In this retelling of the story of Atalanta, Stephanie Spinner continues in the tradition of great novelists like Mary Renault who render ancient history and mythology fresh, accessible and immediate without adulterating the original power of the stories. Atalanta, a mythical huntress with a remarkable story, is still a teenaged girl -- confused, hormonal, and horse-crazy. Anyone who has ever been a adolescent girl or known one will feel a certain affinity to and sympathy for her.

Spinner doesn't fall into the trap of stylistic modernization, however. Despite her character's accessibility to the modern reader, Atalanta remains undisputably an inhabitant of an ancient, mythical world in which creatures like centaurs are an unremarkable (though smelly and obnoxious) aspect of everyday life, and the gods are flawed, mercurial and fickle. Apollo and Artemis carry on conversations filled with the idle, slighty vicious barbs one would expect from siblings, though not, perhaps, from devine ones. That our heroine, long-suffering and stoic, is at the mercy of these creatures seems the ultimate injustice: she is so much better than they.

I suppose that injustice is part of what makes "Quiver" so convincing and evocative of the original myths it is based on. The Greek Gods of Homer and Ovid were never especially divine in judgement or emotion; what makes them so terrifying and moving is that they are just like us, only bigger, more powerful, and even more ruled by the drives and emotions we deem ignoble, primal, and unmanagable. In this godly muck of jealousy, revenge and chaos for the sake of it, Atalanta is a beacon of level-headedness, humanity, and nobility.

Quiver was a wonderful integration of mythology, romance, and adventure. I have recommended this book to many of my friends and my Latin teacher. The main character, Atalanta, was one of many characters beautifully brought to life through dialogue and description. Spinner's Quiver was a delicate mix of the many tales of Atalanta. I hope to read many more books by Stephanie Spinner in the future.

Quiver was a wonderful integration of mythology, romance, and adventure. I have recomended it to many of my friends and my Latin teacher. The main character, Atalanta, was one of the many characters beautifully brought to life through dialogue and description. The plot was a delicate mix of the many tales of Atalanta. I look forward to reading many other books by Stephanie Spinner.

Aliens for Breakfast is about a kid named Richard. He has to save the day because a little alien comes to him and tells him that Dorf is going to take over the world. This book had some of my favorite things like aliens, magic, and adventure. I think kids will like to read this book on their own time.

I recommend this Book to people who like science fiction.My favorite characters are Henry,Gorf,Aric,and Richard.I think it was great! because it is very funny and serious at the same time.

Aliens For Breakfast is a wonderful exploration into fantasy with a touch of the realistic. Used in the classroom, it provides an excellent vehicle to explore characterization and main idea. My students totally enjoy the adventure!

This was a really neat book. Aric (the alien) was really funny in this book. The main character Richard worked really hard to get rid of the aliens that were taking over his planet. The aliens were Dwilibs. They were stinky. They smelled like rotten fish. We liked the 10th anniversary covers of this book. It was just as good as Aliens for Lunch and Aliens for Breakfast.

Fantastic! Madeleine L'Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time, is a great writer.The characters are Mrs. Whatsit Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, Mr. Murry, Meg ,Charles Wallace Calvin ,It, and Aunt Beast. The characters were interesting because each of them are so different than the other. Meg Calvin, and Charles Wallace go on a journey through space to the planet Camotz were Meg's father is trapped. I would recommend this book for 3rd grade and up.

This is another Bullseye, this time a chiller and not a classic like Les Miserable. However these series of books make classics and other heavy duty books palatable to the beginner in every budding reader in our homes. My 9 year old likes any Bullseye, so she finished this one in a couple of sittings and asked me to order RL Stevenson's 'Kidnapped' in the same series. I never thought Dracula is much of a story in written form, however it seems to have sustained her interest till the end. When will Bullseye come out with all the Harry Potters so I too can read them as small books and claim to have read them all !!

I sugest Kitten Up a Tree To all little kids that like excitement. My mother read the book to me on my first birthday, and I swear I made her read the book to me every night until I was four.Actually, by that time I was reciting it to her I knew it so well! The title completely explains the story. A kitten climbs up a tree while it is in an attempt to follow a butterfly. The only problem is, once it is at the top...it has no way down! This book taught me that things can't get to bad when your with your mom. After all, mommy always comes to the rescue doesn't she? It also taught me that I was safe to adventure away from my mother, meaning that the world wasnt such a bad place. This is actually quite embarrasing, but before I read this book I was afraid to go to Day Care alone, after I read it...I became excited to go! I suggest this book to ALL YOUNG CHILDREN!!!

