The Cereal Box Mystery (Boxcar Children)

The Cereal Box Mystery (Boxcar Children)
Average customer rating:

The Cereal Box Mystery

More about the mystery than about the kids who solve it

Not one of her best

The Cereal Box Mystery (Boxcar Children)
Gertrude Chandler Warner
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
The Boxcar Children | Mystery & Detective | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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The Mystery at Peacock Hall (Boxcar Children Mysteries)

The Movie Star Mystery (Boxcar Children Mysteries)

The Mystery of the Lake Monster (Boxcar Children Mysteries)

The Panther Mystery (Boxcar Children Mysteries)

The Mystery of the Empty Safe (Boxcar Children Mysteries (Paper), 75)

ASIN: 0613074556

Customer Reviews:

The Cereal Box Mystery.......2003-02-13

The boxcar children The Cereal box mystery by Gertrude chandler warner, is a magnificent book. It is a story of 4 children: Benny, violet, henry and Jessie, who are the boxcar children. They have not one mystery but two mysteries at the same time. At the jewlry store a ruby set is stolen. Later Benny's favorite silver stars
Stolen too recommend this book to people who like the creal box mystery.
There more books in the series like The Niagara Falls mystery and so on.

More about the mystery than about the kids who solve it.......2000-07-03

The story sometimes becomes too simple,but overall it'sexciting,the mystery has several unexpected and interestingly resolvedhappenings.Not the best,but a nice reading.Not as much about the children and their relationships,but basically centered on an okay mystery.

Not one of her best.......2000-04-27

This book is OK. The plot is weak and too unrealistic as wellas boring. Somehow the end is pretty good though.

Average customer rating:

A future you can almost see coming these days . . .
If You Like To Question Society, This Is The Book for You
A Boring Book that Barely Qualifies as Science Fiction
A Boring Book that Barely Qualifies as Science Fiction
A Must-Read for All People of any Society

Outlaw School
Rebecca Ore
Manufacturer: EOS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Time's Child

ASIN: 0380792508
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Book Description

Nominated for the 2000 James Tiptree Jr. Memorial Award

In as gray, industro-technical future of protective shackles and slowed ideas, Jayne wants to be respectable and conform. But conformity means accepting a limited destiny and the hollow entertainments that are brutally enforced as "news". And to be respectable, she must gain back her virginity and give up an eye. Jayne's life is out of control-her reality has teeth and educational drugs and binding tools- and the only cures for her growing dissatisfaction with a bleak, repressive status quo seem to be madness or legal suicide. Or rebellion. Jayne cannot, will not, be rehabilitated. So instead, she will live her life between lines, illegally encouraging the otherness of the lowly, the renegades, the crazies, the virtual whores, as she dedicates herself to the dangerous cause of outlaw education. There are many pitfalls built into the road Jayne has chosen to walk: failure, betrayal, terror, arrest, cyberia. But her courage and determination could be the catalyst for a new future.

Customer Reviews:

A future you can almost see coming these days . . ........2005-10-30

Consider an American society a couple generations from now in which teachers must be licensed to teach only a prescribed curriculum, and in which unlicensed teachers are jailed. A society in which ideas are copyrighted and media content is carefully controlled for the socioeconomic class it's directed at, enforced by the Gestapo-like News Agency (don't want to make the lower classes unhappy with their lot in life, after all). A society in which you inherit your parents' social standing, which also determines your allowed education level and career choices, in which prostitution is licensed as a social safety valve, in which most black people have apparently been "resettled," in which cadets from the Citadel in Charleston are allowed to kill prostitutes for professional practice, in which you can be implanted with an electronic movement-restriction monitor for offenses ranging from multiple traffic tickets to justifiable homicide, and where the only successful candidates for national office are carefully tailored data constructs ("meat" candidates only run for local office, where personal contact is still useful). Where euthanasia is readily available to the retarded or convicted and lower-class fetuses are aborted "for their own good," and creativity and innovation are allowed only when it's to the benefit of corporate shareholders. That's the thoroughly depressing background of this story of the life of Jayne, from childhood with a mother who encourages her to at least attempt suicide to atone for being bad, to getting pregnant as a teenager in an attempt to get off "school drugs" (just another way to control rebellious students, and the drugs also damage the genes to prevent troublemakers from breeding) which she was forced to take because of her uncontrolled curiosity and desire to learn class-inappropriate things. Her teenage sister joins the Judicious (or "Judas") Girls, who have given up an eye, replaced by a spy camera in order to monitor those around them and also (they hope) to ensure their own safety and help them be "good" girls (and they have to take an oath of virginity, but a hymen can be reconstructed surgically if necessary). She goes on to a lifetime of illegal teaching (improved English and computer skills) of those who want to "test up" to a better job license, to being busted for it and finally to old age as a prison parolee in a world that seems to have improved a bit -- and in which she has become something of a folk hero to the young. This isn't really the sort of novel you can "enjoy" but it makes a great impression. The theme is quite different from Ore's earlier "Becoming Alien" trilogy but her simple narrative style pulls you in and makes you pay attention. The message, too, is clear: Too much safety is dangerous. And if in doubt, defy authority!

