Magic Tree House Boxed Set 2, Books 5-8: Night of the Ninjas, Afternoon on the Amazon, Sunset of the Sabertooth, and Midnight on the Moon

Book Description

This Magic Tree House set including the following titles:

Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House, No. 5)
Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House, No. 6)
Sunset of the Sabertooth (Magic Tree House, No. 7)
Midnight on the Moon. (Magic Tree House, No. 8)

Customer Reviews:

My daughter loves the series.......2007-08-09

The Magic Tree House sure has the magical power to keep my daughter, a very active 7 year old, in her room for at least a few hours everyday. She just love these books! I will get the rest of the series for her very soon!

Great buy.......2007-06-27

My grandson loves this book series and was excited to get this set for his birthday.

magic treehouse books.......2007-06-04

My son checked one of these out at school. He did not put it down until he finished it and asked for more. So I gave him 3 sets. He did not like reading until he got these books. Service excellent.

Wonderful reading experiences.......2007-05-13

My grandchildren love these books. My daughter says the kids all look forward to their reading time and learn so much from these books.

The Ninja book is scary for younger children........2007-03-29

The Treehouse series is very good overall. We read 2-3 chapters a night as part of the bedtime routine for our 3 1/2 year old. The stories hold her interest and there are just enough illustrations to anxoiusly await the page to turn. Her vocabulary has also increased due to some less common words and names used as part of the stories.

A word of caution. The Ninja story is scary for younger children and the illustrations are frightening and creepy. We had to throw this book out in the trash.

Average customer rating:

An Indian Odyssey
Born to Greatness, Mired in Madness: Rushdie Laments India's First 3 Decades.
A Stream of (Enlightended) Consciousness
Over-baked, but fantastic
One of the Ten Greatest Novels Ever Written

Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140132708

Amazon.com

Anyone who has spent time in the developing world will know that one of Bombay's claims to fame is the enormous film industry that churns out hundreds of musical fantasies each year. The other, of course, is native son Salman Rushdie--less prolific, perhaps than Bollywood, but in his own way just as fantastical. Though Rushdie's novels lack the requisite six musical numbers that punctuate every Bombay talkie, they often share basic plot points with their cinematic counterparts. Take, for example, his 1980 Booker Prize-winning Midnight's Children: two children born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947--the moment at which India became an independent nation--are switched in the hospital. The infant scion of a wealthy Muslim family is sent to be raised in a Hindu tenement, while the legitimate heir to such squalor ends up establishing squatters' rights to his unlucky hospital mate's luxurious bassinet. Switched babies are standard fare for a Hindi film, and one can't help but feel that Rushdie's world-view--and certainly his sense of the fantastical--has been shaped by the films of his childhood. But whereas the movies, while entertaining, are markedly mediocre, Midnight's Children is a masterpiece, brilliant written, wildly unpredictable, hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.

Rushdie's narrator, Saleem Sinai, is the Hindu child raised by wealthy Muslims. Near the beginning of the novel, he informs us that he is falling apart--literally:

I mean quite simply that I have begun to crack all over like an old jug--that my poor body, singular, unlovely, buffeted by too much history, subjected to drainage above and drainage below, mutilated by doors, brained by spittoons, has started coming apart at the seams. In short, I am literally disintegrating, slowly for the moment, although there are signs of an acceleration.

In light of this unfortunate physical degeneration, Saleem has decided to write his life story, and, incidentally, that of India's, before he crumbles into "(approximately) six hundred and thirty million particles of anonymous, and necessarily oblivious, dust." It seems that within one hour of midnight on India's independence day, 1,001 children were born. All of those children were endowed with special powers: some can travel through time, for example; one can change gender. Saleem's gift is telepathy, and it is via this power that he discovers the truth of his birth: that he is, in fact, the product of the illicit coupling of an Indian mother and an English father, and has usurped another's place. His gift also reveals the identities of all the other children and the fact that it is in his power to gather them for a "midnight parliament" to save the nation. To do so, however, would lay him open to that other child, christened Shiva, who has grown up to be a brutish killer. Saleem's dilemma plays out against the backdrop of the first years of independence: the partition of India and Pakistan, the ascendancy of "The Widow" Indira Gandhi, war, and, eventually, the imposition of martial law.

We've seen this mix of magical thinking and political reality before in the works of Günter Grass and Gabriel García Márquez. What sets Rushdie apart is his mad prose pyrotechnics, the exuberant acrobatics of rhyme and alliteration, pun, wordplay, proper and "Babu" English chasing each other across the page in a dizzying, exhilarating cataract of words. Rushdie can be laugh-out-loud funny, but make no mistake--this is an angry book, and its author's outrage lends his language wings. Midnight's Children is Salman Rushdie's irate, affectionate love song to his native land--not so different from a Bombay talkie, after all. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

A classic novel, in which the man who calls himself the "bomb of Bombay" chronicles the story of a child and a nation that both came into existence in 1947—and examines a whole people's capacity for carrying inherited myths and inventing new ones.

Customer Reviews:

An Indian Odyssey.......2007-10-01

Salman Rushdie is the third author I've read recently that I'd put off reading for many years out of a misplaced fear I'd find his books dull and uninteresting--James Joyce and Thomas Pynchon are the other two authors. With great consternation and teeth-gnashing I finally picked "Midnight's Children" off the shelf and soon wondered what the heck had taken me so long.

To put it simply, "Midnight's Children" is a great book. It's a darkly comic odyssey through the history of India in the 20th Century told not only with touches of humor, but the supernatural as well. Reading the book can be an adventure, given the winding narrative that mixes past and present and the walls of print on each print, but it's an adventure worth the effort.

The story is told by Saleem Sinai on what he believes to be his deathbed. Padma, his caretaker and erstwhile fiance, begs to differ with this assessment, but aids Saleem by serving also as sounding board and editor. The relationship between Saleem and Padma continues to advance as he recounts the story not just of his life, but those of his parents and grandparents as well. His grandfather was a European-trained doctor in 1915 who returned to India, lost faith in God, and met Saleem's grandmother through a strategically torn sheet. His mother marries a poet on the run from assassins who hides out in their basement, but because he does not have sex with her winds up divorcing her. She then marries the businessman Ahmed Sinai and changes her name. On the stroke of India's birth, along comes Saleem. From this moment, his fate is tied with that of India. Like Saleem, the new nation of India--as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh--is finding its way and searching for its identity, though the answer is not really a happy one.

A side plot involves the "Midnight's Children," a group of children born in that first minute of India's existence. These 1001 children have supernatural abilities. Saleem can read minds while others master witchcraft, time travel, and so forth. This put me a little too in mind of the X-Men, though Saleem lacks the composure and leadership abilities of Charles Xavier and his rival Shiva is never as charismatic or evil as Magneto. (Recent TV viewers might compare this more to "Heroes" or "The 4400.") At any rate, I didn't particularly enjoy this subplot until at the end when it's used to demonstrate the madness of the Indira Gandhi regime.

Even if you're like me and have little understanding of India short of watching "Gandhi" you can still make sense of this book if you're willing to try. Make no mistake: this is not for the casual reader or the faint of heart. At the same time, the touches of humor--especially the bickering between Saleem and Padma about how to tell the story--and the supernatural make for an entertaining yarn. In the end you might also wonder what took you so long to find this wonderful book.

