My pathfinder of Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers

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