Comparison

Comparison

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 * __Milkweed:__

Why did you choose this particular author and what attracted you to their novels:**

I chose this author because of the previous novels I had read by him. I found his writing style to be captivating and engaging. The way he made the words flow together flawlessly, it was almost as it the words were jumping off the page and were painting an image on the easel of my mind. I felt the emotions of the characters as if they were my own.


 * Whether or not you liked the book:**

The first book I read for my author study project was "Milkweed." I absolutely thought the book was fantastic. Words cannot describe the horrors and atrocitys of the holocaust nor would anyone would ever dare to write about it for young readers. Yet, Jerry Spinelli made those harsh and cruel acts committed by Nazi Germany a little bit better to bare by putting the story's point of view into a young nieve gypsy boy named Misha Pidulski. By seeing the world through Misha's eyes made those crimes against humanity a little bit duller because he simple didn't understand it, and further more his extent of oblivion was so immence that he too wanted to be a "Jackboot" or Nazi soldier at one point in the story.


 * Could you identify with the story and its characters:**

In the story "Milkweed" the main cause for conflict in the story was the act of disrimination. I myself cannot identify personally with these conflict but i can most definetely see other people I know identify with the characters in this book. I see discrimination in the school constantly, even though the disrimination isn't necessarily dealing with color of skin or religion. I mainly see it between social groups, and to give an example of this conflict going on is a social group such as the popuar (Girl) & (Boy) crowd descriminating against a person's clothing or phyical appearance. I don't see myself in being in any of those to social parties. I am more or less just a bystander to this act of descrimination.


 * What themes or messages were conveyed though the story:**

I feel the central theme of the novel, Milkweed is " Enjoy the small things in life." The reason I say this is because out of all the bad things that are occuring to Misha he can still find hapiness in some tiny but rather great things. When Misha is in the ghetto and Olek died, Janina gave a half eaten buttercream hazelnut chocolcate the day after. What I found interesting was that Misha gave the chocolate to Janina instead of eating his favorite candy himself, and he found enjoyment in seeing the delight on Janina's face when she ate the candy.


 * Would you recommend the novel to a friend why or why not:**

I would have to say I would and wouldn't recomend this book to one of my friends. The reason being that it is a extremely mature read if someone does choose to do so. I feel this way because the general mood is grim yet bitter-sweet, and some of the parts in the novel is somewhat disturbing because of what Jerry Spinelli describes. I would on the other hand recomend this novel because it has jaw clenching and emotional parts that make you want to cry with joy or even grief. This novel is one of the most emotional reads for myself and I do not find that I am a softy on any topic or discussion.


 * __Crash:__

Why did you choose this particular author and what attracted you to their novels:**

I chose this author because of the previous novels I had read by him. I found his writing style to be captivating and engaging. The way he made the words flow together flawlessly, it was almost as it the words were jumping off the page and were painting an image on the easel of my mind. I felt the emotions of the characters as if they were my own.


 * Whether or not you liked the book:**

I found this book to be an interesting and humerous read. What I find interesting is that the book is told from the bullies point of view and when usually books about bullying is told from the victim's point of view so you can get there thoughts and emotions on the abuse they are recieving. Instead we hear, think, and feel the bully's thoughts or emotions. I can't say I didn't enjoy reading this book even though it is not a genre type I would normally choose from.


 * Could you identify with the story and its characters:**

To be completely honest I could not relate to the story and its characters in any possible way. I could say I can relate to this topic only the slightest bit though. I have expirenced so form of ridicule from my friends or someone else, then again who hasn't. I felt horrible when this person made fun of the way I dressed, and I felt really down on myself. In the book " Crash," Penn Webb doesn't seem at all affected by the cruelty of being bullied. Jerry Spinelli made this character have a vast amount of resilance to the cruelty bullying.


 * What themes or messages were conveyed though the story:**

I feel the central theme of the novel, Crash is " Do to others as you want done to you," The reason I say this is because in the novel Crash Coogan has a change of heart near the end of the story. In the beggining Crash picks on a skinny vegetarian boy, Penn Webb, who doesn't have a care in the world what is done to him, until middle school. The reason for this is he doesn't understand what Crahs is doing to him is bad, not until middle school Crash and his friend Mike prank Webb. Near the end of the novel Crash has a change of heart because of a prank his friend Mike pulls on Webb that goes to far. Crash finally realizes what the theme of the book explains and becomes friends with Webb.


 * Would you recommend the to a friend why or why not:**

I would recommend this book of the topic it is dealing with. This book sends off a good moral statement in the end " Do to other as you want done to you." This book provides an excellent example of this moral statement for life.