I loved the book To Dance With The White Dog, by Terry Kay. When I first started reading, I was afraid this was going to be another depressing book about old people and I wasn't looking forward to reading it. I loved the book To Dance With The White Dog, by Terry Kay. When I first started reading, I was afraid this was going to be another depressing book about old people and I wasn't looking forward to reading it. However, I was soon taken in by the sweet, humorous Sam Peek and couldn't put down the book. I was moved by the strong love he had for his beloved wife Cora and even more so by his strength to carry on after her death. I think it was wonderful how Sam's family came together, even in the days after Cora's death, to look after him. I thought it was funny how his daughters worried about him and questioned his sanity at times while the whole time Sam knew exactly what they were thinking of him and how they fretted. I really enjoyed Neelie and even though she seemed to get on the children's nerves you could tell that having her there helped ease their minds. The children knew Neelie had their father's best interest at heart even if she did tend to nit pick and talk too much. I really envied the closeness of the Peek family and their love and concern, even if they did go a bit overboard at times. It was not only heartwarming, but truly amusing as well, in the way that Sam Peek dealt with them. He would play into their worries and concerns. Sam Peek went from being a pretty independent man to what appeared to his children as fragile, senile and helpless overnight with the death of Cora. From the moment his wife died Sam's ability to take care of himself immediately came into question, at least by ... ... middle of paper ... ...of their lives. Unfortunately, that is not always possible due to financial reasons, failing health or lack of family to help out. Sam was lucky that his family lived close by and could look out for him. This enabled him to stay home until the very end and in essence probably prolonged his life. He was also lucky that he stayed pretty healthy for as long as he did. Many elderly people aren't so lucky and must totally rely on someone else to help them with their daily needs much like a toddler needs their mother. It is sad for many to lose their independence and even harder to have to rely on their children for care when they are the parent, but that's what families are for, to be there for one another. Our parents raised us to be who were are today and the least we can do in return is to be sure that they are given the best care possible in their old age.
“The Charmer” by Budge Wilson is a short story about a Canadian family that finds misfortune and conflict within their lives. Conflict being the predominant theme which directly affects all the participants in the family. The story is written in third person and narrated from the young girl Winifred’s point of view. Budge Wilson uses Zack’s smothered childhood, charming personality and irresponsible behaviour to create emotional conflict between members of the family.
The book which I chose to share called Peter’s Chair written by Ezra Jack Keats. In the story, there is a boy named Peter whose parents just have a new born baby. Peter notices many things have changed around his house. His parents paint his old cradle, high chair and crib in pink and give them to his baby sister. Peter knows he needs to do something to prevent giving away of his favorite chair. Therefore, Peter decides to run always with all his favorite things and his dog, Willie. While Peter is being outsides, he sits on his chair and realizes that he is too big to the chair. He goes back home and tells his father that he would like to paint the chair in pink and give it to his little sister.
Richard Russo's "Dog" and Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" are stories that illustrate the negative impacts parents sometimes have on their children and the unintended consequences that occur as a result of their parenting. In "Dog," Henry Devereaux grows into an adult who has difficulty connecting emotionally with others, a man who is not easy, and though entertaining, is not comforting. In "Two Kinds," Jing-mei was a failure many times over in her mother's eyes, finally dropping out of college and only accepting of herself later in life.
The Art of Racing in the Rain was a fun book to read. It had me on the edge of my seat, and it made me feel understanding as a pet lover. The moral messages in this book had to be seen outside of the box. I would recommend this book both for its ethical value, and its unique kind of reading. Anyone, not just pet lovers, could benefit from reading this story. Its message strikes the heart; my new favorite book!
The book I read was Billy Sunday. It consists of 189 pages and was written by William T. Ellis in 1959.
The book I chose to read is called, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by: Richard Louv. I chose this book for a few different reasons. One reason I chose this book was because I’ m highly interested in the whole concept of the book and feel very passionate about its reasoning. I also thought it would be a great read to guide me towards a topic for my main project at the end of the Lemelson program. On the plus side, I “read” this book through audible, which enabled me to listed to the book on my drive to and from work everyday. I commonly do this because of my forty-five minute commute from Truckee to Spanish Springs.
Senick, Gerard J., and Hedblad, Alan. Children’s Literature Review: Excerpts from Reviews, and Commentary on Books for Children and Young People (Volumes 14, 34, 35). Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research, 1995..
Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin and A Place Called Heaven by Cecil Foster
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is told through the eyes of a fifteen year old boy named Christopher Boone. Christopher has a highly-functioning form of autism which allows him to understand complex mathematical problems, but also leaves him unable to comprehend many simple human emotions. His inability to understand metaphors, distinguish emotions, and his lack of imagination makes it possible to consider Christopher as functioning like a computer rather than functioning as a human being. Throughout the story, Christopher is faced with many challenges which he conquers using the stable and never changing system of mathematics. All of these factors suggest that Christopher does, in fact, function like a computer, but it is apparent early in the story that Christopher, regardless of anything else, is capable of independent thought which separates him from the programmed, dependent world of computers.
It has become paramount that composers utilise various techniques in order to influence an individual’s perception of the world. As seen through the eyes of an Aspergers sufferer, Christopher Boone, Mark Haddon’s inventive novel entitle ‘The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night Time’, skilfully portrays how the decisions of significant characters and their relationships shape the overall message about the difficulties of living with a limiting social condition. This is challenged from the unique perspective of Christopher and explicitly seen through the relationship between the protagonist and both his parents. Haddon employs a myriad of techniques through the concepts of the conflicting nature of love, the desperation for a world of order and stability, and the value of truth. Along with the reoccurring allusions to mathematics and science in order to display the complexity of human interaction, as he skilfully depicts how both relationships attempt to deal with the issue in their day to day lives.
Dr. Seuss 's Go, Dog. Go, was a book I remember reading a lot (probably because I loved dogs so much). When I was younger I used to go to my aunt 's house during the summer, and my grandmother would always be there. She enjoyed reading, so she made me read a book a week, whether it was from the library or from the books on the shelves at my aunt 's house. I did not enjoy going over there to read, especially since it was summer, but I did get rewarded after finishing a book with a game of Guess Who? with my grandmother.
From a baby to a grade schooler, I had an extremely short attention span; therefore, the only time I enjoyed having books read to me was before bedtime. Because I was energetic, my mother was forced to lock the door while she was reading so I would not scurry out of the room. Despite my concentration issues, I enjoyed reading books with my mother. One of my favorite books was The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh because I was intrigued by the characters, especially Eeyore. When I moved on from my obsession with Winnie the Pooh, I transitioned into an obsession with frogs. My mother started reading Froggy books to me, such as Froggy Learns to Swim and Froggy Goes to School. Along with Froggy books, I took pleasure in reading Curious George and The Rainbow Fish because I was an inquisitive child who was entertained by the iridescent colors of the rainbow fish.
What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and objects with contrasting perceptions. Therefore, instead of painting a precise picture of the characters and the plot, the story expresses several views regarding the morals of the characters, the motivations of their actions, and the meaning of the events that take place. In “Puppy”, George Saunders explores the theory that perception is not an elementary, universal definition of an object or idea, but a complex interpretation that is influenced by one’s unique and varying past experiences and opinions. The complexity of perception is evident in one the story’s narrator’s, Marie’s, vantage point.
Elwyn Brooks White, or E.B White is best known for his children’s books The Trumpet of the Swan, Stuart Little, and one of his best known books; Charlotte’s Web. E.B was not a children’s writer from the beginning, he wrote pieces such as poems and short stories for Harper’s Magazine. For that magazine, E.B “wrote three children’s books- Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan- which became classics” (The New Yorker 375). White has a very different style that he writes with, “White developed his books for children in the manner of Kafka, The books are Kafka with an American twist, they are Kafka with happy endings” (Epstein 380). William Dean Howells had once said, “What American public wanted ‘was a tragedy with a happy ending’” (Epstein 380). “The combination of seriousness and whimsy, or of the minute and the momentuous, is effective, and at times profoundly true. Because human experience is a curious mixture of shifting tones and moods there is a basic honesty in White’s writing: he reveals himself as a man unafraid of surface contradictions or of simple and natural responses” (Sampson 530). White used experiences he had throughout his life and incorporated them into his children’s books. He also uses animals in his books, because “children love living things and have their own fascination with the animal world. Children, they are permitted to love things they do not understand” (Epstein 380).
I would recommend this book to anybody, it appeals any audience. It's a wonderful story