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The Dark Is Rising (Boxed Set): The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, Over Sea, Under Stone, Silver on the Tree, The Grey King

Susan Cooper

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Muddled, but Enjoyable 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

(Some Minor Spoilers below.)

The Dark is Rising sequence is one of those ubiquitous book series that all children seem required to read, and although I had it on my "to-read" list, I never got to it as a kiddo. So, when I saw this nice boxed set I thought it was my chance to catch up with a series I had neglected.

Now I wish I had read it when I was younger; I think I would have found them more entertaining. As it is, I feel that the series is average. This isn't to say that singular books weren't exceptional -- but that the whole is not greater than its parts.

The first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, is my favorite of the five. I would easily give it 5 stars. It had me on my toes throughout the entire narrative! The children were sympathetic, realistic, and interesting characters; the plot, entertaining; the tension, quite real. For the first time in a long time, I wondered if the little heroes could pull through all right. Of course, the jaded adult in me said, "Of course they can! It's a children's book!" But this book is so well written, so entertaining -- like "The Goonies," or a child's Indiana Jones -- that I couldn't help but throw my jaded predisposition to the wind and just enjoy the ride.

The second book, The Dark is Rising, I was not so certain about. It reveals Will, the last of the Old Ones, and his mission to find all of the Signs necessary to stop the Dark in the final battle. In my opinion, this is where the series gets awkward. At first I was excited for Will, who finds out he is capable of great things and can set objects on fire with just a word (which I think everyone wants to do at some point). The Dark seemed doubly sinister -- the Dark Rider was a downright thrilling villain, and the Dark attacks people Will holds dear, controls the weather, and altogether seems capable of anything.

And yet, as the story progressed, it seemed Will became less and less a character I cared for, and more and more static and uninteresting. I didn't understand, and still don't understand, the limits of an Old One -- what they can and can't do in our world, what laws govern them in general. Furthermore, the Dark -- this supposedly terrifying, very powerful force -- seems incapable of really touching Will himself, a boy who has not completely grown into the power of an Old One. I found myself wondering if the Dark could really do anything at all, or if the author gave them all this "power" for show and no brains to go with it, for their powers and plots all came to naught with what seemed little effort. I couldn't help but compare them to the villains in the first book -- villains who were terrifying precisely because they could be anybody, anywhere, working in broad daylight just as well as behind the scenes. In a way, this made the fear more visceral and brought it home to the real world -- the Dark could be the hobo in the street or, just as easily, your neighbor. This is lost when Ms. Cooper transforms the Dark into a bogeyman.

A final problem: Ms. Cooper brings up old legends without any backstory, which I would have really appreciated (as I am not an Arthurian aficionado). A little blurb in the back of the book would have been perfect.

When I moved on to Greenwitch, and realized Will and the Drews would join forces, I looked forward to it. Will then proved himself to be an annoying pretentious little twit who I wanted to kick. Merriman told the Drews they were necessary, but as the book progressed I wasn't sure why -- it seemed that what the Drews did, anybody could have done. Although I enjoyed Jane's larger place in the narrative, and the ending was very satisfying, the Drew children ended up "tools," which is really unforgivable. This book also introduced a regretful element that Ms. Cooper abuses: making people forget the incredible things they have seen. Yes, this was done in The Dark is Rising, but I felt it was done for a good reason; it was to protect Will's family and the people in his community, and I had the feeling that Old Ones were to remain absolutely undetected at all times (which was reasonable). Here, it was not done for anyone's safety, and rather, seemed completely indiscriminate. "No, we can't have you Drews seeing Will and Merriman jump off a cliff and float away. I mean, sure you guys know about the fantastical Dark and all, but we can't trust you with any more, even though you helped us find the Grail and Simon saw some creepy supernatural thing happen to Barney and Jane is talking to a nasty spirit in her dreams."

The Grey King picks up, and is the second book in the series that I would give 5 stars to. Will becomes capable of making mistakes, actually manages to forget something, and is generally an interesting fellow. The new character, Bran, was equally as fascinating. The story picked up the same sharp tension that was so wonderful about the first book, and I enjoyed it the whole way through. I didn't completely understand the Arthurian elements, but that was all right; it was just as entrancing. The Grey King himself, and his horrible foxes, were delightful foes. This book would make for a fantastic movie.

