Book Description
he Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting, and bloody confrontations with ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins. For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridge-burners, and for Tattersail, their lone surviving mage, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze. However, the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand . . . Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order-an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent........2007-09-17
I just finished up "Gardens of the Moon" last night around 2:00am. I couldn't put the book down for about 4 hours, as anyone who has read this knows that the last 1/4 of the book grabs you, holds you, and doesn't let go. ;)
I've read many thousands of books in the scifi/fantasy genre over the last 30~ years and lately I've been stuck at trying to find a book that was a bit more "mature" than Eddings, Anthony, Jordan, etc.. and somehow, I ended up buying "Gardens of the Moon". I think that Stephen R. Donaldson wrote up a good review on the book/author and loving Donaldson as much as I do, I picked up this book.
I'm glad that I listened to my instincts (and that Donaldson wrote that review), because I got lucky enough to be pulled into Erikson's world. I am totally in love with his world, his characters, and the way that he writes. This is a very complex story and it's quite unlike most every other novel that I've read previous. As other people have noted, he doesn't hold your hand and he relies on your own intelligence to keep up with the fast pace of things in this world.
The way I see it, if you're pretty bright, you're going to catch onto the story, the characters, and the dense history of the world that is described to you in lush detail. I've been hoping to find a book that doesn't have to carry me through it as if I were an infant, but rather runs ahead of me so that I have to try and catch up, using my own faculties to learn and understand. I'm not much for the hand-holding philosophy; I've moved on and can figure things out on my own.
This book has everything that I've been looking for, so I am quite smitten with it. I guess that's why I picked up the rest of the books in this series today at lunch. I actually think the newest book comes out tomorrow, so I'd better get a move on and get to some hardcore reading. :)
I absolutely recommend this book without any reservation at all. From what I've read, the rest of the books are even better. I can't wait for work to be done so that I can go home and start on book #2.. ;)
This is epic fantasy at its peak, don't miss this series.......2007-09-14
I stumbled upon Erikson while reading some reviews for RR Martin and thought I would try his writing. The Gardens of the Moon is a bit slow to start but once it starts rolling it is a great read. Of course it is the start of 10 books so it had a lot of ground to cover and lots of history to explain because Erikson's world is fantastic and the best world building I have ever read.
His world is rich and believable with long histories, cultures, people, gods and beings of all flavors. Without the fairytale style elves and dwarfs and other fantasy creatures we are all used to. He does draw on some of the races from typical of fantasy but he recreates them into a whole new form. There are others that are completely his invention such as the T'Lan Imass.
Currently I am on book 4 and each book has been very good and I look forward to the next 6 books.
Erikson really is understated in the fantasy market and that is just a shame because he is a master of the genre. If you like high/epic series fantasy then you need look no further then right here. It starts a little slow but it never lets up from there.
Exciting intro of what is shaping to be a great series.......2007-09-13
I purchased this book as Eriksons work was likened to GRRM. Although Gardens of the Moon is not as great as game of thrones was, it still is one of the top fantasy novels to have recently come out. The characters are deep, the storyline intertwined, and the descriptions are unbelievable. While Erikson is not super similar to GRRM, he still creates a great world and is highly recommended for those searching for their next fantasy series to start.
Totally utterly confused.........2007-08-19
Some people in the reviews seem to be able to get this book effortlessly but i keep asking myself "Huh?" throughout the entire book. Yeah I undertstand the main plot but none of the characters interest me enoguh to make me remeber who or what they are. I kept wondering if this was the first book in the series because erikson, imo, doesnt explain his world good enough in a debut novel to the reader. I kept wondeirng if i was missing information trhoughout the book... i dont know if ill read the next book or try to look for another book
Reads like a overblown D&D game.......2007-07-16
After hearing comparisons to GRRM's series "A Song of Fire and Ice" I jumped on this book given I love military and fantasy settings. The only thing that comes close to GRRM in this book is length and an attempt at creating an interesting historical fantasy world. Too bad the author wrote a rather droll, generic fantasy adventure with cut out characters to introduce us.
