The Trixie Belden series, of which this book is the beginning, is something that I haul out every year and reread. I'm 48 years old--that's a lot of rereading, considering I read them the first time when I was 10! I still have my beat-up Whitman hardbacks of the first 6, with Mary Stevens' wonderful illustrations, and I guard them jealously! My daughter, who is grown now, read them with enjoyment, but the big surprise is that my son loved them even more than she did. Everyone who says that their daughters enjoy these books should introduce their sons to them--the male characters, Mart, Brian, and Jim, are great role-models and my son identified with them a great deal. My children and I all remember and quote parts of these books to each other from time to time. I learned a lot of vocabulary from them, and I think I developed my sense of humor directly from these books as well. I echo everyone here who has lamented the fact that they are out of print. Reissue them!

Trixie Belden is a sleuth who is impatient, spunky, and hates to do housework - I love her! Not quite 30 years old, I have loved this little-known teen detective since I "discovered" her on my sister's bookshelf when I was 8 years old. Since that time, I have read and re-read these wonderful books for the last two decades. Kids, if you want to read a book that is funny, smart, and has some spooky mysteries, this is a great series for you. Parents, if you want your kids not only to READ, but LOVE to read, get them hooked on these books. I am an English teacher, and I will swear up and down that these books, with their spunky characters and engaging plots, are not only a joy to read, but are informative. My vocabulary increased by trying to keep up with Mart Belden, Trixie's older brother, and as a child I didn't realize it, but I learned a ton from reading these great books. A voracious reader who adores authors from Shakespeare to Agatha Christie, Harper Lee to Elizabeth Peters, I still pull these charming mysteries off my bookshelf to go back to Crabapple Farm to solve mysteries with Trixie and Honey.

This book is a wonderful introduction to a great series of books for young girls. I read the first six when I was 10 years old, and I fell in love with Trixie and her friends. Those stories were written by Julie Campbell in the 1950's and republished in the 1960's. Kathryn Kenny took over with book seven in the late '60's. Readers will notice a change in Trixie's personality and in the focus of the stories. Kenny introduces more of the history of the Hudson River Valley, and includes more facts and less of the banter and teasing that made me so fond of the original books. However, the books which Kenny continued writing into the '70's and the '80's, which I bought for my daughter, are entertaining, if not quite as much fun as the original six. The Red Trailer Mystery, the sequal to the Secret of the Mansion, is also a must to read for anyone who wants to get the full story of how Jim came to be Honey's adopted brother, The Gatehouse Mystery explains the formation of the Bob White club, The Mysterious Visitor chronicles the advent of Diana Lynch into the group. Book five, The Mystery Off Glen Road is a personal favorite of mine, an absolutely hilarious book telling of Trixie's attempts to become a 'lady', not to impress Jim, but for such convoluted reasons that she has her entire family in an uproar. I hope that like the Nancy Drew mysteries, some publisher who knows a good thing when he sees it, will update the Trixie Belden books and republish them for the next generation. I would hate to see this series that has brought so much pleasure and happiness to so many girls be lost forever.

I first read this book when I was only a twelve year horse-crazy girl. I am now in eleventh grade and still readin every Thoroughbred book that comes out. A Horse called Wonder deals with the pain of an eleven year old girl's loss of her beloved breeding farm her parents' lost due to a virus that wiped them out. Upon her parent's losing the farm, they get new jobs as breeding managers at one of the most prestigous farms in Kentucky, Townsend Acres. Now, all of a sudden Ashleigh is back around horses, but, they're not horses she owns and she vows never to get close to a horse again. But then, she meets Wonder's mother, an older horse who is on her last pregnancy. Wonder's mother reminds Ashleigh of her horse at her old farm that was also sold with the farm, and, much to her disliking she forms a bond with this new horse. When it is time for the horse to deliver, the foal, a girl is born tiny and has many difficulties. The vet recommands putting the filly down, but Ashleigh won't allow it. She names the horse, wWonder and decides to take almost constant care of her.The horse surives and the vet doesn't put Wonder down. Due to Ashleigh's perserverence and strength, Wonder now has a chance at life too

This book, A Horse Called Wonder, is undoubtedly the best book in the series and it deserves 1,000,000 stars!!!

