Product Description
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. The Leviathan is a living airship, the most formidable airbeast in the skies of Europe.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way - taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (104)

New to Steampunk!
I am new to steampunk.I love this book. Best faction book I have ever read!

Genetic engineering meets steampunk!
Ideally, I would have given this 4 1/2 stars because there were a few itty bitty things that had me suspending my belief, but it's not a big deal. I enjoyed this 100%.

I'm not going to give a summary, but my first impression when I opened this book was that it reminded me a lot of _Dune_. Both Alek and Paul are sons of a Duke, both are 15, both their fathers are assassinated, both go on the run. Not saying that Westerfield borrowed from Herbert, it may very well be that Herbert was also inspired by Archduke Ferdinand's assassination.

Alek's story was a little slow as he seems to be a passive player, but he really starts to shine once he meets up with Deryn/Dylan - I guess some of Deryn rubbed off on him. Now I love Deryn's character, she's witty and has the funniest curses. She's also a 'do it yourself' kinda girl - or guy in this case.

The pace is swift and there are no boring parts to put you to sleep - Westerfield does a good job of describing just enough of the scene to get things moving. However, I do think he could have described the fabricated beasts a bit more, which were all interesting in their own right. If it wasn't for the pictures (which are gorgeous!) I would have been lost as to what these amazing creatures looked like. For example, the Hydrogen sniffers are described as behaving like dogs, but the picture shows them to be a hybrid of a dog and a spider. I guess they don't have spider senses.

The cover is also beautiful - if you can get the original hardcover with the gears. I'm disappointed that the design isn't continued for the sequel.

Great read, highly recommend this!

ALL THE FUN
Fun fun fun fun fun--

Oh, an actual review.Well.It's got a girl pretending to be a boy in the British military (on a living airship) and a prince who rides around in a mecha-like contraption and it's fake WW1 with different tech and and I adored it.

It's a fairly straightforward plot: the Clankers (roughly corresponding to the Germans, Austro-Hungarians et al of WW1) and the Darwinists (Brits, French, Russians, etc) are on the brink of war.The former have steampunk tech while the latter have DNA-tweaked beasties large and small.The infamous assassination in Sarajevo sends Prince Aleksander, the not-quite-heir of Austro-Hungaria, on the run, while a female Darwinist scientist is on a top-secret mission to Istanbul on the same living airship as Deryn-dressed-as-Dylan.Their paths cross.It's also quite a small, incomplete plot, to be continued in book 2, but it's great fun all the way through.With accompanying illustrations!

Scientists are called boffins, the aforementioned female one has a pet thylacine, there are jellyfish-like floating beasties that the British use as surveillance balloons, there are messenger lizards, there's a kraken cameo, there are large eight-legged mecha as well as Alek's two-legged one, Deryn is marvellous.I adore the girl-dresses-as-boy trope with abandon, and Deryn did not disappoint.She's reckless and brave and throws herself off the airship at one point (with some rope) to save her fellow crewmen and holds someone hostage at knifepoint and complains loudly that she's lost her razor as part of a gambit to keep everyone convinced she's really a boy.

Fun!=D

I should add that I was amazed when I found out the author's not English.The way he repeated only a handful of Scottish words made me suspect he wasn't Scottish, because it felt a bit off at times, but he wrote all the British characters so well - so absent of any tally-ho old chap stiff upper lip sirrah stupidity - I thought surely he's British.Nope!I tip my hat to you, sir.

If you are partial to good YA, I recommend this one.I rarely finish a book grinning with joy.

Great read
This is a great read!I'm fairly new to the steampunk genre but Westerfield creates an interesting world in a somewhat familiar place.I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

A Must Read For Any Age
Westerfeld is a master storyteller.

Can I say it again?

Master.

In Leviathan he's crafted a wonderful mix of creative historical fiction with the scifi'ish stylings of steampunk.But that's nothing in comparison to the plot AND character driven story constructed that can appeal across age and gender lines.Have I mentioned the book itself is a work of art?Because it is.It's filled with spectacular illustrations.If for some reason you find your imagination can't put a visual together for the many unique settings and characters he's devised then the many lovely pages certainly will.