Silver on the Tree was my least favorite in the series and brought to a head all of the problems plaguing the series. Ms. Cooper was just too vague and arbitrary. Why were some choices bad and some choices good? I'll never know. Why did they do this and not that? Heaven knows why. WHY did she take a character I love and turn them to the Dark? Why, why, why does she make the Drews and Bran forget everything at the end? When Bran tried to give Jane his green pebble I wanted to cry. It's like Ms. Cooper utterly undid any sort of character development that may have gone on in the entire narrative. All the elements that could have made this book satisfying -- Bran meeting his father and realizing his destiny -- might as well have never occurred. Sure, the Lost Land was all sorts of wonderful fun; sure, the Mari Llwyd was utterly terrifying. But it doesn't make up for what seemed to be a storyline thrown together at random and a world whose rules I never quite understood (if there were any at all).

Long ago, I realized that a book can only be as good as its villains. I sometimes wonder if Ms. Cooper really thought through what the Dark was responsible for... what it really meant to banish it, and what it meant to have it in the first place. Because it's when she dives into the supernatural, and what being an Old One really means, and how Old Ones relate to the world, that the plot, characters, and Arthurian legend start to seem muddled, forced, and rushed. Two huge questions remained for me at the end of this series: Why was it important to banish the Dark if evil still dwells in the heart of man? What was so dangerous about it in the first place?

My final word: get these books at the library, and read them while you're young. Maybe there's something you'll see that I can't anymore.

Editorial Review:

Susan Cooper's brilliant Dark is Rising sequence has enthralled readers since the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, was published more than forty years ago. The second book, The Dark is Rising, was named a Newberry Honor Book and is now a major motion picture. The fourth, The Grey King, won the Newbery Medal. This handsome boxed set includes all five books in the celebrated sequence.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story

Gloria Houston

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

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

I bought this for my kindergarten granddaughter as her Christmas book. I wanted something a little different from the typical Christmas book and this one delivered. She really enjoyed the book.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful story that shows the importance of keeping family traditions alive and about the courage it sometimes takes to carry on in the most difficult of times. You will absolutely love Ruthie and will warm up to her really thoughtful and loving mother. This is a story very close to my heart since I grew up close to the Appalachian Mountains and remember how excited we were at Christmastime--- to just be together.

Editorial Review:

Acclaimed author Gloria Houston has written a tale that is as joyful and timeless as Christmas itself. Jewel-like paintings by two-time Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney capture all of the season's warmth and mountain flavor. "A heartwarming holiday story, simply told and graced with true sentiment rather than sentimentality."--Kirkus Reviews. Publisher's Weekly Bestseller. Booklist Best Books of the Decade. Full color.

My Big Boy Potty

Joanna Cole

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Best Thing About This Book? It WORKS!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I was one of those Moms who felt as though her child would never be potty trained! My 3-and-a-half year-old son just did not seem inclined to do it. We offered gifts and party incentives...nothing doing! He did like to pee in the "big potty" from time to time but that was about it. I even bought him a potty of his own. Every day I said, "Hey...let's try to poop on the potty today" and every day he replied, "Tomorrow, Mommy." I also bought the WordWorld Bucket Set - House made my Mega Blocks that I knew he would LOVE. I made sure he saw it and let him know he would only get it when he went on the potty. Even THAT did not entice him!

I don't agree with pushing kids into doing something they don't seem ready for...and I definitely did not want to embarrass him about it. But he was the last kid in his pre-school to still wear diapers and one boy teased him about it once. It KILLED me! Still, I felt he would do it when he was ready.

But then I bought this book... He LOVED the book. He loved the pictures and the story about Michael. I made it very interactive with him. He asked me to start reading it 2-3 times a night. The weekend after we received the book, we took him to buy big boy underpants...just like Michael did in the book. He wanted to wear them...like Michael...and that was it! I sent him to pre-school with his underpants on (which I knew was a big risk) and he did not have an accident all day! And he went on the potty!! When he came home that day and told me he "pooped" on the potty, I was skeptical. That is...until he went into the bathroom at home, shut the door, and then proudly came out, grabbed my hand...and brought me over to the toilet to see the poopies. I jumped up and down as if I had just won the billion dollar lottery (and we also threw him a "Big Boy" party with ice cream cake as further reward)!

