Monday, August 10, 2009

Summer Reading

Over the summer, you were asked to read at least two novels of your choice.
1) Briefly tell me what you read, including the titles and authors.
2) I want to know what you liked about the books, what you learned and, more importantly, what matters to you about the book's content.

*Make sure to adhere to proper conventions and proofread your response. If, for some reason, you did not read two novels, tell me about two novels you have read and answer the above.

36 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Two books I read this summer were the first two Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer. The first one is called Artemis Fowl. The second one I read is called Artemis Fowl-The Arctic Incident. I liked the books because it was a satisfying mix of sci-fi and fiction. Sci-fi was the whole bit about the fairies and the magic being part of science. The fiction bit was the parts where the fairies exist and the magic being real and underground cities. I learned a few things about the Earth and how its formed. The part where Artemis's father gets lost in the arctic and is kidnapped by the mafia was an important part for me because I don't know what happened to my father or where he is so it was a powerful chapter in the book for me. I've now read all six of the Artemis Fowl books and enjoyed them immensly.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The two novels I read over the summer are
    cell writen by Stephen King, a very discriptive and well writen book about the apocolyps zombie style. The other book I read is called Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers, a book about the Vietnam war platoon in the middle of the battel grounds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This summer I read two surprisingly excecellent books, entitled Tuesdays With Morrie, and The Five People You Meet In Heaven. Both of these books were by the author Mitch Albom. I really liked both of the books because both of them were very different. I had never read any books that were anything like either of these.

    Tuesdays With Morrie is a book about Mitch (the main character), and Morrie, who is his old professor from college. Morrie contracts a terminal disease which causes him to lose control of his body from the feet up, slowly. This book taught me to really care more about life than I did, because as Morrie his dying, he is in fact living more than he ever has before. He is seizing every opportunity and trying to make the best of his last days. He does so by teaching Mitch the "most important lesson"; life.

    The Five People You Meet In Heaven is about a theme park mechanic named Eddiewho dies while trying to save a little girl from a falling ride. He goes to heaven and meets the five people that really made a difference in his life. I learned from this book that everything actually does happen for a reason, because even though Eddie sometimes didn't remember who the people were, they did make a difference in his life. I liked this book because as I said in my introduction, it is very different from all other books and I enjoyed reading every letter of it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This summer I read two novels, Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer and The Host by Stephanie Meyer.

    I liked that Into The Wild was based on a true story and I really enjoyed how there was so much information in the book about the authors personal experiences with being in the wild. I learned a lot about what it's really like to live off the land and the dangers of being in the wild.

    In The Host I really enjoyed that it was Science Fiction because I usually don't read that genre. It was a rather long book, but it was very interesting. I learned more about this specific genre and I found out that I really like Science Fiction. I enjoyed how this book had humor, romance, and science fiction. I've read all of Meyer's books, and I've enjoyed them all.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This summer I read two novels, War of the WorldsSilver Fish. War of the Worlds I thought it was way to long and boring. I didn't understand it either on a scale i would give it about a 3 out of 10 so not to good. The second book i read was better i enjoyed it a lot. The kid was really tough and hard core. he was getting kicked out of school and in all these fights. A real bad dude.I wouldn't mess with him. i would give this book about a 7 on my scale.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The two novels i read over the summer were Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and I also Read The five people you'll meet in heaven also by Mitch albom what i liked about the books were that they were good life lesson teaching books. They are very heart warming and teach you a lot about the value of life. What i learned from Tuesdays with Morrie is that people take life for granite and rush threw it. After Morrie figured out he was dieing he tried to slow down and enjoy the simpler things in life. What i learned about with the book The five people you'll meet in heaven is that everyone you meet os see affects your life. Even somebody you have seen once could change your life or their life forever.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So this summer i read So B. it by Sarah Weeks and The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer. What i really liked about the first book is i can picture the whole story going on in my head as i read it. It had such great characters and meaning to it i couldn't stop reading it, and that never happens to me that i get so stuck and attached to a book. When i finished it i wish it never ended. The second book was really good in the beginning but at the end i thought it was so boring. I learned that you have to take care of your family you can't just hate one for no reason and take care of the others. I loved how he tells his life and was so good at telling it and how he dealt with it. Both of these books were my favorite, no wonder why they got awards.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This summer i read two novels, In The Deep End by Kate Cann and Avalon High by Meg Cabot. My favorite book out of these two novels was Avalon High because when I was reading it it felt like I was there, it sucked me in. It took me about 3 hours to read, I loved it. The main story line was this girl is in high school she has just moved there, she has spent her entire summer either running or floating in her pool. When she is out running she runs into this guy and when she meets him she feels as if shes met him before but she hasn't, When ever Ellie sees him or is near him she feels very comfortable. That was my little summary of this book.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This summer I read two novels, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix and, Harry potter and the Half-Blood Prince, both by J.K. Rowling.

