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The classic childrens story of a new toy - The Velveteen Rabbit, and a little boys love for it. Also it was the story of toys and how they become real; when the boy truly loves them. Without giving away too much of the story, I do sense a sadness to the story whenever I read it. Perhaps its in the writing. Yet, nonetheless, there is a classic story here thats been told and retold many times, and this is one of the times that its told well and honestly. Highly reccomened to children and adults.

This is my all-time favorite children's book! A little boy receives a stuffed rabbit for Christmas, and they love each other until one day...This book is so true and honest in its emotion, you will not be able to read it without shedding tears. It deserves much more than 5 stars. Read it aloud with your child...share the beauty and the love.

Most youngsters have a favorite toy, which may be why they have always loved The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real.

Today small eyes and ears will respond just as eagerly to the
reassuring story of a stuffed rabbit miraculously transformed by love.
First published in 1922, this classic tale loses none of its power in today's brightly illustrated abridged version which is more accessible for a younger audience. Ages 3 and up.

I have both this book and Kabat-Zinn's other, "Wherever You Go, There You Are." That one is more of a general intro to mindfulness (i.e, concentrating on your breathing as a way to clear your mind and reach a deeper level) meditation. It's written in a more aphoristic style: short and sweet, lots of quotes from Thoreau and various gurus, "try this" exercises at the end of each short chapter. A book you mull over, read in bits, inbetween the recommended practice.

This one is more wordy, a description of what goes on at the Massachusetts General Hospital Pain Reduction Clinic, where Kabat-Zinn uses a combination of (physical) yoga, mindfulness meditation, and something called the "full body scan" (lying down and concentrating on different parts of the body at a time) to help people with serious, stress-related illnesses such as heart disease, back pain, migraines and cancer.

There are instructions on how to do the above; statistical information on how well this program works; descriptions of the types of illnesses they deal with; lots of case studies of typical patients; and some general conclusions that the very insightful Kabat-Zinn has drawn from his work. I hate pop psychology but that's not what's delivered here - these are very real insights, not facile at all, on the damaging stresses of modern life and concrete advice on how to cope with them in such a way as to not get sick.

He says, for instance, that "your pain is not you" - that you can and should separate yourself from the pain, and from the negative feedback voice ("I'm never going to get better," for example) that makes things worse.

They do recommend (as I do, and as I see another reviewer does) that you buy the tapes listed in the back of the book to help you with your program. But you can use the book without them: it just takes more willpower and concentration.

As far as personal testimony is concerned, I haven't had to use this program to help me cope with any serious illnesses, thank goodness. But (like most women in their post-childbearing years) I do have a lot of miscellaneous aches and pains which I do deal with much better using the techniques in this book. I have not yet had time to make the recommended commitment for optimal results (45 minutes per day, 6 days a week) - I just use the techniques (which include, for instance, imagining that you are breathing in and out of the painful part of your body - it's hard to describe, but it works!) when I feel headachy or in pain, and medicine either doesn't help or isn't possible to take because of stomach upset.

What I'm saying is, this book is valuable even if you don't have a serious, chronic illness.

Besides, it really is preferable to use these techniques BEFORE you get sick, rather than after.

And they do give the advantages of regular meditation, too: a sense of deeper understanding of yourself, a sense of wonder, etc. (so hard to describe without sounding silly).

I've read over a dozen books on anxiety, relaxation, and stress. This book has a totally different approach.Instead of giving specific tips to handle anxiety attacks, it uses a philosophical type of approach which is extremely helpful in combatting stress in the long run. The main activity that is taught is meditation and mindfulness through breathing, sitting, or walking, along with a body scan and yoga exercises. They recommend an 8 week commitment to the exercises. But the last half of the book is even more helpful, with discussions on how to see yourself and your problems differently--to feel in control and a master of the events around you. My anxiety level has gone down tremendously after just reading the book and not beginning the meditation yet. This book is a must for anyone having a hard time facing life's normal circumstances or who sees life pessimistically. And it is even more vital for anyone who is facing health problems and is feeling depressed because of them. This man's approach will be a comfort to me for years to come.

This is one book I refer back to again and again. It teaches a new way of dealing with the physical body by listening to it and working with it. It improved my understanding of my physical condition and greatly reduced my frustration level.

