The Jungle

    The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, begins with the wedding of two Lithuanian immigrants, Ona Luzoskiate and Jurgis Rukdus (I probably butchered their names, no pun intended), near the meatpacking district of Chicago in 1906. Many of the guests gorge themselves with food without paying. Ona becomes concerned about how much the wedding will cost them, and Jurgis vows to pick up another job to make extra cash. However, the jobs in the meatpacking district of Chicago pay far below any reasonable minimum wage, and the workers suffer from horrible conditions, as the companies put profit ahead of worker safety.
    Jurgis and his family go on a tour of the meatpacking district, and even the shocking images there of the animals suffering and being slaughtered in the abattoirs were enough to dwindle Jurgis' optimism. It is revealed that the government inspector that is supposed to supervise the carcasses and check for diseases, such as tuberculosis, often lets several of them go unchecked, out of sheer laziness. The spoiled meat is doctored in secret before it is sent to the canning department.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY BE SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC IN CERTAIN PARTS, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE
     Jurgis' first job is sweeping the entrails of slaughtered cattle and pigs through trapdoors. Although the stench is horrendous, he earns just over two dollars for every twelve hour work shift. Jurgis even ends up enjoying his job, and he doesn't understand how the other workers hate their jobs and bosses. He does not join the labor union, which is lobbying for a reduction in the fast work pace. He believes the other workers are quite simply lazy. Jurgis also discovers that a lot of unfit meat, including calf fetuses and animals that had died of disease, were slaughtered and packed along with the rest of the meat.

    As winter approaches, many of the workers in Packingtown die from hypothermia on the meatpacking production line, literally, their bodies right next to the bodies of slaughtered cattle. The companies failed to provide the workers with adequate heating. Many of the workers also die from disease on the production line. So imagine that, dead people with diseases in their body in an abattoir. There were also some people whose limbs and phalanges fell in to some of the meat... and it was canned with the meat...

    The real estate company has also trapped the family in a scheme involving a house that was advertised as a for sale, but given to them as a rental. Their wedding has also put them over one hundred dollars in debt. The house they were given was also not in the condition in which it was advertised, and is somewhat overpriced.

    Okay, I-I'm sorry, but I can't write the summmary anymore. The book was just so... informative... I honestly believe that it was necessary, because had it not been published, there would be no FDA. There would also be no laws about worker conditions. But it also made me physically ill to read, I'm not exaggerating. Even writing this is making my hands shake. I also did some research on the book, and the president, Theodore Roosevelt, called Sinclair a 'crackpot' for his socialist point of view. I also was surprised at how the immigrants were treated, and it is somewhat sad, because even though we don't do THIS (all of the above) to immigrants today, we still often treat them as second class citizens, which is wrong no matter who you are. I would have to give this book an A+ for informing the public, but also a B+ for making me sick. So that averages out to about an A- I think. I definitely recommend it if you have a strong stomach.

The Season

The Season

By Sarah MacLean

    

    This amazing book was written for all those who love Jane Austen and the entire period in history she has come to represent. The season is all about the hardships of a Season in 1815. (Season: the time when girls "came out" of the schoolroom and into society to find a suitable husband.) Although for those who are easily bored with a plot, this is not the book for you. 

    The story begins as the Season is opening and our main character, Alex, is coming out. Alex is a headstrong and witty girl with a taste for adventure. This is unfortunate for her because in London at this time, women are to be quiet and there for men to "cultivate into the bloom of their choice," as Alex says. Needless to say Alex is not thrilled about the idea of being "married off." Until she gets to know Blackmoor a little more. 

    A friend of the family, Lord Blackmoor, has just returned for the Season to London, and out of mourning the death of his father. His fathers death was said to be and accident but he thinks otherwise, and so does Alex. As she begins to find out more and more she uncovers clues as to who committed the murder, and wishes to kill Blackmoor as well. With the help of her best friends, Vivi and Ella, she must solve the mystery to save Blackmoor. Also she must keep it all a secret so she is not ruined, and unfit to be married. 

    Overall this book talks a lot about being true to yourself, not letting society change you. Alex is like a precursor to the women's rights movement, as she is often complaining that men give no notice to women's opinions. Loyalty is another big idea in this book. Alex is always loyal even if it means being ruined. Vivi and Ella are also always loyal and looking out for Alex. Over all this was a very well written book. It is perfect for those who wish they could have their own season. I give it a solid A.

Of Dreams and Death

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, is a book about the life of two men trying to survive during the Great Depression. These two characters names are Lennie and George. George is the smartest of the group; and Lennie, though very big and strong, has a mental handicap, that makes him less bright than other people. His lower IQ makes him do bad things impulsively.

