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Book reviews for "Llewellyn-Thomas,_Edward" sorted by average review score:

David and the Phoenix
Published in Hardcover by Purple House Press (15 June, 2001)
Authors: Edward Ormondroyd and Joan Raysor
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Terrific story, full of imagination, great read
I first read this book over the summer of 1957. I got it through the Weekly Reader book club. I was interested in the classics at the time and David and the Phoenix fit right in. The author made the characters so true to life that I wished for a long time that I could stumble upon a bird like the Phoenix and make it my friend.

This was just a great story and I read it at exactly the right time of my life. When my son was smaller I looked in every used book store and library I could find for a copy. I wanted him to read it so much. Unfortunately time has marched on and he is now 16 and probably will not be interested in reading it. But, I am going to get a copy any way.

I heartily recommend this wonderful book for the preteen set.

A book that leaves a lasting impression
I found this book in my Aunt's house when I was a young child, 12 - 15 years ago. "David and the Phoenix" made a lasting impression on me. I never liked to read much, until I read this book. My family lives at the base of a mountain and we did and still do a lot of hiking. Hiking and my love for all animals helped me relate to this book and I have loved to read ever since. My Aunt can't find this book anymore, probably one of her grandchildren got a hold of it, but I wrote down information about the book when I was a kid, hoping to find a copy for myself. I just happened upon that piece of paper and found that it was a 1958 Edition - Selection of the Weekly Reader, Children's Book Club - Education Center published by Follett Publishing Company, Chicago. Manufactured in the United States of America by American Book-Stratford Press, Inc., NY. Published simultaneously in Canada by Ambassador Books, Limited. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 57-8280. I recently tried to find a copy and had no luck. This is my last hope of finding the book so that the children I hope to have someday soon can enjoy it too.

This is the book that made me fall in love with reading.
I too received "David & the Phoenix" from the weekly reader book club. Like a first true-love, it is a book that I will never forget. How can a 50 year old man still remember a chlidren's book so well? I have spoken to several others my age who also fell in love with this book. I have a copy and searched for many years before I found a second copy, which I gave to a friend. It has always been my secret desire to write a screenplay of the book. I glad that someone finally has. Who is making the movie?

Several years ago I tracked down Edvard Ormondroyd and spoke with him on the telephone. He is a librarian in New England. I just wanted to thank him. He told me about his other books. I read them all. They were excellent. I especially liked the series with the time travel. They too would make an excellent movie.


Emily of New Moon
Published in Hardcover by Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Juv (1998)
Authors: Priscilla Galloway and Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Potent and wonderful...
Emily of New Moon is starry, poignant, and captivating. Orphaned Emily Byrd Starr comes to New Moon lonely and friendless, to live with her Mother's relations, the Murrays.

The Murrays are not willing to take her in, but are proud and consider it their duty to bring Emily up, as she is a member of their clan. Her Aunt Elizabeth brings her the New Moon, and is cold and harsh and stern. But her sweet Aunt Laura, and kindly Cousin Jimmy provide Emily with support.

In Emily's imagination, loyal friends Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent and Perry Miller, as well as her passionate love of writing, Emily finds hope and friendliness in her new World.

Emily is often compared to Anne of Green Gables, but they hold their differances. Anne is all liveliness and hot temper and sweetness; Emily is vivid, both light and dark, with enough mystery in her to allure.

This book is beautifully written and delicate, full of subtle wit and humour, and wonderful complexity as it describes Emily's adventures while living at New Moon. Emily is spirited and charming and ambitious, and the Emily series portray a unique child developing into womanhood.

Perfectly Wonderful
One day, while skimming the shelves of the Young Adult section of the Library, I ran across 3 books. I noticed that they were from the same Author of "Anne of GreenGables" and I had truly loved those books, so I decided to get these new, mysterious books that I had never heard of. "Emily of NewMoon" "Emily Climbs" and "Emily's Quest". I got home, jumped on my bed, and began reading. Looking up, I noticed I had finished 1/2 the book, and that a couple of hours had passed. I bought all 3 of them here, and I am SO happy that I did. I really don't know what more I can say, I just LOVE these books more than ANY possesion that I have. And that isn't a joke! They inspired me, and I have read EVERY other book of LLM's, but still, my favorites are the "Emily" series. I really hope that you buy this book, it's SO worth it. I read them over and over and over. and when I open the book, I know exactly where I am, and then I can't put it down! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!

