GB Books

I have read practically every story on mushing, but I loved this book because of the author's honesty. It is a short read... I read it in one day, simply unable to set the darn thing down!

"How to Speak Dolphin in Three Easy Lessons," by Dan Greenburg, is #11 in the "Zack Files" series of short novels for young readers. The book is illustrated by Jack E. Davis. In this installment, our hero Zack is vacationing in Florida with his dad, and discovers that he (Zack, that is) has the ability to communicate telepathically with dolphins. Before the story is over, he must solve a mystery involving the marine mammals.

This book strikes just the right balance of paranormal fantasy, silly humor, and mystery. Greenburg gets extra points for incorporating the classic board game Scrabble into the story!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a novel by Mark Twain, originally published in 1876. In this review, I will not attempt to analyze it from any pretentious literary perspective, but rather as just another novel.

In this novel, Tom Sawyer, a boy who lives with his aunt on the Mississippi River in Missouri, has all kinds of adventures, most of which involve misbehaving in some way. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer does not seem to be a coming-of-age story, as it initially may appear to be. Certainly Tom has many experiences that theoretically lend themselves to the maturation process, but at the end, he lapses back into his more childlike behavior. He is a "bad boy" when the book starts, and he is a "bad boy" when it ends (albeit a wealthy and popular one).

Twain's wit is what carries this book. He can write a clever sentence like nobody's business, and his dialogue, characters and story developments are all highly entertaining. Even though there's not a lot going on here plot-wise, the story grips the reader.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an enormously entertaining book, and if taken purely for entertainment value, will not disappoint any discerning reader.

I, like most others, was forced to read this in school, and do every report/test/quiz/reflection/story "dissection" that came with it. I couldn't get into the story at all. The blatant racism my have played a part. If I could have a quarter for every time the N word is thrown around, I'd be rich.

Avoid this and all other Twain if you can help it.

I somehow tragically managed to make my way to adulthood with never reading anything but the kiddie version of this book. When I found this book for super-cheap in the teachers' lounge book sale and I figured "hey, why not?" And thus I picked it up and immediately fell in love with the sheer Old-South charm that only Twain can deliver. Really, people, it is no wonder that this book is such a classic! It may not have the soulful human reflections of "Huckleberry Finn", but in the solemn concern for the pleasures of boyhood it certainly makes its own mark.

Mark Twain tells the story purely from a storyteller's view. No deep analysis of character that takes you right inside of Tom Sawyer's psyche, nothing blatantly philosophical. It is as if Mr. Twain lives to simply tells us into what trouble Tom is getting. He does not go out of his way to give lengthy, dull descriptions or even fully flesh out the details of just what Tom and his friends are doing. It gives it a charming, folksy style that allows for plenty of plot and action. Even, so the writing is unparalleled.

And it truly is a great story. It's fun! I don't know how many poor students have been tricked into believing it is not. It has all the great elements of a good boy story, what with the murders and buried treasure and faked deaths and hoodoo--not to mention the delight taken away by discovery of bacteria.

I'm also a huge fan of this Whole Story edition. It's beautiful, easy to carry around, and I guess I'm a sucker for the documentary feature.

Fantastic, fun story. Everyone should read it.

These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

To understand America in the nineteenth century, you must understand Tom Sawyer. His life, so full of adventure set amidst the bustle of a changing nation, is in many ways the dream of nearly all male children. To spend your time swimming in the creek, gathering "treasures" and eating goodies is truly the good life. Tom's romance with Becky is also the way it is with most boys. Girls are universally considered to have some kind of contagious disease, when I was young, they had cooties, until you see that one perfect girl that you will share everything with.
The wonder and mischief of Tom and Huck are captured in this book, superbly illustrated by Michael Ploog. Tom is wide-eyed, freckled and has bulbous cheeks. Huck has a pointed nose, bright eyes and a suitably scruffy demeanor. With the exception of Sundays, the boy's clothes consist of a series of patches sewn over rags. This book is an excellent introduction to what is the tale of American youth of the nineteenth century, very appropriate for classes in English. Of course, after covering this book, the students should be required to read the original.

It's kind of sad that we have passed that period of time when every little girl was obsessed with this book. Ah, that glory time of girls and horses! Even so, Black Beauty continues to endure as a classic in my mind of both decent anthropomorphism and great Victorian writing.

