Book Title: Brisignr Author: Christopher Paolini
Pages: 748 Publisher: Alfred Knowpf
Why did you decide to read the book?
I had previously read the first two books of this trilogy so I decided to read the third since I liked both of those.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): The book starts off with Eragon and his brother searching for Katrina who has been captured by the ra’zac. Eragon and his friends have retrieved Katrina and Eragon decides to stay and kill the ra’zac. He then returns to the Varden which is in the mountains where all of his people are. There is a wedding that is taking place and during it there is an army of the King’s men who are sent to try and hurt the people from the Varden. Later on in the book Eragon and Arya become more attached to one another
Audience: The audience for this book is the young adult section because it is a book about dragons and spells.
Writing Style: The writing style is complex and descriptive
Description – There is a lot of high level vocabulary words in the book and in battle scenes the author gets very descriptive
Passage – “At her bidding, Eragon knelt in front of Elva. Her lustrous violet eyes bored into him as he placed her small hands between his larger ones.
Vocabulary:
Word Succumb Definition To give way to superior force
Sentence & page it came from. “Again she succumbed to the wanton attraction of blodhgarms odor” page 175
Passage #1: “While Eragon worked the warm dough, Saphira lay basking on a nearby patch of grass.” Page 305
Passage #2: “Eragon rested his elbows on his knees, his eyes darting from one dwarf to another.” Pager 541
Theme: Life brings forth opportunities to all sorts of people
Letter Grade:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Good Earth
Book Title: The Good Earth Author: Pearl S. Buck
Pages: 357 Publisher: Washington Square Press
Why did you decide to read the book?
I decided to read this book because, the deadline to turn in a book to Ms Lesniak was the next day, and this was the first book I could get my hands on.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
The Good Earth is about Wang Lung, a humble, poor Chinese peasant farmer, living in the foothills of China in the late 19th century, and the rise and fall of his fortunes. Wang goes to the great house to get his wife O-Lan. O-Lan soon has a child and winter comes. Wang had a good harvest and is prepared for the long season. After many years and three more children, a severe famine hits and Wang’s family loses everything and they are forced to move into the southern city. In the city they are outcast from everyone because of their poverty, and the novel goes on about all the adventures of Wang’s life. Wang reaches the lows and highs of life all in a matter of ten- fifteen years. One day however, O-Lan found some jewels and with the jewels the family was able to buy back their life.
Writing Style: Descriptive with a lot of diction.
Description: The author’s style uses a lot of descriptive words and in detail describes every moment of Wang Lungs life.
Passage: “The daughter of Wang Lung was an exceedingly pretty girl… her skin was fair and pale as almond flowers and she had a little low nose and thin red lips and her feet were small.” (Pg 278 Buck)
Vocabulary:
Word: Placid Definition: Undisturbed by tumult or disorder
Sentence & page it came from: With his life placid again and the lad content, Wang Lung was satisfied
Word: Dais Definition: A high platform
Sentence & page it came from: Wang Lung came off of the dais and it seemed to him that his life was well rounded. Pg 332
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme: Mans relationship with the earth, and overcoming adversity.
Letter Grade: C-
Pages: 357 Publisher: Washington Square Press
Why did you decide to read the book?
I decided to read this book because, the deadline to turn in a book to Ms Lesniak was the next day, and this was the first book I could get my hands on.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
The Good Earth is about Wang Lung, a humble, poor Chinese peasant farmer, living in the foothills of China in the late 19th century, and the rise and fall of his fortunes. Wang goes to the great house to get his wife O-Lan. O-Lan soon has a child and winter comes. Wang had a good harvest and is prepared for the long season. After many years and three more children, a severe famine hits and Wang’s family loses everything and they are forced to move into the southern city. In the city they are outcast from everyone because of their poverty, and the novel goes on about all the adventures of Wang’s life. Wang reaches the lows and highs of life all in a matter of ten- fifteen years. One day however, O-Lan found some jewels and with the jewels the family was able to buy back their life.
Writing Style: Descriptive with a lot of diction.
Description: The author’s style uses a lot of descriptive words and in detail describes every moment of Wang Lungs life.
Passage: “The daughter of Wang Lung was an exceedingly pretty girl… her skin was fair and pale as almond flowers and she had a little low nose and thin red lips and her feet were small.” (Pg 278 Buck)
Vocabulary:
Word: Placid Definition: Undisturbed by tumult or disorder
Sentence & page it came from: With his life placid again and the lad content, Wang Lung was satisfied
Word: Dais Definition: A high platform
Sentence & page it came from: Wang Lung came off of the dais and it seemed to him that his life was well rounded. Pg 332
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme: Mans relationship with the earth, and overcoming adversity.
Letter Grade: C-
Twisted
Book Title: Twisted Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 272 Publisher: Viking Books
Why did you decide to read the book? I found this book in one of my teacher’s rooms and it looked good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): in high school Tyler Miller is an average kid whose family is a little dysfunctional. His dad, no matter what he does, yells at him for. Well to make it worse on him, he graffiti’s the school wall with some bad names about the faculty, and gets caught. All summer he is forced to work with the janitors at the school as a punishment. While working there he gets bigger and pretty soon Bethany Millbury notices him. This is the girl of his dreams but also the sister of his enemy, and the daughter of his father’s boss. This sends his life into utter chaos and thinks about suicide, which is why the book is titled Twisted.
Audience: for all teenagers.
Writing Style:
Description – very easy to read. This book was meant for people who are in high school so it was written very well and the content was easy to understand.
Passage -"I picked up one of the books and flipped through it. Don't get me wrong, I like reading. But some books should come with warning labels: Caution: contains characters and plots guaranteed to induce sleepiness.”
Vocabulary:
Word Definition
Sentence & page it came from
Word Definition
Sentence & page it came from
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme: everything has a way of working out.
Letter Grade: I give this book an A because I not only liked the way it showed an average guys life in high school, but I also liked the way she wrote it because it was easy to understand.
*****************************************************
Book Title: Twisted Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 250 Pgs Publisher: Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book?
My friend told me about this book and he said it was really good. He said it was really interesting and that even though he's not a big fan of the "whole book reading thing," it was good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Audience:
Teenagers would like this book more I think. It has problems that more students could relate to. Along with that, the whole plot takes place in and around school. It deals mostly with the main character, Tyler Miller, who is a teen.
Writing Style:
Most of the time, the book is written in a sarcastic tone. Anderson also writes in a very descriptive type of way even thought he chapters aren't that long. She also talks like she is a teen herself so it makes the book easy to read.
Description - The book is not very descriptive. The whole book is very easy to read. Nothing about it makes it hard to read or follow along. The book was NOT descriptive at all.
Passage -The passages were also easy to read. Anderson's passages were not long but also not very shortaas well. They all varied in ength but over all they were short. They were all not that descriptive and to the point.
Vocabulary:
Word: Migranes Definition: Very painful headache
Sentence & page it came from: 104, "Whooa hold on, Mom has must of forgot. Her migranes dad?"
Passage #1: "Bethany. My Bethany. The quality of the pcture was poor, but that was definetly her face. It was Bethany on a bed, wearing that little leaf skirt from her Halloween costume and a bar. [...] I only looked a scond, ut I'd never forget."
Passage #2: "I pick him up by the throat and lift him slowly until his feet dangle threee inches from the floor. He can't make a sound. Hs fingers claw desperately at my fingers. His fet kick. I squeeze."
