Point Blank

Significance

I chose this book because it seemed interesting and I have read the first book of the series. I liked that book a lot and I wanted to read the second one in the series. The author’s theme is a 14 year old spy who MI6 in their secret missions. For his next mission Alex Rider, the main character, has to go to a exclusive privet boarding school in the French Alps. A real world situation is today there may be strange schools trying to manipulate teens of famous families minds.

Perspective

Anthony Horowitz was the author of this book. The time period this book was written could be today or sometime in the near future. Anthony Horowitz lives in London therefore he writes about MI6 instead of the CIA. The author is biased toward England and is very positive about his country’s MI6. Since this book is Pro England and not anti American I enjoy reading about this teenager’s experiences in an unusual school.

Evidence

An argument the author is trying to make is don’t send your child to a school that been to yourself. Also it shows how important it is to visit a boarding school on a once a moth bases. The author gives a very detailed picture in the readers mind when he is describing the environment and it made me feel like I was there. Anthony Horowitz is a great author because he presents the problem and makes your mind see if you can solve it before Alex can. Or made me try to think of what Alex would do.

Connection

This book has inspired me to read more of the series and right now I am about to star the next book, Skeleton Key. Also it will inspire me to read more spy books. The situations in this book, thank goodness, definitely don’t happen at High Tech Middle Media Arts. This book connects to science because of the things Alex sees when he explores the school’s laboratory. Things in this book could really happen in the future although I hope science never reaches that level.

Supposition

The author needed today’s scientific knowledge in order to write this intriguing book. If this book were written in the 1800’s the science in this book would be completely different. If the characters were changed then this book would have a different storyline. I predict that the author will continue to write many books adventures about Alex Rider in the Future. If Alex hadn’t made a friend the book would have ended differently.

Dave at Night

Significance

The author (Gail Levine) is trying to tell you her father’s life story in a different way. Gail Levine used her father experience in a Hebrew orphanage to let the reader know what life in an orphanage might be like. This piece matters because it shows what life in the 1920’s was like. I chose this book because I knew that we had to write a historical fiction piece and this book was historical fiction and it seemed interesting. I also chose to read this book because I had read the Newbery Honor book Ella Enchanted, by the same author.

Perspective

Gail Carson Levine is the author of this piece of work. The time period of this book was the 1920’s. Her personal experience by being Jewish and having a father who grew up in an orphanage affected this story a lot. In the story the author pointed out the racial prejudices of Mr. Doom and other people at that time. I can relate to the religious aspects of this book because I am Jewish.

Evidence

There are a few arguments the author is trying to make. First when you are given a bad situation you can make it a good one. Next that race, religion, and age don’t have to keep people apart. Levine supports all these arguments by different situations that Dave (the main character) and his friends get themselves into. The fact that Levine’s father grew up in an orphanage provided her with tales of his childhood which she was able to use in the story.

Connection

After this time period many racial prejudices have changed. Now days more kids are placed in foster homes instead of orphanages. This book reminded me of a book where the main character, Bud lived in an orphanage and foster homes. This book will inspire me to read more historical fiction books.

Supposition

If you changed Dave’s family’s position in life Dave might have had a different tale. If the story’s characters were different or kinder the book would be different ending. If Levine’s father hadn’t lived in an orphanage she wouldn’t have had a personal connection to write this book. She might have written the book in a different time period, changing the story completely.

A Single Shard

Significance
The author’s theme in this book is pottery, and that a 13 year old orphan boy can succeed at his dreams. I chose this piece because it was a Newbery Medal winner and it sounded interesting. This story is significant to anyone because it tells the reader not to give up, and to always pursue your dream. A real world situation using the concept of losing your family, it doesn’t mean that you can’t find your dream.

Perspective
The author of this book is Linda Sue Park. This story took place in the west coast of Korea in the mid to late 12th century.In this century Korea was ruled by an emperor who sent his emissaries to villages to find the finest pottery The perspective the reader learns is that an orphan could not become a potter unless his family had a history of pottery making. To prove himself, Tree-ear (the main character) had to live in his master’s shadow even though he taught himself to make fine pottery.

