No Limits by Michael Phelps

No Limits by Michael Phelps with Alan Abrahamson is a nonfictional book that chronicles Michael Phelp's life leading up to his eight Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything" (117). Phelps went into detail about the sport of swimming and how you have to be mentally strong to be able to swim. People always think of swimming as being an easy sport, but it is actually one of the hardest sports in the world. People aren't just born good at swimming, to be really good you have to have that extra something, mental strength. Phelps then goes on to explain all of his training and the things he had to go through leading up to the Olympics.

1. "So many people along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can't be done. But all it takes is imagination. You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits." Do you think that anything is achievable in life? If you want something bad enough and are willing to work for it will you get it, or are some things not achievable?

2. "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgement. I'm twenty-three years old and, despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and irresponsible way, not in a manner people have come to expect form me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again" (237). Do you think it is right to judge Phelps for the illegal activities he was caught doing? Should people talk poorly about an entire sport because of one person's mistake?

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a remarkable story about Jeannette’s life. She grew up with stubborn parents who were very poor and the family moved very often. They never had a place to call home. “We moved around like nomads. We lived in dusty little mining towns in Nevada, Arizona, and California. They were usually nothing but a tiny cluster of sad, sunken shacks, a gas station, a dry-goods store, and a bar or two” (19). Her father, Rex Walls was an alcoholic and would waste needed money on unnecessary items. “But Dad drank hard liquor only when we had money, which wasn’t often, so life was mostly good in those days” (23). However, when he was sober, he was a very smart and intelligent man. Her mother, Rose Mary Walls was a creative artist and enjoyed writing more then taking care of her four children. Jeannette lived through a rough life as a child. When money became short, the Walls family moved to West Virginia. Jeannette’s parents were not responsible enough to take care of a family so Jeannette and her siblings were forced to fend for themselves. She even managed to get a job and make her own money. After saving a lot of money in a safe, Jeannette found to her surprise that her father stole the money only to waste it on alcohol. The kids realized that it was not safe for them to live with their parents. Their mother and father could no longer provide good food to eat or clothes to wear. Jeannette’s older sister Lori was the first to escape. Soon, Jeannette and her other siblings moved to New York to join Lori. Jeannette did very well in High School and ended up at Barnard College. Even though the four children lived through a rough childhood that was hard to live through, they all managed to stay strong and pull through.

1. Despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. If you were living in Jeannette’s shoes, how would you feel living with parents who did not take care of you? What actions would you take in order to take care of yourself? Would you still honor your parents?

2. As Jeannette grew older and lived in New York she still kept very close touch with her parents. They too later moved down to New York. If you were Jeannette would you still want to be close with your parents? Why?

Wherever Nina Lies

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten is about a girl named Ellie Wringley who has a missing sister, Nina. Ellie tries to find Nina many times but fails. One day Ellie goes to her friend Amanda's work, The Attic. While there Ellie finds a book with a picture in it that Nina drew. The picture has a phone number on it. Ellie and Amanda call the number and learn that the guy has parties all the time at a big house called Mothership. Ellie remembers that Nina used to go to these parties all the time. So Ellie and Amanda go to Mothership. At the party Ellie tries to find Nina and asks people if they know her. Nina meets a boy, Sean. While talking to Sean, Ellie sees the guy that she had talked with on the phone. The guy is not helpful and makes Ellie mad. She runs upstairs and takes a sledgehammer; the party is a destruction party. Ellie hits the wall and the next thing she knows is the house is burning to the ground.

The next day Sean finds Ellie at her work. Sean takes Ellie home. Ellie tells Sean about Nina. He tells her that his brother died and he would love to help Ellie find Nina because there is nothing he can do to help his brother. Ellie and Sean find a credit card of Nina's and go online to see what she bought with it. One purchase was a snowboard and the other purchase was a breakfast at a diner, Sweetie's in Nebraska. Ellie and Sean go to Nebraska.

