Of all the series that I have ever read, this has to be one of my all time favorites. I started to read the Diadem series as a book report for one of my reading classes. I believe I was around 12, maybe 13 years of age. I loved the first book and I became hooked on the many sequals. I am now 16 years old and I still read the Diadem series. The characters are so well thought of, as are the villains. I was very disappointed when there were no more books after the sixth one, and I believe that John Peel left the ending like that so as to say, "There may be more coming!" Nothing could possibly ever end my love for the Diadem series. I would recommend these books to anyone of any age. I also recommend "The Secret of Dragonhome." I also own that and that is another of my favorite books.

Dear Mr. John Peel,

I love your books! I think it's interesting having a new fantasy book series that incorporates some of the less widely used characters, like the centaurs, the sphinx, and the ice dragon, to the unicorns, wizards, and kids with magical power. It always interests me to view how writers portray the opposite sex in characters, and I approve of Hellaine. They are all believable, lovable, human characters, and that is perhaps your major selling point. I also like how all the book covers mold together to form one design! However, the suspense is killing us! Keep writing, Publish those books faster! We'll be waiting at the bookstore.

Kids who are reading this, if you like this, you'll probably be interested in another book series I've read. Patricia C. Wrede's "Dealing With Dragons". It's about a teanage girl who is a very improper princess, who like Hellaine, is bored with her royal duties of curtseying and needlepoint, so she voluntarily becomes a dragon's princess, and aids the dragons in their battle against the evil magic-stealing wizards.

This is the best book I have ever read! I is great I recomend this book to any one!! this book is good for all ages 8-80 the diadem series ever!!!! My favoret book is the book of thunder. it is a good book. mr. peel please write another diadem book.

13/male andrew starfox932

I just completed "To Sleep With the Angels," and felt compelled to to share my thoughts and emotions with other readers. As a student during the 1960's and 1970's, I received the benefit of the fire safety regulations mandated as a result of the fire. I grew up in a parish near Our Lady of Angels, and remained in the neighborhood well into adulthood. Two of my cousins attended OLA at the time of the fire. Accordingly, I understood the serious nature of fire and air raid drills, and knew that one day, the drill might be real. Although our Catholic school building was constructed before 1949, we had the benefit of fire doors (which were always closed), sprinklers, fire alarms within easy reach of the students and a fire box in front of the school - things which, as a group, could have saved numerous lives in the OLA fire. The phoenix of the fire was increased safety of future generations. Reading this book reminded me that I should not take such safety for granted. Moreover, I am pleased that the authors portrayed the BVM sisters as the courageous women they are. I highly recommend this book because it erases myths surrounding the fire, commemorates the victims and finally tells the stories of the brave men and women who risked their own lives to save those of the OLA students.

This book details the events of December 1, 1958 at the Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago. It was one of the deadliest fires in American history, claiming the lives of ninety-two students and three nuns. The authors use interviews with victims and accounts of the fire to recreate the events of the day. It describes the fear and actions of the students and nuns as well as the anguish of the parents. The authors continue the story by detailing the events after the fire. The mystery surrounding the actual cause of the fire is investigated. The path of fire spread and the reasons for the students and nuns not being warned of the fire in time are explained. "To Sleep With The Angels" is a must read for anyone in the fire service or with children in school

While only a kindergarden student at Our Lady of the Angels School in 1958,(OLA) the book brought back memories that I had no idea even existed. The tears my parents shed were not understood at the time. I clearly remember the smoke and fire, the bodies being carried out of the shell of a school, and many of the kids I grew up with lost older siblings in the fire. As a kid, I never really understood it.

It was never discussed in my house or at any of my friends houses either. Everyone seemed to suffer their losses privately.

I pray frequently for the souls of those lost to the fire, their families, and for the survivors as well.

The book forced me to relive 1958 and to better understand the fire and its aftermath as an adult looking back. I commend the writers for their outstanding efforts. I cried every 20 pages or so. It had to be painful for them to relive the fire as well.

I wish a memorial could be placed at the new school. It would be a nice tribute to the lives lost so schools could be made fire safe.

John takes you into his world of being a waiter in fine dining restaurants. Galloway works in fine dining restaurants as a waiter in hopes of raising enough money to get into a military flight program with the Navy.

