Wood Books

Causey is what anthropologists should be. His book is grounded, full of humanity, insightful, surprising, poetic, compassionate and a lovely read. He beautifully describes and explains something profound of a people through times of tremendous social and economic change. An extremely informative and humanistic look at a Sumatran cultural group in the midst of global pressures.

A first rate work and a wonderful read. This book was delightful to read. Right from the beginning of the book, I was drawn in. It's clear this is a scholarly work, well researched and carefully detailed. As a reader of more casual literature, I was agreeably surprised at the superior writing style of the author. I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and anecdotes throughout the whole book. Anyone who enjoys reading about other cultures and other places would definitely enjoy reading this book. I stayed up to 1:00 am one night reading it. I look forward with real anticipation to future works from this author.

Like most working stiffs, I save up for a big vacation to some far away land and when it finally happens I get shuffled around from one tourist spot to the next. The culture presents itself for purchase and I buy.

"Hard Bargaining in Sumatra" isn't just a book by an affable scholar. It immediately took me into the home of a very different family, sat me on a 'fancy mat' and amused me with a narrative by the author to his Toba Batak friends. He told a story for their entertainment that might easily have described my own hapless first experience in an exotic culture. The family's reaction and the unfolding details of their work in the woodcarving-for-tourists trade was a pleasure to read.

I was continuously surprised at how clearly Causey expressed complicated, seldom-analyzed notions of place and identity. The relationship between tourist and vacation spot is alive and dynamic in a way I'd never imagined. The author's struggle to learn the skills of the woodcarver gave extra dimension to my understanding of this traditional craft. The friendship between the student/researcher and the teacher/subject made the dynamics of the familial roles and societal obligations disarmingly vivid and personal. The book enriched my understanding of a distant culture to a degree I could never have achieved by hopping a plane and wandering their marketplaces. When I saw a Toba Batak carving at an art museum a few weeks later, I had a wealth of feelings and observations that would never have occurred to me before. For me, reading this book was like the best kind of vacation. I learned a lot, felt a connection to the people and culture, and enjoyed the process.

"What happens when the homeland of one group is also claimed as the vacationland of another group?"

This question put by the author rather succinctly sums up a major theme of the book, and perhaps should be a guiding thought for all of us who ever take a vacation...anywhere.
Whether we are taking a "package" vacation or just winging it in a new location, we have an impact not only on the place we visit, the feeling of the place, the services it provides, and perhaps most importantly, the ART of the place. Souvenirs...mementos...folk art...all these tokens and totems that come from our vacation spot are evolving to meet our desires.

The author handles this idea and others in a very human and sensitive way, inviting us into his experience in Sumatra, Indonesia and filling our minds with the sense of the place: its smells, visuals, sounds, landscape and its people. It is easy to lose oneself in this book as if it were a novel or the travelogue, yet it tackles some very difficult issues without sounding preachy or judgmental. I have always been interested in, and sensitive to the general "sense" of a place. I can be easily spooked by the quality of light or the sight of long shadows in the afternoon. I found Dr. Causey to be a kindred spirit, as he has addressed this feeling (because it is at heart a "feeling") very poetically in his writing about Lake Toba.

There are many humourous vignettes within the book, as well as many parables and lessons.
It in indeed educational, and educational on a new level-it reaches right into the spaces between ideas and brings into being a hybrid way of looking. It is accessible, informative and heartfelt.
I would recommend this book to anyone - it can be read for sheer pleasure. But if you are planning to travel, and would like to get some ideas on developing a very diplomatic and culturally sensitive approach to your new destination, this is most certainly the book for you.
I nominate Dr. Causey for Goodwill Ambassador!

