Still Life with Woodpecker was an exceptional book that I found very enjoyable. It doesn’t particularly convey any inspirational message but rather, as many before have, it tells a story. But this story is very different from any before it, I suppose it has aspects of many other stories… travel, pyramids, kings, queens, princesses, romance, the moon. But this story has the energy to ask, what the hell are any of those things? And not only does it ask, it answers them in it’s own unique way. I found this book amazing simply in its ability to have the most amusing unpredictable plot and the most colorful cast of characters I may have ever experienced in my time reading. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who can maturely approach and appreciate literature.
As this book is rather racy and makes more than discreet references towards sex and drugs, in fact it blatantly goes through scenes of sex and snorting cocaine, and entire chapters describing tequila and cigarettes, I would not recommend this to someone who is easily offended, or someone who is not mature enough to handle this book. So if you giggle at the word boobies every time you read it this book is not at all for you. I would classify this book as fantasy but it is also very satirical as it makes many comical attacks upon society as I so frequently do, this may attribute to my enjoyment of the book.
All in all, I enjoyed this book very much, and as much as I would like to say we could all learn something from this book, I just think it tells a good old fashioned amazing story. Thank you for reading.
Mrs. Getty was a substitute for our Engish class today. She assigned (based on Mrs. Diamond's directions) us to read the Hellen Keller's "Three Days to see". As we read Hellens wishes, we took notes on what she wanted to see durring her first, second, and third days of sight. After everyone was finished Mrs. Getty told us to share what we learned about Hellen and what she would so enjoy seeing.
Then she went off to an amazing speech that touched my heart. She had started out by asking "How many of you take things for granted?" Nearly everyone raised there hand. Then she said that for Hellen just the little things make her happy. And we should cherish everything with love.
She started to get emotional when dhe had told us the story about her son having cancer a couple years ago. Before you knew she was weeping and I started to shed tears. She asked us about stories that made us realize that it takes only a second for something to change your life. Johnny, Mackenzie, Steven, Breanna, myself and others shared tense situations that had happpened in the past. When class was over I think it hit everyone that you really do have to cherish every little thing, because the next day you might not have it again.
I want to thank Mrs. Getty for sharing her story and helping us realize that others around the world would give everything just to see for 1 day or even a minute. Or even hear what rain sounds like. I will never forget her story, which I call inspiring.
Escape From Saigon Andrea Warren Pages Read-102 Rating of the Book-8.5 out of ten Greg Jencks
The book Escape from a Saigon is about a boy named Long who is stuck in the middle of the Vietnam War. After his mothers suicide Long winds up with his Grandmother Ba in Saigon. Long spends a good year with his grandmother but when the north VC arrive in Saigon long finds himself in a foster home (Holt). Long is scared to death with that fact that he is being sent to America to find a new family. Nearly a month after Long arrived at Holt, Long had found a family. This book is all about Long or Matt as he is now called escape from his home in search of a better life.
I rate this book an 8.5 because I felt that it didn’t have enough information about long. For about half the book they talked about the war and the impact of it. They didn’t focus on the character as much as they should have.
The last day we were there we went to the Arlington cemetery. It is mostly soldiers from many different wars who are buried there but there are some other people buried there. My grandfather could get buried there if they wanted to because my grandfather was a pilot in world war II.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Nick Williams The Outsiders.
Title: The Outsiders
Author: S.E. Hinton
Pages: 180
Rating: 10
The Greasers, a small gang of buddies, always have each other to look after, but after this day nothing will be the same. Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade kill a member of The Socs, strictly in self defense. Being young and innocent, the boys decide to run away leaving their friends and family behind. This book is about friendship, love, trust, and heroism. I think this inspired so many kids to stay away from the wrong crowd and stay in school. I do think kids want to stay in school because some of the greasers dropped out or made many bad decisions in school. I think when kids read this book they thought to themselves that they don’t want to turn out like some of the members in the greasers. I think that’s why Ponyboy and Johnny were the main characters. They were young, smart, and still had a chance to make a difference in their lives whether it was graduating or going to college. I know kids wouldn’t want to end up like Dallas Winston, who died miserable, sad, and known as a delinquent to most people. I’m not saying The Greasers are a wrong crowd but some of the people in it are. I’m not saying that The Socs are the wrong crowd either. Someone stated in this book that” things are rough all over” and I believe that this is very true in this book. For example, In an outsiders perspective, The Socs may look like they have great live filled with fancy cars, money, and the nice side of the neighborhood; but they do have their own problems. The Greasers also have their own problems whether it may be family problems, problems with being a greaser, or living in the lower class. Nobody’s the bad guy in this story.
I think that Ponyboy took thinks a bit seriously when Darry yells at him though. I will take Pony’s side when Darry hit him, but when Darry yells, its only because he cares about him. I mean, Ponyboy should try looking at it in Darry’s view, being only 20 or so, taking care of 2 kids, with a job. He has a lot of pressure on his shoulder; Darry’s pretty much a kid himself.
I think this is a type of book any age or gender could read. I highly recommend people who haven’t read this to do so.
I read the book Maximum Ride. Believe it or not, that is someone’s name. It is about six kids on the run from a bunch of mad scientists who want to experiment on them with no pain killers. It was really weird because all the kids have wings (that’s not natural). It was also weird because in some chapters it was written in first person with different people, and sometimes it was in third person. I noticed that there are never any happy times in this book. They are always being captured or having limbs cut off. If it’s not that, then they are being torched or starved or beat up. If any of that is not happening, then someone is being a traitor or cutting their wrists. If I were Max in the book, I couldn’t deal with it because she had such an evil life. But Max seems to stay alive trough the whole thing. I think this book has made me appreciate how easy my life is. People aren’t trying to kill me 24/7 which is nice.
Today we had the walk. It went really well. There were probably about 8,000 people there. There was also a kite festivle going on. It was fun walking and seeing all of the different kites. After the walk we went to the national history museum. My favorite thing that I got to see was my ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz. We also went to an art gallory. There were somethings that were even made in B.C. Tonight we are going out to dinner with my godmother and her daughters. It has been a long time since we have seen them so it will be fun.
Today I got to see how money is made. It was fun and money has changed a lot in the years. These days the highest dollar bill they have is $100 and a while ago they even had $100,000 bills. Tomarrow is the walk and I am excited.
Isaiah Gove Letters To a Young Brother Hill Harper 144 pages read Rate:10
Letters to a Young Brotha is about helping you make good choices. It’s by Hill Harper and he is mostly an actor on CSI New York. I think Hill is not one of the stuck-up actors because he says that money is not everything. Although I like money, I kind of have to agree with him. Most actors spend millions on cars, trucks, and SUVs, but Hill said he drives a twenty-two year-old car that’s worth only two thousand dollars. He also said the only thing you should get a loan for is college. Also, if you have enough money then you should get a car, but you should not have to get a loan for an expensive car. Hill said he regrets some things, and said some things you shouldn’t do. He made some mistakes like shooting his brother’s eye. He did things in college which he regrets because he got a disease from a girl, but the doctors got rid of it. He included this because we have all made mistakes. I like the book, it was good. My favorite part was when he talked about the things you shouldn’t do, because now I know not to do bad things. Everyone is going to do something wrong in their life, but now I know not to get a loan or don’t buy anything unless we can pay for it right away. The rating to this book would be a ten because it was awesome. I recommend this book because you will learn from it.
