Customer Reviews (71)

Slow start (and middle) but picked up (and then ended too quickly)
The character development wasn't bad (mostly for Bran), but took more than half the book. Most of the action happened in the last 10 pages. This book just seems to be a segue for the last book in the series.

How 'The Grey King' changed how I looked at books
Before I read Susan Cooper's 'The Grey King' I had never even heard of it. It was just a title on a school reading list when I was in 5th grade, but the title was strange and caught on my imagination somehow. What I discovered when I picked it up was a world and a story that somehow changed the way I looked at books for the rest of my life.

Since then, I've re-read 'The Grey King' more times than I can count, though there's nothing quite like the first time.The book comes in the middle of a series - I read everything that had come before, and then how it ended. It was set in a place I had never been (Wales) - I wanted to go there and see all the places Cooper wrote about, the places where Will Stanton experiences such magical and sometimes frightening things. It hearkens back to Arthurian mythology, and it inspired a fascination with the King Arthur story that still exists in me now.

This book, more than any other, encouraged an appetite for reading and for exploring new books and authors, a habit I've only expanded on since.Now I make it a point to try a book I've never heard of every once in a while - just because.

Just because I chose this book with a strange title from a school reading list.

Angieville: THE GREY KING
Time to start in on my favorite Arthurian novels. Somehow Robin Hood and King Arthur--the best of the best when it came to British mythology and lore--have always gone together in my mind. Truth be told, I've been mildly obsessed with both ever since I was a girl and I have a soft spot in my heart for the first encounter I had with each in novelized form. As far as Robin Hood goes, that was Robin McKinley's The Outlaws of Sherwood. With Arthurian lore, it was Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising Sequence. The sequence is actually a five-book series following two groups of people embroiled in the centuries-old conflict between the Light and the Dark. The first group are the three Drew children--Simon, Jane, and Barney--who become involved through their connections with their mysterious Great-Uncle Merry. The second is a long line of warriors for the Light known as the Old Ones. They culminate in the last (and youngest) of the Old Ones--a deceptively ordinary boy by the name of Will Stanton. The books weave back and forth between these two groups, sometimes crossing paths, sometimes flying solo, until they all join forces in the final volume. The fourth (and my favorite) book is THE GREY KING.

THE GREY KING opens with Will Stanton delirious with fever. He is certain he has forgotten something vitally important, but cannot for the life of him remember what it was. Having contracted hepatitis, he is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in Wales for his convalescence. Slowly, as he begins to regain his strength, his memory returns and it becomes clear why he has been sent to an all-but-forgotten valley in Wales at this particular moment in time. The key is in these lines from prophecy:

On the day of the dead, when the year too dies,
Must the youngest open the oldest hills
Through the door of the birds, where the breeze
breaks.
There fire shall fly from the raven boy,
And the silver eyes that see the wind,
And the Light shall have the harp of gold.

By the pleasant lake the Sleepers lie,
On Cadfan's Way where the kestrels call;
Though grim from the Grey King shadows fall,
Yet singing the golden harp shall guide
To break their sleep and bid them ride.

When light from the lost land shall return,
Six Sleepers shall ride, six Signs shall burn,
And where the midsummer tree grows tall
By Pendragon's sword the Dark shall fall.

Y maent yr mynyddoedd yn canu,
ac y mae'r arglwyddes yn dod.

Will soon encounters an unhappy young boy named Bran who lives with his father on a neighboring farm. With his white dog Cafall at his side, Bran introduces Will to the mist-shrouded land he calls home and, bit by bit, the lines of the prophecy begin to take shape. Together these two lost boys must join forces to defeat the Dark that is on the rise.

This book is hauntingly beautiful and redolent with the lyrical Welsh language and an atmosphere as thick and rich as the fog surrounding the peak of Cader Idris. I love this entire series, but THE GREY KING is where it all comes together for me. And the character of Bran Davies is one of the main reasons why. What a compulsively sympathetic character Cooper created in Bran! Somehow she crafted a young boy with a heart full of pain and confusion, slammed on his head a powerful legacy, and managed to keep him so real it's breathtaking. My heart went out to him when I met him at 11 years old and it does the same today so many years later. The friendship between the two boys is tenuous and riveting to watch unfold as they both embody that incongruous and contradictory blend of youthful anguish and wisdom beyond their years. The supporting cast of characters is just as wonderful and varied, none of them fully good or evil, but inhabiting the many margins in between those absolutes. This is the most moving and heart wrenching of the books in the series and it is where the Arthurian legend comes into play most strongly as the identities of the raven boy, the eyes that see the wind, and the Sleepers themselves are revealed. The results are stunning and spur the reader on to read the next and final volume in the sequence. This, my friends, is a book of the finest kind. Winner of the 1976 Newbery Medal, and fully deserving of that honor, I recommend it (and the whole series) for fans of Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L'Engle, and anyone with a penchant for Arthurian tales.

Reading order: Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree.

Keeps getting better!No spoilers
In this entry, Will is sent to stay with relatives in Wales to recover from a bout of hepatitis.In Cooperworld, there are no coincidences, and Will soon finds himself fulfilling more of the prophesy he began in The Dark is Rising.In this book, he is destined to meet enigmatic Bran, vicious Caradog Prichard, some nasty shapeshifters, along with some nice sheep, dogs and adults, and locate the golden harp.Merriman makes a small cameo appearance in this story, but Will must defeat the Grey King on his own.It turns out that Bran is actually... and when Will uses the harp to save the life of a beloved dog, something amazing happens.

Never mind.I wouldn't, for anything, ruin anyone's pleasure in the final pages of this book. Suffice it to say this is the strongest entry in the series yet, and the story is gathering momentum for a spectacular finale. Ms. Cooper skillfully evokes the wild beauty of Wales, and the reader has no trouble imagining the events of the book.As always, appealing characters, imaginative plotting, and skillful writing rich in imagery make these books classics.

