Fairies and Fantasy Books

The third book in the Harry Potter series turns a lurid shade of pale as three very important figures are brought into view. Sirius Black escapes from Askaban quickly becoming the wizarding world's most wanted. His introduction is met with ambiguity from Harry who is equal parts curious, scared and brave. Professor Lupin is the new dark arts teacher who has a fear of full moons and a past as one of Harry's father's former childhood friends. The third figure is actually of collective of wraith like monstrosities known as Dementors. How could you not be chilled by a creature that feeds on a persons fear and can literally suck out your soul with a kiss of death.

Azkaban brought forth all of the fun one can derive from magical misery. The movie did a good job in copying the books mood. Both were thoroughly entertaining.

Well, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is longer than the first two HP books, but not better. I suppose that we have lost a bit of our wonder at Harry's world, but this book seems to be a slight let down from the high levels we enjoyed in the first two books. Nevertheless, we have a totally different start to this book than we had in the previous books.

Rowling continues to feed our curiosities by supplying new and different experiences and new twists and turns in the HP story. With the introduction to Sirius Black, and of dementors, to the main plot, Rowling takes the HP series towards a more mature tone and loses a bit of the whimsey that the first two books had. I thik Rowling does a very good job at telling a very good story while letting Harry start to grow up.

The finale of this book is long and different from the pattern of the first two books. Among other things, we learn of deeper and more powerful magical practices.

I may seem grumpy about some aspects of this book, but I was entranced by the author's abilities to tell a suspense-filled and adventurous tale, fit for adolescents of all ages.

I recommend this book.

J.K. Rowlings never lets her readers down Harry's quest to be happy stays alive in this book. Also, he gets to meet the only family he has left which makes Harry very Happy at the end of this sequel!!!!

I read this book a few years ago, when the the thrill of Harry was in it's prime. I've seen the movie more times than I can count and I must say the movie is excellent but not as good as the book. I've just reread this book and can't beleive all I had forgotten. It's truly a page turner. From the start when Harry spots the Grim to when Mr Weasley warns Harry of Sirius Black's escape and hunt for Harry the reader is hooked. The Maurader's Map is a great addition to the Invisibility Cloak. The first 2 books were good, but you truly don't get into Harry until this book. Ron and Hermione's relationship is beginning to bud. Hermione is truly the goody goody in this installment. There were times I was mad at her with Ron and Harry. Getting the history of Harry's father's friends helped the story advance with background. This book also helps paint the picture of Snape and his hatered for Harry. The introduction of the Patronus is excellent. It's just as amazing in the book and the movie did a great job of reproducing it. All in all, I loved this book and recommend it to everyone who enjoys magic and fantasy reads.

This series is fun for kids and adults. My son and I are reading it together!

Great book. Read this when I was a kid and still remembered it years later when the movie came out. Great story complicated enough to interest a young teen, but entertaining enough to keep a kid reading. Great message for 10-13 year olds.

The spell that Ella was put under gave the book a nice twist, and this was a novel that I immensely enjoyed. Reading about Ella dealing with her gift/curse and the ways she found around was a delight. I stumbled across it in highschool, and reread it in college. The reading level is a bit under highschool level, but it was a enjoyable read nonetheless, and would be a great gift for a girl, and still a enjoyable however quick read for an adult.

Oh, wow. So, picture if you will, a girl bored in Reading class, beacsuse she's already read all the books we're reading. So I wander over to the book shelf, and I find Ella Enchanted. 2 years later, I think I've read this book about 16 times. It is great. If Ella hadn't married Char, I WOULD!!!
I love the step sisters. They're so stupid and hilarious.

Buy the book. Watch the movie. Obsesses if you want. I do.

Oh yeah, this is Karen's daughter.
So yeah.
See ya!

All I want to say is that if you like fairy tales and hot princes read this book. I have read this book at least 8 times starting from the time I was in middle school and I'm 22 now. If you ever need to get away from life or just need a quick fairytale break then this is for you. I laughed out loud and cried tears of anger and tears of joy. Read it you won't regret it!

Ps. If you have seen the movie don't judge this story by that, because it isn't anything like the book. The book is 1000 times better in fact the movie doesn't give the book any justice.

I came to this book in the odd position of having seen the movie first. I must say, I was quite surprised. Aside from the names of the characters and the curse of obedience, little was the same. When I started reading, my mind was trying to make comparisons... but the stories were so different that I had to stop. The two plots are so dissimilar, they can't really be compared.

