![]() In this memoir from Walter Dean Myers, he remembers his childhood spent mostly in Harlem, New York. Myers refers to himself as a "bad boy" for his reluctance in school (despite being placed in a special class for advanced students) and his propensity for fighting, talking back, and being privy to drug deals. A dedicated writer as a child, Myers fondly remembers his teacher who encouraged him to stick with the hobby, later of course turning it into a career. I read this book because Walter Dean Myers is a renowned author and this memoir has been on my book cart for years. It was finally time to give it a go. However, I did not enjoy this book tremendously. I found his storytelling to be a bit bland and without the kind of action and dialogue that I find gripping. On the other hand, having visited New York City and Harlem just last summer, I enjoyed how much Myers includes his neighborhood and greater Manhattan in the book.
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![]() This collection of "notes" from Jose Antonio Vargas tells his story as an undocumented citizen in the United States. Vargas' mother organized for him to fly to the United States from the Phillippines when he was eleven years old. It wasn't until years later when he went to get his driver's license that he learned that his mother and grandparents had used fake documentation for Jose to get into the U.S. and that he was technically undocumented. Vargas goes on to become a successful and high profile journalist in the United States, but he trusted only a few people with his status along the way. Clearly, Vargas has revealed his status to the world now and lives with a great uncertainty. My mom recommended this book to me. I found it easy to read and a really important story to hear. Coincidentally, I am learning about the immigration process through a few avenues right now, and Vargas' voice is central to that learning. He quite clearly articulates what it like to feel American yet be denied American-ness. While some parts of Vargas' story were more tense and intriguing than others, they are all essential to his narrative. Highly recommend. ![]() I read the book Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is based of an Indian couple that travels to America when the father is going to college there. They have two kids in the U.S., but the kids are acting more like Americans then Indians. The kids constantly question who they are and who they want to be, while the parents cling to their old ways, from when they live in India. The eldest child, and main character, Gogol is unsure of his path in life and starts to disconnect himself from his parents and old life. The book was really good. I was skeptical at first, not thinking I would like a book about an families life and struggles. I prefer reading westerns,like Lonesome Dove, or science fiction books like the Red Rising series I am currently reading. But Namesake had me hooked. I got very emotionally invested in the characters, mostly Gogol. The book takes you on a bit of an roller coaster of emotion. Sad valleys and happy peaks, you are always wanting to read more and more to see how it ends up or if Gogol finds his place and happiness. -LW, grade 10 ![]() P.s. I still love you, is the sequel book to “All the boys i’ve loved before, which was published in 2015. Lara Jean the main character falls in love with two; Peter and Josh. Lara Jean learns that being in love with someone is not as easy as what it seems, and has to decide between the two boys. The book started off with a calm and collective begining. Once things began to deepen with Lara Jean and Peter that when I grew to enjoy the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories with romance. One lesson the book teaches the readers would be, that one can take risks in life even if that does mean you could be hurt at the end. -AHM, grade 10 ![]() In middle earth, 2941, an inconspicuous hobbit named Bilbo was met by a travelling wizard named Gandalf. When Gandalf leaves, He marks the door of Bilbo’s underground home. 13 dwarves come to his door, Their leader Thorin Oakenshield asking to come in. Bilbo reluctantly lets him in. Thorin and his troupe of dwarves need Bilbo to be the thief of the troupe. Bilbo had never thought of leaving his home, but Some adventurous side of him decided to go. The dwarves had their gold taken over by a dragon, and needed to get it back. Bilbo soon realizes that he has bitten off more than he could chew. The troupe gets chased by orcs, attacked by goblins, and almost eaten by trolls. Bilbo finds a peculiar ring. This ring can help him turn invisible, and assist him on his thieving missions. Lucky, right? Maybe it’s all part of a greater plan… I came across this book as I was reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lord of the Rings was one of my favorite series when I was in middle school, And the Hobbit keeps the energy of childhood imagination turned into a young adult series, the same energy from the lord of the rings. This book made me almost relive some of my childhood, from my dad and I reading Lord of The Rings together in 5th grade, to Watching the Hobbit movie on the plane to Italy. The Hobbit has a great, absorbing story with twists and turns that I got lost in a I read. It is truly a wonderful book and a classic that everyone should read. -MW, grade 10 CATEGORIES: Fantasy, Literary classic, Quest, Young Adult. ![]() Stephen King’s “The Green Mile” is a story about a man, Paul, who oversees Death Row at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Paul is now an old man, and he tells the story of how he met inmate John Coffey in 1932. Paul and his fellow employees Brutal, Harry, and others run the cell block non stop. Their encounters are very unique and filled with uncertainty. They get to meet a french man and his circus mouse, the second coming of Billy the kid, and the miracle worker John Coffey. Paul also has to deal with a young rebellious