Franny and Zooey created by Araceli Gonzales
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
101 Poems That Could Save Your Life: An Anthology of Emotional First Aid
101 Poems That Could Save Your Life: An Anthology of Emotional First Aid is a collection of poems designed to help people in times of emotional need. This is why there are sections within it called “Divorce” and “Illness”, as well as more commonly useful ones such as “First Wrinkle”. It alternates between humor and something that never quite reaches the melancholy stage. After all, this book is supposed to help, not send more sensitive souls tumbling into depression.
While I am not particularly well-versed in poetry, I did manage to find some poems in this book that I rather like. “Perpetual Motion” by Tony Hoagland, particularly the last three lines (“I am here—/here where the desire to vanish/is stronger than the desire to appear.”), struck a chord in me for this particular feeling is a very old friend and, at times, my companion. I’m sure everyone has felt the desire to vanish at one point or another, but it’s more like wanderlust in the poem. Of course, the inability to stay in one place could have to do with either, but, to me, traveling truly is something that speaks of a certain amount of loss, even if it brings a world of possibilities.
“Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep”, whose author is unknown, is precisely what the title implies, a poem of death and loss that somehow manages to be lovely. Perhaps it is because it rhymes nicely or it may simply be the tempo of the words, but I didn’t mind re-reading it any number of times.
On the opposite side of the scale, there is a charming poem by Lord Byron in Don Juan that goes by the name of “Hock and Soda Water” that makes me want to giggle because of the images it brings to mind. The basic gist of it is a friend urging his own friend to get very drunk.
Some of the more mature topics make me recommend this for high schools and above rather than middle schools. While poetry is appropriate for all age levels “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” is perhaps a bit more appropriate for an older group than middle school.
While I am not particularly well-versed in poetry, I did manage to find some poems in this book that I rather like. “Perpetual Motion” by Tony Hoagland, particularly the last three lines (“I am here—/here where the desire to vanish/is stronger than the desire to appear.”), struck a chord in me for this particular feeling is a very old friend and, at times, my companion. I’m sure everyone has felt the desire to vanish at one point or another, but it’s more like wanderlust in the poem. Of course, the inability to stay in one place could have to do with either, but, to me, traveling truly is something that speaks of a certain amount of loss, even if it brings a world of possibilities.
“Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep”, whose author is unknown, is precisely what the title implies, a poem of death and loss that somehow manages to be lovely. Perhaps it is because it rhymes nicely or it may simply be the tempo of the words, but I didn’t mind re-reading it any number of times.
On the opposite side of the scale, there is a charming poem by Lord Byron in Don Juan that goes by the name of “Hock and Soda Water” that makes me want to giggle because of the images it brings to mind. The basic gist of it is a friend urging his own friend to get very drunk.
Some of the more mature topics make me recommend this for high schools and above rather than middle schools. While poetry is appropriate for all age levels “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down” is perhaps a bit more appropriate for an older group than middle school.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is my all-time favorite book. Even thought it is a children book, I think that it is a book for people of all ages, for the universal themes of love, caring and sacrificing are timeless. I associate the giving tree with my grandmother, whose unconditional love and sacrifices made her my idol.
The plot and the language of the story are so simple, yet so deep. The story is about a loving relationship between a demanding little boy and a selfless tree, which made sacrifices all her life just to make the boy happy. From early childhood, the tree was giving the boy everything she had: the apples to eat, the branches to swing on, and the shade to hide from the sun. When the boy was little, his demands were quite innocent. But as the boy grew older, he became more demanding, yet the selfless tree always obliged. So, when the boy became a man he wanted to build a boat to sail away and the tree in an ultimate act of self-sacrifice let the boy cut her down and use the lumber to build his dreamboat. Many years later, when the boy became an old man he returned to the tree, which was nothing more than a stump. The tree was very sad because it had nothing left to offer the little boy. To the tree’s surprise, this time he boy wanted nothing but a quiet place to sit down and rest. Just like the good old days, the tree was more than happy to offer the little boy her stump to sit down on and rest.
This story clearly describes the selfless relationship between parents and kids, where the parents’ unconditional love to their kids propels them to give without any expectation for reciprocity. Even when the kids ask for more than the parent can offer, the parents are always willing to sacrifice every last things they have as they try to satisfy their kid’s needs.
I think this picture book is a very useful material for the high school educational setting. In English classes the teacher can use it, when studying the metaphors, symbolism, and personification and encourage students to reflect on the deeper meanings this simple book carries. It can also be a great resource for students to reflect on their often selfish and self- centered behavior and teach them to be respectful and grateful to their parents. Finally, it can also be a great resource in Health classes for teaching young adults the responsibility of parenthood and the sacrifices parents have to go through in order to satisfy their kids’ needs.
The plot and the language of the story are so simple, yet so deep. The story is about a loving relationship between a demanding little boy and a selfless tree, which made sacrifices all her life just to make the boy happy. From early childhood, the tree was giving the boy everything she had: the apples to eat, the branches to swing on, and the shade to hide from the sun. When the boy was little, his demands were quite innocent. But as the boy grew older, he became more demanding, yet the selfless tree always obliged. So, when the boy became a man he wanted to build a boat to sail away and the tree in an ultimate act of self-sacrifice let the boy cut her down and use the lumber to build his dreamboat. Many years later, when the boy became an old man he returned to the tree, which was nothing more than a stump. The tree was very sad because it had nothing left to offer the little boy. To the tree’s surprise, this time he boy wanted nothing but a quiet place to sit down and rest. Just like the good old days, the tree was more than happy to offer the little boy her stump to sit down on and rest.