That is all.

Born to Greatness, Mired in Madness: Rushdie Laments India's First 3 Decades........2007-09-15

"Midnight's Children" is Salman Rushdie's rumination on the first 30 years of India's independence following British rule. Saleem Sinai, an Indian Muslim born on the stroke of midnight August 15, 1947, at the instant of India's independence, recounts a mystical, doleful tale of his own birth and trials as they coincided with those of India and Pakistan. All children born at the hour of independence were endowed with extraordinary gifts, the great potential of a new nation. Saleem of elephantine nose and dual parentage sees them all in his paranormally perceptive mind as he is witness to the initial optimism, two Indo-Pakistani wars, and India's oppressive State of Emergency instigated by Prime Minister Indira Ghandi.

"Midnight's Children" is an opinionated, critical tour of modern India's struggles with its own diversity and demons. Its overwhelming pessimism seems out of place now, as India has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The book must be viewed in the context of time at which it was written, the late 1970s. Salman Rushdie has a lot to say, and says most of it more than once. He pulls no punches and makes no excuses for anyone. In spite of Saleem's first-person narration, Rushdie's fractured, repetitive prose style impedes its accessibility and slows the reader down. And I would not have thought it possible to pile so many metaphors on top of metaphors and remain coherent. "Midnight's Children" is a long, provocative lament but somewhat overworked.

A Stream of (Enlightended) Consciousness.......2007-08-30

Much has been written about the unique writing style of Salman Rushdie and Midnight's Children. It is hip to like it and thus call oneself a literary, and not unusual to dislike it as an uninitiated reader who cannot possibly know what to expect a priori. For what it's worth, here is my attempt to characterize the style. The book is written as a "stream of consciousness", long long long sentences, side-by-side repetition of adjectives for emphasis (hint hint hint!), use of synonyms similes parellels without punctuation or separators (again for emphasis), revealing the plot's end-game in advance yet (or thus) engaging the reader in the path to getting there, repeated summaries each to make an overarching point than to simply recollect the story so far, admitted insecurity and intermittent defense of the story's believability, and did I mention rechristening of events and characters with metaphoric names. If you could read and follow the last sentence in one shot, you are ready to read and enjoy Midnight's Children. The story-telling is hallucinatory on the surface, but enlightened underneath; deliriously exaggerated on the surface, but scrupulously balanced underneath; grossly fatalistic on the surface, but hopelessly optimistic underneath; carelessly raw on the surface, but meticulous genius underneath.

Never judge a book by its cover, judge it by its metaphors. Besides being one intense allegory, the book is a collection of the richest metaphors I've ever read in a piece of literature. Metaphors, mind you, and not its evil cousin, Analogies. Every event and character is first rechristened with its metaphoric name. In the process of writing the book, Rushdie has created a new vocabulary of words that become the best way (if not the only way) to describe those characters and events.

Spoiler alert: To pick from this new vocabulary, one way of characterizing the life of Saleem Sinai, and therefore the book, is Sperectomy: the draining-out of hope. To quote the last sentence of the book that sums it up "...because it is the privilege and the curse of midnight's children to be both masters and victims of their times, to forsake privacy and be sucked into the annihilating whirlpool of the multitudes, and to be unable to live or die in peace."

Midnight's Children is a great way to live vicariously through post-colonial India. If A Fine Balance is a bus-ride through India with a good commentator, Midnight's Children is your dark roller-coaster with ghosts popping out at you at every turn. If A Fine Balance is real in a touchy-and-feely way that you wish it was unreal, Midnight's Children is unreal in a mystical way that you will hate to, and yet force yourself to believe it is real; just like a post-traumatic nightmare, only it was a re-enactment.

Over-baked, but fantastic.......2007-07-26

"Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie is called a 'Great Book of the 20th Century" and "a modern classic," and rightly so. This novel is one of the most interesting and memorable of the 20th century, and one of the best novels by a living writer, at least that I have read. Rushdie weaves a semi-historical, semi-mythical portrayal of the newly formed nation-state of India. Throughout the book, I kept thinking that the protagonist was actually Rushdie himself; or, perhaps the protagonist represents Rushdie's generation, since he was born in Bombay in 1947. The plot is interesting indeed, which I won't get into because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Let's just say that the protagonist relates the life of himself and his immediate ancestors in such a way to make Rushdie the "Indian mythmaker." The writing is often too much in some places, and I feel that Rushdie over did it in a few places. I do like how Rushdie would refer to his own metaphors throughtout the book to keep the reader focused, because the reader can indeed get lost in the plot if one is not careful. This novel is often put next to "One Hundred Years of Solitude" because of its style. I might agree to that to some extent, primarily because each of these two novels have a different purpose. They are both written in the style of magical realism, but again, each novel has it's own purpose. If Rushdie had kept his writing focused on India in his subsequent novels, I believe that he would be to India what J.M. Coetzee is to South Africa. However, Rushdie's scope is much broader than one country or even one culture. Anyway, that's another topic. Overall, if you have never read Rushdie, this is a great place to start.

One of the Ten Greatest Novels Ever Written.......2007-06-14

The thing that really surprised me about Midnight's Children, by the end of it, was its generally sardonic attitude towards the magical symbolism and omens that are so central to the plot. So much is made of the mystical connections relating to the main character (Saleem Sinai), so much promise is set up in the story, that it's surprising when the abuse starts being heaped on Saleem with almost sadistic relentlessness. By the end of the story Rushdie has portrayed a startlingly pessimistic view of the "potential" of the innocent. And, with the obvious parallels between the life of Saleem Sinai and the development of modern India, Rushdie also exhibits a pessimistic and fairly depressing forecast for the future of one of the world's most populous nations.

But amidst all that is an epic; a collection of stories that seems almost like "A Thousand and One Nights" in its scope. The magical realism style Rushdie employs is far less confusing than that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez: where Marquez's rambling, stream of consciousness writing serves largely to (intentionally) disorient the reader, Rushdie (through a liberal use of semi-colons) gently guides the reader through narrative leaps spanning both time and distance. Astonishingly descriptive, Rushdie is almost more a painter than a writer in this book: the near 550 pages pass by with a very economical use of dialogue, and it is the scenes and descriptions that provide the meat and memories of the novel.

Those who are fans of Tolkein and other authors who write lavishly detailed stories simply cannot miss this novel. "Midnight's Children" plays out like an Oscar-winning film or a very vivid, elaborate dream.

Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

perfect book,just as good as the last series.
Good to the last page and beyond
a very awsome book
BEST SERIES EVER!
Super Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1)
Erin Hunter
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060744510
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Book Description

Darkness, air, water, and sky will come together... and shake the forest to its roots.

The next generation of warrior cats faces a peril that threatens the whole forest in this exciting spin–off series starring the children of the original Warriors heroes.

Packed with riveting suspense, compelling new characters, and classic themes of epic fantasy, this is an adventure not to be missed for both fans of the previous six books and readers unfamiliar with the world of the warrior Clans.

Customer Reviews:

perfect book,just as good as the last series........2007-09-28

Perfect,just perfect.This book is funnny,sad,and exciting and wrapped in mystery!One cat from each clan as well as one who was curious and one who is protective,meet at mystical Fourtrees to decide what to do.Each of them(except for two)has had a prophetic dream sent by Starclan.Now they must race against time,before something terrible happens.All in all a perfect book and don't forget,there is the first series.Trust me you won't want to put it down.

