Rating: 
Summary: just as good the second time around
Review: I had read Jackaroo several years ago--probably 12 or 13 years now--and only remembered the basic story when I read it again with my son. He's a 10-year-old boy, and in the first few chapters, he would ask, "When is it going to get good?"--for a boy his age, it was a rather slow start, but I enjoyed the descriptions, the setting up of the story. But once Gwyn was trapped in Old Megg's house with the lordling, he was hooked and many nights he begged for another chapter. And he didn't even mind that it had a mushy, romantic ending, which is saying a lot.
I loved the characters of Gwyn and Burl--I'm not quite sure what book one of the other reviewers was reading who said the characters were one-dimensional. And what's so bad about a nameless kingdom? It's not as finely drawn as Tolkien's Middle Earth, that's true--but then I wasn't reading it as a fantasy reader. I just like a good story with good characters, and Jackaroo certainly delivers that.
I do agree that both Tad and Gaderian were not much like 10-year-old boys that we see in 20th/21st century America, but that is not where they were living. They were living in a time and place where Gwyn was almost considered an old maid at age 16!
We are going to read On Fortune's Wheel next (the next Kingdom book) but will probably skip Elske because it's too girly. I've read On Fortune's Wheel before, and I'm looking forward to re-reading it as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Incoherent tedium
Review: I have merely one suggestion--read this book if you have insomnia. It will cure it immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I just finished this book, and I thought it was great. I kind of knew what was going to happen in parts because I had read On Fortunes wheel before this, which I wouldnt advise people to do, because it takes place two generations ahead of this book and it takes away from a book to know what is going to happen(even only in parts). THere were parts of the book I found hard to understand, but usually if I read further or I read it over I could understand what was going on....I'd tell more about the book but I dont want to give it away :) All im gonna say is that I liked the ending. Just when u thought things were gettin bad, they werent...
Rating: 
Summary: If you like Voigt's books, this is a must-read!
Review: I liked this book alot. Its pretty hard to describe. I think anyone who likes adventure ought to read this. The only thing I didn't like about it was the odd way in which the author wrote it. Some parts blend in the with the plot perfectly, others don't. At the end, you get the idea that it was a bit rusty. But I think it was very good!
Rating:
Summary: Slow in the beginning but great ending!
Review: I loved this book! It's the story of Gwyn a girl who dosen't wish to marry like the other girls. One day when she has to guide a Lord and a Lording throught the country side she gets trapped in a tiny cabin with the Lording. The Lording teaches her to read and write, but nothing to compaire to what happens when she finds a costume that resembles the outfit of Jackaroo, the legendary outlaw who serves the poor and fights injustices. Sort of like a cross between Robin Hood and Zorro.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book
Review: I read the other reviews complaining about the lack of actionin the book, and have to strongly disagree with them. It's sad thatpeople prefer mindless "action" to finely-crafted characters, engaging plots, vivid settings, and meaningful messages, all of which this book has in full.These are the reasons that this book is one of my favorites. Voigt has written a classic tale, and the messages contained within this book are applicable not only in the vivid medieval-type setting where Jackaroo takes place, but in our time as well. Gwyn is a genuine heroine, in a way that anybody can be a hero: she knows what is right and makes an effort to bring the rightness about. Burl is a wonderful compliment to Gwyn. And if you absolutely MUST have your action, there's enough of it towards the end of the book to satisfy anybody. Give this book a try, it's an amazing example of the potentials of the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, thought-provoking read
Review: I read this book many, many years ago for the first time and was so enchanted by it, I had to have my own copy. To this day, JACKAROO and the "sequel" ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL bring to the forefront what it was like to live in a period where, depending on what station you were born into, you stayed in that station. People who expect action out of two dimensional characters should try reading the "Pick your own adventure" books, because the plotline in JACKAROO is obviously too advanced. Let the book do what it's supposed to do: take you to a different place and time, regardless of whether or not there's action on every page.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, thought-provoking read
Review: I read this book many, many years ago for the first time and was so enchanted by it, I had to have my own copy. To this day, JACKAROO and the "sequel" ON FORTUNE'S WHEEL bring to the forefront what it was like to live in a period where, depending on what station you were born into, you stayed in that station. People who expect action out of two dimensional characters should try reading the "Pick your own adventure" books, because the plotline in JACKAROO is obviously too advanced. Let the book do what it's supposed to do: take you to a different place and time, regardless of whether or not there's action on every page.
Rating:
Summary: Great start
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was a much stronger told story than Voigt's more experimental Orfe. All the characters get a chance to mature over the course of Jackaroo and enough loose ends are tied up by the conclusion to give the book a satisifying sense of closure while still leaving the Kingdom interesting enough to start off a series of book. I certainly will want to read more of the books in this series! The book would have been even better if Voigt had tightened up the first half of the book where she introduces Gwyn and her motivations for her adventures in the second half of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book! Romance and Adventure.
Review: I said that this book should be 4 stars because nothing really happened in the book. I really liked it though. It was intresting in the end. It is about 16 year old Gwyn who has made up her mind not to marry. When she is trapped with a strange lordling, she finds clothing like that told of the old story Jackaroo. Gwyn becomes that person. She only stops when soldiers are about to hurt the people close to her. Ever since Gwyn told in the story that Burl whould go in the village to find a girl to marry, I thought that he should marry Gwyn. I had that feeling for most of the book. This is a great book to read.
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