The book features a spunky heroine who can more than look after herself, even in the face of a curse that makes her obey any order that's given to her. I enjoyed reading about her adventures and her blossoming friendship with Prince Char. Since this story is loosely based on Cinderella, of course we all know that Ella will live happily ever after. But how she gets there is in turns entertaining, frustrating, romantic, and clever. And yes, there are glass slippers in this version of the story.

My only real complaint was with the climax and the way Ella finally broke the curse. It seemed a little overly convenient to me, and I didn't really understand why she hadn't done it sooner. In that respect, the movie version of this event made more sense to me.

So, even though the way Ella broke the curse wasn't my cup of tea, I quite liked the rest of the book. The climax may have fallen a little flat... but getting there was more than half the fun.

I did not enjoy this book.

Why?

Because I purchased this book thinking it was YOUNG ADULT fiction.

(a) It was not young adult fiction. Look again. Young adult fiction = TEEN fition.

(b) This story seemed to be written for CHILDREN ages 6-9.

(c) It FAILED to be exciting in any way. I was bored half the time and the other half I was drifting away in my mind to escape the boringness of the book. i.e. "I wonder what book I should read after I'm finally done with this one?"
or "Hmmm I wonder how many more chapters I have to go?" or "Oh wow we have a new president!"

Anyway...

A story with a feminist as the protagonist: check.

A story that failed to be entertaining: check.

A story that made wizards out to be bad when Harry Potter fans are reading it: check.

A book that is now listed on ebay to try to get my money back from buying the whole set?

CHECK.

This is an enchanting story that once again captures the spirit of the perky princess who had no desire to be the traditional damsel-in-distress. So, what's a contemporary woman trapped by royal traditions to do? Offer herself up to the dragons in the first place.

It's a whimsical tale that gives fairytales sly winks and twists at every corner. The characters are rich, and move the story along with their quirks.

This is not just parody, either. Ms. Wrede had managed to create her own intelligent, dragon-and-knight infested tale that creates as much fairy tale as it borrows.

I enjoyed this story, and the sequels, as a young girl. Wrede creates a magical world that has a unique feel while incorporating common elements from fairytales. I've read in several times since and still enjoy it. Dealing with Dragons is very much a girl power book - almost all of the good main characters are female, Princess Cimerone rejects the staid life society thrusts upon her and charts her own course, and the King of the Dragons ends up being a female (King is just the title of the job, designating nothing about gender). It is well written, something that can certainly not be said of all fantasy novels written for this age group, and the story is fun and engaging.

An excellent book for young children that enjoy fantasy with an odd twist. Highly recommended.

I loved this series in middle school and would highly recommend it as a fun leisure read for children in that age bracket.

Like many people, I first knew about The Neverending Story through the movie. At first, I didn't even know about the book. Then I didn't really care. After all, how many of you actually care to read the book of every movie you might have seen?

But lately out of a bit of nostalgia, I went back through my video library and watched the first and second movie. Still craving more, I decided to bite the bullet and order this book. I'm glad I did.

As I'm sure you've read from other reviews, the first movie barely covers half of the book. Even then, at the end of the movie it started to stray way off of what the book had. The second movie just borrowed a few characters and one or two of the plot devices and went its own way. As much as I may love the movies, they pale in comparison to what is in the book. The book is richer and a lot deeper than the movies. There are key concepts and morals that never made their way into the films, too many to go into in this review. But over all, the first movie seemed to try to just get the story that was in the book while missing the whole point of why the story is important in the first place. The second movie didn't even bother to do that much. If you like the movies you really owe it to yourself to read this book.

I would also suggest getting this hardback version. I've seen the paperback at a local bookstore. The cover is nowhere near as pretty. It's missing all of the beautifully drawn illustrations that this one has. Above all, the duo-colored lettering adds so much to the reading. Michael Ende does a lot of clever little things that help draw the reader into experiencing this book more than simply reading it. A lot of what he does includes the lettering and the many illustrations that are found in this book. It's worth getting the hard cover version just for the way it deepens the experience. You won't regret it.

