7th Grade Summer Reading #1
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Have you ever heard of an important issue but never really known what it was about? It turns out that slavery in the thirteen colonies often falls under this category. Chains brings this historical happening to light. Set in the time period of the revolutionary war, this book thoroughly tells the story of a slave girl by the name of Isabel and her experiences as a servant and an older sister. When her Rhode Island mistress dies, freeing her and her sister, Ruth, in her will, they are unlawfully snatched right back up by a man called Mr. Robert. From there, they are sold to the Lockton family, travel on a dizzying ride to New York, and end up enduring the toughest and most unknown of struggles. Since Isabel is such a great and loving sister to Ruth, one of the hardest blows inflicted on her was when, about midway through the book, their new mistress, “Madam,” reportedly sells Ruth. It was a key event in the story that really shaped the characters around it. In the end, Isabel escapes the abuse and labor of the Lockton household, setting off to find her beloved lost sister, after the reader finally understands the topic, the goal of the book in the first place.
No sensible person can say that what Mr. Robert did was right. In fact, it was straight up wrong and horrible, illegally kidnapping humans for money. When characters, especially villains, are exceptionally evil, synonyms may be used for added color to their description. Saying that “the snake took us to Miss Mary’s house to collect our blankets and too-small shoes but nothing else” really deepens the reader’s dislike for Mr. Robert, the “Snake.” If one were to think of a snake, they often think of a sinister, stealthy predator ready to bite. That’s probably what the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, wanted you to think about Mr. Robert. By using creative, accurate, and almost funny descriptions, the author can easily paint the picture without much hassle. Another noticing concerning the quote would be how the narrator says “but nothing else.” Little bits like that, if carefully read, can show that Mr. Robert was too cold-hearted to let them bring anything else, shedding even more light onto his sinister and cruel personality. Overall, this sneaky quote can help reveal writing “tricks” and just exactly how vile of a person the snake is. (LR)
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
There have been many diseases and epidemics in our history. Maybe not all of them were as destructive as the bubonic plague or as ravaging as smallpox, but in this book, Fever 1793, the author makes us feel like the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 was as terrible as the two diseases listed above. The book tells the story of a young girl, Matilda Cook, who lives above a coffeehouse in Philadelphia with her mother and her grandfather. It seemed that when the first signs of the outbreak were conveyed, no one, especially the Cooks, believed that it would be that large of a problem as their establishment was located far enough from the waterfront, where the disease was believed to have come from. But once people close to them begin to sicken and die, they find that this is a reminder to migrate to the Pennsylvania countryside where there were no signs of the fever. Before they can leave, however, Mrs. Cook catches the fever and has to part from Matilda and her grandfather for a painful time over the course of which Matilda realizes just what exactly the fever had done and how she could truly apply herself to helping those in need. Overall, this book carefully illustrates this historical event and makes one remember to know how it fits into our history.
One key system that applies itself in Fever 1793 is that of panic. When there is a problem, such as a physical conflict or, in this case, an outbreak of a disease, it seems that everyone does whatever they can to get themselves away from it. And if getting away from the problem becomes difficult, especially as it did during the summer of 1793 in Philadelphia, then the fact that the problem is coming and will probably catch up to you is more than enough to create a state of perfect confusion and panic. To be honest, who wouldn’t be terrified of the disease that killed off ten percent of the then-national capital’s population? In this quote, Matilda sums this feeling of utter hopelessness quite well. “A cure had been found. No cure was available. An earthquake in the countryside left people saying the end of the world was at hand. The wells had been poisoned. The British were coming. I would have despaired of the hopelessness and confusion.” As this quote clearly shows, in their panic and desperation, the people of Philadelphia had let the matter go to their head, making them and the people around them more and more confused by spreading strange rumors, all spurred on by the panic of the situation. This part of the book teaches quite an important lesson, which is to calm down and examine the matter at hand instead. This is demonstrated later on by Matilda and a friend of hers and shows how we can tackle panic with method. In the end, there really is a cure, this one, though, to the most dangerous system of the situation: the panic of it. (LR)
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
The truth can be a powerful element. It brings about trust, help, and much more that is important to today’s society. This is cleverly demonstrated in Avi’s documentary novel, Nothing But the Truth. Written in the style of a script so that you can “examine the events and reach your own conclusion,” this book tells the story of Philip Malloy, a ninth grader from Harrison, New Hampshire who, do to his atrocious English grades, fails to make the school track team as he is an avid runner. Because of this, he believes that his English teacher, the experienced Miss Narwin, is out for him. As if this didn’t make Philip angry enough, their small feud heats up when he is sent out of her classroom during their morning exercises for “causing a disturbance” by “disrespectfully” singing along to the “Star-Spangled Banner.” The story makes national headlines, all from the slanted perspective of the boy. The thing that amuses me here, though, is the fact that he didn’t say that he was singing along-- or was he? The different perspectives are then pitted against each other in a work of fiction to remember. Overall, it proves the power of perspective and of course, the truth, and therefore makes quite an interesting read.