When they get to Sweetie's there is a tour bus in the parking lot. Ellie goes to the bathroom which is covered in Sharpie drawings. Ellie sees a drawing of a boy and a bus with the writting Cakey <3's J and the bus number 257. Cakey was Nina's nickname. Ellie runs out and tells Sean. The bus in the parking lot has the number 257. So Ellie and Sean follow the bus.

The bus takes them to Denver. In Denver Ellie sees a sign that says, "Get a tattoo at Bijoux Ink. 2740 Colfax Avenue" (157). Ellie and Nina had an imaginary dog named, Bijoux. They go to Bijoux Ink and find a picture of Nina and a band. Ellie takes the picture and they go to Bottom Forty, a music store. There they meet Jamie and Jamie. The Jamies tell them that the band is The Monsterhands and they are having a concert in Phoneix in the Spit Pavillion. Ellie, Sean and the Jamies go to Phoneix.

When they get there Ellie goes and talks to the band. To get in she tells the guard she is Nina. The band tells Ellie that the last time they saw Nina was when they dropped her off at a house in Big Sur with a snowboard. Ellie goes to find Sean and tells him.

On their way to Big Sur they stop at a gas station. Sean tells Ellie he hired a privatae investigator and the investigator told him Nina was dead. Ellie doesn't believe him. She screams and cries. Instead of going to Big Sur, they stop at a hotel. Ellie wakes up in the morning and remembers what strange things happened that night. She remembers tracing scars on Sean and him putting a breifcase in the back of a closet. Ellie askes Sean to get her a salad for breakfast. While he is gone she finds the briefcase and the combination is Cakey.

1. Do you think Ellie finds Nina?

2. If your sibling went missing would you try to find him/her to such extremes as Ellie did? (Ellie's mom didn't help her in finding Nina. Everytime she would ask her mom for help her mom would tell her to stop).

Found (The Missing, Book 1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

At the beginning of the novel, a brand-new airline employee, Angela DuPre, experiences an event that she is later told never to talk about.She sees a plane carrying 36 babies, and no one else, not even a pilot. After 13 years, two friends, Chip and Jonah, receive mysterious notes, with messages like "You are one of the missing" and "Beware! They're coming back to get you." Only then does Chip learn that he is adopted, just like Jonah. With the help of Jonah's sister, Katherine, who is not adopted, the boys investigate. They end up discovering that this FBI agent, James Reardon, has to do with their adoptions. Jonah and his family visit him. Reardon avoids offering any information, but on a trip to the restroom, Jonah meets a shady janitor who tells him to secretly look at a file on Reardon's desk and memorize as much as he can. These smart kids do a great job using modern technology like camera phones, photo-editing programs, etc. to get information and track down other adoptees.They call the other adoptees, including one named Daniella McCarthy. Chip calls her early in the morning, asking if she lives at Robin's Egg Lane in Liston, Ohio (near their location); he had read about this in the files that Katherine had taken pictures of earlier in Reardon's office. Daniella says she lives in Michigan and she has never heard about that location, so she hangs up because she doesn't know him. Later that day, she calls back, with a shaky voice, telling him that her parents had just mentioned that address at breakfast and that they had made an offer on the house after discussing it with the children. They also meet a women named Angela DuPre, who was working at the airport for one day, thirteen years ago. She tells them that she believes they came from the mysterious plane that was really a time machine. She also says that she thinks all of the babies were adults and the time machine was an experiment that had somehow gone wrong, resulting in the adults turning into babies. Before she is able to finish her story, the kids have to escape because a man rushes in trying to stop their meeting. The kids later discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives, and then they both end up at an adoption convention, along with the other 34 children from the mysterious flight! By the end of the book they are trapped by some suspicious characters, learn that they are among the most famous missing children in history, like Virginia Dare, (the first person born in the Americas to English parents) and get sent back in time. This is a great page-turner and there are still two more books to the series if anyone is interested in reading this mystery (Sent and Sabotaged).


Question #1: In Daniella's case, do you think that the FBI could predict the future, because the boys found out about her new house before she did, looking through the files? What do you think the FBI is trying to do?


