When you were young did your parents deny you of an education because it was ungodly, forced you to work in a junk yard because you had to help the family business, or even be forced to bring your brother home for medical attention after he was in an almost fatal car accident? Frankly, I doubt any of these have happened to you, but these are just some of the things that happened to Tara Westover. Tara grew up on a small farm in rural Idaho as the youngest of 7 children. Her parents, Gene and Faye, had the goal of raising all their children as perfect mormons. Tara’s father, Gene, believes that the government is always watching them and that there is a sort of impending doomsday that will eventually be upon them. This belief results in Faye, Tara’s mother, becoming a midwife so she is able to provide care for the family and eventually help repopulate the world when they survive the doomsday. This also results in Gene being very untrustworthy of the government and all things that are related to the government. His hate for the government grew as he had more children. His eldest few had their birth certificates at least, but as more and more children came along he started to not allow them to have birth certificates or even attend public school. This book really surprised me in the way it was written and the way that the story was told. The story is based on the real life experiences of Tara Westover and how she makes her way through life trying to adapt to the outside world after being sheltered by her family for so many years. I think it's incredible how Tara’s emotional changes are written throughout the book, it’s transmitted to the reader very well and really makes you feel that she did have this emotional change rather than just stating it blandly. I think the book conveyed multiple important factors of Tara’s life and really made the reader think about how all of the things happening affected adult Tara’s opinion of those around her. This is shown specifically in the book when Tara’s finally makes it into college. When she arrives she is basically disgusted at how other people, especially other women, are dressing. As she is supposed to be attending a primarily Mormon college, she expects that all of the other people attending would have been just like her. It’s conveyed extremely well in the book when she finally starts to notice that her father may be slightly deranged, and how she begins to rebel against him. While reading this book I definitely felt a multitude of emotions from happy, to sad, angry, empathetic, and even disgusted. The book “Educated” has the capability of having the reader feel almost any emotion you can think of, and in my opinion it’s almost entirely based on how you were raised. This book really made me realize how well off I am and how loving my family is. Even though I may be mad at my parents occasionally, I know that I will never have to suffer through what Tara did. It practically gave me a whole new perspective on life and how I should be living it. I need to be more grateful for what I have and help those who may not be as fortunate. Caden M.
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Imagine a life of constant hardships, where every choice you make can determine your entire future. Imagine the dream you hold on to your entire childhood gets shattered. Imagine, at the age of 18 years old, you get put on death row. Set in North Carolina during Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school, this story captures the hardships and adversity that the best friends endure every day. Right away in the book, the old, abandoned plane in the middle of the woods plays a significant role in the story. This is an anchor in Luke and Toby’s lives. This is a place where they would play for hours when they were kids, or huddle in the capsule when life at home was hard. It’s also where their dream of flying away and leaving behind all their troubles first began. The plane is a symbol of safety, security, stability, and hope. This also shows the reader the firm foundation on which Luke and Toby’s friendship rests upon. They have a strong bond of trust and closeness. They suffer through all their hardships together. As the story gradually progresses, however, a series of events occurs where their trust becomes less and less stable. The introduction of two new women in their lives, for example, tests their loyalty. Along with that, throughout the story, the story flashes forward to Luke on death row. We read the letters Luke writes to Toby in his cell. The tone of Luke shifts between his letters on death row and his life before. He relays his relationships between the other inmates and reflects on his broken childhood, along with the strong friendship bond him and Toby shared. This story shifted my perspective in that it woke me to how privileged and fortunate I am. Of course, I’ve always known how privileged and fortunate I am, but this story made me realize that people all around me can be struggling in life. In other words, people don’t have to look a certain way or act a certain way to have a less fortunate, less privileged life. Even people I sit next to in school, people I pass by in the hallway, it’s very likely some endure the same ordeals Luke or Toby did. That also makes me realize that these