The Help, Kathryn Stockett, 444 pages

This is a fiction novel about segregation in the south during the 1960's. The main character, Skeeter, is a graduate from Ole Miss and she returns home to Jackson, Mississippi. When she gets home she finds out that her maid and nanny, Constantine, has disappeared without a trace. Skeeter than goes to ask other nanny's around town if they know where Constantine went. A nanny named Aibileen tells Skeeter what happened, and with the help of 12 other nanny's, Skeeter decides to write narratives from the point of the view of the help. They tell their stories about how they are mistreated, degraded and not heard. One of my favorite parts is when a nanny named Minny feels that the woman who has recently hired her is mistreating her, so she adds special ingredient to a pie that she bakes for the mom. I think that people will gain a new perspective on what happened to many African-American people in the south and feel empowered that they stood up for what was right, even if they were standing alone.

The Eagle Has Landed

The novel The Eagle Has Landed written by Jack Higgins is a non-fictional based novel understanding the past of the second World War. The novel opens up by creating this false document technique based on historical facts of the war. Oberst Steiner who is a German parachute unit commander, is sent to England on a convert assignment to kidnap the Prime Minister Winston Churchill and return him immediately back to Berlin. The impossible mission becomes more and more understandable that the mission can be achieved, as the mission grows nearer and nearer with Steiner and his men making their way into the heart of England to a very real possibility of success. The excitement in this novel keeps you questioning if this was a set up to get rid of Steiner and his men or a challenge for the Nazi Regime to win the war against the world. I recommend this book to anyone who is into History and decoding the past events that could have changed this world as we know it. This book has been far my favorite I've read that just keeps you on your feet and trying to solve what's going to happen in the near future. The characters in the book express their opinions towards the war the may very well turn on each other.

Mortal Coils

Mortal Coils

By Eric Nylund

 608 pages

            To Eliot and Fiona Post, their life has been nothing but a set of rules established by their oppressive grandmother. However, this all changes in a matter of days. After years of living under the impression that there is nothing even remotely exciting or special about their lives, they discover that they are the son and daughter of Atropos, one of the three Fates, and Lucifer, a fallen angel and the Prince of Darkness. Due to the conflicting origins of their parents, Eliot and Fiona are forced to decide, by means of three heroic trials, whether they belong to their mother’s family, the almighty League of Immortals, or their father’s family, the sinister Board of Infernals. From psychopathic killers to ancient beasts that have lived for centuries, Eliot and Fiona must triumph over the obstacles in front of them just to survive, much less determine the paths for the rest of their lives.

            Although the book is not centered around specifics themes such as love or hate, one theme that is explored a little by some of the characters is the existence of humans. One of the immortals, Aaron says “Where do we belong? In the clouds? Down there? Or perhaps we have no place at all to call our own.” Despite Aaron’s status as an immortal, this question of philosophy pertains to humans just as well and is something that many people wonder about. Like people in real life, Aaron is wondering why humans are here on earth and is there more to life after death or is death the end of one’s existence. Ideas such as this one give a sense of grandeur and mystery to the background of the settings and characters, enriching the already enrapturing universe of the story.

            Nylund’s specific details about the characters and settings give reader a vivid picture that completes the story by bringing it to life. His rich descriptions allow one imagine the intense pleasure of smelling the alluring aromas from the chocolates that are used to control Fiona or hear Eliot’s music as he beautifully manipulates it to serve himself. Despite the large amount of detail in these descriptions, the book’s pace remains level and fast, never getting bogged down in scenes that are meaningless to the overall plot without somehow adding a particularly funny or interesting sequence of events. In addition, the way Nylund reveals the dynamics amongst the rival families adds to the delightful suspense by keeping the reader guessing about who is going to politically out-maneuver each other. For example, when describing a meeting between the leaders of the League of Immortals, Nylund uses interior monologues from one character to explain his motives at the meeting and how he acts very subtly to use others for his own purposes. Nylund’s flowing style with numerous small plot twists turns this otherwise good story into a memorable masterpiece that keeps any reader from putting it down.

Maus

    Maus 
  by Art Spiegelman

    The book Maus by Art Spiegelman is a comic book like novel about mice and cats in the holocaust when Adolf Hitler was trying to take over. The mice in this comic are the Jews and the cats are the Nazis. It starts with a Jewish mouse, Artie, who is a writer/journalist and asks his father, who was in concentration camps, about his story in the camps and how he survived. I found this story very interesting, not just because it was written in comic strips, but also because it was told in a different point of view, mice and cats. The novel was also made into a second comic book, Maus 2, continuing the story from the first. I know I will definitely read the second book to find out what happens. I would recommend this book to someone that is interested in pictures and graphics as they read, and also someone that is interested in the war or what happened in some of the concentration camps. Michelle R p.159 

