Izzy Schwarz
Looking for Alaska
John Green
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
78
1. I am currently reading Looking for Alaska by John Green I have been really enjoying the book so far. Miles is a normal teenager living in Florida and he goes to boarding school in Alabama. Miles goes to a school called Culver Creek, when he goes he is a scrawny little unpopular ninth grader. When he gets to boarding school he is hot and tired and scared that his roommate would hate him but when he walked in, Miles found out that he wasn't that bad. His roommates name was Chip but he liked to be called The Colonel. The Colonel said that Miles nickname was "Pudge". When "Pudge" first went done to room 43 and met Alaska, he more or less fell in love with her, he thought she was the most beautiful girl. That was when "The Colonel" asked her for a pack of cigarettes. They went down to a little lake, which they called the smoking hole that was not too far from their dorm. Another boy called Takumi met the Colonel, Pudge, and Alaska at the hole. Pudge had never smoked before and when he took his first puff he thought it was disgusting. The Colonel told Pudge about all the main things at Culver Creek like the rich kids who only board Monday through Friday that they call "weekday warriors". That night pudge had his first bufreido (fried buritto) and he absolutely loved it. The next morning they had their first classes and Pudge liked his new teachers alright but he also didn't really care. Pudge seemed to like Culver Creek except for how hot it was. Everyday was basically the same, they woke up, went to class, smoked, ate dinner,and went to bed. Even though there isn't too much change through the book it is still fun to read.
2. So far Looking for Alaska is a really good book and even though im not that far into it, it is funny and easy to go along with. I have not read any other books by John Green but when I heard about his one I knew I would love it. It is like no book I have ever read. I find John Green's writing style to be really intriguing and each chapter just flies by. I think it's cool how every character is completely different from one another. I find that even though the book is very consistent, the little details John Green adds about their day or the character give the book depth.
3. One of the main themes of Looking for Alaska is fish out of water. The theme fish out of water really stands out to me because Miles/Pudge is new at his school and he is also very naive. Pudge is new and he has to learn how to fit in and go with the flow. Although he has The Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi to guide him through his Culver Creek days, he has to advocate for at this new school and he isn't used to that. Pudge has to choose to either be friends with The Colonel and his group or the Weekday Warriors. I find it sweet that Alaska notices Pudges fish out of water like behaviors and is there for him. Alaska is always helping him out or getting him out of trouble.
4. My favorite character so far is most definitely Alaska. Alaska is my favorite because no matter what she is doing, she always seems to stand out. She also does not care what anybody else thinks and is totally cool in her very own way. Whenever they all go out and do something, Alaska always takes charge. I think of her as the leading lady of the pack and she is in control. It is so sweet how Alaska is very affectionate with Pudge, even though she has a boyfriend. I cannot wait to find out why the book is called looking for alaska .
5. I do not really have a least favorite character in the book so far but if I had to choose one it would probably be The Colonel. I would choose The Colonel as my least favorite character because he is never really there for Pudge. If you get past the fact that he is Pudges roommate, The Colonel isn't very nice and he spends most of the time smoking or fighting with his Weekday Warrior girlfriend Sara. The Colonel is kind of oblivious to what the others are doing and that annoys me.
6. I predict that as I get further into the book, Alaska will disappear. I think Alaska will be hurt or have to much to drink at a party one night and get taken away. I do not think anyone will know where to find Alaska and people high up in the world of Culver Creek will have to get involved. I also think that Pudge, The Colonel, and Takumi will find her and she will not be awake but she will be alive and they will not know what to do with Alaska or where to put her.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Charlie Wu
Charlie Wu
Fear
Michael Grant
Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Challenge
112
1. Fear is the fifth book in the Gone series, where a town called Perdido Beach and it's surrounding areas are surrounded by a 20 mile sphere, trapping everyone inside. Everyone older than 15 dissapeared, transported outside the sphere. Inside, the kids are trapped. The protagonist is Sam Temple, who lives at Perdido Beach. He becomes the leader of the kids in Perdido Beach. Then, another kid called Caine comes to town. He went to school at the Coates Academy which is a school for kids who have problems. He is very persuasive, and he is the leader of the kids from the Coates Academy. Eventually, the reader finds out that Caine is actually really messed up, and power hungry. He becomes an antagonist in the series. The kids also discover that they have developed powers, which is apparently a survival function. This is similar to animals adapting to their surroundings. Eventually, a crisis occurs later in the book, and Sam asks Caine for help. Caine, seeing this as a weakness, agrees to help if he gets to rule Perdido Beach. Sam, finds a lake and tries to convince kids to come with him to live at the lake. However, because the crisis and Caine's persuasiveness and manipulative talents, a lot of kids stay with Caine and decides to live under his rule. Sam finds some missiles at an army base near the lake, and he decides that the missiles needed to be moved. However, if Caine finds out about the missiles, he would have enough power to start a war with Sam.
2. I really enjoy the book so far. I have read all of the books before, and loved them. Michael Grant is a great dystopian writer, and I have found myself addicted to the genre. I think the book is pretty challenging. Often, I have to reread a page or paragraph multiples times, and to understand it. The characters also find out more about themselves, and the characters develop. Sam, who before was kind of a nobody, became a very important person in the books.
3. I think a theme in this book is responsibility. All the main characters have at least some sort of responsibility. The protagonist, Sam, constantly wonders if he would be judged by those outside the sphere if
he ever gets out. He wonders if he will ever have to justify all his actions and doings. He wonders if he could have done anything differently, or done something better. Even the antagonists have responsibilities. Caine, who is an antagonist also leads his own group of kids.
4. My favorite character is Sam. I like him because he isn't evil, is really serious and responsible. He is smart has a good personality. He has good morals, and is a leader. He is put in charge of 100-200 kids, and people trust him even with no adults around. He is very mature, and is very selfless.
5. My least favorite character is Caine. I dislike him because he is smart, powerful, and in control, but does not use them for good. He has all the qualities of an ideal hero, but he chooses to be evil and cruel. He takes the kids that he doesn't trust and puts their hands in cement. He also has people who "work" for him. They take his orders, and do his bidding. He also has a person working for him who has the power of creating illusions that seem real. The victim would feel the pain that the illusion is creating. Overall, I think that he is a sick person who has no morals and limits.
6. I have two predictions. I think that in this book, or the next book, the kids will finally get out of the sphere. In the book, some of it is also told from the perspective of the adults outside. They wonder if their kids will be safe. My second prediction is that the two "main powers" Sam and Caine will fight, and one of them will die.
Fear
Michael Grant
Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Challenge
112
1. Fear is the fifth book in the Gone series, where a town called Perdido Beach and it's surrounding areas are surrounded by a 20 mile sphere, trapping everyone inside. Everyone older than 15 dissapeared, transported outside the sphere. Inside, the kids are trapped. The protagonist is Sam Temple, who lives at Perdido Beach. He becomes the leader of the kids in Perdido Beach. Then, another kid called Caine comes to town. He went to school at the Coates Academy which is a school for kids who have problems. He is very persuasive, and he is the leader of the kids from the Coates Academy. Eventually, the reader finds out that Caine is actually really messed up, and power hungry. He becomes an antagonist in the series. The kids also discover that they have developed powers, which is apparently a survival function. This is similar to animals adapting to their surroundings. Eventually, a crisis occurs later in the book, and Sam asks Caine for help. Caine, seeing this as a weakness, agrees to help if he gets to rule Perdido Beach. Sam, finds a lake and tries to convince kids to come with him to live at the lake. However, because the crisis and Caine's persuasiveness and manipulative talents, a lot of kids stay with Caine and decides to live under his rule. Sam finds some missiles at an army base near the lake, and he decides that the missiles needed to be moved. However, if Caine finds out about the missiles, he would have enough power to start a war with Sam.
2. I really enjoy the book so far. I have read all of the books before, and loved them. Michael Grant is a great dystopian writer, and I have found myself addicted to the genre. I think the book is pretty challenging. Often, I have to reread a page or paragraph multiples times, and to understand it. The characters also find out more about themselves, and the characters develop. Sam, who before was kind of a nobody, became a very important person in the books.
3. I think a theme in this book is responsibility. All the main characters have at least some sort of responsibility. The protagonist, Sam, constantly wonders if he would be judged by those outside the sphere if
he ever gets out. He wonders if he will ever have to justify all his actions and doings. He wonders if he could have done anything differently, or done something better. Even the antagonists have responsibilities. Caine, who is an antagonist also leads his own group of kids.
4. My favorite character is Sam. I like him because he isn't evil, is really serious and responsible. He is smart has a good personality. He has good morals, and is a leader. He is put in charge of 100-200 kids, and people trust him even with no adults around. He is very mature, and is very selfless.
5. My least favorite character is Caine. I dislike him because he is smart, powerful, and in control, but does not use them for good. He has all the qualities of an ideal hero, but he chooses to be evil and cruel. He takes the kids that he doesn't trust and puts their hands in cement. He also has people who "work" for him. They take his orders, and do his bidding. He also has a person working for him who has the power of creating illusions that seem real. The victim would feel the pain that the illusion is creating. Overall, I think that he is a sick person who has no morals and limits.
6. I have two predictions. I think that in this book, or the next book, the kids will finally get out of the sphere. In the book, some of it is also told from the perspective of the adults outside. They wonder if their kids will be safe. My second prediction is that the two "main powers" Sam and Caine will fight, and one of them will die.
Sadie Hyde
Amazing Grace
Megan Shull
Fiction
Just right
Page: 83
1.) Right now in my book Amazing Grace, the main character Grace (Ace) just met a boy named Teague. He lives in Alaska as well as Grace who has a new name which is Emily O'Brien. So she gets into a bike accident and this dream boy comes to her rescue. So Teague brings Emily into town to a restaurant, and Emily meets his aunt Sadie. Emily has a terrible cut across her forehead, so Sadie cleans up Emily's scratch and puts a bandaid on it. Then a girl named Fisher who is a total country girl walks into the restaurant and Emily thinks that Teague has a girlfriend but it turns out that Fisher is actually his cousin. Then Fisher gets really interested in Emily and is very friendly and asks so many questions about her. By the end of their conversation about 45 minutes after they meet Fisher acts as though her and Emily have known each other forever and are best friends.
2.) This book so far I think is VERY good. It has so much detail and is so different from other books that I have read I just feel as though I cannot put it down. I love this book. The way that Meagan Shull writes this story is just amazing. How each chapter flies by so quickly, and I could be reading for an hour and literally just get lost in time and in my book, it feels like I just picked up the book. I also just like how every character has a purpose in the story and how every character is different from one another. The story has meaning and there are no lines where I feel like it was not needed. This author is new to me and I think thaI i a going to look for more books by her, if any.
3.) A theme that really stands out for me in this book is love and sacrifice. I think that love and sacrifice begins very early in the book when Grace/ Emily decided that she did not want to be a model and professional athlete anymore. She sacrificed her career for he freedom and life back. Also when she said that she found out her dad dies and also how she had not hugged anyone she loved for months and how she had not seen her mom for months, she is showing sacrifice of her life and family and of her love of freedom and family. I also think that this theme shows when Grace/ Emily has to leave her mom for a second time and go with her aunt that she jut found out she had to Alaska and live with her for months on end without seeing her mom once again. I think that this theme is shown multiple times so far and that Grace/ Emily has to sacrifice many things in her life in order for her to feel normal, one of those thing being love for her family and career.
4.) My favorite character right now is Fisher. I really like her because she is so upbeat and friendly. Also she is so kind and does not care what other people think of her. She is great at making new friends and having people love her and want to be friends with her and want to know her. She just has this vibe that really makes you want to know her and it makes you want her to like you. For instance When she walks into the restaurant Grace/ Emily wanted her to like her once they started talked talking, and Fisher was so friendly and asked questions and loves everyone so it seemed.
5.) So far I don't really have a least favorite character, but if I were to pick anyone it might be Grace's/ Emily's mom because I feel as though she is so oblivious to her daughters feelings. Yea she understands that her daughter wants to quit her career and is understanding, but when her daughter needs her the most she is not there for her. She is never around, like when her daughter said she has not seen her mom in months and then has to leave her moms side again for another three months even though she wants nothing more than to be with her mom.
6.) I think that Ava's "ex-boyfriend" had a son which is Teague. That is why I think when Ava said she has known him for a long long time it was because she dated his dad. I think that Grace/ Emily is going to date Teague and then have to leave Alaska and go home but end up not wanting to because she is finally living her dream of having a normal life. I also think that she is going to end up having to tell Teague who she actually is , and that will either end up being really good or bad. Finally I think that Grace is going to end up staying in Alaska with her Aunt Ava and her mom is going to realize that she has not been there for her daughter when she needed her.
Amazing Grace
Megan Shull
Fiction
Just right
Page: 83
1.) Right now in my book Amazing Grace, the main character Grace (Ace) just met a boy named Teague. He lives in Alaska as well as Grace who has a new name which is Emily O'Brien. So she gets into a bike accident and this dream boy comes to her rescue. So Teague brings Emily into town to a restaurant, and Emily meets his aunt Sadie. Emily has a terrible cut across her forehead, so Sadie cleans up Emily's scratch and puts a bandaid on it. Then a girl named Fisher who is a total country girl walks into the restaurant and Emily thinks that Teague has a girlfriend but it turns out that Fisher is actually his cousin. Then Fisher gets really interested in Emily and is very friendly and asks so many questions about her. By the end of their conversation about 45 minutes after they meet Fisher acts as though her and Emily have known each other forever and are best friends.
2.) This book so far I think is VERY good. It has so much detail and is so different from other books that I have read I just feel as though I cannot put it down. I love this book. The way that Meagan Shull writes this story is just amazing. How each chapter flies by so quickly, and I could be reading for an hour and literally just get lost in time and in my book, it feels like I just picked up the book. I also just like how every character has a purpose in the story and how every character is different from one another. The story has meaning and there are no lines where I feel like it was not needed. This author is new to me and I think thaI i a going to look for more books by her, if any.
3.) A theme that really stands out for me in this book is love and sacrifice. I think that love and sacrifice begins very early in the book when Grace/ Emily decided that she did not want to be a model and professional athlete anymore. She sacrificed her career for he freedom and life back. Also when she said that she found out her dad dies and also how she had not hugged anyone she loved for months and how she had not seen her mom for months, she is showing sacrifice of her life and family and of her love of freedom and family. I also think that this theme shows when Grace/ Emily has to leave her mom for a second time and go with her aunt that she jut found out she had to Alaska and live with her for months on end without seeing her mom once again. I think that this theme is shown multiple times so far and that Grace/ Emily has to sacrifice many things in her life in order for her to feel normal, one of those thing being love for her family and career.
4.) My favorite character right now is Fisher. I really like her because she is so upbeat and friendly. Also she is so kind and does not care what other people think of her. She is great at making new friends and having people love her and want to be friends with her and want to know her. She just has this vibe that really makes you want to know her and it makes you want her to like you. For instance When she walks into the restaurant Grace/ Emily wanted her to like her once they started talked talking, and Fisher was so friendly and asked questions and loves everyone so it seemed.
5.) So far I don't really have a least favorite character, but if I were to pick anyone it might be Grace's/ Emily's mom because I feel as though she is so oblivious to her daughters feelings. Yea she understands that her daughter wants to quit her career and is understanding, but when her daughter needs her the most she is not there for her. She is never around, like when her daughter said she has not seen her mom in months and then has to leave her moms side again for another three months even though she wants nothing more than to be with her mom.
6.) I think that Ava's "ex-boyfriend" had a son which is Teague. That is why I think when Ava said she has known him for a long long time it was because she dated his dad. I think that Grace/ Emily is going to date Teague and then have to leave Alaska and go home but end up not wanting to because she is finally living her dream of having a normal life. I also think that she is going to end up having to tell Teague who she actually is , and that will either end up being really good or bad. Finally I think that Grace is going to end up staying in Alaska with her Aunt Ava and her mom is going to realize that she has not been there for her daughter when she needed her.
Elizabeth Gooch!
Elizabeth Gooch
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished #213
1. In the ending of Perks of Being a Wallflower the main character Charlie is writing about the last couple days of his freshmen year in high school. All of his friends, who are seniors seem to be going through hard times so he is trying his best to comfort them. For example, his friend Patrick is going through a rough breakup with the captain of the football team, Brad. Also, his sister has a pregnancy scare with an abusive boyfriend. On top of all that, the girl he loves, Sam found out that her college boyfriend has been cheating on her for a long time now. After all of the problems are sorted out though he starts to crack under all his thoughts. For this leads to drugs and then he finds himself back in a hospital.
