Like many readers, I too was about 10 when I found this book, this treasure trove of San Francisco, the pearly ointment, and the thrill of flying (you experienced dew on your back just reading it!!) I hunted for this book for years, and found a library edition that had been sold--a first copy signed by Zilpha. I met her at a conference in 1991 and she shared this with me about her inspiration for writing this book. She informed me that this book was written especially for her son Douglas, who was in the third grade (at the time). He begged her for a story about boys, instead of all the girl protagonists that she had before. The flying part of the story was incorporated from her experience as a little girl: she used to dream at night about flying, and wanted to add a specialness to this story. She's a stickler for details. Her stories are begun not with plots, but with maps. She likes to have a complete foothold on her surroundings. She told me that she liked to start with reality, and then move sideways into fantasy-Which she does with grace and seamless quality.

Probably the greatest testimony towards this book (And Zilpha agrees wholehardedly) was the fact that I lent it to a neighbor boy to read over the summer, I had to wrestle with him to get the book back a year later. (I bought him his own copy!)

I read this book when I was around 9 and really believe this is where I first learned to "disappear" into a story. What a fantasy world. I absorbed every word and agree with another reviewer of this book that "The Velvet Room" was also just as wonderful. I gave my book away to one of my friend's children and, even though I was glad that they could experience such a wonderful story, I have regretted it ever since because I wanted to jump into those pages again. So, I'm glad to see it's still available and many other children can enjoy disappearing as well.

Like the others, I read this book when I was a kid, at the recommendation of my best friend. About 25 years later, I was making a list of my all time favorite books, and thought of this one. I couldn't remember the author at all, but I knew Amazon.com could solve that problem! So I ordered it immediately. It is just as delightful as I remembered, and now I appreciate some details that I didn't notice before. A well-written, delightful book. I gave it to my 10-year-old son immediately, and he's already enchanted. Thanks, Amazon.com!

The book "The runaways" is about a 12 year-old girl named Dani. She wants to runaway back to Sea Grove where it's better where there's a better view. She lives in Rattler Springs in the middle of a desert where it's so ugly. Her friend Stormy wants to run away with her, but she doesn't have enough money for two bus tickets. A new kid in town named Pixie overheard Dani talking about the plans for leaving. Know she want's to run away. Now they definetly don't have enough money, that soon changes. After Pixies birthday, they get $110! Their plans fail, but the good thing is that Dani gets another house that is better even though she is still in Rattler Springs. Pixie is going back to her grandma's house. Stormy stays with Dani in her house.

We are a girl and a boy in the fourth. The story Runaways is about an adventure. The adventure is about two girls and a boy named Pixie, Dani, and Stormy, when they try to run away.They think Pixie's parents are mad scientists. Dani's mother, Linda, thinks that Stormy's mother is mistreating him. Read about the adventures of these funny kids while they try to raise money to run away!

We think this is a good book to read because it has a lot of adventure in it. Billions of kids will love it. We give this book a thumbs up. We loved the part when Dani, Pixie, and Stormy we're trying to run away forever back to Sea Grove. We also liked how the narrarator used the beautiful words. Read the book it's great.

I found this book in my public library when I was in my 'Zilpha Keatley Snyder Phase.' I had just read The Changeling (another excellent book by this author) and saw that this was set in the land of Green-sky (which is mentioned in The Changeling.) Not expecting much, I picked this up-and was totally overwhelmed when I begin reading it. Please, buy this book. You'll never regret it.

I read this book when I was in grade school and it has haunted me ever since. I have been on a quest - literally - since I was 11 years old to find this book again, along with the other 2 in the trilogy - for those of you who are also still looking the other two books are: Below the Root and Until the Celebration

This is a sophisticated, intricate, and very well-written series. It is too bad the author's works are no longer available, because everything she writes is gold.

I have never forgotten this book since I read it as a child. The multicolored ponies and the wooded farm filled my imagination for years. What a wonderful book.

As a child, I read and reread the Season of Ponies, then tried to entice my friends to read it. It's hard to describe the author's ability to so subtly weave the magic, and the belief in that magic, into the thin novel, illustrated with just pen and ink. But surprisingly enough, the colors are what I remember most, the colors the story evokes with the hope of a beautiful magic. Now I have a daughter, and with some effort I tracked down a copy and read it to her. And again, after all these years, I was as affected by the magic of the beautiful cloud ponies as she was. The writing and the story are wonderfully rich and riveting.

This is such a magical novel. I hadn't read it since I was a kid, so I remembered nothing. However, once I started reading, I found I could not put it down. It's a rather simple story, with many faerie tale elements, but the style and the depth of the characters make it unique. It's about a lonely girl named Pamela who lives at Oak Farm House with her two aunts. When her father has to leave for awhile, he gives her a necklace which he says might possibly have magical powers. Through this amulet she meets a boy, whom she simply calls Ponyboy, and he calls her Girl. Names to them do not need to matter. Ponyboy is called just that because of the herd of ponies that follow him. Like Dickon from "The Secret Garden," Ponyboy is an animal charmer and has a way with people. The horses are magical as well, and with them, the two children have an incredible summer, doing many adventurous things, which most people can only dream of.

