The History of Love

     I just recently started reading a book called The History of Love. It is actually a really good book except it is very challenging. 

     I am not far into the book at all but so far is about a old man who lives in the city and he is actually kind of depressed. I think the author chose to write in the point of view of this man for a reason. There is a certain reputations for people that others just kind of assume.

     For example, people with a lot of friends are happy and have an exciting life. Or people that are alone are very sad and boring and this book proves that wrong. The man is not that boring. He may be alone but every day he does something even if he just stays in the apartment. 

     He even gets a job to be a nude model. i think the author is actually trying to reach out to the readers and saying something. Everyone has a life, feelings, and even if they are alone doesn't mean that they don't have a life. This guy may be a little depressed but he has things that matter. He has a best friend, bruno, he has an apartment and he lives in an amazing city.

     This guy thinks he is completely invisible he even goes out sometimes and bumps into people just so that they would know he was there. That is extremely sad but at least he is trying.

     Even if this book is extremely hard its also fascinating. And i hope as i go on, this guy can find some happiness, he deserves it. 

Shadowmaker

     I'm in the middle of "Shadowmaker" by Joan Lowery Nixon. In the book, I've noticed that the main character Katherine (Kate) Gillian has been having trouble admitting her feeling to people. It's almost like she's scared to let people know what she actually feels.     In the book, Kate seems to almost never really expresses the way she feels about certain things. For example, in the book, Kate loves ballet. But, she never admitted this to her mom. While on the beach, Katie starts doing some moves from Swan Lake, not knowing her mom can see her from their house. After she finishes, her mom goes up to her and asks "Katie, was it wrong for me to take you away from your lessons? You know what, we can go back to Houston". Then Katie proceeds to say that she doesn't "like ballet that much, it's just a hobby" even though Katie knows how much she loves to dance and how much she wants to move back so she can continue her lessons, but for some reason, she can't admit it to her mom.
     Katie also has problems telling the other people at her school how she feels as well. Like when she didn't know what to do when someone she doesn't like at all asks her to the dance.  When Billy asked her, she just said yes. Even though she doesn't even like Billy, and didn't want to go to the dance. She just didn't know how to tell him no without either him or her getting made fun of by the other kids in the school. Even though this example is a little different,  I think it still shows the difficulty she has telling others what she thinks.
     I think Katie is just afraid of disapointing people. Now it's only halfway through the book, but I'm already getting that from her. How she doesn't want to say no to people, or admit her interests or that she really wants something. These are just some of the things that lead me to think that Katie is more worried about others happiness, rather than he own.

Perfect

     Recently, I read a really great book called "Perfect" by Natasha Friend. Natasha Friend was also the author of the book "Lush" which was also a really good book. Perfect is about a girl named Isabelle and she has an eating disorder called bulimia which is a very serious disorder. You throw up on purpose to be skinnier.
     Isabelle is only thirteen years old and already she has been through so much. Her dad died and everything turned upside down for her. She started throwing up and it wasn't even supposed to mean something the first time. She was in the bathroom and it just happened. But then she starts doing it more and more and it becomes an addiction and a huge problem.
Isabelles mom makes her go to therapy and everything to make her better but it doesn't exactly work.
     Bulimia is really scary and it can damage your body and it can be so bad as it can kill you. Throwing up all the time is not safe and it has side effects like your teeth yellowing.
I think that Isabelle really just needed her dad. she was hurting and she just got all caught up with being skinny and once you are in such a dark place like that we all know that it is extremely hard to get out. When Isabelle was in therapy she met a friend named Ashley that had the same problem and they even ended up doing it together. A lot of people think its stupid and of course you can control yourself but thats not the case at all, it is a serious eating disorder.
When people are bulimic sometimes what they do is eat a lot, like  an abnormal amount of food and then throw it all up.     One line that really stands out for me is, “When you believe in something, stand up for it, even if everyone is sitting.” i think that this line really means a lot like isabelle needs to believe in herself so she can stop throwing up even if she has to do it alone. I did not realize how serious and common this issue was among teenage girls. After reading this book I am now more aware. 