2. I found this book extremely intriguing. One factor to this conclusion was because of the unique format of the book. Throughout the whole book it is composed of letters from Charlie to an unknown character. Overall, Charlie is a very interesting person, to say the least. He writes about his struggles, good times, activities and his thoughts. Also, he writes about many things he notices about people and things that other people probably wouldn't notice. Although these thoughts scare him because he starts to get nervous. This character trait was another thing that kept me interested throughout his whole story. This is a new author to me and I would be interested to explore any other novels he has written.
3. I think one of the main themes of this book is Loss of Innocence. This theme appears throughout the book within the main character, Charlie. He experiences some tragic events in his childhood that cause some mental and social problems. He wasn't given much of a childhood and his mind matured faster than most of kids his age. His aunt assaults him when he is young and that has a great effect on him as he matures. Also, his best and only friend at the time, Michael commits suicide while they are in middle school and that leaves him feeling lonely and confused. This theme also appears in other characters as well though, such as when Sam is assaulted by her fathers friend, and also his aunt Helen is assaulted as well.
4. My favorite character is Patrick. He is my favorite character because he is always the jokester of their group and makes Charlie feel excepted in the first place. Also he is a real perky person who is not afraid to be himself. Although he does get pretty sad after his breakup, he is always happy throughout the rest of the book. Overall, I love his personality and the role he plays in Charlie's social development.
5. My least favorite character is Brad, Patrick's boyfriend. I don't like Brad because he never admits to being with Patrick and although Patrick puts up with this for some time, he eventually cracks. Also, I hate how he makes fun of Patrick in the cafeteria and then it gets into a fight. I think he should be himself and stop worrying about what other people think of you. In addition, I think he is being unfair to his "girlfriend" by not telling her that he is gay. She may really like him and would be upset if she new he was keeping this from her. Overall, I believe if he wasn't so protective of his social status he would be much happier.
6. The ending of this book was definitely not what I expected. Throughout the whole book Charlie always refers to these wonderful memories of his aunt and how she was the only one who understand him. But at the ending he realizes these, what he thinks were dream, were actually memories of his aunt assaulting him at a young age. Although, he was too young to remember so he thinks these memories are just dreams. This conclusion was not at all what I expected considering how kind he describes her as. Although, near the ending he does find it strange that his physiologist keeps asking about his childhood, rather than what was going on right then. Which, could be considered as a clue from the author of the unexpected ending.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished #213
1. In the ending of Perks of Being a Wallflower the main character Charlie is writing about the last couple days of his freshmen year in high school. All of his friends, who are seniors seem to be going through hard times so he is trying his best to comfort them. For example, his friend Patrick is going through a rough breakup with the captain of the football team, Brad. Also, his sister has a pregnancy scare with an abusive boyfriend. On top of all that, the girl he loves, Sam found out that her college boyfriend has been cheating on her for a long time now. After all of the problems are sorted out though he starts to crack under all his thoughts. For this leads to drugs and then he finds himself back in a hospital.
2. I found this book extremely intriguing. One factor to this conclusion was because of the unique format of the book. Throughout the whole book it is composed of letters from Charlie to an unknown character. Overall, Charlie is a very interesting person, to say the least. He writes about his struggles, good times, activities and his thoughts. Also, he writes about many things he notices about people and things that other people probably wouldn't notice. Although these thoughts scare him because he starts to get nervous. This character trait was another thing that kept me interested throughout his whole story. This is a new author to me and I would be interested to explore any other novels he has written.
3. I think one of the main themes of this book is Loss of Innocence. This theme appears throughout the book within the main character, Charlie. He experiences some tragic events in his childhood that cause some mental and social problems. He wasn't given much of a childhood and his mind matured faster than most of kids his age. His aunt assaults him when he is young and that has a great effect on him as he matures. Also, his best and only friend at the time, Michael commits suicide while they are in middle school and that leaves him feeling lonely and confused. This theme also appears in other characters as well though, such as when Sam is assaulted by her fathers friend, and also his aunt Helen is assaulted as well.
4. My favorite character is Patrick. He is my favorite character because he is always the jokester of their group and makes Charlie feel excepted in the first place. Also he is a real perky person who is not afraid to be himself. Although he does get pretty sad after his breakup, he is always happy throughout the rest of the book. Overall, I love his personality and the role he plays in Charlie's social development.
5. My least favorite character is Brad, Patrick's boyfriend. I don't like Brad because he never admits to being with Patrick and although Patrick puts up with this for some time, he eventually cracks. Also, I hate how he makes fun of Patrick in the cafeteria and then it gets into a fight. I think he should be himself and stop worrying about what other people think of you. In addition, I think he is being unfair to his "girlfriend" by not telling her that he is gay. She may really like him and would be upset if she new he was keeping this from her. Overall, I believe if he wasn't so protective of his social status he would be much happier.
6. The ending of this book was definitely not what I expected. Throughout the whole book Charlie always refers to these wonderful memories of his aunt and how she was the only one who understand him. But at the ending he realizes these, what he thinks were dream, were actually memories of his aunt assaulting him at a young age. Although, he was too young to remember so he thinks these memories are just dreams. This conclusion was not at all what I expected considering how kind he describes her as. Although, near the ending he does find it strange that his physiologist keeps asking about his childhood, rather than what was going on right then. Which, could be considered as a clue from the author of the unexpected ending.
Raffi Barsamian
Raffi Barsamian
Crewel
Gennifer Albin
Dystopian
Just Right
1233 of 4823
1. I am currently reading, Crewel, by Gennifer Albin. In this part of the book the main character Adelice Lewis has just unintentionally killed her only friends sister. Pryana and Adelice are both in training to become Spinsters. Themselves and other training Spinsters have been on a tour of the Coventry where they will live and work in for the rest of there lives. They have visited three rooms on the tour so far, the entry level room (where they handle rationing food), then the enter the (weather studios where they we've certain amounts of precipitation fall throughout each sector), but in the last room is where the most gifted spinsters work( this room is the Emergency Department, it makes sure no accidents occur in the Western Sector). But then they are taken up a very long staircase, to the top of the building. They are greeted there by Maela who is in charge of training all new Spinsters. The room is filled with looms. Maela has prepared a pretest to see the new spinsters ablates. The test is to search for which of the new Spinsters can feel for weak areas in the strands. Each thread represents the life of a person and many strands represent a location in each of the sectors. Many attempt and fail, some destroying large areas of a sector by cutting more than one strand. Then it was Adelices turn, she felt every thread but the only weakness was so minuscule. She explained to Maela that she did not need to cut any of the threads because they weren't weak enough to cut. Then Maela was furious Adelice did not cut the thread. Maelia proceeded to take the razor and rip a large section of the thread. Melia knew what she had done, she had destroyed the school where Pryanas' sister attended. Adelice was held accountable for this, not only was she upset at the fact she murdered innocent children, it was the sister of her one and only friend.
2. I am so thrilled with this book. I can say with confidence that this is my favorite book I have read. the reason why I am so into this book is because it really doesn't relate to me at all. The main character is a girl who lives in a fantasy world. I'm a boy who lives on earth. Adelice is a sixteen year old who has a set life, and I'm a fourteen year old who is still in middle school. It couldn't get more different. Gennifer Albin does such a great job of keeping the reader guessing and wanting to go farther into the book. She does this by keeping the book so concise, there's no point in the book so far where I have been bored reading. Before Adelice was captured, you could almost hear her thinking because her thoughts were so deep. I find it so herd to comprehend why Adelice didn't tell her parents she passed her testing. this was the sort of guessing the author creates for the reader.
3. The main theme I've noticed in this book is man versus society. This both shows in characters and the plot. Adelice is constantly being told what to do because of the way her government works in the world of Arras. It seems like she is just a robot under a governments power. Adelice has only two paths to take, a secretary of a man, or a spinster at the Coventry. When a girl of Arras reaches the age of 16 she is able to become one or the other. Since Adelice was born with the natural ability to weave her destiny is to become a Spinster. This theme also is prevalent in the plot. Life isn't determined on how healthy you are its determined by a thread. The spinsters job is to see if a thread is weak or strong. If your thread is strong the longer you live, if you have a weak thread that's the end of your live. This is the case for every one in Arras, and no matter what there is no way out.
4. My favorite character is Adelice. the only reason her life is completely turned upside down is because of her natural talent. She was born with incredible ability to weave. But she doesn't give up. Once she gets to the Coventry she could have easily gust gave up and purposely been killed but she has to live with her special ability. Although she will never see her family ever again she still knows that she must live out what she was meant to do. Adelice is also my favorite character because she knows what is right. She knows that being a Spinster is not all it is cracked up to be, it means controlling the world all by a cut of a razor. When Adelice stands up to Maela when she cuts the large area of strands, Adelice stands up to her. She knows what Maela did and she was furious with her actions.
5. Maela is by far my least favorite character because she is such a terrible person. First of all she has been a Spinster for a very long time which ultimately means she has no soul. She takes the life of innocent people every day. When she took the life of all of the school children, I felt upset myself. How could someone do that. Adelice knew she did not need to cut any of the threads but since Maela is such a horrible person she cuts more than necessary. Not only did she kill innocent children, she took the life of a new Spinsters sister. I wished Pryana had blamed Maela instead of Adelice because it was in no way her fault. Melia is such a cold hearted person, I hope all Spinsters don't end up like her especially Adelice.
6. My prediction is that later in the book Adelice will get to see her sister and mother again. I predict this because Adelice is such a clever person. She found out that the windows in the rooms are extremely hi-tech screens. I have a feeling that Adelice will find a way out of the Coventry. Even though the Coventry cannot be escaped from Adelice will find some way some how.
Crewel
Gennifer Albin
Dystopian
Just Right
1233 of 4823
1. I am currently reading, Crewel, by Gennifer Albin. In this part of the book the main character Adelice Lewis has just unintentionally killed her only friends sister. Pryana and Adelice are both in training to become Spinsters. Themselves and other training Spinsters have been on a tour of the Coventry where they will live and work in for the rest of there lives. They have visited three rooms on the tour so far, the entry level room (where they handle rationing food), then the enter the (weather studios where they we've certain amounts of precipitation fall throughout each sector), but in the last room is where the most gifted spinsters work( this room is the Emergency Department, it makes sure no accidents occur in the Western Sector). But then they are taken up a very long staircase, to the top of the building. They are greeted there by Maela who is in charge of training all new Spinsters. The room is filled with looms. Maela has prepared a pretest to see the new spinsters ablates. The test is to search for which of the new Spinsters can feel for weak areas in the strands. Each thread represents the life of a person and many strands represent a location in each of the sectors. Many attempt and fail, some destroying large areas of a sector by cutting more than one strand. Then it was Adelices turn, she felt every thread but the only weakness was so minuscule. She explained to Maela that she did not need to cut any of the threads because they weren't weak enough to cut. Then Maela was furious Adelice did not cut the thread. Maelia proceeded to take the razor and rip a large section of the thread. Melia knew what she had done, she had destroyed the school where Pryanas' sister attended. Adelice was held accountable for this, not only was she upset at the fact she murdered innocent children, it was the sister of her one and only friend.
2. I am so thrilled with this book. I can say with confidence that this is my favorite book I have read. the reason why I am so into this book is because it really doesn't relate to me at all. The main character is a girl who lives in a fantasy world. I'm a boy who lives on earth. Adelice is a sixteen year old who has a set life, and I'm a fourteen year old who is still in middle school. It couldn't get more different. Gennifer Albin does such a great job of keeping the reader guessing and wanting to go farther into the book. She does this by keeping the book so concise, there's no point in the book so far where I have been bored reading. Before Adelice was captured, you could almost hear her thinking because her thoughts were so deep. I find it so herd to comprehend why Adelice didn't tell her parents she passed her testing. this was the sort of guessing the author creates for the reader.
3. The main theme I've noticed in this book is man versus society. This both shows in characters and the plot. Adelice is constantly being told what to do because of the way her government works in the world of Arras. It seems like she is just a robot under a governments power. Adelice has only two paths to take, a secretary of a man, or a spinster at the Coventry. When a girl of Arras reaches the age of 16 she is able to become one or the other. Since Adelice was born with the natural ability to weave her destiny is to become a Spinster. This theme also is prevalent in the plot. Life isn't determined on how healthy you are its determined by a thread. The spinsters job is to see if a thread is weak or strong. If your thread is strong the longer you live, if you have a weak thread that's the end of your live. This is the case for every one in Arras, and no matter what there is no way out.
4. My favorite character is Adelice. the only reason her life is completely turned upside down is because of her natural talent. She was born with incredible ability to weave. But she doesn't give up. Once she gets to the Coventry she could have easily gust gave up and purposely been killed but she has to live with her special ability. Although she will never see her family ever again she still knows that she must live out what she was meant to do. Adelice is also my favorite character because she knows what is right. She knows that being a Spinster is not all it is cracked up to be, it means controlling the world all by a cut of a razor. When Adelice stands up to Maela when she cuts the large area of strands, Adelice stands up to her. She knows what Maela did and she was furious with her actions.
5. Maela is by far my least favorite character because she is such a terrible person. First of all she has been a Spinster for a very long time which ultimately means she has no soul. She takes the life of innocent people every day. When she took the life of all of the school children, I felt upset myself. How could someone do that. Adelice knew she did not need to cut any of the threads but since Maela is such a horrible person she cuts more than necessary. Not only did she kill innocent children, she took the life of a new Spinsters sister. I wished Pryana had blamed Maela instead of Adelice because it was in no way her fault. Melia is such a cold hearted person, I hope all Spinsters don't end up like her especially Adelice.
6. My prediction is that later in the book Adelice will get to see her sister and mother again. I predict this because Adelice is such a clever person. She found out that the windows in the rooms are extremely hi-tech screens. I have a feeling that Adelice will find a way out of the Coventry. Even though the Coventry cannot be escaped from Adelice will find some way some how.
James Andrew
The Falcons Malteser
Anthony Horowitz
Mystery
Just Right
47
1. I have read the Alex Rider series and loved them, so I decided to try the Diamond Brothers series. Right now in the book, Tim Diamond and his brother Nick are looking for a dwarf named Johny Naples. He gave them an envelope and told them to keep it safe and he paid them five hundred dollars. The Diamond brothers are very poor so $500.00 is huge for them. Later that day they went to do stuff with the money. But when they got home there house had been ransacked. It had been thoroughly torn apart and the people who did it must have been looking for something. Luckily, Nick brought the envelope with him so it did not get stolen. They then got a letter from the baddest criminal is London, The Fat Man he wanted them to come to Trafalgar Square at 1. They knew they had to go because he may have been the guy who ransacked there home. They talked with him and he wanted the envelope badly. He said they had 48 hours to get back to him or something bad would happen to them.
2. I really enjoy this book so far. I love reading books about adventure and mystery and Anthony Horowitz is great at writing book with a lot of action and mystery. Tim's younger brother Nick is very brave and very humorous. Tim knew what The Fat Man looked like because he had seen him on mug shots, Nick then said, "You mean you even have pictures of him on your mugs?" What a joker. Also, while they were talking to The Fat Man, Nick was pitching in even after The Fat Man threatened him. It was like they were to talking to some random guy, not the worst criminal in London. Nick is also smarter and braver than Tim, and that is why I like him.
3. I have notice that one theme keeps on occurring throughout the book. It is Bravery. Tim is not the bravest, but he shows some bravery when he goes to talk with The Fat Man. I thought that the bravest was Nick. He isn't afraid when he is talking to the worst criminal in London, he even pops a few jokes in. When they go into the hotel to find Johny Naples and there is a gunshot, he walks right into the room without hesitation. Also, he does a lot of the negotiating, when the talked with The Fat Man, he asked how much would you pay for the envelope. Johny Naples is extremely brave leaving this important envelope with TIM. Every job he has has had to do, he has either failed, or made the situation worse.
4. So far my favorite character by far is Nick. I like Nick because he is so much smarter and cooler than his older brother. Also, the book is written in his point of view, so I really know how he thinks of everything. He is easy to relate to because we are both 13 and we both have brothers. But, I find it weird that he didn't go to Australia with his parents. It would be really hot and sunny, and he would not be living in a really dirty apartment. Also, he would eat well and overall, live a better life. I don't get how you can live without your parents. His brother does not have a good job and can't really support him like his parents could. Also, Tim would only have to look after himself, not him and his brother so he would also be better off.
