Science Fiction Fantasy Books

I'm not much of a fiction writer, but the author has a good concept at work that keeps the reader interested. He switches back and forth between two characters, a rookie superhero and a old hat supervillain, each taking the lead narrator position every other chapter. So, once you might start getting board with the superhero type, you get to suddenly get back into the mind of the book's supervillain.

The story is indeed a comic book story, but it also parodies and brings out the inherent realities that would arise if superheroes were indeed real. So, you get to find out the superman-like character is not loved by everyone because he can be kind of a self-obsessed jerk and the League of superheroes in the book have a pr department and book deals and the like.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward, which works in context of the book, because the lack of intricacy of the plot is made up for by looking at a straightforward series of events from two different and opposing points of view. This method of storytelling allows the reader to have fun being in on all the in-jokes about comic book heroes as well as still making you wish you were a superhero. The author does an exceptional job at making you feel bad for the villain and yet completely realize he's self-sabotaging.

My only problem with this book is it makes me yearn for a sequel (something I'm not sure I've ever actually read in fiction). And I worry that Austin will simply move onto other things. Oh well, it was still loads of fun.

Aside from Phil Foglio's Girl Genius this is the greatest tale of science gone wrong that I have ever read. What really makes this such a great story is Dr. Impossible himself, a dark yet understandable character.

This is a great book! Sure, it's not completely a comic book -- or a graphic novel. There are no drawings to look at. That is, if you discount the Chip Kidd / Bryan Hitch art. But, I can see them in my head as I turn the pages. I'm drawing the images from my own imagination. And what's better than the pages we each conjure ourselves? IT'S NEVER WRONG!!

And of course there are a lot of holes in the story:
1) Dr. Impossible's secret "alien gas"
2) The heroes couldn't tell that Galatea was a robot?!?

But there are 3 moments of genius in this novel. But you, gentle reader, need to do a little work. And when you do, the result will be most satisfying

- Who was that random tourist actually looking at when he says, "I think that's Dr. Impossible."
- The trail of the Pharaoh's hammer, from the seventies to present day
- And most importantly, why was the lead female heroine named "Damsel?" The real answer lies in your high-school science books!!

Enjoy your reading. And when you're done, try the audiobook for a different experience. It's two vocal performances that you thoroughly enjoy. SOON!

The Champions, a world famous group of superheroes, is changing. Some old members are gone and new members are coming on board. One new member is a new modern cyborg, part human and part machine, named Fatale. But villains don't take a vacation so that new trainees can get up to speed. Super villain Doctor Impossible, an evil genius who is always trying to find some way to take over the world, has escaped from his latest prison and is once again gearing up his diabolical plans. While Fatale tries to find her place to fit in with the existing Champions group, she also wants to find Doctor Impossible and prove her worth.

This young adult sci-fi book reads like a comic book without the pictures. It is the story of one young woman in the process of becoming a superhero and the story of a super villain getting one more chance to rule the world. The story is very fast paced with a whole lot of different heroes and criminals cropping up in the story. Several times I felt like I had dropped into the middle of an existing series-but this is the debut book. While the story is good, I could have used a few less characters to keep up with.

The story jumps from following Fatale to following Dr. Impossible. I loved Fatale's character and how she grows and matures into a heroine through the story. I wasn't nearly as interested in what Dr. Impossible was thinking and wanting, although I do think the information was a vital part of the story. I guess I'm just not a fan of super villains.

I also liked learning about many of the secondary characters but I think I would have enjoyed it more if their stories were in different books in the series with more details about each of them and their relationships instead of everything being in one book.

On the whole I liked the book and would read a sequel.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are a fan of superhero or super villain stories, this book is a pretty fun adventure!

Austin Grossman's debut novel Soon I Will Be Invincible rests on two points of view: that of super villain Doctor Impossible, who has an IQ of 300 and rookie superhero female cyborg Fatale. And there is the battle between good and evil, with people trying to take over the world in one way or another, but it's not always clear exactly who is doing what. Addressing childhood, shame, love, lust, and the weird twists of fate that make us who we are, the book shows how sometimes the difference between one path in life and another might be a chance word, a bit of kindness, and someone understanding. My daughter wasn't too fond of the writing, though for the most part I enjoyed it, with trite comic book dialog craftily placed to create a kind of character chiaroscuro, only the contrast not being between literal light and dark, but the metaphoric public and private parts of someone's psyche that help define the whole person. There were times that I thought the story got badly out of hand - for example, one character realizes the real identity of another and states it, when a hint would have done the trick and left one area of tension and suspense for resolution at the end for greater effect. But overall, worth the read and a book I can recommend.