The book Chains is about two young slave girls whose lives take a drastic change for the worst. Everything they once knew is gone; their mother, their home and even each other. Living during the time of the Revolutionary War was not easy for a slave. What side to choose was a decision that determined the rest of your life. If a slave was caught defying their owners beliefs in the war, they would be reprimanded. Only a few slaves had the courage to do this; Isabel was one of them. She would do anything for the freedom she rightfully deserved. Throughout this book I wondered how someone could treat someone so badly. How could you see someone as being so below you? That is a question I still do not have an answer to. When I first started reading this book, I didn’t understand the slaves didn’t just run away; now I do. The fear slaves had to cope with must have been overwhelming. The risk you take for your freedom was losing everything, including your life. The book’s title, Chains, is very appropriate because slaves were chained literally and figuratively. When slaves were forced to leave their homes, the chains on their heart connected to the lives they once knew were shattered, scattering into memories of everything they knew and loved. They were now chained to the memories that helped them get through each day. If I thought I would never see any of my family ever again, I do not think I could find the hope and courage to break away from the person who took my family away from me in the first place. I can’t comprehend what it would fell like to have a sibling taken away from you, just because someone felt they had the right to. My brother is the one who gives me courage and hope in life; and without him I don’t know if I could have rebelled against someone who owned me like Isabel did. I would like to think that I could find the bravery with me, because without family what are we? Nothing.
A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks 260 pages Rate: 8.5 After being blamed for a prank on another student, Landon Carter is sentenced to after-school community service including being the lead role in the school play “A Christmas Carol”. Playing the other lead role is Jamie Sullivan; the sweetest, most selfless girl in Beaufort, NC. Also the reverend’s daughter and polar opposite of Landon. However being the two most important characters in “A Christmas Carol”, they find themselves spending a lot of time together. At first because it was necessary, but as the weeks went on it became out of choice, even after the plays last performance. It’s not long after that Landon finds himself in love with Jamie. However it turns out that the reason for Jamie making Landon vow to never let this happen, has much more significance and reasoning than Landon could have ever imagined. When this book first started out, I wasn’t into it at all. The first fifty pages or so were introducing me to the characters and importance behind the school’s play. Mostly the religious aspect of it. To me the introduction into this book was extremely slow and for a book that I’ve heard nothing negative about, I will admit I expected more. But as the plot warmed up, and sped up, I fell in love with it. I felt so connected to the characters throughout the entire book, making the long, slow introduction worthwhile. By reading this book, I have learned many life lessons. Jamie taught me to think of others more often and help anyone whenever possible. Her affection for the orphans in the orphanage has made me realize that there are so many kids that have it much harder than me. I now know that when things in my life get tough, I need to suck it up and trudge through it with the idea in mind that no matter how bad I have it, someone always has it worse. This love story is compelling, heart wrenching, and highly recommended.
Shadow Boxer is a book a book about boxing and the un-luxurius life of a couple of brothers. Monty and his older brother George making life work in the urban life. The book started out with George going to the gym in the early mornings and having some father son boxing with his father. These were the happy moments of the book. His dad taught him life lessons after they boxed. All the lessons revolved around the world of boxing, because his father did too. You could tell that life was great for them. After reading further, I encountered something in this book that I was very familiar with. George found his father dead on the kitchen floor 2 weeks later. This was the book for me…boxing and dead dads. The result was his father was punched to death from so much boxing. Monty was too young to understand. Fast forward to when George is 13 and Monty is 9. This book what the boys do when their hard working mother is always out working multiple jobs to support them. They do odd jobs for people, go to hall of fame museums, and much more. Then Monty wants to start boxing like his dad did, not knowing it killed him. This book goes through the process of George slowly losing Monty to boxing and how he tries to control him and stop him from going into the sport that ended his father’s life
This book was significant to me because I have also lost a father. I know how George felt. That helped me to relate to George’s feelings and actions, and therefore, I could understand it better. This is a great book for anyone who has ever lost anyone, loves boxing, or just loves the joys of the dirty laced, ripped pants, classical urban life of just getting by and living by honor. This book helped me look back on my father’s death in every way. How it helped me to become who I am, and how it made me a person I wish I wasn’t. It amazes me that a giant group of words organized over many pages to create lessons, moralities, and a story could help me deal with something like death. It did.
A Million Little Peices
James Frey
170
9 *********
I read the book a million little pieces it is about a drug addict that has a choice of dieing using drugs one more time or he can be sober the rest of his life. To try and fix his problem James Frey attends a drug rehab center to try to get ‘clean’. Throughout the book you notice as he becomes sober his thoughts and feelings become kinder and more thoughtful. I noticed how much drugs could screw up your life. I think that James Frey had a good life until he ruined it but getting into doing dugs. This book is good but it is an easy book to loose interest in because some of the book is only about James’s thoughts and since he is so messed up all of his thoughts are not very clear but as he becomes more sober James’s thoughts are a lot more detailed and deep. I noticed James is a person that has accepted that he has messed up on and that he is ok with the bad choice of using drugs and has decided that he should be sober.
High school student D.J. Schwenk is stuck maintaining her family’s farm when all she really wants to do is fall into the arms of her new guy, Brian Nelson, and run after her football dreams. Throughout her crazy summer, she discovers the true value in life and how to accept herself with all of her unique qualities.
First of all, I want to say this was a very good book! Right from the beginning I was asking myself questions, wondering what was going to happen next, and therefore I could not put the book down. Not only was it entertaining to read, but it had a few key lessons hidden ‘between the lines’ of the actual literature. The author creatively touched upon sensitive teenage topics such as a first kiss, confusing boyfriends, and trying to fit in with the ‘In Crowd.’ A classic teen- summer- love- book and a great read! :)
The fictional book A Mango Shaped Space takes you through the life of a 13 year old teenage girl named Mia. Throughout this novel, it is revealed that Mia has a rare but not harmful disease called Synesthesia. This disease Mia has let’s her see numbers, letters, and sounds as colors. For her whole life she has kept this a secret from everyone around her. But as the disease starts to affect her life, it forces Mia to let out her little secret she’s been keeping from everyone. Nobody believes her at first but as she goes to the doctors to find out more and joins a club her parents start to believe her. As you read on Mia’s journey through life is hard after everyone one in school finds out about her disease, and between finding who she really is as a person. Mia realizes in order to find out who she really is she will have to loose something important to her in life.
Reading this book at first was kind of boring to me. It started off slow, and I really didn’t get the point at first, until Mia started learning more about her disease. I don’t know if this really is a disease, but I thought it was cool and understand why she kept it a secret. I mean, who would believe a little kid telling you that they see letters, numbers, and sounds as colors. It seems silly but I am definitely glad Mia stepped up and spoke about her problem before it really got out of hand without knowing really what she had. What she went through, I don’t know if I could do and I was surprised as I read the book more and more on what she did. Mia is just like me, the kind of girl who is brave at taking risks. Being different is who everyone is and nobody is exactly alike; we all have our special something in each and every one of us.