My son really related to Michael in the book...and I truly believed that it was what inspired him to use the potty. How could I NOT give this wonderful book five stars!!!

Editorial Review:

"What a big boy you are!"

Potty training can be fun. With warmth and sensitivity, Joanna Cole and Maxie Chambliss guide young boys though the challenges and rewards potty training--from the first steps to the joy of graduating to big boy underpants! A helpful "Note to parents" is included.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

Christopher Paul Curtis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 637 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Watsons Go Birmingham 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Watsons go to Birmingham

The Watsons go to Birmingham is about a family that moves to Michigan from Alabama. Its 7 below zero there and they are mad at the dad for making them move there because its 70 where they used to live.

I would suggest this book for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders for racial comments, cursing, and the reading level. This author really lived through this story and it was pretty much true. This is when people judged people by there color.

You should read this book for more info. It's worth your time to read about your history.

Surprise! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

SO much better than I expected! The dialogue flowed very well and the characters were all highly realistic. There were some nitpicky things I disliked, though. I think the title was misleading, since they didn't actually go to Birmingham until very late in the story, and to me, it's not the biggest part of the story. (Maybe it should have just been titled 'The Watsons'? Their familial bonds are what the story is about to me.) Another thing that bothered me was the first page, too many similes and metaphors. This is not continued in the rest of the book, and is also doesn't sound like a ten year old child speaking at all. I did love the chapter titles, though. They were very conversational and informal, exactly what you'd expect from a ten year old like Kenny. The plot was great, until the ending. That was the most abrupt ending I've ever had to read. The story was flowing so well, and then, poof, you never actually find out what happens to Byron and the rest of the Watsons. Kind of a disappointment, which is why I'm only rating the story 4/5.

Editorial Review:

A wonderful middle-grade novel narrated by Kenny, 9, about his middle-class black family, the Weird  Watsons of Flint, Michigan. When Kenny's  13-year-old brother, Byron, gets to be too much trouble,  they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the  one person who can shape him up. And they happen to  be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown  up.

The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2)

Eoin Colfer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 284 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Artemis the Criminal Hero 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was probably my favorite of the Artemis books. I loved learning so much more about each of the characters. It was fun to read Artemis as the criminal hero rather than just the criminal.

Great read 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is a great read. It leaves off a little after the second one where Artemis has to help the LEP. It's very exciting.

Fun fun 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I preferred this to the first. Once again Colfer brings out his marvelous reimagination of Irish mythology to combine it with the technology of a not-too-distant future. It's an hysterical combination, and I have to say that this book brings in more heart than the first, as well as more passion for its loveable characters.

Editorial Review:

Artemis is at boarding school in Ireland when he suddenly receives an urgent video-email from Russia. In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya: his father. As Artemis rushes to the rescue, he is stopped by captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. But this time, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

Prom Nights from Hell

Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Prom Nights From Hell 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a great set of stories that capture your attention completely since the first second, weather for the language used, the characters, scenes or title of the tale. In my opinion, the authors should put less magic in it, specially the last story, and most of them should be in first person, so you can feel the emotions of the characters better.

Editorial Review:

In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl) take bad prom nights to a whole new level—a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet don't hold a candle to discovering your date is the Grim Reaper—and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.

From angels fighting demons to a creepy take on getting what you wish for, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.

Artemis Fowl (The Opal Deception)

Eoin Colfer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 201 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis Fowl had his mind wiped of his memories of the world belowground. Any goodness he had grudgingly learned is now gone, and the young genius has reverted to his criminal lifestyle.

Artemis is in Berlin preparing to steal a famously well-guarded painting from a German bank. Little does he know that his every move is being watched by his cunning old rival, Opal Koboi. The evil pixie has spent the last year in a self-induced coma, plotting her revenge on all those who foiled her attempt to destroy the LEPrecon fairy police. And Artemis is at the top of her list. In a brilliant move, Opal escapes by cloning herself and masquerading as a human in order to carry out her schemes. Her first act is to lure Captain Holly Short and Commander Root into a deadly trap. Her next step is to destroy Artemis by turning his own genius against him.

Once again, it’s up to Artemis Fowl to stop the human and fairy worlds from colliding -- only this time, Artemis faces an enemy who may have finally outsmarted him . . .

