The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It takes place after The Hobbit was written. In that particular book, a hobbit called Bilbo Baggins has stolen a dark and mysterious ring from a hideous creature named Gollum. Eventually, Bilbo is basically forced to pass down the dark and powerful ring to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. This is where The Fellowship of the Rings begins. The novel begins in a small village called "The Shire," unharmed by evil forces and full of rolling, lush green hills and tiny humans called "Hobbits" (Bilbo and Frodo are both hobbits). Since Frodo is unaware of the powers the ring possesses, his old friend Gandalf, who is a great and knowledgeable wizard, comes to warn him of it's evil. He tells Frodo to leave his safe and comfortable home in The Shire to avoid the wrath of the malicious forces that are after his ring. This ring holds more power than Frodo is aware of, like invisibility, the power to corrupt others, and the ability to understand other languages, which is why it is so desired. It also causes the possessor of the ring to become corrupted and evil when they possess it for too long. Frodo must travel a long and treacherous journey to Mordor to destroy the ring so it does not get into the hands of Sauron, the Dark Lord who is looming over Middle Earth, the world in which Tolkein has focused his trilogy around. If Frodo does not destroy this ring, the world will be ruled by the Dark Lord Sauron. Throughout the novel, Frodo and his other companions (which include 3 of his hobbit friends, Gandalf the wizard, an elf, a dwarf, and regular men) trek through Middle Earth to destroy the ring. But throughout their journey they come across many horrible and life-threatening dangers, like the nine Black Riders (the most terrible servants of the Dark Lord), which make their journey more dangerous and slow. The Fellowship of the Ring ends in sorrow, but it picks right back up in the next book, The Two Towers.

Discussion Questions:

1). If you were in Frodo's position, would you risk your life to travel to an evil, far away land to destroy a ring and save the Earth? Why or why not.

2). Since Gandalf knew of the evil the ring possessed, do you think it was wrong of him to make young, innocent and inexperienced Frodo trek across Middle Earth to destroy it when he could have done it himself?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series is a multi-million dollar franchise with its seven books. Even more millions come in as people see the movie of each of the books starting from the beginning of this decade. Over the years now it has becomes on of the most popular book series of our time and the final book delivers all the thrills and excitement the series has been leading up to. It all starts after the sixth book, with Harry on the run from Voldemort. As the remnants of The Order try to protect him he manages to escape Voldemorts and deaths grasp once again. After the chase though he arrives at the Weasley's and is greeted by many of his friends, however with the bad news of casualties and losses. As the book continues many things change all around Harry as Voldemort and his Death Eaters kill and slaughter their way to their control of the Ministry of Magic. With the Ministry under his control things take a darker side for the wizardry world as fear, terror, and death stalk all corners as the Death Eaters as Voldermorts own police. "The petrified Muggle-borns brought in for all questioning sat huddled and shivering on hard wooden benches"(Rowling 257). All Wizards of Mudblood and non-magic descent come into questioning and imprisonment as Voldemort executes his evil hatred towards them. It all comes down to Harry then to defeat Voldemort by some way for he in every ones mind is the "Chosen One". Along Harry's task he will come across great losses and sorrow but also revelation and truth to all the secrets and puzzles of the past and the people around him. But with visions of Voldemorts ongoing crimes disrupt his focus. Hermione says,"Harry, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half of the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head too!"(Rowling 85). But with the help of his friends he gets back on track. With Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, it is up to them to find out a way to end Voldemort's reign of terror for good.

1. Do any of the characters in this book relate to people in history? What are the comparisons?

Shadow Prowler By Alexey Pehov

Let me preface this by saying with fantasy it can be difficult to follow characters, locations, and the what the world is like in general if you have not read the book but bear with me. Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov is the first in a trilogy of fantasy epics that follow master thief Shadow Harold in his journey to Hrad Spein, a centuries old tomb for humans, elves, dwarves, and ogres encased in a mountain that has been sealed for centuries, and all recent expeditions to it have not returned. Shadow Harold has made his living stealing valuable goods for other people for many years. The book begins with Shadow Harold taking a job from his friend, an owner of a bar for people outside the law, that seems easy enough. However, after Harold is captured by the city guard he realizes that the job was much more then it seemed. It turns out the the King set Harold up in order to recruit him to go to Hrad Spein to find an artifact that is the key to saving the kingdom from destruction by the hand of the book's villain, The Nameless One, who has begun stirring again in the northern wastes after centuries of inactivity. The rest of the book follows Harold as he prepares for his treacherous journey, and Harold realizing the gravity of the situation as assasains and members of a previously unknown cult are suddenly after his life. From the Forbidden Territory in the center of the capital city, an area desecrated by misuse of magic where the dead walk and spirits run free. To gaining the company of an Elfin princess and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in the world, and of his traditional nemesis in the castle guard for his journey. Harold also faces a demon who will suck out his bone marrow if Harold does not get something for the demon. On his journey Harold battles with fatigue, exhaustion, unknown magic, horrible monsters, and his lingering mental reservations about the journey that he considers to be basically a suicide mission. Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov is everything you want from a fantasy epic, great characters, magic, a classic theme, monsters, and a teeming, vibrant world. If you are a fan of high fantasy I greatly recommend this book. This book is the only fantasy book that has held my attention as well as The Wheel of Time series, in my opinion the best fantasy series ever created (yes better than Lord of the Rings).

Discussion

1) In the book the captain of the city guard is forced to work with Shadow Harold by the order of the king. The captain is apprehensive and has trouble trusting Harold as Harold is a known thief, lier, and killer. Do you think you could work effectively and fight alongside someone who you knew has committed several serious offenses, such as the ones described above? Why or why not?

2) Harold could have run away from the King and his request and lived a comfortable life in the country, but he didn’t even though he regards the quest as madness, and has never thought of himself as a hero. What makes people do things like this? A sense of duty? Money? Have you ever done something like this?

A Man Named Dave

A Man Named Dave, by Dave Pelzer, is a conclusion to the novels A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy. The novel starts off with a flashback to David's childhood. One of Dave's encounters with his mother is expressed by "a jolting thud strikes the side of my neck. My knees buckle as I turn inside the doorway..." (Pelzer 8). It reviews how he was beaten by his mother and how other children treated him. The novel then proceeds to talk about his life with his foster family. When he was in foster care, he worked because he knew he would need money later in his life. He was different than most kids who played on the playground and had friends. Then, David turns eighteen and wants to start his own life. He ends up quitting high school, but he obtains his GED by himself and enlisting into the Air Force. While in boot camp, David has many nightmares about his mothers abuse, which makes him stay up all night to prevent him from waking up in a screaming fit. His dream is to become a firefighter just like his father. "The only thing that mattered was Father's badge," states Dave (Pelzer 66). The main thing he cherished and looked up to his father for was him being a firefighter. David did not have the skills and education to become a firefighter; therefore, he went to college. Once college was completed for him, his papers became lost and he was not able to obtain his dream. Soon after, David finds out that his father has become ill with cancer and is going to pass away soon. He goes home to see his father before he passes. Dave's real mother acts like she is devastated by Dave's father's illness; however, she will not visit him. Since Dave's father is no longer alive, he does not have a reason to earn his money. He wanted to earn money, so he could buy his father a house since he was homeless. Finally, he feels like he has something to live for when he enters a team of cooks within the Air Force. When he returns to the Air Force, he meets a woman who becomes his wife. David ends up asking her to marry him once he finds out she is pregnant. No one really supports their marriage. Since David's job was very time consuming, he had little time to spend with his wife and children. This caused tension between them two and lead to their divorce. Both his wife and Dave found new people to live their lives with and Dave was able to still see his child at any free time he had. Dave always had a fear that he would turn into an abusive father, like his mother was and he did not like that thought. Throughout the novel, Dave goes back home many time to visit his abusive mother and his grandmother, which both give him an uneasy feeling. All of the actions that occurred in Dave's life added up and taught him to leave his past behind him and to trust and love others in the present. The novel teaches that forgiveness is key, because if people do not forgive, then their other relationships may be affected. David had a hard time forgiving his mother, which lead to distrust in his marriage which led to their divorce too.

