Summer Reading

We have finished 2 of the 4 books we have to read this summer for school. We have to squeeze the assigned ones in around our pleasure reading:). The first was No One's Perfect by Hirotada Ototake. Ototake, was born without arms and legs. He retells the story of his life and explains how he coped with disability and adversity. His parents were extremely generous and loving and consequently he tried pretty much everything, including attending a mainstream school. The book is fun and funny and he tells stories about his experiences as a disabled athlete. Most importantly, the book is about creating a "barrier free" environment for disabled people. It is inspirational and worth reading. The second was Anthem by Ayn Rand. We didn't like it as much. It is about a boy who has a number for a name and he is relegated to the job of street sweeping even though he shows interest in academics. Although there are lots of interesting similes and metaphors, it is basically a story of what the world would be like if the collectivists’ principles were followed completely. In the book, there is no I and the narrator refers to himself as we. There is no individual freedom and the only way to have it is to escape. In the end, the main character discovers I and he declares that his world will have no we. So, based on these two books, we are thinking the theme of the year must be the individual and his role in society. What do you think?

Posted by T and H