Sara


 * The Wave, Todd Strasser (Summer Reading)**

 “It wasn't for us to become little Nazis.” //The Wave//, by Todd Strasser, is a semi-nonfiction book about a project a teacher assigned that got out of hand. Mr. Ross began to create a club with members and outcasts which soon had a large impact on the entire school. The creation of “The Wave” got out of hand, and the whole school was turned upside down. This book will put you in the situation with the characters, solving the problem and making things back to normal, if we know what normal is now!

The story follows different perspectives impacted by “The Wave.” The plot kept my imagination entertained, although a few chapters did not connect. It made it a little harder to understand when one chapter talked about why “The Wave” was wrong and the next chapter was about a character that heard noises while she was alone at school. Even when I was finished I wanted there to be more. The plot was believable, because the sequence of the events made the plot realistic. I enjoyed the pace of the story. The plot had a main problem and the solution was not something to decipher.

The main conflict of the book was Mr. Ross' attempt to show his class why the Nazis did not fight against Adolf Hitler. “The Wave” was created to show students why Germans did not rebel against Hitler. In fact, it got out of hand to the point of “members” and outcasts getting into fist fights. The book was very interesting because it was based on an event that actually happened. It also reminded me that history is very important so we don't make the same mistakes in the future. The authors solution to the conflict left me curious about how “The Wave” members reacted.

The setting consists of basic locations and transitions were easy to. It fit the plot and kept it moving. The story mainly took place at the characters' school. The only other setting was at some of the characters' homes. The plot helped the story come to life and it made it more believable. Some transitions of settings were not as clear as others and took a little more imagination to imagine the transition. However, most of the settings and setting changes were clear and kept the story on its path to the end.

I suggested this book is for grades 5 through 8. Its context is exciting for those grades and keeps the story going. I enjoyed the book because it left cliff hangers after every chapter that kept me reading. I ended up finishing the book in about three days because I kept reading and reading and the book was very exciting. I rate this a five star book, because I have not heard any books similar to this, and the whole concept of trying to reenact a past event was new. However, it went too far which made the story interesting. Todd Strasser himself said how the event of six million jews being murdered is not too far away and that people can forget about it. He brought the event back into readers' minds and wrote about a true event in a simple school. He has great talent and this book will leave all readers wanting to read more of his books. [|Click Here to Find the Book]


 * The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks (Summer Reading)**

“He received his death sentence in February, while sitting in a doctors office, only an hour after giving his last piano lesson.” In //The Last Song// by Nicholas Sparks, every sentence grabs you to read on and on. It is a romance-fiction book, and Sparks makes you feel like you are right by the characters. Ronnie, the main character, is spending her summer, otherwise shipped off my her mom, in North Carolina with her dad. She meets her summer love, finds out terrible news, and much more. Ronnie has a dark personality, but when she comes to North Carolina, her heart slowly changes, but you must read on to find out more about this book.

The book is different from other books written by Nicholas Sparks. Each chapter has focus on a different character. It may get confusing at times but the plot takes you right back to the main story. If this book were a road, it would be straight with sharp turns. The plot sometimes drags out but will turn you to another characters' problem and other turning points in this book, “within seconds her shirt became a sheet of fire.” As you read you may come to different conclusions that may be way off or completely correct. It is believable, as mentioned earlier you feel like you are right by the characters and you will be obsessed with this book.

The book forces you to use your imagination with all of the different settings and little description. A few of the settings are repeated but most of them are not and you must think hard to imagine the scene. Sparks uses just enough detail and description when he describes a setting so that the vision is blurry, he makes sure your imagination works. A few of the settings did not fit it very well and made the story seem a little fake when there was a diner by the beach which I have never seen before. Other than that the settings made the story move along and made the story come to life. The setting was really there to capture the readers mind to see the characters dialogue and see the scene as if they were standing right there with the characters. The style this book was written in was quite interesting. It did not leave cliff hangers at the end of many chapters, however, it left me with many questions and kept me reading. The author had a special way of keeping the reader's nose in the book when dialogue became exciting and new questions leaving the readers wanting more. The book was a little dragged out but it soon came right to the point. Just when I thought the book was not keeping me busy, a sharp turning point arose in the story and I continued to read. The author continued to keep my focus on this book and had very interesting ways of doing so.

