Authors & Illustrators, A-Z Books - Page 3

Eldest (Inheritance)

Christopher Paolini

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Laurel Leaf Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $4.64

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( P ) -> Paolini, Christopher
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror -> Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Series -> Fantasy & Adventure -> Inheritance

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1513 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .


Praise for Eragon:
“Unusual, powerful . . . fresh and fluid. An impressive start to a writing career that’s sure to flourish.” –Booklist, Starred
“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.” –People
“The new ‘It’ book of children’s lit.” –U.S. News & World Report
“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.” –Publishers Weekly

A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
A Book Sense Book of the Year
A #1 Book Sense Selection


From the Hardcover edition.

Inkheart (Movie Cover) (Inkheart Movie)

Cornelia Funke

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Not yet published By: Scholastic Paperbacks

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( F ) -> Funke, Cornelia

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 482 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Forgettable 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

As an adult, reviewing a children's book is fraught with danger. It's all too easy to forget you're not the target audience and don't necessarily see things the way the author intended. Having said that, it seems the most successful children's books these days are those that manage to appeal to both old and young alike (Quidditch, anyone?), and so on that basis I feel at least partly qualified to write a review. Any kids reading this who think I've totally missed the point of the book - please forgive me - you too will be old and out of touch one day.

Inkheart is a very long book. At a whopping 500 plus pages it ranks as one of the longer children's books around. Unfortunately a lot of this length is taken up with unnecessary exposition, narration and description, often slowing the action to a crawl or even a total standstill. There really is a lot to be said for crediting your readers with intelligence, but the author too often spoon feeds us exactly what to think, imagine and feel instead of giving us the basics and letting us do the rest. A good editor with a pair of scissors and an evil grin could easily have reduced the page count to 200 or so, creating a much better story in the process.

As for the characters, I found the good guys to be generally likable and to an extent believable. The baddies were a different category altogether. Capricorn and his cronies are straight out of the corny stereotypical villains handbook, complete with black clothing, and as a result they come across as more comical than evil. I kept expecting Mini-Me to leap out of the shadows and make an appearance, particularly when the age old cliché of scheduling your enemies execution at a later date appeared. The author is clearly gifted with a good imagination, I just wish she had used it more when developing the protagonists.

Seeing as I've probably upset enough people already, I may as well press on with a pedantic point. I had a beef with her use of elvish from the Lord of the Rings. At one point the characters apparently write messages to each other in this language, but the reader is never shown the actual words used. In my opinion if a writer is cheeky enough to make use of Tolkien they should take the time to do it properly, otherwise it comes across as lazy appropriation of a great body of work. Surely it wouldn't have been too difficult to employ the services of a translator to actually put the messages in Quenya or Sindarin, it would have gone a long way towards giving the author credibility.

Overall, the premise of this story is exciting and original, but for me the problems mentioned above turned what could have been a gem into an extremely ordinary and forgettable book. I give it one star for the concept, but none for its execution.

Editorial Review:

One cruel night, Meggie's father, Mo, reads aloud from INKHEART, and an evil ruler named Capricorn escapes the boundaries of fiction, landing instead in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie's in the middle of the kind of adventure she thought only took place in fairy tales. Somehow she must master the magic that has conjured up this nightmare. Can she change the course of the story that has changed her life forever?

"Beguiling...the story seems to have been sprinkled with some magical fairy dust."--The New York Times Book Review

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

J.K. Rowling

Amazon Price: $9.99 List Price: $9.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: SCHOLASTIC BOOKS (TRADE) - Model: SB0439785960 Amazon Marketplace: 113 new & used starting at $3.22

