Asian-American Books

It was good to have some memories of Vietnam revived. Lee revived them without causing harm. Whether the reader was in Vietnam or not, this book offers a perspective on daily life in the war zone without saddling the reader with the a requirement to relive the politics. You can read this book without risk. Lee Basnar should be honored and thanked both for his service in Vietnam and for writing this book.

When I read Vietnam Vignettes, I was transported back to my own two humanitarian trips to Vietnam in recent years. But what a difference! Though my friends and I were met with nothing but warm welcomes and shows of generosity, we tried to imagine what it must have been like thirty years before. Through the pages of Lee Basnar's book, I learned of the fear, the distrust, the misery, the bonding and the loneliness experienced by our young men and women in a land so far from home and loved ones. The book gave me a much better understanding of today's troops in foreign lands and of the scars left by such events.

Vietnam Vignettes: Tales of an Infantryman by Lee Basnar is an exceptional book written from the heart. With staccato-like shifts of scenes, Basner's book resembles Vietnam War television news clips. However, Mr. Basnar's reporting goes far beyond the 1960's news clips. With his spare prose style, Mr. Basnar not only describes war scenes and events, he also evokes the physical sensation of the war, the incessant noise and the extreme physical discomforts, as well as "the odors. . .the heat, and the soil of Vietnam." The descriptions of violence are never gratuitous. Each vignette serves as a focal point for a particular feeling or experience that creates, for the reader, a mosaic of the entire war experience.

Despite the severe hardships of the war, Mr. Basnar never loses sight of the beauty of the landscape and laments, at one point, that, in the lull of the war's infernal noise, he does not hear the song of a bird. Most importantly, Mr. Basnar conveys the human feelings he experienced as the commander of Charlie Company.

The author's straightforward presentation and acceptance of his feelings puts a humanitarian face on the sometimes graphic war scenes. He describes the intense loyalty of his comrades and his troops' courage and toughness. He touches candidly on the futility of the war and explains the will to survive, not simply a sense of patriotism, as the primary motivation for himself and his troops to fulfill their duties. True victory was staying alive to return home to cherished families. He describes his feelings of fear in battle and the guilt, anguish and sense of failure when any of his men died or were wounded. At times he experienced these same feelings when he witnessed or was responsible for the deaths of the enemy. Despite the trauma and intensity of emotional hurt in the war, Mr. Basnar does not neglect the lighter moments of humor in the Vietnam experience, for example, being the honored guest of a Vietnamese family celebrating Tet.

Mr. Basnar has dedicated his book to his troops whom he decribes as "true warriors." He also seems to be making peace with the ghosts of the past that still haunt him. Vietnam Vignettes is a valuable book, not only for readers with a special interest in understanding the Vietnam War, but for any reader who has suffered any severe trauma. Mr. Basnar, I salute you. I, for one, am looking forward to your next book.

Vietnam Vignettes: Tales of an Infantryman gives a first hand view of the Vietnam War as described by Lee Basnar, an American infantry sergeant and then captain during two tours (1967-1968 and 1970-1971) in Vietnam. However, though the stories are based upon Basnar's experiences many of the stories and situations illustrating in this book are common to any infantry grunt completing a tour of duty during the Vietnam War.

This book contains three parts. The first section, Opening the Duffel Bag, includes background information about Vietnam and about Basnar's first impressions of the country during his first tour of duty in 1967-1968. Commanding Charlie Company, the section of this book, includes stories about Basnar's second tour of duty in 1970-1971. This section holds the bulk of the chapters and experiences of the infantry captain's experiences during this second tour. On the Way. Wait. is the final section of this book and contain accounts of Basnar's final days in Vietnam.

The stories contained in these sections range from comical through heroic to bone chilling. Many of these descriptions aim to educate readers about the cultural and lifestyle differences between regular American life and the life of a grunt during the Vietnam War. These differences are key in understanding the significant conflicts and experiences that these people had while in Vietnam and upon their arrival back to the United States. It is important to note, however, that the author has taken great pains not to preach either the ills or glories of the Vietnam War. His accounts are simply experiences that needed to be shared.

