By the end of the day on Friday, April 15th, please upload your next personal reading reflection. This time, you must post a minimum of 600 words in response to the following prompt:
Please write about the primary theme of your novel (make sure you include a full theme statement that you have developed yourself) and how this theme relates to life and universal truths in 2011. Choose one aspect of the theme statement you have developed and write about why you do/do not connect personally with the book. Let the following questions guide your thoughts about what you could write: What about the book relates to your own personal experiences? How has the author hooked you, as the reader, into connecting with characters and ideas in the text? Why is the text relevant to you?
Hi Mrs. Lavender!! First Comment! XD
ReplyDeleteThe novel I read was Animal Farm by George Orwell. The theme of this novel I would have to say is basically flaws and corruption in society. The book talks about the flaws and corruption of government systems. The book allegorically tells the story of the rise to power and rule of a dictator Joseph Stalin through a fable about animals on a farm overthrowing the humans and developing their own rule of the farm. However in saying that the theme of the book is the flaws and corruption in society, you can also take the word society broadly and think of society as any society that forms, whether in school with friends or in any group be it music, sports or academics.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that a book about animals on a farm actually representing socialism in the Stalin era of the Russian revolution would not relate to me or most people for that matter, however without thinking of this book metaphorically while reading it I connected quite well with it. I connected with this book not through the governmental flaws it was talking about but rather basic social flaws that the book entailed. Characters In the book reminded me of people I know in schools I have been to and other people I know in my life. For example, the book features a pig who becomes the leader of the farm. This pig’s general rotten attitude, manipulative ways and attention hungry personality reminds me of people I have met who share these same characteristics and often reach the same place as the pig in the social ladder; popular, respected and generally liked for some strange reasons. Another example is the regular smart animals under the pig and his pig friends who seem to represent just other basic people in a school setting who do not follow the pigs but don’t protest against their ways. The book also features sheep that follow and do everything the pigs say for the reason in the book; they are dumb but perhaps in a school setting because they want to fit in somewhere. It’s funny how much this book can represent any high school movie that shows classes of people in school; jocks (pigs and dogs), the other people under them (regular farm animals) and then the tag along or worshippers of the jocks who follow what they say in a hope to be accepted by them (sheep). I found that in this way the book has really connected to me because I see this type of social set up on a daily basis. I can see people I know in the characters in this book and some of the social events that took place in the book reminded me of things I have seen people do in my life. There is also a large amount of talk between one animal to another about other animals which reminds me of all the gossip that takes place all the time in today’s society, from people talking to each other in school to all the news we watch about celebrities.
I can also relate to the book taking the theme of flaws and corruption in government. The pig who abuses his power and does not treat his people well while he tries to keep a good reputation with the outside countries who is meant to represent Joseph Stalin kind of reminded me of the situation going on in Egypt. This pig reminded me of Hosni Mubarak who is basically a dictator having ruled his country for over 30 years and has not treated his people as well as possible and driven them to the point of rebellion. The animals in the book did not rebel against their leader but if the book was given a few more chapters they probably would have.
The novel Animal Farm has been one of the more relevant books that I have ever read. I connected with this book for its critique of both social flaws and governmental flaws, the book was wonderfully written, conveyed so much and was also great book to choose for this assignment seeing that is was only 87 pages. :)
For my independent reading, I read the well-known novel by John Boyne, “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”. This book is set during World War II, and it is about a young German boy named Bruno who moves to a house right next to a Nazi concentration camp. There he meets a Jew named Shmuel who is on the other side of the fence (in the concentration camp). In no time they become the best of friends. I won’t spoil the end for anyone who wants to read this fascinating novel.
ReplyDeleteThis novel has numerous themes. “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” shows that innocence, friendship and segregation were key components of the Second World War. Since this story is conveyed through the eyes of a nine year old (Bruno), we can easily see the innocence that Bruno has. For example, he is oblivious to the horrors the people in the striped pyjamas are facing. He thinks that it is just a lot of fun on the other side of the fence. Also, he thinks his house is called “Out-With”, but it is actually the name of the German concentration camp next door, ‘Auschwitz’. Another theme conveyed in this book is friendship. Bruno is very lonely when he moves to “Out-With”, so when he meets Shmuel they become friends instantly. Their friendship is so strong that when Shmuel can’t find his father, Bruno crawls under the fence to help look for him. The more hidden theme in this novel is segregation. Since this novel is set in Nazi-controlled Poland, the Jews are discriminated against. For example, one time Shmuel came to meet Bruno with a black eye. One of the German soldiers had punched him.
The themes of this novel can easily be related to life and universal truths in 2011. Even now, nine year olds still have lots of innocence and ignorance. Friendship is also a key component in life today. You need friends to support you and give you company. If you become friends with someone of a different religion, like Bruno and Shmuel, then it is an added bonus. Unfortunately, segregation is still evident in life in the year 2011. For example, in the ongoing conflict in Sudan the people with black skin are being discriminated by the Arabs.
I do connect personally with this interesting novel because of my personal experiences. I was nine years old, just like Bruno, when I moved to Kenya. I also possessed various degrees of innocence and ignorance. For example, I was oblivious to the troubled lives a lot of the people in Kenya lead. Also, I was lonely when I moved to Kenya because I didn’t know anyone. This is just like Bruno moving to “Out-With”. I looked for my Shmuel as well. I also have witnessed segregation. Not so much segregation of religions, like in the novel, but more racial segregation. For example, at my house we have maids who have a darker shade of skin than us.
As a reader, the author has hooked me into connecting with characters and ideas in the text. This is the case because, as I mentioned before, I am a bit similar to the character Bruno. I can also connect to Shmuel because, just like me, he feels lost and lonely in a crowd. The event of World War II interests me greatly, so the author had no trouble hooking me into the ideas in the text. World War II interests me because it was such a terrible event, and I have heard so much about it, that I want to know everything about it.
Overall, I believe that this is an amazing story about innocence, friendship and segregation in World War II. I recommend this novel to everyone who has even the slightest interest in World War II or the Nazis.
Raihan Jadavji
My book, Get Shorty by Ernesto Leonard, is about a 40 year old man named Chili Palmer. Get Shorty follows chili as he leaves the mafia then starts in the movie making business. He ends up involved with the mafia again while making his first movie. The books theme seems to focus on redemption and human natural tendency to do well. Another theme that seems to be central in Get Shorty is standing with your friends through tough times.
ReplyDeleteEven though chili is far older than me, I connect with him because he is an extremely likeable character. Chili only seems to want to help people, which also makes me connect with him, because I also try to help people in everyday life. So far most of what chili has experienced is far different from what I have experienced, but I can in a way imagine what chili is going through during his trials. Chili is on a mission to redeem him self to society and this is a very honorable thing for someone to do even in a book.
The author mainly hooked me through the humor he uses in such unusual circumstances. All the character poses a secretive air about them, which made me want to read on and find out more. The is best displayed by the main character, chili, at the beginning of the book chili just seems like the average mafia grunt, but as you read on you find that there is more to him than he shows in his attitude. Another ways the author hooked me is through the humor of the characters. Humor makes characters easier to connect with, and makes a character more memorable. Another way I connected with the book was chili main objective; he seems to just want to change someone’s life for the better because of all the bad things he has done. This happens in every day life, an example of this is; when you do something unkind to someone, sooner or later you will try to make up for it. I would generally say that Get Shorty is about the natural tendency for a person to amend for their wrong doings.
This book displays what most humans seem to go trough in every day life. I’m talking about weather to be morally sound or to just do what suits you. There are many small situations that we can make this choice, and the book really puts this struggle at the center of the story through the events that take place in the story. This idea behind the book is quite relevant to me because it proves to me that people naturally tend to try and help people in life. This is shown by the events that take place, and chili turning away from evil to help people. This book is very interesting and it might just teach you something about human nature. It is very relevant for that reason mostly. And it’s a good book. I consider it reassurance that humans are naturally good. If you thing about weather humans are naturally good or bad, a thing to note is that fact that everyone has good in them. Not every murderer is considered a murderer, the could also be a father or a brother to someone.
By Bobo Kennedy Kwofie
The book that I was reading was the autobiography of Michael Phelps. The great swimmer who won 8 Olympic medals. The novel was about how he got there and the ups and downs he faced in order to get where he wanted. I loved this book. It was really interesting and really inspired me to get to what I want no matter what. Michael Phelps is an amazing athlete and created history by becoming the first person to ever win 8 Olympic gold medals at one Olympic Games. He is truly inspiring and I hope I get to meet him some day.
ReplyDeleteA main theme of the novel was basically working hard pays off. This theme was portrayed throughout the novel. The novel showed us what Michael went through from when he was younger being diagnosed with ADHID and was told that he was never going to succeed and wanting to prove that wrong and eventually in the end he wins 8 gold medals in the Olympics. The book showed us what Michael went through as a boy and his ups and downs with his coach. Also how much he had to sacrifice like his school work and his free time to be the best he can possibly be. Also how hard he was working and how he would be training his mind and all the trainings he went thorugh to be the best he can be. This is what the book was about.
