Anne Frank: The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank

This book is literally the diary of a young Jewish girl in WWII and her expiriences as she deals with what the Nazi do under Hitler's rule. Anne Frank was eventually captured and died along with the entirity of her family with the exception of her Dad who retreived her diary and preceded to show the world.
At first there is seemingly no harsh attacks; Anne attendes an all Jewish school and her life other than that is fairly average. However not too long into her diary entries Otto Frank gets a letter from the Germans to report to a concentration camp. They obviously did not want to go, so the family to refuge in an office attic of her Dads'. One of the many families being depoted also seeks refuge in the attic and eventhough nobody likes it they deal. Anne does not completly understand the situation but like everyone her age does not affect instinct. The severity of the situation may be lost but she knows they are in trouble and has hope because she had her family and food. Being an attic is gets cramped very quickly with two families living in it and it is not too long before they are at eachothers throats. Everyone just wants to get out of the attic as the days pass, especially Anne. Throughout the book Ane also takes an interest in a boy named Peter. She enjoys their relationship athough the families do not. Accompanied by the war and many people she lives with Anne becomes more testy towards her mother. She also begins to see the world not just through her eyes but throught the worlds, what is happening in the war and why. This topic intreques her more that just herself and her mind expands. Reviewing her previous diary entries Anne also discovers that she was realy not just mad at her mom but more confused and not on the same track creating polar attitudes and ideas causing the fustration.
The final entry of Ann Frank was dated Agust 1 1944 she was later moved to a concentration camp where she died of a disease called typhus, sadly this was not to long before the camp was discovered and freed.
This book truly shows the fear of the Jewish people at the time and the view of the war through innocwent bistandards eyes. What was at first the common diary of a little girl has become an inspiratioanl and lifechanging novel of a brave girl. A common girl who overcame gennoicde, fustration, murder and the entire german army. The "Diary of A Young Girl" has now been published in 60 languages and Annes' story will not soon be forgotten.

Final Salute by Jim Sheeler

The book Final Salute by Jim Sheeler is a very intriguing and heart wrenching book that provides dept information about soldiers that fight in war. In particular soldiers that fought and are fighting in the war in Iraq. It has four parts to it. Part one is called the knock which discusses the process and effects of delivering the message to the family that their loved ones have been killed due to some inconvenience during their time serving. It walks the reader through the whole entire process, explaining the typical reactions of the family’s receiving the information and even the reactions of the soldiers chosen for this job. The author explains how this is the hardest job that he had to ever do throughout his military career and by far the one that taught him the most. Part two is called reverberations. This section is where the Soldiers get to know the family and the soldier that passed away more. It walks the reader through three or four personal stories of people and events that took place. Letters, videos, and conversations were shared from before, during, and in one case even after the terrible accident took place. This section was probably one of the most difficult because it walked through how difficult it was and is for the families, especially ones with little kids or mothers who are expecting. Part three is called Bringing Them Home. This part was also very tear jerking as well. Since it was a tragic event for any of the families to go through, it was also hard for the soldiers helping with the process or even complete strangers on the plane witnessing the exchange of the casket from place to place. One wife stayed with her husband the whole night before the funeral to say her final goodbyes. Never was it easy to see the body considering the horrible shape it was most likely in. Many said that it didn’t even look comparable to the actual person laying there. Part four was call After the War, Stories. Again this part was upsetting as well but very happy too. For the families who did not lose a loved one during their time in Iraq this was a very happy and special moment for them. The stories that were shared were terribly upsetting as well though. This book was very moving and evoked much emotion since all of the stories and families were true stories. Every person should have to read this book because it teaches you much about life. There are many themes in this book, but the one that stuck out the most was to always try walking in other people’s shoes before beginning to help them out. I would recommend this book to everyone.

The Outsiders posted by Travis Klaty

Ponyboy is a high school student whose parents died in a car crash. His older brother darry is trying to hold the family together and keep his brothers out of boys home but they all have to stay out of trouble which is hard for them. Poneyboy is super smart but is lacking in common sense and his brother is constantly reminding him of it and poneyboy takes it as he does like him. Later he finds out that he cares a lot about him. Poneyboy is torn threw ought the book of right and wrong and the line of self-defense. His friend Johnny kills bobby cause he is drunk and droning poneyboy. They are forced to run away to an abandoned church and hide out. Cause of that they are at the scene of a burning church and a kid is trapped inside. Without hesitation they bust into the burning building. They save the kids life but Johnny gets taken out by a burning rafter and eventually dies. There later is a rumble for it and thewought the experiences poneyboy starts getting hard and cares less and less about school. In the end he starts writing a paper of his lifes trying experiences.


Ponyboy Curtis - from his prospective as a protagonist Ponyboy’s literary interests and academic accomplishments set him apart from the rest of his gang. Because his parents have died in a car accident, Ponyboy lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop. Darry repeatedly accuses Ponyboy of lacking common sense, but Ponyboy is a reliable and observant narrator. Throughout the novel, Ponyboy struggles with class division, violence, innocence, and family love

Darrel Curtis - Ponyboy’s oldest brother. Darrel, known as “Darry,” other membors of the greaers call look to him as the superman. He is smart intelegent and is the main reason why poneyboy and his brothers havent been sent to different boys homes. He is working two jobs and trying to keep the family together.

Sodapop Curtis - Ponyboy’s happy guy and has good looks and charm. Poneyboy envies him and belies he holds the family together

Two-Bit Mathews - Two bit is the joker of the greesers and is always flirting with the socs girls.

Dallas Winston - know as dally is the HOOD member of the greasers. Was a part of lagit gangs amd is proud of it. Is known as hard and is proud of his illigal crimes.



Johnny Cade - his dad is an alcoholic and frequentally beats johny. Doesnt like his mom or dad greasers is his family.

Sandy - Sodapop’s girlfriend. Sandy is pregnant but not with his kid....moves to florida

Cherry Valance - she is Bob’s girlfriend who ponyboy feels comfortable talking to.

Relivence of today

This is relivent is society still today. this tackles many of societs problems can start from judging people. It shows that there really is many conections between the socs and greesers that are disregarded and instead a violence is replaced with what could be friendships. Also cause of the devision in class it translated into different styles of cloths cars and almost every other type of posession. Because of there differences simply talking to someones girlfriend could result in a beating.

This also brings to light that just cause people are a lower class they cant control that and it could be something like an alcoholic parents that are holding them back. But just because they are poor doesn’t make them bad people. If anything it makes them stronger a champion to overcome their challenges. Then to prove it even more wrong Johnny ran in a burning building and in the end sacrificed his life for the little kid and Poneyboys.

Rebel With a Cause posted by Ben Crouse

Rebel With a Cause


The book A Rebel with a Cause is an autobiography by the renowned son of Billy Graham, Franklin Graham. Franklin grew up in North Carolina, at his cabin home called Piney Cove. To protect themselves from paparazzi and religious fanatics, Billy Graham and his wife Ruth built a remote little cabin, with an electric fence surrounding a large parameter. This was the perfect place for Franklin to grow up. Here he learned all about camping and motorcycling. His father, the famous Evangelical pastor Billy Graham, was not around much and it was hard for Franklin. For high school, his parents sent him to a private school in Long Island, New York, where he picked up one of his most regretted habits, smoking. While there, Franklin did not fit in with the snobby, disrespectful teenagers and he grew to be more of a loner. Smoking and skipping out on classes were ways he was able to rebel against the school and rules that were set up there. He later transferred to a local high school and finished there. He went to college, flew airplanes, and worked in construction jobs in Alaska, learning everywhere he went. After Franklin was kicked out of LeTourneau University in Texas, he became more involved with his father’s organization, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He went on some mission trips, focusing on a little hospital in the Middle East. His passion grew more and more for the mission field, and Franklin felt God calling him to work. He eventually committed his life to Christ and began to listen to this calling. His good friend in charge of the organization, Samaritan’s Purse was passing away, and he left it in Franklin’s hands. The board voted for Franklin to become president and he is still the leader of Samaritan’s Purse. The book continues to go through different missions, many involving famous government cases like Jonestown, and the Contra war. In the end, he talks about finally being comfortable being a Graham, and now is a preacher along with his father. Throughout his life, Franklin had had many close friends in the mission field that moved him to pursue after God’s will. The book was an amazing testament to what God really can do through people, if they just listen.

One historical event Franklin was linked to was the Jonestown suicide massacre. Years after the mass suicide, committed by followers of an estranged cult, Franklin was looking for a place that refugees from Middle Eastern battling countries could go. The completely functioning and vacant Jonestown looked like the perfect spot. It seemed like an amazing way to turn something very horrible, such as a massive suicide, into a new facility where homeless refugees would be able to stay, protected. However, the plans for the Jonestown facility did not turn out the way Franklin wanted them to, and the idea was eventually shut down.

