Author: Jodee Blanco
Pages: 276
Rating: 10
While reading this book, it made me realize that so many young kids go through their teen years being afraid to be themselves. I was one of them. As I got toward the end of the book, I realized I can be myself 24/7. Bullies do exist, but you can’t pay attention to them. They’re the ones that need some kind of help or needs to boost there self-esteem. But remember you can’t be a bully back, try to be nice and offer friendship. It may or may not work; the important thing is that you tried. I loved this book and I know you will!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Life of Pi - Mitch Jurius
Life of Pi
Yann Martel
326 Pages
5 (if that)
Life of Pi is about a boy on a little lifeboat. Early in the book Pi is struggling with his thoughts. He believes in Allah, Jesus, and all the Hindi gods. His parents own a zoo and have trouble finding the time to deal with their son’s conflicting thoughts. One day the family decides to move from their zoo in India to Canada. On the way to Canada their boat, the Tsistum, sinks. Then Pi ends up on a lifeboat with a tiger, hyena, and orangutan. This book spends over half the book to explain life on a lifeboat.
This is probably the most boring and uneventful book I have read, and possibly has ever been written. The first 25 pages tell the reader what a three-toed-sloth is like. The next 75 pages are worse than watching dirt grow, and dirt doesn’t grow. After the ship sinks, the most eventful part in the book, there are some 200 pages of life on a boat, once again, very uneventful. The lesson I can take away from the Life of Pi is to give a book a try. Reese Chappuis, and Sean Mussen liked the book... 3 years ago.Friday, May 28, 2010
Week One- Shattered
Author- Scott Wallens
Pages- 1-192
Shattered was one of those books i couldn't put down. I could feel the paine this poor girl was in. Meena was 15 when her life went crashing down. Meena since she was little had a crush on the father of the kids whom she babysat for. She didn't except him to like her even though she dreamt of it. One day when she was babysitting, the father came home, and did something she never thought would happen. This guy who she knew for years.. who is married, has children, and has been a close family friend for years molsested her. She was shocked and horrified. This man made this poor innconent girl make it as if it was her fault. He said so many things to her that she then beilved it was her fault. Meena was so ashamed of herself that she started doing drugs and drinking as a way to escape her promblems. She didn't tell anybody anything, not even her parents because she truly beilved it was her fault. She lost most of her friends because of the sudden mood change and quit her favorite thing to do.. which was swim team.
This book was so inspiring to me. I find this horrible but fascinating at the same time. This is so common to most teenagers, atleast in my opion. When something horrible happens in their life such as rape, a death of someone, or depression,.. they turn to drugs or alcohol. I know someone dear to me who suffers from depression who has a drug promblem and i watched them grow from a happy boy to a depressed drug addict and it breaks my heart. So reading this book really opened my eyes and now i know that this person who i know who is suffering isn't alone.
Pages- 1-192
Shattered was one of those books i couldn't put down. I could feel the paine this poor girl was in. Meena was 15 when her life went crashing down. Meena since she was little had a crush on the father of the kids whom she babysat for. She didn't except him to like her even though she dreamt of it. One day when she was babysitting, the father came home, and did something she never thought would happen. This guy who she knew for years.. who is married, has children, and has been a close family friend for years molsested her. She was shocked and horrified. This man made this poor innconent girl make it as if it was her fault. He said so many things to her that she then beilved it was her fault. Meena was so ashamed of herself that she started doing drugs and drinking as a way to escape her promblems. She didn't tell anybody anything, not even her parents because she truly beilved it was her fault. She lost most of her friends because of the sudden mood change and quit her favorite thing to do.. which was swim team.
