Lizzie At Last By: Claudia Mills

This is my book review for April, although I'm a little late, sorry!

Significance: I think this book was really great, and it taught me some really great lessons. This was an important book for me to read because she is in middle school dealing with some things we are dealing with, too. I care because the author does a great job of making it relatable, whether you're her age and are going through exactly what's happening to her, or maybe you've just been in that sort of situation. It talks about a seventh grade girl named Lizzie who is trying to be herself but still get noticed, which is pretty much what we're all trying to do.

Perspective: This book was written in 3rd person. Maybe the author visited middle schools or interviewed middle schoolers (especially middle school girls) to find out what they're actually like, to make the book more realistic. Either that, or she probably has a daughter that's that age that she thinks is exactly like Lizzie. The book also involves a lot of Emily Dickinson things, so the author probably loved Emily Dickinson and tried to include her in her novel.

Evidence: I think the point the author is trying to make is that sometimes when we try to become popular, or try to get people to like us, we end up losing ourselves in the end. This reminds me of a quote that I love, which is 'I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for someone I'm not'. I totally agree with that, and I think that when Lizzie started trying to become popular, she started to lose herself. Evidence of this would be, in parts of the book when she comes downstairs in her new, more 'normal' clothes, her mom reminds her that she seems like she's a different person, and in some parts says that she misses the Old Lizzie. And All of the students at the school notice that she's a complete different person. At many times in the book, she tries to stop herself from writing poetry, which is a big part of who she is. But at the end of the book, she finds herself and becomes comfortable in her own skin, while still being liked.

Connection: I can totally connect to this book in a lot of ways. I'm in seventh grade just like her, and I'm a girl! Plus I can admit that I've been embarassed because of my parents sometimes, just like her. In a lot of the book she is totally crushing on a guy named Ethan, and I can relate to that because I have totally been obsessed with certain guys at times in my life. But in the end, just like she did, you realize they aren't really worth your obsessing, but she still liked Ethan.

Supposition: If they hadn't made this book or I hadn't read it, I probably would be less comfortable in my own skin, because this book was really inspiring to be comfortable with yourself, and confident not being like everyone else. 

The View From Saturday By: E.L. Konigsburg

Significance: This book was really significant to me, because it talks about kids around our age, who don't act like the typical middle schooler (in a good way). They look deeply into things to find the true meaning of them, and they're really intelligent. Plus, they're only in 6th grade! I really felt a sense of connection, like I actually care about these people and what they're going through; the author is great. The author really tries to rip you away from your own life and get involved in theirs; he did a great job. It was a book that was really important and that I'll remember for a long time, for uniqueness, being funny, and great writing.

Perspective: The perspective of the book changes a lot, actually. In some chapters it's from Mrs. Olinski's point of view, in some Nadia Diamondstein's, some Ethan's point of view, in some Noah's, and in some 3rd person. I think the author did a great job of linking these perspectives although they're totally different people. I think maybe E.L. Konigsburg might have a handicapped friend that helped her create the character for Mrs. Olinksi (or maybe she herself is handicapped). Or, maybe she is or was a middle school teacher, and if she wasn't, she must've visited middle schools to see what the kids' behavior was like.


Evidence: I think the argument being made is that not all public middle school students are obnoxious and inconsiderate. There are a lot of children in Mrs. Olinski's classroom that definitely don't behave like 'angels', but there are a lot who are really sweet; most being The Souls (Nadia, Julian, Ethan, and Noah). They're really kind, really smart, and never are mean/obnoxious and inconsiderate to anyone. A fact to support her argument is the effort she makes to show us how direspectful some students in her class are. For example, one major jerk Hamilton Knapp tried to poison Nadia's dog because he was jealous. Plus, he has his whole crew, and the insident where they wrote 'CRIPPLE' on the blackboard during lunch. (Mrs. Olinski is handicapped) It also shows that even the bad guys can have good parts too, for example she was about to pick Hamilton Knapp for the team because he really was smart and hardworking, but after the dog insident she knew she just couldn't pick him.

Connection: I connect to this story a lot because, I'm in middle school. Plus the author made you feel big sense of connecting with them, even though they aren't real. It was really great writing. Plus I'm a girl, like Nadia (haha). And I have a pet, too. Plus, I also have some kind of obnoxious kids in my class.


Supposition: My life probably wouldn't be very different if I never read this book or it wasn't published, but I guess this has made me realize how hard middle school can be in some situations. And how disrespectful people can be to handicapped people, so I should be more respectful after hearing about what things Mrs. Olinski went through.

Speak By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Significance: The main character, Melinda goes to a crazy party at the end of summer and calls the police which soon makes everyone hate her, so the book is all kind of about her life after that. I think this is important because the author makes you feel crazy, like that could happen to you, that your entire life could totally change because of one night, the author is sooo good at making you feel the pain Melinda is constantly going through.


Perspective: I think maybe something like that happened to the author when she was a good because she seems to be so good at making you feel like Melinda is a real person and that's actually happening. Or, she probably went to a lot of teenage girls in different areas and found out how they would say things, how to write in a realistic perpective of them, how they actually feel, so they could put some of that on paper to create her character.


Evidence: I think the argument that's being made is Melinda has definitely changed a lot since freshman year, and she needs something to help her change and go back to a bit of the person she was before. The evidence is the way she talks, expresses herself (rarely) the way she doesn't care, hardly speaks, and how her only friend (a new student who wasn't at the party) ditched her to hang out with some preppy club, and left her and her depressing, muddy thoughts and attitude to sit alone at lunch; she has no friends, and basically no life.


Connection: I'm not sure if this connects to me in particular, but it definitely connects to the real world. I bet a lot of teens go to insane parties just like that all the time, and a lot of them have probably been in her position, confused, reckless and left with an 'I don't care' attitude. She actually sounds like she'd be a real teen (a really emo one.) I think things like that have happened in the past, and the author probably went to high school with someone like Melinda. It could affect the future, because maybe a teen could read this and not go partying to much, or a despressed teen could read this and try to change.


Supposition: My life might be a little different if I never read this story. I think this story kind of reached out to me because I actually kind of understood the main characters language, and her story was really, really sad and deep. It seemed so true, too; if that ever happened to me, I don't know what I'd do. If I changed part of the problem in this book, let's say, her problem wasn't that everyone hated her, it's that everyone loved her too much and she needed space, maybe? Well If i did that, the book would totally change, probably even have a different title, because the whole book and all her actions and her personality are basically based on everyone hating her/her having no friends. I probably wouldn't like it as much.