"A Fabulous Creature", is a novel that will get you from the first page. It tells the story of a teenage boy struggling with his first real romance and also with the fact that his family is worlds apart from that of his girlfriend's. Containing amusing characters, a plotline that inspires reflection, and an accurate portrayal of teenage emotion, this book ties all these delectible ingredients together in a dramatic ending that left me going back to reread my favorite parts just for one last taste. This book is ideal for a more advanced junior high reader or someone in the first years of high school, but people of any age will enjoy it.

"A shepherd boy braves the evil magic of a wizard's maze to save his pet lamb." says our library catalog. This is really a fairy tale-type story, and really good.

This is a gripping tale of children's loyalty to each other and a frightened and fearful dog. An adventure with self-discovery - one of Ms. Snyder's specialties. As are all of hers, this is a wonderful page-turner.

Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Gib And The Gray Ghost provides a companion to the fine Gib Rides Home but needs no prior familiarity with the character in order to attract newcomers. Gib here returns to his beloved foster family's home, where his friendship with a wild horse may change lives.

Until the Celebration is the third book in Zilpha Keatley Snyder's fantasy (SF?) trilogy about a world where people make their homes in huge trees (which begins with Below the Root, and continues with And All Between.) All our favorite characters are back, and as usual, Snyder's book gives us no easy answers to the difficult questions of life. A beautiful and disturbing book.

When I was a young girl in an unhappy family with no escape and no hope, I stumbled on this book. It expressed so many of my thoughts and feelings at that period in my life. It also gave me hope that someday I too would write books that gave others the feeling that they were not alone in their misery. And gave me hope that someday I would find my velvet room. This book has stayed within my heart and my imagination for 30 years. I am currently searching for a copy of this splendid book of a young, unhappy girl searching for a place to call her own. A secret place that can't be lost even if only in her memories. That room becomes her salvation, as the book became mine. I desperately want my daughters to read this book. I have talked about it for years. It certainly warrants republication. Thank you for the opportunity to locate this book once again. I read my copy so often that it fell apart by the time I struck out on my own for my own "Velvet Room".

This was one of my favorites as a child. I can only share the thoughts of others by saying what a great book this is. This book has all the best offerings; mystery, suspense, secrets, and a heroine who loves to read. ...please put this book back in print and share it with a new generation of readers.

The Velvet Room is a realistic story with much of the majic and suspense of The Secret Garden. Additionally it gives readers insight into the hardship of migrant farm workers and develops empathy for Robin's hardworking family. For almost 30 years I have kept my paperback copy. Last summer my 8 year old daughter read it and loved it. She finished rereading it today and claimed it was still one of the best books she has ever read

I first read The Changeling when I was 12, and its impact on my life has been so pervasive that I barely know how to begin to talk about it. It's still my favorite book, all these years later; I re-read it about once a year, and every time I notice new things about the characters and their dynamic and the magical ways they transform each other's lives. Martha is the "ordinary" one, quietly suffocating in a relentlessly narcissistic family until her friendship with Ivy transforms her and gives her the strength to become her own individual. Ivy is the "out of this world" one, determined to transcend her family's darkness and chaos; she's the spokesperson for the possibility of magic and beauty in the world, even as the ugliness of her family situation threatens to pull her down. Any capsule description can only fail to do justice to the mystery and beauty of this book, though; the story just glows with magic and wonder, in the many memorable moments and adventures the girls have, and the way they grow and change through their friendship and manage to become strong, creative people who transcend their screwed-up families. And the way that Ms. Snyder explores these themes in such a powerful and magical way that one comes away buoyed with hope and feeling transformed. It's not at all a typical exploration of childhood or adolescent angst; rather it shows the girls' journey toward adulthood and individuality as a mysterious and captivating journey, suffused with wonder.

I love reading these reviews and seeing how others have related to the characters, and how the story is complex enough that people's experiences of it change over the years. When I was a kid, I utterly identified with Ivy. Some time in my twenties I was surprised to realize how much I'm like Martha. I think this may be one of the things that makes the book so powerful -- Ivy and Martha are distinct individuals and yet they're also two halves of a whole, and their twin journeys are intricately interwoven; I imagine many readers may identify with both, and with the life journeys of the two girls as two sides of their own journey.

I also want to echo what other reviewers have said: This book deserves to be re-issued immediately; it's unbelievable that it's not currently in print. I hope the publishers will come to their senses and bring it back.

I've been a huge fan of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's work since I was about 10 years old. My favorite one, however, is still The Changeling. It brought magic and wonder into my childhood, and I must have read it over 100 times! Now I am searching for this book for my daughter, and I was disappointed to find out that it is no longer being published. Anyway, I highly recommend this book to young readers. It's such a beautiful tale of friendship, and so marvelously written. I am at loss for words to describe the impact it had on me as a child, and has had on me ever since. It's truly unforgettable.

Also, to whoever wrote that last entry about contacting Ms. Snyder, and also mentioned her website, could you please get in touch w/ me? Or if anyone can tell me Ms. Snyder's website address and how to contact her please e-mail me. I would really appreciate it.

I first read this book when I was 11 and I still like to re-read it at age 34. I really identified with the main character, Martha, and had a friend a little bit like Ivy. It is hard to describe what makes this books so good. There is a magic that feels very real to me. The two girls both do not fit what is expected from them. I see no reason why this story should only appeal to females. It is about human experience. Also, the author shows the children as having full lives, not as being little puppets as some adults imagine children to be.