I would recommend The World Made Straight to people who are really interested in the Civil War, because in the book Travis and his roommate Leonard get into a deep study about Civil War. They read tons of books and journals describing what times were like for soldiers in the war. The grittiness of the journals made me squirm and sent chills down my spine, so if you like that kind of stuff, this is definitely your book. This book also is one with a ton of description; like when Travis is living with Leonard for the first time, it describes how angry he is and how bad it is. Leonard girlfriend is addicted to inhaling pills. When she doesn’t get what she wants, she is unbearable.
Overall a decent book. I thought the characters were a bit predictable, but enjoyable to read about. The setting really worked well with the plot. Travis and Leonard are two lonely people, with the world against them. Fortunately enough, they found each other. This book follows their transformations, intertwining a Civil war tragedy with a story of personal change and growth. The beginning of this book can be extremely confusing, switching back and forth between characters and time periods. Once the plot begins to be revealed, it is easier to understand, and by the end I was deeply connected with the characters and their stories. I would recommend this book to advanced high school students, because it is very difficult to follow initially. Classes that are studying the Civil War would especially benefit for analyzing the effects that that war had on people's everyday lives. Advanced English classes would also benefit from analyzing the characters and how they changed over time. I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. The relationship between the former teacher and the main character was believable and powerful. It reminded me that all kids need is one adult in their lives who believes in them and loves them unconditionally and is willing to speak the truth to them.
Monday, May 23, 2011
The world made straight summary
I read The World Made Straight by Ron Rash for my book this quarter. This is the story of a teenage boy named Travis Shelton who stumbles upon a marijuana plant and uses it to make money for himself. He ignores the fact that it is someone else’s property and takes it for his own. After a couple trips to the cities buyers, he makes his way back to the plant, this time more careful of the property owner showing up. Instead of encountering with the owner, he gets his leg stuck trapped in a bear trap. It tears through many layers of flesh and reaches his bone. At this time he is stuck in it, and can’t get out; only to wait for the arrival of help. He ends up falling to the ground, incapable of getting up. He is drifting in and out of conciseness hoping help will soon arrive. The help that shows up is the property owner who isn’t happy at all. The owner takes his to the hospital but makes him say that Travis fell down a waterfall, and not to mention anything about the trap. The plant owners stays with Travis at the hospital for a few days, but then leaves. Leaving Travis homeless. Travis ends up moving in with the guy he sold he marijuana to, Leonard. Together Travis and Leonard study about the Civil War and read journals from back when the war was going on. Travis is forced to live in the hell-house, with alcoholics, drugs and a ton of trouble.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
choice book report recommendation.
I would recommend Touching Spirit Bear to teens who like really gaudy, descriptive books. In this book is talks about Cole eating alive mouse. How the bones are crunching in his mouse and how he can taste the blood. Also how when he is being mauled by the bear, he can feel the bears warm blood on his face and how he can hear his bones crunching. I would also say this book would be good for people who have trouble with anger. It talks a lot about ways to control your anger. You could greatly relate to Cole because he struggles with his anger issues. He is being passed from therapist to therapist and has a lot of problems with his feelings.
Touching Spirit Bear is a book that goes into great detail about Cole Matthews life. It talks about how his mom and dad treated him when he was little. He was a raging alcoholic who beat him a lot. His mother did nothing about it. She would never try to stop him or even say anything about it. Cole was usually beat with a belt by his father. His mother was also an alcoholic, but eventually quit.
This book is good for suspense lovers also. It has a lot of parts where is keeps you on the edge of your seat, and it’s hard to put down. After Cole was mauled by the Spirit Bear, he was lying on the islands ground bleeding to death. He is on the brink of dying and it’s hard to stop reading. You always want to know what is going to happen next. Will Cole die? Will he be rescued? Will the bear come back for him? It’s definitely a cliff hanger. Touching Spirit Bear was a very good read and I would recommend it to all.
Touching Spirit Bear is a book that goes into great detail about Cole Matthews life. It talks about how his mom and dad treated him when he was little. He was a raging alcoholic who beat him a lot. His mother did nothing about it. She would never try to stop him or even say anything about it. Cole was usually beat with a belt by his father. His mother was also an alcoholic, but eventually quit.
This book is good for suspense lovers also. It has a lot of parts where is keeps you on the edge of your seat, and it’s hard to put down. After Cole was mauled by the Spirit Bear, he was lying on the islands ground bleeding to death. He is on the brink of dying and it’s hard to stop reading. You always want to know what is going to happen next. Will Cole die? Will he be rescued? Will the bear come back for him? It’s definitely a cliff hanger. Touching Spirit Bear was a very good read and I would recommend it to all.
choice book report summary.
