Thursday, January 29, 2009
Welcome!
The Reading Reviews Blog, created by Danvers High School Reading for Enjoyment students and Mrs. Anketell, contains many great book reviews! Spring reviews will be posted soon. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Art of Racing in the Rain--Jessica Delande
The Art of Racing In The Rain, Garth Stein.Fiction.Bright White Lights, LLC.2008.
“The Art of Racing in the Rain has everything: love tragedy, redemption, danger, and -most especially- the canine narrator Enzo. This old soul of a dog has much to teach to us about being human. I loved this book.” – Sara Gruen, Author of Water for Elephants
The Art of Racing in the Rain provides a different perspective than most fictional stories. The intelligent family dog Enzo, with an obsession of thumbs and racing, narrates the book explaining how his owners’ lives affect him. Enzo believed he was human and Denny always treated him like he was. “ Sure, I’m stuffed into a dog’s body, but that’s just the shell. It’s what’s inside that’s important. The soul. And my soul is very human.” (3) In the beginning it was just Denny and Enzo. Denny was a pro racecar driver and took Enzo always took the track to see the cars. They were the best of friends and couldn’t have been happier. Then Eve came along and married Denny. At first Eve and Enzo never really grew a bond. Enzo had a sort of envy for her because Denny adored her. Denny and Eve finally had a daughter, Zoë, who could not have loved Enzo more. They ran around, took naps, and watched TV together all day long. Everything was going well for the Swift family until Eve got very sick. Enzo became a support system for Denny, always there to listen. Eve’s sickness changed their entire life especially because of her parents who thought Denny was never good enough for her. Enzo helped Denny stay strong throughout his tough times and then when he passed away, Enzo left Denny with freedom to race again.
Before reading this book I was skeptical. Why would I want to read a book narrated by a dog? It seemed a little strange but when I began reading I could not put it down. Enzo was a hilarious narrator with his insane obsession on why dogs should have thumbs and monkeys should not. I also loved how he would sit in front of the TV all day and tried to teach himself how to read at one point. How funny is that? I became very connected to Enzo and the Swift family. The connection between a dog and their owner was portrayed so correctly in this book. Enzo was always there for Denny throughout the story not matter what, it was unconditional love. During Eve’s sickness and death Denny was accused of many things from her parents. Without Enzo, Denny would have most likely never made it through. I would recommend everyone to read this book, girls and boys, any age. I could honestly say this is now one of my favorite books. I loved how Enzo was portrayed as a human more than just a dog. At some points in the book I forgot that it was a dog telling the story. He was so compassionate about his owners and did anything to help them out. Garth Stein is an incredible writer and put an appealing and creative look onto the lives of dogs.
“The Art of Racing in the Rain has everything: love tragedy, redemption, danger, and -most especially- the canine narrator Enzo. This old soul of a dog has much to teach to us about being human. I loved this book.” – Sara Gruen, Author of Water for Elephants
The Art of Racing in the Rain provides a different perspective than most fictional stories. The intelligent family dog Enzo, with an obsession of thumbs and racing, narrates the book explaining how his owners’ lives affect him. Enzo believed he was human and Denny always treated him like he was. “ Sure, I’m stuffed into a dog’s body, but that’s just the shell. It’s what’s inside that’s important. The soul. And my soul is very human.” (3) In the beginning it was just Denny and Enzo. Denny was a pro racecar driver and took Enzo always took the track to see the cars. They were the best of friends and couldn’t have been happier. Then Eve came along and married Denny. At first Eve and Enzo never really grew a bond. Enzo had a sort of envy for her because Denny adored her. Denny and Eve finally had a daughter, Zoë, who could not have loved Enzo more. They ran around, took naps, and watched TV together all day long. Everything was going well for the Swift family until Eve got very sick. Enzo became a support system for Denny, always there to listen. Eve’s sickness changed their entire life especially because of her parents who thought Denny was never good enough for her. Enzo helped Denny stay strong throughout his tough times and then when he passed away, Enzo left Denny with freedom to race again.
