Amazon.com Exclusive

A Letter from Brian Selznick Dear readers, When I was a kid, two of my favorite books were by an amazing man named Remy Charlip. Fortunately and Thirteen fascinated me in part because, in both books, the very act of turning the pages plays a pivotal role in telling the story. Each turn reveals something new in a way that builds on the image on the previous page. Now that I'm an illustrator myself, I've often thought about this dramatic storytelling device and all of its creative possibilities. My new book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a 550 page novel in words and pictures. But unlike most novels, the images in my new book don't just illustrate the story; they help tell it. I've used the lessons I learned from Remy Charlip and other masters of the picture book to create something that is not a exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things. I began thinking about this book ten years ago after seeing some of the magical films of Georges Méliès, the father of science-fiction movies. But it wasn't until I read a book called Edison's Eve: The Quest for Mechanical Life by Gaby Woods that my story began to come into focus. I discovered that Méliès had a collection of mechanical, wind-up figures (called automata) that were donated to a museum, but which were later destroyed and thrown away. Instantly, I imagined a boy discovering these broken, rusty machines in the garbage, stealing one and attempting to fix it. At that moment, Hugo Cabret was born. A few years ago, I had the honor of meeting Remy Charlip, and I'm proud to say that we've become friends. Last December he was asking me what I was working on, and as I was describing this book to him, I realized that Remy looks exactly like Georges Méliès. I excitedly asked him to pose as the character in my book, and fortunately, he said yes. So every time you see Méliès in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the person you are really looking at is my dear friend Remy Charlip, who continues to inspire everyone who has the great pleasure of knowing him or seeing his work. Paris in the 1930's, a thief, a broken machine, a strange girl, a mean old man, and the secrets that tie them all together... Welcome to The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Yours, Brian Selznick

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Amazon.com Exclusive

Brian Selznick on a "Deleted Scene" from The Invention of Hugo Cabret This is a finished drawing that I had to cut from The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was still rewriting the book when I had to begin the final art. There was originally a scene in the story where this character, Etienne, is working in a camera shop. On one of my research trips to Paris I spent an entire day visiting old camera shops and photographing cameras from the 1930's and earlier, as well as the facades of the shops themselves. I researched original French camera posters and made sure that the counter and the shelves were accurate to the time period. I did all the drawings in the book at 1/4 scale, so they were very small and I often had to use a magnifying glass to help me see what I was drawing. After I finished this drawing I continued to rewrite, and for various reasons I realized that I needed to move this scene from the camera shop to the French Film Academy, which meant that I had to cut this picture. I tried really hard to find ANOTHER moment when I could have Etienne in a camera shop, but, as painful as it was, I knew the picture had to go. I'm glad to see it up on the Amazon website because otherwise no one would have ever seen all those tiny cameras I researched and drew so carefully! --Brian Selznick

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More from Brian Selznick

The Houdini Box

Walt Whitman: Words for America

The Boy of a Thousand Faces

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Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Blend of Pictures and Words.......2007-10-05

This was just an incredible book. A wonderful mix of pictures and words, it is fifty per cent graphic novel and fifty percent prose. An intriguing mystery set in Paris, certain to be enjoyed by readers both young and old.
It flows quickly - you will get much more out of it if you take your time with the pictures particularly. The detail in some of the scenes is well worth the time.
The characters are believable - youngsters forced to be older than their years in some cases, but still children at heart.
I was amazed to read the author notes at the end, about how much was based on actual creations.
Definitely an interesting, and recommended, read.

Unexpectedly Educational.......2007-09-30

Although it doesn't come across as a historical fiction piece, that's exactly what this book is. Much like the film Amadeus, The Invention of Hugo Cabret uses real life historical people to create an exaggerated (if not downright false) interpretive biography.

Works of this particular genre contain a strange mixture of true and false elements, and are actually good tools for teaching. True, they may lead to some initial misconceptions, but adequate research after the reading can clear these misconceptions up in a hurry. I wouldn't make a big deal out of a minor conception though, if in turn you get a wondrous discovery to go along with it.

From this book I learned that intricate machines were being invented long before computers and television. Robots that could draw and write as far back as perhaps the 18th century. Amazing. Why aren't we taught things like this in school? Probably because the textbooks that are issued make people of the past look like complete dimwits when that really isn't the case.