Vietnam Vignettes: Tales of an Infantryman is an extremely valuable work. Beyond the amazing insight into the lives of those serving in the Vietnam War, this book entertains, rivets, and terrifies the reader from start to finish. No matter what your personal opinion of the Vietnam War, this book is a must read.

For those of us who served and the families of those who served, Mr. Basnar's vivid, factual, and emotional accounts of the dailey life of infantrymen in Vietnam will capture the imigination of all who read this outstanding book. "Vietnam Vignettes" will seize your attention with not only the life and death struggles of those in combat but will also share with you the tough, reasoned decisions of a rifle company commander who is entrusted with the lives of the American soldier.

Voices from Vietnam is a brilliant and riveting collection of images and essays that brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was born at its conclusion. It is a must-read for anyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did. As the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, the stories in this book have been instrumental in helping me to understand some of the things my father experienced as a soldier in this war. This compelling book shares stories from every possible perspective, yet the themes of pain, suffering, survival and triumph are very much the same. This is a very personal, very human look at the affects of war. I highly recommend it as a tool for healing and for understanding.

The author is gifted with both lens and pen...the vivid photos coupled with poignant stories drags the reader through a twisting maze of emotions.
I believe that this is one of the very best books concerning a generation that is still trying to find it's way or perhaps come to terms with themselves...so many stories, so many unanswered questions....so much pain...so much heartbreak...so many tears.
Each story is filled with a vast spectrum of emotions.
Charlene Edwards is simply gifted...I can say no more to describe her talent.
I am unable to add more for fear of becoming redundant...I lack the words to offer a review that is worthy. I can only say that 5 stars is inadequet.
Eddie Delezen..author of...
Eye of the Tiger
Thoughts Etched in Jade
Red Plateau

Even if you couldn't read the words, the stunning photographs alone in this work would reveal the depth and range of emotion endured by everyone touched by the Vietnam conflict. Each personal vignette carries a similar theme - why were we there, how did the atrocities of the war effect me, where am I today? Sadly, there are more tragedies than triumphs, as with all wars, but so poignantly true in this one. Yet, you must go back with these people, imagine what it was like for them, remember how you experienced those times, and hopefully emerge with a compassionate understanding of what it all meant.

There are other books out there titled Voices from Vietnam, but Ms. Edwards has listened to these particular voices and played them back as a ringing chorus that will move you to forgive but never forget the victims on both sides of this war.

Voices From Vietnam was written by someone who was very young when this war took place, but who was drawn to it and remained dedicated to the understanding of it for the rest of her life.This book is very special because it humanizes both sides and helps us to realize that it was a tragic mistake from the very beginning. Misguided but well-meaning Americans went into the abyss that was left behind by the French colonizers.The people of Vietnam were devastated by over 11 long years of fighting with the Americans .The most powerful nation in the world could not ultimately overpower the determination and tremendous courage of this tiny and poor country.One of the greatest and most profound lessons as demonstrated in this book is that the Vietnamese have forgiven us for the utter decimation of their country and are willing to help us heal the terrible wounds inflicted on both sides.The author introduces us to many people and their stories and shows us that it is possible to embrace your former enemies and work together towards a better future for all.For many Vietnamese the legacy of the war is saddness-the loss of time and place ,of family and friends ,of youth and innocence. If you turn the coin over you find once-young Americans burdened with those same loses.In the end we are a mirror image of each other. Perhaps we will never be able to fully make sense of what we endured on both sides for eleven years.The Vietnamese know they won the war but there was no real winner.The author shows us some of these people and how they have rebuilt their country and extended a hand to us in forgivness and friendship.The many beautiful photographs and interviews tell this story perfectly and for every one of us to understand perfectly.This is an outstanding testimony to the good we all have in us-if only we would try to remember it.

Charlene Edwards has put together a wonderfully deverse and mosaic puzzle that refects the human side of the Vietnam War. She has captured the spiritual and emotional energies of those she interviewed and photographed in her book. The book not only has wonderful photos but the text bleeds with heart felt stories.

