Chung Jo and the Sea Dragon
580430
Based in Korean folklore, this is an enchanting tale of love and courage, of tenderness and self-sacrifice. It moves smoothly and gently, beautifully told, and comes to a satisfying conclusion. I would read it again and again and recommend it to friends.
3461405
This is a very gorgeous illustrated book.  This artist has done a wonderful job of capturing the colors of the sea creatures. This would be a great addition to anyone's library.
2326510
Mambo In Chinatown is about how the life of a twenty-two year old Chinese woman  is transformed when she becomes a professional ball room dancer and dance instructor.  I admire ball room dancer because of the athletic ability they possess.  I have never done ball room dancing, but I enjoy visualizing all the spins, lifts and turns that Jean Kwok describes.  I really like the title because I never thought Chinese people were known for being good ball room dancers.

Charlie is a strong lead female character.  She starts the novel as a clumsy dish washer.  But through hard work and determination, she becomes a graceful ball room dancer. The professional chemistry and romance that develops between Charlie and her dance partner is a lovely relationship  that develops in the novel.  I learned that having a background in tai chi and boxing could help someone become a graceful dancer.

  I also like the relationship between Charlie and her younger sister Lisa.  They are sisters, but because of an eleven year age difference their relationship is more like of a mother and daughter.  This relationship is beautiful.  Charlie feels enormous  pressure about having to be both a sister and a mother at the same time.  This is an aspect that makes Charlie's character so fascinating.  I like reading how she tries to juggle two different roles.

  I am half Chinese.  So personally, I found the elements of Chinese culture included in this novel are fun to read. Kwok makes a reference to using the mugwort herb in acupuncture treatments.  I have never tried this before, but I wonder if it would help me with my back and joints.  She also makes a reference to eating caterpillar soup as a cure for the common cold.  She sounds like a strange remedy, but it is so far out there that I would not try it.  Kwok makes another reference to a dish called congee.  This is a delicious rice porridge that I enjoy eating.  There is also the theme of trying to please a Chinese person's parents while trying to live independently from them.  This is something I try to do more of in my own life  It is a theme that is handled very well in this novel.  I found Mambo In Chinatown to be an entertaining, moving and informative novel.  I really enjoyed it.
33269
Peter David, without a doubt, owns The Incredible Hulk as no one has since Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. His long run on the book is, justifiably so, the stuff of legend. So it was good news, indeed, that David would be returning to the pages of THE INCREDIBLE HULK. The not-so-good-news was that it would only be for six issues.....

 Well, the good far outweighs the bad in TEMPEST FUGIT, the collected edition of David's brief return. In it, The Hulk, after walking across the bottom of the ocean (WALKING.....ACROSS...THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN! And fighting a Great White Shark and a Giant Octopus, to boot! Sue me, but I'm a sucker for undersea monsters, so as soon as I saw the Hulk/Shark match-up, I knew I was going to love this book.), finds himself on a mysterious island, populated by some pretty well-known Marvel Monsters, a few old friends/enemies, and a couple of young shipwreck survivors. To say more would spoil the plot, but it was a fun little tale, well told by David and artists Lee Weeks & Tom Palmer. There's a freestanding bonus story, by David and Jae Lee, that's quite heartfelt and touching, and shows what the right creators can do in a mere 22 pages. TEMPEST FUGIT is a good, fun story......Nothing Earth-shattering, but a fun way to pass an hour or two.
1870596
The 2nd in this story line, the first being Project Nemesis. Our favorite Department of Homeland Security division, Fusion Center - Paranormal returns with Jon Hudson, our hero and his small fighting force. There are more kaiju in this story and they are destroying cities all over the globe. Nemesis makes several appearances in this novel and performs heroically to save Jon, while being attacked by kaiju and the military. Jon is battling an evil Colonel. The final battle takes place in Washington DC.

This story starts strong with great action and doesnt slow down. It starts with slave traders in Hong Kong where Jon meets up with his personal nemesis, Endo. Endo introduces Jon to neuro transmitters. These come in handy late in the story when fighting the kaiju. The kaiju, except for Nemesis, are on a rampage. They are connected to the evil Colonel and he is directing them to destroy those he believes are his enemies. He intends to destroy the president, as well as Jon before then turning his force against all the practitioners of evil in the world, namely, humans. Whenever Jon becomes in danger, Nemesis arrives to save him. They are connected through Jons efforts in the previous book.

