This week I read Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. It's about seventeen-year old Annabelle Greene. She's a model, not to mention a spokesperson for "the girl who has everything." But in reality, she has nothing. Her best friend turned against her, along with everyone else in school, and after a long summer of isolation, she has to return to school and face it all. She followed after her sisters' footsteps into the modeling business, even though really only her mother was the one who enjoyed it. The middle Greene sister, Whitney, got so sucked into the career and obsessed she was diagnosed with an eating disorder. Annabelle's oldest sister, Kirsten, was the bubbly one who happened to be always prattling on and on. So now Annabelle doesn't know where she fits and is scared that maybe modeling is all she is. Owen, known as the mysterious and music-crazy "freak" in school, comes into Annabelle's life. Just as things seem to be get better, her secret gets in the way. What really happened last summer that caused her best friend and practically everyone at school to hate her?
This book was really good, which wasn't surprising. I've read other books by Sarah Dessen and they're all amazing. All of her characters in this story are really thought out and it's actually hard to put the book down. It's full of humor, romance, and some pressing issues such as eating disorders and problems within a family. Actually this book reminded me a little of the book I did my last blog on because both of the main characters live their lives a certain way just to please their parents. Anyways.. I think a lot of people could relate to this book in some way so I recommend it to any girls, I'm sure you'll love it :D
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hanging on to Max
Okay, I didn't have time to write my blog last week, (even though I did read a book) so I'm just writing two this week. Soo last week I read Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard. This book is about Sam Pettigrew, who's a senior in highschool AND a dad. He has enough trouble trying to take care of himself and now he has a baby boy, Max, to take care of also. Max's mom moved away for a new start, to a new highschool, where no one will ever know she had a kid. Sam goes to a new school also, one made especially for teenage mothers and fathers. Throughout the story, Sam struggles balancing school, fatherhood, pleasing his own father, and even a new girlfriend. His dad thinks he's crazy for keeping the baby, the school's pressuring him to try for college, and his friends expect him to be the same person as he was before the baby came. All Sam wants, however, is what's best for Max and so all decisions are centered around him. However, it's hard for Sam to go from only caring about himself to having to be responsible for another human being.
I think a lot of people would love this book. It's a really quick and easy read. I thought the book was okay, but definately not amazing. They packed such a huge and important topic into a 100- page story so it kind of feels rushed. Especially the ending. All the sudden there's a twist ending (I won't say what) that happens in the last, like, 5 or so pages. On the other hand, you really care about the characters in the end. Overall, I think the read is worth it !
I think a lot of people would love this book. It's a really quick and easy read. I thought the book was okay, but definately not amazing. They packed such a huge and important topic into a 100- page story so it kind of feels rushed. Especially the ending. All the sudden there's a twist ending (I won't say what) that happens in the last, like, 5 or so pages. On the other hand, you really care about the characters in the end. Overall, I think the read is worth it !
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Marcelo in the Real World
I'm reading Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. So far this book is pretty good ! It's about Marcelo Sandoval who is a 17 year old boy who has a condition that's similar to Autism. Ever since first grade, Marcelo has gone to Paterson. Paterson is a special school designed for disabled kids. Marcelo takes longer time to do things, always has schedules made, and isn't comfortable socializing with anyone except his family and some of the kids at Paterson. Marcelo's father has a plan for him, though. This summer, instead of working in the horse stables at Paterson like he planned, Marcelo is going to work in the mailroom at his dad's law firm. If Marcelo succeeds there, it is his decision whether he wants to continue school at Paterson or switch over to the regular, public high school. Marcelo's father, Arturo, wants Marcelo to reach out of his comfort zone. He wants him to live in the "real world."
