Ashley's Booklist

I think that The Trials of Apollo was a very surprising book. This book was surprising because I never expected Meg to leave Apollo and side with Nero after she had just saved the Grove of Dodona. I was also shocked by the group of Roman emperors, or Trimunitive, that were discovered to have survived centuries by attaining tribute from their followers and by providing support to those opposing Camp Half-Blood. One last part of the book that I was surprised by was when Leo Valdez returned to Camp Half-Blood and turned out to be apart of the new prophecy that Apollo had received from the Grove of Dodona.  And for these reasons I stand to believe that The Trials of Apollo was surprising.

    In The Circuit I believe that the author, Francisco Jimenez, wants the readers to learn that there are people who come to America and immigrate from other countries that try to create a better life for their family. He also wants the readers to recognize all the hard work that the migrant families  have to endure to provide for their family. The author states, "Why did I write these stories? I wrote them to chronicle part of my family's history but, more importantly, to voice the experiences of a large sector of our society that has been frequently ignored. Through my writing I hope to give readers an insight into the lives of migrant farm workers and their children whose back-breaking labor of picking fruits and vegetables puts food on our tables. Their courage and struggles, hopes and dreams for a better life for their children and their children's children give meaning to the term "American dream". Their story is the American story."

    I can most relate to Francisco because of the time when he was at school he made a lot of friends, but then had to move away to another place and he was left devastated because he was leaving a best friend behind. When I was little I experienced a similar thing when my best friend Ryan moved away. Ryan, my sisters, and I were the best of friends and we were all very sad when he moved.

    I decided that I started liking the book in the beginning when Francisco started picking cotton so he wouldn't be left out of the picking and, also so he could tribute to helping his family. It really brought attention to my eye because Francisco, at such a young age, trying to help his family even though he was told he was to young and he still wanted to help.

Thomas, the main character, is funny and adventurous, but sometimes acts without thinking. He is very smart and can easily get out of a sticky situation. He is a great friend and is very reliable.

    The Maze Runner is about a teenage boy named Thomas who is dumped in the center of a giant maze in a place called the Glade. With no memory of his past much like others before him, Thomas must work together with the other Gladers to help find a way out.

    From this book I learned that you should never give up hope no matter how dire the situation, you should always persevere and keep hope alive.

    I would definitely recommend this book to any one who loves adventure books. This book keeps you on edge and wanting more. The author James Dashner did an amazing job writing this book and his portrayal of the characters was outstanding.