2 comments about PRISONERS AT KITCHEN TABLE.

1. The book "Prisoners of the Kitchen Table" is an exciting book involving friendship, teamwork and courage. A neighbor boy named Josh and a girl named Polly get "KIDNAPPED" and taken far away.

   The get taken to an old house in the middle of a cornfield. The kidnappers told the parents of the children, "No funny business with the police or you'll never see your kids again. You'll both have to pay $100,000 to us to get your kids back." Trapped in a house out in a field, with no luck of help coming, they think they are lost. What will happen to them? Will they stay with these people forever or will they ever get home? Read more to find out!!

   I think this book would be good for people who like mysteries and danger put together. Parents, don't think this book is wrong for your child/children. Even though there is a bank robbery and guns, it also ia a good story of friendship and teamwork for your child to learn.




2. This is a good book to read aloud to kids about 4th grade. Unfortunately, the copy I got through amazon (third party used book) is a shortened version with only 95 pages. It's the Weekly Reader version, and the longer one, about 125, is better.

No comments about THE QUASAR CAPER.

2 comments about Babar and Zephir.

1. Page aften page of strange and curious imaginary creatures, mermaids and monkeys! A delightful book.
   
   

   Zephir embarks from the elephant school, off on his summer vacation. He arrives home at Monkeyville, which is filled with wonderful little houses and shops that hang from the gigantic trees, and off he and his family go to their holiday house, where the first thing that his mother does is prepare a "good soup of bananas and chocolate" (!).
   
   

   The next day a tremendous package arrives at the post office from Babar. It is a rowboat for Zephir! On a daredevil fishing trip (for monkeys generally do not like the water), Zephir accidentally catches Eleonore, a lovely little mermaid, instead of fish! Sadly he releases her, but she has promised to come to his aid if he ever needs her. Upon his arrival back on shore he is greeted with the horrible news that little Princess Isabelle has been kidnapped in a green cloud smelling of rotten apples! Zephir calls on Eleonore, and she takes him in her fish carriage to her Aunt Crustadele.
   
   

   Aunt Crustadele believes the culprit can only be Polomoche, who lives on an island with his gang of Gogottes (a very strange assortment of creatures!). "They... are not savage. But they are bored," she says. She sends Zephir off on his quest, telling him he will recognize Polomoche by his pointed horns and yellow skin.
   
   

   What an adventure! One thing is for sure... any child reading this book will not have a chance to be bored!




2. This book's been out of print for awhile, which strikes me as strange. Anyhow, out of the classic Babar books by Jean de Brunhoff, this one is probably the "least" among them. It's a great read, and the artwork is delightful, but I did feel a little tricked by the title. The book's called "Babar and Zephir," but Babar's only shown on the first page, and even then, it's just his back! The book's all about Zephir and a crazy adventure he goes on, so it really should have just been called "Zephir" or something. I read a review which commented that this was the strangest of all the Babar books, and I agree. It certainly has the most fantastical storyline, involving Mermaids, strange creatures that will turn you into a rock unless you make them laugh, etc. Zephir's funny, and the story's very cute. It's not the best book in the Babar series, but it deserves to be in print and read. It should be available in the "Bonjour Babar!" collection, if you can't find the individual copy used. All in all, I enjoyed this book, and it was a nice little detour in the series.

5 comments about Waking Lazarus (Thorndike Press Large Print Christian Fiction).

1. One of the best thrillers I've read. Well written, deep characters and a real surprise ending. Just the way I like a book to be.



2. Jude Allman had died, and been resurrected, three separate times by the age of thirty-one. The first time, he fell through the ice in a lake fishing when he was eight, the second time, he was hit by lightning in a field while hiking when he was sixteen, and the third time, he was driving in the ice and snow and skidded into a ditch when he was twenty-four. Jude wrote a book that he wished he hadn't, and combined with the notoriety from his "resurrection tri-fecta", he was very dispirited when he became immensely famous. He tried to hide from his unwanted fame by leaving town and using the name Ron Gress as an alias. As Jude/Ron disengages himself from the world, he becomes so paranoid, that he covers the inside of all the windows in his house with Sheetrock and installs a complex security system as well. Jude/Ron takes a job as a janitor at a school in a small town in Montana, and slides into a shrinking, introverted, paranoid, personality, that develops a natural aversion to human contact. He even has to sleep in a reclining chair because he's afraid to lay down in a bed.
   