    This was my second time reading both and I liked them both more the second time! In the Order of the Pheonix, I liked that there was a lot more fun and cool magic that wasn't in the other books. From this book I learned that sticking with your friends is one of the most important things you can do because they will help you through tough times. this novel matters because it teaches lessons about friendship and devotion and that good will triumph over evil.

    In The Half-Blood Prince, I liked all the action and the good wizards fighting the bad wizards. This novel taught me that even if life takes unexpected turns, always try to find your way back to what you think is good and right. This was my favorite of the Harry Potter series, and what matters to me about it is that it gives me encouragement when i'm having a hard time.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This summer I read, Heat by Mike Lupica and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.

    I thought Heat was an interesting book. It was about a boy growing up in the Bronx that is a great baseball player who moved from Cuba, but left his birth certificate so he can't prove he is young enough to play in the league. I liked the book because a sports book.

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the best book I read all summer. Harry learns about his arch-nemesis and learned about Horcuxes. I read the book because I saw the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  14. 1. This Summer I read two novels, I first read: Chosen by P.C and Kristen Cast, the second book in The House of Night series. The other book I read was the next book in The House of Night series, Betrayed by P.C. and Kristen Cast, again.
    2. I like Chosen because it has everything a good book should have; action, a villain, Romantics, the group of good guys who save the day. The same with Betrayed, it is pretty much the same thing except it has a bigger villain who then tries to take over the world! It's a little "cliche", but it works. What matters to me in a good book, is that it must relate to me in any way possible. Although some of the things in the books I read can't actually happen, it is good fantasy. And I used to, and still do, have an exciting imagination.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This summer I read two novels, Animal Farm by George Orwell and Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. I liked many things about the first book. I enjoy the main plot or idea about the book, because it makes a very visual picture in my mind. Overall I didn't really enjoy the book because it really dragged along the same topic for what seemed to be hours. I really liked the characters though, they had great personalities. The meaning of this book is important to me because it was written during or about World War 1 and all of the people involved. This book was a bittersweet choice for me.

    The last book I read was Black Hawk Down and this was perhaps my favorite book of all time for many reasons. First of all, I love war movies and books, just because they describe the violence very well and because it gets my heart racing every time I read it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Over the course of this summer i read two very different novels, Prey, by Michael Crichton, and Brian's Winter, by Gary Paulsen. I quite enjoyed Prey although Brian's Winter wasn't bad either. Prey was an excellent science fiction novel that portrayed A scenario in which man made machines attack their makers, while the scientists that made them desperately try to control them. to be continued...

