Last Blog Post

           Wow! This is my last post on this blog, and I'm kind of sad. Blogging every week become a part of my schedule, and I enjoyed reading other people's blogs. I'm glad that I have this blog, because I know that I can always come back to it online and see what I thought about books when I read them, and also how I wrote this year. It would be interesting to re-read a book I wrote about in this blog and see how my thoughts differ after I read it again. This blog has been my record of the books I read this year, and all the thoughts I had about them.

            I learned a lot from having a blog. I was more interested and engaged in my book when I knew I had to write about it online. I also really liked reading other people's blogs, especially on books I read,  to see if we agree or disagree on our ideas. I benefited from this experience in many ways. For instance, I thought deeper about the books I was reading when I was blogging. I also felt that I had more to say for some reason when I was writing online. I also found that blogging and reading blogs is a lot more fun than I originally thought, because it allows you to see what people really think.

             Writing online is different than writing in a notebook. When you blog online, everyone can see what you're writing, so I think that encouraged me to really think about what I was reading. Also, I liked writing and knowing that other people are going to read it because I felt what I had to say was taken seriously. When I'm writing something that others are going to read, I think I put more of my thoughts and opinions in the piece.

              I think that writing online can be liberating because it allows people to say what they want and state their opinions openly and freely for people to read. Writing online allows a person to get their opinions out in the open. I think writing online can also be limiting because some people may be less willing to speak their mind if other people are going to read it. They may be afraid that their opinions are bad or wrong, and therefore are discouraged to write about them online. Also, when you write something online, you have to remember that it could be pulled up at anytime once it's on the Internet.

              I think that some teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives them, for instance by typing things to people that they would never say to their faces. Some people may think that by writing it online it might not have the same meaning, but it does. Whenever you say something mean or hurtful to somebody else, whether it's online or in person, it still has the same negative meaning. Sometimes saying something mean online is worse because everybody could see it.

               Overall, I really liked blogging about my reading. At the beginning of the school year, I thought that blogging would be boring and kind of hard, but after awhile I started to enjoy thinking and writing about my book in a deeper way on my blog for other people to read. I think I may continue to blog about the books I'm reading because it was fun blogging. Also, I think it's a good way to keep in touch with my classmates. I'd also really like to join a book-club blog where I could blog with people reading the same book. I like blogging, because it made me enjoy writing more. It made thinking about my book a lot more fun. I also thought a lot more about what I was reading. I have to say that I am going to miss writing on this blog.

               Bye for now!                                                                                                                

Children Faced With Adult Situations

       My book club is reading The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. It is about a boy, Matt, and his two little sisters. Their mom is unstable and I think a little bit crazy. She has her own fantasies about how to be a mother, and her children are afraid of her. She's not much of a mother to Matt, Callie, and Emmy. Because of this, Matt has to take the role of being the parent to his siblings. This book has gotten me to think a lot about children. Matt has to be the responsible, caring one in his family to make up for his mother. But is that fair? Shouldn't Matt get to live his life and just be a child since he is one? Or is it really his job to take over for his mother? I think children should be children, and not have to grow up so fast.

       This book has gotten me to think about The Hunger Games, which I read awhile ago. Children are a big theme in the book. Teenagers are put into a rink to kill each other, and to be watched as they do so. I think that what surprised me so much about The Hunger Games was how kids were forced to go in a lottery and the ones chosen would have to fight to their death. It comes down to children killing children, and everybody was forced to watch. For instance, Rue, the youngest tribute, was killed. Rue was just a sweet, innocent little girl, yet she got her life cut so short because of the Hunger Games.

        I think that Rue should have not been killed. She was so young, and she had her whole life ahead of her. All the tributes had their whole lives ahead of them. I don't think that anyone should have been killed in the Hunger Games. I don't think it would be better if adults were in the Hunger Games, either. I think that the Hunger Games are wrong. But when it's just children fighting, I think it makes it worse. At the end of each Hunger Games, more than 20 children are dead. Their lives are ended just like that, all for the enjoyment of the government. When children see that for real, in person or on television, I think they lose some of their innocence. I can't imagine having to watch others killing others, especially people my own age, my peers. It would be too frightening and sad. I also think that it's very disturbing and unsettling.

        Children can't defend themselves like adults can. They're not as wise and physically able as older people. So, in some ways, I think that one reason I was surprised when I read The Hunger Games was that children had to kill other children just to survive. Also, in The Rules of Survival,  I feel myself feeling sad for Matt, because he has had to grow up so fast to be a parent-like figure to his sisters. I don't think that these two books are a lot alike, but in both books, the issue of children taking on adult responsibilities is a big theme.    

Change

         I just began reading Awaken by Kate Kacvinksy. The book is about a girl, Madeline, who lives in 2060. Even though 2060 is only 48 years away, a lot has changed in the world. People don't go out much, and they don't need to, because everything is run on computers. Madeline goes to school online, and therefore doesn't meet with other people face-to-face a lot. Paper books don't exist anymore, and it's illegal to chop down trees. There are hardly any real trees that exist anymore, and Madeline has never seen one before. Instead, people use synthetic trees that they buy online, choose their desired size and height, and have shipped to their homes. People don't call each other to have conversations anymore. Instead, they chat on the Internet, by talking into their computer, which types up what they say. I think that in Awaken, the issue of change is important. 
        I think that the thing that surprised me the most was about the synthetic trees. Trees are objects that most people see everyday. They're just a part of the atmosphere, the setting of our lives. But Madeline has never seen one, because they don't grow anywhere near her. This is scary to me. When I'm 62 years old in 2060, are there going to be any more trees left? Or will humans cut down so many of them that they'll be gone? It's frightening to think that something so beautiful and vital to humans will turn to plastic. I hope this doesn't happen in the future. So many things are changing in this day in age. For instance, books are now being read on technical devices instead of on paperback. In Madeline's time period, paperback books haven't been manufactured for twenty years. I like paperback books. 2060 is so different than 2012, and this book has gotten me thinking about how I don't want a lot of things to change.
         Change is a big topic. Change is good. When something is wrong or unjust, it's important that people try to change it, make it better. But I also think that change can be bad, such as if something changes for the worse. In Madeline's world, people don't go out anymore much, instead they chat with each other online. They go to school online, and get things shipped to them. In addition to the synthetic trees and new books, I don't like this change. I like going outside and glancing at the real, live trees. I like reading paperback books and seeing how many pages I've finished. I also like going outside and meeting people, face-to-face. I don't want these things to change. In Awaken, Madeline meets a boy online, and is hesitant to see him when he wants to meet her face-to-face. She knows that her father wouldn't like that, her going outside. It's as if her father is restricting her freedom, keeping her from doing something, probably because it's unusual to actually see people outside, in person. 
          In conclusion, Awaken is a book set in the future. Many things have changed, but I'm not sure I really want a lot of things to change. I know that not everything in the world is perfect, or even good, but some things, like trees and paperback books, are worth saving. Why are they worth saving? I think they're worth saving because they are such a vital part of life today, and it would feel funny without them.    

