Book Description
In the W.i.t.c.h. boxed set, see how the story started as the girls discover their new responsibility in The Power of Five and then find out how a friendship is destroyed in The Disappearance. In Finding Meridian, the girls travel to a new world and in The Fire of Friendship, they learn just how much their lives have changed since they became Guardians of the Veil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Alright, OKay, Could USe Help
I had read these books, and my friends were fans of W.i.t.c.h. and they were a lot younger about 8 and 9, and had a difficult time reading them.I myself am 24 and had no problem except they were a bit confusing.NEeds more info and work to catch up the comic book series.

Daughter avidly reading
My 8-year old requested these books, and hasn't been able to put them down.They're difficult enough for chapter books, but entertaining enough to keep her reading. ... Read more

Book Description
Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element-air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.Between school, family, and a new interest in boys, these girls had enough to worry about! But now they have the secret to turn into a group of friends with special powers . . . destined to fight the evil Prince Phobos in the magic world of Metamoor. W.i.t.c.h. combines fashion and fantasy, magic and middle school, heroism and humor, friendship and family, teamwork and transformation, in a wholesome mix proven to charm the tween girl market. Introducing a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

great book but could have been better
this book was the sixth witch bookv i read i read them out of order though from 1,2,7,10,12,9 but this book was easy to follow even though i didnt read book 8. i liked the part where they found out their mission to help elyon. it was a great book though.

9
[...]
I think this book was really good.I'd reckonmend, though, the book, "the Disappearance", "The Light of Meridain", and "The Crown of Light" more, though. ... Read more

Book Description
Following on from the successful MPEG-2 standard, MPEG-4 Visual is enabling a new wave of multimedia applications from Internet video streaming to mobile video conferencing. The new H.264 ‘Advanced Video Coding’ standard promises impressive compression performance and is gaining support from developers and manufacturers.  The first book to cover H.264 in technical detail, this unique resource takes an application-based approach to the two standards and the coding concepts that underpin them.

• Presents a practical, step-by-step, guide to the MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 standards for video compression.
• Introduces the basic concepts of digital video and covers essential background material required for an understanding of both standards.
• Provides side-by-side performance comparisons of MPEG-4 Visual and H.264 and advice on how to approach and interpret them to ensure conformance.
• Examines the way that the standards have been shaped and developed, discussing the composition and procedures of the VCEG and MPEG standardisation groups.

Dr Iain Richardson leads the Image Communication Technology research group at the Robert Gordon University in Scotland and is the author of over 40 research papers and two previous books on video compression technology.
" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Totally solid, and still the only book out there
I almost didn't get this book because some of the other reviews are pretty bad.I'm glad I got it!

This isn't a standard.So you won't find every table that's part of h.264, but you'll find enough that the standard will be accessible after you read this book.And given that the goal is conversational instead of documentary, Richardson has done a terrific job of simultaneously describing a host of relatively difficult concepts, explaining how they fit together, and explaining their places in the MPEG4 and H.264 standards.

This is probably not a first book on video compression; for that, you might try Digital Video Compression (with CD-ROM).If you get that other book, though, only read the first half.(The second half is absurdly dated and not very helpful.)I think it's reasonable to read the first half of that book, then this one, and then jump right into the standard itself (for whatever purposes you want to do that).

Pretty useless
The book does not go deep into the H.264 standard.
It seems that it was supposed to be a review of MPEG-4, with H.264 added as an afterthought.
I expected the level of the Mitchell / Pennebaker classic book on MPEG, but was disappointed.

A book which is better than many overview papers
I like the book on overview of H.264 (because it is no worse than most of overview papers, even those in IEEE by H.264 chairs).

One Chapter on H.264 Only - Don't Bother
I got this book since it is the only book on H.264 I know of.
There is a single chapter on H.264, chapter 6. The free
on-line papers from Richardson are mostly what is in that chapter.

There are plenty of H.264 overviews on the net for free
which cover the subject in greater depth which are more current.

First on the subject, rough around the edges
This is the first text book published on H.264.It has a nice overview of digital video compression techniques followed by chapters focusing on the specifics of each of the MPEG-4 and H.264 standards.Buying this book relays much of the same information but is more cost effective than buying each of the papers and articles on the subject from IEEE and others.

