Stay Safe!

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Lilly G.

We are in a modern day in age where the global pandemic, Covid-19, is a playing factor in almost every decision made. The only way to get rid of this devastating virus is to know what it is and how to prevent it. Some countries were able to lower the amount of cases present without a vaccine by simply following a few guidelines.

To start off, EVERYONE PLEASE WEAR THEIR MASK!!!!!! I know it is repeated constantly but it really is a significant matter.Covid-19 is a virus that spreads when someone talks, coughs, or sneezes. Many scientific experiments done by countless organizations and top medical professionals such as Dr. Anthony Fauci explain that masks can catch the droplets that one may breathe out. Less transmission occurs when there is a physical barrier between your mouth and the open air. Many people may be asymptomatic, but that does not mean it doesn’t matter. One can still spread the virus to a parent or a close friend who may not be so lucky. It is unknown actually how many cases there are in the U.S. But it can be assumed that the number is much larger than what is known. You are not just wearing a mask for yourself, you are doing it to protect everyone around you. There was one scenario where a man who tested positive for covid went on a plane but wore a mask the entire time. The 25 people around him were tested negative since they were all wearing their masks properly and stopped the spread through the air.

I know it can be difficult to wear a mask in public, but when looking at the context, I would wear 100 masks on my face if it meant no one around me would catch covid or even die from it. I especially urge everyone to wear their masks properly. All over the internet and in real experiences I see many people have their masks on them but choose to wear it inappropriately. I personally dislike this the most, nose maksers. Wearing their mask under their nose. Simply pulling up your mask all the way in public may just save an old man with heart issues, or a child with a weak immune system due to preexisting conditions. You never know who is around you. Simply wearing a mask properly, not just holding in your hand may just save a life.

The last topic I would like to elaborate on in gatherings. I understand over this long quarantine it can be very hard to be alone. But when I see on the news that a giant rager was thrown and one of the attendees’ parents or grandparents died because they wanted to party, it breaks my heart. Hanging out with one or two people while wearing a mask and staying 6 feet apart is totally okay. I personally have hung with my cousin by sitting in two different cars while we ate and talked. Finding fun like activities where you are distanced and outside can be just as fun. Remembering especially kids, though you may not personally get hurt, have empathy for those around you. Including parents, grandparents, uncles, and even siblings.

-Lilly G.

Game Review: Genshin Impact

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Benjamin L.

Of the many free games released this year, Genshin Impact is easily among the top of them. The game combines amazing gameplay mechanics from great games such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and with modern art and storytelling. The art and animations are a major boon for this game, as the environment and characters created all look amazing and gameplay is smooth. The plethora of different areas and characters to fight with or against offers various ways to play the game for different people so there is certainly a character that suits everyone’s playstyle.

Every character in the game is unique and appeals to a large audience. There are many
different characters with different abilities and weapons for players to pick up. Combat with each character is fresh and you can use up to 4 characters on a team and combine their skills. The characters are also well designed in conjunction with the world and storytelling, making the aesthetic of the game top tier compared to many free games. Summoning in this game is also very exciting and is very accessible without spending money.

In terms of issues with the game, some people may not like the longer games that require constant investment over a period of time. For newer players to these types of games
progression may feel too slow. The price of summoning for new characters and premium
content is also a bane for many players.

Overall, the game is still great for all players, even those that don’t spend. I would rate it a 9/10 as sometimes the game feels like it isn’t complete. However, updates for the story are rolling out and the game is still constantly being developed so I look forward to what comes and would highly recommend it.

-Benjamin L.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brenden Kieley

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Asli B.

With all that has been going on in the world as of late, I thought it would be a perfect time to recommend one of my favorite books.

Similar to The Hate U Give, All American Boys is a captivating story about racial injustice and while it was released quite a while ago, it has always maintained its relevance especially in today’s current social climate.

Written by two authors and two different perspectives, All American Boys is about two teenagers, Rashard and Quinn, and how they will stand up for the racism that Rashard faces once he gets falsely accused of stealing in a grocery store and the many injustices he faces afterward.

From the beginning, this book had something that as different from other fictional books I’ve read about racial injustice and one of which is dual perspectives. I absolutely adored the different points of view and the fact they were each written by different authors made them all the more enjoyable. With the dual perspectives, it gave the book a deeper meaning and showed how one part of the community could stay silent about the issues of injustice (Quinn’s) and how another community rallied for it.