   As children start disappearing in towns in Montana, Jude/Ron starts getting strange copper tastes in his mouth, and visions, as a warning of impending danger to come, or as clues to save people already in trouble.
   
   This first time author, deftly juggles multiple scenarios and plots simultaneously, like a seasoned writer. Some of the descriptive phrases he pulls from his writer's tool box are pretty enjoyable: "Streams poured from Jude's clothing as if he were a sunken treasure lifted to the surface after centuries in the murky depths." "A sweaty bald man with a paunch crawled into Jude's circle on his hands and knees. The lottery numbers, he hissed. Gimme the lottery numbers." "His father was talking about things that made no sense to him, scary things that crawled up and down his spine on icy legs." "An icy block of dread began to settle in his stomach." His lungs felt as if they were filled with spun fiberglass." "She felt a cold sliver of ice starting to wedge its way into her spine."
   
   
   This story will keep you anxiously reading till the last page. This is a thriller that combines spirituality along with horrific modern crimes. I can only hope that this is the first of many more terrific books by this author.



3. This book surprised me by being as good as it was. A lot of Christian suspense books get published just because they're "Christian", regardless of quality. But this book is right on par with a lot of suspense authors in the secular market I enjoy. There was excellent character development and the story line kept up a good pace, with a neat twist in the end.



4. ... in all aspects. Not only was the story line unexpected and the ending a crazy twist, but the book as a whole was much better than I would have thought to come from a new author and a Christian publishing company. While there was a clear religious undertone, it was subtle and wouldn't detract from the story for those who don't usually like Christian books.



5. Randy Ingermanson writes "Don't read this book late at night! Strongly recommended for the reader who thinks they can't be sacred." Well I believed him so the book sat on my shelf. I originally purchased it because it sounded good and the reviews were great but I typically don't do "scary". Finally I said "what the heck" and I picked it up. To my surprise it was really good and not frightening, very suspenseful but not frightening. Yes, it did use children as the victim (which is as bad as it gets) but it was tastefully written and vacant of the graphic verbiage it could have easily contained. It wasn't really the storyline that kept this book moving at a fast pace but the fantastic character portrayal of Jude Allman... one of the greatest developments of a character ever written. Don't get me wrong, the storyline was excellent and will have you on the edge of your seat but its Jude you will come to root for. There were a couple of non-surprises in the book and some minor flaws but really not worth mentioning especially because they would spoil the book for you. I also had a theological problem with the story but again if I said anything it would give away an important piece of the character development so you'll have to figure it out for yourself.
   
   Mr. Hines is a gifted writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books. I'm glad I was on vacation when I read this otherwise my work would have surely faltered from lack of sleep. Some readers will find this book life-changing so buy some copies and give them away.
   
   1 Star = Pathetic
   2 Stars = Fair
   3 Stars = Good
   4 Stars = Excellent
   5 Stars = Life changing

5 comments about The Hideout.

1. The book "THE HIDEOUT" was an intriguing book. The author Eve Bunting is an excellent author and explained the antagonist and protanist. The antagonists were Andy the main character and Leah the hero. The protagonist was Fred who kidnapped Andy. The one negative comment I have of the book was how poorly the author explained how Andy escaped from the van. Other than that the book was excellant and should be read by all kids.



2. This book takes place in hotel. The main character, Andy, is the one staying in the hotel in the tower suite room. andy wants to run away, because he thinks his mom doesn,t love him anymore, now that she has a new husband. He descides to run away, not knowing where he's going, he takes money out of his step dad's wallet and leaves. He doesn't leave a note or tell his mom where he's going. He goes to this hotel. A bellman drops a key to a hotel room. Andy picks up the key. He goes and tries to find the room that this key belongs to. But, has a T engraved on it. He doesn't know if it means room # 30, 30th floor, room # 20 or what it means. He goes on the elevator and tries to find this room. He finally finds it and it turns out to be a key for the tower suite. (the biggest room in the hotel) he descides to stay there. Later that night he almost gets caught. He takes off his shoes. Someone finds the shoes and, they almost take the shoes with them. They don't, they thought they were on of the cleaning ladies, kids shoes. Andy thinks he is going to stay in the hotel until his dad gets back from his business trip. His dad won't be back for 3 weeks. So, how will he survive for 3 weeks on his own, with not a lot of food or money? I liked this book, I thought it was interesting. I recommend this book if you like adventures or mysteries you'll like this one!



