Weekly Blog 12/15/14

The Fault In Our Stars
By: John Green
Pages: 1-13
Prompt:
-Summarize what you just read
-What does this book remind you of?
-Do you like what you are reading? Why or why not?

       
            So far what I have read is that there is a girl named Hazel. She is 16 years old and has Thyroid with mets in her lungs. All she wants to do is stay home and watch America's Next Top Model, but her mom sends her to a weekly support group. She states that all of the meetings begin the same way and that the meetings are depressing. They meet in a basement of an Episcopal church. She is friends with a boy there named Isaac. They communicate with each other through signs as the meeting is going on. One day she sees a new boy there and they seem to notice each other very well because that new boy kept on staring at Hazel. Later on, they talk with each other. And that is where I stopped reading.

           This book reminds me of a group that I go to for children/teens that are deaf or are hard of hearing. We only meet once every other month. We don't exactly have a schedule. We do something like what Hazel's group does. We first say our name, our grade, and something we like to do. Some people use sign language and some people talk. I have a couple of friends from there that are completely deaf. Since they use sign language, they teach me a little bit every time we get together.

            I like what I am reading because so far I really like the way it is written. I like the way it is written because it has a good word choice and I like the dialogue. I also like the perspective it is written from. I like the point of view is it written from because it is written from a girls point of view and I will be able to relate to that. I have also heard good things about this book and so far some of the good things that I have heard about the book are true.

Weekly Blog 12/8/14

Sold
By: Patricia McCormick
Pages: 170-225
Prompt:
-After reading I wonder...
-What ideas do you have about what is going to happen? What clues have you read to give you those ideas?
-Would you recommend this book to friends? Why or why not?


         After reading I wonder why the author chose to write about this topic. I also wonder where the author got her inspiration to write this book. I also wonder if the main character in the book will ever buy tea from the boy sells it. I also wonder how the main character in the book is able to survive in a place like that. I also wonder how scared she must be. Another thing that I wonder is if Mumtaz(the main business owner) feels any sympathy for the girls that work for her.

         Some ideas that I have of what is going to happen is that someone is going to get Lakshmi(main character) out of that place. I think that because in the story it said that a man had came, asked her how old she was, and didn't do anything with her. I also think this is going to happen because the man also gave Lakshmi a card with his information on it. Another thing that leads me to believe that Lakshmi will get out of there is the fact that the police recently broke into the house and took a girl. I am not sure if they did something bad to her or if they took her to a safer, better place.

         I would recommend this book to friends because it is a very good book. It is definitely on a more mature subject, but nothing that I don't think they wouldn't be able to handle. This book is also very interesting and is like a diary that she writes in of everything that happens within that day. If you are the kind of person that likes reading diaries or journals, I would really recommend this book to you.

Weekly Blog 12/1/14

Sold
By: Patricia McCormick
Pages: 1-170
Prompt:
-Summarize what you just read
-Tell me about the main character. What kind of person is he/she?
-What emotions did you feel while you read? Give details from your reading
that made you feel that way.
WARNING: MIGHT SPOIL BOOK

          This book is about Lakshmi a 13 year old girl that lives with her poor family. One day she is told by her stepfather that she has to go work as a maid in the city and she agrees. She will send the money she earns home to her family. Her father takes her to a shop and there is a lady there that will take her into the city to work. That lady sends her off with another man that takes her into the city. That man then leaves her to work with another lady. Lakshmi thinks that she will be cooking and cleaning for the lady. She could never be more wrong. The place that she had to work at had several small rooms which girls would be in. Men would then come and ask for a room. Then they would do whatever they wanted with the girls. Lakshmi refused to do that and was punished for refusing by the owner of the business. She had to work there until she could pay off her family's debt.

        The main character Lakshmi is a 13 year old girl. She is hard working and very smart. I know that she is hard working because, when she was at home she would be able to carry her little brother on her back in a basket and still do her chores. I don't think I would be able to do that. I know she is very smart because since she was poor, she learned ways to trick her stomach into thinking it was full whenever she was starving. That helped her when she was being punished by the owner of the business where she worked. She also learned to tune out all of the noises that were in the place where she was to work.

       Some of the emotions that I felt while I was reading this story is hate, injustice, and disgust. I felt hate throughout reading this story because I hate the fact that this little "company" or "business" is using girls. I also hate the owner Mumtaz. Mumtaz is taking these little girls for granted. They are still young and not even old enough to drive a car these days. I also felt injustice because how would Mumtaz feel if they did this to her? I don't think she would like it one bit. How would Mumtaz feel if she was punished for fighting back? I don't think Mumtaz would ever have the ability to survive in a place like that, unlike Lakshmi who is being smart about it and looking for any way possible to get out of there. I also felt disgust because overall I think that the whole business they are running is disgusting. It is not pleasant for something like that to happen and I'm pretty sure that it is not very sanitary either.

     Even though this book makes me feel negative things, it is still a really good book that I recommend people to read.

