Dune Reading Response

Reading Log: Dune, Frank Herbert 8/20- 15 mins., 8/21- 45 mins., 8/22- 30 mins., 8/23- 20 mins., 8/24- 30 mins., 8/25- 40 mins. TOTAL: 180 mins., pp. 1-236

Dune Book Response

            Dune by Frank Herbert is one of the greatest works of science fiction ever written. It won the Hugo award and the Nebula award in 1996 and is the first in a series of six science fiction novels. It takes place in the distant future on the desert planet of Dune, where the main way to make money is mining for a spice that the people of Dune are addicted to. Dune is a story of politics, assassins, and particularly, differing styles of leadership. There are two factions that rule the planet of Dune that are in constant conflict with each other. One is lead by Duke Leto, and the other is lead by the Baron.

Dune seems to be a political commentary on the effectiveness of different types of leaders. The Duke, the main protagonist, is a strict but understanding man who puts his subjects before himself. On the other hand, the Baron is the main antagonist and is a tyrant. Their styles of leadership are very different.  Duke Leto is a ruler much loved by his people. The Duke is the kind of man that people are willing to follow without questioning his motives because they know he is a worried about the well being of his people, rather than just acquiring territory and power for his nation. In contrast, the Baron is not looking out for his subjects but for himself. His main desire is to rule all of Dune because of the valuable spices.  He rules his territory with an iron fist. He enslaves his subjects and forces them to mine for his own personal gain. People follow the Baron only because he has the military might to punish those who do not follow him. The Baron is a very cunning politician as well.  Both the Duke and the Baron have avid followers but for differing reasons.  The Baron brings to mind Adolph Hitler in the way people follow him out of fear.  I predict that the Duke will be outsmarted by the Baron and probably killed, but that in the end, good will win over evil as it usually does, and the people will rise up against the Baron because he is a tyrant.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book.  One of my goals for this class was to diversify my genres and read more science fiction.  I’m sure I’ll read the next five books in the series as I have enjoyed this one immensely so far.

In Defense of Rest: A Sleeper's Manifesto

Sleep is fuel for the brain and for the body. Research shows that not getting enough sleep can affect teenagers physically, emotionally, and academically. And with teenagers becoming more and more busy with each passing day, sleep is a hard thing to come by.

Not getting enough sleep is not healthy for teenagers. It can cause them to work inefficiently in many aspects of daily life. Lack of sleep can cause an athlete to become clumsy while playing, can drastically reduce their endurance, and can cause nausea and vomiting after or during a workout. Lack of sleep can even cause acne and illness! Sleep deprivation can also cause someone to be very moody, grumpy, or irritable with good friends, family, and teachers.

Many teens struggle academically, and sleep could be a contributor to some of the problems that cause this to happen. Teens are often overloaded with homework, tests, athletic events, and social events that prevent them from getting enough sleep. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can drastically affect academic performance. Lack of sleep can inhibit your ability to think clearly, concentrate, pay attention in class, and solve problems. It can also cause teens to forget homework, schedules, or test days.

This problem can be alleviated by teaching teens time management skills. Try to study for tests in advance, and try to check the website during the weekend and do any homework you can in advance. Don’t try and procrastinate, and when you sit down and do your homework, actually stay focused and do it. All of these things will all allow a teen to get to bed earlier, and have a better tomorrow.

The Last Child

One of the books I chose to read this summer was The Last Child by John Hart. It is the story of a boy named Johnny who is looking for his twin sister that has been missing for a year. At first glance, it appeared to be just a mystery about a missing girl.  But as I progressed through the book, I realized that this was not so.  As Johnny’s story is told, Hart explores the unique bond between twins, the lengths that family members will go to in order to protect the ones they love, the sometimes misplaced importance of reputation, and the fact that ultimately, most people do the right thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It had me sitting on the edge of my seat for an entire day, and I got in trouble for not socializing with my family on a trip to the beach (until my mom, my step-father, and my grandmother all read it; then they understood, and they didn’t socialize either!).

            Twins have a very special bond, and the author did a good job of illustrating it. Although I enjoyed this book, it was somewhat troubling to me.  The main character was a 14 year old boy (like me) who had a twin sister (also like me) that had been missing for a year (hopefully not ever like me).  These similarities made me wonder what I would do in such a situation.  What would life be like without Aimee Claire?  Would my family fall apart like Johnny’s did?  Would I go to the lengths Johnny did to find out what really happened? 

The author also addressed the lengths that family members will go to in order to protect those they love.  The saying “blood runs thicker than water” really rings true in this book. In some cases, this can be a positive thing, such as a father doing all he can to find his missing daughter, even to the point of leaving the rest of his family permanently.  But in some cases, this can cause people to make bad choices, such as protecting family members when they really should tell the truth.

Another theme in The Last Child is the often misplaced importance of status in society and the pressure placed on young people by their parents to be successful.  Sometimes people don’t tell the truth so they can either keep out of trouble or make themselves look better.  This happens frequently in our lives in seemingly unimportant situations, not life and death situations such as in this book.

In the end, the author showed that most people do the right thing, even if it is in a roundabout way.  Human nature is to try to stay out of trouble in any way possible, like Johnny’s best friend did.  He ended up doing the right thing by leading the right people to the scene, even though it cost him dearly, and good won out over evil.  The “last child” got his answer.

Expectations and Goals

I expect high school English to be fairly different from middle school English, both in the types of activities we will do and the difficulty of each activity. Fortunately, I have more time at school to finish homework, so I can participate in more after school activities. But aside from the challenge set by this class, I am excited to read a few new books, particularly Lord of the Flies, because I have heard a lot of good things about it.

I have two goals this year in English. First, I would like to expand my literary repertoire. I love to read, but tend to be drawn mainly to fantasy and non-fiction books. I would like to read more science fiction and realistic fiction this year. I have read a few excellent science fiction books, but they are more difficult to find.  My favorite science fiction books were 11/22/63 and Under the Dome by Stephen King, and they were two of the best books I’ve ever read.  My next book will be Dune by Frank Herbert.   I don’t read as much realistic fiction because I tend to think of  it as being boring stories about everyday life, so I typically look toward other genres that can take me to another world.  I realized this summer that my thoughts about realistic fiction are huge generalizations when I read The Last Child.  I couldn’t put it down and didn’t speak to anyone in my family until I finished it, and then I read two other books by the same author over the Memorial Day weekend.  It’s just a question of finding the right book. 

Another goal of mine for ninth grade English is to become a better writer.   In particular, I would like to work on coming up with ideas and avoiding writer’s block.  Sometimes I have trouble coming up with a good topic.  Once I do, I am a capable writer, but the idea stage is often frustrating to me.  I also have difficulty writing when I am not in the mood to write.  This can be a big problem when there is an assignment due and I’m not in the right frame of mind!  I do enjoy both reading and writing, but my favorite of those two is admittedly reading, so I am more worried about becoming a better writer than I am about reading new books.  I am looking forward to seeing what this year will bring.