The Way War Separates People

     War. When I think of this word I think of bloodshed, killing, and conflict. I also think about separation. War separates people. In every war, there are always two sides, two sides who disagree so much that they are willing to kill each other and destroy in order to get what they want.

      War is a big theme in the book I have been reading, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. Gene and Finny are two boys at a boarding school during World War II. Most of the boys are expected to join the army after they graduate. Since Gene and Finny are seniors, that time is approaching. The only problem for them is that Finny had been critically injured in an accident when he and Gene jumped off a tree together. Finny broke his leg really badly, and now he has to use crutches to walk. He can no longer participate in sports, which pretty much means he won't be able to be enlisted in the war. After the accident, Gene and Finny have grown apart. I think one reason for this is because the two boys used to be even, but now Finny is disabled. Gene has so much going for him - he's smart and intellectual, and compared to Finny now, he's in much better shape. At the beginning of the book, Gene and Finny were pretty equal, Finny was great at sports, Gene was great at academics. After the accident, they aren't equal, and Finny is changed and scarred forever. The war is another thing that separates them now. Finny can't be expected to join any war, or even become the athlete that everyone expected him to become. But Gene, the less sporty of the two, still has that option.

       The book starts out with Gene and Finny at the summer session of the boarding school, which was a relaxing time, and where the teachers go easy on all the students. Gene talks about how injuries like trick knees and punctured eardrums were just "minor complaints and not yet disabilities which would separate a few from the fate of the rest." He talks about how the boys were never tested for hernias or color blindness, that there was no registration for the draft, and that no one had to take a physical examination. Gene says that during the summer session he and the other boys were careless and wild, unlike the seniors who were constantly being driven and molded and armed for the war. Gene says that he thinks that he and his fellow lower classmates reminded the seniors "of what peace was like, of lives which were not bound up with destruction."

       I think that Gene was referring to how the war was changing the older boys. There was no longer time for fun and games. Gene also refers to how war separates the boys, the ones who are disabled and can't fight and the ones who are forced to fight. The teachers would soon start to separate the boys based on their physical condition and abilities. War can separate peers from each other, the ones who will have to fight and the ones who can't.

       I hate war and wish it didn't have to exist. So why does war exist? I think that war happens when one group, people, or country doesn't get what they want, in terms of land, power, etc. They want what the other has so much that they are willing to cause destruction. Besides for bloodshed and killing, war has another consequence: separation. In every war, there are two or more sides. These two sides want to destruct and destroy each other, in order to get what they want. War separates mankind, and it comes down to people killing other people. For instance, the Civil War was a war between the North and the South, and it came down to Americans killing Americans. If you're in a place that is in a war, you usually have to choose a side, and the other side becomes the enemy. War separates families. Now that Memorial Day is approaching, I think of all the families who lost a loved one in a war, whose family was tore apart due to tragedy brought on by war. War can also separate peers. Like Gene said in A Separate Peace, when a war approaches, boys are separated from each other, there are the ones who fight and the ones who can't, as demonstrated by Finny and him. I don't understand why things can't be peaceful, why humans can't just work together to solve problems instead of letting their problems separate them.

Themes in "A Separate Peace"

           I am continuing to read A Separate Peace by John Knowles. A lot has happened since I wrote about the book in my last blog post. The story revolves around Gene, the main character who is visiting his old boarding school. While on the campus, he starts to reflect on his time spent with his best friend/roommate, Finny. Together, while at the school, the two boys set up a group called The Secret Suicide Society of the Summer Session, while they're in the summer session before their senior year. At the beginning of each nightly meeting, Finny and Gene, the founding fathers, would jump off a tree into a river. One night, Finny, who is the best athlete at the school, falls on a branch while jumping off the tree, and he breaks his leg. This causes a shift in his and Gene's relationship. There are many themes in this book, and I think that the biggest ones are friendship, competition, and change.
           First of all, friendship is a huge theme in A Separate Peace. The whole story revolves around Gene reflecting on his time at the school and his best friend. Gene describes Finny as being a great athlete, the best athlete at the whole school, who has won many football and contact sport awards. Finny is also very witty and light-hearted; he's basically the most popular boy at the boarding school during the summer session. Gene, however, is introverted and intellectual. He's very smart, and Finny thinks he's going to be the class's valedictorian. It seems that the thing one friend succeeds in, the other  lacks skill in. However, Gene is a pretty good athlete, while Finny is a poor student. Gene and Finny are very good friends, and have a very positive relationship, at least in the beginning of the book.
           Competition is also a big theme. It's not until the formation of The Secret Suicide Society of the Summer Session that Gene and Finny's friendship starts to get rocky. Gene begins to suspect that Finny is jealous of how good a student he is, and that that is why Finny makes him go to the nightly meetings of their club. He thinks that Finny is trying to distract him from his studies, so that he'll be the better of the two, since he's so good at athletics. This causes Gene to become competitive with Finny, so he works harder in school in order to get the best grades he can get, to show Finny that he's still on top. One night, Finny decides that the two should jump off the tree and into the river at the same time. While they're on the tree limbs, Gene jumps, causing Finny to look over at him, lose his balance, and fall onto the branches below. He ends up with a badly broken leg, which means he can never play sports again. Gene starts to think that he caused Finny to fall, as if he jumped on the tree limb purposely. As if his competitiveness with Finny led him to make him fall. Now Finny's livelihood his shattered, as sports were the thing he was best at, the thing people knew him for. I don't think that Gene ever wanted this to happen to Finny, but now he is feeling very guilty for the incident.
            Lastly, I think that change is becoming a big theme in the book. The summer session has ended, and now the winter session at the school has begun. Everything has become stricter and more structured. There is no time for fun and celebration. The time to join the war is approaching, now that Gene is a senior. Gene's friendship with Finny has changed also. Ever since the accident, Finny has been living at his family home outside Boston, and Gene does not see him as much anymore. When he's heading back to the school for the start of the new year, Gene visits Finny at his house. After talking for a little while, Gene tells him that he thinks he might have caused Finny to fall off the tree. Finny doesn't believe him, and insists that Gene is just talking crazy. I think that Finny doesn't want to believe that Gene, his best friend, caused him to fall, caused him to end his strong sports career. Everything seems lonely at school for Gene, as his roommate his away. Finny says he'll return after Thanksgiving, so I'm curious to see how his and Gene's relationship has changed now that Finny is no longer the top athlete.
            In conclusion, there are many themes in A Separate Peace, but I think that the biggest ones are  friendship, competition, and change. I am curious to see how Gene and Finny's relationship will progress, especially now that there's more pressure on them and their departure to the war is approaching. This book is a good example of the dark side of adolescence, dealing with the complicated issue of friendship during a rough time.

