Stanley Green never looked forward to Chanukah. He felt it was more trouble than it was worth. All his relatives came to his house with their sloppy hugs and kisses, his little cousins fought and yelled, got into his things, and made a big mess. There was too much cooking, and his arm ached from grating potatoes and chopping onions for the latkes. And there was too much cleaning before the celebration, and even more afterwards. Worst of all, on Chanukah, a supposedly happy holiday, his Grandpa Abe was always quiet and very sad. This year something new was added to the usual routine. Stanley was sent up to the attic to find an old wrapped package in the large trunk. He'd never seen it before and with his curiosity getting the better of him, carefully opened the brown paper to find a tarnished menorah. As he began to wipe off the dust, he wondered why anyone would want this old thing. Just as he finished examining it more closely, and polishing the shammash until it glowed, the floor began to shake, a big puff of smoke erupted, and a very old man appeared in front of him..... Jane Breskin Zalben has written a lovely and memorable Chanukah story, with a simple and gentle message, that won't be lost on young readers. Her engaging and entertaining text, complete with yiddish words and expressions, is complemented by Donna Diamond's old photograph-like artwork, and together they've authored a tender and poignant story of love, family, and the true meaning of happiness. There's even a glossary included at the end of the story, to help with the yiddish and enhance learning. Perfect as a reading book for youngsters 8 and older, The Magic Menorah makes an even better read-aloud story the entire family can share and enjoy together.

Donna Diamond illustrates The Magic Menorah, a wonderfully told and modern Chanukah story, which will appeal to ages 7-10. Stanley hates Chanukah: he has to deal with noisy relatives, clean the house, and finds little to celebrate. When he finds an antique menorah and a genie, he is taken on a time trip which demonstrates the value of Chanukah in his life.

I remember reading this short book first when I was much younger, and most recently a few weeks ago, at almost twenty years of age. This is a fabulous story - it was then and I think I enjoyed it even more now. One of the major things I took out of it was the reason some parents are so adamant about their children making presents rather than buying them - when you make something the end result isn't the sum total of the project - there is time and love and thought involved. When we, in today's over commercialized society, just walk into a store and pick up the first thing we see some of the individuality of the gift is taken away almost. And so although Mama wasn't immediately impressed by her wonderful store bought present as Anna hoped, as soon as she learned the amount of work and time that was spent in earning that money is when she truly understood the impact of the gift. It also teaches children that although parents and adults may sometimes seem unreasonable and uncomprehensible to our young minds, there is a rationale behind what they do. Sometimes finding out what that is is more important than following the "rules" so to speak. :) A truly delightful book, perfect for younger readers as well as older. I recommend it to everyone.

I loved this book. The writing is actually a poem. Is is a wonderful bedtime story and your horseloving kids will adore it. I got this book as a child from my grandmother and I still love it.

My daughter finally caught the reading bug at 11 1/2 thanks to this author and the Julie Wolf Pack series. My daughter can't put these books down! I am so grateful she finally found something she's interested in. Great stuff!

I love this book! I borrowed from the lirbrary. I was sorry when I had to return it. Mary Lou(nicknamed "Wisconsin")went to a new school, and nobody knew about her hearing aid. She hated almost everything about school, from the spelling bees to mean Jason. It was not until Field Day that she learned everyone knew about her hearing aid!

The book makes me feel like I am there my self. I think that Tormod has a very good way of describing people and things, but also feelings. I have read some of his other books and all of them says that he is a good observer and that he likes what he's doing! The book is about a boy and a girl who both have problems with their parents in some way, but when they come together they can find a way to solve things. It is a book witch makes the reader to laugh, cry, feel ashamed and, trough the whole book enjoy reading it! I recomend it strongly!

Chris Fitton's father and Nan Mallory's mother recently married, but this isn't the Brady Bunch by a long way. Chris has spent his life in one boarding school after another, while Nan's grandmother raised her during her mother's long assignments overseas as a photographer. Even now, Chris and Nan are living with Chris' aunt Elizabeth; their parents just got married and promptly took off for a 6 month assignment in Mexico. Neither kid has seen them since before they announced the wedding.