    ReplyDelete
  17. This summer I read, < All Shock Up > the book was about a boy who's father is an Elves impersonator, he has to move and start school, he goes through a lot of diffdenert clicks, I learned that life may not go they way you want but it all works out in the end.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Over the summer I read two great novels, The Hobbit or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by the famous J.K. Rowling. The first book The Hobbit or There and Back Again was an amazing book, the detail was amazing, I could picture everything like I was right there with them. The Hobbit had a very wide vocabulary of words I had never heard, but with a dictionary in hand, I had no problem.
    When I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire I realized how much of the story I really missed when I watched the movie. I thought that J.K Rowling should change the way the story moves, for instance, in all of the harry potter books the story goes by so slow and finally when it gets good... it’s over. But overall I loved both the books I read and will read more from those great authors.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Another book I read this summer was < The Outsiders >, I did not think i would like this book but I did. I liked it because it was told of the real part that no one wants to here. This book did change the way I look at things.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This summer I read two novels, Dear John by Nickolas Sparks and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.

    The first book I read was Dear John. I liked the setting Nickolas Sparks placed this book. It was around the time of September 11th, 2001. I also liked the romance and drama of the book. It was very fun to read, Nickolas made it seem like you were a bystander the entire time. I think the most important thing I learned from this book is to not break a promise if you're not sure you can keep it. What most matters to me in the contents of this book is even if you love someone so much but they don't keep a promise, or don't come back when they say they will, move on. You can't wait your entire life on one person if that person just kind of blows you off.

    The second book I read was This Lullaby. I absolutly love this book! I enjoy reading anout teen romance and thats just what this book is. I love how Sarah makes Remy's(main character) love life so complacted after she mets Dexter. What I learned from this book is that if you have strong feelings for someone, don't leave them. If you do leave someone you have strong feelings for you will hurt yourself and the other person a lot. The most important thing about the contents of This Lullaby is to get rid of your fear of falling in love. It's not going to hurt you, and if you do happen to fall in love with the wrong person that will hurt but you just have to get back up and find another guy/girl. Soon you will find the right person to fall in love with, just like Remy's older brother Chris, her mother, Dexter, and even Remy. They all got hurt but they all fell for someone who they love in the end.

    ReplyDelete
  21. This summer I read two books, Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess and Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.
    The first book I read I liked a lot. This story was about a girl who is very scared for her life and her sanity because her dad is getting out of jail earlier than expected. The book goes through how she deals with this and how her best friend/lover helps her. Most everyone may care about her except for her dad and her mother. I really liked this book because it doesn't make life seem like a fairy tale, it goes through the truth of what some people actually live through.
    The other book I read was the start of the new series on HBO called True Blood. Yes, I know it's just another vampire book! But this book is truly good. It's really well written and I love how there is love in it too! Not only that but there is a lot of action that goes on too. Sookie (the main charecter) goes through a lot in the series and I think these books are better than Twilight too. There are 9 books in the series and every book is a pretty easy read and has a different plot. They are also based in Louisiana so the author brings in a lot of culture to the books.
    Those books were defenetly above a 7 on my scale.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Over the summer, I read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.

    My Sister's Keeper follows the participants in a family court case, where Anna, the main character, is trying to sue her parents for medical emancipation. This is because she doesn’t want to give her sister, Kate, a kidney. It is a very touching novel and contrary to what the main plot line is, the story clearly shows the love between the two sisters. It was a very shocking and good book due to the fact that in went in depth on some very controversy topics and showed a different point of view on them. I learned from this book that I should live life to the fullest, because at any moment something unexpected could happen to take it away from me. The characters grew during it and learned how to love and be open to others, which is what really matters.

