HONORS 10 SUMMER READING BLOG
Posted by dkennedy on September 20th, 2008
Honors 10 Students, you’ve reached your Blog Spot.
Welcome! As you read your fiction and your nonfiction choices, share insights and observations related to the books. Feel free to ask questions and to react to each other. Post often (at least four times), but whatever you choose to share, have fun with your conversation.
Check regularly to see who is reacting to your ideas. Remember, I might also be commenting and questioning your posts.
Length? Minimum, fill the posting box. Should you proofread?? Of course. Remember, each time you post, include your first name and last initial along with your book’s title and author.
If you need another copy of the summer reading letter, here is a link: summer-2009.pdf
June 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am
So I guess I am the first person to post a log, unless I am doing this in the wrong place.
Well anyways, I am reading the novel A Northern Light written by Jennifer Donnelly. I am currently on page 227, and so far I love the book! The best thing about this novel, or the part that makes this book become a story, is the characters. These people in the book are so lively and real to me that I feel I am in the story right along side them. Lou is my favorite caracter in this book by far. She has a certain spark about her, and I love they way she doesn’t care what people think of her; she just is who she is. I bet the reason she is my favorite character is because I can relate really well to her in the sense of not caring what people think of me.
The story line to this book is really enjoyable also. I love how it is a story of a young girl chasing her dreams when no one around her wants her to. That takes a lot of courage for just a little farm girl from nowhere.
Well that is about all I have for now, so I’ll check back later to see if people have posted anything new.
June 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Hey, Danielle! You are indeed the first to post; too bad there’s no prize–except, of course, a really good summer read. I love this book too and love sharing it with appreciative readers like you.
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Well, I finished A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly and I loved it! You were right about a great summer read! Like I said, I loved the book, but the ending was shocking in a way; I didn’t see it coming! I don’t want to ruin the ending for anyone, so I’ll just say that it left me hanging. Although they may have Donnelly’s purpose, to let the reader fill in the rest of the story with their own imagination. The best part of the book, for me, was when Matt returned home to find her family all so sick. I don’t really know why this is my favorite part, but it was the part that I couldn’t put my book down. My other favorite character besides Lou was Cook, because she was such a strong person and figure that flowed well into this novel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and hope my classmates who reads it will also.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Hey Danielle!
I read the same book. I just couldn’t find the posting spot until today so now I will type the two blogs I have already written.
(First blog) Right now I’m reading Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light. I’m finding it to be very enjoyable and one of my all-time favorites. The setting and time keeps shifting from the past to the present, leaving me wondering what happened to Grace Brown and how Mattie Gokey was able to go work at the Glenmore (despite her Pa’s unwilling nature). Towards the middle of the story, these questions became answered. That is also when the plot took a little twist. As soon as I thought Mattie was doing just fine and her life was going alright at the Glenmore, Jennifer Donnelly adds a shocking event. I won’t say what happened, but it definitely took me by surprise! I can’t wait to finish the novel and find out what path Mattie will take: if she will choose her passion of reading and writing and go to college, follow her heart and be with Royal, or stay with her family, that need and love her.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:36 am
(Second) I am done with A Northern Light, and I totally agree with Danielle about how great it was. I don’t really know whether I liked the ending, but I am glad that Mattie stayed true to herself and did what she felt like doing. I do, however, wish the novel kept going! This book was so good that I couldn’t stop reading it; I even finished it a few days before school got out!
The main pieces of Jennifer Donnelly’s work that make A Northern Light shine are the plot and characters. The book has a great story line that twists and turns; one never knows what will happen next! It also is very realistic, with the Gokeys’ financial struggle, not having enough food on the table, etc. A Northern Light shows the world as it truly can be and not like a fairy tale. The characters are also very real and down to earth. Mattie would have to be my favorite of them all; she is relatable and has great morals.
To sum it up, I thought this novel was a great summer read and I hope Friday Night Lights (the other book I chose) will be that enjoyable.
June 24th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Well, I’m reading A Northern Light like Danielle. I am currently on page 270, but am just finding time to do a log. So far I am really enjoying this book. What I most enjoy is that you get the sense that the characters are normal people. I also enjoy the story plot and how Mattie is trying to make a decision between two things she wants. Early on in this book I was confused with the chapters switching from Mattie at home to Mattie at Glenmore, but now I understand what the point of this is. Other than that I really understand this book. I was also very interested to see what the words starting the chapters stood for and think it is a good idea that connects the chapter title to the chapter. I can’t wait to keep reading and find out what happens next.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Danielle, Andrea, and Kaylee, I’m so happy that you had much the same reaction to the book as I had. Did you know that part of the plot is based on a famous true-life crime? Theodore Dreiser’s novel An American Tragedy is also based on that crime. You might like to take a look at Jennifer Donnelly’s website: http://www.jenniferdonnelly.com/
You can see what inspired her to write this novel and info about other books Donnelly has written.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I had read that in the “Author’s Note” in the back of the book. I always enjoy reading those kinds of true but made-up (I believe it’s faction) stories. It reminded me of the book I did for a book reduction, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I will have to check out An American Tragedy the next time I go to the library!
July 8th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Right now I am reading H.G. Bissinger’s Friday Night Lights, I am on page 179 and so far I love the book! I really like that it’s about football, because I am a huge fan!
That is probably why I chose to read this book. The characters are explained very well and it shows how much they truely care about their school’s pride and legacy. I also like how the author flashes back to bits of a big game or scrimmage right in the middle of explaining a character. So far my favorite character is Boobie, he seems like two totally different people, the mean jock and also the softie. I can relate to him because he loves football and so do I. The ordinary citizens from Odessa are Permian football fanatics, everything they wear is Permian, and that’s pretty much all they talk about.
I can’t wait to finish this book and see how it ends!
July 9th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Hey, Andrea, Kaylee and Mrs Kennedy, I am so excited that you guys(girls) all feel the same about the book that I do. I also read the ‘authors note’ and found it interesting about how the book was based on a true story. That just goes to show you that the author really did her research before she wrote the book.
July 12th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Hey, Andrea the same thing happened to me; I couldn’t find the blog site thing either. I also read A Northern Light written by Jennifer Donnelly, and i thought it was an amazing book and I thought it was even better after i found out it was based on a true story. This book is something different from what I usually read but I feel like I can really relate to the characters because donnelly doesn’t write what teh people should be like, she writes the real deal with money problems and hidden truths. For some odd reason my favorite part was when Mattie’s friend was having her baby, I think this is because it doesn’t just say she began to have her baby then jump to when everything is all clean and happy;it shows the truth behind the memorable part of a mother’s beginning.
I can’t wait to post my other log because I have alot more stuff to say, but I have to post two logs.