Both Quick and Deep
Negatives: A few of the parts drag on(which surprised me, given the overall speed of the story), such as the scene with Bran teaching Will Welsh pronunciation and a few of the magic descriptions. The scene deep inside the Craig is a bit messy feeling - just not as tight as the rest. Also, the ending comes just a bit quickly. It's amazing how fast Cooper wraps so much up, but the last scene still seems ever so slightly clipped.

Positives: Incredible plotting, characters, setting, and overall storytelling.This is a rich read, despite its shortness. The fantasy elements blend very well(except for the scene inside the Craig; they just aren't as fluid there), and the real-life elements are some of the best in the whole series. This book is engaging, exciting and moving. One of Susan Cooper's very best. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Yippee!! Another Milt Kovacs!

Sheriff Milt Kovak is back.He's a little out of his element this time.His wife Jean is a speaker at a convention in Las Vegas and Milt has gone along for the vacation, their first since their honeymoon.He's a little nervous about leaving Emmett Hopkins in charge of Prophesy County, Oklahoma; what if Emmett decides he wants the job full-time?

That's not gonna happen; there seems to be a crime spree while Milt is in Las Vegas.Plus Emmett is more than a little distracted by his very sudden romance with one of the deputies, Jasmine.

Milt also has more on his plate than he anticipates.A shirttail relation calls him in the wee hours of the morning because her husband has been arrested for assault and battery, on their son-in-law, who had kicked their very pregnant daughter in the stomach.Milt goes down to bail the guy out; a day or so later the guy disappears AND the son-in-law has been found murdered.

VEGAS NERVE alternates between Milt's situation and Emmett's situation.One keeps waiting for the two to connect.That's part of the tension in the book.Milt has always found the bonds of family to be particularly strong; those bonds are tested in many ways in Las Vegas.Emmett and Jasmine "were the walking wounded, except maybe he was a little more wounded than she was.Hell, he was the walking dead."Can they sort out their respective baggage, still work together, AND have an overt relationship?More tension.

VEGAS NERVE, as with most Cooper/Kovak books, is far stronger on character than on plot.Serious and astute readers of the genre will see the ending coming; the pleasure is in watching Milt and Emmett work their way through all the problems.

All kinds of action in Vegas
Sheriff Milt Kovak leaves Prophesy, his small Oklahoma county, in the hands of his capable deputy, Emmett Hopkins. His psychiatrist wife is speaking at a conference in Las Vegas and he's along for moral support. At least that how it starts out.

Kovak gets a phone call from cousin, Maida. She's come to Las Vegas with her husband, Burl to see their pregnant daughter. They discover that their daughter is being physically abused. Burl takes on his son-in-law and beats him to a pulp. But son-in-law's daddy is one of the richest casino owners in Las Vegas--and Burl ends up in jail.

Within 24 hours Milt gets Burl out as a professional courtesy, the son-in-law is killed, Emmett starts an affair with one of the deputies back home, crime jumps fourfold in Prophesy county, and Maida's four sons show up to help find Dad and save the day. It gets more complicated from there. Long-buried family issues come to light and skeletons come out of every closet.

As a reader I found so much going on in Las Vegas that the goings on in Prophesy County seemed little more than a distraction. The author weaves a tale that becomes more complicated as each chapter unfolds. You will be challenged to keep all the characters straight--as well as their whereabouts. Relationships become more complicated and motives multiply. Finally in only the last few pages all is revealed.

Armchair Interviews says: Vegas Nerve is complex, fast paced and entertaining to the end. Cooper is an Edgar-nominated author of three mystery series.

Susan Rogers Cooper Does It Again!
"Vegas Nerve" shows Cooper doing what she does best: capitalizing the FUN in dysfunctional. The new characters are completely three dimensional, and the returning favorites show even more facets than before. I especially liked the side story involving Chief Deputy Emmett Hopkins and Deputy Jasmine Bodine (who has been a favorite of mine since she first appeared in "The Man In The Green Chevy"). "Vegas Nerve" is a great addition to the Milt Kovak series, as well as being a terrific stand alone novel. Do yourself a favor-order this book now!

down home mystery in Vegas
Although Sheriff Milt Kovak loves his life in Prophecy County, Oklahoma he is looking forward to going to Las Vegas with his wife, who is attending a psychiatric conference.He knows his third cousin Maida Upshank and her husband Burl are up their visiting their pregnant daughter Denise.Milt figures he doesn't have to see them because they have different agendas but when Burl is arrested, he goes to the sheriff's office to see if he can help.

Burl saw his son-in-law beat up his daughter and punch her in the stomach.He beat up his daughter's husband and since the man is pressing charges he is arrested.Milt gets the sheriff to release Burl into his custody but when his son in law is found murdered, shot at point blank range, Milt is ordered to bring Burl in.He would but he skipped out forcing Maida to call her sons to come to Vegas to help Milt clear Burl's name.Milt believes it easier to find the real killer and he uses the help that is at hand even if they are unorganized and not too bright.

This is a down home mystery that gives readers an interesting look at Las Vegas from a first time visitor.Susan Rogers Cooper creates interesting characters and the audience will have many chuckles following the exploits of Milt on a second honeymoon that winds up in the middle of a homicide looking for a killer. Vegas Nerve is a fascinating and creative mystery that makes readers want to stay up and finish this book.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description

PREFACE:

Customer Reviews (2)

At last -- the full text of a marvellous and important book
For over a century, admirer's of Susan Fenimore Cooper's "Rural Hours" (1850) have been dependent on a heavily abridged version dating from 1887 -- the only one to be reprinted in modern times. Though"Rural Hours" is generally accepted both as good reading and as amajor contribution to American nature writing, it has not previously beenavailable as the author originally wrote it -- and as others, includingThoreau, read it. Susan Fenimore Cooper, long overshadowed by her novelistfather, is today becoming recognized as an important writer of the 19thcentury; this new text will make her most important and influential workfully available again both to scholars and toa new generation of readers.

