Media Books

This rhyming children's book is terrific toddler reading. The drawings are beautiful and our kids have both loved it. Our two year old loves the animal illustrations and verses. A great pick!

We recently ordered 5 copies of Quick as a Cricket for our grandson and as gifts for other children. Our kids grew up with this book and it is timeless. All the copies we ordered were paperback but one arrived supersized. The pages are 15 x17 which is wonderful. The pages of the smaller books are 6x6. Both sizes have their uses but we really enjoy the wonderful illustrations in the larger format.

My children love this book (they are 5, 3 and 1). The illustrations are amazing and the words are few, but very creative. It's very fun to immitate the pages as well.

Cute book! There are puppets that can be purchased to go along with the story, they are great for kids to keep them engaged and involoved.

I used to use this book while teaching children at a learning center, and now I use this book to read to my daughter before bedtime. The pictures are great! The read is short which is great for kids with short attention spans. Absolutely a must have!

"Ramona And Her Mother" is a later entry in the Ramona & Beezus series, and yet it is also one of the finest books of its kind, another in a long line of great books by the masterful Beverly Cleary.

First pubished in 1979, the book finds the gauzy comfort of the Eisenhower era (when the first Henry Huggins and Beezus books were written) replaced by the strain and worry of the recessionary 'Seventies. Ramona's dad, who recently lost his job, has found new work at a local supermarket, but he doesn't like the position, and having both parents out working full-time places new strains on the family. Ramona, who is now seven years old, is no longer an overt brat, but there's a lot going on in her little head, as she struggles with the demands that come with growing up. She is envious of her teenage older sister, who she sees as a goodie-goodie and as her parent's favorite. Her relationship with her mom seems to be up in the air as well, and her parents, both tired from long days at work, have started to argue, which worries the kids. Of course, Cleary finds the silver lining, and while young readers may both recognize their own families (and become anxious for exactly the same reasons as Ramona does) Cleary magically produces happy endings that still do not deny the hardships and imperfections of life. If you've enjoyed Ramona's earlier adventures, you will not be disappointed with this funny, quick volume. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

The book Ramona and her mother is about a 7 year old little girl who is jealous of her big sister Beatrice and she wants to spend time with her mommy as mommy's little girl but Beezus has already taken on that role. In the end, Ramona Quimby gets her wish...To spend time with her mother. You'll need to read this book and find out how it all actually ends. Though this book does have some boring parts, I would recommend this book to any elementary or beginning middle school girl who loves Beverly Cleary books or any girl who might be experiencing what Ramona is going through. I myself can relate because I go through this almost on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm jealous of my baby cousin who gets most of all the attention but in the end (just like Ramona), I get my mommy all to myself.

G.B.M. Sanders - 6th grade - Hammond Middle
Alexandria, VA

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger she will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch the adults refer to her as mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she realizes she will just have to grow up.

Ramona is seven-and-a-half-years-old right now. She is going through a difficult time trying to figure out if she wants to be mommy's little girl or grow up. Ramona's mother invited Ramona's best friends family over for brunch. When Howie's little sister Willa Jean arrives Ramona can't stand to be jealous. Willa Jean is a little girl with curled hair and has pretty little dresses. When Ramona sees her bear, Roger shes will do anything to get her hands on it . Ramona's mom puts her in charge of watching Willa Jean. While Beezus and the adults eat brunch and she keeps getting called mother's girl. Ramona is trying to figure out why she doesn't get in trouble for anything and gets away with everything. Ramona never gets away with anything and is always in trouble. When she squirts the whole tube of toothpaste in the sink, she gets yelled at and when she has a tantrum, she is told to stop right away. In Ramona's world nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work and she is forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother evryday after school. Ramona would rather stay at home sewing, cooking, reading, and watching T.V. with her mom, but things never seem to work out. All she wants to do is be mommy's little girl forever. Now time passes by and she relizes she will just have to grow up.

