If you chose one of the recommended HEALTH book titles, or selected one of your own, please check out this page. Be sure to leave a comment on the bottom of the page that allows us to have a whole grade-level discussion about our reading.
Here are some ideas you can write about:
~a person/character from the story that impressed you
~something that surprised you about what happened in the story
~some new understanding about the topic you selected
~a connection you made while you were reading
There is no need to be wordy; a blog is a way to communicate with others, so just use this space to let us know something meaningful about your summer reading.
Let’s get this conversation going…
Suggested Titles for Health:
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie
by Jordan Sonnenblick
Rules
by Cynthia Lord
Mockingbird
by Kathryn Erskine
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Before I started reading it I thought it wasn't going to be that great and that it was just a sad love story. Yes it is really a sad love story in my opinion but a good one. My favorite part I have to say is when the main characters Hazel and Gus talk about how infinitives can be smaller or larger like the amount between zero and one being infininate but between zero and two there is even more of an infininate, from An Imperial Affliction, Hazels favorite book. I really recommend this book if you haven't read it yet :)
ReplyDeleteI read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. All of my friends who read this book said they enjoyed it. I like how it is not just Hazel (a main character) who has a health problem but Gus ( a main character) also has a health problem. My favorite part of the book is when Gus puts the cigarette in his mouth and doesn't lite it. Hazel, who is standing next to Gus thinks he is out of his mind because he has a health problem and has a cigarette in his mouth. Hazel starts freaking out and Gus says " It's a metaphor, see: you put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do it's killing." Hazel and Gus are inspiring people and live their life just like any other human and don't let there health problems get in their way.
ReplyDeleteFor my first book, I also read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. It was recommended to me by many of my friends. I really liked the part when Hazel (one of the main characters was giving her eulogy in front of Augustus (the other main character). Even though it was really sad, it had a lot of meaning. "Some infinities are bigger than other infinities." The reasoning behind that quote is that there are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. 0.1, 0.01, 0.001,... On and on forever. But there is also an infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, double the amount between the set of 0 and 1. The same complies with the set of numbers between 0 and 10,000. I did like the cigarette metaphor, but I don't understand why you would even mention a cigarette to a girl with lung cancer. I am really impressed that John Green could dream all of that up in his head.
DeleteI read Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. At first, the only reason I wanted to read this book was because it sounded like it was a bit different than the rest of the books involving sickness. And it was. Instead of trying to find something meaningful, or to just slap a bunch of quotes and make it a book, this story was out of the mainstream we as consumers have seemingly created for writers and books alike. A character from the story that impressed me was Rachel. Rachel not only dealt with Leukemia, having to go through shot after shot after shot, but when she realized that maybe the drugs werent really working, and that maybe the cancer wasn't going to go away, she just gave up. She just left the hospital and stayed in her room. She was brave enough to realize that maybe it wasn't going to work, and that she had to accept that her time was up. It was utterly shocking and amazing. This was what surprised me in the story as well. She just sat in her room and waited for the inevitable. I'm not sure I could do that, if it came to be. I realized that maybe people are stronger in sickness then in health, and that after facing death and illness and drugs and chemicals that will help "heal" you, you kind of realize that sure, it gets rid of the cancer. But it gets rid of a piece of you, too. A connection I made with my reading was to my uncle. He had to go through cancer too, and no, he didn't survive either. It just goes to show that the strong ones don't always make it either.
ReplyDeleteI read Rules by Cynthia Lord, I haven't truly heard much about the book before I read it. This book is about a girl named Kathrine who has to deal with her autistic brother David. Through out this book Kathrine looks at all the negatives about having David. Things start to look better once she has made a new friend Jason. Kathrine starts to reflect on herself and realize that her or her brother's life could be worse. Jason can't speak or walk and can't do anything by himself. Even if Jason was Kathrines friend it didn't mean that she didn't feel embarrassed to be around him or her brother. Mean while Kathrine has a new neighbor Kristi who she despetly wanting to be friends with, but not have her brother ruin because of his crazy actions. Through out this whole entire book Kathrine felt as though she didn't matter, as though she was invisible. But, she soon realizes that she's wrong. Just because she doesn't have any physical or mental issues or needs extra from her parents she's just as important. In the end Kathrine isn't embarrassed or ashamed of her brother or Jason . But she comes to realization that Kristi and she may not be a complete match, after lying about Jason state.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read " The Fault In Our Stars " I thought this book was very romantic but also very eye opening and real. In this book what surprised me was how true the story was with Hazels and Augustus with their cancer. It actually showed how hard it is to have cancer and have someone you love, and not wanting them to get to close because if something happened you wouldn't want them to hurt. I hear all the time on the news and on newspapers and other things, about kids and teens who have to deal with cancer and how they can't be like every kid and travel and go to Amusement Parks or things like that because either they aren't in a good enough condition or they don't have the money to because all of the money their parents have goes towards their treatment. I just like how straight forward this book is and I like that it really show the reality of having any condition like them. For example Augustus used to play basketball but then he lost his leg and was no longer able to but not doing that showed him how much he actually loathed basketball.
