Blog for the Week of 12/10/14

Milkweed By Jerry Spinelli

Pages #21-127

Prompt:  List the personality characteristics of the main character (feelings, interests, behaviors, etc.)

       Misha is very oblivious. He has spent his whole life on the streets of Warsaw. Before he met Uri and all of the other boys on the street, the only thing he knew was to steal and run. However when Uri took him in he learned a lot from him. Uri taught him about Jews and Gypsies. He told him what he could and couldn't do. Misha sometimes didn't listen. Uri got furious when he didn't listen, he punished Misha by hitting him. 

          Misha was also curious. He was always asking question about things like heaven and Jews and things he just had to do. He questioned the armband for the Jews and why they were moved to the ghetto. I feel like he didn't understand how the world worked. The worst thing he questioned or didn't understand was the Jackboots (the Nazis). He wanted to be one, he thought when they were walking down the street it was a parade and he wanted to be in it. 
  
         Misha loved Hazelnut buttercreams. Before he was in the ghetto that was all he wanted to eat (or steal). Misha also loved the black horse on the merry-go-round. When he first saw the merry-go-round it was all he thought about. He had dreams he was riding it, he even snuck out after curfew to try to ride it. However it didn't understand how electricity and lights work. When he discovered it was gone he was broken. Other things got him over it. 

Blog for the week of 12/1/14

Milkweed By Jerry Spinelli

Pages #1-21

Prompt: Describe the main characters

       The very main character doesn't have a name. He actually has several Jew, Gypsy, Stopthief, but what his friend Uri named him was Misha Pilsudski. Uri also came up with an entire backstory for his name. Misha has been an orphan since he can remember. The only world he know is the city of Warsaw in Poland. He is small and has black hair. Misha is fast and a great thief. He is probably about eight years old, so he doesn't know a lot. He doesn't seem to understand how certain people don't like Jews and what a Jew even is. (This book takes place during WW2.)

           Uri is Misha's friend. He is a Jewish boy with very red hair. Uri let Misha stay with him in an abandoned barbershop. Uri is teaching things Misha needs to know such as: stealing, staying out of trouble, who he is, why people hate certain people, etc. Uri is a tough and sneaky boy. He is an expert at stealing food and things he needs. Uri has a lot of street smarts, which will help him and Misha get through this war.

           Uri was running away from people who were trying to catch him from stealing when he found a garden with bright red tomatoes. He went into the sat down and ate them. A little girl was staring at him from the house with the garden. The next day she was in her yard waiting for Misha. Her name is Janina.  The author describes her with big brown eyes and curly blonde hair. She is seven years old.

      

Blog for the week of 11/17/14

Eggs By Jerry Spinelli

Pages #106-143

Prompt:What surprises you in this story? Explain why.

        One thing that surprises me is that Primrose hates her mother. She really hates her. I understand that her mother is a little weird but she is too. However they are weird in different ways. It just surprises how much she hates her, like everything about her mom she hates! I just don't understand it. I feel that Primrose is more the mother not the daughter. For example she sees reality more than her mother. Also her mother is always taking her things, it usually in reverse. I just thinks it crazy how much Primrose hates her!

        Another thing that surprises me is that David won't talk to his Grandmother. If my mother died I would talk to my Grandmother. I can understand a little bit why he doesn't want to talk to her because he misses his mother so much and doesn't want anyone to replace her. I would think after a while he would stop ignoring her, but he hasn't. I think its sad and surprising. 

        What is also surprising is how David's dad is never home. I know that he has to go to places for his job, but he left his son with his dead mom all alone basically. I would think ever since his mom died his dad would be there for him. I think it is also surprising because he hasn't seemed to be home for the entire part of the book that I have been reading. It said he was home every once and a while but he hasn't come back in like months! 

Introduction Video

Blog for the week of 11/11/14

Eggs By Jerry Spinelli

Pages #66-106

Prompt: Analyze how dialogue or specific incidents reveal information about characters. Make sure to include textual evidence.

          In Eggs Primrose hates her mother. She never wants to be like her. Her dad left her     when she was little but she swears she remembers him. This affects her friendship with David. She and David always fight, but they always make up in the end. One fight ends really badly. This is an incident that shows she really cares about her father. In the text it says, "And then the boy said it: "Hey, maybe he's your dad!" The girl was on him in a flash, pinning him to the sofa, mashing his face into the cushion..."My father is not a bum on the street! Don't ever mention my father again!" This shows me she cares about her father a lot.

