A classic for young and young at heart.
920551
In my thirties now I ran across this title while surfing. I hadn't thought of it in years! It was read to my 6th grade class by our teacher over several afternoons just before Christmas, back when we couldn't play outside due to snow by the "foot" in Northern Indiana. I was delighted when it arrived and giggled at the tale from beginning to end. More so now than as a kid. It was just that good. A good honest tale of a very believeable Christmas Pageant.  If you're a kid, read it! If you're a grown up, read it to a kid, you'll both enjoy the time spent and the story.
1391076
A wonderful, classic story of friendship, beautifully told. I read it the first time in a children's literature course in college, and was sorry no one had given it to me as a child.
4689697
Read this classics after many years and it felt great. This is a book with no age limit . I read it as a girl, and now I share it with my daughter...
4048537
Classic for all and for all eras.  I first read this with Captain Kangaroo-- I'm going to read it aloud to my 6th graders and to my grandson who is 3.
3206131
Fine film that will be remembered for all time. I remember viewing this classic when I was a child and never forgot. It teaches many of life's lessons that you don't see in many films of present day.
4427926
It was a treat to revisit the Princess Bride with my boys, who are the age of the boy to whom the story is being told and who have the same hang ups with "kissing books". They really go into the story and the characters. It is a timeless, modern classic that does not really get old. The special effects for the Rodents of Unusual Size is dated, but nevertheless, given the nature of the story being told, it is not a real distraction. Love this movie.
1295894
This classic tale for children (or young adults in 21st century vernacular) is not only a glorious introduction to the world and myth of Middle Earth but is also a fantasy lover's dream.  It features magic, and dwarves, and wizards and trolls and elves and mythological creatures and long lost objects.  Young Bilbo Baggins is convinced by Gandalf and his party of dwarves to go on a crusade to steal the treasures of Smaug the Magnificent.  Along the way, many questions are answered, including where Smaug got the treasure in the first place, and we happen to find, via Bilbo, a certain long lost ring...

Many peope say that this book is only for children.  Certainly I would agree with the statement that the story itself and the associated world contained herein is not as deep as LOTR but the book gets "epic" on the reader just at the end of the tale, with the famed and legendary Battle of the Five Armies.  Just like the epic masterpiece and genre creating big brother, THE HOBBIT is rife with love, laughter, danger, death and perhaps most significantly, metaphors that are still relevant today.  Needless to say the HOBBIT is a must read for anyone who not only likes fantasy but enjoys any aspect of English literature.

BFN Greggorio..
4652951
This is a timeless classic; it is a must-read for all.
2233246
This classic novel transports modern readers in days gone by in which the gender roles were clearly defined, with all the relative benefits and harsh drawbacks this entailed. The language is precise and quaint, somewhat antiquated by today's standards. Lovely story highlighting how very sure young people have always been about their choices, only to have life teach them, usually the hard way, that they were just deluding themselves. Moralizing was part and parcel of earely 19th century English literature, but so charming and well-meant that you can't help like it. Thank God that happy endings were en vogue back then...
3981829
Wonderful book of a child's innocence and reality of life coming together in a great and imaginative classic.
Children from middle school to adult will love it..
4946959
At a time when bullying seems to be in abundance and happens earlier than ever, this book provides a great foundation for a little one who will inevitably  experience lifes trying times. Ed Hanes provides a timeless classic that will hold up for generations to come. I encourage all who will encounter youth, to use this as an entertaining resource that uses emotion and humor to connect with its young reader.
4503138
A  classic for all time.  Deserves to be read at least once per year.
62813
I read this as a child, and I still love it. This is such a beautiful story, and it never gets old. This is something that can be enjoyed by all ages.
4518915
Loved sharing this classic with my children. They enjoy it as well and hope they will for years to come.
4466517
This is an enchanting and timeless tale, and is everything a children's book should be. The message is not simply one of peace and commitment to an ideal, but also one of basic karma, existentialist philosophy of choice and responsibility, and the need for all to follow the Golden Rule.

The Story of Ferdinand lets children know it is okay to stay true to their characters, and will encourage them to think their way out of situations, rather than muscle their way out. Ferdinand's peaceful and contented nature is something all human beings should all aspire to.

Having been stung by many bees in my youth, mainly while traipsing barefoot through clover and accidentally stepping on them, I have great sympathy for our hero and the situation he finds himself in.  The realization that even small events and actions can have a tremendous impact on our lives, and everything else that surrounds us in this world, is beautifully presented in this story.  How Ferdinand chooses to deal with his plight at being taken away to fight is, of course, the heart and significance of this tale.  His choice of poetic action is a perfect lesson in morality and provides the lasting appeal for this book.

I recommend this classic for all ages and peoples, especially in our troubled times. It has a wonderful philosophy of life message; and even if readers choose not to apply the lesson to real life, the charming tale of Ferdinand is worth reading simply for its power to delight and entertain.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles
807489
Growing up, there are certain stories that you are told are classics.  Your parents have read them, your teachers suggest them and all the critics continually laud them.  `The Swiss Family Robinson' is one of those books.  Just the very title causes one to take notice, and if you have ever read the book or happened to see the Disney film, you are taken to a lovely place of nostalgia whenever someone mentions it.

The great thing about books like this one is that these stories and the way they are shaped, molded and ultimately told are timeless.  Any age, sex or domination can and will enjoy this.  There are so many themes broached, but in a beautiful package that never feels overwhelming or too stuffed.  Everything feels relaxed and natural.  It is also a testament to real storytelling that the novel remains exciting and intriguing no matter how familiar you are with the story.  Settling in this past month to read this to my kids was a great way to relive the beauty and grace of this novel, watching it captivate them as well as me (new ears and old).

The language is fluid (which is not always so in these older classics) and the action is always present, even during seeming mundane situations.  My children were always intrigued, and I loved plowing through the chapters with them.  The lush imagery presented by Wyss is unforgettable and really a notch above most of what we have to read today.  There is truth in the idea that one cannot beat a classic, and `The Swiss Family Robinson' is a classic for a reason.
483730
This is so rightly a classic.

Simple, but not as simple as it seems.

The drawings and the text are repetitive, but not exactly, giving a growing mind tiny differences to notice and comprehend, to the delight of child and adult alike. Read aloud gently, it really does lull.

Of the many children's books I have shared with my babies, this is the one that we (adults included) have yet to find tiresome (even with multiple readings a night at times). We're on our second copy of the board book -- the first is tattered from too much love.