Can you imagine a life where, every day, you're fighting to survive? To Tareq, a teenage boy living in the war-torn country of Syria, this is reality. Tareq, his father, and his little sister Susan are trying to escape Syria after their home was destroyed. The family embarks on their journey out of Syria, first stopping in Raqqa to stay with a relative and prepare for the long journey ahead. Along with Musa, Tareq’s cousin, the family makes their way out of Syria and into Turkey. Tareq and Musa go farther into Turkey to find work, leaving Susan and her father behind. After Tareq realizes Turkey isn't a welcoming home, he reluctantly uses the money he has earned to smuggle himself and Susan into Greece. Tareq and Susan must cross the Aegean Sea, packed into an inflatable dinghy with many other frightened refugees. They are trying to get to Lesvos, Greece, an island just off the coast of Turkey. When Tareq and Susan finally arrive in Greece, they are helped out of their boats by volunteers. One volunteer, Alexa, a college student from America, builds a lasting bond with Tareq and Susan, whose real journey has just begun. I had never realized the struggles refugees had to go through until I read A Land of Permanent Goodbyes. It made me realize the struggles to leave one's own home country and go to a new unknown place, to the refugees it will never be their true home. This book also opened my eyes to the stigma around refugees and how some countries and people don't empathize with them and just want them out of their country. What surprised me was how cruel and cold the smuggling business was. Many of the smugglers were charging thousands of dollars for the refugees to be squeezed into a tiny dinghy that might not even make it to its destination. Reading this book made me realize how lucky we are to live in a country where we don’t have to worry about war and bombings like other countries. I also saw how conflicts could tear apart families. It was eye-opening to me to see Tareq struggle with the pain of the deaths of his family members while still staying strong for his little sister Susan. This book also highlighted how people would take advantage of the refugees, especially children and girls. It also showed me the effect volunteering and donating to organizations can have a drastic effect on the lives of those being helped. Hard times like the one seen in this book can bring out the best of people but it will also bring out the worst of them too. -Garrett S.
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Persepolis is a stunning graphic memoir of Marjane Satrapi’s unforgettable childhood during the Islamic Revolution. The contrast between private and public life in a country absolutely plagued by political turbulence is extremely fascinating as we follow Marjarane’s (Marji’s) coming of age. Some of the many disturbances to ‘normal’ life for her came not only from her family’s strong communist and socialist leanings, but also because it was the peak of her elementary years when the Shah was ousted from power in Iran and an conservative Islamic regime took control. She found chaos in the contradictions between private and public life; in her high school years in Vienna, facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; in her homecoming—both sweet and terrible; and, finally, in her volunteer departure from her homeland. It is the sweet record of girlhood and adolescence which were once so outrageous, now made familiar. It’s the story of a young life weaved with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up. What I thought was very interesting about this book was that it provided a very detailed summary of how the war in Iran broke out a few years prior, and included some actual facts about the Iranian revolution that proved to be necessary knowledge for the reader later in the story. It was like a brief history run down before the main event, and it really added to my overall understanding of the book. I also enjoyed the different views on life and its experiences that I was a witness to through this book. I always thought foreign countries would have completely foreign lifestyles compared to my own, however, this was hardly the case. Marji lived with her family like me, they drove a family car as my parents do, played board games like my sister and I do, and watched TV together like my sister and I do as well, Marji and her friends even goofed off in school like normal kids living a completely normal life. This for me was very interesting, because I have never truly experienced a third-world country for myself. I loved learning that although she overcame some extreme hardships in her life like war and an internal revolution, her home life was not all that different from yours or mine. I think this book really struck something in my heart, to hear about the mass suffering of a people and to visually witness a child experience torture was truly gravitating. I was in awe of the horrible execution and interrogation methods the war prisoners had to face if captured. Even the citizens experienced truly devastating acts. In one instance a movie theatre was locked from the outside and burned to the ground - nearly 400 people burned alive inside. This was an act of protest from the government to give testament to the Iranian people that these new laws were no joke. The change in laws and policy happened so abruptly that it would have in fact taken ages to get used to, however, Iranians were expected to obey right away which I found to be truly messed up. One night Marji and her family were sitting comfortably in their house and the next she was forced into a separate school just for girls, made to wear a veil so as to not distract men and to be a modest woman, and suffer the consequences if she didn't. The Iranian's downward view on anything Western is fascinating to me as well. Americans view themselves as such high and mighty people, and seeing the opinions of different people from different countries really made me think. Marji had a poster of a Western signer hanging in her room, in order for her to even possess such a thing her parents had to illegally smuggle it into the country by sewing it into their jackets and hiding it from