Mitch Albom Publisher

17 Pages·2009·0.1 MB·English

HO HOI TING 4B (15)

Title: Tuesday with Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: The Warner Books

Summary and comments:
This book is about the relationship between two people , a student and a
teacher who are so close that they seem to be father and son. Morrie is Mitch’s
ex-professor, who is patient and wise, taught him nearly twenty years ago. They
had a meeting every Tuesday in Mitch’s school time. His meetings were like an
extension of his studies with Morrie. Each chapter is organized into a fabulous
lesson and the topics covered in the story are about the meaning of life.
When I read this book, numerous things appeared in my mind, family,
friends, money and my life. As Morrie says in the book, “money is not a
substitute for tenderness, neither is power.” I think this statement is really
meaningful for me. Money and power can not make us happy. If we have money
and power but nothing else, I don’t think it feels good. I think the most
important things in our life is family and friends, they let us get away from
sadness and loneliness. Therefore, money is a paper but not our life.
Moreover, Morrie always mentions “death” in the book. Before I read this
book I think death is really horrible because it is full of pain but now I think
death is not as scary as I imagine, no one can live without dying, it is a part of
our life. Since we have limited time in our life, therefore we should cherish our
time and use our time meaningfully.
Tuesday with Morrie” is a must-read book for teenagers like me. It inspires
me a lot about the meaning of life.
4B Chen Yim Fong (5)

Title : Dear Dumb Diary , My Pants Are Haunted
Author : Jamie Kelly

Summy:

Kelly studies in a funny secordary school. This book is her diary
and the things that she wrote were true. In the diary she drew many
lovely pictures to explain the things that she had to go through so we
can understand the things more clearly.

Comment:

People who are the same age with us it will find it easier to
communicate with us because we are doing the same things, talking
about the same topics and the things that happen around us are
nearly the same. So, when I read this book I had same feelings with
Kelly’s because I am exactly like her - I am a secondary student and
we always do some stupid things to make people laugh.

Kelly’s diary is the most funny one that I have read. After
reading this book, I want to make friends with her because she is a
very funny girl. Besides, I think she is so creative because in the book
she included many interesting pictures and the pictures are very cute
and crazy and they make the diary more attractive and interesting.
Kelly has sworn that everything she wrote was true so it made the
book more lively. I promise that if you read this book you must want
to read it once more because the book has a spell to make you love it.
So, get it from the English Corner and read it immediately.
4T1 Liu Ka Man

Title: Penelope
Author: Marilyn Kaye
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary:
Due to a mistake made by her ancestor, a girl called Penelope was haunted
by a wizard, with a snout on her face. In order to break the curse, she needed to
marry a man of royal blood. Since her appearance was not attractive enough,
every man escaped from her. Until she met Max, a spy from a photographer, her
life came to a turning point. Max was not afraid of her appearance; he knew
Penelope had a beautiful soul in her heart. Since Max was not a real royal, he
could only stay away from Penelope. Penelope realized that she needed to find
her freedom, explore the world but not to be kept in the cage.
In her journey, she meets a lot of people with different backgrounds, she could
learn something useful from them. At the same time, Max was having a further
education in order to become a real royal.
At last, Penelope was accepted by the citizens despite her appearance, she
realized that the love from her family could also break the curse. She broke the
curse and she met Max again. And of course, they fell in love.

Reflection:
It is a meaningful story, it tells us ‘’what makes us different, makes us
beautiful’’. In the real world, there are lots of people who are not happy or even
hate their appearances. They always compared themselves with the pop stars
and models. Some people wanted to take cosmetic surgery to make them more
beautiful and attractive, the ignored all the bad impacts of taking those surgeries.
They may suffer from cancer. The way what they think are totally wrong, people
shouldn’t relied on their appearance only but also with abundant knowledge.
Even you have a pretty face, I admitted some people may impress a lot, but they
will consider your knowledge too. Those who blame their parents without giving
them a pretty face are really foolish and absurd. I like Penelope very much; she
is brave and resourceful to overcome some unpredictable incidents. The ending
is really touching. I would like to recommend this book to all the youngsters; it
will change your values.
Yeung Kam Yan 4T3

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen

This book is about a girl, Emma Woodhouse. She is a clever and
pretty girl. She had a friend called Mr Knightley. He is intellectual
and handsome. At the beginning of the story, Emma was very
interested in making her friends around her become couples after her
governess’s, Miss Taylor’s, marriage. Then, she found a new friend,
Harriet Smith and was interested in matching Harriet with others.
When a farmer, Martin expressed her love for Harriet, Emma told
her to refuse his love and encouraged her to date with Philip Elton.
However, to Emma’s surprise, Elton loved Emma and it hurt Harriet
very much. After that, Mr Frank Churchill became Emma’s new
friend and Emma wanted to match him with Harriet but Frank had
had an engagement with Jane Fairfax. Then, Harriet found herself
fall in love with a gentleman and then she found that man was called
Mr Knightley and was the best friend of Emma. Also, Emma found
she loved Mr Knightley. At last, Emma and Mr Knightley, Harriet
and Martin lived together happily.

