I have admired Robert Sabuda for a long time, but he has truly outdone himself in this wonderful pop-up tribute to one of children's literature's classics. There is plenty of text here (which can sometimes be a failing of pop-up books), presented within miniature booklets on each page, and these mini-books have pop-ups themselves, which may be less ambitious than the seven centerpiece artworks, but are quite beautiful and clever in their own right. The text matches Baum's book rather than the movie, so you will find that the witch uses a magic cap to summon the Winged Monkeys, and Dorothy inherit's the Wicked Witch's silver shoes rather than ruby slippers.

There are no pull-tabs and nothing for you to do other than enjoy Sabuda's artistry as a cyclone ascends over the Kansas prairie, the Munchkins approach Dorothy's house in Munchkinland, a field of red poppies appears to put some of the travellers to sleep, the Emerald City (complete with green spectacles!) rises from the page, the Wicked Witch's castle emerges, Oz's balloon takes off and Glinda greets the adventurers in the country of the long-necked Quadlings.

This would be a fabulous introduction to the story for older youngsters or a fine collectible. Really beautiful.

I just have to disagree with the folks who say this is not a book for children...this is THE book for children! If you are looking for a book to give this holiday season that rates 100% on the "oooh-ahhhh!" meter, this is the one. Any child, in particular a reluctant reader, will be dazzled and fascinated by the Emerald City jumping to life in the middle of the book, the whirling balloon and spinning tornado. The artwork warrants accolades even without the magnificent engineering, and there is enough text to make this pop-up perfect for older kids as well. This book does great honor to the Wonderful Wizard, and will be as treasured in your home as a pair of ruby slippers. Whether or not this book actually survives the twister of children's handling, you'd be a real wicked witch not to share it with your favorite munchkin.

I've always enjoyed pop up books, and marvelled at the artistry and vision they must take to put together. But this book really exceeds anything I have ever seen--a twisting cyclone, flowers that look as if they belong in a beautiful garden, a huge hot air balloon, the glittering Emerald City, and so much more. The details included are incredible (the feet of the bad witch sticking out from under Dorothy's fallen house, for example.) Love the green spectacles included! I have purchased at least ten of these books as gifts, and made lots of people smile!

If you've never been introduced to the 3 Investigators, you have no idea what you're missing. They make Nancy, Frank, and Joe look as exciting as an unbuttered piece of stale white bread. And parents, don't overlook these books for your daughters! I loved them as a child and I'm delighted to find my children are as enthralled today as I was then. I recommend starting here, with #1, to introduce readers to the 3 Investigators' start. As an added bonus, main character Jupiter Jones uses a vocabulary most English professors would be delighted with. It's nice to have a series of books that doesn't downplay its wording. Your kids can have a grand time reading, and actually learn at the same time! Most especially, I recommend Terror Castle and all the 3 Investigators books for any parent trying to find something to motivate their children to read more. These are genuine page turners. Exciting, thrilling, puzzling- everything a good mystery should be!

At one time I used to own the first 23 titles of AH & The Three Investigators. As I've grown older, I've lost titles until I recently realized I only had two left. I've lamented to my wife, after searching used book stores high and low for the other titles and not finding them, that this was a great blow against childhood reading. I was so glad that they are still being printed and read! The format may be different and Alfred Hitchcock is lamentably missing, but they are still as readable and enjoyable as they were when I was a child!

I highly recommend this series for young readers who dream of adventure and suspense. They invigorated my youth and helped interest me in reading and writing. I hope to God that there are more coming out!

And for those of us who remember Alfred Hitchcock, maybe Random House could put out a collectors series of the books as they were originally released - covers, illustrations and all. I would certainly snap them up!

Wow. I'm 33 years old and thought I am probably the only adult who would pick up a Three Investigator's book and read it. I am here looking for some of The Three Investigator's books for my girlfriend's son. I saved a few of the books I had as a child, a couple of them in hardback, with the intent of saving them for my children. Most of the books I read in the series I checked out at the library. Reading these books provided some of my fondest childhood memories. The young man I am buying these books for has just discovered a love for reading and I believe that these stories will hook them just like they did me. Amazon, please act upon the suggestions of others and release the entire series if possible.

This is an outstanding book filled with common sense, wit and wisdom from a true student and lover of the game: Bob Rotella. Rotella books have been a big factor in me bringing my handicap down from 20 to 3 over the last three years. Rotella uses stories to illustrate his ideas and concepts, making them easier to remember and understand. Much more entertaining than do this, don't do that type instruction. Great instruction for life as well as golf, especially his ideas on pursuing your dreams, hard work and overcoming obstacles. This book is great for competitive golfers and recreational golfers. Rotella teaches you to love and enjoy the process of improving and playing regardless of results for that given day. One of the hardest aspects of this book to implement is his suggestion that if you are not spending 90 percent of your practice time on shots from a 100 yards and in, you are not practicing to become the best player you can be. Yet he is correct. The more I pracice the scoring shots, the better I get. This is a book that every golfer should read.