We own and have read all of the Disney Fairy chapter books. My daughter is 5 years old, and this one was a little scarier than any of the others. Probably not a good choice to read at bedtime. We would still recommend it, but if your daughter is extrememly sensitive to scary things, then I might think twice about this one and read a different one from the series instead.

These are a great series. I have loved reading them with my kids. They use the imagination and keep you interested. Make sure you read book one first.

My book was nice. The Amazon staff and shipping were very horrible. I will not be purchasing from Amazon again. The book's cover was literally taped into the OUTSIDE of the box. The customer service was polite but forced me to return the ruined book. This involved me having to give the nasty book to someone for a gift and then replacing it, packaging the damaged book back up and going to the Post Office. This was a lot of gas and work. I deeply resent having to do all of this. Other people do not want a damaged book. Why not just throw it away? It was their mistake and I had to do the work. Bad service.

Angie Sage keeps the Septimus Heap series going strong with Physik - the third book after Magyk and Flyte. In Physik we have a complex web of plot elements (no spoilers in this review) that take the narrative deep into the history and architecture of the castle and deeper into a an increasingly sophisticated magical realm. There's more about the forms and uses of magyk in this title, and less focus on the weird creatures of this place. Nothing is lost. The central trope is magnetically compelling and there is action and danger and new fabulous characters. The Septimus Heap world keeps getting deeper and weirder with each new title in the series - yet the stories remain page turning romps that don't give kids nightmares. Sage treads the line between thrilling action and stuff that's too scary for kids with brilliant sensitivity. As an adult I don't get the feeling she's condescending - yet I have no qualms giving this to my second grader. He devours these Septimus books with gusto and is well ahead of me in the series.

If you read Magyk and Flyte you'll definitely be reading this on your way to Queste - so it's not vital that I tell you that Physik rocks. It's probably the best title in the series so far.

As for paperback versus hard cover - these are pretty thick chunky books (more than 500 brief quick reading pages) - the paperback adds some much needed lightness and flexibility and saves about 35% of the price. I was the 3rd person to read our particular paperback copy (after my son and wife). It was still in fine condition (no pages falling out or smudged ink). I have no problem recommending this dirt cheap edition.

I truly enjoyed this book. My grand daughter is reading it now. The
series is terrific - hope there are more to come.

I just reread this book recently... It hasn't lost its charm. Awesome third book. I can't wait until Queste!

Miri is a girl who lives on Mount Eskel, which is a territory (not a province) of Danland. The villagers of the mountain don't particularly like lowlanders, which encompasses all people who don't live on Eskel. The lowlanders reciprocate. So it's a surprise to all when Danland's priests draw lots to find out what city the future princess will come from and Mount Eskel is chosen. Miri's not sure that she wants to be a princess, because she'd have to leave her home and live with a bunch of snobby lowlanders (and what if the prince is snobby?). But the choice is taken out of her hands...

I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I will say that it's one of the most surprising, wonderful endings that I've read so far. Buy Princess Academy and see for yourself. And after that, check out
Book of A Thousand Days.

I love this book. Read it twice, finally own it. It is a YA book that actually teaches values. You can't go wrong with it or any other Shannon Hale book!

This was a great book by Shannon Hale. Her books keep you interested from beginning to end. Great Price too.

This was the first book I ever read from Shannon Hale, I really got hooked with her books after reading this one. SHe seems to make things almost believable. THis book shows her talent.

More a story about work ethic, facing reality, and ability to adapt to changes with whatever talent one posesses, this is a wonderful "fairy tale" for people of any age to read. Rather than the glossy Cinderella pablum that has everyone fast-forwarding to "happily ever after," here the heroine embraces her own physical and character flaws, understands the importance of education, hard work, and communication. She adopts a "one-world" mentality that we must all eventually come to realize; especially our politicians! The title may be unfortunately misleading to our pre-conceived biases, but have faith in Shannon Hale's ability as an author, and you won't be disappointed. It's a can't-put-down page turner.

