To Kill a Mockingbird

I have read the classic book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, and I have a lot to say about it. First of all, this is definitely one of the greatest pieces of literature of all time, and that is evident in the style, unique flow, and the build-up of characters in the story, all of which are aspects of what constructs not only a great story, but a sure classic. It is a good 323 pages long, but it’s worth the time.

Its style was appealing to me, and was a mix of realistic and historical fiction, from what it seems. Both of those genres make for really interesting stories, and a mix of them is no exception. I have read other books of one of those genres, and their plots mesmerized me.

The plot of the story seemed like it was actually two plots in one, separated into ‘parts’. The first part was about the three main characters in the story, Scout, Jem and Dill, and their fascination for an urban legend involving a mysterious figure named Boo Radley. Rumor has it that he was scrapbooking when his father came in the living room. At that moment, Boo stabbed him in the leg and proceeded with his scrapbooking normally.

The second part involved Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, being assigned to a tough criminal case, in which his Negro client, Tom Robinson, was accused of raping a 19-year-old white girl. Although Atticus had enough reasons to prove him innocent, the conditions were unfavorable, and eventually, Tom was sent to prison. Upon an escape attempt, he was shot to death. Something eerily similar happened in another book, “Let the Circle Be Unbroken,” both of which I have read and were based in the same time period.

There are also many themes involved, such as prejudice (in this story, against African-Americans), intrigue, conflicts between different families or groups, and the troubles of regular life. I can relate to all of these themes, and being able to do so gives you a better understanding of the book.

Overall, this book is a great read and is very inspiring and provokes feelings within the mind and body, as well as thought about the situations in the book and how the reader can relate to them. It is long, but worth your time to read it. As you begin to read it, notice the main elements I pointed out, although they are more evident in some areas more than others.

Warrior of the Light

This is the second book by Paulo Coelho that I have read (the first one being The Alchemist about two years ago). It is called Warrior of the Light and describes the aspects of a Warrior and what he does and does not believe in.

There were many aspects of a Warrior of the Light and most people either do not have the time to gain all of those aspects or they do not think that they will be able to become a Warrior. This is why so few people are true Warriors of the Light.

Warriors of the Light respect moral values such as courage, perserverance, and responsibility. They also read and pay close attention to the teachings of various philosophers (one prominent example is Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism). They also know that every Warrior had done something immoral in the past. They put aside the dark past and look forward to the future ahead of them.

I was really amazed at the various values a Warrior of the Light possesses. I really learned a lot from this book and though I don't plan on becoming a full Warrior of the Light, I can use these tips to change my life for the better.

Kidnapped: The Adventures of David Balfour

This is only the second book that I have read so far in a long time, the first being George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt, which should be explained and summarized in the previous review.

This book is called Kidnapped: The Adventures of David Balfour by Robert Louis Stevenson, also the author of Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It revolves around an 18th century young man named David Balfour, who lost his inheritance, got kidnapped, and had to evade enemies in the Scottish Highlands.

The story begins during the morning of a day in early June, 1751, when he left the home of his deceased father. Mr. Campbell, the minister of Essendean, was waiting for him near the gate. He then guided him to the ford to lead him on his journey. Mr. Campbell told him that when his father was beginning to sicken, he got a letter telling him to give the letter to David, then tell him to go to the House of Shaws, where David‘s father was born. Mr. Campbell gave him another letter addressed to “Mr. Ebenezer Balfour, Esquire, of Shaws”. When David asked Mr. Campbell where to go, he suggested walking to Cramond, the nearest city to the House. He gave him some money and three gifts, one round, one square and flat, and the other cubical. Mr. Campbell soon left him where he would start his journey alone, and David opened his gifts. The round one was a shilling piece, the square and flat was a piece of paper that contained instructions on making remedies, and the cubical one was a Bible.

He left off, departing for the House of Shaws. On the way, he asked people about the House of Shaws and directions to it. He continued with his journey until he met and asked a lady about it, and she replied with what she said was the twelve hundred and nineteenth time that she cursed the House. Continuing on his way, David spotted the House of Shaws and cautiously knocked on the door. The noises that he heard from inside the house had stopped. Moments later, he knocked even more loudly and called for Mr. Balfour. Finally, someone answered from a window, and David stated he had a letter to deliver to Mr. Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws. The man let him in. After letting him read the letter and having dinner, Ebenezer directed him to his room, but with no lights, as he did not like light. The room and bed was musty and damp, but David found a plaid and slept on the floor.