5. My least favorite character by far is Tim Diamond. He isn't really smart and if he didn't have his brother, he would get in a lot of trouble. His brother took the envelope and when there house got ransacked, they didn't loose it. And if they did loose it they wouldn't get another pay of $500.00, and maybe they would get hurt by the people who gave it to them to hold on to. Nick makes a lot of crucial decisions that help him and his brother succeed. Also, Tim is not the smartest guy. He really should not be a private detective and should get a real job. He doesn't get many customers and when he does he finds a way to make the situation worse. If he worked at a restaurant or a gas station he would get much more money.
6. I predict that the maltesers in the envelope were very important for some reason. I predict that because, why would the worst criminal is all of London want it. Also, why was Johny Naples be so protective of them and pay Tim and Nick so much. Naples was also murdered, so maybe that has to do with the maltesers. Maybe the person looking for them thought Naples has them and when he figured out he didn't have them, he killed him. You would only kill for something if it is really worth it. I think that Tim was right and not right. He was not right and not right. I think that because they were not diamonds because Nick ate some, but they were of good value. I also predict that the falcon will be a big character and will want the maltesers to because before Naples died he was talking about the falcons maltesers. And the title of the book is The Falcon's Malteser.
The Falcons Malteser
Anthony Horowitz
Mystery
Just Right
47
1. I have read the Alex Rider series and loved them, so I decided to try the Diamond Brothers series. Right now in the book, Tim Diamond and his brother Nick are looking for a dwarf named Johny Naples. He gave them an envelope and told them to keep it safe and he paid them five hundred dollars. The Diamond brothers are very poor so $500.00 is huge for them. Later that day they went to do stuff with the money. But when they got home there house had been ransacked. It had been thoroughly torn apart and the people who did it must have been looking for something. Luckily, Nick brought the envelope with him so it did not get stolen. They then got a letter from the baddest criminal is London, The Fat Man he wanted them to come to Trafalgar Square at 1. They knew they had to go because he may have been the guy who ransacked there home. They talked with him and he wanted the envelope badly. He said they had 48 hours to get back to him or something bad would happen to them.
2. I really enjoy this book so far. I love reading books about adventure and mystery and Anthony Horowitz is great at writing book with a lot of action and mystery. Tim's younger brother Nick is very brave and very humorous. Tim knew what The Fat Man looked like because he had seen him on mug shots, Nick then said, "You mean you even have pictures of him on your mugs?" What a joker. Also, while they were talking to The Fat Man, Nick was pitching in even after The Fat Man threatened him. It was like they were to talking to some random guy, not the worst criminal in London. Nick is also smarter and braver than Tim, and that is why I like him.
3. I have notice that one theme keeps on occurring throughout the book. It is Bravery. Tim is not the bravest, but he shows some bravery when he goes to talk with The Fat Man. I thought that the bravest was Nick. He isn't afraid when he is talking to the worst criminal in London, he even pops a few jokes in. When they go into the hotel to find Johny Naples and there is a gunshot, he walks right into the room without hesitation. Also, he does a lot of the negotiating, when the talked with The Fat Man, he asked how much would you pay for the envelope. Johny Naples is extremely brave leaving this important envelope with TIM. Every job he has has had to do, he has either failed, or made the situation worse.
4. So far my favorite character by far is Nick. I like Nick because he is so much smarter and cooler than his older brother. Also, the book is written in his point of view, so I really know how he thinks of everything. He is easy to relate to because we are both 13 and we both have brothers. But, I find it weird that he didn't go to Australia with his parents. It would be really hot and sunny, and he would not be living in a really dirty apartment. Also, he would eat well and overall, live a better life. I don't get how you can live without your parents. His brother does not have a good job and can't really support him like his parents could. Also, Tim would only have to look after himself, not him and his brother so he would also be better off.
5. My least favorite character by far is Tim Diamond. He isn't really smart and if he didn't have his brother, he would get in a lot of trouble. His brother took the envelope and when there house got ransacked, they didn't loose it. And if they did loose it they wouldn't get another pay of $500.00, and maybe they would get hurt by the people who gave it to them to hold on to. Nick makes a lot of crucial decisions that help him and his brother succeed. Also, Tim is not the smartest guy. He really should not be a private detective and should get a real job. He doesn't get many customers and when he does he finds a way to make the situation worse. If he worked at a restaurant or a gas station he would get much more money.
6. I predict that the maltesers in the envelope were very important for some reason. I predict that because, why would the worst criminal is all of London want it. Also, why was Johny Naples be so protective of them and pay Tim and Nick so much. Naples was also murdered, so maybe that has to do with the maltesers. Maybe the person looking for them thought Naples has them and when he figured out he didn't have them, he killed him. You would only kill for something if it is really worth it. I think that Tim was right and not right. He was not right and not right. I think that because they were not diamonds because Nick ate some, but they were of good value. I also predict that the falcon will be a big character and will want the maltesers to because before Naples died he was talking about the falcons maltesers. And the title of the book is The Falcon's Malteser.
Ally Pastore
What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know
Sonya Sones
Novel in Verse/Realistic Fiction
Just Right
64
2. After just finishing the first book, What My Mother Doesn’t Know, I immediately wanted to read the next book. Once I started to read the sequel, I fell in love with it. I love reading the book in Robin’s prospective because you get to learn more about his life and personality. This book is different from the first book because you really get to see Sophie and Robin work together and collaborate as a couple. It is also more about their romantic relationship. The author slowly starts to pull you into the story by adding plot twists and using descriptive adjectives to really “paint the picture” in your mind.
3. One of the main themes in this book is love and sacrifice. This is a major theme because even though Sophie and Robin’s love for each other is very strong, Robin knows that he might have to sacrifice that. He knows that he might have to sacrifice their relationship because Sophie is getting teased in school and even her best friends have turned against her. He tells Sophie that he understands that he isn't the most ideal boyfriend. He thinks that it is best for her and her reputation if they brake up. Sophie listens to him but will not do it. She tells him that she doesn't care what other people think or how she is treated, as long as they are together.
4. My favorite character is still Robin. Robin is the sweet, caring, fun and compassionate boyfriend of Sophie, who is always there for her. This book makes me love him even more because it is written in his prospective. When I get to read every little detail about what he is thinking, I really start to understand the character. I also get to learn more about who he is, outside of his relationship. I love his personality because he is a very real person and doesn’t care about other opinions.
4. Since I just started this book, there are not that many characters. I don’t really mind any of the characters, but if I had to pick my least favorite character (or characters), it would be Sophie’s “best friends”, Rachel and Grace. They are kind of act like the same person in this book because they both think the same thing when they find out that Sophie is dating Robin. They both turn against her and say that this is not normal. I think that if they were really her friends, they would be supportive of her, even if they don’t 100% approve of him. There is even a time in the book where they bully her about him and try to convince her to dump him. I was very upset when this happened because Sophie ran away and started to cry. The worst part about that was that Robin was there listening to the whole conversation.
5. My prediction is that Robin will go to the art class at Harvard University. I think he will do well as an art student, but I wonder if the students know that he is in high school. They might think he goes to Harvard too. Will the students there like him? Or will he just be another school joke that doesn’t have friends? Will this class affect his relationship with Sophie? It is very hard to tell because Sonya Sones may make plot twist or do something very unexpected. I guess I will have to read the book to find out!
Rachel Falb
Rachel Falb
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
Realistic Fiction
Just right
150
1) I am currently reading Speak, and the main character Melinda is in ninth grade and is an only child. She is having a hard time at her high school because of something that happened last year. The only information that is given is that she went to a party and something happened that we do not know yet, and she is the one who calls the cops because it has gotten out of hand. Because she did this, everyone who went to the party, (most of her grade/school) hates her. She knows that she will have a hard time fitting in at her high school, but on the first day she meets a new girl who knows nothing about the party. Heather, the new girl, is completely opposite of Melinda but they still tend to hang out. Heather joins a "clan" called The Martha's. This group of girls does everything perfectly, including their charity work and the clothing that they wear. It is very hard to join The Martha's. Heather of course wants to join, but to join their group, she can no longer be friends with Melinda, so she drops her and joins The Martha's. Melinda now has no friends and is failing every class except art. She skips school, and when she does go to school she often skips class and goes and sits in the janitors closet. Her parents fight about her grades and how she needs an attitude change. She attends school now more frequently but still isolates herself in "her" closet during some classes or during school events. Her old friend Rachel from middle school will no longer talk to her. Rachel is now dating a boy named Andy. Melinda refers to Andy as IT in the story up until recently and I think that the auther is trying to show that he has some sort of significance to Melinda.This is where I currently am in the book and I am almost finished with the book.
2) So far, I like this book and find it interesting, but some parts are a bit depressing. I like it because I really want to know what happened at the party and why none of her friends will talk to her anymore. Anderson really hooks me into this book because most books I have read about teenage girls are about the good girl, the girl who gets great grades and has lots of friends. But in this book, its the opposite. Melinda is basically failing school, her only friend just dumped her and her parents are very upset with her behavior at home and at school. This book is a nice change from what I usually read. Although it is intriguing to read from the opposite view, it is also depressing because Melinda has no friends and people are very mean to her. At some points earlier on in the book I wanted to stop reading because it was sad to hear how people are so mean to her and how she often doesn't go to school because of the way she is often treated. This is why I like the book, but also find some parts harder to read.
3) A theme that I have noticed so far in the book is isolation. I have mostly seen this appear in the characters, especially Melinda. She seems to purposely isolate herself from her school, her family, and the world. She isolates herself from her school because she is always alone there. She knows before school started that she will have a hard time fitting into high school, but when she gets there she doesn't attempt to talk to her old friends or even try to make new ones making herself alone. Another place that I see the theme of isolation is within her family. She comes home from school and sits in her room. She and her parents do not have a great relationship and she has no sibilings so she is lonely at home. The main place that I have seen isolation is when she locks herself in her secret hiding spot, a janitors closet. She brings her paintings of trees from her art class, posters from her room and herself. She spends most of the time cleaning the closet and often stays there during the academic day and sometimes after school. She is really showing how she is trying to disconnect herself from the rest of the world and just be by herself. These are ways that I have seen Anderson display isolation through the characters.
4) My favorite character so far in the book is Melinda's art teacher, Mr. Freeman. He is my favorite character because he seems different then most art teachers. At the first class of the academic year, he has everyone pick a subject and that is what they will work on all year. Melinda picks a tree and thinks it will be easy as she learned how to draw trees in second grade. Mr. Freeman believes that it is more complex than that. He is also a bit different then most teachers because instead of keeping his grades in a grade book, he draws each of his students a column on the wall and writes down how they work. During the whole year, Melinda just has a question mark underneath her name. He is also my favorite character because he is so laid back. If Melinda doesn't want to go to her next class, he lets her stay and writes her a late pass. Also, during every class he works on his own work which are usually big canvas's that he works on for a long time. This then lets the students be more independent with their work, which I like. These are some reasons why I like Mr. Freeman, even though he is a bit different than most teachers.
5) My least favorite character in the book is Heather, one of Melinda's former friends. She is my least favorite character because she is not loyal. Melinda is nice to her on the first day of school and they become friends, but Heather drops her once a better opportunity comes along, The Martha's. She is also my least favorite character because when The Martha's ask her to decorate the place where the Prom is going to be all by herself, Heather comes crawling back to Melinda. She cries and tells her she needs help and acts as if they are great friends. I think that it is unfair of Heather to do that because she told her that they were no longer friends. Another reason that I dislike her is because she is mean. She took the friendship necklace that Melinda got for her for Christmas and taped it onto her locker saying that they were no longer friends. These are some reasons why Heather is my least favorite character in the book.
6) I predict three things will happen by the ending of the book. The first thing that I predict will happen is that we will find out what happened between Melinda and IT (Andy.) I can predict this because Melinda is having more interactions with IT like in art class and in the halls. It seems as if Anderson is trying to hint that the readers will eventually find out why she lives in fear of him. I also predict that there will be a resolution between Melinda and Rachel, her old best friend. I predict this also because of recent interactions with her. She sees her in the library with the foreign exchange students and sits near her during lunch. She is also in her art class, but they are still not talking. Because IT and Rachel are dating, I think something will happen between the three of them because they are coming up in the story a lot. One last thing that I predict will happen is that Heather will move away to Houston. I can predict this because when Heather is upset that Melinda won't help her with the prom decorations, she mentions that she might move again to make Melinda feel bad and help her, but Melinda doesn't seem to care. These are three things that I predict will happen by the ending of the book.
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
Realistic Fiction
Just right
150
1) I am currently reading Speak, and the main character Melinda is in ninth grade and is an only child. She is having a hard time at her high school because of something that happened last year. The only information that is given is that she went to a party and something happened that we do not know yet, and she is the one who calls the cops because it has gotten out of hand. Because she did this, everyone who went to the party, (most of her grade/school) hates her. She knows that she will have a hard time fitting in at her high school, but on the first day she meets a new girl who knows nothing about the party. Heather, the new girl, is completely opposite of Melinda but they still tend to hang out. Heather joins a "clan" called The Martha's. This group of girls does everything perfectly, including their charity work and the clothing that they wear. It is very hard to join The Martha's. Heather of course wants to join, but to join their group, she can no longer be friends with Melinda, so she drops her and joins The Martha's. Melinda now has no friends and is failing every class except art. She skips school, and when she does go to school she often skips class and goes and sits in the janitors closet. Her parents fight about her grades and how she needs an attitude change. She attends school now more frequently but still isolates herself in "her" closet during some classes or during school events. Her old friend Rachel from middle school will no longer talk to her. Rachel is now dating a boy named Andy. Melinda refers to Andy as IT in the story up until recently and I think that the auther is trying to show that he has some sort of significance to Melinda.This is where I currently am in the book and I am almost finished with the book.
2) So far, I like this book and find it interesting, but some parts are a bit depressing. I like it because I really want to know what happened at the party and why none of her friends will talk to her anymore. Anderson really hooks me into this book because most books I have read about teenage girls are about the good girl, the girl who gets great grades and has lots of friends. But in this book, its the opposite. Melinda is basically failing school, her only friend just dumped her and her parents are very upset with her behavior at home and at school. This book is a nice change from what I usually read. Although it is intriguing to read from the opposite view, it is also depressing because Melinda has no friends and people are very mean to her. At some points earlier on in the book I wanted to stop reading because it was sad to hear how people are so mean to her and how she often doesn't go to school because of the way she is often treated. This is why I like the book, but also find some parts harder to read.
3) A theme that I have noticed so far in the book is isolation. I have mostly seen this appear in the characters, especially Melinda. She seems to purposely isolate herself from her school, her family, and the world. She isolates herself from her school because she is always alone there. She knows before school started that she will have a hard time fitting into high school, but when she gets there she doesn't attempt to talk to her old friends or even try to make new ones making herself alone. Another place that I see the theme of isolation is within her family. She comes home from school and sits in her room. She and her parents do not have a great relationship and she has no sibilings so she is lonely at home. The main place that I have seen isolation is when she locks herself in her secret hiding spot, a janitors closet. She brings her paintings of trees from her art class, posters from her room and herself. She spends most of the time cleaning the closet and often stays there during the academic day and sometimes after school. She is really showing how she is trying to disconnect herself from the rest of the world and just be by herself. These are ways that I have seen Anderson display isolation through the characters.
4) My favorite character so far in the book is Melinda's art teacher, Mr. Freeman. He is my favorite character because he seems different then most art teachers. At the first class of the academic year, he has everyone pick a subject and that is what they will work on all year. Melinda picks a tree and thinks it will be easy as she learned how to draw trees in second grade. Mr. Freeman believes that it is more complex than that. He is also a bit different then most teachers because instead of keeping his grades in a grade book, he draws each of his students a column on the wall and writes down how they work. During the whole year, Melinda just has a question mark underneath her name. He is also my favorite character because he is so laid back. If Melinda doesn't want to go to her next class, he lets her stay and writes her a late pass. Also, during every class he works on his own work which are usually big canvas's that he works on for a long time. This then lets the students be more independent with their work, which I like. These are some reasons why I like Mr. Freeman, even though he is a bit different than most teachers.