I have read this book six times, and found it to be my favorite Redwall book. It tells the story of Martin beore he was a legend, before he was the spirit of the abbey.

Badrang was Lord and Tyrant of the Eastern Coasts. One of his slaves was Martin. Martin defied Badrang and was tied up on the roof of Fortress Marshank. During the storm at night, Rose and Grumm see Martin up on the roof. They are a mouse and mole from Noonvale to find Rose's brother Brome who is somewhere inside the fortress. In the morning, Rose and Grumm use slingstones to drive away the hungry seabirds intent on eating Martin.

Martin did not die like he was supposed to so Badrang puts hin in the prison pit where Felldoh and Brome are. They escape and get split up while at sea for a while. Brome and Felldoh wash up near Marshank and Rose, Martin and Grumm end up by the Pygmy shrews' caves. There they meet Pallum. Pallum, Rose, Grumm and Martin go on a quest to Noonvale, Rose's home, for an army to rid the land of Badrang. Brome and Felldoh stay with the Rambling Rosehip players.

The ending is the tragic battle of Marshank. Read the book to see if Martin wins!

This book is definently my favorite book I've read so far! I've said that in my review in "Redwall", but I hadn't read "Martin the Warrior" at that time. This book has everything a book needs: action, humor, riddles, and more! This book is a must-read! The story goes like this:

Martin the Warrior was a young mouse taken captive when he was just a child. His father's sword was taken from him from the evil stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He was made a slave with many other peaceful creatures who were captured, in a dreadful castle named Marshank. When he is tied to a post on the top of Marshank to be killed, he sees that 2 creatures were living outside Marshank, a mousemaid called Rose and a mole named Grumm. They were searching for a young mouse named Brome who is Rose's younger brother and Grumm's friend. They discovered that Brome was a slave in Marshank and was trying to figure out how to rescue him. They save Martin from being killed, but Martin was partly saved by the appearance of a sea-faring stoat named Captain Clogg. Badrang and Clogg were enemies. So, Badrang had let Martin down from getting killed and concentrated on the task ahead. Martin, Brome, and another brave and rebelling squirrel name Felldoh(He is my favorite character in this book) escapes with the help of Grumm and Rose.

Meanwhile, the pitiful band of slaves in Marshank had formed a plan. They knew that Martin would be back with an army and would save them. They knew that Martin would be back to retrieve his father's sword. So, they decide to be prepared. Stealing food and stealing weapons, they get ready for a rescue.

Martin, Brome, Felldoh, Rose, and Grumm are separated at the sea. Martin, Rose, and Grumm, seeing that there was no point in waiting for the others since they didn't know where they were, set out to Noonvale where Rose's home was. There, Martin plans to raise an army and attack Marshank. They are captured by pigmy shrews but are freed when Martin saves the queen of the Squidjees's son.(Squidjees is the name they call themselves) The band of friends don't know where Noonvale is, but gets "help" from an old molemaid named Polleekin. Polleekin give them a rather hard riddle and they gradually solves it and reaches Noonvale safely.

Meanwhile, Felldoh and Brome meets a band of travelers: a hare named Ballaw, a squirrel named Celadine, a badger named Rowanoek, and a few otters and moles. They were preformers. Felldoh boldly proposes to secretly free the slaves only with the band of travelers, Brome, and himself. The Rambling Rosehip Players(the name of the band of traveling creatures) preform a decoy play for the evil animals of Marshank while Felldoh and Brome freed the slaves. Only half of the slaves got out, the other half were recaptured.

Martin the Warrior and his friends had not been able to raise an army in the peaceful Noonvale. Boldred, an owl they had made friends with, began to search the land to raise a horde.

Brome had planned to free the other half by himself. He dressed himself up like a rat and entered the slave place. Telling the other evil creatures of Marshank that he was bringing them to Badrang, he led them to the secret tunnel he and his friends had used to escape. The slaves were freed, but the Rambling Rosehip Players, Felldoh, Brome, and the freed slaves were now in great trouble. Now the vermin were mad. They charged them and began to attack.

What will happen to the Rambling Rosehip Players and the others? When will Martin and his friends arrive with his army?