This book was so inspiring to me. I find this horrible but fascinating at the same time. This is so common to most teenagers, atleast in my opion. When something horrible happens in their life such as rape, a death of someone, or depression,.. they turn to drugs or alcohol. I know someone dear to me who suffers from depression who has a drug promblem and i watched them grow from a happy boy to a depressed drug addict and it breaks my heart. So reading this book really opened my eyes and now i know that this person who i know who is suffering isn't alone.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Fade
By: Lisa Mcmann
248 pgs
7
Fade is a sequel, but a book that could be interesting in itself. This book is about Janie, a senior at Fieldridge High School who would be a normal girl if she wasn’t a dream catcher. Dream Catchers are people who see or become a part of people’s dreams. Janie uses her ability for a good cause, working with a secret agency that works specifically with teens and their school district. In Wake, the first book Janie and her partner Cabel help to nab a drug selling father/teacher and find out that they like each other’s company so they start going out. In Fade they have to secretly date so their covers for the agency aren’t blown. The crime they are trying to solve in this book is to see if there are a few teacher’s at their school are sexual predators. Janie has to go under cover and do a lot of things she doesn’t want to do and on top of the stress she’s having with the case she finds secrets about people like her…
This book showed how strong people can be. Janie has A LOT of weight on her shoulders, with the case, dream catching, and Cabel. She’s strong. She’s someone you could trust because SHE has so many secrets. I enjoyed this book, but if you aren’t ready for a fast-paced book, I suggest you not even open it.
By: Lisa Mcmann
248 pgs
7
Fade is a sequel, but a book that could be interesting in itself. This book is about Janie, a senior at Fieldridge High School who would be a normal girl if she wasn’t a dream catcher. Dream Catchers are people who see or become a part of people’s dreams. Janie uses her ability for a good cause, working with a secret agency that works specifically with teens and their school district. In Wake, the first book Janie and her partner Cabel help to nab a drug selling father/teacher and find out that they like each other’s company so they start going out. In Fade they have to secretly date so their covers for the agency aren’t blown. The crime they are trying to solve in this book is to see if there are a few teacher’s at their school are sexual predators. Janie has to go under cover and do a lot of things she doesn’t want to do and on top of the stress she’s having with the case she finds secrets about people like her…
This book showed how strong people can be. Janie has A LOT of weight on her shoulders, with the case, dream catching, and Cabel. She’s strong. She’s someone you could trust because SHE has so many secrets. I enjoyed this book, but if you aren’t ready for a fast-paced book, I suggest you not even open it.
Hunter Secord-My side of the Mountain
My Side of the Mountain
Jean George
179-all
10 (Favorite Book)
I read My Side of the Mountain. This was by far my favorite book i have ever read. This book is about a young boy named Sam Gribley. He lives on the lands he likes to call, “My Side of the Mountain”. Sam has a pet falcon named, Frightful. He has dug out this tree about 80 feet tall and 8 feet wide, next to a river. He has made himself a home out of it. Sam has a bed made from deer hide, and a door made from deer hide as well. His family knows everything about him, and where he is. Him, as well as his family are very confident he can live of his hunting skills to eat good food and stay healthy, and he does so. People in town start finding out about his home, and how he is living in the “wilderness”. When his dad visits, he brings news papers with articles about him. Sam, for days has to walk around, keeping himself and his bird Frightful healthy. But he also has to be on his toes looking for people. If you are interested in the outdoors and survival skills, read this book to find out what happens.
I learned some awesome things from this book. I learned that if you have an idea, and you want to succeed with it. Try it. Sam did, and he had fun with and it worked well for him. Also, you can do anything that you want, as long as you try. This book did create some questions for me though. A question like, what did Sam Gribley do so well to secure himself from the public? Also, how do you know if something from the wilderness is okay for someone to eat? or did he just take his chances?
This book is perfect for someone who likes outdoors. Or just excitement in books! Read this!
Jean George
179-all
10 (Favorite Book)
I read My Side of the Mountain. This was by far my favorite book i have ever read. This book is about a young boy named Sam Gribley. He lives on the lands he likes to call, “My Side of the Mountain”. Sam has a pet falcon named, Frightful. He has dug out this tree about 80 feet tall and 8 feet wide, next to a river. He has made himself a home out of it. Sam has a bed made from deer hide, and a door made from deer hide as well. His family knows everything about him, and where he is. Him, as well as his family are very confident he can live of his hunting skills to eat good food and stay healthy, and he does so. People in town start finding out about his home, and how he is living in the “wilderness”. When his dad visits, he brings news papers with articles about him. Sam, for days has to walk around, keeping himself and his bird Frightful healthy. But he also has to be on his toes looking for people. If you are interested in the outdoors and survival skills, read this book to find out what happens.
