Like it or not, everyone who lives long enough is sooner or later going to become disabled. Read about it here and now from a brilliant writer and extraordinary person. Mr. Hockenberry covers every aspect of disability, from sensitive descriptions of his feelings about his body, to the horrendous insensitivity with which many so-called able-bodied folk react to him, to vital discussions about the social injustices perpetrated on disabled people at every turn. All this and more is woven into a tale about the amazing world of a courageous, iconoclastic, humorous, and outrageous individual who lives a very exciting life. Thanks, John, for one terrific read, with a hundred or more important messages for all of us.

Hockenberry doesn't really need more people to tell him how good his book is. However, he does need a person considered to have a disability (Deaf) to tell him--Great JOB! And to recommend to all those undergoing the process of learning to deal with a disability and grieving over loss of abilities, to read this book. It will help significantly. He learned in a shorter period of time, and had a significantly better outlook on his new disablement. He also brings up the fact that sometimes the obstacles placed in our way are of our own making. The Americans with Disabilities Act is not going to solve all of our problems...and as a country we are lucky to have it. But many of those problems won't be fixed until we the Deaf and the disabled get off our collective butts (excuse the pun) and do something about it. This means becoming active politically and otherwise. Mr. Hockenberry needs to write a followup since his career has gone in different routes now...and we see him more often on television. How has this newfound fame added or detracted from his life? I didn't always agree with him...I too have worked with mentally disabled adults, and sometimes found his attitude shocking, though I think he was merely very young at the time. But I am recommending this book to my students, to people I work with who are disabled, to my computer group (the SayWhatClub--we all say 'what') and anyone else I can think of. Ok Mr. Hockenberry, get busy writing the sequel! Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

First book I've ever read that I feel compelled to recommend as a MUST READ for everyone. It's extremely eye-opening (at least to this reader) on the subjects of physical limits, our relationship to our physical selves, and even the meaning of life. You don't need a spinal-cord injury to appreciate Hockenberry's perspective on friends, family, work, American society, or journalism. This book is intelligent, reflective, funny, tragic, introspective, and, as far as I can tell, brutally honest. When John Hockenberry is the lens, the photo is exquisite

The Tripods Trilogy was John Christopher's first attempt at writing for young people and it is a triumph. I was introduced to these books back in 1985, when I was 9. I was really taken with the cover artwork of "The White Mountains", which showed this giant three-legged machine and a boy hiding in the foreground.

But I didn't actually read the books until four years later. I was obsessed with it! I loved the idea of a small rebel group fighting something that seemed so invincible. For ages I couldn't draw a landscape without putting a Tripod in it!

These books got me interested in cities and how they'd look when they're destroyed. One of my favourite parts of the story is when the three boys are walking through the ruins of an ancient city. We all know what city it was and we recognise so much that is unfamiliar to them. It's both amusing and moving to see them ponder over the relics of a better time.

These are a series of books I've read over and over. The praise for this trilogy is well deserved.

I'm a seventh grade student that has read plenty of books using a program called the Acclerated Reader that the whole seventh grade uses. The progam origionally had the "White Mountains" in it and when I read it I was automatically hooked! Now that our collection has been upgraded we now have the full set of The Tripod Trilogy books and i'm planing to read them all. It is somthing that keeps you from doing any other thing. I finished "When The Tripods Came" in one day because I was so into it. At this time I'm reading "The City Of Gold And Lead" and hope to start reading "The Pool Of Fire" shortly. Now I consider John Christopher one of my favorite authors.

I first read the Tripod series in seventh grade. Some of you in the Boy Scouts may remember the comic book adaptation of The Pool of Fire from the Boy's Life Magazine. I'm now a 24 year old adult (Ahem!) and I still love these books. Ever since my book collection was destroyed by a flood three years ago I have been hunting for both this, and the Prince in Waiting series by Mr. Christopher. As usual, Amazon.Com comes through for me. I heartily recommend this series, and the Prince in Waiting to all readers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

Every year for Christmas, my parents like to buy me several books that I would probably never hear of and never try...they call it broadening my horizons, and a couple of years ago this book was among the pile. I started reading it Christmas day and I refused to leave my room until I finished it. It is one of the most gripping, suspenseful, poignant, intelligent books written for teens that I have ever read. Marsden appears to be one of the few adults who actually understands teenagers, and gives us the credit we deserve. In this book, he tells a tale of 8 typical Australian teens, on a camping trip in the bush, only to come home and find their country has been invaded. Bonding together, they form an accidental guerilla group, who make a life for themselves in the Bush, while risking their lives to take back their country. Though the book is incredibly suspenseful, edge-of-your seat thriller, what Marsden does best is character development. He makes his book at one realistic with incredibly detail, and allows the characters to spend plenty of time ruminating on their actions, morality, their own fear of mortality, and their ability to cope with the death and capture of their friends and loved ones. Finally, here is a book, told through the eyes of Ellie, and thoughtful, down-to-earth protagonist, who allows us to see that teens are much more adult then many give them credit for. A must read.