Theme: The theme in the book is innocent until proven guilty.
Letter Grade: B
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Book Title: Twisted Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 250 Publisher: The Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book?
I decided to read the book because some of my friends have told me it is a great book. I bought the book about a year ago, but I just never got around to reading it. This was the perfect opportunity to finally do that.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a teen-age boy, Tyler, who was arrested for spray painting the side of his school. He used a choice of vocabulary that will not be repeated, but the police were able to track him down easily. Tyler left his wallet and an extra can of spray paint that had his fingerprints at the scene. The deal was that he had to work community service with a landscaping company in order to pay for the damages. His father was rough on him as he grew older, but after the graffiti incident their relationship went downhill. Bethany Milbury is the girl that Tyler always wanted, but he believes his chances with her are minimal. After all he was shoved into her at a party, which caused her to fall and cut her foot on broken glass. Twisted is a novel that will surprise and satisfy readers all at once with its captivating story plot. Nobody will want to put it down once they begin to read it.
Audience:
The audience that is best suited for this novel is teen-agers because it is in the perspective of a teen-ager, and they would be able to relate to the main character.
Writing Style:
Description - Laurie Halse Anderson's writing style has a sense of humor to it. She thinks about how teen-agers converse and think. She adds sarcasm and realistic qualities to each individual character.
Passage - “Chip stood up straight, trying to make himself as tall as me. 'How much can you press?'
'I have no idea.' Two fifty-pound sacks of mulch in each hand, douche bag.” (14)
Vocabulary:
Word- Cretin Definition- A stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person
Sentence & page it came from
“Idiot. Moron. Cretin. Fool.” (117)
Word- Stagnant Definition- Stale or foul from standing, as of pool water
Sentence & page it came from
“Our neighbors on either side-we never talked to them-had aboveground pools half-filled with stagnant water.” (160)
Passage #1:
“One time I stood next to him in front of this sink, and he lathered his face until it looked like a Santa beard. Before he shaved, he lathered my face, too, and gave me an old toothbrush to use as my razor. We shaved together, that time when I was too short to reach the faucets.
I closed the door of the medicine cabinet a little hard. The shelves inside screeched and fell down.” (207)
This passage stuck out to me because Tyler is talking about what his relationship with his father used to be. It shows how frustrated he is with his father now. It's not the same anymore, and I find it sad how one person can affect many.
Passage #2:
“'Hell, yeah. It's time to give up the doggies and kitties.'
'Don't swear,' she said automatically. She hit the turn signal. Checked the rearview mirror, and sped past a taxi-cab. 'I've thought about it.'
'If you don't kill us in the next five minutes, I'll help you find the space.'” (86)
This passage struck me because I feel as if everyone can relate to this. This is the humor that Anderson puts forward in her writing and as a result people enjoy it. This passage is funny to me and has that realistic touch to detail.
Theme:
The theme of this novel is to speak up without any fear because no problem is ever solved with silence.
“Before we left, I found one of the doctors who had helped me and quietly asked him to slit my throat. The guy said no and suggested I talk to my family doc about antidepressants.” (20)
Tyler goes through some tough times, but he bottles it all up. If something is upsetting him, he keeps to himself. There are always people who are willing to listen.
“'It wasn't like that at all. It was an accident. But I don't want to talk about it.'
'Did you punch Chip in the mouth?'
'I'm going to punch you in the mouth if you don't shut up.'” (23)
Tyler and his friend Yoda are talking and Tyler is trying to avoid talking about a bad situation he was involved in. His father was furious and he thinks that pretending it didn't happen makes it all go away. In reality, it does the opposite.
Letter Grade:
I would give Twisted an A as a grade because it has an enticing plot with original characters. Laurie Halse Anderson has not written a novel that has disappointed readers. She has a way of putting the reader in the character's shoes. The way it was written makes the story what it is. The intense emotions from the main character sets the mood in every scene, which allows the reader to benefit more of an understanding from this top notch, read.
Pages: 272 Publisher: Viking Books
Why did you decide to read the book? I found this book in one of my teacher’s rooms and it looked good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): in high school Tyler Miller is an average kid whose family is a little dysfunctional. His dad, no matter what he does, yells at him for. Well to make it worse on him, he graffiti’s the school wall with some bad names about the faculty, and gets caught. All summer he is forced to work with the janitors at the school as a punishment. While working there he gets bigger and pretty soon Bethany Millbury notices him. This is the girl of his dreams but also the sister of his enemy, and the daughter of his father’s boss. This sends his life into utter chaos and thinks about suicide, which is why the book is titled Twisted.
Audience: for all teenagers.
Writing Style:
Description – very easy to read. This book was meant for people who are in high school so it was written very well and the content was easy to understand.
Passage -"I picked up one of the books and flipped through it. Don't get me wrong, I like reading. But some books should come with warning labels: Caution: contains characters and plots guaranteed to induce sleepiness.”
Vocabulary:
Word Definition
Sentence & page it came from
Word Definition
Sentence & page it came from
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme: everything has a way of working out.
Letter Grade: I give this book an A because I not only liked the way it showed an average guys life in high school, but I also liked the way she wrote it because it was easy to understand.
*****************************************************
Book Title: Twisted Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 250 Pgs Publisher: Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book?
My friend told me about this book and he said it was really good. He said it was really interesting and that even though he's not a big fan of the "whole book reading thing," it was good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Audience:
Teenagers would like this book more I think. It has problems that more students could relate to. Along with that, the whole plot takes place in and around school. It deals mostly with the main character, Tyler Miller, who is a teen.
Writing Style:
Most of the time, the book is written in a sarcastic tone. Anderson also writes in a very descriptive type of way even thought he chapters aren't that long. She also talks like she is a teen herself so it makes the book easy to read.
Description - The book is not very descriptive. The whole book is very easy to read. Nothing about it makes it hard to read or follow along. The book was NOT descriptive at all.
Passage -The passages were also easy to read. Anderson's passages were not long but also not very shortaas well. They all varied in ength but over all they were short. They were all not that descriptive and to the point.
Vocabulary:
Word: Migranes Definition: Very painful headache
Sentence & page it came from: 104, "Whooa hold on, Mom has must of forgot. Her migranes dad?"
Passage #1: "Bethany. My Bethany. The quality of the pcture was poor, but that was definetly her face. It was Bethany on a bed, wearing that little leaf skirt from her Halloween costume and a bar. [...] I only looked a scond, ut I'd never forget."
Passage #2: "I pick him up by the throat and lift him slowly until his feet dangle threee inches from the floor. He can't make a sound. Hs fingers claw desperately at my fingers. His fet kick. I squeeze."
Theme: The theme in the book is innocent until proven guilty.
Letter Grade: B
*************************************************
Book Title: Twisted Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 250 Publisher: The Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book?
I decided to read the book because some of my friends have told me it is a great book. I bought the book about a year ago, but I just never got around to reading it. This was the perfect opportunity to finally do that.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Twisted, by Laurie Halse Anderson is about a teen-age boy, Tyler, who was arrested for spray painting the side of his school. He used a choice of vocabulary that will not be repeated, but the police were able to track him down easily. Tyler left his wallet and an extra can of spray paint that had his fingerprints at the scene. The deal was that he had to work community service with a landscaping company in order to pay for the damages. His father was rough on him as he grew older, but after the graffiti incident their relationship went downhill. Bethany Milbury is the girl that Tyler always wanted, but he believes his chances with her are minimal. After all he was shoved into her at a party, which caused her to fall and cut her foot on broken glass. Twisted is a novel that will surprise and satisfy readers all at once with its captivating story plot. Nobody will want to put it down once they begin to read it.
