ALICE ON THE OUTSIDE was the very first Alice book I read. I immediately fell in love with the character of Alice, because she is just like me. Not only is she living in the same county of the same state as I am, and is EXACTLY (to the month) the same age in this novel as I was when I read it, but her problems and experiences and emotions are so realistic that I felt like I was reading my own journal. Conversations between Alice and Pamela and Elizabeth, her two best friends, are so real that I felt like I was reading a conversation between me and my own friends. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has the same magic touch as Judy Blume when it comes to answering common but frequently un-asked questions of young teens through realistic characters. Plus, Naylor did an excellent job of intertwining the theme of prejudice with all of Alice's every day experiences. I highly recommend this novel to all pre- and young teens across America.

I really liked this book. I also really like the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. In the beginning, this book is about Alice's curiousity. As it goes on, her school promotes some type of an activity all week, dealing with hair-color and prejeducey. One of Alice's friends gets sexually abused by a fellow student, and it's up to Alice to help her to her feet. Near the end, you start hearing about a school dance coming up, and Alice is set to go with her boyfriend, Patrick. But things don't turn out as planned...

I highly recomend this book for the older or mature audience because basically, the Alice series is tremendous.The author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor knows what shes doing. This and the books in this series are truly worth reading. This one is one of my favs in the series. G out and read it!

This book is filled with funny, serious, and embarassing stuff that happens to this 13-14 year old girl named Alice. Once you read this one, you'll need to get all of the great Alice books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Those books are also availible right here on Amazon!

Phylis never stop making these books!!! This book was amazing... i was soo entranced and interested that i couldnt top reading this wonderful book i love all the surprises in each chapter A must read for any true fan of Alice and her friends. This book makes many teen girls feel like they are not alone and i can relate to some of alice and her friends personal problems that i wouldnt like to share with others!!! This is a great book you definetaly should read it

I probably related the most to Alice in this book because of her sexual discovery and I think most girls will, too. Alice comes right out and says the stuff young girls are thinking and curious about and a lot of them are answered. If you are up tight and scared about bodily things, read this! If you're questioning where to draw the line with boys, read this! If you're wondering if you really are a womanly creature, read this! It made me feel a lot better and it probably will for you, too!

Blessed be!

This book is excellent! In this book, Alice is suddenly alert that she is a sexual being, and she's curious about it all... She's excited but she's also a little scared about womanhood... and PELVIC EXAMS! This is a must-read! It's my favorite one yet!

I am a twenty-four year old husband, and father, and I've just recently began to really enjoy reading. Although most of the books that I've read have been either action adventures, or romantic adventures, I must say that I now understand why my wife so enjoys love stories. When I first picked up the book to read, I really didn't know what to expect, but within only a few pages I was allready falling in love with Callie Anne. As I read farther into the book, I found my eyes reading every word, while my mind went on a wonderful adventure in rural Indiana. This book brought back memories of my childhood growing up out in the country, and of my young loves. Sometimes I find myself not loving my Wife the way that she needs to be loved, and reading this book really helped me to understand how beautiful she is and that life is too short to take her for granted. Callie Anne also reminds me of how I imagine my little girl to be when she grows up some more. Marjorie Reynolds is a wonderful Author, And I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

This is by far, one of the best books that I have ever read. From the moment the first chapter turns the clock back to the summer of 1956, I lived out the remainder of the story through Callie Ann's eyes. Marjorie Reynolds paints a clear and vivid picture of the little white house where Callie Ann lives, and the drive in across the grass that stays open all summer. As I absorbed chapter after chapter, all of my senses shifted into overdrive. It was easy to picture the brightly printed shirtwaister dresses that Callie Ann's mother wears, the hot gravel that lines the parking lot and the dreamy romantic entanglements that play themselves out on the big screen as well as below it. This book puts the reader in touch with the all of the wonderful elements of summer while focusing on the heartache of being twelve years old and not really knowing who to turn to when things get rough. I was even able to put faces on the characters, and would love to see this story made into a movie one day. A beautiful first novel!

has the two ingrediants of a first rate read- a wonderful story, wonderfully told in prose. when i read this book i could smell the popcorn, feel the sweat of teenage hunger, and remember ripping out the speaker (by accident) when leaving. i loved this book, and look forward to reynolds next book with fingers crossed hoping she at least matches the starlite drive-i

I thought the book was very good because it is about a girl who is afraid of the pool and I like swimming a lot. Alice is a teenager who has been afraid of the water sence she was little. She decides she is going to get help from her big brother. He teaches her how to swim and she surprises everybody when she jumps into the pool.

