A story for any little girl who wants to be a princess...
I am now 25 but when I was in 5th grade my teacher read my class this book. And I have never forgotten it I have wanted a copy for the longest time. But it was out of print.
I'm glad to see it's back for a whole new group of kids to love.

This is the story of Princess Amy
Who had six beauitful sisters with gold hair and cream colored skin.
Well it was the custdom of the kingdom to invite fairies to the baptiam of the 7th daughter.

Now each fairy bestowed gifts to Amy
Wit
Charm
Grace

But one fairy makes her ordanairy.
Asthe years pass Amy becomes more plain with brown straight hair and gray eyes... Her mother and dad try to marry her off but she is plain as far as princess go. so no one will marry her.
The king works out a plan to marry her off When Amy learns of this she runs off to become a kitchen maid.

Little does she know how much happiness this will bring her!!

How you ask?

You have to read the book to find out!!
Hope you Enjoy!

I was talking to my roommate the other day about the book that has had the most influence on me, and I all of the sudden remembered The Ordinary Princess. I read it years ago when I was in elementary school. I loved the book so much that I read and reread it over and over again. I think this was the first book I ever read as a child where I idenified with the character and looked up to her as a role model. Amy was "ordinary" when compared to her sisters, but she had spunk and feeling and a liveliness that made her a wonderful character to look up to. So many fairytales fall into a trap of convention: beautiful princess meets handsome prince and they fall in love and get married. This book is about two people with personalities who fall in love with each other for the people that they are. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age as a timeless classic.

I read MM Kaye's other books when I was in middle school (I was a precocious reader, yes). I was amazed to learn last spring, that she'd also written a children's book which was supposed to great, as well.

I read Ordinary Princess in one big 'gulp,' and have since recommended it to all my friends who have daughters. The lesson about being yourself, being kind to others, etc. which is written so well into this book is wonderful (and it's not the sort of overbearing treatment which is found in so many childrens' books). It turns the traditional fairy-tale princess story on its head, and does so with charm.

I enjoyed the book as an adult -- I wish I'd been able to read it as a little girl, too. This one deserves to be on the shelf with the rest of the 'classics' we often think of especially for young girls -- Anne of Green Gables, the Little House books, the Secret Garden, etc.

I have never been so interested in a book before. I have never been very big on reading. Jannette Oke writes in such a way that I felt I was right there living or at least over seeing the events. Although I never wanted to put the book down, there were times when I had too. I had no problem with stopping & starting and knowing the previous events that I had read prior. Not something I can say of other books I have tried. I would recommend this to everyone!! I can't wait to explore the many other books she has written!!

I have enjoyed every book that I have read by J.Oke. This one in particular has touched my life. I recommend her books to any one how enjoys romance novels and who loves the Lord.

This book seemed so real to me ,like all of your books do. I am always going to the booh store to see if one of your new books has come out. I have read all of your books,and loved every single one. Thanks for being such a great author.

One day, while skimming the shelves of the Young Adult section of the Library, I ran across 3 books. I noticed that they were from the same Author of "Anne of GreenGables" and I had truly loved those books, so I decided to get these new, mysterious books that I had never heard of. "Emily of NewMoon" "Emily Climbs" and "Emily's Quest". I got home, jumped on my bed, and began reading. Looking up, I noticed I had finished 1/2 the book, and that a couple of hours had passed. I bought all 3 of them here, and I am SO happy that I did. I really don't know what more I can say, I just LOVE these books more than ANY possesion that I have. And that isn't a joke! They inspired me, and I have read EVERY other book of LLM's, but still, my favorites are the "Emily" series. I really hope that you buy this book, it's SO worth it. I read them over and over and over. and when I open the book, I know exactly where I am, and then I can't put it down! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!

Emily of New Moon is starry, poignant, and captivating. Orphaned Emily Byrd Starr comes to New Moon lonely and friendless, to live with her Mother's relations, the Murrays.

The Murrays are not willing to take her in, but are proud and consider it their duty to bring Emily up, as she is a member of their clan. Her Aunt Elizabeth brings her the New Moon, and is cold and harsh and stern. But her sweet Aunt Laura, and kindly Cousin Jimmy provide Emily with support.