people have much greater stress in their lives and face many more hardships than I do. This created more empathy for me because the story allowed me to dive into these types of lifestyles and made me feel what they were feeling. For example, I felt the same frustration Luke felt toward his mother for not supporting the family. I felt Toby’s frustration toward everyone’s pitying eyes who felt bad but didn’t care enough to help out. I felt Luke’s helplessness on death row, and the feeling of being unheard. I felt the betrayal Toby felt when Luke chose others over him. All of these examples sent me through a rollercoaster of emotions that ultimately, by the end of the story, gave me a certain awareness for those who have lives like Luke and Toby. -Nora L Have you ever been in trouble for something you didn’t do? Instead of being sent to the corner for 20 minutes, imagine being in prison for 20 years. "Just Mercy" is an eye-opening book that delves into the criminal justice system in the United States through the experiences of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer and social justice activist. The book focuses on Stevenson's efforts to defend individuals on death row, particularly Walter McMillian, who was wrongfully convicted of murder. Stevenson exposes the pervasive issues of racial prejudice and systemic inequality within the legal system. This book had a profound impact on me. Personally, having two black siblings, I always knew that they would face inequalities in their lives. However, after reading this book, I was shocked to discover that these inequalities extend to our own justice system. Reading about Walter McMillian, just an ordinary man who was convicted and sent to prison, and almost killed on death row, made me realize the possibility that, out of the blue, my siblings could be taken to court, convicted of murder, and then sentenced to death. Obviously, that isn’t the case, but only a few years ago, that was the situation. The aftermath of reading this book has significantly altered my view of the world. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that the United States Justice System consistently exhibits prejudice against people with colored skin. This book has me contemplating how this could personally affect my life. Reflecting on how this could impact my siblings fills me with deep distress and a protective instinct for my family. It is painful to acknowledge the extent of injustice in America's court system. This book seems surreal; I cannot even begin to describe how incredibly upset it makes me. The court system is designed to justly punish those who committed a crime. However, I had never considered how the court system could wrongfully convict an innocent person. Not only convict the wrong person, but also be aware of that fact. It disgusts me, and knowing that this is happening currently leaves a pit in my stomach. It’s a horrible feeling. It's unimaginable that innocent people—not blacks or negros, but people—are convicted and killed for something they didn’t do. It's horrific to think that the same men and women who were convicted were murdered simply because of their dark skin. If that is all it takes to end up on death row, I can’t process the thought of losing my little brother or sister. That is beyond disgusting and horrible. I can’t begin to describe how furious I am about this whole situation. It’s disgraceful on a level that I can’t even imagine. -Jameson When I was mulling around books to choose from, I noticed one word jumped off the cover of this book; Indian. Today, we know to use more appropriate terms like Indigenous or Native American, but the fact that this was a diary drew me towards it. This Native American person was calling himself an Indian? Compulsively, I sifted through the general summary of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” and could not put it back down. This book follows Arnold Spirit Jr., who goes by Junior. Junior was born on the Spokane Indian reservation (“the rez” as they call it) in Wellpinit, Washington with a rare condition called hydrocephalus. Excess cerebrospinal fluid puts very harmful pressure on Junior’s brain and leads to often seizures. Junior is a brilliant student and a very talented artist, expressing himself and his feelings through cartoons. However, he grew up on the rez being bullied, with an alcoholic dad, and with practically no friends. He did have one friend, though, and he was Junior’s best friend in the whole world, Rowdy. Rowdy and Junior were polar opposites, apart from their shared love of basketball. Rowdy could’ve beaten up anyone on the rez, and Junior could’ve been beaten up by anyone on the rez. They were perfect for each other. Until Junior decided that he needed to leave the rez to truly live. So, Junior enrolled in Rearden High, the white-dominant high school outside the rez, and effectively became a traitor. It was a collision of worlds when Junior transferred to Rearden. He learned that you couldn’t solve everything with violence like the rez, that people are racist, mean, and even more racist, and most importantly, that among those mean and racist people, there are some great humans. Throughout the entire book, Junior overcomes struggles with deaths in his close family, being around alcoholism, and