Sammy Hodgekiss and his friends, Ollie and Burgy, knew they were not to venture down into Mrs. Armbrose's cellar. But that was exactly what they did one afternoon while she was away from her house. Among the canned fruits and vegetables they found a jar of green goo. Being the bold one, Sammy took a tiny taste and found himself one day in the past!

Mrs. Armbrose's deceased husband had figured out how to turn TIME into MATTER. Each time the "Time Slime" was used, the delicate balance of time and space was upset, causing massive storms. Too many disruptions too soon would cause the destruction of the universe. Yet Sammy kept finding reasons to use the slime. Then the destruction began!

**** Author Jim Eads has created a character, Sammy, that I feel young adults will find easy to relate to. In addition, the plot is something everyone has dreamed about before. After all, who WOULD NOT want to be able to travel into the past and change their mistakes?

The story only follows Sammy though. I kept wishing to see more on the other kids, Ollie and Brick in particular. When the author reached the point of having to explain the time travel theory, he did a terrific job! It was written out in a way that I found easy to understand. Here is a great novel for ages ten and up. Fans of R.L. Stine should take a close look at this author! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

This story about a young boy's first encounter with a real whale brings the reader into close contact with the evolution of man's relationship with whales in the past 200 years. A morning walk on the beach turns into a relationship without words but with understanding that the massive creatures from the ocean have a mystery and intelligence that we far underestimate. I liked this book not only for its glimpse into a young boy's thoughts as he begins to understand that the world is bigger than only what he has known but also its brief history of whaling.

Although the cartoonish look (very reminiscent of the Star Wars Early Adventures by the same artist who created Magnus-Robot Warrior (I forget his name!)) is off-putting at first, the bizarre humour as well as the portrayal of Jabba as sort of an intergalactic Sydney Greenstreet (think "Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca") make this collection quite amusing, if not outstanding.

When I first heard of this comic, I was less than thrilled to read it. In fact, I didn't even pick it up until a good five years after it came out. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised.

Writing a series of adventures from Jabba's point of view is no mean feat, but the authors do a superb job. Jabba is presented as true to his movie vision (more so in A New Hope Special Edition than Return of the Jedi, but these are supposed to be his early days), and the adventure and action are very Jabba-ish. More importantly, there are some real sci-fi elements, which are sometimes lacking in other SW adventures.

Basically, this comic series was an excellent recapture of the SW comics that came out back in the days when SW was young, both in theme and artwork. This is a good, short, fun read, and a nice addition to the Star Wras universe.

This comic, or rather collection of comics, doesn't exactly contribute much to the grand scheme of things in the Star Wars universe. The plots aren't incredibly rich, the art's never going to win any awards, and the stories don't have a whole lot of relevance. So, you may ask, why bother? In a word: Jabba! To be sure, this is not the Jabba we've seen in the films. Not the ruthless, immobile, gruesome, cold killer evidenced in the movies. No, this is a ruthless, gruesome killer with a sense of humor, an attitude, and some brains.

Three out of the four stories contained herein are definitely worth reading. The first story, the Gaar Suppoon Hit, would be more aptly titled The Art of the Deal. We get to see a business transaction...Jabba style. This isn't the funniest stuff I've ever read, but it's a far sight funnier than the weak droids stuff and most other attempts at Star Wars humor. The second story, the Hunger of Princess Nampi, stinks. Jabba's attitude, his subservients, story inconsistencies...this one is just an overall unenjoyable addition. The third story is more similar in style to the first one, and while the art's not great, it's very fun. And in the fourth and final story, we really get to see Bib Fortuna's hatred of Jabba (which we see a lot more of in Tales from Jabba's Palace), as well as Jabba's dumb luck and complacency.

Taken these stories with a grain of salt and you'll find that you'll really enjoy them. If you're expecting more serious, pertinent fare, then move on.

Yes, in the future you can look like Madonna or Elvis. But why would you step on a subway train with five Elvis' sitting around? How do people tell each other apart? And would you want to look like Elvis if thousands of people already do? These are some of the obvious questions this book overlooks. There's more. The picture of the future is interesting, but foolishly described. The flow of the book is sporadic and I get the feeling the author isn't well versed in biology or genetics to give compelling details of the books creations. I would suspect Junior High boys would love this story. Much of it made me think of storylines explored in the Ninja Turtles cartoons! Cowabunga, Mr. Young!

This book was very well itten. I liked very much. Some people think there are gaps in how te hammerhead walked on land and swam in the sea, but all you have to do is read it, and it explains it completely. Anyways, the idea of genetic tinkering intrigue, and shows what we might be able do in the future. the only thing, is that if u were a jones and comitted a crime, you could just microde yourself, and never be caught. Also the concept of moneya little odd, becuase 17 billion dollars didn't seem to impressive to him, as it would be in this day and age.

