Monday, August 10, 2015

Summer Reading Reflection?

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 books' 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. This blog post must be completed by 2:30p.m. on Friday, August 21st, 2015.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

This summer, I read two books. The first one was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. The second book I read was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
In If I Stay, there were many things that I liked, one thing that was unusual, I noticed in every chapter, there was the present conflict and then a flashback from earlier in her life. Something I learned from this book was to always love your family and always be kind, because you never know when it will be the last time you get to see them. The thing that mattered to me most from this book, was the fact of sacrifice people are willing to make to save another person.
The Fault in Our Stars was one of the best books I have ever read. The characters were so well thought out and so was the plot and the themes hidden within the book. I learned that I am very lucky to have the life that I have and that some people have it way worse than I do. The thing that matters most to me from this text, was how much Hazel and Gus loved each other.

Anonymous said...

The first book I read over the summer was The Remedy by Suzanne Young. The Remedy was the prequel to The Program and The Treatment. It was about this girl who’s life revolves around helping other families deal with losing someone to suicides. Her along with others in this organization lead by this guy named Arthur Pritchard. The counselors get the deceased person's information, and find the best match in terms of age, height, and weight. One problem some of those assigned they have trouble coming back from the roles that they had played and become depressed overtime.

The next book I read was Escape From Eden, by Elisa Nader. Escape from Eden is about another girl who lives in this little cult town with a corrupt Reverend. One day a new family comes to live in this little town in the middle of the forest, because they think it will help their son. At first the two are at odds, but once that they both realize that they want to escape they start making secret hiding places to plan. The Reverend and his weird assistant find out about this plan after both remember a bizarre night, the search for them become dangerous.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read two novels. The first novel that I read was "Paper Towns" by John Green. The second novel that I read was "The First Phone Call From Heaven" by Mitch Albom.
In "Paper Towns" by John Green, Margo and Q go on a all night adventure to plot revenge on Margo's ex-friends and boyfriend after she unraveled a trail of secrets leadig to how they were not ever really her friends. After that night, Margo goes missing. She leads a trail to where she may be and the only person who she leaves the trail for is Q. With a couple of friends Q goes across the country to try to find Margo.
In "The First Call From Heaven" by Mitch Albom, The people in a small town starts receiving calls. Sounds normal but the calls they were getting were from people who weren't alive. More and more people receive the mysterious phone calls and news spreads across the country. Its all great until the portal to heaven mysterious closes and no more phone calls come in.
What I liked about the books was that they had a lot of details and they were very easy to follow.

Anonymous said...

One of the books I read this summer was A Work in Progress by Connor Franta. It is a memoir by a YouTuber that I like. This is probably my favorite book that I ever read. It has a lot of interesting stories in it, and a lot of helpful advice. There was also some of his photography in the book, which was really good.

The second book I read was called Say What You Will by Cammie Mcgovern. It was about a disabled girl in high school, who ends up meeting a boy with OCD, and they become best friends and end up helping each other in their own way. I really liked this book because it gave me a new perspective on things, and it really made me think. The characters were really interesting and it was overall just a really amazing book.

Anonymous said...

This summer, I read two books that were both written by John Green: Looking For Alaska and Papertowns. Looking For Alaska is about a boy who is starting college, and meets a girl named Alaska. Alaska gets in a car crash and the main character wants to figure out what caused the accident. Papertowns, by John Green, is about a girl called Margo and she escapes from her life and runs away from her home.

What I really liked about Looking For Alaska is that it really drew me into reading it. Once I started it, I really couldn't put the book down because I really wanted to know what happens next. I also enjoyed reading Papertowns, because again, it really drew me in, and also liked the adventurous part about what was going to happen to Margo and when her friends will find her.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer, I completed the book 13 Reasons Why written by Jay Asher along with It’s Kind of a Funny Story written by Ned Vizzini. I would highly recommend both books. 13 Reasons Why is an intriguing, intense book about a girl that committed suicide written from her admirers point of view. It was very engrossing to read a book written from two different points of view. It’s Kind of a Funny Story is an amazing book about a teenage in high school that is suicidal as well. I often read books that some would call depressing to keep my attention and so I can relate to them.

Anonymous said...