Nicholas Sparks' books are geared towards teenagers looking for a romance novel. This book was very enjoyable and other novels that I have read my Sparks are all the more interesting. My mind kept raising questions, the scenes were so beautiful and how he wrapped up the ending put a warm feeling in my heart and I would love to read more of his books. //A Bend in the Road//, also by Nicholas Sparks was geared towards adults but had the same romance genre. Also another great book but different than the last song, as I said, geared towards adults and of course the plot was different. //The Last Song// is also a movie. Nicholas Sparks actually wrote the screen play before he wrote the novel and it is his longest novel ever. He enjoys his job as an author and is very gifted, 5 stars for this book! [|Click Here to Find the Book]

**My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoiult**

“I think about her kidney inside me and her blood running through my veins. I will take her with me wherever I go.” __My Sister’s Keeper__ , by Jodi Picoult, is the saddest book I have ever read. It is completely fiction but based on families that have “designer babies” to save their older sibling from a life threatening disease. It is about a girl named Anna who was born to save her older sister, Kate. The ending is much different than most people would expect. This book was also made into a movie and the ending was completely different from it, however, both are worth reading and watching.  The book tells a great story with many morals, however, it will leave you in tears. The main plot strayed off the main story here and there, but it was well written. The author wrote from different perspectives which made every chapter and Picoult has a lot of talent for being able to write from a juvenile delinquent’s perspective as well as a 13 year old girl’s perspective. However, a few chapters were from the past and some paragraphs told of different memories. Sara Fitzgerald, the mother, had many chapters in past tense as she told of her life when Kate was younger, all the way up until present tense in the book. The book also talks about the issues that the family goes through with a daughter who has cancer and another daughter that wants emancipation of her body from being a donor. Its main lesson is learning to enjoy what you have and make the best of it, while learning to let go. The book tells a great story written by a very skilled writer.  The setting, although a small factor of the book, really ties the book together and makes it more understandable. Parts of the setting take place in the past but most are during present time. They take place at characters’ houses, a court, a fire station, the hospital, and a few other extra locations that fit well with the story. The author did a great job of making the settings easy to follow, however, there was not a lot of description of the settings. Most of the places that the characters were at were predicted by the characters dialogue or their thoughts. The setting helps a lot with the characters’ dialogue. Many times, the mom would yell at her kids but sometimes it would be at the mall, the hospital, or at home. Even though that does not mean a lot, it plays well with the story for future settings and problems.  The book had different jumps, twists, and intense scenes.There were many unexpected turns that complete changed the entire story! Many characters make confessions or something goes wrong in the story like when Kate’s boyfriend she met at the hospital dies,“Oh, I’m so sorry, he died this morning...” There are also many intense scenes, like during court and conversations between Anna and her mother after she filed a lawsuit against them. “‘My God, Anna,’ my mother says, stunned, “What have we done to deserve this?’” However, with all the twists and changes in the book, it does not leave intentional cliff hangers. At the end of chapters, I don’t get the feeling where I want to read more to see what happens, but more like a lot of questions pop into my head that makes me continue to read. The book’s style keeps me reading and even after I finished the book, I wanted to read more!  I really enjoyed reading the book even though at the end I was in tears! “I have a feeling that if I really try to figure out who I am without Kate in the equation, I’m not going to like who I see.” The book is all about letting go, finding yourself, and love. I give this book 4 stars because even though it was a wonderful book, it was a little too sad for me! This book is appropriate for anyone who is an advanced reader and loves a good story. This book was also made into a movie, however, the ending is twisted. Even Picoult is not too happy about it but she thinks both the book and movie are great. __My Sister’s Keeper__  is an unforgettable book that will touch your heart and remind you to be thankful for everything. [|Click here to find book]

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 01/09/11 Sara Seyedroudbari