 The book begins with George and Lennie laying in the brush, and George telling Lennie that if he ever gets into trouble, he should hide in this place. In the original town Lennie and George lived in, Lennie accidentally touches a girls dress, and when she screams he gets scared and grabs on. The girl then told authorities she was raped and as a result George and Lennie have to leave town or be lynched. When they get to their new town and job, the boss is expecting them. Because they arrive late, the work day was over and they were allowed to meet the other farmhands. They meet Candy, a man who lost his hand on the farm; Slim, the main worker; and Curley and his wife, who are the farm owner’s son and daughter-in-law. Work was hard on the farm, but George and Lennie kept their hopes alive. They dream of someday buying a little piece of land they could farm together. One night when Lennie was playing with some puppies in the barn, Curley’s wife comes in and starts taunting him. Lenny gets scared and accidentally snaps her neck killing her. He goes to hide in the brush, where George tells him to go to should he get into trouble. Even though Lennie does not mean to kill her, he has to pay a price. If Lennie wasn’t killed on sight, he would have to go to jail and/or be executed. Although George talked about how his life would be better without Lennie, he still loves him like a brother and does not want to see him suffer. So George finds Lennie hiding in their special location and kills him painlessly. Thus Lennie does not have to go through jail and execution.

Two themes stood out in the book. One of which being the power of dreams. Dreams are what make all the characters in the book strive to get a better life. I think peoples’ dreams give them hope. Even if they don’t achieve all their dreams, they can still hope to find happiness. Another theme in the book is loneliness. Every character in the book, other than George and Lenny, were lonely. Even though George complained about Lennie, he cared about him. The other characters seemed to wish they had a relationship like George and Lennie’s. An example is Curley and his wife; they didn’t love each other, but they both longed for love. I thought this theme was relevant because in middle school, many people are lonely just like in the book. They feel like they don’t have anyone who cares about them, or friends to watch their back.

I thought this book was one of the best books I have ever read. The twist at the end completely baffled me. But I would like to warn people, this book is extremely sad, so think carefully about how the book will affect you. I still recommend this classic to anyone, no matter what genre they like. A+!

A Break With Charity

   

     History is one of my favorite subjects. If you are anything like me, then this book is something that you should definitely try out. A Break With Charity is a story about the Salem witch trials back in the 1700's, written by Ann Rinaldi. You follow a girl by the name of Susanna English whose dream has always been to join the circle of girls that meet every week at the personage. That dream quickly ends when Susanna discovers that the leader of the group, Ann Putnam, is about to start a trail of lies that will eventually lead to many deaths and torments to innocent people in Salem by accusing them of witchcraft. Susanna quickly puts the pieces together, and gets Ann to admit it to her. Although after, she has to decide weather to keep quiet and let this crazy panic go on, or "break charity" and put her family at risk of being named as witches. Susanna keeps quite for a long time. But will she continue to let this go on? What will the girls do to Salem, her, and her family? Susanna has to stay faithful to her family, and do what’s best for them, her, and her town.

     Although it may seem weird, and hard to believe, this did happen. In real life! In real circumstances. In the long run, we have discovered that witchcraft is not a real thing. Nevertheless, it was once supposedly believed to be on this Earth. The book focuses a lot on the relationships of the girls, drama, witchcraft, family, and faith. You can easily relate to the book and some of its main topics.

      This book was honestly so good! I was constantly in shock at things that happened. You would never believe some of the people that these girls call out as witches, or when, and how they do it! These girls are crazy but it just keeps you wondering what those lunatics are going to do next! On the other hand, it brings you to reality a little bit. On decisions you re making and how to handle them. Or even drama with teenage girls. I would definitely recommend this book to people that like suspense, history, and drama. Even a little mystery. Definite A+.

Animal farm

In the book Animal farm by George Orwell the animals of the barnyard are tired of their owners treating them horribly so they decide to run it themselves. As the orginal leader Major, a thoughtful old boar who introduces their new way of life animalism. While the animals try the new way of governing  one pig, Napoleon, works to achieve power by driving out the leaders. The pig who challenges him is snowball a caring less deviant counterpart. The leaders fight but to no avail, the farm falls under Napoleon's control with help of his nine loyal attack dogs. while he governs them by the terms that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. With Napoleon as leader the farm plummets into a totalitarian government where their best horse boxer.
This book was a very thrilling play through of the early soviet union in WWII. It was very fun to learn about the soviet union in this book. Although i learned a lot I felt like it could have expanded more in detail on how it played out in the barnyard but instead it just ended. This is a very good read to learn about Russia back then but a little bit short. B.

