U Books

I liked this book because soccer is my favorite sport after basketball. Also the character in this story is Whisper and theres a girl in my grade with that name. Whisper plays socbowl in the story. I think thats a funny name. This was a very good book!

Wandering through the library, searching to find an interesting book, one caught my eye. It was the, The Million Dollar Kick. The book starts out in Oklahoma City. Whisper is an ordinary kid who is haunted by a mental picture of a soccer game. One afternoon Whisper took her little sister, who is an athlete, to the mall. Where her sister enters her in a contest. Where if you win you get the chance to win a million dollars by kicking a soccer ball past a famous soccer goalie. She wins, but now she has to learn how to kick a soccer ball. She thought she was toast until Ellie decided to coach her. I thought it was a great book full of action, surprise, and pure interest.

wisper nelson who lives in oklahoma she goes to the donut shop with her little siter and they see a thing that says Come Up With A Good Slogen and if they win then that person gets 1 shot to kick a soccer ball in to the goal if they mis they get a year supply of donuts if they get it in they win a million dollars but it ant that easy you need to kick it past carmen applegate the pro goal keeper. wisper wins and she doesnt want to do it but she still does it, she gets help bye this nice 11th grade soccer player when she got enough help she was going to do the kick in a day then for some rreason carmen applegate got hert so she couldnt play so wisper teacher was the goalie but wisper kicked it in she was really really really happy

The Million Dollar Kick is a great book. It is so suspenseful. You never know what she is going to do. The main character hates being the star but her sister loves it. My mom, my six year old sister and I all liked it. It is such a good book.

Genre: Fiction
Three sentence summary: In this book Whisper Nelson is chosen to kick a ball past a professional soccer player and if she makes it, she is awarded $1,000,000. There's just a little problem: she is not athletic. She has not played a sport since she was eight.

What I liked most about the book: The thing I like about this book is that Whisper has a chance to win $1,000,000.

What I didn't like and why: The only thing that I didnt like about the book was that it was about soccer and I do not like soccer very much.

My favorite character and why: Whisper Nelson because she wasn't very athletic but she still tried. (why wouldn't you if you made the goal you can win $1,000,000.)

The scene, line, or passage that meant something to me and why (page#): Well it was probably when she was getting ready to kick the goal. It's exciting to kick a ball and if you score you win $1,000,000 dollars.

What I would say about this book to someone else: That it's nice that the characters are realistic and the author Dan Gutman discribed the setting very well.

One question i have after reading this book: I wonder if the soccer player became good friends with Whisper Nelson.

My strongest reason for recommending this book: Well if you like sports you would be very interested.

I read Molly Saves the Day for the first time when I was 9 years old. I'm now 18, and can never seem to tire of this book. Molly McIntire and her friends Linda and Susan seem more like real people and less like fictional characters in the book. Molly has her fear of swimming underwater, Susan hates canoeing, and Linda cnfides that she's afraid of bugs. Molly shows fear at first in the book, but when her whole team manages to get captured during the color war, she and Susan manage to save the day. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of The American Girls Collection--this one is an EXCELLENT read!

Candace

Of all the American Girls, Molly's our favorite and Molly Saves the Day our favorite Molly book. My six year old recognized that Molly, Linda and Susan, while away together at sleep-away camp, each had fears that they were forced to try to overcome. Molly is a very well-rounded character, and the fact that she is somewhat overly competitive (this shows up clearly during the camp color-wars) only makes her more realistic. She is nonetheless very likeable. Beyond Molly's character, however, my daughter simply found the book very exciting.

Molly returns in "Molly Saves The Day" as an enthusiastic ten-year-old headed off to summer camp for the first time ever. Along with her best friends Linda and Susan, Molly enjoys meeting the challenges of camp. Well, almost all of them- Molly is afraid of swimming underwater after she fell off the dock during a swimming lesson. In the final days of camp, the counsellors organize a game of Capture the Flag, which pits Molly and Susan against Linda in an all-out battle. Molly's team's plan backfires and leaves Molly and Susan to save their team from losing the game. But to win, will Molly and Susan have to betray their best friend?

