Favorite Book

The summer before Megan Walburn's senior year at Washington College she met someone at a cookout who worked at WJZ. Soon there was a writing test. Then a gig freelancing. She has stayed at WJZ (our media partner) for the last five years producing, and now executive produces the network's 11 p.m. news broadcast. "News is ever-changing, which means my job never gets boring," said Walburn, 26, a Brewers Hill resident. "In some jobs, people watch the clock from 9-5. At my job, I find myself wishing for more time in the workday.

Harford County Public Library rolled out the red carpet for teens and their families at the Abingdon Library in March at a special screening and awards ceremony for the teen Film This! Book Trailers contest. Throughout the winter months, teens created and submitted short videos showcasing a favorite book, similar to a movie trailer. At the premiere, the finalist videos were viewed and the winners announced. Peter Stauffer was awarded first place for his "Chasing the Falconers" book trailer.

" 'Think Big' by Ben Carson is Dr. Carson's formula for success. The words 'think big' are an acronym. The acronym represents: T=talents and time, H=hope and honesty, I=insight, N=nice, K=knowledge, B=books, I=in-depth, G=God. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to unleash their potential for excellence." -- Terry Thornton II Johnnycake Elementary "My favorite book is 'Something Queer in the Cafeteria' by Elizabeth Levy. The book is a hilarious mystery. There is a brand new cafeteria at the Evergreen Avenue School, and everything has gone wrong.

Jermaine Carter liked the idea of playing with other Friendship Collegiate (D.C.) grads at Maryland, and staying close to home was a bonus, too. But his decision to commit to the Terps boiled down primarily to one reason. “The defense that they run, I'm kind of familiar with it,” Carter said. “My team runs a similar defense. … It's a 3-4.” Carter played the MIKE linebacker spot for Friendship Collegiate, calling the plays and making “the audibles if needed.” The future Terp relished his role as a defensive leader for the D.C. Statewide Athletic Association champions.

"The Berenstain Bears and the Galloping Ghost' by Stan and Jan Berenstain is my favorite book because I like horses. I also liked it because the lady who owned the horse riding academy got to keep her school after all."Petra CurrieJohn Paul Regional Catholic School"I read the mystery comic 'Picture Not So Perfect,' a mysterstory. The background is colorful. Slime clogs the pipes. That is why 'Picture Not So Perfect' is my favorite comic!"Keith WhitePowhatan Elementary"My favorite book is 'Case of the Missing Pitcher' by T.J. Edwards.

"My favorite book is 'Arthur's New Puppy.' I liked the book because Arthur's dog Pal hid his leash behind the rose bush. I also like the book because at the end Pal was all trained."-- Molly Merritts,Abingdon Elementary

This is part of a series of 2012 Maryland football commitment Q&As leading up to Signing Day on Feb. 1. All answers are provided by the featured player. Name : Abner Logan Jr. Birthdate : July 24, 1993 Birthplace : Cambridge, Mass. Hometown : Cambridge, Mass. Height : 6-1 Weight : 220 Position : Linebacker High School : Dexter School in Brookline, Mass. Senior statistics : 43 tackles, 10 sacks, nine tackles for loss and two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.

"My favorite book is 'The Baby Sitter's Little Sister' by Ann M. Martin. I liked the part where Karen thinks everyone at the party is a witch -- even her grandmother. It was so funny."-- Nikki EshelmanSolley Elementary"My favorite book is 'Hop on Pop' by Dr. Seuss because the kids were trying to get him to wake up and they tried jumping on him and at the end he got mad."-- Marcus McLeanHavre de Grace ElementaryPub Date: 05/02/99

"My favorite book is 'Amazing Space Facts' by Dinah L. Moche. It shows illustrations of the planets and space. The book also tells you about the stars and the equipment the astronauts and scientists use."-- Lydia SimonChurch Lane Elementary"My favorite book is 'Curious George' by H.A. Rey. The main character, Curious George, wanted to see what would happen if he pulled the string. When he pulled it, the stage curtain closed so he fixed it and the show went on."-- Corey ShillennJoppa View Elementary

"My favorite book is 'Kai: A Mission for Her Village - Africa 1440' by Dawn C. Gill Thomas. This book is about a young girl on a mission with many obstacles. Her mission is to find water. I like this book because I'm a young girl and we all have obstacles to get over and achieve."- Renata AllenDundalk Elementary"My favorite book is 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson III because he's a good author and because I like the pictures. I think you should read this book."- Donald WestonBedford ElementaryPub Date: 12/16/98

Today marks the fifth birthday of the Amazon Kindle -- the biggest change in the way we read since Penguin started selling paperbacks for the cost of a pack of smokes. I was a slow convert to e-books, but that's mainly an outgrowth of being able to receive free review copies than a Luddite stance. My wife has a Kindle (current selection: "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand ) and I often read on my iPad. As I've noted on Read Street, e-readers have their shortcomings: -- I can't leave a Kindle lying on a beach towel when I jump into the water at Ocean City.

