Tag Archives: Non Fiction

Mohandas Gandhi by David Downing – Reading Blog 24

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Book # 24                                Words: 23595                                    Date:  28 /Jan/2015

 

Title:  Mohandas Gandhi                                                                 Author: Downing, David

 

Genre ~ Non-Fiction:  Biography      

                                                                           

 

  • Opening Sentence:

It is early April 1930.

 

  • Favourite word / phrase / sentence:

A handful of salt.

 

 

  • Vocabulary and new terms (with part of speech) and definition:

Satyagraha- force of truth

 

 

  • Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

This book is about Mohandas or Mahatma Gandhi. From this book, I had learned that he was promoting peace and also he was a lawyer as well. I had learned that he had been through some tough times as well. He had been in jail for a long time as he had also been beating up when he had picked up salt. When he had picked up the salt, he was apparently disobeying the rules. You were not allowed to pick up salt in India, according to the British. I would never had thought about being like him. I do try to promote peace, but I would never disobey the laws to do it. To me, I try to stick to the rules when I do something. I would not dare to break the laws to do it. What he had did was brave and without that braveness, nothing can be achieved. I learned from this book that you need to be brave to be able to do what you want. Without this characteristic, you may not be able to get anything done. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody to read. I would especially recommend this book to those who are interested in these public influential figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., or Nelson Mandela. All of these people are very interesting and if you are interested in them, I would recommend you to read about Gandhi. When you read about him, you would be truly amazed. 

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela – Reading Blog 18 (19)(20)

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Book # 18 (19)(20)                              Words: 247392                                              Date: 9/Dec/2014

 

Title:  Long Walk to Freedom                                                                     Author: Mandela, Nelson                                

 

Genre ~ Non-Fiction: Autobiography        

                                                                           

 

  • Opening Sentence:

Apart from life, a strong constitution, and an abiding connection to the Thembu royal house, the only thing my father bestowed upon me at birth was a name, Rolihlahla.

 

 

  • Favourite word / phrase / sentence:

She said the devil would certainly take me to task for my sin.

 

 

  • Vocabulary and new terms (with part of speech) and definition:

Thatched- a roof covering of straw, reeds, palm leaves and anything close to the material

 

 

  • Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

When I first picked out this book my sister told me that it was too hard for me to read. She was obviously right but still I wanted to read it. This book took me awhile to read. At times I found it boring but then I kept pushing on. In the end I learnt a valuable lesson from Mandela, it was to keep on trying. The way I read was also demonstrating this technique. I did push myself to read it and when I had problems such as unknown words, I asked. With this, I learned lots more words that I had not known. This book is an amazing book. This not only shows how you have to keep pushing yourself, it also shows the life of Mandela himself. I learned a lot about Mandela too. His life while he was staying in prison was terrible too. I have never been in the same situation as Mandela. I have never been to prison for doing nothing bad and I also have never stood up for something I believed in. Now, I know to not only keep on trying, I also need to stand up in what I believe in too, and to also take risks. This book was an amazing book anyone should try reading and like before even though some parts may be a bit boring, just push on and the lesson behind the whole book will stand out.

Anne Frank’s Story by Carol Ann Lee – Reading Blog 3

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Book #   3                                                                Words:                                                Date: 7/Sept/2014

 

Title:    Anne Franks Story                                                                 Author: Lee, Ann Carol                               

 

Genre ~ Non-Fiction Type: History     

                                                                           

 

  • Opening Sentence:

The Nazi Party was already on its rise to power in Germany in 1929 when Anne Frank was born.

 

 

  • Favourite word / phrase / sentence:

I want to live on after my death.

 

 

  • Vocabulary and new terms (with part of speech) and definition:

Barracks – A large building or multiple building used to house soldiers

 

 

  • Reflection, Connection & Personal Response:

The book Anne Frank’s Story is about the girl who lived after her death. This girl was named Anne Frank. Anne Frank was born in Germany around the time when the Nazis power rose. This was a hard time for everyone. People had to change a lot of their normal lifestyles. Some had to go to hiding, while others made a choice of changing beliefs. However, Anne Frank’s family was brave. Instead of changing everything about their normal life, they chose a choice of helping people like them through this rough time. The Franks’ invited many Jews to a place called ‘The Secret Annex’, this was the place the Franks’ and many other families stayed while the war passed by. But then, something terrible happened. Even though the Annex was pretty safe, there were traitors among them. The traitors then gave away their hiding place and everyone in the Annex was taken out and brought to the concentration camps. These camps were camps where Jews and people who helped Jews were tortured day and night. Some were starved while fell sick and died. This happened to the Franks’. Anne’s mother Edith was starved to death and was the first one to die. Then, unfortunately Anne and her sister Margot caught a disease and they both died shortly after their mother. But Anne’s father Otto Frank survived this tragic camp and escaped trying to find his family. But when the war ended, he was told that all of his family had passed, leaving him as the only Frank left in the world. Otto then headed home just to find Miep, an old family friend at their home. Miep then gave Otto Anne’s diary. This diary was then published for us to read again, and again. Anne’s wish was then true. She was the girl who lived after her death. Anne was like no other Jew in the time of the World War II. Although she was like no other person in this time, she stood out. Anne had a dream, she wanted to live after her death, and she did. Although the way she imagined her dream was different that it is, her dream was still fulfilled. I believe that the way she fulfilled her dream was that she kept a positive attitude. I can connect with this because I think that I also have a positive attitude in things. I believe that if you keep a positive attitude, many things will come your way. I sometimes wonder if Anne never looked at the bright side and never got to write her diary, would she ever lived after her death? This book is a great book to read, it has many life lessons to learn from and gives an amazing perspective that makes you feel that you are in the book itself. I recommend this book to anyone despite their age because this book has many unknown things to the modern world.