A Separate Peace

      Today I began reading the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles. So far, I know that it is about a man named Gene who is visiting his old boarding school. He attended the school, called Devon, fifteen years earlier, when World War II was taking place. During his visit, Gene starts reminiscing about his high school days. He goes past the buildings, which now look more glossy and like a museum.  He looks for a particular tree, one that is by a river, that years before he had jumped off with his roommate/best friend/ Finny. Since I am not very far into the book, I do not have many specific thoughts on the characters or story in general. However, I do have many predictions based on what I have read so far.
       I think that the fact that it is World War II will play a big factor in the book. The school is training all the boys to be soldiers, and a lot of them will most likely be drafted when they turn eighteen. Gene starts talking about how the teachers at Devon always treated the lower grades easier than the seniors, who were going off to fight soon. They never had to take physical examinations, there was no draft list, no one was tested for color blindness or other disabilities. I suspect that things will change - get tougher - when the boys get older, and the draft for the war approaches.
       Gene and Finny are both very different. Gene is more reserved, and I think a better student. Finny is more outgoing, and Gene describes him as the best athlete at the school. I wonder if there will be any resentment between each of the boys, if they possibly will get competitive with the other one. The blurb on the back of the back of the book says that something happens between the two boys during the summer that changes the innocence of them.
        In conclusion, I just began reading this book and I don't have many thoughts on the characters or themes yet. I do have some predictions, though, and I think that World War II will play a big role, and that there will be a possible fight between the two boys. A Separate Peace reminds me of The Catcher in the Rye, which I read earlier this year. They both take place at a boys boarding school, in the mid-20th century. I really liked reading The Catcher in the Rye, and I think that I will like reading this book too.
         

Appreciation of "Huge"

          I am a few pages away from finishing the book Huge by Sasha Paley. The main characters, Wil and April, are at a weight-loss camp called Wellness Canyon, and the summer is almost over. In my last blog post, I discussed the ways that Wil and April have started to change from the beginning of the book to the end. Wil has become more sensitive and caring about other people, and April has become more tough and able to defend herself. I really enjoy reading this book, and I want to read more books by Sasha Paley soon. 
          Wil and April are very interesting characters, and I think what makes them so fascinating is how they come from such different backgrounds. Wil lives in Malibu and is very rich. Her parents own a company of sports clubs, and she's constantly had personal trainers to help her lose weight. Yet, she is very reluctant to go to the camp and she has no desire to lose any weight. Meanwhile, April and her mom do not have a lot of money, and she had to pay for the camp all by herself. She really wants to lose weight and get healthier.
          Like I said in my last post, throughout the summer Wil became more interested in losing weight, because she saw how determined April was. April became more secure and able to stand up for herself. By the end of the summer, both Wil and April lose a lot of weight, and together with two boys, Paul and Dave, they win the end-of-summer Olympic games. Best of all, they beat Colin, an obnoxious boy who was mean to both of them. Both Wil and April have gained confidence. Even Wil, who was very cocky at the beginning of the summer, has become more proud of herself. She no longer thinks that the idea of losing weight is a bad thing, and values her friendship with April. April also values her friendship with Wil, and is glad to have had spent time with her at the camp, even if they got off to a negative start. 
          At the end, Wil is comfortable with her weight, and so is April. April knows that she isn't as skinny as the popular girls at school, and that when they see her they won't care about the weight she lost over the summer. But she doesn't care about impressing them anymore. The most important thing is that Wil and April now have a healthier lifestyle. Also, they both have a friend they can relate to, and that's all that matters. 
           I really like reading Huge. The tone is funny and light-hearted, yet it still identifies the struggles of the two main characters: making friends, struggling with weight, and their insecurities. I hope that Wil and April continue to maintain their friendship. I think that both of them have changed after their summer at Wellness Canyon. I recommend this book to others who like realistic fiction, and I want to read more books like this one soon.     

Character Changes in "Huge"

         I am reading the book Huge by Sasha Paley. It is about two girls, Wil and April, who are at a weight-loss camp called Wellness Canyon. They are paired together as roommates/partners for the summer. The only problem is that they have different attitudes towards the camp. Wil was forced to attend Wellness Canyon by her parents, and April saved up all year to go. The two come from very different backgrounds, and have very different goals. Even though I am only a little more than half-way through this book, I can tell that both of the main characters are starting to change from when they first arrived at camp, until now, the middle of the summer.

