Blog for week 12/14/15

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


     The book that I am currently reading is called "Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend" by Alison Leslie Gold. This book is about Anne Frank's surviving friend Hannah. It talks about how life was when World War ll was happening. Hannah tells her story, and how her friendship with Anne Frank was very important to her.


     I do not hate what I am reading but I do not love it either. I feel this way towards the book because I really do not like nonfiction in general. I think that the book is interesting at times, but most of the time I get distracted and forget what I read. I sort of like the book because I think that Hannah and Anne's lives were interesting. I think this because they were only 13 years old and all of these tragic things were already happening. I will finish this book, but I don't think that I would reread because I really do not find nonfiction interesting.


     The thing that I find really interesting is that in this book Hannah Goslar takes the you (the reader) to a farther understanding of Anne's life. She gives you more information about Anne than what her diary does. Anne Frank's diary was only during the war, but this story tells you about Anne's life before the war and what Hannah's feelings were. I really like how this book not only focus's on Anne's life but her friend Hannah and her family. "Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend" really gives you more of an understanding because it talks about their feelings throughout the whole book and even though I am not able to relate, I can imagine it was really hard for them because they were around my age when it happened.
   

Nonfiction Blog for the week - Memories of Anne Frank

read: up to Chapter 6 -  page 21


     The nonfiction book that I am currently reading is, "Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend" by Alison Leslie Gold. What I have read so far is about Anne Frank's good friend, Hannah Goslar. Hannah Goslar lived to tell her story about her experience as a kid during WW||. At one point Hannah wondered if her parents knew something about Anne's family that she couldn't know. Hannah and Anne got separated, and she feared that something terrible would happen to Anne and her family. Hannah reminded herself that they were on their way to Switzerland for safety. Where I left off reading, 400 Jews from the old Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam were arrested.

    A part from the story that I find interesting is, "At bedtime Hannah's parents came into her room and said good night. She wondered if hey knew something about Anne's family they weren't telling her." I find that interesting because maybe they do know something and they don't want to tell Hannah because she might get scared. I think that something probably happened to Anne's family while going on their way to Switzerland and they do not want to worry Hannah.

     Some of the things that I have learned so far that I will not forget in the future is that no matter how far you are from someone you love that will not stop you from caring for them. I think that this book has life lessons hidden in them. Hannah and Anne have been separated for religious reasons and Hannah worries that something has happened to her best friend. Al she hopes for is that they get to safety fast.

    

Commented on: Sumar, Emily, Hazelle

Blog for Week 11/12/15 - Bonechiller By Graham McNamee

     The book that I am currently reading is Bonechiller by Graham McNamee. This book is about a boy named Danny. Danny moves a lot and is used to not fitting in. He lives in a small town in Canada. He has many adventures with his friends Ashley a.k.a Ash, Pike, and Howie. While going home from a crazy event he gets attacked by an animal. He is not sure what it is but he thinks that it is making him go nuts. Throughout the book he is trying to figure out what it is and why it's making teenagers disappear.

      I think that the theme so far is perseverance. I think that it is perseverance because Danny and his friend Howie were both imprinted by this dog-like animal and they have to keep searching for an answer even though their lives are at stake. Howie ends up in the hospital because of this encounter, but that doesn't stop him from trying to find out what this animal is and why it's after him and Danny. I think that this shows perseverance because even though they may have gotten rabies, they still continued to go back to the forest and search for their answers.


I think that this book has a second theme as well. I think that the second theme that this book has is friendship because even though they haven't known each other for so long, Danny, Pike, Howie, and Ash act like they have known each other their whole lives. Before all the chaos about the animal happened, they all went to Harvest Cove and Pike had the idea to burn a gasoline market shop down. Even though his idea was dangerous they didn't leave him alone to get caught, they stayed by his side. They were all nervous that they were going to get caught, but if one was going down they all were. 

