Contests Books

I've heard much good about Draper and saw this book had alot of copies in our school library (who probably has about 1 or 2 or at the most 3 copies of each book) and thought maybe it's good. I'm not disappointed with it but wouldn't go around saying its the best book in the world and will never recommend it to any of my friends (who wouldn't like it) but many people would enjoy it and it does have a good story line and plot so I'm not putting it down because I enjoyed it but you have to be the right person

I love this book. This is a great book. The main character is Delia. She has a big secret that no one no's about. She has been keeping it to herself for many years now. She's scared to tell others. The setting takes place in a high school in Miss. Benson's classroom. Sometimes in the gym competing or practicing other jump roping. The point of view is Delia that's telling the story. First, Delia found a paper on a pole, it had a picture of Randy's dad. She didn't no what it was about so she hid it from him. When Randy was cleaning the gym he found the paper. He got mad at Delia. At the end she finally told him that she couldn't read. Delia and her mom went out to dinner after the competition and she told her. She told Delia why she didn't she say anything sooner and that she was going to do everything that was possible to get her the help she needed to learn how to read. Randy has a crush on Delia, he protects her, his nice, and caring. This book is about Delia not knowing how to read and how she got threw competing in the nationals.

The main characters of this book are Delia,Randy, and Yolanda.Delia is a smart, nice, pretty, athletic young lady.Randy is a active, smart, and has a crush on Delia.Yolanda is active,pretty,and a liar(who lies about pretty much everything).
The setting of this book is in present day, around the 2000's. It is in a high school(during school hours) in miss.benson's classroom. It also takes place in the gymnasium where they jump rope.
The conflict of the book is that Delia doesn't know how to read. She didn't tell anyone except yolanda. She didnt want to tell anyone because she thought that it would interfere in her double dutch tournament and so she wanted to wait to tell her mother. So after the tournament she told her mother and randy and her mother told her she was going to get help.
The plot of the story is they practiced for double dutch everyday after school in the gymnasium. There is a BIG reading test coming up and Delia is really scared because she doesn't know how to read. The test is before the double dutch competition and she is scared that she wont pass the test and she will get kicked out of double dutch. Then out of no where a big twin tornadoes attack and the school messes up big time and school is cancelled until it gets fixed. So that means no test. Then it is the double dutch competition the win and she tells her mother and randy.
The theme is "Once in a blue moon not telling the truth can come in handy. But still lieing is really bad."
The point of view is second person. Second person is close to first person because the with "you" is replacing the "I".

I am a middle school Language Arts teacher who teaches high-level eighth grade students (in other words, VERY smart, motivated, and voracious readers). I suspect that when Sharon Draper was a teacher, she taught some lower-level students because this book seems to be clearly geared towards those students.

The author can write, but I feel this particular work is not challenging, as everything seems to be over-explained, and, though heartfelt, relatively two-dimensional. When each major character harbors a Secret, and through a series of incidents where all the Secrets are revealed, these Secrets don't meet up with deeper intellectual meaning. In short, I find both plot and character exist in the world of Afterschool Specials -- simple, over-explained and highly coincidental.

Many kids will enjoy this book, but mine will not.

this book was ok but it was missing something. the thing that got me the most was the way the kids talked. i'm in 8th grade and i don't talk like that. i mean who says peace out anymore? overall i thought it was a good book, but i have other books i'd rather read.

I remember seeing this book in a book store when I was 6, (think it was barnes and nobel) but I didn't think I would like it. but today, I went to target, and got this book to read now, and also Clarice Bean spells trouble for christmas. GR8 book, luv it!

Halla Eliason
11-7-07
Writing
Book Review


What Mrs. Wilberton is up arms about is that, ``Someone, and I've got a pretty good idea who you are, has stolen the book exhibit winners cup'!''



Clarice Bean and her best friend Betty Moody are doing a book exhibit called Ruby Redford, but when the book exhibit winner's cup is stolen it's up to them to find out who. Is it , Mrs. Wilberton ? Or is it Grace Grapollo?



My favorite part of the book is when Clarice Bean writes a letter to the author of the Ruby Redford books. Patricia E. Maplin Stacy, and Clarice and Betty get a letter back. I like this part because I would know how Clarice felt. I love to read books and I am kind of like Clarice Bean herself.


