Final Summer Reading Responses
Fever 1793
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This book takes place in the late 1700's in Philadelphia. Maddie Cook, the protagonist, is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives with her mother and grandfather above the coffeehouse they own. Her days are spent resenting her mother and dreaming up the dazzling future of their business. Her family hears the rumors of plague like everyone else, but don't think twice about them. Until, that is, their young scullery maid dies abruptly from an unknown disease. Almost overnight after that tragedy, Maddie's beloved city is turned upside down. Yellow Fever is ravaging Philadelphia and its victims are amassing. Amongst the chaos, Maddie must be resourceful, cunning, and capable to keep herself and her family alive.
This book wasn't amazing. Laurie Halse Anderson is an author I really like, and her novels Speak and Chains are some of my favorites. Fever 1793, although not a horrible book, fell short of my expectations. I liked how Maddie's coming-of-age in this book, but for the most part, her character was distant. Her thoughts are almost exclusively about survival, and although we are told much about her family and life, she's never close enough. The plot also felt like it dragged on forever. Overall, this novel wasn't exceptionally written, or action-packed, or even really remotely captivating. For all those reasons, I rate Fever 1793 a 6/10. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy getting a glimpse into significant historical events.
Altogether an okay book.
EE
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This book takes place at the start of the Revolutionary War. Isabel, the main character, is thirteen years old and a slave. At the beginning of the story, she and her sister are sold to the Locktons, a cruel Loyalist couple who take the girls to New York City with them, even after Isabel was promised freedom upon her former owner's death. Our heroine, forced to take matters into her own hands, decides to spy on the Locktons for the Patriots, who promise Isabel's freedom if she is successful. She has no choice but to accept the dangerous offer if she and her sister are to be free.
I really, really liked this book. My second time reading Chains was just as good as my first, and not only because I didn't remember most of it. In my opinion, this is Anderson's best novel. Isabel is a phenomenal protagonist, and phenomenally written. As a reader, you root for her and her freedom with every ounce of your being. At least, I did. The plot had enough twists to keep me captivated, and I learned a lot about the American Revolution. On all fronts, an excellent book. Because of all those aspects, I rate this book a 9/10. The only reason I withhold that last star is that 10/10, for me, is reserved for To Kill A Mockingbird (or books of that caliber).
Overall, a great book.
EE
White Fang
by Jack London
"Every instinct of his nature would have impelled him to dash wildly away, had there not been another and counter instinct. A great awe descended upon him... Here was mastery and power, something far and away beyond him. The cub had never seen man, yet the instinct concerning man was his. In dim ways he recognized in man the animal that had fought itself to supremacy over the other animals of the Wild... The spell of the cub's heritage was upon him, the fear and and the respect born of the centuries of struggle and the accumulated experience of the generations."
This summer I read White Fang by Jack London. This story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, and is about the life and journey of a wolf-dog hybrid named White Fang. Born in the wild, he is the only cub that survives out of his litter. Still a young pup, he comes across a group of Native Americans while exploring. His mother comes to the rescue, but is identified by one of the hunters as Kiche, his deceased brother's former dog. He then captures both the cub (naming him White Fang) and Kiche. White Fang suffers a difficult life in the camp, being constantly persecuted by the other dogs. This transforms him into a remote and ruthless fighter. He is then sold to Beauty Smith, a dogfighter, who the author describes as a 'cowardly beast of a man'. Our canine hero, renowned for his brutality and ability to defeat all opponents, has turned into a monster. White Fang, if not rescued, may never see the kindness of a human again.
I really enjoyed this book. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate White Fang a 9/10, for several different reasons. Firstly, I loved Jack London's writing. His phraseology might not interest everyone (he has an intricate way of explaining things), but I appreciated the author's language. I also like that London uses complicated vocabulary. It was challenging, and that always appeals to me as a reader. Another reason I enjoy this book so much is the subject matter. I think it interests me specifically because this year for my history exhibition I studied the history of dogs, and that included learning about how wolves were first domesticated (which is a pretty relevant topic in this book). I recommend White Fang to others (probably seventh grade level or higher) who are at least a little intrigued by animals and their relationship to humans.
