Requiem for a Rogue is the fifth X-wing Rogue Squadron story, and the fourth to see print in TPB form. It's not quite as good as The Warrior Princess, and it's not nearly as good as either Phantom Affair or Battleground Tatooine. I think this book may well have the worst art in the series, and it just isn't very entertaining. However, some of the story elements validate the somewhat iffy plot points of the computer game Mysteries of the Sith, and this collection also includes the hard-to-find Rogue Squadron special which they were giving out on the opening day of ESB special edition. This is also the last of the "independant" RS stories; after this they're all included the in the bigger "Rise of Isard" Story Arc.

Basically, the Rogues are asked to go looking for a Bothan passenger liner which has dissappeared. They follow it's hyperspace trajectory, and find it landed on a planet. When they touch down, they find the Captain was killed in the "crash," but things also look very suspicious -- the Rogues suspect that the crash was actually sabotage." It turns out that there's an ancient Sith temple here, one which Palpatine was planning to turn into a base, that of course has a stockpile of hundreds of TIEs, and things get ugly from there.

Many of the plotlines and ideas really stretch my ability to suspend disbelief in this comic, but there are a few surprises. And the writing is OK, just not the best. Overall, I think this is probably the worst book in the Rogue Squadron series.

'Requiem for a Rogue' is probably the most unique in the series. The Imperial-type villain is missing, the role instead shifting a bit throughout the story. The Rogues are trapped on a forested planet while searching for a missing Bothan spaceliner, but things are very odd here, and the Bothans seem to have other plans as well. The Rogues get forced between a rock and hard place here, and the end results in the death of not one, but two of the Rogues.

The art by Gary Erksine is very detailed, but senses of movement are pretty much lost. The work has an overall 'dirty' look to it, which works well considering the circumstances. Forests and trees and brush and such are well done, which is good considering the setting. His people seem a bit, well, ugly, but one can get around that. His non-humans, like Ibtisam, Nrin, and the numerous Bothans, are well-done. Although his style does have problems, it works better overall with 'Requiem' than it would for any other arc. David Nestelle works magic with the colors, enhancing the art and giving it a bit of a three-dimensional quality. Possibly the best coloring in the series.

Jan Strand return from 'Battleground: Tatooine' to script this one, and the quality is pretty much the same. The elements of stuff like Sith magic may not bode well with many a fan, but it does tend to work in the sense that this planet of Malrev 4 is Force-potent, most likely resulting from its past. Such things have been seen on other worlds in other series, so its not too far-fetched. The dogfights are well-written and interesting, which is good because 'Requiem' has more of them than any other XWRS story arc. Like a lot of other XWRS story arcs, 'Requiem' suffers a bit because of length restrictions. The scenes between the characters in between the fighting are good, but it seems like more is needed. A similar situation comes up later in 'Mandatory Retirement', but in that case proof is given of what kind of scenes can come out of such situations.

Overall, its is recommended. While not the quality of most of the other story arcs, it has a well-built climax and sets the stage for the second act of the XWRS series.

I enjoyed this book, as it was action packed, while still leading you through an involving plot. You see the true depths of what Bothans are capable of, when influenced by evil. Not only this, but you also see an extension of the theory proposed in "The Last Command": that the Bothans knew all about most of the Imperials secret storage facilities, but never felt like telling anyone else. I'd like to see this explored more deeply in a novel sometime. Anyways, another good Rouge Squadron book/comic.

The majority of Paulsen's books are fictional, but this one is autobiographical in nature. Readers are given the impression that Mr.Paulsen has been many places and has done many things that are not included in this book. This is just the "chapter" on the part of him that was captivated by the sea. His first introduction to the sea is on a troopship with his mother at age seven. He views the horrors of a plane crash and the shark attacks upon some of the survivors. Although this was an ugly experience, he is compelled to return to the sea years later. The majority of the book contains descriptions of his battles in his various boats with oceans, storms and winds. Many of these battles are admissions of his own inadequacy. He then undergoes a learning process each time, only to survive stronger and wiser. The experiences are well-written, with graphic details. Some of the language is quite specific to the sport of sailing and might require additional information to achieve a better understanding. This can be an enjoyable book, but may be limited in its apeal due to a topic of somewhat limited interest.