Although the book has been out for a few years, I got it for Christmas 1999 after a strong recommendation from my friends. Today is January 1 2000 and I have finished the book. I couldnt put it down! I loved the characters and since I am 15 I could relate to them. They were so real! It was easy for the reader to believe that they werent' just writing on a page. I loved the relationship that developed between Ellie and Lee. The action was written in such detail, everything was described brilliantly. I loved how the plot developed, never once crossing over to being totally unbelievable, despite the invasion. At the moment I am rushing out to buy the second book and I can't wait to start reading it! John Marsden has written a truly brilliant series and he should be commended for his work. Congratulations on your success John Marsden!

I started to read this book when a friend told me how good BURNING FOR REVENGE was. I new nothing about it, only that it was good. When I read Tomorrow... I was instantly hooked. The series is vey well written and packed full of action. There is a mixture of Action, Love, friendship and a strong will the group of teens to survive the downs of War, help free there families and return life to the way it was. It is the perfect book for young adults. If you like lots of Explosions and heart pumping, page turning, edge-of-your-seat excitement, John Marsden's Tomorrow series is the path to go down. From the first page to the last it catches you in it's grasp and won't let go until you die of starvation or are wrestled to the ground by family members. It really will take you to hell and back.

This Rare book hits the fan!

I was an avid reader as a child, and the GREAT BRAIN books were some of my favorites. I am now a mother of an avid reader, and tried to locate the books in several book stores. (For some reason, the library did not occur to me--shame on me!) I am so glad to have found them on Amazon.com that I am buying the whole set. This will be a great way to spend time with my son this summer! To parents--you will enjoy reading these with your children (sons or daughters)To children--you will enjoy reading these yourself (or listening, if you don't read yet). Very humorous series! Have a great time reading!

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

I first read this book and the others in the series as a sixth-grader back in the mid-70s. I, too, read them over and over! I was so enthralled with the stories that I did what I always did with terrific books: looked for any other books by the same author. I was thrilled to discover that in addition to this fictionalized version of J.D.'s childhood, he had also written three non-fiction books detailing his family history and experience in late 19th century Utah: Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse, Papa Married a Mormon, and Mama's Boarding House. I promptly checked them out of the library and devoured them all. They are wonderful stories and an informative background to the Great Brain series. I add my plea to that of another reviewer: SOMEONE, PLEASE REPRINT THESE BOOKS by John D. Fitzgerald! They are a treasure that should not remain relegated to the dusty shelves of used bookstores!

I am currently reading The Great Brain to my six-year old son. At first I was afraid that the writing was a little too sophisticated for him, but with an explanation here and a definition there, he's doing just fine with it. He laughed uproariously at the scene in the opening chapter of the public uncrating and display of the first water closet (indoor flush toilet)in Adenville. These stories are terrific entertainment, as well as history lessons. They give kids a sense of how daily life was a century ago from a kid's perspective.

Excellent Read! A great story about Ray Kroc and his quest to build the McDonald's empire. This is the best book I have read about a company. It contains many stories about the people responsible for the growth of McDonald's. Ray Kroc was the man that took some simple ideas, created systems and duplicated them over and over. If you want to read a very interesting book about business, this is it!

This book opens with Fred Turner, the former chairman of McDonald's and former fast food french fry maker, answering his own phone. I have thought about that image ever since reading it, when this book first came out (right after Turner retired, with one of the lakes at McDonald's corporate H.Q. named after him), and Mike Quinlan took over. Quinlan also, like Turner, had "ketchup in his veins," having started out in a restaurant like turner.

The book hits the ketchup and vein image so hard, in fact, that by contrast, I worry for the company now that Jack Greenburg, trained as an attorney, is the Chairman, and now that he has made Mr. Kindler, another lawyer who was with the law departmen of General Electric, head of an operating division. What would Ray Kroc make of this?

