The Color Purple by Robinson

Although I am adamant in my belief that a book or any sort of medium that expresses ideas to an individual is best enjoyed alone, sometimes a reference is needed. Perhaps this reference comes from a friend, a dictionary, or in modern times, the almighty SparkNotes. Not all books are equally able to be understood instantly, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker is an excellent example of this phenomenon. Although I had to reread certain parts of the book many times to properly tell what was happening, I did not once have to use the SparkNotes reference for it. In addition to mere clarification of the plot, SparkNotes also offers analysis, a subject that I predict may come into conflict with my interpretation, and a subject that I plan to focus this blog post on. I am excited to dive into this famous and controversial resource's examination of The Color Purple's deeper meanings.

First off, the title: an ever so important and resonating feature of a book. In The Color Purple, the eponymous color was first brought up when Celie (the protagonist) wants a dress with the color, and later on it is brought up in the context that "...it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it" (Walker). The color itself makes few appearances, but I believe it symbolically represents Celie's desire to break out from the rigid culture of her surroundings. The commentary from SparkNotes on this subject is that "...the appearance of brighter colors indicates the liberation various characters experience" (SparkNotes) and how the concept of colors in general have a deeper meaning in this novel. The color purple itself is simply generalized as one of these brighter colors. SparkNotes does not actually contain a comprehensive title analysis as far as I can tell.

How about "The Power of Narrative and Voice?" SparkNotes first asserts that "Walker emphasizes throughout the novel that the ability to express one’s thoughts and feelings is crucial to developing a sense of self" (SparkNotes). A reasonable conclusion that almost tries to be as unquestionable as possible. And then, "In renaming Celie a “virgin,” Shug shows Celie that she can create her own narrative, a new interpretation of herself and her history that counters the interpretations forced upon her" (SparkNotes). I can see this one I suppose, but I really didn't think the novel was trying to be too overarching at this point. I've just thought it to be mostly literal and referring to sex; at most, it could mean that Celie is a virgin is controlling her life. I think SparkNote's interpretation is trying too hard to make Celie even more of a victim. The reference site concludes this topic by claiming that "Though Walker clearly wishes to emphasize the power of narrative and speech to assert selfhood and resist oppression, the novel acknowledges that such resistance can be risky" (SparkNotes), a statement that once again seems to be generalized and noncombustible. On the flipside, many actions of Celie that asserted her selfhood did not involve narrative or speech—sewing pants, having independent religious beliefs, even sexually arousing herself. And I also think that this interpretation, once again, tries too hard to force Celie as a victim; derivatives of the word "oppress" are very liberally used on the SparkNotes for The Color Purple.

SparkNotes has a lot to say about the importance of gender in The Color Purple. It was an important issue, although I do not recall the word itself ever being used in the book. In any case, what do they have to say? "Throughout The Color Purple, Walker portrays female friendships as a means for women to summon the courage to tell stories. In turn, these stories allow women to resist oppression and dominance. Relationships among women form a refuge, providing reciprocal love in a world filled with male violence" (SparkNotes). Hmm. I suppose I never considered how many female relationships existed in the book, and I do agree that they seemed to generally be socially uplifting. But I think SparkNotes may be a little too anti-male here. Sure, "a world filled with male violence" is a phrase intended to be powerful and relevant, but leaving it at that does not do the novel justice. Male to female relationships in the story were not all malevolent, such as Celie and Harpo's, Nettie and Samuel's, and arguably Shug and Grady's. And neither was all the violence done by males, although the only physical violence by females that I can remember involved Sofia, a character that is a stereotypical masculine woman. SparkNotes champions this as "The Disruption of Traditional Gender Roles", and goes on to describe "Sofia’s strength and sass, Shug’s sexual assertiveness, and Harpo’s insecurity" (SparkNotes) as examples. But is this really that much of a disruption? The archetypes of a strong woman, a sexually independent woman, and an insecure man seem to have their roots from hundreds of years ago. Many of this book's characters are agreeably not culturally "normal," but I am hesitant to praise the book's progressiveness in this aspect.

All things considered, I can (for the most part) align myself with SparkNotes's analysis of The Color Purple. While reading the book, I thought many of the same things, but with considerably less gusto than SparkNotes seems to have. I also think that the SparkNotes analysis may try to be more feminist than I think it should be. Regardless, it was interesting to see what SparkNotes had to say. That being said, I do not plan to use it again, as the non-literature content on the right-hand side disgusted me greatly. So long, SparkNotes; I hope you have legitimately helped those in need.

Week 2 Explanation

SparkNotes can be both a great hindrance and a great asset to those studying a piece of literature. The notes aid a student in understanding what a book is about, but SparkNotes can also act as a crutch to students who are too “busy” to read the book -- a crutch that atrophies your most important tool: the mind. Often, teachers ask students not to use SparkNotes at all. Doing so is like saying “never start a sentence with ‘because’” (teachers say this to help students avoid sentence fragments); teachers are afraid students will not be able to use information appropriately. And then, of course, teachers use SparkNotes themselves and students are shocked -- shocked! -- at the hypocrisy.

Well, I’m asking you to go check out what SparkNotes has to say about a book on your summer reading list. I am also going to admit that sometimes I’ll use the notes to remind me about a book I’ve already read or to remind me about important themes and terms to discuss with you. But I will ALWAYS READ THE BOOK! I do not use SparkNotes as a substitute for reading the text, and I don’t want you to do that either. Many students, both high-achieving and low, will look at SparkNotes regardless of my personal stance toward the resource. So this week’s post centers on discussing what SparkNotes has to say about a book on your reading list.

