Book review blog, elijah runcorn

Runcorn, Elijah

Period 2

11/14/08

The book Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson was a very compelling book to read. I had never read this book before and probably would not have, had it not been introduced to me in my English class. The title wasn't very compelling, but once I started to read it, I was immediately drawn in. If I had judged the book on the title alone, I would have missed reading a truly good book. I decided to report on this book because I would like other people to read it and look beyond the title.

The story centers on the character Melinda, who loses all of her friends at the end of the summer, after a traumatic and horrifying event. She enters high school without any friends and begins to feel like an outcast. Her friends from eighth grade have joined other small clicks and have left her alone. She wants desperately to fit in, but the events that happened that summer begin to eat away at her. What happened is constantly in the back of her mind and she is unable shake it. She finally is able to make one friend, whom she begins to depend on, but this is not enough. She still has many difficult roads to travel.

One significant quote from the book is, "It's the cops. How could you do that?" No matter what anyone says, if you are in trouble, you need to do whatever it takes to right it. You need to be honest. Even if it means that you will lose friends. Your well- being is much more important than your social life. Some people think that they will lose friendships over horrible events. However, if people were really your friend they would stand by you regardless of the circumstances. I chose this quote because it shows how some people care more about social status than true friendship. If something terrible happens to you then you need to be honest and tell someone immediately. You have rights and are protected by the law.

The rating system I chose for this book is the tree system. I chose the symbol of a tree because Melinda is focused on making a perfect tree in art class. This is prominent throughout the whole story. However, she realized after much struggle, that there is no such thing as a perfect tree. Trees have gnarled branches, imperfections and scars. I thought this was a symbol that represented Melinda and this book well. This book is rated 9 trees out of 10, ten being the best book I have ever read and one being the worst. I only gave it 9 trees because of the strong language.

This book is best suited for an audience of thirteen to eighteen years old because of the intense subject manner and strong language. It is also best identified by this age group because it is about a high-school girl. This book should be read because of tragedies that take place every year during parties during the teenage years. It is a true, but sad reality that needs to be addressed. This book shows how peer pressure can have a negative effect on your life and demonstrates how cruel teenagers can be. It is important to note that this book suggests explicit sexual content.

The Voyages of Ulysses - Ulises Garcia

Garcia, Ulises English, Period 6 November 20, 2008 Mrs. Huff The Voyages of Ulysses - Ulises Garcia For this book report, I chose the book called The Voyages of Ulysses by Clifton Fadiman. I chose this book because of the title it had. I looked and noticed that the title was some what related to mine, so I decided to read it. I also decided to scan some of the book and it seemed interesting how it had to do with the story of this legendary hero. Most of the time when I choose a book it's by either how cool the title is, or how interesting the back of the book is. I also like looking at the mystery suspense books. The main characters was Ulysses. Ulysses was a Greek warrior who fought in the war Between The Greek and the Trojans. When Ulysses is finished with the war he decides to go back with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. On the voyage back to his home town Ithaca, Ulysses confronts many obstacles. He has to fight his way through raging waters, one eyed giants and more Ulysses traveled for long time one by one losing men until he was the last one. All was gone except for him and his boat. Then all of a sudden the great god of the sea destroyed his boat and Ulysses had to swim to the nearest island. Were he was cared for and granted a new boat. The brave soldier was of again on the voyage to see his family. The quote that I chose from the book goes something like this. "Whichever man among you can string this great bow which belonged to my husband, and shoot an arrow through every one of the twelve axe handles, as my husband did, that man will I marry". This quote was important because at the end it is one of the things that helped Ulysses return to the throne he had lost. If Ulysses' wife had never brought that up Ulysses would of never been able to Prove he was really the great Ulysses. This quote also helped get rid of all the other tyrants that were finishing up all of Ulysses' food and wine. I chose the long bow as my rating system. I decided this because that is what really helped Ulysses at the end of the story. One longbow means it was a waste of time, two longbows which means it was an ok book, and three means it was cool and worth you're time. I give this book a three. I give it a three thanks to the adventure it gave me. I recommend this book to people that enjoy reading about mythical creatures and stuff like that. One reason I recommend this book is because it has a lot of adventure. Another reason I recommend this book is because it is very cool how Ulysses uses his knowledge to get out of tight situations. The last reason I recommend this book is for the way that they make Ulysses seem like some sort of ancient iron man.

