Things fall apart

Things Fall Apart is a book that talks about how African culture was demolished by the catholic missionaries that came to spread their faith to Niger and places around it. In this book you follow Okonkwo, a native to the tribe of Umuofia and a very high class citizen in the village. He grew up to a lazy father and from a young age had to sharecrop to feed himself and his family. But as he grew up he finally started to obtain enough money to buy his own yam crop and start farming for himself. As he grew older his farm prospered and he became a powerful man and was of very high status. Until one day when a funeral was happening and they were firing off the ceremonial guns but Okonkwo's gun exploded killing a child. He was banished for seven years because of the accident and the villagers burned his compound and all his yam crops. So he left in exile depressed and under lots of pain to his motherland where he started anew with a small compound and only a few yams. Half way through the seven years Okonkwo is back on his feet with a new yam farm strange white men start coming into the village talking of only one god and building churches and all of the tribes were shaken because of it. Finally seven years have passed and Okonkwo is allowed to return to Umuofia to find it taken over by the missionaries. He is invited to talk to the leader of the missionaries but is tricked and thrown in jail. After being released and stripped of his pride Okonkwo lashes out in a rage, killing a white messenger and hanging himself.

Although this book wasn't very interesting to read, it was very informative on European culture, and very sad. I think this book if your willing to wade through slow parts is a very good read for someone of a medium understanding of African society.

Thanks Mrs. Jensen for a wonderful 8th grade year!
-Will

The Fantastic Eddie Fanta

     The book I read was Eddie Fantastic by Chris Heimerdinger. This book was fiction. This book is about a finding your true purpose, even through trials. This book is in modern times, and takes place right where we live, The Salt Lake Valley.

    In the book, Eddie Fanta, a young man in high school, moves with his alcoholic mother to the Salt Lake Valley after his parents get divorced. In the neighborhood he lives in, there is a rumor of a lizard man. It is said that instead of skin he has scales and he has never left his house. Eddie learns more about the Lizard man and finds out he is really just a man who got in a plane accident and is covered in burns. One day, Eddie has a nagging thought to go see this Lizard man. At first, Eddie thinks it's ridiculous. After a while, the nagging thought becomes so strong he has to see him. He visits the Lizard man, actually named Louis Koffrinkoff, and finds out that Louis is using a scientific invention to call him. Eddie finds out Mr. Koffrinkoff is a scientist. He has created all sorts of impossible inventions. However, Mr. Koffrinkoff wants Eddie to take the inventions and use them to help others. Eddie takes the inventions but instead of using it only for good, he has his own selfish purposes in mind.

     This book is so good. It talked about all sorts of themes that gave you new insights. One of these was that things aren't as they seem. In this society, different is bad and Louis Koffrinkoff was definitely different. However, this doesn't make him bad. Who's fault was it that he got in a plane crash. We don't know but it definitely wasn't him. He is actually a kind and wise man. Louis Kofrinkoff is not who he seems to be to society today.The author also brought up many thoughts to ponder on. For instance, what if this actually happened? Think about the cool inventions that could be. It's interesting to read a book and know it could happen, even if it probably won't. Lastly is that this book has changed my opinion on not judging. Just like the author showed in his book, you can never get to know someone until you know all your secrets. The thing is, no one knows everybody's secrets so you can never truly judge someone.

    In a nutshell, this book was really amazing and really inspiring. I advise you to definitely read it. I give this book an A plus. I know you will like it too and all the insight it gives you.

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+!