This book gives a great overview of the meaning of the tarot. The book is thourough, easy to read, and like the title says, "simple". There are about 2 pages of possible meanings for each card.

The reader is left to infer the real meaning of the card based opon a variety of given meanings. Situation is given, as are Key Words, and associations with People.

This is all well and fine, but what part of what do I read about, as a beginner? (Hypothetically) I'm not actually a beginner.. and I can figure it out. But this book is marketed for beginners. It is almost TOO broad. With all the possible meanings, which one is the one appropriate for your reading?

I'd recommend this book, NOT if you are a beginner, but if you are somewhat experienced in the Tarot and want new and different insights and ideas as to the interpretations of the cards.

Picking up a deck of Tarot Cards is like jumping feet first into a cold lake. It may be exhilerating, but it's pretty intimidating as well, especially to a seeker who has no idea what he or she is about to get into. This book offers hope, practical advice, and common-sense answers to the beginner, the intermediate student, and the advanced adept alike.

Lavishly illustrated with the lovely Robin Wood cards, but applicable to any deck, Louis' remarkable observations and essays on each card are on the mark, easily understood, and readily remembered to any serious student of the Tarot.

Louis seeks more than "how to read," and instead teaches the meaning of each card as a tool of self inspection. If the reader cannot read his or herself, she or he cannot read another. Instead, Louis looks to the symbolism, the richness, and the history of each card as pertains to the reader. "Know thyself" was the inscription of the Oracle of Delphi, and Louis has tried to apply that knowledge to his interpretaion of the cards.

The result is a splendid text for beginner or experienced practitioner alike. A wonderful read, a glorious illustrated guide, and a charming introduction to an art too long held too arcane for the layman. "Tarot: Plain and Simple" is the best addition to the field in thrity years!

I gave up on the study of the Tarot in the early 1980s because I couldn't find a book which was not written in archaic, stilted English. I found "Tarot Plain and Simple" several months ago and will say that it has changed my life. I find it the perfect tool (now that I can understand, in depth, the meaning of the cards and their relationships) for focusing my intuitive abilities. Regardless of where you are personally in your Tarot study, this book cannot but help you in so many ways to develop your innate perception of the human condition. And if you are a Tarot beginner, as I was, you will be amazed at the ease with which you can progress in your pursuit of understanding. I wish I had had this book twenty years ago! Enjoy.

In the Bondwoman's Narrative, the meat of the book for me is the introduction by Henry Louis Gates. Gates obtained the manuscript of this fictionalized autobiography of the mysterious Hannah Crafts, a slave woman. It has yet to be determined if in fact that was the author's real name or a fictitious one. Also in question is the validity of the story. I think Gates has established a good argument of proclaiming this the first narrative written by a female fugitive slave usurping his previous discovery of Harriet Jacob of Our Nig. Galvanized by the discovery that the manuscript was formerly owned by Dorothy Porter Wesley, former librarian at Howard University, Gates does an excellent job of authenticating the manuscript with ink and paper specialists.

The story of Hannah Crafts' escape from slavery and how her mixed blood was instrumental in the facilitation of that escape is unremarkable in the respect that we have read and heard it before. The figure of the tragic mulatto is common among slave narratives, the trials and tribulation of being enslaved, suffering the cruelties of the institution yet not considering oneself the average slave. Indeed Hannah was a house slave and until she ran away, she had not incurred any real hardship. When she is faced with the possibility of being forced to marry a slave she deems beneath her as well as the terror of moving to the slave quarters amidst the squalor and poverty of it all, she rebels.

A white woman taught her to read and write and she served in the household of educated masters where books were aplenty. This probably accounts for the flowery, lyrical writing style reminiscent of Jane Austen and other writers of that time.

This book is one that will stay in the personal library especially of those who are history, African American studies, and genealogy enthusiasts. The reading of this has re-established my interest in slave narratives and the genealogy, history and culture of our race.

