I read all of Erich Kästners books as a child. He was, without doubt, one of Germany's finest children's literature writers, because of his humour and intelligence. His stories are not of the kind "Pitty and Patty go to school"; instead, they deal with real life aspects, although presented in a very pure and innocent manner.

This particular book was not intended for children. Nevertheless, much of Kästner's personality is reflected in it: it is a simple, but very beautiful love story, and at the same time a brilliant comedy, and also a "tour" through a lost world: Salzburg, Austria, in the 1930's, before World War II, before humanity lost innocence. I love the book, the characters, the story, and have read it many times.

Kästner was a decided oppositor of the Nazi regime; in fact, his works were burned during this period. After reading this and other books of him you will understand why: he was a true admirer of all that is good in people, of their most noble feelings towards others, of the exaltation of individuality -not individualism- instead of a society of dull masses...

You won't be dissapointed by this one!

My mom used to read me this book when I was a little kid, and I have read it many times since then. I can safely say that I still find it as delightful as I did when I was five (i'm 23 now). The story circles around Max, a ten-year-old boy who is no taller than a match, and his mentor, a regular-sized magician who works at the circus. But when Max gets kidnapped by a mafia-like gang, he has to rely on his wits to save him from being brought to a secret ranch in South America. As with all of Erich Kastner's stories, it's the emotional warmth between the characters that makes this book one of my favorites, one that I can read again and again. Kastner's writing style is highly amusing, making the story as entertaining for grown-ups as it is for kids.

This remains one of my favorite books, ever! I received it as a child - age 10 - and I am not embarrased to say that I have read it again in the last few years! The book outlines the next adventures of Maxi and his new life after the kidnapping. The most exciting part is meeting "The Little Miss" - just his size! Many of the characters from The Little Man return and we meet some new and interesteing friends also.

I just wish this was still in print (in English) so that I could send copies to every kid I know!

I first discovered this book whilst searching for novels to serial-read to my class (I am a primary school teacher.) Having seen the original 'Parent Trap' and read 'Emil' as a boy, I felt Lottie and Lisa would be good to try. With one exception (a class containing mostly angry, macho boys), all my classes have enjoyed it, even loved it. Most children have seen the Parent Trap (sadly, most never saw the Hayley Mills version), and they are intrigued by the comparison in plots and characterisation. The reference to Shirley Temple and the double standards of American censorship at the time leave them puzzled, as does the excitement at the prospect that, when the busload of new girls arrives at the holiday home, 'one of them might have a ball (to play with'). Explaining to them that this book was written shortly after WW2 when toys were in short supply in Germany, helps them understand.

WARNING: Any teacher reading this to a class of 8-12 year olds, be ready - Chapter 9 is an emotional minefield: I've noticed my voice getting shaky towards the end of it. Just letting you know.

I read this book as a ten-year old and it stuck with me for what has been the next seventeen years. Warm, wonderful, very charming. The ORIGINAL, BEST and should have been the ONLY version of the Parent Trap. I wish I had known that this book would be largely forgotten, I would have held on to my copy to share with my own kids.

I've read this book in Elementary School. I used to have a copy of it. It somehow got misplaced. Since of the moving I have done. I've also tried looking at libraries to find it. I haven't found it at a library. I believe this book belongs on the Children's Classice Literature. It really deserves that recognition. Disney made three sequel to the orginal one. Also the remake. Since, the Original Film is a classic so should the book!

This book is an exciting and breathtaking adventure.I loved this book because the main character reminded me of me. It was one of the best books I ever read. There were character descriptions under every picture. This helped me to see what the characters looked like and helped me keep them straight in the story. I felt like Emil was a one of a kind character. I never read any books with a character like him. He was really smart the way he solved the myster.The professor was also a really good character. He really acted like a professor even though he was a kid. I reccomend this book to any kids who like adventures!

This is a vintage kids' book that delivers the goods: mystery, intrigue, hallucination (dream) descriptions (was that chocolate bar spiked?), chase scenes, double-entendre character names, an interesting plot, likeable characters, and a John Grisham hero-gets-the-big-bucks type ending. A classic which I read and re-read as a child, this is a book to introduce kids to the detective novel genre, and it has stood up well to the passage of time. I recently purchased a copy for sentimental reasons, and guess what - I read it, and re-read it again (and again). There is a moralistic foundation to the story, but the good guys are just mischievous enough to be fun to be around, and the story is a great story, even if a little far-fetched to be believable. But it's totally believable if you use your imagination, and that's the fun of it!

I always avoided "Emil & the Detectives" when I was a kid because I thought it would be scary. I finally read it in my twenties, and kicked myself for missing it before. The story and characters are completely engaging, and the writing style is so humorous. May Massee's translation is a bit dated in regard to slang--it was done in the twenties--but she captures a wonderfully droll sensibility that I hope really exists in the German original. I am so mad that this book is out of print, because I want to buy it for my little cousin, who's a big Harry Potter fan, and I know would love this book too. If you can, try and find a version that has Kastner's hilarious introduction, in which he discusses the difficulty of finding a good idea for a story, even when you're lying on the floor under the dining room table.

Erich Kastner, a writer in the German Enlightenment tradition perhaps best known as a German poet and author of children's books, wrote a scathing satirical novel about decadence during the Wiemar Republic. Kastner's target is the political, economic, cultural, and spiritual climate of the years preceeding the rise of the Third Reich. He caricatured the times in an effort to awaken his contemporaries to the elements that contributed to the gathering storm. Jacob Fabian, after whom the book is named, is portrayed as a either a passive figure who waits for a return of decency or one for whom there was no place in such a deteriorating society. His life adventures served as Kastner's diagnosis of the diseased soul of Berlin. Fabian's escapades mirrored the interior world of a city seemingly oblivious to what it was doing to itself. He lost his job, sweetheart, and best friend in a series of events which eerily highlights what was truly at stake in such a culture. The suicide of Fabian's friend as a hapless reaction to what was later discovered to be a cruel joke is a metaphor for the heartlessness of the era. I was struck by the books apparant parallels to our own time and found the author's message to be nearly prescient. In his preface to the 1950 German edition he wrote of the moralist's task to defend "lost causes" and to "fight on notwithstanding." Kastner's quixotic writing deserves a fresh reading by Americans given our diseased culture at the end of the twentieth century. While his mood and some of his caricatures will raise the ire of some, the overall impact of the book is ample reward for the tolerant reader.