Product Description
Since its publication in 1985, Chris Van Allsburg"s holiday classic has sold more than four million copies and has come to signify the essential spirit of Christmas for countless readers. Now, in celebration of its fifteenth anniversary, THE POLAR EXPRESS is available in a deluxe gift set, beautifully packaged and featuring a dramatic new reading of the timeless tale. The set includes a hardcover copy of the Caldecott Award–winning book, recordings of the story on both cassette and compact disc, and a commemorative ornament designed by Chris Van Allsburg. Readers young and old are sure to treasure this inspiring book, which brings to life the magic of Christmas for all who believe.Amazon.com Review
Fifteen years and one Caldecott Medal after its publication, Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express is as fresh and magical as ever. And now an anniversary edition, including the hardcover book, a CD and audiotape featuring a reading by actor Liam Neeson and music by composer Michael Moss, and a special bronze ornament designed by Van Allsburg, renews the wonder and charm of this holiday classic.

One Christmas Eve, a bathrobe-clad boy boards the mysterious Polar Express train on its way to the North Pole. Arriving in the mystical polar city, the boy is thunderstruck when Santa chooses him to be the recipient of the very first gift of Christmas. Shyly, the boy asks for his true heart's desire--one silver bell from the harness of Santa's reindeer. His wish is granted, and the train begins its return trip. But alas! The boy has a hole in his pocket, and the cherished sleigh bell is lost... forever?

Author-illustrator Van Allsburg, who also received the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and a Caldecott Honor for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, is a creative talent beyond compare. The timeless splendor of his unique, breathtaking illustrations and quiet story will undoubtedly stay with the reader for a lifetime. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (269)

Christmas Must Have!
This book is a holiday must have!I ordered it and received it the next day!Great book and great service!

Classic
This has always been a favorite book of mine, and I have a friend who had only seen the movie. I ordered this for her so she could experience the magic of the book. Fun, beautifully illustrated, and great for a Christmas lover or imaginative little one.

Beautifully Illustrated
This beautifully illustrated, classic children's Christmas story will delight young and old readers alike as they are transported to the North Pole in this skillfully crafted adventure, written by Chris Van Allsburg.Both boys and girls will be enchanted by the fanciful holiday tale of a boy who struggles with the concept of maintaining the beliefs of his childhood .

Holiday Stories
A great holiday storie. Warm and enjoyable and it has a childlike innocense and children of all ages will love this book.

Polar Express Book
We liked the movie so well my wife wanted to own the book as a remembrance. It does this task very well. ... Read more

Product Description
In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars," the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbaric wars that plagued the European continent, Ireland's monks and scribes laboriously and lovingly preserved the written treasury of the West. Many great pieces of Greek and Roman literature, almost sure to be lost in the chaos of the Middle Ages, were saved by the monks of Ireland. This brilliant audio edition of the bestselling book is read by acclaimed actor Liam Neeson.Amazon.com Review
In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial butlittle-known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "islandof saints and scholars," the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book ofKells.Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent,monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved theWest's written treasury.When stability returned in Europe, theseIrish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning, becoming notonly the conservators of civilization, but also the shapers of themedieval mind, putting their unique stamp on Western culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (291)

Good first half, but in the end, didn't defend the title of his book
I was very interested in learning the exact contribution of the Irish.I know that Western Civilization was in shambles and that the monks saved civilization at that time (see Dr. Warren Carroll's five volume series on Christendom, available from Amazon).I also know that the Irish Church, just getting started and not being in the middle of the chaos on the continent, was in a very good position to be a leader in collecting volumes and redistributing them to save the culture, really, of the early Romans and Greeks, who could barely survive at the time.So, I agreed with the title, not taking it as an exclusive claim--How the Irish were the Only Ones who Saved Civilization--is not the title and i am quite aware of that.However, this book did not deliver on its promised theme.

It did a spectacular job with St Augustine and the Early Roman culture and its demise.It would have been very nice if Mr. Cahill had given footnotes to work--in all places--b/c taking someone's word in the intellectual world is taboo. His explanation of early Irish culture and its need for conversion, his bio. on St Patrick was very beautiful.You do have to wonder about his need to linger on the sexual perversions of the Irish. . . but let's move on.Eventually, he gets to his thesis topic: how the Irish saved civilization--through the redistribution of volumes, education, and monasteries in Europe--and he digresses.

St Columba was a big one, not only does he not portray him as very saintly, but he just stops after two pages on St Columba, right when St Columba leaves and turns to other people.Just when it was getting good; I even started reading it aloud to my husband, b/c i was so enthralled, but it was an unfinished bio.Why give so much attn to Augustine and Patrick and glaze over Columba, who is essential to the thesis?How can you do such a good foundation, and not build a house?Well, Mr. Cahill does just that.He moves on to tell what he thinks is true of the early Irish Church, such as Bishopesses, even though he admits in one place that there is scant evidence of such a fact (so it can be easily misinterpreted), he then says it is a certain truth.Interesting.Then he goes into his opinion of the current state of the Catholic Church and where he thinks it should be headed, and should have been headed.If he wanted to do a book on such a topic, he should have given it a different name.All in all, if you can't defend your thesis, what is the point of writing this book? And that is the reason for my rating of this item.

