Saturday, September 15, 2007

Independent Reading Comment Requirements

Sophomore World Literature Students,

Once a month you will post a comment about the novel you have selected for independent reading. Follow the instructions outlined below to complete your comment:

1) Compose a clear topic sentence that includes the author and title of the novel you are reading and the point you wish to make in your paragraph.
2) In an extended paragraph, discuss one of the following literary devices: characterization, conflict, point of view, theme, or setting.
3) Include at least one quote with citation from the pages your are detailing to support and develop your comment.
4) Include Analysis, your thoughts/opinions about the plot and use of the literary device in your paragraph.
5) Complete your paragraph with a summation sentence that refers back to your topic sentence. Do not rewrite your topic sentence.

Once a month you will also post a response to another student’s comment. To respond to another student’s comment, follow the instructions below:

1) Select the comment link at the bottom of the posting.
2) In the window, type your name, date, and block
3) Enter a brief, one paragraph, response to the posting.
4) Preview your comment to check for clarity and that it is error free.
5) Select Publish Your Comment.

Above all enjoy!

75 comments:

Ryan said...

The book I am reading for my independent reading choice is "The Journal of Ptrick Seamus Flaherty" by "Ellen Emerson White". There are a few reasons why I chose this book out of the many I had to select. One reason was because it is a war book, this appiled to me because I love to read war books because they are both interesting and educational. Another thing that relly caught my eye was that this is a journal. I have read many types of books before but never a journal. This story is based on true facts which is cool as well. One of the main reasons why I did chose the book was because it is part of a group of books called "My Name Is America". So far the book is very good it takes place in Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 1968. The book focus on on young man named Patrick he is in the United States Marine Corps. He was born and raised in Boston. He has been in the vietnam for onlt 9 days so far where I am up to. He has 13 months left. So far it is a great descriptive and interesting book.

Anonymous said...

Forever is the book i choose to read for my independent reading selection. The author of this book is Judy Blume. This book came highly recommended to me from a variety of people. After hearing so much about this book my mind was set on reading it. In this story the main charecter Katherine. Katherine was at her friend Sybil Davison's New Years party when her eyes couldn't stop glancing at this stunning boy standing across the room, Michael Wagner. Michael had reddish-blonde hair and wears glasses and his hobbie was to ski. Michale and Katherine began to hang out after later that night and the next morning talking and exchanging numbers. Soon enough the two teenagers started dating and went on vacation together.Katherine's parents had a difficult time letting her go knowing that she would be alone with Michael for 9 days but they finally gave in. While on vacation they slept in two seperate rooms but there was a bathroom that connected both rooms."I got into bed and waited.In a few minutes Michale opened my door.He was wearing his same blue pajamas.He kind of waved at me and said ,"Hi." He put his glasses on the night table, turned out the light and climbed into bed beside me.After we'd kissed for a while he took off his pajama top, the said, "L:et's take yours off too...it's in the way." I slipped my night gown over my head and dropped it to the floor.then there were just my bikini pants and Micfhale's pajama bottoms between us.We kissed again.Feeling him against me that way made me so excited I couldn't lie still.He rolled over on top of me and we moved together again and again and it felt so goodi didn't ever want to stop"(Blume 70,71).The literary device i am using is conflict. In the story Katherine was not ready to have sex with Michale until the second night they were on vacation. Katherine wasn't sure if she was pressured into doing it or if it was really her choice. When Katherine returned to New Jersy where she lived she had met her grandparents in the city to go for some lunch. After spending all night thinking she decided to after go to Planned Parenthood to possilbly recieve birth control pills. After receving the approval for the pills she then had to tell Michael of her decision and made sre he approved. Michael approved but her parents have yet to find out. When Katherine went away for a summer job she met another handsome boy named Theo. Katherine was working at her sister Jamie's camp as a tennis counsler. One night Katherine had recieved word that her grandfather had apssed away. She was not to come home but to stay at camp and tell her sister the following morning.That same night Katherine took a walk and sat on the big rock near the lake. Theo had heard the news and was looking for her. After Katherine had shed many tears and was ready to go back in Theo had kissed her. The following day Michael had traveled up to her camp to pay a visit to her. Katherine feeling guilty had to tell Michael and this caused an end in the relationship before the couple continued on to different colleges. I think that Katherine was pressured into having sex with Michael because she always stopped Michael when he was making moves on her. On that particular night i think Katherine was fustrated from all of Michael's attempts and just gave in. She wanted to loose her virginty to Michael but sxhe wanst sure when exactly she wanted it to happen.I now think that Katherine regrets doing anything with Michael becuase now a month later they are no longer together. Sometimes people really do fall under pressure easily and dont notice it.

Rosa Carucci
A-Block
September 27th,2007

laurelhaim said...

The book I am reading is MAUS by Art Spiegelman. I choose this book because it is about the Holocaust and World War II. I like to read about that time because it is interesting. Another reason that made me choose this book is the style it is written it in. The novel is a biography in a comic book form. The book so far is very interesting. Artie is a young boy, trying to learn about the Holocaust from his father, Vladek. The story is told in first person point of view. One of the most interesting parts is when Vladek escaped from the war prison. When Vladek gets on the train he asks the porter to help him hide when the Nazis come on. So far the book is very good. It has a great plot.

Laurel Haim
B Block
9/27/07

Joseph said...

The book that I am reading is "Tuesday with Morrie" by "Mitch Albom". The reason as to I chose this book to read was because it was highly recommended by my sister and peers. The reason why I like this book is because has to do with real life. In the book real life topics are discussed. From family to death all the topics are covered. The man Morrie is dying of ALS and his former student Mitch is coming to see him in his final days. The characters are real in a sense that you feel has if you are really there in the same room as them. The book is a great read and gives a great description of life, death and everything in between.
Joseph Piazza B-Block

ashley s. said...

The book i chose for independent reading is a novel callled "Nothing But The Truth" by AVI. I chose this book because the cover of the book grabbed my attention. It was a cover that you wouldnt find on any ordinary book. Also when i opened the book i found out that it wasnt really a reading novel but was set up like a discussion, sort of like a diagolue. So far in the book a ninth grader named Phillip Malloy got suspended from school just for singing the star spangled banner in homeroom. His teacher thought it was a disturbance. I also love the authors writing style. It is very interesting and good.

Anonymous said...

Forever is the book I choose to read for my independent reading selection. The author of this book is Judy Blume. This book came highly recommended to me from a variety of people. After hearing so much about this book my mind was set on reading it. In this story the main charecter is a senior high school named Katherine. Katherine was at her friend Sybil Davison's New Years party when her eyes couldn't stop glancing at this stunning boy standing across the room, Michael Wagner. Michael had reddish-blonde hair and wears glasses and his hobbie was to ski. Michael and Katherine began to hang out after they later that night and the next morning talking and exchanging numbers. Soon enough the two teenagers started dating and went on vacation together.Katherine's parents had a difficult time letting her go knowing that she would be alone with Michael for 9 days but they finally gave in. While on vacation they slept in two seperate rooms but there was a bathroom that connected both rooms."I got into bed and waited.In a few minutes Michale opened my door.He was wearing his same blue pajamas.He kind of waved at me and said ,"Hi." He put his glasses on the night table, turned out the light and climbed into bed beside me.After we'd kissed for a while he took off his pajama top, then said, "Let's take yours off too...it's in the way." I slipped my night gown over my head and dropped it to the floor.then there were just my bikini pants and Micfhale's pajama bottoms between us.We kissed again.Feeling him against me that way made me so excited I couldn't lie still.He rolled over on top of me and we moved together again and again and it felt so good I didn't ever want to stop"(Blume 70,71).The literary device I am using is conflict. In the story Katherine was not ready to have sex with Michael until the second night they were on vacation. Katherine wasn't sure if she was pressured into doing it or if it was really her choice. When Katherine returned to New Jersy where she lived she had met her grandparents in the city to go for lunch. After spending all night thinking she decided to after go to Planned Parenthood to possilbly recieve birth control pills. After receving the approval for the pills she then had to tell Michael of her decision and made sure he approved. Michael approved but her parents have yet to find out. When Katherine went away for a summer job she met another handsome boy named Theo. Katherine was working at her sister Jamie's camp as a tennis counsler. One night Katherine had recieved word that her grandfather had passed away. She was not to come home but to stay at camp and tell her sister the following morning.That same night Katherine took a walk and sat on the big rock near the lake. Theo had heard the news and was looking for her. After Katherine had shed many tears and was ready to go back in Theo had kissed her. The following day Michael had traveled up to her camp to pay a visit to her. Katherine feeling guilty had to tell Michael and this caused an end in the relationship before the couple continued on to different colleges. I think that Katherine was pressured into having sex with Michael because she always stopped Michael when he was making moves on her. On that particular night I think Katherine was fustrated from all of Michael's attempts and just gave in. She wanted to loose her virginty to Michael but she wanst sure when exactly she wanted it to happen.I now think that Katherine regrets doing anything with Michael becuase now a month later they are no longer together. Sometimes people really do fall under pressure easily and dont notice it.
Rosa Carucci
A-Block
September 27th,2007