I first read this book at about 9, or 10, years old, and, I have to say, I thought it to be the best book I had ever read (and I read a lot). Now, after reading it for the third time as a 13 year-old, I wish I had waited so I could enjoy it as I did while also appreciating the plot and character development. The author did a very good job with portraying how man becomes corrupted by what he wants (the Gem is a bit like Tolkein's Ring) and that the world of our imagination is more important than we think, while entertaining the reader, its just amazing. If you like Tolkein, you'll definently like the Neverending Story (which gets very close to being as good as LOTR at times).
That said, lets talk a little about the story. I don't want to reveal too much, but I'l give you a basic summary of the story to motivate you towards buying it.
The cool thing about it is this: the main character is not what you would imagine a hero to be. He's fat, pale, bowlegged, and nerdy. But when he finds a book called the Neverending Story with the image of two entertwined snakes on the front, (Hmm, isn't that familiar), he is launched into an adventure that changes him completely. And even when he does become a real hero, (handsome, skilled, smart), his problems aren't over.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Through the eyes of Bastian, we read about Fantasia and its many wonders, and how the Nothing is destroying everything. The Nothing is complete absence of matter: when you look at it, it's as if you were blind. The Childlike Empress, ruler of Fantasia, is sick, and if she dies, everything dies. So Atreyu, again an unlikely hero, being a ten-year old and all, but more likely than Bastian, embarks on a quest to find the cause for the Nothing and the Empress's sickness and how to stop both. This all seems pretty typical, but, as it turns out, the Neverending Story is anything but. And, actually, Atreyu's quest alone is enough to make anyone atleast like it.
But it doesn't stop there. Bastian then goes into the Neverending story and saves Fantasia from utter destruction by the Nothing. He becomes renowned throughout Fantasia as a savior and creator. However, the Other World, Earth is still corrupted. Bastian sets about trying to return in order to tell people about Fantasia and ultimately restore mankind to the people they were meant to be. He travels using AURYN, the amulet which grants wishes given to him by the Childlike Empress, and he's always wanting different things which causes conflict. Through a series of plot twists, physical and spiritual battles, and interestingly philosophical encounters with Fantasia's peoples, Ende then goes on to weave a story of adventure, conquest, betrayal, suspense, and neverending creativity through Bastian's constantly changing quest. It features epic battles, bizarre imagery, likeable characters, mindbending settings, and, really, everything I always imagined the best book ever would have. The world of Fantasia is so immense, you just wish you go could there and explore it all. Micheal is possibly the most creative perspn I'v ever come across, up there umong Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson, and all the greats. I'm surprised he managed to pack so many creative ideas into one book. (For instance, there is a race of people who are born as old men and die as children.)
Anyway, the underlining point is this: The Neverending Story is not just for kids. I know, technically, I am a kid, but I'm sure adults would agree with me. Of course, there are quite a few slightly corny or childish names and creatures, but, being a story about the world of imagination, Ende coulden't really avoid this, and, anyway, I don't think it hurts the rest of the book at all. The movies are another matter; compared to the book, their all cheesy, unrealistic, poorly peiced together imitations of good fantasy. Do yourself a favor and press the "Add to Shopping Cart" button, or atleast head to your local library, as soon as possible. You'r in for a treat.

The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende is a terrific fantsy book. I enjoyed it very much. My only complaint is that it seems to drag on for far too long. This made the story confusing becuase I had seen the films and had not anticipated the way the story continued past the original film's ending. For some people this could be a bonus. But for me it was a detraction. Througout most of the second half of the book, I just found myself wishing it would end. But I guess if it did, it wouldn't truly live up to its title.

What I admire most about The Never Ending Story is the wonderful fantasy creatures and beings that appear within its pages. In my opinion, The Never Ending Story is the most creative and imaginative book I have ever read. It's simply mindblowing the kinds of zany and exotic biings that Ende conjurs up out of his wild imagination.

I am still enamored of this book, but I must admit that I still prefer the 1984 Wolfgang Petersen film. To me, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and this book is a clear example of that.

Still, I recommend this book to all children and fantasy fans, especially that it's a classic.

My German friend recommended this book to me 22 years ago and I instantly fell in love with the world Ende had created. I was sad to leave the characters when I finished the book and promised them I would be back when I had my own child.
I bought the book when my daughter became 7 and she also fell in love with this world. We shared favorite parts, funny parts, and sad parts, and that was the best part of coming back to Fantastica to me. My daughter is in high school now, but it's still her favorite.

Years ago I inattentively watched the (first) movie of this on TV and found it too cute by half. This put me off reading the book for years. One weekend I happened to have a copy by me, so I picked it up and began to read. After 3-4 pages I wasn't that impressed. After 10-12 pages I was absolutely hooked.

