A Great And Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

After the mysterious death of her mother in India, Gemma Doyle is sent to London to attend Spence Academy for Young Ladies. There, she meets Felicity, the most popular girl in the school, her best friend Pippa, and Gemma's roommate Ann. The four girls share a hope for something more than the expectations of their school and 19th century society and form a close friendship. However, Gemma is haunted by visions of tragic events that come true. In one of her visions, Gemma is led to the diary of a girl named Mary Dowd, who also attended the academy and suffered from similar visions. The diary reveals the story of two girls who could pass between the human world and others. Gemma finds that she is also able to do so, and she and her friends travel to the realms, a world where every desire, alongside every fear, can become real. She, Felicity, Pippa, and Ann explore the magical world on secret midnight trips that lead them to become more and more caught up in the magic.
Gemma finds her mother in the realms as well, who warns the girls not to take the magic out of the realms. Gemma later discovers that her mother committed a horrible crime, and the only way for Gemma's mother to be at peace is for Gemma to forgive her. During one trip they realize that something is not right. Before they can leave, a creature shows up and Pippa runs away. Gemma does not have time to find her, so she takes Ann and Felicity back and leaves their friend behind.
Gemma goes back to try to save her, and instead she finds the creature, which she defeats by forgiving her mother, an act that kills the creature, frees her mom, and reveals to her that she is grateful for what is real. After it is done, Gemma reflects, "In some ways, the mother I remember was as much an illusion as the leaves we turned into butterflies on our first trip to the realms. I'm going to have to let her go to accept the mother I'm only just discovering. One who was capable of murder, but who fought against the dark to come back to help me. . . . I want to make room for what is real, for the things I can touch and smell, taste and feel - arms around my shoulders, tears and anger, disappointment and love. . . ." (394). Gemma must let go of Pippa as well, who makes the choice to remain in the realms and cross over to the spirit world. Gemma returns to Spence alone.

1. The story makes a point about the role of women in society during the time period. The skills the girls learn in Spence Academy prepare them for a role that represents the repression of women in the Victorian age. Do you think that their trips to the realms allowed them to discover themselves and their identities or that they were simply escaping from the reality of the repressed lifestyle they felt doomed to lead?

2. When Gemma begs Pippa to go with her at the end of the book and tells her that she just has to, Pippa replies, "Have to. . . my whole life has been that" (395). She refuses to return to the real world, because there she is nothing to society but a pretty face, forced to marry a man she does not love. Gemma notes that as Pippa leaves, she radiates with life and on the horizon true love awaits her. If you had the choice to die and remain in a dream world or return to a life far from perfect to stay alive, what would you choose?

Grades

Please check the grade book to see if you have any missing assignments. If there is a zero listed and it also says absent, then you may make the assignment up by the end of next week. A few assignments have not yet been entered, like the reading logs and blog grades. They will be posted by early next week.

The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

The main character in The Lovely Bones, is Susie Salmon. She is a fourteen year old girl living in Pennsylvania with her family. One day she is walking throught the cornfield behind her school, making her way home. She is stopped by Mr. Harvey, her neighbor, who her parents both know. He brutally rapes and murders Susie. Susie is then in heaven and tells her life story in her afterlife. She watches over her family and sees how they struggle with her death. She sees as her father, Jack, and sister, Lindsey try to solve her murder. They are unhappy with the work of the police and their detective on Susie's case. However, Susie's mother, Abigail, just wants to run from dealing with this situation. Susie's younger brother is really too young to understand what is going on but he somtimes can see and sense Susie. As with others she was associated with, they as well have sense of Susie's prescense. After awhile of searching for her muderer, the family soons suspects George Harvey. There is no evidence that he is the killer so therefore the police cannot arrest him. Lindsey breaks into Harvey's house finding potential evidence. In heaven, Susie is able to see Harvey and know about all the other victims of his. The other girls he has killed as well. Mr. Harvey never is caught because he leaves town and never comes back. Although at the end, Susie is watching him and he is going to attack another innocent victim. With some force, it seems, Susie makes an icicle fall. It hits Harvey in the end knocking him unconcious and he falls into a river and dies. By the end of the book, the Salmons all have found their own way of dealing with Susie's death. They've coped with it and know she is watching over them.

1. Do you think it was wrong of Lindsey to break into Harvey's house? Or was it okay because she suspected him of her sister's murder?

2.Was Susie's "force" of the icicle falling and hitting Harvey wrong? Or did he deserve what he got in the end?

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks

The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks is a fictional story about two brothers trying to uncover the truth about their sister's murder. Ruben (14) and his older brother Cole are half gypsy, and live with their mother in a London breaker yard. Their sister Rachel was violently raped and murdered while on a trip visiting an old friend. "I want my daughter back, Mr. Merton. She's been dead three days. I want to bring her back home and bury her. She shouldn't have to be on her own in a place she doesn't know. She's been through enough already. She doesn't deserve any more" (12). All their mother wants is to bury her beloved daughter, however, the police refused. They explained how they needed her body in attempt to find the murderer, and the process could take weeks, or even months. They said that once the killer was caught and identified, Rachel's body would be released. Seeing their mother's devistation, Ruben and Cole decided to take matters into their own hands by traveling to the place of her death and investigating themselves. Once in Lynchcomb, the village where Rachel was murdered, they started to snoop around. They felt like people knew things that they were not sharing. Lynchcomb itself provides a creepy setting; it is described as having barren slopes, a longely grey road, and fading hills in the distance. In Lynchcomb, they find themselves getting into a lot of trouble. The townspeople do not like them around, and some would do almost anything to keep make them go away.


Throughout the novel, Ruben, the narrator, tries to explain his special gift of being able to "feel things". For example, he can feel what his brother is feeling, and he felt the fear that Rachel had the night that she died. He can sense certain things despite the fact that he cannot see them or understand them. This unique and confusing ability allows him to know that Rachel's killer is in fact dead, but their identity remains a mystery throughout the course of the book.




Unfortunately, I cannot say much more without giving anything away.

1. If you were Ruben, would you have gone to Lynchcomb even though it would be a very dangerous journey?
2. Suppose you were given the chance to be able to sense things like Ruben could. Would you take the offer? (Would you take on the heavy burden and it's occasional perks, or would you rather be left unknowing?)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is getting kicked out of school again for fighting when he starts feeling like something is weird in his life. Percy and his mother decide to take a vacation to their favorite beach but when they get there a hurricane starts but it turns out to be a terrible monster chasing them. Percy ends up at Camp Half-Blood where children who were the offspring of a Greek god and a human usually end up. the camp keeps them safe and teaches them how to defend themselves against monsters.
At one point during his training they were having house wars and when Percy steps into the river a trident forms above his head and that marks him as a son of Poseidon. This makes the gods angry and when Zeus' lightning bolt goes missing Percy becomes the number one suspect. now Percy and his new found friends have only ten days to find the bolt and bring it back to Mount Olympus. They have to face monsters, ex-teachers that turned out to be after them, and the evil medusa.
They find the bolt after travelling to Olympus and found out that Percy was framed.