This book is a true rarity--a work of serious scholarship, written in a user-friendly, personal, poetic, eminently-readable style. You'd almost be fooled into thinking you were reading a romantic travel narrative, one of those popular memoirs à la "Under the Tuscan Sun" where a naive American goes off and has a life-transforming experience while in a foreign land. But as Dr. Causey relates his tales of the months spent with the Toba Batak in their remote, beautiful homeland in northern Sumatra, learning something about their culture, something about woodcarving, and a LOT about shopping, he also unfolds a series of subtle, complex observations about aesthetics, about colonialism and acquisition, and about the role of tourists / collectors in a market economy and their effect as both destroyers and saviors of traditional culture. Absolutely fascinating stuff, and certainly not just for students of anthropology--this is a book that should be read by art historians as well as by economists, as well as by anyone who simply enjoys a well-written tale of a beautiful place that they've never been...

I particularly admire "Hard Bargaining" for the lack of any tang of cultural superiority on Dr. Causey's part--he never assumes that he knows more than the people he's observing, or that since he has a Ph.D., his observations must be considered correct. He went there; he lived, he learned, he shopped; and he thought about it, hard, and critically, comparing the Toba Batak culture to our own, and letting the reader make the judgement calls, not the anthropologist. Very well done!

This book is incredibly written,and facinating!!!!!!!!!
BUT the incredible part is,that this extrodiary young woman was 15 years old when she wrote it.
What a gifted young lady.!!!!!

Philomena,
Trenton,NJ

This young woman has you on the ege of your seat!! At 15 she wrote this book, I can only imagine (and hope),for more ,from this extremly talented author.

This is a very artfully written, good book! Even thought I live in Delaware, it would be entertaining for someone who lived in another state too. I read it in one day and I enjoyed the whole thing. I hope Miss Woods writes a sequel.

This is a very artfully written, good book! Even thought I live in Delaware, this book would be entertaining even for someone who lives in another state. I read it in one day and I enjoyed the whole thing. I hope Ms. Woods writes a sequel.

If you're in the mood for a good shiver, read this one alone at night! The author, a 16-year-old prodigy, has a flair for dramatic imagery. Most adults would be proud to "set the stage" the way she does! She also has a wonderful way of taking historical facts and adding (in italics) her own imaginative details. In sum, Haunted Delaware is the most entertaining book of ghost stories that I have ever read. I hope Ms. Woods writes another book soon!

The time is 1865, near the end of the Civil War. In a devastating letter from General Johnston, 12 year old Cassie learns that her 14 year old brother Jacob was killed while fighting in the Civil War. Devastated Cassie tells herself that the letter is lying. That Jacob is not dead. Is it true that Jacob is dead or has there been some mistake? So she decides to return to the secret thicket she and Jacob loved and shared.
While she is there she stumbles upon a soldier's button, which leads to an encounter with a deserter. The deserter threatens her and tries to kill her but she escapes. At the same time, someone has been stealing from her family's farm. She has to find out who the robber is.
My opinion on this book is that it is very well written mystery. If you stop at almost any chapter you will get suspense. My favorite part is when Cassie finds our what happende to her brother Jacob. This is one of the best books I've ever read.

Set in Virginia in early 1865, "Watcher In The Piney Woods" is the story of twelve-year-old Cassie Willis and her family. With Cassie's father and oldest brother away fighting for the South, keeping the family farm going has been a struggle. Then, the family is devastated when a letter arrives informing them that Jacob, Cassie's brother, has been killed. Cassie goes into the woods to be alone, but is grabbed by a deserter who is using her secret thicket for his hideout. Cassie escapes, but not before the man threatens Cassie and her family. After that, things begin to disappear from the farm, and Cassie gets the ominous feeling that somebody is watching her.

This is one of the better books in the "history mystery" series. Out of the eight we've read, my daughter says she rates this one second only to "The Smuggler's Treasure". I'm not surprised. A threat of real danger is established early in this story, and the tension is maintained throughout most of the book. The reader is kept wondering what is going to happen next, and that makes for a fun and entertainig read. As with the other stories in the series, this one also has something to teach about the history of the time and provides good role models for young readers. It's a good book for kids, and I recommend it highly to both kids and their parents.