Commented on: Jude, Emily, Amille 

1st Quarter Reflection

     Some of the strategies that have benefited me are annotating my articles. This has helped me a lot because when I look back I will remember what I read. It also helps me because if we have questions about what the article was about I could just look at my annotations as a guide on what that certain topic was about. I may think that annotating is boring, but it really does help. I will definitely keep doing this because it helps me understand the article.

     My research skills have improved in the last quarter by having a lot of projects that involve researching. In those projects we had to use different websites and if we couldn't find what we were looking for we tried a different website. Two of the projects that involved research were Banned Books Week and the Poe Web quest. Some of the times I found it hard to find the information that I was looking for, but I just explored the website a bit more and eventually I'd find it. 


     In this class I learned a lot of new things about the world because of our article of the week. Some of the times I thought that I wasn't going to be interested in the topic but then I found it really interesting because sometimes they involved new laws, or violence that has happened in places that are near by. I remember reading about Syrian Refugees. The topic was really important because there was violence happening in their country and they were fleeing to other countries near by to get to safety. A lot of the articles were really interesting because some if the events were in our own country and I didn't know that was happening. This class is basically like our own news resource.

The Arranged Marriage

"The Arranged Marriage" 

By Andrea Dominguez

In an olden era there was a semi-barbaric king who was so powerful. This king had a daughter, that no one ever dared to love because of her father. Until one day a young man from the king’s workers rose to the challenge.The princess loved him and he loved her. The king had made the lover go to the arena.

When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eyes met hers. She sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the vast ocean of anxious faces beside her. He saw, by that power quick perception which is given to those whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it.

He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made a plan to figure out her decision, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king. The only hope for the youth in which there was any element of certainty was based upon the success of the princess in discovering this mystery; and the moment he looked upon her, he saw she had succeeded, as in his soul he knew she would succeed.

It was his quick and anxious glance that asked the question “which?”  It was as plain to her as if he shouted from where he stood. There was not an instant to be lost. The question was asked in a flash; it must be answered in another. Her arm lay on the cushioned parapet before her. She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena.

The princess points to the door of the lady. She immediately regrets her decision. The princess watched as her lover married the girl she hated. Years passed and the princess still wasn’t over her decision. Her lover talked to his “wife”.

“Love, I have some important news to tell you.” he started.

“What is it my dear?” she asked.

“I still love the princess. I am so deeply sorry but we must divorce at once.” he firmly stated. As anger flared through the lady she coldly agreed. He immediately searched for the princess. Once he found her he confessed his love for her. She admitted she still loved him.

“Why did you make me choose the lady?” He asked with curiosity.

“I would rather have you with someone else than have you dead.”

“What are we going to tell your father?” They both went to confront the king. After hours of pleading he realized that he wanted his daughter to be happy. Soon after the confirmation, they married. The lady found out and wants to kill the princess. The king finds out and puts her in the arena. If guilty out came the tiger. If innocent her handsome man, the princess’s lover, was hers at last. She chooses the door on the right. The hungry tiger ran out from the door and devours her. The princess was delighted, not only because the lady was gone forever, but because she finally found her prince to be with for the rest of her life.

commented on: Emily, Robert, Yazmin

Blog for Week 10/26/15 - Bonechiller

Prompt:  How does the conflict drive the character development?

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

pages 1 - 50

     The book that I am currently reading is Bonechiller by Graham McNamee. This book is about a boy named Danny. Danny moves a lot and is used to not fitting in. He lives in a small town in Canada. He has many adventures with his friends Ashley a.k.a Ash, Pike, and Howie. While going home from a crazy event he gets attacked by an animal. He is not sure what it is but he thinks that it is making him go nuts. Throughout the book he is trying to figure out what it is and why it's making teenagers disappear.