5) My least favorite character in the book is Heather, one of Melinda's former friends. She is my least favorite character because she is not loyal. Melinda is nice to her on the first day of school and they become friends, but Heather drops her once a better opportunity comes along, The Martha's. She is also my least favorite character because when The Martha's ask her to decorate the place where the Prom is going to be all by herself, Heather comes crawling back to Melinda. She cries and tells her she needs help and acts as if they are great friends. I think that it is unfair of Heather to do that because she told her that they were no longer friends. Another reason that I dislike her is because she is mean. She took the friendship necklace that Melinda got for her for Christmas and taped it onto her locker saying that they were no longer friends. These are some reasons why Heather is my least favorite character in the book.
6) I predict three things will happen by the ending of the book. The first thing that I predict will happen is that we will find out what happened between Melinda and IT (Andy.) I can predict this because Melinda is having more interactions with IT like in art class and in the halls. It seems as if Anderson is trying to hint that the readers will eventually find out why she lives in fear of him. I also predict that there will be a resolution between Melinda and Rachel, her old best friend. I predict this also because of recent interactions with her. She sees her in the library with the foreign exchange students and sits near her during lunch. She is also in her art class, but they are still not talking. Because IT and Rachel are dating, I think something will happen between the three of them because they are coming up in the story a lot. One last thing that I predict will happen is that Heather will move away to Houston. I can predict this because when Heather is upset that Melinda won't help her with the prom decorations, she mentions that she might move again to make Melinda feel bad and help her, but Melinda doesn't seem to care. These are three things that I predict will happen by the ending of the book.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Ashley Hanlon
Ashley Hanlon
Beach Blondes: August
Katherine Applegate
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
701
1. Right now I'm reading Beach Blondes: August, by Katherine Applegate. In the book now, Summer is trying to make amends with her friends and family. She starts with her cousin Diana. Diana has been very mean and rude to Summer, but over the last couple of weeks she is starting to realize that Summer isn't really that bad. So now Summer is trying to also be friends with Diana. Seth now has an advantage towards getting Summer because he was there when she needed to be comforted when of all people, Adam hurt her. Adam needs to try to fix everything as well. He had hurt Summer by telling her to forget about what happened "that night" and that he has to side with Ross against her because he doesn't want his dad to be disappointed with him or Ross. But, Summer knows that although Ross is his brother, doing the right thing would be to turn Ross in to the police. It might be hard for Adam to turn his own brother in, espicially when it could jeopardize his father's place as the governor of New Hampshire. So, he wouldn't be only betraying Ross, he would be hurting his dad too. Summer tries to tell him that she doesn't want to hurt the Merrick family and that she isn't trying to turn Ross in because he only hurt her and she wants revenge. But, becuase this is also the second time Ross has assaulted someone, and that she knows everyone, not just herself and Diana would be better off and safer if Ross is getting help. She also tries to explain that it wouldn't just be good for everyone else but also for Ross himself. Ross could clean himself up and get help, go to rehab and suffer the consequences that he deserves for his actions. Overall, Ross needs to return back to his rehab center. Adam is trying to ignore the topic though, and just pretend that the whole thing didn't happen. But, at the same time Adam is trying to win Summer back. But, Summer isn't sure if she should trust him ever again.
2. So far I really love this book. If I were to rate this book out of ten I would give it a nine and a half. I enjoyed the first two books out of the entire three book series. So, this last book kind of wraps everything up and puts it all together for me and explains everything. It may be because I love to read realistic fiction, espicially when I can relate to one of the characters. Or, it could be because I love Katherine Applegate's writing style. She writes similar to Sara Dessen but I would definetly prefer to read something written by Applegate rather than Dessen. Sara Dessen extends details for far too long whereas, Katherine Applegate builds up anticipation just long enough that you are hooked on the book but aren't getting too frustrated by not being given any answers. Applegate also puts you in the shoes of the main character, so it really keeps you intrigued in the book. I love this book and its one of those books that you just can't put down.
3. A theme in this book would be betrayal. Betrayal is used all throughout each character and is shown in the book. One example of betrayal is when Adam betrays Summer by taking Ross's side when Ross almost rapes Summer. Ross has had two very simialer instinces of this happening. One with Diana, and now one with Summer. Adam also betrayed Diana when he took Ross's side and created an alibi against Diana so that the famous Merrick family didn't look bad. Adam only did this so that his father wouldn't be diappointed in his older brother Ross, and then also disappointed in Adam for not protecting his big brother. Also, an insidence like this would make Adam's father, Governor Merrick of New Hampshire look bad and could possibly ruin his chances of being re-elected in the fall. So, Adam did what he thought would be best for his family, protect Ross and cover up all of his mistakes. On the other hand though, he had completely betrayed Summer and Diana when they really needed his help and support. Of course they both wanted to press charges against Ross and put him in jail or at least a rehab facility where he could get help with his drug and alcohol problems, and so they would both feel safer with him being supervised so that this doesn't happen again. But, in order to do that they would both need Adam to testify against Ross at a court. And because Adam refuses to testify against his brother they would have no case and Ross would end up getting out free of charges so it wouldn't really be worth it. Summer and Diana both feel completely betrayed with Adam, espicially with the history they have with him. I dont think they will be able to forgive after this.
4. My favorite character in this book is no longer Diana, but Seth. I feel like Diana still has her bubbly personality and is different from all of the other characters. I still enjoy reading about her and her life but Seth has been very interesting and fun to read about. One thing to know about Seth is that he is a very impulsive person but no matter what deep down Seth is a very good person. Recently he has done so much in the book, which is one of the reasons why I am so interested in this book and he's my favorite character. For example, when Seth gets mad at Summer's rejection he decides the best thing to do is to completely sabotage Summer's house so that it is no longer livable. But, once Summer is in need of help and needs a shoulder to cry on, Seth is there for her and apologizes for everything he has ever done to hurt her. I like Seth because he is a nice person but isn't boring. He likes to do fun, adventurous things that spice up the story and he is a very comical character.
5. On the other hand, my least favorite character is Adam. Adam Merrick in my opinion is a two faced person who needs to make his own decision and should learn how to not be persuaded by other people, like his father and Ross. He really hurt both Summer and Diana and also let Marquez and Seth down when he made the wrong decision by sticking up for Ross. Adam not only is a follower of his dad and brother but his overall personality is very boring. The way he is described and how he acts in the book towards other characters makes it seem like he is the voice of reason and kills the fun. I also think that if Adam's character wasn't in the story it wouldn't make the book better or worse, because Adam didn't really make an impact on the story. Although he does throw parties and has some fun, its the other characters that make the book more interesting.
6. My prediction for the ending of this book will be that Diana and Summer become friends but when Aunt Mallory returns home they will just pretend like they are still the same cousins that don't like each other at all. I also think that Summer won't take Adam back and her and Diana will get revenge on Adam and Ross with the help of Marquez and Seth. They will get the justice they deserve and feel like the problem they had with Ross is resolved. When Aunt Mallory does return home I predict that she will assume that Summer is in her hut and decides to surprise her. But, I think instead of finding Summer there she will run into Diver and Frank. (Frank is a pelican bird that her and Diver talk to.) Knowing Aunt Mallory's personality she will most likely call the police and Summer will end up trying to protect Diver because Diver has no one. No family or friends, he just likes to meditate and talk to Frank and sometimes Summer. As the summer ends, Summer will have chosen her 'dream guy' and it will either be Diver, Seth, or Adam. Also, Summer and Diana will become friends and Marquez's and Diana's friendship will be revived. I also think the Diana's depression will be gone and Summer will plan to return back to Crab Claw Key next summer.
Beach Blondes: August
Katherine Applegate
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
701
1. Right now I'm reading Beach Blondes: August, by Katherine Applegate. In the book now, Summer is trying to make amends with her friends and family. She starts with her cousin Diana. Diana has been very mean and rude to Summer, but over the last couple of weeks she is starting to realize that Summer isn't really that bad. So now Summer is trying to also be friends with Diana. Seth now has an advantage towards getting Summer because he was there when she needed to be comforted when of all people, Adam hurt her. Adam needs to try to fix everything as well. He had hurt Summer by telling her to forget about what happened "that night" and that he has to side with Ross against her because he doesn't want his dad to be disappointed with him or Ross. But, Summer knows that although Ross is his brother, doing the right thing would be to turn Ross in to the police. It might be hard for Adam to turn his own brother in, espicially when it could jeopardize his father's place as the governor of New Hampshire. So, he wouldn't be only betraying Ross, he would be hurting his dad too. Summer tries to tell him that she doesn't want to hurt the Merrick family and that she isn't trying to turn Ross in because he only hurt her and she wants revenge. But, becuase this is also the second time Ross has assaulted someone, and that she knows everyone, not just herself and Diana would be better off and safer if Ross is getting help. She also tries to explain that it wouldn't just be good for everyone else but also for Ross himself. Ross could clean himself up and get help, go to rehab and suffer the consequences that he deserves for his actions. Overall, Ross needs to return back to his rehab center. Adam is trying to ignore the topic though, and just pretend that the whole thing didn't happen. But, at the same time Adam is trying to win Summer back. But, Summer isn't sure if she should trust him ever again.
2. So far I really love this book. If I were to rate this book out of ten I would give it a nine and a half. I enjoyed the first two books out of the entire three book series. So, this last book kind of wraps everything up and puts it all together for me and explains everything. It may be because I love to read realistic fiction, espicially when I can relate to one of the characters. Or, it could be because I love Katherine Applegate's writing style. She writes similar to Sara Dessen but I would definetly prefer to read something written by Applegate rather than Dessen. Sara Dessen extends details for far too long whereas, Katherine Applegate builds up anticipation just long enough that you are hooked on the book but aren't getting too frustrated by not being given any answers. Applegate also puts you in the shoes of the main character, so it really keeps you intrigued in the book. I love this book and its one of those books that you just can't put down.
3. A theme in this book would be betrayal. Betrayal is used all throughout each character and is shown in the book. One example of betrayal is when Adam betrays Summer by taking Ross's side when Ross almost rapes Summer. Ross has had two very simialer instinces of this happening. One with Diana, and now one with Summer. Adam also betrayed Diana when he took Ross's side and created an alibi against Diana so that the famous Merrick family didn't look bad. Adam only did this so that his father wouldn't be diappointed in his older brother Ross, and then also disappointed in Adam for not protecting his big brother. Also, an insidence like this would make Adam's father, Governor Merrick of New Hampshire look bad and could possibly ruin his chances of being re-elected in the fall. So, Adam did what he thought would be best for his family, protect Ross and cover up all of his mistakes. On the other hand though, he had completely betrayed Summer and Diana when they really needed his help and support. Of course they both wanted to press charges against Ross and put him in jail or at least a rehab facility where he could get help with his drug and alcohol problems, and so they would both feel safer with him being supervised so that this doesn't happen again. But, in order to do that they would both need Adam to testify against Ross at a court. And because Adam refuses to testify against his brother they would have no case and Ross would end up getting out free of charges so it wouldn't really be worth it. Summer and Diana both feel completely betrayed with Adam, espicially with the history they have with him. I dont think they will be able to forgive after this.
4. My favorite character in this book is no longer Diana, but Seth. I feel like Diana still has her bubbly personality and is different from all of the other characters. I still enjoy reading about her and her life but Seth has been very interesting and fun to read about. One thing to know about Seth is that he is a very impulsive person but no matter what deep down Seth is a very good person. Recently he has done so much in the book, which is one of the reasons why I am so interested in this book and he's my favorite character. For example, when Seth gets mad at Summer's rejection he decides the best thing to do is to completely sabotage Summer's house so that it is no longer livable. But, once Summer is in need of help and needs a shoulder to cry on, Seth is there for her and apologizes for everything he has ever done to hurt her. I like Seth because he is a nice person but isn't boring. He likes to do fun, adventurous things that spice up the story and he is a very comical character.
5. On the other hand, my least favorite character is Adam. Adam Merrick in my opinion is a two faced person who needs to make his own decision and should learn how to not be persuaded by other people, like his father and Ross. He really hurt both Summer and Diana and also let Marquez and Seth down when he made the wrong decision by sticking up for Ross. Adam not only is a follower of his dad and brother but his overall personality is very boring. The way he is described and how he acts in the book towards other characters makes it seem like he is the voice of reason and kills the fun. I also think that if Adam's character wasn't in the story it wouldn't make the book better or worse, because Adam didn't really make an impact on the story. Although he does throw parties and has some fun, its the other characters that make the book more interesting.
6. My prediction for the ending of this book will be that Diana and Summer become friends but when Aunt Mallory returns home they will just pretend like they are still the same cousins that don't like each other at all. I also think that Summer won't take Adam back and her and Diana will get revenge on Adam and Ross with the help of Marquez and Seth. They will get the justice they deserve and feel like the problem they had with Ross is resolved. When Aunt Mallory does return home I predict that she will assume that Summer is in her hut and decides to surprise her. But, I think instead of finding Summer there she will run into Diver and Frank. (Frank is a pelican bird that her and Diver talk to.) Knowing Aunt Mallory's personality she will most likely call the police and Summer will end up trying to protect Diver because Diver has no one. No family or friends, he just likes to meditate and talk to Frank and sometimes Summer. As the summer ends, Summer will have chosen her 'dream guy' and it will either be Diver, Seth, or Adam. Also, Summer and Diana will become friends and Marquez's and Diana's friendship will be revived. I also think the Diana's depression will be gone and Summer will plan to return back to Crab Claw Key next summer.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Annie Green
Annie Green
Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer
Fantasy
Just Right
329
1. In the story right now Bella Swan, was recently married to her vampire husband Edward Cullen. The happy couple returns home with a special surprise Bella is pregnant! In most case scenarios this would be very exciting, but not here. The fetus growing rapidly inside of Bella is not safe for her frail human body. Edward is concerned and wants to get rid of the monster that us killing his wife as soon as possible.But there is one problem Bella wont let him. She loves her baby and wants nothing more than for it to be safe and happy after its born. When her best friend Jacob; finds out the pack of werewolf's he belongs to is very angry. A treaty was made between the Cullen's and Jacobs tribe that the Cullen's could not harm humans. So Jacobs pack wants to get rid of the child and fast. Jacob does not want his friends to harm Bella so he leaves and makes a pack of his own consisting of Seth a young werewolf,and his older sister Leah. For the first time the vampires and werewolf work together; to keep Bella safe from harm.
2. So far I enjoy the book a lot,I loved the first three so I knew I would like this one too. The exciting plot line keeps me reading and wondering what will happen next. I don't normally love fantasy but for some strange reason I have loved the Twilight series. I think that the unique characters are like nothing else I have ever read. I love the way the author describes setting and emotional detail int the book. She is so good at developing characters and making the readers fall in love. I think the way that she pulls me in when she describes the book from different point of views is crazy. In the begging, the book was described from Bella's point of view and now Jacob is describing his pack and his connections and urge to protect Bella to the best of his ability.
3.A theme in the book I have noticed so far is love and sacrifice. The reason this theme really spoke to me was because in this story Bella wants nothing else than to keep her child and not let Edward and her family do anything to it. Edward has no other chose than to let Bella get her way because he wants to please her more than anything else but he is having a hard time watching her get destroyed by the child. He loves her so much that he is willing to let her get what she wants, which may mean the sacrifice of her life.
4.My favorite character in the book so far is Bella.The reason I like her so much is that she wants more than nothing else is to save her child. She loves it so much that she is willing to risk her life for the child. This makes me think about how my mom says that she would do absolutely anything for me; I know she means it. Bella is being told by everyone that the baby is not safe and that it will kill her and she should let Edward take care of her and deal with the fetus so it is no longer crushing her body. I like Bella because no matter what her circumstances are,rib crushing or muscle stretching,she wants to keep her baby away from all harm.
5. My least favorite character right now is Sam. Sam is the Alpha of Jacobs old pack and he is being really difficult. No matter what the circumstance he refuses to break the treaty he does not want the child born even if it means hurting the one that Jacob loves most and destroying there relationship forever. It seems like he could not care less about the feelings of Jacob who is supposed to be that Alpha of the pack. After that I would have thought that Sam really owed Jacob for allowing him to lead the pack.
6. A prediction I have about what will happen next in the story is that Sam's pack will attack. I think that the pack will not succeed in harming Bella or the child but I think that because the Cullen's have to fight off the pack they may have a hard time caring for Bella. If this does happen Bella could break another rib or tear more muscled if Edward and his family are not there to provide her with assistance. This will also kill Bella emotionally because that last thing she wants to happen is for anyone of Jacob or Edwards friends and family to be hurt.