Good to the last page and beyond.......2007-08-26

I wasn't sure how I would like it when Firestar was not the main character, but I soon warmed up to the new heros introduced in this book and the writing style I so loved in the first series carries through into these books. This was an excellent book and left me craving more. I am already halfway through book three of the New Prophecy books and I am loving every bit. The writing really keeps you turning the pages and I can't wait to get back to the book to find out what will happen next. I know the books say for ages 9-12 but I am 48 and cannot put the books down. They are a great read for any age, especially if you love cats and the natural world. I would highly recommend all the Warrior books. They are great.

a very awsome book.......2007-08-14

i think this book happened to be somwhat inspiering becuase when they were about to give up brambleclaw gave them hope to carry on i liked how they were always helping each other when tawnypelt got her ratbite it got infected and i thought she was going to die but there freinds all helped her and she was fine.

BEST SERIES EVER!.......2007-07-29

ok. all these people are complaning about not getting what firestar says in book 6 sunset about his quest. and people are also saying that there was a huge space in between the first series and the new one. well there is a new book coming out soon called FIRESTARS QUEST and it will explain all that stuff. and for all you people who miss firestar as the main character, he will be the main character in FIRESTARS QUEST.

THIS IS THE BEST SERIES EVER AND I THINK IT IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE!

Super Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-18

This was the first Warriors book I got and I thought it was awesome. I can't compare to the original series since i haven't read them yet. 4 chosen cats, one from each clan Must go on a long journey. Brambleclaw from Thunderclan,(who brings FireStar's daughter,Squirelpaw with him)Crow paw from Windclan, Tawnypelt from Shadowclan, and Feather tail from Riverclan(who brings her brother, Stormfur along) When they get there to listen to Midnight...well...I won't spoil the ending, but I had a big surprise. By the way, gee, thanks to all the people who sent in reveiws that either spoiled the ending or said that any of the characters were stupid, boring, idiots, wished they were dead, or said the plot was horrid. All the characters did their best. in conclusion, this book should be read by any Warriors fan, especially one who wanted more when the first series ended. Warriors (and this book) ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
p.s. [...]

Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1)

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Bookmom's Review - Midnight for Charlie Bone
Charlie Bone Audio Tapes
An ok read with several flaws
Good read...if not a little confusing.
An excellent start to an intriguing new series

Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1)
Jenny Nimmo
Manufacturer: Orchard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439474299

Book Description

The fabulous powers of the Red King were passed down through his descendants, after turning up quite unexpectedly, in someone who had no idea where they came from. This is what happened to Charlie Bone, and to some of the children he met behind the grim, gray walls of Bloor's Academy. Charlie Bone has discovered an unusual gift-he can hear people in photographs talking! His scheming aunts decide to send him to Bloor Academy, a school for genius's where he uses his gifts to discover the truth despite all the dangers that lie ahead.

Customer Reviews:

Bookmom's Review - Midnight for Charlie Bone.......2007-10-05

[Fun: 4/5] [Learning: 3/5] [Suitable: 5/5]

I was pleasantly surprised by what I thought to be a Harry Potter knock-off. Though the Charlie Bone books certainly do tend to follow in the footsteps of the world-famous predecessor, Nimmo gives her own take on the "magic school" story. In Charlie Bone, students have specific magical talents, rather than everyone having the whole range; for example, Charlie's talent is to hear voices from pictures. As Charlie is shipped off to a magical academy he has no desire to attend, he discovers secrets and works to unravel a mystery. Though a work that definitely plays off of Harry Potter fame, Nimmo actually creates a book that is fun to read and, in some respects, cleaner and less dark than the Harry Potter series.

Audience:
* Middle Readers (Grades 4-7)

Positive Themes:
* Loyalty to family and friends
* Using ingenuity to do what's right

Objectionable Content:
* Use of magic
* Some dark and possibly frightening characters

My Recommendations:
* Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Matilda by Roald Dahl

Bookmom - Get involved in your child's reading!

Charlie Bone Audio Tapes.......2007-09-23

My kids enjoyed these tapes. They also came right away which was an added bonus.

An ok read with several flaws .......2007-08-13

As has already been mentioned in previous reviews, the similarities to the Harry Potter series are obvious, but Nimmo does not quite deliver.
The plot seems hard to follow in places and characters are at times introduced rather suddenly, deus ex machina fashion.
Still, I suspect children will be happy to read this - it is not a bad book by all means.
One thing made me quite unhappy, however and it is the reason why I gave the book only 2 stars: There is a marked absence of important, positive female characters.

Male characters:
hero - male
hero's best friend - male
first new friend at school (Fidelio) - male
group of children who save Charlie in the end (3) - male
boy who turns bad (Billy) - male
villain - male
villain's helper 1 - male
headmaster - male
helpful uncle - male
other children mentioned - mostly male
mysterious helpful stranger - male
three cats - presumably male
teachers - predominantly male

female characters:
second friend at school (Olivia) - female
girl who has to be woken (Emma Tolly) - female
her aunt (shopkeeper) - female
three evil aunts - female
evil grandma - female
mother - female
villain's helper 2 (Zelda) - female

Apart from Emma Tolly, who does not play much of a role until the end and Olivia, who plays a larger role then some of the children, but not as big as most of the boys, there are positive female characters in the book. There are a few positive adults (mother, grandmother, shopkeeper), but again these are outweighed by the males and balanced by a rather large amount of unpleasant female characters. In the final battle there are no girls involved.

All in all this is a book for boys, it seems - instead of a book for all children. Since it is a not unpleasing book it is to be hoped that the author will introduce more positive female characters in the future.

Another small caveat: The plot with Charlie's father is rather too obvious, even for kids. On the other hand, things get mentioned (such as Billy's past), but not followed up on. The author should take a leaf out of Rowling's book and use better foreshadowing techniques. Nimmo's are either too obvious or plain confusing.

Good read...if not a little confusing........2007-07-10

For readers of Harry Potter you will enjoy Charlie Bone. Admittedly he does not have the same likeably qualities we have known Harry Potter for, but him and his family have the quirky quality that is somewhat lacking in other books.

In the book, Charlie Bone's grandmother and her sisters are insisting that he attend a boarding school on the other side of town because of his gift of hearing pictures talk. The school he attends is dark and foreboding, also holding a mystery that does not become clear to the reader in this single volume.

For older readers Charlie Bone will disapoint, but younger readers will delight in the new magic and mystery Charlie Bone offers them.

All and all, it was a fast read that kept me up at night...but only for one night. The reading is easy and though good, very geared towards children. I have a feeling character development will come along more in the next few volumes and some of the mystery that came along with this book will become clear in the next of the series.