In the past, students have plagiarized whole sections of SparkNotesm trying to pass it off as their own work. That’s a BAD IDEA. Usually it’s painfully obvious that the student is NOT the one who wrote the piece. Unfortunately, students don’t usually write with the tone or mechanical prowess of text written for SparkNotes. Don’t abuse SparkNotes that way. Instead, use it to give you ways to talk about the book: words, themes, terms, ideas. Many of the thoughts I’ve had about a book but find hard to put into words are clearly explained on the SparkNotes page. That DOESN’T MEAN I REGURGITATE SPARKNOTES. When I read what the notes say, I can then integrate their terminology into my own theories and ideas about a text. Sometimes I’ll find something new and then I can talk about it in my own way, not in SparkNotes’ way. I know it can sound confusing. Simply put: use what SparkNotes says to aid your own interpretation, your own style, your own theories.

To start, you should have finished a summer reading book, and it should be a book on the SparkNotes literature pages. Before reading SparkNotes, you should write down your own thoughts about a book’s themes, characters, literary devices, or anything of note. Try to interpret the book in your own way BEFORE looking at SparkNotes. Then read what SparkNotes has to say about the book’s context, characters, themes and motifs, symbols, and key facts. I copied and pasted everything into a word program, printed it off, read it, and highlighted parts I wanted to discuss. Now reflect on several differences, similarities, and other connections between your interpretation of the book and SparkNotes’ interpretation. That’ll be your post for this week.

When you write for this assignment (and most of the others) keep the following general guidelines and possibilities in mind: 1). DO NOT SUMMARIZE. I don’t care if I haven’t read your book; I’m not asking for the plot. Just stick to why it was influential to you. 2). Pay attention to your content, ideas, and organization as you structure your post. 3). Certainly mention the book title (use italics to set it off) and author. The title of the post should contain the title of the book and your last name, like last week’s posts. 4). Discuss one or several of the following: What new ideas/interpretations of the novel did SparkNotes highlight for you? What do you think SparkNotes is missing or doesn’t explain well enough? What do you disagree with in SparkNotes’ interpretations? What is some new information you learned about the novel and how does it affect your interpretation of the work? 5). Because this is your own personal reflection, you can use first-person POV. 6). Practice using quoted material from SparkNotes and/or your novel in this post.

Try to have a good time. Remember internet safety protocols: don’t use your entire name or give away identifying information. You should probably change your display name if you’re using your real name. Be tactful and don’t disparage anyone. You are graded on the quality of thought and expression in your post, its length (between 700 - 1000 words), and on using quoted material properly. I suggest writing the post in a word processing program and then pasting it into the post window. Contact me if you have any questions and I’ll answer ASAP.

The Stranger by DeLaCruz

Sometimes a book acts as a tour guide to paths you have already traveled, and with the book as your guide, mundane landmarks become fascinating. The paths I refer to stem from answers to this question: What is the meaning of life? Last summer, I wandered along those paths alone until I came upon a translation of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Through its plot, characters, and symbols, that small book led me down routes I had never before explored. To bring even more light to the book’s byways, I read SparkNotes’ commentaries on the piece. SparkNotes brought the philosophy and message behind The Stranger to light but also gleaned over some key aspects.

The book’s title, The Stranger, is really a reference to Meursault, the protagonist. Meursault is unique to me for I have never encountered a character like him; he is bleak, numb, and vacant of ambition. The opening of the piece finds Meursault at his mother’s funeral and completely devoid of emotion. In fact, the next day he starts an affair with an attractive co-worker. SparkNotes echoes my understanding of Meursault when it describes him as “psychologically detached from the world around him. Events that would be very significant for most people…do not matter to him….” Yet I, like other characters in the novel, was drawn to Meursault. I wondered why I enjoyed such an amoral character and better understood when SparkNotes explains that Meursault watches people without judging what he sees. His very detachment appeals to others because Meursault does not judge what they do as being right or wrong.

I occasionally feel a desire to handle things with the emotional disengagement Meursault displays. Feeling no sentimental pain, no desire, no anger, and no guilt throughout most of the book, Meursault is almost perpetually in a state of a backwards Nirvana. It seems as though humans feel emotional distress in our lives far more often than physical distress. SparkNotes helped me understand that the “importance of the physical world” was also an important theme in The Stranger. So while Meursault is inattentive to his expressive needs, his “attention centers on his own body, on his physical relationship with Marie, on the weather, and on other physical elements of his surroundings” (SparkNotes). Is Camus saying that all we have is physical gratification? Based on the argument in this paragraph and those expressed in the next, it is possible that Camus believes all there is to life is our physical experience in this world.

Indeed, is physical experience the meaning of life? As I discussed the book with my friends, we hit upon the notion that The Stranger expresses an existential philosophy with an answer to this question. Put succinctly, existentialists believe that life is meaningless. SparkNotes also addresses the existential philosophy in The Stranger when it states “…Meursault…asserts that life is meaningless and that all men are condemned to die. This argument triggers Meursault’s final acceptance of the meaninglessness of the universe.” However, SparkNotes also brought to light how Albert Camus's philosophy went beyond existentialism. Camus created a philosophy of the absurd. After the atrocities of World War I and II, both of which affected Camus personally, he “could no longer accept that human existence had any purpose or discernible meaning. Existence seemed simply, to use Camus’s term, absurd.” Though both philosophies appear identical, I think Camus's holds a more exasperated tone.

Although SparkNotes highlights important ideas -- existentialism, philosophy of the absurd, Meursault’s detachment, etc. -- it can not delve into these topics well enough in just a few pages. There are other discussions I would like to have regarding the use of light in The Stranger, or on his use of foreshadowing, his writing style (or the translator’s style), the symbolism of the courtroom and the poor dog, and why Meursault killed an Arab specifically and its meaning today. I would like to discuss the book from a feminist perspective or a psychological perspective. I would like to hear what a French person had to say about it and see if it differed from my own interpretation. SparkNotes can not do justice to all the possibilities in the book. That is why classroom discussion will be so beneficial.