Mr. Love captures the drama of Kroc almost losing control of the company to another insider who mis-interpreted McDonald's as a real estate company that incidentally marketed hamburgers. No, said Kroc, it's a hamburger company that just needs real estate.

Getting a grip on what the company is today is more possible by reading what it used to be. Business guys are often impatient with history, and they show it by so frequently repeating it.

The story behind the ubiquitous golden arches, and the man who expanded them coast to coast, (and today they reach edges of the Earth). This book provides a reader friendly, detailed synopsis of MacDonald's through the decades of the original brother to Ray Kroc entry and exit of on of the most recognized emblems of the world. (Whether this fact is has positive or negative implications is another matter entirely). This is a good book about Mickey-D's and sheds light on many other aspects of American history, culture, business and advertising.

Two brothers named McDonald went west to California from the north-east. They came with about $8 dollars and got jobs moving props on movie sets in Hollywood (sound familiar?) After some initial business ventures the brothers opened their own small restaurant in San Bernadino.

In the Midwest Ray Kroc left school at 16, and like almost all other achievers that reached his level of success, he had a strong work ethic and a hard-driving tenacity to succeed at a concept that in+tial+ly proved successful. How ya build on something good. A gifted successful salesman from an early age, he got a job selling paper cups and sold them for 17 years as one of the top salesman of the company. Some of his clients were Wrigley field among other Chicago establishments. In his late thirties, he started selling shake mixers. McDonald's comes into the picture when Kroc noticed that two brothers who owned a drive-in hamburger restaurant in SoCal, kept ordering lots of shake mixing machines, when Kroc's mixer business was dying out everywhere else in the country. He met the McDonald brothers and was greatly impressed by their practices. Kroc become the seller of their franchises in Illinois, and was very successful at establishing and McD's in the Midwest.

For his work he didn't earn a lot because of the deal he made with the two brothers (an inkling of what was to come). So he added a creative and logical way to profit from his diligent work in spreading the franchises. He formed a separate corporation, and when setting up franchises he'd purchase the property where a new McDonald's was to be built. He'd collect the rent or a percentage of the restaurant's profits, whichever was greater. This allowed him to be compensated more fully in addition to his original deal with the McDonald brothers, which wasn't the most favorable.

Kroc was selling the franchises and focusing on keeping the model and SOPs identical for every franchise. Perhaps an analogy to the assembly line of the Ford. Kroc had a methodology. If a winning method was not altered or diluted by a franchise restaurant here and there across the country, the sales, expansion, and growth would continue. McDonald's had tapped into what a large part of the American public wanted in post WWII America. Ray later bought McDonald's from the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million cash. When he discovered after the deal was finished that the original McD restaurant in San Bernadino was not included, and was to be kept by the brothers, Kroc had them change their restaurants name, and he built a franchise across the street to put them out of business.

Advertising:
To help solidify more growth and consumer loyalty, Kroc knew the value of kids. He hired top advertising people: enter Ronald McDonald. After some marketing tests in some particular regions, came the major nationwide promotion to get the kiddies pleading with their parents that they wanted to go to Mickey-Ds. Have you heard kids clamour their parents to do this? I have. And today, McDonald's has continued the kid-concept by investing large amounts into the Playgrounds added onto many of its' stores.

McDonald's represents many things about American culture. To Americans, and today throughout the world. No matter what you think of Mickey D's it's quite an interesting story of how it started, evolved and came to it's ubiquity today. It's a fact that those golden arches are more recognized than the Christian cross. Again, whether we think that's good or not leads to several other issues involving, chemicals and food science, general health, obesity, globalization, homogenization, marketing to children, and corporatization.

For additional insights into the McDonald's phenomenon read, Jennifer Talwar's "Fast Food, Fast Track" and Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal," and Fumento's "Fatland."

This is a book is a book I will never forget. In fact, it is still something I think about everynight. How Marsden puts this young girls feelings and thoughts and all that good stuff into a book I would never be able to do. I have read it at least 3 times and I still can't put it down, even though I know every little thing that happens. The haunting ending to the story broke my heart. So anyone interested in this book, get it. I highly suggest it.

Though the book seems to have many flaws at first, once you read in to it all, it makes sense.
The story is of a girl whose family is being corrupted by the media, especially her father. Stories in the paper start to bother the girl, and her interest shoots up.
But among this all, is her "darling dog Checkers", a most important figure in the plot development.
While telling the story, the girl is in a Psychiatric Ward. She tells of the others there, and describes the events as if she were writing in a journal.
I high suggest this book to EVERYONE.
John Marsden did an excellent job with this book, an EXCELLENT read.