Heck, I'd buy the book for that alone.

But wait!You shouldn't pick up the book for that reason alone.

Why? Because it's got a great story.

There is action a-plenty in Leviathan.Whether soaring through the sky as a passenger in a Darwinist airship or pounding across the land in a metal war machine it's a race against time and war.Told from the perspective of the two main characters Aleksandar and Deryn we see the events of their singular lives eventually collide to create a perilous, yet potentially fruitful, journey.

Aleksandar is being hunted.The son of now assassinated parents he must be secreted away to a place of safety in order to assure his future ascension to the throne.
As part of that attempt he and his protectors cross paths with Deryn and her shipmates as they navigate the airways in an attempt to further their own mission.Delivery of precious cargo.

So let's talk characters shall we?What's most impressive about Leviathan is that Westerfeld has created powerful and compelling male and female lead characters.

Aleksandar is a wonderful combination of haughty, regal, brave, and childlike wonderment.Sheltered his entire life, he's quick to adapt to his new situation and surroundings while bearing the burden of hope for his people.

His counterpart Deryn is all things fearless.A girl pretending to be a boy she's not the picture of asugar and spice in this story.A tomboy at heart, in her mind girls can do everything just as well as boys, maybe even better.Don't worry though, there is a certain softness to her, an appealing need to do what's right at all costs.

Together Aleks and Deryn are the perfect friends.

There is also a cadre of unique and interesting secondary characters in Aleksandar's caretakers and Deryn's shipmates.This is an eclectic group that play essential roles in how the story progresses.Steadfast and loyal Aleks' saviors protect his life with their own while Deryn's shipmates and the quirky doctor she is tasked with keeping after all provide for some light-hearted and entertaining moments.

World building is another skill Westerfeld has undertaken with great finesse.Infusing World War I history within a time of Darwinist creatures and Clanker machines he's constructed an otherworldly yet familiar feeling.We know just enough to be comfortable yet there are still these fantastical human and man made elements that provide an air of unexpectedness and mystery.

This book most definitely has it all.

But wait!There's more....

While I do have Leviathan in print I ended up listening to it on audio.How glad I am that I did because doing so only added to the experience.

Narrated by the awesomely talented Alan Cumming I knew from the jump I'd adore it.Boy was I right, listening to Leviathan on audio gave it an air of authenticity.Cumming was the absolute perfect choice and did a great job of giving the story a very European vibe.He created individual personalities for all of the characters (though I will say that at times Volger sounded so much like Arnold Schwarzenegger that I half expected to hear him say "I'll be back") and infused pitch perfect emotions for each of the situations they were placed in.It was truly an amazing listen.

No matter how you partake of Leviathan, be it print or audio, all that matters is that you do. I strongly encourage it! ... Read more

Product Description
What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch wind that there's a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong idea and the stage is set for a fight to the death. So it's up to Kenny to give his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history -- the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon -- without losing a friend in the fray. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

good book for a 5th grader
The book is about a rabbit named Kenneth meeting a dragon named Grahame.A friend of Kenny's named Goerge has an order from the king to slay the draco (latin for dragon).Kenny and I would never relate,even though we have the same names.If my dad said that there was a dragon near my house, I would get the heck out of the place!I also think that looking for a dragon is kinda stupid to me.Well I basicly told you the whole beginning so you'll have to the book to find out the rest! :)


Review By,

Kenneth A. Jones

A sweet, clever tale
"Kenny And The Dragon"
Written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi
(Simon & Schuster, 2008)
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What if your two best friends got into a big fight, and you got caught in the middle?And what if your two best friends just happened to be a giant, gentle dragon -- who liked reading poetry and cooking creme brulee -- and an old, retired knight who liked reading poetry and killing dragons?Man, that would be awkward. Enter Kenny, a soft-spoken, shy young rabbit who likes books and conversation, and is tragically misunderstood by the other kids in his village -- when he discovers a dragon living out in the pasture of his farm, his life starts to get really exciting, both in good ways and bad.This is a fun, sweet, pro-misfit fairy tale with a gentle, humorous tone -- ideal for young readers who are just getting into the fantasy genre but might not be ready for or interested in a bunch of gory violence. Highly recommended!(Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

Great read aloud
I ABSOLUTELY love this book. I highly recommend this to all parents and teachers. I used this as one of my "read aloud" books this past school year and my students LOVED it!