Audience:
The audience that is best suited for this novel is teen-agers because it is in the perspective of a teen-ager, and they would be able to relate to the main character.
Writing Style:
Description - Laurie Halse Anderson's writing style has a sense of humor to it. She thinks about how teen-agers converse and think. She adds sarcasm and realistic qualities to each individual character.
Passage - “Chip stood up straight, trying to make himself as tall as me. 'How much can you press?'
'I have no idea.' Two fifty-pound sacks of mulch in each hand, douche bag.” (14)
Vocabulary:
Word- Cretin Definition- A stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person
Sentence & page it came from
“Idiot. Moron. Cretin. Fool.” (117)
Word- Stagnant Definition- Stale or foul from standing, as of pool water
Sentence & page it came from
“Our neighbors on either side-we never talked to them-had aboveground pools half-filled with stagnant water.” (160)
Passage #1:
“One time I stood next to him in front of this sink, and he lathered his face until it looked like a Santa beard. Before he shaved, he lathered my face, too, and gave me an old toothbrush to use as my razor. We shaved together, that time when I was too short to reach the faucets.
I closed the door of the medicine cabinet a little hard. The shelves inside screeched and fell down.” (207)
This passage stuck out to me because Tyler is talking about what his relationship with his father used to be. It shows how frustrated he is with his father now. It's not the same anymore, and I find it sad how one person can affect many.
Passage #2:
“'Hell, yeah. It's time to give up the doggies and kitties.'
'Don't swear,' she said automatically. She hit the turn signal. Checked the rearview mirror, and sped past a taxi-cab. 'I've thought about it.'
'If you don't kill us in the next five minutes, I'll help you find the space.'” (86)
This passage struck me because I feel as if everyone can relate to this. This is the humor that Anderson puts forward in her writing and as a result people enjoy it. This passage is funny to me and has that realistic touch to detail.
Theme:
The theme of this novel is to speak up without any fear because no problem is ever solved with silence.
“Before we left, I found one of the doctors who had helped me and quietly asked him to slit my throat. The guy said no and suggested I talk to my family doc about antidepressants.” (20)
Tyler goes through some tough times, but he bottles it all up. If something is upsetting him, he keeps to himself. There are always people who are willing to listen.
“'It wasn't like that at all. It was an accident. But I don't want to talk about it.'
'Did you punch Chip in the mouth?'
'I'm going to punch you in the mouth if you don't shut up.'” (23)
Tyler and his friend Yoda are talking and Tyler is trying to avoid talking about a bad situation he was involved in. His father was furious and he thinks that pretending it didn't happen makes it all go away. In reality, it does the opposite.
Letter Grade:
I would give Twisted an A as a grade because it has an enticing plot with original characters. Laurie Halse Anderson has not written a novel that has disappointed readers. She has a way of putting the reader in the character's shoes. The way it was written makes the story what it is. The intense emotions from the main character sets the mood in every scene, which allows the reader to benefit more of an understanding from this top notch, read.
Nights in Rodanthe
Book Title: Nights In Rodanthe
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 222 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Why did you decide to read the book?
I chose this book because the author also wrote The Notebook. The Notebook is one of my all time favorites, so I figured if I liked that book then I must like this one as well.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Nights In Rodanthe is written by the same author of The Notebook, so right away you know it is a “chick” book. Adrienne had a high school sweetheart, Paul. They had a trip to Rodanthe and it was perfect, till he left. She never forgot him but eventually she married a guy, Jake. They had three children together but Jake was a very busy business man and had no time for his family. Adrienne noticed the marriage getting worse but refused to mention it. One day she walked in a restaurant to find Jake and his partner Linda sitting together and got the site of them holding hands. She forced herself to not believe it but deep down she knew it happened. As the years pasted they drifted and he eventually asked her for a divorce. Her heart was ripped apart twice now and wondered if it would ever heal?
Audience: The audience is women or mature teenage girls. Writing Style: The writing style is very deep and formal. At the same time you get some “slang”.
Description - At points the subject of sex is brought up also marriage is talked about and you have to have some sort of understanding of love. This is a very mature book and I don’t really recommend it to guys.
Passage – “Was it just the sex he was after? Sure, Linda was both younger and prettier, but was it really that important to him that he’d throw away everything else in his life? Didn’t the kids mean anything? Didn’t she? Didn’t the eighteen years together?” (45)
Vocabulary: The vocabulary is “older” words. As in most teenagers won’t understand or really know the meaning unless looked up or taken into the context.
Word: Penetrate Definition: To pierce or pass into or through; To enter the interior of
Sentence & page it came from: The warmth of his hands seemed to penetrate into her bones. (139)
Passage #1: “The kids were fourteen, thirteen, and eleven when Jack moved out of the house, and each child had dealt with the divorce in a different way. Matt and Dan took their aggression on the athletic fields and by occasionally acting up in school, but Amanda had been the most affected.” (4) This stuck out to me because when my parents got divorce my brother and I both handled it differently. He was very angry and would act up in school and I would stick my head in school and sports. Every child really does handle divorce differently and it is truly a hard thing for them to go through.
Passage #2: ”She pretended it hadn’t happened, and in time, she was able to convince herself that she’d been mistaken about what was going on between them.”(43) This passage sticks out to me because my mother made herself believe that the divorce didn’t happen, that my dad still loved her and wanted to be with her. Through the years she had learned though that that wasn’t the true story and has now moved on but for about thirteen years she told herself otherwise. She always thought my dad would walk back through the door and take her back.
Theme: The theme of this book I find is to teach about love and how true love is never lost. You have to look deep into people and don’t just throw the word “love” around. It means much more than anyone can ever understand.
Letter Grade: A- I personally love the, The Notebook and this book follows around the same lines. Romance books always get me hooked; I’ll definitely be reading this book again and finding the movie to see.
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 222 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Why did you decide to read the book?
I chose this book because the author also wrote The Notebook. The Notebook is one of my all time favorites, so I figured if I liked that book then I must like this one as well.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Nights In Rodanthe is written by the same author of The Notebook, so right away you know it is a “chick” book. Adrienne had a high school sweetheart, Paul. They had a trip to Rodanthe and it was perfect, till he left. She never forgot him but eventually she married a guy, Jake. They had three children together but Jake was a very busy business man and had no time for his family. Adrienne noticed the marriage getting worse but refused to mention it. One day she walked in a restaurant to find Jake and his partner Linda sitting together and got the site of them holding hands. She forced herself to not believe it but deep down she knew it happened. As the years pasted they drifted and he eventually asked her for a divorce. Her heart was ripped apart twice now and wondered if it would ever heal?
Audience: The audience is women or mature teenage girls. Writing Style: The writing style is very deep and formal. At the same time you get some “slang”.
Description - At points the subject of sex is brought up also marriage is talked about and you have to have some sort of understanding of love. This is a very mature book and I don’t really recommend it to guys.
Passage – “Was it just the sex he was after? Sure, Linda was both younger and prettier, but was it really that important to him that he’d throw away everything else in his life? Didn’t the kids mean anything? Didn’t she? Didn’t the eighteen years together?” (45)
Vocabulary: The vocabulary is “older” words. As in most teenagers won’t understand or really know the meaning unless looked up or taken into the context.
