Reviews (24)

From Coffee-table Book to Study Guide
This book is wonderfully written and thought provoking.Written in coffee-table style, with facing pages containing a complete thought, making it wonderful for times when you don't have lots of time to read. It goes beyond the young earth viewpoint to the whole of God's creation, man's fall and the consequences of that action, and the fantastic plan of salvation prepared by the Father for His children. I have read this book more than a dozen times and it continues to be a frequented reference during school as well as adult conversation.

BeautifulColour llustrations - Full of Scientific Wonders
This book is a must for every family who desires to teach the wonderful truths of God's amazing creation.Packed full of scientific research and archaelogical findings. My 9 year old son read this book every night for a month and was extremely excited about the truths he learned.It answered many of the questions he had about our world, sickness, poisonious insects and snakes, and suffering.It built his faith and trust in God.

Reviews (90)

Most BORING, AWFUL book ever!
As an assignment for a special "leave of absence" for a week or two, my English teacher Gave me two books to read. When I picked up this book, I didn't even get through FIVE PAGES before I started to yawn. I am an avid reader, and even the most boring book can be interesting to me. Not this book. This is the worst book I have ever TRIED to read in my whole life. It's a good book if you want to go to sleep REALLY fast. You could also use the book to kill yourself, because it BORES you to DEATH. If you are a teacher or a parent, this is possibly the worst book to give them. It should only be read as punishment.

HORRIBLE WORST BOOK EVER
Had to read this book as a assignment for school, i picked the longest one for an odd reason and ended up dreading it. Just looking at the cover made chills go up my spine at how horribly bad it truly is. Would give this star negative 100000000000000000000 stars if possible but the least available is one. Horrible book about Ancient Egypy, boring plot, boring characters, over all a horrible book. Really cannot believe that some people gave this book 5 stars.

Isbn: 0761306269
Sales Rank: 1620316
Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - History - General    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Cities and towns    4. Cities and towns, Ancient    5. Civilization    6. Greece    7. History - Ancient    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. Sports & Recreation - Games - General    11. To 146 B.C.   

Reviews (24)

Not Worth the Money or Time
My sixth grade English class read this book and it may be the worst book I've ever read. The story is boring. Except for mabye one or two, the characters seem lifeless. Three in particular seem to fade into the background. The storyline is the same of any other mystery like this: some kid gets accused of something he/she didn't do and his/her friends try to prove his innocence. It's extremely boring! This book is a waste of your time and money.

Best historical fiction for children ever!
This delightful mystery set in the time of ancient Rome gives in depth details of the life of a Roman without your child realizing they are reading about historical culture!!It has all the elements of a good book - suspenseful mystery, vivid imagery, intriguing characters, humor, friendship, enemies, and danger.

Young students of a Greek schoolteacher have an argument that culminate with a mean statement written on a student's wax tablet.When that same statement is found written in red paint on the emperor's temple the next morning, their young friend finds himself in serious trouble.But are things as they seem?If you are like me, you won't figure this one out 'til the very end!

Reviews (3)

REAL CLASSIC!!
This is a real classic that I wasn't familiar with until recently.It is a fictional account of a young boy directly involved in the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.Since I was so impressed with the book, I've been sharing it with others.The book was originally published by Moody ("The Name You Can Trust") in 1970, republished in 1989, and published again in 2002.I agree with the comment on the back cover of the 2002 edition that this is definitely "a classic work of fiction that has inspired thousands of Christians for decades."After reading the book, I believe this would make an excellent Easter drama presentation.

Beautifully Written!
Alberta Hawse has a vivid, delightful style, and her story of a young orphan who hopes Jesus will give him the life he wants is captivating...not just in the way it re-tells the events of the crucifiction day, but in revealing the change that happens to a heart that encounters the living God.Highly recommended.

Reviews (7)

slow and steady, but worth it
This book does a wonderful job of explaining many different factors contributing to the fall of Jerusalem.Eventually, the characters do come alive.It gets redundant at times, which is not helped by the over-use of dramatic emphasis throughout the reading--the listener has to group and weigh information in spite of the reader's inflection rather than being helped by it. Overall, worth the time, but I would rather have read it out loud myself than fight the recording.Recording does not indicate listening time or publication date of the original work.

Christian novel
Offensive to Jews and historically off-base, this novel will be enjoyed by Christians, for whom it has a "happy ending".

Reviews (23)

The kids will beg to keep reading!
This delightful tale set in Ancient China during the Tang Dynasty depicts the story of a young prince setting out for his first journey into the world.He embarks with a cache of oddly plain gifts destined to convince the leader of a supposed utopian kingdom to reveal his secrets for success. Along the way, the prince faces various hardships that challenge his strength and unveil a greater person inside than he knew existed.Hilarious humor and sarcasm are interspersed throughout the captivating dialogues.My kids would never let me put it down without an appeal for "just one more chapter - pppppplllllleeeeeeeeaaase!"