national security. It blows my mind how much was off-limits and just how much I take for granted in everyday life. It was a privilege for Marji to go to parties or social events with friends, or to listen to music freely without worrying that people on the street may hear it and call the police. I do many of those things without even thinking twice, however, Marji risked her life every time she set foot outside the house or turned on a scandalous Western song. This story showed me what it feels like to have power and freedom of life ripped from your grasp, to have your rights stripped away, and to have your way of life completely limited and even viewed as wrong or unholy. I learned a lot of historical information too that I will hopefully carry with me throughout my life; information that will help me to not only understand different people's views on life and their experiences but also how people in other countries may be very similar yet very different from myself. -Isabella S. Trust, food, and freedom are all commodities only given on short special occasions for Cristian Florescu. As a teenager living in Romania in 1989, Cristian has to navigate life while continuously avoiding informers and keep his negative opinions about Romania in his notebook. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, a man by the name of Ceausescu rose to power and took control of Romania and established a dictatorship under himself and his communist party. Ceausescu cleverly portrays Romania and himself positively to the rest of the world while the mast surveillance, censorship, and informers kept Romania under his control. One day, Cristian’s crimes were exposed to the Securitate, Romania’s secret police force. He is met with two options: betray everyone his loves, or secretly use his intellect to overthrow the corruption within Romania. Cristian continues to write in his secret notebook while tactically battling against the Securitate with his arsenal of information. However, it soon becomes clear that the Securitate wouldn’t be the toughest opponent Cristian has to face. Hatred can be often wielded as a powerful weapon against foes, but love made it difficult to raise swords against another. There is always conflict or an objective for Cristian to clear. Immediately, Cristian is forced to become an informer and relay information about an American diplomat to the Securitate. This made me question my point of view of the story and deduce what was the best decision for Cristian. I quickly began to realize that it was not his fault that he became an informer, and shifted my attention to the system. The Securitate’s method of blackmailing him was effective because they threaten his family and forces him to choose between that and an American friend. They were able to exploit his kindness and use him as a pawn under their control. Cristian’s best friend, Luca, is my favorite character within the story. Luca’s personality and his relationship with Cristian, combined with the way in which he was written, creates an immense amount of emotions to build up as I read the story. Sometimes I liked him, sometimes I questioned his actions, but he was always fun and thrilling to read. Ruta Sepetys presents enough information for us readers to infer what could happen in the story without making it obvious, her style of writing creates incredible suspense within the story and keeps the reader engaged. From reading this book, I realized that I absorb information quickly without questioning it. There were many foreshadowing carefully hinted throughout the story, but I missed most of them because I had only looked at the situation from Christian’s perspective without giving it proper thoughts. This changed how I view informers, I believed that they were people who sided with the Securitate to gain a higher social standing while ruining the lives of others for trivial reasons. However, it soon became clear that many informers were forced into it due to enormous blackmailing and threats that kept people from rejecting the party. This story made me feel more empathetic towards people living under harsh conditions without freedom. I was under the impression that when the Soviet Union collapsed, these Eastern European countries such as Romania became free of dictatorship rule, but reality was the very opposite. This book captures the unfortunate situation of Romania in 1989 while also showcasing the strange happiness Cristian was able to experience despite the horrible circumstances. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about history from the perspective of others, but this story can be read, understood, and enjoyed by anyone. By Phuong D. Racism…what does it mean to you? To 16-year-old Starr Carter, it means her best friend being shot by a police officer in front of her, having to pretend to be something she’s not, and conquering obstacles that stand in the way of relationships and friendships. Starr Carter tells the story of her best friend, Khalil, being shot by police officers in front of her. Then, Starr is on a journey of finding the courage to speak out about the racism that police officers and society has against African Americans. She must dig deep inside of her to find that courage that will combat the trauma and hatred of the situation. The Hate U Give surprised me by showing the amount of gang related violence that can go on in neighborhoods. Growing up in small town Decorah, I am not exposed to the violence that is in the book. The violence challenges my thinking because I didn’t realize the effect this trauma has on kids my own age. This trauma then changes the individual when they are with others. Starr went to a private preparatory school in a wealthy white neighborhood where she felt like she needed to change to fit in and hide her background. I have felt this way before. In middle school, I would change myself to be a happier person even if I was feeling sad, lonely, and upset. I did this so no one would ask questions or worry about me. I feel like Starr was doing the same thing. She didn’t want anyone to ask questions about her and her background, so she kept all of it hidden. Even though this is not the same situation, we are still hiding from