Alex's reviewbookshelves: q3-2009
Louis Sachar,who writes children books and is a New York native, has published many works, but Holes is definatly one of his most famous. Although Stanley Yelnats is overweight and socially-challenged, he is also the protagonist of this book. Being found unlucky, Stanley is forced to spend his time at Camp Green Lake. After reading the book, I would recomend it to anyone. As far as I know, everyone that has read the novel has loved this twisted tale
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Salem Witch Trials...
"I am not a witch!",I proclaim to the once caring but now questioning neighbors.
Some small children in the village nearby have been mysteriously becoming sick. The sickness is a mystery to all and consists of convultions, contortions and outbursts of gibberish. Foreigners? Animals? No one can understand where this disease could have come from.
I have always been a loyal citizen to the small town of Salem. I work at the elementry school just down the street, I go to the Baptist church on the corner of Main Street and 11th Avenue, and I bake a batch of no-bake cookies for the neighbors Christmas gifts each year.
Never in a million years would I have thought people would ever question me.
Witches are looked upon as cruel, wicked and twisted. Most people associate magic, black cats and pointy hats with witches...but not this time. In my hometown of Salem, the society is beggining to believe that long-term citizens are actually witches. Naive people are making themselves believe that these so-called "witches" are torturing these young girls. Do witches exist?
Headed to the market, I stroll down the streets of Salem. For some odd reason, I can feel an immense pressure weighing me down. Why? As I continue my journey, I feel as if piercing eyes are watching my every foot step down the rusty-red brick road. What seems like whispers, flood my ears and morph into a loud buzzing roar. I gather my neccesities at the market and flee home in lightening speed.
A few days sluggishly crawl by. To avoid the hurtful rumors, I stay in my cozy, one bedroom stone cottage as much as possible. As I huddle by my sweltering, stuffy fire, I hear a howling crowd. I rise up and see a sect of raging villagers. What do they want from me?
"WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!", the mob chants!
"I am not a witch, I am human!", I exclaim!
What has made everyone think I am a witch? I have never done anything but be nice to all of the residents of Salem. I am just like them...human.
I am forced to go through crucial trials to prove that I am no witch. The council of Salem is still not convinced. Why me? The Salem community shows me no mercy and insists that I am a witch and say I am the one causing all of these disturbances. What am I going to do?!
Some small children in the village nearby have been mysteriously becoming sick. The sickness is a mystery to all and consists of convultions, contortions and outbursts of gibberish. Foreigners? Animals? No one can understand where this disease could have come from.
I have always been a loyal citizen to the small town of Salem. I work at the elementry school just down the street, I go to the Baptist church on the corner of Main Street and 11th Avenue, and I bake a batch of no-bake cookies for the neighbors Christmas gifts each year.
Never in a million years would I have thought people would ever question me.
Witches are looked upon as cruel, wicked and twisted. Most people associate magic, black cats and pointy hats with witches...but not this time. In my hometown of Salem, the society is beggining to believe that long-term citizens are actually witches. Naive people are making themselves believe that these so-called "witches" are torturing these young girls. Do witches exist?
Headed to the market, I stroll down the streets of Salem. For some odd reason, I can feel an immense pressure weighing me down. Why? As I continue my journey, I feel as if piercing eyes are watching my every foot step down the rusty-red brick road. What seems like whispers, flood my ears and morph into a loud buzzing roar. I gather my neccesities at the market and flee home in lightening speed.
A few days sluggishly crawl by. To avoid the hurtful rumors, I stay in my cozy, one bedroom stone cottage as much as possible. As I huddle by my sweltering, stuffy fire, I hear a howling crowd. I rise up and see a sect of raging villagers. What do they want from me?
"WITCH! WITCH! WITCH!", the mob chants!
"I am not a witch, I am human!", I exclaim!
What has made everyone think I am a witch? I have never done anything but be nice to all of the residents of Salem. I am just like them...human.
I am forced to go through crucial trials to prove that I am no witch. The council of Salem is still not convinced. Why me? The Salem community shows me no mercy and insists that I am a witch and say I am the one causing all of these disturbances. What am I going to do?!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
So Far...
Reading has never been an interest of mine, but I feel like I have grown to like it more. Since beginning English 11, I have read 6 books. The 2 books I read in class challenged me to go beyond what I usually read, and I am glad I did. Reading this quarter, also helped me find out what type of books I am interested in. I love to read mysteries and also even true life books. I like reality, not fantasy. The reading journal we were required to do helped me pick apart the book. Instead of just reading it and thinking that I know what it meant, I went back and looked at the specific details and thought beyond the text. In my opinion, to read a text deeply is to not just read the book and stop at the information that it gives you. You have to go deeper and think outside the book.
