Summer Readers Response (8/27/2014)
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson is the story of a slave girl named Isabel and her sister Ruth, working for a Loyalist family in Manhattan. Under the cruelty of Mrs. Lockton, who was abused both verbally and physically by her husband, she and her sister work each day without being regarded as human. Before coming the the Locktons, they had been promised freedom from their former master, Miss Finch, after her death, but they were instead given to Miss Finch’s nephew, because there was no written proof of the promise. After Miss Finch’s nephew, who inherited the estate, receives the sisters, they are promptly sold to the Locktons. Living with the Locktons, Isabel debates whether to side with the the Loyalists or the Colonists, as slaves are used on both sides. While they are in New York, Isabel is approached by a slave boy named Curzon, who offers her a deal—if she spied on Mr. Lockton and proved he was a loyalist, Isabel and her sister would be set free after the war. Realizing that spying might be Ruth and her only chance of freedom, she consents reluctantly. While she spies, she learns that slaves are not even considered human, and they pay no attention to her. One day she learns of the Loyalist’s plan to assassinate George Washington, and brings the information to the Patriots, forcing Mr. Lockton and other Loyalists to flee, leaving Isabel and Ruth with Mrs. Lockton. With her husband gone, Mrs. Lockton grew more and more cruel to the sisters, and sold Ruth and sent her to Charleston. During this, the British had taken many prisoners including Curzon, who had gone to war in place of his master in order to be set free after the war was completed. Isabel brought food to the prisoners each day, until her mistress found out. Hoping to run away to Charleston to find her sister, she tries to find a time where she can escape, bringing Curzon with her. When the British had a celebration for the queen’s birthday, she breaks Curzon out of prison, steals a boat, and rows to safety.
I enjoyed this book, it gave realistic characters who you could relate to, real facts, and kept you reading. I would rate this book 5 stars and give it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson is the story of a slave girl named Isabel and her sister Ruth, working for a Loyalist family in Manhattan. Under the cruelty of Mrs. Lockton, who was abused both verbally and physically by her husband, she and her sister work each day without being regarded as human. Before coming the the Locktons, they had been promised freedom from their former master, Miss Finch, after her death, but they were instead given to Miss Finch’s nephew, because there was no written proof of the promise. After Miss Finch’s nephew, who inherited the estate, receives the sisters, they are promptly sold to the Locktons. Living with the Locktons, Isabel debates whether to side with the the Loyalists or the Colonists, as slaves are used on both sides. While they are in New York, Isabel is approached by a slave boy named Curzon, who offers her a deal—if she spied on Mr. Lockton and proved he was a loyalist, Isabel and her sister would be set free after the war. Realizing that spying might be Ruth and her only chance of freedom, she consents reluctantly. While she spies, she learns that slaves are not even considered human, and they pay no attention to her. One day she learns of the Loyalist’s plan to assassinate George Washington, and brings the information to the Patriots, forcing Mr. Lockton and other Loyalists to flee, leaving Isabel and Ruth with Mrs. Lockton. With her husband gone, Mrs. Lockton grew more and more cruel to the sisters, and sold Ruth and sent her to Charleston. During this, the British had taken many prisoners including Curzon, who had gone to war in place of his master in order to be set free after the war was completed. Isabel brought food to the prisoners each day, until her mistress found out. Hoping to run away to Charleston to find her sister, she tries to find a time where she can escape, bringing Curzon with her. When the British had a celebration for the queen’s birthday, she breaks Curzon out of prison, steals a boat, and rows to safety.
I enjoyed this book, it gave realistic characters who you could relate to, real facts, and kept you reading. I would rate this book 5 stars and give it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
AN
Tomboy of the Air
by Julie Cummins
This book is about a womans life named Blanche Stuart Scott. Ever since Blanche was little she loved speed and adventure she went from running to biking to driving and to her most favorite flying. When she was little she would a lot of times get into accidents when she would bike around her city, everyone would always complain to her parents saying “Stop this child from driving a dangerous vehicle” but she never would. From there she started to get an interest in planes and how they work. She started to take lessons on how to fly with Glenn Curtiss. Once she started to fly she became very famous because she was a woman that was flying a plane. Blanche one time got into an accident and broke 41 bones and she took a long time to recover. She once said “Too often people paid money to see me risk my neck, more as a freak a woman freak pilot than a skilled flier.
NL
by Julie Cummins
This book is about a womans life named Blanche Stuart Scott. Ever since Blanche was little she loved speed and adventure she went from running to biking to driving and to her most favorite flying. When she was little she would a lot of times get into accidents when she would bike around her city, everyone would always complain to her parents saying “Stop this child from driving a dangerous vehicle” but she never would. From there she started to get an interest in planes and how they work. She started to take lessons on how to fly with Glenn Curtiss. Once she started to fly she became very famous because she was a woman that was flying a plane. Blanche one time got into an accident and broke 41 bones and she took a long time to recover. She once said “Too often people paid money to see me risk my neck, more as a freak a woman freak pilot than a skilled flier.
NL
Remember
by Toni Morrison
One of the books I read from the list was Remember by Toni Morrison. This book is about seggregation and how african americans had to fight for their rights. Children that were americans couldn't go to school with the caucasian children. Toni Morrison shows many pictures about how children were descriminated against because of the color of their skin. Thanks to people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King JR., and Ruby Bridges we have less issues with that.
One picture stood out because it was about four african american students in an emty classroom. The parents of the caucasian children refused to send their children to school with african americans. They denyed their students education out of spite and racism. Its truly unbelievable and I'm glad I live in a scociety where we have less decrimination.
