teen book review blog https://library.escondido.org/teen-book-reviews.aspx http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification mojoPortal Blog Module en-US cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org (Cathy Janovitz) 120 cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org (Cathy Janovitz) cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org Cathy Janovitz no Little Women Little Women (Great Illustrated Classics): May Alcott, Louisa:  9781603400237: Amazon.com: Books

Little Women takes place in Civil War Massachusetts. It focuses on the four March Sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow into young women as they navigate everyday life in their era. Their neighbor Laurie and their mother known as Marmee are pivotal characters in their life while their father is off fighting in the Civil War. Though the novel focuses on all of the sisters it mainly centers on the differences between Jo and her younger sister Amy.

I loved Louisa May Alcott's realistic depiction of sisterhood and growing pains. The normalcy in the novel makes the reader feel as if they are one of the March Sisters. Despite being a work of fiction the book does not shy away from showing the ugly side of relationships instead it brings it to the front and gives the reader something to relate to. Even though there are four main characters in the novel, each sister still has their own distinct personalities and quirks that make them feel like real people. As a young woman it made me feel seen to read about Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy experiencing the same things as me.

Overall, I would recommend Little Women for girls of all ages. In spite of the novel being written in the 1800s it is still easy and fun to read. Little Women accurately depicts what it feels like to be a girl growing up while still being entertaining and enjoyable.

Rylie, 15

Rating:  

smiley Find at the Library

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https://library.escondido.org/little-women cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org https://library.escondido.org/little-women https://library.escondido.org/little-women Sun, 04 Feb 2024 01:08:00 GMT
The Illiad of Homer Amazon.com: The Iliad of Homer: 8601417981696: Richmond Lattimore, Homer:  Books

It is an epic poem about Achilleus' anger. His anger was caused by Agamemnon, an Achaian leader, who dishonored Achilleus. Achilleus, the best Achaian warrior, got Zeus to help him to punish all the Achaians for dishonoring him by getting lots of casualties against the war with Trojans. Achilleus' godlike anger only ended when he shared grief with Priam, the Trojan king, over how the loss of his life would affect his father.

I find the Iliad interesting in that although Homer is Greek, he did not glorify one side over another, so he ended up telling a complete story of the humanity of characters. I do not like Achilleus since he just strikes me as someone who is egocentric and has anger issues. The rest of the character cast have not really changed, so their personalities are stagnant.

I would recommend it if you want something a little more challenging to read. You might also find media references of the Iliad since it very much affected Western literature.

Anna, 15

Rating:  

smiley Suggest the library purchase this book

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https://library.escondido.org/the-illiad-of-homer cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org https://library.escondido.org/the-illiad-of-homer https://library.escondido.org/the-illiad-of-homer Sat, 10 Dec 2022 20:37:00 GMT
The Tattooist of Auschwitz The tattooist of Auschwitz : a novel

This book centered around the life of a Jewish male who had been brought to the concentration camps. After months (or a year) he laid his eyes on what he described as a beautiful woman. Although males weren't allowed to interact with women he didn't let the love he had developed for her go to waste. Eventually they got together and made it out of the camp.

Personally, I fell in love with this book. I could not stop reading it. Morris vividly described everything and made it feel as if I were there. This book brought me to tears and has to go down as one of the most emotional books I've read.

The book is a bit intense, if you're okay with that then it should be perfect. I picked this book up on a whim and it seems to have been one of the best decisions I've made. Although it isn't considered YA I definitely recommend this book.

Edith, 13

Rating:  

smiley Find at the library

Note: Only available in adult collection

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https://library.escondido.org/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz cathy.janovitz@escondidolibrary.org https://library.escondido.org/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz https://library.escondido.org/the-tattooist-of-auschwitz Wed, 14 Sep 2022 20:18:00 GMT