Alice the Brave is a great book. It is in the summer and they like to go to Mark's pool alot. Though Alice is afraid of going in deep water she always comes anyway just to hang out. One she was sitting in a chair and they picked her up and tried to throw her in the water. She runs home in tears and embarassment.

One of the stories I liked was Alice the Brave I would give this book at least five stars. It's about this girl named Alice who has a very deep fear of water. She's in a club which is more like a swimming club. Her friends meet at a pool and swim almost every day. Alice just stays at the 2foot part of the pool. Toward the end of the story her brother Lester teaches her how to swim. My overall opinion about this book is that you can relate it to your lives or things that happen in teenage years. My favorite part is when she over comes her fear. The only thing I didn't like was that it could of been a little better or more specific. If you don't think this review is very detailed then read the book! If you like fear, romance, sillyness, and of course happy endings read this book.

Marco and Polo have been house cats their whole lives. Their masters were spring cleaning when Marco found the open door. He told Polo all about it and they planned to escape again. They meet up with a big cat named Texas Jake. They want to be in this club but first they have to complete three tasks. Find out what the three tasks are and if they will go through with them or not. You'll be in for a surprise!

This is a very exciting book about Marco and Polo, two cats (one can read!) who escape their indoor life to go to a ranch. But it's a dog-eat-cat world out there, and they must do everything they can to survive. What adventures do they have? Will they make it to the ranch? Read it and find out! This is by far my favorite book.

This story basically begins when Marco (the smart one...who can read) reads a newspaper article on ranches as it cover his litter box. Then, when he finally goes in the side yard for an hour. Polo, stupid enough to actually believe that beyond the fence is a ranch, as Marco protests. Soon enough, they escape to find allies and city, so they go to grab a bite to eat. There they meet Carlotta, a she-cat who gives them a tour of the city. Later on, when they have nowhere to sleep, she finds them and lets them in on the Club of Mysteries, solving all the cat mysteries in the world, like why do humans only have hair on their head, who owns their masters, and what makes it rain. Maro and Polo must join, or turn back home, but only to get in, you must solve a mystery. But since they are brothers and will help each other, they must preform three great mysteries to be accepted. Filled with adventure and humor, I had to give The Grand Escape Five Stars.

Once again, Reynolds Price amazed me with his insight into the mind of his character. Roxanna and the other characters were real, human and admirable. This is a book to be read slowly, so that the language can roll around your tongue and the experiences sit in your brain. Like life, it is to be taken one event at a time.

Although so many of his books are wonderful, this one of Price's spoke most clearly to my heart and soul.I felt that I was being given the privelige of sharing the life of a remarkable woman, although her life would seem ordinary to most - the life of one "average" woman living in the South, a woman often struggling with great hardship, trials and challenges. I've rarely read a novel which looks so honestly at the realities of the racial views of those times, the ways blacks and whites were so separate and why. The often constrained life of women is also portrayed, the endless days with long stretches of time between chores and mealtime and nothing else to do. What is so amazing is how Reynolds Price can make a riveting tale out of such seemingly trivial material - and make the lives of these people reveal a view of the world that is both spiritual and real and absolutely believeable. While the book is far from overwhelmingly gloomy, Price's description of the four year depression which Roxanna suffers at one point in the book is the most honest, unsentimental and yet vivid portrayal of depression I've encountered in a novel, one that those in the mental health professions would do well to read. The real heart of this book lies in Roxanna, of course, and she is a woman both flawed and saintly. An unforgettable character, the kind that will be walking beside me in my thoughts for awhile.

