Annotations

Lulin Peng 823 May Annotation Suplee, Suzanne. Artichoke’s Heart. 345 Hudson St. New York: Dutton Books, 2008. Pages-276 Genre-Realistic Fiction Artichoke’s Heart is a story about a teenage girl named Rosemary Goode. The story takes place in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Rosemary is a girl with a problem of being over weight. Her self esteem is constantly crushed by her Aunt Mary and her mother, who pushes her everyday to try to lose weight. One day, being sick and tired of who she was, Rosemary set herself a goal to lose weight. When Kyle, Kay Kay and the news of her mother’s health arrives, Rosemary’s life changes completely. I thought this was a excellent book. The author presents Rosemary as a strong, intelligent young girl who goes through love, friendship, and her mother’s unfortunate cancer. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about finding love and rebuilding bonds. -

Lulin Peng 823 May Annotation Keyes, Daniel. Flowers for Algernon. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Books, 1959 Pages-311 Genre-Fiction The book, Flowers for Algernon, is a book about a 32 year old man named Charlie Gordan. Charlie has a disability, he was born mentally challenged. He has a powerful determination to learn, and fit in with others. Doctors had a found a way to enhance one’s intelligence through a medical procedure, though it had only been tested on mice. Charlie was the first human to be tested on. After he undergoes surgery, Charlie’s IQ grows quickly over the next few months. He becomes a very smart man, who discovers about love, betrayal, real friends, and the masks that people put on. Charlie then finds out that Algernon, the mouse that went through the small procedure he did, loses his intelligence rapidly. Will the same happen to him? I found this book to be absolutely amazing. I loved how the author showed the changes in the character through his diary/progress report entries. It showed major development over time. This book would be great for people who wants to read about the mental change in a person.

Lulin Peng 823 May Annotation Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. 557 Broadway, New York: Scholastic Inc. 1997. Pages-309 Genre-Fiction The story, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, is about a boy named Harry Potter. The story mainly takes place at the school named Hogwarts. Harry, at the age of eleven, discovers that he is a wizard. With his friend, Hagrid, he goes to Hogwarts for the first time. Harry learns that his parents were murdered by a dark wizard that many people fear, named Voldemort. He also finds that he is famous in the magic world because he survived Voldemort’s attempt to kill him. During his time in Hogwarts, Harry finds his first friends, new enemies, and the second encounter with Voldemort. This book was excellent. I loved how the author pulled out so many crazy ideas and put them all together to fit each other like a puzzle. I loved the action in this book, as well as the bravery shown in Harry. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about magic.

Lulin Peng 823 March Annotation Park, Linda Sue. __When My Name Was Keoko__. New York: 2002. Linda Sue Park. Pages-192 Genre: Historical Fiction __When My Name Was Keoko__ is a story of a girl named Sun-Hee and a boy named Tae-Yul. The story takes place in Korea during World War 2. Sun-Hee and Tae-Yul tell their story in their point of view about the Japanese’s control over Korea at the time. The war separates Sun-Hee and Tae-Yul from each other, and both make sacrifices. Will they ever see each other again? I thought this book was very interesting. The author, Linda Park had shown how Koreans felt being controlled by Japan by not one, but two different prospective. The author’s description of the book is very realistic, and the storyline matched very well with the historical context. This book would be great for readers who want to read about Korea during World War Two.

Lulin Peng 823 March Annotation Bloor, Edward. __Crusader__. U.S.A: 2007. Harcourt Inc. Pages-484 Genre-Fiction __Crusader__ is a story about a girl named Roberta. The story takes place at West End Mall. Roberta works at a virtual reality arcade which features games that allow people to fight things virtually. As time goes on at West End Mall and Roberta starts exploring, she finds clues and evidence of her mother’s murder and her murderer. From that point on, Roberta’s life changed. This book was marvelous. I loved the way how the author, Edward Bloor, developed his character as she coped with her mother’s death and the more she learned about it, the more she grew. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read mystery.

