Children Books

Not much new can be said on the Harry Potter series, so I'll just go with one impression from the recent read: Quidditch sucks as an actual sport. With 150 points for catching the Snitch, it's completely absurd, like if field goals in American Football were worth 10 points. The outcome of the game is almost entirely in the hands of someone that has nothing to do with the bulk of the gameplay or teams, and relies on an entirely different skillset. It's still convincing in terms of pointless English boarding school sports, but not as the unofficial sport of Rowling's wizarding world.

The rest of Rowling's worldbuilding is generally better, although never particularly organized or systematic; there are never any clear rules of magic. It's more a hodgepodge of various myths and tales and some inventions. None of it is startlingly original, but despite some occasionally stilted prose Rowling weaves it together remarkably well. None of the characters are particularly complex yet, and the plot is straightforward children's fare, but the book as a whole works better than the parts seem to sugggest.

It's obvious that Ms. Rowling put a great deal of thought into the structure of this book. Coming in very late to the whole Harry Potter phenomenon, I've come to understand why these books are so popular with kids and adults. The vocabulary isn't taxing to grownups (I'm 48 and an avid reader) as well as being a little bit challenging for the younger audience, which is a good thing. It also has plenty of colorful characters and enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested. This first installment in the seven-volume series lays an excellent foundation as well as leaving a few unanswered mysteries to keep me hooked. I enjoyed the first book and certainly intend on reading the next installment. It makes me feel like I'm a kid again.
(Also as a side note, if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Jim Dale's narration, you are missing a real treat. The CD's are worth every penny. My two boys have read the books, but listened to the CDs over and over.)

It's great to have this fine quality volume in my collection. I will buy every forthcoming "Anniversary" edition of the Potter series. With the J.K. Rowling's own sketch of Snape included here, I wonder why she did not illustrate all of her books. Her sketch of Snape is exactly how I imagined him and has much more gravitas and interest than the rather too whimsical drawings of her illustrator.

We all know and love this story. In this special anniversary addition, the publishers have included a beautiful painting of Hagrid and the First Years crossing the lake by Mary GrandPre as well as a hand drawn sketch of Snape by J.K. Rowling herself. The dust cover art is of Harry looking into the Mirror of Erised (my favorite chapter). The book itself is covered in Gryffindor house colors -- scarlet with gold stars all over it. I'm looking forward to collecting all seven anniversary editions for my home library.

I am a huge fan of Harry Potter, but I must say I did delay ordering this book. I just didnt think a new cover and a few extras was worth the price. Now, having seen the pictures put up by others, I am so glad I did order it! I think the new cover looks gorgeous and cant wait for Amazon to ship my order! (I am in NZ and so have selected for all my books to arrive in 1 shipment to save on postage. I just have to wait for the release of Beedle the bard and all my HP related books will be on their way to me...yay!)

Ms. Rowling apparently had a lot to say in this next installment of the series. Coming in at nearly twice the length of the previous story, the bulkiness does not detract from the good, solid storytelling. The author seamlessly brings new readers up to date in the life of Harry Potter by interjecting, throughout the book, facts from the previous three books. However, you will not truly appreciate the development of this wonderful wizardly world without reading them in sequence. Other reviewers have felt the need to list their favorites in this series, but the exercise is unnecessary. The first four books were very fun and easy reads. This stuff isn't meant to be Shakespeare, folks. Many, many adults and kids have gushed to me about how much they enjoyed all seven novels. Nothing in Ms. Rowling's books have soured me from soon reading the fifth installment. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

This book is great. It has very descriptive words and it is action packed with a lot of drama. This is my favorite Harry Potter book so far. In general, Harry Potter books are the best for me. Harry finds a romance, but sadly it may not go so well. The book is fantastic. At the end, something interesting happens, and I won't tell you what, so read the book.

I enjoyed this book and it was a very quick read. The characters are fun but I don't understand the hype around this book.

I've reviewed each of these books but keep being prompted to review them again. I can't praise the writing talent of J.K.Rowling enough. And again I will say, there should be more books and more movies that promote acceptance, tollerance, standing up for one's beliefs, values and what is right vs what is easy. There are too many books and too many movies that plant the idea of violence for violence sake to make us all ill. And, please excuse me if I offend anyone here; Why is it that anyone thinks they need to write a book about finding God in a work of fiction? And for those who have complained since day one about what a threat the Harry Potter books and movies are to so called Christians, if a work of fiction, a work of cinematic art can threaten your faith then you have no true faith to speak of therefore, please keep your squeemishness to yourself. God and Christ put forth the ideas of acceptance, tollerance, standing up for your beliefs standing up for your fellow human beings and for all living things. The Harry Potter books promote these same healthy valuable life lessons so if that is a threat to you, well, bless you for you know not.

