Kristen


 * //__Jane Eyre__//** by Charlotte Bronte (Third Trimester)

http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Eyre-Charlotte-Bronte/dp/1936594196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305488765&sr=8-1

 The last book I chose for my third trimester reading logs, was __Jane Eyre__  by Charlotte Bronte. __Jane Eyre__  explores many topics including: class differences in Victorian England, the battle of the sexes, religion, and independence vs. love. It is a mix of three different genres: romance, Bildungsroman, and Gothic. Yes, I think Jane Eyre tells a good story, although I did not get caught up in it. It was hard for me to read this book, because I easily lost interest and focus while reading. The story seemed to go on forever with no point, and it seemed as if all Jane did was complain about her life in the first half. The plot is very believable, in the sense that it mirrors Charlotte Bronte’s real life. Set in Victorian England, in the countryside north of England. Even though I loved England, when I went, the descriptions were dull and uninteresting. No, the setting was not extremely important in the story line, but the rural locations were relevant. The first conflict of __Jane Eyre__  is that because she is an orphan, she lives with the cruel family The Reeds. Second is when Mrs.Reed sends Jane to the unpleasant Lowood School, where she constantly hates it, although she gets over this eventually. Lastly is Jane’s love for Mr.Rochester, her employer, who is already married. The characters connected well with each other, but not well with me. Jane definitely changes throughout the book, and so does Mr.Rochester’s harsh ways. Personally there were no surprises during this book for me, and everything sort of blurred together. This book was without cliffhangers. It was natural and believable that the characters talked the way that they did, except it was hard for me to read because of the Victorian English. I think that people with amazing concentration skills, plenty of time, a grasp of the language, and a love for classic books, would be a perfect match for __Jane Eyre__ . Overall this book was OK, considering, I want to read all the classics. I have read about half way through __Wuthering Heights__  by Charlotte’s sister, Emily Bronte, and I like a little bit more. I plan to re-read __Jane Eyre__  again in the future, in hopes that as I mature, I will learn to love these books.


 * //__Romeo and Juliet__//** by Shakespeare (Second Trimester)

http://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-No-Fear-Shakespeare/dp/1586638459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297212364&sr=8-1

 For my second trimester reading log book, I chose <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Romeo and Juliet__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by William Shakespeare. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Romeo and Juliet__  is a tragic love story, where death and family feuds cause the couple to die in the confusion and misunderstanding. Their love is so passionate that they said things such as, “ O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night.” The plot for this book was sometimes unbelievable. It seemed unrealistic that Romeo could be so completely in love with one woman and then the next day be in love, and marrying another girl. Once Romeo and Juliet truly stated their feelings for each other, I understood more, and clicked more with the book. While reading, I never felt bored, or distracted once I got into it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> __Romeo and Juliet__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> takes place in the town of Verona, Italy, during the 1500’s. I thought that the setting really did enhance the storyline. I loved the way the town was described and also the time period. The biggest issue of the book is that two people’s forbidden love kills them in the end. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">  What I learned the most from this novel was that you should never do something without knowing the whole story. While reading, the characters really connected and it was easy to understand the relationships between them. I could understand as a reader, where each character was coming from, and why they did certain things. A lot of characters stayed the same in the book, but Romeo and Juliet were completely altered by their passion. Since I basically already knew how the story played out, there weren’t really any surprises for me. Many times, when an act or scene ended, there were things that left me thinking. Personally, I felt that the characters went along with each other well, and when they spoke they showed their true feelings to capture the reader. I think that from middle school and up anyone could read this book. I did like the book, but since I read it in plain english, I feel I didn’t get the full impact. Next time though, I will enjoy reading the actual play with Shakespeare’s words. Shakespeare has written thirty-seven plays, involving comedy, history, and tragedy, and has also done many things with poetry. Overall I liked the book  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Romeo and Juliet__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and would rate it with a four out of five. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">

__**//A Break With Charity//**__ //by Ann Rinaldi (First Trimester)//

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For my first trimester choice book, I chose to read <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Ann Rinaldi. This book is a story about the Salem Witch Trials. In history, my class was learning about this subject and it had always sparked my interest. Susanna English is the main character of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Ms. Rinaldi, drew me in with Susanna English. When Susanna would say things like, “And so it was that I found myself one night, the last week in July, under the hanging tree on Gallows Hill, waiting for the sound of carriage wheels on the road below,” I was captivated. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Before I started to read <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I thought I would love it, because of its correlation to the Salem Witch Trials. At first it was pretty good, but I didn’t have much interest. About half-way through, I wanted to put the book down and not start again. By the last couple of chapters, (and epilogue) I could not put it down. I enjoyed every minute, and completely loved the ending. I felt that the plot was very believable, particularly as we had learned some of this information (and names) in my history class. This book takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. I think that the harsh winters, mild summers, and barren landscape truly formed the story and plot. The people of Salem truly grew cold and harsh along with the climate they were surrounded by. They gave no mercy to the accused “witches”, and even allowed and believed in spectral evidence. Being in this setting, it really helped to determine who the characters were, and how their personalities developed. In the story, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Susanna English is caught in the conflict of the Salem Witch Trials. Her parents are accused and her sister follows them, while she is stuck with the vengeful words of Ann Putnam, the leader of the “afflicted” girls. Susanna’s speaking out helps the whole frightful series of events come to a halt. As the focus of English this year, I learned about forgiveness. Even though forgiving did not happen until the end of the book, in the epilogue, I was amazing how powerful the moment was. After everything that Ann Putnam did to Susanna English and her family, (including all of Salem and its environs) Susanna still found the pathos to forgive her. I think that the characters truly mad up the whole book. Personally, I could understand the thought process of Susanna English, and could really connect with her story. Ann Rinaldi did an amazing job in the progression of the storyline, and development of the characters. I love this about books and it makes them more dramatic and exciting. Sometimes the dialogue in <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was slightly overwhelming, considering that it is the King’s English. Even though this was difficult, I love this challenge while reading, because I think that it was a beautiful way of speaking, even if it was normal for them at the time. At almost every chapter, especially towards the end, there was always some thought lingering in my head. There were always phrases and quotes that drew me in, and cliffhangers that made me come back for more. I would recommend this book to all middle school students. It was a great book because it was truly riveting until the end. Ann Rinaldi has written approximately 45 books for all age groups, and of all genres. In conclusion, I though this was a really amazing book with a captivating ending. I really learned about forgiveness and the power of the Salem Witch Trials in this book, and Ann Rinaldi made that special using the character of Susanna English. In another aspect, she added in love which is always a great plus to every storyline. On a scale of one to five, I would rate <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__A Break With Charity__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, at a four. It was truly spectacular in the ending! //http://www.amazon.com/Break-Charity-Story-Trials-Episodes/dp/0785735488/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1289356131&sr=8-2//




