Virus is a good book, but sometimes hard to follow. I enjoyed the story, but couldn't figure out some of the conflicts. Some of the things about Will and Susannah made me slightly confused and had to look through the book to understand. Overall, it was a good book

This was the first book that i have read by Diane Hoh and I have been reading her ever since. I thought this was a really good book and i am looking for more med center books right now.

This book is a great book. Like all of the books in this fabolus series, by Diane Hoh, it is chilling, thrilling, and exciting. It leaves you on the edge of your seat all the time. You will not be able to put down this book!! It is about Med Center, the best in the country, maybe the world, when an unexplainable virus hits Grant, the town Med Center is in, and someone dies from it, and other people are getting it. It goes through lots of tough descisions, so you will always be wondering "What will happen next??!!" Buy this book and I gaurantee (Well, sort of!! In a kinda word way) that you will like it!!!

The lifeguards at North Beach Country Club know they're lucky. While other kids are flipping burgers, they're sunning themselves by day and partying by night. So what if some people say the place is cursed, haunted. This is the life! And then, one by one, the lifeguards start to die horrible deaths. Someone-or something-evil is stalking them. They all know how to save other people's lives...but who will save theirs? Original

this book was really good. I read it about a year ago but I still remember it was one of my favorites. I would definately recommend it..

I loved this book!!!!! I did think it was a little confusing at first.I've read a lot of RL Stines books but this was the best ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I knew who mouse was but I was wrong. If you like really good spooky books this is one for you!!!!!!!!

'So far from the bamboo grove' is a must-read before this sequel. Both books are sad, touching and many emotions held within. My eyes became misty at the end of 'My brother, my sister and I'. I was touched, moved, the instant the book ended, recounting all that had happened to the Kawashimas. I encourage everyone to read this wonderful biography.

I recently reread this book in preparation for teaching my class of seventh graders. One must read Far From the Bamboo Grove before reading this one. It is heartwrenching to see the twists and turns in the life of the Kawashimas. But as brother Hideyo says," ... the Kawashima children can become a few drops of water in the ocean and make ripples that will spread humanity." My students are in awe of this family's struggle to survive. They are more appreciative of their lives and their parents. Yoko Kawashima Watkins is our hero. This is a book that will not be forgotten.

This was a great book, even though I am 12, I understood it. Just as good as So Far From The Bamboo Grove. I read the whole book in just one day! It makes you cry, laugh, and hope. Touching, and gives you any view of the homeless and World War II Suggested to people who can deal with tough stiuations.

I work with troubled teens, and one of the girls brought this book to girls group. All the girls started taking turns reading it, and making the positive self-affirmations out loud. It was a moving and profound experience. I can say that every girl in the room felt her heart fill up as she read and spoke the words Vanzant helps us find within ourselves. All girls were able to find a reason to respect themselves, some even, a reason to live.

Just after I finished 'Yesterday I Cried' by Iyanla, I got this book by her--and it's excellent. It will give a boost to your self-esteem no matter if you're a teenager or already grown up. Indeed you will feel precious after reading "Don't give it away." Another book along the same lines especially on the subject of Identity Crisis and Self-Esteem, and which is a phenomenal book if you haven't read it yet, which has helped me so much and boosted my self-esteem with substance and truth is Dietmar Scherf's "I Love Me: Avoiding & Overcoming Depression"--I highly recommend it and it's available at Amazon.

I have not read all of this book...but am going to buy this for my six yr old and three yr old daughters for when they are preteens. That is how impressed I am with this book. It talks about how GIRLS ARE SPECIAL...and different things like that on each page...I believe this book the girl can record her thoughts too...I believe this to be a very beneficial and positive book.///That is MUCH needed and appreciated for the young preteen and teen girl population. Thank you. Sincerely, Amy M of California Shastax2@aol.com

I found the book both inspiring and informative. In a world gone mad this woman painted a picture of a young girl trying to make sense of it all while fighting not to become just another victim. Her strength while facing impossible life decisions inspired me to review how I personally handle stress in this time of relative peace. As a young person, I had read the Diary of Anne Frank and was deeply impressed by her resourcefulness. Unlike the Jews during Nazi occupation, Simone Arnold could have chosen not to be tortured for her beleifs. Her family could have chosen to remain together and compromise. Yet they didn't. They held on to values in a time when there were few to be found. I think everyone, young and old, would benefit from comparing their convictions with the history of this amazing woman.