I think that this book relates to me in many ways. I do swim and I do want to compete in the Olympics and hopefully win. And in order to do that I am going to have to start training as hard as I possibly can, start sacrificing things that will hurt me. For example I will probably have to stop playing other sports like hockey and basketball in order to fulfill my swimming career. This will not be easy but form Michael Phelps I can conclude all the hard does pay off in the end. I do want to fulfill my dream and to do so it won’t be easy. I will have to work hard hopefully it will pay off someday. This is how I feel like I relate to the theme of the book.
This book was actually given to me by mom and she told me to read it because she knew that I would be inspired. And indeed she was right. I loved this book and I relate to it in many levels because Michael Phelps is my role model and I want to be just like him and after reading this book I have no doubt in my mind that I will do whatever it takes for me to be the very best, the best I can possibly be.
The book I have read is called "Erak's Ransom" written by John Flanagan, about a young Ranger apprentice named Will. He journeys with his mentor Halt to rescue their old friend Oberjarl Erak, leader of the Skandian people who has been kidnapped by an unknown desert tribe. The Rangers face terrible sandstorms, unforgiving heat and the threat of hostile nomadic tribes living in the desert.
ReplyDeleteThis novel has a couple of themes. But the two themes that I consider are the most important would be the theme of trust and the theme of friendship. Trust is a giant theme in the entire book. All the companions that journey to save the Oberjarl must depend on each other to make it all the way to the end. For example, there is a scene in which Halt and some fellow companions are to be executed by the leader of the desert tribe. Even when all seems to be lost, Halt still believes in his apprentice, Will. Halt senses right for Will rescues them in a fabulous display of his archery skills. The next theme is about friendship. Erak is an old friend of the Rangers and the bond between them is obvious when reading the novel. There is no other reason why the King would send his best men into unknown lands to rescue a former sea pirate that once terrorized seaside settlements. The entire purpose of the book is all about friendship.
Nowadays trust is needed for a strong connection between people to occur. However in large corporations trust can be misleading and betrayals happen often. But in schools, trust can either form or break relations with people. Friendship relates to trust, everywhere. Trust leads to friendship which leads to a group of people cooperating with each other and friendship creates a better life. Social interaction is vital to human beings. So the themes of the book are very obvious in life today.
I do connect with this novel because like all humans, trust and friendship is important to me. Like Oberjarl Erak, I need friends that I can turn to for advice or help in any given situation. Wherever I go, I meet people that fulfill these expectations and qualify as a good friend worthwhile trusting. There are also special people in everyone's lives that they trust more than anybody else, that is a best friend. In the novel Will and Halt are almost like best friends for their trust between each other is evident every moment of the story and the series iteself.
I was hooked into this book because the author is one of the most descriptive authors out there. The vivid descriptions of the environments in which Halt and Will journey to, the descriptions of the characters makes them come alive to the reader. I enjoy stories that involve adventures and action the most and the entire series involves travels to far lands and the main characters meet rather unusual characters from desert lords to Asian emperors. There is just something about certain authors that hooks me into their books. Maybe we just share the same interests and that is why I love some books. I look forward to the other books in the series that are coming up because I love the characters and the amazing journeys that the characters take. For anyone wanting to read the series, it is called "Rangers Apprentice"!
The Book I read was called Notwithstanding. The book was about a group of people in a small English town and how they deal with themselves and each other. There were short stories about a different type of family and how they managed the boring life of the town. The book being very humorous really shone the light on how we can relate to others and how we perceive our selves. The theme of this book was definitely about how we look at each other and how we treat each other. The nature of humans was also a theme in this book.
ReplyDeletePersonally I really relate to this book, because even though it is set in a completely different location and some of the stories are a bit on the fantasy side the way we understand and look at other people I believe is a huge challenge that everyone has to face in the world. All of the characters in the stories struggle in one way or another to really connect with themselves and to accept who they really are. I believe that everyone goes through this experience in their life at one stage or another. The whole idea of the author's book is highly relatable.
Nowadays everybody is always on first impression. This is one of the problems that the author displays in the book. These days everyone is judging each other on first impressions and actions. The cute stories allow everybody to really rethink their actions over the coarse of their lives and allow themselves to reflect on how they judged people and ultimately judge themselves. The main goal in life is to fulfill your life? This book is stating that if you really would like total fulfillment one would have to stop and pay attention to their behaviors. People around the world really need to
Personally I have had a hard time trying to understand my self and reading this book makes me laugh and reminds me of how complex humans can be but at the same time I love the fact that all humans can relate to each other and this book allows that to happen. One of the stories that I really fell in love with was a small boy who loved fishing. He was not a rich boy so he could not buy himself a good fishing rod. This character has to struggle with him self and how he can work around his problem and I loved the fact that the story turned positive for him, as a very rich lady in the county had a fish in her pond that was causing havoc for her. Another story tat I loved was the old woman who hated Christmas and when she realized that she was not particularly living she decided to take part in the traditions but only to be shunned by the county folk. Even though this story was very sad I believe it taught the reader a lesson. To always look at your self in the mirror and to not judge other people.
The author's anecdotes really sucked me in to the story because there are very few books with this type of meaning and I found that very appealing. Another reason why I was hooked onto this book was because I adored that an average teen girl could relate to it, Even though the stories were amusingly far fetched it brought back memories and taught me new lessons that I will definitely be able to use in life ahead of me and now. The characters and the plot show the light of the world around us.
This book is an amazing collection of stories from an old English town that shows that life is really worth living. The lovable characters teach us how to deal with ourselves and others around us, the ones we love and the ones we do not really get along with. This eloquent novel really speaks the truth and the obscure delightful plot, charming characters and the meaningful message the author conveys proves that this book is worth being read by all!
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ReplyDeleteThe book I read for this independent reading assignment was House of the Scorpion. This book is about a boy named Matteo Alcran, matt for short, whose life goes into a downward spiral when a few kids discover him hiding in his aunt’s house. In this book clones are regarded as not human, lesser forms of life and are treated very badly. When Matteo goes back to the kid’s house they discover he is a clone. He is no longer allowed to leave his prison, he is forced to sleep with cockroaches and bugs in an unclean barn. Diseases and irritations soon come to him, but he doesn’t mind because he believes his aunt will come rescue him. Someone does rescue him but it isn’t his house. It is the leader of the country, El Patron, who has come to rescue his clone. Matt is taken to live in El patrons mansion which turns out to be the house of the kids that discovered him. The kids aren’t friendly anymore, now that they know he is a clone. They don’t mistreat him, they don’t tease him, they just avoid him as if he is some kind of disease, everyone except a girl named Maria who becomes a great friend. In time El Patron hires a tutor to teach Matt how to play piano, and assigns his best personal bodyguard not just to protect matt from anything that might be a threat but to make sure matt takes his piano lessons seriously. During this time, the guard, Tamlin, and Matt become best friends. The piano lessons become insufficient, now Matt had to go to school. Because he was a clone he couldn’t leave the house so they had to hire a private tutor.
ReplyDeleteEverything was going relatively well. Suddenly El Patron has a heart attack. As soon as Matt hears this he races to El Patrons side, not wanting the man who had shown so much kindness to die. Suddenly the doctor screams ‘’get the clone’’, Matt is confused, why are the men grabbing him? It is revealed that El patron is 100 years old, and that every time one of his organs fails he gets a replacement from one of his clones and this time it’s Matt. The guard that Matt befriended, escapes with him, takes him to the outskirts of the city. There the Guard and Matt part ways and matt wakes up in a child labor camp. There Matt befriends everyone and even though life is harder than it’s ever been he is much happier because he has friends. Suddenly one of the guards starts beating a kid viciously for failing to do his duty. Matt watches for a while but realizes that the kid is going to die if the guard doesn’t stop. Matt tackles the guard knocking him into a dangerous pit. The guard dies as soon as he hits the ground. Matt is forced again to escape, he runs to a nearby city. As soon as he gets there he spots Maria and follows her into her house. While he is there he gets word of El Patrons death. This worries Matt because he remembers El Patrons last words to him ‘’on my 150th birthday or when I die, I want you to serve everyone the wine I have stored away, can you do that Tamlin’’? Matt knows everyone is dead because El Patron is notorious for his poisons. He travels back to the mansion and sure enough everyone including Tamlin is dead. Matt weeps for him, but at the same time he is happy because he is the heir to El Patron’s empire.
This book is all about discrimination. It shows how some people are treated everyday just for being different. In this book it is revealed that there are no difference between clones and humans just like there are little to no differences between the races and genders here today but sometimes we are treated differently.
The Mafia First 100 years is a perfect example of what a good book should be. Even though the novel is fiction the facts incorporated within is fully authentic. It traces the beginnings of an underground society which sprang up in Sicily to a mob that went to run organized crime throughout Italy and America. Even though the novel is mainly fragmented considering the fact that it was written by two authors, the major events are essentially linked. It traces us back to the days of early 20th century in which the mafia’s power was mainly in the hands of Frankie Yale. A New York Italian by name, Frankie Yale was not your average mobster. Everything he needed was delivered by his doorstep and what he discontented was left to rot. It was a truly straightforward game to him when it came to business. As a result of that his earnings were highly impressive. If it were from collecting extortion money to eliminating a key member in another gang Frankie could theoretically be defined as the mafia’s criminal mastermind.