Eldest - Dustin Lee

Lee, Dustin
English Period 6
11/19/08

Eldest

I read an awesome book called Eldest by Christopher Paolini. This book is the sequel of the first book called Eragon. I liked this book since I like reading about fantasy stories. Also I like it since it has magic and swordfights. Huge battles, dragons, and mythical creatures are also not uncommon in the pages. This book is a great one.
This main character in this story is Eragon and his dragon companion, Saphira. Both of them are currently in the Beor Mountains at Tronjheim, the Dwarven capital. A new Varden leader must be chosen since Ajihad was killed in battle and Eragon and Saphira must continue their training in Ellesmera. He travels with Saphira, Arya, and four Dwarven guards. They arrive at the city a number of days later and rest at the city for the training will begin the next day. Eragon quickly learns spells and fighting techniques while Saphira learns about wind currents and how to avoid being hit by projectiles. Both of them soon become stronger and their bond together grow. Eragon soon receives a message from the Varden, a plea for help. The Empire is soon to attack the Varden and Eragon and Saphira's powers are needed on the battlefield. This fight will be epic!
I think that an important quote in this book is said by Oromis," You are as good a swordsman as ever have I met." This is quite important to the story for Eragon would have been killed during the countless sword fights in the past months. From fighting Urgals to Ra'zac he has proved himself on the battlefield. His skill with a sword is very impressive.
I would rate this series of books and in particular Eldest, a 50 out of 50 circles! I would rate this book a 50 since I enjoyed everything in the book. The huge fights, climactic endings, fearsome monsters. This book has quenched my thirst of literature for some time now ever since it came out. This is my #1 series of books at the moment.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

I would suggest this book to kids from age 10 and up. There is a lot of violence and gore. From huge battles and decapitations, this is not a young child's book. There is also some romance in this novel and cursing. Last of all, there is also mischievous schemes that young children can copy.

Shamless-Aida Rodriguez

Rodriguez, Aida English, Period 6 November 21, 2008 Mrs. Huff Shamless The book I read was Shameless by Paul Burston. How I selected this book was I was very interested in the cover. It was simple, white, and had a non-animated picture on it. I don't usually select a book this way but I did and I was surprised how much liked it. I carefully read the summary of the book on the back and was immediately interested in the story-line. It was really worth reading. Shameless is about a guy named Martin who is trying to find himself. Martin is gay and is shameless about showing it to people. The problem is he is 30 and only getting older. He really wants to find a partner to spend the rest of his life with but he explains in his own heart-warming words how it's different from regular straight people. He has certain problems and demons he must face along the way and he leads us through his sometimes unforgiving journey. This book made me feel for Martin through the whole story and really surprised me with its twisted ending. It was definitely some of the most well spent hours of my life. "And so I woke up like any morning and looked in the mirror. Looked at the guy with deep, black circles under his eyes, the one who has partied for long hours many times a week, the guy who deeply unhapp with himself. I looked at the mirror and thought that this has to change. I have to change." I really enjoy this quote from the book because it started the beginning of Martin finally unlocking who he really is as a person. He finally realized he wanted to be better and make a transition to the life he wanted to live. He taught me that me that anything can be achieved with self discipline. He is a truly inspirational character The rating system I chose was a ring, mostly to show partnership and marriage that Martin will hopefully find. It will be scaled as one ring being terrible and five being amazing. If I were to rate this book it would be a definite four rings. It had me on the edge of my seat and guessing what was going to happen around every bend. You have to read it to believe it. If you are a realistic fiction type of reader or just like to read new things this book is definitely something you want to look into. If you want something charming and funny or if your just looking for a bit of romance. Shameless is exactly what you looking for. This book does have some things to look out for. It has some mild cursing and sexual comments. So, if you're not very fond that kind of stuff or you don't think your parents would allow you read such a thing then its best to stir clear of this novel.. I promise you this is something you want to read and the characters of this novel are so relatable you'll fall in love with them.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Kian Maalizadeh