LeBron James is one of the greatest known players in the NBA, but very few people actually know about him. In my opinion, the best part of LeBron's life would be his earlier years. In High School, LeBron was being interviewed by Sports Illustrated and ESPN. I wonder what he was feeling in those four years of high school. During his four years he won three state championships and he was the leader of his high school team. I would like to know how he balanced those unknown hurdles, because teenagers rarely see those opportunities, and they do not experience the pressure of making the tough decisions like LeBron had to make. The book also goes into detail about his more recent achievements in the NBA, from scoring awards, to other great awards that he has received throughout the years. Although LeBron is not my favorite player in the league, I respect him and everything else that he has done for the game of basketball.
Title: Precious Author: Sapphire Pages Read: All 192 Rating: 10 out of 10
Imagine living day by day never knowing if you would make it without getting abused. Imagine living knowing you mothered two of your father’s children, because he raped you. That was Precious Jones’s life. She lived day to day being beaten by her mother and raped by her father when he came home. Precious spent her life unappreciated by her family and hiding her emotions. At school, teachers would yell and scream at her calling her useless but only because they would not take the time to find out who Precious Jones really was. Being so disrespected, she dropped out only to shortly meet the women who would change her life, Ms. Rain. Ms. Blue Rain wasthe only person Precious had ever met that listened to her, respected her, and wanted her to turn her life around for the better. The life of Precious was harsh until she found a person who was more like a mother to her than her real mother had ever been.
My thoughts: Preciousstays with you everywhere you go. You think about her and her story at all times of the day. She makes you feel whippy, because of how strong she had to be just to wake up in the morning. Finally Precious makes you say thank you. She makes you say thank you to everyone and say thank you for everything. I finished this book in one day because it was the most empowering novel I have picked up. The message Precious sent to me was to stay strong and love yourself. In the darkest times there is always hope, so never give up!
P.S. Do not feel afraid to cry while reading the book.
Synopsis: Jarhead is a book about the war in Iraq back in the early nineties in operations such as Desert Storm and Desert Shield. It is a memoir of what it was like on the frontlines of these operations but Anthony Swofford and his platoon of STA scout snipers/recon did not see any action. Anthony Swofford discusses how most marines actually feel about the wars, what kind of psychological effect it has on them, and how hard it is for some to blend back into society. This is all shown as the author talks about him and his platoon mates during the war and how he describes the various experiences after the war. This book is an amazing book it makes you think about what USMC’s might actually go through and whether or not any war is good or just. This is a very good book but you cannot be easily offended because there are tons of profanities.
Feelings: This book made me think about Marine Corps, and despite the commercials, how glorious it actually is. It also makes you think what is the point of sending these marines to the brutal training camps if half of them never put their training into practice. Now they have to go home and blend into society like nothing happened. The book really gets you in the head of a Marine at the front lines that never actually saw action. Back on the topic of training camp Anthony Swofford talks about the training camp and how he was abused in everyway. His drill Sergeant was always spitting insults and atrocities at the marines. Swofford also shares an experience where the Sergeant smashed his head through a chalkboard and into the cement behind the board. This book tells you straight out: Boot camp is a horrible place to be, no one actually likes the “Jarheads”, and being out there and not seeing any action can be worse than actually fighting. My uncle is a veteran and I have managed to squeeze drops of info from him on war and he says that sometimes when you return home people do not treat like a hero who fought for their country, but like you did something wrong and this is touched on in Jarhead as well. The point of war is to fight for your country but Swofford’s whole platoon just sat back an watched everyone “get there share” and when at one point the tension reached its peak, Anthony Swofford pulled a gun on his fellow marine and threatened him, berated, him and almost went to the point of killing him. This really shows how hard can be on someone that actually does not see action. (This book is more meaningful I just can’t put it into words well)
Things Left Unsaid Stephany Hemphill Pages read: Finished Rating: 9 Sarah like any teenager just wants to fit in. And like most growing people she has not discovered her true identity yet. So when a boyfriend comes into the picture you can guess that they are inseparable. She really thinks he is the one, but when her friends and family tries to tell her that she has change and they don’t know her anymore she goes crazy. She thinks that they are the ones who have changed, she leaves them behind not thinking about how much she needs them. Robin (the boyfriend) is trying to make Sarah “the perfect girlfriend” for him and she is letting him because having a boyfriend doesn’t come around all the time. She goes from being a straight a student with lots of pep and personality to wearing all black and getting horrible grades is almost all of her classes. The worst part is Robin is really the only friend she has left. She has two options dump Robin, become herself again possibly get her friends back but have no boyfriend or stay with robin, have no other friends, and let him try to change who she is… What will she do? I loved this book I think many teenage girls can relate to it.
I have learned that you can’t change another person you can only change yourself .I think the main audience for this book would be teenage girls but really anyone can! When I read this book it made me think about the people I hang out with and if they are really I friends or they just like me for what I have or what I can bring to them. It may not happen very often, but no one should try to change who you are. I was always told you are the perfect you and no one can do anything to change that.
Title: Have a Little Faith: A True Story Author: Mitch Album Pages Read: 168 Rating: 7
In every Mitch Album book that I have read, there is a recurring theme. From The Five People You Meet in Heaven to Tuesday’s With Morrie, the characters always learn lessons about faith, hope, love, and how to live your life to the fullest by appreciating everything. In this specific book, Mitch is being targeted by Albert, the rabbi, whom Mitch calls Reb. The Reb asks Mitch to deliver his eulogy when he dies. You can imagine how awkward this request is, especially from a rabbi that you haven't seen since childhood. Mitch was afraid of the Reb when he was younger, and he didn't understand that the reb was just a normal person. In order for Mitch to write a good eulogy, he meets with the Reb weekly to learn about his life. Little did Mitch know that the Reb asked him to write the eulogy for a reason. The Reb helps Mitch become closer to his faith, and Mitch realizes that the Reb is only human, a human with a kind heart and strong faith.
Unfortunately, this book was not the perfect "book match" for me. I ended up ditching this book because I couldn't force myself to pick it up and read. I am not good with grabbing my book at night to read. I would rather be doing something else (sleeping). Generally, I need a book that has adventure, suspense, mystery, or an amazing plot to make me want to continue reading. This book just was not doing that for me. Despite the lack of adventure, I did enjoy the thorough message that Mitch was conveying to his readers. I do think there is something to be said about faith. It is so important for you to have something or someone to believe in. The book also made me think about the funerals that I have been to and how interesting the eulogies are. No two are the same. My aunt Julie's funeral had two eulogies, one from my uncle and one from Julie's sister. They were so moving and unique. They mean a lot to people, because you can remenise and relate to the others who grieve the loss, too. Eulogies are tough, but we must hear them for the memories, respect, and honor that they show to the deceased. I love that aspect of the book.