Overall, a great book.
The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
This book tells the story of Buck, a Saint Bernard-mix dog who is stolen from his home and family in California. He is then sold to a dog driver in the Yukon, and is forced to adapt to the brutal life of a sled dog. Even in the harsh climate, Buck adjusts quickly and proves to be the strongest and fiercest in his team. One quote that describes the ways in which he changed well was this:
"His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard as iron and he grew callous to all ordinary pain... Sight and scent became remarkably keen, while his hearing developed such acuteness that in his sleep he heard the faintest sound and knew whether it heralded peace or peril... And not only did he learn from experience, but instincts long dead came alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him."
This passage illustrates Buck's transformation into a incredibly adept and brutal animal. Eventually, he discards all evidence of ever being domesticated and gives in to the beckoning of a life as a superior animal in the great Wild.
I liked this book a lot. Compared to White Fang, which was written by the same author, it seemed a little bit lacking. Especially in the beginning of the book, I didn't like Buck as much as White Fang. By the end, though, The Call of the Wild turned out to be really good and I could see the parallel between the two. I believe (though I'm not completely sure) that White Fang was written afterwards, and it was very interesting to see how London made the two stories distinct from each other. As I said in my other review, I love his language skills and how well he portrays canine characters. It's amazing to me how he captures exactly the minds and behavior of the kinds of animals he writes about. I rate this book a 9/10 because although it's great, this book doesn't start out too well. The middle is where the plot picks up and when you begin really rooting for Buck. I also wish it was longer and as in-depth as White Fang. I recommend this book to everyone, because no matter your genre/subject matter preferences,The Call of the Wild is an experience every reader should have.
EE
Overall, a really good book.
Chains
Monkey Island
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This book takes place in the late 1700's in Philadelphia. Maddie Cook, the protagonist, is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives with her mother and grandfather above the coffeehouse they own. Her days are spent resenting her mother and dreaming up the dazzling future of their business. Her family hears the rumors of plague like everyone else, but don't think twice about them. Until, that is, their young scullery maid dies abruptly from an unknown disease. Almost overnight after that tragedy, Maddie's beloved city is turned upside down. Yellow Fever is ravaging Philadelphia and its victims are amassing. Amongst the chaos, Maddie must be resourceful, cunning, and capable to keep herself and her family alive.
This book wasn't amazing. Laurie Halse Anderson is an author I really like, and her novels Speak and Chains are some of my favorites. Fever 1793, although not a horrible book, fell short of my expectations. I liked how Maddie's coming-of-age in this book, but for the most part, her character was distant. Her thoughts are almost exclusively about survival, and although we are told much about her family and life, she's never close enough. The plot also felt like it dragged on forever. Overall, this novel wasn't exceptionally written, or action-packed, or even really remotely captivating. For all those reasons, I rate Fever 1793 a 6/10. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy getting a glimpse into significant historical events.
Altogether an okay book.
EE
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This book takes place at the start of the Revolutionary War. Isabel, the main character, is thirteen years old and a slave. At the beginning of the story, she and her sister are sold to the Locktons, a cruel Loyalist couple who take the girls to New York City with them, even after Isabel was promised freedom upon her former owner's death. Our heroine, forced to take matters into her own hands, decides to spy on the Locktons for the Patriots, who promise Isabel's freedom if she is successful. She has no choice but to accept the dangerous offer if she and her sister are to be free.
I really, really liked this book. My second time reading Chains was just as good as my first, and not only because I didn't remember most of it. In my opinion, this is Anderson's best novel. Isabel is a phenomenal protagonist, and phenomenally written. As a reader, you root for her and her freedom with every ounce of your being. At least, I did. The plot had enough twists to keep me captivated, and I learned a lot about the American Revolution. On all fronts, an excellent book. Because of all those aspects, I rate this book a 9/10. The only reason I withhold that last star is that 10/10, for me, is reserved for To Kill A Mockingbird (or books of that caliber).