King of the Mild Frontier

King of the Mild Frontier
An Ill-Advised Autobiography
By Chris Crutcher
260 Pages
Chris Crutcher is famous for writing young adult books. His writing is popular, because teenagers can relate to the characters in his books. Crutcher also has a unique way of writing, which can be very entertaining. This autobiography contains a collection of childhood memories and new experiences for Chris Crutcher. For example, he tells a love story that readers can laugh at and be reminded of their own stories. He also tells stories of his temper and how his older brother would get him in trouble by asking if he wanted to do “something neat.” The reader does not have to have read Crutcher’s other books to enjoy this, but it definitely would be more interesting for them if they did. This book goes into his beliefs, which will give readers a sense of why his other books turn out the way they do. In addition, he speaks a little on how he became a writer.
With his childhood memories, he creates the themes of maturing and making mistakes. Another theme is figuring out, shaping, and building who you want to be as you grow up. He announces this theme while talking about the differences and similarities between now and when he was a child: “But all teens, then and now, are becoming, and that is the connector. We’re watching and considering and wondering what happens next; finding our places in the universe; entertaining beliefs that will become guideposts for our thoughts and actions for the rest of our lives.”
As Chris grows older, he starts to wonder about death. He has a little trouble understanding why bad things happen to good people. This is a common theme throughout the book, and he reveals his opinion on it at the end. He explains, “Viruses have no morality, no sense of good and evil, the deserving or the undeserving.” Another thought-provoking passage from this book is: “Superboy doesn’t have to be brave because he’s bulletproof.” He believes that bravery means standing up for something and pushing through pain.
There are also some morals that come out in this autobiography. One of which is that everything is relative. An annoying situation might not seem that bad when compared to starving in a desert. Chris also learns as he matures in this book that good can come from bad.
Chris narrates the book with a very engaging tone. Although this is a biography, it does not read like one. For example, when speaking of his adventures on the swimming team, he says, “The preferred (read, ‘required’) method for initial entry into the water each day was to march out to the end of the one-meter diving board...and fall backward, body rigid.” He also switches between looking back on his life and being in the moment. Other biographies tend to always be looking back on the subject and therefore they do not engage the reader with emotions like Crutcher does.
On the other hand, the book is not written in chronological order, which can make it a little hard to follow. It is also repetitive on occasion. It wouldn’t be described as a book one can’t put down, because there is not really a climax. There are just many short stories and experiences strung together by common themes. However, many people will be able to find joy in this light read.

Steve & Me

                                                                                                Seth Paterson, Period 3

                                                                                                Mrs. Disher

Steve & Me, by Teri Irwin, 263 pages.

            

            This is a story about the fearless “Crocodile Hunter”, Steve Irwin.  His loving wife, Teri, tells the book, written after his tragic death in 2006, shedding light on the man we saw on television cheat death every time he was on an adventure. Teri tells us, that from a young age, Steve had always been involved with wildlife. His father taught Steve to catch crocodiles, or just “crocs” for short, from a young age. Steve had managed to capture and secure his first croc when he was nine years old! Ever since the beginning, Steve never caught the reptiles to poach them, but to save them, from being poached. The Irwin’s started a small zoo in Australia, where the saved thousands of injured animals, and slowly, that “small zoo” turned into an internationally famous zoo. The book mostly focuses on Steve, in front of the camera, in action, behind the scenes, and in private. Teri tells countless tails of triumph, loss, close encounters, and love between two people that are undividable.

In my opinion, this is one of the most entertaining and exhilarating books I have ever read. The man with sixth sense for nature, shows this gift in many situations through out the book, some being life or death situations. “The croc was free, with only Steve’s hands clamping shut its jaws. We bound its snout and slipped on a blindfold to settle it down. Next, we determined that it was a female and measured her. She wasn’t quite ten feet long, but when I was lying on top of her, it felt like I was holding down a dragon.” That passage was from when Teri and Steve should have been on their honeymoon, but decided to go save an endangered crocodile instead.

I believe the purpose of this book was not only to honor Steve Irwin, but to show that he was more than real stuntman on television, but a sensitive, caring family man, who loved nothing more than his wife and children. If you were a fan of Steve Irwin, or maybe would like to know more about this wonderful man, then this book is for you, or anyone who likes nature and excitement, this book has it all.

Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

           

Helen Keller, The Story of My Life

By: Jim Knipfel

 232 Pages

 Helen Keller, by Jim Knipfel, is written about a well-known woman who suffered an illness early on in life, and how her road to success inspired many. She is an inspiring human being that accomplished difficult obstacles to overcome in life early on. Helen Keller dealt with her condition and people treated it throughout the decades as an ongoing joke to describe a person who doesn't have all of the regular functioning qualities. She was born on June 27, 1880 and died—June 1, 1968. One winter day in February she became very ill at the age of two and her sickness clogged her hearing and prevented sight. This sickness quickly turned into a fever and the doctor failed to have a cure for this, so she was permanently damaged. Helens speech was lost forever and she had to start from scratch. When she attended Asylum, (for the deaf) in 1887, she found a way to communicate with others through her hands with the help from her teacher, Anne Sullivan.  Throughout her academic career, Mrs. Sullivan helped her communicate to others through hand motions and by the time collage came around Helen was determined to succeed. Even though the path to college was rocky, she overcame it with goals.  She graduated with honors and pursued to be just like her braille teacher one day, helpful.

