I loved this book when I was twelve (the same age as Andrew). It is chock full of verisimilitude and I loved the style, which is conversational without being hackneyed.

When in my twenties, I read Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." A few pages into it, I said "HEY!" Holden Caulfield's voice is almost exactly the same as Andrew Kellogg's. Barbara Brooks Wallace cannot convince me she was not inspired by Salinger.

Barbra Brooks Wallace has written a book for youth that brings home what it is like to grow up unappreciated and lonely in a new community. Andrew, the book's hero, moves with his family to Washington DC and immediately begins facing all of the troubles a boy in junior high must face: the fears that go along with being the "new kid," bullies, loneliness, a big brother with no time for him unless he is bossing him around, and a kid sister he finds himself having to take care of. Top it off with a mother who has to go away for a while, and it is a wonder Andrew doesn't go crazy! Blessed with smarts and a wry sense of humor, however, Andrew rises to the challenges (even when he doesn't want to) and truly becomes the "big deal."

This book brings back memories of my childhood. It's a story of a boy who moved with his family to Washington D.C. and tells about his struggles with childhood, and getting no respect. It is a very funny book for kids, and was the first book I remember laughing out loud while reading!

I read this book back in 5th grade, too and really loved it...Claudia and I were in the same boat back then! Now that I teach, I read it each year to my 4th graders. It's an nice little history lesson on the old gender and peer roles parents used to assign to us and all my kids can relate to the despair of being picked on, or having your friends change and mature around you before you're ready to.

I first read this book as a fifth grader back in the 1970's. It helped me then to understand that other kids had problems, just like I did, and that we could find viable solutions to our problems without relying on others.

Claudia would be good for fourth-seventh graders to read independently, or for a read-aloud to second and third graders. Many life skills are addressed along with applying them through family and friends.

I have not read this book in a long time and have been searching for it. I think it is an excellent piece of literature that isn't read enough. When I was in 4rth grade my teacher read it to the class. It has been one of my favorite books since! This book brings to my mind the story of A Little Princess! I think that Peppermints in the Parlor is alot like A Little Princess in many different ways. One way they are alike is that both young girls are orphaned(or so they think). Both are treated poorly and still are very polite-like girls. I enjoyed the personalities of the characters as much as the plot which was truly amazing. It is a book that is still read to the students in my old teachers class today because it is something you can learn from and enjoy. Read it, you won't regret it!

Peppermints in the Parlor is a terrific book! As a young girl Emily Luccock lost both of her parents. She went to live with her aunt and uncle in their mansion, Suger Hill Hall. But when she arrives at the house, everything is not as she expects. Two stange and mean women, strange shodows in the parlor, and the mansion darker and gloomier than ever! And most of all where is her Uncle Twice, and why does Aunt Twice seems to be a prisoner in her own house?

I loved this book from the very first page, to the very last! I reccomend this book to everyone to read! (It's a great book to use for a book report!!)

I must say that it has been many years since I first read Peppermints in the Parlor, but I remember my sixth grade teacher assigning us this book and I became so attached to it that I sat down and read the entire book in one day! And for me that was an extremely big deal because I had never really liked to read. Now I liked To Kill A Mockingbird, A Brave New World, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but out of all the books I read in school I must say that this was by far the one book that stood out the most to me! Even if you're not a kid this book will thoroughly entertain you! This book was the first to spark my interest in reading and I always keep searching for books that can entertain me the way that this one did. While my taste in reading material has matured as I've gotten older, this book has stayed at the top of my favorites list. Once you read this book you will understand just why it changed my outlook on reading, it was the first book that I found to be fun!!!

I enjoyed reading Ghosts in the Gallery. Jenny is an endearing character who wins your heart. Who wouldn't love a poor orphan child left to the mercy of relatives she has never met? The mystery is well written and keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next. At times it was difficult to keep all of the characters straight, but all comes together in the end. Barbara Brooks Moore writes in such detail that the reader feels as if she were at Graymark Manor itself.

