Great Book-- Orphan Train

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a historical fiction book about a girl named Molly who has to do a community service project, and decides to help a 91 year old woman clean out her attic. Molly is an orphan, and she doesn't particularly like her foster parents, but she really likes the town she lives in, and after about 20 hours of working for the old lady (named Vivian) she decides to interview her for a project that she has to do for school. Vivian tells Molly everything about her life as an orphan. She was Irish, and a fire killed her family. She was sent out on a train full of other orphans, and went to stay with some families who didn't care for her well, and some who did, in the 1920's and 1930's. Even though the book is originally about Molly, most of the stories are told from Vivian's perspective about her childhood. I really loved this book, but it covers a lot of pretty inappropriate topics. It is pretty short, and I couldn't put it down!

Thanksgiving Slice of Life

On Wednesday morning, my mom asked me what we should have for party favors at Thanksgiving. I shrugged. It didn't really matter, we just had family and close friends coming. Anything little would do, I thought. But my mom had other plans. She took me to a gift store, and we looked in tins for a while to choose little tokens to give out. I thought it was a good idea, each of the tokens had a quote or picture engraved into the metal, but I didn't really see the significance until later that day. We were back home, and I had put the tokens in to cute little gift bags, and labeled each bag with a name-- 16 bags for our 16 guests coming the next day. My mom tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked over at her, and the computer screen. She was on a site called coloradogives.org. We scrolled through the many charity options, while mom described the plan. For each person, we would make a donation to a charity that they would care about. Now suddenly the simple gift bags had a real thanksgiving purpose. When we had our thanksgiving dinner everyone opened the gift bags, and we explained to them what we had done. Everyone was smiling, thanking us, and having a good time. Giving the money to all of the charities really seemed to give the whole concept of thanksgiving a deeper purpose.

The Joy Luck Club

Last week I read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. The Joy Luck Club consists of a lot of short stories from the perspectives of Chinese mothers and their American daughters. Some of the stories were really enjoyable, but more than half of them were boring in my opinion. A lot of the stories were really similar, and so it made it seem like you were reading the same thing over and over again. All of the mothers were in a particular club, but it wasn't too relevant in the book. My favorite character was a girl named Waverly, and her stories were the ones I enjoyed most. The Joy Luck Club has a few pretty inappropriate parts, and it is fairly long. Overall, I definitely would not recommend this book, because I was pretty bored for most of the time when I was reading it.

To Be Read
1. Kindred
2. House of Ivy and Sorrow
3. 1984

"Oxygen" Slice of Life #3

I am rushed down the hallway in a stretcher. I reach up and touch my face. An oxygen mask covers all but my eyes. I reach out to the bars on the sides of the stretcher and try to pull myself up. A hand pushes me down, just as I am wheeled into a room. Behind me is a room, and on the sides are flowered curtains.
"Stay still, honey," says a young lady. Her voice is gentle and comforting, even while I am in dreadful pain. "I'm Bernie." she says. I groan. I try to swallow, but discover that swallowing puts me in more pain than I have ever been in. Bernie tries to talk to me, to calm me down. I can't manage to talk to her, because when I try nothing comes out of my mouth. She takes off the oxygen mask, but I need it back, I can't breathe without it.
My Mom enters the room. By now I have opened my eyes, and I know what is going on.  The pain surprised me. I thought that once I got out of the surgery it would be all over. But trying to do something as simple as breathing proves an astonishing challenge.
After 15 minutes Bernie and other nurses manage to force ice chips down my throat. I can't laugh, I can't cry, I can't talk, I can't cough. I can only wait for the pain to pass. 30 minutes go by, and the curtain to my side is pulled over. I see Noah resting there. I wave to him. His face is pale, and his eyes are red. I looked the same way. It has been over an hour, and I am pushed into a wheelchair, and wheeled to the mini van. My parents talk quietly, and my brother sleeps, and I try to leave my body, and get away from the pain.
After 24 hours, the pain isn't as bad, but everything seems routine. I can walk, and whisper, but it hurts. I hope that the pain truly will go away.

