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====Cleverly intertwining Norse legends and facts with fiction, renowned author Nancy Farmer illustrates the tale of a Saxon boy named Jack, who is training to become a bard. Although he has a loving family, he often feels neglected due to the fact that his parents adore his little sister. However, once she becomes kidnapped by the Norsemen, he does everything within his power to bring her back. During his mission to rescue her, he meets many people. He eventually meets Thorgil, a cold, ruthless Viking girl. At first, he hates her, but as the story progresses, he learns that Thorgil is not the horrible person he thought she was after all. Throughout the story, they face numerous obstacles and challenges, such as fighting a dragon. Towards the end of the book, Jack realizes, that he has made countless friends and gained memories that would last a lifetime. ====

==== In the year 2000, Adele Geras wrote the masterpiece, //Troy//. This book earned worldwide fame and has been adapted into a successful motion picture starring none other than Brad Pitt. //Troy// is written from the perspective of two young women, born and living in the city of Troy, Xanthe and Marpessa. As the book follows their story during the final stages of the Trojan War, the reader is introduced to daily life during war time, and how all people, from the king to the working man, are affected. This work of fiction illustrates the girls’ lives as teenagers, and the struggles they go through. Geras’s narrative of the battles, Gods, and love romances truly make the book action-packed and thoughtful throughout. The historical context of the novel comes together with Gera’s vivid visions to transport the reader into the book. Adele Geras captivates the reader’s imagination with every word. ====

====While vigorously searching through many book shelves, one particular book will stick out to anyone with a thirst of knowledge for the truth behind the makeup and kimono of every geisha. Arthur Golden, an American male, captures the emotion and detail of the promiscuous life of a Japanese prostitute in his writing of //Memoirs of a Geisha//. The father of the main character, Sakamoto Chiyo, sells his daughter to the Okiya, a geisha house, in the early 1900s. Despite some of the gruesome pictures Golden paints with his word choice and imagery, the chapters in this book give deep insight about the dreadful, humiliating lives young Japanese women had to bear without choice. The harsh, foreign touch of a pair of filthy rich hands converging by the hour and price is a life well wasted. The degrading position of a geisha is far from what a young girl grows up desiring to become in the future. Agony, sex, money, and competition are all in the way of an innocent woman trying to break free from Okiya to achieve freedom and independence. (182) ====

Greg Lippert
==== Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. Everyone knows the story of how he ended slavery, saved the country, and unfortunately was assassinated. In the action-packed novel, //Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter// by Seth Grahame-Smith, the secret life of “honest” Abe is revealed. From fights on the Mississippi as a boy to the last battle at Gettysburg, and even the death of this larger than life figure, this book will keep the reader trying to distinguish between what is real and what is fiction. Find out the “true” history of the United States from the diary written by the sixteenth president himself. What was his motive to be president, why was the Emancipation Proclamation actually written, and how did President Lincoln really preserve the Union?(140) ====

====Philippa Gregory, notorious for Elizabethan fiction, publishing an impressive two million plus (and counting) of //The Other Boleyn Girl.// Taking place in the 1500s, the main character Mary Boleyn grows up in court among royalty. This page-turning novel demonstrates how Mary’s family controls her life to advance their kin. Old Queen Catherine, Henry VIII’s wife, has yet to give him a son and her fertility is uncertain. A dangerous Mary competes against her sister Anne, and other mistresses for the king’s attention. Mary encounters various struggles that test her family’s loyalty. Throughout their experiences, Mary and her brother, George, discover there is more to life than just the thrills of court. This exciting novel incorporates turning twists and many knots tossed into the ever-changing plot. //The Other Boleyn Girl// crams gossip, elegance lies, and sex into one bestseller! (138)====

==== Sara Gruen’s captivating novel, //Water for Elephants//, tells of the pathetic splendor of the Depression-era circus. Its rich pages depict the enchanted world of ring masters, circus animals, and bizarrely interesting circus people. Jacob Jankowski, despite his thriving education as a veterinary student at Cornell, winds up alone and distraught when he is given the news that his parents have been killed in a car crash. Feeling lifeless and cut-off from the world, Jacob makes a rash decision as he jumps a train, but little does he know that the train carries the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Finding himself at the heart of one of the biggest circuses during the Depression, he weirdly feels at home. Gruen infuses her audacious writing style with an unexpected dose of sentimentality alongside the hardships of the Depression-era circus, causing hearts to skip a beat. Let the show begin! ====

