A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (5)

Meg's father, an eminent physicist, has been missing for two years. One night a strange old woman, Mrs. Whatsit, appears, "blown off course" while she, along with Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, was tessering, or taking a shorcut through time and space.

They take Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their new friend Calvin, to rescue Dr. Murray, who is a prisoner on a planet ruled by IT, a giant pulsating brain that controls the minds of everyone on the planet. Charles Wallace also falls under IT's control, and when Meg finds her father, she discovers that he is not the invincible protector she thought he was. She must not only come to terms with this realization, but find a way to rescue them both.

I purchased this book because: So many people have mentioned it to me that I thought I would be crazy not to get it

Opening lines: It was a dark and stormy night. In her attic bedroom Margaret Murry, wrapped an old patchwork quilt, sat on the foot of her bed and watched the trees tossing in the frenzied lashing of the wind.

Oh my Golly Gosh why did it take me years to read this book ..... It is definitely one of my favourite all time reads ... And one book that I have to say is a must for every household to have on their bookshelf ... I have got brightly coloured post-its all over this book ... I just was so sad that it had to come to an end ....

You know you are reading a good book when you just get carried away with the storyline and the characters ... When you visualize everything in your head like a movie .... And the great thing about this book is that it is not only a great fantasy novel but also has great words of insight and lessons that we can all learn ... Can you tell that I loved this novel ...

It was written back in 1962 which shows that a great novel stands the test of time ... And that Madeleine the author was going to give up on publishing it because she kept getting rejected ... There is a lesson to be learnt to never give up ...

I love all the characters in this book especially the main character of Margaret ... This novel has such a powerful way of addressing issues and how to overcome them ... And to show that in the end 'LOVE' conquers all ... And one of the main issues in the novel is Conformity .... And it is something that most of us will suffer from one time or another ... But this novel teaches us that it is OK to be different and to be you !!

Where to begin with my favourite quotes because there are sooooooooo many: "Everybodys exactly alike" .. Meg replies triumphantly, " No! Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" pg 3

'But I think that with our human limitations we're not always able to understand the explanations. But you see, Meg, just because we don't understand doesn't mean that the explanation doesn't exist' Pg 53

'An old ass knows more than a young colt' Perez Pg 63

'I do not know everything; still many things I understand' Goethe Pg 113

'We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.' Pg 205

'Why do you think we have wars at home? Why do you think people get confused and unhappy? Because they all live their own, separate, individual lives. I've been trying to explain to you in the simplest possible way that on Camazotz individuals have been done away with. Camazoz in ONE mind. It's IT. And that's why every one's so happy and efficient' Pg 157

'Her father: 'We can't leave her. And we must stay together. We must not be afraid to take time' pg 182

'You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within?' .. You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you' Pg 219

With Madeleine's grand-daughter's help her stories have been re-published so we can appreciate them all over again as a new generation ... If you want to be transported into a different world this is definitely a novel for you and one that you will re-read again and again :) ..

I rate this book 5*****

Here's the movie clip .... I haven't watched this movie before and have been told that the book is far better ... No surprise there then ..

Books in the Time Series in order are:

1) A Wrinkle in Time

2) A Wind in the Door

3) A Swiftly Tilting Planet

4) Many Waters

5) An Acceptable Time

The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J K Rowling (5)

"You've never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?' said Ron incredulously. You're kidding, right?"

(Taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard played a crucial role in assisting Harry, aided by his friends Ron and Hermione, to finally defeat Lord Voldemort. Here, fans have the opportunity to read the tales in full.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is without doubt an exciting addition to the canon of Harry Potter. They also reveal the wonderful versatility of the author, as she tackles with relish the structure and varying tones of a classic fairy tale. There are five tales included in the book: 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', which is recounted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; plus four more - 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', and 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. Each tale has its own magical character and will variously bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, is introduced and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. Also included are notes on the stories by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book of children's stories by British author J. K. Rowling. It is a storybook of the same name mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book of the Harry Potter series.
The book was originally produced in a limited edition of only seven copies, each handwritten and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. One of them was offered for auction in late 2007 and was expected to sell for £50,000 ..... ultimately it was bought for £1.95 million by Amazon.com making the selling price the highest achieved at auction for a modern literary manuscript. ... The money earned at the auction of the book was donated to The Children's Voice charity campaign.

The book was published for the general public on 4 December 2008, with the proceeds going to the Children's High Level Group.

OK if you are a Harry Potter Fan which I am a huge Fan of you are going to love this book ... And if you are not and you like fantasy or Fairy Tales you are going to love it as well ...

My hubby got the book for me and Santa brought the book for my 11 year old daughter which she devoured in the space of an hour ...

It is a collection of 5 stories and each one has a special meaning ... I have to say I loved the first and second stories ... "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" and "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" After each story you have Professor Dumbledore give his insight on what he thinks the story means ...