When I had finished it, I stood up, sighed, put the book down on the chair, and felt a kind of startlement like being struck with a bucket of cold water. I looked down, picked up the book again, glanced at the cover... then I sat down and began to read it all over again. When I was through, the process repeated and I read it a third time. This is the only time in my life I have ever read a book three times in a row uninterruptedly.

Does anyone out there still need to be told that this is one of the best books ever written, and that not having read it is a truly tragic deprivation, like not liking music or never having eaten strawberries? If so, consider yourself told.
It is one of those rare children's classics that can be read by anyone, of any age. Once you've read it, you can no longer imagine the Universe without it. You don't feel that Michael Ende ever needed to write it; you feel that he must have just Found it somewhere.

His inventiveness is limitless, stupefying: enough material here for dozens of ordinary children's books. Certain scenes, like the part halfway through about the lion Grograman and the Night Forest Perilin, are so truly astonishing that you're left at a loss, not merely for words but for anything at all: your mouth hangs open and your mind goes blank.

At the same time this is the most profound investigation ever made into what a Story is, and what Imagination is, their value and their dangers. Just when you think the author has gone as far as he'll dare, he goes further, then even further, and then still further. At least one copy of this wonderful book should be in every home.

Throughout the Redwall books Martin has always been not only the founder of Redwall but a veritable figure of legend. This book finally tells his story. Like the series, it's a grand ol' adventure. However, I felt this one packed the most emotion--I dare to call this a tragedy. If you can put up with that, this is a fantastic and passionate read.

I am reading all of the Redwall books in the chronological order, not the order he wrote them in. Martin the Warrior is therefore 2nd. I'd already read Redwall and Mossflower and they remain among my favorites of this series, but Martin the Warrior is just as good. His characters are well-developed, just keep in mind that the intended audience is children. I love the way he creates different ways of speaking for the different types of animals. Molespeech happens to be my favorite. To some extent, the book formulas are fairly predictable. Insane villain leader, celebratory feast, etc., but these in no way diminish the enjoyment (for me) of truly delightful storytelling.

*Remember that I am not the target audience for this book, so younger adults will enjoy this novel.

For die-hard Redwall fans, or even the casual readers who've picked up any Redwall book would know who Martin is. He is the source of prayer to the Redwallers, the mouse that annoyingly sticks his snout in other's dreams, giving riddles to the would-be-warrior. He is also featured on a tapestry that hangs at the Great Hall. And what you are holding in your hands, or are probably about to, are the story behind the warrior, and how he was so well honored among the Redwallers and all free good woodland critters.

In the book, Martin is a young mouse who is slave to a wicked stoat named Badrang the Tyrant. He has gathered up a large horde of every evil stereotypical villain except for stoats like himself, and plenty of slaves who mostly do the work of enlarging his fortress called Marshank. He is a sly, wicked beast, like any Redwall villain, stuck with a 'friend' (I say this term loosely because you know there is never any deep relationship between vermin buddies) named Clogg, a corsair stoat, and backstabbing one another to get control of Marshank. Martin defies Badrang, escapes with a few slaves, and then he gathers up an army to attack Marshank and end Badrang's tyranny.

For the pros, this book is up there as my rare Redwall favorites simply because you got at least two characters who are woodland good but turn bad like the bankvole named Druwp, who acts as a spy among the slaves, and a tribe of squirrels who give in to Martin and help him fight.

It's a decent Redwall novel that I do enjoy and that's saying something, since most of my Redwall reviews have been negative. Perhaps I have taken this book as it is (finally): a good childhood story. Well, it's a good story, when you get down to it.

This book is supposed to be about 'Martin the Warrior'. About how his legacy lived on in so many creatures when all other heroes have been forgotten. So this book must be special, and it is.

The characters were mostly one dimensional, with exception to a few villains like Clogg and Badrang, who were very neat, twisted villains with good motives. Rose was put up there to serve as a very weak love interest for Martin that I wished could've been a tiny bit more developed. Felldoh was a very interesting character, and I can admit that I did like him, and I would have liked him a lot more hadn't he fallen through the same path of wickedness as a vermin, or from what the kind, peace-loving woodland creatures call them. I mean, this guy kills off the rats and weasels without blinking, always using revenge as a motive to not care, or because these guys are wicked, that they don't even have souls or lives. The fact that these runaway slaves are so good at handling weapons, far better than any rogue who's had many years experience using swords and such, can also be bending some reality rules here.

