Editorial Review

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Reviews (15)

Major Good Book!
This book is about two girls who are, basically, bad. But in two different ways. Margalo is bad for mischief. She loves to play tricks and start rumors, and this eventually comes down on her. And Mikey is bad for anger. She is a good soccer player and plays on the team, but stupid Louis Caselli (who is also on the team and in her class) is always getting on her case, teasing her and calling her names like Porky and Mee-Shell. It's kind of lengthy but worth the time. There's a sequel, but I can't seem to get my hands on it.....

Not so Bad *EASY A IN SCHOOL*
Ok guys SLOW down. This is a book about two oppostie girls (prep and a rebel) being friends and surviving a strit fifth grade teacher. The book isn't as bad as others but it isn't 5 stars. Bad Girls is a nice easy read that you can read for school(like me) and get an easy "A". I don't find anything wrong with that!!
Bad Book---Bad Girls
This is a BAD BAD book. Dont you dare be stupid and buy it like it did! I really didnt get it. I think Cynthia Voigt couldve done better than that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fiction    5. Friendship    6. Humorous Stories    7. School & Education    8. School stories    9. Schools   

Reviews (2)

Excellent book!
This a great book to introduce to young readers.I was about 10 years old when I read this.20 years later, I still remember this book and how much I enjoyed it.At 10, I didn't know much about foreshadowing, so the ending wasn't that predictable for me.Young readers will enjoy the suspense of the writing.I know I did!

It was an entertaining novel that pulls the reader in.
Out of the many books I've read I think that The Callender Papers is one of the most incrdible books.However, the author uses forshadowing quite a bit which makes the ending predictable. The authors style of writing pullsthe reader in with vivid descriptions of 19th century Massachusetts.Italso has a number of complex characters whose pasts' are revealed through aseries of family papers. Overall I think the Callender Papers was awonderful book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Fiction    4. Massachusetts    5. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    6. Mystery and detective stories    7. Mystery fiction    8. Orphans   

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Border collie    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 2-3    6. Dogs    7. Family - Siblings    8. Farm life    9. Fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Lifestyles - Farm Life & Ranch Life    12. Readers - Chapter Books    13. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Reviews (13)

Enjoyable and sophisticated.
"The Callender Papers" is the third book I've read by Cynthia Voigt, and I was not disappointed.If you've read these types of stories before, then you could probably predict everything, but I admit to not figuring it out until more than halfway through the story.The writing is very sophisticated, and I as pleased that a young pre-teen girl was portrayed as someone who had a decent head on her shoulders.I would have liked a better explanation about Mr. Callender and the events that took place - I found that entire passage explained much too fast.Otherwise, this book is very enjoyable.I recommend.

wholly predictable
A good mystery, any mystery worth its salt, must maintain a sense of suspense throughout. This mystery does not. A thirteen year old orphan is permitted by her aunt (her parents' origins are a mystery) to take a job helping to catalogue the "Callender Papers", the documents of her aunt's childhood friend. As she works, she uncovers a mystery involving the death of a character's wife and the disappearance of a child when it was young. It takes very little time to figure out that the protagonist is indeed this child. Unfortunately, she is not spunky enough a heroine to make her adventures intriguing, even when she is put in danger.
A Pretty Good Historical Fiction Mystery
Although rather predictable, The Callender Papers is a very intersting read. Taking place in the 1800's the story follows Jean as she goes to Mr. Theil's house to catalogue his family papers over the summer. Knowing little about her own family, Jean soon discovers the mystery surrounding the death of Mr. Theil's wife. However, as Jean digs deeper into "the Callender Papers" she discovers the odd circumstances of Mrs. Theil's Death. As the tale unfolds Jean comes to realize that her own life may hang in the balance of the solving of the mystery.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Mysteries / Detective    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Family - Orphans & Foster Homes    5. Fiction    6. History - United States/19th Century    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Massachusetts    9. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    10. Mystery and detective stories    11. Mystery fiction    12. Orphans    13. Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories    14. Modern fiction    15. USA   

Reviews (3)

Buliding Blocks, a great story
This book was very well written in terms of plot, setting, characters and descriptions.