After reading the book, I think the book is very good. It consists
of many types of relationships, including those between friends and
those between lovers. It is very lucky for Harriet to have Emma as
her good friend who is so anxious getting her her Mr Right. The
friendship of them is very invaluable. However, I think the attitude of
Emma at the beginning of the story is wrong. She ought not to tell
Harriot to refuse Martin. Despite the poorness of Martin, he loved
Harriet very much. Moreover, people only notice the outward beauty
of Emma. For example, when Phillip Elton saw Emma, he only
thought Emma was rich and pretty and ignored Harriet. After Emma
had refused his love, he got married with another rich woman
immediately. Therefore, he must be a very selfish man. I think this
book is very meaningful and I have learnt a lot from it.
Winnie Lau Lo Lo 4T3

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse is a beautiful, clever and rich girl living with
her sick father in Regency England. As Emma doesn’t need to worry
about the financial situation of her family, she is not worried about
her marriage. When Emma’s friend and governess, Miss Taylor, gets
married, she soon invites another best friend of hers, Harriet Smith,
who is nice and friendly, to meet a few gentlemen in the hope that she
will pick one as her husband. But all attempts result in failure. Some
gentlemen that Emma introduces to Harriet Smith even falls in love
with Emma instead. At last, Harriot Smith has a happy ending with
her first love and Emma lastly falls in love with Mr Knightley.

Such a complicated story again. I don’t understand why the
people in the past had many problems in their relationships,
especially love. To me, I don’t really like the main character, Emma,
as she just likes controlling others, like what she did to her friend,
Harriet Smith. I don’t like people who like controlling others. After
reading this book, I understand people always need to experience a
lot before they can make the right decisions although in the end, you
still choose the choice that you initially picked. I believe the saying
‘You will never know what is the best thing before you die’’ Therefore,
I think sometimes, if you have the chance to choose, you have to
choose the thing that you think is better. Choose when you have
choice!
Ngai Hang 4T3
Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen

Emma Wood house is a pretty and ingenious young lady who lives with
her father, Mr Woodhouse, in a village of Highbury and has a perfect life
until her teacher, Miss Taylor, decides to marry Mr Weston. After the
Westons’ wedding, Emma discovers that she has a talent of match-making;
therefore, she starts to make matches among her friends. Unluckily, her
judgments are not so accurate and she makes lots of mistakes and causes
problems. These serious mistakes nearly spoil her friends’ marriages,
especially Harriet’s. Fortunately, with the understanding of her friends,
Emma finally understands the different wills of her friends. Also, at the end
of the story, Emma finally marries Mr Knightley, her longtime friend and
connection. Her friends, Jane and Harriet, are also married to their Mr
Rights, Mr Frank Churchill and Mr Robert Martin.

Emma is a clever, pretty and high-spirited young lady, who is very
enthusiastic about helping her friends to get happy marriages. Therefore,
she always makes match-making and she first tries to help her friend
Harriet, who is always helped by Emma, to choose a nice husband with
good background. It is a very good starting point as she wants Harriet to
have a good life after marriage.
However her decisions are proved to be wrong!
The first mistake that Emma made is to instigate Harriet Smith to
rebuff a marriage proposal from Robert Martin because of Emma’s belief
that his background does not match with hers despite Harriet’s own
humbleness. I think Emma iss definitely wrong to have discriminated
against Martin, who is a farmer. As we always say, ‘Love is without
boundaries’. Therefore, Emma is silly to have been biased towards some
other people. She nearly spoils her friend’s marriage because of her biased
judgment.

This book captures the soul of the philosophy that love cannot be
arranged like what Emma has been desperately trying to do. Also, I realize
that we shouldn’t make decisions for our friends or relatives as we are
different people! Neither you nor I have the right to make decisions
concerning marriage for others.
4T3 Michelle Wong Po Yi

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen

Emma Woodhouse, the heroine, an almost 21-year-old lady who loved
to make matches for others. Although she was beautiful and intellectual, she
was spoiled as her mother had died and the governess was too timid. Mr
George Knightly was the only one who could always point out her mistakes.
Though Emma enjoyed doing matchmaking, she was not good at it and
nearly ruined her friend’s, Harriet’s, life by persuading her to reject the
marriage proposal from a farmer, Martin.