When Ashleigh loses her favorite mare, Stardust, and moves to Townsend Acres her world is practically falling apart and she vows never to give her heart to another horse. But when a sickly foal is born Ashleigh can't help loving Wonder (and I don't think anyone reading the book can either.) Ashleigh raises wonder into a beautiful filly, but can she and Wonder prove that Wonder is good enough to run? Or will Ashleigh's beloved horse be sold in the coming auction?

Everyone will love this book!!! (And all the other books in the series)

A Horse Called Wonder is the first of the TB series plus it is written by Joanna Campbell so it is like so obviously good. I have all the books and this is definitely one of the best simply because, it begins the tale.

It's about Ashleigh, my fav character and her horse Wonder who is a weak foal who noone believes will survive. That is except for Ashleigh, and through her faith, hope, and dedication, Wonder survives to become a famous racehorse and good broodmare. Joanna Campbell has woven a beautiful story full of emotion and vivid descriptions about a girl's love for a horse.Ashleigh and Wonder stayed together until some idiot decided to kill Wonder. And when you remember Wonder when she grew up, u would feel really sad that she died cos, she was the only part of the old TB series.U would feel really pissed off too. Ashleigh might act really horrible about Wonder's death, but when you read this book, u would know why, she did that. I mean, Ashleigh and Wonder had like this bond, and they stayed together, from Wonder's birth to death, it is really, really sad. U would want to cry. Anyway, this book is kind of like a memory of Wonder and how Ashleigh and Wonder got together. It is definitely a must-read. I totally recommend it.

A Coal Miner's Bride was a great read, and now my favorite in the Dear America series!

It tells the story, in diary form, of a 13 year old Russian Pole, Anetka, who leaves her country to marry a coal miner in America. She is not happy to go, however, especially when her grandmother decides to stay behind - and gives her ticket to a Russian soldier, who will accompany Anetka and her brother.

Anetka's husband doesn't seem to love her, but when things are looking better, he dies in an accident and she is left to support his three daughters. And when massacres and her friend Leon enter her life, things are even harder. Will life always be harsh for Anetka?

This was a great book, and I'd recommend it for ages 11 - 15. Be sure to read "Dreams in the Golden Country", another Dear America book!

Of all the books I have read, A Coal Miner's Bride is definetley my favorite. It not only teaches you about the hard times in history, but it really touches your heart. Anetka Kaminska lived a wonderful life in Poland, but when her father, who Anetka says has "American fever", sends her a letter saying he has found her a husband, her dreams are shattered. After riding a ship with her brother Jozef and an "impossible" Czar soldier, Anetka finds out that her future husband hasthree young girls in desperate need of a good mother. But her husband, who terribly misses his wife, doesn't love Anetka as she hoped he would. When she expresses her feelings, things finally shape up for Anetka and her husband. But not long after he finally kisses Anetka good night, he dies in a tragic mining accident. Now Anetka must be a mother to her children and have boarders, including the "impossible" solsier,Leon, to pay off her husband's high debts. I have so many other words to tell, but that would give away theend

Anetka Kaminska is satisfied with her life in Poland until one day her father sends steamship tickets and a letter saying she must come to America and marry Stanley Gawrich.She must leave in a hurry with a young soldier,Leon Nasevich, who mysteriously happens to be wherever Anetka is. When she gets to america she finds that all the immigrants are poorly treated. To make matters worse, Stanley doesn't want a wife, he only wants a mother for his 3 daughters. After about 6 months of Anetkas unhappy marriage, Stanley dies and leaves Anetka with his three daughters. She has to take in borders to make ends meet and to pay off Stanleys large debt. Leon comes back into her life and mixes all her feelings up. Everyone should read this book. It gives perspective to the way life was for immigrants in the late 1800's. This was the best Dear America I have read yet.