Overall, a great book.
EE
White Fang
by Jack London
"Every instinct of his nature would have impelled him to dash wildly away, had there not been another and counter instinct. A great awe descended upon him... Here was mastery and power, something far and away beyond him. The cub had never seen man, yet the instinct concerning man was his. In dim ways he recognized in man the animal that had fought itself to supremacy over the other animals of the Wild... The spell of the cub's heritage was upon him, the fear and and the respect born of the centuries of struggle and the accumulated experience of the generations."
This summer I read White Fang by Jack London. This story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, and is about the life and journey of a wolf-dog hybrid named White Fang. Born in the wild, he is the only cub that survives out of his litter. Still a young pup, he comes across a group of Native Americans while exploring. His mother comes to the rescue, but is identified by one of the hunters as Kiche, his deceased brother's former dog. He then captures both the cub (naming him White Fang) and Kiche. White Fang suffers a difficult life in the camp, being constantly persecuted by the other dogs. This transforms him into a remote and ruthless fighter. He is then sold to Beauty Smith, a dogfighter, who the author describes as a 'cowardly beast of a man'. Our canine hero, renowned for his brutality and ability to defeat all opponents, has turned into a monster. White Fang, if not rescued, may never see the kindness of a human again.
I really enjoyed this book. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate White Fang a 9/10, for several different reasons. Firstly, I loved Jack London's writing. His phraseology might not interest everyone (he has an intricate way of explaining things), but I appreciated the author's language. I also like that London uses complicated vocabulary. It was challenging, and that always appeals to me as a reader. Another reason I enjoy this book so much is the subject matter. I think it interests me specifically because this year for my history exhibition I studied the history of dogs, and that included learning about how wolves were first domesticated (which is a pretty relevant topic in this book). I recommend White Fang to others (probably seventh grade level or higher) who are at least a little intrigued by animals and their relationship to humans.
Overall, a great book.
EE
The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
This book tells the story of Buck, a Saint Bernard-mix dog who is stolen from his home and family in California. He is then sold to a dog driver in the Yukon, and is forced to adapt to the brutal life of a sled dog. Even in the harsh climate, Buck adjusts quickly and proves to be the strongest and fiercest in his team. One quote that describes the ways in which he changed well was this:
"His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard as iron and he grew callous to all ordinary pain... Sight and scent became remarkably keen, while his hearing developed such acuteness that in his sleep he heard the faintest sound and knew whether it heralded peace or peril... And not only did he learn from experience, but instincts long dead came alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him."
This passage illustrates Buck's transformation into a incredibly adept and brutal animal. Eventually, he discards all evidence of ever being domesticated and gives in to the beckoning of a life as a superior animal in the great Wild.
I liked this book a lot. Compared to White Fang, which was written by the same author, it seemed a little bit lacking. Especially in the beginning of the book, I didn't like Buck as much as White Fang. By the end, though, The Call of the Wild turned out to be really good and I could see the parallel between the two. I believe (though I'm not completely sure) that White Fang was written afterwards, and it was very interesting to see how London made the two stories distinct from each other. As I said in my other review, I love his language skills and how well he portrays canine characters. It's amazing to me how he captures exactly the minds and behavior of the kinds of animals he writes about. I rate this book a 9/10 because although it's great, this book doesn't start out too well. The middle is where the plot picks up and when you begin really rooting for Buck. I also wish it was longer and as in-depth as White Fang. I recommend this book to everyone, because no matter your genre/subject matter preferences,The Call of the Wild is an experience every reader should have.
EE
Overall, a really good book.