This is a great read, a book to learn from, and to cherish.
This is a beautiful book, from the painting of Cooperstown on the cover to glossary where historical references, or the names of birds or other words that have changed over time are explained. Cooper's prose is insightful andcharming, and, given the book's historial prespective,makes me thinkabout present and future environmental concerns for our country. RuralHours makes the chain of small mill towns we have here in the BlackstoneValley region of Massachusetts come alive--Cooper saw the quiet commerce ofthe canals give way to the noise and pollution of the railroad industry andrealized that the land and species of bird and animal life surrounding herwere threatened. However Cooper's response to these feelings of peril wasnot to preach, but rather to praise the countryside and the life forms shewitnessed. As a woman reader, I must also say that it right and just thatthe parts of Rural Hours that were omitted from all editions since 1870should be brought back to us to now think about, appreciate, and learnfrom. Since reading, this book has stayed with me--the many beautifulimages of nature that Cooper portrays, but also her quiet voice of urgencythat encourages me to continue positive action in my own community, to notonly save what land is left, but also to restore urban and otherenvironments that have been abused.I highly recommend Rural Hours--it's agreat read, a book to cherish. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

At last -- the full text of a marvellous and important book
For over a century, admirer's of Susan Fenimore Cooper's "Rural Hours" (1850) have been dependent on a heavily abridged version dating from 1887 -- the only one to be reprinted in modern times. Though"Rural Hours" is generally accepted both as good reading and as amajor contribution to American nature writing, it has not previously beenavailable as the author originally wrote it -- and as others, includingThoreau, read it. Susan Fenimore Cooper, long overshadowed by her novelistfather, is today becoming recognized as an important writer of the 19thcentury; this new text will make her most important and influential workfully available again both to scholars and toa new generation of readers.

This is a great read, a book to learn from, and to cherish.
This is a beautiful book, from the painting of Cooperstown on the cover to glossary where historical references, or the names of birds or other words that have changed over time are explained. Cooper's prose is insightful andcharming, and, given the book's historial prespective,makes me thinkabout present and future environmental concerns for our country. RuralHours makes the chain of small mill towns we have here in the BlackstoneValley region of Massachusetts come alive--Cooper saw the quiet commerce ofthe canals give way to the noise and pollution of the railroad industry andrealized that the land and species of bird and animal life surrounding herwere threatened. However Cooper's response to these feelings of peril wasnot to preach, but rather to praise the countryside and the life forms shewitnessed. As a woman reader, I must also say that it right and just thatthe parts of Rural Hours that were omitted from all editions since 1870should be brought back to us to now think about, appreciate, and learnfrom. Since reading, this book has stayed with me--the many beautifulimages of nature that Cooper portrays, but also her quiet voice of urgencythat encourages me to continue positive action in my own community, to notonly save what land is left, but also to restore urban and otherenvironments that have been abused.I highly recommend Rural Hours--it's agreat read, a book to cherish. ... Read more

Product Description
Examination of whether gender equality is compatible with Christian teachings and whether universal suffrage can ever resolve social problems. By the American writer and amateur naturalist. ... Read more

Product Description

On their idyllic Bahamian island, Trey's little brother, Lou, is different -- he doesn't speak and he suffers frightening seizures. But when he and Trey find themselves mysteriously transported to Pangaia, an alternative universe where pollution and over-development have all but destroyed nature, a militant underground environmental group greets him as the prophesied hero who will save their world.

But to realize this prophecy, Lou must take Trey on a terrifying and dangerous mission, with much more at stake than the fate of Pangaia. Does Lou have the power to save their own island home from a future as bleak as the world they've seen in Pangaia?Amazon.com Review
In her 11th affecting fantasy novel for young adults, Newbery Medal-winning author Susan Cooper (The Dark Is Rising sequence) writes again of the clash between good and evil. Bahamians Trey, age 12, and his mute brother Lou, 7, find themselves tugged between two parallel worlds: their own happy island life, threatened by big-business developers, and a murky, sinister otherworld called Pangaia, entered accidentally through a magical window between worlds. In a series of journeys between the two realms, Lou is saluted by underground rebels as their mythic savior Lugh, and the siblings are asked to lead the Greenwar against the Government ("the destroyers"). Along the way, Trey and Lou encounter hideous mutant insects, murderous floods in tunnels, helicopter attacks, and capture by the pro-progress, high-tech Government. Although the plot is occasionally convoluted, Susan Cooper fans will be drawn deep into the story, with its zealous Luddite-styled green guerrillas and the equally ardent progress extremists. Lou and Trey are enormously likeable, and the tropical island setting is beautifully portrayed. Ultimately, nature, myth, and destiny crash together in a breathtaking climax that will leave readers of all ages contemplating the direction our own world is taking. (Ages 9 to 13) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

As always, excellently done
I am a big fan of Susan Cooper's work, and Green Boy did not disappoint.The style differs slightly from her other books I have read, but well it should, as it is set in the Bahamas.The plot is compelling and the descriptions of the Otherworld left me haunted by the environmental possibilities of our own world.Clearly she has a message here.However, the story works on its own and is a good read.

Green Boy
Trey, who is 12, and his muted brother, Lou, who is 7, are hanging around by a pond in the Bahamas. It seems like such a normal thing but they somehow enter a somewhat scary new world called Pangaia. It is very dirty and is filled with buildings. The brothers come back to this mysterious place various times in this book. They face many unusual things throughout this book, which if you want to know you may read this book.

Now to some people this may seem exciting, but to me, not really. It is a somewhat well written book but it is a little bit too... hard to explain but environment obsessed. I had to keep myself reading this book, which is never fun. If you are going to read a fantasy or Science Fiction book, I would not recommend this being your answer.