L. M. Montgomery's very best series...but not for young kids
And yes, like others have said, it's better than Anne.
The Emily series( New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily's Quest) trace Emily Starr's voyage through adolescence to early adulthood.
It's probably best for older readers as it contains references to sexuality and the supernatural that may be inappropriate for kids or just not appreciated by the younger reader.
I've read almost everything by Montgomery that's published(except for two books), and this is, in my opinion, the best series. Anne of Green Gables is a tour de force of a book, but the series as a whole isn't that great. The Emily series is a sheer masterpiece that's not to be missed, especially for older readers. I read it when I was twelve and read the entire series every year.. it's better every time. Don't skip this one... trust me.


Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-Boat Battles of World War II
Published in Paperback by DaCapo Press (2002)
Authors: Herbert A. Werner and Edward L., Jr. Beach
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Absolutely the Best!
I am an ex-submariner in the U.S Navy with eight strategic deterrent submarine patrols in the North Atlantic and I can only imagine the absolute courage and patriotism shown by the men described in this book! Captain Werner describes what is truly a life of adventure bordering on madness as he and his crew dodge British and US aircraft and destroyers in the most dramatic cat and mouse game of all time.

The book follows Werner's career as a U-Boat officer that starts at the beginning of WWII. He talks about the initial glory and successes of the German U-Boat campaign against the British and he follows the war as the tide changes against Germany. Werner describes reports of boat after boat being sunk and most of his fellow commanders being killed at sea and he shares his thoughts as he continues to bring his boat to sea in spite of almost a guarantee of being killed.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It is the BEST submarine saga that I have read to date and it is also a tribute to men who have gone to sea in defense of their country.

EXCELLENT 'INSIDE-THE-U-BOAT" WARTIME COVERAGE
This is the very best book I have read actually describing the conditions inside a German u-boat during World War II Atlantic Ocean war patrols. It is well written with both action and information in mind. The action standpoint is superb and makes the reader wonder how Capt Werner and his crew ever survived the punishment they took in their little fragile "egg" as aircraft and ships constantly dropped bombs and depth charges on them. From the information standpoint, Werner gives us a very comprehensive and interesting description of what it is like inside the early u-boats. It is hard to imagine how the crew lived like they did in their constantly rocking boat: without bathing for months, eating moldy food, suffering from constant humidity, freezing or roasting as the season might be (no airconditioning or heaters), and not having proper sanitary conditions (using a bucket in rough seas, etc.) Very good detail on u-boat life both aboard ship and in port. From another information standpoint, Werner gives us a good description of what average Germans were thinking as the war progressed, what sort of damage ordinary citizens were taking as the war proceeded in depth over Germany both from the heavy air bombardment plus the advancement of Allied armies from the south, east, and north. Werner is also a "ladies man" so we do hear a lot about the girlfriends in every port, so to speak, plus German submariners' night life in different occupied locations. (They seemed to like France a lot.) It is good that Werner provides you this gamut of information: living inside the boat, dealing with the difficult navy bureaucracy, joys of in-port liberty, his nice but unfortunte family, the Nazi party bother, and so on since it furnishes the reader with a rounded out picture of life during these unusual times. Werner is lucky to have come back alive, and we are fortunate he wrote this book. His family and many of his friends were not so fortunate as the reader will see.

