Witch and Wizard ~James Patterson

The book, Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson, follows the events in the lives of Wisty and Whit Allgood after they are dragged out of their house in the dead of night.
This book takes place in the future, after a new government takes over America. This new government calls itself the New Order. The New Order is lead by an extremely powerful man, who calls himself the One Who is One. The One Who is One, bans all forms of creativity and originality. Nearly all books, movies, poems, and music are banned because they supposedly pollute the minds of the people and prevent them from doing good for society. Including all the bans on music, anyone with special talents, is taken away from others. Some are killed, but others are taken to corrective facilities. Either way, people disappear and are never seen again.
Wisty and Whit are a young pair of twins, who have such talents, even though they do not know yet. One night, when everyone is asleep, agents from the government come to take everyone away. The family has been declared dangerous to society, and they are going to be put on trial for crimes against society. Wisty says, "It's quite hideous to get kidnapped in the dead of night, right inside your own home," (14). It is at this time, when they are trying to escape kidnappers, that they find out something very special. That they are a witch and wizard and are incredibly powerful.
Unable to control their powers or anything around them, both of them are forced to go to jail awaiting their trail. This is an unusual jail though. It is only for other children who are deemed as a threat to society. Whit says, "It looked like this whole jail was full of kids, nothing but kids" (42). All of these young kids are left in squalid conditions with no light until their trails, which likely mean death.
Whit and Wisty have to stay in the jail until their trial, which will likely end in a verdict to kill them. In order to keep from spoiling the plot, I cannot say any more.

1. Is creativity really important to life as Whit and Wisty believe? Or does it hinder efficiency as the One Who is One believes?
2. If you were in the position of the twins, would you try to escape from the jail or would you simply await for your trial and accept your punishment?

Worldshaker by Richard Harland

The novel, Worldshaker, takes place in the year 1995, but the world it takes place in is different. In this world, instead of living on the land together, all of the major European powers created giant ships called juggernauts. Each ship is giant, housing a city's population of people. As in a city, each ship has different classes of people. There are the elite, who live on the Upper Decks, then the merchants, who live in the Lower Decks. The social status lowers with the height on the ship. Even more below the merchant class is the Bottom Decks. The people who live there are the Filthies. They are considered the lowest of the low and are only there to handle the ship's machinery. The people who live on the Upper Decks say, in reference to the Filthies, "We don't think about them" (Harland 12). The only use they feel for the Filthies is to turn them into Menials. The Filthies are somehow changed into worker bees for the Upper Decks people, unable to speak and only able to move with a restricted range of motion. The members of the Upper Decks, feel they are giving the Filthies a better life like this, but the Filthies are against this, not wanting to be turned into useless slaves.

Colbert is a member of a prominent Upper Decks family. He has been given life on a silver platter, protected from the harsher facts of life, and he is next in line to be the captain of the ship. He, like everyone else, does not think of the Filthies. One night, he wakes up to see a Filthy hiding from the ship's guards in his room. Colbert tries to get rid of the Filthy, but she begs for his help, saying she does not want to be changed into a Menial. He says, "You're lucky to have the chance to become a Menial" (Harland 5). The Filthy disagrees, claiming she is better off now than if she were to become a Menial. Col reluctantly agrees, only out of shock.

Later, Colbert finds the Filthy, Riff, is still returning. She is unable to get back Below, which she wants because she wants to get back to her friends there. Riff says she and the others are going to start a rebellion against the people of the Upper Decks. He helps Riff to get back Below. As Col learns more about the other people he considers family and friends and more about the Filthies, he wants to help the Filthy uprising. Colbert then realizes he can do more to help Riff. He sneaks away from a school field trip to send something down to Riff. Except there is a problem. When he goes to deliver it, he is not so sneaky and another boy pushes him down into the Below Decks. Colbert is met by an unfriendly greeting party of angry Filthies. Will he be able to get back home? Will he die?

Questions

1. Do you think Colbert, an Upper Decks person, will be able to survive in the much harsher and more demanding world of the Bottom Decks?

2. Do you think it is more important to follow everyone's expectations and follow the crowd or to follow your heart and do what you believe is right?

Starclimber (by Kenneth Oppel)

The book Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel, is a tale about the race to space. It is the third book in the Airborne series. In this time period airplanes have not yet been invented, but instead people rule the skies with zeppelin-like ships. These ships are less flammable than those like the Hindenburg and are held aloft with a gas called hydruim rather than hydrogen.

