The Court of Stone Children

I read this book over and over again starting at age 10 when I first discovered it. There was something magical and intriguing about the story of a girl who comes across a ghost in a museum, and then learns about her past (so different from today) over the course of several meetings. There is a mysterious quality to the book, and always the feeling that something this magical might happen to any child at the right time in the right place. This is one of the stories I most strongly remember falling in love with as a child-- some 30 years later, it still sticks with me.

I first read this book when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I found it to be a beautiful and mysterious book with just enough strangeness to make me want to read it again and again. Well when I got older I found a used copy and decided I didn't want to be without it because it impacted me like few books had, and as a kid I read alot! It will give you an imagination if you don't have one, and if you do have one, it'll fire it up all the more. I love it. I still pull it out and read it on occassion, usually in one sitting. The 'person' who gave it a one star rating is probably used to Ren & Stimpy...

I first read this book 20 years ago as a young girl, and I loved it so much I kept it for years and read it over and over again. It made me love museums and antiques and anything from yesteryear. To this day, I can't help wondering about the history of any beautiful old things I come across and secretly hoping for a little enchantment to envelope me when I touch them. And all because of my favourite story of a girl, a museum, a statue and a ghost.

This book is about Nina Harmsworth and Dominique de Lombre who meet each other in a museum. There is something about Dominique that draws her back there day after day. They become friends and Nina looks back into time, to prove that Domi's father was not a traitor, but an innocent man.

This is one of the best children's books I have ever read. It has an intriguing plot and marvelous atmosphere. Above all, it has believable characters that are easy to identify with. The main character, Nina, is struggling to adjust to her family's move from the country to the city, and this struggle leads to her meeting with other, memorable characters involved in struggles of their own. The ghost story and the struggles with the nature of time add wonderfully to make the book a unique, timeless read