The Second Mrs. Giaconda, by E.L. Konigsberg, is a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci and the background of his famous painting, the Mona Lisa. The story is told from the perspective of Leonardo’s apprentice, Salai. Before meeting Leonardo, Salai was a liar and a thief. Leonardo catches Salai in the act of stealing, but does not punish him. Leonardo realizes that Salai and his family are living in poverty. Moved by compassion, Leonardo takes in Salai as an apprentice.
Soon after Salai is made an apprentice, it becomes apparent that Leonardo favors him over his other apprentices. A bond develops between the master and the apprentice that becomes stronger through the many hardships that they endure together. After a surprising turn of events, this relationship ultimately leads to the painting of the Mona Lisa.
This is a short novel, but I enjoyed it very much. Even though the story is fictional, it seems realistic. It gives a sense of what life was like during the Renaissance. I think that this book conveys the emotions of the characters very well. I was especially impressed by the development of the character of Leonardo da Vinci, but I enjoyed the other characters as well.
Overall, I found this book to be very compelling. The plot twists are intriguing, and surprisingly complex for such a short book. The story also teaches good lessons, such as the dangers of wealth and materialism. This book is very entertaining, and I would recommend it to anyone.
You may have heard of the term “biodiversity” before, but what is it and why is it so important? The book, Adventures in Biodiversity by Alexandre Antonelli gives new insight to these questions. Antonelli is a highly experienced and respected plant scientist. He has devoted his career to studying the evolutionary science of tropical plants and habitats. Throughout his book, he applies his knowledge to educate about the loss of biodiversity, and the dangers that come with it. It includes many details about the study of habitats and biology.
Personally, I am interested in biology. This book has furthered my passion for it: I have learned so much! I especially enjoyed reading about the author’s trips to rainforests and endangered ecosystems. I never knew how interconnected and complex nature truly is. Did you know that more than 500 species of flowers rely on bats to pollinate them? I didn’t either!
This book has also educated me on the dangers of endangered species and habitats. Everything needs biodiversity to thrive. All species, from cocoa plants to horseshoe crabs, play a major role in our everyday lives. Although we rely on the unique variety of species to thrive, humans are the leading cause for loss of biodiversity. We destroy rainforests, kill species for their fur, and steal habitats for our own. This decline of biodiversity has rapidly accelerated throughout the years. For example, the Amazon rainforest has already lost 20% of its area due to deforestation. It is projected to lose 7% more by 2027. The book goes into much more detail; there are many specifics on the causes, types, and consequences of the loss of biodiversity. I highly recommend everyone read this book and spread this knowledge to others.
I read this book as classwork for my English 1 class, and it was actually a really interesting book. It changed my outlook on life, and I really love the perspective of Holden. The book is written in first-person, from Holden’s point of view, and it shows the thought process of a teenager in internal conflict with himself.
The book is about a young boy named Holden who was born into a rich family. He went to Pencey Prep, a boarding school, due to his behavior and actions. His family was successful, and he wondered why he was not the same as them. This school journey ultimately leads him to the decision of leaving his school and wandering the streets of New York City. There, he talks about how he feels about life and what he needs.
Holden also talks with the people around him. For example, when he gets a taxi, he asks the cab driver about “what happens to the ducks in the Central Park lagoon.” I do not want to spoil the book too much because it is very interesting, and you will definitely not expect where Holden ends up.
The depression and mental illnesses Holden faces lead him to try to change his life for the better. He tries to protect other people’s childhood and innocence. He transforms eventually and in the end, he shifts his perspective in life and tries to redeem himself.
Overall, I would rate the book a 9/10, especially since I read it when I had just turned 14. I would mainly recommend this book to teenagers and high schoolers since the perspective is of a highschooler. It was a blast seeing Holden come of age and evolve throughout his thoughts and actions.
Albert X., 10th Grade
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.
