Outside
Reading Assignment
Social media
is becoming increasingly powerful in our society. Your future classes will
expect you to interact on the internet if they have not already. With this in
mind, we will use Blogger to keep track of outside reading for this book. For
this assignment you should create blog entries describing your reactions to
your outside reading book. There will be one due for each half of the book. (Two
total, if you are counting!)
You should—
·
focus on
your response as a reader and not on plot summary.
·
use specific
details and short quotes from the
book to support your opinion.
·
include page
numbers
·
create responses that are at least seven
well-developed sentences.
·
discuss
literary elements (conflict, setting, characterization, irony, foreshadowing
etc.)
The first entry is due November 13th. The second entry is due December 2nd and both comments should be entered by December 2nd, at the latest.
The first entry is due November 13th. The second entry is due December 2nd and both comments should be entered by December 2nd, at the latest.
Reader’s Log
Entry Starters (Pick one per assignment)
When I
started reading the book, I thought… I
liked the way the writer…
The book
made me realize… One thing I’ve
noticed about the author’s style is…
I think the
writer’s theme was… I think
the title is a _________ choice because…
This book
was similar to (different from) other books by this author… The book was better (worse) than the movie
version because… ________ reminded me
of
(something that happened to me) when…
If I were (name of character) at this point I
would… What happened in this book is very
realistic (unrealistic) because…
Comments
In addition,
you should read and comment on what your classmates are reading and saying. The
comments should be substantive and not generic. You should make at least two
comments by the end of the assignment.
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You must have a
heading with your name, the book title, author and pages you are discussing
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You will need to set up a blogger account
using a gmail account. For your blogger account use only your first name and
last initial. Obviously, all of your posts and comments should be appropriate.
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Sample Blog Entry
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I Swear
By: Lane Davis
Pages:108-162
As the book goes on, the storyline gets more and more interesting. There are more points of rising action that lead to the climax of the book. For example, on page 155, when this girl named Beth and Macie are fighting about Leslie Gatlin's death, "I stood up and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. 'You two will never get away with this,' I said softly. Macie laughed. 'Oh dear, sweet Beth. We already have.'" At this point in the book some people are starting to suspect who may have influenced Leslie's suicide. In this situation, Beth is accusing Macie and her friend of not directly killing Leslie, but bullying her to an extreme level that it would make Leslie feel very depressed. Beth knows that Macie;s intentions were to kill Leslie, but I don't think that Macie will never admit to that because her character is someone who is very controlling and always makes sure that everything is her way. This book is becoming better and better as I keep reading. It's all about rumors, secrets and lies which adds so much more exciting drama to the story. I hope that the end of the book will live up to my expectations.
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Sample Reply
Comment
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My book, Waiting for You,
is about high school and friendships as well. My book has friendships breaking
and rumors and lies spreading, which create a whole mess between girls as does
your book. Your book sounds very good and I would love to read it and compare
the similarities it shares to my book, even though I can tell it has several
already.
A
ReplyDeletehey
ReplyDeleteI'm Mike Lazowski
ReplyDeletejkldbhfbvjhpiuiohsbdkfvsdfvhbllhj
ReplyDeleteGOOOOO GOOOO POWERRRR RANGEEEEERS
ReplyDeleteClifford Vitkin
ReplyDeleteSarah’s Key
By: Tatiana De Rosnay
Pages: 1-180
When I started reading Sarah’s Key I felt as though I were about go through a very emotional 378 pages because, most of the book is set during the holocaust. As I continue to read the book I see more and more times of rising action. An example of rising action can be found in chapter one pages 1-4 when the French police came to Sarah’s home and began to knock forcefully on the door. “It’s the police Mama” Sarah said as she ran to find her mother. Another main character in the book would be Julia. Julia is a journalist living in present day France who is assigned to write about the Vel’d’Hiv which was, an indoor roller rink and served as a holding facility for the Jews during the holocaust. I would say Sarah and Julia are very similar characters. They both are calm in times of distress and care for others drastically. In the beginning of the book when the French police came to take away Sarah and her family she made a tremendous mistake of locking her younger brother Michael in a small cupboard. And so far throughout the book she has been focusing on how she will get back to him. I predict by the time she goes back to the house he will be long dead. I recommend this book because it is packed with real history and can teach the readers what it was like to be a child during the holocaust.
This book sounds like a book i could really get into and it would probably teach me a lot of history too. I feel like this book really emphasizes the innocents of children.
DeleteSanthosh Koduri
ReplyDeleteAs Easy As Falling Off The Face Of The Earth
By: Lynne Rae Perkins
Pages: 1-172
I like the way the writer incorporated the views of all the main characters, even the pets, this added a whole new perspective to the way you would read this book. This is an excerpt from a discussion between the dogs, “He keeps falling down.” (Perkins 86) “He needs us to get help.” (Perkins 86) A second characteristic I like about the writer’s style is the way she divides the book into three parts, this makes the book a repertoire of three problems the protagonist, Rye, faces in this novel. For example, near the end of part one Rye comes back home from being deserted in Montana by the train that was supposed to take him to camp, only to find that his grandfather, Lloyd, is missing, “No dead bodies, but also no grandpas.” (Perkins 152) An interesting point about this book is there’s no real antagonist, unless you count Rye’s bad luck. Most of the conflicts presented in this book are man vs. nature. Rye has to overcome the challenges of the world to make it back home, after the train that was supposed to take him to camp deserted him in Montana, “That was when the train had moved. And after he was sure it had moved, that was when he gave himself over to gravity. But too late.” (Perkins 11) There doesn’t seem to be one clear cut setting when it comes to place, it’s all over the place. First Rye’s in Montana in a train, next he finds his way back home to Wisconsin thanks to a friend he had made in Montana, Del, who runs a recycling program, “Looking at his own shirt, reading upside down, he read, Think Twice Tree Service.” (Perkins 53) These are a few interesting points I have found so far in this book, and I can’t wait to read more of it.
