Over the summer, you were asked to read at least two novels of your choice.
1) Briefly tell me what you read, including the titles and authors.
2) I want to know what you liked about the books, what you learned and, more importantly, what matters to you about the book's content.
*Make sure to adhere to proper conventions and proofread your response. If, for some reason, you did not read two novels, tell me about two novels you have read and answer the above.
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I read 'Eragon', 'Eldest', and 'Brisingir' (May have mispelled). They were written by Christopher Paolini and they were about a normal boy who became a dragon rider and he was destined to save the kingdom of Alagaesia from the evil king Galbatorix. I like the books because they were action packed and full of interesting puzzles and plots. I learned that in writing you can make up names (like Yarbog and Eragon) and characters (like Urgals and Dwarves) and you don't have to use set names (like Chris and John). What matters to me about the contents of the book is the fact that it has amazing plot details and it goes on and on and it draws you in. You don't want to put it down at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading,
-Ethan
Over the summer i read two books, 'The Last Lecture', by Randy Pausch, was one of them. 'The Last Lecture' is an autobiography about Randy Pausch, a man who has cancer, and predicted by doctors, he only has a few more months to live. He has a "last lecture" that he tells his story to college students and some adults. I liked the fact that this book tells a true life story. I've also learned important lessons from this book. I've learned to look past the small things that might annoy me and focus on the meaningful things in life, like family and friends. Also, I've learned to live life to the fullest and to live everyday like it's the last since you never know what's going to happen. What mattered to me most about the books content was that it taught me important lessons about life that i may need to apply to my life in the future. It made me look at everyday I live differently. The second book i read over the summer was 'For One More Day' by Mitch Albom. This book is about a man who makes a decision he soon regretted and went back in time during a dream and redid the day. I like this book because it's extremely interesting, displays realistic qualities, and has a great plot. I learned that life is sometimes cruel, but everything happens for a reason. The thing that matters most to me about this books content is the way the setting is described in every situation throughout the book making me feel like I'm in the book the whole time.
ReplyDelete~Alex A
This summer i read the books Brisingr, by Chirsitpoher Paolini, and The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom. I really liked how these books showed alot of energy and creativity. While reading these books i learned that if you persevere, you will succed in all you want to accomplish. This books content really matters to me because I got so see how other people's imaginations work or their visions of the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteI read Alice In Wonderland written by Lewis Carrol. I really enjoyed all of the colorful language that was used, which made the events a lot easier to visualize. I learned that if I daydream too much, I could wind up in a lot of trouble.
ReplyDeleteI also read Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. I enjoy the way Vonnegut writes in a completely different way, making himself a character, but using another person as the main character. He uses some fairly high-level vocabulary, allowing me a chance to learn new words. The history in the book really mattered to me. I enjoy learning about World War II and this helped my learning grow.
I completed one book and almost finished two over the summer; I completed Summer Ball, (a sequil to Travel Team)by Mike Lupica, the book i almost finished was Cherub,M16 agency.
ReplyDeleteI really liked summer ball, my favorite part was that Danny was the smallest kid in just about the state, but he still turned out to be one of the best. Another part that i like was it was non-stop basketball, he was not talking about basketball he was talking about a very interesting side-plot.
I havent read much of Cherub so i dont have much to say, but so far the book has been great. The plot is starting to become really interesting and i can not put the book down.
Over the summer I read two classic books, 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell and 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. In 'Animal Farm' I really liked how the author, George Orwell, made the metaphorical comparison of the story of the animals of the farm to the Russian Revolution. The entire story is one long metaphor, which was very interesting. From this book I learned that mankind beckons for freedom, yet when they are rewarded this freedom, in many cases, they just want to get more power and wealth, and they may abandon their morals and ideals to do so. What matters to me about this book is that it shows that for a society to function properly, and for all of its members to be happy, it cannot be run by dictatorship, but rather a democracy. This is because in a democracy there is a widespread balance of power, which keeps from government corruption. The second book that I read over the summer was 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding. This book also showed a functional society that breaks down. I liked this about the book. After the group of boys land on the deserted island, they soon lose focus of getting rescued and turn into murderous savages. What I learned from this book is that it is important to keep your priorities. On the island many of the boys focus on hunting pigs and catching ''the beast", rather than keeping the rescue fire going. Something that mattered to me about the book was that I could somewhat relate to it. The boys on the island were around my age, so I could sort of imagine being in that situation. Throughout the book I would think, "What would I do if that were me?"