I first read this book in March 1997 when it first came out. Even after three and a half years, and the reading of many more books, this remains of my favorite books ever. It brings the Oregon Trail to life and puts faces on the countless brave pioneers who braved the hardships of the trail to make new lives in the west. The narrator is a fictional thirteen-year-old farm girl from Missouri, Hattie Campbell. Through her diary, written in a voice that truly sounds as if it belongs to a young girl from that time, the reader experiances the events of Hattie's journey west - her friendship with Pepper, a fourteen-year-old girl from the wagon train, the beginnings of a romance with Pepper's brother Wade, and many others. Hattie was a character that I really came to care about, and I was sad to put the book down when it was finished, but since then, I have read it several more times. Kristiana Gregory is an amazing author that has given a distinct voice to each of her narrators in this book and her two other Dear America books. I hope she writes another Dear America book soon; she's one of my favorite authors from the series. I highly reccomend this book to historical fiction fans.

This adventureous and exciting story is about a young girl named Hattie Campbell, growing up in Missoura in 1847. This story is about the exciting sensation she gets when her father anounces they are traveling west to Oregon. This story is about her triumphs and losses along the Oregon Trail. After she meets a 14 year-old girl named Pepper Lewis, they plan everything about their 'soon-to-be' life in the west. Everything changes when Pepper gets married...Will all of their plans change? Soon, Hattie longs for someone to love, just as Pepper has. Will she survive the long and harsh journey west?

I loved this book! I deffinetly am glad I gave it 5 stars, because it's true! This is a very adventureous book and it makes me wish I lived in that time, for everything is so fun...But it turns out life is harsh on the trail. I recommend this book for 10-14 year-olds. When I bought this book I also bought "My Heart Is On The Ground" and "Voyage On The Great Titanic", all great stories of girls and their changing lives. Once again, I couldn't put it down! I loved it! :)

This book was tragic But adventureous. I felt like I was Hattie. It is about a girl who leaves her hometown in Booneville, Missora and heads out west to Oregon. Their are a lot of deaths in the story but none of Hattie's family members died on the Oergon trail so don't worry. I'm eight and I didn't have nightmares for a week but if I were you I would not let anybody under eight read this. they may get scared. There are great characters like Pepper, Gideon, Wade, Ben, Jake and of course Hattie Campell. If you like adventure and danger I recomend this book to you.

Seabiscuit's "gallop was so disorganized that he had a maddening tendency to whack himself in the front ankle with his own hind hoof." And so the spell-binding story about a horse that runs with a duck waddle, a jockey (Red Pollard) who is blind in one eye, a trainer (Tom Smith) who is practically mute, and an owner (Charles Howard) who brought cars to the West is born. This unlikely group of misfits joins together through chance -- and because all three men immediately see the untapped potential in a mistreated, high-spirited, and lazy horse named Seabiscuit. This trio devotes their love, skills, and energy into turning Seabiscuit into one of the most phenomenal horse racing legends.

Tom Smith, perhaps the original "horsewhisperer", spends hours learning and understanding his horse. When Seabiscuit is first put into his care for training, the horse is nervous, paces incessantly, weighs too little, and suffers from a sore body. Tom spends time caring for Seabiscuit, showering him with affection and carrots, even sleeping in Seabiscuit's stall at night. A daily routine is introduced plus animal companionship. Before long, Seabiscuit has his own entourage: a cow pony named Pumpkin, the little stray dog Pocatell, and Jojo the spider monkey. Under Tom's care, the high-spirited Seabiscuit learns to trust, becomes calm, and, most importantly, starts winning horse races.

The triumph of Seabiscuit is ultimately the story of what any person (or animal) may accomplish when their talents are recognized, supported, and expanded. Seabiscuit, given his inauspicious start in life, could just as easily have faded away into non-existence running third tier races. However, the love and care he receives from his owner, jockey, and trainer have you cheering until the end of the book for Seabiscuit to keep running (and winning) with his heart. Not only does Seabiscuit capture the hearts of the misfit trio, he will capture yours.

