait to buy this book. Get it now and enjoy some reading time with your children. This book is just absolutely fun and I know that it will keep my sons interested in reading. At least they'll remember mom struggling to keep the pages closed ...

7/22/08

What can I say...it's a blue furry masterpiece. I read it so much as a kid that the cover of the book came off. I'm finding more and more people that count this book among their all-time favorites. An "interactive" book by old school standards. Order this book now.

Stephanie Moulton Sarkis PhD NCC LMHC
Author, Psychotherapist, and ADHD Expert

My son is not into Sesame Street at all, but he still loves this book. I bought it for him because I remember my mother reading it to me and my sisters when we were little. It's a classic that's still great for kids of all ages. My 1 year old loves the characters and my 3 year old loves the story. It's a great addition to our night time stories! I bought 2 so I could give one as a gift because I love it so much

Oh, the suspense.

Oh, the surprise!

Oh, I love reading this book with my kids.

In fact, it is the *perfect* book to read as I introduce a new food at mealtime, because everyone has to take a bite before we turn the page... to see what happens... with the MONSTER at the end of this book. (Mealtimes around here are often informal. Such is life.)

So in addition to a great kids' book, it's a great Mommy tool. I'm buying a copy to throw in the hope chests of each of my kids -- they can read it to their own families in 25 years.

Amazon made it easy to find the book I wanted and the price I wanted.
I'm very pleased with shipping and how fast I got them.
THANKS AMAZON !!!

I have an old copy of this book and love it, but it was bulky to travel with. I love the paper back version of the book and the new updated language. A wonderful companion for my spiritual journey.

I have been studying this book for 6 years and sharing it with others. Oswald Chambers was an exceptional writer, bible scholar, and teacher. This book has given me great insight and direction to walk as a Christian daily.

I highly recommend this book for everyone! The lessons really hit home and are applicable to all lives at all stages.

My Utmost for His Highest is a wonderful classic christian devotional book. I have used it and bought a copy for each of my adult sons for Father's Day.

This is a great daily devotional that points you to scripture and then life application. While I LOVED my older edition of Oswald Chambers, reading it in contemporary language makes my quiet time flow easier because I don't get hung up on Oswald's old english.

I read this book many years ago and have never forgot it. I am buying a
copy and reading it again. I want to see if I still have the same reaction to it as I did than. If not I feel it is me that has changed
and the book is still wonderfu.

I read over 200 books a year and without a doubt, FIVE SMOOTH STONES is my all time favorite. I read it over 20 years ago and have not topped it yet.

When I read this book more than 30 years ago as a young adult, it touched my heart in places I never knew existed.The trials deep seeded prejudice presents to a family should never again be experienced by anyone. My son is of a beautiful biracial union and we strive everyday to demonstrate the love, faith and solidarity that was part of David's life. Thank you Ann Fairbairn.

I read this book in college 30 years ago. It was the turbulent 60's, and I was keenly aware of everything wrong in our society. This book stuck with me as somehow hopeful. I'm starting my own Book Group now, as a retired teacher. I'm going to reread this to see if I'm still as moved by it now and if it's book-group worthy.

I can't tell you the first time I read this book. I can tell you that I re-read it every couple of years because it touches my heart so. I was born in 1950 so I can remember a lot of the civil rights movement. I began looking for a copy of this book around 1995 and it was already out of print. However a dear friend of mine located a paper back copy in a used book store and gave it to me for Christmas in either 1995 or 1996. It is the best Christmas gift I have ever received (and probably the least expensive) as it gives me the opportunity to read it again whenever I want! (I was also later given a hard-back copy by someone whose mother had two copies of it.) I treasure both copies.

We purchased this book for our daughter who is expecting her first baby. The book is very informative. The pictures are wonderful and really show what is happening with her body and how her baby is forming. The new parents have read the book and refer to it regularly. As a librarian, I purchase parenting books for our collection and found this one to be excellent. I recommend it to expectant parents!

I bought this book when I was about to become a mother for the first time. I also bought two other books on pregnancy, that are the most recomended. This book is THE BEST BOOK ON PREGNANCY, It is very well organized, it is very informative, it is very descriptiv and ilustrated. In all other books, If you want to read a particular topic, you have to search trough every chapter, but in this one, everything is organized in chapters... One chapter for exercise, one chapter for food, one chapter for sex life, etc. I also like that this book is no very melow, the author gives you the information plain, and you can interpretate them as you want.
This book also gives you a lot of information on what might go wrong in pregnancy, while other books just assume that every pregnancy is perfect, and parents should go to see a doctor just to confirm that. In many cases, that is not true...
Overall....I would recomend this book to every expectant parent!!!!

My wife and I got this as a gift and we liked it so much we bought it for a friend who recently found out she was pregnant.

This is such a great pregnancy book. It has everything from planning on getting pregnant to what you should do after the baby arrives. Very descriptive and lots of pictures. I also got the book in the mail very quickly.

The information was perfect..easy to read, the pictures are nice as well....I am reading lots of books during this pregnancy but this one i found was the best.....

Even though I haven't gotten a chance to read this book since it arrived a week ago, I'm giving it 5 stars because my husband got a hold of it first and read it before me and absolutely loved it, and now I've ordered the next book for him. My son now has the book, so I'm not sure when I'll actually get to read it myself, but I'm looking forward to reading about how Bruchko - Bruce Olson - trusted God with everything. What an encouragement, and what a challenge!

