No comments about Collins Road Atlas 2001 Britain and Ireland (Collins European Road Maps and Atlases).

No comments about In the Wake of the Gods.

No comments about Ireland Motorways and Main Roads.

No comments about Professional Driver's Britain and Ireland (Philip's Road Atlases & Maps).

3 comments about The Pirate Queen: A Timewalker Journey (Timewalker).

1. A friend recommended this book for my eldest daughter, and I ended up plowing through it myself (Harry Potter fan that I am, I just can't resist this genre). It's tons of fun - not a dull moment - but what I'm most excited about is the historical element. Finally, an "action adventure" for girls - and I don't mean a sexy superhero! The book is based on a REAL 16th century pirate queen named Grace O'Malley who apparently ruled the high seas near Ireland but whose name does not appear in the history books (which are not dominated by powerful female leaders in any event). That said, there is enough fantasy and drama to keep the boys fully engaged, too. A refreshing choice - I highly recommend it.



2. The first time I sat down to read this book, I only planned to read the first couple of chapters. The next thing I knew it was after midnight and I was one-quarter of the way through. The story is about this girl named Jess. She's an American teenager traveling in Ireland when she starts dreaming about a ghostly pirate queen named Grace O'Malley (who's actually a real-life Irish pirate queen from the 1500's.) Jess says she'll help Grace "find her treasure" and then she starts to travel through time to relive different things from Grace's life, like sea b! attles, secret weddings and castle seiges. I don't want to spoil all the surprises, but the book is a real page-turner, especially when Jess starts to find out about the secret society of Timewalkers. I think my favorite character in the book is Jess's little brother and master prankster Jake. It's worth reading the book just to find out what he'll do next.



3. I was familiar with the legend of Grace O'Malley, but Christina Bauer puts a fun twist on the story in her "Pirate Queen". It's a fascinating tale of one young woman's personal voyage of self-discovery, with her burgeoning time-traveling power standing in as a metaphor for the struggle everyone faces when we transform from kids into grown-ups. My 14-year old niece loved the book (she has an annoying little brother just like Timewalking heroine Jessica Ross); her mom loved Bauer's emphasis on kids' -- especially girls' -- need to build self-reliance and self-esteem; my 13-year old nephew loved the action... lots of action! That makes "Pirate Queen" a fast, exciting read. "Pirate Queen" is an interesting counterpoint to "Harry Potter" in that Harry seldom faces the consequences of his actions, instead getting a free pass from higher-ups sympathetic to his plight. Nice and neat, but not true-to-life. Jessica Ross travels the difficult road to finding herself mostly alone, and we all get to enjoy the journey with her. It's a trip well worth taking!

No comments about Philip's Road Atlas Britain and Ireland (Road Atlas).

No comments about Giant Road Atlas Britain and Ireland (Road Atlas).

No comments about Strangford: Portrait of an Irish Lough.

No comments about Birnbaum's Ireland 1993.

No comments about Ireland (Blue Guides).