The next day, he went to the well and washed his face, then to the kitchen, where he ate breakfast and told Ebenezer about the lady’s message. Ebenezer replied that she has cursed the House every day since she was released from it. Then Ebenezer told him that he would be locked out since he couldn’t leave him in the house alone. After some conversation and inquiries, he led him to a stairwell five stories high - without a light, as always - and told him to follow the wall to the top and get a chest filled with papers there. After climbing the stairs to the top, he found a cupboard filled with papers and medicine. He found three chests, one filled with money, another filled with moneybags, and the third filled with many things. David found Ebenezer in a weakened state, and Ebenezer directed him to fetch a blue vial from the cupboard. Ebenezer drank it and went to bed.

The next morning, Ebenezer and David were having a conversation on how they mistook each other’s behavior for their opposites, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was a young boy who was hungry and needed to deliver a letter from Heasyoasy (a mispronunciation of the captain‘s name) to Mr. Belflower. They let him in as he explained that they would need to walk over with him to the Covenant, a ship departing for overseas that day. The boy later said his name was Ransome, and that the captain of the ship, Hoseason, was someone who would “crack on all sail into the day of judgment”. Mr. Shuan navigated the brig, and wounded Ransome. He showed this wound to David. The three boarded the ship and talked to a landlord there. Later, David was wondering what they would see in the Carolinas, where they were heading. That’s when he saw his uncle laying on the floor. David tried to help him, but he was grabbed from behind!

He woke up to find himself in a warm, moist and dark brig with his hands and feet bound together by what seemed to be ropes of fire. He felt miserable as days passed without food or water. But one day, he was awoken by a lantern shining in his face, and someone named Mr. Riach called up Captain Hoseason to cut his bounds. They led him to the dining room, where he ate and rejuvenated his spirits. He later found out that they were repeatedly being blown off course, and were only between the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

Mr. Shuan, Mr. Riach, and Hoseason were talking in the dining room when Hoseason asked David to go in to the roundhouse and get weapons (pistols and swords) from there. In the roundhouse, David met a Jacobite (one who opposed King George) named Stewart, but preferred to be called Alan Breck. He talked about how he opposed the ship’s crew, as they supported King George, while he did not. He also talked about how the ship’s crew killed Ransome, the boy who David and Ebezener followed to the ship. He gave David a pistol as he plotted to kill some of Hoseason’s crew. Soon after, a few crew members busted through the roundhouse door, and some more through the watchtower. David and Alan worked together and killed the six crew members that attacked three apiece, in an event appropriately titled “The Siege of the Roundhouse”.

A few days after the roundhouse incident and killings, high winds tormented the ship’s course. They rounded the top of Scotland and kept within reach of the Scottish coast when a storm blew David overboard and sent the Covenant spiraling down into the deep, dark sea. Alan managed to survive, though it is not mentioned how, and we don’t hear about him until David reaches mainland Scotland.

Meanwhile, David tried to reach land, but wandered for an hour until he reached a small islet named Earraid. There were no animals or any material for shelter. Instead, he ate raw shellfish and oysters that occasionally washed up on the shore. He slept without any blankets or material to cover his body, apart from his clothes. He saw a passing ship but unfortunately, it did not come to his rescue. He was starting to get tired when he saw another ship, but this time, it turned in his direction and saved him. Onboard he met a few more people, including a noble and his wife. They sailed to the bigger isle of Mull. David had to get to Torosay, a city in the northeastern part of the island that had access to the Scottish mainland. He was assisted by Mr. Rankeillor, one of the people on board the ship. When they got to Torosay, David met up with Alan and continued the journey.

On the mainland, they heard about some prisoners held in Fort William, which was not far from where they just arrived. However, David and Alan had more important things to do. David and Alan were heading to Queensferry, where Alan would leave Scotland for unknown reasons (until later in the story). Their trek across the Scottish Highlands remained largely uneventful until they encountered a scuffle (nope, that word is too weak to describe the situation) between two opposing clans. One of the people involved in the fight died from the stab of a sword, but even though Alan did not commit the slaying, he was still blamed for it and became a fugitive.

