Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Puffin Novels)

Amazon.com

For the first time in a decade, Willy Wonka, the reclusive and eccentric chocolate maker, is opening his doors to the public--well, five members of the public to be exact. The lucky five who find a Golden Ticket in their Wonka chocolate bars will receive a private tour of the factory, given by Mr. Wonka himself. For young Charlie Bucket, this a dream come true. And, when he finds a dollar bill in the street, he can't help but buy two Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delights--even though his impoverished family could certainly use the extra dollar for food. But as Charlie unwraps the second chocolate bar, he sees the glimmer of gold just under the wrapper! The very next day, Charlie, along with his unworthy fellow winners Mike Teavee, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Augustus Gloop, steps through the factory gates to discover whether or not the rumors surrounding the Chocolate Factory and its mysterious owner are true. What they find is that the gossip can't compare to the extraordinary truth, and for Charlie, life will never be the same again. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, another unforgettable masterpiece from the legendary Roald Dahl, never fails to delight, thrill, and utterly captivate. (Ages 9 to 12)

Book Description

The classic tale of fantasy, this delightful masterpiece depicts all sorts of characters: greedy, selfish, obnoxious, compassionate, loveable, and generous. Recounting the adventures of four children bent on having their own way, the story's moralistic factor becomes uproariously apparent early on.

Customer Reviews:

A FUNNY BOOK TO READ!.......2007-10-02

My name is Schuyler®. I read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Charlie is one fifth of the lucky children that get to go into the chocolate factory. Some of the wildest things happen. The book is hilarious. I recommend it and give it five stars.

My Favorite Book of All-Time.......2007-09-23

Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors of all-time but Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has so many elements to the book that make it so great. I think this book would be perfect for middle school kids because of the fantasy part of the book that gets kids thinking beyond what they perceive reality as, it gets them thinking outside the box. Another thing that this book builds is curiosity, in the book the kids are curious to see what is really inside the factory. There is never a boring part of the book. This book also teaches the point of never giving up because Charlie finally won the golden ticket. A great book...

Charlie and the choclate factory.......2007-06-13

Have you ever wanted to see inside of a chocolate factory? Well in this book a kid named Charlie gets that chance. He finds a golden ticket in the rapper of a chocolate bar. So he and his grandpa along with all the other kids that found tickets get to go to take a tour of the factory. Why they are in there some pretty interesting things happen to all the kids. Each kid finds a way to get in trouble in there own way.
My favorite part of this book is when Charlie and his grandma get in trouble. They drink so soda that makes them float and have to find a way down. Then they think no one saw them but they get caught in the end.
I believe that the theme of this book is that "good things happen to good people. I think this cause Charlie is a nice boy and very good things happen to him. He is quickly rewarded for performing good deeds.
Overall this was a pretty good book. The beginning is a little long and boring but after that it is good book. This is probably a book meant for kids 10 to 13. This book has a lot of imagination in it.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.......2007-06-06

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is about a boy named Charlie Bucket, a small boy who lived a very poor. Until one day, as he walked alongside the road, his eye caught a dollar bill. What do you think he does with it? He spends it on two bars of chocolate. One of them contained a golden ticket to Mr. Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, and Wonka is the world's greatest chocolate maker. Charlie gets a tour of the factory with four other children: Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee.

I would most likely recommend this book to children because it's whimsical and funny. I'd rate this book a five because it really gets my attention. This is also the reason why I like this book. If you think you might like this book, then try reading it.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.......2007-06-06

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is about a boy named Charlie Bucket, a small boy who lived a very poor. Until one day, as he walked alongside the road, his eye caught a dollar bill. What do you think he does with it? He spends it on two bars of chocolate. One of them contained a golden ticket to Mr. Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, and Wonka is the world's greatest chocolate maker. Charlie gets a tour of the factory with four other children: Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee.
I would most likely recommend this book to children because it's whimsical and funny. I'd rate this book a five because it really gets my attention. This is also the reason why I like this book. If you think you like this book, then try reading it.

Average customer rating:

A gripping story of teenage angst, cruelty, and self-delusion
An unlikeable main character
You are cooking them, aren't you ?
If only it had a different ending
Brilliant Book

The Wasp Factory: A Novel
Iain Banks
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684853159

Amazon.com

"I had been making the rounds of the Sacrifice Poles the day we heard my brother had escaped. I already knew something was going to happen; the Factory told me."

Those lines begin one of the most infamous of contemporary Scottish novels. The narrator, Frank Cauldhame, is a weird teenager who lives on a tiny island connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. He maintains grisly Sacrifice Poles to serve as his early warning system and deterrent against anyone who might invade his territory.

Few novelists have ever burst onto the literary scene with as much controversy as Iain Banks in 1984. The Wasp Factory was reviled by many reviewers on account of its violence and sadism, but applauded by others as a new and Scottish voice--that is, a departure from the English literary tradition. The controversy is a bit puzzling in retrospect, because there is little to object to in this novel, if you're familiar with genre horror.

The Wasp Factory is distinguished by an authentically felt and deftly written first-person style, delicious dark humor, a sense of the surreal, and a serious examination of the psyche of a childhood psychopath. Most readers will find that they sympathize with and even like Frank, despite his three murders (each of which is hilarious in an Edward Gorey fashion). It's a classic of contemporary horror. --Fiona Webster

Book Description

Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least:

Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim.

That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again.

It was just a stage I was going through.

Customer Reviews:

A gripping story of teenage angst, cruelty, and self-delusion.......2007-06-23

"The Wasp Factory" is a story self-narrated by Frank, an angry and confused teenager who only finds solace through elaborate rituals involving cruelty to animals.