Kian Maalizadeh

Eng Per 6

11/18/08

For this book report I have decide to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. I selected this book because I have always been a big fan of the Harry Potter series. I was also a big fan of the movie series, by the way the 7th movie is coming out in 2010. I picked this book up the moment it went on store shelf's and started reading.

Well things are way different in this book. Harry does not wake up in the Dursleys house this time counting the seconds until he goes to Hogwarts. You-Know-Who is back and things are a lot more dangerous. The streets are overrun with Death Eaters. There is despair in the air since the Dementors have left the control of the ministry. Harry is awaiting an escort to go to the burrow (Ron Weasleys house). It turns out that it isn't a bunch of aurors coming to escort, it is actually Ron, Hermionie, Lupin, and the Weasley twins Fred and George. They all joined up and set out when they were ambushed and someone was lost ..... . When Harry returns to the burrow he knows he is the one to defeat Voldemort (or You-Know-Who). Harry has to leave the burrow along with Ron and Hermione in a hurry during Bill and Fleurs wedding. That's when they start camping trying to avoid detection. What follows is a dangerous journey full of murder, anguish, and triumph. Will Harry finally defeat Lord Voldemort or will this be Harry's final year?

My favorite quote in this book is when Dumbledore says "What you must understand, Harry, is that you and Lord Voldemort have journeyed together into the realms of magic hitherto unknown and untested". This is my favorite quote because it really puts in effect the great amount of magic Harry and Voldemort have done. They have gone and done things people have never done before, and have no explanation for. It's the same way for us "Muggles" we do things every day that no one can explain. It is just part of our nature to be different and go with the flow.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5. I used wands because this whole series has wands in it. This book had a very special wand called the Elder Wand which Harry looks for. This book didn't get a perfect 5 because it was a little boring. It just didn't have that magic from the first book that I loved. We all know about Ron and Hermione and their fights. It got a little old but the formula still worked out fine.

I recommended this book to everyone, but it's not for really little kids because it is a little difficult to read and it has some violence. Well I want to tell you how great this book is. This book is filled with so much suspense you will not be able to stop till you reach the last page. There are some shocking turn of events, and some incredibly sad deaths. There is also some great dialogue, and the information you will learn in this book will answer every question you had in this series. If you are a Harry Potter fan waste no time pick this book up.

Twilight-Brianah Arredondo

The novel that I selected was Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I chose this novel because it is an outstanding book. I first read it because my friends suggested it to me. They said that it was amazing. The other books that they had recommended were really god, so i figured that I would try it. This book beat out all the others. When I read the criteria for this project, I immediately knew that I was going to review Twilight. You should definitely read this book! (If you haven't already)The book Twilight is about a vampire who falls in love with a human, forbidden love. What happens in this book is that Edward and Bella fall madly in love. Because Edward is a vampire,he doesn't need to sleep. Instead, he watches over Bella every night while she is asleep. One day, while the Cullens, Edward's family"(Jasper,Alice, Rosalie, Emmet, Esme, Carlisle), and Bella were playing baseball in a field. Then, another group of vampires came along. They smelled Bella and were attracted to her scent. James, the leader, went to attack and Edward and the Cullens immediately put up a defense. Edward took Bela away. To try and confuse James, Edward and Bella split up. Bella goes to hide in a hotel in Phoenix where her mom is. Everything was going okay until Bella gets a call from James when he tells her that he has her mom. Bella then has to go to her old ballet studio, where James attacked her. Luckily, the Cullen family jump in and save Bella before James kills her. However, she has several broken bones. Edward realizes that James had bit Bella, and sucks the venom out of her before it can turn her into a vampire. When they all return to Forks, Washington(where they live) , Edwar and Bella attend their high school prom. Bella tries to convince Edward to turn her into a vampire, but he refused. The quote I chose was "''What a stupid lamb' I sighed. 'What a sick masochistic lion' ." I chose this quote because it really represents a huge part of what the book is about. This quote is about true love.

