The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After

Book Description

Ten years have passed since Kate and Cecy married Thomas and James, and England is now being transformed by the first railways. When the Duke of Wellington asks James to look into the sudden disappearance of a German railway engineer, James and Cecy's search reveals a shocking truth: The railway lines are wreaking havoc with ancient underground magic, which could endanger the very unity of England. Meanwhile, Kate has her hands full taking care of all their children, not to mention the mysterious mute girl they rescued from a kidnapper!

Written in letters between Kate and Cecy--and between their husbands--this installment of the cousins' adventures is another satisfying blend of magic, mystery, adventure, humor, and romance.

Customer Reviews:

Magic and intrigue in the British countryside.......2007-09-14

It's 1828, 10 years since the eventful honeymoon trip chronicled in The Grand Tour, and James and Cecy Tarleton and Thomas and Kate Schofield have settled down to a quiet and contented life in the country. The Tarletons have four children--twins Arthur and Eleanor, nine; Diana, four; and Alexander, an infant. The Schofields have two sons, Edward, six, and baby Laurence. Then the gentlemen's old commanding officer, the Duke of Wellington, recently created Prime Minister, gets in touch. A German magician/engineer, Herr Schellen, has mysteriously disappeared, and the Duke wants James to find him. Since James has no magical skills at all, Cecy must accompany him, which means that the four young Tarletons have to be parked with their "Aunt" Kate--whose sister, the beautiful and fashionable Georgina (now married to Daniel, the Duke of Waltham), has arrived without warning at the very start of the London Season. Then it turns out that several of the children have inherited the parental gift and are experimenting with magic themselves. While Kate tries to cope with this juvenile precocity and with her sister's moods--plus a mysterious prowler who seems immune to her attempts to bespell him--the Tarletons become entangled with a sinister brother and sister, the fittingly named Webbs, whose ancestral home is a nexus of the mysterious ley lines Herr Schellen was supposed to be investigating in connection with the new railroads now being lain across England. When Edward Schofield is inadvertantly kidnapped by what appears to be a female tinker (she isn't), Kate also finds herself responsible for a little girl who not only has a regal bearing suitable to a queen but refuses to talk to any adult. (If you've read any amount of English history you'll guess well ahead of time who Drina really is.) Comic transformations and a vividly described magical duel are among the high points of the tale, which, like its predecessors, is skilfully paced and wonderfully complex, yet in the end is neatly resolved, and also increases our understanding of the magic of this just-slightly-alternate world. With a copyright date of 2006 and the promise that the children will be put in charge of competent magical tutors, we may well look for yet another volume in the adventures of Kate, Cecy, and their families.

The Magician Trap.......2007-03-23

The Mislaid Magician (2006) is the third Fantasy novel of the Cecy and Kate series, following The Grand Tour. In the ten years since the last magical adventure, Cecelia has birthed the nine year old twins, Arthur and Eleanor, four year old Diana and the baby Alexander. Katherine now has six year old Edward and baby Laurence. In 1828, their life seems to revolve around the nursery.

In this novel, James is called to London to meet with the new prime minister, the Duke of Wellington. While he is gone, Arthur detects a prowler on the grounds of Tangleford Hall and Cecy casts a Greater Cessation spell on him. She expects the intruder to be immobilized, but instead he creeps away, gaining more speed with greater distance.

James receives orders to investigate the disappearance of a Prussian railway surveyor-magician. He and Cecy will be leaving soon for Leeds to discover the whereabouts of Herr Magus Franz Wilhelm Schellen. Apparently the duke has not considered the uproar that would ensue with both parents leaving their children behind.

Naturally, Kate agrees to take the children into the Schofield household. She sends Thomas to meet with the Tarletons in London and take the children in hand for the trip back to Skeynes. While at the Bull and Mouth, Arthur sees the prowler in the stables and gives chase, only to lose contact due to an altercation with a stable boy.

After much too long a ride, Thomas finally arrives back home and lets lose the Tarleton children among his own. Since they are returning to a familiar estate, the children soon reestablish old connections. This time Arthur gets Thomas to teach him how to scry with a bowl of ink and the children start using this skill to play a new form of hide and seek.

In Leeds, James soon discovers traces of the surveyor-magician. He also runs into Daniel, the Duke of Waltham and errant husband of Georgy. The duke is staying with Ramsey and Adella Webb, who invite the Tarletons to the house party at Haliwar Tower.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Waltham has appeared at Skeynes in a very despondent state, shedding tears on the carpets and furniture. Despite Kate's best efforts, Georgy refuses to discuss her problems. Only the children provide some relief from her vaporish mood; indeed, she is quite cheerful with the babies.

