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Post by Ms. Kalmar on Jan 14, 2013 18:25:12 GMT -5
Each review should include:
Book Title & Author:
Brief summary:
Why did you choose this book?
What is your opinion of this book?
Who might enjoy this book?
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Post by Ike schmiedel on Jun 19, 2013 15:57:10 GMT -5
I read the book "The Power of One". The book is about the life story of an English boy the grew up in South Africa during the apartheid. The county is lead by an Afrikaner government who hate the English. He is also nursed by a black women, so he experiences a lot of racism his whole life. He goes through event that only some people would dream about in a nightmare. However he overcomes all his obstacles and becomes welter weight boxing champion. I chose this book because it looked interesting and inspiring. In my opinion this is my new favorite book and would recommend it to anyone that is of a high reading level and loves a good story.
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Post by Lauren Sheffield on Jun 23, 2013 19:38:14 GMT -5
For my first review this summer I read the book Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman. It’s her life story about how she changed her way of life to be “cool”. The funny thing is that my own mother recommended this for me. At first I turned my nose up to it, because she explained it was a story about how being cool isn’t always cool. I finally read it this summer, mostly because it has been sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time. As it turned out, her story was extremely hilarious, and had a really good life lesson. I would say that anyone in high school should definitely read this book. Boy or girl, senior or freshman.
Hannah comes from a family that you would call “uncool”, but unique. When in middle school she was called, “That Monkey Girl” (because her family included a monkey) and was pulled out in sixth grade to live on a tour bus with her crazy mother, her smelly little brother, and her father’s hippie band mates, Hannah was convinced that she is destined for a life of “freakdom”. But when Hannah enters into one of the country’s most prestigious boarding schools on a scholarship, Hannah transforms herself into everything she is not: cool. By her senior year she has a perfect millionaire boyfriend, a perfect GPA, a perfect designer wardrobe, and is part of the most popular clique in school, but somehow everything begins to suck far worse than when she first started. She starts to have a costly drug habit, eating disorder, and identity crisis that lead to the unraveling of her life.
Another thing that I find unique is some of her themes in her book that are different, for example all of her chapters end with the word “sucks”. Like: Family Sucks, Mean Girls Suck, Fitting In Sucks, Popularity Sucks, etc. I find that many people don’t like the word sucks. My mother doesn’t want me to say it. Not that it is a bad word, but it has such a negative connotation, that people find it disturbing. I like how she uses that word with such familiarity that it isn’t a big deal. And sometimes things just suck. And no other word can be used best than suck.
All in all I really enjoyed this book and got a lot out of it. I have learned that it is better to be you, then try to strive to be something that you are not in order to be “cool”. Because if you think about it, high school is something that we will only experience once and why be something that you are not, to be cool, only to be miserable in the first place? I personally loved this book and think anyone in high school would too.
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Juliana Lassiter ♥☻
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Post by Juliana Lassiter ♥☻ on Jun 23, 2013 19:49:34 GMT -5
My second book was called I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. Now I know, I know, when you hear the title the first thing you're sure to do is judge it. I myself have done that throughout the years. This is where the saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover' comes in play. I will first say that I chose this book because all of my older siblings had read it. Also, over the past few years I've been questioning my parents alot about dating; although they try to make me understand I still didn't completely get it. Why shouldn't I be allowed to date? Everyone else does! My parents were always patient though, and told me there was a good reason. Eventually, to solve this problem, this book is what my parents handed me.