This book represents new beginnings. Penny Lane’s new beginning is Hog’s Hollow, Michigan where her mother decides to open up a cupcake bakery while Penny’s life in Manhattan ends, she has to leave her friends, her modern lifestyle, and her Dad. But once school starts at HHHS she makes good friends and unexpected enemies. While her life is flipped upside down there are things that are hidden from Penny, like her parent’s divorce, and that her mother has old relations to this new place. But in such a small town, everyone knows everything, and everyone.
I loved this book, it shows me how you can get through tough times. The characters in the story had obstacles a lot larger then mine that they had to overcome. Penny has change. Tally has heart ache. Marcus has loss. And I have to pass a quiz. How ever big or small a problem is you have to face it. Whether it be talking to someone, taking charge, or being prepared. This book made me realize how you have to work through pain, and enjoy life wherever and whoever you are with.
The book I read The Secret Hour is about a girl named Jessica Day. She moved to Bixby with her mom, dad and sister. While she is here she has a “dream” where everything is frozen in time. As time goes on she learns it’s not a dream but its real life. It’s called the secret hour because long ago the darkness was pushed back farther and farther and to escape human problems they created Blue Time. Only a few humans can enter the blue time and they have to be born at that instant (Midnight). As she learns about the others powers the darklings try to kill her, and they try and find her power, turns out she has the greatest power out of all of them. While reading this book I learned that people can act completely different then what they look like on the outside. Also I learned not to estimate people’s limits in what they can do. I am going to read the whole series because I like it that much.
Make Lemonade Virginia Euwer Wolff Rating: 9 Pages read: 213
Make Lemonade is a wonderful heart felt book about a teen mom and her struggle in life. A young 17 year old single mom of two is doing whatever she can to take care of her son Jeremy 2 and daughter Jolly 4. She decides that trying to do this alone is too hard for her, so she puts a post up in a local high school for a babysitter. A 16 year old girl, Lavaughn sees the post and takes on the job. When she sees the apartment and lifestyle the family is living she does whatever she can for the family to help. Every bit of money that she makes from babysitting she buys things such as diapers, clothing and shoes for Jolly and Jeremy. Neither of the children were potty trained let alone knew what the toilet was, so she also potty trained them. Both the family and Lavaungh go through some very hard times as they try to make there life better.
I thought that Make Lemonade was a wonderful book and had a very strong message. I think this could impact many teens in there chose to be a teen mom. Many people are not aware about the consequences of being a teen mom and this book is very informative. I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys reading about other people’s lives and how they struggle for a healthy survival. I can really relate to this book, my parents were both teen parents. Although they made it through they tell me to this day how much they struggled for my brother and me. They educate me to the best of there knowledge about making the right chooses. Reading this book will help everyone make smart chooses, so they can be a kid for as long as possible.
A Child Called “it” was one of the most powerful and hardest book I have ever picked up. It is a story of the worst case of child abuse in California history. Reading about a boy named Dave who was stabbed and beaten all by his own mother left my eyes full with tears. It sickened me to continue to read about how Dave had to steal other kid’s food to survive. While I was eating and laying in my own bed, I realized how lucky I was; Dave had to sleep on the basement floor, famished. I take so much for granted, a roof over my head, food, loving parents. Dave’s mother became physically and mentally sick because of alcoholism. Although I can’t relate to the abuse part of this book, I can relate to having an alcoholic as a parent. I cry inside every time I see my dad pick up another drink and when he forgets to pick me up because he is still at the bar. This book is hard to read, but also so powerful and inspiring.
The book is about Cracker, a family dog who was taken from her home and then sent to Vietnam to be part of the US Army. Cracker was trained to sniff out landmines to save the soldiers lives. She has a very important job! Cracker was assigned to a handler named Rick. I noticed that Cracker and Rick have a really strong relationship. Cracker responds to Rick’s demands, and Rick responds to Cracker’s ears flickering and body movements and signs that there might be a landmine. I think Cracker is a very good book. If you like dogs and are also interested in the war, then this book is for you. The author made the book real with the way she described everything. There are no dull points, there is always action. There are some fighting scenes, and I like when Rick is training Cracker. Everyone who told me about the book said they liked it, too. I will be sad when I am done reading the book.
This book I read Response was about a boy who lived in the hood and it talks about how he was going to jack a car in East Franklin. A bunch of white people jumped him and split his head open with a baseball bat.
I just thought it was a really good book. I never wanted to put the book down when I was reading. Through this book, I learned a lot of things: don’t steal cars, don’t do drugs because it leads you down the wrong path in life. I wouldn’t want that to happen to me both of my brothers went down the path and both ended up in jail. I don’t want to end up like them. I’m not going to drop out of high school like they did. I understand why they turned to those things, maybe because of our dad dying. But I don’t want that to be an excuse for me. I want to graduate high school, join the military, and not end up like them. I just want to make my mom proud.
Trevor Scarlett The Car Gary Paulsen 85/180 I rate it a 7
The book I am reading is the car it is about a fourteen year old boy named Terry Anders and his parents abandon him. He has no choice but to build a kit car known as the Cat and he sets his goal to make it from Cleveland to Portland to search for an uncle he hardly knows. While he is on his way he picks up a Vietnam veteran and helps him guide terry to Portland.
This book is very good but can be really boring in some chapters but other then that it is a really a good book. Terry has never really paid attention in school and is really intelligent he knows how to make kit cars because his dad was an engineer and he could catch on really quickly. Sometimes you feel bad because his parents abandon him and leave him alone making him have to build a kit car to drive to his uncle that doesn’t even know who he is. Terry is also only 14 and knows nothing about the road rules so he is driving illegally with a Vietnam Veteran.
A Time for Dancing Davida Wills Hurwin Pg.77 out of 257 Rating: 8.5
A Time for Dancing shows the journey of a teenagers life as she battles cancer, with her best friend by her side. Sam and Julie are best friends who are about to enter senior year. As their summer goes by Julie discovers a pain in her hip, and believe it is just from dancing. Little does she know, Julie has diffuse histiocytic lymphoma. Julie has stage four of this type of cancer. Once Julie is diagnosed she has realized how differently people treat her now, even her parents. Julie and her family have decided to start chemotherapy to help Julie conquer this disease. I have not finished this book yet but I am hoping that it keeps me intrigued as it does now. Right now I am wondering if Julie stays strong, and fights this cancer. This book mainly affects me because I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you from cancer. Even though Julie has not passed away yet I still think how devastating it is to see someone suffer with a horrid disease. While reading this book so far I have learned that even if someone does get an illness you just have to keep going with your life, and stay strong. This book is a combination of sad and happy events that are shown throughout the main story. I am excited to finish reading this book, and find out what happens to Julie.