ReplyDeleteThe major theme in the novel is vengeance. Reading the novel was to a certain extent reminiscent of a tennis match, what was hit over the net eventually came back. This was what essentially happened throughout the novels lapse. In the case of Frankie Yale, he was the Cheiftain(Leader) of the Black Hand Gang, as a matter of fact they were called the black hand gang because their rivals were called the White Hand Gang. The Black Hand who was of Italian heritage were called the Ginzos and The White Hand who were of Irish heritage had the honor of being nicknamed the micks. These two gangs had the goal of controlling all of the rackets in New York City. This eventually meant that both gangs had to find ways of earning substantial amounts of profit. Illegal actions such as collecting extortion money, selling drugs unhindered and hiring loan sharks were both gangs major income. By the time Frankie realizes the competition from the opposition gang, he searches for alternative ways in establishing his gang on the pinnacle. His main motto throughout the novel was getting to the top no matter what the consequences were. This assumption of his was taken to an extreme when he decides to wipe out the entire opposition gang. This soon leads to a chain reaction of events which last over 5 years. Frequent shootouts and dozens dead leave both gangs in a state of ruin. The law had no way of intervening in the murder cases of the ones dead because both gangs always had an alibi.
Even though good morals cannot be adapted from a book overwhelmed with highly immoral acts I have still been able to contemplate many of the books characteristics on a personal basis. In the novel Frankie Yale showed me that if you have be both physically and mentally sturdy. Personally, I believe I have achieved that through the last fourteen years of my life, but it didn’t come easy. In the novel, the quick thinking and swift eliminations of key members was what kept both gangs afloat. But that wasn’t what Frankie surrounded at, what he wanted to do was distinguish himself from his mates with his intellectual expertise. Running businesses of the White hand to bankruptcy and assassinating the gangs’ leader at the hands of mercenaries was what inevitably let the Ginzos prosper. Even though Frankie’s intentions were bad, the quick thinking and supreme vengeance he implicated on the opposition was what made him unique. Within his gang he continued to harden his assets by imposing a good morale on his inferiors and depleting his enemy’s to shreds.
The book by relates to the universal truths of 2011 through various aspects. Around the world conflicts arise through vengeance. Every time a person inflicts harm on another, vengeance has always been a primary option. Redemption has also been the custom in society and will continue to be until human nature is modified.
In theory, people might imagine the book as being tedious however I strongly recommend the book to anyone who thrives on suspense.
The book I chose to read this time was the well-known international bestseller: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. The wonderful story is based around Santiago, a young Andalusian Sheppard and the obstacles he goes through to obtain a treasure know to be found in the pyramids of Egypt. The genre of this book would be some type of quest or adventure mixed with some fantasy when it comes to the people he meets along the way. Throughout the world various geologists and archaeologists go through long journeys and quests to figure out some unanswered questions from the past.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the idea of Adventures and Quest I truly can relate. A quest might not always have to do with the idea of travelling around the world by land or other means; it is “ a journey towards a goal through the overcoming of various obstacles.” That statement itself reminds me of a lot of things I’ve had to deal with whether it was the goal of achieving a better friendship, or even trying to get stronger after a sad event such as the loss of a loved one.
It’s been about a year now since my grandmother died, but it’s still hard to get the final goal of accepting it, even though I’m rather close to it. I guess if I were to translate it into the meaning of a journey or a quest, as mentioned before, acceptance would be the final goal and the obstacles would be sad family members and maybe even having to attend the funeral. In the novel Santiago’s main goal was finding the treasure from the Egyptian pyramids, but he needed a little help. One of the most significant characters he met was Melchizedek, and old king who urged him to accomplish what he wanted in life.
The author’s use of words had hooked me in so many parts of the novel, making it even harder to take your eyes of the pages! As a boy, Santiago had always wanted to travel around and see the different lifestyles we all live, immediately he decided to become a Sheppard! After years of walking around various planes of the world we get to see how Santiago isn’t the ordinary Sheppard, he actually ahs a true connection with his sheep where they understand each other and Santiago also loves to read! He even talks about a certain merchant’s daughter who has hasn’t been able to get out of his mind, to whom he enjoys telling the stories of his travels and what he has seen. Along the way Santiago is faced with various obstacles such as when he first arrived in Tangier and the boy he thought he had befriended suddenly steals his money! Now this made things even worse seeing as everything he had earned from his sheep had now disappeared in just the blink of an eye! But Santiago still has the strength to move on, with the help of a merchant he meets up on a hill that offers him a job for a year just to get back on his feet. I guess what really hooked me in this case was the way the author’s words pushed us to inspire and follow all our dreams no matter what, because the treasures we seek may actually be closer than we think.
This text is relevant to me because as human beings we go through a lot of obstacles every once in a while that may really hurt and traumatize us. However, after reading this novel, our thoughts and idea’s can really change, and sometimes we may just need that extra push to show us how closer to the treasure we actually are. The novel really helped think of things I’ve given up on in the past, and how its never to late to get back on your feet and prepare for another quest. A really inspiring book that I would suggest to everyone!
Lord of the Rings Blog
ReplyDeleteThe book that I read was the first part of The Lord of the Rings. I probably need not explain this book because everyone knows about or has read it and if they have not read it they have probably watched the movie. However for those people who do not know what Lord of the rings is about I shall explain it. The novel follows a young hobbit who has set out to destroy a magical ring which would bring about the end of that age of war. However the ring is much sought for by an evil entity known as Sauron. Sauron needs the ring so that he can rule the whole of Middle-earth. Along the way the hobbit, Frodo Baggins, is joined by eight other characters, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Gimli.
There are multiple themes in Lord of the Rings such as chivalry, loyalty and courage. I found myself making quite a few connections to this themes from the book. In Lord of the Rings all the characters who are fighting against Sauron become extremely loyal to one another. They also form great friendships, such as Gimli and Legolas who are two warriors from races that do not like each other yet Gimli and Legolas become very good friends. This is due to having a common enemy, I have found that if you really hate someone you become friends with other people that do as well. You may even find yourself being friends with people from cultures and backgrounds that you are meant to hate but with a common enemy you can discover that those other people are not actually that bad. This thing can be seen very often throughout history. This has happened largely in World War 2 when the Soviet Union joined the allies despite their hate for capitalism. They did this because of their hatred for Adolf Hitler.
I connect deeply with the theme of loyalty from The Lord of the Rings. Especially seeing as what type of loyalty it is. It is the loyalty that comes from undergoing something great or scary together. In Lord of the Rings they grow awfully loyal to each other through the many battles they undergo and other hardships. An example of this happening to me is when I had a friend over once when I was very little and we were playing in the playroom. This playroom had a faulty lock because whenever you shut the door you could only open it from the outside. Well me and my friend forgot this so we shut the door. We could not get out for what seemed ages. After this event I got closer to my friend and became more loyal to them.
However the theme that I think is primary in Lord of the Rings is the theme of courage and valor. It appears constantly and nearly everyone at this time in Middle Earth need and all of the main heroes have immeasurable amounts of courage. For example Boromir redeemed himself by facing a whole horde of Orcs just by himself. He refused to back down and faced his death bravely and without flinching. In relation to my own life I have not seen this value/theme that much in my own life. When I have seen it, it is always a lot less drastic then meeting your death. Usually when I have seen it or when I have been courageous it has been done standing up to peers or fighting peer pressure. It is sad that such a good value cannot be found that much in our world today. I hope that maybe one day this may change.
The novel that I have chosen to read for this reading assignment is called The Princess Diaries: Sixsational. This novel is about a 15 year old girl named Mia Thermopolis. It wasn't long ago that she found out she was the Princess of Genovia and that she was the next heir to the throne. From then on she was known as Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. In this novel Mia faces many troubles. However, instead of a thrilling fresh start as a freshman, Mia ends up facing a massive amount of worries. For example an English teacher who cant stand her. A potential eco-disaster in Genovia. However, worst of all is the close loss of her one true love because of what Lana (her number one enemy) told her what college boys expect of their girlfriends. Just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse her best friend Lilly nominates her as Student Council President. With the election running, her grandmother find a way to save Genovia from the crisis and win the student government elections. The main theme of this novel is about the different lives of teenagers today and the issues they have to face everyday.
ReplyDeleteWith this novel I think that there are some things that I personally connect with and somethings that I do not connect with. The theme of the novel is what got me to continue reading. It is because it was so engaging and many of things I could relate to. For example in the novel Mia gets into different situation that cause different problems in her life. For example she is nominated as class president by her best friend Lilly even and happiness to get into a fight with. Well like Mia I have gotten into fights with my close friends. We aren't as close any more but we have gotten into some pretty big fights. And that is one thing that all teenage girls can relate to. Because they have all had fights with their friends. Another way I can relate to this novel is that I have trouble in some of my classes kind of like Mia. In her first English class she gets a B and isn't happy with her grade. Like me I find it pretty shocking when I get a grade that I am not pleased with. In the book Mia tries to compromise with her teacher and hands in her paper one more time however the teacher does not see what Mia is trying to write about. This novel tries to relate to many girls in their high school years. Because now a days girls between the ages of fourteen and above fine their selves in different situations that they cant get out of.