Word: Penetrate Definition: To pierce or pass into or through; To enter the interior of
Sentence & page it came from: The warmth of his hands seemed to penetrate into her bones. (139)
Passage #1: “The kids were fourteen, thirteen, and eleven when Jack moved out of the house, and each child had dealt with the divorce in a different way. Matt and Dan took their aggression on the athletic fields and by occasionally acting up in school, but Amanda had been the most affected.” (4) This stuck out to me because when my parents got divorce my brother and I both handled it differently. He was very angry and would act up in school and I would stick my head in school and sports. Every child really does handle divorce differently and it is truly a hard thing for them to go through.
Passage #2: ”She pretended it hadn’t happened, and in time, she was able to convince herself that she’d been mistaken about what was going on between them.”(43) This passage sticks out to me because my mother made herself believe that the divorce didn’t happen, that my dad still loved her and wanted to be with her. Through the years she had learned though that that wasn’t the true story and has now moved on but for about thirteen years she told herself otherwise. She always thought my dad would walk back through the door and take her back.
Theme: The theme of this book I find is to teach about love and how true love is never lost. You have to look deep into people and don’t just throw the word “love” around. It means much more than anyone can ever understand.
Letter Grade: A- I personally love the, The Notebook and this book follows around the same lines. Romance books always get me hooked; I’ll definitely be reading this book again and finding the movie to see.
Deadly Little Secret
Book Title: Deadly Little Secret ~Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
~Pages: 252 ~Publisher: Hyperion Books
~Why did you decide to read the book? I chose this book to read because when I read the back of the book I thought it was really interesting. It is set in high school, junior year, so I thought it could be possible that I could relate to the book when reading it.
~Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): It was junior year in high school, everything was normal for 16-year-old Camelia Hammond. Things started to alter when a mysterious boy named Ben came to the high school. As rumors started to spread, Ben is ostracized by everyone in the school. But for Camelia, she is strangely attracted to him and his touch. Camelia then gets strange phone calls and packages with notes inside. Ben indicates that she is in danger but Camelia starts to figure out that he is hiding something from her and from everyone else. Everyone has a secret, but some secrets shouldn’t be kept...
~Audience: I think the audience that would most likely enjoy reading this book would be teen girls because it is about secret love and relationships. It is filled with emotion, fear, longing and trust.
~Writing Style:
-Description: The author’s writing style is very effortless and straightforward. Her writing is unique compared to other writers because it confuses the reader but despite the confusion, it leaves them wondering what will happen next. She uses moderate vocabulary and detailed descriptions that allows the audience to understand.
-Passage: “My heart pounded, and my insides turned to bubbling lava,” (Stolarz 61-62).
~Vocabulary:
~Word: Agoraphobia
-Definition: A morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place).
-Sentence & page it came from: “Others say it’s because he has a phobia –either claustrophobia or agoraphobia, or possibly a blend of both,” (Stolarz 62).
~Word: Psychometry
-Definition: The ability or art of getting information about people or events associated with an object solely by touching.
-Sentence & page it came from: “And so I camp out at my computer desk and Google the term psychometry, half hoping it’s just some made-up word, that Ben doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” (Stolarz 133).
~Passage #1: “He takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on mine. I can feel the heat of his breath on my neck,” (Stolarz 52). This passage from the book struck me in some way because they way Stolarz described it pulled together an image in my head. The way she writes the book in a very expressive manner and builds up the intensity of Ben and Camelia’s love for each other makes Deadly Little Secret a great read.
~Passage #2: “He gazed into my eyes and smiled an irresistible grin –as if we shared some secret,” (Stolarz 61). I chose this quote from the book because it I thought it had a great meaning behind it. The way our gestures and movements appear to others is like a language that is unspoken. It made me think of how there are times in our lives when we have those moments with your closest friends and look at each other and know what they are trying to say.
~Theme: I think the theme of this book is believing in yourself. In the book, there are numerous accounts where the main character, Camelia, struggles to find help from others. She finds herself in a state of confusion where the only person she can trust is herself and to follow her heart.
~Letter Grade: I would give this book an A because it was a suspenseful, scary, and funny book that I enjoyed a ton. The whole basis of this book was interesting and well developed. I liked how Laurie Faurie Stolarz based this on how a stalker was following Camelia around and on the ridicule and hate Ben got on his psychometric ability (the ability sense things by touch). I never heard of psychometric before so it was interesting to see what it was all about and how it affected Ben's every day life. Also, I loved the way Stolarz always kept me on the edge of my seat wondering throughout the book.
~Pages: 252 ~Publisher: Hyperion Books
~Why did you decide to read the book? I chose this book to read because when I read the back of the book I thought it was really interesting. It is set in high school, junior year, so I thought it could be possible that I could relate to the book when reading it.
~Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): It was junior year in high school, everything was normal for 16-year-old Camelia Hammond. Things started to alter when a mysterious boy named Ben came to the high school. As rumors started to spread, Ben is ostracized by everyone in the school. But for Camelia, she is strangely attracted to him and his touch. Camelia then gets strange phone calls and packages with notes inside. Ben indicates that she is in danger but Camelia starts to figure out that he is hiding something from her and from everyone else. Everyone has a secret, but some secrets shouldn’t be kept...
~Audience: I think the audience that would most likely enjoy reading this book would be teen girls because it is about secret love and relationships. It is filled with emotion, fear, longing and trust.
~Writing Style:
-Description: The author’s writing style is very effortless and straightforward. Her writing is unique compared to other writers because it confuses the reader but despite the confusion, it leaves them wondering what will happen next. She uses moderate vocabulary and detailed descriptions that allows the audience to understand.
-Passage: “My heart pounded, and my insides turned to bubbling lava,” (Stolarz 61-62).
~Vocabulary:
~Word: Agoraphobia
-Definition: A morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place).
-Sentence & page it came from: “Others say it’s because he has a phobia –either claustrophobia or agoraphobia, or possibly a blend of both,” (Stolarz 62).
~Word: Psychometry
-Definition: The ability or art of getting information about people or events associated with an object solely by touching.
-Sentence & page it came from: “And so I camp out at my computer desk and Google the term psychometry, half hoping it’s just some made-up word, that Ben doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” (Stolarz 133).
~Passage #1: “He takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on mine. I can feel the heat of his breath on my neck,” (Stolarz 52). This passage from the book struck me in some way because they way Stolarz described it pulled together an image in my head. The way she writes the book in a very expressive manner and builds up the intensity of Ben and Camelia’s love for each other makes Deadly Little Secret a great read.
~Passage #2: “He gazed into my eyes and smiled an irresistible grin –as if we shared some secret,” (Stolarz 61). I chose this quote from the book because it I thought it had a great meaning behind it. The way our gestures and movements appear to others is like a language that is unspoken. It made me think of how there are times in our lives when we have those moments with your closest friends and look at each other and know what they are trying to say.
~Theme: I think the theme of this book is believing in yourself. In the book, there are numerous accounts where the main character, Camelia, struggles to find help from others. She finds herself in a state of confusion where the only person she can trust is herself and to follow her heart.