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( R ) -> Rowling, J.K. -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3594 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Didn't live up to the standard set by the previous books 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Bottom Line: Loaner (unless you have to have it for your collection)
I have to say I was disappointed in many things about this book.
First and foremost, it didn't grab my attention at the initial start of the book, like the previous books had.
Then, the insertion of the flashbacks at the first third of the book I felt was, confusing. Added to that, they seemed to drone on a bit longer than they needed.
Thirdly, the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore seemed to suddenly turn in another direction..which didn't feel 'true' to me based on the relationship portrayed in the previous installments..and it also added to the 'overness' of the book.
Then, we add in the relationship between Harry and Ginny, which was the all time most forced thing in this book, for me. It didn't feel right, didn't make any sense, on any level. It felt like a hasty move to shove another love scenario into the story. And then Ron and Hermione are supposed to like each other? I didn't get that either. There wasn't any or enough foundation laid for any of it, to me. It would have been far more interesting had Luna taken a romantic interest in Harry..now there's a chick who could have turned him every which way but loose.
All and all, it felt like, a book written by an author who might be perhaps 'over' this entire series and its characters.

Editorial Review:

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet . . . As with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. And with Dumbledore's guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort -- and thus finds what may be his only vulnerability.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

J.K. Rowling

By: Listening Library Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $8.57

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( R ) -> Rowling, J.K. -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( R ) -> Rowling, J.K. -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Issues -> School

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5432 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Anniversary Ed 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

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

Quality Book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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

Merry, Wary Harry and His Very Scary Adversary 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

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

The Polar Express

Chris Van Allsburg

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Houghton Mifflin - Model: HO-0395389496 Amazon Marketplace: 194 new & used starting at $1.44

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• Christmas Accessories
• For use with your scale model railroad

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> Picture Books
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 236 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Another outstanding Van Allsburg treat! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

What can one say about an illustrator like Van Allsburg? The Polar Express is almost not a children's story but for the child with a vivid imagination (and may there still be a few in existence!!) they will identify with the little boy who travels in his dreams by the Polar Express. I know they have mad an animated film of this book and done it well but it really is more a nostalgia trip for adults. I have never seen a Van Allsburg done badly they are always incredible books and I would love to own the lot. Highly recommended!

Sparked My Imagination 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is one of my most cherished books from childhood. I always wished that a train would pull up to my house one night and whisk me away to see Santa Claus. The illustrations are wonderful as well. Around Christmas time I still like to make some hot chocolate and sit down and re-read this book.

The Polar Express 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The book's quality is made well. The art work most colorful and fits well with the movie and gives a great visual adventure for parent and child to share a holiday favorite in the cold winter season of Christmas. A book to indeed have each year to make a tradition.

Editorial Review:

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa.

Love You Forever

Robert N. Munsch

List Price: $15.25 By: Topeka Bindery Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $14.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Baby-3 -> Bedtime & Dreaming
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 787 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

My favorite book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My first baby is about to have his first baby, as long as I'm living my baby he'll be. I just ordered him his own copy, since I still have his original, that I read many times to him and his brothers. I still cry everytime I read it... I think it is absolutely beautiful and sweet.
A Mother's love is for forever and always.

Editorial Review:

A young woman holds her newborn son
And looks at him lovingly.

Softly she sings to him:
"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be."

So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. Since publication in l986, Love You Forever has sold more than 15 million copies in paperback and the regular hardcover edition (as well as hundreds of thousands of copies in Spanish and French).

Firefly Books is proud to offer this sentimental favorite in a variety of editions and sizes:

We offer a trade paper and laminated hardcover edition in a 8" x 8" size.

In gift editions we carry:
a slipcased edition (8 1/2" x 8 1/4"), with a laminated box and a cloth binding on the book
and a 10" x 10" laminated hardcover with jacket.

And a Big Book Edition, 16" x 16" with a trade paper binding.

(20050426)

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-6)

J.K. Rowling

Amazon Price: $35.87 List Price: $56.94 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $31.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( R ) -> Rowling, J.K. -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 272 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Harry Potter 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

buying the 6 book set enabled me to read all 6 books in less than a week. enthralling reading for any age.