1.How do you think Percy felt when he had to face his dad who had abandoned him?
2.does the fact that Percy automatically blamed for the theft relate to today's judicial system?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: non-censored version

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain which is centered around a young man by the name of Huckleberry Finn. The novel starts out with Huck explaining how he and his friend Tom Sawyer found 6,000 dollars in a cave which was then ordered to be put in a trust by Judge Thatcher. After that, he explains how he is now living with Widow Douglas and Miss Watson who are constantly trying to "sivilize" him by teaching him religion and making him go to school to get an education.
Huck and a group of his friends then start a "gang" under the leadership of Tom Sawyer. They plan to ransom people even though they have no idea what ransoming is. One of the boys suggests that it is tying some one up until they die. After a short period of inactivity from the gang, it falls apart when the boys raid a
The books main conflict begins when Huck notices a boot print in the mud with a cross in it, a sure sign that his abusive alcoholic pap, or father, is back after being presumed dead. In an attempt to stop his pap from harassing him for the fortune he found in the cave mentioned earlier, Huck sells his 6,000 dollars to the judge for just one dollar. Pap is insulted that Huckleberry dresses better than him and has become the first literate person in the family so he tells Huck that he will "take him down a notch." Soon after his Pap has confined him to stay in their small house at all hours of the day, Huck fakes his death by using pigs blood to make it look like robbers robbed the house and killed Huck. He then plans to use a canoe he found to go hide out on Jackson's Island where he meets up with a runaway slave named Jim.
Eventually Jim and Huck are forced to leave the island after hearing that a reward has been posted for Jim's return and that a man has been searching the island looking for him. They plan to head North to the states where slavery is prohibited.
After missing the mouth of the Ohio River where the two planned to take a steamboat up North, Huck and Jim encounter a band of men who are looking for runaway slaves to take back to the South. Huck then struggles wondering if he should turn the "property" in to the men or keep moving with Jim. Huck decides to protect Jim by telling the men that his sick father is in the raft causing the men to let them go. Soon after a steamboat hits the raft separating Jim and Huck.
Huck ends up with a rich southern family named the Grangerfords who are feuding with another family named the Sheperdsons. This is an allusion to Romeo and Juliet because the son and daughter of the two families elope which eventually leads to a shotgun fight where many family members are lost. Luckily, Jim shows up to take Huck back to the repaired raft.
Huck and Jim later meet up with a pair of con men who call themselves the duke and the dauphin. Since the two cannot really force the white men to leave, they continue down the river with them. When the duke and the dauphin try to claim a dead mans inheritance by impersonating his two brothers, they are eventually found out and run out of town when the real brothers arrive. As soon as Jim and Huck are trying to leave on their raft, duke and the dauphin show up forcing them to bring the two along.
The duke and the dauphin soon after sell Jim to a local farmer telling him that there is a large reward for the return of him. Huck pledges to save Jim from the farmer. He soon realizes that the farmer and his wife are none other than Tom Sawyer's . Huck then impersonates Tom and catches Tom who is on his way to his aunt and uncle's and convinces him to pretend to be Sid, his younger brother.
Tom then formulates an overcomplicated plan to free Jim even though he is only chained up. Huck agrees to the plan unwillingly. After an extended period of preparation which involves causing chaos, Jim is briefley freed until Tom is shot in the leg by some one who is chasing them. Huck is forced to get a doctor while Jim stops to aid Tom. after the failed plan, all three of them return back to the house.
After they are all back, Tom reveals that Jim has been a free man for 2 months, bringing their journey to an end. Jim then reveals that when searching a house he found Huck's Pap dead prompting Tom's aunt to offer to adopt him. He declines saying that he does not want to be "sivilized" and plans to head west.

1.This book takes place during the time of slavery. Even though Huck is from the South, he still befriends a slave. Do you think this is realistic, why or why not?
2.Both Jim and Huck runaway for their own reasons. Jim because he fears Miss Watson will trade him to a plantation, and Huck because he wants to escape his abusive Pap. If you were them, would you too run away keeping in mind the consequences?

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Breaking Dawn, by Stephanie Meyer is the fourth and final book in the Twilight saga. In the previous books Bella Swan and Edward had fought to stay together. This book starts off with their marriage, because Edward said the only way he will turn Bella into a vampire is if she marries him first. After the wedding they have a normal honeymoon. But while on the honeymoon Bella becomes pregnant with Edward's child. None of the Cullens have ever seen anything like this before. And they quickly prepare Bella to go through the pregnancy, but this was no normal pregnancy. This is one of the main conflicts of the novel, Bella has to withstand the pain of a vampire baby growing inside of her. But Jacob also thinks he is still in love with Bella, which creates tension between him and Edward. The points of view switch throughout the story between the different characters and how they are reacting to the situation. Another conflict is that the Vulturi, the royalty in the vampire world are soon approaching Forks, Washington. In one of the previous books, the Cullens had promised them that they would turn Bella into a vampire. Throughout the book they prepare themselves and fellow vampires to fight the Vulturi.

1. "You could run from someone you feared, you could try to fight someone you hated. All my reactions were geared toward those kinds of killers – the monsters, the enemies. When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give your beloved, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?" In Bella's life, there were many times when she had near death experiences. But in Breaking Dawn, she put herself through the pain for her family. Would you put yourself through the pain of almost dying, hoping that you will have a better life after?

2. “The friendship that had sprung up between Edward and Seth was something that still boggled my mind. It was proof, though, that things didn’t have to be this way. That vampires and werewolves could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to.” Another conflict in the novel is the hatred between he werewolves and the vampires. Do you think you could ever be friends with someone that is a complete opposite of you? With someone that was raised to hate you?

Someone Like You By Sarah Dessen

“Life is an ugly, awful place not to have a best friend.” Have you ever really needed someone to turn to when life gets tough? How about someone to talk to when your world seems to be falling apart? These feelings were shared by two best friends, Halley and Scarlet, in the book: “Someone Like You”. Halley was always quiet and shy. She was not brave enough to handle many situations by herself. This is why she had Scarlet as her best friend. Scarlet was adventurous and daring. She stood up for herself and everything she believed. Scarlet also had the job of standing up and being there for her shy best friend. Apparently, opposites do attract. In all of Halley’s most difficult problems it seems Scarlet always knows exactly what to do. Scarlet fell deeply in love in the beginning of her junior year of high school. She spends a lot of time with her boyfriend Michael and really cares deeply about him. Never forgetting of course her best friend Halley. Her life seems to be going perfectly. What’s better then having a great family, loving boyfriend, and a perfect best friend. Life was going perfect until the tables were turned around. Michael, Scarlet’s true love was killed in a motorcycle accident. She is devastated and has little hope. She had her future planned out revolving around her beloved Michael. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Scarlet finds out that she is carrying Michael’s baby. This time, with completely crushed Scarlet, Halley is being looked towards for answers to some of life’s hardest questions. Halley has to learn exactly how to be strong, not for herself, but for Scarlet. As hard as it may be, she knows she will be there for Scarlet. Best friends is not a label, it’s a promise.