Keeping their small Virginia farm running throughout the four long years of the Civil War has been difficult for twelve-year-old Cassie Willis and her family, especially after her father and her oldest brother Jacob leave to fight the Yankees. In the final days of the war, the family is devestated to learn that Jacob has been killed in battle. Overcome with grief at the death of her favorite brother, Cassie runs off into the woods to be alone. There, she encounters a deserter from the Confederate army who threatens her and her family. Then things start vanishing from the farm. At first, Cassie is sure the deserter is responsible. Then she and her other older brother, fourteen-year-old Philip, discover a young Yankee soldier who has escaped from a Confederate prison, and they decide he's to blame. Only the evidence begins to point to someone completely different than either of them could imagine. I highly reccomend this to those who read and enjoyed the other books in this series. It was exciting and suspensful, and the main character, Cassie, was very brave and resourceful.

This is-by far- my favorite History Mystery!
Cassie Willis is learning to "do without" materal things. However, when she and her family gets a disterbing letter saying that Jacob, her favorite brother, has died, Cassie runs away to Jacob's "secret fort"; there she meets a crazy deserter who threatens her family.
After a while, Cassie begins to forget about it. Until somethings start to go missing. Is it the desserter? Or somone eles?

It's during the Civil War and Cassie's father and brother have gone to war to fight. Later Cassie and her father get a disturbing letter. Cassie is so angry and upset that she runs into the woods where she and Jacob used to go. She sees a figure in the woods and decides to ignore it but when things mysteriously vanish from her house she wonders if the person in the woods might be causing all of this. Will the person in the forest cause more harm? Will he try to steal agian?

This is the second book I have read by Sasha Lord and I am so glad I have discovered her books. She is an amazing writer. I loved this book, it ahs everything I look for in a book, romance, passion, action, and drama.

I love Matalia's character, but she can be a bit too stubborn. Brogan is alot like Ronin's character in "Under a Wild Sky." He can be severly violent and angry to the point that you hate him and then he can be sweet and caring to the point that you love him.

Definatly read "Under a Wild Sky" before you read this book.

In the much-anticipated sequel to UNDER A WILD SKY, this new and promising author, delivers another scorchingly sensual action adventure featuring Matalia McTaver, the eldest daughter of Ronin and Kalial. Taught from childhood to wield a sword to protect herself and the forest of Loch Nidean she comes upon a traveler being set upon by a band of outsiders. Matalia, and the trio of wolves who travel with her, beat off the outsiders and save the traveler, Brogan O'Bannon. Rather than sending him on his way, the exquisitely beautiful and independent Matalia decides to keep the very handsome traveler to help her in her experiment to discover the secrets of the marriage bed. She thought that if she were experienced and could tell her mother that she knew what marriage was all about then she would not have to endure any more of their efforts to marry her off and be controlled by a husband.

Brogan O'Bannon was a fierce embittered warrior, traveling over the world to amass fortune and return home to satisfy the demands of his father to prove he was the stronger of two twins who were separated at birth. Waking up tied to a tree, he was infuriated at the attempts of this beautiful forest `faerie' who was conducting her `experiment' on him. Brogan later escaped his bonds, and showed her exactly what carnal pleasure was all about in a most wild and unrelenting way. Caught in her own experimental trap, Matalia would be forced by her parents into marriage and a bond with a man who would introduce her to an ecstasy far beyond her imagination if they could only both survive the danger, treachery and betrayal they would discover on his journey home.

Double WOW! If you like them hot, seat squirming sensual - along with a stellar love story, then this sequel to UNDER A WILD SKY is most definitely the book for you. The basic plot of identical twins, and the mistake of marking the eldest, who were separated at birth and raised with the ultimate goal of besting one another for an inheritance was a powerful story in itself. Combining it with a superbly drawn heroine who would teach the embittered man to love was both touching and poignant. In examining the fantasy aspect, this one was minimal in scope to the first book. Matalia's `gift' was more in `taming' wild animals with song rather then the mind link and talking to them which her mother did. The human relationships, the mind link between the twins, and the fully robust secondary characters all worked together to provide the reader with a monumental and fascinating page-turner. If this new author continues to deliver the quality I've seen in these first two books I predict another star in the making! Both books are exceptional examples of their sub-genre and are finding their way onto my keeper shelves! --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

IN A WILD WOOD brought together all the elements I look for a book- fantastic action, memorable characters, passion, and cliff-hanging plot twists. After reading Ms. Lord's first book, I wasn't sure she could keep up the pace, but boy has she! In fact, she has surpassed herself, and she is my new, favorite author.