Chains
by Laurie Halse Anderson
“This is not our fight', the old man said. 'British or American, that is not the choice. You must choose your own side, find your road through the valley of darkness that will lead you to the river Jordan. . . Look hard for your river Jordan, my child. You'll find it.”
I read Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson. The main character is Isabel, a young slave living at the time of the American Revolution. The book begins with Isabel being sold to from her and her sister’s previous owner to a new owner, who is a loyalist and lives in New York City. There she meets Curzon, a patriot slave who asks her to spy on her owners for the rebels, in exchange for freedom. She goes on spying missions for a rebel general, but ends up getting denied her freedom. She decides that the rebels are jerks who are only concerned with their own freedom, and goes to the british army, expecting freedom from them. Again she is rejected. The quote from above is about her discovering that she will have to find her own to freedom. in the end, she decides to run away with Curzon and find her freedom herself.
“This is not our fight', the old man said. 'British or American, that is not the choice. You must choose your own side, find your road through the valley of darkness that will lead you to the river Jordan. . . Look hard for your river Jordan, my child. You'll find it.”
I read Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson. The main character is Isabel, a young slave living at the time of the American Revolution. The book begins with Isabel being sold to from her and her sister’s previous owner to a new owner, who is a loyalist and lives in New York City. There she meets Curzon, a patriot slave who asks her to spy on her owners for the rebels, in exchange for freedom. She goes on spying missions for a rebel general, but ends up getting denied her freedom. She decides that the rebels are jerks who are only concerned with their own freedom, and goes to the british army, expecting freedom from them. Again she is rejected. The quote from above is about her discovering that she will have to find her own to freedom. in the end, she decides to run away with Curzon and find her freedom herself.
TN
by Paula Fox
“Clay covered his face. “Come on,” he said. “We’ve got a place for you with a roof.” After a minute, clat wriggled out, and they both stood up. “Don’t make a noise,” the man whispered as he led him to the wooden crate, turning at every step to make sure clay was with him.”
This week I read Monkey Island, by Paula Fox. The main character is Clay, a young boy from a poor family in New York City. When he was very young, his father left, leaving his mother to take care of him by herself. Then when he is eleven, his mother goes out one day, and doesn’t return. After five days, Clay decides to run away to try to find her. He ends up on the streets, where he is found by two homeless men, Buddy and Calvin. Although Calvin is skeptical, Buddy convinces him to let Clay stay with them in the crate they sleep in, and takes Clay under his wing. He lives with them for five weeks, living off scraps and donations from a nice man named Gerald, who is one of the only people sympathetic to them. After five weeks, Clay gets very sick, and has to go to the hospital. Fro there, he is put in a foster home, where he lives for a few weeks before reuniting with his mother.
A Long Walk To Water
by Linda Sue Park
Today I finished reading A Long Walk To Water. This book has two characters that it revolves around. They are Nya and Salva. Nya is a fictional young girl that lives in a village. Nya struggles a lot and has to work very hard even though she is only eleven years old. She has to go find water for her family which means she has to walk about eight hours a day to get to the pond. Nya's story is the one that took place in modern day Sudan and the other character is Salva. Salva's story is very true and it took place in Sudan as well in 1965. Salva was a Lost Boy. He escaped his village that turned into a horrible war zone. Salva had to stay in a refugee camp for a total of ten years. He was 11 just like Nya, when he had to start his journey. Salva is alive today and is living in New York, which is very cool.
“If he were older and stronger, would he have given water to those men? Or would he, like most of the group, have kept his water for himself" I think many people can connect to this quote. At some point in their lives, people ask temselves this question. If they were older would they have done something else? A lot of people wonder this and they think about what they would have done. I don't think its good to do that. No matter what, you can't change the past so why worry about it but this question always finds a way to get into peoples minds.
“Clay covered his face. “Come on,” he said. “We’ve got a place for you with a roof.” After a minute, clat wriggled out, and they both stood up. “Don’t make a noise,” the man whispered as he led him to the wooden crate, turning at every step to make sure clay was with him.”