The Black Stallion Returns

By Walter Farley

Adventure

Characters:

Alec is Black's owner. He loves horses. He is 14 years old. He has black hair and goes to high school. He loves Black a lot.

Black is a black stallion who Alec befriends after a shipwreck.

Henry is the short, stout, bowlegged trainer of Black. He also owns the stables Black lives in.

Mr. Volence is the owner of Sun Raider, a horse Black beat in racing. He thinks Black can improve the American racehorse.

Abu Ja' ben Ishak is Black's real owner. His hair is steel gray. His skin is tough, dry, and the color of mahogany.

Raj is about 12 years old. He guides Alec's group through the desert. He has never known his family.

Tabari is Abu's daughter. She is about 15 years old. She is very beautiful. She loves her father a lot.

The Setting:

The book takes place in Henry's stables and Alec's house in the suburbs of New York, and in Arabia.

The Plot:

Someone tries to kill Black. The next day, a man shows up and claims to be Black's real owner. They find out he is telling the truth and he takes Black to Arabia. Henry, Alec and Mr. Volence follow him to Arabia where they learn about a conflict between Abu's tribe and a neighboring tribe. The conflict is that supposedly Abu killed his best friend, who happened to be the leader of the neighboring tribe. The son of the dead leader is very vengeful. Someone re-steals Black. Abu's and the neighboring tribe are about to go to war because Abu's tribe thinks the other tribe stole Black. Alec and Raj find out the truth and save Black. The man who kidnapped Black gets away, but his men did not. Alec and Raj help make the Tribes friends again and Raj finds his family. They hold a big race like every year. During the race the man who kidnapped Black tries to shot Black. Instead, the others tribe leader shot the man. At the end of the race the other tribe's leader who was riding for his tribe and Alec, who was riding for Abu's tribe, were racing their horses neck and neck. Black and Alec win by a small space. At the end, Tabari marries the chief of the other tribe. The tribes make peace and Abu promises Alec he will get Black's first son.

My favorite scene is when Alec meets Tabari because she is very nice and talks to Alec. I also like it when Alec meets Abu's tribe because it is all new for Alec and he behaves very nicely even though he is impatient to see Black. My two favorite characters are Raj and Tabari. I like Raj because he shows independence and he is very nice and wishes he knew his family. He wants to help Alec and be friends with him. I like Tabari because she is nice, beautiful, shows lots of independence and makes her own decisions. I recommend this book to horse or animal lovers. I also recommend it for mystery lovers. I think people should read this because it is full of adventure, mystery, horses, and Alec's thoughts. It is a wonderful book. It makes you feel like you are in the book. I think all my friends should read this. It truly is an excellent book. I would rate this book a 10 because it shows a boy's love for a horse and how he struggles to get his horse back when it is taken from him. I think Walter Farley did a wonderful job writing it. I would also give this book a ten because it keeps you wondering what happens next. Walter Farley keeps you hanging on his every word.

What a great story! I almost couldn't catch my breath during the racing narrative! Farley spins a wonderful tale of betrayal and true friendship here. The Black Stallion Returns is even tighter in plot and more moving with Alec and Black's friendship than the very first. Read this book! You will be happier! And you will fall in love with horses like I did.

One day, Alec hears the Black whinny in fear and anger. He runs to the stables and is horrified to find a hypodermic in the straw of Black's stall. It is deadly. The only clue is a strange medallion with a bird on it. But then something even more frightening happens the next day. Alec goes to the stable to find out that an Arabic man has come all the way overseas to see-and claim--the Black. He really is the Black's owner, so off the
Black goes. Thinking there is a connection between the hypo and the claimer of the Black, Alec, Henry, and trainer Mr. Volence travel to Arabia. They battle starvation and the hot sun with the help of a young Arab boy named Raj to find the Black. But when they get to the Arab cheiftan's home, they end up riding among warring tribes...warring tribes who are threatening to plunder and kill...and the leader turns out to be the man who tried to kill the Black! Then Alec is captured by the Black's evil nemisis--and may be killed himself!

This book, illustrated brilliantly in an amazing form, follows the Greek Myth of the snaked-haired Gorgon, 'Medusa'. But the story doesn't start there. You see, Medusa was once a beautiful young girl...she upset the goddess, Athene, who punished her in return. The young man Perseus then sets out to find the Gorgon and kill her, this is their story - in a form that young children can follow. A great book.

