HarperCollins

Ancient Child, The by N. Scott Momaday (1990)
[6/10]
"In The Ancient Child, Momaday again presents writing of the same caliber that won him the Pulitzer prize. Although Momaday demonstrates beautiful exposition, the text addresses problems relevant only to Native Americans."
Bad Beginning, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (1999)
[6/10]
"The Baudelaire children -- Violet, Klaus, and Sunny -- certainly do get off to a bad beginning. Their home burns down, killing their parents. Fortunately, the children's parents left them an enormous fortune. Unfortunately, their next of kin, Count Olaf, wants to do away with the children to get the money for himself."
Horse and His Boy, The by C. S. Lewis (1954)
[6/10]
"The Horse and His Boy tells the only story in The Chronicles of Narnia where the main characters do not come from Earth -- with small cameo roles from Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. I liked the story, but Lewis solves most of the character's problems through coincidence and luck, not through bravery and heroism."
How to Get Happily Published: A Complete and Candid Guide by Judith Applebaum (1998)
[4/10]
"If you want to learn how to be a better writer, get some other book that specializes in the genre in which you want to write. If you want to learn about publishing, then get a book that specializes in the aspects of publishing. But don't buy this book unless you are really desperate to read from one more source that 'you can do it if you try hard enough.'"
Last Battle, The by C. S. Lewis (1956)
[5/10]
"In The Last Battle, Lewis pulls almost all the stops and only narrowly couches his Christian allegory in his story. The denouement occurs with about one third of the text remaining. In this remainder, Lewis explores the Narnian afterlife."
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The by C. S. Lewis (1950)
[10/10]
"Through overuse and misapplication, the term classic has lost some of its depth, but The Chronicles of Narnia belong with Tolkien's works as classics of the fantasy genre."
Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card (1992)
[5/10]
"Unlike Ender's Game, Card's Lost Boys demonstrates that a successful short story cannot always make the transition to a novel."
Magician's Nephew, The by C. S. Lewis (1955)
[7/10]
"In The Magician's Nephew, Lewis creates a fun adventure story that all ages can enjoy. You can also read The Magician's Nephew as an allegory of the Christian creation."
Old Gringo, The by Carlos Fuentes (1985)
[8/10]
"There is a power evident in the text, and the search for the meaning is part of the enjoyment."
On Moral Fiction by John Gardner (1978)
[5/10]
"I get the feeling that John Gardner is an elitist snob who has a very narrow definition of art."
On Writing Well: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser (1994)
[8/10]
"Zinsser urges writers to create simple, elegant sentences. If it is not a sentence you wouldn't say to your friends over lunch, then you probably shouldn't write it in your article."
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis (1951)
[9/10]
"I found Prince Caspian, one of the most satisfying stories in the series because it follows two separate plot lines that merge into a satisfying conclusion."
Quicksilver (2003)
[6/10]
"I think much of the story line gets bogged down with the interesting things Stephenson found in his research. These elements might have a bearing in the second or third volumes, but distracted from the immediate enjoyment of the novel."
Reptile Room, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (1999)
[6/10]
"A nice continuation of a series that could quickly spoil if the narrative style remains so fixedly consistent."
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1985)
[10/10]
"Sara, Plain and Tall has a compact efficiency that creates a deceptive simplicity. As Nathaniel Hawthorne has said, 'Easy reading is damned hard writing,' and clearly MacLachlan worked hard to perfect her text."
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown, Dave King (2004)
[8/10]
"Renni Brown and Dave King reiterate all this advice, but then move into a lot of new territory."
Silver Chair, The by C. S. Lewis (1953)
[7/10]
"In The Silver Chair, Lewis examines man's relationship to Christ. The characters never really develop. Lewis has the characters change only to show how men can be distracted from their faith, suffer the effects, and then choose to return to the faith."
Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The by C. S. Lewis (1952)
[8/10]
"Lewis continues his Christian allegory with examinations of greed, honor, and free choice."
Wide Window, The by Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler (2000)
[5/10]
"Lemmony Snicket has followed his formula from the previous books exactly, and has not introduced anything new or interesting."

Average score: 6.79