The Clique

                                                                                                          Stephanie

                                                                                                          English, Per 6

                                                                                                          September 16, 2009

 

The Clique

 

 I read the book The Clique by Lisi Harrison. I chose this book when someone I knew recommended the book. They told a short story about the book and thought it sounded interesting. I went ahead in reading the book.

 

This book is about a 12- year old girl named Claire Lyons. Her father's friend, William Block, is very rich and lives in a mansion in Westchester, New York with his wife and daughter. They let Claire and her family live in their guesthouse until they bye a house. The daughter of Mr. Block, Massie Block, is the most popular girl in OCD, the all girls' school she attends. She has a popular, alpha clique of 3 other girls: Alicia Rivera, Dylan Marvel, and Kristen Gregory. She is the best and exclusive to the people she hangs out with but is forced to hang out with Claire, a simply nobody with no friends. Claire just wants to fit in but thinks Massie is just being mean so she tries to give Massie a taste of her own medicine.

 

There is a quote in this book that is important to the theme that I would like to share. "Claire noticed the girls in the pictures… 'I can't wait to meet everybody.' (Claire). Massie lifted her eyes like if she was peeking over a pair of sunglasses. 'Our friends and I have our own thing going and you'll probably feel weird if you try and join in.' (Massie)" I chose this quote because this quote shows that Massie would not accept Claire. These words are the words that show when Massie started being mean and ignoring Claire.

 

The rating system in this book will be shown with 5 rings:JJJJJ. J= boring, JJ= somewhat interesting, JJJ= interesting, JJJJ= take it some places with me, and JJJJJ= lost in the book. I give the book 5 rings. I chose rings because the girls in The Clique are very fashionable and wear a lot of jewelry.

 

The Clique is a very interesting book to read. It is really interesting because it gives you a look into the lives of 5 interesting girls. This book shows you not only the perspective one girl, but also the perspective of all of the girls. It explains every detail of the story, from their thoughts to the clothes they wear. I recommend this book to girls of 11 years and older. There might be some speech that you might find rude in this book.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic

Zdislava

Period 4, English

September 15, 2009

 

 

 

Confessions of a closet catholic is about a girl who decides she wants to give up on being Jewish and become Catholic. Like her friend Maria or Mac. The title may sound interesting and was what cot my eye. Confession of a Closet Catholic, she is called a closet catholic because she is not allowed to practice another religion so she practices in the closet. But the book is not just about her practicing a new religion, there is more.

One quote in the novel really touched me. "I wish I was something that I just can't be". As I read this quote I thought of all the times I wan'ted to be or wanted to have something that I just couldn't have. I was reading this book non stop but when I heard that I stopped reading and just thought. I think everyone feels the same way. "I wish I was something that I just can't be". At this moment in the book the girl's mother finds out that she is a practicing catholic. The main character starts explaining everything to her mom and she starts sobbing. It was her breaking point.

If I could make a rating system I would make it using stars. No stars being an awful book. One star being a non interesting book such as a math book. Two stars would be an alright book but not recommendable. Four stars would be a good book. And finally five stars would be an amazing book. I definitely will give this book five stars.

                   I definitely recommend this book to anyone who does not feel like they have the right religion. Or people that like books that are heart felt. Fool of meaning and make you feel every emotion. Happiness, Sadness…. There is one warning, you will be surprised.

A Child Called "It"