This fascinating work of non-fiction is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Unlike a lot of historical non-fiction, this intriguing story did not read like a textbook - it read like fiction and not once did I find myself skimming the details ... too interesting to skim through!

When I first heard about this story, I wasn't sure about it - after all, I really know (or should I say "knew") very little about horse racing. Despite my misgivings, I soon realized that a major purpose of this book was not only to teach the reader about this sport via Seabiscuit's career but also to memorialize the amazing individuals (Charles Howard, Tom Smith, Red Pollard, George Woolf, etc.) who defied all odds to make such a successful racing career possible.

I especially liked the chapters dealing with the difficulties of life as a jockey - the way the jockeys punished their bodies to the extreme for the honor of participating in a harrowingly dangerous sport was truly unbelievable...and I thought ballerinas were harsh on their bodies when it came to weight loss! Red was my favorite character and I can't help wondering if the author felt a particular kinship with the jockey as a result of her own struggles with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - after all, she did have to push her own body beyond her normal physical limits to complete her research and write this amazing book!

Ms. Hillenbrand successfully incorporated the story of Seabiscuit's racing career into the historical context of the era. Seabiscuit was a much needed diversion for Americans who were suffering the depths of the Great Depression. ...And perhaps, through Laura Hillenbrand, Team Seabiscuit is still providing us all with an inspirational diversion from today's distressing headlines!

Oh - and don't skip the interview with Laura Hillenbrand at the end of the book. It was very interesting to see how Ms. Hillenbrand's own background influenced her writing and how her research helped her to resurrect this intriguing epoch in American history.

I'm excited about the movie although I hope Universal Studios does this wonderful literary work justice!

What a book! What a reading!

I picked it up to fill in the void left by Harry Potter book 5, and this Seabiscuit just blow me and every other books I've ever read (in English) completely away. I just couldn't put it down once I started, finishing the 300-plus pages in less than 48 hours - a personal record for me as a slow reader.

Yes it is about horse racing - a topic I couldn't have cared less if not for the movie I plan to see, but it goes way beyond. It's really about perseverance, redemption, friendship, and second chance in life overcoming obstacles. As a foreigner, I found this book the best window to peek into a piece of American history, an American legend, and the true American spirit.

Laura Hillenbrand's writing is mesmerizing, the way she tells the dramatic stories about the horse and the people behind it, the way she builds up layers over layers of suspense leading to one climax after another, make this book a real page turner. Don't be fooled by the non-fiction category, this book is exactly what the best fiction should have been written as.

I can hardly believe this was her first book. What a talent!

Her life itself is also a reflection of the theme of the book and just as inspiring. She has been suffering severe chronic fatigue syndrome since age of 19 as a result of food poison in college. Yet she never gives up writing.

Although after reading the book I found the movie is just so-so (perhaps my bar was set too high by the book), I still want to thank Hollywood for making this film from the bottom of my heart - because it introduced me to the most satisfactory reading I've ever had.

This is a real serendipity!

The remarkable book Ashleigh's Diary truly touched me. I like action, excitement and emotional books. If you do too, you won't be able to stop reading. This book has no pictures of the characters , which is the only negative part of the book, but in the back of the book it gives a wonderful picture of the author. I like that because it shows you what she looks like. This is a series of wonderfully written literature. This is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

I've read the book three times and cried every single time. When Stardust gets better it is a relief, but then Black Night dies. This si the best book in the series. I have books 8,22,20,16,15,1, three super editions, Samantha's Journey, Ashleigh's hope and Ashleigh's Diary. This is definetly the best series around!!