3. This book wasn't as good as I thought it would be... The kidnapping was so boring! It was like it wasn't even real! I thought it would be more exciting than it was. When I got it, it was in the Young Adult section... it was like reading a 4th grader book!...



4. The Hideout by Eve Bunting is something you need to read, Because it can be serous but there is a little humor there. This book's main characters are Andy,his mother,his new stepfather,and his friend Leah. This book is about how Andy gets so fedup with his stepfather that he makes up his mind to run away so he can be with his biological dad. A doorman to nearby hotel drops a key to a room and Andy takes it. His plan is to hide there until he can get enough money to go see his dad in England. A janitor begins to get suspicious and plans to investigate and Andy dosen't know.



5. Pre-teen Andy is disgusted with things at home; his mom has remarried Paul (whom he privately calls "Paws"). His real father is out of reach--not only because he lives in England, but because he is away from home for months at a time on archaeological digs. The boy's best friend is Leah, a girl who is an avid CB'er.

   Andy gets so fed up with his home life that he decides to run away--which is not hard when you happen to live in San Francisco. Hanging out by the lobby of a swanky hotel, without any specific plan in mind, Andy spots and appropriates the fancy key to a plush, rarely-used suite. Just what he needs--his own private retreat where he can wait in safety until he can contact his father, somehow, to request plane fare. But every kid's dream come true--except for Room Service which would blow his Invisible cover--turns into a nightmare.

   Who cares if his mom and step father are worried sick about his disappearance? Can he exist for three weeks on room service leftovers in the halls; can he sleep and hide without leaving any trace; can he slip through the lobby without being recognized in the same clothes? Andy never considers the risk of being kidnapped, until the ransom note he writes in bitterness falls into the wrong hands. Then he must face some hard truths about his own selfishness, his prejudiced view of Paul and his childlike faith in a father who was never really there for him. Elementary and junior high kids will enjoy this story of adolescent resourcefulness and survival on the fringe of adult society.

5 comments about Kaya's Escape!: A Survival Story (American Girls Collection).

1. This story brings many emotions, especially love, and not taking the ones you love for granted.
   
   When Kaya and her blind sister are kidnapped by enemy raiders, and taken to one of their camps, Kaya has no choice but to leave her visually disabled sister behind, and try to find her way back home so that they can return for her. But many things stand in Kaya's way, and part of her is wondering if she'll ever see Toe-ta and Eetsa (Her mother and father) again.
   
   This book definately makes up for the excitement the first book lacked. I enjoyed reading it, as I have all the other Kaya books. My only problem with the series is that they believe in spirits, and some things that happen in the books couldn't happen in real life. But if you look past that, this series is great!



2. This book is definitely more exciting then the first book, and two new characters are introduced, Two Hawks and Swan Circling. Two Hawks is a Salish boy who becomes Kaya's friend, despite his bossy attitude. Swan Circling is a brave woman who is a main character in the third book. This book is the book where Kaya realizes her lack of responsibility, after making a huge mistake that could keep her from seeing her family, and her beautiful horse, Steps High, ever again. My only problem with this book is the "spirit" that Kaya comes across near the end of the book. I don't believe in "spirits" or "ghosts", and I found that part to be very unrealistic. But other than that, I would say this is a good book about struggle, and finding your way home.
   
   I would recommend it to people who read the first Kaya book. If you haven't read the first book, then I suggest that you read it before this one, because it will make this one a little bit more enjoyable.



3. I like this book alot bcause it has good drawings and cool characters the book also gets better when you get to the next capter. What I don't like is when the characters get hurt or get sick. What iI think they should of addedd was how her mom and dad felt when she came home with out her sister.She also should of said why kaya felt bad for the little boy who was there too.



4. 
   
   Say you were back in the 1764 in an Indian Tribe and you got stolen by a raider. How would you get away? Well, this is a story about a girl named Kaya and her friend in an Indian Tribe called Nimiipuu. They got stolen by raiders.
   
   When I started reading this book, I thought it would be boring, but when I got to the part when Kaya and Speaking Rain got stolen I just wanted to keep reading.
   
