This is the best guidebook EVER! My wife and I recently moved to Portland and this book is what guided us into a great apartment, cool neighborhoods, fun shops, beautiful parks, and awesome restaurants. We've now lived here for 6 months and still use the book often. The authors definitely know the city. Whether you're moving here or just visiting, getting this book is crucial.

When you browse through the US Travel books for something on Oregon or Portland, this is the one book that you can find that goes beyond the cool places, the neat restaurants and the best deals in hotels. It's comprehensive in terms of including information that a person considering the move to the city will find extremely useful! Thanks, City Smart!

I loved it. It was funny and witty and interesting. For the person moving to Portland, this book is for you. It outlines the areas where one should and should not live. It give detailed and interesting reviews of everything from children's parks to gay bars. It illustrated the history of Portland perfectly and was a hoot to boot. Five stars!

I don't think I could tell you how fantastic this book is,or how fine a writer Robin Klein is.She has a very unique way of describing everything.She didn't actually TELL us that Kirsty had very pale(and cold) blue eyes.She told us they were the colour of rain and we get the message.The novel itself is about three girls,but mainly Patricia,the school geek.Kirsty and Genevieve are two very popular girls,but they are evil and cruel and heartless,and possibly even jealous of Patricia's IQ.They invite her along with them to spend the night at the spooky old house that belongs to Kirsty's aunt,or Genevieves aunt perhaps.Im not sure.While there some extremely strange things start to happen,the kind of occurences a poltergeist might cause.Is there really a ghost or is someone playing a mean trick?You'll have fun finding out.I read the whole thing in one sitting.Klein is a very very talented author.

When Patricia, (the unpopular smart girl) at school is invited for a weekend away with Kirsty and Genevieve at their Aunts house in the country, she is flattered. Desperate to fit in at her new school and make friends, they all set off to the big old house in the bush. The weather turns foul and the girls are stuck inside the forboding house while aunt is away. Boredom soon turns to fun as they find a diary left in the house by its old occupants. The girls decide to have a seance and with a oija board, try to contact the dead inhabitants. That's when the fun and games really begin!

I first read this book when i was about 10 and i was mesmerised by it! i borrowed it from the school library at least 3 times a year up until my final year! By this time the librarian's were used to my bizarre taste in literature. I love this book and would love to find another copy of it somewhere. The hardcover copy had a drawn map of the house on its inside covers, which was very helpful as the house is quite a sprawling mansion.

An excellent read. I always thought that `Games' would make a wonderful independant film.

"Games" is a brilliant book, which can be enjoyed by anyone. If read on a dark and stormy night, it has the power to chill the bones of even the most experienced ghost story readers and tellers. It tells the story of a misfit girl, trying her best to impress the two coolest girls ate her school. She goes with them on a weekend away at a dark mansion owned by a frail old aunt, who mysteriously disappears. After a serious feud between the girls, they make a discovery of an old diary, which tells the story of the owners of the house who have since passed on but now remain there to haunt. I'll leave the rest to your imagination...READ THIS BOOK!

This book describes the life of the fleeing alien family from the planet Zurgon. The characters seem very enriched and enchanted and the human comparision is hilarious! Very funny, if not quirky! A MUST read!

I don't know exactly where I got this book, I think it was used, but I must say, it RULES!!! I guess I should relate the story. A family of aliens named Father, Mother, Qwrk, Dovis, and X land on Earth after fleeing their home planet of Zyrgon because of illegal gambling cheats on Father's part.

X, who is the middle child, is the "Family Organizer" and rules the family, and is the main character. Dovis is 14 years old, and is apparently the most beautiful person on Zyrgon and Earth combined. Qwrk is a child genius, at 5, Father is a sneaky man, and Mother is a naive "Wear Designer."

Landing on Earth and not liking it at first, they really hate some of the things down here, such as the fact that buildings are horizontal, and the whole idea of school. However, as they live there longer, everyone comes to love the planet when compared to dreary Zyrgon....

Except X.

X hates Earth and loves Zyrgon for some stupid reason, and has to cope with the fact that they just may want to stay on Earth forever...

Overall, the book is VERY fun to read, it's really neat seeing the aliens' take on everyday things.

Buy it, if you can find it!

The story is about four sister Vivienne,Cathy,Heather and Grace. They live in a Australian country town. There called Morjorie Powell which the four sister really hates. And Mr Pratlow a mean old teacher they also dislke. In each chater there is a new story throught out the book the sisters share the fellings of happyness, Bullied, saddness dreams and hope.I thing the book is book and my fav part is the end when Vivienne says " Blue unclouded weather thats what it going to be for christmas tomorrow.