As a reader I was os interested in the novel because the author used different ideas to connect me with the character. The Ideas that Meg Cabot uses are mostly about the teenage lives today. The ideas are also based on teen sex and teenage love. These two ideas are what gets the reader to keep reading. It is because at this stage of life most teenagers want to read about something that will interest them. Not something that is gonna bore them to death. This novel sets that example. It does have some ideas that aren't that interesting. However, for me as a reader what got me to continue reading this book was the idea of Mia dating a college boy. Also, how their relationship was very difficult, because he was in college and she was in high school. When I first picked up the book I couldn't stop reading it. It was that good. The structure of the novel and the ideas that Meg Cabot uses go so well with each other. She tries to interoperate the ideas of teenage girls and boys, economic issues, and political ideas. I personally think she does a good job because combine these three main themes is very hard to to do, however she managed to do so and make it fun and enjoyable. The first time I picked up this novel I took one look at the cover and thought that it was going to be horrible. However I guess people are right when they say don't judge a book by its cover. :)
The book I’m reading is Secrets at St. Judes: Rebel Girl by Carmen Reid. The theme of this story is that friendship is more important than money. This book is about four girls that are extremely rich. But sadly have to leave their fabulous homes to come to St. Judes, which is a boarding school in Scotland. This story is told from different points of views of the 4 best friends Gina, Niffy, Min and Amy. Gina Louise Winklemann-Peterson is from sunny California and she loves swimming, Prada and her boyfriend Dermot O’ Hagan. Luella Edith Millicent Pethurer Narin-Bassett (also known as Niffy or Lou) is from England and she loves playing pranks on people and is very sporty. Asimina Singupta (also known as Min) is from Durban, South Africa and is very intelligent and at the top of every single subject. She loves to win. Amy Margaret McCorquodale is from Glasgow, Scotland and loves designer boots, bags and jeans and handsome boys. The four girls share a dorm in the St. Judes boarding house and they would prefer to be home but they can focus more here in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteHow this book relates to universal truths in 2011 is that everyone works for pieces of paper called money. Sometimes people think that money is the only thing that brings them joys and happiness. But that is not entirely true. There are other things more important than money like family and friends for example. We are known to be materialistic people. We sometimes care about the labels we wear and the more expensive it is the better. But what we need to realize is, is that if I get an ugly shirt and put a name like Gucci on it then people will think that it’s the most beautiful thing that they’ve ever seen just because of the label. We need to realize that money runs out sometimes and you always have your friends and family to keep you happy at the end of the day.
I think that I really connected with this book because its about teenage girls around my age and we go through the same things like having ups and downs with friends, boys, what to wear and so much more. How the story doesn’t connect with my life is that I don’t go to boarding school so I don’t know what its like and also to I have not experienced being in an all girls school but this book makes the reader feel that she’s there and can go through what the characters are going through too. How the book relates to my personal experiences is that I think at one point most people have gone through money problems and that’s what one of the characters (Amy) had to go through. Her father was very rich owning a chain of clubs and she was a bit spoiled because she got to go on shopping sprees and by whatever she wanted (with a fashion label of course). But what she realized after was how much she spent on some things that she only wears once and they just sit in the closet for the rest of the year. So she learned a very important lesson.
I think the author’s target was to aim for some of the fortunate teenagers to teach them a lesson using the characters. How the book hooked me was because first of all each character was from a different country not just the same one and that they all seemed so perfect yet they had problems just like everybody else. It was also interesting to see how they dult with those problems and learned what is valuable to them.
For this independent reading assignment I read the book The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho. This book takes place in 870 BC and is about a 23 year old man named Elijah who becomes a refugee as he is frowned upon by the leaders of Israel and flees to Akbar. When he arrives, a widow takes him in and her son mysteriously dies when Elijah arrives. The High Priest tells Elijah to climb to the top of the Fifth Mountain where he will meet his death from a fire from heaven. He returns unharmed and the city is amazed. He says that he talked with God on the mountain and that God gave him special powers. He asked to bring the boy back to life, which he does, and he becomes park of the community. Akbar is attacked by the Assyrians and is completely destroyed. Elijah and the few remaining elderly, widows and children rebuild Akbar. After Elijah feels his work has been done, he returns to Israel.
ReplyDeleteI think there are several themes in this book which are war, persecution, and love. The primary theme in my opinion is persecution because Elijah is chased out of Israel and flees to Akbar, and that is the foundation to the rest of the story. I don’t think that I connect personally with the book because I am not a refugee and I am not persecuted out of my country, although it definitely relates to those people who have to flee their countries and become refugees somewhere else. This book relates to universal truths in 2011 because people all over the world become refugees, maybe to seek a better life, or because they were forced out. None of my experiences can relate to this book because, first of all, it takes place in the 9th century BC, and second of all, I have never experienced being forced to leave a country before. In some ways I can relate my experiences to this book such as when someone new comes to school, at first they are liked very much and aren’t very popular, but as people get to know them, they can make a big difference to the school such as Elijah when he arrives at Akbar. Paulo Coelho has hooked me to this book, as the reader, because I have always been interested in biblical examples, and I am also interested by how big a role was played by gods and spirits at the time.
The author has also hooked me to the book because of his spectacular way of writing and the amount of detail he puts into his work is really good. One thing I liked about the book was that the author used real historical characters from the biblical text in the testaments. Also I really liked how the author took real historical characters and places to make a historical fiction.
The whole book is just like a big school. Someone new comes and everything is changed. In my opinion every new comer to a new school is exactly like Elijah. Sometimes they teach their friends something new, just like how Elijah taught the whole city, after being rebuilt, how to read, write, and understand the language of Byblos, so that written records could be written. It is amazing how one person can make such a big difference with every small action. If Elijah had never arrived at Akbar, these differences would have been made, and Akbar might even have never had historical scriptures. This book shows how one person can change a whole society with just a few good actions.
-Martin Hjertstroem
The book I have been reading for the last couple of weeks is a part of a famous detective series The Hardy Boys: The House On The Cliff. Franklin W. Dixon doesn’t normally have deep meanings or special themes behind his books and all he tries to do is write a simple detective story and he has been successful in doing so for a long time. Even though there are no intended themes for this book, there are still some minor hidden key messages or morals that the author is trying to convey to us such as friends can help pass any bad phase of your life and honesty and integrity towards a task can help you achieve it no matter how tough it is.
ReplyDeleteThis book’s plot is basically set around Frank and Joe Hardy who are the children of the very famous detective Hardy and similarly like all the other Hardy Boys novels, they start of in Bayport a small town and they acquire cases from there father and even though he tells them only to investigate and not cause any trouble, they still wound up getting into all sorts of trouble at the end of the day and like all detective and mystery novels the good guys capture the bad guys and they receive recognition from their community and the bad guys get prosecuted.
I like this series and picked it for my blog post because the adventures that the Hardy Boys encounter reminds me of my friends and Jakarta because I used to have interesting adventures with my friends in Jakarta, Indonesia which I where I used to live before I came to Nairobi. Specifically in this story the Hardy Boys find an abandoned house in they beginning of the story and they use it as a stake out location in order to catch the smugglers red handed and to also try out there high powered telescope. This reminds me of my childhood in India, as my dad would take us out on the weekend to the hilly areas of North India where we would also use our binoculars to observe the scenery. I also picked this book because our weekly outings are a memorable part of my childhood, as it had become a tradition in my time that I lived in India.
Franklin W. Dixon as I mentioned earlier has been writing these books for a long time and has written about mysteries in his entire career as an author. Dixon not only was one of my favorite authors, but his characters also played a major role in my life as I used to watch the cartoon series of The Hardy Boys as well as later on read the books. Dixon also has a unique style of writing that hooks its reader immediately from the beginning and the reader has no way of escaping. Dixon also rarely uses slight references from other authors such as William Shakespeare and his play Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet when at the end of the House on the cliff, the children return to school and they are given these to plays to analyze for their drama class.
Overall I am glad I picked his book to read as The Hardy Boys and their friends and father have played a key role in my childhood and have also provided me with entertainment for several years be it their books or their Television Series. Dixon has unfortunately passed away in 2007 and so there wont be any more Hardy Boys books any more but I intend to collect them all and I hope that an author similar to Dixon continues the tales of The Hardy Boys.
Word Count : 615
I have just finished reading a book called Looks by Madeleine George. I believe the most important theme in this book is: friendship is a very powerful thing.
ReplyDeleteLooks is about two girls called Meghan Ball and Aimee Zorn who are not the popular girls at Valley Regional High School. Aimee is very thin and underweight. Meghan on the other hand is overweight. Not including a group of boys who torture her, nobody can see Meghan. Both Meghan and Aimee have come up with plans on how to survive the challenges of high school and other parts of their lives.
Meghan and Aimee each have a rare talent. Aimee is a freshman and a very talented poet. She hopes to have her work published with some kind of important poetry group. Her mother’s last boyfriend is a poetry professor who encouraged Aimee to start writing. At the beginning of the book, Aimee talks to him on the phone and talks about how she misses him and didn’t want him to move out of their house. She is not comfortable talking about her food issues with her mom. She has been telling people that she has food “allergies.” Her list of foods that she has “bad reactions” to keeps on growing. She agrees to eat carrot sticks and Jell-o, but that’s all she really ever eats.
Meghan (the overweight girl) is a sophomore and is extremely observant, even with the fact that a few people can see her. People talk about their secrets right in front of her as if she is not there. She actually likes not being noticed. Aimee and Meghan become friends because of Cara who is a popular girl who seems perfect. Some time ago, Cara hurt Meghan emotionally. This time Cara betrays Aimee by stealing one of her poems for publication.
