Hi guys! Welcome to CMS. You can click on the response link below to write your response to at least two of your summer reading books.
Each response should not summarize the book, but should instead, tell us what the book made you think about. Please write 2-3 paragraphs and be sure to use proper spelling and grammar. Feel free to email me if you have questions at hingers@clarke.k12.ga.us
Remember, the CMS Media Center will be open from 4-6 p.m. this summer every other Thursday starting June 2nd.
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76 comments:
Last year, I read the book Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. I really enjoyed the book, and going through all of the pitfalls and successes that Cerebral Palsy patient Melody did on her journey to express and free herself from the silence of her illness.
This book can really make you think- especially about how you treat others that are different from yourself. I learned that just because you are different doesn't mean that you're not any worse or any better than anyone else. You can still learn, love, and achieve anything that anyone else can- as long as you just keep trying- and never give up on yourself.
We can also all somehow relate to Melody, always having great thoughts and ideas, just not being able to find a way to express them. And we have to admit that we sometimes were the person staring, pitying, or judging someone with difficulties or differences. But this book changed that once we read it. Now we can understand and interpret everyone's insecurities- and we appreciate them. I know that this book changed me, and improved my perspective- for the better. I highly recommend this book to anyone- looking for change or not. Trust me, you'll love it, and become a better person.
By Kate Mayfield
I read, and loved, the book One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia. It was a fantastic, humorous tale of three young girls who visit their runaway mother in Oakland, California.
I, along with the three sisters, learned a lot about the contreversial times, groups, and happenings of the 1960's- especially a Civil rights reform group the girls join called the Black Panthers. Through this book, and the Panthers' adventures, I discovered a whole new side of protests and reforms- and the people behind them. I learned that behind any good social movement is a good plan, hard work, and courageous men, women, and as we learn in One Crazy Summer, children!
I know that I related to Delphine, Fern, and Vonetta (The three sisters) and everyone in the wild cast of characters, from "Go-karting" Hirohito to Crazy Kelvin to serene Sister Pat. I, and many people I know, love the center of attention, and all the spotlight all the time like rising star Vonetta, pleading for her audiences' full focus. And I'm a big sister, so I sometimes feel the need to watch over, guide, and discipline my little brother, just like big sister of two, Delphine. And, as we want to guide and watch over, we all sometimes want to BE guided and BE watched over like little Fern does.
All in all, I got a lot out of One Crazy Summer, and I think it's a great read for anyone's crazy summer- or spring, fall, or winter! I found this story really intuiging and interesting, and I highly recommend it!
Katy,
Loved these posts! So thoughtful, I can't wait to hear more from you and others.
I've been reading Harry Potter with Gretchen. She and I are both loving it. She will not let me stop reading before she falls asleep, and I catch myself reading out loud to myself even after she falls asleep because it is so good.
When i began Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine, I didn't know if I would like it or not. But after reading the first chapter I couldn't put it down. It was sad at first because her brother just died and her mother died a few years before that, so another tragedy was very hard on their family.
Catlin and her brother were like best friends, so it was very sad to think about how she lost her brother in a middle school shooting. I can't imagine how hard this has to be on a family, and when one of the children has Asperger's. Catlin looked up to her brother and got help from her brother so now she is feeling like nothing can change. What i think she needs is to believe that things can change.
I do recommend to read this book. I love it because it tell you how the whole family feels about this. So if you know someone who's close relatives have died, you know know how their family is feeling.
The book After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick was an astounding book. When I read it a few days ago, I was amazed by what I learned. The book was the tale of Jeffrey, a teen with a story; Jeffrey is a Leukemia survivor. For those of you who don't know, Leukemia is a harmful type of Cancer that sometimes appears in children- like it did for little Jeffrey, at age four. But now Jeffrey's cancer is cured, and he can finally move on with his life.
There are really no words to describe this book, and my feelings after reading it, but I can try. The story of Jeff, and his friend, Tad, fellow cancer survivor, moved me. ( Possibly even more so than the adventures of Melody in Out of My Mind) In After Ever After, we can finally see the battles of Cancer through a patient's eyes, revealing a whole new side to the way we understand and interpret the disease. I learned that after a rough patch, like cancer, you can come out a stronger and better person. And another lesson that Jeffrey proves to us is that Cancer, or any illness, is not what defines you as a person- it only matters who you ARE, not what you've been through.
I can relate to Jeffrey, trying to shake off the past and look to the future. I can also (guiltily) relate to big brother Steven, wanting to leave everything- thinking that everything is piled on YOU, and that you are responsible for more than what you can handle. And Jeff's best friend Tad and I are very alike in our stubborness and willingness to do anything to get to the top and be proved right.
I loved this book, and it is one I will remember and cherish for a LONG time. I highly recommend it to anyone.
When I was in fifth grade, I read the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper. The book was an awesome story that taught me that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Many people in the book thought that Melody wasn't smart just because she couldn't speak. However, Melody was super smart.
I liked this book because it illustrates that you can't let what people say or think about you discourage you. Out of My Mind is one of the best books I have read; I didn't want to put it down. I give it five stars!
When I was in fifth grade, I read the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper. The book was an awesome story that taught me that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Many people in the book thought that Melody wasn't smart just because she couldn't speak. However, Melody was super smart.
I liked this book because it illustrates that you can't let what people say or think about you discourage you. Out of My Mind is one of the best books I have read; I didn't want to put it down. I give it five stars!
I recently read the amazing book, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia. This book was an interesting read about Cecile,The Black Panthers, and all the other freedom fighters in 1968 in Oakland, California.
I, in a way, can relate to Delphine. She has to watch, take care, and every once in a while, calm down her sisters. I have two little sisters myself and I have to do the same things Delphine does. However, I don't have to do quite as much. Delphine pretty much has to be the mother, because Cecile doesn't want to spend her time taking care of Fern, Vonetta, and Delphine while they are visiting her from Brooklyn where they live with their Pa and Big Ma.
During their visit, the girls try to understand their mother. In the end, they do begin to understand her.
This book taught me that you often have to be patient in getting to know someone. And thats what the girls did.
On the very first page of One Crazy Summer, the author (Rita Williams-Garcia) captures the reader’s imagination by throwing them on to a plane with three little girls. This book can tell you a lot of the happenings that took place in the 1960’s, but what caught my attention the most was how she described a troop of violent protesters called the Black Panthers. How they wore their clothes, how they talked (especially a character called Crazy Kelvin), how they believed, and how they lived.
In this book there was a connection the three sisters Delphine( the oldest), Vonetta (the middle oldest), and Fern (the youngest)that really spoke to me. I, being the oldest and the one always having to keep my sister safe, was like when Delphine wasn’t going to let her and her sisters participate in the rally where they could have gotten hurt. To find out what happens to these three girls read the book! I highly recommend this book for all ages, it just simply is wonderful!
This morning, I embarked on the great journey that is the book Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez. It is the passionate, (and on more than one occasion, heartbreaking) story of Tyler, a Vermont farm boy who's family is in deep financially, and illegal Mexican immigrant,Mari, and her sisters, Tios (Uncles) and Papa (dad). The two families form an unlikely friendship, which is put to the test when operation Return to Sender is launched, by U.S. Homeland Security.
Through Return to Sender, I opened my eyes. I saw the other side to the story- the big picture. This story puts a spin on the current struggle against immigration. It shows us the struggles to get to our country, to a better life, and then to be rejected, thrown away like a piece of trash- which is exactly what happened to Mari's family after they moved to the states from Mexico, only to have their mother kidnapped, the poilce searching for them, and loads of prejudice in response to their arrival. In Mari's accounts of this torture, I realized that, Ameican or not, we're all people, and this is everyone's home. Immigrants don't simply come here to drive Congress mad, they come here for a promising future, and reasonable living conditions for their family! This book taught me that what we have, many can only wish to have. It taught me how truly lucky I am- how lucky we ALL are-to live in the United States of America.
