Wood Books

The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood covering 24th of April 1907 to May 1st, is the third of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert. Miss Felicia Frummety is not keeping the rat population down at Hill Top Farm and the village cats have issued an ultimatum. Ridley Rattail has had it with the rowdy rats that have moved into the attic so he posts an ad for cats to rid himself of these undesirables. Of course the humans have their share of problems, Major Kittridge has returned to Sawrey with a wife, dashing the hope of Dimity Woodcock. The village is invited to meet the new lady of the manor but rumors are rampant when it's learned she was an actress. There's also the rumor that the Major is planning to develop his shoreline property. The Vicar's cousin and his wife have moved in and the Vicar is far too kind to toss them even after they've outstayed his patience. Jeremy Crosfield, who is an excellent student, has to leave school and start his apprenticeship since he can't afford to continue his schooling -- the animals and humans are concerned about this event. And Beatrice arrives once again to spend some time at her farm.

Okay, up front I have to say I'm really enjoying these books. The interweaving of the various threads balancing the point of view of the humans and the animals is seamless. With each book, I gain more respect for Albert's ability to slip her stories into the undocumented bits of the Beatrix Potter timeline. She also maintains that playful seriousness that I also found in the Potter's little books. The characters are fully developed and while the mysteries are light they are ones that would have serious impact on the people of the story and their environment.

In this story, the small folk of the woods, fairies play a part. Are they real? Well I think that's for each of us to decide, and the author plays the story with a light hand to give us all a chance to believe as we will. After all if you can accept talking animals then are fairies that much of a stretch?

These are perfect books for when you are feeling a bit down. They are just the thing to help restore your believe in the inherent goodness of humankind and to help you see the world around in a different light. No, I don't think the author has a message to hit us with; she just tells a good story with a light touch that leaves us feeling more upbeat and in this summer's heat that's a wonder in itself.

My wife read it from cover to cover in two days, what more can I say. Too bad I'm not a murder mystery fan...

If the village of Near Sawrey put out its weekly newspaper about the fortnight during which this story takes place, some of the headlines would read: "Major Christopher Kittredge returns to Raven Hall with his Lovely New Bride" and "Rat Explosion at Hill Top Farm Threatens Village" and "Village Plans May Day Celebration" and perhaps "Stay Clear of the Cuckoo Brow Wood on May Eve." The society column might feature: "Miss Beatrix Potter Returns to Hill Top Farm" and "Local Society Attends Grand Reception at Raven Hall." As salacious as these headlines might be, the devil is in the details.

The third in Susan Wittig Albert's Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series continues to enchant both grownups and young women edging toward adulthood. How lovely it is to curl up with a book about an old-fashioned, out-of-the-way English Lake Country village, complete with sheep birthing lambs and delectable smells coming from the village bakery, with dogs, cats, rats, and other four-legged animals conversing so sensibly. With just that, however, the tale could become dull in no time. So throw in a few wicked, scheming adults, some rowdy, shameless rats, a few mercenary cats, a bit of romance, some children who need a bit of help, and, of course, Miss Potter, and you have a rousing tale.

Albert builds the tale and weaves multiple plots with skill and charm. And all is resolved satisfactorily, except for the question of whether or not there are really fairies in Cuckoo Brow Wood. To find out what the story is behind each headline, you must read and revel in The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood.

by Judith Helburn
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviews.org
reviewing books by, for, and about women

These are just wonderful stories - for children, for fans of Beatix Potter, for anyone who enjoys mystery and fantasy. I picked up these books quite by accident, and found them reminiscent of my old favorite classics like "A Secret Garden." Very interesting stories - both as stand alone books and as part of the series.

This third book in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter is just as much fun and as charming as the first two. It makes you want to find the Potter illustrations from her "little books," so that the faces and personalities of the people involved in the stories become even more familiar.
With the world as it is now, it's a joy (and a relief) to immerse oneself in the world of a century ago with the friends one met in childhood.

this IS truly a BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES AND RESPECTS nature as the majority of us do here in BEAUTIFUL MAINE!!

ALL of her books are super! This one tops them off!!

MACHIAS, MAINE!!

Louise Dickinson Rich is a star! A truly wonderful and gifted writer. You can't put her books down.

A friend gave me this book when I was at a very low point in my life. My wife and I read it together, over a long weekend, and packed the car Monday morning. By Wednesday we had our old house listed and Friday we put in an offer on 40 acres with an old farm. We haven't looked back since; but we have given copies of this book to all of our old friends for Christmas.