July 12th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
(log 2)
I finished reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. It was one of my favorite books even though it’s not what i usually read. I like how Mattie had been slowly heading towards her dream and in the end she had some rightful duties at home but she chose to go for her well deserved path to reading and writing. I loved the story line! Jennifer Donnelly made the people and problems so real that it just made you have to love the book. When i started reading the book and by the time i finished i didn’t really have time ot post a blog; I read the book in a little less than 2 days if you count the hours. i think I finished the book one day at four o’clock in the morning while i was at my dad’s. By the time i woke up the next day I couldn’t remember the last three chapters becuase i was so tired when i finished the book, that I had to go back and reread them. It was such a good ending though, that I didnt mind rereading it. The only part I didnt like is that the story had to end and that when it did, it kind of left me hanging.
July 15th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
For my first book i read A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. So far i think that this is a really good book. One problem that i had was in the begging it couldnt hold my attention but as i was able to get farther in the book i have a hard time puting it down… I would have to agree with Danielle on how when you read this book you feel like you are apart of the story.
One person in the story that i cant stand is Aunt Josie… I don’t like the way that she was able to Emmie Hubbard’s mail and read it. It also bugs me how she is able to tell Mattie how she thinks her pa is nothing and how he is the reason that her ma is dead.
One thing in the book that I love is the relationship between Mattie and Royal… I say this because Mattie has no idea what to think of Royal because she has never had a boy like her… But then you have Royal and he pretty much knows what he want…
Anther thing that is buging me in the story is how it is going from past to present. I dont really like it because it starts out with when they find Grace Brown and then the next part Mattie doesnt even work at Glenmore.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I hope everyone’s enjoying their summer vacation!
The first novel I am reading is A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. The only thing that i am confused about is when it switches chapters from the Glenmore, then to Mattie’s home life. I think that the book is good so far eventhough Im not every far. The characters are really interesting and they are enjoyable to follow in the story. The way that Donnelly describes the characters makes them seem more real because i can easily compare poeple i know to the characters in the story. Lou is my favorite character so far becasue she says whats on her mind, and many people can relate to that. The storyline of the novel is very enjoyable and it keeps you wanting to read. I can’t wait to see how the story ends!
July 19th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hey everybody. For my first book I’m reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. At first I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy the book. I usually don’t read science fiction novels but so far I have been pleasantly surprised.
I’d have to say my favorite character so far are Ender Wiggin. Ender has a very good strong morals that he won’t stray from, and I admire that. Ender is sent to a battle school because he is a prodigy, and there, his morals are quickly tested. Peter, Ender’s brother, is horrible and treated Ender terribly so, as a result, Ender strives to be the exact opposite of Peter. Peter is a killer while Ender is not.
Ender is forced to struggle not to be a killer because the universe is at war. It’s humans against buggers. The battle school Ender attends is to prepare him to be a leader in the war. In preparation of war Ender has to attend battles against other teams made of students and play video games. Ender has planned many strategies in the battles and becomes the top student. In the manipulative video game Ender has completed levels that no one has done, but in order to win he had to kill things in the game. Ender concludes that this battle school is strange and built off of lies. Ender learns that,”Sometimes lies are more dependable than the truth”(Card 2).
One of the commanders feeding the students lies is Colonel Graff. Colonel Graff knows how to get his way and knows how the world works. He isn’t a good person, but strangely enough he is another one of my favorite characters. Graff introduced a reoccurring theme in this novel. My favorite quote from him is, “Human beings are free except when humanity needs them”(Card 35). This greatly applies to Ender’s life because he is a great student but is forced to learn and to fight.
In the end of the book I think Ender will have have to kill Peter. Peter is trying to control the world and Ender is trying to save it. The two boys are great in an evil and good way. Ender tries not to kill and Peter put that passion in him. Peter is the only one who can kill Ender and Ender is the only one who can kill Peter. They were “born” from each other. That is just my opinion but I do think I am right.
I’m about half way through the book now and I can’t wait to read the rest. Peace!
July 21st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I just finished Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and loved it. It didn’t end like I thought it would though. I would have sworn that Ender would have to kill Peter, but I like Card’s ending better. It was very creative having the Giant’s Drink game be the place Ender realizes that he can be good. I’m glad Card made the buggers a good species. I thought that would happen when Ender asked Colonel Graff what started the war and he didn’t know. Being the Speaker for the Dead is a good job for Ender. It will make him feel that he can make up for all the people he was forced to kill.
The best symbol in the book I feel is the dead giant. It kind of represents Ender’s whole life. At first the giant lied saying that Ender can pass through if he drinks the right drink. Colonel Graff built the school on lies and unfair games. Even getting Ender to the school was a lie. Next Ender drinks one of the giant’s concoctions he dies and needs to think of new ways to beat the giant. Graff forced Ender to think of ways to feel involved with the students and to think of new moves when he was made commander. Later Ender learns that he has to kill the giant and kick over the glasses-which represent lies- to pass through. Ender kills the buggers along with the lies the two different schools have been feeding him. Next when Ender returns to the giant he is dead and elves turned his dead body into a home. They created a life in the midst of the lies and death. After Ender killed the buggers he colonized in their land and learned that they were good creatures that wanted forgiveness. Ender than took on the job to take the single living bugger left and put it on a different planet so it can live after all the death.
This symbol is one of the reasons I think the book is brilliant. I recommend that everyone else reads this book.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Taren, will you read another Orson Scott Card book?
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I finished A Northern Light last week and I was very shocked on how it ended. In a way I wish it would have ended differently but I am very pleased Mattie stayed true to herself like Andrea said. I’m not really sure who my favorite character was but I was drawn to Weaver and what he had been through. It made him seem like a real person. That is one thing Jennifer Donnelly did very well. She made the characters seem just like normal people. I also like the fact that this book was based around a real life murder. It just adds to the book and how it makes you look at things in a different way. Overall I think this book was very well written despite that I thought things should have happened in another way. I only hope Friday Night Lights is just as good.
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I just finished resding A Norhtern Light by Jennifer Donnelly… I thought that this was an amazing book over all. i like the way that it was based around a true event. One part in the book that I didn’t like would have to be would be when Mattie when home to her family because they were all sick…
One thing that I like was the plot line and the dissciption… I liked how she could put so much decription in one small part. Another part that I like was the end when Mattie was waiting for her train and she said how “Graces words echo in my memory. I have been bidding good-by to some places to-day. there are so many nooks, dear, and all of them so dear to me. I have lived nearly all my life…oh, dear, you don’t realize what all of this is to me. I know I shallnever see any of them again…”(Donnely 378). The reason that I like this quote is because Grace knew that she wasn’t going to live much longer but she left because her family didn’t know she was pregnat so she didn’t care what happend…
I hope that Friday Night Lights is as good as A Nothern Light…
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 am
Just a couple of reminders, everyone: Please use your first name and last initial when you identify yourself. Also, remember to proofread before you submit. Those forgotten typos really jump out once they are in print!
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Hi everyone! Right now I am reading Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger. I chose to read this book from the nonfiction category because I knew it was about football and I just happen to love football! I am more than halfway through with the book and I’m currently on page 226. The book has been very enjoyable and quite interesting to read. I have also learned a lot. Did you know that in 1987 the amount of oil produced in North America was the same amount of oil being produced in the Middle East? I am learning many interesting facts such as this one while reading Friday Night Lights, which is one of the reasons why I like this book so much, you are learning about things that happened in the past, yet the book is still intriguing.