Question #2: Who do you think are the suspicious characters that trapped them at the adoption convention?

Twilight by: Stephanie Meyer

Bella Swan moves 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?

The Silence by Nathaniel Ewert-Krocker

The Silence is about a young boy named Sinclair Vox who is a story teller. When Paxton (the town Sinclair lives in) is taken by a plague of silence, Sinclair finds himself the only one left with a voice. Shortly after he discovers what has happened to his town, a mysterious man named Alden appears at his house and explains what this strange plague is and why Sinclair still has his voice. It turns out that people who have a powerful story, one worth telling, have the power to keep their voice. Sinclair also learns that in order to save Paxton, he will have to travel two hundred miles out of his town, to the Island City of Rieve. Before Alden and Sinclair set off on this journey, Alden reviles to Sinclair that ultimately it will be his own story that saves his town.

On their way to Rieve, Sinclair and Alden find themselves in Leighton, where they meet a musician named Joliette. At almost the same time Alden receives a telegram from an old friend saying the silence has taken the city of Veradane, and the person responsible is named Alicia Rhona. Alden suddenly becomes flustered and gives instructions to Sinclair to go to the great library in Rieve and speak to a man named Joshua who will give them an artifact to help them fight the silence. Sinclair and Joliette stick together and run into Sarah Averielle, the governor's daughter who is travelling alone. These three decide to stay together while they wait for a festival in Leighton to end so they can take a train to Rieve. Whilst waiting for the festival to end Sinclair and his companions visit the festival where they first encounter Alicia Rhona. Alicia is described as a raven haired woman who is filled with only sorrow and rage. Before they know what is happening Alicia has spread the silence over Leighton, and only Joliette's powerful songs can relieve the people of the silence. While Joliette stays back to fight off the silence Sinclair and Sarah are forced to take a train to Rieve separating them from Joliette.

On the train to Rieve, Sinclair and Sarah run into a major problem, Alicia sought them out to get information about Alden . When she discovers that Alden is on his way to Veradne, she insists upon visiting the front of the train to make it turn around and go to Veradane. Sinclair tries to stop Alicia but finds that the silence that had taken his hometown was nothing compared to what Alicia could summon, and that he is not strong enough to fight it off completely. Alicia also suggests to Sinclair that she had killed Joliette back in Leighton before getting on the train. This makes Sinclair so enraged that for the slightest moment he is able to summon the silence himself. Eventually Sinclair and Sarah are able to escape Alicia and they arrive at Rieve where Sarah's father lives.

In Rieve, Sinclair discovers that Alden was not able to meet him at the train station where he said he would, so Sinclair and Sarah make their way to the great library alone. Here they meet Joshua and discover the artifact they were meant to receive was the book in which an old, powerful storyteller, kept all of his notes. Before Joshua can give it to Sinclair though, Alicia arrives and takes not only the artifact, but Sinclair's notebook in which he keeps all of his notes about the story he is creating. Sinclair chases after Alicia to get his notebook back, while Sarah, worried about her father, runs off to his home. Sinclair manages to retrieve his notebook, but in the process Alicia takes him hostage, meanwhile Sarah is kidnapped by an associate of her father who has a plot to overthrow his place as governor. Knowing that Alden would show up for Sinclair, Alicia took Sinclair to the Governor's house where Sarah was being held hostage in an attempt to make her father step down as Governor. Sinclair manages to save Sarah as Alden makes his timely arrival to save Sinclair (exactly what Alicia would have suspected). When Alden shows up, Alicia tries to silence Alden will all her might, but Alden tells her that she can't silence him nor can anyone else, and this was a gift Alicia's sister gave to him. Alicia then flees the scene and Alden and the rest set off after her before she is able to do any more damage.

