This quirky story about three disabled people who decide to live together in a nice bungalow in the suburbs offers beautiful insight on the quest to be "normal." I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore what it means to be vastly different.
Great for a Disability Literature class or for any literature class.

The emotional and sexual intricacies explored in this story would make this a difficult book for young readers to appreciate and I was somewhat shocked to find it listed in the "Children's" (young adult) category. But for those who are mature enough it is a rewarding, if heartbreaking, read.

I first read this book when I was in 7th grade. That was 34 years ago and I still have it - yellowed with age and every other page held together with tape and clear packaging tape all over the cover. That must give you some idea how much I cherish this book. I have read it several times over the years, reliving the warmth I felt from the first time I read it. The story is so quirky that the reader will enjoy it simply as a narrative adventure full of unexpected twists and turns. Woven into the story is a lesson about embracing our own uniqueness, loving others for their unigueness, and appreciating each person's difference. It is a story of loving in the absence of love, learning tolerance in the absence of tolerance, and overcoming obstacles even when overwhelmed by obstacles. This story was a beacon during the my difficult teenage years and has been a guding light for the 34 years since I first read it.

I really enjoyed reading Ella Enchanted. It was a very good book. It is about a royal girl named Ella, who had a problem. When she was born a fairy gave her a gift the gift of obedience. Ella hates this gift. It is always getting in her way.
When her mother dies she is devistated. She can't tell anybody about the curse.
She finds friendship with a young prince. Her father decides that it would be better if she went to boarding school with her two fathers friend's daughters.
The girls find out that Ella is obedient. But they do not know why. She decides to run away.
She ends up with her father and he has decided to marry the woman. She is not pleased. But her guyfriend wants her to marry him. What about the curse? You have to read the book to find out!

I'll start with the books I haven't read. Because I haven't read "Dear Mr. Henshaw" and "One Eyed-Cat" I had to give this collection only four stars though I'd love to give it five. "Dear Mr. Henshaw" was part of my elementary school library. Everyone was demanding that I read Mr. Henshaw, but there were so many other books to read so I never got around to it. I had never heard of "One Eyed-Cat" when I was young, but from what I hear it is worth the read.

Scott O'Dell is one of my all time favorite authors. I have read "Island of the Blue Dolphins" a million times and would read it a million more. It is the story that first drew me to the Native American culture and his other works were equally enticing. The story of Karana's survival alone on the island of her birth and the life and family she makes for herself there is magnificent. Her neverending yearning for her people, but continuing love for the home she makes creates a bittersweet ending when she leaves for her people. It is made even more sad when in his author's notes O'Dell revealed that her people never made it to their new home and that is why they never sent for her. Scot O'Dell writes an alluting tale of a woman who must survive on her own. I would heartily recommend any book he has written.

Elizabeth George Speare is not far behind on my favorite author list. I also read "The Sign of the Beaver" a million times. It is a wonderful story of a wary friendship between a teenage white settler left to care for their new home while his father goes to fetch his mother, sister, and the soon to be born baby and a teenage Indian who has inherited the bitterness of his culture to the white man. Together they teach each other what is needed to know to survive in the other's world. Another bittersweet ending, this is a wonderful story about how two radically different people can learn to respect the other and what they have to offer. "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" is the story about a girl from the Caribbean who is tossed into her own survival story when she must live with her Puritan relatives. Here, her culture of clashes with the rigid structure of the Puritan people who consider her a hopeless sinner. They radically distrust her and it comes to a head when she is accused of witchcraft. The only drawback of this story is that it helps to understand the Puritans and it is my experience that their history is learned in highschool when one is just a tad old for her works.

I enjoyed Fox's memoire "Borrowed Finery" very much. This book, written before the memoire, covers much of the same territory, but the effort to turn what clearly are parts of Fox's own life into fiction doesn't work all that well. I had to laugh when I discovered Fox giving her own childhood to one of the characters.

All of the characters in "The God of Nightmares" are weird in one way or another, except the main character, Helen, who tells the story. She seems pretty ordinary until the last chapter when Fox tries to show us Helen isn't so nice after all. I didn't like this last chapter, which takes place more than 25 years after the main story. Fox tries too hard to tie things up and tell us what happened to each of her characters. I was especially irritated by the way she changed the husband -- but I won't say more about that as it comes as something of a surprise.

I didn't like Maurice's Room because the book had absolutely no excitement. The descriptions were very good but the story had no meaning to it. The book was very boring. I had to force myself to read this book because it was so boring. I could see that there was no point in reading a story without excitement, adventure and without any point. Maurice's Room had no problem or solution, which made it very boring, but everything was pretty good.
I DO NOT recommend Maurice's Room to anybody. I'd rate this book from one to five, five being the best, a two and a half.