Some books have moments where everything clicks, or there’s an important plot twist, or a cliff-hanger ends the book suddenly for the reader. One may find that this novel ends similarly to all of the above. After days of teasing and being called “Uncle Sam” for his national-headline “patriotism,” Philip persuades his parents to send him to a different school. But here, they don’t listen to the “Star-Spangled Banner” during their morning exercises: they sing it. And then, the power of the truth, the plot twisting, the cliff-hanging, and the moment-clicking all comes together. “I don’t know the words,” said Philip in his book-ending quote. Obviously, if Avi, the author, was intending to have the reader drop the book and gasp repeatedly for their breath, then he definitely succeeded. When an author slides in something like that, intending to have one stop, ask exactly why that just happened, and start wondering about where the truth was twisted, they really must want you to think. “Interest catchers” or as I label them, “attention grabbers,” are the perfect way to get one to want to know or even read more. This one in particular helps the reader draw conclusions to the real story behind it all in a discreet yet moving manner. Therefore, the subtle click! moment is perfectly demonstrated along with the concept of truth in this jaw-dropping quote. (LR)
Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz
Connections-- the world is all about them. People connect to each other, through words, through ideas, and even through activities and things that they love. This story of a Japanese boy demonstrates this theme very well. In turn-of-the-century Japan, Toyo Shimada finds himself in a boarding school where the seniors rule by terror and are not willing to give first-years like him a chance, especially when it comes to trying out for the besuboru team. Due to his love for the sport of baseball, he wishes to join and when he eventually proves himself, he still feels upset for being pushed around and not playing particularly well. To make matters worse, his uncle’s recent seppuku, an extremely honorable form of suicide, constantly troubles him and he wonders when his father will follow with the act as well. But with the help of some rigorous bushido lessons from his father, Sotaro, and a well-earned spot on the baseball team, Toyo finally finds the interesting connection between besuboru and bushido to help him through his troubles to success. This is quite plausible as the ways the bushido code connects to baseball make more sense than they should. Overall, these connections help shape the story of Toyo and his Ichiko baseball team, making the setting a better place at the end of the book.
There are many things in this book that don’t seem right whatsoever. In Japan, before the colossal Meiji Restoration, samurai and shoguns made up the upper class, discriminating and abusing those before them. Since Toyo and his father are of samurai descent, they are constantly looked upon as honorable citizens despite the fact that the Restoration made everyone in Japan heimin, or commoners. This, among other things, is talked about in the bushido code, or the way of the samurai. The way that Sotaro decided to teach this fact was through sending his son to a part of Tokyo where the people there were specifically not really commoners-- they were much poorer. This quote reflects on what happened while he was there. “‘He is heimin now, sensei. A commoner like us. He should never have to bow in the mud and call me Toyo-san.’” As stated above, it is very clear that when Toyo visited the “eta village,” he connected to an eta there who felt that it was respectful to treat people of samurai descent with great honor, despite the fact that samurai technically didn’t exist anymore. That connection that Toyo made, between himself and righteousness, really helps the reader to see what a truly kind person he was in the book. In short, this catalyst-type event spurred on more goodness and reason that came out of the boy, making him realize how he could work to improve the people around him and the true meaning of being of samurai descent, both of which are important keys to Samurai Shortstop. (LR)
Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz
The first book I read for my summer reading was a historical fiction book called Samurai Shortstop. This book is about a boy named Toyo who lives in Tokyo with his uncle and father in 1800’s Japan. His uncle and his father used to be Samurai but the emperor of Japan banned the way of the Samurai. His uncle protested against the emperor. When his uncle surrendered he was sentenced to death, but before they could execute him he killed himself. Toyo got into the best high school in Japan and his first day wasn’t so great because there was endless bullying from the seniors. The next day he joined the baseball team in hopes of actually having fun at school but that doesn’t work, instead he is a benchwarmer. His dad has decided to teach him the way of the Samurai in secrecy so he learns how to defend himself from the bullies. Can Toyo get good grades, prove himself to his coach and make his father proud?