I must have read the 1993 short story this book is based on in a collection somewhere -- at least most of this novel seemed vaguely familiar. "Lingers in the reader's memory"? No, I just barely got any déja vu from it... But I enjoyed it even more the second(?) time.

Young's story is a brisk, short-chaptered cautionary tale, well-paced and intriguing. There are some major plot elements left unexplained -- like how can the Hammerheads be swimming in the ocean at one point, and rampaging through the streets of New York in another -- do they have fins or legs? -- but as long as you're willing to suspend your disbelief, this is great "soft" science-fiction.

The microcoding fashions reminded me a bit of Delaney's "Dahlgren," and the high-tech high-security future is very Bladerunner. However Young's vision of genetic tinkering gone awry is all his own, as far as I know. Proponents of "designer genes" and nanotechnology-as-mankind's-golden-goose would do well to consider Young's alternative future, where not everyone follows a Disney script.

Chilling and (except for a few implausible details) entirely too plausible.

This comic is not only childish but it is plainly stupid too. It's a shame because the previous books were very good (DE, DEII). I'm still suffering from trauma after reading the plot of the "Galaxy Gun". Any fan would have created a better fanfiction finale for the Dark Empire series.

I very much enjoyed the first Dark Empire series, and have both in graphic novel. Because Empire's End has not been released over here yet, I decided I couldn't wait and bought it from Amazon to see what I was missing out on. I have to say I was quite dissapointed. The main problem is the general unlikelyhood of the plot devices within. For instance, a Galaxy Gun (quite possibly the most stupidly named weapon ever) missile hitting the new rebel base and not going off! Are we supposed to believe that the emperor's ultimate weapon is going to use faulty detonators? What about R2-D2 hacking into the flagship's computer. How the hell is one droid going to hack into the emperor's personal flagship and take over bridge control? Have the people on board ever heard of security codes? He may be a good slicer, but shutting down trash compactors is hardly akin to taking over a ship's controls. And why wasn't there a squad of bitchass commandoes waiting for them as soon as they came on board? Good points then. Contrary to another review of this saying that the emperor has become a "finger-pointing" caricature, I think his depiction works quite well. He is obviously sick and progressing further into dementia, and the rages he has emphasise this. The art is generally clear and detailed, but for some reason the main characters often look, well, fat. The finale is a damp squib. The emperor goes out with a whimper instead of a bang like in Dark Empire, and the destruction of Byss seems forced and predictable. Overall a dissapointment then, but if you really want to know how the Dark Empire saga ends you may as well buy it.

This Graphic Novel might have worked out if it was put right after Dark Empire I. But because it takes place after Dark Empire II fans start to get bored of the same plot. Originaly this Graphic Novel was planned to be six issues long like Dark Empire I and II but someone I now greatly respect cut it down to two.

Where the Lilies Bloom was a story set in a rural mountain community. Two stars are left out of my rating because I felt it was very shallow at times. Some things struck me as unrealistic. For an example, in the beginning of the book, the protagonist's sister, Devola, was portrayed as a girl with nothing to her. The protagonist, Mary Call, was four years younger than Devola, but Devola was irresponsible and had her head in the clouds. However, at the end of the book, Devola suddenly underwent an immense change, took charge, and became clearheaded.

Despite the book's shortcomings, three stars are merited because I really admired Mary Call's determination and spirit and the way she never gave up. She was not afraid to stand up for herself or for her family. If I had read this book two years ago, I think I would have liked it much more.

This is a must read book. Mary Call is a fighter against all odds...against Luther Call, against the state that wants to split up her family, against death, against poverty, against uncertainty. In the long run she learns the beauty of the gentleness of her more "simple minded" sister. This book makes you think about life and death and poverty and innocence and love. It is a wonderful picture of rural Appalachian life and of the struggles of growing up poor anywhere.

For girls, it teaches "can-do" through Mary Call's example of strength against adversity. May also have appeal to people interested in "wildcrafting" (herbs, roots).

There are many books that describe hard, mountain life in the Appalachain region, but above all,Where The Lilies Bloom, is a definate favorite of mine! The reason why I like this book is because it's so down-to-earth and realistic. To me, I think everyone should read this book because it shows real family strength during many situations which seemed inescapable. Some things about the book that I liked were the way Mary Call showed strength, bravery, and dedication in keeping the promises she made to her "papa", Roy Luther Call, and the authors' description of life in the Appalachain region. I like those features because throughout the whole book, those two remained constant. Even though Roy Luther's death brought on a variety of problems, Mary Call bore them all without showing signs of fatigue or despair. She always tried to think each situation through and keep it all under wraps. When a situation was formed. I liked the authors' description because they were so vivid and life-like, it seemed to me like I was eavesdropping on the Luther family problems the whole time I was reading about them. However good I thought the book was in general, there were a few parts I didn't like as much as others. For example, I think that at the part where the roof caved in, the fox should not have been there. I feel as if the fox drew too much attention to itself, and not the problem at hand. If the fox had not been added, I think the part would have went smoother. As a whole, I think the book, Where The Lilies Bloom, os a classic that should and probably will be handed down through the generations! I give it two thumbs way, way up!