One of the main themes of this book is loyalty. From the catalyst event moving onwards Quinn deals with the fact that maybe his loyalty lies in the wrong people. For example, his best friends brother was the police officer that cruelly manhandled Rashard and escalated the situation that shouldn’t have even been an issue in the first place. Throughout the book Quinn is trying to hold onto the trust and security not only with his best friend but his brother, who he also has a close bond with.

This story is so captivating and powerful that I finished it in one sitting. From start to finish I was hooked, and I can almost guarantee that you would as well.

Though Rashard’s story though fictional is very much a reality for what a lot of people of color face. But in most cases, the victim doesn’t get justice. This book shows the privilege some people live in for their lives to continue as though nothing has happened. It also serves as a reminder that when something isn’t right to speak up about it. Advocate and speak out about stories of people like Rashard who can’t do it for themselves because “Rashard couldn’t come to school today.”

In terms of reality, Rashard’s story would only be the tip of the iceberg. Racial inequality is still very much alive and is being brought up not only in fiction but in daily life. So stay aware and advocate!

-Asli B.

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brenden Kieley is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Karis K.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by the well-known Robert Louis Stevenson, is a dark story that has a very intelligent meaning behind it.

The story begins with a respected lawyer named Mr. Utterson, listening to his friend Enfield tell a chilling story of assault. The story describes a figure named Mr. Hyde, who tramples a young girl, and disappears into a door on the street, only to make an appearance when the onlookers call him out to pay his respects to the girl and her relatives. They agree not to discuss the situation further because they do not approve of gossip. However, it happens that one of Mr. Utterson’s clients, Dr. Jekyll, has a written will transferring all of his property to the same Mr. Hyde. Out of curiosity, Utterson does his own research by first making a visit to Dr. Lanyon. Lanyon reports that he no longer sees much of Jekyll ever since their dispute over Jekyll’s research, which Lanyon refers to as “unscientific balderdash”.

Then, Utterson encounters Mr. Hyde at the home in which he trampled the young girl, and he is amazed at how ugly and deformed the man seems. A year goes by with not much commotion over the situation until a servant girl witnesses Hyde brutally beat a member of Parliament and a client of Utterson to death. The police contact Utterson, and he immediately suspects Hyde and leads the police to Hyde’s personal address. However, upon arrival at the apartment, the murderer has vanished, and the police search proves futile. Shortly thereafter, Utterson again visits Jekyll, who now claims to have ended all relations with Hyde. He shows Utterson a note, allegedly written by Hyde, apologizing for the trouble he caused and saying goodbye. That night, however, Utterson’s clerk points out that Hyde’s handwriting bears a remarkable similarity to Jekyll’s own. Over the next few months, Jekyll acts very sociably and friendly until he abruptly cuts off ties with all people after the suspicious death of Lanyon. Then, one day, Jekyll’s butler, Poole, storms into Utterson’s house, pleading for help with his master. The two travel to Jekyll’s laboratory where they are shocked to find the body of Hyde, wearing Jekyll’s clothes and dead by suicide, and a letter from Jekyll to Utterson promising to explain everything. Jekyll opens the letter from Lanyon at home to find a chilling message that his death was caused by the shock of seeing Mr. Hyde metamorphose into Dr. Jekyll. The rest of the story dives into Jekyll’s dilemma about metamorphosis and his cry for help. As much as he tries to control it, Jekyll starts to subconsciously turn into Hyde. Jekyll understands that his other persona, Hyde, is a danger to society, and he debates committing suicide, and the novel closes with the end of Jekyll’s letter.

This story, by Robert Louis Stevenson, can be very chilling and mysterious. Behind the complicated story that Stevenson wrote, there is actually a deeper meaning behind it. The author was trying to get into the concept of brain duality, which is why he emphasized the contrast between Jekyll and Hyde so heavily. Overall, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a very entertaining and mysterious story, which has a deeper meaning behind it.

-Karis K, 9th grade

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Coreen Catenburg

Moby Dick: Platinum Illustrated Classics (Illustrated) - Kindle ...

Moby Dick (1819 — 1891) is a long sea novel published in 1851 by Herman Melville, an American novelist in the 19th century. The novel describes the story of Captain Ahab’s pursuit and killing of Moby Dick, a white sperm whale, and his final death together with the white whale. The story creates an atmosphere in which people are exposed to various dangers and even death at any time. It is the representative work of the author. The movie Moby Dick released on June 27, 1956 is based on the novel.