Her 10 year quest to share the feelings and images of those personal experiences was a gift to the rest of us. I found myself moved to tears at times, by the images and stories she has introduced us to in her book. I am richer for having had the experience of reading this book.

I've never read a book with so much substance, creativity, imagination, innocence and passion; so much so that I found my self re-reading some passages because I had to, to absorb it all -- the passion, the leaps of imagination, the super creativity of a genius grade brain, and the innovation of metaphors. The photographs play the same role as a nice bottle of wine accompanying a wonderful cuisine, it make it all flow even smoother.

I could not believe how good and hilarious was I was reading. Kalpanik made me not only feel, but also think and smile. Kalpanik has a curious mix of making complex concepts simple and make us live his life and experiences, make us laugh and yet be inspirational.

This book is a collection of three stories, accompanied with lot of professional grade photographs and covers three places--Davis (a small town near Sacramento), San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. it also covers three different phases in his life.

He is able to sprinkle the description of these places and phases with a lot of humor, making you smile, laugh, guffaw, chuckle, snicker, giggle and crackup.

The First part is at University of California at Davis, which captures the unique experiences of a young man first time in a new country where he is a foreigner and falls in love, written when the author was 21.

The second part is fast forward to 12-15 years later by which time the author has firmly established in the Technology industry and is a Vice President of Technology in a Silicon Valley startup .He is lot more confident and self assured by then. The story humorously covers the life of a technology leader leading a team working at the cutting edge of innovation.

The third part is another 5-8 years later when the author has moved to San Diego and covers his family, including two lovely daughters. They get caught in the infamous wild fires of San Diego.

In all three parts, the author skillfully combines the colorful, vivid words with equally vivid photographs.

His journey is one of hopes and ambitions, of hard work and courage required to realizing those ambitions and tremendous power and insight. It is thoughtful, and yet he is able to infuse it with his humor very naturally!

A good read! Extremely well written and very thoughtful.

Kalpanik's style is fresh, unique, funny (in a dignified way), vivid and clever. For example, the author successfully anthropomorphizes the state of California! While I have not read another of his other books - I look forward to discovering them in the near future

Being an immigrant myself, I read it with the occasional tear in the eye and several bouts of goosebumps. Words are not enough to describe the feelings of transcendence, enlightenment and plain joy I experienced read this narrative.

Definitely a Must Read!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R333AIEHUTY4IO Writer is a risk taker, who is able to overcome being a foreign born, accented and is still able to assimilate at different places and befriend natives.

The book starts as a sweet story of a foreign born student who is struggling to adapt to a new culture, missing home and trying to find a balance between the demands of his academic life, and who falls in love. This part of the book shows us Kalpanik as a vulnerable foreign born student, a young person. This beginning provides a good background, and serves as a contrast to the rest of the book, wher we see Kalpanik as an confident executive with a carefree attitude.

Kalpanik is an amazing writer with extraordinarily talent for combining simplicity with complexity and sophistication, writing thoughtful and meaningful material into a book which still comes out as light reading!

A top notch baking book that fuses European pastries with Asian ingredients: Imagine the richness of French desserts mixed with ingredients like green tea and ginger? This is a cookbook like no other.

Young Mo Kim began his adventures in baking when he was 17 years old. His passion brought him to pastry arts school. Before he was 30 years old, he opened his first bakery in Seoul, Korea. Currently, he has four bakeries and one cafe. Not only does he teach baking at culinary schools as well as to home bakers, he is also a celebrity chef on television. He is currently the president of the Korean Bakers Association. This is his third baking book, and the first one in English.

Not only are there fantastic photos of the finished product for each recipe, but also photos of each stage of creation, totally over 1000 photos! I find this extremely helpful when trying a completely new recipe.

Young Mo Kim's experience at teaching home bakers is quite evident. He explains the method to each recipe so well, anyone can try these recipes.

Chapters included in this book are: Simple Delights (cookies, pound cake and more); A World of Bread (croissants, scones, bagels and more); Fantastic Desserts (tarts, souffles and more); Cakes for Special Occasions (genoises, sponges, cheesecakes and more); Valentine's Day (chocolate); Holiday Treats (yule logs, fruit cake and more); ingredients; and equipment.