This summer I read two books, “The Program” by Suzanne Young and “Paper Towns” by John Green. “The Program” is a book about a dystopian society where depression/suicide is an epidemic. The story focuses on a girl named sloane and her boyfriend, showing how they continuously. I really loved how this book talked about what everyone else is scared to talk about. They covered a sensitive topic in a really compelling way. I learned that you can’t take any moment or anyone for granted because they can be taken away at any time. What matters to me about the book’s content is how the story always on the rise, and there is rarely a dull moment.
“Paper Towns” by John Green starts out as an unrequited love book. Quentin Jacobsen is in love with his next door neighbor Margo Roth Spiegelman, and she barely knows he exists besides them being best friends when they were younger.They go on crazy adventures together and separately in this book. I liked how was Quentin turned out to be wrong about Margo’s feelings about him. I learned that you always need to keep hope and faith no matter what. What matters to me about the book’s content is how Quentin never gave up looking for Margo and I liked how new clues would come up and he would just keep looking.

Anonymous said...

This summer I read two books, "Looking for Alaska" by John Green and "Chicken Noodle Soup for the Teenage Soul" by Jack Canfield. “Looking for Alaska” is a book about Miles Halter and how his life changed after going to Culver Creek boarding school. He meet some people there like Colonel, Takumi, and the person Miles cared about most Alaska Young. He falls in love with her during the read but one night, Miles and the Colonel and Alaska are hanging out in Alaska's room. Both the Colonel and Alaska are drunk but Miles isn't , but then Alaska gets a phone call from her boyfriend Jake and has to go to his house but she ended up into a fatal car crash. What I like about this book is that John Green wrote his characters to show how they coped with their personal suffering in different ways, and some of these strategies is what we can relate to as readers.

"Chicken Noodle Soup for the Teenage Soul" is a great book to read as a teenager. It has 101 stories about relationships, friendship, learning and so much more. I really enjoyed this book because the majority of stories and poems are written by teenagers that have dealt with these situations. The short story that really spoke to me was “I Did It” by Mark E. Smith. The article was talking about how a male student with cerebral palsy wanted to walk and get his diploma. “To me, graduating from high school in my manual wheelchair was a symbolic point in my life. I wanted to enter my future as an independent young man-I was not going to allow myself to be carried across the graduation stage by an electric wheelchair. I didn’t care if it took me 20 minutes to push across the stage, I was going to do it.” I love this quote because even if he had a obstacle in his way he would push through it with full force and conquer his obstacle.

Anonymous said...

The first book I read was, Paper Towns by; John Green. I liked that in this book that there was a mystery and cliff hanger within every page. In this book I learned that, sometimes things are better left then said. What matters most to me from this book is the plot line and how the story falls into place.

The second book I read was, Uglies by; Scott Westerfeld. In this book I liked, how in Smoke it didn’t matter how you looked, you were still expected and treated the same as everyone else. In this book I learned that it’s not about how you look or what is on the outside, it’s how you feel on the inside and what you care about. What matters most to me in this book is the perspective and in what person it is told in.

Anonymous said...

The first book I read was, Backlash by-Sarah Darer Littman. What I liked about this book was how it was set up as a DM screen on a computer, so when i was reading it was like I myself was really there. Also, how it taught me that posting things online about others and creating a fake profile is all wrong because it can lead someone to do something that you could be held responsible for. What matters most to me from this book is how it talks about real life situations and how to and not to deal with them.

The second book I read and still reading is, Paper Towns by- John Green. What I like about this book so far is how it has a lot of foreshadowing between pages and you think you know what is going to happen but then it is completely different. What matters to me in this book is how it makes you think about how there are mysteries and people that you may think you know but really they are different or that they might not want the truth found out about them or told.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer, the first book I read was titled "Paper Towns" by John Green. The thing I liked most about this book was reading about how the main character continued to change his view of another character. It was really fascinating to watch the same person change into a different one. This book taught me that you can't place people on a pedestal and expect to know who they are when they're alone. The change of paradigm and the way that John Green focuses on the philosophy are what matters the most to me in this book.

The second book I read was "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. I really liked this book, and what I enjoyed the most was the suspense and mystery of the characters. Throughout the book, you would read, and wonder what wrong deed the character did was next. This book drove the lesson of 'everything has consequences' home. The text taught me that one event can lead into a snowball effect and end up bringing someone down for the count. The thing that mattered to me when I read this book, was that the author chose not to sugarcoat events. He wrote it like it was, and didn't stray from the truth.