Told in first-person flashbacks and set in the mental hospital where the nameless protagonist recovers from a nervous breakdown, this story's message is: "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." Wealth and privilege cannot save your family from scandal, our protagonist learns, especially when your father is involved in dishonest business practices a la Enron.

The only honest relationship the girl has is with her mongrel dog, Checkers. She seeks comfort in his company as the media circles like vultures around her house, looking for a way to connect the girl's father to the stock market scandal that's brewing. She would never have thought that the connection they were looking for was sleeping on the rug in front of her fire.

I really liked this novel, and would have loved it if it wasn't about the fortieth book I've read that's set in a mental hospital. Mental hospitals have become way too clichéd in young adult literature. Other than that, though, it was a terrific story.

I first read this as a child, growing up in the south in a pentacostal holiness church. This book was my very first introduction to the Jewish Faith, what it means and how it impacted day-to-day life. I found that this family was a very loving family who encouraged their girls (then baby boy) to learn and to grow up strong. I remember wanting to be Jewish so that I could be a member of their family. There was so much fun and love.

Well, I have since learned about the "Jewish" stereotype. However, I was not suckered in by the error because my first experience with Jews came about through the All of A Kind Family books. I am convinced that I knew the truth about the Jewish people because of these books.

I strongly recommend that these books be added to all reading lists, as they help to teach kindness, love, and tolerance for all people, just like they helped to teach to me.

I happened upon a copy of this book at a rummage sale when I was seven years old and have enjoyed it ever since. Though it is never laugh-out-loud funny, it is highly entertaining and definitely falls into the category of feel-good books. Author Sydney Taylor created sweet and interesting characters whose lives you immediately want to follow.

The story chronicles the lives of five Jewish sisters growing up in New York at the turn of the century. Four-year-old Gertie is the baby of the family. Six-year-old Charlotte is a daydreamer who is idolised by her little sister. Eight-year-old Sarah cannot be better described than by Taylor, who refers to her in the narrative as "always the practical one". Ten-year-old Henny is the impish, mischievous one of the bunch (and they need one, considering how docile the other daughters usually are!). Twelve-year-old Ella is the oldest daughter, a talented singer with a big crush on her father's friend Charlie, who is hiding a secret.

The story chronicles the lives of the family throughout their various trials and tribulations over the year. If my sister and I are any indication, any reader will want to read and re-read it!

The whole "All-of-a-Kind" series was one of my favorites as little girl! I used to devour these books and I'm so happy to have found them so I can give them to my 9-year old niece for Christmas! I hope she loves them as much as I did. I remember feeling totally involved with the family and couldn't wait to read the next book. I agree with some of the other reviewers, as a Christian, I wasn't really knowledgable in Jewish customs and this book taught me so much about Judaism -- celebrations, religious customs, history, etc. So not only was I reading a wonderful story, but I learned something too. Also loved that it was set in the turn of the century -- that was a learning experience too. Wonderful wonderful book -- so happy I found it again! Thanks, Amazon

I really loved this book. I wish I could read the rest of the series, but all I can find is the first 2! The characters are so real. My favorite character is Lee. The characters have matured a great deal since the first book, yet are just as likeable. I liked how they put in some of Chris's poems, like ELlie I couldn't make much sense of it, but they were beeautiful sounding. It's interesting how the author works in drunk driving in a survival book. I also thought the book had a good romance. I'm glad Ellie's with Lee and not with her original crush, Homer. I like the character FIona, she's great. One good part of the book was Harvey's Heroes! It made laugh until I read the twist at the end! (If you read it, you know what I Mean.) I urge you to read it1 I'm not into action stories, but Marsden's characters won a place in my heart.

I've read 2 of these books and disappointed that I can't get more of them..however this weekend I am picking up one I managed to order. The Dead of Night was just as good as Tomorrow, When the War Began; actually I preferred it although they were both awesome. It's not "medicore" in the slightest, it was beautifully done, and really makes you care about the characters. It's really refreshing just to sit down and read a truly good book instead of sitting in front of the TV and being sickened by commercials. I loved how in the Dead of Night they have Chris's poems in it. I couldn't make sense of them, neither could Ellie, but like her I thought the poems were beautiful and had a wonderful sound. The romance with Lee was good. I like Lee's character. The series has inspired me in my own writing. I love how they mix deep, serious thinking and analyzation of death, hot and cold blood, with action packed scenes, as well as romance. I definitely recommend you read this, if you don't read this, you're missing out on a treat from Marsden. Great job!