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Avon Camelot Books)

Beverly Cleary

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book brings back memories 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is written by Beverly Cleary and gets a 5 star rating by me.
I am rating this book 5 stars because it just brings back memories to kids older than 8. If you aren't older than 8 then it shows you sort of shows you what is to come in the future. Her lifestyle is a lot like a real human's lifestyle. That is another reason why I enjoyed reading this book so much. The author just amazes me because she makes a charcter that is not really a real person turn to life. As an example she lives with her sister who always bothers her. She has a cat and a next door neighbor named Henry.
My life relates to hers so much. When I was in 2nd grade people would like to take my things without asking. Just like in the novel, when Danny "The yard ape" steals her eraser and throws it around with his friend. This book also relates to my life when Ramona got that egg dropped on her head. When I was in fourth grade one of the same situations happen to me. My friend Eric started laughing really hard and spit his yogurt all over me then after that I had to go to the nurse and get it all cleaned up.
Some other books I would recommend are, Ramona and Her Mother, Ramona and her Father, and all the other Ramona Quimby books. I really recommend you to read this book.

Editorial Review:

Ramona feels quite grown-up taking the bus by herself, helping big sister Beezus make dinner, and trying hard to be nice to pesky Willa Jean after school. Turning eight years old and entering the first grade can do that to a girl. So how can her teacher call her a nuisance?

Dream Snow

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dream Snow 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

What a delightful book! Not only does it help develop a child's counting skills, but the pictures are wonderful and the surprise ending is sure to bring a smile! I not only have a copy of this book for my own child, but have given copies as gifts.

Not a huge Carle fan, but love this book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I find a lot of Eric Carle's books a bit humdrum, with the exception of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, so when my daughter was given this book for Christmas about five years ago, I thought it was all a bit gimmicky with its "tingle, tingle, tingle" noisy button at the end and plasticky, white-covered pages simulating snow.

But we read this thing over and over, and the rhythm of it was so gentle and the sounds of the book so hushed, that it was a metaphysical experience. In other words, I felt as though Carle was covering us with a white blanket of words. Ahh, the memories of the soft and slow pace bring back a smile.

Then the farmer suddenly realizes that he's forgotten something, and there's a flurry of activity (like a flurry of snow!!) as he rushes out to decorate the tree. Cap it all off with the "tingly" button, which gets pushed over and over and over and over, etc.

Anyway, the long and the short of all this is that I am buying a second copy for my family, having misplaced the original. I now have three other children who haven't been introduced to this lovely book, and I truly think your own children or grandchildren will find it a classic.

Editorial Review:

"Few in number are the parents who have made it through their toddler's years on just one copy of Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Dream Snow has similar ingredients: a simple story, lively collage-like illustrations and a fun gimmick for little hands..." (Time)

"This is a simple, well-told story about a simple farmer.... Viewers...will want to get their hands on it." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books)

"Carle fans and toddlers learning the basics will...enjoy the gentle text and creative design features." (Booklist)

"The pictures are in Carle's trademark richly colored and textured collages that capture the snowy magic of Christmas." (Kirkus Reviews)

The Grouchy Ladybug

Eric Carle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Two boys' review: We like The Very Hungry Caterpillar better 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is eligible for Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion, so you are not risking a lot of money should you buy this book.

It isn't one of our favorites from Eric Carle. The story is supposed to address anger issues -- and it does -- by hitting you over the head as the ladybug flies from page to page trying to pick a fight with larger and larger animals.

The problem isn't the message it is the entertainment value. This book simply didn't engage our sons' interest. I suppose it is difficult enough to relate to a bug, much less an angry bug.

For our bedtime reading collection, we prefer these Carle books instead:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Mixed-Up Chameleon

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Good book for the age group. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I really liked this children's book. The illustrations were very peculiar and different, as was the organization of the book. The pages going from smaller to bigger in the middle and the words on the pages also changing in size, getting progressively larger is definitely a different touch. I especially liked how the shape of the whale's tail was a page in itself towards the end. There was also a clock on each page reinforcing the time mentioned and the concept of it. All around this is a great book. It brings unusal animals, not thought about everyday to mind, which could potentially lead to questions and curiosity about them. I really think this a great book for the age group it is meant for (ages 3-7).

Editorial Review:

A grouchy ladybug, looking for a fight, challenges everyone she meets regardless of their size or strength.