Tristan and Iseult is one of the best books I have ever read. And the way Sutcliff tells the story is supurb. I highly recomend it.

Tristan is a Celtic legend dating from the fifth century and probably told around peat fires until written down by Thomas of Brittany circa 1160. Subsequently this ancient tale received medieval dress as the troubadours enriched it and placed it in turreted castles in which it is generally set. Subsequent authors have all tampered with the tale, adjusting it to suit their needs. Sutcliff has done the same by simplifying and shortening and leaving out the love potion aas the explanation of why Tristan and Iseult fall in love. Her version is a concise pellet of information and story I presume designed for children and teenagers for whom it is well suited. Those of you who like your Tristan straight up should read The Romance of Tristan in the Curtis translation or Beroul's masterpiece The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Bedier. Those who wish to read a truly zany version might take a look at The Romance of Tristan and Iseult: Modern Version (the one I like the best) wherein the lovers communicate by fax machines and portable phones.

this was an excellent read, just for your spare time. This is a young adult book, which is very exciting to me, and my book group, to whom i read it with. I do fell as though this author was a little childish, for example: sometimes she didn't go into great detail about a subject; she just moved on to the next part of the story. Overall, this is one of my favorite books. I definitly recomend this book to all who have read my review here, and thank you for taking time to read this.

Although ostensibly for children, this version of Homer's Odyssey is perfect for anyone of any age. It is faithful to Fitzgerald's and Fagles' translations, but because it is prose, it is quick to read and more entertaining than the lengthy translations. The beautiful illustrations add to the joy of experiencing this version of The Odyssey. I loved it every bit as much as my 9 and 12 year old children. It is a truly great and satisfying book.

This version of The Odyssey is beautifully illustrated, but even if you do not show them the pictures, your children will sit spellbound by the poetic language used by Rosemary Sutcliffe. The many adventures of Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan War were thrilling to my 6- and 8-year-old children, and I often found them acting out the day's reading with their stuffed animals later in the afternoon. This is not a "dumbed-down" version of the Odyssey-- it is appropriate for adults as well as children. The poetic style of Homer's original is continued by Sutcliffe. I heartily recommend this book, as well as her book, "Black Ships Before Troy", which is her version of Homer's "The Iliad".

I just finished reading the Wanderings of Odysseus to my five year old. Most people would hesitate to read something so complex to one so young, but Ms. Sutcliff breaks up the scenes into manageable bits, which are beautifully illustrated. And while I did need to simplify and explain many of Ms. Sutcliff's words to my little one, she actually looked forward to reading it.
I guess the best compliment that I can pay to this version, is that I read it 3 years ago to my oldest child who was then 5. As I read it to my younger one, my older child would come in periodically to find out what part we were on. He still remembered it quite well and even stopped to listen to it frequently. There are precious few books that appeal to so many ages.

I bought this book for my one-year-old daughter thinking it was just Wee Willie Winkie, since this was one of the first rhymes I learned as a child. Much to my pleasure and surprise, this nicely-sized board book has much more to offer: Pat-a-cake, Jack and Jill, Down at the Station (very cute train rhyme), The Brave Old Duke of York, If I Had a Donkey (one I've never heard before, but very, very cute), Dance to Your Daddy, and Star Light, Star Bright.

The illustrations are attractive - happy and warm. The Dance to Your Daddy rhyme is a bit odd because the next line is "My little babby". Olde English? Also, in Wee Willie Winkie, one of the lines is "Crying through the lock" and I remember it being "Tapping at the lock", but that could just be my poor memory.

I am very pleased with this little volume and am thinking of purchasing more from the collection.

All of the Opie/Wells Mother Goose books are fantastic. Although I have the 2 volume "library edition" of their Mother Goose, this is the book we read everyday, since my daughter wants to grab and chew her books. No wonder this is her favorite: the rhymes are melodic, enchanting and accessable while the illustrations are inspired, beautiful and charming. It is the perfect introduction to the wonders and playfulness of language, for both child and parent.

We've gotten lots of mileage out of this little book. I really appreciate how thick the pages are (very easy for little hands to turn) and how well made it is. Even board books don't last long in my house (6 young children here), but this one has been around for well over a year, and it's well loved, too.

The rhymes are shortened to their most essential parts, perfect for little ones. We can go through the book several times in one sitting, and each poem fits neatly on a page.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Down By the Station, and several other popular nursery rhymes are in this book. The illustrations are adorable and the colors are nice and bright.