What a neat book!
I'd almost given up on Gary Paulsen autobiographical books after reading his motorcycle-themed book. But yes, Gary shows here he can write an engaging book about his past.
With a wry, understated sense of humor, he takes us through his experiences with boats -- from the first time he was entranced with the sea, to his future plans.
He tells stories of events that most authors would rather forget -- from his initial brash overconfidence, almost getting "taken" by a fast-talking boat salesperson, and how he came close to death several times through lack of knowledge and clues about sea conditions that would be obvious to experienced sailors.
This book is even interesting reading for adults who want to know more about Gary Paulsen.
The title has a nice twist to it -- Paulsen writes how the sea "caught" him in the sense of being his captivated by the sea, and how the sea several times "caught" him in the sense of almost killing him.

I like this book. It's a great book .If you like sailboats you will like this book. It's about Gary Paulsen on his sailboats. Gary Paulsen is a great writer. I recommend this book for you.

Masquerade is the second last part in the Rogue Squadron series, and is an enjoyable read.

The art is why I rated this one star less, and can best be described as average. It certainly had a cartoonish feel to it, as though it was simply done. Nothing too detailed, but it looked more 2D than three. While the background detail was not lacking and the frames were overall well done, the people just looked a bit "flat" on the page. That aside, it was still visually appealing and no reason to avoid what is a good purchase.

Ah . . . the dialogue, and you'll love it, all right. When Han and Fel pair up for their role in the story they just can't stop their sharp, witty banter! Stackpole did good work there. The scenes when Winter and Tycho are together flow just as smoothly, as does their budding romance. Xarcce offering Chewie help and indignantly saying, yes, he does know which end of hydrospanner is which is one sample of humour you'll find here.

All comics have their quirks, though, and the Wedge here looks nothing like his movie counterpart. Tavira has been shown in just as many ways; here she is girlish, petite and beautiful as the sharp blades her lines deliver. But that's all in keeping with the cartoonish style this was done.

Admiral Krennal makes his debut here, and doesn't hold back that tempered hospitality of his. Pestage was artfully rendered as always. The framing ranged from large to small, and like its cousin Mandatory Retirement, the scenes ended properly and not in mid-page, as Battleground:Tatooine did, so as not to feel rushed.

Overall, Masquerade is not to be missed, and truth be told, the cartoonish feel of the art was still adequate to be but a trivial bother if you're thirsty for top quality. A definite required purchase.

Masquerade is the third Rogue Squadron story set in the "Rise of Isard" story arc. Picking up shortly after Blood and Honor, Masquerade at times epitomizes the best aspects of the Rogue Squadron comics, and yet at other times is just silly, pointless, and forgettable. The art, for one thing, is nothing to cheer for. It is very cartoonish, and the characters really don't look anything like their counterparts in the movies or the other X-wing comics. Hairstyles are different, facial hair is different, characters' builds are different. Still, there is lots of good dialogue, plenty of action, and many familiar faces including Han, Chewie, Leia, and Winter.

The story is pretty much that Sate Pestage is fast falling out of power with the Imperial Cabal, and so he organizes a secret meeting with Leia on Axxila to negotiate terms of surrender. Meanwhile, Winter, masquerading as Leia, travels to Eiattu with Han and some of the Rogues for a meeting of some sort. Pirates, acting under Leonia Tavira, kidnap Winter thinking they've got the real Princess, and take her to Tavira's secret headquarters on - you guessed it - Axxila. Thus begins the search and rescue mission for Winter, since the Rebels need it to seem that she's really Leia.

The story is fun. Tycho and Winter get back together, there is lots of classic dialogue, some fun space battles, and old friends as well as old enemies are reintroduced. Plourr finally returns to Eiattu, Isard is portrayed well, and all around most of that is developed nicely. However, as I've said, the artwork leaves something to be desired. In addition, all of the animosity towards Colonel Fel that was so apparent in the previous issue seems to have just disappeared. Now he's just one of the guys, getting along with everyone. There is some conversation with Han about what it's like changing sides, but I would have liked to have seen more tension there. There is quite a bit of fantastic dialogue in this issue. One more issue I have is the "Uglies." An Ugly is a concept introduced in the novels - it's a starfighter scraped together of various pieces of other starfighters, and is commonly used by pirates. I like that the concept caught on in the comic, except that every single Ugly in this comic is a "die-wing," with no variation between individual ships, which kind of defies the purpose. Oh well.