     The conflict so far is that Danny got attacked by a dog-like animal. The creature made Danny fall and hit his head, so he is not sure if what he saw really happened or if he was just hallucinating. This conflict changes Danny because now he is very cautious whenever he goes out. He makes sure that the animal is not chasing him or watching him. Danny isn't his daring self anymore. He doesn't want to go to Harvest Cove with Pike anymore because he thinks that the animal is out there waiting for him. Danny was daring and up to any challenge that his friend Pike would give him. Now he is just cautious and paranoid because of his encounter with the creature.

Blog for Week 10/14/15 - Marley & Me

Prompt: If you were a character in this book, who would you be? Why?

Marley & Me by John Grogan
throughout the whole book

     The book, Marley & Me, talks about how John and Jenny want to start a family but want to make sure they are ready for parenting. To test themselves they buy a dog. He is a very squirmy dog, most people would say he is disobedient but I would say he is just very excited about life. There is conflict about if they should keep the dog because of how his behavior is. Did this couple find the key to unlock their hearts to love this "bad dog"?

    If I was a character in Marley & Me I would be Marley because he is just so full of life. Marley is has a really upbeat personality and just loves everyone he meets. I really like people that have a positive personality because it gets me in a good mood as well. That is how Marley's personality is. Marley really likes to be around people instead of being with himself, that's kind of how I am. When Marley was a puppy he didn't want to sleep alone. He had to sleep with John. Sometimes I like to be alone but I don't like to feel alone. What I mean is that when I'm with someone I like to feel involved not ignored. Marley is like that too. Marley likes to be noticed. He understands that sometimes thats not possible but he doesn't go all rebellious. When Jenny has her first baby, she was worried that he would get jealous and become a rebel, but he didn't. It's like Marley knew what to do. He was very cautious near the baby. He wouldn't jump on him, bite him, or do anything to harm him. 

     I feel like the author made Marley's personality similar to a human. Marley has the personality of a positive upbeat person. He is just so carefree. I would really want to be Marley because I think that with a positive attitude you won't be stressed and worrisome. Many people could relate to Marley because he is basically a human just in a dog character. 

I commented on Emily's, Amilee, and Brimady's

Banned Books Vlog

Where the Sidewalk Ends

By Shel Silverstien

                                Commented on:  Emily's, Evelyn's, Brimady's, Sumar's, Robert's

Sources:

"About Banned & Challenged Books." American Library Association. American Library                          Association, 2015. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. 

     <http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about>.

"Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read." American Library Association. 

     American Library Association, 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. 

     <http://www.ala.org/bbooks/bannedbooksweek>.

Brunner, Borgna. "Banned Boooks." Fact Monster. 

      Fact Monster, 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. 

     <http://www.factmonster.com/spot/banned-kids-books.html>.

Doyle, Robert P. "Books Challenged or Banned 2014 - 2015." Illinois Library Association. 

     Illinois Library Association, 2015. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. 

     <https://www.ila.org/initiatives/banned-books-week/books-challenged-or-banned-   in-2014-2015>.

Top 10 Book Challenge

     

 


1. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry
 I read this book because I wanted to know why she didn't die. This guy hates her and her family because they found a cure for something and he wants to kill them so he can take credit. She had to change her whole life just to get away from the bad guys. She changed into a boy and she had help from some new friends.

                     

2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstin

    I read this book because it gives people a message to not ask others for things because one day they
will not be able to. The boy was being really greedy and wanted everything and he just took this friend, the tree, for granted. The tree kindly gave the boy what he needed but secretly wished for something in return.

3. Looking For Alaska by John Green

     I read this book because it seemed interesting that they were looking for someone. But they weren't. Its about a boy going to college and he likes this girl named Alaska. She makes him smoke and he changes his whole personality for her. She only smokes to die. It's a really interesting friendship.

4. Girl Stolen by April Henry

     I picked this book because it's about a girl that is blind and her stepmother leaves her in the car for 5 minutes, but then someone steals the car not knowing that the girl was there. Eventually they get to their destination and keep her hostage because they don't want her to tell anyone about what
happened.