struggling with poverty. Junior summarizes the physical and figurative differences between Rearden and Wellpinit with this quote on page 199: “I’m fourteen and I’ve been to forty-two funerals. That’s really the biggest difference between Indians and white people.” “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” surprised me mostly due to my naivety about Native Americans in the United States. The thing that shocked me the most wasn’t the impoverishment, it wasn’t the alcoholism, it wasn’t even the 42 funerals Junior attended. It was how similar yet so different our lives are. We all go about our days so similarly. We wake up in the morning, go to school, sit through our classes, go to practice after school, do our homework, and repeat it the next day. On the rez, they do all of this with so little given to them. They create every opportunity leading to where they are. This is why Junior left the rez, he was making an opportunity for himself. It challenged the way I thought about Native Americans to see this new narrative. We’ve always been taught of their tribe-like behavior as if they still live in tipis. So we don’t think often of them, while silently they draw every legal short stick. Strength and resilience are two words that have been instilled in my character for as long as I can remember. Growing up I’ve always prided myself on being a strong and resilient person, but I can’t even begin to imagine being as strong as Junior was throughout his upbringing. The lessons about strength and resilience explored in this book had a very profound impact on me. Junior faces many challenges as he strives to break the cycle of impoverishment within his family on the rez. I discovered, through Junior’s trials and tribulations, that strength is not just physical, but emotional and intellectual. Junior’s literal and figurative escape from the rez shows how resilience holds true throughout even the most adverse situations. I am beyond glad that I picked this book up, and will forever carry the lessons it taught me about constituent resilience and strength through all circumstances. - Trevor K. How many people in Decorah can say they don’t have a home? Esperanza, the narrator of “The House on Mango Street,” has a place to live, but she doesn’t have a home she feels she belongs in. “The House on Mango Street” is a book composed of vignettes detailing various scenes from the life of a young girl living amongst the minority. Esperanza is a Mexican-American girl who has to live a life that is dictated by her social class and her race. There are many books written about people different from me, but I chose this book for the way it describes Esperanza’s experiences—the vignettes feel personal, like reading straight from someone’s diary. There was no overarching plot throughout the book that jumped out to me through the story, but the style of writing was prominent throughout the book. “The House on Mango Street” reads like a diary, like memories that were important for one reason or another. Esperanza often wrote about small details, like candles on top of a fridge, a song, a couch, that it felt so vivid and personal to read. Another thing that I noticed was closely entwined with the emotions and feelings Esperanza had was the actual house itself. The house on mango street was not what her immigrant parents wanted—it was neglected, poor, looked down on—and I noticed the house seemed to be representative of Esperanza herself. When Esperanza gets her future read, the only thing found was “home made of heart”. This stuck out to me as representing the house, and the fact that the only thing homelike about it is what Esperanza can find in her heart with her family. Together these vignettes don’t have a specific plot, but rather an evocative emotion ingrained into each chapter. From first glance, Esperanza and I do not appear similar—we are from different ethnic backgrounds, different classes, even different time periods—but we feel the same. Esperanza tells her stories like she is tired, like she has a bone-deep weariness at the end of each day. Thinking back on the book, I feel as though I am remembering this story as though it is my own, and it helps show that no matter what country your family is from, how much money you have, how you are treated—there aren’t any new emotions. Teenage girls are teenage girls no matter who the world thinks they are, and all feelings are universal even if individual circumstances are unique. -Klara Kelly There are some books that once you read them leave an impression on you for the rest of your life. Then there are some books that become part of your childhood once you read them. The book Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell is both of these things. Eleanor is a bigger girl with big red hair and even stranger fashion. Eleanor moves to a new school and has to ride the bus every day to school; this is when she meets Park. Park is the only Asian kid in the school and has always felt different. Throughout the story, Eleanor and Park fall for each other and learn about themselves. Eleanor and Park go through so many challenges of growing up and going through high school together, however, the biggest challenge is Eleanor's stepfather. Read the book Eleanor and Park to find out if the two can