I saw S.A. Bodeen's The Raft at the book fair, and as I am a person that ignores the literal meaning of the adage you should not judge a book by its cover, I thought I would read it. Let me say that I am a person that has more irrational fears than rational ones. As many of you know, I lump all snakes into the deadly category despite the fact that a good number of them are harmless. I am also terrified of flying. Don't get me wrong, I will get on a plane because I believe that despite my fear, the destination is worth it. The likelihood of dying in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million, so again, I know I am being ridiculous; I just don't understand how that big heavy plane stays up in the air. So The Raft, in theory, may not have been the best choice for me as it is all about a teenage girl attempting to survive after the tiny plane she is on crashes into the Pacific Ocean (introducing another irrational fear of mine: sharks). The girl's name is Robie, and what makes The Raft a pretty good read is that the story is told from Robie's perspective, and you actually believe that. Her thoughts and dialogue stand true to what a 15 year old might think, and she is pretty likeable. Just like most teenagers, she tries to push the limits adults set for her and prove she is an adult. But like many of us come to find out, being independent like an adult should be is not all it is cracked up to be sometimes, as demonstrated by Robie's predicament of being lost and essentially alone in an inflatable raft at sea. Given my own fears, I was anxious for Robie. Every time I turned the page I anticipated a shark attack. Not only having to deal with the weather issues (sun burn or being soaked by the rain), predator issues (like sharks), and food issues (hunger and dehydration), Robie had to deal with being stuck with some guy she didn't even know: dealing with awkward silences, bathroom issues, when it was appropriate to hide or share food, and how to keep one another alive. I kept my fingers crossed for a happy ending though I knew the more intriguing ending wouldn't be so happy. Overall, it was a good read. I know a few of you guys bought this book from the book fair, too, so let me know what you thought of it. If you missed a chance of buying it at the book fair, no worries; thanks to Kinsey Ginsberg, the library has a copy for you to check out!
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My plan was to have Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry be my next entry, but I am on a wait list at the library to receive that book. So then I thought I would do The Maze Runner (also waiting on that one (if any one wants to lend them to me, I would be grateful :)). So I spent my nights this weekend reading this book, but I wasn't going to add it to the blog even though we have a plethora of Nicholas Sparks books in our school library. Then I saw The Best of Me at the book fair, so I thought I would go ahead and talk about it. I like to read a lot of different kinds of books, and while Nicholas Sparks is not a favorite author of mine, nor do any of his books make my top ten list, I do enjoy them. I anticipated The Best of Me to be similar to his book The Notebook- a young couple torn apart because she is a rich girl with ultra conservative parents and he comes from a bad family, then some day they find each other again and live happily ever after, well, sort of. I was right on the beginning, but the rest is different. Definitely not something I would recommend to any of our guys, nor would I recommend if you only want a happy love story. There are lots of complications for our main characters, and sometimes you just want to yell at them and tell them to stop being dumb, kind of like when you are watching a scary movie and the character runs upstairs instead of outside. The characters are likeable, though, and you want to root for their happiness, both as individuals and as a couple. While this is a love story, as most of Sparks' books are, there is also a great lesson of guilt and forgiveness in the book. Sometimes we hold on to our guilt for longer than we should, and it weighs upon us, altering the course of our lives. Dawson, one of the main characters, is a great example of this. Like him, sometimes in our lives, no matter who tells us not to blame ourselves, we do, even when it was out of our control. Overall, it was a good read, but not something I would ever read again because I tend to pout when books don't end "my way" (hello, final book to the Divergent series...what a waste of time:( ). But that is just me. Let me know what you think, especially since the movie comes out this month! I read Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle for the first time about six years ago and thought it was AMAZING (we have it in the school's library, just saying...). That particular book is a memoir of Walls' childhood, and I promise you it will make you grateful for the life that you live. The hardships that Walls and her siblings go through before their 18th birthdays are tremendous and heartbreaking, yet they find a way to keep going as family. The kids parent themselves and learn responsibility and accountability, not from their parents who are absent, to say the least, but from their own trial and error. It is a heartbreaking book with a powerful theme of hope, so I would recommend it, but I would read this one with a parent because it does talk about a lot of serious topics. So what does that have to do with The Silver Star? Well, we are introduced to the concept of some of the character's from the previous book. The main character/narrator of each seems to be the same person, and just like in The Glass Castle, The Silver Star deals with sisters that have way too much responsibility put on their plate at way too young an age. While they are figuring out who they are and who they want to be, they learn hard lessons of integrity, honesty, standing up for family, and consequences of the hardest form: the backlash that can come even if you are doing the right thing. Both books tell a great story of growing up, so consider reading them (or reading them with a parent to talk out those bigger issues:).) I remember loving this book when I was younger, though when I picked it up to read this past weekend, I could not remember a thing about it other than enjoying it. I guess that is what 20 years of separation can do... Anyway, A Wrinkle in Time is, simply put, a story about a bunch of misfits that come to find how special and important they really are. While the plot line is entirely fantasy as Meg, our main character, and her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin travel to another galaxy in another time, the themes and purpose of the story are totally relatable and realistic. Meg is your standard middle school aged girl trying to fit in, wanting to protect her family, and hoping to avoid gossip and ridicule. She is far smarter than she knows, but does not feel like anyone cares or understands her, except for her brother. Calvin, on the other hand, is your all American popular guy, athletic and smart, but despite being really popular in school, his family life is really lonely as no one ever notices whether he is around. Meg sees the huge contrast between her and Calvin, and starts to realize all she might be taking for granted. Meanwhile, Meg has the huge task of saving good from evil. To my sixth graders, this story made me think a lot about Harrison Bergeron: from the book- "But that's exactly what we have on Camazotz. Complete equality. Everybody exactly alike." For a moment her brain reeled with confusion. Then came a moment of blazing truth. "No!" she cried triumphantly. "Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" "Good girl, Meg!" her father shouted at her. But Charles Wallace continued as though there had been no interruption. "In Camazotz all are equal. In Camazotz everybody is the same as everybody else," but he gave her no argument, provided no answer, and she held on to her moment of revelation. Overall, A Wrinkle in Time is well written, the characters are believable, and while the setting may not be legitimate, everything that Madeleine L'Engle is trying to teach her readers is. I would recommend it over all. We have multiple copies in the library, so check it out if you have never read it and let me know what you think! |
Note From Ms. PIt will probably come as no surprise that I am an avid reader. I have also been spending a lot of time in the Dawn Hodges Library here at WAAS evaluating what books we can add to have students really READING. Some of you already read on your own, which is great because reading opens your mind to new ideas and possibilities you might not otherwise think of. It helps you to imagine and live in a new world for a little while, which is something we all need sometimes. Archives
February 2019
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