         At the beginning of camp, Wil and April could not be more different. Wil's family owns a corporation of sport clubs that are very popular. Wil believes that her parents are ashamed of how heavy she is, and that's why they sent her to a weight-loss camp. She thinks that they expect her to come back really skinny and then they could include her in their company's commercials. Wil, who is kind of rebellious, wants to shock them at the end of the summer by returning at the same weight, or heavier. She's sick of the pressure her parents put on her, and how they often ignore her feelings.

        April, on the other hand, really wants to be at Wellness Canyon. She's always been uncomfortable being heavy, and she's ready to lose weight. Her mother, however, doesn't want her to go, as she likes her just the way she is. April's still determined to become skinnier, and saves up all her money to pay for the camp herself. Her mom, who she recently found out has diabetes, buys a lot of junk food in bulk and cooks a lot of non-nutritious meals. April's trying to escape that lifestyle and is determined to be healthier.

        At camp, Wil rebels against the rules of the camp and gets on Melanie, the camp director's, bad side. Wil leads April on hikes to 7-Eleven and often makes facetious remarks about the camp. April works hard at exercising and losing weight. She is sick and tired of hearing Wil's obnoxious sarcasm. It's not until the two fall for Colin, a boy at Wellness Canyon, that the girls start to connect. First, they make a bet to see who could get him to fall in love with her first. Then one night, oddly, they are both kissed by him. This heats up the competition, and they are both eager to get closer to Colin. The next day, though, he takes no interest in either of them, trying to ignore the fact that he kissed them the night before. Wil and April then form together to get back at Colin, brainstorming the possible ways to get revenge on him.

        Now that they are kind of friends, both Wil and April are kind of picking up each other's traits. Wil starts exercising on her own and wants to lose weight. She sees how April is so determined to get healthier, and she wants to do the same. April starts to get less uptight then she used to be, and becomes more like how Wil is. She is excited to get back at Colin, and I can see her becoming more outgoing and social. Maybe it's good that Wil and April are partners, even though they're opposites. They are both learning things from each other.

         In conclusion, both Wil and April are starting to change from when they first met at camp. Now that they are connected through the drama with Colin, they are gaining traits from each other. I think it's kind of funny how Wil and April start to relate because they both become enemies of Colin. I guess that's how a lot of relationships form in the world. People start to connect because they have a common belief about someone or a force, and want to work together to defeat it, or to make it stronger.    

         

"Faith, Hope, and Ivy June"

             I am reading Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I picked up this book today at the book fair and I thought that the blurb was interesting, so I decided to buy it. It's about these two girls, Ivy June and Catherine, who live in two very different towns in Kentucky. Ivy June lives in Thunder Creek, Catherine lives in Lexington. They were chosen by a lottery to stay in each other's home for two weeks and to attend each other's schools, in a seventh-grade student exchange program.

             Ivy June lives in Thunder Creek, a poorer town than Catherine's. She lives with her grandparents, who she calls Mammaw and Papaw, because her parents' house was too crowded with her sister and three brothers. Now she is going to Catherine's town, and her parents aren't happy with it. Mammaw wanted Ivy June to go, so that she'd see more of the world. Ivy June has hardly ever been out of her hometown, and though she's excited to see more, she's also kind of nervous. She doesn't know how the family in Lexington will like her and how Catherine will like Thunder Creek.

            While Ivy June has to live with her grandparents because of the space her house lacks, Catherine cannot wait to finally have someone her own age in her home. Catherine lives in a rich part of Kentucky called Lexington, and she attends private school. Ivy June is amazed at how big Catherine's house is - that the hallway can fit two beds, that the laundry room is bigger than her grandmother's living room, and that there's four bathrooms. Ivy June is not used to all this room, considering she's use to being cramped with all her brothers and sisters.

             The day before spring break starts and Ivy June goes to Lexington, her class discusses the stereotypes commonly associated with people from Lexington. The kids say that everybody in Lexington is "Stuck-up and snotty" and "Rich and spoiled." They say "Everyone drives a Mercedes and owns a swimming pool." Ivy June starts to get nervous from all this talk about the people she's going to meet. I would be nervous too, staying with people who live in a place unfamiliar to me. But I'd also be excited to explore more than just the town I've grown up in - and I think that is how Ivy June feels too.

             I know that Ivy June thinks that Catherine's house is enormous, but I'm curious to read on about the other things she experiences - and if the girls start to relate as they stay in each other's homes and go to each other's schools, and experience each other's towns. So far, they are both nervous and excited about meeting each other, and they record all their thoughts about the arrival of the other girl in the journals they were given as a school assignment. They are scared that they will get homesick and what the other will think about their home and their family. Ivy June and Catherine already have something in common, even though they have just met and come from completely different towns.

Important Characters in "When You Reach Me"

