SSOJ Blogs

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin is an exciting story about the importance of family. This story begins with the main character, Minli, who lives in the Valley of Fruitless Mountain and follows her as she goes on an adventure. Although Minli and her parents work hard, long days in the fields they barely survive on small amounts of food and cramped living space. All Minli wants is enough money to take care of her parents as they grow into old age. At night time Minli's father tells many stories, one story is about the Old Man of the Moon who is said to know everything. Minli becomes convinced that if she can find the Old Man of the Moon, he would bring her family great fortune. This story follows Minli as she leaves her home to complete this quest, meeting many magical creatures, royalty, and seeing many interesting places on the way. This story also follows the perspective of Minli's parents as they realize she has gone missing and decide to follow her.  This ...

SOME SPOILERS I have recently finished "Echo" by Pam Muñoz Ryan. It was such a captivating book which I am glad I read. This boo follows 3 different stories, but all connected by one thing. A harmonica. Each of these stories is very different with completely different plots and characters but with all of them, the harmonica brings them joy and comfort. The first story follows a boy named Friedrich in 1933 in Germany in the time when the Nazi party is taking power. He has a face deformity and is often made fun of for it. But it also means he is more of a target to the Nazis, because he is not "perfect". Friedrich has a sister, Elisabeth, who has always protected and stood up for him. But since moving away from home, she has joined the "League of German Girls" which is a division from the "Hitler Youth" group. Her ideals have changed and shes not the same. Friedrich's dad works at a harmonica factory and one day at the factory Friedrich finds...

Originally published in 1963, Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. follows John, who tells us that he is writing a book called The Day the World Ended , which was likely going to be about the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. He then begins to describe the research that he did for his book, which revolves around Felix Hoenikker, who is one of the “Fathers” of the atomic bomb in Cat’s Cradle . To learn more about the now deceased Felix Hoenikker, he starts his research by heading to Ilium, New York, where he learns of the ice-nine that Felix was working on at the time of his death , which is said to be a unique structure of water that crystallizes upon contact with water and causes the rest of the water to crystallize along with it. Then, as fate would have it, his job working for a magazine takes him to the island of San Lorenzo, an impoverished island ruled by “Papa” Monzano and home to the fictional religion Bokononism. After arriving on the island, th...

As we continue to be stuck at home because of quarantine, I struggled to find a book to write about because of my lack of options. Using the digital library, I was able to check out Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. This book follows a girl named Cath as she starts her first year of college with her twin, Wren. Cath is an introvert with a love for writing and fan fiction. Cath is nervous, especially because Wren wants some independence, and because this means leaving behind her father who tends to overwork himself. Wren, an extrovert who easily makes friends, is almost the exact opposite of Cath when it comes to personality.  When Cath gets to her dorm, she ends up meeting her roommate, Reagan, (who is the exact opposite of her) who has a boyfriend named Levi who is constantly over. The rest of the story goes on to explain how Cath survives her first year of college and the challenges she faces.  Just a warning, from this point on, there will be some spoilers!  One thi...

Since quarantine started, I have found myself having a lot more time than usual, so I decided to reread a book that I enjoyed in the past. Lord of the Flies by William Golding follows young boys that have survived a plane crash and landed on a mysterious island (with no adult supervision). Ralph, with the help of another boy called Piggy, quickly takes charge and gets the other boys to start thinking of ways to be rescued. Using a conch shell as a way to gather everyone, Ralph quickly distributes roles and makes a boy named Jack as the leader of the hunters. Jack quickly rose in popularity after successfully hunting a pig and decided that he wanted to form his own group, one he was the leader of. Left alone with only their imagination and minimal survival skills, the boys have to learn to endure the island (and each other) until someone finds them. Just a warning, from this point on, there will be spoilers! Something that I disliked about the book was how quickly everything seemed...

