GLOBAL INDEPENDENT READING BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Country: China_______________
Your Name: _Drew Rowland________________________
Book Title ____In the Pond____________________ Author______Ha Jin__________ Year of Publication: _1998______
List three adjectives that describe this book
4. ___Intriguing______________ 2. __Interesting_______________ 3. __Motivational________________
What is the book about? (Write at least three sentences)
In the Pond by Ha Jin is a novel about a man named Shao Bin who wants to give a better lifestyle for his family. Despite working for six years at a plant, the leaders Liu and Ma do not award him with better housing even though he has worked longer than some of the people who do have it. Shao then decides to rebel against the leaders by paining pictures of them that hurt their power. Liu and Ma react angrily to Bin’s stubbornness and do not allow him to fulfill his dreams. Eventually Bin’s stubbornness gets the best of the leaders because he has supporters that insist that Bin gets a fair treatment. Although Bin does not receive housing he does get a better job.
What was good about the book?
The book was good because it did not drag on because it was short and kept you thinking and reading at the same time.
What was challenging about the book?
The book was challenging because China lives in a Communist regime so the readers from a democracy have to pick up on it.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend the book to all people who never give up and are fearless to anyone. To really enjoy the book you have to see it through Shao Bin’s eyes and what you would do in his circumstances.
Country: China_______________
Your Name: _Drew Rowland________________________
Book Title ____In the Pond____________________ Author______Ha Jin__________ Year of Publication: _1998______
List three adjectives that describe this book
4. ___Intriguing______________ 2. __Interesting_______________ 3. __Motivational________________
What is the book about? (Write at least three sentences)
In the Pond by Ha Jin is a novel about a man named Shao Bin who wants to give a better lifestyle for his family. Despite working for six years at a plant, the leaders Liu and Ma do not award him with better housing even though he has worked longer than some of the people who do have it. Shao then decides to rebel against the leaders by paining pictures of them that hurt their power. Liu and Ma react angrily to Bin’s stubbornness and do not allow him to fulfill his dreams. Eventually Bin’s stubbornness gets the best of the leaders because he has supporters that insist that Bin gets a fair treatment. Although Bin does not receive housing he does get a better job.
What was good about the book?
The book was good because it did not drag on because it was short and kept you thinking and reading at the same time.
What was challenging about the book?
The book was challenging because China lives in a Communist regime so the readers from a democracy have to pick up on it.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend the book to all people who never give up and are fearless to anyone. To really enjoy the book you have to see it through Shao Bin’s eyes and what you would do in his circumstances.
Country: _China_______________
Name: _Molly Geraghty__________________
Submit to: [email protected] and post to edmodo for a 10 pt. quiz grade by 6-13-13
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FICTION
Book title: _Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress_______
Author: Dai Sijie_____________
Date published: 2000__________
List three adjectives that describe this book
______Adventurous___ ______Romantic___ ____Inspiring_______
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
This book focused on the lives of two boys who were given the title of “young intellectual”, and sent to a people’s commune during Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China. As the narrator and his friend Luo work in the commune, they meet the daughter of the local tailor and Luo falls in love with her. The boys eventually discover a collection of Western novels and become inspired by the freedom that takes them away from their dismal surroundings.
What was good about the book?
I think that this book was very well written and served as an accurate portrayal of Maoist-era China. I found the story itself to be inspiring and hard to put down.
What was challenging about the book?
There was very little challenge in this book for me. I think most of my struggles were in making connections from the text to Chinese myths and symbols that were carefully placed by the author to motivate the reader to do some outside research on his country.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend this book because I found it to be an invigorating, and often humorous account of Chinese adolescence. After reading this book, I have become much more inspired by and grateful for the books that I have at my disposal, and plan to re-immerse myself in their stories.
****************************************************************************************
BIOGRAPHY OR NON-FICTION
Book title: _Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World: A Concise History
Author: _Karl, Rebecca E_______
Date published _2010_______
List three adjectives that describe this book
___ informative_____ ___accurate____ _____dry____
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
This book is about the childhood, adolescence, and rise to power of communist leader Mao Zedong. It describes the campaigns and sacrifices he made in order to promote communism in his country. The book also analyzes Mao’s family life including his marriage and divorces to several women.
What was good about the book?
Much like the title suggests, the information given is presented in a very concise manner. This allows the reader to come away with a greater understanding of the events that had taken place. This also saved me some time and allowed me to prepare my essay at a more leisurely pace.
What was challenging about the book?
While the life of Mao is an interesting topic, the book presented it in a dull manner. I found it hard to read through pages of boring political rabble. It also made me lose interest in the project because I was bored with the presentation that the book had.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend this book to someone doing a report on the life of Mao because it is quite straightforward in its presentation of the material. However, this book does not fit as leisurely reading material because it is driven by dry facts and often gets boring. Overall, this book serves as a purely academic text that does not keep the reader very interested and forces him/her to skim the text looking for vital information.
Name: _Molly Geraghty__________________
Submit to: [email protected] and post to edmodo for a 10 pt. quiz grade by 6-13-13
*******************************************************************************************
FICTION
Book title: _Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress_______
Author: Dai Sijie_____________
Date published: 2000__________
List three adjectives that describe this book
______Adventurous___ ______Romantic___ ____Inspiring_______
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
This book focused on the lives of two boys who were given the title of “young intellectual”, and sent to a people’s commune during Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China. As the narrator and his friend Luo work in the commune, they meet the daughter of the local tailor and Luo falls in love with her. The boys eventually discover a collection of Western novels and become inspired by the freedom that takes them away from their dismal surroundings.
What was good about the book?
I think that this book was very well written and served as an accurate portrayal of Maoist-era China. I found the story itself to be inspiring and hard to put down.
What was challenging about the book?
There was very little challenge in this book for me. I think most of my struggles were in making connections from the text to Chinese myths and symbols that were carefully placed by the author to motivate the reader to do some outside research on his country.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend this book because I found it to be an invigorating, and often humorous account of Chinese adolescence. After reading this book, I have become much more inspired by and grateful for the books that I have at my disposal, and plan to re-immerse myself in their stories.
****************************************************************************************
BIOGRAPHY OR NON-FICTION
Book title: _Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World: A Concise History
Author: _Karl, Rebecca E_______
Date published _2010_______
List three adjectives that describe this book
___ informative_____ ___accurate____ _____dry____
What is the book about? (write at least three sentences)
This book is about the childhood, adolescence, and rise to power of communist leader Mao Zedong. It describes the campaigns and sacrifices he made in order to promote communism in his country. The book also analyzes Mao’s family life including his marriage and divorces to several women.
What was good about the book?
Much like the title suggests, the information given is presented in a very concise manner. This allows the reader to come away with a greater understanding of the events that had taken place. This also saved me some time and allowed me to prepare my essay at a more leisurely pace.
What was challenging about the book?
While the life of Mao is an interesting topic, the book presented it in a dull manner. I found it hard to read through pages of boring political rabble. It also made me lose interest in the project because I was bored with the presentation that the book had.
Would you recommend the book? Why or why not?
I would recommend this book to someone doing a report on the life of Mao because it is quite straightforward in its presentation of the material. However, this book does not fit as leisurely reading material because it is driven by dry facts and often gets boring. Overall, this book serves as a purely academic text that does not keep the reader very interested and forces him/her to skim the text looking for vital information.