This book is my favorite out of the first four. The reason I like the fourth book the best is because it has the most details. For example J.K. Rowling described the dragons that Harry fights against very well. She does it well because she uses examples skin color and various things like that. Another reason I like this book the best is because it has a lot of action. One example of action was when Harry had to fight a giant spider. Another moment of action was when Harry had to fight the dragons. Also there was an example of action when Harry had to fight the merpoeple.The last moment of action was when Harry fought he-who-must-not-be-named. The last reason I liked this book was because of the vocabulary. It was interesting how the cruciatus curse came from the Latin stem cruc. Another vocabulary word I learned was Yule which meant Christmas. Also my favorite vocabulary word was hippogriff. A hippogriff is a half horse half eagle. The reason I chose the word is because it sounded cool. These reasons are why I think it is the best book out of the first four Harry potter books.

J.K. Rowlings never lets her readers down Harry's quest to be happy stays alive in this book. Also, he gets to meet the only family he has left which makes Harry very Happy at the end of this sequel!!!!

I read this book a few years ago, when the the thrill of Harry was in it's prime. I've seen the movie more times than I can count and I must say the movie is excellent but not as good as the book. I've just reread this book and can't beleive all I had forgotten. It's truly a page turner. From the start when Harry spots the Grim to when Mr Weasley warns Harry of Sirius Black's escape and hunt for Harry the reader is hooked. The Maurader's Map is a great addition to the Invisibility Cloak. The first 2 books were good, but you truly don't get into Harry until this book. Ron and Hermione's relationship is beginning to bud. Hermione is truly the goody goody in this installment. There were times I was mad at her with Ron and Harry. Getting the history of Harry's father's friends helped the story advance with background. This book also helps paint the picture of Snape and his hatered for Harry. The introduction of the Patronus is excellent. It's just as amazing in the book and the movie did a great job of reproducing it. All in all, I loved this book and recommend it to everyone who enjoys magic and fantasy reads.

This series is fun for kids and adults. My son and I are reading it together!

Good, solid storytelling. Ms. Rowling's third installment in the Harry Potter series continues to add interesting characters and create an even more appealing magical world for the reader to escape into. Each book has shown the gradual evolution of Harry from a neglected, abused child and mentored into a honorable young man. But the character-building journey is certainly a bumpy ride for young Potter. Moral messages and the complexities of the human condition abound as each new story has been introduced to the public. One of the underlying messages of the book is that most problems in life are not simply black and white, but more complicated. To convey this point in a fun, exciting manner is the sign of great writing. There's real heart to this series and deserves a wide readership.

I read this a long time ago and recently read it again. It is so good. I love the way that for once voldemort is not the center of this and I love the way you hear about the Marauders. I just have like, the perfect picture in my mind of them. This is one of my favorites in the whole series.

Since there's already thousands of reviews on Ella Enchanted, there's no need to go into detail. I'll just say that this book is fabulous and has everything I could want in a book. It's wonderfully written with action, adventure, humor, wit, and a beautiful love story that isn't too mushy. I like re-reading this book so much that this is the second time I've bought it; my first copy was misplaced. This one is definitely Gail Carson Levine's best.

It's getting harder to find what I feel is appropriate reading material for my 12yr old daughter. She's not interested in the fantasy and mythology type books, she's a little too old for the kid's fairytales and not yet ready for the high school romance and more grown up subject matter. Ella Enchanted was a great find. A modern day twist on the old Cinderella classic with much better and more detailed character development then I expect for this age of audience.

The fantasy fiction book I read this month is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.

This story is about a young girl named Ella. When Ella was an infant she was cursed with obedience by a fairy named Lucinda. Lucinda gives people gifts that will curse them forever. Later on in the story, Ella tells a girl named Hattie her secret. Hattie takes advantage of her and tells her what to do all the time. Ella's mother dies so all she has left is her father, Mandy, and Prince Char. Her father is always trading away from home, Mandy is her servant and fairy godmother, and Prince Char is her best friend. In this story Ella struggles with the curse while going through bad and good adventures.

I liked this book a lot because it tells of a young girl with all her challenges and how she solved them. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be in her position. I think this book is suited for middle school students.