An excellent start to an intriguing new series.......2007-06-22

While ten-year-old Charlie Bone has always had plenty of food to eat, a roof over his head, and clothes on his back, his life has not necessarily been easy. His father died when he was a mere two-years-old, and, seeing that there was not enough money to pay the bills, his beloved mother and her mother, Grandmother Jones - Maisie - were forced to take a handout from the peculiar relatives of his father, in the form of the wickedly vicious Grandma Bone - aka Grizelda - and her equally putrid relatives known as the Yewbeam aunts. Charlie has never understood why Grandma Bone took his family off the street, seeing how much she seem to despise the Jones family; but he manages to put the unpleasantness out of his mind, and concentrate on having a good time with his across-the-road friend Benjamin Brown, and his rambunctious dog, Runner Bean. Everything is going fine, aside from some family fights and demands, until the day Charlie realizes that he can hear the thoughts, as well as bits and pieces of their conversations, of people in photographs. Charlie is baffled by this new revelation, and can't seem to put his finger on how the "superpower" managed to develop seemingly overnight. Convinced that Grandma Bone, along with the Yewbeam aunts, will try to use him for their own pawn, Charlie does his best to conceal his slightfly offbeat...talent. However, Grandma Bone, while old and creaky, has extremely heightened senses. And before he can deny it, both she and the Yewbeam aunts have learned of Charlie's powers, and enrolled him in Bloor's Academy, a place for gifted children. Charlie couldn't be more angry about his new enrollment. Not only will he be unable to accompany Benjamin to school each day, but he'll also be forced to learn quite a bit about music in quite a short time, having been enrolled in the music portion of the program. After Charlie meets Fidelio Gunn, a fellow Bloor's student of his age who happens to be a whiz with musical instruments, he begins to feel much more comfortable regarding his looming situation. That comfort manages to evade him, however, once he steps foot on Bloor's Academy soil. For one, the food is atrocious, and Charlie finds himself falling asleep hungry each and every night; and two, Charlie discovers that he won't be taking the bus home from school each day. Instead, he's forced to remain at Bloor's until Friday afternoon each and every week, and return to the place of drudgery in time for classes Monday morning. And, to make matters worse, Charlie has managed to make it onto school prefect - and Bloor's Academy heir - Manfred Bloor's bad side, and must spend every waking hour at Bloor's avoiding Manfred's gaze, otherwise he may find himself hypnotized. But not everything at Bloor's is bad news. Aside from Fidelio, Charlie has also made nice with an eleven-year-old drama student, Olivia Vertigo, and an albino boy called Billy Raven. But, the longer Charlie finds himself residing at Bloor's, the more he realizes that he's not the only extraordinarily gifted at Bloor's. In fact, many of his classmates have interesting talents of their own, and one, in particular is harboring a mysterious past that Charlie feels he must get to the bottom of. Now, with the help of his newfound friends, he begins snooping about to uncover the truth. But when secrets begin to surface, Charlie must figure out who the traitor is, and save himself from an untimely expulsion from Bloor's. Otherwise, he may never make it back to his true home, or his family, again.

In the same fashion as J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER, Jenny Nimmo has woven a compelling story that places Charlie Bone on the defense in almost every single situation he encounters. Like Harry, Charlie is constantly the victim, and must forge ahead, attempting to stay on everyone's good side, and survive the daily trials and tribulations of everyday life, simply to keep his head above water. Luckily, Nimmo, manages to assist him in doing just that. Charlie Bone is certainly one of the most enjoyable characters in today's children's fiction. His wacky family, and the kindness he extends to just about anyone he meets make him quite appealing; and, as I mentioned before, the fact that he is constantly a victim to the evil-doings of those surrounding him, make him quite simple to sympathize with. While not everyone at Bloor's Academy has "super" powers, there are a few who harbor interesting gifts - hypnosis, mental telepathy, strange feelings. These gifts are quite unique, and make for an interesting addition to the tale. However, it is also Charlie's friends that add a delightful dimension to the story, as well. Olivia Vertigo is a character you can't help but love. Olivia manages to steal every scene she appears in. Her penchant for impractical, towering high-heeled shoes is humorous; while her dramatic nature involving dying her hair all sorts of wacky colors and shades, and managing to get into odd sorts of mishaps makes her a memorable, lovable character. And, of course, provides quite a bit of dramatics to the mix. Fidelio Gunn, on the other hand, is also quite enjoyable. His large, boisterous family is irresistible; and the fact that his father loves to sing just about anything - including sentences and announcements - makes for quite a good time. I think that Nimmo's inclusion of the orphan, Billy Raven, was an interesting choice, and quite well-thought out. In today's society, it seems that not many people understand how albino's are viewed, and how society treats them. Nimmo, however, took this condition, and made it a large part of Billy's character; illustrating the trials and tribulations he must face on a daily basis simply because of the way he looks. This bit of information truly makes the reader sympathize with Billy's character, and provides a slight explanation regarding his apprehension in various situations. I can't forget Manfred Bloor, either, whose midnight black eyes, and rough and tumble personality frighten even the reader. With MIDNIGHT FOR CHARLIE BONE, Jenny Nimmo has penned a tale that is impossible to put down. An excellent start to an intriguing new series.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once Upon a Time)

Average customer rating:

before midnight
Entaining, just a little slow to get pulled in
before minight
Dokey's Best in the Once Upon a Time Series
Cinderella as we have never seen her before

Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once Upon a Time)
Cameron Dokey
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416934715

Book Description

"ONCE UPON A TIME"
IS TIMELESS

Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted. His wife has died in childbirth, leaving him alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. But before he abandons her for king and court, he brings a second child to be raised alongside her, a boy whose identity he does not reveal.

The girl, La Cendrillon, and the boy, Raoul, pass sixteen years in the servants' care until one day a very fine lady arrives with her two daughters. The lady has married La Cendrillon's father, and her arrival changes their lives.

When an invitation to a great ball reaches the family, La Cendrillon's new stepmother will make a decision with far-reaching effects. Her choice will lead La Cendrillon and Raoul toward their destiny -- a choice that will challenge their understanding of family, test their loyalty and courage, and, ultimately, teach them who they are.

Customer Reviews:

before midnight.......2007-10-09

Before Midnight

Before Midnight is a wonderful retelling of Cinderella. Constanze or Cendrillon was born at midnight and her mother, Constanze died. Her father was away and when he found that his wife was dead. He was very sad.When he got to the big stone house he had a baby boy with him the same age as Cendrillon. He was so sad he didn't come back for a long time.
I found this a very good book! The ending you would never expect but if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise. READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!

Entaining, just a little slow to get pulled in.......2007-09-28

I am a huge Cinderella fan, and so this book seemed a perfect fit. But the first part of the book was slow reading, and it could have lost slower less dedicated readers. In the end it was worthwhile as a retelling of the classic fairytale, I just doubt that this will become a classic on its own.

before minight.......2007-08-30

i am currently almost finished with this book and love every page! this is kind of a new twist on "Cinderella". the stepmother and stepsisters, upon realizing who she really is, welcome her with open arms. Cendrillon (main chacter) is as gorgous as her mother was. her mother died in childbirth and her father cannot bear to look at her, let alone name her. her real name is Constaze, after her mother, but she was named Cindrillon "child of cinders" by Mathilde, the woman who delievered her.

this book was awsome and i couldn't put it down, which is pretty much the way with all of cameron dokey's other books, although i have to go back and re-read some due to the fact that i could not even get 1/3 of the way through them due to school and work. i am looking forward to her next release.