1)David had a hard time moving on with his life, because he still had not forgave his mother. His distrust in his mother, led to him having distrust in others too. Until he forgave his mother, he had altered the way he treated his wife due to his emotions still rattled by his mothers actions. Do you think that peoples past affect their future greatly? Why is it hard for many people to let go of their past?

2)David’s father was a role model to him and when David saw his father struggling, he wanted to do everything to help him. Do you have someone in your life who you would give up anything for? If so, who and why?

Fast Track by Suzy Favor-Hamilton

Suzy Favor-Hamilton is a female Olympic runner and motivational speaker; she is arguably the best middle-distance runner in the entire United States. However, one of her most defining moments as a person in my opinion occurred during one of her Olympic races. She was expected to win the race with little difficulty; but unfortunately, she dropped out with only a very short distance left to go. After she had finished, she attributed her inability to finish to the fact that she simply was not ready. However, she later confessed that the actual reason behind her collapsing and dropping out of the race was that as soon as she slipped from first place to second to third to not even medaling, she simply could not handle the defeat and the fact that she was expected to win and had failed to do so. She told people that the reason that possessed her to do such a thing was due to all of the stress that was building up in her personal life, and the expectation to win only added to that stress. I think this is truly remarkable for her to come clean like this; not many people would be willing to tell the truth in this situation, so it says a lot about her character. Her motive for writing this book was that she wanted to share training and nutrition secrets of her own that have allowed her to become so successful in her career in order to help young female runners improve in their own careers, regardless of their level or ability. This book is targeted to female runners, but I think it has many valuable lessons that can be applied to both men and woman in various sports. Suzy won eleven state titles in high school and was named one of the top 100 high school athletes of the century. Additionally, she became the most decorated female collegiate athlete at the University of Wisconsin which is where she attended college. Here she won nine NCAA championships and four Big Ten Athlete of the Year Awards which are now referred to as the Suzy Favor awards in her honor. Furthermore, she is a three-time Olympian and holds seven U.S. National Championships. She still runs today in Wisconsin where she lives with her family. She wrote this book as she was preparing herself for the 2004 Summer Olympics; she worked with a man named Jose Antonio, Ph.D., an exercise and sports nutrition scientist, who helped Suzy write this book. The book is divided into various sections, all of which target a specific aspect of the sport ranging from nutrition to advice for the actual race day. She talks about varying the severity of work outs and when it is important to rest so as to prevent overtraining which she accredits to being a common source of injuries. Suzy also talks about the positives of cross training which she is a firm believer in; cross training is training an athlete does that it is outside of the norm of their sport in order to target other muscles that are not used as frequently in his or her primary sport. For instance, two great examples of cross training for runners is swimming and bicycling; both relieve stress on the joints of a runner that are often overworked. Also, she talks about the positives and negatives in relation to strength training, stretching and various other non-running related exercises. She talks about her own life experiences both on and off the track in order to persuade young runners from making the same mistakes she made, mistakes that are typical of young runners. Suzy goes on to talk about the benefits of her specialized diet plan and the reasons why a good diet is so crucial for runners. Suzy’s experiences of competing at the highest, most prestigious level of sports in addition to Jose Antonio’s immense amount of knowledge regarding exercise and nutrition science allow for this book to truly reach out to both the highly competitive and leisurely runner while providing valuable lessons that can virtually be applied to any sport.



Discussion questions:
1) If you were in Suzy’s position during the Olympic race where she dropped out, what do you think you would have done? If virtually everyone in the world was expecting you to win, how would you have handled that pressure when you knew you were not going to win? Would you have confessed as she did?

2) Suzy is obviously a very successful runner, yet she is possibly one of the nicest, most down to earth people you will ever meet (I had the chance to meet with her). Why do you think this is? Most exceptionally successful athletes are often very cocky and full of themselves. Why is she so willing to share all of her secrets regarding nutrition and running?

3)Do you think this book would help you at all? Do you think it’s important that even for those who are not runners or not involved in sports to be familiar with this type of lifestyle and the hardships that come with being so passionate about something like a sport? Is there a universal message relating to work ethic, etc?

Who Loves You Best by Tess Stimson

Who Loves You Best by Tess Stimson is an exceptional novel filled with unforgettable characters and an indefinite amount of suspense. The novel revolves around the complex choices that women must make for their relationships and motherhood, in addition to the countless unexpected events which open our eyes to what really matters in life. Clare Elias is a profound entrepreneur who owns seven flower shops around her town. She has everything she needs: a luxurious house in the upper skirts of town, a handsome husband, and enough money to last any family three centuries. She has already mastered the business world, so how hard can motherhood possibly be? Clare soon learns, however, that motherhood is not about being able to control every event and predetermine the outcome of each decision that she makes. Clare gives birth to two twin babies in the middle of inner-city England, beginning a stream of unfortunate events that throw Clare’s life into a hole of chaos and confusion. She has sworn that she will never hand over her children to a nanny the way that her insensitive and inattentive mother did. Before long, however, Clare returns to her work and invests in a beautiful young nanny named Jenna. Clare has no idea that bringing a stranger into her house will change everything as she knows it. Clare is forced to realize that letting another woman raise her children involves flexibility and patience. She is not prepared, however, for the day that her daughter calls Jenna “mom.” Soon after, Clare’s husband becomes distant and secretive, having smuggled 1.8 million dollars from Clare’s business to cover a debt made by excessive gambling at his work. Worst of all, Clare’s baby girl Poppy gets sick. Clare is accused of trying to poison her children and is placed under arrest. Clare grows close with Jenna as they begin to share in both friendship and love for the children. It is only because of this strong bond that Clare is able to survive through her husband running away with her children and also adapt to life as a single mother after the separation with her spouse. By the end of the novel, Clare is finally able to accept the beauty in unpredictability as well as learn the importance of love and putting her family and friends before her career. Most importantly, Clare is able to be satisfied with her imperfections and settle her past by letting go of painful memories as well as forgiving herself for her mistakes. She is able to learn the importance of independence but also understand the human need for partnerships and stable relationships.
1. At the end of the novel, Clare realizes that not being present during the majority of the first few months of the twins’ life has had an impact on her children. The babies both recognize Jenna as their prime caretaker and develop a deep connection with the nanny over their mother. Clare, however, still feels completely obligated to continue her overbearing involvement in the business world. The choice between building relationships or following her passion becomes excruciatingly difficult. If you were forced to chose between what you are passionate about or the relationships in your life, what would you chose and why?
2. Although Jenna never gets emotionally involved with Clare’s husband, Clare continuously wonders if Jenna and Marc are hiding an affair as Marc becomes more and more distant. As Marc becomes secretive, Clare and Jenna also become closer. Clare sometimes wonders if Jenna’s supposed trustworthiness is an attempt to cover the truth. Would you ever allow someone, such as a nanny, to become so intimately involved in your family relationships? Would you be willing to trust that your spouse is remaining faithful despite the incessant temptation present in your household?