those “friends”. Starr was a good storyteller in this book. The book was first person central, meaning that Starr was the narrator and the main character. This allowed Starr to express her thoughts and emotions while telling the story and sharing how she is on a journey to find courage. The Hate U Give changed my perspective of situations like this one. My perspective used to know only the law enforcement side (my dad is a law enforcement officer) but this book helped me get a glimpse into the other side of the story. It opened my eyes to the hatred and racism that surrounds people's daily lives. It changed my perception of racism as a whole and the effect it can have on people. Even though you may think it is a little thing, to some people it is their entire day if not more, it could consume their mind. I believe that this book has made me more aware of how people of color are treated and how much hatred that is in the world for all races. The Hate U Give has helped change my opinions and actions in everyday life. I may not be in the same situation as Starr, but I can be more aware of what is going on around me and how others are feeling. By Addison W. No one understands struggle like a refugee does. Sandra Uwiringiyimana lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a child. Her people were stateless, meaning they did not belong to one certain area. Her world was full of happiness one moment and angry battles the next, because anyone who looked like her was discriminated against. War was a part of her normal, everyday life. It forced her out of school and moved her into temporary refugee camps. Her community would have their lives turned upside down for a few months, but then everything would return to normal. When Sandra was ten, another battle broke out, this one not temporary. Armed men came into their refugee camp and slaughtered everyone they could reach. Tents were set on fire, and Sandra was able to escape by only a miracle. She and her broken family had to pick up the pieces of their former life, but were unable to return to their sense of normalcy. Through a UN refugee system, Sandra and her family were able to immigrate to America. She imagined America as if everyone was rich and shiny. Upon arrival, though, they had to struggle yet again through hunger and discrimination. Sandra found a way to use her voice against racism and learn to heal from her traumatic past. I was surprised that the book wasn’t all sad or regretful. Many refugee stories focus only on the hard parts of their past, but How Dare the Sun Rise also allows good memories to surface. Many chapters are dedicated to the strength of her people and the beauty of her childhood home. Sandra found ways to let the light parts of her story in, making it seem much more human. I found this form of writing to be much more emotionally impactful, because you could see the drastic changes she went through in such a short amount of time. This book has changed my thinking process quite a bit. Many times throughout the story, I had to remind myself that it was a memoir, and therefore completely true. It is easy to read a book and disconnect from the story it is telling, simply because we allow ourselves to believe it is made up. I am definitely more open-minded towards people who’s past I don’t know. It really reinforces the fact that the people around you can come from many different walks of life, and how they could be struggling in ways you aren’t aware of. Empathy was a big part of this book, but it took effort for me to try and understand how I would’ve reacted in her situations. I’ve realized that I have to try harder to actually understand someone else’s point of view and not just feel sorry for them. By Bridget B. What is life like in the eyes of other peoples? This story just goes to show how much different someone’s life is two countries away. This story takes place in the present Barrios in Guatemala. The story is told by both Pulga and Pequeña who are cousins. Chico, Pulga's brother, is also part of the group. The three are faced with hardship everyday. People around them are being forced to join gangs or are getting killed. They decide that they can no longer live this way and set off on a treacherous journey for a better life. Leaving their families is difficult already but the path ahead will be much harder. Many dangers lie ahead of them including riding atop the dangerous trains called La Bestia (the beast). There is no turning back. The book was surprising when I read it because I had no idea the journey to America is so difficult. It was so unbelievable to me that people do this everyday. These people come from terrible places and face the risk of death even to escape. Most of the time, when people actually end up reaching the border to the United States they will be sent back to their countries from where they fled. I want to learn more about the lives of real people who have gone on this journey and have yet to go on this journey. This story hit me pretty hard. I felt a lot when I read it. I could not believe how tough life is for people south of the US. The journey is unimaginable, I can’t even begin to wrap my head around how stuff like this happens on the daily. It breaks my heart that most people set off on this trip and almost reach their destination only to be turned away. I felt my satisfaction with the US dwindle a bit. When I started reading this book, I had no idea the impact it would have on me. I just wanted to keep reading it. I have never read a book this fast in my entire life. After reading this, it has opened up my world by only showing it to me through something the size of a keyhole. It is an amazing story to follow and I would recommend it to everyone. By Julia S. “When the Great War broke out, it came to me not as a superlative tragedy, but as an interruption of the most exasperating kind to my personal plans” (Brittain 17). This is our first glimpse into the life and thoughts of the author of Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain. Vera is a determined and ambitious young woman (which was very unusual and considered “improper” at the time) who’s biggest dream is to go to Oxford and become a writer. However, as soon as