When Tim Paggi is asked if he has ever experienced ghost phenomena, he will always say yes. "They are around us all the time," the 30-year-old Seton Hill resident said. "The only way you'll see them, though, is with an open imagination. " Paggi is a tour guide for the Fells Point GhostWalk, which run through Nov. 30 (for tickets and times, go to fellspointghost.com). The job attracted him for two reasons. "First, I enjoy interacting with the public and generally making an entertaining spectacle out of myself," Paggi said.

Steve Dombroskie has always been devoted to animals - alive and extinct. "I wanted to be a zookeeper since I was about 4 years old," the 26-year-old Mount Washington resident said. "My back-up plan was to work at Jurassic Park, but that kind of feel through. " Instead of taming velociraptors, Dombroskie landed a gig at the Maryland Zoo, where his official title is Maryland Wilderness and Project Golden Frog keeper. His favorite animal to work with is the North American river otter - he's the primary trainer.

Finding the perfect wine is an art form, and Sam Massa, the assistant sales manager at Bin 604 in Harbor East, is well-versed. Going on his third year at Bin 604, Massa, 30, began interacting with wine as a young boy when he would play in his father's grape vineyard. Now, the Washington Hill resident has designed some of the store's binology classes and teaches Wine 101: The Basics of Wine Tasting once a month. Sam put his glass down for a bit and talked to b about his favorite wine, Woody Allen and his love for local music.

In his senior year of high school, Jared Rhine took his first full time job at a restaurant - the family-run Italian restaurant Rillo's in Carlisle, Pa. He started as a busboy, did food preparation and washed dishes before eventually moving to the back of the house as a cook. "I loved it so much; I've never looked back. " Now, the Butchers Hill resident, 31, is going into his sixth month as executive chef at Mount Vernon's City Cafe. Rhine has been busy preparing some new items on his menu for Baltimore Restaurant week (Friday through Aug. 5)

Throughout his time at Goucher College, Joe Edwardsen believed that there was a serious lack of good pizza in the city. So about six years ago, he decided to fix the problem by starting his own pizza business, Joe Squared. The Station North resident, 32, talks to b about his favorite place to unwind in the city, meat- flavored gum, and what type of music he enjoys listening to. Worst pet peeve? Jaywalking while pushing a stroller. What's on your iPod? Mostly bluegrass.

When someone mentions that they studied biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, you wouldn't expect them to own a local burger bar. But Houston native Anisha Jagtap does just that, running Hampden hot spot Baltimore Burger Bar. "It all started with my love for food at a very young age, and when all my girlfriends saved money to shop, I saved money to go out and eat," said Jagtap, 27. But I was always in love with math and engineering, mainly...

" 'The Chocolate Touch,' by Patrick Cattling. This book is about a boy named John who loves chocolate. One day, on his way home from school, he found a coin with his initials on it. He took the coin to a candy store and he bought a box of chocolate. When John got home, he opened the box and ate the piece of chocolate. The next day, everything he put in his mouth turned to chocolate. I liked this book because I think it would be fun if everything I ate turned to chocolate."- Danielle Rodriguez, Grade 3Marley Elementary"My favorite book is 'Ghost Dog.' The characters are Rex and a puppy and a little girl.

At an open-air studio in Rishikesh, India, Allison Korycki fell in love with yoga, participating in her first class as monkeys hung on the doors of the classroom. Now, the 25-year-old Korycki, who lives in Charles Village, is the director of operations at Charm City Yoga, where she teaches three classes a week. She took a breather to tell us her feelings about Meat Loaf and her favorite yoga pose. What's on your iPod? The Phish set list from Bonnaroo 2012. I had a blast! Song are you loving right now?

Considering beer is Ben Savage's favorite drink, working at Frederick-based Flying Dog Brewery could be considered a dream come true. Not only is Savage surrounded by suds and innovation every day, but also with "laughter, high fives, pranks, and hugs. " Savage, 34, has been the vice president of brand marketing at the Camden Yards favorite for two years. "We are basically in charge of telling our Flying Dog story in unique ways everyday," he said. The Ellicott City native chatted with b about music, lazy people, "Fifty Shades of Grey," and much more.