Weekly Blog 11/17/14

The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time
By: Mark Haddon
Pages: 136-243
Prompt:
-If the author were here, what would you say and ask him/her?
-Would you recommend this book to friends? Why or Why not?
-What have you learned about life from what you’re reading?
WARNING: 3rd PARAGRAPH MIGHT SPOIL BOOK

              If the author was here I would ask him a lot of questions. I would ask "Were do you get your
creativity from?". I would also ask "What gave you the idea of labeling the pages with prime numbers?", "What inspired you to make the book from the point of view of a troubled kid?", and "As a child, were you interested in math like the main character in the book?". I would also ask him about his writing and other books. For example, "Have you written any other books?" if so "What are they". I would also ask "Why did you chose to have drawn out pictures though out the book?". I would also say how much I like the book because it feels as if Christopher(main character) is talking directly at you. I love it when books do that!

            I would recommend this book to friends because it is a terrific book. It is engaging and you
can easily lose track of time when reading this book. (I know from experience) Something in the story that is really interesting is that the author labeled the pages with prime numbers. I personally think that tat was really creative. Another reason why I would recommend this book to friends is because the idea of the main character being troubled is really interesting because he accepts it. He knows he is troubled, he accepts he is troubled, he even tells us on how he is troubled! This book can get really interesting and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that hasn't read it.

           From reading this book I have learned that not everything in life can be true. Something might seem like its one way but its really another. In the story Christopher was told that his mom had something wrong with her heart and had died in the hospital. Later on in the story Christopher finds out that it was all a lie. His mom was alive. This shows me to not believe everything in life. Even the little things like committals. Not everything in life is true.

Weekly Blog 11/10/14

The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time
By: Mark Haddon
Pages: 0-136
Prompt:
- Analyze the impact word choice has on the meaning or tone of a text.
- Analyze how dialogue or specific incidents reveal information about characters. Make sure to include textual evidence.
WARNING: MIGHT SPOIL BOOK

            The dialogue and/or specific incidents reveal information about the characters by bringing a little bit of their personality out when it happens. In the story, there is a part when the dad hits Christopher(the main character). I know this happened because in the story it said, "When I went to school on Monday, Siobhan asked me why I had a bruise on the side of my face. I said that Father was angry and he had grabbed me so I had hit him and then we had a fight." This reveals that the dad can get aggressive when he is mad. 

          In the story there is also another part where an incident revealed information about the main character, Christopher. There is a part when he had a a tantrum and got on the floor and covered his ears. I know this happened because in the story it said,"And you crouched down on the floor and put your hands over your ears and you were in the way of everyone." This reveals that Christopher has some type of syndrome because that usually happens to people who have a syndrome. 

         The word choice in the story brings a kind of accepting tone. Christopher knows that he is different and he accepts it. He even explains what things he doesn't like and what he would do if one of them happened. In the story he explains that he doesn't like it when people touch him. He also said that if someone touches him, he hit them. He uses words like "Dirt" "Gravy" and "Poo". Those are all the brown things that he doesn't like and it sounds like a negative tone, but the way he puts them in the story shows that he accepts how he is. 

Reflections On Poe

               Before starting this unit on Poe I didn't know much about him, but that changed over time.  I didn't really know who he was or what he did. I inferred that he wrote poems because in the picture that I saw he kind of had what sounded like a poem in the background. As we started to talk more about Poe and his life I began learning more and more about him. An example is, Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. I also learned more serious things about him. An example of that is, both of Poe's parents died and Poe had to go into foster care.

               Poe's life has affected his writing in many ways. His writing is very deep, scary, and kind of sad. He has gone though a lot of bad things in his life. One bad thing that happened to him was that he was very poor at a time in his life. He was so poor that he had to burn his furniture to stay warm. Another bad thing that happened was that he was robbed by his cousin when he was staying in his late father's home. Going through all those things might have caused his writing to be the way it is. Maybe some of those stories that he wrote were reflect upon something that happened to him. 

        Life in the 1800s has its differences than life today. In the 1800s Poe married his 14 year old cousin. Back then they didn't have a law against marrying your 14 year old cousin. Today they do and it is illegal to marry someone that is 14. In the 1800s they also didn't have any of specific medicine to help people. Maybe that is why Poe died. They didn't have the specific medicine to cure/prevent some type of disease he mad. Today they have most of the cures/prevention for things except cancer.

       Life in the 1800s also has its similarities to life today. In Poe's life, he went through a lot of stuff that could also happen today. Both of his parents died which still happens today. He became an orphan which sadly also still happens today. During Poe's life he also went through a time where he was very poor and there are still people today that are going through what he went. 

              

Weekly Blog 11/5/14

The Boy On The Wooden Box 

By: Leon Leyson

Pages: 110-173

Question Prompt:

Describe the major conflict. What side are you on?
Warning: Might Spoil Book


            The major conflict in the story is that the Germans/Nazis are treating Jews like they are animals and not humans. It takes place during the time of the Holocaust. Jews were being sent to concentration camps where they were convinced that they would not be able to leave alive. A lot of them didn't. They would get randomly beaten, shot, and killed by the soldiers assigned to their camp. They lived every moment in fear. Fear of a soldier coming into their room and beating them in front of their kids or taking their most precious belongings.