I gave this book a five star book. If you like mysteries you should read Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren child. One of the reasons I think makes this a good book is when Lauren Child uses real cloth. I also think what makes this a good book is when she uses real pictures then puts in a little animation. One of the pictures has a hippo wearing glasses! You should read utterly me Clarice Bean.


I think the authors purpose/ moral of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is you always learn something even when you think you don't.




By: Halla

Clarice Bean loves hanging out with her friend, Betty Moody, and reading Ruby Redfort books. Like her favorite junior detective Ruby, Clarice keeps an eye out for unusual happenings and anything else that might capture her wildly wandering attention.

When the class is assigned to do a book project, Clarice expects to work with Betty. Nothing seems to go right: Betty goes away for some mysterious reason; their teacher doesn't like Clarice's book choice; and worst of all, Clarice must partner with Karl Wrenbury for the project.

Will Betty ever come back? Will Karl ruin the project? Will nothing turn out properly? It is so utterly stressful!

Young girls are sure to enjoy Clarice's wandering style. Swirling sentences, amusing doodles, and utterly packed with adverbs, this chapter book is entertaining. Adults may find the excessive use of adverbs and certain writing affectations to be annoying, but grade schoolers aren't likely to notice or care.

Because this reviewer is both an adult and a writer, it is difficult to award this book more than "4-Balloons," but it is more important to keep in mind the intended audience. Girls are sure to identify with and love Clarice Bean. Lauren Child's "Clarice Bean" books make reading fun, which is utterly important.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
12/05/2006

4.5 Balloons for WUAT Kids; 5 Stars for Amazon

This was one of the best books I have read over the years. It was very interesting because it tells you a lot about one of her favorite books, Ruby Redfort Runs. It's very funny how she uses "utterly" a lot. Clarice's teacher is Ms. Wilberton. It is interesting how Ruby Redfort has the same type of teacher as Clarice. Ruby's teacher's name is Ms. Disco. Clarice's best friend is named Betty Moody and they both like the Ruby Redfort series. Betty Moody and Clarice do a book report on Ruby Redfort and it's interesting how they learn so much about clues and solve the mystery of the stolen trophy cup.

Utterly Me Clarice Bean
Utterly me Clarice Bean is by Lauren Child. Clarice and her best friend Betty are assigned a book report about a book they read that was educational. They could not figure out what book they would use for there book report. They are obsessed with Ruby Redford, a book about an 11 year old under cover spy. I Think Lauren Child is trying to say that sometimes you have to look hard for something that's right in front of you. The main characters in the book are Clarice, Betty and her teacher {I don't remember her name}.

My favorite part in the book is when they write a letter to Patricia F Maplin Stacey the auther of Ruby Redford. The beginning is just introducing her friends and family. The book is very funny. I think if you're the kind of person who likes to laugh and likes something different and your like 8+ in age you will love this book.
-Alexandra,10

I loved this book. It's light and fluffy, but great fun. I recommend it for anyone looking for a good diversion.

Ignore the review by Publishers Weekly. This is a profound book and an excellent read. I could not put it down. Lucy Fooshee is not as dislikeable as Publishers Weekly suggests. And her growth and sexual/ emotional awakening is a true pleasure to read. The writing is funny at times, but the book reads on many levels. I was a bit disapointed to see that the reviews on the book cover and back seemed to indicate it was a funny, light-hearted read, because I found the story very moving and the writing top grade. Clement handles metaphor beautifully and there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader turning one page after another in eager suspense. This is the rare book that had me in bed until 11 am Sunday morning because I just had to finish it before I got up and started my day. I highly recommend it.

It looks like anyone can write a book if this is the kind of junk that can get published. What a waste of valuable trees. Wish I had only paid $.01 from the used price above. Barf!

Instead of Eudora Welty's "Why I live at the P.O.," it could very well be Alison Clement's "Why I'm Leaving Palmyra." In a running first person dialogue, Palmyra resident, Lucy Fooshee, describes small town life from a very subjective point of view. While Lucy tells the story, her own blatant character flaws are humorously exposed.

As a result, we seem to enjoy loving or hating the vain, self-absorbed Lucy. Our strong reactions indicate that the main character has enough depth to actively engage the reader. By the end of the book, defenders of Lucy Fooshee are pleased to discover there are hints of her maturity on the horizon. Who knows? Perhaps someday Fooshee fans will find out if there's life for Lucy AFTER Palmyra.

