... later overturned in 1976. It was also challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school libraries in 1974 and in Snoqualmie, Washington in 1979. These states claimed that the book was "dangerous" because of the objectionable language, sexual situations or scenes, and the crude, black humor that is displayed throughout the novel. None of these bans or challenges has made ... the novel less popular and it is still a success today. I believe that the bans and the challenges of the book might have been justified back when the book was first published, but today I believe ...

• Word Count: 587
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... has no real depth and more or less just goes around saying "Goddamn" and "What a phony" while whining about the world. After reading the book, I learned that the book isn't about whining about life, but instead it simply shows a cynical view of the world; A view that is seldom looked at by most people. ... his brother and sister then he had great hatred for them and classifies them as phonies. I feel that this love for innocence is what the book is based around. You will also see that Holden has an ambition, which is to become "the catcher in the rye" and stop children from ... from lo...

• Word Count: 639
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... novel. In order to understand how the concept of free will is portrayed both in the novel and the book, the concept itself must be analyzed and then how it is portrayed in the book and the novel can be analyzed and understood. What is the concept of free will? It must be understood ... upon him and he walks towards him like a crazy person. He sits next to him and tells him to give him his message and he grabs Trout's book and starts to read it. He reads the following: "You are surrounded by loving machines, hating machines, greedy machines, unselfish machines, brave machines, cowardly ....

• Word Count: 935
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... novel, many of which could be found in quotes from the novel. These quotes led to many interesting interpretations and questions concerning them. The book club meetings were successful as it allowed readers to enrich their understanding and appreciation of the novel. Many themes and symbols are embedded within ... like God saved men. There are many other themes and symbols in the novel, many of which are from quotes As part of the book club assignments, the students had to find quotes from the novel and discuss its significance. From within the quotes a person would able to ... take pl...

• Word Count: 721
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the reader into a by-gone era where young girls are sold to be raised as geisha, and where their virginity is sold to the highest bidder. The book is written as a sort of autobiography about one of Gion's most celebrated and respected geisha, although it is actually a novel. Memoirs of a Geisha is ... Golden's first novel. It is extremely well researched, as it provides an accurate account of the life of a geisha. The book follows the progress of a small girl, Chiyo-chan, as she finds herself going through all sorts of cruelty as she trains to be become a geisha. Chiyo-chan ... the way A...

• Word Count: 629
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of this novel, but I watched the one with William Hurt as Rochester in 1996. Even though he is much too handsome in appearance to look like Rochester in the book, I still like how he plays Rochester. Although I noticed in the movie that his hair is dirty blond, on the other hand it was jet black in the ... to make it much longer. It is very good, but it could have been so much better then. There are some other major differences too. In the book, Jane get married to Rochester finally after he is blinded and they have kids. But in the film, Rochester asked Jane if she has come back to him ...

• Word Count: 329
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... laws, life would be hard to live, filled with violence and war. Another theme of the book is survival. Survival plays an important role for the boys. There was very little I disliked about this book. Probably the one thing that could have been improved upon was William Golding's use of difficult ... words and terms that could confuse the reader, but this happened rarely. I think all serious readers would like this book. I also think readers who are interested in human behaviour would like this book because of the way it demonstrates the many sides of human nature, values, and morals. I r...

• Word Count: 641
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Leopold's Ghost did an excellent job of portraying the events of that time period. Many students would think that reading a historical novel would just be like reading any old history book, but reading this novel was much easier than reading a history textbook. The novel showed many aspects and views from many different people of that time. The usage of direct quotes ... placed the reader in the action. Many feel that detail adds a lot of unwanted material to a novel, and that it makes the novel harder to understand, but the detail in a book such as King Leopold's Ghost added so much fe...

• Word Count: 641
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . The portrayal of the character Jim creates another controversy in Huck Finn. Starting in the 1950's and continuing today, many school districts have banned the book because they claim it is "demeaning to African Americans," because of what a lot claim to be negative stereotypical portrayal of Jim" (Karolides ... to accurately depict the American South in the 1830's. Many praise Twains depiction of the south saying, for example, that "the South lives in that book" (Chadwick 6). The novel takes place in a slaveholding town in Missouri. In order to portray the south as beautifully as Twai...

• Word Count: 1176
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography

Book Review A Lesson Before Dying A Lesson Before Dying was written by Ernest J. Gaines. The novel takes place in the late 1940s. It is about a man named Jefferson who witnessed a shoot out ... heroism is not always expressed through action, sometimes the simple act of resisting the inevitable is enough. Ernest J. Gaines did a great job in writing this novel. It's the type of book that is hard to put down. Its such an inspiring and thought-provoking novel. The story is so real and is "a strongly felt and - in the best sense- ambitious novel ... because its so easy to read, and two because i...

• Word Count: 264
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... has hid them and how he has such good security on his computer. Jobs is not very street smart or has a lot of common sense, he more of a book worm and is book smart. Another characteristic of Jobs is that he is concerned with everyone else's feelings. In the middle of the story, when everyone is awaiting to board the Mayflower and ... ...

• Word Count: 471
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... raised and doctored, is quite disheartening. Based on religious reforms and modern-day picket lines, the reader may find the first chapter ominous in comparison to the remainder of the book. As controversial as the topic is, it is one that has been debated for years, and now, is being written about in futuristic novels. Even though the ... book is unmistakably an original, there are several others like it. For instance, George Orwell's 1984 depicts tyranny, dystopia, and other radical forms of government reform, much like Brave New World. ... ...