If You Like To Question Society, This Is The Book for You.......2002-11-30

Ore's Outlaw School is an intricately woven blanket following the life of Jayne, a woman living in a world where lies are passed as truth and the "real" truth is hidden at all costs.

This book is very enjoyable for its quickly-changing environment and its strong development of its characters. There is a strong contrast between the straightforwardness of Jayne's character (even her problems are clean-cut, with one good and one bad choice; she never faces the gray choice) and the complexity of other characters. For example, Jayne's continually fighting a battle between the presented truth and the "real" truth. Once Mick, her teenage lover, tells Jayne that she can't be monitored when purchasing a pregnancy test (which was a threat, according to her society), she continually sees the lies which are presented as truths to herself. She no longer seems to be confused by facts; if they were presented to her by society, they were wrong. Society, according to her, never told the truth; everyone deserves to be told the truth.

However, other characters do not agree with this, creating a gray area which Jayne avoids. They are happy living in lies, and once they know they are being lied to, they are unhappy.

Jayne also fights a continual battle in which she must decide whether to volunteer for suicide or continue living. However, in her mind, she could never commit suicide. She insists that she will never commit suicide, that she will survive no matter what. However, Suzanne throws herself into situations where she is likely to die; in the end, she never really desires death. She lives her life in the gray, complicating herself with dreams of ending her life as a dominatrix and her desire to continue living. Suzanne also lives in the gray because while she is a dominatrix in sexual positions, she has very little control over her own life. She is not always strong, while Jayne is always sure of her choices, showing a certain amount of personal strength. She is one of the more ambiguous characters that presents herself in Jayne's black-and-white world.

Ore's distopian view of the future, where the hero is an outlaw, is akin to that of Shockwave Rider and Neuromancer. However, while technology is a strong theme and Jayne fights a battle against technology, Outlaw School's main focus is not on technology, making it different from the average cyberpunk novel. Most of the text focuses on characterization. Ore's strongpoint is her ability to create realistic characters with intricate personalities. For example, Jayne is presented as someone with a troubled, haunting past that will never leave her. Throughout the book, different aspects of her past continually mix with her present. No matter how far she travels from home, the past still haunts her; she can never leave it behind. For example, when she moves to South Carolina, she goes to a funhouse with Suzanne and relives the painful experience that changed her life forever. She relives it over and over in the funhouse, even though Suzanne insists that Jayne has control over what she experiences.

Jayne also sees herself as a rebel, one who refuses to fit into her own class in society. She is continually trying to break through the restraints society puts on her, from her childhood days when she's too smart for a middle-class child to her adult days when she refuses to choose a legal profession. Jayne continually fights to help others break through the class barriers.

The main purpose of this book is its focus on the issues of society. Society creates its own truth, so what happens if the truth it creates is not true at all? Can one trust their own society? Where is our society heading? Are we going to be thrown into a world that focuses on the caste system, like the society in this novel? Is the caste system a good choice, keeping the wealthy in the wealthy class and the poor too far down in society to advance?

There's a strong focus on reality. If people are happy in a world of lies, should they be shown the truth? If one knows the truth, is it their duty to pass on the truth to the rest of society?

Technology appears often in this book. Technology allows the sick to live in a world of beautiful pictures, letting them leave the world of pain and disease. However, they see it as painful and tortuous, and it does not stop Jayne from later recalling her pain when she was under its influence. Also, technology allows for computer-created politicians to come into power, passes on the false reality that is passed as truth, and allows for police to track many criminals who are only in search of the truth that is hidden for hackers to uncover. With all of the dangers that technology presents, should it play such a strong role in our lives? If we give technology full power now, is our society heading towards this presented distopia?

This book also has underlying issues about gender roles (mainly focusing on female subservience and weakness), self-mutilation, and sexuality. In this futuristic society, women mutilate themselves so that men can observe their lives and keep them safe. Many women willingly trade an eye for a camera that allows men to view their lives. However, Jayne refuses to fall into this category, no matter how tempting it appears to her as a child. Later readers see the detrimental effects of this socially-encouraged lifestyle. Finally, Jayne questions her heterosexuality multiple times throughout the book.