Annie Period 6 9/15/09     The title of the book I read is, A Child Called "It".  The author of this book is Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer is also the main character in the book. I actually selected this book because I took advice from a friend. I came up to my friend and asked her about a list of books that included children that were troubled while growing up. The first few words that came out of her mouth were the title of this book. I knew that I had to read at least the first chapter of the book to figure if I was interested in what it had to say. After reading the first chapter, I knew that it was the right book for me. This book was really inspiring and made me realize how lucky I am to have the life I have.  The main characters in this book are Dave Pelzer and his mother. This is a brutal story of a young boy who got abused every moment of his young childhood. Dave Pelzer was only a child when his alcoholic mother abused him. She made him do shocking things like forcing him to burn himself on the stove or things like barely feeding him. When she did feed him, she gave him frozen foods. Dave Pelzer spent every waking moment obeying his mother's ridiculous and mind-blowing demands. On top of all that she timed Dave on his chores. One day in particular, the family finished their dinner and Dave's mother called him up from the dirty and filthy basement he lived in so he can clean up after them. Dave's mom told him that he had 20 minutes to clean the entire bathroom. She told him that if he was one second late, she would kill him. After saying that, she got the knife and stabbed Dave with it. He was bleeding and all his mother did was put a towel over it. Dave's mother also stopped calling Dave his son; instead he was known as "the boy". Dave also had to do things like eat his own waste. One time, she made him clean the bathroom tub but she also placed a bucket filled with a mixture of Clorox and ammonia right next to him and locked the door. He used to torture and at times felt like he was about to cough up his intestines. This is why this is called one of the worst child abuse cases in U.S. history. Dave Pelzer, a child in need in desperate times, always prayed to the lord and tried to make the best out of the worst situations. He mentioned a quote in the book which reads: "I am the king". I think that this is a very empowering statement. He was not treated like a king at all but his positive attitude towards things made him the winner in his mind and in all of our minds as well. I think that having the courage to share his story itself is phenomenal but  to have the courage to survive this life was mind-throbbing. I can't feel the exact same pain that he has felt and I don't think that anyone else can either, but I feel so bad that no one was there when he needed someone to talk to or get advice from. I loved this book.  This is a New York Times Bestseller and I think that it deserves many awards of recognition. For my symbol I chose two hands reaching for each other. I think that this symbol represents courage and it also represents one child's courage to survive.   I gave this book  4 out of 4 stars because I think it is absolutely brilliant. It shows that people can express their emotions in so many different ways. Even though Dave went through all that, he now share's his story with the world and inspires people everywhere.     I would really recommend this book to a lot of people. I would specifically recommend this book to children ages 11 and up. The reason for this is because the book gives full detail of torture and abuse. I think that it would be inappropriate for young children to hear about them. I would recommend this book because children can see how lucky they are to live their everyday lives and feel thankful for what they have. I also think that this book shows that if people share their stories they can always relate to each other one way or the other. I truly think that people should know that the text or information in this book is really brutal and it's hard to get out of your head. I loved this book and I think you will like it too. This is not only a story of abuse, it is a story of one child's courage to survive.

Number the Stars

Amanda

                                                                                    English Period 4

                                                                                    September 16, 2009 

For this book review blog, I chose to review the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I selected this book because this is a book that interests me. Another reason why I chose this book was that once I read the back I wanted to keep on reading the book, so that is what caught my attention. I read this book because I have gotten many recommendations from friends and family and because it is a New Berry Award book, so it must be interesting.

In this book, there are two main characters. They are two girls around the age of ten who are best friends. Their names are Ellen and Annemarie. Their families have known each other for a long period of time. In the book the Holocaust was going on so it was dangerous everywhere. Annemarie was Christian, so her and her family were safe, but Ellen was Jewish, so her and her family were not safe. Ellen's parents left her to go to a safer location, so Ellen had to stay with Annemarie. (So she was safe.) Then Nazis found out she was there, so Ellen, Annemarie and her family left to a safer location. They all sneak away, but guess who finds out that they sneak away… Many more things happen in the book but to find out what happens you must read the book.

There are many quotes in this book but this specific quote very much stands out to me, "When the war ends." Mrs. Johansen said. This whole book is about war so when someone says when the war ends has a huge impact on the read like me. During a war when someone says that it means that they have, hope that the war will end soon but in reality the war might not end for a while or rarely it will end soon. That quote is very inspiring to me and probably to many other people who read this book. This quote is also important to the story because the book ends with a little bit of happy in it so that quote probably inspired the ending.

The rating system for this book will be from one star to five stars. Getting five stars means that it was an amazing book and that you should read it. If the book gets a one star that means that it wasn't the best book and it was not interesting. This book is going to be rated with stars from the title of the book, Number the Stars. I would say that this book receives five stars. The book was interesting, it had suspension, and once I started to read the book I could not put it down.                           &nbs p;                               

Number the Stars is a book to read when ever you get a chance. It is a book that you will never put down and you will love the book so much that you would want to read it a second time. I am recommending this book because it is suspenseful, it teaches you how life went with wars like this one, and the book has mystery in it. Therefore, if you are the type of person who likes to read about wars, like the Holocaust, and like reading mystery novels then this book is the book for you. WARNING: If you do not like reading about wars and sadness then you should not read this book!