Frank's story takes us through several days of his life where he wanders the island he lives on and the town he lives by. As an indifferent aside, he also tells us, in dark, cold, and unsettling humorous detail, the three murders he has committed--some of them family members. If you are in the mood for a dark psychological study narrated by a unreliable sociopath, then this is the book for you.

Banks creates a very dark and twisted world with this book. His attention to detail when he describes Frank's inner thoughts is flawless. With ease he describes the quick, sometimes random, feelings that we all have and that we all forget. He also describes Frank's cruel rituals in fascinating specifics.

Unfortunately, I give it four stars only because the ending was a bit over the top and, IMHO, it didn't fit well into the main vein of the story.

An unlikeable main character.......2007-05-01

I think that this is another book that you either love or hate. I loved it, it has a very black humour throughout the book, and there are some disturbing aspects to our main character.
I have leant this book to a few people, and of these, a couple have loved it, one absolutely hated it.
It is true that it is hard to empathise with a main character that is violent and malicious, but in this respect, this book reminds me a little of A Clockwork Orange only in as much that the main character in this book has no redeeming qualities either.
If you like twists, this one has a good one at the end.

You are cooking them, aren't you ?.......2007-05-01

Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'.

Frank Cauldhame is sixteen years old and hasn't quite had what you'd call a typical upbringing. In fact, he doesn't officially exist : Frank was never registered, has no birth certificate, no passport and no national insurance number. The upside is that, as a result, he's never had to attend school - though he was educated at home by his father. (Angus, Frank's father, did occasionally embellish parts of the curriculum - for example, Frank believed for a time that there was a character called Fellatio in "Hamlet"). Angus is a scientist : the discipline is never clearly identified, though he does appear to be involved in the biomedical sector. These connections have also apparently allowed Angus to provide for Frank's medical needs - despite his son's official non-existence. (These needs were increased at an early age, following a devastating encounter with a dog). Angus' study is strictly off-limits to Frank and is permanently locked - though Frank is determined to make it inside someday.

The pair are pretty comfortable, whatever it is Angus does for a living. They live on a small island, just off the coast of Portneil in Scotland. Frank never knew his mother, Angus' second wife, as she left shortly after he was born. (Apparently, she didn't care much for children). It's probably lucky for her that she didn't stick around : Frank has turned into a very strange kid whose values and beliefs don't really overlap with those held by 'normal' society. He's very fond of general destruction and killing - so far, he's dispatched two cousins, one brother and various animals. (He's yet to be caught out). He is also very inventive and has essentially created his own belief system - involving a Wasp Factory, some Sacrifice Poles and the Bunker (a pillbox on the beach, a relic from the Second World War). He also has his own name for various parts of the island, depending on what he's done there - for example, the Snake Park, Black Destroyer Hill and the Bomb Circle.

The events of "The Wasp Factory" take place over a couple of days - beginning with the news that Eric, Frank's half-brother, has escaped form hospital. (Eric was committed several years earlier, for setting dogs on fire). The book sees Frank looking back over his life, in the build-up to Eric's expected return. This isn't something that causes Frank any great amount of stress, despite the fact that Eric clearly still isn't firing on all thrusters. (Frank's is more than a match for his brother : the worrying this is that he sees himself as being the "somebody sane who still likes" Eric.) Unsurprisingly, the book can be a little gruesome at times and it isn't one I'd recommend if you're feeling a little queasy. However, if you're feeling up to a challenge, it's certainly well worth reading !

If only it had a different ending.......2006-12-18

I would have given this book 4 stars if it had an ending that wasn't absolutly terrible and ruined every page that came before it.

Brilliant Book.......2006-09-08

A friend suggested this book to me, so I decided to give it a try. I found it compelling plot and liked the twist at the end. Iain Banks knows how to write excellent characters that you can sympathize with, even though the character is murderer. This is one of the best books I've read in recent years. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Could have used some editing but very good
Great Audio Entertainment
574 Pages of Pure Entertainment
rabbit factory redux
Hare-brained novel is fantastic

The Rabbit Factory
Marshall Karp
Manufacturer: MacAdam Cage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1596921749
Release Date: 2006-04-28

Amazon.com

About 30 pages into The Rabbit Factory you will find yourself hoping that the book's author Marshall Karp is at home typing. He has created two LAPD cops, Mike Lomax and his partner Terry Biggs, who are smart, drop-dead funny (especially Terry), and as irreverent as two guys can be. Karp has also written a ripping good story, not counting on buddy-cop banter to carry the day.

Mike Lomax's wife, Joanie, died of cancer six months before the action begins, after a long time trying to have a family. Instead of leaving little replicas of herself, she leaves letters, which Mike opens on the 18th of every month, the anniversary of her death. His father, Big Jim, loved Joanie very much but wants to see Mike get on with his life. These guys love each other a lot and the dialogue that Karp gives them is both sharp and tender. Terry Biggs met his wife, Marilyn, who was the paramedic called when he was an "Officer Down." That meeting is so funny you have to read it to believe it.

One thing, as they say, led to another, and despite the fact that Marilyn had seven-year-old twin daughters, and a third, age five, Terry signed on for the whole package. And that's how a guy from the Bronx winds up living in Sherman Oaks with a wife and three teenage Valley girls.