 

City of Fallen Angels by: Cassandra Clare was, as always, a beautifully written book. Being the fourth book of the series and having such high expectations after the third, it did not disappoint. *SPOILERS*

            This book begins a few months after where the third left off. Everything is serene. Valentine and Sebastian are dead. Clary and Jace are officially a couple, and Jocelyn and Luke are getting married. Finally. It seems as if nothing could disturb the peace. They had never been so wrong. Shadowhunters have been found dead in several territories with no known suspects. Also, Simon is being hunted by mysterious hooded figures that would go to dangerous lengths to please their master. Camille has returned to take back her place on top of Manhattan. Simon, who still struggles with his existence as a downworlder, is fighting for his life to keep out of the reach of power hungry vampires.

            But Simon is not the only one having troubles. Jace who seemed to finally be free of his past is now sucked into something even worse that he can imagine. A great and ancient power has returned with dark plans for Jace and is not going to let anyone get in their way.

            Clary, now expanding her skills and knowledge as a shadowhunter, digs deep into the secrets of the past. Clary finds that Lilith, the first demon, has returned to raise Sebastian. Clary must stop at nothing to keep her from succeeding.

            Without spoiling the ending to much, this book was amazing and came together very well. What’s a good book without a killer cliffhanger?

            This book really goes to show that no love is perfect. Every character has a story and must learn to overcome the obstacles laid out before them. All in all, life and love are not easy.

             This book is filled with tragic romance, betrayal, suspense, and of course, sarcasm. Although, it was slow in some parts, I still enjoyed it. The world of angels lies before you in this book and I definitely recommend the series. I do have to warn you that there are intense kissing scenes and mild profanity. Not to worry, it was an amazing book and if you haven’t read it yet, I highly suggest you do.

 

Hideout

 

Hideout by Gordon Korman

             Hideout is the fifth book in the Swindle series. If you haven't read the first four books, then stop reading now, because there is a huge SPOILER ALERT. Hideout is about a team of teenagers that formed in the first book. There is Griffin Bing. He is the Man With the Plan, and the group leader. His best friend is Benjamin Slovak. He is the team's tight space specialist, and suffers from a sleep disorder called narcolepsy, hence the need for his pet Ferret Face. Ferret Face's job is to administer a wake-up nip to his master whenever Ben starts to nod off. The final boy on the team is Logan Kellerman. He is the teams actor, and just general sixth man. Savannah Drysdale is the team's animal whisperer. She has a giant black and tan doberman named Luthor. Luthor is the dog on the front cover of all of the books. Melissa Dukakis is a masterful hacker, and general team techie. She is also very shy, and the team are her only friends. The final team member is Antonia Benson, who goes by her climbing nickname Pitch. Pitch can tackle any crag, cliff, or rooftop with ease, and is well known for it. In the first book they brought down the comic shop owner; S. Wendell Palomino, a.k.a. Swindle, and chased him out of town, and Savannah adopted his guard dog, Luthor.

          Unfortunately, Swindle has returned, and he wants his dog back. In Showoff (the fourth book) Luthor almost won the National Globe Kennel Society Dog Show, but he lost so epically that he is way more famous than the dog that actually won. So Swindle wants Luthor for the money, and he has manipulated the law in a way that it is impossible for Savannah to keep Luthor. Also, he has promised that when he has squeezed every last cent out of Luthor, he will go back to Cedar City and devote his large fortune to making the team member's lives miserable. So the team needs a really, really good plan. Fortunately, the team members are splitting up into pairs and all go to different summer camps. So they decide to hide the dog. Six kids. Three hideouts. One extremely large dog. What could possibly go wrong?

          I really loved this book (just like all the rest of them) and suggest it to people that like action books. I would give it an A+. I have loved all of the Gordon Korman books that I have read and think that he is a great author.

(Re done feb.) Pillage, By: Obert Skye, Review by: Andrew Williams

Pillage, A Fiction Y.A. Book by: Obert Skye is about fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips is sent to live with his weird uncle he had never met when his mother dies, where he learns that his family has a curse that allows him to make plants grow on command and dragon eggs hatch. Shortly after he arrives there, he begins to noticed weird things happening. Plants move, ivy defends him and salad hurts people for him. That and the strange warnings to not go behind the house, Beck discovers his cool ability to command plants and wakes up eight dragons, without knowing it. When Beck arrives at his uncle’s mansion, an air of mystery greets him. While the house has seven floors and hundreds of rooms, Beck along with his uncles and a minimal house staff are the only occupants. As time goes on Beck learns dark secrets about his lost family. Secrets that include buried basements, forbidden gardens, an ancient book of weird family history, and most surprising of all dragons! On his long train ride, he meets Kate, who isn’t very friendly. She is his age, and is headed to Kingsplot too.