I read this book when it first came out in hardcover and I recently saw it in the bookstore in paperback. I love the cover! The hunky picture of Billy Lee will tickle your ovaries as you nod to yourself reading of Lucy Fooshee's predicament. Yes, her good looks and unruly passions have driven her life's actions. Her passionately ambitious ego needed to find a way for her to
shine amidst the humdrum predictability of the small town into which she was born and raised. Was she unconciously programmed to create the train wreck we could see coming for many chapters? Her life was not about the intellect or reason. She was not remotely sensible. She drove me crazy! My inner mantra as I read was "Don't do it! Don't do it!" It became hard to turn the page. But that was the fun of it, watching my own reaction to this woman who catches sexual fire and refuses to douse the flames. Then comes the power of transformation that probably required the train wreck to occur. I wonder if we can hope for a sequel with the new awakened Lucy. We get only a taste of her and I suspect those passions will continue to express themselves in new hopefully less destructive ways, but I'd like to know.

I live in Connecticut and I saw this books was a nominee for the 2009 Nutmeg Award. It's about a 12-year-old boy who is challenged to circled the world in under forty day by taking only land and sea transportation. It's very unusual, very exciting, and one of those books that's easy to read and hard to put down.

Flashing before your eyes, a sterilizing dart penetrates your arm. Scary huh? Well this is only one of the things that Adam Story, a 12 year old kid, who has a challenge to travel the world in 40 days. Wow that must take a lot of time.

In MVP I can see how the author, Douglas Evans, can choose the title because he's known to have very adventuress stories that are most exiting. Also I can see how he picked out the title because it's a race to the finish and in the end you get a prize a big one too.

Well this 12-year-old kid takes the MVP challenge and as he goes he will have a difficult time getting through the task to go around the world in 40 days. Wow that's a short amount of time to go around the world.

Like for example one of the difficulties is he runs into these people and they capture him in his wonderful adventure around the world. The problem is he only has 40 days to go across the world. So in this detention center you have to stay in there for 3 days and that makes it even difficult to get around the world.

Also the Authors theme was better than other books because it doesn't have chapters it has time zones and they say where they are and you don't get lost because the time zones were just amount of pages. Also it makes you want to read on and on because it always ends with a twist and you want to know what happens next.

Well if you hadn't read this I would recommend this book because it always ends with a twist also it also adventuress and if you did read this I recommend one of the authors other books like Apple Island and if you didn't read this book I would because he has very adventuress and exiting story about traveling around the world.

I read this book because it was on the award list in Illinois. It's about a boy who tries to travel around the world without taking any airplanes and do it in 40 days. It's very good

MVP
Douglas Evans
231 pages
Brandon Sjursen



Flashing before your eyes, a sterilizing dart penetrates your arm. Scary huh? Well this is only one of the things that Adam Story, a 12 year old kid, who has a challenge to travel the world in 40 days. Wow that must take a lot of time.

In MVP I can see how the author, Douglas Evans, can choose the title because he's known to have very adventuress stories that are most exiting. Also I can see how he picked out the title because it's a race to the finish and in the end you get a prize a big one too.

Well this 12-year-old kid takes the MVP challenge and as he goes he will have a difficult time getting through the task to go around the world in 40 days. Wow that's a short amount of time to go around the world.

Like for example one of the difficulties is he runs into these people and they capture him in his wonderful adventure around the world. The problem is he only has 40 days to go across the world. So in this detention center you have to stay in there for 3 days and that makes it even difficult to get around the world.

Also the Authors theme was better than other books because it doesn't have chapters it has time zones and they say where they are and you don't get lost because the time zones were just amount of pages. Also it makes you want to read on and on because it always ends with a twist and you want to know what happens next.

Well if you hadn't read this I would recommend this book because it always ends with a twist also it also adventuress and if you did read this I recommend one of the authors other books like Apple Island and if you didn't read this book I would because he has very adventuress and exiting story about traveling around the world.