I must admit that I have never eaten in a fine dining restaurant before, but after reading "Dry, Up, With A Twist" I will know what to expect and how to act and be treated fairly by the waiters. However, if you have ever eaten in the fine dining industry, and you were treated poorly by the waiters, just pick up a copy of John's "Dry, Up, With A Twist" and you will find out why you received the treatment that you did. In addition, you will know how to get the respect that you thought you deserved from the waiters the next time you dine out. As Galloway will explain the do's and don'ts of fine dining.

"Dry, Up, With A Twist" was a very unique book that was filled with humor and stories in the fine dining industry. A truly enjoyable read!

The author has a clever and hilarious voice that rings strong throughout this honest, no-nonsense portrayal of the insider's view on dining establishments across the nation.

"Dry, Up, With a Twist" is my recommendation as a gift for the person who has everything. Why? Because they will learn about, often shocking, secrets the fine dining establishment don't want them to know.

What? A 20% tip is in order? Where have I been?

My laughter was uncontrolable as I read this magnificient book from cover to cover--twice in a row. Buy it! This is a must-read. See if you can put it down after just one read-through. Then write your own review.

Dry, Up, With a Twist is a definite must have for anyone
even thinking about walking into a fine dining restaurant,
either as an employee, or as a patron. The book chronicles
the humorous highs, and lows in the career of one
life-long restaurant worker. From mafioso wiseguys, to
serving the president of the United States, to drug crazed
busboys, this is one book that exposes the outrageous, and
incredible life behind the five star dining experience.
Well written and easy to read, Dry, Up, With a Twist is one
page turner that gets my highest reccomendation

Actually, Navy SEALs are undoubtedly the best. But unfortunately, they were underused in Vietnam because their existance as a guerilla warefare unit was still relatively short at that time. This book gives us continual action throughout the book because green beret operations were frequent and consisted of an unlimited supply of Montangard volunteers to keep the fight going. Also, unlike the SEALS, whose area of activity existed mainly in central Vietnam, the Green Berets were almost indegenous to areas such as Laos and Cambodia where the NVA possessed its most heavy concentrations of fighting forces. As a result, the Army Special Forces activty in Vietnam as described in this book gives a whole new meaning the term "suicide missions". Before I read this book, I knew only of the SOG missions that were portrayed on the syndicated television show "Tour of Duty" if you can remember. On the show, a regular army infantry platoon eventually ascends to the status of "SOG" team probably as an attempt to revive the shows falling ratings and bland plot line. As a "SOG" team, I don't believe the TV soldiers ever set foot in hot spots like Cambodia or Laos; and, as with every TV show, noone ever really dies. That is not the case as you will come to realize after reading this book. I don't think you could show what real SOG mission was like on TV not because of the SOG's secret nature, but because SOG mission were gorier than gory and would probably look like something out of Saving Private Ryan. What strikes me as most peculiar is the fact that the son of the owner of Walgreen's served three (or was two tours) as a SOG agent in Vietnam when he could've stayed home with his family's millions. That's dedication. Not to say that everyone else wasn't dedicated, but I'm sure that not everyone had that kind of option waiting for them back home.

The Green Berets controlled SOG and did so with simply amazing valor, skill and determination. This book tells a small part of their story. The casualty rate among the men of SOG was terrible, in many cases as a result of pin-heads at the top making political and cheast-beating decisions. Nothing has changed in that regard (read Blackhawk Down for another example). The author was an active participant and has detail in abundance on several dozen missions, some tragic, many heroic, and all of them very scary. If you read this book you will get an idea of what it was like to see combat up close and personal. The men of SOG were truly warriors and this book goes some way towards giving them some of the enormous recognition that they deserve. So many did not come back... remember always the men MIA...

Major John Plaster reveals the truth behind some of the most gallant episodes and valliant soldiers in America's history. Kept quiet by rules of secrecy, death of participants and frank disinterest on the part of many Americans, Plaster allows us to look inside the super-secret unit that carried the war in Vietnam into the enemy's back yard. With his brisk prose Plaster brings to life combat situations that the ordinary reader can not even imagine. The men of SOG and Special Forces have been consistently misrepresented. Now you can find out the truth. In those days 'running recon' was the ultimate challenge and even within the elite of Special Forces only few soldiers accepted the life. In this book Plaster shows the reader just what it was like to be one of the best of the best. This book is extremely valuable for recording a piece of American military history in danger of being lost. In addition it shows the reader who may have been led to believe that the men who fought for this country in Vietnam were somehow unworthy that they deserve every bit of respect and gratitude that we willing bestow on other veterans. Buy this book, read it and believe it.