         Another example is that David's mother is dead. When David's mother died he never listened to his grandmother who was taking care of him. He never broke the rules but he just doesn't listen to them in a way so he won't be breaking them. The incident of David's mother dying caused him to do this. I know this because in the text it says, "David sauntered down the street. No one, not grandmothers, not anyone, could touch him. His mother's death made him invincible."

      David's mother's death also made him terrified of falling. His mother died from falling so it made him scared of it. This incident from the text shows me that, "Somebody pushed another big kid. The kid went lurching, his legs wheeling as if on ice - as if on a wet floor - and for a moment David felt his heart stop. That was how his mother died - from a slip." This shows me he is terrified of falling.

 

         

         

Edgar Allan Poe Reflection Blog

Edgar Allan Poe Reflection

        Before doing research and learning about Edgar Allan Poe, I didn't really know much. I only knew that he was a famous poet. However, after all the work and research in this lesson I know a lot more than before. One example is I know that he had a hard childhood, his parents died, he was separated from his siblings, etc. I now know he was also very broke when he was in college. Poe couldn't afford the tuition and didn't finish college. I can go on and on about this, but I'll stop there.

         Edgar had a rough life and he had a lot of problems that people can still have today. An example of this is: Poe was in debt and couldn't continue college because of it. A lot people in college can easily have that problem. Another problem he had was his foster dad wanting to force him into the tobacco business. I know this sounds like it wouldn't be a common problem, however lots of people's parents force them into schools and jobs they don't want to do. For instance someone could be a doctor and not like it because they were forced into it by their parents. Another example would be a kid forced into a very fancy private college and study something they don't want to because their parents are forcing them.

         Edgar Allan Poe did also have some problems that aren't that common in the 21st century. His parents had died when he was very young age because of tuberculosis. Having both your parents die because of the same disease is definitely not a common problem. His parents were also traveling actors and broke. Not a lot of people are traveling actors anymore.

          Poe's life definitely affected his writing. His stories are about death, and suspense, and misery. Poe's life was full of death because of his parents. The fact that his parents died affected his life forever and I feel he puts that into his writing. He was cheated on, he was in debt, he was orphaned, etc. I feel he put all those feeling and emotions in his writing. I think the reason he wanted to write so bad was to let his emotions out.

     

Blog for the week of 11/3/14

Eggs By Jerry Spinelli

Pages #3-66

Prompt: Are the characters realistic (do they seem like they could be read people)? Why or why not?

         

           I think the main character David is very realistic. There are several kids his age that have lost their mother to some sort of accident. David is a little peculiar, however lots of kids can be a little weird. They can act weird especially if they lost an important person in their lives. David is also anti-social. Lots of people can be anti-social. He is also a bit of a rebel. He doesn't break the rules but he doesn't necessarily follow them either. Again, lots of kids can be like this. 

          I also think the other main character Primrose is a little realistic too. She is not that normal, she lives in an old van in her mother's driveway which is her "bedroom", she roller skates everywhere, and she also goes trash picking late at night to make money. So she isn't normal, but she is slightly realistic. Primrose doesn't "like" her mother, which a lot of teenage girls think about their mothers. So, that is realistic. I feel she isn't the most realistic but she is slightly.

         Madame Duffee (Primrose's mother) I think is the least realistic character. She is a fortune teller that tells everyone she sees "they will have a long and happy life". She wears toe rings, dresses strangely, etc. I know there are fortune tellers and people out there that are like this but very few people do. In  her home every wall is covered in rugs and carpets. Every inch. This is very strange and unrealistic.

Blog for the week of 10/27/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Pages #1-151

Prompt: Describe the similarities and differences between the main character and you.

              A big difference between me and the main character Callie is that she is quiet. In fact she basically mute throughout most of the book. I think I talk a lot, sometimes a little too much. Her voice is also very small and quiet. My voice isn't loud but it isn't like I'm whispering either, it is more normal tone I guess. 