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read two books one of which was ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, by Jodi Picoult. This is a very strong book about a girl, Anna, who’s older sister has cancer. The reason she was born was so she can give blood and even body part to her dying sister. She ends up suing her parents for the right to her own body. In this book I liked the fact that Anna was actually standing up to her parents and doing what is right for her. I learned many lessons from this book. I learned that you should never take for granted what you have because some people (like Anna sister, Kate) do get diseases and need transplant or transfusions. What mattered most to me about this books content was the fact that situation like these can come up anywhere. It helps me know how some people have dealt with it. The second book I read this summer was ‘Uglies’ by Scott Westerfield. This book was very interesting because it kind of give a description of what the world would be like if everyone was the same. In this book not everyone is the same personality wise, but physically they are all “pretty” and “perfect”. Tally Youngblood decides this is not the path she wants to take and she runs away to a camp where other “Rusties” are. I thought this was an okay book because there really isn’t much I can relate to because it is a more futuristic book. I learned that I really do like being my own person and not what someone wants me to be. The content of this book is very descriptive about the setting, and the characters feelings. Even though none of this is anything I can relate to I can actually see the character’s points of view.
ReplyDelete~Christina Smart
For my summer reading assignment I read Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose. I greatly enjoyed both of these books because they both capture the brutality and acts of heroism of war. It also shows the courage of young men cast into extremely dangerous situations and how they fought not only for themselves but for the men they served with. It also kept me thinking throughout the book how I would have acted in this situation. This book ment a lot to me because it tells the stories of the men that keep our country free and safe.
ReplyDelete~Nick C
Over the summer I read two books, The Five People you meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. In 'The Five people you meet in Heaven', I liked just how it was put together. This book really made me think. I mean if you could see any five people in heaven, who would you want to see? Probably what matters to me the most is that even though you're dead, you're still learning. In 'A Great and Terrible Beauty', I liked the fact that it sucked you in. I couldn't put it down! I learned more about life in the 1800's in England. What matters to me the most about the book was that it was so captivating. It wasn't boring!
ReplyDeleteKelly
Over the summer, I read "The Memory Keeper's Daughter' by Kim Edwards, and "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks. The first is about a family that is torn apart by the father's decision to give up their daughter, who has Down's Syndrome, to a home, without consulting his wife. Instead, he tells her that their daughter died, and only her twin brother lived. The second of the two, "The Notebook" is a love story that shows that the most intense loves are never lost, only ended. In the Memory Keeper's Daughter, I really liked how the author shows both stories, the stories of the main family, and the story of the girl with down's. I also liked how complicated the story was, but the language and the dialog kept it simple at the same time. In the Notebook, I liked how the author told the story. It is almost as if you're reading a personal journal that was written in the third person, so that you don't know who's actually telling the story. And, it has a happy ending. Who doesn't like that? What mattered to me about both the books contents was how innocent they seemed, while telling sad, intense, and deceptive stories, but they keep you hooked, so that you can't put them down.
ReplyDeleteTaylor H.
During the sumer I read "Wild Pitch" by Mike Lupica and "A Salty Piece of Land" by Jimmy Buffet. I learned to never give up from "Wild Pitch" which is an important lesson if one is an aspiring athlete. From the book "a Salty Piece of Land" I learned the important lesson that people arent always as they seem. This connects to high school in a way. If you judge someone to quickly they could turn out to be a completely differet person than you thought they were. These books were terrific and i would reccomed them to all high school students looking for a good book
ReplyDeleteMatt Fontneau
This summer I read "Just Listen" and "Someone Like you" both of which were written by Sarah Dessen. "Just Listen" was about a girl named Annabel Greene who was going through some hard times. She meets this guy named Owen and they start talking a lot about music. Soon her and him become friends. He helps her forget about her worries. I really enjoyed reading this book because it was about forgetting all of your troubles and worries and concentrating on what was happening right then. While reading this book I learned that there are some things you don't need to worry about. Friends move on and you end up making new ones. The other book I read that I chose to talk about was "Someone Like You" and this now has to be one of my favorite books. It's about two best friends who are there for each other through anything. They never let each other down. I learned that you should never take your friendships for granted because you never know when you'll need your friend the most. Both of these books could relate to real life which is probably what I liked the most about the books content. The books content also mattered because it was just well written in general. It was easy to understand what was going on the entire time i was reading them. I recommend both of these books to all girls who like a story about romance and friendship. I am not sure if boys would enjoy it quite as much but, go right ahead and read them! I bet you'll surprise yourself by how much you'll like them.