But there really isn't much realism here, I'll admit. I mean, when a mouse is the same size as a fox as a fox is to a squirrel, and when all the bad guys act like dumb idiots who have no idea how to keep pecking order, there isn't much room for reality left. How can a couple of dimwitted morons like Badrang's horde even be in a horde if they're always backstabbing one another and running away from woodland creatures in fear?

Adults and those with older mentalities will say these questions, but this is a children's book. And I actually did like it, even with those questions in mind. Skeptics will have a hard time reading it, like myself, but I really did like this book, no matter what insane flaws, and I did get a good few laughs from the bumbling villainy idiots.

If you're looking for a legend, you will actually find it here, and it is better than 'The Legend of Luke'.

I pretty much said it all in the title! This book is awesome! It's got the most action, battles, and the coolest bad guys! It's great! Read this book!

A fantastic story from the Redwall series, Martin the Warrior, is a mix of friendship and battles against a ruthless rat clan. This "National best seller" from Brian Jacques is about a mouse named Martin, who gets captured in the rat's prison. This story is full of foxes, lizards, moles, rats, and of course, mice. Most fantasy lovers and animal lovers will keep rereading this fantastic book about how friendship can help others in times of conflict. As most good stories are, all Brian Jacques books are well more than worth reading. And all animals have human characteristics.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I'm a fifteen year old high school student and i am thouroughly in love with this book. I enjoy many different types of books, but this book stood out to me from the moment i first read it. My mother got me this book and i put off reading it for a while. But eventually I picked it up and finished it that day. I was absolutely captivated and unable to put it down. I have re-read it many times and i am still in awe of how beautiful the story and Shannon Hale's writing is. I will cherish this book for many years and will continue to re-read it. I love Shannon Hale and her book The Goose Girl!

Oh I love this book! So beautiful, it can make you cry, laugh or bite your fingernails. This is one of my favorite books of all time! Thanks Shannon Hale!=]

This is another of my "good, clean fun" favorite books. The characters are engaging, and the storyline is clever. The story doesn't go like you'd expect (unless, perhaps, if you've read the fairy tale first). The world-building is very good, and the pacing is excellent. I liked the romance. For those who care, there were no sex scenes.

Genre Reviews
[...]

For years I thought I was the only person on the planet familiar with the fairy tale of the Goose Girl. How thrilled I was to read a novel based upon the story!

Shannon Hale, as most writers of fairy tale retalings, goes an extra step to make a threat of warfare behind the simple story of a betrayed princess.

Ani is a princess with a load of responsibilities and loyalties, including an arranged marriage with the purpose of creating a union between two kingdoms. She also happens to have a special gift--speaking to nature (which fits very well into the original fairytale).

This is a story full of the usual romance and adventure, but it also packs an extra dose of magic and a surprisingly delightful addition of political strategy.

A great read

Goose Girl by Shannon Hall is like a realistic fairytale. Sure, it has its share of magic, but everything just feels so possible and there is such a struggle for finding one's place. Princess Anidora is such an inspiring character because her problems don't just solve themselves and she needs the help of others.
Ani, also known as Isi, is someone that you want to sympathize with because to be in her position just seems like there are so many obstacles to over come. And even though she seems shy and humble, she has such a strong soul and such perseverance. Her fight against someone who she once thought was her friend is so intense in every aspect. There are so many moments where you feel that Ani's fate is sealed, yet at the last moment where you realize that you are clutching onto something, she somehow escapes. Although many of her company were not so fortunate, she never forgets them and their devotion to her. I think that many of her traits such as these are so admirable. She is such a caring person when it comes to the people who have helped her in various ways. She never acts as though people owe her some sort of service, even when she is a princess.
One of the happiest moments to me was when she finally felt loved again from Geric, yet so sad when it seemed as though it ended. It broke my heart and I thought to myself that she is so lucky to at least have loved at all.
Although some parts seem gruesome and nerve racking, it makes you feel as though you are in the story itself and are in Ani's shoes. Ani is the kind of person a girl can look up to which I think is so important, and I think ads to the book's appeal to readers such as myself. The ending was spectacular however I won't go into detail, you'll just have to read it yourself, but trust me, the length may be daunting, but it is defiantly a page turner.
One last thing before I go, for those who have already read this book and are looking for another good read that is very close to the Goose Girl is The Book of Three series by Lloyd Alexander. They are just as captivating, but are still a different style of writing.

