Realistic+Fiction

__AK__ by Peter Dickinson, is a very strong informational book. This book has left me with a sense of understanding for the hardships suffered by all African nations undergoing civil wars. The main character, Paul Kagomi, is an orphan of Nagala and is taken by commandos as a recruit to fight against the Isku-Bassani government. Paul has no idea where he is from or who his parents are. "The War is my mother, and I have left her as she has left me," this is the strongest quote of the book because it shows how powerful war is on orphaned children.

Being the age of nine years old, Paul is faced with many decisions that a child should not have to make. Throughout the book, Paul becomes a hero in his own special ways.Peace is declared after a long civil war in a Central African country. Paul, a boy soldier attached to one of the guerrilla bands, is told to bury his beloved AK rifle so that he can go to school and start to live a normal life. His group commander Michael Kagomi joins the new government, but soon there is a military coup and he is thrown into prison. Paul digs up his gun and travels to the capital to try to get him out. Michael is so special to Paul, because Michael declares to be Pauls father. "I am your father now, not just your friend, but your father." This is said by Michael before he sends paul off to school.

The civil wars of Nagala are very confusing to the reader at first. As the book goes on, you start to get an understanding of what the circumstances are. Military and government leaders are corrupt and selfish, driving the country to poverty. In Dangoum, the capital, slums have developed. Gangs and groups of people of the country form in order to survive. They face battles with not only eachother, but with the goverment officials known as the Deathsingers. These officials cause many problems for the citizens and push them into numerious gangs with different beliefs on how the situtaion should be handled.

The three main gangs are the Scorpions, Soccer Boys, and the Oni-Oni. Paul meets a very important women known as Madam Ga to attempt to bring them together to fight against there corrupt military. Paul's only friend is known as Jilli. He teaches her to speak english as they travel to Dangoum. She becomes a great friend to have as they get closer to reaching there goal of freeing Michael from prison.

All in all, the biggest thing that the book left in my mind is the power of the human spirit. Nine year old Paul goes through a living nightmare with no family and few friends. He perseveres and fights his way to try and succeed at what Michael has made clear in his mind. The importance of uniting his country and bringing peace to his nation. The AK rifle he carries with him, is not only his weapon but his best friend. No matter what has happened during the book, the rifle is a symbol of his struggle and his determination to make things for his people fair and just.

By Tyler Stenberg

The Disappeared Alex Conrow

The Disappeared, by Gloria Whelan, is a fictional book about “the disappeared” people from the Argentina war against the guerrilla warfare. This short book about two teenagers determination to voice their opinion against the malicious government ran by General López. The main characters Silvia, a beautiful young teenager whom spends the entire novel flirting with danger to free her older brother, Eduardo. Eduardo is brutally captured from his home due to his constant protests against the government, and spends time being tortured in one of General López’s prisons.

The alternating chapters between Silvia and Eduardo explain of their thoughts throughout the war in Argentina in the late 1970’s. Eduardo is constantly being questioned and physiologically abused by the General and his guards. Their orders are to get any secrets or information that could be dangerous to the state. Silvia is a strong woman and will put her own life and her family’s life in danger when she starts flirting with General López’s son, Norberto, in her plan to free Eduardo. Norberto is a strong, arrogant, cold hearted teenager that is most likely to follow his father’s chilling ways of ruling Buenos Aires.

In the limited dialogue novel Eduardo endures endless days of starvation, abuse, and the constant worry of his family’s survival. While Eduardo’s worries are relevant, Silvia is devising her plan of her older brother’s freedom. She spends countless days flirting with Norberto, going to his father’s mansion, and trying to soften Norberto’s outlook on the simple subject of life. While Silvia spends all of her time with the dangerous Norberto her best friends become fretful, and she starts losing them in the mix only for the slight chance of her plans success.

This suspenseful story will have you turning page after page to follow the young Silvia’s brilliant ideas. The Disappeared becomes twisted when Silvia and Eduardo’s father, a physician/surgeon, is confided in by General López to operate and hopefully save his life. The decision on whether to kill the General during the operation due to the anger from his oldest child’s kidnapping, or to save his life to potentially take more innocent humans to his prison was not a decision at all for their father. He was a Doctor first and foremost; therefore he had to take the proper precautions and keep his illness a secret.