One of my favorite recipes is: Pumpkin Cake. It is very different from what we usually see. The cake is a layer cake with the cake part made of a pumpkin genoise. Instead of a cream cheese frosting, the cake is filled with a pumpkin mousse. It is topped with chantilly cream. The entire outside of the cake is covered in genoise powder and then utilizing a jack o lantern stencil and cocoa powder, there is a jack o lantern on the top of the cake!

Another tidbit about this book is that there are Dream Character characters that offer tips and ideas throughout the book. It's like getting a tiny bit of anime on each page!

For the home baker that is wanting an easy-to-read book that offers new ideas to baking your repertoire. This is a wonderful book!

UPDATE: Winner of a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for 2006 Best Desserts Book in the World on May 21st, 2006.

A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING: THE RECIPES OF YOUNG MO KIM has recently been selected as the recipient for the 'Best Desserts Cookbook' category from Gourmand World Cookbook for 2005 - and it's easy to see why. Here are luscious-looking cookies, cakes, pastries and breads which pair beautiful professional color photos with a touch of professional style cooks at home can easily achieve. And herein lies the difference between A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING and most competitors: most baking books are either geared for home cooks and lack professional finesse, or for pros - and lack accessibility by home cooks. A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING easily straddles the line between pro and homemaker to provide both audiences with tips on how to produce professional results from a home kitchen. It's a 'keeper'.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

I've been a very serious home baker for last 7 years and enjoy baking very much. I'm a fan of this author and own all of his books. His first baking book was published in 2002(in Korean only!). Now, `A Collection of Fine Baking', is a brand new book and it is published only in English. I read from the Korean Daily article about this book and it said that it will be published in Korean sometime next year. I've already tried many of the recipes in this book and results are just incredible! Every recipe shows the step-by-step photos and demonstration from beginning to the ending. It was so easy for me to follow. This book explains each recipes in detail. you'll not make any mistakes when you follow these recipes. I just have to say... it is definitely a five star baking book and enjoying them very much.

A friend of mine bought me this book to prove to me that even I can bake! She is an excellent baker & I would never even try because I was always intimidated by her baking skills. Well, it turns out - even I can bake! This book or should I call it a baking road map helped me so much. The format of this book is great - it is inviting and does not scare the heck out of you when you open it up. Usually I say, I can't do this stuff. But this book is easy to read and understand. Each baking instruction has a corresponding picture to illustrate the steps. When I go through the recipes I feel like I have Young Mo Kim in the kitchen with me - teaching me - guiding me - helping me along the way. The characters were also very helpful providing tips & guidance & very funny at times. A cookbook with humor - what a concept!! I recommend this book highly and will probably give this as gift to my baking challenged friends and family.

My girlfriend bought this book for me after I said I wanted to try baking at home, and I was a little intimidated at first because all of the pictures looked so professional. But as soon as I dove in, I found that the recipes were very easy to follow, and my cakes ended up looking (almost) as good! But more importantly, they tasted phenomenal. The ingredients are always very specific, they don't want you to use just any old kind of flour. But I'm sure you could and it would still taste great! Anyway, I've made about a dozen of the recipes so far with very little trouble (any omissions were my own I'm sure)and I can't wait to try some of those delicious looking holiday cakes. If you love baking, do yourself a favor and buy this book. If I can use it, you can too!

As a teacher of the gifted I find reader's theatre a creative avenue for teaching literacy and creative dramatics. Aaron Shepard does a great job providing interesting, well organized scripts with a rich selection of myths, folktales, and legends. I greatly appreciate this valuable resource!

I love all of Aaron's books. As a future teacher who believes today's students don't know enough of the world's folktales, I know I will be using this book in my future classroom. I especially like the story of "The Sea King's Daughter." It is a wonderful story and Aaron Shepherd has done a wonderful job of adapting it and the other stories in this collection for readers' theater. I can't wait to see what he will do next.

