READING RESPONSES

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

 How did reading the Percy Jackson series change your perception or understanding of  the Greek mythology?

 

Reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan has changed my understanding of the Greek mythology. I thought the Greek gods resembled the gods and goddesses we have in our religion Buddhism but reading the books cleared my misunderstanding. 

What did I like most about the books?

The books took me to the world of imagination where I could visualize the Greek gods and goddesses. The language used in the books is also easy to follow.

What are the lessons I have learned from the books?

The books have taught me the importance and value of friendship standing up for what is right and the power of kindness. Moreover, I have learned that it it important to face one's fears and trust oneself in the midst of challenges.

I would like to recommend the books to my friends because of the invaluable lessons we get from reading the books apart from the development of one's language skills.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

What is the book about?

The book is about a young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who has an incredible intellect and magic powers, including the ability to levitate objects. She is a lover of books, and can read stories meant for adults by the age of four. Her family members do not notice her intelligence and she is often treated badly by them, clear intelligence goes unnoticed by her uncaring family, who often treat her badly. 

The school Matilda attends is run by an evil woman named Miss Trunchbull. Matilda uses  her power to punish her and helps Miss Honey get back her family home. The story has a happy ending where Miss Honey adopts  Matilda, and the two live happily. 

Life like characters

All the characters in the story are life like-we see them in the world. For example, there are parents like Matilda's parents who are do not pay attention to their children There are also many teachers like Miss Honey who is patient and who love all their students very much. There could also be many Miss Trunchbull. Hence all characters in the story are life like. 

Why do I like the book?

I like the book because it taught me the power of reading. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. In addition, I also like the character Matilda who is of my age and like doing the things I like. She teaches us that bullying should not be tolerated. I have often read and saw video clippings (on social media) of  boys and girls being bullied. It makes me very sad and I wish I had the courage and the power of Matilda to punish and teach lessons to those who bully others. I have also watched the movie which is equally entertaining. I would like to strongly urge my friends to read the book. You will not regret it but rather thank me for introducing you to the book.

Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

The Harry Potter series are one of my favourite books. The books are written in simple and clear language. I like the books for the following reasons:

a. No one is free of challenges. All the characters in the books go through challenges and struggles. 

b. A friend in need is a friend in deed. The characters in the books stick together in times of difficult times and they help help one another to overcome the challenges.

c. Imagination is beauty. The author has used imagination to paint a beautiful picture of the characters and the setting.

d. Unlike most other books, there are strong female characters in the books. They stand equal to the male characters in terms of knowledge, courage and strength.

e. Most of the problems identified in the books exist in the real world such as racism and discrimination.

f. The books emphasizes the importance of knowledge, skills and values.

Our of the many beautiful quotes that a reader will come across in the books, the following quotes are my favourite:

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light," 

"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on”.

 Diary of Anne Frank

I got a copy of the book "Diary of Anne Frank" form my mother's friend. The book is a 

story of Anne Frank's family who live in Frankfurt, Germany and suddenly have to go into hiding as a result of Hitler and the Nazi Party’s treatment of Jews in Europe during the second world war. They escape to Amsterdam where they go into hiding with other Jews. 

Anne Frank wrote the diary of her family's two years in hiding. Reading the book made me sad because unlike other girls of her age today, she did not get to enjoy the innocent and carefree life of a young girl. Readers have many message to be learned from her and the diary such as the following:

a. One should not be give in to one's circumstances. Despite the circumstances, Anne and her family were in, they did not complain about it. 

b. Writing can be used as a means to keep oneself occupied-it is a therapy.

c. One should rejoice in small things in life like Anne Frank did.

d. Never give up.

e. Have the courage to be who you are.

I keep thinking how Anne's life would have been if she had lived a long life. Although she did not live long physically she lives with us today through her book which is an inspiration to all of us especially young girls. We have "Anne" in each one of us that we must celebrate and be the best version of ourselves. After reading the book, there a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes, and pain in my heart.

Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

The book is  a fantasy children’s novel. In the story, Charlie Bucket wins a tour in a chocolate factory owned by Mr. Willy Wonka. When I first looked at the title, I thought it would be about a factory that produces different kinds of chocolates but I was wrong. It is more than about chocolates.

The book has many lessons for its readers. For example, one can learn from the book that greed will be punished and kindness will be rewarded. Therefore, one should not judge a book by its cover which often I do. Other lesson that I have learned from the book is that one must learn from one's mistake. Many of us do not take lessons from our mistake but keep repeating the mistake. It is said that a wise man learns from one's mistake but a fool keeps repeating the mistake. I try to pass on this message to my friends and others. I would like to strongly recommend this book to my friends for they will not only enjoy reading the book but also enrich their language.

Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

I have read most of the series of Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. The books are on adventure and Egyptian mythology.  What I like about the books is that through the books, one gets to travel to the land of mummies and pyramids. Although the books are mythological fiction, one learns many  important messages about love, family and the desire to do the right thing. We find the characters in the books in this real world too such as someone who is brave, kind, resilient and cruel. One would not regret reading the books since it benefits the readers both in terms of knowledge and language. All the series are by favourite read. I am sure both adults and children would enjoy the books.