I remember this book from my childhood. I think I kept it checked out of my school library almost the whole year! I am so glad to find it again, since it obviously left quite an impression. It's such a wonderful, well-written book, and certainly not your run-of-the-mill fairy tale princess.

I first read this book when I was in elementary school. I remember reading it and not wanting to put it down. When my mother finally made me put it down and help with the dishes I explained everything I had read so far to her in detail and after I was finished helping my mother, I went back to reading and finished the entire book the same day I started it. Years later I tried to find this book but because i had read it when I was so young, I couldn't remember the title. I was thrilled when I found it and once again read the book the same day i got it. The book was still amazing(I had my worries because things that seem great when your young sometimes turn out to be pretty bad as a adult). I found the story of Amy heartwarming with a creative twist to the other princess stories we all know. I find the idea that Amy wasn't the image of a beautiful princess because she had freckles and straight hair charming. It makes you realize there is more to beauty than perfect complexions and blond hair. I think every little girl should read this story and plan to purchase it for my niece when she is older. Even as an adult I enjoy reading this fairy tale and highly recommend it for all young girls.

I wish I had this book when I was a child instead of filling my head with the traditional fairytales. I think we try to hard to live up to the impossible standards that these fairytales represent and when real life hits, we feel like a failure for not being able to fulfill them. Truly a great book to read to your child and one that has a little something for us as well.

This book emphasises that there are other virtues and qualities aside from aesthetics. It is difficult to describe. The book teaches that beings ones true self is what matters most and goes beyond valueing superficial signs of worth.

One may know the story of the servant girl who gets to go to the ball, the story of the beautiful girl that falls in love with the beast, the princess that is finally awakened by a kiss from a dashing prince. But, it is quite possible that one may go half of her life before ever hearing the story of another girl, a princess in fact, who was born once upon a time in a land called Phantasmorania. She was christened Her Serene and Royal Highness Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne--a name fit for the most beautiful and exraordinary princess in all the land. Special gifts were bestowed upon the baby at this christening celebration by the magical fairies of the land. All seems to be heading straight for happily ever after until the last fairy bestows her idea of a gift on the princess: "You shall be ordinary!" The kingdom is turned upside down. An ordinary princess?

The king and queen may consider this gift a curse indeed, but it is what makes the story so endearing to readers. Traditional views of what makes someone noble and special are tried, especially what makes a woman beautiful and of worth. In a classically fairy-tale setting, a mythical land ruled by Oberon, king of the fairies, new-age ideas are considered and ultimately proven plausible. M.M. Kaye's story, The Ordinary Princess, is a refreshing new take on classical fairy-tale stories that enamors readers with its relatable characters all the while enchanting them with a somewhat fantastic plot and imagery. Because Princess Amy is so believable, readers are better able to walk along side-by-side with a princess and vicariously experience all her adventures instead of gazing longingly from afar.

Kaye's story brings ordinary and fantasy into beautiful harmony: it is what makes this story the most enchanting fairy-tale you might've never heard of. It's never too late for this kind of magic.

A princess is supposed to be fair, with hair golden, skin like wild rose petals and cream, and eyes as blue as larkspurs (3). A princess is supposed to be graceful, well-tempered, always behaving with the utmost dignity and poise. Kaye characterizes all six of Amethyst's sisters by nothing more than this description of what a royal princess should be. But, because of the gift bestowed on the little princess to be ordinary, Amy, as she was thereafter called (for "what could be more ordinary than that?"), is hardly those things at all (21). Amy was much more like us: she was imperfect. She had a stubbed-nose, freckles. She was gawky and had the "distressing habit of standing with her feet apart and her hands behind her back" (22). Already, an ordinary audience has come to relate to this ordinary princess. The audience can relate to physical imperfections, but the audience is inspired by the way Amy reacted to her imperfections and lived her life. It wasn't that Amy never was discouraged. Indeed, no. This facet of character makes her all the more relatable, realistic. But, she was optimistic about looking at things though and she enjoyed life, trying to look at the bad in a positive light. Amy was such an ordinary sort of girl that she would sneak out of her window to play in the Forest of Faraway. It is easy for the audience to like Amy for themselves and it is natural for them to empathize with her, but the people in the kingdom don't seem to like Amy and her manners very much at all. The reader finds acceptance and an embracing of his imperfections through the character of Peregrine, the "man-of-all-work" she meets a neighboring kingdom. He grows to love her for her ordinary self and her ordinary habits. She is not timid and delicate like a princess is expected to be and he loves her and all of her "imperfections," without even knowing that she is a princess. It is human, it is ordinary, to want to be loved for what we really are and Amy and Peregrine's story gives the reader hope that it can happen.