Arthur and Eleanor begin detailed mapping the grounds of Skeynes. Edward develops an interest in the household wards. Then another child joins the nursery and Diana becomes her devoted follower.

Like its predecessors, this story is a mystery with magical overtones. Naturally, Thomas is the best trained magician in the group, but Cecy is quite proficient. Kate knows fewer spells -- actually only three -- but she is very competent with those; in fact, she demonstrates great strength with those spells when her children are threatened. Then there are the twins, who develop surprising competency with scrying spells.

Highly recommended for Wrede & Stevermer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of domestic crises, magical and mundane investigations, and political conspiracies in a historical milieu.

-Arthur W. Jordin

better than book 2 but still searching for the magic.......2007-01-20

I will assume the reader has read Sorcery And Cecelia. If not, go out and do so right away.

The second book was a letdown in many ways, but this third book does better at capturing the spark that made the first one so fun. Part of this is that, as in the first one, the main characters are separated the entire time. All we see are letters they write to each other.

The problem is that the plot is weak. Very weak. The bad guys are silly and not directly threatening, their motivations are boring, and we never get the sense of mysterious evil that we have in the first book.

Also, the railroad thing was probably something that sounded like a good idea but, in the end, didn't really work. There's no real resolution of it, nor is it really important.

In fact, resolution is a problem all around, because everything gets resolved much to quickly and with not nearly enough direct input from the main characters.

All that being said, the characters feel real and likeable again. This would have been a great second book -- another look at some wonderful characters even though the plot doesn't really hold water. As a third book it's a little more disappointing, because I expect more plot from a third book.

My guess is that if there is a fourth book, it will be about the kids. At least, that's what it should be about!

About on parr with the second book.......2007-01-14

It might be that I read the second two books in this series more sporadicly than the first and so I didn't fully grasp the plot, on the other hand I didn't read them as quickly because the plot did not fully grab me. If I could I would probably give it a 3.5 because I didn't find it all that memorable. the first book really made an impression which seems to have been fading ever so slightly with each consequential book.

Shifting from how the second book was written this is again in pure letter form, with additional missives from James and Thomas (I agree that they might be a bit excessive and that like in the second where we had more than one person narrating the same set of events it got slightly tedious at times).

Again like the second one Ithought it focused too much WAY WAY toomuch on the mechanics of the magic. Not only were James and Cecy bored to tears with ley lines and locomotives, so was I. Those poor characters their plot only got really interesting towards the very end when every one kept turning into dogs.

This might be the difference in the strengths of the authors, but I found the Kate and Thomas storyline much more interesting, it was rolicking and moving and less stagnent and technical than Cecy and James. (Ironic since Kate and Thomas stay at home while Cecy and James travel the country side)

They have been saddled with the care and keeping of all of Cecy and James' children--alot. In addition they find another child, the almost mute Drina. Thomas is still wonderfully Thomas and writes some of the funniest letters towards the end in regards to a certain dog. Georgy has a plot as well, which I found very amusing (she has a penchant for sappy poetry, how apropos)

Still a fun read but I wouldn't put off reading it too long after the first and second because things might get forgotten in the interim.

Mediocre Sequel.......2007-01-11

After the first two collaborations by these authors, I was looking forward to yet another adventure. While this book was all right, it missed out on being great. The plot was a little thin, and the characters tame in comparison to past attempts. In sum, worth a read but maybe not a purchase.

Average customer rating:

GREAT book for beginners
A Gothic Silver RavenWolf
Enlightening
Pseudo-religionism
Quality Work

Nocturnal Witchcraft: Magick After Dark
Konstantinos
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0738701661

Book Description

THE POWERS OF NIGHT

Nocturnal Energies differ from those of Daylight and Witches have long known how to take advantage of Lunar Powers and the spiritual entities that prefer the darkness for particular magical operations.

This innovative book explores special techniques for working with the Night Powers and the subtle effects of dark symbols to:

Cast a Nocturnal Magick Circle Invoke the Dark Gods and Goddesses Skry the Night Open the Gates to the Underworld Cast Spells through the Dark Ether Explore the symbolic realm of shadow, illusion, and the mysteries of the Unknown

You will learn to find your Inner Quiet, Read Minds through the Ether, Dream for Change, Create and Use Thought Forms, Alter Reality through simple Spells and Rites, and use the powers of Magnetism and Suggestion. And you will Explore the Mysteries of Death and to Speak with the Dead.

The Dark balances the Light. Do not fear it but equally embrace it.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT book for beginners.......2007-10-08

this is a really good book for beginners teaches you how to make your own spell and all of the sorts.in the beginning he gives his own veiws on the dark side and allow anyone who's competent to understand it better...