This quote is saying that even though it hurts Edward to be with Bella, he is willing to make the sacrifice. As long as nothing gets too out of hand, Edward didn't care what he had to do to be with Bella, he wasn't leaving her. That is really big in this story. Up until the moment that Bella's life was threatened, he wasn't leaving her. Bella knew that being around Edward, there was a chance that she could be killed. However, she loved him too much to leave him. Bella was just as st upid and weak as a lamb. She had no way to defend herself if Edward lost control. That was a chance that she would take. That is true love.The rating system I chose was Robert Patinson. I chose this raring system because he plays one of the main characters in the movie. In the movie, Robert Patinson plays Edward, the main vampire. I give this book 10 Edward's out of five because there is no word to describe how great this book is. To say this this book is incredibly amazing is an understatement.

I highly recommend this book(and so would a ton of other people who have read it). This book would be best enjoyed by teenagers and young adults. I wouldn't let anyone under thirteen read this book. The content of this book is for more mature people. One warning I would give is that this book has some sexual content, nothing too big though. I would never say anything bad about this book. I think that anyone who reads this would think the same.

Twilight-Ashley Medrano

Medrano, Ashley

English, per.6

November 20, 2008

Twilight

The book I chose to read for my 8^th grade blog was Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The reason I chose this book was for about three reasons. Stephenie Meyer is one of my favorite authors and she just captures you with the way she writes. The detail in the book makes you think and feel that you're in the story yourself. The last reason is that it's my favorite book. I've read it four times and still not tired of it. I felt that this was the perfect book for me to write about.

Twilight is a vampire love story and it kind of takes the lead of Romeo and Juliet. Bella, one of the main characters, moves to Forks, Washington to spend the remainder of her high school life with her father. In the book Bella describes Forks as an "alien planet" because it's over flowered with green plants. Bella makes friends and a young man captures the corner of her eye while in the cafeteria. Her friend tells her that his name is Edward Cullen. When Bella encounters an incident with a truck, Edward, and herself in the hospital she immediately becomes suspicious about him. After many attempts of figuring what he is she later comes with a conclusion……. VAMPIRE. They fall in love, which is forbidden between a vampire and a human, and become close to each other. At a Cullen Family baseball game three vampires are lured to the scent of Bella's blood. Edward and his family are called vegetarians because they only drink animal blood, which is humane. One of the vampires, James, tracks down Bella and tricks her back to Phoenix to her old ballet studio because he threatens to kill her mom. In fear of spoiling the rest I'm going to stop and leave everyone at suspense.

My favorite Twilight quote is said by Edward, "What if I'm not the superhero, what if I'm the bad guy." It reminds me of a warning that doesn't process probably. He's trying to explain in some way that she should stay away because he can hurt her in a second. This is one of the most famous lines from the book and I memorized the entire passage. Also it fits in with the entire theme of forbidden love. Keeping Bella away from him protects her but; they're too much in love to stay away.

I used ballet shoes as my rating system to represent the epic battle at the ballet studio. I chose this because I thought it would be a good way for readers to see that it's not all about apples and cold pale hands. If I was to rate the book out of five I would totally give it a six. The book is a very compelling love story and I would like people to know that there is a lot of action and epic moments too. So my rating would be 6/5!!!

I would recommend this book for teenagers only because there is a few things that is PG-13. There is a lot of kissing, intense moments in the book, and mild language. All my friends already read the book thanks to a recommendation from someone. So if your into love/action/vampires/werewolves (known as Jacob Black in New Moon) then this is the book for you.

I LOVE EDWARD CULLEN!