Type

This book has a great plot, adventure, excitement, and a good riddle! All of those are the 'ingredients'(I don't know the word.)for a Redwall book and this book is one of the best!

The story is about how the Juskarath, led by the ruthless ferret named Sawney Rath and his vixen seer Grissoul, searches for a Taggerung for their tribe. A Taggerung is a special warrior and the Juska clan considers it a honor to have such a creature in any of their tribes. Grissoul the seer sees that a Taggerung would come to their tribe and Sawney and his vermin looks desperately around Mossflower. They finally find the Taggerung at...where else but Redwall! He is a baby otter, just born and one of Sawney's group kills Rillflagg(his father) as he takes Deyna(the otterbabe's name) to the river for an otter cermony.

Years pass, and Taggerung/Deyna is a tough, dangerous, and ferocious otter, living up to his title. But, much to Sawney's dissapointment, he refuses to kill; he does not even try to kill one beast in the tribe who has vowed to kill him, Gruven the son of Antigra the stoat, who wanted her son to become the Taggerung. One dark day, Sawney loses his temper as the Taggerung refuses to kill a runaway. Sawney tries to kill Deyna, but the young otter leaves the tribe. The vermin is very scared of the Taggerung, having seen his ferocious strength and skill in fighting, and does not try to kill or stop him. Only Sawney tries to track down the otter, only to be treacherously killed by the stoat Antigra. (I sort of felt shocked to think that Sawney got killed so quickly, but the story continues on in a very interesting manner.)

Meanwhile, at the Abbey, Deyna's mother Filorn and sister Mhera discover that Rillflagg had been killed and the whole Abbey is affected by the shock and grief. Suddenly, they all find a puzzling riddle that tells who the much-needed Abbess or Abbot would be. The puzzle is a bit like the one in "Pearls of Lutra", but still very much different!

Grissoul the Seer then decides to make sure the Juskarath clan would stay together and Antigra urges her to make Grissoul the chief since Sawney had been 'killed by Taggerung'. She presses Grissoul, then, to make her son the Taggerung as well, but Grissoul firmly tells her that Gruven must prove himself first...by killing Tagg! So, with a group of skilled and evil vermin, Gruven sets out with murderous plans about Taggerung, eager to have revenge on Taggerung for taking that title.

Tagg, meanwhile, had been meeting new friends and realizing that he would never be one of the tribe. He decides to go the Redwall Abbey, the place of his dreams, when he finds out that there is such a place. With his new friend Nimbalo the fieldmouse, he goes to Redwall.

Gruven and his group split up as the vermin does not believe that Gruven is a leader. The two groups(two vermin very skilled foebeasts and the others being not at all very skilled) meet again at Redwall Abbey and they are convinced that Taggerung is inside. Shouting threats, they wound some Abbeybeasts and vow to kill Taggerung the moment they see him.

What would happen if Taggerung is found? And who would be the Abbess or Abbot of Redwall? What would happen to the Juska clan?

Though those questions above have rather obvious answers, this book is extremely fun and exciting! It's a fast-paced adventure story and this is a great book to add to your Redwall books!

I've loved the Redwall books ever since first grade when I read Redwall for the first time. I've read it 16 times since, but that's not the point. When Taggerung came out, I was delighted, even more so when I actually read it. Much as I love the Redwall series, the later books' plots do get rather repetitive. I don't hold that against Mr. Jacques. The books are still good. But Taggerung was a completely new plot, standing apart from the others, but just as good; better than some. The plot twists and turns, with things happening that I didn't think would ever occur. I was frequently surprised by the outcome of a section, and the characters were all perfect, developed so they'd fit their station perfectly. The repetitive theme of "Martins sword and/or tapestry is lost, a young creature, male or female, goes out to find it, and invariably succeeds, killing the villain in the process" was gone, though some fragments remained, which was terrific. I happen to like that redundant theme. Anyway, if you like fantasy, you should definately read this book-oh, except you should read the other 13 books in chronological order first. That will make Taggerung better. Happy reading!