Great book. Amazing story. Very inspiring. Easy read, and you won't want to put it down.

This book is an outcry for those who want to see a Christian life given to God to serve whatever purpose that He has. The story is of a man, Bruce Olsen, who as a child comes to know God through Jesus and begins to be persecuted by his parents who eventually kick him out as a young teenager. The book is a story of Bruce's life thereafter, in which he constantly is given to seeking and trying to find the will of God and the place where he needs to be. It is an illustration of someone doing the work of the Almighty and being blessed for it and being taken care of out of nowhere when he had nothing and noone else to look to. This book should be read, and it will be read quickly by those who pick it up, by any person who claims to be a Christian. It may shock many to see the way they are living is nothing like the way that it should be, and this book is a good example of that life.

Awesome quick sale, product was just as stated. thanks for the sale ~ God bless ; )

This story will make you marvel at the way God used Bruce Olson in the jungles of the Amazon. I marveled at his story about his conversion and about the time he told his Lutheran pastor about it. His pastor was stunned, to say the least. His pastor had prayed over Bruce at his confirmation and did not see the need for "Conversion".

I had to marvel as Bruce tells how he learned the language of the Motilone people. He used the old fake trick of pulling his thumb off. He did not initially think much of it, but he noticed that they loved to watch him do this. They would laugh each time he did it. Bruce did this trick so many times that he started figuring out what some of their words were. As they watched, they would say "He is going to pull his thumb off", "Now he is going to put it back on". Over and over again, Bruce slowly picked up some of their language and verb tenses.

The other interesting story is about how he told the gospel to them so that they could understand. The native Indians he lived with had formed their houses into one large circle, with a big opening in the middle. Looking down from above, it resembled the shape of an ant hill. According to Indian legend, they learned how to do this from the ants. It seems one day one of the ants became a man and told them to build their homes in this fashion - like the ants do. When you look at an ant hill that is what you see - a hole with dirt all around it. Bruce used this illustration to tell how another Person wanted to tell us about God. And in order to do this, He became a man, told them the story of salvation, died for their sins, etc. What is so neat about the story is that Bruce realized that in order to relate the Gospel to them, he had to tell it in a way they could understand. This was the perfect illustration, the ant that became a man, so he could tell them about how to build their homes.

This story has many events that are just too incredible. I still cannot imagine the Yuko drink that they made and then drank it!!! This story is incredible from beginning to end.

It is truly one of the best missionary stories I have ever read. I have read this book twice now and used it in Sunday School lessons.

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!

My boyfriend's father convinced me that, as an art history major, I needed to read this book. I was a little hesitant, but after the first chapter I was completely hooked.

This was a truly powerful book. No matter that it is not a true biography, it was beautifully written and moving. I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in art.

Amazing book and so very well written as all of Stone's other books are...I have always been mesmerised by Van Gogh's paintings, especially when I saw an exhibit of his in London.The colours were so wonderful that I just stood there infront of those pieces of art like a zombie ! I loved this book !

I loved this book. For someone like me, with just a passing knowledge of art and art history, it was pretty amazing to learn about Van Gogh's development as an artist and the Impressionist art movement. In addition, I think that its two major themes of expression and immortality are going to have a lasting effect on me.

By expression, I mean that Van Gogh put all his time and energy into expressing himself in a way that he felt was making the best use of his skills. For him, his calling was a new form of art, and he stuck with it despite receiving no recognition or profit for his work during his lifetime. By immortality, I mean that although Van Gogh was not successful in his lifetime, his work lives on and is hung in the most important museums in the world.

Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful novel about a beautiful human being. If you love Van Gogh's paintings (he is my personal favorite of all painters) then by all means, you need to read this wonderful book. In his prose, Stone is able to paint a vivid, vibrant, illuminating portrait of an amazing artist. I was truly blown away and completely consumed from the first chapter on. I actually read this fine story after visiting the Musee d'Orsay (Museum Orsay) in Paris and seeing first hand the magnificent works of this illustrious Impressionist. Of all the great many paintings presented at the Louvre and d'Orsay, it was the Van Gogh's that captivated me more than all the others (which is saying a lot, because the whole place is captivating!). I couldn't believe some of his self-portraits. What really fascinated me the most was the despondency in those steel blue eyes of his. This is what led me to read this story. I wanted to know where all that pain and suffering came from. Irving Stone answered all of my questions and then some. He is a brilliant and insightful writer and I will be looking forward to reading his novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which is based on the life of another favorite artist of mine - Michelangelo.

Anyone who is struggling to become an artist needs to read this! Talk about sacrifice and desire and heart and passion... this man Van Gogh was a true original. A man like no other before or since.

"...for by sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."

I can't recommend this one enough.

I should have read this biography sooner. I used to be in love with his paintings, and even fantasized that IF I were to travel back in time, I would've married him -- all this BEFORE I read this book. After I read it I found out that there was one such infatuated woman (Margot), and also a tragic unrequited love story that led him to religion and then to painting. Anyone who is creative will sympathize with the extent to which pain can be transformed into the strength to create. The creative path is not always materially rewarding, and even if it is all an artist has, it will continuously change others' lives. I absorbed every word of this book and was hooked until the very end. Poverty and disinterest is ephemeral... belief in oneself is revolutionary.