The setting of much of the action is "Familyland," a Disneyland clone, conceived of by the late Dean Lamaar, who, like Disney, started out as an animator. His creations, Rambunctious Rabbit, Slaphappy Puppy, McGreedy the Moose, and others are now big family favorites and the little cartoon studio is a global conglomerate. It has been recently sold to the Japanese, after faltering receipts, and there are plans afoot to open a theme park in Las Vegas. That opening is just months away when an employee playing Rambunctious Rabbit is murdered on the premises. Not good for the corporate image. Another murder takes place, and another, and it quickly becomes obvious that someone has it in for Lamaar's enterprises. Mike and Terry are under tremendous pressure from Ike Rose, CEO of Lamaar, to keep the whole mess under wraps, and an equal amount of pressure from their Chief to "get it solved." They work smart and long and hard to uncover a conspiracy, finding a big surprise at the end of the search.

Marshall Karp is a refreshing addition to the suspense, satire, mystery genre. His two Detectives are irresistible. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

The hilarious and suspenseful introduction of Detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs.

Welcome to Familyland, an offshoot of Lamaar Studios. Once a small, Southern California animation house, it has grown into an entertainment conglomerate encompassing movies, television, music, video games, and a sprawling theme park.

When an actor portraying Familyland’s beloved mascot, Rambunctious Rabbit, is brutally murdered on park grounds, Lamaar executives are worried that the idyllic image of ‘50s America represented in Familyland will be shattered. They ask Mike Lomax and his partner Terry Biggs, the LAPD detectives assigned to solve the case, to keep the circumstances surrounding the death of their mascot quiet.

When a second Lamaar employee is killed, Lomax and Biggs uncover a conspiracy to destroy Familyland and settle an unknown vendetta. Still under pressure to keep the case away from the public eye, the detectives are met with a third murder – and an outrageous demand: Anyone who associates with Lamaar – employees, customers, anyone – will be killed.

Bringing a fresh duo of cops to the thriller set, The Rabbit Factory is both suspenseful and satiric, a taut mystery wrapped in sharp, comedic prose.

Customer Reviews:

Could have used some editing but very good.......2007-10-03

I will continue reading Karp's novels. He has created an excellent buddy team of detectives in Lomax and Biggs, but the novel is too long by about a third; and the overall plot, while enjoyable, is pretty ludicrous at the end of the day. That being said, Karp writes terrific dialogue and has a gift for witty banter. I am surprised by all the 5 star reviews, because even taken in the context of the genre this is no classic. Karp is working with a great set of characters that readers do care about. He probably has a 5 star book in him, and for a first novel "The Rabbit Factory" succeeds on most levels. I noticed that his follow up "Bloodthirsty" is shorter by about a third from "The Rabbit Factory" so that is a start at least.

Great Audio Entertainment.......2007-09-14

A highly entertaining story with a lot of originality. A novel riddled with satire and suspense. The audio was performed by two very talented narrators, Tom Stechschulte and James Jenner. I'm off to get Marshall Karp's latest novel 'Bloodthirsty' and recommend you to do the same.

574 Pages of Pure Entertainment.......2007-08-26

This has been on my TBR list for awhile, but just bought a few months ago. Yes, the length of the book put me off for a bit, but started and finished it on the weekend. The book goes back and forth between the murders connected with FamilyLand and two subplots also taking place in Mike's personal life, which kept it interesting. Definitely planning on buying the sequel.

rabbit factory redux.......2007-08-13

There is nothing about this book that is any good. At 532 pages, it is the sale of cliche by the pound. Somone needs to unplug this guy's word processor before he types again. O my, that may be too late.

I note in an earlier review a warning that no one confuse this outing with "The Rabbit Factory" written by the now deceased Larry Brown. The warning is without purpose. Nobody could.

Hare-brained novel is fantastic.......2007-07-30

This book is a joy to read because it has it all for readers - mystery, police procedure, dry, sarcastic humor and heart-touching pathos. Several reviewers here say the book is too long, but I found that rather than be burdened by the length, I savored its lasting. You've read the plot lines throughout here, so I'll skip that. The one thing that really made me realized Karp is a great writer is inclusion of the protagonist's wife who died six months prior to the book's beginning. I read this book about six months after my wife passed away and was moved by some of the things Terry thought and said. I am very pleased to see Karp has a new one out with the same guys... "Bloodthirsty." It's a must on my reading list!

Christmas Toy Factory (Geronimo Stilton)

Average customer rating:

This is a really funny book
Great Book
Another fun book from the series

Christmas Toy Factory (Geronimo Stilton)
Geronimo Stilton
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439841186

Book Description

Ho, ho, ho! I love Christmas in New Mouse City. But this year, Grandfather William wanted me to research a new story. He asked me to dress up like Santa Claus and let lots of little mouselets sit on my lap. Cheese niblets! If only I had my own team of reindeer and could fly far, far away. . . .

Customer Reviews:

This is a really funny book.......2007-02-28

This book is part of the Geronimo Stilton series. Geronimo Stilton is a famous mouse that runs a newspaper called The Rodent's Gazett, the most popular paper in New Mouse City were Geronimo lives. This story takes place during Christmas and Geronimo is about to do his Christmas stuff when Grandpa Williams who founded the paper comes in and tells Geronimo that if he does not do his work then he will be kicked out of the boss chair. So Geronimo works and misses his favorite nephew Benjamin's play and Benjamin is sad and runs home when Geronimo comes to say sorry. He also says his workers can't have a party and turns down all his friends because he has too much work. The on Christmas Eve during the time Santa should be delivering presents, Geronimo has a dream and end up at the North Pole. When Geronimo sees Santa, Santa has thee measles and can't deliver the presents so he ask Geronimo to do it. Does Geronimo deliver the preasents and dose he learn the true meaning of Christmas? I think this is a good book about Christmas and it will make you laugh.