Izzy, willy-nilly by Cynthia Voigt

Izzy, or Isobel, is only fifteen when a car accident changes her life. She finds herself waking up in a hospital with the Doctor voice saying "Isobel? I'm afraid we're going to have to take it off" (1). It is her leg. Fifteen is too young to become a cripple. Too young for Izzy, who won't be known for her talent as a cheerleader or her pretty looks any longer. Dealing with this tragedy is a long difficult road of depression and hard work and it becomes even harder when her three best friends no longer want anything to do with her, slowly they quit visiting her in the hospital and never return her calls. She only finds comfort in her countdown of days until she can return home. Surprisingly, one of her classmates whom she had only known from Latin club, Rosamunde, comes to visit Izzy in the hospital. Now Rosamunde isn't exactly the type of girl Izzy would be found hanging out with, Izzy's mother comments after seeing her and not knowing who she is, "There was a girl, probably a couple of years older than you and -- Oh, not at all pretty, and not well dressed..." (106). Rosamunde is difficult for Izzy to be around, but she may be the only person Izzy can confide in about how she truly feels. Is Rosamunde the only person that Izzy can truly be herself around? She may just be the reason Izzy begins to see things in a new light and change the way she feels about a lot of things in her life.


1. If, like Izzy, you had to go through something like this and lose a limb, how do you think you would you deal with it? Would you even be able to?

2. Sometimes people find friends in the most unusual places and those new friends aren't always the type of people they would normally want to be around. Have you ever become friends with someone who didn't really fit the description of someone you would normally be friends with? If not, would you ever consider befriending someone who seems "weird" to you?

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks is a love story filled with anger, confusion, hope, and fear. The book begins when a Boston newspaper columnist and single mother, Theresa Osborne, finds a bottle that has washed up on shore. While looking at it more closely she realizes that there is a letter inside. It opens with, "My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, the song is that of our life together..." according to the character who signed the letter, Garrett, in Nicholas Sparks' book, Message in a Bottle. She shows her outgoing friend at the newspaper, Deanna, and they decide that a letter this beautiful should be published for everyone to read. Theresa recieves some calls and tips and eventually finds two more letters addressed to Catherine and signed by Garrett. She begins to wonder who these people are and wants to meet Garrett, the author of the letters. Theresa eventually tracks down someone named Garrett who fits the description based on the letters. He owns a scuba shop and is an avid salior, in a small town off the coast of North Carolina. As soon as she spots Garrett there is an instant spark between them. They go on a series of dates and have a whirlwind romance in the five days they spend together before she has to return to Boston. Before Theresa leaves, the couple decides they will try to continue to see each other. A few weeks later Theresa brings her tweleve-year-old son, Kevin, to meet Garrett. A few weeks after Theresa and Kevin leave North Carolina, Garrett comes to visit them and realizes he can't live without Theresa but he is still in love with his dead wife, Catherine. He could never live in a busy, loud town, but he doesn't feel right asking her to leave her job and uproot her son especially if he will always be in love with Catherine. The couple has an arguement about who should move and they end up breaking up. Later Garrett takes his dad's advice and decides he needs to get over Catherine because she would want him to be with someone else he loves. He goes out to sea to send her a final message and he is killed in a storm. Theresa recieves a message in a bottle he sent her before his trip out to sea. In this letter he explains a dream about Catherine in which he tells her how he is in love with Theresa but feels guilty about having to let Catherine go. In the dream Catherine tells Garrett, "Who do you think it was that brought the bottle to her?" (Sparks 362) As Thersa reads the letter she realizes that it was destiny for her and Garrett to be together but now it is too late. Overall the story deals with new love and making choices that could change someone's life forever.

1. Having a long-distance relationship is a problem for Theresa and Garrett as it is for many couples. How do you think couples should resolve the issue? How do you think Theresa and Garrett should have dealt with it?

2. There are a lot of dreams described in this book that lead the characters so realize something important. Have you ever had dreams that seem to mean something important in your own life?

3. At first Garrett doesn't think you can find true love more than once. Do you think this is true? Then he and Theresa are brought together by a message in a bottle. Do you think this is fate or coincidence?

Eclipse (The Twilight Saga) by Stepenie Meyer

In Eclipse, the love story between Bella (Isabella Swan, a human), Edward (a vampire who is a part of the Cullen family), and Jacob (Jacob Black, a werewolf) continues. The story opens with the news that multiple murders have occured in Seattle, Washington. The humans around believe the murders are committed by a serial killer, but the Cullen family comes to the conclusion that the murders are being committed by a herd/ army of new vampires in the area. Throughout the novel they discover that the new vampire clan is being created by Victoria, a vampire seeking vengance on Edward for killing her love. Victoria is creating the vampire army because she knows that she cannot defeat the Cullen family by herself.
While this is going on in the story, Bella tells Edward that she misses her best friend Jacob, the werewolf and she would like to see him. Even though Edward does not like the idea of Bella being around Jacob, he permits it. Jacob however kisses Bella and tells her that he loves her and wants her to leave Edward for him. Bella responds by punching Jacob in the face, and breaking her hand.
With the battle coming soon, the Cullens ask the werewolfs for help defending the girl both sides love, Bella. The two opposing sides join forces and go over battle tactics weeks before the war. The night before, Bella is taken up into the mountains with nboth Edward and Jacob. The two men are at opposing sides all night and even right before the battle. Jacob, the next morning threatens to join the battle and die if Bella does not kiss him willingly; while kissing him, Bella realizes she is in love with him as well. Victoria soon tracks Bella's scent in while the battle is raging and fights Edward to the death. Victoria ends up dead and the rest you will have to read the book to know.
Hint: There is a special surprise of an engagemnet between Bella and one of the boys she loves.


Questions: 1) Do you believe that it is possible to love two people at once?
2) Do you think it was fair for Bella to allow both clans/families risk
their lives for her?
3) Would you be willing to die for someone you thought you loved?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The novel If I Stay by Gayle Forman tells the story of a 17 year old girl named Mia and her decision to live or die. It all begins when one morning Mia and her brother Teddy wake up for school only to find that school has been cancelled due to the arrival of snow. Since Mia's father is a teacher, he also has the day off and their mother has called of work so she can stay home with everybody else. The family decides to go on an "adventure" to visit their grandparents. While on their journey, their car is suddenly hit by a pickup truck going 60 mph down the road. The car is instantly destroyed. Mia then all of a sudden 'wakes up' and feels completely fine. She is still at the site of the horrendous accident. Her clothes are perfectly clean and she deels just as she did before the accident, and she' not exactly sure what happened. She explores the spot of the accident and sees her father and mother laying lifeless on part of the road. She then sees her body, mangled and soaked in blood, under some snow on the side of the road. This makes her begin to wonder if she herself is dead and that she is in a state between death and the arrival to Heaven. The fire department and ambulance arrive next at the scene and this is when Mia realizes that nobody see her or notices her. She hears the EMT's cover her parents in body bags and she sees her body life flighted to a nearby hospital. She has broken ribs, brain damage, internal bleeding, and other life-threatening issues. This makes her think that she isn't dead because the doctor's are flying her to a hospital. As her unconsciousbody is in the hospital, Mia in her spirit form begins to worry that her boyfriend, Adam, will have no way of knowing that she's in critical condition in the hospital. She wants to be able to see him, but since nobody notices her in her spirit form, this is impossible at the moment. When her grandparents come to visit, they ask the nurse if she is going to be ok and one of the nurses tells them that "she [Mia] is running the show. (73)" The nurse is implying that Mia will make the decision to live or die. Mia then wonders how she makes the decision and she weighs the goods and bads to living or dying. If she chooses to die, then she can be with her parents in Heaven, but if she lives then she can live out her life with her best friend Kim and her boyfriend Adam. As the novel progresses, Mia flashes back to times in her life that she spent with either Adam or Kim and she wonders how life for them would be if she left. This decision becomes very hard for her to make, taking into account her love for her family in Heaven, but also for her love for her bestfriend and boyfriend living on Earth. In the end, Mia makes the decision that she believes is right for her.

