Arianna

__The Diary of a Young Girl__, by Anne Frank (Third Trimester Book Review) __The Diary of a Young Girl__ Book Review  Arianna Pompei 7X

 The book, __The Diary of a Young Girl__ , was written by Anne Frank during World War II. Her family was Jewish, and they went into hiding when the Nazis started to take over Holland. They hid in a “Secret Annexe”, and had some outside people get them the supplies they needed to survive. This book was an autobiography about surviving during World War II, and what really went on when you were hiding for your life. Anne Frank was not the only young child that had a diary during the war, there were many others. Most of the diaries were from different situations. Some kids were in the camps, some in ghettos, and some similarly to Anne, hiding. In my opinion the main theme would be be grateful for what you have, it could be taken away in a second, and you may never get it back. “ I hope I shall be able to confide in you completely, as I have never been able to do in anyone before, and I hope that you will be a great support and comfort for me.” This is how Anne starts her diary, she names it Kitty, and tells it everything. This story takes place in 1942, when World War II began. In Amsterdam, the Franks and the Van Daans move into an office attic to hide from the Nazis. For two years and one month they lived in this tiny space, with little food, and little to do. As some people had the slightest signs of a cold they had to cure them right away because a doctor couldn't come into the annexe. The setting in the book helps describe what it was like in hiding. In one part of her diary, Anne describes the whole annexe, and shows you everything. This helps out when Anne is telling about something that happened, and you can place it in a room. The setting outside of the annexe helps because it explains what’s happening with the war. In some parts Anne says she hears bombs, guns firing, and planes flying over head. There are many problems in this book. The most obvious problem, is staying hidden from the Nazis. Many other small problems emerge from being kept in such a little space with so many people. Having enough food was a big worry to everyone. They would have cycles of different types of food. Arguments were always happening between everybody. Everyone eventually got over it, but Anne and her mother were never really close. They always bickered, and never really connected or got along. This book taught me what it really meant to be hiding during World War II. You see the movies, and your teachers tell you, but reading what actually happened to someone puts it in perspective. The author, Anne Frank, never knew her diary would be published. She never knew that everyone would know who she is. Anne was thirteen when she started writing her diary, she just needed something to vent her problems to. Her sister, Margot, took things too seriously, and she would never tell her mom these things. So she decided to write about her life in hiding in her diary. I would recommend this book to anyone because it really shows what actually happened during the war. It also teaches a lesson to be happy with what you have because you were lucky enough to not have to go through the war. I liked this book a lot because it was an autobiography. Since it was something that really happened, it interested me. I would give this book five stars because of the theme it teaches you. I also liked it because you get a perspective from a kid your age during the war. You can almost relate to her. “ I can’t keep that up: if I’m watched to that extent, I start by getting snappy, then unhappy, and finally I twist my heart around again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside and keep trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and what I could be, if...there weren’t any other people living in the world.” This is the last sentence Anne Frank ever wrote, and it is how her diary ends.

[|Click Here to Purchase This Book] __The Outsiders,__ by S.E. Hinton (Second Trimester Book Review)  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Outsiders__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Book Review <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Arianna Pompei 7X