In Emily's imagination, loyal friends Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent and Perry Miller, as well as her passionate love of writing, Emily finds hope and friendliness in her new World.

Emily is often compared to Anne of Green Gables, but they hold their differances. Anne is all liveliness and hot temper and sweetness; Emily is vivid, both light and dark, with enough mystery in her to allure.

This book is beautifully written and delicate, full of subtle wit and humour, and wonderful complexity as it describes Emily's adventures while living at New Moon. Emily is spirited and charming and ambitious, and the Emily series portray a unique child developing into womanhood.

I read this book simply because it was written by L. M. Montgomery. I became a devoted fan of hers since I have read the 'Anne' books. I really love them a great deal and Emily of New Moon is just as tempting as them. I didn't think I could love it as much as I do with the 'Anne' books. I spot the difference and similarity between Emily and Anne. Anne is more mature while Emily more childlike. They both adore writing but Emily loves it better. Anne is more stubborn and fanciful. Anne led a happier existence in Green Gables. Emily was contented to live in New Moon, though, but in a way different from Anne. She had a stern Aunt Elizabeth, who loved her but just locked the love for her niece up inside. Her adventures were very very funny and amusing too. L. M. Montgomery made the other characters in the story very lovable. And each of them had their own characteristics. The story gets more and more gripping towards the end. I could't help reading it till I finished the whole story. It is a story which makes you feel delighted and young and energetic. And I am going to read the rest of this series---Emily climbs and Emily's quest and other books written by L. M. Montgomery

This was really a great book. It had a interesting plot. It lagged only once when Frances,the oldest,did something for her job requering going on the streets. I thought it was page turrning when the children were being seperated. I liked the fact that the charicters were going through such in intence situation that i could never relate. I will warn you that I think the book "stops short". I wouldn't let that stop you from reading it. Infact I read it in the car dispite the fact it made me car sick. I recomened this to anyone who likes books on slavery or the west. I congradulate Joan Lowery Nixion on a job well done!

I thought that A FAMILY APART was a really good book. It helped me to understand what a poor teenager's life was like in the mid 1800's. The story was mainly about a thirteen year old girl named Frances, who lived with her mother and five siblings in New York. After Frances' father died, the family lived in poverty. The mother worked at all hours of the day to support her family. Therefore,she never had time to properly care for her six children, so she sent them on an orphan train to St. Joseph's, Missouri to live with farm families who could feed them and care for them. The children were very upset to leave their mother. They were upset because they would be separated from their brothers and sisters also. Frances did however get placed in a home with her six year old brother, Petey. Frances learned to cope with, and love her new family. Frances had some very exciting adventures while she was living with her new family in Missouri. This book helps the reader understand love, sacrifice and trust. If I were you, I'd sacrifice a little bit of time to read A FAMILY APART.

I thought that this novel was extremely well written. I actually did some research about orphan trains and I could tell that Nixon didn't just dream up the orphan train riders lifestyles. I think that Frances Mary Kelly (the main character) was very lucky to have a mother and a shelter. Most poor children at that time didn't have parents or a shelter. Until Charles Loring Brace founded the Children's Aid Society in 1853, children were living on the streets making their living as pick-pockets. He established the orphan trains to send homeless children west to find new families. In my educated opinion, I think that this book is great for a historical fiction report and also a good curl-up-with kind of book.

I had read "A Child Called 'It'" in three goes. I had been annoyed being left with the big Q: "Why?". But imagine how Dave must have felt then.

And I finished reading The Lost Boy in one go! Still I didn't find the answer, tho it teases the reader with a prospect of the the big A. I hope it's in the 3rd book!

I realize the simplicity of the language and the smooth storytelling make it easy to keep reading. And I was kept with the continuos suspense of anticipating a string of possible outcomes that can either be horrendous or relieving.

I hope there are no more such mothers as The Mother.

I would recommend the book for the true extraordinary story it has, the easy reading it presents, and the uncommon love it illustrates. Sure you'll either ponder at your own blessed life or get inspired by the trying yet triumphant journey, or both.