Discussion Question:

1) What would you do if you were in Mia's position? Would you choose to stay with your family if it meant you had to die and leave the ones you loved? Or would you choose to live and stay with your boyfriend/girlfriend, friends, and other loved ones on Earth?

Tell No One

The novel Tell No One by Harlan Coben is a mysterious and romantic novel. The story begins with Alex Beck, a doctor, who has slowly been putting his life back together after his wife Margot was murdered by a serial killer. After eight long years, he receives an e-mail with a note of a secret only he and his wife know. He is in shock, and starts to believe that his wife is still alive. In the e-mail, Alex receives a link to a surveillance video clip that features his late wife looking alive and well. The message warns Alex that they are both being watched. That same day, the police offers begin to accuse him of another murder that took place on the same land that he owned. Although he tried to convince them he hasn’t been around the land in eight years, the police officers still doubt him. Finally, when his lawyer calls him and tells him that they are going to arrest him, he runs. With the help of his friend, he escapes the law and tries to find out hints and clues of his wife’s “murder.” Gradually, Alex learns that there are numerous mysteries about his wife's death, including mysterious photos of her covered in bruises. Using these clues and hints, he finds out what really happened to his wife, and what actually happened that night.

1. How would you feel if you received a message from someone you cared about that you thought had passed away as Margot did to Alex?

2. Without giving away the ending, Alex discovers the secret of what had happened the night of his wife’s “murder.” The ending of the novel involves family secrets, how would you feel if a family member kept something hidden from you?

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life By: Wendy Mass

Jeremy Fink is a twelve year old boy who is about to be a teenager in one month. He receives a mysterious box in the mail that is locked with the engraving of "The meaning of life" at the top of the box, and a note that says he should open it on his thirteenth birthday. He shortly finds out that the box is from his father who died in a car crash five years ago. With the box came a note from a lawyer saying Jeremy's father told him to send the box to him on his birthday, but unfortunately the keys are missing and can not be replaced. Jeremy tells his best friend Lizzy about the box and she thinks they should search for the missing keys. A little weary of the idea, Jeremy agrees to the idea and they start their adventure through New York and New Jersey. They search high and low going into old flea markets and the lawyers old office building but find nothing. They eventually find themselves working for a retiring pawnbroker, who has them delivering items to the original owners. In doing so, Lizzy and Jeremy meet many fascinating people, who teach them new things about the world around them. Eventually they find the keys, and when they open the box, there are a bunch of rocks that his dad collected at each important event in his life. Jeremy soon realizes that the meaning of life is living each day to its fullest.


1. If you received something that was reasonably hard to open, would you go through all the hassle to open it, or would you forget about it and move on? explain your answer.

2. What do you consider to be the meaning of life?

Gene Forrester returns to visit the campus of Devon School, an all-boys preparatory school in rural New Hampshire, which he attended fifteen years prior. Two locations bear a mysterious significance to him, the first being a marble staircase inside a classroom building. The second is beneath a tree growing near Devon River. After standing outside, time moves back fifteen years to when Gene had still been a schoolboy standing near that same tree. His friend Phineas urges him to climb its branches and jump off to simulate abandoning a torpedoed ship--World War II is waging on in the outside world. Gene jumps out of its branches into the river with Finny, despite his fear.

During an accelerated class session in the summer of 1942, Gene becomes increasingly paranoid of Finny who is also his roommate. He is the best at every sort of sport while Gene excels in academics and is not very athletic at all. Finally he decides that Finny is just as jealous of him as he is of Finny. As this conflict unfolds within Devon's campus, the war wages on in the outside with a greater fury. Gene's obsession with Phineas becomes so overwhelming that, while jumping out of the tree again later in the summer he shakes the branch to intentionally knock Finny out of the tree. Finny's leg is broken and he is unable to play sports again. The Summer Session ends and the boys return to their homes.

Forrester feels guilty about what he has done and tries to confess to Finny but he refuses to believe that Gene, his best friend, would ever hurt him. Devon School becomes more regimented and orderly as the Winter Session begins and, with Finny's absence due to his injury, Gene decides that he will leave Devon early in order to enlist in the military and fight in the war. But he wants to fight not for patriotism but rather for the sake of committing violence. Finny returns to school unexpectedly, on crutches, and discourages him from doing this. Their friendship becomes stronger as the two open up to one another. They share one another's skills, for Gene tutors Finny in academics and Finny teaches him about sports. They both make great progress and forget about the war for a little while.

As the spring begins, militaristic Brinker Hadley suspects Gene of causing Finny's fall from the tree during that previous summer and holds a mock trial for the two. Finny realizes that his best friend really had knocked him off the branch purposely and is so upset that he falls down the same marble staircase that Forrester visits fifteen years later. His recovering leg is broken again. Gene speaks to him in the school's infirmary and apologizes for what he has done. Finny forgives him and regrets that he himself can't enlist to fight in the war because of his leg. Gene assures him that he'd be a terrible soldier anyway since he's so good-natured and innocent. Comforted, Finny then dies after marrow leaks from the broken leg, causing his heart to stop. Gene is shocked but remembers all that he has learned from Phineas and begins to treat the world with the same playfulness that his friend always had. He enlists in the Navy because of the draft but never makes it to actually fight in the war in Europe. He is happy for this and no longer wants to commit violence. Phineas has saved Gene from aggression and conceit, changing his understanding of the world forever.

What could Phineas' fall from the tree possibly symbolize? For Gene it brings about an end of carefree innocence and ushers in a period of shame and guilt. Think biblically.

Do you think the ending is a happy one even though Phineas died?

Don’t Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

Don't Die, Dragonfly is a story about a high school girl named Sabine who finds herself in situations that she does not know how to handle. "Sure," you may think, "but there are a million books about that." WRONG. Sabine is what one may call a seer, or someone who can view the future. Although many would consider this a blessing, Sabine sees it as a curse. Because of her ability to predict the future, Sabine is thought to be involved with the death of a classmate, because Sabine knew so much about the event before it had happened. Sabine is expelled from her school and must leave her home town to live with her grandmother, who is also psychic. Sabine tries to start fresh in this new town, and does her best to keep her psychic abilities a secret. To calm her nerves and make new friends, Sabine decides to join the school newspaper staff as an advice columnist. At first, she sees the column as a subtle and harmless way of using her powers to help others. But when Sabine begins having visions of another student dying at her new school, she tries her best not to get involved. As her guilt becomes more and more unbearable, Sabine must decide whether to risk her newly-regained innocence in order to save the student's life, or to blow her cover again and have yet another town blaming her for the death. The only problem is that Sabine does not know who the victim is, how she is going to die, or how to stop her death from happening. The only information that Sabine can rely on is that the girl has a dragonfly tattoo. With the help from her grandmother, friends, and another psychic (the local "goth" girl, Thorn), Sabine dives into another mystery, hoping to clear her name and save the girl with the dragonfly tattoo.

