Multicultural

Sold By Patrica McCorick Reveiw By Jessica Yarnall

In Nepal there is the HImalayan Mountain in those mountians there are many villages. In one village lives a thriteen year old girl, Linkshmi. Well, maybe not. the book __Sold__ is not based on a true stry but it is based on truth. In the world today there are aproximately half a million young children that are trafficed into the sex trade anually. Every year nearly 12,000 young girls are intentionally or unwittingly __Sold__. This story is about just one. Life is simple for this young girl, feed the goat, take care of the baby brother, water the cucumbers. Simple yet vital tasks to her families well being. Through events in the book her family grows desperate. Linkshmi is told she must work as a maid in "the city were all the roofs are made of gold." Although she has never been outside her small village she must go. "My bundle is light My burden is heavy" is a quote from the book that best represents Linkshmi's feelings about leaving everything she knows and loves. After a long an treterace journey Linkshmi is thrusted into a world that goes beyond her worst nightmares. The author Patrica McCormick does a splendid job writing __Sold__. With her hold nothing back style you feel as though you can smell the dirt, grim, and udder saddnes that Linkshmi and the rest of the misfortunate girls are experiencing. Be warned, if you are looking for a heart warming ending that makes you open your eyes, but not your mind to the horrors of the worlld then you will be dissopionted. What you will find is a heart-string pulling, tear envoking tale of the horrible yet very real world of the sex trade.

Yarnall 1 Wesley Yarnall Mrs. Jones World Literature September 19, 2008 The book that I chose to read is __Chanda's War__ by Allan Stratton. This book is based in Africa, in a fictional country on a fictional war. He tries to show you what the kids have to go through when countries go to war. So Chanda gets stuck in the middle of everything by having to take care of her brother and sisters after her mom’s death. One of the reason that Chanda’s mom went back home and died in a field was to protect Chanda and the kids. Having aids in this community is a very bad thing to look upon. But then again there are how many people with aids in Africa? I think a good amount of the population, and they all keep it a secret for the most part. I think this book is starting to be a good book for me to read, it’s just a long one. This is one of those books that can leave you guessing, or it just might be me that can’t figure it out. This book is set in a newer time, because Mrs. Tafa has a cell phone that she talks on, and Chanda got a phone call on it, to talk to her Granny. Over all, this entire book is an easy book to read, it’s very intriguing. It just had too many pages for me to ready in two weeks, but I got her done. But then again I’m not a reader. But my question is why does a kid die in each of the two books I have read?

Homeless Bird By Gloria Whelan Yim Sribenjakul This book is located in India. Indian is really poor country and most so most people’s that live in India is poor. Homeless book is about this young girls name Koly she is Thirteen year old, but she force to leave her family at thirteen and marry someone she has never meet. All most every girls that live in India they get marry really young because they don’t have money to feed the kid. The will get marry in the age thirteen or fourteen years old. Koly’s parent sends her to marry to the family that she don’t even know. She got marry with the guys name Harri. Harri have one sister her name is Chandra she is really nice to her she make Koly feel like her own sister. Not too long Koly husband has die of flu but Koly still stay with Harri family. She have to do every Chore in the house, but good thing that Chandra is helping her out and always support. But not too long Chandra got marry with some family that she don’t even know. No Koly got no help no support, how she have to put up with her mother-law on her own. Bob Marley Spirit Dancer Bajin Smith By Bruce W. Talamon This book left me in amazement at the impact Bob Marley left on so many people out there. He had a rough time climbing to the spot he ended up when he died. He always tried to reach out to people in need of help. Throughout the book Bob travels a lot. He is constantly on tour going to concerts and speaking at public events. One of his most famous quotes were “There are two roads before us life and death, we choose life”. His music was very inspirational too. Bob would go to third world countries such as Africa and go from town to town putting on concerts and with the money he raised he put towards the children of the country. He went around speaking to the people trying to give them hope to live and be something in life. Overall I thought this book was very informing on the life and work of Bob Marley. This is a must read for anyone that doesn’t know much about Bob Marley. It will help you understand the impact he had on so many lives out there.

By Farah Ahmedi
 * __Story of My Life__**

//**In The Story of My Life**//: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky, Farah Ahmedi writes about life in Afghanistan, Germany, Pakistan, and America. Her memoir is enlightening, especially for teens who have never lived in other countries.

