Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

The Novel that I have chosen in Safe Haven By   Nicholas Sparks. The story is very touching and sadly very real, one of those ones that makes you think what you would do… and how you would react if in a similar situation. Safe Haven is about a girl, Katie, who mysteriously appears in a small town, Southport. She has had a hard past, and falls in love with a store owner, Alex. Her hard past haunts her, and she must choose between a life of safety, or one of pain.

The importance of love, trust, courage and self-worth resonate throughout the story and we see how so quickly these things can be abused and how without even realizing it we can become so accepting .The moral of the story here is to never let another being decide your fate for you, no matter how much you love them as even love itself can have a dark side.

This love story is not about first love, but about second chances. Although Alex still misses his first wife, he isn’t afraid to love again; Katie is at first skeptical of Alex, but she sees his kindness and slowly begins to trust. While Alex’s kids do mourn their late mother, they accept Katie, and she treats them well .In the same breath, everyone has second chances in life; even when you think there is no hope; love can happen to you twice.

Loshini Sivaraja

Leaving Paradise

           The novel that I have chosen to talk about is Leaving Paradise by Simon Elkeles. This novel is about a girl named Maggie Armstrong and a guy named Caleb Becker. Maggie Armstrong got hit by a car one night that physically changed her, and most of all everyone thought Caleb was the one who hit her. 'What happens when the person who damaged you for life, becomes the person you trust the most?'



            After reading this novel, I have learnt about two moral values, one of them is that 'You don't need to be perfect to be loved by someone'. This moral value is proved by Caleb, himself because no matter what kind of physical condition Maggie is in, he still loves her unconditionally and accepts her for who she is. He doesn't care if Maggie won't be able to walk normally for the rest of her life and he also doesn't care if Maggie won't be the 'perfect' girl because to him, she's already perfect and nothing can change that. We must not judge someone by their physical appearances as nothing matters if you have a pretty face but an ugly heart.



             The next moral value that I have learnt is that  'To always tell the truth'. In the novel, Leah Baker, Caleb's sister, did not tell the actual truth about what had happened on the night of the accident, the truth about who hit Maggie. Because Leah had failed to tell the truth, her brother, Caleb was accused and had to spend a year in juvenile detention. So, we always have to tell the truth no matter how ugly it is because if we hide the truth, someone else will have to pay the price for the things that we are supposed to be punished for.




-Adri Irman

Divergent

The chosen book for this month is Divergent by Veronica Roth where one choice can transform you. In this book society is divided into five factions which is Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite and Amity. Each year, all of the sixteen-year-old from each faction take an Aptitude Test. The purpose of the test is to show which of the five factions each person belongs to. At the Choosing Ceremony the next day, they must each choose which faction to become a member of. They can choose to stay with their faction and remain near their family or to change factions and leave behind all that they know. The results of the Aptitude Test are taken into account, but the ultimate decision is left up to them. As a matter of fact, I belive each of the five factions represent moral values. 

Abnegation, selflessness. This faction values others more than themselves as they are not selfish in any ways possible. They hardly are ever curious of their peeps and do not question others. The people of Abnegation protect themselves from greed and envy which is considered forms of selfishness. They also find joy in helping others in need. 

Candor, honesty. Candors are serious about their views of honesty against dishonesty. They see it as the very foundations of morality of a person's character. They look upon those who are honest with all due respect. The people of Candor are also frank when giving opinions. Sometimes it is better to accept the bitter truth rather than a comforting lie that can lead to a pool of deceits.

Dauntless, bravery. The Dauntless value the virtue of bravery as they are trained to fight with weapons to prepare their bodies to threat and upcoming challenges. They are known to be daring and fearless as they jump of the train while it is still moving to and fro their faction compound. They also emphasises freedom of fear where they overcome their fears during simulation programs. The Dauntless are never to show any signs of cowardice along the way.

Erudite, intelligence. The people of Erudite are those who yearn for knowledge. They value the virtue of intelligence and wisdom over any other. Most of the time, they will talk about books and newspaper. This faction eliminates ignorance and darkness of the human minds. Therefore, it is always important to act rational and think smart before doing something so that we won't have to clean after ourselves.

Amity, kindness. This is the faction that is dedicated to kindness, peacefulness and forgiveness. The Amity dislike war to keep the waters calm and thus avoid human conflicts.  They avoid violence as they enjoy peace and always forgive others. They are also considered the safe house for those who are on the run.

These are the five factions which society is divided into and each of them have their own roles. As the life of sixteen-year-olds depend on one choice at the Choosing Ceremony, they are more prone to make the wrong decisions and become factionless. So which faction would you belong in?  

Hani Nadhirah

28 February 2014

4 Cergas 

                                  The Hunger Games


           The novel that I have read is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This book is rich in moral values that we can use as an example in our daily lives and challenges.

           One of the main moral values in this story tells us that it doesn't matter where you come from to determine your outcome. Katniss Everdeen comes from the neglected and poverty stricken District 12. Katniss shows us that through determination and will power, we can overcome the odds and change our fate.
         
            Besides that, The Hunger Games also teaches us to always think of the ones dear to us during desperate times. In the Games, every contestant is given the chance to bring one token to remind them of home. Katniss' friend, Madge gave her a Mockingjay pin before she had left for the Capitol and it has been her calling card ever since.