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The book, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Outsiders__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by S.E. Hinton was written by a young teenage girl during the time of gangs. She was coming home, when her friend was jumped. Hinton was so upset, that she decided to write a book about all of the drama that goes on inside these gangs. I think that the genre of this book would be considered historical fiction. It included some facts about what really goes on in the gangs, and taking everything a step further. In my opinion, the main theme would be “Always have someone you trust to back you up, you never know when your going to need them.” Both gangs in this book were very close with each other. They thought of everyone as their brothers. “So I lay still, swearing at them between gasps. A blade was held against my throat. How’d you like to get a haircut to begin just below the chin?”  <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book kept the plot exciting the whole entire time. Every time you thought they had solved the problem, another began. Ponyboy, who was a member of the Greasers, and his friend Johnny got into a lot of trouble one night. The Socs had found out that they had met their girlfriends. The Socs were mad, and they wanted revenge. One of them tried to drown Ponyboy in a fountain, while Johnny stabbed him. They realized he was dead and ran off into the night. Johnny and Ponyboy tried to get as far away as possible, always wondering if they were going to see their family and Greasers again. As the book continued you could really imagine it actually happening. I think that the first person perspective made the plot seem more believable. Sometimes some questions came up like why wouldn’t they do this? or how come they went there? During the intense parts of the book you felt like you were there. It was almost like you were sitting there with them, watching what they were going to do next. There were many surprises during this book. Deaths, fights, and problems in general made you want to keep reading. Some parts of the book were pretty predictable, others were a complete shock. Many things that came out of the characters mouths were believable for the time period. How they talked made them seem tough, if they didn’t seem tough, they would be jumped. In my opinion, this book never became boring. It kept you wanting more, and thinking deeply about the characters. If there was a sequel to this book I would definitely read it. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I think that kids that enjoy books about older times, or gangs would like this book. Most likely, I would recommend this book to older kids because of the violence and fighting. I liked the book because of all the action, and realistic drama. All books that are true, I really enjoy. I would give this book five stars. It had action, adventure, and was based on partially real events. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Outsiders__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> kept you excited the whole time. This book made me really think about what kids my age went through on a daily basis. It also makes me think how hard it must have been for kids who were different, and probably always being beat up. S.E. Hinton did a really good job explaining these hard times, and what every family had to go through at one time or another. When most people think of mobs and gangs, they tend to think of New York or Philadelphia. Never would people think about the gangs in Oklahoma. This made me think that kids everywhere, and every town had to deal with this. “Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That’s gold.” I think those words meant so much to Ponyboy. His friend telling him to make sure he always watches one. He knows that it’s to late to tell Dally to watch one, but I bet when Ponyboy watches one, he will always think of Johnny and Dally, always.

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__Wringer__, by Jerry Spinelli (First Trimester Book)

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Wringer__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Book Review <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Arianna Pompei 7X <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Wringer__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Jerry Spinelli, is based on the real event, the Family Fest. They have an annual Pigeon Day, where they bring 5,000 pigeons to be shot. During one Pigeon Day, a boy ran onto the field and picked up a wounded pigeon. He was allowed to leave with it. The genre would be considered realistic fiction. In my opinion, I think the main theme would be “Always be who you want to be, and not who anyone else wants you to be.” The main character, Palmer isn’t sure whether he wants to be friends with the “cool” kids, but he doesn’t want to lose his childhood friend.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The plot of the story was really interesting. I enjoyed reading this book, especially during the middle where it was the best. When Palmer had to decide between Dorothy and his friends, I thought that was the hardest moment. He could be part of a group for once, and feel like he has meaning. On the other hand he would be friends with Dorothy, and never have to hide any secrets or emotions from her. If that happened to me, I’m not sure who I would pick. I would want someone I could talk to and not have to worry about making fun of me. Then again, I would want friends that have fun and enjoy life. When Nipper came into the story, I knew something bad was going to happen. I was happy when Palmer stood up for himself, and said that he didn’t want to be a wringer. It was almost confusing to me why so many people would want to come watch pigeons get shot. Towards the end of the story, before Nipper was flying during the shooting, it was very predictable that he was going to be in the box.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This story takes place mostly in Palmer’s house and the playground. The playground is where Family Fest is held. The dreadful soccer field is where almost 5,000 pigeons are killed every year. When Jerry Spinelli describes where the soccer field is, and what it looks like after the shooting, it really gives me a good image. While I was reading this book, I really could see each room and character. When I think of Nipper, I now think of a charcoal gray bird, with bright orange eyes. The setting was kept simple. There weren’t a lot of different settings that were only part of the book for a few paragraphs. With only a couple of settings, it made the book easier to read because you weren’t so confused about where the characters were.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, I liked the book a lot. When you see the cover, and read the back of the book, it may turn you off. I thought it was really interesting that this actually happened before. This book will have four stars from me. I would tend to recommend this book to older kids, because of the wringing that was involved. Also, the main theme will probably have more meaning to an older kid, than to a younger child. The author did a very good job of describing what happened, and added a good touch in the beginning to really catch you. This made you want to keep reading. “Can I have one, too Daddy?” sums up the book in my opinion, because it’s what Palmer said to his dad. It was almost similar to Palmer passing it on to the child, and having him/her go through what he did to save this one pigeon. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">[|Click Here to Purchase this Book] <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">