 

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Maya Mrs. Huff Per.5 The novel The Perks of being a Wallflower is written by Stephen Chbosky in letter form. Back in 7th grade my sister would always tell me how fantastic this book was. I was never a big fan of reading but I decided to give the book a shot. Once I opened this book I could not put it down. When you read this book you really jump in and in many ways relate to the story. This book is happy yet very sad but, is overall an amazing story. Charlie is a teenage boy at high school who sends letter about his life to a person he has never met. Charlie discusses his hardship to this person which includes his two best friend's death; his Aunt and his only friend Michael. He is a lot different than everyone around him. His brother is super athletic and his sister has a big mouth. Charlie is embarrassingly shy about everything and finds it difficult to make friends. One day Charlie goes to the homecoming game where he would meet people who would forever change his the way he lived. Charlie meets a boy named Patrick who is loud; Patrick introduces Charlie to his step-sister Sam. Charlie gets introduced to drugs and finds out people like him for him. He mostly connects with his friends threw mix-tapes with his favorite songs on them. He then meets a girl named Mary Elizabeth who loves him but, he doesn't feel the same w ay. When Mary Elizabeth is told Charlie doesn't have the same feelings it brings conflict between him and all his friends. Charlie befriends one of his teachers who shares similar interests with him. Charlie one day over-doses on drugs and wakes up in the snow only to realize what he has become. Charlie realizes what he has done but tries to continue living his life. The ending will definitely bring tears to your eyes but warmness to your heart. One quote that stood out to me in this story was when he wrote in his letter, "It's kind of like when you look at yourself in the mirror and you say your name. And it gets to a point where none of it seems real. Well, sometimes, I can do that, but I don't need an hour in front of a mirror. It just happens very fast, and things start to slip away. And I just open my eyes, and I see nothing. And then I start to breathe really hard trying to see something, but I can't. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it scares me." This quote was very powerful because it defined how he really felt. This quote is very deep and it made me think very long and hard until I understood which is why I love it. Overall I give this book give this book a complete five out of five cassettes ( ) because it was a very easy read. I didn't feel like I was forced to read this novel I actually wanted to take in every sentence of it. I would strongly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading realistic- drama books. This book is something everyone can relate to in a different way. It is the perfect amount of happiness and sadness. And the best part about this is that it doesn't sugar coat anything it is like reality. If you are going to read this brace yourself for tears!

Dairy Queen

Emily

English Period 4

September 16, 2009

Dairy Queen

I chose to write a blog about Dairy Queen a book by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.  The reason I chose this book is because when I first began reading it I wasn't into it at all but as I started to read more I was hooked. I was given this book by mom, who picked it out for me as a Hanukkah present. She always seems to pick out the books with interesting covers and titles and so far that has worked out.  In this situation the book didn't sound appealing at first but you have to trust a mothers instinct.

The main characters in this book are fifteen-year-old D.J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, Brian Nelson Quarterback for Hawley High School and rivals of Red Bend, Amber who is best friends with D.J. and her little brother Curtis Schwenk.  The Schwenk family owns a dairy farm in Red Bend that D.J. does most of the work. One day the Hawley High School coach Jimmy Ott, long time friend of the Schwenks, asks if he could have his star quarterback Brian Nelson help out on the farm. Well, right away D.J and Brian get off to a bad start but as they find more in common such as football they find it easier to be around each other. As well as working on the farm D.J. helps Brian train for football season but discovers some things about Brian and herself along the way.  Maybe there is a reason why her little brother Curtis never talks and her older brothers never come home to visit, or why her only friend is Amber and why Brian Nelson might not seem so bad.

D.J Schwenk says the quote that I find most interesting, " When you don't talk there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said." D.J. doesn't like to talk about her feelings and that is the way her family is as well. She always says how the Schenks deal with things is by not saying anything and hoping it will blow over in a few days or weeks but sometimes it could take months. I feel this quote demonstrates how D.J. feels about her family and the life she lives where she has a lot to say but no one to say it to.

The rating system I developed is: One milk bottle represents that the book was okay but I wouldn't recommend it. Two milk bottles represents the book was good but I wouldn't read it again. Three milk bottles represents that the book overall was good but there were parts that were really boring. Four milk bottles represents that the book was good at the beginning but towards the end I couldn't put it down and I would recommend it. Five milk bottles represents that the book was amazing and I could never put it down and I would read it over again. I give my book four out of five milk bottles because I wasn't into the book at the beginning but as the book progressed I found it more interesting and I couldn't put it down. For my rating system I am using milk bottles because the Scwenk family owns a dairy farm, so I thought it would be a good idea to use this image. 