Questions:

1. What advice would you give Scarlet if you were in Halley's shoes?

2. What do you think Scarlet will do about the baby?

3. Do you believe that being best friends is a promise?

My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper is a tragic story involving a family that was bound to fall apart no matter what decisions were made. The main character Anna Fitzgerald was born purposefully to save her sister Kate who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two. She was genetically made to be a perfect match for any type of donation to her sister. Anna was always a relatively healthy child, but you would not have known it due to the numerous tests and procedures she had undergone. Anna was never quite able to live her own life, because every time Kate went into relapse, Anna had to be right by her side as if she were the patient herself.

Anna was tired of living a life in the hospital when she was not even sick, so she went to Alexander Campbell with her problems. He was an attorney who was willing to fight for Anna's right to make decisions on her own when it came to her own body. He advises her to file a case regarding her emancipation which would make her free to chose what medical procedures she would undergo, however Anna was not sure what she wanted. She loved her sister more than anything, and did not want to see her die, but with Kate alive Anna would never get to be a person of her own. She would always be Kate's sister and never herself.

Going into the lawsuit everyone realizes that this case, whichever way the judge rules, nobody will win. If the judge rules against Anna then obviously Anna would be in the same situation as she was before; not in control of her own body. However if the judge rules in Anna's favor then there is a decision to be made. Either Anna will give the kidney any ways and still be attached to her sister for medical reasons not to mention hurting Kate all the while because she knows how she is affecting Anna's freedom, or Anna chooses to not give the kidney getting the freedom she wants but having to live without a sister, and know that it is her fault Kate died.

1. Taking a look from Kate's perspective, how do you think she feels about the entire situation with Anna? Do you think she blames Anna for putting up a fight? Do you think she is glad Anna is finally standing up for herself so Kate can stop feeling guilty about holding Anna back?

2. Was it wrong of the parents to ask Anna to go through this from the beginning? Should they have let Kate go and not have two children suffering from the consequences, or did they make the right choice in doing everything they could to save Kate even at the expense of Anna?

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis is about a 17 year old, African American, boy named Michael Oher. His mother is a drug addict and he has no idea who his father even is. Everyday when he wakes up, he has no idea where he will go to sleep that night. Eventually, a rich family, the Touhy family, comes across Michael Oher through a friend who had earlier taken him in for a few days. They had gotten him into a private school, on one condition. Michael Oher had to raise his grades up. The wealthy Touhy family offered for him to stay at their house and Oher accepted the invitation. He was a very quiet kid who lacked any communication skills, and it took him a while to open up to the family. The family hired a tutor for him, and he was able to get his grades up high enough to play basketball. He was a good basketball player, being the big and tall kid that he was, but he knew it was not his calling. As he continued to improve his grades and communication skills, he decided to go out for the football team. He is a very tall and strong kid and the coaches can see his talent right away. He becomes an essential part of the football team at his school and around this time, the Touhy family ended up adopting Michael. With a strong and supportive family, he becomes a more confident kid. College scouts from all across the country came to see him play football. They all wanted Oher to go to their school and play football on scholarship. Michael Oher got so many different offers and had many options to choose from. He ended up attending Ole Miss, coincidentally, where Mrs. Touhy went to college. He was successful in college and loved playing football. Michael Oher was then drafted into the NFL in 2009 to the Baltimore Ravens. The Blind Side is a touching book in which a loving family saw someone in need and took him in. The Touhy family cared for him and loved him, in hope to give him a bright future, and they accomplished their goal.


1) Why do you think the Touhy family took Michael Oher in and gave him a place to stay in the first place?
2) Why do you think Michael Oher was able to improve his grades and communication skills once he was taken in by the family?

A Corner Of The Universe by Ann M. Martin

The book, A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin is an adventerous story about a twelve year old girl named Hattie Owen and her summer vacation. Hattie lives in a boarding house in which her parents own, and run. Hattie is an only child and has a hard time making friends. Hattie has grandparents who she calls Nana and Papa. They are very wealthy and strict. the book starts to heat up when Hattie is enformed that her uncle Adam will be spending the summer with her because his school closed down. Hattie has never met Adam before and she soon finds out he suffers from a mental illness. When Adam arrives, Hattie is overwhelmed. He is very happy and Hattie refers her uncle Adam to her new bestfriend. Throughout the novel Hattie and Adam spend much time together. However, sometimes Adam has moments and Hattie is afraid of him. In the middle of the book, a carnival stops by the small town of Millerton. Hattie attends the carnival and meets a new friend named Leila. Hattie then decided that she was going to bring Adam to the carnival, but she had to sneak him out of the house someway. "I am never quite sure what made me suggest to Adam that he sneak out of his house and go to the carnival with me. Maybe it doesn't matter. Somehow the idea comes up, and Leila and I talk and talk about it, knowing it is wrong but lured by its daring" (126). Adam snuck out successfully and him and Hattie went off to the carnival. Adam, Hattie and Leila go on the ferris wheel and get stuck at the very top. Adam started to lose control of himself and he stood up and screamed and tried jumping out. "I don't care what Adam might do to me, but he cannot, simply cannot, climb out of our car. We are...how high up? Two stories? Three? More?" (134). Soon the ride was fixed and the police were waiting to hand cuff Adam and take him to the hospital. Hattie gets in very much trouble for sneaking Adam out and is forbidden to go to the carnival ever again. When Adam comes back he visits Hattie and brings flowers. However, the flowers are not for Hattie, but for a resident of the boarding house, Angel Valentine. Hattie believes Adam has a secret crush on Angel. When Adam went to go deliver the flowers to her room he opened the door and saw Angel in bed with her boyfriend. Adam was furious and ran. Hattie assumed Adam ran back home but she later found he went missing. The cops were called and they later found Adam in a shed.

1. Many times in the book Adam is laughed at and is made fun of. If you were Hattie, how would you react?

2. Do you think Angel Valentine was responsible for Adam to go missing? Why?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is an interesting story told from a different perspective. In this novel, the narrator is death telling the story of a young girl named Leisel Meminger. Leisel is nine years old and living in Germany in a foster home of Jews right before World War II begins. Leisle’s mom can’t keep her and she is given up for adoption to her new foster parents Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Sadly, Leisel’s brother Werner, never makes it to live with Leisle and her new foster family. This brings traumatizing nightmares for Leisel in the near future. Despite what Leisel has gone through, she is fascinated by novels and learning to read. Upon her arrival she was illiterate, but her foster dad helps her to overcome her brother’s death and to help her read. Leisel’s first book is a manual book on how to dig graves. She took this book from where her brother is buried. Leisel’s desire to steal books is a form of defiance. As the war begins, her family decides to help hide a young man named Max from the Nazi’s. Max is the son of the man whom saved Han’s life in his earlier years when he fought in the army. They hide Max until the risk becomes too great. When Max does live in their basement, he writes stories to Leisel about their friendship. Max is a Jew who is sent to a concentration camp at the end of the novel. Leisel writes, “I have hated the words, and I have loved them, and I have hoped I made them right (Zusask, 528). Leisel becomes hopeless when Max goes off to the concentration camp. She realizes that propaganda is why Hitler is so powerful and how the Jews are only scapegoats to blame for other people’s problems. She also realizes words can bring violence and comfort. She tries to combat this vicious propaganda.She decides to write into one of the blank books Max has given her. She decides to focus on writing things out of love and not selfishness. The only friend Leisel was really close to goes off to a concentration camp. The end of the story deals with air raiding signals going off as,their hometown may be bombed by the Nazi's. Leisel's family gathers in her basement and waits to see what the outcome will be. It is significantly noted at the end of the novel, the narrator Death, is haunted by the victims of death but it is not haunted by the dead ones.