Before reading this book I was skeptical. Why would I want to read a book narrated by a dog? It seemed a little strange but when I began reading I could not put it down. Enzo was a hilarious narrator with his insane obsession on why dogs should have thumbs and monkeys should not. I also loved how he would sit in front of the TV all day and tried to teach himself how to read at one point. How funny is that? I became very connected to Enzo and the Swift family. The connection between a dog and their owner was portrayed so correctly in this book. Enzo was always there for Denny throughout the story not matter what, it was unconditional love. During Eve’s sickness and death Denny was accused of many things from her parents. Without Enzo, Denny would have most likely never made it through. I would recommend everyone to read this book, girls and boys, any age. I could honestly say this is now one of my favorite books. I loved how Enzo was portrayed as a human more than just a dog. At some points in the book I forgot that it was a dog telling the story. He was so compassionate about his owners and did anything to help them out. Garth Stein is an incredible writer and put an appealing and creative look onto the lives of dogs.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Corey Perssons’ Book Review
Me & Emma
By: Elizabeth Flock
The book, Me & Emma is written by Elizabeth Flock and is a fiction book. The story is told by a little girl named Carrie, and her life, living with her mom, step-dad, and little sister. The overall theme of this book is, no matter how bad things get, there are still ways to deal with them. Carrie in this book has a pretty hard life. Her dad died when she was only little, and her step-dad is an abusive alcoholic. She also isn’t good at school and her mom doesn’t really pay attention to her. In affect Carrie and Emma become very close because they only really have each other. In the book Carrie and Emma come across different problems and figure out different ways to handle them. Carrie and Emma seem to come across many different problems that they figure different ways to handle them.
This book is very interesting and memorable. It is very memorable to hear a story from a little girls point of view and her thoughts and actions. The actions that the step-father takes makes the story very suspenseful and interesting. Also, in the book there are a lot of conflicts against Carrie. In school she doesn’t really fit in. This is a very real for some kids. She also had lost a parent previously in the book which was very sad and hard for her to handle. Lastly, she has an abusive step-father which is also very realistic. For me this was a really inspiring book. I thought it was very inspiring to hear how bad Carrie’s life was and she tried her best to fight back, hang in there and make it better. I can now see the struggle some people have when a parent dies or they get a step-father that is not very nice. Carrie works hard when things aren’t going her way and I think I can relate to that.
Overall I think this was a great book. It was interesting, memorable, and inspiring. It is a good book for both boys and girls because it is a very interesting book. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick and fun read.
Me & Emma
By: Elizabeth Flock
The book, Me & Emma is written by Elizabeth Flock and is a fiction book. The story is told by a little girl named Carrie, and her life, living with her mom, step-dad, and little sister. The overall theme of this book is, no matter how bad things get, there are still ways to deal with them. Carrie in this book has a pretty hard life. Her dad died when she was only little, and her step-dad is an abusive alcoholic. She also isn’t good at school and her mom doesn’t really pay attention to her. In affect Carrie and Emma become very close because they only really have each other. In the book Carrie and Emma come across different problems and figure out different ways to handle them. Carrie and Emma seem to come across many different problems that they figure different ways to handle them.
This book is very interesting and memorable. It is very memorable to hear a story from a little girls point of view and her thoughts and actions. The actions that the step-father takes makes the story very suspenseful and interesting. Also, in the book there are a lot of conflicts against Carrie. In school she doesn’t really fit in. This is a very real for some kids. She also had lost a parent previously in the book which was very sad and hard for her to handle. Lastly, she has an abusive step-father which is also very realistic. For me this was a really inspiring book. I thought it was very inspiring to hear how bad Carrie’s life was and she tried her best to fight back, hang in there and make it better. I can now see the struggle some people have when a parent dies or they get a step-father that is not very nice. Carrie works hard when things aren’t going her way and I think I can relate to that.
Overall I think this was a great book. It was interesting, memorable, and inspiring. It is a good book for both boys and girls because it is a very interesting book. I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick and fun read.
Breaking Dawn Reading Review
Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn. Little, Brown and Company. 2008. Fiction. Theme: Love conquers all and can last an eternity. Background: The fourth and final book in the Twilight series.