One of the best books I have read in years. From an ordinary life with its share of sorrows and joys, Reynolds Price shares wonderful insight about what life is really made. How can a man creep into a soul and body of a woman with such authenticity? Just reading this book reminds me of the pleasure of reading KATE Vaiden, another book I enjoyed. Bravo, writing well can still be moving.

I've owned this book for a few years and still look at it occasionally. Mann is a masterful photographer and technically is an even more masterful printer. She is adept at staging her children in these poses for maximum impact. My favorites were the ones that brought back some of my sweeter childhood memories. Since purchasing this book I've learned that many of the photos have become bestsellers in the fine art world and that some are worth as much as $6000 each now. Mann is very popular and was chosen as Time's favorite photographer recently. There are a few of the photos, though, that bother me - some seem to suggest harm to the children and even death. I'm not sure why those are included - except perhaps for their "shock value". A fine book overall though and I would purchase it again.

POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE BOOK! I carry this book with me everywhere I go. I bring it with me on two-day trips. It's ridiculous. Sally Mann is an incredible photographer and in this book, contrary to previous criticism, she photographs her children in DECENT and human, natural poses (nudity reigns, but tastefully so). She is by far my favorite photographer and, as a photo major in college, constantly cures me of those dreaded uninspired days of my life. Every time I flip through this book, I'm crazed with new ideas and inspiration. Not to mention awe.

All of the photographs in this collection were taken with an 8x10 view camera, even those that have the appearance of candid, random snapshots. Many of the images are carefully manipulated in the darkroom to give one of the subjects an eerie, almost angelic luminescence in scenes dominated by hardship, tragedy, and crushing rural poverty. Sally Mann is a major artist, supported by Guggenheim, NEH and NEA grants, and this is some of her very best work. Readers should be warned that some will consider this work to border on child pornography. While this is absolutely not the case (and I vigorously support prosecution of those who exploit children in any fashion), in some localities this could almost be a "dangerous" book to own. Sally Mann's disturbing and transcendent vision will outlast our current hysteria and misunderstanding and will endure as photographic literature.

To tell you the truth, the first time I read this book, I couldn't help but cry. I was only 16 myself at the time and very naive to the ways of the world, especially sex. To read this story and imagine a girl as young as myself going through such adult situations was a huge wake up call. This story was nothing short of an excellent portrayl of one girl's struggle with a broken home, little family support, an alcoholic mother, first love, first rejection, and becoming the "oldest 16 year old in the world" by missing all the activities that such a young girl should be partaking in. This story truly touched me and made me very cautious in all my decisions thus far. I applaud the author for her excellent portrayl of Emmy and her way of not "sugar coating" what really happens with teen pregnancy. This was, by far, the most fantastic book I read as a teenager. I highly recommend it to anyone, not only teens, but mothers of teens, preteen girls and even boys.

Detour for Emmy was a very realistic novel which I really enjoyed. It tells of a young girl's tough journey through adolesence, she is pregant at the age of 15 and then goes through the trials of being a single, teenage mother without the help and support of her family, or the father of the baby. It has very contemporary, important and realistic issues in it that many people can relate to, such as teenage pregancy, being a teen mother, relationships with family, friends and lovers, crime,drugs and many more. Reynold writes this novel in an appealing upfront style, which keeps you on the edge of your seat at times and makes you think about issues brought up in depth all the time. I found it to be a very inspirational book that impacted me in many ways. I would most defiantly advise people to read it.

'Detour for Emmy' was an excellent novel in my opinion. The way that the author goes into such detail and depth about Emmy's feelings is great and makes the reader feel connected and truly understand how Emmy feels. I am a teenager in high-school just like Emmy was and apart from being pregnant, I could relate to all of the other issues that Emmy deals with. When I began to read the book, I looked forward to continuing the reading each time I picked up where I left off. This book is great for all teens and I believe that most teens can relate to this piece of literature in one way or another by the many issues that come up throughout the book.