It appears that this book was rushed to publication in order to be first.Particularly in the chapter on H.264, there are many typos and incomplete figures.In some places, a new technical term is used without proper introduction.I look forward to a cleaner second edition in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great for preteens
A very cute book for preteens. It talks about crushes, and well, being 13, i've had a lot of crushes. All the girls are 13 or 14 so its actually pretty accurate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a delightful way to get a young child to read...
my daughter is 9, and absolutely LOVES the series...she goes through them quite fast, but the colorful images and marvelous stories keep her interest -- she'll sit and read the entire book from cover to cover and then move on to the next one...

My daughter loves these books
My daughter is 10 and loves this series, she still enjoys picture books, but it is hard to find a picture book that also reflects her increased level of reading.The W.I.T.C.H. Graphic Novels are done in cartoon form, but with alot of detail.The graphics are well done and my daughter loves to read them.

The COOLEST book
This book is one of favorites! I own it,and I like it! This book the 7th and the 8th chapter books,The Light of Meridian, and Out of the Dark....BUT, its in COMICS!The chapter books are okay,but I like the graphic novels better.In the 7th part,Cornelia goes to Meridian and meets Caleb,and she also she sees Elyon and then Cornelia and Elyon are friends again.And then in the 8th part Will and her Mom get in a fight.Well,I wont tell you everything! I dont want to spoil it 4 you!

great comic book
i knew this book would come and i know for a fact that this is a great book
in the first half elyon cornelia and the rebels have to fight a battle in meridian meanwhile the other girls are dealing with crushes and school will meets jackie gilligantaranee goes out with nigel

in the second half will has her own adventure whilee the other girls are at karmillas concert in meridian she meets daltar and comes face to face with cedric

WITCH
This book is a comic of two comics combinedwhich are WITCH Someday You'll Meet Him and WITCH The Black Roses.Except this only shows the comics instead of everything new in the WITCHy world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Boooring
Most of these reads are ok, their pretty basic level reading though. I just read them because my friend's such a huge fan and because I really like the television series, W.I.T.C.H which is better than the books by the way. Don't get me wrong I was thrilled that there was going to be a book based on Hay Lin because usually the story revolves around Will and Corneliam but I have to say it didn't even come close to measuring up my expectations. Sure I like the Chinese lamp and the idea of this place where this cruel spirit poses as the empress and makes everyone her slaves, blah blah blah. But really bugs as her defense isn't very impressive at all. And the fight was well a little pathetic for someone who you thought was so powerful. This was a disappointing read.

Good Book.
This is a really good book. Try it, you won't be disappionted.I don't want to spoil it, so I won't tell you too much.

Bring On the Bugs! heh, heh, heh...
Yo , this is an awsome book but a little boring. U really c the whole Hay Lin and the " i miss grandma" thing. Enjoy!!!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Open Court Reading book
I am pleased with the purchase of this product.It has met all of the needs for my nephew's Reading class in his school. ... Read more

Book Description
Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element-air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.Between school, family, and a new interest in boys, these girls had enough to worry about! But now they have the secret to turn into a group of friends with special powers . . . destined to fight the evil Prince Phobos in the magic world of Metamoor. W.i.t.c.h. combines fashion and fantasy, magic and middle school, heroism and humor, friendship and family, teamwork and transformation, in a wholesome mix proven to charm the tween girl market. Introducing a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

elyon not so mean after all
elyon has been my favorite character since book one when she could be seen in the comics at the end standing watching the guardians escape from cedric and vathekthen i read the second book and thought she was mysterious the way she appeareded and disappeared later in book fiveshe said she was princess of meridian what she did to will in book six was mean and i cant believe she would do something like that but in this book she changes u see her goood side again

Review of W.I.T.C.H. #7by Julia, a 9 year old girl
I liked this book, though not as much as "Illusions and Lies."My favorite part is when Cornelia reads an old journal describing her adventures with Elyon.For instance, in the journal Elyon drew a picture of Caleb, Cornelia's crush from another world (whom she hasn't met yet).Another entry describes when Elyon went to Cornelia's skating tournament, where she won third place. Later, Cornelia goes to Meridian herself, where she meets Caleb.He'd just rescued her from a surprisingly deep fountain.