A quote that stood out to me was made by Toyo and the quote was “If only I could show them what I can do.” Toyo made this quote when he was being benched at a baseball game his school baseball team was in. He was really frustrated because the person who was playing the position he usually plays in baseball was doing terrible. Toyo knew he was better then the kid playing his position but he couldn’t play at all because the coach was being ignorant and snobbish. But when the boy playing Toyo’s normal position got hurt, Toyo had to go in the game and play the other boy’s position. When the game started up again the first hit came right to Toyo and he got the runner out and threw it to second base to get another runner out. Toyo had finally proved to his coach that he is worthy to be on the team.
A character I thought was really interesting was Futoshi, Toyo’s best friend from middle school and I noticed that Futoshi was very daring. Futoshi always had this huge ego and he always thought that he was the best at everything that he did. He also had a lot of confidence and would always stand up to seniors when they would be mean to all the freshman. Futoshi was very cocky about his strength and smarts and that gets him into a lot of trouble with the seniors. Futoshi gets beat up a lot by the seniors for insulting them, but he never learns his lesson he just keeps insulting them even after they almost broke his arm. He may be cocky and egotistical but he still has a lot of courage because he is always sticking up for his fellow freshman when they are picked on. (MF)
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fever 1793 is about the event of the Yellow Fever and how the people of America were affected by it. The Yellow Fever is a very severe possibly fatal disease that causes you to vomit blood, feel dizzy and make your eyes turn yellow. The main character Matty works with her grandfather and a cook at a coffee shop her mother owns in Philadelphia. Business was always good at the coffee shop until the very first victim of the yellow fever died. Day after day more people moved to different states where there was no fever so buisness for the coffee shop wasn’t so great. Her mom catches Yellow Fever and her mom is shaking in bed and calling out the name of Matty’s dad. The cook tells Matty to leave for New York with her grandfather. Matty and her grandfather try to head out of state on horseback to go to New York but they are stopped by some men and the men chase the horses away and the men run away. It’s too big of a walk back to Philadelphia but when Matty collapses her grandfather takes her to the nearest hospital. Matty finds out she has Yellow Fever and she is having bad dreams about her mom dying from the fever. Will Matty be able to make it back to Philadelphia, find out how her mother is and survive this vile disease?
A quote I remembered through the whole book was “I knew you had it in you, you’re a fighter no doubt about that.” This quote was made by Matty’s grandfather before he died of a stab wound from a robber. When Matty and her grandfather came back from the hospital there were robbers in Matty’s house stealing all of Matty’s valuables. Her grandfather pulled out his gun from his travel bag and tried to shoot them but he missed so one of the robbers attacked him and stabbed him. Matty punched the robber and stole his knife and cut him, that made all of the other robbers run away from the house. When Matty went over to her injured grandfather who was dying from the stab wound he told her “I knew you had it in you, you're a fighter no doubt about that.”