The two were becoming extremely tired and weak, so they found a place to stay (but it wasn’t that easy back then as it is now), and though the people who ran the inn were of Alan’s opposing clan, he was admitted anyway. The two had courteous service and their own maids and entertainers. They stayed until they were feeling better, which took about one month. The rest of the trip was also uneventful, but when they arrived in Queensferry, someone approached them, saying that Ebenezer was offering the House of Shaws (from earlier) to him. He eventually accepted the offer, and also let Ebenezer stay.

The two then walked to Queensferry where David and Alan went separate ways. Each of them said their final words before parting, and David watched Alan sail into the sea.

George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt

I haven't read a book that I liked in a long time, but as you may know, I just turned 12 a few days ago. My father borrowed a new book from the library, called George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt. It is about a boy named George whose friend's father, Eric, is a genius on the universe and its wonders. He even built a supercomputer (Cosmos), but it ended up crashing by mistake. When George's friend, Annie, manages to boot up Cosmos, she found a message involving a recently landed Mars space probe. George, Annie, and Emmett, a smart but annoying boy, manage to find other clues at different locations in the universe, all with the same ending: Earth would be destroyed if the clues were not followed.

The story starts out in the Atlantis space shuttle where George, the main protagonist, is the commander of the shuttle. He gets nervous during the final moments before the shuttle finally takes off. He thinks of his family and friends he will be leaving. After the shuttle takes off, he sees that it is going into space upside-down and panics, but his pilot reassures him that they are safe. The shuttle finally emerges into space, and a very bright light is up ahead... but it turns out to be Annie Bellis, his best friend, shining a flashlight at his face. It was all a dream!

Next, George is having quite a difficult time choosing a costume to wear to a space-themed party hosted by Eric, Annie's father and a space genius who works at the Global Space Agency. In the end, George chooses a costume that resembled what appeared to be a shadow on Mars, but was actually an illusion formed by a rocky mass.

At the party, George tried to figure out what all the other costumes were supposed to be, but failed. He sees Annie and tries to guess what her costume was, guessing that it was a black hole, but Annie says her costume was dark matter. Soon, Eric arrives as what he says as "the only intelligent life-form in the universe." George tells him not to say that, or some of the scientists would get mad at him. However, Eric dismisses this, saying that this "only intelligent life-form" is a human being. He then asks his friends to explain their costumes for George, as well as to write down their favorite parts of working in the field of science.

After the party was over, Eric and his family announced that they would be moving to Florida (as they were currently living in England). He gave George a copy of The User's Guide to the Universe, which he compiled from various scientists' essays and explanations. The following day, George and Annie waved their final goodbyes before Annie left for America.

Time passed, and Annie invited George to come and visit America. Not wanting his parents to know, he e-mailed his grandmother about the trip and agreed to send her to America. When "Gran", as she was called, came the next day, George's parents objected, saying it was too expensive, but Gran immediately says she has lots of money stored under the floorboards of her house. So while George, accompanied by Gran, would be going to Florida to visit his friends, his parents would be going on an eco-tour to the Pacific Islands, which are being threatened due to rising sea levels.

Upon George's arrival in Florida, Annie ducked under the rail and hugged him. She stated that there is an emergency, but also warned George not to tell anyone. George met Emmett, a short but intelligent young boy who always seemed to get on Annie's nerves ever since his parents left him with Annie's family.

Once everyone got to Annie's house, she directed George to climb the tree in her front yard, so that she could tell him a secret. It turns out she was able to reboot Cosmos, a supercomputer that had stopped working a couple of years ago, and there was a message that she had suspected had come from aliens. Upon hearing this, Emmett, who was listening from the base of the tree, immediately objected that there were aliens in the universe due to the lack of evidence. After Emmett stopped talking, Annie explained that a while ago, her family had watched a Mars probe go through some rough moments during landing, and that it was not acting properly.

Late at night, Annie and George went downstairs and onto the veranda, where Annie showed George the message. It appeared to mean that someone had to get to the Mars rover before it was too late. If they didn't arrive in time, Earth would be destroyed. After another of Annie's stories about how she found out about the "message", Eric sent the two back to bed.