H. G. Bissinger did an amazing job in writing this book. The characters he describes seem to come alive again and they are so easy to relate to. I can’t wait to finish reading this book and to find out what happens to the Permian football team!
July 24th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Hey! It looks like I’m th only person to read The Other Side of the River so far…
Well in the beginning of The Other Side of the River, I was kind of bored, I think it was because I had a negative opinion of reading it before I even started, which isn’t good. But I started and then stopped for a little while and ended reading about 5 other books before I picked it up again…sorry. I started reading it again while we were on a car trip and then I started getting into it more. My favorite parts so far is when he described the autopsy and when Eric’s teacher was describing how he was doing bad in her class, but then when he joined gymnastics it improved because she made a deal with Eric and his friend; if they do their homework then the entrance fee is waived for them.
The book in general though, I think, has too many characters. I couldn’t keep mental track of them all, and I got confused when they would leave then bring them back up 4 chapters later.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
The first novel I’m reading is A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. The only thing I have found confusing is when the chapters switch from the Glenmore to Mattie’s home life. Even though I’m not very far into this book, I’ve found it to be very interesting, and the characters are very easy to relate to. My favorite character would have to be Lou mainly because she’s comfortable with being herself, she doesn’t care what other people think about her, and she tells it like it is. My favorite part of the book so far is when Mattie and Weaver have a duel while picking fiddleheads. I expected more of a physical duel then a vocabulary duel, but it was very funny, and entertaining.
I cannot wait to finish this book and find out what Mattie does with Grace Brown’s letters, and I’m really wondering how she tells her father and family she was accepted into Barnard College in New York City. I guess I will find all of this out as I continue to read.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
My last post was an oops! Sorry!
The first novel I’m reading is A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. The only thing I have found confusing is when the chapters switch from the Glenmore to Mattie’s home life. Even though I’m not very far into this book, I’ve found it to be very interesting, and the characters are very easy to relate to. My favorite character would have to be Lou mainly because she’s comfortable with being herself, she doesn’t care what other people think about her, and she tells it like it is. My favorite part of the book so far is when Mattie and Weaver have a duel while picking fiddleheads. I expected more of a physical duel then a vocabulary duel, but it was very funny, and entertaining.
I cannot wait to finish this book and find out what Mattie does with Grace Brown’s letters, and I’m really wondering how she tells her father and family she was accepted into Barnard College in New York City. I guess I will find all of this out as I continue to read.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Hello everyone, I hope everyone’s summer is going good!
I think it had a fantastic storyline to it and it deffinately kept you reading. I read the last 100 pages in one night, also I was very shocked at how it ended. I think it was sad that the Permian Panthers didn’t make it to the State Championship game. I really thought that the drive the team had and their determination would push them all the way to the end but unfortunately they came up short. It was also uplifting that new players, a new team, and a new season were on the way. I loved how Odessa citizens loved the game of football and what it really meant. H.G. Bissinger did an amazing job writing this book. I would deffinately read more books written by him. I hope A Northern Light is just as good!
Anyways, I just finished Friday Night Lights, and it is now my favorite book! I absolutely loved it!
July 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Hey everyone, I just finished The Other Side of the River! yay!
I was kind of disappointed to find that at the end, Kotlowitz didn’t reveal who the killer was…I really wanted to know. But I guess that even if he did know, he wouldn’t have revealed them because of the danger of being hunted down… maybe.
I didn’t necessarily like the book all that much, but it made me think about how true everything is. For example, the racial issues, those are all over the place. And the fact that Benton Harbor and St. Joseph aren’t that far away is even more surprising to me. A bright side to this, is that I’m not so ignorant of racial issues anymore…I didn’t really acknowledge it actually until I read about it, then told my stepmom and she gave me a whooooole sermon on it, which wasn’t that bad…but I wasn’t expecting it because all I did was tell her about it.
I don’t know if I like nonfiction books, or if its just that Alex Kotlowitz was more factual than others, but my next read is A Northern Light and I hope it’s more entertaining.
August 1st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
After two weeks I have finally finished reading Friday Night Lights by H. G. Bissinger! I really liked the book and the way that Bissinger chose to write it. The book had a way of drawing you in and making you feel like you too were a person living in Odessa, waiting and hoping for the Panthers to win every friday night. Like Courtney was, I too am disapointed that the team didn’t make it to state after all the endless months and years of hard work and detication just to make it to that one moment, and then have it taken all away from them. Friday Night Lights is a great read and I would recommend the book to anyone, even if football isn’t your favorite sport.
August 1st, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a terrific summer! (:
I just finished A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly and I loved it! The book kept me hooked throughout the entire story, and I fekt like I was back in 1906 with Mattie.
I was incredibly surprised by how the book ended. I expected a Mattie saves the day, and everyone lives happily ever after ending, but that was not the case. Mattie got to go pursue her dream as a writer at Barnard College, but she didn’t get the love story of her dream. I really thought she was going to marry Royal, she seemed so into getting married to him and having someone who would hold her in their arms, but I was obviously wrong. I also seemed to finally have gotten the answers to my confusion about the setting changes in the story, and also why Grace Brown wanted Mattie to burn those letters, all the answers behind Grace Brown’s death were in those letters. The feeling and thought put into writing this book made it seem like a true story. I absolutley loved this book!
August 1st, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Betsy, what if Mattie had married Royal? Would this be a happy ending? Why did Mattie become involved with Royal in the first place? Was he a good match for her? Was she ready for a “match”?
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Hope your summer’s good everyone!
The first book i read was A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly! I liked the story for the most part, but i did’nt like some parts of it. I did’nt understand why Mattie’s dad didnt want her to go get an education at a good college. Mattie was very strong through out the story, and her decision to go to New York was good. I honestly thought that Mattie was going to marry Royal, and it was suprising when she broke it off because I wasnt expecting it at all! I think alot of girls can relate to Mattie in different ways. I personally think that the story got better towords the end of it when she started reading grace’s letters. I really liked that Donnely tied in a fictional character and a non-fictional character in a book and tied it all together.
I hope Friday Night Lights is as good as this!
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Hey everyone! I’m a little over half way of The Other Side Of The River by Alex Kotlowitz. It’s kind of confusing to me at some parts, but that might be because I read it at night before I go to bed and sometimes I don’t read it for a day or two because of band. It has really brought out the issues in the world to me more. Things like racism and how things can seem like they would be normal but when you get behind the lines it’s a totally flipped around scenario have always been something I knew in the world but now it’s more noticeable. When I first started reading it I understood everything but it gets more complex for me as I read on, which I enjoy because summer can be boring at some points and that gives me a challenge.
Can’t wait to finish it!