            Finally, The Hunger Games also teaches us to never forget where we came from. Katniss had worked hard her entire life to evade starvation. Therefore, she never took the unlimited supply of food and drinks in the Capitol during her time there.

           The Hunger Games is truly a book I admire and I highly recommend it to all readers who are looking for a good book to just sit down and read. This book has taught me several lessons and I will take them as examples in my life's journey.

   - Imran Shah
     4 Cergas
     28 Feb 

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LAST OLYMPIAN by RICK RIORDAN

Moral Value :

The novel that I have read is " Percy Jackson and The Last Olympian " by Rick Riordan . This is the Fifth book of the Percy Jackson series . This story is about Percy Jackson , a demigod ( half human , half god ) and he is the son of Poseidon , son of the sea god. 

One of the moral values that showed in this novel is courageous . According to the ancient prophecy , bad things will happen to Percy when he turn to sixteen because his the one who gets to decide the fate of the entire world . After Luke(son of Hermes, god of the messengers) given his body to the Kronos , Kronos success to gain his power again and try to attack the Council of Olympus .Once Percy learns that Kronos’s force are preparing to attack Olympus , he determine to stop he no matter use what kind of method . Thought he know it is very dangerous and it may destroy or burn away his soul  , he still baths in the River Styx, making his body invulnerable except one small chosen part of his body . His courages action make he become invulnerable yet he get a stronger power to fight with Kronos .

Team work also another moral value that can found in this novel . Kronos lead a siege of New York City and puts it citizens to sleep and in the meantime he release a monster name Typhon from Tartarus . Typhon is largest and the most fearsome of all the features . All the gods were buz y to fight Typhon and try to slow his steps to the New York City and even Poseidon has his own war in the ocean . Percy leads the Campers in Camp Half blood(demigod) , Hunters , nature spirits such as satyr and nymphs and centaur to protect Mount Olympus from Kronos and his forces. They divide their job equally and they runs their own duty . Although its just can hold on Kronos and his forces a while but its gave Percy time to prepare everything in the empire of building that is the entrance of the Mount of Olympus . So heres explain that team work is very important in your life because you cant probably done a things without help .

Next is Make a right choice . As I mention earlier that Percy will have to gets decide the fate of the entire world whether the Olympus to preserve or raze . Kronos , processing Luke’s body , forces his way into the Olympus and have battle with Percy . Annabeth , daughter of Athena(god of the wisdom) had success to convince Luke to destroy Kronos . Luke is able the overcome Kronos . Percy decide to give Luke Annabeth’s blade and Luke stabs himself in his mortal point (as Luke also was invulnerable from bathing in the river styx) to temporary destroy Kronos and save the Olympus . He make a right choice that give the blade to Luke and he save the entire Olympus .

In conclusion , we can learn a lot of things in this book . You will get interest of Greek mythology after reading this series . I highly recommend this Percy Jackson Series and you will still want it to continue to the next series ,that is The Heroes of the Olympus .   

Lum Sin Yee
4Cergas
28 Feb 2014

Catch Us If You Can

My book of selection for this month will be "Catch Us If You Can" by Catherine MacPhail. This book has a lot of moral values that we can use and relate in our daily life.

The first moral value that I have obtained from the novel will be responsibility. This moral value is portrayed by some characters. One such character is Rory. Feeling that it is his responsibility to look after his granda, he tries his best to carry out his duties even though there are too much for a young boy. Granda also comes out his responsibilities toward Rory after his son walked out on them. Granda treats Rory as his only son after Rory’s father abandons them. As for the others, they help Rory and granda as they feel it is their responsibility to do so. Dr Nicol feels it is his responsibility to recommend a social worker for granda. So he sends Val Jessup. Val Jessup decides to sends granda to Rachnadar as she feel it is a responsibility. Other example of character that carries this moral value is Darren's mother. Darren’s mother informed the police about the fugitives hiding in her caravan as she feel it is her responsibility to do so.

The novel also highlights the moral value of being persistent and determined when facing challenges. Often, persistence leads to better results than losing hope easily.Two characters in the novel, Rory and Granda, handled challenges with determination. Rory knew that he must be strong and determined in order to withstand the rigorous of the escape. There was never a time he felt like giving up and turning in to the police. It was the strong sense of perseverance that helped him bear all the hardships. It was the same with Granda. When things got difficult, he was even more persevering even though it was hard for a man his age to be on the run. He knew he needed to be strong so that he could be together with Rory.

After all, the story encourages us to be persistent and determine and never give up easily while facing challenges in our daily life. We should also take responsibility on the things we do, otherwise there will be unhappy results.

Choong Kee Sam

4 Cergas

The Book Thief

The book that I'm going to write about is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book shows many morals in all of the characters, because it took place in such a hard time these morals are easy to see. Each character has their own values that guide their lives and growing up during WWI and WWII, where there is so much hate, each characters have their own values they are easy to see in their everyday actions. For Liesel it is the way that she refuses to judge people or single them out because they might be different. Rudy, Liesel's friend,  shows his morals in a way that proves he knows that after a certain number of times, taking things that are not yours is wrong. Hans Hubberman, Liesel's adoptive father,  proves that his morals when he rejects the Nazi party and hides a Jew, Max, in his basement, he believes that he owes a friend and that because he helped him then Hans should help his family.