This book is the autobiographical story of Hannah Crafts, a slave who, with her female owner, fled from her plantation in North Carolina. What is amazing is that this book is apparently the first novel written by an African-American female and was only recently dicovered.It took me a while to get used to the author's narrative style but it was well worth the effort. The introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr. is also excellent and helps to better understand the historical context of this important book. Highly recommended.

In THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE Hannah Crafts eloquently details the experiences of a light skinned female slave in the South in the decades preceding the Civil War. Discovered in the form as an unpublished manuscript by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. it is believed that this is the first slave narrative written by an African-American woman from only her perspective. Gates provides thorough scientific and literary evidence in both the forward and appendix proving its authenticity. I give Gates the benefit of the doubt that this manuscript is authentic as I am not an expert to judge otherwise. Regardless, THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a thoroughly enjoyable book that kept me reading far beyond my original intentions. I especially enjoyed the sections describing her accounts of running away from her master and mistress to freedom. Also admirable are her depictions of the evil slave speculator Mr. Trappe. What a hateful man he was to totally disregard the well being of slave for the sheer enjoyment of monetary profit. Hannah has the ability to make these characters come alive and does a good job at representing this painful time in American history. I applaud Gates for publishing the manuscript therefore enabling others to enjoy and sympathize with the life journey of Hannah. Enjoy!

. . .I remember first seeing these books when my friends read them in high school. They looked like "bodice rippers" if you looked at the covers that Bantam Publishing Company gave them, and I figured my folks would never let me bring them into the house. Well. . .twenty years later, I rediscovered them via the Internet, and the old adage "never judge a book by its cover" definitely applies here. I have found all nine books that made it into English before going out of print, and am halfway through Number 6 in the series (Countess Angelique). You will learn about French history, mining, chemistry, and later in the series, sailing and settling in the New World during the early days of America's colonization. The research, care, and love that Serge and Anne Golon put into these books shows on every page.

"Angelique: Marquise of the Angels" is the one that started it all. It's worth the price of the book just to read the wonderful chapter where she and her husband--who were not in love when they entered their arranged marriage--discover that love has found them and they finally become a married couple in every sense of the word. (Is it hot in here, or is it just me?)

Throughout all her adventures, Angelique is sometimes up, sometimes down, but she's never ever out of the game. Like Scarlett O'Hara and Timex watches, she "takes a licking and keeps on ticking." Now, if we could just get those last three books translated into English. . .:)

I've just bought this book for the third time, the other two fell to pieces through re-reading. Unquestionably Angelique is the greatest hero ever invented (I say hero because she outshines characters of either sex). She's been compared to Robin Hood, James Bond, Joan of Arc and Scarlett O'Hara, but leaves them all for dead in depth of characterisation, spirit, deeds and everything else. I've read thousands of books and sagas, and the Angelique series is by far the best series of books ever written IMHO - even better than Lord of the Rings, which I've only read 5 times as compared to Angelique's 10 so far. It has everything - adventure, an incredibly strong leading character, pace, plot, romance, death, lust, conflict and historical accuracy. It has inspired me to visit France (and I live in Australia) many times to see the areas where the first five books are based, and I plan to visit Maine and Canada, the scene of books 6 to 10. And I'm determined to read the last three books, so far untranslated from the original French, even if I have to pay for the translation myself - one day soon.

I ran into this book one afternoon at my grandmother's place (she and my aunt kept talking about how great the series was and I never paid much attention to them). That day I was so bored that I decided to take a look at it. To my surprise I LOVED IT, I couldn't stop reading and even took it to work. It is wonderfully written, the Angelique character is very well constructed, the story is believable and the historical background of XVIII century France is magnificiently portrayed. I've just finished Angelique and the Sultan (Indomable Angelica, in Spanish), the fourth in the series and I'm dying to read the next ones but my granma lost them! I looked them up at AMAZON but they're out of print... still, I placed the order and i'm hoping they find them for me. Mr. Publisher: Please reprint them!

