Determined for Future

I am reading the book "Make Lemonade" by, Virginia Euwer Wolff. It is about a seventeen year old named Jolly who has two little kids, Jeremy and Jilly. She needs a babysitter and the only person up for the job is LaVaughn. LaVaughn is only fourteen but, thinks she is prepared for the job. She is doing this job to earn money for college. She is very determined for this money. I know this because, she has to go to Jolly's dirty apartment everyday after school and sits in a smelly room. Sometimes she even has to sleep over night. Also she has to watch these two children who are 'sticky' and dirty. She does this with no complaints to Jolly.

LaVaughn sits in a dirty and smelly apartment. She does this because she is determined to earn the money for her college. LaVaughn says the apartment smells like dirty diapers.  She stays in that stench after school all day and sometimes stays there over night. LaVaughn also says how the children are dirty, and their little bodies are 'sticky'.  Yet again, she still stays with them and doesn't give up on Jeremy and Jilly because she is determined.

In conclusion, LaVaughn is a very determined character to earn the money she needs to get to college. She spends her time in a very gross apartment wit two kids that are not too clean themselves. Comment below what you think. :)

Someone To Relate To

I read the book "My Thirteenth Winter" by Samantha Abeel. It is a memoir about her struggles in her life. There are hints throughout her book that she has a form of anxiety. She learns that the reason that she had this anxiety was because of a math disability she had called, dyscalculia. This kept her from being able to tell time, counting change, and doing an easy math problem. Reading this book really helped me. I had an anxiety problem myself and now that I have read this book it makes me feel better because, she showed me that I wasn't alone. I felt somewhat comfortable knowing that somebody else once went through what I once went through.

One thing in the book that helped me was when she told one of her memories which was her at a sleepover with her friend. She was having fun until it got later, then she worried about not being home. All of the possible bad situations rushed through her mind. At sleepovers this exact thing used to happen to me. I would think about until I started to feel sick and I would go home. This book made me realize all of the things I went through when I was little and how they relate to my anxiety.

All in all, the book "My Thirteenth Winter" has helped me a lot knowing that somebody else out there was like me. She gave many memories that I can relate to.

Opposites Attract

I am reading the book "New Moon" by Stephanie Meyer. It amazes me how much Edward and Bella are in love with each other. They are complete oppisites yet, their love for each other is infinite. They knew each other for such little time but, knew that they were right for each other right away. Bella is a very shy and awkward character, but, when she is with Edward she sounds like she forgets about everything else and just focuses on him.

When Stephanie Meyer was writing the book I think she wanted the reader to feel the emotion between Edward and Bella. She shows through out the book how much Edward really cares about Bella and how much Bella cares about Edward! The fact that his life as a vampire is able to effect their relationship greatly, she doesn't mind because she is in love with him, and nothing is going to change that. Also Bella is best friends with Jacob. Jacob is in love with Bella and Bella could have had a huge chance with him, but she proved her love to Edward and showed him that the only person she loves and will ever love is him by telling Jacob so.

In conclusion, Bella and Edward have a very strong and intense love for each other that will never be broken apart. Please comment below what you think :) thanks for reading my post!

Why Banned?

I am still reading the book Glass by Ellen Hopkins. I know that in certain schools there is being bans of books such as Ellen Hopkins books. I don't think the correct thing to do is take away books from children because it is a form of information. And with Ellen Hopkins' books, there are problems in her books that we will all have to learn eventually. Also by middle school I think we should be old enough to maturely decide independently wether we are able to handle intense conflicts. Another thing is that her conflicts may be intense, but, unfortunately this is reality.

Taking away Ellen Hopkins' books from middle schools is not the right thing to do because kids need to start learning things in middle school, we need to learn some things even if it isn't what we want to hear.  That may sound a little harsh but, not every story ends like a "Cinderella" story. There are struggles that we are going to have to go through in life, it's is better for us to learn from a story and a book to know that there are people (even if they are in a book or a film) that we are able to relate and connect to.  I lost my grandmother at a young age and it was hard but, I knew that in the Harry Potter books, Harry lost his parents at such a young age.  Knowing that one of my favorite characters went through similar problems helped me, believe it or not.

Her books are reality. Although it is sad and some parents may not want to admit it but, teenagers do do drugs sometimes and they may sometimes do drugs. My point is that you can try to protect your children from books but you can't protect them from reality. Everybody goes through struggles, I believe books like this will help us to get through them.  You cannot take away the fact that there are people in this world that are not in a good place, wouldn't you rather read it in a book before finding out on your own? I would.

All in all, things happen and people go through things and that is just reality. Sometimes those things will be bad and they don't always turn out to be good again. Middle schoolers need to know that not absolutely everything turns out as a happy ending.  This all may come off cruel but, it is the truth. I would rather find out that it happened to someone else before it happened to me.

Rather Strong, Than Broken

In the book Glass by Ellen Hopkins, the main character Kristina is supposed to be a broken character, who went through so many struggles. She had a baby at such a young age, she did drugs, and she fell in love with the wrong boy. She became a person that was not herself. Many people may disagree with me but, I feel like Kristina is a strong, brave character. I realize that she went through some intense struggles, but doesn't everyone? I think the important part is that she got through them. I'm only at the beginning of the book so I don't know if she breaks or not, however, so far she is doing well.

One reason I think Kristina is a strong and brave character is that she had a baby at a young age and was strong enough to keep it. She was brave enough to take on the responsibility of a child. She also realizes that she has a priority now and her baby is that priority. Putting myself into her shoes, I realize how scared I would be. I don't know if I would be able to raise a child, or raise a child good enough. And having the guts to think that you can do that is one hundred percent brave.