            I am still reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Many things have happened to Miranda, the main character, since I wrote about her in my last blog post. Sal still won't talk to her, and she has to make new friends. The key that Miranda's mother keeps in the staircase of their building goes missing. Then, suddenly, Miranda starts getting these letters that say creepy things like "I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own" and "please remember to mention the location of your house key." These notes are obviously very frightening, as Miranda does not know who they are coming from. There are many characters in this book that play an important role in Miranda's life, and I would like to write about the ones that I think are the most important to her and to the story.        
          Sal, Miranda's former best friend, stopped talking to her after the day he got punched by a boy on the street, while walking home with her. Ever since that day, he's started to ignore her. They no longer walk home after school together; they no longer hang out at all. Because of this, Miranda must make new friends. She starts hanging out with her two classmates Annemarie and Colin. I wonder if Miranda misses Sal, whom she knew since they were babies. I feel like Miranda doesn't really care about her friendship with him anymore. She doesn't talk to him anymore, as he told her not to. If I were in Miranda's place, I don't know if I would be able to just stop talking to my best friend and to have him suddenly ignore me, like he doesn't know me. But at a point I would probably just give up on the friendship. 
            Annemarie and Colin are important to Miranda. They all get jobs at a sandwich shop, and beyond becoming best friends with Annemarie, she also starts to like Colin. I think that Miranda would miss Sal much more if she didn't have Annemarie and Colin.   
           Also, I think that an important character in When You Reach Me is Marcus, who keeps on showing up. He turns out to be the boy that punched Sal. Marcus is really smart, and he loves math and reading. Miranda and Marcus have many conversations about the book she's reading and about time travel. It seems like Miranda is connecting more with Marcus now than she did with Sal. But still, Miranda knows that this is the boy who punched her best friend, and who caused Sal to stop talking to her. I wonder why Marcus would punch Sal, who did nothing to him.
             Lastly, I think that a third important character in this book is the one that Miranda doesn't know, or at least she doesn't think she knows. The writer of the letters remain a mystery. Two days after her and her mother's extra key goes missing, Miranda finds the first letter. It says things like "you must write me a letter", "I will not be myself when I reach you" and "please remember to mention the location of your house key." Then she finds the second one, in a bag of rolls that Miranda is counting at the sandwich shop. The third letter she finds in her coat pocket. The person writing the letter knows her name, about her friend Colin, about a science poster she did about yawning, and about how she shared her first letter. Miranda has know idea who the person is who is writing the letters, and why. 
             In conclusion, there are many important characters in When You Reach Me, including Miranda's ex-best friend Sal, her new friends Annemarie and Colin, Marcus - the boy who punched Sal, and the person writing the mysterious letters to Miranda. There are other important characters in this book, such as her Miranda's mother and her mother's boyfriend. I'm curious to read on to see how Miranda's relationship with all these other characters changes or grows, and most importantly, who the person is who is writing the letters to Miranda. 

"When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead

            Today I just started reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. So far, I know that the book is about a girl named Miranda, who lives in New York City in the 1970's. One day, when she's walking home from school with her best friend Sal, he gets punched by a boy on the street. Ever since that happened he hasn't been talking to Miranda. I have a lot of questions at this point, mostly about why Sal doesn't want to be friends with Miranda anymore. I don't really have many ideas about this book so far, but I do see a recurring theme, and that's safety.

           Miranda and Sal used to walk home from school together everyday. They've been friends ever since they were babies and their mothers met in the lobby of their apartment building. Like I said earlier, one day Sal was punched by a boy on the street who hangs out with other boys that they pass by on their way home. But ever since that day, Sal doesn't want to walk home with Miranda anymore. Now, she has to fend for herself, walk down the street, past the boy who punched Sal and his friends, past the crazy man who stands on their corner and shouts out random things. Miranda no longer has her best friend to walk home with.

           Secondly, Miranda's mother has many rules about safety for her to follow. These include always having her key out before she reaches the front door, look straight ahead if she sees someone acting strange, and to never show her money on the street. To me, these seem like pretty good rules to follow. But Miranda has her own rules. Instead of ignoring people doing strange things, she instead says to them, "Excuse me, do you happen to know what time it is?" in order to sound like she's not afraid of them. It sounds to me that her mom really tries to protect her, but Miranda knows how to take care of herself.

            So far, I really like reading When You Reach Me. I think that a theme so far in this book is safety, and I am very curious to read on for more themes and issues. I also really want to know what happens with Miranda and Sal's friendship, and why Sal has grown so distant ever since that day.

"Homeless Bird" Title Analysis

            I am at the end of reading the book Homeless Bird. Continuing on since my last post, not only has Koly's new husband died, but also her father-in-law died. Also, her sister-in-law, Chandra, has gotten married and Koly doesn't get to see her anymore. Now Koly is stuck living in the home of her deceased husband, Hari, with her mother-in-law who forces her to work all day and isn't very nice to her. In my last blog post, I ended the conclusion by discussing how Koly is like a "homeless bird", and I'd like to make this the theme of this post and continue on with this idea, because not only is it the title, but I also really think it represents Koly.
             I still believe that Koly is like a bird. She obediently marries her husband, and goes to his home to live. She follows all the instructions her mother-in-law gives her. But often while doing her work, Koly daydreams about one day being free - and being free of the hold her mother-in-law has on her. This reminds me of a bird wanting to fly away from it's nest. The nest Koly dreams of being away from is her husband's house. After she got married, things just kept on going downhill. She finds out that the only reason her husband's family wanted her to marry Hari was because they wanted her family's money so that they can go to a special river to hopefully cure their very-ill son. Then, her mother-in-law takes all of Koly's money that she gets from the state since she is a widow. She then uses it towards getting her daughter, Chandra, married. 
           Koly doesn't feel like she has a home. Her home was with her parents and brothers. But now, she's in a whole new village and now her family is her husband's family. Koly liked her husband's sister, Chandra, and her father-in-law, but now that they are gone, Koly is very lonely. She's out of hope that things will get better. It's like her life has become just being a servant to her mother-in-law, and nothing pleases her. Koly does not fit in at this home, and she feels very displaced. One day, when Koly is walking through her village's market, she sees some birds in a cage, looking miserable. They are not in their correct home, they are locked in a small space. Birds need to be free, allowed to fly where they want to go. Koly also deserves to be free, to make her own choices.
             In conclusion, I think that the title of this book, Homeless Bird, represents Koly, as she is not in her rightful home. She's like a bird, as she follows others as to where to go, but as I said at the end of my last blog post, she hopes to fly freely one day. She's also like a trapped bird, stuck in a cage, with no independence. I hope that Koly gets the justice and freedom that she deserves by the end of the book.
       
             

What Really Difficult Things are Happening in "Homeless Bird"?