    The Glass Castle is an autobiography that illustrates Mrs. Walls’ childhood as a nomad. I liked how Mrs. Walls didn’t hold back; she told her life as it happened and didn’t leave out parts just because they were bad. I learned that not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a house and more importantly, parents who truly love me. Jeanette went through a lot, yet she was able to make a life for herself and didn't dwell to much on all the awful things that had happened to her.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This summer i read two novels,such as Black Hawk Down by Edward Bloor and Taken by Mark Bowden. First of all when reading Black hawk Down I like how they included real thought and moments from when this happened in Europe. It really felt like i was in that war with them by the why the author makes it sound. I learned from the book that war is very cruel and involves alot of stratagy.I think this book is great to learn about war and what it felt like back then to be a soilder. My second book was taken which i liked the most out of the two. I like the storyline because the dad was a spi and had enemies in other countrys.His daughter ended up going to france and getting kidnapped. So i thought that was very interesting. Ilearned that you should always take peoples adive and never let it go in one ear and out the other. I think this a great book it will kepp you on your the edge of your seat.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  25. This year i read two fantastic novels. The first noval i read was Taken by Edward Bloor. I thougt this book was amazing. I loved how the author kept me waiting and waiting. The chapter would always end right before somehing good was going to happen. I learned that kidnapping is a serious issue. I also learned how often kidnappers strike. They are really dangorous. I know that kidnappers are everywhere and looking for kids like us.I loved the way the authors explained things. He used so much detail. I think that if someone likes thriller and scary books this would be the book. Its an awesome book.

    The second book i read over the summer was Sun of the Mob by Gordan Korman. This book was one of the best books I ever read. I liked how the book felt so alive. I loved the charachters and the scenes. I learned that the mobsters have to deal with a lot, especially their family. I also learned that mobsters have a very tricky life. This book had a lot of breath taking parts. I would recomend this book for anyone to read.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This summer i read two books both by the author, Jessica Queller. The books that i read were Gossip Girl and Gossip Girl, return of the Carylels. they are both the same kind of book. They have a lot of real life drama in it. It makes me never want to stop reading! I would get through the books within 1 or 2 days because i couldn't wait to figure out what was happening next. I learned that i never want to have that much Gossip or drama involved in my life. I also don't ever want to go to an all girls school. That would not be fun! But the content of the book is even if somebody says that you can trust them, you really can't. Also that people will always be talking about other people, that's just how it is. But that all you can do is not care about it. I think a lot of girls would love these books and if they watch the show i recomend them to read the books too.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This summer I read two absolutely fabulous books the first book I read was called Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. This book is about a big town city girl named Bella from Phoenix, Arizona who moves to a very small town in Forks, Washington and while she is there she falls in love with a vampire named Edward. I absolutely adore this book because it is a suspenseful love story that just keeps you going I read about all of the books in about one week because they were so good. I didn’t really read anything that I could learn from either of these books except to maybe not fall in love with a vampire. I really love this book though because of how it is so much like real drama life story without the vampires
    The second book that I read was called New Moon which is also by Stephanie Meyer and is the sequel to Twilight. This book I didn’t love quite as much because in this book Edward decides that it would be better for Bella’s safety if he left for ever. So he does and Bella goes into a horrible depression which is just horrible. She ends up almost killing herself like 4 or 5 times. If you would want to know the end you’ll have to read the book yourself. This book is more like what happens to a girl after she breaks up with her boyfriend so it is kind of like what every girl goes through in her life.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This summer I read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield and I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan.

    When I went to the library, the only Chicken Soup for teens that they had was letters from the readers. It was cool to hear about how people related to the stories in the main book but I think the main Chicken Soup for the Teenage soul would have been a better read. What i did like is i could relate to alot of the connections that the readers were making which made it easier to keep on reading.

    When I was younger I watched the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer and when I saw it on the list of books we could read I was really excited. I couldn't remember very much of what happened throughout the story so I was ready to read it and then watch the movie for the first time in a few years. The book was really good. All the characters kept you interested in what they were going to do next and the story line kept leaving you with cliff hangers which made you never want to stop reading. I read the book in three days and could not wait to see the movie, but I was afraid that the movie would not give the book justice, and I was right. The movie was so cheesy and the characters were all wrong. The story line was just so different that I really couldn't enjoy it. Every three minutes or so I would notice another thing that was different, or wrong, or mixed up from the book to the movie. I really don't think I will watch the rest of the movies but I will definetly look for more books that Lois Duncan has wrote.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Over the summer, I read two books that normally would never catch me reading. I read Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle. I have read other books in the past by Lauren Myracle, ttyl, ttfn, and l8r g8r. They were all great books including Rhymes with Witches. The second book I read was Cut by Patricia McCormick. Cut was an okay book, yet I probably wouldn’t read another book by her.

