Children Books

As a ten-year-old child, this book totally wrapped me in its magical web. I still remember it as my most favorite book, rivaled only by Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights once I was a young adult. I checked it out from the school library as a fourth grader in the morning, and only put it down when I had to do lessons, finishing it by the evening. Like the C.S. Lewis Narnia series, especially The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Colin is able to slip into an alternate reality, and the portal between the two worlds is very thin. Adults in both kingdoms could be unpredictable, flighty and cruel. Loretta is initially an enigma until her identity confusion is resolved. I really don't know how Mary Chase wove such a masterful world of magic and wonder. I'm definitely getting this for my own children.

This is my all-time #1 favorite book. I read it in the fourth grade which was in 1962. I purchased and gave it to my grandson to read just a couple of months ago. He loved it. In fact, he was in awe and asked me for more books just like that one. I told him that one was magic, and it really is.

When I was a little girl (am 50 now), my fifth grade teacher read this book to our class. We were enthralled and could not wait for reading time each day. The name of the book and the story stayed with me all these years with the fond memories of a teacher who changed my life. Mrs. Waite of Bonner Elementary School in Houston Texas 1964 instilled in me a love for reading that has endured a lifetime! Like so many others, I have searched for this book and not found it until today. Thanks to Amazon for bringing this delightful book to children..my grandkids will love it!

I, too, had searched for the Loretta Mason Potts book, long before the internet was invented. Since elementary school (in the late '50s) I thought of it as my favorite book. When I became an adult (with kidlike tastes, still), I went back to my elementary school to look for the book (still before the internet). No luck. They didn't even have a record of it. I thought I'd made it up, and forgot all about it. Until last night, as I was falling to sleep I searched my brain for the name of this book. I remembered the name. I woke up thinking about it. I haven't bought it yet, but I read it when I was a little girl and thought I'd lost the opportunity to read it again. Thank you Amazon, for offering this treasure of a book.

I read Loretta Mason Potts over and over when I was in grade school and junior high, and so did my best friends. I found myself thinking about it again when I was in graduate school, and, terrified that it might be about to be discarded, I wrote to my small-town library and asked whether if they were going to get rid of it I might buy it instead. They very kindly sent it to me free of charge, dull, crinkly library cover and all. (One of my friends truly asked whether I would xerox it for her.)

When I read it again, it was as wonderful as ever. All the tiny things--satin dress, yellow curls, red car, tinkling voices--and the big things--the suddenly nasty children, the bewildered mother, the truth and rightness of the ending--are still magical and always will be. I often think what a wonderful movie it would make--Stephen Spielberg, are you listening? Today the mom who rises above her complacent self to fearlessly rescue her children would not be the bridge-playing, apron-wearing, cigarette-smoking mom of yesteryear, but perhaps a nutrition-and-exercise-obsessed working mom.

My daughter, now 20, borrowed that old library copy to do a book report when she was in the third grade. The magic of Loretta is powerful; having read only the report, the teacher wrote on it in big letters I WANT TO READ THIS BOOK.

I thought of Loretta again this morning, in the grade school library where I volunteer, as I was processing books bought at last week's book fair. Mary Chase--that sounds familiar--could it be? Yes. The Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden has been reissued as The Wicked Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House. Oh, joy! I have never read it and I know it will be a luscious treat.

A good book on an important subject-worth picking up. The illustrations are superbly done.

I teach 5th grade...in NC. Keith Odom, the author ANDillustrator of MERVIN THE PURPLE SCHMOO is my cousin...I would lovethe book if I was not related. The story is sweet and the artwork is beautiful. I read it to my students and then they wanted to re-read it individually. (I can't read it with the expression Keith can.) My co-workers love the book too and want personal copies AND copies for their classrooms. Keith is a very talented person and a fine author/illustrator. I am completing my 27th year of Elementary School teaching and I've never seen such a good book. MERVIN and KEITH are great...Keep it up Keith.

My girlfriend has been trying to get me to read the Bible. I told her it was to long so she borrowed the book about the schmoo from her sister and asked me was this one to long. I thought she was just being sarcastic because it's a kid book. At least I thought it was when I started reading it. I'm 22 and I really enjoyed it. My girlfriend must have pretty good taste in books. I might start the Bible now. I can trust her not to have me read stuff that will be a waste of time.

