3rd Quarter Annotated Reading List

I read 3 books, the equivalent of 7 books.

• Treasure Island- Robert L. Stevenson (134 pages)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- J.K. Rowling (309 pages)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K. Rowling (341 pages)

Stevenson, Robert L. Treasure Island. Racine, WI: Western, 1971. Print. (3 books)
Treasure Island tells the story of a young boy named Jim, whose encounter with pirates starts him on a quest for a legendary treasure, amassed by a notorious pirate named Captain Flint. After a group of parents attack the inn owned by Jim's parents, he discovers that they were after a map showing the location of Treasure Island; after sharing this information with the Doctor and the Squire, they decide to form an expedition team to travel to Treasure Island. The trip seems to be proceeding without a hitch, until Jim discovers a secret plot among the crew to mutiny and keep the treasure for themselves. With this revelation, Jim and the remaining, non-mutinous crew take flight to the island and set up defenses against the pirates, and also discovering a mysterious man with a secret that will change their views of the island.
One aspect that drew me to this book was the content. The book is full to the brim with all of the pirate cliches that have been in every pirate movie since the publication of this book (Pirates of the Carribean being just one example). References to the Dead Man's Chest, outlining the proper way to maroon a friend on a deserted island, and half-way explaining why pirates must have large amounts of rum present at all times (they just seem to prefer rum to every otherbeverage) are just a few of the topics revealed in the book. Plus, I have always enjoyed a good pirate story, with mutinies and songs and fights with muskets, showing how even pirates know how to create a fun and rewarding cruise vacation to a dangerous, treasure filled island.

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print. (309 pages)


Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print. (341 pages)

Advertising Techniques of the Future

With the economy currently struggling, many Americans no longer have the money to go out to Wal-mart and buy whatever new item just came out, be it a new iPod or 3D Television or any other product. Many families just like this family are discovering that simpler pleasures can be just as, and maybe more so, satisfying than buying that new television and sitting in front of the screen for hours on end. I'm talking about family game nights.

Many of the board game companies, including Hasbro, are trying to market their products toward a more family-oriented direction. The ad features a family of four at different points in the day repeatedly saying, "It's Wednesday," before showing the mom at a store, possibly Wal-mart or Target, buying a board game for her family. The family then are seen playing the game at their house that night and having an almost gratuitous amount of fun. This commercial really emphasized the fact that a family can have fun together, even with a bad economy, and with all of the technology available to all people.

This commercial really hit home with me, causing me to remember all of the family game nights I have had with my parents over the years. Maybe I am not a normal teenager, but I actually like my parents and it does not bother me to spend time with them. The general truth seems to be that, with all of this new technology in the world, people (especially teenagers,myself included) began to become more and more anti-social, but, because times are getting tougher and people have less money, they seem to realize that they don't need new expensive toys to have fun- they need a group of people they want to be around.

With these new advertising schemes from the myriad of companies releasing new products, a shift seems to be occurring, from buying the new products and not being with your family as much, because all of the new "stuff" eats up all the time you have, to a more family-centric way of living, with the most important goal being spending time with family. Hopefully, with this shift, all of the innumerable problems in the world can be improved or even solved. But, if not, then I guess all Americans can just try to remember their family game nights and sigh contentedly at their reminiscences.