literature

This is an absolutely amazing novel about a beautiful peasant girl, Maia, who is sold into slavery and becomes a concubine in the household of the High Counselor of the Leopard regime. The Leopards are the upper ruling class of the semi-barbaric Beklan empire, an ancient, beautiful, and sometimes deadly city. Along the way, Maia is befriended by Occula, an exotic slave girl, and unwittingly becomes involved in a plot to overthrow the Leopard regime. This book combines political intrigue, a quest for identity, a struggle for freedom, and this remarkable girl's search for her one true love, Zen-Kurel. Richard Adams is a master storyteller, and reading one of his works is like "being woven into a tapestry". His descriptions of the Beklan empire, his intricate plot lines, his attention to detail, and his use of subtle humor, all make this a story worth reading, and one you'll come back to time and again.

About 7 months ago, I discovered this prequel to my all-time favorite book, SHARDIK. Since then, I've read this 1200-page masterpiece twice.

MAIA takes place 8 years prior to SHARDIK, and is set in the same, richly-developed Beklan Empire. Read the other reveiws for a plot synopsis; let me just say that this is a book you won't regret picking up, if for no other reason than Richard Adams' incredible storytelling. The language he uses in his novels is just amazing; his descriptions of characters and places and his use of simile and metaphor are unlike any other author I've read. His writing talents have quite literally spoiled me. :)

My recommendation would be to first read SHARDIK, and then read MAIA. And then read them both again. Having just finished SHARDIK for the first time since reading MAIA, I was amazed by how many times I stopped in the middle of a passage and said "Ah, yes! I remember that from MAIA!"

If you can't find a copy of SHARDIK, read MAIA anyway. It's an incredible book by itself, and more likely than not, I think you'll agree.

Beautifully written, engaging, richly textured, one of those books that transports you to its universe and leaves you reluctant to turn the pages knowing that it will end all too soon. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I discovered this book 31 years ago, for my daughter and it is still loved by all the family. The illustrations are wonderful, warm, charming and delightful and bring a special meaning to the story. We still read it to all the young children on Christmas Eve and for adults we read the story and pass a grab bag gift every time the word THE is mentioned. It would not be Christmas without this book. It is magical.

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

Each page in this book is definitely a piece of art! Mary Engelbreit outdid herself on this one. I initially checked it out from our local library and then decided I wanted it for our girls. It's a book I want them to be able to read to their own children one day! I would definitely recommend it!

I read this for the first time in 6th grade. It was being sold at my school book fair, and so I was introduced to it this way. I remember in past years looking for it, and it is a little hard to find, but websites like these make it readily available so it's not as much of a problem.

Anyway, the storyline is pretty gripping, though can be a little monotonous and long. There are two styles of writing in this book. There is the third person narrative of the author in present day, and then the voice of Clementine, a girl from the past reliving her life through memories. It's not at all confusing, since it is divided into chapters and you can obviously tell the historical sections from the present day ones, but some chapters get a little lengthy.

The main character, Molly, is mentioned in other books by Kathryn Reiss. If you have ever read her other stories, you will recognize some of the character's names and attitudes/personalities. This makes it nice because you know it's all connected in some way or another. Makes it a little more predictable, but familiar. I like this quality in her books.

The storyline in general isn't all that complicated, but relies a little much on a subtle imagination. It doesn't take much to figure things out in this book, and the ending really isn't surprising at all. In fact, it's almost expected. But it's fitting and so it doesn't ruin the story at all.

I would recommend this to young adults, those who like small and simple ghost stories, or those who just want a pretty fast read to get away from things. It's pretty easy reading and goes relatively quickly, only about 250 pages or so.

This book remains one of my childhood favorites, and my friends have often noted how much they liked it in the past as well.

Dreadful Sorry is a book for People who love to read. I wouldn't recommmend it for anyone unde 10. It is full of excitement and mystery like on what you think will happen next. It is about a girl who dreams of ghost and drowning. She stays with her dad in this old Victorian style house. Then for some strange reason she starts dreaming about a girl (Clemintine). SHe dreams her whole life up till where Clemintine drowns in a boat wreck. The girl then starts findig out why this is happening and helps a few "friends" along the way. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens. This book is for people who like mystery and ghost like me. You'll never want to put it down! I hope that you will read this book,Dreadful Sorry.