For my choice book report I read Touching Spirit Bear. This book is about a fifteen year old boy named Cole Matthews who is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. All his life he has been a raging bully who is always rude to others because of what he has been through. His dad was a serious alcoholic who beat him frequently. Cole has been through tons of therapists, but none of them seem to help him. However, he life seemed to take a turn for the worse after a classmate named Peter Driscal snitches on Cole for breaking into a hardware store. Cole wants revenge on Peter, so he unrelentingly beats Peter. Now Cole is either sentenced to jail, or he must join Circle Justice, which will hopefully put things in the right spot. After three weeks of that, and no improvements, Cole is sentenced to one year on a small Alaskan Island.
On this island Cole must learn to care for himself and take responsibility. Two Tribe Elders name Edwin and Garvey arrive to the island before Cole. They unpack food boxes and set up a small wood cabin to sleep in. Once Cole arrives, Edwin and Garvey warn him about the legend of the white spirit bear who roams the island. Cole claims that if he crosses paths with this bear, he would kill it. He is not afraid of this myth and will not worry.
Later that day, the two men part from the island, leaving Cole alone. His anger starts to boil inside of him once he starts thinking about all his life how everyone would just want to get rid of him. He is thinking about how happy everyone must be now that he is finally gone. Cole sleeps soundly that night, but is woken up a couple times by the rain.
The next day when Cole wakes up he decides to take a walk around the island. As he is walking, he noticed a massive white bear, which he assumes must be the Spirit Bear. He starts to mess with it, by throwing things at it. He wants the bear to fear him. As Cole turns around for the last time to throw another rock at it, he notices that the bear is gone. Later in the day, Cole goes to the beach of the island to attempt swimming away. He runs into the Spirit Bear, but this time he tries to kill it. He dashes right up to the bear and tries lodging his spear that he had made into it. This did nothing. The bear deflected the spear with it’s paw and starts mauling Cole. Helpless, the bear breaks multiple ribs, his pelvis, an arm and a leg. After the bear thinks it has taught Cole a lesson, he runs of. Cole is laying helpless on the dirt. He is drifting in and out of conciseness. Once to starts to get hungry he eats anything he can find, including a live mouse and his own vomit. Cole is on the verge of death, when he is rescued by Edwin and Garvey.
Cole is brought back to Minneapolis for another six months of Circle Justice and to recover from a brutal mauling. Cole is going through some changes, both attitude wise and physically. Cole is forced for another time back at the island. This time accompanied by Edwin and Garvey. Cole builds his own shelter and learns to take responsibility for himself. Edwin teaches Cole the ways of the island. Cole takes a huge, heavy rock up a steep hill everyday, and rolls it back down. This make his stronger. He also goes swimming in a small pond everyday. The water in the pond is below freezing, which teaches Cole to relax even in the toughest situations. Cole goes though all these tough challenges which build him up as a person and makes him stronger every day. Touching Spirit Bear was a good book and I would recommend it to a lot of teens.
On this island Cole must learn to care for himself and take responsibility. Two Tribe Elders name Edwin and Garvey arrive to the island before Cole. They unpack food boxes and set up a small wood cabin to sleep in. Once Cole arrives, Edwin and Garvey warn him about the legend of the white spirit bear who roams the island. Cole claims that if he crosses paths with this bear, he would kill it. He is not afraid of this myth and will not worry.
Later that day, the two men part from the island, leaving Cole alone. His anger starts to boil inside of him once he starts thinking about all his life how everyone would just want to get rid of him. He is thinking about how happy everyone must be now that he is finally gone. Cole sleeps soundly that night, but is woken up a couple times by the rain.
The next day when Cole wakes up he decides to take a walk around the island. As he is walking, he noticed a massive white bear, which he assumes must be the Spirit Bear. He starts to mess with it, by throwing things at it. He wants the bear to fear him. As Cole turns around for the last time to throw another rock at it, he notices that the bear is gone. Later in the day, Cole goes to the beach of the island to attempt swimming away. He runs into the Spirit Bear, but this time he tries to kill it. He dashes right up to the bear and tries lodging his spear that he had made into it. This did nothing. The bear deflected the spear with it’s paw and starts mauling Cole. Helpless, the bear breaks multiple ribs, his pelvis, an arm and a leg. After the bear thinks it has taught Cole a lesson, he runs of. Cole is laying helpless on the dirt. He is drifting in and out of conciseness. Once to starts to get hungry he eats anything he can find, including a live mouse and his own vomit. Cole is on the verge of death, when he is rescued by Edwin and Garvey.