          Liesel Meminger believes in people being equal. As one of her morals she does not understand why, especially Hitler, people do not like each other because of who they are or what they believe in. When she discovers that her parents were communists and taken away by Hitler to the concentration camps she does not believe it or understand why, and she never gives up on trying to find her mother and never stops writing. She also does not understand why Hitler does not like the Jews and singles them out, she likes Max and when he stays with her she enjoys talking to him and reading to him. Liesel’s morals show how she believes that everyone is equal and should be treated that way.

          Rudy Steiner believes in standing up for his friends, like Tommy Mueller, when anyone tried to make fun of him because of his stutter Rudy stood up to them because he knew that pointing out other’s flaws in a mocking tone is wrong. Also he knows that stealing is wrong, he has only done it a few times and he knows when it is time to stop or it is too far. When he stole a potato from the grocery store he only took one because he had nothing else to eat, but when Liesel wanted to steal from the boy on the bike again Rudy stopped her because he knew that taking food from him a second time because it was easy would be the wrong thing to do.

          Hans Hubberman is a kind and decent man with excellent life morals. He disagreed with Hitler from the beginning when he started to target Jews. He did not believe that a certain race should be targeted and for that reason waited until a later point until he signed up for the Nazi Party, also why he never showed that much support for Hitler, when he bought a copy of Mein Kampf he bought a very old and used copy and never read it. Hans Hubberman strongly disagreed with Hitler’s views because it was a Jew who saved his life. During WWI in one of the battles, Han’s friend volunteered him to stay back and write letters for the general and on that day everyone died besides Hans because he was left at camp. He was always grateful to his friend, Erik Vandenberg, because he believed he saved his life and, with his morals guiding him, he told Erik’s wife that if she ever needed anything that he could help and he did help in the later years when Erik’s son, Max, went to Hans to hide from the Nazi’s in the Hubberman’s basement.

In a nutshell, I learnt a lot from this book. I really suggest that all of you read it too,

Shairashree

LIFE OF PI

This time around I've decided to do my book report on a book I find very interesting LIFE OF PI. This book is jam packed with moral values. This book has thought me so many good things about life. It has touched me in many ways...

The first obvious moral value that I would like to point out is to never give up. Pi (the main character) didn't give up hope and he kept moving. Whether it's the black sea or the dark clouds or the ominous waves or the hungry predator as company, Pi never gave up hope of survival. I have learnt that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining and when you are down and in state of despair and almost on the verge of giving up, you must remember, that this stage like everything else in life is only temporary and this too shall pass. There are times, when it may seem like you have tried everything possible within your means and there is only a little more that you can do. In those hours, it's important to remember, that there is someone watching out for you and you're not here without a reason. 

Besides that, I have learnt that we should never put all our eggs in one basket. When Pi found Richard Parker(the tiger) on the life boat, he got scared and threw all the supplies in the lifeboat to a makeshift raft and tied it to the life boat and decided to shift to the raft. At that moment, it looked like the wise thing to do, without taking into consideration greater dangers, still unknown to him. When the breaching whale appeared at night and upturned Pi's raft throwing all his supplies to the water, Pi realised, living with Richard Parker on the boat might have been a better option.

Finally, I also have found that we should always try to learn to co-exist. After the whale incident, Pi had to reconcile to the fact that he has to live with Mr Parker on the lifeboat, an idea, which he had been resisting so far. As a first step, he decided to start communicating with Mr Parker and also set out marking their territories and setting some rules. Having Richard Parker on board also kept him alert at all times. When Mr Parker jumped in the waters of Pacific Ocean, looking for fish, Pi helped him to get on board and slowly, he started developing a bond with him. 

All in all, the moral values in this book has thought me a lot of things. I highly recommend this book to everyone. This book is suitable for people of various types of book readers. I assure you after reading this book you will never look at life the same way again...

PUGHAL, 4 CERGAS

Hunger Games

          The story I have choose to talk about is The Hunger Games.Every year this very rich City known as The Capitol, controls all the Districts which they are forced to do something known as The Hunger Games! This is where two children, one boy and one girl from each district from the ages of twelve to eighteen have to leave their families and compete in The Hunger Games, a live event that is aired on TV's all over Panem. When Katniss Everdeen, aged sixteen from District 12, has to volunteer to take the place of her twelve year old sister Prim after Prim's name is called forth to become the 23rd member to compete in The 74th Hunger Games. There are a few moral values should be taken note of in the book.

           Where You Come From Doesn’t Determine Your Outcome.Katniss comes from the oppressed, neglected and poverty-stricken District 12. There are a lot of District 12s in the world. The skills and traits one learns from their homes (Katniss’ are hunting, vigilance, and knowing how to live off the land) can often be an asset, and can help you be successful. If you don’t like your life circumstances you have the power to change them. It is only when people work hard, speak up and take action that change can happen.

          Help When You Can. Katniss doesn't want to hurt, or kill anyone but when it comes down to it Katniss' instinct is to survive. In life you should always put yourself first. But when you are in a good place personally and professionally, it is the good and right thing to help others who are struggling to succeed.For example, Katniss teams up with the girl from District 11 and only one person can survive. Favors are not forgotten, and usually come back to you when you need them the most.

