Rating: 
Summary: Yawn...
Review: This is the most boring book in the whole world. I had to read it with my class. We all hated it. You should not buy this book because it is very dumb.
Rating:
Summary: The Door in the Wall
Review: This the worst book i have ever read. if you like no story line no action and no climax this is the book for you.everyone else it is a waste of time.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspirational, but a little confusing
Review: This was a really inspirational book about a young boy in medival England who must deal with being paralysed in the legs. He is cared for by a monk and numerous other people. When Welsh people invade their keep, it is Robin's turn to serve his king and save the day.
Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the worst book I have ever read
Review: We had to read this book for school, and I was actually looking forward to it. I thought I would like it--I'm interested in that period of history, and I've enjoyed books with similar subject matter. Boy, was I mistaken. This book totally failed to capture my interest, and I felt like the author was more interested in sending some heart-warming message about growing up to us insecure pre-teens out there than writing something with characters we could feel for and a plot that wouldn't put us to sleep. It seemed too cute in a distant, educational-programming sort of way. It was like the author had no clue how to make modern readers identify with her story. I'm not being so narrow-minded as to say that I think modern teens could never be interested in a story about a crippled boy from the dark ages--my point is that it had the potential to be a darn good book, but it somehow was carried out all wrong. As a person who doesn't mind being forced to read in school and expected to enjoy this book, I was quite disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful. Charming. Real.
Review: When I read the synopsis on the book jacket, I assumed that Robin, the protagonist, was a lot like Whitey of the movie "Boys Town", to be taught the right path by Brother Luke, who I deduced was the equivalent of Father Flanagan. I was wrong. Robin wasn't rebellious at all. This is one reason why the story does not bump along as much as it flows. (Its lack of conflict keeps it from bumping, but the author's lovely prose keeps it flowing.)The setting is romanticized. There is nothing about the disgusting sounds, smells, habits, and parasites of the Middle Ages. If I had not read Cushman's "Catherine Called Birdy" (another good book) first, I would have thought that Medieval England was clean, pretty, quaint--and only a little muddy when it rained. Though things are protrayed as more lovely than they really were, I have to say that the attention to detail--from the handwritten manuscripts to a small town's market day--was amazing. I felt as if someone had tossed me several hundred years back in time and that Robin, Brother Luke, and John-go-in-the-Wynd were my guides who explained everything to me. It was a fascinating journey, though it took place in an armchair. (The original illustrations help a lot.) The main characters are as real and as idealized as the setting is. What I mean is that they are three-dimensional and realistic, but also that they have halos and little wings. They are really, really good. To some, they may be boring; but if there were more people like them in the world, we would all be much happier. Brother Luke was a wonderful, patient and understanding mentor to young Robin. He always seemed to know exactly what to do to help Robin to maturity. I don't know how someone can finish the first few chapters and not like Brother Luke for the rest of their lives. Readers may also leave liking Robin, though they may find him too "goody-goody." All I can say is that he was a naturally quiet, modest boy who was eager to please his father and serve his king. This did not make his struggle to gain self-mastery and to find the "door in the wall" any easier than it is for all the young people who have to go through it. The premise is about how Robin found his door in the wall. Life walled him in, but he was taught to believe in himself and not give up. He learned woodcarving and even had some adventures. In the end, he learned that even a little lame boy can please his father and serve his king--if he really, really wants to. I think that if more young people who feel walled in by life read this book, then they will be better off, for the following reasons: 1. it will show them a beautiful world, where they can drop their cynicism and be young again; 2. it will give them, if only in their imaginations, a kind teacher in Brother Luke; 3. it will teach them about the door in the wall, and how all they need to do to find it is to look. PS--If you're a teacher, please read "Keeping Kids Reading" by Mary Leonhardt before you assign this book. Too many kids hate this book for no reason other than that they were forced to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Had Hoped
Review: While I am a lover of reading and especially Newbery literature, I was disappointingly bored. I appreciated the basic storyline, how a crippled boy becomes stronger with the help of a community of monks who teach him patience and work ethic. I also love the theme that there is always a door in the wall if you look hard enough, and that anyone can be a hero. However, the story moved too slowly and the language made me sleepy, despite my appreciation for medieval literature. This is definitely not a book I can see many children enjoying, certainly not my own class of 6th grade students.
Rating:
Summary: Historical Fiction in Old English Style
Review: Without telling you the entire story word for word, the book is about a young boy named, Robin who embarks upon various adventures due to the fact that his father is fighting in a war, and his mother has gone to serve the queen.
The book moves slow in the begining because the author details how Robin spends his life in the Monosary with Brother Luke. However, the book moves into an interesting adventure when John-go-in-the-wynd comes into the scene.
The language of the book may not be easy for younger people to understand. It's written in old english. I feel the author may have done this because she is trying to give the reader the effect that the story takes place in medieval times.
I personally liked the story, but it may not be a story everyone will enjoy. You have to be patient enough to get through the tedious parts to enjoy the story. I actually rate this book 3.5 stars, but since there are no (halves), I had to put 4 stars on the review.
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