Their relationship manifests the harmony of the ordinary and the fantastic that Kaye uses to enthrall readers. Amy meets him in a very casual setting and they decide that they would like to be friends. They talk as friends. They are informal and playful in their dialogue. One day, when they are lounging in the forest as they often liked to do, he talks of having seen the princess that had come to visit the king of this far away kingdom where Amy had runaway and where she met Peregrine. She asked him, "What's she like?"

He answered her, "Like a princess." She didn't like this answer saying that it was silly, so she threw a blackberry at his nose. That's not the sort of thing Cinderella would do but it seems an ordinary thing for a modern girl today to do. Their conversations are full of silly, friendly dialogue and they almost always end their rendezvous walking hand in hand and laughing together. But, the fantastic part about it is that they truly love each other. This ordinary relationship turns into something real and something that can last. Even when the plot takes an unexpected turn, they still live happily ever after together. The coming together of the ordinary and the extraordinary in their relationship uplifts the ordinary reader, giving him or her evidence that fantastic is in the realm of possibility.

In addition to character development and plot in bringing a refreshing harmony to the work, M.M. Kaye cleverly and naturally manipulates simple, every-day words and assembles them in an enchanting way that creates the sweet, lovely undertone of the entire work. Instead of using extraordinary, sophisticated words to describe the beauty of a baby, she says simply, "she was as pink and white and gold as apple blossoms and the spring sunshine." In these simple words, the reader receives almost an entire idea of what this baby is like because the reader is able to imagine the softness of the babies skin like the petals of the blossom, the babies sweet smell like the scent of the blossom, and the warmth of the babies skin like clean spring sunshine. Kaye takes advantage of the readers' minds ability to make relationships to words and bring up images without the image being explicitly laid-out by the author through unnecessary wordiness. The images that Kaye creates using such simple words are so brilliant that it would seem that she were a fairy herself. Because she uses this simple diction to color her piece, all, young or old, are able to read her story as if it were meant for them, gleening from it what their mind imagines all on its own.

Even the illustrations that enliven the pages of Kaye's fairy-tale are enchanting. The simple and sometimes amusing black and white line drawings add a childlike intrigue to the book. The images look simple enough but they are beautiful and oftimes delightful caricatures of the people or the situations Kaye is describing, adding to the humorous, casual, friendly aspect of The Ordinary Princess.

This story is attractive to modern audiences because of the idea that what is traditionally valued by society is not always the most valuable thing to have. What Amy lacked in beauty and elegance, she certainly made up for in warm, gentle kindness and friendliness. Amy, like other fair-tale princesses, was so gentle that she had animal friends that kept her company, a crow and a squirrel. She was able to look past herself and think of others because she was not caught up in her appearance. She was straight-forward and sometimes rambunctious about the way she did things, something contrary to the traditional idea that a woman should be demure, and in this way attracts the modern reader whose idea of woman may be different. This story has the fantastic, enchanting aspect of a fairy tale but because Kaye chose to combine that with the ordinary aspect of humanity, it can attract and resonate with a wider audience.

The title of the book itself, The Ordinary Princess, brings too dissimilar things, ordinary which connotes mundane or down-to-earth, homely and the idea of a princess which is basically everything extraordinary, beautiful and noble and sophisticated. The title intrigues readers because of the juxtaposition of these two seemingly paradoxical ideas; the reader may question or dare to hope that these two characteristics aren't so contradictory after all. As the reader turns the pages of Kaye's tale, absorbing the character of Amy, the fun and childlike humor of the dialogue and the characters, and the mesmerizing illustrations one comes across every so often, they are increasingly enchanted with the idea that fantastic is in the realm of possibility. Amy is loved for her ordinary self. Being true to one self is more important than living by society's norms and that is when happily ever after can really happen.

I loved this series in middle school and would highly recommend it as a fun leisure read for children in that age bracket.

The last book of the enchanted forest chronicles, it is as funny. It is a sequel to Calling on Dragons and the end of the story is a happily ever after for a lot of characters and a not so happy ending for others. It is a book that should not be missed.

My daughters often read the four books from the Enchanted Forest series by Patricia C. Wrede. They came across the books a couple years back. They seem to check out the books and audio tapes every couple months. Over the last year I have listened to bits and pieces of the series.