Briana Kohm said...

“Kaffir Boy” by Mark Mathabane is an autobiography of a child who is growing up in the horrifying times of the Apartheid in South Africa. Johannes is a young boy who lives in South Africa with his mother, father, and two younger siblings. His sister is three and his brother is one. Their home is a broken down two roomed shack with termite eaten doors, half cement and dirt floors, a bedroom and a kitchen. Johannes was sleeping one night when his mother came for the out house telling them that the cops, also known as Peri-urban were coming and need her little black book. They searched frantically for the book but Johannes was filled with fear and couldn’t remember where he put it. “I could not snap out of my amnesia” (Mathabane 9). When his mother finally found the book she ran for safety and told Johannes to watch his brother and sister. Johannes and his siblings lived through the night listening to people scream and children cry and couldn’t wait for their mother to get home. The next day it happened again but his mother and father were not prepared. The father hid under the bed as the mother hid in the closet. Peri-urban only found his father and took him away. The mother was now stuck in the closet and Johannes had to find the key. After the Peri-urban just beat him up and took his father away he was determined to find the key and get his mother out. He finally found the key tucked in the brick that holds up the bed. His father returns home to find out that he has been laid of so he goes to get a new job but gets arrested for not having a job. The family doesn’t see him for many months. Johannes is now faced with a situation worse then the Peri-urban he is faced with survival. As the food is now limited Johannes keeps passing out from being so sick and his sister and brother have come down with a mysterious illness. The reason I choose to write about these conflicts is because since this is a true story and for someone to have to live like this I think their voice should be heard.

Briana Kohm said...

a-block
Briana Kohm
9/28/07

Lightspeed2552 said...

The novel I'm reading for my indepentdent reading choice is Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities". The novel is slightly difficult to read because it uses words that aren't frequently used today, and differently arranged sentences. It gives the reader a strange feeling. It's like this is an unknown form of writing. Although, one thing I like about this book is how the author puts so much detail in his descriptions. "It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts besapttered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which, the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution" (Dickens 4). Dickens describes the setting very well. In conclusion, my novel is difficult to read, but it gives the reader many chances to visualize what's happening with its extreme detail.

Michael Appelgate
B block
9/28/07

Jisup Kim said...

In the novel "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom, the author himself recalls back to when he met with his old college professor, Morrie Shwartz who was diagnosed with ALS. Mitch would arrive at Morrie's house every tuesday and not only learn life lessons, but build a friendship that would never end. Although Morrie didn't have a long time to live, his optomism and faith helped him to get through his days. Later on in the book, Morrie not only becomes an inspiration to Mitch, but to millions of people who were stuggling with difficulties in their lives. "Love each other or perish" (Albom 77). This quote really hit me hard because there is never an end to hatred. By hating one another we are not ameliorating the situation but making it worse. Why should we have so much anger in ourselves when we only have one life to live? There is always a solution to a problem that seems impossible to solve, and that is what this quote helped me to realize. Morrie Shwartz's body was decaying, but his soul was wide awake.

jisup kim 9/28/07
B Block

marissa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
marissa said...

For my independent reading, I have chosen to read the book "A Child Called It", by David Pelzer. This out about this book was recommended to me by a various amount of people. In fact, it took eleven waits for me to check this book out of the library. This book is a true story, and that's what makes it more compelling. Realistic stories always seem to grasp my attention, and choosing to read this book was very intriguing. The reasons I chose this book was because I love sad stories, interesting stories and emotional stories. As a reader, I like to feel the main characters pain, and with this story there was quite a lot of that. Dave Pelzer was the third born of five children; Ronald, Stan, Russell, and Kevin. His father was a fireman and, according to Dave his mother was originally a loving, kind and wonderful person. She was a one of a kind mother, that many other children would die for. When Dave turned around five years old, that is when the family began to change. While his father was away at work often, his mother became an alcoholic. Supposably, Dave was so badly behaved that he required punishment. Dave was actually a sweet boy, but his mother was convinced that he was bad. The summer before Dave started kindergarten his mother reportedly beat him, dislocating his shoulder, and even stabbing him with a knife. His mother also makes him eat his brother’s soiled diaper, and his own vomit. The book goes on to describe a period of mixed emotions over the following few years with the increasingly abusive and damaging behavior from his mother. Soon, he wasn't known as a child, a boy, but an "it". "Eat it she said as I looked down at the soiled diaper I told myself that I was going to die soon and nobody could stop me from going into an eternal dream. Eat it! She sneered.” (Pelzer 55). This quote make’s me sad, as well as disgusted. What kind of mother could ever do this to their child? This book has to be the best book I have ever read. Once you start reading it, it hooks you in. It made me feel so much better about my parents and made me realize even though they yell at me, they still love me. Although sometimes I say I hate my parents, I surely don’t mean it. Now, I know what a terrible parent really is. The characters in this book, are very descriptive, and show many emotions. The plot in fact, is terribly sad and the setting is unpredictable because the reader never knows what will happen next. The story ends with Dave leaving a quote “ Deliver us from evil....Amen”. (Pelzer 153). This shows that Dave still had hope, and prayed for a better day.

Marissa Mule, 9.28.07
A block.

shawn said...

The book I am reading is called "The End" by Lemony Snicket. This book is incredible it's about three orphans who can never seem to escape from their bad luck. In this book the three orphans come to an island after surviving a storm once at the island the orphan's meets islanders all wearing white robes I can just imagine what those people would look like in real life. So the orphans decide to stay on the island thinking they can keep away from all the worlds' problems. Most of the time bad things always find ways to get to them. Snicket is a great writer and in all his books he likes to write complicated words and define them in his writing. What keeps me hooked onto his books is his creative quotes like this one which explains the two meanings of being in the dark about something " If you are sunbathing in a park, for instance, but you do not know that a locked cabinet is buried fifty feet beneath your blanket, then you are in the dark even though you are not actually in the dark, whereas if you are on a midnight hike, knowing full well that several ballerinas are following close behind you, then you are not in the dark even if you are in fact in the dark"(Snicket 190). This in my opinion is a really good quote and Snicket uses quotes like these in his books all the time this is why I love his books. So far Snicket has made thirteen books and I haven't missed one. What I love about it the most is the mystery in the book. It seems like whenever the book finishes explaining one mystery another comes up. Overall this book is great and i highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more to find out what happens next.

shawn said...

Shawn Cybulska
Block- G
9/28/07

Dana Pistilli said...