For the most part, this novel makes an interesting story out of what started out as a Bush administration talking point. About four years ago, as the insurgency in Iraq started growing, the Bush administration tried to play down the problems in Iraq by drawing a false analogy with post-war resistance in Germany. The comparison was a weak one, since post-war resistance in Germany was minimal and quickly fizzled -- but the talking point apparently motivated Harry Turtledove to wonder what it would have been like in post-war Germany had there been a real resistance.

This novel is the result. The resistance efforts and our relatively inept responses are chilling -- all the more so for their plausibility. Less believable is the speed at which the "bring our troops home" movement develops back at home; while I expect that such a movement would have developed over the course of several years, I'm not sure that I believe that it would have started within six months of VE Day, as this novel postulates.

Despite this one weakness, "The Man With the Iron Heart" did an excellent job of holding my interest. It also gives the reader plenty to think about -- and not necessarily in a way that will satisfy hard core partisans on either side of the current debate over Iraq. If you've enjoyed other Harry Turtledove alt-war novels, you'll probably enjoy this one as well. And if you're interested in how we would have dealt with an insurgency in a different time and place, I'd recommend this one as well. On the other hand, if you're looking for a book to confirm your prejudices one way or another about Iraq...well, keep looking.

On balance, I think Harry Turtledove might have been better advised to put out a second book in his new "Atlantis" series (a genuinely interesting look at what might have happened had the eastern seaboard of North America been split off by tectonic processes from the rest of the continent and ended up in the central Atlantic) instead of this rather disappointing attempt to write a World War II-era analogue for the United States' troubles in Iraq. He writes it well - when keeping to the confines of a single book, he avoids the pitfalls of repetitiousness that he falls into in his mega-series - but then he falls into a different trap, yielding to the temptation to write an op-ed article instead of a novel.

The pity and the shame is that the basic concept is quite interesting: what would have happened if the Nazis had exercised more forethought and prepared their "Werewolf" guerrilla movement well in advance for the postwar occupation, and what if Reinhard Heydrich had survived his assassination attempt? There's ample matter here for a great alternate-history novel, but unfortunately, _The Man with the Iron Heart_ just isn't it. Turtledove spends way too much time on trying to draw what the TV Tropes Wiki website calls "Anvilicious" analogies between what's happening in Iraq and U.S. politics today and what might have happened if the Allies had had to face a well-organized diehard Nazi movement in the months and years following V-E Day. It's pretty clear that he thinks "out now" proponents of ending U.S. involvement in Iraq are making a serious mistake - still a debatable proposition - but he hammers on his point in such a repetitive, indeed clumsy, fashion that even a lot of people who would agree with his hypothesis are likely to end up being bored and irritated.

...pedantic and derivative.

I wish Harry would get back to writing his own books. I wish he'd finish the "Colonization" series.

I wish he'd finish the series he began with "Days of Infamy" -- even though that, too, comes from the writing-mill.

Above all, I wish he'd grow some neuticals and go back to being a *writer*.

Harry Turtledove takes on Harry Truman in this latest Alternate History. I was anxiously awaiting this current novel from Harry Turtledove and enjoyed reading it on my Kindle. However, this was certainly NOT among my favorites from the Master of Alternative History. Although I think it was one of the best executed novels he's written in recent years, I gave it four stars.

The entire novel is a thinly disguised treatise on the current U.S. Iraq policy. My complaint is not whether I agree with Turtledove or not. I've always argued that I enjoy thoughtful fiction regardless of whether I agree with the political view espoused. I gauge a book by whether it makes me THINK about the issues in a new way.

In this case, the novel falls short. Turtledove has done little more than transcribe current history into post-WWII history. No real surprises and very predictable twists. The parallels he draws between the Truman administration and the current administration are tenuous at best.

Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable novel, but it could have been much more!

The Man With the Iron Heart (2008) is a standalone alternate history novel set after the end of the war in Europe. In May, 1942, two Czechs attempted to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich on his way to the Castle of Prague. In the real world, they were successful. But not so in this tale.

In February, 1943, the Reich was mourning the defeat at Stalingrad. Heydrich saw the possibility of losing the war and went to Heinrich Himmler with a plan for a stay-behind force to terrorize their enemies after the war. Himmler was very reluctant to even think of losing the war, but he agreed to authorize the organization. Still, he insisted that information about the effort should not be shared with Hitler.