The next day, George received a phone call that his parents arrived at Tuvalu, one of many stops during their eco-mission in the Pacific Islands. After this, George and Annie were in the bathroom discussing the picture and found out what it all means. Susan, Annie's mom, decided that they needed a quiet day at home rather than showing George around the town. After all, the next day would be the highlight of George's entire trip.

The group was going to see a space shuttle launch, which was a big help for Annie, as she, along with George, was going to Mars with the help of Cosmos, the supercomputer mentioned earlier that could also send people to any location in the universe. This is how George and Annie would go out into space on their "treasure hunt". However, they needed to find a place where they would not be seen. During the launch, they quietly crept to the Clean Room, which is kept at extremely high cleanliness, with less microbes and other particles in the air than normal air does. This is where astronauts go so that they would be germ-free before going into space because of the possibility that the germs would be mistaken for new life forms. George and Annie, along with Emmett, were cleaned upon entry on an assembly-line-like contraption. After the cleaning process was finished, they were sent into a completely white room. Emmett brought Cosmos, their gateway to the universe, with him, and tried to boot it up. After a long effort to boot up Cosmos, Annie and George stepped through the portal to Mars. The two had radio connections with Emmett, in case something goes wrong.

George and Annie arrived at Mars, carefully stepping on the ground and avoiding detection by the Mars probe. This was to make sure that the scientists wouldn't mistake their footprints for signs of new life-forms. They carefully examined the Mars probe and found a message similar to the one Annie found out about. This time, it showed a circle with a ring around it (Saturn) and six moons. They quickly decided that the moon they had to go to was Titan, Saturn's largest moon. They radioed to Emmett to hurry up, since a huge dust storm was approaching! A few moments later, they saw the portal to Titan.

They found themselves on a barren wasteland with a stream of a liquid substance flowing by. That liquid substance was water mixed with ammonia. The ammonia makes it freeze at -148 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as make it smell bad, but since the two were in space suits, that was less of a concern.

On the other end of the radio, Emmett was in for a surprise. Eric had come into the clean room and asked Emmett why he was here. He explained the entire situation: the messages, Cosmos, etc. He also told him that George and Annie were on Titan, finding the next clue.

Meanwhile, on Titan, George and Annie had just found a probe floating in the water-ammonia river, with the word HUYGENS and the next clue. At first, Annie thought it was a bomb, but George told her that Huygens was an exploration probe sent by the main Cassini probe in 2004. On another part of it, there was a message. This time, they had to go to a planet in what appeared to be a binary -- or two-star -- system. Eric tried to get Cosmos to work, but it didn't for a while, and methane rain was falling on Titan, which can deplete space suits. Fortunately, Eric was able to get the portal to open to the Alpha Centauri star system. All this time, however, George's father had gone missing in their eco-mission in the Pacific.

George and Annie found themselves on a planet where there were TWO "suns", not one, as Annie soon pointed out: Alpha A and Alpha B. Alpha A was setting and Alpha B was rising. The two were getting tired when Emmett radioed them, saying that Eric was on his way there. He managed to get there safe and then sending them to 55 Cancri, another star system very far away. They climbed up a rocky outcrop and saw a mysterious shadow. Then a voice went through all their microphones: "Hello, Eric, we meet again..."

It turned out to be Dr. Graham Reeper, Eric's friend-turned-enemy because of an incident with the first ever Cosmos. It took up almost an entire room! Graham was secretly planning to view the Big Bang with Cosmos, but Eric came and prevented him from doing it, since it was so dangerous and would endanger many lives due to the massive energy, heat, and pressure during the situation. Instead, the portal opened to the Sun, burning Graham's hands, before Eric told Cosmos to close the portal. This got Graham suspended from the Global Space Agency and ever since, he was planning to get revenge on the human race by using a small liquid vial, but the two kids headbutted him before he could. Eventually, he and Eric apologized to each other on what they did to each other, and promised Graham he could come back to the field of science again. Cosmos opened the portal back to Earth, and everyone returned.

Later, Emmett's parents came to pick him up, and George asked Eric if his family could go back to England with them, and he agreed. Annie and George rejoiced and celebrated that they would be together again.