The Battles I read were unexciting/confusing for a military novel involving an over-reliance on wizards who seem to function like artilery pieces, The magic used was also vague(what is "waves of magic"?) and everyone has apparently has access to "a lost spell for over 400 years" or "Powerful, rare skill of _____ that I can pull out in a jam". Heck, within the first 75 pages alone, one character is resurrected after dying not once, but twice! Of course, someone used a "spell that has been lost since _____"....apparently resurrection spells went out of style despite the ease in casting them. Characters were not only flat, generic, and loosely described, but were introduced at rapid speed.....the author helps by giving us a a few pages of character listings and one sentence description for them.....too bad it's like 50+ people of which many are unimportant. The biggest crime is that unlike most generic fantasy drivel, it parades around as if this is an epic series rivaling the best in the genre. Nothing is worse than an OK story expanded into an epic.
I suppose if you think every Dungeons and Dragons inspired novel is a decent read, you'd very much like this book. It's basically a well written generic fantasy story turned into an epic 10 book series. If your looking for a work of fantasy that is high quality and worthy of critical praise, look elsewhere.
Average customer rating:
- A good book
- Beautiful.
- Best Book Ever!!!
- Not the best, but really close
- Not as good as "Annie"
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Good Moon Rising
Nancy Garden
Manufacturer: Backinprint.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Fiction | Emotions & Feelings | Social Situations | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Fiction | City Life | Where We Live | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
Garden, Nancy | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0595347673 |
Amazon.com
Nancy Garden's
Annie on My Mind is the classic lesbian young adult novel. It is so truthful and honest, it has been banned from many school libraries and even publicly burned in Kansas City. Her newest novel,
Good Moon Rising, is also about a young teenage lesbian and is as moving and startling as
Annie. Jan and Kerry are two aspiring actresses in high school. When they begin working on a production of The Crucible -- not coincidentally about another kind of witchhunt -- they find that they are at the center of a social and academic controversy. As always, Garden understands the problems of young people, the prevalence of social homophobia, and pain of being an outcast.
Good Moon Rising is mandatory reading for anyone interested in the problems faced by gay youth today, or for that matter, the problems faced by gay people everywhere.
Book Description
Lambda Literary Award winner Good Moon Rising is about two young women who fall in love while rehearsing a school play, realize they're gay, and resist a homophobic campaign against them. Good Moon Rising, both a New York Public Library Book for the Teenage and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, “takes us into the dynamics of homophobia” (Horn Book). “
Garden, who gave us one of the first honest, sensitive portrayals of two young women in love in the brilliant Anne On My Mind, Farrar, 1982, offers us another thought-provoking story of homosexual love.”—Voya
Customer Reviews:
A good book.......2007-09-14
I think that Nancy Garden has done it again. Though this book is not as good as Annie On My Mind, I think that the two books have alot of the same qualities. "Good Moon Rising" is about two young women who fall in love while they are rehearsing a school play, realize they are gay, and resist a homophobia campaign against them. Jan and Kerry are the two young women, they don't care about each other that much at first. Kerry gets the part Jan wanted; But Jan soon warms up to her when she is still apart of the play. They soon discover they are falling in love and dealing with the fact that they are gay, not an easy thing for the two teens. Then the homophobia campaign against them begins. They deal with this as best as they can; If you want to know if they make it to the end still together I recommend that you read the book.
Beautiful........2005-06-29
I checked Good Moon Rising out from my library yesterday. It took me less than 3 hours to read, I found it was impossible to put down. Jan and Kerry are believable, well-characterized girls. Some of the best aspects of this book were: the other students' reactions once a relationship between the girls was suspected, Kerry's uncertainty about moving away to make things easier, and the involvement of the Crucible and Mrs. Nicholson providing another part of the plot line. Their romance is true to life, and touching. The situations and harrassment that occurs are also very believable. One thing I think Nancy Garden could have done better would have been to describe their evolving platonic relationship, before the night at the movies. It seemed to be that their love came about abruptly, when a bit of unexplained time has, in fact, elapsed. Good Moon Rising is, nonetheless, an amazing book. I would reccomend this to anyone- straight, lesbian, gay, or bisexual.