Eugenie’s de Bouncer is a happy, thriving, beautiful, orphaned aristocrat living in the time before the French Revolution. Throughout the book this young girl must seek the true meaning of her life and the fairness of the aristocratic lifestyle. Living such a pampered yet sheltered life led her to believe that everyone was happy. But that wasn’t the case. When thrown onto the streets after fleeing her home, Eugenie has no choice but to face the fact of real life. While she was being entered into the society of the rich, peasants, not 10 feet away from her own home were dying and starving to keep the money coming for the parties of the rich. While reading this book I realized that I am not that different from her. I live a sheltered life with two loving parents, a roof over my head, a cat to pet, and food in my belly. I never really stop to think about those in Africa, or Haiti, and even in America who have none of those things. Like Eugenie we both take/took what we had for granted, and when she was thrown out on her own to make decisions that were literally life or death. Although I do not think I will be in a life or death situation soon it showed me that what I see right now in Meredith, New Hampshire is not the world. There is so much that could happen, and your life could change in an instant.
Pages Read: All of Them (I returned the book so I don’t know the exact number)
The book that I read is the 6th book in the Maximum Ride series. The whole series is about a small “flock” of human/bird hybrids (translation: they have wings) who go on crazy adventures trying to save the world. Max is the leader of the flock and she turns 15 in the 6th book. In a previous book, she was informed that the world was coming to its end and that she was the only one who could save it. So the whole flock travels to Africa to join Max’s mother’s organization CSM (Coalition to Stop the Madness), which offers medical help, clean drinking water, and food to the needy. While in Africa, Angel, the youngest member of the flock who can also read minds and see the future, tells the whole flock that Fang, the second oldest in the flock and Max’s significant other, will be the first to die. Then, before Max has time to process this horrible turn of events, a strange science genius named Dr. Hans introduces Max to his latest creation, Dylan, who was designed in a lab to be Max’s perfect other half. This creates a subtle rivalry between Fang and Dylan and drives Max into a deeper state of confusion. And then, to put a cherry on the sundae, Angel decides that Max isn’t fit to lead the flock and votes to kick her out. The whole flock agrees, saying that Max is too involved with Fang to pay enough attention to the others, and that she is no longer fit to lead the group. So Max is abandoned and forced to cope with losing her flock, possibly losing Fang and oh, yeah…saving the world.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Every time I read it, I would make constant predictions about what would happen next, and the great thing about this book was that every single time I was totally wrong. Somehow, the author managed to keep the story flowing, keep all of the characters acting like themselves, keep the storyline from being hard to follow, and create some really interesting and electrifying twists. Once again, James Patterson has left me begging for more Maximum Ride, and I know that anyone who loves the series so far will love the next installment. No, this series isn’t a tragic tale set in an abyss of depression, and no there isn’t an incredibly cryptic and insightful message at the end of the book that leaves you thinking about it long after it’s closed, but I think that is why I appreciate it. I love the humor in this book and how realistic the language is. Max as a character is very relatable and I feel like I could hear her conversations coming out of any normal kid’s mouth…if normal kids were to talk about being mutant birds that is. To me, this book was an escape from the hectic and disheartening world we live in. There is so much going on today that makes me want to give up on humanity, like war, politics, and the general ignorance of human beings, so it is very pleasing to flee into a world that I get to experience without being attached to. For me, there is enough crap (for lack of better word) in the world already, so when I read, I want to forget, if only for a short while, about the bad and focus instead on the exciting and enthralling life of Maximum Ride. As I have often said and will continue to say: reality is so limiting. While reading this series, one is allowed to imagine a whole different existence and is not left bored to death with the commonplace trials and tribulations experienced by humankind. As a self-declared cynic, Fang had the ability to let even me forget about reality long enough to soar above the clouds with Max and enjoy another excellent book in an exceedingly excellent series.
The year is 1962 and regardless of the color of your skin if you live in Jackson, Mississippi this book is about you. The Help is a novel, which explores the lives of multiple women living during this revolutionary era. Skeeter, is 21 years old who aspires to be an author so she writes to a New York publisher and is given the advice to find a subject she is passionate about. Always having lived in the shadow of her controlling friends, Skeeter begins to see things as they truly are and realizes there is a problem. She seeks out Aibileen, a black maid working for her best friend. Together the two completely different women set out on the dangerous and often unpredictable mission of secretly interviewing twelve black maids regarding segregation and the families they serve. The interviews were then compiled to form a tell-all book and sent to be published in New York. The maids were putting their jobs, families and lives on the line for their stories to be told. Skeeter was defying her friends and everyone she loved to raise awareness concerning the inequality in the South. They were all at risk and they knew it. So when a prominent TV show host discussed their book and suggested the stories may be about Jackson the entire town is in an uproar. Soon, Skeeter and Aibileen can see their worlds spinning wildly out of control.
The central issue in this book revolves around racism. Racism is a disgusting trait in any person. It merely creates fear in the hearts of those that are discriminated against and denial in the minds of those who are too blind to see that despite our outward appearances we are all the same. Reading this book reminded me of the lesson of acceptance my parents taught me so many years ago. Every human being wants the same thing out of life and in this book I found that to mean the black maids just want their children safe and their voices heard, a right given to any white family. The Help aided me in seeing, for the first time, both sides of the issue. My family portrays both pieces in this picture. As a parent you want your children to be happy, right? Well, what if their happiness came at the expense of your beliefs? This is the struggle my Grandfather faced as his eldest daughter, my Aunt Ann, was engaged to be married to a black man. She loved him, but due to the prejudice my Grandfather held he would not put his racism aside to support their bonding in holy matrimony. Refusing to attend the wedding, it appeared there would be many tough years ahead for my Grandfather and his daughter. At the last moment my Uncle Johnny convinced his father of the very lesson of acceptance I am speaking of. Our country proved they head learned this lesson when we overcame our stained past and elected the first African American president. As in this story, these individuals did not let racism get in the way of obtaining something they believed in.
Title: Calling Me Home By: Patricia Hermes Pages:140 Rating:10
The book calling me home is about a girl names Abbie and she is not happy with her lot. Her mom tells her to be happy with what she has because if she didn't have it she wouldn't be as happy as she is now. One day she has to go to town to drop her dad off at work because her borther can't cause he is sick. When Abbie is in town she waits for her dad to get out of work so she can go to lunch with her dad. She wonders off and she runs into this kid named By and they become friends. When Abbie is almost home she saw her little sister standing in the middle of the field crying. When Abbie gets to the Soddy and find out that both of her brothers are sick. After that she runs away and gets sick and when she wakes up jer father is taking care of her. When Abbie gets better she goes to see her friend By and they talk about what happend and how she got home after she ran away. At the end of the book Abbie is happy with where she is living and she doesn't want to move back where she was living before.
I think this book was really good because of the way it was written and the way stuff was said. This book reminded me that I should be happy for what I have and if I don't have something that I want to just remember that not everybody has what I have.
Title: Scat Author: Carl Hiaasen Pages Read: 384 Rating: 9
The cruelest, most feared teacher at Truman School has gone mysteriously missing after a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp . The class is told that she has been called away on a "family emergency," but Nick and Marta don't believe it. They think that the class pyromaniac had something to do with the wildfire in the swamp and the puzzling disappearance of their teacher. And he does, but he played a very different role than expected. The many mysteries of the Black Vine Swamp are about to be uncovered.
