Marcus Sedgwick was given the Printz Award for the Young Adult Literature title for his amazing literacy skills in the book Midwinterblood. Personally, I believe his choice of design best exemplifies why he won this award. Marcus was very creative when writing each story. By intertwining each story with little details, such as the hare. Within each story it is mentioned some how. For example, in the second story The Archaeologist Merle explains how Eric has an odd fascination with hares and how she believed he has changed. "He was still out little boy, but he had changed...' who knows how a tiny child's mind works? But, well, I've always thought it was because of the hares" (81). Merle does not quite know what changed Eric but she assumes
In today’s world there are millions of people who grow up in situations that make them powerless. Poverty, violence, and drugs surround children from birth and force them to join the cycle. In L.B. Tillit’s Unchained a young boy named TJ grows up in this environment. With both his mother and father struggling with addiction, he is often left alone on the streets to fend for himself. He turns to a local gang for protection and a sense of place in Jr. High, but is quickly taken out of the life he knows when his father overdoses and dies. TJ is sent to live in a foster home where he learns to care for others and meets a girl and falls in love with her. However, when his mother regains custody of him, TJ is forced back into the gang where he uses violence and drug dealing to stay alive. With help from his foster care manager he soon realizes that he can make it out of his life and return to his foster home and the girl he loves. A central theme of Unchained is that people have the power to make decisions to determine their future.
As we see David Metzenthen about to accept yet another award on his latest book, we feel it necessary to review other titles this author has produced. Published in 2003, the best-selling novel ‘boys of blood and bone’ is a highly-commended book receiving an honor award from the ‘The Children’s book council.’ It is also selected nationwide as a year 10 curriculum novels. Although this impressive list looks appealing, the actual content of the novel is sadly not. Being a duel narrative, the author uses war and contrasting modern day to express the meaning of relationships in adolescent lives. Less prevalent values in the book are honor, mate ship and the acceptance of responsibility. This shows the potential to be a great influence on young lives
The passage that I analyzed spans the action when Beowulf returns to the halls of Heorot after a harsh battle with Grendel’s mother. He returns to king Hrothgar in the great hall of Heorot to say that he has successfully completed his boast and killed Grendel’s mother. Beowulf states that it has been a very difficult underwater battle and that he has barely escaped with his life, “The fight would have been ended straightway if God had not guarded me” (Donaldson, 29). Beowulf mentions this due to the fact that the sword given to him by Unferth, called Hrunting, was powerless against Grendel’s Mother. Hrunting is useless against Grendel’s mother due to the fact that she has the same charm upon her as Grendel did, which is that no normal sword can pierce her skin. Then, by chance, Beowulf finds an ancient sword on a wall during the battle and uses it against the monster. This sword, which was crafted by the giants, is able to pierce the monster's skin and after one swing, the monster was cut in half. After using this ancient sword to murder the monster, Beowulf watches the blade of the sword melt away due to the toxicity of the monster's blood, until only the hilt was left. A hilt is the handle of a weapon or tool. The hilt is decorated with runic symbols and was given to King Hrothgar of the Danes as proof of Beowulf’s exploits. The King is also given the severed head of Grendel as further reassurance that their troubles at the great hall of Heorot is over.
Throughout life, individuals are faced with decisions and obstacles that must be overcome. These decisions and actions are easily influenced by outside forces and motivations and the outcomes of our actions can have a drastic effect on one's destiny. The act of deciding a course of action is not always simple, but it is made even more difficult when we are faced with a time period and a negative outcome if we chose not to continue on our journey. In the short story “Winter’s Bone,” written by Daniel Woodrell, we are taught that throughout life people make choices between what they want to do and what they need to do. Sometimes those choices lead to unfavourable outcomes,
“Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, “My Father as a Guitar” by Martin Espada, and “Digging” by Seamus Heaney are three poems that look into the past of the authors and dig up memories of the authors fathers. The poems contain similar conflicts, settings, and themes that are essential in helping the reader understand the heartfelt feelings the authors have for their fathers. With the authors of the three poems all living the gust of their life in the 1900’s, their biographical will be similar and easier to connect with each other.
If I were asked who the most precious people in my life are, I would undoubtedly answer: my family. They were the people whom I could lean on to matter what happens. Nonetheless, after overhearing my mother demanded a divorce, I could not love her as much as how I loved her once because she had crushed my belief on how perfect life was when I had a family. I felt as if she did not love me anymore. Poets like Philip Levine and Robert Hayden understand this feeling and depict it in their poems “What Work Is” and “Those Winter Sundays.” These poems convey how it feels like to not feel love from the family that should have loved us more than anything in the world. Yet, they also convey the reconciliation that these family members finally reach because the speakers can eventually see love, the fundamental component of every family in the world, which is always presence, indeed. Just like I finally comprehended the reason behind my mother’s decision was to protect me from living in poverty after my father lost his job.