This book will be enjoyed by anyone who considers themselves to be rebellious, who had a troublesome childhood that follows them everywhere, who questions the role of technology in their life, who wants to think deeply about where society is heading, who enjoys studying distorted gender roles (The Handmaid's Tale, for example), or who simply wants a taste of a different style of cyberpunk/science fiction.

A Boring Book that Barely Qualifies as Science Fiction.......2002-03-02

Outlaw School is like a boring, badly executed version of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. There is zero depth to the vaguely technical aspects of the story. The entire story is disjointed, and there is an overwhelming lack of a plot.

The only truly spectacular thing about this book is that it ends.

A Boring Book that Barely Qualifies as Science Fiction.......2002-03-02

The only truly spectacular thing about this book is that it ends.

A Must-Read for All People of any Society.......2001-12-01

Rebecca Ore presents a glimpse of years to come that brings social stratification to a completely new level. She presents a society in which knowledge is given proportionally to your class, where society offers only conformity or insanity, and into which an individual's potential seems limited. Jayne specifically struggles to find herself in this world of many obstacles. She would conform, yet the consequences are so unwelcoming. Considered crazy for being an outcast, Jayne is portrayed from a child to an adult as rebellious in the eyes of others, but she appears sympathetic and rational to the reader.

If you question societies purpose and its norms, you should definitely read this book. If you can't understand why people aren't like you, this book will provide more insight than you may think. It questions the identity of everyone and the purpose of everyone's identity. Rebecca Ore gives enough details to make the reader knowledgeable, and at the same time excludes just enough to make the reader question Jayne's identity, just as she does. Being the best I have read in the cyberpunk genre, Outlaw School should bring no hesitations to a reader in search of a great book.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Picture Book? YES! For Young Kids? NO!
A Thrilling and Moving Single Poem Picture Book
dark story
Not for young children
My favourite Poem

The Highwayman
Alfred Noyes
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

The Lady of Shalott
The Highwayman: A Novel Inspired by Alfred Noyes' Poem
The Cremation of Sam McGee
The Highwayman (Visions in Poetry)
Collected Poems of Alfred Noyes V1

ASIN: 0152343407

Book Description

Alfred Noyes's famous poem still has the power to thrill us as we read the story of the highwayman and his doomed love for Bess, the landlord's black-eyed daughter. This classic story of sacrifice in the name of true love has been a favorite with generations of young readers. The powerful,
evocative language of Alfred Noyes's verses echoes through the centuries, complemented by Charles Keeping's dazzling illustrations which won this book the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1982.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Picture Book? YES! For Young Kids? NO! .......2007-06-12

This is an example of a picture book that is great to use in middle schools and high schools but the subject matter is not at all suitable for those under fifth grade. Like many I first read the poem in my seventh grade literature textbook and remember being thrilled and a little shocked. For anyone not familiar with the story it involves tragic romance, graphic death and ghostly return of spirits. The dark illustrations do an excellent job of reinforcing the melancholy mood. I hope this poem continues to be enjoyed by new readers but not until they reach age eleven.

A Thrilling and Moving Single Poem Picture Book.......2006-05-08

Noyes' famous poem, first published in 1913, tells the love story of a notorious highway robber and Rose, the beautiful daughter of an innkeeper. The time is before or during the American Revolution. The highwayman promises to come for Rose "by moonlight" after his next big robbery, but neither one knows that the half-witted stable man Tim is eavesdropping. Tim, hopelessly in love with Rose himself, betrays her to the British soldiers-"King George's men"-and they use Rose as bait to catch their quarry. They tie a musket to Rose and stand her at her window, but she works a finger just loose enough to touch the trigger of the gun. As her lover approaches on horseback, she pulls the trigger to warn him off, but sacrifices herself in doing so. When the highwayman hears of Rose's death the following morning, he commits what we would today call "suicide by cop": he charges into town brandishing his rapier and is shot "down like a dog on the highway."

Keeping's monochromatic illustrations are extremely evocative. The waves of Rose's hair are echoed in the ripples of the horse's tail and mane, the highwayman's own dark waves, and the grains of wood framing the casement window where Rose meets her lover. Through subtle shading, Keeping manages to depict "the dawning," noon, and "the tawny sunset" as seen from the window. The faces of the British soldiers are spotted and unpleasant, and the portrait of "Tim the ostler" is a study in madness and hideous jealousy. The most horrific scenes, though, are the ones that feature blood: blood and sweat pouring from Rose's arm as she struggles against her bonds to find the trigger; her death, tied upright to the bedpost, blood staining her white dress; and the death of the highwayman, lying "in his blood on the highway." Keeping's use of spatters and runs is particularly effective, and the illustrations are surprisingly gory in spite of their lack of color. After the lovers die, Keeping repeats early illustrations from the story as photographic negatives, giving the highwayman and Rose a ghostly effect in keeping with the poem. The spectral images are quite eerie indeed.