This book was just so great! Though I have to warn you that the ending is very...different from what you think it will end like. It has sort of like a sad ending. But this book is still best book I've ever read in the Redwall Series!

Redwall fans will love this book. It's an action packed thriller that will keep you reading till the very end. It's about a brave mouse called Martain the Warrior whose trying to kill the evil Badrang and stop slavery in Redwall. Martain faces many dangers through out the book. If you're looking for a good book buy this one now!

Hey! i love the saddle club books and all...but i felt kind of wiered being a 14, going on 15 year old girl reading about 12 year olds, but the books were SOOOO good, the when Pine Hollow came out i was sooooooo please! they are just as good as the saddle club but now they are older, the horses are still a MAJOR part of the books which makes me super happy and i LOVE this series....the best series ever!!! this one particular book was great....i COULD NOT put the book down...until the last chapter....when i had to put the books down forever :( man... only 17 books? this is crazy! i wish there would be more....my whole summer revolves around reading Pine Hollow and riding...no there is no more pine hollow :( what to do when im not at the barn????????

I think pine hollow and the saddle club are both excellent series, but i was thinking about B.B. not writing anymore books. I was reading about the author (B.B.) in the back of on of the PH books, it says she live in Greenwich Village in N.Y. As almost all of you know, Osama Bin Laden bombed the twin towers and the pentagon with airplanes... but my point is that The twin towers aren't far from the village, maybe BB hasn't been working on The PH series because of that.its just a thought... But I do think that the saddle club series is going to end with the last book (being #101 best friends), because i think she had too much to deal with. what with Ph being such a success, and the saddle club books can't keep going on for ever and ever, even though i wish she would at least bring them up to the point where PH starts. BB if your reading this; PLEASE KEEP WRITING THE PINE HOLLOW SERIES, YOU ARE GREAT AT WRITING THEM AND YOU CAN'T JUST STOP WRITING WHEN PINE HOLLOW HAS BURNED DOWN!..PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION!..

What happened to the rest of these books? Why isn't Bonnie Bryant writing them anymore? Well, they were really, really good. Hope you come back, Bonnie Bryant.

What? Only five stars? I need more to do this series justice! Patricia C. Wrede writes marvelous fantasy. It's like "Mixed-Up Fairy Tales" or something, but funnier, more engaging, and ripe for repeat reading (After graduating from high school, I read the entire series for the third time in a matter of days). These are timeless tales. Even her NAMES are inventive. Cimorene, Mendanbar, Kazul, Morwen, Telemain, Daystar, Shiara...and let us not forget Zemenar and Antorell. The chapter headings induce chuckles immediately, simply by their existence. She writes in a style that incorporates intelligent fantasy with enjoyable humor. The characters are some you would like to know personally. And nowhere else have I seen as unique a discussion of magic in its many forms as in these four books. I did notice a trend of centralization. Dealing was Cimorene's book. Searching was Mendanbar's. Calling was Morwen's. Talking was Daystar's. I wish the series was not concluded, because I'd love to see Telemain's book. And perhaps Kazul's book could be somewhat of a prequel. Oh, and what about a book from Antorell's perspective? That would make for an incredibly funny story. The Enchanted Forest and its surrounding is a world I want to know about. Not many authors can create an entire world that entices the reader so greatly. But Mrs. Wrede has. Unlike the Douglas Adams' Hitchiker's Guide series, which got progressively worse, each book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles compares to the original, as fresh and brilliant as ever. Needless to say, this series is one of the best ever. I have not really sampled a lot of the adult fantasy by Piers Anthony and Anne McCaffrey and such, but I doubt they can compare with the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. This is not mindboggling fantasy like the Lord of the Rings trilogy: this is fun. Oh, and remember: ..."Argelfraster."

I must say, after reading all of the books in the Enchanted Forest series I was rather skeptical of this one. My first thoughts centered around my disappointment of the main character. "No more Cimorene?" I thought. Well this book just proved that you don't need all the originals to make a good sequel. The characters from the first three books (Kazul, Cimorene and Mendanbar plus more I believe) all make appearances, but the story this time centers around Daystar, Cimorene and Mendanbar's son from the third book. Since Mendanbar was frozen inside the castle at the end of the third book and Cimorene can't just go in and save him, it's up to Daystar. He carries with him the magical sword, and discovers a variety of wonderful and exciting characters, including the tempramental yet dazzling Shiara. A must read!