In this novel, after VE Day, the Werewolves start a campaign of terror in all four zones of occupation and elsewhere in what had been Greater Germany. They start with improvised explosive devices. Then they send suicide bombers among the enemy troops with explosives strapped under their coats.

Lieutenant Lou Weissberg is a Counterintelligence Corps officer in occupied Germany. He is called in to examine the scene of the initial attack on two American soldiers. He and his superior -- Captain Howard Frank -- become the American lead investigators on the Werewolves situation. After months of fruitless efforts, Weissberg and Frank both want to share information with the Russians, but are rebuffed by their superiors.

Comrade Captain Vladimir Bokov is an NKVD officer in the Russian Zone. He is assigned to investigate the death of Marshal Koniev by the Werewolves. He and his superior -- Colonel Moisei Shteinberg -- become the Russian lead investigators on the case. Soon both NKVD men ask to share their information with the Allies, but are threatened with deportation to the Arctic zone if they persist in such Fascist thinking.

In this story, an early victim of the Werewolves was Patrick Jonathan McGraw. Upon receiving a telegram from the Department of War, his mother is shocked at the news of his death. After thinking about it, Diane McGraw is even more upset over the timing.

Jerry Duncan is the congressman for the district in which Diane McGraw lives. He is also a Republican at a time when the Democrats seem to have a lock on the White House and Congress. After receiving a visit from Diane McGraw, Duncan sees this death -- and others like it -- as a tool to gain political power.

Diane starts Mothers Against the War in Germany to protest the postwar deaths and to demand that the troops be brought home. Reporters see such demonstrations and sound bites as sensational news which will sell even more papers (and promote their careers). Then violence occurs during a demonstration and panic causes more injuries. Wonderful headlines!

This tale is a cautionary story about terrorism. It has been said that those who know no history are doomed to repeat it, but this saying is more of a sound bite than a truism. Knowledge of history provides warnings of previous mistakes, but does not necessarily show effective solutions to the problems. Those who know history have the option of making new mistakes.

Still, the author takes certain events and situations from the past to illustrate possible missteps in the present. The Werewolves in this story were based on Operation Greif during the Battle of the Bulge and the stay-behind operation planned for the end of the war. Both these improvised operations were less than successful. But what would have happened if such efforts had been initiated over a year before D-Day?

The story shows consequences of two different approaches to such problems. The Russians, of course, countered terror with more terror, executing hostages and shipping Germans to the gulags. The British and the French did much the same, but not as ruthlessly. Naturally, the US Army concentrated on punishing the holdouts rather than the whole population. Yet neither approach accomplished the destruction of the terrorist organization.

Many civilians back in the USA saw only the death toll and ignored the consequences of a rejuvenated Nazi society. Does this seem familiar? While this tale had the Republican party using the sorry results of the war on terror against the Democratic administration, such lack of true foresight seems to be on the other side in our times.

Terrorists do not care about political partisanship among its enemies. They only follow their own abhorrent logic and use such partisanship to forward their own goals. They gladly use every offer of appeasement and withdrawal to cause even more terror.

Note: this novel has unusual significance for this reviewer. I was assigned to the last CIC unit in the world during the Vietnam War. This was on Occupied Okinawa just before it was returned to the Japanese. I even carried a card stating that I was a CIC agent in addition to my standard credentials.

Highly recommended for Turtledove fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of historical situations, counterintelligence procedurals, and stubborn perseverance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

NOT SO TERRIFIC. REALLY ONLY SO SO. SOME HOT SEX SCENES BUT THE PREMISE IS WEIRD AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SHALLOW. NOT A KEEPER.

I am not going to go into detail, I see that has already been done. I thought this book had a good story and the characters were believable (I liked the fact the Alyssa was shy about her body at first) and the pages HOT. I would recommend this book if you are not looking for a moving romantic read, this is more of a fantasy sex read. Its worth it for the erotica.

not bad a good read and story telling. i thought Stone's best friends were yummy!!!!!! and i can't wait for the second book. the ceremony that took place one word WOW!! and that was a good wow.

KEEPER

It was a really great book and I already have the next one, about his brother, on preorder. :) The detail is very explicit but there is actually a plot that makes you feel like you are apart of the book.

