Wednesday, August 20, 2008

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.

23 comments:

Jake C. said...

Well, over the summer i happened to read two verry rad books. However only one of the books was on the summer reading list. A lot of those books i did not take intrest in, but i believe that the book "Hatchet" was on the List. That was a verry cool book because you really think whats important to you and you learn what your strengths are as a human. Another book that i read may sound kind of ambarassing, but i did happen to read the book "Stargirl." This book was totally written about me because i am someone who is different and will go out of my way to be myself.
Basically they both had two important messages that helped me. One message is that i dont feel like i need anyone else anymore. Then i just learned to accept myself for who i am.

Audrey L said...

1. This summer I read a lot, but I didn’t actually know there was a summer reading list. I read the books "Go Ask Alice", "America", "Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist", and the first two books from the "Twilight" series.

2. What I liked "Go Ask Alice" and "America" is that they are about teenagers who had opportunities, and the world at there feet and wasted all of their potential on things like drugs, drinking, and gangs (depending on the book). I loved "Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist" because it was a unique love story, where Nick and Norah come together because of a queer-core rock band, the love of music, a 5 minute fake relationship, and jealous ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends. The First two books from the "Twilight" series, "Twilight and "New Moon" are the best books I have ever read, its about a normal teenage girl named Bella and her vampire boyfriend Edward and jealous best friend who is a werewolf named Jake. Its a fantastic fantasy romance book that keeps you up till 1:00am dying to know what happens next.

Kaitlyn V. said...

Over the summer I read "Marley and Me" which wasnt on the summer reading list and the second book I read was "The Secret Life of Bees". They were both brilliant books. "Marley and Me" is my favorite book out of both of them and I would highly recommend it! "Marley and Me" reminded me of my puppy Chloe because she is crazy and gets into everything. "The Secret Life of Bees" made me have a totally different perspective on life. Her mother died and she was having a hard time dealing with it so she would go lay out on under the tree where her dad put all her mom's belongings and would talk to her mom about things. I wouldnt know what this feels like but I understand that it could be very hard for kids that lost a parent.

Katy R. said...

Over the summer I read Sealed with a Diss, by Lisi Harrison and The Mediator: Shadowland, by Meg Cabot.

Sealed with a Diss was about this girl named Massie and her friends, in the previous book they had recieved a key to a secret room that they can have when their in 8th grade. But the previous key holder Skye Hamilton said that the Pretty Committee could have the room early.... with one exception, they have to set Skye up with the guy she likes, Chris Abley for her party. The PC (pretty committee) also has to bring dates for themselves or they can never have the room. Not even in 8th grade.
The Mediator was about a girl named Suze who had moved to California because her mom had remarried. Suze has a gift she can talk to the dead and they don’t leave her alone until she helps them resolve there unfinished business with the living. She meets a ghost named Jesse who helps her get through hard times with another ghost named Heather who doesn’t like Suze all that much.

I liked The Mediator because I like books about ghosts and supernatural things. Suze had problems with kids at her school and I can really relate. I learned that you shouldn’t worry about what people think about you because Suze has a problem with caring about what people think about her and that gets her in trouble also.
I liked Sealed with a Diss because it’s mainly about teenage girls and the problems they get in and its entertaining because it makes me think about my life and the problems I make which aren’t as bad. I learned again, that you shouldn’t care what people think and to just be yourself because no one likes someone who’s fake.

BrandonS. said...

My books for the summer reading program were Artemis Fowl, and Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident. The author of these two great books is Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl is about a young boy who gets in affairs with creatures from the underground. These creatures are far more intelligent than the human race,these creatures are fairys,goblins,and pixies.Goblins are not that smart. Artemis is only 12 years old and is as smart or maybe even smarter than a college profeser. In the book Artemis manages to trap a Fairy named Holly Short. She is in a fairy police core called the " LEPrecons." Holly short was on a mission above ground but everthing went wrong...Artemis managed to capture her and put her up for ransom. Throughout this book is a lot of action and adventure not to mention mean schemes by Artemis.

In the second book "Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident Artemis and hism butler team up with the LEPrecons. Artemis teams up with the lep because Artemis needed help. He needed help capturing back his father from the russian mafia. He and the LEP including Holly Short go out on the search for Artemis's dad with the mafia against him but also the Goblins. This book is loaded with adventure and action the whole way through.
These books have taught me that reading is fun and maybe even fun to write.

Kara M. said...