This book was the last book of four, and is probably my favorite out of them all. This book leads you on an adventurous tale throgh the lives of a woman and her son that are trying to save her husband and his father from the castle that has been blocked with magic and prevents them from getting in, or him getting out. I would reccomend this book to kids and adults 8 and up

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen

The book 'Peter Pan' by J. M. Barrie is a truly beautiful work. It is never too cloyingly sweet or too harsh, and the child's perspective of the world is beautifully crafted. It does, however, bring you along on a journey to the Neverlands, and perhaps for a little while we can be reunited with our dreams.

Although Wendy seems a little prim, she is sweet and motherly. John was offhand and brave, Michael was tiny and believing. My favourite character was, however, Peter. The author really outdid himself on this one. Peter's innocent cockiness and love for dangerous adventures endeared him to me at once. He still has all his first teeth, and his first laugh - what more could we ask of him? His frightful happiness in danger reminds me of my seven-year-old self.

The book retains a magical quality right up to the last page. The midnight scene where Peter coaxes them out of the window has always stood out in my mind; there is a kind of magic in an ever-young boy, small and innocently cocky and always up to some mischief. The ending of the book is very sad, for only those who are gay and young and light-hearted can fly.

Definitely a book worth reading. Adults, trust me on this one: you might think you're too old to read this book, but once you do you'll find that a piece of Neverland still resides in your heart.

In almost a hundred years 'Peter Pan' has become a universal kiddie literature classic. Mostly basing on his personal experiences and people he knew, J.M. Barrie created a work full of subtle undertones that have been subject of deep controversies.

Rather than the story of a boy who refuses to grow up, a new approach on 'Peter Pan' has been developed. One of the most interesting is the one which is based on the analysis of the three primal female characters: Wendy --and Mrs. Darling, as well--, Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily. According to experts, they represent aspect in women that Barrie found intolerable. It is largely known that Barrie had serious problems with his mother, which may have led him to use such bipolarity on motherhood in the book. While on the one hand Mrs. Darling is a loving and concerned mother, on the other, Peter's --and the lost boy's as well-- mother abandoned him -- leading him to an eternal search of a mother figure, however unconscious it is.

The sexual aspect of the novel is so subtle that for many people it may be unnoticed. However, it is clear that the book deals with several taboos, being incest the most recurrent. Peter and Wendy have both a mother/son relationship, and also there is the wish of being 'lovers' --recurring to Oedipal myth. This is one of the most interesting aspect for the books --at least when it comes to an adult approach on 'Peter Pan'. According to Jacqueline Rose's 'The Case of Peter Pan, or, The Impossibility of Children's Fiction', "The sexuality which matters is both more and less explicit than this. It is sexuality in the form of its repeated disavowal, a relentless return to the question of origins and sexual difference which is focused time and again on the child". This is what makes the novel so intriguing: it is possible to read 'Peter Pan' is more than one way --and all of them are more and more interesting.

When it comes to kids themselves, this book is part a fairy tale, part an adventure and a familiar ode. These aspects make 'Peter Pan' appealing to both boys and girls. The characters while archetypical --this is unnoticeable to children-- are very vivid and it is not hard for young readers become their 'friends'. At the same time, all the 'sexual' aspect of the book is so subtle that parents can't be afraid of allowing their children to read the novel.

However, the unabridged 'Peter Pan' is not advisable to very young readers due to its fanciful language. When it was written in the early XX Century, that was the current language, but, nowadays some words like 'ofttimes' and 'diffidently' are not very common in a 10 year-old lexical. The narrative is told in first person, and the narrator used a lot of 'I''s which only bring the children closer to the story making it easy to feel part of the adventure --it was very smart of Barrie, because with that he makes friend with the child, and the story flows as if they were exchaging confidences.

All in all, J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan' will always be a children's fave and it deserves its place in the Fantasy Literature canon and will amuse young --and not-so-young-- readers forever.