dark story.......2005-03-04

This book is actually a famous poem by the prolific poet Alfred Noyes. This particular poem is about the love between an American soldier and his bride-to-be in the Revolutionary era of the 1770's. It is a graphic and sad tale of the sacrifices that people will make for true love. The central theme of the story is the British soldiers taking hostage the love of the "Highwayman." The soldiers use her as bait to draw him out so that he could be murdered. Instead of submitting herself to this mission, though, she gives up her life by shooting herself with a gun, just in time to warn her love of the danger that he was being drawn to. The rest of the story deals with the decision between protecting the life that his love sacrificed for and honoring the life of the lover that he has lost.

The illustrations utilize dark colors, shadows, and details (and lack thereof) to bring the mood of the poem to life. The words themselves also do a great job of creating the atmosphere of a tragic love affair that is destined for an unhappy ending.

While this book is a "picture" book, the themes of death, suicide, and murder prove too much for a younger audience. This poem is typically one that it is read by High School and College students, not by young readers. The poem is difficult to understand if just read casually, as it must be considered and pondered about in great detail. I would recommend it to readers who are mature enough to handle the themes of this

Not for young children.......2004-11-07

Please disregard Publisher's Weekly that this is a book for children 4-8 and that the pictures of the suicide/murder at the end are "not graphic". Did the person writing the review take their cue from Roger Ebert who likes anything violent? I love this poem, but as a K-8 teacher I can safely say that this book is NOT for children under the age of 10 at least.

My favourite Poem.......2004-06-08

This poem never fails to thrill me - my mother used to read is to us as kids and I did it as the poem in my matric final.

I am now a grandmother and shall read it to my grandchildren and hope that they enjoy it as much as I did, although I doubt that they shall know what a highwayman is !!

It is a classic that will never die .

Cecelia Pestana Johannesburg South Africa

Curious George and the Dump Truck
Average customer rating:

Great new story

Little Boys Love It!

A family favorite

Curious George and the Dump Truck
Margret Rey
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Curious George | Book Characters | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Curious George Goes to the Beach

Curious George in the Snow

Curious George Takes a Train (Curious George)

Curious George Goes Camping

Curious George Makes Pancakes (Curious George)

ASIN: 0395366356

Book Description

Curious about the big truck next door, George takes a closer look. He wants to see how it works. Before long he finds that one little lever can mean great big trouble! But George quickly puts his monkey ingenuity to work and finds a surprising solution to his messy mishap.

Customer Reviews:

Great new story.......2001-03-21

After reading the original 5 or 6 Curious George stories to my 2 year old son about a hundred times, it is refreshing to see some new adventures. We just picked up this book today after going to the dump and my son just loves it. The spirit of the original stories is still there while the artwork is slightly more crisp and detailed. I look forward to reading the other new stories!

Little Boys Love It!.......2001-01-18

A dump truck, a lever that gets pulled not once but twice, and robbers! What a combo and George is a hero again. I hope someday that they bring this version out of print. My boys loved it and my preschool boys page through it everyday! It is also a great springboard to the other great Curious George books.

A family favorite.......2000-07-04

My 3 year old loves Curious George books and all kinds of heavy equipment so combining the two means it's one of his favorite books, and just like George he is always curious especially about George and why he is doing what he is doing. In our house both my 3 year old and 17 month old would sooner read about Curious George than watch tv.

Average customer rating:

CW Review
Crazy Weekend
Texas Librarian's Expert Opinion
Crazy Weekend
The Stupid Book

Crazy Weekend
Gary Soto
Manufacturer: Scholastic Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Taking Sides
Pacific Crossing
The Tequila Worm
Buried Onions
Lupita Manana (Harper Trophy Books)

ASIN: 0590478141

Book Description

Back in print, a "fun-packed adventure" (VOYA) by a gifted and popular storyteller.

When Hector and his friend Mando, seventh-graders, visit Uncle Julio, a photographer in Fresno, they have more excitement than they ever imagined. On a photo shoot in a rickety old plane, they spot an armored car heist, and Uncle Julio snaps some shots of the robbers. After they report what they saw, the two robbers decide they have to teach Hector and Mando a lesson. When the bumbling thugs meet up with the quick-witted boys, the results are hilarious.

Customer Reviews:

CW Review.......2006-05-30

Crazy Weekend is about a kid and his uncle who appear to be in for a normal, boring weekend, but instead are met with a series of suprises and conflict throughout the plot.