In the tradition of great animal classics, this story is written from the perspective of the horse, called, among other names, Black Beauty. This strong horse of the most delightful British personality leads a life full of change that ranges from the best of circumstances to the worst.

Without being overly dramatic or adventuresome, the story still remains gripping due to the sparkling narritive and the fact that we just want to know what happens to the poor horsie.

A classic for all horse lovers.

I read this book a while back when my husband, a horse lover, introduced me to it. A great tale of the life of a horse that teaches values to anyone who reads it. I have learned much about these beautiful animals and can see why my husband loves them. Strongly recommended for your children, you and they will love it.

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)

I waited my entire life to finally sit down and read "Black Beauty". What a GREAT book!!! This is one I will be keeping!

This was a fun addition to my library as it was a childhood favorite. This was a lovely edition, beautifully printed and bound. The seller packed to be sure it arrived in the same great shape it was in when it was sold too. I am very pleased with the book and the seller.

Not up to par with the Disney classics, of course, but entertaining enough and of decent quality. Good for students learning Spanish.
My 3 y.o has watched it several times even though he's not into horses, so I guess he likes it well enough.
I would say that girls would like it better.

Attack Of The Jack-O-Lanterns is an amazing book that anybody who loves Goosebumps will enjoy.

It's about these two kids, Walker and Drew who reunite with Drew's old friends Shane and Shauna. It is revealed that two kids, Lee and Tabitha have played pranks on the two for a long time. Shane and Shauna, twins, tell Drew and Walker to take them trick-or-treating, and they'll do the rest.

When Tabitha and Lee reluctantly agree to go trick-or-treating with Drew and Walker, they begin trick-or-treating when two creatures with jack-o-lanterns for heads take the four to a town where there is endless candy.

The ending is really great and original. This is one of the best books in the series, but the TV episode was much better, in my opinion. Below are the links to the two the two episode parts:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0xPLZizARN0 (Part 1)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N_wTOgyPPdA&feature=related (Part 2)

Buy this book if you love the Goosebumps series!! =)

R.L. Stines 'Attack of the Jack-o'-Lanterns' is a good book for someone over 7. It is a mystery/ horror book. It is scary enough to be a little frightening, but not enough to keep you up at night. I highly recommend this book to people who like scary stories and mysteries, but not if you are under 7 or get scared easy. But over all, it is a great Halloween story to read!

Drew and her Walker meet two pumpkin costumes. And the creatures says TRICK OR TREAT FOREVER. It was so boring. Do not waste your money just to buy this.

I LOVED it!!!.It was sooo scary I was literally crying!!!.It was about Drew Brockman and her best friend,Walker, they try to scare their arch enemies,Tabby and Lee,with a little help from their alien-like friends Shana and Shane!!!!.But the trick backfires because what Drew and Walker don't know is that their going to have a wildly scary night,that's out of this world!!!I LOOOVED IT!!!

Well, no, but I wanted to write one, so here it is.!

I think that Goosebumps are great books for kids or the young at heart. They are extremely easy to read, but most of them have intriguing stories, some horrific moments, and relatable characters.

Attack of the Jack-o'-Lanterns is not my favorite Goosebumps story, but it is still clever and one for the underdog in you.

The story is about Drew, a twelve year old girl whom is fed-up with her long-time rivals Lee and Tabby, a pair of stuck-up buddies who get a kick out of tormenting and teasing Drew and her friends Walker, Shane, and Shawna. Shane and Shawna are twin brother/sister. Shane and Shawna were gone for a while, but now have come back just in time to help Drew.

Tabby and Lee have a history of pulling Halloween pranks on Drew and her friends, and this year Drew believes she has a sure-fire plan to get her revenge. That is until there have been many accounts of missing people. Which threatens her chances of trick-or-treating. But Drew wont give up and is determined to have her plans followed through.

Overall "Attack of the Jack-o'-Lantern" is a story that tells the tell of a tormented kid that rings true because, hey, it happens. Well I mean the getting teased part anyways. This is a fun revenge fantasy that involves some interesting twists. We've all been twick-or-treating(well most of us). And this is the tale of a trick-or-treating trip from hell as well.