Third in the series (as they were originally written), "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is one of my favorite books in the Narnia series. Edmund and Lucy return to Narnia (Peter and Susan are now too old to come back) and they bring an unwelcome (and unwilling) guest. Eustace, their cousin, plays a bratty child who can't think of anything but leaving Narnia, until he undergoes a remarkable change (you'll have to read to find out!). The three children join King Caspian at the beginning of an ocean voyage to explore the seas to the East of Narnia, and experience an exciting series of dangers and marvels. This book has many similarities to the adventures of Ulysses in "The Odyssey" by Homer, under different circumstances. And once again, Reepicheep proves to be the fearlessly brave mouse whose actions give him much greater credit than his size.

After reading the very first line, "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it," I realized that I had made a huge mistake beginning "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" half an hour before bedtime. More exciting and adventure-packed than the two preceeding books (in the original ordering, of course), "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian", it is hard to put down.

The main characters that readers will recognize are King Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep. Sadly, Peter and Susan have since become too old to reenter Narnia; but the story does amazingly well even without them. Here, Eustace, who will reappear in "The Silver Chair", is introduced for the first time. They are an interesting bunch, all providing something essential to the story, especially Reepicheep (whose character and personal history are developed further) and Eustace (who experiences a wonderful kind of redemption).

The Dawn Treader is a ship King Caspian built in order to fulfil an oath made on his coronation day to find the seven lords and friends of his father that his uncle Miraz had sent to explore the Eastern Seas. Every two chapters or so, the Dawn Treader stops at an island, where its crew and passengers have a small adventure-within-the-larger-adventure, discover the fate of each of the seven lords, and learn good moral lessons. For instance, one island, called the Dark Island, is a place where dreams come true. It may sound wonderful, until you realize that the dreams that come true are not the pleasant daydreams, but the nightmares. After the last island, the passengers even reach, or very nearly reach, the End of the World.

Though I compared this book to Homer's "Odyssey" in the title of this review, I must add that it can also be likened to John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". This voyage is not guided by fate and devoid of reason, but is blessed by Aslan (who symbolizes Jesus) and is full of meaning and purpose. It does not merely represent the passage through life, but the passage through life _as a Christian_. That may be why one reviewer complained that this novel is overly preachy. Yet we readers are human, after all, and in need of being preached to now and then. Another thing that may surprise readers is the chivalry with which Lucy, the only girl on the ship, is treated by the men. Though it not "politically correct," as Eustace himself points out at the beginning, it has a certain rightness to it.

Remembering how the March girls in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" played at being good in imitation of the character Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress", only to realize that their game was really a way of life, I can say that it would be wonderful if children today could apply the allegories in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in the same way. Parents, take note: it is easier to ask a child, "What would Edmund tell you about forgiving someone who has done wrong, like Eustace?" than to launch into a weary sermon about forgiveness that they may not remember anyway. There are more archetypes in this book, and in all stories about Narnia, than C.S. Lewis himself must have realized: and children can only benefit from knowing them as they grow up.

This story is about Eudmund, Lucy, their cousin Eustace, Caspain, and their journey to find the 7 Lords that Miraz banished from Narnia. They go across The Great Western Sea, past the Silver Sea, and to what they think is Aslan's contry and the End of the world. They also meet two stars. this is the 5th Narnia book and one of the best.

This expertly detailed book gives the story of Arab terrorists who took Israeli hostages during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The author does a great job of giving the fundamental reason behind the attack, as well as a detailed chronology of the events that took place subsequently. This book is even more poignant after the events of September 11th, as it shows that the world is still suffering from the plague of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism.

While I did thoroughly enjoy the book, I do disagree with the author on his reasons for the failure of the eventual rescue mission mounted by the German government. Simply, the author believes that the failure was based on anti-Semitisim by Germans, and the fact that they really did not care what happened to the Israeli athletes. However, after reading between the lines of the book, it seems to me that the failure was more the result of a lack of trained hostage rescue squads in Munich. Yet, this was 1972, and these hostage rescue squads were not commonplace in all cities. Also, it seems that the Germans went out of their way to save the athletes, given the limited resources they had. Many German officials quoted in the book seemed willing to do anything to save the Israelis as they desperatly wanted to atone for the Nazi atrocities and not stir up old anger.

Regardless of this issue, the book does a superb job of telling the tale of the first major incident of Islamic terror. It is a shame that events like this happen, but maybe by expertly chronicling them, we can learn how to prevent them in the future.