This book is seriously one of my all time favorites even though I read it back in middle school hahahah. But the story is really good and I recommend it to all my friends that are girls, no matter what the age is.

I have read Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted three times now, and every time I do it gets even better. Ella Enchanted takes the classic tale of Cinderella and enlivens it with spunk, humor, and personality.

At Ella's birth, a rather overzealous fairy named Lucinda blesses her with the gift obedience. From then on, she must do what she is commanded, whether she must do her chores, eat her entire birthday cake, or even kill, Ella is powerless against the will of her "gift." When her mother suddenly dies, Ella is left to be cared for by many non-caring persons: her often-absent and greedy father, her voluptuous step-mother, and horse-faced and devious step-sisters. But Ella's tenacity keeps her fighting for her own free will as she searches for a way to relinquish Lucinda's gift.

Ella's adventurous and charming nature keeps you smiling for the entirety of the book as she challenges hungry ogres, tricks her evil-stepsisters, tracks fairies, slides down castle banisters, and falls for the dashing Prince Charmont.

Levine incorporates the iconic elements of the Cinderella tale, such as glass slippers, a pumpkin coach, and the infamous ball, while breathing life into the surrounding plot and characters. It is a novel that I could read again and again, and has instantly become one of my favorites.

The novel is an ideal young adult princess/fantasy book for girls around middle school age, and is completely appropriate and innocent. It is typically around 230 pages and is a fast and uncomplicated read that can be enjoyed by youth and adults.

Levine has written many other books as well. I have read Fairest. (Ella Enchanted is still my favorite and always will be.) Both books follow a similar theme and give a similar message: the quest of a female protagonist who must accept/discover her true identity and self-worth, and is rewarded for her high character and tenacity.

Ella Enchanted is a must-have for every girl/woman.

The first two books in this series are a good read for 6-9 graders (advertised for these grades) but the 3rd and 4th series have some serious moral issues for this group. Alanna sleeps with three different guys in the last two books. I don't want my 6th grader to read these.....

A tale of growing up and acceptance with a strong female lead who shows, without being ultra feminist, that girls can accomplish anything that boys can.

Admittedly a huge fan of the "women-warrior, disguised as a man" characters, I have been disappointed time and again by peoples take on them, but not this time. The take on magic, the involvement of the gods, and the world, which holds different morals, gave to a very interesting atmosphere for the books to be set in. Alanna is a character that I couldn't help cheering for, and identifying with.

Granted as others point out, this is very obviously a first novel that will kick-off a series. And while I did enjoy it, I do prefer to have series of novels have the ability to be stand-alones.

A terrific kick-off, to what I hope to be a wonderful series.

My Mom bought me the series 10 years ago when I was 13... Since then I have read them over and over and over... I find them impossible to tire of and once I start reading I don't want to put it back down... although by now I have half the books memorized.
I started reading these books when I was 13 years old and loved them... now at 23 years old- I still love to read this series.
The Immortals series is excellent as well.

I did not realize when I bought these books that they were for young adults, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alanna's adventures, friends and family. Alanna proved to the men again and again that "anything you can do I can do better". A great message to put out there for young girls. And even though it took me 1 day to read each book I just couldn't stop until I was done!

My daughter started reading this book at age 12, and has had it for 2 years. She still loves to go back and read selections of love, hope, courage. Give your teenager something worth reading! :)

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

Once again, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books has a hit. This is a wonderful gift for young teens with its easy read of short stories on pertinent topics and experiences teens face. Teens I have given it to as a gift have loved it and purchased the next in the teen series. Also a source of good talking points for those anxiety ridden moments or social issues teens face.

I am a teacher in two high schools and I like to read the stories of the book to my students from time to time to inspirate them and reinforce their teenage self esteem! I suggest it to all teacher to make the same with a nice calm background music.

Oh how I felt for this child. My heart was torn in two. Child abuse just astounds me. How does it happen. And then the ignorance of the legal system! The school dragging their feet along, knowing something was wrong. I cried through this book.

Some of the writing is uneven, the plot a little bit disjointed, but in fairness to the author, he is writing from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy.

This book is vitally important, because there still isn't much in the way of non-fiction written by grown men who were abused as children. Their needs are completely different from those of girls. Pelzer's reaction to being placed into his first foster home - literally bouncing off the walls, jumping on all the beds, is perfectly normal behavior for a boy who has been abused. At times, boys taken into foster care are doubly abused, by well-meaning caretakers who don't understand the unique temperament of the abused male child.