Caleb Watson
Susan Coopers vividly imaginative book Green Boy is perfect for anyone who has an ever-wondering imagination.
The setting of this book is in the Bahamas on an island called Long Pond Cay, but it also takes place in an alternate dimension that looks like Long Pond Cay. The main characters are a twelve-year-old boy named Trey and his mute seven-year-old brother Lou. They are both round and dynamic characters in the fact that throughout the book their personalities constantly change.
I think this book is interesting because Trey and Lou jump between worlds to try and save one while their own is being destroyed. They have to deal with their divorced parents; their dad is the head of one of the construction companies trying to build Sapphire Island resorts on Long Pond Cay. While they are in the other world for around a day it is only about an hour in their world.
The main conflict of the book is that Trey and Lou have to find a very rare star shaped shell to unlock a door to save the other world. The problem with this is that they are very hard to find and Lou is the only one who can open the door. If they find it or not that is up to you to find out.
I would not recommend this book to some on who does not like books with strange plot. This book is a good book for someone who has a very unlimited imagination. There in lies the question do you join Trey and Lou on their adventure to save their world as well as the other or leave it to the next person, but by then it could be to late.

Cooper's Environmentalism Disappoints
I am a die-hard fan of Susan Cooper. I have read all of her books multiple times and never get tired of her incredible talent of weaving flawlessly together the elements of myth, fantasy, magic, and the timeless fight between good and evil. I was very excited to read "Green Boy"...and was very disappointed. Terribly disappointed! The story is basically a heavy-handed environmentalist tract, flimsily placed in a fantasy plot. I can't imagine what she was thinking. It is difficult to connect to any of the characters, and Cooper's usually flowing and descriptive prose is jarring and disconnected. The plot is contrived and clichéd, and I finished the book with a relieved sigh because I got through it, not because I had a desire to read it again. Though I will never pick up this book again, it hasn't tarnished my opinion of her other works, which are definitely worth reading over and over again.

Fantasy blends with more than a touch of realistic settings
Trey and his silent younger brother love to visit their special Bahamas cay, but when they discover that their visits are bringing them to a frightening future world, linked to their own, their become involved in fighting off an environmental threat to their own beloved home. Fantasy blends with more than a touch of realistic settings in this fast paced fantasy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great mild-mannered new detective!
What a find! Although the book is out-of-print, do yourself a favor and check out your local bookstores and other venues, as it's definitely worth a read!
Meet Milt Kovak, divorced, overweight, mid-40s Chief Deputy of Prophesy County, Oklahoma.
When his sleepy little burg and the surrounding towns suddenly get some horrific murders, Milt's cool intuition and great people-skills are put to the test.
Someone is raping and killing old ladies of the county, truly heinous crimes.
His only witness,a married Laura Johnson with 3 children and a frequently absent husband, professes to seeing a green Chevy in the vicinity of the murder scene.
As Milt begins his search, he quickly finds himself drawn to beautiful Laura and her wonderful kids and finds himself falling in love with her (as if matters weren't bad enough!)
The book is well-written and you really get a feel for small-town Oklahoma life suddenly thrown into terror by this frightening crime spree.
The character of Milt is smartly drawn and extremely believable, as he does much of his thinking with his heart as well as his head.
This is the introductory book in the Milt Kovak series and (I believe) the author's first book. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I flew through the pages, and was disappointed when I knew the end was getting closer (with a nice little twist!) so I'm going to try and find the next book in the series through my used book dealer.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes a soft-boiled mystery with great dialogue and a small-town setting.

Thanks, Ms. Cooper for a pleasurable read!
(Now if we can only get Worldwide Mysteries to reprint the entire Milt Kovak series so everyone can enjoy then easily without the big search, we'll be in business! ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
When his girlfriend, Glenda Sue, is killed the day after she turns down his marriage proposal, Oklahoma homicide detective Milt Kovak must unravel the secret of Glenda's death, all the while protecting her endangered granddaughter. Reprint. PW. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

good book
The book is in great shape, like new. I do wish it had the dust cover, I like to read all about it.
I have enjoyed all of the Milt Kovack books

COOPER DELIVERS ANOTHER GREAT MYSTERY
With SHOTGUN WEDDING Susan Rogers Cooper takes us back to Longbranch, Oklahoma and another down-home funny tale of Sheriff Milt Kovak. A wedding, of all things, starts a chain of events that involve two murders, a major bank heist, a honeymoon, and the OTHER Pirates of the Caribbean. Her previous characters remain fresh, and her new characters are fully formed. And you sure can't beat an author who can make a "Princess Bride" reference! A sure-fire entertaining story that won't let you down! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

The Boggart
I got exactly what I expected when I ordered this book. For some reason, I haven't been able to find this book anywhere locally for a reasonable price. When it comes to used books, I never pay over a few dollars. This one was worth going online.

To be a kid again
This was one of my favorite books when I was a little girl. I think the story is not only exciting and funny, but touching as well.

Some mythical creatures die hard?
Harvey is a movie that has been remade from a classic version.
The idea that there a trickster spirits that make life interesting
for certain people isn't new, or is the idea that they are tied to
the mental states of the people involved.
I kind of liked this book, but like a book about witches
the result seems lost on
the current generation except for the gremlin in the computer effect.

Solid Young Adult read
The Boggart is a fairly entertaining young adult novel. It's a fast paced story that is difficult to put down yet still challenging enough for young readers. The characters are easy for kids to relate to even if the technology referenced throughout the book is very outdated by today's standards.

While visiting their inherited castle in Ireland, the Volnik family mistakenly traps and takes the castle's boggart back to Canada with them. Strange occurrences begin to happen from the moment of the boggart's delivery and the family becomes more and more stressed out by these increasingly unexplainable happenings.

This was a quick, fun read that I would recommend for 4th through 6th graders. There is no really objectionable material and only some mild violence. I found the storyline to be engaging and not your typical run-of-the-mill ghost story. The author does a nice job of allowing the reader to become sympathetic towards the main characters including the boggart and there is some good humor included throughout the novel.