While KENNY & THE DRAGON is a perfectly nice chapter book, it might have been outstanding as a comic book
From Tony DiTerlizzi, one of the creators of The Spiderwick Chronicles, comes this new chapter book that is a retelling of Kenneth Grahame's classic tale "The Reluctant Dragon." This story of a battle between a bookseller named George and a dragon named Grahame is loosely based on the legendary battle between St. George and the dragon.

Kenny Rabbit is a bookish, somewhat lonely little bunny who lives in the sleepy village of Roundbrook. Kenny is thrilled to learn that a dragon (whose name is Grahame, like the cracker) has come to live on the hill behind his mom and dad's farm. Kenny and his parents soon learn that Grahame is that rarity among dragons, a gentle and cultured fellow. Grahame loves literature, enjoys reciting long poems over dinner, and only uses his fire-breathing abilities to torch crème brûlée through his left nostril.

At school one day, Kenny accidentally lets slip the fact that he has seen a real, live dragon and that it is nothing like the dragons in tales. As the villagers learn of the dragon's presence in their midst, their panic and fear spreads, putting Kenny's new friend in grave danger. In fact, Kenny's other best friend, George, a retired knight and dragonslayer, has been ordered by the king to exterminate Grahame. Kenny is desperate to keep his two friends from fighting and perhaps killing each other, but no one will listen to him in the frenzy leading up to the battle.

Kenny must find a way to convince Grahame and George that they would become fast friends if they only got to know each other. He alone has the power to stop this battle and save both his friends. How will he do it?

KENNY & THE DRAGON has an ease that makes for a pleasant read. Although lacking the depth or thrills of The Spiderwick Chronicles and failing to fully capture the charm of "The Reluctant Dragon," it is an enjoyable enough read on its own. It's fun to spot the direct and indirect references to the original author and the work scattered throughout KENNY & THE DRAGON (such as the use of the names Kenny and Grahame for the characters and the inclusion of "Shepard Hill" to reference the original artist of the Kenneth Grahame book).

DiTerlizzi's drawings of Kenny, Grahame, George and the village of Roundbrook are utterly lovely. Kenny has a slightly goofy, completely endearing charm; Grahame's face is unique and expressive and has character; and George is an ancient, battle-scarred yet benign-looking badger. The pictures, beautifully conceived and executed as they are, often prove to be more interesting than the actual text or plot. While KENNY & THE DRAGON is a perfectly nice chapter book, it might have been outstanding as a comic book.

Dragon who Reads and Loves to Eat
Absolutely delightful book for young and old.Kenny Rabbit finds out a Dragon is living on his property and sets out to investigate.

Grahame (with an e) the Dragon turns out to be a friendly, book reading fellow who loves desserts.

Kenny must find a way to save Grahame when the townspeople become afraid and ask the King to send someone to slay the Dragon.

A very magical story that is heart warming and carries the message that almost every problem can be worked out.

This book was purchased for my grandson...but I also enjoyed this book and recommend it for every child's library.
... Read more

Product Description
Carefully selected to be read aloud, this recording of Chaucer's poem gives the listener a merry feast of the voices and characters from which The Canterbury Tales continues to draw its enduring power. 6 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Good book
I had to buy it for a class. I have kept it for my literature collection.

Revisiting A Merry Genius
It's easy to forget how enchanting and how modern Chaucer was. The setup of this edition enables the reader to enjoy the joyous musicality and the distinctive voices of the original poetry and---when he runs into trouble---to glance at the facing page where a literal prose translation clarifies obscure meanings. It's surprising how seldom this is necessary.