Read MERVIN at my Sister's house yesterday. She had recently purchased one from the author at a local book signing. She said Mr. Odom was a joy to talk to. She, my nephew, and I are all mezmorized by the story and the pictures. Mr. Odom had enclosed a book mark with your address on it to write a review. I don't really know how to write a review but his book is G-R-E-A-T. My sister said he's almost finished with a sequel. We can't wait to get one. Make that two. Hope he has another local signing. I'll be there and I'll bring some friends with children. There are none at my house unless you count ME.

I bought a copy of Mervin the Purple Three-Toed Schmoo at abook signing last week. It was intended for my 8 year old Grandson,who I haven't seen since, so he may never get this book because I love it so much. Mr. Odom was very personable and is obviously a brilliant writer as well as artist. He told me he was almost finished with his second book. He promised that the second would be better, especially artistically, than Mervin because he had been a little "rusty" doing the artwork for the first book. I can't conceive of anything surpassing Mervin. I can hardly wait to get a copy of the second book.

I bought this book while still pregnant and it prepared me for what to expect when I finally came back to work. Everything from choosing a pump to the logistics of pumping between meetings are provided. Not to mention some comforting advice for those hours you'll spend in your office's mothers' rooms and you feel like you are a million miles away from your sweet baby.

I read this book while breastfeeding my baby in bed. Since I am a working mother, who found it extremely difficult to combine work and nursing, I found this book absolutely helpful. It had great advice on most pressing nursing issues and also lifted up my spirits and confidence. A must read for all nursing working mothers.

This book will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. A huge inspiration and motivation for working moms wanting to breastfeed. Thank you to the authors for publishing this!

I've bought a lot of stuff from Amazon, but this is the first item I'm reviewing, because I really liked this item. Being a working mom is tough in so many ways and this book shows us that there are alot of women who are experiencing the same feelings as I am experiencing or have experienced before. Pumping can be such a tedious task, but most of us are doing it just for the sake of our little ones. Pumping at work is no fun at all, but seeing the comradery these women shared inspired me to seek the same sort of support circle in my own company. Also, this book shows us that there are different ways of doing things (timing of weaning, etc.) and there are different viewpoints on being a working mom...and that there are lots of options for working moms -- and that you just have to go after it once you've analyzed your options. This book is a good resource and it's funny, too. I highly reccommend it!

This book is a "must have" for any nursing mommas going back to work and hoping to continue the breastfeeding relationship. I wish I had had this book when my first daughter was born and I went back to work. I felt so alone in my extremely challenging endeavor of pumping and working. If I had had this book, I would have felt supported, vindicated, inspired, and most of all, would have had the collective wisdom of other women who've learned how to make it work.

I now plan to buy this book for all my friends who are having babies and planning to continue their careers out of the home. I would also recommend Working Without Weaning but if you're only going to buy one book, this one will tell you most everything you need and it's so darn affordable! It's also well written and backed up by research.

Hurray for a couple of super-moms who managed to pump AND work AND somehow find time to write a book! Most books are written by stay-at-home moms who could never understand the pump/work dynamic. (No offense to them but even my local LLL leader couldn't help me because she has never experienced working out of the home 40 hrs/wk, away from her baby, dealing with pumping and storing milk and all the rest.

This book covers everything from starting the breastfeeding relationship on the right foot, introducing bottles, buying the right pump, negotiating time/space with your employer, sleep-deprivation, anxiety about being separated from your baby, the challenge of juggling career and family priorities, the challenge of being perceived as "less productive" at work now that you're juggling everything else. It has a nice balance of informative narrative from the authors, interspersed between the journal entries of the "Milk Mamas" group sharing the lactation room at IBM. I wish I had colleagues in my workplace to share this kind of journal with but reading their comments made me feel like I was not alone in my struggles.

Unlike other books I encountered, this book does not start from the premise that new moms should consider quitting their job or giving up their careers. It starts with the understanding that you are going back to work, either by choice or necessity, and aims to give you all the tools you need to successfully continue providing your baby with breastmilk for as long as you want to. Towards the end, it addresses the potential alternatives such as flex schedules, part time work, or putting your career on hold. But it doesn't start off making you feel like you're a bad mother if you go back to work.

Now that I've read this book (and a couple others), I just know I'm going to be more successful with pumping and working this time around with my second baby. In retrospect, it helped me see that I actually did a pretty good job the first time around (100% breastmilk until 6 months; daughter weened herself at 9 months when my milk supply dried up). I just felt like such a failure and like I lacked the kind of support I needed.