A magnificent story that leaves you in awe that he survived!
Reading World War II epics is a hobby of mine, and I can easily say that Iron Coffins is my all-time favorite book. I first read it in 1984 and couldn't put it down. I have read it about 15 times, and each time, it never ceases to captivate me at how Werner survived time and time again while the majority of his comrades met their fate at the bottom of the Atlantic. It is as if it was his destiny to preserve in writing this critical campaign of World War II. It tells you in vivid detail, the other side of the story-all Nazis were Germans, but not all Germans were Nazis. They had men, just like us, who would rather be somewhere else than in the heat of combat, wondering when they were going to get theirs. The vivid descriptions, going from Years of Glory to Disaster and Defeat made me feel like I was right there next to Werner, riding out the brutal storms in the North Atlantic, the ceaseless depth chargings, gasping for air, limping back into port, mauled and beaten, yet still alive. They went to war for their country. Nearly all of them perished. Now, read this tragic true story of one of the few U-boat commanders who lived to tell the tale. The Iron Coffin would not claim Herbert Werner's life. His book preserves the saga of Germany's undersea struggle. A masterpiece!


The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins Juvenile Books (1999)
Author: Julie Andrews Edwards
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Fantastic. An absolutely wonderful book.
This book appealed to me when I first saw it in my school library when I was in 4th grade. I am now a freshman in high school, and this book has tied with any of "The Chronicles of Narnia" for the best children's book I have ever read. The detail and colorful, imaginative scenes that Ms. Edwards paints for her readers with her words are timeless. The plot was not too hard for a 9-year-old to understand, but somehow the book doesn't make even a teenager feel embarrassed to be seen in public with it. I loved in it fourth grade, and I love it now. Definitely a literary treasure for those who are young at heart.

Teaches the important lessons of life, no matter your age.
Julie Edwards takes us on a magical trip which is only possible for those who can use their imaginations and carefully observe their surroundings. Children will love the comical creatures who can only defeat them if they allow their emotions, both positve and negative, to be used against them. I have read this story to classes from Grade Four to Grade Six and all the children have loved the plot and characters. The children will learn to deal with Swamp Gaboons and Tree Squeaks, which are found on all elementary school playgrounds, as well as Sidewinders and the Prock who are found in most elementary school staffrooms. A wonderful book!

Imagination 101 - a timeless gift for kids & adults!
I first discovered this book over 12 years ago when it was only available in hard cover while I was running the young readers section of a bookstore. We only carried one copy but after I had read the book myself I began recommending it to people who wanted something "really special" to give to children. Soon we had to keep 2-3 copies on the shelf to accomodate our customers. I have to admit I gushed about this book...it's one of the finest explorations of imagination I have ever run across (and since I have a personal library of over 10,000 books *besides* all the others I've read, I feel that I have a good perspective! ). This was the first 'big' children's book that I read aloud to my own children (who where then four and two). They were enthralled. We read a chapter a night and the one time I was too sick to read, they *insisted* on *two* chapters the next night! I'm so glad that this book is now available in paperback so that more people can enjoy it...but I'm glad that I have my copy in hard cover because I know that it will be read many more times over the years! (hey! I've read it more than five times already myself!!) This is a classic that is suitable for all ages...except perhaps infants!


Rilla of Ingleside (Gramercy Classics for Young People)
Published in Hardcover by Grammercy (1997)
Authors: Robert McGinnis and Lucy Maud Montgomery
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best in the series!!
This is my favorite book in the Anne series. Rilla is a fourteen year old, vain, carefree girl without any ambitions but to have fun and have many beaux when she is thrown into the relentless Hell known as War. It's a story of loss and love and growth. It's incredibly romantic. It's sad but the sad thing that happens is for the best (I see that now even though I tried to fight it for so long). In my opinion, out of all the L.M. Montgomery books that I've read, Rilla is the only main character with any sense when it comes to who she loves and knowing, at least having an inkling, that they love her back. It's a wonderful story that everyone should read. Even my friend who hates Montgomery books loved it.