This book, like most of Dumas' work is wonderful. His adventure stories still evoke a sense of wonderment and raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Most movies of the same titles do not portray the events as he wrote them, but I have found that most accomodate the tempo or the 'feel' of his novels. I would additionally like to set the record straight on the trilogy argument that I see in most of the reviews in this page. The series was originally published as a trilogy, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and Vicomte de Bragelonne. The Vicomte de Bragelonne is now published by most in three volumes: Vicomte de Bragellone, Louise de la Valliere, and finally The Man in the Iron Mask. I have seen it split into four parts with Ten Years Later being placed in between the Vicomte de Bragellone and Louise de la Valliere. This splitting was done because when the three are combined, or rather not split, the novel is large and cumbersome to read. I hope that all this literary information does not detract one from the greatness of this series however, it is truly a wonderful tale to read about, and the story endures through to modern times with the same ferver in which it was released.

Out of all of the Alexandre Dumas novels I have read, this is the only one with an upbeat ending. I say this because I have run into more than one person who claims that s/he would like Dumas novels if only things ended well for the heroes once in a while. If you're that sort of reader, this book is for you. If you do like the other Dumas novels, this book is also for you.

Twenty Years After is the second part of the Musketeer Cycle (after The Three Musketeers and before The Vicomte of Bragelone/Louise de la Valliere/The Man in the Iron Mask). It contains everything that makes Dumas, Dumas: unmatched adventure writing, wonderful prose, and beautifully developed characters.

I can't recomend this story enough.

I really liked Twenty Years After. It's weird to end off at the Three Musketeers and suddenly find Lous XIII and Richeleau dead and D'Artagnan in his early forties, but Dumas does a great job with this book. I liked how D'Artagnan goes in search of his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis to reunite them to aid Cardinal Mazarin. It's really strange to see D'Artagnan as a Cardinalist early in the book, but with his three friends, they once again ally themselves with the king, of England that is. For all you readers of the Three Musketeers who were sad to see De Winter gone, beware, something far more deadly that Milady is waiting for the musketeers in this book. After you finish this fine classic, go ahead and read the Vicomte de Bragelonne and Louis de la Valliere, they may be tedious and have little to do with the musketeers, execpt D'Artagnan, but they set the atmosphere just perfect for the final book, The Man in the Iron Mask

Beverly Cleary, a well-known author who writes books for kids and teenagers, has come up with another winner. Ralph zoomed into my house on his motorcycle and stayed for over 100 pages. Most of the time, I enjoyed reading about his crazy behavior. I can just imagine myself riding up and down the hallway at night, caught in a pillowcase, and figuring that the best way to get out is by using my full set of teeth. Ralph also made me laugh when he was covered with a drinking glass by two people who didn't want any rodents around. They let him loose outside, and when someone finally opened the front door to walk the dog, Ralph jumped back inside. I would recommend this fun book for kids from 6 to 16 who like

This reviews the audiotape of the "chapter book" that is read in my child's 2nd grade class. It is more exciting to listen to the audio version than reading the book silently or out loud (though it's big stuff to be able to read a chapter book). The storyteller was well picked for this task. He has wonderful sound effects and different voices for each of the characters and uses them well and consistently throughout all three stories in this series. The class especially loved the sounds Ralph, the mouse, makes to get his motorcycle to move. If your child likes this tape, then I recommend you try all three audiotapes in the "Mouse" series. My child listens to them constantly, especially when travelling in the car, and though I enjoyed listening the first few times, there are occasions when I'd rather not hear them again. However, I still recommend this series for young children, and it is still fun to see my child's imagination captured by a small talking mouse and his adventures.