Another historical event he was a part of was the aid in Croatia and Bosnia. His organization created a safe-place and rehab/home for rape victims of the current war. There, retired missionaries from Samaritan’s Purse stayed, cared for, and influenced the young women, rejected by their Islamic families. It is part of the Islamic beliefs to kick out a woman if they have been raped or had premarital sex.

All of these missions, and many others, were only made possible because of the people already serving there. Franklin Graham made it a point to visit every place to see where the help is needed. Later, during the Rwanda conflict, when the U.N. refused to let Samaritan’s Purse into the refugee camps to help, missionaries from the organization made the trip to the Tanzanian border and went into Rwanda itself during the conflict. There they found thousands of people in danger and need of assistance. Samaritan’s Purse eventually re-vacated a hospital used for the murders committed in Rwanda and turned it into something positive for Christ.

One main struggle Franklin had, was his smoking. He was addicted. Throughout his life, even when he was little, he would smoke. The rebellion in his heart had been planted, and now he suffered from an addiction to nicotine. When he committed himself to Christ, he realized if he truly wanted God to influence his life, he would have to stop smoking. After a temptation to do it again, Franklin failed and then never picked up another cigarette to this day.

Another struggle Franklin overcame was his unwillingness to preach. He felt like he would be compared to his father and steered clear of the pulpit. However, when friends told him he had a gift, and God wanted to use him, he gave it a try. It would be very hard to preach to your father, especially if he was a preacher. It is understandable why Franklin avoided this ministry; however, God uses him in so many incredible ways through his preaching.

A Painted House by John Grisham

Posted By: Isabella Jagdfeld

A Painted House takes place in the large farming community of Black Oak, Arkansas during the 1950's. Seven-year-old Luke Chandler live with his Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Pappy. It's cotton picking season and like every other year Pappy finds some Mexicans and Hill people, this year it's the Spruills, to pay to help pick it. As time goes on and everyone gets to know each other a little better, Luke realizes he has a crush on Tally Spruill who is reasonable older than, and Hank her brother is a real trouble maker. While in town one day Luke sees Hank get in the middle of a fight and ends up beating a guy to death with a 2x4. The next day when the a cop comes to the Chandler house to question the Spruills about the murder. Luke ends up getting asked about it and what he saw. This is when life seems to change for Luke. He lies about it in fear of getting beat by Hank. It's the first major lie he has told. As the story goes on, Luke is forced to keep more secrets; He saw Tally naked, Trot (Tally's little brother) is painting his house, and Luke's uncle is supposedly the father to a baby born into the poorest family in the town. Each secret effects him and the people around him.

Grisham uses imagery very well, and it really helps the reader imagine what the town looks like and what's going on. In this example Luke describing a field, "Around me, on all sides, neat rows of green and brown stalks stretched to the tree lines that boarded our land. At the top of the stalks, puffy bolls of cotton were popping forth... I saw an ocean of white. The fields were silent-no voices, no tractor engines, no cars on the road. For a moment, hanging on the trailer, I could almost understand why my farther wanted to be a farmer." (Grisham 22).

To me, the theme of the book would be that there is alway a path to a better life, and a new beginning.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. Posted by Morgan Cole

Martin Luther King Jr.'s autobiography is the story of one of the great social and political figures of the twentieth century. The famous civil rights leader was also a preacher, and philosopher. King never wrote an official autobiography because he died before he could. Instead, the manager of his papers, Clayborne Carson, reconstructed an autobiography from King's autobiographical sketches, notes and speeches.

King was born into a long line of ministers, and he didnt fall short of the families reputation. He became the minister of the Ebenezer baptist church after many years of study. King became and active member of the civil rights movement and was very big in the peace side of the movement. he wanted nothing to do with the violence that the black panthers were prevoking. He directed many peaceful rallys and protests and often would cancel them if they became violent of out of control.

King was a very popular adn well know activist of the civil rights movement, and he became known for his i have a dream spece which was a televised event informing the black citizens of the issues of the civil rights movement, and it got many people involved in the movement. he was also very famous for being the youngest man to have recieved the nobel peace prize.

Martin Luther King lived a very high pace life, and his death also became very known. he was shot on the belcony of his hotel room in memphis. he was very loved and he will forever be remember.

The Child Called "It" by Hannah Schwefel

The Child Called "It" is about a young boy struggling thought the horrendous stages of child abuse. He starts out being accepted like the other children in his family, suddenly his mother starts to treat him like the family slave. The things that this young boy encounters, are hard to imagine. The boy goes though, things like cleaning, and other household chores. Then the mother refuses to feed him, he tries many different techniques to get food, but his mother always catches him. When hes caught, he is beaten. The boy is also tortured, he is forced to swallow ammonium as well as be in a room filled with gases. At one point in the story, the boy is stabbed by his mother, at this point his mother takes it a little easier on him, and he longs for the love that they share at that moment. When the boy is hugged, or praised, he enjoys is to much. I makes my heartache, he seems like such a good kid in the story, and he only wants to be loved like the other children. In the story, he starts out believing that things will change, and that God will help him soon. In the end of the story, his views change, and he believes things will be like this forever and that God is nonexistent. Towards the end of the story, he wants to die. It makes you feel so bad, you want the boy to get out of the hell of his house. He does end up getting out of the house, because people from the school find out that he is being beat. The story is really hard to relate too, I can't imagine this ever happening. It is so cruel. I am not sure many moments in history really relate either, I am sure things like this have happened, but not that I have heard of. I believe this boy has many great strengths, he is very brave when he stands up to his mother. He never gives up, even though he really wants too. In the beginning, he loved his whole family even though they were so mean to him. I think this boy was very brave and courageous. I look up to him for getting out of the horrible situation he was in. He overcame an obstacle that most adults couldn't overcome. He was truly a very strong, witty child. I am so glad that he survived to write such a bold and informational story, to inform the public of the horrors of child abuse.

The Queen of Palmyra posted by Lauren Weiland

The Queen of Palmyra, by Minrose Gwin, tells the controversial story of Florence Forrest who is growing up in the south during the Civil Rights Movement. Minrose Gwin begins the story with, “I need you to understand how ordinary it all was,” which sets the honest, distinguished and true tone for the rest of the novel. Florence is an eleven-year-old girl and the narrator of the story. She seeks her father's attention and mother's love. Her father goes on many late night adventures, and Florence looks forward to these times because she is always assigned the duty of retrieving her father's box from the bottom of the basement stairs. Once her dad would leave for the night, her mother would tell her to go get in the car and they would go on an adventure of their own; to the bootlegger's house. Florence's mother was never quite with it because of her alcohol abuse issues. When Florence turns twelve, her mother is temporarily out of her life, after trying to commit suicide by parking at a railroad crossing. Florence's father takes advantage of this as a chance to show Florence the highly secret items kept in the box. Florence opens it to find a bat, bible, and black cape and mask. Florence hopes her father will allow her to borrow it for Halloween. This is when the Dramatic Irony begins. The reader is now made aware of the fact that her dad is a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and his nightly adventure are nothing less than massacres. Unfortunately, Florence is to young to understand what is going on. Throughout the rest of the novel, Florence faces many situations that constitute for a man vs. society conflict. For instance, Florence spends every evening at her Mimi's house, who then immediately sends her to Zenie, her black maid's house in the back yard. Florence becomes very close to Zenie and her niece Eva and realizes very quickly how much they hate being called colored, yet she has been raised with the idea it is her right as a white person to call any black person that. Florence is put through a lot of physical, mental, and sexual abuse from her father and members of his 'club' throughout the novel, and Minrose Gwin does not hold back in telling it how it was. As Florence grows older she realizes more and more maybe her father is not the superhero she imagined, and also has a realization of how poorly blacks were being treated. The Queen of Palmyra is definitely a hard book to get through, and will make you upset on many occasions throughout. As stated before, “I need you to understand how ordinary it all was,” is the initial sentence in the book, and by the end you know it holds true. It was not complete chaos all the time, Florence saw her dad as wonderful human being for the majority of her Pre-adult years. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys learning about this era, and can handle a very detailed, in depth, honest novel. Minrose Gwin did an impeccable job with this novel.

American Hostage posted by Laura Parra

This is the story of the kidnapping of a journalist, Micah Garen, and how his family worked around the clock to bring him home safely. Micah and Marie-Hélène, Micah's "partner" in work and life, had their own media company where they could report on what they personally had interest in. They had traveled to many countries around the world and on this specific trip during the summer of 2004 they were in Iraq. They were making a documentary on the looting in Iraq. Marie-Hélène left to go home and Micah was planning to stay for an extra two weeks because he wanted to film some more events coming up soon. For both Micah and Marie-Hélène their worst nightmare was to be kidnapped and beheaded on camera. Unfortunately, they came incredibly close to that nightmare becoming a reality.