Yes, The Stranger took me on quite a journey down paths to find the possible meanings of life. Or lack thereof. Having read it and enjoyed it does not mean I ascribe to its philosophies. I take solace in the fact that, as SparkNotes put it, Camus “is noted for his faith in man’s dignity in the face of what he saw as a cold, indifferent universe.” At times I, too, shiver at the dreadful parts of our existence, but I also try to glory in its delights.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Dell

It’s pretty easy to say that literature has been one of the defining features in my life. However, was hard to choose a book for this assignment, as plenty of the books I’ve read have had a great impact on my person. Novels such as Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, The Little Princess, or Animal Farm come to mind. As for children’s literature, I can recite The Lorax almost entirely from memory, and of course being raised Christian Catholic meant the Bible played an important role in my childhood as well. However, I can honestly say there is one book I have read that has affected me the most, and that is the novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
My reasons for choosing this piece are both personal as well as massive spoilers, so I won’t go into them to deeply. Yet I can say that this book taught me about what it’s like to grow up and fall in love without even realizing it. Aside from its main plot, however, Sáenz’s novel includes many touching moments and descriptive commentary that I find very relatable and truthful. This book tells the truth of teenage years amplified by a feeling of difference and loneliness.
        Since I was thirteen I have been working through depression and anxiety issues, and this book is a great relation to my inept social problems. Not to mention the extreme teenage angst that comes with the young adult coming-of-age genre. However, the self-monologues and imagery perfectly capture emotions and feelings I thought were impossible to put into words. It reminds me of my favorite band, twenty øne piløts, as their music means the very same to me.
        It’s hard to describe exactly what this book means to me, as I don’t very much understand it myself, just as I don’t understand why I want to be an engineer. There was no defining moment, no realization, no nothing. I was pulled to it. In my heart and in my soul, I can feel pure love for this book. It is one of those pieces that will numb you, make you lie on your bed for an hour after finishing it, feeling nothing and almost crying but not quite. You don’t know what to feel. All you know is this book. So instead of drinking to stop the pain, I read.
        Just as the contents have power, the style with which they are written in amplifies the soul of it, As I have mentioned, Sáenz has a way of perfectly boxing one insane emotion into a single group of words. It amazes me that everything I feel can be represented by a simple pattern of letters and spaces. It’s pure poetry. This book is so effortlessly me, just everything I feel. The relatability is so accurate its almost frightening, so it is clearly plain to see why I have such a strong connection to it. In addition, I feel a very strong connection to the characters. Aristotle’s fearlessness and independence as well as Dante’s view of the world, innocence, and ability to make anything beautiful are all qualities I’ve wanted to have in myself. This novel inspires me to grow as a person and become someone gentle, yet fierce.
        Lastly, I can never seem to get tired of this book. I still don’t own it, but I have been listening to the audiobook. I first read it last summer, and it left me numb for a few days. It made me think about everything and view the world with Sáenz’s imprint now on it. I don’t really remember much from the time I read the book, but it changed me, and I haven’t been the same since. All I can say is: go read it. As confusing and jumbled I’m sure this essay was, the only way you can truly understand what I mean is if you read it yourself. Let it mean something to you, let it inspire you, hurt you, and make you as numb as a Novocain shot. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the most important book in my life and will remain for the longest time. Please trust me, it’s worth your time.

The Influence of Warrior Cats- Boynton

In my early adolescence, I was a very anti-social person. I didn't consider myself a person with many friends, and the few I had seemed to only be in the school setting. Between the 4th and 7th grade, I tended to only make friends for class and usually didn't stay in touch after the school year ended. The few that stayed throughout the years were as reserved as myself and it was rare for us to hang out more than once in a month. My lack of socialization came from two factors- the first being a lack of confidence, the second being a lack of connection. I never seemed to find people who loved the same things I did with the same passion, and when I did, I was always so scared of messing up the friendship by saying or doing the wrong thing that I chose to reserve myself.

When my brother introduced me to the Warriors series by Erin Hunter, I found another way to spend my hours alone. The storyline and world inside the book was thoughtful and complex, and despite it being a juvenile fantasy series about cats, the characters were relatable and multidimensional. It was so thought provoking and intriguing that I struggled to put each book down. I began reading the lengthy series during the 5th grade and when I finished, I waited patiently for the next one to come out. Every few months, I would be on my knees begging my mother to buy the newest one, and every few months we would have the same argument. She would want to wait until it was paperback and, therefore, cheaper. I would insist that I need it immediately and could not wait one more day. It would end with me picking up extra chores to earn it and then spending the whole weekend dissolved in the new story. While I have always liked reading, it was the first time that I didn't want to read- I needed to.

However, Warriors was no Harry Potter, and the release dates weren't heavily advertised for everyone to see. So at the end of the weekend, I would log on to the family computer and go on to the official Warriors website. If the date wasn't there, I would check once a week until it was. Then I would continue to check, just in case it was pushed forward. After returning to the site so often, I found a few games that allowed me to play as the cats and immerse myself into the world. Later on, I found a button in the top corner labeled “forums”. Unaware of what this was, I explored it and found a place with thousands of fans like myself discussing the characters, plotlines, relationships, theories, and upcoming books. Too excited to even ask my parents’ permission, I made an account and jumped into the debates. I checked multiple times every day for the newest responses and topics.
After being on the site for a while, I found a part of the forums that consisted of roleplays. Different users made characters in a unique setting and were able to interact with each other. I joined several that day, making complicated characters to join in on the fun. We created our own plotlines that lasted for months, and I grew to know the people I talked to daily. Eventually I began to consider them my friends.