I have without a doubt become a stronger writer. The “Show not Tell” stories and exercises really helped me a lot. I love to write now. I like to actually make a scene, with crisp details and muscle verbs, play in the readers mind. Next quarter I think I need to work most on my sentence structure. Although I try to use different types of sentences, I can still improve.
A new skill I learned this year was blogging. Until this year, I hadn’t even really known too much about it. I love it now. I like that I can explain how I interpreted a book or post a poem I have written and other people can read it and let me know how they feel also. It is kind of like my nerdy facebook.
The lit-circles have helped me grow as a collaborator. I have never really been pushed to work with a group. I am not a shy person by any means, but having an educational discussion is harder then chatting about what my plans are for Friday night. My group was very talkative, so I believe that we all came much more capable of having an intelligent conversation. Although we started off straying from the topic, by the end, we had it down.
Next quarter I hope to learn as much as I did this quarter. I really enjoyed this class and I know it will get better as we go. I hope we get to write a lot more and learn different styles and techniques. I am very interested in becoming a better writer.
I have without a doubt become a stronger writer. The “Show not Tell” stories and exercises really helped me a lot. I love to write now. I like to actually make a scene, with crisp details and muscle verbs, play in the readers mind. Next quarter I think I need to work most on my sentence structure. Although I try to use different types of sentences, I can still improve.
A new skill I learned this year was blogging. Until this year, I hadn’t even really known too much about it. I love it now. I like that I can explain how I interpreted a book or post a poem I have written and other people can read it and let me know how they feel also. It is kind of like my nerdy facebook.
The lit-circles have helped me grow as a collaborator. I have never really been pushed to work with a group. I am not a shy person by any means, but having an educational discussion is harder then chatting about what my plans are for Friday night. My group was very talkative, so I believe that we all came much more capable of having an intelligent conversation. Although we started off straying from the topic, by the end, we had it down.
Next quarter I hope to learn as much as I did this quarter. I really enjoyed this class and I know it will get better as we go. I hope we get to write a lot more and learn different styles and techniques. I am very interested in becoming a better writer.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Boo Radley's Crib
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, a lot of the characters are afraid of, another character, Boo Radley. Regularly judged, Boo Radley acts differently and usually stays away from the company of others. Just because Boo acts strangely and lives in a dark, scary house, everyone thinks there is something wrong with him. In my literature circle, we discussed Boo Radley’s home. On the way to Jonesboro, there is broken down, beat up house that is not very pleasing to the eye. When we picture Boo’s house, we think of the old, spooky house.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Endure Pain, Trust Faith
Hypocrite-a person who pretends to have virtues, morals or religious beliefs, but does not actually possess these traits. Now days it is not uncommon for people to almost seem as if they have split personalities. Acting one way at times and completely different at another is not unusual to any eye. Go to church, cuss at school. Witness to a friend, smoke on the weekend. Check "Christian" on a questionnaire, drink at a party. These occurrences are intrusively expected in today's society.
She Said Yes is a heart-wrenching story of a teenage girl who stood her ground. With a gun to her flesh, she was asked if she believed in God. Courageously, she said yes. Murdered then and there, her story will always be an inspiration to people of all ages everywhere in the world. Grieving the unexpected death of their young daughter, Cassie's parents continue to keep her story alive. Heroic Cassie was a true chivalrous role model and will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, not everyone is as brave as Cassie. Fitting in and looking cool is a hurdle that most need to leap over. In the long run, people will never reach happiness with these thick-headed ways. It is a terrifying thought of not changing these ridiculous ways and standing up for what we believe in. Otherwise true happiness will never be attained.
She Said Yes is a heart-wrenching story of a teenage girl who stood her ground. With a gun to her flesh, she was asked if she believed in God. Courageously, she said yes. Murdered then and there, her story will always be an inspiration to people of all ages everywhere in the world. Grieving the unexpected death of their young daughter, Cassie's parents continue to keep her story alive. Heroic Cassie was a true chivalrous role model and will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, not everyone is as brave as Cassie. Fitting in and looking cool is a hurdle that most need to leap over. In the long run, people will never reach happiness with these thick-headed ways. It is a terrifying thought of not changing these ridiculous ways and standing up for what we believe in. Otherwise true happiness will never be attained.
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