==== It is an understatement to say that Sara Gruen is a good writer. After reading her book Water for Elephants, it is clear she is a superb and outstanding author. Gruen shows he rtalent through immense amounts of detail, by describing the characters' appearance and individuality, and by eludicating th eplot and setting of every chapter. Gruen's book takes place during the mid 1930's, where the main character, Jacob, goes through a catastrophic event in his life which causes him to revise his future. Jacob finds a job on a circus train where he must learn to adapt to a new lifestyle and begin a new journey. Gruen does an excellent job of construing Jacob's journey across America where he becomes friends with treacherous and dangerous men, encounters disputes that risk his new lifestyle, and becomes enchanted with a woman who is already married. This author not only grasps for the reader's attention by constructing imagery, but by building suspense that allows the reader to yearn more of the book. ====

==== With one accident a person’s life can change, and that is exactly what happened to Jacob Jankowski in the novel //Water for Elephants// by Sara Gruen. While studying to be a veterinarian, Jacob is overcome by the news that both of his parents died in a car crash. Lost in disbelief with no were to go and no money, Jacob sets off to nowhere. Along the way he hopes on to a train, a train that will forever have a great impact on his life. It belongs to the circus. From here he meets strange new people, yet some not as odd as the others. He becomes acquaintances with a horrible man, August, but is also secretly in love with his beautiful wife, Marlena. Throughout the story, Jacob encounters many obstacles, some even life threatening. What it all comes down to is fate, love, and an elephant named Rosie. ====

Troy Richert
==== Ever wondered what people did for entertainment during The Great Depression? They attended circuses like Ringling, or in Sara Gruen’s //Water for Elephants,// The Benzini Brothers. Jacob Janokowski is on the verge of losing everything. Going to take finals in an Ivy League school after finding out about his parent’s death is too much to bare for a young man like himself. Walking away with nothing left from his past, Jacob finds his calling in life by the most unexpected way possible; boarding the train of the Benzini Brothers Circus. This ongoing adventure of love, friendships, and hardships takes a marvelous toll on Jacobs’s future forever. As the point of view changes from an older Jacob in an assisted living center, to his experiences working on the circus, the reader is constantly drawn into his story. Whoever picks up Sara Gruen’s Water //for Elephants// won’t be able to put it down. ====

==== Based on the real life experiences and thoughts of Sara Gruen, the pages of //Water for Elephants// is bursting with action, adventure and romance. Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student from Cornell University, discovers that his parents have been killed in a car accident. Confused and distraught, he climbs aboard a train that happens to be carrying The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus act. While on the train, he attains the job of the circus' animal doctor. His duties bring him close with the circus' menagerie leader, August Rosenbluth and his beautiful wife Marlena, who is part of the equestrian act. Jacob, as well as the other members of the circus, travel across the United States taking over bankrupt circus acts that have been taken over by the Great Depression. When the ring leader, Uncle Al, purchases Rosie, the crew's new elephant, Jacob must save the show by teaching her the simplest of commands which turns into an incredibly difficult task, since she is “untrainable”. As tension begins to circulate throughout the circus, Jacob's friendship with Marlena begins to take off, but when Jacob overhears Marlena and August fighting one night and he sees him hit Marlena, Jacob does not take this too lightly. In the end he wins Marlena's heart and saves the circus. The book //Water For Elephants//, is not only a story about a bunch of freaks and misfits in a second-rate circus, it is about love, passion, and fun. However, you will also find action, animals and adventure at the same time. ====

====Imagine having the one person you love most in the world snatched from your arms. In the book //Mistress Shakespeare// by Karen Harper, the main character Anne Wately must endure the challenges that result from losing the man she loves to another woman. The man that Anne Wately loves is the one and only William Shakespeare. This book provides a secret insight into what some historians believe could have been the real life of Shakespeare: his theoretical double life in which he loves two women, both by the name of Anne. On the day of Anne Wately and William’s wedding, they receive life altering information that changes William’s life forever. After a poor decision made by William, he and Anne must keep their love a secret from the other Anne, Anne Hathaway. //Mistress Shakespeare// is a phenomenal story that clearly illustrates the difference between love and lust. Throughout the novel, the reader will feel as though they are experiencing what Anne, Anne, and William are going through and will also posses the same emotions as the characters. Karen Harper does a superb job of making the reader laugh and cry during this incredible tale of “two star-crossed lovers.” (197)====