Being seven-and-a-half-years-old (right now!) may seem like a simple task, but for second-grader, Ramona Quimby, it's proving to be a mix of difficulty and confusion. After all, she's between two strange ages - seven and eight - and can't figure out what she wants to do. Part of her is determined to stay her mother's little bunny, twitching her nose and being babied; while the other part wants to act like a grown-up, and do whatever she pleases. When Ramona's parents throw a New Year's brunch to celebrate her father finding a new job, she's thrilled to get the chance to eat a mix of breakfast and lunch. But when her best friend Howie's younger sister, Willa Jean arrives, Ramona can't help but feel jealous of the "little angel." For one, Willa Jean has ruffles sewed onto her underpants; and two, she's holding a stuffed bear - aptly named Woger - that Ramona would do anything to get her hands on. But, alas, even at her young age, Willa Jean is determined not to part with Woger. To make matters worse, Ramona's mother leaves her in charge of Willa Jean while Beezus and the rest of the adults get to fraternize with one another over hot muffins, coffee, sausage, and so much more. Ramona can't understand why her parents are treating her like a baby, while Beezus is constantly called her "mother's girl." Beezus doesn't even get in trouble for anything, because everyone says that she's at a "difficult" age. Ramona feels that she's at a difficult age, as well. But she never gets away with anything. When she squirts a whole tube of toothpaste into the bathroom sink, she gets yelled at; when she has a tantrum, she's told to "stop this instant," when she wants to stay up later than her bedtime, she's not allowed. In Ramona's eyes, nothing is fair. She can't stand that her mother has to work, and that she's forced to be watched by Willa Jean's grandmother everyday after school, and the fact that Beezus gets to go to her friends houses only makes matters worse. Ramona would do anything to just spend everyday with her mother - sewing, cooking, reading, watching TV. But things never seem to work out the way Ramona wants them to. All she wants is to stay her mother's little girl forever, but the more time that passes the more Ramona begins to realize that, perhaps, her wish will never be granted, and she'll be forced to grow up.

I first discovered Ramona Quimby when I was about six-years-old, and instantly fell in love with her pesty antics, and penchant for throwing tantrums at the worst possible moments. Now, with the re-publication of the RAMONA series, however, I am beginning to realize that I missed out on quite a few of Ramona's tales, and have decided to re-immerse myself in the life of the Quimby family. Now, even though so many years have passed, I find that Beverly Cleary's tales about Ramona are still enjoyable, and quite irresistible. Ramona, as always, is the perfect example of a precocious child embarking on the trials and tribulations that accompany growing up. Her ability to act slightly mature at times, then revert back to full-blown childish behavior is spot-on with how growing children truly act; while her jealousy, and ability to find herself in countless bizarre situations only prove to make her even more hilarious. Cleary manages to balance humor with family problems by placing a slight emphasis on difficulties with money, a parent losing a job, and being bombarded with bills. While subjects such as money problems, and not wanting to grow-up are often sore spots, Cleary presents them in a neutral way that offers parents the opportunity to discuss such issues with their children in an effort to put their minds at ease. However, even by introducing these problems, Cleary never overshadows the humorous side of Ramona, and never talks down to the reader. In fact, Ramona remains as lovable as ever as she traverses the muddy waters of second grade, and works to accept the new teacher whom she's still unsure of; while, at the same time, working overtime to twitch her nose to remind her mother that she is, and always will be, her little bunny. The most obnoxious - yet entertaining - little sister in fiction!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

After reading The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf I went back to Malory -- Lynet was just like in Morris' book, constantly digging at Beaumains and harping on having a kitchen boy substitute for a real Arthurian knight.

After reading the first three books Morris has written in The Squire's Tales, I broke down and bought all he's written to date -- in hard cover. They are absolutely delightful, funny, clever, pretty true to the original romances. I read one, then pass it on to my grandson. We're having a ball.