           Don't Take Granted of Anything.District 12 is very poor.Katniss has been close to death many times from starvation but she made it through, so eating at the Capital with unlimited food and drink was never taken for granted..Know that the basic things in life: food, shelter, friends, family, cars, computers, cell phones etc. should never be taken for granted. There are millions of people in the world who would give so much to have one of these things.


             If you've already read The Hunger Games then I'm probably preaching to the converted, but if you haven't, I'm here to tell you why you should.




-Anisha

THE MIDNIGHT PRANK WAR

The Midnight Prank War

Life as a high school student was never ever going to be easy, especially when one is ‘lucky’ enough to be able to be targeted by bullies right at the first day of school, have a teacher that hates you because your name reminds him of a villain in a movie, parents who are never home and two retarded twin brothers as your only friends. Yep life couldn’t get any worse for Kiara Stone. But when Kiara could take no more, she decided to get revenge on all of those who have caused her so much pain. Together with twins Galie and Galio Watson, the Midnight Prank War begun.

After reading this book, I have learned many moral values such as parental support is very important in a child’s growth. Kiara’s parents were always either overseas working or out on vacation. Thus, causing Kiara to spend most of her time at home alone or at the Watson brother’s place . Added with all the drama in school, Kiara irrationally started to plot her revenge which led to many problems .Therefore , parental support is very important in a child’s growth.

Secondly, we should never be too stubborn and listen to other’s advices. When the Midnight Prank War first started, everything went smoothly, everyone was getting what they deserved and things were never better, until the night they try to prank Brian Collins. Due to the many pranks they previously pulled off, Brian knew he was going to be targeted soon and was ready to retaliate if Kiara ever came. When the twins overheard Brian, they tried to warn Kiara of the risks, but Kiara was stubborn and decided to go anyways. Not wishing for their friend to suffer on her own, the twins followed her and the trio got a whacking of a lifetime. With that Galie and Galio  decided to stop helping Kiara. Heartbroken, badly bruised and all alone . Kiara watched her only friends walk away from her. Stubbornness can lead to conflicts that can break even the strongest bonds. Therefore, we should not be too stubborn.

Lastly, I learned that true friendship lasts forever. With every prank Kiara pulls, the more enemies she make and one midnight when she was going to carry out a routine prank, bullies , cheerleaders, football players, even teachers surrounded her at an empty street. It was going to be the last of Kiara Stone until, ‘Batman and Robin’ arrived to save the day, or to be exact, suffer together with Kiara. In the end, even though Galie and Galio were treated badly by Kiara, they were even pranked by her after the conflict, they still came back to try to help her and the trio limped back home, bruised all over, again, but this time, they were together,they were happy and the prank war was over

 LONG JI SEAN

Angels and Demons- Dan Brown

Angels and Demons is a bestselling mystery- thriller novel by Dan Brown. This story follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, as he tries to stop the Illuminati, a legendary secret society, from destroying the Vatican City with the newly discovered power of antimatter.

This exciting novel has quite a number of moral values. It mainly shows us that we should never give up. Robert Langdon in the novel is seemed having to face terrible challenges in the story. He has to try his best in stopping the Illuminati from murdering the Preferiti (cardinals who are most likely to be the next pope). Though he fails to stop the assassin from murdering and branding the skin of each of the Preferitis, he still tries really hard and is determined to catch the assassin.

In this novel, one of the moral values is also friendship. In the novel, Robert meets Vittoria Vetra who soon becomes his sidekick. Despite being faced with challenges such as when Vittoria gets kidnapped by the Hassassin, the both never abandon each other. Robert tries really hard to save Vittoria. This shows that they are very committed to their friendship that they are willing to risk their lives to help each other.

I strongly recommend this book as it not only keeps you excited and thrilled but at the same time it is interesting as well.


Lim Kong Sun
4 Cergas

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling (The Fountain of Fair Fortune)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling (The Fountain of Fair Fortune)

I have read The Tales of Beedle the Bard which were written by J.K.Rowling. This book is a compilation of 5 shorts stories for kids or in this case young wizard or witch. The stories are The Wizard and The Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock’s Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump and the infamous The Tale of The Three Brothers.

                The story that I’ve chosen for this month is The Fountain of Fair Fortune. This story is about 3 witches named Asha, Altheda and Amata and also a knight that was known as Sir Luckless. The villagers in this story believed that there is a fountain inside the garden walls that could bring fair fortune to the one that bath in its water.

                For this month book review, the response that I should give is about the moral values in this story. So the moral value in this story is we must always care about others. This is evident when the three witches agree that if one of them is chosen to enter the garden wall, they would “unite and try to reach the Fountain together”. This is also stated in the story when the creepers from the garden choose Asha and she grasped Athelda’s hand and Althelda seized Amata’s robes.

                Besides that, we must never give up. This become evident in page 29 when Altheda walked faster and harder than everyone else but she couldn’t move further up the enchanted hill. But even so, she didn’t give up as stated in the book, “Courage, friends, and do not yield!” she cried, wiping the sweat on her brow’. But all her struggle hadn’t come to waste as one drop of sweat fell upon the Earth and they are able to walk up the hill once more.