Chains
One of the books I read from the list was Remember by Toni Morrison. This book is about seggregation and how african americans had to fight for their rights. Children that were americans couldn't go to school with the caucasian children. Toni Morrison shows many pictures about how children were descriminated against because of the color of their skin. Thanks to people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King JR., and Ruby Bridges we have less issues with that.
One picture stood out because it was about four african american students in an emty classroom. The parents of the caucasian children refused to send their children to school with african americans. They denyed their students education out of spite and racism. Its truly unbelievable and I'm glad I live in a scociety where we have less decrimination.
MP
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This Summer the first book I read was Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. The protagonist of this book is Isabel, a young slave girl that gets sold during the war along with her younger sister Ruth. They get bought by the Locktons who are in my opinion, very cruel and harsh with innocent Isabel. The way they treated Isabel was just plain awful. Isabel is now in New York working for the Locktons but one day she befriends this boy, Curzon. Curzon is pretty persuasive and soon Isabel sees her self being a spy! Her owners contain some knowlede about Britains plan for invasion and Isabel does a pretty good job at finding stuff out.
"She cannot chain my soul. Yes, she could hurt me. She'd already done so...I would bleed, or not. Scar, or not. Live, or not. But she could not hurt my soul, not unless I gave it to her.” This is a quote that stood out to me from the book. Isabel came to this realization. She is the owner of her soul. She may be a slave and technically yes, the Locktons own her but not her soul.Thats something that they, and no one can chain unless Isabel gives them the ability to. Same goes for us.
MP
This novel starts off with a plane crash which results with a bunch of children roughly between ages 6 and 12 are dropped off in an island with no adult supervision. Soon after the crash they elect Ralph as the leader, Jack the person going against him becomes hunter but you can tell Ralph and his relationship is strained. In the island we meet Piggy and overweight 12 year old with glasses who is somewhat the intellectual, here the islanders are divided into two groups, “The Littluns” and “The Biguns”. Slowly Jack gets a great amount of islanders to join the hunters and Jack and the hunters split off from Ralph. While that was happening Ralph was trying to convince the littluns that there was no such thing as the beast that haunts the island. Jack’s group then goes hunting to luck for the so called beast and a boy named Simon volunteers to go up the mountain where the so called Beast lived. He then takes the head of a sow as a sacrifice and has a mental breakdown, that is when he deems the head “The lord of the flies”. Simon then faints and after awakening he struggles up the mountain and finds that the beast was only a dead pilot. Simon then goes down the mountain to tell the others the good news, Simon was then mistaken as the beast and beaten to death. Soon after, Jack steals Piggy’s glasses to start a fire and Ralph and Piggy go ask for them back. Jack’s hunter then drop a large boulder on Piggy that kills him then kept two of the boys captive. Ralph is now all alone and Jack and his hunters try to smoke Ralph out of hiding and the whole island catches fire. Luckily, a ship passes by and sees the fires and picks them up before anyone dies. I rate this book a 4 out of 5, though it was a slow paced novel there was so much symbolism in it.
MS
This Summer the first book I read was Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. The protagonist of this book is Isabel, a young slave girl that gets sold during the war along with her younger sister Ruth. They get bought by the Locktons who are in my opinion, very cruel and harsh with innocent Isabel. The way they treated Isabel was just plain awful. Isabel is now in New York working for the Locktons but one day she befriends this boy, Curzon. Curzon is pretty persuasive and soon Isabel sees her self being a spy! Her owners contain some knowlede about Britains plan for invasion and Isabel does a pretty good job at finding stuff out.
"She cannot chain my soul. Yes, she could hurt me. She'd already done so...I would bleed, or not. Scar, or not. Live, or not. But she could not hurt my soul, not unless I gave it to her.” This is a quote that stood out to me from the book. Isabel came to this realization. She is the owner of her soul. She may be a slave and technically yes, the Locktons own her but not her soul.Thats something that they, and no one can chain unless Isabel gives them the ability to. Same goes for us.
MP
Lord of the Flies
by William GoldingThis novel starts off with a plane crash which results with a bunch of children roughly between ages 6 and 12 are dropped off in an island with no adult supervision. Soon after the crash they elect Ralph as the leader, Jack the person going against him becomes hunter but you can tell Ralph and his relationship is strained. In the island we meet Piggy and overweight 12 year old with glasses who is somewhat the intellectual, here the islanders are divided into two groups, “The Littluns” and “The Biguns”. Slowly Jack gets a great amount of islanders to join the hunters and Jack and the hunters split off from Ralph. While that was happening Ralph was trying to convince the littluns that there was no such thing as the beast that haunts the island. Jack’s group then goes hunting to luck for the so called beast and a boy named Simon volunteers to go up the mountain where the so called Beast lived. He then takes the head of a sow as a sacrifice and has a mental breakdown, that is when he deems the head “The lord of the flies”. Simon then faints and after awakening he struggles up the mountain and finds that the beast was only a dead pilot. Simon then goes down the mountain to tell the others the good news, Simon was then mistaken as the beast and beaten to death. Soon after, Jack steals Piggy’s glasses to start a fire and Ralph and Piggy go ask for them back. Jack’s hunter then drop a large boulder on Piggy that kills him then kept two of the boys captive. Ralph is now all alone and Jack and his hunters try to smoke Ralph out of hiding and the whole island catches fire. Luckily, a ship passes by and sees the fires and picks them up before anyone dies. I rate this book a 4 out of 5, though it was a slow paced novel there was so much symbolism in it.
MS