Anonymous said...

The two novels i read this summer was the The Fault in our Stars by John Green and the
The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd, they were both great novels they really opened my mind. The Fault in our stars was a great book it was a modern boy meets girl story that was great and really touched hearts,two cancer patients that really show that love never ends and that all the time you have with someone is really something special.This novel is one of my top novels,it's a book i could read over and over again,just a strong book with great chapters and amazing content.
The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd was also another top book, i had never read it , and really exceeded my expectation.From the amazing characters to the awesome content in the book,it was a new story to me and a fantastic one.Everything in the book just flowed and was written to fantastic audience.Overall great books that i would definitely recommend to anyone.

Anonymous said...

I read Next by Michael Crichton and World War Z by Max Brooks. Both were amazingly written with well developed stories. Next detailed about the different directions genetic research could take, specifically gene patenting and trans-genetic animals. This book really highlighted on the dangers of patenting genes, and the future that is closer than we think. It really opened my mind to more of the big picture of genetics.
World War Z was a zombie apocalypse told by the survivors. The accounts were told in an interview like fashion and detailed on the overall timeline of the apocalypse. What really stood out to me was the diversity of accounts, told from perspectives on all corners of the globe. One story that really stood out to me was one about a blind Japanese man who survived by fleeing to a forest then using his remaining senses and terrain of the forest itself to escape the zombies.

Anonymous said...

I read a lot of books this summer. But the two that caught made me drop everything and just read would be Nora Roberts “The Collector” and Lauren Destefano's “Wither”.
These two book had great plots and stories to tell. In The Collector everything is a huge mystery. A woman that moves around like a gypsy and finds other people's lives interesting. An artist with a dysfunctional family. And the brother who got killed for a egg. It captivates you right away. Showing you what Lila Emerson saw the night Ash's brother was murdered. This book's content never stopped putting me on edge. Never ceased to make me amazing how everything tied so perfectly together. I love Nora Roberts because you can see, feel,and smell everything the characters saw, felt, and smelled.
Wither made you think. It made you think of humans obsessiveness to be better. To make ourselves better. Wither is placed in the not-too-distant future. Where when we genetic engineering made some of us live to be over a hundred years old. But their children's children died too soon. Every human was a bomb. Males died of the disease at 25 and females died at 20. To keep from the human race from dying out girls are kidnapped and sold to men. This book revolves around a sixteen year old girl that when kidnapped won't rest until she finds her way home. But being in a house of luxury is making her forget. About her home, about her brother and about how the real world is. I loved this book because it showed her struggle of staying here with everything she ever wanted but without freedom. Or to go back out there get the freedom she want but lose the comfortable life.

Anonymous said...

I read two books over the summer. One was called Left to tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza and the other book was called The Fault in our Stars by John Green.
Left to tell is now my favorite book of all time. I learned a lot about tribes in Rwanda, God, and about how life used to be in Rwanda. It was a very sad and heartbreaking story that I would read again if i had the chance. I liked how into detail she went when talking about her family and their experience with the other tribes. It was a very heartbreaking and addicting book. I loved it!
The Fault in our Stars is a very heartbreaking book as well. It has many heart stoppers and racers. It kept me reading it even when it got boring. I liked this book because of how unique it is. I have never read a book similar!

Anonymous said...

Over the summer the two novels I read were the kite runner and the longest ride. The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini was a very powerful novel and had a lasting impact. The main reason The kite runner had an impact was it told the story of how mistakes you make in the past can still effect you later in life but there can still be things done about them. The longest ride by Nicholas Sparks was a very interesting book to read. I personally enjoyed the tie between the two stories, and how they came together at the end. The most important part of the kite runners content to me was the life lessons Particularly how humans are not perfect, life has good and bad experiences, and how excepting every piece good and bad of yourself will ultimately help you strive in life. The most important part of the content was the timelessness it brought both stories to a deeper level.

Anonymous said...