~Letter Grade: I would give this book an A because it was a suspenseful, scary, and funny book that I enjoyed a ton. The whole basis of this book was interesting and well developed. I liked how Laurie Faurie Stolarz based this on how a stalker was following Camelia around and on the ridicule and hate Ben got on his psychometric ability (the ability sense things by touch). I never heard of psychometric before so it was interesting to see what it was all about and how it affected Ben's every day life. Also, I loved the way Stolarz always kept me on the edge of my seat wondering throughout the book.
Tex
Book Title: Tex Author: S.E Hinton
Pages: 211 Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf
Why did you decide to read the book? I've had this book since seventh grade and never decided to read it, so then when I started running out of options for Outside Reading books I decided to read this one. I also loved the book “The Outsiders” by the same author so I figured this would be just as good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Tex is a novel about two brothers who live in a small little house in the country. Texas (Tex) loves to ride horses and thinks of his horse Negrito as his best friend and would prefer riding that any day over a motorcycle like his friends do. He is fourteen years old, and his brother Mason (Mace) is a senior basketball athlete. Their mom died a couple years ago and their dad is always away for months at a time One day when Tex comes home after school to ride his horse, he finds that both him and his brother's horses are gone. Mace had sold them so that they would have enough money to buy food for the winter. This major conflict in the book results in a huge fight between the brothers, but once Tex runs away to the city for a while, he comes to realize that living with his brother isn't so bad after all.
Audience: I would say that the audience would be for eight graders and up because in sixth or seventh grade most middle school students are required to read “The Outsiders” also by S.E Hinton, so this book is good to read after that.
Writing Style: S.E Hinton's writing style is very casual with slang words.
Description - It is very casual because it's an easy read book with hardly any complex words. This book is about a 14 and 18 year old, so in the dialog there are definitely words that you would hear in a typical teenager's conversation. Being a teenager it makes this book more enjoyable to read since it's a style that stands out to me.
Passage - “ 'Well you're real brave, real stupid, or real lucky,' said the cop.”
Vocabulary:
Word 1.Staggered. 2. Savagely Definition 1. To move or stand unsteadily. 2. Not domesticated; wild.
Sentence & page it came from 1. “He staggered, but didn't fall down, swung me around and let go, throwing me halfway across the yard.” (55) 2. “ 'I am poking my nose in because I don't want to see you get expelled,' he said savagely.” (176)
Passage #1: “Mason just sat there, holding his arm, panting. When I was sure he had quit the fight, I turned over and lay face down, my head resting on my arm. I was hurting real bad. All my energy was gone. I think if the house has been on fire I wouldn't have had the strength to leave.” (15) This scene happens right once Tex finds that not only his horse, but his best friend that he thought of as a human was gone, he completely flips out on his brother Mace. He wanted to kill his brother, I think he cared more about his horse than he did his brother that day.
Passage #2: “When I'm eighteen or nineteen an scared of the way things are changing, the way people are going off in different direction, and the simple life looks romantic, a good way to keep everything the same…yeah, I can see me marrying you. It'd last about a year.” (159) This is a typical point of view from an eighth grader who is just experiencing love and is already thinking about getting married. Jamie wanted to be serious about this relationship, but quickly Tex shuts her down by saying it would only last about a year.
Theme: I would say the theme of this book is to accept people for who they are. Tex realizes throughout this novel that the obstacles in his life lead him to understating of Jamie, Pop, Johnny, Cole and even Mason.
Letter Grade: I would rate this book as a B. I think the beginning could have grabbed the readers' attention better because it kind of drags on at first. I didn't really want to read it until the middle when it actually started to get good.
Pages: 211 Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf
Why did you decide to read the book? I've had this book since seventh grade and never decided to read it, so then when I started running out of options for Outside Reading books I decided to read this one. I also loved the book “The Outsiders” by the same author so I figured this would be just as good.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Tex is a novel about two brothers who live in a small little house in the country. Texas (Tex) loves to ride horses and thinks of his horse Negrito as his best friend and would prefer riding that any day over a motorcycle like his friends do. He is fourteen years old, and his brother Mason (Mace) is a senior basketball athlete. Their mom died a couple years ago and their dad is always away for months at a time One day when Tex comes home after school to ride his horse, he finds that both him and his brother's horses are gone. Mace had sold them so that they would have enough money to buy food for the winter. This major conflict in the book results in a huge fight between the brothers, but once Tex runs away to the city for a while, he comes to realize that living with his brother isn't so bad after all.
Audience: I would say that the audience would be for eight graders and up because in sixth or seventh grade most middle school students are required to read “The Outsiders” also by S.E Hinton, so this book is good to read after that.
Writing Style: S.E Hinton's writing style is very casual with slang words.
Description - It is very casual because it's an easy read book with hardly any complex words. This book is about a 14 and 18 year old, so in the dialog there are definitely words that you would hear in a typical teenager's conversation. Being a teenager it makes this book more enjoyable to read since it's a style that stands out to me.
Passage - “ 'Well you're real brave, real stupid, or real lucky,' said the cop.”
Vocabulary:
Word 1.Staggered. 2. Savagely Definition 1. To move or stand unsteadily. 2. Not domesticated; wild.
Sentence & page it came from 1. “He staggered, but didn't fall down, swung me around and let go, throwing me halfway across the yard.” (55) 2. “ 'I am poking my nose in because I don't want to see you get expelled,' he said savagely.” (176)
Passage #1: “Mason just sat there, holding his arm, panting. When I was sure he had quit the fight, I turned over and lay face down, my head resting on my arm. I was hurting real bad. All my energy was gone. I think if the house has been on fire I wouldn't have had the strength to leave.” (15) This scene happens right once Tex finds that not only his horse, but his best friend that he thought of as a human was gone, he completely flips out on his brother Mace. He wanted to kill his brother, I think he cared more about his horse than he did his brother that day.
Passage #2: “When I'm eighteen or nineteen an scared of the way things are changing, the way people are going off in different direction, and the simple life looks romantic, a good way to keep everything the same…yeah, I can see me marrying you. It'd last about a year.” (159) This is a typical point of view from an eighth grader who is just experiencing love and is already thinking about getting married. Jamie wanted to be serious about this relationship, but quickly Tex shuts her down by saying it would only last about a year.
Theme: I would say the theme of this book is to accept people for who they are. Tex realizes throughout this novel that the obstacles in his life lead him to understating of Jamie, Pop, Johnny, Cole and even Mason.
Letter Grade: I would rate this book as a B. I think the beginning could have grabbed the readers' attention better because it kind of drags on at first. I didn't really want to read it until the middle when it actually started to get good.
Tricks
Book Title: Tricks Author: Ellen Hopkins
Pages: 625 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Why did you decide to read the book?
After reading Crank and Burned I grew a liking for the writing style of Hopkins. So I decided to read another of her novels, Tricks.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Tricks is a story about five teenagers from all across the country. Each is very different, varying from male to female, gay to straight, rich to poor, family to no family. One is even famous; nevertheless they are all similar for the reason that they are trying to live their life the best they can. Turns out that in attempt to find family, freedom, safety, and love, the three little words, “I love you,” are being said for the completely wrong reasons. It starts out as five different stories but slowly they begin to intertwine with one another to form a much larger and more powerful story. Although I enjoyed it, I did not think it was as good as Burned, and not nearly as good as Crank.
Audience: The intended audience for this novel is teenager’s to young adults based on that it is the story of five different people of this age group; allowing the reader to relate to it in one way or another.
Writing Style: The writing style of Tricks is very secretive and informal, considering the ‘secret’ messages that Hopkins includes throughout the story.