I believe that Beverly Cleary is the world's most important children's author. Even adults will read and enjoy Beverly Cleary's books. my personal favorite is The Mouse and the Motorcycle. It is about a mouse named Ralph. Ralph is a regular speed demon. He has a love for the thrill of speed. The Mouse and the Motorcycle teaches the values of keeping promises and honesty. Ralph is always breaking promises. Everytime he does, something happens that causes a big problem. The book teaches respect. When Ralph ignores his mother, something happens like falling in a wastepaper basket. In the story's conclusion, Ralph realizes all he wants is to be a respectable mouse. The Mouse and the Motorcycle is enjoyable for all audiences. Its fun and exciting plot makes it a good read-aloud story. A good example of this can be found on page 23. "There it was at the end-the motorcycle! Ralph stared at it and then walked over and kicked a tire. Close up the motorcycle looked even better than he expected. it was new and shiny with a good pair of tires. Ralph walked all the way around it, examining the pair of chromium mufflers and the engine and the hand clutch. It even had a little license plate so it would be legal to ride it. "Boy!" Ralph said to himself, his whiskers quivering with excitement. "Boy, oh Boy!"." Every boy and girl of any age would love this story! Comparing Beverly Cleary's books, I have discovered they should be rated first. The majority of children's books are aimed mainly to young girls while Beverly Cleary's books are enjoyed by girls and boys. Beverly Cleary's books promote good values unlike books such as Sideways Storys from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. The children in these stories do not respect their elders. Beverly Cleary's beleivable characters make her silly plots seem real. Louis Sachar's characters are not believable which make the plot just plain weird. The Mouse and the Motorcycle should be considered a children's classic.

Picking up right where she left off, my favorite little girl has just started half-day kindergarten. She must deal with her older sister making fun of her, not being allowed to pull a little girl's curls and walking to school with Howie (the boy from down the street whom Ramon could do without).

Ramona is just like any other 5-year old. She gets confused and throws fits. She is such a loveable character because a most wonderful author creates her so deftly and realistically.

The text is appropriate for students in grades 2-5. It also works well in a read-aloud setting with this age group. These students (and teachers and parents as well) will get a kick out of remembering how confusing a time kindergarten can be. I recall hearing it read to me in 2nd grade and now have done the same with my students. A good laugh was heard everyday from our room.

Why 5 stars?:
Cleary repeatedly made young people reflect upon their own days as an even younger person with a string of books about experiencing the world through the eyes of a curious little girl with a will all of her own. This book is the second in the series that predates Junie B. Jones and was much better written.

This book is a brilliantly, hilariously accurate insight into a five-year-old's mind. I know because I read it when I *was* five. (Another reviewer said it was intended for ages 9-12... cripes, was I THAT precocious?)

I'd really recommend this book for any child, but especially for children who are always in trouble. It really is therapy for a pest.

I think it's also therapy for precocious readers - this isn't something adults often think of, but a kid who's ahead of her age can get very sick of reading books about much older children. I absolutely fell on the Ramona books because she was the first heroine I could really relate to. :)

Ramona Quimby is a timeless character. I read this book when I was a kid (too many years ago to mention) and this has to be one of my all time favorites.

Beverly Cleary is an author who really knows what kids are like. Now that I am a kindergarten teacher, I see a room full of Ramonas most every day and each character in this book, from Susan with the "boinggg" curls, to Davy, to Howie, and, of course, Ramona herself, are real!

This is a book that I pull out and read again from time to time when I need a laugh! I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages!

Nancy is my favorite character in the book Sideway Stories from Wayside School. I like it because... the chapter is very funny because if you think nancy is a girl you are totally wrong! It's a boy! He has big handsand feet and he thinks Nancy is a girls name. His class, Mrs. Jewls's class, thought his name was odd too. There are 23 people in his Class (not counting him). Before they had Mrs.Jewls they had Mrs. Gorf. I'm going to tell you about the whole story. So read it if you like weird books you will love this book !