The Secret Life of Bees

     I am currently reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It is a really fantastic book and it is set in the 1960's. It tells the story of a fourteen year old girl named Lily Owens. I am not that far into the book but so far its mostly about how Lily's mom died when she was four years old. Her and her dad have a tough relationship and the mom's death has been extremely rough on the whole family.
     Lily has a lot of questions with things like growing up and things that she can only ask her mom. That is where her “step in mother” Rosaleen comes in. This story sets place where there were slaves and black people were treated awful and Rosaleen was black. But she is like a mother to Lily.

     I think the author chose to write in first person of Lily’s perspective for a reason. The author chose to leave out other really important people in the story for a reason. Someone’s perspective who is missing is the dad’s. the author makes it seem like the dad is a really bad guy but the dad is also hurting a lot from the Mom’s death just like Lily. The dad is really harsh on Lily and I think they author didn’t put him in the story because it shows how hard Lily’s life is. If the readers knew also how the dad felt they wouldn’t feel as bad for Lily and I think the author wants people to feel bad for her. 

Looks

     In the book “Looks” by Madeline Geroge, there is a very big plot line. It is about two girl who are outcasts. One is names Aimee and the other is named Meghan. They both have weight problems and the story is told in two different perspectives. The perspectives are the two girls and the way the author writes the book, it seems like the two girls are completely opposite when that isn’t entirely true. Meghan is very overweight and Aimee is way too skinny. They look very different but they aren’t that different in personality.  In life, they both have no friends and they are both outcasts.

     Both girls try to lower themselves. Aimee tries to make herself weigh less and Meghan tries that too. Also, neither of them have very high expectations of themselves. They both think of themselves as losers and people that will never make it. In fact, that is not true at all and they really shouldn’t think that low of themselves because its sad to hear. They are not like that. Also, Aimee mentions throughout the entire story that she needs an escape from not eating, and although I'm not exactly sure how because I've never been in that position, I can understand how having an escape might be necessary. They both need escapes from the ton of kids at school, and I see how that may end up causing stress on a person. Sometimes, I get nervous before tests or drama performances or interviews or even essays. A thing you can do is to take a break from stressing over what you are nervous of and instead have a relative escape.

     Although the two girls are very much the same, they are also different. Meghan actually wanted to have friends at first. She tried to talk to people and when they ignored her she was sad and upset. But for Aimee it was different. She was not interested in other people. She was going to just mind her business and not worry about other people. And in that way they are different.

     This book was really good. It tought me a lot. I think that there is more then just what someone looks like. Someone could look really strong on the outside but be really weak and fragile on the inside.

Sonnet

Our city is drenched with rain today

Sad silence comes to us on rainy days

A gushing wind that sweeps us all away

Feelings not mutual, shall we p’raise

Staying inside all morning and all night

Until the sun comes back we wait and wait

We can only wish for the burst of bright 

If sun does not come it just was not fate 

Although without the rain there may be drought

Crops will grow and thirst will be quenched 

Lives will go on, the rain shall not fade out

For rain is good, not something to be benched

Rain may cause some change at heart but it’s good

We like things like rain, just as we should

Stay

     The book “Stay” by Deb Caletti is a really good, complex book. It’s about a girl named Clara. Clara is like any other teenage girl. She thinks and feels normal. 

     But then Clara finds true love and her life turns into a complete crazy mess in good and bad ways. At first, Christian seemed perfectly harmless and normal. They met each other and it was love at first sight. They were harmless; just two people who spend all their time together.

     But then Christian gets more and more obsessive and it gets worse. Clara can’t even have dinner without him being there. It gets so bad that he starts stalking her and Clara starts to get scared.

     If I were Clara I would be really scared myself. It is unimaginable to be stalked.  Even if it is your boyfriend. They didn’t even know each other very long when he started acting strange and creepy. Clara tries to break up with him but he does not leave her alone. Eventually, they have to go as far as telling her dad and calling the police.