Do you want an engaging activity to use with elementary students that fosters reading, performing and listening skills? Aaron Shephard's book is a wonderful resource for K-8 teachers to use in the classroom. This book has a variety of texts adapted for Reader's Theater from all parts of the world. It has been a great addition to our reading lessons!

The grade and school where I teach stresses folktales, legends and myths. I also wanted to try to get this in a "Reader's Theater" format. This book does just that! Bravo!

As a teacher of children with learning disabilities, I rarely find an activity that relates to the standards, a child's IEP, and is one that students rave about. This is entertaining as well as educational.

A brutal and unflinching chronicle of house-to-house fighting in the Cholon
District of Saigon during May 1968. A grunt's eye-view of war. Extensive interviews with 9th Infantry vets add depth and a 'you-are-there' feeling. Another great job by Nolan.

Well written. Readership for Vietnam War may be flagging due to focus on Iraq. Key characters well portrayed but minor characters sometimes appear to be confusing as if author is attempting to acknowledge absolutely everyone he has interviewed. The result is a need to reread some pages to straighten out the narrative. Some tendency to be negative about higher ranking seniors who may simply be doing their jobs but may have, in the process, offended those who are excessively critical of them.

This book provides an excellent overview of a little known battle during the Viet Nam war, Mini Tet. It is, however, more than a simple account of a battle; it provides one of the best explanations I have read on why the battle occurred and why the North Vietnamese were successful in winning the all important "hearts and minds" battle for the citizens of Saigon. The book was particularly interesting to me as a soldier who took part in the battle. Many of the names and places were familiar to me, but like many "grunts" I knew very little of what was actually going on. This book finally explained what I was doing and why.

Well written, well researched and best of all an accurate and not pretty description of what we all know was an very ugly war.
I was there. Dustoff Freddy

As one of the battalion commanders at the Battle of the Y-Bridge, I can attest to the fact that Keith Nolan got it right. He has to rank as the foremost historian of the Vietnam War with this, his eleventh book on that war.

Nolan has done a masterful job of pulling together accounts of this battle from hundreds of sources, and producing a very readable story. He did so with great sensitivity and yet told the good and the bad, which is what war is. His transitions from the actions of the various units made for a smooth and continuous story, rather than a bunch of choppy events.

As a participant in this action,I may be prejudiced, but I think this book is better than his previous book on the Vietnam War - Ripcord - and, having read the Maraniss book "They Marched Into Sunlight", House to House is as compelling an account.

I highly recommend this book as a vehicle for discussion of leadership from the small unit to the Division levels of command.
The situations encountered in this book are as applicable to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as they were to the war in Vietnam.

Since this is written much as a diary of a young WW2 fighter pilot there are some sections that, like life, are a little tedious. That fact aside I found Mr. Lopez's work an interesting and inciteful view of the famous Flying Tiger unit after it was absorbed into the Army Air Force after the US officially entered the war. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the China theater of the war and how it was used to get the Japanese to attack us and get us involved in WW2. The vivid air combat descriptions are great insights into what pilots of that era were up against as opposed to the "video game-like" air battles of today.

Haven't read a pilot's memoirs for quite a while, although doing much more of it now. Into the Teeth of the Tiger was the first of a long line of new purchases that I need to read and it was well worth the purchase. Mr Lopez, while an excellent flier and leader, is also a wonderful writer. He writes with modesty and is not afraid to describe his errors in addition to his successes. The action sequences are superb and the humour used by the pilots and crews to lighten things up a bit is guaranteed to generate a smile and even a chuckle. Of course, this is war and the deaths of friends and the treatment of the civilian population was no doubt shattering for all involved. I get the impression that this book has become somewhat of a classic and justly so. It is a well-written account of a less publicised theatre of the war by a (then) very young pilot. What these guys did at 20-25 really puts things into perspective. A bloody good read!

I've read a lot of World War II flying book and this is the best! Mr. Lopez writes well and tells the unvarnished truth of what it was like to fly a P-40 against an agile and determined foe.

Don Lopez was a 23-year-old fighter pilot in the 14th Air Force Flying Tigers, flying a war-weary P-40 against the Japanese army air force in such close combat that he once took a wing off a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Oscar"). Good pilots are easy to find, and so are good writers, but Don is that exceptional individual: a pilot who can write well and to the heart. This book is a keeper.