I think that there are many things I personally connect with from this book. For example, when Meghan is emotionally bullied, that connects with me because I have gone through emotional bullying in the past when people called me “four eyes” in elementary school, and other names I do not want to remember. That is just part of life and you just have to try to move on when that happens, which is exactly what Meghan tried to do. I can also connect to the way she always feels invisible. I always feel invisible when I am with people. People ignore me sometimes and do not listen to what I have to say. This frustrates me, and I just give up talking altogether because I know I will not be heard.
On the other hand, there are some things that I believe I do not connect to at all. For instance, I have never been physically bullied, but in the book, Meghan was physically bullied by a group of boys in her grade because she was like a bulls-eye. They would through objects at her every single day!
I believe that the book contains such honesty that anyone who reads this book can not only relate to the characters, but also feel like they are part of the story. Humiliation, loneliness, and weakness are all hit by the author’s style of writing and poetry (through Aimee). Meghan and Aimee are definitely real characters, and I think that the way this book is written is more appropriate for high school age readers. This book really shows the reader what almost every high school student goes through in life. The author really hooked me into the book because I related to it, and I could understand what the characters were feeling and what they were talking about. At one point of my life, I actually felt exactly the way these characters did: alone, week, self-conscious. This book is very touching and painfully honest, and that is why I believe I could not put it down!
A great book full with drama, boyfriends, girl fights and pure friendship is The It Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar. I was already hooked to the book on the first day and only took me a week to read. This author has been one of my favorites and all of her books relate to me in many ways. I can’t wait to continue reading this series of books. This book also really opens up your eyes to what us kids do and how it can affect other people and we didn’t know it.
ReplyDeleteThe book is about a girl who finally gets to go to boarding school for her high school years. Jennifer Humphrey was super excited and was ready to start of being the most popular and starting her new life as new jenny. The school she was going to was on of the richest schools in the town and all the top class kids went there. On her first day on campus people were talking to and about her. Everything changes when she is roomed with the most popular girls in school. They all become friends but there are things that jenny doesn’t know about her new roomies. Like all their gossip, ex-boyfriends and future husbands. In jenny first week she already seems to be getting everyone’s attention, which might be good and bad. I would say that the main theme of this book is Drama, Friendship and love
I would say that this book relates to me or I could relate to it because these girls love drama. I wont lie, but I love drama but sometimes its not so great. I would have to say that without drama your life could be very boring. When I say the word drama I don’t mean all the bad stuff but the good things as well. Gossip is also something that isn’t always bad. Like you could be gossiping about how cute that girls dress is or how cute a couple is. I also personally think that teenagers thrive on drama and that it is a big part of our social lives. We tend to pay to much information on it especially if it has to do with you and isn’t so great. Jenny goes though this in the book and has to do things to go round it. Gossip is a defiantly a bog thing even out of school. Like in the entertainment world gossip and drama is thrived by people, like who’s going out with whom or who wore it better.
If I were to be a character I would definitely be a nice girl jenny is rooming with called Brett. She can sometimes be uptight but has her sweet side. Even though in the book she falls for one of her teachers (which I would never do) she has a simple life. Drama isn’t a big part of her life but her friends are continuously surrounded by it. She wants the best for her friends and herself. In the end of the book she helps jenny out of huge trouble for something that another friend set her up for. I have to say that, that was a very nice thing for her to do since she just meet jenny and they aren’t that close yet. A person I would really despise being in the novel would be a boy named Heath. He was a very mean and rude boy who always got his way. He was also the main gossiper at school and caused Jenny first few days’ hell. Personally thins book did need a character like him. I felt that he really completed it and made it have an edge.
I’m really happy that I picked this book and cannot wait to continue reading this series. Any book this author writes will definitely have juicy drama that will get you so hooked and will want you to keep reading. Mrs. Lavendar if love love love teenage drama this is you book.
Oh yah
ReplyDeleteword count: 676 :)
The book I chose for my personal reading is called Deception Point by Dan Brown. I am a big fan of Dan Brown novels and I had been pushing off Deception Point for a while now. The book is centered on the elections for the US president and NASA, but the candidates and the heads of security intelligence organizations have plans of their own during this election and for the future of NASA. Some of the figures have alternate motives that remain hidden until the thrilling conclusion. The book is very mysterious. And when secrets from the novel are revealed, there is that feeling of betrayal and those “Oh Snap!” moments.
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of this novel is the fact that humans are willing to deceive each other to stay at the top, just as the title says. Dan Brown has shown this well, proving that the most trustworthy of men will go to extreme causes to stay in power. In the novel, William Pickering is Rachel Sexton’s boss, but by the end of the novel, the reader is told that he is trying to kill her to stay in power. She knows a secret that can debunk him, and he wants no one to find out about it. I believe that all humans will do anything to get to the top. Competition is natural and cheaters are a dime a dozen. People will always look for the easiest route as it is human nature. The book features a man called William Pickering, who starts off (to the reader) as a noble patriot. However, as events unfold and NASA is accused of deceiving the American people with a fake meteorite with fossilized “aliens”, Pickering is presented as the mastermind behind the entire plan. He forged the meteorite from an ocean rock with fossils from an unknown species of giant lice. NASA believed that these lice were form a low-gravity environment, but they were proven to be from the Mariana Trench.
I do not think I connect with this theme. I believe that I am a righteous person because I would never dream of cheating my way into anything. This is mostly because I do not see the need to as I know I can achieve without lying to myself and the people around me. I do not need to deceive people to get them to do what I want. In fact, it is worse to deceive them because if they find out, then they will never trust you again. This book has shown me how people have tried to deceive me in the past to do what they want, and how I have resisted their deceit. However, none go so far as the characters in the novel, which are willing to kill innocent people and deceive the rulers of nations.
Dan Brown is a brilliant writer, and the way he presented his ideas kept me hooked. He did not reveal everything at once, keeping the reader in the shadows for most of the novel. The antagonist of the novel was actually someone who was a protagonist at the beginning of the novel. He writes like Sydney Sheldon, another good author. They both add a lot of twists and turns in their novels to keep the reader guessing who the antagonist is. Also, there is a lot of mystery. You always know as much as the main antagonist, in this case it was Rachel Sexton. However, the novel follows many characters, showing there viewpoints. This gives more variety to the reader and helps them piece together what is going on. These things kept me hooked to this novel.
This book is relevant to me because I have made it my goal to start reading novels that are more compelling and more mature. I have started reading books by Ken Follet, Dan Brown and Sydney Sheldon. I am trying to broaden my vocabulary by reading books from a variety of authors.
Word Count : 659
ReplyDeleteFor my reading assignment I read the book "Murder On The Orient Express" by Agatha Christie. The theme of this book was very hard to identify, but after thinking about it, I came to the solution that Trust, Suspicion and Lies are the themes of the book. I think that throughout the book, Poirot; the detective, had to trust the passengers or witnesses to make sure that he came to the correct solution at the end. He also was suspicious on all the people that he thought could be the murderers. Not only him, all the other passengers were suspicious on who could it be. Lies was something that always occurred when Poirot questioned the witnesses. When he first called them in the dinning area (the place where he questioned them) half of what they told was always incorrect and that means that they lied to him. I think that these themes were there throughout the book and was always there. I think that the theme was one of the reasons that had hooked me up with this book since I tried to see who could have been the murderer and how could he have committed a crime, on a train and still be in the train. The themes were also very common according to murder mystery but I think that after reading the book you will be able to identify the differences and differentiate precisely amongst the themes.
ReplyDeleteI think that this theme relates to life and universal truths because whenever a detective asks a question in real life almost everyone lies a bit so they don't get into the mess. Also, whenever there is a incident somewhere, the human sense tries to find out who it is inside of their minds. One way I could relate this to 2011 is the sad Japan disaster, people are still blaming others for this disaster.
One aspect of my theme statement to which I do not connect personally with this book is lying. I wouldn't say that I don't lie, but when things get very serious and there is no room for jokes, I think that lying will just get me deeper in the trouble and it is better to tell the truth weather I was involved or not. Another reason is that, in my opinion small lies such as saying I went to the market, when you actually went to the temple will get very serious and may raise a question against you.
The reason I chose to read this book or continue reading it was that first of all I really love reading mysteries, and especially murder mysteries. Second reason is that Agatha Christie used very describing and clear book. After reading this book you cannot forget even the smallest part of it because it is so clearly and well written. Another reason is that some of the quotes really keep me thinking and some of them are just so good that I read them over and over again. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "The murderer is on the train... now with us" I really loved this quote because of the use of words in the sentence that keep you thinking. The author hooked me up on this book also because the investigation was very surprising and made me infer who the murderer could be. I think that the book is well written and kept me thinking throughout about what could happen next and even shock me by some things that I didn't think about. I was really connected with the character named Poirot and always tried to be in his shoes at some moments and think that what could he choose to do next.
I would refer this book to anyone above the age of 12 since the ending of this book is very confusing and the person might not be able to tell who the murderer is, which is the most important thing. I think that even if you don't like mysteries, you will enjoy this book because it is very interesting and has some parts that almost everyone can enjoy.
Word Count: 688 words
Hope you read this book and enjoy!!!