Best Book Ever!!!.......2004-04-25
(...) Good Moon Rising really shows this through the author's wonderful development of Kerry and Jan, as well as the characters around them. They show a lesbian relationship as it really is - not really thinking of it as that, but just knowing that they are in love and that that is what matters. Some of the feelings they share are so beautifully described that I cried. I can't really describe the feelings I get from the story, the facts that move you, make you want to embrace Jan and Kerry with all of your love and be best friends forever. The characters seemed alive for me, the story beautiful, so real. Now reading the other reviews, I guess I have to go read Annie on my Mind now!!!
Not the best, but really close.......2004-04-16
Good Moon Rising was almost as good as Annie On My Mind, almost but not quite. It also doesn't foucs just on the relationship between Jan and Kerry. It focuses on Jan's life as it goes on and the problems they face when the other kids at school find out. I was so dissapointed for a while, thinking that Kerry actually would move away because it was so hard on her. But the ending...the ending was sweet. Nancy Garden lived up to my expectations for sure.
Not as good as "Annie".......2003-05-22
But a worthwhile read. The harassment the girls experience because of their suspected relationship is realistic and heartbreaking. The bravery required to come out is heartening. This is a fine novel for both gay and straight teens to read to gain better understanding of the difficulties of being gay in America. We need more books like this!
Product Description
The monthly guide to Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars. Helps people in the many walks of life make a connection to the celestial bodies. The calendar has many practical applications such as biodynamic gardening, weather forecasting, sky watching and understanding Moon cycles. Since ancient times it has been known that what happens above impacts on what happens on the Earth below. The calendar includes a new translation of Rudolf Steiner's Soul Calendar that references a verse to every week of the year. By relating your life to the unfolding celestial movements, you may discover certain patterns. For example many people s moods are sensitive to the Moon phases and certain planetary aspects can have a bearing on the human psyche as well as plant growth. By keeping these records one can discover definite personal patterns and be proactive with them.
Book Description
The moon has long been a symbol of fertility. Farmers know that plants are keenly attuned to the basic cycles of the heavens, and, just like the tides and rainfall, respond to changes in the rhythms of the moon. Farmers have practiced the technique of planting and working the soil according to the lunar cycles for centuries. Today, scientific experiments and the new bio-dynamic farmers have verified the ancient theory that plants respond to changes in the moon’s magnetic field and that this has a dynamic effect on their growth.
In this informative primer on the art of gardening by the moon, easy-to-follow directions include simple charts, a three-year planting table, and a list of commonly grown plants and how they are affected by lunar cycles. Also included are four seed packets containing Nasturtium, Radish, Spinach, and Squash, representing the four essential elements – Air, Earth, Water, and Fire. Each plant is discussed with advice on sowing and growing and simple recipes for each. Complete with fascinating history and tips to ensure success, The Lunar Garden is a common-sense guide to implementing these ancient horticultural traditions in your own garden—whatever the size.
Customer Reviews:
Buyer Beware! Expired Calendar: only covers '01-'03.......2007-01-25
I was extremely disappointed in this book...the calendar (the majority of the book) covers '01-'03....so, I returned it.
the rest of the very basic info can be found online: [...]
I am upset by the fact that the expired calendar is not mentioned, making the description misleading...
I guess I have to make sure to check publishing dates in the future.
Not what I expected.......2006-07-14
This book was just "alright"
I love the idea of the book. It did have some interesting facts, but being a short book to begin with I was disappointed to find that more than half of the book was a lunar planting calender that goes from 2000-2003. Hello, it's 2006. Being that the calender was more than half of the book I think that some sort of perpetual calender would have been more appropriate.
I think that you might find more of what you are looking for in another book.
When I get a new book, it is like Christmas morning. I cannot wait for the kids to go to bed to dive into the book. I was disappointed that I read the entire book in about 1/2 hour.
It is more like a magazine article.
Lovely Book! (And you get free seeds!).......2002-05-10
This small book is a lovely guide for people who want to start their own garden that grows by the light of the moon. You even get a free package of seeds with the book!
I highly recommend this book to all gardeners and flower lovers who want to be unique and try something different!