This summer I read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and also Holes by Louis Sachar. They were both great reads and taught me a lot about what it is like to run away and hide and how hard life can get. In Uglies I learned how being pretty is not as luxurious as you may think, and also that you should just be yourself and not someone for other people. I loved how the book got into so much detail and I could really picture what I read. I am glad the author used so many real world aspects and how it was in the future and it was very high tech. I enjoyed the content in the book and how it was a lot of science related topics and also a lot of action.
In Holes by Louis Sachar I learned about how difficult others could be. Stanley Yelnats went to a Summer camp and had to do “disciplinary work” that was extremely long hours and strenuous work. I learned how important it is to never give up and to try your hardest and I also learned about solving problems. The book’s content taught me that you should help people out and you never know how much they will appreciate it. The novel was very interesting, I loved the mystery aspect and it was always entertaining.

Anonymous said...

This summer I read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Both of these books were incredible and really made me think. In the book Uglies I learned that this is a perfection craved world everyone wants to be perfect so much that it rottens our brains. We look at ourselves and point out all the imperfections instead of loving ourselves. It really showed be that we cant all be perfect and that's a good thing. My favorite thing was how well written the book was, It was full with such detail that you could picture every thing in your mind.
If I stay taught me how to value you life and the people in it. It showed me that one of the most important things in life are the people in it and if they you don't have them then what's really worth living for. I loved how In this book It talked about the times and memories the kind we all value and remember. It made me feel like I was really her and the book was my reality.

Anonymous said...

During the summer I read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, and Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. Two books with amazing stories. But, the book that I liked the most reading the most was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas a well known story about the Holocaust. The main character Bruno moves into a small town close to where his dad works. Bruno’s dad is a general at one of the concentration camps near where they live, but Bruno and his sister Gretel don’t know it. When time passes by and Bruno meets a new friend named Shmuel who works in Bruno's house as a servant. The two boys become friends and get to know each other. But when Bruno starts to become more experimental with his friend Shmuel things start not to turn out to good for the both of them which turns out really bad for them. This part of the book was my favorite part. It definitely shows you a lot of life lessons and it also shows that doesnt mean that you don't have the same religion as other people you shouldn't become friends with them. The book has alot of examples that this one but this is the moral that stands out the most in the text.

Anonymous said...

I read an interesting book called 21 secrets by Jason and Crystalina Evert. this was a Christian book where the authors describe different types of personalities of people. This was written to help you decide what qualities you value in people. I like that it made me think about what i want in life and who i would like to be.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was a book i found to be sad yet compelling it made me thankful and appreciative for the life I have. The book makes me realize that regardless of your circumstances in life you can still be strong, make the best of it, and learn to enjoy life.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read Paper Towns by John Green and 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I’m really picky when it comes to what I read. It’s hard for me to find books that I actually like but when I do, I can’t put the book down until I’ve read it thirty times, had dinner with it, wrote a 3 page essay on it, and read it too my betta fish named burrito. Now I admit, that’s a tad bit exaggerated, but if I happen to find a book I like, that I really like the book. That’s what happened with these two books. I read Paper Towns almost as fast as I memorize song lyrics. I liked how adventurous and different Margo, was. She went on so many different adventures and just enjoyed every little bit of life. Throughout the book the reader realizes that there is more than one side to her. In a way that’s kind of how I am. I can be extremely shy sometimes and people will wonder why I don’t talk but if I’m around someone that I really trust and feel comfortable with, for example, my best friend, they will wonder why I wont just shut up already. 13 Reasons Why is a book about a girl who commits suicide but leaves thirteen tapes, each with a reason for her death on them, for the reasons to listen too. Each reason was a person and some had places that the people could go too while listening to the tapes. There’s reasons to most things, whether it’s something great, or something as terrible as suicide. It’s not the word choice or descriptions that I liked most about this book,neither book really, it was the emotions that were behind the words. That’s what really drew me in.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read the books 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True by Dr. Phil Plait and Ten Poems To Set You Free by Roger Housden. 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True is about conspiracy theories and why people believe in them. I really connected with this book because a few of the things I believe were in the book and after reading how the author felt about them made me realize he mite be right. 10 Poems To Set You Free is basically just 10 poems that the author has written and explains in detail. I really connected to the book because when I first read one of the poems I didn't understand it that well but after reading the explanation of it I really understood what the author was trying to say.

Anonymous said...

