Book Recommendation: Hugo Cabret

     I would highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a story with suspense. The plot of Hugo Cabret is easy to follow through pictures and the vocabulary is modern, casual diction that is easy to understand.
     The amount of pages in this book is misleading because in reality there are a lot of pictures in the book and only about 500 pages of actual reading. I liked the usage of pictures in the book because some of the imagery was hard to follow and when I would turn the page there would always be an image for clarity. This in my opinion is a great characteristic of an author because it shows that the author is aware that some of the book is hard to follow and he wants to make sure the reader has a full understanding of the book. There was never a situation in this book where there was a pointless page, every page mattered in deciphering the plot and story line.
     In the book, we meet a young boy named Hugo who lives behind the walls in a train station located in Paris. Hugo's dad dedicated his life to making a human-like machine with a peculiar keyhole located on its chest. When Hugo's dad tragically passes away, it is up to him to find the key and finish what his father started. I think because of this plot, the author uses so many pictures in the novel because it is not a relatable subject and the pictures help the reader step into Hugo's shoes. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you will read it too as I would rate it a 10/10.

Columnist Unit Post

The column I chose to read was "The very poor case for arming teachers" by Krista Ramsey. (1) To give a brief overview of the column, Krista Ramsey does not believe it is wise to give teachers firearms despite past school shootings and other forms of violence in schools around the country. (2) The hyperlink for this column is given here. (3) I felt that the best line in the text was, "But sending weapons into schools - the vast majority of which have not been and will not be the scene of violence - is the most unwise of solutions." This line impacts the reader in that it drives home Ramsey's point about arming school staff using a definite tone to ensure the reader her point is logical and correct. An example of syntax would be the use of the dash throughout the quote because it provides a pause of emphasis to show that Ramsey is trying to portray an important point or thought and wants the reader to be engaged. (4) Ramsey's style of writing is intimidating and confident. She uses cold hard facts and rhetorical questions to make the reader consider her point of view. We can see these rhetorical questions in the article such as, "Does an armed teacher leave his class to respond elsewhere?" and "Will incoming police know a staff member from an assailant?" These questions are used to intimidate the reader into looking at a subject with a new perspective. (5) Are you trying to rally support for your own argument or shoot down the arguments of others? As a columnist, are you allowed to be neutral on a subject and write about it, or do you have to choose a side before pen touches paper? What is the hardest topic to cover being a columnist?

Book Recommendation: The Giver

     If you remember back to when I did my review on The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, you probably remembered how I did not recommend the book instead of wanting everybody to read it. I would like to do the same on not recommending the book The Giver by Lois Lowry as it the hardest plot to follow compared to any other book I have ever read.
     I did not like this book because the society in the book was utopian and hard to follow and there was absolutely no resolution in the book. In fact, the book ended with him riding his bike and then the book just ended. This frustrated me because I wanted to know what would happen to the main character, Jonas. The whole plot was hard to follow as their was not much explanation and description throughout the entire book.
     No offense, but do yourself a favor and do not read this book because there was no theme, a confusing plot, and there was no point in reading because there was not a resolution. When I read a book, I like to have a nice resolution so I can reflect upon reading. In this book however, no resolution was present so the book left me confused and puzzled on what I had just read. In conclusion, I would rate this book a 2/10 so I hope you take my review into consideration.

Book Recommendation: Catching Fire

     In this book recommendation post, I would like to recommend the award-winning Catching Fire. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is a marvelous novel that follows its predecessor, The Hunger Games. Collins intrigues her readers with another suspense filled story with action at the turn of each page. 
     In Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen is once again the main character however she has experienced change since her time in her 1st Hunger Games. The 75th Hunger Games are going to be beginning soon and it is the 3rd Quarter Quell. Every 25 Hunger Games, there is a special Hunger Games called a Quarter Quell where there is a twist added to the Hunger Games. For the 3rd Quarter Quell, it was determined that past winners of the Hunger Games were to compete in the 3rd Quarter Quell. Since Katniss is the only female tribute in District 12, she is forced into the Hunger Games for her 2nd consecutive year. Katniss, or the girl on fire, thinks she is being set up by the despicable President Snow so that she will be eliminated from society and stop the rebellion she sparked after her actions in her first Hunger Games. Will the odds be in Katniss' favor this time. You will have to read and see.