The book that I chose to read for my Independent reading is called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. This book was published as a book, but later on as a movie. The book was more interesting than the movie, as in my opinion and others. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is about a group of four girls. Their names were Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby. They all have been close friends and they knew each other before they were born. For summer all the girls, but Tibby, are going on vacation to different places. Tibby is staying home and working all summer long. As they are packing to go away, Tibby is upset and sees a pair of jeans that catches her eye in Carmen’s room. Tibby tries them on and insists that everyone else should do the same. Lena, Bridget, as well as Carmen, tried these pants on. The pants fit them all and they were all shocked because each girl had a different built to their body. The girls believe these pants are magical and create a set of rules for these special pants. After making these rules, the girls started calling themselves sisters. They also decided that throughout their vacations, the sisters had to send these pants to each other the pants with a letter on how their life is going. “As they talked, midnight came to divide their last day together from their first day apart. There was a thrill in the air, and Carmen could see it from her friends’ faces that she wasn’t the only one who felt it. The Pants seemed to be infused with the promises of the summer.” (Brashares 25). This quote explains how the rest of the book falls in place with the Sisters’ lives.
Dana Pistilli
September 29, 2007
B-Block

Tirath said...

The book i am reading for my independent reading choice is"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". the reason why i chose this book is beacuse it has everything a reader should want to read. the conflict is that "Harry Potter" is a wizard but he doesnt know that. He finds out when someone comes to tell him. Then after he finds out he goes off to a special school called"Hogwarts". So far the book is good. It takes place In hsrrys house and then in the wizard school Hogwarts."You knew i'm a.....a wizard". that is when harry finds out that he is a wizard.Harry should have found out that he was a wizard from the begining.

aNDREAAA . said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ric Adam Viera said...

In the book "Farewell to Mazanar," the author, Jeanne Wakatsuki was a Japanese American during the Pearl Harbor tragety. This novel is interesting because many Japanese Americans had to leave their homes during this time. Jeanne's family was very successful and had to leave their home to be put into a camp. All Japanese Americans were placed in these camps until the war was over. These camps were under bad conditions and had no heat. The rooms were very dirty and not a great place to sleep. Being under these conditions for Jeanne was unusual because her family was doing very well in life. Jeanne is a very strong person because she was so young and had everything taken away to be put to live in bad conditions. "We wake early, shivering and coated with dust that had blown up through the knotholes and in through the slits around the doorway" (Houston 21).

Ric Adam Viera
Block B
9/29/07

aNDREAAA . said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
aNDREAAA . said...

The novel I'm reading for my independent reading choice is "Gossip Girl" by Cecily von Ziegesar. The reason as to why I chose this book to read was because the topic interest me. The cover really caught my attention because it shows three teenage girls mingling and made me curious to know what was happening in their daily lives. As I was reading the back of the book I realized how much I could relate to these girls and that made me more eager to want to finish reading the book. "Her heart sped up as Nate began walking toward her" (Ziegesar,20). This quote shows how Serena still has feelings for Nate after all the time that passed. Sometimes you don't realize how much you actually care about a person until their right in front of your eyes. And somehow all the feelings you once had come rushing back. This book is about real life issues such as boys, gossip, friends and love.

Andrea Lizarazo
A-block
9/29/07

Joe S. said...

The book that I am reading is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. IN the chapterI am reading, Harry is struggling to decide if his actions are right or wrong. Harry has just told off his long time friend Remus Lupin because Lupin wanted to leave his wife and his unborn son alone while he joined Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione on there journey to destroy Voldemort. Harry said to Lupin "I think that you are just acting like a coward". Lupin, insulted by this left. I think that Harry should not have told Lupin that he was a coward even though what Lupin was trying to do was wrong. Harry is now trying to decide whether telling off Lupin was the right or wrong thing to do.

Joseph Santangelo
A Block
9/29/07

Anonymous said...

The title of the book that I've been reading for the passed week for independent reading is,Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul 2 written by, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger. As soon as I saw this book, I grabbed it and now I can't get my hands off of it. The reason I choose to read this book for independent reading are the following, anytime I see a book titles that say something about teenagers, my eyes attract it. I enjoy reading books that are realistic fiction. Also I love reading about other people's lives and how they handle certain things in their life. Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul 2 is deffinutly the perfect book for me. Even though it's very long, it hasn't bored me yet. There are short stories so I don't think it's even going to, even though most books do. I hate to say. I'm so happy I found a book that I truely enjoy just relaxing and reading.

Amanda Palladino - B Block

Amanda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Amanda said...

The title of the book that I've been reading for the passed week for independent reading is,"Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul II" written by, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger. As soon as I saw this book, I grabbed it and now I can't get my hands off of it. The reason I choose to read this book for independent reading are the following, anytime I see a book titles that say something about teenagers, my eyes attract it. I enjoy reading books that are realistic fiction. Also I love reading about other people's lives and how they handle certain things in their life. Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul 2 is deffinutly the perfect book for me. Even though it's very long, it hasn't bored me yet. There are short stories so I don't think it's even going to, even though most books do. I hate to say. I'm so happy I found a book that I truely enjoy just relaxing and reading.

Anonymous said...

The book I chose to read for our independent reading assignment is called The starter wife. The author of The starter Wife is Gigi Levangie Grazer. From what i have read in The Starter wife is about a woman who's name is Gracie Pollock. Gracie was married to her husband Kenny a semi-famous Hollywoood executive for nine years and some months. Even though Gracie was rather bored of him she had become to enjoy the lifstyle that he came with. Kenny on the other hand was not happy with their marriage and asked for a divorce over the phone. Gracie is now attonished that she is a starter wife, starting out on the life of not having everything she wants. Being a starter wife is like starting your whole life over but with everything that you have ever known being cut off.

PeAcHyRoC92 said...

Mississippi Trial, 1955 written by Chris Crowe is the book I chose for my independent reading. This book is based on a true story that helped stir segregation in the south. Chris Crowe writes about the experience that sixteen-year-old Hiram Hillburn faced while visiting his grandfather in Greenwood, Mississippi. As Hiram goes down to the south, he can't comprehend why his father feels so much hate for the South while Hiram loves the place he calls his second home. However, after the next few weeks Hiram figures out why his father strongly dislikes the Southern way of life. After arriving in Greenwood, Hiram meets Emmett Till, a black boy around his age who is also visiting his family from Chicago. During this time, the south was known for its strong conduct of racism and, the story of Emmett Till sparked a flare that would have Mississippi talking for some time. Being that blacks and whites did not get along down south Emmett Till, a northern kid did not really notice how much of a difference people really were from back home in Chicago. Some time before, Hiram's troublemaking friend R.C.Rydell comes into a dispute with Emmett and shows his true hate for black people as he plunges Emmett to the ground. In the upcoming days it is reported that Emmett Till is missing after white men kidnapped him because, they found out he had whistled at the storeowner’s wife. The next time Emmett was seen his body was found in the Tallahatchie River and could hardly be idenified.There were cuts, a gunshot to the head, and a pulley tied around the neck of Emmett's body as it lay in the waters of the river. The murder of Emmett Till striked a major trial in Mississippi to see if the two white men convicted of the murder would be found guilty to the killing of a colored fourteen year old. Hiram believes that his friend R.C. who disappeared after Till's death, played apart in the death of Emmett Till and now Hiram is on the stand to testify. However, a glimpse of fear strikes Hiram because; he is causation and is standing to speak for Emmett and his family in a mostly white community and courtroom.” I was Hiram Hillburn, and I knew what I was going to do: I was going to do what was right"(Crowe 154). Hiram said this quote to tell himself that even if people hated him, he was going to speak from what he knew and believed no matter what consequences he might have to face. There was this deep desire in Hiram's heart to go and speak the truth for Till's sake although many white people would oppose. Now Hilram realized how some people could have so much hate for others just because of the color of one's skin. He saw how one person's actions not only resulted in a gruesome dead but, how it rioted an even larger difference from the way whites and blacks got along with each other. After the men who were on trial for Till's death were proven not guilty, Hiram knows that there is no way in the world that they could not have killed the boy from Chicago. Feelings of anger as well as grief grasped Hiram because, he knows the truth beyond the courtroom and, he knows that the trial was an unfair one. Color defiantly played a role in the court hearing and Hiram is sure that if he does not do something, then Emmett Till's murder will just be left as an unjust cold case.