Sydney Taylor won the Follett Publishing Company book award - she didn't even know her husband, Ralph, had submitted her first novel to the publisher! - for this, her first children's book. Thus began a career that is most distinguished for the series detailing the adventures of five sisters early in this century. Most distinguishing about them is the fact that they are Jewish, not as a stereotyping characteristic but rather a means to explore landscape that hadn't yet been handled in children's literature. This first in the series is particularly insightful in its introduction of the Jewish high holy days - Sabbath days, Yom Kippur, Purim and Succos among them. (Plus, the author even throws in the Lower East Side's celebration of a purely American event - Fourth of July - to demonstrate that this bright-spirited family is tied not merely to its religious roots but is nationalistic as well!) While All-of-a-Kind Family is one of those falsely sunny books that came out of the 1940s and 1950s, it's nice to believe that this is the life that Taylor lived as a child. (Incidentally, Taylor's real name was Sarah, and the stories are based loosely on her own childhood. All of the sisters' names are real.) Sydney Taylor died in February 1978. This initial story was followed by four more books in the series: More All-of-a-Kind Family, All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown, All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown and, published posthumously, Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family.

I first read this as a child, growing up in the south in a pentacostal holiness church. This book was my very first introduction to the Jewish Faith, what it means and how it impacted day-to-day life. I found that this family was a very loving family who encouraged their girls (then baby boy) to learn and to grow up strong. I remember wanting to be Jewish so that I could be a member of their family. There was so much fun and love.

Well, I have since learned about the "Jewish" stereotype. However, I was not suckered in by the error because my first experience with Jews came about through the All of A Kind Family books. I am convinced that I knew the truth about the Jewish people because of these books.

I strongly recommend that these books be added to all reading lists, as they help to teach kindness, love, and tolerance for all people, just like they helped to teach to me.

I read this book when I was five years old. I was in London, England, where I was born and lived until we moved to Canada a year later. There I was a black, Catholic, British child reading about this wonderful Jewish-American family living in New York in another time. I didn't know any Jewish people at the time so I found the story fascinating. It was especially meaningful because we had just had our own long-awaited baby brother. The years went by and I always kept a special place in my heart for the book, but I forgot the title! Then one day I was talking to some people about childhood and I mentioned this book that I had read and loved but didn't know what the title was. Someone said, "oh, I know that book. It's called All of a Kind Family". I contacted a book search company and bought a copy. The feeling of opening the package and seeing the cover with those little girls in their striped pinafores after so many years was indescribable. Even though the book meant so much to me, I gave my copy to the daughter of a friend. I felt that I had to pass the gift of this book to another generation. I would recommend this book to anyone, of any age.

Louis Barnavelt, recently orphaned, goes to live with his UncleJonathan, whom he's never met. When his arrives in New Zebedee, UncleJonathan picks him up at the airport and takes him to his home--a huge, spooky mansion with secret passages and mysterious rooms.

Uncle Jonathan's best friend, Mrs. Zimmerman, is in the house, and as Louis walks in, he finds her listening to the walls. To his astonishment and delight, Louis discovers that Uncle Jonathan is a wizard, Mrs. Zimmerman is a witch, and they both love poker and chocolate chip cookies.

Louis also discovers that Uncle Jonathan's house was once owned by an evil wizard--a Mr. Izzard who has hidden a magic clock somewhere in the walls of the house--a clock that will bring about the end of the world if it's not found and silenced.

To make matters worse, Louis tries to impress his new friend Tarby by stealing a spell from one of Uncle Jonathan's magic books. They perform the ceremony in the graveyard Halloween night, and succeed in resurrecting the truly evil Mrs. Izzard from the dead.

Can they stop the clock in time, or will Mrs. Izzard succeed in resurrecting her husband and bringing about the end of the world?