Just as we golfers have to groove our swing, so must we learn to groove our emotions. Hit a bad, stupid shot, waste a shot or two or ? What to do?

Rotella has been showing golfers, even some of the better ones such as Nick Price and DL3 and Tom Kite and others. His approach is a down-to-earth one, which starts here with his first book, to let us know "we're not going to play perfect golf. So why get all hot and worked up when we don't?

Outstanding chapters I find in this are "fighting thru fear" and "what the third eye sees."

This and his other books will help any golfer with the mental game. I find the unique attribute about Dr. Bob's works are that his suggestions really do go to the course with you.

This book provides incredible insight into the game of golf. Rather than attempting to teach the infamous "perfect swing," Dr. Rotella allows the reader to maintain his current swing and instead he addresses the mental side to lower scores. Whether you are a beginner or carry a low handicap, this book is sure to knock strokes off. This book enables a player to think correctly on the course and develop confidence in his game. It is easy and fun to read since Rotella recalls past memories that support his point. I'd recommend this book for yourself or as a gift. I re-read chapters nightly before playing in tournaments as an instrument to mentally prepare myself. It has helped me to win national junior events and I guarentee that it will help you as well. Hit 'em straight!

I can't say enough wonderful things about this book. I bought it a year before I applied to graduate school and followed its advice on how to improve your chances of getting into a good school. I refered to it while taking classes, putting together my application--everything. And I got into my first choice masters program, which only accepts 5% of its applicants! After such success, I know I'll look at it constantly as I work towards my degree. I only wish I'd found it sooner, I think it would have helped a lot even at the undergraduate level.

I must admit that Robert L. Peters' book was my first read about "Getting What You Came For..." and that is the Ph.D in my case. I found the 366 page text informative, interesting and useful. The book is full of reference material with citations in the bibliography sections. I highlighted other useful books for future reads. The reader is taken step by step through a process from consideration of whether a graduate degree is for you, choosing a school, application and admission, financial aid, choosing between a master or Ph.d degree, the returning older student (such as myself), etc. Attention to details is apparent throughout the book and it seemed to have a very thorough treatment of each topic. I think there is something for anyone considering an advanced degree. The book though appears to be directed towards those who are pursuing graduate degrees at top 10 universities. It is not to say that all of us should not aspire to such lofty highs, however some of us just want to get the darn degree as quick and as close as possible. If the state university close by will accept us and it is within a reasonable commute distance between work and home then top 10 school or not, that is our shcool if, they accept us. In noting this aspect of the book it is not intended to deter you from reading it. You will find, I believe helpful information in your decision making process as well as a useful guide through your graduate program. I would say that this book is a must read for anyone considering a graduate degree.

Thanks Robert for writing this book that dramatically changes my life -
Before read this book, graduate life is very vague to me and I do not really know what I want from graduate school. My college life was not very happy. I do not like professors either because I thought they were weird or just too busy to care about students. However, this book gives a very clear picture of what is going on in the mysterious graduate school. It teaches you to get ready of various troubles and challenges, such as dealing with your advisors, developing thesis, and most important at all, having a positive and happy life in graduate school and getting a good job after the degree. I read this book repeatedly right before I went to graduate school. Everything is just like what the book described and I planned everything according to the book. I get on the right track early and am progressing faster than my peers are, and graduate life becomes so enjoyable. I bought six copies of these books and gave to my best friends and sisters. No matter you want to go to graduate school or not, read this book first and keep it on your desk! I heartily recommend this book!

As a child, I was encouraged to read, but was warned by my third grade teacher to "stay away from that science fiction." It was not a difficult task; most books in our elementary library were NOT science fiction...if they were, they consisted of green, slimy creatures disguised as humans by day and terrorizing student by night. Naturally, science fiction did not appeal to me at all.

Until I ran across The Girl with the Silver Eyes. To my third grade mind, it was painfully long, kind of hard to follow, but extremely interesting. It is the sole thing that piqued my interest in all things scifi.

