Jonathan Rand is writing a series of kids books called Michigan Chillers. They all take place in Michigan towns. The kids here love them. The chapters are short - easy to read aloud to younger kids. My 8 year old is reading them herself and I'm reading them to my 6 year old. They both love them. They aren't really scary, which is good but they are very suspenseful - real cliff-hangers. Highly recommend!

if you like Harry potter and fantasy stuff like that then, i highly recommend this book and the rest in the series. here is a brief summary of the book: Sandy and her bro get eaten by a tree, and have to find the sacred stone key on skull mountain to go home and free all the people in a fantasy world. These books have great names of places and stuff, and i think that you should read this book.

This is a must have. Not only are the recipes out of this world, but the pictures give the book an added zing. I have given many of them out as gifts and have heard nothing but rave reviews.

Ive bought a number of copies to give at bachelorette parties, they have been a hoot. The book also has great party recipes which Ive used for many gatherings. A definite Keeper

I'm absolutely in love with this book! The dynamics of Sara and Nick's relationship kept the pages turning faster than I wanted them to. I laughed, but was intrigued to the very end (which I didn't want to happen). I think I'll just have to read it again... unless of course, there will be a sequel. Ha!
This was great reading and I highly recommend it. Great job, Ms. Thomason!

Fort Lauderdale CPA Sara Crawford learns that she has inherited Thorne Island on the Ohio side of Lake Erie from her Aunt Millie who she has not seen in fifteen years. Her aunt's Cleveland based attorney admits he has not seen the property, but the brochure he sent her makes it look wonderful. Sara changes her post April 15th vacation plans from Aruba to Ohio.

However, the island is nothing like the brochure, as the Cozy Cove Inn needs plenty of work to become habitable though four men live there. Apparently her aunt leased rooms to these recluses for twenty-five years at one hundred dollars per person. Though she wonders how these gents conned her aunt, to her surprise she finds one of the hermits Nick Bass quite attractive and he reciprocates. However, as they squabble and fall in love, he keeps a few secrets about his past from her including his true identity fearing that once she learns the truth it could end their relationship which was built without trust.

THE MEN OF THORNE ISLAND is an amusing romance with serious undertones that will grip the audience through the lead couple, the other three rascally hermits, additional secondary characters, and a yellow VW Bug. The story line provides the audience with delightful dialogue often humorous, yet it continually reminds the audience that everyone needs somebody to need them. Cynthia Thomason writes a contemporary romance that will turn the sub-genre into hermits for a few hours.

Harriet Klausner

Glancing through Milo and the Mysterious Island was intriguing. Written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, the book takes a new approach to children's literature: you get to decide what ending the book should have. You can opt for a happy or sad ending, depending on which you prefer. Milo and his friends embark on a journey, taking their magic stones, to find the mysterious island with striped mice. Things take a twist in each ending as the mice struggle with an unfamiliar culture and don't always make the right decision.

What first caught my eye about this book were the illustrations. Not only are they bright and colorful, but the magic stones actually seem to glow on the page. The reason for this is that the stones are done in a sort-of gold holographic material that jumps off the page. However, as I read, the book certainly had meaning as well.

Although the book has small words and is easy to read, the book packs a punch with its thought-provoking story. As the book progresses and you are given a decision as to which ending to read, a child is taught a valuable lesson. The book demonstrates on a child's level what happens when we jump to conclusions about other cultures. It demonstrates how unfair and mean we can sometimes be. On the other hand, the book also pushes the child into making a much more difficult decision: accepting and learning from other cultures.

This book is a terrific addition to children's literature. Not only are the illustrations visually enticing but the story itself holds value beyond its easily understandable words.

I love this book! I have read this book to my two toddlers, and plan to read it to my fourth grade students. I enjoyed the two different endings that are available. I always have to read both. This book is wonderful to help children talk about differences among people. In life we have two choices, we can embrace differences and learn from them or we can be fearful of differences. This book provides many opportunities for discussions with children on a very important topic, differences. Differences come in the form of disablities, languages, culture, and appearances. This story is fun to read with younger children and great for discussions with older children and even adults. This is a must read!

Having had the opportunity to live on Molokai and experience its beauty and power first hand, this book is the only work that I've seen that captures so much of Molokai's essence. Rik's aloha and connectedness to this land and her people shines through each and every picture. And the words accompanying the pictures are genuine and heartfelt.

So many Molokai people and special places are immortalized in his pictures including slack key guitarist Kelii Mawae, fisherman extraordinaire and noni farmer. I read and gaze at this book over and over and never tire of it. It reconnects me with Molokai.

Enjoy! And if you are interested in ancient history of this powerful place, I suggest 'Tales from the Night Rainbow' by Pali Jae Lee and Koko Willis.

