The Battle of Jericho

This book starts out with a boy named Jericho; he is down to earth, nice and great at playing the trumpet, but sooner or later he begins to find himself in situations that he can't control. He and his cousin Josh attend the same school, one that has a club that everyone in the entire school wants to be in, the Warriors of Distinction. The Warriors get the hottest girls, throw the best parties, and are loved by the community for the charity work they do, it's just a matter of time before Jericho and his Cousin get in. Eventually their day has arrived and Jericho begins to get the attention of the girl he has had is eye on ever since the beginning of the year, things are going his way. Finally Jericho's life takes a dramatic turn and he finds himself making wrong decisions based on the peer-pressure the kids in his club have brought upon him.

Jericho has a great personality, he is a big guy but is very nice to the people around him. I think he would make a great friend and is one that would care about you. If i was this character i would have never joined the Warriors club and focused on my school work and my trumpet playing. In the future i know he will have a tough time getting over his cousins death but in the end he will never forget him.

Right from the start you could tell Josh has a sense of humor, he is a great guy and would always cheer you up and make you laugh. Like Jericho if i was this character i would have never of joined the Warriors club, he could of then still be living today. Josh has no future but will stay in every one's hearts forever.

I liked this book very much because it was something that i can and will relate too. This book described the consequences of peer-pressure and how important it is not to take part in it. In the book i was able to see what was going on from the characters point of view which i believe made this book as good as it could be.

In this book mental image became exceptionally in handy because the book became more interesting and meaningful. Making inferences was another good strategy to use while reading this book. The author was constantly changing the direction of the book and it was good to make inferences based on the clues she left you towards what might happen next.

Sharron M. Draper is a great author who wrights stories that send you a message about the problems that teens and young adults have to face while growing up. In this book she wrote about peer-pressure and hazing kids, its a great book and i would definitely recommend it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Plot: The plot in this book is very important, it's what motivates Harry to take on the extremely challenging quests and journey's throughout the whole Seven book series.

Like the previous books before it, Harry always has a dangerous encounter with his enemy Lord Voldemort however in the previous books the encounter was because of Harry's misfortune and Lord Voldemorts determination to kill Harry, however in this book (number seven) Harry sets out on a quest to destroy Voldemort himself this time .

This book leaves off from the sixth book where Dumbledore (previous to his death) asks Harry to destroy all of the remaining horcrux's that keep voldemort alive. In the series a horcrux is an object that Certain wizards put parts of there souls in to escape death. Usually an evil wizard would do such a thing and to kill the person who had used a horcrux you must destroy the object first. Now Harry and his two best friends Ron and Hermione set out on the quest to fulfill the job that was left upon them.

Harry : Throughout the entire seven book series Harry has proven himself to be an extraordinary character that make the series as great as it is. Harry is a difficult character to understand because he is always experiencing hardships and his emotions really get in the way.

However, bravery, determination, and intelligence are a few of the many good traits that Harry possess. Harry, who stands out the most out of all his peers, has a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead, thick dark hair and very round glasses.

In my opinion, because of Harry's constant misfortune , he always cherishes the good in life. The things in life that most people take for granted such as parents who care for you , a place to call home and brothers and sisters to hang out with and love, Harry can only wish for. If I had to change something that Harry did in the past it would be to get to know the people who are close to him better and enjoy their company , because you never know what the future will bring.

Voldemort : This character is responsible for making Harry's life so sad and sometimes even depressing. He is evil, self centered, and obsessed with power, in every book besides trying to kill Harry he is always in search of something to make him more powerful. He has no feelings and he is full of arrogance, to him nothing stands in the way of what he wants.

If i was Voldemort, i would definitely use my intelligence and determination for good and not evil. He could have achieved so much but now he is left with nothing but his name which is despised by everyone.

This book is one of the greatest books you will ever read especially if you are into fantasy. I do think to understand the book and get the most out of it you have to read the other books in the series. This book really gets you thinking and predicting what might happen next. The book is full of action and adventure and is great for all ages. I would recommend this book for anyone and know they would like it.

What appealed to me most in this book is hearing more about the characters past as the book goes on. Since Harry lost his parents at an extremely young age , and grew up with his aunt and uncle who didn't want him to know anything about being a wizard, Harry had to learn his past by the wizards around him.

This book had very little things in it that didn't appeal to me but some people might find this book a little depressing and therefore not like it so much. I have to say from talking to other readers that read this book liked it very much.

J.K. Rowling is a wonderful author that is loved by people everywhere for writing the the well known "Harry Potter"series. In her books the characters come to life and basically become your friend. She leaves suspense when she is writing which makes you want to keep on reading.

The scenes in the book are so well described that its almost better then if you actually witnessed them in person. Even though you can't really relate to the characters, she describes them so well that you know what is about to happen as the book goes on.

I think one of the many reasons why her books are so popular i that she is introducing us to a whole new world of magic and wizardry that we are very interested in. I also think the movies that have come to be very popular also i think help spread the news of her latest books including this one.

I used several reading strategies when i read this book, one of the main one that i used were mental image. Having a mental image when reading helps you fallow along whats going on. In Harry Potter scenes can get pretty confusing and having a mental image helps you understand and enjoy the book better.

The second reading strategy that came in handy when reading this book was to make inferences.When Harry Potter has a quest to fulfil, there is always something that goes wrong. Its almost like J.K. Rowling gives you clues what might happen throughout the book and at the end they come together and form a great ending.

Determining importance in a book like Harry Potter is a good idea. J.K. Rowling puts a lot of detail in her book that is not always necessary when reading. By determining importance you can understand whats going on better and be less confused. Personally determining importance is a strategy that i do not need to focus on doing. I automatically know in a book whats good and whats bad and i am able to sort out the difference. For people who have to make an effort to understand what is going on in the book, i highly recommend using this strategy.