EXCELLENT book!!!
hey, i have read every "Anne book" and the "Emily books", and I have recently re-read "Rilla of Ingleside". "Rilla of Ingleside" and "Anne of Green Gables" are my favorite LMM books I've read so far. Rilla goes through the difficulf times during WW1 that were the worst the world has seen until WW2. I cried the first time i read it and i cried the second time, too! One of the most touching things in this book is how Little Dog Monday stays at the train station the ENTIRE time that Jem is away at war and I think the chapter-LITTLE DOG MONDAY KNOWS- was very good(I won't say what he knows....read to find out!:) But it is SOOO sad!! ) This is VERY good, one of my ALL-time favorites(I have read alot) and I strongly urge you to read it, but if you haven't read the other ANNE books, read them first....each book refers back to previous ones ocassionally. Happy Reading!!! : )

Rilla-my-Rilla
Since Anne what not as much of a main character in this book, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I didn't think I would because she was not in it. However, I now think, that it is one of the best books in the series.( Since I can't choose just one book, thats the highest compliment I can give.) In the beginning Rilla a frivolous, nonambitious girl who only wants the most fun life can give her. She knows nothing of the sorrows or horrors of life, beyond her worries of who she'll dance with...This book tells the story of Rilla's life during the horrrible, "war to end all wars". During this time, faced with pain, sorrow, and duty she proves herself as a true woman and worthy of her handsome Kenneth Ford.


Mandy
Published in Paperback by HarperTrophy (1989)
Authors: Julie Andrews Edwards and Judith Gwyn Brown
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:)
--Ten-year-old Mandy lives at a girls' orphanage and wants her own family and own home. Her latter wish is granted when she discovers a small cottage in the woods behind the orphanage. Over most of the year, Mandy fixes up the cottage and plants a lovely garden, but when she suddenly falls ill at the cottage one night, no one can find her. Or so she thought: Mandy actually has a good friend whom she doesn't even know about. --This is a rare type of book: it was sweet yet still lively, which is something which is both unusual and great to read. --Marisa

Julie Andrews= Talent
Julie Andrews' name is next to the word *TALENT* in the dictionary. She can sing better than *anyone* in the world, she is an absolutely pheunomenal, versatile actress (she won an Academy Award for Best Actress to prove it), an absobloominlutely AMAZING writer and has a personality to die for. Let me ask you, how is it possible to be all these things and then be EXTREMELY Beautiful???
I don't know how she does it! But I'm postively mesmerized by everything she's done.
Anyhoo, onto the book. Mandy is VERY VERY VERY well-written and as I've said previoulsly, its hard to believe that someone who cna sing and act as perfectly as Julie can write to wonderfull as well! Julie adds so much detail so you know every little thing thats going on in the story. You can almost SMELL the flowers and see the garden and feel the love! It's tremondous. I could read this book OVER and OVER until someone finally whacks me over the head and slaps me back into reality. If you love this book (I can't imagine anyone NOT loving this book) I HIGHLY recommened Julie Andrews Edwards' other children's novel "The Last Of The Really Great WHangdoodles", kinda sounds like something from the woman who put Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious into our vocabulary, doesn't it? 'Whandoodles' is so creative and so wonderful!!!
Bravo, Dame Julie!
BY THE WAY- further back in the comments someone said that Julie wrote this because she lost a bet to her daughter Emma Kate, she ACTUALLY lost a bet with her daughter *Jennifer*. The bet was that if Julie didn't stop swearing (or cursing) Jen would make her right a book....looks like Julie couldn't stop. :-)

GREAT BOOK, GREAT AUTHOR, GREAT FUN!

Mandy
I absolutley love this book. My Grandma gave it to me as a present when I was 8 or 9 and I didn't even really like to read, but this was an amaizing story that really captures the reader. Mandy was so interesting to read about. I couldn't put the book down when I started reading it. I would fall asleep reading it! It was an easy book to read, no difficult words or ideas, so it would be ideal for a younger child, but it was also so interesting that an older person could definatey enjoy it. It is still my favorite book. I've loved this book for almost 10 years and I have no idea how many times I read it. But it's still good and draws me into the fantasy ever time I read it. I'd reccomend this book for a mom to read to her daughter. I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.


The Gashlycrumb Tinies
Published in Paperback by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (05 November, 1998)
Author: Edward Gorey
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highly amusing
This is the first Gorey I have ever read. I just read it today. Here are my impressions:

As my title indicates, I found it highly amusing. I found myself laughing out loud a few times while reading this very short book.