The cut paper illustrations by Susan Swan are the chief charm of this All Aboard Reading Level 2 (Grades 1-3) book written by Stephanie Spinner. "Snake Hair" is, as the sub-title indicates, "The Story of Medusa," who in this version is a vain young girl who makes the terrible mistake of saying that her hair is more beautiful than that of Athena. The angry goddess change's Medusa's hair to snakes and makes her so ugly her look will turn any living thing that looks at her to stone. What follows is the story of the hero Perseus, who is aided by the gods to fulfill his destiny. The illustrations here by Swan are absolutely exquisite and I find it incredible that these were actually cut by hand and are not computer generated (look at the chains on Andromeda, for example). Teachers who use this book in class should be prepared for young students wanting to try their hand at this particular art form (I could never, ever do this).

One of the interesting things about classical mythology are the different variations that exist on the story of Medusa, Perseus and many others...Other myths tell of Medusa as being one of the three Gorgons, who were dragonlike creatures with wings whose look turned men to stone. In some myths it is said that Pegasus, the winged stallion, was born of the Gorgon's blood after Perseus slew Medusa (the one Gorgon who was not immortal apparently). As for Medusa's head, it supposedly becomes part of the aegis, the shield of Zeus carried by Athena. Consequently, having been introduced to the wonderful world of mythology, young readers will have many more fascinating tales to read and learn about in the years to come.

Medusa is one of the most memorable characters from all of Greek mythology. "Snake Hair: The Story of Medusa" is an effective retelling of her story. Stephanie Spinner's simple text (geared towards 1st to 3rd grade readers) is well complemented by Susan Swan's fine illustrations. Author Spinner thoughtfully provides pronunciation guides for the mythological names.

"Snake Hair" tells how the beautiful Medusa is punished for her boastful pride by being transformed into a monster with snakes for hair and a face so ugly that anyone who looks at it is turned into stone. As the story progresses, the monstrous Medusa is confronted by the hero Perseus (who will face yet another monster before the story ends).

What makes this version of the ancient story really special is the marvelous artwork. Swan's illustrations appear to be cut-paper collages, and they are alive with color and energy. Particularly impressive are her renderings of the multicolored tangle of serpents that make up Medusa's hair. Overall, a well-done book.

...but it's a ton of fun for an adult like me. Fun, fresh, and even surreal, "First" teaches readers (especially youth) not just to enjoy reading but also to question what we see and read. Recommended!

Anyone who has enjoyed Terry Bisson's SF and Fantasy creations, probably knew it all along. He was bound to be good at this sort of thing. Together with Stephanie Spinner, Bisson has given us (and our kids) a romping good story. There's plenty of humor to offset our anxiety over the twin protagonists. And there's just enough payback for the twin villains! I only hope Bisson and Spinner had as much fun with this book as we did, so they'll think about doing another one soon.

Although I'm not much of a horror fan, I decided to read Dracula since it was considered a classic and was hopefully pretty good. I'm glad I read it. It was a very interesting story. It wasn't what I was expecting. The whole novel is written as if you're reading someone's diary, telegram or news article. It starts with Jonathan Harker(a lawyer if I remember correctly) who is summoned to Count Dracula's castle to help Dracula obtain a home in London. He soon realizes Dracula is no ordinary man, but some kind of beast. This section takes about 1/4 of the book and then, after some deaths surrounded with unusual and frightening circumstances, Jonathan, along with some other interesting characters commit to not only prevent Dracula's move to London, but to kill him. This book was interesting in the fact that it was almost as if Dracula is not the main character of the novel, and I suppose in some ways, he's not. The book focuses much more on this group of people's attempts to hinder Dracula's actions and to cause his demise. Also, I liked reading the book and discovering the original story behind Dracula, not just all of the spoofs and parodies one sees today. I liked finding out that besides not liking garlic, crosses and sunlight, vampires also can't pass running water and can turn into wolves as well as bats. Although I can't say I was ever particularly scared reading this novel(probably because I don't really believe in vampires), I did find this novel to be very good, especially considering horror isn't one of the genres I'm particularly fond of. I definitely think it's worth picking up this book and reading it.

Everyone knows the name "Dracula," but the majority have only seen the legendary Transylvanian Count on the silver screen or through pop culture; few indeed have actually read the work that started it all.