Jeremy Robinson has created a great story in Project Nemesis and Project Maigo. He has cleverly pulled in a character from his Chess Team Series, as well as from his Island 731 book. His imaginative and refreshing look at his subject matter continues to draw the interest of those who are looking for something just a little bit different. Project Maigo is a great book for those looking for further stories about kaiju, lots of action, great characters, and a great hero. The ending is very surprising and yet very pleasing. I truly enjoy reading Jeremys characters who have honor, integrity, compassion, and the ability to keep going in the midst of major crisis.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a SciFi interest as well as an interest in kaiju and the military. I love that Jon names various things after his college girlfriend. I love Jons sense of humor and his strength. You will too.
1336408
What I liked best about this book was the deep bond between the sea captain and his dragon. The love of Romeo and Juliet seems a transparent and friable thing next to that of Laurence and Temeraire.

Also impressive were the historical research and nuance that went into the interactions between the highly proper Laurence and the officers of the royal navy and airborne division.
1897880
The story starts off when Kara, a teenage girl, is taken, by the king's men, to King Orrik for a mission she must accomplish for him. He needs her powers. Kara possesses the ability to call down birds. Believing birds and dragons are alike as kin, King Orrik oders Kara to get rid of the dragons that have been causing havoc to society. Throughout the book, Kara makes several friends, especially with a very special falcon, who each do their part in helping her out. In her journey, Kara calls down the dragon that once brought her back to life when she was thought to be dead in her childhood due to an illness. Kara later encounters more dragons and, later, devises a plan to allow these dragons to move away and settle somewhere so that both species, humans and dragons, will live comfortably. Kara faces more conflicts as the story goes on further. In the end, though, her plan succeeds, and peace is established. Kara, herself, lives happily ever after.
  I would greatly recommend this book to anyone. It is action-packed, adventurous, and bulging with suspense. The great description allows you to take part in the story. The story mixes mystical creatures, special powers, and ordinary people in this one fantastic book.
  My utmost favorite part of the story is when Kara encounters a cave full of dragons. She actually speaks to these magical creatures. I almost thought the dragons were fierce enough to harm Kara, but I saw that they were gentle, caring, and protective of other fellow dragons. The book is great!
3167384
"Fire Fish" is a masterful creation with story and illustrations by Davy Liu. Davy is well known for his work on Disney Animation films as well as his work with George Lucas. His illustrations have been featured in Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.

In his "Invisible Tails" series Davy exhibits another gift and talent as he writes for children with a mystical power as he shares insights into his own personal faith.

"Fire Fish" is the story of three perch, Sarai, RaaOn, and Sesom who live with their parents in the depths of a river bed. Sarai dreams of joining the fire fish who participated in the Fin Race every morning. She wanted to follow them to the Bright Beyond.

In fear of an approaching Croc, the perch family swam to the surface where Momma and Papa Perch were caught in a net. Sarai, RaaOn, and Sesom swam to Turtle Pool to ask for help.

Liu uses metaphors to describe calling out to the Finmaker for help as the three perch are faced with the dangers of predators seeking their food. As they meet other sea creatures swimming for cover they invite them to call out to the Finmaker with them for safety and rescue.

The full color pictures bring the characters into vivid life like images, endearing the reader to them. "Fire Fish" is a fabulous book for those frequent teachable moments when a child becomes engaged in a story filled with timeless truth, character building values, and virtue. Destined to be a classic this is a masterpiece of story and art.
3112934
I loved this story  the story and characters are great ! If you love a good dragon book and great characters and story line this is a book for you ! Happy reading
4291803
The yellow dragons were preparing for a long winter.

Mr. Hopkins was lecturing the class about wizards. They all died in the Greystone War.

He told Roland Roper (narrator, student) there is evidence that 1 is still alive.

Roland father has been very ill & bedridden for 3 months. They did have a care keeper.

Mr. Hopkins & Roland had an encounter with a yellow baby dragon, lucky neither 1 of them were harmed.

Mr. Hopkins informed Roland there was a wizard down by a pond & he would take him to meet him.

Roland wanted his help to make his dad well.

The next day the 2 met & waited patiently behind a tree for the wizard to show up for a drink at the pond.

A star appeared, a big bang & a white flash could it be him?

Roland had to find Tristan (classmate).

Tristan had seen the yellow baby dragon also. He had built a trap to catch it. He plans on domesticating the little beast.

Roland told Tristan of he/Mr. Hopkins ordeal.

The 2 were going to Elf village to find out more information on the wizard.

They seemed to be lost for the moment & spent the night in a forest.

Who is Cricket?

Will Roland & Tristan find Elf Village?

Will Roland & Tristan get to meet the wizard Village?

Will the wizard help Roland?

Add some fairy tale pictures & you got a best seller.

Must be a part 2?