Although it has been over a year scince i read this book, i still clearly remember how much i loved it. I was drawn to do a search on this title becuase i am looking for the book to give as a birthday gift. My best friend has loved this book for years and she has read it so many times that she has been forced to use both scotch and duct tape to repare the cover of the book. My friend and i are both 16, and although this book is written for 12-13 year olds, i have no shame in telling you that this a tremendous book. The reader will be instintly sucked into the plot and characters and will feel a wide range of emotions. One moment i was full of admiration for Jared and the next i could feel nothing but disgust for Clementine, the past life of Molly. All in all, i would definitly recomend this well written book!

For all the fans of Louisa May Alcott and her works, and also others as well, this book is a story that would spark your interest. Here, Ms. Alcott keeps the humor, friendship, morals, and the realistic personality of her characters going, like her other novels. The story starts as 14 year-old Polly Milton, a good natured country girl, comes to stay a month at her friend's house. But she soon comes to realize that Fanny Shaw, her friend, acts and dresses like a young lady, compared to her simple old-fashioned ways. Tom, Fanny's brother keeps most of the boyish humor in the book, mischievous, cunning, but good hearted, he feels that he is rather neglected in the family. Polly with her innocent ways, changes the relationship of the family by and by, with plenty of touching parts, and humourous pranks along the way, and through out the book, and becomes precious to the Shaw family, while dealing with her own troubles. Six years after Polly's first visit, Fanny, Tom and herself are grown to be young adults, and finds them selves dealing with tragety, but also love. And all deal with decisions, and hard troubles, while the friends' relationship gets closer as Polly's good and old-fashioned ways gets them through their troubles, and towards the happy end. A wonderful book, truly showing that glamour, fashion, gossip, or anything of that sort does not matter much, but true and an innocent heart is important in life. Happy reading, God Bless.

I've always been somewhat old-fashioned. I'm not sixteen, so I won't date. I don't wear make-up yet, I don't care much about what I wear, and I'm not interested in always having the latest thing. I guess that's a lot of why I admired this book, but there's more of a reason. This story shows the true meaning of happiness: family love and hard work.

Polly Milton is a fourteen year old little girl who goes to say with a rich family in town. She's friends with Fanny who is only two years older and who's only interests are boys, fashion, and parties. Tom is Fanny's brother who is Polly's age, and is the perfect little trouble and mischief maker, and the littlest, Maud, is on the verge of being like Fanny. Polly comes from a poor family where she has learned to love and cherish everyone and everything, impecible manners and politeness, to work hard, and to be the most loveable thing ever. With her sweet ways, she brings the brother and sisters of this family closer, shows their father how to love his children, gives Grandma the love and attention she always needed, attracts a young gentleman, and accomplishes everything she sets out to do. Happy, sweet, gentle Polly. When she grows older she becomes a music teacher. At 18, she finally gets interested in men and parties(but not too interested - she just pipes in once and a while) when Fanny is sick to death of it all. But, soon the family turns bankrupt and turn to Polly, who leads them to this...relizing that family was the only thing they ever really needed, not their money or finery. They learn the wonderfulness of hard work as I did through reading this story, and the importance of family.

This book shows how we should all be, and how its just fine to not grow up too fast. Don't worry girls, there's romance at the very end too! But, truth to tell, you don't need romance to entertain you in this heartwarming story.

I have owned all her works and this is my favorite. Even though it was written in the 1800's, it still has sound judgements. Riches can come and go, but how you live your life and how you influence others with your care, love and concern mean the most. Polly has her own struggles with life's lessons but with help from older women and remembering what her parents, especially her mother, taught her, she struggles through.
The beginning of the book finds her a young teenage friend of Fan Shaw who had come down to the country the year before visiting some friends of the family. There is Fan, 2yrs older, Tom who is Polly's age, Maude the little sister of about 6, Mrs. Shaw an invailid and Mr. Shaw a man of wealth, plus Madame who is Mr. Shaw's Mother. At the end, Polly and her friends are all adults except Maud who is a teenager. Fan learns a lot from Polly and Polly learns from all who come into her life. It is a Must read in my opinion for any girl or woman.