Lulin Peng 823 March Annotation Friedman, Aimee. __The Year My Sister Got Lucky__. USA: 2008. Scholastic. Pages-370 Genre: Realistic Fiction __The Year My Sister Got Lucky__ is a story about a girl named Katie. The story takes place in a small town located upstate New York called Fir Lake. Katie and her older sister Michaela once lived in New York City. Both had danced ballet for many years and the siblings were very close. One day, Katie finds out that she was moving from the city. Katie dreaded the fact that she had to leave her home; she figured life was going to be torture. When Katie and Michaela arrived to high school, Katie had ignored everyone around, depending on only Michaela for company. Michaela on the other hand, made friends immediately and starts spending less time with her little sister. What does Katie do? This book was amazing. The author, Aimee Friedman, described the actions and personality of Katie very well so that readers are able to understand the character. The author also demonstrated independence and friendship in the story. This book would be great for readers who are interested in reading about change, growth, respect, and appreciation.

Lulin Peng 823 April Annotation Mackler, Carolyn. __The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things__. U.S.A: CandleWick Press, 2003. Pages-244 Genre-Realistic Fiction __The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things__ is a story about a girl named Virginia Shreves. The story takes place in Manhattan. Virginia lives in a family of perfection. Her brother and sister are thin, smart, and popular, unlike her. Her parents always comments about her weight and judges on how she looks like on the outside. They cared about her image, but not who she really was. Virginia stuck out like a sore thumb. Only Virginia feels miserable in the family; until one day, a phone call is received from her brother’s school and changes everything. This is an amazing book. Virginia struggled to please everyone at the start by changing who she was. She later on dumped everything because she wanted to feel comfortable with herself, and I loved that. This book would be great for readers who enjoy reading about confidence.

Lulin Peng 823 April Annotation Collier, Kristi. __Jericho Walls__. U.SA.: Henry Holt and Company, 2002 Pages-209 Genre-Historical Fiction __Jericho Walls__ is a book about a girl named Jo Clawson. The story takes place in a town named Jericho. Jo is the preacher’s daughter, so everybody expected her to be respectful and obedient. When Jo one day decides to explore her town, she wanders off to an area separated into two by a large fence. Crossing the fence, she ends up near a river and meets a black boy named Lucas, who happened to be her maid’s son. Lucas and Jo were hostile the minute they laid eyes on each other; but after talking to each other more and more, they end up being friends. Jo discovers how racist her town really is, and just like her mother, she wanted it to end. How far will their friendship go? I loved how Jo was rebellious; she broke rules to bring a better change in her town. Jo is a very courageous, bold, and benevolent character. She sacrificed her good image to help her Lucas fight for what he wanted, equality; though she knew there were gong to be consequences. This book would be great for readers who want to read about change.

Lulin Peng 823 April Annotation Draper, Sharon. __Copper Sun__. U.S.A: Simon Pulse, 2006. Pages-302 Genre-Historical Fiction __Copper Sun__ is a book about a girl named Amari. The story takes place in Carolina and Fort Mose. Amari once lived a happy life; she had a wonderful family and was engaged to the one she loved. Then one day, a group of white men and members of the Ashanti tribe invade her village. In a matter of minutes, her family, and everyone she had loved were killed right in front of her eyes. She was shackled and forced to walk many miles under the blazing sun. Amari was brought to America and sold to a white person. She was brought to a plantation, where she lived with an indentured white servant named Polly, the cook named Teenie, and her son named Tidbit. One night, Amari witnesses a horrible murder caused by her master. She decides to run away with Polly and Tidbit down south to a Spanish colony named Fort Mose. Her journey with her two friends is filled with danger, tears, and teamwork. Will they make it? This was a wonderful book to read. I loved Amari’s strength to keep moving on, pushing her losses away and coping with every problem that was set in front of her. This book would be suit readers who want to read about freedom.