I read the novel The Loving Kind by Sarah Webb. It was a novel about the struggles that women go through to look beautiful and the lack of love in the world. The primary theme of the novel was the search for love and the struggle of finding ones inner beauty. This is portrayed throughout the book in the two main characters Lulabelle and Elizabeth (Libby). Lulabelle is a local model and want’s to be international so she does whatever it takes. In her mind this is getting all sorts of ridiculous plastic surgeries that she feels will enhance her look. To her the only way to make it big is to look great. Libby is a writer who has relationship issues. She catches her fiance cheating on her and when she confronts him he doesn’t help the situation but she has a hard time letting go of that relationship. But with the help of her best friend she is able to move on and find a really great guy. Lulabelle also has relationship problems and finds that guy’s only date her for her looks and this upsets her and causes her to believe all guys are the same. Then she meet’s someone really sweet and they end up making it work.
ReplyDeleteMy theme statement is very relevant to life in our modern society. In 2011 there is a high demand for surgery and to look good. People don’t accept average they want above and beyond and if you don’t fit that type then buy whatever you need to be there. People go to the extremes just to look good and feel like they are beautiful. Sometimes this can mean extreme amounts of pain and discomfort. Currently our society struggles with image issues because most people feel like they are not good enough and they just keep going until they’ve destroyed what they once had or they run out of money. Also the need for someone to love you is oddly high and it sometimes means that people can’t tell when things aren't going right. They don’t really know how to get out of abusive relationships because to then that’s the only way to live. And for them to break that pattern is unthinkable and though it’s destructive to them it’s life. Sometimes people continuously fall into relationships like that. Even though technically you would think that they would be able to spot that type they can’t anymore and to them everyone is like that so it doesn’t matter if they fall back into that place.
Personally I do not connect with one of the themes in the book. Being that I am only fifteen I really have not had much of a dating life and so I have never been in an abusive relationship. So I don’t connect to that theme. And the theme about finding one’s inner beauty I have more of a connection to. This is because though I have never considered plastic surgery I feel as though it is an issue that many people deal with. Sometimes it is hard to understand how truly beautiful we are as individuals, and we need that reminder that if we are beautiful if we think we are.
For my independent reading I read a novel called "Spaceman Blues a love story". At first i thought what a ridiculous title, but it all came into play. The book was about finding Lost love, End to tyranny, and the pre-apocalyptic stance. The story started off odd, but around 50 pgs in, there were several stories in 1, 3 to be precise and how they all come together. The first story is about finding a lost love, how apparently vanished without notice. The second story was about a ma finding the true face of people, more specifically the church and the insight of the Apocalypse. Lastly, a man on a mission to be something special which he turns out to be after fighting aliens (in a way) binding himself to be known as a super hero.
ReplyDeleteFinding the theme for the story was particularity hard. There are several, Love,Power, and influence. Love was key in the story, Wendall, trying to find Gonalez which was lost, then leading one another to El Falco and Masoud to form an alliance to fight against the "power" or "authority" (aliens) which used them, the fight which could change the world from a apocalyptic ending. Then entwined with the fighter the super hero to fight the bad guys or known as the "horseman". It was hard for me to relate to any one of these ideas, but i suppose i can relate to Love. To find friendship is a form of love, but to loose that love, is a hurt. A permanent hurt which i can never get rid of, a scar on the face of my heart. Ive been moving every two years for the past 12 years, i know how it feels to get close to some one and then loose them. I think i would have at least 100+ scars by now. I suppose this is how wendall felt when he lost his Love Gonzalez.
Looking at the apocalyptic ending and stuff. So much is going on right now in our world with the whole 2012 thing and how the world is going to end. Also in biblical terms the signs for the 2nd coming of Christ. I suppose right now like the book we are in a pre-apocalyptic era. The author Brian uses this factor significant in the book, with the church the rumors and strange being of life. This is one of those books where you get so angry and frustrated that it ended. The book has an amazing amazing!!!! terms, with intense vocabulary use and proper perspective of the world and the people which inhabit it. All in all i guess it about love. I dont think the text as of right now relates to me. I mean im not going to wild extremes and taking drugs, drinking alcohol or going to random pubs and doing it with girls i dont even know, to find some guy which im crazy about. Nor am i a physco freak which goes around looking weird, shows no love for my wife, and enters a church which shows an ending of the world, in which i get connected to another species.Nor am i a freedom fighter which has "superpowers" and fights for the people. There is one thing i am, I am the people, the people which are normal, the working father, the stressed son, and the house wife, the maid, the government official, the beggar, the watch guard. I am all of these people, why? we all have something in common, the power to make a difference.
600 words+ishh ( I think )
For my independent reading I read the final book of the Cherub series, Shadow Wave. Cherub, written by Robert Muchamore, is a series about children working undercover (for the Cherub organisation) to help the British government. The series is about James Adams, the protagonist; he undergoes several undercover missions during his life at cherub. The series starts with James being recruited alongside his sister Lauren and ends when James retires from Cherub. There are a total of 12 books in the series and each book has a unique storyline. Lauren plays a vital role in many of the books. Shadow Wave is about a corrupt Malaysian leader who used a tsunami as a reason to evacuate a village and to build a hotel on the land. Robert Muchamore uses a lot of flashback in Shadow Wave to convey the theme of corruption in our world today.
ReplyDeleteIn Shadow Wave Robert Muchamore conveys that in our world there are many corrupt leaders who don’t care about human rights. The Malaysian ruler uses a tsunami as an excuse to destroy a Malaysian village and to build a posh hotel. A victim of this cruel act was 19 years old, Aziat. He is determined to show the world that Tan Abdullah, the Malaysian ruler, is corrupt. He does this with the help of 2 Cherub agents: James and Kyle. Aziat also gets help from an organisation called Guilt Trips to discourage tourists from visiting the hotel. Robert Muchamore conveys that there is a lot of corruption by describing the greed of Tan Abdullah.
I have lived in Kenya my whole life and I think that the book can relate to many issues in Kenya with the post election violence. There have been many Kenyan leaders that have been charged with corruption. The book can also relate to the outbreak in the Arab world. The Arab leaders who were being overthrown were very similar to Tan Abdullah; many wanted to overthrow him but he held strong. This is very similar to Ghadafi in Libya. The book has many connections and can easily relate to issues in 2011.
Even though the book has related to the country that I have lived in it hasn’t related to me personally. The book involves Lauren working undercover on a dangerous mission; I haven’t worked undercover and I don’t think I ever will. The book involves displaced people that lose their homes instantly. I haven’t experienced a tsunami and I haven’t been displaced. However the book also involves many teenagers so at times I was able to relate to issues and experiences that they had.
The author really hooked me to the book with all the action and events that occurred. I really enjoy reading books that contain mysteries and action and Shadow Wave contains both. The characters were teenagers, like myself, so I was able to relate to some of the problems they were facing and things they were doing. I think that making a young adult novel that includes several young adults was very effective and really hooked many readers, like myself. The text was relevant to me because it gave me a broader understanding on the corruption and greed there is in our world.
I would really recommend the Cherub series to people who enjoy action packed books. Once you pick up a Cherub book you won’t put it down.
Imran Gulam
The novel I had chosen to read is called The Wave. In this book a teacher named Ben Ross shows his class a film about Nazis in Germany. He shows his class their crimes against humanity and how easily their leaders can manipulate them into joining them. Most of the class agree that they would not fall into this system and that such thing could never happen again. Ben Ross, the teachers then decides to do an experiment. He teaches his class using slogans such as “strength through discipline”. When the students react positively he creates a group named “The Wave”. The group then becomes larger and larger, and soon members became even more extreme, such as beating up people who refuse to join. When Ben Ross thinks that the experiment has gone too far he shows the kids another video of Nazis and tells them that they have become like that. All of the kids then realize what has happened to them and are in disbelief. These occurrences are based on true events.
ReplyDeleteI think that the moral of the story is how easy it can be to get seduced into fascism, and that people could once again follow such a harsh dictatorship as in Germany a few decades ago. It also teaches us about the dangers that come up when the seduced join the group that practices central authority and prioritises values over values and morals.
This theme connects to life and universal truths. I say this because you can see similar things happen in school. For example a kid that might feel unpopular might try everything to join a certain group in order to fit in. This may include making poor decisions leading to self harm. This happened in the novel The Wave when a kid known as the school loser joined “the wave” to feel like he was a part of something. He made “the wave” his life which almost resorted in him killing someone for not wanting to join. I don’t think I have any personal experiences that I could relate to with the book.
The author of The Wave did a good job with hooking me and connecting me with characters and ideas in this novel. I say this because the author Todd Strasser used vivid descriptors on different characters of this book. This gives you an insight of how the characters are. The subject of whether or not humans will once again start such horrible occurrings like what happened in Germany is a very thought provoking idea. I surly thought that this could never happen again. This is until I read the book The wave. The idea that such fascism could happen again is daunting.
I really enjoyed this novel and the cunning ways that Todd Strasser demonstrated how easy it can be to fall into fascism. It was also very thought provoking, if you think about it. What if the same thing that happened in that school happened but on a much larger scale? I think that in order to stop such things from happening there should be more lessons in class about fascism to raise awareness.