Definitely buy this book NOW and read it cover to cover if you are going to be a working mom! You'll enjoy and appreciate it.

I love the format of this book - A-Z Bible verses that kids can work on memorizing - not only that, but it includes a devotional for each with pictures, questions, and a prayer. Relates the verse to real-life for kids. I am so excited to use this with my daughter when she gets a bit older. Would be great for classroom use too!

We read this nightly at bedtime. I wish there were more books like this. My daughter has enjoyed learning the verses, and when similar situations arise in our lives, I'll remind her, "Remember how we read about this with Missy and Bill ..." Just another tool to help reinforce attitudes. Perfect for younger kids.

I am using this as a daily devotional for my daughter, who is 5. We've put the verses on alphabet flash cards so she can memorize them, and she loves it. This book does a great job explaining God's word on a level she can understand. The questions after the story give us something to talk about and the little prayer ties it all together. Highly recommended!

I have used My ABC Bible Verses for 2 years now as a preschool curriculum for my children. The stories are well written and the verses are extremely applicable in daily training. I recommend this book to all of my friends. It's excellent.

My four year old boy and I read this for homeschooling. I do not think he is really understanding the devotions. They say it is for 4 year olds but I think it will be a few years before he will be able to comprehend the contents.

The book seems to be based on close observations of thousands of families, by someone with good judgment. It says what the child should be doing at a given age, and what you the parent should be doing, without euphemisms or ideology. A big theme of the book is that you must establish compliance with rules between the ages of 16 and 24 months. I began to read this book just *after* my child turned two, and it is a bit sobering for me to ponder how sound its observations and advice appear now. I own at least two or three other books on parenting (the also good Brazelton and the treacly Dr. Sears), and this one is easily the best.

I'm expecting my fifth child, so I've got a bit of experience with raising young children. I bought this book when my first was born and it is the only book that I have kept over the years and still consult.

The thing about this book is that it offers practical, sensible advice while helping you understand what is actually going on with your child developmentally, so that the advice makes sense. White has years of research and observation to call on, and his advice is sound and founded on this research. The book is broken up into various stages by age, and presented in logical sections.

This is not a book aimed at any particular developmental issue or problem, but paints a general picture of how babies develop under normal circumstances. He offers practical advice on how to help your baby's development relevant to their developmental stage, though there is no particular emphasis on pushing your child to reach any specific potential. Rather, you are encouraged to understand what will help baby most while being reassured that variance in level of development is normal.

Some issues that are covered in this book that I have found helpful were sibling rivalry, what toys to buy (and which to avoid), and how to effectively and humanely discipline very small children as well as teaching them to go to sleep on their own.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone with a new baby, and suggest getting it as soon as possible. You don't need to read it cover to cover, but can read each stage as your baby approaches it.

We have raised an unspoiled, intelligent and well behaved 5 year old that proves that recommendations and techniques from this book really work. We always get compliments from friends, family and even strangers on how well behaved our kid is. We are reviewing again as our 1 yr old grows. There is no magic formula to parenting, and sure, you may need to adjust a thing or two based on your value systems, heritage and personal preferences but two things I can assure: Love has no substitute for what's best for your children and this book is a great buy. We actually have bought 4 copies as gifts for friends who are new to parenting

During a visit to my parent's house about 6 weeks into my son's life, my father presented me with his 30 year old copy of this book. Clearly it had made such an impression on him while he was raising me, that he had not only kept it, but remembered it when it was my turn to raise my first child. After reading the What to Expect series, Dr. Sears, Dr. Spock, and other various finds studiously like textbooks while I was pregnant (highlighting, note-taking, comparing ideologies), I found this book refreshing, simple, honest and captivating. The "rules" are so commonsensical they may seem at first like a waste of time. But the author discusses the reasons why babies and young children do the things they do and need their basic needs in a way that makes you feel like you can really see the world through your child's eyes. It is a delightful read and many times brought tears to my eyes as the lightbulb went off above my head and I could see how simple raising a child can be. My son is 7 months now and this book has never left the side of my bed. I re-read it frequently as he develops just to re-center myself when the stresses of parenthood ever seem too weighty.

Unique as Pete: How Autism Does Not Mean Different

This is an excellent guide to raising a new baby. I love it becuase it's all based on sound research and the advice in this book has been right on with our daughter. This is a MUST have if you are raising a new baby.