Racquel Wood
September 30,2007
B-Block

Ho Lee said...

MAUS is a book written by Art Spiegelman. This book is quite interesting and is also intriguing by melding past and present. The novel MAUS doesn't only take place during Halocaust but, the present as well. The novel takes place in the present when Artie, Mala and Vladek converse. MAUS only goes in the time of the Halocaust when, Vladek speaks of the Halocaust with Artie. "But this what I just told you-about Lucia and so- I don't want you should write this in your book" (Spiegelman 23). The plot of MAUS is very interesting. This novel is very interesting because of the multiple conflicts about different subjects for each family member. One conflict is the one between Mala and Vladek with not throwing away old trash like glass jars. With all the time lapses in this novel it is sure to be an interesting read.

electro791 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
electro791 said...

Electro791 said...
Reuben Gunasingh
9/31/07
B Block

Hope can really change your life and that can be seen in the story Miracle in the Andes (underlined) by Nando Parrado. Nando Parrda has his whole family with him on the flight. He is going the Chile from Uruguay. His family is with him including mom, sister, best friend and flight crew. This story has been written in the first point of view or the authors view. Miracle in the Andes (Underlined) is a story that gives an idea about pain and endurance.
"She is hurt very badly." "My own suffering faded and I was filled with an urgent desire to reach my sister."

This story is a great way show how a person endures pain and suffering without losing hope.
September 30, 2007 6:21 AM

allisonlee said...

The book I chose to read for independent reading is “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. I chose Golden’s book because my cousin had previously read this novel and said it was a good read. From what I’ve read so far, the novel is about a young woman from a poor village called Yoroido. Her name was Chiyo but it changed to Sayuri when she became a Kyoto geisha. The first chapter is about her and her family. Her father, Sakamoto Minoru, was very old when she was born. Her father was only older because he had a family before Chiyo and her mother. Sakamoto’s family had all passed away. He eventually remarried and had Chiyo and Satsu. But when Chiyo was only seven years old, her mother had become very sick with bone cancer. Soon after she became sick, the doctor, Dr. Miura, had come for check on her. He talked to Sakamoto and told him that his wife only had a few more weeks to live. I’m excited to read more about how she became a geisha and her conflicts with her family.

Allison Lee
G Block
September 30, 2007

Cory said...

The book i am reading is "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane. I chose this book because i enjoy old war stories. It is about a young soldier named Henry Fleming who has been recruited into the American Civil War. The young man is a protagonist that has to deal with the war and terror around him. In the book Henry has memories of his childhood and wishes that he can go back to them. He was forced to join, and fight in the war and he sees how horrible it is.

Cory said...

Cory Moser B- Block 9/30

brianne hannafey said...

The novel Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard is about five best friends who kept many secrets and they were very weird. The reason I chose this book is it’s about girls around the same age as me and it looked interesting just by seeing the cover. In this novel there are five teenage girls that are best friends and they all get along ok, but they all have secrets from each other. Alison is one of the five girls and she is the one who knew everyone’s secrets. The five girls were all together one night and that was the night Alison went missing. A couple of years after Alison disappeared, her family moved out of Rosewood. The other four girls seemed very weird about the whole thing when Alison went missing. They felt bad that she was gone, but in a way they felt relief. “Now if they passed Ali’s old street and glanced at her house, they didn’t go into insta-cry mode. Instead, they started to feel something else. Relief.” (Shepard 18). This quote is disturbing that you can be so close to someone and then feel relief that they are gone or maybe dead. If one of my best friends was gone I know that every time I thought of them I would cry not feel relief. The girls felt this way because they thought that Alison knew too much about them, and if she ever told they would be ruined. “Ali knew more about them than anyone else did, including the bad stuff they wanted to bury- just like a body. It was horrible to think Ali might be dead, but… if she was, at least there secrets were safe. And they were. For three yeas, anyway.” (Shepard 18). The first sentence of this quote is saying that now that Alison is missing there secrets are buried along with her. The second sentence is saying how it’s horrible that Alison might be dead, but at least their secrets are now safe. The last sentences are saying that now that Alison is gone their secrets are safe, but not for long. These last two sentences are giving a possibility that Alison might be alive and coming back with her friend’s secrets. This novel is very interesting and it pulled me in when they said that there secrets were safe but only for three years. That one sentence pulled me in because I wanted to see if Alison is going to be back and tell their secrets. They kept their secrets for a while, but they might not be secrets for long.

Brianne Hannafey, B-Block, September 30, 2007

Joseph said...

The theme of the novel can be descried from one selection the novel "Tuesdays with Morrie" by "Mitch Album." "The last class of my old professers life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could wathc a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was the meaning of life. It was taught from experience."(Albom 1)This paragraph from the book is one the many amzing things that are found inside this book. After reading this paragraph I was hooked into continuing the book. Albom just graps your attention straight from the beginning. The theme from this book is life. The way Albom writes keeps the theme life through the book. Tuesdays with Morrie is excellent read and life itself is portrayed through words.
Joseph Piazza B-Block

Bethany said...

The book I am reading for my independent reading book is "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers. The reason I chose this book is because of a few reasons. The art work caught my attention for one thing. I read the back cover and found out that the story is about soliders in the Vietnam War. One of the soldiers, Perry, is standing in an airport with the rest of the soldiers waiting for the orders from their sergent. So far, the book is very good and hard to put down. The book has very good details about the scenery and what is going on in the topic and the surroundings. The book is very descriptive and puts one right next to the characters in the book as if a person is in the scene and book itself. So far it is an excellent book.
Bethany Greenman
G Block
9/30/07

ola89 said...

The book i am reading for my independent reading choice is 145th Street written by Walter Dean Myers,it was recommended by a friend of mine who said its the best book he has ever read so I bought a copy.It is a book about the past reality of the inner city kids in New york.This book made me appreciate the things I have and the people around me. The cover of the book has a kind of harsh felling which is the kind of book i love to read.
There are many main characters in the novel because they are short stories. I read them all but my favorite character was in a story called "Big Joe's Funeral". It was about a resturant owner nick named Big Joe who pretended to be dead because he wanted the greatest funeral his neigborhood have ever seen done for him just like his friend had when he died so he withdrawed the eighteen thousand he's been saving for life insurance to throw himself a funeral and a after party, but it didn't go well because his step daughter was determind to expose his plan before he succeeds. She was three blocks away with her friends from where the funeral was taking place with a cardboard which says and was also screaming "Big Joe isn't dead" to get attention from the attendance.since their plane didn't work, they came up with another one in which they called the police to inform them that some drug trafficers were importing drugs into Harlem in a dead man's coffin . By the time the cops came, the funeral was over and they were having a party so the cops stopped the party and searched for the coffin but was no where to be found so they took of and went another direction.This story has kind of a tragic plot because it was about a funeral but wasn't real because the main character was dead.It was also had comedy felling to it bacause the main character was always overcoming the obstacles he was recieving from other characters in an interesting way. Walter Dean myers is one of my favorite authors. He composed this story perfectly and I love his other works.
Ola Afolabi G Block

ola89 said...