ReplyDeleteSandra Kalavity
Recently I have read "Warriors Don't Cry" by Melba Pattillo Beals and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Both were powerful books. "Warriors Don't cry" is an autobiographical novel about Melba Beals's experience integrating a white high school after the Brown vs. Board ruling. This book taught me that anyone can make a difference and that being strong and holding true to your beliefs is one of the most important things in life. Something that really made an impact one me was how though she was threatened and treated horribly at this school, she didn't quit and make a huge impact on history by simply transferring to a white high school. "The Alchemist" was about the journey of a young boy named Santiago. It showed how someone can change so drastically as they encounter different life experiences. It taught me that there are many things in life that will come unexpectedly and that you define yourself as a person through those experiences. I liked that though it told the story of a small boy's pilgrimage, so much more than that was revealed.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. The Kite Runner is about a boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan and his childhood best friend being his hazara servant, Hassan. Later Amir finds out that they are actually half brothers. From this book I learned that you always have to be true to yourself and always help the loving ones around you,even if they're dead. The reason that I liked this book was because although it was fiction, the book incorporated non fiction elements. Like the part about how the taliban would kill and hurt people in cruel and unusual ways. I also liked how it was never boring and how all the characters were highly developed. My second book Persepolis was about a girl growing up in Iran when the Shah was in office and on the virge of being kicked out. I learned that when you think something is wrong, you should stand up for what you believe in and try to change it. What I liked about this book was that it was like a comic book because there were mostly pictures to show what was going on and 1 or 2 sentences. This book was definitely a page turner. It was never boring.
ReplyDeleteLaura Dus
The two books that I read this summer were My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picolut and The 5 People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom. Both books were really good, but they were also both very depressing. In My Sister's Keeper, there were a lot of different plots that all wound to together in some way. I liked that Jodi Picoult told the story from each character's perspective. It was interesting that different characters felt differently about certain events. This book is really a page turner, beacuse you just want to know what happens next!The 5 People You Meet in Heaven was also a great book.I liked how each chapter was about a different person that the main character knew when he was alive. Both books taught me that every day you should live life to the fullest, even though that sounds a little bit cliche. The events in both books are very moving and they make you realize how lucky you are.
ReplyDeleteThe two books I read this summer included, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gainman. This book is about a child who escaped the murder of his own family by finding his way to the local graveyard. Here, he is raised and given a name, Nobody Owens, by the ghosts who rest there. Throughout the book, Nobody learns many life lessons and becomes apart of many adventures and dangers that help him develope. This book taught me how important it is to discover things in my own way and learn from the experiences I face. The thing that mattered the most to me in this book, was the power of imagination. The second book I read this summer was The Five People People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The book tells of a maintenance worker at a local amusement park, Ruby Pier. When, Eddie, the maintenance worker, dies from saving a little girl from dying on one of the rides, he goes to heaven. Eddie then meets five people in heaven that each teach him of life lessons that he did not learn himself in his lifetime. This has proved to be one of my favorite books. It contains the lessons, that not only one learns in heaven, but lessons that one could learn from during his or her lifetime. I believe that, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, has taught me that the simplest guidelines in life can be the most useful.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Vaughn
The two books i read this summer were "Lone Survivor" written by Marcus Lutrelle and "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden. Lone Survivor is about modern warfare and the time when Osama Bin Laden was at large. It is easily my favorite book and after reading it. I learned how truly amazing Navy Seals are. The author is a Navy Seal and wrote the book about himself and his journey alone in the Mountains of Afghanistan. The other three members of his team were killed in battle, so he was left alone to survive. The book causes every emotion: laughter, anger, sadness, ect.
ReplyDeleteBlack Hawk Down is about modern warfare as well, but shows the war from the front lines. It shows how harsh and terrifying being in the infantry and on the front lines is. Although Lone Survivor was my favorite book, Black Hawk Down is still an incredible book and places in my top 5. After reading both of these books, I have learned to respect anyone in the armed forces so much more.