When Alden, Sinclair and Sarah find Alicia again she is even more enraged than she normally seems and when she tries to bring down her final wrath and silence everything and everyone once and for all, she instead creates the silence into a giant deformed monster that even she is appalled at. The monster looks as if it is heading west back to Paxton so Alden, Sinclair and Sarah set off after it. When the three arrive in Paxton, Alden is injured and is not able to go with Sinclair and Sarah to fight the silence. Alden reminds Sinclair that it will be his own story that saves his town. Sinclair runs after the monster And Sarah is not able to keep up. When Sinclair reaches the monster though he realizes he has no idea what he is supposed to do, finally when The monster is about to take over him, Sinclair has an epiphany about how his story will all come together, which makes the story powerful enough to destroy the silence.

Once the silence is destroyed, Sinclair discovers the people who had been taken by it still did not have their voices back. When Sinclair goes to tell them his story to heal them, he discovers he cannot remember what it was that completed his story. Then he realizes it is not the story he was writing which would save his town, but the story he had created by going on this dangerous journey. The power of the story he created was able to heal his hometown.

1) Was Alden's plan all along to send Sinclair on this journey alone so Sinclair would have the power to heal his town, or did he think the artifact that Sinclair was meant to retrieve at the great library would strengthen the story he was writing so he could heal his town?

2) Alden says that Alicia's sister gave him the gift to never be taken by the silence, does this mean the story they had lived together was so powerful that he could never be taken, or was there something else Alicia's sister gave to Alden which protected him?

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Amy and Julia had been friends since 6th grade, when Julia moved into their town. Amy, almost 6 feet tall, always felt out of place, until the outgoing Julia befriended her and swept her into a more exciting life. By the end of sophomore year, they remained best friends, and Amy had become much more confident.
One night at a party, however, Amy saw that her friend's boyfriend Kevin was cheating on her again, and set Julia up to walk in on them. She only wanted to open her friend's eyes to the pointlessness of continuing to forgive Kevin, and was shocked when Julia broke down in tears. Amy regretted her plan, and promised Julia that everything would be all right- that they just had to leave, and she would feel better. Julia drove, despite how upset she was, because Amy drank a lot at parties. She quickly got into an accident. Amy escaped barely harmed, but Julia was killed.
The story starts 75 days after the accident. Amy is about to return to school after a time spent in rehab, recovering from a dependence on alcohol. The memory of the crash continues to haunt her, and she frequently reminds herself of how she believes the accident to be her own fault for making Julia drive. She cites guilt as the only thing that kept her from killing herself after the funeral. Amy says, "I didn't because living with what I'd done to you was what I deserved. I deserved to be alone" (61-62). Amy's school life is not much better, although her grades improve dramatically because she spends so much time studying. She cannot bring herself to talk to any of her old friends, because it is too painful for her, and she is sure that they must also blame her for Julia's death. She spends much of her time alone, although she does eventually start talking to an old friend from elementary school, and a boy she once met at a party who understands her grieving.

The author does not ultimately give a moral to the story, perhaps as a way of illustrating the senseless pain of losing someone. Amy has made steps towards a better future, but still spends most of her time grieving for her friend. She writes, "Wherever I go, I'll always see you. You'll always be with me. And there's no happy ending coming here, no way a story that started on a night that's burned into my heart will end the way I wish it would. You're really gone, no last words, and no matter how many letters I write to you, you're never going to reply" (176). The novel ends almost half a year after the accident.

1) Amy dealt with many of her emotions about her friend's death by writing to her in letters. Do you think this was an effective method of grieving, or do you think it prevented her from moving on?

2) Amy spends a lot of time thinking about things she should have done differently when Julia was still alive, like telling her about a boy she liked. She also must come to terms with mistakes Julia made that had harmed her. Amy seems reluctant to admit that Julia ever did wrong. Do you think that working through these things is more beneficial than remembering Julia in the best light?