While this is not the best Rogue Squadron has to offer, it's not bad either. Recommended.

I bought this book for my nephew who has been reading this series with great delight and this time I also joined in on the reading. It wasn't bad-better then alot of the extended universe books (not that that is very hard to do). The material is reasonably appropriate for older children (i.e. violence level is about that of the films and all sexual content is kept low key except all the female characters a drwan a bit on the sleezy side).

The plot is a bit lame but my hopes were not set on that anyway so I had alot of fun with it. It was good to see old faces, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Liea (who does not look much like the Liea I remember form the films) as well as the usual X Wing crowd. Another reason I liked this one is the character of Winter is more then just a useful babysitter for the Solo kids as is common in the extended universe. For the hard core Star Wars fans I am sure this one will be enjoyable and worth aquiring.

Living in the garbage dump was a hard life for Hotwire and Blindboy, but their skillful talents got them through lots of dangers. Hotwire can put back together old machines that were thrown away. Blindboy can hear old machines deep below the garbage. Together they sell those things to make a living. But when a master criminal uses their amazing talents to steal cars, Blindboy and Hotwire find themselves in big trouble. Can they save the day before the city is blown to pieces? Will Hotwire find a family or will she live on the dump forever? I enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait to find out what happened at the end.

The Electric Kid has tremendous appeal to adolescent readers. Every chapter is filled with fast-paced action and suspense. The main characters, two orphans adrift in a chaotic future world, cling stubbornly to their feelings of loyalty and affection for each other while competing to survive in a huge garbage dump. Strong visual images and sensory details bring this dangerous, dirty, colorful distopic society alive to the reader's imagination as the orphans make difficult moral choices, outwit predatory adults, fight for scarce food and water, and seek for a way to live well in a horrible world. The students in my Middle School absolutely love it!

Good play for teenagers. Likable original characters and good dialogue. It was entertaining but disappointing because of its predictability and much used sitcom plot.

and all of the other characters, and that "something" is very lovable and appealing. No, I'm not a ninth-grader. I am an adult who owns a business, and no, I am not a Latina -- but I still thought this play was EXCELLENT!!! A modern take on "GREASE" that tickled the funnybone and touched the heart at the same time -- and gotta love that final scene with Martin's amigo, Tito.
I plan on buying -- and reading -- Gary Soto's other play NOVIO BOY next! I love theater, and I love reading plays, and this play deserves an AWARD (A nice touch is the name of the hero, because in my "real life," I have had crushes on FOUR guys named Martin!)Gary S. is a playwright whose talent is UNPARALLELED, and I recommend NERDLANDIA for all humor aficionados, romantics, and theater buffs from 14-114. Author! Author!!!

Esta colección de cuentos adolescentes es excelente para enseñar literatura a los estudiantes nativos en los cursos intermediatos de la escuela elemental o la 'escuela media'. Los temas son reales para el mundo de muchos alumnos. El lector puede identificarse con los personajes en las historias puesto que vienen del mundo del inmigrante, del joven. Toman lugar en Fresno y sus alrededores pero no son muy específicos al lugar. Hay temas tanto para las jovenes como para los jovenes. Aunque fueron escritas en inglés la traducción es bastante buena y el sabor es latino.Gary Soto es un autor latino que debe llegar más a los jovenes latinos tantos los que nacieron en los EE UU como los que acaban de llegar de otras tierras. Me alegro muchísimo que han traducido esta obra para dar una visión del adolescente latino a todos los lectores hispanoparlantes. Es una imagen mucho más real de lo que se ve en el mundo latino que exportamos fuera de nuestras fronteras através del cine o la televisión. La acogida que tuvo en mi clase es mejor que mucha literatura anglosajona que se presenta en traducciones del inglés.