I bought this book due to the HBO documentary of the same name. Although I was not born yet, I believe this book is important in educating those of us too young to know the real history of the problems in the Middle East.

The book is about the 1972 Olympic hostage crisis, where most of the Israeli delegation were taken hostage and subsequently killed by a Palestinian group calling themselves Black September (named so because of a battle in which many Palestians were killed by Israeli's in September 1967).

Mr. Reeves has done an excellent job in researching this book, to the point that one is amazed at the almost keystone cop-like appoach made by many German officials in dealing with this problem. Obviously, they (the Germans) were facing an uphill battle dealing with a fanatical terrorist group, all in front of a worldwide audience expecting to watch sporting events pitting country against country. This said, the mistakes are many and made by many different people. In the book, there are the "hawks" and there are the "doves", then there are the Israeli's on foriegn soil trying to get their countrymen safely back home. Mr. Reeves does a great job on the background of the terrorists, giving the personal reasons for (but not justifying) the actions that they took. Great detail is given to the debacle at the airport where everyone was killed. Many questions are raised about what went down there, such as why none of the snipers were given walkie talkies to communicate with one another allowing them to discern who was going to take down who? It was this situation geon awry that made the Germans create GSG-9, their counter-terrorism unit. Mr. Reeves also touched on Operation "Wrath of God". the Isreali revenge mission to assassinate surviving members of the group. This part of the book is just as fascinating and reads like a novel. It shows the resolve of the Isreali's to seek revenge on those who did them wrong. They had there own problems though when they assassinated a suspected member of Black September, who turned out to be an innocent waiter.

All in all, the book is not "enjoyable" but is an important piece of history. One has to think of the irony that Jews would again be hostages on German soil not half a century after the Holocaust. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of Middle East conflict and/or terrorism.

This is the entire story of the Munich Olympic Massacre. From the planning stages through to the exploding helicopters carrying the bound Israeli hostages, this book is a magnificent piece of research.

Black September was the Palestinian terrorist group responsible for the massacre. Named for the Jordanain military actions against the Palestinians in September of 1970 (the name had nothing to do with Israel, as one reviewer erroneously stated), Black September organized the raid on the Olympic village with the assistance of an apathetic East German Secret Police Force (the Stazi). The pathetic West German police forces at first tried to help, but after a certain point many simply refused to assist.

The results were horrifying. The news event was possibly the first live-action 24 hour news event ever broadcast and changed the way crises were broadcast on television forever.

Also included in the book is the story of the Israeli Secret Service's (Mossad) Operation Wrath of God, which was the manhunt for the perpetrators of the massacre.

This book should be read in conjunction with the documentary of the same name. A+: A masterful document that will bring you to tears.

I am probably correct when I say that many of you people out there, mainly children, don't like to read. Well, I guess that i could say the same about me, too until I actually decide to pick up a book. But when you pick up this exciting book, you just can't put it down. This book is called Redwall. The adventures of Matthias and his Abbey against the great Cluny the Scurge, will leave you with an everlasting, curious thought on what will happen next. Matthias makes his way from being a clumsy mouse to an adventurous, brave mouse that is seaking the possesions of the great Martin the Warrior, the great warrior of Redwall. And Cluny goes from being the fear in everyone's mind and fire in everyone's eyes to, I think we can beat this guy and, ohhh wow, Cluny the Scurge, I'm so afraid. This well written book, by Brian Jacques, keeps you reeding as he brings you back to the olden' days and makes you feel like you're right there in the action fighting Cluny and Matthias yourself. He makes you feel like you are wondering through the woods just waiting for what will happen next. So pick up this bbok and enter the lives of the animals of Redwall.