A Gothic Silver RavenWolf.......2006-11-10

This book is a laugh and not much else. This guy is the uberpale, black-eyeliner-wearing, black-hair-dying version of Silver RavenWolf: cheesy, full of himself and completely useless.

Aside from that, the idea of nocturnal witchcraft is highly impractical. Yes, a lot of us are night people and work better at night. But this guy is practically suggesting a WORSHIP of the night, like some sort of Wiccan vampire or something.

Don't waste your money or time on this book. You have better things to do at night, like REAL witchcraft, or even sleep!

Enlightening.......2006-05-29

Although most people have a misconception of witchcraft, it is only because they hate and fear what they do not understand. This book explains everything very well, and is easy to relate to if you are more of a "night" person that feels more empowered by the night. I related to this book so well because he makes references about his life habits and interests that seemed to be similar to my own.

Pseudo-religionism.......2006-02-11

I knocked this book from someone that ordered it, but got to the store after me :-). I made the mistake to buy the book by the sound of its title. And author. I fell for it this time..... It is not the first Konstantinos text I buy and must say, this one helped me make up my mind. It seems highly obvious that the author is abusing the commercial value of the "black arts" to get to the spectrum of rebellious teenagers that would "sell their soul" just to make a statement at large. Well well, if that aren't following the routes of the christian church we so dire to critisize.... The practical aspects are not well thought through and I suspect, just as unknown to the author as to the guys that made the front page. Practise is either made as difficult as possible, or serves as an example of the inability of the author to explain some basic concepts. It does show that the author is jack of all trades, but master of none. I would advise readers that are seriously interested in the topic to acquire the texts of Frater U.D., which I find much more fascinating, as well as educational. I would therefore advise this text for any pseudo-black-art-wannabe with little interest in the occult.

Quality Work.......2005-08-31

with all the flower and crystal type new age books on the market claiming to "know" the truth about magick it is nice to see a book that takes a realistic look at an often misunderstood faith. now this is not to say that nocturnal magick is more or less than any other legitimate forms of goddess/god worship merely this book is a perfectly written overview of one aspect of the religion. Konstantinos is an excellent writer who manages to get into the history and logistical aspects of night time magick without it reading like a shopping list or sounding like a 101 course. a perfect book for those who wish to learn something not extracted from ignorant 30-second soundbytes on the evening news, a must read and highly recommended.

May Bird and the Ever After: Book One (May Bird)

Average customer rating:

Rare fun, indeed.
Well-written book, didn't like the subject or the ending though
Okay, however...
MayBird Review
May Bird

May Bird and the Ever After: Book One (May Bird)
Jodi Lynn Anderson
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 141690607X

Book Description

Most people aren't very comfortable in the woods, but the woods of Briery Swamp fit May Bird like a fuzzy mitten. There, she is safe from school and the taunts and teases of kids who don't understand her. Hidden in the trees, May is a warrior princess, and her cat, Somber Kitty, is her brave guardian.

Then May falls into the lake.

When she crawls out, May finds herself in a world that most certainly does not feel like a fuzzy mitten. In fact it is a place few living people have ever seen. Here, towns glow blue beneath zipping stars and the people -- people? -- walk through walls. Here the Book of the Dead holds the answers to everything in the universe. And here, if May is discovered, the horrifyingly evil Bo Cleevil will turn her into nothing.

May Bird must get out.

Fast.

Customer Reviews:

Rare fun, indeed........2007-08-12

This is one of the most enchanting books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I fell instantly in love with the wonderfully witty May and her uglier-than-sin cat, named, of all things, Somber Kitty, and could not put the book down from start to finish. The ending, though, open-ended, still had a certain sense of closure as well. Without giving too much away, I couldn't help but sniffle. And, personally, I can't think of a more satisfying ending to such a great story than discovering it's just the beginning.

That said, this book is not for everyone. I imagine if you asked the author her favorite films, The Sixth Sense and Beetlejuice would be high on the list. Literary influences include Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and LotR which also have their share of darker elements.

I recommend this book to people of any age who delight in the macabre and can appreciate well-written fantasy horror stories, kids who are looking for a more intelligent, original alternative to those awful Goosebumps books and to the parents of such children.

So far, my sister, her sons and my mother have all read the book upon my recommendation and fallen equally in love with it.

Well-written book, didn't like the subject or the ending though.......2007-07-03

As I started reading May Bird and the Ever After, I had high hopes for it. The cover art was well done with a cute picture of May Bird on a spooky background scene. The Kirkus Review of "Rare fun" promised more than the book could deliver. This review, the cover synopsis and the misleading 'cute' aspect of the cover art didn't fully prepare me for what I found inside. The story of May's unhappiness at school and at home was fairly short. What was truly surprising was the graphic nature of the world that May Bird fell into. It was so creepy and so awful that I had a hard time finishing the book.