I was afraid to read this book as a child--the cover looks really scary, and I was a nightmare-prone child who avoided scary books like the plague. Most kids like scary books though, and this one is perfect for your 5th grade fright fan. Louis is a wonderful character, who goes from being a timid outcast, worried about impressing the kids at school, to a brave young man who summons up courage when he needs to act to save the people he loves. The friendship between Uncle Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman is funny, and they are both eccentric enough to be interesting, but not so eccentric as to become annoying.

Bellairs wrote other books about these characters, and they are worth reading, but are not as good as this book. ( )

In reading the tributes to Bellairs by his fans, I thought it was interesting that several people mentioned that they hated reading, and were not good readers until they discovered one of Bellairs' books, and that experience turned them into avid readers. END

I first read "The House with a Clock in it's Walls" when I was ten years old. I immediately fell in love with it; reading and re-reading constantly. Now I'm thirty years old, and it is still my favorite. Last year I decided to collect all of his books and re-read them-it's been the most fun I've had in ages. Out of all of the John Bellairs books, this one, in my opinion, is the very best. It's scary and funny, the characters are warm, lovable and due to their magical history, fascinating. I fell in love all over again as I re-read this last week. God bless you, Mr. Bellairs. And thank-you for showing this "little girl" just what great writing is all about.

I first became acquainted with "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" around the age of eight. It was made into a kids' TV show (an "After School Special", perhaps? I don't remember), and I immediately checked the book out from the library. Over the years I read several other of Bellairs' books, but my favorites were always the books linked with (and continuing the story of) "The House With A Clock In Its Walls". The stories were especially fascinating for me, as they all took place in Michigan, my home state (in fact, "The Letter, The Witch, and The Ring" - book three of the series - takes place in no small part near Petoskey, Michigan, which is only 25 miles from my hometown). When I was in college, I found that the college bookstore had some copies of T.H.W.A.C.I.I.W. for sale, so I bought one. I found the story was just as enjoyable then as it had been 16 years before. I'm now 27, and I STILL enjoy these books! These are truly stories for young and old alike.

Chicka Chicka boom boom is a great book when teaching a child the letters and order of the alphabet. This book is full of vibrant color and, exciting rhyming words. The first time I read this book was when a three year old I was Nannying for at the time told me she could read the book to me. As I sat next to her and read the book silently as she was reciting the book to me almost word for word, I realized yes she did inded know this book. NO, she was not reading the workds, but she new the oder of the alphabet and had been the read the book enough times to be able to recite the book. The book was well written and the illustrations also help to express the plot of the story.

"Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom! Will there be enough room?"

The simple, rhythmic text of this book just begs to be chanted as you read it to your young child. Go ahead and lose your self-consciousness and do it: Your child will love the book and learn the alphabet to boot!

The story line is simple: the lower case letters pass along the word that everyone is going to climb to the top of the coconut tree. Just after z makes it up the tree, "Uh-oh! Oh, no! Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!" The uppercase letters come along to "hug their little dears and dust their pants." I understand this is where the board book version of this story ends, but I would highly recommend that you buy the regular version instead.

In the full-length version, the lower case letters get up from the jumble with all their bumps and bruises and head home. But after the sun goes down, "a gets out of bed and this is what he said, 'Dare, Double Dare! You can't catch me! I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree!' Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!"

If you have fun with it, your young children will love to listen to it. The alphabet is printed in its entirity (upper and lower case letters) in the fly leaves of the book, and these are great to point to while singing the alphabet song or play a quick game of "What's that?" before or after reading the book. And your child will quickly start to chant the story along with you, I'm sure!

I, for one, was thrilled when my two-year old started bringing it to me and saying, "Read it, Mommy! Read it, the Boom Boom!" He's learning his letters and having fun. For what more could I ask?

Living in a book filled with books and kids is heaven. We read aloud every day here in our house, and letter books have been favorites for years and years when the kids start learning to read. We live in Norway and speak Norwegian, so most of our children's books are also in Norwegian. Still, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is among the favorites. The text, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault is so simple and still so filled with rhymes and humour. And Lois Ehlart's colorful illustrations go perfect with the words.

Learning the letters and learning to read can be a hard task for a child, and the book captures this perfectly. The letters live their own lives, climbing up the coconut tree, falling down again, bending, looping, having fun.......exactly what letters do when you are a newbie and try to sort them out. Any child will laugh of the way the letters act, and the sometimes hard task of learning the letters will be a wonderful game the child wants to play over and over again

We love this book in our house, and can recommens it to any young readers.