Farah Ahmedi was born in the height of the war in Afghanistan between the Mujahideen and the Soviets in 1987, nonetheless Farah describes her childhood as quite happy. Though war was around her she knew nothing about it. Rockets would land in distant neighborhoods, but everyone was used to that. Farah didn’t often leave the family compound on her own, and when she did, she didn’t go far. When Farah was in second grade, she stepped on a landmine, which led to the loss of her leg. “I was late for school,” writes Farah, “and that’s all I could think about. I started across the field. And then fire flashed in front of my face” Ahmedi describes the pain, confusion, and horror she suffered as a result of her injury. In Germany she benefited from better care and prosthetic treatment and spent two years away from her family, often feeling very lonely. Later, Farah lost her father and sisters when a rocket hit their house.

Farah and her mother escaped to Pakistan, where she worked as a servant, tolerating harsh treatment and hunger, but she never gave up. Despite all the tragedy she endured, Farah’s faith only grew stronger.

In America, Farah’s life took a turn for the better, although adjusting to a foreign culture was difficult. Farah went to school, but had no American friends. She writes, “I know it’s hard for American students to reach out to us refugees ... But ... It’s harder for us to reach out to you - we, with our clumsy English. I want to say, ‘Don’t be afraid of us - you have to understand: We’re afraid of you.’” Farah has an important point: too often high school students fail to reach out to others.

Farah Ahmedi’s book is heart wrenching and powerful. It’s as if you’re in the same room as Farah, listening to her tell her story, allowing you to relive her life as if you’d been there. Kaila Smith

When I Was A Soldier By Valerie Zenatti __When I Was a Soldier__ is a powerful written biography written by the main character herself. Val, a very proud young woman who was born in France and adopted by an Israeli family, is faced with turning eighteen and deciding what to do with her life. She chooses a very tough and difficult task, becoming a soldier in the Israeli army. This is a very key concept in the book and leaves you with many mysteries. For example, “I don’t agree with Israel, but I am proud enough to defend it.” This quote shows that Val is skeptical about her country, but will defend it to prove women are strong. Being born in France, Val has a very deep French heritage. She speaks and writes fluent French and is always asked to speak to her friends in her native tongue. Even though she hides it from her friends, Val is very proud of being French and is kind of offended when they ask her to speak just to mock her language. Val shows a lot of passion for France and lets you the reader know that she has a deep heritage. “They ask me to speak my language, but they don’t understand its beauty.” This is her feelings towards how her friends feel about her heritage. Val is faced with many challenges. The first of the two greatest challenges she faces is that she must live without the outside world. Being a young girl of eighteen years old, she must stop her social filled life and live a life of the army. Visiting boot camp and sticking out the hardships of the army. She chooses the army, but does not realize how hard it will be for her not to have the things she had as a high school student, such as friends and her family. Courageous and proud, she sticks out the hardships and becomes a proud soldier. The second main challenge is defending a country that she starts to question as she learns more and more about her government. The longer she stays as a soldier, the more she realizes that she thinks Israel is corrupt and doesn’t stand for what she believes in. Her pride keeps her a soldier. It symbolizes the courage she has and her determination to prove that women are strong parts of countries. The second symbol is her machine gun. Not only does it show defense for being a soldier, but it also show a defense against women. Women being able to run machine guns and be proud soldiers are what make her so proud. When I Was a Soldier is a great read for its symbols and secret mysteries. It shows the strength and pride of young women and how they believe they are just like boys. The great symbolism is well written by Val in her biography to display her self pride and her defense for all women around the world. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to see how women are a important asset in all present day nations. By Tyler Stenberg

** Persepolis ** ** Travis Stroot ** __Persepolis__, by Marjane Satrapi, is stationed in the hot Iran desert, and it gets even hotter during the Islamic revolution. Satrapi does a phenomenal job in bringing the reader into the book with the words let alone the pictures. Persepolis is a book that is written in a very clever comic book style. She uses a little girl who is about 8 or 9 years old as the main character. It is a very touching book due to the actions that are taking place, and how the little girl has to experience all of the difficulties. The little girl is an interesting character. She is a little too young to do anything about the revolution, but she is just old enough to care about what is going on. Throughout the book, she becomes courageous and tries to go into the streets to join the strike. Little did she know the streets were full of death and violence. At that point she had been scarred for life, and she would never see things the same. As the book goes on she interacts with god, and she starts to doubt him. Then, she starts to believe in him when things get better. She learned to support him even when things are going wrong. God played an important role in this book. He symbolized everything that went on during the book. The little girl learned to not judge him by the things that were going wrong, but the things that were going right. Although these experiences didn’t seem to help her that much, they really did help her and her morale status. The comic book style can really grab your attention, and it keeps you interested in what you are reading. I enjoy reading these kinds of books because I get caught up in reading the book and next thing I know I’ve read for twenty minutes. I highly recommend trying to read these comic adventure books. It is a really creative way to nab the reader’s attention.