This summer I indulged myself in two extremely girlie, somewhat shallow novels. The first was 'P.S. I Loathe You', by Lisi Harrison. There wasn't much to like about this book, so I will tell you what I disliked. It was shallow, immature and very easy. I learned to not care so much about the material things in life and to not let others rule my life. This lesson is what mattered the most because coming into high school it is good to keep that in mind. The second book I read was '20 Boy Summer' by Sarah Ockler. I enjoyed this book because it was a romance novel but I could relate to it in a way. It was about losing a loved one and having to move on. I learned how to do this. I also learned that even though you still love that person it is ok to love others in your life as well. This is a very important lesson in life because it can apply everywhere. In every stage of life we go through grief and this novel teaches you how to move on but not let go. My summer reading overall, was not amazing but I think I got a lot out of it.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, I read 'My Sister's Keeper' by Jodi Picoult, which was about a girl with cancer, and how her sister refuses to give her the transplant she needs to live. I also read 'The Princess Bride' written by S. Morgenstern and abridged by William Goldman. This book was about finding out that love never fails and can never be broken. What I like about these two books is that they have very unique story lines. Because both authors made the story so descriptive, each page was filled with interest that made me want to keep reading late into the night. I especially liked 'My Sisters keeper' because the author brought up an interesting ethical issue in a family situation. In both books, I learned life lessons that will be very valuable to me in the future. In one book I learned that you must always be there for your family and support them in times of need, but you have to be able to do what's right, no matter what anyone thinks. Also that you never know what is going to happen, so you should always make the most out of each day that you have. In 'The Princess Bride', I learned that if you feel strongly enough and you persevere, nothing can keep true love apart.
ReplyDeleteAlexa Thomas
Over the summer i read two books: The Da Vinci Code by Dan brown and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. They were both great books, but i liked The Da Vinci Code a little better. I enjoyed the action and mystery elements in the book. Both books used good word choice, but the Hobbit's was especially difficult. I enjoyed learning about the churches and the architecture of Rome. The book kept the reader interested.
ReplyDeleteThis summer i enjoyed reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as well as the Art of Racing in the rain by Garth Stein. Both books were captivating and kept me reading for hours at a time.
ReplyDeleteThe Book Thief followed the story of a german girl living during WWII and the rise of Hitler. Liesel, the main character, is a foster child living in Munich. As Liesel settles in her new home, her caring foster father teachers her to read. As her ability and knowledge grows, Liesel has an obsession with books and, due to low money, a knack for stealing them! The process of thieving a novel or two is nothing compared to the Jewish runaway hiding in thier basement. Liesel must wake up everyday knowing that if word gets out, her and her foster parents face the gruesome consequences. This book was very suspenseful and kept a good pace, the plot did not drag on.
The Art of Racing in the Rain tells the story of a family living in Seattle, Washington. Denny, the Father is a professional race car driver with his wife Eve and daughter Zoe to support him. When Eve is diagnosed with cancer, Denny's life takes a U-turn. Denny is constantly battleing debt and fighting for custody of his own daughter! Meanwhile, the story is all nararated by the family dog, Enzo. A fantstic read all told by the refreshingly, humorous new perspective mans best friend! I enjoyed this novel because i have never heard a dog's perspective on people, places and things and it made me really think the next time I sat down next to my own dog.
Both of these books were awesome I most definately suggest them to everyone!
-Kyle H.
Over the summer I completed one book, "Touching Spirit Bear" and almost finished "Ender's Game". I really enjoyed "Touching Spirit Bear" because it was about a misfit who after going through years of neglect and hatred was banished from his hometown and sent to a remote island. After a while there he found out who he really was and realized his true meaning. "Ender's Game" was a very good novel aswell. It is about a boy who usually is avoided because in the futuristic world that he lives in the "Third child" is looked down upon. Unfortunately for Ender he is the third child. When the recruiters come his older brother is pumped and ready to go, But to Ender's suprise they want him. At first all of the other students disrespect him but as time goes on, everyone realizes he is best pupil in the school
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read the books Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys both by author James Bradley. James Bradley was the son of Jack Bradley, one of the flag raisers on Iwo Jima. What I liked about Flags Of our Fathers is how difficult and dangerous the battle on Iwo Jima was and the boys fighting were heroic and loyal on the battle field. I learned that the surviving Flag Raisers were put on bond tours to raise money for the war. What I got out of this book was the amount of glory that was given to the boys in the picture but whenever they spoke of it they said "it was as glorious as going to the mailbox."