In its defense, the book is well-written. I was compelled to finish it. It moves quickly and the main characters are endearing. But the environment, supporting cast of ghosts and ghouls as well as the threat of being doomed to 'nothingness' was overly done especially for the age group to which it is aimed.

The ending was also unexpected and unsatisfactory. Without giving away what happens, suffice it to say that it was quite disappointing. I do not like to be left with the feeling that I must buy the next book to find out what happens.

I don't really know who I would recommend this book to. There are just so many well-written books out there that, despite the good writing here, other books provide a better story and a more satisfying ending.

Okay, however..........2007-05-10

It's not a bad story. I picked this up at the Scholastic book fair. The cover on the book I have, which is quite different from the one pictured here, did NOT mention that this was the beginning of a series. I don't mind a cliff hanger, but I prefer to know what I'm getting into when I buy one. Just out of sheer pique, I will NOT be waiting to follow up with this series. I hate sneaks.

MayBird Review .......2007-04-27

I really liked this exciting, adventure book. It's one you would hide with under the covers in bed after your parents have told you "LIGHTS OUT!!"
But you ignore them, and dive into the wonderful series of books that will transfer you to annother world.

May Ellen Bird, is a shy, lonely, 10 year old. She doesn't want to admit shes lonely, as to putting her trust and friendship to her loyal companion Somber Kitty.
She goes to explore Briery Swamp, falling in, she gets out and finds out she can see ghosts, that were hidden before.
Follow this brave young girl as she adventures into another land, another world, beneath the lake.......

May Bird.......2007-04-23

I think May Bird and The Ever After is a great book for adventcure lovers.
I liked this book because it's a great si-fi adventcure. It's also a great book for people who like scary books.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book for little girls

Claire and the Unicorn Happy Ever After
B. G. Hennessy
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416908153

Book Description

Once Upon A Time, a little girl called Claire and her stuffed unicorn, Capricorn, were very fond of fairy tales. Every night Claire's father read them stories of frog princes and fairy princesses, and every night every character lived happily ever after. Then one evening, just as a story came to its close, Claire suddenly wondered: What, exactly, makes someone happy forever? It was a question to answer as she slept. So Claire hugged Capricorn, and together they drifted into a dreamland adventure....

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book for little girls.......2007-03-15

I bought it as a gift for my 5 year old cousin, not knowing much about it and was immediately impressed with the beautiful illustrations. It may be a little too old for her but I know she'll grow into. It has a sweet message, too: a little girl asks her dad what makes people happy, then she goes to sleep and dreams that she and her unicorn fly around and ask all sorts of fairy tale creatures the same question. She comes to the realization that different things make different people happy, which is a good message to send to kids at a young age. I'm very happy I bought this book and I know my cousin will like it. I also bought her the matching unicorn doll by Yottoy which is a very high quality doll that will make the story come to life even more for her. The two together make a great gift!

Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940

Average customer rating:

An excellent urban history
Good History of Planned Communities

Magic Lands: Western Cityscapes and American Culture After 1940
John M. Findlay
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520084357

Book Description

The American West conjures up images of pastoral tranquility and wide open spaces, but by 1970 the Far West was the most urbanized section of the country. Exploring four intriguing cityscapes--Disneyland, Stanford Industrial Park, Sun City, and the 1962 Seattle World's Fair--John Findlay shows how each created a sense of cohesion and sustained people's belief in their superior urban environment. This first book-length study of the urban West after 1940 argues that Westerners deliberately tried to build cities that differed radically from their eastern counterparts.
In 1954, Walt Disney began building the world's first theme park, using Hollywood's movie-making techniques. The creators of Stanford Industrial Park were more hesitant in their approach to a conceptually organized environment, but by the mid-1960s the Park was the nation's prototypical "research park" and the intellectual downtown for the high-technology region that became Silicon Valley.
In 1960, on the outskirts of Phoenix, Del E. Webb built Sun City, the largest, most influential retirement community in the United States. Another innovative cityscape arose from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair and provided a futuristic, somewhat fanciful vision of modern life.
These four became "magic lands" that provided an antidote to the apparent chaos of their respective urban milieus. Exemplars of a new lifestyle, they are landmarks on the changing cultural landscape of postwar America.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent urban history.......2005-09-28

Americans have always looked west to reinvent themselves. This trend has been constant from the nation's inception throughout the twentieth-century. With this migration came growth in population and urbanization. In Magic Lands Author John M. Findlay argues that planned communities arose to offer alternatives to this unrelenting urbanization. To support his argument he presents four case studies of planned communities: California's Disneyland and Silicon Valley, Arizona's Sun City retirement community and grounds for the Seattle World's Fair. These "magic lands" were sources of recreation, inspiration and optimism for the rest of the country.