While the two had been in Iraq they had hired Amir a translator and friend of theirs. Marie-Hélène had recently left for home and Micah and Amir were trying to get more footage of a market that Micah had visited early. He had brought his small camera to try to get some footage without anyone seeing him videotaping. A man saw him videotaping and thought that he was a spy so chaos broke out. It ended up with both Micah and Amir being shoved into a van and forced to lay down with blindfolds and their hands tied up. They were taken to an open field and to their "home" for the next week or more. It was a sort of igloo made of branches but was short so they could barely stand up. As soon as he got to the shelter he found a piece of a cigarette box and on it he wrote MH ZEUG LOVE. He wrote this so that if he was to die everyone knew that he had MH (Marie-Hélène) and ZEUG (Zeugma, their dog who was more like their child) in his heart.

The two encountered the same routine for about a week. At night they were taken to a open field that they had to walk through thorns to get to. Micah was given the one pair of shoes and Amir was forced to walk barefoot with their blindfolds on. On their mats they would get as much sleep as they possibly could and before dawn they were taken back to their igloo type shelter. Multiple times during the day the guards would take turns keeping watch of the shelter but never showing their face because they were hidden by their keffiyehs. Micah and Amir actually became pleasant with a few of the guards, getting along. As the days dwindled down, they moved the two captives and the guards knew that the people in the new area did not like Americans, so the guards were their protectors at the same time that they were Micah and Amir's kidnappers.

Amir and Micah went through ten rough days with the soldiers. But, what they didn't know was their entire family, Amir's in Iraq and Micah's in the United States, was constantly fighting and working to the extreme trying to figure out what was best to do about the entire situation. Marie-Hélène had contacted many people all around the U.S. and people in countries around Iraq and in Iraq. They even contacted the FBI, a few agents ended up staying with Marie-Hélène and the blob, what she called all the family and friends helping out, in the hotel they were moved to for their safety. The chaos and close calls of whether or not to go to the media with a statement lasted for about a week and then Eva, Micah's sister, made the media statement.

At the beginning of the time in captivity Micah was focused on find a way to attack a guard in order to escape, or find any way period to escape. By the last few days he was thinking about his time differently. He was realizing how much he truly cared about Marie-Hélène and how he was more worried about them being hurt by him being in a threat video then himself actually being hurt. It was very interesting to see just how much Micah changed throughout those ten days, realizing what was truly important in his life.

After the ten days in captivity, Micah and Amir were set free. The guards that were taking them to their freedom celebrated with Micah and Amir with large smiles. Micah and Amir both had many strengths. They did not show any weaknesses to the guards throughout their captivity they also kept their hopes up. No matter what happened, even if they got down because of a new situation, they always found a way to push through. Also they came over the fear of being stuck in the shelter forever by slowly making a hole in the side of the shelter which they called "Freedom's Gate" for an emergency escape. On the other side of the world, Marie-Hélène pushed through her fear of Micah being killed by keeping herself busy with finding solutions to free Micah before anything like that could happen. Micah and Marie-Hélène are no longer just "partners" in life and work, as Micah called home for the first time after his release he proposed to Marie-Hélène and they got officially engaged in the fall of 2004.

Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. posted by Heather Tinus

Martin was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 19, 1929 in his grandparents home, he is the second of three kids. Martins father, King Sr. didn’t have much but worked hard. He preached at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Martin wasn’t exposed to terrible discrimination as a child, he had white friends but he didn’t go to school with them. Once school began he wasn’t allowed to play with them anymore. Martin began his higher education at Morehouse College of Atlanta than moved on to Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University where he than got his Ph.D in sociology. Crozer was the first integrated school that Martin had ever attended. At Boston he met his future wife, Coretta Scott. Soon Martin took work as the minister at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, Coretta’s home town. King offered the basement of his church where the group of boycotters met, who began the bus boycott, because of this action, he was the one who mainly got blamed with phone calls and threats. His house was bombed and he was also arrested under false pretenses. Martin began head of SCLC a Christian organization, where he went around speaking and writing letters. Martin made a national appearance for more than forty thousand people at the Lincoln Memorial, an occasion celebrating the third anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education. He began more campaigning in Birmingham actively with volunteers, and nonviolently. Yet many were getting arrested and put into jail for peacefully protesting. King was able to talk business owners out of it because of the major business loss due to the arrests. Soon King was arrested and put into jail where he spent eight days. Another big event led by Martin was the March into Washington, where 250,000 blacks marched into Washington D.C. and Martin made his “I have a dream,” speech. This speech reach many Americans watching it on broadcasted to their home televisions. Than on April 4 Martin was shot on the balcony of his Motel while talking to a friend by an angered white. Martin Luther King Jr. was a huge influence on brining equal rights to blacks in his own peaceful ways. This is summary of just some of the many things he did for his fellow blacks.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner begins when Amir is just a young boy living in Afghanistan with his father, Baba, and their Hazara servants Ali and Hassan. Although it is frowned upon to be friends with a Hazara, Amir and Hassan are inseparable growing up. Sadly, Amir grows aggravated by the way Baba pays more attention to Hassan. This causes Amir to disown Hassan, compelling Ali and Hassan to move away. Shortly after, the USSR takes over Kabul in Afghanistan, forcing Amir and Baba to flee to the United States. The two of them live quiet lives together for many years. Baba eventually passes away and Amir marries the beautiful Soraya. Twenty years after fleeing Afghanistan, Amir decides to go back to visit, where he discovers he and Hassan were half brothers. Hassan is dead, killed by the Taliban, but his son remains scared and alone in an orphanage. Amir soon adopts Hassan’s only son and he takes him back to America. It takes Sohrab, the young boy, a year to finally speak after being brought to America, but Amir is happiest he’d been in thirty years.
The conflict in this story is man verses self. Amir is haunted his entire life knowing that Hassan would have done anything for him yet he disowned him out of jealousy. Amir keeps this secret for most of his life, never mentioning it to his father, and only telling his wife after he brings news of adopting Sohrab. Amir is also constantly beating himself up, trying to impress his father.
The climax occurs when Amir literally fights with his life against an old Taliban enemy in order to take Sohrab out of the Taliban’s possession. Amir nearly faces death in this struggle, but he does survive and gain his prize. The resolution is at the very end of the story when Amir purchases a kite at a festival back in San Francisco. He and Hassan used to be the best kite runners in Kabul, but Sohrab had no knowledge of this. When Amir gracefully cuts the kite of an opponent Sohrab shows the first hint of a smile in an entire year. At that moment Amir is happy with his life and sees a bright future for his family.
In Afghanistan there is a popular sport called kite running. Thousands of people gather around to watch as many villagers fly their kites. The goal is to cut other people’s kites and have yours be the last one flying. The kite running comes into play when somebody’s kite is cut. Kids start running through the streets as fast as they can in order to catch the kite. In the game of kite running, the last kite that is cut is like the first place trophy, and everybody wants to claim it. During one kite competition, Amir cuts the last kite and Hassan runs for it. He catches the kite and guards it with his life to be sure it is brought safely back to Amir. In this story, the kites symbolize joy and freedom. The kites bring joy to many people and are able to fly freely in the sky.
The Kite Runner is a very popular book not only because of the touching story, but because of how it relates to today’s world. It takes place in Afghanistan and America during the Cold War and the reign of the Taliban. The Taliban is still very much alive in Afghanistan today and that is one of the large reasons why we have troops in the Middle East. Many people are affected by the war in the Middle East, which helps this story touch close to their hearts.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Anne Frank's family lived in the Netherlands to be away from all that was going on in Germany. However Germany invaded the Netherlands and they had to hide along with another family because they were Jewish. In the beggining of the book it seemed like she just lived the typical life of a little girl however she did have to go to a special school just for Jewish people when they lived in germany because of a law. Her life quickly changed from being normal to living a life in fear. They lived above Otto Frank's office in a small room stockpiled with food and other supplies. Living in the annex Anne felt much solitude although she was with other people she did not feel much love or care from them. However she really connected with a youjng man named Peter even though her parents do not approve of there relationship. Anne is thirteen years old at the time this all begins and doesn't really understand why the Jewish people are being singled out. Towards the end of the book Anne seemed to see herself more as a writer and wrote more about what was happening in the War rather then what was going on with her. This book shows how hard it was to live in the war. Anne had many struggles and lived in saddness, fear, and even gult. When nothing was really her fault she still felt guilt for what was going on around her. This was just meant to be a little girls diary at first but changed into showing the world what really happened to the Jewish people living in the area that Hitler controlled during the war.

The Ancient Ship by Zhang Wei; posted by Jack Jones

The book I read was The Ancient Ship By Zhang Wei. This is a Historical Fiction novel following the lives of the people of the small fictional village of Wali, China. More specifically, the novel follows the stories of the Sui, Zhao, and Li families that occupy the village. The story takes place right after the creation of the Peoples republic of China and Mao's rise to power. Mao's actions are illistrated through the eyes of the people of Wali, uncovering an interesting point of view on early communism in China and the cold war. The people of Wali receive only bits of news from the Western world. The hear about U.S. and Russian Space travel and all about the U.S. side in the cold war, but all through an extreme communist filter of which they do not know about nor understand. The townspeople are oppressed and their story shows the history of China and their communist regime.
The book demonstrates the cluelessness of the people of the more rural parts of China and their suseptability to manipulation. The people are forced to beleive rumors about the U.S. which causes them to side with their communist leader and further allow for the spread of communism which the U.S. so diligently tried to stop. The author uses anecdotes to relate the people back to the actual history of China and the cold war era. He also tries to demonstrate the tension between China and the western Nations, and even the U.S. presedents.