Ceremony of Seduction (Seduction Series, Book 1)my opinion is the book is well written the story line flows and is solid the sex scenes are very very graphic and explicit can't emphasis that enough. some words in the book may offend some people. this is a real erotic romance and would need to purchased and read by open minded , free spirited people however if you are one of those great read and i really enjoyed it. one of those books that you get ratty with yourself for having read it too fast. oh well its book 1 look forward to book 2

I read the many reviews for this novel and finally decided to order it. However it sat on my "to be read" pile for a while. Finally I picked it up and was immediately drawn in. I have not read any "end of the world" novels before this one. The premise of the story was very clever, I especially enjoyed the fact that the characters did not spend much time discussion the "change" and worried about their own survival. There was just enough of a mix of world building and bloody combat to keep my interested. After a while I found myself really caring about the well being of these characters and eagerly turning the pages impatient to learn their fate. Now having said all that I would like to echo a comment made by several other reviewers, I found it highly improbable that all the people that banded together each turned out to have very archaic and specialized skills and knowledge regarding medieval combat, agriculture, engineering, etc. That in no way subtracted from the sheer fun of reading this novel. My only regret was that I did not read it sooner.

Dies the Fire, S.M. Stirling's first novel in the "Change" trilogy, takes a look at the world left behind by the Nantucket Islanders in his "Islanders" trilogy. Here, we see that the same Event that sent Nantucket three thousand years into the past has caused a devastating Change in the world they left behind: all modern technology based on chemical or electrical power - including electronics, internal combustion engines, and firearms - suddenly stops working.

The main characters of the novel are Michael Havel, pilot and former Marine; Juniper McKenzie, Celtic musician and priestess of the Craft; and Norman Arminger, history professor, anthropologist, and medieval expert. Unlike the Islanders trilogy, which splendidly evokes the past by showing an entire world, Dies the Fire evokes the horrors and trials of surviving the loss of a world by focusing on Havel and McKenzie, and their efforts to survive and start anew - with glimpses of Arminger's founding of a Protectorate based on medieval feudalism, with serfdom, slavery, and military conquest all a part of it.

Stirling has captured the sense of what a world without modern technology would look like - and he makes you think about just how much we take for granted is dependent on the last two hundred years or so of scientific advancement. From fantastic combat and action scenes to detailed, well-written explorations of how survivors could begin again, this book is a great read and a wonderful start to the new trilogy!

If you're into the whole King Arthur lords and ladies stuff, then this book would be right up your alley. For me, however, I expected this post-apocalyptic novel to have a little more substance. Instead, all I got was 10 pages of interesting material, 390 pages of fluffy adventures, and 170 pages of Wiccan partying.

The premise is interesting--the explosive and electrical elements have somehow been removed from the laws of physics by some unexplained event. That means electricity doesn't exist (thus, no power), fuel won't burn (no more transportation), and gunpowder won't ignite (thus, no explosives or guns). Aside from the question of, "How are people still alive, seeing that our nerves run off electrical impulses," this book sets up an interesting beginning. However, it strays off fast, focusing instead on the petty problems of social bickering, overly intense focus on adapting to "natural resources", and an overly excessive amount of focus on Wiccan celebrations. Honestly, I was sick and tired of having the ol' gang get together and have some "joyous celebration". After the second page, it was enough, but I was delighted to find a good chunk of the book focusing on just that.

I cannot figure out why so many people liked this book. Maybe it's my tastes, but the work is so tangented that it's a dull read in my opinion.

Like all major shifts in environment those that can't adapt die horribly. This strong first novel really sets you cheering the survivors. The second novel is also a worthy read, but the third is full of fluff. Too many pages decribing the pretty flowers. Hang all page number requirements by their entrails!

I really enjoyed the story in Dies the Fire. What would happen if all high tech (everything more complex than a steam engine) just stopped working? How would the world react?

Well, badly, it turns out. And reading about the collapse of society is fun. Fun, in a watching a train wreck kinda way. Very cool. Five stars for the story.

The characters were interesting and well drawn. Four stars for character development.

My only gripe with this book, indeed with all of Stirling's books, is the pacing. Things move a bit too slow for my tastes. Three stars for pacing.

Overall, I give Dies the Fire: A Novel of the Change four stars.

