Hannah and Meg live miles from the nearest neighbor. There is a big snowstorm on its way, and they've heard that if the power is to go out, it can take weeks to restore it! Still, they aren't worried about being home alone until their parents call to tell them that they're snowed-in at the airport. The call from their parents and the news brief that an escaped killer is headed in their direction is the last two things they hear before the electricity goes out. Then, in the middle of the night, the two sisters get a knock on their door! Two wounded, half-frozen strangers stand in their doorway, asking to stay the night. Of course (for protection, according to them), they refuse to leave in the morning, and strange things occur. The dog disappears, along with their axe, and the girls realize they don't know the guys at all!

I thought that "Someone at the Door" was unbelievable! Richie Tankersley Cusick (one of the best horror writers out there) concocts a story full of mystery and horror. The scenery adds to the suspense; two girls, miles away from anyone, helpless. The events were thrilling and surprising, and the ending was shocking. A must-read for all horror fans!

Also recommended:
a.) "Starstruck" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
b.) "Vampire" by Richie Tankersley Cusick
c.) "Secret Santa" by D. E. Athkins
d.) "The Invitation" by Diane Hoh
e.) "The Train" by Diane Hoh
f.) All R. L. Stine young-adult thrillers
g.) All books by Joan Lowery Nixon

When Hannah and her younger sister Meg help 2 wounded strangers who show up at their door, they panick.Suddenly, the dog was missing, the axe wasn't there, and there were little sick surprises being left for Hannah.Hannah and Meg don't know who to trust, but something for sure was terribly wrong.When they think they have everything figured out, everything is turned upside down and all 4 lives are changed. To whomever is considering this book to read, i recommened it dearly.It is my all-time favorite book, and I only wish you should read it.It was a frightening tale of being home alone and it always kept me on my toes, every detail made my body shiver. It was a mystery that i think everyone would enjoy reading!

I thought this book was one of the best that i have read. It was the first book that i read by RTC and I'm in here looking for more...This book is a major thriller. When Hannah and Meg's parents are gone a huge snow storm comes to there area...during the night 2 men come to the house one very badly hurt...of course Hannah and Meg take them in and took care of them...as the book goes on mysterious things happen, for example there dog disappears. The girls start to suspect that the men are the one's responsiable for the things that are happening and don't know what to do...I loved this book and hope that if you read it you would too...I recomend this book to EVERYONE! I hope that this has helped you decide if you would like to buy this book or not.. BYE BYE

At first Don't Let Me Die! looks like another semi-good teen book, but once you get past the title, it's really very powerful and moving. When Lucy is involved in a terrible car crash and loses control of her legs, she must make some tough decisions about what she is going to do.

The book covers it all: the accident itself, written very well; Lucy's waking in the hospital; her horror and shock when she finally sees her ruined legs; her stay at a physical therapy hospital. Her friendships with people from home change because of what has happened, not to mention her relationship with her boyfriend Dash. Even after she gets out of the clinic she can't move home with her mother, brother, and sister, so she stays with her grandparents on their isolated farm. There she makes some friends, meets a charming character on the internet, and starts working with a physical therapist - who just happens to start dating her mother. And once she moves back home, things start to look up again, until she finds out that her internet friend isn't quite so charming, and she must use her strength and determination to save herself.

Lucy's emotions are very realistic, and it is easy to identify with her. Most readers haven't been through a trauma that horrifying, but her fear, desperation, deep sorrow, and stubbornness are all excellent qualities. Although she does get better by the end of the book, and can use her legs some, she knows that for the rest of her life she'll have to use her wheelchair as well. That was the best part of the book, to me - the fact that it did not end happily ever after.

Also, the romantic component of the book is not too badly-done, especially for a teen novel. Lucy's relationships with her friends are solid and ring true to life, especially the way they act after her accident. I would recommend this book - look past the title, because it's a very good story of the human spirit, both determination and acceptance.

Interestingly, Lindsay Caldwell is the pen name of Diane Hoh, who is better known in the genre of teen horror books.