I picked this book up at the library, because I'm playing a Mozart concerto myself (granted, one for French Horn) and wanted some inspiration, or at least some way to get it.
I almost gave up on the book about a 1/4 way through, because I didn't partically like the writting style. Also, the writer seemed to be having trouble figuring out who's she's writing to. The person is not expected to know what a cadenza is, but should be able to glance at a bit of music, and get an idea of a piece. The narrative also breaks off at one point to give a recipe for cookies.
In the book, Rules of the Road, Joan Bauer's character gives us a lesson on how to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich, and does it well. This one read like a cook book, complete with an ingrediance list. Not to interesting.
I did, however, finish the book, feeling like I owe it to the people who gave it so much phrase, and was fairly glad. The subplots fit together well. There were some good parts, like the music in the part, and finding the "Walzt in Three", but on the whole, I found the book a little boring.

I love this book. I play the piano and the violin, and whenever I start a new Mozart, I read this book. The first time I read it I was 12 years old, now I'm 15 and I'm still reading it. Allegra's teacher is amazing, I've learned so much from him. You can't help but get excited about music when you read it. The story is intriguing and beautiful. Allegra is incredible. You can almost hear her play. Her relationship with and feelings about her concerto are very thought provoking. From the very first page, you see the world through the eyes of an incredibly sensitive and gifted young musician. The people she meets and the friends she makes are unforgetable. I recomend this book to everyone, musician or not. I love it.

When the book opens with a scene at the symphony where they watch Allegra's mother perform, I got a little lost. But I kept reading and have since fallen in love with The Mozart Season. I first read The Mozart Season when I was fourteen at US Swim meet. It strange--I thought I would go through the book so fast that I brought other books, too, but the Mozart wound up taking all day. Not that I minded. It was the attention to details that got me. There is this image I have of the magnificent rose gardens of Oregon, Allegra's mother's eccentric friend, and Allegra's Bro David. The touch of romance is what did it in for me. In the Mozart Season, I was encapsulated by Euwer Wolff's tone--sheer innocence. It is something I hope to find in my own writing. Ezra, the 14-year-old Allegra meets at the violin competition, was the sweetest thing. His radio dedication to Allegra was the sweetest thing imaginable. Allegra and Ezra made me become a great fan of those radio call-in shows.

Euwer Wolff's syntax made Allegra's personality appropriately precocious. She was only 12, but was going onto 30!!!

I read The Mozart Season at least once a summer. It helps me refocus on the past summer and serves as the structure where I ask myself, what have I learned this summer, as far as I'M concerned. What have I done for myself or others lately? I never clicked with the violin (but rather, a flute), but it is that bond that Allegra shares with her instrument that I once had with my flute and now have with my writing.

Someone wrote that Steve Landauers are non-existent. Well, I've met Steve Landauer-wannabees, which has to be about three times worse!

Unfortunately, the book is now out of print and I'm in the pursuit of a good used copy!!! I NEED one for my nightstand at college!

And a final shout-out to any and all interested males--they can DEFINITELY take a hint or two from Ezra. He's got his act down right.

This book is a must-read.

First, a few quibbles. Strictly speaking, this book is not "surrealist," as a few reviewers aver. Nor is it a mystery, nor science fiction, probably. The closest thing to it I have read is Stanislaw Lem, though the feeling is closer to Swift.

O'Brien spins an incredibly imaginative, voluble, funny, inventive yarn. Our nameless protagonist meets policemen, visits eternity, and develops a relationship with a bicycle. His soul, Joe, enjoys proclaiming that he (the protagonist) is "Signor Bari, the eminent one-legged tenor!"

The protagonist is a literally amoral person. In other words, he is not troubled by any dilemmas other than how best to preserve his own hide (and possibly to publish his work on bogus savant de Selby.) His role in this book is not to simulate a real person, in other words. Like Gulliver, he observes O'Brien's world and in reacting to that world, acts as a proxy for the reader. But more on that below.

Having committed a self-serving though impulsive murder, he begins to meet odd people and have odd conversations. He meets a curiously circumlocutory policeman, and after a mind-bending conversation, he begins to talk in similarly loopy style, in a hilarious attempt to fit in: "Those chests... are so like one another that I do not believe they are there at all because that is a simpler thing to believe than the contrary."

O'Brien displays amazing virtuosity with the English language, especially considering it is his second language (his first is Irish.) And yet his characters talk in a (to my untravelled ear) a peculiarly, and hilariously, Irish way: "Only myself has the secret of the thing and the intimate way of it, the confidential knack of circumventing it." But there are also passages of limpid beauty

But what is he making fun of? Self-obsessed scholars and their exegetists, undoubtedly. But there are also themes of punishment and guilt, both felt and adjudicated. After a few hours of consideration, I might hazard that O'Brien is making fun of, and cherishing, greed, selfishness and the desperate desire to avoid justice. When visiting eternity the protagonist discovers he can have literally anything, so he requests and receives bricks of gold, jewels, small but frightful weapons, etc.; he generally displays venality and defensiveness. When it turns out he cannot bring any of it with him, he bursts into tears. When a policeman sympathetically offers him a piece of candy, he cries even harder.