The revelation of the existence of ancient robots alone is enough for me to give this book a high amount of praise. But the artistry in the book brings it to another level. So much work went into the dozens and dozens of beautiful pencil illustrations that you'd have to be a complete jerk to not give Selznick at least a little respect for his efforts.

Often I have to read five or six unexciting books before I get to one that really makes me say, "Wow!" This is a "Wow!" book, and makes a fitting addition to any library. The risk of constructing it in such an unusual style has greatly paid off. Books like this are the reason I read.

I know I'm not the first one to say this, but this might be the book of the future we're looking at here.

wonderful fresh story.......2007-09-27

I originally bought this book for my husband and son to read. They enjoyed it so much that I had to read it myself. What a lovely story. The illustrations were outstanding and placed perfectly within the story. I went strictly off of the description from Amazon and the one picture that they showed. I was so impressed with the drawing and the idea of them being inside the book that I just knew it would be worth having. What a pleasure to read. Thank you Mr. Selznick.

this is really special.......2007-09-27

I was attracted to this book by its cover. They say you can't tell a book by its cover but this book is one good exception. Because in addition to the wonderful graphic quality of the jacket, the book is full of fine and artful illustrations through which much of the tale is told. I felt like a kid again flipping through the pages and seeing the story unfold, and then there would come some exposition in text and then more of the wonderful drawings that reminded me very much of Seurat's beloved black and white charcoal sketches. I look forward to sharing copies of this book with my friends.

All Sizzle, No Steak.......2007-09-22

This is a truly innovative book, but one that is not worth buying. The storyline simply is too frail for the book's hoopla.

Average customer rating: Great series! Falling Flat. Physik - A Great Read for Septimus Heap Lovers! Keep Septimus Coming! Physik - Septimus Heap book 3

Physik (Septimus Heap, Book 3) Angie Sage Manufacturer: Katherine Tegen Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Family Life | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Royalty | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2) Septimus Heap Book One: Magyk CD (Septimus Heap) The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) Cobra King Of Kathmandu (Children Of The Lamp) The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) ASIN: 0060577371 Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

When Silas Heap unSeals a forgotten room in the Palace, he releases the ghost of a Queen who lived five hundred years earlier. Queen Etheldredda is as awful in death as she was in life, and she's still up to no good. Her diabolical plan to give herself everlasting life requires Jenna's compliance, Septimus's disappearance, and the talents of her son, Marcellus Pye, a famous Alchemist and Physician. And if Queen Etheldredda's plot involves Jenna and Septimus, then it will surely involve Nicko, Alther Mella, Marcia Overstrand, Beetle, Stanley, Sarah, Silas, Spit Fyre, Aunt Zelda, and all of the other wacky, wonderful characters that made magyk and flyte so memorable.

With heart-stopping action and a dash of humor, Angie Sage continues the fantastical journey of Septimus Heap.

Customer Reviews:

Great series!.......2007-09-28

Get Magyk and Flyte (Books one and two) Then get this one! Fun and interesting series. Bought them for my daughter but I enjoyed them too.

Falling Flat........2007-09-24

NOTE: I did not like this book, so if you are a die-hard fan of Sage and the sieris i suggest hiding this review.

After captivating you with her last two books. Sage's attempt at a story is laughable.

The writing style that gripped her readers in Flyte and Magick does not appear in Physic. The people seemed to have lost their flames and senses of humors, Snorri and the Queen have no death to either of them. Each has a chapter devoted to them but they are loosely explained and the chapters tell nothing.

Worser still is the fact that most of the Heap family is not even int he book. lovable Silas Heap and Motherly Sarah heap are in the background, the book does not seem complete and the series looks unprofessional.

The plot is confusing and always makes you re read passages and wonder what is going on. The word choice is good but overly done, there is none of the simplicity that was so endearing about Magyk and Flyte.

The book is a real put downer. After Sage's steller novels you would expect something a little more high class and gripping. For fans of the siearies, I suggest pretending that this book did not exist. It si a dissaponment to her fans.

I sincerely hope that Sage recaptures the magyk in next novel.

Physik - A Great Read for Septimus Heap Lovers!.......2007-08-24

This was by far the best of the Septimus Heap series! If you have read Magyk and Flyte then you must read Physik! The plot is very in depth and exciting and new characters are introduced that you will come to love as much as Jenna and Septimus. What a wonderful book and hopefully there will be another in the series!