In my view, the system very nearly failed Pelzer by shifting him from one placement to another, often at the last minute. However, his positive attitude is truly inspiring, and he has only praise for the social workers and foster parents he dealt with as a child.

It is impossible for a normal person from an intact Brady-bunch family to understand why a child, placed into a loving and safe second home, would start acting insane and doing everything they could to get kicked out of that home. It's a child's fantasy that holds out even into teenage years, that somehow, being kicked out of a foster home means that they're one step closer to going home, even if deep down, they honestly know that they can't ever live with their parents again.

I highly recommend this book to any person considering becoming a foster parent, and for people who are employed as caretakers in group homes or who work with children and young adults in placement. The writing style is easy enough to appeal to even a middle-school age child, especially one that is already in foster care.

I also enjoyed this book as much as A Child Called "IT". This also made me cry as much as as the first one. I could not put it down as well.

This book among others written by Dave have left me riveted. I can't put them down. All I see is a man who has overcome the circumstances placed before him. He is such an inspiration, I only wish more people would read his books and make something out of their lives, instead of playing the victim (which is much easier to do)

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer is a sequel to the heartbreaking memoir, A Child Called "It". Pelzer explains what happened after he was taken away by his abusive mother and neglectful father. This book is really uplifting and moving. I highly recommend this fascinating story and his quest to find a foster family who will love him unconditionally. Enjoy!

Absolutely loved it! I have ordered two more books by this author and am sure it won't be the last.

Like Gone With the Wind, Lonesome Dove is a critically acclaimed Pulitzer-Prize winning commercially successful novel about family hardships during the end of an American era. It also compares with The Godfather and Shogun as a great epic story with many fascinating characters in life-and-death plots. This is not merely a cult favorite, but is widely admired by readers who love good literature.

In early 2003 I first read this tome after eighteen years of having wrongly scorned it as being JUST a cowboy Western. I re-read it in 2008. If you've not read this because it is set in the fabled American Old West, you're denying yourself a delicious reading experience. Readers used to rapid page-turning, short quick chapters, and simple concepts (not that there's anything wrong with that) may not find this to their taste, but as commercial literature for mature adults, this is excellent.

Like Tolstoy's War and Peace, this is a sprawling book, a mass of life, though all the structural elements of the traditional three-act drama are present. It was originally written as a feature film.

Reasonable minds may differ on a short summary. Objectively, this is a post Civil War story about a cowboy trail boss and his best friend, former Texas Rangers, who lead a team of men who drive three thousand cattle from Texas to Montana. Most of the story takes place on that difficult drive, which is filled with well-developed subplots. Only one of the two main characters survives it, so I'd classify this in retrospect as a tragedy.

But, reading it without knowing the end, this is a grand experience full of comedy, misery, and triumph as they decide to undertake the travel, go on the travel, and arrive at their fated destinations. The character that died had lived a full life with few big regrets; the other character had to go on living with his big regrets.

My regret is that I waited so long before reading this.

Put this one your reading list. This novel endures.
Robert Beattie

I was pretty disappointed with this book. Only a couple characters are actually interesting and almost all of them are one-dimensional. Their actions often do not make sense and are totally irrational. Maybe I do not know much about the west but it seems really easy to die on a cattle drive and whores are really well accepted. The deaths seem implausible and it is amazing how much these men cry. The request and quest at the end of the book were stupid and very annoying. Call, a main character, acts totally out of character at the end. All the characters seem to be at extremes, for example: extremely dumb or very smart. There are two types of men in this book: ones who fall instantly and hopelessly in love with every woman they see, and those who would never touch a woman. There are one two types of women: proffessional whores and then amateur ones.

It took a very long time to get to any meaningful part of the plot. It also seemed like there were only about 20 people living west of the Mississippi because the same characters constantly encountered each other after traveling long distances. The whole book seemed kind of pointless when I was done reading and like a waste of time. Maybe I missed some great message that McMurtry wrote into the book.

Though published in 1985, this classic reached its peak in the 1990's with the film. The movie in this case did not hurt the book, as it was well done, but as is often the case did not elicit the same response as reading the novel, chapter by chapter. A richer flavor of the west is seen through the eyes of the reader, whereas the film concentrates more on the characters relationships, perhaps for broader appeal outside the genre. Anyone that enjoys the old west with a touch of humor and pathos will identify with McMurtry's rich tale.
George E. Miller, author of The Lone War Cry

This is one of those rather rare books that can be classified as a "cross over book." That is, you really need not be a fan of the Western genre to appreciate and enjoy reading it. I fall into that category. While I have certainly read Westerns from time to time, I do not particularly like them nor do I seek them out. This work is quite different though. I have to admit that I have actually read this thing twice over the years and if I make it much longer, will probably read it again one of these days. I was that impressed with it.