Beck wakes up from a 12 hour rest, and notices that they are the only ones left on the train. Beck thinks it’s strange, but Kate isn’t too worried about it. When he arrives, Beck meets Thomas, who drives him to his new house. Seven floors, with stables, and a huge garden. Right away, Beck is told to stay away from certain places for his own safety. Beck meets Milo who asks many questions about the house, mostly about the basement. But, there is no basement. And I thought this was like the rising action, the book started off slow but I felt after this happened this story was going somewhere. At school there are some boys who picked on Beck and Milo. Milo is new to Callowbrow, too. However, Beck can do some weird tricks with plants that makes his life easier. But, what happens with the secret is really exciting and page turning, I just kept on reading and couldn’t stop.

I really enjoyed this book. Full of exciting twists and surprises! I liked the history of Beck’s family a long the way too. A strange, but interesting history full of plants, stones, and pillaging!!

                

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery is a piece of realistic fiction written in the 1900's. When Matthew Cuthbert, a kind but painfully shy old man, goes to the train station to pick up the orphan boy that he and his spinster sister Marilla want to adopt, he finds Anne instead! Anne "with an e" is a eleven year old orphan who has a giant imagination and always has something to say. She is terribly excited to go and live with Matthew and Marilla at Green Gables -- their beautiful and spacious house -- but when she gets there, she finds out that there was a mistake. Matthew and Marilla wanted to adopt an orphan boy, not a girl. Marilla is determined to send Anne back but Matthew becomes attached to her and can't bear the thought of sending her away. Finally, Marilla gives in and Anne becomes Anne of Green Gables. She is smart, sassy, funny, odd, naughty, dreamy, and never stops talking! Anne of Green Gables is about Anne's adventures in Avonlea and is a fascinating book.

     I really enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down. Anne as a character is really funny and her interactions with everyone else are absolutely hilarious. One problem that people reading this book might have is that, because it was written in 1908, it uses old language and mentions things from the time period that could be a little hard to understand. Also, it is set in Prince Edward Island, Canada, so it also discusses some old Canadian politics that were a little confusing. But it was a really good book and, besides just being about Anne's adventures growing up, it had some deep stuff too. Throughout the story, Anne struggles to come to terms with her looks and peer pressure. Anne's red hair is a great trial to her. She mentions several times how she would trade all her brains to be pretty and even tries to dye her hair once (with awful results and a pretty short haircut). Also, Anne really likes to be "popular". If puffed sleeves on dresses are "in", she wants them. If frills and bows are fashionable, then by all means, restock the wardrobe. I think that this made the book relatable because, even though it is a hundred years old, these problems are still problems in the teenage girl population.

     In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book. It was really entertaining and I plan on reading on and finishing the series. I would recommend this book to everyone! A

The Wedsneday Wars

  Gary D. Schmidt will have you captivated in The Wednesday Wars from start to finish. In this young adult, historical fiction novel, Schmidt takes you through the school year of 1967-68 for Holling Hoodhood, during the Vietnam war. This fun, and compelling story shows how a typical seventh grader can make a big difference on his teacher, and peers by just being himself!

          Holling is just trying to get on his teacher's good side, Mrs. Baker, but for some odd reason, he does the opposite, and he doesn't know why! To make things worse, Mrs. Baker makes him stay after school every single Wednesday reading Shakespeare while the rest of his class goes to religious study. Holling is pretty positive that his teacher despises him. Maybe Mrs. Baker hates him so much because he just can't seem to stay out of trouble. With a bully demanding cream puffs, angry rats, and him having to wear yellow tights, he's going to have a rough year- he's sure of it. As trouble hits him left and right, Holling comes across Motivation- the big M- in places you would never imagine, and brings up the courage to enjoy life, and makes the best of it, in spite of himself.

          This book will keep you wanting more until you turn the last page. I absolutely loved this book from the moment I read the first page. Its words are full of humor, fun, and excitement. The book tells how, even in middle school, you can find the courage, and stand up for what you believe in, even when life is telling you otherwise. Schmidt makes you feel like you know Holling personally, and all that he goes through, until the last day of school, which might teach him a lesson, too. 

          The Wednesday Wars is definitely my favorite book ever. It will almost be impossible for someone to write a better book than this one. It will leave you wanting more of Schmidt's great stories. This amazing story gets an A+ for sure.