This is the most coolest book I have ever read. It starts that Lucy goes to her friends house,and leaves early because her friend, Jeny is dancing with her boyfriend Dash. Well, Lucy leave early,and while driving home a truck driver rams into her car. Then Lucy has to suffer the consequences of the accident. YOU SHOULD DEFINETLEY READ THIS BOOK. ITS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS WHERE YOU CAN'T STOP READING.

The book has 4 parts and the first part is when she's in the hospital, the next part is when she's in rehab and meets 3 friends, the thrid part is when she goes to her grandmas house because she lived in an apartment.It started when Lucy St. Cloud was going to her friends house and her boyfriend was dancing with her friend Jenny. She was upset and left early. On the way home a truck hit her.She had to go to the hospital. She didn't like much and she hated the thought of her boyfriend and her friend Jenny. You're going to have to read the book. I liked the book alot and I think anybody would like it.

This was one of my very favorite books as a child. Parents with young children would do well to read this book to them. It is the story of a young bull (Ferdinand) who learns to stay true to his own unique self. While all the other bulls all want to be mean and fierce, Ferdinand instead is a gentle and loving soul. Yet the situation comes where people try to force Ferdinand to comply. Ferdinand is taken to fight in the bull fights! Will he be faithful to himself, or will he go along with the crowds? Yes, there are deep morality questions and ethics here) Indeed, both parents and children will be touched by the timeless message of hope and strength that is Ferdinand. It truly is a book that children need to know and model.

Of course you may be familiar with the Disney cartoon, but the real story is definetely worth reading to your child. A young, gentle bull who loves the simple things is mistaken for a terrifying, awesome, crowd pleasing bull. He is brought to Madrid to fight the Matador. Read and see what happens! I love this sweet simple little tale. This story was written so long ago, but it still is appealing to children today. Next time you go for a drive "in the country," look for Ferdinand with your children!

My mother-in-law gave me her copy of this book (printed in 1938) when my oldest child was 4 or 5 years old and we just adored this story! In fact, she (my daughter) loved it so much she memorized it within months. I chose this book to read to her 2nd grade class and they, too, felt the magic of how the fierce bull loved to just sit and "smell the flowers"! I just sat down tonight to read it for the first time to my youngest child (5 years old) and he already knew how the story went. I asked him how he knew it and if his sister already read it to him, because I had not yet done so. He told me that nobody read it to him, that his sister (now 11 years old) already told him about it. He went on to explain every page to me before I even read it! Maybe it's because it's such a different subject for a children's book ( a bull, a tree, a bee and oh, those flowers!) or it could be because we don't have a great deal of access to bull fighting here in America...none the less, it's a story that stays with you, if only because of it's simplicity. Kind of refreshing.

"Dogsbody" is Dianne Wynne Jones' absolute very best book. I love this book and rank it in the top ten books of all time, along with Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster books, Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising," Shakespeare's complete works (I'm counting that as one book, which indeed it is in my household), and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. "Dogsbody" is not just for children--I have loaned my copy to any number of adults, all of whom say they enjoyed it immensely.

The basic story is about a young Irish girl who is staying with English relatives while her father is in prison. The relatives, especially her aunt, treat her like Cinderella, making her work far too hard for her age, criticizing her constantly, and otherwise making her life hard. Her two cousins, both boys, take their tone from their mother and tease her mercilessly. Her uncle ignores everything.

Into her life comes a wonderful puppy, found by the riverside nearly drowned. The puppy has a deep secret--he is actually a celestial being, Sirius, who has been cast to earth to be born as a dog as punishment for a serious crime.

As the puppy grows up, he must recall his true existence and solve the mystery of who really committed the crime, while contending with the cats (Tibbles and her two sons), the teasing boys, and his young mistress's own problems. If he cannot solve the crime in time, the earth could be destroyed and he could lose his immortality, so it is not a trivial problem.

This book is perfectly written. The author writes deftly, surely, and beautifully, with obvious affection and respect for animals as beings with their own personalities. (My favorites are Sirius and Tibbles.)

