My Reading Life

Hello, my name is Isabella. I am 13 years old and I'm in 8th grade.  I love to read, but I am very picky in the books that I read, if I really like a book, it could take me a day to finish it, but if i don't like a book, it could take me as long as a month to finish it.

Some of my favorite books are The Hazelwood High Series, November Blues, If I Stay, and What is the What. 

  The Hazelwood High Series, by Sharon M. Draper, is a series of three books. Each of them tell a different person's story, but these people are all connected somehow.  The first book, Tears of a Tiger, is about a boy named Andy Jackson.  Andy is living with guilt over an accident that he caused, that killed his friend, Robert.  The book talks about when Andy is going to therapy and also how everyone else is dealing with Rob's death.  The second book, Forged by Fire, tells the story of Gerald, Andy's friend.  It talks about his childhood and how he was dealing with abuse at home.  He tries desperately to protect his younger sister Angel from their violent stepfather.  The last book, Darkness Before Dawn, is about Andy's ex girlfriend, Keisha.  She is drawn to a handsome young man with a smooth-spoken tone of voice, and very good manners.  She soon ends up in a relationship, but it ends up taking a dark turn, and Keisha learns a lot about trust, fakes, and how to let go of the past.
     My favorite book of all time is What is the What, by Dave Eggers.  It tells the story of Valentino Achack Deng, a Sudanese refugee traveling with the Lost Boys of Sudan.  It flashes back and forth to his childhood in Africa, and his new life in America.  Valentino has lived through a lot, and it has made him a better person now.
    Overall, these are some of my favorite books that I have read over the summer and throughout the school year.  Many of these books have taught me a lot about life.  I hope other people will love these books and their characters just as much as I do.