I thought the story Maurice's Room should be rated a 3.5. It was good, but it just didn't catch my attention.
I liked the story because it was about a boy who had a different hobby from most boys. Maurice collected everything. When somebody collects something and keeps adding and adding to his or her collection, in the end it pays off. When someone in a book collects something, that character usually has a very different point of view about the objects he or she is collecting, and that makes the story interesting.
I disliked the book because Maurice didn't have a very busy schedule. He played trumpet, but that was a disaster. There also wasn't any excitement because he had a really boring life. I think he should have gone on some adventures; it might have made the story more exciting.

Maurice is a young boy who lives in a city. He loves to collect anything and everything. Maurice's parents don't approve of his collecting. The janitor of his apartment building, Mr. Klenk, finds stuff for Maurice to add to his collections. Because Maurice's parents are getting fed up of not being able to walk into his room thanks to the mess, they think about moving to the country, where they hope Maurice will have less things to collect. Will they move or will Maurice out grow his love for collecting? Read the book and find out.
On a scale from one to five, five being the highest, I'd give the book a four. The plot was good, but it was a bit confusing in parts. For example, it took me a while to figure out that Maurice was a boy. I also had to re-read a couple of other parts before they made sense.
The author, Paula Fox, used good descriptive words. She makes the reader actually feel like they were there, not just reading about it. I would reccomend "Maurice's Room" to kids ages 9 to 12.

A Review by Jon Clegg
The story begins with a young boy named Liam. He is currently in school and is living with his mother in a small apartment near a burned down church. One day he looks out his window to notice there is a bum outside with a sign saying he needs money he's got AIDS. The story goes into his father and how he's fighting Aids.

I didn't enjoy reading this story at all and its not common for me to say that because I am very picky when it comes to books I can not enjoy almost any of the books because they aren't on a topic I enjoy. It wasn't at anyway adventurous or outgoing it was extremely boring I caught myself sleeping while reading it at many points. The main character has some pretty dumb problems that everyone has but he can't deal with them. I think it was a waste of ink and paper! The first part of the book wasn't even necessary when he meets the homeless person with aids. It didn't really blend into the story that well.

I would not recommend this book to anyone it wasn't even fun to note read I should have never picked it up off the shelve it is a big waste of everything in the world that was put into it!

Paula Fox has tackled a sensitive topic in The Eagle Kite and has handled it with much feeling and warmth. It is the story of Liam and his father who had secrets and now has AIDS. It could be their last chance to repair any damage done to their relationship. It is a short little book for teenagers but it packs quite an emotional wallop but in a sweetly subtle and quiet manner. This book will be a nice revelation for any teenager dealing with relationship issues with their parents. It is a look at dealing honestly with one's parents and one's children and building a relationship through that honesty whatever it reveals. It is a sad, touching story.

The only problem with this book is that it is too short.

Paula Fox manages to paint a picture of our society within the microcosm of a family that reflects the good and bad attitudes many otherwise good people have regarding gays and AIDS. Don't be put off by any warnings. The people, both young and old, who have trouble with the book reflect more of their own personal problems in dealing with the subject matter. After speaking to several middle school students who found the book at a recent book fair, I discovered that they were able to empathize with Liam, the hero of the story. The only thing they couldn't understand is why Liam's mother and aunt behaved the way they did. They could see in the adults' attempts to protect the boy that they were hurting him more than helping him.

This is a book that should be a welcome addition to any classroom library. It would even make an excellant text on which to base a series of lessons on tolerance and acceptance.

"The Eagle Kite" soars.

I chose the book The Slave Dancer By: Paula Fox. This book wasvery interesting to me. It is about a boy who is leading a normallife, and runs an errand for his mother. While he is gone, somesailors kidnap him. When he discovers where he is, it is too late. They have already taken him into the sea. He lives on a boat, which is used to transport slaves, as a ship boy for months. Jessie, the main character, is a good-hearted boy and has trouble being involved in the slave trade. At one point, he is beaten because of his compassion towards the future African slaves. Eventually most of the slaves die, he actually watches some of them be thrown overboard, both living and dead. In the end, the boat sinks, but Jessie and a little boy that he had bonded with earlier survive. However, this book truly hits home with many thoughts of racism today. The discussion of the slaves in general is very good for a child to hear. It portrays how the slaves were treated and how young innocent white boys were made to help in the torture of the slaves. When Jessie feels compassion towards them and is beaten for it, this explains a lot. The captain and others try to make Jessie feel hatred towards these African slaves. This is the way that many people were brought up. With these negative attitudes people have, many of them are raising their children the same way. I think that Paula Fox did a wonderful job of portraying this idea. I looked at this book as a "book people" book. The book is telling the truth in every way possible. It uses great detail in describing some of the events. It even gets gory in some parts. Not many children's books do this, and get by with it. It actually has a Grimm brothers sort of approach. Fox tells things the way they were; she does not "soften" them up for the children. The other side, however, would say the book was not fit for children due to the gore of it and even some language. In an article written by Sarah Hinlicky entitled "Don't Write About Race", she discusses the topic of race in writing, including children's literature. Hinlicky gives many good reasons why people don't write about racial issues. Hinlicky says that one of the main reasons is fear. She says that "the wise writer observes the rules and politely declines to write about race." This keeps them from being tortured and ridiculed for writing about racial issues. In the end of the article she proposes a very powerful statement: Black America and white America are different cultures, these cultures still distrust one another. Moving across color lines also means moving across culture lines...Maybe there's an answer I've found, but I think I'd better quit now, since I'm not supposed to be writing about race in the first place. This statement is important in saying how people think they aren't supposed to discuss the topic. I think it is almost challenging for people to look at it in Hinlicky's light. I think I take a book people stand. Children need to know the truth in the history of acts such as this. They cannot keep the truth from the children, or that will lead to children who have racial tension. Many children today are misinformed of this part of history. Both black children and white children are confused with their facts in this matter. Fox describes Jessie's story very well. Jessie is made to feel hatred towards these slaves. He is given no choice. This is the way many children are today. They believe what they hear from their parents, teachers, and books. Some of this information may be true, but most of it just confuses the children even more. The Slave Dancer should be an important part of education everywhere in America. It tells the story well, of both the slaves and the people who were forced to help in their trade. Hinlicky's article would also be a good article to teach children as a reference to The Slave Dancer.