I learned some awesome things from this book. I learned that if you have an idea, and you want to succeed with it. Try it. Sam did, and he had fun with and it worked well for him. Also, you can do anything that you want, as long as you try. This book did create some questions for me though. A question like, what did Sam Gribley do so well to secure himself from the public? Also, how do you know if something from the wilderness is okay for someone to eat? or did he just take his chances?
This book is perfect for someone who likes outdoors. Or just excitement in books! Read this!
Derek Chase~~Tao Te Ching
Author: Stephen Mitchell
Pages: 128
For my quarter four literary café, I read a book called Tao Te Ching. At first sight when Mrs. Diamond showed me that it was a Chinese book, I thought why the doosie should I read this? Well, all I have to say is never judge a book by its cover (if I did I never would have picked it up in the first place, and I am glad I did). For those of you who don’t really dig the spiritual mumbo-jumbo, then don’t even bother reading this book because that’s all it is. It is a book chock full of poems that tell you what to look forward to in life and how to live it, like this poem:
Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?
When reading this book, you have to go slowly and go over each page and explicate each poem to get what you are reading. I also like this poem:
True perfection seems imperfect,
Yet it is perfectly itself.
True fullness seems empty,
Yet it is fully present.
This poem really speaks to me because it is SO true. When you work soooo hard to get to something it feels like there should be more to do, but it is why you always look forward to the small things in life.
Pages: 128
For my quarter four literary café, I read a book called Tao Te Ching. At first sight when Mrs. Diamond showed me that it was a Chinese book, I thought why the doosie should I read this? Well, all I have to say is never judge a book by its cover (if I did I never would have picked it up in the first place, and I am glad I did). For those of you who don’t really dig the spiritual mumbo-jumbo, then don’t even bother reading this book because that’s all it is. It is a book chock full of poems that tell you what to look forward to in life and how to live it, like this poem:
Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?
When reading this book, you have to go slowly and go over each page and explicate each poem to get what you are reading. I also like this poem:
True perfection seems imperfect,
Yet it is perfectly itself.
True fullness seems empty,
Yet it is fully present.
This poem really speaks to me because it is SO true. When you work soooo hard to get to something it feels like there should be more to do, but it is why you always look forward to the small things in life.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wish You Were Dead
Author: Todd Strasser
Pages: 236
This is a mystery about the town of Soundview. Soundview is a very small town full of rich high school kids and their families. At Soundview high the "popular" kids are not nice and make people feel belittled. An anonymous blogger post a post wishing certain people were dead, the first target was Lucy. The week after the post was posted Lucy disappeared. Throughout the book Madison and her friends try to figure out what is going on. However this causes them to put their lives in danger...
I found this to be a great book. It kept my interest the whole time! I recommend this if you are looking for a fast pace read. The main lesson learned from reading this was to stay true to your friends and always have their back. Also be kind to everyone around you! Over all this book was awesome!
Pages: 236
This is a mystery about the town of Soundview. Soundview is a very small town full of rich high school kids and their families. At Soundview high the "popular" kids are not nice and make people feel belittled. An anonymous blogger post a post wishing certain people were dead, the first target was Lucy. The week after the post was posted Lucy disappeared. Throughout the book Madison and her friends try to figure out what is going on. However this causes them to put their lives in danger...
I found this to be a great book. It kept my interest the whole time! I recommend this if you are looking for a fast pace read. The main lesson learned from reading this was to stay true to your friends and always have their back. Also be kind to everyone around you! Over all this book was awesome!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Melissa DeLeon~ Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas
Melissa DeLeon
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas
James Patterson
266 pages
Rating: 10
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas is about a girl named Katie, she was so in love with Matt Harrison. Matt left her for some reason and she doesn’t know why. Matt mails her a diary with a note in it telling he that reading the diary will explain everything, and some parts may be hard for her to read, but after reading it she will understand. The diary is Matt’s ex wife Suzanne, writing to their son Nicholas, Katie has a hard time reading it but finally understands the bond Nicholas, Suzanne and matt; and she finally understands everything.
