Foster, Marc, dir. The Kite Runner.2008. Film

Summary

Love, lies, loyalty and redemption is the recipe for this dramatic film.  If these ingredients attract your palate, then this is the film for you.  The Kite Runner is a story about the friendship of two childhood boys, Amir and Hassan, growing up in Kabul.  Amir was very wealthy and prominent and Hassan was of a very poor ethnic background and also the son of Amir's father's servant.  The Boys relationship become strained after an unfortunate occurrence.  When the country become torn, Amir and his father flee to California.  Years later, Amir returns to his old country to help his childhood friend who son is in  trouble.

Critique

I really enjoyed this film.  The emotions that this film evokes allows you to reflect on how precious life, love and friendship is really. This is a delightful film.  I recommend this film to ages 12 and up.

Connection

Let's see what others are saying about this film.

Dargis, M. (n.d.). 2007, /december,14. Retrieved from movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/movies/14kite.html

2012 January, 14. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kite_runner/

Whaley, J. (2011). Where things comes back. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Summary

If you enjoy such themes as mystery, love, and character flaws then this is certainly a must read book for you.  Cullen Witter, who lives in Lily Arkansas wonders if he will ever leave this dull town.  While he is reflecting on his life, her is faced with having to deal with the disappearance of his younger brother and a cousin who overdosed on drugs.  To make matters worse, his issues are overshadowed by the town's obsession of the reappearance of a an extinct woodpecker.  The plot is also intertwined with another theme concerning characters of a religious fervor

Critique

this novel was cleverly and intelligently written.  Whaley does a brilliant job intertwining plots.  I recommend this book to ages 13 and up.

Connection

If you are interested in this book, you would probably like these books as well.

1.  Between Shades of Gray  by Ruta Sepetys

2. The Returning  by Christine Hinwood

3. Inside out and Back Again  by Thanhha Lai

To further investigate issues from this book, you can go to the websites listed below

www.johncoreywhaley.com

overflowingheartreviews.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/book-review-where...

·             www.bookbrowse.com/...preview_number/6340/where-things-come-backr where things come back by john whaley

Nye, N. (2011). There is no long distance now: very short stories. New York: Greenwillow/Harper Collins.

Summary

Do you have a treasure chest of a library? If you do, then here is a little gem that is filled with a plethora of emotions and experiences. This delightful book consist of forty very short stories.  The stories take a look into the varied  lives of people from diverse backgrounds.  There are some repeated characters.  The stories are not connected.  Although the stories are now more than five pages long, they are condensed and compacted with details.

Critique

These short stories are very easy reading.  There is definitely something in this book for everyone.  I recommend this book for age 13 and up.

Connection

If you are interested this book, you would probably enjoy these books as well authored by Naomi Shihab Nye:

1.  What Have You Lost  by Naomi

2.  Never In A Hurry:  Essays On People And Places

3.  Honeybees:  Poems And Short Prose

To further investigate issues from the book, you can go to the websites listed below.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/10604175-there-is-no-long-distance-now

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/naomi-shihab-nye/there...

Collins Suzannes. (2010).The Hunger Games. Scholastic Press:New York


Summary
katniss Everdeen a 16 year old living in a nation called Penam that is  formally known as North America.  Every year the Capitol of Panem hosts an annual event called the Hunger Games.  This annual event consists of  two tributes (male and female), who are selected from the 12 districts.  This savage account is televised for all the districts to view.  The tributes must fight until one remains standing but there is a twist to this story.  This book gives  a gruesome account of how Katniss tries to survive.

Critique
I found this book to be very disturbing.  Though well written but extremely violent.  The thought of having to take another person's life to survive only for the moment is very unnatural yet  this barbaric approach to survival has been cultivated in Western society through a winner take the spoils cultural acceptance.  I would reccomend this book to ages 12 and up.

If you enjoyed this book, you may want to read the following:
1.  The Fall (The Gods Slayer Trilogy) by David L. Dawson
2.  Fire Stones (The Fire wars #2)( A Young Adult Dystopian Mythology Fiction by Kailin Gow
3.  Mocking Jay (Book 3) by Suzanne Collins

Websites
1.  www. fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-games/articles/54407/title/opinions-review-hunger-games
2.  www.teenink.com/opinions/social_issues-civics/articles/250477/violence-from-The-Hunger-Games-and-our-society

Wright, Richard. (2010). Black Boy: New York:



Summary
If you like to read an  excellent  example of a brilliantly crafted writing and can look amid the horror and sadness of true events then this is definitely the book for you.

Black Boy is an autobiography of the author Richard Wright.  The non-fiction book retells the painful memories of Richard's life growing up in the segregated South and  his journey of how he had a hunger and thirst to learn and ultimately becoming a writer.  He struggles to grow up in a society that has clearly been mapped out into two worlds; black and white.  These two worlds only came together to form a sick and sad union only for the  need and necessity of which Richard never accepted but learned to adapt.

 Critique
I really enjoyed this book.  Amid Mr. Wright's grim experiences, I thoroughly enjoyed his writing.  Mr. Wright had a way of verbalizing his thoughts and feelings very poignantly.  There are time you can actually see what he was seeing and feeling.  Unfortunately, he was punished for being so naive.  I recommend this book to age 12 and up.  This was an Excellent good read.

Connections
If you are interested in this book, you would probably be interested in these books as well.
1.  Native son by richard Wright
2.  If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
3.  Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
4.  Fences by August Wilson
5.  Blues For Mr. Charlie by James Baldwin
6.  The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
7.  Cane by Jean Toomer

To further investigate issues from this book you can go to the websites listed below.
1.  youthvoice.net/discussion/hoe-richard-wrights-book-black-boy-inspires-me-and-other-readers

2.  www.goodreads.com/book/show/228630.Black_Boy

Cleopatra Rules

Shelter, Vicky Alvear.(2010).Cleopatra Rules!: The Amazing Life of The Original Teen Queen: Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

Summary
Do you like Drama, mystery, romance, scandal or just all out mayhem? if your answer to any of the above then this is definetly the book for you.  This book is an informal biographical sketch and history of the Pharoah Cleopatra.  This book explores how Cleopatra's rose to be the powerful force of Egypt and reign as the Queen of Egypt. 

Critique
This book fun to read.  There are times you feel as though the documentary is being told through the eyes of a teenager.  The subjects in this book are written in the vernacular of a student.  There are lots of puns and combined modern reference  with ancient facts.  The characters in the book are whimsically described; one example is, "Caesar was fifty-two years old.  He had a wife at home and a grown daughter who had died giving birth years before.  He was balding.  Yet the dud had a reputation for being a player." (p. 27)  I recommend this book to age 12 and up.

Website Interest
Now that you have my take on this wonderful book, lets see what others think.
www.commonsensemedia.org/book-review-cleopatra-rules
motherdaughterbookclub/2011/01/book-review-cleopatra-rule
www.goodreads.com/book/show/8285377-cleopatra-rules

Book Interests
1.  Alexander the Great Rocks the World
2.  My Name Is Not Easy
3.  Torn (The Missing Book 4)
Dare to Dream!: (25 extraordinary lives