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I read this book because it was interesting that Augustus likes Hazel for who she is and not her looks. She doubts herself a lot but eventually likes him. The book has a tragic ending and it's just a heart warming story.

     

6. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess

     I read this book because it's about how you don't judge things by how they look. Sam kept trying to get his friend to try eggs and ham that are green. He says no and he keeps trying to get him to say yes. This book shows that you should never give up.







7. Welcome Home Jelly Bean by Mareln Fanta Shya

I read this book because its about how a girl has a mental disorder. She is treated differently because of her disorder. They discover she has a talent and then everyone treats her differently now.

8. Dead Upon A Time by Elizabeth Paulson

This book is about a girl that is locked up in a room and the only food she gets everyday is a poisoned apple. In another room there is another apple but its covered in needles, if she pricks herself with the needle she dies. Her brother and sister are kept in a different room that just keeps getting hotter and hotter. There is sinister after her family and after royalty. It's up to two kids to find out who and why they're doing this and save the victims. 

9. Paper Towns by John Green

This book is about a boy who spent his whole life loving this girl from afar. They eventually become friends and suddenly she disappears. But she leaves clues for him, the closer he gets to her the less he sees the girl he thought he
knew.

10. Marley & Me by John Grogan
This book is about a dog and a newly married couple John and Jenny. The couple wants to start a family but Jenny doesn't think she can handle it. So as a test John buys her a puppy and they name it Marley. They went through ups and downs with him. But they never expected something bad to happen to Marley until the end.

I commented on Amilee's, Emily's and Marcos's.

All About Me

     Welcome! My name is Andrea and I am in 7th grade. I have lived in Chicago my whole life. I am the youngest in my family so I did get spoiled growing up. I own a dog and he is very energetic and loves to run after squirrels. When I grow up I either want to be an actress or own a restaurant.

     My favorite sport to play is volleyball. During a playoff game I did 14 serves in a row, which led us to victory. My favorite band is One Direction. I saw them on 8.29.14 and 8.23.15. They were the best times in my life! I cannot go a day without listening to music. I can't do things in silence because it gets me distracted for some reason. I also love to hang out with friends. We go shopping, to the park, or just hang out at each others' houses. When I am so bored I just go on social media for what I think is 5 minutes but turns out being 3 hours. oops!

Lost Boy Lost Girl by John Bul Dau

Lost Boy, Lost Girl

     The book I am reading is called Lost Boy Lost Girl by John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech. The book is about John and Martha's life when they lived in Sudan.  They talked about their struggles as a kid living in poverty.

     John Bul Dau was born on July  1974 in Southern Sudan, Africa. John was one of the lucky kids that escaped and survive the civil war. He graduated High School in Kenya. The name of the high school is unknown. 

He dreamed of being a teacher when he grew up. He wanted to teach others better than his teacher taught him. Someone in his class asked his teacher what the english word 'cloud' meant and the teacher didn't know either and he said, "It means a large bird.". John has also co-written God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir. He won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for his first novel, God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir. His impact on the world was that he raised tens of thousands of dollars to cover the academic and medical expenses of Sudanese refugees.

Even though John Bul Dau had a rough childhood, he managed to make the best of it. By writing a book about it.



Sources: 
Big Speak, www.bigspeak.com, 2015 https://www.bigspeak.com/Inspirational-speakers/john-dau/

National Geographic, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/, 2015, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/john-bul-dau/

Lost Boy Lost Girl By John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akeech, 2010

"Lost boy, Lost girl" Prompt 4

   



     In my book, Lost Boy, Lost Girl by John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech the most memorable moment was when Martha agreed to marry John. In the book it says, "I agreed to marry him - Martha"  That quote means a lot because he really wanted to marry her and she was indecisive about it. Finally she agreed to, but they had to get married in the Dinka matter, meaning negotiating back in Sudan. It means a lot because it is marriage and even though it might be hard and they will have to do a lot of paper work, it will be worth it because they will do it for love.