This is an engrossing story of a young fighter pilot's experiences flying P-40s and P-51s in mid to late World War Two with the 75th Fighter Squadron in China. Donald Lopez writes excellent flying sequences and conveys the essence of the people he flew and fought with. A good read if you have any interest in military history or aviation.

Joseph Calderaro is a pretty typical 8th grader. He also happens to be adopted. He was abandoned in Korea as a baby and adopted by an Italian-American family from New Jersey.

When his social studies teacher assigns an ancestry essay, Joseph begins to examine who he is - and to ask questions he has never asked before, questions that his adoptive parents may not be willing or able to answer.

At first, Joseph's parents don't understand his confusion about his identity. After a few struggles, they begin to support his search for his roots.

A sensitive portrayal of common issues faced by adoptive families.

Believing that his fourteenth birthday will be the best one yet, Joseph Calderaro will be amazed at how quickly it turns sour.

It all happens during second period. After turning in his project on flag burning, Joseph thinks the assignment will be over, especially since it is May and June is just around the corner. But before the last ten minutes of class is up, his teacher assigns a 1,500-word essay about ancestors. Sure, it may seem like an easy one to write. Not for Joseph, though.

Joseph may have an Italian last name; he is anything but. His parents adopted him when they went over to Korea, and Joseph only knows the Italian side of him, which you could say isn't the true side of him. Adopted at such a young age, Joseph has no idea who his ancestors are or who his birth mother is.

Joseph doesn't mind eating calamari and cannoli frosting on a chocolate cake. He just gets a little uncomfortable when his father wants him to show off their Italian heritage, since is just isn't his.

His journey on writing his essay isn't an easy start, especially since the only help his father can give him is his parent's stories, and Joseph has heard them all.

With ancestors to discover, a girl to win over, a new student who will take him on a journey to discover his heritage, and parents who aren't much help but still love him, Joseph is in for the ride of his life. One that will help him see that being both Korean and Italian isn't bad at all.

Wonderfully written, KIMCHI & CALAMARI will take readers on an adventure that they will never forget. The novel shows how having two heritages is absolutely wonderful and that what matters the most is what we learn from it, how we enrich our lives with it. KIMCHI & CALAMARI is one novel that I will never forget.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

I read this wonderful book in a few hours and couldn't wait to share it with one of my classes. It is both funny and sad at times. A few tears were shed at the adoption "classifieds," but I finished it with a sense of contentment. A great book. After reading the first chapter, one of my students was so happy that I read a book about another Korean. He couldn't stop saying that he was Korean too.

Kimchi and Calamari provided great entertainment and insight for me and my two teenage aged daughters. The characters are real, the plot engaging and heartwarming, and the interaction between the characters are as real and funny as in my own home. Kent's ability to draw analogies using food make the book come alive while providing life lessons. The book works for all ages, nationalities and family situations!

It's tough to be adopted, wondering which of your personality traits and physical characteristics came from someone you've never even met. It's even harder when you're Korean, and your family is Italian-American (including your much younger twin sisters, who are not adopted). To have your social studies teacher go and assign an essay about tracing your family heritage feels like having salt rubbed into a wound. And to have that essay assigned on your fourteenth birthday, well, that's just icing on the cake.

For New Jersey eighth grader Joseph Calderaro, the heritage essay ignites a passion for research into his birth family - a difficult search, given that he was found in Pusan, abandoned by the waterfront in a police station parking lot. The research doesn't sit so well with Joseph's proud Italian-American father, however, provoking family discord and internal conflict. In many ways, Joseph's quest is every teen's quest, to understand where he fits into the world and how he's both part of and unique from his family. In Joseph's case, however, the stakes are higher, and some of the necessary information is missing.

Fortunately for the reader of Rose Kent's debut novel, Kimchi & Calamari, Joseph's cultural identify quest is lightened considerably by being juxtaposed against another important coming of age quest: to secure a date for the Farewell Formal. We also see Joseph goofing around during band practice (he plays the drums), taking care of and being annoyed by his younger sisters, and exchanging jokes with his friend Robyn. These scenes keep Joseph real and accessible for all readers.

