[Mellark]

Joshua's Song was originally #54 but moved due to a mistake.
ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#56

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a children's novel written by Judy Blume in 1972. It is the first of the "Fudge books". It was followed by Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania and, most recently, Double Fudge. Although Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great features many of the same characters as Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, it does not fit exactly in the continuity of the Fudge books because it only focuses on Peter's classmate (who later becomes his cousin), Sheila Tubman.
Originally, the book featured illustrations by Roy Doty, but all post 2002 reprints of the book have omitted the pictures.
The story focuses on a 9-year-old boy named Peter Warren Hatcher and his relationship with his 2-year-old brother Farley Drexel. Farley hates the sound of his legal name, and prefers Fudge for any and all occasions.

[(Cole)]

I remember that book!

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#55

Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death (1969) is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim. Ranked the 18th greatest English language novel of the 20th century by Modern Library, it is generally recognized as Vonnegut's most influential and popular work.
The work is also known under the lengthy title: Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death, by Kurt Vonnegut, a Fourth-Generation German-American Now Living in Easy Circumstances on Cape Cod [and Smoking Too Much], Who, as an American Infantry Scout Hors de Combat, as a Prisoner of War, Witnessed the Fire Bombing of Dresden, Germany, ‘The Florence of the Elbe,’ a Long Time Ago, and Survived to Tell the Tale. This Is a Novel Somewhat in the Telegraphic Schizophrenic Manner of Tales of the Planet Tralfamadore, Where the Flying Saucers Come From. Peace

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#54

Amanda Benson, twelve years old, and her younger brother Josh, eleven years old, are moving with their parents to a new neighborhood called Dark Falls. Although Dark Falls isn't more than four hours away from their old home, Amanda and Josh are very upset about having to move. Perhaps this is because the move happened rather suddenly. Only a week before, their father received a letter from a lawyer informing him that he had inherited a huge old home from a great uncle named Charles. No one in the Benson family can remember this particular relative, but that doesn't stop Mr. and Mrs. Benson from feeling elated about the unexpected news. Mr. Benson had been looking for a way to quit his boring office job and pursue his true love, writing, for a long time, and the inheritance provides just the opportunity. The couple does not hesitate to pack up all their belongings and make the necessary arrangements to relocate.
When the family takes their first trip to Dark Falls to meet with the real estate agent, Compton Dawes, and view their new home, only the two children and their dog, Petey, immediately sense that something is not quite right. Despite the fact that it is the middle of July, the entire neighborhood seems covered in an artificial darkness created by massive, overhanging tree limbs. Dead brown leaves, shade, and shadows are everywhere. Then there's the house itself, which obviously was not constructed any time in the recent past. It is an enormous, dark, antique structure with two big bay windows on the second floor that look eerily like a pair of observing eyes. While Josh proceeds to impatiently whine in protest over the latest tragic development in his life, Amanda watches with amazement as a boy appears suddenly in the doorway of her new room and disappears suddenly.

Amanda feels much better after seeing her room. She goes outside to tell Josh about it, but he is gone. She finds him a little while later in the cemetery...being chased by someone. Amanda keeps seeing other kids in her home and hearing strange sounds. And, the friends she makes all seem a little different. It is later revealed that the children are all dead, having been murdered when they lived in that house. Once a year, they must have the blood from a freshly killed person to sustain their "living dead" existence for another year. The dead group of children kill Petey the dog because they believe that “dogs always know. Dogs always recognize the living dead. That’s why they have to go first.” One of the undead children, Ray, attacks Amanda in the cemetery while her brother Josh is still looking for the dog, but Josh saves her at the last moment when he shines his light on Ray’s face which causes him to melt and become a pile of bones. Amanda and Josh run home but when they arrive they are attacked by the dead children who explain that there is no dead great uncle and that the letter sent to their parents was a trick to bring the Benson family to Dark Falls. “This is the dead house...Once a year, you see, we need new blood," the dead children say, as they move forward to kill Amanda and Josh. Suddenly Mr. Dawes, the real estate agent, appears at the door and the dead children vanish. He tells them that he has already saved their parents from the dead people and that he will take them to join their parents.

While on their way with Mr. Dawes to the cemetery, Josh tells Amanda to look at one of the gravestones where she reads the name of Mr. Dawes. They realize that Mr. Dawes is one of the dead people and that he is leading them to their deaths. When they confront him with the truth, Mr. Dawes explains that long ago the whole town was intoxicated with a yellow gas from its chemical factory and that every one died but later Dark Falls became the town of living dead. Josh succeeds in killing the already dead Mr. Dawes with a blow of his flashlight on Mr. Dawes' forehead and then the two children rush to save their parents. Their mom and dad are imprisoned in an amphitheater shielded by a huge tree and located at the end of the cemetery. The dead people are all there waiting to kill and feed on them. Amanda and Josh move the tree that shields the amphitheater which makes the sunlight pour in. The dead people melt away as soon as the sunlight catches them. Amanda and Josh save their parents and as the family is leaving the dead house they meet on the driveway a new family coming to move to the house. And the surprise is...Mr. Dawes is there.