Questions for Discussion:

1.If you were in Leisel’s situation, how do you think you would handle the challenges such as a death of a sibling, the abandonment of your mother, and the challenge of not being able to read?

2.Based on the outcome of the real Holocaust and what you know about Leisel , Do you think Leisel will die at the end by the Nazi’s or overcome them? Why do you believe the way you do?

HEY, EVERYBODY! (and Mrs. Frank)

Because I wrote a draft of my primary blog post long before it was my week to post, it is now inconveniently located lower on this page. It's called A Girl Named Zippy and I'm pretty sure it's the only post in a bright green font color. I guess this is what I get for staying ahead of the game. Anyways, it is included in the blog posts for January 3 to January 8 so please do not hesitate to answer my beautiful questions.

THANK YOU!

Twilight

Bella Swan moved to Forks, Washington to live with her father Charlie. Upon her arrival, Bella finds her welcome home gift, a big red truck. Bella attends Forks High school in the small cold and rainy town. At Forks High School, Bella meets new friends, which for her, was surprising. She has a quiet and shy personality and down in Pheonix, Arizona she had never accumulated a bunch of friends. Also at Forks High School, she meets Edward Cullen. At first Edward is cold towards Bella, but as time progresses he shows more of an interest in her and even saves her life for the first time from an SUV sliding out of control in the parking lot. He grabs her and smashes the car inward to prevent it from hitting the both of them. At this point, Bella begins to suspect that the boy she feels so fond of isn't exactly human. She begins to question him and is tipped off by her friend Jacob Black the the Cullen family is actually a clan of vampires. Unphased, Bella confronts Edward about this belief and he reveals his secret to her on the condition she must keep his secret. Edward and Bella fall deeply in love and are unable to be apart for long. However, underneath Edward's love for Bella lies a lust for her blood and he must resist this longing while he is near Bella. Although the Cullens are 'vegetarians', there are still vampires that still rely on human blood to satisfy their thirst and while playing baseball with Edward's family, Bella's scent is discovered by a tracker, James, who begins to hunt Bella for sport. The Cullens do everything in their power to keep Bella safe, but James loves his sport and is cunning. He tricks Bella into thinking he has her mother, Renee, by recording an old family movie with her mother's voice and Bella gives herself up to James in return for her mother's safety. James is about to deliver the fatal blow to Bella right as Edward arrives and kills James. Bella is nursed back to health by Carlisle, and continues her life with Edward in Forks, even attending school prom.

Edward has a special power and is able to hear people's thoughts, however, he is unable to hear Bella's. Why do you think he is unable to hear the thoughts of the one most important to him?

Edward was created by Carlisle 90 years ago when he was on the brink of death because of an illness plaguing where he lived. Edward's mother had pleaded, and was also dying, to Carlisle to do everything in his power to ensure that Edward lived. Carlisle, lonely and wanting companionship, changed Edward into a vampire thinking he would teach Edward his way of hunting animals instead of humans. Do you think Carlisle did the right thing in turning Edward into a vampire, or was it selfish?

Have a Little Faith

Have a Little Faith, a nonfiction story by Mitch Albom, starts with an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, he insists on understanding his rabbi better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Meanwhile, he starts the story of Henry, a poor black Christian kid growing up in Detroit. Mitch continually visits his rabbi, Albert Lewis (also known as "The Reb"), and starts to learn more about his as a man. Meanwhile he discusses Henry's life growing up, and him getting involved with drugs and organized crime. Mitch learns how the Reb accepts other people and religions for what they are. Henry goes to jail, gets married, and gets addicted to his own drug. Late one night, Henry barely avoids death. He starts worshipping God, and starts his own parish in a broken down church. He helps homeless and poor, just like himself. Now Mitch meets him for the first time. He is skeptical of him at first, but later helps them get food and heating. Mitch continues to visit the Reb, who dies. The story ends with Mitch's eulogy, and the message that faith can overcome great obstacles.
1.Have a Little Faith talks about many faiths coinciding. How can many faiths coexist? If different faiths have different beliefs, can they all be correct?
2.When Mitch asks this of the Reb, he explains that just as there are a variety of trees, multiple faiths all come from the same God (page 160). What do you think about the Reb’s explanation? Can dialogue and debate about different beliefs, as the Reb argues, really enrich one’s own faith?

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

At the beginning of the story, Denise, the main character, was driving along the highway on the way back from a doctor's appointment for Kyle, her son. There was a major storm just trailing behind them. It was like a race on the highway just trying to keep ahead of it. As it was raining, a deer came across the highway. Denise tried to stop but her car slid off the road. She knocked her head on the steering wheel and became unconscious. Her son aware that they were in trouble got out of the car and headed into the woods on the edge of the highway.

Taylor, a volunteer firefighter, saw the accident and was on the sight within minutes. After Denise woke up, he became aware that her son Kyle was missing. There was extra help within minutes. They immediately began looking in the woods because that was the only shelter nearby. Denise had warned them Kyle would not respond to anything they called because he had speaking disabilities which is why they were at the doctors earlier that day. She also said Kyle hated storms. It was completely dark in the woods and flashlight would only allow a person to see a few feet.

At the end of the search, it was Taylor that found Kyle because of his pure instinct and ability to think like a child that hated storms and wasn't afraid. Kyle was near a duck structure that would provide him shelter and a way to escape the wind. He was transported to the hospital with Taylor because that is where his mother was sent because of her injuries.

As the story progresses Taylor and Denise develop a relationship. Taylor's friends pray she will be the one and she won't end up like Taylor's past girlfriends. Taylor begins pushing Denise away. He tends to help women in need without realizing it and once his help his done he leaves. He does this because he lost his father to a fire when he was little boy and he blames himself. It takes his best friend's death for him to realize what he was doing and how much he really loves Denise.

1. Why do you think Taylor's father's death affected him so much that it affected his life in such a big way?

2. I mentioned Kyle had a learning disability, how do you think he was treated by other parents and kids in the story?

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by: Eoin Colfer

Colfer begins the journey with Artemis Fowl and his family bodyguard Butler waiting in Barcelona, Spain for an expected encounter with a demon. Artemis Fowl is a highly intelligent teenager with extensive knowledge of the mythological world. Butler is rumored to be among the most dangerous men in the world and has gotten that way through hard work and perseverance. As Colfer says,"Butler did not get to be one of the most dangerous men in the world by chatting with anyone who happened to stroll past, unless the chat concerned exit routes and concealed weapons"(Colfer 1). His sole duty is to protect Artemis from harm and aid him on his missions to protect the mythological world. At Barcelona a demon arbitrarily appears and grabs Artemis and attempts to bring him to the demon world. But Butler with his arm on Artemis's shoulder pulls Artemis back to their dimension.