“ You sure didn't show it. Ain't nobody ever talk to Dal like that!” yelled Johnny. “The Outsiders”, by S.E. Hinton, is a fictional book about two gangs that never get along. Readers think they can see what will happen after the Socs’ beat up the Greasers, but S.E. Hinton knows exactly how to twist it. Every sentence will switch your thoughts about what will happen next, and every chapter will leave you wanting more. Even at the end of the book, I ended up researching if there was a sequel to it! The book was well written with a set direction, and ended beautifully. The plot of the book was written well. Sometimes something confusing was thrown into the book, to make the reader think, and an answer was later found, tying the book up even better. While I was reading, I noticed that Dally, one of the toughest Greasers, is very violent and curses a lot. Later in the book, it tells the readers why he is like that. Many chapters forced me to continue to read. The cliff hangers were perfectly set up, and I ended up finishing the book in three days because I enjoyed it so much. At times the plot was hard to follow, but most of it was straight forward, and the book was enjoyable to read. From house to house, to gang fights, and school, there were many plots that helped make up “The Outsiders”. However, the plots were not described that much. The author made me really use my imagination to think of the plots, however, not enough detail was given for me to picture the story well. One of the settings, an old church at the top of a hill, was described pretty well. The main layout of it was easily captured in my head, and made the scene easier to see and recognize. The book was in first person, so the house of the main character is one of the main settings. However, that was not described as well as I would have liked it. I ended up having to use my house to picture the scenes, which doesn’t make sense with a story that takes place in older times. Maybe the author intentionally made it so the settings were unrecognizable. That is one of the things I did not find interesting in this book. Names like Ponyboy and Sodapop made me feel like I was apart of their gang too. With all the action and dialogues, the characters seemed to come to life as I was reading the book. I feel like the author grew up in a gang, because she made the dialogues so clear with the slang and attitude. The way the characters acted and thought also made the story very believable. The author also made a clear point between the difference of the two gangs. The Socials (Socs’) dressed well, spoke with clear grammar, and acted well too. The Greasers were different with their style, language, and the way they settled things. The characters in this story spoke to me while I was reading, and everything was very believable. This was one of my favorite books to read. If I could only read one book in my life, it would be this one. It gives a message of friendship, and has a really great story. If a star rate were given, I’d give it a five star rating. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a vocabulary large enough to understand daily conversations, because it is perfect for everyone to read and enjoy. If anyone needs a leisure read, something to cheer them up, or help with friendship, this is the book for them. S.E. Hinton captured the moment in the times when gangs and rich people fought. She showed their differences, and also how much they still have in common. It is the perfect friendship story.  [|Click here to find the book]

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana deRosnay

“She sank to her knees again, and this time she screamed at the top of her lungs.” If that quote made you want to know the before and after, then this is a must read book for you. Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, is a fictional book about the Holocaust. It follows Sarah Starzynski, a 10 year old girl that suffers from the Holocaust. She is woken up one morning and must pack most of her belongings in 5 minutes. In worry for her brother, she locks him in a cupboard thinking she will be back in a day or two because there is water in there. There is also another story intertwined with this. In 2005, Julia Jarmond, a journalist for a newspaper in France, has to research the Vel’ D’Hiv’ roundup during the Holocaust. Their stories meet and nothing will ever be the same in Julia’s life. If you love a touching but sad book, then you have to pick up this book. The book tells us two different stories, however, the flow very nicely together. In the beginning, the book is a little hard to follow because the only thing that separates the two stories is different font. However, many catch on quickly and become engrossed in the book. The first plot is about Sarah who has to find her brother when she escapes from a ghetto. The book is shorter than the other one. The second book is in 2005 and it is about a journalist who finds out about Sarah and learns about her history. Their stories meet and the book becomes more intense by every page. The author makes writes as if this all happened to her, even though it didn’t. At many times in the book, I thought it was non-fiction because The author made every sentence so believable. My mind was always on the book whenever I read it and it was a good story line. The story has two plots, and two settings. The first setting is in 1942, during the Holocaust. It is in France and most of it is in a ghetto. Sarah was not sent to a concentration camp, but when she escapes she realizes that her parents were. The rest of the story still is in France, but it takes place at an old couples house and Sarah’s old house. The other setting goes to many different places. Julia, her husband, and her daughter live in Paris. In the book, Julia has to travel to New York to her sister and to Italy to find out more about Sarah (from her relatives in Italy). The settings flowed perfectly with this. The only thing I would say is that sometimes, the setting changes weren’t so clear from relatives houses to even another country. I think the author could have described the scenes a little better, but other than that, the settings and the plot moved perfectly together. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves learning about the Holocaust, or would like to learn about it. It doesn’t just teach you about the pain, but it shows how it still impacts and matters to our everyday lives. Just imagine that event happening again. It is good to remember the past and reflect on it. I would give this book 4 stars. Like I said before, the stories flow perfectly, however, some of the transitions were rough. I enjoyed this book a lot and it is a sweet and sour story. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;">[|Click Here to Find the Book]