Starting off where Eclipse left off, Bella is engaged to the love of her life, and vampire, Edward Cullen. Within the first few chapters, Edward and Bella marry and go to the beautiful Isle Esme, an island Carlisle had bought for his wife Esme, for their honeymoon. However, the fun is cut short when Bella becomes pregnant. They rush home where Bella seems as though she is slowly dying as the small half-vampire baby drains her of blood. Bella is forced to drink blood in order to stay alive and feed the baby. A few weeks later, just after Bella gives birth to the baby, Edward must save her from death and turn her into a vampire. Later on the Volturi, vampires who make sure others follow the rules, believe the baby, Renesmee, is full vampire and is a danger to society. They plan to come to kill the Cullen family for their “wrong doings”. The Cullens must gather as many of their friends as possible to tell the truth of Renesmee and save the family. Can they beat the most powerful vampires in existence or will they fall in defeat?
This book is a memorable book. Stephenie Meyer’s writing is simple and easy to follow. The book has a mix of suspense and romance. Because the book is highly fiction it does not have many connections to real life. However, it teaches that family and good friends will always be there for you, even at death’s door in Bella’s case.
I highly recommend reading Breaking Dawn, especially if you read the first three books. You’ll never want to put it down. Suspense lingers on every page.
Starting off where Eclipse left off, Bella is engaged to the love of her life, and vampire, Edward Cullen. Within the first few chapters, Edward and Bella marry and go to the beautiful Isle Esme, an island Carlisle had bought for his wife Esme, for their honeymoon. However, the fun is cut short when Bella becomes pregnant. They rush home where Bella seems as though she is slowly dying as the small half-vampire baby drains her of blood. Bella is forced to drink blood in order to stay alive and feed the baby. A few weeks later, just after Bella gives birth to the baby, Edward must save her from death and turn her into a vampire. Later on the Volturi, vampires who make sure others follow the rules, believe the baby, Renesmee, is full vampire and is a danger to society. They plan to come to kill the Cullen family for their “wrong doings”. The Cullens must gather as many of their friends as possible to tell the truth of Renesmee and save the family. Can they beat the most powerful vampires in existence or will they fall in defeat?
This book is a memorable book. Stephenie Meyer’s writing is simple and easy to follow. The book has a mix of suspense and romance. Because the book is highly fiction it does not have many connections to real life. However, it teaches that family and good friends will always be there for you, even at death’s door in Bella’s case.
I highly recommend reading Breaking Dawn, especially if you read the first three books. You’ll never want to put it down. Suspense lingers on every page.
The book Marley and Me was written by John Grogan, published by Harper Collins 2005. The book is non fiction, it’s fun and enjoyable. Many people would agree that the main theme for this book is that a good friend isn’t always a person. The main problem of the book is that the Grogans decided to get a dog only they really had no idea what they were in for. Marley is a high energetic dog who never slows down.
Marley is always bring hope to any problem and can cheer anyone up. He’s like most dogs when it comes to stealing objects. “His reaction to any situation was the same; grab the nearest shoe or pillow or pencil – really anything would do—and run with it” (page25). When little baby Patrick comes into play Marley takes on the role of a big brother, to show Patrick the ropes basically.
To me this book was very good, probably not for the weak hearted though because of the ending but overall a great book. Out of all the books I’ve read nothing can compare to this story. It’s a pure come from the heart type story, and has not been matched by any other book. This book did not really have much of an effect on me but it did make me realize that dogs really are mans best friend.
Marley is always bring hope to any problem and can cheer anyone up. He’s like most dogs when it comes to stealing objects. “His reaction to any situation was the same; grab the nearest shoe or pillow or pencil – really anything would do—and run with it” (page25). When little baby Patrick comes into play Marley takes on the role of a big brother, to show Patrick the ropes basically.
To me this book was very good, probably not for the weak hearted though because of the ending but overall a great book. Out of all the books I’ve read nothing can compare to this story. It’s a pure come from the heart type story, and has not been matched by any other book. This book did not really have much of an effect on me but it did make me realize that dogs really are mans best friend.
Angelica DiMercurio
Jodi Picoult, The Pact.Harper Perennial.1999.Fiction. There are many themes throughout this book but the one that tends to show up the most is a theme of unconditional love. The Pact teaches this lesson in a way of when you love someone so much, you put them before yourself-even risk your life for them.