This book is a great read for anyone who's ever had the desire to just chuck it all and head for the woods (a desire that seems to wax and wane like the tides, popular one decade [1970s, for example], totally passe the next). Today taking to the woods for many means building a $500,000 "rustic retreat" with pool, hot tub, and wine cellar included. For Louise Rich, back in the 1930s (the book was published in 1942), things were much different.

For one thing, her house had no plumbing. Water had to be hauled to the house in buckets. Supplies and the mail came by boat. Life was no picnic for her and her family. But, of course, there were trade offs. The beauty of the place, for one. The living as one with nature. The need to be resourceful, and the feeling of pride and accomplishment that goes with it. Trade offs worth the hardships, Rich makes perfectly clear.

Rich captures the flavor of her idyllic spot in the Maine woods a few miles east of Upton along the Rapid River (the swiftest river east of the Mississippi, even though it is only about four miles long). She describes what life is like there, how the busy summers are a prelude to the slow, long winters. She talks about her neighbors, the loggers, the animals they encounter, how one endures and enjoys life in the woods. She describes the effects of the hurricane of 1938 and the havoc is caused even there, so far inland. Her prose style is clear and direct, and she truly makes the reader jealous of her situation rather than sympathetic. It's an excellent book, one that I've read a number of times, always with an I-wish-I-was-there enthusiasm. Highly recommended.

"We Took to the Woods" is as charming and delightful a book as you will ever find. It's the story of a city woman living on a remote Maine river with her husband and children. She's not poor, nor a rube, nor does she display the eccentricities one associates with people who flee to the wilderness. Rather, she seems happy, well-adjusted, and full of sympathetic tales about the few -- very few -- people she comes into contact with in the course of her daily life. And she really did live in the woods --the nearest store was a long boat ride away and she didn't go "outside" for a four year stretch. Her township of Upton had a population of 182.

The book is set up in chapters that answer questions: "Isn't housekeeping difficult?" or "Aren't you ever frightened." One of the better stories in the chapter, "Aren't the Children a Problem" tells about her husband delivering the author's baby in the dead of winter -- and greasing it with olive oil which he kept to dress his trout flies. The new parents discuss what they are supposed to do with the hot water always called for when a baby is being born -- and they decide to make coffee.

For the modern reader, the highlights of the book are probably tales of the trials of living without conveniences. The Rich houses -- they had a winter and summer house -- had no plumbing. Heating and cooking were with wood. What you needed for groceries was delivered by boat once a month; the Sears catalog supplied the rest. For anyone who has ever thought wistfully of fleeing civilization, this is a humorous primer of both the rewards and hardships of such a life. It deserves a permanent place on the short shelf of Americana classics.

Smallchief

This has to be my favorite childhood book. Recently I decided to read my old copy to a little girl with severe ADHD and abandonment issues. She not only listened attentively to the story, but asked me to read it to her again as soon as I had finished. The story of the little dog who desperately wants a boy of his own really touched her and she requested that story be read every evening that she was in my care. I hope they bring this book back into print - my copy is torn and battered. I would love to have a new one ready for when I become a grandmother!

This is an odd picture book, with one foot in the boring world of Dick and Jane and one foot in the world of Dr. Seuss and all that came thereafter.

Barney Beagle loves having fun at the pet store with all of his other doggie friends. But he really wants to go home with a boy, and every time a customer enters the store, Barney eagerly questions whether this is the boy for him. One by one, all of his friends are sold to new owners, and Barney is left all alone. When a mean boy comes in and attempts to buy Barney, Barney bites him on the nose and avoids being sold. Finally, a boy who comes in is perfectly suited to Barney, and even though the boy doesn't have enough money, the friendly shopkeeper lets him have Barney.

The most entertaining feature of this book is the recurring theme of owners coming in and choosing dogs that they resemble. It's fun to see a man in a shaggy coat walking off with a sheepdog, and a well-dressed girl choosing a poodle.

The repetition of Barney's hopeful catch-phrase (it it MY boy?) and his resignation as he sees that the boy in question is better-suited to another dog (anyone can see THAT), combine to make Barney a very loveable and sympathetic character. Besides, he's darn cute.

But the biting of the bad boy is a poor solution to a problem. Further, the small pet shop is portrayed as an animal-friendly, wonderful place for dogs to have fun. These are both elements that don't have much of a place in our modern world.