IN A WILD WOOD is a story of brothers that are pitted against each other due to a terrible mistake. Their agony is clearly felt and cleverly developed, and when Matalia, the heroine, comes in and throws their obsessive fighting into turmoil, you don't know who to feel for the most. A woman like her is a powerful force, and I was enchanted! I couldn't put the book down, and now am panting to get the next one.

At a time he should feel euphoric for the birth of his heir, the embittered Earl feels anger at his wife because he believes she cheated on him though she denies his accusations. Worse, he learns that twins are born and that the midwife failed to identify which child came first. He informs his spouse that he will raise one child and she the other. The stronger lad will inherit the estate.

Years later, Xanthier has the inside path to the inheritance because his father raised him while Brogan was in exile with his mother. Although they were friends as lads without their parents' awareness, the siblings are now rivals. Xanthier's men tie up Brogan in the woods warning him to leave or die. Matalia McTaver sees Brogan and decides he is the answer to two questions: how to avoid marriage and what sex is all about. She teases and arouses her prisoner until he escapes. They share fleshly pleasures, but her father Lord Ronin catches them and forces Matalia and Brogan to marry. They fall in love as the brotherly rivalry, encouraged by Xanthier's avariciouse wife, heats up and threatens both their lives.

This exciting medieval romance is an intriguing historical relationship drama as the story line focuses on a dysfunctional family. The cleverly developed support cast either enhances the understanding of the two prime couples or moves forward the plot. Although Matalia is out character by keeping Brogan tied up and explanation for why the Earl thought he was cuckold is not clear enough, fans will appreciate this deep look at medieval relationships, several of which are failing.

Harriet Klausner

Blinded by jealousy and convinced his wife betrayed their vows, the Earl of Kirkcaldy sows the seeds of his family's turmoil the night she gives birth to twin sons. Banishing the countess, the earl also separates the twins and decrees that he and his wife will each raise a son, setting the stage for the bitter rivalry to come nearly three decades later.

A young hellion, Matalia McTaver is the eldest daughter of Ronin, Laird of the Clan McTaver, and Kalial, princess of a mystical forest kingdom. Pressured to marry by her parents, who worry about her wild ways, Matalia refuses to settle down but yearns for a taste of the intimacy between men and women. So when she finds a brawny, handsome stranger trussed up in the woods near her home, Matalia figures she's found the perfect partner. Unfortunately, her captive is no tame shepherd to be seduced, but a warrior on a mission of his own.

Having spent the last fifteen years amassing a fortune and gaining a fierce reputation in battle, Brogan O'Bannon knows the time has finally come to return to Kirkcaldy and be declared his father's heir. Unfortunately, two things stand in his way. The first is Xanthier, Brogan's identical twin. Raised by their father, Xanthier is his rival and nemesis, but forever connected to Brogan in that special way only twins know. The other problem is the beautiful young woman who rescues him from Xanthier's men only to capture him for use as a stud. Try as he might to resist her allure, Brogan and Matalia give in to desire only to be caught by her father. Bedded then wedded, this fiery pair must now find a way to deal with each other as they journey to Kirkcaldy for the ultimate confrontation with Brogan's father and brother.

Back in the 1980's historical romances had a certain tone and texture. They were larger than life, gritty dramas filled with passionate characters who bled, cried, and did things that made readers simultaneously cringe and shiver. Those stories disappeared in the next decade as historicals became kinder, gentler, and more politically correct. Well, guess what? A new age has dawned and everything old is new again, and Sasha Lord's IN A WILD WOOD leads the pack. The story swirls with classic elements like betrayal, rivalry, and regret, topped off with a healthy dose of good, old-fashioned lust. Brogan is very much a man of his time, while Matalia starts off as a young, spoiled girl who matures into a force to be reckoned with. Add in the varied cast of secondary characters and the result is a tale which is intense, believable, and electrifying.