If you like pointless funny books read this. Sideways Stories from Wayside School is a great book. If you're like me and like pointless books this the book for you. This school has thirty floors but no nineteenth story. Strange! Yeah! This does not have chapters but it has stories about kids in the school. Let me tell you these kids are weird. They paint crazy pictures; they fall asleep and fall out of windows. These are just a few of the crazy stories. Go get a copy of this.

It opens with children-turned apples turning their teacher, Mrs. Gorf, into an apple and giving her to their gym teacher, Louis (the author) to eat.

Need I say more?

This book is hilarious. I could just see kids I know going to a school thirty stories tall, with a classroom on each side, struggling through torturous mosquito bites, a teacher who thinks you're a monkey, and all sorts of kooky and downright hilarious characters. I could read this over and over. It is so realistic, yet oh so spacy.

I first read this book when I was about seven or eight. I have read it over and over with each of my five younger siblings and it gets funnier each time. Sachar has a way of appealing to all audiences.

Parents, the Wayside school series is the easiest way to get boob-tube obsessed kids to read a good book for a change.

And it is a good book!

I was given this book by a friend and was surprised at the well-balanced combination of story, locale and apt descriptions of riding events.

Buck Jones: a rodeo cowboy who becomes seriously ill and must get rid of his beloved horse. I liked Buck a lot, and so did his friends in the story. He raised Old Black from a colt and only became a rodeo star after Old Black came on the scene as his roping horse. The day he got rid of his beloved pal was a heart-rending scene.

Small things impressed me. The arrival at the Bradley's farm with Jim's new horse -- he so wanted to show him off to the old black couple down the lane, but he had to wait. Things to do on the farm. Getting on the horse took some imagination for 10-year-old Jim Bradley, but he solved THAT! Then got an extension for his stirrup. Small things, but so important to the story.

Jim's first real horse show was an adventure for me. The hospitality suite he and his mother came upon, and got acquainted with the Robertsons and their daughters. Jim's performance in that western riding class was beautiful, as written.

I adored little Alexandra Meridith, her father. Her grandparents, Oscar and Ruby, were fine old people, and dearly loved by that little boy.

The series of chapters dealing with the rescue of the sheriff out in the woods was as stirring and exciting as could be. And it reeked of realism. That long episode was brought to a perfect conclusion, even if some concerns still were left dangling. But they were wrapped up later.

The funeral of a black lady was a fine piece of descriptive writing, touching.

The ending of the story was purely satisfying. The indignant lady in the stands was a good, good touch. How she finally came around to applaud Old Black after accusing him of hurting her daughters chances in the class. The unlikely but understandable award to Old Black. Then, something I can't tell because it would ruin the ending for readers, but it was just exactly what should have happened. Even if it caught be completely by surprise.

A great story.

Old Black is the most wholesome, absorbing, exciting, touching book I have ever read! And that's going back through a lot of books! Everything in the world that should be in it is there. Old Black the horse was as wonderful as his master, Jim Bradley.

I loved the old black couple, the Jacksons, who lived on the lane to the Bradley's little weekend ranch, and was truly touched by the genuine friendship between that couple and the Bradley family. All of the characters in the story, and there are quite a few, come vividly to life. You never have to think back and ask yourself, "Now just who is this walking on stage?" You know every one of them as if you had known them a long time.

The chapters involving the visit of Jim's Aunt Hazel and Uncle Harry are precious. Aunt Hazel has Alzheimer's disease and Uncle Harry is allowing her condition to get to him. It took the intuitive therapeutic interaction of a boy with compassion for his ailing aunt to show Uncle Har! ry, by examples, how to mitigate her suffering, how to lift her spirits. There was hilarity galore in those chapters, much of it at Aunt Hazel's expense, but it was never once in bad taste.

The rescue of Sheriff Martinez in the woods by Jim and Old Black, which consumed several chapters, was an endless stream of excitement that continued to escalate right up to the very last page of chapter 24. It was a tough job for both the boy and his horse that almost proved to be impossible, but every bit of it was entirely credible.