   Kaya and Speaking Rain had to be a slave, at the raiders tribe there was a boy who was a slave too, his name is Two Hawks. Kaya had to escape without Speaking Rain because she is blind. Two Hawks is going to escape with Kaya. At first Kaya didn¡¦t like Two Hawks,and they fight because Two Hawks wanted to be the leader.
   
   This gives me a connection because I have trouble with my friend sometimes at school. Then when they were going up to the mountain and then trouble came, Two Hawks broke his ankle.
   
   I felt sad before I read the ending. I ask to my self, what will happen? Will they stay alive? If you like exploring, then you should read this book. This is a great book for second or third graders.
   
   
   ºVivienneº



5. Say you were back in the 1764 in an Indian Tribe and you got stolen by a raider. How would you get away? Well, this is a story about a girl named Kaya and her friend in an Indian Tribe called Nimiipuu. They got stolen by raiders.
   
   When I started reading this book, I thought it would be boring, but when I got to the part when Kaya and Speaking Rain got stolen I just wanted to keep reading.
   
   Kaya and Speaking Rain had to be a slave, at the raiders tribe there was a boy who was a slave too, his name is Two Hawks. Kaya had to escape without Speaking Rain because she is blind. Two Hawks is going to escape with Kaya. At first Kaya didn¡¦t like Two Hawks and fights because Two Hawks wanted to be a leader.
   
   This gives me a connection because I have trouble with my friend sometimes. Then when they were going up to the mountain and then trouble came, Two Hawks broke his ankle.
   
   I felt sad before I read the ending. I ask to my self, what will happen? Will they stay alive? If you like exploring, then you should read this book. This is a great book for second or third graders.
   
   
   ºVivienneº

2 comments about The Spanish Kidnapping Disaster.

1. Spain is a wonderfully interesting country, and Felix and Amy and Phillip have come to visit with their new family after the recent marriage of their parents. Travel to Europe is not always interesting for boys and girls whose lives are filled with other activities and interests, but the children meet a woman named Grace in Toledo, and she takes them on an adventure that they never will forget!! This is a story of not only the feelings and emotions of the children, but it is a fine study in human relations and the slow melding of people from two families into one! This is a high interest book for middle and upper grade elementary school students and middle school age students



2. The Spanish Kidnapping Disaster is one of my favorite books ever! It's such an awesome book, I recomend it for everyone. It's an adventure book that takes place in Spain. Felix meets a woman she wants to be just like; Grace. Her mom just remarried and know she has a stepsister and stepbrother she doesn't like. Knw all the kids have tag along on their parent's honeymoon in Spain. Graces saves them when they were lost, but she isn't what Felic thinks she is. Grace leads them all into a disasterous adventure the kids will never forget. Will Grace come through to them? This is a book you'll want to own so you can read it over and over again!

5 comments about Over the Edge: The True Story of Four American Climbers' Kidnap and Escape in the Mountains of Central Asia.

1. In Greg Child's book, the four climbers from California go to Kyrgyzstan to climb a type of wall found only there and in Yosemite. They grew up in typical middle class American homes, never having experienced true suffering, hunger or war. While in Kyrgyzstan they are kidnapped and thus confronted with some harsh realities of life for many people in this world.
   
   They read the State Department's warning on travel to that paritcular region of Kyrgyzstan and one of the four climbers was scheduled to go to that country earlier in the year and had his trip canceled due to danger in the area. Despite these red flags, they go to Kyrgyzstan anyway, showing themselves to be the willfully ignorant, self-absorbed, spoiled brats we will come to know throughout the book.
   
   At least one Kyrgyz soldier loses his life (no doubt the sole bread winner in his family supporting their meager existence.) Poverty-stricken villagers show the climbers much hospitality. The four climbers receive a lucrative book deal for their ordeal. Do they share any of the royalties with the suffering Kyrgyz or any of the unfortunate families who had to pay a terrible price for their stupidity? Not a penny.
   
   It is nearly impossible to feel any sympathy for Beth's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or the broken freindships within the group in the face of their total refusal to accept any responsibility for their kidnapping or any sympathy for the Kyrgyz people. They point their fingers at the Kyrgyz government, individual soldiers, their travel company and the U.S. State department but never, ever indicate that they should have take the responsibility for finding a safe vacation destination themselves.
   