The book i am reading for my independent reading choice is 145th Street written by Walter Dean Myers,it was recommended by a friend of mine who said its the best book he has ever read so I bought a copy.It is a book about the past reality of the inner city kids in New york.This book made me appreciate the things I have and the people around me. The cover of the book has a kind of harsh felling which is the kind of book i love to read.
There are many main characters in the novel because they are short stories. I read them all but my favorite character was in a story called "Big Joe's Funeral". It was about a resturant owner nick named Big Joe who pretended to be dead because he wanted the greatest funeral his neigborhood have ever seen done for him just like his friend had when he died so he withdrawed the eighteen thousand he's been saving for life insurance to throw himself a funeral and a after party, but it didn't go well because his step daughter was determind to expose his plan before he succeeds. She was three blocks away with her friends from where the funeral was taking place with a cardboard which says and was also screaming "Big Joe isn't dead" to get attention from the attendance.since their plane didn't work, they came up with another one in which they called the police to inform them that some drug trafficers were importing drugs into Harlem in a dead man's coffin . By the time the cops came, the funeral was over and they were having a party so the cops stopped the party and searched for the coffin but was no where to be found so they took of and went another direction.This story has kind of a tragic plot because it was about a funeral but wasn't real because the main character was dead.It was also had comedy felling to it bacause the main character was always overcoming the obstacles he was recieving from other characters in an interesting way. Walter Dean myers is one of my favorite authors. He composed this story perfectly and I love his other works.
Ola Afolabi G Block

Jazmin said...

The book i am reading independently is "A Rush of Wings". By Kristen Heitzman. One main reason why I chose this book is because just reading the summary on the back of the book, enticed me to read it. This book forces you to use imagery and to put the reader in the main characters shoes. This books cover draws a persons eye to it, with a womans' face looking as if shes worried and then in the distance the shadow of a man in a trench coat very dark. From what I have read so far, "A Rush of Wings" is about a young women; Noelle St.Claire. She runsaway without a note or anything, except a voicemail on her fathers phone saying " daddy,it's Noelle. I'm fine and i don't want you to worry,but I'll be away awhile, I need time to think, to...figure things out. I love you". Noelles father of course is very worried and he doesnt know where she could have gone. Noelle had left behind only one thing, the engagemant ring that Miceal had presented to her. So far i am liking this book alot, and i cannot wait t rad on.
Jazmin Roman B-Block 9/29/07

Lou said...

The book I am reading is "The Elements of Style" by Roger Angell.
The book is about proper writing style. The book tells the reader how to use proper writing and punctuation. The book explains the basics of proper grammer. The book does not use any literary devices. All it does is explain writing it has no hooks or anything like that it is a little bit like an instructional book. I chose this book because i wanted to strengthen my writing. This is a good book to read if you are not good with grammar and writing. "Personally is often unnecessary". "Personally, I thought it was good." "I thought it was good"(Roger Angell 56)

Louis Ferrara A-block 9/30/07

slildramaqueen92 said...

For independent reading I am reading the book called Chicken Soup For
The Teenage Soul 2. The authors names are Jack Canfield, Mark Victor
Hansan, And Kimberly Kirberger. Its a great book. It tells great story
about real people. How people went throught bad times, and how they
fixed there problems. Its a great book for teenagers. Its by teenagers
for teenagers. To tell you the truth I'm not a big fan when it comes to
reading, but when I was lookin for a book, and I just saw this and had
to read this book for independent reading. All the stories are
intersting, and I'm not going to put it down until I finish the book.
Samantha Grasso
Block G
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Bryan Rivell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bryan Rivell said...

The Book that I read and finished this month was [b]Twilight[/b] by [i]Stephenie Meyer[/i]. Twilight was about a girl named Bella who moved into a small town. She was around the age of seventeen and drove a large pickup truck. In the school she imediately caught the attention of the guys and get full brunt of the weather which was the complete oposite of her home city. Bella met a boy at the school named Edward Cullen who, along with his four relatives, are vampires. Soon Bella fell in love with Edward and in due time discovered his secret which lead to making her love him more. This book uses great descriptions which help me use visualization when I read. This book is good for high school students and is great for people who love to use visualization in a story.

Bryan Rivell
A Block
Due: 10/1/07

gorgeousgurl said...

The book I am independently this month is called 'The Skin I'm In'. The book is written by Sharon G. Flake. This novel is about a girl named Maleeka Madison who's trying to get kids in her school to except her while trying to except and love herself also. In Mclenton Middle School where Maleeka attends she is pick on constanly. She tries to to fit in with everyone, but recieves nothing, but heart breaks in return. "Seems like people been teasing me all my life. if it ain't about my color it's my cloths"(Flak 40). This quote allowed me to put myself in the character's shoes. My heart went out for her. This is where the author grabed my attention. When i continued to read this book I felt more and more sad and more and more mad about what Maleeka had to go through before she began to love herself for who she is. She felt that she was ugly because of what other people thought about her, but when she looked in the mirror and discovered her true self, she began to except herself as well as her friends. AsI continue reading "The Skin I'm In" I also discover my true self and qualities that never thought I would. She went through situations that I never image a girl that young would go through. This book helps girls to love and except their self no matter how they look on the outside. This is a great book and I can't wait to read the rest!!!

Ashley Jones
G-bock

Robert Keller said...

Robert Keller
Block G
9/30/07
The book I am reading is Smack by Melvin Burgess, which is heavily influenced by conflict. The novel is about runaway teens in England during the 1980’s. Each of the characters has their own conflicts as well as ones that are shared between them. All of the characters have run away from their homes and are squatting in Bristol, England. Each character has their reasons for leaving. They include abusive parents, poverty, and other problems that they had at home. One of the characters named Tar described his family this way “Dad used to go to the pub and then drink all evening. He was just a pisshead, though. Mom was at it all day. No one knew- even dad didn’t know for ages. She just drank enough to keep herself topped up. It was only when it got worse and she was drunk when he came home that he started to cotton on” [Burgess 46]. The one major conflict that the entire main characters share is Heroin addiction. The heroin led them to other problems. In order to survive they resort to robbery, drug dealing, and prostitution. This book gave me an insight on how drugs can affect people. They can cause people to throw their lives away. Conflict is a major literary device used in the book.

Angela S. said...

The book I am reading for my independent reading choice is "Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling. I chose this book because I had to. Also because it has a mysterious plot to it. I love reading books with mysterious plots. The book is about a boy named Harry Potter who, only a year ago, discovered he was a wizard. He went to a school for magic called "Hogwarts School of Magic." Now he is back for another year. His second year starts off as normal, but little does he know its not going to be normal.Harry returns for his second year at Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And strike it does. In Harry's second year he struggles with many problems such as, a stuck up new proffesor named Gilderoy Lockhart,and a spirit named Moaning Murtle who hunts the girls' bathroom.But each of these are minor annoyances but when the real trouble begins, and someone or something starts turning students to stone. the question that lies is who or what is the cause of it?

Angela Soliman A-block

Anonymous said...

The book I chose for my independent reading material was Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. This book is set during the Vietnam war.The main character is Perry,a young man fresh out of highschool.He is leaving behind his younger brother Kenny and their mother.This is because Perry felt as though he wasn't going anywhere in his life and he needed some variety in his life."Why you want to go off to war?, she asked.She was short and dark with eyebrows turned white with age, altough her hair was only streaked with grey. Her voice was high and wavered uncertainly as she spoke."Got to get away from here, I said,"see something new".(Myers 74)This is a good reason to leave home because if he feels that he just wants to go out and see the world he should leave and do something different with his life.So far in the book Perry meets new people.Jenkins,Lobel, Brunner Johnson and Peewee. Not much is said about Lobel,Bunner and Johnson and Jenkinssteps on a land mine is killed. That leaves Peewee.Peewee is basically Perry's bestfriend in Veitnam. Peewee is from Chicago and likes to play the blues.Also he always has something smart to say about somebody else. So far the book is pretty good and has a good plot.

Lil Cat said...