Over the summer, I read three fantastic books. Two of the books, I believe, were on the summer reading list but one of them I read on my own. The books on the list that I read over the summer were Gossip Girls and the second book in the series Gossip Girls. I read these books because they were about teenage girls who learn to deal with curveballs that life throws at them. It was interesting to see what characteristics I shared with the girls in the novel and I enjoyed reading how they handled the tough situations they found themselves in. The third book I read over summer break was called Lovely Bones it was a book that made me look at the world a whole different way. It is about a girl who is raped and murdered and then it gives her perspective of the world from her heaven. It was a great book if you like suspense and mystery novels.

Seth said...

He was in too deep and there was no way out. What could he do? It was only an accident of course, but would they beleive it? The boy was dead and it was his fault.
This was a breif sampling of the action packed psychological thriller Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson. Nelson's writing brings an esscence of panick to the reader and a sense of being there. It is the story of a young preppy skater who crosses onto the turf of the street kids at a place known as paranoid park. He gets involved in a fight that leaves a kid dead at his hand. I thought it was a great book about a kid who didn't know who he could turn to or where to go.
I also got into the Maximum Ride series. It follows Max and her family of science experiments as they search for a way to destroy the institution responsible for their misery andto find a place to call home. However, wherever they go they are tracked by human/wolf hybrids known as erasers willing to kill to keep the kids a secret.

Tom S. said...

Tom S.
Over the summer I read two fascinating novels that deal with human discovery and the consequences of power. The first was, "2001; A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clark. This book is about the reaches of of what technology and discovery. It goes back to the stone age where ape men discovered an obelisk (A wall) that without speaking sent them messages to create tools and kill for survival. It then jumps to the year 2001 where they find the same obelisk that sends signals to Jupiter, prompting them to send two astronauts there. This novel has the possible flaws of human technology and advancement with the ship's computer Hal who attempts to kill all the astronauts to the inner reaches of the human mind with the astronaut who reaches Jupiter where he will die and be reborn as a star child representing that the human race has reached a whole new level of advancement. The second book I read was, "Animal Farm," by George Orwell. This book is an obvious metaphor for the Russian communist revolution with each animal representing a person who was a large part of the revolution or a great deal of people. I think it works past just being a metaphor for the revolution and also can represent the consequences of allowing anyone to have too much power. It's about a farm in England whose animals over throw their cruel farmer. The animals work together to gather the food in the style of ideal communism. However the leader at first (The pig Snowball) is overthrown by the power hungry Napoleon (Another pig.) The farm then becomes a place where the animals are starved, overworked and prosecuted for any different view point. The pigs will become as bad as the men were just like how the leaders of Russia became as bad as the Czar (Or king) was. These are two very important books and I enjoyed them.

Alli A said...

The three books I read over the summer are ones I will never forget. They all left me with a life-long message to take with me for the rest of my life. They taught me to respect everything in life. These books were so entertaining and interesting to read, I don’t think my head ever came out of the book. These novels were definitely page-turners and I recommend all three of them to any type of reader. The three books I read were, "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom, "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom, and "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult.

"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom, is the story of a man, Charley Benetto, who always grew up as a daddy's boy. His father then dies, so he has nothing else to do but turn to his mother. A while later, Charley starts to fall apart. He becomes an alcoholic, loses his job, leaves his family, and he discovers his own daughter kicked him out of her life. To make all the pain disappear, Charley decides to take his own life. He plans the suicide, and while going along with the "plan," he ends up going back to his old house, where he realizes his mother that died 8 years earlier, is still living there. Charley then gets the chance to have one more day with his deceased mother. He not only learns to respect life, but to "appreciate those whom they love-and may have thought they'd lost-in their own lives." -Mitch Albom.

"The Pact," by Jodi Picoult, was by far my favorite book out of the three. This heartbreaking, riveting novel is about two families, the Hartes and the Golds, that were inseparable until one horrible night. The Golds figure out their daughter, Emily, has been shot. She was with Chris, the Hartes' son and Emily's long time boyfriend, at an amusement park. Chris and Emily had grown up together all of their lives. Not one moment in their lives were they not together. Now, Emily has been shot and killed, supposedly by her beloved boyfriend Chris. Chris says it was part of a suicide attempt for Emily, but no one will believe him. Chris ends up being sent to jail and put on trial for murder. Throughout this whole story, you read about all of the times Emily and Chris spent together, and you realize how truly in love they were. This story also portrays the same message to the readers, to respect everything in life. I think you two will become emotionally and physically attached to this book like I did.

