1st Quarter Book Review

1st Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares.
Delacorte Press, 2006 Genre: Realistic Fiction

In the book Girls in Pants: the Third Summer of the Sisterhood, four teenage girls named Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget are spending their last summer together before they all go in different directions to college. Throughout the summer they have to deal with many struggles and problems. Lena has been fighting with her parents about attending art classes and wanting to go to RISD for college. They say she can go but they won’t pay. Lena is very determined to get in and she ends up getting a scholarship. Tibby is very depressed and upset with herself. After her sister’s accident of falling out the window has happened she feels it is her own fault and now she is afraid to take any chances, but she finally realizes avoiding her problems will not help her. Carmen is stressed out over her mother’s unexpected pregnancy and she feels that if she leaves for college in the fall, her family will forget about her having so much of their attention on the new baby. Bridget on the other hand has boy problems. She gets stuck working with Eric, a friend from last summer who she had wished to never see again. Not only does she have to see him all summer at soccer camp, but she has been paired with him for every activity possible. After trying her best all summer to become friends again, they end up going out in the end of the book.

“For those who may have lost track of the volatility of the teen years and the amazing, worth-celebrating resiliency of youth, these books will bring it all back.” says the books jacket.

The author Ann Brasheres has a very simple writing style. It isn’t extremely descriptive but she uses enough information so that you understand what is going on. Through the entire book the writer changes points of views between the four girls. Each talk in a different style and since each girl is going through something a little bit different from the rest, it is very interesting.
This book reminds me of the Clique books. Both series are about a group of friends and all of the problems and struggles that they go through while growing up. The only differences between the two are that the jeans aren’t in the Clique series.

“Finally, finally, at last the strange air of their encounter was dissipating. Her new relationship with him had almost eclipsed the old one. She felt like she could trust herself with him now.”(p.161)

I can really relate to this book. The book is about growing up and how you need to cherish it while you can. The characters in this book are experiencing all of the difficulties to growing up, such as leaving each other when they go away to college at the end of the summer. These four best friends have been through everything together and they are now learning how to get through things on their own.

Summer Nights with My Lacrosse Stick

In today’s society people would be lost without their cars, cell phones, and computers. Americans don’t know how to live without these advantages to everyday life. The prices of things today, like gas, have put many in debt, but no one lets that stop how they live. Have you ever thought about what your life would be like without your most valuable items? What is it that makes things have such value to a person?

The river is calm and almost every boat is back at the dock for the night. The water is like glass and the sun has set behind the mountains. I sit close to the fire as it lights up the sky with its orange, red, and blue flames. The crackling and popping of the wood is loud and the marshmallows smell delicious. I mush the marshmallow between the graham cracker and chocolate, and then I take bit.

I get up from the warmth of the fire and walk down the wooden docks to the boat. They creak with every step I take. I slowly get into the boat and sit down on the cold leather seats to look at the stars. I tilt my head backwards and search the sky. It’s quiet except for the sound of water on the shore, and people laughing up at the fire. If you are patient enough you might actually see a shooting star, or two or three.

The smell of the fire and the sound of people talking get louder. I make my way back to the fire and join in the game of man hunt. It is getting late and I am getting tired so I wrap myself up in a blanket by the fire and I fall asleep. Once it is time to go I get waken up and I have to walk to the car to go home. The summer night is over but it will repeat itself the next weekend.

I grab my orange bag, unzip it, and pull out my lacrosse stick. I slide my goggles over my head and put my orange mouth gaurd in place. I run out on the field and it's time to play some lacrosse. My stick is black with white and yellow strings, and down the side of the shaft it spells Harrow. That is the brand of my lacrosse stick. I have a solo, which means that the stick and the head are in one piece. Although my lacrosse stick was expensive, it was well worth it. I play lacrosse almost all year round and I don’t know what I would do without this sport. It is not only a way that I am relaxed but it also is a lot of exercise and running around. I have made so many new friends from all over through playing lacrosse, and have grown closer with friends I already had. I play lacrosse in the spring, fall, and the winter time.

Without my lacrosse stick I wouldn’t know what to do. Not only does playing lacrosse relax me, but it is also good for when you are angry or stressed. You have all the power you want when you have the ball. You can shoot it as hard as you want into the net and you are in control of all the plays when you have the ball in your stick.

I value both my lacrosse stick and summer nights. Although one has a high price, and the other is priceless, they both play huge roles in my life, both lacrosse and summer nights have a way of relaxing me. I love being with my friends and family and when I am playing lacrosse or down at the river on a summer night, I get to be with both. There is no way that I could ever put a price on either.

With my lacrosse stick I am able to play my favorite sport and be with all of my friends at the same time. Almost nothing gets better then that, but the perfect summer night looking up at the stars is also extremely important to me. The memories that you get from them you will never get back and that is why I think that neither of these things could have a price. If I couldn’t play lacrosse or realx on a summer night, there would definitely be a piece missing from my heart. I can honestly say that lacrosse and the memories of summer nights will never be replaced in my life with anything.