Making the Most of Your Life

Making the Most of Your Life is a book that has impacted me because now I know that I am not the only one with problems. I should just look at the bright side of my problems. I have been stressing too much since I started college because all of the work I have to do. The classes I am taking have taught me many things I did not know from high school; and sometimes I feel like I never even went to high school because everything seems so new to me. Now, I am able to understand math, English, and writing, and I am reading a lot better. What I have learned from this book was not to give up in school and that problems are a part of life. I should just have a positive attitude, READ, and try to do my best. This book, Making the Most of Your Life, has motivated me a lot since I have read it. Angelica

The Yellow Ribbon

The Yellow Ribbon is a story from a book of stories. It is about a man who had been in prison for quite some time, and he had asked his wife if she would still have him. If she still wanted him, she should tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree in their town. To his surprise, there were hundreds of ribbons tied to it upon his return.
The effect this story had on my life is more to benefit my personal feelings. I have been married twelve years to my first love. Throughout this time, we have hit some very rough potholes; but with the amount of love that we have, and the friendships that we share, we have stuck it through – no matter what. In the same way, the wife in this story had always loved her husband, and no matter what the situation, her devotion to this man was strong enough to ask him back into her life again. After reading The Yellow Ribbon, I felt like I was the wife in the story, because my love for my husband is just as strong. Rebecca

Brothers in Arms by Paul Langan and Ben Alirez

Brothers in Arms was a very touching book because I have a little brother who would have done the same as the little boy in the book did for his older brother. He would try to protect me no matter how mean or how much I tried to push him away. I related to this book because this is how much my brother loves me. Teresa

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, helped me understand abuse. I learned that abuse can take many forms and can follow you from childhood until you become an adult. Sometimes being unable to express how you feel and what is happening can make you feel that abuse is your own fault. It was rewarding to read from a woman who overcame it with a positive outcome, and it helped me to manage my own feelings and accept that what happened was not my fault. Sometimes the ones that were supposed to protect you and watch over you were not good people, but they are all only human. Tanya

Coldest Winter Ever by Soolja

The book I read, The Coldest Winter Ever, written by Sister Soolja was interesting because it is about the ups and downs of being involved with a drug dealer. Street life can be rough. The book showed me what I can expect if I were to get involved with someone who is a big time drug dealer. The book also changed the way I look at things. Stephanie

One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

Tuesday Morning was a book that made a difference in my life. It brought back so many memories about that tragic morning of September 11th. . . It also reminded me that even though bad things happened that day, there will still be good things that will come out of it. Victoria

Frederick Douglass: A Slave Narrative

Fredrick Douglas: A Slave Narrative was the book I read. I learned about his hardships as a slave. I liked how he was able to share his hard life by writing a book about himself. Michael

The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas made me aware of how bad life as a slave really was. I have lived in the south my entire life, and I never really understood what privileges were taken away from slaves such as reading, writing, eating, clothing, and more. We take our simple pleasures for granted every day. Katey

The book that changed my life was The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas. It taught me about the source of much of the racism that is present today. I saw how other races were treated . . . I learned that some races were treated very harshly. That is why this book changed my life. Evan

The book that I read which had the most influence on me was The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas. It gave me a better outlook on life, and explained slavery. Thinking on what those before us had to endure to get us as black Americans the freedom that we have today, makes me appreciate my life more. Often we complain about so much today, but the truth of the matter is, there is no comparison of our lives with those of our ancestors. We as white and black have come so far, but we still have so far to go. A book like Fredrick Douglas can teach us to learn to live with one another and to have respect for all mankind. Clint

The story about Fredrick Douglas’ life really inspired me. This book taught me that no matter where you come from no matter what your background, no matter what your race, if you keep believing and keep driving on, despite the hard times you encounter, everyone can succeed . . . Julian