“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe is a poem about a young man and woman’s love story. The story follows a love that provokes even the angels to strip the man of the woman as she passes away in the poem. The poem surrounds the themes of love and how both deep love and death cause great grief and sorrow.
I particularly love how Poe develops the poem and creates it into a short story. While reading, it barely feels like a real poem, and rather a simple story about a couple in love and their tragic ending. I also love the way that Poe describes the couple’s love as he conveys their love as almost ethereal and something only seen once in a lifetime. The reader is truly immersed in their love especially with how Poe emphasizes how they had a “love that was more than love.”
I did not dislike anything in particular, except for Poe’s eccentric habit of writing about a young, beautiful woman’s death. I find Edgar Allan Poe an extremely odd man who often wrote about darker themes. Despite how much I enjoy his poems, they may appear a bit strange or may carry hints of weird recurring themes.
I truly enjoy this poem and recommend that anyone reads it. “Annabel Lee” is a short poem that is easy and fun to read that makes you wonder more about the couple’s story. Please give it a try as well as Edgar Allan Poe’s other works like Tell Tale Heart, a short novel, or even “The Bells,” another poem.
Kaiya T.
Books by Edgar Allan Poe are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.
In my English class, we read one of the most famous stories that Charles Dickens has ever written. This story is called A Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol is about a very greedy and selfish person named Ebenezer Scrooge. In the story, Scrooge goes on a journey through time to get taught important lessons that would hopefully change him for the better. While reading this story, I had fun reading about Scrooge’s character development and the hidden meanings in the text.
Early in the story, we learn that Scrooge had a business partner who died named Jacob Marley. Later, Scrooge is visited by Marley’s ghost who warns Scrooge that if he doesn’t change for the better, he will be miserable after death. Marley also tells him that the only way that he can be saved is if he follows the teachings of three different spirits that will visit him. The first spirit that visits Scrooge is named the Ghost of Christmas Past, who reminds Scrooge of things that have happened in his past. The next spirit is named the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows Scrooge visions of people who are celebrating Christmas with others. The final spirit that visits Scrooge is named the Ghost of Christmas Future. The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge things that will happen in the future if he doesn’t change for the better. After he gets visited by all three spirits he wakes up on Christmas day to change his fate.
As I read through this story it is easy to see Ebenezer Scrooge’s character development. It made the reading experience more fun as Scrooge changed from a horrible and greedy person at the start of the book to a generous person. I also enjoyed finding the hidden meanings inside the text Charles Dickens wrote. In many pages, there is a hidden meaning in the text that teaches Scrooge a lesson, which is fun to find.
Overall, A Christmas Carol is a fun book to read. My favorite part about it was seeing the character development of Scrooge. At the beginning of the story, he demonstrates how he’s a selfish and greedy person who only cares about money. Then, he turned into the complete opposite person. I highly recommend this story to others since it is a fun book to read while in the Christmas spirit.
-Matthew R.
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 Libby.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a short novel by E. L. Konigsburg. This book won the Newbery Medal in 1968. The main character of the story is a girl named Claudia Kincaid, who lives in Connecticut. Claudia is the eldest of four children. She does not feel like she is treated fairly at home, so she decides to run away. She carefully plans the best way to run away from home. She selects her younger brother, Jamie, to go along with her. After several weeks of preparation, the two siblings finally put their plan into action. They travel to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, intending to secretly live inside the museum.
Claudia and Jamie manage to live in the museum for a while. During the day, they blend in with school groups of other children. At closing time, they hide as the security staff inspects the museum to make sure that all visitors have left. At night, they sleep on an antique bed in the museum.
After several days in the museum, Claudia and Jamie discover a statue of an angel. The statue is believed to have been sculpted by Michelangelo. The children are so impressed by the statue that they decide to research its origins. They learn that it had been purchased from a mysterious art collector named Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The children decide to investigate further, which leads them to an unexpected adventure that will change their lives forever.