This to me is the most inspiring family I have ever seen. I understand not all families have this kind of bond and it’s kind of depressing to realize. Matt and Suzanne were full blown in love. It was true and nothing will ever be able to get into the way of that. All girls dream of their perfect man, and when they find their perfect man they know it. Sometimes it takes awhile but once you have that first kiss or first hug, you get butterflies and shivers down your spine and you know. The perfect couple was in this book. The perfect couple leads to a nearly perfect family. Even though not every person is perfect, when you’re in love you learn how to look past the persons imperfections. I would recommend this book to all those girls who are looking for a amazing love story. To me it is truly amazing.
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas
James Patterson
266 pages
Rating: 10
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas is about a girl named Katie, she was so in love with Matt Harrison. Matt left her for some reason and she doesn’t know why. Matt mails her a diary with a note in it telling he that reading the diary will explain everything, and some parts may be hard for her to read, but after reading it she will understand. The diary is Matt’s ex wife Suzanne, writing to their son Nicholas, Katie has a hard time reading it but finally understands the bond Nicholas, Suzanne and matt; and she finally understands everything.
This to me is the most inspiring family I have ever seen. I understand not all families have this kind of bond and it’s kind of depressing to realize. Matt and Suzanne were full blown in love. It was true and nothing will ever be able to get into the way of that. All girls dream of their perfect man, and when they find their perfect man they know it. Sometimes it takes awhile but once you have that first kiss or first hug, you get butterflies and shivers down your spine and you know. The perfect couple was in this book. The perfect couple leads to a nearly perfect family. Even though not every person is perfect, when you’re in love you learn how to look past the persons imperfections. I would recommend this book to all those girls who are looking for a amazing love story. To me it is truly amazing.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Noah Rafuls-The Sword of Shannara
The Sword of Shannara
Terry Brooks
714 Pages
Rating: 5.2/10
Shea Ohmsford is a half-elf woman living in a southland in the world of Shannara with her father, Curzad Ohmsford. (Inn-owner) An evil sage lies within the Skull Kingdom and possesses the Sword of Shannara (hence the title) which is able to destroy everything in sight. Shea, along with her brother Flick are on a quest to stop the sage from coming through with his diabolical plans. Only this is a monstrosity, and is a mediocre excuse for a fantasy novel, with its lame plot, boring cast, and arid style of writing. Why is it so bad? Try reading the 115 pages that focus on Shea’s departure without falling asleep. The style of writing and uniqueness in Dr. Seuss surpasses what The Sword of Shannara has to offer. My advice: If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that will blow you away go to Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, or anything by Neil Gaiman, but this book is dreadful.
There is nothing about the plot that makes it one of a kind. It seems to follow and have the same mentality as the stereo-typical fantasy novel. It all revolves around one journey to face off against that one bad guy. The titles listed above have that zing; their plot and story is one in a million, and the cast of characters blossom, and show different personalities. This book barely makes it pass the norm when it comes to creativity and time taken to design a good plot. Terry Brooks said that this book was inspired by The Lord of the Rings series. Terry Brooks should have been more original. If you’re trying to emulate J.R.R Tolkien, originality shouldn’t be a weakness. And it was.
Giving this book a 5.2 is being nice, how do books like this become New York Times Best Sellers?
Terry Brooks
714 Pages
Rating: 5.2/10
Shea Ohmsford is a half-elf woman living in a southland in the world of Shannara with her father, Curzad Ohmsford. (Inn-owner) An evil sage lies within the Skull Kingdom and possesses the Sword of Shannara (hence the title) which is able to destroy everything in sight. Shea, along with her brother Flick are on a quest to stop the sage from coming through with his diabolical plans. Only this is a monstrosity, and is a mediocre excuse for a fantasy novel, with its lame plot, boring cast, and arid style of writing. Why is it so bad? Try reading the 115 pages that focus on Shea’s departure without falling asleep. The style of writing and uniqueness in Dr. Seuss surpasses what The Sword of Shannara has to offer. My advice: If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that will blow you away go to Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones, or anything by Neil Gaiman, but this book is dreadful.