I can relate to Mari, since we are both big sisters, and feel much responsibility and maturity coming with this job. I can also relate to Tyler, always debating his decisions. Is this the right thing to do? Did I mess up? Luckily, Tyler matures and good always prevails, as "Tiger" learns to do the right thing- even if it's hard, or means sacrifice on your part- good is always for the better!
In Return to Sender, I didn't feel like I was 'reading a book'. I felt like I was going through a great battle of friendship, immigration, and what it means to be American. I didn't think Mari or Tyler were 'characters', I thought that they were just friends, learning and changing together- friends that I was embarking on this great adventure with. Alvarez uses such imagery and emotion, it's hard not to fall in love with this book and it's wonderful characters.
I loved this book, and I definitely recommend it. I'm sure that anyone on either side of the border would, too.
A few weeks ago, I picked up the book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, and I couldn't put it down! Written in the style of an Old Chinese folk tale, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is the story of Minli, and her quest to find The Old Man of the Moon, so he can tell her how to make her family wealthy and prosperous. Minli encounters a wide range of characters along the way, such as her new friend, Dragon, a beloved king, many peach-loving chinese monkeys, and many other wild creatures and characters we can only begin to imagine!
In the book, Minli searches for days and days to find true happiness and treasure. But what Minli finally discovers as she arrives home from her journey, is that you don't need money or jewels to have happiness- those are all a big trick. Real treasure is love. Love, family, friends, togetherness. She learns that her family's real wealth is in her, and the love she shares.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has a fantastic moral- showing us that we don't need much money- and it CAN'T buy happiness. You have to find that in your heart, and the love and care of the people around you.
Overall, I thought that Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a great story that we can learn a lot from. It was a slow start, and I wasn't exactly immediately pulled in, but as I went further into the story, I was really intrigued.
I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a good, long read. I loved it, and I'm sure any other CMS avid reader would, too. Remember, all signs point to: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.
When I read Scat, by Carl Hiaasen, it made me think of Frindle by Andrew Clements because in both books there are teachers that had reputations for being mean but they were actually nice.
When I read Scat, I was in school. After I read it, we went to the beach. I got to see and experience some of the landscape that is described in Scat, because the setting is Florida. I’ve read all three of Hiaasen’s children’s books and noticed that all three are set in Florida.
Red Diamond Energy Inc. drilled oil from an illegal area owned by the government in Scat. This reminded me of BP and the big oil spill in the Gulf because both were hazardous to the environment
I thought that DJ was an interesting character. He was similar, in my opinion, to Tom Sawyer because he acted bad but had his heart in a good spot.
I would recommend Scat to people who love a good crime story with a twist.
-Mason Bivins
The first book I read this summer was Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. It is about three middle school aged kids that protest the building of a pancake house because it would kill a large amount of burrowing owls, which are an endangered species. They protested by vandalizing the construction site and slowing down the building process. I really liked the humor of the main character and how he was very sarcastic. I also found the way they went about protesting very amusing.
This book also interested me because I am a fan of nature and animals. It makes me think about how man is making many animal species become endangered, or even extinct. It was a very enjoyable story and I would recommend it to anyone ages 9 and up with an interest in conservation and an appreciation of good humor.
I read Drums, Girls, and Dangerous by Jordan Sonnenblick. It is a great book about a big brother Steven that is in eighth grade and his little brother Jeffrey has leukemia. Steven has lots to do in school and then when he gets home he has to worry about a sick brother. He even just stopped doing school work.
I liked this book because it had different kinds of writing. It was funny but it was also sad. The book is realistic and tells how a family deals with one of the kids having cancer. It was interesting because it was told by the older brother.
It is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone.
by Jack Byrne
This summer I read the book After Ever After by Sonnenblick, Jordan.
this might of been another one of my favorite book,
I learned that best friends are always there when you need them.I am so similar with Alper.After all this book wasnt boring at all .This was a little sad and little funny book
I thought that the book Out Of My Mind was a good book. I thought it was good because of how Melody described things and told about how hard life was for her with her disability. I disliked the part in the book where Melody’s sister Penny gets her leg ran over. I liked the part where Melody thought about things that happened in the years before the main part of the story took place. The main reason why I think that the author wrote the book is to tell people that even people with disabilities can do things even though other people can’t. Though I liked the book I would not want to be like Melody because I think it would be very hard to do every-day things. The book taught me to not judge someone by the way they look or not to judge a book by its cover. I would recommend the book Out Of My Mind to anyone.
I just finished reading The Batboy by Mike Lupica. This book is about 14 year old Brian. After Brian's major league pitcher dad left his family to play in Japan, Brian just couldn't leave baseball. So he becomes a batboy for his hometown team: the Detroit Tigers. Better yet, Brian's all-time favorite baseball player (Hank Bishop) has returned to the Tigers after being banned for using steroids. He is just making his comeback when he falls into a horrible slump. An unexpected friendship develops between a boy with no father and Hank Bishop:a man with no family.
I really enjoyed this book and it is definitely a great read for anyone who likes baseball. I think that one of the themes in The Batboy is to never give up. Brian never gave up on Hank Bishop even though he used steroids and was in a slump. Also Hank doesn't give up on baseball. Baseball can be very frustrating sometimes, especially when you can't hit. In a few parts of the book, Hank actually did consider quitting his job in the big leagues. This book made me think differently about athletes aren't playing so well. Before I would always think:"Oh, they aren't even trying." But now I know that they do try, and that they could have problems elsewhere,like in their social life or family that effect how they play. All in all, I thought The Batboy was a GREAT book and I recommend it to anyone!
One of the books I read this summer was ''11 birthdays'' by Wendy Mass. When I first started reading this book, I wasn't really hooked. But once the plot started coming together, I was so interested! As I was reading this book, I felt sympathy for both of the main characters Leo and Amanda. I felt Amanda's anger towards Leo because of the mean things he said about her. And I understand why she wanted to just run away and never talk to Leo again.
I also felt Leo's embarrassment, sadness and confusion towards Amanda. His best friend of 10 years ran away from him and didn't talk to him for a year. Leo taught me a lesson not to be influenced to say things around other people, because it will turn into a big mess! And I KNOW I don't want to relive MY next birthday 11 times!
It made me smile reading the secretive humor that only Leo and Amanda could understand about doing things ''tomorrow''. I put myself in Amanda and Leos shoes during this book, and I don't think I would be able to bare the sneaky suspicion of Angela for very long. Although, she did help them get out of the whole mess. I would also be grateful of her for that.
One of the books I read this summer was ''11 birthdays'' by Wendy Mass. When I first started reading this book, I wasn't really hooked. But once the plot started coming together, I was so interested! As I was reading this book, I felt sympathy for both of the main characters Leo and Amanda. I felt Amanda's anger towards Leo because of the mean things he said about her. And I understand why she wanted to just run away and never talk to Leo again.
I also felt Leo's embarrassment, sadness and confusion towards Amanda. His best friend of 10 years ran away from him and didn't talk to him for a year. Leo taught me a lesson not to be influenced to say things around other people, because it will turn into a big mess! And I KNOW I don't want to relive MY next birthday 11 times!
It made me smile reading the secretive humor that only Leo and Amanda could understand about doing things ''tomorrow''. I put myself in Amanda and Leos shoes during this book, and I don't think I would be able to bare the sneaky suspicion of Angela for very long. Although, she did help them get out of the whole mess. I would also be grateful of her for that.