Jenny had tragically lost her parents by the time she turned eleven years old. Although American, Jenny had lived her whole life in China and had no one to take care of her once her parents were gone. Prior to her death, her mother made arrangements for Jenny to travel to America to live with her only remaining living relative, her paternal grandfather Graymark. Upon arrival at Graymark Manor, however, she was told that, in fact, no arrangements had been made, it was not believed that she was actually related to the family she found there, and the only way Jenny would be permitted to stay would be as a servant. As Jenny slowly met and learned more of each of the family members and fellow servants, the truth about what was going on in this dark, mysterious house became more and more elusive, and we are taught that things are not always as they seem! Wallace's wonderful imagery and array of characters make for an exciting adventure into the past. This is historical fiction and suspense at their best, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. Although recommended for ages 8 and up, I would personally think it more appropriate for ages 10 and up.

Growing up as one of the few Americans in China during the Victorian era, young Jenny never knew her real father, who died when she was just an infant. The only father she knows is the kindly man who married her mother when she was a young widow struggling to provide for herself and baby Jenny. The three of them lived a spare but comfortable life over the years. But sudden tragedy strikes Jenny when she is just eleven, when her stepfather and mother die within weeks of each other. On her deathbed, Jenny's mother provides her with the instructions and money neccesary to make the long voyage to the American east coast to live with her paternal grandfather. Along the miserable ocean crossing and railroad trip across the United States, the one thing comforting Jenny is the fact that she will soon be with her grandfather, safe and loved. Instead, she arrives to misery: her mother's letter never arrived, her grandfather is ailing, and her uncle does not believe that Jenny is his niece, but is trying to swindle the family fortune. So Jenny is sent to a dank room in the cellar to become a servant. With many mysterious people surrounding her, she begins to wonder just what is going on in gloomy Graymark House, and whether someone could possibly be plotting against her. Bringing to life a brave, resourceful young girl, this novel spins a dark tale of treachery and sinister plots set against a shadowy 19th-century backdrop.

Meet the world of Furkens - the race of Elves that has forgotten how to turn invisible. This book is like "The Hobbit" for kids. It is well written, imaginative and fun. The book left my child and I wanting to know more. We're eager to read the next book about their adventures.

The Barrel in the Basement is the greatest!!! Two little elves, also called Furkens, are looking for a new place to live. One of them is Pudding, and one of them is Muttle. On their way they bump into a cat, who wants to eat them. A long time ago, the Furkins looked very different, they didn't have all the hair that covered their whole bodies except their faces, they wern't scared, rather they were very brave, and most of all, they lost their ability to vanish. Now they looked almost exactly like one of their greatest enemies: Mice. But they smelled like warm apricot jam. By telling this to the cat, the cat finnaly let them go. Then they came across a beautiul house. In the basement they found a barrel. It looked just like a Furkin's house should look. Inside they found an old Furkin. His house is filled with funiture made from wood, and eats only Furkin food. The big questions that Pudding and Muttle are wondering are: How does the old Furkin keep himself from being noticed by the human who lives in the house? And where did he get all the furniture?

I found this a great book. It had adventure, lessons, and even funny parts!!! I recomend tjhis book for everyone to read. Enjoy!!!

This book is a book i would recommend to readers who can face a story with plot were the main character is suffering.

When Colley, or Jed, is kidnapped and placed in the dreadful Broggin Home for Boys, he has no friends. No friends, that is, until he performs a very courageous deed. By doing this he saves another boy from the dreaded "hole", and everyone is then Colley's friend. After an incident in the glass factory, where most of the boys work, they must face the fact that someone wants Colley dead...

The sparrows are 19th century boys who have been sold to, shanghaied by, or stumbled into the clutches of a boys home, which has hired them to the unscrupulous managers of a glass factory. There the boys, including the hero, Colley, are worked unmercifully and are in danger of death both from frequent accidents in the extreme heat and because they are weak and underfed. But the sparrows make the best of these grim and scary circumstances. They become friends, create a secret hiding place, even find a pet, albeit an unusual one. The boys learn what it means to be friends, and working together (with a little help from grownups) escape their scary circumstances.