This week I read Monkey Island, by Paula Fox. The main character is Clay, a young boy from a poor family in New York City. When he was very young, his father left, leaving his mother to take care of him by herself. Then when he is eleven, his mother goes out one day, and doesn’t return. After five days, Clay decides to run away to try to find her. He ends up on the streets, where he is found by two homeless men, Buddy and Calvin. Although Calvin is skeptical, Buddy convinces him to let Clay stay with them in the crate they sleep in, and takes Clay under his wing. He lives with them for five weeks, living off scraps and donations from a nice man named Gerald, who is one of the only people sympathetic to them. After five weeks, Clay gets very sick, and has to go to the hospital. Fro there, he is put in a foster home, where he lives for a few weeks before reuniting with his mother.
TN
A Long Walk To Water
by Linda Sue Park
Today I finished reading A Long Walk To Water. This book has two characters that it revolves around. They are Nya and Salva. Nya is a fictional young girl that lives in a village. Nya struggles a lot and has to work very hard even though she is only eleven years old. She has to go find water for her family which means she has to walk about eight hours a day to get to the pond. Nya's story is the one that took place in modern day Sudan and the other character is Salva. Salva's story is very true and it took place in Sudan as well in 1965. Salva was a Lost Boy. He escaped his village that turned into a horrible war zone. Salva had to stay in a refugee camp for a total of ten years. He was 11 just like Nya, when he had to start his journey. Salva is alive today and is living in New York, which is very cool.
“If he were older and stronger, would he have given water to those men? Or would he, like most of the group, have kept his water for himself" I think many people can connect to this quote. At some point in their lives, people ask temselves this question. If they were older would they have done something else? A lot of people wonder this and they think about what they would have done. I don't think its good to do that. No matter what, you can't change the past so why worry about it but this question always finds a way to get into peoples minds.
MP
A Long Walk to Water
Close to Famous
Where the Flame Trees Bloom
Forge
by Linda Sue Park.
It’s a fiction novel based on a true story that shares two stories of two young people, salva and nya, that live in different time periods but are in a simmilarly affected by causes in southern sudan.
I would rate A long walk to water a 5/5 book because it was a thrilling and adventrous book I loved the writing and it’s my favorite book of this summer. I would recomend this book to anyone that would like a short but well written adventous book.
LV
I would rate A long walk to water a 5/5 book because it was a thrilling and adventrous book I loved the writing and it’s my favorite book of this summer. I would recomend this book to anyone that would like a short but well written adventous book.
LV
Close to Famous
by Joan Bauer
It’s based on a twelve-year old girl named Foster McFee when her and her mother unexpectedly wind up in a small town called Culpepper after being chased by her mother’s ex-boyfriend. Stuck in a small, bitter and mornful town there are people with dreams but no hope, and thats where foster comes in, she’s a young girl that has a big dream and a lots of hope. She encourages people in the town including her mother thats struggling, and a stuburn women that foster works for, that dreams may be too big but what it takes to get there isn’t too hard.
I would rate this book a 4 / 5 because it’s uplifting, mood changing, and a well spent time kinda book. Joan bauer is a creative writer and is good at writing her ideas and thoughts out clearly even if she’s not the narrarater in the book. I would love to read another book of hers. I would recomend this book to the fifth/sixth grade and up beacuse it’s an easy read
LV
I would rate this book a 4 / 5 because it’s uplifting, mood changing, and a well spent time kinda book. Joan bauer is a creative writer and is good at writing her ideas and thoughts out clearly even if she’s not the narrarater in the book. I would love to read another book of hers. I would recomend this book to the fifth/sixth grade and up beacuse it’s an easy read
LV
Where the Flame Trees Bloom
by Alma Flor Ada
The book is made up of eleven short stories about people that shaped her into the woman she is today. Each story is truly inspiring and really gives you things to think about and gives you a different perpective on things. When I first started this book I found it over the top boring, it took me about five times to really give it a try and go past page five. But, when I did I really liked it and enjoyed almost every story in the book.