I didn't enjoy this book. It was too childish for my interest, I didn't relate to the characters, and the comedy didn't appeal to me. The book came off as very corny (especially the thugs)and didn't hold my interest.

I wouldn't recommend reading this book. Perhaps it's more geared towards younger audiences, or people who appreciate a less mature genre of reading than I do.

Crazy Weekend.......2004-03-12

Have you ever wanted to read a book that would keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time? Well this the book for you.
Crazy Weekend starts off like any other story. Two boys got off a train there names where Hector and Mondo. They are going o spend a weekend with Hectors Uncle. Hector's uncle finds them and takes them to se the sites of East L.A. they took pictures to sell to a newspaper company. After they were done, they went to their uncle's apartment. There they made a superbowl salad before they went to bed. When they got up and went to an old airport, uncle had to take pictures of farms for people. Whey they got into the plane and got going, uncle started taking pictures. When they got on the ground, and started going to uncle's best customer, they heard on the radio that an armored car had just been stolen and nobody had found it.
I really liked the book because it teaches you that if you can conquer their fears, anything can be done. If I was to rate this book to Old Yeller, I would give it an "8". That's how much I liked this book. I recommend the age range should be 10 and up. It has pretty difficult vocabulary.

Texas Librarian's Expert Opinion.......2003-09-01

As an elementary school librarian I sincerely appreciated the fact that this book that was on a recommended list for the young readers of Texas and was worthy of the recommendation. Unfortunately it has been out of print for quite some time, but fortunately I'm willing to pay the higher price and will be purchasing more copies today compliments of Amazon.com's third party sellers. Now I can booktalk it and offer my 4th graders copies instead of a semester long waiting list for 1 copy. It's also a good book to recommend to reluctant readers in higher grades: lots of action, boy protagonists, suspense, "home alone" type tricks to catch the bad guys, etc. The blending of Spanish words throughout the text and a glossary in the back are a major plus. I've been doing booktalks for 14 years, this one's a cinch to do and well deserving of kids' reading time!

Crazy Weekend.......2002-01-19

I did not like the book Crazy Weekend because there are to many spanish words. I also didnt like the book because it seems like they never do anything fun. I also didnt like it because it had huge words that I didnt understand.

The only best part was when they get to go from home to a different country. They got to go on an airplane and they talked about that in the story. It was pretty interesting at that point. After that it wasnt very interesting. I didnt like the parts when they talk about what they eat.

The most vivid part was when they meet other boys and they are having fun. It was interesting because one of the boys get hit with a ball. It was funny because they were in the middle of a field.

The Stupid Book.......2001-02-23

I read Crazy Weekend for a book report. Some parts of the book are really exciting, but other parts are dull and had no point to it. I really liked the book because it had alot of action in it, but not like blood and guts action more like suspenseful action. Bearstone is another book like this one because they both go on a suspeseful journey. Hector gets really scared from going into a really old airplane. I think this was a very good multicultural book for a book report.

Average customer rating:

Great Characters and Ingenous Solutions fill this book

Me and the Man on the Moon-Eyed Horse
Sid Fleischman , and Eric Von Schmidt
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Great Characters and Ingenous Solutions fill this book.......1999-10-26

Me and the Man on the Moon-Eyed Horse is a great story about a boy who lives out west with his grandfather and sister. He likes to help his grandfather at the telegraph office, where he learns morse code. When a dangerous criminal comes through with his gang to derail the train, and cut the telegraph wires, the young boy uses his wits and his sisters prized red velvet curtains to save the day.

Public Enemy Number One: Pretty Boy Floyd (Americas Most Wanted)

Average customer rating:

Public Enemy Number One: Pretty Boy Floyd (Americas Most Wanted)
Sue L. Hamilton , and John Hamilton
Manufacturer: Abdo & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0939179636

Average customer rating:

The Three Robbers (& Tiffany)
Robbers Rediscovered
One of my absolute favorite stories
The camel and the eye of the needle
The Three Robbers

The Three Robbers
Tomi Ungerer
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0689313918

Customer Reviews:

The Three Robbers (& Tiffany).......2007-06-06

The story (which includes a moral) is told in such a way that first time readers won't be able to predict what happens. Skillfully told, and handled in most masterly manner by the stunning artwork. A very enjoyable read that takes less than five minutes.

Robbers Rediscovered.......2006-12-03

Our kindergarten teacher read this book to the class only once, as I recall, but I vividly remember being taken with the imagery of the three robbers in their tall black hats and long black cloaks. This imagery stuck with me over the years, though I remembered little else about the story. Certainly I had not retained the moral of the book - only the mood.