                Moreover, we must always help each other. This is evident when Asha who is sick and exhausted because of their long journey fell to the ground. Altheda who is good at mixing herbs at once pick all the herbs in the garden that she thought could heal Asha “and mixed them in Sir Luckless’s gourd of water, and poured the potion into Asha’s mouth”. Then, at once Asha is able to stand and cried “I am cured!”

                In conclusion, the story The Fountain of Fair Fortune’s moral value are to always care about others, never give up and always remember to help each other.

 

Atiqah Syahmina Binti Azlan

4 Cergas

27 February 2014

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

        The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly, is a wonderful blend of the wonders of science and the life of a girl in 1899. Calpurnia is eleven years old, the only daughter of a family of six boys. She lives on a pecan farm not far from Austin and loves more than anything to spend time with her grandfather exploring the countryside studying the local flora and fauna. She is expected to be good at sewing and housekeeping but Calpurnia prefers to explore and go on adventures. Although she wants an educated, scientific life, Calpurnia's parents expect her to act like a "reasonable" girl. 

One of the moral values I discovered in this book is determination. Calpurnia Tate simply refuses to be a ‘lady’ and strives towards being a scientist, something a ‘lady’ should never do in 1899. Yet she is determined to chase her dream. She keeps a journal where she writes all her scientific discoveries and if she encounters a problem, she handles them well. In one of her first observations, she discovers that the yellow grasshoppers in her garden and bigger than the green ones. With a little help from her grandfather and Charles Darwin, she figures out that the green ones are far less easier to see amongst the grass therefore the yellow ones get eaten at a higher rate despite being larger.

Next is the moral value is to stand up for yourself and tell people how you really feel. In the story, Calpurnia dreams of being a scientist despite the fact that it is not accepted among ladies to go to school. After many months she finally works up the courage to tell her mother about how she feels about going to school for young women where they learn science, instead of the school her mother intends to send her to where they learn how to cook and sew. If Calpurnia hadn’t stood up for herself to her mother for once she wouldn’tve gotten the chance to pursue her dreams.

Last but not least, dare to dream.What Calpurnia doesn't enjoy doing is everything expected of a girl growing up in 19th century Texas: sewing, cooking, knitting, piano playing, and behaving like a lady. Calpurnia struggles with the weight of these expectations throughout the entire book because deep down she knows she wants nothing more than to go to college and become a natural scientist, a life-long dream that runs counter to her mother and the community in general. Despite all the risks, she dared to dream.

These are some of the moral values I found in this amazing book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is willing to read it. It made me see the world differently, maybe you would too. It definitely left a great impact on me. Frankly, I believe this book deserved the 2010 Newberry Award that it won.

Shaweena Syaira

4 Cergas

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

“What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you everything. What If The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Was The Wrong One?” -Rosaline-

This book is written by Rebecca Serle and it is about a teenager at the age around 17 named Rosaline. Rosaline and Rob had been friends since they were young and Rosaline had a crush on Rob. At the same time, Juliet likes Rob too but she had another secret which is to take revenge towards Rosaline’s family because of the misunderstanding between Rose’s dad and Juliet’s dad. Rosaline and Juliet are cousins and the three of them knew each other very well. Except when Juliet and her family had moved to another city at 6 years old, and now she came back to seek her revenge and to make Rob hers.

There are three moral values that I have learned from this book. One of it is Your First Love Is Not Your True Love. Like Rosaline, she liked Rob with all her heart since young and Rob was her first love. After a while, Rob finally started to like Rosaline too but when Juliet came, Rob was so blinded by Juliet’s flawless beauty that Rob started to be Juliet’s boyfriend. Rosaline was hurt and she tried to make Rob realise that Juliet was tricking him in order to seek for revenge towards Rose’s family but it was too late when Rob finally realised it. Rose had moved on and she doesn’t want to hurt her feeling for the second time. When Rob and Juliet died in a car accident, she was sad for a while because Rob was her best friend but she accepted it with all her heart after that.

Next, the second moral value is Family Should Stick Together. Juliet’s dad had misunderstood Rose’s dad true intentions. It was about Juliet’s dad who cheated on his wife with going out with Rob’s mother. Rob’s dad was Rose’s dad best friend. After their secret had been revealed, Juliet’s father wanted Rose’s father to be on his side and supported him but Rose’s dad knew that his brother was the one who started to flirt with Rob’s mother at the first place and that’s why Rose’s father decided to be on Rob’s father side. Juliet’s father was hurt by his brother’s actions and soon after that, he brought his family including Juliet out of the town. They moved to New York. When Juliet turned 17, they moved back to seek for their revenge.

Lastly, we shouldn’t Love A Guy Desperately That You Even Tried To Kill Yourself. Like Juliet, she liked Rob insanely that she even threatened Rob to kill herself with taking pills. She was obsessed with Rob and she couldn’t even stand Rob’s friendship with Rosaline. She wanted to seek for her revenge at first but gradually after that, she started to develop real feelings towards Rob. After Rob knew about her family revenge, Rob decided to break up with her and go to Rosaline. Rob finally realised that Rose is his true love an all but it was too late. Rose wanted some time to think about it but by the next morning, Rob and Juliet were found dead in car accident where their car got lost control and it went down the cliff. Both of them were drunk and Juliet had a small arguement with Rob in the car that she was so upset she tried to beat Rob in the car and Rob couldn’t control the car and the brakes. Finally they died together.

