TEXT SUMMARY= Each short, rhyming poem about the accompanying snow picture is writen on either a one or two page spread with title and page number refering to the index.

VISUAL SUMMARY= Beautiful colour photographs capture the different moods of snow presented in different locations. The layout is varied with fullpage spreads, pictures watermarked in the background, mirrored pictures, and pictures offset from the edges.

CRITIQUE= This entire book-entity is a work of art, as the layouts vary to add variety to the mostly white images and black text and the pictures so perfectly express the picture they are pared with. This sense of unity can be attributed to the fact that unlike most picture books, the Stemple's photographs came before the text. The poems were only produced after he had given the photographs to his mother, Jane Yolen, who was then directly inspired by them. The short poems would most likely hold a child's attention with their humour and amusing rhymes.

Jane Yolen is one of those authors who can effortlessly give a new spin to an old story. Here she makes a rather worn area of fantasy seem new, in "Sword of the Rightful King." There's magic, treachery, a bit of romance and plenty of suspense and humor.

Arthur has been king of all Britain for four years now, but not everyone is willing to accept him as their king. The most dangerous among these is the North Witch, Arthur's half-sister Morgause, whose four elder sons are heading to Arthur's court -- and there is an assassin among them. (Gawain seems very loyal but might be bewitched by his mother; his brother Agravaine is almost insanely aggressive, and the twins are ditzy). What's more, the old mage Merlinnus encounters a young boy in the forest who has a mysterious past and a grudge against Gawain.

So Merlin concocts a means of solidifying Arthur's kingship -- a sword embedded in a stone, that can only be pulled by the true king. Arthur pulls it from the stone, and everyone accepts him as king. Simple, right? Except that the North Witch is still spinning her spells, and she plans to get her hands on the sword first -- no matter what.

Though there's no real connection between the two books, I felt like I was reading a sequel to Yolen's previous novel "Dragon's Boy." Perhaps it was the portrayal of Merlin and Arthur -- they have a sort of father-son bond, and even though Arthur often doesn't listen to Merlin they obviously care about each other. And Merlin, although a bit decayed physically, is still the sharpest knife in the drawer. Though this book has magic (including a homicidal dagger) and the other didn't, it felt very much like a follow-up.

Yolen's writing is quick and fast-moving, with excellent dialogue and some very good descriptions of things like the eerie May Queens. She carefully presents what was very touchy at the time, such as the unacknowledged rivalry of old religions like Mithras-worship and the newer Christianity. And she mixes in the more medieval stuff with historical details, such as the Picts.

Arthur is a likable guy here -- not perfect, but nice and friendly and honest. Gawain is similar in personality; Gawen is never less than endearing, and his secrets turn out to be... well, a lot different than anyone would suspect, especially when you consider who gets married at the end. Agrivaine seemed a little too nuts at times, but he was supposed to be that way. Merlinnus is the lovable old mage who knows how the world works; Morgause is nasty and cold-hearted, and Yolen isn't afraid to show her at work.

For an old tale told a bit differently, "Sword of the Rightful King" doesn't even falter. Expect to be surprised by quite a few aspects of this story, and to enjoy the humor and poignancy. Thoroughly enjoyable.

It would have been worth the [$$] simply to read the excerpt quoted on the back cover of this book, where Jane Yolen defines 'saku-taku-no-ki' (the Japanese word for the instant a chick pecking on the inside and a mother peacking on the outside of an egg reach the same spot, the egg cracks open and new life emerges) and compares it to the conception of story in a writer's mind.

From ethereal and poetic words of advice meant to settle lightly on the brain and tint your thoughts with new shades of color, to concrete discussions of plot and voice (including memorable descriptions of the Bardic Voice, the Schoolboy Voice, the Boogerman Voice, and more), Ms. Yolen's writing is elegant and earthy by turns, and always seems to describe what you have known deep-down to be an essential truth but could never put into words.

I have heard Ms. Yolen talk about her writing twice, and highly recommend this book as the next best thing to sitting at the feet of this master storyteller and listening to her speak.

I felt that this was a wonderful book. I read this book to a third grade classroom and they all loved the story. They especially loved the illustrations. I loved the way all the animals seemed to blend in with with the plants. I would recommend this book to everyone. This book is a must see for all children and adults.

This rendition of Daedalus and Icarus cemented this tale as one of my favorites in mythology. Yolen, as always, tells the story for young and old so all may enjoy it. Nolan's illustrations help me understand why Icarus wants to fly so high into the beautiful sky. I recommend this book for anyone wanting a good story, especially if you are fascinated by mythology.