Highly recommended!

I really liked this book because it took place in the "old days" which was fascinating to read about. I could actually put myself in Rosemary's place. The ending leaves you dreaming so you can decide what you want the ending to be. It's a story of dreaming and believing in yourself. It taught me alot about growing up!

I thought this book provided insight into "the mysterious" and was very enjoyable. Despite its rating as young adult or children's literature, I feel it can easily be read and enjoyed by anyone with an open mind.

It's 1790, Rosemary is 12, and although on the surface her family fits perfectly into their North Carolina farming community, beneath that surface they're a little magical. This is a spellbinding novel about becoming who you are, featuring vivid characters and an enchanting heroine. A very satisfying read.

Warrior Scarlet is one of my favourite Sutcliffs, and Knight's Fee is also a good read, but The Mark of the Horselord beats them both. It's one of those "Wow" books - ones that you keep thinking and thinking about for long after you've read it. Rosemary Sutcliff portrays excellently how a person, even coming from and living through some terrible situations, can rise to the occasion and truly make a difference in the lives around them, making choices not because they are comfortable, but because they are what must be done. I like characters whom I can really respect, despite our differences in situation.

I agree with another reviewer: We MUST reprint this book!

I have been an avid fan of Rosemary Sutcliff for at least 30 years...Her novel Sword at Sunset is,to me,the finest and the most believable of the accounts of King Arthur without all the romanticism attached to most versions..She has such a rare gift that I read this book at least once a year and never tire of it!...Mark of the Horse Lord comes a close second but I have read all her books...even junior novels like The Witches Brat etc...I will be forever grateful to Ms.Sutcliff !

I have read all three of the books in this collection, and they are all really wonderful. Warrior Scarlet is still in print here in the U.S. and is a marvelous introduction to Bronze Age Britian for young adult readers. Knight's Fee is still in print in the U.K., and I ordered it from an online dealer there. It is set in Norman England, and while it is not my favorite of her novels, it is well written and interesting.

I read Mark of the Horselord 30 years ago, and I have been searching for it since 1995. It is set in Roman Britian, and tells the story of a gladiator slave who becomes a king. This book was written for teens/young adults. It is much more challenging than the muck being written today. The characters are well-fleshed out and memorable (I remembered them for 30 years). It is simply the very best of her novels, and I have read them all. Why this book is not in print is a mystery to me. I know there is a market, at one point the only copy I could find was a paperback that was priced at more than $150.00.

I found a library bound copy through Amazon's Z Shops at a very reasonable price, and reread this book last week. The intervening 30 years has not robbed this book of it's power. I read it slowly, and savored every minute. Find this book. Harass publishers ( I have!). Let's get this book reprinted!

This is one of the best books Rosemary Sutcliff wrote. It is a crime that it is out of print. It belongs with the "Eagle of the Ninth", "The Silver Branch", and "The Lantern Bearers" as the continuation of the tale of the Roman family of the silver ring with the flawed emerald (which I believe also turns up in "Knight's Fee"). It is a wonderful tale of faith, loyalty and a beautiful love story to boot. All is told as you grow up with Owain from the last stand of the Roman remnants in Britain where the story opens on a deserted moonlit battlefield, through his voluntary enslavement, and eventual freedom on another battlefield. If you can find it - read it and give it to your young adults. Other great books by this author are "Knight's Fee" and "Warrior Scarlet".

This is another great book in the D'Aguillon family series. I've been reading this book at intervals for at least 20 years. I still look to Owen as one of the greatest heroes I've ever read.

As a 14-year-old boy, Owen participates in a battle which kills not only his father but everyone he knows. It is the last stand of the British people against the Saxon invaders.

The story of how Owen re-builds his life amongst enemies and strangers while finding, losing, and finally finding again the love of his life is full of heroism and plot twists.

I highly recommend it.

This is an absorbing book. I read it when I was 13 and loved it. It is about a Boy caught in the chaos of Britain after the fall of the Roman empire, when the Saxons were invading.