Mateo Parzych
ReplyDeleteRacing California
By: Janet Nichols Lynch
Pages: 1-91
Think about this for a moment...How would you like to play in your favorite sports biggest event? In the book Racing California the main character Evan Boroughs gets to race in one of Americas most famed cycling races, the Tour of California. The book is very interesting seeing what some people in the world at our age do. They leave school to do what they love. I was surprised when Evan told his mother he was only going to miss 3-4 days of school but a major cycling race or a "Tour" is no less than a week. Knowing about cycling really helps me during this book to understand the terminology that he author uses. I follow most of the major races around the world today. I like the way the writer expresses different emotions form Evans friends and relatives about him riding in the tour. Some of them are excited and happy for him and others like his parents aren't to crazy about it. He puts all those thoughts from people of him racing behind him when he signs the contract on page 40. We can tell he is nervous about this when the book says "My signature comes out as shaky as little old man's." We are introduced to a major conflict on page 63 when Evans mom needs to go to the hospital for a gallbladder malfunction and Evan has to miss his flight to California to get to the race. He lives in Arizona so thankfully California isn't to far away so he makes it in time two days later. There are mini conflicts between Evan and different people in his life. I am really enjoying this book because I love cycling and the plot is very good and Evan is a young man ready to take on a mans challenge an example that shows this is on page 36 when a man named Rainier says "You are sending a boy to do a man's work.".
This sounds like it is very interesting and would catch peoples eye while reading. I don't follow cycling but i know about lance Armstrong because i read some book son him. My book as well is about being on the biggest in a sport, In my book its about the Superbowl.
DeleteEmily Ritter
ReplyDeleteHate List
By: Jennifer Brown
pages: 1-226
When I began reading Hate List I didn't expect it to be as realistic and startling at the same time. The book deals with a real life issue that is becoming more and more common these days. The title is a main component in the story. Val and her boyfriend Nick wrote a hate list of people who have bullied or rejected them. One day Nick took things too far and shot six students including Val in their high school cafeteria before taking his own life. The main character, Val, struggles to face her fears and go back to school. "I turned and scuffed to an empty chair. I tried to keep my eyes rooted solely to the chair, but found it was impossible. I found myself breathing hard trying to alleviate a wave of nausea"(Brown 68). I would probably feel just as nervous and terrified as Val if I was in that position. While reading this book, the author does an amazing job at describing the scene and making you feel like your really there. So far this story has had a strong impact on the way I view things. It makes you realize that it can be difficult to tell if someone is hurting inside. Nick never let anyone see the side of him that was so miserable and irritated with life except for Val."It's okay for someone to let you win sometimes, you know' he said, getting all serious.'We don't always have to be the losers, Valerie. They may want to make us feel that way, but we're not. Sometimes we get to win, too"(Brown 153). I am really enjoying this book and am curious to see how Val copes with her obstacles.
My book can relate to yours in such a way that both of our main characters in our novels are feeling threatened, and scared everyday they live on and continue to face their reality. Although my book differs from yours in many ways I can easily like the type of feelings both of our authors are trying to portray through our characters.
DeleteJoe Romano
ReplyDeleteTap Out
By: Eric Devine
Pages 1-111
Imagine yourself living in a mobile home with barely enough living space, your mother is a meth addict who is also a punching bag used by many "boyfriends" of hers. "A wet smack sounds in the next room. My mother cries in pain. 'Please, Cameron I didn't mean anything.' He hits her again, twice dense flesh on flesh. (Devine 1). Although this a fiction novel, this stuff does happen in modern day life unfortunately to some people. To solve this solution with his mother's boyfriends he decides to go at a mixed martial arts class. Just as Tony has built his confidence up enough to stick up for his mom (and does), the next morning he gets confronted by the boyfriends nephew whom is also taking the same martial arts class. "...'You f*** with my uncle, and if he don't kick your a**, I will.' He licks his lips, again. 'Clear?' (Devine 28). Now Tony has to fear not only Cameron his mom's boyfriend, but now Cameron's nephew as well. Plus, to top it all off his group of friends face problems that are as bad or even worse than his, so now he must also help his friends with their problems while dealing with his.
This book seems very entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tony has a lot on his plate so I wonder how he is going to deal with all this. In my Book Eli Manning had a lot on his plate to balancing family, School work and football.
DeleteYour character's mom is very similar to Jeffrey in my book. Jeff hasn't gone a day without being drunk, and his classmates are constantly beating him up and he never fights back. Seemingly these characters are very different people, but once you get down to it, they are pretty similar.
DeleteMy Book can relate to this because in my book evan has to worry about his race and also his family at home. It seems that Tony has to worry about getting beat up which is terrifying to all people. Evan is also scared of the race he is in but sticks up to his own fear just like Tony did to his mom's boyfriend.
DeleteBrayden Harvey
ReplyDeleteEli Manning The Making Of A Quarterback
By: Ralph Vacchiano
Pages: 1-126
I think the title for this book is an excellent choice because Ernie Accorsi talks about all the aspects of becoming a franchise quarterback which the New York Giants needed going into the 2004 season. “How do you describe magic? Maybe the problem is this : You cant. It’s a quality that Ernie Accorsi looked for in a quarterback” ( Vacchiano 39). Ernie Accorsi was a scouter for the New York Giants after coaching the Browns in the past. The setting of the beginning of the book is in Oxford Mississippi, Home of Eli Manning and his Father Archie and the rest of his family. The first “Football Family” Dad Archie Manning played at ole Miss as well as in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints. The oldest son Cooper suffered a spinal injury causing him to become very weak enabling him to continue his football career with the second son Peyton Manning as quarterback. The youngest was Eli and decided to take the pressure of going to ole Miss after Peyton went to Tennessee not following in his father’s footsteps. This shows that Eli had the confidence to follow up on his father’s legacy there. Eli did not only play well he set records and also broke all his father’s records while he was there for four years. This book so far explains the traits and football IQ you need to be a franchise quarterback. Accorsi uses comparisons of Hall Of Fame quarterbacks Johnny Uintas and Joe Namath to show Eli’s promising future. This book gets more and more interesting with statistics and of legends, I hope it continues to impress me and live up to my expectations of being one of the best books I have read.
Jared Houghtaling
ReplyDeleteAs Easy AS Falling Off The Face Of The Earth
By:Lynne Perkins
Pages 1-166
Ry only meant to be off the train for a moment. He had to make a phone call to his grandfather, and then he would be right back on the train. The call wasn't answered by his grandfather and when Ry looked back the train had been leaving without him. Now, lost somewhere in Montana, Ry is in trouble. His parents are on a Caribbean sailing adventure, his grandfather has fallen in a hole and suffered a concussion, and Ry has no where to go, no one to talk to, and no food until he sees an old driveway. To his surprise he meets a boy named Del. When Ry explains to him what happened to him and the situation hes stuck in, Del agrees to help him find his way back to Wisconsin. Ry and Del hop into his old Jeep station wagon, and they begin on a road trip. Ry has no idea what has happened to his grandfather, who has suffered amnesia and can only imagine what is happening with his parents. Del and Ry go through many minor setbacks on their road trip, such as hitchhiking with a psycho, but eventually make it to Wisconsin and stumble upon Ry’s worst nightmare. The answering machine reveals that Ry’s parents are stuck in St. Jude as they await replacement passports, and his grandfather has no idea where he is and may be potentially hurt. Del declares that they will head to the Caribbean to find his parents.