    Rhymes with Witches is one of the best books I’ve read so far. This book was all about a new freshmen who thrived to “fit in”. She lost friends just by trying to fit in. She finally got associated with the “popular” group named the B****es, after accomplishing all the tasks that were thrown her way. She finally decided she was doing the wrong thing; she ended up dropping out of the “group” and was left with only one friend that stayed by her side till the end. I enjoyed reading this book because you always wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I’ve met people like Jane, people who just wanted to fit in. The lesson that I learned form reading Rhymes with Witches is to always be your self. It isn’t about fitting in, and having a miserable life. It’s about being your self in fitting in with who you are meant to fit in with. Be your self!

    Cut was about a girl named Callie who was obsessed with cutting herself. She was taken to a treatment facility. She didn’t feel comfortable talking or being associated in the group activities. She ends up making friends, and changes her mind about getting help. So Callie lived safe and sound, the end. I honestly didn’t care too much for this book because it was just too boring. There was nothing intriguing enough to not be able to put down the book. What I had learned from this book was to never cut! Also communication is the key. You have a mouth, so use it.

    ReplyDelete
  30. This summer i read two books, That Was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hilton and the book The Pigman by Paul Zindel.

    That Was Then, This is Now was from the same author that wrote The Outsiders and both book's were similar in ways and had some of the same characters but in That Was Then, This is Now two friends that are trying to figure how to raise money for there mom that is in the hospital. While one of them gets a real job, the other one starts getting by selling drugs and the other friend has to decide between his friend or having him go to jail. I liked this book because it was like the outsiders.

    The Pigman was about a boy and a girl who made a prank call to this old man, asking him if he would donate 10 dollars to a charity but when they go to his house to get the money they feel bad cause he's really lonley so they start to visit him every day. I like this book a little bit more then the other book i read and it was really good.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This summer I read to books for my ninth grade English class. The first book I chose to read was The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, the second book I chose to read was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albot.
    I chose to read The Five People You Meet in Heaven because I have seen the movie in the past and enjoyed it very much. Whenever I see a movie and there is a book in which it is based on, I usually like to try and read the book if I like the movie. I liked this particular book because I thought Mitch Albot did a good job of describing the moments right after death, though it is only what he imagines it to be. From the booked I learned that everyone is in our lives for a reason and nothing is left to chance. There’s always a reason and a rhyme for what happens to us. In this book the way the main character, Eddie, viewed his journey through his time after death way significant to me because though he was close minded in the beginning he soon realized that he was there to learn something from each person he met, and was open to that.
    The second book I chose to read was The Wedding. I chose to read this book because Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors. I have read other books of his including The Notebook and Dear John. I liked this book because it showed what it takes in a marriage to make it work, even after many years. I learned that real love is something that’s constant even when it’s not shown to the fullest. But what I found most important about the content of the book was the way the main chartered, Wilson, confided in his father in law for help with is marriage. It showed trust and acknowledgment wisdom.

