We just happened to stumble across this book at our public library, and it was a real treat for both of us! This level 2 "chapter" book is just right for my first grader. He was able to read the entire book with some help from me and without frustration. It is a sweet, silly story with a mild "morale" flavor to it.

We like the book so much we are purchasing a copy for ourselves and one for the first grade holiday book exchange!

Bailey City is full of some pretty weird grownups.It is the perfect place for the spooky Hauntly Manor Inn.Could Kilmer's grandmother be a vampire planning to hang around?The kids think so.Check out who's visiting the Hauntly Manor Inn.

This brief but clear biography gives young readers a look at a fascinating and noteworthy writer. Many readers are familiar with her books, but few students know about the life of the prolific author. This book provides, in an easy-to-read format, interesting highlights of Virginia's life. Young readers will be inspired to read Ms. Hamilton's books, and maybe even to write their own, after reading this biography.

We found this book at the library and fell in love with it. It's fun to read as a parent, and my son loves to hear it and join in. It's rip-roarin, boot-scootin, west texas fun! It's a story about Mama's famous chili that is entered in a chili contest by her and her five or six kids. A 'monster' from outer space smells the chili and comes for a taste. The pictures are colorful and fun, and the story is fun to read. We recommend it!

This book takes a rich and complex literature and manages to absorb the important highlights. The historical choices and the recent ones through post-modernism make give a helpful perspective. An great introduction to the subject matter.

Better than any sitcom or news broadcast---this is a book that definitely puts the reader's finger on the pulse of Nashville. At least, that's what my entry was intended to do (and yes, I won.)

This is a survival guide for any student who is struggling for an understanding of American History. Not only does this book provide insight into the facts of our country, but also gives commentarys and analysis. This is a stand alone reference guide which should be among everyone's collection.

My son just turned six, but has loved Mercer Mayer books since we began reading them to him before he turned 2. "Little Critter" and "Critters of the Night" books are still regularly requested stories in our house.

This book by Erica Farber, along with her book "Midnight Snack" are perfect for my son to read himself. Anyone with a child learning to read knows that all "Level 1" books are not really for the same level. This book has simple words, and rhyming text that are not too difficult or frustrating for new readers, but not so easy that it seems babyish. The pictures make the story fun enough for children to want to read it!

Q: Why do I think John Irving is a genius? A: Because I read A Prayer for Owean Meany about 5 years ago.

This is absolutely the best book I have ever read. This novel reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's literature, but I never found a character in her works that I fell in love with like I did with Owen Meany.

Some of my friends said the book drags too much in the middle, so if you lose interest in things easily, I wouldn't imagine you would be patient enough to finish this book. Granted, there are some scenes that are slow moving, but I enjoyed every single page in this book.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under 17, only because you need to be at least that old to understand the Christian imagery which is so important to the novel. But even as an adult, each time I read it, I find something I missed before. That's the beauty of truly good writing.

I discovered Irving when Garp was published and became an instant fan. I went back and read his earlier novels (OK, but nothing really special) and went forward as new novels were published. From _Hotel New Hampshire_ to _Cider House Rules_ to _Owen Meany_, they just seemed to get better and better. (_Son of the Circus_ was a major disappointment, but he can't always top himself) However, although Irving has the rare ability to combine wonderful storytelling with profound ideas and present them in wonderfully crafted prose that appeals to a broad range of readers, I *have* met a few people who can't stand the book. I hesitate to recommend it--or anything--too highly, having been greatly disappointed myself after listening to someone's rave reviews of, say, _The Horse Whisperer_. All that aside, however, Owen Meany is one of the finest novels I've ever read, on my Top Five (which I'm simply going to have to expand to a Top Ten--I'm just not sure I could get them all to the island. I'm not a very strong swimmer.) Irving's heavy use of coincidence, which has bothered me a bit in some of his other works, operates in Owen Meany to support the whole idea of destiny. Perhaps this is a sub-text of all of Irving's work (intentionally or not), but it is certainly most effective in Owen Meany. I've read this novel several times and always find something new in it

I had been a John Irving fan, and I still contend that "The World According to Garp" is the perfect novel, but I wasn't at all prepared for the soul jolting effect of "A Prayer for Owen Meany." I agree with others reviews which state that the modern-day sections lag way behind the flashbacks, but isn't that really an intentional thing? Showing how adult day-to-day living pales to the memories of discoveries from our youth? In particular this character's youth. For anyone considering reading this book, know one thing. It's 673 pages long, and on page 670 something happens which changes every single word, every idea, every facet of all the characters in the book. You close the book shell- shocked from the effect. You simply must tell someone- Right Then! - about it. Find that someone and read the book at the same time.