Keep Septimus Coming!.......2007-06-27

I am a school teacher and my students were all reading the Septimus Heap series of books. I decided to read them as well, and they are FANTASTIC! I was disappointed that Physik was the last of the series(so far), I want to keep reading about him!

Physik - Septimus Heap book 3.......2007-06-08

Angie Sage did a wonderful job continuing the Saptimus Heap story. A quick read, antertaining and very enjoyable.

Average customer rating: A Phenomenal Read! Great adventure from east to west coast. A fun ride, but lots of negatives A slow start grows into an engrossing, richly detailed book Appealingly impossible novel

Heyday: A Novel Kurt Andersen Manufacturer: Random House ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: Christine Falls: A Novel Then We Came to the End: A Novel Turn of the Century The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel On Chesil Beach: A Novel ASIN: 0375504737 Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

Heyday is a brilliantly imagined, wildly entertaining tale of America’s boisterous coming of age–a sweeping panorama of madcap rebellion and overnight fortunes, palaces and brothels, murder and revenge–as well as the story of a handful of unforgettable characters discovering the nature of freedom, loyalty, friendship, and true love.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, modern life is being born: the mind-boggling marvels of photography, the telegraph, and railroads; a flood of show business spectacles and newspapers; rampant sex and drugs and drink (and moral crusades against all three); Wall Street awash with money; and giddy utopian visions everywhere. Then, during a single amazing month at the beginning of 1848, history lurches: America wins its war of manifest destiny against Mexico, gold is discovered in northern California, and revolutions sweep across Europe–sending one eager English gentleman off on an epic transatlantic adventure. . . .

Amid the tumult, aristocratic Benjamin Knowles impulsively abandons the Old World to reinvent himself in New York, where he finds himself embraced by three restless young Americans: Timothy Skaggs, muckraking journalist, daguerreotypist, pleasure-seeker, stargazer; the fireman Duff Lucking, a sweet but dangerously damaged veteran of the Mexican War; and Duff’s dazzling sister Polly Lucking, a strong-minded, free thinking actress (and discreet part-time prostitute) with whom Ben falls hopelessly in love.

Beckoned by the frontier, new beginnings, and the prospects of the California Gold Rush, all four set out on a transcontinental race west–relentlessly tracked, unbeknownst to them, by a cold-blooded killer bent on revenge.

A fresh, impeccable portrait of an era startlingly reminiscent of our own times, Heyday is by turns tragic and funny and sublime, filled with bona fide heroes and lost souls, visionaries (Walt Whitman, Charles Darwin, Alexis de Tocqueville) and monsters, expanding horizons and narrow escapes. It is also an affecting story of four people passionately chasing their American dreams at a time when America herself was still being dreamed up–an enthralling, old-fashioned yarn interwoven with a bracingly modern novel of ideas.
"In this utterly engaging novel, the author of Turn of the Century brings 19th-century America vividly to life . . . While this is a long book, it moves quickly, with historical detail that's involving but never a drag on the action; the characters are beautifully drawn. A terrific book; highly recommended." –Library Journal
"Heyday is fuled by manic energy, fanatical research, and a wicked sense of humor.... It's a joyful, wild gallop through a joyful, wild time to be an American." -Vanity Fair

Customer Reviews:

A Phenomenal Read!.......2007-09-20

This novel is educational, exciting and well-written. Kurt Andersen is a talented author who has certainly done his research, and beautifully combines history with fiction. Read this book!

Great adventure from east to west coast........2007-09-03

This is a long book but worth it. Be prepared to commit yourself to this. You won't want to miss the ending. Great characters, interesting history. Books written in this era are always so fun to read. You won't be disappointed if you enjoy epic, romantic adventure filled stories.

A fun ride, but lots of negatives.......2007-08-21

I was torn between giving this book 4 stars or only 3. There are lots of negatives that distracted me from really enjoying this book, but, when I got to the end, I realized that it was worth the read.

I won't describe the plot - plenty of others have done that, and the book's summary is sufficient. Suffice it to say that the plot itself is one of the book's weaknesses: other reviewers mentioned the coincidences that forced me to suspend disbelief over and over again, but I think, as the book progresses, you get so used to these coincidences that it doesn't matter. In the end, the book is a kind of fairy tale, and coincidence is essential for such stories.