1. Sabine is classified as a "seer" in psychic terms, which means that she can see the future. Thorn, however, is a "finder", which means that she can sense where something came from or where it is now. If you had to choose between the two, which psychic ability would you Prefer to have? Why?

2. If you were in Sabine's position, would you keep your gift a secret? Why or why not?

Redwall Series: Lord Brocktree

Lord Brocktree, son of Lord Stonepaw, starts out as a prince badger and a haremaid named Dotti going back to Salamandastron, which is a huge mountain where the badger lords reign. The wildcat, Ungatt Trunn, captured it from Lord Stonepaw. A peaceful civilization, Salamandastron had hardly any fighters, and the ones who could fight were either old but experienced warriors, or young wet-behind-the-ears young ones. When Brocktree learns of his fathers downfall, he quickly races to the mountain to assess the damages. Along with Dotti, an otter accompanies him named Ruffgar. Trunn is ruler of the highlands in the north and his followers are all but righteous vermin. They are dirty creatures who lie and cheat their way up to power. Backstabbing occurs a few times and if anyone would speak up for the fowl play, they would be executed. Trunn calls his followers the Blue Horde, for the blue face paint that they wear before battle. Stonepaw unfortunately dies defending his people, but also takes many of the Blue Horde with him. Young and unexperienced, Brocktree heads off to what was once his father's mountain. One of Brocktree's allies, Jukka the Sling, a squirrel chieftain, dies alongside Brocktree in his battles. Jukka was a peaceful chieftain, but she fought with Brocktree when it did not affect her people whatsoever.


1. War is a terrible thing. It starts when leaders get greedy and want more than they already have, or just out of pure hate for one another and their differences. If you were the leader of a group of people, and another leader asked you to help aid in the war in which he was wronged, would you accept? Even though the war would not affect your people, what would you take into consideration?

2. The United States have fought in World War 1 and 2. Not being in Europe, the war did not directly affect the United States, but they participated in it anyways. Having come from the UK, the United States put away the past and fought for what they believed was right. Being from different "countries" (animal species) , Jukka still fought for what she thought was right. Could the past ever be erased, or would it be better if it was learned from and "apologized" for? With Germany in WW2, could the German people ever be forgiven?

3. People may join causes because of their fears. Do you think any world powers or people joined the Axis in WW2 out of fear of their lives?

Lies My Teacher Told Me

Since the time we have began school, teachers have lied to us. Not all teachers, however. The teachers who have lied are the ones that drone on about dates and attempt to cement into students minds everything from the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Second World War in a clear, no questions asked manner. These teachers are history teachers and this way of teaching is wrong. History is not fact; it is not a list of accepted concepts and actions to be memorized. It is, in fact, an argument, with as many answers as there are opinions.
History is "a furious debate informed by evidence and reason"(16), as James W. Loewen, the author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, openly states. From the time we enter school we start to memorize dates and events in history. This material is presented by textbooks that "employ a god-like tone"(16) and by teachers in the same manner to present history as only one story, one group's opinions.
Our textbooks focus so much on attempting to shed a positive light on America's history that they, in essence, are no longer so much about history as they are about glorifying a nation despite its history.
For example, our textbooks present Columbus as a herald to America's beginning. Most text books fail, however, to mention that the material they use to shape Columbus' arrival at the New World is "an outrageous concoction of lies, half-truths, truths, and omissions". Text books also fail to mention Columbus's shear abuse and exploitation of the natives that he encountered during his journeys. The sheer atrocities of what our "discoverer" did have never graced any American textbook in any significant way. This is just one minor example of history texts' abuse of historical information to suit their purpose.

That being said,

1) Have your history classes presented the subject as a list of facts without argument? If yes, do you think learning more of the argument would make the class more enjoyable?

2) Do you think that history teachers should present history as an argument? Is there time enough for this to be plausible or do we need to take more history classes?

3) Does the responsibility to present history as an argument fall more on the history teachers or the history texts?

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm begins with the drunken owner of The Manor Farm, Mr. Jones, mistreating all of his animals and underfeeding them to the point where they begin a plan to rebel. The animals, led by two pigs, decide that they will kick Jones and his family out of the farm and take over and run it themselves. Once Jones is expelled from the farm, they lock the doors and start business. Their main goal is to reach total equality, so they give every animal double servings of food, and make everyone work the same amount of hours. Basically at the beginning everything is equally shared, everyone is happy, and things are running smoothly. One of the first things they do is come up with the seven commandments that must always be followed, some of which include:

• No animal shall sleep in a bed
• No animal shall stand on its hind legs
• Whatever goes on four legs is a friend
• No animal shall kill another
• No animal shall drink alcohol
• All animals are equal
• No animal shall wear clothes

and so one of the pigs who has learned to write paints the commandments on the side of the barn. However, there is some immediate conflict between two of the pigs, Snowball the leader, and Napolean. Napolean wants to sit around doing nothing and just be in charge of everything while Snowball wants to teach the animals to build a windmill. Napolean uses nine feroceous and enourmous dogs that he raised on his own to scare all the animals and remove Snowball from the farm, making himself the 'dictator.' So Snowball is out of the picture, leaving a very convenient scapegoat for everything that goes wrong on the farm. Shortly after Snowball is gone, Napolean creates longer work days, bans their favorite freedom songs, and gives smaller food rations. He goes on a killing rampage, killing tens of animals who he believes are in league with snowball, moves himself and all the pigs into the house to sleep in beds, gets drunk every night, and at the very end, teaches all the pigs to walk on their hind legs and wear human clothing. He gets away with this by making the animals doubt their memories and by having one of his pigs change the laws written on the walls as he starts breaking them. All that the animals remember at the end is that 'things are better than they were when Jones was here, because now there is an animal leading us.' Because of the slow change, the animals didn't realize that things were even worse than they had been with Jones.

What does this story say about our own time? (Country, government, or world)

Do you think it is worse to suffer in ignorance or to know how all around awful your situation actually is?

Many people know that this story was written to directly satirize the Russian government under Stalin--explain how does he does that?

If you haven't already, this is a really great book to read!! It's only 141 pages, a very quick read, but really teaches a lot. It will probably raise your I.Q. by a couple of points just reading it.

A Place To Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca

A Place To Stand is a memoir written by Jimmy Santiago Baca, on the subject of his troubled childhood, his maturation into an adult life of crime, and his discovery of poetry as an outlet. Baca is one of many children to mexican immigrants, as a child he lives in an illiterate and impoverished area in California. His mother leaves him and his sibling for an American man sending his father into a drunken depression. Baca's life quickly spirals down a road of drug dealing and homelessness. In an unfortunate circumstance, he finds himself in the middle of a police raid that turns into a shoot out and he is sent to prison for the attempted murder of an federal agent. It is obvious that it was not Baca who pulled the trigger, in fact he had no gun, but because of his life of poverty and crime and his Latino nationality, he is sentenced to years in a maximum security prison without parole. While serving his time in prison he is threatened, attacked, beaten, and is ultimately forced to kill to survive. He begins to doubt God and to doubt the goodness in life when his long time girlfriend leaves him, his best friend joins the KKK, and his mother alienates him as her child because he looks Mexican. When his life is falling apart, a church going man becomes penpals with him in jail and teaches him to read and write. At the age of 21, Jimmy Santiago Baca learns to read in jail and this small feat changes his life. Through his penpal he meets a woman who will later become his wife, and she sends him poetry from famous American writers. Baca discovers his hunger for poetry and begins to write his own poetry and this allows him to survive prison and move on with his life to become the do-good authour he is today. Today, Baca runs charities and travels around the nation speaking to impoverished youth about the goodness in life and the healing powers of simple hobbies like reading and writing.