After reading A Child Called IT, I could not help but read the lost boy. And now after reading the lost boy I can't wait to read A man called Dave. The lost boy was about a boy who went through the worst childhood anyone could ever image, or even wish upon anyone else to go through. This book only covers from ages 12-18, which is a lot more pleasant that what he went through the rest of the years. After his school realized what had been happening to David, they called the police and social services and was taken away from his mother. When his mother discovered that David had revealed the family secret she was ferious. But she couldn't do anything to him, they went to court and he was warded to the state until the age of 18, so his mother couldn't get to him. Over the next five years David was stiched from foster home to foster home. A few of the places he became comfortable in but that for one reason or another was taken away. Over the years his mother had said that he was a bad child and that no one could love him. She had said it so much that he belived it. At first he would would have nightmares about her coming to take him back to "the house." His nother had a certain power over him, that was hard for him to get away from. His mother got visitation rights, so she would go and visit him at the home where he was staying, but most of the time she wouldn't even talk to him. She would talk to his foster parent and tell them to be careful because he would try to be sneaky, and that he was such a bad child when he lived with her. When she visited him she never called him by his name, instead, she would call him "The Boy." Around age 17 or 18, David hadn't talked to his father in so long that he decides to go and find him. David ends up finding him, but when he does he is not the man he remembers. He is a drunk and he has no love left in his eyes. His eyes were dark and lost. Reading this book made me realize how strong David was. He had the worst childhood that anyone could ever imagine, and he is still alive and kept his faith through it all.

This book was very touching and unbelievable that a child could survive such horrific abuse by the mother! I couldn't get over how this mom could be so loving toward her other kids, and such a monster to David, make him eat vomit, drink ammonia. tie him up sometimes in the garage, beat him and burn him badly, and you name it. As I read this true story,I wondered what it was that made her tick and why a person could have such a hate on for one of her own children. And yet, through the story, David craved his mother's love so desparately, and he did love her. As he was sent to a foster home, he still sometimes tried to return to his mothers house. And she could never ever muster the least little bit of love for David. As I read, I could not figure out why the siblings, who knew what was happening, as well as the father, didn't report her much much sooner.

This story will bring tears to your eyes. And you'll wonder as you read it, how Dave ever survived at all.

Anne of Green Gables is about a skinny red haired girl who has both a short temper and a very colorful imagination. She really loves the little farmhouse but the Cuthberts might send her back to the orphanage because Matthew needed a boy about 11 or 12 to help him on the farm.

Sometimes her imagination gets her in trouble. For instance when Marilla asks her to get a pattern from Mrs. Barry she doesn't want to because she imagined the woods between the houses were haunted! The book tells about her life growing up in the 1930's. As she grows, she learns many lessons and meets many friends who help her to become Anne of Green Gables.

This book is wonderful. It is a great book for girls to read. I loved it because the character was funny, spunky, and could talk forever. She reminded me of my sister. Anne never gave up trying to reach her goals. She will keep you interested throughout the whole book!

This is one of the best books ever written and the credit goes to spirited Anne (make sure it's spelled with an "e"!) Shirley. It's not often you find such a charming heroine as Anne. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is the first of a series on this lovable orphan, and it begins with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a respectable brother and sister, living at Green Gables. They are both growing old and need a boy to help out on the farm. But they got a talkative redhead girl instead. Before they can send her back to the orphanage, Anne has managed to win the hearts of Prince Edward Island with her wit and imagination. She seems to affect everyone around her - from busybody Mrs. Rachel Lynde to handsome Gilbert Blythe. And now, Green Gables will never be the same! . . .

It's not often you find such a spirited and lovable heroine as Anne. Captivating and captivatED, Anne is full of enthusiasm and fun, which gets her into all sorts of scrapes. This book is one that you are guaranteed to laugh over, cry over, and never want to put down! It is an ideal novel that you won't want to pass up! (Even if you don't read the rest of the Anne books, read this!)