     This story makes me think a lot about how intense that must be for a family. Clara’s mom had also died. You don’t find out until the end that she had drowned and that it was the dads fault. It was a really intense scene and really scary. Especially since after that, Clara almost drowned.

     I also feel that if Clara's fathers perspective was included, the book would be completely different. He is a big part of the story. He had to do with many of the events that took place. I like how Deb Caletti decided to only share Clara's part because we would have already known the mysterious secrets if the dad's point of view was revealed. 

Martin Espada

    Martin Espadas poems “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School”, “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson”, and “Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877” all show discrimination. I think that Martin Espada has experienced this type of racial discrimination in his life. This is based on the furry he expresses in his writing. I can also relate to many of his points about unfairness.
    In the poem “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School” Martin Espada gives the reader a clear picture of boys speaking Spanish in the bathroom of an English school. The principle is in the bathroom stall when he hears his name. Although he does not know what the boys were saying about him, he assumes the worst and immediately bans Spanish from being spoken in the school bathroom. The action of banning Spanish was discriminatory towards the boys because they were not even given the chance to defend themselves. Their language, a huge part of their culture was taken away from them without a fight. Martin Espada did not express his anger so openly as he did in other poems. Instead, he made the poem brief and made the reader acknowledge the discrimination by getting right to the point. As I thought about this for a while, I came to a conclusion that the principle was most likely white and had never had his culture or language taken away from him.
    In “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson” there is a boy who is upset because his name is continuously mispronounced. I can infer that his name is of great importance to him because of the way he describes how he wants to “hijack a busload of Republican tourists.” I also feel as though this poem is based off of the author’s personal experiences. I think this considering that his name is Martin. It is a name descended from a non-American culture. It is Spanish and is usually pronounced differently in America. Perhaps it is culturally special to him because the mispronunciation affects him greatly. It is unfair and discriminate towards people who’s names are always mispronounced when people do not care enough to try to get it right. I can relate to this issue because my name isn’t very common and it is annoying when nobody can pronounce it.
    In “Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877” Espada sets a scene from the past. It involved vigilantes taking charge and people being hung. I think Martin Espada wants the readers to think about the abusive power in this situation. People of different cultures were being tortured and discriminated. Another sign of the authors relationship to Spanish culture is when he involves Spanish rituals. This includes “the Virgen de Guadalupe” and “Dia de los Muertos.”
    The three poems, “The New Bathroom Policy at English High School”, “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson”, and “Two Mexicanos lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877” by Martin Espada, all show discrimination. Though all the topics are different, the author seems to relate back to discrimination in every poem. According to his writing, it is something he is passionate about and feels he needs to get his point across. I agree with these multiple issues. Discrimination is a big problem and must be identified by all people.

Just Listen To Yourself

     In the book I'm reading, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, the main character, Annabel, is having trouble communicating with everyone she meets. There's her mom, who wants her to continue modeling when it's not in her best interest. There's her sister Whitney, who's eating disorder is adding weight on the whole family, and she just doesn't know that. There's Sophie, her ex-best friend, who doesn't really know the full truth about the night she fought with Annabel. And then there's Owen, a quiet boy at their school. Owen and Annabel barely know each other, but Owen has already taught Annabel to be honest, be courageous, and really listen to other people. The book is called Just Listen meaning just listen to others, but I think the title really has a deeper meaning.

     Reading this book has taught me a lot about opening up to other people in your life. There are so many people worth getting to know around you that you wouldn't be exposed to otherwise. At my point in the story, you are starting to really get to know Annabel's character, and I'm seeing the way that she interacts with others. To me, I see that Annabel is a very good listener. She always listens to what her sisters and parents have to say, and of course what Owen tells her. Although she finds it easy to listen to other people, I feel like Annabel has a harder time listening to herself.

     Annabel always tries to please others and tell them exactly what they want to her. I feel as if Annabel isn't listening to herself or her needs. Owen is always telling her to just listen, and Annabel always listens to Owen. I think that if Annabel really listened to herself, she would tell her Mom that she didn't want to model. She would tell her sister Whitney that she needed to take care of herself, and explain what a weight she was putting on the family. She would tell Sophie that it was never really like that and she didn't know the true story. And she would tell Owen what she really thought about him, and how she was planning to go about it.