This story clearly describes the selfless relationship between parents and kids, where the parents’ unconditional love to their kids propels them to give without any expectation for reciprocity. Even when the kids ask for more than the parent can offer, the parents are always willing to sacrifice every last things they have as they try to satisfy their kid’s needs.
I think this picture book is a very useful material for the high school educational setting. In English classes the teacher can use it, when studying the metaphors, symbolism, and personification and encourage students to reflect on the deeper meanings this simple book carries. It can also be a great resource for students to reflect on their often selfish and self- centered behavior and teach them to be respectful and grateful to their parents. Finally, it can also be a great resource in Health classes for teaching young adults the responsibility of parenthood and the sacrifices parents have to go through in order to satisfy their kids’ needs.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Help by Katherin Stockett is a really outstanding book. If I have time, I would like to reread it again. This novel is dedicated to the lives of African-American people in the South in times of segregation, when they were suffering from social injustice and racial discrimination. The story is told by three different women: two African-American maids, Abileen and Minny, and one rather brave young white southern girl by the name of Skeeter. Their lives weave together in a strange and unexpected way, when Skeeter, a 22 year old college graduate, tries to get a job as an editor, but gets rejected for not having any work experience. Instead she is advised to write about something that really disturbs her, “particularly if it bothers no one else”. When Skeeter meets Abileen and actually manages to engage Abileen in conversation, she gets so moved by her story that she decides to pursue the writing project, that will gather the experiences of many African American maids working in the white people’s homes. Skeeter also meets Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who is known in town for her sassy and daring attitude and her sharp tongue. Together they manage to convince more and more black maids to come forward and share their stories with Skeeter, who eventually ends up writing her controversial book, The Help, about the lives of African American maids in white households in Mississippi. The book release causes a lot of turmoil among Skeeter’s white friends and puts Skeeter’s reputation in jeopardy and the lives of the maids in danger. Eventually, though, the book becomes a best seller, giving Skeeter an opportunity to leave her town and move to New York, and the maids who contributed to the novel receive their royalty payments.
In my opinion, the author of this book deserves the praise, because her book is moving, heartbreaking, inspirational, and entertaining at the same time. I can’t believe that the book was the author’s debut novel. She did such a great job with it, that the fact that the book is nearly 500 pages long, didn’t matter; I simply couldn’t put the book down. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it yet, including my high school students and teachers. It is a great resource for History and Social Studies teachers who are doing the unit about civil right movement and segregation.
In my opinion, the author of this book deserves the praise, because her book is moving, heartbreaking, inspirational, and entertaining at the same time. I can’t believe that the book was the author’s debut novel. She did such a great job with it, that the fact that the book is nearly 500 pages long, didn’t matter; I simply couldn’t put the book down. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it yet, including my high school students and teachers. It is a great resource for History and Social Studies teachers who are doing the unit about civil right movement and segregation.
Shonen Jump Manga proudly presents a book by Masashi Kishimoto a story about a young ninja named Naruto on his way to be a Ninja. The book is chocked full of Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Martial Arts, and a hint of Romance added in between. In Test of a ninja shows the background of Naruto and how the people surrounding him treat him. During the Day of his Ninja examination Naruto completely flunks the exam and doesn’t earn the right to be a ninja-or does he? In the next section we introduce 2 other main Characters Sakura Haruno and Sauske Uchiha making up Squad 7 lead by Kakashi Hatake. Near the end Nartuto, Sakura, and Sauske are put under a vicious training exercise to see if they have indeed earned the title of being called a ninja or head back to the academy. Only 2 out of 3 of them will be able to pass-Who will make it and who will be sent back?
I greatly recommend this novel for middle scholars because it shows how hard work and determination can take you far in the world. Having the sense of making it big in the world is everyone’s dream but no one can hand it to you, you have to work for it to earn your place. This book is for all ages, not only does it show life lessons but it also delivers a great deal of entertainment and Action. So look this book up and hope you enjoy this series as much as I did.
Pablo QuintanaThe Elephant Man (play)
The Elephant Man, a play by Bernard Pomerance which is based on the life of a real man, is a very thoroughly depressing story. John Merrick—also known as The Elephant Man due to his physical deformities—seems to be an individual who suffers from being a delightful book inside a horrid cover.
His personality remains a bit of a mystery throughout the whole play as many of the things the reader learns about him seem to be other people projecting things they themselves are and assuming that is what he is; however, it is acknowledged that he is smart, artistic and kind.
His very existence seems to attract the pity of others and many donate so he is able to stay at the hospital until the end of his life. He whiles away the time by making a model and chatting with his new friends—such as the Bishop and the actress, Ms. Kendal.
Dr. Treves is the one who he has the closest relationship to, perhaps because Treves was the one who brought Merrick to the hospital and the one who allowed him to make his other friends. While their relationship may seem harsh at times, Treves seems to care about Merrick the most he can.
The ending is rather predictable, but any other ending would not really fit with the tone of the play and that would make it far worse than merely predictable.
This play, while disheartening most of the time, is perfectly suitable for a high school library. While certain parts of it may seem risqué, the play itself covers some important themes that people should take to heart, such as the age-old “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Younger age groups may have a difficult time with the language used, but those in high school should at least be able to muddle through it. The concepts covered in the play might also be a little hard for younger age groups to grasp completely, but high school level analysis and above should make them perfectly clear.
All in all, this play—while not to my taste—would be enjoyable to certain audiencesJane Bandak
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Sylvia Earle by Beth Baker
On August 30, 1935, Sylvia Alice Earle was born. Eventually, the child would become a respected marine biologist, concerned with environmental issues and persuading the government to invest in funding underwater research. She formed the values that caused her to fight for her causes during her youth.