Cole is brought back to Minneapolis for another six months of Circle Justice and to recover from a brutal mauling. Cole is going through some changes, both attitude wise and physically. Cole is forced for another time back at the island. This time accompanied by Edwin and Garvey. Cole builds his own shelter and learns to take responsibility for himself. Edwin teaches Cole the ways of the island. Cole takes a huge, heavy rock up a steep hill everyday, and rolls it back down. This make his stronger. He also goes swimming in a small pond everyday. The water in the pond is below freezing, which teaches Cole to relax even in the toughest situations. Cole goes though all these tough challenges which build him up as a person and makes him stronger every day. Touching Spirit Bear was a good book and I would recommend it to a lot of teens.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Perfect recommendation.
I think Perfect would be the perfect book for mothers and teenagers to read together. The torn relationship between the main character and her mother is the key element to the book. The book brings up a lot of problems to talk about. This book could help a lot with relationships and issues in a family. It’s a great conversation starter and really digs deep down. Even though Isabelle and her mother are constantly fighting, they know they love each other. It’s really hard to live without a mother. You need a mom to tell all your secrets to and to have when you have no one else. A mom is very understanding and will always be there for you.
I would also recommend this book to people who like really descriptive books. This book is very gaudy and graphic. Instead of reading a really bland and undisruptive book, read this. People who have a best friend could also like this book. This book talks a lot about the relationship between Isabelle and her best friend Ashley Barnum. They’re there for each other and can tell each other anything. They like the same things and have the same hobbies.
This book would defiantly be best for teenage girls. If you’re going through rough times, the best thing you can do is just read. When you relate to a character in a book, it’s even better. It’s nice to know you’re not the only one who has hard times. Reading takes out a lot of stress for some people so this book would be a good go-to. This book has a very deep theme. There are quite a few too. One of them is, when you have nothing left, you’re friends are amazing. The ones you can count on for anything are the ones you want to be around. You want to trust the ones you’re around. Another theme could be, you never know what you have until it’s gone. Before Isabelle’s father died, she fought with him a lot. But when he was gone he saw how much she missed him and how much she loved him. Her and her mom fight now, but deep down she knows how much she loves her. She doesn’t want to lose her too. These are just some of the few people who might enjoy the book Perfect.
I would also recommend this book to people who like really descriptive books. This book is very gaudy and graphic. Instead of reading a really bland and undisruptive book, read this. People who have a best friend could also like this book. This book talks a lot about the relationship between Isabelle and her best friend Ashley Barnum. They’re there for each other and can tell each other anything. They like the same things and have the same hobbies.
This book would defiantly be best for teenage girls. If you’re going through rough times, the best thing you can do is just read. When you relate to a character in a book, it’s even better. It’s nice to know you’re not the only one who has hard times. Reading takes out a lot of stress for some people so this book would be a good go-to. This book has a very deep theme. There are quite a few too. One of them is, when you have nothing left, you’re friends are amazing. The ones you can count on for anything are the ones you want to be around. You want to trust the ones you’re around. Another theme could be, you never know what you have until it’s gone. Before Isabelle’s father died, she fought with him a lot. But when he was gone he saw how much she missed him and how much she loved him. Her and her mom fight now, but deep down she knows how much she loves her. She doesn’t want to lose her too. These are just some of the few people who might enjoy the book Perfect.
Choice book report summary.
For my choice book report I read Perfect by Natasha Friend. This book is about a 13 year old girl name Isabelle Eliza Lee. Isabelle’s father recently died and her whole family is still in sorrow. The book tells the story of her life after her sudden loss. Her whole family goes through a ton of pain. They all cry in their rooms every night, but in the morning, they act like nothing ever happened.
Isabelle has a way of getting all her pain out. She binges. She eats all this greasy, fatty, horrible food. Then she makes herself throw up. It’s quite disgusting, but a good read. One morning, Isabelle eats a ton for breakfast. Just when she is finished she heads right to the bathroom to get it all out, but her sister walks in. Isabelle tries to make a deal with her sister, who she calls Ape Face. She offers her red suede shoes, and her sparkly barrettes, but no. Ape face ended up telling on her. So now Isabelle is in a group. A therapy group, because her mom thinks she is in depression and has low self esteem.