Description – While reading a page somewhere in Tricks, the section has multiple meanings, depending on how you read it. The way she spaces out the words allows the reader to read it more than one way.
Passage - “By a glimpse of light, I am reminded how precious is freedom. Swallowed by darkness, emptied of tears, the song of the desert calls to me and I know to find a way beyond these plywood walls, I must become someone I don’t want to know. I hope the real me will follow. And I pray the Lord understands my reasons. Forgives.” (Hopkins 408.) The way it is written, the bold words are spaced out on the right of the page, and the non-bold words are in sections on the left side of the page.
Vocabulary:
Procession- the act of proceeding in orderly succession; or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc.
“The fall, in relentless procession, summer rain upon parched playa, relentless.” (Hopkins 327)
Succinctly- expressed in few words; concise.
“But to have it put so succinctly, long distance, is a two-fisted gut punch." (Hopkins 356)
Theme: The theme of Tricks is not to think lowly of yourself, but rather be proud of who you are.
Letter Grade:
Pages: 625 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Why did you decide to read the book?
After reading Crank and Burned I grew a liking for the writing style of Hopkins. So I decided to read another of her novels, Tricks.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Tricks is a story about five teenagers from all across the country. Each is very different, varying from male to female, gay to straight, rich to poor, family to no family. One is even famous; nevertheless they are all similar for the reason that they are trying to live their life the best they can. Turns out that in attempt to find family, freedom, safety, and love, the three little words, “I love you,” are being said for the completely wrong reasons. It starts out as five different stories but slowly they begin to intertwine with one another to form a much larger and more powerful story. Although I enjoyed it, I did not think it was as good as Burned, and not nearly as good as Crank.
Audience: The intended audience for this novel is teenager’s to young adults based on that it is the story of five different people of this age group; allowing the reader to relate to it in one way or another.
Writing Style: The writing style of Tricks is very secretive and informal, considering the ‘secret’ messages that Hopkins includes throughout the story.
Description – While reading a page somewhere in Tricks, the section has multiple meanings, depending on how you read it. The way she spaces out the words allows the reader to read it more than one way.
Passage - “By a glimpse of light, I am reminded how precious is freedom. Swallowed by darkness, emptied of tears, the song of the desert calls to me and I know to find a way beyond these plywood walls, I must become someone I don’t want to know. I hope the real me will follow. And I pray the Lord understands my reasons. Forgives.” (Hopkins 408.) The way it is written, the bold words are spaced out on the right of the page, and the non-bold words are in sections on the left side of the page.
Vocabulary:
Procession- the act of proceeding in orderly succession; or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc.
“The fall, in relentless procession, summer rain upon parched playa, relentless.” (Hopkins 327)
Succinctly- expressed in few words; concise.
“But to have it put so succinctly, long distance, is a two-fisted gut punch." (Hopkins 356)
Theme: The theme of Tricks is not to think lowly of yourself, but rather be proud of who you are.
Letter Grade:
Nineteen Minutes
Book Title: Nineteen Minutes Author: Jodi Picoult
Pages: 451 Publisher: Washington Square Press
Why did you decide to read the book?
I was recommended this book by my teacher, and also I have read reviews of this book written by other students, and they made it seem like an interesting read.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Nineteen Minutes is a book about an ordinary, small town in New Hampshire. It is just like every other town, nothing seems to happen and it is usually a boring place to be. Then one day, tragedy strikes for the main character Josie Cormier. There is a shooting at her school, and it takes the lives of many people including some that were particularly close to her. Ironically Josie’s mom is the judge sitting in on the case. For some reason Josie can not seem to remember what exactly had happened at her school that was such a tragedy to her community, even though it happened right in front of her face. Follow this story as it goes through the many rough steps of life, and hopefully wins the most important court case in this small town’s history.
Audience: This story was intended for students usually at the high school age, both boys and girls, but it could be read, and enjoyed by anyone.
Writing Style: The writing style of Jodi Picoult is very descriptive.
Description - She writes so that you know exactly what is going on, and what the characters are going through.
Passage – “Sweat broke down his back and on his forehead, and he could feel his cupped hands shifting on the butt of the gun as he aimed, determined to lace the kid with bullets if he had to.” (pg. 23)
Vocabulary:
Word Definition
Sumptuous- “It was a sumptuous room, sure- a room half the kids in Sterling High would have given their right arm to enter.” (pg 8) Extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.
Ensconced- “She would be ensconced here for six months.” (pg 13) To establish, or settle.
Passage #1: “In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes you can get revenge” This passage stuck out to me because it was identifying what could be done in so little time. Also it makes me believe that something dramatic will happen in the book, either something great, or something tragic.
Passage #2: “The state championship tournament in hockey began this afternoon, and Matt played right wing. Sterling had won last year, and had every expectation to do it again.” This passage stuck out to me because I can exactly relate to what Matt is going through. My hockey team was also in the state championship this year, and we were expected to win again because we won last year. I also play right wing, the same as Matt.
Theme: The theme of this book is the value of life. No one really knows how valuable life is until someone isn’t able to appreciate it anymore.
Letter Grade: If I were to give this book a letter grade I would give it a B. the only reason that it is not an A is because sometimes during the reading I got a little bored. For example when they do the court cases, yes it was very informational, but it made a book that was a fast read, a little bit slower.
Pages: 451 Publisher: Washington Square Press
Why did you decide to read the book?
I was recommended this book by my teacher, and also I have read reviews of this book written by other students, and they made it seem like an interesting read.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences):
Nineteen Minutes is a book about an ordinary, small town in New Hampshire. It is just like every other town, nothing seems to happen and it is usually a boring place to be. Then one day, tragedy strikes for the main character Josie Cormier. There is a shooting at her school, and it takes the lives of many people including some that were particularly close to her. Ironically Josie’s mom is the judge sitting in on the case. For some reason Josie can not seem to remember what exactly had happened at her school that was such a tragedy to her community, even though it happened right in front of her face. Follow this story as it goes through the many rough steps of life, and hopefully wins the most important court case in this small town’s history.
Audience: This story was intended for students usually at the high school age, both boys and girls, but it could be read, and enjoyed by anyone.
Writing Style: The writing style of Jodi Picoult is very descriptive.
Description - She writes so that you know exactly what is going on, and what the characters are going through.
Passage – “Sweat broke down his back and on his forehead, and he could feel his cupped hands shifting on the butt of the gun as he aimed, determined to lace the kid with bullets if he had to.” (pg. 23)
Vocabulary:
Word Definition
Sumptuous- “It was a sumptuous room, sure- a room half the kids in Sterling High would have given their right arm to enter.” (pg 8) Extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.
Ensconced- “She would be ensconced here for six months.” (pg 13) To establish, or settle.
Passage #1: “In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes you can get revenge” This passage stuck out to me because it was identifying what could be done in so little time. Also it makes me believe that something dramatic will happen in the book, either something great, or something tragic.
Passage #2: “The state championship tournament in hockey began this afternoon, and Matt played right wing. Sterling had won last year, and had every expectation to do it again.” This passage stuck out to me because I can exactly relate to what Matt is going through. My hockey team was also in the state championship this year, and we were expected to win again because we won last year. I also play right wing, the same as Matt.
Theme: The theme of this book is the value of life. No one really knows how valuable life is until someone isn’t able to appreciate it anymore.