Dokey's Best in the Once Upon a Time Series.......2007-04-17

I definitely enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions are very elegant, and the entire feeling is moody. The way the author choose to retell Cinderella I have never seen done before, and it was an interesting take. The characters are likable and believable, and you even come to like the evil stepsister. On the down side, the heroin's relationship with the prince is unrealistic and shallow, but I will say that is somewhat typical of this series. In my opinion Snow by Tracy Lynn was better.

Cinderella as we have never seen her before.......2007-03-26

This tale has always been one of my favorite fairy tales and I have loved some of the different renditions of it like "Ever After" and "Diary of an Ugly Stepsister". "Before Midnight" is another great addition to the retellings of Cinderella. In this revision, Constanze de Brabant, or Cendrillion has been abandoned by her father Etienne because of the death of her mother. She is raised in obscurity with a mysterious boy Raoul by Old Mathilde until a noblewoman, Chantal de Saint-Andre, with her two daughters Amelie and Anastasia arrive. Chantal has married Etienne and she is now Cendrillion's stepmother, but Chantal is never told until secrets are discovered. I love the scene where they open Cendrillion's mother's room and see her portrait. Here Chantal exclaims it is so wicked of Etienne to throw away the most precious gift of all, Love. It is also in this scene that Cendrillion gets her wish of having a family at last.
I will not add too many spoilers and explain who Raoul really is and what happens at the "ball" but this tale which emphasizes the importance of embracing love and all the other feelings that come with it; is so lovingly rendered that both young and old romantics will love it.

Danger on Midnight River: World of Adventure Series, Book 6 (World of Adventure)

Average customer rating:

Danger on midnight river
Cameron's Review
Danger on Midnight River
Review of Danger On Midnight River
Danger on Midnight River

Danger on Midnight River: World of Adventure Series, Book 6 (World of Adventure)
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440410282
Release Date: 1995-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Danger on midnight river.......2005-12-15

Daniel took last look at his bedroom. He grabbed his suitcase and his sleeping bag his mother work days at the coner cafe in town. it took them a year to save up enough money to send Daniel to Eagle nest in the Premonition Moutains. Daniel didnt want to the camp. His dad died in the Rocky mountains with his uncle smitty. There is a bigstorm while they are driving and the wind almost blew them off the road. Branches clawed at his face. The current yanked his legs under neath the tree. Daniel held on with what strength he had but he kept going and going and he finally made his way up to the tree.

Cameron's Review.......2005-04-08

Have you ever been thrown into a river in a car when it is sinking? Well Daniel has in Danger on Midnight River by Gary Paulson. Daniel is with some of the boys from his school. Although he does not like them, he still helps them on their adventure. If you want to find out if Daniel survives you will have to read the book Danger on Midnight River.
The age group for this book is between 10 & 12. This book is very adventurous, and it is also helpful for camping. One of the weak points in this book is the ending. And one of the strong points is the crash.

Danger on Midnight River.......2002-04-24

Danger on Midnight River by Gary Paulsen is an adventure story. Daniel was a strong swimmer, but the swift-moving current was too much for him. It was all he could do to keep his head above the surging waves. A couple of times he thought he heard someone yelling. But for now he had his own problemes. The river was freezing cold and it offered no way out

Review of Danger On Midnight River.......2002-04-24

Danger On Midnight River by Gary Paulsen is a world of adventure book .
Danger On Midnight River is about when a character named Daniel helps save his worst enemies because they make fun of Daniel. This book is very interesting ,and could probably help you in daily life today. Also, this book made me want to read the next chapter, the next chapter, and the next chapter. So, if you like adventure books, this would be the book for you. Read this book to find out what happens to Daniel and his worst enemies. By: Nicole Smith

Danger on Midnight River.......2002-04-24

I like Danger on Midnight River by Gary Paulsen. It was a good adventure story. I liked it because it was realistic and made me think of my life. You see, Daniel (the main character) did not want to go to camp, but he got in the van anyways. Did Danny end up at camp or did he end up somewhere else? Read this adventure story to find out!

Edge Chronicles 3: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Edge Chronicles, The)

Average customer rating:

Grandpa Reads Grandson Reads
Missing Page
just a good book
.) .) My heart beats fast, I want it to last .) .)
Speechless

Edge Chronicles 3: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Edge Chronicles, The)
Paul Stewart , and Chris Riddell
Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385750722
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Book Description

SANCTAPHRAX WILL BE destroyed by the energy of the Mother Storm. . . .

Far over the Edge, the Mother Storm is brewing—a storm more terrifying than any seen in the lifetime of any Edgelander. Sweeping in from the open sky, it must strike the source of the Edgewater River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax, a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain. Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who dared to sail over the Edge—and returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide. But to recover his memory and take action, Twig must first find his lost crew. And this means a journey back into the Deepwoods, and beyond. . . .

“As before, Stewart’s descriptions are brilliant; Riddell’s line drawings are exquisitely detailed and notably grotesque. . . . Altogether this series is so exceptional that if I had any chance of collecting, I’d bet good money on it still being in print a century from now. . . . When’s the next book coming?”—Interzone

“Fabulously illustrated. . . .”—The Sunday Times

“Richly inventive. . . .”—Literary Review

Customer Reviews:

Grandpa Reads Grandson Reads.......2007-01-12

The Edge series is just the ticket for a grandpa to read to his near teenaged grandson. The main theme is "Quest." The story holds its own against the high tech toys that command my grandson's attention. The wonderful drawings inform, helps to "see" the action. Believe me there is constant action, constant
challenges to our hero. It is a balanced tale about Twig's mistakes and triumphs. Paul Stewart is a master craftsman with the language. Encourages me to re-read passages that are so well written.

Missing Page.......2006-07-24

The book itself was great. I loved it. However, the book is missing a page. The pages go 225, 226, 229, 228, 229. There is another copy of page 229 instead of page 227. That is why I gave it a 4 star rating. Fortunately, you can still understand what happened even without this page.

just a good book.......2006-05-14

I think that midnight over santaphrax is a great book. Yes, so it is the last of twig's adventures, well at least know. but overall it is a super good book. any edge chronicle fan would enjoy it. i know i did and i am now on the 8th book.

.) .) My heart beats fast, I want it to last .) .).......2006-04-19

This is DEFINTELY the best Edge Chronicle ever. Twig has now fully matured (his hair is as awesome as ever) and he must embark on a mission to save his crew, which has been dispersed by the Mother Storm. Even if most of it isn't told from Twig's POV (meet Cowlquape, the biggest loser in Sanctaphrax) it's still nice to hear about Twig.

This book is pretty episodic, with Twig jumping from one place to another. Unlike "Beyond the Deepwoods" there is a purpose for all this because Twig is trying to find his crew members. In this book Twig travels everywhere: Sanctaphrax, Undertown, Great Shryke Slave Market, and ultimately Riverrise, the holiest place on the Edge. All the while he is accompanied by Cowlquape, who is such a loser it's almost insulting to Twig. Nevertheless, his patheticness makes Twig seem even larger than larger-than life, and I appreciate this.

Edge Fans (and especially Twig fans) like me will be sad to see the brave young captain for the last time. It's so sad that it has to end here. The next time we meet him he is a brave OLD captain and his hair isn't the same :(

P.S. the period/parenthesis arrangement at the top is my pathetic attempt at musical notes. It's not easy one a computer, you know!

Speechless.......2006-01-25

Would you like to go on an action-packed adventure on a flying ship that is sailing into a storm and possibly over the edge of existance? Then this book is for you.