Evidence
The village that Tree-ear lives in has a poor part where he lives with his guardian, who is a cripple and also very poor. This information helps to set the scene for the story. Historically the information presented in this story regarding orphans is factual because the author did research on the time period. During this time period orphans wore often neglected and unable to be a part of society.

Connection
Tree-ear and his guardian have a connection to today’s homeless people because in the story Tree-ear lives under a bridge. Also, he has to find work just to get food and water to survive. It reminded me of teen runaways because they had been abandoned and had to make a living for themselves. So in this way the 12th century Korea and the 21st century America are alike. This book will inspire me to read more historical fiction.

Supposition
If Linda Sue Park changed the time period to the 21st century it would be a different because Tree-ear would be allowed to become adopted. If Tree-ear had not met with a disaster on the way to a different town, then he would have had a more successful meeting at the end of his journey. Also, if this took place in today’s society Tree-ear would have not gone on his trip because of Fed Ex. Furthermore, in today’s Korean society there is a dictator, not an emperor.

All in all, this is a story that everyone should read.

Rules of the Game- Chapter 5 in the Joy Luck Club

Significance-
This event is important because the chess playing showed a different side of Waverly Jong (Mei Mie) and the way she acted.

Perspective
Amy Tan was the author of his chapter, Her parents immigrated from China.

Evidence-
In this Chapter the author is tiring to show how the Chinese lived in America in 1951.

Connection –
My connection to this chapter is that I have loved to play chess and have been playing it since I was 5.

Supposition- I think the mom will learn to play chess and she will beat Mei Mei !

Among the Hidden

Significance

I chose this book because a friend recommended it and the title sounded interesting. Also the synopsis on the back made it seem like the book was going to be amazing read.
A real world situation that relates to this book is the limiting of family size in some countries. A reader would feel lucky if they read this and realized all the things that Luke (the main character) didn’t get to do. It also makes you think that you take a lot of things in life for granted.

Perspective
The author of this book is Margaret Peterson Haddix.
The time period this book was written in would have to be contemporary or in the future because of the technology the characters used. In perspective I believe that the government was too strict and invasive on personal rights.
My family has three children and my mom came from a family of eight so this story’s plot was a little different then what I’m used to in real life.

Evidence
The argument that the author is trying to make is that the government shouldn’t be so controlling of family sizes. The facts that Margaret Haddix used were that third children could correspond with one and other. Also it showed that even government workers break the rules that they are supposed to support. Next it showed that people who worked for the government get special privileges.

Connection
The real world connection is that some countries still practice population control today. People now days worry about the food supply and the over population of the earth so it could some day in the future become a reality. Some day the government might control foods that people are allowed to eat vs. not. This book will inspire me to read more of Margaret Haddix’s books, and the rest of this series.

Supposition
If the concepts in this book really happened the population around the world would be a lot smaller. However I wonder what would happen if you had one child and then had twins, or if you just had triplets. The author left me wondering about this and I would have changed it so I knew what would happen in these circumstances. If this book took place in a different time period when there wasn’t as high technology as today then maybe something tragic wouldn’t have happened.

My DP

Stormbreaker an Alex Rider Adveture

Significance-

The author’s theme in this book is good versus evil. I chose this book to read because I heard it was an adventure book and it was very suspenseful. Anyone who loves to be on the edge of their seat and read an action packed thriller would absolutely enjoy this story. The author of Stormbreaker is saying everyone is not always who they seem to be. A real world situation could be similar to this book because the world is today and how dangerous it can be.

Perspective-

The author’s name is Anthony Horowitz. This book was written in contemporary times in England. Anthony Horowitz lives in London, England and uses MI6 to help tell the story(Is like the FBI for England).The author of this book is bias towards MI6 and getting their enemies pushed. In another angle MI6’s enemy thought that they had a good reason to be against MI6 and all of England.