==== The book Behind the Lines by Isabelle Holland is a fantastic novel that perfectly describes the historical aspects of the lives and deaths of English citizens who were involved in the American Civil War. The story’s main character, Katie, is a strong-spirited and proud Irish woman who immigrated to harsh and prejudiced Great Britain. She fights for the safety and well-being of her family, while helping to provide for them as a maid in the household of a rich English family. This novel is ideal for the Civil War enthusiast. Many books involving the Civil War only focus on the hardships of those fighting in the war and neglect to mention the emotional strife of their families back home. Holland captures this era with an intensity that is unparalleled for this topic. This is a great book for anyone interested in learning more about this time period. ====

==== When going to the library and finding a book titled //The Soul Thief//, the reader does not know what to expect. However, Cecelia Holland catches the attention of potential readers with this outlandish title. //The Soul Thief// is about an Irish boy named Corban, who returns to his village to find his house on fire, his family dead, and Viking ships sailing away. The only person he cannot find is his sister, Mav. He assumes that the Vikings took her in order to sell her as a slave. Now, Corban must go on a perilous journey to rescue his sister. He must make new friends, defeat dangerous enemies, and travel to distant lands if he ever wants to see his sister again. //The Soul Thief// is full of adventure, excitement, and tragedy that keeps the reader fully engaged. ====

====A novel that depicts Afghanistan on an intimate level, also illustrates the treatment of women in Muslim countries from the past up to the present. //A Thousand Splendid Suns//, by Khaled Hosseini, demonstrates close relationships between females in a society dominated by men by presenting Laila and Mariam as they align against their oppressive husband, Rasheed. When Rasheed becomes excessively abusive - following custom and law with scorn, ridicule, insults, and threats - Mariam makes a huge sacrifice to protect Laila. Hosseini paints a dramatic image of reality for women in a country that most Americans only hear about in the news. This tale is stirring, informative, and fascinating.====



﻿ Kate Koenig
Books have a tendency to transform the way people perceive the world and the people inhabiting it. One book that not only informs on an obscure subject matter but also provided a moving story is // The Kite Runner //by Khalid Hosseini. Hosseini’s novel is set in Afghanistan the years preceding the Soviet Union’s invasion and later in America in the 1980’s to the early 2000’s. This groundbreaking novel paints the story of the friendship between two boys, Amir, a rich Sunni Muslim, and the son of his father’s servant, his best friend, Hassan, a Shi'a Muslim. Amir’s story is about courage and correcting the worst sin one can commit; betrayal of a friend. Even as Amir leaves his native Afghanistan for the idealistic United States, he cannot forget nor condone the mistakes he left there. // The Kite Runner //   is Amir’s journey to find forgiveness in the world. It is a riveting novel that will leave anyone touched by Hosseini’s words. (160) 

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Andy Moore

The classic novel, The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, provides a detailed insight into the life of a Middle Eastern citizen and the troubles and hardships associated with it. The main character, Amir, grows up in Afghanistan trying to earn his father’s admiration. Together, with his friend and slave Hassan, they fly kites, play, and fight off bullies. When a war breaks out, Amir’s life is flipped upside-down as he and his father are forced to leave their home and flee to America. Hosseini does an astounding job discussing the cultural barriers between people from other countries and Americans, as well as the struggle of keeping old customs in a new country. Throughout the book, Amir earns the respect of his father, discovers the true meaning of friendship, accepts responsibility, and learns how the past can come back to haunt a person.

//The Kite Runner//, which was written by Khaled Hosseini, is a moving story about friendship and loyalty. The story starts with the two main characters, Amir and his servant Hassan, who share their childhoods together and become best friends due to the brotherly nature of their fathers. However, while they grow up together, they grow up in separate worlds. Amir's father is one of the wealthiest and most successsful men in their city of Kabul, Afghanistan, while Hassan's is a servant and they live in a shack together in the backyard of the palace that belongs to Amir's family. The pair are inseperable and completely oblivious to the dangers and harmful ways of the outside world until Hassan is raped becase he is a Hazara, which was considered the disgusting minority in 1960's Afghanistan. Amir watches the rape occur silently, but slowly distances himself from his forever loyal friend as he begins to realize the personal problems caused by his friendship with his servant. When things take a turn for the worse in their city of Kabul, Amir learns the pain of his childhood friend as he and his no longer wealthy father escape among the poor sections of America in search of a better life. //The Kite Runner// was difficult to read at times, but was definitely a touching story thatt will continue to inform people of the atrocities committed in Kabul during that time period for generations to come.
 * The Kite Runner**
 * Hosseini, Khaled**
 * Lexi Miller**

