Entry Four: Airborn

   There are many reasons why I chose to read "Airborn" by Kenneth Oppel. It was actually a process of several steps. First, I looked up a list of Michael L. Printz Award and went through each year. I knew I didn't want to read a book from earlier than 2000. I don't know why but there's just something about old books that makes me not want to read them. Next, I looked through titles. I also have a little weird thing about titles; I like simple titles rather than long ones and I'm more likely to look into books with short titles than books with long titles. "Airborn", the title is short and as simple as one word. It caught my eye. This lead me to click the link of the book and read the description. I then read about the action and adventure it was filled with. I thought this was a book that suits my personality and I would enjoy reading it. 

    I made a connection with the main character, Matt Cruse. He loved flying and being in the air. He reminded me of how I enjoy the outdoors. I don't go hiking or camping every weekend, and I'm not a Boy Scout or a big outdoorsman, but I do enjoy outdoor activities whenever I do them. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy adventure, exploration, or anyone looking to read a book with a lot of action.

This is my copy of "Airborn". I also liked the simple cover, another small thing that seems like it wouldn't matter but does to me.

Entry Three: Airborn

The first page of this book caught my attention right off the bat. I think Kenneth Oppel made the right decision to write this passage within the first two pages. "The sky pulsed with stars. Some people say it makes them lonesome when they stare up at the night sky. I can't imagine why. There's no shortage of company. By now there's not a constellation I can't name. Orion. Lupus. Serpens. Hercules. Draco. My father taught me all their stories. So when I look up I see a galaxy of adventures and heroes and villains, all jostling together and trying to outdo one another, and I sometimes want to tell them to hush up and not distract me with their chatter. I've glimpsed all the stars ever discovered by astronomers, and plenty that haven't been. There're the planets to look at too, depending on the time of the year. Venus. Mercury. Mars. And don't forget Old Man Moon. I know every crease and pockmark on that face of his (Oppel 1-2)." In this excerpt, Matt is talking about the sky and what it means to him. He has a passion to fly and be in the sky, he knows every constellation and all the planets. It really intrigued me because he talks about adventure which tells me this book is full of action. If you know me, you'd know that I can't get into a book unless it has a lot of action to keep me engaged.

This is a picture of a galaxy, what Matt is talking about.