I think MVP by Douglas Evans was a very suspenseful book that captivated my attention and interest until the very end. Readers who enjoy exotic books will like this adventerous fiction tale of MVP. This time seeking book is about Adam Story and other twelve-year-olds racing around the world, with no adults, in forty days or less. If you reach home base traveling by land and water only, you recieve $4 million. Adam gets challenged by Prince Olioli Oh to travel for his Magellan Voyage Project in the Great Global Game. On a scale from 0-5, I would give this outrageous story a 5 star rating. I would give MVP a 5 star rating because it made me feel like I was a player in the competition, trying to race around the world in 40 summer days! If you like traveling, learning new things, and are up for a competition, pick up a copy of MVP, the worldwide journey of twelve-year-olds.

Juliana Baggot sure hit the nail on the head with this one. The story of the dysfunctional middle-class family is told from the standpoint of mother AND son, which contributes to its mesmerizing plot. While the family looks quintesential on the outside, the main characters are complex and sometimes bizzare. Ezra is coming into his manhood and questions his views on life, as well as his sexuality. Pixie is struggling with her own identity and having somewhat of what one would call a quarter to mid life crisis. The author follows a summer of milestones, heartache, laughs and sadness. This is definately a must read and hard to put down, as it leaves the reader wanting to know what's in the characters' thoughts and what will happen next.

If all families were like this one, there would be no more 'Miss America' pageants or winners or contestants. There would be nothing but chaos. Pixie had been in the 1970 Miss America pagaent representing the small state of New Jersey. Now, it is 1987 in Greenville, Delaware, as she remembers things from times past and her sixteen-year-old son, Eric, devises his own set of rules.

This is a most dysfunctional mother/son (absentee dad) and a very ill grandmother. The cover showing the long pink silk dress is reminiscent of Sandra Bullock in the movie, 'Miss Congeniality.' Most of Pixie's remembrances are prosaic, and some less than desirable. The twin-spin (Eric's rules and Pixie's faulty memory) shows the dark side of the American family. She had wanted to be Miss America so that she could have the perfect family.

Pixie's mother, after a debilitating stroke, discloses some skeletons in the family closet. The consequences prove disastrous to Eric when he discovers his biological father is gay. Here are Eric's rules: (l) Have a set of rules to live by like a monk or an army general, or a debutante so that you always know just what to do and say. (2) Always agree with women, no matter what they're saying, even if you don't understand them. (3) If you can't play the guitar, or if you do but don't have a guitar handy, the next-best thing with women is to do what you're told, to follow directions. (4) Eventually, things come undone. (5) When things come undone, try to have your pants on. (6) Don't keep guns in the house. (7) Always carry your own bags. (8) Make things clear right from the get-go. (9) Good people buy your peanuts and bad people don't. (10) Always send in the lamb first.

For him, it was the failure of the American dream. She has written GIRL TALK and THE MADAM.

As a fellow author I always grab books by authors I've yet to read in the hopes of discovering a new favorite. Unfortunately, this was not the case with The Miss America Family or Julianna Baggott. I found the narrative boring, the dialogue unrealistic no matter how dysfunctional a family you come from and the entire story plot unattainable because I wasn't able to force myself to continue reading.
I would suggest Ms. Baggott hire a professional editor to help with her story telling technique, grammar usage and overall story construction. If nothing else, please learn what run-on sentences are and the proper meaning of words prior to their use. I am disappointed to see POD quality come from a trade publisher. The professional publications and reviews this received are laughable at best. Back to the drawing board please!

I picked this book up at work... and started reading, and it just drew me in... it was a little slow from time to time, but it was so deep, and moving, and i really enjoyed it, and the people in it. It was sad, and moving, and touching, and funny. I reccommend it...

I was attracted to this book by its cover - it reminded me of a family photo - And I am soooo grateful I followed my intuitive call because this book did not once disappoint me!

"The Miss America Family" is about a family - and more sincerely, it is about love and survival and back to love again.

The family story is told from the vantage point of Pixie, a one-time beauty queen turned mother-of-two-and-dentist's-wife and her teen-aged son, Ezra - stepson-to-Pixie's dentist husband. Along the journey we meet extended family and see what they have done to cope with the tragedy and twists and turns of life which bring us careening away from life and then, eventually - seem to boomerang us back, eventually, to ourselves.