One very obvious point that continues to be shown in Carl Hiaasen's writing is his passion for Florida's deteriorating wildlife habitat. In the three Hiaasen books that I've read, each one is dedicated to conveying the message of how important it is to take care of our environment. His love for nature is motivating. He also takes his life's message and makes it into captivating writing with many different components, rather than having just an informational text. He conveys his message through mainly a mystery, but also slight elements of romance, thriller and information. His writing is very enjoyable and captivating, but also very eye-opening to our wildlife's issues.
Title: The Notorious B.I.G Author: Holly Lang Publisher: Greenwood Biographies Pages: 136 Rating: 7.4/10 Stars
The book that I read was The Notorious B.I.G by Holly Lang. It was a richly detailed, and probably one of the most admirable biographies, I have read all year. It tells the story of famous rapper, The Notorious B.I.G, also known as Biggie, or Chris Wallace (his real name). The book goes into various events such as him winning a Grammy, the feud between him and Tupac, many of his recordings, and a lot of information about his personal life. I give the book 8 stars. It provided sufficient information while not lacking depth. The facts it gave never really repeated themselves. In other words, the book made a perfect shift from event to event; it wasn’t told slow, and not fast; it was fluent, but to the point. Even though a biography is supposed to include facts to avoid being called un-authentic, this one had input from a lot of other people, making it more personalized than the typical biography. It still contains accurate information, but I was really intrigued to hear what other people had to say about Notorious B.I.G; “Oh, he really feels that way” or “Man, I would never think that a person like this would have an opinion on Biggie”. I think this is what makes the music world so interesting; music is just like painting. You can look at a painting for 5 hours, and get nothing out of it, while other can look at the painting for 20 seconds and get a lot of it. Everybody has their own opinion on the bands and artists out there. If you click on the link, it provides a video interview with Jack White. Jack White is the front man of modern rock band, the White Stripes. This video appeals to me so much; just because his opinion on other musicians and the music world. Adamant would probably be the best word to describe his mind and ability. .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD8cfRaZPdM
I also got more into some of the certain factors of Biggie’s life to develop some opinions. What I did not like at all was the portions of the book on which it told about the feud between Tupac and Biggie. (East vs. West Coast). You don’t listen to music to listen to the kind of arguments musicians have; you listen to the music. It’s completely stupid that we have young musicians who listen to their stuff, but focus their mind solely on the controversy that goes on between the two rappers. These are what Paparazzi are for, and they are the most useless and incompetent people in the entire world. The things they report are just for buzz, and we the people have to take the wool off our eyes and recognize that. To close, I would say the book was good; not a masterpiece, but it was good. I would recommend it to anybody who is a Biggie fan, or who longs for a good read.
Author: By Sapphire Pages: 1 through 192 Rating: 5 star I rated this 5 star because i honestly could not put this book down. It was one of those books i just wanted to keep on reading to find out what happens next. I felt so bad for this girl that i cryed while reading this book. I would recomend this stroy to anyone who enjoys a heartfilled book on a brave little girl. This book was a real eye opener for me. I realized a lot from this girl Precious. Never give up during rough times and don't let nobody tell you how to live your life. Precious is this brave little girl who had to take on a lot through out her life. Her mother was a very crazy women. If she didn't follow what her mother was saying, she would beat Preciouse brudly. Her father would rape Preciouse every night and manged to get her pregenant twice. Her mother blamed her for the rape and called her a husband stealing slut. Precious struggles with more then her at home issues. She has to deal with school and all the drama there. She got suspended from her school for being pregnant and when she thinks there is no hope, she meets this teacher at her new school named Ms. Rain who shows her if you try your hardest anything is possible. Precious then finds the vaules in life and speaks her mind and finally realizes that there is people out there who do care about her.
The Last Song features a 17 year old girl named Veronica (aka Ronnie) as she is sent off to spend the summer with her father with whom she has not spoken with in three years. She spends the summer learning life’s largest lessons such as the importance of family, love, and the consequences of falling into the wrong crowd. Growing up she was an amazing piano player and her father taught her everything he knew. He gave up being a professor at Julliard to pursue his own musical aspirations, however his dreams hit bottom and he gave up. After her father left the family she refused to even look at a piano and turned into the teenager that every parent dreads. At the end of the summer she finally learns of why her father wanted her and her brother to come stay with him. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given less than a year to live. When Ronnie learns of this she focuses intently upon healing the wounded relationship between her and her father, something her father had been trying to do all summer as she stubbornly resisted. She starts playing the piano again and finishes the song her father had begun to write. She learns to forgive before it is too late. And she finally opens herself up to love.
I was able to connect with this book because I know how it feels to refuse to do something you love because of a person or event. I’ve learned that by depriving oneself of the things you love you become a different person, but not necessarily a better version of yourself. I admired how the character changed throughout the story. She grew as a person and she experienced first hand the challenges of adulthood. Most importantly she mended the relationship with her father before it was too late. It just goes to show that a little love can go a long way.
Author: Walter Payton with Don Yaegar Pages Read: All Rating: 9 (10 being the best!) An inspirational autobiography about former Chicago Bears player, Walter Payton. This book is not just about a football player though, it is about a man who keeps his childhood beliefs throughout his whole life. Everyone that knew Walter had the same outlook on him. He never changed for anyone, not while he was in the NFL, contributing or creating volunteer organizations, or laying on his death bed. He was always the same person with the same qualities, you either liked him or you didn't. Never Die Easy does not just tell a story, it teaches life lessons and helped me to understand the I live my life but my life contains other people and all you can do is work as a team. I was reminded of my Junior High basketball team while reading parts of this book. The reason for this is because in eighth grade our "A" basketball team went undefeated and it was not because we had a lot of great players. It was because we used everyone's capabilities to the best of their ability. The good players would involve the not so good ones. It made everyone happy. Happiness led to effort. Effort led to improvement. Improvement led to winning games. A chain reaction! I never really thought of it as important how we went undefeated but just that we did. Reading Never Die Easy made me realize that not only is it important where you go but how you get there. Never Die Easy is kind of like Tuesdays with Morrie in the ways that it has so many lessons imbedded within the story and the book. The lesson or lessons above are the ones that spoke most to me but like any story everyone has a different outlook. Never Die Easy is the kind of book, in my opinion that will speak to everybody. It was amazing how so many of his philosophies pertained to me.
The Mango Shaped Space Wendy Mass Realistic Fiction 1-264
The Mango Shaped Space is an uplifting story about a girl who has to deal with a very unique disease. Mia is a high school student and the main character and instead of seeing numbers and letters, Mia sees colors. Mia struggles with the idea of admitting she is differnet and standing out, because she just wants to blend in. When she finally does she learns that she must deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Mia's story was very inspirational and easy to connect to. Everyone is differnet and I feel like this book had an underlying message about telling the truth and being yourself. I have never met someone with this disease or one like it, but I think it would be really interesting to hear their perspective and opinions on not only the book, but the disease.