Sarah is an obsessive organiser who uses her lists to cope with the many problems in her complex life. Her globe-trotting father rejects her attempts at normalcy but her delightfully eccentric aunts accept Sarah for what she is. Thei characters, intriguing lifestyle and loving home provide warmth in this lively text. Corric, the unlikely friend next door adds humour and reality to this narrtive. Sarah gradually comes to term with her life and her list-making practices change. Humorou episodes in this free flowing finely tuned text cover all the highs and lows that occur when genuine love and unintentional hurt are in play. Klein has once again filled her book with vivid but not always likeable characters who remain with you long after you've stopped reading.

In this fourth episode of the Penny Pollard series, we see Penny at her best. The thing I like most about these books is the personality behind the character of Penny. Having read this book as a 12 year old, I immediately identified with Penny's independent, mischevious and adventurous side. Along with her intellectual sidekick Al and his mother, Penny sets off to conquer the United Kingdom, with some hilarious results. The characters she meets along the way are entertaining and give us further insight into the complexities of Penny Pollard. Iwould recommend this book for 11-15 year old girls and women young at heart-I still love it!

This is without a doubt the best book I have ever read! It is the third novel in the Melling saga, capturing beautifully the care-free happiness of the late 1940's. With wonderful characters, and scenes both hilarious and touching, this is a book you'll want to read again and again: Robin Klein is a genius!

I'm currently doing a project on Robin Klein and wish for more reviws so I putting out a cry for help....and a review..

Hating Alison is a great book to read if you're 10,11 or 12. Or in yr six. Because you would deffinatly have someone in you're grade that like Alison Or Erika.

So, if you have any info on it please send it 2 me...

Hating Alison Ashley was a great and exciting book! It is about a girl called Erica Yurkon but people call her Erk. Erica lives in a not so fancy town where she goes to school with other not so rich students. One day a girl called Alison Ashley comes to the school and Erica thinks she is PERFECT! Her clothes are fancy, she has pearl earrings and her mother picks her up from school in a expensive car. Erica becomes jealous of her after minutes, especially because she has to look at her all day seeing that Erica sits next to Alison. Erica and Alison get in numerous fights, but sometimes are also nice to each other. Erica pretends that all of Erica's sisters clothes are her, just so she can have clothes like Alison. After a few weeks there class go on School Camp and they have to perform a play in groups and Erica is with Alison! To find out what happened at the camp read 'Hating Alison Ashley'.

this book was really good. it was about a girl called erica yurken, and how this other girl enrols in the same grade as erica. the new girl, alison ashley, is perfect. she's got looks, money, clothes and everyhting besides. you'll laugh your way through this book, reading about the lengths erica will go to to get rid of alison. it's a must read book!!

The novel is about a boy named Seymour, who stays with a fussy old guardian who wont let him out, worried his father might take him away. By chance one day he left the house and met a young girl called Angie, who lives in a messy little flat, renting from an old women. Angie keeps Seymour company by taking him to different places around the suburbs, going shopping and catching trams from here to there. With her little 'so called brother' nagging her to do the right things. But what Seymour dosent know is that Angie is taking drugs.

Came Back To Show You I Could Fly is about an eleven year old boy named Seymour who meets Angie an older avdenturous drug addict, but Seymour does not know this. She is in a great deal of debt to drug dealers and have been dissowned by her family. Seymour too, is having family problems. This is a great book for readers 12 years and onwards.

I read this book some years back but i thought it was fantastic.A little boy makes friends with a teenage girl who has a terrible secret.

my english made me read this book, and i found it about the most boring piece of work ever. if i wasn't made to read it i'd have closed the book in no time. it was lifeless and dull, as for the end. nothing happened! maybe i'm just being so harsh because it's a book for younger ones (it says 4-8 on the info page) and the teacher is giving it to a year 8 level one class.

Like the other reviewers,I am disappointed that the story was cut off so quick, with no follow up as to what happened.Although the impression is left that all ends well.

The story is this: Frances , a 12 year old girl down under lives with her Aunt, who reminds her what a burden she is while she works dead end jobs.
Then her Aunt meets and marrys a man who belongs to a strange group called the temple.Frances is swept off to live in his house with his 3 daughters who have been members all their lives.Life in the house is an insane series of rules and regulations. Her aunt becomes a stranger, her husband is a cruel tyrant.Frances is desperate to escape.
She has a bond with one of the daughters Helen and she longs for freedom as well,but is very frightened.
The last few chapters had my heart pounding.

As soon as I finshed reading this book, I started reading it again. This would have to be one of the best books that I have ever read. It is creative and unique- there is no other book quite like it. People might hear you is one of those books that you just can't put down no matter hard you try and is definetely one of Robin Kleins best work. The only fault I could find with it was the fact that the ending was so abrupt.