This book is an amazing adventure and a true page-turner. I started reading it on a Tuesday morning and had it finished by Wednesday afternoon. The characters truly come to life and you feel as if you yourself are a part of the story. I have passed the book on to my 9 year old sister and she is loving it! We can't wait for book 2!!

I am a mom of 6 kids (mostly adults now) and grandmother of 1 and was delighted to receive this book to review. The books that have often been assigned or available in school for kids to read if not the "classics" of literature many times have questionable values and language that are not appropriate for grades third through eighth. This book is written primarily with that audience in mind although kids (and adults!) of all ages can enjoy this story and parents can rest assured that while both good and evil are present that there is a clear distinction.

Nick Stewart is an eleven year old boy and he has just been transplanted from his home in Washington, D.C. to Colorado. His mom was killed in an auto accident earlier that year and only Nick and his dad, an anthropology professor, are left. Nick's dad is having a rough time coping with his grief as is Nick. Nick's mom, Laura, was the glue that held them together but now the two of them are drifting apart. Nick is resentful of the time his dad spends with his students and misses his mom very much.

Nick is on a history school trip to an old West town called Silverado where he learns of a legend of Slim Marano who was wrongfully hanged by the town for murdering his boss at Falcon Mine. As Nick goes through the town with the tour guide, some strange things happen. Nick also become convinced he needs to find out who the true killer was and looks forward to researching and writing the paper the history teacher assigned. However, somehow Nick ends up in the wrong place and the wrong time and is accused of stealing Slim's journal from the museum!! Nick knows who did it but it is his word against theirs so he is suspended from school.

Nick's dad is very frustrated with Nick and doesn't know what to think but takes Nick along on a student dig in the mountains only a couple miles from Silverado. Unfortunately there is a cave-in and Nick is caught in it. However the spirit of Slim Marano appears and tells Nick that he needs his help to clear his name so that his family in generations to come will not have the shame of a murderer as an ancestor. Nick agrees to help him and so the adventures begin.

I enjoyed the way the book was written and the many abilities of the "spirits" of Slim and his friends. I also enjoyed the good vs. evil as well as the plot twists and turns that were not too complicated for even younger children to follow but do add excitement and intrigue for kids of pre-teen age. Most of all, I really enjoyed that Ms. Henn did not feel it necessary to add vulgarity or swearing to the book as so many authors do in the guise of making it "real."

Very highly recommended especially for third to eighth graders!!

I read the book Nick and Slim the Legend of the Falcon Mine which is a mystery. What made me keep reading this book was that I wanted to find out who killed Otis. My favorite scene of the book was when Nick first found Slim. The author did a great job of expressing Nick's fear. My favorite character was Nick because he was a great spy for Slim. I recommend this book because it is suspenseful and full of adventure. Any kid my age would really enjoy it. I can not wait for the author's next book to be released.

Nick & Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine is a novel for young adults that blends fantasy and the Old West into a rollicking adventure. In the present day, a young Nick is framed for stealing a museum artifact - the journal of the notorious Slim Marano, hanged for murder more than one hundred years ago. An unexpected meeting with Slim's spirit shows Nick that he and Slim have something in common; both of them have been unjustly set up. Nick travels through time and becomes embroiled in a search to expose a dark and terrible conspiracy. Aided by spirits and mortals a like, Nick and Slim must discover the truth, prove their innocence, and rescue lives in the balance. A handful of black-and-white illustrations enhance this lengthy yet enthralling novel.

The Birth of a New Classic
Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine

By Samantha Roberts January 30, 2007 [...]

From the moment I picked up the book, I felt like I was a character in Nick and Slim: The Legend of the Falcon Mine. Every chapter revealed new plot twists and villains, and left me eager to find out what happens next. Even the author, Pamela Henn, said she experienced the same sense of surprise while she was writing the book.

"I didn't know who the villain was until the last couple chapters revealed who made the most sense to be the villain," Henn told me. "That was kind of the fun part of this whole project."

Just when I would start to guess where the story was headed, the storyline would change and draw me further into the adventure.

Nick and Slim is the story of Nick Stewart, whose life undergoes a series of tragic changes. His mother dies when he is 11 years old. His dad Lee then moves them to Colorado where he gets a job teaching anthropology. Nick finds himself in a new school trying to deal with his grief and a work-obsessed father.

On a school trip to the ghost town Silverado, he runs into more trouble. The field trip is part of a school assignment. He has to investigate the murder of Otis Watkins and the hanging of Slim Marano, who was wrongly accused of committing the crime.