Lost Boy, Lost Girl prompt 3

Lost Boy, Lost Girl

     In Lost Boy, Lost Girl by John Bul Dau and Martha Arual Akech, the thing that motivates John is that he wants to be brave and fearless like his uncle. I know this because in the beginning of the story he says, "When I was a young boy, my great-uncle Aleer-Manguak was killed while trying to protect our cattle from a lion. His bravery made me proud." That quote means that his great-uncle was brave enough to risk his life for others. John risks his life through the journey because he wants everyone to stay alive. 

Lost Boy, Lost Girl Prompt 2

Dear Martha,


    How are you? I hope you are having a better experience than I am. We had to run so much because they were throwing bombs at us. I am so lucky that I am alive. I know it's harder on you since you are younger but trust me, you will get through this and everything will be alright.



                                                                                 Love,

                                                                                           John

"Lost Boy, Lost Girl" Prompt 1

What did the writer do in the opening pages to capture your interest/curiosity? Explain with examples and a quote from the text!

The author started the opening pages with their childhoods. In the text it says, "When I was a young bot, my great-uncle Aleer-Manguak was killed while trying to protect our cattle from a lion" - John (pg. 9) John talks about his childhood and his experiences before he met Martha. Both Martha and John talk about how they would have fun and make up their own games. The girls would play with dolls that their moms' made from old clothing. The boys would play a game that was similar to tag. There would be 1 lion and the rest were their "food". If you got caught by a lion you would turn into a lion. '"We also played a running game called alueth. It's played with two bases, one for someone taking the role of a lion and the other for children whom the lion 'hunts'". - John "Or we played with dolls our mothers had made us out of scraps of old clothing." - Martha

Love

Love

What is love?

Love is when you feel butterflies in your stomach

Smile at random times

Because you are thinking about that special someone

Love is when jealousy rises up when someone is with them

You feel like your face is as red as a tomato

Wanting to yell "BACK OFF"

Love is when your heart races whenever you are near them
When you see them you feel like you are going to faint
Looking for meanings behind an action they do towards you.

Love is when you can't focus on anything

All you want to do is be with that person

Spend every second of your life

Love is a special feeling
That cannot be described
That's what love is

Ode to One Direction

One Direction

One Direction! You boys make me feel butterflies in my stomach

You make me squeal when I see you

I can't control myself at concerts

You 5 lads make me head overs heels

Whenever I hear your angelic voices

Hearing your voices make me relaxed

You 5 lads make me steamed up

Whenever I see your beautiful faces

They make me tingly inside

Your accents, how they are music to my ears

They are the only thing I want to hear

Your voices make me stimulated

At your concerts you make me go out of control

People may think I am demented 

I scream at the top of my lungs

I would do anything to meet you

Where I'm From - Andrea Dominguez

Where I'm From

By: Andrea Dominguez

I'm from the time where technology was all that mattered

Being on apps and social media

Eyes being glued to the screen

I am from the parties in the summer

With family and friends

Making bonfires 

Staying up all night

I am from the One Direction fandom

Being a Directioner is my life

People may say obsessed, but I say dedicated

I am from freezing winters and melting summers

When snow days were all we wished for

Spending summer like it was the last

I am from summer vacations

Going to Los Angeles 

Getting tan

I am from pizza every saturday

Spending time with family

Watching Netflix

I am from the days when I have music full blast

Singing to the top of my lungs

Having people yell, "SHUT UP"

I am from "Don't do that you're going to get hurt"