Wow! An excellent book! I read it in 2 hours, I loved it so much! I spent half the time crying! One LITTLE thing... Stardust is a riding pony, not a jumper, yet she clears a 4 footer? Nope... Other than that, an AWESOME book! Highly recomended! That is, if you don't mind crying for a while... Calie Adamson

I loved this book. It showed how much Mike cares about Ashleigh, and how much Ashleigh loves Christina, and you can "feel" Christina's pain about not having Ash. I liked the dream, it was really cool. I cried, laughed, was angry, confused, and felt bad during this book because it felt like you were there and actually took part. Like you could imagine everything happening. Lotsa details and stuff which is cool. I think Christina could be a little bit more like Ashleigh in the rest of the books, but it's cool. I liked all the Eventing stuff that they had, but was glad that they went back to racing which is what they started out with and that's what got people hooked. What I found interesting is that in Ash's dream there's Ross Townsend who is a total JERK, but in "real life" it's Parker and he's really cool. He's especially cool because he puts up with Brad & Lavina. But anyway, Yeah, I totally love this book and I read it all the time.

I loved this book, just like all the other ones, but it was really weird how they had all this stuff that was a dream and never really happened! It sorta gives you a fake idea of what will come. But dont get me wrong I loved the book and the story line was really cool. I absolutly love Jazz Godess! She was like almost one of those perfect horses! Except when she crushed Christinas leg, but she went on to come in second or third in the Rolex, and that might not have happened if her leg didn't motivate her! So, this was a great book, if a bit werid.

I think it is vey sad that Christina has to live without a mother, especially one like Ashleigh...She was my favorite character of all time besides Mike. I was glad that Christina did what she wanted to do, and not be another Ashleigh...Everyone who read this book will probably like it!

I became familiar with Bebe Moore Campbell's work only after reading "Brothers & Sisters" because like Esther, I did identify with the challenges of being black and female on the job. In "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine", she shows the horror of how one misunderstanding can affect the lives of the people of a small town. Floyd is more interested in proving his manhood to his father and brother than protecting his wife's reputation. Delotha is wracked with guilt and shame for not keeping her son Armstrong the victim, and Armstrong's father Wydell realizes that his inability to be a father has to do with his own inability to come to terms with the horrible relationship that had with his father. Lily, the unintentional instigator of this whole affair realizes that as she grows older, life is harder, men aren't always going to be there when you need them and that things aren't as rosy for other people as they seem especially when she discovers how bad off her in-laws have become, but at least in the book the characters try to come to terms with the past and struggle to live in the present. I would recommend this book to anyone who would want to read it.

Campbell's novel is one that is to be commended. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and her writing style. Sticking to detail but not adding too much is just what any reader appreciates and she comes through time and time again. Campbell wrote a book that contains so many characters and covers the span of nearly four decades and not once did she lose my attention or respect for her genious. Lovers of Toni Morrisson and Maya Angelou will certainly want to give Bebe Moore Campbell a try.

This book is bound to keep your attention because it begins and ends with something serious happening. It is a remarkable book encompassing the way black's movement from South to North specifically from Mississippi to Illinois, and the many changes that this time has brought forth. Many of the changes in the book was brought forth by the Armstrong Todd incident which was similar to the real life event of Medgar Evers incident. Although it is a fiction it brings to mind many real life issues that still persist today. When will we ever overcome racism and hatred, which is the far away cry in which some of the characters seem to be shouting to the reader. I feel that this book is a great book and I recommend this to everyone with an open mind...it is a must read book!! I totally enjoyed reading this book because it never left you hanging and idle...

This book just sweeps you away. Picked it up on a whim, I think somewhere it was compared to John Irving's work and he hadn't had a new one for a while. Billy Mann and his family were strange and wonderful and every page was completely compelling. It's a first novel and I will read everything Kowalski writes for the rest of his career. I'm an avid reader, a couple of books a week if I can, and this was the best book I read in all of 2000. We're halfway through 2001 and I don't think anything else is close yet. No matter what your interests in novels, this book will be one you fall in love with. I can't wait to find out more about Billy Mann and the rest of the family. I've given copies to most of my friends and family as birthdays come up.