Her upbringing stressed that one must protect and care for nature; her mother was an amateur veterinarian. She could often be found outdoors, collecting data on the areas around her house. She was particularly fascinated by the ocean from the age of three when she leapt up after being knocked down by the water she was playing in (6).
She kept this mindset throughout her whole life, never losing her passion for the ocean and the life within. Enamored with it all, she didn’t understand how people could do any sort of damage to it.
One of the experiences she cites as “most exciting” happened in 1977 when she was able to swim with humpback whales. After her first time in the water with them, she “never worried since in all [her] encounters with humpback whales” (58). During a particularly vicious storm, Sylvia still went in to swim with them, even though she was aware that there were sharks in the water: “Sylvia has more guts than almost anybody you can name” (63).
In the Just the Facts Biographies book Sylvia Earle, one can learn even more about this incredible woman’s life and the challenges she faced. It also provides various pieces of information on things mentioned in the text, such as improvements to diving equipment. Through this biography, one can imagine the passionate, driven nature of the woman who manages to accomplish so much. Most pages have one or two pictures, which help with visualizing the information being read. Certain pieces of anecdotal information are not particularly useful, but some may find them interesting.
The book does not simply consist of information on Sylvia Earle. Besides the notes that are information on other people, the book includes a Glossary, Sources and Further Reading.
The language used in the book is almost simplistic at times and certain situations seem to be a bit simplified. The book is probably appropriate for middle school and some elementary students with a higher reader level. Grades 4 to 8 would probably find this book the most helpful.
Jane Bandak
Jane Bandak
Mark Twain BY: Beth Baker
Samuel Langhorne Clemens also known as Mark Twain was born in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835. He was the son of Jane a native of Kentucky, and John Marshall Clemens, a Virginian by birth. He was the sixth of seven children but only three of his sibling’s survived childhood. When he was four, Twain's family moved to Hannibal, Missouri a port town on the Mississippi River. Missouri was a slave state and young Twain became familiar with the institution of slavery, a theme he would later explore in his writing. When Twain was 11, his father died of pneumonia. The year after his father’s death Twain became a printer’s apprentice. He began working as a typesetter and contributor of articles and humorous sketches for the Hannibal Journal, a newspaper owned by his brother Orion. Mark left Hannibal at the age of eighteen and worked as a printer in New York City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. Twain began his career writing light and humorous verses like Huckleberry Finn in where he combined humor and social criticism. Twain’s next major publication was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which drew on his youth in Hannibal. Throughout the book Mark spoke about the adventures he came across while traveling from place to place with his family. He also describes the individuals he met and helped him with the publication of his books. Mark Twain also came across a deep depression when his three daughters passed away each with a different illness. As the years moved on his wife was ill and passed away. Mark then had no family and became lonely after being used to seeing his wife and daughters. It took a certain amount of years for Mark to feel inspired and write books like he used to when he had a family. Mark Twain had a heart attack and passed away. I would recommend this book to a middle school library for students grade six through eight who are interested in knowing the story behind Mark Twain’s life. This book is very appealing and descriptive it informs the reader on Twain’s life and the obstacles he came across.
Karen Salazar
Karen Salazar
The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins (Book Review)
In a future dystopian world, where people struggle to survive, trapped in their own districts, there are the Hunger Games. One child of each gender from each of the twelve districts between the ages of twelve and eighteen is chosen to compete. Winning means fame, wealth, glory. Losing means death.
In District Twelve, Primrose Everdeen has been chosen for the games. Instead of allowing this, her older sister Katniss volunteers to fight in her place. The boy chosen is the baker’s son, Peeta, who saved her life many years ago.
District Twelve is a rundown, poor district and many don’t think that they have a chance to win. They usually don’t, but this year something is different. Out of a possible score of twelve, Katniss scores an eleven, putting her on the map for the competition.
Peeta and Katniss, coming from District Twelve, both have one trainer, a grouchy drunk named Haymitch. While at first, he is unhelpful, he quickly realizes that these two are fighters determined to survive and begins trying to prepare them.
Upon entering the Hunger Games—where your own survival means the death of others—Katniss will become entangled in a web of betrayal, romance and death.
Katniss may be playing to win, but can she handle the Hunger Games?
This book, even when nothing interesting seems to be happening, is captivating.
Personally, romance has never been something I’m particularly fond of, but the romance in this book was well-written and made me care more about the characters. The relationships in this book (romantic or otherwise) were believable and nicely executed.
While the main character is horribly dense (at least, in romantic matters), she is intelligent and determined, which is extremely appealing to me, especially after certain weak female characters have become so popular in recent years. Her slightly warped world view—whether it be due to personal tragedy or the world she has grown up in—does not allow her to consider certain aspects of people’s motivations at the same time as it permits her to see certain motives where others would see nothing. It makes everything more interesting, really.
While there is violence, it is not overly descriptive or gory—which was nice, as it could have gone that way. While the deaths are not understated, elegant things, the author focuses slightly more on the emotional impact than the nature of what took place. It flows very well with the rest of the book.
All in all, this book is a fast-paced, quick read that I would recommend to almost anyone.
Review End.
In District Twelve, Primrose Everdeen has been chosen for the games. Instead of allowing this, her older sister Katniss volunteers to fight in her place. The boy chosen is the baker’s son, Peeta, who saved her life many years ago.
