Novel Study: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary people extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.
Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man, you must crush his will. Now, in what was once Chicago, an astonishingly powerful Epic named Steelheart has installed himself as emperor. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said that no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, and no fire can burn him. He is invincible. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. When Steelheart came to Chicago, he killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He has seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge. |
Novel Study: Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
The story follows two characters: Maxwell Kane, a large, very slow, but kind-hearted boy, and Kevin Avery, nicknamed "Freak", who is physically handicapped but very intelligent. The story of a strong friendship between a young boy with Morquio's syndrome and an older boy who is always bullied because of his size. Freak the Mighty explores a building of trust and friendship. Kevin, an intelligent guy helps out Maxwell to improve his reading skills. In return, Kevin wants Maxwell to take him out places since he is not allowed out unauthorized. Being the social outcasts of the town, Kevin and Maxwell come to realize that they are similar to each other and accept that they are "freaks" and nothing will stop them.
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Historical Fiction: Daniel's Story by Carol Matas
Daniel barely remembers living a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He can still picture once being happy and safe, but his life changed when the Nazis took over Germany. No longer able to practice their religion, vote, own property, or work, Daniel's family is forced from their home in Frankfurt. He is eventually transported to Auschwitz. Daniel survives the death camp and is transferred to Buchenwald. He endures to witness the camp's liberation in 1945.
Though many around him lose hope in the face of terror, Daniel is supported by his courageous family. He loses them all except for his father and his cousin Friedrich, and together they struggle for survival. Yet he manages to retain his life, hope and dignity through the horrors of Hitler's terrors. |
Fantasy Epic: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The Hobbit is set in a time "between the Dawn of Færie and the Dominion of Men", and follows the quest of home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins to win a share of the treasure guarded by Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into more sinister territory. The story is told in the form of an episodic quest, and most chapters introduce a specific creature or type of creature of Tolkien's geography. Bilbo gains a new level of maturity, competence, and wisdom by accepting the disreputable, romantic, fey, and adventurous sides of his nature and applying his wits and common sense. The story reaches its climax in the Battle of the Five Armies, where many of the characters and creatures from earlier chapters re-emerge to engage in conflict.
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Utopian Future: Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman
In entries in her "gleaning journal," Scythe Curie gives the reader the history of her world. in 2042, humans became immortal and created the Scythedom, an organization of scythes—people trained to "glean," or kill others permanently—to control the population growth. This job is the only one not overseen by the Thunderhead, an advanced version of "the cloud" that has replaced government and oversees every aspect of the population. With immortality has come the sense that there's no longer a point to life, and people in Curie's age don't understand what it was like to live knowing that death was inevitable.
Seventeen-year-old Citra is horrified when Scythe Faraday shows up on her family's doorstep and invites himself for dinner. She and her parents are terrified that he's going to glean them, and Citra angrily snaps at him. He admits he's here to glean their neighbor. Not long after, Faraday shows up at Rowan's school to glean the quarterback, Kohl Whitlock. Rowan stubbornly insists on holding Kohl's hand when Faraday electrocutes him, and for this, Rowan's classmates, including his best friend Tyger, shun him. When Faraday invites both Citra and Rowan to become his apprentices, they both accept; however, only one of them will become a scythe. |
Dystopian Future: Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
When Katniss wakes up on Prim’s first reaping day, she heads to the woods to hunt with Gale, her best friend and hunting partner. She brings home a feast that will serve as a celebratory dinner after the reaping.
At the reaping, the mayor reads a speech about the history of the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are meant as a punishment for the districts that once rebelled against the Capitol. As punishment, one girl and one boy are taken from each of the twelve districts every year and forced to fight to the death until there is only one winner left. |