Kiyosaki's inspirational, easy-to-read books are written to excite the reader about available financial opportunities. And they do excite the reader. It is easy to get caught up in the author's enthusiasm. The generalizations are great and allow the reader to dream, but more details are needed. In this recent book, Kiyosaki stresses the need to protect your assets. He spends an entire chapter (17) on how stock options can, and in his opinion, should be used by all investors to gain that protection. His discussion was convincing, but again, there were not enough details. I recommend THE SHORT BOOK ON OPTIONS to learn those details. The reader would then be in position to follow Mr. Kiyosaki's good investment protecting advice.

Seeking answers? Concrete how to's? This book is absolutely right on target. Kiyosaki's work presents the best financial concepts I have read in the thirty years I've been a tax accountant and CPA.

Retire Young, Retire Rich is even better than Kiyosaki's last book. If you looking for details and want to expand your point of view, buy it....now!

This is a great book, possibly the best of the series. If you think all there is to life is a college degree and a J-O-B, think again.Mr. Kiwosoki has written an excellent book that is right for the times. You can retire rich and you can retire young by following the principles in this book.I also recommend "The New Professionals" and "Turner Turner, Turner: The King of Network Marketing" for additional reading and insight.

Bobby always wanted to be like his older brother Billy. The GOLDEN BOY. Unfortunately one day Bobby's brother dies in a car crash after he spends the night drinking. Annie Dunham was a girl who's parents were killed in the same accident. Billy was accused of killing them since everyone said he was the driver. All Bobby wants to do is talk to Annie Dunham. And one day Bobby learns a terrible truth that will change a lot.

The book My Brother Stealing Second is about a kid named Bobby Connely who lost his brother, Billy Connely. Billy was a excellent baseball player, but he died in a car crash with the parents of a girl named Annie Dunham. Billy was accused of killing Annie's parents even though he was dead. The accident totally ruins the Connelys. After the accident, Annie's family and Bobby's family tried their hardest to get away from each other. Bobby and Annie changed all their classes so they could never ever see each other. One day Bobby comes up to a hill where he comes all the time to clear his mind. By coincidence, he meets Annie Dunham and they started to talk. First Annie was cold to Bobby, but after a while they became friendlier. Also Mr.Connely used to be a big drinker. After Billy's accident, Mr.Connely started to drink again. Bobby's life was ruined by Billy's accident. One day, Bobby is hanging out with Richie, friend of Billy Connely and finds out a fact that will change everything..... I thought this book was unpredictable. However, the book wasn't very exciting. They had boring parts about Bobby's life. Along with all these uninteresting events, there are a couple of funny parts. Bobby used to wet his hair and freeze it so he could catch cold to skip school. I thought that was pretty tricky and that part attracted me to the book. Also they used inappopriate languages, but I thought that was all right, since they needed it to make the book realistic. I would give this book a 7 since it's a great book with some unnecessary events.

This book is commonly used by grade schools as a transition for students to get acquainted with algebra topics and prepare for high school math courses. Sadly, this book is poorly laid out, skipping back and forth between topics like a ping pong ball, and often pampers the reader to an extent of which is clearly childish. Even grade school students who were polled often find the pictures both useless and distracting. The chapters of this book also waste space, while providing very little mathematical content. If you are reading this book, or thinking about getting this book for a school environment, you should seriously consider that this book in no way prepares students for high school math courses. Why 2 stars then? The overwhelming use of pictures and comics to portray mathematics may provide easier to understand concepts for children with learning disabilities; but is often distracting.

I had to prepare for some college placement exaims and needed a refresher course. This book was a trememdous help to me!

The book is one, massive song of praise to the IBM mainframes. It seems to be outside the imagination of the author, that anyone could consider choosing anything else. So you should not buy this book, if you want a serious discussion of the pros and cons of mainframes.

Instead you get seemingly endless presentations of IBM's various product numbers like the following quotation:

"Model E01 to E08 configurations support 1 to 8 CECs with 2-, 3-, 4-, 5, or 6-way R1-based processor units in each CEC. The models support a minimum of 3 ESCON channels per CEC and a maximum of 48 added in increments of 3. If more than 24 ESCON channels are required ..."

So if all you want is an accessible catalogue of IBM mainframe products, I guess this book will be well chosen. Otherwise I will not recommend it.