A few punches to the face and a kick to the ribs was all the thief needed to render him unconscious. As he wakes up, he is on a wagon entering a strange village where he can't escape from. Who are these people? Where is he? How does he get home? Will he get home? Author Phyllis Naylor wrote an extraordinary book. I guarantee you have never read anything like this. I strongly advise that everyone reads Sang Spell.

The title of this book was a little weak. In my opinion, Sang Spell doesn't really fit the book until the way end when everything is clear. Josh is trapped in a strange village that he can not find his way out of. He wanders what is holding him in this strange, hidden village. While he is staying there, he has to work with the farm people and pick ginseng. Once they harvest they sell their crop to Japanese traders. Readers find out three quarters of the way through the book that the ginseng has a lot to do with why Josh can't leave. This theme doesn't make sense to me. Why does the ginseng have a strange power to keep him in the village? The reader is not going to be interested in a book that has ginseng in the title. Sang Spell sounds like a weak book. There is nothing in that title that makes me want to pick the book up. The fact of the matter is that his book is a really good book. The title should be a little more attention getting. This would make readers want to pick the book up; something that grabs your attention from the start. Ginseng and spell are two dull words, and aren't that much brighter when they are put together. This is a really good book and the title takes away from that. The reason that I picked up Sang Spell is, a friend from Tolland had this book on a required summer reading list. I read the book and thought that it was really good. Her writing style kept my attention throughout the whole book. She wrote in a way to keep the reader guessing. For example, she didn't reveal the significance of ginseng until the way out. The reader wonders the whole time why Josh can't leave the village. Another aspect of her writing that amazes me is how she shows the characters emotions so clearly. The whole time I was reading the book I felt what Josh was feeling. I felt like I knew what he was going through. I felt the frustration that he felt. That makes the book really hard to put down. When you feel like your in the book and you can relate to what's going on this makes the book more interesting. Another reason that the book was so good was the fact that the story could never happen in real life. The story is like that thing you dread most and would figure would never happen, but then you say to yourself, but what if? It's interesting to read about something like that. She is a great author and has a really good writing style. Her writing is hard to put down and connect with her readers. To sum up, Sang Spell, was a great book. She is one of those authors that you never get sick of. The book was hard to put down. Full of suspense and assumption, this book isn't one to pass.

I read Sang Spell, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It is a story of a boy, Josh Vardy, who recently lost his mother and is hitchhiking down to Dallas (from Boston) to live with his aunt. However, along the way something happens and he finds himself lost in the Appalachian Mountains, in a small, almost medieval, settlement called Canara. While in Canara Josh is put to work digging ginseng, or 'sang as the natives call it, to earn his keep in the small establishment. Throughout his stay, Josh goes on somewhat of a spiritual journey to find his way out of Canara. He believes that the ginseng has something to do with him being stuck, hence the title of the book, Sang Spell. The plot is intriguing, yet confusing in parts. Aside from that however, I enjoyed this book. It had good character development, details and many twists. Overall, Sang Spell was very well written and had a truly original plot. It was the perfect cross between fantasy, mystery and suspense.
There are many fantasy elements in this story. One, for instance, is the fact that Canara moves throughout the Appalachians during the night. One day it'll be north the next it may be farther south. This element keeps the book interesting because you never know quite where they are or what state Canara is in. In the book, many times, this movement keeps Josh from escaping Canara, for before he can leave he needs to know where he is and what direction he needs to go. Another example of the fantasy elements in Sang Spell is the fact that when Josh first attempts to leave Canara, he ends up back where he started. The path he took had no fork in it nor a bend, so how is such a thing possible? Read and find out.