Although the story is very interesting and wonderfully told, what makes this book truly shine is how well the author conveys the relationships among the characters. There are parts I read and re-read just because of the emotions they invoke, such as when Sirius licks Tibbles after she is injured in an attack. If you have never read this book, and if you like this kind of fantasy, I urge you to give it a try.

Kathleen's mother is dead, and her father, an Irish terrorist, is in prison. She is living with her father's brother's family, in England. Despised by her peers for being Irish, despised by her aunt as an unwanted burden, she is a modern-day Cinderella.

Sirius is a star. We know of it as the dog star. In this fantasy, Sirius is a living being, that lives in the sphere of the star. He is in big trouble, accused of murdering a lesser star by using a celestial weapon to cause his sphere to go nova. Wrongly convicted of the murder, Sirius is condemned to a dog's life - and death - on Earth, unless he can find the missing weapon and return it to the stars.

The story of Kathleen and Sirius' relationship, and Sirius' quest to return to the skies is touching, funny, and amazingly believable. The tale is filled with adventures and trials, and has action enough to engage any kid. It also deals with poignant human relationships, and touches on legend in a manner guaranteed to engage most adults.

This is a wonderful story, and a great read for nearly anyone.

...have never heard of Diana Wynne Jones before, but I was in the bookstore and saw this book. It had fantasy and animals, my two favorite things, so I decided to try it. I was amazed. Her descriptions of how the animals think are wonderful, and I couldn't put this book down. The plot is great. You learn about the dog, Sirius', true self as he does. I laughed a lot and even cried a bit. I love the dog's perspective on things. I'm now getting into other books by Diana, but this is by far my favorite. Give it a try. At the least you'll find it amusing.

Breathing Underwater is an excellent book by Alex Flinn. He shares the story of a young boy, Nick, who is popular and well liked at his high school. One day he meets this beautiful girl, Catlin, and becomes protective of her. He tells her things that are not true to hurt her and try to control her. His dad hits him and this is how he feels you deal with things in your life. Before Nick knows it, he has slapped Catlin and lost all his friends at school. Nick tries to find himself. A judge makes him attend a support group and he doesn't feel there is any hope for him. Will he be able to change his life? Read the book to find out.

It is a very easy read. I didn't want to put it down. I could relate to this book from a past experience I had with a boyfriend. I wish I would have had this book to read when I was going through it. If you know anyone in a verbally or physically abusive relationship, please recommend this book.

Breathing Underwater is an excellent book for teenagers. It lets the reader know all the wrong and right things that could happen in a relationship. It can also be a helpful guide when knowing and admitting that there is something not quite right.

Nick is one of the fortunate individuals at Key Biscayne High School. He is smart, rich, popular, and has a beautiful girlfriend. Caitlyn thinks that Nick is everything she ever wanted in a guy. She goes from the "not so cool crowd" to the "cool" crowd all because of changes in her appearance. They are both really happy and they have everything that they ever wanted in a relationship. Suddenly, things change and Nick becomes physically and verbally abusive. Caitlyn finds herself forgiving him over and over again. Finally, she says enough is enough; Nick is devastated and he finds himself stuck with a restraing order. He forced to go to counseling, but still denys the fact that he has a problem. He also has to write a journal where he realizes that he isn't so perfect after all. He realizes things that he never saw about himself before...like how he had become his father.

Nick has it all, a beautiful girlfriend, charming father, the perfect GPA and lots of wealth to the family name. So why does he throw it all away?

This compelling novel by first time author/lawyer Alex Flinn is stirring and emotional. Nick's search for the love of his mother (who left when he was still small) and an escape from his father's abusive personality results in self-destruction and fear.

The book deals with abuse in teen relationships, something all to common and practically untouched by most authors. When Nick's girlfriend Caitlin finally files charges agaisnt him for abuse, Nick makes a complete turnaround. While I find such complete revelations virtually impossible, it feels refreshing to read that there is help for people like Nick and Caitlin and that sometimes the things you love most, you have to let go of.

It's touching, inspiring and absolutely wonderful.