Lulin Peng 823 April Annotation Jonsberg, Barry. Dreamrider. U.S.A:2006, Random House. Pages-239 Genre-Fiction The story, Dreamrider, is about a boy named Michael Terny. He attends at his seventh high school over four years. Michael is the fat boy who every one bullies and looks down at. Michael however, has ways of fighting back. He has a special talent that the people around him don’t have. Michael can dream vividly, he is able to control and travel through his dreams; then turns them into reality. With this ability, Michael is able to torture his bullies and obtain revenge. But what happens when things get out of hand? I thought this was a fascinating book. I loved how the author described the thoughts and decisions that Michael had made throughout the story. I was able to put myself in the characters shoes and understand how he was feeling. This book would be great for readers who want to read about dreaming.

Lulin Peng 823 February Annotation McAulay, Alex. __Oblivion Roa__d. 1230 Avenue of the Americas: Simon and Schuster Inc. 2007 Pages–293 Genre: Realistic Fiction The book, __Oblivion Road__, is a book about a teenage girl named Courtney. The story takes place in a deserted ski mountain. One night during a heavy snowstorm, Courtney and her friends, Reyna, Jeremy, Harris, and Melanie ride through the snow covered paths back home. Things though, did not turn out as what was expected to be. Jeremy, who was driving the car, had taken the wrong turn, sending their SUV tumbling down a pit. After the accident, Courtney had found out that all her friends were still alive, though Melanie had hurt herself. With a wrecked SUV, Courtney and Reyna set out to find help, or at least a town that would possibly nearby. Returning with nothing, the five friends hide in the broken SUV. Not long after, Courtney spots a prisoner in handcuffs that had seen her; he pleaded for help. Should they have trusted him? I thought that this book was amazingly written. I’ve never read this book, so this sends a burst of excitement, anticipation, action, suspense. The author, Alex McAulay had done a wonderful job in describing the surroundings around the adventure. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about teamwork, or trust.

Lulin Peng 823 February Annotation Deuker, Carl. __Runner__. Boston, Massachusetts: Graphia, 2005. Pages-216 Genre-Realistic Fiction The story, __Runner__ is about a boy named Chance Taylor. The story takes place in a bay in Seattle. Chance Taylor wasn’t any regular boy. He lives with his father in an extremely cramped boat called the //Tiny Dancer.// His father never had a stable job; he mostly went on drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, and reading a newspaper. Aside from school, Chance had also taken up a job during weekends to support the monthly bills and food. They barely had money for themselves, and Chance was sick of having the same opportunities for education and money as his classmates. One day, a policeman that watched over the bay had offered him a job. Chance was to run a route everyday with a backpack on, and pick up a package in between two large rocks on his route. He was told to turn the package in, and was given a generous amount of money, $200 every time he ran. Chance accepted, but what are the consequences? The book was very well written. It was fascinating to read the journey and choices that Chance had to go through in his job. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about terrorism.

Lulin Peng 823 February Annotation DeKeyser, Stacy. __Jump the Cracks.__ U.S.A: Flux, 2007. Pages-207 Genre-Realistic Fiction The story, __Jump the Cracks__ is about a girl named Victoria. The story takes place in New York, and the trains that Victoria rides. On her way to meet her dad in New York, she finds a teenage mother hurting and mistreating her child. When she finally gets off, she fails to find her dad in the terminal. Victoria finds the teenage mother, but no baby. Frantically, Victoria runs back into the train, finding out that the little boy was abandoned in the train bathroom. Becoming tired of her father and the mother’s lack of responsibility; Victoria boards on the next train. What happens? The story was well done. The author, Stacy DeKeyser did a good job of describing the character, her thoughts of action, and the bond that was created between Victoria and the little toddler. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about responsibility.

