David Cutts

The Cask of Amontillado is a psychological, creepy thriller. Perfect for October. Montressor has had his ego wounded badly by Fortunato. Looking for revenge Montressor waits until Fortunato is well in the drink and can be lured away to his death. The entire story is a study in human failings.
Montressor is able to convince Fortunato to come with him because Fortunato cannot bear the idea of another man playing the expert in identifying Montressor's Amontillado wine. Montressor uses this show more jealousy to spur Fortunato deeper into the catacombs. At the same time Montressor showers Fortunato with concerns for his health in an effort to steer Fortunato away from suspicion. For Fortunato cannot suspect a trap if he is the one insistent on continuing deeper into Montressor's underground chambers.
The reader never does find out what insults Montressor has suffered at the hands of Fortunato. The wrong doing is certainly not as important as the revenge. show less

Poe for kids!

This version of “The Masque of the Red Death” is an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story for Troll Associates, a publisher of children’s books. I guess it’s questionable whether this tale is even suitable for kids. (As I remember it, I cherished this book as a child, as evidenced by my name stamped in the front cover and surrounded by hearts; then again, some of my earliest memories are of my dad reading me bedtime stories by Stephen King. So there’s that.) show more Nevertheless, Cutts successfully captures the spirit of Poe’s story, relaying it in a style easily understood by younger readers.

Though many lines are either cut or altered, the general plot and tone remain the same. As the Red Death sweeps the country, Prince Prospero barricades himself and one thousand revelers inside his castle estate. For six months, the partygoers evade the plague; that is, until the night the Price throws an especially elaborate and gruesomely themed ball. One of the guests arrives dressed as the unthinkable: the Red Death. The Prince doesn’t know it yet - but by daybreak, everyone in the castle will be dead.

The three-star rating (well, 3.5 stars, rounded down on Amazon) is due mostly to the artwork, which really isn’t to my taste.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/04/15/edgar-allan-poes-the-masque-of-the-red-deat... show less

In my opinion, this book is a good informational piece of literature. Overall, the message behind the book is to inform its readers about animals that live in the night. I enjoy this book, one, because the way it is written. The text is in a true story telling style while still providing information as you read along. You would think there would be no follow to a book that is stating facts about a specific topic. however this book creates an entire story that flows while providing show more information on these night creatures. I also the connections made to every day life that a child reader can relate to. For example when the raccoon is brought up, the author insists on the reader using their past experiences on hearing noises outside at night and those noises being because of the raccoon. I think that is a great way to peak readers interests and the more they can connect or relate to the text the more they will comprehend. The one thing I will say I didn't really like the colors chosen within the book. The illustrations are great in showing the animals features but the night themed color of blue fell across whole pages at times and covered the text and made it really hard to read. Other than that great book, very interesting. show less

I thought this book was very cute and informative. I liked how the pages were structured and how the author kept the readers attention.
The pages all had a picture of a reptile and the name of what animal it was. For example, there were pictures of alligators, crocodiles, caiman, and gharial, which all belong in the crocodilian family, and their names were all next to their pictures. There were also pictures of different types of snake movements shown. As well as reptiles in their natural show more habitat like a tree or the dirt.
I thought it was very catchy for the author to start the book off by having five pages of statements that were also questions for the reader. This was a great way to grab the reader and get the reader involved in the book instead of stating information straightforward. The author first asked, “ What is a reptile? Is it a long, skinny snake or a lizard that can grow a new tail?”, and continuing to ask four more questions like that.
The main lesson of this book was to inform the reader what a reptile is and explain different reptiles and their features. The author made sure that all the facts and details were stated clearly so that the reader understood the material. show less