Average customer rating:
- A tarot from my childhood dreams
- For the fantastical & young heart
- A very feminine, whimsical deck.
- Reality Wrapped Within Fantasy
- Cute, quite cute, but...
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Tarot Of A Moon Garden Cards
Manufacturer: US Games Systems Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards
Tarot | Divination | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Product Features:
ASIN: 0880797053 |
Product Description
By Karen Marie Sweikhardt. An imaginative deck that weaves traditional tarot symbolism, mythic expression, elemental magic, and reflective phases of lunar energy into a tapestried focus for seer and seeker alike.
Customer Reviews:
A tarot from my childhood dreams.......2000-07-28
I fell in love with the beauty of these cards in a bookstore. I raised an eyebrow at first when I saw that they were populated by dragons and unicorns and other denizens of fairy tales, but this is not a reason to look down on these cards. When we read tarot, we tap into our subconscious mind for answers. Our subconscious minds are full of mythical beasts like unicorns. If they weren't galloping around in the collective unconscious, there wouldn't be tales about them going back to Biblical times. Plus, the familiarity we have with such animals from childhood helps us interpret them. When Sweikhardt says that dragons represent danger and temptation, we intuitively understand! When we see a castle on the horizon in a card, just visible through a mire of forest, we remember Sleeping Beauty's prince and his determination. Fairy tale images may seem childish on the surface, but they stir up deep currents within us. And when your subconscious is fully involved, you're often going to get an eerily accurate reading.
One touch I love in these cards, especially as a witch and a worshipper of the moon goddess in her phases, is that almost every card in the deck has a moon somewhere in the scene. "Positive" cards, those which indicate growth and joy, tend to have waxing moons on them. The Ten of Swords, Death, and other traditionally "negative" cards bear a waning crescent. Many Major Arcana and cards indicating major forces at work have a full moon illuminating the scene. And what's even more fun: When the cards are reversed, a waxing moon becomes a waning moon and vice versa, showing the reversal of the energy the card represents!
I love this deck. It's not for everyone. If you sneer at anything that smacks of your childhood dreams, this deck is not for you. If you want to tap into the power of those old dreams, give it a try.
For the fantastical & young heart.......2000-03-25
This deck is definately one to please the young at heart and lover of faeries, the moon and other mythical things. It's symbolism is very helpful when doing readings, and as lovely and beautiful as it is, it does have a serious approach where needed. Without being explicit or morbose. I wouldn't recomend this deck for those who bend towards the "Serious" type of decks. But certainly for those who love beautiful and fantastical art.
A very feminine, whimsical deck........1999-11-06
This deck is incredibly feminine. The colors are more pastels, with lots of pinks and purples. Faeries, dolphins, unicorns, etc. abound, but are actually quite pleasing to those of us who adore those creatures. I have found this deck to be incredibly accurate. Although it wasn't my first deck, it was the first deck I became serious about. I've had it for at least three or four years, and I actually became quite popular for my accurate readings with this lovely deck. It's fairly easy to work with, and the cards are an appropriate size. The artwork seemed a bit childish to me at first, but it really has a feeling of fantasy that fits it. I recommend it for collectors and those who have a special fondness (passion, perhaps?) for faeries, unicorns, dragons, etc.
Reality Wrapped Within Fantasy.......1999-10-10
I love this deck! While it depicts a world of fantasy, it recognizes that we must live in the "real" world.
The symbolism of this deck is not traditional. As I am an "alternative" reader, I find these symbols very easy to interpret. While the artwork doesn't show graphic scenes of death and destruction (ie: 10 of Swords), it doesn't ignore the harsher realities of life.
This is an advanced deck, and not generally a good choice for beginners. However, I find this deck easy to read, very effective, and extremely accurate. Don't hesitate to add it to your collection!
Cute, quite cute, but..........1999-02-18
Just *too* cute. One could probably divine with this deck - most decks do work, FWIW - but the overly-cute "art" turned my stomach rather quickly. I traded this one for the Halloween Tarot - now there's a deck which is cute, but serious! FWIW - I liked the dragonflies as well... the best thing about this deck
Book Description
An imaginative deck and book set that weaves tradtional tarot symbolism, mythic expression, elemental magic, and reflective phases of lunar energy into a tapestried focus for seer and seeker alike.