Nick notices that the glass in a display case is broken. Before he can react, some of the school bullies beat him up. The bullies had stolen Slim Marano's journal--"the one piece of circumstantial evidence that had convicted Slim"--and slipped it into Nick's pocket. Nick finds himself not only trying to clear Slim Marano's name, but also trying to clear his own.

Later, Nick meets the spirit of Slim Marano, who takes him back in time to help him unravel the mystery and stop Slim's hanging. Slim's ghostly friends Michael, Keenan, and Christopher join in, and they begin on an adventure that uncovers a lot more than they ever expected.

The story of Nick and Slim grew out of a challenge to the author from a friend. Henn was an animation artist for Walt Disney. She worked on The Little Mermaid, Roger Rabbit shorts, Mickey Mouse shorts, Pocahontas, and The Legend of Mulan. She was also the model for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. After 20 years, she quit Disney and started her own business, White Wolf Studios. Nick and Slim is her first children's novel, which grew out of writing classes she taught at the studio.

"I'm really excited about it," Henn said. "I love history, and I use history as the template, or the background that we can lay the characters on. Slim is a ghost or a spirit. He can go anywhere, and he can take Nick anywhere or to any time, so we can explore really neat countries, cultures, and times."

I would compare Pamela Henn's story to The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series. Silverado seemed like a town right out of the Old West. Add a kid from the 21st century and a few spirits wanting to change history, and you have a classic.

Henn is already working on a sequel, Nick and Slim: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove. A third book in the series is in development. I am certainly looking forward to them!

Samantha Roberts is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Sandra Boyton truly is my favorite author for toddler/pre-school books. This title is a favorite of my son's. He asks me over and over, read it again please mommy. He now has it memorized! I would highly recommend this book to add to you Sandra Boyton collections.

My 3 year old loves this book- because of the short rhyming phrases, he was able to memorize the book after only a few readings, and now "reads" it to me. He has alot of fun with it and I think it will help him as he starts recognizing words. I have turned into a big Boynton fan!

Gosh we love Sandra Boynton around here. Boy does she write great books.

This is a quick book of rhymes which *mostly* show opposites (dinosaur weak, dinosaur strong, dinosaurs singing a dinosaur song!) Very fast to read, and cute, engaging pictures for little ones.

Ultimately we love Sandra Boynton. She has a great writing style for little kids.

All of Sandra Boynton's books are a hit at our house, but Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! is the favorite. The catchy rhymes and funny pictures are a great way to introduce the concept of opposites, counting and colors to small children.

This charming little book takes a comfortable character that is at once independent and someone to whom kids can relate through good ol' fashioned anthromorphing. The stories are short, adorable, and well-crafted, and Lobel's illustrations are of course his best.

I just purchased this for my 33 year old sister as she is going through some hard times with a relationship's break up. This book seems to bring comfort as an old memory of similar books that I loved as a child because they helped me feel safe and see the world in a wonderous way. Can't remember all the titles but they include Old Black Witch, Suzy Squirrel, and other various otters, cats, and creatures.

In my opinion its hard to grow up in the 80's and not know "Frog and Toad" it was so popular when I was a kid I don't know anyone that didn't read it and with that I had the name Arnold Lobel branded in my mind since. So when I saw this I had to give it a try. "Owl at home" is made up of a handful of little short stories which i find really useful at bedtime cause I can zip through them quickly yet they don't feel rushed and yet amazingly evoke alot of thought and questions afterward. My daughter is the type to pull out 15 books at bedtime so these are a great way to wrap up the night or read something light. "Tear water tea" is my favorite (I find it to be incredibly creative yet true to what you imagine little minds would find sad) cause the images he uses to make himself sad (in order to cry and collect enough tears in a pot for tea) are so cute like spoons that fell behind the stove and are to never be seen again and mornings nobody saw cause they were too busy sleeping! I just love it love it love it I couldn't recommend a beginner book more!

This Arnold Lobel classic should be a fixture on every child's bookshelf. Owl is a gentle soul with whom children can identify, even as they laugh at Owl's silly responses to mundane events in the world around him. Humor ensues when Owl goes too far in anthropomorphizing (tytomorphizing?) winter and the moon, and when he mistakes his own feet for scary bumps under the bed. These stories are a natural for bedtime on a cold winter night, cuddled up under the blankets just before drifting off to sleep.