The book that I decided to read was "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers. I chose this book because war books are my favorite type of books to read. the book talks about Richie Perry who arrives at Vietnam at seventeen years old. Richie is smart, but his mother can't afford to send him to college. Instead Richie joins the army and ends up being sent to Vietnam. "I knew Mama loved me, but I also knew when I got back, she would expect me to be the same person, but it could never happen. She hadn’t been to Nam. She hadn’t given her poncho to anybody to wrap a body in, or stepped over a dying kid" (Myers 198). This quote is powerful because it really explains how wars change people. AT this point Richie is afraid of dying and many things have changed, especially the way he thinks about things. Richie doesn't know how he is going to explain to his mother what has happened to him. Richie is trying to grasp on to the meaning of war, heroism, and good and evil. I'm very interested to find out what happens next.

Connor Chatterton, A Block, September 30

Simit Christian said...

For independent reading, I chose the book Maus written by art Spiegelman. One of the reasons he book is interesting because it is a graphic novel. Also, the book is a true story; which made me want to read it more and understand the time period that is shown. The visuals helped me understand the story in detail. Art Spiegelman’s father is the main character. The book depicts a true story of Vladek Spiegelman. Art Spiegelman’s father Vladek is a Jew living in North Western Poland. The story depicts His experience during the holocaust. The conflict of the story really caught my attention. Spiegelman’s writing styles made me understand the main characters feelings. The first person narrative describes perspectives of the individual characters. In the book Vladek Spiegelman is talking to his son about his holocaust experience. The main character faces violence and racism as he is captured by Nazi soldiers. Later he is made slave and is forced to do painful work. “The other prisoners get two meals a day. We Jews get only a crust of bread and a little soup” (Spiegelman 53). The imagery combined with the illustrations make the conflict more realistic. To explain the story, Spiegelman uses cats as representations of Nazis and mice as Jews. This shows the power and control Nazis had over their subjects. Vladek’s experience makes me feel compassionate towards him and all other characters that suffer. As a reader, I can somehow relate to Art Spiegelman. His relationship with his father is similar to mine with my father. As a son, I am always curious about my father’s past. I can also relate to the main character. After reading the story made me feel like life has no purpose and that the world is an unfair place. The book is exciting; I like how the story develops. At the end Vladek manages to gain back his freedom; losing some loved ones in the process. Finishing the book made me realize that reading the second Maus book would also be exciting. The story is very interesting. Reading this book changed my views on the Holocaust.
Simit Christian
A block
9/30/07

PeAcHyRoC92 said...

THE GIVER IS A BOOK ABOUT A BOY WHO LIVES IN A UTOPIA. A UTOPIA IS ANOTHER NAME FOR PERFECT PLACE. EVERYONE HERE IS THE SAME AND THERE ARE CERTAIN EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THIS TOWN. EVERY FAMILY HAS A MOM A DAD AND ONE DAUGHTER AND SON. IN THIS BOOK A BOY NAMED JONAS SEES HOW HIS TOWN REALLY ISN'T SUCH A PERFECT PLACE. THROUGH SOME TIME JONAS TRIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HIMSELF AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. "We really have to protect people from wrong choices"(LOWRY). THIS RELATES TO ME BECAUSE A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALWAYS SEEM TO SAY THIS TO ME BECAUSE WHEN I AM HEADED TOWARDS THE WRONG DIRECTION THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE TO STIR ME THE RIGHT WAY . THIS USUALLY UPSETS ME AND THEY EXPLAIN HOW THEY ARE DOING AND SAYING THESE THINGS ONLY TO DO WHATS BEST FOR ME AND TO PROTECT ME FROM WRONG CHOICES. WHERE AS IN THIS COMMUNITY EVERYONE IS LIVING IN A UNREALISTIC WORLD. EVERYONE IS LIVING IN A DIFFERENT DIMENSION. THE TOWNSPEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY CLUELESS TO THE REAL WORLD OTHER THAN THEIR OWN. THIS QUOTE JUST PROVES HOW THE COMMUNITY IS SET UP AND ORGANIZED STRICTLY AND HOW POWER IS WITHHELD OVER EVERYONE. HOWEVER IN THIS QUOTE IT PROVES HOW THE MAIN CHARACTER JONAS HAS UNCOVERED THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITIES DESICION MAKING POLICIES.
ANDREA BORSIC
A BLOCK
9/30/07

Darlene said...

In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi describes the life of herself as a young child. Satrapi describes the wars that occured in Iran. She also describes how kids to wear the veil. "We didn't really like to wera the veil, especially since we didn't understand why we had to"(Satrapi 3). Satrapi believes that she will be the next prophet. This story is told in the first person point of view. This point of view allows a reader to get a sense of what children in Iran felt while the wars and separation were going on. muslims had to be put in a different school from everyone else. A similar situation was in theUnited States where blacks and whites were segregated. Persepolis decribes the life of Satrap during the overthrow of te shah's regime, te triumph of the Islamic Revolution and the effects of war with Iraq.

jon weiss said...

The book i am reading is called Animal farm by George Orwell.This story is a conflict because is show what poeple or in this case animals can do with power and what other people can do with the power,an d how others will feel if they use the power for the wrong reasons."By late summer the news of what happened on animal farm spread against half the county. Everyday Snowball and Napoleon sent out flights of pigeons whose instructions were to mingle with othe animals" (Orwell 27). This will eventually lead to Snowball and Napoleon having a fight and other animals having to decide whos side they would favor.

.maya. said...

The Book that I am reading is The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley By Attallah Shabazz & Alex Haley. The Book reflects Malcolm X's life through his son Attallah. The Setting is set in Michigan in a very racially segregated area. In East Lansing where Malcolm X grew up there was much tension between the White and Black people of his Neighborhood. The book also discusses his struggle as a child from his mother being put in a mental hospital and his father being killed by Black Legion members. The Setting makes the book what it is because its not only set in Michigan, its also set in Boston and New York. As Malcolm X struggles to find himself he turns to Islam to help him, and becomes a famous civil rights activist.The Book also includes much conflict because the book is about racial tension that happened during Malcolm X's road to islam.

G-BLOCK.

allisonlee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
allisonlee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Francisko Kim said...

In Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen, the conflict is described very well. The novel is an alternate ending to what would have happened if Brian wasn't rescued at the end of the summer. The book starts off with Brian running out of food from the emergency pack, he didn't actually think he would be stranded for this long. "He tried to ration the food out but found it impossible, and within two weeks he had eaten it all, even the package of dried prunes-something he'd hated in his old life. They tasted like candy and were so good he ate the whole package in one sitting.The results were nearly s bad as when he'd glutted on the gut cherries when he first landed. His stomach tied in a knot and he spent more than an hour at his latrine hole."(Paulsen). The climax is captures the reader well because its a bit comical and serious at the same time.

marissa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
marissa said...

In the story “A Child Called it” by David Pelzer, the realistic tension and the detailed conflict grasped my attention instantly. The novel is a true, unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California’s history. The story begins with tell the description of Dave’s family members before the beatings and attacks of his crucial alcoholic mother. The detail in this book makes me very sad as well as disgusted. “Eat it, she said as I looked down into the soiled diaper. I told myself I was going to die and nobody could stop me from going into an eternal dream. Eat it, she sneered”. (Pelzer 55). From the detail, I can tell the book is very descriptive and shows many emotions dealing with the conflict. From the beginning I realized the conflict was a child’s will to survive. The authors pain is clearly expressed within his feelings, and is depicted in the harsh abuse of his mother.

Marissa Mule, 10.3.07
A- block.

brianne hannafey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
aNDREAAA . said...