This was Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
This is my favorite W.i.t.c.h. book!If you skip this book, and read ahead to the other books, it would not make sense.Cornelia meets the man who she dreamed of and Elyon joins Cornelia in taking out evil!This is a major, major, major have for the W.i.t.c.h. lover!

WOW!!!
This book was just great. Out of all the w.i.t.c.h. books i have read, this happens to be all of them that are out, i really liked this one a lot! It really showed the relationship between Cornelia and Elyon also Cornelia and Caleb, Taranee and Nigel, and even Will and Matt!!! I thought it had a lot of action and was just all around GREAT!!!!! ... Read more

Book Description
Satou and Yamazaki have hit rock bottom in their creativity! To get out of his slump, Satou goes on a date with the newly married Kashiwa-senpai. But an envious and jealous Misaki lurks in the shadows, patiently waiting for her chance to strike revenge on Satou. Satou will need more than creative inspiration in order to survive Misaki's devious scheme! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

OTAKU WITH GIRL TROUBLE
Unlike most otaku, Satou and Yamazaki both find themselves having girl trouble in Volume 4 of Welcome to the NHK. They're both also having parent problems as well. Yamazaki is beginning to make inroads with a classmate named Nanako that he likes but he is being ordered home to take care of the family business. Satou has wants Misaki out of his life and gets another shock when he finds out his old friend from high school, Kashiwa, is getting married, which drags up some feelings that he didn't even know he had for her. Things get even more complicated when Yamazaki invites Nanako to his apartment, the mecca of otakudom. Meanwhile, Satou and Kashiwa are on the cusp of having an affair, which enflames the jealousy of Misaki. Suffice it to say, a lot of hidden feelings come out in this fourth volume.

While NHK has always had its share of black comedy tinged with despair, you always felt that the writer was never taking it very seriously, almost as if he were laughing with a trace of a tear on his face. But with this volume we get some very serious relationships right out of slice of life shojo, which just adds another layer to an already virtuoso work. Mostly gone are the uncomfortable underage girl fixations and sexual fantasies of earlier books (that's not to say this one is totally clean), but the two guys are finding it hard to work on their hentai game so a lot of that element is missing. Misaki has gone from guiding light and angel to stalking psycho girl and it seems totally out of the blue, unless that is due to the fact that she didn't know she liked Satou until Kashiwa entered the picture. With its brillant comedy bits of gallows giggling, NHK is one of the best titles out there.
... Read more

Book Description
Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element-air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.Between school, family, and a new interest in boys, these girls had enough to worry about! But now they have the secret to turn into a group of friends with special powers . . . destined to fight the evil Prince Phobos in the magic world of Metamoor. W.i.t.c.h. combines fashion and fantasy, magic and middle school, heroism and humor, friendship and family, teamwork and transformation, in a wholesome mix proven to charm the tween girl market. Introducing a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

GREAT BOOk!
omgsh i luv the witch series! The hav sum decent and exciting magic and action, and they relate to people in real middle schools. You should read the books before this one to be able to understand it completly. Its a bit wierd because they are pulled into a painting by the Heart of Candracar without their powers but its still really good. You have got to get this!

Review of W.I.T.C.H. #5 by Julia, a 9 year old girl
This book is a little bit different than other W.I.T.C.H. books, because it takes place in a painting!The Guardians get pullled in by The Heart.Once inside, they're disappointed to find out they can't use their powers.It has a very sweet ending, when Caleb gives Cornelia a beautiful white flower.In other books, it shows the flower in a vase in her room.

The Last Tear...
The last tear book was published by Hyperion and The Disney companies.It was adapted from the comics by E. Lenhard.It was a very good book, but needed more detial in what is happening.I suggest reading "The Power of Five", "The Disappearance", "Finding Meridian" ,and "The Fire of Friendship" if the flashback is not helping you.i rate this book a 10 of 20.