Walking a mile in my father's shoes...
The novel starts out with Brann (a twelve year old boy) not understanding his parents "Level Two" fight, where he took his mother's side in the dispute and did not understand his father's point, nor did he respect his father all too much.He crept into the basement to escape the dispute, only to fall into another world, another adventure.As he fell asleep in the middle of a fortress of building blocks, he then awoke to a new world, where his father was two years younger than himself.Their day was full of adventures, all of which Brann took a great deal of learning from.His father grew up a lot different than he provided for his son, and Brann was able to see where his father was coming from.We all have misunderstandings with our parents, and have trouble understanding their thoughts and points.Here, Brann is able to see the events that shaped his father, including the one event that shattered him the most.It gave meaning to walking a mile in someone elses shoes to see their point of view.I, overall, think this book is great for older children to read.It will help them to gain perspective in one way or another.The only gripe I had with this book is the handful of grammar and spelling errors that appeared throughout the novel.I do not know if this is because of the editing, or the publishing or who is responsible for looking out for that, but there were obvious mis-spellings, wrong word uses, and apostrophe use.It just really distracted me at points from reading the text.But other than those issues, the novel was well written:It had an exciting plot that draws the reader in, along with relatable characters whom the reader can easily relate to.Like I stated before, a great novel for older elementary aged children.

A valuable lesson through someone else's experience
While his parents were arguing, Brann went down stairs to the cellar and located his father's building blocks, which had been passed down through generations.He built a fortress and went to sleep on the cement floor. He awoke on a wooden floor looking at his father who was now ten years oldback in l939.During this adventure he learned why his father married hismother and came to understand more about his mother's and his father'spersonalities.Because of this experience he saved the marriage betweenhis parents due to the fact that you really don't know somebody unless youknew them when they were a kid.Kids don't have so many walls built aroundthem to hide behind and keep safe.Read more

Subjects:  1. Boys / Men    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Family - Parents    5. Fathers and sons    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Social Issues - General    9. Social Situations - General    10. Time travel    11. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Parents   

Reviews (6)

I loVE thIS bOOk
It's Not Easy Being Bad is a great book to read. The book is interesting and funny at times. The book will make you want to read more and more until you finish it. I loved reading this book and all of my other friends did too. It's Not Easy Being Bad is a super book for everyone to read and have. The book talks about to seventh graders named Margalo and Mickey. When thry try to be cool in doesn't really workout when the popular kids make fun of them or they go into the Principal's office. So then, in the end they find out that they like who they are and that they don't have to be popular. I love the book and you will too.

Jaime
There are two main characters.They are Mickey and Margalo.Mickey is a tough kid who is always getting into fights, but nobody realy knows her other side except Margalo.Margalo is part of a big family that dosen't really have much money to spend, so that makes them both unpopular, but they are best friends.The story begins with Mickey and Margalo having a conversation about not wanting to be unpopular.So they decide that they are going to make plans to become morepopular.The most exciting part is when Margalo went to the Thrift Store and picked out a cool outfit and when she went to school every one loved it.The story ends when they both become popular and they finallyrealize that having their friendship is better than being popular. I like this book because it was funny and it makes me think about all the crazy things people my age do just to fit in.I recomend this book to anybody whowants to read a funny adventure about friendship and life as a 7th. grader.