Here is a poem from the novel (this happens to be my all time favourite poem).

Oppression

is a question of strength,

of unshed tears,

of being trampled under,

and always, always remembering you are human

Look deep to find the grains of hope and strength,

and sing, my brothers and sisters

and sing. The sun will share

your birthdays with you behind bars,

the new spring grass

like fiery spears will count your years,

as you start into the next year;

endure my brothers, endure my sisters.

Topic Questions:

1. Baca bases his whole novel on his hard life and his overcoming of obstacles to become a better person. Many people say that it is possible to change one's entire personality, other people say it is completely impossible. After reading this summary of the novel and seeing how he has changes his perspective, do you think that it is completely possible that this could happen, or do you believe that his criminal instincts are still lurking underneath his do-good character?

2. Baca grows up completely illiterate. In one instance, he signs a contract on the subject of his jail sentence and he has no idea what it says. Once he learns to read it's as though his whole life has turned around and he begins to see the good in life. He soon discovers poetry and this becomes his sole outlet in life. As stressed as we teenagers are, what is/are your outlets to life that keep you sane?

She Walks In Beauty by Siri Mitchell

She Walks in Beauty is a novel set in the late 1800's high society New York. Clara is making her debut into society with the hopes of marrying an heir. With her mother dead she has been raised by a governess who taught her to think more about science than society. Clara's debut is just around the corner so her aunt gets rid of the governess to train her to catch a man. Joining her in the debutante season is her long time best friend Lizzie. The two girls quickly realize they are trying to catch the same man and promise not to let it get between them. As the novel progresses Clara must frequently choose between her aunt's wishes and her friend. As the season wears on things begin to fall into place with Clara and the heir, but she falls in love with his younger brother. This establishes the theme of choosing between desire and duty. The more she learns about society the more she realizes how corrupt it is. Everyone has secrets and her family seems to be buried in them. She is constantly told that marrying the heir, Franklin, will save their family from destitution and that his family owes them something but the whole story is never told to her. The only clues she gets are from an anonymous gossip columnist who seems to have it out for her family and compares her actions at balls and banquets to the actions of her father before her. Even though so much is unknown about her family she still loves them and feels responsible for their fate. Will she choose to marry Franklin and save her family? Or marry the man she loves and risk the consequences?

Discussion Questions:
1. Society will try to tell you who you are and what you should be. What has society been telling you? Do you listen?
2. If you were in Clara's position would you choose love or family?
3. Clara goes through rigorous training to fit the role of wife and proper society host. What would be the modern role of a woman? Would the modern woman benefit from such training?

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life by Richard Cramer

Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life is a biography written by the author Richard Ben Cramer. This novel chronicles the entire life of one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Joe DiMaggio, an Italian immigrant, began his American life on the Pacific coast. Raised in the Californian city of San Francisco, Joe lived in the Marina District. The area, composed mostly of other Italian fishermen, the DiMaggios fit right in. As with most young kids,Joe was interested in more with play than work. Skipping out on his turns on the boat, Joe stole a broken oar and turned it into a bat. Countless afternoons Joe would play outside, getting every one of his brothers to pitch to him. Seemingly in love with baseball, Joe practiced hitting for hours, honing his skills. Against his fathers wishes, Joe decided to tryout for a minor league team. Originally a shortstop, Joe was by far the best athlete on the field. Although not the best fielder, Joe was by far the best hitter. He could hit for power, hit for average, and he was fast enough to beat out infield hits. Sadly, all his success was not appreciated by his father. Mr. DiMaggio could not understand as to why his son was in love with something that was merely a game. Making very little money did not help Joe to convince his dad that baseball would be a great way to make a living. He felt Joe should be helping on the fishing boat full time. For as much as Mr. DiMaggio ignored Joe, the Yankees seemed to pay more and more attention. At an early age, DiMaggio signed a contract to play Centerfield for the New York Yankees, the most prestigious team in Major League Baseball. Here, Joe flourished. Dominating pitchers and running down balls in Centerfield, Joe quickly rose through the ranks, becoming known as the premier baseball player of his era. The "Yankee Clipper", as Joe was often referred to as, still holds records in the MLB today most famously his 56 straight game hitting streak. As #5's resume grew, so did his celebrity status, as Joe became a constant public figure. The media attention only worsened when Joe wed the legendary actress, Marilyn Monroe. Two of the biggest celebrities of the era caused quite the buzz around NYC. This buzz took a toll on Joe. As Joe got older and his skills diminished, he started to retreat back to a quiet lifestyle. This did not exactly agree with Marilyn who eventually split from Joe. Till the day of her death, Joe and Monroe remained close, and he consistently put flowers on her grave after her passing. As Joe reached the twilight of his own life, he was eventually honored in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Here, the "Yankee Clipper" and his retired number 5 jersey forever remain in the hearts and minds of the Yankee faithful.

Questions:

1: Is it OK to go against parental wishes if it is what you have to do to follow your dream?

2: With consistent celebrity media coverage in today's society, do you feel as though the constant attention has gone too far? If so, where should the paparazzi stop?

Push

This book starts in 1987 New York with a 16 year old girl named Claireece "Precious" Jones. She grows up with an abusive mother and suffers from visits from an abusive father. She is basically illiterate and is pregnant with her second baby by her father. Her mother refuses to work and counts on the monthly welfare check to barely provide for Precious. In return for the basics she provides, she expects her daughter to cook and clean and basically wait on her hand and foot. Her only escape is at school, where she is eventually expelled for becoming pregnant once again. Her guidance counselor convinces her to go to an alternative school, called Each One Teach One, where she meets an array of misfits just like herself. The teacher, Blue Rain, has an amazing way with each and every one of the students, and they learn the basic english and vocabulary skills that public school had failed them on. They write in journals daily to build their skills, and through this we see a little bit into their lives. While at the school, her mother continues to abuse her and takes living almost unbearable. She eventually goes into labor at school and comes home to face her mother. Unfortunately, welfare had found out that her first born baby was living with her grandmother, so her mother ends up getting less money. This leads to a confrontation when she gets home from hospital. After escaping her mothers wrath, Precious recieves help from Blue, and gets into a halfway house for abused women with children. She continues her education until her mother drops in for a visit. She tells Precious that her father had died of AIDs, and with having had unprotected sex with him resulting in two babies, Precious is at risk for being HIV positive. Amazingly, the mother is negative. Now Precious must go to the doctor to get tested, and learns that she is positive, but her newborn son is not. Now, instead of her world crashing down on her, Precious somehow finds the energy to attend an incest support group and counseling for her diagnosis. She learns and grows from the friendships she gains. Unfortunately, the book ends with no specific information to the outcome of her story.