Hitler: The Last Ten Days

Hitler: The Last Ten Days – An Eyewitness Account by Gerhard Boldt is just what the title says, an eyewitness account of the last ten days of Adolf Hitler’s life. We see these last ten days through the eyes of Gerhard Boldt, a cavalry officer and Senior-Lieutenant with the 58th infantry division on the East front during World War II. Boldt starts by showing us what a briefing in the Reich Chancellery with Hitler was like. He listens as many generals walk up to Hitler terrified, and tell their leader what is going on in the war. Hitler seems to be deteriorating. He appears to be exhausted and weak, and he is getting crazier by the minute. He had his mind set on what he was going to do, and no one could change his mind. No one had any good ideas except for him, he thought.
After a long briefing, Boldt flashes back to the beginning of the war; he lets the reader see his life. He explains the hoops he jumps through and the injuries he acquired while trying to get to the top. By the end of his war-life story, he is sent to the Fuehrer’s staff at Army High Command. On Hitler’s staff is where he observes him from a closer view.
As the book goes on, Boldt is called to briefing sessions daily. He sees that Hitler is getting worse by the second. He was brooding, as anyone would expect, and on drugs. Here is one of the greatest leaders in the world, with only a soft grip on reality and he is leading a world into war. In July of 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Hitler. This, of course, made Hitler furious. It only made him angrier at the world. Because of this attempted assassination, he arrested 5,000 people and 200 more were executed. At one point, Hitler ordered the Berlin subways to be flooded to hold the Russians back for a few more hours, even though he knew that many of his people had taken shelter in those subways. Later, as his country was falling to pieces, Hitler and his new wife, Eva Braun, sat there drinking in celebration to their new marriage and to the new world of hate and prejudice he had created among his people. On the 30th of April, 1945, the day after these two married, Eva and Hitler said their last goodbyes to the staff and headed into the study. Later that day, witnesses heard a gunshot from the study. Both were dead. Hitler had a gunshot wound in the head, and was dripping blood all over the couch. Braun, however, didn’t seem to have any wounds. She is believed to have poisoned herself.
It is interesting to see the Second World War from the eyes of a Nazi. The war seems so different in the eyes of an American soldier, or in the text of an American History book, than from the eyes of a German Nazi. Some people often look at Nazis as if they were horrible people—though most were—but the fact of the matter is, those soldiers were people, too. They had a passion for their country. They were told and taught different things, but in essence, they were still soldiers. It was also interesting to see that many people disagreed with their Fuehrer, but were too afraid to speak up because they knew what he could do to them and the people they loved.

Charles Lindberg by Taylor Damrow

Charles Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist. He spent the majority of his childhood residing in Detroit, Michigan. Lindbergh pursued the career in aviation and became a US Mail pilot. At the age of 25 Lindbergh emerged from the shadows of a normal American citizen life when he was struck with instant fame after a solo flight across the Atlantic. The mission consisted of a one way flight from New York to Paris. This feat had never been achieved before Lindbergh did it firsthand. Many thought he was too inexperienced for his age to complete the mission, but he proved everyone wrong on May 21, 1927 with his plane “The Spirit of Saint Louis”. He turned into a household name overnight, some referring to him as “Lucky Lindy” and “The Lone Eagle”.

Lindbergh put his fame to use, promoting the advancement and development of aviation as a whole. Unfortunately, his fame brought great sorrow to himself and his family. In 1932 Lindbergh’s infant son was kidnapped and murdered. The Lindbergh’s fled to Europe as a result to the hardships in which they had endured. However Lindbergh and his family returned once again to the United States after the surprise attack of Pearl Harbor. Lindbergh was an outspoken advocate of keeping the U.S. out of world conflicts. Even with the resentment of being involved in a world war, Lindbergh carried out many combat missions in the Pacific Theatre as a civilian consultant, because the president wouldn’t allow Lindbergh to be reinstated. Charles Lindbergh was an icon of the 20’s and 30’s expressing his talents in many forms.

Annie's Promise

Annie's Promise by Sonia Levitin is a very good read!It is 1945 and Annie's family and herself have moved out of Germany because of the Nazis. The left because of Hitler and her family is Jewish. When they come to America they realize many things are different and have to adjust. Annie is very different from her sisters, she had an illness and her parents are very protective. They don't want her to do anything. Also she is not a girly girl. Annie really wants to see what life holds for her, but her parents are holding her back in doing so. Her guidance counselor from school confronts her one day and tells her she has been invited to Quaker Pines Camp. She asked her parents and at first they said no, but finally they caved in and allowed her to go. When she first arrived at camp she knew no one, but befriended a girl named Tally. Tally and Annie became really good friends over the summer. Annie ha some troubles during her time at camp with people and tasks. She was enjoying her time though. Annie was a natural with horses and people. Many liked her and found her intelligent. When camp was over Annie went home to knew things. Her sister left the house and she was alone with her parents. Annie was given the opportunity to return to camp as a counselor. Tally came to visit Annie and they had a grea time but when Annie's parents found out she was hanging with a black girl and where she was they were outraged. They said profane words and made Annie very upset. She snuck out to go to camp that night. She arrived at camp and it wasn't the same. It was scary and vacant. She only stayed for a while then realized she missed home. The day she went back to camp as a counselor the war was over. The Americans had dropped the bomb. It was a new beginning for all. His book is great. It shows people all the history and the lives people had back then. It also captures the true essence of a young girl during this time. It still is relevant to the wold today. We have wars going on currently and people are suffering. Not all are in the war, but have family over there. Many people suffer when there is a war and the book shows this.

The Truth Behind Death at Columbine By: Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt

The Truth Behind Death at Columbine is the true story of Columbine. The story is told by Brooks Brown. The two shooters at Columbine were Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris and Brooks Brown was their best friend. So this story is told by the shooters’ best friend and how he had no idea what was going on and all the signs that were completely missed. Columbine was the worst murder that occurred at a school in U.S. history. Dylan and Eric shot to death 12 students, 1 teacher, and wounded many others. The day of the shooting Brooks noticed that Dylan and Eric were not in school. It was pretty common for Eric to miss school but if Dylan was gone, Brooks was normally with him. But that day, he wasn’t. After school Brooks saw Eric drive up and park his car in the parking lot. He went over and asked him where he was all day and if he knew where Dylan was. Eric got out of the car with a big duffle bag said to Brooks, “Get out of here. Go home”. Brooks was confused but did what he said. As he was walking home he heard loud noises coming from school. He soon figured out it was gun shots.
Dylan and Brooks had been friends since first grade. They grew up together and when they got to middle school Eric moved to town and the 3 of them became inseparable. Brooks and Dylan were made fun of a lot growing up in school. People called them nerds, they were very into video games and computers. They a lot of times played very violent video games and many people think that was a significant factor in this. Eric was just like them. He was into video games and computers as well. The 3 of them were made fun of consistently and even when they tried to tell administration about it, nothing stopped it.
This obviously affected Dylan and Eric a lot more than it did Brooks. Brooks never suspected them to do this. After the shooting occurred Brooks was questioned and thought to be part of the shooting because he was such good friends with them. They soon found out Brooks had nothing to do with it and no idea it was coming. Brooks said that there were some signs but he didn’t notice them till he thought about it after the shooting occurred.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, is a classic novel about a young boy and his adventures. Tom is a young boy who would rather be lazy and do nothing all day. An example is when Tom convinces his friends into painting his white picket fence, by telling them that it is fun and they should be jealous of him. He does this multiple times, to many kids in the neighborhood so he can sit back, relax and watch. This story is also about the adventures that Tom and his famous friends, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, Joe Harper and Injun Joe, have. One of his adventures with Huckleberry and Joe Harper is when the three of them run away from home. They decide they have had enough of their parents, and guardians in Tom’s case, yelling at them and telling them what to do, so they decide to run away. They swim across a river where they stay for about one and a half days, until they decide that they are too homesick and want to be with their families. Becky Thatcher and Tom have and interesting relationship; originally Tom liked a girl named Amy until he saw Becky. He then told Becky that he loved her and was engaged to her; she loved him too, until she finds out about Amy. Then, she doesn’t like him anymore and they try and win each other back throughout the book. Eventually, it seems like Tom has won Becky back until they get lost in a cave while they are on their way to Becky’s “party”. They get stuck in the cave for a long time because no one has figured out that they are gone yet. They have already run out of food and candles by this point; and to make things worse, they come across Injun Joe.
Injun Joe is a criminal who Tom and Huckleberry first come across in the graveyard one night at around midnight. They see him with his friend Muff Potter, and a doctor. Injun Joe wants to get back at the doctor, and kills him. Tom and “Huck” witness the whole event and desperately want to tell the police, but they are afraid of what will happen to them. After this, Injun Joe does not want to get blamed for the crime, so he disguises himself as a Spaniard who is deaf and mute. The boys encounter him again when they are on an adventure looking for buried treasure while he is actually doing the same thing. He ends up finding the money before the boys and hides it. Huck begins to follow him just waiting to steal the treasure. While Tom is looking for a way out of the cave that he and Becky are trapped in, he finds that he is using the cave as a hideout. Eventually, Tom and Becky get out of the cave, Injun Joe is stopped, and the money ends up being Tom and Huck’s. This story relates to today because there are plenty of kids who feel like they want to run away from home, or who want to go on adventures, just like Tom did.
An example of a major symbol was tickets that the children of the town got from Sunday School. They would recite verses from the bible and earn tickets, until they have achieved their ultimate goal of getting a bible. Tom trades his friends for the tickets that he gets because Tom doesn’t know any verses, unlike other children. This symbolizes Tom’s ticket through life: he just gets people to do things for him while Tom gets all of the credit. Another example could be the white picket fence. Other literary elements used in this novel were imagery and foreshadowing. Twain does an excellent job of “painting the picture in the readers mind”. He describes the setting really well, but still does a good job of making the reader think about it from their point of view. He also uses foreshadowing, for example right at the beginning of the book. The reader finds out that Tom hates being at home and doing chores, and from reading that, the reader can tell that something dramatic will happen later in the book.