Nur Izzati Noor Azmi

4 Cergas

27 February 2014

Boscombe Valley Mystery

          The moral value that I have learnt from the novel The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the value of kindness. Sherlock Holmes shows kindness and compassion to all those he deals with and achieves his goal - that of finding the real killer  of Charles McCarthy.

          James McCarthy does not want to tell anyone why he has quarrelled with his father, even after he is arrested for his father's murder. However, Holmes' kindness must have won his trust because he discloses the nature of his quarrel. He admits that his father has wanted him to marry Alice Turner but he refused because he is already married to a barmaid, though they are separated now. If not for Holmes' kindness and understanding, he would not have revealed this.

          Alice too is won over by the detective's kindness. She tells him that she has been the subject of the argument between James and his father. He believes that James does not want to marry her as he is too young. She also says that her father is against the marriage.

         Sherlok Holmes' kindness and compassion is also clear when John Turner goes to see him. He is able to put people at ease and win their confidence and trust with his kind attitude. John Turner confesses his guilt and why he kills McCarthy to him, asking him to keep it a secret until his death as he does not want to hurt his daughter. Out of compassion, Holmes promises that he will reveal the contents of Turner's letter only if James is found guilty. When James is released after Turner's death, he keeps his word and destroy the letter.

by: Satish Loganathan (4 Cergas)

Bright Shadow - Avi

The book I have read is Bright Shadow by Avi. This book is a fantasy adventure novel that circles around a girl named Morwenna who became the wish bearer, bearer of the last 5 wishes of the kingdom, passed down by the previous one. She doesn't realise this. The only way for that to happen is by using them. But if she uses all her wishes, she herself will disappear.

Among the few moral values I've found in this book is humility. King Ruthvin, the ruler of the land, is extremely selfish, proud and vain. It is because of this attitude of his that he didn't become the wish bearer. When the old man approached him to pass his wishes to him, he snubbed him off his path, seeing him as nothing more than a piece of trash on the floor. Not knowing the old man was the most valuable man on the land, he had let his pride take control of him.

Another moral value is responsibility. Morwenna, given such a heavy task of carrying the last 5 wishes of the land, now realises this incredible responsibility that comes along with it. Throughout the story, she never used a wish vainly or vaguely. They were used to serve a purpose other than satisfying her needs ;such as helping others in grave danger. She had been entitled with the responsibility that she carried out well.

The last moral value I'm going to mention is rationality. When Morwenna was down to her last wish, she decided to stay alone. She didn't want people to go through the same things she went through because of the wishes. Morwenna realises this and decided to save people the trouble of carrying a wish.

Yong Renn Kai
26/Feb/2014

Diary of A Wimpy Kid-Cabin Fever (Moral Values)

The story that i have read is Diary of A Wimpy Kid-Cabin Fever. This story is about Greg Heffly's life which he wrote it in a journal. In this story, it talks about how Greg spent his winter doing stuffs and also causing problems as well. There are indeed some moral values which I can learn from this book.

First of all, one should not be picky about food. When a blizzard hits, Greg and his family were trapped indoors with limited food supply. Greg regretted the decision of giving away tons of canned food that he dislike like yams and beets to the Food Drive at school, causing him to suffer a little starvation when he was trapped indoors. This shows that being picky about food is always bad and one should always be thankful for the food they can eat.

In addition to that, we should always have the courage to face the music when we do something wrong instead of thinking ways to run away from the problem. When Greg was in school, he sort of vandalised school property because there is one point his best friend Rowley and him posted some posters on the walls when it was raining, which causes the poster boards to bleed thus leaving green splotches all over the wall. After some time of inspection by the school principal, Greg thought that he won't get caught and he should stay calm for the time being, but Rowley left an anonymous tip for the school principal confessing that he and GREG was the culprit. Eventually Greg decided to take the punishment alone and scrubbed off the splotches on the wall. This shows that Greg was willing to face the music alone instead of being like Rowley exposing their friends mistake but not telling the whole truth.

Finally, parents and adults should not be over protective concerning kids. For an instance, Greg's school playground almost have all the playing equipments removed just because of some minor incident, which causes the other kids cannot have fun during recess. They are also restricted from running in the playground and bringing toys to school for entertainment purposes. This might result to kids not being active because of over concerning kid's safety.

Overall, Diary of A Wimpy Kid is a pretty good story to read because it consists of quite some moral values. I highly recommend it for others to read it.

Loh Khang Wen

4 Cergas

25-2-2014

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant

           For this month's book review, I have read a short story entitled The Necklace written by Guy De Maupassant. This short story is basically about a married couple. The wife named Madame Liosel. She is not very happy with her marriage because she is married with a decent and not very rich man. It makes Madame Liosel feels a little bit dissatisfied with her life. There are some moral values that I got from reading this short story.
         
           First and foremost, we must always be happy and satisfied with what we have. In this short story, I find that Madame Liosel was dissatisfied with her life and home. She was unhappy because she got married with a clerk. She wanted to be rich so that she can showed off to the people around her. In other words, Madame Liosel was a materialistic person. She behaved like a spoilt child and was ungrateful towards her husband.