This was the first book that I read out of many of Gerlad Morris' comical retellings of King Arthur. The information seems to be accurate and the book is just so funny. These books are classics that anyone of any age will enjoy!

I first read this book when I was in sixth (or fifth, or something -- I don't remember exactly when) grade. My church met in a school building, and toddler nursery was held in the library. I was bored one day, and I thought "The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf" looked interesting, so I started to read it. I was pleasantly delighted with my discovery. (My parents had to search the entire building for me -- that's how engrossed in the book I was.)

Unfortunately, we left that building, and my memory of the book's title left with it. It took me until last year to find it -- and I did that only by looking through all of the shelves in the children's section of the local library.

I was again pleasantly suprised by the book -- it's very well-written, immensely funny, and admirably suited to reading aloud (I had my mom read it out loud to me and my younger sister). At parts, it had me shivering with anticipation, and other times I was consumed entirely with helpless laughter.

I would highly reccomend this book to anyone. My dad, who doesn't particularly enjoy reading what he calls "girly books", thoroughly enjoyed this one. In fact, this book has inspired in us a delight of all books Gerald Morris -- and he's never disappointed us.

I love this book. Completely fabulous dry wit. Sassy girl protagonist, great dwarf character. Plot goes along at a good clip. I've been a long-standing fan of Gerald Morris, and this one is his best one, as far as I'm concerned. I've read and re-read it.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a retelling of the story of Beaumains (beautiful hands) the Kitchen Knight. Perhaps some of you are familiar with this story. The basic plot is that a young man comes to King Arthur's court to work in the kitchen. He has beautiful hands unused to hard work, hence the name. Anyway, one day a lady comes to Court to find a champion to rescue her sister who is besieged by the red knight. The kitchen boy is knighted and offers to go with her. She treats him badly throughout their journeys, though he often proves himself. At the end he frees and marries the sister and shows himself as Sir Gareth, younger brother to Sir Gawain.
Well, leave it to Morris to mix this story up! First of all, Lady Lynet is helped on her journey by a mysterious dwarf, Beaumains is a complete dolt, the sister, Lady Lyonesse is a disgraceful cold-hearted flirt, and far more is happening than appears to be! The ending is delightfully satisfying and romantic, and I cracked up hysterically several times during this book. I finished it in one sitting! Definitely a must-read for King Arthur fans!

One of my students wrote the following review:
If you are a baseball fan you should read this book. This book is about a kid with a power. He can go back in time. He goes to 1919 to make the White Sox win the World Series by not letting Shoeless Joe Jackson take money. What will happen next?
It was so fun to read it! I couldn't stop reading this book. It is a long book but it is fun when you read it. There are more books that this author wrote about baseball.
-Brian

The book I am reviewing is Shoeless Joe & Me written by Dan Gutman. I think this book deserves five stars because Dan Gutman doesn't stretch the book and he does not rush it. This book is about a boy named Joe Stoshack who can travel through time with baseball cards. The problem in this story is that when Joe had lost a game because of a bad call, he complains to the sponsor of his team, Flip Valetini. He says that it wasn't fair, and Flip tells him about the Black Sox sandal and Joe Jackson. Now he wants to fix it. But the rest... you will have to figure out. I would recommend this book to anyone from 3rd to 5th grade that loves fantasy books.

Shoeless Joe was a fun book to read. It was about baseball. He was a good player but did not have power. I liked this book because it was about baseball. He was a player on the White Sox. The story was in Chicago where Shoeless Joe was a famous baseball player.
The kid in the book went back in time. The boy wanted to meet Shoeless Joe, so he went to the store to buy the card. Then he packed his tooth brush and clothes. Then he went to his room. Then he hugged the card and went back to the past. This was the most exciting part of the book.

Shoeless Joe and Me is one of my favorite books! The book is about a kid who can Time-Travel by using Baseball Cards. He tries to go back in time to stop the Black Sox Scandal. The Black Sox Scandal was when 8 players on the White Sox were tricked by gamblers into losing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds on purpose.