Benito Mussolini by Anthony L Cardoza, post by Sam Barkey

Benito Mussolini was one of the key leaders in the conflicts of WW2, and was the leader of the fascist movement. Born July 18, 1883 to Alessandro and Rosa Mussolini. Little did they know that Benito would soon become the Prime Minister of Italy. However, he did show violence early in is life by rebelling in school. His politics were mainly influenced by his fater, who named his son after socialist leaders.

In 1902, Mussolini moved to Switzerland. He later became interested in Italy's socialist party, and upon going back to Italy, he ended up in the Italian army. He supported the Italian intervention in WW1 and was subsequently kicked out of the socialist party.

Mussolini ended up creating the Fascist party, and gained inspiriation for this political movement from a newspaper called The Republic. In 1922, Mussolini started the march on Rome, and kicked out the prime minister, and claimed the position for himself. He became nicknamed Il Duce. Consequently, attepts at Mussolini's life were not uncommon.

Mussolini soon joined up with Hitler in WW2. Escaping Italy, Mussolini was picked up by members of the communist party, and tried to smuggle them out of the country. He and his mistress ended up being executed by those same communists.

Mussolini is to this day hated, in America and all over the world. Because of him, Italy went from being an Allied power to the dark side of WW2.

Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude

Thin Wood Walls is the story of young Joseph Hanada as his four years in the Japanese Internment Camps over the course of World War II. In the beginning of the book, Joe is a perfectly normal eleven year old who knows nothing of what its like to be different; at least, not until the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor. After that, life becomes very different for Joe. He begins receiving dirty looks from his classmates, his neighbors begin to avoid him and his family, he gets hateful notes and pictures, and he learns what it means to be hated, yet he doesn't really understand why. Then one day, for no apparent reason, Joe's father is taken during the middle of the night. Any letters they receive from him have been censored and the authorities who took him will not say where he is. A short while later, the remainder of the Hanada family, Joe, his brother Mike, their mother, and grandmother, are told to pack up a suitcase and leave their home. They are taken to Tule Lake Internment Camp and given a barrack to share with another family and it is poorly constructed out of thin wood walls. Throughout the remainder of the book, Joe lives at the camp and endures the hardships that come with living there. Closer to the end of the story, Mike enlists in the army and goes out to fight to prove that he is just as much of an American as everyone else and to get away from the camp.Unfortunately, after a few months, they receive word that Mike was killed. His things are sent back to their barrack and among his brother's possessions, Joe finds a battered copy of The Red Badge of Courage. This and the discovery of Mikes journal that he kept, give him strength to endure the remainder of their stay at Tule Lake. Shortly after Joe turns fourteen, he and his family are released from the camp and are reunited with their father.

I enjoyed this book very much because it was an interesting read and I could easily relate with Joe and some of the other characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction or who enjoys a good book that makes you think.

Life in the Game and Beyond by: Tiki Barber

This book is about a man named Tiki Barber and his struggles and accomplishments through life to make it to the NFL and retire as one of the great running backs for the New York Giants. He ran in the NFL for over a decade and enjoyed what he did, but he knew that he wasn't going to be a running back for a really long time and there were other things he wanted to do. The story first begins with Tiki living with his mother and brother. Tiki had a twin brother named Ronde and they were identical twins. Their father left their mother when they were very small, so their mother was working up to 3 jobs at one time to supply her sons with a good education and a good living environment. His mother did just that, Tiki always tried hard in school and he usually acquired straight A's. His brother Ronde never got as good of grades as Tiki but he was a bit more athletic then Tiki. Tiki's mother grew up in the time of the Civil Rights movement and she endured many of the horrible things that most African Americans experienced during that time. She survived her time era and grew up to be an amazing mother for her two songs. Tiki made it through growing up in Virginia and attending a high school there with his brother where they both played football. It turns out both him and his brother were being scouted for their football talents. Eventually, they both decided they wanted to go to the University of Virginia and that is what they did. So Tiki and Ronde played college football for UV for four years before they heard that the NFL was interested in them. They both had achieved such a difficult goal by reaching the NFL. Ronde was drafted to the Buccaneers and Tiki was drafted to the Giants. Tiki was told he was too small to be an every-down running back. So at first Tiki did not play as much as he expected. He was extremely fast but he just was not big enough to take the beating of a great running back. Eventually he bulked up with the encouragement of friends and family members. After a few years of experience in the NFL, he became the running back he always wanted to and he was very good at it. Tiki never played for a different team, it was always the Giants for him. However, Tiki knew football would not last very long because he was losing interest and was plagued with injuries early in his career. Tiki's true dream was he wanted to be a news reporter. There are many different branches of that broad job but he basically just wanted anything that had to do with news. Today, Tiki has fought long and hard for what he did and there are many details that i have missed but that is a basic summary of his journey to the NFL and making i through that. He is now a reporter just like he always wanted to be and he is living a nice life because of all of his hard work. His brother Ronde is still playing for the Buccaneers and continuing his NFL career. Tiki is a very ispirational character because he is what everyone should be like. He is a very modest person and he always tries and works for whatever he wants. He was never very cocky or arrogant and i think that led to his great accomplishments. It was overall a great book and it was fun to read.

The American Civil Rights Movement By: Linda Jacobs Altman

This book was about the Civil Rights Movement in America. It talked about the different programs involved in the Civil Rights Movement that were trying to accomplish racial equality by non-violent tactics. For example, the NAACP and the SNCC were both organizations that fought for no segregation peacefully. I was amazed at how calm and collected the victims of cruel crimes were when they were brutally attacked by protesters. Freedom Riders, members of the Little Rock Nine, and just plain every day black people can testify that they experienced horrible crimes all the time, and were usually able to stay calm for the sake of Martin Luther King Jr. The book mostly revolved around Martin Luther King Jr., and talked about his belief that if a person believes strongly enough in something, realizes that something is terribly wrong with their government, or stands out in the crowd, that that person should stand up for who they are and what they believe in, as long as that person does is without violence. The book ranges from events occurring in the Civil Rights Movement in 1909 to 1968, the assassination of MLK. Most people thought that MLK's death would be the end of the Civil Rights Movement. However, just the opposite of what people thought, became the truth. More people fought even harder than before out of anger and grief of what happened to MLK. They were outraged that such a peaceful man who only wanted to help his people could be killed so violently. They honored him saying that he died in the line of duty, and he died doing what he believed was the right thing to do.

Because the book describes so many events in the Civil Rights Movement, it focused more on telling the story bluntly than expressing a number of literary elements. There was however one symbol in the book overall. It was the message that was sent when showing that the black people achieved their dreams of equality in America. It shows that no matter how hard that white people tried to take away their strength, they fought with more strength everyday. It symbolized that no matter how much white people wanted to feel superior,it was humanly impossible because of the strength that the black people had during the American Civil Rights Movement.

Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R Cross

Kurt cobain was born Febuary 20th 1967 in Abderine Washington. He had a sister that was born three years after he was. He always showed an intrest in art and music and was tallented in both areas. The divorce of his parrents when he was 8 messed him up. He was mad and felt that he wouldnt fit in. He watched his mother get beaten by her boyfriend as a kid as well. He hated god growing up as well but was intrested in budhism. He left home after droping out of highschool. He lived in friends houses and was occasionaly homeless. He and some friends later formed The band Nirvana. there first record called Bleach was a failure. Cobain had a stomach condition that contributed to hid drug use. Two years later they relised the album Nevermind which was a huge success. In 1992 he married Courtney Love and just months later they had a baby. He became addicted to heroin and frequently used weed. In 1993 he gave what he considered the best performance of his life on MTV Unpluged. He attempted suicide while in Europe by overdosing on pills in 1994. about a month later he was found dead in his seatle home from a self inflicted shotgun woond to the head. He had a deadly amount of heroin in his system as well. Heis body was later creamated.

Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi

This story is a fictionalised account of Patrick Henry's personal life. Patrick Henry was an activist who spent his life advocating independence from the British. His wife, Sarah, suffered a disorder, causing people to think she was "crazy." To keep her under control, Patrick locked her in a room in the cellar of his home. The book follows the life of Henry and his family as they go through their ordeal. The story is told from the point of view of Henry's daughters, first Anne and then Patsy. After Sarah is locked in the cellar, she is convinced that Patrick is dead, so she wont talk to him at all. In fact, the only one she talks to is Anne. The book is very suspenseful, beginning when Anne asks her mother who will inherit her "bad blood". Sarah says that the brother, John, will, but Anne doesn't want Patsy (who has stepped into the mother role) to be mean to him, so she says that it was herself instead. One night, four years after Sarah is confined to the cellar, Anne hears her beg her husband to "give me my liberty or let me go to my death!" Her words haunt Anne when she hears them in her father's famous speech. She wonders if keeping the plagiarism a secret is the best thing to do. As Anne wrestles with her decision to tell the truth, her mothers madness starts to infect John, just as the country enters the Revolutionary war. All in all, the story is extremely interesting and suspenseful, and it really makes you wonder whether or not Patrick Henry's famous line was plagiarised from his dying wife.

No Mountain High Enough by Linda Armstrong Kelly

No mountain high enough is autobiography written by Lance Armstrong’s mom, Linda Armstrong, which walks us through the struggles they had to overcome to make their dreams come true. The book starts out during the time when Linda was a teenager, and talks about her alcoholic father’s abusiveness and the financial struggles the family had. Linda got a boyfriend when she was 16, fell “in love”, and a year later ended up being kicked out of her house when she learned she was pregnant. She and her boyfriend moved into a cheap apartment and had their baby, Lance. They were very broke and the boyfriend started abusing Linda. With the help of her dad, Linda got up the strength to leave her husband for good. She was so young, so raising a baby on her own was an immense struggle. Linda bounced around from one minimum-wage job to another, and struggled to find the time and money to support her son. Linda Armstrong loved her son more than anything, and that love was the only thing that kept the two of the going through their hard struggles and the three divorces the little family went through during Lance’s childhood. Lance got into bike racing, competitive swimming, and triathlons at a young age, and excelled in practically everything he tried. By the time he was in high school Lance and his mom were traveling the country for bike races, and after he became state champion he realized he could maybe get a college scholarship. He focused all his energy on training, and he quickly became nationally ranked. Linda Armstrong eventually worked her way up to one of the top jobs at Ericson cell phones Their life seemed to be finally coming together when Lance unexpectedly won the world championships, however his world quickly came crashing down on him. Lance was diagnosed with grade 4 testicular cancer, which quickly spread to his lungs and his brain. He overcame the cancer, married, had 3 children, and went on to win the Tour de France six consecutive times, an achievement no man had ever done before. After three divorces, his mom finally married happily, and the Armstrong family continued to fulfill every dream they had ever imagined.

Linda Armstrong is a strong and courageous woman who showed huge character strengths throughout the story. She never gave up, even when times seemed unbearable, and she devoted every aspect of her life to give her son everything he deserved. She overcame humungous obstacles. She suffered through abusive relationships and financial struggles. She never could find a stable job or a supportive boyfriend. She gave up her entire life when her son was born and persisted to pour every drop of energy she had into protecting him. Devastation became an understatement for her when she learned of her son’s cancer. As always, she showed her true character by pushing through the problem until it was solved. The struggle to overcome all the obstacles in her life paid off for Linda when her son became an international icon and the most accomplished cyclist in the world.

Biography of Michael Jackson- Posted by Cody Larkin

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, to an African-American working-class family. His father, Joe Jackson, had been a guitarist but put aside his musical aspirations to provide for his family. Believing his sons had talent; he molded them into a musical group in the early 1960s. Michael was the groups lead vocalist and showed remarkable range and depth for such a young performer, impressing audiences with his ability to convey emotions. This group of talented young performers was named The Jackson 5. The group created and performed chart-topping singles such as "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There." At the age of 13, Jackson launched a solo career in addition to his work with the Jackson 5.

Jackson began to branch out on his own more. He sang songs with rock legends such as Paul McCartney, honored Motown by singing “Billie Jean” and debuted his soon-to-be famous dance move, the moonwalk. His most popular video was “Thriller” which featured a horror story, spooky effects and complex dance sequences. Thriller won over 8 Grammy awards.

At the height of his career, Jackson signed an endorsement contract with Pepsi to star in a commercial. He was severely injured while filming the commercial and suffered burns to the scalp and face. Jackson had surgery to repair his face and is believed to have begun experimenting with plastic surgery around this time.

By the late 1980s, Jackson had created his own fantasy- a California ranch called Neverland. There he kept exotic animals and had his own amusement rides. Shortly after opening Neverland, allegations of child molestation against Jackson emerged. A 13-year-old boy claimed that the music star had ‘fondled’ him. The police searched the ranch, but they found no evidence to support the claim. The following year, Jackson settled the case out of court with the boy's family and he remained innocent.

After announcing his marriage and divorce to Lisa Marie Presley, he wed nurse Debbie Rowe. Through artificial insemination, the couple had son Prince Michael Jackson and daughter Paris Michael Jackson. The couple later divorced and Michael received full custody of the children.

Jackson’s reputation received several blows in the media due to tabloids, documentaries and controversial debates. Jackson was arrested on charges related with the incident with the 13 year-old boy but was acquitted of all charges. Jackson later sold the Neverland ranch and started to rehearse for his final tour. He planned to perform in 50 concerts around the world.

Michael Jackson, one of the most popular artists of all time, died suddenly of cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles just before the concert series. He was 50 years old and will always be remembered as the King of Pop.

Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. posted by Heather Tinus

Martin was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 19, 1929 in his grandparents home, he is the second of three kids. Martins father, King Sr. didn’t have much but worked hard. He preached at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Martin wasn’t exposed to terrible discrimination as a child, he had white friends but he didn’t go to school with them. Once school began he wasn’t allowed to play with them anymore. Martin began his higher education at Morehouse College of Atlanta than moved on to Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and Boston University where he than got his Ph.D in sociology. Crozer was the first integrated school that Martin had ever attended. At Boston he met his future wife, Coretta Scott. Soon Martin took work as the minister at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, Coretta’s home town. King offered the basement of his church where the group of boycotters met, who began the bus boycott, because of this action, he was the one who mainly got blamed with phone calls and threats. His house was bombed and he was also arrested under false pretenses. Martin began head of SCLC a Christian organization, where he went around speaking and writing letters. Martin made a national appearance for more than forty thousand people at the Lincoln Memorial, an occasion celebrating the third anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education. He began more campaigning in Birmingham actively with volunteers, and nonviolently. Yet many were getting arrested and put into jail for peacefully protesting. King was able to talk business owners out of it because of the major business loss due to the arrests. Soon King was arrested and put into jail where he spent eight days. Another big event led by Martin was the March into Washington, where 250,000 blacks marched into Washington D.C. and Martin made his “I have a dream,” speech. This speech reached many Americans watching it on broadcasted to their home televisions. Than on April 4 Martin was shot on the balcony of his Motel while talking to a friend by an angered white. Martin Luther King Jr. was a huge influence on brining equal rights to blacks in his own peaceful ways. This is summary of just some of the many things he did for his fellow blacks.

Gone With The Wind posted by Allison Dew

Gone with the Wind is a civil war novel full of love stories, overcoming adversity, and testing old morals. It portrays numerous characters that face the new “southern character” during the war between the free north and the enslaved south, otherwise known as the Civil War. Margret Mitchell depicts the struggles that many Southerners had post-civil war. Through the persistent theme of overcoming adversities, Mitchell instills the fear that white-southerners had with the drastic changes that followed the end of the Civil War. The characters are symbols of old meets new values. They test each other’s morals and values through their relationships in the novel.


Through out the novel Gone with the Wind, Mitchell portrays the women as strong and independent for their time. During the Civil War era, women were not seen as equal in intelligence and vigor as men. However, many of the women, especially Scarlett, are depicted as cunning and witty. Scarlett takes over the mill, and shows that she can persevere and run the mill successfully.