       
             The main character is a Jew. He went through a lot of stuff that a kid his age shouldn't have to go through. His father was beaten in front of him and arrested. Soldiers were demanding anything valuable that they had after they broke into his home. He and his family were forced out of their home into what he described as "hell". The place that he was forced into, seemed like a jail and had barely enough space for him and his family. They were given very little to eat. They were treat very badly.

          I am on the Jews' side because the Germans were discriminating them. I don't like discrimination. "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" The Germans were treating them badly just because they were Jews. The Jews didn't do anything to them. How would the soldiers feel if people treated them badly just because they are German? I don't think they would like it very much.

I commented on Evie's, Yareli's, and Diana's blog.

Weekly Blog 10/27/14

The Boy On The Wooden Box 

By: Leon Leyson

Pages 57-110

Question Prompt: 

Describe something you have read that is similar to this.

             The Diary Of Anne Frank is a book that is similar to this book because they both have the same over all time period. The time period in the books is during the time of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the time when Jews were being treated harshly and were being discriminated just because of their religion. 

            Both books were also written by the point of view of a kid. Leon Leyson was 12 years old and Anne Frank was 14-16 years old throughout the book. They both put their thoughts and feelings into the book and what is was like for them during the Holocaust. They also mentioned what their family was going through. 

         They also both mentioned their secret hiding places. During the time of the Holocaust it was common for Jews to have a safe place to go or stay to hide from the soldiers. Anne Frank's hiding place was in what is like an apartment. She stayed in it with her family. After Leon Leyson was force to move into the ghetto, he and his family helped set up a hiding place in their 1-room living space. That hiding place was when the soldiers came to take them to their new home(aka death). 

WANTED: GESTAPO MEMBERS REWARD: $1,000 for each man

     GESTAPO members are German secret police members wanted for being cruel and harsh against all Jews. They beat the Jews and invade their homes to take their jewelry and money. Gestapo members must be stopped at once.

      A Gestapo member was recently caught attacking a Jew in a book. He broke into their family's home and demanded riches. The gestapo member harshly beat the main character's father right before his very eyes. After they beat him in front of his family,  they took him off to jail.

     This was the time of the Holocaust. The main character's father was innocent. He never did anything to the Gestapo members, they just didn't like him because he was Jewish. What the gestapo did to him is an act of discrimination.

     Gestapo members cannot be easily spotted. They might have their uniform as shown above, or they might be undercover. Since they are the German secret police, they will most likely have a german accent when they talk. If you spot a GESTAPO, please call this number 7777777770 for a reward.

WARNING: DO NOT ACTUALLY CALL THAT NUMBER! IT IS FAKE!

The Lady or the Tiger?

"Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was fixed immovably upon that man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it."

       Out came the most ferocious, brutal, blood-thirstiest tiger ever. The tiger moved slowly towards the man. Just as the tiger was about to devour the man the princess gave a signal to a good friend and there was a loud screech. The other door had opened, the door with the lady behind it had opened.

       The savage creature quickly turned his head and locked his eyes on the lady. The lady then did the worst thing you could do when face to face with a wild animal. She screamed and started to run around the arena. It didn't take long for the tiger to catch up to her. He quickly took her life while the man stood there, astonished.

       After the tiger did what he did to the lady, people captured the animal and put it in a cage. The king declared that the man was innocent and that the lady was guilty of something. He didn't know what for, but he knew she was guilty of something. The princess then came running towards the man delighted. She no longer had to worry about the man's death or the lady's cause of jealously towards her. She in fact got what she wanted one way or another.

1st Quarter Reflections

     

          It is the last day of the quarter and it has gone by fast. Some days faster than others, but every day I learned something new. I can't wait for the second quarter!!

         Reading for the 40 Book Challenge has been fun because before this, I didn't really know which books were good and I didn't read as much as I am right now. I have read The Giver and the second book to it called Son. I really enjoyed reading both of those books because it was fun, weird, and exciting being able to experience their world in the book. 

         I've learned a new strategy like annotating. Annotating has really helped me by being able to express my thinking while I am reading. I used to just hold the questions and/or comments in my head. That was painful because when I would finish reading the story and/or article I would forget what i am going to say or talk about. I would then have to go back and skim the story/article to trigger my memory.

         I've also learned how to make an essential question. Making an essential question has helped me learn better because I use that question to help guide my learning. Whenever I read something I am constantly thinking about the essential question and how it relates to what I am reading.

       Also, the most important thing to me that I learn to do was to write a topic sentence. Writing a topic sentence has helped me by being able to get the main idea and points of the article into one sentence. I used to write many sentences trying to get all of the information in, now I can to that by writing an essential question.