How A Clever Writer Makes Money
Since its publication in 1995, Thomas Cahill's "How The Irish Saved Civilization" has become the page-turning equivalent of a green tie or "I Brake For Leprechauns" bumper sticker: An easy impulse buy for St. Patrick's Day. I think Cahill mostly had this in mind when he gave the book its magnificently over-the-top title.

Cahill's thesis for his title is this: During the last days of the Western Roman Empire and the centuries immediately following, while barbarians laid waste to troves of accumulated wisdom on the European mainland, a doughty group of Irish monks set about transcribing and sometimes re-contextualizing treasured ancient texts. This learning would in time be brought back and absorbed by generations across the European continent to whom it would otherwise have been lost.

"These scribes then served as conduits through which the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian cultures were transmitted to the tribes of Europe, newly settled amid the rubble and ruined vineyards of the civilization they had overwhelmed," he writes.

Except as it turns out he doesn't really mean this. Later he backtracks about the Jewish and Greek part of his argument. He's more definite about Latin learning, though not precise at all about what exactly was saved even there. Precision is not a strong point with this book, as many other reviewers point out here. Since the book does have a way of engaging you enough to care about these matters if you weren't of a mind to before, one might argue that Cahill writes not as a historian but polemicist, and a darn good one given the tempers he ignites.

For me, the annoying weakness of "How The Irish" rests more on two points. One is how shabbily the book deals with its title subject on its own admittedly subjective grounds. At its core, "How The Irish" is a loosely-sketched essay on the title subject, preceded by 150 pages of punditry on the debased state of the late Roman empire; an Irish fable about a stolen bull Cahill breezily treats as fact; and the fuzzy history of St. Patrick, to whom Cahill applies much warmth but little light. Only the last 50 pages cover the question of how the Irish saved civilization, and since copying books isn't scintillating reading matter, their overall impact is anticlimactic.

The second, much worse problem for me is how the book focuses our attention not on the Irish or St. Patrick but the busy intellect of Thomas Cahill. He wanders from the thesis in many places, understandable since he's pushing some thin factual points, to force himself and his ideas forward at every turn. This gets annoying. Does Cahill really need to give us his opinions on Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Will Durant, Act Up, Norman Vincent Peale, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Marcus Aurelius in a book on medieval Ireland? "How these people would have loved the Batmobile!" he says of the ancient Irish at one point, summing up their love of stories. Now if only Gibbon had DC Comics to draw upon!

Cahill even uses his bibliography as an excuse for more opining rather than source referral, averring that "some of the most deeply held things are sourceless." I doubt that's the kind of argument a college professor would accept, or even Will Durant.

Give the guy credit, he's a dazzling show-off. Matthew P. Cochrane earlier wrote a review here on the book that's too kind, but he does say something that I think sums up the case for Cahill rather well: "[H]is writing resonates with the reader and the book reads much more like a page-turning novel than an obscure history lesson."

Of course, novels have the advantage over history lessons of making up their own facts as they go along. Cahill's not a wholesale reinventor, just an indelicate reinterpreter of worthwhile territory who needs to be read in the same careful spirit of those ancient maps he references at one point in the text: "Here Do Be Monsters".

remarkable
I read this book at least 10 years ago and still can recall some interesting passages.

Makes you THINK
I was in a reading group assigned to read two chapters a week, think about the reading, and discuss...At first, I thought that Cahill was skimming to much over Roman history and using exaggerating too much,didn't see any Irish history,and what there was...was very critical; BUT as the chapters rolled on, I saw his purpose.This book lends itself to discussion, and is NOT a casual read.I liked it!

starts poorly, doesn't recover
In the first two chapters, I kept wondering, "so where are the Irish?", as the author chatted about the Romans, the barbarians, and some Latin poetry, among other off-topic matters. The Irish finally appeared in the third chapter (after maybe a third of the audio book), with some nuggets of historical interest, such as the arrival of the Celts. Even so, the informal style again concentrated on extended excerpts from Irish tales of marginal interest. By the time St. Patrick joined the book, I'd lost interest and had enough.

The narrator's presentation was sluggish and not especially appealing, which didn't help a book that certainly wasn't what I expected.
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Product Description
This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on October 11, 1999. The length of the article is 510 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.

Citation Details
Title: Gente.(breves notas)(TT: People.)(TA: brief notes)(Columna)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 11, 1999
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 68

Article Type: Columna

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by National Catholic Reporter on May 13, 2005. The length of the article is 947 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.

Citation Details
Title: Conflict across the centuries.(MOVIES - Kingdom of Heaven; The Interpreter)(Movie Review)
Author: Joseph Cunneen
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 13, 2005
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter
Volume: 41Issue: 28Page: 19(1)

Article Type: Movie Review

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This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Thomson Gale on January 3, 2003. The length of the article is 579 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.

