What originally struck me as so fantastic (and still does) is that the D'aulaires don't write down to their audience or edit out details important to the original myth that some parents might not approve of. The end result? An all ages storybook and mythological primer that no one should be ashamed to own.
The drawings are an acquired taste, falling somewhere between Classical pottery paintings and Art Deco, but they do grow on you. My only quibble is that there's no pronunciation guide, which can really hamper you if this is your first exposure to these stories.
Buy this for for your children or even for yourself, you will never regret it.
What made me fall in love the book was the beautiful, large colorful pictures; the easy introduction of the many Gods (to a child with no background in the stories); and, of course, the myths themselves. They were wonderful stories and will pull in readers of all ages.
The book inspired me to read more books on Greek mythology--Edith Hamilton, for instance--and Norse myths (the D'Aularies wrote a book on Norse gods that is unfortunately still out of print) and Asian folktakes when I was still in grade school. In college, however, I learned that these myths in this book had gone through a bit of sanitization, but it is still terrific. I haven't found another chilren's book that treats Greek mythology so well.
This book is one that will keep giving even when the child becomes an adult. When I went to college and was assigned other Greek and Roman poems, plays, and essays, I would be reminded the pictures and the myths found in this book. It would bring back wonderful memories, and at the same time made reading ancient literature enjoyable and easy rather than onerous. To this day, I still remember all of the myths and gods that are in this book, and it gives me a nice referemce to my academic reading.
My parents recently bought the hardcopy edition of the book for me for Christmas. It was the best gift I have received in years!
It is simply a wonderful book!
For the first time, you see the teens in the story step outside of the BSC and take a look at real life. The story was very true to heart and the book made me cry.
I read the next two books in the "Friends Forever" series, and I was amazed. The books aren't like California Diaries or the BSC. There JUST PLAIN GOOD! Not too depressing, but not overly happy either. I loved BSC #131, "Everything Changes" and Friends Forever #1! Keep going Ann! Your readers are coming back!
Now it is time for me to go negotiate that raise!
Mike Arms
Advanced ColdFusion Professional
(P.S. I like the sound of that. You will too after your own name. So get this book, read once with a high lighter, read it again, then outline the chapters you are hazy on.)
I don't have a need for the exam .. nor do I ever intend to take it, but I found this book to be a very thorough, detailed review of ColdFusion. It is certainly not a beginner's guide, as some familiarity with CF is assumed, but it gives better insight into advanced functions of CF (Structures, Associative arrays, etc) than I've read elsewhere, and differences between versions of CF (4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1) are better documented than in Allaire's own documentation.
This book is therefore for the intermediate to advanced CF programmer who is looking to build a deep, complete understanding of ColdFusion beyond the tutorial level of many of Ben Forta's other books.
I just finished readin an advance copy of this book (thanks to Coosin Al- a definite Hero). The setting of the book flips between a fantasy setting, and a harsh look at the future of humans on Earth. Both settings were blandly generic though a few original twists and ideas have been thrown in.
The compelling points of the book did not involve the setting. However the characters have been carefully formed and well rounded, and more importantly- realistic. Even the supporting characters have a suprising depth to them, with their own beliefs, desires and plots.
"Heroes Die" (listed here in Amazon as "Caine") is a masterfully built book. A story within a story, independant plots and intrigues are woven together for a believable resolution. Romance, grim humor, blood and death thread themselves through the story, creating a complex pattern that will delight and enthrall the Reader.
Matthew Woodring Stover has brought us a book with something for everyone. The story is compelling, and the characters will hook themselves into your heart as you find yourself fighting with the main character against all odds.
If you want to read an epic adventure that leaves you wanting more, give this masterpiece by Stover a try. This is the first novel I have read by Stover, and I am now planning on going back and reading his prior novels, "Iron Dawn" and "Jericho Moon."