Now, as a high school senior and avid science fiction fan, I reread The Girl with the Silver Eyes. For a child's book, it is extremely intriguing. It's science fiction and a suspenseful mystery all in one. It can most easily be compared to a junior version of The X-Files: weird, eerie, yet disturbingly accurate. However, when I was younger, I found the plot boring in many spots, not enough action. At the time, I merely blamed this on my youthful impatience. But even today, I still find the storyline a bit thick in parts, and nearly impossible to continue to the next page. For me to say that reading this book was an intellectual chore is not an exaggeration.

Any child reading this book will quickly lose patience with it, it has so many slow sections. Its surreal plot and wonderful scifi appeal is for the extremely patient only.

I agree with the reader from Florida wholeheartedly! I loved this book when i first found it in my 4th grade classroom "library". I took it home, and never gave it back. Of course, my copy had a girl with chin length hair with her arms crossed and her body turned to the side, and she was in front of a park....but anyway I don't have it anymore:( I think this book is a wonderful choice for young people. I also must add that the Richard Peck series about Blossom Culp is awesome as well (I read it at age 12 and wrote to Mr. Peck who was kind enough to answer me, and all of my subsequent letters to him. He even sent me an autographed copy of his first book because I had a hard time finding it. What a sweet man:)The Girl With the Silver Eyes is adventurous, fun, a great story, please give it to your kids to read, or read it to them. :)

I'm envious of kids today who can take advantage of the recent explosion of interest in science fiction and fantasy. Back when I was browsing in the children's section of the library (all right, so it wasn't that long ago), I read everything -- which wasn't much -- I could find that vaguely fell into those categories. This book blew all my prior favorites away. Willo Davis Roberts has that rare gift of telling a great story simply, without pandering or dumbing a book down, yet with all the best parts of an adult thriller -- the main character, struggling to find where she and her telekinetic talents fit in a disbelieving world, must try to separate those she can trust from the people who just want to use her. In her search, she discovers some unlikely allies, including kids "gifted" as herself. As a kid, I loved this book because I immediately identified with the main character, wishing I had a friend like her. That's how real I found the people of this story. My copy of "The Girl with the Silver Eyes" is pretty battered, but I can't wait to pass it on to my children

I think this is the best book Verne has ever written. It has adventure, mystery, suspense, survival, and science fiction all mixed up into one book. It is about Cyrus harding, the engineer, Neb, his loyal servant, Gidion Spilett, the reporter, Jack Pencroft, the spontaneous sailor, Herbert, a 13 year old boy, and the faithful dog Top, who get dropped in a hot air ballon on a remote island. The soon begin forming there own "mini-america" on the island. But strange things start happening - like when top is almost killed my a strange animal, but the animal suddenly dies from a knife wound, and when Pencroft finds a bullet in a wild pig. Who did these things appear on a uninhabited island? Hint- Read 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea first

How he used to make an engine run with duct tape and a shoe string, or make a bomb from bleach and a rusty nail?

He kept coming to mind as I was reading this incredible book, as the characters, stranded on an island with absolutely nothing, accomplished such amazing feats as draining a lake, making a home, building a ship, making an elevator, and a great many other things. There is excitement, suspense (what IS going on on this mysterious island??), and wonderful, likeable characters. Not a real well-known Verne book, but fortunately still in print, and one of his best and most entertaining.

(Incidentally, if you want a children's version of the same story, try to find "A Long Vacation" by Jules Verne, which is extremely similar in plot, but with younger characters and for a younger audience - very charming!)

By the way, please do read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first, if you have not already done so. Evidently, Verne assumed that everyone had when he wrote this novel.

Great reading!

I had never read Jules Verne's wonderful book, The Mysterious Island. I was delighted that there was a new translation available, so I happily bought a copy and dove into it.

Imagine my shock and disappointment to find, in reading Caleb Carr's introduction, that he tells me the secret of the island! I could have reached through the pages and slapped him silly! My heart just sank. It was like reading a movie review of the Sixth Sense that flat out tells you the twist in the story! Thus, all through the book, I knew what the colonists did not. I felt cheated. Even in the short introductory piece on Jules Verne there is vital information given that is best avoided unless you have already read the book. My advice to you is to go straight to Chapter 1 and skip all the preliminaries until you have finished the book.

With that caveat, I just loved the book. Jordan Stump's translation is breezy reading, which makes this 600+ page book just glide by. The colonists, which is what they become after crash landing on the island, are all "upright, energetic, and bound by brotherly affection". These are not a bunch of modern hunky narcissists or brooding, introspective hand-wringers, my friends. These are men of good cheer who, with faith in one another and a healthy respect for the Almighty, turn this most fascinating (and surely improbable) island into a new land.