August 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I just started reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly today and I’m already almost half way through it! So far the book is very good and it may be one of the best books I’ve read! I like how Mattie has her word of the day, it’s helping me add a few more words to my vocabulary too. The characters in this book are described so well that I feel like I’ve met them myself and they are easily related to as well, in particular the main character Mattie. She is such a strong girl that gives up so much to help her family that sometimes her needs come last. I love her passion for learning and especially her passion for writing, which is where I can relate to her well and that makes the book even more enjoyable to read. I can’t wait to finish reading A Northern Light and see what Mattie decides to do with the secret letters, and whether or not her dad lets her go to college in New York or not.
August 15th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Before I start my blog I’ll answer your question Ms. Kennedy. I don’t think I will read any more books by Orson Scott. It felt like the story of Ender Wiggin came to a close for me. I don’t usually like a books sequel if the first book finished the story for me. For example the Harry Potter series always had a cliffhanger ending but Ender’s Game didn’t. If someone else read the sequel and said it was good I might consider reading it.
August 15th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
For my last book I’m reading Barefoot Heart by Elva Trevino Hart. I’m a little over half way done with the book. I don’t really like this book. Out of the ten chapters I’ve read I only liked about two or three of them. Hart drags on and on about irrelevant things. I dislike how Hart will talk about a character for three pages or even a chapter and never mention them again.
While reading the first chapter I was looking forward to the rest of it, but that quickly changed. She spent a whole entire chapter talking about family members. The book is supposed to be about her, not her family. There is a huge age difference between Hart and her siblings so she wasn’t even born when she told stories about her siblings as children. I think Hart needs to stick on the topic of her and her own life.
I feel sorry for Hart as a child. She was the youngest child in her family and had five older siblings. Hart always felt overlooked and unloved. She loved attention. Hart mentions when she had chicken pox everyone came and spoiled her. She was “Princess of the day” (pg.56). Out of all the things she could remember she remembers being sick (Even thought I think most of these stories in this book a family member told her about it). That is kind of sad. To be fair to the parents she was loved. They spent so much time working so they could have a good life Hart never really saw them. I read the acknowledgements and it sounds like Hart eventually realized this.
Out of all my complaints I must say I am learning what the life of a migrant child was like. They were poor and worked hard. Her family (I don’t know about others) believed in a more natural healing process. They went to curanderos which are like healers. They seem to be very proud people, almost too proud.
I must say if you still have to choose a nonfiction book to read do not read Barefoot Heart. I suggest that you do not to read The Other Side of the River by Alex Kotlowitz either. I couldn’t get past the third chapter. Maybe I don’t like nonfiction books. When I think back the only one that I have liked was The Color of Water by James McBride. Hopefully the last half of the book will be better.
August 16th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Hello everyone! I am reading Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger for my second book. I am really enjoying this book. What makes this book so interesting is that it tells you the history, but it’s not boring. It draws the history of segregation in the town to a football team and their season. It gives you that history you need and puts it together with something people can connect to in places other than Odessa. The players in this book I think many people can also relate to. Many of the reasons these football players play football I think people can understand and agree with too. I can’t wait to finish this book and find out what the rest of the season for the Permian Panthers has in store for them.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Hi everyone! Wow, I feel like I am really far behind in my summer reading. But right now I am a probably 2/3rds of the way done with my first book, The Other Side of the River, by Alex Kotlowitz. I had started reading it a while ago, but I just picked it up again and it was really hard to get back into it. I would say that this is not one of my favorite books, but it is very interesting. I like how Alex puts a fairly upbeat mood into a depressing book.
Anyway, i think my favorite part in the book is where Sherwin Allen got fired, because I think it’s very interesting that a town would chooose to fire someone who has brought the school system so far in such a short time. He gave Benton Harbor Schools hope, and they went right on and had him recalled. Hm.
By the way, Holly and Taren and anyone else who is reading this book, is it just me or are there a lot of vocab words you don’t know? I have to look up a word every few pages sometimes.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Well Mrs. Kennedy, if Mattie had married Royal, I think she would have ended up a housewife cooking and cleaning. I don’t believe this would have been a happy ending for Mattie she probably would not have been able to move to New York and fulfil her dream of becoming a writer.
Mattie became involved with Royal, I believe, because he kissed her, and she was so into the thought of him liking her because she never thought someone like Royal would like her, let alone kiss her.
Now that I think about it, Mattie and Royal probably wouldn’t be a good match because Royal was more of a farmer boy, and Mattie wanted to be more than a housewife, more than what everyone expected her to become. Mattie wasn’t ready for a match, and I can see now why she made the decision she did.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
So, I’m currently reading Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger. So far I love it! It not only talks about the importance of football to Odessa, Texas, but it also explains how important football is to many Texas high schools, and it explains the history of how Odessa became the town it is!
I chose to read this book because I love football!
My favorite player on the Permian Panther football team so far is Boobie. He may have seriously injured his knee, but he’s not giving up on his dream of becoming a big time football player. No matter what people say about him, no matter what his coaches and team mates call him, he is not done pursuing his dream, and that is amazing to me.
Friday Night Lights doesn’t candy coat the football experience (how it is to get scouted, what it takes to become a college football player). This book explains the pain the players have to endure, the adrenaline that rushes through players’ bodies as they prepared for the big Midland Lee game, it explains the pressures of coming back from an injury just so you can play long enough for a recruiter to watch.
Friday Night Lights explains that football is much more than a sport to Odessa, the fans, friends, and families of the Permian Panther football player’s see every friday night as a dream come true.
I can’t wait to get farther into this book to figure our how everything turns out!
August 19th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Hey, Mrs. Kennedy and everyone. Sorry about not posting until now but I’ve been hopping all around the country, lol. Anyways, I finished reading A Northern Light in July and I found it very gripping. Even though it took place around 1906, I felt like I could relate with Mattie, regardless of the boundary of time. Teenagers from today and teenagers from back then still have tough decisions, have to deal with tragedies, and have to find themselves. The theme I saw was sort of like Minnie’s, Weaver’s, and most of all Mattie’s personalities were flowering and coming of age. I always find the historical context in a novel interesting. You can place yourself in the past easier and take a walk in their shoes. In fact, I felt like Mattie’s problems were mine. When she struggled, I felt myself frustrated as well. The descriptive representation of everything she felt and saw definitely contributed to falling into the story. I agree, this book was indeed an incredible book, surprise ending and all. More later. :]
August 19th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Like most, I was astonished how A Northern Light ended.
My favorite character was Emily Baxter because she seems the most like me and she has a past, which is always admirable. Fleeing to Paris, or somewhere in general is a solution I would choose as well. Also, she helped Mattie to reach her dream of going to college, and I respect that. Jennifer Donnelly was good at portraying this very interesting character.
I think its interesting that it’s based on a true event, it makes you look at things in a different light.
I didn’t like that Mattie agreed to marriage with Royal Loomis and then gave the ring back because she was going to New York City. That was an upset. Even though he is very simple-minded, he seems like a good guy. The book had difficulty capturing my attention until I was into it further.
