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.

22 comments:

Gabe V. said...

1)I read the novels Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini this summer. I have read these books before but I read them again because they are brilliant books. The fantasy and descriptions in the novels are incredible and I love reading some parts over and over again. For me, the story really comes alive on the pages and that is why I have read them multiple times already in my life.

2)In these books, the characters come alive and they bring the storyline into such fantastic perspective. The author gives all the characters, as well as everything else in the book, real feelings that draw the reader into the story and make it impossible to put the book down. Well, nearly impossible, at least. The fantasy, as I have already explained, really captures me in itself and I find it difficult to escape. That is why I chose to read these books.

Cali M. said...

1) Over the summer i read two fasinating books, "Twilight."
By Stephenie Meyers. And "It's not easy being mean" By Lisi Harrison.


2) I would recomend these two books to anyone! First of all Twilight is a thrilling book about a girl who falls in love with a vampire! When i started reading this i could'nt put it down. And this book is soon to be a major motion picture! I liked this book because of the way the author described things! (it felt like i was really there!) The message in this book was when life gets tough, don't dive up and stick it out. The second book, It's not easy being was about cliques in highschool. Some of the parts reminded me of arapahoe, like when they were describing the over crowded halls and lots of homework. This book taught me alot about friendship. Like to never give up on a friend and always forgive them no matter what. If you have time you should read these books, because the're my favorite and soon to be yours!

Malinda V. said...

1) Over the summer I read The Clique and Best Friends For Never by Lisi Harrison.

2) The Clique, and Best Friends For Never both belong to the same series. I enjoyed how the books completely pulled me into the book and made me feel like I was a part of the book. There is a lot of drama, crushes, fights, and just basically what teenage boys and girls go through. So I thought it was cool that I could relate with the characters, and actually see from where they are coming from. I learned not to take everything so seriously, because it ruins the fun. Just make the best of what you have and be happy. The real life drama is the content that matters to me in these books. They are not just books; if you read deep enough into the books you will find lessons that you can learn from, whether they are bad or good. I myself learned many lessons that will definitely help me throughout my high school journey. I would highly recommend The Clique series to everyone!

Rachel S. said...

1) For my summer reading I read the books "90 Minutes in Heaven" by, Don Piper and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by, Ann Brashares.

2) I enjoyed these books because of their unique stories. "90 Minutes in Heaven" was based on a true story which was really neat to read. However, "Sisterhood" was a fictional story with a more light-hearted, fun appeal to it. I enjoyed the differnt author's styles as well as their writing techniques. Throughout the books I found myself not wanting to put it down and I really enjoy when a book/author has that effect on me. I was able to learn many things from each of the books but if I had to sum it up it would be friendship, and the motto never give up. In each story characters faced hardships throughout their life at some point. Whether it was loosing a mom, the always so popular getting your heart broken, or in Don Piper's case, surviving a terrible car accident, the circumstances were not looking up. Yet through all of the stories they taught friendship and to never, ever give up. To conclude, the content of the books was good. Each book was a clean stoyline with excellent messages. All in all, any book that has a good message, teaches good lessons, and keeps you entertained is a wonderful book to me! And that is exactly what I read this summer!

Stephanie P said...

1) Over the summer I read A Walk to Remember and The Note Book by Nicholas Sparks.



2) I chose those books because I really wanted to read a romantic novel. What I really liked about A Walk To Remember is that the guy feel in love with a girl he would never even expected to, because he was the cool group of people at school and she was a nerd that didn’t really talk to many people, and that he still loved her even though he knew she was going to die. Also what I liked about The Note Book is that the guy wrote to this girl a letter everyday for a year, and didn’t give up cause he truly loved her, and was waiting for her to write back but the mom was like the road block of their love because she didn’t send them to the daughter so then the daughter thought he stopped loving her and so she moved on then when she came back into town they fell in love again. What I learned about A Walk to remember is that not all the cool guys were jerks and that some of them are really sensitive. Also what I learned from The Note Book is that if you truly love someone you would do anything to keep them. I would recommend these two books to anyone that would love to read a romantic book because they are both so sweet.