Citation Details
Title: Pandillas Violentas. (En Proyeccion).(Resena de pelicula)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 3, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 9Issue: 514Page: 39(1)

Article Type: Resena de pelicula

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This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on April 9, 2000. The length of the article is 730 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.

Citation Details
Title: "Blanco perfecto".(TT: "Perfect Target".)(Reseña)
Author: Pedro Crespo
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 9, 2000
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 76

Article Type: Reseña

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This digital document is an article from Catholic New Times, published by Thomson Gale on January 29, 2006. The length of the article is 968 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.

Citation Details
Title: Two little films from the U.K.(ARTS & CULTURE - Breakfast on Pluto; Mrs. Henderson Presents)(Movie review)
Author: Patrick Donohue
Publication: Catholic New Times (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 29, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 30Issue: 2Page: 18(1)

Article Type: Movie review

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This digital document is an article from Letras Libres, published by Editorial Vuelta, S.A. de C.V. on July 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1228 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.

Citation Details
Title: Hace muchos años en una galaxia muy lejana: el peor pecado que puede cometer un artista es repetirse. George Lucas pareció contradecir el aserto con la secuela de los episodios 4, 5 y 6 de La guerra de las galaxias. Sin embargo --comenta Gustavo García-, lo, que se ha visto de la "precuela" confirma el agotamiento de una idea buena, pero vieja. (Cine).(Guerra de las estrellas: episodio II. La guerra de los clones)(TT: Many years ago in a galaxy far away: repetition as the worst of crimes. George Lucas seemed to defy the veracity of this maxim with the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of Star Wars. However, Gustavo García explains, his "prequel" abides by the age-old adage. (Cinema).)(TA: Star Wars: Episode II. The War of the Clones)(Reseña)
Author: Gustavo García
Publication: Letras Libres (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2002
Publisher: Editorial Vuelta, S.A. de C.V.
Volume: 4Issue: 43Page: 99(2)

Article Type: Reseña

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This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on April 9, 2000. The length of the article is 821 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.

Citation Details
Title: Gente.(breves notas)(TT: People.)(TA: brief notes)(Artículo Breve)(Columna)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 9, 2000
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 56

Article Type: Artículo Breve, Columna

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Product Description
Pulp Adventures Quarterly, Issue #1, Summer 2000, edited by Rich Harvey. 2000 paperback. Features: "Man of Bronze, Golden Artist" (Joe DeVito keeps Doc Savage looking super-heroic); "The Shadow's Scribe!" (Gerard Jones, writer of DC Comics' The Shadow Strikes!); and "Unmasking the Darkman" (director Sam Raimi reflects on Evil Dead 3 - Army of Darkness). ... Read more

Product Description
Timeless quotations from Abraham Lincoln's Writings.Insightful thoughts of one of our greatest presidents.These quotes are as applicable today as they were when he said them. ... Read more

Product Description
Junior Jedi wannabes will love this exciting 8" x 8" paperback about the Jedi of Star Wars: Episode I. It will feature a foil-embossed cover and a page full of shimmering gold or silver foil stickers inside! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

StarWarsEpisode1Book
My son enjoyed this book.It was an easy read for a 7 year old, with nice pictures and interesting facts.Probably perfect for a 5 or 6 year old.

Wonderful, intelligent book for the very young andall others
This is just a terrific storybook.After a year, it is still one of my 3 year old niece's favorites.

The graphic design is sophisticated andelegant, and the book introduces young children to the Star Wars universewith great style.It's intelligent, a quality missing in so manychildren's movie tie-in books.The presentation of the Jedi isage-appropriate but will also appeal to much older readers.

Three cheersfor Random House and Lucas Books!

Cute as a bug!
Got a grown-up Qui-Gon fan with a sense of humor who needs a stocking stuffer? This'll do nicely. It's got pretty pictures and stickers. And as every thinking being knows, stickers make *everything* better! ^_^

Excellent for young children
As a special education teacher working to stimulate children with reading differences/difficulties, I am always looking for highly motivating, well-illustrated, well-written books.This book is all three, plus it hasthe advantage of appealing, in its subject material, not just to theyounger readers (grades 1-4), but to those in grades 5-12 (yes, 12!) aswell. I was able to do many interesting activities for boys and girls withlearning differences, using materials based on Episodes 4, 5, and 6.Sofar, the story/activity books from Episode I, including this one and thethree others in the four-book series, are just as carefully done, with thesame potential for entrancing and motivating the low-level reader. (And I,a high-level reader, also think they are simply super for reading togreat-grandchildren or to myself.) The Star Wars materials, this story inparticular, offer many opportunities to develop high-level criticalthinking skills, which these students usually have in abundance, and tostimulate writing and vocabulary skills.Even a short book like this oneoffers the opportunity to discuss acceptable behaviors, to improvechoice-making, and to define personal goals.Thank you, George Lucas, MarcCerasini and Random House, for making solid-gold books like this available! ... Read more