The second in the Wild series (the first story, UNDER A WILD SKY, is Ronin and Kalial's story), IN A WILD WOOD can be read apart. But do you really want to miss the rest of this unique family? I highly recommend this book and series for a thrilling romance and an unforgettable adventure.

TheSchemer

This is one of those books that is new every time I pick it up. I've read it through several times. I've meditated on and searched deep inside myself for my personal answers to the section and chapter questions. What I've found is that as I change and grow, I read the book (or even just a section) from a new perspective..... and I discover something new, both in the contents of the book and in my answers to the questions. It's timeless. Jackie's vision for Life and Spirituality is inspiring. I thank her for this unique and powerful book.

Journey to Ultimate Spirituality is truly a blueprint for living in and from one's heart. The concepts presented are advanced and require more than one reading for complete understanding. The format of Journey is such that a book study group, either large or small, would benefit greatly . Jackie Woods presents this blueprint for being on a spiritual growth path based on more than 25 years of experience as a Teacher and Healer. Journey is a "must read" for any serious student of spiritual growth.

My initial response to this book was that I did'nt understand all the concepts, but I kept reading. The more I read, the more clear the reason for my confusion became evident. This book brings all the pieces that make up the person into context. The physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies are addressed and connections are made between all. I began to understand how one affects the other and most of all I learned that balance in all bodies can be achieved--it doesn't have to just be physical and mental or physical and emotional--that all areas working in realtionship are the keys that I've been looking for. Its a big plus to me that the emotions are included, not overlooked. This book is just what I've been looking for.

I have read this book several times because at each time I am a different person and get new meanings from each reading. I have learned that there are four voices in me (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual) each with their own vocabulary bringing experiences and knowledge and red flags of my whole life experience. This book helps me decipher these and grow from these, and it gives me the tools then to choose how I will live my life. It helps me be me and to live my life, not that of the dictates of patterns and society.

This book is packed full of guidance to your inner wisdom. It is for the person who truely wants to work on her spiritual growth path. It is for person who believes he can peel away layers of old patterns in a healing way. Jackie Woods shows us how to look at each of our 'untruths' and replace them with the light and the REAL truth. She is an amazing woman as well as an amazing spiritual teacher, and it is reflected in this books writings. I have been so moved by the insight her writing that I simply open the pages and see where I land and look at the piece of wisdom that's presented to me. The simple guidance offers clarity, focus, and a personal healing process EVERYONE will appreciate.

When I picked this up, I thought it would just be a horror book. The story of Dr. Jennifer List Gilbert, a very ordinary and lonely woman whose extraordinary and unwanted "gift" repulses all the other people in her life. It begins with a sociopathic intruder to the Gilbert home dying an inexplicable and painful death during a home invasion robbery. The story of the police officer trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious death is interwoven with the strange and sad life story of Dr. Gilbert. Scary, suspenseful, tragic - I've read this book so many times I've worn out my copy and need a new one! Definitely recommend.

When I picked this up, I thought it would just be a horror book. The story of Dr. Jennifer List Gilbert, a very ordinary and lonely woman whose extraordinary and unwanted "gift" repulses all the other people in her life. It begins with a sociopathic intruder to the Gilbert home dying an inexplicable and painful death during a home invasion robbery. The story of the police officer trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious death is interwoven with the strange and sad life story of Dr. Gilbert. Scary, suspenseful, tragic - I've read this book so many times I've worn out my copy and need a new one! Definitely recommend.

A truly unusual book written 20 years ago. I've read it several times to relive the thoughts of the main characters and their stuggles with the amazing power of Jennifer.

When on honeymoon in 1928, Tom and Kate List are in a motor car accident that leaves Kate with a broken hip. Not knowing she was already pregnant, she receives a turn-of-the-century x-ray during treatment. Nine months later, her daughter Jennifer is born.

Jennifer is different from all the other children, in an indefinable way. The only person who does not feel any discomfort in her presence is her own mother. Even Tom has an aversion to his daughter.