 

              Three reasons I would recommend this book are, it is very realistic and has a mix of athleticism and romance, the characters and the plot of the story are very interesting, and the book shows what it is like to balance so many things such as school, sports, boys, and work.  I would recommend this book to girls between the ages of eleven and fifteen. Warning there is some adult content and language. I would recommend this book to readers who like books about people's lives and their struggles and thoughts. There is no mystery, no action or adventure but there is a great story if you look behind the pages.

--
Emily

Homeless Bird

Arman September 16, 2009 Arman September 14, 2009  Period 4

                                                                                                        

                                                        Homeless Bird                 

 

    Hello, my name is Arman Hairapetyan and I'm here  to tell you about a book I've read called "Homeless Bird", written by Gloria Whelam. You probably want to know why I chose to talk about this book, and the reason why is because Mrs. Mischkot, my 6^th grade english and history teacher, wanted the class to read a book for a project that we would soon have to do. I wanted something intrasting and I judged the books that I was viewing in the classroom shelves by its cover. I saw the book "Homeless Bird" on the shelf and it caught my intrest because of its covar of a lonely girl in a corner quilting a  shawl . I read a few pages of the book to see if I made the right choice for me, and I did. I love to learn about the cultures of the world and this book had a great promise , but thats not the only reason I read it and if I tell you what  its really about , it will ruin the story for you. The main theme of the story actually starts in the beginning of the story .

     The main character of the story is named Koly, a fourteen Hindu girl from a small village in India. Koly from my point of view, would be the only main character in the story. Through out the story, Koly has been living with many different people such as her parents, in-laws, and in a home somewhat similar to an orphanage. So you see, Koly has been switching homes for many reasons weither it was her being abandoned or givin away to through out the story, she is mainly involved with those who she lives with, rarely those who she does not.  I wont try to give away to much details about the story , but here's a brief summery about the story. Koly is a fourteen year old hindu girl who is forced to an enranged marriage with a boy who was much younger than her. It was soon revealed through out the story that Kolys in-laws actually used Koly to receive her dowry money for their son who is actually very ill. They wanted  to use the money so they can go to the Ghengis river in a different city in order to hopefully have him healed once he is placed in the rivers water. Soon enough, Koly's husband, who was the boy died and her mother in-law has abandoned her in the city with barley any money. The book tries to send a message to its readers that you are never alone, people care about you and that you can live life if you fight for it. Koly went through tough situations that she solved on her own, which soon lead her to something that she didn't expect, and if she can do it so can you.

  There is a quote in the story that says" even a homeless bird can find a home". What the quote is trying to say is that you are not always alone and never give up on finding a family, or a place where you can relax and call your home. The reason why I chose this quote is because at one point, Koly did become a homeless as a child and she gave up hope and thought that she would always be alone, but she was wrong. She proved herself wrong when her dreams became reality. The importance of the quote  in the story is that it became reality and brought joy, hope, and love to a girl who once had a broken heart.

    I rate the book 5 stars because it was well written, the story was very detailed and even taught a bit of the Indian language.  The story described the characters and setting in detail to a way where you can imagine what it looks like. The story also brings in emotions towards Koly once you discover her suffering through out the book. As you can see above on the first page, there is an image of a dove. I chose a dove as an icon for the story. The reason why is because a dove resembles freedom, love, hope, and joy, as well as to nurture . All this that the dove resembles comes true for Koly as we discovers these facts one by one though her rough journey as the homeless bird comes to anend

 Three reasons why I recommend this book. One, because it teaches a large portion of the Indian culture and life. Two, the book send a message to children that they are never alone and can accomplice hardship. Three, its very detailed and starts your mind to think what could possibly happen next and also see a glimpse of what many hardship people young and old face today. I recommend this book to an audience who love to learn about other cultures ,and to those who love to follow a journey that of a child and how he or she accomplish their hardships and end their journey with a happy ending. There are no warnings that need to be notified. 

