The Tom and Ricky Mystery Series written by Bob Wright are excellent books for young readers with reading difficulties or learning disabilities. The books are mysteries that appeal to this target group. The titles are made to catch the interest of the reader. They are descriptive, detailed and include illustrations. They are written with easy to read text. They are also believable to the reader which makes it easier for the reader to use his or her imagination.

The genre of the Tom and Ricky Mystery Series is realistic fiction or more specifically a mystery.

Bob Wright made the titles of the Tom and Ricky books sound interesting to the reader. Some of them, for example: The Tree House Mystery, The Voice in the Night, The Secret Staircase and the Falling Star Mystery, were catchy titles which made the reader who was choosing the story want to see what would happen in the story.

Bob Wright describes certain things that go on in the book with detail, by describing what certain things looked like, what was being done and every so often in the book he would have illustrations that would help the reader describe situations that are going on around the characters. Examples of Bob Wright's use of description of details and happenings can be found in The Siamese Turtle Mystery and in The Shooting Star Mystery. In The Siamese Turtle Mystery, on page 5, there is a black and white watercolor illustration of Tom and Ricky setting up a habitat, outdoor terrarium, for the turtles they purchased to play in. On pages 3 and 4 they used text to describe what was going on as well. Bob Wright wrote his stories specifically for people who have dyslexia or other learning disabilities. He uses spaces in between sentences so that the reader has less difficulty following the text. He also makes the text larger so that the reader can read it easier. He chooses in his writing to not use complex words or sentences. He makes it so that the mysteries are not that difficult to solve by using prediction in text and illustrations.

Bob Wright's Tom and Ricky Mystery Series are realistic fiction. The actual things in the story didn't really happen, but they are realistic. A Voice in the Night is an example of a plot that could have really happened.

In short, the Tom and Ricky books by Bob Wright are easy to read. They have excellent descriptions, are good for people with dyslexia or with other learning problems. The stories are realistic situations and include illustrations. The books have readable text, and can be very entertaining for young minds.

I am a teacher of students with learning disabilities. I have used this series as well as others with my students.The words are simple,yet the topic is high interest. Due to the fact that the books grab your interest with out being difficult, it encourages my students to read. I love them all.

In this book, Whitney and her partner Brent clash on and off the ice. But when another ice dancer threatens to steal Brent from Whitney, she realizes that she doesn't want that to happen. But will it be too late? There's not much about skating or ice dancing in this book, only when they fight on the ice. It's still good, though, and you'll laugh when you read how Whitney copes with her strange new roommate. I liked how everything patched together nicely at the end. I recommend it for readers ages 10 to 14.

whitney is at her whit's end. she and her partner brent have not
been skating well at all and the sectional competition is right
around the corner. to make matters worse, a young east german
ice dancer has now come to the school to train missing a partner.
will brent dump whitney for the young east german. stay tuned
for a very well written book.

I bought this for the Bujold, but worth the read for all the other stories. Interesting to see how the genre has changed over the decades.

This seventeen-story anthology displays the opening or a very early entry of some of the great speculative fiction authors of the twentieth century. Each tale contains an introduction written by the author or posthumously by someone close to the writer. Using the perfection of hindsight, readers will quickly understand why writers like de Camp. Clarke, McCaffrey, etc. became household names at least in those homes that relish a delightful science fiction anthology. Each tale is well written, but also intriguing is the intro. Genre fans will gain immense pleasure from seeing the WONDROUS BEGINNINGS of a virtual who's who, but newcomers will relish this book also because the collection provides an overture to some of the superstars of the genre.

Harriet Klausner

Considered by many to be the great American novel, Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the story of a boy, Huck Finn, and a runaway slave, Jim, as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the sequel to Twain's novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". Where "Tom Sawyer" was more a care-free children's book, "Huck Finn" is a far darker less childlike book.

Judging from my rating you can see that I do not agree that this is in fact the great American novel. Twain seemed far too unsure of what he wanted to accomplish with this book. The pat answer is to expose the continuing racism of American society post-Civil War. By making Jim simultaneously the embodiment of white racist attitudes about blacks and a man of great heart, loyalty, and bravery, Twain presented him as being all too much of what white America at the time was unwilling to acknowledge the black man as: human.