"The Five People You Meet In Heaven," by Mitch Albom, not only teaches the same lesson as the other two books, but also shares with the reader how everything and everyone are somehow connected with each other. This story is about a man named Eddie; he has worked in an amusement park for majority of his life. While working, something tragic happens, a roller coaster gets stuck and falls off of the tracks onto Eddie. He dies trying to save a little girls life. Eddie then goes up to heaven and there he meets five people that he was involved with some how in his lifetime. The five people each teach Eddie a different lesson. By the fifth person, Eddie then realizes what life is all about. Throughout this powerful, breath-taking novel, I don’t think I could disagree with anything Mitch Albom says about life. It truly, made me wonder what I want to do with my own life.

Not only was this summer a fun, memorable summer, it was a summer where I learned the most. I definitely recommend all three of these books to any type of reader. They are ones that will have you on the edge of your seat, with your eyes glued to the text. Your heart will be broken, confused and pounding with every lesson the books teach and not only should people love their life, but they should also respect everything in it.

Lauren F. said...

1. Over the summer I read "Peaches" by Jodi Lynn Anderson and "This Lullaby" by Sarah Dessen.
2. In "Peaches", I liked how despite their differences, Murphy, Birdie and Leeda become true friends during the summer at the peach orchard. They couldn’t be more different; Murphy is a troublemaker who marches to the beat of her own drum, Birdie is shy and sensitive and Leeda is rich but is not accepted by her own mother. I learned that whatever happens in your life, your friends will always stay by your side and together you can get through it. It was important to me when the friends didn’t pass judgement and taught each other how to love.
"This Lullaby" is by one of my favorite authors ever and I really enjoyed this book. I liked how everything in Remy’s life was going according to plan until one day when she met Dexter and suddenly everything was upside down. But it ended up changing for the better, and Remy had to learn who she was. I learned a lot about life and how some things will change you as a person and that its ok for it to happen. I found it interesting how Remy was closed off in the beginning but learned to open up to Dexter. That was important because it taught me that even if you think you know everything you can still be proved wrong and you never really know what is going to happen.

Karmen K. said...

Over the summer I read several books. “Twilight”, “New Moon”, “Eclipse”, and “Breaking Dawn.” All these books belong to the Twilight series, written by Stephanie Meyer. The books are about a teenage girl named Bella who goes to live with her dad in a small town named Forks, and falls in love with a vampire named Edward. They go through a lot of obstacles throughout the books but always make it through together. By reading this series I have learned that you cant judge someone by what others think without meeting them first. I’d have to say these books are one of the best books I have read in a while and highly recommend them to anyone who likes a romantic, adventurous fantasy story.

Zach L said...

Over the summer I read the two books Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen and Travel Team by Mike Lupica. They where equally exciting and kept me from leaving my seat. Both books where so fun to read that you just had to keep on reading because you knew something was going to happen. Each book taught the lesson not to give up in real life and in sports. This reminds me of Yogi Berra’s quote, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

When Brian fortunately escaped the Canadian wilderness at the end of Hatchet, many readers where left wondering what would have happened if Brian had to survive through the dreaded winter. In Brian’s Winter, Gary Paulsen depicts the story as if Brian didn’t make it out and he had to survive by himself. Brian goes through many challenges from learning how to build the right shelter to surviving a bear attack. Brian gains mental and physical toughness from this experience and helps find his inner self. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that is a fan of the series or anyone that likes adventure stories.

The other book I read was Travel Team. This was a book about a kid named Danny that was a fantastic basketball player that was really short. He was on a good basketball team for all of his life but this year he didn’t make it. Danny was thinking about quitting basketball but instead got on a new rival team to try and prove size doesn’t matter. This book is to try to teach to accept each person as they come and never give up. I would recommend this to people that like basketball or Mike Lupica.

All in all both books where exciting in there own way. Each had some very important lessons we all need to learn in life one way or another so it mattered very much to me. I was dreading to read this summer but it actually was not that bad.

Rob L. said...