So if you like Goosebumps, Halloween stories, or are looking for a fun and easy read, try "Attack of the Jack-o'-Lanterns". Its worth 2hrs of your time. :D

God Bless ~Amy

The plot of this book is the same as Legend. A small band of farmers are hopelessly outnumbered against a larger, well-trained force. They defend a castle against a siege. The bad guys have Joinings this time, which are basically were-beasts if the full moon was up 24/7. The characters are more interesting and more likeable in this book.
So, it's basically Legend with tougher good guys and tougher bad guys.
I had a few problems with Legend and this book regarding the pacing. Gemmell does an excellent job at setting up the battles. The build up in both books is great! However, at times, the battles are just glossed over and you just hear that so and so won the duel in 2 minutes. Personally, I'd like to read what happened in the duel. So, there were a few parts in the book that did this and I was slightly annoyed.

If you liked Legend and don't mind the deja vu, you need to pick this one up. If you didn't like Legend, skip it.

An old man has a prophecy of Gold, Ice and Shadow, the men who will oppose the Dark Magic.

It is a century after Druss held Dros Delnoch, and the Drenai emperor is insane, and using old technology/chaos magic to make armies of half men/half beasts. He has disbanded The Dragon, his elite force.

A few of the leaders of this unit remain, however, and they have had enough. Resistance is also starting to form in Skoda, but is likely to be crushed.

Tenaka Khan, the half Nadir descendant of both Ulric and the Earl of Bronze will lead, as he is the Prince of Shadows. Ananais is the Golden One. Decado, the Ice-Killer, the best swordsman in the world has give up violence and become a priest.

To his shock, he learns the temple he is serving in is a Temple of the Thirty. Although he has no magical powers himself, he will lead the White Priests in battle against the Dark Templar parodies that server Ceska the mad.

Along with the farm woman Rayvan and her rebellion, they will oppose the perversions, but to win, the unthinkable has to happen. Dros Delnoch must fall, and at the hands of the Earl of Bronze.

Not as good as Legend, but that would be pretty hard. Gemmell has the same sort of ability for th creation of races and political structures that Robert E. Howard possessed, even if his world appears to be set thousands of years in the future, rather than in the past, given the ice age and ancient technology references.

This is a special book among many great works from an acknowledged master of the genre. But what makes this book stand out from the crowd? In my mind, it is the classic heroic fantasy storyline. It has all the seeds necessary for easy adaption to film. You can almost picture the actors striding along epic sets, fighting for lost ideals like honour, love and family against horrific opposition and evil...
The books starts in a lonely, abandoned barracks. It is a reminder of lost days, when things were right and true within the empire. A reminder of the faded dreams of youth. And the first hero we meet, he is tired, jaded and without hope or dreams. He lives only for an empty chance to kill a monster he failed to oppose in the past.
He is Tenaka Khan, the Prince of Shadows. A man whose whole being shouts "destiny", but whose destiny was never reached. A man who is an outsider wherever he goes.
Enter an old man, haunted by his unwitting aid of an evil empire. With him is the only good thing that he has left. His legacy. Her name is Renya. The meeting of Tenaka and Renya is one of four crucial moments that might change history.
The second is when a mysterious, gigantic warrior called Darkmask comes hunting for Tenaka Khan. You will have to read the book to find out the other two moments!
The themes of this novel differ a little from other Gemmell books. Many Gemmell books focus on redemption as a theme, and of course, that is a theme of this novel as well.
However, I would argue that the main theme of this book is the meaning and value that is placed upon friendship. Do our characters place the lives of their friends above their own? Is their friendship strong enough to withstand temptation and great pressure? How much do you trust your friends?
These are the themes running through the novel. Seeing the iron regard that the main characters have for each other (and the doubt that others have), their love and honour, you begin to feel the stirrings of hope that they may succeed. But the odds are so great, that you know that success is still a very remote possibility. Out of reach...
This book has elements of high fantasy, heroic fantasy, classic adventure and horror thrown in for good measure. It is an excellent read, and has a fantastic ending. Do yourself a favour, if you haven't already, and get this book!

catch up with other gemmell fans at: [...]

A great book and series. Well worth the read if your a fan of fantasy or just starting.

Ok, there was no Druss the Deathwalker, which is never a good start for a fantasy novel. However, Tenaka Khan is a pretty good substitute in a pinch, which is what is happening to the Drenai in this novel. Many of the same themes occur as they did in Legend, where one man makes the difference, and shows the farmers and the recruits how to fight. However, as a twist, Tenaka Khan is half Nadir, and therefore not to be trusted.