In the book, Joshua tells his life story of growing up in a big family and constantly facing the struggles of wanting a girlfriend. All his friends had 'girlfriends' on and off and would always try to set him up with girls that were prettier on the outside than the inside. He struggled to find his way, but with the help of many good examples, including his parents, and God, he foud his way and wrote this book. He talks about why dating could be bad and should be avoided. At first I figured no one would ever want to listen to that. But if you keep an open mind and hear him out, I promise it pays off. Although the book is mostly about dating, it also talks about other things. He talks about friendship, marriage, purity, God, embracing singleness, love, avoiding near occasions of sin, bibical relationships, and finding your partner. While talking about all of these topics he uses real life examples and he has a bible verse on almost every page. It's perfect! My favorite example is the story about a married couple Joshua knew. He noticed the way they always looked at each other and would always try to please one another. When asked about how they stayed pure before marriage, they responded that they knew that it would be better for them to have their first kiss at their wedding. And that's exactly what they did. I LOVED this part because that's exactly what I would like to do.
I can't even describe how eye opening the whole book was for me. I understand completely now what my parents want of me and I'm even beginning to see God's plan for me a bit clearer too. This is and forever will be my favorite book because it's definitely changed my idea of love for the better. I hope that other kids would give it a chance. I think teenagers that are confused about their love lives and just want to stay pure would find this book so perfect. Even if people don't agree with the whole not dating thing, the book is SOOOOOO worth it. Who knows, maybe you'll figure out what God has been trying to tell you all along. I certainly did.
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Post by Konrad Sartorius on Jun 24, 2013 18:24:52 GMT -5
I recently read the book Revolt in Syria by Stephen Starr. In it the author describes the demographic, historical, and social makeup of the country of Syria and how they affect the country of Syria. I chose this book as I am very interested in world politics and especially into the situation in Syria. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to the end.l It was very informative and painted a picture of Syria that we often don't see, which is Syria as a society and the elements that shape her as a nation. I think that anyone interested in the world today should read this book as this book outlines what Syria's (and perhaps the Middle East as a whole) future is.
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Post by Lydia Sorrels on Jun 24, 2013 22:08:58 GMT -5
The title of one of the books that I selected is A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. It was written by a nationally-known Catholic speaker named Dr. Edward Sri, who has written several other best-selling books. The book literally walks the reader through a Mass and explains each thing that we do, including the differences between the new and old translations. This book is a great aid for lukewarm Catholics to develop a newfound appreciation for the most amazing event on earth. The Mass is celebrated every day, and is the center of our faith. Even though most Catholics go to Mass every weekend and know every gesture and response, they may not know what it all really means. This book takes the questions away and leads the readers on a unique tour of the Liturgy. I chose this book because in recent years I have grown in my faith and realized that I want to know what makes Catholics original. I was especially interested in what the Mass was all about. This book is a great way for anyone to learn more about the Mass, and I really enjoyed the chronological organization and biblical references conveniently placed throughout the book. I certainly feel enlightened and confident that I have gained a deeper understanding of the mysteries the Mass contains and can better experience the riches of the Mass. I strongly recommend this book to anybody, especially Catholic teens, because everyone needs to explore this deep and intimate communion of God with humanity, and actually be aware of what is transpiring before their eyes.
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Post by Austin Harkey on Jun 25, 2013 13:38:56 GMT -5
The title of my book that I chose to read was Killing Kennedy. The book was written by BIll O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Bill O'Reilly has his own television show on Fox News. He has also written many other books such as: Killing Lincoln, Kids Are Americans To, Culture Warrior and numerous more. I like this book so much because it talks about President Kennedy four years prior to his assassination but it also talks about his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. It addresses how Kennedy struggled with the Cold War while the Russians were breathing down his back. The book reveals how the president tried to kill the Cuban dictator Castro. It relates how Lee Harvey Oswald was a Marine; formally court-martiled twice for having an illegal weapon and violent behavior. Oswald struggled to be a Soviet spy member and eventually moved back to the United States because the quality of life was better. I choose this book because it was recommended by my grandfather. He reads a lot of interesting books and when it comes to literature, I value his opinion. Furthermore, I wanted to learn more about the first Catholic president. I really enjoyed this book because of the back and fourth style in which it was written. I would think anyone who likes to learn about important historical events would enjoy the book. The book does an excellent job of demonstrating how peoples actions can change the world for better or worse.