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Keeping Corner __ written by: Kashmira Sheth Tamara Rennick

__Keeping Corner__ is a very in-tune book about India customs and traditions. Starting out, I didn’t know to much about these two characteristics, but as I moved deeper and deeper into the book, I felt as if I was there in India with a poor girl named Leela.

Leela is the main character who is only thirteen when a drastic fate hits her. She tells the story of the ups and downs of approximately two years of her life. The major conflict and low point of her life is when her soon-to-be husband Ramanlal gets bitten by a dangerous kalotar (snake) and dies leaving Leela doomed to the life of a widow. She lives in a house where both parents, her aunt and her uncle support her, but still she must be strong within herself.. Leela’s independence and courage brings life to this book. She wants to be the one to change tradition for the life of widows, which is hard for her culture and parents to accept.

Being a widow is a devastating fate that should not ever be bestowed on young girls in especially in India. Immediately after the grieving of husband Ramalal’s death, Leela comes to know what exactly being a widow entails. She must shave her head, give away her saris’ and her bangles and “keep corner” all because of a boy she hardly knew. She soon starts to accept the fact of widowhood and opens up her eyes to the world around her.

As she learns more about the world, she learns more about herself which makes putting this book down all the more harder. What also makes it hard to put down is the incredible theme presented. The theme is standing up for your beliefs and what feels right deep down in your heart. Most people probably think they know this, but they could have a much clearer understanding after reading __Keeping Corner__.

As Leela changes her ways, her thoughts, and her emotions towards the world the book becomes even more heartfelt. It’s a marvelous read that makes you aware of another culture and its upsides and downfalls. “Like high tide and low tide, life is full of happiness and sorrow.”

__ Persepolis __ by Marjane Satrapi The book __Persepolis__ was a very well written book that has been told from a young girl’s point of view about her life and the conflicts that were happening in her country. I didn’t know too much about the conflicts that happened in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, but this story brings you to the Middle East and it shows you how the families reacted to this revolt. Persepolis has the ability to understand everything going on and talks with her parents about it even though she’s only around ten years old. Throughout the story there are many conflicts that happen in the country and also many conflicts that happen within the family. The conflicts that happen throughout the story makes everyone struggle in life and around the world. These are major things that happen in this story tell just how bad it got during the Islamic Revolution. __Persepolis__ is a very touching story to everyone that reads it. By Rollin Rennick

//**Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You**// by Hanna Jansen, was a well written and very inspiring book. It gave me great knowledge of the Rwandan genocide, the war between the Hutu and Tutsi. The books pulls you inside and makes you feel that you are right aside with little Jeanne. Jeanne is the main character, a young girl who experiences unforgettable memories.

Jeanne, the sole member of her Tutsi family to survive the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Jansen first depicts Jeanne's happy, secure life with her educator parents, older brother and younger sister. Early on there is a hint of trouble ahead, as the eight-year-old overhears her mother and a friend discussing political unrest in Rwanda and news of the persecution of Tutsis. As Jeanne listens to this, "the sense of an approaching calamity crept up to her like a predator." Jansen's description of the brutal massacre that follows is candid and horrifying.

The account of Jeanne's survival is remarkable and inspiring, as she indeed proves herself a fighter in many ways, battling sadness, extreme physical discomfort and an acute sense of loneliness.

Some may feel that the opening notes for each chapter, from Jansen to her daughter, disrupt the narrative flow as the author reflects on the vastness of Jeanne's loss and the depth of her strength and resilience.

