Week 13 Reading

          "The Pact" by George Jenkins, Samson Davis, and Rameck Hunt.
          This is a very inspiring book. The only reason why it isn't on my top ten list is unfortunately, because it is nonfiction, and there isn't a significant plot. Other than that, the story told by the three young men is interesting and amazing. While they are children and teenagers, they have to face the choice of following their peers into drug-hustling and killing, or try to complete high school and make something significant out of their lives. They all meet in the freshman year, and after becoming friends, decide to make the famous 'Pact' and try to find their way through high school, into college, and maybe even medical school.
           Everyone should read this book, and even if most of the kids in the class aren't faced with the same challenges, it shows that no matter what goal you set for yourself, it is possible to get there. 
     

Free Verse Poem

                   Crack of Thunder and Martin Luther King Jr.

The young man leaned against the rail with both hands, a cigarette between his pointer and middle finger. I wonder how long he was planing to stay at the dinky two-story hotel. His eyes squinted and lips pursed as he pondered the future of his people. I wonder if he was preparing his next speech. An advocate and a leader. I wonder if he thought so. He lifts the cigarette to his mouth, and breaths the tobacco and smoke into his lungs, blows out, and watches the smoke curl around itself in the air. I wonder when he started smoking. He strokes his black mustache with his hand, his eyes still squinted. I wonder if he knows. A crack of thunder rings out on a sunny day. He surly knows now. Hundreds of lives drastically changed by a simple crack of thunder. Despite anything, he will always have a dream. 

Well, I could say, that I have a dream, that one day you will wonder too.    

Week 12 Reading

        "The Pact" by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt.
        So far, "The Pact" is a very interesting book. Even without reading the end yet, it is an amazing story of friendship and perseverance, told from the three perspectives of Sam, George, and Rameck. It is the story of these young boys who have to grow up in a hostile environment, with gunshots being as frequent as insects, and drug hustlers on every corner. Not only was it a surprise that they survived unscathed, completed high school, and later decided to go to college, Sam, George, and Rameck wanted to become doctors. Unfortunately, the writing style does bug me a little bit. If you don't care about books that don't have a distinguished plot, than this book is amazing, but since this is a non-fiction story, there isn't much of a set-out plot.
         Everyone in the class can definitely read this, but if books dealing with drugs, muggings, and murder makes you uncomfortable, I wouldn't recommend reading this book. I still think you all should read this book, because it is an influential book and a great display of human spirit and a little luck along the way.
   

Week 11 Reading

          "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne.
          First of all, I have wanted to read this book for so many years, I heard about it when I was in John's Class, and I only now got around to reading it. Nine-year-old Bruno is a German Boy who lived in Berlin, but one day came home from school and saw all of his things were getting packed up by the house maid, even the things that weren't anyone else's business. His father was high-ranked in the German Government during WWII, and has to be moved to a horrible three-story house on the countryside. At the New house, Bruno could not stop looking through his window, at a large fence with many people in striped pajamas working, living, and crying.
          This is a very good book, and the writing style is interesting and perfect for the story. It is quite a quick read, shorter than most of the books we are reading this year, but is stilla memorable novel that everyone should read.
          Next week I am read "The Pact." 

Week 10 Reading

                 "Golden Boy" by Tara Sullivan
      This week I read the second half of Golden Boy, and it is a very fun, scary, and well-written book. Habo is an albino Boy living with his family in Tanzania, and no one knows why he is white. some think he is a demon, others think he is the child of one of the tourist that come on Safaris. His family is forced to leave their village and travel to Mwanza where his mother's sister lives. When the are in Mwanza, after a turn of events, Habo is forced to travel alone across the country.
      The reading level isn't that high, but it is a relatively long book, almost getting to 350 pages. this could be a one week book, but if you read my earlier post, my life wants to be crazy so it took me two weeks. I would recommend this for people that like survival adventure books, and if you like to read about things that happen in real life.
       Next week I will read "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"