READ THIS BOOK! It is a wonderful story of a 13 year old girl named Kate. She travels back in time with a magical stick; "The Stick of Fire". Now she has to get back to the present. It takes place in an ancient redwood forest in Oregon in 1992. Kate makes friends with a Halami while trying to get back home. Kate finds out that the only way to get home is to heal the broken Touchstone.

Kate and her aunt Melanie try to save the 'Lost Crater' from loggers who want to cut the ancient redwood trees. By a magic walking stick, Kate travels back in time. She makes friends and enemies on her trip. She will need a broken touchstone to control the stick that will take her back to her own time. Can Kate save the Halamis from Gashra, save the Ancient One, and make it back to our time?

Everyone in our class reading group loved the book - except for the ending. :( The authors style was imaginative and very expressive. The sentences flowed for a good 'read'. We would recommend this book because it was suspenseful, interesting, and educational. It's a learning experience book for children. You always wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Kate is a girl who is visiting her aunt during summer vacation. While she is there she finds out what her aunt is up to: trying to save the ancient redwood trees from the loggers that are trying to cut them down. Aunt Melanie takes Kate and they both go to the lost crater which is only "lost" because it hasn't been seen since the end of the Hameli tribe (a group of Indians that lived there 500 years ago.) Aunt Melanie has been handed down a walking stick that belonged to the Hamelis' many years ago. An unforseen mistake with the walking stick sends Kate back in time (500 years). Will Kate get back to her own time? Will she survive her adventure? If you are a person that likes magic or adventure books then this is a good book for you to read. I like the Ancient One because of the adventure,action, and exciting parts in the story that made me keep reading and reading until I knew what happened. The Ancient One is probably one of my favorite books and is worthy of an award!

I am in love with Ariel, Irrylath, and this brilliant world of fantasy that Ms. Pierce has created. She has such style and an impecable imagination. Her characters are so real that your heart pounds and your brow sweats in anticipation right along with the characters. The gargoyles are the best yet - like big bony, stone dogs - they were my favorites!! I read the book in 2 1/2 days if that tells you what a page turner it is. It really lived up to the excellence of the first book - The Dark Angel. My library carries the first two books of the series but not the final book, so I must wait in anticipation for the final book - The Pearl of the Soul of the World. I'm almost afraid to read the final book simply because I don't want the journey to end!! I will probably end up reading them all over again as soon as I've finished the last one. Applause goes out to Ms. Pierce and her unique imagination!!!!

Knowing that her beloved Irrylath is unfree of the spell of the white witch, an evil enchantress, Aeriel journeys onward, seeking the mythic steeds that will carry her husbands' brothers (and him) into battle against the Darkangels, angel like creatures, but with a vampiric nature. This is a true fantasy book, one of the finest I've ever read, and I've read a lot of books. Still, please, I beg you, put the third book, The Pearl of the Soul of the World back into print. You just can't leave us readers hanging like that... Or can you?

I read The Pearl of the Soul of the World two years ago, and I loved it. I discovered M. A. Pierce's books by accident, in her book A Gathering of Gargoyles. It was very hard to find the other two books, however, and it took a lot of requests to my local library. If you do find it, however, it is worth it. It is a beautifully written book, and it gives a surprising end to the trilogy. Through both the Darkangel Trilogy, and her Firebringer Trilogy, M. A. Pierce quickly became my favorite author.

It's tempting to cast Homer Hickam as a rags-to-riches, self-made man. The son of a coal mine supervisor, he was raised in a rural West Virginia town with limited access to public education's most up-to-date resources. When, as a child, he experimented with designing and launching rockets (well before man had walked on the moon), he went up against the traditions of a community that had little use for original behavior. Inauspicious beginnings perhaps, but as an adult, Homer Hickam became an engineer for NASA and a best-selling writer.

So it would have been easy for him to paint himself as an undiscovered diamond in an unforgiving coal town. But that's not the tenor of Sky of Stone, in which Hickam re-creates the events of a long-ago summer spent in his hometown of Coalwood following his freshman year in college.

Sky of Stone is a follow-up to Hickam's two previous memoirs, Rocket Boys (which was made into the movie October Sky) and The Coalwood Way. In all three books, the author commemorates his hometown and its citizens with loving admiration. Homer's parents, though imperfect, are remembered for their humor, dedication and ingenuity. The author gives them full credit for insisting that he go to college and pursue his dreams.