One other fun thing about Kimchi & Calamari is that the author sprinkles food-related analogies throughout the text:

"The world is your supersized soda waiting to be guzzled, right?" (Page1)
"Rain sprinkled on my face like salt on french fries." (Page 40)
"... my backpack was soaked and my hair looked like black spaghetti." (Page 41)

And, of course, the primary analogy: Joseph himself as "an ethnic sandwich". Here are a couple of other quotes, to give you the flavor of Joseph's witty personality:

"I hit my mental button to mute the sibling static. I was on a roll, two-finger punching at the keyboard." (Page 83)

"Mom was like a human bridge trying to connect Dad and me. But Dad kept shaking his head -- not angry, because the Mad Meter wasn't running, but not ready to join my search party either. Yet I could tell he was trying, in his Dadish way, to understand." (Page 188)

For kids who are adopted, and/or kids who are struggling with ethnic vs. American identities, this book is likely to resonate strongly. Rose Kent has personal experience with these identity questions through her four children, all of whom have Korean heritage, and two of whom are adopted. This personal experience shows in her understanding of Joseph's feelings, and in the details of the story - the Korean food that another family shares with Joseph, the dynamics of that Korean family, and the physical characteristics that Joseph notes in himself.

I think that Kimchi & Calamari is an excellent read for middle schoolers, boys or girls, Korean-American or not. There's nothing that will be too PG-13 for younger kids, either, though they may be less excited about the Farewell Formal. And for the many kids who are adopted (especially from Korea), the book could be a lifeline. One final point: I do think that this is a book that librarians will need to put directly into kids' hands. It's not obvious what the book is about from the cover (although the cover is cute), and it's particularly not obvious that it's about a middle school-aged boy. I wouldn't expect 12-year-old boys to pick it up off the shelf on their own, but I think that they would enjoy it if you could get it into their hands.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on November 1, 2007.

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

James Johnston gave a vivid, poignant and heroic account of his life with the Marines fighting in the Pacific during World War II. It was fascinating to read how it life was for the Marines in the Pacific as like he said, the media tended to focus on the European theater and thought of the Pacific theater as "easy."

Using letters that he wrote home, Johnston managed to add a personal touch to his account. It was interesting to get a glimpse on how he felt emotionally, the friendship that was formed between the soldiers and how a lot of times, soldiers are fighting as hard as they did, for their friends because they did not want to let their them down. When Johnston was the section leader, he was able to show the burden of responsibilities as you were not just in charge of your life but of others too.
Lastly, how he was disappointed with the Marines. He found flaws with the system but at the same time, it was very much part of him.

"The Long Road of War" is a wonderfully-written, highly-emotional story of Marine Corps combat from the "flat-trajectory" soldier's perspective. Johnston shares his own personal horrific views of World War II Pacfic combat. With stirring text, he shows the sudden transformation from Nebraska teenager to Green recruit to hardened veteran. This book is an excellent addition to any historian's bookshelf, once they can find the time to put it down.

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

This was a book that I could absolutely not put down. Mr. Johnston's description of his transition from a Midwest teenager into a battle hardened, front line Marine is told with a grim honesty that is seldom found in books about war. This book does away with any glorification or self-promotion and gives you the tragic, ugly truth about the war in the South Pacific.

i really enjoyed this book, i'm not even finished with it yet but some of the quality of the book was taken away by the poor editing! some of the chapters were missing entire words at the end! some of the sentences were gramatically incorrect and i kept reading them over and over saying...that's not right...we don't laid down, we lie down! stuff like that really took away from the book because it was a fantastic story. i really enjoyed the element of faith and how there are good vampires and bad vampires etc. it was realistic, like...if there WERE vampires, this is how it would be. either way, i would definitely advise this story being read, just please have an updated version!

This is a great read.

Great, because it has a common sense idea that is missing from most stories of this genre.