Plenty of action, and plenty of bodies in a good old fashioned adventure story. I would suggest reading this if you enjoyed legend, if only so you can continue with the Drenai tales until book 6 - the Legend of Deathwalker, which is one of the greatest books ever written. Seriously.

Anyhow, I am sad as I write this - as Gemmell has recently joined the ranks of Druss the Deathwalker in that castle in the sky. Gemmell was a giant of the high-fantasy genre, and he has certainly earned his place with The King Beyond the Gate.


Relic113

"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" book has positively influenced me since I was a child forty years ago. The great lessons to be learned in this charming book are those of frugality, love of family, resourcefulness, cheerfulness in the face of adversity, loyalty, charity and diligence. They don't write these books like they used to, but they should! I also recommend the works of famed, best-selling novelist of yore, Booth Tarkington, another charming and witty American writer--a Hoosier, from Indiana.

I recalled reading and loving the book as a child. We recently listened to the audio version of the book, as narrated by Bernadette Dunne, 9 hours of tapes, on a 700 mile journey from PA to Indiana with four young children in the car. The children were totally enthralled. Four hours in, Daddy would have driven the car into a tree to end the misery had the tale not turned the corner from a horribly contrived and predicatable shower of sugar to a joyful over-the-top opportunity for satire. Anyone who does not understand this description just look up the Monty Python sketch entitled "Four Yorkshiremen" on YouTube for enlightenment.
The children were utterly disappointed in the anticlimactic and contrived ending but since that time the story has provided endless joy around the home. Complaints about the lack of familiar luxuries are answered with quotes or verbal satire of the characters from the story. Even the youngest child will repeat "Oh, Mamsie, could we please have twigs or hard raisins for breakfast?" when a complaint of an improperly toasted PopTart is voiced. So, as you sip from your handleless teacup, waiting for "your ship to come in", we only hope you garner one tenth of the enjoyment we have experienced after surviving an entire reading. If you don't "I'm sure I don't care".

I purchased this book after I read Cheaper By The Dozen and it was mentioned there. I plodded through the first several chapters hoping it would get better and it did. I can't wait to read the next one.

I bought this book as a gift b/c I remember loving it as a child. This edition is very poorly edited & filled with typos. There are even several sections where whole paragraphs are repeated. Its obvious this publisher doesn't care enough to have someone proofread the editions they sell.

"The Five Little Peppers" are Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie. Their father died when Phronsie was a baby and Mrs. Pepper struggles to earn enough money to support the family. Despite their poverty, they are a loving family, full of spirit and adventure. Ben and Polly do what they can to support the family, but a bout with measles threatens the well being of the entire Pepper clan, especially Joel and Polly. The family has other adventures and befriend Jasper King during one of them. This friendship will enrich their lives in ways they never thought would be possible.

It's always interesting as an adult to reread a book that I loved as a child. When I was young I thought how much fun the Peppers had and longed to belong to a large family. As an adult, I realize how poor the family really was and how quickly the children had to grow up. As a child I thought how terrible it was that Polly couldn't read for days on end because of the measles; as an adult I realize the Peppers couldn't even afford to buy books.

First published in 1881, "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is old-fashioned (the doctor even makes house calls!), but still enjoyable. The Peppers are all delightful children, with Joel being the most honest of the bunch as he complains about having to eat the same food every day. Margaret Sidney was a talented author, who could make even inanimate objects, such as the stove, seem alive. The children's adventures may seem simple to today's young readers, who are used to Harry Potter and the like, but it's a refreshing change.