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was Flyboys; a book about the World War I pilots. At the wars begining army and navy forces denied the idea that airplanes could help with winning the war. When it was showed that the planes could be used to fight flyboys were recruited. They were kids fresh out of high school hoping to serve their country in the Air Force. They would bomb islands so troops had less Japanese troops to fight. I liked how the boys knew they were going to get shot down but went anyway and were later taken prisoners. I learned that they were taken prisoners and later executed. The thing that stood out the most to me was the Flyboys fearless attitudes and their loyalty to their country.
Canyon Scala
For summer reading I read "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley and "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden. I loved both books, even though they were both really heavy.
ReplyDelete"Flags of Our Fathers" was written by the son of one of the Iwo Jima flagraisers. He started writing the book after his father's dead, since his father didn't like talking about what happened on Iwo Jima. I really liked learning the stories of all the flagraisers, since a lot of American's just think of the picture as an iconic picture, and not a photo of ordinary young boys who were asked to do some extraodinary things. I liked how the book made a big deal about how people thought the boys were so herioc for raising this flag, when it was really their least heroic moment. The six boys did all these incredible things, were brave and loyal, and didn't even get recognized for that. They were recognized for raising a flag. It was cool how one Sergeant, Mike Strank, was such a good leader for all the boys and he was only 23. This book really puts a lot in perspective. Anything you think is hard in your life is nothing compared to what the Marines had to go through on Iwo Jima.
The second book I read was "Black Hawk Down." It was interesting and exiciting to read because it was written like a fiction book even though it is a true story. Even though it was interesting, it was also really sad. "Black Hawk Down" is the story about a group of Rangers and D-boys who are stationed in Somalia. They are supposed to be going on a one hour mission to capture a few officers who are close to a Somali warlord. Except once two black hawk helicopters are shot down, the guys are stranded in Mogadishu surrounded by angry mobs all night. I was amazed again that this young men who are only five or six years old than me did such brave and selfless things. This is another book that really puts things in perspective. The men who went through all of that had such a hard time, and now people don't even remember the sacrifice they made.
Both of these books were really good and meant a lot to me. They both showed that their was and are still a lot of American heroes out there. It's comforting thought with all the bad people in the world.
Over the summer I read "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Swiftly Tilting Planet." Both books were written by Madeleine L'Engle. I liked the novels because they were full of creative ideas that no one would contemplate until reading the books. I also liked how the books brought me into the story and made me feel like one of the characters. Both novels taught me that books dont have to be about ideas that automatically make sense to the reader and also that its fun to read a book that changes the way you think. The idea that humans are really a very small part in the way that the universe operates stood out to me the most while reading these novels.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau, as well as "Emil and Karl" by Yankev Glatshteyn. "The City of Ember" is about a city that is running out of supplies that are needed in order to live. The people of the city believe that they are the only race of people and survive on canned goods for food and only light bulbs for light. I liked that the main characters, Lina and Doon, believe that there is another city, and they try very hard to find this city when their city is starting to fail. They never gave up searching, and eventually it led them to a note that helped them. I learned that if you try, even when things seem grim, you can always succeed. What mattered to me was what the book portrayed-two normal children that became heros after trying hard and finally succeeding, and I believe that we can all become heros if we really put our minds to it and try. The second book I read was a historical ficion titled "Emil and Karl." It is about two best friends living in Vienna, Austria during the time of the holocaust. One of the children is Jewish, while the other is not, but both children lose their parents and must live with each other anywhere they can. I learned that people suffered tremendously during the holocaust, Jewish or not. The book taught me that when things turn grim, you can always look to a friend for help. What matters to me about this book's content is that people suffered greatly during the times of the holocaust, and we should never let something that atrocious happen again in history. The people of the world should all be seen as equal.
ReplyDeleteI read The Secret life of Bee’s by Sue Monk Kidd and Girl with a Pearl Erring by Tracy Chevalier. These books were very good; I enjoyed them because they had to deal with the emotion views of the main characters. I like the prospective of the main character which was in both books was a girl. I also enjoyed both books because they were a great depiction of how different a woman’s life can be. These became some of my favorite books of all time.
ReplyDeleteThe books I read this summer were Ender's Game by Orson Scott along with House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. I really enjoyed both of these books because they had a lot of twists in them and i couldn't predict them. I also really liked the fact how they both ended there chapters with cliff hangers, making me have to go on. I especially enjoyed House because it had a meaning to the book beyond the books contents and really kept me thinking about for weeks on end. From reading these books I would conclude that the authors of these books are my new favorite authors.
ReplyDelete