Cecily von Ziegesar used direct characterization to describe the characters in Gossip Girls. The novel is based on true issues in teenage girls’ lives such as boys, gossip, friends and love. The main characters in this book are Serena, Blair and Nate. Serena is one of those girls everyone loves and wants to be. Blair hated that because she was always second best. The girls used to be best friends until Serena went to boarding school and they stopped talking. Now she’s back and everything’s about to change. “When Serena smiled, she used her eyes- those dark, almost navy blue eyes. It was the kind of smile you might try to imitate, posing in the bathroom mirror like an idiot. The magnetic, delicious, 'you can’t stop looking at me, can you?' smile supermodels spend years perfecting. Well, Serena smiled that way without even trying” (Ziegesar, 16). This book keeps me entertained as well as anxious to find out what is going to happen in the in the remaining chapters. The turmoil of this book is filled with drama, jealously, betrayal and secrets. Cecily von Ziegesar is a very compelling author. This is because of her amazing writing in Gossip Girls. Ziegesar can make the reader nearly feel the same way as the character with her well-built direct characterization, not only by telling exactly how each person looks, but by describing unique personalities.

Andrea Lizarazo
A-block
10/3/07

latingirl91@aol.com said...

The theme of The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros seems very appealing. The book caught my attention because it was about a young Hispanic teenage girl named Esperanza. Throughout the book it discusses topics dealing with her experiences and feelings with her relatives. While reading the bok I made a discovery about Esperanza, she's unaware about many things in life. Esperanza doesn’t do many things girls her age usually do like going to hang out with friends. Unfortunately she’s not that wealthy. In the book her family seems to forget that she exist, they don't acknowledge her enough like they should. She wants to be better and live a better life then her relatives which is shown through a quote I chose "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window." Which ties in with the theme, she wants to overcome her surroundings and be become someone great in life. The author Sandra Cisneros wants the readers to know Esperanza explores and learns lessons through others experiences( and what she sees) also what she wants to explore out of curiosity.
Maria Gonzalez (block:G)

AyoCupCakes said...

In Cathy's Book by Stewart Weisman Brigg, the conflict made me read on. This non fiction novel is about a girl who meets a guy, and he randomly disappears. The conflict includes people missing, confusion, as well as clues. suspense is a huge part of the story which makes me read on. "I take it Victor doesn't always like to be found" (Stewart Weisman Brigg 62). I realized that the main conflict of the story was the missing man. The turmoil of the main character is clearly drawn in the missing of the man she has been seeing.

Corinne Mueller
B-Block
10-4-07

Samantha said...

For my independent reading i choose to read the book Night by Elie Wiesel because a lot of people recommended this book to me. tt is about a jewish teenager named Eliezer He was born in Sighet, Ttransylvania. Him and his family were taken fromm his home and put into concentration camps by nazi's

Anonymous said...

The book I am reading for my independent reading book is "False Gods" by "Graham Mcneill". this book is a continuation of "The Horus Heresy" sequel. In this book Horus has journeyed to a planet called Davin where he left an army to bring the world into compliance. something went wrong and Horus the War master has to go to the moon of Davin to kill the traitor commander. But what he finds is that the moon is infested with walking dead army soldiers. Horus has to battle his way through this to kill the commander inside the flag ship "The Glory of Tera" which crash landed on the moon. The war master fights the commander and gets hurt. The fleet brings Horus to the Temple of The Serpent to be healed. Horus is healed but has changed because of the rune blade he was stabbed with. Instead of saving the imperium he wants to destroy what his father "the emperor" created which is the imperium. I chose this book because I read the first one and liked it. I also liked the second book because it still had to do with war.

Anonymous said...

The book I am independently reading is called “New Moon” by Stephenie Meyer. This book is about an eighteen year old girl Bella who moved to the town of Forks last year. Bella falls in love with a boy named Edward Cullen who is actually not an eighteen year old boy but a one hundred and four year old vampire. In “New Moon” there is a lot of conflict between Bella and herself. Edward leaves Bella, saying that he doesn’t love her and that she should move on. Over a time of six months Bella has to deal with being heartbroken, she won’t let herself think about Edward even his name would bring tears to her eyes. She would have nightmares were she was just walking throw the woods looking for him, when she realized that’s she would not find him she would wake up screaming. This is a form of internal conflict because she was mad at herself when she thought of Edward; she would do crazy and dangerous things so she could just imagen his voice. Bella also so had internal conflict because she wanted to forget about Edward but she always had a piece of him inside of her. She was unable to forget about Edward because she still loved him. This book had a lot of internal conflict between Bella and herself. “New Moon” is a great book that has a lot of in depth conflict.

katie said...

The book I am independently reading is called “New Moon” by Stephenie Meyer. This book is about an eighteen year old girl Bella who moved to the town of Forks last year. Bella falls in love with a boy named Edward Cullen who is actually not an eighteen year old boy but a one hundred and four year old vampire. In “New Moon” there is a lot of conflict between Bella and herself. Edward leaves Bella, saying that he doesn’t love her and that she should move on. Over a time of six months Bella has to deal with being heartbroken, she won’t let herself think about Edward even his name would bring tears to her eyes. She would have nightmares were she was just walking throw the woods looking for him, when she realized that’s she would not find him she would wake up screaming. This is a form of internal conflict because she was mad at herself when she thought of Edward; she would do crazy and dangerous things so she could just imagen his voice. Bella also so had internal conflict because she wanted to forget about Edward but she always had a piece of him inside of her. She was unable to forget about Edward because she still loved him. This book had a lot of internal conflict between Bella and herself. “New Moon” is a great book that has a lot of in depth conflict.

Rebecca Utkin said...

The book which I have last completed reading is called "Day" by "Elie Wiesel". The plot in the book takes place in Times Square, in New York City. The main character of the book is an anonymous Holocaust survivor who narrates the entire story "Day". The main character of the book is the main cause of one of the literary elements that are greatly seen in the book, and one of them is "internal/external conflict". The main character who is a Holocaust survivor experiences great difficulty getting over his past, and is quite prone to self-destruction. His haunting past affects his relationship with his girlfriend Kathleen, which greatly upsets her because she loves him very much, but he feels unworthy of love as well as being alive in the first place. The main character also has difficulty living his new life which presents a question to readers, is it possible for Holocaust survivors to be able to create new lives without their past haunting them in an apathetic world? Besides the main character enduring the Holocaust, he yet endures another tragedy. While standing with his girlfriend to cross a busy street, a cab hits him, nearly killing him. While he survives the accident, his body is in severe injury, and he lays in the hospital for a very long time. While he is bedridden, he explores some of life's questions, fights death, as well as life. Not only that, but he once like many times before relives his past, memories, fears, and trys to understand why fate had chosen to save him but not other victims of the Holocaust. All of this shows that the main character felt guilty to even have had survived the Holocaust. The main character's recovery as well as incline to self-destruction leads to his slipping relationship with Kathleen and the image of his dead grandmother to be of more importance to him than the image of the woman who greatly loves him. Eventually when Kathleen leaves her unsucessful marriage, this causes the reunion of her and the main character. Despite this reunion, they once again slip away from each other emotionally because of the main character's inability to get over his past. The events in this story greatly show to readers that it is extremeley difficult to get over a past filled with severe suffering, and continues to raise the question even today, is it possible for Holocaust survivors to lead normal lives after what they have endured through?
-Rebecca Utkin, Block F

Penny Lane said...