Here the story of Artemis pauses and the book goes on to tell about No1. He is an imp in the demon world, known as Hybras, who is being bullied by teachers and other students for not being "warped" into a strong and brute demon. Demon evolution shows that imps take one of two paths: one of the warped demon and one of the warlock. No1 is convinced he is a warlock although they have seemed to be extinct. He observes himself turning an object into stone displaying his raw warlock power. Abbot the demon leader gets angry and uses his mesmer, a hypnotic power capable by fairies and other fairy-like creatures, to convince No1 to travel to the human world through the volcano.

Back in Artemis's dimension he is waiting at another location of a predicted demon arrival. Here he sees a girl who he remembers seeing at Barcelona. Her name is Minerva and her family has has extensive knowledge of demons. She is seen with a henchman named Billy Kong. Minerva and her family want to capture demons and study their culture to learn more about them. They obtain No1 as he enters the human world. Billy Kong on the other hand wants to kill demons on the fact that they were responsible for his brother's death sometime ago. His sole purpose in the operation is to take over command from Minerva when a demon is captured and kill it. Once No1 is obtained by Minerva, Artemis devises a plan to steal it from her. Convinced that the demon dematerialized back to the demon world, Minerva says that no demon can be captured for another 17 months. Kong gets enraged and threatens Minerva's life among others. At that moment Artemis calls Kong and proposes he exchanges Minerva for No1. At first Artemis wants to choose the rendez-vous but Kong forces Artemis to let him choose. Here Artemis demonstrates his intellectual ability with the famed line in the book. He uses the art of suggestion to make Kong pick the meeting point Artemis had is mind. He says to Kong before a meeting point is set, "I will be wearing a burgundy tie. Pay attention to that" (Colfer 246). This statement causes Kong to choose Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Knowing Kong's background in Taiwan Artemis executed this suggestion brilliantly. But why does Artemis want to meet at Taipei and what will go on in the building? Will Artemis live?

1. Artemis is obviously intelligent but sometimes however he goes to far and acts in a snobbish way. However without using his intellect he can not lead missions successfully and get out of predicaments. What is your view on how people should demonstrate their intellect? Should they dumb themselves down for the sake of others?

2. Artemis and Minerva are people who lack athleticism but make up for it in intellect.
Would it be better to be
1. somewhat athletic and somewhat smart
2. Extremely athletic
3. Extremely smart
Why?
**Each choice has drawbacks and advantages

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?

The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One, by Nicholas Sparks is an outstanding love story. It has several settings the first is in Iraq. When a soldier, Logan, finds a picture of a beautiful women while on his daily run. At first he thought nothing of the picture but he kept it just in case it belonged to someone. No one claimed it and for some unknown reason he decided to keep it. The picture gave him luck in almost all aspects of his life. He was always safe in combat won nightly poker games and did not lose any more of his friends in battle. When he was released from duty he decided he had to find this women. Logan walked all the way from Colorado to a small southern town where the women in the picture, Elizabeth, lived. Logan was too scared to tell her the real reason he came to this small southern town that barely makes the map. He took a job as a dog groomer for her family in order to get as close as he can to her. Eventually Logan and Elizabeth did fall in love it seemed like they were made for each other. Logan eventually told her the real reason he went all the way to Hampton from Colorado. She did not take this news lightly, she refused to even talk to him ending the relationship. The last few chapters reveal if Logan and Elizabeth will ever be able to make things work between them.
1. Do you think Elizabeth should forgive Logan.
2. Do you think they are an example of love at first sight?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

HarryPotter is a sixteen year old boy after six years atHogwarts. It is mid summer, and once he turns seventeen, the charm his mother cast to protect him will wear off once he is of age. The charm also protects his uncle's house, which is where he has stayed for the last 16 years, after his parents where murdered in Godric's Hollow. So the Order of the Phoenix decides to move him to a safer location, but during transport, Harry, the six other Harrys (who "became him" by using Polyjuice Potion), and their bodyguards were all attacked. Several made it to the safehouse unhurt, but 1 was injured and another was killed by the Death Eaters, Voldemort's "henchmen".
After staying at the Weasleys' house for a week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave to find Voldemorts' Horcruxes, which all contain part of his soul. Dumbledore left them with the mission to find and destroy them, leaving Voldemort vulnerable to death as mortal. During their search, they find the first Horcrux left by RAB, Sirius' brother. They have to find the Sword of Griffindor, which can destroy Horcruxes. Meanwhile, Ron left them because he felt betrayed. Harry is led by a doe to a frozen pond containing the Sword. When he submerges to grab the sword, the Locket containing the Horcrux prevents him from resurfacing. Only Ron saved Harry from the iced pond and the locket. Together, they destroy the locket even though it puts up a fight.
After leaving the forest with the Sword, they go to the Lovegood House, where Luna's father reveals to them the Deathly Hallows, the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility. When they leave after a narrow escape from Death Eaters, they arrive at a forest where searchers are waiting. They are brought to the Malfoy House, but they escape with the help of the Malfoy's old house elf, Dobby. Although Dobby dies in the process, they successfully escape and find Ollivander, the wandmaker,who was tortured by Voldemort. He tells them that Voldemort seeks the Elder Wand, which he does at Dumbledore's grave.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The rest is after the movie ends....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Harry and his friends then go to Gringotts to find the Cup of Hufflepuff, which contains another of Voldemort's horcruxes. After penetrating the vaults using Polyjuice Potion, they find the cup, but after taking the cup, they are surrounded by the burning enchanted treasure and guards outside the door. They rush through the guards and escape on a freed dragon. After settling down in a clearing, Harry, unintentionally sees into Voldemort's mind about the rest of the Horcruxes. There they travel to Hogsmeade, where again they are nearly captured, but saved by Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth. There they go inside Hogwarts to find the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Once inside they find the diadem in the Room of Requirement. Malfoy and his buddies try to stop them, but instead they use cursed fire putting them all in danger. The fire destroys the horcrux and they escape, but one of Malfoy's friends dies. During the battle, Harry goes to the Shrieking Shack and finds Snape and Voldemort talking. Voldemort believes he cannot use the Elder Wand because Snape is its master, so he kills Snape. Potter, meanwhile, has found the Resurrection Stone and his cloak of invisibility that was given to him is the Hallows' Cloak of Invisibility.
In 1 Hour, Potter must find and confront Voldemort or he will kill everyone inside Hogwarts.
This is where I will end so as to not spoil the ending.

1. Why does Voldemort want to be the one to kill Harry?
2. Why did Potter not just hide from his fear?

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

A Girl Named Zippy is a memoir of a strange little girl as she grows up in the quaint town of Mooreland in Indiana. Zippy is a very free-spirited girl who gags at the thought of wearing a dress and going to church with her mother and loves having dozens of pets throughout her childhood. Zippy's father is a very particular gambling man who takes hours to double-check the supplies when heading out in the trailer to go camping. Zippy's mother is a very sedentary and very religious woman. Zippy has multiple adventures throughout the book which do not form any kind of single plot (this makes it a book that cannot be summarized); so, here is a summary of the last chapter: When Christmas time neared, Zippy found herself having a strong desire for a piano. When her parents heard this, they winced because money was in short supply in their family. Zippy could not think of anything else in the world she wanted more. She was about to become even more distraught. On the night of Christmas Eve, Zippy's good friend, Julie, was having a Christmas party as their family did every year. During the party, Julie told Zippy to come upstairs; she had something to show her. When they reached Julie's room, Zippy was horrified to see a beautiful keyboard piano that Julie received for Christmas. On her way home, Zippy was about on the verge of tears. But when she walked through her front door, she became ecstatic. It was a piano. It was a piano that was even bigger and better than Julie's. Her delight could not be put into words.