For years, Chris' father has given him money to buy presents, since he's never with his son much himself to get to know what he'd like. When aunt Elizabeth drops Chris and Nan off at a movie soon after Nan's arrival, Chris opts to shop for a present instead. In a strange store he's never been to before, he finds a very old model inn, bearing the sign of a red hart (i.e., a male red deer).

Chris and Nan soon discover that the Red Hart carries some kind of magic; in their dreams, they find themselves in the real Red Hart, an English inn, in various periods of the past.

"The King's Hunters", in King James' reign, finds the two of them thwarting a Pursuivant who attempts to prove that the inn's owner is secretly a Catholic priest (a capital offense in that place and time). Catherine Aird's mystery _A Most Contagious Game_ would be a good read for anyone who's interested in how priests managed to survive and the tricks used to build hiding places for them.

In "The Gentlemen", a wounded Excise officer is being sheltered from local smugglers in the inn. This story makes a sharp, interesting contrast to Vic Crume's _Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow_, a terrific book that's also a movie by Disney with Patrick McGoohan (the hardest Disney classic to find on video as of this writing, may I add). The chief of the smugglers in "The Gentlemen" is as anonymous as the masked Scarecrow - 'he could be any man in the village, leaving out the parson and the squire.' (If you've read or seen the Scarecrow's story, you'll get the joke.)

In "Hue and Cry", Chris is falsely accused of setting fire to Squire Mallory's barn, a blaze that could have killed several men. Harry Hawkins, a friend of his father's days in Wellington's army, one of the Bow Street runners, is called in by Ira Fitton to uncover the truth. (This is *long* before the runners evolved into the Bow Street Station of Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt.)

In the present, the kids have their own troubles, apart from getting along with each other. Nan is 'befriended' by the most popular girl in class - only to find that the price of entry into her circle is too high. Chris, on the other hand, is the favorite target of the most popular kid in *his* school - the bully who's captain of the soccer team. The lessons they learn in the past stand them in good stead.

I like this book because a war is going on.The British burnt down house.Ben got captured. The British put Ben on a prisin ship.They did not git much food.One day the British let them go.They bilt a new house.Ben came home ,and eveyone was happy.

This is an excellent book. Hannah's brother Ben is in the Revaltionanary war aganst the British and he has been capterd! When Hannah finds out this dreadful news she can't stop thinking about him and wish he would come home. Hannah's home as been bernd and
they started to rebilding it. This book is real heart touching.

I thought this book was awesome!It is in the middle of the Revolutionary War.Also it was 1780.I wasn't even born.Also Hannah had a big brother who was in the war.Ben was captured by the British!But Ben got away.Hannah's Dad found Ben on the road walking tourd their house.He had frostbites.Also he was very pale and ill.I think you should get this book!

This book was published the year I was born and when I was 8 or 9 I remember seeing it in the library and at Fred Meyer's while looking at books. I soon became familiar with the author when I read her book Isabelle The Itch. Although this book seemed good, I didn't get interested in it until much later, in fact I picked up a copy last week at a thrift store for 50 cents and I just finished reading it today. MMM, what a touching story. It reminds me of my childhood, growing up in the suburbs of Seattle in a town called Lynnwood. I wanted a horse bad and me and my sister would play horses all day and pretend to be pioneers. Then we'd sit on the fence outside and watch the sunsets over the Olympic Mountain range; a lot similar to the things Joss and Kate did together. We moved up north east of Lynnwood a few years later and I'd see this book in the school library but I guess I sorta forgot about it until I saw and bought it recently. Anyway it is different from the author's story about her character Isabelle. Isabelle is more comedy-style, whereas this book deals with some serious fact-of-life issues we all need to face sooner or later. So easy to take our loved ones for granted, thinking that they'll always be with us. This book helps you to appreciate what you've got and to spend quality time with the ones you love because you never know; it could all just crumble any time. Before the tragic part in the book, I found a lot of interesting parts and some were even kind of funny. Ms. Greene uses the right blend of comedy and tragedy. Go, Ms. Greene!