Over the summer, I read the "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," by Mark Haddon, and Ernest Hemingway's "the Old Man and the Sea"

If you read the back of the "the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, you'd probably think the book is really boring and stupid, because its about a kid with aspergers syndrome trying to figure out who killed his neighbors dog, but its so much more than that. During the book, you really start to understand the main character (Christopher), and you realize how smart he is. One thing I loved about the book is how well you get to know all the characters, and it really enhances the whole story. what I learned after reading this book is how to really not judge a book by its cover, and to not stop reading a book because its kind of boring at the part your at. Whats important to me about this book's content is the story, because once he actually finds out who killed his neighbor's dog,the story takes a huge turn and gets really interesting.

As for "the Old Man and the Sea," I was really impressed with Hernest Hemingway's sophisticated writing style. The book is about an "unlucky" old fisherman who hasn't caught a fish in more than 80 days, and one day decides to go further out to sea than usual, and is rewarded with an eighteen foot long marlin, who he battles with for three days straight, and eventually manages to real in. But on the way back to shore with the huge fish strapped to the side of the boat, the old man is bombarded by sharks who eventually eat the entire fish, leaving nothing but bones. This brings me to what I liked about this book. I've never felt so sorry for a fictional character, and although I finished reading the book feeling sad, Thats why it was such a great book, I actually had feelings for the characters. From this book I learned that even if the most exiting part doesn't come until the last thirty pages, it can still be one of the most impacting books ever. As for content, the characters in the book are most important to me, because theres this tired old man, who even after not catching a fish in 80 days decides to out and try again, and catches the fish of his life, then loses it, and its amazing to read about his subtle emotions during all of this tragedy.

I read two great books this summer, one very short and subtle, and one with alot going on all at once, and they were both great books I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Colton G. said...

1. 1.) Over the Summer I read two books of the series Harry Potter. First, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," then "Harry Potter and the Half-Dead Prince." They were both by J.K. Rowling.
2.)I liked the books because they had a lot more action then the previous books. From reading the books I learned that friends can get you out of tough situations. What Mattered most to me about the books were how it shows the desperation of Harry and how it played a role in his personality.

Nicole R. said...

Over the summer I read two books from 1 series. I loved them both. The two book i read were "Sealed With A Diss" and "Bratfest at Tiffany's" they both were written by Lisi Harrison. The books are very alike!
I heard alot about the series from some friends, so i decided to give them a try. Both of the books were on the lists, so I decided I would read them. The books contain of five very cliquey girls. Massie who was the leader of the "clique" and there was Alicia, who was one of the prettier ones and there was Dillon very self conscious and more shy than the others, then there is Kristen who is definitely the sporty one, and then there was Claire, the one that wasn't always in the "clique". But "Sealed With A Diss" is about the five girls who were going to eighth grade, and in eighth if you were the alpha you got a key to a very special private room. The room was supposed to be amazing. In the entire book they search for the key and in the end they find the key to the room and get the room all for themselves. And in the book "Bratfest At Tiffany's" the girls enjoy the room for the first couple weeks, then they find out that there rival boy school is moving into there school, OCD because of a flood in there school. Which is a problem for the girls because they told themselves that they would be boy free. But when they find out that happens it is so hard to stay away. But also to top it off, there very secret room is taken over by the football team. So they now have no where to go to try to get away from the boys. What i liked in the books was it was a lot like middle school with all the cliquey stuff going on. What i learned was that you just need to be yourself and be content with what you have. And what matters to me about the books content is that it is very true to what really happens to girls right now.

Zoe A. said...

Over this summer I happened to read two books that were on the reading list. The first one I read was The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, and the second one I read was Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. These two books have become some of my favorites because they are both about a life journey. The Notebook is all about the love that pulls two people together. This book is written in a form I haven’t ever read before because it starts out with mystery about who the narrator is which met I just couldn’t put this book down. It later revels that the narrator is the main character but he is older now telling his wife, who has Alzheimer’s, the story of their love. I chose this book because I believe that everyone has someone and in the end you will see who you are meant to be with. I just love Nicholas Sparks!
The second book I read was Uglies which was also about the life journey of a young girl named Tally. As Tally is about to turn sixteen she is about to realize that life is a journey, because in her world when you turn sixteen you become a pretty. Tally soon learns that this is a life changing experience. I chose this book because I might not want to admit it but I am a little scared of what the future might hold but as I read life is meant to be a mystery and you should look forward to what it holds in store for you.

Bailey L. said...