As I read along I felt the loneliness of Jeanne, just imagine, life with no parents, no brothers or sisters, just you lost in a world of war. I learned from **//Over A Thousands Hills I Walk With You,//** no matter how hard life hits you there is always away to stay strong and fight through it. By Kaila Smith

** // Maus  // **** //By Boston Globe// **  //  Yim Sribenjakul  //  //This book is located at the Poland and in German and yeah I never been to the German or Poland, but this book make me feel like I was there in the war. This happen in during world war two in the summer 1942 I am sure that most people’s is know about what happen in World War two. But this book is all about the Nazi is picking on the Jewish peoples.// //This book is got some good story behind the world war two it got some action part in the book, it is got some funny part in the book, and it is got a lot of sad part in the book.so it is really fun to read.// //I don’t know why that they name is __Maus__, and I don’t know what is __Maus__ mean. All the character in the book is an animal. The mouse was the Jewish the pig was polish, and the cats were the Nazi. The reason that Nazi is cats, and the Jewish is Mouse it is because cat all way bigger animal then mouse.// //These young man names Aritie come visit his dad in the summer. Aritie love to write the book and the only thing that he is really want to write a book about his dad life in the World War two. Valdex which is Aritie dad he started told him a story. Valdex told Aritie about everything that happens in the war from his love life to the end of the war.// //The thing that I really like about this book is that easy to read and it is not much big word at all. The only thing that I don’t like is that so hard to tell that who is who because the entire mouse looks the same. After I read this book l really feel the Jewish feel to be picking on and they don’t event do anything to the German peoples, to me it’s really unfair.//

** __Sold__ by Patricia McCormick. ** __ ** Tamara Rennick ** __

I didn’t know very much about Nepal or Calcutta, but gifted author Patricia McCormick gives a great insight about what really happens to young girls like Lakshimi, who is only thirteen. This remarkable book was a National Book Award Nominee in 2007. Lakshimi narrates this book, written in small verse, about a small portion of her life that goes from alright at the base of the Himalayas, to devastating and miserable in Calcutta. Lakshimi’s voice is genuine, and its astonishing how she tells her story. She’s sure to tell you everything, the sights she sees, the smells that flow around her, and all the new intriguing people she meets. There’s many new people she meets from starting out her journey up until the very end. One of the characters, Mumtaz the owner of “Happiness House,” will keeping you flipping pages in this outstanding book. You want to make sure that Lakshimi isn’t pushing any of her buttons, that will get her into loads of trouble throughout her stay. When Lakshimi is sold into what she soon finds out to be prostitution she details every aspect. You learn a lot, not only about her as a character, but about the extreme living circumstances of poor girls that have this become their fate. There’s many other girls who have found themselves at Happiness House with Lakshimi, including Shahana, Anta, and Pushpa. As they befriend each other and learn to deal with the undeniable fate, time starts to move a little faster, but for Lakshimi it is still not fast enough. One of the best lines of book that makes you really understand her pain is “She also warns me: Mumtaz will bury you alive if she sees your little book of figures. I do the calculations. And realize I am already buried alive.” This really captured my attention with many other things that I never knew about in other counties until I read this. Lakshimi’s fight against her pain and mind are all apart of her fight for her life. Sold by Patricia McCormick is a must read especially for girls. It really shows the dark of young girls sold to prostitution and helps the reader get in touch with problems that affect society. Lakshimi’s story is only the story of one innocent girl who gets drug into this pitiful life. Sold is a well researched, all-around great read for people wanting to gain a little bit of insight on the effects of forced prostitution. Lakshimi’s fight and struggle can’t be overlooked, and makes you want to turn the pages all the more.

Deogratias A Tale of Rwanda J.P. Stassen Travis Stroot In __Deogratias a Tale of Rwanda__, by J.P. Stassen, there are many different troubles that Stassen made me feel even though I was not there. The whole story of the racial problems with the Hutus and Tutsis made it difficult for young Deogratias. With Deogratias being a Hutu and the girl that he liked being a Tutsi, it made it extremely difficult for Deogratias to even talk to her because he didn’t see anything wrong with it. Until the French came and started abusing the Tutsi’s and supposedly trying to help the country. Deogratias is a very interesting character because he will do things that will make you think about for a long time. For example, every time he would walk somewhere he would always look for Urwagwa (banana beer). For some reason he always needed this beverage to feel good. The whole story is based around this young man, and it shows every side of him. Benina is the young girl that Deogratias had fallen in love with. She is a very cute young Tutsi that is starting to grow up and realize that she is becoming beautiful. Although, she seems to be making her life better she ends up in a very difficult position, and she does not know what to do. All in all, this book is full of action and it really grabs your attention while you are reading. Stassen does a really good job in keeping the book interesting the whole time. I really encourage you to read this book, it isn’t a hard read, except for you must understand the pictures. If there is a black outline around the picture that particular action is happening right then, but if there is not a black outline that means it happened in the past and it is, fore say, a flashback. Just take my word and grab the book and read it!