• Word Count: 472
• Approx Pages: 2

... by gloom, and ruthlessness, rare characteristics such as kindness, and compassion ever present. This novel displays an undercurrent of love, friendship and trust. People who love each other in this book are obviously Greg and Mikki who at the end of the novel marry, Eric and Susan are another couple represented in the ... book. The love that Susan had for her deceased brother Richard is the single reason that Susan became involved in the "Facility", as Richard had left some files which Susan had ... ...

• Word Count: 528
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

I can see why Jerry Spinelli won the Newberry Award for his mondern classic, Maniac Magee. It has everything I like in a young adult book:fascinating characters, believable dialogue, humor, and a strong theme. Maniac (Jeffery) Magee is one of the most refreshing and memorable characters in adolescent fiction. His talents are legendary--he can untie ... 's humor and suprisingly mature treatment to two of the most signigicant of society's ills, racism and homelessness, make for a satisfying read for anyone. I recommend Maniac Magee to readers looking for a book that will make them laugh and th...

• Word Count: 328
• Approx Pages: 1

My book for the book report is entitled "Scoop", by Evelyn Waugh in which the hero is named William Boot. William is nothing like the average stereotyped "hero": he is extremely insignificant. This does not ... ...

• Word Count: 876
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... This novel can be described in many ways, a page turner, interesting, and even confusing. I admitt that I could not put this book down for the simple fact that it had me questioning thing constantly. As I read chapter after chapter, I started to not pay attention to the wonderful descriptions of indian culture, a just ... ...

• Word Count: 537
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... also: challenge our views; let us know we are not alone; and edify us, teaching a moral lesson. All these other, more important aspects, can be seen in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. The most important role of a novel is to broaden our understanding of human nature. When a shipment of Jews are paraded through Molching on route to a concentration camp, the novel ... ...

• Word Count: 918
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... clearly Seymour is definitely not having "fun". It is possible that they are connecting the setting to the main theme of the movie. The 50s'music in the book and comic is what bonds Seymour and Enid closely to one another. Clowes in the graphic novels did not spell out everything; however, Clowes leaves the audience to draw their ... ...

• Word Count: 1039
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... he will not be accepted by anyone. This scene also ignites the rage that sends the monster on a killing spree to get revenge on his creator, Victor. Overall I think this book was very well written. It is easy to tell that everything was thoroughly planned out. This shows in how well the novel flows from one scene to the next and ... ...

• Word Count: 1009
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... facts and information for a students maturing minds. I am a history teacher on the board of Yazoo Country School and feel like every student should read this book for the following reasons. First and foremost this novel should be in our curriculum to make known and educate our children about how people of a difference ... this novel because of the overabundant use of the word "nigger " so loosely. But what they might not consider is the fact that Twain wrote this book in 1884 when the word "nigger " was used all the time, and not like it is now. We need to remember that times have change...

• Word Count: 1096
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... Remember they are only kids. The ending of the novel ends with a gut-wrenching showdown between the two. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that sometimes Golding's writing style was a little hard to understand and follow. The main problem was that the boy's British accents made it difficult to understand ... it was the slang that they used that got me. This problem appeared in few spots for the most part the book was easy to read. I think that males would enjoy this book mainly because of the fact that all the characters were boys. It also appeals to a person with good lit...

• Word Count: 882
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the future to help show that soon we might be working for machines. 7. Describe any social customs or attitudes of the time period described in the book. Many technological advances have been made in our century, in the last decade, about 95% of people depend on technology. In the future everybody depends ... custom to using a computer or some kind gadget for everything, anything else would be uncivilized. 11. What is the author's attitude toward that subject of the book? Aldous Huxley expresses his opinion in the theme. He wants people to be aware that knowledge is power . If we abuse...

• Word Count: 1018
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... by George Orwell, where an other-worldly attempt of societal control leads one individual to question and fight the totalitarian system. The contradiction is unsettling, especially for a harmless, fictional book actually meant for young adults. The novel, The Giver does not have justifiable cause to be banned or restricted. According to the American Library Association, The Giver has ranked as ... states, including in Kansas, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, Montana, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, and New York (Hastings 1). Parents of children in grades K-12 have been the primary objectors of th...

• Word Count: 921
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... to grab a reader's attention and hold it, stringing it along from chapter to chapter. Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is such a book. I found it to be both intriguing and suspenseful. The main character, Charlotte Doyle, is a thirteen-year-old girl who always had the best things ... Mr. Keetch, and Fisk), but the major contenders are Captain Jaggery and Zachariah. Captain Jaggery is the suspected villain, ever since the beginning of the book. As the book progresses, so does the "punctilious" nature of Captain Jaggery. Zachariah is the lone black man on the ship who, from th...

• Word Count: 626
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... first, but when Nettie's husband starts abusing her, she leaves to become a missionary in Africa and find her roots. In the beginning of the book Celie is telling the story through her diary entries, and later Celie and Nettie are writing letters to each other, so it is like two stories ... views life from what you have read); Give examples from the novel (e.g., is life fun, is she morbid or optimistic, etc.?) The author of this book looks at life optimistically. She never lets Celie lose hope of her sister coming home, and when Corrine (Nettie's friend who she went to Africa with) ... ...

• Word Count: 1071
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School