Book Review: The Hunger Games

I read the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which is about a girl named Katniss who lives in district 12 in the distant future of North America which has become a country called Panem. Every year the Capital holds the Hunger Games and every district has to send two children to fight to the death with the other tributes from the other districts. On the morning of the reaping Katniss' little sister whom she loves very much gets chosen to go to the Hunger Games. Katniss hurriedly steps up, volunteers to go, and ends up going to the Capitol as a tribute with a boy named Peeta who she ends up having to pretend she loves. Her and Peeta go into the arena to fight to the death but only one of the twenty four tributes can come out alive. Katniss fights and continues to survive and at one point the rules change so Peeta and Katniss could both go home. They do end up going home alive which means they won, but in the proces Katniss defies the Capitol and they want revenge because she started a huge rebellion of the districts against the Capitol.

This book had so many themes. The one that really stuck out to me was the theme of teamwork. This theme stuck out to me because although early in the book it would not seem like this was a teamwork type of book once you get to the arena the action begins. At first the only teamwork going on is Haymitch and Katniss but then Katniss teams up with Peeta and that is when the teamwork really begins. Another strong theme that I saw was the theme of survival. Not only does Katniss have to survive in the games but her whole life she has had to learn to hunt to survive in her home, district 12.


I liked this book a lot! I would recommend this book to all action lovers. I would recommend this book to them because of the action that goes on. To read this book you can't be shy about gruesome deaths or a little romance. Also you have to be prepared for some personal thoughts from our main character Katniss and for a lot of cliff-hangers, turns in the plot, and some strange scenarios! I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did!

I got the picture from: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2011/10/hunger_games_poster_main_a_l.jpg

A Conversation To Remember

       I sit in a well furnished room waiting for someone, I don't know who, to arrive. This beautiful tea room has so many wonderful flowers on the walls and in lovely vases around the room. The huge windows let the bright mid-July sunlight flow in. The sound of birds chirping floods in through an open window across teethe large room. The couch I sit on is upholstered with lovely roses and other embroidered flowers. On the opposite was is a calendar with beautiful pictures, but something is wrong: it says 1956, not 2012! I sit quietly in shock until a man that looks about fifty walks into the room wearing a bright red shirt, coat, tie, and nicely pressed pants. "Hello, my name is C.S. Lewis, welcome to my humble home," he says with a slight bow.
   "Wow! It's really you! C.S. Lewis!" I reply excitedly.
   " Yes! And what is your name?" he asks, intrigued by his visitor's enthusiasm.
   "Well, my name is Nelly.  I have actually time-traveled to get here.  I actually live in 2012!"
   "Well, I am honored to meet you, Nelly!  Thank you for coming!"
   "I am so sorry.  Have I disturbed you?"
   "No! Please stay for tea!" Mr. Lewis exclaims, excited to have company.
   "Ok.  I would like to ask you some questions," I reply.
   "Great! And I have some answers! He says with a smile conquering his face as he pours some tea.  "Go on, you can ask any question you like!"
   "Well I work as a kind of detective in 2012 and the local museum wants to buy your mansion as a special feature add on to their displays, but I want it to go to a relative of yours so I was looking for any legal documents that might tell me who it would go to."
   "Oh yes, of course those are kept in the safe and the combo is 7-45-33."
   "Amazing and do you have any close relatives that you would want to own this mansion?"
   "Well you see I have a little nephew who would be...um...57 in 2012 and he has a daughter named Nelly Lewis."
   "Wow! Cool name...same name as me!" I say before realizing that it really could be me.
   "What is your father's name?"
   "Charles Lewis"
   " Why, that's my nephew which means..." he said with a smile brightening his whole face " you are my great niece!! Oh come give me a hug!!"
    "Wow! You are my great uncle!!!! That's AMAZING!!" I announce while hugging him.
    " I know and I want you to have this place!!!" he says decisively.
    "Really? That's great! Thank you soooooo much!!!!"
    "There is one condition though, you must make it into an orphan's home or something like that," he says with a truly concerned face.
     "Of course! I will! I will also teach them about god and read them all your books!" I say while I watch his expression lighten.
    "That is amazing! Now you must go I love you!!"

       After I had left, Mr. Lewis sat and thought about all that had happened during that conversation and all the amazing inspiration I had given him. He had been truly touched by my enthusiasm in God's ministry. It would change him forever.
    C.S. Lewis not only encouraged me that day in my faith he also reminded me that as long as I use the mansion for God's ministry, the worldly value does not matter. I will never forget that conversation as I run my children's shelter. My life has changed forever.

Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days

I read the book, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. This book is about a mucker maid named Dashti who comes to town looking for work,

she ends up being Lady Saren's maid and promises her loyalty to her before she finds out that Lady Saren is going to be locked up in a tower for seven years because she refused to marry Lord Khasar, the man her father wanted her to marry. Dashti and Lady Saren live in the dark tower for only three years before Dashti finds a way out of the tower. Lady Saren and Dashti make it to the city and find work in Khan Tegus's house and work through the winter then all of a sudden Lady Saren tells Dashti to go and tell Saren's love that Dashti is her. She goes and tells Khan Tegus that she is Lady Saren and almost gets executed for it but Lady Saren and Khan Tegus work together to make sure that Dashti is not put to death. In the end Dashti who began as a mucker maid ends up marrying a khan which is like a king. They live happily ever after.

I thought this book had a very strong theme of loyalty. I thought loyalty was the theme because in the book both Lady Saren and Dashti show true loyalty. Dashti shows loyalty by staying with Lady Saren through all the tough times and doing many things for the good of Lady Saren. Lady Saren shows loyalty because at the end of the story she stood up for Dashti and ended up persuading the court to let Dashti live. That is why I thought that the theme was loyalty.