Magic Lands begins with a look at the West's rapid growth at mid-century. Findlay credits the military spending of World War II and a post-war boom driven by the G.I. Bill for increasing populations and changing landscapes. New industries-such as Hewlett-Packard in Silicon Valley and Boeing in Seattle-aided this growth by driving the west to new economic heights. With new jobs came an increase in demand for housing and shopping plazas. The result was the "horizontal" urban community, one which sprawled outside of the urban center creating sprawl. Reacting to this eastern-style growth, westerners escaped to planned communities for amusement and alternatives to urban lifestyles.

These alternative visions presented in Magic Lands vary drastically. Walt Disney envisioned Disneyland both as family entertainment and as his example as "the city of tomorrow". Stanford built an industrial center that relied on the surrounding natural geography and climate to draw its workforce. Conversely, Sun City severely altered its surroundings to provide an "ideal" active retirement community. And Seattle converted a run down neighborhood to house it's 1962 world's fair. In each case study, Findlay explores how these areas transformed their adjacent communities geographically, economically and culturally.

But how these Magic Lands were constructed varied drastically. Disneyland was built under the close supervision of Walt Disney, who envisioned his planned community as an example for the entire country, but Stanford's Industrial Park (i.e. Silicon Valley) never had a master plan-simply a goal of building a high tech industrial center. In the case of Sun City, a drive for profit and little else led to the construction of this rich and green retirement community in the Arizona desert. Seattle's World Fair aimed to revitalize its downtown district-and failed. But in each case, the results of these communities influenced national ideas on architecture and urban landscapes.

While Magic Lands does offer a compelling look at these four planned communities, their similarities are tenuous at best. Comparisons of Disneyland to the Seattle World's Fair are sometimes a stretch, while Sun City shares little in common with Seattle. These are vastly different and unique communities. More compelling is Findlay's final chapter that shows the impacts of these communities today in places like Irving and Los Angeles. These planned communities had vast cultural and environmental impacts, and these topics could be covered more in depth. Regardless, Magic Lands will both appeal to and inform those interested in urban development and the growth of the American West.

Good History of Planned Communities.......2003-10-22

Findlay has written an excellent book in urban history. He weaves theory into his narrative effortlessly with few exceptions. Those rare exceptions occur when he heavy-handedly repeats his message, but they are easily overlooked. He also masterfully uses the photographs to enhance his argument, though one wishes that he had included comparative maps to make the micro-communities "legible" to the reader. His argument was convincing overall and left one wishing that he could have treated just a couple more important western landmarks. His most important contribution is to help the reader understand how western cities evolved from eastern, nuclear conception of a city to a model akin to the solar system.

Average customer rating:

Um....eheh
Gets better with time
Pipe, Pipe, Pipe away Piper!
An amazing book
An amazing book

After Hamelin
Bill Richardson
Manufacturer: Annick Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1550376284

Book Description

Implicit in many folk and fairy tales is the question, 'Then what?'

After Hamelin picks up the story where the Robert Browning poem -- or other tellings of The Pied Piper of Hamelin -- leaves off. In a quest that is both contemporary and timeless, Richardson creates a magical world through inventive wordplay, uninhibited imagination and a facility with rhyme. Here is a raconteur who spins a narrative tale that takes readers into strange lands inhabited by unusual characters, both good and evil, where adventure abounds and unlikely saviors emerge.

Penelope is 101 years old, but she can remember the story like it happened yesterday. On the morning of her eleventh birthday, she wakes to discover she can no longer hear. It is on this same day that the Piper returns to Hamelin to spirit the children away in an evil act of revenge upon the townspeople. Spared because she is deaf to the Piper's bewitching tune, Penelope is left to grieve the loss of her friends and beloved sister Sophy until Cuthbert, the wise man of the village, reveals that Penelope possesses the unusual gift of deep dreaming. Armed only with a charm from Cuthbert and her own courage, Penelope enters the land of sleep on a treacherous quest to rescue the stolen children.

There is suspense, humor and high excitement (wrapped in dark undercurrents) as Penelope and the companions she meets along the way -- Scally, her trusted cat; Alloway, the blind harpist; Ulysses, a three-legged dog; and Quentin, a dragon who loves skipping -- journey to the Piper's mountain fortress. Their combined wits and talents see them through strange landscapes and close calls. In a thrilling climax played out in a mysterious place between dreaming and waking, they triumph over the Piper and set the children of Hamelin free.

Customer Reviews:

Um....eheh.......2006-07-28

What was THAT?!
That was the strangest book I ever read, that's what. Very...interesting. It left you with a few unanswered questions, but it wasn't a half bad book.

Very...um...interestingly....strange....though...