This had been a major breakthrough because for the first time in a long time, I felt a strong connection to these people and I was not afraid to talk to them. We would type responses for the roleplay. Underneath, we could ask about one another’s day, wonder when one of our friends would be ungrounded, and follow up on another friend’s life struggle. I would log on to a community where people wished me luck on my math final, asked about that one band solo, and sent fun birthday messages when the little cake icon appeared near my name.

While I have since left the website and spent much more time with face to face interaction, I am still connected to some of my old friends through Facebook, snapchat, and texting. These were the people that, for the first time in a long time, made me feel wanted, appreciated, connected, and missed. These were the people that encouraged me to go to one of my first sleepovers, to join a sport, to challenge myself, and become who I am today.

While Warriors may just be a child’s novel, it has influenced my life more than any other story I have read and it has provided myself and thousands of others with a safe, welcoming community.

When You Reach Me Kransberger

When I was younger I was an extremely avid reader. Put a book in my hands and I would emerge myself into the story for hours.This is a fairly uncommon quality in children I think but one that has an incredibly large impact in the person I have become. I don’t read as much as I used to anymore but the lessons that I took away from the books that once captivated my attention for days on end, some more than others. When asked about my favorite or most impactful book,I don’t miss a beat before flashing back to my childhood.Vividly I remember the excitement I felt when my elementary school teachers would serenade our class with their favorite stories. In fifth grade, my teacher came to school one day with a new book to share. It was called "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead. I have never been so captivated by a book since. "When You Reach Me" is the most influential book I have ever read because of the captivating plotline, excellent life lessons, and interesting structure.

By captivating plotline I mean edge of your seat nail biting can’t put it down captivating plot line. The story is quite unlike any story I have ever read. It is simple and short in length but so wonderfully written that it makes me question the things I believe to be true about deep concepts that have puzzled the human race for as long as we can remember. Heavy topics such as time and the human ability to travel in it. The best part is that I had no idea I was reading a book even sort of about time travel or anything of the sort until the last 30 or so pages. It took some pretty unexpected turns and always kept me feeling like I was on the edge of my seat. I read that book seven years ago for the first time and continue to think about it to this day. This was influential to me because it showed me how exciting reading could be. Although it has always been something I enjoyed doing, this was the first book that consumed my thoughts even when I didn't have it in my hand. That is something that has really stuck with me. It set the bar for books ever since.

The main character of "When You Reach Me" is a girl named Miranda who is best friends has been best friends with a boy named Sal who lives in the apartment directly under hers since she was a baby. Throughout the course of the novel the two drift apart drastically. Reading “When You Reach Me” for the first time in fifth grade, I had yet to personally experience drifting apart from a friend for no good reason. When I got older and people did begin to drift apart I had in the back of my mind the story of Miranda and Sal. It made me realize that it was normal and a part of life. Through their broken friendship I realized that life takes people in different directions and it's okay to outgrow someone who was once your whole world.

"When You Reach Me" is also sometimes written in the form of lists as opposed to paragraphs. This is because when Miranda gets stressed she makes lists in her head to stay organized. In my mind this makes the book appear more like the inside of her brain than paragraphs would and I felt way more connected to her character as a result. It was personal and gave me a feeling that  I knew Miranda better even though she is fictional. The interesting structure if this book was influential to me because it helped me to feel like I was close with a fictional character on a personal level which is something I don’t remember feeling before this novel and still  strive to establish among characters in current reads.

"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead is by far the most influential book I have ever read. I feel this way because of the incredible plotline, life lessons that I learned, and overall structure of the book. It sets the bar for all books I've read since

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Beck

    Without a doubt, the most influential book in my life has been the Bible. From the moment I was born, this piece of literature has affected me directly and indirectly. My code of ethics is a result of this book which has been reinforced by my parents and weekly church services. Certainly, my life, along with modern history, would be drastically different without the Bible.

    For this assignment, however, I am limiting the broad category of influential books to only those I have fully completed while focusing on the books that have had literary influence. With these restrictions, the books that have had the greatest influence on my development are the Harry Potter books, by J.K Rowling. As a whole, this seven book series has had an enormous impact on my life. If I were to narrow it down to a single book though, it would be the first in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

    I first read the book when I was seven years old.  The significance of this book is that it was a turning point in my literary career. Before I entered the world of Harry Potter, my library consisted of straightforward children's books like; Geronimo Stilton, Magic Tree House, and Henry and Mudge. Harry Potter was the first “real” book I encountered. As a seven year old, it was complex enough that I frequently enlisted the help of my mother to understand the seemingly complex plotline and diction.

    In addition to being influential as the gateway to more difficult literature, J.K. Rowling’s series impacted my life by developing my love for books. This was the first book that I really enjoyed to read. I would stay up late, sometimes with my mom, pouring over the pages of the book, eager to dive into the wizarding world. As soon as I finished the first book, I began Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I enjoyed this book to the extent that when I played with my neighbors and brothers, we pretended to be characters from the book, coming up with our own adventures.

    Moreover,  I developed a love for reading from the Harry Potter series. After I had completed the series, I began to read the ten book Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale. The reason I read these books was because its fantastical elements reminded me of Harry Potter. Likewise, I read the book Eragon by Christopher Paolini and its three sequels because it was in the genre of books I liked, established by Harry Potter. It is unlikely  I would have read these books, or many others, if it hadn’t have been for Harry Potter.

    Aside from making me a better reader and encouraging me to read more, Harry Potter has been very influential on my life. I have read the series all the way through three times and have picked up on new things each time. The series has become nostalgic as it has encompassed a large portion of childhood with both the books and the movies.