            I am reading Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan. In the book, Koly, a 13-year-old girl who lives in India, is forced to marry a boy that she's never met before. She is also forced to leave behind her whole family to live with him and his parents. There are a lot of injustices in the book, and at a lot of parts where I feel empathy for Koly.
            First of all, Koly does not get a say in anything. When she was living with her parents, she was not able to go to school like her younger brothers did. Instead, she was forced to do the women's jobs - caring for the house and cooking. I can't imagine being in Koly's place, unable to go to school just because I am a girl. Then, her parents tell him that she suddenly has to get married. She has no voice in this decision, and it is only up to her father. Koly must then say goodbye to her parents and brothers, and move onto her new family that she's never even seen.
           After her marriage is sealed, things only get worse for Koly. Her new husband is very sick and younger then they said and she can't see him or talk to him. Her mother-in-law is not nice to her, and forces her to do all the housework. Koly's new husband starts to get more sick, and on a trip to the Ganges River, which his parents think will hopefully cure him, he dies. Koly then finds out that the reason the boy's parents wanted him to marry her was because they needed the money to get to the Ganges. Koly is a widow at age 13, but is still unable to return to her family. Her mother-in-law continues to order her around, and Koly has no control.  
               In Homeless Bird, I think that Koly's perspective is missing in a lot of situations. For example, at the beginning of the book, when her parents announce that they will be finding her a husband, Koly could not disagree or say that she's too young even if she felt she was. She has no choice when it came to leaving her parents, brothers, and village and moving to a place far away. She had no voice in her family - when she wanted to talk with her husband, her mother-in-law would not let her, and she realizes that she had simply been used for her parents' money. Now that her husband is dead, Koly's mother-in-law just thinks of her as another mouth to feed. Throughout the whole beginning, it seems like Koly's situation is just getting worst, and the power she has to dictate her own life starts to shrink.  
                In conclusion, there are a lot of really difficult things happening to Koly in Homeless Bird. She is forced to marry a boy who she's never seen before, and his family is not very welcoming of her. Also, Koly's voice is left out of many decisions about her life, including if she was ready to get married or not. I think that the title "Homeless Bird" represents Koly. She is without a home because she is no longer living with her parents and brothers, she is now living with her in-law's and they do little to welcome her, and it's really not where she belongs. It's not a home to her. Koly is also like a bird, because she flies to wherever she has to go, but also dreams of flying elsewhere.   
 

An Important Quote in Prada & Prejudice

            I am still reading Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard. Callie is still stuck in 1800's England, and she has pretty much accepted that she is going to be there for a while. She is doing her best to adapt by following instructions from her friend Emily, who she just met and is staying with. On page 111, Callie thinks "Why did I think it would change? Flying thousands of miles to Europe didn't change my fate. Traveling two hundred years, it seems, didn't change it either", and I think that this is a very interesting quote. 
            First of all, I think that Callie is saying in this quote that even though she's in a whole new time period and setting, the conflicts in her life stay the same. Callie went on the trip to London with her classmates because she thought things would change for her - that she'd make friends and be included in the group. But the girls were still mean to her, and she ended up being lonely, just like at home. When Callie woke up in 1815, things didn't change either. There were still people who put her down, like Duke Alex, Emily's conceited cousin.
            I think this is an author's intrusion and that Mandy Hubbard is talking about the world in this quote. I think that she's saying that people can think that things can change for themselves if they go somewhere else. But that's not always the case. That person can't just escape their old environment, they also have to do things. I think that in Prada & Prejudice, Callie hopes that people will suddenly like her if she seems cool by wearing high heels, but she still doesn't get included in the cliques. A person's attitude and personality stay the same wherever they are, and the problems and conflicts they have stay the same too.
           In conclusion, I think that "Why did I think it would change? Flying thousands of miles to Europe didn't change my fate. Traveling two hundred years, it seems, didn't change it either" is an important quote in the book. I think that Callie, at the beginning of the book, thought that her classmates would suddenly like her if she did things that she thought they would think was cool, like wearing high heels, but that doesn't change anything, as she still is excluded. I also think this quote is an author's intrusion, and that the author is saying that people think that changing their setting and going somewhere new would suddenly solve their problems, but that doesn't always happen.         

Similarities Between Settings in Prada & Prejudice

            I am in the middle of reading Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard. It's about a girl named Callie who is on a school trip to London when she finds a pair of high-heeled bright red Prada pumps. Callie spends all of her money on them and can't wait to show them off to the other girls on the trip who exclude her, when she trips and falls down while walking in them. She then wakes up in 1815 London, and has to pretend she's a long-awaited visitor to a rich family, where she meets a girl her age named Emily and her conceited cousin, Duke Alex. Something that I thought was interesting in this book is the setting. It first takes place in London in the twenty-first century, and then Callie goes back in time into the 1800's, and even though these time periods are very different, I think that she feels insecure about herself in both centuries.

             When Callie first arrives in England, while still in the present day, she feels very left out. She has no friends on the trip and the other girls are all in cliques and don't allow her into their groups. Callie feels the need to impress some of the girls, and to show that she is more than what they think she is, and hopes that she may be invited to go out to a party with them that night. That is why she bought the expensive, very high-heeled shoes, which she ends up falling in and hurting her head drastically. I think it would have been better if Callie just acted like herself, instead of being pressured into buying and wearing something she didn't feel comfortable in, because it ended up doing more harm than good.
          
              When Callie hits her head and finds herself back in 1815, she also feels very insecure about herself and again ends up doing something that she didn't feel comfortable doing. Callie must lie and say that she is the long-time friend that Emily and her family were expecting to visit them. Callie is living a lie, pretending that she was born in the 1800's and was a girl named Rebecca. In both centuries, Callie needs to do something to be accepted by others around her. I can see why Callie has to pretend she's someone else in this time-period, where no one knows her or can help her unless she is a person they know, but I hope that when she goes back to the twenty-first century, she will realize that it's important to just be herself, and to be true to who she is.

             Callie acts the same way when she's in the modern-day and also when she time travels back to the past. Of course she's very confused and scared in 1815, but she's also very insecure and afraid to be herself, and she must pretend she's somebody else and not who she truly is. As I read more into the book, I wonder if I am going to find more similarities between Callie's actions and feelings in the 1800's and in the present-day. Another book I am curious about is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and if there are any similarities between the 1500's in Italy and America in the twenty-first century.