I thought Matty was a very good main character and a trait that she showed throughout the whole book was definitely courage. Matty was courageous when she protected her grandfather from the people who were robbing her house. She showed her courage after her grandfather died because she could’ve just sat in her house and cried but instead she went to help the other people who had Yellow Fever. When they buried her grandfather the burial people were just going to toss him into a hole in the ground but she scolded them for not setting him down in a graveyard. She told them they were being disrespectful and rude. Matty knew she was going through some hard times but she knew she had to get through it and be courageous. (MF)
Through my Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Through my Eyes is about the event of the first school integration in Louisiana told from the perspective of Ruby Bridges, the first black child to go to a school for white kids. It takes place in the nineteen sixties and the government is trying to destroy the law of segregating white schools and black schools and make schools open to both black and white children. They first wanted to send a few black children to a white school to see if this was a good idea. They took the black children with the best grades in Louisiana and had them take a test and the kids who passed would go to the white children school. Ruby Bridges was one of the only kids to pass the test so they sent her to a white children school in New Orleans near her house. Every morning she is escorted by policemen so she is protected from protesters that stand outside her school and could hurt her both physically and emotionally. She would hear the protesters threaten her and curse her out but she knew they were just afraid of her capabilities and she knew she deserved this education. Ruby Bridges has taught us that everyone deserves an education no matter who you are.
A quote I thought was really important in the story was “It was all because of the color of my skin.” This quote was made by Ruby when a little boy said that he couldn’t play with Ruby because she was black and she finally figured out why she was being treated so differently. After months and months of hearing adults talk about it and not understanding what they were talking about this little boy revealed to her why she was treated differently. For all these years she thought she was insulted because she was not smart enough or not athletic enough but now it was clear as day to her, it was because she was black. She was being ridiculed for having a different skin tone.
A character I thought was very kind towards Ruby was Mrs. Henry, Ruby’s teacher. Mrs. Henry was a white teacher who taught Ruby in first grade and was very kind towards her. Unlike most people in Louisiana Mrs. Henry liked black people very much and believed they should get the same rights as white people. She always treated Ruby like a everyone else and always helped her with her schoolwork if she ever had any trouble with it. Mrs. Henry was very kind to Ruby and she never was calling her names or yelling racial slurs at her like the protesters outside the school. Ruby thought of Mrs. Henry as her teacher and her best friend because of her kindness towards Ruby. (MF)
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains is about a slave girl named Isabel and her sister Ruth struggling for freedom in the 1700’s during the Revolutionary War. At the beginning of the book Isabel and Ruth’s slave mistress dies. Before their slave mistress died she wrote in her will that all her slaves would be freed. Unfortunately, no one could find her will, so Isabel and Ruth were bought by another slave master and mistress with the last name Lockton. Isabel became a housemaid for Locktons and Ruth became a personal assistant for the mistress. But one day Ruth is sent away to a new Master and when Isabel finds out she goes crazy so the mistress beats her and brands her on her cheek with an I for insolence. One day when Isabel is getting food for her mistress at the market she meets a boy named Curzon who asks her to spy on her master and mistress to see if they know what the British army is going to do next. Can Isabel find out the British military secrets, locate where her sister is and escape the evil grip of the Locktons?
A quote that was very cruel and disrespectful was “Go pray for her that owned you, girl.” This quote was made by the man that sold Isabel and Ruth to the Locktons, he made this quote at the funeral of Isabel and Ruth’s previous mistress. Ruth was crying at the funeral so Isabel tried to calm her down but then the man who sold them pushed Isabel to the ground and said “Go pray for her that owned you, girl.” I thought he was being very rude especially since Isabel and Ruth were still grieving over their previous mistress’s death. I’d feel very angry if someone said they owned me but in this case the man was right, Isabel and Ruth were owned.