          

A Countess Below Stairs by: Eva Ibbotson

    Eva Ibbotson's A Countess Below Stairs was great! It's a historical fiction book that focuses on humility and kindness. It takes place in England/Russia after the Russian Revolution, so it does talk about war a lot.
    Anna, a young Russian countess, has just had her life changed. The Russian Revolution has left her family in poverty and she has no choice but to go to England. Once in England, Anna becomes a servant in the Westerholme residence. Anna hides her background and loyally serves the Westerholme family with only the knowledge an outdated housekeeping manual has given her. The countess soon finds out how difficult this job can be. Oh, and she is attracted to Rupert, the young engaged Westerholme earl. As Anna tries to faithfully serve Rupert and his horrid fiance, Muriel, she finds herself in situations that make it hard for her to keep her past a secret.
       She tries to keep her family a topic of unimportance. Her cousin is the chauffeur for another wealthy family, so nobody realizes she's a countess. She has another family problem though. Anna's brother doesn't know she's a housemaid. Anna tries her hardest to get over Rupert, because he's engaged. Muriel is a completely different problem. She cares about appearance more than anything and least of all cares about the faithful servants. Anna has to decide between staying for Rupert and leaving because of Muriel.
    This book was entertaining in many different ways. I thought the end was actually pretty funny. There are times through the book when it's more serious or even anticipative because of both Anna and Rupert's problems throughout the book. This book changed my opinion on historical fiction. I'm not going to lie, I saw the sticker on the spine and almost didn't check it out for that reason. I love Eva Ibbotson now, even if most of her books are historical fiction. This book taught me not to judge a book by its genre.
    The first chapter of this book was a little hard to get through, but after that it was just amazing. It had characters that I could connect to and an ending that I never would have predicted. There are a lot of big words, so you may need to keep a dictionary near by. A.

I was Jane Austen's Best Friend

Cora Harrison

Historical Fiction

The Main Idea of this story is that love overcomes all.

In this story Jenny Cooper is best friend and cousin to Jane Austen. Well technically Jane is Jenny's only friend. But anyway they go to some terrible boarding school where they live in horrible conditions and are half starved. To make things worse Jane its very sick and is close to death. Jenny who is nothing like outgoing, witty, Jane doesn't know what she can do to save Jane. She decides to break school and social rules by sending a letter to Jane's mother at midnight. I guess back in the day that was like a big deal. She's scared out of her mind while she walks the the post office. However, on the way there she meets the very attractive charming Captain Thomas Williams. Captain Williams helps her to the post office then makes sure she gets back to her school safely. A few days after the letter was sent Jane's mother comes to pick up the girls and take them home. Jenny decides to live with her aunt and uncle on the account that her mother is dead and her older brother is a butt. Jenny loves living with the Austens, and is so happy, but in the back over her head she's always worried that someone will find out about her little walk since it could ruin her reputation. Then Captain Williams comes back into Jenny's life and well...let's just say there's ups and downs. Jenny may think that being in love just complicates life but in the end love makes everything all right.

I really like this book. I love old fashion things and learning about what life was like a long times ago. Not only to see what has changed but also to see if we have improved as people. I think that the way the author portrayed the story was very in line with all the things I know about this time period. I loved the humor and witty she added into the story. Even though some of the things she said went right over my head. This book talks about how in the 1800s people didn't necessarily marry for love. Many times it was for money. I think this author is trying to show that even hundreds of years ago money was so important to us as humans. I want to marry for love and if everyone else married for love the divorce rate would decrease drastically. I really love this book and I would suggest this book to people. But I'm guessing guys wouldn't get into this book. If your into old fashion books and movies you should totally read this book!