Grant K. said...

The two books I read over the summer were Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and From Pieces to Weight by Curtis Jackson.I thought that Black Hawk Down was much more academic book because it was based on a true story that happened in Somalia involving our soldiers. I liked From Pieces to Weight as well I just didn’t think it made me learn much.

Shea J. said...

1. The books that I read were Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger, and Angels in Pink (Holly's story) by Lurlean McDaniel


2. The one thing that I liked about "Hard Love" was it was purly about how complicated but rewarding life could be. It showed that love was love and not anything else. Because the boy became friends with a girl that inspired her in a magazine artical he had read. It was very touching because in the end they turned out to be complete opposites but still where bestfriends. And for "Angels in Pink" I haven't quite finished it yet, and I don't really understand it, but so far it was about a girl that you wouldn't exspect the least bit of respect from, yet she donated a kidney to a cousin, I belive. But to me it was very touching bacause she then decideds to volunteer at a hospital by her house, and she works in the gift store down in the lobby. It taught me that you don't have to be mean to fit in, you can also be a nice person.

Josh H. said...

1)During the summer I read the books "Bootcamp" by Todd Strasser and "Knights of The Hill Country" by Tim Tharp.

2)first off, "Bootcamp" by Todd Strasser is a book that really threw me for a loop. At first while checking out this book I read the back of it expecting to find a book thats actually about a bootcamp and the army but boy was I wrong. This book is about a boy that has had nothing but troubles in his short life and his parents send him off to a "bootcamp" or a redirection school where he must spend the rest of his time there, at max up to his eighteenth birthday where he will be helped but later in the story there ends up being a major twist in the plot! I liked about this book that it was very surprising, leaving you on the edgee of your seat pondering what actually occured. During the course of this book I learned that no matter the troubles you may have in your life you cant hide from them because they are apart of you no matter where you run.What matters to me about the books content is that this book can relate to everyone who reads it meaning that everyone has had an experience related to this incredible book.
The book "Knights of The Hill Country" by Tim Tharp would be recommended to everyone of all ages no matter who you are or what you do. The moment I picked up this book I soon grew closely attached to it because of the inspiration it carries. This book is about a young man who plays High School football in Oklahoma. He is a big star and an amazing player throughout his years as a football player but is stuck in between his popular best friend and the girl he likes that no one knows about. If he chooses his best friend he wil be popular and if he chooses the girl he will be happy. He also wants to get a scholarship to play football. This book is about him finding the right decision and way out. I liked about this book how inspiring and unique it was to me. While reading this book i learned That you have to do what you believe in and deep down inside feel is the right thing. More importantly this book shows me what I can become if you put your heart into that thing you want to do most and always give what you got 110% of the time.

Meganl said...

1) Over the summer I read Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles and the whole A-List series by Zoey Dean. Leaving Paradise is based on a true story and is written well for a teen. I read 6 books out of the 10 books in the A-List series. They are very girly and the author describes high school and girls who are struggling compared to people who are having the time of their lives. They were excellent and I couldn't put the book down.

2)I enjoy reading books with the narrators of the books being someone around my age. Leaving Paradise was heart warming and tells you that you're never alone. It described in great detail what happens when you drink and drive under the influence and how it can change your life forever. It shows that the person who's least expected might end up being a wonderful friend. The A-List series was entertaining, funny, and described what it's like to be in high school. Both of these books were descriptive and well written.

Geordie M said...

I read Scar tissue, by anthony kiedis
and sacketts land by louis lamour


What i liked about scar tissue, is that its a true story, because it is the autobiography of the lead singer of the red hot chili peppers. From this book, I learned what illegal drug use does to people, and how it affects them, and the choices they make. What matters to me about the books content is that it actually happened to somebody, and that it is not a made up story.