**Ask Me no Questions Brian Labbe**
Since leaving the violent country of Bangladesh, fourteen-year-old Nadira and her family are residing in New York City with expired Visas in, Ask Me no Questions, by Marina Budhos. Nadira and her family trying to live the dream of becoming a legal American family, yet their dream takes a turn for the worst as 9/11 occurs in New York. Now being a Muslim family in the United States means being expected as terrorist, and risking the chance of being deported back to Bangladesh. Nadira’s dad, or Abba, is now taking the risk of taking his family up to Canada and applying for asylum, and become Canadian citizens. Then it all goes wrong when they get denied.

Being free is one of the greatest experiences of being an American, and that is what Nadira and her family are trying to achieve. Freedom being the theme in this book is what really kept me interested in finding out what would happen to Nadia and her family. It also got me thinking of how I have seen people take advantage of their freedom, myself included. Nadira and her sister Aisha are fighting for their freedom all by themselves, and I have my freedom just because I was born in this great country. This gripping tale of freedom will keep anybody reading this book for hours.

Even though this book is a fiction book, I believe that there are people out there that have been through exactly what Nadira and Aisha are going through. Being all alone without parents by your side can be a very troubling time. Which is exactly what Nadira and Aisha have to do, but they also have to try to save their family of being deported from America by themselves. Try doing that alone and only being in high school.

Having to keep quiet about everything that is going on in your life would be extremely hard, especially when you have to keep quiet that you are an illegal immigrant and your dad is in jail for that reason. That is what the title of the book is all about. Ask me no question is what Nadira and Aisha have to avoid during the times of their father’s imprisonment. Still having to attend high school, and dealing with curious friends and teachers would be tremendously hard to keep quite when you are two teenage girls. Nadira and Aisha’s fight to not answer any questions that they are given is why they have the hardest roll in the book.

This book was well deserved of its five awards because of how Marina Budhos describes how it is possible to be going through hard times, and still be able to keep the faith of what you are fighting for. The awards that this book received are, ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2007, ALA Notable Children’s Book 2007, //Kirkus Reviews// Best Children’s’ Book of 2006, Booklist Editors’ Choice 2006, and New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The main award that sticks out in my mind is the ALA Best Book for Young Adults because that is what Nadira and Aisha were. They were young adults trying to fight a government system, and trying to come out on the top. This book can change many lives of young adults in America, and in other countries.

Ana's Story By Jenna Bush

//__Jenna Bush’s Ana’s Story__// is a compelling biography about a young Latino girl living with HIV/AIDS from her first breath into this winding road she calls her life. Ana’s Story is a must read for the teen age girl whom thinks she has it hard, I know it changed the way I looked at my life. Ana was given HIV at birth which was transmitted from her mother, who dies a few years later. Ana’s childhood is filled with secrets that will only hurt her if they escape. Being shuffled from home to home, Ana never really knows what to call her own. Jenna Bush does an astonishing job at showing emotion and physically putting you into the story. Bush’s feelings and love for her subject shines throughout this book. Ana clutching onto her mother’s picture through her journey, keeps a small light of faith and hope that everything will turn out alright. Falling in love is what creates the twist on this heart reaching story. Becoming pregnant at seventeen and new hopes, Ana starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You can only imagine what is going through this troubled teen in this time of her life, Bush makes me feel as if I were truly there. Personally this book is up at the top of my list, and it should become at must read for you also. It’s never fun to stand out, but it’s even worse to have to hide your deepest darkest secrets from the world. Ana is just one of the millions around the world living with HIV; this is only one story of her survival of living with HIV. By Sami Woodard

