New Moon

     Now I am onto the second Twilight saga series book, New Moon. I am trying to identify the differences and comparisons between the book and the movie as I did with the first book. 

     Though I have seen the movies, I am glad I read the first book instead of just skipping it. This way, I can follow the books (considering they are different from the movies. 

     New Moon picks up right where Twilight left off. I am not of any sort confused although, the book can be hard to follow if you do not start from the beginning of the series. There is not very much explaining in the second book. The author expects you to know the characters, setting, and plot. It is just like a continuation of the first one. Bella and Edward have already been through so much together but are still dealing with new issues everyday which adds to the story. The intensity of the story increases with every book as I've noticed so far. 

     To sum it up, I am still identifying the differences between the books and Twilight series movies. Also, I am contrasting the first and second books. I am planning to read more in this series because it is something that interests me.

Beginning to the Twilight BOOKS

     Though I have already seen all four movies, I am just starting the Twilight series books. I have heard from many people that the books are a lot different than the movies. With that, I hope to see the difference and be able to compare and contrast when I am further into the series.
     It is strange reading the books after seeing the movies when it is usually the other way around for most people. Things that are stated in the book are no surprise to me because I already know what will happen next. For example, Bella has just found out that Edward is a vampire. This part had a lot leading up to it. It was supposed to be shocking and a huge part of the book. For me, it was not because I was already informed of his vampirism and was not as amused as a reader who hadn't seen the movies.
     Something I do enjoy about reading the book series after the movies is, I get to see some minor differences. There have not been many yet but, as I reach the end of the first book I am hoping to see more change. One twist I have noticed so far in Twilight is, the detailed perspective of the book. In the movie you hear some of Bella's thoughts but not nearly as much as in the book. Most of the book is her thinking and internally reacting to situations such as Edward being a vampire. I like knowing what is going on inside her because that is something we do not get to so see on TV.
     As I read, I will continue searching for these key points that make the book significant and different than the movies.

Child Soldiers

      I believe that child soldiers are victims for many reasons. These include the fact that they are drugged, traumatized, and unfairly recruited. Child soldiers are captured from families with less fortune or from refugee camps in the middle of the night. They are used for many horrible things such as sex slaves, messengers and suicide bombers. They are forced against their will to fight against their families and friends. Sometimes they could be forced to kill their own family. The children are brainwashed and drugged to do horrible things. They cannot be held accountable for crimes they commit because they are being forced against their will. 

Using children as soldiers is bad enough. In addition, they are intensely drugged to engage them in killing people. "The only way a child can function in this particular world is if he loses himself completely, and facilities are not in play. If you are fully functioning you're able to show emotion and cannot live in that world," states Ishamel Beah. Beah was a child soldier himself and faced these horrible experiences. They drug the kids to make them feel superior to their victims. The generals want to numb the strong emotions of guilt and fear of the children performing violent actions. However, this is not very affective because, they will always have those horrid memories to live with for the rest of their lives. Also, after they are drugged they can form an addiction making it almost impossible to stop. The poor children look up to the generals who lie and trick them. This shows how obscure the usage of child soldiers can be.

Child soldiers are not only drugged, but many are also separated from their families. “The young boy speaks in a monotone, masking his emotions as he recounts events that irrevocably changed his life, ‘The rebels came and attacked us. They killed my mother and father in front of my eyes. I was ten years old. They took me with them.”

This quote from “Children At War” shows that these kids are being abducted and taken advantage of just because they have nobody else. “According to the United Nations, children are most likely to become soldiers when they are separated from their families.” Ishmael Beah and the article “Armed And Underage” talked about how children are tricked into joining the army. Since they lost family, they think being a part of the army will make them feel like they are part of a bigger family. They are obviously wrong because once they join, they are forced to serve as soldiers. Other kids do not even have the choice of joining. Many are kidnapped and forced into servitude no matter what their family situation may be. These are examples of unfair recruitment involving child soldiers. 