Evidence-

The author is trying to make the point that good always triumphs over evil. The facts that Anthony Horowitz has his main character use are always for England’s good. The facts that the author uses to back up his main idea,(good always wins over evil) because MI6 wins. A lot of the gadgets the main character Alex Rider uses are helpful and believable in today’s world of spies. Unfortunately good does not always win in this world, which is a real shame.

Connection-

The knowledge in this book about spy gadgets could be applied in situations involving spies. This piece would inspire me to read more of Anthony Horowitz’s exciting books. Also this book has become a best seller and a movie has been made out of it. When you write you might be inspired to use some of the authors writing techniques that left you wondering what was going to happen next.

Supposition-

If I changed which country the main character came from the whole story would change and the plot would be different. Based on this information from this book I think Alex Rider will continue to work for MI6. However if Ian Rider had not had an accident Alex Ride may never had become involved or known about the secret spy agency. Alex’s life would be just like any other 14-year-old boy.

The Golden Compass

His Dark Materials* Book 1
The Golden Compass
Pullman

Significance
I chose to read this book because my friend suggested it, and it was my librarian’s favorite author. This book is valuable because it won the Carnegie Medal in 1996, which is similar to the Newbery Medal in the U.S. so I knew that it had good content.
The theme of this book is good versus evil with a twist. Also the book had to do with free will and making choices.
A person who likes fantasy, battles and animals would enjoy reading this book.

Perspective
Philip Pullman is the Englishman who wrote this entertaining book, however some people might find this book controversial.
Someone of a conservative religious practice might find parts of the book against their beliefs. The part about Adam and Eve surprised me but I was able to except his interpretation of the story and move on. Since parts of the book were written from the main characters perspective I could understand her cultural life.

Evidence
The argument Pullman is trying to make is that people should have free will and be able to make their own choices without religious interference in their lives. Pullmans claim about free will is for most peoples beliefs, including mine is not true. The author, being an Atheist, influenced his use of enchantment such as the compass, the daemons and ability to create another worlds. Many religious people have found the content of this book be offensive and controversial. On the other hand, many people have chosen to ignore the religious views presented by Pullman.

Connection
The ending of this book had a connection to the book
Wrinkle in Time. It also has a connection to all fantasy books with witchcraft and unbelievable actions. Today this book has been made into a popular major motion picture. However have not seen this movie yet. After his success with this book Pullman chose to write two other books in this series. This novel might encourage me to read the other two books in this saga.

Supposition
The world would be a very different place if everyone believed like the characters in this book. The author’s perspective on religion could have changed the whole story. If the information in this book would be less controversial it would have been more of a crowd favorite. What I have noticed is how Pullman chose to include ideas about witchcraft, a Golden Compass (which is like a crystal ball) and also changing the Bible to try to make you rethink your values.

Beowulf

Significance

The theme of the book is good Vs evil. The events in the book are important because the battles that were fought by Beowulf show how good overcomes evil and a man’s strength and his religion assist him. The reason I chose this piece of literature is because I had never read a poem that was about fighting and monsters. Also it was the first book that I had ever read that was written in a time when they had fighting with swords and fits. Readers should know this story because it is something that has been preserved from old times and tells about life in old England. It is also valuable because it is an epic about a way of life that has disappeared over time.

Perspective

Historians believe that this story was written in about the 8th century A.D. It has been a story that has been passed down for many generations. This copy of the book has been translated into new English by Burton Raffel. The historical time period that this poem takes place is A.D 495.- A.D. 533. The author of this epic was biased toward Beowulf and his success at all his battles. My feelings towards Beowulf made me want him win every battle that he fights and do it gracefully.

