No other title do they know, The refrain is scarcely new - Tho the chances are their knowledge Came from a book review; They ask me if I’ve read it - I humbly whisper “No” (Thank God, again I’ve said it!) They clap their hands and glow.- From Louis L'Amour's "I Haven't Read Gone with the Wind"Unlike Mr L'Amour, I have read Gone with the Wind. Not once, but several times, I think.But when it comes to Charlotte's Web, the poem reaches out to me and makes me cry out, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" People who have read nothing else have asked me if I have read Charlotte's Web. And yes, once or twice, I have been pressured into saying that I have, deriving my opinion from 60 seconds of an animated movie I watched.Finally, though, I read it.It's a sweet book, there's no denying that. Yet, the overwhelming feeling of relief is much stronger than any other emotion I feel. An easy, comfortable read, … [Read more...]

If you watched and loved Captain Planet as a child, I know you will feel as warmly about Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission as I did. When I watched the heroism and drama of Captain Planet, I loved the idea of people getting together to save the world. This book feels something like that.The downside of the book is how it begins, though. When I started reading it, I found it rather painstaking. As I went on, though, I realised how much of a problem I experience with first chapters. Sometimes, however hard I work them, first chapters are not perfect. I may edit, rewrite and edit again, but still not feel happy. I may force myself to be satisfied, but somehow, the punch is lacking. Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission waslike that. The beginning was dull. I wondered if I would finish it. Then, just two chapters later, I felt the characters grow on me. I felt the story become close to … [Read more...]