I absolutely loved this book and it is in hard back as well ... Bonus .... It will be one that I will re-read again and again ....

J K Rowling is a wonderful writer and I am excited to see her next projects ...

I rate this book 5*****

Below is a video of J K Rowling reading from the book and talking to the kids in Edinburgh, Scotland where it was launched ... Enjoy ....

Dr. Seuss, Book of Bedtime Stories (5)

This paperback edition of the popular hardback combines three of Dr. Seuss's most endearing tales - "The Sleep Book", "Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose" and "Horton Hears a Who!" Written in humorous rhyme and illustrated with characteristically bold and colourful artwork by the master himself, this beautiful treasury is guaranteed to delight young children and bring sweet dreams! Dr. Seuss's "Sleep Book" is full of wonderful yawning creatures who spread sleep thoughts at bedtime - and much more fun than counting sheep - this charming story provides the perfect remedy for children who don't want to go to bed. "Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose Thidwick" is only too happy that his antlers "can be of some use" to a menagerie of animals who move in and make them their home. But soon his guests go too far and start to endanger the very life of their generous host. "Horton Hears a Who!": this enchanting tale tells the story of Horton the Elephant who comes to the rescue of the tiny inhabitants of a speck of dust - after all, "a person's a person, no matter how small".

Well I was totally brought up with Dr. Seuss as a child ... And as I have grown older with kids of my own I still love the stories ... They are the best and this book has three stories in one ....

The Sleep Book - Which I have lost count how many times I have read this ... When my daughter was little it was the only book that I read that actually put her to sleep and had me yawning as well !!!! A great book and children just love the characters and the pictures if they can stay awake that long to look at them ... ha

Thidwick the big-hearted moose - This story is one of my daughters favourites and she doesn't get tired of me reading it to her ... She thinks it is so funny ...

Horton Hears a Who - This is one of my sons favourite stories and was so excited that it got made into a movie .... It also teaches children the value of one and that everyone is important ...

I love the Dr Seuss range and it also helps with children's language skills as it is in a rhyming form ... Plus the extra bonus of being loads of fun ... Stories that I have read a thousand times but still never get tired of ....

I rate this Book 5 *****

Here is the trailer for Horton Hears a Who .... A funny movie if you haven't seen it ...

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (5)

Cornelia Funke is a German author who is the third most popular children's author in Germany, behind the infamous J.K. Rowling and R.L. Stine. Good company to be in. I enjoy reading a well-written juvenile, especially one that is over 500 pages long, because a book that long has the high probability of following Heinlein's dictum on writing juvenile novels: "Take a young protagonist, write the best story you can, and leave out all the sex and bad words, and you'll have a saleable juvenile." Happily, this book meets those qualifications.

Meggie is twelve-year-old girl whose father is a refurbisher of books. Her mother disappeared when she was three, but she and her father, whom she calls "Mo", have lived a pleasant life enriched by a love of books and reading. Then one day a disreputable looking character named Dustfinger appears in their lives, calls Mo by the name of Silvertongue and tells him that Capricorn is after him and wants the book.

With that, their lives are changed forever.

Inkheart is the name of the book Capricorn is looking for.

Always on the look out for a good children's book I picked this book up over 3 years ago now ... Every Christmas a tradition in our wee family we travel down to the bookstore in the City and pick up a new book. On this particular year INKHEART was what I picked ... I loved the cover and the caption "DARE TO READ IT ALOUD"

Every nite in our house my children and I would be on the edge of our seats waiting to see what would unfold .... I would only read a chapter but to honest (that rarely happened because we wanted to know what happened so more like a few chapters ... lol ) Cornelia's style of writing is lovely and the characters are brilliant ... Takes me back to my days as a child reading the likes of Narnia .... New worlds, New Things, New Hero's

The girl in the book Meggie is just so like able and her father is lovely ... There is a great mystery as to what this book of INKHEART is and what power that it has ... Who is Dustfinger and these other strange names?

What if you had the power to bring to life anything you read out aloud .....

There is going to be movie coming out next year which is based on the trilogy ... Abit disappointed that they are not making them into 3 movies because that would be brill but know .... And there is a huge spoiler alert if you haven't read all the three novels and just go and see the movie as they have majorly condensed it ... Anyway enjoy the trailer ...




I loved, Loved, Loved this book and will write my reviews later on the other books ...

Brilliant Children's Book ... And excellent Adult read as well ... lol

I rate this 5*****

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Turlane by Kate DiCamillo (5)

I am always on the look out for new childrens books and this one is lovely ... When I was in the bookstore one of the woman there recommended it me and told me that "you will end up loving and caring for this rabbit so much"

Heres an overview of the book:

"Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely.

And then, one day, he was lost.

Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline take us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again."

I read this book to both my children and they loved it plus it as the added bonus of a lovely message ... And I have to admit on both occassions I did cry ... So the lady in the bookstore was correct ... I cared and loved Edward quite abit ....

I rate this book 5*****