those dreams are finally within reach, the Great War brings everything in her life into a stark and cold reality. Vera then abandons her studies and ambitions at Oxford in an attempt to do something that makes a difference. It is all in an effort to help her feel closer to those she loves fighting on the fronts: her fiancé , little brother, and best friend. She decides to become a frontline nurse, and with that, the horrors of war are experienced by Vera firsthand. Through the course of the war, she loses all that’s dear to her; first her fiancé, next her best friend, and finally her little brother. In the years following, Vera strives to bring peace and helps in the rising efforts of pacifists. This book is a memoir of Ms. Brittain’s life from 1900 to 1925, with the majority of the book focusing on the war years of 1914-1918. I believe that it was the goal of Ms. Brittain to help people in the coming generations understand and realize what the youth of the time had to go through and sacrifice during, and even after, the Great War. Throughout the book, she explained how the young people of her time had to grow up so quickly, and sadly, many of their talents, dreams, and aspirations were lost. For example, her fiancé had an incredible talent for poetry and writing and her brother had a wonderful talent for music and composing, but tragically those talents were lost when both men died at the young ages of 20 and 22. It made me think of how much every single person, young and old, was in some way affected by the war. I had never really thought before about all of the brilliant young people that were lost to the war. Of course, I had thought of all of the young men who died, but I had never fully considered the potential and talents that they possessed apart from their dutiful war service and loyalties to their countries. Also, the young people that still were left alive from the war might have been so deeply affected by the war that they lost their ambitions and dreams. There was a point in the book where Vera’s fiancé said that if he were to survive the war, he may not go back to Oxford or even become a poet. This was a book full of emotion, as it was a memoir which made it feel very personal. You got to look into the thoughts and feelings of Vera throughout the most turbulent time of her life. You experienced her pain and loss along with her and got a very intimate look of how she coped with the tragedies of war. I chose this book because I have always been very interested in the World Wars and I also have a dream to study at Oxford, but Vera and her time is nothing like I can imagine. At the time, women were not really supposed to go to college let alone have a career; they were basically supposed to marry a suitable man. This is hard for me to imagine because now there are so many opportunities for furthering my education, honestly, the options are limitless. Thus, that is something very different between my and Vera’s situations and lives. I also chose this book because over Thanksgiving Break, I watched the movie that was based on this memoir and it affected me in a way I did not expect. It was the most moved I have been from a movie for a long time, if not ever. That really drove me to want to read her words and experience it on a more personal level. I think that the struggles of the youth of the time really had an impact on me and how I will think of and put into perspective my hardships and trials. I think that this thinking will help me to be a better, more considerate, and understanding person in the future. by Bella B. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a historical fiction novel set in World War II-era France and Germany. The book follows the stories of two young teenagers: Marie-Laure LeBlanc from Paris and Werner Pfennig from the Zollverein mining complex in Germany. Werner is an orphaned boy living with his sister, Jutta, and several other children in a home for orphans. Marie-Laure lives in Paris with her father, who works at the Museum of Natural History. She is blind and navigates the city with a 3-dimensional model that her father created for her. During the war, Germans invade Paris and Marie and her father escape to safety in Saint-Malo, where her great-uncle lives (though Saint-Malo is also soon invaded). Werner is fascinated by technology and mechanics, especially radios. He fixes radios for his town, and is eventually noticed by and sent to a school that trains the Hitler Youth. Werner travels to Saint-Malo in the military, and meets Marie-Laure there after the city is bombed. When one of Werner’s military commanders tries to capture Marie-Laure, Werner helps save her by shooting the commander. I chose to read All the Light We Cannot See because it was a book that I had already planned on reading, to be completely honest. I owned a copy and was looking forward to getting into it, and when this project arose, I thought the book would work perfectly! I knew that the main characters were living in WWII and that one of them was blind, and the other an orphan. The era and the struggles the two main characters had are both things that I have never experienced, and likely will never experience in my lifetime. However, upon getting into the first few chapters of the book, I became concerned- I related too much to the characters! I thought that I was going to have to backtrack and choose a different book before I realized something. This challenge is supposed to challenge our perception of life and see the world from another person’s eyes. But, while we all go through different experiences and have different identities, we are all human. The stories from this book represent pains, losses, fears, and joys that I have felt, though through different circumstances. “We are mice, he thinks, and the sky swirls with hawks” (Doerr 89). From the very beginning, this book showcases feelings of fear and feeling alone in the world. This quote from early in the book comes from a moment where Marie-Laure’s father was concerned for both of their lives. His metaphor shows the Germans acting as hawks, surrounding and never ceasing their search, and he and Marie-Laure acting as mice, afraid and constantly running away. This moment was