What I liked about sacketts land, is that it was excited and i could never guess what would happen next. I learned about the relationship between early north american settlers and natives, and how they thought of each other. What mattered to me about the books content is the idea of a more promising future in an unknown land, and having the courage to take that chance.

Samantha L. said...

1. Over the summer I read The Devil Wears Prada by: Lauren Weisberger and Twilight by: Stephenie Meyer

2.I enjoyed both of these books alot. The Devil Wears Prada is about a girl who works at a fashion magizine called Runway, and is an assitant to a horrible boss. What I liked about it was how the author described things it was very entertaining. I learned that in life you are going to have to work with people who you might not like or get along with, but you have to stick it out and learn from those experiences. Twilight was an awesome book! When I read what it was about, I thought I wouldn't like it since it's a fantasy book, about a girl who falls in love with a vampire. But the author made it very realistic and made me feel like I was really there. What I learned was that when your making an important decision you need to go with your gut feeling and not worry if you are making the wrong choice. I can relate more to Twilight since the girl is in high school and has to deal with switching schools and everything, however I would recommend these books to anyone but I think girls would like them better then guys.

Zack v.S. said...

1. Over the summer I read “Outcast” by Michelle Paver, and “Silverfin” by Charlie Higson, which were both amazing books with adventure and mystery.
2. For the book “Silverfin”, I just loved the action and mystery of it. The first couple pages give you the basic plot of the book and it is so strange and it leaves you with some many questions like, “where did that come from?” or, “why is he like that?”. For the second question you’ll get it when you read the book. I didn’t learn anything from it. It was more just like a fun action book about James Bond, who is one of my favorite fiction characters. The book “Outcast was a great book based on Indian tribes who lived 30,000 years ago. It was a great book with tons of adventure as Torak, the boy who is outcast, and his wolf try to get back in his clan, The Ravens, by defeating the Soul Eaters. It was great for me because I really like the kinds of books that have to do with Indians and there rituals they perform for sprits and those kinds of things. This book taught me that if you trust your friends you will get through hard times in life. I really liked how Torak never gave up on his goal and stayed true to his friends and Wolf.

Zack v.S. said...

1. Over the summer I read “Outcast” by Michelle Paver, and “Silverfin” by Charlie Higson, which were both amazing books with adventure and mystery.
2. For the book “Silverfin”, I just loved the action and mystery of it. The first couple pages give you the basic plot of the book and it is so strange and it leaves you with some many questions like, “where did that come from?” or, “why is he like that?”. For the second question you’ll get it when you read the book. I didn’t learn anything from it. It was more just like a fun action book about James Bond, who is one of my favorite fiction characters. The book “Outcast was a great book based on Indian tribes who lived 30,000 years ago. It was a great book with tons of adventure as Torak, the boy who is outcast, and his wolf try to get back in his clan, The Ravens, by defeating the Soul Eaters. It was great for me because I really like the kinds of books that have to do with Indians and there rituals they perform for sprits and those kinds of things. This book taught me that if you trust your friends you will get through hard times in life. I really liked how Torak never gave up on his goal and stayed true to his friends and Wolf.

TaylorB. said...

2) These books were interesting, not in a good way though. I thought they were really good... for sixth graders. I though they were okay at first, but then they just got more and more stupid, and uninteresting. I am not a person who likes deep books, which require you to think about them a lot either. I just thought the story line was for people who need constant "girl drama" in their life. I did like the way that Lisi Harrison made you feel like you were part of the story, and always had something going on in it. I probably will never read one of the Clique series again, but might read another book of Lisi Harrison's.

Nate H. said...

1) I only read one novel over the summer due to its length. The book was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolken
2) I liked so much about this book. The part that really blew me away was the description of charecter's and setting's. It's incredible to think that someone came up with all of this completly on there own. It is not possible he experianced any of it in real life because it is a fantasy. The other part i liked was the mixture of war and inisence and love. It made u want to keep reading because he wrote about different people at different times so u needed to find out if the other people were alright.