Simone's story is honest and heartening, a tale of spiritual and moral victory over the tragedy of the Holocaust and Hitler's third reich. This wonderful little girl would not, could not, and did not compromise, and suffered greatly for it. Her two years of "reform school" from age 13-15 were an inordinately large part of her short life, and that right at puberty, an exquisitely sensitive and formative time. Her great love for her father and mother and the respect for what they taught her carries her through, all of this in the context of her devotion to God and her religious beliefs. Like myself, most of Jehovah's Witnesses have for many years been aware of Simone Arnold and other Witnesses incarcerated during the Holocaust... Simone's story is all the more important forits length, depth and breadth of scope, including her psychologicalinsights. Facing the Lion is unique in that it tells us about a child, but morethan a child, a child on her own. At least my relatives and the majority of Witnesses incarcerated during Nazi times had each other in their barracks. Highly recommended reading for young people and their parents.

Simone Arnold and her family were devout members of the evangelical Christian movement known as Jehovah's Witnesses and living in Nazi occupied Alsace-Lorraine during World War II. Like the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Communists, and political liberals, the Jehovah Witnesses were targeted by the Nazi's for extermination. Shunned by the community at the direction of the Nazis, rounded up and imprisoned in concentration camps, starved, beaten, abused, and publicly humiliated, all that Simone and her family would have had to do to avoid arrest and persecution was to simply sign a piece of paper renouncing their religion. Facing The Lion is the compelling autobiographical account of a young girl's faith and courage, and her refusal to accept the Nazi party and remain loyal to her faith -- despite the her father's being sent to the camps and she separated from her mother and interned in a reform school for purposes of "reeducation". Facing The Lion is a compelling and highly recommended testament to both Nazi atrocity and the endurance of the human spirit, a detailed view of life during Hitler's ill-fated regime and an inspiration to future generations having to cope with overwhelming pressure to conform in violation of heartfelt beliefs.

I finished it in less than a day!!!!!!!It was soooooo good!!!!! It's the best Super Addition yet!!!! The funny part was when Stevie found that donkey costume that Veronica was going to have to wear when she sang!!!!!! I also thought that the girls did a GREAT job at helping out after the Marine Corps' toy-raising drive got robbed. The first day the people were such snobs!! They couldn't think of anybody but themselves!!!!!!!! I luved this book sooooo much! I would recomend this book to anybody who loves the Saddle Club. (But don't get Stevie: The Inside Story unless you want to be bored to death!) Keep up the good work otherwise Bonnie! I"m looking forward to your next books. :-)

I love the Saddle Club books and I especially liked this one.I liked the idea and the way bonnie Bryant wrote it.I read it three times.I read any horse book I can find but the saddle club or one of my favorites.I think the saddle club books are good for an girl who dreams of having a horse.I really liked how they handeled the problem with the Marine Toy Project. And I enjoyed reading about how they gave their secret Santas. But I have a question to anyone who read this book. I could not find Stevies Secret Santa!! Ot's driving me nuts! Who was Stevie's Secret Santa and what did they do for her?? please reply to Swim86Girl@aol.com

First of all I want to say that Bonnie Bryant is a really good author, I think the Saddle Club and Pine Hollow Books are brilliant! This book was very good, so much happened in it. At Pine Hollow Max held a secret santa but instead of buying something for the person you got you had to do something for them. Stevie got Veronica, Carole got Lisa and Lisa got Max. What Caroles secret santa does for her is really something special! Lisa's realatives, the Rosses from Scotland are over spending Christmas with the Atwoods, although she thinks there great she feels like shes no space to breath, this inspires what she is going to do for Max as his secret santa! Stevie is busy getting voice lessons to prepare for an audition for a solo part in her schools Christmas play..................While all this is happening Carole is busy helping her Dad and the marines collect toys as Christmas presents for needy children...Until!?! I would really recoment this book. It was very enjoyable to read!

Walter Lord follows up his best seller of the fifties-A Night to Remember--with this eighties version on some mysteries about the sunken liner. One learns about the musicians (two groups actually) and what they played that night while the life boats were being loaded. Another story details the negligence of the freighter Californian for not answering the eight rockets of distress from the Titanic. Another story details the shootings and suicide near the end of the launch of the last life boats. Still another story details why there were not enough life boats on the Titanic and most other ocean liners of the day. Walter Lord clears the air about these mysteries with his well informed writing.
If you want to know more about the Titanic, read both Lord's books on the subject (A Night to Remember, The Night Lives On). They will help the reader understand this tragedy. I have seen the movie and I know the producers consulted these books when they made the movie.

A spell-binding, moment-by-moment review of the sinking of the White Star Liner, Titanic, on April 12, 1912. The author reviews all the evidence of that fateful night, including eyewitness accounts of survivors and testimony at both the U.S. Senate subcommittee on the disaster and at the court of the Board of Trade in England. The recent controversy of the discovery and photographing of the Titanic by Robert Ballard is also discussed. This is a remarkable book, written almost like a novel, following the events of that night very closely, but also with much respect given to the conflicting stories of survivors. Walter Lord pieces everything together, and comes up with startling, well-researched conclusions. The era, the people, and the entire tragedy are brought to life as if it had just occurred yesterday.