The story or plot has been reviewed to death here, so I will not dwell on that aspect of the novel that much. Suffice to say the setting take place from Texas to the northern U.S. and points in between. It takes place during the latter part of our western expansion period. The tale centers around a cattle drive from Texas and then north. One of the beauties of this book though, is that McMurty has woven quite a number of tales, plots and subplots into this story but has done it in a way that there is not mass confusion for the reader and they all, i.e. the subplots are indeed linked in various ways.

For me though the story was almost secondary. The strength of this work lies in the characters the author has so well developed. From page one you absolutely become involved with each and ever individual McMurtry introduces, even the bad guys. The author has the ability to make the reader feel he is there with them, seeing what the characters see, feeling what the character feels. Secondly, the physical description of the country, area and location of this (or these) tales is second to none. I have had the opportunity to have either lived, visited or extensively travel in or through all the locations mentioned in this book and can attest to the fact that the author has nailed them perfectly. His vivid and accurate descriptions of the country are second to none. Third, I love McMurtry's humor. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of his ploys. On the other hand, when the author records grim happenings, they are truly grim and you feel those as much as you do any other part of this story.

I truly feel this is one of the better novels written over the last 40 years or so and truly deserved a Pulitzer for it. I doubt that most readers, i.e. those that actually read the book, will not enjoy each and every word. As an added bonus, there has been a wonderful movie made of this story and unlike most instances, the movie is almost as enjoyable (not quite) as the book. I do recommend this work very highly. McMurtry is a natural story teller and has the wonderful ability to record his stories in the written word. If you have not already done so, give this one a read. I seriously doubt you will be sorry.

We only recently found out that all our copies of The Count of Monte Cristo were abridged. We checked this out of our local library and liked it so much we bought a copy for our home library. The type setting is very readable and best of all, it's not abridged.

The story is a classic and a great read. I recommend it for everyone.

I boutht this for my Grandson freshman class in World History. He enjoyed the book and recieved a good grade on his report

The book arrived in excellent condition and it has been a delightful book to read.

I've often heard of references to this book, but never had an occasion to read it. After reading "Lone Survivor", I was curious to read "The Count of Monte Cristo". Dumas certainly set the bar high for all those to follow in this genre. The intrigue and twists are exceptional. A classic which should be a "must read".

How does one review a classic? Especially one so noteworthy as to have demanded the creation of 11 or more film variations, numerous adaptations, and even television series? I long avoided reading this novel due mainly to it's daunting size, and the fear that it's translation would cause the reader more work than I was willing to put into it. However my burning desire to know the true tale of Edmond Dantes overruled my hesitation.

The story, for those of you who are unfamiliar, follows Edmond Dantes in his wrongful imprisonment at the hands of his friends, his 14 years in the Chateau D'If, his escape and rebirth as a self proclaimed hand of vengeance against those who had wronged him. If you have only seen the movies, the book, particularly the ending, is far different than what Hollywood has created. There are no dramatic duels, no massive swordfights with brigands, and not everyone who we believe should, lives happily ever after. This is instead a slow but genius work of Dantes methodically stripping away all that his enemies held dear to them, at whatever cost. None die by his hand, but are rather destroyed by his influence, and their own evil choices come back to haunt them.

The story itself is genius, interesting and very fun. The writing, particularly the translation that I read, is an often difficult and sometimes tedious work that one may need a notebook to keep straight. The cast of characters is very large and they are often referred to by different names, making it a bit more difficult to keep track of who is who without some sort of note taking. I was not smart enough to take notes, and thus had to spend quite a bit of time searching my brain to make sure I was thinking of the correct person as I read, particularly with some of the more minor story lines and the characters that weaved in and out of the story with multiple chapters between their appearances. Also, this book will probably be disappointing to those who are interested in the action that the movies provided. The Count of Monte Cristo, does not come in with guns blazing, but rather plays a very well thought out and disturbing game of mental chess against his opponents. As readers we hope for their downfall, but also wonder how far the Count will go... his years of imprisonment have left him hardened and disturbingly without remorse at the use of innocents to gain his vengeance. As he plays his pieces we wonder just who will be sacrificed, and who will have the chance to live happily ever after in this dark world of Dumas.