I liked this book because it was fast-paced with a good dose of adventure while retaining realistic content. Molly is, as always, lively and lovable and I really enjoyed this installment of her series. I highly recommend this book to any fans of WWII historical fiction or the Molly series.

this book was relly good. it was about a girl in this coler war she and her friend are on the blueteam and there other friend was on the red team and how ever got the other teams flag and the blue team wins

i read Molly saves the day when i was 9 now im 10 and i really injoyed it! I`ve allways whanted to go to summer camp! But im not allowed `till im a teen ager so reading molly saves the day sort-of prepaired me for what it might be like! I`ve allways wanted to be brave reading Molly saves the day Kind of got me to face my fears a bit more! Thanks!

Mia

For Civil War and Naval History buffs, this telling of the Monitor's creation and her campaign against the South's Merrimac is spellbinding.

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

Monitor skillfully holds the reader spellbound about the ship, and her irrascible genius inventor. I also came to realize just how technically advanced this ship was compared to her contemporaries. This book is a quick and powerful read that you don't want to put down, and it conveys the depth and level of accomplishment achieved by John Erriccson in getting her built in the short time he did. An outstanding history replete with circumstances and entertaining anecdotes as well. A highly recommended book.

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

I must shamefully admit that prior to the renewed interest in John Adams with the recent miniseries, I really had only a general knowledge of his role and importance in the founding of our country. This book gives a private, personal and wonderful view of the strength,deep,abiding love of this first family. I could not put it down & would highly recommend it to anyone.

The newly released TEACHING LIFE: LETTERS FROM A LIFE IN LITERATURE impresses me as a welcome companion to collected letters of John and Abigail Adams.

In 1978 one of the author's students died tragically in an automobile accident on her way to his office to talk over her career plans. It was the suddenness of her death, along with the utter loss of so much potential, which left him wondering whether anything he had said in class had made a difference in her too-short life or, for that matter, in the lives of any of his students.

Her death was not only a great misfortune but also a defining moment for the author. For the first time in his life as a teacher, and he had been at it for only five years, he realized in the weeks that followed that he wasn't in the classroom for myself. He was and remains there for the students, all of whom are giving him three hours a week of their most precious possession -- their time. What he says and do should make a difference in their lives. The worst thief is a bad teacher.

In a recent interview with Samantha Bravo he answers some pointed questions about the book:

1) Each letter to Kelly addresses a different aspect of
education, literature and life. How did you decide
which topics to address? How do you think the book's
organization of these topics affects the reader?

The topics suggested themselves to me as I moved ever deeper into the project. I knew I had to write "When a Parent Dies," for example, because the day after my father's funeral I returned to my class to discuss Hamlet and saw my father sitting in the back of the room. The chapter on "Marriage" suggested itself because I was struck by how many of my colleagues across the country wrestle with balancing the academics with family life. Many questions emerged over the years from discussions with my parents, both educators, as well as from my students. Overall I answer questions that many teachers (and students) ask of themselves and that I continue to ask of myself.

2) Why did you choose to format the book as a series of
letters?

To avoid the risk of coming across as "preachy" or dogmatic. That's not my style. Writing letters "to" a former student was an indirect way of reaching my potential reader. Also, this format helped me to establish a warm, personal tone that is the voice I try to maintain in the classroom. I am speaking to teachers, yes, but I am also speaking to students as well as to the general public - and I don't want to alienate them.

3) In the book's summary it says that "'Teaching Life"
is an effort to impart lessons to the next generation
of teachers." Would you also agree that these lessons
are equally benefiting to students who read this
book? What sort of insight should a student expect to
gain in contrast to a teacher?

Yes, most definitely. Letters as personal as these permit the student to slip away from present concerns, open the door, and step inside the secret life of a teacher. Happiness is a gift, not a right, and most of us as teachers have been so gifted. Perhaps some students themselves will carry from the book the thought of entering this noble and personally rewarding profession. At the very least I hope they will find here some useful suggestions for getting all they can from their educational experiences.

4) You say that Kelly has become a metaphor for all your
students. Could you explain this in more depth?