Finally a book with just the right mix of heart, action, fantasy, humanity and wacky unpredictability! This was my first voyage into Pratchett land and what a journey. I'd heard about his Discworld books but never got round to actually cracking the spine of one. Honestly, I have no idea if Wee Free takes place on Discworld or not. But no matter where the story takes place, Tiffany is a great, active heroine and the Wee Free Men are an absolute riot! That said, for our own wee ones, some of the under 10 or 11 set may have trouble figuring out just what the Nac Mac Feegle are saying as Pratchett has them chatting with their Scottish brogues fully intact. Things like, "...Crivens, we dinna want tae answer..." and "The Quin'll get tired o' the wee lad after a coupla months, mebbe." After a few pages of the Free Men's dialogue, though, it does get easier to understand and by your third page of it, those crazy little blue guys in kilts will have you rolling of the floor.

Keep 'em coming Terry, you crazy old coot.

Pratchett really shines in his young readers stories of Tiffany Aching. Tiffany is a 9 year old girl born and raised on the chalk, where her family tends sheep. While she tries to cope with her sorrow over the death of her grandmother (a witch who never said as much), it becomes clear that she has inherited her granny's talent for witching. This is the first book in the Tiffany Aching series, which delves into the world of the tiny Mac Nac Feegle, tattooed blue sprites with flaming red hair and tempers to match. Here the MNFeegles help Tiffany with the general business of witching, and the specific business of rescuing her sticky little brother Wentworth from the Queen of Faerie.

Like all of Pratchett's books, The Wee Free Men is laugh-out-loud funny (almost too clever for young readers), and a joyous romp through the crazy Discworld that Pratchett has created.

- C.A.Wulff author of Born Without a Tail

Of all Terry Pratchett's wonderful, whimsical books, his witch books (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Weird Sisters) are my favorites, and of all his witch books, this is absolutely the best.

Nine-year-old Tiffany's introduction to witchhood - as I said, Pratchett-style witchhood - is just one amazement followed by another. Pratchett's witches are wonderfully practical creatures, with First Sight and Second Thoughts (never mind that "second sight" silliness). Under the impetus of her own sense of rightness, and the knowledge that she is the only one who can do it, Tiffany sets out to save not only her sticky and annoying little brother, but her entire world, from an invasion of the Fairy.

Along the way, she has several revelations about the nature of a true witch, the lack of glamour associated with this most responsible position (a witch takes care of her people), and the satisfaction of making things right.

Tiffany also has several revelations about the nature of the Nac Mac Feegle, a small bright blue barbarian-like gang of anarchists ("No King, no Quin, we shall never be fooled again!") that just love stealing, fighting, and drinking, but mostly fighting. But somehow, the little terrors have managed to learn respect for witches - and lawyers - and supply this nine-year-old with bright blue nearly invisible muscle.

Additionally, the story of Tiffany is tied into the story of her Granny, who, despite her humble life as a rough-n-tough shepherdess, clearly was the witch who cared for Tiffany's people before her. So, along with its madcap air of adventure, and the gales of laughter, the book has a gentle whiff of nostalgia, and an undercurrent of deep respect for the past. The blend comes out just right, producing a balanced book that manages to end with a profound sense of just-rightness, without ever losing the ability to surprize the reader every time a page is turned. It is perfect.

The witches of Discworld are identified by their practicality and ability to manipulate people. They believe in using as little magic as possible, and Tiffany Aching is no exception. This entry in the Discworld pantheon follows Tiffany dealing with the loss of her magical Grandmother, an invasion from the realm of faerie, becoming kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, and rescuing her little brother from the evils of the faerie.

Terry Pratchett has ever been a favorite author of mine, and I've converted many family and friends to his work. But "The Wee Free Men" has taken him too new heights of reader entertainment. The adventure of Tiffany Aching is a beautiful combination of magical machinations and practical solutions. When your main weapon against the forces of darkness is a frying pan, hilarity must ensue. Toss on the pictsies in the form of the Nac Mac Feegle, who are less pixie and more scottish Pict, (a historically implacable foe and epitome of barbaric Scotland), and the fun just keeps on rolling.

In all, I heartily recommend this book for younger readers and old alike. The common, earthy european humor of Pratchett's other novels is left out of this one, which makes it all the more kid friendly.

Don't let the fact that this book is targeted towards children fool you. This book has all of the wit and charm that you have come to expect from Pratchett's books. Tiffany Aching is a bright young girl who is much more together than most of the adults in the story and the Nac Mac Feegles are some of Pratchett's funniest and most indearing characters to date. This book is deffinetly worth picking up no matter your age.