Old Black is a beautiful piece of creative writing. The story moved. It had a start, a middle, and definitely an ending, an ending that swept along through several chapters in such a rewarding way for the reader. Briggs never takes the writer's easy way out of a single scene or event, but works his plot with fascinating detail and excellent execution. The story was a fine blend of happiness, sadness, tragedy, and humor. Every aspect of the ending was perf! ect -- all the little loose ends that had collected along t! he way were neatly tied up in the most satisfying ways one could imagine -- even better than I ever imagined.

Without giving away the REAL treat at the very end, I will say I loved the way the jealousy toward Jim by the boy on the flashy horse was disposed of. That scene was a magnificent stroke! Then there is a very nice vignette involving that same boy at the very end that had best be left for the joy of reading it first hand. At that last horse show in the Astroarena, I swear I could hear the bawling, cackli! ng, mooing, crowing, grunting . . . of the animals, I was aware of the constant announcements over the loudspeakers, I smelled every aroma of the place, saw and heard the hay carts buzzing around, felt the presence of the activity going on all about -- I was THERE!

Old Black is a fairly long book --387 pages of text -- but I flew through it way too fast to suit me. We should be able to give an extra star to special books for appearances. This one is a beauty, with a nice oil painting for the cover, a pretty full-color map of "Old Black Territory" on the front and back endpapers, and at least five dozen gorgeous illutrations, which is why I presume the book was printed on such fine paper.

When you buy Old Black, you may as well buy two and get it over with. You'll just HAVE to let certain friends read it, and you'll sure not want to part with your own special copy.

(This review was provided by the reader, who does not have a computer, to the publisher for sending on to amazon.com.)

A wonderful story, and told in just the right voice. When I began the book I thought it was only a contemporary boy-and-his-horse story. But unlike most of the genre, it is much, much more. The boy and his horse are the cornerstone, but the story expands way beyond them to involve an interesting variety of people. This is not a children's book, but my 11-year-old daughter was soon captivated and sailed through it in good time. ("Is Old Black going to die?" she asked, teary-eyed. "Read on," I said.) One does not need an interest in horses to love this book. Readers with a keen eye will savor the precious little clues planted along the way, like Easter eggs hidden for the purpose of being discovered. The dozens of illustrations are simply marvelous. Early in the story, Old Black, the horse, is being readied to go off to his new life with the boy Jim Bradley. The part where the cowboy Buck Jones (I just loved him!) is stoically, silently bidding farewell to his dear, longtime friend, the horse displaying his own feelings about their parting, is as touching as any scene I've ever read. It was some minutes before I could go on. You will not miss the absence of profanity, sex, or unnecessary violence here, although that long, dreadful scene in the woods ends with violence aplenty. I found it completely called for and applauded when the criminals got what they deserved. I was drained at the end of the ordeal in the woods, and Aunt Hazel and Uncle Harry strolled onto the scene just when I needed an uplift. I still laugh when I replay that scene in the bathroom: a furious, hissing snake, two grown men and a boy "overcome by the most sustained and idiotic laughter Norma had ever heard." Like another reader, I felt that the scenes arising from Aunt Hazel's Alzheimer's disease were handled with sensitivity and good taste. My grandmother had the disease and I really believe I could have applied some of Jim Bradley's instinctive strategies to bring her some happiness if I had read OLD BLACK while she was still alive. Uncle Harry's exasperation with his wife's condition, his inability to deal with it effectively until Jim showed him the way, was sadly familiar. I feel sure that the author has experienced the anguish of being close to someone with Alzheimer's, to write about it with such delicate insight. The scene at Richter's store where likable old Walter Mehlmann gleefully rehearses how he will waltz through his theoretical last days was a fine piece of humor. Walter's influence on the other men present was hilariously realistic. So realistic, in fact, that after reading that part I found myself rummaging the kitchen for junk food, the more cholesterol laden and otherwise unhealthy the better! I wish I knew where to get some real country cracklings. Fat ones, Reinhard. I like FAT ones! Every character in the book played an essential role. They were so well developed that I could clearly see them in my mind as they came onstage, always true to their distinct characters in actions and speech. Old Black was not a superhorse, as so many fictional horses are. He had limitations and faults, which only made him more "human". OLD BLACK breathes with vibrant life, and did so even while I cried during that sorrowful part with the death and the funeral. It was an experience that gave Jim Bradley (and me too) a better, if bitter, understanding of life. The story is uplifting, happy, dreadfully sad and hilarious, and the ending is just perfect. Throughout, this intricate novel is entirely credible. I agreed to some extent with one critic below - that the book suffered a little in organization. But that defect was overwhelmed by a superb plot, clearly drawn characters, vivid action scenes, settings (I was right there in every scene: seeing, smelling, feeling), and the author's often touching insight into people and horses, especially that lovable Old Black. This is the kind of literature (I call this book literature) that can put a teeny edge on the reader's good side. It is the kind of story (too rare, today) that can open the eyes of young people to the reality that being good, responsible kids can be rewarding, and they can still have fun. This story is much too special to be confined to adult fiction. I would love to see an edition of OLD BLACK written especially for young readers.