The book, I yet did not read. But as far as I know it was shipped fast and in a great condition. I recommend it. =)

The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is my daughter's (as well as my) first time reading any of the books in the Goosebumps series. She just turned 6, last month, and the only chapter type books we have read, thus far, are the Magic Tree House books. During our last trip to Barnes and Noble, I told her that she could pick out a few books to kick off some great summer reading. This was one that she picked out - much to my excitement, lol.
Grady and his family have recently moved to Fever Swamp. His parents are both Scientists and his Dad has decided to do some research on South American swamp deer, thus the reason for moving to Florida - and the swamp.
It's not long before hair-raising howling, echoes through the area, bringing not only chills, but questions of a possible....werewolf?! Does the dog that suddenly shows up at Grady's house have anything to do with the horrible things happening? Or perhaps it is the swamp hermit, who has a way of showing up at odd times, when the kids are walking through the swamp area. Whatever the cause, the one thing that is without a doubt - when the moon is full, the only safe place to be is behind locked doors.
With a hint of scariness and mystery, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is a great first exposure to the suspense horror genre for children. The author has a wonderful way of ending each chapter with suspense, leaving the reader wanting to continue until the very last page. My daughter and I read this in a very short time and each time we had to stop, she would give a groan of protest. At the end of this book, there was a teaser (first chapter) of another Goosebumps book titled It Came From Beneath the Sink. We read this and needless to say, will be making it a purchase in the very near future!

Another perfectly good kid ruined...
Turned into a Gothic monster who roams the woods at night.
Some people are scared of their own shadows
and stories like this get to them.
Knowing people,
you find that they are monsters enough
without any need of imagination.
I wasn't trilled by this swamp tale.

Do you like Goosebumps books and werewolves? If you do I think you will like this book!
This book is called The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. I thought this book was exiting and thrilling.
This book is about a boy named Grady, who's family moved outside of a swamp in Florida. Grady and his sister, Emily, explore the swamp, they see many interesting things.
When they try to find their way back they find themselves face to face with a swamp Hermit . While running away, Grady, trips and the swamp hermit finds him.
Run to your library and pick up this book to find out what happens to Grady!

Goosebumps
Werewolf of Fever Swamp

Do you like getting scared? If you do you, then read this book. It's about a boy, Grady who discovers a swamp and meets a boy named Ben who acted really strange. AHH! A big giant wolf like dog jumped on Grady BANG! He fell to the ground. Now, the dog like wolf is quite friendly. Read the book to find out if the creature is a wolf or a dog. And what happens to Ben. BEWARE!


I recommend this book for children who love scares. Do not read to children who are extremely scared of monsters. May cause nightmares.


My opinion is that from 8+ could read this book.

Here's a commentary on this book by Writer's Digest Magazine's judge:

"The plot, involving the theft of ancient ossuaries from a museum in Jerusalem affecting basic beliefs about Jesus Christ and Christianity, is fascinating in its implications. All the background material lends a measure of credence and interesting speculations about the meaning of the bones. The book also is a travelogue as well with descriptions of various cities and places in Israel, Cyprus and other countries as well as their respective cuisines. The major character, a detective, has a brash but beguiling personality that grows upon the reader as he and a fellow staff detective work to solve the mystery while suffering various perils and setbacks. The romance between the detectives adds an extra dimension to the story line."

Great read.

I was in Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem... The raw material of this tale is of keen interest to any thoughtful person.

After reading the previous reviews here, it seems like a contradiction of purpose to say you are seeking true information on a historical quest for the real Jesus through a fictional piece of work. Yet fiction accounts are purported to have more true information than actual research? Since when? Please let's not confuse the two.

'The Bone Box' is OK as novels go, but none the less it IS fiction and should be kept in correct perspective. I recommend reading it for its intended purpose as a good entertaining piece of fiction. I give it 4 stars. I would have given it 5 stars but I had some problems with the author's sometimes amaturish use of phrases and writing, plus the author himself balked near the end and did not take a definitive stand regarding the Talpiot tomb authenticity.

This novel is flowing and easy to read; the kind of book that one cannot put down from the first to the last page. At first blush it reads like a compelling theological thriller, based on some exciting archeology. But, reading between the lines, I discovered much deeper meanings to it. It's a deep study of the tormented psychology of the main character, subsequent to an overwhelming personal tragedy. This is hidden very subtly in the storyline, and even in the writing style. For example, some may think that the grammar is sometimes faulty, because the author includes some dialogue inside narrative paragraphs, without quotation marks. I believe that is not a grammatical error, and I've seen it in other works. In any event, this style subtly relays the main character's depression, despair, and disdain to most words and action of people surrounding him, who he believes are living in a world where he no longer belongs. Another example of hidden meaning relates to the main character's motivation. While his mundane motives for following the stolen artifacts are stated specifically in the book, he seems to be subconsciously following symbols of resurrection in a desperate quest for revival. He is obsessed with death, revival and the confines of life and death. When he understands these motives as the book closes, he loses interest in the artifacts and continues instead with his life.