I've always liked fantasy movies; Labrynth, Dark Crystal, Legend, Neverending Story; but I haven't thought much of most fantasy books. I did read A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child but overall I haven't had much of an interest. My husband talked me into reading this one. He told me it was more of a children's book but the story was good and kept moving (I've found that most fantasy books stall out before the story gets good.) I really enjoyed this book. It opened the door for a lot of other fantasy books that I would never read. I never would have picked up Harry Potter if Dragon's Blood hadn't been so good. I never thought I would enjoy a story about training dragons. I really came to care about all the characters and enjoyed the way Jane Yolen gave the dragons so much personality without making them humans in dragon costumes. This is a great read for any age.

In this classic, humans have long since colonized the planet Austar IV, where "dragons" are one of the native creatures. Dragons are raised here in nurseries because they had almost reached the brink of extinction in the wild. Young Jakkin was born into a life of labor under one such place, Sarkkhan's Nursery. Each laborer wears a pouch around their neck, and can only become free when that pouch is full. Jakkin's is hardly full, and at Sarkkhan's Nursery there is only one way to do that: steal a dragon's egg and raise it to be a fighter at the Pits. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was more difficult a task than it may appear, for most of the dragon eggs would not hatch, and only an adept could tell the good eggs from the bad. Likewise, the eggs are not counted, but the hatchlings are. Jakkin is lucky and is able to snatch a small hatchling that was unaccounted for. He takes it to the desert and raises it as a fighter with the aid of Akki. And the dragon turned out to be more than it had first appeared ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I loved this book. I read it a few years ago, but the story is still fresh in my mind. The story was great, and I was turning pages all the way through. The character's goal to win freedom -- and with a dragon at that -- enlightened my own spirit when I read it. A charming and wonderfully written book that deserves to be bought and placed on the shelf to be read again in the future. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _Dragon's Blood_ is the first book in the Pit Dragon trilogy. It is followed by _Heart's Blood_ and _A Sending of Dragons_, which are quite readable, though I felt they did not live up fully to the first book.

I first read this book when I was in sixth grade, and I am currently in tenth and still love it! I am an avid reader and of all the books I've read, this is my favorite. I've read and re-read this wonderful book so many times, I have the first paragraph of the first chapter memorized! Jane Yolen is an amazing author, and her characters seem like real people you can relate to. Believe me, if you love dragons, this is the book for you.(and the next two books as well) :0)

I've been on a Tudor reading binge lately, and this teen novel about Mary Queen of Scots is part of it. It is the story of the tumultuous reign and disastrous marriages of the young Queen, as told by her female jester, La Jardiniere--born Nicola Ambruzzi, orphan and traveling player.

Nicola is given her position as fool just before Mary's husband, the king of France, dies. Having no reason to stay in France, Mary goes back to her native Scotland and sets herself up as queen. Nicola goes with her, serving as a courtier, and also as a friend, during the years between Mary's return to Scotland and her exile in England.

The book starts slowly, and is almost but not quite boring until the murder of David Riccio, a close friend of Mary and Nicola. Then it picks up, starting with a touching scene of Nicola visiting David's grave. After this beautiful interlude, the real action begins. Nicola must keep Darnley, Mary's frat-boy husband, from usurping the throne, and later has to help Mary escape from imprisonment on a remote island. The second half of the book is much more interesting than the first, but I suppose it would have made no sense without the background of the first half. *shrug*

Overall, a decent novel about Queen Mary for middle-schoolers or thereabouts. It might even encourage you to read more about the Tudor/Stuart period.

I portray a female court jester with a reenactment troupe in Williamsburg (VA) and bought this book in order to gain some insight to my character. I can't begin to tell you what a fabulous book it is! This is not a "baby" book, written only for tiny children - rather it's written in a way that anybody will enjoy reading it. Children will love the book, but it's written for kids on much higher reading levels - I'd recommend it to those in middle and high school, or younger kids who read on advanced levels. It's nearly 400 pages, but I had such a hard time putting it down that I've breezed through it in two days. Nicola "La Jardiniere" is presented to us as a very real human being. She shows us that even court jesters were people, and they had the same emotions as the rest of the court. This poor child has been through the ringer in her young lifetime! She goes from being abused by her uncle, while performing in his troupe, to suddenly being thrust into the role of the court fool for Mary, Queen of Scots. It's frightening for her, to say the least. But, with her wit and charm, she manages to make the Queen's life a little more bearable. I was especially touched in the scene where (something happens - that I won't disclose) and the poor jester throws herself into the Queen's arms and bursts into tears. The Queen merely comforted poor Nicola, and you could FEEL the tender affection between these two ladies. Anyone who's read up on Mary, Queen of Scots KNOWS what her eventual fate was, but you need to read the book to find out how Nicola dealt with such a tragic loss. She's a very brave girl, indeed!
Since reading the book, I have a whole new insight into how to portray MY character at the next feast!