overcome the challenges of life and love or if they break apart over time. I went into the book knowing it was meant for people about my age or a little younger so I didn’t expect much. I thought it was just going to be a silly book about two kids growing up and had close to no expectations. I was quickly proven wrong about my original thoughts. The book is meant for a younger audience but it is anything but a silly little book. The book made me think a lot about how different people are treated in high school and if I was in their situation if I could even overcome it. Reading this book while I was also in high school was the perfect time to read it because there were so many times when I put myself in their shoes and I truly don’t think I could have done what they did. I have always tried to fit in and I don’t like being the odd one out so for Park to give up on his old friends to hang out with Eleanor even though she is the weird kid and I wish this weren’t true but I don’t think I could do that in high school. I went into the book thinking I was too old to read a book like this but now I realize I was the perfect age to read this book and for my opinions to change for the better. As I said earlier this book really changed my opinions on myself and others around me. Looking back I don’t have close to anything in common with Eleanor or Park. The main challenge around Eleanor is her messed up family but I couldn’t relate to that if I tried. My parents are still happily married my two brothers love me and I don’t have nearly any of her family problems. I also have close to nothing in common with Park. I am not a minority by any means I am a straight white woman and have never really felt out of place as Park did before he met Eleanor. Though I have almost nothing in common with these two characters they still changed me in ways I never thought would happen. The book changed the way I looked at others and the way I perceive others around me. I have started to think about my classmates for what they do and not what they look like or for their family. There are so many people that you just make a judgment on without thinking. Some of these judgements are rude and some are just harmless thoughts that you have. For example, some of my peers wear off-brand clothing and I have judged them for it. It wasn’t anything harsh but in my head, I started to think about them differently. Until I read this book I never realized that I took a person's clothing into consideration about their personality way more than I should. I have started to look at people for who they are and not for what they wear. This book has truly changed me for the better based on my perception of others and the way I simply see people. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read about Eleanor and Park when I was in high school allowing the full impact of the story to affect me. -Clara H. Have you ever thought about others around you and how they’re feeling? I didn’t realize how mental illness can affect anyone until I read The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart. Ever since Lily found her sister, Alice, hurting herself, she has been trying to keep it together for her family, but she is coming to terms with her own anxiety disorder while watching her sister go through a mental illness. After Alice being at a treatment center for about 2 months, Lily is dealing with school, friends, family, grades, and track. Micah, who was in treatment with Alice, soon gets paired with Lily for a school project. Micah tries to help Lily understand not only her sister and her feelings, but her own feelings. They soon become very close, but Lily is finding things to be difficult when she starts to have her own panic attacks, and thoughts spiraling. The Words We Keep is very powerful, emotional, sad, hopeful, and much more. Before reading this book, I knew what anxiety and depression were, but I didn’t really realize how it can affect people’s day to day lives. It makes me think about my family and friends, because I know that nobody around Lily knew how she really felt. It shows how stigma can keep people from speaking up about mental health. The author really gives you a good look on how people with a mental illness really see life and how they think. It really truly is hard to have a mental illness, and I don’t think people really think about it and how people are struggling. I noticed how Lily never spoke up about her feelings and thoughts, so no one ever knew that she was struggling. I think that Lily’s coach and her dad were really hard on her, which also contributed to her starting to have panic attacks. It shifted my view on depression and anxiety and it really makes me think about others, and how others are struggling silently. It helped me have a more open mind and better understanding of mental illnesses. I feel that Lily didn’t really have anyone to talk to or anyone to open up to. It was interesting to read about Lily and her thoughts because it really truly does give me a better view on mental illness. I have realized that I am very lucky to be able to go home and know that I don’t have to keep things from my parents or friends, and that I have someone to talk to. It is important to read about people that are different from yourself, because it helps you