The Summer of Letting Go

The Summer of Letting go is by Gae Polisner. It is about a girl named Francesca "Frankie" Schnell who's brother Simon died when she was 11. She thinks that it is her fault, and she doesn't talk very much to her parents because she is so embarrassed. In the beginning of the summer Francesca gets a job watching a little boy named Frankie Sky. He reminds her of Simon, and she starts to think that Simon was reincarnated in her body. Francesca's friend Lisette's boyfriend believes in reincarnation, and they fall in love. My favorite character in the Summer of Letting Go is Frankie Sky's mom, because she is a very caring person. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It is 300 pages long, but I think it is definitely a one week book. There are not too many mature topics in this realistic fiction book.

 

Books to Read:

Kindred

Where'd You Go Bernadette

The Joy Luck Club

Second Slice of Life

I walk into the pantry, hungry for any snack, and find a large purplish pomegranate resting on the counter. I pick it up and set it on a cutting board next to the sink. With effort I slice it open, and the two halves fall apart. The outer rim is white, and the seeds are barely lighter than the peel, red instead of purple. I use a spoon and attempt to remove the seeds, but I only am able to scoop out a few. After a few more attempts and some helpful advice I use a wooden spoon, slapping it against the base of the pomegranate. It works! Seeds fall in to my hands, and into the bowl below. I throw the now useless peel into the trash can, and begin eating my snack. Although it required hard work, it is delicious!

Listening for Lions

Listening for Lions is a out a girl named Rachel who lives in Africa. There is a bad sickness going around, and Rachel's parents both die. She goes to live with a family named the Pritchards, who end up sending her to England while she pretends to be a girl named Valerie. Listening for Lions had a pretty good plot, but a lot of the things that happened were described in ways that seemed unreal, which made the book less good. This book is a quick read, with no mature topics. My favorite character was the grandfather, and the part with him in it was in my opinion the best part of the book. Overall, Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan was okay but not very good.
To Be Read:
1. Eleanor and Park
2. The Summer of Letting Go
3. Looking for Alaska (multiple classmates recommended this book)

Slice of Life

When I was only a few years old my great grandmother passed away. I don't think I knew her, but my family definitely has many fond memories of her. We have one picture of me, no older than 1 year, shelling peas on a porch swing with her. My family sees this picture often, and it is always quite an ordeal, remembering her. But it doesn't bother me. I like hearing the stories of my Mom's childhood summers, spent at her comfortable yellow house.
I don't remember much about her death. I remember my parents crying, something impossible for me to understand at such a young age. I remember flying to Maine late at night. We drove for hours, the bright lights of other cars shining at me until I fell asleep. I barely remember her funeral. It was the only funeral I ever went to. I either remember it, or made up a story in my mind over the years, a story of a short little girl waiting, confused, and scared.

She may be dead, but stories and memories keep her alive. Her recipes and traditions and household items have been treasured and kept, and will never be forgotten. She doesn't seem similar to anyone else. She seems like a strong, unique, strict, loving woman, with personality and flair. I never knew her well, but I almost do because of the stories my family tells.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: A Great Book!

I really enjoyed Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. This book is about a girl named Josie who meets many rich people and becomes friends with them, yet feels as if she doesn't fit in, because she is the daughter of a prostitute named Louise in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Louise and Josie don't get along, Louise is insensitive and has plans for her daughter to be like her, but Josie is smart and sophisticated and wants to get away from New Orleans. With the help of many of her friends, Josie tries to escape her mother's upsetting plans. This book is almost a mystery, and it has many interesting pieces that fit together well. It is a little bit long, at 350 pages, but the length makes sense. Even though Out of the Easy has a few immature topics, I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Books To Be Read

Every Soul a Star-- recommended by Julia

We Were Liars-- recommended by Max

Eleanor and Park-- recommended by Haley

Listening for Lions

Kindred-- for my book group