What bothered me most, however, is the author's need to flex his historical muscles at every turn. He clearly did lots of research, and wants to make sure you know it. He almost uses Tom Swifties - bits of exposition that go overboard to explain what he's presented - when tossing around "authentic" elements from the time. Inventions, clothing, food, and anything else he can present, Andersen keeps reminding us that he did his homework. Yet this ends up more distracting than if he simply mentioned these things in passing, or, rather, _didn't_ mention them all.

I read a lot of 19th century fiction, and Heyday does fit well into that style (though clearly it is contemporary, ie 21st century, 19th century fiction.) It's a fun read, full of interesting characters, and only a few tics mar its overall effect.

A slow start grows into an engrossing, richly detailed book.......2007-08-02

This is a loooong novel (640 pages), and as the editorial review from Publishers Weekly notes, one with a "slowish" beginning. The book opens in April 1948 with young Englishman Ben Knowles' arrival in America. On his first day in the new world, he encounters two of the other main characters, the beautiful actress Polly Lucking and her firefighting brother, Duff (the fourth main character, Timothy Skaggs, is introduced a bit later). However, the timeline then reverts back to six months before, when Ben has traveled to Paris to visit a friend. Although the events that occur in Paris are integral to the story that follows (including the introduction of another major character, Sergeant Drumont), I think that the author's use of a flashback here is the reason the first 100 pages or so of this novel tend to drag somewhat.

Once the book returns to the present time, however, the story begins to pick up. Author Andersen provides a fascinating glimpse of life in the mid-1800s, from dietary staples to the newspaper boom to brothels and bathroom habits. He's clearly done his research--for example, he often makes a point of incorporating more colloquial terms in describing "modern" life at that time. Andersen also uses several major historical events as vehicles for his plot, such as France's "February Revolution" and the California gold rush. Major historical figures appear as well--Charles Darwin, Walt Whitman, and others are actual characters in the book, while Abraham Lincoln and similar famous personage receive prominent mentions.

Each of the four main characters--Ben, Polly, Duff, and Skaggs--is afforded with plenty of time and a point of view voice. Early on, the focus is more on Ben's experiences in France and Polly's checkered history, but as the novel progresses, we learn more of Duff's secret past and Skaggs' aspirations; Drumont's perspective is given as well. Heyday is a book is full of both tragedy and humor, although with more of an emphasis on the latter. At the novel's conclusion, I felt that my extended stay in the nineteenth century was time well-spent, and I believe that you will too.

Appealingly impossible novel.......2007-07-30

"Heyday" presents the reader with a totally impossible plot, in the sense of one filled with outrageous coincidences plus main characters that somehow manage to meet almost every prominent figure and participate in every major event or historical movement on two continents in the middle of the 19th century. The resulting incredulity almost turns the story, despite the intense violence and mayhem, into a comedy.
Then there are the characters themselves, as flat and static as can be. They move around a lot, but they do not evolve, regardless of the monumental challenges with which are are constantly faced.
The book's sole strength--and it's a good one--is in the details of everyday life of the time. The author has done his homework! What luxurious descriptions of life in Paris, London, New York City, the Midwest, and California during the Gold Rush, including numerous titillating details about sexual habits and instruments!
But in the end, the book is just too long to sustain interest in detail alone

Average customer rating: the way the world was eaten Incredible Alternate History Story! Great Book - Serious Topic "World War Z" How Did I Miss This

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War Max Brooks Manufacturer: Crown ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books United States | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Humor | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Horror Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books Similar Items: The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead Monster Nation: A Zombie Novel The Road Plague of the Dead (The Morningstar Strain) I Am Legend ASIN: 0307346609 Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

“The end was near.” —Voices from the Zombie War

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.


Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war

“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China


“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers


“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Customer Reviews:

the way the world was eaten.......2007-10-02

Brad Pitt's production company has bought the rights to this book but how he plans on doing the individual stories justice I don't know. This book impressed the hell outta me. It was so well done in the mock-u-mentary style that it had me planning on boarding up the windows if I ever saw someone even slightly limping thru my yard! It had great ideas if you have your zombie survival kit ready and at hand just waiting for the zed's to rise.