    Throughout my several readings of the books, I gained an appreciation for the literary merit of the book. From my first reading, I was engrossed in the plot. The book is fast paced with an easy to follow plot. The later books build on this making the plot even more rich by adding layers to what is happening. Similarly the characters in the book are very interesting and well-developed. Being of similar age, I was able to relate to Harry. At Hogwarts, he faced similar issues as me such as school and friends. Because of this connection, his adventures became more exciting as I could envision myself in them. As I got older, I began to appreciate the supporting characters such as Severus Snape and Sirius Black who initially seemed less important than Harry. I currently believe that one of the major reasons the series is successful is because of the plethora of interesting side characters. Furthermore, the setting of Hogwarts castle and other places like Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest is extremely well-developed. Rowling did such a good job with the setting that Universal Studios recreated it in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios, which I recently visited.

    Additionally, the first installment of Harry Potter utilizes symbolism. While I would probably view Gryffindor symbolizing good and Slytherin symbolizing bad as basic or the wands representing individuals’ personalities as obvious today, it is complex enough for the target audience of children and young adults. Similarly, Rowling’s writing style is straightforward with simple diction and easy to follow narrative. While I may critique it today, it is ideal for the intended readers.

    Lastly, the Harry Potter Series  has influenced my life as a result of its larger themes that taught me lessons. First, the book emphasized the importance of love. Despite Voldemort’s power, Lily’s love for her son was able to protect Harry from being killed. As a second grader, I was able to see that the relationship I had with my family was significant and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Another important theme of the book is that death should not be feared. In The Sorcerer's Stone Dumbledore says, “Death is but the next great adventure” (Rowling 215). Moreover, Voldemort, the villain, becomes distorted and corrupted while trying to cheat death. Meanwhile, Harry is able to see through a magic mirror that his parents are by his side, even after death. These ideas are in line with the Christian idea of heaven and life after death that I was taught growing up.

    In conclusion, the Harry Potter series had a significant impact on my life both in reading and my development. Besides having a large influence on my life, I consider the Harry Potter series to be some of my favorite books of all time. I would highly recommend the series to young readers as I believe they had a profoundly positive impact on my life.

Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock - Abby Seeger

During my entire childhood, I was surrounded by books. Weekly trips to the library were exciting adventures, and books could always be expected as gifts during birthdays and holidays. My personal collection continued to expand as I grew older, but it was nothing compared to the immense amount of books that my parents had collected over the years; construction manuals, coffee table books, novels, and reference books littered almost every room of the house. Among the numerous volumes that consisted of my home library were fascinating books from my mom’s childhood, books with yellowing pages and weak spines that I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to finally read. Inhabiting a bookshelf in the basement, these books were full promise to me. The prospect of unread adventures and mysteries within my own house made me look forward to the day when I was old enough to be able to read them.

When I was in the second grade, my mom decided that I was a good enough reader to begin the Nancy Drew series, and she handed me The Secret of the Old Clock, written by Carolyn Keene. The cover illustration portraying a girl and a clock in an eerie and shadowed forest, and the back cover which promised of “thrilling” and “spine tingling” adventures introduced to me a whole new love of reading. This was the book that signified the transition from picture books and meaningless stories to novels full of danger and adventure and mystery, books that had a deeper meaning and signified something greater than itself  beyond its pages. My love of Nancy Drew continued beyond The Secret of the Old Clock; once I had finished reading it, I immediately moved on to the next book in the series, and soon I had completed all of the Nancy Drew books in my mom’s collection. My mom and I began a crusade at bookstores to complete the series, which we soon learned to be extensive and seemingly never ending.

This book had a strong and profound influence on me, and helped shape me into the person that I am today. The character of Nancy in the novel was the person that I wanted to become when I was older; successful, helpful, loving, and adventurous. Her dedication and devotion towards her father and the close friendships that she so easily made were admirable to me, but her independence even more so. Despite the close ties that she had with her family and her friends, she was never afraid to go off on her own. Illustrations found sporadically in the book always portray her as self assured and confident, even though in most cases she was by herself, without the help of others. Throughout the book, Nancy often acted independently to solve her problems and the problems of others instead of relying on outside help - which would traditionally appear from other male characters. This concept was huge to me. The idea that an amateur detective who happened to be a girl could solve problems just as adeptly as males, if not more, elevated Nancy from an admirable detective to an inspirational role model, and someone that I aspired to be.

Carolyn Keene’s novel introduced to me new literary concepts that allowed for me to grow as a reader. The relationships between the characters were a new phenomenon that I had never been exposed to before. The fact that Nancy was acquainted with so many seemingly insignificant people introduced me to different types of interactions between characters, and eventually caused me to read closer as I realized that everyone that she met was a possible suspect. Also, The Secret of the Old Clock exposed me to a descriptive writing style that I had never experienced before. Adjectives such as animated and chic and verbs such as murmured and mused were completely new to me and allowed for me to visualize what was occurring in the book in ways previously unknown to me.

The Secret of the Old Clock, written by Carolyn Keene was the most influential book of my life. It introduced to me new literary concepts, including vivid descriptions and intricate and complicated relationships that allowed for me to grow as a reader. Additionally, it provided me with a positive role model in the character of Nancy, whose independence, self reliance, and hard work inspired me throughout my childhood.

Black Box by Hansen

Since a young age, I have never enjoyed books with a happy go lucky feel or a fairy tale ending. One of my favorite books as a child was Charlotte’s Web, because there wasn’t a predictable resolution where everyone was content. It built a realistic feel as opposed to a story like Frindle, where everything seems to work out well between the characters and everyone is satisfied. Going into middle school, I found myself drawn to mystery novels because of the unknown factor, nothing is expected about a mystery. During the first week of my freshman year of high school, Ms. Arnett brought our class to the school library at the end of what seemed like an excruciatingly long class period. We only had about 15 minutes to decide what book we would be reading at the beginning of every class for the next couple weeks. As I rummaged through the shelves, I found a book, Black Box by Julie Schumacher. I was drawn to it because of the cover, cliche I know. It was a silhouette of a girl with her hand on a window, damp from fresh rain. It reminded me of the mystery novels I have read. At this point class was almost over so I rushed to check the book out without another thought.

