Julie &Julia written by Julie Powell

My year of cooking dangerously.

I didn't like this book at all. For me it dragged from beginning to end. It didn't hold my interest. It seemed like Julie was constantly whining. That after starting her blog and the cooking she really wanted to end it but couldn't find a graceful way of doing it with her family saying 'i told you so'. I wished there was more about Julia child in the book and movie. I bought the book hoping for a good read. I have since left it in the teacher collection at school. Teachers have picked it up to read but in a matter of hours its back on the shelf.

Maybe I didn't like the book because my every day language I don't use many 'curse words'. It seems that is how Julie gets on with her day to day living. This probably has been one of the worse books I have read all year. If you need to take a peek at the book, go to the bookstore, borrow it but don't buy it. Even the movie's best parts is when Julia made her appearances.

Ghosts of War written by Ryan Smithson

This is a biography written by Ryan Smithson. I have read other Iraqi war books by Phil Kiver. Kiver's thoughts on the Iraq war is very different then Ryan's view of the war. Kiver was an embedded reporter which isn't the same as being a soldier in the middle of the war. Kiver lived the life as if the war was a vacation with swimming pools, beds to sleep on, washing machines to do laundry, etc. Not for Ryan. He begins his bio from enlisting , basic training (red, white and blue) and more. At this moment I am into Part II White Phase. Find the book read it, feel the life of US soldier in Iraq.

I have completed reding this book, find the book and read it.

I needed to share this book with someone and this was the first place I thought of. Many of you know that about 2 years ago my son joined the Army. He has never been able to tell me what happened from beginning to now. I know it had to have been good and bad times, scary times and laughable times. But he really doesn’t talk about the military. Perhaps one day he well. But I had to share this book. I have just finished reading it. I know from reading this book it was like therapy for the writer but it made me cry and proud and thankful for the USA military. A small passage from the book is why I agree this Iraq war had to take place. pg. 240: "Do you appreciate your freedom so much that you're willing to fight for it?" "Yes" Okay he says" "Do you appreciate your freedom so much that you're willing to fight for the freedom of others?" That is why we went into Iraq not looking for weapons or take their oil but to give freedom to those who don't have it. We need to remember why we have our Freedoms. We fought for them from England in the 1770's. Weapons of mass destruction weren’t a chemical or weapons but the dictator was the weapon of mass destruction! He took what was to be given to every human because they are given naturally and unconditionally. Please read the book, see why it is necessary to be in Iraq and Afghanistan. What or Who is the weapon of mass destruction? This is the best book I have read this year, I bought this book for my school library but something about this book drew me to read it, I read it, I hope it chased away the ghosts for Ryan. It made me realize the sacrifice he and others made so others may know the Freedoms we enjoy every day. So many fight to remove soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan, we fight so others can have the Freedoms we so much enjoy every day of our lives.

Uprising written by Margaret Peterson Haddix

It's a story about Bella, Yetta and Jane. Women who worked in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Bella and Yetta are immigrants that came into the USA through Ellis Island. Wanting a better life and help their families they left behind. Jane is from a family established in New York. A rich family. Taken care of by her father. Jane leaves her father's home; becomes a governess to the owner of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory family.

Bella and Yetta strike and picket wanting to form a Union to protect the workers but in the end no Union is formed. One day a careless fabric cutter tosses a cigarette in to a scrap bucket causing a fire. The fire spreads quickly trapping the workers. Who lives and who dies in the fire?

I needed tissues in the end. The book brings Bella, Yetta and Jane to life.

The Magician's Elephant written by Kate DiCamillo

Peter is ten years old decides to spend bread money on a fortuneteller that has appeared in the town square. The fortune teller forsees an elephant will lead Peter to his sister, whom he has long thought dead - but Peter immediately feels the truth of the woman's statement and his faith and hope that his sister is alive and will be reunited with him cannot be deterred.

Its a short novel. Peter is determined to find his sister and elephant. Peter wants the Magician to return the elephant from it came from. does he find his sister? Can he get the Magician to return to elephant to her home?

First Light written by Rebecca Stead

Peter is thrilled to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland, where his Dad will be studying global warming. Peter will get to skip school, drive a dog sled, and share in his dad's adventures. But Peter is having visions that both frighten and interest him. Peter and his mom suffer from terrible headaches.

Thea has never seen the sun. Her people have retreated to a secret world they've built deep inside the Arctic ice. Thea dreams of a path to Earth's surface, Peter searches for answers brings him to Thea's hidden home.

What is the first light?

A Virginia Readers Choice selection

Lawn Boy written by Gary Paulsen

I loved this book. It had me smiling and laughing. All he wanted to do was make enough money to purchase a new tire for his bicycle. Instead he made enough money to purchase a brand new 10 speed bicycle. One of his clients didn't have the money to pay for the lawn care, the client was a stockbroker, Arnold, he invested his payment into stocks. The more money he made cutting lawns the more money was invested. He owned a lawn care business with employees, stocks and a prize fighter. This is a great story for starting up your own business. Told in the first person 'I'.

This is a fun book, read and enjoy it. The parts of the book are on google books, read it online!

A Virginia Readers Choice selection

The Night Tourist written by Katherine Marsh

Jack spends alot of his time alone with books. He has a near fatal accident that changes Jack's life forever. Jack's dad sends him to NYC. to see a mysterious doctor. Jack hasn't been to NYC since his mother's accident. After seeing the doctor he is at Grand Central Terminal, he meets Euri. Euri offers to show him the stations secret hidden places. Jack with Euri's guidance stumbles upon NYC's ghostly underworld. Jack wants to find his Mom or has she moved on. What is the real reason for Euri for showing Jack the underworld? Jack's Mom has an * next to her name what does that mean? How can Jack help is Mom move on? Does Jack make it back to the real world before 3 nights has passed?

This book is the 2008 winner for Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. I liked the book, enjoyed the mystery. I didn't figure out the ending until I got to the end. Enjoy the book.

The sequel to this book is The Twilight Prisoner, look for it at the bookstore.