While I don't suppose Barney the Beagle outshines many more modern books, there is a certain charm to this that has the quality of comfort food on a rainy day.

When I was a little girl my mom used to read this to me every night. I loved the book so much I decided to color in it with chalk. My mother would sneeze every time she opened it, but would read it for me anyways! It's a great book about the love between a boy and his dog. It will make you smile every time (and maybe sneeze!).

I thought I was the only one who loved this book. I had it as a child and as I approach my half century mark, I looked it up on a whim to see if anyone had one for sale. I agree-PUT IT BACK ON THE MARKET!!!

Growing up I wasn't a big reader. One book however stuck with me; Barney Beagle. Now today at age 34, it is still my favorite book. This book showed me what a puppy feels like waiting to be taken home and loved. It shows you the chemistry between a puppy and a child, how a bond is built. I highly recommmend this book to all children. This is a story that will touch your heart and hopefully your childrens as well. Barney Beagle is a book you can read several times over and the emotions are just as strong as the first time you read it. Well, at least for me it was. I highly recommed this book be put back on the market and distributed to all elemenatary schools throughout the world.

This book is a very good resourse for building period furniture with one exception. The author's shop is tooled much better than the average shop and he assumes the his readers have the same tools that he does. So far, I have worked out an alternate method of accomplishing the tasks without different tools. The book gave me the basics and I was forced to do some complex problem solving so I have to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to build up my brain power.

What a great book! Very useful, nice functional layout. This is a shop manual more then a book for causal reading.

I believe every successful woodworker possess their own 'Secrets of the Craft'. These are time-tested methodolgies made unique by each craftsmen. Bird goes into great detail about how and more importantly WHY he chooses one method over another in almost every topic.

This is one book that should be sitting near your bench, and not stored with your (often unopened) machine manuals.

Jest to naprawde dobra pozycja. Mialem okazje korespondowac z autorem i jest to naprawde mily gosc! Ksiazka jest prawdziwa skarbnica wiedzy. Jest dobrze ilustrowana. Jej poziom merytoryczny jest naprawde wysoki. Na polskim rynku trudno bedzie znalesc taka pozycje

(Przepraszam wszystkich za brak polskich znakow diakrytycznych ale to wina systemu informatycznego Amazon. Polskie znaki zmieniane sa na krzaki i dlatego z nich zrezygnowalem)

Shaping wood by Lonnie Bird is one of the best book I have read on the subject.
Written in a clear and simple style, illustrated by hundreds of beautifull color pictures, this book will take you through a journey that will introduce you to all the different techniques that can be use to shape wood.
You will find it all, cutting complex compound curves, molding, turning, carving and bending.

Fabolous book,excellent easy to follow tips,very well photographed,excellent help around the workshop

This is the best book to read to young children, fantastic story and lovely pictures. My favourite children's book and still amazing. A moral tale

Every family with small children should have this book. The story and illustrations are out of this world.

This is a lovely, lovely story with very good illustrations. My little girl knew the book off by heart by the time she she was 18 months old. I would say it's a must have for all children.

I hadn't read this book since childhood, but recently my girlfriend and I started trading and reading books from our childhoods. I bought a copy of Dogger for her and she read it out loud to me. I started crying, and just couldn't stop. I can remember feeling just like Dave when I was younger and losing something, it was a horrible feeling. If only we could all have a sister like Bella. The wonderful story and pictures will touch you, and stay with you forever.

I have given over 15 copies of Dogger to friends and family when they have an arrival of a second child. Every one of them...every.one.of.them has loved it and weeks/months/years later, I still get glowing feedback on this book.

The way the older child (Bella) helps out her little brother (Dave) when he looses Dogger makes me and anyone I've ever given the story to sniffle at the beauty and kindness of text and illustrations.

Face it, when you were little and you miss placed your favorite toy/lovey, you basically went to DEFCON 5 alert status and nothing was right until your lovey was found. Now as a parent, you know if your child loses their lovey, nothing in your house will be settled until it is found and you would do anything ( beg, bribe and possibly liquidate your IRA to make your child happy (and sleep through the night) again. Bella is every mother's heroine.

She teaches the selfless act of helping and giving better than I ever could.

This book is getting harder to find, so buy it right now to help keep it in print. I need more copies for the next round of friends having children.