I originally purchased this book when my children were young, and it was nearly worn out from the numerous readings. My children loved the "bumps" and I always used the "tear water tea" to remind my kids when everything seemed to be going wrong in their world. It is a great little book for children...and some of us adults as well.

Parents might worry that their child will find inappropriate sites on the Internet. It is important for parents to monitor their child's access to the World Wide Web and teach them proper use of it. This is not a television set with a limited number of channels. It is the information superhighway to the whole world. Think of it the same as traffic safety. You don't leave a young child playing unsupervised by a busy roadway. They could be hit by a car or kidnapped or attacked by a neighbor's dog. An older child after being taught basic principles is allowed more independence in that same situation.
Provide clear guidelines. Let your children know there are subjects or areas that you prefer to be off limits and explain why. Explore cyberspace with the child and talk about what they are seeing and doing.
Teach children safety rules for dealing with strangers online such as never giving out their full name, address or telephone number; never giving out a credit card number; or arranging to meet someone online without your permission. These are the same guidelines you probably use for telephone use in your home or for talking to strangers on the street.
Don't miss out on all the wonders of the World Wide Web. Take your child by the hand and set out on that information superhighway.

Our police department has worked with the author of this book in trying to help victims of cybercrimes. She really knows her stuff. She has even shared many things that my teens wish she hadn't. Now when they type POS, I know it means that they are telling their friends that their parent is looking over their shoulder.

When I don't know where to turn, I just turn to this book. I keep it next to my computer so my children can rely on it too. I was amazed that they enjoyed it as much as I did.

Next time, I'll buy the book BEFORE I buy the computer and set it up right.

a country mom.

I read this book when my mother bought it for me and my friends to read. I was very interested in what this person said about online safety and teens. Most talk about how terrible the internet is, but she thinks it's great for teens as long as we use it following safety rules.

My girlfriend was chatting with a boy she met online. He sent her pictures and said he loved her. She even talked to him on the phone. When he asked to meet her at the mall, I told her about the stories I read in this book, and gave her the book to read.

She didn't meet him after she read the stories about bad men who tried to trick girls into meeting them offline.

Her parents found out and found out that this boy wasn't really a boy.

Mrs. Aftab helps keep teens safe. I want to work for her group and help other teens.

Thank you Mrs. Parry Aftab for caring about teens. we love you!

a sixteen year old girl

My 12 year old daughter was stalked by someone online. I went to Cyberangels for help. Parry Aftab (the author) runs Cyberangels, which is the world's largest and best safety group. This book supports the group, and after Cyberangels helped me find the stalker (someone we knew!), we bought this book to read together. My daughter and her friends in Girl Scouts are now creating an online safety club, thanks to this book, and this incredible woman. Please buy it and support online safety and protect your family online.

I read Parry's first book, and all the other ones that copied it. This is by far the best book out there. It's got every answer to every conceivable questions, easy to understand and fun to read.

I'm a teacher and need to keep up on this subject, and no book, not even her first one, comes close to this book. It feels like she is giving you free tutoring on any question you have about your kids online, right at your side.

I recommend this to all the parents at our school. Trust me on this...only buy one book - this one. And if you have any questions, e-mail Parry, she answers all of them personally. parry@aftab.com (her name)

One of those books every home needs on the shelf. By the way, read it.

I have made it a habit this year to get through many of the classics on audio book during my daily commute. I picked Pilgrim's Progress since it was one of the most influential English books ever published, and I wanted to see what it was all about.

The audio book was published by Blackstone Audio and the reader was Robert Whitfield. The reader did an excellent job and was very easy to listen to. He did some characterization with his voice that made it easy to know which character was speaking. I was a little worried about the older style English, but it gave me no problem. It probably helps that I am familiar with the King James Version of the Bible. Overall, listening to this book worked out very well.

This is the first book length allegory that I have been through and I thought it was an excellent way to teach. There is no doubt which principal each character is supposed to represent by their name, and their actions represented that well also. I can understand why so many families had this book in their libraries. As far as Christian doctrine goes, there are a few things that some would disagree with, but most of the principals taught are still generally accepted today. The path to God's presence is filled with opposition, but there is help available and the reward is worth it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand an important part of our heritage, and to see what an effective tool allegory is.

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Every christian household should have this volume to read and share with the famiy. It never fails to bring me to tears when pilgrim falls before the cross and looses the burden of sin. It is a must have for every christian library and the additional insights from Bunyan are a added blessing!! I cannot say enough good things .....