Protagonist's Journey in Paper Towns

            I am almost finished reading Paper Towns by John Green. Quentin is in love with his very mysterious neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. He is currently looking for Margo, who has disappeared from her home the day after she and Quentin spent the night together vandalizing homes and getting back at the people she thinks mistreated her. Quentin, the main character, is obviously the protagonist, and we, as the reader, go on his journey. I can tell that Quentin has changed a lot from the beginning of the book to the part that I am up to now, almost at the end. 
          At the beginning of the book, Quentin was very hesitant to follow Margo's instructions on where to go and what to do on the night they hung out for the first time since they were little kids. He didn't want to commit any crimes or risk hurting his future. At first he was afraid to break into Margo's friends' houses, and he was very nervous about getting caught. But as the night went on, I could see Quentin becoming more and more obedient towards Margo. He breaks into Sea World with her, something he didn't want to do. He even breaks into his bully's room and shaves off his eyebrow. Quentin started to become more like Margo that night, very laid-back and not very careful or cautious. 
             Now Margo is missing, and Quentin really, really wants to find her. Along with his best friends Ben and Radar, he drives to an address that Margo left for him on a piece of paper. The place turns out to be an abandoned mini-mall, and even though the building is very old and creepy, they still decide to go in. If Margo hadn't taught Quentin to follow his instincts, I don't think he would have done this. He wouldn't have missed school, and he wouldn't have gone to so much trouble and hassle. Margo is kind of like Quentin's archetype and mentor. She teaches him to let loose and not care as much. I don't really think that Margo taught Quentin for the better, but either way he, as the protagonist, has been greatly affected by her. 
             In conclusion, I believe that Quentin has changed a lot from the beginning of Paper Towns to where I am now. He is less tedious, and he doesn't care as much about following the rules. I think that Margo caused this change on the night when they went on their crime-spree together, and Quentin decided to listen to her. That night, Quentin became more like Margo, willing to do whatever his heart desires, to be adventurous no matter what. I'm very curious to see if Quentin finds Margo, and how she'll react if he does. I hope that Quentin does find her, because even though I don't think she is a good influence on him, I know that she makes Quentin happy.             

Themes in Paper Towns

            I am reading the book Paper Towns by John Green. So far in the book, Quentin, the main character, has followed his neighbor, Margo, on a journey of getting back at all the people she thinks did something bad to her. Quentin drives Margo to all the places she wants to go, and accompanies her in breaking into homes and cars and vandalizing people's property. So far, I think that there are a lot of themes that are popping up in the book, and they include friendship, love, and peer pressure.
             First of all, I think that friendship is a big theme is Paper Towns. Quentin relies on his best friends Ben and Radar. They are very close and talk about everything from the prom and girlfriends to school. Also, Quentin has a kind of friendly relationship with Margo, since they are neighbors, but they were also friends since they were little children. Margo has always been the adventurous one. For example, she was very curious when they found a dead man in the park when they were nine-years-old, but Quentin has always been a little more reserved, and not as interested in those types of weird situations.
              Ever since high school, Quentin and Margo were not as close. Margo had a lot of boyfriends and friends, and was often caught up in her popularity. Quentin just hung out with his few friends on the sideline. But it sounds like he still likes Margo. After she comes into his bedroom in the middle of the night and asked him to drive her around to help her complete a list of missions with her, and he says yes, he starts to feel things for her. When Quentin is arguing with Margo about trespassing into Sea World, he doesn't hold his grudge for long and instead drives her there and sneaks in too. I can tell that Quentin still like Margo, and wants to be friends, or even more, with her.
              Also, I think that peer pressure is a big theme in Paper Towns. Quentin agrees to drive Margo around in the middle of the night even though he doesn't think it's a good idea, because he's pressured in to it. He steals his mom's car and does whatever Margo asks him to do, driving her anywhere she wants to go, including her boyfriend's and best friend's houses in all different directions, and buying her whatever she needs, including fish and shaving cream. He helps her break into some of her friends' homes, something he didn't want to do, but he still does it, risking getting in trouble. I think he does this because he wants Margo to like him, so he's being sucked into her crime-spree so he gets to spend time with her.
             In conclusion, I think that friendship, love, and peer pressure are so far big themes in Paper Towns. The themes of friendship and peer pressure seem to relate back to love, and I think Quentin has done all these things, like vandalizing people's houses, shaving off someone's eyebrow, and leaving dead fish behind for them because he wants to impress Margo and do whatever she wants him to do because he loves her. I am very curious to read on to see how Quentin and Margo's relationship grows, if it does at all.

Caitlin's Change in Mockingbird

             Yesterday I finished reading Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, and I thought I'd do an appreciation of it. I feel that the main character, Caitlin, has really changed throughout the book, even a lot since my last blog post, where I talked about meaningful moments in it. At the beginning of the book, I think that Caitlin was ignoring dealing with her brother's death, but by the end she was able to fully accept it.
             First of all, in the beginning of the book, Caitlin was resisting feeling any emotions about her brother's death. When her school counselor asked her how she felt during the funeral, she just replied that she felt normal and was able to doze into her own little world. Caitlin doesn't feel sad or even show that she misses her brother, who was her role-model. She goes on living life like nothing happened. She uses Devon's name in the present tense, saying that "Devon says..." instead of "Devon said..." It's as if at the beginning of the book Caitlin didn't understand that her brother was truly gone. She knows that Devon was shot and killed and that he is dead, but she doesn't seem to acknowledge that she won't be able to see him again.
             As the story progresses, Caitlin starts to get very sad about her brother's death. She tries to find closure by finishing Devon's wooden chest that he was working on, but when that doesn't make her dad fully cheer up, she realizes that completing the chest will fix only some problems. No matter what, Devon is gone, and there will always be a gap that can never be filled. At the end of the book, Caitlin finally cries for her brother, that his life was cut so short and that he'd never be able to teach her anything else again. I feel that this is when Caitlin really understands that Devon is dead. She understands that finding closure is much more than finishing the chest. By the end of the book, Caitlin notices that she is a friend and role-model of Michael, a first-grader whose mother was also killed in the same school shooting as Devon. She realizes that Michael looks up to her as much as she looked up to Devon. By the end of the book, Caitlin became more mature and grown-up. 
            A main theme in Mockingbird is understanding others, and the author made it a really big idea. Since Caitlin has Asperger's, she has trouble understanding her peers and her peers have trouble understanding her. But by the end of the book, Caitlin makes an effort to relate to others and make friends. Also, the author discusses in the author's note how a school shooter might not be understood by others and not have anyone who listens to them, and that causes them to resort to violence, and that maybe these actions could be stopped if people took the time to understand each other better. It makes sense, because if everybody cared to listen to each other, and possibly understand what they're saying, everybody would have a chance to get their thoughts out in a peaceful manner. 
           In conclusion, Caitlin has changed a lot throughout the entire book. At the beginning of Mockingbird, she didn't feel anything after her brother's death. At the end of the book, she really started to miss Devon, and she also felt the need to be Michael's friend. I liked this book for a lot of reasons. It's told from the point of view of a girl with Asperger's, and a lot of books aren't told from that kind of perspective. Also, I think the theme of understanding others is important in life. This was a very interesting book, and I recommend it to other readers. 