**__ Chanda’s Secrets __**** by: Allan Stratton ** Shealey Ray __ Chanda’s Secrets, __ an intense and poignant novel written by the gifted author known as Allan Stratton. This appalling and swiftly-paced story takes you through the struggles Chanda and many face in sub-Saharan African country. This remarkably written story grabs your attention at first scene, and shows you the poverty Chanda faces, her dear ones dying, and the dreadful disease that creeps its way into her grim life. Chanda is teenage girl who is being forced into adulthood, especially after losing her loved father and three brothers at a young age. Chanda faces numerous hardships after losing her father, simply because her mother is not able to support her family without a man. Until, later in her life she stumbles upon a man named Jonah, he seems to care for her and family unlike the previous men after her husband’s death. Jonah had much to offer, such as a house and more children; in the beginning, Jonah started out as a fairly decent man. As Chanda’s mother finds another spouse, I begin to consider Chanda’s life might begin to improve, unfortunately I was incredibly mistaken. // "As soon as I get back from the shabeen, I go next door to see Mrs. Tafa. I have to ask to use her phone to let our relatives know about Sara. I'm nervous. Mrs. Tafa would like to run the world. Since she can't run the world she's decided to run our neighborhood." // Mrs. Tafa a significant character in this novel, she is an unsecure woman living without her beloved son. Mrs. Tafa is extremely judgmental and unlike I realized at first in the story she has secrets just as Chanda does, but dissimilar to Chanda, Mrs. Tafa decides to bury those secrets and never to expose them. All throughout the story, secrecy and stigma are the themes of a dreadful reality, as might be anticipated from the title. Chanda realizes the harsh truth of what might become of her family and her best friend, who was forced into prostitution for money to get her family back together. Stratton describes the pain Chanda suffers so well, the reader undergoes it with her. As Chanda witnesses her step father ill and dying and her best friend frail as can be, she knows what disease that has crept into her dreary life. At that moment, Chanda fears as the reader does with her, regarding her siblings, her mother, and also her self, who has HIV/AIDS and what will become of them? __ Chanda’s Secrets __, it has touched my heart as it might other readers. This incredible novel will assist you to understand the suffering many people go through each day, especially when surrounded by AIDS. Also, this remarkable book is an Honor Book, in all it is a must read.

Anahita’s Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres Review by Shelby Cooper Iran has always seemed so distant to me, until I read Anahita's Woven Riddle. Novelist, Meghan Nuttall Sayres describes Iran and the Persian culture so beautifully, that I was easily able to picture it in my mind. This book has really opened my eyes, and has taught me so much about Persian culture and the ways of the nomadic Iranians. The book focuses on a 16 year old nomadic Persian girl, Anahita, who has come of the age to wed. She's not too fond of the idea, and tells you about her journey through her point of view. Anahita's spunk and independence brings life and energy to this book! She's far ahead of her time, and is daring to change things, which is hard for her culture to handle at times.

The khan, or chief, of her tribe is requesting Anahita’s hand from her father. He is a manipulative old man and Anahita refuses, which is unheard of for a young Muslim girl. "The only good thing about him is he's nice to cats." Disgusted, she devises up a plan to have her suitors compete for her by guessing a riddle woven into her wedding quali (carpet). The main conflict in the book is how the khan reacts to her rejection. Anahita's woven riddle is filled with various adventures that keep you turning the pages start to finish. There are plenty of characters that make you laugh and interact as well. Three main suitors include a teacher, a prince, and a boy from her village. Each, she is quite fond of for different reasons. These three characters are so real, it's hard to pick a favorite to root for. There is never a dull moment. The theme of this book is that you should always stick up for what’s right, and to never short yourself. I’ve always known this, but the situation confronted by this book makes it so much clearer. It completely made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to choose my spouse, let alone live in a place/age where I have all the privileges a man does. The fact that it took place back in the early 20th century, and that it takes place across the globe makes it hard to follow sometimes, but it's far worth reading. Anahita’s Woven Riddle is infor mative and entertaining with it's rich detail. You'll be at a loss if you don't read it!

A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah Bajin Smith This book has left me in complete awe. The hardship suffered by all African people in the time of civil war crisis is horrible. The main character in my book, Ishmael Beah, is a boy living is a small village Mogbwemo in Sierra Leone. When the war finally hits his town he and his brother get split up from their parents and are on the move to keep from getting killed.  Ishmael is faced with many challenges from the young age of thirteen. He is split up from his family and friends at a very young age by the rebels in the civil war. He knows that he has to keep moving because if he is caught by the rebels they will kill him or worse make him one of them.  As you read this book you find out that all there is to Ishmaels life is moving from village to village and finding just enough food to survive. At thirteen years old I dint know very many kids that could overcome these challenges and survive such a traumatic childhood. I know I probably wouldn’t be able to. The only thing that keeps him going is the thought that his family might be out there still alive somewhere and he has to find them.  As I read this book I felt the confusion and hopelessness of Ishmael. I can hardly imagine a life without parents, or siblings, to keep you company and be there for you when you need them. This book taught me that no matter what challenges you face in life there is always a way to overcome them if you stay strong and focused. This is a must read for anyone out there.