The illustrations are fantastic as you can gather from most of these reviews. Most of the illustrations are funny but I might note the exception to that in the gruesome image of Kate's corpse after being struck with an ax. I think that's the only illustration taking place after the event. That proved to be an exception though. The book is very amusing and hilarious at times.

It's an anti-children's book for adults. It can be a funny remedy to the insipid and happy-go-lucky kinds of children's books. That doesn't mean this is just for parents or those particularly sick with those children's books. I think anyone with a decent sense of humor, and especially a dark one, would enjoy this.

It's short. I don't know why the information says it's 64 pages because there are only 26 letters in the alphabet. Anyway, my point is that it's just a little humorous diversion.

This hardcover edition is really great. It's high quality and just plain nice...

Undescribable
This book was read to me when I was little as a bed-time story. There is nothing quite like Gorey's, well, gorey sense of humor. I very much appreciate a nice twist in life, especially now that I attend a boarding school in highschool. The Harvey and Hutter Company makes posters actually of the book. It's wonderful, but there is that something you miss in reading the small adult picturebook that Gorey intended. Overall, one of the most memorable books I have ever read and by far the most interesting way to learn your alphabet as a child.

Not recommended for the weak of stomach.

Hilariously creepy
The concept behind "The Gashlycrumb Tinies; or, After the Outing," by Edward Gorey, is brilliant in its simplicity. It consists of a series of rhymes about small children who suffer various deaths. Each child has a name beginning with a different letter of the alphabet, and their grim fates are arranged alphabetically by name. Each fate is also accompanied by one of Gorey's macabre drawings. Sample lines: "E is for Ernest who choked on a peach. F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech. G is for George smothered under a rug. H is for Hector done in by a thug."

I found this book hilarious. Gorey's children have a proper Victorian look to them which makes their scenarios that much more bizarre. Most of the drawings show the unfortunate children just before their deaths; only a few of the pictures actually show explicit death or violence.

One could read "Gashlycrumb Tinies" as an outrageous parody of children's books (of alphabet primers in particular), or just enjoy it for what it is. Either way, I think it's a wicked delight.


The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation
Published in Paperback by Collins Harvill (1986)
Authors: Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn and Edward E. Ericson
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Bombastic Brilliant Unforgetable
What ever faults "Gulag Archipelago" may have, it is a monumental and important work. For anyone who does not know the meaning of the title, "Gulag" is the Russian word for prison, and an archipelago is, of course, a chain of islands. The idea behind this is that the Soviet concentration camp system under Lenin and Stalin were like an island of prisons spread all over the Soviet Union.

The content of "Gulag Archipelago" is quite extraordinary. Solzhenitsyn includes countless anecdotes of prisoners and their families in various phases of arrest, interrogation, imprisonment, slave labor, death, or release. He buttresses these stories with statistics, and with his own personal narrative of his years in the Gulag. The information in this book is simply staggering, not only for the cruelty and evil it describes but also the folly. The Soviet government murdered indiscriminately across all lines of race, class, and gender. In many cases, it murdered the most brilliant and productive members of its society--the very people who could have built it into something great.

Many people take umbrage with Solzhenitsyn's style, which involves a lot of ranting and run-on footnotes. Personally, I find his narrative interesting and invigorating. Solzhenitsyn's narrative is vigorous, untrammeled and loaded with sarcasm. While many find this gimmicky or uncultured, it helped buoy me through the unbearable sadness of the book's subject matter.

Obviously this book isn't for everybody and it requires a considerable degree of fortitude to get through it. But I think it is essential in all our lives to read this book or one similar to it.

Death to Communism!
It is a rare occurrence in the history of the human race when a truly great man rises up from the masses and passes on to the rest of us an eternal truth or knowledge that will serve as a testament against the forces of evil. Alexander Solzhenitsyn must certainly rank as one of these great men. All people who live in freedom should speak his name with reverence, and all should read the unabridged edition of 'The Gulag Archipelago,' the author's indictment against the most evil creation mankind ever fashioned: Marxist-Leninist Communism.