District Twelve is a rundown, poor district and many don’t think that they have a chance to win. They usually don’t, but this year something is different. Out of a possible score of twelve, Katniss scores an eleven, putting her on the map for the competition.
Peeta and Katniss, coming from District Twelve, both have one trainer, a grouchy drunk named Haymitch. While at first, he is unhelpful, he quickly realizes that these two are fighters determined to survive and begins trying to prepare them.
Upon entering the Hunger Games—where your own survival means the death of others—Katniss will become entangled in a web of betrayal, romance and death.
Katniss may be playing to win, but can she handle the Hunger Games?
This book, even when nothing interesting seems to be happening, is captivating.
Personally, romance has never been something I’m particularly fond of, but the romance in this book was well-written and made me care more about the characters. The relationships in this book (romantic or otherwise) were believable and nicely executed.
While the main character is horribly dense (at least, in romantic matters), she is intelligent and determined, which is extremely appealing to me, especially after certain weak female characters have become so popular in recent years. Her slightly warped world view—whether it be due to personal tragedy or the world she has grown up in—does not allow her to consider certain aspects of people’s motivations at the same time as it permits her to see certain motives where others would see nothing. It makes everything more interesting, really.
While there is violence, it is not overly descriptive or gory—which was nice, as it could have gone that way. While the deaths are not understated, elegant things, the author focuses slightly more on the emotional impact than the nature of what took place. It flows very well with the rest of the book.
All in all, this book is a fast-paced, quick read that I would recommend to almost anyone.
Review End.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Chinese Cinderella
Before I began reading this book, I had
been recommended to read it by others and I actually gave it a try before; but,
I gave up reading it soon because it didn’t catch my full attention. Recently,
my library teacher has recommended this book and I just decided to read it
again doubtfully. I would regret someday for sure if I didn’t try to read the
story again to finish it. Here is the story that made me almost cry and thank
my mother for being alive. There was a Chinese girl named Jun-Ling Yen; two words
are enough to describe her and her life at the same time: “Unwanted Child.”
Because her mother died when she gave birth to her, she was treated as a “bad
luck” at home. There was no one who stood by her side or looked after her
except Aunt Baba and her grandpa, Ye-Ye. As time passed, her stepmother, Niang
discriminated between her biological children and stepchildren in public and there
was no one who could stop her, even her father. Of course, the worst victim was
Jun-Ling; she was mistreated both physically and mentally by Niang and her
siblings day after day. Under her family’s cold treatment, she mistreated
herself as “unworthy person” and it was getting worse. Whenever she had hard
time, her aunt Baba and grandfather Ye-Ye encouraged her to have hope for her
future as treating her special. With their support, she devoted herself to
studying harder and harder; she devoted her time to reading books as much as
she could in order to escape from the real world at the same time. As she grew
up, her desire to continue her education and become an independent person grew
up as well. However, it was really difficult to achieve her dream just because
she was a girl. In China, people value a boy more than a girl and it was much
worse back then, around 1950s. Like a miracle, an opportunity to show her
father her possibility was given one day. Could she prove her ability to her
father who didn’t have any interest in her? Could she get an opportunity to
have a better life other than just remain as “unwanted child” or “unworthy
person”? I strongly recommend people who think that the world is so tough for
them and want to give up without a try and people who don’t realize how lucky
they are. I hope you learn something from her story like I did.
A step from Heaven
A
Step From Heaven
A Step From Heaven is a story of a Korean girl named Young Ju Park who immigrated to the
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
1984 by George Orwell
First of all, let me start saying that 1984 is a very
interesting book to read because of its unique plot devised by George Orwell.
Secondly, this book has many complex ideas of psychology and government which can
relate to today’s society or to other forms of government throughout history.
The story is about a man named Winston Smith, who lives in a world without freedom in which we would fear to live in. The regions of Winston’s world are divided among Oceana, East Asia, andEurasia . Winston
resides in London East Asia regions of the planet. Winston experiences the
horrors of this meticulous form of government in the story. Secretly placed
microphones and cameras surround London, so any rebellious or threatening
activities seen or heard by the Thought Police will end in punishment and
torture. Winston, thin and frail, endures thinking about rebellious activities
to avoid torture. Winston lives in a Prole populated area and works as a
historian for the Party. His job is to erase and create documents to change the
course of history in which the government wants it to. That means history is
controlled by the Party and Winston and the people do not even realize what is
real and what is not. Newspeak is a program created by the Party to decrease
knowledge to the masses such as Winston, by limiting their vocabulary and
misinforming them with lies to easily brainwash their undeveloped brains. Winston
already commits his first “Thought Crime’ in the book by writing a diary.
Owning a diary is a crime to the government and it is punishable. Because of
that, Winston dreams to take the government down and meets people along the way
that are either rebels who had enough with the Party, or members of the Thought
Police ready to arrest and torture Winston.