Questions
1. Zippy's family was not as well off as Julie's, but the idea of a piano seemed a lot more appreciated by Zippy than it was by Julie. So, based on these points, do you think it is better to have a bit of a challenging time making ends meet or is it better to be very well off. Explain.

2. Zippy is very much her own person throughout the book and can be described as a nonconformist. Is it better to be a conformist or a non-conformist? Why?

Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn

Wonder Blake is a fifteen-year-old year who believes her life is a living hell. She and her family have recently moved to a small Cape Cod town from the hustle and bustle of big New York after the unexpected death of ehr older sister Lucky, who wa son the track of super stardom. THis new town was suppose to be a new start for her family but just led for them all to grow more distant and for Wonders life to be come a living hell. She doesnt fit in at her high school and the only thing that she has to escape from is her dancing. One day while she was working at her part time job at Dairy Queen a record producer, Tig, hears her singing and affers to record her, knowing her as Luckys little sister. She unwillingly accepts and after a few months of slience she finally gets a call that changes her world upside down. She was plucked from her disorderly life and into the crazy world of music as she becomes an instant hit. She follows her mentor Kayla, her sisters childhood friend, around to get to know the business better. She reliexes that sex, drugs and underaged drinking comes with the package of being a teen idol and she seems not quite cut out for that, She chances her image and her morals for this job and she becomes somethign that isnt truly her. She is a naive girl in the music business following and having her "first time" with a jerk. She has to chose between the wrold of people who love her music and body but not her true self and cave in to the hardship of beign a teen idol or go back to her personal hell with a disorderly family who loves her and high school which she isnt quite cut out for.

1. If you were Wonder which life would you pick, a hard, pressured super star life or a disfunctional family life, both you dont quite are happy with?

2. If you deads sisters dream was to become a superstar and you were able to live this dream but not really wnting it, would you feel guilty?

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen takes place in 1899 and follows the lives of the upperclass teenages in Manhattan. The story focuses on the main character, Elizabeth Holland. She is part of one of the famous families of Manhattan and is known as society's sweetheart. However, after her father dies, Elizabeth's family is secretly thrust into debt and her mother forces her to get engaged to Henry Schoonmaker. Henry is one of the richest bachelors in all of Manhattan and it also forced to engage Elizabeth in order to appease his father. This is a huge problem for Elizabeth because she is in love with one of her own familie's servants, William, who tries to convince her to run away to the west with him. One night, she returns from a ball and finds William gone and is devastated. In the mean time, Elizabeth's sister, Diana is falling in love with Henry. The two have been sneaking around and one night Diana sneaks out to see him and when she returns, she finds her family crying. Elizabeth's supposed best friend, Penelope, said that while they were out on a carriage ride Elizabeth was thrown into the river and disappeared. Diana is supsicious of Penelope because she knows that Penelope was jealous of Elizabeth and was trying to take her place as society's favorite.

1. What do you think happened to Elizabeth and why?

2. Was it right for Diana to steal Henry even though she knew he and Elizabeth were not in love?

White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway

White Ghost Girls is a novel about two American sisters, Frankie and Kate, growing up in Hong Kong during the late 1960s. During this time period, Hong Kong was not Communist, but neighboring China was, under the control of Mao Zedong. The war is raging in the nearby jungles of Vietnam, and in the book the girls’ father is an American photographer for Time Magazine. The two girls and their mother live in Hong Kong while their father is off photographing the war. The novel examines the relationship of sisterhood, the loss of innocence, the effects of war and of neglect, and the raging desire of a person to be loved. All people have this need for love, and some will do absolutely anything to get people to notice them, but this ultimately leads to their own suffering.

At the beginning of the book, Kate and Frankie’s father is away and they are out on a boat with their mother and some of the family’s Chinese servants. The girls are playing in the water when they see a dark mass floating up from the depths. They see it is a body, covered in seaweed with fish biting at its flesh, and later learn it is one of many bodies that are washing out to see after being killed by Communist demonstrations near the Pearl River. Though the girls’ mother tries to keep them away from the events of the war, Kate says that seeing the dead body that day “marks the end of our innocence, exposes the impossibility of her efforts to protect us” (Greenway 10). But the girls’ mother tries nonetheless. She hides newspapers talking about the war from them, takes then to church, makes them get dressed up every Sunday, and ultimately tries to form them into the proper and refined women she desperately wishes they would be. Frankie takes this to mean that her mother does not love her enough to let be herself, and vilifies her mother for it. She constantly resists all of what her mother wants her to do. She throws herself at every man she sees, wears provocative clothing and disobeys all the time.

When she and Kate accompany the family’s servant, Ah Bing, to the market one day, she again tries to be reckless and disobedient. When they get to the market there is a Communist demonstration, and chaos erupts when the police arrive. Frankie convinces Kate to slip away from Ah Bing and the girls go into an alley where two large men confront them. The men take Frankie into a butcher shop and give Kate a bag of what they tell her is fruit but is actually a bomb. They make her put it into the middle of the police line, and the bomb explodes, killing several people. While Kate is away, the men abuse Frankie, and after this, she becomes even more unstable. Here the sisters’ relationship with each other also declines. They begin keeping secrets from each other, and Kate is forever burdened with her secret of what she did in the market. She is also burdened by her sister’s constant need for attention, for an outward show of love. About herself, Kate says, “I’m just supposed to be Katenick, muimui, little sister, follower, sidekick” (Greenway 95 ). Kate is Frankie’s shoulder to lean on, her constant support throughout all their schemes. In Frankie’s pursuit of affection, she overshadows Kate, or just drags her along, and Kate can never be recognized as her own person.

Another turning point in the story is when the girls’ parents decide to send Frankie away to boarding school. Their mother says she cannot control her anymore, and wants to send her to a place that will change her into a young lady. At this Frankie becomes more desperate than ever to be noticed, to be shown love. She smokes more, disobeys more, and seduces a boy at a pool party the family attends. She also flirts openly with her father’s friends. All this time their father is oblivious to what she is doing and why. He thinks only of the war and is obsessed with the fighting and adventure he finds in Vietnam. The situation escalates higher and higher until the day before she is to leave for boarding school, Frankie makes one last desperate attempt for love. The result absolutely blows the family to pieces, and they must confront the story of Frankie and the part that they each played in the tragedy of her life.

1. Do you think that Frankie did the diobedient, reckless things she did to break out of her mothers expectations, to get people to notice her, or both?