A few weeks ago, I got really sick of today's children's literature. I had read enough mysteries and trashy books about romance to last me a lifetime. So I wanted something else to read, something well-written with a good plot and lifelike characters. I had to look no further than the first book I picked up- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

Anne of Green Gables is the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series. It takes place, as most of L. M. Montgomery's books do, on Prince Edward Island in Canada. This particular story takes place in the town of Avonlea. It follows young Anne Shirley, an orphan brought to Green Gables to help Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm. Much to Anne's dismay, Marilla tells her that they wanted a boy to help around the farm, not a girl. However, Marilla changes her mind and decides to keep the dynamic young girl who would become Anne of Green Gables.

This novel is incredibly written, with well-developed characters and an intricate plot. I absolutely loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great example of children's literature at its height.

Orphans are in and that means one thing. Esme and Jerome Squalor want to adopt the Baudelaire orphans. Violet, Sunny, and Klaus go and live with The Squalors at their penthouse at 667 Dark Aveneue. Just when they are settling in, their nemesis starts to appear. Gunther, who claims to be an auctioneer, is indeed not who he says he is. This gets the Baudelaires investigating, and that leads them through many new adventures and mysteries.

"The Ersatz Elevator" is Snicket at his best since "The Wide Window." This sixth edition in the series is a very important one as it the base of knowing of what's to come. If you have read the other five novels in "The Series of Unfortunate Events," then you must read this one. If not, start with the others. This is the most addicting of the books yet. We've had to wait since August for this book, so there's no reason at all why this marvelous one should not be read. Snicket is getting better and better each time he writes a new volume. A definite must read.

Happy Reading!

My nine year old and I fell in love with the Baudelaire stories shortly after publication of the first book in the series, and have waited anxiously for each installment. Our love affair waned dramatically after we read "The Miserable Mill" and "The Austere Academy." These books were simply too dark for us, and the tone of the often humorous asides didn't sound like the witty Lemony Snickett that we had come to love. Lemony, however, is back! We really enjoyed this story of the three Baudelaires' adventures in and around the elevator to the penthouse of their latest guardians, Jerome and Esme Squalor. The description of the Squalors' lives revolving around what is "in" and what is "out" reminded us of what life can be like in our own small town! While we knew that the end result of the Baudelaire's stay with the Squalors would be disaster and the reappearance of the evil Count Olaf, we laughed at their dinner at the "Cafe Salmonella" and at Sunny's latest inventive use of her teeth. We have come to accept that none of these installments will end well for the plucky and devoted Baudelaires, but are secretly glad. After all, when the happy ending comes, these dark tales will vanish! We are awaiting publication of "The Vile Village." Maybe this book, too, will remind us of home.

"The Ersatz Elevator" is the sixth in "A Series of Unfortunate Events" that befall the beleaguered Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. This is a must read series for anyone who likes odd characters, peculiar happenings and a quirky sense of humor.

In this volume the trio are taken in by the trendy Squalors, Jerome and Esme, who live in the penthouse apartment at 667 Dark Avenue. The Squalors have welcomed the children because current fashion says orphans are "in." Unfortunately for the Baudelaire's, elevators are "out" and their new foster family lives either forty-eight or eighty-four flights up.

The author's dark,delightfully witty narrative style can best be described as Alfred Hitchcock meets Monty Python. This book, we are told, "is one of two books in the world that will show you the difference between the word 'nervous' and the word 'anxious.' The other book, of course, is the dictionary, and if I were you I would read that book instead." Good reading and a great value!

No one wants to be Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. Their chain of unfortunate events keeps continuing, and perhaps has reached its most treacherous event in the lives of the three orphans. Count Olaf and his dastardly new accomplice, Esme Squalor, are on the run. The Quagmire triplets are still missing - and their time just may be running out. Now, the orphans are in the care of the village of V.F.D. - a town with the motto "It takes a village to raise a child." This village
is very, very vile -- there are thousands of ridiculous rules to comply to, and anyone who disobeyes a rule is burned at the stake alive! Then there's the tremendous mob of crows that flock to different places during day and night, blackening the town's sky. The Baudelaires have probably never faced more absurd circumstances. As mysteries and mayhem fill their lives even more, their stay at V.F.D.is becoming worse than they could have ever dreamed. The Vile Village is the seventh book in A Series Of Unfortunate Events, and one of my favorite books in the series so far.