A very awesome book cover, cool map, great font & writing style. A very well written MS age dragon fantasy book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great dragon fairy tale movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free book (GoodReads)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
3570696
Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth

This is such a beautiful story. I found it captivating and wonderful. Julia Suzuki has created such a vivid description of the not only the Land of Dragor but the dragons who live in it. The book is truly magical and an enjoy to read.

Opening Scene:

First came the whispers, then the rumours, and by New Births Eve every dragon was gossiping Kiara had laid a strange egg.

The Review:

Yoshiko is a young dragon, different from all the others and finding it hard to accept his differences especially when facing Igorr, his tormentor and bully. But life takes a turn when he meets Guya a reclusive dragon with secrets. As Yoshiko embarks on a journey to better himself he finds an inner confidence that he would never have believed possible in himself. But destiny may have greater things in store for him if only he can find the courage to believe in himself.

Notable Scene:

Yoshiko was unable to stop his tears from welling up again. I am the worst at Fire School! he blurted. I cant really do anything well that a dragon like me should be able to do! And other dragons at Fire School make me feel bad. Yoshiko stuck out his lower lip in grief at the thoughts.
Guya remained standing still but did not turn around.
Nothing life-threatening then. Guya said. And no one can make you feel without you allowing them to. Guya began to shuffle off again and called over his shoulder, All this crying over nothing.
Yoshiko watched him go, feeling the misery settle back around him. He mouthed after Guya, thinking the older dragon was too far away to hear his words. I change colour too, he whispered to himself. I change colour like a chameleon. It felt like a great relief to say it, even if no one heard. Immediately Guya stopped in the distance and turned around. He settled his turquoise eyes on Yoshiko and paused for a long moment. Then he motioned with his claw. Come, he said. Follow me.
Yoshiko looked at him uncertainly.
Follow. Follow. Guya grunted in impatience and beckoned with his claw again. Yoshiko obeyed, moving quickly to keep up with the old dragon as he disappeared into the distance.

FTC Advisory: Julie Suzuki provided me with a copy of The Gift of Charms (The Land of Dragor Book 1). Published through John Blake Publishing. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, material connections, or bribes were exchanged for my review.
4416179
I really like the Chinese legend of the Chinese Zodiac and how the animals where choosen and how the cat and the rat are no longer friends. I really like Ed Young, and my only problem is that it the book uses a lot of dark colors.
797138
Yhis book continues the story of the Dragon Tatoo.  It/s good to see all the old people.  I hope there are more books.
1369931
I received this book, and was very pleased with the photos. The 3-d  is simply outstanding, there are fish, and crabs, and many kinds of ocean creatures that are seen in their glory. This book is really great, the viewer that is provided really helps you appreciate life. Sent in good time, a good book for all to enjoy
758052
Stan Lee ..... who doesn't know the man that created so many of the popular mainstream superheroes of Marvel that we see today. Presenting something a bit more mystical. Partnered with Stuart Moore and Andie Tong, this is the first illustrated novel of the middle grade series called 'The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence'.

The Chinese zodiac isn't just symbols and meanings, it is a power onto itself and people, good or bad are after it. This is the story of young Steven Lee who goes to Hong Kong for a heritage tour with his class but winds up discovering a mystical power and a very dangerous enemy as well. The Chinese zodiac is frighteningly real and all of its spirit animals frighteningly awesome. And the nemesis Maxwell and his group called Vanguard prove to be more than efficient adversaries in their pursuit of this power.

So Steven, Jasmine and Carlos must find the four other individuals in whom the escaped Zodiac energy entered and keep them away from the evil of Vanguard. A pretty generic superhero team origin story. The style of writing also seems much more attuned for middle graders and very simple to follow for all ages as well, to enjoy a good old adventure.

The biggest attention grabber is definitely the red washed comic styled illustrations to go along with the narrative. As well as the beautifully illustrated hardcover jacket showing the tiger, which is Steven's Zodiac. 'Course I expected the characters to be a bit more complex instead of the straightforward way they are presented but I immediately grew vested int he journey of all the Zodiacs as thy grew to be a team in their maiden battle. Hopefully subsequent books will feature more than what we saw. Good start though.
2097878
Love love love this animation style.  Loved this movie and the song of the sea.  Thank you for feeding my soul.
2718209
I am a bit surprised to see the movie in Chinese section since it is a Korean movie.  It is filled with conspiracy and lots of suspense.  Not all the facts in the movie are similar with the real situation in Korean NAVY.  However, it makes you aware of the history of Korea and its position in Asia.
I might say the conspiracy is too much, but overall its a good movie to see a sub do awesome things under the sea.
This movie reminded me of Hunt for Red October.
Unlike the movie, this one is a bit more gruesome.  If it is uncensored version, there are going to be couple of scenes that could be a bit gruesome.