Incredible Alternate History Story! .......2007-10-01

I must begin this review by saying, I had no idea what to expect when I picked this book up!! It was recommeded to me by a friend, that knew I'm a sucker for a good zombie story! The subtitle of this book is "An Oral History of the Zombie War". And that's exactly the way it's written. A few years after the Zombie World War, a UN postwar Commission Report was written. The author (unnamed) was upset because the report he submitted was not the report that was presented. All the "human" element was removed. This book is a compilation of that human factor. Divided into sections detailing different aspects of the war, the author gives us a look at what happened through interviews with survivors. We learn a little about the initial outbreak of the Zombie epidemic that started in China and spread rapidly worldwide. We hear horror stories from survivors of the "great panic", and what each had to do in order to be telling the tale today. We learn about different countries and how they chose to turn the tide of the war. And we learn about heroes worldwide and how they stepped up to help their fellow man survive an attack like the world has never seen.

It's hard to review this book, because there are no central characters, no plot lines, no big finishes. It is written as if it is a documentary, detailing events and people all the way down to little footnotes of "historical" fact. And it is indeed chilling. Early on, I had expected this to be a funny book, taking a stab at the paranormal genre. What else would you expect from the son of Mel Brooks, but something of a parody?? World War Z isn't like that at all. It is a well-thought-out and carefully plotted book, that goes into such detail, it's hard to believe World War Z is just fiction!! Each little "interview" tells it's own little story, and Brooks ties them up nicely in his presentation. Not too much drama, but just the facts. Brooks also throws in a lot of political references in how he perceives the world would change if such a catastrophe occurred. Can you imagine a world in which Cuba is the new commerce capital? And yet, he does it so smoothly and believably, it's really hard to see it as fiction! Kudos to Brooks for such a unique and down-right fascinating book!! If there ever IS a Zombie epidemic, I know who's doorstep I'm going to show up on!! Max Brooks can lead us to Victory!!

Great Book - Serious Topic.......2007-09-27

For those of you thinking this will be a tongue in cheek ironic laugh of a book, let me tell you that this is not the case. It is writen in a serious, insightful and journalistic style, perfect for the topic. He has great ideas about how all this might take place, and there are some truly moving parts of this book, as well as the horrible and violent. Do you like end of the world scenarios? Grab this book!

"World War Z".......2007-09-27

The road to zombies is, evidently, a more slippery slope than I'd realized. Recently, I was in a Hamilton-Gibson ten-minute piece in which I played a dead person. The character opposite me was a bloody dead guy. At the opening night party, several of us got to laughing about how there just aren't enough plays where an actor gets to be a bloody dead guy. How we need some quality theater written about zombies. Imagine the witty dialogue-- Zombie #1: Mmmnnnggghhh! Zombie #2: Gnnrrrrrrr! There's some quality literature! Ha ha ha ha ha ....

Who knew how soon I would have to eat those sarcastic words (better than eating flesh, giggle-snort). On September 6, Max Brooks published his novel World War Z. "Z" in this case, is short for "Zombie". I started reading it soon after, thinking it'd be funny. I mean, zombie movies are mostly pretty cheesy, right?

I've never seen Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", or any of the films that followed. Certainly, I've read my share of Stephen King, and watched my share of slasher flicks. As a teen, I have to being somewhat scared by Freddie Kruger. But I was never a Goth girl, never into Anne Rice, and only watched "Resident Evil" because my boyfriend at the time had played the video game and wanted to see the film.

I picked up this novel because I thought it ironic to have just been joking about "zombie literature", and because I like survival stories. There are two post-apocalyptic, society-is-utterly-changed-by-sudden-catastrophe books that moved me and stayed with me over time. One is Stephen King's novel, The Stand (and for goodness' sake, read the book; don't see the mediocre movie!). The other was Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka's War Day. Both amazing stories came from sources I'd not expected. Third time's a charm, I guess.

World War Z surprised me. The writing grabbed me, and not the cheesy way a ghoulish hand from under the bed grabs the stupid heroine in a horror movie. I found the structure of the novel intriguing: Brooks shares the story of World War Z by "interviewing" the survivors ten years after "the Crisis" has passed. The interviewees are people who were, at the time, doctors, children, government officials, military grunts, cyberpunks, pilots, gardeners at fancy international resorts. They are Americans, Chinese, Russian, Mexican, Korean, British, French, Australian. While this style of storytelling is not completely original, it is compelling. I stopped chortling about reading about zombies (of all things! not serious literature, of course!), and started hearing what Max Brooks understands about humanity - as a whole, and as individuals.