I can relate my character Jaycee to the way your character tries to make the best out of his unfortunate situation. Although our books are extremely different, the way Ry isn't fearing what is coming next, and how he is just trying to tough it out and get home, is surprisingly the same way Jaycee (the 11 year old girl that was taken) is acting after being abucted. They both remain strong and I am looking forward to hearing the ends of both stories and how the characters in the books can relate.
DeleteJason Perreault
ReplyDeleteUnstoppable
By: Tim Green
Pages: 1-174
You don’t know what bad luck is until you have been in Harrison Johnson’s shoes. The book is about a 13 boy named Harrison Johnson who has been moving from foster home to foster home. The book begins with him Living with the people named the Constables. They are mean and abusive people who only want foster kids for the help around the farm they live on, and the hefty amount of money they get from charity checks. At first I thought this book was going to be about a boy who has a hard life on a farm and finds solace in playing football. However this all changed when Mr. Constable became very angry at Harrison and started to whip him with the metal end of a belt. Harrison reacted to this by stabbing him in the leg with the pitchfork he was holding, which caused him to fall back into a cow going through labor. This of course startled the cow which then proceeded to kicked him in the head which ended in the death of Mr. Constable. This surprised me very much because I thought Harrison could not defend himself. After the incident Harrison moved to the home of two loving parents. This home was much more stable and the parents much more loving. The father coincidentally was a football coach and thought Harrison would be good for the sport. I thought this was a little too cliche, however it was still good to see Harrison in a good home. On Harrisons first day of practice he demolished the other kids fueled by the rage of his unfair life. “Harrison felt 13 years of hatred boiling inside of him” (Green 76). He quickly earned their respect however, and at his first game he was the mvp. His name was quickly known throughout the town and he earned the nickname unstoppable.
The abusive parents in your book remind me a lot of Jeffs parents in my book. The difference is that in my book they only got into huge arguments and screamed at eachother, but both kids were definitely damaged by their parents.
DeleteJared Signor
ReplyDeleteMy Friend Dahmer
By: Derf Backderf
Pages: 1-110
I think the title, My Friend Dahmer , was a great choice, because it tells you exactly what the book is about. The book is about a kid named Backderf who went to school with the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. This book is also entirely true and tells about how Dahmer acted and what his lifestyle was, which was definitely strange. This book made me realize how messed up someone can be, and just not show it. Dahmer was a somewhat “normal” kid, even though he made weird noises, and he grew up to be one of the most malicious serial killers in history. One thing I noticed about the author’s style is that he is very good at showing emotions and giving the setting a mood or tone. He demonstrates his ability to set the mood through pictures especially well in the scenes where Dahmer is by himself, listening to his parent’s arguing or killing animals, like when he kills a fish that his friend said to throw back in the water after he caught it, “THOK! CHOK! CHOK! CHUNK! THOK! ‘What the hell!?! I said throw’em back!! What did you do that for!?!’ Dahmer: ‘I just wanted to see what it looked like.’”(Backderf 76) I also like the way the author uses real quotes from interviews with Jeffrey Dahmer, to make this story that much more realistic, “’I had normal friendships in high school… and really never had any close friendships after high school.’” (Jeff Dahmer, Interview with Nancy Glass, Inside Edition, February 1993) What happened in this book is very realistic because it is entirely true, and it is about one of the most nefarious people of the modern world, when he was my age, and that is why this book is so interesting and worth reading.
This book sounds really interesting. This kind of reminds me of my book because in my book the idea you never know what people are like on the inside is heavily enforced and that seems to be the idea of your book as well.
DeleteCameron Fine
ReplyDeleteThe Mark Of Athena
By Rick Riordan
Pages 1-263
I liked the way the writer started out the book by recapping what happened in the previous books which explains about 7 kids that are children of the Roman and Greek gods that go on an adventure and how they got there. He also shares about how they will be going on this huge quest to save the day early on. "The point is we'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance against the giants"(Riordan 26). They go on many adventures together discovering new problems and meet many new people. I personally enjoyed all the cliffhangers at the end of the chapter which makes you want to read that much more to know what happens next. There are many refrences to the Greek and Roman Mythology inside the book itself and provides a short glossary of the mentioned myths. Learning something new while enjoying a fantasy adventure book is very useful and fun at the same time. Their world is so far away from the world we have today even though it is based around the same time because of the complete difference of how they live their lives to ours. They Don't go to school nor do they have a stable home. The author still makes it relatable though, having relationships and friends. In the end this is a good book so far and I am enjoying reading it.
This seems like a really interesting fiction book. I’ve read the first book in this series, The Lost Hero, but that’s only as far as I got. I can relate to your book in a sense because my main character also has to go out on a journey. However, the journey my character goes on is not nearly as life threatening as the journey the main characters in your book go on. Anyway I hope to get the chance to read this book in the future.
DeleteYour book relates to mine in many ways. One way is that there are these two twins who have these unique abilities to find out things about people, even people they've never met. They adventure around and try to figure out peoples stories without even talking to them. In my book they use their skills to try and figure out how this girl that they used to be friends with had died. Your book makes that series sound very interesting.
DeleteBri Kwiatkowski
ReplyDeleteEnvy
By Gregg Olsen
Pages 1-151
When I first looked at this book I though it was going to be about this girl names Katelyn's life and how it lead to her "suicide". But it wasn't, the book started off with her death. Throughout the beginning of the book it's about these two twins who were kind of close to this girl but not really and they are trying to figure out what lead to her death. I think this book is very realistic because what the girls go through in this book and how they live their lives are much like how teenagers live their lives in reality. They have the same attitude towards things and their looks on how people in the high school are are the same as how people look at our high school. I think this title was a great choice because, in the book envy is portrayed by many of the characters. In different ways, each character has some sort of envy towards another. I think that the title has something to do with how Katelyn died. Maybe it wasn't an accident or a suicide. I enjoy reading this book a lot and I believe the author has a strong persuasive tone that reals the reader in.
hi bri ;)
DeleteThis sounds like a really good realistic fiction book. I agree with what you said that this book makes many connections to a modern day kid in high school. I find it a little odd that the author would start the book off with the main character’s death, but I agree that the author has a persuasive tone that grabs the reader’s attention. Anyway I hope I get the chance to read this book in the future.