August 20th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Haha I’ve just started reading A Northern Light…it’s pretty good, I’m not that far into it yet, but I like Weaver, he seems like a nice guy. Mattie is an excellent character to compare to, because she seems very responsible and weary because she has to take care of her siblings and work, but she still finds time to read and write, even though it’s getting harder for her to do. Her father seems like one of those men that are hard on the outside but soft as a marshmallow on the inside, I like that. I can foresee a heart to heart moment from him to Mattie later in the book
I was surprised that someone died so soon. I knew that someone would, but I didn’t realize it would be within the first 10 pages! So I’m going to take a guess and say that someone else is probably going to die too. From the couple of people I’ve talked to, I’m happy that Mattie is going to be able to go to New York City, because she hasn’t gone yet.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Right now I’m almost finished with The Other Side of the River by Alex Kotlowitz and surprisingly loving it. I say surprisingly because usually every book I choose to read ends up being horrible. I was a little bit bored with it in the beginning but as I read on, it got more and more interesting. It gets confusing at times but I can manage. My favorite part so far is when Kotlowitz describes the night that Eric had disappeared. It has a lot of description to it and leaves me really anxious to find out what will happen next. I agree with Julia that the book does have many characters but I think that it helps the storyline flow a little more smoothly. Although I said I was bored at the beginning, I’m very excited to hear the ending and find out what REALLY happened to Eric McGinnis that night he died.
August 21st, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I’m about half way done with Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger.So far its not one of my favorite books…I like how one Friday nights the whole town comes together to watch the football games…Another thing i like is how Bobbie had his knee injury but he still wanted to go out and play because football is on thing he loves to do…
It is also different to see how everything is segrigated…
I like to see how the town of Odessa came to be though…
It was also different to read about how Gorege W. Bush went down to campain for becoming president.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I’ve now finished The Other Side of the River by Alex Kotlowitz. I was a little disappointed with how the book ended because the real reason Eric McGinnis died was not revealed. Normally I don’t like non-fiction books but this one was pretty good. The story was kind of like a puzzle that ended unsolved. Also, it made me realize how serious racism is at times. In school when we talked about it, I would just take in what was needed to get 100% on the worksheet. Now that I read The Other Side of the River, I will pay more attention to how serious this topic is in the future. I may even read another book by Kotlowitz too. The next book on my list is A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, I hope that it is just as entertaining as this book was.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I finished Barefoot Heart by Elva Trevino Hart a few days ago. The book did get a little better but I still did not like it. From about the last time I wrote a blog Hart added 26, repeat 26, characters. I hope I don’t need to know all of them because there is no way I can. The characters she added didn’t really seem relevant. The characters that sounded interesting and a bigger part of her life only had a few pages written about them (other than the family). I get that she had to cram her whole life story into a 236 page book but she could have cut a lot of characters.
Out of the whole book only 7 out of approximately 49 characters stuck out to me. I remember Marielena and Derderian for their teaching skills. Marielena was a storyteller in the migrant camp and Derderian was her High School language arts teacher. I also enjoyed reading about Ama and Delimira. They are the people kindest to Evla in the book and are part of her family. Lourdes is another character I liked reading about. She was a nice girl but had no way of earning money, so she became a very dirty dancer at a club. Apa is the character I found myself analyzing the most. At first I didn’t like him. I considered him as too proud and arrogant but later he turned out to be a kind and caring father. Evla, obviously, is another character that really stuck out to me. This whole book is about her written by herself.
In spite of the books many faults of the book, that were given by myself, I liked the novel’s theme. Throughout the book Evla and her family struggles to figure out who they are and where they stand in society. At the end of the story they all have and identity but they had to work hard for it in a matter of speaking. Apa and Ama worked their whole lives to better their children’s lives. Their place in society was doing honest work for their children. They were parents through and through. That is just one example in finding ones identity in the book. Therefore I believe the theme of the book is in order to find out who you are as a person you need to work hard and find your strengths. Your social class doesn’t determine who you can be.
I also found it interesting how a migrant child use to live. They were very poor and many worked in fields. Another detail in the book I don’t like comes in here. Evla claims that she worked in the fields most of her life but she only suffered from the effects of a migrant workers income. Her family quit going to the fields in Minnesota when she was 12 and 12 is the legal working age there. Evla also stated that in the last years of her father going to Minnesota she stayed home. In conclusion we learned about a migrant child living off of a migrant farmers income.
I did not enjoy this book, but I must admit it had a few parts that were OK.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Hello, to everyone. I’m currently reading Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger. I chose to read the book because I love football and I’ve heard such high remarks about it. It isn’t my favorite book, but it is educational and enjoyable to read. The flashbacks really help me understand why things happened the way they did there. I never realized how racism was (or maybe even still is) such a huge issue even into the 1980s. I also never realized that a whole town could come together and love one thing so much. The author goes very in depth to every character. Like Megan said, the characters seem to come alive again. My favorite character so far is Ivory Christian. He’s the same way I am about sports; he hates the game, but loves it at the same time. I am currently half way through the book, and I can’t wait to finish it!
August 25th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
So, I have just finished The Other Side of the River, by Alex Kotlowitz. I think I have some of the same views as Mackenzie on her blog. the book makes me want to dig a little deeper into the subject of race and makes me think how serious this topic really is. How many of our lives have been affected by race? I think the answer is every single one of us, in some way or another. I just have never realized how much impact race can have on the lives of others.
The Other Side of the River was not the best book I have ever read, but it was one of the best nonfiction books. I liked how honest Kotlowitz was with the book and how he gave all of his opinions openly. It made it more relatable.
My other favorite part of the book was actually the conclusion. When Kotlowitz pointed out that it was “just a river” that separated the two towns, I believe that that was really the whole point of the book. It’s just a small body of water, but the symbolism is so very powerful. Kotlowitz knows how to use good literary devices to make the book more interesting. He also put a lot of his voice in his book, so it doesn’t sound so boring. Overall, though, this was not a very enjoyable book for me.
Now I am on to read A Northern Light!
August 25th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
hey everybody, summers almost over!
Well I finished The Other Side of The River and I must say that it wasn’t my favorite book to read. I mean it was a good story but all the characters and jumping around from plot to plot, story from story, was a little bit confusing. I was disappointed when Kotlowitz didn’t reveal the killer because if you try to figure it out in the book…well you really cant if you don’t have all the facts. It really opens up the racial issues and discriminations but I really wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends, that might also be because my friends don’t really like reading.
Mallory, the same thing happened to me, every about 6 pages I had to ask my mom what a word meant and if she didnt know I had to look it up.
Have a great rest of the summer guys!!