Another reason is that she did drugs and once you are addicted it is very hard to detach yourself. She had the power and the strength to control herself to not do it anymore. She thinks about doing it a lot in the book, but, she knows she can't. She got herself together. She calls the drug crank, the monster. I didn't read the first book but, I feel like she calls it the monster because it symbolizes that the drug is a scary and harmful thing (like a monster). She was strong enough to fight off the monster in her life and even if she starts doing drugs again I have faith and hope in her knowing that she fought off the monster once and she can do it again.

All in all, Kristina is very strong and very brave and though she may come off as a broken character and someone who is all over the place, she has went through a lot and she has gotten through it all. Please comment on what you think and thanks for reading my post! :)

Same Inside, Different Outside

I am currently reading Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.  There was a character in this book that spoke to me, and that character was the caterpillar.  Him and Alice were conversing over who they were, and Alice kept saying how she didn't know who she was. The caterpillar didn't understand what she meant, so she explained to him in a way that he might have understood a bit better. She said "when you turn into a butterfly you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?"  The caterpillar simply responded "Not a bit."

I think what the caterpillar meant was that even thought his body may change and develop through time, his personality will never.  Also that even though there is a change on the outside of his body he will not feel 'queer' or odd or weird because there will always be the same person on the inside.  His feelings about himself won't change because he knows he is still and always will be the same personality. He also states later on in the chapter that he doesn't think it is so bad to change on the outside every once in a while but, to always stay yourself.

I really love the caterpillar's outlook on change, and it has told me that when I get older, I may look a little different or sound a little different, I will still always be myself.  There may be slight changes but, I will always be myself, with my own personality.  My best friend, that I have known since kindergarten now wears makeup, and dresses differently but, she is the exact same girl I have known since the day we met.  So, people may change on the outside but, will they change on the inside? Not a bit.

Please comment on what you think! :)

Am I Blue?

                   In the story Am I Blue? By Bruce Coville, there was a theme that really caught my eye. That theme was that it's okay to be different because, you are never alone.
                   I think this because the main character,Vince, is on p the fence about wether he is gay or straight. Vince gets a fairy godfather named Melvin. Melvin is gay and as a gay person he has always wondered what it would be like to turn everyone in the world who is gay or may have had a gay experience. So him and Vince decided they would. They were in a cafe at the time so when Vince looked around the cafe he saw how many people were gay or had an experience of being gay. He was surprised by some of the people that he saw that were blue. This supports my theme because it shows that there are always other people out there in the world like you.
                  Melvin said "people are surrounded by gays all the time, they just don't know it." By Melvin saying that it made Vince realize that he wasn't the only one who felt ashamed of "coming out of the closet" and there were other people in the world with similar situations that he is in.
                   In the end, Vince is still undesicive about wether he is gay or straight, but that doesn't matter because any choice he makes he knows that it is always okay to be different and that there will always be someone out there like you.

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

                     In the Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury, when the general tells Joby " “Now, boy. You are the heart of the army. Think of that.Youʼre the heart of the army. Listen, now.” Joby realized right then and there how important he was. He realized that he made a huge difference in the army's lives. This quote and realization leads me to a theme. The theme in the story that I came across is that sometimes it take another person to know how important you really are.
                      Joby realized how important he was from the general because before the generals long talk to Joby, he was feeling nervous, young, worried, and reckless. After it he was feeling good about himself, he also realized that (as it says in the text) if Joby beat his drum slowly, then the heart of the men will as well beat slowly.
                      The general also said "you are the general of the army when the general is left behind."  That shows Joby that the men have trust and faith in him. Being general is a huge job, and for Joby to be told that he is the back up general is a big deal. Imagine how he was feeling in that moment. I know that if someone with an important role in my life told me that I was second to his or her place i would be completely honored!
                      When Joby says towards the end how he will take on the army that is the sign of pure confidence blooming from Joby. Once he was told from another person that he was important he immediately realized it. So he went from being a small, scared, and worried boy into a confident man who knows his place.

RUNAWAY by WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN

            I am in the middle of the book and I have noticed a theme. The theme that i noticed is, sometimes running away from your problems is the right thing to do. I think that this is one of the themes in Runaway because Holly (the main character) had a hard life at home and Mrs. Bender (her guardian) is always accusing her of stealing things and doing drugs.  Mr. Bender (her other guardian) inappropriately touches her, makes her feel uncomfortable, and forces her to sleep in a cold basement with rarely any food, and she ran away from home.

                 She gathered her stuff together and just left. Holly has ran away from other homes that she was put in before so she knew what to get together in order to survive.  She will do anything she can to stay warm during cold nights outdoors. My point is that Holly faced struggles in her life but every single time she has chose to runaway from them. At least she has her journal with her to keep her some company.

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen

 I just started the book Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen and the beginning of the book so far has been an introduction to the main character, Holly. Holly's mother died and she was forced to move in (by social services) with Mr. and Mrs. Bender. The Benders are not nice to Holly and make her sleep in a cold basement with a blanket. The Benders always assume the worst of Holly, for example they have accused her of doing drugs and stealing money from Mr. Bender's wallet. Since Holly has such a hard life at home her teacher thinks that it would be good to release her feelings and thoughts into a journal. Holly doesn't like the idea of keeping a journal and thinks that it is stupid, she has said multiple times that she would like to burn it because of the amount of trouble she would get in if Mr. and Mrs. Bender found out the things she wrote in it. She always talks about how much she hates the journal yet she picks it up and keeps writing. Will Holly's feelings toward the journal change throughout the book? Or will they stay the same?