"I am the Taggerung, no one can hide from me."
Deyna is only three years old when his dad took him from the safty of Redwall Abby to the ford to touch his back to the water for the first time, and otter ritual. At the ford, his dad gets ambushed by a vermin pack and shot in the heart by an arrow. Deyna is taken to grow up as a vermin.
The vermin leader, Sawney Rath, has visions of the young otter babe having the mark of a Taggerung, the most cunning and quickest creatures in the land. Deyna grows without knowing something is wrong, terribly wrong.
Luckily, Deyna knows something is wrong when he is full-grown. Deyna leaves the pack to look for his real parents. The only problem is, Sawney has found his new enemy. Deyna for the first time feels lonely, but determined to fine his lost parents.
I really liked Taggerung. It teaches that you will always remember your family, whatever happens. Also, it teaches that when you think you are lost, never give up. I would recommend this book to anybody age seven and up, who loves friendship, adventure, and war.
-Meade Edmunds

I really liked The Cricket in Times Square because there are lots of funny and unusual characters! It is about a small boy named Mario who finds a very unusual pet - a cricket! The cricket, Chester, ends up takinga subway to New York, and meets two other friends, Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.
This was a hilarious book as Chester tries to manage in the city,which is unlike his Conneticut home.
This book is realistic fiction which means that everything in the book didn't happen, but it could happen. The author created many interesting characters at very unsual times. I like the way George Selden made the characters come to life. He described every character, so that I could visualize them in my mind, even without the pictures.

I would recommend this book to people who like adventure stories.Younger kids,and most adults would like The Cricket in Times Square.

I read The Cricket in Times Square and thought it was a fantastic book. I enjoyed the book because the author, George Selden, used good vocabulary words to describe his characters and settings. The story was easy to follow and fun to read.

The Cricket in Times Square is about a cricket named Chester. Chester lived in Connecticut. One day he smelled some food from a picnic and went over to investigate the smell. While sniffing, he got caught in a bag with sandwiches. The family eating the sandwiches got on a train to New York City. When he got to New York City, one of the main characters, Mario Bellini, found Chester outside. Chester was next to Mario's parent's newsstand so Mario picked him up and put him in a matchbox. While at the newsstand, Mario asked his mom if he could keep the cricket. After a few days Mario took Chester to buy a cage at a Chinese store. The cage was shaped like a Chinese building.

At the newsstand Chester met a mouse named Tucker and a cat named Harry. Chester became good friends with them. Chester became a very famous cricket and played his beautiful music at 8:00AM and 4:30PM for all the people at the newsstand.

If you want more details about Chester's exciting adventures, read this book or other books by George Selden! I hope this review makes you want to read The Cricket in Times Square, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This book is about a cricket named Chester who finds his way to New York City in a picnic basket. Chester is originally from Connecticut. One day a little boy named Mario picks him up and takes him to an unsuccessful newstand located in the subway station of Times Square. This little creature is lucky enough to find two great friends. Their names are Tucker the fast talking broadway mouse, and his pal Harry the Cat. These friends have many great times such as; when Tucker manages to get the gang some scraps of food. But they also have some bad times, like when Chester dreams of a willow leaf, and eats a dollar bill, but all together they manage. These wonderful pals go on some more pretty great adventures, Chester even becomes a celebrity. Read the book to find out more!

I gave this book 3 stars because it did, in the end, achieve what it set out to do: it got me to buy the other books in the series. And it was an interesting read and a fast one. That being said, however, I think that this series more than any other (by V.C. Andrews) made me angry. I know that Andrews' characters are known for their...passivity, but Ruby really took it too far. She let everyone from her drunken, redneck grandpere to her to her whorish, jealous twin sister walk all over her. To tell you the truth, by the end of this first book, I was almost rooting for Giselle! At least she had a reason to act the way she did! She had been spoiled by her father, neglected by her adopted mother...she had to face the fact that her history wasn't what she had been told. She had to accept that she not only had a twin sister, but that the very same twin sister was moving into her house and usurping her place in her daddy's heart. And then? Then her sister stole her boyfriend! So...basically anything she wanted to do to Ruby was pretty much okay with me.

And speaking of the boyfriend...