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Taylor Trypus

//The Kite Runner// by Khaled Hosseini is a thrilling story of love, betrayal, and redemption that is set in Afghanistan. Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, has an extremely strong bond and friendship with Hassan, the son of the household servant. Hassan will do anything to protect Amir, from taking the blame for him when he gets into trouble to just defending him when he gets into a complicated situation. Amir, on the other hand, lacks the courage to stand up for Hassan when he is being harassed by the local bullies. This places a permanent strain on the relationship between the boys who have been together for their entire lives. Eventually, the Soviets enter Afghanistan and cause chaos in the lives of the people. Those who are lucky, like Amir, are able to go to the United States, but Hassan is not as lucky and is forced to live a life full of difficulty. //The Kite Runner// tells the story of two innocent boys that have lived together for their entire lives but are in totally different situations. Will the lack of Amir’s courage to support Hassan and the splitting of the two boys terminate their friendship forever?

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Emile Younes There is no book in the world that will test a reader’s emotions like The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini. The novel contains so many dramatic and occasionally awkward encounters that stir up the readers emotions. An example of this occurs during the part where Hassan is being tormented by Assef because he would not give up the kite that he ran for his best friend Amir. As this is happening, Amir is watching Hassan get brutalized and is too cowardly to help him, even after Hassan has stood up for Amir several times in the past. After this traumatic event, Amir thinks about this every day of his life until he eventually makes up for his sin. After this event and many others, the reader’s eyes and mind will stick to the book like glue. While reading this book it is not difficult to become an insomniac like Amir.

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Audra Bastyr

Traveling into the streets of Afghanistan during the final days of the monarchy to the present, //The Kite Runner// portrays the friendship between two young boys growing up in Kabul. Being raised in the same house, Amir and Hasan lives are greatly detailed from beginning to end. Khaled Hosseini, author of the book, illustrates the challenges of two different children growing up. Amir, the son of a prominent and wealthy man, receives all of the luxuries in life. On the contrary, Hasan, the son of Amir’s father’s servant, is a Hazara – a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives and fates eventually result in what happens to the world around them. The Kite Runner reveals the true meaning of friendship and yet betrayal of the two boys.

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Sam Moore

//The Kite Runner,// by Khaled Hosseini//,// is a story about Amir, a wealthy Sunni Muslim, who recalls the misfortune of his childhood. Amir grew up in the middle eastern country of Kabul alongside his friend and Hazara servant, Hassan. They become inseparable and enjoy competing together in kite running tournaments, until one wretched incident changes their lives forever. Their friendship is entwined with feelings of treachery and their fates are separated by mishap. Amir and his father are forced to immigrate from Kabul to the United States during the war where Amir is schooled and married. Amirs must fix his childhood mistakes by confronting the Taliban and saving the only link left to his childhood.

The Kite Runner Hosseini, Khaled Rebecca Fiscus //The Kite Runner, //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 200%;"> by Khaled Hosseini, tells the story of a young boy in Afghanistan as he grows up and escapes to America. Amir, the son of a wealthy man, has an extremely strong friendship with a servant, Hassan. Hassan is a loyal friend to Amir, whereas Amir is the opposite and is not always there when Hassan needs him the most. Their different places in society challenged their friendship throughout their lives. The friendship between the boys had always been strained and became even more so when the Soviets invaded and caused Amir to escape to America. Hosseini does an excellent job of capturing the readers’ emotions and showing the true meaning of friendship throughout his book.

Missing in Action Hughes, Dean Mandy Magnotti

With his father at war and possibly lost at sea, Jay and his strained mother must move away from their home in Salt Lake City to live miles away with his grandparents in the astounding novel, //Missing in Action// by Dean Hughes. Along with making new friends and dealing with his family life, Jay must deal with the criticism of being half Navajo which results in his nickname, Chief. Eventually, Jay develops friendships involving kids in the neighborhood and a Japanese teenager in a camp outside of town. His new found friendships lead him to find his new pastime, baseball, which reminds him of his father. Throughout the book, Hughes sets Jay up with problem after problem starting with his dad lost at sea. This results in his mother developing relationships with other men, but in the end, Jay finds out who he truly is, a Navajo-American teenage boy.