A thoroughly entertaining, eudcational, and thought provoking novel.

A very well-written thriller which has as its central premise that Jesus lies buried at Talpiot (Israel). Suggest that one read it along with The Rozabal Line, a thrller which has as its central premise that Jesus lies buried at Rozabal-Kashmir (India). Both books use history and the quest for the historical Jesus to full advantage.

My 9 year old, who used to dread his required 20 minutes of reading each night for homework, started reading these and became hooked after the first book! He has gone from book 1 through book 16 in less than 2 months, and now wants to read them for more than an hour at a sitting. I never thought I'd hear him complain about putting a book down to do something else, but he really enjoys them. Problem is, what do I do when he gets to the end of the series??? I really recommend this set if you have a 3-4th grade child who doesn't look forward to reading - these are a nice way to get them interested in chapter books because they can move quickly through chapters and finish the books in about a week.

No one slays a dragon in present. Where the heck is dragon, you might say. Wiglaf is a young timid future dragon slayer, but he faints when he sees a blood. Wiglaf, his princess friend Erica, and goodie lover Angus make a great trio in Kate McMullan's new try for fantasy book, Dragon Slayers' Academy, which won the Best Picture Book in The New York Times. Just because his parents want him to bring the gold, Wiglaf Accidentally slays two dragons, rescues the best knight of the world, goes field trip to dungeon and even meets a ghost.
With simple and kiddish, but new and fun story of McMullan can be weird. Kids' chants and easy story, and characters' antics are basically for the children. But new ideas always come up with new book is never boring. Bill Basso's freaky but funny illustrations greatly match the funny mood of D.S.A. Well, this book requires readers to take some sick jokes like crazy knock-knocks. Also short but thick subplots will make readers to naturally guess the next story, even they didn't want to.
Yet there are little problems within it. Sometimes too short and fast story might not be satisfying. But in some cases, this will be helpful, like for kids who can't read fat books like Harry Potter. Other one is that kiddish story wouldn't really fit for people over 13 years old.
Fun, freaky, and weird, this is a book for kid readers or readers who want to read "something odd". It might not fit to people who are fans of serious books, since D.S.A. is a book that is very far from serious.

I'm six and I enjoyed this book. This book was very funny in different types of ways. It was about 3 children who go through adventures in a school for young dragon slayers. It reminds me of how it feels to be a new student. My favorite character is Angus who is always hungry and only hates eel but thats what they are served usually. I also like the pig that speaks pig latin!This is the first in a series. I have read 10 of them and plan to read them all.

I enjoy reading the volumes in this series almost as much as my 5-year-old son enjoys hearing them read. Kate McMullan is a talented writer who displays wonderful wit and skill but also a great deal of heart. The Dragon Slayers' Academy books are a mixture of Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, and even (dare I say it?) the old Harvard Lampoon parody, "Bored of the Rings".

I should warn that my son does occasionally have difficulty following some of the dialogue and narratives (at which points, I simply pause to offer quick explanations or glosses). Also, there have been a couple of spots where gore becomes a concern (for example, the executioner's song in book 3).

The lively illustrations as well as the humorous "DSA Yearbook" (including a "campus" map) are great bonuses.

I think that this book (and the series) is an excellent step along the path toward, say, Harry Potter or the Hobbit, but will also be treasured (and re-read) on its own right.

Like Harry Potter, Wiglaf starts off in a less than favorable existence with surrogate parents and gets the fortuitous chance to leave home for an unconventional medieval-like school. The humor mostly centers around the headmaster of this Dragonslayer's Academy being greedy and saving money by feeding the kids eels, the absentmindedness of a wizard that Wiglaf meets along the way, and Wiglaf's fear of dragons and violence in general. The plot is mostly Wiglaf trying to figure out the weakness of a dragon that Wiglaf has to fight, and the revelation at the end that the weakness is no magic item or weapon but something rather silly and midly amusing. The books are basically modern style weekly cartoons in written form, which might be a good thing to start out reluctant readers on who have not yet tackled chapter books. However, I found the illustrations a tad low quality for the amount of focus placed on them and the 9 to 12 age group is kind of stretching it. It's better suited to maybe the 6 to 10 crowd.