A mischievous read . . .
I am already a huge fan of Susan Cooper and I thoroughly enjoyed the Boggart.I loved all the mischief that the Boggart gets into, and how as a reader you come to appreciate his cunning. Knowing every ones' point of view makes already funny situations hilarious. Susan Cooper's characterization has a way of making the reader care about her characters which is one of the things I like about her as an author.This book is worth reading and I recommend it to anyone who prides themselves on being a prankster or just like reading about fantastic mischievous creatures. ... Read more

Product Description
A retelling of the old Scottish ballad in which a young girl rescues the human knight Tam Lin from his bondage to the Elfin Queen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Eh.
The story, which is rather spare in versions I've read up to now, is nicely fleshed out by Cooper - she's a wonderful story-teller. The art, on the other hand, is absolutely insipid and amateurish, the cover-art being the best of the lot. For me, a picture book is largely about the pictures - if I'd been in a book-store and been able to actually leaf through this book, I would not have purchased it.

"Tam Lin" deftly retold for kids
Anyone who is familiar with the ballad "Tam Lin" knows it's a story that is very much for grown-ups, or at least teenagers.Susan Cooper does a very good job here of adapting the old story so that it's suitable for any age.It requires changing a few plot elements, but the essential spirit of the story remains the same.

Margaret is tired of sewing and acting polite and talking about future husbands with the other girls at her father's castle, so she runs away to the woods of Carterhays to pick flowers.She has been expressly forbidden to go there, of course.There, she meets the handsome Tam Lin, and after arguing for a minute over who really owns the forest, they spend a pleasant afternoon talking and becoming friends in the woods.When Margaret gets back home, she's in big trouble--she has actually been gone a week!Her unlikely friendship with Tam Lin leads her to sneak out once again, to rescue him from the faeries during one of their processions.She has to hold on to him as he turns into all sorts of scary animals--and, well, you know the rest.Cooper does a wonderful job of depicting the feisty Margaret, and of adapting the story into something perfect for a little girl's shelf of fairy tale books.

I subtracted a star because I don't think the art really captures the magic of the story; it's too "cute" and too simple.But maybe I'm just spoiled by Kinuko Craft's cover for McKillip's _Winter Rose_.It just seems like the land of Faery requires absolutely lush artwork. ... Read more

Product Description
His name is West. Her name is Cally. They speak different languages and come from different countries thousands of miles apart, but they do not know that. What they do know are the tragedies that took their parents, then wrenched the two of them out of reality, into a strange and perilous world through which they must travel together, knowing only that they must reach the sea. Together West and Cally embark upon a strange and sometimes terrifying quest, learning to survive and to love and, at last, the real secret of their journey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

A compact dose of Susan Cooper's magical writing.
I was one of those rare children that came to Seward before I came to The Dark is Rising. So, years later, when I did an internet search with a few vague keywords during the dark hours of a read-a-thon to try and re-find this childhood novel that I half remembered I was shocked (no, seriously, shocked) to discover that it was by none other than Susan Cooper. And then... I wasn't shocked at all.

In a lot of ways Seaward is a short story version of all the things that made The Dark is Rising so incredibly awesome. The magic, the danger, the young people caught up and confused in a grown-ups plot, all combined to make this a tense journey as West and Cally attempt to make it to the sea and to find answers to why they are there in the first place.

The symbolism in this book is amazing. There is no way I got all of this the first time around. Everything from the many faces of death, to the constant rebirth of life, from the people of stone, to the selkie, to Snake all had many meanings and additional ramifications that were often just hinted at (since this IS just a YA novel). I have to admit Snake bothered me in this adult re-reading but after some thought I decided to think of him as an inner expression and not an outward standalone person. Before snakes were given such a bad rap in Genesis to deter other religions who glorified the animal, snakes and women were once considered in the same mysterious light. Snakes shed their skin, women bled, and yet they both kept on living, a predominant theme in this book, continued life against all odds.

With the overall message of life and hope amidst death and destruction, I found this book to be really uplifting and much more powerful the second time around. The symbolism was amazing and multi-layered, reaching out to all sorts of different audiences at different ages. Cally and West were an inspiring couple to read about and it was touching watching them discover the world, their journey and ultimately each other along the way. You root for them from page one, and their story is a roller-coaster of magic, excitement and mystery to the last page. I really recommend reading this forgotten Susan Cooper story, or re-reading if you read it once long ago, especially if you are a fan of The Dark is Rising. You won't regret it.

Angieville: SEAWARD
When I was in sixth grade I had a teacher who was a real fantasy reader. And the man could do the most excellent voices for every character. We sat enthralled at his feet as he read aloud to the entire class each day. No mean feat to keep a mess of eleven and twelve year olds' attention like that day after day. He's a huge part of the reason I love the genre and he is responsible for introducing me to so many of my all-time favorites, including (and perhaps most memorably) the incomparable Lloyd Alexander and Susan Cooper. Not long after we, as a class, inhaled Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence, I struck out on my own looking for anything else I could find by the woman. A kind school librarian handed me a copy of SEAWARD. It was instant love, you guys. I've re-read my copy so many times over the years and I guess I thought all other Dark is Rising fans must have sought it out as well and I found myself frequently surprised at how rarely that was the case. I was dismayed to discover it is actually out of print now. What a shame because SEAWARD is that all-too-common breed of book--an absolute gem forever overshadowed by its famous big sib.

Westerly knows he has very little time. Traveling alone and on foot through a strange land, he's constantly looking over his shoulder, only able to rest for moments at a time as he flees an unnamed danger that is never far behind. Filled with visions of the violence done to his family before he was ripped away, West only knows he must be on his guard and he must head toward the sea. Cally knows something is wrong when her father falls suddenly ill and is taken away to the seaside in a last-ditch attempt to regain his health. When her mother follows shortly after, Cally is left alone in their empty house until one day she hears a voice singing snatches of a song her mother used to sing and finds a mirror into another time and place. Coming from different directions but both headed to the sea, West and Cally meet up and form a cautious friendship built on the one quality they have in common--they're the things that don't belong. As they attempt to learn why they are in this strange land and how they will survive, they encounter primal, mighty, and terrifying forces who control the land and who will do anything within their power to turn these two young people to their own purposes.