The two novels I read over the summer are Double Identity and Disconnect. Double Identity was written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I loved the mysterious characters in this novel. The main character, Bethany Cole, learns that something is terribly wrong once her parents dropped her off at her Aunt Myrlie’s house which she never knew existed. Bethany was never separated from her parents so it was very odd. She noticed suspicious action from her parents and her aunt and soon found out that she was a clone of her late sister who passed away from a fatal car accident. This taught me that dangerous secrets are better told than kept. Double Identity held many life lessons about how to stay safe and know what the right choices are. Disconnect was written by Lois Peterson. I liked how I could relate to this book because the main character, Daria, is always checking on her cell phone to check texts from her friends just like I do. I learned that getting too attached with phones will make a person unaware of the surroundings and even more addicted. Disconnect made me realize that there are several things that are more important than staring at a screen.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read two books, one of those books is called The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks. The Rescue was an intriguing book which was filled with romance and a little bit of heartbreak. Many great things happened in this book such as, Denise took care of her four year old son who she had unexpectedly even though she had the choice to get an abortion. Denise had to change her life around and adjust everything to meet Kyle’s needs and that shows how much she cared about giving Kyle the best opportunities. I learned so many life lessons from this book however, to me the most important lesson is to always put others first even if you weren’t expecting to. This book was an amazing book to read and I would read it all over again. The content was very well written and flowed beautifully.

Paper Towns by John Green was the second book that I read over the summer. This romance novel contains more romance than The Rescue due to the fact that Quentin has always had a huge crush on Margo and when Margo goes missing he chases after her. There was so many different events that happened in this book but my favorite one is when Quentin went clear across the country to try and find the girl he is in love with. The main lesson I learned from this book was to never give up on someone even if they’re pushing you away or don’t want to be found. I was very impressed with this book and its content and I would definitely read this book again.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read two books, one of those books is called The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks. The Rescue was an intriguing book which was filled with romance and a little bit of heartbreak. Many great things happened in this book such as, Denise took care of her four year old son who she had unexpectedly even though she had the choice to get an abortion. Denise had to change her life around and adjust everything to meet Kyle’s needs and that shows how much she cared about giving Kyle the best opportunities. I learned so many life lessons from this book however, to me the most important lesson is to always put others first even if you weren’t expecting to. This book was an amazing book to read and I would read it all over again. The content was very well written and flowed beautifully.

Paper Towns by John Green was the second book that I read over the summer. This romance novel contains more romance than The Rescue due to the fact that Quentin has always had a huge crush on Margo and when Margo goes missing he chases after her. There was so many different events that happened in this book but my favorite one is when Quentin went clear across the country to try and find the girl he is in love with. The main lesson I learned from this book was to never give up on someone even if they’re pushing you away or don’t want to be found. I was very impressed with this book and its content and I would definitely read this book again.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. The Magician's Nephew is the prequel to the Narnia series it is about a boy named Digory and his neighbor named Polly. They wanted to go on an adventure but they got more than they bargained for and ended up in another world and witness the creation of Narnia. The Lion the witch and the wardrobe is a story about four siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who pass through a magical wardrobe that takes them to Narnia. There they fight the evil queen. What I liked about these books was the action. What mattered to me about the books content was the bond between the siblings.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter, and I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Me, Him, Them, and It is about a young girl whose parents are not paying any attention to her, so she decides to be bad to get there attention, and she lands pregnant at 16, in this story the main character Evelyn has to face keeping of giving the baby away for adoption. The Secret Garden is about a young girl, Mary that was orphaned so she went to live with her uncle and his maid and son. When Mary finds a garden that is blocked away is naturally curious which causes trouble and ruckus all around.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read Me and Earl and The Dying Girl,by Jesse Andrews something I learned from this book was that life is not about love or happy endings. Its about friendship and using the time you have right now to be yourself and make new friends and meet new people. This content matters to me because its a good thing to have a life that means something and to have people in that life that matter and i want that for myself.
The second book I read over the summer was the fifth in a series, Vex by Addison Moore. Something I learned from this book that is different then something I learned in the first book I read was that love does exist. This matters to me because its important that you know love exists but life is not all about love and romance.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer I read: Where the red fern grows, by Wilson Rawls something I learned was that Everything happens for a reason, whether or its good or bad. This content matters to me because so many people have bad things happen to them and many people have good things happen to them, Just like me, and It also matters to me because I learn from my mistakes. The second book i read was: Shattering glass, by Gail Giles something i learned was that nobodys perfect ans that you shouldn't change for anyone but yourself. This matters to me because ive never really changed for my own good, and Its not all about looks.