Even if you don't like Baseball, I'm sure you will love this book. I loved it SO much that I couldn't take my face away from the book. I recommend this book to ANYONE, as long as they love a good book. It is part of a series, which include:

Honus and Me
Jackie and Me
Babe and Me
Mickey and Me
Abner and Me
Satch and Me

Haven't you ever wanted to go back in time to prevent something that happened to you? Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the best baseball players in 1919. His career was destroyed by a gambling scandal. Joe Stoshack was a young boy and he heard about the famous player from a guy named Flip who worked at the baseball card shop he always went to. Flip told Joe that Jackson was not allowed to make the Hall of Fame because of the scandal he was in. Flip gave him Joe Jackson baseball card and the little boy thought to himself what it would be like to go back in time to see what the scandal was all about and even maybe prevent it from happening. He thought if it works in movies then it should work now. The next day Joe Stoshack found himself going back to the 1919's and found Joe Jackson at the stadium. He talked to Joe and asked him to leave the game before it started. He told Joe if he didn't something bad would happen. He told Joe he came back from the future and he knew that if the great Joe Jackson did anything to lose this game, he would never get all the rewards he deserved. He wanted to prevent the "Black Sox Scandal" from happening so Shoeless Joe Jackson could get into the Hall of Fame.
I would rate this book a 5, on a scale of 5, with 5 being the best. Grades 4th and up would love it and its great family story.

Wonder and Ashleigh make the best team in the world. Wonder is such a great filly who loves to race and win. It waz really great that Ashleigh got to ride Wonder in th Breeders Cup Classic due to Jilly's injury but Wonder couldnt have done it without Ashligh. Wonder runs like she is flying with wings. I really hated when Jennings and Brad tried to ruin Wonders chances in the race, but luckily they never harmed another horse, well Jennings. I give this book 5 stars cauz this is the last book where Wonder is the star and she sure showed she was one in this book. Wonder races in the Kentucky Derby and wins but loses in the Preakness Stakes cauz she was bumped and won the Belmon Stakes and Breeders Cup Classic with Ashleigh in the saddle. If it wasnt for her being bumped, Wonder would have been a Tripple Crown winner. But she still made us all proud except for Brad. Im sure Ashliegh was overwelmed when Clay Townsend gave her half intrest in Wonder and her offsprings. If that was me getting half intrest in Wonder, I would be bouncing off the walls. If u want to read a book of a lost filly almost loosing her chances in being a champion and a girl's dreams over flow, read Wonders Victory and u will just get your story. If u want to talk Thoroughbred, u can reach me at Blades60@aol.com

This is by far, the best Thoroughbred book. I actully think the first four Thoroughbred books are better than the rest, because they include Wonder, my favorite horse charector. I have almost the whole series and never get tired of reading: A Horse Called Wonder, Wonder's Promise, Wonder's First Race, Wonder's Victory and the Ashleigh series which come before the Thoroughbred series and take place before Ashleigh (Wonder's groom and half owner) and her family are still living at Edgardale (where they lived before Townsend Acres.)Definatly read the series and especially this book. GO WONDER!

This book is AWESOME! You should definatly read this book. I think this is the best Thoroughbred book there is. I have almost the whole series, and I never get tired of it. When Wonder's jockey is injured, who will ride Wonder? This book is filled with excitement and fun great for all horse-lovers.GO WONDER!
(and Jilly)