So although the protagonist is amoral, the book is basically a morality play. In fact it turns out that the entire book is a long description of the hapless protagonist's comeuppance. O'Brien's Catholic upbringing shows through, I suppose. Humanity's lot is justly a poor one, yet one cannot blame them for longing for better. Perhaps it is just best to have a sad whiskey.

I don't want to say anything about the story. It is best experienced by yourself. However I must urge you to read this book. You will love it if you like really good literature.
OK so what can I say without giving anything away....
I laughed a lot reading this book...and that says a lot since I'm kind of a bore.
It is very genuine story. Well-built and with a lot of different levels. It is intellectual litterature with humour.
This is one of those books were you can buy the best edition from the start. You will definately want to have it for a long time.
I remember reading that Flann O'Brien would probably have been a greater name if he had not been standing in the shadow of Joyce at the time.

This is one of the funniest books anybody with a right-minded sense of humour will pick up. For cyclists, it is required reading along with a good cycle repair manual. In other words, until you've read this book you cannot properly understand the bicycle.

At the beginning of Manchild, Claude Brown describes how Harlem came to be populated by people of color. He continues by describing how he struggled with and adapted to this enviornment and eventually escaped it. This reads like a story of alienation and exile and the author's struggle to find the place where he fit and was comfortable.

I enjoyed reading this book, but was left wondering if Claude Brown ever found his niche. Where did he land? Did he ever find a place that felt like home? He talks at the very end about how much he loved the street life of Harlem, but that he hadn't lived there for several years at the time of writing.

I'd like an update of where the Manchild is now, what he's doing and how Harlem looks to him 50 years later---a sequel perhaps?

When this book came out in 1965, the NAACP's magazine "The Crisis" and other middle-class blacks criticized this book because it's raw and unsentimental portrait of ghetto life was seen as threatening to the entry of Black Americans into mainstream positions in America at the time. Too bad so many people tuned out it's message. Many of the things Claude Brown spoke of in this book about the Harlem of the mid-20th century came to pass in far more communities than Harlem (massive drug addiction, lunatic Black nationalist cults, massive disrespect of women, mindless violece, etc). Had more people listened to Claude Brown (RIP) at the time, perhaps Black America may have united to rid our communities of these evils instead of irrelevant "issues" like the Confederate Flag so that these things would not have become the plauge that they are today. As George Santayana said, "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

This book for me is the most startling and important autobiography regarding black inner city life even when compared to Malcom X's. When I was a teenager growing up in the inner city in the eighties, the older black middle class generation spoke to us "youngbloods" as if we invented crime. The sickness of self hate, envy, disrespect in our community existed for a long time before it became fashionable to parade these ailments in front of mass media for profit. Manchild details these problems through a teenager growing up in the fourties in an inner city environment who luckily makes a turn for the better at the right time before becoming an adult. This is an American story, not just a black one, and one that details why blind conservative patriotism and easy fix liberal solutions still continue to be difficult to swallow for youth attempting to survive an institutionalized system designed to almost guarantee their failure in life.

I bought this book with the consideration that I might one day teach my nieces and nephews (and possibly some of the kids in my class) how to knit if they were interested. I'd forgotten what my mom taught me when I was 12, but this book explained things just right for me. I have a collection of knitting magazines that I regularly drool over (LOL) but that I've never actually made anything from. When I saw the spiral rib sock pattern and saw that it was done with double pointed needles, I knew that if kids could do it, so can I. Now I see that I was right!

The book has a natural progression from beginner projects to those a little more advanced, and has lots of pictures with colors sure to appeal to kids and teens alike. I love this book! I'm almost finished with my first sock!

This is the book my 8-year-old daughter and I used together to learn how to knit. As the subtitle says, it's a book for kids "of all ages".

When you read through this book you will not only learn how to knit, but you will have a deeper appreciation of needlework in general. The author covers what basic supplies you need to get started, how to make your own knitting needles (yes! And it is a lot easier than you may think), how to decorate your needles, why you should start using two different color needles, what to do when you don't have any needles (you can still knit with your fingers, the book shows you how!), how to make "kool-aid" yarn in super-fun colors, and where yarn comes from. The instructions were much simpler to understand than those in the traditional "adult books" and after finishing a few of the basic projects, I actually felt inspired to learn more, as did my daughter.