    ReplyDelete
  32. This summer i read two novels, the first book i read was The bean trees by Barbara Kingslover. I thought this book was really intresting. This book starts in Kentucky with a girl named Taylor. She saves up money and buys herself a Volkswagon bug. After she graduated high school she left Kentucky and left for good. She stoped in Oklahoma and a woman puts a baby in the front seat of her car and tells her to take it, then the woman left. Taylor takes the baby and names it Turtle. Taylor and Turtle set off and go through many obstacles. They find a home and Taylor keeps Turtle alive. I liked this book alot because it kept me awake and intrested in what happened next. What I learned about this book is that once you put your heart to something you should never give up, just like Taylor cared for Turtle. What i found most important about the content of the book was that the author made the book very different. I never would of thought the book would end in that way. I really enjoyed this book.
    The secound book i read was L.A. candy by Lauren Conrad. This is probably my favorite book that i have ever read. It just came out in June so i read it right away. This book tells a behind-the-scenes story of a young girl who moves to L.A. and unexpectedly becomes the star of a reality television show. It is a three book series based on the authors life. Some of the characters symbolize some of the people in her own life. I liked this book so much because first of all Lauren Conrad is the person I look up too, she is my role model. Secoundly, it told a really good story that i almost lost myself in because it felt like i was almost in the story. I learned from this book that to treat others fairly and treat them how you want to be treated. Even though i learned this in elementary school i still feel like i should be reminded because in the story some bad things happen to the main character because she doesnt treat others nicely. Lastly, what matters to me in the content of this book is that was the main character, Jane, learns life lessons and helps her into a marriage. It demostrates the hardships in her life and how she accomplishs them.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

    In Atlas Shrugged I learned about “men of mind” during The Great Depression. It showed me that everyone relies upon hard working entrepreneurs to run the economy. This book mattered so much to me because it addresses challenging issues, and asserts to the reader that the world would fall without entrepreneurs and innovation. Atlas Shrugged is a book which strongly advocates capitalism, a philosophy and form of government, in which I am a strong believer.

    The Count of Monte Cristo is beautifully written and creates empathy within the reader, who can literally feel the pain of the character. The reader feels through the character development of Edmond Dantes, what it is like to have everything you love violently torn from you. This book is among of my all-time favorites, because the Count of Monte Cristo (same character as Edmond Dantes) through superior intellect was able to vanquish all of his enemies, after 14 years of imprisonment. The Count of Monte Cristo is a spectacular work of literature that shows the intricacies of human emotions

    ReplyDelete
  34. This summer I read two novels, Switch by Carol Snow and Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.

    I really enjoyed Switch because it tells the story of a teenage girl, and basically shares her thoughts with the readers. I felt this story really related to me. I also really enjoyed the book Perfect Chemistry because it always kept me on the edge of my seat, and made me want to read more. It was about a boy named Alex and a girl named Brittany. Brittany was the head chearleader and Alex was a gang member, but they ended up falling in love and putting aside their differences.

    I learned from both books that sometimes it is hard being a teenager, but there are a lot of fun parts to being one, as well.

    What matters most to me about each of the book's content is that they both relate to teenagers and tough situations. I love how in both books the author keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat, wanting to read more.

    Overall, these were two of my favorite books that I have ever read!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Two novels I read this summer was The Outsiders by Susan Eloise Hinton and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

    The Outsiders was a great book. S.E. Hinton is very despriptive throughout the book painting a picture in my mind showing me how one kid and his friends and family make it through the hard life of being a part of a broken family with rich people always giving them a hard time.

    To Kill a Mockingbird on the other hand was not too great. I didn't enjoy the book because it never grabbed my attention.To Kill a Mockingbird was too much about everyday life in the south during the 1930's. Overall I did not like this novel.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I am from loud screams at the gym,
    from abercrombie and hollister.
    I am from the house in the neiborhood.
    The cayotes and high piched barks of angry little dogs.
    I am from the big red tomato plant, and the daisy nice bright and yellow,
    the crikets chirping at night in my backyard.
    I"m from family dinner at chirstmas and smiles all around. from my mimi and my papa.
    I'm from the skiers in the mountains in Aspen, to biking races.
    From sit up straight, and elbows off the table and i will always love you.
    I am from the original catholic proper family.
    I'm from my greatgrandmother that i was named after
    from the sweet potatoes and marshmellows at thanksgiving.
    From the adopting of a new born chinese girl. going to china to get her.
    to the artist of my older sister in sante fe. to the old dusty photo albums in the shelves by the warm fire place. to the family portraits hanging around the house.
    i am from love.

    ReplyDelete