Like other great men, Solzhenitsyn's early life gave little indication of the monumental importance he would one day achieve. But one day, while serving as an officer in the Soviet army during WWII, something happened to our author that happened to so many others under the Soviet regime: Solzhenitsyn was arrested for insubordination, sentenced to eight years, and thrown into the gaping maw of the Gulag prison system. Unfortunately for the memory of the 'Great Father' (read Joey Stalin), this obscure army officer lived to tell the tale of all he saw and heard during his imprisonment. The result is the voluminous three volume series presented here in translation. 'The Gulag Archipelago' serves as both an indictment of the evil Soviet regime and as a memorial for the untold millions who died in the camps.

The overarching theme of this book is the process, from start to finish, of internment in the Gulag system. Starting with the dreaded 'knock in the middle of the night,' the author traces the nightmare of incarceration through the interrogation, the sentencing, the transportation to the prison camps, the grinding work conditions of the camps, and the eventual release into eternal exile or tentative freedom. Solzhenitsyn repeatedly delves into historical analysis, biography, journalism, philosophical musings, and literature to present his account. What emerges is page after page of heartrending suffering that is nearly incomprehensible to any sane human mind. The endless accounts of cruelty sicken the soul and should strike anyone who thinks communism is a great system of government deaf and dumb.

Volume one begins the harrowing odyssey into madness, outlining Solzhenitsyn's own arrest, the endless waves of people that fed the prison system, the interrogation procedures used to elicit false confessions to meaningless crimes, the dreaded Soviet criminal code containing the notorious 'Article 58' under which millions went to jail as political prisoners, the disintegration of the Soviet legal system to what basically amounted to a rubber stamp type of sentencing, and the transportation of prisoners via train to the eastern reaches of the Soviet empire.

Volume two deals mainly with camp life, with all of the trials and travails a person faced and how people struggled to survive. It is here we learn about Stalin's canal building projects and the thousands who died to fulfill the sick dreams of a ruthless sociopath. We see the horrible rations prisoners were forced to survive upon while having their ears filled with disgusting propaganda about how their work was important in helping to create the worker's paradise. The second volume also contains a history about how the gulag system emerged and how it spread, a discussion about loyal communists who so internalized the party belief system that they refused to believe Stalin sold them out, and chapters about the different types of people confined to the gulag (trusties, thieves, kids, women, and politicals).

Volume three focuses mostly on prisoner defiance of the terrible conditions in the prisons, discussing escape attempts (especially Georgi Tenno, a hero to the human race and indefatigable in his disobedience of the Soviet authorities), and outright prison revolts where the entire population of a prison banded together against the common evil. We then see Solzhenitsyn's release into exile and his ultimate 'rehabilitation' after the death of Stalin and the rise of Khrushchev and his 'moderate' reforms. The series ends with a call for more investigations into Soviet atrocities committed in the gulags.

No summary could completely outline the scope of this book; so enormous is the amount of detail held in these pages. The reader is tirelessly assailed with the names of those butchered under the hammer and sickle. Predictably, most of the blame for these murders falls on Comrade Stalin, author of the kulakization pogroms, the endless political purges, and the continuous sufferings inflicted on the various peoples under his control. Always referring to this beast in the most insolent and sarcastic tones imaginable, Solzhenitsyn rightly calls Stalin 'Satan.' Hitler was a mere schoolboy when held up to the unholy terror of the 'great' Dzhugashvili.

Still, one gets the sense of the majesty and power of the great Russian people in these accounts. Nothing will keep these people down for long. Everything the camps threw at these many of these wondrous creatures failed to break their spirit. They figured out how to lessen the back breaking labor of the camps, learned how to stay alive on rations barely fit for a dog, struggled to escape the chains that bound them to the death camps. Although the author laments the docility of those serving sentences, there are enough tales of bravery and defiance to warm the most cynical heart.