Gets better with time.......2005-03-21

After Hamelin might be marketed as children's lit, but that demeans it. The characters are real and alive. Even the cat. How many authors have tried to make an animal into a character and failed? But Scallywaggle is a full-fledged character. And who ever thought of a flower-arranging dragon? I'm still working on my re-read, so some of the details that I have aren't great. Though I hate the children's sections, I love fairy tales, and wish everyone would remember C.S. Lewis's dedication of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Children's lit is often an incompetent author trying to sell to kids who don't care about quality. After Hamelin, though, should go to the fairy tale section. I hate Disney retellings: they make fairy tales cheap and simplistic happily-ever-afters. Richardson knows his story of the Pied Piper well, and does with it exactly what everyone should do with fairy tales: he takes it, adds some stuff, changes some characters, adds events, and puts in beautifully handled prose. He reinvents the story for a more modern reader, and makes it more accessible. Penelope isn't "charming" in the sense that she isn't the sweet, adorable little girl, nor is she the tomboyish one who defies the rules. There's no title on the list of character cliches to fit her, or any characters in this book. They're all their own selfs, and that's what makes this book stand above the masses of fairy-tale takeoffs that plague book stores. There's not much else to say. I read this first when I was 10, and now at 14, and will keep reading it throughout my life. Read this book, and remember, above all things, one: we are never too old for fairy tales, and fairy tales aren't for children alone. I'll spare the rant on that here, but read After Hamelin, regardless of your age, and rediscover the fact that we all have dreams and goals, and that no matter how fantastical they are, they are true.

Pipe, Pipe, Pipe away Piper!.......2003-12-05

In this woderfully weaved tale of a girl, Penelope who is 101 years recalls upon her childhood adventure in saving the children of Hamelin. Once you read this book you will want to know more and more until the book ends. But imagination doesn't only end at the last pages for some. Many may want to make a tale of their own. Penelope recalls in extraordinary detail and Bill Richardson has done a wonderful job of making the pipers music in this book turn you eyes to look at the story. The cover speaks alot itself and one look can tell you the meaning " a picture is worth a thousand words." You may get annoyed with the repeating parts where she always says she's 101, but other than that its a good story.
Penelope is a skipper. Not any ordinary skipper, she's a skipping harpers daughter. Ever since she was little there has always had music in her life. Then on the day of her elevening, she goes deaf. The same day the piper comes to pipe away the children with his magical net of music from his pipe. All children but two. Alloway, a blind apprentice who stays with Govan, Penelope's father and of course our heroine, Penelope. To save the children of Hamelin she must go to a world both seen and unseen. Where anything can happen, into a land of dreaming. The stakes are high and in this dream world you just can't wish yourself away from danger.With a wacky group of companions she embarks on her journey... the rest is for you to find out...

An amazing book.......2003-04-14

This book is a newer version of an old story.I myself a 12 loved this book my mom a well... older than twelve year old also loved this book. It was great and I thought Penelope was a very brave herione. I also loved Quentin and his unusal habits.Most of the people who went on the journey and some sort of disablity, take for example Alloway a blind harper, it just made the story a little more intersting on how it showed us that even if we are disabled we can do great things. I recomend this book to boys and girls of all ages.

An amazing book.......2003-04-14

Average customer rating:

Awesome Awesome Awesome
ANOTHER MUST HAVE FOR YOUR LIBRARY
childhood favorite
Too small!
One of my favorites as a child....

One Monster After Another
Mercer Mayer
Manufacturer: School Specialty Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Monsters | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1577686888

Book Description

Sally Ann's letter to Lucy Jane goes on a fantastic journey when a "Stamp-Collecting Trollusk" steals it from the mailbox.

If you open almost any of award-winning author/illustrator Mercer Mayer’s 250+ children’s books you’ll see dragons, cuddly monsters, wonderful creatures, and endearing critters. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Mayer spent his childhood hunting lizards and snakes in the swamps by his home. During his teenage years, he lived in Hawaii where he attended the Honolulu Academy of Arts. He later received additional training at the Art Students League in New York City. Upon completion of his studies he set out with pen and ink to write and illustrate adventures he experienced as a child.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Awesome Awesome.......2007-09-10

We bought this one used from a library and it was worth looking for. A different look for Mercer Mayer -- and a hilarious, surprise-on-every-page story. We like the Typhoonigator the best, especially when he gets full to bursting and then... SPLATTERS slime on the next page. That's a real hoot. This one makes us all laugh -- I love that!

