One of the stories that I will always cherish, that I remember being told in my youth, is this one. I've heard it many times : at home from my mother (saturday morning, in a low soft voice, in the kitchen, drinking soup), in the classroom from my teacher English Literature, at the university, and from my wife. So often we tell to each other, quiet but sad, with a dark smile : 'I have read all the wise men have written and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for the lack of a red rose my life is made wretched' (I don't know if it's quoted without mistakes). Everything we have is nothing compared to the love we lack, and even if we sacrifice a lot for it, it doesn't change but for a moment. The Nightingale, thinking she could solve it all by sacrificing herself, is pure tragic, and that gripped me most in the tale. I'm afraid I can't remember being told the Selfish Giant. I first heard it in the recent film 'Wilde'. Written for children, I think these tales are suitable for everyone who loves to laugh and cry without having too much troubles on their minds, and by learning a great deal about live through the eyes of Oscar Wilde. But are the eyes of Oscar Wilde those of the Selfish Giant or of the Nightingale ? One of the few questions that deserves no answer !

Although modern writers discussing the events of the Endurance expedition have indeed pretty much forgotten this side of the expedition, it should be pointed out that Sir Ernest Shackleton himself covered it in his own book "South." Bickel has used recently found documentation and other materials to put together the complete tale of the Ross Sea Party of the Endurance expedition. After their ship Aurora was pulled away from her moorings by a storm, the men left on shore brilliantly improvised stores and equipment to lay the depots required for the planned crossing the Antarctic continent. During their sledging journeys one man died, and the survivors had to struggle to save two more (who ultimately were lost through their own foolishness in crossing sea ice when a storm threatened). All in all this is a valuable contribution to the story of the Endurance expedition. I also very highly recommend "Mawson's Will" by the same author.

A well written work that reads like a novel about the members of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party whose mission it was to lay food and supply depots for Shackleton's crossing of Antarctica. The brave men united by adversity, experience such unimaginable hardships, that as the reader I found myself rooting for these brave and courageous men to abandon their mission and save themselves. Their persistance to carry on and complete their mission while enduring every suffering possible of the Antarctic is testament to the true character and grit of these men. For anyone who has read any of the published "ENDURANCE" works this book is a must read. The adventure will not be complete until you read this bone chilling tale of the human spirit, unbroken.

Having read about Shackleton several years ago I am glad to see more interest in this amazing story and people looking at Shackleton's leadership which was incredible.

I am troubled by one thing though, in almost everything I have seen and read (such as the Nova special, Caroline Alexander's Book, and Alfred Lansing's book) there is almost no mention about the crew on the other side of the Antarctica. In Shackleton's South, he wrote about checking on the men, but never went into the hardship they faced. I was disturbed that the Nova special did not even mention there was a crew laying supplies on the other side.

In some ways, I actually think their story is more amazing the story of the crew of the Endurance. The crew was to lay supplies almost to the pole and then one night a storm came in a blew the ship back out to sea and then the men on shore had a very small fraction of the supplies from the ship. They still had to lay depots for Shackleton as they did not know there were not going to make it. At one point in the book, the men start out on a sledging journey that to this day holds, the record for the longest trip in both miles and time.

If you are really into Shackleton, you MUST read about the other half of the story in this book.

Minor SPOILER included in review, turn back now or....
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I really didn't think Mr. Tiedemann could continue to please after the two parts of this story (Mirage and Chimera) proved to be so entertaining.....but I was wrong, Aurora was an excellent conclusion to this trilogy. I only dinged it one star (the first two got 5 stars) because a character I really liked and hoped to see again dies...oh well.

I whole-heartedly recommend this series!! Worth every penny!

Tiedemann brings Asimov's robot universe to life in unexpected ways. The complex twists and turns of the story keep your attention riveted.

Once you pick up this book, or any other of Tiedemann's work, you can't put it down until you reach the end. I's like getting a box of chocolates, you can't have just a little bite, you want the whole thing.

This book, in particular, delves into subjects and themes that are both cutting-edge and timeless. His characters seem real, with real problems and attitudes. Even his robots are imaginative and have personalities that capture the imagination and leave you wanting more.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone that loves great SF.

Okay, if you have any personal integrity whatsoever you've already read Mirage and Chimera, the previous Tiedemann titles in this Asimov's Robot Mystery series. They were both great reads, but this is the one that (being a SFWA member) I'm giving a Nebula recommendation to. (And I usually don't do that for so-called "sharecropper" novels.) Why? Because this novel goes way beyond the mystery/action level of the previous books, and brings the background into play in very interesting ways. Without discussing the plot, I'll only say that it also brings the Asimov "universe" up to date with the concerns of modern SF readers. Questions like "Where's the nanotech?" and "What about AI's?" and "What happened to the Spacers?" are dealt with, or ominously foreshadowed. Most importantly, the questions raised by the existence of Bogard are not swept under the rug or reduced to a mere plot point to be conveniently tied up later. Bogard raises fundamental questions about the Three Laws, and robotics in general, and Tiedemann faces up to them and lets them play out. Good stuff.