Customer Reviews:
Enchanting, Lush, Colorful, Delightful.......2007-02-01
There is something tremendously likeable and attractive about these images -- the garden in moonlight is a fantastic concept and these cards really do take one back to a time of childish delight. While I can see how the term "whimsical" could be used to describe this deck -- I much prefer ENCHANTING -- like an enchanted forest. I also much prefer these to the Hansen-Roberts and even the Revelations Tarot although there is a similarity in feel with the latter. (The design on the card back is also one of the more beautiful/interesting designs I've seen.)
Pretty, but not my favorite.......2006-07-21
I am currently using this deck (as I need to replace my Quest deck), and while the artwork is cute, fanciful, and dreamlike...
I find this deck somewhat difficult to read with, because the images lack a good symbolic foundation. As someone who is still learning Tarot (I've been reading just over 2 years now), I haven't 'memorized' each and every single card meaning, and therefore still rely on the image on the cards before me to get the intuitive juices flowing (since I also don't use any books in my readings anymore), and this deck, while at first stirring the imagination (upon simply seeing the cards for the first time) doesn't really lead to any definite interpretation when used in readings (the real point of the cards).
On one hand, I'd like to say this could be a good deck for children interested in Tarot, but on the other, I think that might be a bad idea, since it's unlikely they'll actually learn anything about the meanings of the Tarot and just end up having a pretty deck of cards...
I know there are many fans of this deck out there, and perhaps in time I will be able to become one of them, after all, the main reason I ended up with this deck to begin with is I had a couple of different friends telling me how much they loved it!
About the book: Even though I'm not crazy about the deck itself, I do really like the book! For each card there is a meditation, ritual, spell, and/or recipe related to that specific card, and this is the only Tarot deck companion book I've seen with this particular feature, thus far. Also, the author's insights into how she came up with the ideas for the artwork, style, and theme of the cards (which is all her own, she created the deck, did the artwork, and wrote the book, another rare find in Tarot decks) is very nice, particularly because it all started with a beautiful poem (included in the book) and I like a lot of her interpretations for the cards...
I really want to like this deck, and hope some day I will, but for now, I just want some cards I can successfully do READINGS with!
Enchanting Images for Better than Average Tarot Deck.......2006-03-26
As a dealer of occult merchandise I have had the opportunity to view many decks and this deck, while not the best, is certainly one of the better ones available. The esoteric imagery of the major arcana is largely preserved - we see the High Priestess seated between the black and white columns, holding the tora with the moon at her feet. The artist also incorporates her own interpretations - the Empress depicted as fairy. Larger liberties are taken with the minor arcana, but I find this to be of little consequence, as many highly regarded traditional decks leave these cards without any pictorial illustration. Whether you like or dislike these interpretations depends entirely on individual preference; some decks resonate more strongly with certain personalities than others. If you have an opportunity to see the actual cards before buying I recommend that you do; the finer enchanting aspects of the paint colors that bleed into each other at the edges (water-color I imagine), make the cards visually more striking than photographic images portray. Of course, that may not be to you're liking either, which is all the more reason to view them before buying.
Beautiful tarot cards.......2006-02-07
This was the first tarot deck I ever owned and in fact, these were the first tarot cards I ever encountered. A friend of mine gave them to me as a Christams gift. He was an expert tarot reader and somehow saw in me a budding intuitive full of potential (way before I had that realization myself). he gave me this deck as he thought that it would be an excellent starting point for a beginner: the cards are beautiful, very feminine, very "lunar" (obviously) and very fairylike. I had never encountered the Tarot before, so these cards were the doorway through which that initiation occured, in some ways my very first step into the intuitive world. Because of these reasons, I am very fond of these cards, even if I moved on to other , probably better decks a long time ago.