Written about the "headstrong" Austrian archduchess Maria Antonia (as the future Queen of France was called as a child), this book portrays her as a girl who wants to be herself. Tired of her mother's incessant attempts to mold her into a beautiful, ladylike Queen, Maria Antonia just wants a chance to develop her own character and make decisions for herself. This book also deals with Maria Antonia's marriage to Louis XVI, the Dauphin (or Crown Prince) of France. Maria Antonia has been meticulously prepped so that she will make a good impression on the Dauphin and his grandfather, the incumbent French monarch. However, when she actually meets her fiance, Maria Antonia discovers to her shock (and horror) that he is not at all handsome and that he is overweight--which is completely the opposite of what she was expecting him to look like. But Maria Antonia and her husband grow closer throughout the final third of the book and become good friends at last. They are on the verge of falling in love when the book ends. Maria Antonia also has to deal with Countess du Barry, the King's mistress. Du Barry is unfriendly to Maria Antonia and goes out of her way to insult the young Dauphine. In spite of this, Maria Antonia is expected to talk to du Barry and be courteous to her--which the Dauphine refuses to do. The book also talks about Maria Antonia's bond with her older sister Elizabeth, who was once a great beauty but whose skin is now scarred as a result of smallpox. Titi, or Theresa, who is Maria Antonia's seven-year-old niece (the daughter of her older brother Joseph and his late wife Isabella of Parma), is also a close friend of the Archduchess. A principal character in this book is Queen Maria Theresa (Maria Antonia's mother), who is controlling and strict (but not cruel). This book interested me in the history of the Habsburg family (of which Maria Antonia was a member). The author aptly describes the scenery of Maria Antonia's home(s) in Austria--expertly enough so that I could recognize every single landmark mentioned in the book when I visited Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, coincidentally a few days after I finished the book. An excellent read!

The year is 1769; the place, Austria. The pressure is on thirteen-year-old Maria Antonia, youngest daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa, to excell so that she will be chosen to marry the future king of France. Antonia, as she is called, must learn French language, fashions, customs, and etiquette so that she can impress the king's messengers. She is given no time to act her age; when she does attempt to enjoy life as a girl should, she is severely punished. When she is sent away to France, her life is little better - she makes enemies of the mistress of the current king, who is the grandfather of her husband-to-be. She is forced to observe customs she can barely keep straight. And she is having a hard time getting along with her fiance. I viewed Marie Antoinette differently after reading this book. It was obvious from the book and the afterword that Marie and her husband were not trained well by their parents and teachers on how to become good rulers, and Marie had been taught from the time she was young that the most important thing was to look good. This is most likely why they became such bad rulers and ended up losing their lives.