In some ways SEAWARD resembles the Dark is Rising sequence, with the feeling of an almost alien world existing side by side with our own. A world almost drenched in magic and characters who come to form the unshakable conviction that the tiniest of actions can have massive and far-reaching consequences, stretching across both time and space. Certain prophecies come into play as well.

"A man with eyes like an owl, a girl with selkie hands, a creature in a high place."

But SEAWARD is a much shorter, much sweeter story, filled with the themes of love and loss, what happens once one has lost everything, and how or whether it is possible to go on in the face of the vastness of the universe and the seemingly inconsequential place one person occupies in it. What I love about this book, and what is one of my strongest memories from reading it for the first time, is that the reader is dropped into the midst of the action without so much as an apology. It makes it feel real and large and whole and it doesn't detract from the movement of the story because the two main characters are filled with questions themselves. Finding out piece by piece along with them only helps to highlight the mounting tension. And by the end of this sucker that tension level is high. West and Cally are quite different but both extremely likable and interesting people. If West is a bit more suspicious of everything, his past (as Cally comes to find out) didn't really give him a choice in the matter. Cally is strong and has a good heart, as West comes to find out as he spends more time in her company. The end is almost achingly bittersweet and every time I read it, as it draws closer, I find myself turning the pages slower to prolong what time is left. These two have been my friends for a long time now. I find myself thinking about them when I'm not with them and I know, despite the ending, we will always be finding each other again throughout the years to come. Recommended for fans of Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L'Engle, and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Thought Provoking
The first time I read "Seaward" I was in middle school.I found it to be an easy fantasy read by the genius behind "The Dark Is Rising", but even at the age of 12 I could see that there was a deeper level to the story than I was - at the time - capable of understanding.Over the years I have re-read "Seaward" over and over, and each time am amazed at the depth and profundity of her final concepts.While it is a children's book on the surface, many adults can appreciate the moral dilemma of the Peter Pan type, and the dichotomy of sorrows and joys that come with death, life, and most importantly, love.

Moving seaward
Susan Cooper is best known for her epic "Dark is Rising Sequence," with all its Celtic legends and sense of mystery. But she tries a different tack in "Seaward," an atmospheric little story that is just a little darker, more complex, and full of symbols and hints.

West's mother was killed by some armed thugs, just as he escaped through a door into a strange land. Cally watched her parents waste away with a strange illness, before slipping through a mirror to the same land. When she encounters West, he's trying to escape from the ruthless, cold-hearted Lady Taranis.

A kindly stranger named Lugan seems to be their best hope for escaping Taranis. As the two travellers cross the world that is an echo of our own, they encounter strange creatures such as the selkies, a talking insect that guides them over a desert, creatures made of stone, and the haunting specters of their own pasts and destinies...

"Seaward" seems like a pretty simple story at first -- two kids travelling across a bleak land. But in that simple storyline Cooper tackles questions about death and life, about grief, loss, love, about good and evil and how sometimes you can't easily classify anyone.

Probably the biggest stumbling block in "Seaward" is the slightly dreamy tone of it all. Unlike Cooper's other books, there is no grounded "homey" base -- it's all like a legend right from the beginning. As a result, it takes awhile for the story to really get going, and there are long stretches where the characters are just walking.

Though the setting is another world, it has hints of Celtic myth. The mysterious Lugan and Taranis aren't fully identifiable until the ending, but they seem like characters out of a legend. And mythic creatures like selkies are linked to the characters, by virtue of the thickened skin on Cally's hands.

Cally and West are very richly drawn, confused and saddled with grief over their parents. It makes it all the more poignant as West overcomes his guilt, and Cally is tempted to find a new family. The only problem is that their romantic feelings seem to come out of left field.

After the mass appeal of the "Dark is Rising" books, Susan Cooper tackles a more oblique, fantastical approach in "Seaward." Deceptively simple, and richly evocative.

Magical, often unnerving
In the first chapter of "Seaward," we find a young man hurrying over wild moorland from possible distant, unidentified pursuers. He pauses to catch a small fish from a stream for his supper, and afterwards:

"...he took the glistening white skeleton, tipped still with head and tail-fin, and laid it across the blackened twigs pointing back the way he had come. He took out his knife and raised it high, stabbing the blade down into the ground behind the white bone-arrow's tail, and hesitantly, trying to remember, he said some words under his breath.
And the skeleton of the fish called out, in a thin high scream shrilling like a cicada, and Westerly knew that there was danger, that he must go on."

If the first chapter does not draw you irresistibly in, you have no magic in your soul. Well, OK, maybe that's too strong - but certainly every created "presence" in the book is a wonder of imagination, from the two-sided Life and Death images of the ice-cold Lady Taranis, to scary Stonecutter and his huge, ominous boulders that come heavily alive and mobile in a ray of sunlight, "...suddenly there was no boulder at all but two huge figures, standing, turning to her."

Is it a myth? a fantasy? a parable? outside the world of logic? a meditation on accepting Death? Yes to all of the above, and more.I see it is not to everyone's taste, but if you fall under its spell you will not escape. ... Read more

Product Description
No Good Deed Goes UnpunishedNO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED

Romance novelist, harried mom, and sometimes sleuth, E.J. Pugh has a habit of being in the wrong place at the right time. This time she's on hand to pull a suicidal teenager from a freezing Texas river. The distraught young girl, Brenna, has good reasons for wanting to end it all, since she comes from the worst horror of a family since Charles Manson's. And a good Samaritan act has propped E.J. into the middle of the dysfunctional mess.