When she first joins the group she would do anything to get out of it. She just sits there and thinks to herself, ‘This is so stupid. I just want to leave.’ But to her surprise, Ashley Barnum, the most perfect girl in school, shows up to group. Ashley Barnum has the most amazing hair, perfect eyes, flawless face, and a surfers body. Ashley also has bulimia. The group counselors tell everyone to choose a partner. Ashley chooses Isabelle for the assignment. They have to mirror each others actions. Once they start talking, they give each other their numbers. Throughout the book, they hang out more and more. For Isabelle, it’s really nice to have someone there for her. They become best friends and find out they’re perfect for each other. Isabelle is still suffering pain from her fathers death. But with Ashley being there, it’s getter better everyday. I think the theme of this book is when you have someone there for you, it’s a great help. Friendship should be treasured everyday. That is my summary for the book Perfect.
Isabelle has a way of getting all her pain out. She binges. She eats all this greasy, fatty, horrible food. Then she makes herself throw up. It’s quite disgusting, but a good read. One morning, Isabelle eats a ton for breakfast. Just when she is finished she heads right to the bathroom to get it all out, but her sister walks in. Isabelle tries to make a deal with her sister, who she calls Ape Face. She offers her red suede shoes, and her sparkly barrettes, but no. Ape face ended up telling on her. So now Isabelle is in a group. A therapy group, because her mom thinks she is in depression and has low self esteem.
When she first joins the group she would do anything to get out of it. She just sits there and thinks to herself, ‘This is so stupid. I just want to leave.’ But to her surprise, Ashley Barnum, the most perfect girl in school, shows up to group. Ashley Barnum has the most amazing hair, perfect eyes, flawless face, and a surfers body. Ashley also has bulimia. The group counselors tell everyone to choose a partner. Ashley chooses Isabelle for the assignment. They have to mirror each others actions. Once they start talking, they give each other their numbers. Throughout the book, they hang out more and more. For Isabelle, it’s really nice to have someone there for her. They become best friends and find out they’re perfect for each other. Isabelle is still suffering pain from her fathers death. But with Ashley being there, it’s getter better everyday. I think the theme of this book is when you have someone there for you, it’s a great help. Friendship should be treasured everyday. That is my summary for the book Perfect.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
choice book report 2. recommendation.
If I had to recommend the Twilight series books to anyone, I would definitely say they’re perfect for people who love fantasy books. This series was made for the big dreamers and the day dreams. These books are totally “get away from reality” books. If you’re stressed out or need something to do, read these. They’re captivating and hard to put down. There is a ton of action, romance, and fiction stuff in these books. People who love wizards, or spells, or princes or any of that stuff would probably love Twilight! The main characters in Eclipse are the Cullens, who are vampires. There are also werewolves in this series. It’s very intriguing to learn about such weird things. The way the author described them helps you put a perfect picture in your head. You don’t even have to watch the movie to see what they actually look like. When I read the book, I pictured it almost the exact same as the movie put them. It’s very descriptive and keeps your mind moving. When the book slows down, it get romantic or soft. So if you like that kind of mushy, I love you stuff you’ll definitely enjoy reading it.
My favorite parts of the book are the action/ fighting parts. This is because they keep it very alive. They don’t say stuff like “he hit her.” They would put it something like “His strong, muscular hand slashed her across the face with a great amount of furiousness.” It’s full of detail and specification. It shows the huge amount of passion and love Edward and Bella have for each other. It deeply describes how they feel about each other. It’ll keep you reading and most importantly interested! If you’re the type of person who likes true stories, or non-fiction this totally isn’t your kind of thing. It’s completely out of the ordinary and you would never see any of this stuff in reality. This is because there is no such thing as vampires, werewolves or any of that stuff!
Another interesting you may not know about the Twilight books is that the first book she wrote in the series was actually the authors dream. If you have crazy and wild dreams, you could relate to the books. She took one of her dreams, and spiced it up a little and it became a #1 seller! So, these are just some of the things you may grow to love about Twilight.
My favorite parts of the book are the action/ fighting parts. This is because they keep it very alive. They don’t say stuff like “he hit her.” They would put it something like “His strong, muscular hand slashed her across the face with a great amount of furiousness.” It’s full of detail and specification. It shows the huge amount of passion and love Edward and Bella have for each other. It deeply describes how they feel about each other. It’ll keep you reading and most importantly interested! If you’re the type of person who likes true stories, or non-fiction this totally isn’t your kind of thing. It’s completely out of the ordinary and you would never see any of this stuff in reality. This is because there is no such thing as vampires, werewolves or any of that stuff!
Another interesting you may not know about the Twilight books is that the first book she wrote in the series was actually the authors dream. If you have crazy and wild dreams, you could relate to the books. She took one of her dreams, and spiced it up a little and it became a #1 seller! So, these are just some of the things you may grow to love about Twilight.
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