Sidonie Ronson Pearl Listening for Lions By: Gloria Whelan The book I read is called “Listening for Lions”. I personally give the book three stars. The book was very good, but rather obvious. The book was fun to read; I could connect to the characters and actually understand what’s happening throughout the book. The book wasn’t very long it was only 194 pages. The author of the book is the same author who wrote “Homeless Bird” and “Chu Ju’s House”, which we read through the year. The author’s name is Gloria Whelan. The book was published by Harper Trophy in 2005. This book is very similar to a book that Gloria Whelan also wrote. Chu Ju’s House is a book that we read at the beginning of the year. I really enjoyed that book also. It is similar to Listening for Lions since the main characters have similar life styles. Chu Ju the main character in Homeless Bird ran away from her house so she doesn’t have a mother and father to care for her. Neither does Rachel from Listening for Lions have parents to look out for her and care, since they died. Both of them are also big fans of birds. The story takes place at 1919. Rachel lives in Tumani, Kenya, were her parents worked in a hospital nearby. After her parents died she moved to a house with the Preachers. Mr. Preacher's father lives in Stagsway, London. In addition Rachel was forced to go to the big city, where she met her “grandfather”. The story is told in the first person. Rachel is sharing her experience. She is an honest and well brought up girl. Even though she lied once she knew that it wasn't right. After a while she confessed, and told the "grandfather" all he needed to know. When Rachel's parents die from influenza, she gets an offer to live with the people she mostly despites, Mr. and Mrs. Preacher. Rachel was brought up by following the rules; since her father was very strict about them. One of the rules is to follow and respect the elders. Therefore, she didn't turn the offer down, and went to live with the preachers. One of the reasons that Rachel didn't like the preachers was for the fact that they were arrogant. They were acting nasty towards the Kikuyu, which were like Rachel's family. She used to see them every day, once she went to the hospital to help her father out. The hospital was closed, and the preachers didn't do anything about it. All they wanted was the money from the grandfathers will. Furthermore, Rachel didn't think that it was right, so once the Preachers took her the hotel she ran away. This conflict was solved by Rachel coming back to home town, and opening her hospital. Rachel was brought up with good values, and never lied, especially to her elders. However, she had to lie to her “grandfather”. When she lied to him she knew that it was wrong and she regretted it. This time was special, she had to lie, even though she didn't want, and it was against her will. She had to pretend to be someone who really died. At first when she arrived, to the grandfather’s house was mad at the preachers. Rachel was not the only one who thought that the preachers were arrogant, and selfish. The grandfather knew the whole time that she was lying to him, and that she wasn’t really Valerie. The whole reason that Rachel lied to her “grandfather” is because of the preachers who wanted the money. She is honest, but she could not disobey Mr. and Mrs. Preacher. Rachel followed her heart and did the opposite at the end. However, the Preachers were really mad at her. At the end the “grandfather” gave the money to the bird center. I really thought that this book was a good book for 7th graders. I would recommend this book for 6th graders too, since the grammar isn’t very hard. Honestly I enjoyed that part where she actually feels guilty about lying, and that she says so. This part in the book shows that Rachel the main character knows what is wrong and what is right. She was brought up well enough to understand that and to realize it. Overall I liked the book; I thought that it was entertaining. I couldn’t find a reason to not like the book; it was a book which had all the things I like to read about. There was a main character, which was a girl, more than 2 conflicts, which were solved at the end, and it had something to do with the hospital. I also like the part when Rachel’s “grandfather” figures out that she has been lying to him the whole time she has been visiting him. The reason that I like it is because after all the times she has been telling him stories he finally understood that Rachel wasn’t really who she was pretending to be; Valerie.
Listening for Lions
By: Gloria Whelan
The book I read is called “Listening for Lions”. I personally give the book three stars. The book was very good, but rather obvious. The book was fun to read; I could connect to the characters and actually understand what’s happening throughout the book. The book wasn’t very long it was only 194 pages. The author of the book is the same author who wrote “Homeless Bird” and “Chu Ju’s House”, which we read through the year. The author’s name is Gloria Whelan. The book was published by Harper Trophy in 2005.
This book is very similar to a book that Gloria Whelan also wrote. Chu Ju’s House is a book that we read at the beginning of the year. I really enjoyed that book also. It is similar to Listening for Lions since the main characters have similar life styles. Chu Ju the main character in Homeless Bird ran away from her house so she doesn’t have a mother and father to care for her. Neither does Rachel from Listening for Lions have parents to look out for her and care, since they died. Both of them are also big fans of birds.
The story takes place at 1919. Rachel lives in Tumani, Kenya, were her parents worked in a hospital nearby. After her parents died she moved to a house with the Preachers. Mr. Preacher's father lives in Stagsway, London. In addition Rachel was forced to go to the big city, where she met her “grandfather”.
The story is told in the first person. Rachel is sharing her experience. She is an honest and well brought up girl. Even though she lied once she knew that it wasn't right. After a while she confessed, and told the "grandfather" all he needed to know.
When Rachel's parents die from influenza, she gets an offer to live with the people she mostly despites, Mr. and Mrs. Preacher. Rachel was brought up by following the rules; since her father was very strict about them. One of the rules is to follow and respect the elders. Therefore, she didn't turn the offer down, and went to live with the preachers. One of the reasons that Rachel didn't like the preachers was for the fact that they were arrogant. They were acting nasty towards the Kikuyu, which were like Rachel's family. She used to see them every day, once she went to the hospital to help her father out. The hospital was closed, and the preachers didn't do anything about it. All they wanted was the money from the grandfathers will. Furthermore, Rachel didn't think that it was right, so once the Preachers took her the hotel she ran away. This conflict was solved by Rachel coming back to home town, and opening her hospital.
Rachel was brought up with good values, and never lied, especially to her elders. However, she had to lie to her “grandfather”. When she lied to him she knew that it was wrong and she regretted it. This time was special, she had to lie, even though she didn't want, and it was against her will. She had to pretend to be someone who really died. At first when she arrived, to the grandfather’s house was mad at the preachers. Rachel was not the only one who thought that the preachers were arrogant, and selfish. The grandfather knew the whole time that she was lying to him, and that she wasn’t really Valerie. The whole reason that Rachel lied to her “grandfather” is because of the preachers who wanted the money. She is honest, but she could not disobey Mr. and Mrs. Preacher. Rachel followed her heart and did the opposite at the end. However, the Preachers were really mad at her. At the end the “grandfather” gave the money to the bird center.
I really thought that this book was a good book for 7th graders. I would recommend this book for 6th graders too, since the grammar isn’t very hard. Honestly I enjoyed that part where she actually feels guilty about lying, and that she says so. This part in the book shows that Rachel the main character knows what is wrong and what is right. She was brought up well enough to understand that and to realize it. Overall I liked the book; I thought that it was entertaining. I couldn’t find a reason to not like the book; it was a book which had all the things I like to read about. There was a main character, which was a girl, more than 2 conflicts, which were solved at the end, and it had something to do with the hospital. I also like the part when Rachel’s “grandfather” figures out that she has been lying to him the whole time she has been visiting him. The reason that I like it is because after all the times she has been telling him stories he finally understood that Rachel wasn’t really who she was pretending to be; Valerie.
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