ANOTHER MUST HAVE FOR YOUR LIBRARY.......2005-12-05

THE OTHER REVIEWERS ARE RIGHT ON. I NEVER LIKED 'WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE' AS A KID & WASN'T TOO INTERESTED IN TRYING ANY OF MAYERS OTHER BOOKS. I'M SO GLAD I RECONSIDERED. WE LOVE THIS BOOK! PRONOUNING SOME OF THE MONSTERS' NAMES TAKES A LITTLE GETTING USED TO, BUT OUR TODDLER LOVES IT SO MUCH, THAT THE NAMES JUST ROLL OFF OUR TONGUES NOW.

childhood favorite.......2005-07-25

Although now in my mid thirties, I still remember the story and illustrations from this book -- my childhood favorite. Now that my friends' children are almost to reading age, I plan to give this book for birthdays and holidays so that others can enjoy the whymsical tale with ornate illustrations.

Too small!.......2004-09-12

One of the all time greats. But I was disappointed after ordering a new hardcover copy. It is smaller than the original printing, with the result that the binding cuts across monster faces. Very lame. I am sending it back and ordering a used copy from the original printing.

One of my favorites as a child...........2004-01-28

I loved this book, with all the illustrations. I could just sit for hours reading and looking at the pictures of monsters. I plan on reading it to my child someday....

Average customer rating:

Life changing book
The spirit of San Francisco lives on
How would artists fight a war?
A pick for any who missed this winner

The City, Not Long After
Pat Murphy
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142404055

Book Description

Half a generation ago, a gesture in the name of peace turned out to spread plague and disaster. In San Francisco, the survivors are heir to a city transformed. It is a haunted, dreaming place peopled with memories, and in a strange way nearly alive itself. And although it is only beginning to recover from near-ultimate disaster, the city is at risk again. An army of power-hungry men are descending on San Francisco. Teenagers Jax and Danny-boy must lead the fight for freedom using the only weapons they have—art, magic, and the soul of the city itself.

Customer Reviews:

Life changing book.......2007-09-27

This is my favorite book and has been for about 10 years now. So happy to see it's back in print.

The spirit of San Francisco lives on.......2007-03-11

In "The City, Not Long After," Pat Murphy has written an engrossing tale of post-apocalyptic Northern California, where a plague has wiped out most of the population. Much of San Francisco has become a giant canvas on which artists have used the city's resources to create works of wonder. A military dictatorship in Sacramento, however, is working to "reunite the country" and threatens to use force to add the jewel of the Bay Area to its empire.

A young woman named Jax has been given the task by her dying mother to warn the citizens of the coming storm. She is somewhat distracted by her personal search for her mother, who had promised her daughter that she would be going ahead to San Francisco to prepare the way. Jax must learn some her mother's secrets in order to help the community of scholars and artists find a way to repel the invasion. Exactly how should artists respond to the menace of guns and bombs when such things are abhorrent to them?

Murphy's characters and their artistic creations seem so full of life - in my mind's eye I can almost envision them inhabiting the various neighborhoods of the City by the Bay. The story itself is sad at times (but not overly depressing), haunting and quite memorable.

The underlying message of the novel can be phrased as a question: How much of a price are people willing to pay for peace? Though written nearly 20 years ago, the novel's message seems particularly resonant today, in a time when many Americans are willing to sacrifice personal freedoms and human lives in the name of finding peace and security.

How would artists fight a war?.......2006-08-11

After a plague that killed most of the population, San Francisco has become an artists' colony. A young woman goes to San Francisco to find her mother and to warn the residents of the coming invasion. The artists must fight to defend their city, but they'd rather be painting the Golden Gate Bridge blue.

This is an entertaining, unusual, and well written post-apocalyptic story that gives new meaning to the phrase "the art of war." It includes magical elements that I could've done without, but all in all, I really enjoyed it.

A pick for any who missed this winner.......2006-07-04

It's half a century after a goodwill gesture has spread plague around the world, and San Francisco's surviving residents populate a haunted city again at risk. This time it's power-hungry men who are invading, and Jax and Danny-boy lead the battle - using magic and the city's own underlying powers - to solve mysteries and gain power for the future. Highly recommended on its initial publication, the paperback of The City, Not Long After is a pick for any who missed this winner.

Average customer rating:

Not What I expected.
The best book for a fast course!! Didactico y Sencillo
Adobe After Effect 6.5 Magic
Good
Best book on After Effects you ever find

Adobe After Effects 6.5 Magic
James Rankin , and Anna Ullrich
Manufacturer: New Riders Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cinematography | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Word Processing | Microsoft | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0321267230

Book Description

Animation Presets, an advanced Clone tool, scripting support, and a powerful new color correction system are just a few of the reasons you're chomping at the bit to get down to work with After Effects 6.5. In these pages, a master of the medium allows you to do just that, presenting a series of projects that explore every aspect of Adobe's animation and effects powerhouse. By focusing on the areas that can be troublesome for professional users--whether because they present thorny issues or because they draw on completely new features--this volume provides the focused, practical instruction you need to maximize your After Effects productivity. Each lesson provides need-to-know tips, proven techniques, and best practices for a variety of After Effects 6.5 functions: from importing and managing footage to viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more. The companion CD includes QuickTime instructional movies, source code, and files for all of the book's projects.