Envy- Greg Olsen

       This story tells of the death of a girl called Katelyn, and the mystery of her death. The story is told by a narrator from multiple points of view. There are two twin sisters, Hayley and Taylor, who seek the truth behind a once close friends untimely death. The 15 year old girl's struggle to untangle the truth from the web of lies spun by the wicked Starla. Starla is the girl who "rules" the local high school, and she has more than a few secrets of her own. Secrets that she would do anything to protect.
     While Starla is busy keeping maintaing her popularity, the twins are busy trying to figure out the real cause of Katelyn's death. The coroner may have pronounced Katelyn's death an accident, Hayley and Taylor have a feeling that it was much more, and they intend to find out exactly what happened. What they don't know is that by unraveling what happened on the night of Katelyn's death, will also unravel the secrets that have been kept about themselves. For instance, the crash they survived while in girl scouts.
     There was once an accident that nobody in town wants to talk about. Four girls and an innocent bus driver died. Hayley, Taylor, and Katelyn's mother are the only survivors after Katelyn's death. A nosy reporter, Moira, wants to do a news article on the ten year anniversary of the accident. However, not a single soul in the town of port gamble will talk to her about it. Moira decides that some digging is required. What she uncovers is dangerous, and she should have left it alone. But she didn't.
By the end of the mystery, the twins discover more about themselves than what they had originally set out to do. While they solve the mystery of Katelyn's death, Secrets are told, prying and spying done, and new secrets sealed and shut.
     This book is based upon the story of a young girl who commit suicide because she was cyber-bullied. When two teenage girls created a fake myspace profile and began to make the girl believe the fake boy loved her, only to bring her down in the end. The girl who thought a boy was in love with her eventually commit suicide. The two girls were arrested but because cyber-bullying laws are fairly new the case was benched until further notice.
      This book brings up the big issue of cyber-bullying. It talks about how what began as a simple games can spiral out of control. What one person finds funny, or joking can be what another person sees as painful and mean. Just one comment can send someone into a downward spiral. A few negative or sarcastic comments can send someone over the edge, or cause a suicide.
      There is also a running theme of revenge in this book. Olsen tells of revenge at its worst. In this book the things the characters do for revenge are plain crazy. The lies and deception that ensues because of one little slip up or dressing weird or even simply saying the wrong thing. In the book you get to see revenge after revenge gotten. Olsen shows through his writing that revenge will never be an acceptable answer to a conflict, ever.
     I rate this book an A+. It was an amazing book. The twists in the plot kept me guessing. This is one mystery that I just couldn't figure out. There was always something going on and the big ideas of the story were easy to find and easy to relate to. This book was written fairly recently and has a lot of pop culture references. The references make the book more relatable, and entertaining. A few warnings that go along with this book. There are many inappropriate themes. Swearing does not occur often but there is some in the book. I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys suspense and mystery.

The Boy in the Stiped Pajamas by John Boyne

This book was really sad. In the beginning, it is a slow starting, so it was a little hard to get into. But by the end, I couldn't put it down. It was such a suspenseful book and a heart stopper. The genre is historical fiction.

Bruno is a kid that lived in Berlin, but had to move. The house he first lived in was a dream home. Huge rooms, 3 floors, and many many more things. His dads job was relocated, so the whole family had to move. The maids, his sister, and his parents. When they moved, Bruno didn't like the house. He wanted to move back to Berlin and live there forever. Soon after, he made a new friend. His name was Shmuel. He was a Jew. He had to stay on the other side of the fence but the two still became good friends. Shmuel got food from Bruno and they talked everyday. The were friends for about a year and then decided to do something that was unbelievable.

I enjoyed this book. I would give it an A, it was a very good book. Though it might not have been a true story, it was written liked it seemed it was true.This book really moved me to be grateful for the time I live in now. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to learn about history. If you haven't read this, you should.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

If you are looking for a very suspenseful and exciting book with a very important message as well, you might want to consider reading The Help. I'm pretty sure this book would be a lot better and more meaningful to a girl than a boy because it is from the point of view of women the entire book. However, I'm definitely not a girl and I still really liked it.

The Help takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960's when the civil rights movement is picking up. The story switches off from the points of view of two black maids and best friends, Aibileen and Minny, and a white lady named Skeeter Phelan. Skeeter witnessed first-hand what her good friend's maid, Aibileen went through and came up with the extremely risky idea to interview black maids on what it was like to work for white people. Skeeter thought that a compilation of maids' stories would inform the country on what was going on in the south and make the lives of maids easier. After a while, Aibileen finally agreed to tell her stories to Miss Skeeter and help find other maids to tell their stories. The stories are mixed; some are of good experiences but others are very negative towards whites. In the meantime, Jackson was nearly boiling over as the civil rights movement swept across the country. Skeeter then received a new deadline to mail in the interviews to a publishing company.

This book was very interesting and exciting. It was gripping and new conflicts kept on popping up all over the place to make the story even more exciting. It gave an interesting view on the civil rights movement and taught me a lot about how complicated issues were back then in the South. There are only a couple down parts in the book that I don't think were necessary to the plot at all. I think the author should have left Stuart in her imagination rather than wasting my time reading about the short romance between him and Skeeter. Maybe some people like that kind of stuff though. I personally don't think it added at all to the story.

The author clearly stated her opinions through characters and examples about friendship, trust, and courage. The author shows through the friendship of Aibileen and Minny how important it is to have or be a caring friend because Aibileen and Minny had to trust each other and lean on each other during hard times. They had to have courage and faith to trust Miss Skeeter that she would keep their stories safe with her and not betray them.

This book clearly talks about the importance of equality. In the time period that the story took place, black people were treated like dirt in that part of the country. But by having most of the book told by the two black women, the author shows how everybody is the same no matter what color skin you have. However, the white ladies in the book aren't just prejudiced against black people. There is a new white lady who moves in and wants to be a part of ladies' bridge club. The ladies in town are convinced by their leader not to like or include the new lady, Celia, in any of their meetings because a previous issue between Celia and Hilly, the leader. The author makes people feel ashamed of how we treated others in the 1960's and makes us want to treat people equally.