I'm not really a Stones fan, but this book is an interesting examination of what we choose to make important in our lives, how we view our own obsessions (and behaviors) relative to those around us, and if/how we finally decide to back off from them. The uneasiness Mr. Baumeister's review attributes to the book is exactly what sets it apart - it makes us ask how much is too much, and whether we are sure our protagonist is on the right side of the line.
I really liked the central role Chuch (the guitar tech) took on in the narrative, and found his story quite a jarring dose of reality, casting into sharp relief the circus he was surrounded by.
Had to deduct a star for lack of props to the bass player - give Darryl some love!

The Konrad Baumeister review gives away the ending. Do not read the 4th paragraph if you intend to read the book -- which you should.

A writer and musician, Wendy Ellison Mullen brings a very special expertise to bear in Ronnie Wood's Smile And Where It Led. A rock 'n roll insider, Wendy combines her abilities as a scholar, a writer, and a fan to share with her readers an engaging and informative account of the world of rock music with its roadies, concerts, life on the road, and the recording studios in general, and Ron Woods of the Rolling Stones in particular. Ronnie Wood's Smile And Where It Led is a terrific read from first page to last -- and one that no true Stones fan will want to miss!

This book was one of those that you pick up and you dont put it down until you've finished it. I thought it was very interesting, very personal, and I really liked the story, especially the ending. It was well written, and I would highly recommend it to any Stones fan, or any music fan who has had a "fan based" relationship with a musical artist or a band. Of course, the ending was great, and how appropriate that the lyric "You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need", couldnt be more appropriate. Well Done!
John Lewis

Ronnie Wood is one of the true rock greats. He has played with frankly everybody of any consequence, been a key figure in the greatest rock bands then extant (Jeff Beck, Faces, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones), released quirky and touchingly charming solo albums, and guested onstage with talents large and small. While certainly no guitar virtuoso, his playing instead is honest and personal; he plays unlike anyone else I have heard. Throughout one gets the feeling of humor, great charm, and a love of performing. I love him.

Wendy Mullen loves him too; she loves him *a lot*. And this book is really her story, not Ronnie Wood's at all.

At a Stones concert in the mid-90s, Ronnie more or less randomly smiles one of his huge ear-to-ear grins into the crowd, Cupid's arrow strikes Wendy, and a tale of obsession begins. Intrigued and fascinated, she writes a fan letter and eventually a signed photo appears in her mail! Now she's a goner. Pursuing her fascination and new raison d'etre in any way she can, she comes across fan communities on the internet, and meets varied other monomaniancs in her travels. She and some new friends begin criss-crossing the country, and then other countries, following the Stones tours, and finding imaginative and sometimes successful ways of getting decent and even afforable tickets to sold-out shows, as close to the object of their affections as they can. They camp outside of the hotels the Stones are staying at, and make fun of the obviously stalking and dangerous, pathetic fanatics who are doing everything that Wendy et al are doing, but a few feet or inches closer to the hapless band members. They hurl objects like men's briefs or scarves onstage hoping for recognition from Wood for their loyalty and love. They dodge security to get closer to the stage, or even briefly backstage.

On rare occasion, Wendy gets a word or two from one of the Stones, even from Wood (mouthed to her in some huge concert venue from stage), more often from roadies and band employees, and gets backstage more than once. [...] Once home, having been face to face with her obsession and suddenly realized the gulf between them, she decides that there is no point in going on with this type of pursuit and 'releases' poor Woody, and herself, from her love. We are all relieved, including probably Wendy's husband.

The book, which has won actual literary prizes, is well written (Mullen reminds us time and again that she has a PhD in English lit), and the author has a keen eye for detail and there is an honest appreciation of irony (as when she and her friends look down on other stalkers). I did enjoy reading it, snideness above to the contrary. But I came away actually feeling pity for Wood and for all celebrities of his rank (and he doesn't even have to deal with the adulation Jagger gets). I have met Ron Wood at art shows, and must say that he is surprisingly approachable and charming. I have met other rock stars and can say that Wood is in that way quite an exception. But I have never had any illusions that somehow I can get Woody to pick up the phone on a Friday and invite me over for a Guiness or two.

Through the flowering of her obsession, Wendy has become hugely expert on Ron Wood's music and musical career, and her website, slideonron.com is strongly recommended for any Woody fan. But this book, well written and honest and in a way innocently and then not so innocently heartfelt, made me uneasy somehow.

