Tayler+C

~ Tayler's Page~ ===I consider the following books worthy of our Literature Class canon of 'Summer 2010'. I have chosen each of them because they have impacted my thoughts, moved me or inspired me to look at things from a dfferent perspective. They are in no particular order. ===

__Mao's Last Dancer, by Li Cunxin __
Mao's Last Dancer is an intriguing piece of writing which follows the life on an extremely influential man by the name of Li Cunxin. In 1961, three years of Mao's Great Leap Forward, along with three years of poor harvests had left rural China suffering terribly from disease and deprivation.

Li Cunxin, his parents' sixth son, lived in a small house with twenty of his relatives and, along with the rest of his family, survived for years on the verge of starvation. When he was eleven years old, Madame Mao decided to restore the Peking Dance Academy. She sent some of her men into the countryside searching for children to attend.

In the auditions taken at his school, Li Cunxin did not worry about his physical limitations. He pushed beyond the boundaries to be accepted into the Dance Academy. Li did this not because he wanted to be a dancer initially however acceptance would have granted his family honour and inevitably gave him an escape to a better lifestyle.

Chosen on the basis of his physique and body limitations alone, Li Cunxin was taken from his family and sent to the city for rigorous training. What follows is a truly incredible story of how a small and lonely boy became one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. Mao’s Last Dancer is an unforgettable and memoir of dreams and courage.

~Why is it worthy?~ I believe this memoir is worthy of being part of our ‘Literature Canon of Summer 2011’ because it is an inspiring true story that has impacted my life, and the life of many others. The memoir is relatable, as it goes into detail about the struggles that people face throughout their lives and the ways in which they overcome them and succeed. As well as expressing important life messages, this memoir is extremely interesting and well written. The story touched me, and now Li Cunxin is a common household topic that my family discuss and use as motivation. I believe that everyone should read his story, because everyone has something to learn from these infatuating pages full of loneliness, courage, determination, love and passion.

__The Pact, by Jodi Picoult__ [[image:thepact.jpg width="242" height="508" align="right"]]
For eighteen years the Hart’s and the Gold’s have lived next door to each other, sharing everything and growing closer each day. They have always been a part of each others lives; their children’s earliest memories consist of the two families spending time together. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born. When a midnight call from the hospital comes through, no one is ready for the unthinkable truth. Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet, a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described. The profound questions faced by the characters in this heart-rending novel are those we can all relate to: How well do we ever really know our children, our friends? What if…? As its chapters unfold, alternating between an idyllic past and an unthinkable present, The Pact paints an indelible portrait of families in anguish… culminates in an astonishingly suspenseful courtroom drama as Chris finds himself on trial for murder. With this riveting psychological drama, Jodi Picoult explores the dynamics of intimate relationships under stress, from the seemingly inexplicable mind of a teenager to the bonds of friendship and marriage. The Pact is storytelling full of dramatic tension: wonderfully observed and deeply moving.

~Why is it worthy?~ 'The Pact' has such an intriguing and detailed story line which makes it utterly impossible to put down. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride, a journey which is hard not to relate to. As well as being extremely well written, weaving into the past and the present, this novel deals with important themes such as suicide, love, depression, trust, friendship, knowing your children…or rather not knowing them at all. I really connected with this story and would recommend that everyone reads it. As well as reading something clear and easy to understand, ‘The Pact’ gets deep into the minds of people with depression and makes the reader develop a deeper understanding of why people feel they have no other choice but to take their own life. This story is worthy of a place on our ‘Literature Class Canon’ not because it is a classic, or not written in a way in which modern day English speaking people struggle to understand; but because of the story and the depth of the characters. The twists are shocking and the anticipation is unbearable. ‘The Pact’ is an mindboggling extraordinary tale which I truly recommend it is worth reading.

'There was nothing left to say. He covered her body with his, and as she put her arms around him she could picture him in all his incarnations:age five, and still blond; age eleven, sprouting; age thirteen, with the hands of a man. The moon rolled, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">sloe–eyed in the night sky; and she breathed in the scent of his skin."I love you,"she said. He kissed her so gently she wondered if she had imagined it. She pulled back slightly, to look into hiseyes. And then there was a shot.'...

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">'She was all the things I wasn't. And i was all the things she wasn't. she could paint circles around anyone; I couldn't even draw a straight line. She was never into sports; I've always been. Her hand, it fit mine.'

__Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket__


<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The Series of Unfortunate events follows the turbulent lives of three siblings Violet, Claus and Sunny Baudelaire after the death of their parents in a deliberate fire which destroyed their family mansion. The children are placed in the custody of their distant cousin Count Olaf who begins to abuse them and openly plots to embezzle their inheritance. After the Baudelaire’s are removed from his care by their parents' estate executor, Arthur Poe, Olaf begins to hunt the children down taking on a disguise of multiple characters. As new mysteries are uncovered, more turmoil occurs as Count Olaf never seises to give in, thus leading to a series of unfortunate events.

"People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict."

"...you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better, even if your circumstances have not changed one bit."

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">~Why is it worthy?~ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In my opinion, this creative and individual series is worthy of our ‘Literature Class Canon’, as they were the first novels that started my love for reading. When I read these books as a child, the imagery, the characters, the events, the setting…everything about it intrigued me and made me realise the treasures that could be found on the pages in books. I remember the mystery and the anticipation that was setup throughout the novel, which I found so interesting. Lemony Snicket’s story telling ability is simply wonderful, and for this I believe it is worthy. Important life values and morals are also included into this series, which children can learn about through each page full of self discovery and self-individually. The series is quite long; however it is one which you cannot put down. Once you read the first, it is absolutely impossible to stop reading them all right to the very end. This series is significant because like my personal experience, it enchants children into the wonders of well written literature at a young age.

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__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen __
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Caitlin learned how to watch out for herself the one morning that everything changed…

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Dreamland is an emotional story which follows how a girl by the name of Caitlin learns to look after herself and cope, the morning her sister decided to run away. Before this day, Caitlin lived a normal life with her mom and dad and had a best friend which she was extremely close with. Her sister leaving home opened up a space for someone new to enter her life…..although it is hard to say whether it is for good or for the bad.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Caitlin's older sister, Cass, was the child who participated in all the activities, perfect grades, the over achiever type. Caitlin felt that now she was gone, she was obligated to fill her sister’s shoes. This resulted in Caitlin joining the cheerleading team, like her sister had before she left. It was at one of the cheerleading parties that Caitlin met Rogerson. Rogerson was the life changing factor…

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Caitlin saw a different side to Rogerson, a better side. She was oblivious to the dangers that he brought upon her, unaware and caught up in love. He made her forget about her sister, and her struggling mother, although her life was slowly unravelling apart. Her dreams, her future seemed to become no where in sight, unreachable, but it didn’t matter because she had Rogerson. But what happens when being with him is worse than being with out him?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Slowly, Caitlin is changing: skipping school and cheerleading practices, ditching her friends, and acting like her entire life was Rogerson. The world around Caitlin had suddenly disappeared. Caitlin would have to quickly decide what she wanted in her life, before it was all gone and she couldn’t find the person she used to be any longer.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">~Why is it worthy?~ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This coming of age novel is worthy of being part of our 'Literature Class Canon' because it deals with important themes. It explores abuse, both self-directed and the physical and emotional abuse from others. The novel deals with the struggle that Caitlin’s parents experience when their daughter disappears. They direct all of their attention toward the issue of Cass's abandonment of the family and especially away from Caitlin, leaving her essentially without parental guidance. This captivating and interesting novel is written from Caitlin’s perspective, which gives the reader the ability to see into her deepest feelings and emotions and the story unravels. I thoroughly enjoy all of Sarah Dessen’s novels, however I specifically enjoyed this one because it is rougher and edgier and she definitely didn’t play it safe with this one.

__<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">How i live now, by Meg Rosoff __


It was be much easier to tell this story if it were all about a chaste and perfect love at an Extreme Time in History. But lets face it...

Daisy is sent to England from New York to live with her cousins for a perfect summer. There are four of them: Osbert, Isaac, Edmond and Piper Three boys and a girl. And two dogs and a goat.

Daisy has never met anyone like them before. Especially Edmond.

This summer will change her life. It will change the world too.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">~Why is it worthy?~ <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The first time I read 'How I live now', I didn’t like it all. This was basically due to the fact that I didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand the time frame, the setting, the characters and most of all the relationships. However the second time I read it, I found it really very interesting. The book has no punctuation which I found confusing at times, but new and different at the same time. I really liked the way the story was portrayed; it left the reader open to interpretation. You were given slight hints about the setting, but you really had to work your imagination to paint the picture in your head. The relationships are slightly strange between Daisy’s Auntie and her cousins, and then Edmond<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">. Daisy is related to Edmond<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> but she gets into a loving and sexual relationship with him. I found this really hard to read, the incest was quite overwhelming but I got used to it. I decided that I didn’t mind reading something like this because it was different, at least it wasn’t cliché. This story impacted me because it was creative and imaginative, and even more importantly it left me thinking. Which is why I believe it is worthy of being on our class literature canon.

=Other worthy novels....=

= <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">﻿...And that's all for now =