Beau Andres was the most shallow, boorish, unlikable male lead I have ever come across. He dumped Giselle for Ruby, claiming to be oh so appreciative of her sweet virginity. Then at the first chance he gets he rapes her in her art studio! I don't care if she ended up enjoying the climax or not! She pleaded with him to stop about 50 times and he wouldn't! RAPE! And the fact that Ruby views this act not for the assault it is but for an indication of "love" is sickening. Their whole relationship was sickening...throughout this first book I kept hoping she'd run back to the swamps. I'd much rather have seen [having sex] with her brother than this lout. At least her brother treated her with some respect.

Still, in the end, the author did do a good enough job on the characters for me to get so angry with them...which I guess connotes good writing. Of a sort. My advice? Read it but take it with a grain of salt.

In "Ruby," we go deeper into the South, into Cajun country (Houma, Louisiana), where 15-year-old Ruby Landry lives in poverty with her grandparents, Grandmere Catherine and Grandpere Jack, never knowing who her parents were (her mother's dead, and her father is unknown at the moment). This is also one of the few books where the reader is aware of the time period in which the book takes place--the early 1960s.

As is typical with every V. C. Andrews heroine, Ruby has tremendous artistic talent and is encouraged by her grandmother to pursue her dreams of becoming a successful painter. However, several life-altering secrets arise to detour her from doing so. For starters, Ruby finds out her boyfriend (Paul Tate) is really her half-brother. (Imagine that.) Yet that doesn't really bother either of them, because they still get hot and heavy. Forbidden fruit and all that, I guess.

Ruby's second surprise comes when she finds a photo of her father, Pierre Dumas, and discovers that she has a twin sister living with him somewhere in New Orleans. Shortly after Grandmere Catherine confesses all of this, she dies, leaving Ruby in the care of her despicable, alcoholic Grandpere Jack, which was an obvious mistake, because he tries to sell her just like he did with her other two illegitimate siblings. So, Ruby flees Houma and searches for her wealthy family in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, a terrifically authentic setting that horror writer Anne Rice uses quite often in her own books; and it works just fine for V. C. Andrews as well in this series.

It's always interesting when I shop for V. C. Andrews books, because either her books are tucked away in the romance section, or they're mislabeled as horror. I've even found them in the kids section, but those are usually the recent miniseries books. While "Flowers in the Attic," for one, could probably be considered horror, most of her books are just dramatic family sagas, aka general fiction. There's nothing remotely scary about these books. It's more psychological, involving lurid family secrets (like rape and incest, which are hardly romance-friendly topics); that's probably why these books are branded "gothic horror."

Anyway, "Ruby" pretty much follows the same paint-by-numbers storyline that has been haunting practically every latter-day series by V. C. Andrews. Yet this is still a captivating series, filled with Cajun-style superstitions and horrible family secrets. Following "Ruby" comes "Pearl in the Mist" (#2), "All That Glitters" (#3), "Hidden Jewel" (#4), and "Tarnished Gold" (#5).

Ruby is one of the best books I have ever read. Enthralling storyline, with twists and turns everywhere that make this book a real page turner. If I'm not mistaken, Ruby, along with the rest of the series, was published after the death of VC Andrews. The storyline and ideas were original Andrews, and parts of the story were written by the ghostwriter (who, IMHO, is not doing justice to the Andrews family with his works.) So even though it was mostly written by the ghostwriter, it still has the scent of original Andrews, and again this is one of the best books I have ever read. Ruby was definitely a heroic character, and I have no idea where the "Ruby is whiny and weak" came from in another review. Ruby is the strongest character. All the main characters in her stories are. Since I'm starting to rant and probably no longer making any sense, I'll just say one last thing: This story ROCKS!

I really liked this book. I found it quite enjoyable, except I already knew what was going to happen a little while after starting it. Also, it left me wondering what happened to Tommy and Maribeth at the end. Did she come back to visit? Did they get married? I would reccomend it though, because it was a great story.