I discovered this book in the town library when I was in high school. I kept checking out this book over and over again and I couldn't get enough. My mom bought me the book one year and I was soo excited to own it for myself. It was one of the best presents I have ever gotten. The book is worn out now and I have to turn the pages delicately in fear of wearing them more. That just makes me love it more. My history since I have boughten the book is that I read it through and through and put it on the bookshelf for a year and forget about it. It doesn't take long before I long to read it again, I then pick it out of the bookshelf and fall in love with it all over again. If I had to choose only one book in the world that I could keep, it would be this one. Needless to say I love it!

I grew up with this book. My dad had one from his childhood (an original 1942 edition) which was used and used, the binding held together with duct tape. It was known in our house as "the Brown Book." It seems that the source of all the the famous lines from literature can be found in here. "Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink." "And you Brutus?" Lincoln's Gettysburg address, George Washington's Farewell, even the letter from Lincoln to Mrs. Bixby (which was quoted by the commanding officer and served as the reason for "Saving Private Ryan" in the movie. Due solely to this book I was familiar with the letter long before that movie came out.) This is a wonderful resource, reference book and collection of so many of the valued literary and historical pieces from our culture. Even my five year old loves it when I read passages from it to her. Every house should have one.

I learned to read literature of many sorts when I was just a child. I've remembered passages from this book for nearly 50 years. This is a must-have volume of outstanding workmanship. Every homeschooler will benefit from having it in their reference library.

A lot of comments I've heard about this wonderful collection remark on
the odd juxtapositions within its pages: Shakespeare next to
"Silver Threads Among The Gold"; The Marine's hymn next to
Poe's "Raven"; Lincoln and Longfellow next to one of Dorothy
Parker's quips. It's true that this is one of this book's charms, but
I found something more to be prized. The "Treasury" is
exactly what it claims to be: a treasury of the hundreds of songs
you're familiar with but don't know by heart, and don't know where to
look up.

Everyone will have their own list of works they think
they'll never find again. Here's a partial list of mine; perhaps some
of these are ones you're hunting for too: Langdon Smith's
"Evolution" (When you were a tadpole and I was a fish/In the
Paleozoic time); Oliver Wendell Holmes' "The One-Hoss Shay";
Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee"; Henley's
"Invictus" (source of "I am the captain of my
soul"). And dozens more.

I found much I didn't care for here,
but much more I did. This is truly a remarkable collection. It
belongs on every bookshelf, if only because you'll never find another
source for so many of the poems within it. Buy it; you'll discover a
lot of old friends here.

This is the most amazing book! It includes any famous quotes, speeches, stories, poems, songs, etc. It is like having a mini-encyclopedia in one book. We use it all the time in our homeschool. You have to have this book.

Have you ever finished a book and thought, "Now that's what I'm talking about!"? Well that's exactly how I'm feeling having completed Kwame's debut novel. And it was a treat because it's two books in one.

"The Adventures of Ghetto Sam." Sam Black, a dime azz Jersey n*gga, has a chance encounter with a beautiful, mysterious woman. Her beauty and intrigue lure Sam into a world of trouble.

"The Glory of My Demise." It's the tale of two men, one from the hood and the other has heard and read about it. They take a journey that soon will not be forgotten.

These were two well-crafted and ambitious stories. Kwame Teague packs a lot into these short episodes - fascinating yet flawed characters, solid plots, great pacing and witty dialogue. It works in every way possible. Ghetto Sam was not like reading a story at all. It felt like I was sitting across from Sam as he recounted his wild adventure. He's the kind of guy that you might want to get to know sometime. Teague's story of Sam Black, both his character and his work, was engaging. Glory of My Demise was edgy and compelling. Kwame Teague, ghetto philosopher and storyteller extraordinaire, is one of the most exciting writers of his generation.

I can't believe I slept on this book for so long and hope you don't do the same. This is not just another urban/street lit tale. His other novels DUTCH and DUTCH II are bangers, but Ghetto Sam/Glory of My Demise is on another level. I look forward to DUTCH III and all his future endeavors.

Kwame, I hear your song and I see your beautiful feathers. And this too shall pass.

Check out his other titles...
Dutch: The First of a Trilogy
Dutch II: Angel's Revenge (Dutch Trilogy)

I enjoyed the first story more but it was a good book in all and he is surely a great writer. Alot of talent for sure.

Wow, this book was very good, it had 2 stories in this book, both stories are going to teach u a thing or two. My favorite was The Glory of My Demise, I like how he told the story and it made me look at things a little different, but it told a true story with some knowledge behind it. I applaud u on this work and thanks for bringing something different to the table.

