"The Dark is Rising" - Honest Assessment Required

[Steve]

---  "Andromeda" <lavaluvn at ...> wrote:
>
> ---  "Kathi" <krussell98@> wrote:
> 
> > Kathi :
> > Steve, why don't you borrow them from the library?
> > That way you'll know if you want to add them to 
> > your permanent library or not :-). We love 
> > the library - it's free, and free is always good :-)
> > Kathi
> > 
> Andromeda now:
> They are wonderful books!  I would get them out of 
> the library and read them every Christmas starting 
> when I was 10 or so.  Now I've bought them all for 
> my own children to read.  And I do still read 
> them myself now and then. You can find them used, too.  
> 
> ...
> 
> Sigh,
> Andromeda
>


bboyminn:

Thanks to everyone. I decided I will try to find
'Dark Is Rising' in the Library, though our local
library is very small. Still they have lending 
agreements with other libraries, so maybe I can
get it that way.

Just one note of curiosity. Do I understand correctly
that this series has a chronological order, but that
they were not written in that order? Do you see 
what I mean here?

It is always difficult to tell how good true
children's books are going to be. Sometime they
are so written 'down' that you really can't 
stand them. Other times they are just simple
books that may be interesting but not necessarily
challenging to adults. Other times you find a
real gem; a treasure of a books. 

'Children of the Lamp' was that way for me. The
books were so overly simplified and kid-ified, 
that I really couldn't get into them. It was 
interesting enough that I read through the one
book I have, but have little interest in reading
the rest of the series or re-reading that one book. 

I read one of the 'Alex Rider' Series, and found it
terribly predictable and cliche. It held my attention
but no interest in reading more of them.

Now Artimus Fowl, on the other hand, while an easy
uncomplicated read, is still a brilliant mystery
that I can't stop reading. It is an odd combination
of childish sillyness (though delightful) and 
suspenseful mystery. 

'The Thief Lord' is also a very good book, an easy
read, but still an interesting story and a well
realized world. It is a somewhat simple book, but
captivating and charming none the less. 

The best part of a lot of these books is that they
are out in paperback and can be had for $6 or $7.
If you find a good book, you simply can't find
better entertainment value for your money. Hours
of fun for the price of a trip to McDonalds. 

Still, I'm in a small town, so source of a range
of books is limited, but occasionally I do find
a gem.

For those interested, I highly recommend 'Enders
Game' and 'Enders Shadow' as well as 'Artimus
Fowl' to anyone and everyone.

Steve/bboyminn