There are a lot of external and internal conflicts developing in this story. There's Marcelo versus his father, Marcelo versus society, and Marcelo versus himself. Arturo is always pushing Marcelo to be normal. He wants his son to be like any other teenager. Until now, Marcelo has always been protected. He hasn't had to deal with society because it is an unprotected environment and no one wanted him to go through that. But now Arturo feels that Marcelo is ready and actually has been ready for a long time. He just needs to take that first plunge. The only thing that is getting in Marcelo's way is his fear. He doesn't know if he can do tasks that are unscheduled or he's never experienced before.
So I'm really curious about how Marcelo is going to react to the real world. He's a smart boy and more mature than most kids his age. He's never had to cross busy streets or multitask before because he's always been confined to his comfort zone. I have a feeling that this new experience will really change Marcelo. While he is very unhappy and scared about his new job, I predict he'll be thankful in the end. His character is so interesting and thinks so differently than I or anyone I know would. There are tons of people out there you come across who have autism or are disabled. This book gives you a chance to see inside their heads and it's really eye opening.
There are a lot of external and internal conflicts developing in this story. There's Marcelo versus his father, Marcelo versus society, and Marcelo versus himself. Arturo is always pushing Marcelo to be normal. He wants his son to be like any other teenager. Until now, Marcelo has always been protected. He hasn't had to deal with society because it is an unprotected environment and no one wanted him to go through that. But now Arturo feels that Marcelo is ready and actually has been ready for a long time. He just needs to take that first plunge. The only thing that is getting in Marcelo's way is his fear. He doesn't know if he can do tasks that are unscheduled or he's never experienced before.
So I'm really curious about how Marcelo is going to react to the real world. He's a smart boy and more mature than most kids his age. He's never had to cross busy streets or multitask before because he's always been confined to his comfort zone. I have a feeling that this new experience will really change Marcelo. While he is very unhappy and scared about his new job, I predict he'll be thankful in the end. His character is so interesting and thinks so differently than I or anyone I know would. There are tons of people out there you come across who have autism or are disabled. This book gives you a chance to see inside their heads and it's really eye opening.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Listening For Lions
I started the book Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan this week ! The beginning of Listening for Lions takes place in 1919 in British East Africa. Rachel Sheridan is thirteen years old and her father and mother work in a mission hospital called Tumaini. In Tumaini, her father works as a doctor and her mother works as a teacher. Rachel has lived in Africa her whole life and when she was little, she would be watched by Kanoro. A terrible influenza hits the nearby city of Nairobi and soon makes its way over to the Kikuyu and Masai shambas, or farms. The mission hospital is open to all the Kikuyu and Masai people. Rachel is forced to stay away from the hospital so she doesn’t catch the influenza. The influenza is hitting almost everyone, including Rachel’s mother and father, who both die from it. Rachel is left an orphan and the hospital, Tumaini, closes.
I learned a lot about Africa in this book. I realized that Africa is very diverse. There was a rich British family, the Pritchards, living next to poor Kikuyu shambas. In one city, like Nairobi, there will be a nice hospital. In the next town, there will be a crowded mission hospital getting help from almost anyone they could. I also learned that back then in Africa, no one wanted a female doctor. Many people were surprised when Rachel wanted to be a doctor. They didn’t think she could do it. Another thing I learned is that even though Africa has its problems, you get attached to it. Rachel saw horrific, injured people who were beaten come into her father’s hospital, but she still loved Africa. Rachel wanted to stay there her whole life. Africa has so much violence, poverty, sickness, and war, but so many people are still proud to call it home.
I would recommend Listening for Lions to others because it is a very real example of how Africa is. This book shows how a person actually felt living in Africa and what they loved and hated about it. It shows how different it is from the U.S and England, and how similar it is too. It’s a taste of what things really are like there.
I learned a lot about Africa in this book. I realized that Africa is very diverse. There was a rich British family, the Pritchards, living next to poor Kikuyu shambas. In one city, like Nairobi, there will be a nice hospital. In the next town, there will be a crowded mission hospital getting help from almost anyone they could. I also learned that back then in Africa, no one wanted a female doctor. Many people were surprised when Rachel wanted to be a doctor. They didn’t think she could do it. Another thing I learned is that even though Africa has its problems, you get attached to it. Rachel saw horrific, injured people who were beaten come into her father’s hospital, but she still loved Africa. Rachel wanted to stay there her whole life. Africa has so much violence, poverty, sickness, and war, but so many people are still proud to call it home.