This is the first Danielle Steel book I've read, but I simply loved it!! It's a great heart warming story. Although it leaves you wondering about the two main character's future, the book gives me hope... hope that there is a love two people can share, a true love that sees no judgment, just feeling... it gives me hope for the main characters... and it gives me hope that one day I'll just walk into some new place and who knows... lightning could strike... and my life will change for the better. Somewhat perdicable, although I would have preferred a different ending... some stories are wonderful to read even if you know how it unfolds. I hope there will be a sequel about Maribeth and Tommy... a made-for-tv-movie about this would be nice too.

The Gift by Danielle Steel is one of the best books that I have read so far. I am not an avid novel reader and I have to say that I am hard to impress. This book is about a happy couple with two lovable chidren, Tommy and their little precious daughter Annie. There is nothing else they could ask for in this world. On a Christmas Eve, a terrible thing happened, their youngest daughter Annie died of acute mengingitis. The whole family was devastated and the happy family was shattered into pieces. After months of sorrow, a girl named Maribeth came to their life. She had managed to bring back the happy smiles into their faces. It was her who gave them the most precious gift of all, a baby just like Annie that could bring back the joy and love they once had. The Gift will make you want to read until the end, non-stop. It is a love story, not just about teenagers falling in love, but also a story about a family bringing back love into their life. Danielle Steel makes me want to read some of her other novels hoping to get the same interest that I had with this novel. So if you are like me who hardly reads and wants to read something that will interest them and something they could relate to, this is the perfect book for you. I am absolutely giving this book a rate of perfect 10!!!!!

I love to read kids books. I have collected them since... well since I was a kid. I have most of the booksI had when I was a kid, (of course I wish I had the few I lost) and I still buy them and read them and save them for my son. He will be enjoying Dads extensive library some day. This book is one of 3 current books from this author , none of them having anthing to do with the other so they are not a series.

This was totally different than "Secret of Platform 13" and is nmot the samecharacters or location. This story has a bit of romance and might appeal more to girls than boys, but if boys will stick it out they will enjoy the overall book. Great bits about some fumbling old witches that can't seem to get things right, a young adult white witch that can't help being good even if the other withces dislike her for it, and a dark wizard who really is not a bad guy after all. And his servants are really nice guys, you will wish you could have them as friends yourself. The young witch rescues a boy from an orphanage and they becoem fast friends. The book has a great ending, very satisfying.

The writer is fun and humerous, and chooses words that make the story crackle and seem to play out in front of your eyes. Some scary stuff, but nothing to give you nightmares. I read the story in a few hours straight sine I could not put it down. I can't wait until I read the "Island of Aunts".

Which Witch is a spectacular book written by Eva Ibbotson. Anyone who has not read this or the other two she has written (ISLAND OF THE AUNTS and THE SECRET OF PLATFORM 13) has missed out on very good books. I would recommend this book to readers aged 8-88+. The three are great in whichever order you read them.
WHICH WITCH is about a young boy who is a wizard. He is a black (does things that are not good) and the blackest wizard in the world. His name was George but after his parents found out he was a wizard they changed it to Arriman, after a famous and very wicked sorcerer... Arriman has a servant named Lester who is an ogre and a secretary named Mr. Leadbetter... One day Lester tells Arriman that he needs a wife so that he and his wife can have a baby wizard and he can take his place when he dies... He holds a contest among all of the witches in the nearest town by having them perform magic for him and three other judges. Who will win? Who is this mysterious witch? Read the book to find out!