Once I started the book I was instantly drawn to it, which is somewhat absurd for me. It usually takes a few chapters for me to really get into a new book. I shortly began to realize that this book was like nothing else I have ever read. It heavily addressed mental illness, something rather taboo. I found the book to be very eye opening to a truly real reality for many people. I’m a strong believer that you never honestly understand someone's situation until you have experienced it yourself. This book created a great admiration within  me for anyone suffering from these kinds of conditions. The book was about Dora, a teenager with severe depression, who became hospitalized. But was written by her sister, Elena’s perspective. That was one of the best aspects of the book, you got to really understand what it’s like for the families as well. I found myself becoming quite emotional multiple times throughout the book, simply from knowing that many people have to deal with a battle within themselves, like Dora did. And that it has such a strong effect on everyone involved.

Towards the end of the novel I found myself confused on why it was almost over, the point in the story did not seem like a stopping point. Once I reached the last page I was so confused, because nothing was resolved by the characters. I searched everywhere online to see if there was a second book, but there wasn't. So I sat on my bed for a while trying to figure out what I had missed and why all of the sudden the book wasn’t making sense to me. After contemplating this for a long time I remembered early on, and in the last chapters, the author made allusions to how overwhelming, unforeseen, and confusing things are for people dealing with depression. I made the conclusion that the author must have intended to interrupt the plot and end it in such a harsh way, to correlate to depression itself. At this point, the characters were finally on track for a happy ending. However, there was this same false hope many times throughout the book. Elena received some bad news that would back track their happy ending once again. I think the author ended the book right then to create some sort of never ending cycle. Kind of a heartbreaking tone, as if Dora will never be able to escape her condition. I was relatively upset when I first finished the book, because I wanted to know what happened next and how it turned out for the family. Looking back, I have a strong admiration for the author for ending her book this way. I think it enhances the empathy you feel for the characters and ultimately gives a deeper insight to what other people are dealing with.

Because Black Box was such an unusual book, in comparison to my ordinary reading choices, it has opened me up to selecting books that I normally wouldn’t consider. I did not expect to enjoy this novel very much, yet it became one of my favorites. I have found myself reaching for books that aren’t all that similar to what I am used to. I notice this is a strong attribute to anyone who enjoys literature since it gives you a broader range of possibilities. Every book you read is like a new adventure you experience and new lesson learned.

Black Box has left a lasting imprint on me. I am very grateful to have stumbled upon this book and to have been exposed to the complex nature of the characters. This book wasn't extremely well written or even had a great plot, but it still had managed to influence me in my day to day life. I am a much more open minded and understanding person because of it. Something so valuable simply from expanding my horizons and trying out a book I never thought i’d relish like I have.

Katrina Elzinga - Week 1: The Mother-Daughter Book Club Series

I have always loved to read.  In a way, I was destined to love it because it has been one of the central focuses of my life practically from the day I was born.  As a baby, everyone, and I do mean everyone, would read to me. As a result, I have read pretty much anything that was in front of me since I’ve been able to read.  I read Little Women when I was ten, and Pride and Prejudice when I was twelve.  I have read a lot of books and have many favorite ones, so it is quite difficult to choose a sole one that could be considered the most influential in my life, every book I read has an impact in some way, leaving new facts, teaching life lessons that make a person wiser through something other than experience, and providing entertainment that movies can normally just not live up to.  Most of what I know has come from one book or another each being influential, so I’m just going to choose one series of books and write about it.  

A series of books that have had an influence on my life is the Mother-Daughter Book Club Series. I probably discovered this series when I was about ten or eleven years old.  It begins with the first book, The Mother-Daughter Book Club, and continues into, I believe, seven volumes.  I loved this series because it focused on four, and later five, girls and their mothers.  They were very relatable characters who were of the same age I was when I started reading the series.  Each character has a different personality that makes them relatable to whomever might be reading the series.  They encounter everyday problems from bullying to foreclosure that also appeal to people of different backgrounds.  

This series taught me about creative problem solving, as the characters solve the many issues that they face in hilarious and interesting ways that most people wouldn’t think of.  It taught me that there is always a way to solve a problem, even if you have to think outside of the box.  

It also taught me to delve deeper into what I read.  Each book centers on another book, usually a classic (like Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Daddy-Long Legs, and many more), that the girls have to read for this book club.  In the scenes that focus on the meetings that the characters have, a series of fun facts about the author of the book that they are reading is given.  This has taught me more about the authors of some of my favorite classics and has demonstrated how their lives play a role in shaping their books.  I also love history and find these facts immensely interesting.  These facts have also encouraged me to learn more about many of the books I’ve read.  For example, I was reading Hamlet for this class and my grandmother brought to my attention Isaac Asimov’s, Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare. This book has greatly enhanced my understanding of the play by bringing the contextual information about the influences of the play, the history leading up to it and surrounding the period in which it was written, and has explained some of the harder to understand bits of the play.  Reading this has greatly enhanced my understanding of the play and allows me to learn more from it.  

This series has also encouraged me to read books that I may not have otherwise, and has made classics seem more interesting.  I’ve read Jane Eyre, and more of Jane Austen’s work such as, Emma and Sense and Sensibility.  The author’s humor and application of the different books’ lessons makes them much more appealing to read.

These books also emphasize the importance of family and friends, and the role that they play in helping us solve life’s issues.  They have made me more grateful for those that I have in my life.  They show that it’s okay to be different because those who matter don’t care, and those who care don’t matter.  In other words, there is always someone who out there who supports you through whatever you want to do in life.  This lesson is common in many books that I’ve read.  

