Quarter 2 Book Review

Three Little Words
Three Little Words is a memoir about a little girl named Ashley Rhodes-Courter who was born to a teenage mom and was surrounded by the people she loved. However, her mother got a new boyfriend, who turned out to be abusive, which completely shaped Ashley's future.
Ashley, her brother, her mother, and her mother's boyfriend Dusty are on their way to Florida when things take a change for the worst, and her mother and Dusty get arrested. That moment caused the next nine years of Ashley's life to be spent in fourteen different foster homes, separation from her younger brother, and years of longing to be with her mother. Her mother always told her that they would be together soon, but Ashley never knew when “soon” was, or how long it would be until they could even just have another monitored visit. Eventually, Ashley's mother does not come to see her anymore.
Ashley remembered her mother's words throughout her time in foster care: “You're my baby, and I'm your only mother. You must mind the one taking care of you, but she's not your mama.” These words prevented Ashley from forming any kind of relationship with the families who took her in, no matter how nice they were to her.
A few of the families that were selected to be Ashley's foster families did their best to make her feel at home and be a regular kid, while others, especially one wicked family, put her through hell. As she moves from place to place, she rarely gets to keep the few possessions she has, and she does not get to see her brother Luke very often. She's moved from school to school, social worker to social worker, and her hope is constantly being built up and torn down. As she is moved around, she sometimes finds herself breaking rules and getting into trouble.
In Three Little Words, Ashley tells her touching story of how, through the worst of times, one can believe, have faith, and succeed. Although her childhood was spent in many abusive situations, Ashley Rhodes-Courter finds her happiness at the end of the story when a family who loves her very much adopts her when she is twelve years old. The title implies the three words she says in court when the Judge asks her if she wants to finalize the adoption: “I guess so.” Her record of switching families so much left her unsure of this one, too, and just anticipating her relationship with the new family to end someday.
I would definitely suggest this book to my friends and family, because I thing that it addresses many important issues and topics. It's also just a good read for anyone, with its enticing vocabulary and hypnotizing storyline. I could barely put the book down. Ashley says that writing this book helped her to make sense of her troubled life, and though I cannot relate to her story, while I read about her childhood, I felt like I had a better understanding of the tough times some people go through that you wouldn't realize.

One pair of Ugg boots: $144.00. One week at Camp Calumet: …Priceless

The idea of values has drastically changed to amount to money and material things. They say that money makes the world go ‘round, but does it, really? From expensive jewelry to designer handbags, the question that is raised for most people is not “what do I value personally?” but it is usually “what’s fashionable now?” Or “What should I buy next?” For me, there are priceless moments in life that are important to me, as well as the objects in my life that have financial worth. Everything in existence holds a certain value that differs from person to person, whether it is a personal value or a value with a dollar sign in front of it.

When I got to middle school I realized that many of my friends were beginning to be sporting more expensive clothes, purses, and especially shoes. Every winter it seemed that the most common footwear was Uggs. I would just imagine how warm my feet would be in a pair of those furry boots. However, my parents believed that the quality of the boots could never live up to such a high price. Low and behold, every year I would receive the newest imposters, which provided half the warmth of the boots that I longed for. I was in eighth grade, and I decided that it was about time I got to experience walking around in my own real
Uggs. I begged and begged until Christmas rolled around, receiving the same response over and over. “We’ll see.” It wasn’t very promising.
I moseyed down the stairs sleepily on Christmas morning, with my sisters behind me, and my parents already waiting downstairs in the living room. I couldn’t keep my eyes from wandering to the presents stacked under the Christmas tree. All of the boxes looked the same. But the next thing I knew, my mother approached me with an unwrapped box. My eyes were immediately drawn to the label. Uggs. I couldn’t help but think to myself—maybe they’re tricking me. Maybe they just used the box for some other present to throw me off. I flipped the top open, and I saw the most pristine-looking pair of boots I had ever seen in my life. I put them on carefully and slowly, wanting to take in every detail. I slipped my feet into the beautiful boots, and I had never felt anything so comfortable. There was so much cushiony fur around my feet. I never wanted to take those shoes off again.

I wake up to the sound of the dreaded, early-morning alarm. My eyes open slowly, adjusting to the fresh daylight, and I become conscious of how cold my toes are at the bottom of my sleeping bag. I gather my things and rush across the dirt road to be first in line at the showers. Despite all my efforts, I am last again. We assemble back at the tent and make our way across camp slowly, most of us still half asleep. You can already hear the songs being sung at Luther Hall. We all clap our hands and stomp our feet, belting out the words we now know by heart. I think to myself that most days, I’d rather still be in bed. But at Camp Calumet, I would much rather be awake, singing and having fun with my newly made friends.
The entire week spent at Calumet is full of new experiences. Funyak tipping, dock jumping, singing, playing greasy watermelon, and just having fun. At camp, there’s no judgment. Everyone is family. Sometimes I find myself humming songs from camp, and it makes me so excited about next summer just to go back and see my friends again. Even though we’re apart for most of the year, I know we’ll pick up with our friendships right where we left off when we see each other next year. “Together for 7. Apart for 358. Friends for 365.”