Lulin Peng 823 January Annotation Matheson, Richard. I Am Legend. 175 Fifth Ave. New York, NY. Tom Doherty Associates Inc. 1995 Pages-170 Genre-Fiction I Am Legend is about a man named Robert Neville. This story takes place in Robert’s home and in the deserted streets of Manhattan. Robert Neville is the last human on Earth, everyone else had become a vampire. He spends his days repairing his home from the nightly visits of the vampires, stringing pieces of garlic to protect himself, and going out in daylight to kill vampires. During the past few months that he had been living that way, Robert was often lonely. This is until he meets someone or something that turned his lonely life around. The only thing he didn’t know is that his companion would lead to something dangerous. The question of this story is, will Robert Neville survive? The book I Am Legend is unlike any book I have ever read. The reading style is very unique and the first few sentences would immediately capture any reader’s attention. The storyline is powerful; it teaches about love, friendship, trust, betrayal and loss. I would recommend this book to anyone who either has an interest in Vampires or independence.

Lulin Peng 823 January Annotation Liang, Ji-Li. Red-Scarf Girl. Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. Pages – 272 Genre:Non-Fiction Red-Scarf Girl is a memoir of a girl named Ji-Li Liang. This story takes place in Ji-Li’s home town in China. Around the age of twelve, Ji-Li’s life started to change as the Cultural Revolution started. The Cultural Revolution was established by China’s president, or Chairman Mao, which was used to eliminate anything traditional ways or customs in way of new habits so China was able to catch along with the world. During this time, many citizens were punished if they possessed any items that were recognized as something that was not part of the new ways. Many were laughed at, humiliated, and discriminated. At the time, Ji-Li’s education and future was on jeopardy as she was looked down at from her family’s status. Throughout the book, Ji-Li learns how to endure harsh criticism and is forced to choose between her loving family and the respect of China. I thought that this book was very interesting. Not only was it emotional to read, it was an educational tool in teaching about the Cultural Revolution through the eyes of someone who had actually experienced it. This book teaches the important value of family and the determination to serve one’s country. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading and learning about China’s developments.

Lulin Peng 823 January Annotation Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. USA, Puffins Books, 1999. Pages – 198 Genre-Realistic Fiction Speak is a book about a girl named Melinda. The story takes place in the new high school that Melinda attends. During the summer, right before Melinda had started to attend freshman year of high school, Melinda and her best friend Rachel were invited to a party. During her time there, Melinda was raped by a boy that was a few years older than her, his name being Andy Evans. Out of panic, Melinda calls 911, ending up bringing the police over and ruining the entire party. When Melinda came back to school, almost everyone hated and ignored her. Melinda was dumped by her former friends, Rachel being one of them. Throughout the year, Melinda had become independent, all by herself. The ending of the party wasn’t her fault, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak then truth of what happened. How long will it take before the truth spills out? How long will Melinda be ignored? I thought that this book was fascinating. It showed how Melinda was able to be strong and independent on the outside, yet she would be fragile and needy on the inside. The description of the feelings of what Melinda had can really let the reader understand how she is feeling. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to open up.

Lulin Peng 823 January Annotation Draper, Sharon M. Tears of a Tiger. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY. Simon Pulse:1994. Pages-180 Genre-Realistic Fiction Tears of a Tiger is a story about a teenage boy named Andy Jackson. The story takes place in Hazelwood High School. During one night, after a great victory for the basketball tigers, the four friends Andy, Robert, Tyrone and B.J. decided to celebrate with beer. After drinking down many cans, the four friends drive home. Since Andy was drunk and driving, he unknowingly smashed the car into a wall. The three, Andy, B.J. and Tyrone made it out of the car alive, but Robert was stuck in then car, burning to his death. After the accident, Andy couldn’t blame anyone but himself, after all, he was driving. How long will the pain of the lost of his best friend last? Tears of a Tiger was a fascinating book. The author, Sharon M. Draper described pain in many ways reflected on Andy. Sharon showed the importance of friendship through this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about friendship and losses.