However noble the cause though, Twain's story is disjointed, at times ridiculous, and, worst of all (for Twain anyway), unfunny. The situations that Huck and Jim find themselves in are implausible at best. Twain may not have concerned himself too much with the possibleness of his story; but, it does detract from your enjoyment of a story when you constantly disbelieve the possibility of something happening.

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is an important book in that it did affect much of the American literature that followed it. However, this is another novel which is more important to read for its historical significance than for its story.

I read this, since it was my school's outside reading assignment. The printing was so small, that I first thought it would be a boring read. But I soon figured that I was wrong. I found myself slowly slipping into the story as if it was all happening before my own eyes. The characters were very interesting. Especially Huck Finn seemed like a very likable person with a strong identity, wit, and a soft heart. He does not want to sit and let the world rule over him, but instead test his own ideas and proves to the world that he can be better than what the society expacts him to be. And although many say it is a racially biased book because of its frequent use of N word, nobody can deny that it was a commonly used word in the 1800 where the rogue institution called 'slavery' was considered healthy and inevitable. As a matter of fact, this is a book that actually tries to tell the world about the evilness of racial prejudice not promote it. One should read between the lines, in order to acknowledge Twain's subtle attempts. It was a thrilling experience and I recommend people to have for their own!!!!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was one of the best novels I have ever read. When I was a junior in high school, I had to get signed permission to read this novel. I never thought a book could be so controversial that something like that would be necessary. I am so glad that I read it then, and again during my freshman year of college, because I think it sends a powerful message. Written in the dialect of the deep south, Twain successfully gets the reader involved in the book. When I read this novel for the first time, I did not want to put it down. The character of Huck intrigued me. Though a young boy, he had more common sense than many people years older than him. He knew what he wanted and was smart enough to know how to go about getting it. When he befriends a runaway slave named Jim, social issues are brought up and Huck is forced to follow what his heart says, instead of what society says is morally acceptable. I enjoyed how Twain portrayed Huck and Jim's journey down the river and the adventures they shared. It was a symbol of their need for freedom. By sharing the same goals, Huck and Jim become true friends. They are beyond the color barrier and realize that a person is a person, regardless of what they look like or who they are. I think much of today's society could benefit from reading this book. It helps you put things in perspective and think about what is really important in life; what others think versus how you feel. If anyone is looking for a good novel to read, one that captures interest and provokes thought, Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is it.

The more Dickens I read, the more impressed I become at his skill as a writer. No matter the form, be it short, long, or a monolith like some of his best works, Dickens excels at changing his style of characterization and plot to fit whatever mode he writes in. "A Tale of Two Cities" is one of his shorter novels, and he manages to make the most of out of the allotted space. The compression of the narrative sacrifices Dickens's accustomed character development for plot and overall effect, but what we get is still phenomenal.

"A Tale of Two Cities" begins in 1775, with Mr. Lorry, a respectable London banker, meeting Lucie Manette in Paris, where they recover Lucie's father, a doctor, and mentally enfeebled by an unjust and prolonged imprisonment in the Bastille. This assemblage, on their journey back to England, meets Charles Darnay, an immigrant to England from France who makes frequent trips between London and Paris. Upon their return to England, Darnay finds himself on trial for spying for France and in league with American revolutionaries. His attorney, Stryver, and Stryver's obviously intelligent, if morally corrupt and debauched, assistant, Sydney Carton, manage to get Darnay exonerated of the charges against him. Darnay, a self-exiled former French aristocrat, finds himself compelled to return to France in the wake of the French Revolution, drawing all those around him into a dangerous scene.

Dickens portrays the French Revolution simplistically, but powerfully, as a case of downtrodden peasants exacting a harsh revenge against an uncaring aristocratic, even feudal, system. The Defarge's, a wine merchant and his wife, represent the interests of the lower classes, clouded by hatred after generations of misuse. Darnay, affiliated by birth with the French aristocracy, is torn between sympathy for his native country in its suffering, and his desire to be free of his past.

"A Tale of Two Cities" is a novel driven by historical circumstance and plot, much like the works of Sir Walter Scott, wherein the characters themselves assert less agency, finding themselves forced to deal with the tide of epic events. Richard Maxwell's introduction to this newest Penguin edition does a good job outlining the themes of doubling and literary influence that Dickens works with. One specific influence I discerned in reading "A Tale" that Maxwell doesn't metion is Edmund Burke's "Reflections on the Revolution in France," which if nothing else, gives the feeling that the rampant violence of the early revolution and the later Reign of Terror has brought about an irreversible change in human nature. While Dickens remains cautiously optimistic throughout the novel that France can recover, the tone of the novel speaks to the regression of humanity into a more feral, primal state, rather than advertise any real hope for its enlightened progress.