Great Book.......2007-01-10

All of the Geronimo Stilton books are entertaining. The pictures are on most pages and the characters are interesting. I bought this for my 7 year old daughter who raced through the book in two days. She loved the Christmas theme. The whole series is great!

Another fun book from the series.......2006-11-06

Geronimo Stilton, publisher of the Rodents' Gazette, is taking the fun out of Christmas. He thinks that if he doesn't work hard enough, he will loose his job. Then Santa Clau becomes sick and he has to take Santa's job. What will happen to Christmas? This book is okay, but others in the series are far better.

Roald Dahl/Charlie Boxed Set (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator)

Average customer rating:

Would be better if I hadn't seen the movie first!
charile and the choclate factory
Love the story but strongly dislike the illustrations
Very Good
An awesome book -- a review by Eli (7 years old)

Roald Dahl/Charlie Boxed Set (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator)
Roald Dahl
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375815597
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Amazon.com

Deliciously madcap mayhem and out-of-this-world fantasy--this is what you'll find within the casing of this boxed set of two of Roald Dahl's most brilliant creations: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

For decades, delighted readers of all ages have explored Willy Wonka's fabulous chocolate factory, met the Oompa Loompas, and sampled the chocolate river along with Augustus Gloop. And later, they have zoomed off into the stratosphere in the most remarkable elevator ever created. Now, a new generation of readers barely needs to pause between the first and the second of Roald Dahl's masterful volumes. Hardcover editions of each title, illustrated of course by the incomparable Quentin Blake, are tucked in a handy cardboard sleeve, ready for the next set of hungry eyes. Sadly, the convenience of the set is counterbalanced by the poor quality of the paper used for the books. Classics like these deserve thick, creamy, opaque pages; not the flimsy, rough, semitransparent sheets used here. (Ages 7 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Customer Reviews:

Would be better if I hadn't seen the movie first!.......2007-06-05

I bought this book the other day at a outlet store for only two dollars. I'm alreday on chapter 17. I like the book, and the way the author writes, but it would be MUCH better if I hadn't seen the movie first.
The old, old movie from the 70's is very different form the book. the NEW movie (which I thought was really good!) is a LOT like the book.
I agree with a few revwiers that the illustrations aren't the best. they're good, and funny, and cute...but they need to sculpt teh charcters a little more.
Besides all that, this is a pretty good book.

charile and the choclate factory.......2007-05-23

the plot took place on this huge place were they make the wonka bar.And the mr.wonka like to invent thing made out of choclate and oher stuff.Mr.wonka let five people to his factory so he signs on the light post.then on the morning people read the paper it said five people are alowed to his factory and who ever finds five golden tickets are going to his factory.Then people are finding the golden ticket then charlie wanted to go but his family are poor.On chalies bithday hr recived a ghoclate bar from his mom and dad.Then his gandpa was exicted that he might find it.but he didn't find it.one day he was walking around charlie found something green charlie said it looks like a bill so piked it up and it was a one dollar bill.So he went to the store and bought the last choclate bar in the store and chaile opened the bar and saw the golden bar.He ran to his house and said i found the golden ticket!his grandpa was excited that he found the golden ticket he was jumping all around.And charlie said that you are not going.Then the next day he thought of it so he said he could go.then it was time.they were walking all around then the chubby kid fell down the choclate river.they were helping he to get out the choclate river the big tube sucked him up.then they left to another room they were trying out candy so the mean girl got some gum and she turn fat and blue.After that went to a room that could turn things big or small.they put a bar put it in the middle they turn it big.they turn the little vilonte boy so small they tried to make him in the wright size but they couln't one by one are living .the only ones that are left is the little girl and charlie.next they went to see the squirles and the little gilr wanted one but sge couldent get one and the dad said can i buy one for my daughter and wonka said no thelittle girl was holdind one it was runing around she chase it she fell down.and the dad went to get her and he fell down to.charlie was the last one.so wonka took them home with him.

Love the story but strongly dislike the illustrations.......2007-04-13

Let me just start off by saying that I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After seeing the movie version with Gene Wilder, I had to read the book, so I rented the ORGINIAL edition from my library and fell in love with it. Then I rented the sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator and enjoyed it just as much.
My only complaint with this edition is the illustrations by Quentin Blake. Let me just be bluntly honest: they are horrible! They look as if a five year old drew them! I don't like the way any of the characters look, especially Willy Wonka. In Blake's illustrations they all look just poor, mediocre, stupid and dopey. They don't add to the book or enhance your visualization of the characters but detract from it. I don't expect Alan Lee-like drawings, just something a bit more better drawn and closer to the characters in the book.
The critic on Amazon calls the illustrator "the incomparable Blake." I'd like to choke when I read that. Incomparable? Yeah right. Just compare this one with the ORIGINAL illustrations by Joseph Schindelman and you'll see that Blake is definitely a big step down in quality. Joseph Schindelman, to me, really captured the goodness and innonence of Charlie and the delightfulness and lovablness of Willy Wonka in his illustrations, and more importantly, they match Roald Dahl's descriptions well. They look more like people and more like you imagined them to look like. When I think of Willy Wonka and Charlie, my mind goes back to the illustrations of Joseph Schindelman; there just better done and more like characters. They are much more charming than the stick figure we have with long nose and bug eyes in Blake's Wonka.
And this guy is a teacher? It looks to me like he needs to be taught a few art lessons. I bought this edition only because I love the story so much and had to have a copy, but now I'm really hoping to get the original edition with Joseph Schindelman as the illustrator.
Last word: somebody needs to fire this guy Blake. He's ruining Road Dahl's books!