              A similarity we have is the way we think. She always distracts herself by looking out the window or counting the stripes on the walls. I tend to trail off myself when I'm bored, I usually just sit and space out. I don't really count stripes or things like that. She is also somewhat stubborn. If she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't talk. I'm stubborn like that too, by procrastinating if I don't feel like doing it, I do it at last minute.

              A difference we have is running. Before Callie went into Sick Minds she was a runner. She thought it was easy and effortless. She felt like she could just escape when she is running. However when I'm running I get so tired really fast. I think running is one of the hardest things in the world. I feel for me you can use running as a punishment for me. I really hate it. 

"The Lady or the Tiger?"

"The Lady or the Tiger?" 

(New Ending)

          "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." He slowly backed away terrified to see an immense tiger slowly moving towards him. The huge tiger gives a little growl and jumps toward him. The man surprisingly ducked on time and the tiger went flying over him. The crowd gasped. This sort of thing has never happened before. The man surprised as everyone else stood up and backed away from the tiger. The tiger was struggling to get up, right when the tiger got up it collapsed. At that moment the giant tiger died. The king was turning red with fury.  The men who were supposed to take care of the tiger starved it for too long.

                  The man stood directly in the center of the arena looking right at the princess. The princess ran down the stairs, and leaped into his arms. She said she was was sorry for telling him to choose the wrong door, she asked for forgiveness. He forgave her and was never happier. After that, the king saw that they were perfect for eachother and they immediately were married. And they all lived happily ever after.

1st Quarter Reflections

1st Quarter Reflections

                In this 1st quarter I learned a lot of things. I learned how to annotate, write a proper paragraph, have an essential question and lots of other things. However, the biggest thing I learned was to have better research. I feel in this quarter my research skills have definitely improved. I feel that when I do research I now feel I know exactly what I'm looking for. Before I always felt a little lost and unsure. I felt like I didn't get all the information I needed. The AOW's and annotating and EQ have really helped me. Even though they are a little hard and dreadful, they helped a lot. 

                Also in this quarter I learned how to be a better reader. I can understand a story a lot easier now. In this quarter we read a short story titled "The Necklace". In that lesson we learned direct and indirect characterization, plot, conflict, sequences of a story, symbols, etc. This made me think more about character development and setting and everything we learned every time I read. I think that is a good thing because now I can fully understand the story I'm reading. 

               This was a good quarter. I can feel that the next quarter is going to be a lot harder. However, I also think it will be better because I will learn more. I will be more challenged, which will be hard but in the end I will have learned valuable lessons. I think 2nd quarter is going to be great!

Blog for the Week of 10/13/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick 

Direct and Indirect Characterization

            Patricia McCormick wrote this from Callie's point of view. I think it is 2nd person and 1st person being combined. Callie describes things from her point of view, but when she goes to therapy, she describes things in second person. As if you were the therapist. "You say it's up to me to do the talking. You lean forward, place a box of tissues in front of me, and you black leather chair groans like a living thing." I feel this proves it is also second person. 

            "Her nick-name for me is S.T., for Silent Treatment", this is indirect characterization. I can infer that this means she doesn't talk much. In fact, Callie doesn't talk at all in the beginning. An example of direct characterization is, "Debbie turns red." From this text I obviously knew that she turns red or blushes.

              Another example of characterization is, "I trace a square on the couch, nod yes, once, and watch, stunned as a tear makes a small dark circle on my jeans." This is direct characterization, there is also a little bit of indirect characterization. Callie said she was stunned which is direct characterization. Then she was also crying so you can infer she was sad. 

Blog for the week of 10/20/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Pages #1-49

Prompt: Do you like what you are reading? Why or why not?

         I like what I'm reading. However, I would like it to move a bit faster. Right now it is just Callie (the main character) describing life in Sea Pines. I feel like it is moving pretty slow, but I am learning more about the other characters in the story. She is also describing how life is and the rules and stuff for her. I do like it I just would like it to move a bit faster. 

       I also like it because I can easily understand how she looks at things and how she thinks. Callie thinks a little like me in a way (but I don't cut). She notices things that other people don't. But that distracts her. She doesn't talk either. I wish she did, I think the book would be a little better if she did.


       Another thing I like is in the beginning I like how she sort of explains what the other characters problems are. She described the people in her group, the people who work at Sea Pines, and her family. She also describes what the building looks like on the inside. You can see how the setting affects the characters, both mentally and physically. In the book it says one of the rooms feels like it 100 degrees because the window isn't open. So, it affects all the characters.