DeleteI think that it is very creative for the author to decide to begin the book with the main character dying. I have very curious to see how the author was able to convey the main characters story without having her tell the story. I would imagine that the author would have to be very detailed in the way that he describes her, being that she died so early on. This sounds like a good book.
DeleteNia Saunders
ReplyDeleteThe Help
By: Kathryn Stockett
Pages: 1- 119
When I first started reading this book, I thought that it would be a realistic view on how life as an African American person in 1962 was. As the book progressed I was shocked to see how derogatory some of the words they used were "A bill that requires every white home to have a separate bathroom from the colored help." (Stockett 8) I think that the author uses this type of language so that the audience can better understand how harsh/ degrading the living conditions were for a servant in a white families home. Through out the book, one of the main characters, Minny, is faced with many conflicts in her life. When Minnys bosses daughter, Ms. Hilly, claims that Minny has been stealing from and neglecting her mom, she Is fired on the spot. Minny denies all allegations against her, saying that Ms. Hilly is only doing this because of past drama between the two of them. Of course no one believes what she says, simply because she is a black women living in a society were white people dominate all aspects of life. Later on in the book, Minny is offered a job working for a white women living just outside of her old bosses neighborhood. On the surface, this job looks like a total win, but Minny would soon find out that her new boss is hiding a major secret about her husband, one that is so big she can't even tell him about the new help that they have in the family. One of Minny's best friends, Aibileen, is also suffering many conflicts in her life. Aibileen has been working for the same family for most of her career. Her boss, Mrs. Leefolt, was very understanding and giving for most of her time working with her, until one suggestion would make her change her view on black people forever. During one of Mrs. Leefolt's annual bridge club meetings, Ms. Hilly suggest that Mrs. Leefolt gets a separate bathroom for the "colored people" "All these houses they're building without maid quarters? It's just plan dangerous. everybody knows they carry different types of diseases than we do." (Stockett 8) I think that this was a turning point in the book because, the author made it seem like Mrs. Leefolt was not like all of the other white women in the book; so when she agreed to build this separate bathroom it made it seem like she was like all of the rest of the characters. I think that based on the past events in the book Hilly is the main problem in all the situations and that she is trying to make life for "the help" as hard as it possibly could be. As the book progresses, I hope to find out what the secret is that Minny's new boss is hiding. I also hope to see "the help" fight back against Ms. Hilly
Both of our books seem to have a similar theme which is hatred. Minny is similar to Valerie because both of them had to deal with difficult situations involving some type of bullying or discrimination. These two characters have to overcome others opinions and fend for themselves. Your book seems to have a very strong and powerful message like mine.
DeleteYour book the help seems very interesting the way you describe it with such detail. I saw the movie and was always interested in reading the book but never really knew if it would be as good as the book. Now I know and can't wait to read it.
DeleteReid Montgomery
ReplyDeletePeyton Manning
By: Lew Freedman
(1-97)
I am reading the Peyton Manning biography by Leu Freedman. This is the life story of one of the greatest football players of all time. Peyton Manning was born on March 24th 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was introduced to football by his father Archie Manning who also was a prof football player in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings. During his younger years Peyton developed a love for football, by watching tapes of his father playing football for the University of Mississippi. His father and mother also brought him to watch football games at the University of Mississippi otherwise known as Ole Miss. When Peyton was in High School, he became the quaterback of the Isidore Newman high school. His brother Cooper Manning was a reciever on the high school team. Cooper Manning is recruited by the University of Mississippi but has to give up football due to a spinal condition. Peyton is also recruited by numerous colleges all over the country. Most people thought he would play for Ole Miss but because of his brother Peyton decides to attend the University of Tennessee. During his Freshman year of college Peyton ends up becoming the starting quarterback because two other quarterbacks' injuries. Peyton is so outstanding as a quarterback that his team ranks high and he is named MVP in the Citrus Bowl. Everything wasn't great in college though, in 1996 Peyton is accused of sexual harassment, one of the trainers accused Peyton of dropping his pants in the athletic facility. When manning finished college everyone expected him to turn pro but he didn't. Instead of going to pro he decides to spend his last year playing football at Tennessee. They win the southern conference title and move on to the Orange Bowl. Everyone expects to win the Heisman trophy but he looses the vote to Michigans, Charles Woodson.
Peyton Manning is one of my favorite football players, I thought i knew a lot about him, but reading this book I have learned things about him I never knew.
Evan
DeleteThe Columbine School Shootings
by Jenny MacKay
Chapters 1-3
When I started reading the book, I thought it was going to be about two crazy kids that walked into the school and started shooting the place up. Instead, the author focuses on how other people responded to the shooting. The entire first chapter is about the police response to what was happening. They set up a central command and tried to get the students out of the buildng as safe as possible. "At 4:45 p.m., five and a half hours after the first emergency calls were made tot he Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, SWAT teams had cleared the building of all known victims still hiding out in classrooms and other spaces. In all, twelve students, one teacher and the two gunmen lay dead inside the school." (page 26) They also talked about the logistics of a crime scene. The police had to get the bodies out, investigate what happened. What surprised me was the amount of damage they had done to the school. The news cameras only showed what had happened on the outside, but it was interesting to read about the inside. "In all, the ballastics evidence collected by investigators at the crime scene showed that a total of 329 shots were fired in and around the crime scene." (page 38)
It surprises me how they just walked into the school and started shooting. The next chapter is about the killers themselves, and I am curious how they got away with planning the whole thing out.
Kenneth Chee
ReplyDeleteHush, Hush
by Becca Fitzpatrick
pgs: 1 - 52
I have recently finished the book, Hush, Hush. This book is an amazing book about a girl with a complex background, she isn’t aware herself. Nora Grey has a new partner for chemistry class, though he is a bit annoying at first, but he has a mysterious darkness in him. The new boy’s name is Patch, and oddball who likes to gamble with pool and drives a nice car. Nora’s best friend, Vee, who is ever supportive tries to set them up with each other. Nora who is a very strong willed girl tries not to fall for Vee’s little tricks, however they are way too convincing to ignore. Little by little, Nora starts to have feelings for Patch, but discovers a huge dark secret which no mortal is supposed to know.