In the end, this series has been rather influential and has increased my love of reading.  Good books always leave you wishing there were more pages and this series accomplished that.  It taught me many lessons and has enhanced my reading experience, and it was fun reading them.  Isn’t that what is important when all is said and done?

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Dell

It’s pretty easy to say that literature has been one of the defining features in my life. However, was hard to choose a book for this assignment, as plenty of the books I’ve read have had a great impact on my person. Novels such as Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, The Little Princess, or Animal Farm come to mind. As for children’s literature, I can recite The Lorax almost entirely from memory, and of course being raised Christian Catholic meant the Bible played an important role in my childhood as well. However, I can honestly say there is one book I have read that has affected me the most, and that is the novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

My reasons for choosing this piece are both personal as well as massive spoilers, so I won’t go into them to deeply. Yet I can say that this book taught me about what it’s like to grow up and fall in love without even realizing it. Aside from its main plot, however, Sáenz’s novel includes many touching moments and descriptive commentary that I find very relatable and truthful. This book tells the truth of teenage years amplified by a feeling of difference and loneliness.

        Since I was thirteen I have been working through depression and anxiety issues, and this book is a great relation to my inept social problems. Not to mention the extreme teenage angst that comes with the young adult coming-of-age genre. However, the self-monologues and imagery perfectly capture emotions and feelings I thought were impossible to put into words. It reminds me of my favorite band, twenty øne piløts, as their music means the very same to me.

        It’s hard to describe exactly what this book means to me, as I don’t very much understand it myself, just as I don’t understand why I want to be an engineer. There was no defining moment, no realization, no nothing. I was pulled to it. In my heart and in my soul, I can feel pure love for this book. It is one of those pieces that will numb you, make you lie on your bed for an hour after finishing it, feeling nothing and almost crying but not quite. You don’t know what to feel. All you know is this book. So instead of drinking to stop the pain, I read.

        Just as the contents have power, the style with which they are written in amplifies the soul of it, As I have mentioned, Sáenz has a way of perfectly boxing one insane emotion into a single group of words. It amazes me that everything I feel can be represented by a simple pattern of letters and spaces. It’s pure poetry. This book is so effortlessly me, just everything I feel. The relatability is so accurate its almost frightening, so it is clearly plain to see why I have such a strong connection to it. In addition, I feel a very strong connection to the characters. Aristotle’s fearlessness and independence as well as Dante’s view of the world, innocence, and ability to make anything beautiful are all qualities I’ve wanted to have in myself. This novel inspires me to grow as a person and become someone gentle, yet fierce.

        Lastly, I can never seem to get tired of this book. I still don’t own it, but I have been listening to the audiobook. I first read it last summer, and it left me numb for a few days. It made me think about everything and view the world with Sáenz’s imprint now on it. I don’t really remember much from the time I read the book, but it changed me, and I haven’t been the same since. All I can say is: go read it. As confusing and jumbled I’m sure this essay was, the only way you can truly understand what I mean is if you read it yourself. Let it mean something to you, let it inspire you, hurt you, and make you as numb as a Novocain shot. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the most important book in my life and will remain for the longest time. Please trust me, it’s worth your time.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling - Kynan Moretti

Growing up, much of my family would consider me an avid reader.  I would sit at a library for hours on end, reading a book I had found mere moments after entering, and even continuing to read throughout the night once I arrived home.  If I had found a good book sleep was not a necessity that was processed into my schedule, to my mother’s dismay.  I was not always like this, however, as I originally viewed such a task as tedious a chore as homework.  This was until I found a book that engulfed my attention, and showed me how novels could open doors to your imagination.

In second grade, I had slight emotional troubles due to my undergoing in a change of school districts.  When I shut myself off from my family, I found that I had nothing to do. This, as can be expected, led to an extraordinary amount of boredom, an amount that did not go unnoticed.  When prompted to try reading, I was more than reluctant, although eventually began with the second book in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. After only a few pages, I was hooked.  As each page came and went I found myself diving deeper and deeper into the story, growing increasingly attached to the characters, and like a book on anti-gravity, I just couldn’t find myself able to put it down. Some of my fondest memories include running outside with my cousin, of whom was the brother I had never had, and grabbing sticks to sling the spells we had taken time to memorize and go off on adventures to the wizarding world in our imaginations.

This is all true, but my love of reading is not the only thing that I obtained from this tale. Throughout the book, the students of Hogwarts, the only place that Harry considered sanctuary from the Dursleys, turned on him because they believed that he was Slytherin’s heir. This was mere speculation due to Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue, and throughout the book the reader knows this to be nothing more than a falsity, and as the consequences become dreadfully worse one cannot help but feel bad for our protagonist. This shows to those of a young age how rumors can lead to more harm than they were meant to and are rarely true, a lesson that I personally believe is of extreme importance.

One could always find how the most righteous of intentions can lead to disastrous consequences, especially when looking at Dobby’s actions throughout this novel.  I, for one, could always find myself relating to the bumbling fool, and was personally ecstatic due to what he accomplished on page three hundred and thirty eight of the 1999 hard cover printing. Other than that, Dobby was kind of a dolt throughout the book, and the Harry had to deal with the consequences of Dobby’s actions to the point where his life and ability to go to Hogwarts had been put at risk. At the end of the book, Dobby even states that Harry didn’t need his protection.

Throughout the book you are forced to learn that not everything is what it seems. The author leaves hints and clues, along with betrayal making this lesson very prominent throughout the entirety of this book by using characters, such as Tom Riddle and Lockhart, objects, such as his diary, and even the safety of certain characters. And although this is true, I did learn one final lesson from this book. Although some things are not what they seem, others are. Seriously though, you quickly realize that the Malfoy family is filled to the brim with jerks as you progress through this story.