The story is about a man named Winston Smith, who lives in a world without freedom in which we would fear to live in. The regions of Winston’s world are divided among Oceana, East Asia, and
Killing Mr. Griffin
The story killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan focuses on a classroom with a group of students who don’t want to work for their grade. Mr. Griffin is a very strict teacher with many expectations like turning in assignments on time, speaking only once spoken to, and good is never enough for him. His students dislike him for being a strict teacher and not giving second opportunities for missing assignments. Students often gather during lunch and complain on how some received a lower grade than others. They also mentioned a former student named Mark that had to plead Mr. Griffin to re-write the assignment, but this was not the end of it. Mark always hated Mr. Griffin and now that he feels humiliated he has plans against Mr. Griffin. Mark gathered a group of classmates Betsy, David, and Sue and mentioned his plan on taking Mr. Griffin hostage and makes him plead for his freedom. Little did they know that there plan will come with a surprise. Would this help shape up Mr. Griffins attitude toward his students? Or what kind of surprise will these students receive? I would recommend this book for those students who are interested in mysterious stories. I myself did not enjoy this book for the reason that it took a long amount of time to get to the main parts. In the beginning there is introduction on all the students and how Mr. Griffin’s class functioned. I disagreed with the plan against Griffin because I personally believe teachers ought to be strict. The ending was not delightful and it left me with the thought if the students ever spoke about what had truly happened. Therefore, this book is for students who like to be left with a ambiguous ending.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
" A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini. When I read “The Kite Runner” Hossaini’s first book, I fell in love with his work. So, reading his other book was a must for me. Although, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is not as easy to follow as “ The Kite Runner”, due to the structure of the plot, it is just as powerful and heartbreaking as the first book. The book is divided into four parts. Part one was dedicated to Miriam, one of the main characters of the story, a girl who was born an illegitimate child to a very wealthy man married to tree other wives, and a poor maid, who lived in the outskirts of Herat. By the age of fifteen Mirriam, was forced to marry a man, who was 30 years her senior. She was just a child then and even the thought of marrying a man so much older than her was terrifying. But what choice did she have? Her mother hung herself from the fear of being deserted by her daughter and her father did not want her. Mirriam’s husband, Rasheed, turned out to be a very abusive and cruel man who did everything in his power to put his wife down. The only thing he ever wanted from her was that she gave him a son. Unfortunately, every time Mirriam became pregnant, she lost a child, and that drove Rasheed into a rage. He abused her physically and mentally, and there was nothing she could do to escape it.
The second and the forth parts of the book were dedicated to Leila, a stunningly beautiful girl born to a very liberal and educated family, that perished during the bombing of Kabul by the Russian air forces, leaving Miriam all alone to struggle for survival. That was how she found herself marring Rasheed. Rasheed obviously was flattered to have such a young and beautiful wife, and at first he treated her a lot better than Miriam. But shortly after she gave birth to a little girl, he became suspicious of Leila and started abusing her as well.
The third part of the book was dedicated to both main characters, who had to live under the same roof, learn to accept each other, and eventually sacrifice their own lives to save one another from the brutality of their husband. I fell in love with these women because despite their unbearable lives, they managed to stay strong and prevail despite all odds. I would highly recommend this book to the high school students ages, 16 and up, because it will give them a new perspective on life in general, and women in particular, in a country like Afghanistan, where human rights do not exist and religion in the hands of extremists becomes a weapon in treating women as inferior creatures.
The second and the forth parts of the book were dedicated to Leila, a stunningly beautiful girl born to a very liberal and educated family, that perished during the bombing of Kabul by the Russian air forces, leaving Miriam all alone to struggle for survival. That was how she found herself marring Rasheed. Rasheed obviously was flattered to have such a young and beautiful wife, and at first he treated her a lot better than Miriam. But shortly after she gave birth to a little girl, he became suspicious of Leila and started abusing her as well.
The third part of the book was dedicated to both main characters, who had to live under the same roof, learn to accept each other, and eventually sacrifice their own lives to save one another from the brutality of their husband. I fell in love with these women because despite their unbearable lives, they managed to stay strong and prevail despite all odds. I would highly recommend this book to the high school students ages, 16 and up, because it will give them a new perspective on life in general, and women in particular, in a country like Afghanistan, where human rights do not exist and religion in the hands of extremists becomes a weapon in treating women as inferior creatures.
"Al Capone Does My Shirts"
“Al Capone Does My Shirts” is a wonderfully written novel about a teen age boy, Matthew Flannigen, aka “Moose”, and his autistic sister Natalie, who happened to live on the Alcatraz Island near the San Francisco Bay. The island was famous for housing the most unforgiving, maximum security prison at the time, called the Alcatraz. In the 1930’s only the most infamously dangerous of the convicts ended up there, because nobody was ever able to escape from Alcatraz. Ironically, though, the island was considered one of the safest places around, even safer that San Francisco city, because of the maximum security (3 guards per one prisoner). The reason Mathew and his family ended up on the island was because his dad had gotten a job as an electrician/guard and that promised to support the family’s constant financial needs to provide for Natalie’s disability. In 1935 people did not know much about autism, so most people simply considered Natalie crazy. The only hope Natalie’s parents had for her was to put her to the Esther Marinoff’s School, where she could learn to cope with her situation and lead a more or less normal life. The problem was that no school wanted to keep Natalie for a long time because of her constant tantrums and crying. In fact, she failed the admission at the Esther Marinoff’s School as well. Consequently, Moose had to babysit his older sister, so his parents could go to work to save the money for Natalie’s treatment.
Throughout the book the reader gets to experience not only the lives of the families and children living on the Alcatraz Island, but also the personal struggles that Moose and family have while trying to raise Natalie.
Throughout the book the reader gets to experience not only the lives of the families and children living on the Alcatraz Island, but also the personal struggles that Moose and family have while trying to raise Natalie.