This book has made me realized the unexpected things that happen in life. There are twists and turns that can happen, and you have to be careful with these turns. Like a new person who emerges and changes your perspective in life. In the page 12, Patch is a new student in the class, Nora at first views him as a “quiet” person. Then, Patch starts doing creepy things, like guessing everything in her private life. “Free time,” he repeated thoughtfully “I take pictures”, was one great example since one of Nora’s hobbies is photography. After this brief meeting with Patch, Nora views him as “He’s tall, dark, and annoying.”. For Patch being a quiet boy to an annoying one was one unexpected turn. However, later on in chapter 3 pg 33, Nora starts to show a lot of affection towards Patch’s dark side eventually falling for him by the end of the chapter (with a little of Vee’s help).This was another unexpected turn in her life, since this affects her social life and later on her decision between life or death. After reading more of the book, I started to be more aware of these unexpected turns in my life.
Like your book my book also has many twists. A character in my book was also first seen differently than she really was. Kaitlyn, she was seen as the quiet sulky girl who no one payed attention to. Until the day she died. After her death these two twins who used to be friends with her started to find out secrets and different things about her no one ever knew. This character relates to Patch because they were seen differently than what they really were.
DeleteMy book is similar to yours because Patch's personality completely changed, like Nick's did in my book. Everyone at school viewed Nick as a shy and weird kid, meanwhile he was a completely different person than they thought he was. Your book sounds really interesting and I would like to read it to compare both of the main characters.
DeleteShip Out of Luck
ReplyDeleteby, Neal Shustrean
Pages 1-78
When I first started reading the book I new I would end up liking it. The book contains humor as seen on pg 1 in the first sentence he says " dont ask me because I dont got an opinion". which is a joke and you would clearly understand by reading the book because the main character Anthoney is always being told what to do by everyone. Throughout the story the auther uses forshadowing by leaving bits and clues of what will happen next. An example would be on page 2 in the first paragraph Athoney says " what happened on the boat-excuse me, I,mean ship had nothing to do with making a political statement, and if I had known I was gonna be thrust onto the national stage like a pinata in headlights, I woulda stayed home." this was before the main character went on the ship or even got in trouble. Overall the auther wrote a very interesting story and adding humor but at the same telling a story full of twists and turns. He expresses himself clearly with imagery. This is a 9 out of 10 book.
Pj Fraterrigo
ReplyDeleteThe Stand
By: Stephen King
I first started reading the stand over the summer, and I got about a quarter of the way through it by then. It was still picking up momentum in terms of action and storyline, but it was getting there. The plot takes place in the US, after an epidemic breaks out and almost all of the population is killed. The disease became commonly known as Captain Tripps, and now those who were immune to it have to live on their own. The characters in the book experience two types of dreams; one of an old African American lady, who becomes known as Mother Abigail, beckons them kindly to come to Colorado, while in their other dreams, a Dark Man known as Randall Flagg haunts them with nightmares of theirs worst fears. I can relate to Glen Bateman, one of the many protagonists, because we share similar sociological views on society. I really liked how the author portrayed how humans would react after the plague, and find his view on it to be an accurate one. Toward the end of the book, the four main protagonists, Glen Bateman, Stu Redman, Larry Underwood and Ralph Brentner were sent to Las Vegas to be rid of the Dark Man forever. The reason that they all went on this noble quest is because their leader, Mother Abigail, sent them to go deal with the Dark Man once and for all. After all, it was her dying wish, as she would say “... I’m going home to glory,” (pg 917) so they could not simply say no… I can not wait to finish this book, and see whether good triumphs over evil, or if they all fall.
Zach Percy
ReplyDeleteSunrise over Fallujah
By Walter Dean Myers
The book opens with a letter from the protagonist of the story, Robin, to his uncle, who fought in the Vietnam War. Throughout the book, Robin writes letters to his uncle because he went through the things he's going through and he'd be the only one who'd understand. After the letter, it opens to Robin, and the others from his platoon, being introduced at their base in Kuwait. Later on, they are shown a video presenting all of the terrible and evil things that Saddam Hussein has done to the citizens of Iraq. The video was designed to make them angry and to get them motivated to fight. This, however, did not work for Robin. "I didn't want to see those people laying dead. I tried to get myself mad, but I only managed to feel scared." (Myers 17) Throughout the novel, Robin is dealing with these mixed emotions that he has about fighting, about the war, and it shows how he deals and reacts to the events taking place around him. "I felt myself tensing. For a moment I closed my eyes, then realized what I was doing, and opened them again. i felt my hand sweating and wiped it on my pants leg." (Myers 80) So far there has been a conflict of man vs. self building up inside of Robin and the book seems like it's going to be dealing with whether he can overcome his fears and help fight for his country.
Santhosh Koduri
ReplyDeleteAs Easy As Falling Off The Face Of The Earth
By: Lynne Rae Perkins
Pages: 172- 212
Ry is currently staying at the house of a friend of Del, Sharon. Sharon is a good friend of Del who has a young son. This is a quote telling the reader the name of the son of Sharon, “‘ This is Miles,’” (Perkins 180) After they’re done resting at the house of Sharon, Ry is driving along the road while Del is sitting in the back seat. This is a quote about the drive, “ Driving through the countryside.” (Perkins 202) Ry is driving to Del’s friend’s house to get a plane to visit his parents. This is a quote where Ry is asking Del about the plane, “‘So, is the airplane really homemade?’ asked Ry.” (Perkins 211) Ry is going to visit his parents to share the news about his missing grandfather. This is a quote where Ry is debating whether he should tell his parents or not, “‘ I hate to ruin their vacation,’ Ry said …” (Perkins 172) I like the way the author uses imagery to describe the surroundings. This is a quote describing the night sky, “ Black nutrient-rich night poured silently into the car. The air was heavy enough to pin a person down …” (Perkins 212-213) In the middle I encountered the dog’s journey back home. This is a quote where the dogs talk about where they are, “I don’t think this is right. I never saw anything like this. And it doesn’t smell familiar at all.” (Perkins 207) To recap about the dogs, they left to find their way home after Lloyd, Ry’s grandfather, fell into a ditch in the woods while he was taking the dogs on a walk. At first they went to go get help, but they couldn’t find any. In an effort to get help they get lost and decide to find their way home. I like the way the author gives the story somewhat of a parallel structure by providing the journey of the dogs while the journey of Ry is being told. The journey of Ry is across the country, while the journey of the dogs is on a lower scale. This is describing the current situation for Ry, our main character, his friend Del, and the dogs: Peg and Olie.