Killing people may be terrorizing but, the hardest part in life is moving on.  Ishmael Beah spoke about his experience as a kid after the war. “I had to withdraw from the drugs and face the memories.” The children that fight are almost always traumatized. For some of them, it takes a very long time to recover. “When I would go to turn on the shower or run water, all I would see was blood pouring out until I looked constantly and realized it was water,” says Beah. 

The issue of have children fight wars needs to be formally addressed. Child soldiers are common around the world and the numbers are going up. Now, we have over 2 million child soldiers worldwide. Though groups such as, UNICEF work to put an end to this problem; more agencies are needed to abolish it. Child soldiers are wrong for multiple reasons. Kids my age are being drugged, traumatized, and unfairly recruited everyday. What kind of society is that? One that needs to be reconstructed. These innocent children should not suffer because they have lost loved ones or have nowhere to go. They should not be forced kill by using drugs. Lastly, they should not be fighting in wars. I strongly oppose child soldiers and the many terrible acts of their cruel generals. 

Next Book In The Series

     I am about to start the second book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. If it is anything like the first one, I am expecting  it to be very good. The first book is now one of my favorite books of all time. The characters and action packed plot were interesting and always made me want to read more. 

    I am hoping to learn even more about Katniss (the main character of the Hunger Games) in this book. She was a very unique character. Many of my friends have read the whole series and tell me about some of her other adventures. I am excited to explore them myself. 

    Suzanne Collins is also now one of my favorite authors. She showed excellent and impressive work in the first book. She has a real talent. I hope I will be able to pick up some other Suzanne Collins books even besides the Hunger Games series. What I have heard from my friends makes me want to just finish the whole series already! My favorite part about the Hunger Games was the creativeness. Many of the settings, situations, and complex characters/character change were never spoken of. Collins created a world of her own. It is a huge success. I have had multiple recommendations to read these books and I am glad I started. Now I just have to continue. 

     All in all, I absolutely loved the first book of the Hunger Games series and want to read on. I am just now starting the second and waiting to see if it as good and well written as the first. Then I will decide if I want to read the entire series. I have heard many great things about it and explored the elements of the first book and author. I thought it was an amazing book and can't wait for this one! 

     

Woodson- Melanin Sun

     This week, I've been reading Jacqueline Woodson's novel, "From the Notebooks of of Melanin Sun." I realized that I have many other Jacqueline Woodson books at home that maybe I will start reading now. After this book I wonder why I've never heard of her before; she is an amazing author that I'm happy I discovered.
      It is about a boy, Melanin Sun. This was not a slow moving book considering that it is short. That's one thing I enjoyed about it. Melanin Sun goes through so many things. He finds out his mother is gay. He's not sure if he's okay with it and it is really hard for him. He loses some friends too due to this realization. I think it was unfair for his "friends" to judge him and leave him because of how his mom choses to live her life. They are not his real friends if they would do something so cruel.
     I thought the whole book was going to be about him figuring out a way to accept his mother. It wasn't as I expected though because as it came to an end, he himself turned out to be gay too. His character changed in many ways. By the end he was a completely different person. Anyways, I really liked this book because of all the surprises, and social issues discussed. I definitely will be picking up a Woodson novel again soon.

Deeper Into Katniss' Feelings

     Katniss from "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins comes off very tough but is not really that way on the inside. I have been trying to detect parts of the book where the "real" Katniss is revealed as I am reading.

     I have found that Katniss tries to act like she cares about nothing and nobody. She does this very well by covering up any emotions she ever has and keeping a straight face. For example, during the reaping she is brought up onto the stage because she is a tribute to the Hunger Games. This means she must fight kids from other districts till death. She is as scared as anyone would be. However, she will not let anybody see how she feels and acts as though she is okay with risking her life. "I cannot afford to get upset, to leave this room with puffy eyes and a red nose. Crying is not an option."

     The only time when Katniss has shown any sign of sympathy or feelings with everyone was when her younger sister, Prim, was chosen as tribute for the Hunger Games. She felt she had no other choice but to volunteer and take her sisters place. She did this because she loved Prim and couldn't stand to watch her little sister be thrown into an arena to kill people and possibly be killed herself. "That's how I feel now, trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned as the name bounces around the inside of my skull." Katniss shows the love she has for Prim by saving her from the games. "'I volunteer!' I gasp. 'I volunteer as tribute!"