Blog fro the week of 10/1/14

Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Pages #1-#537

                                            Prompt: Write the biography for one character.

                  

               Kristina Georgia Snow is a regular teenage girl. She grew up in the town of Reno. Kristina was a gifted, innocent, normal high school junior. Her parents are divorced, she hasn't seen in her father in a long time until she visits him in Albuquerque. When visited him it was a life changing summer for her.

                It was court ordered for her to visit her dad. Kristina hasn't seen him in eight years. In that life changing 10 days in Albuquerque, she meets the monster. She becomes addicted. After that, she was never the same, she wasn't Kristina she was Bree. Bree was her wild side she finally set free. Kristina/Bree was never the same. The decisions she makes will take drastic turns and nothing will ever be the same for her.

                    

                       

Banned Book Week 2014

Banned Book Week 2014

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Book List Challenge

    Book List Challenge


1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky - 
    The Perks of Being a Wallflower is my all time favorite book because of the main character, Charlie. The impact from this book on my life was that I should be grateful for my friends, family, and life. In the book we learn about his struggles, with depression, starting high school, and making friends. This book is from the point of view of Charlie where we read how he thinks. He in a weird thinks a little like which is probably why I like it so much.


2. Stargirl Jerry Spinelli -
     Stargirl had a pretty big impact on my life because it taught to be my self. It taught me that I shouldn't care what other people think. In the book Stargirl is an outcast because she is being herself. As the story progresses she meets Leo a boy that loves who she really is. After that, things change and she isn't an really an outcast anymore.

3. The Fault in Our Stars John Green - 
      The Fault in Our Stars had an impact on my life by making realize how fragile and great life is. Hazel Grace and Agustus Waters are cancer survivors, and they have an amazing love story in this book. This story just shows a great lesson of how life and love is so amazing to have. 

4. Welcome Home Jellybean Marlene Shyer - This book changed my point of view for families with disabled children. Neil Oxley's older sister comes home for the first time from a mental institution. It is a story that I had a love/hate relationship with. It is just a great book.

5. Loser Jerry Spinelli - Loser is a book I like a lot, it is about a boy named Zinkoff who just doesn't care what other people think. He thinks he is like everyone else, but he isn't. This is a story about him and how he looks at life differently from we do. Kids call him names all the time but he didn't listen or care.

6. Out of my Mind Sharon M. Draper - A lot like my other favorite books, this book is also about being disabled. Instead it is from Melody (who is disabled) point of view. It really changed what I thought about people who are disabled. They think like us and they have feelings. This book taught me that everyone has a voice even if they can't speak or write.

7. Goodnight Moon Magaret Wise Brown - Goodnight Moon is the book I remember most from when I was little. It was my most favorite. Even though the whole book is just saying "Goodnight ______." I loved it, it always made me happy and sleepy.

8.  The Lorax Dr. Suess - This was one of my favorite books when I was little. It taught me that it is wrong to not care about trees and polluting. I learned that animals depend on the land, especially the trees. It is just a great story about Lorax and protecting his trees.

9. The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein - This is a great book that teaches you if you take too much from someone they won't be able to give anymore. This is a great lesson that everyone needs to know. It is a little sad at the end but it is still an amazing story.

10. Wonderstruck Brian Selznick - Wonderstruck an amazing story. It is about a girl in the past that is deaf and a present day boy who recently became deaf. In series of events they meet each other. It is such a good story and it has great pictures.

About The Author

    Hi! I'm Lilly (Lillian is my full name, but I prefer Lilly) and this is my blog :). I'm in the 7th grade. I love food, sleep, shopping, music, and dance. All of that stuff is basically my life. I love the colors pink and blue. I love fall, and scary movies (even though I get scared super easily). My favorite book/movie is The Perks of Being a Wallflower<3. My favorite authors are John Green and Jerry Spinelli.

             I guess I'm usually a pretty positive person unless I'm tired or annoyed. What I do in my free time is usually dance or hanging out with my friends. I have one cat named Jimmy, two turtles named Chuck and Tuck, and a fish named Rock. I'm an only child but I have a large family. So, that is I all I'm telling you even though you are probably going to learn more about me while reading my blog. Please enjoy my blog! :)