Matt Cruse is an employee on one of these ships. He aspires to one day be a captain of his own ship rather than working under others. Currently he is too young to be respected, although he has worked on several important missions. Matt wants to go up on the first ship into space because he believes he belongs in the sky and wants to be in the next great frontier. He believes the night sky calls to him. Matt thinks, "The night sky beckoned to me with even greater intensity" (Oppel 4). Cruse is already considered somewhat of a hero because of his previous adventures, which shall not be mentioned here for fear of spoiling the plots of the first two books.

Kate de Vries is Matt Cruse's best friend as well as partner on several scientific missions. She is a zoologist, but cannot gain respect from the scientific community of men because she is a woman. She is from a wealthy family and must keep up appearances or her parents will not allow her to continue her scientific studies. Kate is always on the hunt for new life to discover and will do anything to get into space.

In Starclimber, France and Canada are racing to be the first country in space. France is attempting to build a giant skyscraper, which they want to reach all the way into outer space. Canada has a secret space program, they are sending a cable into space attached to a counterweight, then sending a ship up it. Cruse and Kate, Canadians, are offered to join this space program to be the first people in space. Cruse is invited because of his skill at ship-guiding, while Kate is invited because of her scientific discoveries. They want her to go up in case there is life in space they want an expert to be there. In order for Kate to get into the program, she has to tell her parents that she will get married to Mr. Sanderson when she returns. When Matt sees the engagement ring, Kate says, "This...is my ticket to outer space" (Oppel 169). In order for Matt to get into the program, he must pass a series of excruciating tests to make sure he is fit for the job.

While in space there will be many challenges. No one has ever been in space before, so they do not know what kind of conditions they will face. They also do not know if there is life in space or if they will be alone. If there is life in space, they do not know if it is hostile or even intelligent. They also would be extremely vulnerable since the only way they are connected to earth is by one cable against the never ending depths of space.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think Kate was right to lie about getting married in order to get on the ship? If you do not think so, what do you think she should have done instead?

2. What do you think of the idea of attaching the ship to a cable? Do you believe it will be successful?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

This is the third and final book of The Hunger Games series. Some of you might know about these books, some of you may not. However their is probably the most basic information I should provide you with before I reveal any of the books plot.

The Hunger Games are a series of games that twelve districts are more or less forced to participate in by the capitol. In these games two children from each of the twelve districts are selected to participate in the games. The games are basically a killing sport for the citizens of the capitol. The children face off against each other taking each one down one by one until their is only one child left who is proclaimed the winner. The books follow the problems of Katniss Everdeen, Peeta, and Gale. I suggest reading the first two books to get a greater understanding of the book and characters.

The book starts out with Katniss who is rescued from her second Hunger Game and transported to district 13. The district was destroyed by nuclear bombing when they rebelled against the capitol. Katniss finds that they have survived however building their city underground.

She is mainly unfocused and vulnerable for most of the book. Supposedly driven crazy by the games, and the fact that the Capitol captured Peeta. Peeta was the only one that survived both of the hunger games with her. She remains a useless until she finds that they are torturing Peeta. She then decides to become the 'Mockingjay' of the rebellion. Becoming President Coin's leader of the rebellion and the key to uniting the 13 districts. She continues to help them as long as they get Peeta back from the empire.

Which they do, but he has been so tortured that he doesn't even recognize Katniss. Mainly from the use of tracker jack poison, which distorts events. He even goes as far to try and kill her when they meet. "My lips are just forming his name when his fingers lock around my throat." (177) Seriously discouraged she decides to go after the empire. She wants to lose her self in the rebellion, deciding that she has nothing left in district 13.

She leads an attack on district 2. The president decides to blow up the mountain housing most of the weapons of district 2. When the mountain collapses Katniss is reminded of the cave in incident that killed her father. She begs them to help the survivors. She even goes as far to help them. However someone shoots her and she is taken to the infirmary again.

The rebellion has either taken over forcefully or converted most of the districts. The only thing left is the Capitol. Katniss begs to be in the squad that takes down president Snow, the capitols leader. "I throw myself in to training with vengeance."(246) Eventually after a lot of hard work in training she is allowed to go. She goes after the capital with a small group of people.

At this point I don't want to summarize anything else for fear of killing all the suspense and grandness of the ending. However that leads to the discussion question.

1. How do you view these killing games of the empire? Are they just a tool to keep the districts living in fear? Or are they just there for entertainment of the empire?

2.Do you think Katniss will benefit any if she kill's President Snow? Will she be somewhat satisfied having made him pay for all he has done to the districts and the people, like Peeta?