The Pact is a story about Emily Gold and Chris Harte, who have been friends since the day they were born. Being neighbors and close family friends, Emily and Chris were constantly around eachother. At first they were just close friends, but as time went on, Emily and Chris started feeling more strongly about eachother and friendship wasn't enough. Eventually, Emily and Chris start going out. There relationship is until Chris starts noticing a sudden change in Emily. She hasn't been acting the same and seems to be depressed all the time. Chris cannot get Emily to tell him whats bothering her but one day she decides to come clean. She tells Chris she is planning on commiting suicide and since he loves her so much, he makes a suicide pact with her, but will he follow through? The Pact is a suspenseful book constantly making you wonder how far would somebody go for the person they love.
The Pact is deffinately an interesting book. It gives you a chance to put yourself in somebody else's shoes. The way Jodi Picoult describes certain scenarios makes you feel as if you were the one having to make this life or death choice. This book raises many issues depending on the way you look at it. It makes you ask yourself a lot of questions and read between the lines. The Pact taught me many life lessons and made me understand how some people can be feeling on the inside without showing it on the outside. It is an inspirational book and makes you widen your point of view to different issues and situations. I highly reccomend this book so that you too can experience the apprehensive events of The Pact.
The Pact is a story about Emily Gold and Chris Harte, who have been friends since the day they were born. Being neighbors and close family friends, Emily and Chris were constantly around eachother. At first they were just close friends, but as time went on, Emily and Chris started feeling more strongly about eachother and friendship wasn't enough. Eventually, Emily and Chris start going out. There relationship is until Chris starts noticing a sudden change in Emily. She hasn't been acting the same and seems to be depressed all the time. Chris cannot get Emily to tell him whats bothering her but one day she decides to come clean. She tells Chris she is planning on commiting suicide and since he loves her so much, he makes a suicide pact with her, but will he follow through? The Pact is a suspenseful book constantly making you wonder how far would somebody go for the person they love.
The Pact is deffinately an interesting book. It gives you a chance to put yourself in somebody else's shoes. The way Jodi Picoult describes certain scenarios makes you feel as if you were the one having to make this life or death choice. This book raises many issues depending on the way you look at it. It makes you ask yourself a lot of questions and read between the lines. The Pact taught me many life lessons and made me understand how some people can be feeling on the inside without showing it on the outside. It is an inspirational book and makes you widen your point of view to different issues and situations. I highly reccomend this book so that you too can experience the apprehensive events of The Pact.
Jessica Sherwood’s Reading Review
Review for: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones. Genre: contemporary, fiction, humor, poetry. Published by Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group May 2004. Theme: appearance vs. reality. "Winning portrayal of a teenage girl's loves and losses."-Publishers Weekly. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies is about a girl named Ruby Milliken. Ruby is sent away from her home in Massachusetts, her boyfriend, and her best friend after her mother dies to go live with the one person she hates. Whip Logan, her famous movie star dad that in fifteen years, never bothered to visit her. Ruby is set on not forgiving her father and hating him for eternity, but after settling down in Hollywood, she learns of the behind the scenes reasons why. Even though this book covers most teenage dramas, Ruby still makes it hilarious to read. Ruby gives her blunt but entertaining views on her life in poem format. I do have to disagree with the reason why the mother hated homosexuals. Yes, there was a strong emotional feeling behind it, but I do not agree with her saying all of them are bad people. It came off quite childish to me for an adult, but it made her seem more human with that flaw. The book suggests that children should try to form a better relationship with their parents. Ruby does not understand her father that well in the beginning of the book. But as the story progresses, secretes unravel and she starts to understand the situation. Ruby has to decide to forgive her father or not. Though it leaves out the matter of maintaining such a relationship. This book affected me by making me try harder to understand other people’s feelings, even if I do not agree with them. The book also made me think about my dreams more. In the book, Ruby takes a dream class where she has to interpret her dreams. I tried this technique out and it sometimes helps. I found it interesting that there was a way to interpret dreams. I can really relate to not being on good terms with my own dad. He gets me angry sometimes and we fight, but we some how manage to make up. We just have to share our views on the subject to try to understand each other better. I recommend this book to anyone who has any parental problems but does not want to get depressed while reading. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies has a serious message with a good sense of humor.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Mrs. Anketell's Reading Review
Hold Tight, Harlan Coben. Fiction. Penguin Books. 2003.
Background: Harlan writes mystery/suspense books for ALL ages! "The modern master of the Hook-and-Twist!" (Dan Brown)
Background: Harlan writes mystery/suspense books for ALL ages! "The modern master of the Hook-and-Twist!" (Dan Brown)
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