I found a lot of characters with their own interesting traits but one trait that really stood out to me was Isabel and her boldness. She isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone including her mistress when she sold Ruth. But it can also get her into trouble because she got beaten when she yelled at her mistress because in those days it was rude for a slave to yell at their mistress. Slaves were treated and looked at like animals just because of the color of their skin. She is always willing to take risks if it’s for the greater good like when she tried to run away but she was caught by her mistress and branded on her face as a punishment. She was being very bold by spying on her master and mistress and telling Curzon what the British army was going to do next. (MF)
Have you ever heard of an important issue but never really known what it was about? It turns out that slavery in the thirteen colonies often falls under this category. Chains brings this historical happening to light. Set in the time period of the revolutionary war, this book thoroughly tells the story of a slave girl by the name of Isabel and her experiences as a servant and an older sister. When her Rhode Island mistress dies, freeing her and her sister, Ruth, in her will, they are unlawfully snatched right back up by a man called Mr. Robert. From there, they are sold to the Lockton family, travel on a dizzying ride to New York, and end up enduring the toughest and most unknown of struggles. Since Isabel is such a great and loving sister to Ruth, one of the hardest blows inflicted on her was when, about midway through the book, their new mistress, “Madam,” reportedly sells Ruth. It was a key event in the story that really shaped the characters around it. In the end, Isabel escapes the abuse and labor of the Lockton household, setting off to find her beloved lost sister, after the reader finally understands the topic, the goal of the book in the first place.
No sensible person can say that what Mr. Robert did was right. In fact, it was straight up wrong and horrible, illegally kidnapping humans for money. When characters, especially villains, are exceptionally evil, synonyms may be used for added color to their description. Saying that “the snake took us to Miss Mary’s house to collect our blankets and too-small shoes but nothing else” really deepens the reader’s dislike for Mr. Robert, the “Snake.” If one were to think of a snake, they often think of a sinister, stealthy predator ready to bite. That’s probably what the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, wanted you to think about Mr. Robert. By using creative, accurate, and almost funny descriptions, the author can easily paint the picture without much hassle. Another noticing concerning the quote would be how the narrator says “but nothing else.” Little bits like that, if carefully read, can show that Mr. Robert was too cold-hearted to let them bring anything else, shedding even more light onto his sinister and cruel personality. Overall, this sneaky quote can help reveal writing “tricks” and just exactly how vile of a person the snake is. (LR)
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
There have been many diseases and epidemics in our history. Maybe not all of them were as destructive as the bubonic plague or as ravaging as smallpox, but in this book, Fever 1793, the author makes us feel like the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 was as terrible as the two diseases listed above. The book tells the story of a young girl, Matilda Cook, who lives above a coffeehouse in Philadelphia with her mother and her grandfather. It seemed that when the first signs of the outbreak were conveyed, no one, especially the Cooks, believed that it would be that large of a problem as their establishment was located far enough from the waterfront, where the disease was believed to have come from. But once people close to them begin to sicken and die, they find that this is a reminder to migrate to the Pennsylvania countryside where there were no signs of the fever. Before they can leave, however, Mrs. Cook catches the fever and has to part from Matilda and her grandfather for a painful time over the course of which Matilda realizes just what exactly the fever had done and how she could truly apply herself to helping those in need. Overall, this book carefully illustrates this historical event and makes one remember to know how it fits into our history.
One key system that applies itself in Fever 1793 is that of panic. When there is a problem, such as a physical conflict or, in this case, an outbreak of a disease, it seems that everyone does whatever they can to get themselves away from it. And if getting away from the problem becomes difficult, especially as it did during the summer of 1793 in Philadelphia, then the fact that the problem is coming and will probably catch up to you is more than enough to create a state of perfect confusion and panic. To be honest, who wouldn’t be terrified of the disease that killed off ten percent of the then-national capital’s population? In this quote, Matilda sums this feeling of utter hopelessness quite well. “A cure had been found. No cure was available. An earthquake in the countryside left people saying the end of the world was at hand. The wells had been poisoned. The British were coming. I would have despaired of the hopelessness and confusion.” As this quote clearly shows, in their panic and desperation, the people of Philadelphia had let the matter go to their head, making them and the people around them more and more confused by spreading strange rumors, all spurred on by the panic of the situation. This part of the book teaches quite an important lesson, which is to calm down and examine the matter at hand instead. This is demonstrated later on by Matilda and a friend of hers and shows how we can tackle panic with method. In the end, there really is a cure, this one, though, to the most dangerous system of the situation: the panic of it. (LR)
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
The truth can be a powerful element. It brings about trust, help, and much more that is important to today’s society. This is cleverly demonstrated in Avi’s documentary novel, Nothing But the Truth. Written in the style of a script so that you can “examine the events and reach your own conclusion,” this book tells the story of Philip Malloy, a ninth grader from Harrison, New Hampshire who, do to his atrocious English grades, fails to make the school track team as he is an avid runner. Because of this, he believes that his English teacher, the experienced Miss Narwin, is out for him. As if this didn’t make Philip angry enough, their small feud heats up when he is sent out of her classroom during their morning exercises for “causing a disturbance” by “disrespectfully” singing along to the “Star-Spangled Banner.” The story makes national headlines, all from the slanted perspective of the boy. The thing that amuses me here, though, is the fact that he didn’t say that he was singing along-- or was he? The different perspectives are then pitted against each other in a work of fiction to remember. Overall, it proves the power of perspective and of course, the truth, and therefore makes quite an interesting read.