I was first introduced to this serioes at school, we were assigned to read it for English, before this book all books assigned to us in school were all garbage and I expected the same, as did most the other students in my class, most wouldnt bother to read it, so the teacher read it aloud in class, for most of it upuntil the half way mark I ignored most of it, until it dawned on me that this book was actualy sounding o.k. When I got home i got my copy from the bookshelf and actualy started to read it, and I read at any chance I had, and when I finished I read the second and third and then had to wait while the rest were written and released
The amazing story starts off with a group of teenagers going camping, and when they return the find the Australia has been taken over by another country, they go to the bush again to hide, but can't just sit back and do nothing and decide to fight back in what ever way they can, although unconventional, when all is said and done and the series is over they made a huge impact on the war, sometimes planned, sometimes fluked, of coarse not all survive and with every loss you can not help but feel the emotional pain of the others, it is the best comming of age story I have read, and although it is listed as a young adult series, it will be unforgetable to all ages and you will develop a bond with Ellie, Homer, Kevin and the rest of the gang, I have never fell in love with any fictional charactors the way I did with these guys, not even in T.V series
A story like this comes along once in a life time, do not, and I mean do not missss this book

You want imagination?..adventure?..a few dabs of science(remember it was written in 1912)?..an ageless hero?..an absolutely beautiful damsel in distress?..a whole new world?..with a language all it's own?..inhabited with strange new creatures?.. friends and foes?..battles royal?..This book, and all 10 or 11 sequels, have it all! ER Burroughs was the early master of science fiction, adventure, and imagination; a man ahead of his time, and he gives the reader a roller-coaster ride of incredible adventures. Join with us now as John Carter meets, rescues,and captures the heart of the INCOMPARABLE Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars!, and eventually, along with his friend Tars Tarkas, follows suit with the entire red planet, Barsoom to its wild and whacky inhabitants.

Is this intellectual literature?..of course not. Is it non-stop fun and enjoyment, the original page-turner novel?...You bet it is! Pick this book up, start reading, and I guarantee: you won't put it down until you're finished!..and then you'll run out the door and be hunting for the 2nd book in the series, The Gods of Mars, and then # 3, The Warlord of Mars, and on through the series. Be warned: make sure you have access to #'s 2 and 3 before you start The Princess...you'll be sorry if you don't!

I first read the Burroughs Martian novels(there were 10 known to me then) as a graduate student studying Physics, some 40 years ago. They provided the perfect escape from the rigors of courses like Quantum Mechanics and E & M. Now I reread them,and I continue to enjoy. You will too.

Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner.

The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler)

Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?

John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here! This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride

John Bellairs is best known for his children's thrillers, but he also penned one of the best horror-fantasies ever written (a sadly neglected field, only ventured into by a few). My old paperback copy has a quite from Ursula Le Guin, stating that Bellairs "knows what wizardry is all about." Boy, is she right.

The book starts at the home of Prospero, a reclusive, good natured wizard with an obnoxious talking mirror and a lot of very tacky clutter. His friend Roger Bacon arrives at his home, only to find that sinister forces are creeping toward Prospero's home: an enormous moth that gives them a creepy feeling. Gray-cloaked figures lurking outside. A skeletal bird fluttering at the window.

Roger brings news about a strange book; Prospero realizes that there is an old enemy, Melichus, gaining power to destroy him. He and Roger set out on a hazardous journey across the geographically simple land, ruled by a rather unimpressive king, to find and unravel the mystery behind this strange growing force for evil.

More than once, Prospero and Roger will hit a dead end, be deceived by an evil illusion, or face the horrifying effects of their enemy. And the final battle in this book is unlike any battle of wizards ever seen before.

This book is very difficult to summarize, as some things simply don't click into place for a long time. It is, additionally, not a book that you can really skim. I read the book once, said "What?" on the last page, and had to go back and reread the climax.

This book lacks, in parts, the humor so necessary in Bellairs's books to keep the protagonists from going insane. Long stretches have nothing funny at all; we do have the irritating, singing magic mirror, the attack of the troll on the mini-boat, and the ridiculous rhyming spells that the wizards often utter: "Trying to find out if/(Hagiographically)/John of Jerusalem/liked almond paste..."