Fact: In the episode "Welcome to Dead House" Ray and Karen, have their last names switched. (hers is Karen Thursten - instead of Somerset- and Ray's is Ray Somerset -instead of Thursten-

Fact: In the episode "Welcome to Dead House" instead of at the end Mr. Dawes being there, it's Petey, and he's a zombie dog when they find him as they are leaving the house. Petey turns grey and his eyes turn red when he gets in the car. {C Then the family takes their first trip to dark fall to meet with the real estate agent Compton Dawes and view their new home only the children and their dog name Petey immediately sense that something is not quite right despite the fact that it is the middle of July the neighborhood seems covered in a artificial darkness created by massive overhanging tree limbs dead brown leaves shade and shadows are everywhere then there the house itself obviously was constructed any time the recent past it is observing {C from Ryan.This is a wonderful book which I personally recommend for any age group and any gender. And remember:watch out for things behind you...

[Dancehall]

Originally posted by Mellark

Today everyone, we will be starting from #91-#85!
ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#91

Oh.

[supaspaz]

Alright, Slaughterhouse-Five! I just read it for a class last quarter and it is brilliant like nothing I could have imagined.

This list is really legit so far! I hope the top fifty isn't stuffed with crap...

[Tylerbv]

When I was little, I cried after reading the Dead House Goosebumps. It scared me so much LOL. Seriously though, that above The Catcher in the Rye?

[Crazytowel]

The Catcher in the Rye
Animal Farm
Lord of the Flies
Hamlet
The Hobbit

The only ones I've read from the list so far. I hope I've read more in the top 50.

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#53

One summer day, Greg Banks and his best friends, Shari, Michael and Bird, decide to investigate the Coffman House, an abandoned house said to be haunted by a mad scientist, Spidey. Greg goes and steals a camera, but when terrible things start happening to the people in the pictures, Greg suspects that there is some thing very wrong with it.

[(Cole)]

More than one Goosebumps book on the list?

[Dancehall]

Originally posted by Dancehall Queen

Oh.

.

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#52

Maurice is a novel by E. M. Forster. A tale of homosexual love in early 20th century England, it follows Maurice Hall from his schooldays, through university and beyond. It was written from 1913 onwards. Although it was shown to selected friends, such as Christopher Isherwood, it was only published in 1971 after Forster's death.
Forster resisted publication because of public and legal attitudes to homosexuality — a note found on the manuscript read: "Publishable, but worth it?". Forster was particularly keen that his novel should have a happy ending, but knew that this would make the book too controversial. However, by the time he died, British attitudes, and law, had changed.
The novel has been adapted once for film and once for the stage.

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#51

Drama / 5m, 2f / 1 Set Winner of the New York Drama Critic's and Tony Awards as well as the Pulitzer Prize, this sensational drama starred James Earl Jones as Troy Maxson, a former star of the Negro baseball leagues who now works as a garbage man in 1957 Pittsburgh. Excluded as a Negro from the major leagues during his prime, Troy's bitterness takes it's toll on his relationships with both his wife and son who now wants his own chance to play. "One of the great characters in American drama." - The New York Post "One of the richest experiences I have ever had in the theatre. I wasn't just moved. I was transfixed." - The New York Post "A blockbuster and a major American play." - New York Daily News

[Dancehall]

Originally posted by Mellark

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#52

This makes me happy.

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#50

The Coldest Winter Ever is a best-selling 1999 novel written by MC and activist Sister Souljah.

[Mellark]

We are entering the Top 40!
ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
Top 40
#49

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is a 1960 children's book by Dr. Seuss. A simple rhyming book for learner readers, it is a book with a freewheeling plot about a boy and a girl, and the many amazing creatures they have for friends and pets. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish was part of the Beginner Book Video series which included Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! and The Foot Book.
Rik Mayall narrated this story as part of a HarperCollins audiobook that also includes The Lorax, Dr. Seuss's ABC and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

[supaspaz]

Who was voting for all these Goosebumps books?

[Achilles.]

Goosebumps?

[Mellark]

ATRL's 100 Greatest Books Of All Time
#48

The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical praise and became an instant bestseller. A film adaptation of the novel, directed by Peter Jackson who personally purchased the rights, was released in American theatres on January 15, 2010, and in the UK on February 15, 2010.

[Strangergab]