What fun I had reading this book! (And who could possibly dislike a story with two characters named Appleby and Pilbeam?) ( )

The kids and I read this together. They enjoyed; I thought it was ok.

Overall though, it was interesting with an unexpected twisted - one the author did a pretty good job of hiding until she was ready to reveal it. My main complaints were an unlikeable main character who didn't improve and the fact that the reason given for what the main character did didn't ring completely true to me. They made sense up to a certain point but then fell apart leaving me a bit confused. ( )

An instant classic. Although published relatively recently (1993), it reads as if it's been around much longer than that. Quirky verging on weird, yet full of humanity and compassion, as well as dry humour.

Really really good. I'm not sure that it is right, someone my age reading children's fiction, but it was so sweet and funny. Definitely an antidote for when things are bringing you down. ( )

Discovered this series of kid books while reading a bio of Edward Gorey. He had read the books and enjoyed them, and since I love Edward Gorey, I had to check out the books. They are a series of five, about a family of life-size rag dolls living in a house in England. They go to work (somebody's got to pay the rent) and live as a normal family. If a normal family has button eyes and in the case of Soobie, blue cloth skin. A bit precious at times, and annoying (the teenage daughter is a real pain) but kind of neat. I think had I read these books as a child, I would have been frightened; as it was, I was still a mite disturbed. If you love off-beat, give this series a try. ( )