Then, last week, in sorting through a friend's box of unwanted videos, I suddenly beheld once again those same fierce robbers who had beguiled me in my youth. Of course this was a video version of the book, and not the book itself, but I was delighted nonetheless. The illustrations were the same and were instantly recognizable. Needless to say, the friend happily gave me the video.

It was good to rediscover this story a mere 30 years after first having encountered it as a kindergartener. My six-year-old daughter enjoyed it too, though I don't know that it resonated with her quite the way it did with the six-year-old me.

Clearly the editorial review above is not for this book, since it refers to it as "Ungerer's first children's book in 25 years," and The Three Robbers was first published in 1961. And I find it curious that a book reprinted in 1998 should have only one copy available on Amazon - and that listed at $45! A pity no one with children who might enjoy this book can afford to shell out $45 for one paperback book.

One of my absolute favorite stories.......2006-09-08

I just can't say enough about Tomi Ungerer and his books.
I don't really run across too many of his stories and growing up, Crictor and Zerelda's Ogre were the only ones I remember as a child.
But I work with children now and I'm always trying to share with them some of the books from my youth that I adored.
I search for Ungerer's books at the libraries, when ever I'm able to I hunt them down and read them so finding The Three Robbers was really a surprise for me.
(If you're in Berkeley or have the ability to get there, the main library has a wonderful selection of his works by the way)
The Three Robbers, This story is just a treat. The images are dark yet not scary and the story takes these "bad" men and shows that they are really not that bad. Yes, stealing is wrong, yes scaring people is wrong. But when you take orphans and offer them a home, in a pretty castle? that's so right.
The little boy I work with (he's three) just adored the story. So much so that I found I was retelling it from memory to the best of my ability for weeks after we'd initially read it in the library. In fact, we picked it up today and I had to read it four times before we left the library, stop once more on the way home to read it, and then read it again when we got home.
I strongly recommend this story to everyone. Really.

The camel and the eye of the needle.......2004-05-06

Nope. I missed this one as a kid. It's funny, because though I clearly remember seeing images from this book on the walls of libraries, cut out in bookstores, and displayed proudly in textbooks, I never read it myself. And you know what? It's an absolutely wonderful book that I am repeatedly regretting and regretting not having read. This story is right up my alley, and it's an amazing tale. In effect, it is a book about the power of redemption and the simplicity of doing what is right, no matter how late in the game. Said author/illustrator Tomi Ungerer himself, "Whatever the color of money, it is never too late to make good use of it". For me, this book is the story of how to make the most of your goods while you've got `em.

The tale concerns itself with the doings of three fierce black-clad robbers. Outfitted with a blunderbuss, a pepper-blower, and a huge red axe, the three had a pretty good gig going. One robber would stop carriage horses with his pepper spray, another would stop the carriage completely by destroying the wheels with an axe, and the third would rob the passengers by holding them up with his blunderbuss. Honestly? I just like writing the word blunderbuss. That's a great word. Anyway, one day the men stop a carriage containing a small orphan on her way to live with a "wicked aunt". They rescue her and take her home to live with them. When the child asks them what they intend to do with all of their money, the men are stumped. Their solution is round up all the, "lost, unhappy, and abandoned children" they can find, buy a castle, and move in with all the children. In the end the kids grow up and build three tall high-roofed towers in honor of their foster fathers, the three robbers. The end.

I don't really know why I love this tale as much as I do. Partly I think it has to do with the illustrations. The robbers are black on blue, their white eyes floating in front of invisible blue faces. Their weapons, colorfully displayed against a sharp black background, are a beautiful mixture of oranges, blues, and swirling reds. Cheery and intense. After they move in with the children, however, the black and blue palette changes completely and suddenly it's all bright reds (as the children are wearing) and deep spring greens. Accompanying this adept change of pace is Ungerer's text. The book never really explains the robbers' change of heart. One suspects they robbed without entirely knowing why they did so. And isn't that the case of most rich robbers? It is apparent that their care for the children is true and tender. I was especially attached to the shot of the once malevolent robber cradling the sleepy orphan girl in his warm cape as he took her home to stay.

The tale has a moral that changes with every reading. Suffice to say, for me this book was about the human heart. Sometimes it takes very little to change behaviors that once seemed so cold and logical. Any picture book that can present such an interpretation deserves a close reading. "The Three Robbers" fits that bill nicely.

The Three Robbers.......2003-07-25

The Three Robbers is a cute book about three robbers who transform into semi-respectable people. These robbers (like all robbers) robbed people for a living. This particular set of robbers robbed carriages.

One night the robbers make a mistake. Instead of stopping a carriage full of rich people with money or rich jewelry, they `stopped a carriage that had but one passenger, an orphan named Tiffany.' Well Tiffany was delighted, and since the robbers didn't know what else to do they took her home to their hide-out where she promptly turned their world upside down by asking them what they planned to do with their wealth.