Harry Potter aside, I've never read a fantasy novel more original. The first three installments of these series will have you hooked. You won't be able to put the books down.

In the first installment, Twig is a young boy raised by a woodtroll clan who gets lost in the dangerous Deep Woods and goes on a topsy-turvy adventure you won't want to miss. Man-eating trees, wild wolves, giant insects, gloamglozers -- who would want to miss that?

The second and third installments are twice the fun and we leave Captain Twig at the height of his grandest adventure. But the magic stops here. Be warned, folks. As the books continue on, they get less and less orginal and the stories are not at all as marvelous as they started out. They become repetitive and watered-down. To tell the absolute truth, the series should have stopped after this one. It would have been fine the way it was.

But don't miss the first three installments. You'll love them if you love adventure.

Average customer rating:

Best Book I've Read in Years!
Wonderful!
a fun, quick read
A charming book for children
Impossible things are happening every day

Bella at Midnight
Diane Stanley
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060775734
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Book Description

In the little village of Castle Down, in a kingdom plagued by war, lives a peasant girl called Bella. Blessed with a kind family and a loving friend, she manages to create her own small patch of sunlight in a dark and dangerous world. Bella is a blacksmith's daughter; her friend Julian is a prince -- yet neither seems to notice the great gulf that divides his world from hers.

Suddenly Bella's world collapses. First Julian betrays her. Then it is revealed that she is not the peasant she believed herself to be: She is Isabel, the daughter of a knight who abandoned her in infancy. Now he wants her back, so Bella is torn from her beloved foster family and sent to live with her deranged father and his resentful new wife. Soon Bella is caught up in a terrible plot that will change her life -- and the kingdom -- forever. With the help of her godmother and three enchanted gifts, she sets out on a journey in disguise that will lead her to a destiny far greater than any she could have imagined.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book I've Read in Years!.......2007-03-23

This book is so great. I could hardly put it down. I am a mom, an English Major, and an Elementary School teacher who loves a good read. This was fantastic. It would be great for an English teacher who is teaching point of view. I read it for fun because I am always looking for good books to read to my daughters and students. Read it -- You'll be glad you did!

Wonderful!.......2007-03-17

The other reviews have all done a great job of reviewing the plot, so I won't do it again. I'll simply add my two cents. I'm an adult who has taken to reading juvenille fiction simply because of all the graphic trash out there for being sold as adult fiction. I was happy to find I need have no such reservations about this book--it was clean. To the reviewer who said that the first chapter talking about Bella's birth was inappropriate for 10-year-olds, I disagree. It was not graphic. I think few parents would find anything offensive in it--but, of course, if there is any concern, I would urge parents to read the first chapter themselves before deciding.

I know some readers might have a hard time with the fact that each chapter has a different narrator--I did not. In fact, I enjoyed getting different view points. It rounds out the story better than way. The story was not brilliant--but it was a fun read, and don't be misled thinking it's just another Cinderella story. I dislike those cheap rip-offs that require little imagination. "Bella at Midnight" much more than that!

a fun, quick read.......2006-08-12

Isabel (Bella) is an unlucky girl. At the time of her birth her mother died and her father, having loved her mother passionately, abandoned Isabel to her Aunt Maud for care. Maud placed her in a foster home, that of the Lady Beatrice (former wet nurse of the crown Prince of Moranmoor) and her husband, Martin, and son Will, and later a daughter named Margaret. Bella grew up in relative peace and comfort, never knowing that she owed her birth to a heartless knight. As she aged she grew friendly with the Prince of Moranmoor, Julian, who always called her a Princess despite her station and once gave her a thimble in a game of the faerie castle that he and Will invented for her.

Despite her pleasant upbringing there is still unhappiness brewing in the land of Moranmoor. Moranmoor has been at war with the neighboring kingdom, Brutanna, for years. Bella sees much strife in her quaint life. But suddenly peace has come to pass with the signing of a treaty between the two rivals. Unfortunately Prince Julian, as the king's youngest son, must go in to the palace of Brutanna as an amicable hostage so that peace might be ensured for the nations, but not before he mistreats Bella in a rather upsetting manor.

Shortly after Isabel's Aunt comes to fetch her. Her father has asked for her, and as such Bella has to be returned to a household she has never known. Her father has remarried a woman named Matilda who has two daughters, snobbish Marianne and mute Alice, who is still grieving the death of their father at sea. Not knowing what to do with a girl raised by peasants Bella is placed in the kitchens for lack of finesse as Marianne is placed at court. Every visit she brings a bit of gossip back home with her and one day Bella learns that Julian's life is in danger. Despite the fact that he mistreated her she has to warn him of his impending doom, and treks across the countryside to bring this news to him. But will he regard her as warmly as he once did in his youth or will his last actions to her prove that his heart has hardened against Bella?

"Bella at Midnight" is a warm and sweet retelling of Cinderella with a lot more truth and a lot less fantasy. The trace elements of magic and whimsy are at the behest of God's will. Bella herself acquires the means necessary to arrive at the "Ball" (in this case an opulent wedding) in style. The role of the fairy godmother has been taken over by Bella's kindly Aunt, and the wicked stepmother and sisters are of course in fine form, save Alice who does help out Bella at times. I'll be honest that for a while I found the book lacking in the middle. The character development is a little flat even though Stanley has chosen to break up the narration into different characters for every chapter. This actually distances the reader from the characters instead of drawing them in. However, the overall plot, the nice way she tied in the original mythos of Cinderella, and the incredible "Joan of Arc" style ending culminate in a fun, quick read. I would happily give this book 4 stars, but the character weakness that I have mention must alter that opinion a touch, so 3.5 out of 5 feels about right. I think younger folks will very much enjoy this.

A charming book for children.......2006-05-31

BELLA AT MIDNIGHT by Diane Stanley is a sweet, enchanting story filled with intrigue, chivalry and magical gifts. Young Isabel lives among the peasants of a quaint medieval village not aware that she is the daughter of a knight in the king's service. Bella, as her foster family calls her, is raised as a blacksmith's daughter to be respectful, kind and industrious. Those qualities will shine through in her time of need when she finds herself in the middle of a 100-year-old war. The values instilled by her adoptive parents and the courage given to her by birth converge to help Bella save a good friend and bring a prophesy to life.

Stanley is a prolific author with several children's publications to her credit. She is revered as a writer of talent with an interesting ability to "re-imagine" traditional folk and fairy tales. In her current release Stanley twists together the stories of Cinderella, King Arthur, and tales of fairies to create an enticing work that moves methodically through the early life of Bella as she gains maturity and poise on her way to rescuing two kingdoms from ruin.

Bella is born in traditional circumstances to a knight and his young bride. The young mother does not have the strength to survive the birth of her daughter whose fiery red hair and bright blue eyes light up the room. Bella's distraught father charges his sister-in-law, Bella's aunt, to take baby Isabel away to someone who will raise and care for her. This is accomplished by the aunt and Bella grows to the age of 16 unaware of her royal birthrights. Soon after being reunited with her father, Bella discovers her passion, courage and strength as she single-handedly ends a century-old conflict that will be the ruin of everyone and everything she loves if she doesn't intervene.