One cannot claim to be a fan of vampire literature or of Dracula himself without having read Bram Stoker's tremendous work of gothic horror. Think that Dracula and other vampires can't be out in daylight? Wrong--they simply have no powers during the day, which you'd know if you read this extraordinary book.

Written in epistolary form (that is, as a series of letters and diary entries), the story is presented from the viewpoints of the main characters, from Jonathan Harker to his wife Mina to Dr. van Helsing. Rather than detracting from the story, this format breaks up what would otherwise be a rather long manuscript into manageable chunks and adds to the historical character of the novel.

Modern film interpretations have presented Stoker's story through the eyes of each producer, director, and screenwriter, with nearly all making wholesale changes--Mina Harker, for instance, is NOT the reborn lost love of Count Dracula as Francis Ford Coppola would have us believe. Many others who have "read" Dracula have done so through abridged texts that distort the story through omission. Pick up and read the story that started it all in its intended format... Bram Stoker's Dracula. You won't regret it.

One of the scariest books in history, DRACULA is nevertheless misunderstood. Our civilization is removed from the Victorian era. We think of it as somehow distant and quaint, and ourselves as modern. But when Bram Stoker published DRACULA in 1897, the Victorian era _was_ modern. Stoker meant to make the book more frightening than most books by bringing an ancient horror into a modern, anti-superstitious world. He uses typewriters and phonograph disks the way a modern writer would refer to the internet and e-mail. DRACULA's first readers might've looked out of their town or country houses and expected to see Dracula's gaunt figure emerging through the fog.

He tells the story through a series of diaries, letters, clippings. Normally this is an unweildy method of storytelling, but in this case it is most effective.

The novel is divided into three broad sections. In the first, young Jonathan Harker and Dracula have the stage almost alone. Though Harker's diary we learn details of his journey through eastern Europe to meet a Count who wants to travel to England, and Harker carries him certain important papers. Count Dracula's character comes across very strong and well-defined, and grows ever menacing as Harker slowly learns he is not going to be allowed back to England, but will become food for Dracula's vampiric harem.

The second part of the book, set in England, deals with Mina Murray, who is going to marry Jonathan; Mina's friend Lucy; three men who are in love with Lucy; and a good-hearted but mysterious Ductch doctor, Abraham van Helsing. The bulk of this part deals with Lucy's mysterious disease, her decline to death, and her transformation into a vampire that her suitors must destroy out of love. Dracula appears only fleetingly through the book, but the reader knows what happens, and suspects the cause of Lucy's decline.

In the last part, Jonathan, Mina, and Lucy's three lovers band with Dr. von Helsing in a pact to destroy Dracula before he can spread his contagion throughout England; and meanwhile, Dracula wreaks his vengeance on them for taking Lucy from him.

Stoker uses many ways of approaching his subject. Occasionally the horror is direct; but once it is established, he makes it subtle, working behind the scenes, in a way that may be even more frightening. Though he also uses different voices, his prose is invariably fine. And as each character has to overcome his aversion to ancient superstition and face Dracula with a mind open to the fact that there's more in the world than science and technology and late-Victorian materialism can contain, the book becomes eerily meaningful for the twenty-first century.

Modern purveyors of vampiric fiction dispense with the blatant Christian symbolism used to fight Dracula's ilk, such as a crucifix or sanctified host, or prayer. They also turn the evil of Dracula topsy-turvey and somehow invent sympathy for soulless monsters who view living humans as food. Stoker doesn't hesitate to show Dracula as an evil, totalitarian horror; as a contagion that must be eradicated; as an enslaver of women, like Lucy, and men, like poor Renfield. And Stoker has reason enough to realized that only Supernatural agencies could fight the supernatural. The saving Blood of Christ on the Cross, blood of which a soulless terror like Dracula cannot drink, is the most effective symbol for fighting and defeating this brand of evil. It was part of the novel's consistency that as the characters have to come to grips with the reality of ancient evil, they must also return to the symbols of good that they also have rejected in a narrow-minded embracing of the modern.

Dracula, the strongest character in Victorian fiction, does not weaken himself by the need to be "understood" or "pitied". He will destroy or be destroyed. And the worst destruction that could happen to him would be mitigation.

DRACULA may be the scariest book ever written; it's certainly the best of the classic horror stories. It's well-crafted and exquisitely constructed enough that it stands as a great novel even without genre pigeonholing.