Ahab, captain of the Peron, who, in the course of a whale hunt, was bitten off a leg by the fierce and clever Moby Dick, the white whale, was so intent on revenge that he lost his reason and became a dictating paranoiac. He sailed almost all over the world until he met Moby Dick. After three days of pursuing, he struck the white whale with a harpoon, but the ship was wrecked by the white whale, and Ahab, entangled by the harpoon’s rope, fell into the sea. The whole crew went overboard, and only Ishmael the sailor was saved.

In 1839, Melville began his life at sea, working as a steward on a ship bound for Liverpool, England. Two years later, he worked as a sailor on a whaler, hunting whales in the South Pacific. About a year and a half later, he fled the boat with a good friend and later boarded a whaling ship from Sydney. Unfortunately, he got aught up in the ship’s rebellion and was imprisoned in a makeshift prison. Melville managed to escape and lived in Calabria for months before taking a boat to Honolulu. Soon he became a sailor and cruised the Pacific until he returned to Boston in 1844. Melville’s voyages and adventures became the main material for his early works.

-Coreen C.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Mahak M.

After the previous installments in the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy, the last novel, The Return of the King, is not to be missed. In it, the fate of the both former Fellowship of the Ring and the quest of the Ringbearer are revealed in the same rich literature that is characteristic of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The war against Sauron the Dark Lord is not going well. The great city of Minas Tirith is already under siege by the great army of Mordor, and its allies in Gondor are nearing the same fate. The only hope for the armies of the West is if the Ringbearer, Frodo the hobbit, succeeds in his quest to destroy the One Ring, for then and only then can Sauron be defeated.

However, Frodo, too, has reached obstacles in his journey to Mount Doom. He and his companion Samwise must muster up the last reserves of their strength to take on the uphill battle that is the destruction of the One Ring, and face the unavoidable fact that, even if they should succeed, they will never return home to tell the tale.

In the exhilarating finale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, danger is more present than ever, and the heroes must face the daunting task of saving Middle-Earth as they know it. The Return of the King is a fitting end to the incredible trilogy, and should not be missed for the world.

-Mahak M.

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Ayati M.

The fictional novel The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann begins on the day of the Purge, which is when all 13-year-olds get sorted into Wanteds, Necessaries, and Unwanteds. In the land of Quill, any form of art or creativity is a grave crime and is strictly prohibited. If someone were to violate this rule, they would be proclaimed Unwanted and would be killed.

On the yearly Purge, Aaron Stowe is pronounced a Wanted, but his twin brother Alex is declared an Unwanted. When Alex is taken to his expected execution in a bus filled with other teenagers, he finds out that the Unwanteds have been hiding in the magical place of Artime. So, while Aaron earns himself a high government position, Alex enjoys this enchanted land where creativity is encouraged instead of punished. Plus, Artime has magic, so all the Unwanteds take delight in learning how to turn invisible and create origami dragons that fly.

Although they are far apart, being twins, Alex and Aaron Stowe still share a link with each other. Soon, the dry land of Quill learns about the secret Unwanteds paradise, and launches into war.

The battle between Artime and Quill is captivating, and although this book ends on a cliffhanger, it is easily one of my favorite novels. In my opinion, the best aspect of this book is the unique storyline, because it is unlike anything I have previously read. As a reader who prefers adventurous novels, I definitely think this book reaches my expectations, and manages to hold my attention cover-to-cover. The Unwanteds is part of a larger series with even more thrilling events, new characters, and unpredictable plot lines–perfect for your next reading spree.

-Ayati M.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Oliver H.

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, is the well-known story of a miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge hates everyone. He mistreats his poor clerk, Bob Cratchit. All Scrooge cares about is making money. To Christmas he says, “Bah, Humbug!” On one Christmas Eve, he leaves work to return to his dark and dreary home. Strange things begin to happen. Scrooge is home alone as usual, but he sees and hears things out of the ordinary. He dismisses these at first, until suddenly, to his astonishment, the ghost of his partner appears to him. Jacob Marley, his long-dead business partner, is wearing heavy chains. Marley explains to Scrooge that his chains were formed during his lifetime by evil and selfish deeds, and now he must carry them through the afterlife. Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer the same fate if he does not change his ways.

As the familiar story goes, Scrooge is visited by three additional spirits. The spirits show Scrooge the importance of caring for other people. Gradually, Scrooge realizes the error of his former ways, and finally resolves to change his life. When he awakes on Christmas morning, he goes about spreading Christmas cheer, even to the surprise of Cratchit and his family.