Ana’s Story Wiki – Review September 29, 2008

Ana’s Story, by Jenna Bush is a true story in which this young girl is faced with many problems that she keeps as secrets for most of her young life. She is faced with her mother, father, and young sister whom have died from AIDS at a young age, while she is the mother figure to her other sister, Isabel. Her three secrets cover up one another; therefore she can’t let anybody know even one of her secrets without giving up the others.

As Sami said in her Wiki review, Ana was born with Aids because it was transmitted by her mother at birth. That is her number one secret, her mother had AIDS, and that’s why she is now dead. Ana won’t tell anybody that because that would mean that she would have to unveil her second secret. That Ana has AIDS. Not only is Ana forced to take pills for the rest of her life to help control her AIDS from turning in to HIV. Ana is also faced with her Grandmother’s boyfriend, Ernesto, whom beats and molests her and Isabel. However, the two girls can never get away from this dreadful situation because her Abuela, grandmother, won’t believe Ana that he puts them in these horrid situations. That is Ana’s third secret.

This dialogue filled novel is an impressive outline of a young girl’s life who deals with HIV, molestation, and living in a world all alone. After Ana is placed in a Reform Center to help deal with her HIV/AIDS, she meets a young man, Berto, and they hit it off extremely well. Eventually, they start to confide in each other and Ana finds out that Berto also has HIV/AIDS. During her last weeks in the Reform Center Ana becomes sick and finds out that she is four months pregnant and starts to have concerns with her baby’s health, due to the possibility of it getting HIV/AIDS.

This novel will show you how much we have access to in America, and also the support that most of us get from our families and parents. Reading Ana’s Story has really broadened my outlook on how terrible these children live in third world countries, and how long that it takes the ill to get help. Aids is a rapidly growing disease among young girls in Africa and Latin America. These young children need help, and this novel will really show you what dire needs these kids have. They deal with many issues at very young ages, just like Ana and Isabel have with HIV/AIDS, abuse, and the constant struggle to fit in with everybody else around them.

Let Me Go By Helga Schneider  __Helga Schneider’s //Let Me Go// __ is a remarkable memoir about a young German girl who is abandon by her mother at a very young age. Let me go is and great read for a front row seat into the past of the holocaust. Helga and her younger brother were left alone with their hard working father at a very young age. Their mother went off to become a SS guard for the Nazi concentration camp. Now she must develop and grow up knowing her mother is a monster. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Helga Schneider did an amazing job writing this book, Memoir about her past and the things that she had to deal with. She paints an amazing picture and makes you feel like you are truly there walking next to her. Schneider packs a tremendous amount of emotion into this story of her past. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">Is amazing how she dealt with her mother’s adolescence and care free emotions to people’s lives. Her mother has no problem being apart of this horrific time in history. This book is a must read for a true inside look at what really went on in the holocaust, though this is only one young girls story its at a different view point that I haven’t herd yet before. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">By Sami Woodard

__Maus__ a Survivor's Tale I could never even imagine living in Poland during World War Two as a Jew under the Nazis control, but after reading the graphic novel __Maus a Survivor’s Tale__ by Art Spiegelman, which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize, I was left with a bit more of an idea as to what it was like. It begins out with Artie, who is a boy that who goes to visit his father Vladek, because he want to write a book, but not any book he want to write a book about his father’s life during the war. Vladek was a little hesitant about it at first, but finally he agreed to it. He begins to tell his story to his son, which actually takes him more then just one setting. There are little stories inside the big story and every day is kind of like a new little story to help make up the big story of his life. In the first chapter he tell Artie how he met Anja, who Arties mom. This chapter sets up all of the suspense for the story and really gets it moving along. After you read the first chapter you can’t wait for the rest to come. As Spiegelman continues on you can almost feel as if you were actually talking to Vladek. As Yim said in his review there are different ways that you can distinguish between the Jews, Polish, and Nazis. The Jews were mice, the Polish were pigs and the Nazis were cats I would have to agree with Yim and say the reason that the Jews were mice and the Nazis were cats is because Cats pick on mice and cats are a bigger animal. But as far as telling which mouse was which sometimes got a little bit difficult. Vladek talks about when he was in the Army and was off at war and later became a Prisoner of War. Hearing all about the hard times he had to endure was quit compelling that people actually lived through such awful events. How they were treated by the Nazis was absolutely insane and yet through all of that he survived just so that he could be with his family. This graphic novel is not only the story of a guy that lived through the Holocaust but also a story of true love. Vladek says that what kept him going was the love of his family and that he was going to do anything he could to see his family again. by Haylie