ReplyDeleteAlso in this book something that impressed me was how strong and hard working Hazel was because although Hazel had so many different issues she kept to the positive side most of the time and just kept moving forward. Even though when she felt like she couldn't be with Augustus because she didn't want to hurt him if anything happened to her. Although Augustus wouldn't allow her to do so.
Augustus Waters also impressed me because he was always so positive even at the lowest point, he would always look at the brighter side of things and move on. For example he could always talk to Hazel and turn her emotions around and make everyone happier.
I read Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. It kept me so engaged, I couldn't put it down. Throughout the book you get to know and love the main character. Her name is Caitlyn.
ReplyDeleteCaitlyn struggles with a syndrome known as Aspergers, and she finds help from her school aid, Mrs. Brook. However, even with the extra help, sometimes Caitlyn has difficulty understanding or managing her behavior. Her teachers and her father do all they can to help her.
Several times throughout the book, Caitlyn mentions a so-called "The Day Our Life Fell Apart," which only later does it explain that Caitlyn is referencing to the day that her brother died. This came as quite a surprise to me, and I sat on edge as the rest unfolded.
It is explained that Caitlyn's brother Devon was killed in a middle school shooting. Ever since, her father hasn't seemed himself. He also struggles with the idea that Caitlyn will be going to Devon's old middle school once she is out of elementary school.
From here on out, Caitlyn goes on tiresome journey to find closure. She meets a wonderful friend to help her along the way, and Mrs. Brook also pitches in to help bring Caitlyn closer to her desired "closure."
Overall, it was an incredibly emotional book dealing with some heavy topics. I also loved the way Kathryn Erkskine brings you through the mind Caitlyn, as it is written from her point of view. It is interesting to see how she views the world, and how her syndrome presents certain obstacles throughout her life. I would definitely recommend this book to all my peers and I can safely say that this might've very well been one of my favorite books of all time.
DeleteThis summer I read the “Fault in our Stars” by John Green. The “Fault in our Stars” is a beautiful yet tragic love story about two teenagers with cancer. I know this book is known for making people cry but i think it is so much more than that. It is beautifully written and you will fall in love with these characters. I would definitely recommend this book.
During the summer, I read "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. When I read this book, I realized how much someone with cancer goes through. I had an idea of how hard it must be to live with cancer, but not until I read this book, did I fully understand what someone with cancer might go through. When the main character, Hazel, went to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, Hazel had to walk up many stairs. She usually takes elevators, because she has lung cancer, so she has to have an oxygen tank. Although Hazel was having a lot of trouble walking up the stairs, she pushed through, and made it to the attic of the house. After reading this book, I am now very thankful that I live a healthy life.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. This was an incredible book. I couldn’t put it down. My favorite part in this book was a metaphor. The metaphor was, “I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up my friend.” I love this metaphor so much because when Augustus says it, he’s dying. Augustus had such a positive view on the world, even when he had cancer. He knew he was going to die yet he still really was on a roller coaster that was only going up. One thing that surprised me in this book was that Augustus died. When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be Hazel. I feel like the book tricks you. It talks all about how Hazel needs an oxygen machine, and how she has a hard time breathing. This lead me to believe Hazel was more sick than Augustus. But once you are almost finished, it seems like Augustus gets sick out of nowhere. Yes he had cancer, but it seemed like it was all gone. That really surprised me. The Fault in Our Stars is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend this book to other people who haven’t read it yet.
ReplyDeleteI read "The Fault in Our Stars" over the summer by John Green. This book was the best book I have ever read. I read it in less then two days. The book is about two teenagers with cancer, Hazel Grace Lancaster was my favorite character because she always seemed to be so literate about things, which is what I liked about her. I also liked Augustus Waters who always made things so much fun, like when he used his dying wish so Hazel Grace could have what she always wanted, which was to go to Amsterdam to meet an author she'd always wanted to meet, Augustus was so kind to do that. He was always so sweet to Hazel, and helping his best friend who had become blind. It was also the best love story I've ever read about as well, because Hazel and Augustus were just the cutest couple who always lived life to the fullest and they always looked out for each other. Like when Augustus got sick and was beginning to die Hazel was always there by his side to the very end. This book is one of the best I've read in years.