I have just finished reading the book Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan. It is the third in a series of five books. This mythological story is about Percy Jackson (Half blood) and his adventures. His friends and foes go on a quest to stop Kronos and his evil army from destroying the world.
The book has a lot of cool characters but my favorite is Grover. He is half human, half goat which is known as a satyr. There are three things I find interesting about him. First, he has a great sense of humor. Second, I am happy that he is looking for Pan the god of the wild, and Grover is one of the only satyrs that haven’t died yet. Third, he can smell half bloods and get them safely back to Camp Half Blood.
All in all, the book Titan's Curse was a great book filled with mythical creatures, monsters, half bloods and adventure. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series and other wonderful books by Rick Riordan.
Last night, I finished a very compelling story of secrets, struggles, and a magical world of color and shape- A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass. A Mango- Shaped Space was one of the most suspenseful, unordinary books I've ever read, and it is definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
A Mango- Shaped Space is the story of Mia, a teenager (Well, not quite) with a secret: while everyone else just sees numbers and letters, and hears sounds, when Mia hears a door slam, for example, she sees brown streaks come across her field of vision. For her, the letter K is always aquamarine blue, and her best friend's name is a beautiful Green- Yellow. See a pattern? Well, Mia experiences all of this because of a condition called Synesthesia, making her world a world filled with bursts of color and shape, while everyone else’s is just blank.
Mia starts to unravel her secret and finally learns to open up and be grateful for her "colors" by the end of her journey, which I think is a great moral. No matter how different you are, or how strange, you should always be yourself and learn to love who you are and what makes you unique. I also learned that it helps to open up and share more about yourself, and try to talk things over with the ones you trust. Mia did, and in the end, it helped her discover her true self and the good in her way of viewing the world.
This was a very emotional, genuine book for me. And Mass's elegant, realistic descriptions made it feel like Mia's colors and feelings were coming to life. I felt (Spoiler alert!) her loss and grief for the death of her beloved cat, Mango, and her happiness to learn that there were others out there in the world like her.
Overall, A Mango- Shaped Space was a fantastic book- and I learned a lot- especially about a strange disorder that I hadn't previously known much about. I loved this story, and I'm sure anyone else would, too. To me, A Mango- Shaped Space by Wendy Mass exceeded with flying colors!
Colin Dube-Cantin
This summer, I read a book called Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906 by Gail Langer Karwoski. It`s a great adventure about a boy named Jacob who loses his family during an earthquake. I enjoyed this book because this story talks about courage and friendship. Also there are unfortunate events such as crumbling houses, cracking roads, and dying horses.
If you want to know if Jacob found his family, I recommend you to read this book.
Although Scat, by Carl Hiaasen, was not my favorite book, it was still a good story. Scat is sometimes funny and sometimes scary. A humorous part in this book is when the student Smoke eats the teacher’s pencil in half because he is mad about writing a paper on pimples. This was hilarious to me because if you did this in real life you would get in so much trouble.
In some parts of Scat I felt scared. Even though it is a book, it still made me nervous and frightened about what would happen next in the story. When the kids were in the woods in the middle of the night I was nervous that something bad was going to happen to them. When Nick and Marta heard people coming towards them I jumped back. Then Nick and Marta discovered that it was just animals, I sighed in relief.
Scat is a thrill-seeking novel that adventurous people would like. For people who do not enjoy adventures you may like the comedy in this. Read Scat, if you want to read a breathtaking book.
By Mikey Talmadge
I read the book After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. It is a great book about a boy named Jeffrey. Jeffrey had cancer when he was four years old. Now he is in 8th grade and he has a friend named Tad. It tells how they help each other and it is sad at the end.
I am glad that I chose this book because it is sad, funny, and realistic. Even though I am not Jeffrey's age I can still relate to him. Jeffrey seems like a regular boy and you never know that Jeffrey had cancer until he tells you. In my family there are people that have or had cancer and they are like regular people. This book tells me that we should treat everybody nicely. My parents know the author of this book. This book is fantastic.
I just read “Out Of Mind” by Sharon M. Draper. What I learned from this book is that even if you’re disabled it doesn’t mean you’re not smart and that you don’t have feelings. The main character, Melody, is in a wheel chair, can’t talk, can’t write, and can’t feed herself. She wishes she was normal. The book helps you understand her feelings and the challenges she faces.
She also has a skill that nobody knows about. She has a photographic memory. Everything Melody has seen or heard is etched into her brain. I think that it would be great to have a photographic memory! I could go to the Atlanta aquarium and remember all the fish’s common and Latin names by just looking at the labels once. Melody gets frustrated when she has so much to share from her photographic memory. Throughout the first half of the book Melody’s biggest dream is to talk.
A big event in the book that was very emotional was the accident that her sister Penny was in. It made me feel very sad when Melody’s mom hit Penny with their car by accident. I remember feeling not just sadness but shock, and admiration for Melody. Even though she’s disabled, doesn’t have her talking machine, and is buckled very securely in the car she kicks and screams to get her mother’s attention to have her check to see if Penny is safe. I felt relief that Penny was going to be okay.
A connection to my own life is the similarity between Melody and my cousin, Sofia. She had lost 60% of her hearing when she was born. She got hearing aids when she was about 2 ½ years old. Before she got them we didn’t know something was wrong with her hearing so we just thought she was slow. After she got her hearing aids we could tell that she was very intelligent. Now she is losing the other 40% of her hearing so she’s learning sign language and how to read lips. Like Melody, Sofia couldn’t talk before she had her hearing aids and she wasn’t able to pronounce words because she couldn’t hear anything. Also, like Melody, she got a machine that helped her improve in life. She turned 7 years old this year.
The second to last thing that really caught my eye was the cover of the book. When I looked at the cover of the book, when I hadn’t read it yet, I was perfectly clueless. At the end of the book I understood what the cover was supposed to symbolize. The goldfish’s bowl symbolizes Melody’s brain and how her thoughts are trapped inside and how she just can’t get them out. The goldfish symbolizes her thoughts. Melody didn’t know it yet but the goldfish was going through the same feelings that she was going through. He was misunderstood, couldn’t speak up, and going out of his mind. Melody didn’t know that one day like the goldfish she was going to escape and she will finally tell her parents… “I love you.”
The last thing that I noticed about this book is the humor. Melody is serious but she can laugh at herself, “My balance is like zip. Humpty Dumpty has more control that I do!” and “Those aides (that help in the classroom) deserve medals. We’re not an easy bunch.” This book has a funny side but is realistically sad. I’m going to read this book again because I can really enjoy the humor the second time around.
I would recommend this book for anybody who likes comedy and realistic tragedy and I give it a solid 5 stars!
(by Pamela Affolter)
Marcus Tarver-Smith:
Book 1:
I read the book One Crazy summer. It was a good book,about a girl and her mother who left her after a fight. I think the book was great. The pain she must of felt visiting but her mother really did care.
This book really makes you think about how you treat people. They may be different but we are all the same on the inside. You should always respect everyone, and it is never to late to care.
Book 2:
Scat is a fantastic book where the teacher gets in a fight with a student. Later they find her nursing a baby panther. A company called red diamond energy scares away the mother. So they have to hunt her down and return the cub.
What I learned was to respect nature and to never blame somebody for something they didn't do. I also learned to respect your teacher. always do your best and never give up
Marcus Tarver-Smith:
Book 1:
I read the book One Crazy summer. It was a good book,about a girl and her mother who left her after a fight. I think the book was great. The pain she must of felt visiting but her mother really did care.
This book really makes you think about how you treat people. They may be different but we are all the same on the inside. You should always respect everyone, and it is never to late to care.
Book 2:
Scat is a fantastic book where the teacher gets in a fight with a student. Later they find her nursing a baby panther. A company called red diamond energy scares away the mother. So they have to hunt her down and return the cub.