More surprisingly, Hickam portrays Coalwood not as a soul- and lung-destroying wasteland, but as the embodiment of the American dream. Coalwood's fine schools, decent houses and well-nourished families are sustained by the production of coal. That's what the town's mining families believed, and Hickam honors their strong sense of self-determination.

The dark side to the coal industry -- black lung, union quarrels, unequal opportunity for women -- rears its head in Hickam's reminiscences, as they did in Coalwood in 1961. But they are not the subject of Sky of Stone. Hickam focuses on three young people -- Bobby Likens, Rita Walicki and himself -- for whom Coalwood's resistance to change acted as a bracing stimulant, calling forth all of the trio's shrewdness and creativity. They were made by Coalwood, not in spite of it.

The book's various plot strands -- the estrangement of Hickam's parents; the charges brought against his father involving the death of a mining foreman -- occasionally seem unconnected. But the author brings them all together in a final courtroom drama. Hickam's skill with plot, his wit and his capacity for summing up a character in a couple of good quotes all make Sky of Stone an admirable entry in the chronicles of his life.

Magnificent. I can't say more. I'm astonished at how good this story is. Homer Hickam doesn't write memoirs. He writes life. The book stands alone. You don't have to read the two memoirs that came before it. Sky of Stone is many things - humorous, tragic, mysterious. This is really, in many ways, a book that would fit very well as a mystery novel. I wanted so much to turn ahead to find out why Homer, Senior was willing to throw away his whole life and accept the blame for the tragic accident that killed his top foreman. And Homer's courtroom scenes are topnotch, absolutely riveting. I loved Rita,too, Coalwood's first woman engineer. I woke up the dogs laughing when she tricks Sonny (as Homer, the author was known then) to take her in the mine. This books deserves to be the top book of the fall season.

And that's it, plain and true. Homer Hickam writes wonderfully rich books filled with prose worthy of Harper Lee or Mark Twain. He's the new Mark Twain in my opinion. They'll be studying him the college a hundred years from now. I'm just glad we have him with us in these days. Sky of Stone kept me awake until I finished it. I love his characters. I love especially his honorable and amazing father. You can tell Mr. Hickam still loves him so much. And Johnny Basso, Jake Mosby, Rita Walicki... these are characters that people will talk about for a very long time. Proud to know you, Homer, if only through your books.

Absolutely my favorite Star Trek book, followed closely by the other 'Uhura' novel, 'Tears of the Singers', and the 4 Rihansuu books. In this one, there is no great military enemy to fight, instead, there is a plague. Kirk is stifled, and the answer comes from the feminine art of music, and Uhura's finest hour.

What's more, the aliens are cats, each with his or her own distinct personality and most with wonderful senses of humor, usually pointed at the good captain. Even Spock is amusing this time around. Kagan captures him perfectly.. still logical and unemotional, but having a soul, rather than the cold creature he sometimes is.

Several of the so-called 'minor characters' of the ship shine in this novel. Scotty has a few beautiful scenes while commanding the ship, and a very interesting run-in with a local Bard. Chekov features prominently in the search for the cure, though his role is rather embarrassing, despite the wonderful backstory this novel adds for him. Ah well, what do you expect? He's a good screamer.

Even though the enemy here is a virulent disease, Dr. McCoy must be left behind in this one, as he himself is infected. This liberates us from his usual tendency toward finding cures in his chemical stores, saving the Federation in under an hour, then gloating about it for the remaining time. Even though his usual banter with Spock is nearly absent, it is scarcely missed because of his temporary replacement, Dr. Evan Wilson. She brings a playfulness and holistic healing methods to the Enterprise that are generally absent, and it is a breath of fresh air. We even get a cameo mention of Security officer Snanagfashtalli(Snarl), last seen in the animated series, thanks to one of Dr. Wilson's more obscure hobbies.