I would recommend Listening for Lions to others because it is a very real example of how Africa is. This book shows how a person actually felt living in Africa and what they loved and hated about it. It shows how different it is from the U.S and England, and how similar it is too. It’s a taste of what things really are like there.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
I started to read the book, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King. I’m not that far into it yet, so I don’t really know if I should be able to have an opinion on it.
But I do!
So far this book is extremely boring. I can’t even get through two pages without absentmindedly losing focus and wondering what’s for lunch. At this point, I don’t know if I’m going to keep reading it. However, the cover says the New York Times called it “Frightening, Feverish, and Terror.” So maybe I should just try harder to get through the first 30 pages and a plot will actually form. If I still don’t like it, then I’ll stop.
This book is about nine-year-old Trisha and her troubled family. Her parents got a divorce and everything is falling apart in her life. Her older brother, Pete, is constantly fighting with their mom. Trisha just wants it all to go away and to have peace. The only way she can escape all the chaos is dreaming about Tom Gordon, her favorite player on the Boston Red Sox. And lately, she’s wishes she was with him instead of her family. Ever since the divorce, Trisha and Pete’s mother is trying to keep the three of them a happy family. She drags them to museums, parks, anywhere educational and “fun” in mom terms, that is. It’s just another day when they are forced by their mom to go on a hike in the Appalachian Trails. Another screaming match has broken out between Pete and their Mom. After going to the bathroom behind a bush, Trisha finds herself lost in the middle of the woods. Soon Tom Gordon is the only person around to protect her, even if it is just inside her head.
So I don’t really know why I don’t like this book. It’s a good idea, but the beginning is dragging on and I can’t get through it. Also I might not like this book because I don’t really like sports, and it’s all about how she’s obsessed with this big baseball player. I’ll keep plowing through it, I guess. Wish me luck :D
But I do!
So far this book is extremely boring. I can’t even get through two pages without absentmindedly losing focus and wondering what’s for lunch. At this point, I don’t know if I’m going to keep reading it. However, the cover says the New York Times called it “Frightening, Feverish, and Terror.” So maybe I should just try harder to get through the first 30 pages and a plot will actually form. If I still don’t like it, then I’ll stop.
This book is about nine-year-old Trisha and her troubled family. Her parents got a divorce and everything is falling apart in her life. Her older brother, Pete, is constantly fighting with their mom. Trisha just wants it all to go away and to have peace. The only way she can escape all the chaos is dreaming about Tom Gordon, her favorite player on the Boston Red Sox. And lately, she’s wishes she was with him instead of her family. Ever since the divorce, Trisha and Pete’s mother is trying to keep the three of them a happy family. She drags them to museums, parks, anywhere educational and “fun” in mom terms, that is. It’s just another day when they are forced by their mom to go on a hike in the Appalachian Trails. Another screaming match has broken out between Pete and their Mom. After going to the bathroom behind a bush, Trisha finds herself lost in the middle of the woods. Soon Tom Gordon is the only person around to protect her, even if it is just inside her head.
So I don’t really know why I don’t like this book. It’s a good idea, but the beginning is dragging on and I can’t get through it. Also I might not like this book because I don’t really like sports, and it’s all about how she’s obsessed with this big baseball player. I’ll keep plowing through it, I guess. Wish me luck :D
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Lucky T
This week I started a new book, Lucky T, by Kate Brian. Carrie Fitzgerald has always been the girl with everything, especially luck. The explanation for her luck is the T-shirt her father gave her when she was little. So when Carrie’s mother donates the T-shirt for charity, Carrie is convinced her luck has gone with it. The biggest problems in Carrie’s new, “unlucky” life are being dumped, getting in a fight with her best friend, and failing a biology test. Well, she is about to be faced with reality.
