Future Reads

Planned books to read during the 2nd nine weeks:

• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult was suggested to me by a girl in class who encouraged everyone in the class to read it. This book seems to be about a school shooting with the shooter and other people involved points of view. I am interested to see the twist at the end that I've heard about.
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson was suggested to me by my English teacher. I am interested in reading it because she said it causes you to think deep and challenges you to really understand what you're reading. I am looking for a more challenging read for this nine weeks.
• The Shack by William P. Young was suggested to me by multiple people. I've heard it a very deep book about the different ways a man encounters God. I have read a few religious books in the past, so I look forward to starting another.

2nd Quarter Annotated Reading List

Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes. New York: Atria, 2007. Print.

Jodi Picoult presents a whole new outlook on a school shooting. In Sterling High, the main goal is popularity. Grades, sports, and friendships are good, but popularity is key. When a boy who has been bullied since he first stepped on the bus on his first day of Kindergarten becomes fed up with the way others act towards him, every student and family from Sterling High will be changed forever. A devestating event leads to built relationships, startling truths, and completely changed lives.


The realness Picoult accomplishes throughout the story contributes to the empact of the emotions on the reader. Although this book is fiction, the strong emotion felt throughout the book seems as if it all really happened. By doing this, Picoult helps the reader feel every ounce of emotion she felt while writing the book and the emotion of the characters involved in the story.

Young, WM. Paul. The Shack. Newbury Park, CA: Windblown Media, 2007. Print.

Young tells the story of Mackenzie Allen Philip's life after a terrifying death of a daughter. Mack is struggling with letting his daughter, Missy, go after her abduction and recieves a letter from God. This letter tells him to go to the shack where it happened. Knowing the letter couldn't possibly be from the God, Mack dreadfully goes expecting some kind of set up. When he arrives, Mack is in complete awe of his surroundings. The experiences he goes through at his weekend at the shack gives him a new outlook on the murder of his young daughter. His relationship with God will forever be changed.

Young's descriptions with the encounters and conversations Mack has with God brought up new and unthought of reasons for pain in this world. His characters that represent the three parts of the trinity also gives readers an imaginitive view of God in three persons.

Rand, Ayn. Anthem. New York: Dutton, 1995. Print.

Ayn Rand presents a future Utopian society where jobs are chosen for you, everyone dresses the same, and no individualism is to be allowed. When Equality 7-2521, a useless Street Sweeper, dares the branch out and discover something new, he is immediately shunned. Now, the rest of Equality 7-2521 is on a mission to escape and become a part of a different, possibly chaotic world. The darkness Rand uses in the story is very effective by helping portray the dark, simplistic society these people live in. With no exciting events happening outside Equality's rebellion, chaos seems to be more pleasing to the reader than a strict, completely controlled society.


Ludy, Leslie. Set-Apart Femininity. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 2008. Print.

Leslie Ludy tackles many uncomfortable ideas for a present teenage girl in the current American society. She challenges young ladies to radically change their lives in ways that seem almost impossible. Ludy explains that by these changes, a stronger, healthier, and more beneficial spiritual realtionship will begin to grow and form. Ludy also explains the different in being a Set-Apart christian and being a christian. The Set-Apart life consists of taking stands against the smallest actions that may cause sin, even if they sometimes seem ridiculous. Ludy's unreasonable challenges really cause the reader to rethink what they believe it means to be a true christian and live a fruitful life.

Reading Reflection

Being introduced to the new reading guidelines this year burdened me. Although I don't necessarily hate reading, I feared getting my 150 minutes in every week. I'm sad to say I have not established a consistent reading pattern, yet. I say yet because I promise I'm still working on it. I have a habit of just reading whenever I have freetime or craming the night before if I'm suppose to have a certain number of pages, or in this case minutes, due. To improve this habit, I'm going to try reading from 8:30-9 every night. I work until 7 and my family usually eats dinner as soon as I get home, so the first amount of free time I have outside of school will be close to 8:30.

I have only read two books this nine weeks. The Hunger Games was not a very deep read, but Brave New World deepened my thinking to a new level. I am now reading The Things They Carried which I believe will be a happy-medium between the two extremes of book types. Inking my thinking seems to be more challenging when reading books like The Hunger Games because most of the story is on the surface. More complex books such as Brave New World have plenty of inking material that I think is great to be able to look back on to try to find the meaning of the story. By inking, I am forced to look deeper into the material I'm reading and pay closer attention.

Next quarter, I need to finish more books. I also need to try to establish the set reading habit of reading 30 minutes a night. I also plan on finishing The Things They Carried, and possibly reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the second book to The Hunger Games series, and The Shack.

Socratic Seminar Reflections

The Socratic Seminar broadened my views and ideas on the purpose and theme of Huxley's Brave New World.

While answering a question in a group, a new idea that contradicted mine was presented. In my opinion, Brave New World was written as a warning to people who strive towards advancements in technology more than they strive for advancements in a balance of areas. Huxley was showing what such a society would turn into. However, another group member shared that they thought Huxley was writing to the people of his time as a prediction of what our booming technologically advanced society would soon turn into. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a negative prediction though.