Flipped by Wendelyn Van Draanen
The novel “Flipped” by Wendelyn Van Draanen targets the teenage audience, grades 6-9. It is truly a lovely romance story about two neighborhood kids, Juliana Baker and Bryce Loski. The moment Bryce moved to the neighborhood, Juliana fell head over heels with the boy and followed his every step. Bryce felt overwhelmed by such attention and like any second grader all he wanted was for Juli Baker to leave him alone. By the eighth grade things started to change, and the kids started seeing each other differently; things sort of flipped. Juli reevaluated her feelings for Bryce and the things he’d done to her for the past years and started ignoring Bryce for his childish and immature behavior. Bryce, on the other hand, started noticing Juli’s uniqueness and individuality, and couldn’t stop thinking about her. The interesting thing about this novel is that the reader is able to experience the same events and situations from the points of views of both characters. Throughout the story both characters learn to cope with difficult situations, to overcome peer pressure, and most importantly stand up for what they believe in. I enjoyed the book despite the fact that it was meant for the younger audience. I think that it would be great romance for my high-low readers for it has a great plot and a wonderful message of discovering what is really important in life.
Friday, February 10, 2012
"The Underneath" by Kathi Appelt
"The Underneath" is a Newbery Award winning book that tells a story of human cruelty and animal sacrificing love for each other. I found the story itself to be believable, because the author, Kathy Appelt paid careful attention to the details of the setting and character description; she gave her animal characters the ability to think, feel, suffer, cry-all those traits are human. We, as readers, are able to feel what is would be like to be them.
When it comes to the plot of the story, I felt that it was a little confusing because it had three parts, that only tied together at the end of the story. I found the constant shift of focus from one story line to the next to be distracting.
What I really liked in the story is the part that was dedicated to the calico cat and the old hound, Ranger, who were portrayed almost as if they were humans, because throughout the story they became best friends and taught the reader how to love, care and protect each other.
Ranger, an old hound, was once a hunting dog, who got accidentally shot by his owner, Gar Face. Since that accident, Gar Face, who was extremely cruel, unhappy and lonely man, chained his dog to the back porch of his house. When calico cat came along and gave birth to the kittens Puck and Sabine, under the porch of Gar Face’s house (called ”the underneath”), the animals became a family. Ranger and the calico cat raised her kittens in the underneath and felt very happy and safe for a while, until one day Puck ran straight into the terrible hands of Gar Face. Kathy Appelt managed to merge an almost entirely separate folktale of a miserable, snake, Grandmother Mocassin, into the story. The snake was trapped in a clay jar made by her own daughter for over a thousand years. Finally, the third part of the story was dedicated to a giant king alligator, who became an object of nightmares and desires of Gar Face. How did these three stories fit together into the same book? Well, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
When it comes to the plot of the story, I felt that it was a little confusing because it had three parts, that only tied together at the end of the story. I found the constant shift of focus from one story line to the next to be distracting.
What I really liked in the story is the part that was dedicated to the calico cat and the old hound, Ranger, who were portrayed almost as if they were humans, because throughout the story they became best friends and taught the reader how to love, care and protect each other.
Ranger, an old hound, was once a hunting dog, who got accidentally shot by his owner, Gar Face. Since that accident, Gar Face, who was extremely cruel, unhappy and lonely man, chained his dog to the back porch of his house. When calico cat came along and gave birth to the kittens Puck and Sabine, under the porch of Gar Face’s house (called ”the underneath”), the animals became a family. Ranger and the calico cat raised her kittens in the underneath and felt very happy and safe for a while, until one day Puck ran straight into the terrible hands of Gar Face. Kathy Appelt managed to merge an almost entirely separate folktale of a miserable, snake, Grandmother Mocassin, into the story. The snake was trapped in a clay jar made by her own daughter for over a thousand years. Finally, the third part of the story was dedicated to a giant king alligator, who became an object of nightmares and desires of Gar Face. How did these three stories fit together into the same book? Well, you’ll have to read it yourself to find out.
"The Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
“Hatchet” is a Newbery Award Wining book about a thirteen-year-old boy, Brian Robinson, who traveled to Canada to spend summer with his dad. Brian’s parents got divorced and that broke Brian’s heart. Right before Brian boarded the small plane, his mother gave him a gift, a hatchet, which he stuck behind his belt.
During the flight, the unimaginable happened; the pilot of the plane suffered a heart attack, and since Brian was the only passenger on the plane, he had to figure out the way to land the plane if he wanted to stay alive. Obviously, his mission was nearly impossible, but somehow he managed to land the plane on the lake in an inhabited area of the Canadian wilderness. When Brian realized that he made it alive, he found himself alone, without any food, clothes or shelter. Brian did not want to panic; he thought that he would soon be found; that his parents would be looking for him. All he had to do was to learn how to use his intelligence and skills to find a way to survive, to last just a few more days. But how could he do that without any tools? Suddenly, he remembered about the hatchet, his mother’s gift. With the help of the hatchet and the essential life skills he learned (during the course of time spent in the wilderness), Brian was able to build a shelter and hunting tools, gather woods, start the fire and scare off the wild animals. He found a new appreciation for nature and its power. More importantly though, those experiences turned Brian into a different person; he learned to be patient, courageous, and strong.
The descriptive details made me feel as if I were there with Brian, experiencing his fears, his loneliness, his hunger and his despair. The book held my attention the entire time. Must read!
During the flight, the unimaginable happened; the pilot of the plane suffered a heart attack, and since Brian was the only passenger on the plane, he had to figure out the way to land the plane if he wanted to stay alive. Obviously, his mission was nearly impossible, but somehow he managed to land the plane on the lake in an inhabited area of the Canadian wilderness. When Brian realized that he made it alive, he found himself alone, without any food, clothes or shelter. Brian did not want to panic; he thought that he would soon be found; that his parents would be looking for him. All he had to do was to learn how to use his intelligence and skills to find a way to survive, to last just a few more days. But how could he do that without any tools? Suddenly, he remembered about the hatchet, his mother’s gift. With the help of the hatchet and the essential life skills he learned (during the course of time spent in the wilderness), Brian was able to build a shelter and hunting tools, gather woods, start the fire and scare off the wild animals. He found a new appreciation for nature and its power. More importantly though, those experiences turned Brian into a different person; he learned to be patient, courageous, and strong.