The book Which Witch was written in 1979. It is an awesome book. This book is funny, scary and sad all at the same time. It is about a boy and his name is George. Except his parents named him Arriman once they found out he was a wizard. When he was old enough he moved out and got a place of his own on the other side of town. Now he is called Arriman that great wizard of the north.
One day Lester (Arriman's secretary) told Arriman that he should go and see a gypsy that he once knew so he did. The gypsy told him that he must find a wife so that they can have a child and he can rule after Arriman dies. So he holds a completion to find the blackest wife. Blackest means that you are a bad witch but in a good way or that you do black magic.
There are 7 witches that joined the completion. One of them stands out from them all her name is Belladonna. She has blond hair, blue eyes and all of the animals hang out with her. Only she is a white witch who was supposed to be a black one. A white witch is a good witch. Belladonna really wants to marry Arriman and she will do anything to get him. Who will win? Read it and find out?
I really liked the book. Which Witch has a great plot and is easy to read. I would recommend that people 9 and up read it. It made me have many different emotions. I liked how I could not put the book down until I finished it. Which Witch is not like any other book that I have read. Since it is not boring and it keeps you up all night reading it trying to find out what happens next. It was suspenseful. It could make you want to read the last two chapters just to find out what happened even if you were not done with the book.
Some things I did not like about the book Which Witch was that it had some things that I could not understand even though it was easy to read. Which Witch also had some things that were in the book did not have to be in there and did not go with the rest of the story. But overall it was a great book and I would read it over and over if I had to.
Geraldine Brooks is a great writer and I believe that you should read the other books she has written, which are (Island of the Ants and The secrets of platform 13.) This 231 PG book is one that you must read. If not then you are missing out on a very good book. You may or may not like this book but I am pretty sure that you will. Read this book Which Witch and you will know what I am talking about.

Richard Preston agains succeeds in scaring the heck out of us with his probing unveiling of the status of current day bioweapons.

Preston begins his book with an explanation of the symptomology of what he considers the most lethal bioweapon available today, smallpox. Contagion with the smallpox virus is manifested in a variety of terrifying symptoms which in a high percentage of cases leads to the death of the host. Scientists tirelessly working through the World Health Organization eradicated smallpox from the world in 1979. Supposedly only 2 stores of the disease remained in the freezers of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and an analogous location in Siberia. Shockingly it has become apparent that the Russian cache had been distributed to sources that advocate terrorism. Even more disturbing was the belief that genetic engineers were introducing genetic material into the smallpox to make it more lethal by making it resistant to vaccines.

Preston also chronicles the high levels of governmental security that existed against bioterrorism after 9/11. He enlightens us about the anthrax attack our country suffered when pure spores of weapon grade anthrax was mailed to various locations throughout the country. One particularly famous letter was mailed to Senator Tom Daschle and was confiscated for analysis. Preston called this episode Amerithrax.

What unfortunately became crystal clear is that experimentation and use of bioweapons is a tragic reality that we face in the future. We can only hope that governments are wise enough to take measures to control these threats to our very existence.

The Demon in the Freezer is an excellent book about the eradication of smallpox, and the history of Soviet biowarfare. The information is presented in the context of the October 2001 Anthrax attacks. There are definitely more comprehensive books on those subjects, but Preston's strength has always been his ability to blend the personal and scientific sides of an issue.

The only reason why I cannot give this book 5 stars is because, like The Hot Zone, Preston is alarmist and sensationalist at the end. I understand that creating a feeling of fear helps the lay reader through the material, but Preston's substitution of fear for analysis, especially at the end of the book, just slightly cheapen book as a whole.

Richard Preston is an excellent author and I highly recommend this book. It is a joy to read and it is a very good introduction to smallpox and biowarfare. However, don't feel like you need to go and get vaccinated and fitted for a gas mask.

Richard Preston describes the nightmare of smallpox: the effects of the disease, the enormous efforts made by literally hundreds of thousands of people between 1965 and 1979 to eradicate the disease (the only human disease eradicated so far) and the potential use of the remaining virus stocks as biological weapons. And in between one gets information on anthrax as well. Reading this book raises the hairs on the back of your neck: it is so easy to make a supervirus and it was so stupid not to destroy the remaining stocks of virus when they were kept in refrigerators in only 2 laboratories (one is the USA and 1 in the USSR) in the seventies. An extremely important story told in a roller coaster fashion that grabs you and does not let go.

Shasta wants to get away from his despot father. Bree, a talking horse, wants to return to Narnia. Meeting up with the girl Aravis and the horse Hwin, they travel together, always North, through the requisite quest adventures.

The plot seems to be a mix of the Moses story and the Oedipal story (the latter more vague), with true identities hidden and prophecies coming true. It also brings to mind A Thousand and One Nights with its nod to Middle Eastern culture. Also, for those who might be reading the book for clues and allusions, the deadly sin of Pride plays a healthy role in the plot of this edition of the series.