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Post by sambennett3 on Jun 25, 2013 14:21:55 GMT -5
My first book was Schooled by Gordon Korman. It's about a hippie named Capricorn Anderson, or Cap, that doesn't see anyone else during the day besides his grandmother Rain. Rain is also Cap's home-schooled teacher, until something bad happens. Bad for now... Rain was picking plums from a tree one day while Rain was doing his vocabulary homework and went outside to ask a question and he saw her outside on the ground. They live in a town all by themselves called Garland which is 20 minutes away from anything. Cap calls 9-1-1 and then is forced out of Garland and into the real world to go to public school and stays with the Donnley family. Cap is in 8th grade and Sophia Donnley is in high-school and is embarrassed of Cap in all the weird stuff that no one else does. At Cap's new school, the 8th grade president is the nerdiest kid in the grade. Which was Hugh Winkleman, until Cap came. Cap becomes the 8th grade president and doesn't know how to work with money or anything at all. Zach Powers is the big bully of the class and tries to make Cap's like horrible and makes fun of him all the time. When Cap saves his bus driver's life by driving him back to the hospital after becoming unconscious, he is a hero to the school and eventually makes his way to be cooler than Zach. Zach intentionally injures Cap and then everyone hates Zach. Cap is sent back to Garland then because his grandmother is better now and everyone thinks he is dead or severely injured but he comes back and is okay and he has news that he will be moving to San Francisco after selling Garland for 17 million dollars! Cap will be staying at C Average Middle school for the rest of the year and go to high-school with all his 'followers'. He has over 1000 and knows all their names.
I chose this book because Andy Kim recommended it to me. I enjoyed this book because there was no boring parts in it to get lost and it is very interesting how Cap overcame everyone hating him. I think this book was a great book that has a lot of characters and the way the book is written and the chapter setup is very unique. You could find out if you read it. You would enjoy this book if you like to read. Even if you don't like to read actually. There's no reason not to like the book. I don't like to read and I liked it.
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Post by Ben Averyt on Jun 25, 2013 17:02:31 GMT -5
The first book that I read is called: Once Upon A Town (The Miracle of The North Platte Canteen), by Bob Green. This story is about a town in Nebraska called North Platte. It takes place during World War II and is about the people of the town giving back to the soldiers going off to war. The railroad went straight through this little town, which made it a stop for the GI's. The people in the town opened their arms and their hearts to the soldiers who were on those trains being shipped off to war. They gave the men meals and told them uplifting words. The townspeople never missed a train. They often sacrificed things for themselves in order to provide for these young men. Throughout the war, the people in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere Nebraska gave so much to the many, many men who came through their town. It was their way to say "Thank You" to the men for their sacrifice.
I chose this book because I had heard many good things about it and so I thought it would be a good book to read. My impression of this book is that is is a great book about how people care so much for others and how thankful they were for the sacrifice of those men. I think that it is truly amazing the amount of patriotism that comes out in people in the time of war. People who enjoy good stories about history and people selflessly giving to others would really like reading this book.
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Post by Archiebald Browne on Jun 25, 2013 19:59:56 GMT -5
The first book i read was called "a big little life", a memoir of a joyful dog, written by Dean Koontz. this book is a first person point of view of Dean Koontz, the writer, telling the story of the life of him and his best friend, a dog, named Trixie. When Trixie was three years old she was adopted by Dean and his wife Gerda. In the book Dean Koontz tells how trixie made him a better person and a better writer. Unfortunately, during Trixie's declining health, the story of this dog starts to become more and more powerful, and after her death it shows Dean Koontz and his wife some true life leassons.
I chose this book because I thought it would be a great story about the lives of these people, which it was! I really liked this book, even though how sad it became in the end, but this book would be a good read to people who are looking for a toughing story, or are looking for something that would change their view about how they see things in the world today
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Post by Yoon Kim on Jun 25, 2013 23:50:28 GMT -5
My third book is "Korean history for teens" by Baek-yuseon, Sin-busik, and Im-taegyeong.