This takes place in a time when the world itself still held mystery and adventure, and there was a boundless optimism in what man could achieve when honest and civilized men pooled their efforts and added a little scientific knowledge to their endeavors (well, a lot, actually). Most certainly, because of the time in which it was written, it is not politically correct. The "negro" Neb, though a free man, still calls Cyrus Smith "Master". However, there is every indication that Neb was given equal and fraternal treatment and was respected by all, blunting somewhat the inherent offensiveness of such a situation to modern readers.

In the end, this is a rich and wonderful story that, with this new translation, is a joy to read and a treasure to keep.

Caleb Carr does deserve a trip to the woodshed, however.

loved the setting of this story as much as the story itself. because of nora roberts and her books, ive grown to love stories set with the irish. to be able to read the words and hear that accent is to me truly amazing.

maggie is the oldest child having been raised in a home with no family love. she is close to her father and sister, but her mother is a different person all together. because of this lack of love from her, maggie is determined to make something of herself if only to prove her mother wrong. breaking the outer shell shes developed as a form of protection wont be easy, but rogan intends to do just that.

a lovely story with enough mystery to leave the reader hoping they have their copy of born in ice sitting nearby once they close the last page of this one ::smile

The 2nd Nora Roberts book I ever read was "Born In Ice", which I only later discovered was part of trilogy -- and the middle, at that. I enjoyed it then, but resolved to go out and read the whole trilogy. I'm glad I did!

"Born In Fire" sets the whole tone for the 2 books that follow. While the relationship between temperamental glassblowing artist Maggie and upper-crust gallery owner Rogan is obviously at the forefront of this tale, the larger tale being told is that of 2 sisters and how they are coming to grips with the death of their adoring father and the reality of the long, loveless marriage he shared with their cold, bitter mother. The relationship and interplay between Maggie, her sweet-natured sister Brianna, and their shrewish mother provides some of the best dialogue in the book.

Maggie is a very well-developed character, who is so flawed and yet so wonderful that she is as human to the reader as one's own best friend might be.

The first book in NR's 'Born In' series is wonderful, you don't want to miss it! "Born In Fire" focuses on Maggie Concannon, a tempermental and loyal woman who is also a gifted artist. Gallery owner Rogan Sweeney takes an interest in Maggie's fabulous glass creations, and soon after takes a personal interest in Maggie herself. Maggie is a wonderful character, stubborn and flawed, yet still caring. Nora does a fabulous job of developing Maggie, and does it in a way that she seems like a real person. Rogan is an extremely likeable hero. Maggie's sister, Brianna, is her complete opposite; quiet, sweet, and calm. The relationship between the two sisters, however, is very touching and very real. This book is full of colourful characters, some we love and some we hate. The romance between Rogan and Maggie is wonderful. Basically, I just can't say enough good things about this book. You will love it!

It's hard to write this review. I hate to throw cold water on anything written by RRM, and I'm actually not. I'm just not giving it the 5 stars as everyone else has. Let me say, I have already read Boy's Life and Swan Song-Swan Song probably being one of the best books I have ever read. I picked up a tattered copy of They Thirst-the reviews were terrific. But I've got to say that this book does not compare to Boy's Life or Swan Song. Had I read it first, or when it was originally written, I probably could have written a better review. But Boy's Life and particularly Swan Song, are such excellent reads that I cannot review They Thirst without comparing them to these other two. Maybe I missed something. I could be wrong, but "They Thirst" seemed a little predictable to me and it bogged down in parts. And it didn't have the..I don't even know how to explain it. The other two were 3 dimensional, in full color, and as brilliant as laser light. This one was more 2 dimensional with faded colors. Perhaps someone who has read all 3 can explain it better than I. Anyway, I gave it 4 stars, but really it's probably closer to 3 and a half. Sorry..

Robert McCammon really outdid himself this time ! I rate this one up there with "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. In fact, I think it may be a tie. This is one book I would love to see made into a movie. Could be really scary !

"They Thirst" is my favorite fiction book. I first read it back in 1981 or so. I think I fell in love with it because it was the first vampire story I encountered where the setting was a modern-day version. And, of course, the LA scene was very appealing. There is much more to why I like this book so much, but suffice to say that McCammon is a very good writer and handles the vampire topic well. I read Boys Life. That was pretty good. So now I'm reading Swan Song. I like this guy.

I save these books as a sorbet between main courses--the series is great reading as a way to cleanse your palate between more serious or hard-hitting fantasy or science fiction.

Don't expect any lofty language, but DO expect a few laughs and a wonderful romp.

Skeeve aspires to be a magician--not to learn arcane sorcery or become all powerful, but to become a better thief. He considers his master a bit impractical in his use of magic...if you are not profiting from it, what good is it? After conjuring a green-scaled demon, the old magician keels over dead, leaving Skeeve to deal with the demon himself.