Realizing that they were doing nothing with their horded wealth, and that this was really a waste, they decide to buy a castle and bring to it all the `lost, unhappy, and abandoned children they could find.' These children grow up and marry, but as a testament to their benefactors build three towers.

I realize that this summary doesn't make this book sound all that great, but I like it. Also this summary seems to completely conflict with the editorial review. The editorial review is not really one for this book. If you look closely it is really a review for `Crictor; Moon Man'. It only gives a passing mention to `The Three Robbers' at the very bottom. The illustrations are bold and more often than not the page is black and the writing white. The story is told in a style that endears the book to me.

Amazon.com

Who hasn't known the sickening, demoralizing feeling of being falsely accused? In The Real Thief, William Steig explores this injustice with the keen insight of a good psychologist and the skillful pacing of a brilliant storyteller. Gawain is a goose, a guard for the new Royal Treasury, and intensely loyal to the honey-scented, gruff, fatherly King Basil the bear: "He wanted to please him, to stay forever in his gruff, good graces. Everyone did. Basil was a popular king." The Royal Treasury consists of jewels, medallions, and precious crowns of historical interest--and the only creatures who have keys to the Treasury are Gawain and the King himself. One fateful day, Gawain discovers to his horror that the pile of rubies is smaller than it should be. He hurries to tell the King, and they both rush back to count them: "Sure enough, there were only 8,643 of the red gems when there should have been 8,672." Day after day, treasures continue to disappear, including the world-famous Kalikak diamond!

The King is flummoxed. He calls a meeting of his Royal Cabinet, who finally persuade him that the thief must be his faithful Gawain, whom he loves like a son: "He sent his councilors away and slumped in his throne, dejected. Having listened to an opinion he didn't really believe but was forced to respect, he grew confused and fell into muddled ponderings." That very night Gawain is rousted out of bed at midnight and dragged to the castle dungeon. A trial is held a few days later, and the innocent goose is found guilty, his name disgraced forever. He hates the ones he had trusted and loved for seeing evil in him that isn't there, and he flies the coop before he can be locked away. The real thief? That is for the reader to discover. In this simple fable of justice, loyalty, friendship, and betrayal, Steig again manages to portray a reflection of life so heart-rendingly accurate it's uncanny. Children will be on the edge of their seats throughout this powerful, suspenseful tale, and visibly relieved by the happy, forgiving ending. (Ages 8 and older, excellent for reading aloud) --Karin Snelson

Customer Reviews:

Teacher's Point of View.......2004-04-17

This book was a wonderful experience for my 4th grade class. It demonstrated how one action, no matter what the motive, can affect others around you. My students liked predicting what would happen next and they also liked the "surprise" ending. The story was full of mini lessons that the students didn't mind learning because they were enjoying it so much!
Very easy for my low readers to follow, yet challenging enough for my higher readers to keep interested. I would definitely recommend this book.

Review by a fourth-grade boy.......2003-01-21

This is a story about a goose who gets blamed for stealing treasure which he didn't steal. The best part was when you find out who the real thief is. I might have given it five stars if all the characters were human.

One of the best children's book I have ever read!!.......2001-12-17

I am an avid reader and this is the one THE BEST children's book I have read. Great moral and ethical values for a child to learn at an early age. Loyalty, honestly, and integrity are more important than money, and position. Also, when life seems to turn against you, sometimes your friends turn and run also. Can't understand why this book has not become as popular as James and the Giant Peach which was made into a movie and written by the same author. This was far far better and I think should be required reading for every child. Also the words used by the author will probably challenge the average reader and might possibly require a dictionary sometimes to be nearby. Which is not bad either.

Unfortunately it does not seem to be in hard back. A book you'd want to keep in your library even after your children are grown. Mine are now 19 and 17, so I am buying it for gifts for other children. Excellent book!!!

Great Story!.......2001-09-15

Imagine that you are the Chief Guard of the King's treasury and things are disappearing from the treasury. Now imagine that you are falsely accused of taking things from the treasury by all your friends. Last, imagine you are forced to run away and live in a cave in the woods with home-made furniture and shoes. If this sounds interesting to you, you should read The Real Thief because all of these things happen and more!

The Real Thief - cute characters, cute story!.......2000-04-03

A book about a Chief Guard (Gawain the Goose) in the Kingdom of King Basil (a bear) who is falsly accused of stealing. Find out who the real thief is in this cute story filled with different animal characters and a neat plot! Another fun read!