Talking to Dragons is was the first book published, but it is really the fourth in the series. The hero of the story is a 16 year old boy by the name of Daystar. For the first 16 years of his life he lived on the edge of the Enchanted Forest with his mother. Then one day his mother gives him a sword and sends him out into Enchanted Forest. His mother tells him he has a mission, but won't tell him what the mission is.

Fairly quickly Daystar bumps into a fire-witch. They are both in trouble with wizards, and decide to stick together. Daystar was taught to always be polite to dragons. They come across a young dragon. Daystar is very polite and the dragon joins the group. Near the end of the book Daystar finally figures out his mission and helps save the day.

This is a fun book. It moves along well. I stayed up till midnight to finish it. If your children like fantasy, you might have them try this book.

Talking To Dragons Jane Yolen Books,
Patricia C. Wrede ISBN 0-15-284247-0

Talking to Dragons is a great book about kings, princes, princesses, dragons, and wizards by Patricia C. Wrede. It takes place in Enchanted Forest. The narrator of the book is the main character, Daystar.
One day Daystar's mom tells him to go on a quest that he knows nothing about. He started out on a quest and meets new creatures and people, some of them become his companions and some his enemies.
His companions, a young fire witch named Shiara and a young dragon, become really good friends with him. They help him on his quest. After a while he started to figure out that the sword his mom gave him was important because everybody wanted it. People called it "The Sword of the Sleeping King." All he knew is that he needed to go through a cave to be where he was supposed to.
At the end he found the Sleeping King and everybody was reunited. I recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy and also a happy ending. I recommend reading the first three books Dealing With Dragons, Searching For Dragons and Calling for Dragons.

PR28

All the Enchanted Forest Chronicles are so much fun! Definitely at my top of Harry Potter fan recommendations. They're just such an amusing read; I even teach with them. Don't forget to read "The Frying Pan of Doom."

I ordered the first two of the series.
I was pleased with the fact that they were a pretty good length, but I'm still reeling over the cost!
American dollars are bad. Very bad. Am so broke *droops*.
I love the story very much however, and Inuyasha makes a most adorable villian/good-guy. (confusing isn't it?)
I have shared it with a few of my friends. (Trusted ones mind you. Sooooo expensive to replace!)
They had a lot of reactions ranging from:
*yoink* "I'll see you after Japanese" *runs off clutching book muttering 'My preciousssss'*
To:
"Oh, they aren't very good quality drawings, are they?" *gets head bashed in by me*
And even!:
*Opens first page* "That girl looks really mad. Who is she?"
"Oh! He's a guy??? Are you sure???"
Yes. That really happened. That particular person also mistook Sesshoumaru for a female but I can forgive her for that.
I'd love to buy the rest of the series, but I'm pretty darn sure that I can live without it until the prices go down. One day.

Honestly the first time I saw this anime on T.V., I was turned off by the whole crazy psychotic demon stuff. Then I decided to give this anime a chance, and after the first episode, I was hooked. The story is about a girl who falls into a well and she ends up in feudal Japan. Bizzare? Maybe at first, but after a while you'll say, wow that well gos great with the story.
So I decided to purchase the first volume of the manga, and now I will definately say, this is one of my most favorite series. The story involving and thrilling which also leaves for many unexpected events to happen where they end up fighting countless hordes of demons. All in all, this first volume of the manga will make you want to buy volume 2 of this great series.

Rumiko Takahashi is the writer of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.

Allison R.

"Inu-Yasha" has one of the best stories I've ever read. It starts off simply, maybe a bit generic. From there though, you get to know the characters, and you really do sympathize with them. The relationships between them are not rushed, and the romance is done very well. The story gets better in every volume, too.

Anyone who loves manga should try out Inu-Yasha. It's popular for a reason.

There is a little nudity, but it's not done in a sexual way. Still, it's not something for small children.

Violent, gruesome, nudity. Should be removed from the shelves. My 7 year old son told me he read one of these books that a friend in his second grade class brought in. I purchased a few books in the series and we reviewed one for content. I was horrified to see that it talked about murder, a person saves a bucket of human livers and has to move to another town because he has run out of victims. There were pictures of nude girls on a few of the pages. Although it says it is for Teen on the back cover- Young kids are reading these books. My nephews, who are teens, think these books are for young kids. Most teens are not interested in reading them. Which shows that these books although labeled for teens have a young child audience. I am bringing the books I purchased last night, back to the store this morning.