            Early in age her family considered her “naughty” because she did mean things to people.  For instance, when she was five she locked her mother in a pantry for three hours because it was “funny”. She once said, “She kept on pounding on the door, while I sat outside on the porch steps and laughed with glee as I felt the jar of the pounding.”(11) Helen thought that pulling pranks on her mother and teacher was very amusing, so she did it more than several times.

            The author, Jim Knipfel highlighted personal events like: family gatherings, special favorite places to go, memories, and personal struggles and accomplishments.

            Readers who read this book need to understand that this is a true and serious matter when dealing with deaf and blind people. It might seem funny at first but it’s really not. Helen Keller is an inspiration to those who take time to fully grasp her story. She found a new way to survive in this dangerous world and right after she got help, immediately wanted helping others. Overall, she is an inspiration to those who think there’s an impossible.

Krista Federas.

Seductive Poison

Seductive Poison, by Deborah Layton, 336 pages.

            This chilling and disturbing biography takes you on the journey of a women’s life from a rebellious teenager to a young women who barely escapes from The Peoples Temple, Jonestown. The biography starts with the author’s life as a teenager growing up in the bay area. She doesn’t follow the rules and tells of her many drug trips and problems with substance abuse as a teen. Her parents sent her away to try to get her clean and it worked for a few months, until she returned home. She started to get into trouble and decided she had to move to England with her aunt and uncle to get away from her drug problems. She spent time over there, but came back to California. This is when she and her Mother met Jim Jones, a priest who started a so-called “church” known as The People’s Temple. He persuaded them both into joining the church. This is when the book starts to become sickening. After Jim Jones would get these people to join he would beat them, rape the women, strip members in front of the congregation, over worked them till they were on the brink of collapsing, and sleep deprive them. The reason he could do this was because he prayed on vulnerable people who were down on their luck looking anywhere for a sign of hope, and he told them if they were to join him they would become apart of a great “utopia” where no one would persecute them ever again. He eventually moved the church to Guyana where things became worse and worse for the members of Jonestown.

             I personally enjoyed reading this book. Mainly because I like to read depressing gloomy books, but also because it is a story of one person who takes down an evil man. If you enjoy reading books where the little guy wins in the end you will love this book. The book itself is very well written and as the reader reads he/she will be able to tell the author poured their heart and soul into writing their account of what happened while at Jonestown. There are two major themes in this book and they are to never give up hope, and the bigger of the two themes is always make sure the person you trust has good intentions for you.

The Hunger Games

                                                The Hunger Games (374 pages)

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a fictional book that is packed with adventure and suspense.  The book takes place in Panem, a place that was once known as North America, has twelve districts surrounding it.  Each year, two tributes are picked from each district to fight to the death on live television. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers to enter the game to save her younger sister who was originally selected in the raffle. Katniss is then paired with another teenager names Petta, a boy in her district to fight in the games as well. Once they are all selected, they train to fight each other and thrive in the art of survival. There were a lot of strengths in the book. The plot keeps on changing throughout the book which makes it very suspenseful. I found Katniss to be a character that is very easy to relate to. She is very strong willed and cares for her family more than anything. Throughout the book, there are a few romances that kept me interested and aching to keep reading. There are many key events in the book that dramatically change the story line. For example, when one of Katniss’s allies is killed during the games was a dramatic downfall in the story. But overall, I truly enjoyed the book and I would recommend this book to ages 15 and up because I believe people of all ages would find it very interesting. I believe the main theme is about human nature and survival and how people should make allies instead of enemies to create a better world.  By ClaireB.

Tiger Tiger, by Margaux Fragoso, 322 pages

    This memoir of a girl who was molested as a child shows the hard times she went through and how she overcame them. Margaux Fragoso starts out describing her life at home with her parents. Her mother was diagnosed early on in her life with schizophrenia and her dad was an abusive alcoholic. One day she meets a kind man, named Peter, who treats her well and cares for her. Something her parents never did. She spent so much time with him and did things that pleased him, only to feel accepted. Growing up, she considered herself a social outcast and didn’t have many friends, although she was pretty and smart.  She spent most of her time with Peter and eventually dropped out of high school. When he got old and sick, Peter felt as though taking his own life is his only option. After writing ten suicide letters to Margaux, he jumped off a cliff.
    This book goes into deep detail about child molestation and how serious of a topic it has become. From Fragoso’s point of view she was never forced to do anything. But she was brainwashed into believing it was the right thing to do and that she was in love with this man. She didn’t care whether it was right or wrong, but she finally felt loved. Her father would yell on a regular basis and on occasion was also very abusive. Her mother was oblivious to what was happening around her and was on heavy medication. She had no brothers or sisters to confide in. She was all alone.
    Fragoso wrote this book because that was Peter’s last wish, to write a story about their life together. She also knew that this book would help people who are in the same situation. She wasn’t ashamed of what had happened and she wanted to share her story with the world. Readers who enjoy non-fiction books about people’s lives and how they’ve overcome a certain situation would love this memoir. She takes a sad, depressing tale of her own life and adds a happy twist, making it seem cheerful, but realistic.