The Vile Village, by Lemony Snicket, continues the dreary tale of the Baudelaire orphans. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, desperate to solve the mystery of V.F.D., have chosen the village of VFD, the Village of Fowl Devotees, to be their new home. In VFD the children are placed in the care of the affable town handyman, Hector. Each day the children, along with Hector, are responsible for doing the chores of the crow-infested town of VFD.

Not surprisingly, the children fearfully await the return of the treacherous Count Olaf. They also continue the search for their friends Isadora and Duncan Quagmire, feared to be in the clutches of Count Olaf and his evil associates. While cleaning the town each day the children try to unravel the mysteries around them while trying to save the Quagmires and themselves from Count Olaf. This is not easy, especially in a town whose rules clearly state that breaking a rule is punishable by burning at the stake!

This book is a must read for fans of the series. I would advise that this series be read in chronological order, especially from book five and onward, as a continuing story line would be ruined by reading the books out of order.

As a fan of this series is aware, in the last story, "The Ersatz Elevator", the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny, had just lost their last home as it was proven that one of their guardians was in league with the awful Count Olaf. On the theory that it takes a village to raise a child, Mr. Poe, the children's supposed guardian, takes the children to V.F.D., a village populated by crows and really weird people in the middle of nowhere.

The children's fortunes have not improved from their last home. This time the children are forced to do chores for the town, all day long. Further, many of the people for whom they do chores little appreciate what the children do. Lastly, the children and everyone in town must follow an extensive list of incredibly ridiculous rules.

Soon after the children arrive in town they find a note (a rhyming couplet) from their previously kidnapped friends, Duncan and Isadora Quagmire, kidnapped two books ago by Count Olaf. As time proceeds, the children find more couplets written by Isadora Quagmire. The children hope and believe the couplets will lead them to the location of the Quagmires so that they might be rescued.

As always happens to the Quagmires, Count Olaf shows up again, and as usual, he has assorted followers that are with him, including one surprise returning character (I'm not telling!). This time Count Olaf shows up as a detective to solve a murder that occurs in the village. The victim will be an amazing surprise to every reader (and I'm not telling you that one either!).

Of course the story climaxes in a way that might lead the reader to believe that the Baudelaire's will escape. Well, the children do get away from town, but when they do they are being hunted for a crime they didn't commit. The ending of this story neatly fits into the beginning of the next book, "The Hostile Hospital", where the children continue to be on the run from the law.

It seems like each book in this series is better than the last. While the violence in these books is a lot more than traditional books for this age range, these books clearly distinguish right from wrong and good from bad. Additionally, there are strong educational messages as the children typically have to rely on their own resources and abilities to escape from Count Olaf, typically using their reading skills and innovative abilities to improvise and overcome. Sometimes the educational messages are very strong, such as when the author explicitly defines the meanings of words within the stories.

I thought this story was intriguing in a variety of ways, and the author manages to introduce a touch of science fiction or fantasy in the story in the method the children try to use to escape. Lemony Snicket manages to improve his creativity with every story. Because of the mild violence, I would recommend this book for 9 year-olds and above, but, as always, you should know your child and his or her ability to handle the material in this book. Another five star book in this series!

Incidents in the Life Of A Slave Girl is a harrowing, personal experience of a AA female born and raised during the tumultuous, infamous and tragic era of slavery in America's history. Harriett Jacobs, aka Linda Brent, tells in her own voice-one that is explicit and easy to understand-the story of a young woman born into the brutal, horrendous slavery era who later escapes to freedom in the North. Incidents is emotional and the feelings are raw as you experience the tale of a slave who desired freedom so badly that she hid for SEVEN YEARS in a narrow, cramped quarter without much freedom of movement. The story is riveting and moving and shows what an individual is able to accomplish in spite of sex, race and slavery. Incidents is a story of bravery in light of insurmountable circumstances and ones belief that they can succeed in spite of unmeasurable difficulties.

Incidents is an excellent reading selection for a bookgroup and a book that I highly recommend to everyone. Remember the story and share the story so that history doesn't repeat itself.

Intended to convince northerners -- particularly women -- of the rankness of Slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl presents a powerful autobiography and convincing writing that reads like a gripping novel but is organized and argued like an essay.