Breaking Dawn
Stephenie Meyer
Fantasy
Just Right
329
1. In the story right now Bella Swan, was recently married to her vampire husband Edward Cullen. The happy couple returns home with a special surprise Bella is pregnant! In most case scenarios this would be very exciting, but not here. The fetus growing rapidly inside of Bella is not safe for her frail human body. Edward is concerned and wants to get rid of the monster that us killing his wife as soon as possible.But there is one problem Bella wont let him. She loves her baby and wants nothing more than for it to be safe and happy after its born. When her best friend Jacob; finds out the pack of werewolf's he belongs to is very angry. A treaty was made between the Cullen's and Jacobs tribe that the Cullen's could not harm humans. So Jacobs pack wants to get rid of the child and fast. Jacob does not want his friends to harm Bella so he leaves and makes a pack of his own consisting of Seth a young werewolf,and his older sister Leah. For the first time the vampires and werewolf work together; to keep Bella safe from harm.
2. So far I enjoy the book a lot,I loved the first three so I knew I would like this one too. The exciting plot line keeps me reading and wondering what will happen next. I don't normally love fantasy but for some strange reason I have loved the Twilight series. I think that the unique characters are like nothing else I have ever read. I love the way the author describes setting and emotional detail int the book. She is so good at developing characters and making the readers fall in love. I think the way that she pulls me in when she describes the book from different point of views is crazy. In the begging, the book was described from Bella's point of view and now Jacob is describing his pack and his connections and urge to protect Bella to the best of his ability.
3.A theme in the book I have noticed so far is love and sacrifice. The reason this theme really spoke to me was because in this story Bella wants nothing else than to keep her child and not let Edward and her family do anything to it. Edward has no other chose than to let Bella get her way because he wants to please her more than anything else but he is having a hard time watching her get destroyed by the child. He loves her so much that he is willing to let her get what she wants, which may mean the sacrifice of her life.
4.My favorite character in the book so far is Bella.The reason I like her so much is that she wants more than nothing else is to save her child. She loves it so much that she is willing to risk her life for the child. This makes me think about how my mom says that she would do absolutely anything for me; I know she means it. Bella is being told by everyone that the baby is not safe and that it will kill her and she should let Edward take care of her and deal with the fetus so it is no longer crushing her body. I like Bella because no matter what her circumstances are,rib crushing or muscle stretching,she wants to keep her baby away from all harm.
5. My least favorite character right now is Sam. Sam is the Alpha of Jacobs old pack and he is being really difficult. No matter what the circumstance he refuses to break the treaty he does not want the child born even if it means hurting the one that Jacob loves most and destroying there relationship forever. It seems like he could not care less about the feelings of Jacob who is supposed to be that Alpha of the pack. After that I would have thought that Sam really owed Jacob for allowing him to lead the pack.
6. A prediction I have about what will happen next in the story is that Sam's pack will attack. I think that the pack will not succeed in harming Bella or the child but I think that because the Cullen's have to fight off the pack they may have a hard time caring for Bella. If this does happen Bella could break another rib or tear more muscled if Edward and his family are not there to provide her with assistance. This will also kill Bella emotionally because that last thing she wants to happen is for anyone of Jacob or Edwards friends and family to be hurt.
Nick Barry
Cirque Du Freak The Vampire's Assistant
Horror, Fantasy
Just right
30
1. In Cirque Du Freak The Vampire's Assistant, the thing that is going on is Darren was traveling with Mr.Crespley and they stopped at a town. Science vampires sleep in the day Mr.Crespley was sleeping and Darren decided to do out into the town to admire it. After a while of looking through the town he came to an area where a bunch of kids were playing hockey. They invite Darren to play and he goes, the team he was on was down two to six. Then Darren got the puck and deked all the defenders and scored a goal, everybody was astounded. Everybody except for one kid named Danny who was poking and shoving and hitting Daren. Then Danny got the puck and was going down the rink towards Darren's goal, and Darren came up from behind and slide tackled Danny and broke both his shins. That is what is happening in my book right now.
2. So far i love the book because it always leaves you wanting to know what happens or is somebody alright, or just something suspenseful. Another reason why I love it is because it seems realist except for the vampire part, but it is almost like a dairy because it is almost covering day after day of what happens. Another reason why I like the book is because it is a horror book, I like this because your always learning about different things about story characters and you look differently at them. Another reason I like the book is because it is fantasy, I like this because sometimes it is fun to read fantasy than your other based on a true story book. I feel like the author is pulling me into the book because it always leaves you on some type of a cliff hanger. That is why I like the book so Far.
3. A theme that has come up a lot in the characters is hatred because Darren hates Mr. Crespley for turning him into a vampire. Another example is Mr. Crespley hates Darren because Darren is not a good assistant. A theme that has come up a lot in the plot is sadness because Darren starts to think about his family and gets sad, and when he broke Danny's shins he felt sad. Those are the two most common themes of the book.
4. My favorite charecter is Darren because you basically live through his journeys and feel for him. Also he has a lot of up hill battles that you feel for him. another reason why he is my favorite character is the fact that he left everything behind to become a vampire. Also he is positive at least whenever he can. That is why Darren is my favorite character.
5. My least favorite character is Mr.Cresply because he is always mean to Darren and everyone else. Also he is very quiet and doesn't speak much, but when he does its's bries and quick. Also he doesn't like being helped by others. Also he is very negative towards almost everything. That is why I don like Mr.Cresply.
6. Something that I think that is going to happen is that Darren and Mr.Cresplay are going to leave the town that they were in and that they are going to feed off the humans. I think this because They have not fed in a while and they feed once a week. I think that they are going to leave town because they never stay in one place for to long because they are afraid of being caught or killed because they sleep in the day. That is what I think is going to happen soon in the book.
Cirque Du Freak The Vampire's Assistant
Horror, Fantasy
Just right
30
1. In Cirque Du Freak The Vampire's Assistant, the thing that is going on is Darren was traveling with Mr.Crespley and they stopped at a town. Science vampires sleep in the day Mr.Crespley was sleeping and Darren decided to do out into the town to admire it. After a while of looking through the town he came to an area where a bunch of kids were playing hockey. They invite Darren to play and he goes, the team he was on was down two to six. Then Darren got the puck and deked all the defenders and scored a goal, everybody was astounded. Everybody except for one kid named Danny who was poking and shoving and hitting Daren. Then Danny got the puck and was going down the rink towards Darren's goal, and Darren came up from behind and slide tackled Danny and broke both his shins. That is what is happening in my book right now.
2. So far i love the book because it always leaves you wanting to know what happens or is somebody alright, or just something suspenseful. Another reason why I love it is because it seems realist except for the vampire part, but it is almost like a dairy because it is almost covering day after day of what happens. Another reason why I like the book is because it is a horror book, I like this because your always learning about different things about story characters and you look differently at them. Another reason I like the book is because it is fantasy, I like this because sometimes it is fun to read fantasy than your other based on a true story book. I feel like the author is pulling me into the book because it always leaves you on some type of a cliff hanger. That is why I like the book so Far.
3. A theme that has come up a lot in the characters is hatred because Darren hates Mr. Crespley for turning him into a vampire. Another example is Mr. Crespley hates Darren because Darren is not a good assistant. A theme that has come up a lot in the plot is sadness because Darren starts to think about his family and gets sad, and when he broke Danny's shins he felt sad. Those are the two most common themes of the book.
4. My favorite charecter is Darren because you basically live through his journeys and feel for him. Also he has a lot of up hill battles that you feel for him. another reason why he is my favorite character is the fact that he left everything behind to become a vampire. Also he is positive at least whenever he can. That is why Darren is my favorite character.
5. My least favorite character is Mr.Cresply because he is always mean to Darren and everyone else. Also he is very quiet and doesn't speak much, but when he does its's bries and quick. Also he doesn't like being helped by others. Also he is very negative towards almost everything. That is why I don like Mr.Cresply.
6. Something that I think that is going to happen is that Darren and Mr.Cresplay are going to leave the town that they were in and that they are going to feed off the humans. I think this because They have not fed in a while and they feed once a week. I think that they are going to leave town because they never stay in one place for to long because they are afraid of being caught or killed because they sleep in the day. That is what I think is going to happen soon in the book.
Ben B
Ben Browne
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K Rowling
Adventure and Fantasy
Just Right
1.) Right now I am currently reading the fourth book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the book, the story begins fifty years in the past, with a kind of flash back to how his parents were killed and, and a man named Frank Bryce, was suspected of the crime, and later declared innocent. Frank Bryce wakes in the night to see a light in the window of the abandoned Riddle House. He investigates and overhears Voldemort and a man named Wormtail plotting to kill a boy named Harry Potter. Voldemort takes note of him and kills him on the spot. Harry Potter wakes up in the night with a throbbing pain in the scar Voldemort gave him. He worries that Voldemort is nearby, and he writes to Sirius Black, his godfather, mentioning the pain in his scar. The next morning Harry's Uncle receives a letter from the Weasleys asking Harry to join them at the Quidditch World Cup, and Vernon agrees to let Harry go.
2.) So far in this book I am really enjoying the plot of the book and how much detail it has and how descriptive the characters Each chapter keeps getting more and more interesting as I turn the page. I really enjoy the way that Rowling includes everyone in every chapter and how each chapter is a layer. Chapters coming after are building off the last. At first the pages were going very slowly and I was considering quitting the book, but I kept reading and I am very happy that I have continued. Also I really enjoy how you feel when something is happening that you go right into that scene and you are watching everything as it is going on. You are taking the shoes of a character and seeing everything that they see and everything that they do.
3.) A theme in this book that I have noticed come up a lot is perseverance. Throughout the book the them of perseverance comes up several times. There are little bits here and there, but the part that really strikes me as having the most perseverance would have to be when Harry gets picked in the Goblet of Fire, and instead of leaving the competition, he later competes against people several years older than him and people that are much more talented in wizardry. Harry takes all the negatives that everyone gives him, and he perseveres for himself and represents Hogwarts in the Goblet of Fire very well for someone his age.
4.) My favorite character so far in this book would have to be Harry Potter because of his perseverance for happiness and success. He is very positive for a kid that is as young as he is and how he has had such a depressing childhood as he has. With his parents dying and some kids at Hogwarts bullying him. But he takes every negative in his life and tries to make it positive but he has a lot of help from his two very close and supportive friends Hermoine and Ron. I also think that Ron and Hermoine are two of my second and third favorite characters because they are so helpful and supportive of Harry as he enters the Goblet of Fire competition.
5.) So far in the book, my least favorite character would have to the mean and dreadful Draco Malfoy. Draco really made me dislike his character because he is one of the bullies that bullies my favorite charectar Harry Potter. But also I slightly do like him because if he didn't bully Harry, Hermoine and Ron, then none of them would have to persevere and become stronger people then if they just were left alone by Draco. But Draco is just a cruel person to everyone at Hogwarts, no one does anything to stop it because of his father's high rank as a wizard.
6.) What I think will happen next in the book is that Harry will continue in the Goblet of Fire competition and that in the end he will survive it come out as the champion. Also I think that something very bad will happen to someone at the school and they will end up very hurt or could be dead. Hopefully nothing will happen to Harry, Ron and Hermoine and that they end the book better than they started it. In the end of this book I also hope that Harry finds some hope for his family, maybe a lost relative will be found or discovered, or someone he doesn't know will emerge and tell him who it is.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K Rowling
Adventure and Fantasy
Just Right
270
1.) Right now I am currently reading the fourth book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the book, the story begins fifty years in the past, with a kind of flash back to how his parents were killed and, and a man named Frank Bryce, was suspected of the crime, and later declared innocent. Frank Bryce wakes in the night to see a light in the window of the abandoned Riddle House. He investigates and overhears Voldemort and a man named Wormtail plotting to kill a boy named Harry Potter. Voldemort takes note of him and kills him on the spot. Harry Potter wakes up in the night with a throbbing pain in the scar Voldemort gave him. He worries that Voldemort is nearby, and he writes to Sirius Black, his godfather, mentioning the pain in his scar. The next morning Harry's Uncle receives a letter from the Weasleys asking Harry to join them at the Quidditch World Cup, and Vernon agrees to let Harry go.
2.) So far in this book I am really enjoying the plot of the book and how much detail it has and how descriptive the characters Each chapter keeps getting more and more interesting as I turn the page. I really enjoy the way that Rowling includes everyone in every chapter and how each chapter is a layer. Chapters coming after are building off the last. At first the pages were going very slowly and I was considering quitting the book, but I kept reading and I am very happy that I have continued. Also I really enjoy how you feel when something is happening that you go right into that scene and you are watching everything as it is going on. You are taking the shoes of a character and seeing everything that they see and everything that they do.
3.) A theme in this book that I have noticed come up a lot is perseverance. Throughout the book the them of perseverance comes up several times. There are little bits here and there, but the part that really strikes me as having the most perseverance would have to be when Harry gets picked in the Goblet of Fire, and instead of leaving the competition, he later competes against people several years older than him and people that are much more talented in wizardry. Harry takes all the negatives that everyone gives him, and he perseveres for himself and represents Hogwarts in the Goblet of Fire very well for someone his age.
4.) My favorite character so far in this book would have to be Harry Potter because of his perseverance for happiness and success. He is very positive for a kid that is as young as he is and how he has had such a depressing childhood as he has. With his parents dying and some kids at Hogwarts bullying him. But he takes every negative in his life and tries to make it positive but he has a lot of help from his two very close and supportive friends Hermoine and Ron. I also think that Ron and Hermoine are two of my second and third favorite characters because they are so helpful and supportive of Harry as he enters the Goblet of Fire competition.
5.) So far in the book, my least favorite character would have to the mean and dreadful Draco Malfoy. Draco really made me dislike his character because he is one of the bullies that bullies my favorite charectar Harry Potter. But also I slightly do like him because if he didn't bully Harry, Hermoine and Ron, then none of them would have to persevere and become stronger people then if they just were left alone by Draco. But Draco is just a cruel person to everyone at Hogwarts, no one does anything to stop it because of his father's high rank as a wizard.
6.) What I think will happen next in the book is that Harry will continue in the Goblet of Fire competition and that in the end he will survive it come out as the champion. Also I think that something very bad will happen to someone at the school and they will end up very hurt or could be dead. Hopefully nothing will happen to Harry, Ron and Hermoine and that they end the book better than they started it. In the end of this book I also hope that Harry finds some hope for his family, maybe a lost relative will be found or discovered, or someone he doesn't know will emerge and tell him who it is.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Mike Jeffries
Mike Jeffries
The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin
Joseph Delaney
Fantasy/Adventure
Just Finished / 182 pgs
1. I have just finished a book called, The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin. It is the ninth book in the series. Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son, and lives in the county. On day, the Spook arrives at his house. The Spook (John Gregory) has been ridding the county of evil for some time. Now, his time is coming to an end, 29 apprentices have tried to be the next spook, all have failed. Only Tom is left, he is the last hope, he is the last apprentice. Through the series, Tom has made many enemies and a few allies. On of those allies is Grimalkin the witch assassin. Throughout the entire series, Tom has been the narrator, but in this story, we here the tale of Grimalkin through her eyes. Grimalkin is a witch of the Malkin clan. As an assassin she kills her clans enemies and enemies of her own. She is unstoppable. This book ends with Grimalkin getting revenge on a group of enemies. These enemies include witches, and most importantly the Kretch. The Kretch is a creature made by the Fiend, the devil himself, to slay Grimalkin. In the last book, Grimalkin, the Spook, Tom, and another witch named Alice, bound the Fiend to the ground. Grimalkin took the Fiends head so no one could try to unbound him from the ground and set him free. Throughout this entire book, Grimalkin has kept the head with her and has tried to keep it away from her enemies long enough for the Spook and Tom to find a way to get rid of the Fiend permanently. Towards the end of the book her enemies find her, kill her friend Thorn, who was suppose to be the next assassin for the Malkin clan, and take the head. Her enemies set off to Ireland, where the Fiend is buried, to return his head to his body and set him free. Grimalkin takes Alice with her to try to stop them from leaving the county. When they reach the group of enemies. Alice, who is the most powerful witch to ever live, crushes the boat that the group of enemies are on with her mind, and brings them back to shore. Alice then gives some of her strength to Grimalkin through a ritual that could kill them both. They succeed in the ritual and Grimalkin kills all of the enemies, and takes back the head of the fiend.