     This proves that Katniss really is an emotional person. She just has a rough time showing it. It makes me wonder why she is so private. Why she has to be that way. As I read on, more and more of Katniss' thoughts and internal feelings are being shown but not so many actions like the one in the beginning where she took Prim's place. I'd like to see what else she does so I can learn more about Katniss as a character.

Hunger Games

     I had never bothered to read "The Hunger Games" but many of my friends were reading the series and recommended it to me. I finally started reading it and cannot not seem to put it down. It is so interesting and I keep wanting to read more. The author, Suzanne Collins, has created a whole new world where she goes deep in depth with her unordinary characters.
     The story takes place in a country, Panem. There are 13 districts and the main character, Katniss, lives in the 12th known as the Seam. Katniss and her family(mother and sister Prim) are poor. It is hard for anyone in the Seam to just get by. Unless they are facilitated with the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are when a girl and boy tributes are chosen from a bowl of each district. Those "tributes" must kill each other in the Hunger Games arena until one is left.
     At some points this was confusing but I eventually caught on. It is all new to me and that is probably why I enjoy it so much. I like learning and going into the world of Panem. Although this book is mostly fantasy, Suzanne Collins is able to mix it with real world relationships and feelings. Katniss' younger sister Prim is chosen as tribute to compete in the Hunger Games. Although the winner is granted great amounts of food and wealthiness, Katniss knows that her Prim is only a child and will not be able to survive. Katniss volunteers to take her sisters place in the fight. She feels she has no other choice. This was my favorite part of the book so far.
     I think Suzanne Collins did a great job making her novel action packed and somewhat realistic. It has many good elements to it. I can't wait to continue the Hunger Games and possibly go onto the other books in the series when I finish.

Am I Blue?

        In the short story “Am I blue?” by Bruce Coville, the main character, Vince, is struggling with acceptance. Sometimes it is hard to accept something about yourself when it is not considered normal in our society. 

In the beginning, Vince is being bullied by Butch Carrigan about being gay. “You little fruit,’ he snarled.” Vince is having a hard time coping with this because he cannot understand how he could be gay. It doesn’t seem “right.” 

In the middle, Vince encounters his fairy godfather, Melvin. Melvin is gay and expresses that it is common to go through a state of bewilderment. Melvin helps Vince assimilate that he may be gay. Vince realizes that it is possible and recognizes that he was just confused. “Does that mean I’m gay?’ I didn’t mention that I had been trying to figure out the same thing myself for about a year now.”

In the end, Melvin gives Vince gaydar. With this, he is able to see all the gay people in the world whether they are hiding it or not. Every person with least bit of it became a different shade of blue depending on how gay they were. It showed Vince that he was not alone. “I opened my eyes and gasped. About a third of the people in the cafe-including the guy Melvin had winked at-were blue...” Even Butch Carrigan, Vince’s bully, was “blue as a summer sky.” 

Figuring out who you are is a challenge. Being able to accept who you are is even harder. In the beginning Vince is not only having trouble being accepted. He is also having trouble accepting himself. By the end, he has seen a whole new side to sexuality. Melvin opened his eyes to the truth and it turned out that he was not abnormal at all. Vince changed tremendously, “When I meet the girl of my dreams. Or prince charming. Whichever.”

The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh

       In the short story “The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh” Ray Bradbury shows character change.  The main character overcomes his fears and gains courage  even when times are rough.  

The character, Joby, is a young boy who is struggling with facing the deathly civil war.  In the beginning of the story Joby is hiding and camping out on the battle field.  Although he is hesitant to participate in the war, we realize that the war is of some importance to him because he is a runaway.  I believe the fact that he ran away shows that he feels he must drum for the soldiers and help them do their best.  He questions whether he will be able to survive.  “Me, thought the boy, I only got a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield.” 