What I learned was to respect nature and to never blame somebody for something they didn't do. I also learned to respect your teacher. always do your best and never give up.
I have been reading The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I thought this was very violent and cruel, but it still was a fantastic book. After reading the back of this book, I practically couldn’t wait to start it. Once I started, I loved it. It is full of adventure and action.
Basically, it is about a girl named Katniss who has to take her sister’s place in the most violent event during the year, the Hunger Games. That she encountered with the capitol.
I just read “Return to Sender” by Julia Alvarez. I really like this book because one of the characters is a Hispanic girl named Mari and I’m Hispanic also. The second thing that I like about this book is that it taught me about real events that are going on in the world. The main characters are Mari and Tyler. Tyler lives on a farm in Vermont and his family is about to lose the farm if they can’t get more workers. They hire Mari’s uncles and father from Mexico to help them with the farm. Mari is almost constantly thinking about her mother, who is still in Mexico, and whether the immigration service agents will capture her family. Tyler is also afraid of the immigration agents coming because his parents would get in serious trouble for hiring Mari’s family. Events like this are happening all over the USA, even in Georgia, where many Hispanics work and live.
The Day of the Dead is one of the holidays Mari and her two sisters introduced to Tyler’s family. On the Day of the Dead Mexicans go to a graveyard where either a loved one or friend is buried. Family and friends gather around the grave presenting things that the person liked or enjoyed. Tyler’s grandmother decided to celebrate this special holiday. She was pleased that she could make a shrine in honor of Tyler’s grandfather without bursting into tears. Tyler was proud of his grandmother for moving on but not forgetting his grandfather all together. This description of the Day of the Dead really interested me because it helped me understand Mexican culture and how they honor their dead friends and loved ones.
Tyler’s decisions about loyalty made a big impression on me as I was reading this book. He was torn between being loyal to his country or being loyal to his friends. The part that got me angry was when Tyler wouldn’t talk to Mari because his choice was to be loyal to his country. He ignored Mari and her sisters in and out of school. I disliked Tyler when he chose his country instead of friends because what Mari really needed most at that time was a friend. At the end of the book Tyler realized Mari wasn’t just a dark skinned immigrant; she was his best friend and a person that was just the same as everybody else. The author showed how complicated the choices were by writing the book from each main characters’ perspective.
I would recommend this book for everybody.
(By Pamela Affolter)
A few weeks ago i started reading the fifth book of a series called "Lady Friday" By Garth Nix. It was an amazing adventure from start to finish and I think it is one of my favorite books. It was exhilarating to feel utterly sucked into the book, and reading for hours on end.
One of the things that I think drew me in was the extremely strange sensation of a different world with different styles and dangers, as well as culture.
In the story, it makes you think about how strange this world would be to you, like how diseases and sicknesses are treasures because they cannot be caught in that world. This book is very meaningful in Garth Nix's series of seven, and I would strongly suggest it to anyone who's into fantasy.
By Oliver Benson
Recently I read the book Scat by Carl Hiaasen. This book highlights environmental issues such as human beings killing endangered species. Scat also describes how companies take resources from habitats that animals live in. In Scat, the Red Diamond Energy Inc. is drilling oil from land that belongs to the state of Florida where animals such as panthers live. I realized that this is probably happening right now in our world and is part of the reason that some animals are extinct or endangered. When you kill off certain animals, other animals that feed off that animal are affected. After they starve and die, the whole food chain and natural balance of nature is affected.
I suspect that large companies around the world are taking non-renewable resources from the public lands. This is robbing us of our resources making what we already have more scarce. Part of the reason that the Red Diamond Energy Inc. is drilling for oil is because the demand is great. We use oil to fuel our cars and run various tools and machinery. We can conserve oil by walking or driving to school instead of driving in a car. This conserves fuel and helps us stay fit by walking more. Another benefit to increasing exercise is to decrease childhood obesity. This is an issue that The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is fighting for. The main point is everything links to everything in the world while you try to use less oil you are also helping your self stay fit and active. Even if this book is fiction, it helps you realize that the issues in Scat are happening in the real world and will encourage you to help our environment. This book was definitely a good read and I would recommend it to everyone.
I just read the book: I, Freddy, by Dietlof Reiche. I loved this wonderful story. This is about a golden hamster, named Freddy, who wants to read and write, a very wise tomcat named William and two annoying guinea pigs that sing poems named Enrico and Caruso.
I really enjoyed this book because I love stories that involve animals and that are really funny and unordinary.
I recommend you to read it, if you want to amuse yourself, want to have a great time, and if you like animals.
By Colin Dube-Cantin
I just read “11 Birthdays” by Wendy Mass. The main character is a girl named Amanda and she has a friend named Leo. They’ve been best friends for 10 years. On their 10th birthday, which they were celebrating together, Leo said something that hurt Amanda’s feelings. She was very upset so she destroyed anything that she and Leo had made together during their friendship. Then something strange happened on their 11th birthday. I won’t spoil the book but let’s just say a curse is part of the story. The things that I learned from this book are don’t say mean things about people when they’re really your closest friend and don’t be ashamed of who you are.
Leo and Amanda’s 11th birthday parties represented their different styles and personalities. Amanda’s party was a Hollywood themed party. It revealed the goofy and quirky side of her personality. I think that her style is great and I think that she would be a great friend to cheer you up when you’re down. Leo’s party was more punk and showed his inner quirky rockstar. I think Leo would be an okay friend to have but he is a little over the top for me.
Leo and Amanda’s feelings towards each other changed very much through the course of the story. At the beginning Amanda and Leo haven’t talked to each other for a year and Amanda wants to keep it that way. Leo was confused because he didn’t know exactly what he had done wrong. At the end of the book both characters know each other better than they did the during the first 10 years of their friendship. They have a special bond after they worked together to end the curse. I would recommend this book for everybody and especially for people that like quirky humor plus a little science fiction.
(By Pamela Affolter)
Wow. That is all I can say. I’m speechless. Wow. I have just finished reading the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and I am truly moved. The feelings the story brings to you are so powerful.. The lessons the author teaches you are lessons we should always remember. This novel is amazing. In case you didn’t know the book is about a very intelligent girl named Melody Brooks with Cerebral Palsy. She is eleven years old and has never spoken a word or moved a muscle in her life. No one knows it, but Melody is a genius. This story is about Melody’s struggles in life and how she overcomes them. How she proves to the country that she is not a waste of space. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Melody receives her Medi-Talker in the mail. She said to her parents, “Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom. I am so happy. I love you.” When Melody says those words you feel so overwhelmed with emotions. I cannot explain exactly how I felt with words. It’s amazing how those eleven words can be so complex. I also really enjoyed the part where Melody proved the whole school wrong and made the quiz team. I think one of the strongest parts of the book is when Melody gets purposely left behind at the airport by her quiz teammates going to Washington D.C. It proves that being crippled doesn’t prevent people from having emotions. This is a very thought-provoking novel. It’s inspiring. Knowing that people like Melody have to go through struggles every day that we usually face once a year makes you want to be a better person. To think before you speak or stare. Make everyone feel like they belong. Out Of My Mind takes you on a journey of many emotions. On this journey you will feel more emotions than you usually feel in a day. One page of the book could make you feel ecstatic, but on the next, everything comes tumbling down. This story taught me many things. I learned that being crippled prevents you from doing hardly anything. Crippled people are the same as anyone else except for they might have a couple little unnecessary glitches in their bodies that no one else has. Everybody has glitches. It’s normal. So why treat people different if they are the same as you? We are all equals. I learned that everybody has feelings. I knew that before, but sometimes we humans forget that people have feelings. I was taught that nobody is “normal” or “broken”. Everyone is amazing. Everyone has their own little spark that belongs only to them. I know, saying that everyone is amazing isn’t very original. But it is very, very true. My father once told me that you can read the GREATEST books over and over and over again and each time they will feel like a completely different story. Well, I have read the novel Out Of My Mind before, and I won’t lie. I think I just proved him right.