The Whale Rider

Ethan                                                                                                 English, Period 4                                                                                                 September 16, 2009                                                                                                 Mrs. Huff       Over the summer, in my camp class, we read several books and compared them to the movies.  We read three books, and the one that stood out to me was The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera.  I chose this book because it was the most realistic of the three books that we read.  I have always enjoyed non-fiction book, so I was surprised that I enjoyed this book so much.  It turned out to be the best choice for me.             The story is narrated by the character, Uncle Rawiri, and starts with the birth of his niece Kahu.  She is the granddaughter of the Maori tribal leader.  Her grandfather, Koro Apirana, does not favor her because she is a girl.  He really wanted a grandson.  Shortly after she is born, Kahu's mother dies.  She is eventually sent to live with her father's family.  When Kahu is a young girl her father leaves to find work.  Once gone, there is no male to pass on the role of leader to.  The grandfather is worried about what will happen when he dies; he is afraid that the tribe will end because there will be no male that possess' the magical power of speaking to the whales, like their great and powerful ancestors could.  Kahu wants to be counted among the possible leaders, but her grandfather ignores her.  She tries many times to get his attention by doing things that the boys do and performing well in school, but her grandfather often pretends that she doesn't exist.  Kahu's grandmother, Nanny Flowers, and her Uncle Rawiri are her biggest supporters; they know that she is special, even if the grandfather doesn't see it.  At the end of the story, Kahu proves her grandfather wrong and shows that she can be the leader of the tribe.  There are many themes in this story, but the ones that stood out the most, were keeping the tribe's identity together during both good and gloomy times and how someone could be a good leader even though they are young.             The quote that had the most significance for me, was when Uncle Rawiri had seen Kahu and told Nanny Flowers, "I found Kahu way up on the bluff, calling out to the sea. She was making that mewling sound and then cocking her head to listen for a reply."  It was an important quote because it was the first time that her family heard her call out to the whales that were dying on the sand below her.  It was at that moment, I believe, that her family (except for her grandfather) began to realize that she had the special gift of communicating with the whales.  This special gift, however, carried a big burden for this young girl and it made her family sad to see their precious relative in so much pain.  This would prove to be a major turning point for Kahu, her family, and the entire tribe.             To rate this book, I have chosen a system using pictures of whales.  I am rating this book using a 1-5 rating scale with one being a book that no one would enjoy and that I would not recommend, and a five being a book that is a must read for all.             I recommend this book to children twelve and over because it shows that if someone works really hard and believes in him or herself, they can become a leader – even at a young age.  I also recommend it for children who have had a hard life and who may have been told that they don't matter.  Stay strong and continue to prove yourself; one day, someone will notice it.  Furthermore, I recommend this book to anyone who likes animals and nature.  Although many people will like this book, there are some warnings for those with weak stomachs who are sensitive to animals being harmed by humans.

Sleep-away Girls

Maxine

Period 2 English

9/15/09

Sleep-away Girls 

 

           Over the summer I went to the book store and noticed an eye catching book cover.  The book was called Sleep-away Girls and was written by Jen Calonita.  The title was both appropriate and intriguing.  So, I decided to purchase the book after reading the back cover.  I am very glad that I bought this book. 

 

          This book follows the story of Sam Montgomery and what happens when she goes to Whispering Pines sleep-away camp.  Sam decided to go to Pines because her best friend got her first boyfriend and they became inseparable.    Poor Sam makes her first enemy within the first 30 minutes of arriving at camp.

What is even worse is that her enemy is the Queen of Pines and the camp director's daughter, Ashley.  Not to mention, Sam is crushing on flirtatious Hunter which just might ruin her summer, if Ashley doesn't first.

 

         "What's up with you guys this summer?  Ever since she got here you've been acting weird and annoying."   ~Ashley.   I thought that this quote summarized the whole war between Sam and Ashley. 

I thought this because you can tell that Ashley is insecure because Sam became very popular fast.  You can also tell that Sam never meant to make Ashley feel insecure.  If Ashley knew that Sam wasn't trying to make her feel bad I think they could have been nicer to each other. 

 

         If I had to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I would give it a 9 .    I gave it this score because at times it was a bit predictable, but in a good way.  Even though it was predictable in a good way, some readers may not like knowing what is coming up.  Other than that, any girl between the ages 10-17 will fall in love with this book.   It is a must-read!

 

         If you enjoyed reading this review, you will enjoy reading the actual book ten times more.  It has a hilarious comedy side, a sweet romantic side and an innocent naive side.  Plus it is current and has a lot of mischief.  This book has everything a female teenager or pre-teen would want in a book.   Enjoy reading!!!