     I think that everyone can definitely relate with Annabel. I'm pretty sure there has most likely been a point in everyone's life when they didn't listen to what they wanted, and instead went the easy way out and put someone else's priorities before their own. Obviously, it's okay to put someone else before yourself. What most people don’t realize is it’s not selfish to address your own needs. There comes a point in everyone's life when it's important to show what you want and listen to yourself. 

It's Kind of a Funny Story (kind of spoiler)

 The book It’s kind of a funny story is a great book written by Ned Vizzini. The book is about a boy named Craig who is mentally depressed and suicidal. Craig is a freshman in high school and he is under a huge amount of stress. Craig used to be on anti-depressants, but then he stopped because he thought he was all better. But he wasn’t. One night, Craig was really serious about killing himself, he even thought of a plan. At three in the morning he was going to go to the Brooklyn bridge and jump off of it, but he started to freak out and instead he called suicide hotline and they told him to go to a hospital.

     I think Craig did the right thing by calling the suicide hotline. I bet it would be really, really hard to just stop in the middle of about to kill yourself and call someone. That is really intense stuff to just stop in the middle of doing. Craig is a smart kid, he knows what hes doing and I think he just had a really bad night and freaked out. I feel so bad for Craig, he is only 14 years old and he is immensely suicidal. The only people that know is his family and that must be a really hard thing to hide.

     Craig got the full treatment he needed at the hospital. They sent him to a mental unit in the hospital that helped him realize that he has his whole life ahead of him and he shouldn’t end it. Craig was suicidal the entire first part of the book, and what I think really triggered him to almost kill himself, are two very important things in his life. First, I think his family and friends really didn’t help him all that much even though they wanted to. They even made him more depressed without meaning too. Also, I think that Craig’s school also made him more suicidal, he had too much pressure on him.

     I think one of the reasons that Craig became more depressed was because of his friends and family. Of course they all love him very much and never meant to make things worse but they did. His family is always asking him how he is doing and they are always wondering if he needs something. This makes him feel like there is something wrong with him, like he is crazy and he should feel bad about himself. That is not going to help him in life. Also I think that his friends don’t realize it, but they don’t help much either. They don’t know that Craig is suicidal and they joke around with him a lot and act like friends should, and they are a little harsh on each other but in a loving way. But what they don’t realize is, that Craig probably doesn’t take it like that. He feels that his friends aren’t really serious about life. Also Craig’s best friend named Aaron is dating the girl he likes and that must be really hard. He has to watch them be in love with each other while he is just sort of there.

     The other thing that I think stressed Craig out is his school. Craig is a freshman and he lives in New York just like me. He has to take a specialized test to get into the high school that he wants to go to. So he starts studying really, really hard and he gets into that school. The only problem is, that it is a really high pressure school that stresses him out a lot and he has a lot of pressure to do well. I can relate to Craig, my school isn’t like that, but I am taking that same exact test and I know how hard it is. And if you get in, the school is really hard and stressful and it can’t help Craig at all. It will just make him more depresse
     It’s kind of a funny story is a really amazing book and since Craig is basically my age, I feel like I can really connect with him. Eventually in the end, everything gets sorted out and he isn’t depressed anymore. In this book I feel like I can really picture everything that happens. I can follow Craig’s life and know whats going on. I feel bad for Craig. How awful must it be to be going through such a rough patch in your life and only be in 9^th grade! I mean that is really intense stuff he is going through. Overall, Craig made the right choice to call that suicide hotline because otherwise, he would have died.

The Member of the Wedding

I am currently reading The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. It is a great classic book about a girl named Frankie. This book takes place in 1946, Frankie is a 12 year old girl who is very bored with life in general. It is the middle of the summer and she has nothing to do.                                                                                                                                   Frankie’s brother named Jarvis is getting married. Since Frankie is bored, she feels really excited for the wedding. She has a crush on it almost. Frankie’s family has a cook named Bernice. Bernice is Frankie’s best friend, because she doesn’t really have anyone else.  Bernice and Frankie were playing around one day and Frankie got really mad because Bernice was teasing her about the wedding.