2. In the book the girls' father is so drawn to the war that he thinks of nothing else and is blind to the problems in his own family. Why do you think war mesmerizes people like this?

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde, one of the most prominent members of the aesthetic movement. His novel relates to art, and its purpose. Wilde argues in the introduction to the novel that art’s purpose is to have no purpose- simply to exist, without having an overreaching moral lesson. He writes that “The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely” (8).
The protagonist, Dorian Gray, is a young man who is said to be very beautiful and innocent. An older artist, Basil Hallward, cultivates a friendship with him that leads to his meeting Lord Henry, a gifted and influential speaker. The Lord advocates a radical policy of hedonism, or the pursuit of pleasure above all else, which is quite controversial in the morally strict time period. He enjoys shaping Dorian’s beliefs, and says that “’Because to influence a person is to give him one’s own soul. He does not think natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed’” (23). This becomes true for the impressionable Dorian when he is told that his beauty has more value than anything else in his life. Basil has painted a portrait of him, and the young man despairs that he shall age while it shall not. In thinking this, Dorian trades his own aging for that of the portrait’s, though he does not discover this for some time, when he begins to commit many sins in trying to live Lord Henry’s philosophies more fully. Sin is said to make a person ugly, and ages the portrait just as time does. One of the first examples of his sins is spurning the young actress, Sibyl Vane, whom he claimed to be in love with until she performed badly at a play. His rejection caused her to commit suicide, and though it shook Dorian, it was not enough to change his course. His lifestyle grew increasingly careless, causing his portrait self to decay with every misdeed. Dorian does not escape karma, however, when his choices ultimately lead him to a final desperate and destructive act. The portrait Basil painted was given a purpose, in being used for Dorian Gray’s selfish life, and consequently caused the man’s destruction.

1) Do you think that Dorian is responsible for his actions throughout the novel, or is Lord Henry instead responsible for teaching a moral code that he himself did not understand the implications of?
2) Wilde’s view on the purposelessness of art was highly controversial in the time. Many still believe that art is created to influence, or display views. Which philosophy do you personally agree with?

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by: Jeff Lindsay

At first glance, Dexter Morgan seems to be as average as anyone could possibly be. He has a job as a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Police, a good relationship with his girlfriend and her two kids, and a wonderful bond with his sister, Deborah. Though Dexter appears to be a normal gentlemanly guy, he has a dark secret: he leads a double life as a serial killer.
The book begins with Dexter on one of his killing sprees, after the "Dark Passenger", which is what drives him to kill people, takes over his body and mind. However, Dexter is unlike most serial killers in the fact that he only kills people who have committed horrible crimes and not been caught or punished for them. For this reason, in the beginning of the novel, Dexter is killing Father Donovan, a priest who has murdered seven children. Once Dexter has killed someone, the Dark Passenger leaves his body and he returns to his normal life.
Dexter is completely aware of the monster that he is, and goes to great lengths to cover up his murders and be a seemingly normal guy. In the novel, Dexter talks about how he lacks normal human emotions and has covered up for any peculiarities towards him with acting through meetings with people by faking charm and feelings. Dexter's sister, who is not his real sister and is the closest person to him, has no idea of Dexter's other life either. The only person to ever learn of what Dexter was, was his adoptive father Harry. When Dexter was a kid, Harry found out about his murdering of animals, and knew that people would soon be next. Harry told Dexter that he can control the Dark Passenger, and could choose who he wanted to kill. Ever since, Dexter adopted Harry's philosophy and thus only kills those who deserve it.
The Miami Police start finding a bunch of women murdered throughout the following weeks, and they all point to one person committing this horrible crime, they just do not know who the killer is. Specifically, when the police finds a body, it is cut into pieces and no blood is found anywhere. For some reason, Dexter becomes intrigued by the killer's murdering style and goes to all the crime scenes even though he isn't permitted to be at crime scenes without blood. Dexter soon is wanting to find the serial killer himself, since the police has no leads and are taking all the wrong steps to get there. Dexter starts going out at night following the Dark Passenger and where it tells him to go. However, the killer is smarter than he seems and now he's dropping Dexter clues as to where he can find him. Dexter decides not to tell the police about the killer's clues and find him himself, but it isn't easy for Dexter to cover up his trail towards the killer when his fellow coworkers become suspicious of his behavior.

1.) In the novel, Dexter learns that there are many other people like him with Dark Passengers that drive them to kill. He even finds one in the form of a nurse, and suspects that his coworker may be one too. How would you feel if someone you thought was able to be trusted was committing murders due to a force inside them?

2.) The serial killer in this novel, leaves Dexter plenty of clues that tell on how to find him. Dexter decides to take matters into his own hands and go to the killer alone without informing the police. Do you think that Dexter should have dropped his interest in the serial killer and told the police? Or do you think he was not doing anything wrong since the killer was giving Dexter the clues and not the police?

Siddhartha, a young man, lives with his father, friend (Govinda) and other Brahmin (scolars/priests) somewhere in ancient India. Though Siddhartha performs all the rituals and follows everything his religion says for attaining happiness and peace, he feels dissatisfied.

Not much later, a group of acetic monks called Samanas comes to town and Siddhartha feels that he would learn more from them than from the Brahmin. So he coaxes his father to let him and Govinda travel with the Samanas and his . The Samanas teach him that to achieve happiness he must reject physical desire and lose your “Self.” By fasting and meditating he no longer resembles the boy he used to be.

Siddhartha quickly realizes that all the fasting and meditation is only a temporary means to losing one’s self, so he and Govinda leave to find Gotama, the Illustrious One. Siddhartha speaks with Gotama and figures that there is no way to teach enlightenment; that it must be experienced, so he must find his own way to enlightenment and not follow a teacher.

Siddhartha finds a friendly ferryman, content with a simple life. The ferryman takes him across a river, and Siddhartha finds his way to a city where he is infatuated by a beautiful courtesan named Kamala. He convinces her to teach him the ways of love, but only if he proves that he can fit in with the material world, so she sets him up with a job with a merchant, Kamaswami. Years pass as Siddhartha leads a life of debauchery with gambling, sex and drinking.

When Siddhartha is around his mid-life, he realizes that the material life he is leading is slowly killing him, so he leaves Kamaswami, Kamala and his empty life without warning. Siddhartha wanders to a river and considers suicide, but instead falls asleep. Govinda passes by with his fellow Buddhist monks and does not realize the sleeping man is Siddhartha but still watches over him to protect him from snakes. Siddhartha wakes up and greets his old friend, but both of them must be on their way.

Siddhartha seeks out the ferryman that took him across the river earlier and finds him. His name is Vasuveda and he tells Siddhartha that he attained inner peace by studying the river. He allows Siddhartha to live and work beside him. Siddhartha studies the river and is able to contemplate the unity of the world and hears the river speak the word Om, a Brahmin word of peace.

Years later, Kamala and the son she had with Siddhartha are making a voyage to Gotama, who is now dying. Kamala gets bitten by a snake and although Vasuveda and Siddhartha tried to save her, she dies. At her deathbed she confesses that her son is Siddhartha’s.

Siddhartha tries to console his son, but the son is disrespectful and eventually runs away to the city. Siddhartha goes after him, but realizes that his son must do this to find his own enlightenment.