 * //__The Red Kayak__ by Priscilla Cummings (Summer Reading)//**

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> __ The Red Kayak __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Priscilla Cummings, is about a teenager named Brady who becomes engulfed in the murder of Ben DiAngelo, his three year old neighbor. He soon discovers that his two best friends J.T. and Digger, are the ones who induced the tragic accident. Ben was a innocent child and Brady cannot get over his death. Once when the two were watching The Lion King, Ben asks Brady why the hyenas turned against Scar. Brady replies, “Because he’s bad.” Ben thinks for a minute and says, “Scaw’s not bad, he’s just being mean.” In this story, which takes place on the Chesapeake Bay, Brady is very determined to solve Ben’s murder on his own. Once he uncovers the secrets, even though it is tough, he comes forward a reveals the truth. Since Brady grew up by the Corsica river, and both of his parents were hard working and committed, he knew not only how to do the right thing, but also pay the consequences. If things were different, the whole outcome of the story would have been altered. I loved how I could relate to the book, and could understand Brady’s thought process. It was very easy for me to believe that this could have happened in reality. In the beginning of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Red Kayak__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I didn’t have much interest. Once Brady almost saved Ben, but unfortunately he didn’t survive, I became slightly more attentive. After the drill was found I became hooked. At the end of each chapter there was always an unanswered question or thought lingering in my head. This made everything exciting and I would be sitting on the edge of my seat each time I had to put the book down. When I was reading chapter twenty-six, when the “victims impact statement” was read, my eyes pricked with tears. It was an amazing ending when I read that Mrs.DiAngelo took her butterfly garden with her. At the end I loved this book because of the true heartbreak everyone felt because of Ben’s accident, but also because of Brady’s guilt. He blamed himself for Ben, while I was tearing up thinking “No! It’s not your fault! It was an accident!” Everything came together like puzzle pieces, which gave the reader the comforting feel of closure. I would recommend <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Red Kayak__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by Priscilla Cummings to anyone from middle school into adults. Priscilla Cummings has written six novels and fifteen picture books. This one in particular was spectacular. I am even interested in reading some of her other novels. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">** __The Host__ by Stephenie Meyer (Summer Reading) ** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Host   by Stephenie Meyer, is about the invasion of “hosts”, who are creatures implanted into humans. They are in control of the mind and actions. The physical   appearance    stays the same, except for a shadow in the eyes and a small scar on the back of the neck. “Wanderer”, a host that has been put into Melanie Stryder, cannot get Melanie out of her head. Wanderer is constantly fighting to have complete control over her body and thoughts. Melanie’s intense feelings for a man named Jared and her younger brother Jamie compels Wanderer to go out and find these few surviving humans. Once she arrives Jared does not believe that Melanie is still present inside her, but Wanderer herself does not know if the passion towards Jared is not only Melanie’s but also her own. Along the way, she meets Ian. Things heat up between the two and in the end it comes down to a heart-wrenching decision not only for Wanderer, but also the reader. In conclusion, Wanderer decides to move into a new host and stay with Ian, but will never forget the friendship she shared with Melanie. ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the beginning it was very hard to read this book. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters because everything was supernatural. As the story progressed Wanderer became more ‘human’, and more like Melanie. Once she felt the passion and love of her powerful emotions, she realized that she loved the humans. They weren't just some inconvenience or hold out to her, the became family and she trusted them. This made it easier to relate to the book, because Wanderer herself made connections. **** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was hard sometimes to concentrate on the book because they use a whole new fantasy of words that made it a little hard to focus. Most of this story takes place with everyone in hiding in a cave. This made it secluded which held the story together in a way. If Wanderer knew a way to get out in the beginning she would have left and the book would never have progressed in the same way. Since Wanderer (and Melanie) were forced to accept the cave and the people inside it, their close proximity to the people around them helped them grow closer and soften up. **** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Stephenie Meyer has written six novels including <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Host.__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> She is the author of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Twilight Saga__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner.__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Stephenie is also a #1 New York Times Bestseller. **** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I think this book is people who love to read and don’t mind 619 paged books. Personally, I loved <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Host.__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It was a great read for me, and I would recommend it to anyone who is an avid reader. **