August 25th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I’m reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. I actualy got a little caught up in the book and finished it in one sitting. This blog will be about my favorite part and the next one is my opinion of the whole book. I had many favorite parts of this book. The one that stood out from the rest was the part where Weaver and Mattie have there first word duel of the book. Its pretty early in the book. It amused me that they did this to solve one of there arguements. Plus it looked kinda fun and i wouldn’t mind trying that once. It is very original. I also liked the parts with Royal in them, because i liked the love story that went between him and mattie. I was just as suprized as mattie was when he said he liked her. I kind of saw it coming but it was still astonishing. There are more parts that i could tell about ,but i dont want to end up telling the story again. ( =
August 25th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
This is my second blog about The Northern light. I enjoyed this book, but i wasn’t pleased how it ended. I was happy that Mattie was able to live her dreams. The part I didn’t like about the ending was that she left everybody behind without a goodbye. I was glad that she at least said bye to Weaver. It was a very well told story though. I was a little confused at the beginning when it kept switching from present to past and back again. I figured out what was happening after a little more reading. Other than a couple of things it was an excelent book. I’m very glad i read this one.
Cant wait to see everybody at school ( :
August 26th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
This is my first blog for Friday Night Lights. It’s taking me longer then i had expected to finish this book. The novel has some interesting parts but nothing that is making me want to keep on reading! I don’t have that much left to read, so i hope i get done soon! My favorite character in the story is Boobie because of the drive that he has about playing football. I am really hoping that the story gets a lot better towords the end!
August 29th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
This is my first blog about A Northern Light. I am currently on page 350 and just haven’t found time to do a blog about it so here it goes…I love the book! Personally I think it was very easy to get into this book, it had a way of attracting the reader and make them wonder what would happen next. My favorite part in this book so far is when Mattie is trying to help her family when they are all sick. She had to leave her job at the Glenmore to help them and it shows how much love and care she has for her family. I bet it wasn’t easy to leave a job when you desprately need the money. Mattie had some big dreams and I love how she always thought positive about achieving them. I really admired that about her. Well i can’t wait to finish this book and tell you all how I feel about it
August 30th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Hey! Right now I am just starting chapter four of Friday Night Lights. Like Dominique, this book is taking me awhile to read! I chose to pursue this novel not because I am a huge football fan (I am not that big on the sport), but because it sounded genuinely interesting and very exciting. So far it is not quite living up to my expectations, but it is getting better and better the farther on I read. When I was just a little way into Friday Night Lights, I was really bored, but the book has started to pick up and now things are clicking! Perhaps this is my favorite part of the novel, how H.G. Bissinger can tie in as many stories as he can to the main story line and eventually it all comes together so the audience is able to understand what he is getting at. Hopefully the rest of the book captures my attention and in the end I will also rave about Friday Night Lights. :]
August 31st, 2009 at 1:33 pm
As of right now, I am reading Jennifer Donnelly’s novel: A Northern Light. At this point I am about mid-way through the book where it’s starting to get interesting. Through out the first couple of words(chapters) I began to become involved in the book, with Mattie working on the farm. After a death of a parent I would have never realized the amount of work the eldest has to take on, eldest girl I should say becasue her eldest brother did decide to leave. When I was first introuduced to Weaver, I fell in love. He to me, can make this story, the best friend of Mattie who always starts the interesting conversations and helps might find her way and pushes her to follow her dreams. When I found out how literate Mattie was I related to her, further in the book I hopes she goes to get a higher education with Weaver. There has just been so much going on in the story. The death of Grace Brown has had me itching this entire time. As soon as the death occured, with possibly her secret lover, has had me on edge. And now the fact that Mattie has finally had the courage to read the letters, i’m finally in the part where I can’t put the book down, unless to write my blogs of course.
I do apologize how jumpy it it’s i’m just finally having my thoughts all written down about the book. And there is so much that I find incredibly fascinating about the book. So, far I have found it an enjoyable read. And i can’t wait to finish it.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I finished A Northern Light yesterday and personally I wasn’t very happy about how the book ended. I liked how Mattie chose to pursue her dream of going to college and becoming a writer. But i didn’t like the fact that she left her family and how she broke the promise she made to her mother. My favorite character in this book was Weaver, he was a genuine guy and seemed like a really great friend. I hated what Royal did to Mattie, that was not a good choice to ask someone to marry you just to get her father’s land. I found it very very suprising that Mr. Loomis was cheating on his wife with Emmie Hubbard. But overall I really enjoyed this book but just didn’t like how it ended. I would deffinately read another novel written by Jennifer Donnelly.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:19 am
Hey! Well, I am reading A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly. I think she is a very talented writer, and she has her own unique style. Through her diction and syntax, she creates the mood of down-home, ordinary, early 1900’s people, and she makes them very relatable to people today.
My favorite part of the book so far is possibly when Mattie’s family fell sick and she had to leave her job and everything she was working for to go take care of them. Now that is true commitment. Another one of my favorite parts is the story of Grace Brown that is slowly unfolding as Mattie reads the forbidden letters. I think it is very interesting that Mattie made the choice to read them instead of burn them, especially since she is breaking a promise by doing so. But, she is also uncovering the secret of how Grace died and maybe she will find a way to avenge the killer. If Chester really did kill her.
I have a little more to go in A Northern Light, but I love how fast and easy-reading this book is so I think I should be done by today.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:01 pm
So, i’m left a little disappointed. I do admire the fact that Mattie in the end choose to pursue her dream, and go to college. I think towards the end of the book with the fire to Weaver’s house, that she realized people could take care of themselves, with the help of others around. I do believe Mattie was indecisive through the book, then Grace’s murder and letters triggered Mattie’s decision, for her to do what she loved and go to New York.
I find myself a little confused too. When I read this story I manage to find it enjoyabe. To me, I found it an easy ready and easy going. But now that I sit back and think of things I believe it’s complicated in a sense. Making life decisions as Mattie had to do was hard. The complexion of the themes and plot of the story found me wondering is there more. I do realize that this was a murder and the fact that Mattie took it upon herself to read Grace’s letters, made it just that much more intriguing. What leaves me torn is the title. A Northern Light…could it be one’s hope, as in Mattie’s home(northern) but that light is her hope. hmmm. but she says she’s going south? i’m left clueless. Any other scenarios? I need to ponder more.
I found this an amusing book, the characters were so realistic, I found myself with their humor. The man at table six, was a bit disturbing, but I found hilarity in it. They way the girls decided to deal with made me laugh aloud. Even though the book was more of a serious one I did find humor in it along with compassion, love, care, and sincerity.
P.S. The author’s note left me at ease, but still wanting more.
September 1st, 2009 at 10:45 pm
I am done with A Northern Light now, and I must say i really enjoyed it… there were some very important themes I found. One was follow your dreams, and I know this sounds cliche, but its true that Mattie chose to do the right thing, to go to college, even though her family and friends would need and miss her. Another important theme is to value your friendships. mattie relied on her friends through all the tough things that she went through. Never take advantage of such a god friend as Weaver or Minnie or even someone like Cook who disciplined her to ready her for the real world.
I also thought about what the name A Northern Light could mean. I came up with: maybe Grace Brown was Mattie’s northern light, because she showed Mattie that she needed to not turn out like Grace and make her own future instead of letting others choose it for her.
I think it’s sad that Mattie didn’t marry Royal, but i kind of felt it coming all along. He never really cared for her at all, and he didn’t deserve her.
Lastly, my favorite part of the whole book was when the Glenmore girls tripped “Table Six” into Hamlet’s dog poop. That made the characters even more relatable to me, since that is like a plan I might cook up to get back at someone.
