The Hobbit

The Hobbit
By: J.R.R. Tolkien
Reviewed by: Tori D., 15
Rating: It was amazing!

Bilbo Baggins is a respectful hobbit (small folk- smaller than dwarves- who don't like adventure or anything that requires them to leave the safety of their homes) who is swept into a dangerous trek when twelve dwarves ask him to help them recover their treasure that was stolen by a dragon.

If you enjoy fantasy, adventure, magic, and mid-evil times you would enjoy the Hobbit. Hopefully you'll read it- and like it- just in for when the movie comes out. (I reccomend reading the book first because the plots in the Lord of the Ring movies is confusing and I wouldn't be surprised if this was too)      

Recommended to: Teens

No Impact Man (documentary film)

No Impact Man
Directed by: Justin Schein
Reviewed by: Jerry, 17
Rating: Really liked it

A very enlightening and inspiring film. A man and his family took it to the extreme in reducing their carbon wastes so people would take notice and be aware of the problem. In 2006, Colin Beavan came up with a project to go as environmentally friendly as one possibly can. That means zero to no carbon footprint. With that said, it means that they can only eat locally grown food, no meats(cows are accountable for a large of amount of the methane in the atmosphere), no retail shopping, no gasoline-propelled transportation(they can only bike with the exception of using train to meet the farmers that produced their food), and little to no electricity usage(for example, they can't use refrigerator). As Colin had said in the beginning of the film, he is going to the extreme to see how far one can go in creating little or no negative impact to our environment. What he is doing actually have a very important underling purpose. With our population exponentially growing, our resources are being greatly strained. And if many of us continued to be wasteful and environmentally-unsympathetic, eventually earth will not be able to sustain us. What Colin is doing helps us realize this problem. It also gives us idea of the things we can give up or easily do to be environmentally friendlier.
Many may feel that the plot is contrived or that Colin is doing this mainly for the purpose of money. Even if so, no one can argue the importance of his message and the effectiveness of the way he spreads it.

Recommeded to : Everyone who likes to be aware of current issues

Toy Story 3 (movie)

Toy Story 3
Directed by: Lee Unkrich
Reviewed by: Jerry, 17
Rating: It was amazing!

Follow-up films are often hard to receive the same or similar prosperity as its original counterpart. It is mainly because the recurring theme, ideas, or people eventually lose the audiences' interest. But for Toy Story 3, it is a different story. Since the first Toy Story film came out, it had been an American beloved classic. Its latest, and perhaps the last film, Toy Story 3, definitely did not disappoint. It not only keeps the rigors of the original film, but with its new and original plot, also help maintains people's continued interests in this new film. The film opens up with the inevitable, or what many of us had already been wondering: What happen if Andy, the owner of the toys, goes to college? With a simple idea like that, the film skillfully crafts out an elaborate, unpredictable, and exciting plot. There's actually a point in time when I thought the film is going to end, but then it continues with a surprisingly ironic twist that one will appreciate much more if they had seen the previous film, Toy Story 2. This film will not only be enjoyable to kids, but also teens and adults alike. It's not only funny and suspenseful, but also explores important dark aspects of human life: jealously and selfishness.
To all that haven't seen it, you just have to.

Recommended to : Everyone

The Nightmarys

The Nightmarys
By: Dan Poblocki
Reviewed by: Cathy C., 14
Rating: It was amazing!

If you like scary stories then you have got to read this book! It's about this boy called Timothy July and this girl named Abigail Tremens. When they team up for a school project, they don't realize that Abigail's past and Timothy's present are making them the target of a terrible curse. A curse that turns their worst fears to reality. It really is a good book.

Recommeded to: All teens

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun
By: Lorraine Hansberry
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: Really liked it

A raisin in the sun is one of the most misnomer titles of all time and the book is in fact nothing about raisins or the sun, but I guess these things could be a symbol for something else.  This novel is about a black family that is far from perfect and at the same time beautiful. It is their struggle as they attempt to move out of their community into an all white one at a time when this nation was still racially divided. As this family tries to move out and struggles to make ends meat, life goes on and in the end it does just that. This book is a great one for older readers who can understand racism and comprehend this families position,

Recommeded to: Everyone

Peter Pan

Peter Pan
By: J.M. Barrie
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: It was alright

This version of peter pan is quite confusing due to its language (old English) and the fact that I had not formally read the story before this. However even with these personal set backs I was still able to like this book quite a good deal due to the fact that it is some of the best fantasy writing ever (in my opinion). I cannot speak of higher symbolism but I do think it has a deeper meaning as all stories do (at some level). I did feel that the character of Peter was not explained well, but that may have been do to the fact that I personally did not like him that much. Even though I rated this book as mediocre, take my opinion with a grain of salt as I am not an expert in this general of literature.

Recommeded to: Everyone

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
By: C.S. Lewis
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: Really liked it

The lion the witch and the wardrobe may seem like a simple book to those readers who read it as a story, and a good one at that. But when taken for its deeper meaning this book really shines as some of the most christian literature ever written. Every character symbolizes something else and every plot point invokes a deeper meaning. I would highly recommend this book to all readers and encourage those who have read it already to reread it with the mind of a scholar.

Recommended to: Everyone

Ender's Game

Ender's Game
By: Orson Scott Card
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: Really liked it

This book is an amazing action adventure, sci-fi and developmental and heart breaking tale of a boy whose potential is too good for him to handle and in the process it kills others. Ender is special, he is bullied by his brother, babied in many ways, and rises through "school" fast, too fast. Ender is an amazing character and Card's storytelling will never cease to impress. I highly recommend this book to all readers due to the fact that it is just an amazing story.

Recommeded to: Everyone

The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea
By: Ernest Hemingway
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: Really like it

This book is one of those books that means one thing on the outside but is a totally different think on the inside. It is "about" an old man and the battle he as with a giant fish. But this book is actually about John Steinbeck, and is an autobiography. All characters represent something deeper in this book and it is hard to read a part that isn't filled with symbolism. I highly recommend this book, but also read about the symbolism because it is what makes this story great.

Recommended to: Everyone

The Color of Water

The Color of Water
By: James McBride
Reviewed by: Karthik, 15
Rating: Really liked it

The Color of water is a book about the relationship between James McBride and his family, especially his mother. This book is non-fiction, but parts of it can seems almost surreal when read. While James is black his mother is white. His mother's story alone is quite amazing and can inspire deep feeling and keep you up late at night. This book explores many controversial ideas including but not limited too racism, sexism, class ism, and social status ism. Readers able to comprehend and understand these concepts will be able to relate to them better however this book is readable by all teen and up age groups. ( Note: Vulgar Language and the use of teh above mentioned concepts can be disturbing, reader discretion advised)

Recommeded to: Teens+