Dakota M. said...

1) Over the summer I read, "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer and "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke.

2) Both of these authors pulled me into the pages and I could not put either book down until I was finished. The Thief Lord was about a boy and his little brother who run away to Venice and join a group of runaways that are living in a movie theatre. The boys are on a quest to find a merry-go-round that was stolen many years before they came to Venice. The author takes the reader through their journey to a hidden island where magical things happen. The contents of the book was so well written that I felt like I was really there. This book taught me to put family first and to appreciate everything that I have because this book shows that you don't love what you have until it's gone and it is not always easy to get it back. Twilight, however, was about a girl who falls in love with a vampire and this book was probably the most well-written, inspiring story I've read in quite some time. Twilight taught me that when you face a problem, or are given a choice, not to hesitate and to stay positive through thick and thin.

Jordan D. said...

1) over the summer i read black hawk down by Mark Bowden and flags of our fathers by james Bradley.

2) i liked that both books were about war beacuse i like war movies and books. it was important to me beacuse i love war movies and books and i also want to go into the the marines or air force when im done with high school so it gives me a little more incite on war and what it could be like.

Reece R. said...

1) For my summer reading assignment I read the books "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom.

2) What I liked about these books is the lessons you can learn from these stories and how inspirational books like this can be. I liked how in Tuesdays with Morrie the young man took the time to visit his sick old college professor and listen to his advise on life and his struggles throughout life. What I liked in The Five People You Meet in Heaven is the character, Eddie, dies and goes into heaven where he meets five people that had affected his life and what these people tell him about their lives. These books have taught me many lessons about life and how decisions can affect you for the rest of your life. I enjoyed reading these books and they have helped me become a better person.

KatelynnW. said...

1) Over the summer I read Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer, and Ransom by Lois Duncan.

2) Breaking Dawn had me glued to the pages within minutes. I love the way Stephanie Meyer adds so much detail, that you feel as if you were the character, Bella. This book is based on the fact that with every choice, a consequence follows. In this book, Stephanie Meyer switches the narrator between two people. This helped me understand the different point of views. It also allowed me to understand a character other than Bella. In the book Ransom, I enjoyed the fact that you were only given the facts that the children knew and the parents knew so you had to guess the ending based on what the characters knew. This book is mainly about sticking together and working as a team. In this book, its narration switched from character to character, so you could know what was going on outside of kids.

Cole k. said...

1)Over the sumer I read 2-3 of the Rangers Aprentice books by John Flanagan

2)I learned that back in the med-eavil ages skils for various things were at the up most importance. Such skills included swordsmanship or archery for combat or coocking and pitching a tent for camping. This book is one of the best books ive ever read and highley recomend it.

Earl S. said...

1) I read Inherit The Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, which is a playright about the Scopes Monkey trials, a teacher tells his students about the theory of evolution which gets him in trouble and is put on trial which brings to of the greatest lawers to the small town of Hillsboro. The other book I read read was Night by Elie Wiesel whish is about a boys experience in a concentration camp and how he was able to survive and how he was changed there. its really hard to sum up

2) Inherit The Wind was amazing in the sence of how it portrayed the Drama of religion verses science and how in trouble you could get for things back then. In Night it really opened my eyes to how terrible consentration camps were and in the very end how he looked at himself in the mirror for the first time since the ghetto and saw just a corpse not a person but a cadaver, that really hits the reader hard. Its on of those books that sticks in your head.

Unknown said...

1) This summer I read "Left behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Also I read Animal farm by George Orwell.


2) In both of these books they had multiple point of views. Which made the each book more exciting and Also they were vivid in their details to describe each setting and character. "Animal farm" was about animals that take over a farm for a common purpose but, when they elect a leader this leader turns the farm in to a form of communism. "Left Behind" is about the world at the end of the world from a religious point of view. It went through five different peoples stories of what might happens to those who get left behind. The different point of views captured me in the book just in the first few pages that I just had to read more. Both of these books were great reads.