Carrie ventures off to India, where her T-shirt was given to the poor. She’s determined to retrieve her luck. However, India turns out to be a huge surprise. She searches the whole city, and along the way she experiences so many new things. Although she’s living in a run-down shack, she’s the happiest she’s been in a long time.
She makes friends with children who have nothing. They have far bigger problems than being dumped by a boyfriend or getting an F, and they still love and appreciate their lives. Carrie starts to wonder if it’s really just her luck she’s in search of.
I think a lot of girls would love this book. Boys, you can give it a try, but I’m sure you’ll feel like you’ve just been dragged to a chick flick at the movies. Anyways, I was really surprised that I liked this book. By reading the back of the book, I thought it looked like one of those cliché story lines where the lucky, superficial girl loses her luck. It turned out to be much more, though. Most of the story takes place in India, which the author describes so vividly, you forget you’re just sitting in your bedroom. I highly recommend this book, so pick it up!
Will Carrie ever get her lucky T-shirt back or is it fate that her luck finds someone else?
Carrie ventures off to India, where her T-shirt was given to the poor. She’s determined to retrieve her luck. However, India turns out to be a huge surprise. She searches the whole city, and along the way she experiences so many new things. Although she’s living in a run-down shack, she’s the happiest she’s been in a long time.
She makes friends with children who have nothing. They have far bigger problems than being dumped by a boyfriend or getting an F, and they still love and appreciate their lives. Carrie starts to wonder if it’s really just her luck she’s in search of.
I think a lot of girls would love this book. Boys, you can give it a try, but I’m sure you’ll feel like you’ve just been dragged to a chick flick at the movies. Anyways, I was really surprised that I liked this book. By reading the back of the book, I thought it looked like one of those cliché story lines where the lucky, superficial girl loses her luck. It turned out to be much more, though. Most of the story takes place in India, which the author describes so vividly, you forget you’re just sitting in your bedroom. I highly recommend this book, so pick it up!
Will Carrie ever get her lucky T-shirt back or is it fate that her luck finds someone else?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Nutrition and Wieght Management
This week I read Nutrition and Weight Management by Lori A. Smolin. I barely ever read non-fiction books, but I read this one for my research report on child obesity. As far as non-fiction books go, this one was okay. First it explains what weight management is and then it shows you how you can change your lifestyle to a healthier one. It is full of information, facts, and statistics. I think that’s why I usually don’t read non-fiction books. Most of the time, they are made up of only facts. I actually didn’t make it through this whole book because it could tend to drag on and it was hard to stay focused. However, this book was a huge help for my report because I could skip around and find facts to support certain parts of my paper. One good part of the book is that in the end it has 20 pages dedicated to graphs and charts. This spices up the book a little bit because if I get tired of just reading and reading, I can take a break and look at the graphs, which are easier and more interesting to interpret. Another section of the book that helped keep me awake was the fact boxes. Every few pages there are fact boxes, with a random and usually interesting fact about obesity in the world today.
I believe this book would be really helpful for anyone looking to improve their health. It has a lot of good advice about eating healthy and exercising daily, while warding you off from dangerous dieting schemes. My advice to anyone who is thinking of reading this book is to not read the whole book front to back at one time. Search the book for sections that are helpful to your specific need because otherwise you might get bored and frustrated. Overall, this book helped a lot with my paper and I think it could help a lot of people struggling with their health.
I believe this book would be really helpful for anyone looking to improve their health. It has a lot of good advice about eating healthy and exercising daily, while warding you off from dangerous dieting schemes. My advice to anyone who is thinking of reading this book is to not read the whole book front to back at one time. Search the book for sections that are helpful to your specific need because otherwise you might get bored and frustrated. Overall, this book helped a lot with my paper and I think it could help a lot of people struggling with their health.
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