I found this volume to be lively and entertaining, full of intrigues and scrapes. The moral lesson is here, too, and beautifully told. The sin of pride impedes some of the characters' developments and the reader, whether adult or child, can see the needless pain and harm it brings to life. The beautiful and elusive Aslan makes his appearances in just the nick of time, bringing comfort to the characters as well as to the readers.

This story is told as a myth of Narnia, the folklore and story of a mythical land itself. It goes a long way to enrich the experience of Narnia and bring another dimension to the beloved first volume. If you only read one other book besides "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," let it be this one.

The Horse and His Boy
C.S. Lewis
C. Cho
P.5

This book is about a young boy named Shasta and a horse from Narnia named Bree. Shasta and Bree have one thing in common, they both want feedom! Shasta mannages to escape from his master, Arsheesh. Bree and Shasta encounter many adventurous perils on the way to Narnia. Some people in a kingdom even mistake young Shasta as a prince. Shasta has his moments of fame and luxury until the real prince arrives...

I enjoyed reading this book because of the great relationship Bree had with Shasta. I also had fun reading this book because when I read about all the mysterious animals such as the lions, I wanted to read more about it. It was fun reading about the part when Shasta was mistaken as Prince Corin. Here is a quote from the book that I enjoyed,"Shasta had so enjoyed his dinner and all the things Tumnus had been telling him that when he was left alone, his thoughts took a different turn. I couldn't believe that they couldn't tell the difference. There were many exciting parts in the book but to me, these were my favorite parts.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I did have some parts that I did not feel was very exciting. When Shasta and Bree met Aravis there was a lot of talking involved. I enjoy stories with diolouge but I dont enjoy it if there is eight full pages of it. Another reason why I disliked this book is because they talked in a different way that we Americans do. Arsheesh was a character in this story that I didn't like."My price is seventy."

My favorite part of this book was when the people of Tashban mistook Shasta as Price Corin. This chapter made me feel happy for Shasta because he got food and rest that he deserved. I did not like it when Aravis showed up. She was the daughter of a high nobleman and she was a little stuck up to me. Although Aravis was not my favorite character, I still enjoyed this book.

Shasta is about to be sold into slavery when he meets Bree, a talking horse. Together, the two set out for Narnia. But their journey is filled with danger as they are chased by lions. Meeting up with two more travelers, they must get through the town of Tashbaan undetected. That's where they learn of a plot against the rulers of Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Will they be able to get there in time to sound the alarm?

I can remember being disappointed with this book as a kid, mainly because it doesn't involve a magical trip from our world to Narnia and we hardly see the four from the first book. When I sat down to reread it, I found that I had forgotten much of the story, so I was captured anew by these adventures. I found myself reading "just one more chapter" to find out what would happen next. And Aslan's scenes especially moved me as well.

If you start this book aware that this isn't your typical Narnia adventure, you're sure to find plenty to enjoy.

Imagine a 19th century girl who doesn't like knitting, who would rather spend time with her brothers swimming and making life an adventure everyday. If you can't visualize this then you have never met Caroline Augusta Woodlawn. She is the eleven-year old, red-headed, curlyqued, tomboy protagonist whose friend is an Indian.
Caddie lives in the pioneer days on the Wisconsin frontier. There is farmland scattered here and there, the woods to play in and also a rumor that the Indians are going to attack. All the neighbors seek refuge at the Woodlawn's house. Caddie finally gets brave enough and finds the courage to talk with the Indians especially her friend, Indian John. Will the Indians attack? If you want to find out, read the book entitled Caddie Woodlawn.
I enjoyed reading Caddie Woodlawn because Caddie is always finding some way to have fun. When her cousin comes for a visit, Caddie and her brothers Tom and Warren do all the things their cousin wants to do with her but they add a little twist to things. For example, when their cousin wants to do somersaults in the hay loft, she lands in a bunch of eggs. Caddie gets in trouble, but do Tom and Warren? There are some sad and tragic moments also. There is a prairie fire at the school, who puts it out? Some children at school have to allow their mother to leave them because she is an Indian. Will Caddie help them? If you want to find out read Caddie Woodlawn. I guarantee you that you will really enjoy reading this historical fiction book as much as I did.