If you are looking for a terrific alternative to TV and video games then definitely buy this book. There are plenty of photographs of girls AND boys from all different races and creeds who seem to be enjoying their time spent knitting, and the pages are splashed with fun colors and typeface.

5 Stars. This is the very best beginners book on the market!

This book is beautiful. The projects are fun and the directions are easy to follow. This is the book I learned with as an adult. The projects are great for both kids and adults.

Given that Mr Sienkiewicz won the Nobel literary prize for mainly this work, that alone is a pretty good bet for reading it. Written in the 1890's, this book is seen as one of the world's first "bestseller" novels, and is definitely an epic of, well, epic proportions.

Unfortunately, the book does suffer slightly as a result of the translation, as noted by an earlier reviewer, so if you can read Polish, do get the original version. Nevertheless, although the book starts off a tad slow, think of the beginning as a push off from a cliff, because after that it's as fast paced a thriller as money can buy.

A basic exposure to Roman and Christian history will make the book really come alive. Although certain "facts" are not correct, or have been omitted, remember that the book is meant to be fiction. The historical events are merely a platform for a passionate love story between a pagan Roman and a Christian girl. However, it is the seeming impossibility of this love, together with descriptions of the nearly moronic Roman "royal court", keeps you reading well into the night. The emotional roller-coaster makes you, the reader, feel exhausted.

Definitely recommended, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read.

If you liked this, do check out his other novels - especially the brilliant "Teutonic Knights" which is another epic of a young Polish knight (and of course a lovely maiden or two thrown in for good measure) and the history of middle ages Poland up to the battle of Grunwald where the Teutonic Knights were defeated.

I must confess that I started reading this book only after having enjoyed the film "Gladiator"...the book starts off slow but I promise, once you settle into the story,this novel will draw you in with it's vivid descriptions of the melting pot that was Rome...the heart of the story is romantic, the love of a Roman for a Christian girl...the main character goes through a touching transformation, which made me think of the soul alot...and the porttait of early christianity is very moving...I've since drifted from this faith, but the book reminded me that Christianity also had it's past full of sufferings-a fact I overlook from the comforts of my home...it shows early christianity, persecuted, hidden and striving-even with men of different temperaments-there is a hell fire preacher who annoys, another like Peter who speaks of Love...i found the modern translation very appealing- I once tried this novel in it's more archaic language and found myself quickly bored....this modern translation drew me in and has some beautiful expressions found throughout...my favorite character was Petronius, an endearing pagan Roman who delights only in the beautiful but has a heart enough to risk his own life for those he loves...he is sarcastic and witty and his influence over Nero borders on the humorous....great historical novel, perhpas one of the best I've ever read..if any customers out there don't seem to get enough of the film "Gladiator", please read this book...you will not be disapointed!!!

The Christian v. lion's story has been around so long that it has pretty much become a kind of myth. It is a phrase one brings up in order to illustrate some point or other, but is hardly ever thought about in historical terms. In fact, Christianity itself sometimes seems as if it is becoming a kind of myth. The left doesn't take it seriously, and bashes Christians for being intolerant and condescending. But Christians, in their haste to retaliate, often act intolerant and can be arrogantly condescending. The sense of what it means to be Christian seems to get lost in all of this.

Quo Vadis takes us back to the days when Christianity was fresh and new and shows us just what kind of world it was then that caused such a movement to flourish. This alone would make it an excellent novel, but it works wonderfully on all levels. The characters are superbly drawn, the setting is realistic, the plot crackles along, and, perhaps most importantly in a novel with this subject matter, it never becomes preachy or didactic, instead maintaining an objective perspective throughout.

Rome was the greatest of the ancient empires, yet despite all of its glorious achievements, it was truly a barbaric place. The concept of human rights was non-existent. Slaves--of all races--were property, and could be used in any way one saw fit, including the most vicious or depraved. The rule of law, while discussed in philosophical terms, was only sporadically and occasionally applied. The law instead came and went at the whim of the powerful, and if the powerful happened to be someone like Nero--the ruler of Rome during the course of this novel--then the law was sadistic, cruel, wicked and unpredictable.