Meaningful Moments in Mockingbird

          I am reading the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. It is about a girl named Caitlin who has Asperger's syndrome. She has trouble understanding emotions, feelings, and relating to others. She is also obsessed with words and reading dictionaries. Recently her brother Devon, who she admired and looked up to greatly, was shot and killed in a school shooting. After her brother's death, Caitlin and her father struggle to find closure. There are many meaningful moments in Mockingbird that make it a powerful and very interesting story.
             One of the most meaningful moments to me is when Caitlin goes inside Devon's wooden chest, which he was working on for a boy scout project before he was shot. On the day that Devon was killed, Caitlin's dad put a sheet over the unfinished chest, as if he never wanted to be reminded that Devon would never be able to finish it. One afternoon after school, Caitlin comes home and goes inside the chest and starts to remember being at the hospital and the doctors telling her dad and her that they tried to save Devon but they couldn't start his heart up again. While she's in the chest, Caitlin starts to flop her arms and legs, screaming "Dev-on, Dev-on", as if she was his heart inside his chest, and as if there was still a heartbeat inside of it. I think Caitlin was trying to keep Devon alive, as if there was hope that he would still be there for her. This was a very sad scene, because at the end Caitlin comes out of the chest to face reality that Devon is never coming back.  
              Another meaningful moment in Mockingbird is when Caitlin meets Michael, a first-grader, whose mother was killed in the same tragic school shooting as her brother. Caitlin sees Michael by himself on a bench, looking sad. She then goes to him and introduces herself and offers a gummy worm to him. After this, Michael feels happy, and gratefully accepts the candy. They both talk to each other about finding closure and become friends. I think this is good, because now Caitlin has someone to talk to and, especially, to relate to.   
             A third very meaningful and powerful moment in the book is when Caitlin and her dad start to work on Devon's unfinished chest. Caitlin thinks that this will help her and her father finally find closure. This is also the time when she and her dad start talking, working together and connecting for the first time in the book. I think the reason Caitlin wants to finish the chest is because she wants to do it for Devon. She knew how much finishing the chest and moving on to the next boy scout level meant to him, so she didn't want the project to be forgotten even though Devon was dead. Devon always made everything make sense to Caitlin, and was such a role model to her, so by completing the chest Caitlin is doing something for her brother, as if to thank him.    
              In conclusion, Mockingbird is a really good book with some heavy and deep moments that I think are very important to the storyline. The author, Kathryn Erskine, said in the Author's Note that she wrote this book after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. Now that I'm reading this book, I understand more about what a truly horrible thing it is to lose someone you love in a shooting. One day you're with them, and the next day they're gone. Caitlin is a strong character, and even though she has Asperger's, she still expresses grief and missing her brother like anybody else. 


        

Review of Alex's Blog Post About The Poisonwood Bible

Alex's Blog Post: http://alexstutt5.blogspot.com/2011/10/poisonwood-bible-appreciation-and.html      

  

            I just read Alex Stutt's blog post about The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I thought that Alex's appreciation and analysis was really well-written, and even though I never read this book I could understand what was going on. I wanted to read this book for a long time, and after reading Alex's post I want to read it even more.

    

           First of all, I think that Alex's post is really well-written. In all her blog posts she uses many details to back up each of her ideas. One thing I like is that at one point Alex relates The Poisonwood Bible to A Wrinkle In Time because she thinks that the characters of Leah and Meg are alike. I think this is interesting because she's making a text-to-text connection that goes beyond one book and one individual. Another thing I also notice in all of Alex's writing on her blog is that all her posts consist of many paragraphs that stay on the same topic, each bringing a new sub-idea that supports her main idea. In this case, each paragraph is about one character, and it all relates back to how they changed after going to Africa.

   

 

            Another thing I appreciate about Alex's post is that as the reader I understand what's going on. Like I said, each paragraph is broken up into a different character in the Price family, so it's very clear who she's writing about. Alex's introduction describes what happened in the story, when it takes place, and the relationships between all the characters, and her conclusion wraps up her whole post. Even though I didn't read The Poisonwood Bible, I know that a preacher named Nathan Price, his wife, and his four daughters go on a missionary trip to convert people in the Congo to Christianity. Alex did a great job of giving enough background information about the book's setting and characters so that I, as the blog reader, could understand what happened. 

      

           After reading Alex's post, I want to read The Poisonwood Bible. She gave a lot of information about the setting and characters, but she didn't give away too much. This book sounds very interesting, and it looks like a very suspenseful story. Alex wrote that it takes place from 1959 to 1986, which is a long time, so it seems like there's a lot that happens. I'm also very interested in history, and I like that this books takes place in the past. All the characters sound very complex. Alex wrote that "Every member of their family goes on the trip thinking that they have set out to change the Congo", and I want to see what exactly they feel at the very end of the book. Alex describes all of the characters as very different people, and I enjoy reading a book told from many different perspectives. 

  

      

           In conclusion, I think that Alex's post about The Poisinwood Bible is very well-written. Alex also uses a lot of details, so it's clear to the reader what is going on in the book. I appreciate when a blog post has background information about the characters and setting, so I know what the writer's talking about, and Alex did a good job of this. After reading Alex's post, I look forward to reading The Poisonwood Bible soon.