The most remarkable thing about the book Caddie Woodlawn is that it is a true story! The real-live person named Caddie Woodlawn was 82 when the book was published by her grand-daughter in 1935. By writing down the stories told to her as a child, Carol Ryrie Brink captures her grandmother's life as a girl growing up on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860's. Caddie Woodlawn is a tomboy and likes nothing better than to go on adventures with her brothers Tom and Warren. She comes from a large pioneer family of seven children. Her older sister Clara is always acting more lady-like than she, and her younger sister Hetty is always tattling on her. Caddie has a fierce independent streak, and we discover what life was like on the frontier as we accompany her to school, and on visits to the neighboring Indian village. The book reveals the often tense relations between Native Americans and the European settlers. Because of her friendship with Indian John, Caddie alone is able to restore peace to her settlement by taking action before the frightenend white settlers attack the Indians. By the book's end, Caddie's refined cousin Annabelle comes from Boston, and Caddie the tomboy learns that maybe a few lady-like activities such as quilting aren't so bad after all. Any teen today will look up to Caddie for her self-confidence and bravery, and see their own rites of passage reflected in Caddie's experiences.

Caddie Woodlawn is an 11-year-old pioneeer girl livng in America during the Civil War. Caddie likes to run wild with her brothers and do very un-lady-like things like turning sommersaults in the haymow and plowing, rather than sewing and working around the house like her mother wishes her to do. Caddie has many adventures outdoors with her brothers, like going to Chimney Bluffs to pick berries and seeing a live rattlesnade only a few feet away from them! Caddie is friends with the Indians that live nearby, and she once saved them from being attacked by white settlers! A lot later in the book, Caddie and her family are given the chance to return to England, the place where Mr. Woodlawn emmigrated from, and live richly and fancily. They decide to stay in America and live as they are, free Americans. Caddie doesn't want to grow up to be a lady, but her father talks to her about how important ladies are and that she doesn't have to be a "silly,affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady", as he says in the book, but a wise, understanding, and strong woman. This changes Caddie's mind and helps her be happy about growing up.

I loved the story of Sarah Talbot, who owns a bedding store called "Cloud Nine". When the story begins, Sarah is about to take a special flight to celebrate her cancer being in remission. She enjoys the flight so much that she decides to retain the services of the pilot, Will Burke, to take her to Elk Island. She left her hometown years before, but has decided to make the trip back to see her long lost father and the son she left behind.

Along the way, Sarah ends up bonding with Will and his daughter, Susan, and the trio help each other with all of the issues they are facing. I rated the book 4 stars because I'm not a big fan of romance, but in spite of my tastes, I really found myself enjoying the story and wondering what would happen next. If you are new to Luanne Rice, this is a great book to get your feet wet with. Rice is a wonderful source of comfort reads, and this book is no exception. If you are in the mood for a comforting and inspiring story, read "Cloud Nine."

I just finished reading Cloud Nine and could not stop crying, nor could I put the book down until it was finished. Be sure to keep plenty of Kleenex handy, as you will need them for this book!

This was one of the most beautiful love stories I have read and Luann Rice is quickly becoming another favorite author of mine. I just finished reading Home Fires by her the night before and now Cloud Nine - what an emotional ride!!

Rice writes stories that grip your heart and soul and she does not let go until the story is over. Her character portrayal, especially of teen-agers, is so realistic, that you feel that they are your next-door neighbors and closest friends! Cloud Nine embraces all the nuances of family life, which has experienced death and familial loss, and the heartache that that causes. It embodies tragedy in multiple scenarios consisting of divorce, remarriage, cancer, and several deaths, yet, contained within all of these facts, there is a ray of faith and hope that life can and will get better. There is hope of reconciliation and the miracle of love working its magic. The character's live are not portrayed here as "perfect", but are wrought with dysfunction and pain, due to real-life experiences.