Thumbelina is not normal girl she is about the size of your thumb, but don't let her height mistake you she can do alot of things other people can't do. Like she can fit into small spaces that you can't. So if you like books that are about people doing extremely different things that you don't think that can do then this is the book right for you to read. This book will amaze your eyes with the colorful pictures inside, and with the amazing things Thumbelina can do.

Hans Christian Andersen's story of Thumbeline is so endearing that it's no wonder that so many authors have written their own versions of it and so many illustrators have had a go at making tiny Thumbeline come to life. This version, translated by Anthea Bell and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger is brimming with charm, rustic folk sensibilities, kindness and compassion spiked with just the right amount of perilous adventure to make it interesting, and a lovely magical feel. The story is well told in satisfyingly descriptive language. The illustrations are superb! Zwerger does a wonderful job with all of the animal characters that Thumbeline encounters and manages to infuse them with emotion and intelligence as well as country charm. Little red-haired Thumbeline is delicate and sweet in several lovely costumes with a peasant feel to them. You know the tale...a woman tells a witch that she wants a "tiny child" and the magic gives her exactly what she wishes for, a tiny child no bigger than her thumb. Thumbeline is born from the heart of a tulip. She's so beautiful and sweet that every small suitor in the neighborhood wants her hand in marriage, including a toad, a mole and a June beetle. They are not interested in the fact that she does not want to marry them! She gets help from other wee folk in the woodland community and makes a good friend when she saves the life of a swallow. The story ends happily for Thumbeline. It may be desirable to point out to your young ones that not every unattached female needs to find a husband, especially very young ones like Thumbeline, and that kidnapping and force are not true ways to get a girl to marry you! Children are smart enough to know that but it's still a good idea to talk over the odd concepts that a child may be thinking about after you read this story. I love this old-fashioned story and this re-telling adds beautifully to its charm and therefore justifies its conception.

The familiar Hans Christian Andersen story of Thumbelina has received the royal treatment from Susan Jeffers. Her large, lovely pictures make this seem like you are stepping into the story for the first time. Thumbelina is so dainty and sweet that it's no wonder the toad wishes to marry her but poor Thumbelina has a harrowing time escaping from her warty suitor. Share a trumpet vine blossom with Thumbelina, a pair of hummingbirds and a fat bumble bee or take a ride with her on the back of a gallant swallow. This whole story is enchanting from start to finish and the pictures are a delight!

Siempre he pensado que el libro Final del juego es un verdadero manual de estilo y estructura para quien desee iniciarse en la escritura de relatos, y Las Armas Secretas es otra joya del género. Este volumen, siguiendo un critero inentendible, deja fuera algunos cuentos claves pero aún así es una estupenda manera de conocer a Cortázar y su fascinación con la posibilidad de conectarnos -a veces en los momentos y lugares más prosaicos- con otra realidad o con otra manera de funcionar en el mundo. Nunca le interesó el género de terror, pero algunos de estos relatos son escalofriantes y nunca le interesó el folletín, pero algunos también son lo más triste que he leído. Tal vez ambos factores se alimentan mutuamente. Cualquier lector serio interesado en saber qué pasó con el cuento en español en el siglo pasado debe pasar por tres tipos: Borges, Rulfo y Cortázar.

Primero, debo confesar que soy un fanático de Cortazar. Este libro reúne algunos relatos brillantes y otros que son difíciles de seguir. Pero debemos entender que muchos de los relatos de Cortázar transmiten sensaciones, estados de ánimo, más que argumentos o cadenas de hechos. Estas sensaciones son casi siempre vagamente opresivas, sutilezas que nos absorven a su universo que nos puede parecer real, pero que siempre hay algo que no encaja en esa realidad. Cuando nos dimos cuenta, ya nos ha transportado a su mundo de fantasmas y estamos compartiendo un sutil sufrimiento con el autor y las protagonistas. Por esta razon, Cortazar es un maestro. En su mayoria, sus relatos tienen complejos vaivenes de argumentos, que siempre termina sorprendiéndonos. Cortázar juega con nosotros, los lectores, para conducirnos de la mano hacia un mundo de sensaciones y sorpresas que termina maravillándonos por la destreza de su guía.

este libro es excelente. me encantaron los cuentos que tiene y ademas es mucho mas facil de leer que rayuela , el otro es un reto increiblemente delicioso para los lectores. este libro presenta casas encantdas, embotellamientos de traficos donde se recrean la absurdidad de la vida cotidiana y la ilusion de alguien que vive en dos mundos en la noche boca arriba. es una obra que se debe disfrutar despacion, un cuento a la vez para no perder el sabor a juego y anomalia que nos deja cortazar al leerlo.