           In addition to that, money cannot buy happiness. Madame Liosel cried because she had no suitbale gown and jewellery to wear when her husband received an invitation to a grand party given by the Minister of Public Instruction. So, she decided to borrow a necklace from one of her former classmates just to go to that party. She was the prettiest and happiest woman at the party. However, when she reached home, She discovered that the necklace was missing.

            Last but not least, we must always tell the truth because 'honesty is the best policy'. Madame Liosel was really shocked when she found out that the necklace was missing. So, they searched in every jewellery shop for a similar necklace. After that, they had to live in poverty due to the debt that they had just to replace the missing necklace. After 10 years, she met her former classmate and she inform her aout her poverty due to the loss of necklace. Madame Liosel was then being told that the necklace was an immitation.

            As for the conclusion, the ending was kind of suprising to me. So, whatever situations we are in it, just live life to the fullest without worrying about what other people say about us and just ignore them. We can never satisfy the people around us and we also can never stop them from judging.

Nadhrah Hani
25th February 2014

The Lotus Eater by Sommerset Maugham

  The story that I have read is The Lotus Eater by Sommerset Maugham. There are many moral values in this story. On the surface, this seems to be a story about the life of a man called Thomas Wilson. However, it is really about two men representing different ways of life. The narrator’s life was tied up with family, career and earning a living. In contrast, the character he met on the island of Capri (Wilson) was content with a life in the sun that was free of all responsibilities.

  One of the moral values is we have no right to take our own lives. Thomas Wilson planned his life carefully, but in the end his plan backfired. He planned to die at the age of 60, but by that time he was too coward to take his own life. He had no choice but to live in poverty and he became a recluse and died in misery.

  Furthermore, we must be kind and helpful to our neighbours. Assunta and her husband were kind, considerate towards Wilson. They looked after Wilson after he got out of the hospital, let him stay at their woodshed and allow him to look after their animals.

  Moreoever, we have to be realistic in our search for happiness. Thomas Wilson was constantly searching for happiness. He found it on the island of Capri, in Italy. For 25 years, he lived a quiet and contented life there. But in the end, he had not really found true happiness as it ended the day his money ran out.

  Besides, we should not live only for ourselves. We cannot live alone without social relationships. We should not choose a way of life which can harm us. We should live useful, productive lives.

  Lastly, work is necessary in order to earn a living. Wilson thought he could lead a happy life in Capri when he resigned from his job and sold his house. Little did he knew that life was not all that he expected. He was broke after he was 60 and died.

  These are the moral values that can be found in this novel.

Teo Xialer
4 Cergas

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The book that I decided to write about for this month's task which would be moral values is 'The Last Song' by Nicholas Sparks. The Last Song is an uplifting , touching  melodrama based on a novel written by Nicholas Sparks . The Last Song follows Ronnie and her estranged father as he tries to restore the loving relationship they once had ,but reconnecting with his rebellious, reluctant teenage daughter isn’t an easy task .

Ø  Always cherish and appreciate people around us because you'll never know when they'll be gone

In the novel , Ronnie spends most of her time with her father after she knew her father was diagnosed with terminal illness in order to show her appreciation so that she won’t regret later on. She makes the most out of it because she will never know when God will take away her father . As for us , before it happens to us , we should be grateful and appreciate the people around us . The novel also reminded me of some facts in life. Life is short and momentary, make the best out of it and appreciate the people around us , especially the one we love and care for.

Ø  We should forgive others

This reminded me of Ronnie and Blaze , an outcast who lives with her boyfriend Marcus, whom Ronnie meets at the beach. At a beach campfire, Marcus hits on Ronnie and Blaze mistakes this and claims that Ronnie is flirting with Marcus. Angry, Blaze sets Ronnie up by placing a bracelet in Ronnie's bag. When Ronnie walks out, she is promptly arrested. Even after the unfortunate incident , Ronnie never held any grudges towards Blaze .She forgives her and even helps Blaze when she is desperately in need of money. 

Ø  Never blame others because false accusations can destroy a person's life

Ronnie’s father was accused of doing something he never committed . He was accused of burning the church , when he did not do it . Since the incident , he blames himself for something he didn’t do . His life was full of regrets and he could never stop blaming himself. One's life can be miserable if people keep pointing their fingers at him for something he did not commit.

"We need someone to guide us, lead us, inspire us, and show us the beauty of life. Everybody needs an inspiration cause there’s no guarantee that life is easy". To sum it up, Nicholas Sparks not only portrayed family, love and second chances but also moral values at the end of this heartfelt novel.

                                              

                                                     

Jaiswarry Sundaram

4 Cergas

25th February 2014

To Catch A Pirate 

 

        I had read ' To Catch A Pirate', written by Jade Parker. This book is about a girl named Annalisa Townsend falling in love with a pirate, James Sterling, who had once raided her father's ship. James discovered her in the hold, but did not bring her to the captain. He just traded a kiss in exchange for the necklace given by her mother. A year later, they met again. But this time everything was different, the tables had turned.

        Love and Sacrifice. Annalisa loved her father and was willing to sacrifice for her father's freedom. Her father was arrested as the governor suspected him of being in league with the pirates. With proving her father's innocence in mind, she started a quest to hunt down the pirates who had raided her father's ship, stealing the treasure on board. She captured James, asking for his cooperation. All she wanted was reclaiming the treasure from Crimson Kelly, the captain, to have her father freed from the cell. She even sacrificed her innocence as she learnt to fight pirates with a cutlass and fire a pistol with fair accuracy. She was no more the coward who just hid in the hold when the pirates came to attack.