Emma thought that she would never marry, but at last, she realized
that she had fallen in love with Mr Knightley. She finally learnt to treasure
the existence of others and not to be so self-centred.

The impression Emma gives me is that she is too naive, immature and
meddlesome. She always makes misjudged matchmaking attempts because
she is self-centred and does not take others’ advice. Although her aim
behind, to fight for the happiness of others, is correct, she has no right to be
in charge of others’ marriage. Love relationships cannot be arranged. What
is more, she only looks at the superficial qualities of a person, but never
pays attention to one’s inner beauty. It is glad that Harriet got married with
Martin, who truly loved her at last. This allows Emma to experience what a
real love relationship should be like.

I hope that after the marriage of Emma and Mr Knightley, Mr
Knightley can help her to get rid of her bad habits.
4T3 Eunice Fu Yan Ki
Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen

Emma Weedhouse was a clever and rich woman. She was very lucky
that she had lived nearly 21 years with very little to distress. She was the
younger of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father. Her
mother died too long ago and her mother’s place had been replaced by an
excellent woman, Miss Taylor, as her governess. However, Miss Taylor
acted less as a governess than a friend. Since Miss Taylor was mild, it was
difficult to impose restraint. Emma did what she liked. Sorrow came. Miss
Taylor married. On the wedding day, Emma first sat in mournful thought
of any continuance. Her father and she went to dine together with no
prospect of a third to cheer a long evening. Ather the wedding had been
over, all the guests were gone. Her father went to bed after dinner as usual.
Emma sat and thought of what she had lost. She started to learn to treasure
the relationships that had developed.

After reading the book, I found that I am someone just like Emma.
There is saying: ‘Being bliss but you do not know’. Emma and I are
someone like what this saying describes. Emma had had a friend, Miss
Taylor, who was so kind to her even she was just a governess. However,
Emma just did what she want edand ignored Miss Taylor’s advice and
guidance. As for me, I live in a well-off family. I have an elder sister. My
background is similar to Emma’s one. The only thing which is different is
that my mother is still in good health. I usually think about myself first
instead of thinking about others. I have learnt from this book that I should
treasure the things I have now, especially my family. It is because no one
knows what will happen in the next minute. We may lose all our things. We
should grasp the chance to well-treat our family members when we can so
as to avoid feeling regretful.
4T2 (1) Ada Au Ka Yi
Title: The Amber Spyglass
Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Scholastic Children’s Books

Summary:
The Amber Spyglass is the final novel in the ‘His Dark
Materials trilogy’.

The greatest war there has ever been------ a war
between the immortals and the mortals was about to
begin. Representing the mortals, Lord Asriel needed the
Subtle Knife in order to defeat the evil angels. However,
the knife-bearer Will was trapped in the Land of the Dead
with Lyra. At that moment, Lord Asriel could only rely on
himself. He dragged the lord of the evil angels into the
abyss with him and they both died instantly. At the end,
Lyra and Will returned to the worlds where they belonged
to.

Comment:
Even though this book is great, it has a heartrending
ending that made me cry. The Subtle Knife, which
belonged to Will, could cut a doorway that led through
worlds. But every time when a new doorway was created,
it brought a men-eating monster to life as well. If the
doorway was left open, the goodness in the world (in the
form of Dust) would flow through it and be lost. Will and
Lyra belonged to two different worlds. Although they
loved each other, they could never be together. A
stranger could only stay in another world temporarily,
otherwise, he would be mortally sick and die eventually.
So Will and Lyra sacrificed their love for the greater good.
At this point, I finally understood why Lyra was
prophesied as Eve. She faced a choice that could affect
the whole universe as Eve once did, only Eve was tempted
and she wasn’t.

There will be times when we have to face a choice like
this as well. No matter what our decisions are, somebody
will not like it. Therefore, we have to think carefully
before we make that decision. We should take the whole
situation into consideration, only then can we choose the
one that causes the least harm.

Another idea I got from Lyra is that the most
important thing in life is to keep promises. That was the
only reason why the whole adventure took place. Indeed,
promises are very important. They are like a star in the
dark, shining on the path ahead of us when all hope is
gone, so we should treat promises seriously.

This book is a great read, and I enjoy it very much,
but I’d loved it better if it had a happy ending.