My favorite parts were when the author would use a metaphor to really give you an insight in the scene for example:
“ Since the accident, there had been no accordion music at night. Now that the bandages had come off, the nighty silence felt even more oppressive to me. I began to go to the river with Samone to help him bring in the grass. Before, whenever we had spent time together, he had told me stories about bright rabbits and nasty foxes. Yet now all that I heard from him were heavy sighs. It was as though the purpose in his life had left him, drained out through the hand he could no longer use.”
page 38, Samone
You can see that I bolded the last sentence of the passage and that it’s my favorite sentence in the whole book, how she uses what I call metephor verbs to really show you the pain and the feeling of what she feels is happening to samone.
I would rate this book ⅘ because it really impacted me in a way that I see things differently. The stories werre captivating and thoughtful and her writing made it all the more heartfelt. I would recomend this book to the sixth grade and up because its a pretty easy read I had no trouble only on some spainsh words. But, I strongly think that people should give this book a try.
LV
My favorite parts were when the author would use a metaphor to really give you an insight in the scene for example:
“ Since the accident, there had been no accordion music at night. Now that the bandages had come off, the nighty silence felt even more oppressive to me. I began to go to the river with Samone to help him bring in the grass. Before, whenever we had spent time together, he had told me stories about bright rabbits and nasty foxes. Yet now all that I heard from him were heavy sighs. It was as though the purpose in his life had left him, drained out through the hand he could no longer use.”
page 38, Samone
You can see that I bolded the last sentence of the passage and that it’s my favorite sentence in the whole book, how she uses what I call metephor verbs to really show you the pain and the feeling of what she feels is happening to samone.
I would rate this book ⅘ because it really impacted me in a way that I see things differently. The stories werre captivating and thoughtful and her writing made it all the more heartfelt. I would recomend this book to the sixth grade and up because its a pretty easy read I had no trouble only on some spainsh words. But, I strongly think that people should give this book a try.
LV
Forge
by Laurie Halse Anderson
It’s a sequel to the first book called “ Chains” also by Laurie Halse Anderson. “Chains” is a book about a young thirteen year-old slave, Isabel, during the american revelutionary war it ends with a twist that her younger sister gets traded away to an owner in Charleston, New Jersey so Isabel and her friend curzon end off going on a adventure to find her sister. In “Forge” Anderson continues the story except in this book it’s in Curzon’s perpective.
The book is about curzon and his journey to find freedom, after being left by isabel in a disagreement. Now a soldier, curzon has to hide the secret that he’s a runaway slave and other dangerous secerts of his past. All alone curzon has to wonder. Where is isabel and Ruth? Can he really hide that fact that he’s a runaway slave?
I would rate this book ⅗ because I didn’t like the book that much maybe it’s because I was rushing through the book and didn’t give it my full attention or maybe because I just didn’t really like the plot. But if I had more time next time I might reevaluate what I think of the book. I would recomend this book the the sixth grade and up because its a pretty easy read, besides some vocabulary words, but I also think it’s a little informational. P.S. I do have vocabulary words if you would like to see.
LV
The book is about curzon and his journey to find freedom, after being left by isabel in a disagreement. Now a soldier, curzon has to hide the secret that he’s a runaway slave and other dangerous secerts of his past. All alone curzon has to wonder. Where is isabel and Ruth? Can he really hide that fact that he’s a runaway slave?
I would rate this book ⅗ because I didn’t like the book that much maybe it’s because I was rushing through the book and didn’t give it my full attention or maybe because I just didn’t really like the plot. But if I had more time next time I might reevaluate what I think of the book. I would recomend this book the the sixth grade and up because its a pretty easy read, besides some vocabulary words, but I also think it’s a little informational. P.S. I do have vocabulary words if you would like to see.
LV