The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson is the tale of Hayley Kincain, a seventeen year old girl, and her incredibly unstable life with Andy, her father. Andy is a war veteran who suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder, and is constantly assaulted by horrific memories of the past. Hayley’s mother perished in a car accident soon after Hayley was born, while Andy was still deployed in Iraq. Hayley was raised by her grandmother Barbara until Hayley was seven, at which point Barbara died and Andy returned home to care for Hayley. However, Andy’s past war experiences and the horrifying events that he had seen on the battlefield haunted him endlessly. Rather than living a traditional life in an ordinary home,
When, His brother Randy , the leader of the scorpions, gets sent to jail, jamal a 12 year old boy needs to get five hundred dollars to get him out. The scorpions are a group of drug dealers. When Randy goes to jail, Jamal is offered the leadership role with his friend Tito by his side. Will he be up for the challenge. His Mama says to stay away from the scorpions because she says she doesn’t want him to end like his brother. The author introduced things well.
One will eventually come across the day where they are able to figure out who they truly are as a person. A discovery like this will lead to new chapters of life and start new beginnings. Although finding one 's identity can be difficult to understand and accept, it is crucial in life to discover oneself. In the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, a teenage girl, who had to overcome and deal with an awful tragedy, takes readers on the long journey she walked before finding meaning and value in who she is as a person. The journey I was taken on while reading the novel had a beneficial effect on myself, expressed significance to the world about a common topic and showed how the main character gradually changed throughout the story.
Malcolm X's "Literacy Behind Bars" is about the expansion of his world that provokes a burning passion within himself through the world of reading. While incarcerated, the author meets a man named Bimbi who leads the discussion with his stock of knowledge, prompting Malcolm X to further his skills in literacy. Taking small steps, he first broadens his vocabulary by reading alphabetically in the dictionary and copying pages. He reads aloud to himself until the words begin to stick with him. Not long after moves onto books, devouring them at a relentless pace, Malcolm X became so engrossed with reading that he begins breaking curfew rules just to continue reading by using the light outside of his cell. He has a thirst for information that only
In The Time of the Butterflies I am exposed to many different viewpoints. An important one being Minerva Mirabal. This novel takes me through the crazy lives of the Mirabal’s. This family is in a personal war against El Jefe Trujillo. As the novel progresses Trujillo becomes intrigued by Minerva. Attracted to her mind of her own, she is Trujillo’s new mission.
The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury consists of primary elements involving the dual nature of humanity. In a basic categorization of the society of Fahrenheit 451, there are those who conform to the government without question, and those who do not. Those like the character Mildred (housewife of the protagonist Guy Montag) are slaves to the technology ( e.g. Seashells, parlour walls) shoved down their throats by the government, as an attempt to trick the public into thinking that they are happy when they are not. However, there are also characters such as Clarisse (17year old girl), Faber (former English professor), and Montag who question the lack of substance in society and the unspoken contract between the governors and the governed. The dual nature of this society is seen in how particular characters react to the lack of depth and meaning to their lives as a result of the conformity and censorship by the government.
Books are one of humanity’s greatest creations. They are treasures of precious thought. Whenever I hold such beauty in my hands I am amazed by a human being’s ability to write and transform simple letters into words, into stories, into ideas. Throughout my young life so far I have had the pleasure and honour of reading a myriad of novels from many different genres. In the future I hope to further expand my library of knowledge. Of course, as one reads – much like I have - they will stumble across books, good books, and, most importantly, great books. The words of poet Pablo Neruda resonates deeply with my belief that “…books that help you the most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading,
At the beginning of life, people are innocent, with life not having a chance to tamper and corrupt them. At the end of life, they 've known loss and heartbreak and life has messed them up. But imagine if people were born all knowing and died as innocent as a baby. Bobby, a character in Angela Johnson 's story The First Part Last, believes that that idea is how life should be. But the story addresses a different idea, coming of age. Bobby, being the main character, was the focus of that idea. By the end of the story, Bobby had become an adult by giving up his old sport, past- times, and always claiming Feather as his own.
Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers is a novel that will keep you on your toes. Inspiration, courageousness, nervousness, and depression are all the emotions you feel while reading Lockdown. A topic based around someone making a mistake and ending up in jail isn’t easy to digest, but when the prisoner is only fourteen it’s unbelievable. While reading this book it was quite obvious Walter Dean Myers arranged a lot of research for this novel, it was written very well and full of facts. Hearing stories of gang violence, drug abuse, and shootings is a big wake up call for anyone who interprets this novel it reallys make you realize how grateful you should be for what you have.
In the book More God Less Crime the author focuses on a central topic of how faith based institution and individuals can aid in reducing crime in society. The book stresses that these new faith based policies can implement a life long lifestyle change. In our society today, there are many dangerous problems we face from false imprisonment to youth violence. Within the book in providing solutions such as rehabilitation that can eventually eradicate these problems that plague our society. By having a strong foundation of religion set in place it can help resolve unjust matters with the belief that morality is superior. By incorporating morality in inmates life 's and other members within the system, it enables them to lead a better life, by leaving their old ways behind. Furthermore, the book is divided into three sections which contain specific chapters catered to reducing crime and or explaining how it can be resolved.
The Big Read Kick-Off Event was the very first event you could attend. I chose to come to this event to learn about what the Big Read was about and what their goals were. I didn 't expect to learn so much about the history of Japan and it 's empire, I also didn 't expect to learn how the internment camps affected the generation after the event.
Two stories and two magical wishes. The Monkey’s Paw and the Story of an Hour share several similarities throughout the passage. In the beginning of each passage, the author creates a sense of mystery and curiosity for the readers. As each passage reveals the characters in the story, the reader begins to relate the characters role from each story and how they act towards the conflict in the text. These different events, conflicts, or plot in both stories connect with death and wishes. The message from the two passages are relatively the same based on the characters, events and plot. The main connections between the two articles are characters, theme, plot and authors point of view.
Do you ever think about the destruction of America? How do you feel when you are the only one survivor in the apocalypse? It is exactly what happen in the book The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. The main character of the book, Big Hig, loses his wife and friends during the flu pandemic. The flu is so bad that a wife asks her husband to kill her by pillow. After the flu took most of people, every aspects of the life have been changed; the survivors in the book live a totally different life as the past. Hig lives in the hangar of an airport with his dog, Jasper, and Bangley. They live in the condition where should be always careful of people that they do not know or do not live with and where everyone is hostile to another. Everyday lives are an endless suffering and hardship. They should always worry about day to day survivor and intruders who is coming randomly and unexpectedly.
Beauregard, Lynda, and Der-shing Helmer. In Search of the Fog Zombie: A Mystery about Matter. Minneapolis: Graphic Universe, 2012. Print.
During my elementary years, I don’t recall being interested in reading, but I do remember the first time I fell in love with it. I was in my 7th-grade reading class. I just completed a quiz when my teacher realized that I had nothing to do after. She offered me a book that I will remember for the rest of my life because it is the book that basically started my reading journey. It was called Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper, I loved the book so much that I read the whole entire series. When I first met someone who didn’t like the book I was beyond shocked. Right at that moment, I realized that reading has its own effects on me. Reading has changed my writing skills, it has improved my knowledge and lastly, it has helped me manage my stress while going through hard times. Without reading I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.