Very Good.......2007-01-04

The collectors edition was nice to handle and added to the enjoyment of these classic books.

An awesome book -- a review by Eli (7 years old).......2006-07-19

This is a great, interesting, funny book. I liked both stories but especially Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I like how the author describes the scenes in the book in many details and you can actually imagine how the factory looks like. The illustrations are funny and good.

Average customer rating:

Uncover the bizarre truth of world-changing events in REALITY LEAK.
Fabulous fun
A wild and crazy ride!
Acme Sans Coyotes

Reality Leak
Joni Sensel
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805081259
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Come follow this trail of riddles lined with popcorn and drawn in invisible ink!Pants that walk by themselves . . . Secret messages that pop up in the toaster . . . A mysterious factory that plants already-popped corn and makes invisible ink . . . or is it inc?What is going on in South Wiggot? It all started when Mr. Keen arrived in the dusty little farm town-in a wooden crate. Strange things have been happening ever since, and Bryan Zilcher is determined to find out why, before things can go from strange to sinister.This compelling adventure is like nothing else you've ever read. Part Saturday morning cartoon, part secret agent mystery-and all zany fun!

Customer Reviews:

Uncover the bizarre truth of world-changing events in REALITY LEAK........2007-09-06

When Mr. Keen arrives in a small farm town with a wooden crate, strange things are observed, from pants that walk by themselves to a invisible ink factory. Bryan is determined to find out the secrets behind these strange occurrences, and with the aid of a girl sleuth the two set out to uncover the bizarre truth of world-changing events in REALITY LEAK.

Fabulous fun.......2007-06-06

Almost every day Bryan Zilcher sits by the roadside, trying to sell his invented beverage, LemonMoo, so he can save up enough money to buy a computer. A semi whizzes by, and out tumbles a box. But what climbs out of the box is even stranger: a man named Mr. Keen, who seems more than a little weird to Bryan. When Mr. Keen moves his business into an empty factory in town, Bryan's suspicions get higher and higher. Trouble with a capital T is invading the town . . . can Bryan find a way to stop it?

This book was zany, crazy fun. It's got great characters like Tripper and Spot, with plenty of action and excitement. Full of bizarre things like flying money, popcorn planting, and possible vampires, Reality Leak was a blast to read. Perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy a good dose of oddball humor.

A wild and crazy ride!.......2007-04-21

This is a very, very fun book to read. From the opening page, the reader is taken on a wild and crazy ride in the company of quirky, likeable and, ultimately, very human characters. It's a mystery story and an adventure story, as well as being very funny. I haven't laughed out loud like this while reading a "middle grade" book since discovering Sid Fleischman. Every time you think you know where the story is going it takes another twist and the reader is left to marvel at Ms. Sensel's imagination and the ease with which she presents both scenes of humor and poignancy. I read portions of the book aloud to some of the "underachieving" seventh- and eighth-grade students I work with - reluctant readers, to say the least. They insisted I start back at the beginning, and soon we were passing the book around so we could each take turns at reading it aloud to the group. What more could you want from a novel?

Acme Sans Coyotes.......2007-04-09

Dangers abound in the world of children's literature. The wary author, ear cocked to the wind, nose sniffing about for trouble, must be vigilant every step of the way. And when an author attempts their very first middle grade novel for children, the dangers are likely to increase tenfold. So ran my line of reasoning as I idly picked up and perused Joni Sensel's, "Reality Leak". The book, let us face it, has a charming cover design but how fares the material inside? I was prepared to be disappointed. I was, instead, truly delighted. Living up to its illustrations (and then some) Ms. Sensel brings child readers a book that wants nothing more than to entertain and be entertaining in the process. Mission, as you will see, most certainly accomplished.

It was a summer day like any other for eleven-year-old Bryan Zilcher. He was just sitting on the side of the highway in an attempt to sell some LemonMoo (lemon flavored milk of his own invention) when out of the back of a semi flies a wooden crate bearing the label, "WARNING: DO NOT LICK." From this box emerges none other than Archibald Keen, a white-suited stick of a man who describes himself as the president of Acme, Inc. Without further ado Mr. Keen is off, purchasing the local defunct factory and hiring all the residents as employees without going into such dull details as what it is they're actually going to MAKE when working for him. Bryan's suspicious, and with good reason. It seems that strange things are happening all the time now. Notes appear out of toasters. Little girls blow bubbles in the shapes of letters. Trains appear to be running in a town where there are no tracks. Now it's up to Bryan and his friend Spot (a girl who thinks she's a canine) to investigate the real story behind Acme, Inc. and find out whether or not Mr. Keen's intentions are noble or nefarious.

I referred vaguely to dangers associated with first time middle grade authors, and for a second there I was desperately afraid that "Reality Leak" would fall prey to one of the biggest mistakes a writer can make. When an author starts haphazardly throwing all the cool stuff they can think of into a story so as to make it kid friendly, they usually end up creating a gawdawful mess instead. Warily I scanned the pages of "Reality Leak" for any hint of undeserved goofiness and at first, to my chagrin, it looked like Sensel was doing just that. For a chapter or two it seemed that she'd given in to her worst whims and created ridiculous stuff without rhyme or reason. Really, the girl that thinks that she's a dog seemed a clear indication of out-of-the-blue nuttiness. Then I read a little further and everything began to fall neatly into place. If there's no rhyme or reason that's because the book demands a complete and utter lack of it. Keep reading and everything begins to even out. The story's plot has a well-thought out beginning, middle, and end and the arc of the tale melds beautifully. Even Mr. Keen (a worthy successor to Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka if ever there was one) with his quirks and potentially malevolent actions makes sense within the context of the writing. Just as you feel Sensel might plunge you off the deep end of cohesive storytelling never to return, she reels you back in so skillfully that you begin to wonder if she wasn't playing with you intentionally all along.