"Eddie's Bastard" was the first audio book my husband or I ever listened to. It made a very long drive VERY enjoyable. It is rare that we like the same stories, but "Eddie's Bastard" is very much like real life and hard not to like. It was sometimes funny, sometimes ironic, sometimes sad. As a life long resident of Western Pennsylvania, I found his depiction of life in the rural parts of this state extremely accurate and believable. The story puts me in mind of "The Green Mile" and "The Shawshank Redemption" for reasons I can't articulate, it's in the overall feel of the story. The ending was not what I predicted at all, it was not the contrived "and they all lived happily ever after." It was a mature ending even though the character is still quite young. We would definately read or listen to more Kowalski stories in the future!

It is difficult to believe this is a first novel. That William Kowalski is a gifted novelist is simply a given. He is a fine story teller, able to weave threads of pulsing narrative toward a nourishing conclusion. He creates characters who are not only credible but about whom we care. Too many descriptive phrases might get in the way to the individual response to this rich novel.... Suffice it to say that the title EDDIE'S BASTARD is more than a label. A Bastard is one without parents and therefore without knowledge of history - genetic, philosophical, time sequence. This beautifully crafted book reveals the detective work involved in the main character's quest for self discovery. His journey is at once interesting, touching, warm, and curative. As he reads excerpts from his great grandfather's diary - sophisticated, elegant prose set off in italics which if separated from the novel would still provide a cogent guide to knowing ourselves through understanding our history - Eddie gains insight into his place in the world, his questions about his responses to that world, and eventually an understanding about where he fits in in a world that has seemed alien.

Read this novel - for entertainment, for fresh words, for disarmingly beautiful story, and for restoration in the faith that we are a meaningful part of what was and, therefore, what will be.

I'm not much of a book reader, so I normally don't get excited over autobiographies. But I must say that I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting and enjoyed it immensely. It's well-written, humorous, and offers insightful information on Hollywood through Campbell's trials and tribulations of making ends meet in the business. He discusses not only the Evil Dead movies, but also touches on the range of his work from Crimewave to the Hercules/Xenia TV shows. Campbell mentions little of his personal life, which is actually refreshing..allowing fans to get a sense of who he is through his writing and his film/TV work. He comes across as a "down to earth" kind of guy, sort of as someone who'd be chronicling his experiences in a diary. Avid Bruce Campbell fans will enjoy this book, as well as mainstream book readers who are looking for something fun and entertaining to read...oh, and two high points of the book: tons of photos and drawings; and short chapters (I don't know how many times I lost interest in a book because the chapters were 20-30 pages long). Highly recommended...

With "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor," Bruce Campbell proves that his standard wit and charm, two of the qualities that make him such a delicious addition to any film or television project, translate just as well onto the printed page. The book gives a thorough look at Campbell's life, where he waxes nostalgic about everything from his early childhood and family life to his recent experience on the sets of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess." The detailed examinations of his work on the film "Evil Dead" will be a great pleasure to read for any Deadite, and the photographs that appear throughout the book offer a candid look at Campbell and friends, a nicely added touch that isn't seen in all autobiographies. Campbell's funny and irreverent look at life could make anyone laugh out loud, even those unfamiliar with his work, but this is certainly a must have for any fan.

Read this and then watch Evil Dead (again). It is unbelievable. I see the movie from a totally new perspective. Oh, that opening scene on the water is Bruce Campbell pushing Sam Raimi on a raft, there's where they rigged that lever to make that deadite look like she was floating in the air, there's where there's two people under the floor to look like scattered body parts wriggling. Behind the scenes stuff like that is amazing to me. Since obviously Evil Dead as Bruce Campbell's first movie gets the blow-by-blow treatment, I got the feeling that no other movie experience has ever been the same for him. The whole thing from financing to final edit was solely left to the filmmakers with total creative control. I wished I could've been a part of that hellish shoot for the craziness they must've experienced! And that's only one portion of the book. I work in a bookstore, and I read almost the entire thing on my shift one day, bought it and finished it the next day. I still re-read my favorite parts, and I usually don't like biographys. Buy it, read it, make Bruce Campbell sign it when he comes to your town, and cherish it.