 I liked this book. I would recommend this book to readers that like learning about other cultures and like fairy tales. I would recommend this to them because in this book there are many different cultures from Shamen to Muckers to city folk. Everyone in the book really believe in ancestors and gods and goddesses. This story is also a fairy tale. Those are the people I would recommend this book to.



I love listening to music while I work. For me it helps me focus and relax. It also inspires me while I work. I don't know any one who does not enjoy listening to music. It helps me when I want to be productive also, because the music with quicker beats helps me want to work. I think that  iPods should be allowed in classrooms while students are doing independent work.    
            Although most teachers think that iPods, and music would be distracting it helps most students focus. The music is less distracting than the class clown or the kid that keeps playing around next to you. If you can not hear the people around you there will be less distraction in the room. The music has a volume button that you can control, where a classroom does not. The music can be quiet when you want it to. With the quiet music the student can be focused enough to work. This creates the ideal environment to work for every student. For me personally I can just turn on some quiet music and have some nice back ground music that helps me focus. Ipods help students focus and get their work done efficiently.  
     Although most music players these days have games on them that students can play I think that if you give them a privilege they won't mind following the rules that you set. Another advantage to letting students use their iPods is these days most kids enjoy music and it may help them not get so tense about their work. When students are relaxed their work seems to be so much better than if they were all tense and nervous. It would relieve the stress and help them work more efficiently. Their brains may also come up with more good ideas while they are relaxed. Music players relieve stress and help them relax while they are working at school.   
            I realize that not all students have, or can afford, an iPod.  These students now have a nice quiet environment to work in, because all the students around them are listening to music and are engrossed in their work. This also helps the teacher grade papers in the corner, or some other type of work in a quiet classroom. That is how iPods also benefit the teacher and students who cannot afford iPods.       
         While the students are working the lyrics to the music might give them a great idea. The music can help them get the right ideas that their teacher needed them to get. The words might inspire them to try to look at something in a new way. I have gotten many ideas myself from words spoken to me through the words of  songs. The music might even give them a cool topic to write about. Music will inspire students in their work.      
          Therefore, music players should be allowed in classrooms. While working the music will help the students stay focused. It will also help them relax, so they can work more efficiently. The music can also inspire them will cool ideas that they can use to improve their work. This will also create a nice quiet environment for the rest of the class including teachers and students who cannot afford iPods. I think that Mr. Robidou should talk to the school board to change the policy and allow students to have music players in class.

I got this picture from:      http://www.legacyofhope.com/jan_2006.htm

Book Review: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

           I read the book Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli about a girl named Stargirl, who is very special. By special I mean dancing on a football field while a game is going on, singing happy birthday to every birthday boy or girl, giving gifts to people she doesn't even know, and cheering for the other team at basketball games. At the beginning of the book a young boy has a collection of one porcupine tie, but one day he receives a porcupine tie from an unknown giver. He eventually grows up and becomes a junior in high school. On the first day of school Leo notices a new girl at first he is too scared to talk to her but after a while he realizes that he loves her. Stargirl loves Leo also and they do almost everything together. One night at a basketball game Stargirl was cheering for the other team and went to the aide of the other team's star player when he was injured. After that night her entire school starts hating her more and more and until it gets to the point where the entire school ignores her except for Leo. Leo does not want to be ignored so he tries to change her to become a regular person but soon after that she leaves and does not come back for a long time. Fifteen years after she left Leo goes out to his front step on his birthday and there is a porcupine tie in a little box on his steps that was given to him by Stargirl.

            I really thought that this book had a really strong theme that you should not try to change the people you love. I think that this is the theme because in this book Leo tries to change Stargirl so she will not be ignored by all the people in their school. For example in the book it says "Her attempt to become popular, She did change for him but was still ignored. She left soon after this happened. That's why I thought that the strong theme in this book was do not try to change the people you love.

             I enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to readers that like to read books that have mini romances and mysterious endings. In this book i felt that there was a little bit of science fiction in there because in the book the professor at the school thought that the reason Stargirl was so special was she was more of what our ancestors came from which was stars. Those are the people I would recommend this book to.

I got this picture from:http://www.oprah.com/book/Stargirl-by-Jerry-Spinelli

Joanna, the Best Rainbow There Ever Was!

 

When I grow up I think I'd make a great rainbow. I've always enjoyed bright colors. One of my favorite things to do is fly in airplanes. I even have some experience in hot air balloons. I am really good at making people smile, I love colors, and I love being close to the sky therefore I would be the best rainbow ever!

Making people smile has always come naturally to me. There was that time when I  made even the grumpiest person smile. I'm always smiling and making people smile. Whenever I walk into a room I make everyone grin happily. Being able to make people happy and smile is the first step to becoming the best rainbow there ever was.

Colors are another thing that I really enjoy. It's so exciting when I get to be colorful. When I am colorful I feel like smiling. I am to being colorful as artists are to painting. Being able to be colorful for the rest of my life would be amazing!

Loving the sky as much as I do takes a special talent. I  gained a lot of experience at being near to the sky by flying on airplanes and hot air balloons. I learned a lot about the sky  while flying. For example, on Christmas break I usually fly down south. The time I have spent on a plane is sure to give me an advantage when it comes to becoming a rainbow.

The three most important ingredients required in order to become a successful rainbow are making people smile,loving colors, and enjoying the sky. I've got them all!!!  I want to do all these things daily. I'm never so happy as when I'm in the midst of  smiles, clouds, and colors.It's like James said "Rainbows are colorful and they make me happy!" When I see colors I am happy and that's why I would be the best rainbow ever.

Source for picture: http://www.planetpals.com/weather.html