`The Killing Gift' is a story of Jennifer's achingly lonely life, alone as she grew up and alone as a young college woman and even alone after her eventual marriage. Starting with an incident of a broken vase when she was but a child, strange things happen around Jennifer when she is upset or cornered.

Her only friend is Ellen Compton, a beauty who is so self centered she has no room to fear what Jennifer is; and her husband Dr. William Gilbert is a kind and quiet man who does not notice much around him. Even in the presence of the only two people who have ever tolerated her, Jennifer is alone.

The book skips around from Jennifer's past to her present, when maniac killer Amos Roberts is found dead in the Gilbert's apartment. Assigned to the case is Captain David Stavitsky, a homicide cop obsessed with a case folder of criminals who escaped prosecution. Amos Roberts was one of his obsessions, until now.

Stavitsky digs into the death of Roberts with tenacity, uncovering Jennifer's past and trying to solve the mystery around the woman.

Absolutely perfect read for lovers of detective novels or horror novels, very fast and compelling storyline with enough shivers in it to leave a satisfying, tingling taste in your mouth. Enjoy!

This is a story about a woman who is a recluse. Attacked by an armed man, the main character kills him by wishing him dead. The homicide detective who investigates the crime becomes enthralled with this woman and her killing gift. Excellent suspense story, more suspense than horror. It's a Putnam Award Novel. definitely worth a look.

I really didn't want this book to end. My teacher gave it to me to read and I loved it so much!!!!! I felt like Sarah and Althea were my friends. It was like watching a movie, I could see everything so clear. I reccomend this story especially for kids who have to move away from their homes and feel lonely. I am 11 years old. I think boys would like Knock on Wood also because there's a boy main character too.

A wonderfully written book about a "wood fairy" viewed (with enclosed 3D glasses), that is magical and inspirational and relates to the growing up period in the young reader's life so marvelously.Compelling reading and a MUST for a sequel

A wonderfully written book about a "wood fairy" viewed (with enclosed 3D glasses), that is magical and inspirational and relates to the growing up period in the young reader's life so marvelously.Compelling reading and a MUST for a sequel

I read this book in class and when my teacher told us we had to put our books away I wanted to keep reading. I felt like I wanted to read it all in one day. All the characters in the book seemed real. Althea is a fairy that Sara sees in the wall. Sometimes I look up at my ceiling and see different faces so I could believe that Sara could see Althea in her wall. I think I would be scared if one of my faces started to move. I think it was cool that Sara and Althea became friends. I like the "magic" glasses that came with the book. I could see the fairy and other magic pictures that I couldn't see without them. I can't wait to see Susan Lipson's next book because I want to see what will happen to Sara and Althea next.

When lonely Sara discovers a wise and witty tree fairy trapped in a wood panel of her bedroom wall, moving out of her memory-filled home becomes complicated. Knock On Wood is wonderfully crafted novel for young readers ages 8 to 12 about relationships between family members, friends, mentors, and pupils. Knock On wood is a highly entertaining, reflective and thought provoking contemporary fantasy showcasing true life lessons in a unique and compelling fictional format.

A book I read for review at work.

Sabrina ad Dreama have a bad time when Harvey and her school's Football team decided to stop cleaning themselves after they win a match, due to the silly superstition. Much to Sabrina's horror, Dreama had cast a dreadful spell that would turn any supertitions as real as possible and they no longer recognise the world they are in. They can't cast any spells cause any spells would have a reverse effect. Salem has it worse, since Black cats are pretty much bad luck to any supertitious being.

Great book. I've finished it all in one go. A page turner and fast pace. A book thta would pull you in as soon as you sit down and read it.

I loved this book, it was excelent, its almost like watching sabrina the teenage witch on TV, but you are reading the book. Especially that was my first sabrina the teenage witch book that i ever ready, and because i liked this book i want to try all the others. Its like the book gave me a passion for reading Sabrina the teenage witch books! Its great! i really recomend to order this book, because if i liked it, maybe you will too!!!