Moloka`i, An Island In Time is a gorgeously photographed and beautifully designed art book depicting the Hawaiian island of Molokai in a way that nothing before this ever has. The design is by Robin Rickabaugh, who some might remember as the guiding force behind the stunning "Oregon Rainbow" magazine of the 1970s.Photos from this book were excerpted by National Geographic Magazine for an article on Molokai in the 1980s.Precious little has been published about this amazing island, and travel magazine articles to this day do not even give readers a glimpse of what Richard Cooke reveals in this wonderful book.Indeed, Molokai, An Island In Time was the inspiration behind my own book, Driving & Discovering Maui and Molokai. Up until I found Richard's book, I had no idea that Molokai was such a beautiful destination.

It is a very long time since I've read a mystery novel with so stunning an opening, and what is so good about this mystery, is that it fulfills that promise: it is fast moving and filled with new incidents throughout. The geographical and chronological axes are also unusually wide and well-researched: from Mackinaw to Hawaii and from WWII and Finland's history to the present day. Sense of place is wonderfully conveyed, and the contrasts between the physical characteristics and differing life-styles of Mackinac and Oahu are portrayed with a wealth of convincing detail and local color. I loved this novel; it is gripping and compelling from page 1 to page 238. I will certainly read it again."

Ronald Lewis has written a wonderful novel with intrigue and mystery. He takes the reader from Mackinaw Island to Hawaii, complete with wonderful descriptions of the locations. You can tell that he has actually traveled to the places he writes about. A fun read!

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the way it was laid out in chronological order. It was easy to pick up and read for a few minutes, without getting so engrossed you couldn't leave. (But if you had a lot of time to spend, you could get engrossed then!) Each month is approximately 2 pages, and includes information on different scenarios--The Bounty, Tahiti, Pitcairn, Bligh's launch, England--wherever there is something important happening at the time that is known about, all of it is included. The author's views are presented in a manner which lets you know they are his views only, but are done in a very non-assuming way. This book is pleasant,exciting and very informational--it really draws everything together. Highly recommended!!!...

Dr. Sven Wahlroos' book "Mutiny and Romance in the South Seas" provides a careful review of the Bounty mutiny without taking any sides. His analysis exposes the underlying tensions that ultimately led to the undoing of everyone involved. Reading this book cannot help but be an enriching experience for anyone who has pondered the situations that led to Bligh's epic voyage in an open boat and Christian's sad end on Pitcairn.

"My Father's Island" captures the sense of adventure, wonder, and fear of pioneer life on the Galapagos. The story is both humorous and tragic, and the book is compelling enough to read in one sitting.

"My Father's Island" is absolutely delightful. The book includes a very amusing view of cultural differences as seen by young Johanna; first between America and Quito, Ecuador and then between civilized Quito and the rugged pioneer lifestyle required just a few decades ago in the Galapagos.

The flora and fauna of the islands are more accurately named and described here than in the book "Floreanna." I recommend "My Father's Island" over "Floreanna" for providing more information on the islands, the lifestyle and for a more compelling story.

I now feel that I have a better idea of the hardships and challenges faced by the early settlers to the Galapagos. And, to top it off real life love stories are included, too!

I am looking forward to Johanna Angermeyer's next book.

In the early 1900's Katherine Routledge sailed from England to Easter Island on the schooner 'Mana', leading a group of experts on the first modern day scientific expedition to uncover the secrets of the island. This book is a first-hand account of the expedition. It includes lots of detail on the famous stone statues (moai), the native people & their legends, the mysterious script (rongo-rongo), the bird cult, and much more. Routledge even managed to learn the local language in the hope that interviewing the natives would shed some light on the island's prehistory.

The book is well written and fun to read. It includes lots of fine illustrations, including photos and drawings, depicting the most important sites. It is definately a must-read for visitors to the island, or just for anyone interested in Easter Island and its strange history.

I fancy the image of Katherine Routledge as a kind of Indiana Jones of the feminine persuasion. Certainly she was adventurous for a woman of the early part of the century; just getting to the island in a yacht ranks as a mildly swashbuckling achievement. There are also some references in the book that she had already been to East Africa, perhaps before the turn of the century, although I have been unable to find further information on this.

The Mystery of Easter Island was originally published in 1919, based upon the research of an English lady, Katherine Routledge, who lived on the island in 1914-15. She learned the Rapanui language and interviewed all the old people she could find who still remembered the past. The more we now know about the archaeology of Easter Island, the better this material looks. Routledge did excavations, camped out all over the island and accumulated vast quantities of research material. A 'must read' for someone going to Easter Island.

This illustrated sketchbook is simply charming. Jaeger's magical talent and keen eye celebrate everyday yet rich Nantucket island scenes. The illustrations are a treat to behold, whimsical, fairy-like and colorful. The sketchbook brings reminiscences of youth and simpler times, capturing the essence of summer days long ago. It is a wonderful keepsake for those who have visited Nantucket, dream of visiting some day, or those who miss the beauty of the New England summer. This book is an especially thoughtful gift for a grandmother, sister or childhood friend. What a delightful treasure.

I grew up with Gretchen. She is a very talented person. I just sat poolside with her last Friday. She is an amazing talent.