The major limitation in these cards is that the symbolism present in most tarot cards is not as clearly drawn out. They are not as precise symbolically as decks such as the Raider-Waite tarot or the Morgan-Greer deck. However, since I experienced using these as a beginner, I found that they were excellent for trigering psychic ability. I found that each time I sat with these cards, I felt as if I could walk through them into another world. Some of the "symbolic" details in the cards were so vague that I was forced to rely much more on my inner "sight", than on traditional interpretation. I am not sure that that was such a bad thing. I personally benefited from the process.
So, if you are looking for a very "traditional" and symbolically explicit deck, this one will not do. But if you a looking for a very beautiful feminine dreamy set of cards to help you tune into the subtle realms of reality, you might find great satisfaction in these tarot cards. I personally enjoyed them very much.
Beautiful and Deep.......2005-11-19
This deck is the prettiest deck I've ever personally found. Some people think the artwork doesn't portray the meaning of the card as well as could. Not true! In the book is described the full meaning of the behind the imagery on the card. Although, greater care is taken to describe the Major Arcana than Minor Arcana. The more you read the the "Rendering" the more you'll pick up with each reading.
The book has three sections. The Rendering, the Reading and the Ritual. I think it's equally as important to read the rendering every time same as the reading. It can help clarify the reading, and allow you to draw deeper connections. I think the rituals are interesting, but I don't know great they are to use as I've never tried any.
This was the deck I learned off of. So having used it for over 5 years I understand the deck well. But I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Often times connections are to astrology, chakras and runes, and the person doing the reading needs some understanding of pagan or wiccan religion as there is much mention of the goddess and reincarnations which I wasn't raised to understand by my religion.
But I think the depth makes this deck fabulous for someone with experience, or for someone truly serious about getting deep information. It can easy to be thrown by big, strange words in the renderings and readings which one is unfamiliar with. But this is definitely an amazing deck for anyone willing to put the necessary focus and effort into understanding it.
Average customer rating:
- Not-exactly-a-kid review.....I am a freshman and an AVID reader.
- A truly profound and beautifully told story
- I liked this book because it was very magical and exciting.
- Beautifully written
- a disappointment if you love Pyle's Robin Hood
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The Garden Behind The Moon
Howard Pyle
Manufacturer: Starscape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0765342421 |
Book Description
In the fishing village where he lives, David sits alone by the shore at night, watching the path of light that stretches across the sea until it almost touches the moon. Wondering, Where does it go? Then one day he hears a voice of the Moon-Angel.Why not try the moon-path tonight?As David will discover, the glimmering moonlit path leads to a magical world behind the moon-a beautiful garden. And golden riches and a great flying horse to whisk him back to earth. But first he will have to battle a giant.
Customer Reviews:
Not-exactly-a-kid review.....I am a freshman and an AVID reader........2006-03-26
I really did not like this book, for the simple fact that it is very short, with too much happening. It never goes into much detail, just sort of skims over everything lightly touching on the main points. When I read it I felt like I was in a haze, nothing really stood out, so basically it is less than it's cracked up to be.
A truly profound and beautifully told story.......2005-07-15
I bought this book for my son after discovering and enjoying Howard Pyle's stories of King Arthur. The Garden Behind the Moon is without question the best children's book I have ever read. It teaches some important concepts in a way that young children can understand: the reason why David cannot remain in the moon garden, how and why David must do the task he was sent to do, how David completes the difficult but necessary transition from little boy to grown man and how he ultimately brings the Know-All book containing its wisdom about the greatest sorrow and greatest joy to earth.
This book along with the Wonder Clock and the King Arthur stories have made my son and I Howard Pyle fans. Today's books for children are disappointing in comparison.
I liked this book because it was very magical and exciting........2004-07-07
Every night in the fishing village where he lives eleven-year-old David, a moon calf, sits alone by the shore watching the path of light that stretches across the sea until it almost touches the moon. Wondering where it goes, he decides to talk to Hans Krout, the cobbler, about it and learns that the cobbler has been out on the moon path himself. That same night Hans takes him to the shore and ties to teach him how to cross but David gets scared and falls into the water. Then one day he hears the voice of the Moon Angel down by the shore. Moon Angel makes people happy when they're sad, but he also takes something away from them. He tells David that he, Moon Angel, is the Master Cobbler, and David should have Hans bring him to the moon path again. That same night Hans and David make another trip down to the moon path, and this time David crosses it. Once he's on the other side he discovers that the path leads to a magical world behind the moon where David's adventure begins.