This is a great book. I always sort of ignored the REdwall series but when it was recomended to me, and it was supposed to be very good, I read Redwall, the first one. This bookis just packed with events and plots. Action! Adventure! Sword Fighting! Bad Guys! Battles! A Deadly Snake! Even though it kind of starts out slow in the beginning, DON'T STOP READING IT!!! It's about an evil rat named Cluny the Scourge, who wants Redwall, which is an Abbey, home of many woodland creatures and is surrounded by a red wall. When the Abbot of Redwall refuses to give Cluny Redwall, Cluny gets very angry. He gets a huge army and they start attacking Redwall. Redwall has an advantage and a disadvantage. Their advantage is that they have a badger named Constance who is very strong and kills many rats. Their disadvantage is that they don't have swords like Cluny's army, they have wooden staffs that don't do much damage to the rats. Matthias, who is just a mouse, knows that he will need Martin the Warrior's sword, who is a great mouse that protected Redwall long before and all of Redwall adores him. Matthias's friend, Methuselah, finds a riddle on a wall. It tells Matthias that to get the case for the sword, then he has to go through this secret passage. There, he finds another riddle, if I remember correctly, telling him how to get the actual sword. Soon, Matthias is sent on a wild adventure, facing many dangers, trying to get Martin's sword. This book is now my favorite book and that's saying a lot, because I've read many of them. If you are making the mistake that I made (ignoring the Redwall series), then you should buy this book. It is just so good that I can't put how excellent it is in words. A great read and an excellent start to the Redwall series.

This is the greatest book ever! If I could give it a highter rating I would give it a 100. It is great, full of mystery, humor, tragedy, good food and evil villians. The quest of Matthias is great and so is the mental agonation of Cluny. The best character is Basil Stag Hare. This is a book I would recommend to anyone!

(please note that this review concerns only the new publications)
The Chronicles of Narnia are perfect books. They are wonderful for children and adults, and can be read again and again. C. S. Lewis was a brilliant author and theologian, and was competent in what he was doing. I have been reading these books since I was young enough to pick up a book, and I was horrified when I found out they were reprinting them in chronological order! Why have the publishers decided to tamper with the order? reading these books in chronological order spoils all of the surprise and magic out of the first visit to Narnia (in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), because we already know what's going on. You're not supposed to know about the lightpole or who the professor is yet! Things don't always need to be put in chronological order. If you're going to read them, please read them in the correct order: 1) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 2) Prince Caspian, 3)The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 4) The Silver Chair, 5) The Horse and His Boy, 6) The Magician's Nephew, and 7) The Last Battle

Clives Staples Lewis has created a mythical world which absolutely captures the human mind. The Chronicles of Narnia contain exciting plots, which all converge upon each other at the finally of the series: The Last Battle. Through out the books weaves the morals and beliefs of Christianity. These books do a wonder job of telling the story of the Bible, from the instantaneous creation of the world to the death of Aslan (Jesus). The way God cares about every one and desires us to enjoy life through Him, to the last battle and final days at the end of the world (of course Lewis did not know what was going to happen, yet it is still an interesting idea). In one of the best written books of all time, the land of Narnia comes alive with lovable and evil characters. The battle between good and evil is made abruptly apparent in this book as a small country goes through its history fighting for what is right. Light and darkness collide in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe as four kids explore the land which they will rule. For a time it appears as though the evil side emerges victorious; but it is found that the White Witch as not the ability to peer far enough back into the depths time. This book it one of the most important of the set, because contained in it is the most important message of all time. My father used to read the Chronicles of Narnia to me when I was younger, now I read them on my own. When he did this he stressed, Christianity is having the relationship with God, like the youths had with Aslan. I think these are very well written books and I would encourage any one to read. I uphold C.S. Lewis as a great writer of the centuries and I praise his books (all of them) as magnificant.

There is a modern misconception concerning C.S. Lewis's great children's series, 'The Narnian Chronicles.' Due to changes during modern reprinting (circa 1995), the orignal order of his seven-part series was disrupted to conform to the overall story-line. When the books were written, Mr. Lewis began his series with the classic children's novel, 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.' He then went on to write the remaining novels in a non-traditional, non-chronological order: Part two of the Chronicles was 'Prince Caspian.' Next came (3) 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', (4) 'The Silver Chair', (5) 'The Horse and His Boy', (6)'The Magician's Nephew', and finally, (7)'The Last Battle.' Lewis released his stories in this order, and I urge every reader to follow the original, albeit unconventional, published sequence. It transforms a mere fantasy series into some of the single best children's novels in print. The symbolism of christian themes and morals will rest in the minds of all who read them; giving the reader a taste of hope and the power of true Belief. May Aslan be with you as you and your family travel through the unforgettable land of Narnia.