A great book to read to your kids
I was read this book when I was a child, and I am still fond of it today. I just bought a hardcover, so I can keep it in my library for when my kids are old enough. Ive read it to kids and few books have the same affect. It's a giant fable with interesting characters and a smooth plot. gripping, Fast paced, and moral driven, its the perfect book to get kids (...). don't be intimidated by its large size the print is large and it goes by fast, don't worry about you OR them losing interest, I'd say you could start them on this book at 7 and even you be interested on how it progresses no matter what age you are. (I still have friends that are 21 reading this book.)
I put this in my Favorite book category

Reviews (3)

An insider view of Charles the Great
We enjoyed this story of Charlemagne told by viewing the life of one of his sons, Carl.While not intensely detailed in regards to his historical battles, though they are referenced (and one particularly brutal event is covered intensely), it gives more of an insider view with the focus on his family life.That was very interesting!This incredible world leader was a devoted family man who desired for his children to travel with him whenever possible.He humbly sought a better education for himself, his children and his subjects.This focus led to the Carolingian Renaissance.While Charles the Great certainly had flaws, those too were inspiring examples.These multifacted qualities resulted in his rise from King of the Franks to coronation as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.Son of Charlemagne was written very personally, a tender glimpse into the real life struggles of a political giant.

This is a very good book!
My sons and I enjoyed this book. It is about Charlemagne, but written from the perspective of his eldest son, so it keeps their interest. This booked sparked us looking into Charlemagne in more detail, from the history books, so it was great.

Reviews (4)

14 year-old reviewer
Polland, while delving nicely into the setting and background of ninth century Viking Age, lost me entirely with the child-like dialogue and weak story-line. Much of her writing was un-realistic and therefore highly un-appreciated. Her writing definately needs to be brushed up several notches. While she develops her characters personalties nicely enough she then twists them around in odd ways that make the book rather undesirable. The book was rather boring all in all, I would not recommend it for an enjoyable read. If your having your child read this book for school and learning, fine then, It does indeed have valuable information concerning ninth century background, but if you want a nice book to enjoy, this is not the one for you!

The Life of Vikings
This adventure is told through the eyes of a 9th century Irish girl, Ness, who is kidnapped by a Viking Sea-Captain's son after the raid of their village.She gradually becomes friends with him after the two struggle to learn of the differences in one another's cultures. Tenacious Ness and prideful Beorn provide entertaining dialogue! While it is not challenging to convince a young man to read exciting Viking adventures, this book was equally enjoyed by my daughter.

Reviews (35)

Excellent Historical Fiction
This story is about young boy who loses his tongue due to the misdeeds of his uncle.He is sent through a series of misfortunes that lead him to a position as Harold's faithful assistant.The story follows the young man's adventures culminating in the Battle of Hastings with William the Conqueror.

I expected a less than eager reception from my children as they read this book, due to the small print and numerous pages.Instead, it captivated their attention and became an all time favorite in their reading.

A great, enrapturing read
I was assigned to read this book in school, and was at first hesitant, but found it quite enjoyable.The story is an interesting one, and Ms. Alder does a good job of providing an enjoyable interface for the rich historical information.Disregard any bad reviews, it is a truly good book and deserves a read.You'll probably learn a lot on the way, and it is time well-spent.The only reason I did not give it 5, is that it sometimes drags on with some unimportant details, but it is still a great story with a solid plot, and is worth the longer read (all the more time to savor it!).

Reviews (55)

love this book!
though i haven't read this book for a while, i do remember it as one of my favorite books when i was a kid.i can't even count how many times i reread it...there's just something about the atmosphere of the middle ages, and the fact that you really come to know robin by the end.it's not action-filled or anything, but it's a great kids book, and i encourage readers of all ages to read it.

An okay book.
I thought The Door in the Wall was a mediocrer book;it lacked description of the characters and places. For an example, the book did not describe what Robin looked like; was his hair black or brown, and so on. I was not able to go "into" the story.

I thought the plot was pretty good, but the only way I was able to actually go "into" the story was to look at the pictures, that didn't look so good in black and white.

Reviews (60)

Slow to start- but...
Slow to start-but by the middle you're hooked! This was my first historical novel and I don't regret it. I learned a lot about huge palaces, slavery, Byzantine general life and war with the Turks...

Anna Comnena is the daughter of the Emperor Alexius Comnenus (he won many battles and started fighting at a very early age), and Irene Ducas:we don't hear much about her.She's nice but too absent (I wished she appeared more in the story).

The Ducases and the Comnenus family are fighting for the empiril throne.That's why Alexius wants to marry Anna to Constantine Ducas:to stop the rivalry between the two families.

I was surprised to find out that Anna was supposed to get married so young, at the age of 13.

One of my favorite things was the beautiful relathionship between Anna and Sophia, her "slave".Sophia opened Anna's eyes, making her less selfish and egocentric.

Great, but short, read...
Despite my reluctance in beginning this book, it turned out to be greatly more interesting than what I first believed. After finishing Anna of Byzantium, I learned that it was based on The Alexiad, which provoked my greater interest in Anna Comnena. If you enjoy history, and if you enjoy women's place in history, you will love this book. I have since found The Alexiad at the local library where I work and can't wait to begin reading it!