I got this book and could hardly put it down for the next three days. "Queen's Own Fool" is about a young girl, Nicola, who just happens to meet Mary Stuart. Nicola is a traveling performer and then becomes Queen Mary's fool. Nicola follows the Queen everywhere, including into imprisonment. She is there when Francis, Mary's husband and good friend, dies to comfort her. She travels to Scotland and reminds the Queen that she is only mortal. Nicola befriends few people, but the ones she does meet prove to be more that true friends. This book had me laughing at nine-thirty at night and practically crying an hour later. I would definatly recommend this book to anyone who is the least bit interested in Tudor England or Mary, Queen of Scots. I would also recommend "Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Without A Country" too. This book may seem a bit large for some younger readers, but don't stress, it will end when it ends. When I finished, I practically started to cry because I of what happens to Nicola and the Queen. Nowing the end of Mary's life didn't help at all either. Read this book if you want to be touched deeply. Some might not like it, but I was searching for a good book at Mary, Queen of Scots, and this was just what I was looking for. This could be read by a reader as young as eight and up. I am not sure if younger readers would be able to understand some of the words or be able to read such a long book, but if you might read it to a young person, but explanation might be needed. I WILL NEVER BOOK THIS BOOK IN A BOX AND THROW IT INTO THE BASEMENT, GARAGE, OR SHED. A MAGNIGICENT READ!!!!!!!!!!!1

Do you like history, for instance, World War II? If you do, read The Devil's Arithmetic. The historical fiction book tells about what happened to the Jews in concentration camps in Poland during World War II. Hannah-Chaya experiences things that changed some thoughts she had.
Hannah goes back in time to 1942 after walking through the door to Elijah. Jews were captured by Nazi soldiers and taken to concentration camps or (death camps). There was little food for the Jews there. They got to eat watery soup. At camps they were tortured or killed and they were branded with numbers.
Hannah was going to Lilth's Cave with two other girls and they would have to stay there forever. What will happen to her? Will her life come to an end? To find out read The Devil's Arithmetic.
It was a good book, because there was a lot of information. You got sadness when you read about how the Jews were tortured or killed, and how little food they got. It was cool to read and see Yiddish words. I was amazed when Hannah's aunt told her she was Rivka because you would have never guessed that. I give this book three stars, because it gives historical information. Some of the words were hard to understand. I would have given it four stars if the words were easier to understand.

The Devil's Arithmetic is an emotional story about a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl who travels back through time to the year 1942. I read this book because I had read several excellent reviews about it. It turned out to be one of the best books about historical events that I have ever read. The author's decriptive tone gave me a clear image about the different chacters, settings, and events. The theme in this book is that, as hard as it may be at times, you must learn to empathize with others to understand their feelings and points of view. It is never easy to understand what someone has gone through unless you have experienced the same ordeal. Hannah had a hard time understanding what made her grandfather, who had survived the Holocaust, so angry when he saw Nazi footage on television. That was until she herself went through a concentration camp.
The story has three main settings. It begins in Hannah's grandfather's apartment in New York. The story then moves to a small Jewish village in Poland, where Hannah lives for a short period of time. The third and most important setting is in a concentration camp in Poland. This is where most of the book takes place.
Although the vocabulary in this book is not remotely difficult, the reader has to know a bit of backround about the Holocaust to understand the book. It is also a very emotional story, full of sacrifice and hatred. For these reasons, I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the sixth grade and above.

A Review by Jesse

This is a story about a 13 year old Jewish girl. She is very tired about hearing about the Nazis from her grandfather and others. She travels back in time to the year of 1942 in a foreign village called Poland. When she is captured she is put into a concentration camp where she realizes what hear grandfather told her was true. Her best friend befriends her after she teachers her how to fight her way through the camp.

This is a very good book if you are interested in the time period of World War II and the holocaust. It was fun to read all the words used then and there that you don't here to much her in the States. It was sad when you got the information of how they died or where tortured in the camps. It was a very realalistic and informational book. It was very good with how it kept you up to date with the death count and facts of what happened. The food that they received when they where in the camp was very sad and made me sick to the stomach because I could just imagine it.

This is a very high-quality book. I would give to 5 stars because it is very emotional and has lots of death and hardships in it. It is very excellent, I couldn't put it down.

Heart's Blood

I am reading the fantastic book Heart's Blood, by Jane Yolen. The book is the second book in a trilogy called The Pit Dragon Trilogy. I think the book is absolutely awesome. First of all, it is creative, dramatic, and very interesting. It starts off very fast so you don't get bored. One of my favorite parts is when Heart's Blood the dragon fights against a large black dragon. It was such a good scene, that the night I was reading it, I couldn't put the book down! Also, Jane Yolen wrote other great books like Dragon Boy, and Here There Be Dragons.

i have read Hearts Blood and it was one of the best stories i have ever read in my life. i also read the second one, A Sending of Dragons and found it to be most intertaining as well. the book works for all readers and is easy to understand. i love a book where dragons are good and work alongside humans and it is hard to find a good one like that. Jane Yolen is one of my very favorite authors because she is so good at making everything real and fun to read.