Incidents follows the "true story" (its authenticity is doubted in some places) of Linda [Jacobs uses a pseudonym] who is born into the shackles of slavery and yearns for freedom. She lives with a depraved slave master who dehumanizes her, and a mistress who mistreats her. As the novel progresses, Linda becomes increasingly starved of freedom and resolves to escape, but Linda finds that even escaping presents its problems.

But Incidents is more than just a gripping narration of one woman's crusade for freedom, and is rather an organized attack on Slavery, intended to convince even the most apathetic of northerners. And in this too, Incidents succeeds. The writing is clear, and Jacobs' use of rhetorical strategy to preserve integrity is astonishing.

Well written, convincing, entertaining, Incidents is an amazing book.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Linda Brent is a deeply touching narrative of a slave woman's journey through the heinous institution of slavery to her eventual emancipation. Through her description of bonded labor, the reader very poignantly realizes what it was like for millions of African Americans to be brutalized and ravaged by slavery. Written in 1861 to educate the Northerners, especially the women, about the evils of slavery, the autobiography is a harrowing account of a woman's life, what the author ironically calls her 'adventures'. The abuse that the palpably intelligent and veracious author had to undergo has the power to humble every one of us even today.
Linda Brent was born as a slave in the household of a miraculously benevolent mistress. She lost her mother at the age of six, but her mistress, who was her mother's half-sister, took good care of her and endowed on her ward the gift of literacy. The degradative reality of slavery was hidden from the author till she entered her early teens, when within a year both her mistress and her father passed away, and she was acquired by the household of Dr. Flint. At his plantation, the author had to bear the full force of slavery. From this time to the author's eventual freedom, the reader gets a glimpse of the persecution that a slave had to face.
As mentioned above, the book was written to illustrate the depravity of slavery to people living in the North. It is striking to see how humbly, or even apologetically, the author has used her life to explain the circumstances of slavery. She has used fictitious names and concealed the names of places so as not to offend any person, black or white. As one reads the book, the author can definitely be identified as a pious and truthful person, and becomes easy to see why the author places so much emphasis on her secrecy. The book is not written to garner sympathy from readers, but to shock readers into the realities of slavery. It was an appeal to the people who the author thought had the power to defeat slavery to act on it.
The author's main argument is that slavery is not just about perpetual bondage, but it involves the absolute debasement of a people. She painfully acknowledges that the 'black man is inferior', but vociferously argues that it is a result of slavery, which stymies the intellectual capacity of her race. She believes that 'white men compel' the black race to be ignorant. Although she was wronged by many Southern white men, she does not blame the white race for her ills. She believes that the institution of slavery has ample negative impact on the household and psyche of a white family as well, and that white males are coerced into being brutal. She rebukes 'the Free States' in her own pacific way for condoning slavery in the South. Her stand is that a life of manumit destitution is radically more acceptable than bondage, and that is the general idea that the author wants the readers to remember.
The book is sequenced more or less in a chronological order. The author's astoundingly comfortable childhood is shattered by the nefarious demands of being a pubescent female slave. She explains how even the body of a slave is not her own, and is considered to be a property of the slaveholder, that can violated or abused according to his wishes. Her analogy to being traded or shot like pigs demonstrates the extent of shame that a slave had to bear with. Her infatuation and blind faith in the goodness of a white man make her the mother of two children, and her determination to keep them away from the evils of slavery becomes her primary goal. In her attempts to flee from slavery, she has to hide in a den above her grandmother's house for seven years. The anguish of a mother who can see her children but not be able to communicate with them is heart wrenching. The story of her escape to the North is also incredible. Even after reaching the north, she had to resist prejudice and fear for a long time before she and her children eventually became free.
By reading the book, the reader can definitely get to experience the life of a slave. Perhaps the shocking brutality of the truth is shielded in the book by the author's conscious effort to not be a cause of affront. She wrote this book because she had a message to give to the readers, but was held back in a way by her goodness. On the other hand, reading a book written in a simple way, as though the author was narrating her story in front of the reader, goes on to validate her tragedy. It is explained in a more personal way than a historian would explain it, and the harsh emotions experienced by the author break through, even though she tries to suppress her sadness. The author's argument that slavery is humiliating is proved by the fact that the author does not explain exactly how she was mentally and physically abused. She only points out that she had to bear physical and mental decadence, but does elaborate on the techniques of the likes of Dr. Flint.
It has to be remembered that this book was not written to be a historical text. It is about a woman's personal fight with slavery. It cannot be argued that her emotions were wrong or that her views about slavery can be challenged in any way. Readers who have not experienced slavery are not in a position to do so. This book definitely manages to do what it was intended to do, and that is to make the reader aware that slavery was a harrowing experience for the African Americans. As a book of past injustices and future hopes, it is a must read.