Customer Reviews:

Not What I expected........2007-01-10

I am a fan of the "MAGIC" series. I was thoroughly impressed with the previous version that actually had some compelling content. There is nothing that special in this book. The tutorials are rather bland. I will keep looking for a good After Effects book that has some creative and more relevant content. I am usually pretty passive in my reviews but this book just didn't do it for me.

The best book for a fast course!! Didactico y Sencillo .......2006-08-19

Spanish:
Este libro tiene la particularidad de llevarte al siguiente nivel y aprender a usar plugins correctamente, ideal para autodidactas o si quieres un curso nivel intermedio de AF...
PERO OJO... no es facil de leer, de hecho requeire de tiempo y unas 3 vueltas de cada capitulo para entender el ejercicio.
INGLES:
This book has the particularity of leave you to the next level and learning to use plugins correctly, ideally for autodidactic people or if you want a course(year) only for aAF's intermediate level...
WARNING ... it is not easy to read, in fact requeire of time and approximately 3 reads of every chapter to understand the exercise.

Adobe After Effect 6.5 Magic.......2006-08-13

Easy to follow instruction. Interesting special effects, something we, as beginners, would like to try. Well lay-out formats with illustrations and photos, all in color.
I would recommend it for anyone who use Adobe After Effect 6.5 Magic first time users.

Good.......2006-06-04

Projects shown in this book are commercial--- like sales advertisements, which is ok. If you have other Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and 3D Zaxwerks, you will enjoy this book better.

Best book on After Effects you ever find.......2006-05-24

Just buy this one. I'm so glad that I did.

Average customer rating:

Great book
Extended Commercial
Very poorly written
Every mouse-lovers dream!
Kingdom Keepers Review by John

Kingdom Keepers, The: Disney After Dark
Ridley Pearson
Manufacturer: Disney Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Mysteries | Teens | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 1423105451

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-08-04

I didn't think I would like thisbook but it turns out to be a great book.

Extended Commercial.......2007-06-22

"The Kingdom Keepers" has an interesting premise, and I give it three stars for being a mildly entertaining read. Unlike other reviewers, I found the focus on the geographical and architectural details of the parks interesting. The book's biggest shortcoming is its narrative choppiness, and it all too often comes across as little more than an extended commercial for Walt Disney World.

Very poorly written.......2007-06-20

This novel has some great, original ideas, but is very poorly written. The story jumps from action to action in a very wooden manner, without fully describing the characters or their emotions. The main character, Finn, is developed somewhat, but the other characters are almost interchangable without solid personalities of their own. The surprise twists do not come as a surprise. There are big holes in the plot. At one point, Finn trusts a character who he knows helped kidnap his friend. In another scene, he holds a powerful weapon in his hand, but doesn't use it against the enemy. The novel is riddled with poorly written sentences. It feels very quickly written, without enough editing. Which is a shame, because the ideas in it are very clever and original. It's too bad it wasn't more thoughtfully written to fully engage the reader's senses and emotions. It has all the heart and depth of a video game. Lots of flashy ideas, but no substance.

Every mouse-lovers dream!.......2007-06-14

I'm not going to go into a long-winded description of the book; there are plenty here. All I've got to say is that this book puts into print what all the Disney Theme Park fans have fantasized about since they were 4 feet tall and still loved to ride Dumbo. The park coming to life with you as the only occupant!
Although the writing is geared towards a more juvenile audience, it is a fun read for any age who still believes in the magic of the Magic Kingdom. It would be really cool to see a line of sequels about other attractions. Let's hope.....

Kingdom Keepers Review by John.......2007-05-22

Kingdom Keepers is about a kid named Finn and three friends and an old man named Wayne. They all work for Walt Disney. But something bad has happened. The Overtakers are hitting Florida. The Overtakers take over theme parks all over the world and now they're heading to Disney World. Finn and his friends are holograms and are meant to help people get around Disney World. The Overtakers are mean and will do anything to get what they want. They kind of look like pirates that came from the moon. When they take over theme parks they turn them into a living hell and make it into a nightmare. People don't know this so they go into the theme parks and never come out. No one knows about this and it will keep going unless it Wayne, Finn, and the others can stop the Overtakers. Will this go on or will it come to a screeching halt?

I would strongly recommend this book to everybody
that I know. I really liked this book; it was one of the
favorites that I have ever read. It really kept me reading
and it was enjoyable, considering I don't read if I don't have to.

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