I thought he had some profound insights about resilience and depravity, about the bald cruelty of survival tactics and the ridiculous amount of luxury we think of as necessity. Most of all, as someone who has fought my own version of life-or-death demons, I really agreed with what Brooks says about hope. Pick the book up yourself, and see if you don't find it hard to put down. Max Brooks may be a bit odd - he is the son of Mel Brooks, the director of many tongue-in-cheek films - but the writing here hits many issues right on the head. That's the only way to kill the undead, or the critics, if you can tell them apart.

How Did I Miss This.......2007-09-20

The only thing I don't understand is how I missed this. I would think I would remember this happening, but I guess I must have been in college or something. Anyway, it's pretty good reporting - it's obvious that Brooks did a ton of research, and he interviewed a pretty impressive number of people. Their stories are amazing. I can't believe I missed a global catastrophy like this. Did this happen before I was born? Why don't they teach about this in highschool? Is it some kind of government suppression? I just hope it never happens again.

Average customer rating: great book! Mary Pope Osborne: Never A Disappointment. I recommend this book Dragon of the Red Dawn Hard for parents to suspend belief, but the kids loved it.

Dragon of the Red Dawn (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Mary Pope Osborne Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Other | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Osborne, Mary Pope | ( O ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Other | Children's Books | Mythology | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Blizzard of the Blue Moon (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Monday with a Mad Genius (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Night of the New Magicians (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Summer of the Sea Serpent (Magic Tree House #31) Winter of the Ice Wizard (Magic Tree House 32) ASIN: 0375837272 Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Merlin the Magician will not eat or sleep or speak to anyone in Camelot. What can be done? The enchantress Morgan knows who to ask
for help: young Jack and Annie of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania! The brother-and-sister team quickly head off in the magic tree house on another magical and historical adventure.

Their mission: discover one of the four secrets of happiness.

Their journey: to a land of fierce samurai and great beauty, the capital city of Edo (now the city of Tokyo), in ancient Japan in the 1600s.

Their tools: a research book to guide them and a magic wand with three special rules.

In Dragon of the Red Dawn, Mary Pope Osborne transports readers back to the splendor, rich culture, and magic of traditional Japan.

Customer Reviews:

great book!.......2007-09-01

This book I loved when I was reading the pages, and how it gives you a little passport in the back of the book like it was actually a real passport. The books description of the garden when they first get out of the tree house in Japan just gives me a picture of what it looks like in real life. This book had a bit of humor and that adds coolness to the book. Buy this book!!!!!!!! I'm 11.

Mary Pope Osborne: Never A Disappointment........2007-07-23

Osborne forever captures history, folklore and imagination into the minds of many young and old alike. Her books are ever a delight to read to my son (even though he's able to read by himself) and more, a delight to hear when they come out on audiocassette!

I recommend this book.......2007-06-10

I liked it because Jack and Annie travel to Japan which is a really cool place and I think more people should read this book. It is better than any other book because it is the newest of the series.

Dragon of the Red Dawn.......2007-05-27

This is a wonderful book for kids. I love it, so much that I bring it with me everywhere I go. I have read this, and like it. It takes place In old Japan. Jack and Annie meet a poet named Basho, and spend the day with him. I have learned about Basho in school and most of the things the book told about him I knew. I was thrilled reading about the Samuarai, and when the fire came around I was so excited I almost screamed! Dragon of the Red Dawn is a good book to read.

Hard for parents to suspend belief, but the kids loved it........2007-05-14

Another classic Magic Treehouse installment, this time in imperial Japan. The haiku and deatils of life in Edo made this book informative for the little ones (4,6) and a little more interesting for the parents reading it. The fact that it involves a dragon was a big plus for both of them. The rating is only relative to other magic treehouse books, and not to the vast choice of better children's literature out there. All that said, I am sure it would make a good read for 7-8 year olds delving into books on their own for the first time.

Books:

1. The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero
2. The Stand: Expanded Edition: For the First Time Complete and Uncut (Signet)
3. Unto the Breach (Paladin of Shadows, Boo