co-worker, Percy Whetmore, that tends to get himself in trouble. Even with all the violence and gruesome executions a life is still saved by the hands of a graceful giant. This book was a super good read and had a lot of important messages. Some include to always be aware of what's around you and to do what is right. What really stuck with me is how a person can be prosecuted and found guilty, whether they did it or not may not matter. Either way the reputation and the good that was once upheld, is now completely obliterated. The faces of many are turned away from you because you are branded in a certain way. Or the faces of many stare into your soul and tells you that you are no good. Every good deed or positive attribution to society is disregarded because of what the higher power calls you. It’s wrong and unfair, but it’s how a cruel world works. -AL, grade 12 ![]() This book is about a girl named Yvonne and she is eighteen years old. She is facing a lot of challenges in her life and she does not know what she wants to do. She has a boyfriend and cheats on him with another boy and finds out that she is pregnant. Yvonne has also been playing the violin her whole life. Now that yvonne is grown she is trying to decide if she is going to pursue her talent of violin. The book was kinda boring and nothing interesting was really going on. It was just talking about Yvonne and her everyday school feelings and stiff. The book got more interesting towards the end of the book when she was trying to see what her career going to be. Also when she told her boyfriend pregnant and didn't know who baby it is. Other than that it's a good book and it just shows a whole bunch of lesson in it . -KW, grade 10 ![]() In The Wisdom of Crowds, Surowiecki begins with the annual West of England Fat Stock and Poultry Exhibition, an exhibition in which local farmers and townspeople gathered to appraise the quality of each other’s livestock. On one of the days of the exhibition, a large ox was placed on stage for a weight-guessing competition. The townspeople would place wagers or get a stamped and numbered ticket for sixpence where you filled out your name, address, and guess. Those with the best guesses would later receive prizes. After all the guesses were received, none of the 787 guesses were correct. A British scientist named Francis Galton took all of the guesses and found the mean of their guesses to be 1,197 pounds when the ox actually weighed 1,198 pounds. This book is about the collective intelligence of groups of people, no matter what situation you are in or decision you have to make, any group of people can help you make the right choice. Throughout this book, Surowiecki uses scientific studies, clever anecdotes, and some of his own statistical analysis to convince his audience that the wisdom of a crowd is superior to that of an individual expert. At first glance, I thought this book was mundane and cliche, but as I read on, I realized Surowiecki’s take on intelligence was completely valid. When one of my friends in college gave me this book to read, I was extremely skeptical of the message the book carried. I felt that an individual expert would always be more knowing than a group of non-experts and the “follow the leader” mentality would be the downfall of any group. The author actually brings up this concept and agrees with it completely, but refutes it in a way that is pure genius. -ES, grade 12 ![]() This novel, Into the Grey, by Celine Kiernan follows a fifteen-year old named Patrick Finnerty from the time his childhood home burns down to the end of his journey to find his twin brother's soul. Dominick and Patrick, or Dom and Pat to everyone except their grandma, are identical twins who have always been inseparable. Into the Grey takes place in 1974 Ireland. One night Dom’s soul is stolen from his body, but something else takes its place. Pat and Dee, the twins’ infant sister, are the only two who know what happened to Dom. Pat struggles to maintain his daily routine without his other half. Pat, Dom, Not-Dom, and Dee all have different nightmares that help Pat figure out where his brother is. As Pat unfolds this mystery, he finds a new appreciation for his family, even in times of stress. I picked up this book randomly from the library not knowing anything about it. I was hesitant to read it because I’m not a huge fan of ghosts and lost souls. Sadly, this book didn’t grow on me very much. It ended better than it started, but I wouldn’t read it again. As I read this book, I kept asking myself, “Why doesn't he just tell his parents?” There were a couple instances when I asked myself why. Why is Not-Dom so cold? Why does his grandma only interject in the end (because they have always lived together)? These holes led to this book’s not-so-great rating from me. One aspect that I really liked is that the plot did connect in the end. The puzzle with all the fragmented pieces fit together that led to a satisfying ‘a-ha’ moment at the end of the novel. ![]() Girl in Pieces is a heavy book about suicide and self-harm. Charlie who is 17 has a really bad year and loses a lot of people. She turns for the worse and cuts herself and attempts suicide. She ends up being sent to a recovery group where she meets a group of people and she starts her journey in finding herself. She learns to get over what happened and to be happy with herself just the way she is. The book started out a bit confusing and boring at times but as I got to know Charlie and the other characters I grew to love the book. Even though the book is long, it was a quick read for me. I would totally recommend this book for anyone who wants to read a heart wrenching novel. The book teaches a lot about downward spinals and ways to try and cope with them. A lot happens in the book and the ending feels satisfying after all that Charlie went through. -AD, grade 10 |
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June 2020
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