Word Count:565
ReplyDeleteAround two weeks ago I began reading a book named The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. The book is set before lord of the rings, and it is about Bilbo (a hobbit) that meets Gandalf and goes on an adventure with some dwarfs. I believe that one of the main themes in this novel is based on the main character Bilbo, about how he is transformed from a regular hobbit that lives in his hole and has a comfortable life into a hero who is brave and strong. Throughout the book he changes a lot, as he faces troll and other beasts with Gandalf and the dwarfs.
ReplyDeleteWhen you first meet Bilbo in the novel he is not the heroic type. He is an ordinary Hobbit who lives in a little hole; he has his daily routines and is fairy afraid of change of any kind. One great example showing how non heroic he was at that time is when Gandalf first mentions the quest. When Gandalf mentions the adventure to find a treasure with a Thorin dwarf he becomes so shocked and scared by the idea that he actually faints. Gandalf does convince him though; one thing that helped in convincing him to go along on this journey with was the fact that Gandalf said that there is more to a hobbit than what meets the eye.
Another significant step in his transformation into a hero is when he first faces danger. Shortly after they leave they are all (except Gandalf) capture by three hungry trolls. Gandalf eventually tricks the trolls and manage to turn them to stone, also at this time in the story Bilbo gets his first weapon. It is a small and simple sword. I believe that he by this time had changed a lot, for before this if he would have had to face trolls he would faint.
He has become very heroic by this time but he has yet not fought a battle or had a call to adventure, I believe that this would be another heroic step in his transformation. At one point in the story the dwarves get caught in a wed made by a huge spider. Now it is up to Bilbo to save them with his sword and ring that he retrieved earlier in the book. He is forced to fight with the spider, showing that he has become a lot braver and is also willing to risk his own life to save the dwarves, which I personally believe is very heroic of him.
I think that this theme is also portrayed in the story of harry potter, because in the beginning he is just like all of the other students at Hogwarts, but later on he becomes stronger and braver. He learns more and more spells and does save/help people such as the horse/bird who is about to be killed. He also does battle Voldemort and Malfoy at times.
I do not believe that I personally can relate to this theme because I do not think of myself as a hero. Although I do believe that my mom has gone through this in a way. She was once just a student in college and then got an internship at a hospital, finally she started working and saving lives.
In conclusion The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has a main theme based on heroism, and the transformation into a hero. About how ordinary people (Hobbits in this case) can turn into heroes from being weak and afraid to strong and brave, just like the Hobbit did in the novel. All that is needed is some persuasion.
The book I read for this assignment was Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story of a Betrayed Musical Legend by Sharon Lawrence. Being a biography, it is not easy to find one true theme that describes all the events that happened throughout the book. Although, if I would have to choose one single theme, it would have to be that certain things in life are worth fighting for. The reason that I think this is one of the main themes, is because Jimi Hendrix was born in a family, in the United States, which was going through rough times. His mother was barely seventeen when she gave birth to Jimi. His parents’ had very little money and were hardly ever able to have three meals per day. Not long after Jimi’s birth, his mother gave birth to another son, Leon. With both of Johnny’s parents’ working most of the time, Johnny had to help raise Leon. Johnny himself was still very young himself but tried his best to help his little brother out.
ReplyDeleteSoon after, Jimi and Leon’s mother left to another state in the country to work, due to the fact that she couldn’t find any jobs. They were then left with their father. He was, in my opinion, not the best kind of father; every night he went out to drink with his friends and reached home drunk, all while the family had very little money in the first place. Jimi still had to care for Leon every day and neighbors often felt sorry for them and gave them food. They never asked or begged for food, but never rejected it when offered.
Jimi, now being a few years older, began becoming interested in music. He soon got the idea of playing guitar. His father, being himself, wouldn’t just give Jimi a guitar. He had to work in his father’s garden and soon raised enough money to buy his own guitar. As Jimi grew older he had no money to live on his own. At one point he got the idea of joining the army, in which he stayed for several years. Once back on the street, Jimmy’s condition went down. The only way he got money for food was from several performances. After these he was seen by a manager who wanted to take Jimmy in and tour with him. And through this Jimmy eventually got up to be the finest guitar player in the world, as stated by several music magazines.
Personally I cannot relate to Jimi Hendrix in any major way other than the fact that I play guitar as well, but it is not something that affects my life in a big way as in his. The reason that I cannot relate myself very well to him is because he grew up during hard times for his family. His mother was only around seventeen years of age when he was born, a very hard age to have children. She had to work for money while at that age without much experience it is very hard. It was also hard times for his family because Jimi and parents’ were black and they lived during a time of racism. It did affect their lives in several ways although they mainly tried to ignore it.
Another reason that I cannot relate myself well to Jimi Hendrix is because he turned out to become a very famous musician known worldwide, even decades after his death. His career did not last very long but it sure was a good one. The reason was because he died of a drug overdose, which I, of course, cannot relate to.
The book that I read was called The City of Ember, by Jeanne Duprau. This book is about two characters, Lina and Doon, who have to save the inhabitants of their underground city. The Builders built a city underground to save humanity, and leave a note to be discovered at the right time. Lina finds this note in their house, but her little sister rips it up. The city they live in is underground, and the chewed up note is instructions on how to get out. Doon and Lina become better friends as they try to find the answers to the note together.
ReplyDeleteThe book has a few themes, but I think that the biggest one is determination. In the book, Lina and Doon try very hard to solve the problem. Their city is about to completely shut down, and they are the only two people really trying to solve anything. As you read throughout the book, you can see more evidence of the two becoming more determination. The first and most evident example is the fact that the note she gets is ripped. Poppy, Lina’s little sister finds the note in the box, and the piece of paper. Poppy chews up the note, making it almost unusable. However, they are determined enough to put the note back together, and find out what it means. Another example of their determination to save their city is when they escape. Lina, Doon, and Poppy all leave the city due to being prosecuted by the mayor for spreading rumors of their corruption. They leave the city via an underground river, and reach the surface. Seeing their city, they write a note for the people of Ember, giving them instructions on how to leave the city the same way they did. They end up finding it, and all of the people leave the city. These are just a couple examples on how determination was a theme.
This theme is definitely related to the truths and and life in 2011. I think that this theme relates to everyone both big and small. Around the world, if you want to accomplish something, it you must be determined to do it. Whether it’s getting a good score on a test, or making your schools sports team, you must be determined to do it. You can’t get to a goal because you want to, you must work to do it. When you finally get to the end of whatever task you set ahead of you, like Lina and Doon, it feels so much better.
I can connect to the theme of this book with my own personal experience. Everyone has had a task set up in front of you, in whom you must push yourself even further to achieve. For example, my schoolwork. My dad received a full scholarship to any college in the US as a senior. He is the only person in my family to receive such an honor. I work very hard, determined to reach a goal similar to his. I work hard in school to receive the high grades I do. My determination will one day lead me to my desired goal, a full scholarship. And like the feeling Doon and Lina had in completing their goal, I hope to have the same.
The way that the author hooked me in was with his character development. Everyone has once been determined to do something, which can be related to the characters. However, the fact that these two young kinds are trying to do a task you would think is for an adult keeps you reading. The characters are developed very well, and you feel closer to them as the story goes on. You see yourself holding the book tighter and tighter, seeing if they will ever complete their goals. I also was hooked by the fact that they lived underground. The book brings up many questions, and you keep reading in hope of getting them solved.
Overall, this book is great. It shows the reader if you are determined enough you can accomplish any task. This is the first book of the series, and I continue to read the other books in the series, and advise others to do the same.
I chose the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.
ReplyDeleteAnabelle Greene, the main character, tells the reader the story about her life experience in both middle school and a part of high school. Anabelle is a model, along with her two other sisters Whitney and Kirsten. Back in middle school, Anabelle had a friend called Clarke, who was basically considered to be lame because she was a nerd. Soon enough, Anabelle ditches Clarke for another girl called Sophie. Sophie and Anabelle soon enough become “best friends”. For Anabelle, being best friends with Sophie, meant agreeing to everything she said, followed her around, and had no say in anything, but it seemed to work for Anabelle. Already in High School, Anabelle starts facing problems such as being bullied by Sophie (because Anabelle got raped at a party by Sophie’s boyfriend, and he made it seem like it was all Anabelle’s fault.), being ignored by Clarke, dealing with the fact that her sister Whitney, had an eating disorder, and her mom putting pressure on her modeling career, and she had to pretend like everything was normal. Suddenly, she meets a guy called Owen, who teaches her how to be honest, to not judge people, and what the meaning of music really is. Soon enough, they fall in love, and as a result, she and Clarke become friends again, Whitney got over her disorder, and she and Owen were together.
I think that the main theme of this book would be that, what you appear to be, may be different from reality. Anabelle struggles with this throughout the book because she always seems to look happy, when on the inside, all of the problems she’s facing are bottled up. In addition, Anabelle wasn’t very honest, (until she meets Owen, who shows her how to say what she really feels.) and instead she would tell a lie. This theme definitely relates to our life today because a lot of people do what Anabelle Greene did. They hide who they really are, instead of showing their true selves. Or, one might say something just to please others, and on the inside the person totally disagrees.