We see the effect that living this kind of society has on the two main characters of the novel, both of whom are members of the upper crust: Petronius, a courtier; and Vinicius, a military officer. Petronius, as Nero's confidant, can never let his guard down. He must flatter, cajole, deceive and manipulate Nero every minute of the day, for his very life depends on it. It is a life, "drained and listless and detached," as we are told in the first sentence of the novel. Vinicius falls in love with a captive Christian female, and through his love we see how Christianity changes his life. But it is an unbelievably difficult and dangerous undertaking--with the demented presence of Nero and his sycophants looming over everything--to form an attachment with a person and then a cause such as this.

It gradually dawns on us how the Christian movement began in the first place, and why attempts were made so mercilessly to stamp it out. Instead of dishonesty and cruelty, it called for honesty and kindness. Instead of privilege for the elite, its promises were made to all. Instead of arrogance, it preached submissiveness. Perhaps most importantly, it simplified one's life, and allowed one to live without fear.

Rome is burned, possibly at Nero's orders, incredibly, so that he can experience suffering as he believes a true artist must. To divert the anger of the Romans, he blames Christians. Thousands of men, women, and children are rounded up, put in dungeons for months, then on successive festival days were crucified, burned alive, mauled by gladiators, and, as we know, attacked by wild animals. Their fate is so hideous that in time even the jaded Romans became sickened by it.

These historical events, and the actions of the characters during them, are what make up the bulk of the novel. To say the least, it makes for very compelling reading; indeed, some parts are difficult to bear. And as mentioned, it is presented in a very objective way. Not all of the Christians are presented sympathetically--one, in fact, is a fiery, all-will-be-damned type--and not all the Romans are presented harshly. The noblest character in the novel may very well be Petronius, who uses his influence as much as he can to alleviate the suffering he sees around him. And although he recognizes to some degree the power and decency of the movement, he himself does not wish to become a Christian. He can not abide the idea of being required to love his fellow man, most of whom--the unwashed, ignorant mob--he detests. He is a magnificent creation.

The book is a real eye-opener, a good reminder of what the world was like before the birth of Christ, and a sobering reflection on what being a Christian truly means. At the same time it is also a superbly researched and entertaining piece of historical fiction, and the kind of thing for which historical fiction buffs are constantly on the alert. Great stuff.

(I should mention that this review is of the Kunizak translation.)

I am not a teacher so cannot of course address how well this book can be used in a classroom. But just three days ago I received a wonderfully flat package from my little niece in California (I am in Ohio) which contained a "Flat Erik" (guess they named their own little guys). I am to keep Flat Erik for two weeks and chronicle his activities then return Flat Erik, my journal and pictures to my niece. All returned Flat characters will be displayed in their classroom's open house next month.

I am thrilled to be hanging out with Flat Erik; he has already played in the snow, slept in his own little bed, gone to work and gone shopping. Just today we went to the bookstore (sorry Amazon :) and purchased a copy of Flat Stanley so that I knew what my niece had read. Of course as an adult I found the story less than entertaining but can see the attraction for kids and teachers.

I look forward to the coming two weeks with my Flat Erik.

Finally I've found Flat Stanley!! I read this wonderful book when I was a small child and was thrilled by Stanley's situation. In fact, it is one of the only stories I can still vividly recall from my TV-infested childhood. (And it still affects me-- to this day I have NEVER put a bulletin board above my bed or anything big for that matter!!!). As I grew older, I lost track of my copy of the book-- but would always ask friends if they remembered it when the converstation turned to children's literature. Surprisingly, not many people had heard of the story-- which, of course, inspired me to find the book and bring back a classic to my friends, nieces and nephews. So, I scoured bookstores old and new to find it. And I was without luck-- until now. With the help of my computer and Amazon.com I have, again, found Flat Stanley. So, I'm ordering a bunch of copies-- for myself and my family-- and I'm thrilled that Stanley will find a place once again on my bookshelf -- and will hopefully remain there for years to come. I can't wait for him to get here!!!

Who is 4 feet tall, 1 foot wide, and a 1/2 a inch thick?
Stanley Lambchop is!!
Stanley Lambchop is an average boy. He leads an ordinary life... Until one night an enormous bulletin board falls on him and suddenly makes him flat. Stanley being flat had turned into an adventure for him. He gets to stop crime, gets to be mailed, gets to be flown like a kite, and many more things. But there is only one bad thing about being flat for Stanley. It is... Will he ever return to his normal size and have his normal life again? Well you will find out when you read this book Flat Stanley!!
Katie