Some books have moments where everything clicks, or there’s an important plot twist, or a cliff-hanger ends the book suddenly for the reader. One may find that this novel ends similarly to all of the above. After days of teasing and being called “Uncle Sam” for his national-headline “patriotism,” Philip persuades his parents to send him to a different school. But here, they don’t listen to the “Star-Spangled Banner” during their morning exercises: they sing it. And then, the power of the truth, the plot twisting, the cliff-hanging, and the moment-clicking all comes together. “I don’t know the words,” said Philip in his book-ending quote. Obviously, if Avi, the author, was intending to have the reader drop the book and gasp repeatedly for their breath, then he definitely succeeded. When an author slides in something like that, intending to have one stop, ask exactly why that just happened, and start wondering about where the truth was twisted, they really must want you to think. “Interest catchers” or as I label them, “attention grabbers,” are the perfect way to get one to want to know or even read more. This one in particular helps the reader draw conclusions to the real story behind it all in a discreet yet moving manner. Therefore, the subtle click! moment is perfectly demonstrated along with the concept of truth in this jaw-dropping quote. (LR)
Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz
Connections-- the world is all about them. People connect to each other, through words, through ideas, and even through activities and things that they love. This story of a Japanese boy demonstrates this theme very well. In turn-of-the-century Japan, Toyo Shimada finds himself in a boarding school where the seniors rule by terror and are not willing to give first-years like him a chance, especially when it comes to trying out for the besuboru team. Due to his love for the sport of baseball, he wishes to join and when he eventually proves himself, he still feels upset for being pushed around and not playing particularly well. To make matters worse, his uncle’s recent seppuku, an extremely honorable form of suicide, constantly troubles him and he wonders when his father will follow with the act as well. But with the help of some rigorous bushido lessons from his father, Sotaro, and a well-earned spot on the baseball team, Toyo finally finds the interesting connection between besuboru and bushido to help him through his troubles to success. This is quite plausible as the ways the bushido code connects to baseball make more sense than they should. Overall, these connections help shape the story of Toyo and his Ichiko baseball team, making the setting a better place at the end of the book.
There are many things in this book that don’t seem right whatsoever. In Japan, before the colossal Meiji Restoration, samurai and shoguns made up the upper class, discriminating and abusing those before them. Since Toyo and his father are of samurai descent, they are constantly looked upon as honorable citizens despite the fact that the Restoration made everyone in Japan heimin, or commoners. This, among other things, is talked about in the bushido code, or the way of the samurai. The way that Sotaro decided to teach this fact was through sending his son to a part of Tokyo where the people there were specifically not really commoners-- they were much poorer. This quote reflects on what happened while he was there. “‘He is heimin now, sensei. A commoner like us. He should never have to bow in the mud and call me Toyo-san.’” As stated above, it is very clear that when Toyo visited the “eta village,” he connected to an eta there who felt that it was respectful to treat people of samurai descent with great honor, despite the fact that samurai technically didn’t exist anymore. That connection that Toyo made, between himself and righteousness, really helps the reader to see what a truly kind person he was in the book. In short, this catalyst-type event spurred on more goodness and reason that came out of the boy, making him realize how he could work to improve the people around him and the true meaning of being of samurai descent, both of which are important keys to Samurai Shortstop. (LR)
Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz
The first book I read for my summer reading was a historical fiction book called Samurai Shortstop. This book is about a boy named Toyo who lives in Tokyo with his uncle and father in 1800’s Japan. His uncle and his father used to be Samurai but the emperor of Japan banned the way of the Samurai. His uncle protested against the emperor. When his uncle surrendered he was sentenced to death, but before they could execute him he killed himself. Toyo got into the best high school in Japan and his first day wasn’t so great because there was endless bullying from the seniors. The next day he joined the baseball team in hopes of actually having fun at school but that doesn’t work, instead he is a benchwarmer. His dad has decided to teach him the way of the Samurai in secrecy so he learns how to defend himself from the bullies. Can Toyo get good grades, prove himself to his coach and make his father proud?