Letter Grade: If I were to give this book a letter grade I would give it a B. the only reason that it is not an A is because sometimes during the reading I got a little bored. For example when they do the court cases, yes it was very informational, but it made a book that was a fast read, a little bit slower.
Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
Book Title: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You Author: Peter Cameron
Pages: 230 Publisher: Frances Foster Books, 2007
Why did you decide to read the book? Well when I was a sophomore my mom recommended me this book and I started to read it but never finished it due to time constraints. So I decided to pick it back up for this project.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Eighteen year old James Sveck is a adolescent who doesn't get along with people of his own age. This book chronicles two years of his life as he learns to cope with his introvertedness. With a divorced mom and a sister he cannot stand James begins to learn about the way the world works through some awkward situations. Many times throughout the book James' condition makes many of the people who love him to ask him if he is a homosexual, while he is James refuses answer any of them it is revealed at the end of the book that he is in fact homosexual after he crashes a party he is not invited too to become closer to another homosexual friend of his. In the novel the only person James seems capable of relating to is his grandmother. She seems to be the only one capable of dealing with James psychotic ways in a way that is not annoying to James (who has many pet peeves). Unfortunately at the end of the book James' grandmother died, so James inherited her house and went forward to live his life the way he wanted too and not the way people told him to live.
Audience:
I believe the audience for this novel is angst ridden teenagers or to be honest any person who feels left out or awkward with their position in the world. A good book to compare it to is The Catcher in the Rye, so if you liked that book you would love this book.
Writing Style:
Description - The Story is written in first person, so the writing style is that of how a smart-aleck 18 year old would speak.
Passage - “I hate when people say “I see”. It doesn't mean anything to and I think its hostile. Whenever anyone tells me “I see” I think they're really saying “Fuck You”. I was going to ask her what she saw, but I realized that wouldn't get us anywhere, so I said nothing.(87)”
Vocabulary:
Word: Culvert Definition: A conduit used to enclose a flowing body of water
Sentence & page it came from: “I walked deeper into the woods, down a slope, and into a sort of culvert…(119)”
Word Alienated Definition: to make unfriendly, hostile, or indifferent especially where attachment formerly existed
Sentence & page it came from "I felt very bad that i had alienated John" (160)
Passage #1: "But it seems reasonable to me. I'm only eighteen. How do I know what I will want in my life? How do I know what things I will need?"(229)
Passage #2: “I knew I was gay, but I had never done anything gay and I didn't know if I ever would. I couldn't imagine it, I couldn't imagine doing anything intimate and sexual with another person, I could barely talk to other people, so how was I supposed to have sex with them? So I was only theoretically, potentially homosexual.” (192)
Theme: I believe the theme of this story is to live life the way you want to and be happy with who you are on the inside. I believe this because throughout the whole story James is struggling to accept himself the way he is. Many people also try to “help” him be normal but he doesn't want nor need this help because he is just trying to be happy the way he is.
Letter Grade: If I had to give this book a letter grade I would give it a B+. I say it's a very good read for many kids who are feeling left out or abnormal. The only problem I have with the book is there is practically no action whatsoever so at times it gets very monotonous, but it is kept alive by James' idiosyncrasies.
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Book Title: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You Author: Peter Cameron
Pages: 240 Publisher: Macmillan
Why did you decide to read the book? I felt that I could relate to the main character, and was interested in reading.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): A young boy named James Sveck lives in New York City with his sister and mother. He lives a boring, secluded life, uninterested in people his age, his life, or girls. Instead he visits his grandmother and works in his mother's art gallery. His disdain for humanity even sent him to therapy because of his “escape” from a field trip to Washington D.C. His goals aren't to go to college, to get a successful job, or even marry; instead, James wants to live in a nice old house and read, staying an introvert where he would be happy. His life is one giant whirlpool of drama because of the people in it.
Audience: The book is directed mostly towards teens.
Writing Style:
Description - The writing style is informal, like a friend telling a story, yet uses some complex language and manners of speech.
Passage - She signed the book and handed the pen back to me. It was a Waterman fountain pen; my mother thought it was very classy to have such a pen, but of course people were always trying to walk out with it, so it made things very difficult. Whenever anyone signed the book I had to watch them and make sure I got the pen back. I thought the resultant asking for the pen back pretty much countered any classy aspect it provided, but my mother was undeterred.
Vocabulary:
Word- Indoctrinated Definition- To imbue with a partisan or ideological point of view
Sentence & page it came from- p100: “It was this supposedly nonpartisan program that brings two supposedly intelligent students from each state to Washington D.C., for a week so they can be indoctrinated in how wonderful the American government is.”
Word- Deterred Definition- Discouraged or prevented
Sentence & page it came from- p100: I chose not to respond to this blatant attempt at flattery, but Dr. Adler was not deterred. “So what was it then?” She asked. “What was the problem?”
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme:
Letter Grade: I think the book is definitely worthy of an A. It has a good story, decent lessons, and is enjoyable to read. Many people in the targeted audience have a high likelihood of being able to connect with the main character, and even some adults might. The book is well written and one of the better ones I have read in years.
Pages: 230 Publisher: Frances Foster Books, 2007
Why did you decide to read the book? Well when I was a sophomore my mom recommended me this book and I started to read it but never finished it due to time constraints. So I decided to pick it back up for this project.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): Eighteen year old James Sveck is a adolescent who doesn't get along with people of his own age. This book chronicles two years of his life as he learns to cope with his introvertedness. With a divorced mom and a sister he cannot stand James begins to learn about the way the world works through some awkward situations. Many times throughout the book James' condition makes many of the people who love him to ask him if he is a homosexual, while he is James refuses answer any of them it is revealed at the end of the book that he is in fact homosexual after he crashes a party he is not invited too to become closer to another homosexual friend of his. In the novel the only person James seems capable of relating to is his grandmother. She seems to be the only one capable of dealing with James psychotic ways in a way that is not annoying to James (who has many pet peeves). Unfortunately at the end of the book James' grandmother died, so James inherited her house and went forward to live his life the way he wanted too and not the way people told him to live.
Audience:
I believe the audience for this novel is angst ridden teenagers or to be honest any person who feels left out or awkward with their position in the world. A good book to compare it to is The Catcher in the Rye, so if you liked that book you would love this book.
Writing Style:
Description - The Story is written in first person, so the writing style is that of how a smart-aleck 18 year old would speak.
Passage - “I hate when people say “I see”. It doesn't mean anything to and I think its hostile. Whenever anyone tells me “I see” I think they're really saying “Fuck You”. I was going to ask her what she saw, but I realized that wouldn't get us anywhere, so I said nothing.(87)”
Vocabulary:
Word: Culvert Definition: A conduit used to enclose a flowing body of water
Sentence & page it came from: “I walked deeper into the woods, down a slope, and into a sort of culvert…(119)”
Word Alienated Definition: to make unfriendly, hostile, or indifferent especially where attachment formerly existed
Sentence & page it came from "I felt very bad that i had alienated John" (160)
Passage #1: "But it seems reasonable to me. I'm only eighteen. How do I know what I will want in my life? How do I know what things I will need?"(229)
Passage #2: “I knew I was gay, but I had never done anything gay and I didn't know if I ever would. I couldn't imagine it, I couldn't imagine doing anything intimate and sexual with another person, I could barely talk to other people, so how was I supposed to have sex with them? So I was only theoretically, potentially homosexual.” (192)
Theme: I believe the theme of this story is to live life the way you want to and be happy with who you are on the inside. I believe this because throughout the whole story James is struggling to accept himself the way he is. Many people also try to “help” him be normal but he doesn't want nor need this help because he is just trying to be happy the way he is.