-Karla D.
Wow. That is all I can say. I’m speechless. Wow. I have just finished reading the book Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and I am truly moved. The feelings the story brings to you are so powerful.. The lessons the author teaches you are lessons we should always remember. This novel is amazing. In case you didn’t know the book is about a very intelligent girl named Melody Brooks with Cerebral Palsy. She is eleven years old and has never spoken a word or moved a muscle in her life. No one knows it, but Melody is a genius. This story is about Melody’s struggles in life and how she overcomes them. How she proves to the country that she is not a waste of space. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Melody receives her Medi-Talker in the mail. She said to her parents, “Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom. I am so happy. I love you.” When Melody says those words you feel so overwhelmed with emotions. I cannot explain exactly how I felt with words. It’s amazing how those eleven words can be so complex. I also really enjoyed the part where Melody proved the whole school wrong and made the quiz team. I think one of the strongest parts of the book is when Melody gets purposely left behind at the airport by her quiz teammates going to Washington D.C. It proves that being crippled doesn’t prevent people from having emotions. This is a very thought-provoking novel. It’s inspiring. Knowing that people like Melody have to go through struggles every day that we usually face once a year makes you want to be a better person. To think before you speak or stare. Make everyone feel like they belong. Out Of My Mind takes you on a journey of many emotions. On this journey you will feel more emotions than you usually feel in a day. One page of the book could make you feel ecstatic, but on the next, everything comes tumbling down. This story taught me many things. I learned that being crippled prevents you from doing hardly anything. Crippled people are the same as anyone else except for they might have a couple little unnecessary glitches in their bodies that no one else has. Everybody has glitches. It’s normal. So why treat people different if they are the same as you? We are all equals. I learned that everybody has feelings. I knew that before, but sometimes we humans forget that people have feelings. I was taught that nobody is “normal” or “broken”. Everyone is amazing. Everyone has their own little spark that belongs only to them. I know, saying that everyone is amazing isn’t very original. But it is very, very true. My father once told me that you can read the GREATEST books over and over and over again and each time they will feel like a completely different story. Well, I have read the novel Out Of My Mind before, and I won’t lie. I think I just proved him right.
I read One Crazy Summer By Rita Williams-Garcia. It is a very good book. I liked the part about the three sisters going on an excursion out of Oakland, California to see the Golden Gate Bridge. The way I relate to Delphine and her sisters is that I have been to Atlanta to see CNN Studios and World of Coke! Just like Delphine and her sisters, I like exploring my state, too.
I also learned about the Black Panthers in this book. This past year we studied the Civil Rights Movement, but did not cover the Black Panthers. I learned that the Black Panthers message was spread more by force and violence than Martin Luther King Jr.'s method of using peaceful marches and protests. However, I think their method was effective to get through to some people and they helped to get the Civil Rights Movement noticed. I would definitely not have joined the Black Panthers because I like to get things accomplished without violence.
This book teaches history from a kid's point of view and I recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
By Bailey Veeder
Great job on the book responses! Keep on posting them. I have so enjoyed reading your thoughts on all these great books. I'm almost finished with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets I've been reading with Gretchen. Two down and four to go!
Come see me at the CMS media center today if you have time!
At the start of summer, I read a very entertaining book that I was surprised I hadn't found before. This book was "City Of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau. The main characters in this book are amazingly well thought out and develop throughout the book. I think it would be horrible if I were to live in Ember, the underground city. Ember is underground, but nobody in Ember knows that. The city is lighted by millions of light bulbs, but as they are start to run out of these necessities, our two main characters decide it's time to get out of Ember. This intriguing story
shows the life of two teens, trying to save their world. I think it is one of the best books I have read, and would suggest it to anyone who likes mystery, and deep thought.
I read the book Scat by Carl Hiaason this summer. I really liked the entire book. To me it proves that you should not judge a book by it's cover. I'm using this as a metaphor with respect to the character Smoke. Everyone thought that he had set the fire in the swamp, because he had been on parole for setting 2 other fires. However, he turned out to be helping his science teacher with a panther cub until they could find its mother.
So, as we go into middle school we should not judge people by the way they dress, talk, or by what we have heard. We should talk to them and learn about who they are and what they do.
By Joseph
I read the novel in verse All The Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg. This novel made me realize how we as children live a relatively safe life in the United States, compared to kids in other places in the world.
Children that live in countries that have civil wars and conflicts going on have to live with a constant threat of being bombed, or living in the next battle field. Matt Pin was one of those kids living in a country with conflict. Living in Athens, there is no threat of being bombed or having my neighbourhood become the next war zone. I'm fortunate I just get to be a kid.
By Joseph
The first book I read over the summer was Scat, by Carl Hiaasen. I didn't think that i would like the book at first, after the first chapter I was hooked. This book can teach you to have persistence, like when Nick and Marta wouldn't give up looking for their missing teacher.
I enjoyed this book because it was very suspenseful. It kept me reading till I found out where their missing teacher was. This book was also sad. Nick's father was in a war and his arm got blown off and they weren't sure that he was going to make it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good book to read.
One book I read this summer was Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. I was looking for a fun book to read and I thought of this book. This book was great. It was a funny and happy story. This book could teach you to forgive people and not hold a grudge on someone, like when Opal forgave the Dewberry boys for calling her names and they became friends.
I liked this book because it made me think of all the good things in people and not the bad.That's an important thing when your trying to make friends. This is a good book and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy,fun book to read.
I just read “Scat” by Carl Hiaasen. The book takes place in Florida and is about an environmental issue. The thing I learned from this book is don’t judge a book by its cover, in other words don’t judge people just by the way they look. In the beginning the Red Diamond Energy Co. wanted to drill for oil in a environmentally protected swamp that is home to an endangered animal, the Florida panther. They also wanted to kill the panther and scare away anyone who came to the swamp so they could drill oil illegally and privately. I felt really angry that the company wanted to kill an endangered animal that didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know about some people but I’m on the panther’s side.
One of the parts of the book I enjoyed the most was the friendship between Ms. Starch and Smoke. Ms. Starch is Smoke’s biology teacher at a private school. Smoke is a delinquent that used to set fire to billboards. At the beginning they did not have a warm friendship at all. Ms. Starch ordered Smoke to write a 500 word essay about pimples. In return Smoke ate Ms. Starch’s pencil, graphite and all. Smoke and Ms. Starch are very misunderstood people. They look tough and mean on the outside but inside they both have a love for nature. Turns out Ms.Starch, Smoke and their friend, Twilly found a baby panther cub in the swamp that needed to be returned to its mother. They both worked together to save the cub and that created the bond between them.
The title of the book was the one of the things that caught my attention. The title, “Scat”, means wild animal poop. Who would want to read a book that has a title like that? However scat played an important part in the book. Smoke was locating the mother panther’s poop to track down where she was and reunite her with her cub. I would recommend this book for people that like environmental thrillers and the author’s special humor. (By Pamela Affolter)
Recently I read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. This touching novel shares a quest in a young girl’s life. Minli feels that her family does not have good fortune. Wanting to change that, she sets off to find the Old Man of the Moon. Legend says that he can tell anyone how to change his or her fortune. She heads to the Never-Ending Mountain meeting friends along the way, like Dragon, A- Da Fu and the Buffalo boy. In the end she realizes that her family’s fortune is fine the way it is because they have each other.