This summer i read 2 very good novels. They are both part of the same series called the "clique". The first one i read was called Invasion of the Boy Snatchers and the second was called Best Friends for Never By Lisi Harrison. The reason that i liked the books is that they can relate to teenage girls. They grab my attention because the author writes about subjects that teenage girls would be interested in such as drama, boys, school and parties. I learned from these books that friendship is so important and that you need to be a good friend to everyone else.What matters to me about the books content is that so much drama happens in this life but none of it really matters as long as you do your best and keep your head up and learn that the people in your life are there for a reaoson and the ones that aren't, aren't there for a reaon.

EricL said...

Two of the many books i read this summer were: "Paranoia" by Joseph Finder, and "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak. The first, "paranoia", is a clever, and in many ways, sadistic novel. It all starts with a low level employee named Adam Cassidy who skates by at the technology giant Wyatt. When Adam steals 78,000$ from the company, he is black mailed into spying on their lead competitor. Its a gripping story of corporate espionage, that will keep you interested until the last page. It also teaches an simple lesson. Stealing is bad.
The other book I read was called "I Am the Messenger", and for good reason. Its about a chronic card player, named Ed Kennedy, in a dead end job in a dead end life. One day he gets a mysterious card in the mail. On the card three addresses and times are inscribed. They say:
"45 Edgar street, Midnight
13 Harrison Avenue, 6 PM
6 Macedoni Street, 5:30 AM"
He contemplates doing many things to the card but in the end decides to check it out. Little does he know that that move will lead to a few problems from pregnant teenagers to being savage beatings.
Two of the best books I've ever read.

Talon said...

Well this summer, I did not do much reading but I did read two novels. The first novel that I read was "When the wind blows by James Patterson and the second book I read was "Animal farm" by George Orwell. "When the wind blows" is similar to the "Maximum Ride" series and actually comes before it. What I liked about the book was that it didn't start off slow, instead it started with mild action. I learned from the book that teamwork is key. What I liked about the books content was that it is exiting from page one. in "Animal farm" what I liked was that it is not what I expected from the title.

cody m said...

This summer i read two very fun and cool books. the first book i read this summer was Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs. the book was about a kid who was kayaking in alaska and during his trip he wanted to see were is father had died. So he went off by himself to the island and gaot caught in a storm. He got stuck on the island and found a wild man and lived with him until the rescue people came to rescue him. this book relates to me cause i am adventurest like how he was when he went to the island. The second book that i read was called Eldest by Chris Paolini. The book is a sequel to eragon and it continues his journey in his land. In the book eragon conyinues his journeys in wars and the elves land. in the end he becomes a very powerful person. the book really dosent relate to me that well but overall it was a ok book that some kids would very much like.

cheyenne B. said...

Well, over the summer I didn't read at all. But two novels i have read was "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and "Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. "To kill a Mockingird" is a really strong, classic book that i really enjoyed reading. This book has life lessons in it that could be learned. Also a meaning to why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Like not believing someone who's telling the truth because they are different, hurting them, or killing them could be a sin because they are innocent an did no harm to anyone.

The second book i have read was "Lovely Bones" this book was sad and heart breaking. Its one of those books you will not forget. You all know if there is something wrong you have a gut feeling something is not right you turn around an walk. An you'll be safe.

mike.n. said...

over the summer i read 2 great books both by the same author. the books were harry potter and the deathly hallows and harry potter and the scorcerers stone by J.K. rowling. i was just rereading the 1st one, thought id tell you so you didnt think that i skipped. youde be surprised how many would think that. going on, i love the harry potter series because its always gotsomething going on and as the series goes on, you get to know the characters better so by the end of the last one, youd know harry like a brother. Lastly, i thin i like the last book the most because of how it fits all the pieces together and how action-packed it is. you know what i mean if youve read it.

Shane H. said...

Over the summer, I read a few books, to include a book by Ben Hogan, Five Lessons The Modern Fundamentals of Golf . The content was what drew me to reading it. It is about how to improve your golf game. I liked how thorough his explanations for technical moves were. His description was easy to follow and the illustrations were very helpful. I was able to apply some of what he taught in the book, into my game.

Another book I read was Learn To Earn by Peter Lynch.. My grandmother got me this book, so that I can better understand money and the economy as I get older. I liked it because of who got me the book and her reason. I also liked it because it's about money and may help me with my future. What I liked most about the content is the basic idea it's supposed to teach its readers. His idea is that the stock market is simple, when a company's earnings rise, then the stock price goes up. To quote the book, "this simple point--that the price of a stock is directly related to a company's earning power--is often overlooked, even by sophisticated investors." The biggest point I learned is that wiser investments take time.