It's Not Easy Being Bad
It???s Not Easy Being Bad, by Cynthia Voigt is a novel about two girls that want to be more popular, but end up being less popular.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fiction    5. Individuality    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Popularity    8. School & Education    9. Schools    10. Social Issues - General    11. Social Situations - General    12. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Friendship   

Reviews (5)

One of My Favorite books, Ever!
Bad, Badder, Baddest. Just by the name you can tell these girls are not made of sugar. Friendships Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This book should be read by all kids who like booksdealing with friends.It's about a girl whose parents are going through a divorce. Her firend is trying to help her get through the rough times. A girl comes into their lives and tells them about potions and spells that will keep her parents together. You should read the book to find out what happend's next.

way cool
This was actually the first cynthia voight book i had ever read. All the names were kind of confusing but it was a really good book. Mikey andMargalo are sort of the ideal friends for everyone. Except for the factthat they're always getting into trouble. I would recommend this book toanyone. As well as the first one since it's the first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Divorce    2. Friendship    3. Juvenile fiction    4. Schools   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children: Grades 2-3    3. Dogs    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Humorous stories    7. Non-Classifiable   

Features

• Unabridged
• Unabridged

Reviews (95)

Great Book
I liked the beginning of this book because it showed how she got in the accident and it was exciting but in the middle, it got a little boring with her in the hospital. At the end, it was exciting again. I liked the book a lot!
Izzy Willy-Nilly
At my school I was assigned to read this book. It was actually a very good book. I am an obcessive reader and I think this was the 8th best book I've ever read! This book will always keep you on the edge of your seat seeing what Rosamunde and Izzy will do next.

Minor spoiler....
Izzy assumes that she "won't be having boyfriends anymore." Huh? I hope that was meant to be only a thought in Izzy's mind and not an assumption that amputees do not date. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amputees    2. Audio: Juvenile    3. Children's Audio - 4-8    4. Children's audiobooks    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Physically handicapped    9. Social Issues - Peer Pressure    10. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Subjects:  1. Juvenile Fiction    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. General    4. Fiction   

Reviews (3)

Be Careful What You Wish For
Clothilde is a girl who lives in Maine in 1920.After her father comes home from the war disfigured and she has all these other problems on the home front, Clothilde takes a walk in the woods where she thinks she hears a voice telling her to share her wishes.Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for is what I think the point of this story is, but I'm not sure.This book is just okay, but not great.

Tree by Leaf
Tree by Leaf by Cynthia Voigt is about a girl named Clothilde Speer who lives on a peninsula in Maine that she owns. Her father has returned from the war (World War 1) disfigured and so ashamed because of it that he retreats to the boathouse and refuses to see his family. Her older brother Nate has gone to Boston to live with their rich grandfather. Her mother has assumed the role of a "lady" and refuses to do any work, and since their hired girl is leaving, that leaves Clothilde to do all the work. She's very upset, but then she hears a mysterious Voice out in the woods that talks to her and seems to be coming from the air. It asks her what she wants most, and she tells it. She figures that she just dreamed the whole thing. But then the things that Clothilde wished for start to come true, in horrible ways that she never meant to happen. Can Clothilde fix the damage that she has done? Will the Voice ever come back to explain itself? This book was good, but it was a bit confusing at times. I mean, a Voice coming from the trees and the air? But despite that it was pretty good.

What's the point?
This tells the story of a girl in the years after World War I. Clotilde is a rather unlikable heroine. She has reason to be moody and dark however -- her father has come home from the war disfigured, her mother has withdrawn to be "ladylike", her brother has betrayed her family and gone back to his grandfather who is filthy rich, her best friend is fired from her job as maid. A mysterious Voice offers Clotilde the answers to her wishes. I'm still trying to figure out the point of this story. Most of Voight's other books seem to have points, this one just wanders around and nothing really is resolved at the end. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Family life    4. Family problems    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Maine    8. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Marriage & Divorce   

Reviews (38)

not one of her best
I enjoyed other books in the Tillerman cycle, but this book was not one of Voigt's best. The main character Bullet, a high school track star and an obstinate loner, is a racist. This is all right, as the book is set in the sixties. However, the protagonist does not noticeably change by the end of the book. He has had a new wrinkle put in his ideas about race, but he is pretty much the same personality that began the book. Whether this bothers you or not depends on your idea of an effective story and intriguing protagonist.
boy o boy is right
I had to read this for school. I asked my teacher to read it cause i though it was really boring. She couldnt even make it through. the only fun part was one of my parteners during the group discussions making fun of tamer (hes not racist). The book is bad, I dont recommend it.