Getting hurt often

Not listening to my parents

Clouds in a Sky

Clouds in the Sky

Clouds are as soft as silk

They lay peacefully upon us

In the sky

Sometimes are grey

Other times are as white as snow

They are as shapeless as a pudding

They block the Sun

Make rain come down

People watch them and make shapes out of them

Clouds are as fluffy as cotton balls

My Skin Poem

My Poem

My skin is a beautiful sculpture
Which is mine but that I did not create.
Like a protective watch dog
It is like a tattoo
Forever with me
No matter what
Like a seed
It will grow
It is a battlefield
Fighting off germs
Forever it will be

Dog Of Pompeii by Louis Untermeyer

"Dog Of Pompeii"

    In "Dog of Pompeii" by Louis Untermeyer, the dog, Bimbo shows that he is reliable throughout the story.  I chose this because Tito relies on Bimbo to guide him and help in life since Tito is blind.  In the text it says, "Bimbo was telling him the way out"  In the quote we can see that Tito really trusts his dog.  He let him guide them out.  Tito has to rely on Bimbo to help with many of his activities.  Bimbo would never hurt his owner unless Tito needed to know if Bimbo was with him.

      In "Dog of Pompeii" by Louis Untermeyer, Tito is shows that he is very observant.  In the text it says, "Tito had no idea of the time of day. He could feel it was black." In this quote it shows that since he is blind he can't really see the time of day but he could feel that it is dark outside.  But he is very aware of what is happening around him. He can still feel and hear other things.

"God Sees the Truth but Waits"

"God Sees the Truth but Waits"

     In "God Sees the Truth but Waits", by Leo Tolstoy, the author foreshadows Ivan's trouble by saying that his wife had a bad dream about him.  In the story Ivan's wife says, "I had a bad dream about you."  This quote shows that his wife had a bad dream about him from coming back from the fair.  He thinks that she is just saying that so that he stays home. He does not listen and goes to the fair.  While at the fair something does happen. He gets accused of doing something that he probably may or may not have done.  When his wife said that she had a bad dream about him I had a feeling that something was going to happen to him because he didn't listen to her and went to the fair instead.

Leo Tolstoy

Characterization

Characterization

      The main character of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is considered a "killer".  The guy (killer) was going to hang a guy of 35 years of age.  In the story it says, "Clearly this was no common killer."  This quote means that he is sneaky.  The man that was hanged was thinking to escape but it was too late, the captain gave the signal to finish him off.  I think the man should have tried to escape. Maybe he would have made it alive.

Characterization

Hatchet By Gary Paulson

        In Hatchet by Gary Paulson, the main character named Brian has a hatred type of personality.  In the story, it says, "Brian hated judges as he hated lawyers." This quote shows that he hates judges and lawyers because they think they can choose whatever they want for him since his parents are divorced.  Brian hates lawyers and judges because in his opinion they think they can choose who has custody of him.  He doesn't want to stay with his mom for some reason. He hates how lawyers just sit there thinking that he (Brian) doesn't know what is happening.   

Dreams By Langston Hughes

Poem

     The theme of "Dreams" by Langston Hughes is that you should never give up on your dreams. The poem says, "Hold fast to dreams/ For when Dreams/ Go life is a Barren Field/ Frozen with Snow." This quote shows that if you give up on your dreams you will have nothing to accomplish or work hard for.

15 DAY CHALLENGE

     For the 15 day challenge I am kind of going strong because I forgot to do my challenge on January 22, 2015.  But I will try to keep up with my challenge.  Today Jan. 23, 2015 I will be drawing an island.  I am drawing that because on my mind it is already summer.  I will stay strong for the remaining days.

Theme Of Sparky

THEME

    The theme of "Life is Sweet: The Story of Milton Hershey" is that you should never give up on your dreams.  The text says, "Yet with all his hard work the business failed." and then later it says, "Milton opened a confectionery business."  This quote means that he didn't give up even though he failed many times.

15 DAY CHALLENGE  

     For the 15 day challenge I'm drawing something. So far I have drawn a I love food drawing, One Way or another drawing, Batman drawing, and a cupcake drawing.  I think that I would be able to accomplish the challenge because I love to draw when I am bored.