Ammie Come Home by Barbara Michaels*

Ammie, Come Home is one of the best ghost stories I have ever read, and I almost didn’t read it. When I was in the 2^nd grade I read a ghost story that scared me so bad, I swore I would never read another ghost story as long as I lived. Ammie is part of a trilogy, and I had read the second book, Shattered Silk, which is not a ghost story but just a good old fashioned gothic murder mystery (and wonderful in its own right). My mom kept telling me that I should read Ammie because I loved Shattered so much. I finally picked it up from my local used book store to shut her up! Now it is one of my favorite books of all time. It tells the story of Ruth and her niece Sarah that live in an old house in Georgetown. One night, as a lark, Ruth decides to hold a séance. This seemingly innocent activity turns sinister when an otherworldly voice does penetrate the ordinary, but it comes from Sarah and not from the medium! This in turn releases a terror in the house that Ruth, Sarah, and their friends Pat and Bruce must combat. I think what I like most about Michaels’ ghost stories is that there is a mystery to be solved and not just terror. Once they know the reason behind the haunting, the haunting stops. This book was also made into a really bad made-for-TV movie called The House That Wouldn’t Die.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

One of my all time favorite Disney movies, of course there’s very few Disney movies I don’t like, especially the classics. Based on the ballet inspired by the classic fairy tale, the movie tells the story of Aurora, cursed at birth to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a death like sleep until she is awaken by true love’s first kiss. She is raised by Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather in the forest until her sixteenth birthday. There she is kept away from Maleficent, the mistress of all evil. I always got the impression that Merryweather got stuck doing all the housework, cooking, and sewing since everyone else didn’t seem to have a clue. It has great music, the same music tunes as the original ballet, Disney just added the words! A true Disney classic.

The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

The Gammage Cup won a Newberry Honor. It is a fun book about a bunch of outcasts that end up saving their people from danger.

                The general minnipin population remind me of Tolkien’s hobbits. They never have  any adventures or do anything unexpected. They’re even smaller than the rest of humanity (although based on other descriptions I think they’re more the size of borrowers than hobbits). That’s why Muggles, Gummy, Walter the Earl, Curly Green, and Mingy don’t fit in. They have ideas that don’t fit with the mentality of the other Minipins and for that they are banished. But when the Hairless Ones of legend return to wreck ruin upon the Minipins, it is up to these heroes that think so far outside the box to save the day. A wonderful story about not fitting in, but finding your place in the world.

Clash of the Titans (1981)

The last of Ray HarryHausen’s visual effects masterpieces, Clash of the Titans is a fun, fun movie. Some of the acting in the movie is subpar. Harry Hamlin was basically cast because he’s pretty. The man couldn’t act at all. And Laurence Oliver, who’s supposed to be one of the greatest actors of all time, gives a poor accounting for himself in this movie. But Burgess Meredith and Maggie Smith more than make up for these other performances. And I love the movie, every bad moment of it. Also I have the genius of HarryHausen at the reigns, even though special effects had evolved since Jason and the Argonauts. One thing that I only noticed later is how the Kracken is simply a recasting of an earlier creation of HarryHausen, the alien from Venus in 20 Million Miles to Earth.

Take this movie for what it’s worth and enjoy. It is, in my humble opinion, far superior to the remake in 2010. Hamlin might have given a wooden performance, but at least he wasn’t whining!

The Truthsayer's Apprentice by Deborah Christian

Another good read by an amazing author. In this particular story Dalin, the titular apprentice, is stranded on the mountain when his master is murdered. The villains also stole the magical robe that was the proof of office of the Truthsayer calling it something else. Teaming up with a group of three elves and a dwarf, who are also interested in the robe, Dalin sets out to avenge his master's death and regain the robe.

An interesting aspect of Christian's writing is that she varies between the protagonists' and the antagonists' point of view. This way a reader gets a fuller view not only of the world but why her antagonists act the way they do. Personally I considered this slightly ingenious. Their motivation was not just because they were bad.

A Trickle of Green Ribbon by Nieriel Raina

A Trickle of Green Ribbon is another Lord of the Rings one shot. It tells the story of Legalos meeting for the first time Sam and Rosie’s daughter, Ruby. Ruby has run off because she cannot find her green ribbon that she specifically wore to meet Legalos. Legalos finds her and brings her back to her parents along with her green ribbon. It is a really sweet story and well written. (This is really a picture of Ruby's sister Elanor)

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5035772/1/A-Trickle-of-Green-Ribbon 

I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)

I Dream of Jeannie tells the story of Captain Anthony Nelson, an astronaut that gets stranded on a deserted island. There he finds Jeannie the Geni who helps him off the island and accompanies him back to America. At first Tony tries to hide Jeannie’s existence from those around him, since he is uncertain how her antics will affect his job. As the series progresses, however, Jeannie ends up marrying Tony and becoming an active part of his life. It is really a great series and one of my all time childhood favorites.