I think this book will stay with me, at least some parts of it, including Grace’s letters, that turn out to be nonfiction. I thought Donnnelly made a really nice contribution to Grace by putting her in the book and letting everyone know her story. I think it made a light and easy book go a little deeper and a little more serious, which is just how I like it.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I just finished Friday Night Lights about an hour ago, and I must say that I was impressed with it! Though a few parts of the novel bored me, the rest captured my interest like I had hoped. One thing I enjoyed about the book was the ending; it was still pretty optimistic, despite the devastating loss to the Cowboys, and it showed that life can, will, and does go on. I also was happy that Boobie and L.V. made up. After reading Friday Night Lights, I feel more appreciative of football as a sport and a way of life really, and I hope someday to experience a game or two as intense as they were in the 1988 season of the Permian Panthers.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I just finished the book Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger… This book over all not that bad but still one i wouldnt read again…
In the end it was hard to see the team work hard and not win. Like they were saying in the end of the book it was hard to loss to a team that doesnt work as hard as you.
One thing that i have learned is that through it all you have to remember that through it all life goes on…
Another thing that i enjoyed about this story was being able to experience this story of the team and the town…
September 4th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I loved reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. It was so good that I could never put it down and finished reading it in 2 days! I would have written this blog sooner, but after the storm and losing power, our computer wouldn’t turn back on.
Before I started reading the book, I was unsure what to expect because it’s not the type of book I would normally choose to read, but after the first chapter, I was hooked! My favorite character would have to be Mattie Gokey, the main character. I love and can relate to her for her love for books and writing. I also admire her for taking over everything her mother did before she died and being able to take care of the rest of her family, all while still trying to finish high school and go to college.
A Northern Light was a great book to read and it became even more interesting to me after I found out that it was based on real letters from Grace Brown. This book is definitely one of my new favorites!
September 5th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I am reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly right now and I am about three-quarters of the way done with it. Everyone has been telling me how great this book has been to read. To be honest, I am going to have to disagree. I had a really hard time trying to get into it and this far through, I still am not hooked. It probably has to do with me not being much of a reader though.
So far, my favorite part has been when Mattie’s family is ill and Mattie leaves her job to care for her family. It just shows the love she has for her family. There is s a few things I am still curious about a few things at this point in the book. As I continue to read, hopefully I will figure these out. I also hope the book will turn out to be a good one!
September 6th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
It does look like A Northern Light, and Friday Night Lights are the favorites amongst Honors 10, I also am reading Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger’s novel. My opinion: I love the book, again i’m also about half way through, but I really can’t wait until I complete the reading. When I first opened the book, myself was suprised at how much detail it was then just the Friday night football games. When it began to deep dig into the roots of Odessa and Permian and they were split due to desegregation. I find and intriguing story. It reminds me quiet alot of Remember the Titans. I love the hard-work and dedication players have to put forth. When these football games bring thousands of fans into the stands, sometimes I have a hard time believing that. Then I wish for our football team to be that supported too. I like how the author tackles all of what’s going on during a football game, the screaming adoring fans, the marching band in the stands, the sound of helmets hitting each other on the field and the sound of the press box announcing. Being a huge fan of football all I was expecting out of this book was games with play by play’s that you could see in your mind. The clock stopping for time-outs and coaches yelling plays. It’s all so real, that it feels as though I’m in a Permian High football game, it’s amazing. I have not found myself a favorite character yet, not that i agree with the book on how short the characters really are. I get all the details about the the extras, where i’m beginning to want more from the characters, sure they get mentioned here and there, but I do want more. So far I love the book and can’t wait to finish it. I really am inspired by this work of football words.
September 6th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I am now finished with Friday Night Lights by H.G Bissinger. I really actually enjoyed this book very much. If I was to read it again I would defiantly look for things I may have missed. For some reason I was drawn to football player Mike Winchell. He has a lot of pressure put on him from his coaches, his team, and the whole town. And somehow he over comes all of the pressure to be a great quarterback. Toward the end of the book I kind of got tired having all the history in the book. I was like just tell me how they win, but I know that it was needed in the book to get the point of how football can become such a huge part of a town. I was sad that in the end only one Permian football senior went on to big time college football and that football had become not as important to the town of Odessa as it had been. This book was very good and I hope to get the chance to read more books like this one this year.
September 6th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
I finished reading A Northern Light, it was by far one of the best books I have read. I could definetly feel the emotions Mattie was going through as I was reading her story. She had some hard decisions to choose and she knew they would change her life not matter which way she decided to go. I like the fact she didn’t marry Royal Loomis, I didn’t really like his character because he didn’t seem good enough for Mattie. I know he was good looking and rich, but holding a conversation that isn’t about crops is also a good trait to have, he also seemed to just want her body, like he was all for lust instead of love. Mattie would have done better with Weaver in my opinion.
He was really nice, well when he was at their house, when he left without coming back and breaking his promises I was disappointed.
The twists in the plot kept me in a suspense, I would never have imagined the relationship between Mr. Loomis and Tommy’s mother, and I was scared when Mattie’s family got sick, I didn’t want any of them to die.
My favorite part of A Northern Light is when Mattie’s Uncle Fifty just showed up
Jennifer Donnelly wrote a great book, and I think I would read it again, not anytime soon, but I would read it.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:57 am
The Book i chose for the nonfiction reading was Friday Night Lights by H.G Bissinger. I am about half way through it.So far im am finding it very interesting.The Teens on the Panthers foot ball team all seem to have a unigue backgrounds.James Miles or better known as Boobie has been my favorite to hear about. I felt bad for him when he got that knee ingury at the begeging on the season. By the sounds of it without football he has nothing else he is really good at. I can only hope that it will get better for him. I also have been noticeing that a lot of the dads of the players are kind of living through there sons. Most of the dads seem to have a rough life growing up just like the players seem to. I am actualy not a huge football fan so im suprized that i am sort of enjoying this book. I’m going to keep reading and i cant wait to see how it ends.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
I just finished reading Friday Night Lights by H.G Bissinger. It amazes me how a town can be brought together or torn apart over a high school football game. I do believe that the players on this team should spend more time on studies and less time depending on getting on a collage football team. They should at least have a back up plan just in case they failed to get on one. Pretty much all the players on the Panthers football team did not make it to collage level football.
I Think that the fans of the Permian Panthers are a little too hard on the players.They are,after all, just high schoolers. They shouldn’t be putting for sale signs in the yard of a player that didn’t do to good at the previous game.
I also believe that the coaches were too hard on the players. Boobie is a great example. He was injured at the beginning of the season and the couches didn’t even care that his life depended on football. He wasn’t at all good at anything else.
Even though i have many criticisms of the book i enjoyed it very much. Cant wait to see everybody at school again.