Jared Signor
ReplyDeleteMy Friend Dahmer
By:Derf Backerf
Pages: 111-224
When I started reading this book,I thought that Jeffrey Dahmer was kinda weird; but a lot of people are weird when they're young and grow up to be normal people. But when I kept reading into the second half of the book, Jeff became less weird and more creepy. He began having sick and twisted fantasies about doing weird stuff to dead guys, and began hitting the bottle heavily, "It was a ten minute drive to the mall. Dahmer polished off the entire six pack before we arrived. Chugging a gallon of beer was obviously nothing out of the norm for him." (Backderf 133). If I were Derf at this point I probably would've told someone that my classmate came to school hammered every day. Although the teachers definitely should've realized something was wrong because according to Backderf, Jeff reeked of booze, so I'm sure some of the teachers noticed he smelled like a bottle of whiskey, "Dahmer never drank at home, for fear of being caught... he thought it safer... to drink at school!" (Backderf 125). But since it was a different time, and pot was smoked in the bathrooms, I guess a drunk student wasn't the worst thing a teacher could have experienced at that time. It still blows my mind how he got away with everything he did, but what goes around comes around.
Jeffrey is very similar to my main characters mom and her boyfriend. The time Jeffrey came to school drunk, one time Tony came home and found his mom and her boyfriend smoking illegal narcotics. They did it all weekend and Tony felt like he became the parent, and that that isn't even the worst thing his mom's done.
DeleteIn your story Jeffrey comes to school drunk anf he knows there will be a consequence if he is caught. He knows he runs the risk by doing this. This relates to my story because Ry knows he is risking his life trying to cross the country to finds his parents. He knows he will have to. Overcome many obstacles on his.journey but he tries anyway.
DeleteThis book seems really interesting. The rising action from weird to creepy is amazin. I would really love to read this book.
DeleteJared Houghtaling
ReplyDeleteAs Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth
By:Lynne Rae Perkins
Pages: 177-352
Have you ever been in a situation where you know the only way out is to overcome obstacles but been to afraid to even try? Well in my book the main character Ry finds himslef in a situation just like that. He is stranded in Montana, and he cannot get a hold of either his grandfather or his parents who are on a vacation in Saint Jude. What would you do in a situation like this? Give up? Some might but definitely not Ry. Ry is determined to find out what happened to his family. After Del, the kid he met in montana who offers to help find his parents, and Ry reach Florida they meet up with one of Dels friends Yulia, who offers them a place to stay and a boat to use to get to St. Jude. "Can I get you a beer? Or do you want a coffee?"(Perkins 178) This is showing how welcoming Yulia was when Ry and Del showed up at her house. Ry and Del will still face many difficulties and struggle while on their way to St. Jude, such as stearing off course and an injury that occurs to Del while playing with a windmill. "I'm not dead, but i might need a docter."(Perkins 302) This is said by Del after he is Thrown through the air by a windmill. After this hapopens Ry is forced to continue the journey by himself. After i had gone all this way with a person and becoming i would not be able the just leave someone behind like this and finish without him. Through 4 ways of transportaion and traveling half way across the country to reunite with his family who is stuck on an island shows true determintaion. Knowing Ry is a teen just like I am, and how brave and couragous he is shows me what I could be, because if I ever found myself in a situaion as awful as this I wouldnt even know where to begin, but I sure know I wouldnt make it out alive.
In your entry you talk about determination. In my book Evan the main character is determined to Race and finish the Tour of California. evan also faces struggles in my book and has many challenges to overcome for example his roommate and the race itself. I also agree with you in your last sentence when you talk about being courageous and if a kid like us could do that it shows if we put our minds to it we can also accomplish that.
DeleteMateo Parzych
ReplyDeleteRacing California
By: Janet Nichols Lynch
Pages: 91-182
Evan Boroughs is riding at his full potential at the Tour of California, which is why I think the author named the book Racing California. In the book the second part of the chapters are named after the stages of the race. Each stage Evan has to go through which seems like endless challenges. How would like to find out that your biggest sports hero is using PED’s to help him in the sport. I can relate to that last sentence; my childhood hero was Lance Armstrong and as most of us know that he was found guilty earlier this year of using PED’s in during his cycling career. Evan finds out when dash get caught after wining a stage on page 143. Dash then tries to explain when he says, “Don’t be. This racing business is all a gamble. I took a risk, and I lost.” That is a big conflict in the last part of the book because now Evan’s team has to race for a new leader that the manager picks. Evan doesn’t agree with the decisions and now is kind of forced to make his own decisions during the last stage of the race. If I was Evan at this point I would have done what he did and he went with his gut to help him receive the best young rider of the Tour of California, which is the best rider under 23 in the race. I really did enjoy this book a lot and I do recommend this book to people whom like cycling. The end of the book is truly amazing because it shows that if you put your mind to anything you want, it can be accomplished just like Evan in the tour of California.
In your story the main character evan trains 5 weeks for one big race in California. This relates to my book because Ry is determined to find his parents who are ttapped in an island off the coast of Florida. Both the main characters are determined to do something.
DeleteDylan O'Connor
ReplyDeleteLebron James: A Biography
By: Lew Freedman
Pages 52 - 101
As I delve deeper into the biography of Lebron James, not only am I learning about the life he has led up to his current high athletic stature, but I am also learning to respect him even more for the work ethic he has shown. This portion of the reading covers his time playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Being that he grew up in Akron, Ohio, his draft into the NBA by the Cavaliers seemed picture perfect. On page 64, Freedman notes that, "(The Cleveland Cavaliers) won the best possible scenario for a vibrant future." While playing for the team, he single-handedly (although some Cavs' players may not totally agree with that) carried the team towards many victories, and even the NBA Finals. His actions and skills shown on the court during his years with the Cavaliers, I would argue, truly lived up to the comments that Lebron James made when he was drafted. Page 68 states that, "On draft night, James pledged to light up Cleveland 'like Las Vegas' with his basketball prowess." This is a great example of the dedication he showed towards his role and strong work ethic, which he displayed on a constant basis.
Your book really relates to mine because both of our characters work extremely hard to reach their goals.
DeleteJoe Romano
ReplyDeleteTap Out
By: Eric Devine
Pages:111-215
Finally, Tony has proven his spot in the MMA training. He brings fear to everyone, including his mom's barbaric boyfriend and his nephew. "I do what they tell me and feel Rob's muscles tighten and twist, but then go slack. He grunts and taps the mat twice" (Devine 126). Although Tony has just taken down the best pupil of the class, Dave, the mom's boyfriend's nephew still wants to take him on. Tony knows he can take down Dave, but fear is starting to take over that thought. The fear of which if Tony beats Dave, Dave will go crying back to his uncle to beat him up; and Tony knows he couldn't take him down. Now with that problem following him another one has come up. The biker gang of meth dealers now have been bothering Tony and his friends to join the gang. Everyone accepts the invitation because it is quick easy money they think of it as, except for Tony who declined. People in our world today think of drug dealing as an easy quick money making business. What they don't realize is high risk of being caught. I feel that Tony's friends are eventually going to get caught and everything will then fall apart for him.
