Ok, lets review our options. If a bad kid dies, you would think that they have two options: above, or below. How about.... Heck? That might not even sound like a real place, but in this book, it is. Let me brief it for you: Marlo, is....well, a lot of things. She's a teenage, goth, kleptomaniac girl, who tries to get attention, mostly in the wrong ways. And sometimes, petty shoplifting can turn into full blown mayhem. I forgot, she also has a sensible, bookworm brother, called Milton, who tries to stay out of trouble. But as the younger one, guess who has to obey the orders???Written from Milton's point of view, Dale E. Basye makes you yearn for more as the siblings die in a marshmallow bear explosion. But that, is just the beginning. Once they get to the huge gates of Heck, they are met by a monster, literally. Life here is painful (yes, they can feel pain), as they try in vain to make their escapes. They encounter child-harassing bogeymen, and teachers that have students perform an autopsy on them. I liked this book because, just like The Five People You Meet in Heaven, it gave a different perspective on afterlife. I won't rob you of the ending, but I can say that it has a very interesting twist that leaves you dumbstruck. I was so shocked that I didn't even realize that the book had ended. Really! This book is perfect for children above ten maybe, because the concept might be a little difficult to grasp (the situation keeps changing). But overall, it really is a wonderful book!
How would you like to be transported into the world of kings, queens, and magical items? This book (The Magic Drum...), lets you do all that and more. Ever since she was a child, Sudha Murty loved hearing stories from around the world. Now, she has put all of her childhood favorites into this book that pulls you into the worlds of princes, paupers, and greedy kings. The Magic Drum and Other Favorite Stories is a collection of well-worded folktales. I really enjoyed her style of writing in simple but descriptive English. They (the stories) are short but really entertaining! She re-writes the tales, most of which are from Indian folklore. My favorite story was about a father who had a son that was mean and arrogant. The father's wife had died, so he remarried a kind-hearted woman who loved both the father and son dearly. Soon, the father passed, leaving a will that planned to teach the arrogant son a lesson. The will stated that the son would get all the money, plus the house, while the wife would only get a small cottage, with an outhouse. She would also be left a painting of the husband, who had told her previously to give the painting to the chief minister when the son turned 18 years old. She did so, and the minister found a letter from the husband, which was addressed to him within the painting. The letter said that ten of the bricks used to build the cottage were of pure gold. So the minister made the cruel son agree that not one part of the step-mother's property was his, and thus demolished the small cottage; emerging with ten golden bricks. He taught the son a lesson, and made the step-mother richer than the son ever was. So many stories, just like this one are found in this book. As per me, I'd say that this book is compulsory for everyone!
Alchemy is a word which makes you thinking about maybe Sir Issac Newton or maybe even Harry Potter (because of the Sorcerer's Stone). But anyways, something to do with a mad scientist trying to turn things into gold. Well, you're absolutely correct! Alchemy is exactly about those things! Ok, lets change the subject for a few seconds. In this book, a simple shepard travels around Andalusia shearing sheep and caring for his own. He meets a merchant's daughter, and instantly falls in love with her. It's been a year, and now he's getting ready to meet her and shear her father's sheep. But on his way, he meets a fortune teller, who tells him to go and find treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. He doesn't pay any heed to her words, but when a king tells him the same, he decides that its high time to start saving. He sells his sheep and buys a fare to Africa, where he is robbed of his whole fortune. He then spends a year finding and collecting money. When he finds a caravan of camels heading to Egypt, he believes that luck is on his side. Now, coming back to alchemy. It is on this caravan ride, where he meets the Alchemist. Remember that in the beginning, I said that you were correct about what alchemy was? Well, you were, its just that there is more to it. The Alchemist teaches the boy to listen to his heart, and to nature, like the sand and the wind; even to heaven! But most importantly he learned many values though his humbleness and different hardships. Paulo Coelho has really done it this time! This book is one of the most popular international best sellers!