I love this book and its inspiring message. To me, this is a book about change. Scrooge seemed like a person who would never change his ways. But even he was able to change. He learned the value of kindness toward others. He also learned to care for those less fortunate than him.

This book is quite short compared to many of Dickens’ other books, but for good reason this is considered one of his masterpieces. As we expect from Charles Dickens, the book is extremely well-written and wonderfully descriptive. Take for example his description of the city streets: “The house-fronts looked black enough, and the windows blacker, contrasting with the smooth white sheet of snow upon the roofs, and with the dirtier snow upon the ground.”

Dickens masterfully describes many contrasting images throughout the book. On the one hand we see haunting ghosts and miserable living conditions, but we also see hope and cheerfulness, and finally the redemption of a miserly old man. This book is highly enjoyable to read and we can learn many lessons from it. It is great to read around Christmas, but I would recommend it any time of the year.

-Oliver H.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol–along with every variation–is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

1984 by George Orwell

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Coreen Catenburg

1984 was a political novel by George Orwell, a British left-wing writer, published in 1949. In 1984, the world was divided among three superpowers — Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. Wars broke out among the three countries, and the social structure inside the three countries was completely broken. Extreme measures such as breaking families suppress people’s thoughts and instincts were implemented, the government controls people’s behavior with a “telescreen” under surveillance and monitoring function.

In this work, Orville deeply analyzes the totalitarian society, and depicts a suffocating and terrifying hypothetical future society with the ultimate goal of power, projecting the totalitarian nature of real life through the detailed depiction of the life of an ordinary person in this society. The author, through the psychological and linguistic description of the hero Winston, expresses his resentment towards the public’s numbness, as if all the people in Oceania were indifferent towards this evil society. The author’s writing always reveals a kind of satire on totalitarian rule and the utopian ideal.

Although the final result is a failure, the struggling process is of eternal value. The underground love between Winston and Julia, the hero, could not survive the torture, but the flame of love gives us a good hope of humanity. Winston and Julia’s love failed, but after all, they had blossomed in the face of harsh reality. It is conceivable that similar love will blossom and bear fruit in the future.

1984 by George Orwell is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Ashley Y.

Caraval Series, Book 1 - National Library Board Singapore - OverDrive

This book is for lovers of magic, heartbreak, and suspense. This book is incredibly twisty and will sweep you into an enchanting dream. When I first heard of this book, I was incredibly intrigued by the cover. Besides its obvious beauty, I was drawn to the slogan above the title. It says “Remember it’s only a game” and already sets the mood/tone. Stephanie Garber, who is an author from northern California, manages to create a one of a kind fantasy world. Where you will question the characters’ actions and what’s real vs fake.

You open the book to the line “It took seven years to get the letter right”. Then learn that our main character, Scarlett Dragna, has been writing to a mysterious man named Legend. Legend is the master of the magical, Caraval, which is a once-a-year performance on a small faraway island. Every year Scarlett wrote a letter asking him to come to her island. It wasn’t until her last letter, where she announced her new arranged marriage, that he finally responded. Legend congratulated her engagement and sent two tickets for Caraval.

At home Scarlett and her sister, Tella Dragna, live a horrible life on the Island. Although they are well off, their father is a cruel and abusive man, and their mother left them at a young age. Scarlett is quiet and soft. While Tella is bold and rebellious. Scarlett’s arranged marriage seems to be the only escape until they meet a mysterious and handsome sailor. Tella plans to run away to Caraval with the stranger and invites Scarlett, who refuses claiming that her fiance will save her. Tella and the sailor, Julian, then arrange Scarlett’s kidnapping by bringing her to Caraval. But by the time Julian and Scarlett arrive, Tella disappears and it’s revealed that this year’s challenge is to find Tella. The winner gets a wish granted, by Master Legend himself.

Scarlett is now forced to make the decision to either play the game or return home. But before she goes, the performers remind her not to believe anything she sees or hears. Even when she hears screams and watches people die, she’s told to not fall too deep or else she may never leave. She may even go mad because of this strange magic. Now Scarlett is swept into Caraval, for five nights of magic, heartbreak, and beauty. Where reality turns into fantasy, and death is almost a game. This book was an absolute delight, and I devoured it within a day or so. Its characters are whimsical and its world-building is similar to the movie, The Greatest Showman. There are also so many page-turning plot twists, that had me constantly on edge. Stephanie Garber delivered a stellar book for magic lovers of all ages. In fact, it’s so enchanting that you might never want to leave.

-Ashley Y.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

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Monthly Archives: December 2020