With the underlying themes in Gone with the Wind, and the symbolism of characters, I think that this Civil War novel is definitely worth reading. Margret Mitchell’s depiction of life during and after the Civil War really lets the reader into the lives of these people who are battling their instilled morals and makes them question their beliefs. With the ideas of love and new changes, Gone with the Wind gets put on the top of my reading list.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

The Diary of a Young Girl is the published version of three diaries written by Anne Frank in the midst of World War II and the Nazi rule in Europe. Each entry is written to an obscure recipient, called Kitty, that Anne has created, possibly paralleling a pre-war friend of her father's. The entries begin when the Frank family was still living normally in their home, until Nazi police send a notice for her father Otto Frank and her sister Margot Frank to be deported to a concentration camp, so they hide in a secret annex above her father's business. Another family, the van Daans, move into the annex as well. Some days they get along better than others, but Anne writes that she is still grateful that they have food, shelter and each other to keep hope alive. They have more hope when it is announced that Italy has surredered to the Allies. Anne writes in such a detailed manner that a reader feels as if they know the characters in the annex personally. However, after a long time being cramped in the small annex with so many people, things become tense. She wishes that the war would end, and loathes the darkness and cruelty of war. She longs to find safety and escape the confines of the annex for fresh air.
Anne's relationship with her mother is a major part of her diary, and had so much frustration with her. Revising her diary, she later ralixed that the differences between them were just misunderstandings, and begins to respect her mother more.

Because this is a real diary and nonfiction, it does not have the same type of thought and ideas behind it as fictional story might, when an author has time to plot and plan the character's actions. When a story is real, it makes a huge difference in the value and thought that a reader takes away from it. The story of Anne Frank and her family is an exemplary case of strength, determination, and the will to live. She did not let the scary news of the outside world crush her dreams and hope of being free one day.

Anne Frank's diary ends on August 1, 1944, her last entry before the secret Annex was raided and the dwellers were arrested and taken to concentration camps. She was first moved to Auschwitz, then relocated to Bergen-Belsen. Anne died in the German concentration camp of typhus approximately two weeks before the camp was liberated in April 1945.

Z for Zachariah by Robert C.O'Brien~Nick Burrows

This book ties into the us history aspect greatly. It is all about the atomic bomb and that fits right into the 1940's lesson we did. When America dropped the first and only nuclear bomb on Japan. This book takes place in a valley were this girl is leaving with her family. Her name is Ann Burden she is 16 years old. She and her family have just survived a neclear bomb. the valley in which they live in has not been touched. at this point thought her family and herself do not know that. Her brother Joseph, David, her cousin her father and mother both leave the valley to see whats going on. They never returned, what hapend is once they crossed over the ridge they were suseptable to radiation poisoning so they all died. Ann is know alone in the valley, but one day she sees a man in a what seems to be a nuclear radiation control suit. she is not alone anymore. at first she doesn't trust this man so she stays her distance. Then though she finally has to meet him. but she finds out that he's sick because he took a bath in the radiation filled river so she nurses him back to good health. once he is in good spirits he trys to take advantage of her treating her poorly, being over controling almost killing her. so she knows she's not safe so she abandons him. and takes the suit with her leaving him trapped in the valley. She leaves the valley in hope of a new safe haven. The time peroid of this book is during the late 1940's i know that because just the way everything is described i could pretty much pinpoint the general time. protagonist is Ann Burden she's the good guy, just trying to look out for herself and the man in the suit is the antagonist but even in the beginning he was very nice and seemed like a good person but towards the end it was evidant that he was not. The Conflict was deffinatly man vs. nature because they both are fighting to survive in the valley both trapped in the valley. Because all around the valley is radiation. But it also is man vs. man ann is struggling towards the end to stay alive and away from the man in the suit. and one of the main symbols is the nuclear control suit it symbolizes power and survival because the suit is the only way out alive and they both know that and they both need the suit but there only one. the suit is a very key aspect. and the theme would be to never let your guard down. because even when things seem to be doing fine they could turn for the worst. just like what happend to Ann, every time she thought she could trust him she thought wrong. Over all this book was great always kept me interested couldn't put it down, i recomend it to everyone.

Nick Burrows

Far Bright Star

Far Bright Star takes place mostly in Southern Mexico during the Mexican Revolution, but the setting changes throughout the book. Napoleon is an old soldier who has been riding horseback and fighting wars almost his whole life, most of which has been spent searching for the bandit Pancho Villa in the desolate and never-ending heat of the Mexican waste land. On his latest search he is accompanied by five American soldiers which he refers to as "green" because of their lack of skill and experience. Their names are Bandy, Preston, Stableforth, Turner and Extra Billy. Much of the beginning of the story describes the life in the deserts of Mexico and all the hardships these men endured in the scorching heat. When Napoleon spots strangers out in the distance he gathers the men and they quickly head for a canyon. However, their pursuers were quicker and soon Napoleon and his troops are trapped in the canyon and he feels that death in inevitable for them all. But before Napoleon has a change to talk his was out of an attack, Preston naively shoots the groups leader, and they are forced into battle. Bandy escapes over the canyon and disappears forever while Stableforth, Turner and Extra Billy are all shot. Both Preston and Napoleon are knocked unconscious, and when they wake, they find themselves in a strange camp where they are gruesomely beaten and Preston is strongly maimed. These savage people eventually brutally kill Preston and leave Napoleon naked and beaten in the desolate heat of the desert with only his gun and his hat. Here he thinks he is going to die and slips in and out of consciousness and craziness until his brother, Xenophon, and Apache friend, Teddy, find him and rescue him. His brother cares for him and nurses him until Napoleon realizes all he wants after all these years is to go home. He takes the long journey form Mexico to Missouri and meets people on the way to help him. He dreams that one day he will realign with his brother and together they will live a better life.

The author, Robert Olmstead, does a fantastic job with imagery. Although very gruesome and gory, the entire book was filled with descriptions that you could picture completely and you could imagine just what these men were put through. The descriptions of the torture and the pain made you feel every sunburn and sliver that they felt. Also, the characters were described so in depth that you felt you personally knew every weather-beaten mad inside and out. Symbolism was shown very prominently through the horses. Both Napoleon and his brother Xenophon loved horses and respected them more than men. Napoleon's horse was called "the Rattler" and it symbolized his own wild and untamed spirit and personality. Both he and the horse did not like others, would only lead and would not follow, are were extremely determined and courageous. This was the case for Xenophon as well, whose horse was as gentle and kind as he was. Even for the others this was apparent, such as the leader of the savage group whose rode a prestigious horse to symbolize her power and unquestioned authority. It was like the horses were an alter-ego or representation of themselves.

Although the Mexican Revolution occurred many years ago, the hardship and violence that comes with war are still the same today. Many men are faced with situations like the ones of Napoleon and must learn who they really are in time of crisis, and decide what they really want in life. Not only soldiers, but anyone who faces hard times and needs to find a solution or make a decision on what they want most, has to deal with the same questions doubts that Napoleon felt throughout the book.

I believe the moral of the story is to always remember who you are and what is most important to you. Napoleon went through a lot of struggles and hardships and faced death on more that one occasion, but he knew what he wanted and what was important to him, and he kept hi head sturdy and made it through.

Al Capone Biography

If you read a biography, begin with a brief overview of the book, then describe the different stages of life. When possible, relate the person to historical events, describe the person's character strengths and any obstacles the person overcame

Al Capone A Biography by Luciano Iorizzo is a great biography. Iorizzo gives the reader a very in depth look on Capone's life. He tells us everything from his family life; to how he is known as the infamous criminal known to man. The biography tells us what is true and what is not.

Al Capone is a very interesting man. He came along as Alphonse Capone born in Brooklyn in 1899. His parents, Gabriele and Teresa Capone immigrated to the United states in 1894. Al Capone has 7 siblings. His two oldest siblings, Vincenzo and Raffaele James, immigrated with the parents. Salvatore was born in 1895, then came Al in 1899, the Erminio in 1901, then Umberto in 1906, then Amedio in 1908, then Mafalda in 19122. As soon as Capone turned 18, he got a job as a bouncer adn the Harvard Inn on Coney Island. This is where Capone aquires his three scares on his face. He had just became the MAIN bouncer, and he insulted a woman who then grabbed a bottle opener and left three, large gauges on his face. Capone soon became known as the famous name, "Scarface." In 1919, Al's son was born, Albert Francis (Sonny).

1921 is when Capone's life starts to get interesting. He moves to Chicago, Illinois to work for Johnny Torrio. A year later, Capone is arrested for DWI and carrying a concealed weapon and assault with a vehicle. All charges were dropped. Capone is probably known for his violence. In 1925 and 1927, two people attempted to kill Capone, but he lived and killed them. From 1927 to his death, Capone was know as one the most infamous criminal alive. As you can tell, Capone went through many stages of life. He was a kid like everyone else, but because of a horrible child life, Capone got caught up with the "wrong crew," as some would say, and turned into the man he was known as.

Capone is connected to many historical events. Al was a huge part of the roaring twenties. He was known as a "bootlegger," or a person who sold alcohol illegally. A lot of organized crime, and crime in general, occurred during the roaring twenties. Capone was a huge part. Not only selling alcohol, but also killing and robbing. He will never be forgotten even though he might have been one of the worst men alive. Capone has his name in history forever.