Readers of more modern novels may have trouble with this book because of the sheer volume of concurrent story lines, all of which are necessary for understanding the strings being pulled by the Count. But to remember the tale of the lovers, the orphan, the bandit, the banker, the ship builder, the assassin, the count, the princess, the steward, the military man, the lawyer, the cheating husband and wife, the lost love, the musician, the buried baby, the dying father, the paralyzed grandfather, the murderess, the thief, the countess, the emperor and all of their relations, can be quite a daunting task for any reader. Still each of these stories could be a book of their own, keeping the reader quite entertained, but Dumas has managed to weave them all together into one, brilliant and shining tale... if you can keep them straight through the end.

What surprised me most was the ending of this story. It was not what I wanted, or hoped for. True I loved Haidee, and wanted nothing but her happiness... but many seemed to be left in suffering that did not deserve the fate that they were bound to. I will not elaborate for fear of spoiling the ending... but this does not end on a Hollywood, "they all ride off into the sunset" ending. Perhaps the meaning of the story is not all about revenge, but rather what damage the hunt for vengeance can bring to not just those who have wronged you, but to all those that surround you. The downfall of selfishness; be it falsely imprisoning someone to gain what you may, to the selfishness of vengeance... there is so much meaning in this book, I can see why it is so often "required reading." Though I highly recommend this book, I would advise you attempt to read it with others either in a class or a reading group so that you can discuss all of the rich meaning behind Dumas's words.

I purchased this book for my best friend who is having a boy come this December. I did so because I remember so many good memories when my parents read it to me as a child that I wanted him to share those kinds of memories with his son. Despite other reviews of saying this book is "pointless" or "dark and scary", we the reader don't always need to put on our critical, psychoanalytical, or marxist lens and analyse the books we read our children. Doesn't that take the magic out of books like this? Moreover, this book is about fun monsters and the imaginary lands that children go to when they are asleep or playing in our back yards. This book is a must for any child who is learning to or not quite yet ready to read. Furthermore, the images in this book are stunning and should captivate young audiences.

The illustrations in this book really caught my eye. My favorite one was when all the wild things were howling at the moon. I enjoyed how the text stretches over a few pages and keeps the reader interested.

Where the Wild Things Are
I purchase this book for my two year old grandson, he loves to hear his poppa read it to him. It is the only way I have found to get a two year old grandchild to set still for about 15 minutes.

Love the book remember it from when I was a child.

Briefly, the story revolves around Max, a young boy who behaves naughtily and is sent to bed without supper. In his room, he is transported to another world "where the wild things are" where he is made king of the wild things. After having his fill of leading the wild things, he returns to his room to find his supper left on his dresser.

This story strikes an interesting balance between the real world of Max and his family and Max's dream world "where the wild things are". Whereas in the former world his actions are seen as naughty and are decried, the dream world provides Max not only with the ability to act in the way he wants but also to have those actions sanctioned and praised by those around him.

Beyond that, even, is the amount of control Max can exert in each world. The real world limits him and he is almost totally at the mercy of his parents who send him to his room. In the wild world, even before he becomes king of the wild things, he is able to control the other wild things and his power is unlimited. An interesting question to ask is whether Max would be as naughty as he is if he believed himself to have more power in the real world.

The conclusion of the story seems to come mostly as the author stumbles over himself to wrap up the story. It is unclear why the angry parents would reward Max's behavior or why they would negate the punishment meted out at the beginning of the story. I found the warm supper waiting for Max upon his return from the wild world to be somewhat out of place. I understand, perhaps, that even bad kids are loved and that may be the moral being taught here, but it is strange that Max just receives the food out of the blue with no remorse on his part.

The book is a fun story and holds the attention of my 3 year old. He loves when I improvise the roaring and gnashing. Throwing in a little Troggs "Wild Thing" during the rumpus makes story time a little bit more fun too. I don't think the strange lesson at the end ruins the story, and I'm not sure that the target audience of this book would be able to figure it out in the first place. 4 stars for a fun book that holds kids' attentions.

I just read this the other day to my first grade class, and it turns out I had forgotten just how gorgeous this book is!

It's the story of a boy named Max who imagines himself to another world: an island dominated by monsters, aka "wild things". No, it's not freakishly complex, but it is a kids' story.

It tells of one of the most important things we have: the power of imagination.