one of the most impactful parts of the book to me, because I’ve never felt a fear that great or all-encompassing. Throughout the book, Marie-Laure and Werner are presented with life-or-death situations that I would never encounter in my day-to-day life. Both children feel very alone at times, with Marie-Laure being blind and losing her family and Werner being orphaned and an “odd-ball” at his school. I have felt alone before, but not to such extremes. The wartime setting opened my eyes to the hardships that families, children especially, had to go through. Though, from reading All the Light We Cannot See, I gained more than just knowledge about what it’s like to live during war, as a blind girl, or as an orphaned boy. I was reminded of how truly connected we all are -how very real the human experience is- and that despite our differences, we can all feel deep empathy for one another. Sarah P. “Open your eyes, concludes the man, and see what you can with them before they close forever.” From multiple award winning Anthony Doerr, All the Light we Cannot See is one of the best books to read for this challenge. Told in non-chronological order, the book takes place from 1934 - 2014 focusing on two main characters, Werner Pfennig, and Marie-Laure. Marie-Laure is a 6 year old French girl living with her father in Paris. Her father, Daniel Leblanc works in the History museum where a diamond called the sea of flames is displayed. At this time Marie-Laure is going blind. Her father then teaches her braille and makes beautiful models of Paris so she can learn her way around the city. As war breaks out in France in early 1940, Marie-Laure and Daniel move to Saint-Malo with her Uncle. Daniel was tasked with keeping the sea of flames safe and away from the Nazi, as legend says who ever owns it lives forever, but everyone he loves will die. Werner is a 8 years old German boy who grows up in an orphanage worrying about growing up only to be a miner. He come across a radio and is instantly hooked on learning about science, and engineering. With his new found passion comes great new opportunities. He is offered to study at the National Institute, a Nazi school for Hitler Youth. He quickly passes with flying colors and works with Dr. Hauptmann on new radar based tracking technology. He is then deployed with this new tech on the front lines of Russia and them France. As he travels through Nazi occupied Paris and soon ends up in Saint-Malo when he and Marie-Laure cross paths. Werner finds Marie-Laure hiding in the basement of her house after the city was bombed. Werner is then arrested by American troops and dies by stepping on a German land mine. Marie-Laure goes on with her life as a scientists in Paris with a daughter and granddaughter. As I said, this book has got to be one of the best books to read for this challenge. As the majority of Decorah's residents were born and raised in America, this book offers amazing perspective on how it would be to live in France and Germany during WWII. Not only that, but most chapters are less than four pages long. Each chapter switching between the two characters. This book is great because it appeals to everyone. Everyone can gain insight from this story. Learning what it is like to be blind, or being a young soldier on the front lines, heck even both sexes are included in this book as main characters. All in all this book will have something to teach you about someone different than yourself. My insight from the book come from Marie-Laure, the blind French girl. I couldn’t imagine being blind, especially during this time period. I really love how her father shares her struggle by making models of cities so she can learn her way around. It’s also pretty amazing the amount of trust she has to put into other people. I think this is something everyone struggles with , especially me. Most the time I don’t want people to help because it's hard to adjust to change and difference. Marie-Laure is a great example to keep trying and trying even if it takes you years until you get it right. She never gave up learning how to see and find her way home even after her vision was gone. If she can do that. Then me and you, we can do anything. Gabe A. It is estimated that over 400,000 juveniles pass through detention centers every year. The book Juvenile In Justice, by Richard Ross, talks about youth’s real world experiences with juvenile detention centers by incorporating the perspectives of current and former inmates. Some of the youth in these detention centers come and go within days. Others however stay in these types of systems for most if not their entire life. It also talks about the flaws in our justice system and how that can affect the kids in theses systems. Something I learned from this book that surprised me was about the amount of gang violence that exists amongst youth. Growing up in Decorah, I hadn’t seen much gang violence. However, in some bigger cities, gang violence is a normal part of everyday life for some people. Some of the kids in this book have killed people, due to gang retaliations, and they don't even realize that what they did was wrong. It’s stuff like this that really challenges my thinking just for the fact that I clearly know it is wrong. To me it almost seems impossible to think that killing someone isn’t bad. A kid killing someone nonetheless. This book definitely taught me a lot about myself and the life I have. It showed me some of the effects of growing up in the conditions that some of these inmates grew up in. It taught me to really appreciate what I have in life because others aren’t as fortunate as I am. This also goes to show that you can’t judge people because it may not be their fault. Some people just grow up in the wrong part of town, or they may have a great life but just make dumb choices. You just never know. One quote that changed the way I feel on gang violence was, “She kissed one of them on the mouth, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the back of the head…” (Glass 17). This quote really touched me. Just the thought of someone my age doing that is unthinkable. Nathan 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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