The descriptive details made me feel as if I were there with Brian, experiencing his fears, his loneliness, his hunger and his despair. The book held my attention the entire time. Must read!
“Freak the Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
The story was told from the point of view of Max, a giant kid with learning disability (LD), who was used to believing that he was not very smart, because everybody around him called him stupid. So, Max learned to be alone and lived in the basement of his house, away from everybody, including his grandparents, who raised him. When Max met Kevin for the first time in the kindergarten, he thought of him as a Freak, because Kevin looked like he was trapped in a tiny body; yet he had a big head and most intelligent mind. Freak’s birth defect, as Max later learned, caused his inner organs to grow, while his outside frame stayed the same. Despite that, Kevin was a little genius with the phenomenal brain, and mental abilities; he was practically a walking dictionary.
The boys didn’t meet again until Kevin moved in Max’s neighborhood and went to the same school as Max. It turned out that Kevin’s and Max’s mothers were once friends too, but we learned that Max’s father, Killer Kane, murdered his wife in front of Max, when he was only a four-year-old boy. When Freak and Max got together and became friends, Max, the spitting image of his father, stopped being so afraid of neighborhood bullies, and became more confident about himself, his intellect and his family heritage. Kevin, on the other hand, loved the fact that he had a friend he was able to share his life with; not everybody wanted to be friends with the “dwarf”. Even though kids at school and in the neighborhood constantly teased the boys and called them names, together Kevin and Max became unstoppable; they became “Freak the Mighty”.
I think this book brings to the reader’s attention a few very important issues such as: bullying, overcoming adversity, growing up with disability, friendship, etc. Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students across the country and the world. Kids that are abused by their peers usually suffer from low self-esteem, stress, and depression. If the problem goes unnoticed, those fears and anxieties can lead them to suicide. Max and Kevin were lucky to find each other, because together they were able to stand up to the crowd; they were able to leave their insecurities behind and have fun, be adventurous and happy. Their friendship conquered their fears, and helped them feel normal for once in their life. Other kids might not be so lucky. I think that after reading this book, some kids might look at their handicapped peers differently, with more respect and tolerance.
The boys didn’t meet again until Kevin moved in Max’s neighborhood and went to the same school as Max. It turned out that Kevin’s and Max’s mothers were once friends too, but we learned that Max’s father, Killer Kane, murdered his wife in front of Max, when he was only a four-year-old boy. When Freak and Max got together and became friends, Max, the spitting image of his father, stopped being so afraid of neighborhood bullies, and became more confident about himself, his intellect and his family heritage. Kevin, on the other hand, loved the fact that he had a friend he was able to share his life with; not everybody wanted to be friends with the “dwarf”. Even though kids at school and in the neighborhood constantly teased the boys and called them names, together Kevin and Max became unstoppable; they became “Freak the Mighty”.
I think this book brings to the reader’s attention a few very important issues such as: bullying, overcoming adversity, growing up with disability, friendship, etc. Bullying is a problem that affects millions of students across the country and the world. Kids that are abused by their peers usually suffer from low self-esteem, stress, and depression. If the problem goes unnoticed, those fears and anxieties can lead them to suicide. Max and Kevin were lucky to find each other, because together they were able to stand up to the crowd; they were able to leave their insecurities behind and have fun, be adventurous and happy. Their friendship conquered their fears, and helped them feel normal for once in their life. Other kids might not be so lucky. I think that after reading this book, some kids might look at their handicapped peers differently, with more respect and tolerance.
My Father, the Angel of Death by Ray Villareal
The story “My Father, the Angel of Death” is written in a contemporary realistic fiction genre. The language of the book is simple; therefore, it would be appropriate for the reluctant readers. I think that the boys would like this book even more than the girls, due to the fact that the main character of the story is a seventh-grade boy, named Jesse, whose dad is a wrestling world champion, Mark Baron, also known as the Angel of Death. Jesse describes the events from his point of view and that makes the story more personal and appealing.
At the beginning of the book we get to know that Jesse just started a new school year in yet another new school in San Antonio, Texas. Due to the fact that Jesse’s dad was travelling all year long while participating in different competitions, Jesse had to constantly change schools; this was his 10th school since he started in Kindergarten and he hated that. He was dreading the fact that his peers would soon find out who his dad was and their reaction to it would most likely be the same as it was everywhere he went; they would want to be his friends. The thing was though Jesse was not sure if they wanted to be his friends because of him, or because they were obsessed with his dad. In fact, wherever Jesse’s family went; they were always surrounded by fans and that gave them very little privacy. Most classmates thought that Jesse was the luckiest guy in the world, because his dad was so famous. Jesse didn’t think that way. In fact, his life was pretty miserable and his parents’ relationship was falling apart, because his dad was rarely home.