This book follows Ashleigh and Wonder as they make their way to the Breeder's Cup Classic. Beyond the fact that this world is well written and engrossing, probably the best part of this book is reading about Ashleigh and Mike's growing relationship. We finally see our self-consicous, horse crazy, fashion despising Ash fall for Mike. It's really great to see this side of Ash; the side that isn't always in control and doesn't always know what to do. I also found the "mystery" surrounding Wonder's freakish behavior before races to be really interesting. The conclusion of this book is just, well, wonderful...
This book is the perfect example of how you close a story and give the reader a sense of closure and satisfaction. It ends perfectly. After reading these great, old generation TB books, I'm even more saddened at the fact that the publisher, Harper Collins is planning on terminating the series abruptly after book #72. Please HELP SAVE THOROUGHBRED! Go to www.whitebrookfarm.com to find out more. I would hope that Harper will listen to the faithful readers of this series and give us the closure that we deserve. Don't end TB like this! We found out how it ended for Ash and Wonder, let us find out about Mel, Chris, Allie, and Sammy's twins too! Please SAVE TB!

This is one of my favorite Thoroughbred books ever. Everyone who ever doubted will see that she is a champion in this book. Wonder wins the Belmont and Breeders Cup Classic in a breeze. Ashleigh Wonder's favorite person rode her in the Breeders Cup Classic at the age of 15! The youngest ever I'm sure. Wonder proves to the world that she is a champion and that she is the best horse out there. This is the best book about Wonder ever written. Can't wait to see what her foals do.

I have always loved this book, it is one of my favorites of this author's works. It is a sweet story, not very long, and has a way of sticking with you. Patricia McKillip must have a very interesting way of seeing the world!

This is a storyline with a unique plot, although I did find some flaws within the story that made this somewhat difficult to read. This is the first Patricia A. McKilip book that I have read and so I am not sure of her writing style as of yet, however the characters were rather empty. If she didn't state plainly that one character was in love with another, by the story surrounding them, I wouldn't have known. The protagonist is even distant as well and reading this story felt like taking a peek at snipets of the lives of others and drawing my own story from what I saw and coming to my own conclusions. This is common in books for young adults however, and being an adult reader used to epic novels, I don't know if I would be fair in faulting it for that. The character dialog was also hard to follow and at times it was hard for me to tell who was speaking. This is makes for a very choppy read at least to me.

This is still a special story that should have been written in novel form and not short story from, as there is som much more potential for it. Peri is the main character of the story and The Changeling Sea begins by describing her hatred for the sea that stole her father's life and captured her mother's soul, spellbinding her. Peri is an unkempt teen who works at the local bar/inn scrubbing the floors and keeping the inn clean. She never dreams of adventure or excitement at all, only wanting to one day escape the sea that so destroyed her life. Peri, no longer receiving the affection and caring from her mother, spends many nights at a village elder's home. The old woman looks after Peri and teaches her spells and hexes. Then one day the woman is gone, no where to be found or heard from again. Most likely lost to the sea, Peri thought. She had had enough of losing people she cared for to the sea and decided to hex it. The story builds from here with adventures of the Prince who becomes her friend and a lost sea-dragon and his mysterious appearance and trying to find answers as to his sudden apparition. She receives help from a mage and works at putting everyone's life together again, fitting in all of the pieces of the puzzle. At the end of the story she succedes in putting the pieces of her own life together as well.

I would reccomend this book for the young adults who have minds capable of seeing and reading between the lines where an adult's can't with a fantasy such as this. Although the story is a little slow throughout the telling, and the tale is implanted with a constant need to "just finish" the story so that one can see what is really happening, this is still a unique story and it is enjoyable. A collector of her works shouldn't pass this book up.