Even though Capone was a horrible person, he had many strengths. Capone was a very strong man. After a horrible child life, he had to go off on his own, and eventually his parents died. He found ways, not good ways, to make money. This shows how smart and strong he is. Capone also overcame many obstacles. He survived many times from people attempting to kill him. He also had to go through life alone because either he wasn't in touch with his family, or they died. Alphonse Capone is a very intriguing man for all that he has done. Events from killing, robing, pimping, and bootlegging. Also, his family life is just as interesting. The fact that both of his parents died early in his life, and that he had 7 siblings.

A Painted House by John Grisham

A Painted House takes place in the large farming community of Black Oak, Arkansas during the 1950's. Seven-year-old Luke Chandler live with his Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Pappy. It's cotton picking season and like every other year Pappy finds some Mexicans and Hill people, this year it's the Spruills, to pay to help pick it. As time goes on and everyone gets to know each other a little better, Luke realizes he has a crush on Tally Spruill who is reasonable older than, and Hank her brother is a real trouble maker. While in town one day Luke sees Hank get in the middle of a fight and ends up beating a guy to death with a 2x4. The next day when the a cop comes to the Chandler house to question the Spruills about the murder. Luke ends up getting asked about it and what he saw. This is when life seems to change for Luke. He lies about it in fear of getting beat by Hank. It's the first major lie he has told. As the story goes on, Luke is forced to keep more secrets; He saw Tally naked, Trot (Tally's little brother) is painting his house, and Luke's uncle is supposedly the father to a baby born into the poorest family in the town. Each secret effects him and the people around him.

Grisham uses imagery very well, and it really helps the reader imagine what the town looks like and what's going on. In this example Luke describing a field, "Around me, on all sides, neat rows of green and brown stalks stretched to the tree lines that boarded our land. At the top of the stalks, puffy bolls of cotton were popping forth... I saw an ocean of white. The fields were silent-no voices, no tractor engines, no cars on the road. For a moment, hanging on the trailer, I could almost understand why my farther wanted to be a farmer." (Grisham 22).

To me, the theme of the book would be that there is alway a path to a better life, and a new beginning.

Fallen Angels posted by Ryan Bednarski

Fallen Angels – Walter Dean Myers


Ryan Bednarski – Block A, Mrs. Brooks

Drama, action, and violence are what you will get from this book. With all the craziness and the sense of what is going to happen next is what makes Fallen Angels so good. It’s a about a black male name Perry around the age of 19 who enlisted in the army during the Vietnam War. He also had a bad knee that he thought would prevent him from doing any fighting. He thought join the war would be nothing, he couldn’t be any more wrong. He finally reaches Vietnam, or as they call it, Country, he goes through a series of patrols and battles that progressively get worse and worse. Throughout these conflicts he figures out how feels about certain things, like how he loves his brother Kenny, and his mama, and how life is in general. Throughout his time there he makes friends with in his unit. Peewee, being one of his best friends develops more and more throughout the story. Scarred by all the gore and violence, Perry struggles to cope with all the things that that he thinks of. Till finally they go one patrol were Peewee and his self get lose within the Vietcong patties, they stay there until daytime and lucky make it out alive. They later get patched up. Peewee gets sent home because we he was shot and Perry finally got his medical report for his knee that gets him out of the service. He and Peewee fly home on the same plane, and fall asleep in each other’s company.

It sort of connects to the world today because of all the things going on in Iraq, and the terrorist bombings and whatnot. But I really think it shows the pure senselessness inhumanity of people during times such as war time. There were a few symbols, but the one symbol that stood out to me was the one that Sergeant Carroll said about Jenkins when he died. He said that they were Angel Warriors that have fallen. Since they were so young, they were like angels, but they fought gallantly and truthfully. After Sergeant Carroll was killed in action, every single other character that died, I thought about them as an angel warrior. I pieced together their personality that was described in the book to how that would fit in to them being an angel warrior. I found that to be every interesting. This book definitely kept me entertained and on the edge.

The author used excellent symbolism, I mean; I have a vivid imagination that is decorated with the violence of playing video games. The author put in descriptions that were disgusting to even think about. It was awful. The way the author described how Perry was thinking and moving helped lay out the scene that he was fighting in. All the noises that were described seemed to play through my head like a CD.

The Big Both Ways by John Straley-Taylor Piechocki

The Big Both Ways by John Straley is about a guy name Slip and his life during the depression. Since there were no jobs available for Slip he decided to hitchhike to look for jobs. He was somewhat uncomfortable doing this so instead he decided to walk. While he was walking he met a blonde woman named Ellie Hobbes. Slip was unaware that this little, blonde women would change his life. Ellie’s car broke down on the side of the road and Slip offered to help her fix her car. Since Slip helped Ellie fix her car she gave him a ride to Seattle where he was going. She made a stop at an old house and that’s when Slip found out she had a dead man in the back of her car. Ellie told Slip they had to make one more stop before she took him further. They drove to a cliff and there they pushed the car over with the dead man in the trunk, Ellie gave Slip a gun and papers and said don’t get caught with these and they went there separate ways. Slip and Ellie ended up meeting again on a boat that Slip was trying to escape on and that’s when Slip met her sister. Beth, Ellie's sister, both grew up in Idaho. They both have been through a really hard life. Ellie told Slip she was sorry she brought him into this, but he was the one who asked for a ride. Slip soon found out Ellie was a red union worker, which probably was bad news for Slip.These two got in a lot of trouble together killing Ben Avery, getting tangled up with the police and running away from a crime. As the story comes to and end a police officer makes a trip to see them. He tells them he isn't really a cop anymore, but what still like to know what happened.He asked Ellie why she agreed to get rid of David Kept's body. Ellie said she agreed because she needed the informant list. The cop also asked who killed Ben Avery and Slip told him everything was an accident and he wasn't supposed to shoot him. The cop believed his story because it matched the evidence. After the ex-cop figured out why and how these two did everything they all sat and talked and soon enough their lives would continue on as if nothing ever happened.

This book has many things related to the world. It talks about Hitler and him forbidding race, Amelia Earhart, pearl harbor and Roosevelt's social programs. All of these affected out world today. But the main thing that had an effect on our world today was the Great Depression in general. It allowed us to see how easily things could change from good to bad. It showed us that we needed to work and get systems down in order for our lives to continue on the way we wanted them to. Although people were struggling at this time it made them work hard, earn what they wanted and appreciate what they had. Those three things are something people forget about sometimes and we need to remember them. The new deal and great depression have an influence on the Obama administration with it's attempt to stimulate the economy.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - Georgie Doherty

The Grapes of Wrath starts out with the green and luscious fields of plants and crops. Then, almost suddenly, there was no more rain. The plants wilted and the crops browned. This was only the beginning of the Dust Bowl. The reader then meets a man named Joad. At first, he seems very mysterious and the reader is thirsting for more information about him. We finally learn that Joad is on a journey home from prison. On his journey home, he runs into an old friend, Reverend Jim Casy, sitting against a tree trunk. While they reminisce and talk about the things they have discovered in the last few years, we start to learn more and more about the main character Joad. Casy decided to travel to meet Joad’s family since he had wanted to see Joad’s father. When they arrive at the house, everything is gone. The people, their belongings, everything is gone. While sitting and wondering what has happened, they come upon one fellow who knows the family and he tells the two that the family has been living with Joad’s uncle. Joad and Casy then travel to Joad’s uncles home to greet his family. When they got there, the family was just getting ready to pack up and migrate to California. He gets reacquainted with his family and after awhile they get ready for the trip to California to find work. The book then goes on to show the hardships of migrating to find work, and how these people who migrated were treated. The people were no longer farmers. They were now “migrant workers”. Their most famous nickname, however, is “Okies”.

John Steinback uses a great deal of detail and imagery. In fact, in every other chapter, Steinbeck takes some time to forget dialogue for a moment, and describe what is going on. Sometimes he tells the reader exactly what he means, and other times he wants the reader to infer what he means by it. For instance, the book starts out describing things in great detail. Steinbeck describes things as small as the brown lines on corn leaves that widen with time because of how dry it is.

The point of view changes many times during the book. For the majority of the book, the narrator is speaking as an outsider talking about Joad and his family and their hardships. Then in between the chapters speaking about Joad, there are little chapter that describe what is going on outside of Joads life in great detail.

Steinbeck also uses symbolism in this book. For example, in chapter three, he describes a turtle in great detail. This turtle has its mind set on getting to where it wants to be, but is having a hard time. The turtle has to travel across the road, through traffic, and is nearly killed. This turtle is like Joad in a sense. Joad knows where he wants to be, but he is having a very hard time getting there. There are so many obstacles in his way.

In all, this book was very well written. The author had plenty of knowledge about history, of course, to be able to write this book. Not only did he take history into consideration when writing this, but he also used grammar and English very well. The dialogue was also very well written. He was able to put the accents and the way people spoke into words, and that is a skill that not very many people have. Steinbeck’s knowledge and skill made The Grapes of Wrath a must read.