2. This series is very different from other series I have read. The genre is so dark, that it almost takes you over and makes you want to read the book till it is finished. When I first started reading the series, I was a little younger and the books were very scary. I had never read a scary chapter book before, and once I started getting into the series I was hooked. There are so many twists and turns that make you happy and make you sad. There are also a few that make you angry. In this book, I could not believe that Throne, who was Grimalkins apprentice, died. If anybody was to die in this book I thought it would be Grimalkin herself. I hope that the author continues to keep making these books and uses all of is unique writing skills.
3. I think the theme for this book in the series is "Will to Survive." The entire book is about Grimalkin and Thorne running around the county, stalling as long as they can so that Tom and the Spook can figure out a way to destroy the Fiend forever. I chose "Will to Survive," as my theme because that is what Thorne and Grimalkin try to accomplish throughout the book. Sadly, Thorne does not achieve that goal, and dies by the hands of the Kretch, but Grimalkin survives and seeks revenge. Grimalkin has the " Will to Survive."
4. My favorite character in this story is definitely Grimalkin. She is so strong, brave, wise, and has so much drive and mental toughness that she is in every way of the word, unstoppable. When ever there is a time when I feel like giving up, I think about her, and she inspires to get back up and finish what ever task i am trying to achieve. I know that she is just a character in a story, but I like her character so much, that I think of her as a real person. I really like it when I can do that with a character in a story, it tells me that the book i am reading is a wise choice.
5. My least favorite character in this book and throughout this series is definitely the Fiend. He is pure evil and enjoys torturing people, and making them wish they were dead. I can't wait to read the next book in the series because I know that Tom and his friend will stop the Fiend and rid him of the world forever, and make the world a peaceful place to live because the world would be a better place without the Fiend.
6. This book did not end the way I thought it would. I thought it would end with Grimalkin going to seek help from Alice, and in the next book they would stop the group of enemies from sailing to Ireland. I also thought the book would end with the group freeing the Fiend and in the next book Grimalkin, Alice, Tom, and the Spook would have to stop him. I really don't know what is going to happen in the next book, but I do know that I am extremely excited to start reading it.
The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin
Joseph Delaney
Fantasy/Adventure
Just Finished / 182 pgs
1. I have just finished a book called, The Last Apprentice: Grimalkin the Witch Assassin. It is the ninth book in the series. Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son, and lives in the county. On day, the Spook arrives at his house. The Spook (John Gregory) has been ridding the county of evil for some time. Now, his time is coming to an end, 29 apprentices have tried to be the next spook, all have failed. Only Tom is left, he is the last hope, he is the last apprentice. Through the series, Tom has made many enemies and a few allies. On of those allies is Grimalkin the witch assassin. Throughout the entire series, Tom has been the narrator, but in this story, we here the tale of Grimalkin through her eyes. Grimalkin is a witch of the Malkin clan. As an assassin she kills her clans enemies and enemies of her own. She is unstoppable. This book ends with Grimalkin getting revenge on a group of enemies. These enemies include witches, and most importantly the Kretch. The Kretch is a creature made by the Fiend, the devil himself, to slay Grimalkin. In the last book, Grimalkin, the Spook, Tom, and another witch named Alice, bound the Fiend to the ground. Grimalkin took the Fiends head so no one could try to unbound him from the ground and set him free. Throughout this entire book, Grimalkin has kept the head with her and has tried to keep it away from her enemies long enough for the Spook and Tom to find a way to get rid of the Fiend permanently. Towards the end of the book her enemies find her, kill her friend Thorn, who was suppose to be the next assassin for the Malkin clan, and take the head. Her enemies set off to Ireland, where the Fiend is buried, to return his head to his body and set him free. Grimalkin takes Alice with her to try to stop them from leaving the county. When they reach the group of enemies. Alice, who is the most powerful witch to ever live, crushes the boat that the group of enemies are on with her mind, and brings them back to shore. Alice then gives some of her strength to Grimalkin through a ritual that could kill them both. They succeed in the ritual and Grimalkin kills all of the enemies, and takes back the head of the fiend.
2. This series is very different from other series I have read. The genre is so dark, that it almost takes you over and makes you want to read the book till it is finished. When I first started reading the series, I was a little younger and the books were very scary. I had never read a scary chapter book before, and once I started getting into the series I was hooked. There are so many twists and turns that make you happy and make you sad. There are also a few that make you angry. In this book, I could not believe that Throne, who was Grimalkins apprentice, died. If anybody was to die in this book I thought it would be Grimalkin herself. I hope that the author continues to keep making these books and uses all of is unique writing skills.
3. I think the theme for this book in the series is "Will to Survive." The entire book is about Grimalkin and Thorne running around the county, stalling as long as they can so that Tom and the Spook can figure out a way to destroy the Fiend forever. I chose "Will to Survive," as my theme because that is what Thorne and Grimalkin try to accomplish throughout the book. Sadly, Thorne does not achieve that goal, and dies by the hands of the Kretch, but Grimalkin survives and seeks revenge. Grimalkin has the " Will to Survive."
4. My favorite character in this story is definitely Grimalkin. She is so strong, brave, wise, and has so much drive and mental toughness that she is in every way of the word, unstoppable. When ever there is a time when I feel like giving up, I think about her, and she inspires to get back up and finish what ever task i am trying to achieve. I know that she is just a character in a story, but I like her character so much, that I think of her as a real person. I really like it when I can do that with a character in a story, it tells me that the book i am reading is a wise choice.
5. My least favorite character in this book and throughout this series is definitely the Fiend. He is pure evil and enjoys torturing people, and making them wish they were dead. I can't wait to read the next book in the series because I know that Tom and his friend will stop the Fiend and rid him of the world forever, and make the world a peaceful place to live because the world would be a better place without the Fiend.
6. This book did not end the way I thought it would. I thought it would end with Grimalkin going to seek help from Alice, and in the next book they would stop the group of enemies from sailing to Ireland. I also thought the book would end with the group freeing the Fiend and in the next book Grimalkin, Alice, Tom, and the Spook would have to stop him. I really don't know what is going to happen in the next book, but I do know that I am extremely excited to start reading it.
Rachel Hall
Rachel Hall
Before I Fall
Lauren Oliver
12/19/12
Realistic fiction
Just right
page: 288
1. In my book the main character Samantha, also known as Sam is going through the third attempt at Friday, February 12th. In this day she told off one of her best friends in the whole world, Lindsay, in the car when they were driving to school. Sam was accusing Lindsay for all the right reasons but it came out extremely rude. Lindsay then kicked her out of the car and Sam had to walk the rest of the way to school that day. After school she then found a new group of girls that she hung around with for the rest of the day. They end up stealing Sam's mom's credit card and going shopping, out to dinner and finally to Kent McFuller's party. At Kent's Sam runs into Lindsay and all the friends that she got in a fight with earlier today. When Ally says that Sam should try and make up with Lindsay and say sorry, Sam gets really upset because she doesn't feel sorry for all of the things that she said earlier.
2. I really really like this book. Its probably one of my favorites that I've read so far this year. I enjoy this book in particular because it is a mature book and it has a lot of older topics talked about in it. Maybe that's why I like it, because its so realistic. The things that they talk about in this book is things that could happen any day once your in high school. I really like how you know whats going to happen but you go even more in depth every day and you find out new things that you would have never known before. This book is told in the perspective of Sam and she thinks that if she knows that no one is going to remember what happened the next day, because she gets to relive that day seven different times then why not have fun and do things you know that you wouldn't get away with every day? I kind of like that sense of her, risk - taking. Its very fascinating what she risks and does each time she re does this particular day.
3. I think the theme in my book is isolation. Every day she wakes up the same way and at the same time, in the real world everything keeps on going but she is stuck in that one day just repeating over and over again. On one of these inevitable days, she is crying at Kent's party, in the text it described about how alone she felt. When I read this it really stood out to me as her being isolated. She had no one to talk to about this, her friends were against her and she is alone crying at a party. Sam had no one that she could turn to that she could rely on to always be there for her, and tell them why she was crying and that they'd understand her. She knew that if she tried to explain what was happening to her, people would think that she's crazy. This is also another reason why isolation is a key part of this book, because she's the only one who knows about this, and Sam can't tell anyone. Sam definitely didn't chose to be isolated. Isolation chose her when she died in the car crash. Sam would now do anything to get back to her normal life with her friends and family and different days.
4. I think that my favorite character in this story would have to be Ally. Ally is one of Sam's best friends, she is so level headed and she always keeps in mind everything that is going on around her. When Lindsay and Sam get in a really big fight, Ally tried to talk to Sam to figure out what happened and to try to help Sam in realizing what she said wasn't OK. Ally always seems to know what to say, she is the brains in the friendship that knows where the line stops. I admire Ally's wisdom in such hard situations. She seems to have her friends backs and their best interest in mind whenever she does anything.
5. My least favorite character is Lindsay. She is so fake, even though she cares for Sam and all of her friends she also ices them out and can be quite harsh to them. Lindsay is too self-absorbed. The repeated day before this one they all find out that Juliet Skyes committed suicide. They find out that she committed suicide because of bullying, the tormenting and bullying from Lindsay for years. When Lindsay hears she doesn't feel sympathy for Juliet, she just says that maybe that's where she should be and that's best for everybody. Lindsay does so many things that bother me, this is what makes her my least favorite character.
6. It's pretty easy to make a prediction in this book, since its the same day repeating over and over but you find out different things each day. I predict that in the ending, on the very last day she gets to repeat before she is gone forever, Sam will kiss Kent. I feel this way because on the first day she absolutely hated him and she has for a long while. But this night, the third night, she realizes that he really cares for her and he wants her to be happy. Kent over hears Sam crying at his party, and he asks her what he can do to make her feel better. He even offered to let Sam stay at his house for the night, because she seemed to exhausted and worn out to leave and go home. On this night you seem how much he cares for Sam when he brings her to the guest room and puts her to bed. Sam seemed really comfortable and happy around him when he did this. Kent lead Sam to her room holding her hand, she didn't seem to mind because it made her feel safe. I think that since after he showed that he really cared for the well-being of Sam that she realized that he's not such a bad guy after all. When I read this part in the book, I really felt like she had some feelings for him.
Before I Fall
Lauren Oliver
12/19/12
Realistic fiction
Just right
page: 288
1. In my book the main character Samantha, also known as Sam is going through the third attempt at Friday, February 12th. In this day she told off one of her best friends in the whole world, Lindsay, in the car when they were driving to school. Sam was accusing Lindsay for all the right reasons but it came out extremely rude. Lindsay then kicked her out of the car and Sam had to walk the rest of the way to school that day. After school she then found a new group of girls that she hung around with for the rest of the day. They end up stealing Sam's mom's credit card and going shopping, out to dinner and finally to Kent McFuller's party. At Kent's Sam runs into Lindsay and all the friends that she got in a fight with earlier today. When Ally says that Sam should try and make up with Lindsay and say sorry, Sam gets really upset because she doesn't feel sorry for all of the things that she said earlier.
2. I really really like this book. Its probably one of my favorites that I've read so far this year. I enjoy this book in particular because it is a mature book and it has a lot of older topics talked about in it. Maybe that's why I like it, because its so realistic. The things that they talk about in this book is things that could happen any day once your in high school. I really like how you know whats going to happen but you go even more in depth every day and you find out new things that you would have never known before. This book is told in the perspective of Sam and she thinks that if she knows that no one is going to remember what happened the next day, because she gets to relive that day seven different times then why not have fun and do things you know that you wouldn't get away with every day? I kind of like that sense of her, risk - taking. Its very fascinating what she risks and does each time she re does this particular day.
3. I think the theme in my book is isolation. Every day she wakes up the same way and at the same time, in the real world everything keeps on going but she is stuck in that one day just repeating over and over again. On one of these inevitable days, she is crying at Kent's party, in the text it described about how alone she felt. When I read this it really stood out to me as her being isolated. She had no one to talk to about this, her friends were against her and she is alone crying at a party. Sam had no one that she could turn to that she could rely on to always be there for her, and tell them why she was crying and that they'd understand her. She knew that if she tried to explain what was happening to her, people would think that she's crazy. This is also another reason why isolation is a key part of this book, because she's the only one who knows about this, and Sam can't tell anyone. Sam definitely didn't chose to be isolated. Isolation chose her when she died in the car crash. Sam would now do anything to get back to her normal life with her friends and family and different days.
4. I think that my favorite character in this story would have to be Ally. Ally is one of Sam's best friends, she is so level headed and she always keeps in mind everything that is going on around her. When Lindsay and Sam get in a really big fight, Ally tried to talk to Sam to figure out what happened and to try to help Sam in realizing what she said wasn't OK. Ally always seems to know what to say, she is the brains in the friendship that knows where the line stops. I admire Ally's wisdom in such hard situations. She seems to have her friends backs and their best interest in mind whenever she does anything.
5. My least favorite character is Lindsay. She is so fake, even though she cares for Sam and all of her friends she also ices them out and can be quite harsh to them. Lindsay is too self-absorbed. The repeated day before this one they all find out that Juliet Skyes committed suicide. They find out that she committed suicide because of bullying, the tormenting and bullying from Lindsay for years. When Lindsay hears she doesn't feel sympathy for Juliet, she just says that maybe that's where she should be and that's best for everybody. Lindsay does so many things that bother me, this is what makes her my least favorite character.
6. It's pretty easy to make a prediction in this book, since its the same day repeating over and over but you find out different things each day. I predict that in the ending, on the very last day she gets to repeat before she is gone forever, Sam will kiss Kent. I feel this way because on the first day she absolutely hated him and she has for a long while. But this night, the third night, she realizes that he really cares for her and he wants her to be happy. Kent over hears Sam crying at his party, and he asks her what he can do to make her feel better. He even offered to let Sam stay at his house for the night, because she seemed to exhausted and worn out to leave and go home. On this night you seem how much he cares for Sam when he brings her to the guest room and puts her to bed. Sam seemed really comfortable and happy around him when he did this. Kent lead Sam to her room holding her hand, she didn't seem to mind because it made her feel safe. I think that since after he showed that he really cared for the well-being of Sam that she realized that he's not such a bad guy after all. When I read this part in the book, I really felt like she had some feelings for him.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Blog Week #2!!!!
It's that time again - blog time!!!! You have from Mon. Dec. 17th until Saturday, December 22nd at midnight to post your second blog. I strongly suggest that you review your green assessment sheet from your first blog to see what you need to improve upon this week. We will have a mini-lesson in class on Tuesday about Theme which I think will be helpful for a number of you. Please see me if I can offer any help. Happy Blogging! :) Ms. D
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Raffi Barsamian
Raffi Barsamian
Crewel
Gennifer Albin
Dystopian
Just Right
676 of 1152
1) In the book Crewel, Adelice Lewys lives in the world Arras. Arras is a world where the government runs your life. At age 16 every girl has to go to see if they are good enough to become a spinster. I am currently in the middle of Adelice and Enora's first confrontation. Enor has been assigned to be Adelices mentor. When they first met Enor has been standing outside Adelices door. Enore entered and startled Adelice, but she meant no harm. Enor had came to answer Adelices countless questions. But the main question on her mind is "What is a Crewler", I think the reason Gennifer Albin doesn't tell the reader is because being a Crewler is a very bad thing.
2) Even though I haven't been able to get that far into the book, I have enjoyed it thoroughly. The plot of this book is like none other. The was the characters are portrayed they all seem to have some sort of slyness to them.like when Enor was watching Adelice sleep, Why would she do that? The author makes you feel like you are apart of the book. The way the author writes the conversations makes you feel like your sitting right next to Adelice. Gennifer Albin is a new author to me and I'm am very pleased with her writing.
3) In this book I noticed that the theme is confusion. This theme appears in the character Adelice the most. This first appears when she is sent away to this place where she is going to be tested on how well she can spin. All she know is that this could determine her future. but the most confusing thing of all is what if Adelice becomes a spinster?
4) My favorite character is Adelice. She is very independent and to herself she is not one to be outgoing.she also gives my a sense of secretiveness. I think there is something that she is hiding and that it will reveal itself.
5) My least favorite character in the book is hard to tell at this stage of the book but it would be Enor. i think she comes off nice and sweet but she is a spinster and i think that a spinster is not a good thing to be.
6) I think Adelice will become a spinster and the reason why is because Enor picked her. The reason why i say this is because i think the thing that Adelice is hiding, is that she is a very gifted spinster. Also I think Enor will do something to harm Adelice later on in the book.