Out of Egypt by Anne Rice

Out of Egypt is a book by Anne Rice in biblical times. It is a historical fiction book, which Mrs. Rice wrote from the first person perspective of Jesus. It begins when he and his family move to Egypt to escape King Herod, who wants to kill him. He grows up there and becomes connected to his friends and teachers. When he is 7, they prepare to leave since King Herod is dead. It is painful for him to leave Egypt, since he has known nothing else. That is why the book is called Out of Egypt. When he returns to Jerusalem, it is a new life, where he must make new friends and learn new things. As he gets older, he learns about his birth and his power. He doesn't know what it all means, and it takes time for him to realize who he really is. He is told all the stories leading up to his birth, why they had to move, and why he must return. It was a very interesting book to be told from this perspective.

1. Do you think it is right for someone to tell a story and be Jesus? No one can ever be him, no one is God or sinless. Do you think it is morally right and okay, or is it sinful and immoral to tell a story like you know what went through his mind?

2. As he realizes he is the Son of God and has power, he realizes he cannot misuse it, and he does use it for many good things and miracles throughout his life. If you had the ability to do anything, what would you do as long as you could not sin?

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Abhorsen is the third book of Garth Nix's best selling series. It continues off from where Lirael left off. Lirael and prince Sameth are desperately trying to stop Orannis's. Lirael has just found out she is the abhorsen in waiting and Sameth is starting to conquer his fear of the undead. Nix states, "Sam had been open about his fear of Death and the Dead, and his desire to hide out here in the heavily protected house. But he had over come his fear, at least for now."(28).

The two travel from the abhorsen's safe house to the battles of war. They are alone in their conquest, and more then likely they will be killed trying to save both the old kingdom and the new one. Lirael and Sameth eventually find Nick, Sameth's friend who has been possessed by the evil Orannis. The two manage to drag him away from the undead however he is captured by the undead again and they travel to the new kingdom.

There they find out that the place is swarming with the undead armies, and they are preparing a way to unleash the Destroyer, Orannis, on the world. Nix writes, "She's waiting for the second lot of Dead. Close to a thousand..."(350). The two fight a desperate battle and finally meet up with prince Sameth's parents, who they were told had died before. Several other people from their journey appear as well. As Orannis is being unleashed they prepare a binding spell to control him. Eventually they succeed, but they almost lose their lives. Lirael is cost her friend and her hand in such a risky endeavor. However she knows she has done the right thing.

1) If you were told that you were the only hope for defeating a monster that destroyed worlds, what would you do? Do you think you would have enough courage to complete your task at such a young age even if it meant you might die in the process?

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is the third and final book in the "Hunger Game" series. Previously, Katniss' district, the seam, was burned to the ground because of her inevitable role in an uprising that was catching fire. After the horrific end to the quarter quarrel Katniss is rescued by rebels of District 13, which was said to have been destroyed many years ago. She reluctantly agrees to become the Mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion towards the capitol. She tries to make the best of her stay at District 13 but finds it difficult to cope with when her "significant other", Peeta, appears on television looking very deranged and unlike himself. Sometime later Peeta is rescued by rebels, and when Katniss goes to see him, he tries to kill her. Not able to deal with what happened, Katniss hastily agrees to kill President Snow herself, and she takes a team to start fighting within the Capitol. Once they reach the square, Katniss sees her sister Prim, and tries to signal for her to get away from the parachutes, but it is too late and she, along with many other children, are killed. Snow is captured and on the day she is scheduled to execute him, she unexpectedly kills Coin, the president of District 13. Snow is said to have died, either by choking on his blood or getting trampled by the crowd. Katniss and Peeta eventually live happily ever after and have two children...

1.) If your boyfriend or girlfriend was "captured and brainwashed" and tried to kill you, would you abandon hope or hope for the best?

2.) Coin suggested that they have a hunger games for the children of the capitol (notorious for wrongdoing) but the hunger games is what this war is trying to end. Do you think Katniss killed Coin instead of Snow for this reason?

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?

Private by Kate Brian

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy — the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in. Until she meets the Billings Girls. They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle. Reed uses every part of herself — the good, the bad, the beautiful — to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they'll do anything to keep their secrets private.

1) If you were Reed trying to get into Billings House would you do the things the girls told you to do even if they were wrong or against the rules?

2) If you were to go to a new school, would you try to fit in as much as Reed tries to?

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?