I think I, as well as other people could relate to this theme mainly because I think we’ve all been through this kind of situation. Sometimes, you’re not having the best day, but you still try to hide it with a smile. Or, you say some things just to avoid hurting a person’s feelings. As well as not being yourself, and acting like a different person, just like it happened to me. Just Listen has been a page-turner simply because the author uses characters that may resemble to someone you know, or even in some cases, it reminds you of yourself. She writes about what teenagers usually go through and I think maybe by through reading it, it can actually help you go through tough moments in life.
My independent reading book is called Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox and the author is Eoin Colfer. It’s about Angeline Fowl, Artemis Fowl’s mother falling ill to debilitating disease, which cannot be healed by magic. In desperation Artemis gathers his friends from the magical world in aid of helping his mother. Artemis finds out that the cure is the brain fluid of a silky sifaka lemur of Madagascar. Unfortunately, the lemur is extinct due to a deal Artemis made 8 years ago with a group called the Extinctionists. Artemis begs one of his magical friends to open up a portal that takes you back in time. So Artemis travels back in time to retrieve the lemur from his younger self and from the Extinctionists and cure his mother.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of different themes found in Artemis Fowl but the main theme of this novel is regretting or paying the consequences for you mistakes in the past. These mistakes sometimes come back and haunt you, such as Artemis Fowl. By eliminating the last of the lemur he has also eliminated a cure for a very dangerous disease that his mother is infected by. Also another theme is love and the limitations, Artemis Fowl loves his mother and will do anything to make her healthy and happy again. The last found theme is friendship between Artemis Fowl and Holly Short. Both of them had a very complicated relationship at the beginning of the series, but as the series progresses Artemis and Holly go on adventures and their friendship grows. They save each other’s lives throughout in the book but in this novel Artemis tricking Holly in order of her accompanying him in going back in time.
I can connect to some aspects of the book and to some of the characters. One of the ways I can connect is being that if anyone in my family or anyone important to me got sick, I would probably do the same thing and go through a lot of trouble to find a cure. Also another way I connect to Artemis Fowl is making a mistake in the past and regretting it or paying the consequences in the future. This example can also be implied to a lot of people around the world because they might have experienced the same thing. I can also connect to the friendship that Artemis and Holly have and also tricking my friend in helping me with something’s.
The author hooked me to the story by the genre, it’s mixed with science and magic and I am into both of those genres. Also the author got my attention by creating the characters as people you see in you everyday life. Even the magical creatures possess human characteristics. Another interesting component to the novel was the action scenes. The way the author described the suspense and the thrill was very well done. I could picture the action scenes in my head.
In conclusion, Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox is very descriptive and exciting to read. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a fantasy novel and also you can easily connect to the characters and the themes in the novel. I also recommend others to read the rest of the series, Artemis Fowl is very enjoyable.
BY: AKINOLA WILLIAMS
The book that I read this passed week is called My forbidden face. The book is an autobiography by a woman called Latifa. The book is about how a young girl named Latifa has to grow up under the control of the Taliban. Throughout her life, she had to watch many friends and family members get raped or beat. She talks about certain events and experiences that she experienced during a five year period after the Taliban took over their country, Kabul. The rules that the Taliban put out for them were that women had no more rights, they couldn’t wear make-up anymore, they had to dress in Chadri, and all women could not go out into the public without being accompanied by a man. They were’t aloud to take photographs or listen to music and they weren’t aloud to visit male doctors or converse with men. New rules just keep coming. They had to live like this for five years. Five years, of living in fear and isolation. This was too much for Latifa and her family to handle. Latifa’s mother was depressed and Latifa grew sick from the fluid in her lungs. Luckily soon after she and her mother came to Paris and latifa became a writer.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I and most of the people I know, could never ever relate to this book. It is so brutally descripted with rape and abusement. That it even makes it hard to imagine that scenarios like this could really exist. I find it truly depressing what many children like Latifa have had to go through in their life. It must have been such a hard state to live in with the Taliban taking over your country, forcing you to do things, making you live in the sate of fear, taking advantages of you, and definitely many more things. None of the women had any rights to and for anything, and men didn’t have a lot either, but a lot more than women ever had. Whilst reading this book, I constantly had to stop and think about it, and just take a moment to process what I had just read, trying to make sense of how some people on this earth were. When i read things like these, it was difficult for me to understand why people do such horrible things, wether it was rape or abuse, everything that happened then was just completely unacceptable.
I must say that this book is truly intriguing and interesting. As sad and horrible as it was, it was so very interesting to read. The point of view from a young girl in Afghanistan living under the strong force of the Taliban. Even the way that she wrote it was intriguing. She did a very good job on how she wrote it and the word choices. But mostly the book was just really appealing. The topic is something that generally interests many people all over the world. Many people had to go through such a horrible stage of life, but also a lot of them haven’t. Therefore I think that the people that read this, like it, because it holds a lot of information on about how the times were, what it felt like; were they in constant questioning of what was going to happen next and that it is though from someone who has actually been there and saw it.
Although it is very depressing, it was an amazing this book feels like a best-seller. I really strongly suggest that many more people read it, because it is just very interesting, and the fact that it is an autobiography, and that everything that she described is true, it is simply mind bobbling, and it was a very good book.
Word count: 627
The book that I recently finished is called Kissing The Bees. The author of the book is Kathe koja. She is a great author who has writen many books such as Buddha Boy and Under the Poppy.
ReplyDeleteThe book is about three students in high school. The main character: Dana is a girl that never really had the courage to stand up to anyone. Especially not her best friend named Avra. Avra and her boyfriend Emil are not really going well and its Avra’s fault… She soon learns that she doesn’t really like Emil! And her best friend Dana and her boyfriend Emil are in love.
Throughout the book Dana has trouble telling Emil how she feels about him for obvious reasons! Her best friend Avra would kill her if she ever found out that Dana liked Emil. Later on in the book, Dana learns about bees because of her biology project. She learns that bees and humans aren’t so different. She learned that the everyone has a ‘queen bee’ in their life.
In the case of Dana, the queen bee of her life was her best friend Avra. Avra didn’t ever listen to Dana and she even took her for granted. In the end of the book Dana stands up for herself and even tells Emil how she feels about him. Avra learns that she treated her best friends awfully, and she changed the way she acted towards them.
This book sounds like the typical love triangle, but it is actually a really great story of how to stand up for your rights. It teaches the reader that when you say how you feel, good things come! And you never know what the outcome will be unless you try. I do not regret reading this book and i would definately read it again! it changed the way i thought. I would recommend it to anyone.
Word count: 722 :D
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ReplyDeleteI read No shame, no fear by Ann turnbull . No shame, no fear is placed in 1662 right after the civil war in England. The Quakers, a religious group, do not believe in paying taxes and believe that everyone is equal. The Quakers are constantly tortured and mistreated but they believe in God and love and do not give up. Most Quakers are sent to jail at least once in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that I do not connect very much with the book. The theme of the book is very universal but it requires a very strong faith that I think that most people today would not have. In the book, everyone has had a certain enlightenment in which they see the truth. But I guess, I may not, now or never see that kind of enlightenment.
I do not have any experiences that at all relate to the book. Beside the fact, that in some of the countries I lived in beginning a Muslim was different. But apart from that, I have no experiences that relate.
I think that the author would have reached anyone who would read this book. It is heart touching because it is like Romeo and Juliet. In No shame, no fear the two main characters are forbidden to see each other as they are of different class and religion. The girl is a poor servant who is also a Quaker. The boy is son of rich silk merchant who goes to Sunday mass.
The main ideas in the book are quite simple and universal. In it the author is saying that we must always keep believing and looking at the good side of life. And if you do that you will always be happy. I agree. This book is amazing and it’s written extremely well.
The novel which I have read for the independent reading project was the first book in the trilogy, the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring written by J.R.R Tolkien. The primary theme of this novel is extremely difficult to interpret because of the elaborateness of the novel with its endless names of characters within the history of the land of Middle Earth or the many different tales and songs which Tolkien did a very thorough job of making an entire history and multiple cultures and languages with each race as well as their many separate kingdoms and realms. However I think the primary theme of the novel is the bond between friends and the journey in which old enemies can make new friends. Through the entire book the friendship and allegiance to themselves and the greater good is kept being proven stronger through every scene of the book.
ReplyDeleteThis theme relates practically to every person in this world, no matter what their culture or their view or opinions are it applies to all and not simply in 2011 but throughout history . Every person has had a relationship or a kinship with someone in their life, whether its a friend or a sibling or anyone that you have a positive connection with and you can depend on. In our modern world you will always find friends among each other helping each other with all sorts of different situations. You can even find examples of this in politics for example the tight relationship between the U.S. and the U.K. Friendship is in all our lives and probably has the most affect on who we are, who we become and what we do in this world.
Friendship and relations with my brother has probably been the largest influences in my life as it must be the same for billions of other people. The decisions I make are influenced with my friends and my family because of the trust and dependency I have in them because they are my friends and I consider their opinion when i need it and I can always trust their judgment.
I think that anyone and everyone who enjoys and appreciates a good fiction or even a good book should definitely read the Lord of the Rings as well as the Hobbit because they are such wonderful books with an almost life like approach to our own world with the same amount of ethnicities and cultures. Tolkien does a brilliant job at keeping you interested in not only the primary plot but also int eh individual plots of characters and the unraveling their past. I completely recommend this book to all as it is a wonderful novel.