Evidence
The argument that the author is trying to make is that there is a difference between a good warrior and a good king. How I can back that up is being a good king he would have not fought the fire breathing dragon, which if he died there would be no man in power. A good warrior would have gone to face the dragon that was killing innocent people like he Beowulf did and risk his life to save others. In this book there are three major problems that all have to do with killing a two monsters and a fire breathing dragon.
Since this is an epic, a poem that has been handed for many centuries there is no concrete evidence that any of the storyline or evidence is true.

Connection
This epic can connect to the history of ancient Denmark and the countries that they fought. It showed a connection of Beowulf’s culture and traditions like strength, generosity and the code of honor. This work can apply to my daily life by my standing up for what I believe to be right. Beowulf and I connect to each other because sometimes I like to take charge and Beowulf was a leader who took charge of many people in battles.


Supposition
If Grendel, the monster, had one the battle with Beowulf the whole poem would have had a completely different storyline. If the events in the book would have happened now the methods of fighting would be very different because now we have guns and other weapons to kill the monsters quickly instead of a hard battle with fists and swords. If the tradition of story telling wasn’t practiced back then there would be no record of this poem written before the 8th century.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabth George Speare

Significance:

I chose this piece of literature first because it is a Newberry winner and a friend suggested it. Also people should know this story because it describes prejudice and how it can effect peoples way of thinking and their own beliefs. This book is valuable might help people become more tolerant of others.

Perspective:

This book takes place in 1687. I think the author wrote this book too show haw different their lives were in Barbados compared too Connecticut. The author wanted to show the religious intolerance of the colonists she also shows how sometimes people were killed for their religious beliefs.


Evidence:

The author’s argument is that not everyone has to think the same, you can be different in your own way. Ms. Speare wrote a book about a time in history where every thing was uncertain. The author points out that the colonists had conflicts inside a few families homes and outside their home like who went to the meeting and who didn’t, along with that who was loyal to the king and who was not.

Connection:

The religious intolerance still happens today in many parts of the world and even in some parts if our country. I have a connection because of what I have studied in history in the past about this time period. I have enjoyed and learned from historical fiction books in the past and this book will inspire me to read more. This story could have effected why the Revolutionary War happened because the colonists were still deciding whether to be loyal to the king or rebel.

Supposition:
The world would be different if the colonists hadn’t chose to rebel then we might still be ruled by a king and Queen. If Kit (the main character) had come to Connecticut in 2007 there probably would be no story similar to this one, because people don’t punish people that are witches. I this story had taken place in democratic system the main character wouldn’t have faced the problems that she had. Some assumptions that are being made in this book that witches have special powers and others disagree with that.

The witch of the blackbird pond

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Significance
A person will want to read this book if they enjoy fantasy, magic, and mystery. The author’s theme is magic and good versus evil. The reader will remember this story for a long time because it is such a great adventure.

Perspective
This book is by J.K. Rowling who has a brilliant imagination. She lives in England where the story takes place. The author of this book was a very poor woman when she created this story, and now she is a very wealthy woman. The time period the book was written was in the late 1990's. A person should choose to read this instead of another magic book because it has a great story behind it.

Evidence
The problem in this book is dark wizards trying to take over and, also kill the main character Harry Potter. Harry breaks the rules a lot, so he got into fights with his fellow students. This book is not true and I know this because magic is not real. Some details that are factual in the book are: you know who is evil and out to kill Harry Potter. Harry is only a first year student at Hogwarts so he is not fully trained yet, but his enemy has a lot of dark magic skills.


Connections
Yes this book will inspire me to read more of this series. I like to read fantasy books like Eragon and Eldest. My connection to this book is that I enjoy reading fantasy books that have lots of twists and turns.
Some people believe that there is magic being practiced in society today and groups of witches still practice witchcraft. Some of the events that happened after this book were written were: J K Rowling made many other books about Harry Potter a movie was made of the first book , J. K. Rowling got rich.

Supposition
The world would be different if Harry Potter was real because that would mean that magic is real and that would be able true. Life would not be different if this story hadn’t happened because it is just a book that is fiction. If this book had not been written then many children and adults wouldn’t be able to have the happiness of reading them together.