The story revolves around a young man named Eli. He is an extremely smart person, but has had to rely on himself for most of his life because his mother has Huntington’s disease and his father is slowing drifting into depression. Eli hopes to go to college in the near future, but cannot find enough money to pay for it. Running out of choices, Eli sends an e-mail to his mother’s former colleague, the infamous Dr. Nancy Wyatt, owner of Wyatt Transgenic and head of scientific community for bimolecular research. Dr. Wyatt accepts Eli’s request, offering him a job that would normally require a six year degree in. Bewildered by his luck, Eli believes there must be some reason he is being offered the job, and starts to research the hidden connections between his parents and the greatest scientific mastermind on the planet. Unfortunately, some things are best left unknown.
I enjoyed Double Helix for numerous reasons. The mystery, the suspense, and of course, the science. It really helped my grasp more of an understanding about transgenics and bimolecular research, as well as many of the mysterious occurrences in cryptogenics. It showed me the connection to our life and science, and gave me a very realistic insight of the future, which brings me to the issue of science versus religion. Cloning, stem cell research and chromosome transplants, all of which have been in the news before. Many people look at it as an amazing step in the field of science. However, some see it as amoral, lawless and completely controversial, especially towards their religions and beliefs. The book did good job stating all of these, but sadly put them in an arbitrary structure, leaving hints here and there. However, Nancy Werlin showed that she had done her research, and definitely made me contemplate the facts. I decided that I really have nothing against human research, unless it becomes illegal or harmful. But it does leave me pondering the possibilities. With all our knowledge and advancements in technology, is it really possible? Can we really change, copy or fix some ones DNA structure to make them something else? If so, what is holding us back? The possibilities are endless! Either way, Double Helix is well-written, and will keep you thinking all the way through, as well as throwing in the occasional twist or turn that every good book contains.
The book Brain’s Return is a sequel to the books Hatchet, The River, and Brains Winter. In the book Brian is returned to civilization where he finds himself feeling like a pariah at home. So he decides to leave civilization to go back to the wilderness and find himself. I thought Brains Return was all in all a good book I wish it was longer. It was also a very spiritual book. which put a nice soft of twist to it. During the end of the book, Brian comes back from hunting and he finds a man that looks to be in his fifties, He tells him his name is Billy. They eat and say almost nothing, then Billy talks about his medicine. Billy says his medicine is a deer. Brian told Billy how he was about to kill a deer, then he hesitated and thought if I kill this deer the meat will be rotten before I reach my destination. In the morning Brian finds a crows feather attached to a white deer’s tail. So Brian realizes his medicine is a deer. At the end of the book it doesn’t say if Brain ever went back, he went to the woods to find himself and he did, the book ended with Brain saying I will follow my medicine.
Jarrod might be the most unluckiest person in the world. The closest people to him are always on the brink of death and possibly all the worst events happen to him. He just can't help it. But that soon changes when he meets the captivating Kate. Everything he knew suddenly didn't make sense and every little lie was beginning to unravel. Kate helps Jarrod find a way to stop all the misfortunes and the cataclysms. Together, they go back in time and fix what was meant to happen.
Old Magic was definitely a must read book because the plot of the book was definitely unique. The characters were very easy to relate to because the author wrote from both Jarrod and Kate's perspectives. However, when I was reading the book , I noticed that there were a few words misspelled. At least that's what I thought, but I found out that the author was Australian, and that's the way they spelled certain words. As I continued reading, I fell in love with both characters. I wanted to learn more about their backgrounds and more about their feelings towards each other, but other than that the book was perfect. When I was reading the book, I was reminded of the book Twilight. Jarrod and Kate's relationship reminded me of Edward and Bella's relationship and how they care deeply about each other. The book was amazing, but I still think the author should have written an epilogue, because I really would like to know more about Kate and Jarrod's future together and how they would face other challenges that would eventually come. But before I read the book, I thought it was going to be stupid and not unique at all, but the author proved me wrong. I absolutely felt bad that I judged the book even before I read it; but to tell you the truth, it's been a while since I've picked up a book that reached my standards. This book will make you realize and believe how strong true love is and how love could affect every single decision a person makes. I definitely recommend Old Magic.
Freedom Writers Diary By: Ms. Gruwell’s High school class Pages read: 275 (finished) Rating: 9
The central issue that the Freedom Writers are trying to accomplish is saving young teens from messing up there life by doing drugs. They want teens to get an education so they can have a real job and actually make something of themselves. This book is filled with journeys that takes the Freedom Writers to Washington D.C. to meet the secretary of Education and to be interviewed by Connie Chung on Prime Time Live.
While reading this book I was reminded of my two brothers, Johnny and Wesley. Both of my brothers were high school dropouts because they chose drugs over education. From seeing how little education my brothers have, makes me want to go to college and get the knowledge that I deserve because I am not going to be a dropout, even when times are tough, I am going all the way!
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone that knows someone that has a drug addiction. For all the drug dealers in the world, I pray for you every night.
The Skin I’m In By Sharon G. Flake 163pg Rating: 9 I read the book The Skin I’m In. It was about a girl who keeps getting teased about the color of her skin. She didn’t have anything she could do except keep telling them to stop. It was a really good book. There are some things that you can ignore when you get teased about and others you can’t. The thing I realized is the things you can’t ignore are usually uncontrollable. For example, the color of your skin, your age, having to wear glasses, and medical issues. One time I got teased about my epilepsy. I could not ignore it at all so I talked to my dad. He said he would try and stop this right away so he talked to Miss Mulcahy and she talked to the boy who was teasing me. The next day the boy continued teasing me because he was mad at me for telling on him. I told him it was his fault. He also had a friend with epilepsy and he wasn’t teasing him but he made an excuse saying that he could tease me because we aren’t friends. Finally he stopped because I have great friends who stick up for me. He wouldn’t have stopped if I didn’t have such good friends. The author’s purpose of this book is to understand what it is like to be different. There are good things and bad things about being different. I suggest this book to people who have felt left out because they are different in a way you can not control.
90 Minutes in Heaven Don Piper 205 pages rating- 10
90 Minutes in Heaven is an increadibal true story of a man named Don who died, went to Heaven, then came back to life... on Earth. On what he thouhgt as an ordinary day in 1989, in his small car Don was ran over by an 18-wheeler. EMTs on the scene pronounced the crushed man dead. A christian man driving by felt intrigued to stop and pray for Don. He crouched in the car and placed his hands on what he thought was Don's shoulder, and prayed and sang hymns. 90 minutes later, Don begain to sing along with the man. He had come back to life. In those 90 minutes that Don was dead, he enbarked on a journey like no other. Feather like hands came and swooped him up, and up and up. He was met at the gates of Heaven by many deceased family members and friends. A feeling like Don had never experienced washed over him. He felt happiness, content, peace. But God had a plan for him, and it wasnt to stay in Heaven, where he now wanted to be. It was only to get a short, but wonderful glimps of Heaven so he could have a big purpose back on Earth, to share his experience so that many others will also be able to have that experience, of eternal life in Heaven. This was an amazing book that opened my eyes. I have never once read so many pages over again and again. (It takes awhile for it all to sink in!) I can live in peace, and am not at all afraid of dying, because i know that the place i will be going is going to be magnificent! This book has so much to offer, i hope everybody can not only read it, but be able to apply it to the rest of their lives as I do.