This book is very well written. The story is quite unique and imaginative. I have never visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the book’s description of the museum is captivating. Even though I would not generally condone the idea of children running away from home, this book includes some wise counsel at the end. I would expect that anyone who has visited this museum would especially enjoy this book. Overall, I found this book to be very original, and the ending is quite satisfying.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by Richard Powers is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
From the start, this was probably one of the most unique books that I’ve read, with a very good message behind it. Although it was definitely one of the longer ones I’ve read, it was well-written enough to keep any reader interested.
This book tells the story of 9 Americans who work together to prevent the destruction of forests within the U.S. The book starts in the 1800s with the story of the Hoel chestnut tree, detailing an important background for another character later in the story. The Hoel family had a tradition of taking pictures of the tree every year, and these pictures were eventually inherited by Nicholas Hoel, the great-great-great grandson of Jorgen Hoel, who planted the tree. After this chapter, the book fasts forward in time to the story of Winston Ma and his family, who escapes communism in China and becomes an electrical engineer in the U.S. He starts a family, and plants a mulberry tree. However, later, when everything falls apart, he takes his own life underneath the very tree he planted, leaving behind his daughter, Mimi Ma, who will be an important character later in the story.
There are seven more individual stories in this book, each revolving around a specific character in a different time period. Each of these nine individuals has seen their live impacted massively by nature, and each one of these stories are centered around a certain tree, as seen in the two early characters. The 9 characters eventually go on to formulate a plan to spread awareness for their cause, but It does not really go as planned. I won’t spoil what happens to each of these characters, but I will say that this book can have either a happy or sad ending, depending on one’s interpretation of it.
Overall, I think this book had a great message behind it, with the author clearly emphasizing the importance of nature to the world, as well as the importance of the continued existence of trees. This book is an amazing example of environmental activism through literature, and I would recommend this book to anybody interested in the environment and its preservation.
The Overstory by Richard Powers is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
1984 written by George Orwell is a great book if you want to get into the classics, if you read his other book, Animal Farm, you might like this book as well.
A grotesque take of a corrupt communist society, 1984 follows Winston Smith, a cog in the machine in the records department of the Ministry of Truth. His work forces him to work with the documents of the “erased,” those who have committed atrocities towards the party and therefore are erased. Winston struggles with the meaning of how to be human in a world that does not value the creativity of the individual but rather the longevity of the party under their leader, Big Brother. People in this society are blatantly brainwashed consistently throughout the novel and the only one bothered by this seems to be Winston. He buys a contraband journal where he writes these thoughtcrimes and eventually finds a woman that shares the same thoughts as him.
It’s interesting to see the parallels between this book and our world today where Uncle Sam represents our country, and communist Vietnam former president Ho Chi Minh is referred to as “Uncle.” Big Brother always watching is also symbolic of North Korea, where it is custom for every room to have portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-un watching over their citizens at all times.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed: Zone of Interest, The Creator, Oppenheimer, All Quiet on the Western Front, or the Matrix. The similar theme among these are humans versus their government and their allegiance to their morality party.
1984 by George Orwell is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Among the many novels that I have read, A Door in the Dark had me at the edge of my seat with my eyes wide open, longing to flip to the next page. I was at the bookstore one day when this novel caught my eye. I read the description on the back and assumed that it would be a decent read, but as soon as I began reading, a million different emotions hit me at once. I read of friendship, hatred, love, and every one of these things felt so real and relatable. If you enjoy adventure and excitement, then you have found the perfect novel, but keep in mind, this novel is not for the faint of heart.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
A Door in the Dark takes place in a magical and highly elitist city known as Kathor. Unlike all the magical worlds that you know of, the magic in Kathor is distributed by the wealthy families and is limited amongst the citizens. The magic is known as Ockleys and they can be bought by coins and are stored in objects known as vessels. Amongst Kathor’s residents, Ren is an intelligent and hardworking girl born into the Lower Quarter (the poorer area of Kathor). Nobody seems to take her seriously because of this, despite her high intelligence, but with her father dead, she must find a way to support her mom and herself. Due to her high performance in school, she is invited to attend Balmerick, a prestigious school. In her free time, she enjoys creating new spells and hopes to earn a position in the Shiverian House, but her hope is crushed when her interviewer for House Shiverian does not show up.