            Island of the Blue Dolphins is a thrilling story with a wonderful message. My mom has been encouraging me to read this book for years because it was always her favorite book as a child, and now that I have finally read I am so glad I did. This book begins with 12 year old Karana, an Island Native to the Island of Blue Dolphins. One day a group of Russian men come to her island to hunt the otter that live there. The Island Natives obviously do not like the Russian men stealing their resources, which leads to an argument where many of the islanders and Karana’s father die. The women and children are left vulnerable on the island until a group of white men arrive and takes all the islanders aboard. In all the commotion, Karana and her brother are left behind alone on the island. Unfortunately, her brother is soon killed by a group of wild dogs leaving Karana alone on the island.       ...

During spring break I was able to commit much more time to leisure reading and I thoroughly enjoyed The Giver by Lois Lowry. This book is about a sort of distopian world in which everything is the same. There is no color, no true emotions, no change of weather, no choices to make or that can be made, and most importantly, there is no love. The main character is a boy named Jonas. In each family unit, there is a father and mother who get paired up when they apply for a spouse and then every couple has one girl and one boy. Jonas' family unit is no different, he has a sister named Lily and and his mom and dad. They live in an assigned community and besides occasional field trips that students sometimes take, they know very few people outside of their community. Every year, there is a large ceremony at which everyone from newchildren (babies) turning one to kids turning twelve is congratulated for moving on to their new age and responsibilities. There a few years that are especiall...

First published in the U.S. in 1951, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse follows a Brahmin’s son named Siddhartha in ancient India. The story begins in Siddhartha’s hometown where he is the pride of the village and is admired by all its inhabitants, and especially by a close companion of his named Govinda. However, Siddhartha becomes restless when he feels that the wise Brahmins in his town can no longer satisfy his thirst for knowledge and aid him on the path to enlightenment, so he leaves them to join a group of Samanas, who are basically wandering, homeless monks without any possessions other than a loincloth and an unstitched cloak. From there, Siddhartha’s journey further unfolds as he meets the Buddha, referred to as Gotama, and the lovely Kamala, a courtesan who pulls him into the world of materialistic desire, which ironically he had once despised as a Samana. The story concludes when Siddhartha comes to a satisfying conclusion at the end of the novel as he finally attains enlightenm...

The War Outside, by Monica Hesse, is a captivating book that shares the perspective of two young girls, Margot and Haruko. The book takes place in 1944 at the Crystal City internment camp in Texas. Haruko, a 17 year old Japanese girl thought it would be unlikely for her and her family to be imprisoned in an internment camp because her brother is in the army. It seems, however, that this does not matter and her father is still taken into custody. Haruko’s father works at a fancy hotel and often sends letters for people, which leads the U.S. government to suspect him of sending secret letters to Japan. Haruko seems suspicious as to whether or not her father is guilty of the accusations. She becomes angry at her father for not resisting when they took him, and now she has to join her mother and younger sister to go to the internment camp too. Now, Haruko has to make the move from Colorado to Texas. The Crystal City internment camp is specifically made for more dangerous enemies, so it...

I have just finished the first book in the Maze Runner series by James Dashner, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! (NO SPOILERS) The main character of this novel is a teenage boy named Thomas. Although, that's only what he thinks his name is. After all, how would he know after arriving in 'the glade' with a selectively wiped memory and with no idea of where he is. He's filled with the same confusion and fear as every other boy who was placed here first felt when they arrived. One a month, every month on the same time and day for 2 years. Just as mysteriously, there are also supplies that show up routinely, once a week. Everyone has a specific job in the glade and they work together to be fed, healthy, protected and ultimately work towards finding a way out of the maze. The important job of exploring the maze is held by 'runners' which perform the exact job you would imagine with that name. Every morning they wake up early and run through their quadrant, observing t...

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd is a book that follows Juliet Moreau, a maid who was once a rich young lady. Her father was a renowned doctor until he was found conducting unethical experiments on animals and assumed dead when he went missing. When Juliet meets Montgomery, an old childhood friend who worked under her father, she realizes her father is alive and lives on a remote island. Montgomery reluctantly decides to take Juliet to the island where her father is with a native he befriended called Balthazar. While on the ship, Montgomery and Juliet’s relationship grows. Then, they find a man named Edward Prince, a shipwreck survivor. Juliet immediately takes an interest in him and his feelings for her become obvious very quickly. Montgomery isn’t too happy about his sudden arrival. When they reach the island, Juliet’s father welcomes her, surprised that she’s on the island. It’s only as the story goes on that she realizes that he does conduct unethical experiments, bu...