A quote that stood out to me was made by Toyo and the quote was “If only I could show them what I can do.” Toyo made this quote when he was being benched at a baseball game his school baseball team was in. He was really frustrated because the person who was playing the position he usually plays in baseball was doing terrible. Toyo knew he was better then the kid playing his position but he couldn’t play at all because the coach was being ignorant and snobbish. But when the boy playing Toyo’s normal position got hurt, Toyo had to go in the game and play the other boy’s position. When the game started up again the first hit came right to Toyo and he got the runner out and threw it to second base to get another runner out. Toyo had finally proved to his coach that he is worthy to be on the team.
A character I thought was really interesting was Futoshi, Toyo’s best friend from middle school and I noticed that Futoshi was very daring. Futoshi always had this huge ego and he always thought that he was the best at everything that he did. He also had a lot of confidence and would always stand up to seniors when they would be mean to all the freshman. Futoshi was very cocky about his strength and smarts and that gets him into a lot of trouble with the seniors. Futoshi gets beat up a lot by the seniors for insulting them, but he never learns his lesson he just keeps insulting them even after they almost broke his arm. He may be cocky and egotistical but he still has a lot of courage because he is always sticking up for his fellow freshman when they are picked on. (MF)
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fever 1793 is about the event of the Yellow Fever and how the people of America were affected by it. The Yellow Fever is a very severe possibly fatal disease that causes you to vomit blood, feel dizzy and make your eyes turn yellow. The main character Matty works with her grandfather and a cook at a coffee shop her mother owns in Philadelphia. Business was always good at the coffee shop until the very first victim of the yellow fever died. Day after day more people moved to different states where there was no fever so buisness for the coffee shop wasn’t so great. Her mom catches Yellow Fever and her mom is shaking in bed and calling out the name of Matty’s dad. The cook tells Matty to leave for New York with her grandfather. Matty and her grandfather try to head out of state on horseback to go to New York but they are stopped by some men and the men chase the horses away and the men run away. It’s too big of a walk back to Philadelphia but when Matty collapses her grandfather takes her to the nearest hospital. Matty finds out she has Yellow Fever and she is having bad dreams about her mom dying from the fever. Will Matty be able to make it back to Philadelphia, find out how her mother is and survive this vile disease?
A quote I remembered through the whole book was “I knew you had it in you, you’re a fighter no doubt about that.” This quote was made by Matty’s grandfather before he died of a stab wound from a robber. When Matty and her grandfather came back from the hospital there were robbers in Matty’s house stealing all of Matty’s valuables. Her grandfather pulled out his gun from his travel bag and tried to shoot them but he missed so one of the robbers attacked him and stabbed him. Matty punched the robber and stole his knife and cut him, that made all of the other robbers run away from the house. When Matty went over to her injured grandfather who was dying from the stab wound he told her “I knew you had it in you, you're a fighter no doubt about that.”