Lulin Peng 823 December Reading Annotated Bilbliography Buffie, Margaret. __Out of Focus.__ Genre-Realistic Fiction The book, __Out of Focus__ is about a girl named Bernice. The story takes place in a lodge that belonged to Bernice’s aunt, Charlotte. For a couple of years, Bernice had a strained relationship with her mother, Celia. Since Celia was always drunk during those years, Bernice took responsibility of her little brother and sister, Ally and Jojo. Whenever Celia apologized for something she had done wrong, she refused to have any sympathy on her since the mistakes were repetitive. Aside from having a drunken mother, her broken family also did not have any money whatsoever. Bernice forced her mother in agreeing to move into an old and unoccupied lodge which had belonged to her dead great aunt, Charlotte. Bernice had hoped to clean up the lodge and transform it to a store in order to create a better future for the family. During the time they moved in, Celia and Bernice often had many arguments and disagreements. Throughout the story, Bernice learns to recreate the bond between her and her Celia as well as collaborate better with others. In this story, Bernice learns to become a better person and look at everything around her in a different perspective. The book is very well-written. The author, Margaret Buffie was very skilled in expressing the thoughts of a struggling teenager. Margaret was able to teach a lesson that was important to readers who felt insecure about their life. This book would mostly interest people who want to discover themselves.

Brooks, Kevin. __The Road of the Dead__. USA: Scholastic, 2006. Pages-352 Genre: Mystery Fiction __The Road of the Dead__ is a story about two brothers, fourteen year old Ruben and seventeen year old Cole. This story takes place in a small town called Lychcombe. The story all starts when Ruben senses that someone was murdering his sister, Rachel who was hundreds of miles away from where he was. A few days later after Ruben had the sense, Rachel was found dead alone on a empty road. Not wanting the detectives and forensics to investigate the case, the two brothers set out to Lychcombe, where their sister was murdered. There, Ruben and Cole, search to find the one answer to their question. Who was the person who murdered their sister? They were confident, but what they didn’t know was that their mission was dangerous and life threatening. I enjoyed the book very much, it was well-written. Kevin Brooks gave a strong definition of family. He described the powerful connection between the two brothers, how their bond had grown stronger when they worked and fought together to survive, support one another and find what they were looking for. This book would be good for anyone who has trouble bonding and getting along with their sibling. This book would definitely change the minds of people who have negative thoughts of their relative.

Lowry, Lois. __The Giver__. New York, NY: Lois Lowry, 1993. Pages-179 Genre: fiction __The Giver__ is a story about a special boy named Jonas. This story takes place in a community that lives far into the future. The community he lives in is a very tidy and organized place. Children had to learn how to speak in a formal way, tell everyone of how they are feeling, perform ceremonies every year, and take a job chosen for them at the age of twelve. Jonas was given an important and rare job at the age of twelve, a receiver. The odd thing about they way everyone lived was the fact that everything was planned so carefully that no one had ever felt more pain beyond the scraping of knees after falling off a bike. Jonas task was to receive memories dated far back in the past (which was about one hundred years ago at this time), but none were too pleasant. The purpose of the receiver was to take in as much painful memories as the person can so that the community would be able to lead their lives without suffering. Jonas learns how it felt to be happy but also experience virtual pain from memories that were passed onto him from the giver, who had also been a receiver. This book has a strong message of how life is bittersweet. I believe this book can teach about how pain could not be avoided, and the only way to fully understand the meaning of living a life is to have negative experiences as well as positive ones. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to explore the deeper meaning of the reason of who and what they are.

__---__ McCormick, Patricia. __Sold.__ New York, NY: Patricia McCormick, 2006. Pages-263 Genre-Realistic Fiction __Sold__ is a book about a thirteen year old girl named Lakshmi. The story takes place in a mountain of Nepal and a city in India. Living in a small hut with her small family, Lakhimi was very poor, but she was happy. During one rainy season, rain had washed away the crops that were needed to support her family. With very little money, Lakshmi’s stepfather sold her to a woman that would take her to the city. There, Lakshmi, she would work as a maid and send money back to her family. When Lakshmi arrived, she realized that she was not going to work as a maid; instead, she worked as a prostitute. Unable to runaway in fear of being captured and beaten, Lakshmi suffered through days of pain. Trying hard to cope with the mistreatments and torture, she hoped someday that she were able to become free again. This is a very interesting book. The author, Patricia McCormick, expresses love, loneliness, pain and friendship through the eyes of a suffering girl. This book is a marvelous piece of work; I would recommend this book to anyone enjoys reading books about struggle.