Britt Arnhild in Norway

I read this book when it was first published and I was in high school. As I recall, when I finished it the first thing I did was read it again because I didn't want the story to end. After I finished it that time, I probably read it again as soon as possible. I also recall telling someone one summer that I had read this book 15 times. I wasn't exaggerating, and since then I may have read it another 15 times. Is it great literature? No, but not many books will affect you as this one does. I see some people criticizing it, and I recall that it got some bad reviews in running magazines when it first came out.... But whether any non-runners will ever enjoy it is entirely beside the point. The point is that it does indeed describe running in all its aspects for those who compete, especially those who compete on a team. In some ways its like a runner's fantasy, but then fantasizing is part of being a runner, fantasizing about being devoted entirely to the sport and competing on the highest levels. I get chills (I'm not kidding) just remembering the descriptions of the book's climactic race, because while it is a fantasy, it's entirely believable; everything in it is possible. Those of you in high school should read this book immediately. My teammates and I drew on this book over and over again for inspiration, and I have no doubt that you will too.

With his character Quentin Cassidy, John Parker captures the mentality, work ethic, satisfactions, and frustrations of what it is to be a runner. He delves into Cassidy's non-running antics which include highly elaborate pranks, law school aspirations, and romantic relationships. In addition, he shows the amazing lack of understanding that non-runners have for runners. There is an excellent scene where Quentin is at a social function and is assaulted with all the customary runner questions and comments. People ask him what he thinks about when he runs and mention how they don't drive as many miles as he runs.

Parker also excellently depicts the daily grind and competitiveness of running. His book includes passages that berate Runner's World and, instead, focus on the quest for glory that running can become. He makes Quentin a very real and believable character. This book is a running classic and rightfully so. It has an excellent story, great characters, and great discussions on running. To be a runner and have not read this book is equivalent to blasphemy.

Once a Runner is the best book about running I have ever read. It has all the elements of an excellent novel-a good plot, well-developed characters, excellent writing-but for runners it will seem much more like a biography of one of their own. Quenton, the hero of the story, and his fellow runners are all intense, focused, quirky, unique people who any runner can easily recognize and relate to from their own lives. These characters struggle to endure the "Trial of Miles" necessary to compete on the top level and throughout the book wonder if and why this sacrifice is worth it. These are questions all athletes ask themselves from time to time, and through Quenton, John L. Parker does an excellent job of explaining the answers he has found. The book draws you in immediately and, just as a good race does, gets more exciting as it moves along so that I never wanted to put it down. This is a very inspirational book, an excellent read, and reminded me why running is such an amazing sport. Once a Runner is a must-read for any serious runner and would be a wonderful story for anyone who either wants to understand why people run or may need a little motivation to start doing so themselves.

Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner.

The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler)

Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?

You want imagination?..adventure?..a few dabs of science(remember it was written in 1912)?..an ageless hero?..an absolutely beautiful damsel in distress?..a whole new world?..with a language all it's own?..inhabited with strange new creatures?.. friends and foes?..battles royal?..This book, and all 10 or 11 sequels, have it all! ER Burroughs was the early master of science fiction, adventure, and imagination; a man ahead of his time, and he gives the reader a roller-coaster ride of incredible adventures. Join with us now as John Carter meets, rescues,and captures the heart of the INCOMPARABLE Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars!, and eventually, along with his friend Tars Tarkas, follows suit with the entire red planet, Barsoom to its wild and whacky inhabitants.

Is this intellectual literature?..of course not. Is it non-stop fun and enjoyment, the original page-turner novel?...You bet it is! Pick this book up, start reading, and I guarantee: you won't put it down until you're finished!..and then you'll run out the door and be hunting for the 2nd book in the series, The Gods of Mars, and then # 3, The Warlord of Mars, and on through the series. Be warned: make sure you have access to #'s 2 and 3 before you start The Princess...you'll be sorry if you don't!

I first read the Burroughs Martian novels(there were 10 known to me then) as a graduate student studying Physics, some 40 years ago. They provided the perfect escape from the rigors of courses like Quantum Mechanics and E & M. Now I reread them,and I continue to enjoy. You will too.

John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here! This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride