Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Summer Reading-5

Over the summer, you were asked to read at least two novels of your choice.
1) Briefly tell me what you read, including the titles and authors.
2) I want to know what you liked about the books, what you learned and, more importantly, what matters to you about the book's content.

*Make sure to adhere to proper conventions and proofread your response. If, for some reason, you did not read two novels, tell me about two novels you have read and answer the above.

38 comments:

  1. First Book
    1) This summer I read the Thief Queen's daughter by Elizabeth Haydon. It was the second book in the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme. The main character, Ven is sent out by the king to record and find anything magical he comes across. He is assigned to go into the Gated City and figure out the puzzle of the light stone. Along with himishis best friends: Char, Saeli, Ida, Clemency and Nick.

    2) This book takes place in a made-up world full of magic. I liked the surprises and twists in it, always keeping the plot fresh. Also, there was a lot of made-up races in the book. With each race there are different cultures, and it adds a whole new element to the book. Reading this book makes you use your imajination, and it was a good read. I learned that sometimes you have to examine the text carefully when you read, because you may be missing a lot of important details by just glancing over the words. I think the most important thing in the book was reading about each culture and the character's interaction with a different race. Since Ven, the main character, is not human, he is often treated differently when he meets strangers. From simple things like people declining to give him a ride to town to being thrown in jail for something he never did or being denied a place to sleep. This often happens in the real world and is known as racism. It is eye opening and it makes you realize things that you have never taken time to notice before.

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  2. Over the summer I read two novels that were both written by the author Mitch Albom. The two novels I read were The Five People You Meet In Heaven and Tuesdays With Morrie. Both novels give you another out look on life and its meanings. One of the things I especially liked about these books was that in a way they were both consistent with the lesson I think the author was trying to get across. To me I thought that Mitch Albom was trying to express the importance of life through different ways of coming to realize the importance of your own. For example, in The Five People You Meet In Heaven the main character realizes the importance of his life, the things/people he effected, and the people who effected him without him even knowing it by looking back at his life by going on a "journey" through heaven. Similarly, in Tuesdays With Morrie an old man comes to realize the importance of his life while coming to realize that it is almost over. I liked being able to analyze life and its meaning while trying to do it from two different perspectives, alive and capable of making changes and getting closure or dead and knowing you will never get a second chance. From The Five People You Meet In Heaven I learned that you should never take life for granted because it can get taken away at any second and from Tuesdays With Morrie I learned how to make the most out of the time I have because it can all get taken away very soon!

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  3. Over the course of my summer vacation I read many outstanding novels by J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and Stephen Clarke. However, the two books that I particularly enjoyed were Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

    In J.K. Rowling’s novel on the life of the teenage wizard Harry Potter, we find him entering his sixth year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Every book in the series had an exceptional plot or twist at the end, and this novel was no exception. Throughout the course of the year, Harry has regular meetings with his mentor and principal, Professor Dumbledore. As the bond between the two strengthens, Harry is also introduced to a fiery passion and love for his best friend’s sister, Ginny Weasly. Torn between Ginny, and his task to defeat the evil wizard Voldemort, Harry is forced to aid Dumbledore in destroying a fragment of Voldemort’s soul. At the very end of the book Dumbledore is killed by a fellow professor at Hogwarts, and Harry realizes the battle against evil is only just beginning.
    I loved reading this book because it truly allows me to escape from this world and lets my mind wander to the impossible. I also enjoy reading J.K. Rowling’s novel because I believe they were designed for a younger audience making them extremely fun to read. I learned that Love, if put to the test, can bring out the best in all of us. Many characters in the novel demonstrated this characteristic in their own time. I believe that the thing that impacted me the most was the fact that Harry and his friends are my age, and through all the struggles they’ve been through, they still rise up, and draw a fine line between what they believe is right and wrong.

    The second novel I read was Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. I believe that Stephanie draws a bit of her inspiration from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In both books, or a play in one case, two young teens fall in love against all moral laws of the time. In Twilight, Bella, the main character and also the narrator, falls for a vampire trapped in his youth, Edward Cullen. Similarly Romeo, a Montague, falls in love with Juliet, a Capulet. Edward and Bella’s forbidden love leads to trouble when an opposing vampire is killed, and his “wife” seeks revenge. In the end Bella is nearly killed by the “bad” vampire, but is saved in the nick of time by Edward and his family. I liked the book because it combined a love story and an action packed thriller better than any Hollywood film I have ever seen. I learned that love can be found anywhere by anyone, and ironically at any time. Likewise, what matters to me is that through it all, their love survives into the next three novels by Meyer.

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  4. The first book I read this summer was The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. It’s an interesting and exciting story about a 14 year old girl, named Lily, who lives on a peach farm in South Carolina. This book is all about her adventures to search for clues about her mother, get away from her horrible father,to find out who she really is, and tp discover what love is.
    I really enjoyed this book because it made me react in many different ways. I was happy, sad, angry, passionate, and proud when I read this book because the author really portrayed her character’s emotions well and made me feel like I was actually there while the events were happening. I learned from this book that no matter what, there will always be people there for you, and that the world is not always a horrible place where everything is evil, even though it may appear to be that way sometimes. The content of this book was very intense, because there were many events that are hard to deal with, for the characters, and the readers. I think that it’s important for people to read books like this to open their horizons and really open up to the world around them. Most of the time, our life seems pretty easy, but I think that we should recognize that there are people that are always going through tough times, whether it’s in America or not. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. (I also recommend the movie =D)

    The second book I read this summer was Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead. It was a book that was recommended to me by my really close friend. I didn’t think that it was going to be that great, but it turned out to be pretty good. It was about teenage dhampirs, vampires and evil Strigoi. A dhampir is a half vampire, half human creature whose goals in life are protecting Moroi. Moroi are royal vampires, who are always being tracked and followed by the Strigoi. Strigoi are determined to capture the Moroi and turn them into Strigoi, making it lifelong goals for the dhampirs to protect the royals. Rose, a dhampir, is extremely loyal to her Moroi, Lissa. They are best friends, and bound together by a connection that runs in between their minds. They spend their days at St. Vladimir’s Vampire Academy, and learn about important ethics, morals, and techniques that are legendary in their species.
    I thought this was a good book to read prior to high school, because even though they live in a fantasy world, they still went to high school, and it helped me get sort of used to the idea of how many different social groups and types of people there are in high school. It was also a good way for me to learn from the character’s mistakes and avoid being “that girl” in the hallway, and looked down upon. Rose and Lissa have to struggle through school together, and even though they get into fights, they stay true to each other and always manage to pull through in the end. The plot takes many turns throughout the story, and they’re always some new kind of mess that the girls are getting into, which makes it very exciting. What matters to me about this books content, is that it’s two best friends living together in a world of their own, and it shows how they decide, communicate, and recover after bad things together. I like this kind of story because it makes me feel privileged to have great friends around me that I can endure some of those same things that are in our world.

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  5. Ms. Smith, this summer I read many novels, but the two novels I am going to discuss are Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen and Souvenir, by Therese Fowler. The first novel I read was Pride and Prejudice. In this book I liked that Jane Austen gave so much power to the main character of this story Elizabeth Bennet. She was a strong, independent woman who made the decisions that would be best for herself, such as choosing to marry for love and not money or security for her family. Some of the things I learned from this book were about the time period. It was a time when parents hoped to have a son so they would have an heir and someone to take care of the girls when they died. The Bennet family had no son, so the mother had to make sure her girls married well to secure a good home for themselves as well as a man who was able to take care of the younger girls. It was also a time when an elopement was a terrible thing. Such as in the novel when Lydia eloped with Mr. Wickham, if word of their elopement had spread it would have ruined the chances of the other daughters to find husbands. Their elopement was not intended to end in marriage but Mr. Wickham was paid off which enabled the other daughters to still be married to suitable husbands. This book is so important to me because it is a love story that was not looked upon greatly by society. Mr. Darcy came from wealth and therefore he was supposed to marry a woman, namely his cousin Ann de Burgh, who had equal his wealth. Instead he chose Elizabeth, who was looked down on by his aunt and parts of society. It really connected with me in the aspect of doing what you want to do and not what others expect of you.

    The second novel Souvenir, I did not like nearly as much. I did like the fact that everyone ended up where they were supposed to be, whether that be with a different person or in a good situation. I also liked, yet disliked how in this novel most of the characters made the wrong decisions. It definitely showed how to correct or change the outcome of those decisions, but it was painful to read about how the characters were hurt in some way. I learned a lot from this book mostly about the decisions you make in life. You should never put someone else's need above your own if what you are doing for them scars you forever. You also need to trust those around you that you can confide everything in them and they will help you find a way to make it better. In the book the daughter, Savannah, is in a relationship with a guy who she met over the internet and when they meet he is older than she expected him to be. He makes her do a lot of things she is uncomfortable doing but she can't stop seeing him. She is unable to confide in her mother or even her best friend and she ends up in a situation where she can be majorly hurt. Probably what matters to me most about this book is the way all of the characters lives are so interconnected, yet they are so far apart. It is a complex book that really brings you into the story and you almost feel like you are experiencing the same things as the characters.

    P.S. It wouldn't let me underline the titles, sorry.

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  6. 1.Over the summer I read The Host by Stephanie Meyer and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The Host is about an alien race, also known as souls, who take over human bodies because they believed humans to be too violent. The Wanderer, also known as Wanda, is a soul who took over Melanie Stryder's body. Wanda ran into some trouble when Melanie’s mind refused to cooperate with her. Wanda is they attacked with vivid memories and emotions for of Melanie’s little brother, Jamie, and Melanie’s lover, Jared. While in the desert looking for a secret hideout of humans, Wanda who is extremely hungry tired and on the verge of death is found by Melanie’s Uncle Jeb and is taken to a cave where humans live. Many attempted to kill her because they just thought of Wanda a leech in Melanie’s body. Over time people believe that Melanie is actually alive in Wanda and become her friend. Wanda had to learn how to cope with the human society. She eventually even showed the humans how to remove souls to save the human race as long as the humans promised to send the souls to another planet where they could live peacefully instead of destroying the souls. The Da Vinci Code is about a symbologist, named Robert Langdon, who was blamed the murder of Jacques Saunière. Jacques’ Granddaughter, Sophie Neveu believed that Robert is innocent so she helps him escape the police. Together Sophie and Robert decipher Jacques clues that he left to Sophie. They learn that Jacques was the leader of an ancient religious group, Priory of Sion, who is in a war against another religious group, Opus Dei.
    2.From The Host I learned that everyone is different but that does not always mean that they are evil. I also learned that even though some people may not like that you are different, you still just have to be yourself and everything will eventually turn out alright. I liked how this book was fantasy so it could have made up creatures and planets. This book also had many different creatures in it. Wanda lived on nine different planets so she described a lot of different forms that she took. From The Da Vinci Code I learned that you have to live life to its fullest. I also learned that you have to cherish what you have because one day it might not be there anymore. I liked all the different clues that Jacques left for Sophie. I was fun to try and figure them out.

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  7. I. This summer I read the two novels, Milkweed, by Jerry Spenelli, and Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. Milkweed is a story about a young child experiencing the ghettos, Nazis, and the bombing of the Second World War Enders Game is a book about a fictional society where the government recruits a child to train to be a great general and soon, the child beats the aliens fleet, while he thinks he is in just a simulation game.
    II. Milkweed was a great book. I especially enjoyed him recounting his many close escapes from Nazis and his adventures when sneaking out of the ghetto. One thing I learned and I thought was particularly interesting was how the Nazi’s however terrible and cruel during the week, would parade around town with their girlfriends, and would be almost pleasant to the same people that he may have beaten earlier that week. This book was unlike any I have read before and that always means something to me as many of the books I read are good but not different. This book was unique for this has been the first story I’ve read that recounts WWII through a naïve and inexperienced perspective. His definition of things was a lot more memorable then the average definition because he had no clue what they were before he saw them, like many other victims of the Holocaust. These definitions were more powerful to me because they were usually described as common objects with something extra. Hoses from hell (flamethrowers), rhinos with wheels (tanks) were a few examples that come to mind.
    I liked the book Enders Game because of how the book would be full of action, and other fun to read parts, so it was a very hard book to put down after you start reading. When I read it I realized that this training academy the child goes to isn’t that much different from school now, which brought interesting questions which made the book that much better. Because isn’t school basically a training for a very diverse amount of jobs? Many classes have also sprung up and died down throughout the years because of the jobs that were out there. Not so many years a go AHS started the business technology classes to help the kids get an upper hand getting a job and being success full. When you read the book, you may find the academy preposterous, but is it that much different then school today?

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  8. 1. The first book that I read was called Deep Black: Payback by Stephen Coonts. It is in the middle of the Deep Black series. Deep Black is an elite operations group within the NSA (National Security Administration). The major job of Deep Black at this moment in time is to help regulate an election in South America by checking the voting machines to see if they have been rigged to vote for one candidate. The other book I read this summer is actually the book before the other one. It is called Deep Black: Biowar, and is also by Stephen Coonts. A leading scientist in the Bioweapons Technologies field has been kidnapped. The Deep Black team is assigned to find him because he was working on a highly top secret weapon for the U.S. government.
    2. Fron Deep Black: Payback, I learned that although a democratic government is a great form of government, it's elections can stil become violent. I also learned that even though the candidates are running for office in this type of government, their motives are not always for the people.In Deep Black: Biowar, I learned just how deadly these Bioweapons can actually be. As the book put it, they are not short duration explosive weapons, but subtle weapons that can last an extremely long amount of time.

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  10. 1. The first book I read this summer was Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. The book was about a group called the Illuminati who tried to destroy the Vatican. The main character was a man named Robert Langdon. He had been writing novels about the Illuminati, which was the reason he was contacted when the Illuminati attacked. The Illuminati member had kidnapped the four preferiti during conclave (the picking of the new pope). The Illuminati planned on killing one of the preferiti every hour in public until midnight, then the antimatter they stole would blow up the entire Vatican. The rest of the book is about Robert Langdon trying to save the preferiti and the Vatican. What I really enjoyed about this book is how it kept you reading and excited. I also liked his style of writing, like how he would foreshadow. His foreshadowing would have me trying to anticipate when those things would happen. I learned in this book that sometimes things could be hiding right under your nose.
    2. The second book I read this summer was The Da Vinci Code also by Dan Brown. The book had a very similar plot to its prequel Angels and Demons. The book is about a religious group called Opus Dei, and a secret society called the Priory of Sion. The Priory of Sion are the defenders of the Holy Grail, while Opus Dei tried to destroy the Priory and hide the Grail forever. Opus Dei was killing the top members of the Priory because they believed that the Priory was going to reveal the truth of Holy Grail. Robert Langdon is then accused of the murder of the Priory grand master, Jacques Sauniere. Robert has to clear his name by solving the murder and protecting the grail. I liked that this book had you thinking about what would happen next. Also, it had many twists and turns, and things would happen that you would never expect. I learned from this book that nothing comes easy and to use your resources because they can be very helpful.

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  11. 1. The first book I read was The Shack by Wm Paul Young. The book was about a man who had just lost his daughter to a child serial killer and has found her remains at a shack. It has been about a year after that and Mackenzie, the main character, has mysteriously recieved a letter from "God", inviting him for a weekend with him at the shack. At first he doesn't know what to think, eventually he gets the nerve to go to the shack to see what is going on. There he finds that the person who did invite him was God and with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, Mackenzie learns how to restore his faith and love for the Lord and learn to forgive his daughter's killer. I liked this book because it showed God in a different persective than others picture him to be. Also, because it showed me how to be a better person in forgiving the unforgivable.
    2.The second book i read was 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It's about a boy who gets a box of casset tapes from a girl that he liked in highschool and has committed suicide two weeks ago. On the tapes he learns that he, and thirteen others are the reason she ended her life. Through one night he learns how her life went through a slow downward spin and how he could have helped save her. I liked this book because it really showed what goes through a suicidal persons mind and it showed me in how I might be able to tell if someone that I know could be suicidal.

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  12. Second Book

    1) The book I read is called Left Behind by Time LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The book is about earth's last days, in the perspective of two people that were "left behind." Our two main characters are Buck and Rayford. In the beginning of the book, suddenly people from all over the world disappear, only their clothes left. Throughout the book, you see the hardships of each character as they find who in their family has disappeared. As their familiar world begins to crumble, tension rises.

    2) What I liked most about this book is that it makes you think. The last days of earth are so vividly described in this book-you can practically see it happening before you. While reading this book, you get a good idea of what life would be like in the middle of a crisis, living with constant terror and fear(ex: 9/11).

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  13. 1. Over the course of the summer one of the books I read was Wanted by Caroline B. Cooney. This book is about a sixten year old girl with divorced parents. In this book Alice is spending time at her dad's condo over the weekend. While Alice is doing her nails she recieves an odd call from her dad at a number she doesn't reconize. Her dad wants her to get out of the condo and meet her at an ice cream stand, but told her to take his most prized possesion, his corvette. Later she she realizes that the police believe she killed her father and goes on the run. In the end the police knew it wasn't her. The book taught me to always get help whether its for homework or anything else.
    2. The second book I read was the first installment of the Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone. In this book Harry, who was orphaned as a young boy learns that he is a wizard and is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Throughout the school year he faces the normal difficulties in school; alot of homework, mean teachers,and making new friends. The unusual challenge Harry faces is that he has to defeat the greatest dark wizard in history to save the sorcer's stone. He works toward this with the help of his friends along the way. Despite the obstacles they face he keeps persisting and succeeds. The thing I liked most about this book was the hidden message to keep trying despite the obstacles you are given.

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  14. Hey Mrs. Smith!
    Over the summer i read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
    Water for Elephants was about a teen who lost his parents when he was finishing his last year in Cornell University named Jacob Jankowski. After his parents died he couldnt fufill his duties because he felt like there was nothing left that was actually his own. One day he saw a train and he decided that he would just hop on and go whever the train would take him, not knowing it was actually a circus train. When Jacob found out it was the circus he was already slapped in the face by the discrepancy of his new world. At the circus Jacob was faced with many hardships such as, learning new things, taking chances, and falling in love. By reading this book I learned that sometimes you have to let go of things that are close to you. I also learned that eerybody takes chances and you from the mistakes you make. I liked this book because Sara Gruen actually makes you think about what she is trying to tell you.
    The Book Thief was narrated by deathand was about a young girl named Lesil Meminger who had lost her whole family in such a short time. this book was based in the time of World War Two. She was adopted by her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubberman. Lesil had to learn how to cope in a different surrounding, and she also learned how to find a way to be able to do something that she loved. Things I learned from this book are being able to cope with a new enviorment, knowing the true value of how important the ones you love are, and hoe to be courageous. I loved reading this book because it's plot is very gripping and the meaning behind the book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and essential for every person to realize.

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  15. The first book I read was the Keeper, by Mal Peet. This book is about a boy that lives in a small village in a South American rain forest. This boy, nicknamed El Gato, is not very good at soccer. This was a problem for him since that is all his friends did for fun. He tried playing with them a few times, but the kids did not want him to. He began going into to the forest because he was interested by it. He eventually stumbled upon a wide open field with nothing on it except a soccer goal. This is where he learns how to be a goal keeper, he is taught by a strange man that appears to him when he first gets to the field.
    This book uses third person a lot, because it is written as an interview. I enjoyed this style of writing because it gave you a new perspective. The Keeper showed me that no matter how bad or good you are at a sport or activity you always ahve room for improvement. This year I am looking forward to playing soccer at Arapahoe. Before i read this book I wanted to quit soccer, but this book brought out why soccer is fun.

    The second book I read was The Recruit, it is written by Robert Muchamore. This book is the first book from the Cherub series. The series is about a boy named James, he lost his mom when he was twelve. His dad was not in the picture so he got sent to an childrens home, where he is roommates with an older kid named Kyle. What James doesn't know is that Kyle works for a British intelligence agency known as Cherub. All the agents Cherub has are under the age of 17. Kyle drugs James, without him knowing, so that James can be taken to the Cherub campus to see if he wants to be recruited. He eventually agrees and has to train hard to be accepted into Cherub.
    This book was written specifically for our age group and it has a main character, James that you can relate to. I learned fro this book that anyone can become anything they want to they just have to put in a lot of hard work. This book shows the many ups and downs of a teenagers life. It connects and relates to you in all different ways as a teenager.

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  16. The first book I read was Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale. It was fascinating the way Montmorency went from a petty thief to a criminal mastermind using London’s sewers as an all access pass to the city well acting the part of a high society gentleman at the same time. I learned that just because you started out on the wrong foot doesn’t mean you have to continue on that path and that you don’t have to be defined by your passed actions. I like the fact the book focuses on redemption in all the characters stories even Dr. Farcett struggles with things that he eventually recovered from. Like his refusal to use his medical training after the terrible accident in his operating room where he killed one of his patients. Also, the way the author wrote it made it so real, for example the way the characters meet are just too odd seeming for it not to be true to the reader. I just like how believable the writing is.

    The second book I read was Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Every one I know seemed to really enjoy this book, so I thought I would give it a shot. Grudgingly I ended up liking it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed romance (a genera I had never before read). The characters were well written, so that when Bella was sad I was sad and when Edward was mad so was i. when I feel with the characters I know it is a good book. The basic story line is Bella and Edward fall in love except there is a catch, Edward is a vampire who is thirsty for Bella’s blood. Thankfully Edward is a “vegetarian” vampire who only prays on animals. Bella is later endangered by bad vampires Edward comes and saves her and they are all relatively happy again. I learned from this book that true love is an unbreakable bond that really is unconditional.

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  17. 1)This summer i read tweak:growing up on methamphetamines. By Nic Sheff and Inside delta force by Eric L. Haney. Tweak is about a writer/drug addict who grew up in San Francisco, the story started during his second relaps and tells what he does during, and befor the relaps. In the book he breaks into his parents house just to have a place to stay and when he was not even an ounce away from over doucing on herion. Inside Delta Force is all about the starting of the U.S. Armies elite counterterrorist unit. It is told by a solider who was one of the first to go through the selection and training process. He tells about all the things he learned and what it took to become a delta force operator.
    2)What i liked about Tweak is the author didn't sugar coat anything about what he did or what happened to him. He told the good, the bad, and the ugly and you really go to learn how drugs and substance abuse affets not only you but your family. But the main thing that i learned was how precious life truly was. What matter to me most about this book was it told a true story and it taught a timeless lesson. What i liked about Inside Delta Force the most was it told the story of people who saw a problem in the world, in this case terrorism, and they set out to fix it as best they could. It told about the hurrtels they had to jump over to get there unit started and how they never gave up. What meant the most to me is how the soldiers who were apart of this were willing to give it all for there unit and how they wanted to make the world safer.

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  18. This summer I read Rhymes With Witches by Lauren Myracle and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Rhymes With Witches was about a girl who did anything she possibly could in high school to be popular even if it means getting hurt or becoming a whole new person. I liked the book because it was girly, but still was scary and suspenseful. The novel taught me that you should be yourself because it is not worth it to change who you are just to be popular. Rhymes With Witches was a great book to read going into high school. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was about a boy whose family moves right next to a concentration camp during WW2 because his father is a Nazi general. The boy is completely oblivious to the war and the discretion between the Nazis and the Jews. I loved this novel because it taught me what hatred to a a group of people can do. The innocent son of the Nazi general had no idea what was going on, which was very upsetting, but the Jewish friend the boy makes taught him (and me) how horrible a concentration camp really is.

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  19. Undercurrents

    Undercurrents, by Martha Manning is a novel describing a middle aged woman's journey through depression. Her slow and treacherous decline into personal hell is captivating and heart wrenching. Through the woman's eyes you see the torture of emotional complications and the suffering of her and those around her. The vivid and authentic description of her depression makes Undercurrents a novel with depth and personal relevance. The humor and dialogue that Martha adds to her writing is comedic relief making the somewhat dark book easy to enjoy. I feel after reading Undercurrents I now have a deeper understanding of depression even though I have witnessed people in my life suffer from the same disease. I feel very fortunate to have been able to read it as one of my summer book choices.

    Angels and Demons

    In a captivating novel by Dan Brown, eligious feuds and violent crimes are just two of the many clues Robert Langdon must examine and puzzle together to find the answer to an ancient mystery come alive once again. Angels and Demons describes Langdon’s journey through Rome and the Vatican on a quest for a long feared cult, the Illuminati. The underground organization is taking revenge on their long time rival the Catholic Church by killing the choices for Pope. Dan Brown’s description and historical references made the book difficult to put down. His storylines never seem to lag. Action takes place through the very end of the book and I was always anxious to discover the next clue right along with Robert. Historical facts are connected in ways I have never thought of before. I continued learning about Europe and its history throughout the entire story. Angels and Demons enthralled me and I hope to read more of Brown’s work in the future.

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  20. 1. Over the summer, I read a number of novels, but two that really stood out for me were Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, and Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli.

    Nineteen Minutes is about a school shooting, and is told from the perspective of the shooter, a judge, the judge's daughter, a dectective, and the defense attorney. It skips between scenes before, after, and during the shooting.

    Stargirl is a book about a new arrival at a high school, Stargirl, who is an ultimate nonconformist. The story details her journey through one year of high school, and talks about love, life, and the struggles of being accepted for who you are.

    2. The thing that I liked most about Nineteen Minutes was the fact that it was told from the point of view of many different people who were directly involved. Reading the story, I became close to all of the characters, and began to understand their feelings. At the end, even though the legal evidence convicted the shooter, I sympathized with him because I had looked through his eyes at his background. The book taught me to always look at things from the other perspective as well as your own.

    I really enjoyed Stargirl because Stargirl(the character) is different from a "typical" high school girl. Until later on in the book, she doesn't care what other people think. She is completely independent and lives according to what she thinks is right, not what might be "cool" at the time. The book Stargirl taught me to always be yourself, and to never let others' tell you how to live.

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  21. For the duration of my summer break I read more than 30 books. However, there where only two books that really stood out to me above all the others that I read. The first was Alyzon Whitestarr by Isobelle Caemody, and the second was Clay by David Almond. Alyzon Whitestarr narrates her story about how after an injury to her head, she has her senses intensified. She has the gift to smell peoples souls and know whether or not the have sickness of the soul. The story is all about her and her struggle to keep her sister from getting the soul sickness.
    I enjoyed this book immensely because of the whole books plot. I can’t ever get enough of books with some kind of fictional event that seems magical or otherworldly. I also love music and in this book there are a lot of music descriptions and almost like a beat just to the writing it’s self. Not only did it serve the purpose to draw me out of the real world and slip into another, it thought me some things. In the story, if you did bad things or fell prey to people who did, you would get the soul sickness. When I take that and relate it to the real world, I can use that to help decide how I do things with my life. so if I were in a situation with people wanting me to do drugs I can always remember how in the book Alyzon’s mother got the sickness from doing stupid things like that. If the soul sickness were real I would avoid things that would infect me. It taught me to not stay so angry at everything, and how useless that anger is unless you put it in to a good cause. Everything in this book had meanings. The stories moral was evident through out the content of the book. The message it sent to the readers was deep and easily relatable to real life. it had twist and turns in the plot and amazing detail that just added greatly to the writing. It defiantly wasn’t one of those books were it is all light and very plan and boring problems like real life. It had messages I would never have thought about till I read the book and ideas that shocked and surprised me. It was really just a great book.
    The next book was very odd. It was good in a way that was very confusing. Even now I am having a hard time coming up with words to describe it. The best I can do is say that it is about a boy whose life changes for the worst when the new kid Stephan Rose comes to live in his town. The new boy is very odd and is later revealed to be not something good and pure like God as all the kids wished to be. He was more like a devil that makes clay pieces he made come to life. Mostly I liked this book just because it was so different from the other things I read but it had the same twist of fiction in it that kept me reading. It had little lessons in the book too. Whether it was how to make a clay man come to life or how to not let petty fights drive you to cross a line you shouldn’t. Like at one part when Stephan Rose killed a boy by pushing him off a cliff. He crossed the line. It also is not to lose yourself and all your friends when you get caught up in something new. Davie is the main character. He gets so into making a clay man be his monster that he loses his friends and view on reality. There was so much in the books content that debated whether or not god was real or if he just left when his humans got to out of hand. Davie goes threw so much to try and find the god he use to believe in before Stephan Rose but he can’t. It also talked a lot about whether humans had the right to create a new life and soul out of something like clay. Stephan Rose convinced Davie it was true so they tried and that is when Stephan Rose exposes himself as something not right and evil. There is just so much to it it’s hard to put into words. But over all it was a pretty interesting book.

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  22. 1. Over the course of this past summer the first book I read was A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. This book was a really interesting read for me because I am not used to reading about wizards and magic at such a high level. This challenge was one thing I enjoyed about it. The plot of this story was also very well done. Duny the main character starts out as a normal unasuming boy who discovers he is a very powerful wizard and that is special. I think that we all sometimes wish we could discover that we are special. During his training at the wizarding school Roke, he excels at everything the teachers can throw at him and he becomes arrogant. His arrogance then leads him to accidently unleash an unspeakable evil on the world of Earthsea. His mistake also left him maimed but determined. He then set out to fix his mistake even if he must go to the ends of the Earth (which he does). I believe you must fix your mistakes not because you always want to but because you know yourself that you have to do it. This is important because it is the lesson the story had to tell.
    2. The second book I read this last summer was The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar. This story was a laid back type of book and was full of action, excitement, and a story that you could relate to. In it Maya, Simon, and their baby sister Penny are stranded on their family's boat when their parents are wiped overboard during a storm. The children then drift to a large island called Tamarind and there they discover that their parents are alive and someplace on the island. Maya then leads her siblings throughout the rest of the book to locate their parents. I was amazed to find that even though they met so many challenges they never gave up, which I feel is very important because in life you can’t just give up.

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  23. 1. This summer I mainly focused on two books. The first was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This story depicts a portion of the life of Lily Owens. Her mother had died when she was only four. When trying to leave her abusive husband, Lily’s mother was accidentally shot. Her father had always told Lily that she hadn’t been loved by her mother and her mother had not planned to take Lily away with her.
    A picture of a black woman that sold honey had been in a secret box previously owned by her mother. Lily had decided that she wanted to prove her dad wrong and find out the truth and see if her mother really wanted to leave her behind. Lily took along with her Rosaleen, a black woman who had acted like a mother to her, and took off in the middle of the night. This book is set in 1964 and racial segregation was a huge issue. They later came to a house and found that the woman in the picture they were looking for lived there. Soon they were invited to stay as long as needed and politely accepted. Along with the woman whose name they learned to be August, they lived with her sisters May and June. Lily soon came to live with the three sisters and help bee keep while on a search for the reason her mother left her.

    The other book was My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It is about Anna that has a sister with leukemia. Anna was created only to be a donor for her sister and soon gets fed up with it and files a lawsuit against her parents for the rights to her own body. This book focuses on the struggles and hardships of filing a lawsuit against Anna’s parents and also dealing with pain of her sister’s leukemia.

    2. The aspect of The Secret Life of Bees that I liked most was when Lily got to August’s house she was welcomed there despite that she was white and they were black. Something about the way Sue Monk Kidd writes makes the book come to life. This could be one of my favorite parts of the book. Within reading this I learned many things but the one that matters the most to me is that it doesn’t matter if you are different, that you will always have a place to fit in. I also think that this book taught a lot about being open minded and that is what helps me the most in life.
    My Sisters Keeper was a good book to read but the ending was a tear jerker. I won’t spoil it and tell the ending, but I think the ending was the most influential part. It really makes you realize that things go wrong, that the unexpected happens. That to me would be the most important part of this book. Another part I liked best about this was again, how the author writes. She gives the point of view of each character which makes you feel involved but in a different way than Sue Monk Kidd. I learned that you have to be a family through thick and thin and that you have to stay strong during the tough times.

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  24. Over the summer I red the books Eldest and Brisingr both, by Christopher Panoli.

    What I liked most about Eldest is that there is alot of action in the book. There are very few parts where nothing is going on. In Brisingr, the sequel to Eldest, I really liked how you got to know the main charcter, Eragon, much better. In the first two books in the series, Eragon and Eldest, Eragon's past is a big mystery to him and the reader. At the beginning of the summer, I thought it would be impossible for me to read two books. What I learned was that even though the beginning of a book may be really boaring, if you keep on reading, the book is bound to get much much much much much much much much much much much much much better.

    The most important part of the books to me was how real Christopher made the the charcters and the the land they lived in so real. The charcters sometimes seem so real you can't tell if they are real or not and that is what I think separates regular books from BEST SELLERS.

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  26. During this summer I read Red Glass by Laura Resa. A story that revolves around a bond between Sophie, an outcast among her fellow students and a 5 year old orphan. When Sophie is alone, she grows attached to Pablo, who had lost his parents, when crossing the border from Mexico into Arizona. As Sophie grows to love Pablo, another bond is formed when she meets a boy named Angel. Angel being a person that influenced Pablo’s life, as well as hers. This book consists of a lot of Hispanic background; from sentences and words written in Spanish, to actual sights and smells seen in the poorer parts of Hispanic areas. In my opinion, the book is about how love affects your life in different ways, and what you do in the different situations of love.
    Even though a book for a younger generation, Red Glass is a book that I can easily relate to. Many of the experiences described in the book I have experienced myself. Such as the smell of burning trash; a scent that is difficult to describe, but one that I feel was successfully done in the book. Overall what I like about the book were the different connections I could make, along with the experiences, I enjoyed being able to read the book to its fullest extent. Where I didn’t need stop to think about what a word meant, or the need to look up a word written in Spanish. Throughout the book, I identified myself with the main characters, as lessons were learned. Such as learning to help those in need, or being confident with, whom you are. But as well, the one main thing I learned was not to be selfish. Not only in keeping things or taking more, but by being able to let go of those you love. Much like when Sophie, was able to let go of Pablo, a boy that she loved as a younger brother, when he wanted to stay in Mexico. To me, the most important thing about the book is that it shows, that life can mean more, if you want it to.

    For my second book, I have chosen to describe a book that I reread during the summer; attempting to understand the book more. Harry Potter, the Half Blood Prince is the 6th book in the Harry Potter Series. A book taking place in London, Europe, in a wizard world, with wizards, witches, goblins, dragons and other mystical creatures. Harry Potter a wizard made famous when only a year old. Being the only one to survive a killing curse given by Lord Voldemort. Being the ‘Chosen One’, Harry is given the task of eradicating the main threat of evil. As Harry begins to understand what he is expected to do, a bond forms with none other than Ginny Weasley, his best friends younger sister. When reading the book, I can see that it revolves around, love, trust, loyalty and betrayal.
    When reading Harry Potter, the Half Blood Prince or any other Harry Potter book, I enjoy reading J.K Rowling’s vivid style of writing. Whenever I do read her books, there are times when I do forget if I am reading a book or watching a movie. By reading the Harry Potter book I have learned that when you do include your friends, they will most likely support you and will alleviate life for you. What I found important in this book was that, bonds do happen. Even when you don’t realize it or when you try to deny it. Even though I did enjoy the book. I personally don’t like how the movie was produced. I found that it left out a lot of important details, and added scenes that were never written in the book, or unneeded scenes.

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  27. I read New Moon and Eclipse both by Stephanie Meyer

    I enjoyed these books very much and I loved how much action and suspense it contained. When I first heard about the twilight series I thought it was more for girls then boys then one day I decided to find out for my self and I fell in love. I thought it was so cool how Meyer had found a way to please both genders, the girls with the romance and the boys with the thrill and action; I thought it was a great book so I kept reading the series. I learned so much from these pieces of literature; I learned a lot of new vocabulary words and many new and unique writing styles and how to work them into my own writing. Probably, just the level that she wrote on meant a lot to me and made me want more and I praise her for her achievement. So to sum it all up, I am very glad I read this summer.

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  28. Recently I have decided that I am a reading addict: as of this summer I read close to 8 books or so. Having to choose two to review however, I’d wish to share the romantic At First Sight Nicholas Sparks and the popular My Sister’s Keeper by Judy Picoult.
    Toward the beginning of the summer I read At First Sight. I thought this book was very good. It is a romance novel which is my favorite genre. After a rushed relationship to marriage and into pregnancy the main characters realize they do not know too much about each other and secrets from the past threaten to pull them apart ; but if two people truly love each other, nothing will pull them apart I learned. I loved that it was able to keep me interested. Books should have a quality that grabs you and wont let you pull away, forcing you to keep reading it well into the night. This book achieved that well. Another thing I enjoyed is the several points of view shared within the story. The main reason I loved it however, is because is tugs at your emotions. I am a true believer in that the best books and movies are the one that play with your emotions.
    The second book, My Sister’s Keeper, I really enjoyed also. I probably enjoyed it for all the same reasons listed before, it grabs you, many points of view, and the range of emotions it reveals. It was not a romance novel, instead I think I’d call it a realistic fiction. The main character was in fact genetically engineered to be a donor for her sister with leukemia, but learns it is not what she wants so she must speak out. In this novel I learned that you must take charge of your own life and cannot let others make decisions for you whether for better or for worse.

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  29. We were assigned over the summer to read two novels. We were sent a list of suggestions, but they were only that: suggestions. We could read whatever we wanted. Taking that in mind, I hit the book stores.
    I only found one book there; Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. The main character is Melinda, a 14 year-old freshman girl who is raped over the summer at a party. She blames herself for getting drunk, going off with the boy, a senior (whom for the beginning of the book, she calls IT), alone, and not being strong enough to fight him. She calls the police, several people are arrested, and grudges are formed before anyone even meets her. Her parents, though not divorced, are in a troubled relationship. They fight and pick at each other constantly. Her retaliation for that, and her way of hiding from what happened that summer is by refusing to speak. She does so only when spoken to directly, and even then, Melinda doesn’t always respond. She loses and makes new friends, slightly renovates an unused janitor’s closet, and ditches class, a social outcast. At the end of the year, her former best friend begins dating the senior who raped her, IT, Andy Evans. Melinda tries to warn her, but only succeeds in killing the little friendship that they had left. On the last day of school, she’s walking down the hall when she sees IT. She tries to run to her closet, but IT chases her, and locks the door to the closet, where he tries to repeat what he did last summer. She fights him and threatens him with a shard of glass against his throat from a broken mirror and screams. The girl’s basketball team hears, and rush to her aid and to get help. The world finally sees why Melinda was how she was. I loved the writing style of this book. I learned that as fun as parties may seem, as glamorous as having a senior boyfriend seems it would be, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I have senior friends, as well as juniors and sophomores and freshmen, and though I don’t see any of them that way, I know that they’re definitely too old for me, even if I did have romantic feelings for them. I thought that it was important that this book addressed such a controversial and sensitive topic. For that, it was banned. Censoring a book like that doesn’t protect our “innocent, delicate minds.” It only puts us more at risk.
    The second was a book my mom and I had heard about on the radio and bought her for Mother’s Day, called Paths of Glory, by Jeffery Archer, dramatized biography of George Leigh Mallory. Mr. Mallory lived in England in the early 20th century, and was the first man to ever attempt an assault on Mt. Everest. And some, historians, amateur mountaineers, and students alike, myself included believe he was the first to succeed. On the first attempt by the Royal Geographical Society, the team, led by Mallory, failed, due to frostbite and lack of oxygen. On the second, Mallory, and his climbing partner, Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, were last seen alive less than 600 feet from the summit. Irvine had a camera with him, but no one has ever found his body, or the camera that would undoubtedly reveal the truth as to who stood on top of the world first. However, in 1999, a climbing team that was sent out to recover the bodies of Mallory and/or Irvine, succeeded in finding Mallory. He was roughly 1,000 feet from the summit. This book was a had a cast of beautiful, believable characters, and painted of what may well have been what happened, and who may well have been the first man to reach the roof of the world. What I believe matters in this book, is that it remembers the life of a man whose name has mainly been lost to history outside of the mountaineering world.

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  30. The first novel I read this summer was called The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. It was about an older man who dies and then goes to heaven. In heaven, he meets five people who explain his life to him.
    I liked the main character, Eddie, because even though he had an abusive father, was in a war, and lost his wife, he was still kind and loving to everyone. Albom did a good job of making him very lovable. I also enjoyed Albom’s take on what heaven is like. It was interesting seeing what he thinks the appearance of heaven will be and what he thinks will go on there. Another thing I liked was the explanation of Eddie’s life. It almost felt like I was Eddie and the people in heaven were explaining his life to me. I also enjoyed the fact that the people explaining his life also shared deep and incisive thoughts about life and death.
    I learned that you affect people with your words and actions every day, even if you don’t know it. This book made me examine my life to see if I am affecting people positively or negatively. Cause and effect was a main theme I took away from this book because some of the decisions Eddie made during his lifetime affected him for the rest of his life. For example, he decided to join the war, and in the war he was shot in the knee. For the rest of his life, he limped. When I was told that we would be learning about cause and effect this year in U.S. History, I thought it was interesting that I had read this particular book.
    The second novel I read this summer was My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. This book is about a couple with two daughters and a son. The eldest daughter has cancer, and the youngest daughter is suing her parents because they are using her body parts to benefit her older sister. It was quite a controversial book and also a very sad book. I liked that the two sisters loved and appreciated each other. I also liked the underlying story of the youngest daughter’s lawyer and her guardian ad litem who were high school sweethearts. It was intriguing to learn about their history together.
    I learned that it’s very important to live your life while you can, because you never know how long it is going to last. The oldest daughter, Kate, was just living her life just like every other kid, then suddenly she figured out she had cancer. You don’t exactly get a note or any kind of notice saying that you are going to get cancer soon. The two things that really mattered to me about this book was living life to the fullest and keeping your family close. The lawsuit in the book really took a toll on the whole family. I would hate for my family to be hurt like that because my whole family is very close. Like I previously stated in this paragraph, it is important to live every minute of your life to the fullest, because you don’t want to look back on it and wish you had done more with your time.

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  31. 1. Over summer break, I had fun running, biking, and reading. I got my hands on many great reads over the summer months, two of which were Hoot by Carl Hiaasen and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
    Hoot was a work of realistic fiction written from the perspective of Roy Eberhardt, a boy attending Trace Middle School who has just moved to Florida. The story starts when Roy catches a glimpse of a strange boy, about his age, running without any shoes on a school day. Roy’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he pursues the boy. The boy’s name is Mullet Fingers and he is on the run from his cold and selfish mother. Mullet Fingers has found a vacant lot inhabited by burrowing owls. The owls are going to be buried alive by bulldozers where another Mother Paula’s All American Pancake House restaurant is to be built. Mullet Fingers has decided to sabotage the construction company working for Mother Paula’s by pulling up their survey stakes and putting alligators in their port-a-potties. Roy knows Mullet Fingers actions are illegal, but he also wants to save the owls. Roy finally does stop Mother Paula’s from harming the owls by spreading the word that these creatures are actually protected by law.
    Peter and the Starcatchers, on the other hand, is a fantasy book. It serves as a prequel to the classic Peter Pan and pivots around a trunk full of starstuff. Starstuff is a substance so powerful it can cause one to die, heal from a mortal wound, fly, or even stop aging. Peter and his new friend, Molly, follow the trunk to an island filled with evil pirates, dangerous “savages”, mermaids, and Mister Grin, a crocodile with a taste for human flesh. They must protect the trunk at all costs from the wrong hands until it can be disposed of.

    2. As I read each novel, I found that they both held a great number of desirable qualities. In Hoot, I especially enjoyed Carl Hiaasen’s zany humor. For example, he described the one stray hair growing off the vice-principal’s chin with great detail. I also found Mullet Finger’s mischievous methods of sabotage as well as the suspense created as the reader wonders exactly how Roy’s will save the owls, enjoyable. Peter and the Starcatchers also held a great deal of humor that kept the story enormously entertaining. For example, when the infamous Captain Black Stache chases down a British ship he believes carries the trunk of starstuff, he uses sails that look like a giant corset in order to gain speed. I also enjoyed the level of imagination the authors used to promote Peter’s adventures, as well as the thrill they created for the reader with swordfights and “savages”.
    Both stories also taught me about the value of visualization. Many of the passages provided in the text did not come alive until I could picture them in my mind. I also learned to reread certain passages in order to truly understand literature.
    In addition, I found these books to be most powerful in regards to the morals that were woven into the text. Hoot gave the message that even middle school students can achieve great things when they all work together. I feel this is a very important idea for teens today, to know that we can make a difference in each other’s lives and in the world we live in. Hoot also portrayed the idea that you have to make the best of things. Roy, having just moved, was so engrossed in feeling homesick that he ignored all that Florida had to offer. I feel this is a good message for us freshman not to be hung up in leaving middle school, but to embrace high school. The moral behind Peter and the Starcatchers is that great power (the starstuff) though sometimes wonderful, is often just as dangerous. Therefore, this novel tells its readers to use tools, such as technology, wisely. They can be of great advantage to us, but only if used responsibly.

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  32. The first novel I read this summer was called Nineteen Minutes by the author: Jodi Picoult. It is about a school shooting. The book switches characters fairly often. The main characters name is Peter. A lot of the book is in Peter’s past trying to figure out clues to why he would have committed a horrible crime such as a school shooting.
    This book is very well written and at times it can be a challenge to follow. I liked the main character because when you first meet him in the book you would think he was this shy innocent guy. He has a bit of mystery to him and I like that. This book really had a lot of depth and heart in it. I learned that you have to love life to the fullest because you never know when it could come to a stop. Picoult did a really good job of making Peter to seem like someone he really wasn’t. I also learned that before you judge people you should get to know them because they could turn out to be really great friends in your future. You need to always take chances but think before you do.
    The second novel I read this summer was My Sister’s Keeper also by Jodi Picoult. I chose to read this book because I had heard many great things about it. This book is about a couple with two daughters and a son. The son is a troublemaker, the eldest daughter has leukemic cancer and the youngest daughter is the donor for her sister. She is also suing her parents.
    This book shows a lot of heart. It is a very moving piece and very sad also. The two sisters really love each other and have respect for one another. One of the main characters, Anna doesn’t feel like her parents can hear her when she speaks up. She always feels like her problems and views are always downsized compared to Kate’s, her older sister. Anna hired a lawyer and also got a Guardian Ad Littman. It is also a very humorous novel. The lawyer and GAL were high school sweethearts and in the book Picoult shows their history together. It adds some entertainment into the book. Also in this book I learned to have a great time in life and go through it not caring about what other people think. You also need to have a good relationship with your family and friends. The lawsuit had a big impact on Anna’s family. I learned to live everyday like it’s your last and have a blast! I chose to read both books by Jodi Picoult because I like her style of writing and all of her books that I have read have blown me away!

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  33. 1. This summer, I read the entire Twilight Saga (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) and The Host, all by Stephenie Meyer.

    The four books in the Twilight Saga tell a story of love, betrayal, death, and vengence in the small town of Forks, Washington.

    The Host is said to be the first installment of Stephenie Meyer's second series. It's the story of a lonely soul who cannot seem to fit in with her own kind, so she must hide away with the last human survivors after the alien invasion of Earth.

    2. What I loved about the Twilight Saga, was how it appealed to a very diverse audience. There was something for everyone in Twilight wether it was romance, action, or fantasy. The case with Twilight was virtually the same as The Host in every way. The Host really defines what the characters stand for, you feel like you are a part of the book, as if you know all the characters personally. These books all taught me the basics of life. That life throws lots of things at you, and you need to learn how to handle them correctly, or fail. They taught me that all the unexpected things in life happen for a reason. In truth, these books have no actual literary merit, but they were very entertaining. These were just the kinds of books I like to read, and I am glad I took the time to read them all.

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  34. 1.Over summer break I read Icefire and Firestar by Chris D'Lacey. Icefire follows David Rain as he goes through college. His landlady, Liz, makes dragons out of clay.The twist is the dragons are alive. He is asked to write a report about whether dragons exist or not and is aided by his landlady,Liz, and his classmate Zanna. Unknowingly Zanna fertilizes a bronze egg turning it into a dragon egg. Gwillana known as Aunty Gwyneth shows up because of the birth of a dragon. Gwillana is stopped by David and Zanna before the dragon can be born. In Firestar the story continues with David and Zanna in the Arctic as he had won the trip with his report. David then begins to unravel the mystery around the dragons and their relation to the Arctic and the polar bears. As this is happening Lucy Liz's daughter is kidnapped by Gwillana and taken to the Arctic. The Fain an ancient civilization make themselves known. David then must defeat an evil Fain to stop him from destroying Gawain. David fails, but manages to save Grockle a hybrid. David is then injured and taken by polar bears and whether he is alive is unknown.

    2.I liked these books because of the pace of the plot. It was never too slow, so it kept my attention. The plot itself is very good and was the first time I read about dragon's, polar bears, and magic at the same time. It also had a bit of humor in what is mostly a rather serious book. These book conveyed a lesson of openness to new ideas and experiences to me. Icefire showed me that things aren't what they always seem as the dragons and Gwillana aren't what they seem to be. This is important to life because people are swayed by looks rather than substance, which to me is not a wise way to look at things. Firestar taught me to never give up and believe in yourself even when it seems all hope is lost. This to me is the most important lesson. People who doubt them selves in school, sports, etc don't get far in life because they will be nervous and unsure of their actions. People who are confident and think they are doing the right thing or making the right choice will work hard at it because they believe in themselves and their choice. This applies to us freshman as some of us are unsure because of our new surrounding. New teachers, new school, and new people add to our insecurities and doubt, but if you just believe in yourself and take a leap of faith to meet new people, get to know your teachers, and become accustomed to new surroundings. Students will then learn that they aren't alone and there are people all around who want to help. This builds confidence, which helps you through anything.

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  35. This summer I read The Wild Blue by Steven E. Ambrose, and also Soldiers Heart by Gary Paulsen. I love reading history books, especially war stories from the past. The Wild Blue is about the men and boys who flew B-24 bombers over Germany and other countries during WWII. These men were very courageous. They knew some of them were going to die, but still someone had to fight the war. Some people were poor, so they joined the army and fought to earn some money and send it home. The Wild Blue had many facts. The people in Europe were scared of Germany because they were one of the greatest world powers. When the Germans came into a country, they ravaged the cities and countryside leaving the people in poverty. The B-24 bomber was designed to destroy factories and thus slow down Germany’s production of equipment; but they also helped destroy some of the German ground troops. The Wild Blue was mainly about George McGovern and his crew. After the war, McGovern ran for president, but he lost. The book tells about many people that died in the war, and that was very sad. I quote Transformers, "no sacrifice, no victory." Someone had to sacrifice to try and win the war.

    Soldiers Heart was a civil war book about a young boy, Charley, who wanted to join the army, but he was underage so he couldn't. He found a way to join the army in a different town, where no one knew him. He fought some battles and saw many comrades fall, and he knew soon it would be his turn. It was sad because he met some nice soldiers before they went to battle, and afterwards the soldiers were all dead or dying. He fought in Gettysburg, which some call the bloodiest battle ever. When Charley was about 23 he died, primarily because of his wounds and the stress. He had seen too much and also experienced alot. This was very sad for someone in great physical condition to die this young. I don’t think young people should have to go through that. These soldiers loved their country and their beliefs and didn’t want them to secede, so they took a stand against them. I loved both of these books.

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  36. The books that I read this summer are Gone and Hunger both by Michael Grant. I liked both of these books because of how they are written. I like the story of how it follows one kid that nobody knows and he grows into the person of great power when things start going crazy. It is really interesting to watch his friends change and how Michael shows what is really important, family and adults.

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  37. Two of the books i read over the summer included Time Bandit by Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand and The Alchemist by Donna Boyd. I enjoyed reading both of these books thouroghly. Time Bandit is a true story about fishing in the Bering Sea and how Jonathan is stuck out at sea with no radio or means of communication. This book is also about Jonathan and Andy's life growing up in Alaska. The Alchemist is a strange fantasy about three all powerful humans who cannot die and have learned to use magic to manipulate others around them and bend reality. This book spans the ages from ancient Egypt to modern New York.



    I liked Time Bandit because the story line pulled you in when it told about their childhood and flipped back to the fisherman's hangout or Jonathan on his boat. This book told many stories about the brothers time on their boat Time Bandit. I enjoyed The Alchemist mostly because the great descriptive words used but one of the drawbacks to this book was the vivid gore in some of the sections. The story line was interesting and had many twists an turns.

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  38. 1) I read Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen over the summer. It's a book about this boy who gets in a plane crash and is stranded out in the middle of Canada and has to survive. He found some supplies in his plane to survive but nothing to help him find civilization. Fall and summer are starting to end so he has to get ready for winter by stocking up on wood and trying to keep warm. He hunts whenever he needs food and he usually gets rabbits and birds. he got lucky once by getting a moose and a deer.
    What I liked about this book is the way the author made you feel like you are right there with him. He makes you feel the cold and snow. What I learned is that it takes more will to survive than anything else. If you don't want to go do something that you need then you won't live.


    2)The other book i read this summer is Series of Unfortunate Events 13th The End. It's the last book in the series and it sums everything up. they are on a boat that gets hit by a storm and gets tossed up on a mid-ocean self. Up a little ways on the self is an island where people are living. They get accepted onto the island but Count Olaf doesn't. In the end this deadly mushroom gets released onto the island and it kills everyone except for the Baudelaires. They get to the middle of the island where a giant tree is and it has horseradish apples on it. they live in the tree until they decide to leave the island to go back to civilization.
    What i like about this book is that it makes you want to read more. At the end of every chapter it just sucks you in and keeps you reading. What matters to me about the books content is that you have to stick together through everything. they would have never survived without each other.

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