The author seemingly draws her nutty occurrences from a host of different sources. At one point our heroes draw a black hole on the wall only to find a train is approaching them from inside that space they just drew. This reminded me of an old Sesame Street episode with some guys putting two sides of a picture of a hole together and then facing the train that approaches from within the finished image. Sensel also looks to old Warner Brothers cartoons as well as adding in some subtle flourishes that are entirely her own. Black and white rainbows, winking waffles, teabags that turn into mice, etc.

Now Sensel does attempt to bring in some serious family matter into this otherwise silly tale, and in a way I felt that this was unnecessary. In the story, Bryan's mother left the family a couple years ago and since that time his dad has taken up with Tripper, the smart woman who runs the Post Office. And while Bryan doesn't seriously mind Tripper, he begins to chafe when she starts setting understandable limits for him when his dad fails to. The problem is that this storyline doesn't gel as nicely as it might. References to Bryan's mother keep cropping up in spite of the fact that she doesn't have any bearing on the story at hand and the boy seemingly doesn't think of her all that often anyway. It's not an intrusive element to the book, but it did come off as a little unnecessary at times, and that's too bad.

Now it is a fact of nature that authors are not always given the illustrators they so richly deserve. First time authors of novels in particular tend to get the scrapings off the bottom of the barrel time and time again, so it's just a pure pleasure to see Ms. Sensel place her baby in the competent hands of illustrator Christian Slade. Mr. Slade, a former Disney animator, has yet to make a permanent mark in the world of children's literature. "Reality Leak" offers him, then, a remarkable start. Slade knows how to balance the cartoonish elements of this story with just the right amount of reality. I was particularly impressed with his characterization of the mysterious Archibald Keen. Here we have a fellow who is either good or bad, and it's impossible to say whether he falls too far one way or another for most of the book. When he smiles the story says that, "That grin had too many teeth. It made the stranger look a bit like a jack-o'-lantern." Later in the book Slade shows you what the author meant, but at the same time he has to be careful and make it impossible to say if the guy is malevolent or simply weird. The smile does indeed have too many teeth, but the eyes are almost sympathetic in spite of the bushy eyebrows above them. There aren't an overwhelming amount of pen-and-ink illustrations in this book, but their occasional appearances in this story do complement the plot rather magnificently, and for this I am glad.

Kids who may enjoy this book include those youngsters in love with Blue Balliett's, Chasing Vermeer series. I've never been entirely comfortable with Balliett as an author, personally. Her books always have characters idly walking along as clues go out of their way to trip them up. Sensel's book, in contrast, has some lively child heroes who find peculiar clues and secret messages after a great deal of hard work. Bryan and Spot are active protagonists. He, for example, keeps a double-cased pillow full of files on his bed in lieu of a computer. When something weird happens he's sure to write it down pronto rather than let actions just happen to him. But if you can lead kids into reading this story by comparing it to Ms. Balliett's work, all power to you.

I was a little disappointed to find that there have been blurbs of this book that give away the mystery Bryan and Spot are trying so desperately to uncover. Hopefully this will lessen as the book gains in popularity. As it stands, I wouldn't hesitate to place this in the grubby hands of any grubby reader that happens to waltz into my library looking for a book that is fun and funny to boot. In spite of the record number of children's book publications that climb with every fiscal year, few of the titles out there have as clear a sense of lighthearted glee as Joni Sensel's, "Reality Leak". Never disappointing and always surprising.

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory

Average customer rating:

Curious George
not good
Great Classic Gift
My Favorite Curious George Book Thus Far
I am a happy customer

Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory
H. A. Rey
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395912148

Book Description

When George and the man with the yellow hat stop to shop at a chocolate factory store, George becomes curious about how chocolates are made. Though he begins to follow the factory tour, George is soon off on his own to investigate. The adventures of Curious George continue in an all-new series beginning in fall 1998 with eight new stories. Written and illustrated in the style of Margret and H. A. Rey, the books will appear in paperback (8 x 8") and hardcover editions and will feature the art of Vipah Interactive, the animators of HMI's Curious George CD-ROMs.

Customer Reviews:

Curious George.......2007-07-06

Both my boys love curious george. And you can never go wrong with a book.

not good.......2007-05-22

My daughter got tired of this book while reading it. If you're looking for a book about a chocolate factory, then this is it. If however you're looking for a fun book about a mischievous monkey, then this is not it.

Great Classic Gift.......2007-04-11

My 5 year old daughter just loves Curious George. Ever since the new movie came out she has been hooked on the older adventures of George. She is easily able to listen to the tape on her personal tape player and read along with the book. With the tapes I don't have to worry about her scratching them or ruining them after just a few uses. I would recommend this to anyone considering it for their child.

My Favorite Curious George Book Thus Far.......2006-07-20

Written in the spirit of the classic books by Margaret and H.A. Rey, Curious George Goes to a Chocolate Factory features the clean, simple illustrations of Vipah Interactive. (Other George stories are written/illustrated by Mary Weston, who gets enthusiastic with the black charcoal--resulting in dirty looking illustrations.)

One day, the man with the yellow hat and George go to tour a chocolate factory. George is enthralled to learn that there is a special coding system used to indicate various types of chocolate or fillings. For example, the chocolate with a squiggle is a truffle, the one with a little swirl on top is fudge, and the one with the N on it is for nougat.