I found this story's ending to be bittersweet and wish that it did end differently, but once again, I am reminded that life is not perfect and life sometimes does not play out as we want it to - it is just fe being life. Rice expertly captures that feeling with Cloud Nine and conveys it so beautifully to her readers. You are swept up into the emotions of the drama and you cannot help it.

I absolutely loved this book and once again Rice demonstrates to us that love has a powerful and healing effect, on both the young and the old. Her message is of embracing life each and every day as a gift to yourself and to your loved ones, as one never knows what the next day will bring.

*APPLAUSE** Great story. this being the 3rd book i finished in a few months. I enjoyed them all so far. I fell so connected to this story line and invisinoned myself in the places. Yes i even cried at the end. Keep them coming. GREAT Reading

Very difficult book for me to get through, then an ending that made me wish I didn't bother. I could hardly keep my eyes opened through Koontz's drawn-out medical "drama" and his melodramatic evil characterizations. I simply found the book boring, but decided to stick it out. It did not scare me; it did not make me laugh; it did not satisfy me in the end. Life is too short for this type of over-written and under-plotted and under-characterized work. I couldn't bear to give the book only one star, because it was obvious Koontz was trying really, really hard to make a literate and informative book. But I never gave a damn about the phony characters--from peter perfect resuscitation patient to the doctor that just loved his darn patients too much to the evil man in sunglasses that lived in the realm between life and death, I couldn't buy it. It felt contrived, like most of the books from Koontz.

Koontz's novels crest bestseller lists not only for their heart-pounding horrors but also for their celebration of righteousness and redemption. And, Hideaway is no exception. In this novel, Dean Koontz compels us to explore the meaning of death, the nature of sociopathic evil, and the transcendent power of love.

Hatch Harrison, an accident victim, dies en route to the hospital. However, a brilliant physician, Dr. Jonas Nyebern, miraculously resuscitates him after being dead for nearly eighty minutes. Given this second chance at life, Hatch and his wife, Lindsey, approach each day with a new appreciation for the beauty of life-until a series of mysterious and frightening events bring them face to face with the unknown. Although Hatch was given no glimpse of an Afterlife during the period when his heart was stopped, he has reason to fear that he has brought a terrible Presence back with him from the land of the dead.

When people who have wronged the Harrisons begin to die violently, Hatch comes to doubt his won innocence-and must confront the possibility that this life is just a prelude to another, darker place. He and Lindsey are forced to fight not only for their own survival but for that of Regina, the disabled child who has given meaning and purpose to their lives. With growing desperation, Lindsey and Hatch seek the truth along a twisted trail that leads eventually to an abandoned amusement park-and a confrontation with purest evil.

Hideaway is an engaging novel, full of suspense and moments of horror. As a first time Koontz reader, I was enthralled by the frightening presence of evil in this novel. The vivid scenery, believable characters, pure evil and the power of hope and love combine to create a thrilling and horrifying read. Dean Koontz is able to entertain the reader and maintain the suspense in this story up until the fulfilling conclusion.

Hideaway is an exciting tale that takes you deeper with every page.

I read the book Hideaway by Dean Koontz. It was an intense, fast paced book. I really enjoyed reading it because it was scary and fun to read. The book was about a man, Hatch, and his wife, LIndsey. They were in a car accident and Hatch died. He was recessitated after eighty minutes. It was a miracle that nothing was wrong with him. Everything seemed to be going perfect until Hatch began to have visions. It almost seemed as if he had brought something back with him from the dead. The possibility of it all seemed unreal. Hatch was having visions about murders that this man was committing. When he was having his visions it was like he left his body and was doing what this man was doing. This man was also having visions about Hatch Everything had been going so good in Hatch and Lindsey's life they were about to adopt a kid, and the recessitation had gone so well. The suddenly the killer decides that he wants nothing more than Regina, so he comes after Hatch, Lindsey, and Regina their newly adopted daughted. The book is exciting and gets more intense by the minute. It is a book that will keep you up late into the reading. The ending is chilling and will make you sleep with the lights on for weeks. Koontz is a terrific writer that makes you feel like you are with Hatch every minute of this horror tale. It is a heart pounding, edge of your seat, read that you will never forget.