This is a perfect book for anyone looking to learn more about the official determinations about the Titanic and the events of that fateful night. Walter Lord once again outdoes himself in details, going step by step over the controversial issues of the night, and giving the reader the official version, as well as the most widely believed version, and includes many of his own ideas of what may have occured where there is still mystery. A must read for all serious Titanic fans!

The PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN proves yet another of MacDonald's fantasy charmers (q.v. AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND), as the novel presents the adventures (psychological as well as physical) of protected Princess Irene (aged 8) and a brave miner boy with the unlikely name of Curdie. The tale involves the schemes of evil goblins who lurk below the earth, who exult to tease and torture the "sun people" as they call humankind. Can a mere youth foil the callous machinations of these subterranrean fiends?

Princess Irene meets a mysterious but loving old lady at a spinning wheel (have we heard this somewhere before?), while Curdie proves himself a useful ally to her King-papa. Her faithful but outspoken nurse, Lootie, learns some bitter lessons, as she is almost dismissed by the king and (even worse) by Irene herself. Grown ups must learn to believe what they hear from honest children; children must learn to believe what can not always be seen or what makes scientific sense. Any little girl who sees herself as an unrecognized princess can learn to behave with the grace and dignity of a True Princess. Boys will admire the courage and resourcefulness of the miner's son--the only one in the kingdom to realize what the goblins are plotting. A quaintly spun yarn (with gentle edification for children) for readers of all ages.

This wonderful children's novel tells the story of eight year old Princess Irene. Cared for by her nurse Lootie, she lives in a mountain farmhouse while her father rules over the region from a mountain top castle. The local folk work as miners but are beset by the Goblins who inhabit the underground. Irene is saved from the Goblins by Curdie, a thirteen year old miner, and she in turn saves him. The whole thing is told in a pleasant conversational style and is filled with humor, word games, magic, derring-do, and pure wonderment.

George MacDonald, a Congregational minister turned novelist, who seems nearly forgotten now, was one of the seminal figures in the development of Fantasy. His influence on other Fantasy authors is obvious, he was a childhood favorite of JRR Tolkein, who especially liked this book, and C.S. Lewis named him one of his favorite authors. His own stories draw on many of the themes and characters of classical European fairy tales. But where they were often merely horrific and meaningless, MacDonald adds a layer of Christian allegory. Thus, Irene and Curdie are eventually saved by a thread so slender that you can't even see it, but which leads them back to safety, teaching Curdie that you sometimes have to believe in things that you can't see.

The book would be interesting simply as a touchstone of modern fiction, but it stands up well on its own and will delight adults and children alike.

GRADE: A

So many fine reviews here already about MacDonald's powerful text (for children and adults). I would only add that this edition which includes 8 or 10 gentle and mysterious drawings (watercolors?) by Jessie Wilcox Smith portrays the fearful goblins (also Curdie, Irene, and her father, etc.) without weakening the strength of the tale or scaring the young reader. I purchased this book for an avid seven-year-old reader who loved the story and also commented on the "beautiful" pictures. The book is also good to read aloud to a number of children in a broad age range. My too-cool 11-year-old became mesmerized after the first chapter and found himself talking with his younger brother (!) about the story.

Alias, now in it's second season and recently picked up for a third on ABC, is my favorite show on TV. Every week a new itelligent plot is set in motion, which also develops continuing storylines. This book sheds new light on the cast, crew, and storyline of Alias. You'll learn how it was created, about the writing process, the scoring of the music, the costume designing, prop creation- everything, including a summary and director/producer/guest star info for every first season episode. The book also comes with a DVD featuring clips from the pilot episode, interviews with the cast, and character profiles. Well worth the money for any fan of the show!

This behind-the-scenes book is a treat -- no padding nor aimless commentary, and very little of the unabashed fawning that often dominates such books. It's an excellent mini-episode guide to the first season. Moreover, it explains how the creative team has shaped the distinctive feel and plotting of the series. ALIAS DECLASSIFIED is also chock full of technical details, from the magic used to create certain effects, to the problems of functional yet sexy costume design, to the composition of the score which underpins the action. The DVD that accompanies the book (apparently only offered in the first 100,000 copies, so I have no idea as to its current availability) is a nice bonus. It features a lengthy ABC promo for the show, interview snippets with all of the main cast, and biographical information for the cast and characters.

The ABC spy drama "Alias" is only into it's second season, but the hype and cult status created by it's fans almost forced the creation of "Declassified: The Official Companion". If, like me, you're a huge fan of the show, then "Declassified" is JUST what you need.