The Shadow Children boxed set by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a captivating series of stories about the life of "illegal" third children. I purchased the the set for my daughter and found myself reading the entire series unable to put the books down. Haddix leaves the reader wanting more with each book in the series!

Luke is an illegal third child who realizes he is not alone. Great writing, strong characters, great read.

These books are the story of "third" children in a country in the future where a "food shortage" makes having more than two children illegal. These shadow children are hidden from the Population Police by their parents, never allowed to be seen in public, so never knowing what it's like to live outside their own homes. This is the story of their lives in the shadows and their fight for freedom to enjoy life like everyone else. These books are the first of a set of seven (7) books, which are interesting and exciting from the very beginning! I've seen kids with a very limited interest in reading become hooked on reading THESE books! They love to discuss what's going on and can't wait to see what happens next to these "shadow children". I highly recommend these books to anyone - regardless of age or reading interest. Margaret Peterson Haddix is an author of books for adolescents who quickly makes it almost impossible for anyone to put these books down!! Buy them for your kids - read them yourself!! Shadow Children Boxed Set: Among the Hidden, Among the Impostors, Among the Betrayed, and Among the Barons

Like Tolkien and many others, Haddix creates a fantasy series which serves up gender stereotypes straight out of 1958.

I was taken with the first book, Among the Hidden, but quickly tired of the boring gender split. Aside from one heroic martyr killed off in Book One, every one of the dozens of other strong (either good or evil) leading characters are male. One female child gets into the story, but she is an archetypal lovelorn teenybopper -- and, unlike her male counterparts, she faces a danger that is not even quite real. She ends up pushed aside, becoming a kitchen wench for the all-male Population Police while the boys and men take center stage.

Yawn. I wonder why a female author would portray her own half of the population as weak-minded, unheroic, and largely invisible -- especially given that she is creating a futuristic society which is not meant to look like our own.

Is this all-boy approach meant to broaden her book's appeal? This, by the way, is why JK Rowling made her wizard-hero a male and disguised her own female sex behind initials. Boy readers don't want to read about girl heroes -- and we mustn't challenge their prejudice! -- whereas girl readers are trained from an early age to accept books that put girls into bit parts and boys in the spotlight.

So maybe Haddix made her characters all male in the hope of increasing sales. Or perhaps she's just been reading too much Tolkien.

This is a superb series.

I am a secondary English teacher and it IS sometimes difficult to get young adults interested in this series. However, it is worth the effort. This is a book that a lot of adolescents will have an easy time identifying with. One child in the family is an illegal, not allowed in the sunlight. Teenagers identify with the character once they start reading it because they are teenagers.

This is an almost teenager who the world really IS against. That proves they were right all along.

On top of all that, it is also a well written series.

My four year old son is in love with this chapter series! A friend suggested it to us since he seemed ready for a more advanced reading material at bedtime. My husband reads him a chapter every night...sometimes more because they don't want to stop. It's become a great tradition for them, and something they both look forward to. We love that there are so many in the collection! Start with number 1 and just continue. :)

MAGIC TREE HOUSE OLYMPICS
By KRISTIAN
In the Magic Tree House there is a boy named Jack and A girl named Annie. They went to the OLYMPIC . Annie went And took her mask .The mask she had on was to act like a boy .The guard grabbed Annie she said get off of me! To get more info about how Jack and Annie got home read MAGIC TREE HOUSE
My favorite part was when Annie took her mask off and the guard grabbed her and she said get off of me . I like this book because it has good vocabulary word and it had good details I had NO connection .
The 5th grade will like this book first grade will not want to read such a long book
Second through 5th will like this book because if they are studying on something they will learn about it

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!

The last Magic Tree House that I read was Hour of the Olympics. I liked it because it had a lot of interesting facts about the early olympics. I thought it was funny that some people wore armor when they ran in races! I suggest that you read this book!

The book you are going to read about is called Hour of the Olympics. Mary Pope Osborne wrote it and she is a great writer. This story is about the first Olympic game. The two main characters are named Jack and Annie. This book comes from a series of books, so this is only one adventure. The problem in this story is that Jack and Annie are at the first Olympics and no girls are allowed. Annie sneaks in and gets caught. Can Jack get her out of this mess? To find out you will have to read Hour of the Olympics.