Stormrise is a young adult novel by Jillian Boehme which was just recently published in September 2019. The beginning of the book is reminiscent of the well-known story of Mulan, sharing the common theme of a young woman, disguising herself as a man in order to protect her family and join the army. Our heroine's name is Rain, and she disguises herself as her twin brother, Storm, to save his life and her family's well-being. But it doesn't end there. This story is filled with exciting twists and turns, mixing themes and messages about patriarchy, feminism, family ties, martial arts, being true to oneself, fantasy and magic (dragons! ooooo!), faith, sacrifice, loyalty, inner strength, romance, friendship, survival and much more! You'd better dive in quick and see what you think! What will happen to our heroine, Rain?
Response Prompt: Write whatever you want! But if you need some kindling to get your inner bonfire going, here are some ideas... What was the most impactful part of the book for you? Who was your favorite character and why? Which characteristics did you admire in the characters? What was a favorite passage from the book? What lesson can you take away from the book?
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The Highly Sensitive Person
"Elaine Aron defines a distinct personality trait that affects as many as one out of every five people. According to Dr. Aaron's definition, the highly sensitive person (HSP) has a sensitive nervous system, is aware of subtleties in his/her surroundings, and is more easily overwhelmed when in a highly stimulating environment." -hsperson.com Response Ideas: Do you feel like you have any highly sensitive traits? If so, describe them. Did this book help you understand anyone around you? Do you feel like the research and explanations were valid and convincing, or did her ideas seem like a stretch from reality? "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." ( Randy Pausch)
A lot of professors give talks entitled "The Last Lecture". Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" - wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come. ********************************************** The video of Randy Pausch's last lecture: https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo ********************************************** Questions: If you were giving your last lecture, what would your lecture be titled and why? Are childhood dreams somehow more important than our current dreams? Are you more interested in pursuing your childhood dreams or your current dreams? What piece of advice or accomplishment would you leave as your legacy? Anthem was first written by Ayn Rand in 1937 and was published in England, but was refused publication in America until about ten years later. It is referred to as a prose poem or even a hymn. Anthem is the story of a man who rediscovers individualism in a world completely focused on collectivism. What is this man's name? What is his story? You'd better jump into the book to find out!
Assignment: Pick the question(s) that most interest(s) you Is our society too focused on the individual? What is the ideal balance of individual and community? What lessons did you learn from Equality 7-2521's journey? Were you satisfied by the book's ending? What other endings could you imagine happening? An average girl, destined to inherit her late father’s hat shop, is about to have her life changed forever by a charming heart eating wizard named Howl...
Assignment: What is the most important moment in the book for Sophie? What lessons from Sophie’s journey relate to your own life? |