Then comes the news that makes E.J.'s blood run-cold: the girl's mother has been murdered, and Brenna stands accused of the crime, E.J. feels certain the frightened teen is innocent, and the determined crime solver is making it her business to save a troubled child's life one more time. . .even at the risk of losing her own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Got bored, couldn't finish it
I read the first fifty pages, got really bored, skipped ahead and read the last twenty pages, and found nothing compelling me to go back and read the middle.I guess some people like the "realism" of the harried mom schitck, but I felt the lead character was pumped up with self-importance: she was sure she was the only person who could save this precious child from the horrors of her birth family.Maybe you'll like it, but I didn't.

Praise from a non-mystery person
I don't like mystery, never really have.I was always brought up in the world of Science Fiction/Science fact.And I loved this book.It really is not what I expectd a mystery to be, but it has made me rethink my reading habits.This is a drama- a story with fully developed characters and a story that I was cheering, sighing, yelling out loud for.I responded to this book the way men stereotypically respnd to football.It really was engaging, and has led me to pick up another one of her books which is just as good.The writing is intelligent and engaging and I completely feel for each of these characters, even the overshadowed husband.The dynamics between characters are great.I definately reccomend this work.

Excellent book--I'm glad E.J. Pugh is back
In this book, our friend Eleanor Janine Pugh (E.J.) is back.She saves the life of a young girl who tries to commit suicide by drowning and is off into another adventure.The rescue of this girl intoduces Brenna to E.J. and involves her in the girls life. Her history is very sad and her life is aobut to become very complicated by the return of her mother, who left her years before in the custody of her grandmother, a woman who doesn't know much about raising a girl in this day and age.When the mother is killed, the girl becomes a suspect in the murder and E.J. helps to solve the murder and help Brenna work out a plan for her future.The people in this book are so real and the mystery very gripping.I enjoyed it very much.May this series continue on for a long time.

Another fantastic one!
I was eagerly awaiting this book.When I received it in the mail, I went home and started reading and didn't stop until I finished it.This is one of the best series I have read in a while.The characters seem so real, you almost consider them family!Definitely highly recommended.

A good mystery with a surprise ending
According to Chinese philosophy, when you save a person's life, you are responsible for that individual forever.Romance novelist E.J. Pugh did not fully grasp that Asiatic credo until she spots teenager Brenna McGraw jumping off of a bridge.E.J. follows her into the water with a dive of her own..After rescuing the sixteen year old, E. J. feels responsible for Brenna,who has suffered a tragic life.

When Brenna's mother Lori is released from prison after serving nine years, she plans to take her daughter with her to Houston.Brenna rejects that option because she refuses to live under the same roof as her step-father, who is responsible for the death of her baby brother.A week before they are to go to Houston, Brenna and her grandmother find Lori dead, a gun shot wound to her head.Her grandmother accuses Lori of murder, leaving it up to E.J. to prove otherwise before Brenna is arrested for matricide.

THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL is a first class puzzler because it is very difficult to decide who the perpetrator is in spite of the fact that once Susan Rogers Cooper reveals the identity of the killer, in hindsight, it is obvious.That ability and her brilliant characterizations which immediately hook the audience make Ms. Cooper one of the better mystery writers on the market today.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

The reality of fear
Derek and his friends Peter and Geoffrey all live on Everett Avenue, in a small town outside London.World War Two rages about them, particularly in the sky, but that side of life seems like only an interesting adventure.Really the boys are most interested in their own private play-world of hideouts and feuds with a rival gang.But more and more this play-world parallels the outer world, and steadily Derek becomes aware of fear: fear of fighting, fear of defeat.

In this excellent book Cooper has managed, on the one hand, to write a story simple enough for children to understand, yet on the other hand, accurately portray the complex psychological issues of war.War is neither glorified, nor derider.What comes through this story is the serious reality of fear and suffering, while at the same time facing the need to sometimes fight for what is right.For those of us have lived without the reality of war on our doorstep this book serves to educate us, though it is not in any way preachy or moralistic.Cooper tempts our interest with an excellent writing style and an appealing plot.Although the events described are now more than half a century old this book has a timeless, universal quality expressed in the theme of 'childhood innocence lost'.

The reality of fear
Derek and his friends Peter and Geoffrey all live on Everett Avenue, in a small town outside London.World War Two rages about them, particularly in the sky, but that side of life seems like only an interesting adventure.Really the boys are most interested in their own private play-world of hideouts and feuds with a rival gang.But more and more this play-world parallels the outer world, and steadily Derek becomes aware of fear: fear of fighting, fear of defeat.

In this excellent book Cooper has managed, on the one hand, to write a story simple enough for children to understand, yet on the other hand, accurately portray the complex psychological issues of war.War is neither glorified, nor derider.What comes through this story is the serious reality of fear and suffering, while at the same time facing the need to sometimes fight for what is right.For those of us have lived without the reality of war on our doorstep this book serves to educate us, though it is not in any way preachy or moralistic.Cooper tempts our interest with an excellent writing style and an appealing plot.Although the events described are now more than half a century old this book has a timeless, universal quality expressed in the theme of 'childhood innocence lost'.

One of the major memoriable influences among my reading
I read this book when I was eleven or twelve years old, and I bawled my heart out at the conclusion.This was one of threeworks that moved and upset me enough for others to notice (I seem to remember my mom walking in from hearing me crying).Another was "Sleepers", by Lorenzo Carcaterra (whether or not it was true) that I read when I was eighteen, and the third is the movie of Hyde's "Pay it Forward" which I recently saw on Pay Per View this past summer.This novel, along with the others, has had a tremendous influence on me and has made a mark in my writing.Hopefully, the world will witness it sooner or later.