Do you want to read a captivating story, about a boy who was forced to play his fife for the slaves on a slaveship? On a boat called The Moonlight, this is exactly what happened. Thirteen-year-old Jessie Bollier lived during the time of slavery and took an interest in the slaves. He was barely surviving, with little money, and had to work to provide for his family. Although his mother was hardworking, she made little money and could hardly support her family. Sadly, his father had previously passed away. Jessie played his fife on the streets of New Orleans to make a profit, not knowing he had a secret admirer.
Then one night while running an errand, he suddenly disappeared. To where? Nobody knows. And nobody knows that he is on a long journey, on which he will meet a great friend.
The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox, won the John Newbery Medal, as well as the hearts of many readers from ages 9 through 13. Her other books include Lily and the Lost Boy, The Village by the Sea, and the Newbery Medal winner One-Eyed Cat.
The Slave Dancer is full of suspense which can make your stomach turn. But, the wonderful ending will touch your heart and win you over.

The story is about a boy named Jessie. He gets taken on a slave ship. He is taken because he plays the flute for the black slaves. He meets the captain, Captain Cawthorne, who is cruel. They finally sell the slaves to the Spaniards. The American ship sees them and destroys it. He meets a black boy, they become friends, then sometime later he goes back home.
I liked the book a lot. It was good because it told how hard it was to be out sea. It told of how slaves were abused there. It also told of how Jessie suvived this cruel mishap.It was very interesting. I wqas really engrossed in it. It was exciting and full of adventure.
I chose this book because of the cover. It really grabbed my attention. Also that I read the back of the book. It really got me interested in it. It was also because it was a John Newbery Medal winning book. Paula Fox is one of my favorite authors too.

The tragic situation in this story really brought a familly of only two together to try and regain securtiy but other than this, this book has absolutely no plot... There was no suspense, nothing to keep you reading; not what you'd expect from an award winning author...

I gave "A Place Apart" by Paula Fox three stars, because it was a good book, but it did not wow me. I like books that are full of suspence or that have a unpredictable ending. This book was mostly about a girl and the troubles that she has to deal with in life. The book would be interesting to people who want to know about other kind of lifestyles in life. Some people are wealthy and life comes easy to them, but for Tori her life is rough and confusing. The book is about a girl and her life, having her father just died, her mother and her smoking problems, and her relationship with Hugh, a guy she knows. So in conclusion I think you should give this book a chance.

A Place Apart written by Paula Fox is a book that I wouldrecommend to all readers. It's a great story that captures theattention of any reader interested in learning about life. The plot not only illustrates the challenges we face in life, but it helps us realize that life is a challenge. This story deals with many universal human concerns that young adult readers can fully indentify with. Like personal indentity, family, friendship, love and betrayal. One example is loneliness, the main character Victoria, experiences the loss of her father therefore looses the desire to live. As the story goes on another male character comes to play an important role in her life. Hugh, teaches her the importance of life and that life is an advanture worth living. They develop a friendship because Hugh as well as Victoria has lost his father. Hugh then becomes Victoria's role model. Victoria sees him with such admiration that she becomes deeply in love with him. Since Hugh is aware of what Victoria feels for him, he takes advantage of what she offers him. This is a great book that I am sure young readers will enjoy. The language is easy to understand and the book never looses it's excitment. Once you start reading it you cannot put it down!

The book " How Many Miles to Babylon" is about a boy who is curious and enters in an abandoned house. Suddenly, very surprising things happen. I gave this book three stars because it is very slow, without emotion. Until about the middle there is nothing with a lot of excitement that you would really enjoy reading.