Brayden Harvey
ReplyDeleteEli Manning the Making of a Quarterback
By: Ralph vacchiano
Pages: 129-277
I think the writers theme was comparing Eli Manning to other great quarterbacks such as Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Steve Young. A recurring theme was that every great quarterback had a go to wide receiver. “All great Quarterbacks had a receiver like him” Vacchiano (154). Both Steve Young and Joe Montana had Jerry Rice, Dan Marino had Mark Clayton ; Johnny Unitas had Raymond Berry. “Randy Moss up in New England- That’s an entirely different offense than it was [ before he got there].” Vacchiano (154). The New York Giant retrieved Plaxico Burres from the Pittsburgh Steelersduring free agency. He was supposed to be that go to wide receiver for Eli Manning and the New York Giants. In the beginning of the 2007-2008 seasons he was hurt but he came back strong and led them to the Superbowl and also had the game winning touchdown reception with 34 seconds left. Ernie Accorsi says “it was the most important free agent signing in a long time.” This book lived up to my high expectations and it gave me information about my favorite team. This book was eloquently written. I would recommend this book to any sports fan.
Emily Ritter
ReplyDeleteHate List
By:Jennifer Brown
Pages:227-398
The second half of Hate List was very emotional. The main character, Val, persevered through many difficult obstacles. Most of her peers never accepted her and moved on from the shooting. I thought that it was really amazing when one of the victims accepted her apology. A quote that really moved me was said by Nick's mother, "My son may have been the shooter. But he was still a victim. (Brown 280)" I agree with this statement because Nick lived a tough life and was bullied by numerous students at school. Characters in the book seemed to have forgotten this and immediately called him the criminal. I think that one of the main messages in this book is that we shouldn't be so quick to judge one another. We seem to instantly come to conclusions about people based on their appearances or actions and forget to think about who they really are. There's a reason for why everyone acts the way that they do. This book was very powerful and I would recommend it to anyone interested in realistic fiction.
This relates to my book because, the main character in my book Aibileen decided to speak out against the way the white family was treating her; she was also hated because of it, even though many people were being outrageously rude to her. I also agree with what you said about Nick, and I think that through both of our books people will realize not to judge someone for there actions without knowing the reasons behind them. This seems like a very interesting book!
DeleteVal, the main character is very similar to my main character Tony. He had to overcome many obstacles to be able to live a better life. He had a very bad reputation and proved that he actually is a good kid. Everyone judged him as the trashy white kid that grew up in a bad living environment. But he then proved that he isn't the type of person they thought he was, and eventually things got better for him.
DeleteNia Saunders
ReplyDeleteThe help
by: Kathryn Stockett
Pages:119-200
In the second part of this book, Mrs. skeeter is faced with major conflicts. After her first article was denied, she decided to write about a more interesting topic, this being, what its like to work for a white family as the Help. "Law have mercy. I have reckon I'm on do it." (Stockett,121) says Aibileen As the story progresses, Mrs. Skeeter and Aibileen meet a couple of days out of the week, discussing the daily struggles every black person had to deal with working for a white family.There daily routine was working out just fine until one day, Mrs. Skeeter left her purse containing all the information her and Aibileen have ever discussed. This was a very big problem for Aibileen because, it was sworn upon to complain about working for a white family, and anyone that did his would be fired immediately. If I were Mrs. Skeeter in this situation, I would stop all the interviews that I had with Aibileen, and I would take full responsibility for all of the interviews. I would do this because,if anyone were to find out that Aibileen was saying bad things about a white person, she would be fired leaving her to take care of her family with no income. It would also be good for Ms. Skeeter to take the blame because, people were more forgiving of a white women they were of a black women. I also think that it is unfair for Aibileen to take the blame for something that Ms. skeeter convinced her to do. I think that it was a very good idea for Aibileen to express her feelings in the interviews, so that the white family she was working for could better understand her problems.
Bri Kwiatkowski
ReplyDeleteEnvy
By: Gregg Olsen
Pgs: 152-285
This book gets very heated towards the end. Katelyn's death is still one everyones mind. Taylor and Hayley are trying to do their best to figure out what has happened to their childhood friend. Her death was considered an accident to the police but Taylor and Hayley think otherwise. An editor named Moira had been bugging Taylor and Hayley and her family since Katelyn's death. The twins and Katelyn were the only survivors of a terrible accident when they were younger. A significant miracle, now that Katelyn was gone she believed she had an amazing story. The twins go to visit her and they talk to her. However on pg 284 they claim that Moira's death was also accidental. Although Shania hit her with her car. " Moira Windsor's body was recovered and her death was also ruled accidental". This shows that the police don't really care about how someone dies, nor do they care to find out how they died. This book was so good and detailed. It is definitely a book someone should read.
Your book is very relatable because death is a major topic in my book and they have to figure out who is gonna die and how to save them. Our books also save the best part for last
DeleteKenneth Chee
ReplyDeleteSilence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Pgs 1- 72
I have recently read the book, Silence by Becca Fitspatrick. This book is the 3rd book of its series, the Hush, Hush series. The main character, Nora Gray, just lost her memories of the past five months and she was found in the graveyard in hysteria. The moment she met her mom her life goes upside down. Even though she lost her memories I was really surprised that she can still be so strong. On page 71- 72, the mother of Nora Gray explains to her that she just got a boyfriend, who happens to be the father of Nora’s arch enemy since middle school. Confused, Nora goes on a rampage and yells at her mother, “You never even looked for me……. You got a boyfriend?”. And the time when she got found in the graveyard (pg 1- 14), she was cool and collective. Even when she was “claimed” (because there was a reward for her being a “missing child”) by the grave keeper, she was mentally stable enough to run away from him safely, “I have to get away and go home”.
