Skip to main content

The Hobbit


Summary: 
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit, and hobbits are not the adventuring kind. But Gandalf has other plans in mind. Along with thirteen dwarves, Bilbo goes on a quest to take back the Lonely Mountain and its treasures from the dragon, Smaug. Bilbo finds a magical ring, escapes imprisonment at the hands of the wood elves, finds a weakness in Smaug's armor that leads to his defeat and, with the help of the men of Lake-town and the Wood Elves, manages to win the Battle of Five Armies. He takes a small portion of the mountain's treasure and returns home a wealthy hobbit.

Strengths: 
The Hobbit is narrated as a serial, with each section describing a new place or creature. The growth of Bilbo throughout the novel is the strong central theme, as he changes from a timid homebody to a confident adventurer and "thief". As this growth occurs, Bilbo also grapples with greed and the cost of war. Bilbo is the first voice of reason when the men, dwarves and elves fight among themselves over the Lonely Mountain's hoard. Personal heroism is also a strong element in the story. Bilbo gains confidence as he takes responsibility for tasks and his fellow adventurers. Ultimately, he attempts to take responsibility for the Lake-town men and elves, attempting to give up the Arkenstone as a way to save the lives of those gathered when the worgs approach.

More by Tolkien: 

The Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion

 Tolkien, J. (1966). The hobbit, or, There and back again,. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

El Deafo

Summary:  When 4 year old Cece gets meningitis, her parents are scared. But she recovers and everything seems like it is going to be just fine, until they discover that Cece has suffered permanent hearing loss. Told through a graphic novel, Cece Bell's somewhat autobiographical story stars a world of bunnies where Cece navigates her first grade year while dealing with her deafness, wearing a hearing aid and making friends. She copes by creating an alter ego for herself, "El Deafo", the hearing aid wearing superhero. In the end, Cece gains confidence and learns to be more assertive with other people who just don't understand how their interactions with her can have an effect. Strengths: This graphic novel is geared towards a younger set of readers than most of the books I will be reviewing this fall in this blog, but it still has some value and strengths for the young adult reader. The theme of dealing with being different will resonate with young adult readers,
Post a Comment
Read more

Learning New Things

It has been a while since my last update, so first here's what's been going on. I left my music teacher position of 14 years to take a 1/2 library 1/2 music position at a public PK-3rd grade Academy that focuses on using GT best practices for all students, whether or not they've been identified as gifted. I inherited a library that was staffed the previous year by a 1/2 time librarian and a 1/2 time assistant, who were both on another campus 1/2 time, which is tough. I've gotten really lucky to be mentored by a phenomenal librarian who is only blocks from my school, knows a TON about the district I'm in and how it's run and is just a great person. Because I could basically do the music job in my sleep, I've spent something like 3/4 of my time in the library, trying to get my bearings, get programs off the ground and provide a welcoming space for my teachers and students. So far, it's been going well. This first post back is going to be focusing on a
Post a Comment
Read more

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Summary:  Gabi is a high school senior who is pulled in all directions. Her diary chronicles the sixteen year old's senior year of high school. Her best friend is pregnant, her other best friend is kicked out of his house after he comes out to his parents, her father is a meth addict and her mother nags and disapproves but is still supportive. Gabi's diary is full of teenage thoughts, poetry and her looking toward the future that she hopes will happen at Berkeley.  Through the novel we see Gabi learn and grow as she deals with the world happening around her and her social and environmental awareness as well as sense of self grows. Strengths:  This book gives a voice to a young, Latino woman in a genre that very rarely features that sort of character. As a result, there are issues discussed in this book that you won't find in very many other young adult books. Gabi struggles with racism, her weight and the problems of the people she cares about. The narrative of her d
Post a Comment
Read more