There is Paleolithic, prehistory and after creat Chosun (2333 BC - 108 BC), Proto–Three Kingdoms come out.
The Proto–Three Kingdoms period, sometimes called the Several States Period, is the time before the rise of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which included Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, and occurred after the fall of Gojoseon. Those kingdoms fight each others and also fight with China. At this period, Korea was the strongest period in Korea history. Silla combine one nation called Unified Silla. After the unification wars, the Tang Dynasty established outposts in the former Goguryeo, and began to establish and administer communities in Baekje. Silla attacked Tang forces in Baekje and northern Korea in 671. Tang then invaded Silla in 674 but Silla drove the Tang forces out of the peninsula by 676 to achieve unification of most of the Korean peninsula.
And later the new kingdom come out, Goryeo was founded in 918 AD and became the ruling dynasty of Korea by 936. "Goryeo" was named as Wang Geon deemed the nation as a successor of Goguryeo. The dynasty lasted until 1392, and it is the source of the English name "Korea." Last kingdom of Korea, Joseon. Joseon dealt with a pair of Japanese invasions from 1592 to 1598(Imjin War or the Seven Years war). Joseon lose in Sino-Japanese War, so Japan start rule Joeson. Korean Empire,In 1897, Joseon was renamed the Korean Empire. Korea Gain freedom from Japan in August 15,1945 and it led to the division of Korea into two occupation zones effectively starting on September 8, 1945, with the United States administering the southern half of the peninsula and the Soviet Union taking over the area north of the 38th parallel.
Why i choose this book? That's beacause i am a Korean but i have no enough idea about Korea history. I was learning World Geography, and i just thought i even dont know my country history well, then how i can learn another country history? So i decide to read history of Korea and be prepare to learn other country.
I guess anybody has interest in Korea history, might enjoy this book.
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Post by Ashley Rodriguez on Jun 26, 2013 10:05:41 GMT -5
The book I chose to read was the Five People You Meet in Heaven. The novel is by Mitch Albom. The main character is Eddie, he works as maintenance man in a fair. There was little girl sitting under a roller coaster they were fixing. One of the seats from the roller coaster falls and he trys to save the little girl. Then he wakes up in Heaven, but is wondering if he saved the little girl's life. As the story goes on telling us about his life. He meets five people. Those people will guide him to find out if he saved the little girl. The fifth person he meets in Heaven is the little girl. They both had died. This is a great book to read for everyone. I chose to read it because my friend had told me it was a good book.
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Post by holdenmckee on Jul 2, 2013 15:53:28 GMT -5
I read the book "When The Game Was Ours". The novel is by Jackie MacMullan. It is about Earvin Johnson and Larry Bird. The book is about a rivalry but also a very strong relationship. They were very strong compededers and wanted nothing more to beat each other. They played on an All Star team together but the rivalry really started in collage Bird went to Indiana Sate and magic went to Michigan State. Then in the NBA. After the games they wouldn't even shake hands. But after doing a converse commercial at Larry Bird's moms house, where Larry had a private court. Larry asked him to stay for dinner then they started talking a lot more and becoming like brothers. Magic Johnson had to retire after getting aids and the first person that he called was Larry and he was very sad to hear that and shortly after Larry Bird retired. I choose this book because i liked basketball and both of these players. I recomend it to anyone that likes basket ball or any one the likes Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
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Post by sambennett3 on Jul 2, 2013 18:25:08 GMT -5