I thought Matty was a very good main character and a trait that she showed throughout the whole book was definitely courage. Matty was courageous when she protected her grandfather from the people who were robbing her house. She showed her courage after her grandfather died because she could’ve just sat in her house and cried but instead she went to help the other people who had Yellow Fever. When they buried her grandfather the burial people were just going to toss him into a hole in the ground but she scolded them for not setting him down in a graveyard. She told them they were being disrespectful and rude. Matty knew she was going through some hard times but she knew she had to get through it and be courageous. (MF)
Through my Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Through my Eyes is about the event of the first school integration in Louisiana told from the perspective of Ruby Bridges, the first black child to go to a school for white kids. It takes place in the nineteen sixties and the government is trying to destroy the law of segregating white schools and black schools and make schools open to both black and white children. They first wanted to send a few black children to a white school to see if this was a good idea. They took the black children with the best grades in Louisiana and had them take a test and the kids who passed would go to the white children school. Ruby Bridges was one of the only kids to pass the test so they sent her to a white children school in New Orleans near her house. Every morning she is escorted by policemen so she is protected from protesters that stand outside her school and could hurt her both physically and emotionally. She would hear the protesters threaten her and curse her out but she knew they were just afraid of her capabilities and she knew she deserved this education. Ruby Bridges has taught us that everyone deserves an education no matter who you are.
A quote I thought was really important in the story was “It was all because of the color of my skin.” This quote was made by Ruby when a little boy said that he couldn’t play with Ruby because she was black and she finally figured out why she was being treated so differently. After months and months of hearing adults talk about it and not understanding what they were talking about this little boy revealed to her why she was treated differently. For all these years she thought she was insulted because she was not smart enough or not athletic enough but now it was clear as day to her, it was because she was black. She was being ridiculed for having a different skin tone.
A character I thought was very kind towards Ruby was Mrs. Henry, Ruby’s teacher. Mrs. Henry was a white teacher who taught Ruby in first grade and was very kind towards her. Unlike most people in Louisiana Mrs. Henry liked black people very much and believed they should get the same rights as white people. She always treated Ruby like a everyone else and always helped her with her schoolwork if she ever had any trouble with it. Mrs. Henry was very kind to Ruby and she never was calling her names or yelling racial slurs at her like the protesters outside the school. Ruby thought of Mrs. Henry as her teacher and her best friend because of her kindness towards Ruby. (MF)
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Chains is about a slave girl named Isabel and her sister Ruth struggling for freedom in the 1700’s during the Revolutionary War. At the beginning of the book Isabel and Ruth’s slave mistress dies. Before their slave mistress died she wrote in her will that all her slaves would be freed. Unfortunately, no one could find her will, so Isabel and Ruth were bought by another slave master and mistress with the last name Lockton. Isabel became a housemaid for Locktons and Ruth became a personal assistant for the mistress. But one day Ruth is sent away to a new Master and when Isabel finds out she goes crazy so the mistress beats her and brands her on her cheek with an I for insolence. One day when Isabel is getting food for her mistress at the market she meets a boy named Curzon who asks her to spy on her master and mistress to see if they know what the British army is going to do next. Can Isabel find out the British military secrets, locate where her sister is and escape the evil grip of the Locktons?
A quote that was very cruel and disrespectful was “Go pray for her that owned you, girl.” This quote was made by the man that sold Isabel and Ruth to the Locktons, he made this quote at the funeral of Isabel and Ruth’s previous mistress. Ruth was crying at the funeral so Isabel tried to calm her down but then the man who sold them pushed Isabel to the ground and said “Go pray for her that owned you, girl.” I thought he was being very rude especially since Isabel and Ruth were still grieving over their previous mistress’s death. I’d feel very angry if someone said they owned me but in this case the man was right, Isabel and Ruth were owned.
I found a lot of characters with their own interesting traits but one trait that really stood out to me was Isabel and her boldness. She isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone including her mistress when she sold Ruth. But it can also get her into trouble because she got beaten when she yelled at her mistress because in those days it was rude for a slave to yell at their mistress. Slaves were treated and looked at like animals just because of the color of their skin. She is always willing to take risks if it’s for the greater good like when she tried to run away but she was caught by her mistress and branded on her face as a punishment. She was being very bold by spying on her master and mistress and telling Curzon what the British army was going to do next. (MF)