Crewel
Gennifer Albin
Dystopian
Just Right
676 of 1152
1) In the book Crewel, Adelice Lewys lives in the world Arras. Arras is a world where the government runs your life. At age 16 every girl has to go to see if they are good enough to become a spinster. I am currently in the middle of Adelice and Enora's first confrontation. Enor has been assigned to be Adelices mentor. When they first met Enor has been standing outside Adelices door. Enore entered and startled Adelice, but she meant no harm. Enor had came to answer Adelices countless questions. But the main question on her mind is "What is a Crewler", I think the reason Gennifer Albin doesn't tell the reader is because being a Crewler is a very bad thing.
2) Even though I haven't been able to get that far into the book, I have enjoyed it thoroughly. The plot of this book is like none other. The was the characters are portrayed they all seem to have some sort of slyness to them.like when Enor was watching Adelice sleep, Why would she do that? The author makes you feel like you are apart of the book. The way the author writes the conversations makes you feel like your sitting right next to Adelice. Gennifer Albin is a new author to me and I'm am very pleased with her writing.
3) In this book I noticed that the theme is confusion. This theme appears in the character Adelice the most. This first appears when she is sent away to this place where she is going to be tested on how well she can spin. All she know is that this could determine her future. but the most confusing thing of all is what if Adelice becomes a spinster?
4) My favorite character is Adelice. She is very independent and to herself she is not one to be outgoing.she also gives my a sense of secretiveness. I think there is something that she is hiding and that it will reveal itself.
5) My least favorite character in the book is hard to tell at this stage of the book but it would be Enor. i think she comes off nice and sweet but she is a spinster and i think that a spinster is not a good thing to be.
6) I think Adelice will become a spinster and the reason why is because Enor picked her. The reason why i say this is because i think the thing that Adelice is hiding, is that she is a very gifted spinster. Also I think Enor will do something to harm Adelice later on in the book.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Sadie Hyde
Sadie Hyde
Confessions of a Teen Nanny
Victoria Ashton
Fiction
Holiday
Page: 60
1. In my book right now a girl named Adrianne is working for a wealthy family. She is a babysitter of an eight year old girl named Emma. Emma is a spoiled girl also very intelligent. She has gone through many nannies because she does not like them, so Emma does everything in her power to get them fired by her mother in hope of finally getting a nanny she likes. So while her new nanny flies in from London, this girl Adrianne works for Emma as her babysitter. Adrianne got this job form her best friend named Liz who works for another family that is also very wealthy who are friends with the family that she is setting Adrianne up for a job with. So as Adrianne begins to work for Emma she begins to be faced with many challenges, one being Emma's mother. Emma's mom is a very strict woman. So it turns out that Adrianne and Emma actually kind of like each other, also it turns out that Emma's babysitter that is supposed to fly in from London is delayed so Adrianne has to stay for longer than planned.... two weeks.
2. So far I really enjoy this book. I think that the writing for this book is really amazing because its written in a way that I haven't really experienced in any other book. Its two teenagers in the book who are basically telling their lives, but mostly Adrianne. I also really like the characters in this book ho none of them are the same and I feel as though I know all of them personally. Also this book is so different from other books I have read. I have never read a book about two teen girls who are looking for jobs and being faced with the challenges of spoiled kids and lifestyles that are nothing like theirs.
3. I think that this theme so far is commitment. I think that this is the theme because Adrianne is very committed to her work and earning money for herself. Also I think that Adrianne and Liz are committed to each other because even though they go to different schools now and rarely see each other, they have been best friends from the start and will never lose that connection. Adrianne and Liz are amazingly committed to their school work, jobs, and each other which is why i think that commitment is the theme.
4. My favorite character is Liz. She is my favorite character because Liz is an amazing person with an extraordinary personality. She does everything for her friends and puts others before herself. Also Liz in my opinion is not the one who would normally be recognized as much, i think it would probably be Adrianne. Liz is my favorite character because she is everything that I would want to be in myself and a best friend. She is a role model.
5. My least favorite character is probably Emma. This is because Emma is so rude in the beginning and thinks that she is the best. I also feel that she thinks that she is the only one living, and that no one else matter. That the world revolves around her. I really do not enjoy how she acts in the beginning, and i don't like her personality very much. She is too rude. I could not imagine working for her. I think that Adrianne is extraordinary.
6. My prediction is that Adrianne is going to end up staying Emma's nanny forever. I think that Emma somehow sabotaged the nanny that was coming in from London so that she would not show up because she actually began to like Adrianne. I think that Emma and Adrianne are going to begin to really like each other even more. I also think that Emma's mom is going to realize that Emma and Adrianne likes each other and lighten up on Adrianne.
Confessions of a Teen Nanny
Victoria Ashton
Fiction
Holiday
Page: 60
1. In my book right now a girl named Adrianne is working for a wealthy family. She is a babysitter of an eight year old girl named Emma. Emma is a spoiled girl also very intelligent. She has gone through many nannies because she does not like them, so Emma does everything in her power to get them fired by her mother in hope of finally getting a nanny she likes. So while her new nanny flies in from London, this girl Adrianne works for Emma as her babysitter. Adrianne got this job form her best friend named Liz who works for another family that is also very wealthy who are friends with the family that she is setting Adrianne up for a job with. So as Adrianne begins to work for Emma she begins to be faced with many challenges, one being Emma's mother. Emma's mom is a very strict woman. So it turns out that Adrianne and Emma actually kind of like each other, also it turns out that Emma's babysitter that is supposed to fly in from London is delayed so Adrianne has to stay for longer than planned.... two weeks.
2. So far I really enjoy this book. I think that the writing for this book is really amazing because its written in a way that I haven't really experienced in any other book. Its two teenagers in the book who are basically telling their lives, but mostly Adrianne. I also really like the characters in this book ho none of them are the same and I feel as though I know all of them personally. Also this book is so different from other books I have read. I have never read a book about two teen girls who are looking for jobs and being faced with the challenges of spoiled kids and lifestyles that are nothing like theirs.
3. I think that this theme so far is commitment. I think that this is the theme because Adrianne is very committed to her work and earning money for herself. Also I think that Adrianne and Liz are committed to each other because even though they go to different schools now and rarely see each other, they have been best friends from the start and will never lose that connection. Adrianne and Liz are amazingly committed to their school work, jobs, and each other which is why i think that commitment is the theme.
4. My favorite character is Liz. She is my favorite character because Liz is an amazing person with an extraordinary personality. She does everything for her friends and puts others before herself. Also Liz in my opinion is not the one who would normally be recognized as much, i think it would probably be Adrianne. Liz is my favorite character because she is everything that I would want to be in myself and a best friend. She is a role model.
5. My least favorite character is probably Emma. This is because Emma is so rude in the beginning and thinks that she is the best. I also feel that she thinks that she is the only one living, and that no one else matter. That the world revolves around her. I really do not enjoy how she acts in the beginning, and i don't like her personality very much. She is too rude. I could not imagine working for her. I think that Adrianne is extraordinary.
6. My prediction is that Adrianne is going to end up staying Emma's nanny forever. I think that Emma somehow sabotaged the nanny that was coming in from London so that she would not show up because she actually began to like Adrianne. I think that Emma and Adrianne are going to begin to really like each other even more. I also think that Emma's mom is going to realize that Emma and Adrianne likes each other and lighten up on Adrianne.
Elizabeth Gooch
Elizabeth Gooch
kira-kira
Cynthia Kadohata
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
209
1. I am currently reading kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata. Right now in the book I am at the part when the main character Katie's sister has died. Her name was Lynn and she was only a few years older than Katie so they were very close. Katie's mother and father are hovering over Lynn's body as Katie walks in with a look of pure terror on her face, for Katie is only a little girl going through a life changing experience. Then the morgue people come to take the body as the family is sobbing over their lost daughter and sister. Next, the mother starts searching frantically around the house looking for anything of or about Lynn. She collected newspapers of times before she died so they would always remember the recent events that were happening around the time of her death. She also went to her bathroom to collect lost pieces of hair from the floor that belonged to Lynn. This is a time of desperation for their whole family.
2. Although their are many things that I do like about this book, one of my favorite things was that the author wrote it in the younger sister Katie's point of view. I like this because since I am the older sister in my family I enjoy reading about Katie's concerns and thoughts about her older sister Lynn. I also enjoy the plot to this story because it is not something I would normally read about and it is interesting to read something from someone of a different cultures view. I can read about their customs and different ways of life. I think the author is pulling you into the book by writing about a story that most people can somewhat relate to and at the same time make no connections to the story at all. I also think she is pulling me in by having unexpected changes of events in the novel. This is a new author to me, although I'm sure I would check out any other books she has written.
3. One main theme for this book is strength. Not the physical strength but emotional strength. I would say this because Katie has to care for her older sister Lynn when she was diagnosed with her disease while her parents were both at work trying to support their family. Also Katie has to try to keep her family together after Lynn dies because her parents start to fade away and forget about their responsibilities. I think this theme mostly appears in characters because it shows up again earlier in the book when Lynn was still alive and she had to take care of Katie after school everyday until their parents got home for dinner. Overall, this theme appears in the characters throughout the book.
4. My favorite character was Lynn. I liked Lynn the most because of how much she cared for her sister Katie and always tried her best to make sure Katie turned out all right. She was always their for Katie and that was one thing I admired her for. I also like that in a way Lynn raised Katie to be the young girl she is now. And that Katie acknowledged that Lynn was her role-model and that Lynn would do anything for Katie. Lynn was my favorite character for many reasons and another one was because I could easily relate to her.
5. My least favorite character is probably Katie and Lynn's father. This is because even though he showed emotion during Lynn's death he was a pretty dull character earlier throughout the book. He was also pretty strict to his daughters, which is understandable but I think unnecessary. He would threaten to spank them if they did anything bad. Even though this was in an earlier time period where spanking might have been more common, I still don't think doing things like that is okay, even though I know he actually does love his daughters although he has a difficult time showing it.
6. I'm not exactly sure what might happen next but I think that Katie's parents might start to leave her alone more often because normally she would be with Lynn. And that Katie will start to remember her sister as the loving and carefree girl she was. Hopefully, their whole family will come together and mourn Lynn's death together although I don't think that could happen. I think this because right after Lynn's death the mother is already starting to get distracted by her mourning of Lynn by frantically searching the house for her things and kind of forgetting about Katie.
kira-kira
Cynthia Kadohata
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
209
1. I am currently reading kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata. Right now in the book I am at the part when the main character Katie's sister has died. Her name was Lynn and she was only a few years older than Katie so they were very close. Katie's mother and father are hovering over Lynn's body as Katie walks in with a look of pure terror on her face, for Katie is only a little girl going through a life changing experience. Then the morgue people come to take the body as the family is sobbing over their lost daughter and sister. Next, the mother starts searching frantically around the house looking for anything of or about Lynn. She collected newspapers of times before she died so they would always remember the recent events that were happening around the time of her death. She also went to her bathroom to collect lost pieces of hair from the floor that belonged to Lynn. This is a time of desperation for their whole family.
2. Although their are many things that I do like about this book, one of my favorite things was that the author wrote it in the younger sister Katie's point of view. I like this because since I am the older sister in my family I enjoy reading about Katie's concerns and thoughts about her older sister Lynn. I also enjoy the plot to this story because it is not something I would normally read about and it is interesting to read something from someone of a different cultures view. I can read about their customs and different ways of life. I think the author is pulling you into the book by writing about a story that most people can somewhat relate to and at the same time make no connections to the story at all. I also think she is pulling me in by having unexpected changes of events in the novel. This is a new author to me, although I'm sure I would check out any other books she has written.
3. One main theme for this book is strength. Not the physical strength but emotional strength. I would say this because Katie has to care for her older sister Lynn when she was diagnosed with her disease while her parents were both at work trying to support their family. Also Katie has to try to keep her family together after Lynn dies because her parents start to fade away and forget about their responsibilities. I think this theme mostly appears in characters because it shows up again earlier in the book when Lynn was still alive and she had to take care of Katie after school everyday until their parents got home for dinner. Overall, this theme appears in the characters throughout the book.
4. My favorite character was Lynn. I liked Lynn the most because of how much she cared for her sister Katie and always tried her best to make sure Katie turned out all right. She was always their for Katie and that was one thing I admired her for. I also like that in a way Lynn raised Katie to be the young girl she is now. And that Katie acknowledged that Lynn was her role-model and that Lynn would do anything for Katie. Lynn was my favorite character for many reasons and another one was because I could easily relate to her.
5. My least favorite character is probably Katie and Lynn's father. This is because even though he showed emotion during Lynn's death he was a pretty dull character earlier throughout the book. He was also pretty strict to his daughters, which is understandable but I think unnecessary. He would threaten to spank them if they did anything bad. Even though this was in an earlier time period where spanking might have been more common, I still don't think doing things like that is okay, even though I know he actually does love his daughters although he has a difficult time showing it.
6. I'm not exactly sure what might happen next but I think that Katie's parents might start to leave her alone more often because normally she would be with Lynn. And that Katie will start to remember her sister as the loving and carefree girl she was. Hopefully, their whole family will come together and mourn Lynn's death together although I don't think that could happen. I think this because right after Lynn's death the mother is already starting to get distracted by her mourning of Lynn by frantically searching the house for her things and kind of forgetting about Katie.
James Andrew
James Andrew
The Power Of One
Bryce Courtenay
Historical fiction
challenge
just finished, pg. 511
4. My favorite character is by far Peekay. I like Peekay because he never gives up through out the whole book, even when times get tough. When he is in boarding school he gets abused and bullied. He survives boarding school and that whole time, was forced to do some older kids schoolwork. Many of the people didn't like him because he was english and Africa wanted to overthrow the english government in Africa. So people were really racist. He also got yelled at because he had a bed wetting problem. So, after the first semester at boarding school his nanny who takes care of him has the best medicine man known to Africa (Inkosi-Inkosikazi) come to there village and get rid of Peekays bet wetting problems.
5. My least favorite character is Mevrou. She runs the bording school and is very mean to Peekay. She would not stop the other boys from beating up and abusing Peekay. She also abused him. Whenever he did anything wrong she would beat him with her sjambok. Which is a big bamboo stick. Also , Peekay is very young and will do and say stupid thing because he doesn't know any better, and she never took that into consideration. She was very harsh with her punishments. When Peekay brought Granpa Chook, (a kaffir chicken) to boarding school Mevrou wanted to kill it.
3. I think that the theme of the book is to never give up. This is shown through out the whole book. At the beginning Peekay never gives up at boarding school, even when he is getting beaten and abused. Also, when he tries to become the boxing champion, he keeps pursuing and doesn't back down to try and get what he wants. I noticed this theme coming up again and again through out the whole book. I noticed that the theme appears mostly in the characters. Peekay never gives up, the judge at boarding school never gives up trying to make Peekays life awful, and the Nanny never gives up trying to raise Peekay and get the best for him.
2. I really loved this book. It had a really powerful theme and message. But the ending was really easy to predict. Just like almost all other books, the main character has a problem and or a goal and achieves it by the skin of their teeth. I was really surprised that Peekay even survived everything. At boarding school he was abused and beaten a lot and the "judge" wanted to kill him. He was in the middle of a political turmoil at the time because Hitler went to war with the English. It showed me the importance of having a mentor, studying hard, setting goals for yourself, and being considerate and understanding of others strengths and weaknesses. But the author had a really advanced style of writing and at some parts I got very confused. Also, she used words that I didn't know and I had to look them up.
1. The ending of the book was monumental. Although I could predict that Peekay would be able to fight in prison and win the Welterweight championship I was amazed that this feat would motivate the blacks from all around the prison to come to the special concert that Dock, Peekays mentor was aloud to perform. Peekays winning broke through all political feelings at the time and for a moment the whites and the blacks had respect for each other. This was extremely powerful and moving to me especially after this book described so well the hate that was beginning through out Africa.
6. The ending of the book was pretty much what a I expected. I expected that Peekay would win the Welterweight championship, but I did not expect that his winning would have such an effect on the whites who hated the blacks so much at this time in history. His winnings caused unity and peace for this moment in history. The concert were the blacks and the whites came together reminded me how Peekay lived his life were he respected and understood others feelings and strengths.
