End of Days Book Review By McKenzie

I am writing about the book End Of Days by Eric Walters. It's about the world coming to an end by an asteroid that will hit them in less than a year. The book switches perspectives between the scientists and this little boy named Billy who lives in New York. Billy has created his own little society in an abandoned apartment building that has roughly around 200 people in it. In anticipation of the asteroid's impact, the people of the world have already gone mad because of their knowledge of the world's destruction. Policemen were sent out to find Billy after he had committed a crime, but the police are not interested in what will happen to Billy; they just want the reward that is given to them if they find him.

I really like this story because of the intensity surrounding the plot and Billy's character. Billy has so much on his shoulders, but he still manages to resist what is going on around him. He is strong in general, and he lost his parents at such a young age, which also makes him stronger as a person. He thinks of other people before himself. At this facility he is in, he has no friends and he is a bit lonely and confused. Despite the overwhelming atmosphere, he still seems to push through everything, and he becomes stronger every day.

One of the themes of this novel is perseverance, which is shown when they try nearly everthing to save humanity, but they never give up even if it comes with struggles. I think this is reflected in the scientists because the scientists are also doing everthing in their power to make sure that the rockets they sent up into space stay on track for that period of time. They continue to work on a solution, even though people are trying to kill them or something on the rockets goes wrong. They even face criticism from religious people who feel that God wants all this to happen.

Billy also perserveres by never giving up on trying to get back home. Some challenges Billy faces are escaping the electric fence around the facility, resisting guards, and surviving the troubles of the wilderness if he did make it out. He said in the book that he would do anything to make it back to his family in New York, even if it took his own life. He doubts that he will ever make it out of the facility, but he still sees the point in trying to return home.

I recommend this book for anybody who enjoys action and adventure, a great story with interesting characters, and some heartfelt moments.

Have You Ever Felt Left Out? By Andrew

I am Andrew, and I’m reading a book called The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In this book there is a boy named Charlie, and he writes letters to the reader talking about himself and what has happened in his life. This book demonstrates the meaning of friendship, and it also explains how people are different and that you should accept that. I like this book because Charlie is just a regular kid, although his friend has died and he is trying different ways to fit in with others. His family does not have the best relationship with each other, but they try to get along.

Friendship is when you have a good relationship with someone, and you both like each other and would do anything for each other. To Charlie, friendship means to connect to someone and having the same likes and dislikes. He discovers this meaning when he meets Patrick and Sam at a football game. They become friends with each other after they get to know each other.

This book is a great book because the author leaves people on the edge of their seat to know what happens in the next chapter. It is weird that it only has five chapters, and each chapter is about four to six letters that Charlie writes. I think what would make this book better is if the author would make more chapters and have Charlie talk more about his friends ,because he really only talks about his life and not really about his family member’s lives.

If you’re reading this, I would recommend this book to you because it has great themes, and it is written from different peoples perspectives. The themes are most appropriate for a teen audience, but they should still be acceptable for a mature reader.

Don't Judge Someone By His/Her Cover By Chase

Many people think the word “foster” means bad, non-normal, and stupid right? Well think again because I know from experience these stereotypes are not true. They are kids have had problems in the past with family or step parents and stuff like that, and you can think whatever you want, but here is a little info about my life with my Dad running a foster home.

D.J. and Jacob (not their real names) are people that were fostered when they were younger, but now they each have a job, kids, a spouse, and a family who loves them. They are good people. They have stories, and they have problems, too. But we all have problems; such as, some of us wet the bed, some of us have anger issues, and some of us have problems with our family too. All of this has nothing to do with us now because we grew up and moved on.

With my Dad running a foster home, we are so much happier. The foster kids are not nonsense; they are family. We have tournaments, and we have races. We bake together, make forts, and play outside: sunny or cold. We have fun together. They don’t think of me of the “foster dad’s daughter that does what EVER she wants” and I don’t think of them as “stupid.” We think of each other as friends and family.

When I saw the first foster kid, he was in pants WAY too big, a REALLY small shirt, and bed head hair. I thought I was going to die, but it turned out he was funny, nice, and I just did not understand why someone would not want him!!! I asked and he told me his story, and after he was done telling me I thought I was going to cry. I said that they gave up a REALLY GREAT person, because I know that it would hurt to act like nothing ever happened and to see people on the street whispering behind my back.

I guess what I’m saying is you cannot judge someone by his/her cover because YOU could be missing out on awesome friend and a REALLY GREAT PERSON.

Click here to learn more about foster care in Ontario.

Is J.R.R. Tolkien Sexist? By Glenna

In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien has a major lack of female characters. Whether it was because of the time he wrote it, or because it is just pure sexism, I feel this is wrong.

The Bagginses were said to have been "very respectable people," and they were the type to always follow a strict schedule. On the other hand, there's the Tooks. The Tooks are described as a hobbit clan that often disappeared and went on adventures.