Excellent product and service!
The product was exactly as described and successfully replaced the book I had owned and loaned out. Since it's now out of print, a valuable teaching tool was lost to me when it was not returned. I am perfectly satisfied with the description, shipping, and service on this book!

i like it
it was very nice and in good shape, it was old but i expected that. it was also a very good price. i enjoyed it.

Read by Martin Jarvis and a full cast
At the Tabard Inn, thirty travelers from a diversity of classes and occupations are planning to make the annual pilgrimage to Becket's shrine at Canterbury. It is agreed that each traveler will tell four tales to help pass the time, and the host of the inn will reward the best storyteller with a free supper when they return. The Canterbury Tales is a sometimes bawdy, sometimes spiritual classic, skillfully translated into modern English and presented in an unabridged audiobook format. Read by Martin Jarvis and a full cast, The Canterbury Tales reveals the trials and travails of daily life in late fourteenth-century England through stories, conversations, jokes and arguments between travelers. Truly the most memorable way to experience this literary classic, The Canterbury Tales is especially recommended for public library collections. 17 CDs, 21 hours, tracks every 3 minutes for easy bookmarking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Author's debut demonstrates amazing potential
The Journal of Antonio Montoya by Rick Collignon takes place in the Sangre de Christos mountains but has a sense of timelessness. Ramona has isolated herself in her dusty hometown after returning from several years away trying to find success as an author. She lives alone in her grandparents' house with no sense of purpose or intention until her brother and his wife die, leaving their son an orphan. When the boy's mother sits up in her casket at the graveside and tells Ramona to take care of Jose, Ramona thinks that her mind is starting to slip, but when she takes the boy home, they are greeted by her long dead grandparents who proceed to take care of the pair by cooking and irrigating the fields. Her grandmother gives her an old journal that pulls into the life of the mysterious Antonio Montoya. This book is nearly impossible to summarize. The story quietly unfurls in front of the reader, gently pulling him/her in to Ramona and Antonio's lives. Collignon's quiet prose captures the steady rhythm of small town life and how it can beat down the gentlest of souls. In the end, Ramona is changed by her discoveries in the journal, and the reader may share in her revelation.

Magical Realism in a small town in Mexico
For me, this small and enchanting book defines the term `magical realism'. In the small village of Guadalupe, Ramona's brother and sister-in-law have just been killed in a car accident and she has taken their 7-year old son José home with her. But things have changed at her house, because when she arrives she finds that her grandparents - who have been dead for 13 years - have come for a visit. The lines between the natural and the supernatural world become increasingly blurred as Ramona encounters other dead relatives and learns the history of her family through the journal of her grandfather's cousin Antonio. You'll have to read the book to discover the legacy he has left behind, untouched for many years.

This book is a small treasure and I highly recommend it. I've also found out that it's the first book in a trilogy about life in Guadalupe. The other two books are Perdido and A Santo In The Image Of Cristobal Garcia; I have them on order andI'm eagerly awaiting their arrival.

A man's life changed
A mystical tale of a man's life changed when he has to take on his nephew with him when the child's parents die. The book weaves plenty of mysticism and sometimes feels like Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work a bit.

A classic fromNew Mexico
I found this book by accident in the library.The cover is interesting, the author's photo is compelling (the short bio says he has been a roofer for 20 years) and the book is recommended in a blurb on the back by writer John Nichols, whose work I like.

I read the book in two days, mesmerized.Collignon has brilliantly crafted a story that is a blend of timeless conscious and subconscious human realities in the natural and supernatural world.The author alights on an ending that is as simple as it is exquisite.

Collignon's book belongs in classrooms so that young people can explore the depth of human experience through our Southwestern heritage.The Journal of Antonio Montoya is an enduring tale not to be missed.