this was a great story. i love this author, she just has a certain style that brings whatever she says to another level. this said, the story isn't perfect. the major relationships between the main character and those around her aren't very strong, not strong enough anyways. at the end, not to spoil it, but she asks someone to come back for her, but the relationship between them wasn't strong enough for her to ask that of him... or at least we the readers weren't privy to it. they don't have to be ridiculously close or anything, the perceived distance between the characters is fine, but the draw between characters must make sense to the reader. if the author spent more time fleshing out relationships i think the story would've been better, because the relationships are very compelling, we just know too little of them. peri says she enjoyed certain people's company because they needed her. unless she is so weak and needy that someone recognizing her existence would make her go crazy, which i don't think she was, there is a part of the story the readers don't know about, or have to fabricate for themselves. so in a way it felt like she was grasping at straws, and the introductions of some characters, namely the workers at the inn, were kind of awkward.
criticism aside, it was a wonderful story. the plot was well thought out and kept me interested. i thought the author did a great job of characterizing the sea. Kir was a great emphasis for this because he was half of the sea himself, so we had the sea both as itself and humanized in Kir. periwinkle was ok, not the strongest heroine but compelling in her own way. i liked her name though, periwinkle, you get few characters with such whimsical names.
it was a great story though. it was short, i read it in a couple of hours, and it left me feeling kind of whimsical .

I'm still at a complete loss as to why I had never heard of this book before. The storyline is delightfully complex for as short as it is. The descriptions are lush and beautiful, but not so much as to bore. As a new English teacher, I plan on using this book for my classes during our study of fantasy-based romance. The characters are deep and very profound, and it would be an excellent read for people of all ages. Don't be deterred by how thin and short it seems, it's length doesn't make it any less powerful. I, myself, am extremely picky about what I ready and even more so when I'm reading anything with romance in it. I prefer a strong central female character, which Peri truly is, and of course a strong male central character who isn't questionable in his morals. This book checked all the blocks for my standards and I've put it promptly among my favorites.

This is the first book I ever read of hers and it remains one of my all-time favorite books ever. It enchanting and beautiful, haunting and wonderful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. McKillip's writing is so fluid and beautiful, she transports you to her worlds effortlessly and you don't want to leave.

This is the favorite Goosebumps story of a 10-year old relative so I wanted to get her her own copy. She rates it highly.
A story of a young girl's experience at summer camp. Her peer problems seemed bad enough for her to think of faking her own death, but then her plan backfires and she almost drowns. Then she starts seeing things that cause her to act strange and increases her peer problems.
It is not my own interest and I feel kids today have enough strangeness in their lives without these scary things to wonder about, but perhaps they appreciate the safeness of their own world after reading about a more scary one.

Unlike most kids, I didn't start reading the goosebump books at a young age. I had book-a-phobia! I was twelve when I first read this book and that's when I decided to read the series. It's a surprising and unpredictable book with great charectors. I love how Sarah is a little scared of camp, and I can relate. But my favorite character is Della, the ghost. I like the "ghost world" that Sarah temporarily goes to, and how the whole world was very interesting. The people, places, and situations were very cool! I couldn't put the book down! Read it in one night! (That's a record for me.)I couldn't find any flaws with this book and the awsome, suspenceful, scaryness of the ending. I don't want to spoil it for you, but i think you should read it!

These books are helping my grandson learn the enjoyment of reading. He was having a hard time, but these books hold his attention and he really looks forward to getting a new one in the series.

This was an eerie tale of a haunted camp where a girl, Sarah Maas is having a hard time, and she pretends to drown, but only finds herself haunted by a ghostly girl, named Della, who Sarah believes is a girl who drowned.

I was pulled into this book as I was reading it. It is an eerie tale that gave me shivers as I was reading it. I loved this book and thought that it was one of, if not THE best of the books in the series. Anybody who loves a book for children and who loves a good thrill should buy this book because it is a great thrill.

I am totally fumed that they didn't make an episode out of this masterpiece of a Goosebumps book!!

This book is about a girl named Laura who goes to sleep away camp. She hears a girl singing in the woods every night. When no one is around the girl who sings in the woods tries to run Laura over with a boat. Will she escape from the girl in the woods? Read this story to find out.

John Peel does an excellent job of developing his characters, Score, Helaine, and Pixel as they make way their through the magical of Rawn. They are in search of the female wizard Shanara, the only person who can get them off this magical world. But as they battle goblins, trolls, other monsters, Shanara may already be with them, for she can become whoever, or whatever she wishes. An excellent story.