Despite the supposed dichotomy between England and France in the novel, Dickens seems to suggest throughout that there are no real differences, due to the way that human nature is consistently portrayed. With England in between two revolutions, American and French, Lucie's sensitivity early in the novel to hearing the "echoing" footsteps of unseen multitudes indicates a palpable fear that the "idyllic" or "pastoral" England he tries to portray is not exempt from the social discontent of America or France. In this light, stolid English characters like Miss Pross, Jerry Cruncher, and Jarvis Lorry appear to almost overcompensate in their loyalty to British royalty. In a novel that deals with death, religion, mental illness, I could go on and on for a week, but I won't. One of those novels whose famous first and last lines are fixed in the minds of people who've never even read it, "A Tale of Two Cities" demands to be read and admired.

Love, betrayal, drama, and suspense, the makers of a great novel, are all found in Charles Dickens', A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens not only sets a great foundation for the novel but he also builds an illustrious story with great detail. His creativity explodes in this book.

The book is set in the time before and during the French Revolution. It is about the experiences of two French families and how those experiences later collide with their future. Their experiences not only create a great fictional story but they also dipict the true horrors that occured in France at that time.

Dickens makes the plot very interesting because he incorporates fiction and historical facts and events. For example in the storming of the Bastille scene, he brings to life an actual event and adds the fiction of what the peasants found in Dr. Manette's cell and the inside look on how they may have felt. Two other examples include the scenes where the revolutionaries kill the king and queen of France and the many times they use the guillotine. They demonstrate this mixture because they're true events yet, Dickens adds fictional characters and the feelings and emotions the people might have had.

Another great touch that Dickens adds is all the detail. Although at times it is rather long it helps to make a clear picture in the mind of what is going on. One such example where he does this is when he describes fate and death. He makes two rather hard to picture objects visible in the mind as the Farmer and the Woodsman. Another example of his great use of detail is when he describes Mr. Lorry's trip down the Dover mail. His description gives the feeling of actually being there. These are just two but there are numerous of other examples.

One more thing that made this novel fascinating was how Dickens reveals bits and pieces of the plot mixed together, but then ties every piece together at the end. For example he dipicts the Marquis' cruelness first and does not explain his involvement right away. However, by the end he turns out to be a key character. He also does that with the character of Dr. Manette. He introduces the character but leaves the suspense of that character's involvement until later. The suspense keeps the interest in the novel going. Dickens details, mixture of fact with fiction, and suspense makes the novel a extremely enjoyable book. After reading this book a clear understanding is achieved of why Charles Dickens is such a renowned author. A Tale of Two Cities is a unique and fascinating story which is why it is a must for anyone's bookself.

Even after many centuries, a classic novel can still be read, understood and charm a wide audience. For it teaches the reader about life and death, society and history through a magnificent story. "A Tale of Two Cities", written in 1859, is one of those classics.

This magnificent story begins a year before the American Independence and several years before the French Revolution. As only Dickens can, he breathes life into the most bizarre, comical and memorable characters... such as Madame Defarge, Miss Pross, Jerry Cruncher and a slew of others. But in the midst of these people, the light shines on the few characters on which the story hence revolves. About Lucie Manette who has a true and beautiful heart that affects everyone around her and her aristocratic husband Charles Darnay, an ambitious man of French blood. Dr. Manette who after surviving 18 years in jail overcomes his weakness to rescue another. The light shines strongly upon Sydney Carton... a man who doesn't seem very redeemable in the beginning but who has a heart of gold who is capable of the greatest sacrifice of all for the woman he loves. It is these people whom Dickens chose to give life to during the grim and bloody French Revolution.

This novel is one of my most favorite of Dickens' novels. The hero and the heroine are rather complex and admirable characters. However, they are not necessarily the ones that win the sympathy and the heart of the reader... but suprisingly (and pleasantly) to the most unexpected of Dickens' character. On another note, the novel starts with a famous and recognizable opening line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." and ends with a very memorable line, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." To which I give great credit to the novel by Mr. Dickens.