The book I am currently independently reading is "My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult. In the book Anna Fitzgerald is suing her parents for using her only as a donor to her sister without her having any say in the matter whatsoever. Anna’s sister, Kate, has leukemia and the only reason Anna’s parents had her was to be able to save their oldest daughter Kate. Throughout Anna’s life her parents just kept forcing Anna to give up blood, organs and many other necessities Kate needed in order to survive with out even thinking twice about how Anna felt about the whole situation. In every chapter of the book the whole perspective changes using a different person as the narrator to really get a feel of everyone’s feelings toward the family issue. “On the other hand, I was born for a very specific purpose. I wasn’t the result of a cheap bottle of wine or a full moon or the heat of the moment. I was born because a scientist managed to hook up my mother’s egg and my father’s sperm to create a specific combination of precious genetic material. In fact, when Jesse told me how babies get made and I, the great disbeliever, decided to ask my parents the truth, I got more than I bargained for. They sat me down and told me all the usual stuff, of coarse-but they also explained they chose little embryonic me, specifically because I could save my sister, Kate. “We loved you even more,” my mother made sure to say, “Because we knew exactly what we were getting.”” (Picoult 8&9). From this quote you can tell Anna is upset with her parents’ decision and the real reason as to why she exists. Throughout the story there is a lot of conflict between Anna and herself, the main one being either lose herself as a person or lose her sister to cancer. She feels her childhood has been stolen because at the age of only thirteen she has undergone countless surgeries, more than most people have in a lifetime, and has not even thought about questioning it until now. Like most people do in their life Anna begin to question who she really I then comes to the realization that she doesn’t know who she truly is and decides it is because she has been held back all of her life because of her sister, and her medical needs. This book has made me think about the question just exactly how much authority does one person has over another. This book also explains anything is worth fighting for.
-Alexandra L. Crimmins
-F-Block
-November 12, 2007

JustKing said...

I am reading the book "Day" by Elie Wiesel. The author of the book uses great description by using sensory details."I burst out laughing, but my laughter must have sounded forced: I didn't feel like laughing" (Wiesel 21). The way Wiesel describes how he burst out into laughter makes me want to believe that it was forced. The sensory details within each page make me want to continue to read the book. Sensory details make the book alot more interesting where as Wiesel could have said "I laughed" which would have been a very blah way to put that he laugh. Sensory details within each sentence give a great description about each word Wiesel says.

Jackie King
F block
Ms Provosti
11/12/07 =]

Aleksandra said...

I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier is a suspenseful account of a child's muddled thoughts. It begins with a first person point of view of the child, Adam Farmer, pedaling desperately on his bicycle. It later switches to a dialogue between two people, a mystifying Brint questioning a fairly delirious Adam. Once again, the story changes and becomes a reflection of Adam's memories, told from the third person with full knowledge of Adam's emotions and motivations. As the point of view alternates throughout the story, a missing piece to the whole storyline becomes apparent. There is a constant doubt in Adam’s identity. Where is he and, more importantly, who is he? The chronological order of the story is unknown to the reader, making this psychological thriller enthralling and fascinating. As the story continues, still alternating between the varied points of view and narrations, the missing link between all three of these separate stories appears. Adam’s past, present, and future merge and unravel the vagueness of his lost identity. The book begins just as it ends- “I am riding the bicycle and I am on Route 31 in Monument, Massachusetts, on my way to Rutterburg…. But I keep pedaling, I keep pedaling…” (Cormier 1, 214). This repetition symbolizes the limitation of Adam’s mind. The reader may have found the missing puzzle piece, but Adam himself is unable to put together the story of his life. He is restricted to the confinements of his own imagination. Robert Cormier’s use of diverse points of view is astonishing. He has created three detached stories that, when united, make up the twentieth century’s most gripping psychological thriller.

sealed*with_ink_ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sealed*with_ink_ said...

The independent reading book I have recently completed is "Eclipse" by Stephanie Meyer. Eclipse is an intricate romance novel about seemingly ordinary Bella Swan and her vampire love Edward. Bella has been with Edward for almost two years now and to put it simply, together they are perfect. With Edward, Bella feels as if nothing else in life matters; though sadly we come to discover that, that is simply not true. Conflict and danger seem adamant on tearing the star-crossed pair apart (as well as ending their lives). One of these "major conflicts" is one that resides betweeen Bella and herelf. For throughout the story her best friend Jacob Black (who is also a recently discovered werewolf) and a holds a HUGE part in Bella's life (as well as a huge part in her heart), confesses his love for her, and to Bella's immense surprise, she discover's that she too loves him in return. How possiby though, could she be so irrevocably in love with Edward and yet feel so strongly for Jacob as well? Especially when the two, vampire and werewolf, are sowrn enemies. And how, could she possibly, make the cut-and-dry decision between Edward and Jacob? Vampire and Werewolf? Immortality and Humanity?
There is also, of course, the more blatantly obvious conflict between Bella and the evil rogue vampire Victoria. Victoria is dead-set on getting revenge on Edward for killing her partner, James, by in turn taking his partner, Bella's, life, by all means necessary. Throughout Eclipse an eleborate scheme made up of newborn vampires, stalking, intense planning and malice face Bella and Edward in another ultimate test of how strong their love really is. Whether or not they make it? You'll have to read for yourself ;)

--Amanda Cipollone
Block F
November 12, 2007

Anonymous said...

Raya

The book I just finished reading is called Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Bella Swan is a regular girl who lives in a small town not too far from Seattle. She is in love with a vampire, but in a deep friendship with a werewolf. She knows that she must choose between the two loves of her life, but she also knows that her decision might start a war between the two creature's clans. As Seattle starts to experience a string of mysterious killings, this choice she must make is becoming harder to make. The book ends on a serious, sad and yet a happy note, and i highly recommend that you read it. A place in the book presents imagery " The fire threw a volley of sparks into the sky, and they shivered and danced, making shapes that were almost decipherable" (Meyer, 251) This short sentence (which also happens to be a paragraph in the book) paints an image in your mind about the fire. The primitive and bland way to discuss the beauty of the fire would be " The fire was pretty", yet the author here paints a dance that the fire is doing. She describes how the fire threw its flames into the sky and instead of saying that they fell, she said that "they shivered and danced" This procures an image of little pieces of hald burned wood going into the air and then coming down to form small smoky cloads. I love this imagery beacause I think it is trully beautiful.

katie said...

The book I have just read is called Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, it was published by Little brown and Company. The book eclipse is about a eight teen year old girl name Bella Swan, her boyfriend Edward Cullen, and her best friend Jacob Black. As bella finds herself in a life threatening situation Edward and Jacob have to put their differences aside and join together to save the girl that they both love. The literary element used in this book is conflict, this conflict is self conflict with Bella herself. Her conflict is that she is in love with Edward but she is also at the same time in love Jacob. Bella tries to push away her feelings for Jacob but realized in the end that she was in love with him, maybe she didn’t love him as much as she loved Edward but she admitted to herself that she did love him. She had another self conflict which was her trying to bring the two parts of herself , the part that loves Jacob and the part of her that loves Edward. Bella had trouble admitting that she had been in love with Jacob even though she also loved Edward. Also she had to realize that there were to parts of herself that would never and could never be apart of each other.


-Katie McSherry
-Block: F
-Ms. P

ashley said...

The book i am reading is ''The once and the future king'' by T.H. White. Its about King Arthur and his shining camealot. Their are many mystical, tradgic, and wonderful elemnts in this book. The setting takes place in king arthur's castle, its intresting how the author uses power and diffrent perspectives to fit this kind of mysterious fantasy. the book so far is good because of the fanatsy theme and its intresting to read.
-ashley miller
-f-block
-ms.p

Unknown said...

Ariel Leiva
F-block
10-1-08


In the novel First they Killed My Father by Loung Ung, the author uses point of view (first person) to put one in her shoes. The novel is based on the author’s experience of growing up in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge took over in April of 1975. The Khmer Rouge were civilian soldiers who committed horrible crimes against the people of Cambodia. It was a time filled with fear and torture where the author puts one in the midst of it all. The author has a gift of a wonderful memory that she is able to vividly describe everything she felt or saw. For example “My body sags and I begin to grow tired. My eyelids struggle to stay open against the glaring sunlight and dust from the road. The wind whips my hair all about, tickling my face but I do not smile”(Ung 2). The author’s attention to detail and her point of view, makes one grow even more deeply attached to her.