At school Jesse had to deal with a lot of issues as well. Once everybody found out that Jesse’s dad was a celebrity, one of Jesse’s teachers, decided to use her power to blackmail Jesse to get his father to make a public appearance in school. She threatened to give Jesse an F, if his dad did not come to school, but if he did show up, she promised to automatically change it to an A. Another issue that Jesse had to face was his inability to make friends; he didn’t trust people, because he had a fear of being used by them. In addition, Jesse had some unpleasant encounters with three school bullies Manuel, Chester Leonard, and Hugo Sanchez, who kept intimidating kids in school and pushing them around. On one of the occasions, Jesse rescued Sarah Young, the girl he had a crush on. Even though Jesse really liked Sarah, he wouldn’t admit it to her, because he was not sure if she liked him back.
all in all, I enjoyed reading this book. The setting and the characters in the story faced problems and possibilities that are within the range of what is actually possible in real life. The issues that were brought up in the book such as finding friends, parents relationships, having a crush on somebody, have a special appeal to the young adult readers.
At the beginning of the book we get to know that Jesse just started a new school year in yet another new school in San Antonio, Texas. Due to the fact that Jesse’s dad was travelling all year long while participating in different competitions, Jesse had to constantly change schools; this was his 10th school since he started in Kindergarten and he hated that. He was dreading the fact that his peers would soon find out who his dad was and their reaction to it would most likely be the same as it was everywhere he went; they would want to be his friends. The thing was though Jesse was not sure if they wanted to be his friends because of him, or because they were obsessed with his dad. In fact, wherever Jesse’s family went; they were always surrounded by fans and that gave them very little privacy. Most classmates thought that Jesse was the luckiest guy in the world, because his dad was so famous. Jesse didn’t think that way. In fact, his life was pretty miserable and his parents’ relationship was falling apart, because his dad was rarely home.
At school Jesse had to deal with a lot of issues as well. Once everybody found out that Jesse’s dad was a celebrity, one of Jesse’s teachers, decided to use her power to blackmail Jesse to get his father to make a public appearance in school. She threatened to give Jesse an F, if his dad did not come to school, but if he did show up, she promised to automatically change it to an A. Another issue that Jesse had to face was his inability to make friends; he didn’t trust people, because he had a fear of being used by them. In addition, Jesse had some unpleasant encounters with three school bullies Manuel, Chester Leonard, and Hugo Sanchez, who kept intimidating kids in school and pushing them around. On one of the occasions, Jesse rescued Sarah Young, the girl he had a crush on. Even though Jesse really liked Sarah, he wouldn’t admit it to her, because he was not sure if she liked him back.
all in all, I enjoyed reading this book. The setting and the characters in the story faced problems and possibilities that are within the range of what is actually possible in real life. The issues that were brought up in the book such as finding friends, parents relationships, having a crush on somebody, have a special appeal to the young adult readers.
The Last Book In the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
I found this book to be a little hard to follow. You literally have to learn the vocabulary of this futuristic world in order to understand what is going on.
The story was set in the future (a thousand years from now), in the city called the Urb. The Earth had been through the major earthquake and that completely changed the world, turning it into a dark place full of gangs, poverty, hunger and drugs (called mindprobes). The people that lived in the Urb city were called "normals". The city was run by gang lords, who enforced their rules on the population. If you weren’t a part of a gang, you might as well be dead. To be able to escape the pain of the reality and experience the world that once existed, people stuck the needle in their brain and let it rip. Mindprobes replaced all real experiences that the humans were once exposed to: books, TV, video games, etc.
On the other side of the world in the city of Eden lived genetically improved humans called “proovs”, who had everything that the humans should have. The thing was though, that "proovs" could never mix with “normals”, and “normals” could never live in Eden.
Spaz, the main character of the story, who was abandoned by his adoptive parents, set off to find his little foster sister, Bean. He wanted to visit her even if it was the last time. Would he be able to find her? What would his journey be like? Was he going to survive? Read the book to find out.
I thought it was a good example of a science-fiction book; it had all the attributes of the genre: the futuristic society, a major disaster, special vocabulary, etc. It had an unusual plot and some interesting themes. Some of the themes include: environment, reading, prejudice and human nature, tolerance, drugs and violence. One theme that was brought up in the book was the theme of judging others based on their looks or their socioeconomic situation. The characters through their journey learned that despite their differences, they happen to have a lot of similarities, desires and hopes. If I were to compare this book to “The Giver” by L. Laury, I would say that it was not nearly as good; “the Giver” for me was the masterpiece in that genre
The story was set in the future (a thousand years from now), in the city called the Urb. The Earth had been through the major earthquake and that completely changed the world, turning it into a dark place full of gangs, poverty, hunger and drugs (called mindprobes). The people that lived in the Urb city were called "normals". The city was run by gang lords, who enforced their rules on the population. If you weren’t a part of a gang, you might as well be dead. To be able to escape the pain of the reality and experience the world that once existed, people stuck the needle in their brain and let it rip. Mindprobes replaced all real experiences that the humans were once exposed to: books, TV, video games, etc.
On the other side of the world in the city of Eden lived genetically improved humans called “proovs”, who had everything that the humans should have. The thing was though, that "proovs" could never mix with “normals”, and “normals” could never live in Eden.
Spaz, the main character of the story, who was abandoned by his adoptive parents, set off to find his little foster sister, Bean. He wanted to visit her even if it was the last time. Would he be able to find her? What would his journey be like? Was he going to survive? Read the book to find out.
I thought it was a good example of a science-fiction book; it had all the attributes of the genre: the futuristic society, a major disaster, special vocabulary, etc. It had an unusual plot and some interesting themes. Some of the themes include: environment, reading, prejudice and human nature, tolerance, drugs and violence. One theme that was brought up in the book was the theme of judging others based on their looks or their socioeconomic situation. The characters through their journey learned that despite their differences, they happen to have a lot of similarities, desires and hopes. If I were to compare this book to “The Giver” by L. Laury, I would say that it was not nearly as good; “the Giver” for me was the masterpiece in that genre
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