When he enters the magical world, the first thing he discovers is the Moon House where the Man in the Moon lives. It's dark and quiet, and every time David looks out a window, he sees something different. A few days later he discovers the Moon Garden. It's a peaceful place with a lot of children living in it. The children begin talking and playing with David, and they don't make fun of him like the children in the village where he lives, because they're all moon calves too. He leaves the Moon Garden, but the Man in the Moon decides that David will be allowed to go there for three days every month. During one of his visits he meets a girl named Phyllis, and they start to become really good friends. They do everything together. But five months later, the guardian of the children tells David that he can't come to the Moon Garden again because he will soon be 12 years old. Children can't live there once they're 12 years old because they have to learn how to become a grown man or woman. She also tells him that Phyllis is a princess, and that he was really sent there to find the Wonder Box and the Know All Book in order to bring them back to the brown earth again. The guardian says he must first battle a giant and then see an old woman in a red petticoat, who will tell him what to do next. Then while in the Moon House one day, David sees the Moon Angel, and passes behind him.
Now David finds himself on the shore of the sea ten years in the future as a grown man. He goes to the old woman's cottage and learns that Adam and Eve lived in the Moon Garden, where the Moon Angel gave them the Wonder Box. He told them that it held the greatest joy in the world, the Know All Book, but not to open the box because, if they do, sorrow will come upon them. However, a few days later they opened it and end up captives of the Iron Giant in his Iron Castle. In order for David to find the Wonder Box and the Know All Book, he'll have to travel to the Iron Castle too, but he'll have to outsmart the giant in order to succeed. Will David win the battle, and get the Wonder Box and the Know All Book back to the brown earth?
I liked this book because it was very magical and exciting. If I had been David, I would have been sad to leave the Moon Garden, and scared to battle the giant. If you enjoy reading books about magical places, THE GARDEN BEHIND THE MOON is an excellent choice!
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Beautifully written.......2004-06-11
I fell in love with this book as a child and have re-read it as an adult. It hasn't lost it's charm! The review below is very critical, but one must understand the time period of the writing. The story is dreamy and fantastical, which is what makes the book such a pleasure to read over and over again. Recommended for all age groups.
a disappointment if you love Pyle's Robin Hood.......2003-05-29
I've always loved Pyle's The Merrie Adventures of Robin Hood and was disappointed in how inferior this book is. [...]BR> I have one major and several minor objections. The big one is the (typically Victorian?) view he presents of Death as good and kind. It appears from the dedication that he was trying to comfort himself for the death of a young son, but I still think death needs to be recognized as an enemy.
Minor annoyances include the disjointedness of the plot until halfway through, the simplistic, portentous language (with repitition of such phrases as "this is not nonsense after all"), and addressing the reader as "little child". (I'm middle-aged and find this last merely annoying - an older child would probably hate it.)
There are some good things - the idea that seemingly foolish, dreamy people may be wiser than more businesslike ones, the lyrical beauty of some passages, the fairy tale that comprises the second half, and the plot twist at the end. In one place he may even be adapting the Highland legend of the washer woman foretelling disaster in battle to a totally new use, which would be cool - then again it may be a co-incidence.
African American readers may object to a rather patronizing but well-meant story about a slave woman, who is repeatedly called a "poor black woman". He does describe the horrors of the slave trade (though not too graphically for children over 7 or so) if you can stand the syrup.
Extreme romantics may like this book, but I didn't much. It's gloppy.
Customer Reviews:
nice little booklet.......2003-09-08
First know that this is a really short little booklet of only 31 pages so you'll probably want to get another book to compliment it (that's my only reason for 4 stars). It covers the basics - has 7 pages on designing a moon garden which really isn't any different from planning any other garden but does have some nice drawings of how to make the garden more friendly to the night visitors. It has a few pages on supplemental lighting in case you want to add some of that and some info on gazing balls etc. Pages 18-30 talk to specific plants and then the last pages are on container moon gardens. Overall an interesting introduction but I was left looking for more.
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