Slough's war
What first drew me to this novel was the fact that Susan Cooper is from my hometown of Slough. When I was growing up in Shaggy Calf Lane in the Seventies, the bottom of our garden still had a rusting Anderson shelter that my siblings and I never really bothered to explore. Along with the coal cellar, it seemed a part of everyday life. But times change. I still remember having a coal boiler, which went out of use as the years passed. The Anderson shelter was just a very familiar object. Much more vivid were the stories told by my great grandmother of having to dive under a kitchen table as she heard a bomb whistle to earth. Our Anderson shelter was guarded by brambles, impossible to enter, and quite uninviting.

I hadn't thought of that Anderson shelter for years until I read 'Dawn of Fear'. Very early on in the book, Cooper also introduces to us the Morrison shelter, which was designed to live under your kitchen table. However, Derek's family has use of the more famous, external Anderson shelter. Very vivid are the scenes where Derek and his family take to its cover. In one telling moment, Derek's mother says that they should stop talking lest they wake up Derek's baby brother - the little boy has already learnt to take as normal the sound of air raid sirens and bombs. During the less frantic cold war, I seem to recall hearing those chilling notes being tested once or twice. At first, it seems as though Cooper is writing this novel very much for a younger audience than her 'Dark is Rising' sequence. However, there is also much to interest the more mature reader. Particularly significant is the adults' agonising over the upbringing of their children during a war. They want their children to act with caution, but they don't want them to live in fear. But the war has already changed their lives, whether it is in the collection of shrapnel, or the playing of imaginary wargames.

However, Derek and his friends seem to be far more interested in the act of creating their own camp. Their inspiration is drawn from the ancient fortifications of the Chilterns and the Thames Valley. To Derek and his friends, it's just going to be a secret camp. But the role of such forts in the past comes to haunt them as everything they have built is threatened. Together, Derek and his friends decide to retaliate and embark on nothing less than a territorial war with a rival gang. Cooper cleverly juxtaposes this conflict against the real war. How easy it is to take up arms against your 'neighbours'. Like the real war, the rival gang seems to have way more resources and bodies to call upon, and in the shocking demise of the cat, they show early signs of psychopathic tendencies. If you're able and willing to harm an animal, current thinking goes, then you're not far from harming people.

Derek's gang has a hero of sorts in Tom Hicks. He's an older boy who's just signed up in the Merchant Navy just because they can take people younger. Here, Susan Cooper's historical research shines subtly through. Tom Hicks signs up even though he knows that the Merchant Navy is by far the most hazardous service, and where fatalities are high. Cooper is also subtle in her suggestion that all the boys will be touched by death: Geoffrey proudly mentions that his uncle is serving on the destroyer, HMS Hood, little knowing, as we do, that this ship and most of her crew are doomed. Tom also talks a great deal about Churchill's Dunkirk speech. But there's also a quote from Queen Victoria: "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not speak." The Empress, of course, was referring to a far less noble British cause: the war for Boer gold in South Africa, where we unfortunately invented the concentration camp. Both sides, Cooper seems to be suggesting, have blood on their hands.

To me, it seems as though a part of this world has vanished for good. When nettles sting Derek, Peter suggests that he rubs a dock leaf on the rash to alleviate the pain. That sort of knowledge about the natural world was practically lost to my generation. If I'd known about dock leaves, I might have saved myself a great deal of pain as a kid. It's hard to say where exactly in Slough Cooper has set her story. I can't help but think of Elliman Avenue. Then again, that was fairly close to my own childhood home. So to me, the world of Susan Cooper's novel is a familiar place, but there are a number of extraordinary revelations. This may be a children's novel, but the conclusion shows signs of a more adult view of the world all too soon.

I think this book is spectacular
I liked Dawn of Fear for three reasons.One reason I liked this book is because I lerned something in life.The thing I learned was that you should cherish the things in life that you have and don't let them go away. Another thing I learned is that many people die in a war.War is something that we should all try to avoid.After all we are going to be adults in our world in a few years.This book is for kind of people who like to read about war. ... Read more

Product Description
he field of Personnel Psychology is broadly concerned with the study of individual differences and their consequences for the organization. As human resource costs continue, for most organizations, to be the single largest operating cost (50-80% of annual expenditure), achieving optimal performance from individual employees is of paramount importance to the sustained development and financial performance of any organization.

The Oxford Handbook of Personnel Psychology brings together contributions from leading international scholars within the field to present state-of-the-art reviews on topical and emergent issues, constructs, and research in personnel psychology. The book is divided into six sections:

· Individual Difference and Work Performance
· Personnel Selection
· Methodological Issues
· Training and Development
· Policies and Practices
· Future Challenges

While the Handbook is primarily a review of current academic thinking and research in the area, the contributors keep a strong focus on the lessons for HR practitioners, and what lessons they can take from the cutting-edge work presented.

About the Series
Oxford Handbooks in Business & Management bring together the world's leading scholars on the subject to discuss current research and the latest thinking in a range of interrelated topics including Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Public Management, International Business, and many others. Containing completely new essays with extensive referencing to further reading and key ideas, the volumes, in hardback or paperback, serve as both a thorough introduction to a topic and a useful desk reference for scholars and advanced students alike. ... Read more

Product Description
New educational edition of this exciting time travel thriller, set in Shakespeare's England. ... Read more

Product Description
Four British Fantasists explores the work of four of the most successful and influential of the generation of fantasy writes who rose to prominence in the _second Golden Age_ of children's literature in Britain: Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Penelope Lively. ... Read more

Product Description
E. J. Pugh, the mother of three and a romance novelist, is being harassed through her computer, her phone lines, and bank account, and she suspects the mischievous boy next door, until his naked corpse is found dead in the Pugh family car. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another great book!
I thoroughly enjoyed the second book of the E.J. Pugh series.It's hard to find a book to read after reading one of Susan Rogers Cooper's books. There aren't too many books out there that combine wonderful, believable characters, humor, and suspense.I know I have the third and fourth book to look forward to.I hope Ms. Cooper keeps writing this series. ... Read more