Even if this is a folk tale, it connects to real life because in this economy many people think that having a house, food and a family isn’t enough. They want wealth, a mansion to live in and feasts for dinner. What they don’t realize is that many people live on the street with no home, no food and no family. The homeless would be very happy to have a place to stay, some food and people who care surrounding them. Unfortunately their futures are uncertain. That’s why we need to be grateful for what we have because many people struggle to live.
An example of gratefulness is how in the Village of the Moon Rain the villagers were content in their cottages even if they didn’t have a lot of food since they had their family and friends. They were blessed with their flowering bushes even if that was all the growth they had. When Minli asked if they wanted to change their fortune they replied “Why would we want to change our fortune?” This book truly taught me to be grateful for what I have. The folk tales inside the novel taught me important lessons. My review is based on the stories “The Story of Wu Kang” and “The Story that Ma Told”. These both speak of appreciating what you have. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was very aspiring and I would highly recommend it.
Yesterday, I finished reading the very intriguing book: 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. To tell you the truth, I have never read anything quite like it. The summary might sound very un-original. But on the first page, you can tell that you are going to need to get ready for a very interesting ride. The writer caught my attention on the very first word! By the time that the plot started coming together, I couldn’t put the book down. My absolute favorite thing about the book was the curse. That was definitely a major setback in the book when Amanda and Leo tried to break free of the day-repetition problem. I also liked how Amanda and Leo would use the day-repetition problem to do things that they had never done before. That was very encouraging! This book, like many others taught me very much. I have learned that your real friends will stick with you and support you no matter how difficult the situation. I was taught that I shouldn’t let peer pressure influence me in to saying or doing things that could potentially ruin my life in the long run. I learned that sometimes, the person you call a best friend isn’t at all your best friend. With your BEST friends, there will always be something to talk about. The novel 11 Birthdays reminds me so much of a song we sing at my camp. The song is about making new friends and keeping the old. In this book, Amanda didn’t want to keep one of her old friends. She and her friend Leo suffered the consequences. You know that feeling you get when you are in your room or at the library cuddled up in the corner reading the most wonderful book you’ve ever read? The feeling you get when you read this book will be 20 times better.
Over summer vacation I also read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin. In this great book you learn one man can move a mountain and he lives an adventure of a lifetime. Three Cups of Tea is good because the story is so living and vivid. It almost felt like I was walking side by side with him. Thee Cups of Tea is a very serious book even in the abridged version. An interesting thing about it is when I was reading it my mom was reading the unabridged version, which made it fun to compare the two books. Of coarse, mine had more pictures. Three Cups of Tea is an exciting nonfiction adventure and it must have taken so much courage and bravery to take on such a quest.
My favorite parts of the book are when Greg gets lost in the mountain ranges of K2, the second highest mountain in the world, and when he established the CAI. Through Greg’s story I learned how to persevere when times are challenging. Last year I persevered through my own challenge of heights, although nothing compared to what Greg had to overcome, I did my best. I know that through my challenges when I persevere I feel like I have accomplished something great. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys autobiographies, adventure and to see the hero persevere and make a difference in our world.
By Bailey Veeder
I just finished reading Countdown by Deborah Wiles. This book takes place in 1962 when everyone is waiting for a bomb to fall out of the sky. Russia is sending nuclear missles to Cuba, and it only gets worse. Franny Chapman has to worry about her crazy old uncle, her sister that has disappeared, and her best friend suddenley not liking her. On top of all that, she is also worrying about bombs.
This book taught me a lot about the 60's. It features lots of great photos from the 60's as well as newspaper clippings and quotes. One of the popular commercials in the 60's was "Duck and cover". This commercial was telling you what to do if there was a bomb. I really enjoyed this book and i reccomend it to everyone!
Yesterday, I finished reading the very intriguing book: 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. To tell you the truth, I have never read anything quite like it. The summary might sound very un-original. But on the first page, you can tell that you are going to need to get ready for a very interesting ride. The writer caught my attention on the very first word! By the time that the plot started coming together, I couldn’t put the book down. My absolute favorite thing about the book was the curse. That was definitely a major setback in the book when Amanda and Leo tried to break free of the day-repetition problem. I also liked how Amanda and Leo would use the day-repetition problem to do things that they had never done before. That was very encouraging! This book, like many others taught me very much. I have learned that your real friends will stick with you and support you no matter how difficult the situation. I was taught that I shouldn’t let peer pressure influence me in to saying or doing things that could potentially ruin my life in the long run. I learned that sometimes, the person you call a best friend isn’t at all your best friend. With your BEST friends, there will always be something to talk about. The novel 11 Birthdays reminds me so much of a song we sing at my camp. The song is about making new friends and keeping the old. In this book, Amanda didn’t want to keep one of her old friends. She and her friend Leo suffered the consequences. You know that feeling you get when you are in your room or at the library cuddled up in the corner reading the most wonderful book you’ve ever read? The feeling you get when you read this book will be 20 times better.
My second book I read this summer was, ''After Ever After''. This book made me feel very appreciative of the people around me, even when they aren't the greatest. This book taught me that nothing is pointless. And that everyone has a purpose.
All throughout this book it made me question some relationships I have in my life. All in all though it taught me to live life to it's fullest because everything is worth it.
The second book I read this summer was Sounder by William H. Armstrong. I picked this book because I love dogs and it looked interesting right away. This book reminded me of Old Yeller, which is my favorite book. This book was very suspenseful and exciting.
One reason I wanted to read this book was that it was a Newbery award winner book but it wasn't huge. The story started sad in the beginning but ended up happy. One of the best parts about the book was the surprising event near the end about the main characters dad. I don't want to give away the ending so you have to read the book yourself if you want to know what it was.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
I. Collins
Trenton Lee Stewart
A mysterious add pops up in the news paper reading " Are you a gifted child looking for special opporunities?" Many children Try took take the brain Teasing series of test, but in the end only for pass. All either runaways or orphans
Once all four of them meet the book really takes shape. Theres Reynie, the smart, kind leader, Sticky,in witch information littarelly sticks to his mind, Kate the athletic, always prepaired tomboy, and last but not least Constence the stuborn, short, but clever "little" girl. They where all brought together by the mystious Mr.Benedict.
They where all sent to a institute to stop the evil Mr.Cutain , who was broadcasting messages trought tvs to brain wash the world
This Book really entertained me trough out the long car rides invovled with summer vacation. I liked the writers style about how you begin to care about the charecters. I really loved thid book, I give it 5 stars
The Mysterious Benedict Society
I. Collins
Trenton Lee Stewart
A mysterious add pops up in the news paper reading " Are you a gifted child looking for special opporunities?" Many children Try took take the brain Teasing series of test, but in the end only for pass. All either runaways or orphans
Once all four of them meet the book really takes shape. Theres Reynie, the smart, kind leader, Sticky,in witch information littarelly sticks to his mind, Kate the athletic, always prepaired tomboy, and last but not least Constence the stuborn, short, but clever "little" girl. They where all brought together by the mystious Mr.Benedict.
They where all sent to a institute to stop the evil Mr.Cutain , who was broadcasting messages trought tvs to brain wash the world
This Book really entertained me trough out the long car rides invovled with summer vacation. I liked the writers style about how you begin to care about the charecters. I really loved thid book, I give it 5 stars
I have been reading the Lost Hero, by Rick Riordon; this was another book of the Percy Jackson series expect that there is a whole new problem in olmpyis and this time it was much bigger than the last.
This time 7 new and old half-bloods must team up with there long time rivals the roman half- bloods to take down the most powerful god of them all and his powerful group of giants
I loved and just finished reading the Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler. I loved this book cause it helps you understand that at first you might not want to do something but you end up loving it.