Sang Spell is also full of is suspense. Many times in the book Josh is threatened by Kaspar, another young man whom, like Josh, stumbled into Canara and is also trapped. Kaspar often demands that Josh help him escape, threatening him with a jack knife. This always kept me wondering whether or not Josh would get out of Canara alive. In addition to this, near the end Josh is being chased at sundown as he tries to escape Canara. This kept me reading. I was curious to whether or not he would be caught. However I cannot tell you the out come of it, you'll have to read and find out.
Throughout the book the author continually refers back to one saying, 'sometimes to go forward, you have to go back'. But what does this mean? It is the reason Josh cannot leave Canara, at least not until he's "ready", but what does it have to do with him leaving? I can't tell. This is one of the main mysterious elements in Sang Spell. Another particular example, is that Canara is repeatedly referred to as "a place of healing", but why? This as well, is not revealed until the end. A final example of this book's mysterious elements are, why some people, born in Canara, can go to "The Edge", and others cannot, or why only some who stumble upon the place find their way out. So, as you can see, there are many things that go unexplained until the very end.
Sang Spell is an adventurous story mixed with supernatural events, hidden answers and thrills. It's a winner, with a little mystery, a dash of suspense and a pinch of fantasy. All the twists thrown in keep your eyes glued to the pages. I would recommend Sang Spell to anyone who has ever felt like they have lost their way. This book is all about finding yourself and renewing your spirits. It is a truly inspirational tale and gave me a new view on society. I hope anyone who reads it will find it as entertaining as I did.

Stuck in Canara is the situation Josh finds himself in after trying to hitch his way to Texas. Josh's mother died a couple weeks before Josh starts his junior year of high school. He decides to live with his aunt in Texas. But before he got there, one driver who picked Josh up beat and robbed him and left him on the side of the road. That is where Leone, a mute woman, finds Josh and brings him to the village of Canara where to go forward, you must first go back.

Soon Josh discovers the people in Canara are all Melungeons - people of mixed races. He also discovers a kind girl named Mavis and befriends a boy named Gil. But Canara isn't where Josh belongs. He wants to go to texas, but can't seem to get out of Canara.

What is happening? Why can't Josh get out? And does he really have the heart to leave Mavis and Gil?

I really like Sang spell because it was a bit creepy, had a little bit of history, dealt with moral dilemmas, and was totally original. If you are looking for any of these qualities in a book, get Sang Spell.

If you play in the Realms and want to flesh out your villians, this book is wonderful. It's the same size and layout as Magic of Faerun, so that right there is a plus. Personally, i think the artwork is much better than Magic of Faerun, and some of the power groups detailed therein are quite intriguing. From the Daemonfey to the old Red Wizards, the book covers dozens and dozens of personalities, locales, and enemies to throw against your party.

If you don't play in the Realms, the book is not as useful, but it is still GRADE A gaming material that could have pieces used in other campaigns. It seems like WOTC is pumping all their best talent and money into the FR series, which is fine by me, but it means that some other lines end up lacking (like the class supplement books).

Yes, the book is very pricey, but for a DM who wants a whole slew of villians, monsters and plots, it's worth the money.

Although the organizations in this book are taken from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, the contents of the book are easily adaptable to any campaign. The organizations are covered in enough detail to allow for them to be placed in any setting and provide long term nemeses for any group of adventurers. The example groups with preset challenge ratings allow the addition of encounters with these groups to fit any level of campaign.

The book continues to use the small font sized used in the campaign setting book so although it may seem expensive at first glance for a paperback, the content is all there. The larger organizations have accompanying keeps and holds that can be placed into any adventure setting as needed and provide a wealth of ideas for any DM.

While the standard paperback offerings for D&D 3 have thusfar disappointed me, the ones for Forgotten Realms have been truly outstanding and have proved applicable beyond the bounds of FR games.

I had high hopes for this book after having gotten Magic of Faerun, I was not disappointed. This book is well organized, sorted by both size of the group (major or minor) and alphabetically, and covers a great many "evil baddies" in the world that can be easily incorperated into either a new game or an existing Campaign.

Groups like The Night Masks, The Church of Shar, The Church of Bane, the Shades, and the Drow are now covered in extensive detail. A rich history is given, along with what are essentially roleplaying notes, and stats on prestige classes and promenant members of the organization.