Ask Me No Questions Written by Maria Budhos Review by Shelby Cooper Before reading //Ask Me No Questions// by Marie Budhos, I could barely apprehend the suffering illegal aliens confront. In this informative and entertaining novel, fourteen year old Bangladeshi Nadira tells us the horrors of living in New York with expired Visas. Having come to America on a tourist visa, the family quietly remained in the States, and carried on with everyday life, untill an upset errupted the nation. Shortly after the tragedy of September 11, living in the U.S. for people of Middle Eastern decent became extremely difficult. Nadria and her family, in a panic of their illegal lifestyle, flee up to Canada to escape the prejudice occurring in the States. All seems that it will turn around, but what they don’t know is it’s all about to take an abrupt turn for the worst. According to her father, “Some win the diversity lottery, and some don’t.” The truth in that statement is scary, that human beings fate can be at the luck of the draw. Nadria and her sister Aisha are relatable American teens with problems we will never have to face, or truly understand. This book is a real eye opener, and will make you realize the hardships families that aren’t citizens yet face. We really take our freedoms and independence for granted, and this book does a brilliant job at putting it into perspective. Overall, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the way this book was written. It lacked details, and quite frankly, it was hard to visualize characters and settings. It starts out slow, but give it a chance and it will pick up by the end. On the upside, it was a fairly easy read, conveyed a nice message, and will enlighten all who pick it up.

**I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree** **By: Laura Hillman** Review by: Shealey Ray __ I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree __, a novel that informs you with the disturbing story of what an adolescent girl suffered through each and everyday living through the Holocaust. Laura Hillman, an incredible author, wrote this heartrending memoir of a Schindler’s list survivor. Hannelore Wolff, a young girl living her teen years in concentration camps and in constant horror of never seeing her dear family again, whom were deported to different Jewish labor camps. As I flipped the pages of this inspiring novel, I began to admire this young girl’s outstanding will power. I am in awe of her strength each and every grueling day at the concentration camps, because these Jewish prisoners are fed diminutive amount food, are dreadfully dirty, and are required to sleep in atrocious conditions, and still ordered to work swiftly and as hard as the spiteful commanders screech. Slowly the days drift by and by, and Hannelore becomes a walking and breathing skeleton. Hannelore is challenged everyday with her exhausting work in such harsh conditions, along the way she meets few comrades that assist her through the dreadful life they live. Until one day, Hannelore falls into the hands of a handsome Polish soldier, known as Hillman. Hillman, is a man to admire, his bravery astonishes me. He would risk his life to give to simply sneak Hannelore a slight piece of bread. “One day, when this is over, I’ll plant you a lilac bush. Perhaps it will grow old and become a tree, like the one you remember.” This remarkable memoir touches my heart, Laura Hillman writes of the brutal reality with strength and her tale of survival. It is a novel that will change your prospective on your life, and will open your eyes to how wonderful you truly have it. The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini Review by Haley Jacobson __The Kite Runner__ is an empowering novel that spans almost thirty years of the main character, Amir’s, life. Based mainly in Afghanistan, the author Khaled Hosseini weaves a chilling tale of growing up, resilience, and strength.

The story begins in Afghanistan, with Amir as a young boy in a well –off family. His best friend is also is his servant, a boy named Hassan, who is unswervingly loyal to Amir. One day Amir witnesses something happening to Hassan that affects his life forever. The story then takes Amir through his life, and to America. Soon though, Amir is called upon to return to Afghanistan and face his demons and guilt about what happened to Hassan. As I got deeper into this novel I began to feel Amir’s pain and worry. I admired is audacity and tenaciousness while he tried to repent for his sins from such a long time ago.

While in Afghanistan Amir learns some things that change his whole perspective in life. What he learns takes him on a journey to the streets of his old home, which is now filled with rubble and beggars due to the Taliban. He faces many challenges and through it all he finally is able to free himself of what happened so many years earlier and also to come to terms with who he really is. This book left me not only with a better understanding of Afghanistan’s culture and what’s happening there today; it also changed my views about the Afghani people. This poignant novel touched my heart; Khaled Hosseini’s writing will keep you flipping the pages and will give you insight not only into Afghanistan, but also one man’s journey for redemption.