As a reader I have an awkward habit of reading the last chapter of a book before anything else. Knowing the resolution of a story helps me decide if I want to read the book and gives me a point of reference to understand how and why the author makes certain choices. Many readers disagree with this practice, and they have that right. In the case of BELLA AT MIDNIGHT, if I had started with chapter one first, I would not have continued to read. The description of Bella's birth was overdone for the minimum age/grade recommended for this book. The content was inappropriate for 10-year-olds and the sweetness of the romance throughout the story would not appeal to older readers. While the main story was inviting, the material about the birth in the first chapter didn't further the plot. The premise easily could have been explained in a first chapter minus the age inappropriate references to headfirst presentation of the baby, babies born strangled by umbilical cords, and wet nursing.

Stanley made another challenging choice. The book is written in the first-person point of view, which isn't controversial --- until an author writes from the points of view for nine different characters. We see the progression of the story from the eyes of these varied minds, and it sometimes creates an action time lapse while we wait on everyone involved to catch up because we can only read one perspective at a time per chapter. A good deal of repetition and overlap occurs while characters recount the same episode from their point of view before moving the story forward. The method proved taxing for this reader and negatively effected pacing.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

Impossible things are happening every day.......2006-05-18

Hello, Diane Stanley. You're looking well today. Could it be the result of a new haircut? A new shirt? Or could it be the fact that you've just written a work of fiction that is getting resounding, unending, and universal applause? I think that might be the case. You look at "Bella At Midnight" and you don't exactly know what to think. It's a nice cover and all, but is it any good? Well, there's a starred review of it in Kirkus, a starred review of it in Booklist, and a starred review of it in School Library Journal. So, yes, it is indeed good. More importantly, it does something that I would have seriously doubted possible until this time. It takes that old chestnut of a Cinderella myth, pumps it full of new life and vitality, and sends it spinning off into the ether like some kind of newfangled original tale. I still had qualms with some aspects of the storytelling, but for three-dimensional characters, magnificent plotting, and a great bit of writing through and through, "Bella At Midnight" is near impossible to beat.

The child was unwanted. Her mother had died in childbirth and her father wanted nothing to do with her, so unbalanced was he by his wife's death. So it was that Isabel (nicknamed Bella) was taken from her father's home and tended to by a peasant wetnurse by the name of Beatrice who had lately tended to the prince himself. Prince Julian, the third son in his family, often comes back to visit this wetnurse of his, and over the years it becomes clear that the person he seeks most often on his visits is Bella. But it isn't until Bella is a teenager that she is told the truth about herself. The peasant family who has loved her all these years? Not her family. Without any advance notice, Bella is shipped away from everyone and everything she has ever loved to live with a father she's never known alongside a new stepmother and stepsister. Sound familiar? The story of Cinderella has been retold for a new generation and with it comes a story full of intrigue, miracles, magic, and even a pair of tiny glass slippers. It's all here. What's remarkable is how Stanley manages to incorporate all these details and never loose sight of her own original story.

In this book, each chapter is told from a different person's point of view. Once in a while a singler person's P.O.V. will occur twice in a row, but usually that's out of sheer narrative necessity. What this multiple-narrative really manages to do is give almost everyone a voice. If Bella's stepmother is vicious or her stepsister proud, you learn why that might be from their separate stories. Talk about well-rounded storytelling! Not everyone gets a voice, I'll admit. We never really get inside of Bella's father's head (thankfully!) but we can see rather clearly why he acts the way he does. And any author that is able to make a privileged prince of pure heart and mind sound like someone you'd actually want to hang out with (to say nothing of perfect beautiful Bella) is an author of finely honed writing skills indeed. Actually, extra kudos to Stanley for giving Bella a backbone and having her save the day in a particularly dramatic way at the story's end. I've always been sick of Cinderella stories where the protagonist just sits around waiting for good fortune to fall into her lap.

Then take into account the way Stanley has incorporated everything from the original Cinderella myth alongside works like Shakespeare's, "The Tempest". When we first meet the meekest of Bella's stepsisters we hit a chapter that begins with, "My father lies below the sea. Crabs scuttle over him and scatter his bones. Beside his remains, half buried in the sand, lie trinkets he was bringing home for me". Ariel's song anyone? "Full fathom five thy father lies", and all that? There are multiple examples of intelligent referencing in this book, but never presented in such a way that they jar with the book itself.

With all these laudable qualities you might wonder how anyone could find ANYTHING to object to in this book. Admittedly, I was disinclined to say anything against "Bella", but there was one repeating and ridiculous aspect to Stanley's writing. It involves her children. Now I am perfectly aware that this story takes place in some distant past and that long ago kids were required to become adults much faster than they are today. Just the same, how likely does it seem to you that a ten-year-old conversing with a seven-year-old should say something along the lines of, "And then, Bella, I was not satisfied with merely playing a great hero... Is that not prideful enough for you? Can you picture me riding into the midst of a battle and bringing armies to their knees?"? The seven-year-old Bella's reply? "If God willed it, you could! You have a pure heart, Julian, as the Worthy Knight is said to have. God could make you a champion if it was needful". I am willing to suspend my disbelief a rather great ways, but this conversation doesn't read like that of a pair of children. It reads like a pair of twenty-somethings. And, considering the course it takes, rather wise twenty-somethings at that. I've always had a dislike of books in which kids don't act or speak like real children (hence my tempestuous relationship with E.L. Konigsburg). "Bella At Midnight", commits this crime multiple times. Fortunately, by page 66 these too-knowledgeable kids have grown into their flowery tongues and the book progresses at a rapid clip.

There's something wonderful about Cinderella stories. They speak to a universal desire to be recognized beyond the state of our birth. I daresay that no author (until now, of course) has ever given a Cinderella story such care and love as is found in this newest children's book. Kids with a penchant for fairy tales (perhaps of the Donna Jo Napoli variety) will find Stanley's title infinitely accessible. She really makes you believe in the world that she has conjured up. A wonderful addition to any library and a truly enjoyable read.

Average customer rating:

Even better than Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie
You'll Laugh, You'll cry...
Music, old people and decapitated gnomes make for a good read
A must read!
Notes From the Midnight Driver

Notes From The Midnight Driver
Jordan Sonnenblick
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439757797

Book Description

16-year-old Alex decides to get even. His parents are separated, his father is dating his former third-grade teacher, and being 16 isn't easy, especially when it comes to girls. Instead of revenge though, Alex ends up in trouble with the law and is ordered to do community service at a senior center where he is assigned to Solomon Lewis, a "difficult" senior with a lot of gusto, advice for Alex, and a puzzling (yet colorful) Yiddish vocabulary. Eventually, the pair learn to deal with their past and each other in ways that are humorous, entertaining, and life changing.

Customer Reviews:

Even better than Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.......2007-05-03

Jordan Sonnenblick keeps getting better. NOTES is the story of an angry adolescent - even angrier than most! Alex's parents have gotten divorced and after drinking an excessive amount of vodka, he's going to just drive over and tell his dad how angry he is. Luckily, he doesn't hurt anyone when he crashes the car, but now he is even angrier, because he has to spend time at an old folks' home talking to possibly the crankiest man in the whole place - Sol. Sol's tough love is hilarious, poignant, and ultimately effective. Great book, great read, great for kids just starting to drive or even just thinking about starting to drive. I'm using it with my ninth graders right now, and they love it!