Letter Grade: If I had to give this book a letter grade I would give it a B+. I say it's a very good read for many kids who are feeling left out or abnormal. The only problem I have with the book is there is practically no action whatsoever so at times it gets very monotonous, but it is kept alive by James' idiosyncrasies.
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Book Title: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You Author: Peter Cameron
Pages: 240 Publisher: Macmillan
Why did you decide to read the book? I felt that I could relate to the main character, and was interested in reading.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): A young boy named James Sveck lives in New York City with his sister and mother. He lives a boring, secluded life, uninterested in people his age, his life, or girls. Instead he visits his grandmother and works in his mother's art gallery. His disdain for humanity even sent him to therapy because of his “escape” from a field trip to Washington D.C. His goals aren't to go to college, to get a successful job, or even marry; instead, James wants to live in a nice old house and read, staying an introvert where he would be happy. His life is one giant whirlpool of drama because of the people in it.
Audience: The book is directed mostly towards teens.
Writing Style:
Description - The writing style is informal, like a friend telling a story, yet uses some complex language and manners of speech.
Passage - She signed the book and handed the pen back to me. It was a Waterman fountain pen; my mother thought it was very classy to have such a pen, but of course people were always trying to walk out with it, so it made things very difficult. Whenever anyone signed the book I had to watch them and make sure I got the pen back. I thought the resultant asking for the pen back pretty much countered any classy aspect it provided, but my mother was undeterred.
Vocabulary:
Word- Indoctrinated Definition- To imbue with a partisan or ideological point of view
Sentence & page it came from- p100: “It was this supposedly nonpartisan program that brings two supposedly intelligent students from each state to Washington D.C., for a week so they can be indoctrinated in how wonderful the American government is.”
Word- Deterred Definition- Discouraged or prevented
Sentence & page it came from- p100: I chose not to respond to this blatant attempt at flattery, but Dr. Adler was not deterred. “So what was it then?” She asked. “What was the problem?”
Passage #1:
Passage #2:
Theme:
Letter Grade: I think the book is definitely worthy of an A. It has a good story, decent lessons, and is enjoyable to read. Many people in the targeted audience have a high likelihood of being able to connect with the main character, and even some adults might. The book is well written and one of the better ones I have read in years.
Thirteen Reasons Why
Book Title: Th1rteen R3asons Why Author: Jay Asher
Pages: 288 Publishers: Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book? I decided to read this book because it seemed very interesting. Also a friend read it before and suggested it and since I have no other book to read I gave it a shot.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): In the book Clay Jensen returns home and on his doorstep there is a mysterious box with his name of it. At first he does not think anything of it till he listens to the first tape and he hears the voice of Hannah Baker, she was his crush however, what shocks him the most is that how is he hearing her voice when she committed suicide two weeks ago. Clay is on of the reasons why Hannah committed suicide however Clay has to listen to the tapes to find out what number reason he is. Clay goes through a journey all over town to fallow Hannah’s last step, and most importantly to find out the reason why she killed herself. In the way he finds thirteen reasons why she decided to take her life.
Audience: The audience for this book would be young adults, teenagers. I believe this because the scene is set in high school and many teenagers can relate to the environment. It also shows some things that really happen in high school and you can say “wow I know how that feels” Writing Style: The writing style of the author is really simple and easy to understand. She also gives the Hannah her own style. She uses a lot of sarcasm and tries to make it funny.
Description - Simple sentences having some sarcasm in it too.
Passage - “Now why would a dead girl lie? Hey! That sounds like a joke. Why would a dead girl lie” (08)
Vocabulary:
Word: Anthology
Definition: a collection of selected writing by an author
Sentence & page it came from: “Here, Courtney is your contribution to the anthology of my life.”(96)
Theme: The theme of the book could be many things. However, there is a bigger picture involving the theme of the book. The theme is that even though it looks innocent the doings of your classmates and yours can cause a poor kids do the unthinkable. This is commit suicide.
Passage #1: “A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory that I hoped would be special. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and reacted to. And sometimes a rumor based on a kiss has a snowball effect” (30-31) this is a critical part of the book because this is where Hannah goes downhill and starts thinking about killing herself.
Passage #2: “But I didn’t need it spun around, because the first time I read that paper it was upside down on Jimmy’s desk: WHOS”S HOT/WHO’S NOT. Hannah she said I don’t care that he picked you over me.” (64-65) this is very importing to the theme because after this Hannah’s so called friend starts to talk behind her back and causes her to be even more depressed and sad.
Letter Grade: I would give the book the letter grade of an A for a few reasons. For one it deals with a sensitive issue that we never really learn about and teaches you that what you do say affects people. It is also very well written and the plot is a good nail bitter and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Pages: 288 Publishers: Penguin Group
Why did you decide to read the book? I decided to read this book because it seemed very interesting. Also a friend read it before and suggested it and since I have no other book to read I gave it a shot.
Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): In the book Clay Jensen returns home and on his doorstep there is a mysterious box with his name of it. At first he does not think anything of it till he listens to the first tape and he hears the voice of Hannah Baker, she was his crush however, what shocks him the most is that how is he hearing her voice when she committed suicide two weeks ago. Clay is on of the reasons why Hannah committed suicide however Clay has to listen to the tapes to find out what number reason he is. Clay goes through a journey all over town to fallow Hannah’s last step, and most importantly to find out the reason why she killed herself. In the way he finds thirteen reasons why she decided to take her life.
Audience: The audience for this book would be young adults, teenagers. I believe this because the scene is set in high school and many teenagers can relate to the environment. It also shows some things that really happen in high school and you can say “wow I know how that feels” Writing Style: The writing style of the author is really simple and easy to understand. She also gives the Hannah her own style. She uses a lot of sarcasm and tries to make it funny.
Description - Simple sentences having some sarcasm in it too.
Passage - “Now why would a dead girl lie? Hey! That sounds like a joke. Why would a dead girl lie” (08)
Vocabulary:
Word: Anthology
Definition: a collection of selected writing by an author
Sentence & page it came from: “Here, Courtney is your contribution to the anthology of my life.”(96)
Theme: The theme of the book could be many things. However, there is a bigger picture involving the theme of the book. The theme is that even though it looks innocent the doings of your classmates and yours can cause a poor kids do the unthinkable. This is commit suicide.
Passage #1: “A rumor based on a kiss ruined a memory that I hoped would be special. A rumor based on a kiss started a reputation that other people believed in and reacted to. And sometimes a rumor based on a kiss has a snowball effect” (30-31) this is a critical part of the book because this is where Hannah goes downhill and starts thinking about killing herself.
Passage #2: “But I didn’t need it spun around, because the first time I read that paper it was upside down on Jimmy’s desk: WHOS”S HOT/WHO’S NOT. Hannah she said I don’t care that he picked you over me.” (64-65) this is very importing to the theme because after this Hannah’s so called friend starts to talk behind her back and causes her to be even more depressed and sad.
Letter Grade: I would give the book the letter grade of an A for a few reasons. For one it deals with a sensitive issue that we never really learn about and teaches you that what you do say affects people. It is also very well written and the plot is a good nail bitter and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
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