---

Jeserine
Period 2/English
September 16, 2009

    Go Ask Alice by Anonymous is a great book and became one of my favorite books.  I chose this book because is filled with many twists. It's not like other books because it isn't in chapters. The entire book is written in a diary form. I've read many books before, but I decided  this a good  book to read since it's based on a true story.  My older sister showed me this book. She told me what it was mainly about and it caught my attention. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it back down. If you like shocking stories, I encourage you to read this book.
    This book is an actual diary written by an anonymous 15 year-old girl. She felt as if her life was going  wrong. She has issues with her crush Roger , her parents, and she worries about her weight. Then her father got a job offer as a college professor at a new school. The teen get's excited and decides to clean up her life. Once the family moves, everyone seems to enjoy their new home while she feels like she doesn't fit in. After meeting her Jewish neighbor, Beth, things became easier for her. Then summer came, she went off to her grandparents' home. While she was with her grandparents, she met up with her old friend Jill. Jill invited her to a party where the troubled teen is introduced to drugs. There, she  lost her virginity to a guy at the party she barely knew. After that, she promises she wouldn't do drugs again. She goes back home and meets a hippie girl named Chris at a thrift store. She tries drugs again, and she even begins to start selling them for her new  boyfriend, Richie. Richie turns out to be gay, having an affair with Chris's boyfriend, Ted. After that, her and Chris run away to San Francisco where her and Chris get raped. They both return home and she goes to a psychiatrist. Instead of staying away from drugs, she continues to use them and runs away to Denver.  There, she met a girl on the streets named Alice, who was going through a situation similar to hers. After living a drugged life, she realizes she should go back home. The teen began improving her self-esteem and lost contact of drugs. Her dad introduced her to a guy names Joel. He makes a great impact in her life, and changed her thoughts in life. There's more, but the ending will have to be a surprise.
     "I'm partly somebody else trying to fit in and say the right things and do the right thing and be in the right place and wear what everybody else is wearing. Sometimes I think we're all trying to be shadows of each other..." This quote shows how she is lost in the world and is struggling to fit in with the crowd. She doesn't know how to be herself yet. This quote is significant because in the whole book, she has trouble filling in her own shoes. As she tries harder and harder to fit in, she doesn't realize that she is living below the influence. I chose this quote since it explains how and why she began doing drugs.
      I give the book five 'under the influence' symbols because this is an outstanding book. The symbols represent how she constantly follows the crowd and doesn't do the right thing. She get's addicted to drugs, has sexual orientation, and even runs away from home. I chose that symbol also because it shows that she has done something inappropriate and unnecessary. It's rated with five 'under the influence' symbols also because even though she does drugs, it is still has a touching story.
      I recommend this book if you enjoy reading daring and mysterious books, this is the right one to chose. This book can inspire many people. They can relate to the story and learn a good lesson just by reading it. Go Ask Alice can also help teens stay away from drugs and not give into negative peer pressure. Even though this is an amazing book, it involves lots of drugs and sexual content. It may also be too inappropriate for younger children. Go Ask Alice is a perfect book for teens going through trouble, and even parents with teenage kids!


                

   
 

The Outsiders

Siegel
Per.2 9\16\09
Mrs. Huff

The book I prefer is called THE OUTSIDERS written by S.E. HINTON. I selected this book because my teacher gave it to me as an assignment. I wasn't to exited about it but when I was bored one day I read a couple pages I was amazed at after 20 pages I couldn't put it down. I not much of a book reader and I can for sure tell you that you could hate books and be obsessed with this one.

This book is about two gangs called the socs and greasers and their conflicts day after day. The socs are a group of rich kids that drink, pick on greasers, and drive around in their fancy mustangs. The greasers are small groups of tough hoods that smoke, steal and get in fights with socs. Neither side sound so great but if you read the book you'll understand who the good guys are. A greaser stabs a soc protecting his friend and the socs dies. The two greasers run away and where they are a whole bunch of drama happens. This book makes you think rather than anything else. There is a little bit of everything in this book.

The quote I can remember the most that is most significant is "When I first left the darkness of the theater I could only think about two think Paul Newman and a ride home". Once you have read threw the whole book you will understand what this sentence means.

The only rate this book deserves is 5 spades: ªªªªª

          I recommend this book to anyone who is anyone: 12 and above. One reason is that it's a book with just about everything a reader could need except fantasy; drama, action, mystery, thriller and a little bit of romance. Another is that on top of the action and drama there is a moral that fits this book very well. Third is that the book won the Pulitzer Prize.