This book is a neat book to read.I liked this book because it changes a lot, like when you expect something to happen the opposite happens. I disliked this book because it was to discriptive. I would recommend this book to someone who likes very discriptive book.

Amelia Fairwick is a rich, eleven-year-old girl from London. She only has her father and he goes away on a business trip and she stays at Mrs. Draper's Select Academy for Girls as a boarding student. A letter comes and apparently Mr. Fairwick has been killed in a hotel fire. Amelia is to go live in New York with Cousin Basil, her closest living relative. He is a distant cousin of her mother. She wants to stay and live with Aunt Felicia, who is not really her aunt; she is going to marry her father, but she cannot.She sets sail on the SS Sylvania with Cousin Charlotte, who is Cousin Basil's sister. Cousin Charlotte is a cruel, dark dressing, icy person. She barely speaks to Amelia, let alone anyone else. On the dock, Amelia sees a young girl who she suspects is a princess. When the ship docks in New York, Cousin Charlotte deserts Amelia. A kind old lady named Mrs. Dobbins and her son Elmo help Amelia and take her to their home. But in the morning, this are not as they seemed. Amelia realizes she is being held a prisoner, but why? This book is filled with adventure and suspense. It was difficult to put down and is filled with twists and turns. The setting and character description makes the book even more exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all those who enjoy mysteries and suspense.

This book is GREAT! its sooo full of twists and turns that if you were to (try) and tell about it to someone you would be talking for hours!! The ending is soo cool!! VERY unexpected! Anyone who loves a good book would like this one! When eleven yr old Amelia finds out her dad died in a fire she thinks nothing could be worse, but when she finds out that she can't live with her soon to be stepmom (who is really nice) she is Very disapointed, but things get worse, she has to live with her cousin basil (in New york soo faraway from london)(her real moms cousin) whom she has never met! but its not cousin basil himself who comes to acompany her on the ship from london its his sister, who barely ever talks and is about as MEAN as you can get, but things get worse when they finally get to NY, the lady abandons her (cousin basils sister) and her new friend that she made on the ship has already left, primrose. so a kindly old lady takes her in so she can be fead and finally get some sleep, but nothing is as it seems she is now a prisoner again! Tricked Again! But this time by an old lady! This book has a suprising ending! I love it!

This book has a lot of action in it and great suspense. The only problem was the author didn't quite explain the backround of the story to us. It was very confusing at first but then I figured it out. If you get confused with books very easily I highly suggest not to read this book

spooky scary adventures the twin in the tavern one of barbra
wallace. best books yet if you have any past time events like
adoption or something close to that this book is for you this
book tells about a young boy who has been left behind with
nothing. but an blanket couch and ripped up rags with his
grandmother flower pots and his grandfather bed one night he
woke up and begin watching two men break in his house after watch
ing them take ever thing a man call nezeer told his sidekick
to get the blanket.to find out what happen get the twin in the tavern.

I know a lot of people may think that the book Twins in the Tavern may not be such a good book, but I think it was. The book is about a boy named Taddy who was kidnapped by two men who robbed his house after his aunt and uncle died. He was forced to work in an inn called The Dog's Tail, where he mets Beatle, another kidnapped boy. Then Taddy (now called Toady), was hired to work in the a very rich house, where he sees a boy who looks exactly like him! Could this be the twin his uncle told him about? And if so, will he ever be able to confront him and tell him?

I thought this book was very good and recommend it to everyone to read.

I first read this book in 5th grade and it had all of the elements I wanted at that age: mystery, popularity, boys and drama. It is a great book that teaches how to tell who your friends really are without being preachy. It can be a little serious, but I enjoyed that. I don't think kids need everything sugar coated and easily solved. It encourages the reader to be strong enough to be who they really are. This is a book that my sister and I still talk about.