ReplyDeleteI read "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick as my second summer reading book this year. It was well-written and interesting to read. The story is extremely emotional and fast-paced, making it engaging and exciting.
ReplyDeleteIn "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie," the main character is named Steven Alper. He is a scrawny, regular teen-aged boy who loves to play the drums and is an avid student. And at first, it seems that though Steven might not be seen as the most popular kid in his school, he has a relatively nice life.
However, that was until Steven's little brother Jeffrey was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Steven's entire life plummets out of control. He has difficulty dealing with his brothers disease and treatments, and loses all interest in completing his school work.
Steven's friend, Annette begins to realize the changes in Steven's behavior, though he tries his best to keep his brother's cancer a secret. Annette continues to press Steven about what is wrong, but he pushes her away.
Soon enough, Annette discovers what has happened, and it's not long until the entire school finds out. Teachers and students alike pity Steven and try to help him the best they can, though he still remains quite distant.
Steven's crush, Renee Albert, also begins to interact with him a bit more after hearing the news. She offers to tutor him in math to help him catch up on what he's missed, and things begin to look up.
After a little more help, Steven learns to channel his anger and sorrow into his drumming and his grades also start to improve. He is happy that he is beginning to cope. In addition to this, his school has decided to hold a band concert and donate the earnings to go towards Jeffrey's treatment.
Unfortunately, just as the day of the concert arrives and Steven goes to participate, Jeffrey gets very sick. Though Steven is upset about missing the concert, he knows that his brother is the most important thing right now and he goes with him to the hospital.
The book ends very abruptly, with no real resolution. Jeffrey is still sick, though it is shown that he is likely to recover. In a way, I liked the sudden ending. It felt like it really added something to the book, and left you wondering.
In conclusion, "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" was a marvellous, wonderful read with a complex and tear-jerking storyline.
For my second book, I read "The maze Runner" by James Dashner. It was a really exciting dystopia about this boy named Thomas (one of the main characters) who woke up with amnesia in a weird civilization. He wakes up in a life-sized maze and instinctively remembers different things like that he wants to be a runner (one of the people who are trying to solve the maze). The scary part about the maze is that there are "grievers" in it. Grievers are monsters who are part machine and part animal, they are as big as a large cow, and they have stingers. If you get stung, you go through "the changing." I don't want to spoil anything else for anyone, but the reason they were there was because they were a big experiment. I think I liked it so much was because it had a lot of action in it and it was a dystopia (like a utopia) and it just had a gripping storyline and I seriously couldn't put it down.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to know so many people read "The Fault in our Stars." My friends had mentioned it a few times before and so I figured I could read it for one of my summer books. This book had me up all night wanting to know what happens next. The end is pretty depressing but things like this do happen and like Morgan said it really opened my eyes because I never knew how serious cancer was. Reading Hazel's thoughts through the book mad me feel like I was her. It was by far the best book I have ever read.
ReplyDelete\I read If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I did not like this book because I did not like how it was about a girl who got in a car crash. I read it because a friend recommended it. I like that it took place in one day though. If I had to pick, my favorite character would be Teddy because I liked how he was funny.
ReplyDeleteI read The Fault In Our Stars. At first I didn't want to read it but when I started reading I really really liked it. When you here everyone saying it's the saddest book ever, they might just be right it is one of the saddest books I've ever read. But don't get me wrong it's still good. My favorite park about the book is when they go to Paris. They may not have got the conversation they wanted from Peter Van Houten, but I liked when they had dinner at the fancy restraunt. It was one of my favorite books. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. I would recommend it for anybody at that reading level.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was the Fault In Our Stars. This book was about a girl named Hazel Grace Longcaster who had lung cancer. Hazel met a boy at a support group who had bone cancer. They became in love with each other and traveled to Amsterdam to vist they're favorate author Peter Van Houstan. He was a jerk so the left and came back to the states. Agustus (the boy) died a couple months after from cancer. I thought it was a good book and it was very interesting and well written.
ReplyDeleteFor my book I read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This book is about a girl named Haze Grace Lancaster and she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She didn't have that many friends so her mom made her go to a support group to meet more people like her. She ended up meeting this guy named Augustus Waters and he was recovering from bone cancer. Hazel and Augustus ended up talking and Hazel started to love him. They traveled to Amsterdam to meet Hazels favorite author. Once they returned to the U.S. Augustus's cancer got worse and it made him weak and tired. He eventually passed away a couple of weeks later. The ending of this book surprised me because I was expecting Hazel to die because John green made her cancer seem worse. Overall I thought this book was well written and I definitely recommend it.
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