The main character Penny Lane right away knows that she doesn't want to make friends or go to a new school in Hogs Hollow. All she wants is to go back home to Manhattan, New York.
I learned that you have to at least give things a chance before you make up your mind about it.
Sorry about the no paragraphs in both of my posts. I don't know what happened!
-Karla D
I just finished reading the very "radical" book, Schooled, by Gordon Korman. Schooled was a very moving, uplifting story about teenager, Capricorn (Cap, for short) who, for all of his life, has been raised on the "Community" of Garland farm. He knows only one name (His grandmother, Rain) and one way of life. On Garland, everything is simple. It's stayed that way ever since 1960- and that's the way Cap likes it. But his world is turned upside down when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums, and has to stay in the hospital for two whole months, leaving Cap with no choice but to live with a volunteer family and begin life as a modern, ordinary kid- and face his worst nightmare- Middle School.
I loved the humor, purity, and positivity of this story- whether Cap is trying to find the "Fictional Geography Lab" or giving a crash course on driving at age thirteen! I was truly uplifted and inspired when, in the face of prejudice and bullying, Cap held his pride, and his innocence, and treated his tormenters with just as much respect and kindness as his best friends.
Schooled made me realize that we should always keep our heads high, and be ourselves. There's no need to change for someone, or think you're a loser, just because they don't show you the compassion you show them. If you do, in the end, people will learn to love you for YOU.
I also loved the format Korman used in the story- expressing multiple points of view, and intertwining all of them. This way, you understand the characters' motivation and reasoning. I also got to know them better, and understood the story a little more.
I loved Schooled, by Gordon Korman, and I'm sure anyone would absolutely love this groovy story!
Johanna Hall
MOCKINGBIRD
By: Kathryn Erskine
Mockingbird is a very good, and exciting book. It reminded me of how life can be hard sometimes, and you just need to stay positive through it. The book is about a girl with Asperger’s disease named Caitlin, and some of the people around her going through the deaths of Caitlin’s brother, Devon, who was shot at his middle school. I was amazed at just how positive Caitlin stayed during that time. But even though she was positive, a lot of the people around her were sad, especially her dad. And that made me feel like her dad needed more support and more people to care for him.
I think Caitlin was a very strong character, and was very brave through these deaths. I’m also glad that she ended up finding a friend that she could relate to. He is a kindergartener named Michael who lost his mom at the middle school shooting. At first, I felt bad for Caitlin but then I realized that she was happy and she didn’t need anyone to feel bad for her. And that made me think of someone I knew who had a disease, and I used to feel bad for him, but this book helped me understand that I shouldn’t feel bad for him, but instead treat him like I would anyone else.
Johanna Hall
WAITING FOR NORMAL
By: Leslie Connor
Waiting for Normal is about a girl named Addie who is going through some tough family times. She is living alone with her mom in a trailer and is trying to live life without her dad and her two sisters after her parents got divorced. I think this book is a good example that sometimes times can be tough, but that’s life and you have to bear through. And I say that because everything was a mess for Addie because her mom just got a job and she started leaving the trailer for up to seven days at a time. Addie had to care for herself and her new hamster while her mom was gone. But, she kept herself entertained by going to the minimart across the street to see her friends, Soula and Elliot.
But, at the end while her mom is gone, the trailor catches on fire and she is sent to live with her uncle then later reunited with her dad and sisters.
Another thing that I though was interesting about this book was that whenever you thought something was going to happen, something else happens instead. So this book is never boring because it keeps you thinking about what is going to happen next.
I thought that the book 11 birthdays was a good book because it was mysterious and realistic. I thought it was mysterious because the day kept repeating itself over and over again and I thought it was realistic because there were not too many far-fetched ideas. I liked the entire book but my favorite part of the book was when Amanda thought that she was going crazy when the day started to repeat itself over and over again. The main reason that I think that the author wrote this book is to show that friendship can last forever. The book taught me not to believe everything that I hear.
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is a book about a slave girl named Isabel who tries to fight for freedom. Isabel is very stong because she keeps fighting no matter what. For instance, Isabel shows her strength when her little sister gets shipped to Charlestion,
when her mom dies and when her father leaves her. Isabel gets branded for running away , but doesnt give up on trying to find freedom
I learned in this book that nothing is impossible if you just believe it can happen. Laurie Halse Anderson is teaching readers to always believe in themselves like Isabel did. Isabel always believes that one day she will be free and see Ruth again. She believes this even when all hope is lost. Chains is a book full adventure and hope.
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper is about a girl named Melody who has Cerebral Palsy. This book explains the struggles that someone with a handicap goes through to succeed om life. It is also a tribute to the people who are willing to help and believe in those who are not like everyone else.Some of the people who helped Melody were her Mom, Dad, next door neighor, and her special helper at school.These people gave Melody the support she needed to be strong and face challenges every day.
Melody is an admirable character because she never gave up. She continued to work hard in school even when people didnt think she was smart.Although Melody couldn't speak she found ways to participate with other kids. Even though the wiz kid team left her and she felt betrayed she went back to school the next day. Throughout the book,Sharon Draper teaches readers to appreciate what they have and to always be considerate of people who have handicaps.
Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin is a story about a girl named Minli who lives in the valley of the fruitless moutain.
Minli believes in every thing her father say from the stories and the folk tales of her people.Minli sets out to go meet the man on the moon to help her families fortune after talking to a gold fish.Along the way she mets a dragon, meets a buffalo boy, and runs into a tiger which attacks the dragon.
I learned from Minli that the paths to what you want may have many challenges.I also learned that friends can help you along the way. I admire Minli because she helps her family out by finding their fortune and bringing fruit to the fruitless mountain.Minli had strength because she loved her family and believed that the fruitless mountain would come back to life one day.
Last month I finished reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. Probably the best book on the reading list! The characters where so vivid and the stories they told where full of color. The characters expressed every thing in the book so that I didn't skip a single word!The book made me wonder how the author mixes themes of friendship and adventure so wonderfully.
I really liked Dragon because I can relate to being weighed down by something (or someone) and not being able to do something! I also admired his loyalty to Minli(main character), and the strength he used to drive off the Green Tiger.
I recommend this book to ages 7 and up. Read this book, you won't regret it.
A few days ago I read this awesome book called 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. It was NOT what i expected! Instead of teenage drama it was really magical. To be honest I thought it would be a boring novel about how some girl was getting over losing a best friend. Boy was I wrong!I loved this book because it was kind of like a fantasy, but so real!
I can relate to both Amanda and Leo because I lost a friend too, but differently than they did. I have to say, the author really gave me characters I can relate with! They where quite stubborn, but luckily they where trapped in a curse together, so they have plenty of time to make up.
This book made me think about how there are some friendships you just can't pull apart. I recommend this book for anyone who can read!
When I read Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper, the book transformed me in a way I cannot explain. Melody, being disabled allowed me to go into the life of someone who has her disease and look at the advantages, (even though there weren’t many) and disadvantages. As I read the book I got curious about what inspired Sharon Draper to write such a wonderful book and I found out that she too has a disabled daughter. She says, “I’m pretty sure she’s smart, but I am her mom. Of course I want to believe that. So I created Melody not as a portrait of my daughter, but as a character who is truly her own being.” Now that spoke to me loud and echoed deep. I read on.
That’s when Penny, Melody’s little sister, was born, and I got scared thinking that she was going to be like Melody. Not abnormal, l but different, and then when she was born you knew right then something was going to happen. Later on Melody got her Medi-Talker, and I then wondered if there really is technology that can let people do that sort of thing. I never looked it up but if there’s not in this period of time I’m sure someone will invent it in the future. Then Melody is accepted into the Wiz-Kidz compotation I feel that now she is accepted with people like her. Smart. What if you brilliant but could not communicate? To find out what happens read Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. I recommend this book to ages 9 and up! It will keep you guessing!
