BOOK LOOK – STUDENTS’ CHOICE

 

"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all."  Henry David Thoreau

     

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman

I would strongly recommend reading The Golden Compass and its two sequels to anyone who enjoys reading exciting, interesting and quick moving novels. The Golden Compass is about a girl named Lyra who was born into a world that is very different  from our own. An example of this is that in her world everyone has a creature called a daemon which they share their fate with. Everything that happens to one happens to the other. A daemon is far more than just a pet. It is a representation of your soul. Although this book is a fantasy it is nothing like anything else I have ever read. It has a kind of creature with human intelligence instead of dragons or unicorns.

Lyra grows up with her uncle and some professors at a college in Oxford. Her uncle leaves when a mysterious new substance with strange power is discovered in the north. After he leaves, the master of the college gives her a golden compass, telling her only that it is an alethiometer, and it will answer any question, if you only can understand what it means. Shortly after that, her life is turned upside down when a lady named Mrs. Coulter takes her from the college. She later finds out that Mrs. Coulter has been helping to steal the children who have been disappearing. Lyra escapes from Mrs. Coulter, and joins a group of sailing people, and they end up on a quest to save the children.

This book, although a lot of fun to read, is written also to show the author’s opinions on a lot of important life issues. The Golden Compass is about a lot more than just the good and evil of people. It is more about the choices a person makes, and how these choices affect the outcome. Lyra is rebellious throughout the entire book, but she changes from doing things because she feels like it to well thought out decisions, as she becomes more mature. A choice is made by not only her conscience, but also by how to work for the best outcome. This book makes you look differently at the way a person acts, and why they act that way. It is truly awesome book, and very worthwhile to read. Reviewed by Eli Putzig

                        

      
My Life in Dog Years – by Gary Paulson

Have you ever had a dog who saved your life? A dog who could make you laugh? Or maybe a dog who was your best friend? If you know a dog like this you will probably enjoy one of my favorite books, My Life In Dog Years. It's an autobiography by Gary Paulson. He writes about his relationship with the dogs that have had the most impact on his life.

The book begins with Cookie, a lead sled dog who saved Paulson’s life in Alaska when he fell through the ice.  Snowball, his first dog also saved his life. She was black with a white spot on her side. Snowball saved Gary’s life by killing a deadly snake that was about to bite him.

Ike was a black lab who loved to hunt. Ike went every where in the woods with Paulson. But one day Ike wasn’t there, and never came back. 30 Years later, Gary found out what happened to Ike.

Dirk was the mutt and an alley dog who protected Gary when he was young from a bunch of bullies. The leader of the bullies was a guy named Happy. And to Gary’s, " great satisfaction every time he saw Happy, Dirk would try to remove some part of his body with as much violence as possible."

Rex a collie that lived on a farm had a daily routine that included watching the children, checking the animals, and patrolling the yard.

Then there is Caesar, the giant. Caesar was a great dane who was wild and uncontrollable, but was a very funny dog.

Gary Paulson had a pig and a dog that was a lab cross. The pig and the dog Fred were best friends. But one day Gary had to put up an electrical fence because the pig was eating everything in the garden. Fred didn’t like this and the result was electrifying.

Quincy, the king of ice cream looked like a very small dust mop, but that didn’t stop him from giving something his all.

Josh, half border collie half human. The bond between Josh and Paulson was great. Paulson would tickle Josh whenever he was glum to cheer him up. One day it was Paulson who was upset. He was sitting in a chair feeling sorry for himself when Josh yanked him out of the chair and started tickling him by gently biting him on the ribs.

The story is a perfect example of how a dog and human can form such a friendship that they would risk their own life to save the others.

If you like a good adventure story where dogs are truly mans best friend, then you should check this book out! Reviewed by Nikki Mills

                           

        

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