Every semester my classrooms are filled with Kelly's - bright, eager-to-learn men and women who are giving me three hours a week of their most precious possession - their time. What I say "to" Kelly in the letters I say to all of my students: make the most of your allotted time, seek the best in everything you do, and keep growing. My challenge is to find a way to connect with them, to encourage them to care about the material, to think about some of the deep issues of life, and to have a good time while doing so. That's part of what keeps me coming back day after day, month after month, semester after semester. Though Kelly didn't live to realize her potential as a teacher, my experience of knowing her and thousands of students like her continues to inspire me every day.

5) Thirty years after Kelly's death, why did you believe
that this was the right time in your career to publish
"Teaching Life?"

There were many months, even years when I didn't know when (or even IF) I would complete the book. Coincidentally I did so while approaching my 35th year of teaching. To borrow from Samuel Johnson, I believe that into every teacher's life there comes a "time to be in earnest." This is such a time for me.

If you are a history buff or just a little interested in the history of our nation you will love this book. The letters exchanged between John and Abigail Adams are wonderful. Abigail was definitely John's rock. She kept him focused and steady. John was a very passionate man in his beliefs and at times would become a tyrant trying to convince people that his way of thnking was the only way to think. Thank goodness he had Abigail as he ran everything by her to see how she thought the people would react to his perception. Abigail would let him know when he needed to press an issue or just be quiet and let it happen on its own. Besides being lovers as husband and wife they were truly best friends. An inspirational read.

I started reading this while watching the John Adams HBO mini series. I didn't finish the book until after I had seen all 7 episodes. It was interesting to read their correspondence and realize how much of an asset Abigail was to John. If you enjoy reading letters, you will enjoy this book. The author inserts commentary prior to a particular time frame of letters in order for you to understand the tenor and specifics of the letters that follow. I enjoyed it.

This book is a wonderful adjunct to the HBO series and David Mc Cullough's brilliant book.."John Adams". I have never been devoted to our American history, preferring instead Ancient cultures. I see what I have missed and vow to read more about the brave and devoted men and women who, indeed ,created our country. The love affair between John and Abigail seemed to provide the great man, as well as Thomas Jefferson, with the strength and comfort that spurred them on. Bravo!!

Stagecoaches were used most from about 1850 to 1890. This simple and amusing story with fun illustrations about a family's stagecoach ride is probably best geared for young elementary. This book would only take minutes to read to any age group, but could introduce more sophisticated math and social studies discussion about population.

Hi, everybody! Do you know why you should read this book? Because it is a whole lot of fun to read and exciting things happen. Mama packs her bags and takes her kids with her to California to meet Papa. The first thing that happens is the baby got sick. Then the buffalo come. Mama says, "Amanda, get the pepper out of my sack and give some to everyone but Baby Betsy!" Then some men come and tried to rob them, but Amanda played her brother's whistle and they went away. I give this story 5 stars!

You should read this book! It's really, really funny especially the Mama. If I had to eat prunes for dessert, I would throw up! But, anyways you should read this book. My favorite problem was the buffalo stampede.

This book was so fun to read. It has action in it. The words were so funny. I liked when baby Betsy threw up! Amanda is a very brave girl - you'll have to read it to find out why. Mama had a big bag for the things they need. They were going to California from Missouri. When they got there, Daddy asked Mama what happened. You'll have to read it to find out.

Yaa -hoo! Mama, Baby Betsy and Amanda (the Narrator) and the two other kids are going to California to meet their papa. Mama has brought a bag of answers! Weird...right! A big buldging bag on a stagecoach...but that bag saves everybody's lives - thanks to Mama. This book is awesome.

Excellent book for locating waterfalls. Very good directions. Is a good book for those just wanting to look for waterfalls, but not much for a regular hiker as most of the trails are either very short, or there is a need to bushwack.

A good reference, but I found the directions confusing at times. You need to drive slowly and read carefully.

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!! VERY EASY TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO MAJOR WATERFALL HIKING AREAS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

Buy this and forget all other waterfall and hiking books for WNC.
This is the only book you'll need to find the best waterfalls in Western NC. Adams rates each of the waterfalls for beauty, ease to photograph and trail accessiblity. I carry it in my car. Adams has never lead me astray with directions or lead me to a waterfall I didn't think was worth seeing.