I just read “After Ever After” by Jordan Sonnenblick. The main character is a boy named Jeff. He had cancer when he was in kindergarten but he was cured by the time he reached 4th grade. That was the same year he met his best friend, Tad, who also had cancer. The story is about Jeff and the challenges he faces in 8th grade, especially Tad’s death from liver failure.
Tad’s death was the most emotional part of the book for me. I had a text to life connection. My grandmother lives in Michigan and has liver cancer. She will probably pass away soon. She loves to hear from her children and her grandchildren so I call her almost every day. She is always happy to hear my voice. Tad died in the hospital as the result an operation but my grandmother is in her house surrounded by people she loves.
Tad and Jeff’s friendship brightened up the story. It started when Jeff was in fourth grade. Tad was a new student and bald. The teacher sat Tad next to Jeff. Jeff reassured Tad by telling him that he had cancer too. Tad said, “Wow, congratulations! What do you want, a medal?” I think that Tad’s personality was bitter but also bittersweet. In the end Jeff broke through Tad’s barriers and became his best friend. I would recommend this book for people that like realistic tragedy and interesting characters.
(By Pamela Affolter)
One crazy summer by Williams-Garcia really made me think about how thankful I should be for my life since I don’t live in a worn down home. This book makes you think about the wonderful thing you have been given. You start to wonder what it would be like if you had these characters lives. You start to think about people who have been abandoned. You wonder it would be like to have their lives.
I could kind of relate to this story because I have a sibling and in One Crazy Summer the book is centered on three sisters. During the book they have a few fights but that’s what all siblings do. So I can relate to the three sisters. What I love about this book is that there are ways that people can, in some way connect to these sisters. One Crazy Summer is an amazing book.
Return to Sender by Julia Alverez is a book that makes you think and that you can somehow relate to. How I can relate to this story is that there are three sisters in this book and I have a brother. So I can relate to how the three sisters argue sometimes. I can also relate to how friend can be so close that they are like family to you. Mari and her two little sisters called the main character’s (Tyler) grandma as if she was their own.
Return to Sender can also take you back to a time when you loved something so much and it was almost taken away from you. This book can make you think about making best friends that will keep forever. In the book Tyler and Mari become best friends that will always contact one another. Another way I connected to this book and most kids would is that all kid characters went to school. Return to Sender is an amazing book that everyone should read.
Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez was one of the two books I read this summer. I liked this book more than my first book. Return to Sender showed me how fortunate I am. Every now and then I don’t appreciate everything I have. It opened my eyes to some serious issues that can face young children today. It’s hard to imagine life without our close family and friends. While I was reading this book I thought of how blessed I am to have a full family.
The reason I say this is because I can wake up and see both my parents. When Tyler’s farm needs workers for the farm they hire a family from Mexico. If they are caught with working Mexicans without documents they could get in serious trouble. Tyler is hesitant to be friends with a girl, whose name is Maria. Tyler finds out Maria hasn’t seen her mother in a year. Even though the characters are not real, this happens to kids my age every day. The message to me from this story is realizing that I am extremely fortunate. This book shows how friendship can reach across borders. There are important messages and ideas shown through the characters in the story. I would highly recommend this book to other readers.
By Mikey Talmadge
One of the books I read was 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass. This book can easily be applied to any child's life because we all love birthday celebrations. Yes, some of our birthday's are even on the same day but we never celebrate them at the same place. This book brought to my attention that most middle school kids tend to have their birthday parties at night on a Friday or Saturday.
Amanda's dad suddenly got very ill the day of her party. Although, he was very sick he still kept his work and DJ his daughter birthday party. This lets me know that our parents always will support us no matter what and how they may feel.
I recommend this book because of the "real life" situations that we as kids can apply it to our daily living.
The other book I read was All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg. This was a really good book that I enjoyed. This book made me think about baseball or any sport and how we are nervous about try-outs. It also made me feel sad because sometimes at school kids get picked on by bully's. We should always respect our peers and not judge others. You never know how a person is until you get to know them on a personal basis. Always remember to treat others as you would like to be treated.....with respect. Go Owls!
Yesterday, I read an adventurous tale titled Woods Runner written by Gary Paulsen. The book is about Samuel,a thirteen year old boy who one day finds his village destroyed by redcoats in the heat of the Revolutionary War. His parents, who were captured, are taken prisoner in New York. I like this book because of its showing of determination and courage. It teaches you the horrors of the war and how it can change your life around.
This book made me think about how you always have to look out for each other. I think Samuel would not have completed his journey if it weren't for Annie. Annie who had recently lost her parents travels with Samuel through pain. This was a great book and, I recommend it to people who like war stories.
1 week ago I read a novel titled The Big Field by Mike Lupica. This story is about Hutch, a star baseball player looking to advance to the state playoffs. But Hutch has his own personal problems with superstar Darryl Williams, a cocky shortstop who is supposed to be the next great thing.
Hutch has much greater problems with his dad. His dad, a former baseball player himself, could never make it to the majors and was now an embarrassment to Hutch. He worked two jobs and had not done anything with Hutch for the longest time. It gets worse when he finds his dad playing catch with Darryl Williams. Will all these problems end up hurting Hutch and the whole team? I recommend this book to baseball fans everywhere.
I have just finished reading THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH By: Rick Riordan. It is the fourth in the series out of five books. This adventurous, suspenseful story is about Percy Jackson and his friends go on a mission through a labyrinth to find Daedalus (a great inventor who made the labyrinth) so they can stop Luke’s army from destroying Camp Half Blood.
In this story my favorite character changes for me. It is no longer Grover (the satyr). Now my favorite character is Nico Di Angelo. Nico is a boy who just recently came in the third book The Titans Curse. Nico is an 11 year old boy who hates Percy Jackson because he believes he let his sister die when they were on a quest. Also he is the son of Hades. He’s really cool because he can somein people from the dead. Also I thought it was funny because when he was ten he played this card game called Mythomagic. My favorite thing he said on time to Dionysus about his card game (a god) was” all my friends think your card is useless but I think your card is great”
All in all, the book The Battle of the Labyrinth was splendid book half bloods, a labyrinth, and new characters. I can not wait until I read the fifth book The last hero.
I just read “It’s Raining Cupcakes” by Lisa Schroeder. The main character is a girl named Isabel whose mom is going to open up a cupcake shop. The problem occurs when Isabel rides her bike past an old burrito shop and she notices a popular bakery chain called “Beatrice’s Brownies” is opening up. Isabel’s mom thinks that they should just forget their shop because they are no match for “Beatrice’s Brownies.” I thought that Isabel’s mom was very poor spirited because whenever just one thing went wrong she gave up. I learned from this book that you shouldn’t give up on your dreams so easily.
Isabel had a talent for baking and she loved doing it, kind of like me! I enjoyed the description of the different kinds of cupcakes that her mom’s cupcake shop sold, especially the recipes for the S’mores and Grandma’s Applesauce cupcakes. It made me feel like I wanted to bake some cupcakes right away! It also inspired me to dream about owning my very own cupcake shop. Every chapter was named after a different type of cupcake with a clever little description. My favorite was, “S’mores cupcakes, can’t go wrong with chocolaty marshmallow perfection.”
Isabel helped her mom change throughout the book. Isabel’s mom was easily discouraged and she was scared of flying on an airplane. Isabel thought that her mom was a coward. When Isabel won a baking contest for her chocolate jam tart recipe her mom decided to get over her fear of flying by going with Isabel to New York City for a bake-off. In the end Isabel realized that she really helped her mom and herself by trying to get to know her mom better and by helping her with her fears.
(By Pamela Affolter)
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