Baggott's writing is exceptionally compelling. Here are two of my favorite sections:

From page 45, told by Pixie:

"You see, memory is its own animal. It can hibernate, spawn, and riseup - moths in a well lit room, each thing body lifted by fierce wings. It doesn't make sense, but sometimes the moths are fireflies - their fiery hearts are what light the room. I'm trying to explain memories as things with wings. I'm trying to explain my mind, and it's a faulty, desperate thing. Listen, an ordinary woman, unpacking groceries in a bright kitchen in a cheery colonial, a mother of two, a dentist's wife, could choke to death on so many white moths and fireflies."

From page 241, told by Ezra:

"I wished it was an old train, one with steam, one just about to set off into a fog. I wanted to lose my father in a cloud, but he was standing there, with his heart beating in his chest, blood running through his veins, his lungs pulling and pushing air. I preferred the ghost. There was a gust of wind, a hot breeze, and the Phillies baseball cap flipped off my father's head, backward, behind him, into the train and he turned around to go after it."

I love the rhythm of the writing and the clear, evocative emotion-pictures Baggott uses... while at the same time feeling just a touch of the narrator's tendency to "stand back" from the scene.

My suggestion is to read this book and feel it for yourself -

When I took the State Qualification Test after reading and studying this book, I feel confident that this book helped me with large quantities of the questions! If you read this book it will almost ensure you sucsess! It is a nessesity for anything "Geographic" related! Not only dooes it quiz your knowledge like some study guides, but has many, many, many atlases, country informaion, state information; even general geography bee info. like how to study, what to expect for each section, what to expect for each level, and it's information has been right on target so far! Buy it! You'll win for sure!

This book was the best resource we found for the review of world geography as our son prepared for his school Geography Bee. We reviewed it as a family. We all learned a great deal.

This book is really neat. I love it. I learn so much every time I sit down with it. It is divided into parts for US questions, World questions and I can't recall what else. It comes complete with maps and it's very user friendly. I am not so strong in geography. When my son in grade 7 was second in a geography bee, I decided that he and I should brush up. So I got this book from Amazon and I do like it. I think the authors have put a lot of care and interest in this book and if you desire to strengthen your geo knowledge, this is the book for you.

My son started showing an interest in Geography in the 3rd grade so we bought him several books & this was one of them!! He is now a walking text book! watch out!! He has won several Geography bees & this is one of the books he has studied from!! Plus he just loves reading the information & sponging up the information!! This book had a lot of great tips about what to expect at & from a Geography bee. Tips for kids & for parents (which I felt helpful.) We recognized several of the study questions were used in the bee to... not his questions :) - But it was enjoyable as a parent too to learn the facts from this book! Enjoy!

My son is going through this with lot of enthusiasm. Well structured and very popular amongst others.

The babysiter's club

The setting of the story well it basically takes place at the stoneybrook pageant but the other half like most of the story took place at the babysitter's clubhouse and their regular homes of babysitter's.Stoneybrook,,conneticuit.The plot of the story is 1.there were two new club members being as junior deputy's. 2. The club found out there was going to be a little miss stoney brook pageant. 3. All the girl's entered the pageant with a child that they babysit for on a regular basis. 4.the girl's started to have some trust issues and jealousy issues.5.dawn's little brother moved back to Cali .6.in the end the girls came back together and helped each other. The conflict of the story is the babysitter's club girls were having problems because they all entered girls into the little stoneybrook contest and they were having a jealousy issue. My girl is better. The point of view of the story is a 2nd person point of view. The theme of the story is that you should not betray your friend s when in a contest or something don't get jealous work together and you will all do good.Charcters in the story are dawn,mary-anne,kristy,Claudia,Mallory,jsessica,Claire,margo,Karen,myriah,and charolotte.

The girls in the Baby Sitters Club, Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Dawn Scafer, Mallory Pike, and Jessi Ramsey see in the paper there's going to be a Little Miss Stoneybrook contest. The little girls all want to be in it. Dawn is helping Claire and Margo Pike enter - but Kristy's helping Karen Brewer, Claudia's helping Charlotte Johanssen, and Mary Anne's helping Myriah Perkins. Claire's singing, Margo's peeling bannas with her feet and telling a story, Charlotte's reading part of a book, and Myriah's dancing. (I can't remember what Karen's doing.) But when they get there they see a girl named Sabrina who's wearing makeup and she's been in six contests. Read this book to find out if one of the girls will win.