If you think your life is horrible, you've got it easy. The thrilling Hostile Hospital is the 8th installment of The Series of Unfortunate Events. Violet, Klaus and Sunny have found themselves in a frightening situation. If you like adventure, humour, suspense, criminals and three children in tons of danger, this is the book for you.

Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaires' parents died in a terrible fire. Violet is a 14-year-old girl who lives for inventing anything from lock picks to welding torches. Klaus is a 13-year-old boy who loves reading. Sunny is a baby who has four big teeth so she adores biting things. When the Baudelaires' parents died, they left an enormous fortune. A greedy and selfish man named Count Olaf was their first guardian. He was very horrible to them.

When the executor of the Baudelaire parents' will found them a new guardian, Count Olaf followed the children, trying to capture them and their fortune. He pursues the Baudelaires in Books 2 to 7. In book 7, the Baudelaire children are accused of killing a man that looks like Count Olaf but the man is really Jacques Snicket. The real Count Olaf is in disguise as a detective.

In book 8, The Hostile Hospital, the Baudelaires are at the last chance general store and have found out that the daily newspaper says that Klaus, Sunny and Violet are killers. The children end up hiding in a van and going to a hospital. At the hospital, they volunteer to help file papers and Violet ends up getting kidnapped by one of Olaf's henchmen. Will Klaus and Sunny end up saving their sister or will she be forever in Count Olaf's despicable hands?

If you have not read the first seven books of The Series of Unfortunate Events, you should probably not read this book because you will not really understand most of it. If you have, this is an extraordinary addition to the series because it talks about all of the very important questions that you have been aching to have answered. My questions are: What is V.F.D.? Why is there a tunnel under the burnt-down Baudelaire mansion? Sadly, none of the really important questions are actually answered. I hope that you enjoy the book.

I dont know about you, but i am intregued by Daniel Handlers books (lemony Snicket) His writing style is so unique and i love how he randomly inserts his own thoughts into the book. it makes me wonder why on earth he hasnt become so widely known as J.K. Rowling! I have read the Harry Potter series 14 times, and i had refeused to read anything else, because i never thought there was any comparison to them, then, i couldnt find anything to intrest me, and i really didnt want to read the Harry Potter series again. since i practicly had it memorized, so i thought, why not? and i decided to buy the first book in the series of unfortunate events... after reading it, i went directly to the book store and bought the 2nd book, and i dont want to offend the Harry Potter books, i mean, i still really like them, but i am actually starting to like this series more! I really think you should read this series, i am on book 8 right now, and still truckin'... this book is PERFECT if you have finished the harry potter books and dont know what to read next. and even if you havent read the harry potter books, i think this book is excellent for ALL readers!

I won't give anything away, but this book was terribly exciting, more so than the previous books. The Baudelaires once again get into many sticky situations, and in this book one of these situations is much more serious than any their previous problems. It is impossible for the reader to guess how they're going to escape from it, or any of the other situations they encounter. Of course, all the solutions, though complete surprises, are entirely unbelievable. However, they're obviously done that way on purpose, and this adds to the charm of these novels.

In short, a great little book! However, unlike some of the earlier books in this series, to understand what's going on in this one you really *have* to have read the previous books (at least the sixth and seventh) since they've begun a continuous storyline. The first few books were separate stories connected only by the first book (The Bad Beginning), whose plot was explained in the first couple pages of the books following it. Now, they no longer make an effort to explain to the reader what happened in the previous story, so it's up to you to do your reading before picking up this book!