A Masterpiece!
In this superb novel, the recently dead relatives and the not so recently dead relatives of an orphaned boy and his Aunt come back to "haunt" them in a way that changes their lives forever.This was a beautiful and moving novel, told with humor and written in clear stylish prose.I was immediately swept up in the world created by the author and became totally immersed in the characters and their drama. I consider this a masterpiece and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
This manual will focus on an examination of AIA form contracts and their terms, including specific form contractual provisions. The primary provisions of the standard forms will be considered section by section. The implications for the design professional and owners of using or not using the AIA form contracts will be discussed, including the consequences of modifying the form language and suggestions to assist design professionals and owners in their contract negotiations. ... Read more

Product Description
Around the world, schools are being asked to offer new services to students, families and communities in order to overcome the effects of disadvantage. Referred to as 'extended', 'full service' or 'community' schools, they extend their provision so that they are open beyond the normal school day, in order to work with families and local communities. This book, for the time ever, critically examines the role of full service and extended schools. The authors draw on their extensive international evaluations of this radical new phenomenon to ask: What do extended or full service schools hope to achieve, and why should services based on schools be any more effective than services operating from other community bases? What pattern of services and activities is most effective? What does extended schooling mean for children and families who are not highly disadvantaged, or for schools outside the most disadvantaged areas? How can schools lead extended services at the same time as doing their 'day job' of teaching children? Why should schools be concerned with family and community issues?Beyond the advocacy of 'extended provision', what real evidence is there that schools of this kind make a difference, and how can school leaders evaluate the impact of their work? This book will be of interest to anyone involved in extended and full service school provision, as a practitioner, policy maker, or researcher. ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting and innovating concepts text emphasizes all that is current, cutting-edge, and interesting to students in the introductory course. Focusing specifically on users, consumers and purchasers of technology, this text provides a no-nonsense coverage of the absolute essentials for using technology in today's wired (and wireless!) world. The "I-Series" offers excellent coverage of the basics, as well as extensive information on building a website, e-commerce, implications of technological advances, buying your first PC, maintaining a computer system, and more. Each chapter also contains coverage of ethics, security, and privacy. ... Read more

Product Description
This exciting, new first edition concepts text emphasizes all that is current, cutting-edge, and interesting to students in the introductory course.Focusing specifically on users, consumers and purchasers of technology, this text provides a no-nonsense coverage of the absolute essentials for using technology in today¿s wired world. The I-Series offers excellent coverage on the basics, as well as extensive information on building a Web site, E-Commerce, implications of technological advances, maintaining a computer system, buying your first PC, and more.Each chapter also contains coverage of security, ethics, and privacy and an introduction to the web-based Life Long Learning modules. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book devoted to subcortical dementia.It brings together the contributions of neurologists, neuropsychologists, neurochemists, and neuroanatomists to provide a comprehensive description of the dementia syndromes associated with subcortical dysfunction.The behavioral and neuropsychological alterations observed in multiple subcortical strokes, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and other disorders affecting the deep hemispheric brain are presented.The profiles of subcortical dementia recently identified in the AIDS dementia complex and multiple sclerosis are also discussed. The contrasting neuropsychological profile of subcortical dementias and cortical disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are summarized, and clinically useful means of distinguishing among dementing disorders are emphasized. The book provides practical information that will help clinicians evaluate and treat the many disorders that manifest intellectual impairment in association with subcortical disease.It also synthesizes information from a variety of clinical and basic scientific disciplines to enhance understanding of the role of subcortical structures in human cognition. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers of this work by Dr. Cummings and Dr. Leschied will find that it is not only incredibly timely but also invaluable. The book directs our attention to the fact that violence in the lives of girls is unique to the experience of girls and that it behooves us to stop comparing them to boys. As well, that there are known risk factors that are unique to these girls and that interventions need to be gender specific and geared towards the criminogenic needs of the individual in order for treatment to be effective. ... Read more

Product Description
A fabulous tale of the notorious Jim Cummings, famous outlaw and train robber, as told by Detective Allan Pinkerton — the world's first private detective, and founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Health and Social Work, published by National Association of Social Workers on February 1, 2003. The length of the article is 6208 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the author: Key words: depression, elderly people, functional impairment, social support, religiosity

Citation Details
Title: Functional impairment as a predictor of depressive symptomatology: The role of race, religiosity, and social support.
Author: Sherry M. Cummings
Publication: Health and Social Work (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2003
Publisher: National Association of Social Workers
Volume: 28Issue: 1Page: 23(10)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more