1 Do you think that Precious would have been able to overcome her socio-economic background and abuse to find peace in her life? Or do you think that the obstacles are too great to overcome?

2 If you were in the same situation, what would you do to cope? Or would you even be able to at all?

Dawn by V.C. Andrews

Dawn Longchamp lives with her mom, dad, and brother, Jimmy. As a child she is constantly packing up and moving in the middle of the night. When her dad gets a job as a janitor at a private school, they are both able to enroll there. Although she makes an enemy with Clara Sue Cutler, she is able to find enjoyment in singing, and with a boy, Phillip Cutler, Clara Sue's brother. Jimmy has a very hard time fitting in and finding any enjoyment at the school. After Dawn's mom gives birth to a baby girl, Fern, she becomes ill, and dies. A few days later her father is arrested for kidnapping, and Dawn soon learns that it was her that was kidnapped when she a baby. Jimmy, Fern, and Dawn are all split up, and Dawn is forced to live with her real family, the Cutlers. She is horrified to find out that Clara Sue is her sister, and her boyfriend, Phillip, is actually her brother. The Cutlers own a huge hotel and Grandmother Cutler, who basically runs the hotel, forces her to work as a chambermaid, telling her that she has to start at the bottom of the family business and work her way up, and tells her that she will be called by her "true" name, Eugenia. She reuses and tries to get help from her parents, but they are just as powerless and her when it comes to Grandmother Cutler. Clara Sue is infuriated that Dawn is her sister and tries everything get back at her and get her fired. Dawn's life is further brightened by a secret visit from Jimmy, helped by Philip. Jimmy confesses that he developed romantic feelings for Dawn a while ago, but never dared show them because he felt he was sick for thinking of her that way. Dawn admits the attraction is mutual, but they find it hard to overcome their upbringing as brother and sister. Clara Sue finds Jimmy in the basement at Cutler's Cove where Dawn was hiding him. She tells Grandmother Cutler, who goes to the police and has Jimmy taken back to his foster parents. Dawn is heart-broken that Jimmy has to leave and is furious with Clara Sue. Jealous of her obvious affection for Jimmy, Phillip corners Dawn in her bathroom and rapes her. Desperate to get out, Dawn visits her old nurse Mrs Dalton and learns that her 'kidnapping' was staged because Randolph was not her biological father and that Grandmother Cutler paid the Longchamps to take Dawn. Dawn confronts Grandmother Cutler about this, who confesses and makes Dawn a deal: if Dawn will go to a singing school in New York, she will get Ormand Longchamp, the man she thought was her real father, out of prison. Dawn agrees and the book ends will Dawn boarding a plane to go to New York.

1. Have you ever thought of what you life would be living with a different family? Do you think it would be fun to live with another family for a month and have to live by their rules and customs?

Then how would you feel if you found out that you had to live with them for the rest of your life with no contact to your previous life?

2. Dawn was unwanted because her biological mother had gotten pregnant by a man who was not her husband, and she would have grown up being hated by her mother and grandmother. Even though kidnapping is wrong, do you think that Dawn's parents did the right thing in taking the deal from Grandmother Cutler and raising Dawn as their own?

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

For One More Day is a story about a man named Chick Benneto, a washed up former professional baseball player who receives the opportunity to meet his mother who has been deceased for 8 years. He gets this opportunity because at one point in the novel, he attempts suicide. As he is driving home from a bar in a drunken stupor, he analyzes his life’s poor choices from his divorce to missing his only daughter’s wedding. He contemplates the idea of suicide and accidentally speeds off an exit ramp, flies into a drainage ditch and loses consciousness. At this the point in the novel where he meets his dead mother, thinking he has passed away also because he is seeing her again. Chick is distraught by the fact that he is having casual conversation with his mother but is even more scared when he realizes he has died from the crash. Chick is eager to see his mother and talk to her because he was supposed to be with her the night she died, but did not go to the hospital to visit her because he was at drinking at a bar. At the end of the story, we find out that Chick does not die, and was saved by his daughter, who found him on the side of the road and called for emergency assistance.

This novel revolves around the themes of redeeming one’s past sins and guiltiness. Chick feels guilt that he was never able to rekindle the relationship he once had with his daughter and for his failed marriage. This story of family, love, forgiveness and mistakes comes off to the reader as over dramatic and over emotional through Albom’s intricate writing style.

Discussion Questions:

-How would you feel if you lost a family member and never fully had the chance to say goodbye?

-Why do you think suicide is such a recurring outcome for people struggling with depression? What are some possible solutions to prevent the spread of this social dilemma?

New Moon (yes, as in The Twilight Saga)

New Moon, the second installment in the world wide Twilight Saga phenomenon, continues the complications of a human-vampire relationship between 17 year-old Bella and 109 year-old year old Edward. Edward, trying to be a gentleman throws Bella an elaborate birthday party at his house. While Bella is opening a gift, she gets a paper cut. This is obviously a problem considering she is surrounded by vampires. Edward's "brother" Jasper, cannot resist and becomes ravenous, almost attacking Bella.

Edward sulks the entire way home, whining to Bella about how he is too dangerous for her to be around. Bella proclaims to him that because she is human, he will always be a risk to her, so she then continues to try and convince him to turn her into a vampire. The next day, Edward tells Bella to walk into the woods with her. They get a few steps into the woods and Edward dumps Bella, telling her he does not want her any more. Edward abruptly leaves the scene, leaving Bella alone in the woods. Bella runs through the woods looking for Edward, then finally collapses. This puts Bella into a manic-depression, in which she isolates herself from all of her friends and obsesses with the absence of Edward. Her father Charlie tells her that he is going to send her back to Florida to live with her mother if she does not snap out of it. Bella takes this into consideration and strikes up a friendship with a childhood friend, Jacob. Jacob soon finds himself falling in love with Bella as they spend time together fixing cars and motor bikes.

Bella realizes that when she does thrill-seeking adventures, she hallucinates and can "hear" Edward. Crazy? Yes. Jacob begins to get buff, making him appear huge compared to Bella. Bella soon learns that Jacob, along with the other tribe members, are a pack of werewolves. Jacob and his pack protect Bella from the vampire Laurent and also Victoria, who seek revenge for her dead mate, James.

Meanwhile, in a series of miscommunications, Edward is lead to believe Bella has killed herself. Because Edward is still in love with Bella, he feels like he has no reason to live. Edward travels to Italy to provoke the Volturi, also known as the "rulers" of the vampire world. Bella then has to choose between going to Italy to save her "true love" Edward, or break the heart of her best friend, Jacob.

Questions:

1.) Do you feel that Bella is a whiny-do-nothing that does not deserve neither Edward nor Jacob? Please explain your answer.

2.) Would you become manic-depressive if your love interest left you like Edward left Bella, or would you allow yourself to meet new people and move on?

3.) Do you feel that the Twilight Saga is misleading and Vampires should burn in the sun, not sparkle?

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom, is the story about Eddy, an old WWII veteran who works and maintains an old amusement park. One day at the park, Eddy dies while saving a little girls life. He goes to heaven and learns that the only way to get to his heaven is to encounter 5 people that influenced his life and who he influenced. These people could be people he was really close with or random people he barely knew. Also, the only way for his 5 people to go to their heavens is to meet Eddy in his passing over stage. Eddy learns new lessons from all 5 of his people. In these lessons he learns to move on from his life and accept his new life in heaven.

Here are some discussion questions.

