Life Of Pi by Yann Martel

The Life of Pi is an amazing piece of work that goes beyond fiction and into ones own heart. It is a book with great insight, and an optimistic and philosophical look at life. This book really does hit deep, and strikes your emotions. Martel conveys the concepts of innocence, survival, and our primitive nature and how they tie into each other. He brings to life a character with which we can all relate to, Pi Patel, a boy who, by tragedy, embarks on a remarkable journey of self realization.

When we first meet Pi, he comes across as any kid would, very innocent and pure of heart. But he is in an unusual situation: he is polyreligious, putting his faith in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Pi’s journey starts when his father must sell his zoo in order to go to Canada, and in order for them to reach their destination they must take a boat, but it all goes horribly wrong and leaves the poor Pi stranded, in the middle of the ocean. From his experiences through his agonizing journey Pi learns many things about life, and really ties things together about what life is really about.
-- Christian Diaz

For The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to discover something about himself that he didn’t know. His father is a Greek God, which makes him a half-blood, otherwise known as a demi-god. He also finds out that there are other half-bloods just like him. Soon after discovering that he is half god, he finds out that he has an enemy that no mortal or human would like to have. Accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt, Percy embarks on an adventure to prove his innocence.

Riordan creates a world that coexists with ours so perfectly that as you are reading it, you might start to believe it really does exist. Centaurs, Hell-hounds, Medusa, Satyrs, visits from multiple gods, and a visit to the Underworld are just a few of the highlights from the book. It is the first of the 5 book saga, and it will have you hooked from the first sentence. Greek mythology with a twist of adventure, this book will have you turning pages until it is over. --Meghan McDonald

For My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Ana is fighting for the rights of her body, as her older sister Kate is fighting for her life. Kate was diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer of the bones, and is now fighting through chemotherapy. Their parents, Brian and Sarah, are fighting to save Kate’s life and will stop at nothing.

Since the day she was born the parents have been taking white blood cells from Ana to donate to Kate, along with bone marrow and other body parts, and not once have they ever asked for Ana’s input. And she’s tired of it. Their parents are determined to find a cure for Kate’s disease, but as they fight to keep their oldest daughter Kate alive, their family seems to be slowly falling apart. Ana must choose to fight for the rights of her body or to keep her sister alive.

My Sister’s Keeper is a close to the heart story of how strong a family’s love really is. This story gives a good sense of what morals really are, and how important family is and to listen to what others want. --Delicia Gonzalez

For Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a novel set into the future about power and taking advantage of people. The story’s protagonist, Ender Wiggin, is sent off to Battle School, where he and others are in outer space, learning combat skills, under very strict discipline. He has difficulty finding his place in the school since everyone fights with no mercy while he reacts with instincts and strategy. He has a particular interest in a computer game that he plays by himself where he fights “buggers,” which are the story’s aliens.

It is difficult to call this purely science fiction and although there are some historical elements in it, this novel seems to be aimed at young adults. The main characters may be simple, but their personalities are well developed and easy to understand. There are many strong themes, such as loneliness. Ender can only depend on himself because he really has no friends and can only take his mind off of things by playing computer games. Another would be the desire for control and power because many characters in the story take advantage of weakness in others.

I recommend Ender’s Game because it reminds me of high school where many people have a hard time fitting in and how some people may try to find a safe haven during lunchtime. This book is an overall enjoyable read that includes some humor and informality, making it easier to read without becoming boring. It is also a good book to read if one is interested in a futuristically-styled life, fighting for what is right, and historical references.--April Hsu

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a remarkable little book that has captured the mind of audiences around the world and of all ages. It has been translated into more than 180 languages and sold more than 80 million copies. This book shows examples of the different personalities people have.

The main character is a little prince who lives on his own planet. Out of nowhere a flower begins to grow and demands to be taken care of. To the little prince this flower is of rarity and does what ever the flower tells him to. He finds that what he has on his planet isn’t enough for his flower and ventures off to find better supplies to take care of it.

During his journey he finds himself encountering different types of people. The King who demands the stars to do what they do. The conceited man that would not hear anything but compliments for himself. And so on. He then ends up on planet earth where he meets with the narrator in a desert in Africa. The little prince tells the narrator what has happened and decides to go back home.

Through this magical journey one finds what makes something of importance to ones self and as well as to follow our hearts. As quoted by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry in The Little Prince, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." Overall this is book is a must read book at least once in your lifetime. This book helps put the world in a different perspective that might change the way you think about the world and life itself. --Michelle Gonzalez

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Plagued by a neurotic bipolar mother, a nightmarish childhood, and the end of a forbidden romance, Vanessa, Tony, and Connor, all made the tragic decision to act on impulse. Their attempted suicides by a razor blade, a handful of pills, and a gun, respectfully, landed these three troubled teens straight into a rehabilitation center, Aspen Springs. As much as they all despise living in what they relate to a prison, the three new arrivals become unlikely friends. From cafeteria fights, intense psychiatrist sessions, and a few days rappelling down mountains out in the wilderness, they begin to finally meet the people they are inside.

Author Ellen Hopkins is a master at looking through the eyes of distressed teenagers and telling their stories from the worst rock bottom to the highest accomplishment. Hopkins’s riveting style of relating the story in poetry form gives the book a very fluid feel that almost urges you to not put the book down. This is a story about real life, family, friends, love and choices. Impulse follows the long, hard journey of Vanessa, Tony and Connor as they go through the stages involved with discovering oneself and what (or who) they have to live for. But will all three of them realize their purpose for living, or have they reached a point of no return where they will rely only on their impulses to escape?--Ivy Tuber

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

The concept of Blink is just that, the power to “think” without “thinking”. Human brains are so complex and so intricate that they develop a conscious thinking and unconscious thinking. Blink deals with these things and how a person can react and respond according to the situation without even thinking, hence the term “in the Blink of an eye”.

Malcolm Gladwell introduces to the readers many people in various chapters of the book. He introduces famous and legendary psychologists as well as people from different professions- tennis players, marriage counselors, musicians, and police officers that all have the uncanny ability to “think without thinking”. Gladwell states that every human being has this ability; they just need to practice using it, although practicing something they don’t know how to use is somewhat difficult. Gladwell also tells readers of the methods and ideas scientists and psychologists come up with to invoke “thinking without thinking”.

Just like the synopsis says, this book will definitely change the way you think as it did mine. Now whenever I do something out of reflex or just because of a reaction, I step back and think to myself “what made me do this?” This book will make you question why you do the things you and do. This book is thought provoking and forces the readers to think and Gladwell even includes some methods in order to make you feel like you’re part of the experiment he is presenting. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell is a good read and is highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about the convoluted ways our minds work. --James Trieu

Welcome!

This blog is for Canoga Park High students to share books they are excited about. Read about the books other students are recommending and/or post your own review!

If you want to submit a review, email it to me as an Word document at eak0107@lausd.net. Your review should describe what the book is about and why it is worth reading. It should not give away the ending.

I will review your submission for appropriateness. I will not, however, correct for grammar and spelling, and I will post "as is." So check these before you submit! Also, you will need to stop by the library to get a release form before I can post your review.