Overall, I thought this was a really interesting and exciting book. It contains a lot of good messages and doesn't fall short on action one bit. I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone, especially girls. This book has earned an A. No more, no less.

Fire From the Rock by Sharon M. Draper

Before you read this whole book review, let me tell you one thing. If all you ever read is fantasy stories, you might as well stop reading right now. However, if you like to gather background information while being entertained, pay attention. This well written piece of historical fiction written by Sharon M. Draper is about a teen aged girl living in Little Rock, Arkansas during the time in which school integration was being introduced. This was in 1957. Now, obviously, the girl and her family are fiction. However, there are events and actions in the book which are based on true events that transpired back when this takes place. In other words, it tells an educational story in a way that will keep you interested, and not dozing off every time you turn a page.

Sylvia Faye Patterson is an average schoolgirl who gets exceptionally good grades, and, being black, is discriminated by local residents who still have no respect for African Americans. Interestingly, with her dad being a preacher, she turns out to be a really good hearted person who deals with the horrific insults very well. Also, she happens to be really good friends with a white Jewish girl named Rachel. Unfortunately, Rachel is also picked on because of her religion. As expected, these girls go to separate schools because of their race. However, Sylvia is soon asked to be one of the first blacks to integrate to Central High School. She accepts the offer. But after an unexpected series of events, realizations, and discussions, Sylvia decides to withdraw her name from the list.

Later, she finds out it was a good thing she did decide to withdraw her name. This is because the nine that were still going to Central were getting harassed, teased, call names, and flat out denied entrance to the school. After much more drama involving troops, mobs, and police, the nine end up making history by permanently integrating into the school for whites. And although Sylvia was not one of them, she plays many important roles in changing history as well.

Now, as far as writing and theme goes, I thought the author did excellent at giving a good storyline, and keeping you flipping pages. However, I felt that she could have characterized and described people and places a little better. That way, you can visualize the story much better, and it is just a vital key in the process of writing a story. But, as I mentioned before, the author's storyline and themes partially made up for the lack of characterization she gives as the people are introduced. Also, the theme definitely played a vital part in the story for the reader's sake. It teaches you that although you should not give up on something, you need to follow your heart, and let God lead the way. In other words, do what's right, even if it means going in another direction.

Overall, I give this book a B+ for reasons which I stated in the previous paragraph. However, I would still recommend this to most of you out there. It a good educational read, but it keeps you interested throughout the book as well. It's got good characters, good information, a good story, and a great theme. Now, if you are reading this, then you stays entertained throughout the whole book review. In that case, you should go read this book today, it's a very good read, and teaches you a valuable lesson.

1984 By: George Orwell

Imagine living in a world where free-speech doesn't exist. Where food is rationed and the world is constantly at war. Sounds pretty awful right? It is and that is the society Winston Smith the protagonist of 1984 lives in. Winston is a man who works in the records department of the ministry of truth. This is a place that changes anything political that doesn't support the Party.

The Party is the political power of Oceania. Oceania is one of the worlds three super powers. 1984 is based upon what could have happened if Russia had taken over most of the world. So Oceania is is basically communist Russia.

In Oceania people are kept brainwashed to not oppose the Party. You can be arrested and killed because a child told someone that you were guilty of thought crimes. Thought crimes are talking about the Party in a bad way. Also in Oceania there are public executions. Parents are begged by their children to go watch them.

1984 was a good book for those who enjoy history and enjoy plausibility. It's not a happy book by any means. In fact it's pretty depressing. George Orwell was an amazing writer who made amazing social commentary. In conclusion, 1984 is a great book, a sad book, and a scary book. Not in writing but the premise.

The Help

The Help

By: Kathryn Stockett

The genre of this book is historical fiction

The theme of this book is that all humans are made equal and that no one is should be treated differently because of their race or the color of they're skin.

This book is a mixture of stories from different African American maids in the south. This book is in the time period of the 1950's. At that time many people in the South discriminated against African Americans.

One of the main characters Ms. Skeeter is a white woman who is very kind to the "help." She wants to be a serious writer in New York, so in order to do that she needs to write something new and fresh that has never been written before. She gets the great idea to write a book with dozens of maids who tell of what it’s like to be a maid in the south to a white family. Since these maids are always with the families they work for they have A LOT of dirt on them. They know all of the families scandals and secrets. Ms. Skeeter has a wonderful idea however; in Mississippi (where the book takes place) it is against the law for African American employees to talk bad about their white employers. There for it is really difficult for her to get enough maids to talk to her about their stories. After much civil friction in the South many maids agree to help her. This is a problem however for some of the white women in the town who are very angry with Ms. Skeeter.