Among the best books I've read
This book is extremely powerful.Cynthia Voigt interlaced and weaves many ideas about everything - racism, friendship, who you are, who you can be, being different, judging people, pushing your limits, values, ...
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Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4   

Subjects:  1. Family    2. Juvenile fiction    3. Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc   

Reviews (113)

This audio book is abridged.
Even though the Amazon heading says "unabridged", the cover says this audio tape is an abridgement.So if you want it for students to follow along in their books as it plays, it may not be so convenient.

finding her place
Dicey Tillerman, the heroine of Homecoming, is having difficulty settling in at her grandmother's, who has adopted her and her three siblings. She finds it hard to let go of shouldering full responsibility, which she was forced to bear when shepherding her family down to her grandmother's.Despite her chip on her shoulder, she manages to make a few good friends, and after her mother passes away, come to terms with the pain and confusion that she's bottled up inside. Will she take her grandmother's words about "reaching out" to heart?
Don't worry if it's not good enough for anyone else to hear. Sing, sing a song.
When the Newbery Award (given each year to a children's book that is deemed the best-written work of the past 365 days) is handed to a sequel, I always get a bit incredulous.Really?This book is great in and of itself without having read its predecessor?In my opinion, sequels should never receive awards.If you thought that they were so great, award the first book/movie/album in the series, cause otherwise the awardee isn't going to make much sense.Harumph!There are exceptions to every rule, though."Dicey's Song" maybe one of the few.Unlike Lloyd Alexander's, "The High King" or "The Grey King" by Susan Cooper (the Newbery has a penchant for "King"ly sequels), Cynthia Voigt's quiet masterpiece does not necessarily require that the reader know the story that preceded it.It wouldn't hurt and it would probably make for a much better read, but not reading "Homecoming" isn't going to lessen your enjoyment of Book Two in the Tillerman family series.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Family - Multigenerational    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Social Issues - New Experience    6. Social Situations - New Experience   

Reviews (1)

Homecoming
Homecoming is a great book!! Cynthia Voigt did such a good job on it. I think that anyone would love the adventures of Dicey, James, Maybeth, and Sammy. It was a page-turner that I could not put down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12    2. General   

Reviews (1)

good terrier!
I lend this book to my grown-up friends and can't get it back! Most of my friends have terriers and boy, is Rosie one. I can't think about the line about the "deadbeat spoon" without having a laughing fit.The doggie description of the cereal and milk, and Jane Fonda's voice, there are just too many dog lines in this tiny book to name my favorite. The illustrator just hit the nail on the head,too. I would recommend this to your silly dog friends, hands down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Preschool    4. Cooking & Food    5. Dogs    6. Fiction    7. Health & Daily Living - Daily Activities    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Voigt, Cynthia   

Reviews (41)

The Lord of the Rings it's not, but still fantastic!
The Wings of a Falcon is the third book in a series of highly acclaimed heroic adventures that began with Jackaroo and continued in On Fortune's Wheel. This book was written by Cynthia Voigt who is a renowned author of books that revolve around the heroic theme. Although relatively difficult at places, The Wings of a Falcon shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested in a book that illustrates friendship, courage, and loyalty. The Lord of the Rings it's not, but still fantastic!
The Wings of a Falcon is the third book in a series of highly acclaimed heroic adventures that began with Jackaroo and continued in On Fortune's Wheel. This book was written by Cynthia Voigt who is a renowned author of books that revolve around the heroic theme. Although relatively difficult at places, The Wings of a Falcon shouldn't be missed by anyone who is remotely interested in a book that illustrates friendship, courage, and loyalty. Sadly disappointed
Having read On Fortune's Wheel and Jackaroo, I expected great things of Voigt. Instead I was reading about a boy with no name, no feelings, and a disappointing ending.In fact, I was more then disappointed at that 'unexpected twist'.You really, really should never do that to a main character, without some very special back-up characters, which Voigt never developed. I was saddened by such a poorly written book.Read more

