Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich, is about a journalist who decides to go undercover to find out what it really is like to be poor. From 1998 to 2000, she gives up her upper-middle class life style and attempts to survive on low wage jobs. She experiments in Florida, working two jobs as a waitress and a hotel maid, she finds the work too much physically demanding. However, in Maine, she does better. As a housekeeper server and a s an aide in a nursing home, she is able to keep up with her rents and eat enough. In the last state, Minnesota, she is unsuccessful. Working at Wal-Mart, she is unable to meet ends. She is also unable to find a vacant apartment and is forced to stay at costly hotels. In the end, she summarizes by saying she could maybe survived in the long run but the work was both physically and mentally challenging. This story was very entertaining and enjoyable. A must read and a page turner.  It is a true story and therefore gives valuable insight to the conditions of the poor and low-wage workers. I recommend it to everyone looking for something interesting to read.

-Reviewed by Manuk, grade 9.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, is a book about a black slave, Frederick Douglass, who is brought up on a plantation while still a child. When he grows up, he is sent to Baltimore where he works for his owner's sister, Mrs. Auld, as a house slave. In Baltimore, he gets hope of one day being free and also learns to read and write. Later, he is exchanged between various slave owners until he ends up with Mr. Covey. Through at first Mr. Covey treats Douglass badly, after he stands up to him once, Mr. Covey beats him no more. He is then sent to Baltimore again where he learns to be a caulker in the shipbuilding industry. He is allowed to hold a job, but has to give up all his wages to his current master. He therefore plans to escape and runs away to the north where he became a free man.

This autobiography is not only interesting but also thought provoking to read. It is page turning and gives insight to slavery and the way slaves were treated. It depicts the conditions of slaves how they actually were. I recommend it to everyone looking for something interesting to read.
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-Reviewed by Manuk, grade 9.

Othello, by William Shakespeare

Combine love, jealousy, hatred, revenge, lust, betrayal, and chaos, and you will come close to describing the masterpiece Othello, by William Shakespeare. When pressed for time for school, it might be tempting to just spark notes the book or just watch many of the movies and play adaptations, but do not let those take away from the experience of reading the actual tragedy. The cast of characters include Othello, a brave soldier who is easily manipulated; Desdemona, the beautiful wife of Othello who receives constant admiration for her elegance; Lago, Othello's trusted companion and advisor who is secretly jealous of all the adulation and success Othello receives; and Emilia, Lago's wife and Desdemona's attendant, a minor character but an important part of the plot. There are other characters that play more minute roles. The plot though exceptionally simple, is equally complex, a great story that can be related to any time. Enjoy a drama-ridden novel and experience Shakespeare's brilliance by reading Othello.

- Reviewed by Anonymous.