Mike Jeffries
Mike Jeffries
The Mark of Athena
Rick Riordan
Fantasy/ Adventure
Just Right
574 pages total
1) The ending of The Mark of Athena was extremely exciting. It totally took me by surprise. One of the main characters named Annabeth is on her destiny quest. She is the child of the Greek goddess Athena. Every child of Athena has to go on a quest to find the Athena Parthenos, which is a statue that will reunite the Greek and Roman Demigods. At the end of her quest, she has to battle her worst nightmare which is a spider called Arachne. Arachne hates Athena and guards her statue so no one can steal it and fulfil the quest. Annabeth tricks Arachne into weaving herself into a lock or "woven prison."So all is well until Annabeth realizes that Arachne starts screaming and squirming so loud and hard, that she is trying to bring down the tunnel that they are in. The ground is already very unstable, and if the floor breaks, it is a straight shot to Tartarus. Tartarus is a giant pit in the underworld were all the evil monsters go when they get killed in the mortal world. Just when the floor is about to shatter, a giant explosion creates a giant hole into the tunnel revealing light, the outside world, and Annabeths friends. Her best friend Percy goes to aid her, but as he is doing so, Arachne squirms and shoots out a piece of web and it gets tangled to Annabeths feet. Part of the ground in the tunnel breaks and Arachne falls into Tartarus, annabeth gets dragged down with her but Percy tries to save her and ends up falling into tartarus with Annabeth. So it is up to the rest of the demigod gang, to go toTartarus and save Percy and Annabeth.
2) This is definitely one of my favorite books by Rick Riordan. His ideas are absolutely brilliant and the way he makes the story unfold really helps make it a great page turner. There is always a constant conflict going on in the story. One of my favorite things about this book is that there is more than one conflict going on. One chapter might be about two people doing something dangerous, when the next chapter is about another two people doing something dangerous that could get them both killed. He really puts a strong cliffhanger at the end of each chapter which really makes you want to keep reading the book until it is finished and you have to wait what feels like a lifetime for the next book in the series to come out.
3) The theme of this book is Sacrifice. Every single person throughout this entire series has sacrificed so much. Whether it is sacrificing your life, friends, time, effort, energy, and love. Percy sacrifices himself to try to save Annabeth when she is falling into Tartarus, Annabeth has to sacrifice almost everything she has in order to fulfill her quest and try to bring piece to the Greek and Romans. Percy and Annabeths friends: Piper, Jason, Leo, Frank, Hazel and Coach hedge sacrifice so much in order to fulfill the quest given to each other. The theme of this story really inspires you to make your life and the peoples lives around you, better than they are right now.
4) My favorite character from this book is definitely Percy Jackson. He is a natural born hero, he cares for his friends, and he is without a doubt, willing to die for them. Words cannot describe the person he is, and what he does, and that is one of many different reasons of why he is my favorite character. Percy inspires me to try to be a better person. He always inspires me to be stronger, braver, smarter, and just all around a good person. It really makes me happy that I can learn so much from a character in a book and take so much out of that character and apply it to myself, and I feel that I can do that really well with Percy Jackson.
5) My least favorite character is Gaea, the goddess of earth. (Mother Earth). She is the villain in the story. Her plot is to wake and rise up from the earth and destroy Mount Olympus and crush all the Gods and Demigods and rule the world with the giants. She has caused all the problems throughout the series and, to me, she is selfish. She has to make everybody's lives on earth miserable just so that she can be happy. I am so glad that there is going to be another book in this series so that I can watch her fail and go back into the earth were she belongs.
6) The ending of the book was not what I had expected at all. I figured that Annabeth would still be on her quest in the next book, I didn't think that she would finish it in this story because she started towards the end of the book. I didn't think that Percy and the rest of the group would end up saving her on her quest. I though that she would walk out of the quest successfully because she started it alone. But I always find the book better when it doesn't end as I would have expected it to. If that had happend I think that that would show a lack of creativity and twists in the authors writing. Luckily that is not a problem with Rick Riordan.
The Mark of Athena
Rick Riordan
Fantasy/ Adventure
Just Right
574 pages total
1) The ending of The Mark of Athena was extremely exciting. It totally took me by surprise. One of the main characters named Annabeth is on her destiny quest. She is the child of the Greek goddess Athena. Every child of Athena has to go on a quest to find the Athena Parthenos, which is a statue that will reunite the Greek and Roman Demigods. At the end of her quest, she has to battle her worst nightmare which is a spider called Arachne. Arachne hates Athena and guards her statue so no one can steal it and fulfil the quest. Annabeth tricks Arachne into weaving herself into a lock or "woven prison."So all is well until Annabeth realizes that Arachne starts screaming and squirming so loud and hard, that she is trying to bring down the tunnel that they are in. The ground is already very unstable, and if the floor breaks, it is a straight shot to Tartarus. Tartarus is a giant pit in the underworld were all the evil monsters go when they get killed in the mortal world. Just when the floor is about to shatter, a giant explosion creates a giant hole into the tunnel revealing light, the outside world, and Annabeths friends. Her best friend Percy goes to aid her, but as he is doing so, Arachne squirms and shoots out a piece of web and it gets tangled to Annabeths feet. Part of the ground in the tunnel breaks and Arachne falls into Tartarus, annabeth gets dragged down with her but Percy tries to save her and ends up falling into tartarus with Annabeth. So it is up to the rest of the demigod gang, to go toTartarus and save Percy and Annabeth.
2) This is definitely one of my favorite books by Rick Riordan. His ideas are absolutely brilliant and the way he makes the story unfold really helps make it a great page turner. There is always a constant conflict going on in the story. One of my favorite things about this book is that there is more than one conflict going on. One chapter might be about two people doing something dangerous, when the next chapter is about another two people doing something dangerous that could get them both killed. He really puts a strong cliffhanger at the end of each chapter which really makes you want to keep reading the book until it is finished and you have to wait what feels like a lifetime for the next book in the series to come out.
3) The theme of this book is Sacrifice. Every single person throughout this entire series has sacrificed so much. Whether it is sacrificing your life, friends, time, effort, energy, and love. Percy sacrifices himself to try to save Annabeth when she is falling into Tartarus, Annabeth has to sacrifice almost everything she has in order to fulfill her quest and try to bring piece to the Greek and Romans. Percy and Annabeths friends: Piper, Jason, Leo, Frank, Hazel and Coach hedge sacrifice so much in order to fulfill the quest given to each other. The theme of this story really inspires you to make your life and the peoples lives around you, better than they are right now.
4) My favorite character from this book is definitely Percy Jackson. He is a natural born hero, he cares for his friends, and he is without a doubt, willing to die for them. Words cannot describe the person he is, and what he does, and that is one of many different reasons of why he is my favorite character. Percy inspires me to try to be a better person. He always inspires me to be stronger, braver, smarter, and just all around a good person. It really makes me happy that I can learn so much from a character in a book and take so much out of that character and apply it to myself, and I feel that I can do that really well with Percy Jackson.
5) My least favorite character is Gaea, the goddess of earth. (Mother Earth). She is the villain in the story. Her plot is to wake and rise up from the earth and destroy Mount Olympus and crush all the Gods and Demigods and rule the world with the giants. She has caused all the problems throughout the series and, to me, she is selfish. She has to make everybody's lives on earth miserable just so that she can be happy. I am so glad that there is going to be another book in this series so that I can watch her fail and go back into the earth were she belongs.
6) The ending of the book was not what I had expected at all. I figured that Annabeth would still be on her quest in the next book, I didn't think that she would finish it in this story because she started towards the end of the book. I didn't think that Percy and the rest of the group would end up saving her on her quest. I though that she would walk out of the quest successfully because she started it alone. But I always find the book better when it doesn't end as I would have expected it to. If that had happend I think that that would show a lack of creativity and twists in the authors writing. Luckily that is not a problem with Rick Riordan.
Rachel Falb
Rachel Falb
Matched
Ally Condie
Sci-fi/ Dystopia
Just Right
230
1) Currently in the book, Cassia the main character lives in a Utopia, the Society. She has recently received a computer chip, all about her match Xander, but she doesn't bother to look at it when she gets home from her match banquet because she's known him all of her life. Later on in the week, she decides to look at it just to see if there is anything she didn't know, but when she puts the chip into the port, the face that appears is not Xander. The officials re-assure her that it was a mistake and the face that she saw was a boy named Ky. He is adopted and is considered an Aberration in the Society. An Aberration means that he cannot be matched with someone because of something that had happened. Ky didn't do anything, but his real father committed an Infraction and the Society cannot overlook that. Cassia and Ky take a hiking class together. Ky and Cassia are partners and they hike through the woods together. Ky has been bringing poems everyday to their hikes for Cassia to read. She goes home, reads them and then burns them every time. She is slowly learning more and more about Ky's past and how his parents died. Cassia then soon begins to drift away from being in love with Xander and starts to think about Ky and she wishes that she was matched with Ky, instead of Xander. And that is what is currently happening in the book.
2) So far, I have truly enjoyed this book. Condie has made me intrigued by having astonishing changes. One major shock was when Xander and Cassia were matched at the banquet. It was astonishing to the readers because Condie led the readers to believe that they would not be matched because they were best friends. For instance, they rode to the match banquet together on the air train, and Xander compliments her in a friendly way on how she looks and wishes her luck. They even share how nervous they are about who they will be matched up with. The book is interesting to me because I usually don't read Sci-fi books, and when I do they usually don't appeal to me. I love this book because Condie pulls me in with the plot and unexpected twists.
3) A theme that I have seen appear in the characters is betrayal. The first place where this appears is when Cassia betrays her grandfather. Before her grandfather dies, he shows her a poem in the compact from her grandmother. Nothing of this sort would be allowed in the Society. Cassia knows this and realizes that she needs to get rid of the poem after her grandfather dies, even though he told her to keep it. She takes the poem, brings it to her dad's worksite, and throws it away. She betrayed her grandfather, and he would be very disappointed that she didn't keep it if he were still alive. Another place where the theme of betrayal is displayed is when Cassia betrays Xander. She and Xander are matched and Xander loves her and Cassia likes him very much, but she is cheating on him with Ky. When she and Ky are hiking, she lets him kiss her twice. This is not allowed in the Society because he is an Aberration and she is matched with someone else. They are not only breaking the rules, but Cassia is also betraying Xander by being disloyal to him.
4) My favorite character in the book is Ky. He is my favorite because he is so truthful. When he's hiking with Cassia, he tells her everything. He shares about his parents death through drawings, even though they are painful memories. Ky is also very amicable. As well as sharing stories while he hikes with Cassia, he also teaches her to write. It is so kind and daring for him to do this because they are not allowed to know how to write, but it is something that Cassia wants to learn. Ky's most impressive trait, is how thoughtful he is when he is with Cassia. For her birthday, he got her a forbidden poem. Not only did he trade his compass, his artifact that is very important to him, to get this poem, but the first line states, "My birthday began with the water-." He then says that he chose this poem for her because he remembers the first time they met was in the pool. These are some of the reasons why my favorite character is Ky.
5) My least favorite character in this book is Cassia. She is my least favorite character because of the way she treats Xander and how she lets herself fall in love with Ky. The way she treats Xander is very unfair. Xander is so kind to her and is willing to do anything for her, but whenever they are together Cassia is thinking about Ky and when she will see him next. She is also my least favorite character because she falls in love with Ky even when she is matched with Xander. I agree that it is unfair that they have to be matched with a certain person. However, the rules of the Society are that one cannot change their match. Cassia is asking for trouble because she signs up to do her leisure activities with Ky and she spends most of her summer with him. She also wants to create an infraction to show how much she wants to be with Ky. These are some reasons why Cassia is my least favorite character.
6) I predict that the ending of this book will be dramatic. I predict that the people within the Society will overthrow the government. I can make this prediction because Ky told Cassia that he thinks there is a war happening in the outer provinces and because her mother is being called to emergency trips for her work. I believe what Ky says about the war going on so I think that everyone will be called into battle to fight against the people on the borders of the outer provinces. But, I think that people will unite and fight against the officials because the people of the Society hate being restricted by them. Once the officials lose control, Cassia and Ky can finally be together. This is how I predict the book will end, from the evidence that Ky has given Cassia.
Matched
Ally Condie
Sci-fi/ Dystopia
Just Right
230
1) Currently in the book, Cassia the main character lives in a Utopia, the Society. She has recently received a computer chip, all about her match Xander, but she doesn't bother to look at it when she gets home from her match banquet because she's known him all of her life. Later on in the week, she decides to look at it just to see if there is anything she didn't know, but when she puts the chip into the port, the face that appears is not Xander. The officials re-assure her that it was a mistake and the face that she saw was a boy named Ky. He is adopted and is considered an Aberration in the Society. An Aberration means that he cannot be matched with someone because of something that had happened. Ky didn't do anything, but his real father committed an Infraction and the Society cannot overlook that. Cassia and Ky take a hiking class together. Ky and Cassia are partners and they hike through the woods together. Ky has been bringing poems everyday to their hikes for Cassia to read. She goes home, reads them and then burns them every time. She is slowly learning more and more about Ky's past and how his parents died. Cassia then soon begins to drift away from being in love with Xander and starts to think about Ky and she wishes that she was matched with Ky, instead of Xander. And that is what is currently happening in the book.
2) So far, I have truly enjoyed this book. Condie has made me intrigued by having astonishing changes. One major shock was when Xander and Cassia were matched at the banquet. It was astonishing to the readers because Condie led the readers to believe that they would not be matched because they were best friends. For instance, they rode to the match banquet together on the air train, and Xander compliments her in a friendly way on how she looks and wishes her luck. They even share how nervous they are about who they will be matched up with. The book is interesting to me because I usually don't read Sci-fi books, and when I do they usually don't appeal to me. I love this book because Condie pulls me in with the plot and unexpected twists.
3) A theme that I have seen appear in the characters is betrayal. The first place where this appears is when Cassia betrays her grandfather. Before her grandfather dies, he shows her a poem in the compact from her grandmother. Nothing of this sort would be allowed in the Society. Cassia knows this and realizes that she needs to get rid of the poem after her grandfather dies, even though he told her to keep it. She takes the poem, brings it to her dad's worksite, and throws it away. She betrayed her grandfather, and he would be very disappointed that she didn't keep it if he were still alive. Another place where the theme of betrayal is displayed is when Cassia betrays Xander. She and Xander are matched and Xander loves her and Cassia likes him very much, but she is cheating on him with Ky. When she and Ky are hiking, she lets him kiss her twice. This is not allowed in the Society because he is an Aberration and she is matched with someone else. They are not only breaking the rules, but Cassia is also betraying Xander by being disloyal to him.
4) My favorite character in the book is Ky. He is my favorite because he is so truthful. When he's hiking with Cassia, he tells her everything. He shares about his parents death through drawings, even though they are painful memories. Ky is also very amicable. As well as sharing stories while he hikes with Cassia, he also teaches her to write. It is so kind and daring for him to do this because they are not allowed to know how to write, but it is something that Cassia wants to learn. Ky's most impressive trait, is how thoughtful he is when he is with Cassia. For her birthday, he got her a forbidden poem. Not only did he trade his compass, his artifact that is very important to him, to get this poem, but the first line states, "My birthday began with the water-." He then says that he chose this poem for her because he remembers the first time they met was in the pool. These are some of the reasons why my favorite character is Ky.
5) My least favorite character in this book is Cassia. She is my least favorite character because of the way she treats Xander and how she lets herself fall in love with Ky. The way she treats Xander is very unfair. Xander is so kind to her and is willing to do anything for her, but whenever they are together Cassia is thinking about Ky and when she will see him next. She is also my least favorite character because she falls in love with Ky even when she is matched with Xander. I agree that it is unfair that they have to be matched with a certain person. However, the rules of the Society are that one cannot change their match. Cassia is asking for trouble because she signs up to do her leisure activities with Ky and she spends most of her summer with him. She also wants to create an infraction to show how much she wants to be with Ky. These are some reasons why Cassia is my least favorite character.
6) I predict that the ending of this book will be dramatic. I predict that the people within the Society will overthrow the government. I can make this prediction because Ky told Cassia that he thinks there is a war happening in the outer provinces and because her mother is being called to emergency trips for her work. I believe what Ky says about the war going on so I think that everyone will be called into battle to fight against the people on the borders of the outer provinces. But, I think that people will unite and fight against the officials because the people of the Society hate being restricted by them. Once the officials lose control, Cassia and Ky can finally be together. This is how I predict the book will end, from the evidence that Ky has given Cassia.
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