THIS BOOK WAS EXCELLENT AND SHOWS THE TRUE COLOURS OF BEAUTY PAGEANTS.THERE IS ALOT OF PRESSURE PUT ON SOME KIDS TO COMPETE AND ANN.M.MILNE HAS PUT IT IN A POSITIVE AN NEGATIVE WAY.A DEFINATE 10/10

I've got two questions about this book's front cover:

1) Why is Stacey on the cover if she didn't come back from New York City until #28, Welcome Back, Stacey??

2)If Jessi's on the cover, why not Mallory? She joined the club along with Jessi in #14, Hello, Mallory.

Mrs. Pike wants Dawnto help prepare Margo and Claire for the Little Miss Stoneybrooke Contest. And Dawn wants her charges to win. the only trouble is Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne are helping Karen, Myriah and Charlotte enter the contest too! And nobody's sure where the competition is fiercer: at the pegeant or at the baby sitters club?

Enid had a terrible secret.... she only tells Elizabeth but Jessica find out about it. The secret it that Enid did drugs when her old time boyfriend. Jessica uses it for her own advantage but will things backfire? Also Jessica is falling for the snobby, rich Bruce Patman(which all of you need to read the next book to see what happens with them) This book was really good and I recomnd it to any Sweet Valley fans.

The second book in the Sweet Valley High series, this was a good continuation from the first, and we get to know more about some of the characters.

Enid Rollins has a terrible secret and finally confides in Elizabeth about it. Meanwhile, Jessica is desperate to win Bruce Patman, but who shows no feelings for her. She is sure that Bruce will be made king at the fall dance, and thinks of ways to make sure that she is made queen. One of her rivals is Enid, who is dating Ronnie Edwards, the head of the dance committee and who can get a lot of votes for Enid. Jessica stumbles upon one of Enid's letters from a guy of Enid's past, and uses it for her own advantage, even if it means ruining Enid's social life.

I liked this book mainly because you find out about Enid's horrible past, how Jessica uses her tactics to get what she wants, and how Elizabeth tries to stop her. The side story about Ms. Dalton and Ken Matthews was kind of boring, but just goes to show you how far rumors can go! All in all, a good SVH book.

Enid Rollins[Elizabeth's Best friend] tells her she was on drugs and was with this guy Ronnie Edwards,who got her into drugs and a bad crowd.She and Ronnie were arrested.Somehow Jessica knows this secret,and she wants to be queen of the fall dance,and she knows the crown is within her grasp and the boy of her dreams,Bruce Patman,The richest boy in Sweet Valley High. Jessica tells lies or something,and Enid thinks it was Elizabeth.As a joke Elizabeth fixes Winston Egbert[one of Todd Wilkins's best friends as a date for the fall dance] She gets what she deserves.

When Jessica finds out about Enids Terrible Past, who shes Running Against as Prom Queen, she Uses It to her Advantage and Spreads the News All over School, Wiping Out her Competitions Chance of Winning. To make thing worse, Enids Boy-Freind (Who, By the Way, was a Total Jerk) Breaks Up with Her Because of her Doings in the Past. I Felt that this Book was a Little Short Compared to its Ninteen Chapter Predrecessor...Overall, it was Okay, and In the End, Jessica Finally Got what She Deserved...

In a little town (like Sweet Valley) people know what's going on with there and what's going on with here. They know each other's past and secrets. So, secrets are not secrets in Sweet Valley! In this book, Jessica wants to be the beautiful queen of the Sweet Valley Fall Dance. If she wins the competition, Bruce Patman will be in Jessica's arms. But Enid Rollins (Elizabeth Wakefield's best friend) is the only person standing in Jessica's way. When Jessica finds out a terrible secret of Enid's past, Jessica is sure that she will be the queen of the Fall Dance. Only Elizabeth can help Enid, but can she stop Jessica?

Over the years I have often turned to Pillsbury Bake-Off recipes for innovative appetizers, meals and desserts. I was happily surprised to discover that this cookbook, of over 350 award-winning recipes from the Bake-Off contests, had been published. I bought it recently and have not been disappointed.

It is true that many of the recipes call for prepackaged or convenience foods. However, the time saved in preparation and the wonderful tasting results prove that, sometimes, the ends justify the means.