Later on, Joby is found by the General of the army.  Although Joby had limited hope, the General gave him an inspiring talk.  He reassured him and told him that he was the “heart of the army.”  I think this was a big turning point in the story.  Joby’s character changed because he started to see that engaging in the fight and risking his life was not so bad.  It was for a good cause.  All of a sudden his fears went away.  If he was risking his life for his nation, it was worth it.  

By the end, the boy was ready to face the one thing that scared him the most: death.  “Then at last, very slowly and firmly he turned the drum so it faced up toward the sky.”  This quote proved that he was a true hero.  With his drum beats, he could help the soldiers take on any fight and earn victory.  

Although Joby had no hope in the beginning, it progressed throughout the story and the Generals talk encouraged him to face his fears.  Joby changed a lot during the story.  He was set on the idea that he would die but, was able to pu that behind him and fight.  He gained self confidence.  Therefore, Ray Bradbury showed tremendous character change.  

Alice Sebold As An Author

Yesterday I started "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. Already, it is an extremely intense book. After reading one chapter I realized that this book may be hard to read at sometimes because it is focused on such a depressing topic. I have read other Alice Sebold books and noticed that they all seem to be written about the same issue. Could Alice Sebold's real life have something to do with the problems she brings up in her books?

The issue faced in "The Lovely Bones" is rape and murder. It was challenging reading the parts describing the rape because it was so disturbing and horrifying. While I was reading I thought, if that ever happened to me I would be terrified. More than ever I would feel sorry for my family. In "The Lovely Bones" the young girl, Susie's family is trying to figure out what happened to their daughter. They are devastated and confused.

In another Alice Sebold book I read called "Lucky" the story is very similar though the main character does not face death. However, the girl is also raped. As I thought about it, I wondered whether this was an issue Alice Sebold experienced as a kid. In both of her books the character is around 13 years old. Both characters are harassed by older men and do not know how to deal with it.

Rape is a very serious and scary thing. Although it may not be true I am assuming that the author Alice Sebold experienced this during her childhood due to the topics of her novels "Lucky" and "The Lovely Bones." Whether she did or not, she shows her strong feelings about it through her writing. As I read I will try to note other relations I see in her book.

Make Lemonade

I recently finished Virginia Euwer Wolff's novel, "Make Lemonade". The book brought up many essential and real world issues. Some issues the characters were facing were poverty and death. The main character, Lavaughn, had lost her father when she was very young. He had been in a bad neighborhood during a shooting and had been accidentally shot. Lavaughn and her mom had been facing some financial problems, they were trying to save up for Lavaughn to go to college. To Lavaughn and her mother, they were severely struggling but, did not realize how fortune they were until they met someone who had even less.
Lavaughn and her mom decided that the best way to save up for college was for Lavaughn to get a job and chip in. As her other friends took jobs as cleaners, she chose to babysit. This was no regular babysitting job though, it changed everything. The mothers name was Jolly. She had two kids, Jilly and Jeremy. The minute Lavaughn walked into Jolly's home she knew she was in for handful of work. Beside the fact that the house was extremely small, the floors were covered with clothes and dishes were sprawled out around the house. Everything was dirty, old, and desperately needing repair. Although Lavaughn's mother opposed the job, she took it anyway. First of all, she needed the extra money and second, she knew that Jolly's life needed some fixing.
Later on in the story the author went deeper into the feelings and challenges the characters were facing. I liked the way Virginia Euwer Wolff eased the readers into getting to know the characters. By the middle of the book I learned that Jolly was struggling with a lot more than just tidying up. Both of her children were made from different fathers who both eventually left Jolly. She was being sexually harassed by her boss but keeping her mouth shut for the sake of losing her job which she eventually lost. And worse of all, she was struggling to maintain a stable life for her kids and being able to afford her house. Jolly had lived in a box on the street for most of her life. She had survived through the cold, and despair. She was a "strong soul" as Lavaughns mother exclaimed.
This book turned out to be one of my favorites. It was sad and at some times horrifying but memorable. Lavaughn had learned a very important lesson as the story progressed; never underestimate your life because other people have it much worse than you. She learned that although college was important to her, just getting by was hard for Jolly. This is why Lavaughn never left her side.