Reviews (27)

His Loss Our Gain
A minstrel's son loses his father and his dog.In pursuing both, this young man's travels provide cultural insight to the Middle Ages.Excellent and captivating!

I LOATH this book!
this is the absolute worst book i have ever been forced to and have ever read. i would like to add that i made a very strong attempt to get more interested in the plot of this book because it was a school assignment, but jeez, this was cruel and unusual punishment. when i think of this book, the word that comes to mind is "torture". i like a number of books and i love to read, i usually don't have a problem with book assignments, but this was just...just really mean. If you are smart, you will take my advice and stay far away.

A man of means by no means.King of the road.
"Adam of the Road" is daunting, no question.Kids who have no difficulties lugging huge Harry Potter sized tomes might quaver a little at the 317 page density of this 1943 Newbery winner.If they go so far as to actually begin to read the book, however, they might be pleasantly surprised to find it not only readable, but enjoyable to boot.On its most basic level the book is a tale about a boy, his father, and his dog.Beyond that, however, the book quickly becomes a quest novel where our hero picks up friends and foes along his path.In the end, a richly satisfying creation.

Our tale begins in June of 1294 in a little English abbey named St. Alban's.Here, our hero Adam has been left by his father, Roger the minstrel.Adam anticipates Roger's return (he never refers to his father by anything but the man's name, interestingly) any day.In the meantime, he has his friend and fellow student Perkin and his cocker spaniel Nick to keep him company.With an appropriate amount of pomp and flair, return Roger does.With his pop now a minstrel for a fine Lord, Adam is whisked away from the Abbey to join his father on the road.They adventure hither and yon, charming some people and amusing others.After some unfortunate run-ins with a less than chivalrous fellow minstrel named Jankin, Adam finds his dog stolen.So eager is Adam to get Nick back that in the course of his pursuit of Jankin he also loses his father.Thus, an eleven year-old boy must face a cold world with just his harp and minstrel skills to earn him food and shelter as he continually seeks his dad and dog.

As I read this story, a lingering memory began to form in my mind.Middle ages England... Minstrel & jesting skills... A boy and his father (or father-figure)... By George this is a remarkably similar plot to the 2003 Newbery award winning book, "Crispin: The Cross of Lead"!Certainly there are vast differences between the two as well, but people who wish to tie "Crispin" to another text would do very well indeed to consider the worthy "Adam of the Road".Now "Crispin" is a very socially conscious novel, pondering the fate of the poor and their servitude to the rich."Adam of the Road", much to my surprise, was also fairly socially conscious (considering its publication date).Here the gentle reader may find complaints that the members of Parliament are all of noble birth and decide the rights of the people without asking for input from those they have (virtually) enslaved.There is a healthy amount of skepticism and careful examination of the religious leaders that have such a powerful hold over their communities.And most impressive of all was a section in which Adam seriously considers the double standard to which women were held at that time.In this scene, Adam has been informed that ladies may not chose their mates according to their hearts as the romantic ballads have said.The book says:

"The tales Roger told were full of the reverence and devotion that knghts paid to fair ladies and the desperate dangers they met gladly in order to win a smile from the ladies or a favor to wear on their sleeves.But in real life, it seemed, a beautiful young lady like Emilie was only a girl and it did not matter what she wanted because she had to do what she was told.It was very strange-".

Not only unromantic, but a hardship on the women themselves.Nothing like a little knowledgable reasoning within a children's book, eh?

Reviews (11)

We enjoyed the book, but.....
Ms. Fritz, your bias is showing! I had to edit and editorialize as I read this to my children to correct numerous misstatements and oversimplifications regarding Christianity. For example, Christians were not opposed to scholarship ~ it's largely because of Catholic and Byzantine monks that Greek and Roman literature was preserved.

Furthermore, I've come to think of Jean Fritz as the queen of the sentence fragment.I personally find bad grammar distracting when I'm reading.

A lively history of the Age of Exploration--warts and all.
This is the first popular book I have seen on the Age of Exploration that lets the reader in on important details that have been evaluated honestly in scholarly works for decades, but which our more traditional popularizers have tended to gloss over in favor of the notion that the Europeans who led the continent's conquest of the world were all both unstoppable and righteous.

(See John H. Perry's "Establishment of the European Hegemony, 1415-1715" (HarperCollins, 1961) for a good example of a more scholarly work that also includes all the warts in its accounts of the famous Age.)

It's a lively, easy-to-read book, and it does a good job of telling both the heroic and the not-so-heroic aspects of the story.

Well done.

Two thumbs down...
I was so looking forward to digging into this book with my kids, so we could "explore" the age of exploration. We have enjoyed many of the books by Jean Fritz, especially those written about Colonial and Revolutionary America, but this one should not be included in that list.

Ms. Fritz has an apparent personal dislike for certain groups of people and makes her dislike abundantly clear throughout the work. Unfortunately, this bigoted approach leaves such a bad taste in the reader's mouth that the entire story becomes unpalatable. The worst result of this approach is that Ms. Fritz has decided to rewrite history based on her own personal opinion instead of actual fact. This is a NON-FICTION book, so by inserting fiction into the equation, she has destroyed the trust that a reader should have in an author.