The Firm is a book built up with suspense; you never know what will happen next to the story. It starts with Mitch McDeere (main character) surprises everyone by joining in a small, private, very rich tax firm. McDeere and his wife Abby quickly settle in Memphis and start a new life, where they are young and happy. This is just like a normal lawyer where they hit big, and have a prosperous life. But as the story goes on things did not go as smoothly as McDeere thought. Two of the partners in the firm died in a suspicious diving accident in Grand Cayman, the firm are also overly proud about how no one has ever resigned. Afterwards, a FBI agent by the name of Tarrance suddenly appears in front of McDeere's life, and tells him that a mafia family in Chicago controls the firm. Everything properties that McDeere owned are all being bugged and are listened by the security in the firm twenty-four hours. Now McDeere has to make a decision, ignore the FBI agent, and get busted in to jail later on in his life, or cooperate with the FBI and taking the risk of getting killed by the mafia. I would often question myself, "If I was McDeere, what would I do?" The situation that McDeere's having is a life-death situation.
Personally, I would give two thumbs up for this book. It isn't like other books where the settings are based in somewhere familiar to the reader, and plot is about top lawyers competing with each other. Instead, the setting is in Memphis, Tennessee, a city down south of America, where people pay no attention. Imagine yourself as McDeere, and you will feel the tense dangers around him

This inticing thriller will have you on the edge of your seats, while your eyes are glued to this book. Ladies and Gentlemen John Grism has done it again. This book is a story about Mitch McDeere, a Harvard law student who has just graduated at the top of his class. All he has now is his degree, his sharp mind and his loving wife. With no money in the bank, he takes an offer from an affluent law firm. After this firm buys him a new house and car, and goes out of thier way to make everything look picturesque, he realizes that something is not right. He understands that his clients rather pay the a lawyer instead of the FBI, its the American way. What this young bright attourney does not yet realize is whats going on behind the scenes at this firm. After uncovering the wrong information, Mitch has the FBI and the MOB watching every move he makes, making this unstopable reading so unpredictable and exciting. Grism keeps the wandering weather each move will be his last. This was one of the most exciting books Ive ever read! I literally couldn't put it down until I finished it!

The Firm is a book built up with suspense; you never know what happens to the main character. The story starts with the main character, McDeere surprises everyone by joining in a small, private, very rich tax firm in Memphis, Tennessee. McDeere and his wife Abby quickly settle in Memphis and start a new life, where they are young and happy. But things did not go as smoothly as they thought. Two of the partners in the firm died in a suspicious diving accident in Grand Cayman, the firm are also overly proud about how no one has ever resigned. Afterwards, a FBI agent by the name of Tarrance suddenly comes into McDeere¡¦s life, and tells him that the firm he is working in is actually controlled by a mafia family in Chicago. Everything that McDeere owned: cars, house, etc, are all being bugged and are being listened by the security of the firm twenty-four hours. Now McDeere has to make a decision, ignore the FBI agent, and might get busted in to jail, or cooperate with the FBI and taking the risk of getting killed by the mafia.

Personally, I would give two thumbs up for this book, this book is full of suspense, it would just make the reader keep on reading until a part of excitement is over. It isn¡¦t like other books where the setting is based in Wall Street, and top lawyers compete with each other; instead the setting is in a city down south of America, where no one really pays attention. To say the truth, I don¡¦t really like the ending of the book where McDeere ends up escaping on a boat. I would rather see McDeere fighting in action, fighting against either the FBI or the mafia family. There is a movie based on the story, starring Tom Cruise and some other actors. I would recommend that people who are interested in this book should read the book first then watch the movie, because once you¡¦ve seen the movie, you wouldn¡¦t want to read the book, since the movie was so good.