This amazing story has snatched the Junior Library Guild selection and is a must read for young teens. You’ve got to read it to see if Silvia’s secret and well devised plan to free Eduardo works in their favor. Or ends up backfiring and putting both of their lives in danger, leaving them to be only two of the million “disappeared” people who suffered through this horrendous time in Argentina. This book will leave you thinking about how good you have it in America, and how much we take our freedom of speech and rights for granted.

A Dog’s Life Protagonist: Squirrel and Bone Antagonist: nature

This book is about a stray dog that had puppies in an abandoned shack. Sadly, only two puppies have survived a male and a female. The female’s name is Squirrel and the male’s name is Bone. When the puppies were old enough, the mom left hem. Now Bone and Squirrel have to survive in the nature alone. One day, they ventured away from their shack and found a two-lane road. They tried to cross it, but almost got hit. The people jumped out of the car and grabbed the two puppies. Soon, the family found out that the puppies were not trained, so the husband chucked both puppies one by one out of the car. Squirrel had a broken shoulder and Bone got a bloody nose. Now they were alone again. After a while they ventured into a city and found themselves in front of a mall. Two ladies came by and one lady said she wanted to keep Bone because he was cute. They just left Squirrel in the parking lot. Squirrel is confused, so he runs into the murky forest as an alone, small puppy. Many years later he found another stray dog. They became best friends, and happily strayed from one town to the next finding scrap food. Until one day they ran across a road when a truck veered around the corner and hit them both. Luckily Squirrel made it with just a small injury, but her friend was killed. Now what will Squirrel do? Will she survive as an alone stray again, or will she find a willing family to take in this beat up dog who isn’t use to humans?

I recommend this book for everyone because it shows you how tough a life for a dog is. After this book you will look at stray animals differently.

By Nicole Stroot

Pinned The story pinned is about a guy named Ivan. He loves to take runs so he can get in shape for wrestling. He really doesn’t have any friends. He is trying to win state for the first time. He has tried three years straight and hasn’t made. It is his fourth and final year. He’s gotten so close the past three times. If he wins the championship and becomes the state champion he gets a scholarship for collage. He got to the final round and he won by pinning the other person. The only reason why he won is because of his determination, his will to win, and because he ran all those miles in the rain and snow. I think you would like this book if you love sports stories and tons of excitement. By Zach

Elephant Run This book “Elephant Run” is about a boy that lived on a farm with his mother in Kansas. Now Nick Freestone moves to a plantation in Burma with his father. His dad said everything was supposed to be very safe on the plantation because it was world war II. He traveled to his dad’s in 1940 and stayed until he was eighteen years old. Nick was around Burma and there was many elephants around, and their trainers, Mahouts. Nick found a friend named Jack. Jack and Nick’s father jet caught by the Japanese. The japans send them to a close by prison. Jack and Nick’s father miraculously escape from the prison. Then they find a note from Nick that say, “Follow the elephant tracks, it will lead you to safety.” In the end Nick has to say goodbye to Jack and his father because his mother wants his help back at the farm. I think you should read this book because it has a lot of action. I think the writer also know a lot about World War II and elephant training, it is very interesting. By Billy Smith

__ Right Behind You __ By Gail Giles Right Behind You, By Gail Giles is about a boy named Kip McFarland. He was nine years old when he set Bobby Clarke on fire. Bobby was Seven years old. It all started over a glove, a new baseball glove. It was Bobby’s birthday when Kip was burning brush with his dad. It was in the middle of the summer. Bobby went down to Kip’s house to show off his new baseball glove and Kip got mad at him and threw a can of gasoline on him and then the open Zippo Lighter. Kip’s father looked back and he saw bobby on the ground on fire. He ran over and put out the fire, getting third degree burns. Kip woke up in the Mental Ward for Violent Offenders for ages 14-16. At nine years old he was the youngest there. He later got out and changed his name to Wade Madison, and moved to Alaska. He met a girl and they started going out. He befriended the three B’s, Brett, Brandon, and Brendon. He goes to the woods one day and got drunk and told them about his past. They all got scared and it was all over the news and newspapers. Then they had to move to Texas to his dad’s girlfriend’s beach house. He met a girl named Sam and he learns how to sail. Sam and “Wade” go out and he learns that she is an alcoholic. He goes to his house and told his dad that he is going to tell her. His dad said OK but they are not moving again. He tells her and she forgives him and the story ends.