You'll Laugh, You'll cry..........2007-02-12

Not exactly a sequel to Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie but you will see some of the same characters and be back in the same high school. Notes from the Midnight Driver also deals with a serious topic but lets you laugh your way through it. The main character begins the book by seriously messing up; he gets drunk and into a car. Fortunately only a lawn gnome was injured and the stupid kid gets a chance to straighted out his life. He ends up with community service with a cranky old man who never gives him a break but teaches him about life and death.

Music, old people and decapitated gnomes make for a good read.......2007-01-02

After Sonnenblick's incredibly touching first book, Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, I was wondering if his second book would make me feel as much as his first book did. I am happy to report, I gained even more from this book.

Alex is your average high school junior--anticipating getting his driver's license, worring about the SATs, dealing with family and girl issues. That is until he decapitates his neighbor's lawn gnome after getting drunk on his absentee father's vodka and sealing his mother's car for a joyride. But he's the only one who doesn't feel lucky when the judge sentences him to 100 hours of community service at the local nursing home.

There he meets Sol, a crotchety old man who's determined to take Alex down a notch or two and help him see he's destined for more than a drunk driving conviction at sixteen. Sol also wants to help Alex become a better guitar player, learn some dirty Yiddish phrases and kindle a romance with his best gal pal Laurie.

The book has the classic elements of a good read with some great jazz history, a good plot-twist or two and a little romance. Alex's biweekly letters updating the judge on his "progress" also help to show Alex's development from a troubled teen to a young man willing to take responsibility for his mistakes.

With great dialogue and a smart plot, Sonnenblick puts heart and humor into a sad tale of learning to be accountable for your mistakes. Fan's of Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie will be excited by the cameo appearances of Steve and Annette, but new readers will fall hard for Alex's quick whit and development. This is a great read, and the lively characters keep the book light even when the harsh realities of the plot threaten to give the book too dark a tone.

A great read for middle/high school students dealing with divorce, death of a grandparent, minor legal infractions or just life.

A must read!.......2006-10-21

And you think your life is tough. Sixteen-year-old Alex Gregory miscalculated the consequences of his anger when he decided to teach his father a lesson. Nothing good can come of a poorly thought out plan, especially when it entails stealing your mother's car, driving drunk and obliterating a poor unsuspecting lawn gnome.

Alex thought it was a great idea at the time. The police and the judge, well, not so much. He was sentenced to hundreds of community service hours in a nursing home, catering to Sol, a cantankerous old curmudgeon who's writing the last chapter of his life.

While Alex is doing 'hard time' in a nursing home, his parents are separated, and dad's dating his third grade teacher, he's discovered his childhood friend, Laurie, is pretty 'hot' and the judge isn't buying his written declarations that he's not qualified to help with Sol's problems. It's enough to send a guy to his room to play the blues (or maybe jazz) on his guitar.

Never underestimate the power of tough love. Alex and Sol navigate the generation gap and forge the relationship of a lifetime. Personal responsibility and giving people (especially parents, because they really are trying) a second chance is the lesson of the day. And you'll never see the twist coming, and it'll warm your heart.

Sonnenblick delivers a great story with snappy patter wrapped up nicely in a life lesson.

I laughed and I shed some tears. And I decided Notes From the Midnight Driver is a must read.

Armchair Interviews says: Nice to have more quality books for young adults.

Notes From the Midnight Driver.......2006-10-13

Home alone, 16-year-old Alex Gregory, enraged over his parent's separation and fuming about his dad's involvement with Alex's former 3rd grade teacher, gets drunk and sets off in his mom's car to confront his father and "that woman." He doesn't get far, but he's lucky. The only victims of the resultant accident are a decapitated French lawn gnome and the cop he barfs on when he's arrested.

To Alex's dismay, a judge sentences him to 100 hours of public service, assigning him to visit some cantankerous old guy at the home for the aged where Alex's mother coincidentally works. Obligatory progress notes to the judge punctuate the action and raise interesting speculations as Alex gets to learn something about, and from, old Solomon Lewis. Sol's severe emphysema and apparent abandonment by his only daughter, have not suppressed his chutzpah, Yiddishisms, or zest for pulling "Gotcha" surprises on everyone. Without preachiness and with much humor, the story will appeal to middle schoolers as Alex is transformed, accepting responsibility and change while learning - and teaching -- forgiveness.

As for Jewish content: Alex, his best gal pal Laurie, and their families are not Jewish, but both old Sol and the judge are. The most overtly Jewish aspect of this book springs from Sol's frequent use of Yiddish, the wisdom underlying his wisecracks, and the basic Jewish values such as family, community and accountability, which shape the story.
Alex's initial behavior and some minor scenes might make this problematic for some very traditional schools. For ages 12-14. Reviewed by Rita Berman Frischer

Midnight On The Moon (Magic Tree House 8, paper)

Average customer rating:

A 2TG Review
kids on the moon base
Midnight on the Moon Review by Matthew Broome,
MY BOY LOVES READING IT
Very disappointed

Midnight On The Moon (Magic Tree House 8, paper)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679863745
Release Date: 1996-10-29

Book Description

Illustrated in black-and-white. Jack and Annie are whisked forty years forward in time and land at an international space station on the moon. There they don space suits and go exploring the lunar surface in search of the fourth object needed to free the enchantress Morgan le Fay from a powerful spell.

Customer Reviews:

A 2TG Review.......2007-05-15

In the beginning it was midnight. Annie was awake. She woke up Jack.In the middle they decided to go to the moon. Morgan wants them to go to the moon. At the end Annie and Jack went back home. They liked the adventure. I know they liked the adventure because they said,"The universe is filled with wonders.
by Maria

kids on the moon base .......2007-04-06

In this book Midnight on the Moon the main charaicters are Annie and Jake they found a magic tree house that will take them places all they have to do is point to the place they want to go and say "i wish to go there" and the tree house spins and takes off! they have to find four things that starts with the letter "m" and they have already found three things and now they are on the moon trying to find the last thing and when they find the last thing then it will set morgan the librarian free from her spell that she is under!the three things that they have already discovered is a moonstone from the time in ninjas a mango from the amazon rain forest and a mammoth bone from the ice age!

Midnight on the Moon Review by Matthew Broome, .......2007-02-21

Midnight on the Moon by Mary Pope Osbourne

This book was about a smart nine year old boy named Jack and his seven year old sister named Annie. I liked this book because it was very adventurious and fun to read. When I read this book I felt like I took an exciting trip into outerspace. Jack and Annie's goal on the moon was to find the last "M" thing from the four great series of books. To find out what happens to Jack and Annie on the moon, read this fantastic book. I give this book a 4 star rating because of its wonders and suspense. This is a book I would read again.

MY BOY LOVES READING IT.......2007-01-07

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

Very disappointed.......2006-01-25

Since this series is so popular, my eight-year-old asked to get some from the library, so we checked out a few. I picked up this one, book #8, and read through it. The writing was extremely poor. I counted the statement, "Morgan nodded," six times in three pages, even though each page has very few words. Can't the author or an editor see such a glaring flaw? And there were many more flaws, extremely contrived dialogue being the worst offender.

The story was weak, and the characters were thin and hard to like. I can't see how this series became popular. We won't be checking them out again.

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