Siddhartha meditates by the river for many years and has a revelation on how everything is a cycle in life. Vasuveda realizes that he has nothing left to teach Siddhartha and retires to the forest, leaving Siddhartha to be the ferryman.

Many years pass, and Govinda finds Siddhartha’s river while in search of a wise man that someone had told him about. Govinda realizes that he is talking to Siddhartha and that Siddhartha has attained enlightenment. Govinda asks Siddhartha to tell him everything he knows, but Siddhartha explains how enlightenment cannot be explained verbally because words do not do enlightenment justice. Instead Siddhartha tells Govinda to kiss him on the forehead, and when Govinda does, Siddhartha’s wisdom and experience of unity is communicated to Govinda.

Discussion Questions:

1) Do you think Siddhartha's lived his life to the fullest (carpe diem, anyone)?

2) Do you think what happened between Siddhartha and his son was karma for what Siddhartha did to his father?

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner By Stephenie Meyer

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a novella from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse by Stephenie Myer. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is about a newborn vampire girl that was recently bitten by Victoria. Victoria bit Bree because Victoria is creating an army of vampires to attack the Cullen family. Victoria has a vendetta against Edward Cullen, because he killed Victoria's mate. So Victoria creates an army to get revenge.

Bree has been a vampire for 3 months and she makes friends with Diego. They go hunting together and become friends. Diego is an older vampire. There are many vampires in Victoria's army. They all live in one house. But they keep moving so people don't find them and because the "gangs" in the house keep burning the houses down. Bree is not in these "gangs". She keeps to herself as much as possible, but does start to trust Diego. The vampires move to a log cabin which is different from their typical homes. It is futher away from the city. When the "gangs" are fighting, Bree sits by a man named Fred. He doesn't talk much. He has special skills. He can repulse everyone. That keeps them out of his way (and Bree's since she stays near him). When "gangs" begin to fight he repulses them and makes everyone leave so the fighting stops.

The story is mostly about what Bree is observing and experiencing. The only person she talks to is Diego and towards the end of the book Fred. When Bree and Diego go hunting they follow Riley, the leader of the army. Riley goes to Victoria's house. Diego and Bree overhear Riley and Victoria's conversation. They are talking about the fight that they are going to start with the Cullens. Then the Volturi come and tell Victoria if she doesn't start the fight soon they are going to kill her. When Riley leaves, Diego goes and talks to him and Bree goes back to the house. Riley comes back but Diego never does. Bree is very sad, but she thinks he is still out there. Riley begins to train the "troops". Riley leads the vampires to attack, but Riley and Victoria flee once at the battle grounds. Fred tells Bree to go a different way so she doesn't have to fight. She listens to Fred. Fred goes to Vancourver, he says she could come with him, but she wants to find Diego.

When Bree reaches the fighting grounds she sees wolves and the Cullens killing all of her "team". Bree hides in the forest. She is attacked by Carlisle, so she surrenders to the Cullens. Carlisle talks to Bree and then the Volturi come. The Volturi talk to Bree but she doesn't talk. They ask her questions about Victoria and Riley, but she doesn't say anything. The Volturi gets mad. " "Don't watch," the redheaded mindreader(Edward) whispered. I closed my eyes"(179).

1. Riley and Victoria lie to the "newborns" about many aspects of being a vampire (for example, they scare them into believing they will burn in daylight. In the book, we learn this is a myth.) They instill fear in them so that they can keep them and build an army to destroy the Cullens. Do you think fear or trust is the best way to rally people together for a cause?

2. Bree, Diego, and Fred were a few of the "smarter" newborns. They distrusted Riley at times. They began to question some of his teachings and think for themselves. Fred was able to escape. Diego and Bree were not as fortunate. Is it better to think and fight for yourself or to blindly follow "authority" and fight for what you are told?

The Street Lawyer

The Street Lawyer by John Grisham tells the story of a big time lawyer turned defender of the homeless. Michael Brock is on the fast track in life and on his way to being a partner at one of the biggest firms in the country, Drake & Sweeney. On his way to the office one morning a homeless man gets the elevator with him and follows him to work. Soon after while Mike is in a conference with eight other lawyers the homeless man returns and takes them all hostage. The man identified only as Mister has a loaded gun and what appears to be dynamite around his waist. He keeps all of the men bound together by rope and against the wall for hours. Mike is his messanger and when he has Mike leave the room the police have a sniper outside the door ready to kill Mister. As Mike bends down to pick something up the sniper takes out Mister. While in the room before his death he asks all of the lawyers how much they make a year and how do they donated to the homeless directly. All reveal their earnings and say they donated hardly anything of they donated anything at all. This brings new thoughts into Mike's mind about helping the homeless. A few days after the shooting Mike finds the 14th Street Legal Clinic and goes in to find out what they do and looks for some advice. He meets with Mordecai Greens at this meeting and he tells him all that he wants to hear. A few days after this meeting Mordecai calls on Mike to come and help at homeless shelter. He accepts and meets a family that he will never forget. This family is a single mother with four children who Mike becomes attached to. He gives them food and plans to give them other things the next day but will not get the chance to because they die that night in their car from carbon monoxide while trying to stay warm. This is the tiping point for Mike and he decides to leave the firm and go work at the 14th Street Legal Clinic but not before he does something that could change his life. He takes a file from his old firm describing an illegal eviction at a warehouse bought by the TAG group that was being sold to the postal service. These evictions forced Mister, the family and 15 other people back onto the streets. Mordecai and Mike sue Drake & Sweeney for $10 million for the wrongful eviction and the deaths of the mother and four children. While they are doing this Mike's old firm and the D.C. police make numerous attempts to find the missing file. Because of the theft of this file two people have been fired and Mike's law license is at stake if he does not turn over the file. The debate about the file and what would happen to Mike go on for a long time and the file is a crucial part of reaching a settlement with Drake & Sweeney who are terrified of trail. Will Mike turn the file over to help preserve his reputation and save his career? Will Drake & Sweeney do what it takes to avoid an embarresing trail and save their reputation?

Questions

1. If you were in Mike's position would you turn over the file to preserve your career or would you hold onto it and help do what you think is right?

2. If you were in Mike's situation would you make a career change because of one freak incident?

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the second story in the Hunger Games series. It is about a girl named Katniss and takes place in North America some time in the future. Katniss has won the Hunger Games along with her on and off lover Peeta which angers the President of North America who sees this as a rebellion against his dictatorship. He gives Katniss an ultimatum she must convince him that her bold defiant move was really because they were in love and not just so they could survive and thus begins the story. Katniss must journey to North America's districts on the winners tour with Peeta to try and convince the President of their innocence. However, this plan fails and they are thrust back into the Hunger Games and must once again fight for there lives in the arena. Katniss and Peeta are able to survive long enough to put their rescue plan into effect and they are airlifted to District 13 which was thought to be destroyed but really was now a secret rebbelion center. The story ends here with Katniss about to be debriefed on how to overthrow the President's dictatorship and restore democracy to the world.

Do you think Katniss will succeed?

Will district 13 be able to overthrow the entire country?