Bennett, Cherie. __Life in the Fat Lane__. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1998. Pages: 260 Genre: Realistic Fiction __Life in the Fat Lane__ is a story about a teenage girl named Lara. The setting of this story takes place at Nashville, Tennessee. Lara was a girl that many people defined as “perfect”; she was the most popular at school, she won many beauty pageants, and became homecoming queen in her junior year of high school. Her life was what many people dreamed of having. Lara had thought that her life was full of content and pride, until disaster stroke. Lara had developed a rare disease, known as the Axell-Crowne disease. She started gaining weight rapidly and there was no cure known. Lara soon lost connection with most of her friends and boyfriend since she was becoming fat. After a few months, she had gained ninety pounds. Lara’s family then decided to move to Michigan. There, Lara had to learn to cope with a new life, look, and new people. During her new experience, she learns about love, hate, friendship and life in a whole other prospective. This book is very good. Although I was not able to relate to her situation, I was able to feel her experience. The author, Cherie Bennett, teaches lessons that are important to developing teenagers like me. This story shows how popularity and image does not need to be achieved or improved in order to feel happy; this is a problem that many people deal with everyday. This book shows how to appreciate imperfections and love one’s self. This book would be suitable to people who are becoming someone they are not and attempting to achieve something that does not need to be achieved.

Lowry, Lois. __Messenger__. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Pages-169 Genre: Fiction __Messenger__ is a story about a teenage boy named Matty. This story takes place mainly in the village Matty lives in and the forest adjacent to it. Everyone who lived in Matty’s village used to be kind and caring to outsiders who came in. But something happens and the people had changes of hearts. They decided to build a wall to block out people instead welcoming them in. Matty was sent to cross the vicious forest using his magic power as his primary weapon with hopes of bringing back an old friend before it was too late. This book was one of the best books I have ever read. Although magic was thrown in the story, the author, Lois Lowry shows what a strong, determined and loyal teenager would do and sacrifice for the ones he loved. I would recommend this book to anyone, that is how good this book is. __---__ __Miriam’s Song__ is a memoir about a young girl named Miriam. This memoir took place in a black ghetto called Alexandra, where Miriam’s childhood took place. Miriam lived with her parents and eight siblings in a crowded shack. Miriam’s father was the provider of the family, but also an uncontrollable gambler. Her mother took care of the home and was the keeper of money savings; although she never did a good job on it because her husband often abused her if he were denied permission to gamble the money away. Miriam attended a school which abused children for wrongdoing such as bad hygiene or the inability to recite a poem. Miriam’s early life was always provided with continuous struggle in dealing with daily beatings from school, poverty, the society, and family problems. Although there were many problems in her life, Miriam never stopped praying and believing that good would come out of the conflicts she faced. This book was the very first memoir that I have read and it was wonderful. Although the memoir was written by Miriam’s brother, all the details of the moments were beautiful and emotional. The memoir gave true facts, retelling real and painful moments of suffering through the experience of a girl. This book was able to give the truth of human mistreatment years back in Africa. This book would definitely be recommended to anyone who is interested in exploring the conflicts of Africa in the past.

Lowry, Lois. __Number the Stars.__ New York, NY: Lois Lowry, 1989. Pages-132 Genre-Realistic Fiction __Number the Stars__ is a story about a young girl names Annemarie. This story takes place in Denmark in the year of 1943.At the time in the book; Denmark was patrolled by Nazi soldiers, Germans whom Jewish people feared. Annemarie’s parents had found out on one night that the German soldiers had planned to relocate all the Jewish people in Denmark Knowing that Ellen Rosen (Annemarie’s best friend) and her parents were going to be taken first, Annemarie’s parents decided to hide Ellen in their home while her parents hid somewhere else with Annemarie’s brother in law. From then on, Annemarie’s parents needed to bring Ellen’s family to a safer place in Sweden before it was too late and the German soldiers came. This is a pretty good book, especially because the book gives a little history lesson of the relationship between Germans and Jewish people decades back. Having the point of view through a Jewish girl’s eyes, there were many experiences of fear and courage. This book would probably be most suited for people who want to dig deeper and understand more of the past.