There is nothing about the plot that makes it one of a kind. It seems to follow and have the same mentality as the stereo-typical fantasy novel. It all revolves around one journey to face off against that one bad guy. The titles listed above have that zing; their plot and story is one in a million, and the cast of characters blossom, and show different personalities. This book barely makes it pass the norm when it comes to creativity and time taken to design a good plot. Terry Brooks said that this book was inspired by The Lord of the Rings series. Terry Brooks should have been more original. If you’re trying to emulate J.R.R Tolkien, originality shouldn’t be a weakness. And it was.
Giving this book a 5.2 is being nice, how do books like this become New York Times Best Sellers?
Message to Dorothy!
Hi Dorothy,
Your favorite English class wanted to express our wishes for you to feel better soon. We know you haven't been feeling well, and yet you still come in every day with your work polished and a smile on your face. You are an inspiration to us every day and we hope you feel better soon!
With love,
All of Us!
Your favorite English class wanted to express our wishes for you to feel better soon. We know you haven't been feeling well, and yet you still come in every day with your work polished and a smile on your face. You are an inspiration to us every day and we hope you feel better soon!
With love,
All of Us!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Johnny Connell Double Helix
Double Helix
Nancy Werlin
248 pages read
Rating: (1-10) 8
This book is about an eighteen year old man named Eli and his quest to find the story of his creation. This book is very detailed with different scientific terms. Some terms in the story were necessary for me to find the definition. That is one of the downsides of this book. This book taught me how easy it is to change and make a human being. This also made me view genetic mutations differently. If someone is in risk of being infected with a dangerous disease, tinkering with genes might be the best way to fix the problem. It made me think, how easy is it to make a human being completely different? This made me more interested to pursue my goal of being in the medical field. This is a very good book and I strongly recommend it to everybody!
Nancy Werlin
248 pages read
Rating: (1-10) 8
This book is about an eighteen year old man named Eli and his quest to find the story of his creation. This book is very detailed with different scientific terms. Some terms in the story were necessary for me to find the definition. That is one of the downsides of this book. This book taught me how easy it is to change and make a human being. This also made me view genetic mutations differently. If someone is in risk of being infected with a dangerous disease, tinkering with genes might be the best way to fix the problem. It made me think, how easy is it to make a human being completely different? This made me more interested to pursue my goal of being in the medical field. This is a very good book and I strongly recommend it to everybody!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Quarter 4 Literary Cafe
Literary Cafe for Quarter 4!
Post by clicking on "New Post" up at the top of this page. For your title, put the name of your book and your name (this will appear in green when you publish your post). That way, we can follow comments to your specific post as we experience our online discussion!
Please include the following in your blog:
The title of the book
The author
Pages read
Rating (1-10)
Share your blog! Include a BRIEF synopsis of the book, but focus on your thoughts and insights about your reading for the quarter. What did you learn from this book? How did it help you see an issue differently? What questions did it create for you? Be sure to consult your rubric! Remember that part of your grade is respectfully responding to your peers' responses. Allow plenty of time to post your work and discuss the literature with others. :)
Post by clicking on "New Post" up at the top of this page. For your title, put the name of your book and your name (this will appear in green when you publish your post). That way, we can follow comments to your specific post as we experience our online discussion!
Please include the following in your blog:
The title of the book
The author
Pages read
Rating (1-10)
Share your blog! Include a BRIEF synopsis of the book, but focus on your thoughts and insights about your reading for the quarter. What did you learn from this book? How did it help you see an issue differently? What questions did it create for you? Be sure to consult your rubric! Remember that part of your grade is respectfully responding to your peers' responses. Allow plenty of time to post your work and discuss the literature with others. :)
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