Final Project
Libby Belvin
Ten Ways to Make my Sister Disappear
By: Norma Fox Mazer
Published: 2007
Summary: Ten Ways to Make my Sister Disappear is about a girl named Sprig who does not get along with her sister Dakota. Because she feels as though Dakota is always being mean to her and takes all the jobs she wants to do or tells their dad everything before Sprig can, she comes up with a list of ten ways to make her sister disappear. Once they hear the news that their dad is going to Afghanastan, nothing else becomes important and they become worried of his safety and security.
This book affects me because I have a sister and sometimes I would like to make her disappear also. It teaches the reader that even though everyone has many differences, they might also be going through the same issues or have the same difficulties and you should always be patient with one another.
Watchers Last Stop
By: Peter Lerangis
Published: November 1, 1988
Summary: This book is about a boy named David whose father had disappeared for about six months. No one knew where his father went or when he was coming back, so David decided he would search for him. One day David is on the subway and the train passes an abandoned station that it never stops at anymore and he sees a familiar face, his dad. The next few days him and a friend gather all the information possible and take many trips on the subway to see if they can find his father again. Suddenly, the subway makes another stop at the abandoned station. This time David decides to go find his father, who asks him if he wants to go with him to a new place called "Earth" or stay where he is.
This book a great book if you like mysteries and you like to find out piece by piece what is happening. It teaches the reader that sometimes people do things because it will be for the benefit of everyone, even if who it mainly affects could be disappointed.
Off The Record
By: Bonnie Hearn Hill
Published: November, 2006
Summary: Off the Record is about a newspaper journalist, Geri LaRue, who needs a big break when a story comes in of a woman who goes by the name of Kathleen Fowler is found dead on the cliffs beneath her house. Something about this story is strange, the woman left all of her estate to Geri when they have never met. Trying to find the answer to why this might be, she finds that the answer might be in her own troubled past.
This book teaches the reader that things are not always as they appear and that the answer can always be found through hard work and determination. It is also a great mystery book and keeps the reader interested throughout the whole thing.
Fallen Angels
By: Walter Dean Myers
Published: January 1, 1998
Summary: Arriving in Vietnam, seventeen-year-old Richie Perry befriends two others in his new platoon. He imagines how war will be and is falsely told of the peace in a certain area where he will be stationed. In a struggle to figure out his reasoning for joining the army and also his self worth, he can not tell his family back home the true aspects of the war. Under the command of a higher ranking officer, and after several miscalculations, an actual fight breaks out where many are wounded, leaving him not knowing whether he will ever return home or not.
This book brings to attention the difficulties of those in the army, or any branch of the military, and makes the reader realize that there are people fighting for our freedom because it comes with a price. I feel like because we have it so easy in America, most of us forget that freedom is not actually free.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By: Mark Twain
Published: December, 1884
Summary: Annoyed with widow Douglas, a woman who took him in and attempted to teach him manners, but fearful that his father's beatings will become worse; Huck Finn fakes his own death and runs to the Mississippi. This is where he meets up with Jim, a runaway slave, with which Huck share many exciting and dangerous adventures with.
This book makes the reader look past stereotypes and shows that anyone can become friends, no matter their culture or background. This book is also full of exciting adventures with Huck and Jim.
Frankenstein
By: Mary Shelley
Published: 1818
Summary: Victor Frankenstein is so obsessed with knowledge and achieving his goal of creating a person, he secludes himself and does not associate with anyone, not even his family. Once he finishes his creation, he becomes scared of what he created because it was unpleasing in appearance and runs. He later finds out through a letter of the death of a family member and figures out it was the monster. Because Victor is rude and mean to his own creation, the monster continues to kill members of his family. Victor talks to the monster and it asks him to create another, like the monster, for it to have a mate. Victor agrees, but ends up discarding the second creation and making the monster even madder.
This is an important book to me because it teaches you not to judge others by their appearance. You have to look deeper than just the outside of someone, yet as a society we fail to do such things.
Romeo and Juliet
By: Shakespeare
Published: 1597
Summary: Two teens, Romeo and Juliet are "star crossed lovers" who are caught in the middle of a family feud. They fall in love, but are told they cannot be together because of the feud. They come up with a plan, with the help of some friends, to fake their deaths in order to be together. However, something goes wrong and Romeo does not get the message in time before someone has told him Juliet has died. Because he was so in love, he kills himself. Juliet is not actually dead, but what she awakes to find is terrible.
This story teaches the reader not to jump to conclusions an to be sure before you make a permanent decision. It is full of drama and is also full of humorous parts. I would recommend this if you like tragedies.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
By: Pearl Poet
Published: Late 14th Century
Summary: This poem is about a Green Knight that interrupts King Arthur's New Year's Eve party and challenges King Arthur to a "game." Arthur was going to originally agree, but because Sir Gawain was a noble knight, he took his spot. The Green Knight told him to give one swing at him with the axe, yet when Sir Gawain did, the Green Knight was unharmed. He gave Sir Gawain a year and a day to find where he lived and the Green Knight would get his turn. Sir Gawain goes on a long journey and makes it to a palace with a man and a woman. Here, he makes an agreement with the man and both ends are held up, except Gawain takes the green scarf from his wife. The man ends up being the Green Knight, but Sir Gawain still has the green scarf when the Green Knight takes his swing with the axe at Gawain.
This epic poem teaches readers that you should always be noble and hold you your end of an agreement. It also teaches readers that it is important to be honest and dependable. This book is filled with suspense and many adventures of Sir Gawain.
The Most Dangerous Game
By: Richard Connell
Publication: January 19, 1924
Summary: After losing balance and falling off a boat, Rainsford is left to climb ashore onto an unknown island. The next morning he awakes and follows footprints that eventually lead him to a house where he is greeted by a man named Zaroff. Zaroff explains that he likes to hunt humans, which worries Rainsford and the next day after lunch he attempts to run, even though Zaroff is actually hunting him.
This short story describes the dangers of trusting someone you don't actually know. It describes the importance of always having another plan instead of just showing up somewhere. This story is filled with suspenseful situations and you are always surprised of what will happen next.
The Crucible
By: Arthur Miller
Publication: 1953
Summary: Several girls go out dancing in the woods with a slave, Tituba. The girls are caught by the pastor and they falsely accuse Tituba of witch craft. While on trial, the girls pretend to be controlled by Tituba and eventually it will lead to her death. These same girls begin accusing many others of witch craft, mainly ones they do not like. Many confess even though they did not do anything because they don't want to be killed. The town grows nervous as the accusations never seem to come to a halt.
This story shows that humans will do whatever possible to get out of a bad situation and ignorance plays a big part in that. It shows that back them almost anything could be done with a simple accusation; even if it only ruins their reputation it can still be harmful to that person.