Stephen Smith Rooftop Paul Volponi (119) Rating (9)
This book made me think of the bad things drugs could do to you when you do something with them. The book was about a kid named Clayton and he went throw a lot of trouble he got could with drugs and had to go to this place where kids went when they got in trouble with drugs. When Clayton gets there he goes to where he has to stay because they take classes every day it was like a regular classes that we have. The next day he saw his best friend Addison at where they eat lunch and they were really close friends before their moms got in a fight. Then Addison started selling drugs to this kid Clorox and he owed Addison money from the drugs he got from him. Then one day he leads them up to a rooftop because they were chasing him and when they were up there the cops came up and Addison tried handing the cop his wallet and the cop shot him. Because the cop thought it was a gun and Clayton was right there and saw him get killed and the next day he was scared and had to answer so many questions. But he didn’t answer any them him and his dad had to come back the next day.
In the Shadow of the Cathedral Titia Bozuwa Pages read 146 Rating- 9
This book is a biography about a girl’s life in Holland during the 1940’s. It was when the Germans took over most of Europe in WWII. When I was reading this book, I realized that it would not be easy to live in a place where your country got taken over. The central issues in this book were Titia’s family figuring out how to live in a place without risking their own lives. People were getting accused for being Jewish and then getting sent to a work camp or “death camp.” They were trying to move somewhere safe, but they couldn’t because the whole country was full of German SS officers. This was a good book, but somewhat of a sad book too. It was a good book because it showed me that people can pull through times where you think you can get caught or killed. It was sad because people who were Titia’s friend who were Jewish got killed and she had to watch them get killed in front of them. I think people would like this if people like books about people's lives.
Kendria Brown English 4 Sarah Weeks Pg 52 out of 236 Rating 7
I’m in the midst of reading So B. It by Sarah Weeks. This book is very good I am not finished, however it is a story of the life of Heidi and her passionate neighbor who devotes herself to helping Heidi and So B. It live normal lives. I have many questions that I hope get answered when I finish this book. The main thing I am wondering is, will So B. It ever learn how to communicate like a normal person?
This book effects me because I am very talkative and it must be so frustrating to have to guess what someone is saying. I look forward to finishing this book and seeing the growth of So B. It.
Title: The Lovely Bones Author: Alice Sebold Pages Read: 147 Rating for book: 9.9
Synopsis: The Lovely Bones is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I believe that it could have the potential to be an overpowering story to whomever that reads it. As you’re making your way through the novel, you develop strong feelings for the characters, as if you were part of the story. The story is about this girl named Susie. She was raped and then killed. In the story you learn about Susie’s heaven and how she tries to help her family, find her killer. Her father is passionate about finding the killer. No matter how long how hard it is. While reading this, it changed my views on several issues. I get deep into thought about the story at home, even when I’m not reading it. Rape and death is nothing to joke about, ever. This novel gets in depth about the issue of death. Depending if you have ever had a unfortunate experience with someone close to you dying, you can really relate to how the family feels about their, daughter, sister, or friend dying. It’s really a hard thing to accept. The way the author describes it has an overpowering deep feeling about it. When I experienced what it feels like to lose someone close to me, I understood. Sadly, it was when I was in first grade. When I lost my brother and sister, it was a devastation. I sat up close to my mom for hours. I was only seven years old. Just the other day we watched the funeral of them, and I felt it again. How Lindsey (Susie’s sister) must have felt, the emptiness you have in your heart, knowing that you will never see them, talk to them, or do anything with them. Knowing how much that they never got to do… it kills. When I read this book, it’s almost like my experience growing up. It is an amazing book and helped me cope with all those feelings I stuffed into the back of my head. It even gave me the strength to be able sit down and watch through the funeral. I recommend this for anyone who has been through getting raped or going through a death. It helps you dream.
Brian’s Winter Gary Paulson Pages read: 70 Rating: 7
Thirteen year old Brian Robeson learns to survive in the Canadian wilderness armed only with a hatchet and a knife. As time goes on, Brian learns new survival techniques, such as learning how to make weapons and making a war bow for larger game. As winter keeps getting closer and closer, he does his best to be prepared. He made his hut air tight and made a fire in the middle. The only thing wrong is he really didn’t have the right clothing. He lived in New York State before, but their winters were nothing compared to the Canadian winters.
This book has taught me that it is not easy living on your own. Brian has to work for food and water everyday. At the end of the day he is exhausted because of all the work he has to do to survive. This story is realistic fiction, but it could be real. All the encounters with animals that would normally tear someone apart, Brian handles the situations very calmly and gets out alive.
In the book Brian’s Winter, I noticed that it takes place in the woods. Also that he tries to survive. The book tells you his struggles and when he feels like he is having his ups and downs.
The one thing that I have wondered while reading this book is if he actually ever finds a way home or if he stays there forever. This has crossed my mind throughout the book.
I’d like to know if he ever gets out of the woods or if he survives the winter. He is a New York boy and has heard of the harsh winters, but never experienced it.
I rated this book a seven because although it was a very exciting book with a lot of event, some parts it was slow and dull. But overall I chose this book because I like the outdoors, and especially winter.
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini 106 pages 8 stars If I were Amir, I would not have just left my friend in the alley way only to be raped. If I were Amir, I would have sprinted into that alley way and fought for my best friend. I would have at least tried to be friends with him afterwards, because Hassan was the victim, but yet he’s being punished by Amir by not being recognized as a friend any longer. I cannot stand Amir. I would like to know why Amir wants so badly to get rid of Hassan and Ali, I mean Amir is being so self-centered at this point in the book. He actually tried to frame Hassan and Ali for steeling his new watch and birthday money. What did Hassan do to him, besides be a great friend, and be a loyal servant as well? I don’t see how somebody could make their own friends feel so unsafe that they would actually want to move out than be with the people they loved. I’m stunned that Amir would rather consider himself, than put his friends, who are practically family, out on the streets, just so that he doesn’t have to hold the guilt. I f I knew him in real life, I would probably not be friends with him.
3/24/2010 The Hidden Life of Deer Elizabeth Thomas 229 pgs. Rating: 7
The Hidden Life of Deer was about an autumn in New Hampshire when the food supply for deer wasn’t as good as usual and the deer were struggling and dying. To help the deer, Elizabeth fed them every day and the deer came everyday. It wasn’t just one or two deer-it was a whole herd of about twenty-five deer. Her actions are controversial; some say feeding deer is okay, but others say it hurts them more than it helps them. Elizabeth believed it helped them.
While reading the book, I learned a lot about wildlife and how much we hurt it without even thinking. One example is when Elizabeth had a mouse problem in her house. She tried setting traps, but they didn’t work so she had no choice but to use poison. It worked well on the mice, but it also got into the ecosystem in her neighborhood. After the mice died, some animals came to eat them and they got poisoned. Even some neighbors’ pets were becoming sick and dying from just a little rat poison. After reading this book, I learned to think twice before doing something that could affect wildlife. Thanks to Elizabeth for sharing her encounters with deer and other wildlife, I can do my part to help our wildlife stay healthy.