I want to see more of Dr. Evan Wilson. She's the most entertaining Star Trek guest star since Cyrano Jones. Return to us, Tail-kinker, there's always room for one more in my swagger-lair. :)

This is, without any question, my favorite Star Trek novel. You may very well like it even if you don't generally read Star Trek novels. I have read my old copy to shreds and will be ordering a new one soon. The characters in this book are wonderful - intriguing and full of surprises, yet internally consistant. She manages to retain the flavors of the core Trek characters, and yet show us a different side of them. And Evan is magnificent. I want to meet her! The different world-views that the various characters have are, as Spock would say, fascinating. The plot has several threads running through it. The main one has to do with finding a cure for a devastating plague. In addition there is a thread about what it means to be a grown-up and the ramifications of being different. There is suspense in plentiful supply in both lines. Ms. Kagan challenges the readers' assumptions in many ways, and as result provides a great deal more substance in her books than most authors manage. Her books are fun, as well. Her other books (Hellspark and Mirabile) and her short stories are equally good. My only complaint is that she is not prolific. However, if one has to wait a bit longer for such high quality and entertaining books, then wait I will. Ms. Kagan has expressed her appreciation of James Schmitz, and if you have not read any of his work, and you enjoy this book, you might want to try his work, as well. There is a new set of compilations of his work coming out; 2 volumes published and 1 or 2 more to come.

Set against an epidemic reminiscent of Earth's own AIDS crisis, Janet Kagan's imaginative story about a house divided against itself takes the original crew on an adventure not quite like any other. Lt. Uhura plays a major part in both the setup and the action; Mr. Scott is moved to take command matters into his own hands on behalf of friends new (from the planet Sivao) and old (the missing command bridge crew members). A doctor who isn't named McCoy "bedevils" Spock well beyond the point of "fascination." Captain Kirk falls for the female chief of an alien culture -- although not in his usual fashion -- and Mr. Chekov provides an unexpected but crucial bit of information toward the eventual success of the mission. The book feels like a lost episode, or a movie begging to be made; the interchange of cultures, customs and beings can hardly fail to please a fan of the original series.

A great reading adventure. The outcome of reading the book is almost 'magical'. Julia, a seventeen year old 'good witch' has learned through her mother, that she has great gifts to help the world. The journey is enlightening. One thing her mother told her never to do is look into a pond with the moonlight shining upon it. She's intrigued by this statement and gets trapped into seeing the future because of it. The story line picks up after this vision and what she does to stop it, the actions from all her friends and the conclusion. Pike, always goes into depth of the characters. You will feel as though you know them. You will feel for them. Intriguing and magical, I give this book a high rating and would recommend to most young adults.

I loved the book, WITCH, because it was very well written & an unbelievable tale. This is one of PIKE's best. In this book I really felt like I was Julia, just like Sita in The Last Vampire series. Julia doesn't kick [rear] as good as Sita, but she does have some incredible powers. There's so much to this story to even explain. I did enjoy the ending, even though it was sad. Another thing I love about PIKE is that he makes death seem not as final as it's cracked up to be. He opens his readers up to a new world with his writings. A world where anything is possible & death is only a new begining. He's got to be my favorite writer, even though plenty of people say this...I am speaking the truth. He's the only author I know who has so many page-turners & none alike. He has a talent that every 1 of his readers should cherish, I do envy PIKE for this. But like I said WITCH had an extroadinary ending. I loved every word of it! But I don't want to spoil any of it! maybe some people do, but I don't. I hate when reviewers tell about the story....it's wrong! Let them experience themselves! Especially WITCH, you'd be too kunfused {LOL} to understand the story. SO read it! if u don't then it's your own damn fault for not listening to me or the above reviews. Have fun reading it, I sure did.

Witch was one of the best books I've ever read. Julia was an incrediable character,and she was portrayed very realistically.I read The Last Vampire before this one, the 1st vampire book was my first Pike book, and i have to say Witch equals the series.I understood her motivation and I also understood what her best friend felt at the end because I felt for Amy, afraid of losing Julia, afraid that (she was going to sink below the surface again and never reappear) witchp pg.33 It was a good, but very sad book. I cried for a very loong time.