During the discussion, ideas were also challenged. One person had agreed that Brave New World's society robbed the people of their individualism. By choosing what they will be for the rest of their life and forcing them to have the same beliefs as everyone else, allowing no room for each individual person to make even one decision about their life style. On the other hand, the statement that the people of the society never rebelled, so they must not have wanted individualism was presented. Backing it up, the people also never knew any different, so they may not even want change even if presented the opportunity. Also, if they were given freedoms, would they know how to make decisions? Since they're so accustomed to always having someone tell them how to live, they would probably continue following the "crowd."

Of the two questions I chose to discuss, only one included a subject I wasn't very familiar with. Henry Ford was chosen to be the god of Brave New World's society. They praised him and cursed him for the good and bad things that happened to them. Although I knew Henry Ford invented the assembly line for the mass production of cars, I did not know his beliefs on other aspects. While researching Henry Ford, I also found out he believed in keeping the best workers working his assembly lines just like Brave New World's society believed in only keeping people alive during their "best" years.

By preparing for the discussion, I learned how to plan and organize ideas and questions that were going to be needed for the discussion. I also learned how to verbalize my thoughts so that when I asked questions or made comments my words didn't come straight from a piece of paper.

Aside from preparing and discussing questions, I also learned how the Socratic Seminar worked. I think I did well. I took several notes and maked a couple of passages in the book. I also looked up information and notes that could be used to share.

The listening and paying attention to others' opinions part was easy for me, however, sharing was more difficult. I am usually a quiet when giving opinions, so I was challenged to speak up and share about what I thought of each subject. Another difficult part was having a limited time to be able to think and respond in a meaningful way to another's comment. I most enjoyed being able to speak my opinions instead of writing them down to be graded. When I sit down to write it takes at least ten minutes for my mind to get focused just partly on what I'm suppose to be writing about. With the Socratic Seminar, I could go directly from my mind to my mouth.

Next time, I will prepare more meaningful questions that cause myself and the group to think deeper into what we're being asked. This time, my questions weren't shallow, but I don't think they were on a deep enough level for us to engage in a very meaningful conversation. I would also prepare more notes than what I had this time.

I learned that I do a lot better by sharing my ideas verbally than when writing. I also learned that I need to organize completely what I'm going to say, and before speaking, I need to know what my finally point for the comment I'm about to make is. I found myself often starting a comment, but then forgetting what my final point I was trying to defend was.

I thought the Socratic Seminar was a great way to share ideas and interact with other students in class. Also, it was good to be able to evaluate and learn from the members of the other groups that were answering questions while I was not discussing a question. The only thing I would like changed is the time allowed to discuss a question. Although some topics are hard to keep a steady conversation going for eight minutes, others could be continued out for ten or twelve minutes, maybe even more.

1st Quarter Annotated Reading List

Aldous Huxley paints an image of our future world through dramatic and terrifying examples of life. This brave new world is a world evolved around technology and contentness. Since people are created in an assembly line instead of through the natural processes of birth, no relationships are ever made. Soma is the immediate escape from any uncomfortable feeling, and promiscuity is promoted. Bernard Marx begins feeling a sense of questionability. He wonders why he can't be with Lenina, the woman he has strong feelings for, and why he has to be with a different girl every night. He also wonders why ideas opposing what the Controller says are ban. When given to oppourtunity to view the outside world with freedom, a word in which he has never heard before, Bernard turns right back into everyone else: soaking up the care free life.

Huxley's twisted view of the future is a great read. He knows how to not only make the reader question what they truly wish the world evolved around, but also intrests the reader in the discriptions of the future world. Huxley's book might also have been written as a warning for the people in his time whose new ideas seemed to be completely revolved around technology.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: HarperCollins, 1932. Print. 259 pages


Katniss Everdeen lives in the nation of Panem in District 12. She lives with her depressed mother and little sister, Prim. Because of her mother's condition, Katniss has taken responsibilty of providing for her family. She hunts illegally because of the poor conditions of her family, but still manages to provide for them. The Hunger Games is a nationwide, very gruesome event. 2 people between the ages of 12-18 are chosen from each of the 13 districts to compete in a "war." This event is a broadcasted fight to the death between the 24 contestants, and greatly feared in the minds of the proposed fighters. When Prim is chosen, Katniss volunteers to take her spot. Katniss realizes her family will never be able to survive without her, so she promises Prim she'll come home. Althought Katniss is the underdog in the competition, she shows her true self when she lets her emotions get the best of her at the first competition. Now, Katniss has a sense of confidence that will hopefully carry her through the games.

I highly recommend this book. Although it is not a very deep read, I do think it's very enjoyable to read just for entertainment. The Hunger Games has a very interesting and intense storyline that allows the reader to get involved and want to read the book whenever they can.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print. 384 pages