September 7th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Finishing Friday Night Lights, made me want to cry. I’m a sucker for sport stories. I know what it feels like to be put in a postion such as that, being in a final game where there’s only minutes to go and you lose by a strand of string. I felt as though I was in that story through the whole thing. That game had me so on edge that I couldn’t believe what it came down to. I feel like crying because of all that hard work all the sweat blood and tears you put in a season to get that far, when your so close you can taste it. The rest of the book, had me going. At the end I wasn’t disappointed at all, through their season you just can’t win everything, they had a good football season don’t get me wrong, but in order to know what it feels like to win to really truly feel the glory of it, you need to feel the hurt the agony of what it takes. When I read the epilouge and the afterword, I was happy with some of the characters, but I was just at awe with disappointment with Boobie. After, his injury his life went downhill and I can’t believe he let his life crumble to such a lifeless nothing. I’m glad I choose to read this book, i would read another book by H.G. Bissinger. they way he captures everything, they way his words flow together with people on the yard lines. I am so amazed and feel so satisfied with the real town dream of a Firday Night football game in the lights.
September 7th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I can’t believe we start school tomorrow! I hope everyone has had a great summer!
I just finished Friday Night Lights, and quite honestly I wasn’t impressed. There were parts throughout the book that I thought were cool in a way, like every friday night a small town that deals with racism, and segregation can all come together to watch a football game, they put all of their differences aside for that one night! I agree with Alex, in order for a team to truly appreciate winning, you have to lose also. I also agree with Shai, Boobie got injured, and his coaches didn’t really tell him to stick around, they could care less! He had such a good future set for him, but he had no support to fulfil his dreams. I did think this book was overall boring. I didn’t feel as captured and on the egde of my seat like I was when i read, A Northern Light.
September 7th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Okay… i guess since I have not posted for my second book that I should get started. I have had these written down because I was on vacation.
The second book I read was Barefoot Heart by Elva Trevino Hart, and the book was pretty enjoyable. In the middle of the book I was having troubles getting real interested in the book. The story was still good, but it was just moving slow for me. My favorite thing about the book so far into it was the fact that the story was real. I think that if the story was fiction than it would have been less enjoyable because I could have never believed it. I also like the way the family treats eachother; just like a real family. So far into the book, I would for sure recommend it.
September 7th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
When I finished the book Barefoot Heart written by Elva Trevino Hart, I would have to say I was surprised. I would have never guessed that Hart would eventually become something. Actually, I never doubted she could do it, I just was surprised because it must have been so hard for her. Hart came from a place that was so hard to thrive in. I was just surprised.
The book was very entertaining, and I would have to disagree with Taren and recommend the book. People who like reading of a family who has struggled to survive will like it I think. People who also enjoy books about the unbelievable, as in Hart becoming more than a migrant.
This book has taught me to dream and there is nothing that can stop me.
September 7th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Hope everyone enjoyed their last summer day!
I just finished Friday Night Lights, and i didn’t really think it was as good as lots of people said it was. I thought i was going to like it a lot more, and i was kind of disappointed. The thing i liked about the book was the characters; the drive and passion that they have in the game they play is inspiring for anybody that loves to play sports. Boobie’s story was sad because he had to give up his dream just because of his knee and nobody tried to stop him. I also enjoyed reading about the struggles that the Permian Panthers went through individually and as a team. I learned that when you have a dream that you want to make a reality, then you need to go after it without letting people bring you down or take it away from you. If it wasn’t for some certain characters, then I wouldn’t have enjoyed this book at all because truthfully I found it quite bland. I would recommend this novel to somebody that is a really big fan of football.
September 7th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
My last post was a little late because I wrote the blog a while ago, but my internet wasn’t really working. Anyway, I just finished Friday Night Lights about a week ago.
I did find some parts in the book to be a little boring, but overall I would recommend it.
I think that it’s almost a good thing that the Permian Panthers didn’t win the state championship in 1988. I was rooting for them, and I know it would’ve meant a lot to them, but I think it also taught them something. Maybe they learned that in life, sometimes you get let down. If you’ve give it all you’ve got though, then it’s the best you can do, and the rest is out of your hands. I thought it was insane when Gary Edwards’ algebra II grade was so debated, that it went all the way to court. In my opinion, the ruling should have gone the other way.
I loved the follow ups at the end of the book. I thought it was also pretty cool how the people of Odessa read the book and realized how crazy they were with football and didn’t necessarily like it.
I’m going to rent the movie soon and see how that compares. A Northern Light is my next book and I hope that it’s just as good as Friday Night Lights!
September 7th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
First off, I’m glad to be done with Summer Reading. Also, I hope everyone had a fantastic summer.
I have finally finished A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. I actually seemed to enjoy it once it got closer to the end. Not many people talked about this, but I loved when it was Mattie’s birthday and she had thought everyone forgot. When she was told she was “in trouble,” they actually had a birthday surprise for her. I thought that was sweet of everyone.
I liked the way it ended and how Mattie chose to pursue her dream and be a writer. Even though, surprisingly, Royal and Mattie did not end up getting married, I beleive that Weaver and Mattie would have made a better couple in the first place anyways because all Royal wanted was her father’s land.
I may actually read A Northern Light again, just to see if I can enjoy it a little more.
See you all tomorrow!
September 7th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I have been reading The Other Side of The River by Alex Kotlowitz. I struggled to get through this book. It’s written well, but just not as interesting to me as the other book I read, The Northern Light. That book grabbed me from page 1. In fact, I would read it more. This one has failed to hold my attention, although the theme is interesting in itself. I mean, racism is bad. Actually, this was an interesting look at the difference in point of view from two towns. I didn’t like that the author had spent so much time doing research on the case that he doesn’t know when to stop talking about it. I felt like he took three hundred pages to admit he’s still clueless about what happened.
September 7th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
My next two posts are late as well. I write them then forget to post them.
For my second book, I have chosen to read A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. I’m a little more than half way through the book right now. I really like it so far. It holds my attention, and seems to have more of a storyline than Friday Night Lights did. From what it says on the back of the book, I thought that it would focus more on the murder than what it has so far. It’s still pretty interesting though.
I relate the most with Mattie. I’m pretty picky with grammar too. I think that it’s cool how she learns a new word every day. I’m learning a few new words along the way as well. I don’t think I’d ever be able to remember all those words if I did what she did though. Well, I’m off to finish my book!
September 7th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Hi, everyone. I hope you had a great summer!
I finished A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly a while ago. I loved the book, and would definitely recommend it. I thought that Mattie’s emotions really came through in the text. I admired some of the decisions she made about her life, and how quickly she grew up in times of need. I also thought that the Grace Brown aspect of the story came together really well. I liked how it was a large part of the story, but the facts surrounding her murder didn’t overshadow Mattie’s story. Like many others, I’m also glad that Mattie left and didn’t marry Royal. He may have been a pretty face, but he lacked personality. All he ever talked about was farming. He didn’t sound like he was as adventurous and insightful as Mattie was. They just didn’t mix very well. I also was a little confused at first when it changed from Mattie’s home life to the Glenmore, like Betsy was. My favorite part was when Mattie realized that she held the truth about what really happened to Grace.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book.