Some of my favorites include: Corn and Pumpkin Soup with Jalapeno Pesto, White Chile with Salsa Verde, Creamy Spinach and Tortellini; Grilled Chicken and Mango Corn Salad, Crafty Crescent Lasagna, Salsa Couscous Chicken, California Casserole, Chewy Peanut Brownie Bars, Lemon Meringue Dessert Squares...and I could go on and on.

The photographs are beautiful and illustrate the finished product, as well as provide some attractive serving ideas. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow. "Best Of The Bake-Off" also provides a hands-on history of the evolution of American cooking over the last 50+ years, with short spotlight stories about many of the Bake-Off winners. This fun and easy-to-use cookbook is, in and of itself, a real prize-winner!!
JANA

I like this book. Whether you will too depends on what kind of cook you are.

From my point of view (though many think differently) the weakness of this book is the large proportion of recipes based on processed foods. Of the 366 recipes in the book, 57 of them call for Pillsbury crescent rolls or refrigerated biscuits - especially unappealing because of the hydrogenated oils. Almost every soup recipe is made with canned goods and most of the entrees call for packaged foods. Of 46 cake recipes, 26 are based on packaged mixes. The desserts also tend to be quite sweet.

However, there are a number of good, from scratch recipes included in this collection. The Whole Wheat Raisin Loaf, Ring-a-Ling sweet rolls and the Nutty Graham Picnic Cake are excellent. The Tiramisu-Toffee Torte was also a winner when made with a from-scratch white cake rather than a mix. There are quite a few more interesting recipes I have yet to try.

In sum, if you embrace packaged foods in all their convenient glory, you'll love this book. Even if you don't use convenience products, there's still a lot to like here. Go ahead and give it a try, but don't buy it as your only baking book. However, if you are really a purist, buy another book.

Paging through this cookbook is always a bit of an adventure and promises to yield a delicious dish for just about every occasion. Whether you are looking for a dessert (some of the best recipes in this book are for desserts) or for a main dish, there is something for everyone in this book.

Some of my family's favorites include Creamy Broccoli and Rice Soup, Savory Crescent Chicken Squares, and Ramen Vegetable Beef Stir-Fry. Our favorite goodies include Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies, Pecan Pie Surprise Bars, Raspberry Filled White Chocolate Bars, Caramel Apple Cake, Peanut Butter Crunch Cake, and Cookie Cheesecake Squares.

I have used this cookbook on many occasions and although I love the recipes, I wish that the book was in a binder instead of a hardcover book. Also, I tend to like cookbooks with more pictures, but I felt that the stories that were included about many of the winners was an excellent addition to this book. Overall, I highly enjoy trying many of these recipes and I feel it is an excellent addition to any cookbook collection. Enjoy!

This is one of those cookbooks that you can leisurely browse through and discover and rescover many great recipes. There is a nice variety here. All have clear, easy to follow instructions. The brownies on the cover turned out beautifully. That is a complicated recipe, but it is broken into simple steps. Any level chef would enjoy concocting these creative recipes! I also had fun learning about the history of this famous bake-off. This cookbook is a nice addition to any kitchen!

The best part of this cook book is that the recipes were not created by culinary professionals or famous chefs. The cooks were ordinary people creating put-together recipes requiring no special talents, abilities, or ingredients. On the other hand, some of the recipes make one cringe just by reading them; since they are all contest winners, perhaps they taste better than they seem to appear in print. On the whole, however, it is a collection of (mostly) very good and easy to do recipes for the home baker. This book is a glossy affair full of color photos; it is a shame that the person responsible for the format did not also think of arranging the recipes within each chapter, or supplying a list of recipes for each chapter.

The Pillsbury Flour company has been sponsoring a famous baking and cooking competition for many decades, and this book is a compilation of some of the very best of the winners. Some baking classics came from this contest: French Silk Pie, Tunnel of Fudge, Thumbprint Cookies, Upside Down Cake. The ingenuity and thoughfullness of the amateur cooks often out-shine their professional counterparts, of course they tend to do things like use instant mashed potato flakes (do they still make them? I have not seen them since I was a teenager) and canned vegetables. Many recipes include the ingenious use of store-bought components, like canned biscuit dough, cake mixes, and instant puddings; the flavors were often quite good. I tried some of the more odd recipes, but did not have any problems with any of the recipes, although I was not always happy with the flavor or texture. Most of the recipes were very easy to do, and none required special or sophisticated skills, which is the most valuable part of this cookbook. One interesting factor is that despite the fact that each recipe was by a different person, all recipes seem to have been standardized on one, consistent flour measurement (spoon and sweep).