Knowles, Jo. __Lessons from a Dead Girl__. USA: Candlewick Press, 2007. Pages-215 Genre: Realistic Fiction __Lessons from a Dead Girl__ is a story about a teenage girl named Laine. The story takes place mostly at Laine’s house and school. She was once a lonely person going through school day by day without anybody noticing her. That was until a popular girl named Leah started becoming friends with Laine. Even though Laine had finally received a friend, she had many problems. Since Laine did not have much experience with having friends, she had made many mistakes, causing tension between her and Leah. When she finds out that Leah dies, she starts learning from the wrong things she did and finds the meaning of what a good friend is.

I think this book was pretty good. What I like most about this about is that the author, Jo Knowles, teaches lessons and tips on how valuable friendship is and how to become a better person and friend. She expressed her thoughts and opinions through Laine’s point of view. I’d say that this book would be interesting to those who have trouble finding what the right thing to do for a friend is.

Lulin Peng 823 November Reading Annotated Bibliography Mathabane, Mark. __Kaffir Boy__. New York, NY: Mark Mathabane, 1986. Pages-368 Genre: Non-Fiction __Kaffir Boy__ is a true book about a young boy named Johannes who grew up in the city of Alexandra in Africa. He lived in a small shack that is located among many thousands of the same shack crammed in a small area of land. At a very young age going to his teenage years, he faced many hardships. Almost all the time, Johannes and his family suffered from poverty and night raids from the white police. Johannes himself had to deal with the many beatings as punishments from his school, lack of clothes and money (which meant no textbooks), and negative influence from a gang he had joined. Going through his days, he spends his time on making his mom proud and taking care of his brother and sisters. Although he had many problems to deal with, he always had an interest in tennis. Tennis was considered as a white man’s sport, but he did not let that stop him from playing it. As he improved his tennis skills and was very smart in school, he soon decided he wanted to go to the United States to create his future. With little support from many people including some of his family members, he struggles throughout the book to fulfill what he wanted. I think that this book was well written. The author, Mark Mathabane described the painful and positive moments that occurred earlier in life very descriptively. There are many lessons that can be learned fro reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who thinks their life is horrible when there are people around the world who suffer more.

Lulin Peng 823 November Reading Annotated Bibliography Farmer, Nancy. __The House of Scorpion__. New York, NY: Nancy Farmer, 2002. Pages-380 Genre: Science Fiction __The House of Scorpion__ is about a boy named Matt. The story takes place in Opium, which located between Mexico and the United States. Matt is not any ordinary boy; in fact, he is a clone. Matt was made by El Patron, who was older than hundred years when he was created. Matt’s caretaker was Celia, his bodyguard was Tam Lin, and his only friend was Maria. Since he was a clone, almost everyone mistreated him because he was not truly human. Without El Patron’s order for everyone take care of Matt and treat him equally, Matt would’ve been dead a long time ago. Matt always thought that he was special because El Patron had told him that he was the only clone in the world that didn’t have a programmed brain and didn’t work as a slave. He had thought that El Patron was a kind person who only wanted to create him to have him experience the positive things in life, but he later on he was deceived. Throughout the story, Matt fights and struggles to be equal among the people he was with. During this process, he risks his life several of times to save himself and others. I thought that this book was interesting and fresh. I had never read a book about a clone struggling for equality and who was able to overcome many obstacles. This book is definitely something worth reading. This book would interest readers who want to read about a different kind of discrimination. -- Lulin Peng 823 December Reading Annotated Bibliography Clark, Catherine. The Alison Rules. Genre- Realistic Fiction The book __The Alison Rules__ is about a girl named Alison. The story takes place in a town called Birch Falls. At the beginning, Alison’s life was not very exciting. She was always with her best friend, Laurie and both spent their days going to each other’s homes and hung out near the river. When Patrick transferred to their school from Maine, Laurie and Alison immediately became his friend. Wirth Patrick in their lives, everything brightened and the two best friends learned to take risks. At first, everything was peaceful in the friendship and there were no arguments, but it didn’t stay like that for long. Alison found out that Laurie had a crush on a Patrick. Shortly afterwards, Patrick confessed that he liked Alison, but she told him to like Laurie since she liked him. After that time, their friendship was no longer the same. Things began to grow awkward and the three weren’t as close anymore. Throughout the story, Alison learns about honesty, trust, bonding, and letting things go. I thought this book had a powerful meaning to it. The author, Catherine Clark describes how honesty was indeed the best policy. She showed how people should be honest, even if the truth hurts. I would recommend this book to readers who protect others from the truth.