I adore this book - Wells' usual humor and art full of colorful details is part of that. I've thought of it as great for moms - single moms too, BTW - Hazel's mom just knows when she needs help and rescues her from bad times. But I realize as I review this book that the text raises scary topics too - Hazel goes off by herself to the bakery [what age is Hazel and where does SHE live! that happens in another Wells' fav of mine, Bunny Cakes - they're badgers, maybe badgers are more trusting than human moms!] Then more scary stuff - Hazel gets lost and kids in the park are mean to her. It might be reassuring to all readers, parents and kids, that Hazel's mom miraculously heals all, but I guess this is best to read when you want to talk about something scary that has happened or is worrying your child - because if she/he wasn't already scared of kids being mean, this book would do it! The message of a strong, protective mom applies best when there are difficult people with whom your child needs help, because this only works out idyllically for Hazel and her mom, not with the kids made to fix Hazel's doll Eleanor. I counsel parents-to-be who are worried their child will someday be teased [because they're adopted or conceived with donor sperm, the topic of my book!] and this might help someone laughingly reflect on the power of love to make things all work out right - with the help of a ladyfinger or two!

My three-year-old daughter was immediately drawn into this wonderful story of a Mom who comes to the rescue. I still have days when I wish my mom could rescue me, so I enjoyed this tale, too. And the artwork is pure delight!

Hazel's Amazing Mother is a wonderful book, full of excitement and adventure. Hazel is her mother's biggest fan -- and for good reason! Her mother comes to the rescue in a very unusual way! Read it with someone you love

This book held my attention from start to finish. I loved the expatriate Irish priest, Terrence Brennan, and his desire to serve his flock, all of whom have emigrated to Wales. This book has been superbly researched, both in it's presentation of the Irish-English conflicts, and the conflicts within the Catholic Church, and it's members. The characters are believable, the situattions are realistically portrayed. It almost reads like non-fiction, and I think it would make a terrific movie. It reminded me of Angela's Ashes. The poverty is palpable, but the people seem to rise above it. Any sequels planned? If so, I will be the first to read them!

In her book, HOLY ORDERS, Rosemary Glenn opens the door to Irish history through the lives of a young priest and the people of his church. Knowing nothing about Ireland, I felt like I was seeing right into the heart of these people and their history. The battle of emotions and loyalties between Father Brennan, Beth and his church kept me glued to the book!!

I have been an avid reader of Rosemary Glenn's short stories and was very pleased to see a longer work of fiction added to her list of credits. And, once I began to read Holy Orders, I realized that the story lived up to Glenn's previous high standards.
From the rolling hills of Ireland to the harshness of Welsh mines, Glenn brings her reader on an historical and spiritual journey, filled with passion. The main characters, Terrence Brennan and Beth Rourke, are deep and intriguing - fraught with human frailty yet, at times, stunningly heroic. Richly written, Holy Orders is a book that brought me back to a time in Irish history when there was little to separate gentle dreams and harsh reality. I highly recommend this book.

The Island Light is a fabulous book for children and their adults. The story is simple and very moving. The characters are appealing, real and fully revealed. The illustrations are out of this world. Have a hanky ready. Be prepared to be uplifted.

This book, which my 14 year old son still enjoys as much as he did at age two, reaches deep deep down into the place inside all of us where we most want to be with our parents: safe, warm, cozy, together. It never fails to choke me up; it never fails to comfort my children. The other books in the 3 book series evoke the same feelings, too.

All three books in the Bunny Planet series are classics. We discovered them when my son just turned two and a year later he still requests them often, even though he has them memorized.

Perhaps this book is the only one about Alma tadema-the greatest master of Victorian age- which deals with his life and works the way it should be. It contains a great collection of his works as high quality pictures as well as a great biography. Just buy it and see what you have missed all this time.

This is an excellent book - well-printed, with beautiful reproductions of Alma-Tadema's work, and well-written. Too often, art books lump Alma-Tadema generically with the pre-Raphaelites or shun him entirely (because his paintings catered to Victorian tastes). This book is almost, but not quite, too much of a good thing, with an in-depth view of Alma-Tadema's career, especially the mentors and travel experiences that shaped his style. Very early paintings and watercolor studies which I had never before seen are included, and I paticularly like the side-by-side presentation of watercolor studies with finished oils of the same scene. Alma-Tadema was a skilled artist whose lush, decorative style and atmospheric historical scenes prefigured the art of Maxfield Parrish. It's about time that a collection of this quality has become available.

This is the best book I've ever seen about alma-tadema. Includes high quality pictures of his masterpieces. If you love Almatadema's works you should have this special book.