The demon called Aahz, however, is merely a traveler from another "dimen"sion, called Perv. Do not dare under any circumstances call Aahz a Pervert. The denizens of Perv prefer "Pervect"; those who mis-speak tend to lose their lives.

Skeeve is from a backward dimension called Klah (residents are called Klahds, read "clods") where technology is back at the medieval level. Aahz has been everywhere and readers will enjoy many inside jokes from our own pop culture.

Another great feature of the books is the quote that begins each chapter, usually expounding on one of life's great truths. One of my favorites is from chapter 21: "One must deal openly and fairly with one's forces if maximum effectiveness is to be achieved." -- D. Vader

Skeeve, a magician's apprentice. Aahz, a green scaly Prevect from the dimension of Perv. Gleep, Skeeve's pet dragon. Tananda, a green haired, shapely assassin. These are just a few of the characters you'll fall in love with just from reading this first book in the Myth series. Follow the adventures of Skeeve as he meets and becomes the apprentice of Aahz and accidently aquires Gleep at the bazaar on Deva. Be enthralled by following the characters from Skeeve's home dimension of Klah to the bazaar on Deva and back to rescue the world from the evil wizard, Isstvan. The story is enchanting, the dialog is hilarious, and the characters are, well, many dimensional. If I were to write a book, I hope it would be as entertaining as this one

Skeeve, a young magicians apprentice, who isn't very adept at magic, only wants to learn enogh magic to become a thief. Then one day his world is turned upside-down when, after summoning a scaly green demon,his master is killed by assassins. Skeeve joins forces with Aahz, the demon, who turns out to be a magician from the world of Perv, who has now lost his powers. The book is hilarious, the characters are interesting, and this book gives tired fantasy conceptions a whole new spin. The first in a series, I reccomend this book, and its sequels, very highly. You will not stop laughing.

This book is very informative without being boring. It takes an often complicated businessBRand makes it easy to understand. PRobert Rodriguez is truly an inspiration to up and coming filmakers like myself,his ten-minute film school is almost shockingly easy to learn from,and his exploits at the research hospital to raise the money for the making of EL MARIACHI is very funny and almost sureal.Speaking of which I am still trying to decide if i'm willing to go to the lengths that Robert did to get the moneyBRfor my first feature.Becoming a leatural lab experiment is not something that appeals to BRme...at least not at this time.

Robert Rodriguez, Texas-born filmmaker tells us how his attempt at honing his filmmaking skills jettisioned him straight into the big time.

This diary book tells us of the frustrations and nightmares of making his debut feature film "El Mariachi". He also tells us of his interesting and amusing stories of entry into Hollywood: like getting representation from a major Hollywood agent at one International Creative Management (the biggest talent agency in the world). And he tells of his adventures and misadventures in a such a friendly style, you'd swear you were speaking to your best friend.

This is the only book I've ever read that can genuinely constitute as inspiring. I'm dead serious. I'm 17 years old and an aspiring filmmaker. Before I read his book, I was trying to make movies and was more than a little discouraged at how things turned out. But, that all changed when I heard what this book was about. I requested it for Christmas and couldn't believe my eyes. If Rodriguez, for some reason, decides that he doesn't want to make movies anymore, he should seriously consider being a motivational speaker. In this book, he tells of his filmmaking experience -- all the trials and tribulations and encourages and inspires people by telling them how easy and straightforward the filmmaking process, always known to be daunting, really is.

And as an added incentive -- frosting on the cake, really -- Rodriguez includes his "10 Minute Film School", telling how you can make a movie in a few easy steps. Again, this guy speaks to you on an equal level -- he doesn't patronize, which is what makes the book even better.

Robert Rodriguez does an excellent job of entertaining and inspiring us in this book on how easy, sometimes challenging, and rewarding the filmmaking process can be.

Take a bow, Mr. Rodriguez.

Rodriguez never ceases to amaze me. This is, by far, the most inspirational book on modern independent filmmaking that I've ever read. He simply leaves the mechanics of the art behind and gets right to the soul of it. The diary is a clear illustration of this man's personal triumph in an industry filled with closed doors. Robert Rodriguez not only tells his own story in a fast-paced, exciting style, he actually motivates the reader to get out there and make movies as well. It is evident that this man's passion is film. I am still amazed at how strongly he's able to channel that passion straight into the reader's bloodstream. Rebel Without A Crew is a definite must-read for anyone even remotely interested in producing films. If this veritable shot of motion picture-making adrenaline doesn't move you to action, you don't belong in the business! Read it, love it, live it!!!