I read this book back when I was in third grade or so, and absolutely loved it. This series quickly became the far-and-away favorite of my group of friends. Even ten years later, we still have fond recollections of this book and the rest of its series. I definitely recommend this book to any young reader - it is enthralling. If you want your kids to get into fantasy, give them this book!

This book is great! I've read around 55 fantasy books since I was 8, and this is the best! Read it, I did, it it was WAY worth it!

This is the best series i have read beating the Seventh Tower and DelTora series easily.

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

Absolutely marvelous! This simple story induces you to think about morals, existence, and adventure. By having virtue, anyone can lead a life filled with wonderful encounters and a way of life that can only lead you to a good future.

I loved this book a kid and bought it for my own children. Each of the three joined my enthusiasm for our dear friend, Dominic.

My son is in the Army and now has a son of his own. I used to read "Dominic" at bedtime, until I knew the story by heart. If I tried to skip a line or a paragraph, my son would interrupt and tell me I had missed a part! Recently, he asked if I would get the book for my grandson. Now my son is reading to his son. I love it! Christina

Throughout my life, I'd always remembered the "first book I ever read" as about some dog who played the piccolo and traveled around with his possessions in a sack on a stick. I remembered it so fondly, like one of those few, golden memories you hold onto from childhood, when you still believed in the tooth faerie and unicorns.

I never remembered the title, though, and the book had long since disappeared from my parent's house. One day I did an extensive Google search with only the words "dog," "piccolo" and "traveler" and managed to stumble across William Steig's website.

I just bought myself a new copy of "the first book I ever read" and can't wait to read it again. It really is a book that has stayed with me my entire life. I just found it astonishing that so many other people wrote the exact same thing in their reviews. How can it be that one book has been the "first book" for so many people? I don't know, but I do know that if you can let it be your kid's first book, they will cherish it forever. I sure did.

This was the first "real book" I remember reading as a little boy. I suppose I was about 6 or 7. I read and re-read Dominic many times and loved it more each time. I suppose it has be something like 35 years since I first read this book and I still remember it fondly. How many things can you say that about?

"We are a band." Soren makes this statement many times throughout the book. He is telling his friends, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger, that they are a family and always need to stick together.

This book is about four little owls. They are trying to find The Great Ga'Hoole Tree. They are hoping to find Soren's family there. I felt really bad for the little owlets because they are orphans. They are trying to survive out in the wild on their own. At least they know how to fly, hunt, and fight.

They don't end up finding Soren's family at The Great Ga'Hoole Tree. The four owls, and Soren's old nest made Mrs Plithiver, end up living there. They each go into trainings and got picked for a job. I felt really bad for Soren because he didn't get what he wanted and everyone else did.

Near the end of the book, Twilight and Digger had the job to rescue owls and put them back into there nests. Well, there were no hollows around, so they brought them to The Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Digger was on the ground and saw an owl. It was Eglantine, Soren's baby sister. This was such a happy moment in the book. I am so glad that they found her. I was really sad though to find out she is sick. Soren stayed with her day and night. The real question I had after they found Eglantine was, "Where is the rest of Soren's family?"

The book The Journey is a very well put together book. I would recomend this book to anyone who loves books about animals and adventure. This would be a good book for teenagers, adults, and even younger kids. This series also leaves you hanging for the next book. I can't wait to read them.