The first three chapters (appetizers, main dishes, side dishes) were the least inspiring; I do not think I did more than a couple of recipes out of these parts. The chapter on breads was rather ordinary, but the one for sweet rolls and coffee cakes was quite good. The cookies were OK. The cakes were extraordinary, the pies were OK. The last chapter was a hotch-potch of recipes that did not fit anywhere else.

In summary, this is a valuable cook book to have on your book shelf for those occassions when you have many hungry people at your table and you just need to throw together something decent, or you just do not have the time or inclination to do anything else.

Professor Simon Shaw has anything but a dull life. No sooner is he asked to advise on the finding of some remains at a historical site than someone is trying to kill him. Are the two related? You'll enjoy finding out. I agree with other reviewers that there are some plot weaknesses; in particular, a tenured professor would not face being fired because he was taking antidepressants, and someone denied tenure might stay to finish up a year but would not hang around hoping to be given another chance at it. But the rest of the academic politics described ring true! I also enjoyed the subtext of Simon and Julia overcoming their preconceptions of each other and will hope to see their relationship move forward. Am looking forward to reading the next one.

I pick up this book at my local library, just before the the auther was going to come speak. I finished in about 2 days and found it a very fun read. Since I live in Raleigh, I have walk on the same sidewalks through the neighborhoods and colleges mentioned in the story. I found myself in the story most the the way through. By that I mean that the stressors or distractions of my world melted away as I was absorbed into Simon's world. I like that in a book.

This is one of those great books that is fun to curl up on the couch and read. Full of great descriptions and well developed charachters -- not to much a great, twisting plot -- it is no wonder it won Best First Mystery! I recommend to anyone and to the reader who reviewed it before, I would like to see you try and write something of this caliber!

I enjoyed every page of this book. It is a mature mystery written in a very pleasurable style. Funny remarks, deep observations, characters that are alive and personable - all those features are present in this book making it a real LITERATURE. Not just mystery plot which is perfectly shaped but everything else in this book - political, philosophical, ethical observations and thoughts are very deep and valuable and have life and value of their own, while skillfully blended with a double mystery plot. This feature, in my opinion, is an indicator of a great talent. The book is as interesting and valuable in its other qualities as in the sophisticated and spotless mystery line. The college life line is recognizable and enjoyable. The characters are so alive that there is a sensation of their physical presence. They create intense feelings in a reader. Only great masters in every genre could create really alive characters, persons who can stay and live in literature as real people in life, and only great masters could create the literature works which are read with intense interest as to the thoughts expressed. And also the book is very kind. The points of view of various positive and negative characters are viewed kindly, with appreciation of circumstances that helped created "good" or "bad" types of personalities. The evil of prejudice is shown so skillfully that one realizes deeply how fruitless, how small and unimportant prejudices are in the perspective of time while people may see them as big and justified at the moment and how much real harm and desctruction they can bring into people's lives. The book may serve as an instrument of kindness, an instrument of wisdom - how to treat people as they are with kindness. It is a very interesting book and a very good mystery.

I picked up this book because it won a Malice Domestic Award from St. Martin's press and because it's set in an area where I used to live. It does a nice job of giving the reader a sense of Raleigh, but it fails utterly as a mystery. The characters -- both the villain and the investigator -- lack believable motivation. Prof. Simon Shaw wants to solve a 70-year-old murder case, well, just because he wants to. The author shows little understanding of the academic world in which the book is set. A tenured professor could not be fired for taking anti-depressants. Any college that tried to do so would find a nasty lawsuit on its hands.

The book is riddled with small technical problems. Shaber never met a point-of-view shift that she didn't like, in the middle of a page or a paragraph, it doesn't matter. The editor fell asleep on this one. And at one point the narrator compares a character to "Athena determined to defend Troy from the Greeks." The only problem is that Athena was on the side of the Greeks against the Trojans.

Female investigators are often ridiculed for getting themselves into dangerous situations in the next-to-last chapter of the book, only to be rescued by a friendly policeman. Prof. Shaw falls into that cliched trap in this book.

And this thing won a prize?