become empathetic. From reading this book I have learned more about myself, and I think that I understand the feelings of those around me better. By: Marri Feuerhelm How can you live without something that once defined you? This was a difficult question for a small town Iowan named Brendan Leonard. Brendon became an alcoholic at a young age due to his choice to underage drink. Drinking quickly became a part of who Brendon was. Due to his heavy drinking, many problems started to arise for Brendan. After getting a DUI arrest, Brendan had to serve a short time in prison. He had a long time in recovery. During his time at jail and recovery, Brendan realized the many freedoms that were taken from him when he drank. Brendan decided to move out to Montana to go to college and pursue a future career in journalism. This was very difficult for Brendan since he had to leave his family and his old friends behind. Brendon spent the first semester of college avoiding people, but after he came home and was given a climbing rope from his brother, his life was changed forever. Brendon started mountain climbing and found out that he had a growing passion for the thrill of climbing mountains. Brendon decided he wanted to quit smoking because it hurts his lungs at the high elevations while he was climbing. Brendon even made some climbing buddies and started to cimb more and more. Brendan got married. He didn’t have a good relationship and ended up getting a divorce. After the divorce, Brendan decided to continue climbing and started climbing even more, since it kept his mind off of his past life and made him feel a strong sense of redemption. At the end of the book, Brendon realized that drugs, which once defined him, were no longer a part of his life. The new thing that defined him was climbing. After reading the book Sixty Meters to Anywhere, I was very surprised that this story had occurred very close to where I currently live. This story really woke me up to the harsh reality that events in this story could happen to me, or to anyone I know. While reading the book, I even recognised places Brendon worked or visited during his time in Iowa. After finishing the book, my perspective changed on alcoholics and drunk driving. I always thought that people who were alcoholics and drunk drivers were only selfish bad people, but really I just needed to separate the bad from the good. Brendan wasn’t a bad person, he had just made some bad mistakes. Brendon was such a good person, that he wanted to warn others of the mistakes he made. After reading the negative impacts alcoholism and chain smoking had on Brendon, I feel that my knowledge of why not to abuse these substances are even stronger. If Brendon had just decided not to try these harmful substances at such a young age, then he would have had a better high school and college experience. One thing I noticed while reading this book was how painfully honest Brendon was while writing this book. He not only told us his whole life story, but all the horrible mistakes and sorrow he had during his addiction and time of withdrawal. After finishing the novel, I learned that I am way too quick to judge people. When I read the first couple chapters of the novel, I immediately thought Brendon was a very bad person for his actions such as his DUI arrests, destruction of property, and how he acted at parties. Now I realize that Brendon is a good person, who went down a really bad path. This book completely changed my thinking on what I believe defines me and others. I know that there are many things that define people, both good and bad. After reading this book, I now know that people need to replace the bad things with something they are passionate about. The next time I want to watch youtube for a couple hours, I should instead go fishing or go play soccer with my friends. When I meet or hear about people who are drug users or alcoholics, I feel that I will now be more compassionate towards them, as I now know that they are good people who just went down the wrong path. I am now confident that I will not judge people based on bad decisions they make in their life, because everyone makes mistakes and has to learn from them, myself included. -Riley B. Jeff knows exactly when his life changed. April 15, 2013 at 2:48 p.m. Bauman looked into the face of Tamerlan Tsarnaev just minutes before the most high-profile terrorist event on United States soil since September 11th. Jeff Bauman was, well, your average guy. Jeff lives in Boston, loves to watch sports, and works at Costco. Just like any other person in Boston, Jeff was at the marathon. As Jeff was waiting for his girlfriend Erin to finish the race, the bombs went off. Pressure cookers filled with nuts and bolts. Shredding anything in their path. When Jeff opened his eyes, he saw a woman step over him, covered in blood. Jeff looked down, and there was nothing below his knees. Jeff was lying in a pool of his own blood and flesh. Jeff was thrown in a wheelchair and rushed to the emergency room. Jeff almost died during surgery, but when he wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by friends and family. Jeff becomes the face of the bombing. The image of him and the man in the yellow cowboy hat is all over the internet. Jeff battles himself mentally and physically. Bauman