It is a good book, the info in my mind is true, with good article's. There is just something about this book that is not good.

I am doing researh on John Steinbeck with a special focus on the thirties novels. This book offers some interesting interpretations and criticism. Presented as a series of articles, the insights in this book are easily accesible. The book is geared toward high schoolers, but the analysis is fairly sophisticated.

This book is useful also because two points of view are offered--both praise and criticism are present here, and the book offers a balance of thought for the reader. Of particular interest were Slade's essay Biblical Imagery in TGOW, Gladstein's Steinbeck Speaks for all Immigrants, and Terkel's TGOW: Fifty Years Later. This book also briefly treats the subject of censorship in America. Recommended, along with Warren French's excellent A Companion to TGOW.

While every instructional programming book can at times seem confusing, the C++ For You++ workbook does an excellent job providing challenging and instructive questions to help students familiarize themselves with C++. Constantly under improvement, Maria and Gary Litvin put in a great deal of effort to improve their books. This is a must have instructional aid for anyone using C++ For You++.

Gary Paulsen has wrote so many great, interesting books and this book, "Dogsong", just adds to the collection. This is a story of a boy named Russel Suskitt that is an eskimo who wants to find his inner-self and get away from his normal, boring way of life. Russel goes and speaks to a elder man, but very clever, named Oogruk. He tells Russel about the way life was when men made their living and how they made personal songs of life. Oogruk teaches him how to hunt, how to find his inner-self, and to make his own song of life. So Russel decides to make his own song of life by going on an adventure that would risk his life. Russel gathers some dogs and gets a dogsled together and starts out for the biggest adventure of his life. Along the way he has to sled through mountains, icy terrains, and even rivers. He also met up with a polar bear. In addition, during his trip he also helped rescue an eskimo woman that was pregnant. Oogruk's teaching came to use when Russel had to hunt for his food out in the wild. Russel had a great time on this adventure being away from the village and finding his inner-self. He also built a friendship with the dogs that was very important for this young man out in the great wild. This adventure helped Russel find his inner-self and make his own song of life.

This book is very exciting filled with adventure, hunting, and tips for being in the wilderness. I enjoyed this book alot and gave it four out of five stars. If you are someone who does not like adventure and reading about the great outdoors then this book is not for you. I do really recommend it to anyone that likes adventure and reading about the wilderness.

Title: Dogsong
Author: Gary Paulsen
Genre: Adventure

The main character of the book is Russel Susskit a young boy about 14 who lives in a small village. Russel is having a problem and so he goes to see an old Eskimo that lives in his village, the Eskimo teaches him of the old ways and gives him a dog team and sled when Oogruk dies Russel leaves his home to live the old way but during his journey he finds a pregnant woman almost dead and has to get her to a hospital but is running out of food.

Russel: the main character that is on a journey to find his own song.
Oogruk: an old and wise Eskimo who teaches Russel of the old ways.
Nancy: creates a problem that Russel has to solve.

The motivations of the characters are for Russel to find his own song and to live the old way Oogruk's is to teach Russel of the old ways and Nancy's is to get to a hospital so she can give birth to her baby.

The weaknesses of this book are its lack of elaboration and the end leaves you hanging. The strengths of this book are its adventure and always making you think what's next.

"Dogsong" is a great book. It's about an eskimo boy named Russell who gets tired of the normal way of life and wants a change. He goes to a wise old man named Oogruk, who tells him about the way it used to be, the way the men used to make their living, and how they made their own songs of life. Russell becomes interested and wants to make his own song with the aid of some sled dogs. Oogruk teaches him how to hunt, how to find himself, and how to make his own song. Soon, Russell is out in the cold arctic terrain fighting against snowstorms, encountering a giant polar bear, and even rescuing a pregnant eskimo girl, while he hunts for food and makes his own song.

Once you start reading "Dogsong," it's hard to put it down. You'll want to keep reading it to see what happens next to Russell and how he will react to the situation. When you read this book, you'll see why it's a Newberry Honor Award Winner, it's an all around great book for anybody to read. I highly recommend it to anybody that likes adventure books or books about the arctic.