In a scene reminiscent of the classic I Love Lucy episode, George accidentally turns a machine on "very fast"--sending chocolates speeding down a conveyor belt. He then helps the workers box up the chocolates (eating while he works!), and ends up saving the day.

George doesn't even accept a box of chocolates as a reward--because he has a tummy ache!

This delightful book also has a neat game on the back, with the different chocolates as game squares. All you need is two coins to play the simple game--three if you're playing with a friend.

Maybe it's because I'm a chocolate lover, but this is my favorite Curious George book! My son seems to love it, too.

I am a happy customer.......2006-03-20

My kids, boys 5 and 8 both love the book on tape and have listened to it several times. But really, can you go wrong with Curious George? I am a happy customer

Average customer rating:

Alsome book by AR at North Boulevard
The fabulous book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The fabulous book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory doc.
Absolutely wonderful book

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375834605
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Book Description

This full-color 40th anniversary edition of Roald Dahl’s most popular novel features vibrant spot art by Quentin Blake on candy-colored pages enhanced by candy-filled borders. A scrumptious read-aloud edition of a classic!

Young Charlie Bucket can’t believe his luck when he finds the very last of Mr. Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets inside his chocolate bar. He wins the trip of a lifetime, a magical tour around Mr. Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. Once inside, Charlie and the other four winners—Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee—witness amazing wonders: rainbow drops, lickable wallpaper, and even a chocolate waterfall. But what happens when the children, one by one, disobey Mr. Wonka?

Customer Reviews:

Alsome book by AR at North Boulevard.......2006-12-22

By: Ronald Dahl

This is the greatest book ever, it is Ronald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a 5 star book because it was funny and detailed too. This story is about a poor boy winning a big prize. He goes to a chocolate factory that has some really cool candy, mystery and, inventions. The problem is his family real poor. I recommend this book to 2nd thought 5th because it has enough magic and comedy in it for these grades.

The fabulous book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.......2006-03-10

This book is fantastic it is about a very poor boy named Charlie Bucket. He always goes to school with out a jacket because they don't have money to buy Charlie things. The setting of the book is an unnamed city; small wooden house on the edge of a great city,a fabled chocolate factory. The conflict is five children who have found golden tickets compete to see who will take over Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory. It all started when the newpaper announces that the Wonka chocolate factory will hide five golden tickets in the Wonka chocolate bars. Charlie desperately hopes he will find a golden ticket. The problem is that each year he gets a chocolate on his birthday, and he doesn't have money to buy one. Charlie father loses his job and the poor family is on brink of starvation. Charlie finds a dollar bill on the street, and before he tells his mother, he goes to buy two chocolate bars. One of the bars contains the fifth golden ticket. Charlie and his Grandpa Joe go to the Wonka Chocolate Factory. When the are finally there Mr. Wonka tells everybody to be careful,and not touch any thing from the factory. Then Augustus Gloop falls into the hot chocolate river while attempting to drink it, and gets sucked up by one of the pipes. Veruca Salt is determined to be a bad nut by nut judging squirrels who throw her out with the trash. Violet Beauregarde grabs an experimental piece of gum and chew herself into a giant blueberry. She is removed from the factory. Mike Teavee shrinks himself and his father has to carry him out in his breast pocket. So Charlie is the only one that is left in the factory. Mr. Wonka tries to find a person that would keep the chocolate factory. Mr. Wonka decided to give away his factory because he is too old. Then he decides that Charlie is the one who will run the factory exactly the way he has always run it. Finally Mr. Wonka congrarulates him for winning the entire factory for himself and his family.

The fabulous book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.......2006-03-10

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory doc........2006-01-25

Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory

Welcome to the wonderful world of Wanka!!! This story is about Mr. Willy Wanka who is giving away 5 golden tickets! Oh No!!!!! People around the world are going crazy for the golden tickets! Who will get one? You'll just have to read to find out!!
The theme of this story is about the world of Willy Wanka one reason I believe that is because they talk about the factory a lot in this book. The thing is they get to go into the factory. Another theme is that Charlie needs more money to get a new house.
The characters in this story are Mr. Willy Wanka, who owns the chocolate factory. Are other character is Charlie who is a poor boy who lives in a cabin with his whole family. The supporting details are: Mr. Willy Wanka who owns the chocolate factory. Charlie has to eat cabbage every meal(yuck!!)And, all four of his grandparents sleep in the same bed.
This story takes place in there old crecky cabin. Plus At Charlie's school where everyone is mean to him. But last it takes place in Willy Wanka's mysterious factory. The supporting details are he does live in a cabin. He goes to school everyday. Plus he gets to go in the Chocolate factory.
Finally to end this book I would rate it 9 out of 10. I'm rating it 9 out of 10 because it is a very creative book. Personally I thought I was practically there. I would recommend this book to someone who has a great imagination.

Absolutely wonderful book.......2005-10-02

My five year old loved this book almost as much as I did. It was very entertaining, and went pretty much along with the movie.

Average customer rating:

HONORING THE CYCLE OF LIFE
A lovely story

The Tortilla Factory
Gary Paulsen
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152016988

Book Description

In clear and eloquent language, Gary Paulsen pays tribute to a cycle of life--from seed to plant to tortilla. Workers till the black soil, operate the clanking machinery of the factory, and drive the trucks that deliver the tortillas back into the hands that will plant the yellow seeds. With Ruth Wright Paulsen’s expressive paintings, The Tortilla Factory brings forth the poetry and beauty of a simple way of life. “This title is beautiful to look at, and will also fit nicely into units on food, regional culture, art, and many other topics.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

HONORING THE CYCLE OF LIFE.......2004-04-19

Simply but movingly Gary Paulsen honors the cycle of life. Beginning with the earth, the seeds, and then the plants, he traces the making of flour and then bread.