We Win! Thats whats happening in Westbridge High, the football team seems to be winning games all of a sudden. So Brad says that all the football players should not change underwear, take showers, or even change socks, and of course the football players do just that! But once Sabrina finds out she is determined to stop all this sill superstition and get the football players to take showers. Just then a spell is cast, superstitions start to really come true. So when someone walks under a lader or brakes a mirror they have bad luck! What will Sabrina do?

I loved this book, it was excelent, its almost like watching sabrina the teenage witch on TV, but you are reading the book. Especially that was my first sabrina the teenage witch book that i ever ready, and because i liked this book i want to try all the others. Its like the book gave me a passion for reading Sabrina the teenage witch books! Its great! i really recomend to order this book, because if i liked it, maybe you will too!!!

As an 8th grade teacher, I love any book that keeps my kids reading, and according to the girls in my class, this is a must read. So I tried it, and really enjoyed it, even though I'm a bit older than the target market. Very cute, and it reminds me of my kids at school!

Spanish is our native language and we speak Spanish at home so that our kids learn both Spanish and English. This book is a simple story with rather rich language, my daughter got 3 or 4 words she had never heard before. Besides, my daughter loves the story and the pictures; she likes to look for the mouse and the ýpulgaý in all of the pages.

The language is simple and repeptitive, making this a great book to teach Spanish in Elementary and Middle grades. Illustrations are great. It's also a good book for native speakers practicing reading. I use it as a check-out book for English as a Second Language students, to motivate literacy acquisition.

My children enjoyed this book and it did not take to long to read. A good bedtime book.

The language is as beautiful and as rhythmic as the original English (I'm picky about translation.) This book is a big favorite at home.

My son loves this book as a must read every morning when he wakes up and every night before he goes to bed. We love searching for the mouse and the flea and seeing the movement of the characters before they end up on the bed or off of it. The colors and the change from night to day are so smooth you almost dont notice it.

This book resides on my Top Ten all-time favorite books. I reread it several months ago and was amazed that after more than a decade, I still remembered details vividly. The plot is fast-paced, the characters are wonderfully fleshed out and the story is thought-provoking and quite timely. In fact, based on the current state of U.S. dependence on oil, it's not unrealistic to believe that U.S. oil corporations would be utterly ruthless in attempting to destroy or control a new cheap source of energy. One day, we can only hope that somewhere there will be an Emily Brand for us!

A finely crafted tale of scientific possibilities apparently just beyond our grasp. A "what if" scenario of character, intelligence, power and true evil which rises to an exquisite level of tension and suspense. Emily Brand is so well drawn that I am still cheering for her; hoping she is out there somewhere, safe and working.

I'm not sure this is the correct book..am trying to locate it. Ipurchased the paper back sometime between 1985 and 1987.

Emily is a physicist who has finally figured out how to power a large city using only the atoms from a glass of water. Nuclear Fusion. No more power crisis, no more outrageous oil prices. She is not after money or glory or fame, she just wants to build the machine. For a character to be antisocial, terribly shy, and a genius you would think that they would also be hard to care about. Bari Wood really brings Emily to life although she is all of the above. You cannot resist rooting for this woman because she is entirely unselfish and is determined to bring her discovery out because of what it would mean to the country and the consumer, not to herself. The Corporate Bad Guy is indeed bad, heartless and intelligent. The character of the President was very well done, appearing hopeless and helpless until you realized he was hiding intelligence and a steel determination. Emily's true nemesis, a boy she does not even remember from school grown into a unfeeling monster with a pathological need to hurt Emily for a perceived insult to him years ago, one she is completely unaware of having committed. The pace of this book is fast, the action never stops. The characters are very well filled out, some chillingly so as in the case of David. I highly recommend this excellent book!

If you watched the movie "Chain Reaction" and liked it definitely read this book! What if Economical Cold Fusion was a reality? Inexpensive and Plentiful Energy. What would the Oil companies do to protect themselves from ruin? A Lady Physicist discovers the answer forcing her to run for her life. Her only hope is to make the President aware of her discovery before the powers at be catch up with her. Not too technical, but a real thriller.