In the short essay, “Let It Snow,” by David Sedaris, he recounts the memory of his three sisters and himself being locked out of the house by their drunken mother, on a cold, snowy day. The children are very antagonistic towards their mother, and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the attention they deserve. When is comes down to it, the children realize that no matter how bad they treat their loved ones, They will always have a place for family in their heart.
The story Hunters in the Snow written by Tobias Wolff, focuses around three main characters. These three characters are extremely diverse. Although, they all fit into one simple story and, if you analyse each based on his own character base, you will see exactly how diverse they actually are.
Bad blood is a book that was written James H. Jones who is an associate professor of History. The book narrates on how the government through the department of Public Health service (PHS) authorized and financed a program that did not protect human values and rights. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment which was conducted between 1932 and 1972 where four hundred illiterate and semi-illiterate black sharecroppers in Alabama recently diagnosed with syphilis were sampled for an experiment that was funded by the U.S Health Service to prove that the effect of untreated syphilis are different in blacks as opposed to whites. The blacks in Macon County, Alabama were turned into laboratory animals without their knowledge and the purpose of the experiment
Steinbeck was helped with the script by Wagner , both traveled to Mexico for the filming . On this trip he wrote a film script (Viva Zapata!) , inspired from the story of Emiliano Zapata. In 1947, Steinbeck with the photographer Robert Capa made the first of many trips to the Soviet Union. They visited many parts of the USSR since the communist revolution. Steinbeck's 1948 book, A Russian Journal, it is about their experiences and illustrated with Capa's photos. On November 23 , 1948 “ The American Academy of Arts and Letters had written to inform Steinbeck that he had been duly elected a member” A Life in Letters By John Steinbeck
There are multiple reasons why a book can be banned or challenged. Book banning causes the removal of materials in schools and libraries due to “inappropriate” content. The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, was banned due to sexual content and language.
Is society too egotistical? In Hunters in the Snow, Tobias Wolfe gives an illustration of the selfishness and self-centeredness of humankind through the actions of his characters. The story opens up with three friends going on their habitual hunting routine; their names are Frank, Kenny, and Tub. In the course of the story, there are several moments of tension and arguments that, in essence, exposes the faults of each man: they are all narcissistic. Through his writing in Hunters in the Snow, Wolfe is conveying that the ultimate fault of mankind is egotism and the lack of consideration given to others.
Seuss has made several contributions to literature. In numerous, if not all of his writings, Seuss uses funky rhymes, outlandish characters, and ties his story together with a heartfelt theme. (4) In relation to his works, Seuss himself said it best, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple”(5); and I believe that this can relate to his works. The majority of Seuss’s books were children’s books, which contained an underlying message. By using his imagination and the way he arranged his words, he was able use the simplest words to create the biggest impact. Although he was immensely involved in his books, Dr. Seuss had a personal life as well. Behind the scenes, was a woman named Audrey Stone [Geisel], who greatly impacted and influenced his books later on in his life. (6) Because Seuss was successful, he received several awards. Some of these include: Lifetime of Contribution to Children’s Literature, An Academy award for “Gerald McBoing-Boing” (Best Cartoon, 1951). An Emmy for “Halloween is Grinch Night”. (7) It is obvious that Dr. Seuss’s writings have been and will continue to be loved and
Faber means that he doesn't talk pointlessly, but rather meaningfully. He cares about things that matter and speaks on them, unlike most people at the time (in the book). With his knowledge and words he can make a change. He has a voice, which he uses to an extent. Faber is aware of his potential- “and know I'm alive”- and he isn't afraid to say so. However all of his appreciation for facts and information is put to bed because it doesn’t follow what society has in store for everyone. He hides away his books in fear of breaking the mold. The author flashed back telling readers about a time that Montag had met Faber a year earlier. During their encounter Faber actually wrote down his address and gave it to Montag, without the acknowledgements that he was a fireman. Faber is bold and has a strong sense of appreciation.
A Man for All Seasons is the story of a man who knows who he is, expressing courage and faithfulness at all costs. In addition, every character has their own ends to meet, and the only distinguishable feature between them is how they go about it. Some characters disregard all sense of morality as they plunge into an approach, which primarily encompasses self-interest. In all, most of the characters in the movie personify selfishness in one way or another. Of course there are some whose selfishness is more noticeable than others; however, at some point they are all deficient in their consideration of others and live chiefly for personal profit. All except for one, Sir Thomas More he is a man who subconsciously is a slave to his own conscience. He executes selfless acts in order to do what he knows is legal, and what he thinks is right. He is one of very few people who have died with their integrity intact. Every other character sold themselves out to the king. To be honest, I think I would have sold myself out to the king to, if the consequence was to be beheaded if I did not. That is why I envy Sir Thomas because of his individualism, ethics, and courage he had during his stand against the King.