Burned

Sarah Period 4 English September 15, 2009 Burned by Ellen Hopkins The title of the book I am doing my report on is called Burned by Ellen Hopkins. I selected this book because it had a really good plot. I also think that I can somewhat relate to this book too. I also started reading the beginning of this book when I was in the hospital in late May but I didn't get a chance to read it often. This book is about a 17-year- old teenage girl, Pattyn Von Stratten. Pattyn lives in a Mormon household, her father is an alcoholic who beats his wife and believes that women are just servants. On the other side, her mother believes that a woman's duty is to have as many children as she can, particularly a boy so he can carry on their family's name. Pattyn is tired of her lifestyle and the way her parents act towards her, so she rebels against the rules she has at home and at church. Eventually, she gets into a fight and her family has gotten too tired of her attitude so they send her to live with her Aunt who lives completely in the middle of nowhere for the summer so she can stay out of trouble. A quote I felt that was important in this book was, ""Forever has no meaning when you're living in the moment. I wasn't ready for that moment to end."' The reason why I chose this quote is because Pattyn goes through many things in the story that she wants to stay like they are forever. But sadly, some events in the book don't pan out the way she wanted them to. To rate this book review, click one of the flames. The first flame is the lowest rating and the last is the highest. In conclusion, this book is recommended for those who want to read a story that's written with a different style of writing. It's also recommended for those who enjoy reading about tragedy and romance. One thing you should consider before reading is that this book is a bit mature and the situations are very realistic,sometimes they can even occur in someone's life.

What Is The What

Zoe
per.1, English

Over the summer, I read a book, which monumentally changed the way I thought about life. What Is The What by Dave Eggers. The story of me selecting this book isn't that exciting. I did what I always did, walked into Barns and Nobel and asked them what they recommend. When they showed me the book, I wasn't that excited about it, but as soon as I read the preface it was IMPOSIBLE to put down.

This book starts out in the present and slowly fades into the past. Valentino is at home, a 20-30 year old man, when there is a knock at the door. Having no reason not to answer it, he does. There is a woman asking to use the phone, he watches her until she goes into his room, and locks the door. When he turns to close the door he is being assaulted at gunpoint, robbed, and beaten until all he can see goes black.
    Slowly as the story proceeds he begins to tell the tragic stories of crossing Sudan, and the murder of his family, his best friend, and the one he loved. When he was but a boy he lived in Mariel Bai, a small village in southern Sudan.  Everything was all right until the Murahaleen arrived and attacked. They killed everyone, burned down the village, raped the women, and poisoned the wells; leaving them with nothing. Their only chance to survive was to escape.
    As the story slowly unravels he tells the story of how he had to walk day and night to get to their "promise land", Ethiopia. Thousands of boys, walked, with little to eat or drink. Some boys were weak and were left behind, some died of terrible disease, some bombed, and lost in the dead of night.
The stories of the travels of the Lost Boys are epic, and unlike anything you've ever read. Not only does it tell in detail the feelings and imagery of the walking, but of the thousands of boys left abandoned, hungry, thirsty, and dead. They were all wishing for Ethiopia, their promise land that they would never set their eyes upon.

"He drops the book. It is the first time in my life that I have seen something coming toward me and have been unable to properly react. I try to turn my head but still the book lands squarely on my face. The pain is compounded by my existing headache and the ricochet my chin makes against the floor. The phone book slides off, toward my forehead and rests there, against my temple. Thinking he has accomplished his goal, he returns to the kitchen and the volume goes up again. This boy thinks I am not of his species, that I am some other kind of creature, one that can be crushed under the weight of a phone book.
The pain is not great, but the symbolism disagreeable."
    I believe that this quote has the most importance in the entire book, not only does it show the discrimination against the character, but it symbolizes how people can be so cruel to someone that's not of their skin color, or race, or size, just for the way they look. I believe the author put it perfectly when he says; "…The pain is not great, but the symbolism disagreeable."

Rating (out of 5):
    
I choose the sun to represent how Valentino had to walk through the blistering hot sun to get to Ethiopia.

I would DEFINATLY recommend this book to anyone. Why? Well here are 3 reasons:
1.    It has such an intense and beautiful insight into life.
2.    It especially concentrates on the issue of discrimination in a way no one has herd before.
3.    It tells about an unheard of war and the seize of Mariel Bai, all through a Childs eye.
Cautions:
Cussing, some sexual references, Descriptive gory scenes.