 * __The Wave,__ by Todd Strasser (Summer Reading)**

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Wave__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Book Review <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> By: Arianna Pompei

The book <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Wave__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, written by Todd Strasser, is based on a true story. The genre would be considered historical fiction. In my opinion, the main theme is you can never know what something felt like in history until you actually experienced it yourself. This is exactly what Ben Ross was trying to do. Ben is a high school teacher trying to make his students really feel what it would be like to be a member of the Nazi group back during World War II. The students learned how hard it was to quit and stand up for what they believe in. Ben would only learn how powerful The Wave would turn out to be. The true story took place in Alto, California during 1969. One of the main settings was the high school where the experiment took place. Dealing with all of the different kids in the high school, and facing the bullies that forced kids to join The Wave really made the book exciting. Including the teachers opinions and thoughts about the book were creative. Mr. Ross’s wife, who was the high school music teacher, complained to her husband a lot. She explained how her students were skipping her classes just to go to his classes to learn more about The Wave. Mrs. Ross begged her husband to stop The Wave before it became a high school phenomenon. All Ben did was ignore her objections and plan his next Wave session. The plot of the story was interesting and kept getting better, but when the solutions slowly took place the book calmed down. The author of this book told the story very well, and used situations that attracted readers my age. It’s very believable that something like this could have happened in any high school. It was also amazing how only two students stopped this event. How Laurie Saunders and David Collins realized what was happening and didn’t get as involved as many other students did. I think anyone who likes books based on true stories would enjoy this book. I liked this book because of how The Wave worked. That everyone became involved and you couldn’t predict what would happen next. I would give this book four stars. It kept you interested and didn’t keep going on and on. If you only read the title of the book, you have no idea what the book would be about. When you read the first couple pages, and The Wave starts, you want to keep reading to see how it ends. Todd Strasser was born on May 5, 1950 in New York, New York. When he was a child he was a terrible speller and writer. He had no encouragement with writing until college. When Strasser heard he didn’t have to go into Vietnam, he dropped out of college. He didn’t start college again until he knew what he wanted to do. He traveled through the U.S. and Europe, writing along the way. Todd attended Beloit College. After he graduated, Todd took a job as a newspaper reporter and said “I was never happy telling someone else’s stories. I wanted to tell my own.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__Bibliography__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3669 <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> Click Here To Buy the Book <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">**__The Cupcake Queen,__ by Heather Heppler (Summer Reading)** <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Cupcake Queen__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Book Review <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By: Arianna Pompei

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__The Cupcake Queen__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was written by Heather Hepler. The genre in this book would be adventure. Most likely there are other ways to describe this book by the genre, but I think adventure fits it best. The theme of the book is friendship. Throughout the book the main character, Penny, faces many challenges with making friends. Penny recently moved from New York City to Hog’s Hollow. She’s not all that upset about leaving her friends behind. Penny’s mainly upset that her father didn’t move with them. Her mother launches a new bakery that only sells cupcakes. Penny helps out designing different cupcakes. She meets her first friends named Tally and Blake. One rainy night Penny’s mad at her dad, she runs outside to the beach and meets a boy named Marcus. Penny thinks he’s cute, but there’s only one problem. The nastiest girl in the whole school likes him, Charity. This book showed me how friends can really be there when you need them. Although you may fight, you should always know that your friends are going to be there for you. This story takes place in Hog’s Hollow. All of the different features in Hog’s Hollow make the book interesting. For example having the house on the beach, and the big open forest where Marcus’s father builds model planets where you can actually see the real planet. The difference from the busy streets of the New York City to the quiet urban area of Hog’s Hollow really makes a difference of how the book plays out. You can really tell how hard it must have been for Penny to get used to the distinctive surroundings. Overall I liked the book a lot. I would give this book five stars. I enjoyed reading about all of the different designs they put on their cupcakes. Adults and kids who enjoy reading about adventures of moving and getting use to new places would benefit from this book. All age groups should be able to read and understand the situations that go on in this book. The quote “Can one cupcake sweeten a whole relationship?” really sums up the book. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Click Here to Buy this Book