I was surprised in how strong she has gotten compared to the last few books. In the prequels, Crescendo and Hush, Hush, She never was such a strong personality girl until Patch came. At the beginning of the series, she would always rely on her best friend Vee for help, when Patch came as her boyfriend, Nora relied on Patch more. She was always relying on people. Now, in the third book she turns more independent, I guess when your life starts to turn upside down, you will trust in yourself more than others. This made me realize that people can change in the shortest amount of time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHarrison continued to play football as usual until one of his team mates; Leo Howard rammed into his leg, and injured it. He tried to hide the pain from his parents for a few weeks until the ice he slept on his leg with leaked all over his mattress. I don’t understand why Harrison would try to hide the injury, because if he just showed it to his parents and received the proper care it could have probably heeled up faster. After his parents found out about the injury he went to the doctors and got an M.R.I. This revealed something much worse than just a torn ligament however. It turns out that Harrison has bone cancer. This was a huge shock to me because I didn’t think harrison’s life would get worse even after all that he had been through. After this discovery his leg was amputated and he had to go through weeks of chemotherapy and months of physical therapy to get used to the new prosthetic leg. Harrison didn’t care about all this however the only thing he was worried about was if he could play football next year. “Coach, what’s wrong? Can’t I play?” (Green 198) This surprised me because there was so much going on in his life and he was worrying about something as insignificant as football. Harrison’s determination and grit got him to his goal. Even though he wasn’t as good as before and could only participate on kickoff, news teams lined up to broadcast the unbelievable story of a boy who fought the odds to do what he loved. “Marty had been right. A boy playing football with a titanium leg was big news.” (Green 343)
ReplyDeleteThe Stand
ReplyDeleteBy Steven King
Pj Fraterrigo
12/2/13
What happened in this book is very realistic in terms of the reactions of people. The actual situation is very unrealistic, with the storyline based off the fact that a lethal disease has been released and has a 99.78% infectivity probability and a 99.8% lethality rating. The reason why this is not a very believable is because no known pathogen can cause a result as detrimental to the human race as what the book refers to as Captain Tripps.
But aside from whether or not it is believable, this is a great book because of the diversity in the characters of this book. They all have distinct characteristics that all come together at the end of the book. The four main characters, Larry Underwood, Ralph Bretman, Stu Redman, and Glen Bates, set off toward the land of the Dark Man, in an unknowing attempt to rid the evil of him and his domain off of the face of the Earth. The leader of these protagonists was an elder African American woman who was referred to by them as Mother Abigail. She was the one who, by her dying wish, sent them out to the Dark Mans domain to meet their fates and to be rid of the Dark Man. Along the journey, Stuart Redman takes a nasty tumble and is unable to make it to the area of interest. He is left behind, presumably to die in the ravine that he stumbled down.
Mother Abigail warned them that one of them would not make it to Randall Flagg (the Dark Man’s) land, and that another would die before the journey was complete. The others move on without him, and continue their journey to end the Dark Man. I really liked how the author (Steven King) was able to raise the tension by making you guess who was not going to make it to the Dark Man’s Land, Las Vegas. Well, I’m not going to say what happens to those who get to the Dark Man’s Land, but Stuart is the only one who gets back and it’s not without the help of a very special character from earlier in the book. Needless to say, they both get back to their respective homes. The ending of the book is rather anticlimactic because of all of the action that leads up to the end. However, the story wraps all the loose ends up with very tidy bow!
This book made me realize that anyone can be a killer. The profile they talked about is for a white, teenagers from middle class backgrounds who are social outcasts. Columbine seems similiar to Niskayuna, where there are a lot of middle class white kids who feel like they are social outcasts. Once you had heard about what they had done before the shooting it was not as susprising that they committed this act. Harris had threatened to kill another kid at the school. They shot kids with bebe guns on Halloween while the kids were trick or treating. They also kicked everyone out of their friendship and only became friends with each other. It's just weird because you would think that kids from normal backgrounds wouldn't be crazy and do dumb stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe end of the book talks about lessons people have learned from this experience. You really can't trust and believe anything. You can't trust anyone you see in the hallways. Anyone could be planning stuff right now and you would never know. This book made me think about a lot of what ifs.
Reid Montgomery
ReplyDeletePeyton Manning: A Biography
By: Lew Freedman
Pages 96-152
When I started reading this book, I thought that Peyton Manning was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football. After reading this biography, I now realize how truly gifted he is and how hard he had to work to get to the place where he is at this point in his career. Many people, both professional football players and observers of the game, have commented not only on Manning's athletic abilities, but also on his strong, positive personal traits. Steve Young, former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was quoted on page 111 as saying, "the important thing is to have a good frame of mind about [playing football]...he seems like the kind of guy who has the mental attributes to pull it out." This book shows a lot of his successes in his college and professional careers, as well as his personal life. Page 112 notes a quote by Don Pierson, an NFL observer: "After forty games, he is being favorably compared to the all-time greats." This quote alone shows that people who "know" the game, recognize that Peyton's natural talents, intelligence of the game, and strong work ethic have allowed Manning to succeed at the highest level.
Cameron Fine
ReplyDeleteThe Mark of Athena
When I started reading this book I didn't think it could get any better, but the book has gotten more interesting as I have continued to read it because the plot kept on twisting and turning to make it very addicting. This book is similar to so many other books that I have read, but yet it is so different from the others because of its characters and their journey. This book has taught me, although being fiction, that life is to fun to be this serious about it. The journeys they go on would be so fun if they didn't take it so seriously they would actually enjoy it. The book also taught me that all kids act the same, no matter who they are or what they look like. "Some people talk before they think sometimes." Said Jason. It took Hazel a few seconds to realize he was apologizing"(Riordan 357). They have to deal with things normal teenagers have to deal with, and they do it very well. This book was a great book. and I am glad I read it.
Walter Dean Myers
ReplyDeleteSunrise over Fallujah
When I first started this book, I thought it was going to be exciting, but instead it really goes in-depth about what it’s really like being in the military. It shows you that being in the army, doesn’t mean that there’s always going to be action. Most of this book involves with what they do when they’re not fighting. The protagonist, Robin, throughout keeps receiving letters from family members and he always tries to write back. There are parts, however, where they do actually go into combat in Iraq. In those parts of the book, the way the author described the scenes and what Robin is thinking throughout made me realize how sad and terrifying some of the things that they encounter can be. One scene, They’re engaging in combat and the way the author describes what Robin was thinking when he shot a man. “I don’t remember shooting again, or any sound the weapon made. All I remember is the way the top of his head exploded and the way his hands, fingers spread apart, and went to the side of his face.” (Myers 232) This was very eerie to read and it made me realize that I probably wouldn’t be able to do what Robin did in that situation. The ending to this book was very bittersweet. The author showed how when you’re in the army, your squad becomes your family and how close you get with them. The theme of this book is to always be courageous and to value your friends and family because you never know when they’re going to leave.