Diamond in the Window: Amazon.ca: Jane Langton, Erik Blegvad: Books

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Book Description

A very unusual house...

Eddy and Eleanor Hall have always known that their family was a bit out of the ordinary. After all, they live in one of the most remarkable houses in all of Concord. But they never guessed just how extraordinary their house really is, or what tremendous secrets about their family's past it holds. That is, until they discover the magical attic room with its beautiful stained-glass window, abandoned toys, and two perfectly made-up, empty beds that seem to be waitingperhaps for two children just like themselves....

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Eleanor and Eddy, who later appear in the Newbery Honor-winning The Fledgling, are drawn into a mysterious dream realm as they attempt to solve the mystery of disappearing relatives. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
EDWARD HALL SAT UNDER the front porch of the big house on Walden Street in Concord, Massachusetts, and thought about his two ambi in life. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

39 Reviews

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A book for all ages., Aug 28 2004

By	Joseph Denney (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Diamond in the Window (Paperback)

While I was a voracious reader as a child, there are a very few books from my childhood that stand out in my memory like beacons. This is one of those books. I was probably eight or nine when I first read it, and I still remember to this day lessons I learned from this book -- like putting the interests of others before your own, for example. One of the author's gifts is that she was able to teach such important lessons without this reader realizing he was being taught. As far as I was concerned at the time it was a vastly entertaining and enjoyable read. It was also my first introduction to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau (albeit at a level a child could comprehend). If this book were required reading for every child, our world would be a better place.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, Jun 15 2004

By	Melissa McCauley (North Little Rock, AR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Diamond in the Window (Paperback)

I started to read this book in third grade and was prevented from finishing by the school librarian. Having finally found it again in my thirties, it is even better than I remembered. I love the riddles solved in dreams and the references to Transcendentalism that I would not have understood as a child. I especially liked Eddy's palindromes, a really believable character quirk. (For another great palindromist character, read The Poisonwood Bible.) Still captures my imagination, exploring a rambling Victorian house to find hidden treasures.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Like nails on a chalkboard..., Feb 11 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Diamond in the Window (Paperback)

I don't understand why this book seems so universally beloved--I could barely bring myself to finish it! Although the general storyline was compelling, the format was so predictable (search for poem item in real life, find poem item in dream, move on to the next stanza...) and the Transcendentalist and Concord references so ubiquitious, gratuitous, and downright dull, that only sheer stubborness motivated me to finish the book. Furthermore, the characters were entirely one-dimensional and their dialogue gratingly unnatural. I grew to despise not only Eleanor, Edward, and Freddy, but Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott, and even Jane Langton herself. I don't think the author has a real grasp of who her audience is. I know she certainly isn't writing for me!

(For a book that scratches the itch that this book fails to, read The Children of Green Knowe by L.M. Boston--a book that comes as close to perfection as any I've ever read.)

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars "Leave Behind Us Footprints in the Sands of Time..."
Much of Jane Langton's classic Hall Family Chronicles is based on her obvious love for Concord, Massachusetts and its rich literary heritage and historical importance; in... Read more

Published on Feb 5 2004 by R. M. Fisher

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure from Childhood
My daughter's rapidly developing reading skills prompted me to recall the books I loved best when I was a child. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars The best mystery that I have ever read
I got this book as a Christmas present from my mom. It looked so good, so I started to read it right away. Read more

Published on Jan 19 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's Book Ever!
I recommend this book and its two sequels, to anyone who has children. It has it all...fantasy, experience, mystery, and history. Read more

Published on Aug 15 2001 by xanadid