THE ADVENTURES OF GHETTO SAM AND THE GLORY OF MY DEMISE is a prevailing work. However, please be advised, if you selected this book looking for the stereotypical hood, with a hero drug dealer and his spoiled, obnoxious girlfriend who is a shop-a-holic, then return this book to the shelf as you're not equipped for this knowledge!

Kwame Teague is probably better known to most as the author of the Bestselling DUTCH Series. That fact alone shows that Kwame has separated himself from the masses. In THE ADVENTURES OF GHETTO SAM AND THE GLORY OF MY DEMISE readers will be surprised to find not one, but two books.

People, there are too many African American males incarcerated, pumping poison, killing one another and this vicious cycle may not directly relate to you, but it does affect us all. THE ADVENTURES OF GHETTO SAM AND THE GLORY OF MY DEMISE rips the bandages right off of those issues.

Kwame, I pray that your voice is heard not only on behalf of those caught up in the struggle, but for you and your family as well.

Reviewed by: Crystal

Kwame Teague is an excellent writer. He paints a picture so vividly in your mind and you feel as if you are walking the walk with the main character. In a way he tells his own story. It is truly intriguing to read his work. Those of us who read HIS other work Dutch know this. Yes I said HIS other work. LET IT BE KNOWN THAT DUTCH IS THE WORK OF KWAME TEAGUE. Yes it was written down literally by you know who but that is that man's work so GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!!! The credits are carefully worded so that it is easy to mistake who's work it is. Kwame some of us know your story and may justice prevail in both situations.

This is one of the very first books I remember my mother reading to me, I was so entranced at age 5 I had to learn to read so that I could devour more. I have been addicted to books ever since. Enid Blyton has an amazing imagination and can send you to another world completely, whether this book Enchanted Wood or The Faraway Tree, The Secret Seven, Famous Five, the list is endless thank goodness but still not long enough. These books taught me the joy of reading as it has taught my children and my grandchildren. Enid Blyton deserves more than 5 stars!

My husband remembered loving this series as a kid and was delighted to be able to get them for our son. At age 7 our son would read the Enchanted Wood and the Faraway Tree over and over. Enid Blyton connects perfectly with the magical imagination of kids this age.

The enchanted wood is a fab book its about three children Joe,Beth and Frannie. They live in the contry side and they find a magic tree and up the tree they make loads of friends but at the top of the tree there are lands some lands are good and some lands are bad. If you liked the sound of that you will have to get the book!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember reading this book as a little girl. Enid Blyton is in my opinion the best children's writers. Now that I'm a mom I'm getting this book and other Blyton favourites for my kids.

I remember reading this book when I was little. I recently came across it again at my parent's house and found it to be just as delightful now at 32 as I did when I was 7! It is filled with magical wonder and fantasy. A great recommendation for children of all ages!

I first read the Faraway Tree Stories when I was eight years old and I completely fell in love with them. These are such beautifully written, wonderful, enchanting, and imaginative stories for children. I would definitely recommend these stories to any parent of young children. The language is simple, and the books are broken up into small chapters with a little adventure in each one, which means they'd be appropriate for a wide variety of ages.

The only reason I am giving this version four stars instead of five is because of the updates made to the book in the name of political correctness. The other commenters are pretty much spot on with what they have said. I think a simple conversation with children explaining the differences in the time the book was written(the names, Dame slap, etc) would be much better than changing the stories themselves. I would still recommend picking up this version if you can't find an older one. There's no reason to miss out on these wonderful stories!

This and many other Enid Blyton books where read to me and I also read as a child, I bought this and others for my grandchildren who absolutely love them. The stories are very imaginative and if you have even a spark of imagination the characters are so real you can make up all sorts of stories based on the characters after you have finished the book. When you have finished reading it the kids always want more!

I read this chapter book as a bed time story to my then 5 year old twins.
They really liked the different worlds at the top of the tree.
It was one of my favourites as a kid.

Short, self-contained, well-written chapters keep my children's attention. There are many characters for a young children's book, but the characters are very well described and each have their own special kirks. Great for reading aloud to young children.

I agree with Veronika that it is a shame that the book was changed. I am a teacher and read the original to a class and every child wanted the book. I ordered them copies from Amazon in the UK and the children were very disappointed with the new names, etc. They loved the book, however, and most of them read their copy many times and/or their parents read it to them. The four stars is for this edition, not the original. If you can get a copy of the original (used) I highly recommend it. There are some things in the original that I would recommend discussing. An example of this is Dame Slap and why we, hopefully, wouldn't see her slapping a student today and why.