In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

                                                      

           In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

by Irene Gut Opdyke

Pages: 288

              

   In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer, by Irene Gut Opdyke, tells the story of Irene, a young Polish girl, and her chaotic life. After her native Poland was attacked, she was separated from her family, and had no choice but to work in a hotel, serving Nazis. Upon seeing a merciless attack on concentration camp escapees, she begins hiding food under the fence of said camp-- right next to the hotel. Soon, her efforts expanded far from hiding food, and by the war's end, despite the many problems she encountered, Irene saved more than ten Jews from camps. Once everything was over, Irene became widely recognized for her bravery and kindness, and was able to build a wonderful life for herself. A well-deserved one, at that.

The Vile Village

                                                       The Vile Village
                                                       by Lemony Snicket
                                                         Pages: 264
                                         

  "It takes a village to raise a child." This phrase refers to communities shaping the lives of children... But not quite like this. The Vile Village, by Lemony Snicket, tells the tale of the Baudelaire orphans' new home in the town, V.F.D. Everyone in the crow-filled village is to take care of the three children, while the children themselves are on alert for Count Olaf, or their friends, the Quagmire triplets, who were kidnapped. But when Count Olaf returns, posed as a detective, he blames them for a murder in town, and now the Baudelaires must prove their innocence-- and save their friends as well. At the start of the series, the orphans couldn't understand Olaf's plans until the last minute. Soon, however, the children's wisdom grew, making the evil man's plots easier to unravel.

The Ersatz Elevator

                                                  The Ersatz Elevator
                                                   by Lemony Snicket
                                                        Pages: 265

                                       



"If you have just picked up this book, then it is not too late to put it back down." The Ersatz Elevator, by Lemony Snicket, tells the story of another unfortunate event in the lives of the Baudelaire orphans. The three children move to 667 Dark Avenue, where their new guardians, Esmé and Jerome Squalor, only care about what's considered "in" and "out". Because of this, Esmé has brought in "Gunther," a supposedly well-known auctioneer, who is really Count Olaf in disguise, with another plot to steal the Baudelaire fortune. Count Olaf's craftiness, in the past, has brought him very close to capturing the fortune, but his inability to plan ahead constantly sets him back.

The Austere Academy

                                                          The Austere Academy
                                                            by Lemony Snicket
                                                                 Pages: 221

                                                   

The Miserable Mill

                                                         The Miserable Mill

                                                         by Lemony Snicket

                                                             Pages: 194

Summary: The Baudelaires are now going to live at "Lucky Smells Lumbermill," where their new guardian, Sir, makes them work like all the employees. They receive gum for lunch and coupons as pay, not to mention have Foreman Flacutono yelling at them to work harder. When Klaus breaks his glasses, he has no choice but to go to Dr. Orwell, an eye doctor who works in an eye-shaped building-- a building that looks exactly the tattoo on Count Olaf's ankle. Once Klaus returns, he is dazed and disoriented, causing an accident which harms a fellow employee, in which he breaks out of his confusion. The three believe it is an act of hypnosis, yet Klaus can't remember a thing from his visit to Dr. Orwell. Upon breaking his glasses again, Violet and Sunny follow him, discovering Count Olaf has posed as a secretary named Shirley. When Klaus comes back, he is hypnotized again, apart of "Shirley"'s plan to take the Baudelaire fortune. Sunny and Violet must find a way to keep Klaus from creating more destruction, or they could be in the care of Count Olaf again.

The Wide Window

                                                        The Wide Window
                                                         by Lemony Snicket
                                                              Pages: 214

Summary: The orphans Sunny, Klaus, and Violet are to live with their Aunt Josephine, an easily frightened old widow, living on a precariously perched house above a lake. Aunt Josephine's terror over most everything and her love of grammar are hard to get used to, but just when the children think they can adapt, Count Olaf enters their lives once again, now posing as "Captain Sham," the owner of a sailboat rental facility. Soon after, the Baudelaires find a smashed window and a supposed suicide note from Aunt Josephine. However, Klaus finds a hidden message in the letter, and the three must sail across the lake, both to find their aunt and escape Count Olaf's grasp.

The Reptile Room

                                                          The Reptile Room
                                                          by Lemony Snicket
                                                               Pages: 190

Summary: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to live with their Uncle Monty, who is an expert on reptiles. The three are much better off in this household than with their past guardian, Count Olaf, and couldn't be happier. Uncle Monty announced they would be going to Peru, along with his new assistant, Stephano. Though he claims to be Uncle Monty's helper, the orphans immediately see he is Count Olaf in disguise, come back to steal their fortune. And, after a despicable act against Uncle Monty, he just might. The three must find a way to foil Count Olaf's plans, or they could share the same fate as their uncle.

The Bad Beginning

(No, this is totally not my freak-out-post-blog-entries-10-at-a-time-because-I-had-technical-difficulties-now-trying-to-make-up-before-enrichment-reading-deadline blog. Why ever would you think that? ...Let the games begin.)

                                                              The Bad Beginning
                                                              by Lemony Snicket
                                                                   Pages: 162

                                                      

Summary: After a terrible fire engulfed their house and took their parents' lives, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to live with a supposed distant relative, Count Olaf. The children quickly realize the man is cruel, and only seeks their fortune, which they can not access until Violet is of age. They discover Count Olaf is plotting to steal the fortune, involving a play called The Marvelous Marriage. The orpahans must figure out what his plan is, and stop it from happening-- before it's too late.

Well, here we are.

Yes, this is my blog.
Yes, this is my first post.
Yes, this is my stalling so I don't have to work on my quilt.