The next thing you know, Frankie has thrown a knife across the room because she is so mad. I think Frankie just lost control, she must be going through a rough time in her life right now and she must have just lost it. I understand why she went too far, she needed some excitement in her life. She doesn’t feel like she is a part of anything and she is depressed and lonely. If I was her, I would tell someone about what she is feeling and why. It’s not good to hold in a grudge, it will just make you more mad and angry.

On one hand I think I can relate to Frankie and know and understand what she is going through. On the other hand, maybe she is over reacting just a little bit. I think I can relate to Frankie, well not completely but on some level. She is twelve years old, that is not a very fun age to be. Also, she Is really bored it’s the middle of summer and she has nothing to do. I know that I get very annoyed when its summer and I’m bored. She must be even more bored because there were no camps and her friends weren’t around or anything. I think in general Frankie is so bored that it causes her to do irrational things that she knows is wrong. Apparently she broke the law that summer but I don’t know what she did because I’m not that far into the book. I wonder what drives her to do all those crazy things. I mean it is just because she is bored or is it because something else?

I understand that Frankie is bored but I also think that she is overacting just a little bit. She is saying that after the wedding of her brother, she wants to run away from home and stay with them. Honestly, I think that’s a little bit extreme if you ask me. Once school starts again, she isn’t going to be as bored. Also she will be older and have more friends. I think that she could at least make an effort to find someone to play with. And if not, she had the cook who could do stuff with her. Even though I understand that she is only twelve, she could at least brainstorm ideas. She also lives near her first cousin John Henry, who she says she doesn’t like playing with but she should just make the best of it.

The member of the wedding is a really fantastic book that is nice and challenging. It has great language and I feel like I am right there next to Frankie. I like how you can follow her life while it is still in third person. I would definitely recommend it.

Ninteen Minutes Whose Perspective Is Missing

    This week I have chosen to write about which perspective and whose perspective is missing. I am currently reading a book called “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult. It is about a school shooting. It is told in many different perspectives and it goes back and forth from the past. In the story a young boy named peter goes into his school and starts shooting people. He kills ten people including one teacher. No one knows why he did it and no one knows how he got away with it.

     I think that injustice was served that day for all the families that lost a kid that day. There are about five main characters so far. Alex who is a middle aged women who is a judge and has a teenage daughter named Josie who got injured in the shooting. Josie is another perspective and so is Lacy who is Alex’s best friend and is a doctor. She has a son named Peter who is another perspective and he was the one who shot the kids. And a police officer named Patrick who investigates the scene of the crime.

     In “Nineteen Minutes” Josie has a boyfriend named Matt. He is a big part in her life and he isn’t one of the perspectives. In the school shooting he dies and it affects Josie’s life greatly. In the book it talks about how Josie feels like she isn’t important anymore. She is popular and pretty but she doesn’t feel real anymore. She feels like this fake person and the only person she can feel herself around is Matt. I think that is why it affects her more than anything else.  

     I think the author leaves Matt out of the picture because it wouldn’t have been as powerful when he died. We know it affects josie and that is really it. It would be interesting to see and hear Matt’s perspective but I feel like it’s more emotional and powerful to have just josie’s. It makes you feel really bad for Josie because connecting back to the beginning of the book, you realize he was the real person she was connecting to. In the book it says “either Josie was someone she wanted to be, or she was someone who nobody wanted” That is a really deep quote and it makes you realize that she feels really out of place even though she is really popular. Then later in that part, it talks about how Matt makes her feel better.  When she was hugging Matt she was thinking “I’m lucky, at that moment she could not remember anything but what it felt like to be adored” Being around Matt made her feel good and that is why I think the author left him out of the book, so when he was gone you could really feel how awful Josie felt and what she was going through.

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.”