Subjects:  1. Adventure and adventurers    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Fiction   

Editorial Review

"The Volkking struggled, but his sickness attacked him both day and night, a war band giving the enemy no respite of sleep." With the first sentence of Read more

Reviews (35)

Good fantasy read, mature themes, best for older teens
This was a well written story, any fantasy lover will be captivated by the complete world presented.The characters are strong and memorable.Elske is a compelling heroine that sets out on her own and her wit charms many men, but only one "knows the sweet honey of her name..."
Voigt could and should have done much better
I believe that Cynthia Voigt's previous installment in her "Kingdom" series was "The Wings of the Falcon". This is the only other book out of the series that I have completely read as of yet; however, it gave me the impression that Voigt is capable of writing much, much better novels than she did this time around. In "Elske", Voigt goes way into detail with less interesting events- banquets, walking from point A to point B, and so on and so forth. She also seems far too enamored by the pretty brightness and cleverness of the protagonist she has created, making much of how quick-witted Elske is while failing to put in any significant internal conflicts or character flaws that would have made her more compelling.
Beware of mature subject matter
13-year-old Elske escapes rape and certain death at the hands of the leaders of her barbaric [Volkaric] society.She leaves her homeland and, through several contacts, finally becomes handmaiden to Beriel.Together they work to claim Beriel's rightful throne in the kingdom.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    2. General   

Reviews (8)

Wonderful Book!
This is a great book.It is a wonderful mystery with a lot of suspense. The characters come alive and you can really feel for them and you can understand the way they are thinking.I love the way you don't know who did it until the end.An awesome book that everyone should read.

The Vandemark Mummy
The Vandemark Mummy was a very intriguing mystery. I have read a few of Cynthia Voigt's other books and this book proved to be another unique story by her. This book focuses in on the Halls, who have moved to Maine because of their Dad's job. Their mother is on the West coast because of a job as well. Their father, Samuel Hall, is thrilled to receive a unique egyptian collection which includes a mummy. The mummy is stolen, but soon that is the least of their porblems. Trouble soon begins to arise. This book is truely a great book brought to a satisfying end.

An "OK" book
I read "The Vandemark Mummy" after reading "Izzy, Willy-Nilly," because I enjoyed Cynthia Voigt's writing.This book is just a fun book to read if you have nothing else to read or do."The Vandemark Mummy," is a young book with a kiddy plot, so don't expect anything major. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Grades 3-4   

Reviews (4)

Not what I expected.
I didn't like this book at all. The characters became annoying and confusing, and almost totally false (i.e. Mikey leaving her feelings for Shawn out in the open). No girls are like that; I was no where close when I was 13. Many of the subplots become interesting then are suddenly lost (e.g. Margalo's crush on the teacher, Mikey's Secret Admirer- we never find out who it is, though I know who it is). The writing didn't seem as good as Voight's previous works.

Incredibly Awesome
This book was hilarious and incredibly awesome. I loved it as did many of my friends. I have now read it about ten times, and it still seems to get better every time. Mikey and Margalo have great personalities and dialouges. If you have any doubt aboutbuying this book, you need to 100%!

MUSHY
I really enoyed this book. It wasn't mushy at all, which i like. Young girls can read it because they're aren't any swear words. It give the look into the lives of two girls who are dealing with their first "MAJOR" crushes. They're in lurve! Mikey and Margalo, though both older and now into boys, are still their usual, sharp, quick, sarcastic selves. Which is always fun. The only thing i didn't like about this book was how 'open' the ending one. Hopefully, there is another book on the way.............(?) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Fiction    4. Friendship    5. Girls & Women    6. Interpersonal relations    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. School stories    9. Schools    10. Social Issues - Adolescence    11. Social Issues - Friendship    12. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Friendship