In conclusion, if I had not found this book I do not believe that I would have grown as accustomed to reading, or living, as I have over the years.  J.K. Rowling made a book whose complexity could keep your attention, all the while keeping a simple enough selection of vocabulary as to where children could understand it.  This blend of wordsmithing was something that I had an extremely difficult time finding a competitor for, and was definitely a worthwhile read that I would recommend to anyone.

Harry Potter - Hegerfeld

   Growing up with a mother who always pushes you to read rather than watch TV or play video games may have not been very fun at the time, but actually impacted my life in a much better way than it would have if she didn't. Now, I don't love reading as much as some do but this life of being "forced" to read has made me enjoy them more. The first books I truly enjoyed were the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. first my mom read them to me at a young age because of the high level diction and the complex plots, but as time went on i began reading them more and more on my own.
   One of the biggest reasons that the Harry Potter series has been so influential is because I began reading it (or having it read to me) at such a young age. Its actually the first real book I remember outside of magic tree house and that sort of books. Every night we would read until we could find a spot to stop (some nights took much longer than others) and then my mom would ask me my favorite part or what the pages were about. It took me forever to realize that she actually did this to increase my comprehensive skills, and make me remember the books a lot better, which in turn is another reason they were so influential.
  Another large reason that the Harry Potter series has been so influential to so many people is because J.K. Rowling does an exceptional job creating characters, and giving each one such a different, vivid life. This allows anyone who reads the books to find at least one and usually more characters they can create a very strong bond with. For example, I really liked Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George Weasly. They weren't a perfect match to my personality, but there were similarities that I was able to relate with certain things. As a kid i loved getting into things and messing around, I never liked to just sit around, which is why school really did not interest me. This made me feel closer to Fred and George because they seemed to never just sit around, rather play pranks on people, skip class, and get in trouble.
   The creation of the Hogwarts houses also allows everyone to feel some sort of a connection to the book. I always felt like I belonged to the house of Gryffindor. Whether this was because it got the best image through out the series or not, I thought that I had similar characteristics of Gryffindor members such as being a leader and being courageous. As a kid I would even take this outside of the book and try to reflect some of the actions taken in the books into the real world. It lead me to do daring things in front of my friends at recess or take risks to do fun things.
   That's not it though. These seven books also taught me meaningful lessons on creating strong relationships with friends and family. The Harry Potter series is far from non-fiction, but many of the actions that ruined friendships or created feuds between characters are very relatable. They showed me the importance of staying true to friends and lessons on handling tough situations.
   I've never been attached to any books like I have been to Harry Potter. It would take an absolutely fabulous book for me to turn down watching a new episode of shark week, or say no to a friend who wants to hang out, and while reading these books it happened multiple times. I would be a completely different person if it wasn't for J.K. Rowling's magnificent Harry Potter books.  Combined with the bonds I was able to make with characters throughout the book, and the valuable lessons that these books taught me, I have became a better, and smarter person.

Love, Aubrey - Dickens

I've always enjoyed movies, TV-shows, books, etc. that were true, down-to-earth, and meaningful; told a story worth hearing, that can influence your life. Up until the book, Love, Aubrey, by Suzanne LaFleur, I hadn't read a single book that I found worth-while or meaningful to me. Love, Aubrey, was the first book I had ever finished front to back. It changed my life for the better because I finally found a true love for books and reading.

Throughout my years of school, I have not always loved reading and have not always found it worthwhile and enjoyable. There are so many books in the world that tell a story that is so influential and meaningful to the person that wrote the story and many others, however it took me a while to find an author I could relate to. Suzanne LaFleur was the first author that I connected with and I found that I wrote a meaningful story in my opinion and from my perspective. She brings her stories to life in a way that is relatable to people, no matter what they are going through. Her stories offer so many different situations, approached at so many different perspectives and angles. However, not every solution was a success in Love, Aubrey, and I think that is what I liked most about her writing and the book. I appreciate her realistic approach, unlike other books where everything is always a success.

Suzanne LaFleur is an author I have come to extremely enjoy and appreciate because she was the one that brought my aspirations to explore to life. All of her stories and books are told with such passion and heart, it's rare when you can tell whether the story is fiction or non-fiction because each one is brought to life so well.

Each character in Love, Aubrey is full of purpose and meaning, and I can see how she has grown to be such an amazing author in all of her other books, because of how all of her characters each portray a different personality and different quality. Some are qualities that are more normal for people to have, and others are not. These rare personality traits allow readers that have similar traits to have a deep connection with the book, as I feel I did. The other more normal ones, shape to whatever mood a reader could be in that day. You never relate to just one character in her books, and I love and appreciate that about her books so much. They influence me to believe that I don't have to be just one way all the time.

Throughout the book, you get to watch the main character, Aubrey, grow and learn and heal emotionally and spiritually. When I first read this book I was 10, almost the same age as Aubrey, and I felt like I related so much to her journey and it made me feel like I wasn't alone. As a 10 year old, I was just beginning to realize there were things outside of the world other than just my little bubble. Love, Aubrey, gave me insight into the world I was so curious about, but didn't know how to explore or begin learning about. I have always been a curious person, even as a kid, I love exploring and learning about new things. This book gave me a feeling that I hadn't felt before, one that gave me inspiration to explore and do bigger and better things with my life.

This book began my journey that has led me to be the person I am today, one that I am very proud of to be. Aubrey when she was 11, lost her father and younger sister in a tragic accident and it turned her world upside down. To make things worse her mother abandoned her a week later, so she was on her own along with her grandmother and pet goldfish, Sammy. Shortly after I read this book, my grandpa passed and I was very close to him, so it also turned my world was also turned upside down. After the fact, I remembered reading this book, Love, Aubrey, and it helped me through that tough time in my life, by reading how Aubrey fought through her troubles and thoughts and adversity. Books are something that are precious and when written with a passionate story behind them, whether fiction or non-fiction, can change lives and help people grow and prosper as people.