I highly recommend reading the unabridged version of 'The Gulag Archipelago.' There used to be an abridged version of some 900 pages floating around, but only the 2000-page edition brings home the full scope of the evils of communism. Accessibility is a problem, but stare into the eyes of Yelizaveta Yevgenyevna Anichkova on page 488 in the first volume and tell me her memory does not deserve an effort on your part to read every page of one of the most important books ever written.

A Work that Makes You Think - "Thank God I wasn't there!"
I read this work while doing research in preparation for my senior Western Civilization presentation. Most students struggle to locate primary sources of any merit, it was not so when I found The Gulag Archipelago. Not only did I find that it provided me with an understanding of the Soviet penal system, Solzhenitsyn also manages to bring his words to life using his own experiences and recognizing his own faults. I would recommend this book to any student who didn't mind wading through long tirades and could fully appreciate the style the author uses to make his statement.


Anne of Green Gables (Book and Charm)
Published in Paperback by HarperFestival (1999)
Author: L. M. Montgomery
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Anne of Green Gables
"I'll try and do anything and be anything you want if only you'll keep me." This is how "Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery begins.
Anne Shirley is a twelve-year-old girl who is brought to Green Gables only to find they were expecting a boy. The Cuthberts however, are one over by this queer, imaginative girl with bright, red hair and decide to allow her to stay.
Green Gables is a lovely, little farm just outside of a small town on Prince Edward Island called Avonlea. It is surrounded by fields and forests, which hold many surprises for adventurous Anne.
Throughout this book Anne's fierce temper and wild imagination often get the better of her, but she usually manages to squeeze out of these scrapes.
Anne's melodramatic nature and fiery temper keeps you interested as you read this marvelous book.
Montgomery's humorous writing style gives life to the characters so that you feel like you are meeting them in person.
I think that this was a wonderful book filled with humor, drama and tears. I would recommend this book to anyone that has ever had a dream and loves a good book.

The best book in literary history
first of all, let me begin with I LOVE THIS BOOK! I have read this book more times than I can remember...easily more than a dozen...thus, I am going to set my mind to write a glowing review of it.

This book portrays a stunning sketch of Canadian History and Culture in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The character personalities are so real and so amazingly "human" that one cannot help but fall in love with them. You really get a taste of PEI in its glory.

This story is set in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island (Canada), a fictional settlement which is really Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, the place where Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author grew up.

The main character is Anne Shirley...and eleven year old, enigmatic, imaginative, sparkling, highly intelligent orphan who is sent to Green Gables, a farmhouse in Avonlea, under the impression that she was to be adopted by a pair of elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthburt. But, apon arrival to Green Gables, Anne discovers that there had been a horrible mistake...the Cuthburts never wanted a girl...they wanted a boy who could do the chores and help Matthew with the farm. Anne was was in the "depths of dispair". Matthew, on the drive home from the train station had taken a great shine to Anne and had his heart set on keeping her, regardless of any mistake. Marilla, however, was not so easily enchanted. She agreed to let Anne stay at Green Gables on trial, to see if she would behave herself and lend a helpful hand to Marilla. After the trial, Anne is welcomed to Green Gables and flourishes under the love of the Cuthburts and all Avonlea folk. Anne, however, has one big problem. Her Hair. It is a hopeless shade of carrotty red and Anne felt that it was the ugliest hair anyone could imagine. She was extremely sensitive about it and she was horribly embarrassed about it. On her first day of school, Anne's hair was made fun of by Gilbert Blythe, the smartest and handsomest boy in school. "Carrots! Carrots!" he said. Anne's temper got the better of her and she was so angry she broke a slate over his head. After that, for many years, she snubbed Gilbert every time he spoke to her and he developed a boyhood crush on her.

Ah, but to keep this review interesting and the book mysterious, I will stop telling you the story and begin reviewing. The characters in the book are so well-defined that it seems to you that you know every character personally, like an old friend or neighbour.

And by all means, don't let the age recommendation fool you either...this book can be read by all ages alike...and I have no doubt that this book will still be my avid favorite at the age of 85.