Average customer rating:

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
My childhood book
Awesome
beautiful
Everyone should read this book

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
Astrid Lindgren
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

The Brothers Lionheart
The Children of Noisy Village
Mio, My Son
Happy Times in Noisy Village
The Tomten

ASIN: 061309624X

Customer Reviews:

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter.......2007-03-30

"A robber's daughter, joy and gladness!" shouted Matt the stormy night that his daughter, Ronia, was born. Ronia grew up in Matt's Fort with her parents and her father's band of robbers. When she was old enough her parents let her walk through the woods by herself. While she was exploring she met Birk, the son of her father's arch enemy, Borka. Birk along with his parents and their band of robbers move into a section of Matt's Forest which they called Borka's Keep. At first Ronia and Birk despised each other but, they soon became best friends. One day, Matt captured Birk and wanted to use him to get Borka off his land. Ronia was extremely upset. Matt was furious and said that he no longer had a child. Birk and Ronia ran away into the woods where they lived all spring and summer long. Awhile later, Ronia came across Matt, who begged her to come home. After a few difficult decisions and challenges, Borka and Matt joined forces and Ronia and Birk were allowed to see each other anytime without worrying about their fathers' feud. This book was a very good adventure story.

I liked that the author threw in some scenes that were a little suspenseful. Bumper, one of Matt's robbers, was shot in the neck with an arrow by one of Borka's men. He survived, thanks to the nursing skills of Ronia's mother. When Ronia found a spot to meet Birk under Matt's Fort she heard someone coming but, the person did not come all the way down to see Birk. There were several times throughout the book when Birk and Ronia were almost attacked by wild harpies and other creatures. While Ronia and Birk were trying to train and ride wild horses they lost control and the horses went galloping as fast as they could through the forest to get them off.

I also liked how the characters developed. When Ronia and Birk first met they did not like each other at all. They then became best friends and later became "brother and sister." Matt and Borka had been rivals for many years. In the end, they were friends and partners, like they were when they were very young. Even Birk's mother and Ronia's Mother were able to get along.

Some of the creatures of the forest had odd ways of saying things. When Ronia got her foot stuck in a rumphob's den one of them asked, "Un's stuck in t'roof, woffer did un do it?" The gray dwarfs exclaimed, "Gray dwarfs all, bite and strike!" They would say this every time they saw a human. While out in the woods Birk and Ronia were being chased by a whole flock of wild harpies. One of them screamed, "Ho, ho! Lovely little humans in the water! Now the blood will run, ho, ho!" These kinds of dialects gave the creatures more character and made the book fun to read.

The thing that I liked the most about the book was that the author put a lot of detail into the characters' emotions, especially Matt's. When Ronia was first born Matt carried her high and proud and showed her off to all of the robbers. He danced and cheered with lots of enthusiasm. After Bumper was wounded, Matt was walking up and down the hall grinding his teeth and cursing Borka under his breath. While Ronia was out living in the woods, he would lie in bed almost all day, staring at the ceiling. He barely ate and everyone in the fort was depressed and they never sang or danced. Ronia was screaming and hitting everyone within her reach when she saw that her father had captured Birk. This is an excellent book for anyone who likes stories of friendship and adventure.

By K. Lissner

My childhood book.......2007-03-08

I wanted to buy this book for my children to read, because it was my favorite story when I was little. The book arrived quickly, in perfect condition, and I couldn't be happier.

Awesome.......2006-04-23

In my opinion, this is one of Astrid Lindgren's best books, ever. It teaches you that you must love to be loved in return, and that love makes the world go around. I personally think that young Ronja here makes a great role-model for all young girls. ;)

beautiful.......2006-04-04

this is perhaps my favorite book ever to read to little girls (my daughters at the moment are 18 and 5; i just got through reading ronia to the 5). it's incredibly joyful, incredibly sad, incredibly adventurous, incredibly life-affirming. i particulalrly love the dad character, matt, who feels and expresses everything with total intensity and immediacy. it has an anti-pc/anti-didactice flavor that makes its actual lessons seem genuine. anyway, buy six copies and give them to all the parents of your daughter's classmates etc.

Everyone should read this book.......2005-12-20

Growing up in Germany, where Astrid Lindgren is read by every child, Lindgren's stories affected me deeply. It may sound silly, but they enrich my life to this day. Without a shadow of a doubt, Lindgren is the best children's author in the world.

I'm on a bit of a mission to get her books more widely read in the English-speaking world. There is no better place to start than with Ronia, the Robber's Daughter. It's a story about growing up, torn loyalties, and, above all, love - a very human story, set in a fantastical world of forests, goblinfolk, and adventure. Read this book, then, read The Brothers Lionheart - and don't forget to give Lindgren's books to a child you care about.

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