Harry Potter Series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have read all of these books and they are wonderful. Amazing detail. My nephew who is 8 wants to read these so I bought this set for him to enjoy.

never received product 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The price was certainly good but as of today I have still not received the product and as of today I have not had a response to mya email from either soveryunlucky on where my order is.

Completely entertained and satisfied 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The stories were rich and captivating and the books were in great condition, especially for such an outstanding price. I would highly recommend this paperback set if you are at all interested in this series.

Editorial Review:

Follow Harry from his first days at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, through his many adventures with Hermione and Ron, to his confrontations with rival Draco Malfoy and the dreaded Professor Snape. From a dangerous descent into the Chamber of Secrets to the Triwizard Tournament to the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, each adventure is more riveting and exhilarating than its predecessor, and now all six books are available together for the first time in an elegant paperback boxed set.

Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings

Amazon Price: $12.91 List Price: $18.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperCollins Amazon Marketplace: 63 new & used starting at $10.47

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Silverstein, Shel

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 74 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Heart warming 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A collection of poems unlike any others. Many times I can't understand the poems I read and it is frustrating, but not with this one. I actually enjoyed it and would recommend it to any parent. Great book.

Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
and "Trouble in the Elf City"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

Editorial Review:

Including 12 New Poems!

If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer,
A wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er,
A magic bean buyer . . .

Come in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.

Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.

Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers

Bobby Lynn Maslen

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Scholastic - Model: SB-0439845009 Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $9.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Features:

• Made with the Best Quality Material with your child in mind.
• Top Quality Children's Item.

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( M ) -> Maslen, Bobby Lynn and John R. Maslen

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 96 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent Reading Development Books. The BEST i've found 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

these are the best reading development books I've found. We have tried the Beginning Level 1 reading books often offered in children toy shops and never liked them or found them easy to use. BOB books have simple and very clever illustrations and the words used are the perfect first words for beginner readers. The books set the little readers up for success. I have just purchased the more advanced series. These are great for 4 - 6 year olds depending on where they are with alphabet understanding and phonics.

Helped My Child to Read 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My sons's teachers recommended this book to help support his interest in reading. We love them as each book is managable in size and he felt quite accomplished finishing each book and each larger box (and getting a prize too!) Strongly recommend.

Editorial Review:

Bob Books Set 1: Beginning ReadersTeach a child letter sounds with Bob Books Set 1! With four letters in the first story, children can read a whole book. Consistent new sounds are added gradually, until young readers have read books with all letters of the alphabet (except Q). Short vowels and three-letter words in simple sentences make Bob Books Set 1 a fun confidence builder. With little books, come big success. (TM)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

E. L. Konigsburg

List Price: $16.45 By: Topeka Bindery Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $9.17

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( K ) -> Konigsburg, E.L.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 310 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A delightful classic 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

It's wonderful to see a book first published in the later 1960's still being loved and enjoyed today. It was a special treat to pass this fantastic read on to my children since it was one of my favorites growing up. Living near enough to New York that we get to the MET at least once a year made it even better for them.

Some things haven't changed in over 40 years. Kids Claudia's age still feel they have the worst parents and most miserable situation at one point or another. What sets this story apart from other "kid hates parents, kid runs away..." stories is that Claudia comes up with an adventure so that she isn't running away, but running to something - the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Rather then reciting the whole story I'll just say this is a fabulous book and if you didn't read it as a child, get it and read it now with your children.

Editorial Review:

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation.  And she would live in comfort-at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She invited her brother Jamie to go, too, mostly because he was a miser and would have money



The two took up residence in the museum right on schedule.  But once the fun of settling in was over, Claudia had two unexpected problems: She felt just the same, and she wanted to feel different; and she found a statue at the museum so beautiful she could not go home until she had discovered its maker, a question that baffled even the experts.  The former owner of the statue was Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler And without her help Claudia might never have found a way to go home.


From the Trade Paperback edition.