The book is not boring, contrary to many opinions of those who read the first chapter of small print and historical settings. The discriptions will place you right into the heart of the story and you find you will laugh and cry while reading this story. Every time I read it I cry at a certain part which I'm not sure if I should reveal to you for fear of spoiling the good parts in the story, but it is dreadfully sad. If you read the book, then you will know what part I am talking about. The one saddest part in the whole story.

Although this book has some old ideas and ways of expressing them, you will learn a great deal of Canadian history through them and there's no doubt in my mind that this book will still be popular decades and most likely even centuries to come.

A must read for every girl, young or young at heart
Anne of Green Gables is one of my all-time favorite books. Anne is a person almost everyone can relate to in some way or another. Anne is launched into the "depths of despair" as soon as she finds out the horrible truth that the Mathew and Marilla really sent for a boy from the orphanage. Her fiery temper gets the better of her at some of the worst possible times. Such as when she vows that she will never forgive Gilbert Blythe for calling her carrots, as if smashing a slate over his head is not enough. This is a wonderful book that L. M. Montgomery has really shown her skill as a writer and novelist in. I have read the entire Anne of Green Gables Series and am also, like another reader, saving them all for my daughter some day. If you want a book that you can thoroughly enjoy, this is the one, although I have one warning that you may have a hard time putting it down.


Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Published in Hardcover by Atheneum (1974)
Authors: Robert C. O'Brien and Edward S. Gazi
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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
How would you like to be a rat living on a farm during harvest time, and on top of that you have a sick child. In the fictional adventure by Robert C. O'briens Newberry award winning novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. In this book Mrs. Frisby goes to desperate measures to get help and to move her house so it won't get hit by the trackter. If you like adventure and survival, you should read this book.

This book is full of adventure and witty humor. it is a fictional novel that is mostly about survival as Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mother, tries to find a way to move her house without having to make her son Timothy, who is very sick, come out of the house into the cold. So she goes out looking for help and finds it in a group of super-smart mice that escaped from a laboratory named the Rats of Nimh. This pack of lab rats devise a plan to move Mrs. Frisby's house.

This novel is for young adults from the age of 9 to 15 years. This is because the story talks about death, some humor kids might not understand. There is also one point of violence where the farmers cat, Dragon, attacks the rats. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, has some parts where teens will like, in some of the witty plans the rats come up with to move the Frisby household.

This book is written in third person. It has Mrs. Frisby whos husband died and was left to take care of her children. When moving day comes her son Timothy gets very sick and can't go outside or his condition might get worse and he could die. So she gets help in the Rats of Nimh and they come up with a plan.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, is a Newberry Medal award winner jam-packed full of adventureand survival. This book is definatly not for children under 8 or 9 years old.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm is one of the best books I ever read. Everything in this book is so specific. When you look in it you might think it looks hard, but it realy is not. I usualy hate reading chapter books, but this one is great. I realy recomend this book to you. In this book,Mrs.Frisby's son (Timothy) gets sick. Mrs.Frisby has to go to a doctor named Mr.Ages. Mr. Aages gives the medicin to Mrs. Frisby to make Timothy better. But when she gets home she finds out she has to move soon because Mr. Fitzgibbon (the ouner of the house) is going to plow their home. A lot of other exciting stuff happens in this book, but you have to find out yourself.

A wholesome read for any age
After some consideration, I decided this was my favorite book as a child. However, it can be enjoyed by people of any age. Through mice and other small personified animals, Robert C O'Brien built a tale that is impossible to put down or frown upon. When the youngest of a family of mice falls ill with pneumonia, he is forced to stay indoors. This presents a serious problem, since the family must soon move to their summer home or be plowed by the farmer's tractor who owns the field. The mother and head of the family, Mrs. Frisby, is forced to turn to a mysterious group of rats living under a rose bush for help. What Mrs. Frisby hadn't known, however, was the rats' connection with her late husband Jonathon Frisby...Hopefully, this short summary is intriguing enough to make you read this book. You won't regret it.


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