        Loyalty. Nathaniel Northrup, the quartermaster of Annalisa's ship, had been loyal to his captain. He obeyed Annalisa's order without any complaint and would also give some suggestions during certain time. He also protected her from every danger they encountered. 

        Determination. James was determined to be the captain and owned a ship to continue his pirate journey. He used his mate, Ferret, to help him obtain a ship. He even lied to the girl whom he loved. He never told Annalisa the truth that the treasure was in 'Phantom Mist', not buried on the island. To fulfill his wish, he let go his love and hurt her.

        These are the moral values that can be found in this novel.

-Tan Cheng Faye- 

-4 Cergas-

     

This Land We Call Home by Alison Lohans

I decided to choose this book , " This Land We Call Home" by Alison Lohans as this month's book review.Paula and Ken, both 13 and in grade eight, bear a huge responsibility for helping their parents harvest the crops on their neighbouring farms close to Reedley, CA. Ken is a Japanese American.As the war overseas escalates, so do the tensions in the San Joaquin Valley where the Harmon's and Nishimura's live and work.Ken and his family are considered enemies because of World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ken and his family are forced to go to a camp in the desert where the living conditions are horrible. Paula and her family grieve for the loss of their son and brother, David. Paula misses her friend Ken and his family and worries how they are coping, anxiously waiting for a letter from Ken. Her Grandpop Harmon goes to live on the Nishimura's farm to try and save it for them and to prevent others from burning it to the ground. Paula needs to assume even more responsibilities, but she is determined to help her Grandpop so that Ken and his family have a viable farm to come back to.

The moral values that I have learned in this book is determination.  After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ken and his family are forced to go to a camp in the desert . Paula misses her friend Ken and his family and worries how they are coping, anxiously waiting for a letter from Ken.Her Grandpop Harmon goes to live on the Nishimura's farm to try and save it for them and to prevent others from burning it to the ground. Paula needs to assume even more responsibilities, but she is determined to help her Grandpop so that Ken and his family have a viable farm to come back to.

Responsibility is shown by the two character , Paula and Ken. Paula's Grandpop Harmon is seriously hurt in a car accident. Paula's father needs to go to San Diego to look after Paula's Granpop. After her father leaves , Paula becomes more responsible to help their neighbouring farm to harvest.

In conclusion, the moral values I have found is determination and responsibility. 

Lee Wen Sze
4 Cergas
23rd February 2014 

The Stars Burn On by Denise Robertson

It took me quite long to finish this book “The Stars Burn On” by Denise Robertson. Finally I’m here now to finish my February’s task, moral values of the story. As you can see, the stars burn on actually means that life goes on no matter what. First the story start on New Year's day 1980 on a hilltop overlooking Sunderland and County Durham, eight young people wait for the sun to rise on new hopes and dreams, some to work, some to go on to a different future. One young man states the statistics for their group, one will die, three will marry etc, the others laugh at him but all too soon one of them will die in suspicious circumstances, but for now they make a promise to meet again, same place but Midsummer's Day in ten year's time.

Those eight young people were named Euan, Barbara, Jed, Jenny, Alan, Cath, Elaine and Keir.

v   

• Always listen to old folks’ advise

Cath was the earliest among them to get married. She and Dave decided to get married cause of she was pregnant and she keep telling her mom, they love each other. Cath had expected a brief moment of anger and it should have been over in seconds but no her mom is so mad about every hope, every dream she had on Cath fade away. Few years later, Cath and Dave were facing some terrible financial problems. Cath feels so weak, she just hope she could be surrounded by her mom’s embrace again.

• Believe in yourself

Jenny is the main character of this book. Her independent character shows me a woman should have a stable job of herself and not relying on men. She had been offered for many promotions and she took it even if she has to fly to America all the way From Sunderland.  She believes in herself that she could have achieved something. She cares about her friends a lot with solid proofs she helped to take care of Elaine’s daughter when Elaine was out to work and her babysitter was sick that day. Other than that, She wrote letter to Euan and Cath to ask about how they are getting on their lives. In everyone’s heart, Jenny was the bright, caring and confidence one.

• Life goes on

It had been a difficult ten years for the town and for the world. They believed they would all be around to climb the hill at the end of ten years. In fact, it was only her. Cath and Euan were in far-flung countries… and Keir and Barbara were perhaps furthest away of all. Jed was more alive than many of them. What had the vicar said at his funeral? ‘He understood the gift of life…’ while Elaine lost her life in an accident as well. With sudden appeared of Euan lighten Jenny’s face up. What a wonderful surprise. About the death of Jed had finally revealed. It was Euan! She couldn’t believe it and the reason was Jed is going to marry Elaine and Euan was angry with it. He is a homosexual. Even after all that had happened, Jenny forgave Euan in the end because there was nothing he could have done. Life went on for both of them.

Life is like an open door. People ventured in and out of our heart. Promises that once made might be forgotten. Everything in our life is changing in every day.  If they are going to leave, we can’t stop them but what memories we had are sure kept in a place of our heart. The stars burn on.

Low Pui San

4 Cergas

23-2-2014