Thirty-two illustrations in ripe harvest colors add a richness to his story.

A lovely story.......2002-05-15

I found this at our local library and it's one of my 3 year old son's favorite books. I've now bought a copy because he knew it by heart after we returned our library copy. I've read other Gary Paulsen books and have enjoyed them as well, but this simple story with it's beautiful illustrations is one of our family favorites.

Average customer rating:

Epic and Educational
Very informative and visually amazing
The Genesis Of The American Industrial Revolution
To Whole Cloth
Mill

Mill
David Macaulay
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395520193

Amazon.com

In Mill, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, David Macaulay pays tribute to the historically important mills of 19th-century New England. Using close-up pen-and-ink illustrations, Macaulay thoroughly explains the Yankee ingenuity that went into the elaborate process of running machines that were generated by the flow of water. In the case of this cotton mill in the imaginary town of Wicksbridge, Macaulay also demonstrates how important the mill was to a community's economic and social viability. In one scene, he shows the men and women celebrating the framing of the mill with a festive, barn-raising-style party. Macaulay tracks the mill's history, expertly explaining how all its new fixtures and materials reflect the political and industrial changes in the country. For example, in 1852 the owner sides with his abolitionist wife and shuns the use of "Negro cloth," inexpensive cloth made from slave-picked cotton. Instead he decides to start producing multi-colored, finer fabrics--a decision that leads to the expansion of the mill and the introduction of the steam engine. This is a finely woven offering, filled with technical intricacies and intriguing historical details. But ultimately, Macaulay's Mill is generated by the human story that led to the building of New England's cotton mills--as well as their eventual demise. (Ages 9 and older) --Gail Hudson

Book Description

The mills at Wicksbridge are imaginary, but their planning, construction, and operation are quite typical of mills developed in New England throughout the nineteenth century.

Customer Reviews:

Epic and Educational.......2007-08-31

Macaulay is an illustrator, architect, engineer, historian, economist, anthropologist and story-teller. He puts all of this knowledge and skill into Mill. It is a totally one-of-a-kind book that does not easily fall under any traditional category. It is often labeled as a "kids' book" because it has pictures and is relatively short. But very little of the educational content would be considered common knowledge for adults. It reads like a history text-book, a technical manual, and a novel all in one.

It is an epic, multi-generational story of a fictional New England town that is born out of the textile boom of the Industrial Revolution. You follow the cotton-milling and cloth-weaving operations of this town and its mills as they grow and expand, incorporate new technology, and endure the tides of fortune. Along the way, you get to learn all the details of the planning, the machinery, the construction, read excerpts from the characters' journals and watch the town slowly grow and change over time. In the end, this short book feels like a monumental journey and it will leave you not only satisfied but smarter too.

I've read most of Macaulay's books and this is probably the best.

Very informative and visually amazing.......2007-06-05

I bought this for my son, who has always been intrigued by construction projects, but I have also enjoyed it quite a bit and learned a lot from it. One point I would make is that it is not quite as simple as some of Macaulay's other books, such as Castle and Cathedral. Whereas those books are easy for even a four-year-old to comprehend, Mill has a more involved story-line and will require more explaining from a parent. I would say that ideally it should be for older children for that reason. But, that doesn't change the fact that it's a great book, and of course the illustrations are amazing.

The Genesis Of The American Industrial Revolution.......2007-05-03

It is said that in the course of one long human lifetime, places like Ohio went from virgin wilderness to among the most industrialized regions on earth, but the "blueprint" for the Midwest's growth as a center of industry had its roots in the factory mills of New England. In Mill, the masterful David Macaulay uses direct storytelling, combined with his appealing pen and ink sketches, to bring to our comprehension the founding and operation of a nineteenth-century water-powered textile mill. His tale here takes a reader, young or old, through the development of the mill structure, an event reminiscent of a rural barn raising, into the day to day workings of this efficient industrial complex as it would have been at peak operation. More than just a place of labor, the mills of New England and elsewhere soon became the focal points of entire communities. As this book shows, if a local resident did not himself work at the mill, then one of his relatives, customers, or friends most certainly did. Macaulay pulls no punches, and shows that work in a mill was demanding, dangerous, and strenuous. There were long hours, sunup to sunset, every day except Sunday. David Macaulay also elicits true feeling from his readers as the story wraps around to the demise of the grand old mill, in a later age when industrial evolution makes its processes redundant. Mill may lack some of the grandeur of other Macaulay works such as Cathedral, Castle, or Pyramid, but it has a lot to teach almost anyone, and in this author's hands, learning is both spontaneous and enjoyable.

To Whole Cloth.......2002-03-15

This is an important book. Written for children, it can be used just as effectively by adults to comprehend the beginnings of the industrial revolution in the United States. Learn and see how men tamed our rivers and how men, women and children were swallowed up in these great monuments to progress.

The illustrations are remakable. David Macaulay deftly describes and illustrates how the technology that made America a world industrial power came to the young new country and how American ingenuity improved it and made the nation into a world class economic juggernaut.

The author is a superb story teller, and anyone who would like to visualize the nature of mills and to understand the profound impact of this technology on our country should read it.

I highly recommend this great children's book to everyone.

Mill.......2000-10-27

A wonderful story that takes the reader through the life and times of an infant small village mill into the mature years of a 20th century factory-mill. Excellent illustrations, and fun storyline that allows the reader to become involved with the life of the mill. I loved it.

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