If you glanced at the trashy cover-art and title and found that they put you off, or if you simply didn't like the idea of buying a book by somebody called Silver RavenWolf (a name reminiscent of a bad night playing AD&D) then you might be quite surprised - "To Ride..." is a well conceived and thoughtfully presented title on Witchcraft, paganism and the occult that is worth the money and actually deserves to be read.

Beyond the cover and the title already mentioned, which is more or less Llewellyn's fault as the masters of gaudy sensationalism, "To Ride..." is a comprehensive study of what it takes to practice solitary, and refreshingly non-dogmatic Witchcraft. RavenWolf really knows her stuff and writes in a clear and friendly fashion, often boiling difficult content down to the level of the non-specialised reader (which is why people say she has a childish style - an accusation they probably wouldn't level at Donald Michael Kraig for doing exactly the same thing).

Beyond that, however, what RavenWolf excels in is enthusiasm, and it is certainly contagious as you itch to get started with her book. From page one, admittedly after skipping the dreadful fairytale account of The Charge (which really IS bad AD&D - yuck), the text pulls you in and motivates you to think carefully about Witchcraft and the occult, while encouraging you to get your feet wet by trying the practices out. In that sense, RavenWolf ranks among the very best occult authors from whatever field, as getting people motivated enough to claw their way out of the armchair is two thirds of the battle. The other third, of course, is to then get people to think beyond their limits but we can only expect so much here - it is Mr Crowley, after all, who still has the market cornered on that one.

What I would suggest is that if Witchcraft has caught your fancy and you are looking for a good introduction to it then you should start right here. Personally, I would rather do that than begin with a title by the late Scott Cunningham, who despite his growing status as a neo-pagan saint, actually wrote introductory books about Wicca/witchcraft and natural magic that do only half as well as this one. I mean, at least Raven Wolf doesn't chuck slushy greeting card sentiments across every page (only some of them) while also recognising that gush and content aren't really the same thing at all.

On the whole this is a very neat little book but it still suffers from the trend of seeing nature as 'nice' and 'fwuffy' (sic), which is present in a lot of neo-pagan texts. To balance it out, I would try working with something harder and more holistic, like the Shamanic magick of Jan Fries (which doesn't sugar-coat the natural world at all) or maybe even by reading "Last of the Medicine Men" by Benedict Allen to get a fuller idea of what working with nature really means to people who CAN trace their lineage back across dozens of generations. If you still think the forests and the wilds are 'pleasant' after that then good luck to you! If, on the other hand, you see something that people cut from RavenWolf's cloth have missed then welcome aboard - the bus heading for a firmer spiritual contact with the natural world is loading now and getting ready to leave the station before sundown.

I have been practising for many years now, and picked up her book one day out of interest. I found it gentle and straight forward. She has no fluff. People like the Farrar couple and Buckland, that have interesting stuff, are into nakedness and bondage as well as scurging. Silver is a mother of 4, Iam a mom too and there is no way I would recommend those books, since they border on sick and demented. An it harm none, do what thou wilt...those other "witches" sure don't follow that rule now do they? I recommend Silver's books entirely...ALL OF THEM. She doesn't scare you away from the spirituality of the religion, and allows you to be able to enjoy it with some fun too. This religion should not be somber or weird, and Silver makes sure of that. Spells, not that many according to others...I've seen more than this in books, and I have alot of books. Her spells are easy to follow if you chose to do it exactly (which you should'nt do anyway, and even Silver says so). My husband is reading it now as a beginner book, and I have just bought the "Teen Witch" book for my daughter that Silver wrote as well. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's market is glutted with books on Wicca, and quite honestly, you reach the point where each writer seems to be paraphrasing the information shared by others. There seems to be nothing new. Or at least very little.

Silver has taken the shroud of mystery and deep secrecy from the craft and has shown us that Wicca is in truth, a living religion. Like many of the folk practitioners of old, she takes us away from dark rooms with lit candles, grimoires written in archaic languages and mysterious rites into the 21st century. She shows us that you don't need to buy thousands of dollars worth of books and paraphenalia, or learn long complicated invocations to practice the craft. It is alive. And it is as simple as life itself. It can be practiced using those things normally found around the home. And she ultimately reveals one of Wicca's greatest secrets. That the true tools of the Witch are their heart, their mind and their hands.

An exceptional book for the seeker and advanced student alike. It helps us bring our faith "home" and make it something that relates to our world today.