Packed within 202 pages are sketches, interviews, episode recaps, actor/character bios, show nomination information, and some neat trivia that the "Alias" fan should find interesting. Author Mark Cotta Vaz has done a subpurb job at bringing all of the show's elements together into an easy to read, highly entertaining book. He takes you from the creative minds behind the storylines (creator JJ Abrams and writer Jesse Alexander)to the sets and finally to post production, where the "magic" really happens. You'll also find storyboards, costume sketches, theme music compositions, and Rambaldi artifacts and information, which are VERY important to understanding if you watch the show.

The most enjoyable part of the book for me personally are the pictures. The cover is absolutely breathtaking, with the beautiful Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow and her signature red hair. Inside you'll find more pictures of Sydney, Vaughn, Dixon, and the rest of the characters that you love...and hate.

An added bonus, and something that I really enjoyed, was the limited edition DVD that was included with the book. On it are interviews, behind the scenes shots, bios, wallpaper, screen savers and information on the hottest online game at the moment, Alias Online Adventure.

In short, if you're a fan of the show, YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK! For those who are just becoming fans, the book will fill you in on everything from last season so that you can understand and enjoy the new one. Let's hope that in a few years, another updated version of the companion will come out.

Gennie Bailey-Rogers

The story of how David Wilkerson came to found Teen Challenge should be a must read for anyone who follows Jesus Christ. The Cross and the Switchblade describes how Wilkerson put feet on his faith that took him from rural Pennsylvania to the streets of New York City. It's the story of how a pastor followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and reached out to minister to people with whom the churches would not associate.

Wilkerson describes in his book how essential it is to meet the unloved where they are, rather than waiting for them to show up in church all dressed up and ready to worship within the ranks of the clean and respectable. He also rightly emphasizes the importance of follow up, how one can't just expect to go out and distribute tracts or preach from street corners without also developing real, loving relationships with people and ministering to their needs, both spiritually and physically.

Now that Teen Challenge International has grown to over 200 centers around the world, it is interesting to note that the struggle in recovery ministry continues to be much the same: It's extremely difficult to get people to reach out in love to those who have never been loved, and it's nearly impossible to get church members to venture outside their doors to love their neighbors as they love themselves.

I praise God for Rev. Wilkerson and the way that he listened to God and ventured out in faith. I thank him for sharing the story of his work.

A powerful book that will send God-bumps down your spine! Even if you are not a fan of David Wilkerson's later writings, this book is truly a God send. Read this book if you want to learn of the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.

What a tremendous message this book has to give. Miracles happen right in the worst parts of New York, away from the glamourous bits, right in the middle of the hard, the tough, the smelly and the nasty - and it actually keeps on happening.

These days, so much has changed. A local pentecostal preacher once told me that he went to Leeds one Saturday; that he was so disgusted by the beggars, and used to see the same ones all the time, how awful that they should always be there; and once he got real close up to one, who was (from what he told me) probably very weak, maybe even dying, lying on the ground, got about six inches away from their ear, and shouted at the top of his voice, "GET A JOB!!!"

Stand this in contrast with the Wilkerson man. This guy, realizing that the zonkos and beggars know that they're sinners, possibly scarcely realizing anything else at all, goes and gives them a bed for the night - feeds them - gives them a bath and warm clothes. The tells them that God knows them and has already fixed up a plan for them - that to the God who made the sun and the outer planets, THEY matter - "whosoever will" can come and drink from the waters of life, that they can repent, and be made blameless before the king of kings.

[Life isn't cheap to this man.]

Then the guy fixes up this organisation called "teen challenge", held together by almost no money at all, but lots of prayer, who pulls loads of dropouts and folks who are very nearly dead from all over the place and stands them on the the higher ground...

Man, this book is so good. I know that these days, many of the big churches... (I used to be in Perth, Western Australia) and there was this huge church near to the Casino. The car park was full of BMWs, and all the evidence was that the church was really inwards looking, far too concerned with "signs and wonders" to remember about the plan of Salvation at all. So much for the lost, no place for them. When I went to Yorkshire, I was amazed how the church had similarly split along these lines - those who preached the gospel, the same one as David Wilkerson preached - to the lost sheep - (go and READ this, will you) and those who prayed for (and maybe got) bigger houses, fatter share options, sports cars, foreign holidays, etc. The contrast is huge.

Read this book and find out what the cost of discipleship to Christ really means - how many days and nights of prayer it really takes to move those mountains - and what faith is REALLY about. And the failures, when Sonny does not come back, and all the disappointments when it doesn't seem to go to plan and they're just about to get kicked out of the building...

I was brought up with this book, and as far as I can remember, I have worn out probably six copies. Time I got myself a new one....