This book was great! The many conflicts that Jakkin aproaches leave him with endless possiblities. I recomend reading this book even if you haven't read "Dragon's Blood."

I like to compare this reading experience to riding a bicylce for the first time. At first, I found it difficult to enjoy, but as I continued reading the intriguing characters and plot became more entertaining. The more you get into it, the harder it is to put down. Armageddon Summer was interesting to read, and the depth of the characters were exciting to discover.
This book holds the strange exciting story of two young teenagers who are forced against their will to follow a religious cult to the top of a mountain. When Jed's dad and Marina's mother become Believers of Beelson's flock, the children have to leave their home and friends to join the rest of the believers on the top of Mount Weeupcut. Jed is a nonbeliever and feels like he's surrounded by crazy people. Marina wants to believe but doesn't know if it's really in her heart. The teens are strangers at first, but soon meet and eventually fall in love. Other supporting characters bring life to the story as well. For instance, the insanely believable Reverand Beelson. You want to hate him, but can't because he makes you believe that he really cares about all of his followers. You almost think that maybe the world really is coming to an end and it's scary because there really are cult leaders out there like that. It's too real. Jed's father and Marina's mother seem so naive to be caught up in all of this. But it's interesting to analyze their personalities and see how they change throughout the story.
Armageddon Summer takes place mostly outdoors on the top of Mount Weeupcut. The surroundings are mountainous timber country. Many animals are around, but none of which live in the camp. The believers are fenced in a perimeter so they do not get to explore the rest of the mountain. Each day, chores are assigned that keep the follower's busy. The only time they are indoors really is to eat during a designated time or sleeping in tents at night. They are far from the hustle and bustle of large cities. It seems so peaceful and beautiful. Especially at night when Jed takes the oppurtunity to star gaze.
The chapters were fun to follow, going back and forth between characters so that you know what's going through both of their heads'. The newsletters and radio interview added a unique style to the writing that I found to be quite effective. The actual content of this story didn't really grab me until half way through. I found it interesting but couldn't really get into it until Marina and Jed actually met. I think I'm a hopeless romantic which would explain that. And any oddball like myslef could appreciate a strange story of a religious cult and the end of the world. I'm not even a religious person myself, and I found the story to be quite entertaining as well as educational. I found it fun to try and read deeper into the context for more clues of what would happen next and where the story would take me. Although, it was a serious book containing real issues of torn families and personal trials and tribulations, a light sense of humor made it not so depressing to read.
I did get off to a slow start with reading this one. I felt that the authors, Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville, could have grabbed me a little more in the beginning instead of starting off slow to build it's way up. However, I did stick with it and found that the story was rich with adventure, and passion, and love. The end of one chapter left you with suspense and anticipation to go on and read the next. Once I concentrated more on what was going on and tried to get in deeper, I started to really enjoy it. Despite a weak ending, and slow start, Armageddon Summer was an interesting find if nothing else. However the beginning and end are supposed to be something to be remembered. You should go out with a bang and start with an attention getting chapter or two. The book itself was fun and easy to read. All in all, my feelings toward Armageddon Summer are good. I've read better books, but this is definitely one that you will remember for being unique.

On July 27, 2000, the world as we know it will end, or at least that's what two young teenagers have been told. Brought along with their parents on the road to the end of the world, Jed and Marina are sharing the same unique experience: preparing for Armageddon.

According to Reverend Beelson, the person that started the Armageddon scare, the 144 "Believers", or the people that will live through the end of the world, must live on a mountaintop where they will be saved from God's wrath. This means that they will live in tents and eat canned food until the world beneath them is destroyed.

Jed and Marina must both decide weather or not they believe this. While they are making up their mind, they have to share the workload of creating a camp for these people and try to put up with their parents' hopefully temporary insanity.

This was a fun and easy book to read. The authors to a great job of giving the reader two different perspectives of the same strange ordeal. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, no matter what age. It's quick and easy to get through and won't take up too much of your time, and it's very entertaining.

This time the world will end in fire on July 27, 2000. That is what Reverend Raymond Beelson has told his 2 congregations of the Church of Believers. Reverend Beelson makes plans for 144, a number from scripture, Believers to escape the fire and brimstone destruction of the world. The Believers are led atop Mount Weeupcut in Massachusetts where they live by camping, pray and wait for the day of Armageddon. The days leading up to July 27 are shared with us through the alternating view point of Jed and Marina, who have never met before and came to the fortified mountain because of their families. However, the two teenagers find something compelling about each other as they struggle to find out what is going on in their lives. Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville have skillfully developed the characters of Jed and Marina in this novel. Read this book that explores the nature of faith, the dangers of cults, and relationships that are formed by friendship and love to see how Jed and Marina survive Armageddon Summer.