My second book I chose to read is Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings. This book starts off with the DiAngelo's moving to Maryland right next to Brady's family. Brady is the protagonist, main character in this story. Brady's two best friends, JT and Digger all live in the same neighborhood so obviously the hang out all the time. Ben DiAngelo, Mr. and Mrs. DiAgelo's son, gets baby-sitted by Brady a lot so they become close. The DiAngelo's are about to go on vacation and Mrs. DiAngelo wants to take out their kayak one last time because they have a small lake behind their house and decides to take Ben with her. While on their kayak ride, the kayak sinks. Now they are in a freezing cold lake with no rescue. Brady is at school when this happens and gets picked up and right away he goes to go look for Ben because Mrs. DiAngelo was already rescued earlier. Eventually he does find Ben in a small cove and it was his dog Tilly was the one who helped Brady find Ben. Ben is took to the hospital and days later they break the news that Ben did not survive from pneumonia of the lungs. His lungs filled up with water. Ben finds it strange that his best friends JT and Digger wouldn't talk to him for a whole week. JT finally admits what happens to Ben and immediately goes over to talk to Digger who does not admit it, even when he said JT told him everything. Digger said "I will deny it til the day I die." A month later, Brady tells his dad that he wants to go look for the Red Kayak in the lake, but did not tell him why. He did say it was the one thing he wanted to do though. The weather was terrible that day and made it hard for them to find it. They found it and when they pulled it up, his father saw the three holes drilled in it from the driller from his father's shop that has been missing. Brady told his father everything. They told the police because his parents knew they couldn't hold that in and they arrested JT and Digger and brought them to court. Even though they didn't mean to kill someone, they were still accused of second-degree murder. Digger admitted it was all his idea, which was true, and tried to get JT to not be punished as much. They both were sentenced with nine months in a juvenile camp in western Maryland. JT and Digger were not mad at Brady at all, and they were pretty relieved to get it all out. Since they will be back in nine months, that means they will be able to start school from the beginning and be able to spend next summer with Brady.
I chose this book because just by reading a brief summary of it, I knew it was going to be an awesome, mysterious book. My opinion of it was it was one of the best books I have ever read and I wish they had a movie for it! Someone who might enjoy this book would be someone who likes mystery and stories that has not happened but is possible for it to happen.
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Juliana Lassiter ♥☻
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Post by Juliana Lassiter ♥☻ on Jul 4, 2013 13:18:47 GMT -5
Like my beloved friend Lydia Sorrels, I also read A Biblical Walk Through The Mass by Edward Sri. I didn’t particularly choose this book; I was in a bible study this summer that read the book. Although it wasn’t totally my decision to read the book, I ended up loving it. I recommend it to all Catholic teens who struggle with the Mass. I know most of us think of Mass on Sunday as part of our routine that we just follow without thinking. Go, kneel a lot, sit a lot, stand a lot, bread, wine, Jesus loves me, and go home and sleep. This book helped me realize what’s really going on at Mass. It’s something so incomprehensible that even the cleverest human mind cannot understand it completely. But that’s why it’s so special. I’ve learned as much as I can and now I understand. It’s no longer a routine.
The book guides you, step by step, through every single word of the Mass. It doesn’t leave one thing unexplained. If you don’t k now where something came from or why it’s in the Mass, by the end of the book that will be different. It shows us where the whole mass is rooted, where it all originates: the Bible. If something is not in the Bible, then it is either something said by a Saint or something early Christians decided to add. In reading this book, you will begin to understand the beauty of the Mass that we take part of every week, how special it is and what we have truly become a part of.
This book truly deepened my understanding of the Mass. All the singing, cries of forgiveness, shouts of thanksgiving, triumphant bellows, God’s Word, and Transubstantiation make sense to me now, and more than ever before. Now when I’m at Mass I pay attention. It’s not just a routine anymore. I understand as much as I’ll ever be able to; which isn’t perfect, but how could we ever understand? The Mass is when we finally meet our most perfect Bridegroom at the altar. It’s God’s most precious gift to us. It’s the perfect sacrifice. The Mass is as close as we will ever get to Jesus, which is something none us deserve, especially if we don’t even understand what is taking place.
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