First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in West Egg and East Egg Long Island, New York. The story is narrated through the perspective of Nick Carraway, a midwesterner who decided to head out east and become a bond salesman. The novel is concerned with Jay Gatsby, Nick’s mysterious neighbor that lives in the lavish mansion next door, and primarily focuses on Gatsby's affair and obsession with Daisy, who is Nick’s vain, second cousin once removed. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s wealthy but also unfaithful husband, who has an affair himself. Throughout the novel, the reader learns more about Gatsby’s personal life and ambitions, which ultimately culminates to a tragic and shocking finale that leaves the reader with a sense of emptiness. The Great Gatsby is probably one of the most well written and intricate books I’ve ever read. A big reason why I thought it was so intricate is because I found value in reading it more than one time....

WARNING: AS THIS IS THE 4th BOOK IN THIS SERIES, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST 3 BOOKS. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jane Birdsall is the fourth in a series of charming tales about a delightful family of 8. This number has grown since the first book of the series. The family originally introduced to us being made up of Mr. Penderwick, an amazing single father who loves his daughters with all his heart along with his love of Latin which he puts to use from time to time. His lovely wife died soon after the youngest Penderwick was born, due to Cancer. Rosalind is the oldest sister, and as such she took on a sort of motherly role for Batty, the youngest, always putting her to bed and walking her to school. Rosalind was always Batty's favorite sister very much and it still shows in this book. Rosalind is a freshman in College and Batty is literally counting down the days until Rosalind will return home. Skye is the next oldest, now a senior in high school, there is no less...

          The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse is an extremely captivating book that mixes historical fiction with a hint of mystery. The book begins in January of 1943 in Amsterdam, after the Nazis invaded. The main character, Hanneke Bakker, is a tall eighteen year old girl with blonde hair and green, angry eyes. Hanneke hates the Nazis, especially because the boy she loved, Bas, died fighting against them two years before. Hanneke is a black market worker who illegally finds extra rations of food or rare things like cigarettes or real coffee for wealthy people who are willing to pay. Hanneke does this work on top of a secretary job because both her parents are unable to work. One day, a widow named Mrs. Janssen asks Hanneke to find something much more difficult than stroopwafels or bacon, she asks her to find a person. For a few days Mrs. Janssen had been helping hide a young Jewish girl named Mirjam who ran away after her family was shot and killed. ...

Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a book that follows Catherine Pinkerton, an aspiring baker, and the predicaments she finds herself in. Catherine, who goes by Cath, is the daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Rock Turtle Cove, a distinguished family. After attending a party, she meets the King of Hearts, a rather dim man looking for a wife. His new court jester, Jest, is a clever boy who impresses the crowd at the King of Heart’s party (especially Cath). The King of Hearts takes a liking to Cath immediately and decides he wants to propose on the spot at his party. However, the last thing Cath wants to do it get married, all she wants to do is open a bakery with her best friend. So, she pleads her talking cat, Cheshire, to somehow stop him from announcing it. At the last minute, Cheshire causes a distraction, stopping the King and allowing Cath to escape. Later that night, a beast called the Jabberwock attacks the party, causing Cath’s parents to return home early, relieved to see t...

First published in 1929, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is set on the Italian front of World War I. It follows Frederic Henry, an American ambulance driver serving with the Italian Army as a tenente, or lieutenant. The novel focuses on the romance between him and Catherine Barkley, who is an English nurse who lost her fiancé to the war. The book is divided into five different sections, the first of which depicts Frederic’s life on the battlefield and his first experiences with Catherine. Initially, he is uninterested in Catherine and only plans to use her as comfort during the hardships of the war. However, in the second section of the book he begins to fall in love with Catherine and genuinely care for her. I won’t spoil the specific details, but essentially Frederic gets wounded at one point in the novel and is hospitalized. He then ends up in the same hospital and is under Catherine’s care. In the following sections, their love for each other grows as the war develops. ...