I am an amatuer nature photographer so I am always on the look-out for books to know where to go to shoot. This book may be the best photography guide I have ever had. He tells you where the waterfalls are, and how to photograph them. Best of all he has the guts to rate the quality of each waterfall on a scale of 1 to 10. There are so many waterfalls that I can't visit them all. With this book I can go only to the highly rated ones and know they will be knock-outs. When I get there he will help me to know how to shoot it. This is a great book!

I wonder why this book did not come to my notice little earlier! I have read this book only recently and have greatly admired the writer. The writer, Professor Emeritus Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri, of the University of London, has done an oustanding work that should be appreciated by we all. It is a work of a commendable magnitude accomplish by an oustanding scholar. I fully agree with Professor Mitchell Reiss that books on international relations are many, but I am yet to come across a book that may be found comparable with Professor Rai Chowdhuri's "Nuclear Politics: Towards A Safer World".

This book should be read by everyone who are concerned about world security.

Hats off to Professor Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri !!!

Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri has done a great job. The book is really brilliant, with a very enriching history of the nuclear weapons and related power-play of the last five decades.

A worthy book. Everybody should read it.

I was just spellbound when I started reading this book. The Prologue is so philosophical! I have not come across a similar book in International Affairs in recent days!

This books covers from Plato and Aristotle to President George Bush Senior. A masterpiece of work for newcomers in the fields of Politics and International Relations, in order to have a thorough conceptualisation of what is going on ... in nuclear politics.

This work deals with the destructive potential of the `ultimate weapons' and at the same time the ways of dealing with the problems these weapons might pose to international peace and security. The book helps both generalists and the specialists understand how the policies of nuclear-weapon states affect our lives. The book covers the period from 1945 to 2003 and examines essential parts that both political acts and actors must play before any negotiation process can begin, if the objective is to end proliferation and eventually bring about abolition of nuclear weapons.

The book is a considerably good piece of literature. I enjoyed reading it and have reasons to believe that others will enjoy this book too.

I have gone through every details of this book and, I recommend this book all persons who look beyond themselves. I believe this book will be liked by all. Emeritus Professor Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri deserves kudos for doing such a wonderful work.

This is a moving book about the artifacts left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,D.C. Reading and seeing the pictures, about the different artifacts: stories, letters and notes are of interest on there own admission, but to tie it to the individual name on that black slab of granite, America's tombstone of the Vietnam War is mythical.

Have picked it up a number of times, since reading and digesting its contents.

I bought this book awile ago. Some of the things left behind have letters or notes attached to them. Very chilling. Awesome book for anyone. I love it.

No matter how you may feel about the war, the humanity revealed in this book will touch your heart. A little keepsake or memento left behind to a buddy, brother, husband or father is more than politics or justification of warfare it is about an offering to a loved one that died. That old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is true with this book, I found myself just staring blindly at insignificant objects that in any other place could easily be looked over, but here its is given to pay homage to the dead and maybe give a little peace to the living.

Eventhough I do not understand the Vietnam war, and I was not alive at the time, this book really touched me. The guilt, pain, and loss that the offerings people had left made me cry. There was a picture with a little girl and her dad, and a veteren was telling about the day he met the man in the photo. I think that story will stick with me forever. I saw the pain of innocense lost through the artifacts, and the truth of the poeple in that war was revealed. I reconmmend this book to anyone from that era to the youth of mine.

I sobbed through Offerings at the Wall. Sobbed for the loss of innocence and young lives lost. For anyone raised in the 1960s this should be a must read to understand and come to grips with the imapct the Vietnam War had on our generation. God speed to our veterans and to the brave young men and women of today's military still fighting for our freedom. Please take the time to thank a veteran for his/her service to our country.

Me and my Mother loved this book. It really opened our eyes to whats happening out there.

Good briefing on run-up to Iraq war. Now a bit dated (Sept. 2003), so doesn't include much on rise of Iraqi resistance. Still, the history sections on colonialism in Mesopotamia make for an informative background to current quagmire. Noteworthy also for detailed account of horrendous effects of US-UN sponsored sanctions, surely one of the great crimes of recent history. Book's thrust fits well with US's strategic drive to dominate planet, using oil as key control lever.Though not an "in depth" treatment, all the relevant bases are covered, particularly the deceptions used to cover the criminal invasion. There's also a handy appendix capsulizing the salient deceits for quick reference. Those expecting a strong ideological denunciation from Mr. Everest may be disappointed. Although his characterization of imperialist designs is straightforward, I think it's fair to say that the book could have been written by a muck-raking liberal. Recommended for ease of access and breadth of coverage.