The genre, "supernatural horror," ultimately goes to a war between good and evil (yep, heaven and hell), because these would be the source of power in the story. So the ultimate source of power is on another level--not the level the story is about (our everyday homes and neighborhoods). But hey, the vampires, zombies, and other things have been around for a long time. And we are still here, too. Something we don't usually see in these stories must be equalizing the landscape, or else ordinary humans would have been gone a long time ago. What equalizes a vampire? They have supernatural powers, so regular folks are out-gunned. In any war, if the sides are not matched, the war does not last long. In the literature vampires, zombies, et al., have been around a long time. So what holds them in check? Doesn't have to be a "good" version of the evil creature--just something with power and method of its own that it can use to engage the enemy. That's war. Even a supernatural one would have to have this equivalence of power.

There are popular movies about renegades that have reason to hate the supernatural villains, but vampires alone would have over-run the world before most of these popular characters started. Besides, these stories are usually more about special-effects or martial arts or something--not really horror stories but more like action-adventure-martial arts-horror. Whatever. There's only one movie I've seen recently that is an exception to this, "Constantine." But since this isn't a plug for movies, let's move on... ;)

"Night Biters" revitalizes the role of the church in this type of story! Instead of the lame "Exorcist" angle in which the demons have power that is clearly uncontrollable, here the war could have lasted this long. God is on our side through supernatural beings at this level. That's what I was referring to before, when I said that ordinary humans would otherwise be gone. In run-of-the-mill horror stories a recurring theme is that the heroes are so outmatched they have to sacrifice themselves--and leave this plane of existence--in order to win. So in time they'd all have moved on, leaving us here. There must be something more powerful that fights here and wins often enough to balance the war against evil. This story touches on this with style; it's a story told intelligently in a way that makes sense.

So is it scary? Yeah, because the writer tells the tale in a way that evokes vivid images of what the characters are going through as all of these peculiar things happen. It's not a predictable story. I found myself liking some, and wondering if they'd make it...but it's war. Casualties are inevitable. How does it end?

Check it out! It's a great read!

Adrian Harper's Night Biters offers some fresh ideas to the fantasy genre. The magical compact disc is as effective a talisman as a ring or trinket in other period work of fiction. It also solidifies the effectiveness of hip hop in a way the reader will find appealing. Graffiti spray painting is also featured, skateboarding is taken to new heights and I will never see using a Super Soaker the same way.

The writer skillfully depicts the story's teens as youth who regret some of the poor choices they have made and the impact those decisions have on their families while ably avoiding stereotypes. He also offers some interesting views on vampirism viewing it more to an addiction than a spiritual damnation reminding the reader that there is always hope. Filled with clever twist and surprises, Night Biters is a delight.

This is no R L Stien! This book has a diverse group of hip hop characters from the Bay Area that are actully intelligent and not based on stereotypes. The book has teens in the Bay dealing with regular teenage issues, as well as vampires gang violence. The characters are cool, there's African American's, Vietnamese, Latino's, Filippino's, Jews, Goths, ravers, taggers and possibly dirty cops and a guy who eats a rat. If you LOVE hip hop, or you're from the Bay Area you need to read this book. I love Night Biters because it's real hip hop, it's not derogatory or dogmatic, it's just real and entertaining.

The book is written in the style of how Traffic and Crash were made as movies. A ton of individual stories, all intertwined into one explosive plot. Read this book, you won't be disappointed. The story is based on actual events in 1999 leading up to the change of the century in the backdrop of the worlds most integrated group of cities. Two teens come here to spend the summer and find that some of thier friends have become vampires and are dealing with personal issues like abusive stepfathers, drugs, gangs and police (damn taggers!). Doooooood read it!!!

Night Biters is my favorite book, I visited the Bay Area and have saw the old Montgomery Ward building. It was too scary a building for me to enter but not a vampire. I also like that us Pinoy's finally got some recognition and respect in a book. Dragonbrush is my dog I liked the way he and Tioni looked out for one another and how he showed that he really appreciated her. Jamilah is cool but too stuck up for my taste, I wouldn't want my sister taking all my favorite clothes just because she wants them. But in the end they all looked out for one another.