W.I.T.C.H.
I love the W.I.T.C.H. books!This is one of my favorites in the series.It is unique in the series, but a little confusing.Great book.

A Very Different Approach But Good Anyway
This book is gret, but a little different.The climax of the book takes place in a painting.But still this book is one of my favorites in the W.I.T.C.H. series.Again, not a very good climax, but I still want to have the next book. ... Read more

Book Description
Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element-air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.Between school, family, and a new interest in boys, these girls had enough to worry about! But now they have the secret to turn into a group of friends with special powers . . . destined to fight the evil Prince Phobos in the magic world of Metamoor. W.i.t.c.h. combines fashion and fantasy, magic and middle school, heroism and humor, friendship and family, teamwork and transformation, in a wholesome mix proven to charm the tween girl market. Introducing a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An o.k. book
I read Illusions & Lies, and after I read the very last page, I was disappointed. I was disappointed about a couple things: About how Elyon treated Will, and Will's mother's attitude toward Will (also in Out of the Dark #8),AND now Ellie's mean!(if you don't know, Ellie means Elyon)Well,anyway,Illusions & Lies is not so bad, BUT its not so good either.

W.I.T.C.H. Chapter Book: Illusions and Lies
I read the search inside thing, and was wondering "so WHAT is her mission on the lawn?" it was just about to tell me so i clicked to go to the next page and got the back cover. it is SO frustrating to what to know one simple thing and get the back cover. it would have been so much better if i could just have seen what her "mission" was and got the back cover THEN. but nooooooooooooo...but anyway it was ok. pretty much told you who Taranee was and her current (general) life goal. i would recommend giving the next page, or no search inside which is less frustrating. but the books are good.

Review of W.I.T.C.H. #6by Julia, a 9 year old girl
This has so much action, you won't believe it!One of my favorite parts happens when Will has a big fight with her Mom.She won't let Will go to swimming championships until she gets her math grade up.Will goes to the pool to be alone and sees her coach, Vera (who's actually Elyon.)Elyon makes a snake out of water, and it attacks Will.Irma gets there just in time, commanding it to stop.It does, dropping Will into the pool.In my opinion, if you like W.I.T.C.H., you have to read this book!

Wow
This W.I.T.C.H. is probably the best one out of all the series.It is about how Will is tricked by the Metamoorian dudes to turn against her friends and fellow Guardians.The cliffhanger was Taranee opening a box with her name on it and a beautiful butterfly comes flying out.The box was from Taranee's crush Nigel.This cliffhanger was O.K.It made you wonder whether Taranee and Nigel were going to get together.All in all a good book.

The Truth Beyond illuions and Lies
This book rocks beyond reason!!I read it in like 5 minutes!!This book is a great read.It has splendid storytelling that captures the readers attention almost instantly!! A definite good read.I beg of you.Read this book!!! ... Read more

Book Description
Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element-air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.Between school, family, and a new interest in boys, these girls had enough to worry about! But now they have the secret to turn into a group of friends with special powers . . . destined to fight the evil Prince Phobos in the magic world of Metamoor. W.i.t.c.h. combines fashion and fantasy, magic and middle school, heroism and humor, friendship and family, teamwork and transformation, in a wholesome mix proven to charm the tween girl market. Introducing a hybrid format that combines four-color comics with a traditional chapter book format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Review of W.I.T.C.H. #4 by Julia, a 9 year old girl
I liked this book, because it has action and friendship in it.When Will's dormouse escapes, she goes to Meridian to find it and gets attacked by black roses in Phobos's garden.She meets a gardner, who tells her that his family has suffered a very bad fate.It's not as good as other W.I.T.C.H. books, but it's still very good.

Great
I really like this book, alot.I liked how Will's dormouse escapes and Will has to go to Meridian to find him.I also liked the end where Will's mom is thinking, What's happened, Will?But sinced we moved, everythings changed...
I wonder if moving away from here might change things-
Might make them better?It made me really want to read what happens next!

Out of this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have read all the Witch books that have been made, and I must say this was one of the best ones ever written yet! This book is one of the more interesting ones. It includes action, tradgedy, and new friendships. I highly recommend this book for readers who love fiction, action, comedy, and friendship. ... Read more