I saw Mr. Everest on Book TV (C-SPAN) today (May 23)--would love to have him lecture at my college. He's done his homework on this one. He brought up two other topics that I researched during the last two semesters and he hit the mark on both (gay marriage and women's rights). After watching him, I went to Barne & Nobles to purchase this book. They did not have one copy. Needless to say, I'm ordering from Amazon.

Larry Everest does a great job of making the "big picture" of the hidden Bush agenda in Iraq and the Middle East obvious and clear. This book will open your eyes, and will make you angry when you understand and realize how unethical, immoral and illegal our agressions against Iraq and the entire Middle East.

I just saw Larry Everest on CSpan as well. This man is no nutcase-- he makes the kind of sense that gives a chilling credibility to one's worst suspicions and fears about what is going on in this country right now. I knew nothing about him or his book but I'm about to buy it innediately!

Olivia Kidney is a first-rate kid in a first-rate book. Everyone feels lonely from time to time but Olivia's got it bad. Her father's job is working as a superintendent for apartment buildings. The problem is he's not very good at fixing things. So they're always moving. And since her mom left, things are especially hard.

Now they've moved to another new place. At her new school, Olivia hasn't made any friends AND she has to go see the school psychiatrist. It couldn't get worse, right? Wrong? When Olivia comes home, she can't find her key. Luckily a neighbor lets her into the building. But she still can't get into her apartment and that's when all the trouble really starts.

The author, Ellen Potter has done an excellent job in creating a wild ride through Olivia's adventure. The characters are fun, funny and bit freaky too. At first, I was a bit trepidacious as Olivia started adventuring from apartment to apartment. But she always landed on her feet, so I felt more comfortable as I suspended belief while Olivia met one character odder than the next. Finally all is well as - with a splash and a buzz - the story is brought full circle with a thoroughly wonderful and satisfying ending.

Olivia Kidney is an exciting book that I would recommend to kids of all ages.
Olivia Kidney is a girl that is constantly moving from apartment to apartment
because of her dad's job as a superintendent at the apartment. She meets this
woman in her apartment that has glass floors and walls, and she can see through
above, beside and below into the other rooms. Then Olivia goes to Master Clive
and he tells her a story. The story is about these ships hearing a beautiful sound.
They follow it and it turns out that its really a trap that lizards set up to kill the
people on the ship and steal all of there money. Olivia, ends up on the island of
lizards and finds the shell. Do the lizards kill her or not?
The setting in this book are very interesting. There are a lot of different
places she goes to. The first one is her new apartment. It has twenty-three floors
and she lives on the fourteenth floor. Everyone is annoyed with her because she is
too loud. The second place is Master Clive's house. She lives in a wooden, kind of
tree house thing. Its really dirty. Last but not least she ends up on the Beach. The
lizards are in charge of the beach.
This is for sure one of the funnest books I have ever read.

I thought this book was really cool and interesting because of all the scenes and problems she had faced. I thought the glass apartment was awesome i even read this book for my book repost for school and made a diarama of the glass apartment.!!! i recommened this book to any adventure lover.

Olivia Kidney


If you lost your apartment keys would you search all over for them? You probably would.
Well it all started one day when this girl named Olivia kidney lost her apartment keys at school. She had just moved into a new apartment and a new school, so as you would expect she didn't know her way around. As she was looking for her keys she ran into many strange things such as talking lizards, a rainforest apartment, ghosts that only she could see, and even an apartment made entirely of glass!!
Olivia Kidney is a shy and open girl, she is ready for anything coming her way as she is looking for her apartment keys she has to face almost death. My favorite character in this book is Olivia. She is an intelligent little girl who is on a mission and nothing can get in the way.
I would defiantly recommend this book to girls. I would also recommend this book to someone who likes adventurous, dramatic, and funny books.

Olivia Kidney is a great book about a girl that needs a friend. She has a good imagination and is a very good listener. She is able in just an ordinary everyday apartment house to use her skills and find herself in her own amazing adventures. She is like a good friend I would have if I knew her in real life! Check it out!

Maya, age 8