This book, Marie Antoinette, was written by Kathryn Lansky. It was set in the years 1769-1770,when Marie Antoinette was a young teenage girl, growing up in the palace of her mother, Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria.

In the first part of the book, Marie Antoinette's mother is trying to make a match between her and the Dauphin, Prince Louis 16th of France. Marie must have her portrait done and learn French etiquette (which she thinks is very boring) if she is to become the Queen of France. Thankfully, she has her riding lessons, which she loves. After the plans for the wedding are set, she must prepare to go to France, to marry Louis and join the French court as his wife. She tells in her diary of all the endless preparations to be made for the journey, like being fitted for fancy new French dresses. Then when Marie goes to France, she must adapt to the ways of the French court. For example, when she eats meals with her husband, she is watched by thousands of courtiers. She really hates being displayed in front of everyone like an animal in a cage! But she does enjoy horseback riding with Louis.

There are some really neat things about this book. First, the author wrote this book in diary form, with the date and year at the top of each quote just like a real diary. Second, when you read Marie's diary it is just like she is talking to you about her innermost thoughts and feelings. She tells you the sad, lonely, angry and the happy times that happened in her life. Third, the author did a great job explaining the book in great detail. For example, when Marie had to have her hair done for a fancy ball, afterwards she had to sleep with her hair on a board, to preserve the hairstyle! Another example is when she taught her young prince husband how to throw a snowball for the very first time. I love the way the author wrote this book in such a fun way to read!

This diary book has a blue and gold cover just like the one in the story. The edges of the pages are a beautiful gold color. On the front of the book, there is a beautiful picture of Marie Antoinette all dressed up for a ball. There is a section in the back of the book that has historical facts, plus pictures of Marie Antoinette and her family, where you can see how big their fancy ball dresses really were!

This diary tells of the events of Marie's life as a teenager, as well as her thoughts and feelings as an 18th century princess. Marie Antoinette was a very pretty, fun-loving girl who is really interesting to read about. This book shows how girls today are the same and different from girls back then, in an exciting, fun-to-read way.

Astrid Lindgren has passed away at the age of 94, but she will always be remembered as one of the best children's authors.

Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump in Swedish) is a delightful tale of a young girl who lives only with her horse and monkey, while taking care of herself using her wits and wackiness. After meeting the children next door, she opens their eyes to a whole new way of seeing things.

Their stuffy parents are appalled with the way the girl lives alone (her uncle is a ship captain), so they try to get the government involved in her care-taking. Leave it to Pippi to find a way out of a jam!

Children will love this tale for it's silliness, and its smart thinking!

For years, I've enjoyed reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading Pippi Longstocking and the three other books that follow it. This is one of the very few children's books that are, very necessarily, a staple of any good childhood. Pippi allows every child, whether it be in age, or in heart, to live out fantasies of going to the ends of the earth and of having fun adventures from which they'll always come out on top, with Pippi leading the way. Though there were few books in the series, especially compared to most other children's series, the powerful words contained within their covers more than compensate for this, raising your imagination to new heights.

I have only one message for anyone reading this: BUY THIS BOOK. Whether or not you have children, this is an exciting, completely irreverent, and just plain fun story that will have you laughing and dreaming just like a kid--again. :)

I thought that Pippi Longstocking was an excellent book. It was very exciting and full of adventure. I thought that it was cool that she had a monkey for a pet. I also liked that she lived alone, being a nine year old girl, yet she could take care of herself. If Pippi wasn't out making trouble she was at home cooking on the kitchen floor. She does everything that comes her way. She has a very high self-esteem and she is almost always up to something, whether it be dancing with the robbers or talking about her grandmother's housekeeper, Malin. I would recommend this book to older elementary students. They would have a fun time reading all the crazy things Pippi does.