One day, Ren Monroe, her best friend, Timmons, and four other students break out in a fight in a waxway room on campus and are accidentally transported to the wilderness. In their new location, the students discover that one of them is dead. Everyone is shocked by this and has trouble processing it, but to get back home, the party must push on through rough terrain, frigid weather, and many other things getting in the way of their return home. Over their journey back home, the students grow closer and get to know each other, but just as soon, the students are killed one by one by a monster chasing them that will only stop when all of them our dead. Ren is forced to make important choices, even of saving one person from death or the other. How many of the students will make it back to Kathor alive? Will anybody?
Intensity Rating 5/5
For this specific novel, there are many parts that have you holding your breath and clinging to the side of your chair. There are many chasing sequences that are not scary, but definitely make you brace yourself!
Profanity/Drug Usage 3/5
This novel contains some mild language, so make sure that you are aware of this before reading this book. Also, there is a made up drug called “Dragon’s Breath” used by most of the main characters throughout the novel
Overall Book Rating 5/5
Of the many books that I have read, this has been one of my favorites! The novel describes the emotion and setting so well that I almost feel like I been inserted right into the story line. I highly recommend this book if you like magic and adventure!
(I chose to use monster to describe what was chasing the students, but as you progress in the book, you will understand that the monster in not necessarily in the form of a monster, I only used that term to identify what was chasing them in a way that will not spoil the plot in case you would like to read this novel.)
A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.
I must confess that when I first learned that we would be reading Elie Wiesel’s Night for my English class, I felt a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. But what can I say? It’s a requirement, so I read it with little to expect. I was wrong in many ways. Just a warning: this review contains spoilers.
It is a memoir that speaks about Wiesel’s experiences as a young Jewish boy during the Holocaust. Wiesel doesn’t just recount events; he invites us to walk beside him through the labyrinth of his memories, where each step is heavy with the burden of the past as he recounts his life in the small Transylvanian town of Sighet.
In the tranquil streets of Sighet, we glimpse the idyllic innocence of Eliezer’s childhood; young Eliezer’s world is filled with the simple joys of family, friendship, and the pursuit of knowledge.
He studies the Torah and the Kabbalah, taught by Moishe the Beadle. His studies are cut short when his teacher is deported. Months later, Moishe comes back, saying that the Gestapo took charge of his train, led everyone into the woods, and butchered them. Nobody believed him and called him insane. Then in the spring of 1944, the Nazis take over Hungary. The Jews of Eliezer’s town are forced into small ghettos within Sighet. They are herded onto cattle cars and forced to spend days and nights crammed into the car, exhausted and near starvation, until they arrive at Birkenau.
Wiesel recounts his journey through the terror of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, where he experiences the brutality of the concentration camps firsthand. Wiesel sees many horrible things that scar him for life, recounting his and the experiences of many who had tried to hide whatever happened. Wiesel doesn’t hold back and tells everything, all the terrible things he went through during the Holocaust. He doesn’t sugarcoat it or leave anything out. This honest account of his experiences helps us understand how awful it was and how much it hurt him and everyone else who went through this dark time in history. I found myself transported there with him as he struggled to survive.
In the end, Night is more than just a memoir; it is an essential memory of one of the darkest chapters in human history, the Holocaust, and what many had to go through during that tragic time. It’s also a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there’s hope to be found. The memoir is exceptionally well-written and retells an authentic and meaningful story. Through his assertive storytelling and unflinching honesty, Elie Wiesel ensures that Holocaust victims will never be silenced. If you want to experience this memoir, it is available at Mission Viejo Library.
Here’s to a new reading experience! Bella H
Night by Elie Wiesel is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 