I can't remember whether I saw the TV movie before I read this book, or vice versa. It matters not, because they're both excellent.

I always remembered this book and recently decided to order it from Amazon so I could re-read it. (I found my old childhood copy in my father's basement a month later, so now I have two).

The story is a magificent portrayal of a relationship between two loving, but very different sisters, Kate and Joss. Joss is somewhat of a "free spirit" and Kate clearly envies her that.

It is sweet, soft, gentle and heartbreaking at times, but I highly recommend that this book be in any young girl's (or 36-year-old girl's) book collection.

And, if you ever have the unlikely opportunity to see the TV version starting Melissa Sue Anderson ("Little House on the Prairie" and beautiful Katy Kurtzman (2-time guest-star on "Little House"), you must!

I remember reading this book in the 6th grade, I was in my bedroom and when it came to the sad part I was crying so uncontrollably that I needed my mom to hold me! I felt like a close friend had died. It touched me so deeply, in fact I think I will purchase it and read it again. I better get a box of tissues, too. I loved this book. I get misty eyed just thinking about it and I read it over 20 years ago! Excellent book for a young person to help them in dealing with the death of a loved one.

Just because it won the Newbery Award, doesn't mean that it is that good. This book, Bridge to Boredom, was given that award by adults, adults who probably favor drama, which this book contains. But for children, who desire excitement, will be probably bored sick of this book. It is strange why drama is recommended for children. This is an adults' book, not a children's book. If it was a children's book, they should've put lots of adventure in it. I can't believe it won the Newbery Medal. Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" is far superior to this

The story concerns Jess Aarons, "the fastest kid is school", until a new girl, Leslie, beats all of the boys, in a race. But school bores them down, so they go deep into the woods and construct "Terabithia", an imaginary world where they rule as king and queen.

Sounds like a nice, little fairy tale? No! Soon after the joy, tragedy follows, as Leslie accidentally dies. This is a sad story, actually, and no fun-loving child wants as sad story, so I do not recommend this to easily bored kids. What's the moral here? Death. What's the message? Death. What does it deal with? Death, death, and loads of death. "The Bridge to Terabithia" concerns the meaning of life and death, and how serious life can be. It uses a lot of drama, that no excitement comes.

Two words: VERY OVERRATED!

The book "Bridge to Terabithia" is an exquisite and unique book. Even though this book is fictional, it has reasonable and realistic characterscand events. The main characters are Jesse Aarons and Leslie Burke. Jesse, or Jess, is a fifth grade student and loves to run. He runs every morning in a field. On one day as he is running, he meets Leslie. Leslie just moved next door to Jesse. When Jesse and Leslie first associate, it doesn't go well. Leslie is a tomboy. Her hair is short, and she dresses like a boy. She is the outcast of their school. Soon, though, they become close friends. Together they make a secret kingdom called Terabithia where they are the rulers. Here, they escape reality. The ending of the novel, which I will not reveal, has a unexpecting twist of fate. This novel is a good one. And I would definitely recommend it. Thank you for your time.

The book I read was the Bridge to Terabithia. I really enjoyed this book because it is like my seventh grade life. I have a bully in my school that is almost like Janice Avery. In the bok she is so mean, but inside she is really hurting. Another way Leslie Burkes is so fearless, but in the end her bravery puts her to her doom. In my school some kids think they're so brave by skipping class, but by the end of the day they will probably will end up with ISS. Jess reminds me of myself (except for he is a boy, and i am a girl)! Like Jess, i also love to draw, and I am a sort of normal kid. I have plenty of real close friends too. In my school we have a teacher just like Ms. Edmunds. This teacher dresses sort of weird, he loves to draw, and he loves t odo stuff with kids. I think if you give this book a chance, then you would enjoy it as much as I did. I see why it is the winner of the Newberry Medal!!