At times I’ll find myself valuing the expensive things in my life more than the priceless moments. But when I think about it, there are so many moments that are really important to me. My Ugg boots and my week at Camp Calumet are things that I value for very different reasons. I value my Uggs because they’re something that I really wanted for a long time, and I love having them when wintertime comes. I value Camp Calumet because I gained new experiences and friends from my week there. When I think about which is more important to me, I could never make a conclusion of which I value more. They’re both things that I feel really lucky to have.

First quarter outside reading book review

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Atria Books, 2004. Genre: Fiction


My Sister’s Keeper is a story about the relationship between two sisters who have been together, going through the same things all their lives, and a critical decision that menaces to tear their family apart. It is an inspiring and emotional story about family loyalty versus independence. The ultimate question is: can parents force an unwilling teen to be an organ donor for an incurably ill sibling? Kate Fitzgerald was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was two years old. Her parents had another daughter for the sole purpose of keeping Kate alive. Every time something goes wrong with Kate, her little sister ends up in the same situations. Finally, Anna is expected to give up a kidney for her sister. After being dragged to the hospital throughout her life, 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald decides that she’s had enough. The drama begins as she goes to a lawyer with all the money she has, $136.87, and asks to be medically unbound from her parents.

“I have read every one of Jodi's books, and My Sister's Keeper is at the top of the list. I have recommended it to family members and friends, and each of them loved it just as much. If you love a good story with many twists and turns, this book is for you!”

In My Sister’s Keeper, the reader is able to see the situation from every character’s point of view. As Jodi Picoult takes you through the life of Anna Fitzgerald and her troubled family, she weaves plots, storylines, and individual character thoughts together to create a truly enticing story. She provides a variety of characters with many different personalities and values, allowing every type of person that reads this book to feel like they can relate to the story in some way or another. This book gives you a different emotion the entire time you’re reading it. Whether you’re laughing or crying, this book will have you thinking about your relationships with your own family.

''I wasn't the result of a cheap bottle of wine or a full moon or the heat of the moment. I was born because a scientist managed to hook up my mother's eggs and my father's sperm to create a specific combination of precious genetic material.'' (8)

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I’ll definitely pick up another one by Picoult. The storyline kept you wondering and wanting to read more, and the ending definitely surprised me. I would suggest this book to every one of my friends and family. It’s a story that anyone can enjoy.

Summer Reading Essay

Finally Free

It was early summer and David was performing his daily chores when someone showed up at their house and rang the doorbell. His mother was lying on the couch in front of the television and she insisted that David answer the door. He opened it a crack and peeked through hesitantly to see two men in uniform, each of them sporting a serious facial expression.

“Is your mother home?” Questioned the shorter of the two men, who was wearing a badge. Without saying a word David walked into the other room to get his mother’s attention, but she was already up and on her way to the door, looking agitated to be disturbed in the middle of her favorite program.

“Can I help you?” She said in a rushed tone.

The officers told them that they received a report from an anonymous caller that claimed that David’s mother was abusing him. This was the start of weeks of investigation, and they finally decided to take David away.

Though he was sad to be pulled away from his real family, he was much happier now that he was safe from his mother’s abuse. They took him far away. So far away in fact that it seemed to David as though he was in a completely different world. He felt that they would never stop driving. On the way, they stopped and bought him new clothes and took him to get lunch at a chain fast food restaurant.

David barely spoke. Everywhere he looked there was something new to see, and he never wanted it to end. He thought about where he would end up. He looked forward to not being seen as the thief at school. He wondered whom he would stay with, and what kind of people they would be. Would they care for him at first, and then turn out to be like his Mother? He was sure that this could not be possible.

By the time they reached their destination it was pitch black out. They took David inside and introduced him to an older woman. She hugged him gently, and told him to address her as Aunt Pearl. He found this strange, but did not protest. He could tell that she was a very warmhearted person.

Aunt Pearl had prepared them dinner, and the four of them sat at the dining room table. They spoke about the living arrangements, and she showed David where he would be sleeping. She told him that he was to share a room with Alfred, her nephew. The officers spoke quietly with Aunt Pearl, almost secretively. But David knew that they were just reminding her of his situation. He knew that they liked to avoid “delicate subjects.” By the time the officers left and David got ready for bed, it was very late; later than David had ever gone to bed.

When he settled down in his new room, he imagined himself sleeping on the floor in the cold basement back at his old home. He felt a sudden burst of comfort, knowing that he would never have to endure his mother's abusive nature again.

David quickly fell asleep. About four hours later, he woke to someone entering his room. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. There was a man climbing into the other bunk. He sat silently, and thought for a moment, and realized it was Alfred, his new roommate. David couldn’t stay awake long enough to speak to him, or to even ponder why he would be up so late. He drifted off to sleep and morning came faster than he expected. The nighttime seemed much shorter to him now that he had slept comfortably. When he opened his eyes he noticed Alfred throwing things into a bag and getting dressed. Alfred muttered good morning, and then walked out into the dining room. David followed and found that Aunt Pearl had left him some pancakes for breakfast. He couldn’t help but smile.

David got used to the routine of helping Aunt Pearl around the house, going to school, eating regular meals, and sleeping contentedly. She took him to watch Alfred train for boxing when they had free time.

Alfred and David became less like roommates, but more like brothers. He told David about the mistakes he had made, and that all he can do now is move forward. He gave David advice that when he experienced hard times, to start all over and just try twice as hard. David had never been so at ease in his life. He had what felt like a true family. He could finally smile and feel cared about. He could finally just be free.