1. If there is a heaven, do you believe it is something similar to this interpretation?

2. Why do you think Eddy had to learn lessons about his old life to accept his new one in heaven?

Tuesdays with Morrie

This book is called Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It's a nonfiction book that tells the story of a life changing journey experienced by the author, Mitch Albom himself. It begins with Mitch telling the story of his time at college at Brandeis University. While attending college, he grew very fond to one professor in particular. His name was Morie Schwartz and he was sociology professor. Mitch had always admired him all through his time at college, and at his graduation, he gives Morie a suitcase as a gift for being such a great professor. Mitch promises that he will keep a close relationship with Morie after graduation, but this never happens. Many years after Mitch's graduation, he is at his home watching television. He notices that Morie is on a news show being interviewed. Mitch learns that Morie has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It's a disease that causes the death of nerves and over time can lead to the muscle weakening and the inability to move. After seeing Morie on television, Mitch feels the need to meet him again and get in touch with him after so many years. The first day that they reunited for the first time was a Tuesday, and every Tuesday following that day they met with each other to talk. Each Tuesday they would discuss a different topic that had some significance to the meaning of life and what life really meant to them. Mitch documented all of these conversations on a tape recorder because he planned to eventually write a book to summarize his life-altering discussions with Morie. Each conversation had a high level of significance and these talks helped both Morie and Mitch remember certain events or memories that had a big part in their lives. It made Mitch begin to really appreciate life after hearing what Morie had to say in each one of his story and discussions. The annual Tuesday meetings would also arise strong emotions and feelings about certain subjects. Unfortunately, each Tuesday Mitch would come to visit, he would notice that Morie's health had decreased from the time of their last visit. Mitch would bring food for Morie every week too, and each week, Morie could eat less and less of it because of his condition with the disease. "I [Mitch] put the food I had brought with me into the refrigerator-soup, vegetable cakes, tuna salad. I apologized to Charlotte for bringing it. Morrie hadn't chewed food like this in months, we both knew that, but it had become a small tradition. Sometimes, when you're losing someone, you hang on to whatever you can" (Albom 182). This proved to Mitch how badly the ALS was harming Morrie, but he didn't want to believe it. The fourth Tuesday was Mitch and Morrie's last time together because Morrie passed away later that Saturday. He had died when nobody else was in the room with him. "I [Mitch] believe he [Morrie] died this way on purpose. I believe he wanted no chilling moments, no one to witness his last breath and be haunted by it, the way he had been haunted by his mother's death-notice telegram or by his father's corpse in the city morgue" (Albom 188). Mitch knew that Morrie had a good and accomplished life, and he believed that Morrie had made a huge impact on him and effected his life in the best way possible.

Discussion Questions:
1) Morrie taught Mitch some of the most valuable life lessons he could have ever learned and he effected Mitch's life in such a positive way. If Mitch had never seen Morrie on that late night television show, then he never would have been reunited with his long lost college professor and got to learn everything that he did. Do you think everything happens for a reason and there's a purpose for everything, whether it be small or large?

2) How would you react if you learned that someone close to you had contracted a life-altering disease? (such as Morrie being diagnosed with ALS)

3) Is there a person in your life that has effected you in a significant way? (Just like Morrie impacted Mitch's life)

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening seems to have the perfect life. She is married to the best husband known in the town, has two beautiful boys and has a lovely house. Every woman envies her life. Edna wishes for a different life though. It seems she is never happy, although her life seems to be great. Her close friend, Adèle teaches Edna a lot about self expression. Through Adèle, Edna learns she can break traditional rules of women, and show her individuality more.
Through knowing Adèle, Edna meets Robert, a young gentleman that picks one married woman a year to “attend” to for a summer. This particular summer, Edna was the woman he chose. As they got to know each other, Edna began to feel young again. Robert taught her to swim in the lake. Edna swam farther than any woman has gone before. Edna soon became depressed when she was with her husband because she misses her freedom that she felt with Robert. She felt unappreciated.
Mademoiselle Reisz, a pianist, was the only person that could cheer Edna up. Edna loved to listen to her songs. It also made Mademoiselle Reisz feel appreciated because no one liked to listen to her songs. These two women boosted each others confidence.
When Robert returns to the town, he tells Edna he loves her, but can not be with her, since she is married to another man. Edna wanted Robert to stay with her, but was forced to go when Adele was giving birth to a child. While she was aiding her friend, Robert left, with only a note saying farwell. Edna became upset and drowned herself in the lake in which she learned to swim.

Discussion Questions

1. In the opening scene, a parrot was talking to a mocking bird. The parrot is talking in English and french while the mocking bird is singing back to the parrot. What do you think this may symbolize?

2. What do you think the lake symbolizes where Edna learned to swim, and also took her own life?

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson is a Swedish crime novel that reached #1 on the New York Bestsellers List. It tells the story of Mikael Blomkvist a reporter and part owner of a magazine called Millennium who was falsely accused of libel. The lawsuit causes financial problems and threatens the success of Millennium. Mikael is unable to refuse the money when he is approached by an aging aristocrat Henrik Vanger to investigate the 40 year old murder of his niece Harriet under the pretense of writing Vanger's biography. Harriet Vanger was 16 when she disappeared off the the family's private island. Henrik had poured thousands of dollars into a thorough investigation but the case eventually went cold. The murder still haunts him 40 years later. Mikael is aided in his investigation of the case by a tattooed punk named Lisbeth Salander. Together they uncover the dark history of the Vanger family and expose astonishing corruption.

1. There are many dark secrets hidden in the Vanger family, all of which have been covered up. If you found out a secret about someone in your family would you expose them? Or would you keep it covered up in order to save face?


2. Harriet and her brother Martin had an abusive father. Harriet turned out completely normal, while Martin followed in his father footsteps. Do you think that children that come from abusive households are more likely to carry those negative traits into adulthood?

Going Nowhere Faster - Sean Beaudoin

"Going Nowhere Faster," by Sean Beaudoin, is the story of Stan Smith, the typical 17 year old high school boy. This novel surely fulfills every high school stereotype and clique as Stan battles his way through senior year, or attempts to anyways. He is be what would be considered today, a genius. He knows the answer to any question someone could ask and even has an IQ of 165, yet has no clue who he is or what he wants to do with his life. He has no idea what he is doing tomorrow, let alone next year for college. Stan has not been accepted to a university, let alone applied. As Stan struggles for a sense of belonging and the attention of Ellen Rigby, the Jock's girlfriend, he dodges it from his parents. Stan has the average set of parents, a mother and father who are anything but normal. His six foot tall mother is a tree-hugging, organic food selling vegan. She is constantly with her spiritual guru who helps guide her in day to day life. His unusual father on the other had is a carpenter, a lousy one at that. Although Mr. Smith builds things a little lopsided, he is always willing to give his son a little advice. Through all this craziness, Stan has found one thing he loves. He works for Happy Video, the only video store in his down and has developed a passion for screen play. Despite Stan's uncertainty of his future plans, he know it involves writing movies and the love of his life Ellen, she just doesn't know it yet. This novel has a quirky way of depicting a near-accurate account of a senior year in high school. From drunken parties to romantic interests, this story falls nothing short of a few good laughs.

Discussion:

1. Do you believe most high school kids are like Stan? In other words, do all high school kids have a good grasp of who they are and what they want to do with their lives, or are they more unsure like Stan?

2. Does high school have a big effect on the outcome of someone's life? Does it play a major role in developing people to become who they really are?