   In light of people like these climbers, I understand why much of the world views Americans as stupid and self-centered. Some of us actually do have a clue as to what's going on around us but unfortunately these fools' stories sell more magazines.
   
   Greg Child's book is interesting to read but also infuriating. He never asks the questions that matter. Did the climbers think they had any culpability for their kidnapping? How has their view of the world and America's place in it changed? Are wealthy American climbers entitled to travel the world to dangerous, back-of-beyond spots and expect the locals to pay the price for getting them out safely? Also, they seemed to have lied about part of their ordeal and Childs goes to great lengths to defend them. I think that Childs doesn't care as much about the truth as he does selling books.



2. As a development worker who lived and worked in Kyrgyzstan during the kidnapping, I can tell you that many parts of this so-called "True Story" are very questionable. One part is true: Four ill-prepared and reckless climbers got kidnapped. The rest of the story is based on their version. Another version puts it this way: They got kidnapped, the kidnappers were not prepared to babysit four climbers and did not have enough food or water for everyone. They got no support from local villagers so they let the climbers go. End of Story.
   
   The climbers say they pushed a kidnapper to his death and then ran the equivalent of a marathon across mountainous terrain with no food or water, after having had no food or water for days.... not likely. In Kyrgyztsan at the time, most ex-pats had the same opinion of these four: "Stupid rich kids in over their heads who greatly exaggerated their story." That's it. Not all that special really.



3. This is one of the Few or maybe Two true storys i have really gotten into.
   This and Lost In A Mountain In Maine .
   
   This book was obviously well written with 4 different points of veiw because there were four climbers. The story's quite amazing and it was soo suspensful i could hardly blink.
   
   One minute they aren't being feed and they are stuck in this weird cave trying to get away , the next they are climbing a steep and most dangerous cliff , the next they are recaptured and put back into the clutches of the enemies , then the NEXT they are throwing the enemies off a cliff. Who could predict what happens?
   
   It's not one of those books that you already can tell what happens or you alreday know everything's going to turn out Happily Ever After.
   Along with the details and Maps givin in the story you really understand where they are and how hard it was for them.
   
   Worth reading! i recommend it to ages 13- and up up up (although i was probably 11 when i read it. Surprisingly i've always been in a high reading level.)



4. I really wanted to read this book because I am interested in the story. But Child's use of the present tense (inconsistently, at that), finally was so irritating that I stopped reading midway through the book. Child is definitely off my author list.



5. I really liked this book. It was an interesting account of the climbers experiences. I only gave it 4 stars because I thought it was overly dramatized at times. Overall, a worthwhile read.

1 comments about SummerDanse.

1. Like the other three books, this one grabs your attention from the first page, and never lets go until the last page. You have to read these books in order or you will be lost. The only thing to makes these books better would to have a re-print having them all in one book. Great story, wonderful characters, engrossing read.

2 comments about One by One (Originally Guilt by Association) (Dani Ross Mystery Series #1).

1. This book has all the qualities of an excellent Gilbert Morris book - a compelling heroine, a tricky mystery, and an encouragement to those of like faith. This book was originally published under the title Guilt by Association by Bethany House Publishers, and the story has changed even though the title has. Dani Ross is a tough young woman who can't seem to get a break in life. After coming home to help out her father with the family business, she stumbles across a mystery that so envelops her as she is kidnapped and taken far away. We also meet Ben, the hardened investigator that Dani argues with at every turn. An excellent book for those who enjoy Christian fiction and especially mysteries of the Mary Higgins Clark, Terry Blackstock-type.



2. Dani Ross is a strong-willed ministerial student who must give up her dream of becoming a missionary to help her father in his private investigation agency. After getting mixed up with the wrong client, she is kidnapped and finds herself trapped in a silo with twelve others - the victims of a meglomaniac. Gilbert Morris draws out the suspense cleverly in one of his best plotlines.

   I have read all of the original Dani Ross books, and I am glad to see that they are being re-released by Crossway. The new editions have been skillfully updated to fit in with their new 2000 time setting instead of the 1980's period in which they were first written. My only complaint is that I wish Mr. Morris had rewritten the descriptions of Dani's clothing as well, as they are still glaringly eighties and add an incongrous note.