                                                             Catching Fire Movie Trailer

     I would rate this book 10/10 and it was my favorite book in the Hunger Games series because it is a good sequel to the first book and it has even more action and suspense than any other book I have ever read. The book kept me on the edge of my seat for every page I flipped. If you enjoy Action/Adventure books, I would recommend this book to you but you might have trouble putting the book down due to its suspense. Overall I would say it is one of the best reads of all time.

Characters: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling  would be best described as a dynamic character considering the difference the reader sees in his personality over the course of the book.

• He and his closest friends Hermione and Ron are faced with the conflict of finding the missing Sorcerer's Stone which Harry has been framed of stealing. At first they are doubtful they can fix anything or help Harry, but when they realize just how strong they can be as wizards, they start to gain the courage to try and find the Sorcerer's stone. 
• At first Harry was a shy misfit who hated his life, but now since then, he has come a long way and we can see he has made friends and gained more of an outgoing personality in order to face the conflict presented upon him. 
• Harry is unlike any other character I have ever come across because of his change in human nature over the course of the book as it is completely unlike any other character. 
• I've always wondered why Harry always would get in trouble at school, because at the beginning of the book it seemed as if he was really nice and was not mischievous enough to get into any trouble, but this inference proved wrong as I read the book because his original personality changed as soon as he realized his capability being a wizard.
• Book Summary for clarity on plot of the story.

Book Recommendation: The Red Pyramid

Carter and Sadie on one
of their many adventures

               In my personal opinion, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan puts all other Mythology books to shame. However, I enjoyed The Lightning Thief more as I thought The Lightning Thief was more brief but also portrayed a great story. This story, however, comes a close second as it has a clear statement of theme we can all apply to our own lives and there is a mountain plot that seemingly never ends and there are several ups and downs that keep the reader glued to the story.
               In the book, we meet Carter who travels across the world with his dad. His sister, Sadie, lives in England and they only get to see one another for one day in an entire year. When Carter and his dad visit England to see Sadie, Dad has to leave after something crucial happens. Carter and Sadie stay in England with their grandparents when there Uncle Amos shows up to take the two with him to New York. In New York, Carter and Sadie learn that they have secret powers from Egyptian gods through the necklaces their dad gave them.. Anxious to find their dad, Carter and Sadie sneak off without Amos' consent to try and rescue their dad. Will they succeed? Read this book to find out whether or not they succeed and learn about the many adventures they have to face.

Book Recommendation: Kingdom Keepers

               Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson is a tremendous novel about 5 specially selected teenagers who get to watch over the Disney amusement parks at night. They were chosen to be holographic characters, or DHI's who watch over the park to make sure the villains do not take over the attitude of the park. Among the chosen is Finn, an ordinary teen who has lived in Orlando all of his life and he is willing to help protect the park with 5 close friends. He meets Wayne, an imagineer who is in charge of keeping the secrets of Walt Disney secret. When Wayne disappears, the DHI crew know they are in trouble because they do not want the secrets of Walt Disney to be released by the villains. As they venture to save the park, they find the main villain behind the madness, Maleficent. Maleficent's main goal is to leak the secrets of Walt Disney and become the face of Disney, knocking the iconic Mickey Mouse off of his throne. This book might sound like it is for a younger age group, but I think it is for all young adults and is great to read. If you like stories about adventure, you will probably enjoy this book because the crew of DHI's have to venture through the park to defeat Maleficent and restore happiness to the amusement park.