undergoes grueling physical therapy, and he also battles himself. Jeff even started to blame himself for the bombing. Jeff slowly started to build confidence and even made public appearances with new friends. Jeff even returns to his job at Costco and gets married to his girlfriend, Erin. Jeff’s story shows us how small and insignificant these terrorists were and shows us we are stronger. Jeff really surprised me with how explicit his writing was. He really got me thinking about the terrible things these bombers did. In a way, Jeff almost forces you to see from his perspective. He did so using a lot of imagery. Jeff allows us to see the bombing from a survivor's perspective, one that is much better than the media’s perspective. Towards the end of the story, we discover that some people don’t even believe that he lost his legs and that the whole incident was fake. This really made me realize how unempathetic and insolent people can be. Jeff also describes how he was already battling mental struggles. I can’t imagine battling myself and other random, unrelated people. Jeff also describes his life before the bombing. It made me realize his life really wasn’t very different from mine. Bauman also describes how helpful his girlfriend was in the process of his recovery. This showed me how important relationships are. It really got me thinking about how I treat people. I noticed a change in Jeff’s tone throughout the book. Jeff, at the beginning of the book, was sad and depressed. At the end of the book, however, I noticed that his tone shifted to happy and confident. This really made me think about the situation he went through and how mentally tough he really is. I am very pleased that I chose to read stronger. Jeff completely changed my view of amputees. I used to think amputees were weird because they were different. Jeff made me realize that amputees are just like you and me. Jeff also made me feel empathetic towards amputees. His story of recovery really made me realize what they have to go through just to live normal lives. Jeff’s story also made me realize how much I appreciate friends, family, and community members. Jeff never would have recovered the way he did without all the support he received. Jeff made me realize how fortunate I am to have these people. Bauman also makes me realize how fortunate we are that we have all four of our limbs. Jeff’s life is very different from mine, but after hearing his story, I found he is not so different from me. Jeff helped me feel empathy for people who are different from me. By Reid Burns On a Scale of 1 to 10 is about a girl who is being transferred to a mental hospital and we don’t know why at first, but as the book continues we figure it out. This book changes perspectives of a young girl named Tamar from before she was in the mental hospital to during the time she was in it. Tamar is having a rough time because she thinks she killed her friend Iris, which is not what happened at all and you'll learn that towards the end of the book. During her time at the mental hospital she goes through ups and downs. One of her ups was making new friends, and one of her downs is just the fact she has to be there. A lot of things happen to her that aren't necessarily good in this book. When perspectives change, It helps a lot with letting you know what happened to make her have to go to the mental hospital. In the end, one of her really good friends, Elle, she met there has to leave her, but Tamar gets to go home. She ends up figuring out her purpose in life and knowing her worth. Some things that surprised me in this book was how hard it truly is to have to go to a mental hospital. Having friends you meet there having to leave and not being able to see them again, being watched twenty four seven, and having to be away from family. I noticed that this book was very detailed in the writing. The author had the first person (Tamar) explain her story very well. I have a very hard time understanding books, so I liked how this one was easy for me to understand and didn’t mix words around in weird ways. I also love books where people tell their story. Not action or anything, just someone telling what they went through and what they have overcome through their life. Something I learned about myself while reading this book was that although it was very sad and hard to read at some points, I enjoyed it. Watching her overcome certain things in her life that were very challenging to her made me happy, especially in the end when she felt like she was actually worth something. This book has changed me in the ways I think. You truly never know what someone is going through, so before assuming, stop and think. This book was a very sad book, and made me feel sad sometimes, but I think people should read it even though it may be a sensitive topic for them. It truly shows what people can overcome after the hardest things in life. It shows to never doubt yourself and never give up in life even though it may seem like a disaster. This was a great book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. by Joey M. |
AuthorSTenth grade students at Decorah High School share how they're reading outside of their own experiences and how it has changed them. Categories
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