Tolkien says, "Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses, though undoubtedly richer."

Bilbo's father was a Baggins and his mother, Belladonna, was a Took. As you will notice, Belladonna is a woman being portrayed as irresponsible. The Took side of Bilbo is supposedly a "bad" trait to have.

Why is it that Tolkien made Belladonna seem naive and foolish?

Besides Gollum's grandmother, Belladonna is the only female character.

When Bilbo and the dwarfs got captured by the wood elves, they became prisoners of the Elven King. Why couldn't he be a she? I don't see why the rulers are always men. Maybe Tolkien stereotyped women as weak, considering that around when the book was written, men viewed females as delicate and powerless. Yet there were Queens before Tolkien wrote The Hobbit.

I personally read a lot of Manga/Anime which happens to be the exact opposite of The Hobbit. Women often take the lead role, proving to young girls that women are both strong and independent.

As a female, I definitely don't support Tolkien's decision to have few female roles. Manga/Anime has a much better balance of both sexes.

Aren't women and men supposed to be equal?

See if The Hobbit is in the June Rose Callwood Library
  

My Story: The Trenches: Billy's View By Ethan

I am reviewing a book called My Story: The Trenches: Billy Stevens, The Western Front 1914-1918 by Jim Eldridge. In this book, an underage boy named Billy Stevens goes into war and gets injured. He is sent to a General’s office until his wounds heal, and if he says a word of what goes on he will be shot for treason. I believe the author’s main massage is that there is a reason for the age limit to go in the army. Also, some war stories aren’t always fun like this one. This book is unique because a very young man is in the army, which is wrong because that’s too intense for a young person like himself.

I would recommend this book because it is a harsh, but thrilling story. Also it really goes into detail with World War I, and it was all true. It is harsh because Billy and his best friend were split up, and Billy does not know if he’s dead or not so he’s afraid for his friend. It is thrilling because Billy’s friend’s uncle is mining under the Russian and German lines and filling that mine with bombs. If you like this review you would probably like the book. It can be found at your local June Rose Callwood library. So check it out!

Click here to see if this book is available at the June Rose Callwood library.

How Do You Learn To Be Courageous? By Mr. Durston

Only in the Movies

Courage is a virtue. It gives you the ability to stand up for yourself. It gives you the resources to live your life how you want. Some people say that there can be no true happiness without courage. Sorry, but I do not make the rules. If you ever want to learn how to be courageous, William Bell will give you an education in his Red Maple Award winning novel Only in the Movies. The story is about a boy named Jake Blanchard who discovers at the age of twelve that he wants to become a movie scriptwriter, after he watches a film being shot in his local park. The difficulty for Jake is in turning his desire into his reality.

Jake's story can show you what being courageous requires. The novel models a young man learning how to pursue the subjects he wants to in school, even though he may disappoint his parents in the process. Jake must also travel to a new school to learn screenwriting, a school where he experiences even more challenges in his schoolwork. Finally, Jake must learn to crawl across that rocky road called love. Now before you freak out and click away from this blog post, thinking to yourself "I'm not gonna read any book about love!", give me one chance to convince you otherwise. First off, the book is laugh out loud funny. Jake repeatedly tries to win the beautiful Alba's adoration in what can only be called a slapstick comedy of errors. But when Jake falls, he picks himself up again with the help of his best friend Vanni, a girl he meets at school who also happens to have the biggest nose he has ever seen. Jake and Vanni make a wonderful and memorable team in trying to help Jake find the courage he needs to face not only his love, but also his new life. If you are looking for a good laugh, and a little help in the courage department, pick up Only in the Movies by William Bell in the JRC library.

Finding Treasure In An Old Story By Mr. Durston

Treasure Island

With so many great new adventure books on our shelves like the Hunger Games, why would I write a book review of the classic novel Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson? The answer is that the novel is just that good. For those of you who have never heard of Treasure Island, it is the adventure story and coming-of-age tale of a young man named Jim Hawkins. Jim is a teenager who begins the novel working in his parents’ inn. He then obtains a pirates’ map from one of guests, and he departs on an adventure to recover a hidden treasure. The novel follows Jim as the sole young person in the crew of a ship, a ship where not all of its members can be trusted. Jim tells the reader his tale of life-and-death encounters in negotiating the dangerous adult world of treasure hunting out on the open sea.

One of the reasons that I like this novel so much is that despite the fact that it is such an old book, Jim’s challenge in dealing with adults is so current. Just like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games, Jim must also learn and survive in a world that is created and controlled by adults. Unlike Katniss though, Jim does not have any special skills, like Katniss’ hunting abilities, that will keep him alive when things get tough. Instead, Jim must learn on his own about who he can trust, about what is right and wrong, and about what it takes to hunt for treasure with some of the most dangerous people on earth.