LUIS MENDEZ crazzyteacher@hotmail.com

This is one of the finest memoirs I've read in a long time, and anyone who bothers to actually read it will instantly know that. In many respects this story does read like fiction, but that is one of the book's many strengths. It's a page turner, and I couldn't put it down. Meg Clairmonte's true story is harrowing and shocking as she chronicles the 25 years of sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her mulitmillionaire stepfather. The honesty with which she describes her terror of him--as well as her own mother, who essentially sold her daughter into sexual slavery in exchange for financial security--is astounding. Even more so, however, is the legal mystery aspect to this book. After her stepfather's death, Meg sues him and her mother in a Florida court. How will her lawyers prove this unspeakable crime and put a dead man on trial? This story will rivet you from the first chapter. It will speak to anyone who has ever been abused and hoped to ultimately see justice done. But it also will appeal to anyone who loves legal thrillers. Bravo!!

I could not put this book down. The very idea that a child so young as Meg could have endured such torment and pain from one so disgusting and depraved as her step father is beyond belief. How she could have survived is a miracle. Her mother sold her into sexual slavery for her own gratification. After reading this book I was lucky enough to see her interview with Montel Williams. This interview brought her horrific childhood more into focus. Her kindness and generosity towards her "mother" should be a lesson to us all. I for one could never forgive what was done to Meg, if I were in her place. It's a shame that her mother seems to feel that she did nothing wrong, how could a mother not love her own flesh and blood more than money. I am very glad that now her mother has neither one.

I just got through reading this book - 3/26/01. This child that was tortured by not only her father but also abused by her mother is the reason why so many children are suffering in our society. If you get a chance please read this book. If you see child abuse, please report it. You may wonder why Meg Clairmonte continued accepting the horror from her stepfather even after she became 21. The reason for this is her mind was totally programmed at the hands of this beast, her stepfather. Also her trying to keep her mother happy. Please read and learn from this book. This child/woman, Meg, will never be the same. I have also suffered this way and I know that this is a true story.

I just wanted to let everyone know that this CHILDREN'S book just won a Caldecott honor. As I scrolled down to read the reviews, I was shocked to hear of romance, mystery, etc. Then I realized that the reviews were intended for a different book entitled "The Ugly Duckling." I don't know why it happened, but don't let the reviews fool you! The new version of Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is excellent and worthy of being a new Caldecott honor book!

Like most parents, you want your child's home library to include standard fairy tales. Jerry Pinkney's "The Ugly Duckling" combines incredibly detailed ilustrations with a nice balance of both strong and muted colors AND a wonderful re-telling of the generations-old standard tale. In this verson, however, people are woven into the story in a way that I haven't seen before, and I like that very much. It's easy to see why this book was selected as a 1999 Caldecott Honor Book. Pinkney's a very gifted illustrator, and he really has to be given credit for his well-constructed text as well as the gorgeous pictures. Authors who write and then illustrate their own stories are somewhat rare, and as an adult, I appreciate the incredible mix of talent and hard work this represents. My children, of course, just love the pictures; they'll grow to appreciate good writing as they get older.

Our class liked it when the ugly duckling turned into a swan. Everyone learned that it doesn't matter if you don't look like everyone else. You should like who you are. We learned about the differences between swans and ducks. Our class learned that when you are young you have to learn about a lot of different things. We think that kids could learn about different things from reading this story such as animals, other stories to read, and feelings.

Aurora "Roe" Teagarden had just finished wrestling her lounge chair into a comfortable position when the body of her old nemesis, Detective Jack Burns, landed with a thud in her front yard. Everyone in town knew that Jack and Roe did not get along, but its not like Roe could be in two places at once so the police start looking for other suspects. But then Roe has an argument with her assistant at the library and she turns up brutally beaten the next day and her open purse is found on the hood of her bodyguard's car. An admirer sends her flowers with no name attached, her cat is suddenly sporting a new ribbon around his collar, her ex-lover is stabbed, and that is just the beginning. Roe has been found in the middle of murder and mayhem before, but this time, it's personal...