This book also defies fantasy cliches; the world that Prospero and Roger live in is very simple, not filled with dark fortresses and castles, but with ordinary villages connected by roads and woods. Evil, in Bellairs's world, is not something that sits on a throne and gives sadistic orders; it creeps into cracks and crevices and flits out at people. The "moth" scene manages to give an ordinary annoyance a feeling of horror; the scene where Prospero finds the innkeeper, and his subsequent escape are some of the most effectively creepy scenes I've ever read. He does so without gore or gimmicks; half the horror is not knowing what is conjured by Melichius.

Prospero is a quietly likeable character; his quirky house endears us to him, as does his reaction to the magic mirror. Roger is a little less defined, as the real him appears throughout a relatively small amount of the book. Other characters flit in and out.

Wizardry in this book is more than incantations and walking around with a funny hat (which neither of the characters has). I liked the description of the final duel between good and evil; also the effect on a wizard's staff when the wizard dies. Bellairs's wizardry is not flashy or show-offy, but a serious practice.

This book is relatively short, only about 180 pages; some kids may be a bit confused by the complexity of it, though. However, this is a delightful read...

Prospero, an eccentric wizard living in the Southern Kingdom, has begun to experience something new to him, fear. Nightmares visit him, unearthly shadows dance upon his walls, and dreadful apparitions accost him. When his friend, Roger Bacon, returns from England with shocking news about an eldritch book, he realizes that someone is gaining great power, and that someone wants Prospero dead. And so, Prospero and Roger set off on a quest to unravel the mystery and stop someone who may now be the most powerful wizard in the world.

This book contains one of the most wonderfully unique stories I have every read! It is gothic horror, but one where the protagonist is a wizard. Unlike the wizards presented in many stories however, Prospero often finds that his powers do not help him, and that he must confront the horrors or flee from them, the same as any other man. Through it all, the story portrays a gentle humor that makes it such wonderful reading.

I really enjoyed the black-and-white illustrations provided by Marilyn Fitschen (though this may be only in certain editions), their stark nature adds greatly to this suspense-filled story. I highly recommend this story to any fan of fantasy literature, or player of D&D!

My initial reading of this book was when it first came out in paperback in 1978. This isn't by way of bragging, but simply to point out that it impressed me so much that I still have that very copy of the book, despite many relocations and resizings of my own library. For its time it was so unlike any other fantasy book that it made an immediate impression and has continued to do so to this very day.

Written with a deceiving simplicity that, no doubt, owes its origins to Bellairs' many successes as a writer of horror fiction for young adults, 'The Face in the Frost' is the tale of two wizards who must prevent the completion of a spell so awful it would bring the ruin of their world. When Prospero (not the one on the island) finds his comfy and peculiar home under siege by baleful magick he is alarmed. The appearance of his old friend and co-wizard Roger Bacon (the very one) only confirms that ominous portents are about. Faced with giant moths and a force of giant menacing shadows they make their escape, bent on finding the source of the problem.

In short order they realize that someone is in the process of activating a spell inscribed in a legendary tome. They must face illusion, traps, and even death trying to discover the identity of the book's new owner. And then, once the identity is known they must wrest the book from its keeper's grasp and bring it to destruction. In a trick unknown since Aristotle's Cave, Bellairs manages to fit this detailed and wide ranging quest into a novel of less than two hundred pages. For this accomplishment, if no other, Bellairs deserves a great deal of appreciation.

Bellairs characters are gem-like, as is the world in which they move. The tone of the narrative is quite humorous, with Prospero and Bacon getting much of the credit for keeping up a banter full of strange twists that seems to wander at will across time and place without any disastrous side effects. The narrative, in contrast, is quite chilling. Bellairs shows a fine ability to create suspense and horror without having enormous quantities of gore splattered over the pages. On several occasions I found myself unexpectedly spooked by what on the surface was comparative mild-mannered prose.

For all the time I've had this book I have always been surprised that I haven't come across more of Bellairs' work. It is only recently, thanks to the Internet, that I discovered that Bellairs was pre-eminently known as a writer of youthful fiction, and that he died prematurely. In retrospect, it is probably only a fortunate accident that 'The Face in the Frost' crossed over into adult fiction. It certainly could be read with great enjoyment by anyone who can cope with Bellairs clear but literate writing style. Lest I forget, the story is accompanied by many wonderful illustrations from the pen of Marilyn Fitschen, which the reader will find as pleasant as the story.