This is an amazing book, I loved it! It may be a very serious topic in general however; the author does a great job of balancing the seriousness with humor and wit. I believed the author did a great job at showing how it really was for maids in the South. She is very neutral in her approach. I agree with almost everything she said in the book. I think this book affects me because even though I'm not African American, I still am a minority. The civil rights moment led the way for not only African American rights but the rights for other ethnicities as well. I am very thankful that there were people with enough courage to stand up for what they thought was right.

I would encourage anyone to read this book.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First of all, this historical fiction book is really slow. At least at the beginning. It isn't neccessarily a hard book to read it is just slow. Anyway, Leisel Meminger is a nine year old girl who has been through a LOT in her life. Just so you know this takes place during World War II in Germany 1939. Anyway, Her real mom got sent to a concentration camp so she had to send Liesel and her brother she has to send them to Hans and Rosa Hubermann. On the way her brother dies. It didn't really say how he died because "Death" was the narrator in that part. I will explain that later. So before they actually get there they have to obviously go bury him and as the two people are digging a book falls out of one of their pockets. She picks up The Grave Diggers Handbook and takes it... BUT she doesn't exactly know how to read and she is still scarred because her brother died right in front of her eyes. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. So she goes to the Hubermanns and every night she has a nightmare about her brother and every night Hans goes into her room and comforts her. Later Hans discovers the book and decides to teach her how to read. Then she starts to steal more books out of curiosity. Also Hitler is obviously their leader and so later on in the book they let a Jew stay in their basement... That was not a smart thing to do at that time if you know what I mean. It is pretty much just about this girls life during World War II...

I don't know about you but I LOVE learning about World War II and how it was like to live there. Surprisingly I learned some new stuff while reading this book. It was so weird how the could change people view of things that were bad so easily. I also think it was different than any other book I have read because "Death" was the narrator. It was a very interesting way to write a book.

In the back of the book somebody wrote to Mark Zusak and the person asked "How did you decide to make Death the narrator of the book?" and Mark Zusak replied, "With great difficulty! I thought, "Here's a book set during war. Everyone says war and death are best friends." Death is ever-present during war, so here was the perfect choice to narrate The Book Thief. At first, though, Death was too mean. He was supercilious, and enjoying his work too much. He'd say extremely creepy things and delight in all the souls he was picking up... and the book wasn't working. So I went to a first-person narration , a simple third-person narration... and six months later I came back to Death-- but this time , Death was to be exhausted from his eternal existence and his job. He was to be afraid of humans-- because, after all, he was there to see the obliteration we've perpetrated on each other throughout the ages--and he would now be telling this story to prove to himself that humans are actually worth it." I just thought that was a really cool idea.

Just so you know it is slow at the beggining but it does get a LOT better as the book goes on. If you don't like a sad ending this isn't really the book for you. I'm sorry but I didn't write the book I wish that he wouldn't have made the ending so sad. It is just almost unfair. Overall, it is a pretty good read. B+

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne

I had been wanting to read this book for a while now, and I'm so glad I did! To be honest, when I first started reading this book I wasn't very into it and I almost stopped reading.

This is a fiction book but it has historical information about the Holocaust that is true. This book is different from other books related to the Holocaust because it's from a different point of view. It made the book very unique. The main "character", Bruno seems oblivious to what's going on around him since he's only 9. 


Bruno's father is a very important man. Even Hitler came to visit him at his house. They are told to move to "Out-With" (Auschwitz) to watch over a concentration camp. Bruno had no idea that he was to live by a concentration camp. He merely thought it was people living on the other side of the fence. Bored with his new home, Bruno decided to go on an adventure and met a boy (Shmuel) while exploring. During the process of reading this book I wished I could have told Bruno how bad of an idea it was to become friends with a Jew at the time. They became close friends and formed a strong bond. Bruno thought it was a harmless friendship, and wanting to be a good friend, he decided to help Shmuel find his "lost" father and finally went on the other side of the fence. Only then did Bruno realize the horrible things that happened there.


There are so many details in the story that you should read for yourself because I feel if I told anything more I might have given some things away. This book was very well written. It only had a few words that I didn't know, but I understood the book fine without knowing what they meant. Also, the words that Bruno used were very confusing to me. Like how Out-With was supposed to be Auschwitz. I didn't figure that out until reading the interview in the back of the book!


I think this book is trying to show that everyone is equal and that no racial group is better than the other. Hopefully nothing as bad as the Holocaust will happen again. This book really made me think about how terrible the Holocaust really was, which is something that I think the author was trying to get us to think about.