Cameron Sparks


IS THIS A GREAT BOOK?
"A wise old owl sat on an oak; the more he saw the less he spoke; the less he spoke the more he heard; the more he heard the more knowledge he gained; why aren't we like that wise old bird?" ~ Old English Proverb.
The Journey is one of the best books in Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'Hoole series of twelve books. This book which is a fantasy fiction is about four young owls Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger who recently escaped from St. Aggies Academy, which is a school that mistreated them. The owls go in search of the Great Ga'Hoole tree where a group of dignified owls live. The dignified owls are considered the guardian of Great Ga'Hoole Tree. It is rumored that they live in the tree; however, most owls in the kingdom do not believe that the dignified owls or the tree exist. According to legend, the four owls have heard that the dignified owls have done great things to help other owls. They believe that the dignified owls can help rescue others from St. Aggies Academy. After a long journey to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, the four owls experience even more adventure.
The Journey to me is a really good book, and I think that this would be an excellent book for grade school and middle school students to read because of the following reasons: First, it describes the events in the story very realistically. Second, it shows good characterization of the owls and other characters that are introduced throughout the book. Third, it surprises you with events you were not expecting. For Instance, when Digger and Twilight were on a search rescue mission to bring back some injured baby owls and they stumbled upon Soren's sister who was badly hurt.
This book was a definite page turner because each chapter made me want to find out what's going to happen in the next chapter. The plot was exciting and adventurous. Even though the characters were owls, I related to them as if they were human beings experiencing the same difficulties that human beings face. I definitely connected to what they went through during their journey; especially Soren because he had a sister that he cared a lot about, like I care about my sister. The biggest surprise in the story that kept me reading was when they rescued Soren's sister. I recommend this book to kids between the ages of 10 through 13. Overall, The Journey is an amazing book and a must read!

After leaving St. Aggie's with his friend Gylfie, Soren, Ms. P., Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger leave to go find the great Ga'Hoole tree. The tree is full of magical owls who perform great deeds at night. While on the journey to this wonderful tree, the "band" stops at many different places. First, the band stops by the Mirror Lakes. This scene is summer all year long. To owls, this place is a paradise! After leaving the Mirror lakes, the four owls completly miss the great tree and run into a little home called the Narrows. Here, a group of puffins survive using certian skills to hunt and nest. After having the puffins look after them, the gang sets off once agian to find the glorious tree.
Once they reach the tree, the four owls are greeted by the king and queen of the tree: Barran and Baron. These two help find a home in the tree for each owl and show them how the tree works or operates. The next night, Soren and the band find out that they will be placed in different chaws or classes in the tree to learn certian skills. Soren is unhappy with the idea of the band being broke so he talks with the teachers of the tree to see if somehow the band could be placed in the same chaw so they could be together. The king and queen talk Soren into spitting up the band for a better cause.
Later that month, Soren's long-lost sister,Eglantine, is found. Unfortunatly, his sister is under a certian spell that almost sounds like moonblinked(when owls go crazy because they sleep at night). Luckly, the owl singer and harp player was able to brake the curse with her songs and harmonising. Now that Eglantine is cured, Soren is releived for the moment.
Suddenly, an urgent message indictates that Ezylryb, Sorens teacher of his chaw and loving, caring, mentor is missing! On a exciting search and rescue mission, Ezylryb is lost and can't be found! Will Ezylryb be found? Will Soren and Eglantine ever find their family? The story contineus in the next book of the series.

Book two had an interesting beginning but it explained a little too much of the first book. My favorite part was when Soren got picked to be a collier (who carries coals). This also required him to know the weather. I liked when Eglantine got shaken out of a trance with music.

This series has taught me a lot about owls and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

On their journey to the Great Ga' Hoole tree Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, Digger, and Mrs.Plithiverget moobed by crows. During the mobbing Digger gets his wing badly hurt. Mrs. Plithiver fixes up Digger's wing. The four owls and Mrs.Plithiver start back on their journey to the Great Ga'Hoole tree. While on the sea of Ga'Hoole they get blown off course to the ice narrows. When they finally get to the Geat Ga'Hoole tree they learn about navigation weather and much more. Soren along with the weather and cothering chaws go to a foresrt fir to collect coals for the Great Ga'Hoole tree. When Soren gets back he finds out that Digger, Twilight, and Gylfie are out rescuing owl chicks.