I enjoyed this book, just as I have enjoyed all of the Aurora Teagarden series, but this one was not as good as the previous books. Roe solved the crimes a little too easily and there was a little too much going on for no one else to spot that the connection between all of the goings-on was Roe herself. I know it is a small police force, but come on. Anyway, Charlaine Harris' writing style is still very engaging and clear. I always enjoy her characters and there were some new people to meet in this book that were fun to get to know because they were a little different. I just wish that the plot had been a little bit better developed and solved. I felt that the author was rushing to finish this one and just decided to end it one day, wrote the last couple of pages and called it done. Still, if you have enjoyed her other books, you will enjoy this one and, if you are like me, you like to read a series all the way through, so find a cheap copy.

I was pleasantly surprised at how great this book was. It is truly suspenseful as a good mystery should be. It has a moving plot with very few boring parts. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I didn't like the ending. I thought it was unbelievable. This book is only 205 pages, so up until
page 190, it was great, a true miracle in this day and age of fiction/mystery publishing.

There you are, sitting in your front lawn, trying to get a little sun. You just got your adjustable lawn chair in that just right position and low and behold somebody goes and drops a dead body in your freshly mowed grass.

Just another day for our small town librarian, Roe. She seems to come across dead bodies like other people come across stray cats. Will she figure out who the murderer is? Will she figure out why he/she thought her front lawn was a good dumping spot? Well, read and find out.

These are great no brainer books. They are easy to read, easy to follow, and require very little thought process. Sounds boring? Actually, not really. The early novels contained a lot of flat characters, but by Dead Over Heels, Harris has begun to develop more defined witty characters. I think most readers will enjoy this story.

Charlaine Harris is an interesting mystery writer, in part because she is willing to take chances in her books. In Roe's last outing, A Fool and His Honey, an abrupt death near the end of the book brings the reader up short. We are not used to having sympathetic, continuing characters die in mystery fiction.
But, of course, life is like that.

In this outing, the mystery situation is pretty farfetched, but Harris makes it enjoyable, by bringing us along as Roe Teagarden re-enters her life following the death of her beloved husband.

A fast, fun read, but not the best of the series. Still--worth your time.

The Aurora Teagarden series keeps getting better with each installment. Charlaine Harris seems to keep her characters fresh and exciting. They are believable people who might live in your neighborhood. The problems are real, the emotions human. Life is lived between books so there is always something to catch up on. Roe, her coworkers, and friends seem to be real, breathing people who solve their problems in real ways. The storyline is just as important as the characters, and this story will not disappoint. It allows the reader to learn about some new area of interest while enjoying a series that keeps the reader coming back for more. If only the author could write faster...

This is a great addition to the aurora teagarden series!
After the somewhat depressing A Fool and his Honey, Aurora
is back and better than ever!
Roe has spent the last year in a daze after being widowed.
But now she finds out a company is making a movie based on the
first set of murders she was involved with so long ago.(Real
Murders, 1990)Along with the production company, her old almost-
flame, Robin Crusoe returns. He is the author of the book their
movie is based on.
The chemistry between Roe and Robin is fabulously written. I
found myself easily adapting to the idea of Robin, and Harris does a great job of showing Roe's turmoil about this new relationship and her feelings for her deceased husband.
The plot is enjoyable, blending many of the previous secondary
characters readers have been fond of. The Murder itself is not
as all inclusive as some of the others in the series, but Harris does a great job of drawing the readers back into the series after the depressing A Fool and his Honey.
I strongly recommend reading this book, but I suggest that if you are new to the series you begin back at Real Murders and work your way into this book. Either way is enjoyable, but you will really appreciate the characters more if you have followed them in the series.

If you're a fan of minimalist spaces or Euro-Industrial-Tech type houses you're probably love this book (or if you're an architectural student, you'll probably love this book). If you're primarily interest in small homes of a more traditional design however, this is definitely not the book for you. I don't think the description listed with the book does a good job of stating that (nor the photo on the cover). My only real comments about the book itself is that it seems oddly dated, even though the book was published in 2001 ('high-design' houses have a short life-span of being avant-garde I'm guessing), and that it is a well-designed and interesting book for the right audience.

Beautiful jewel-box like architectural projects by young emerging architects around the world. Their youthful enthusiasm is reflected in the clever spatial manipulation, as well as in the detail refinement-all within tight budgetary constraints. Generous photographs & informative drawings, combined with 'design solution' commentary, make this book a valuable source of inspiration.

As a dyed-in-the-wool modernist, I really liked the majority of these spaces. Several architects who are little known in the USA (Claesson Koivisto Rune from Stockholm, Sweden for example) are well represented. Many of the homes presented had usable ideas that I will consider in my personal renovation plans. In addition, there are several attractive attic conversions for those of you looking to remodel an attic space. All in all, a very usable book of modest sized contemporary spaces.