Lulin Peng 823 December Annotation

Nolan, Han. __Born Blue__. New York, NY: Harcourt Paperbacks, 2003. Pages-300

Genre-Realistic Fiction

__Born Blue__ is a book about a girl named Leshaya. This book takes place in the many foster homes that she was taken to. Growing up in a foster home, she had a very close friend named Harmon. One day, Harmon brought out a couple of tapes that had belonged to his father. Leshaya listened to the tapes and discovered a beautiful voice singing from the recorded tape; the singer was Etta James. After hearing her voice, Leshaya was inspired by the woman; she immediately decided that she wanted to become a singer. Leshaya had a beautiful and strong voice, she was determined. Not long afterwards, she was separated from Harmon and was brought to a family that had adopted her. Leshaya did have a mother and she knew who she was, though her mother had no attention of taking care of her, but visited her a certain times. During these times, she finds many flaws in each foster home she goes to; then runs away to another place. Since Leshaya always moved from one place to another, she never actually felt anyone treat her with love. At a young age starting from 12 years old, she learned to deal with problems by herself and not have anyone take care of her. Throughout the book, she follows her dream of becoming a singer, but most importantly, she finds who she really is, inside.

This book was wonderfully written. The author, Han Nolan, describes pain, frustration, and tears thorugh the eyes of a young girl. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels alone.

Lulin Peng 823 December Annotation

Mah, Adeline Yen. __Chinese Cinderella__. New York, NY: Dell Laurel Leaf, 1999.

Pages-199. Genre: Non-Fiction

__Chinese Cinderella__ is a book about the child hood of Adeline. The story takes place in the city of Tianjin and Shanghai. Adeline had a mother, but she had passed away after she had given birth to her. Her father then married a half French and Chinese woman, who became her stepmother. Her stepmother, also known as Niang, was a strict and unfair person. Niang had two children with her father, Franklin and Susan. Niang’s treatment towards her stepchildren and her own children were very different. For one thing, Adeline and her three brothers and sister were never given any gifts or money to buy treats or bus fares to ride to school because Niang had said that they had no money for them. Yet, she showered her own children with fine luxuries such as expensive clothes, food, and toys. The worst thing was that, her own father had supported Niang through this. Despite the fact that Adeline lacked these opportunities of comfort, she was determined and set a goal for herself. Her goal was to study hard and make her father proud, hoping one day that he and Niang would treat her with equality and respect. She did make many accomplishments; year after year starting from the day she started school, she came in first out of her entire grade. Her father and stepmother, though, still did not appreciate her wonderful achievements. Throughout her childhood years, Adeline was forced to separate from her close friends and relatives, live her days in a lonely boarding school where her father had left her there, and deal with the constant ignoring of her parents. Although Adeline had these many problems, her kept on fighting, hoping one day she would’ve finally been recognized.

This book is beautifully written. The author, Adeline Yen Mah, was very specific in describing her hardships and feelings during that time. This book shows a person with strength and determination. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels neglected or mistreated by their parents or family members.