Looking For Alaska

This week i started to read "Looking for Alaska", by John Green. The book begins to tell a story of a nerdy kid, Miles in Florida ready to leave his uptight parents and go off to a boarding school in Alabama. Although I am very early in the story, I can already inference about what may happen in the future. This book is similar to many others, for example, Go Ask Alice. It seems like it is leading up to a big twist that will change the characters world completely. The main character, Miles is fascinated with Alaska, a bouncy and bubbly girl down the hall of his dorm, that will have a big impact on the story. As I continue to turn the pages of the book, I am more and more convinced that there will soon be an unexpected change in the story.

The book so far has only introduced three or four characters, but I can tell that they will be very crucial to the story. We have met Miles or "Pudge" as The Colonel calls him, the main character, The Colonel, Pudges roommate, and Alaska. The "gorgeous, clever, funny, self destructive, screwed up and utterly fascinating Alaska Young.", as the author describes her. Since the book is called "Looking for Alaska" I'm inferring that she will contribute to the big twist yet to come in the book. Pudge has already become interested with Alaska and I can tell Alaska likes Pudge as well.

Currently, the book is very calm, and still introducing the characters. However, I can tell that that wont be for long. The book is set up so the dates say "136 days before". Before what? Im inferring that it most likely has something to do with Alaska. In man of John Greens other books, he kills off many of his main characters, and since Alaska in a very important character in the novel, and Miles is the point of view the book is in, Im guessing it may be her. Because it says "134 days before" Im geuusing it hs a big impact on Pudge and all the characters, so Pudge will most likely become very close with Alaska, especially since because he is interested with her already, at page 25.

Overall, I have many thoughts about what will come of Pudge. at the beginning of he book, John Green has already left his readers with a lot to think about. I am excited to see what will happen next in the story.

hurricane song

Since I am sorta between book this week, I decided to talk about Hurricane Song. Hurricane song is the book that we are reading as a read aloud in class. The book tells a story of a teengae boy Miles and his dad and uncle, doc trying to find refugee in the superdome. After realizing that it was too late to go anywhere else, Miles and his family decide to go into the superdome, not knowing how bad it was in there. As the book goes on, people become more and more desparate. The government is untrustworthy and unfair, and the people there struggle to survive one of the worst hurricanes in US history.
          Not expecting the storm to be bad, New orleans and many poor, helpless citizens are overcrowded in the enormous arena. The dome is disgusting and hot, it being the middle of summer. There are no doctors or places to use the bathroom and the people have to bring matters into their own hands. While some try to get thorugh, others cannot . For example, Cyrus a grandfather and father recently decided not to continue. After a few days of being in the dome, cyrus jumps off one of the uper levels of the dome.
      Miles and other people start to relaize the horrible conditions. They knew that it was bad, but no tthis bad. People are practically ebing treated as animals. Cyrus' body is being thrown in to a freezer along with the small remnant of the food. This makes miles and his family think about what they are going to do, and how they will survive in the unsurvivable place.

Catcher in the rye

This week I decided to take a break from Angela's Ashes and read "The Catcher and The Rye", by J.D. Salinger. Though I have only read 2 chapters, I am enjoying it a lot. The book is about a young kid in his teens who has been kicked out by various schools several times. He is now leaving yet another school and moving to New York. The book starts out right before the Holidays, and he is saying his last goodbyes to the school. In the first chapter, as he thinks about what is about what is about to happen to him, you learn a lot about the Character. Holden is more of a slacking, lazy guy who is mostly just trying to get through his childhood. However, you can still tell he is a smart guy who is charming and nice. 
    I also learn a lot about the Author, J.D. Salinger. His style is a lot more laid back and realistic than many other famous books. He has Holden talk and think as if any other teenager would. I really enjoy the type of style, as oppose to other novels from the past.
   I really am liking "Catcher in The Rye and am going to continue reading it after I finish Angela's AShes.

Angelas Ashes

This week, I started reading Angelas Ashes again. The book is challenging, and is for someone in 8th or 9th grade, so its taking me a while to finish. The story has continued to tell the story of Frank and his family, which has changed much. Since the last time i blogged, Franks family has trickled down to 5 people. Both twins, Ollie and Eugene have passed away. The family had never been so small, and it was weird to Angela and Malachy SR. They blamed it on The River Shannon. "It was the damp" says Frankies father. The family had never suffered such a blow. After a while, the got over it and started going back to their old ways. Living off the now very small dole money, having hungry bellies and losing jobs in the third week.
    Soon, you start to see Francis grow up. Both boys start school and see the difficulties in trying to not get bullied and please the teacher at hte smae time. Frank becomes more independent, and starts to get different jobs here and there to please his mother. (his father continuing his bad habits in drinking) Angela once again become pregnant with a boy, and before you know it, Micheal is already walking and talking. Both boys make new friends and have more experiences, and soon the idea of Ireland being unfamiliar is outrageous. And though the boys have started to grow up, their father still hasn't.
    Malachy Sr. is still getting drunk and having pints every week, and soon I think that itll start to hit them. His bad habits can not continue. 

Crank

This week I started reading Crank, by Ellen Hopkins. Who also wrote Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical and Tricks. Most of her books are about kids having trouble with drugs. Crank is about a girl named Kristina. that moves to Phoenix with her dad. Her mom and dad were divorced for years, and Kristina hadnt seen her dad in years. When Kristina is there, she meets Adam, and all of a sudden she turns into a new person named Bree. Bree is a completely different person from Kristina. They're almost polar opposites. Kristina is a good teenaged girl who got good grades and didnt get in truoble. Bree is a girl who does drugs, gets bad grades and gets in trouble.
      Crank is very similar to "Go Ask Alice". Go Ask Alice is a book based on all completely true diary entries about a girl who gets into trouble with drugs. Just like Kristina, the girl (Anonymous) meets a person, and her world is turned upside down. Only one person changed her life, just like Adam did to Kristina.
    Kristina has already changed a lot in just a short time in the book because of Adam, and I expect it just get worse and worse. Though I haven't read much of Crank, I can tell Bree is going to be a completely different person by the end of the book.

DG and DP

Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie

            Drums Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblicks is about an 8th grader named Steven, who is a normal teenage boy living in New Jersey. He has a 5 year old brother named Steven who is always bugging him, when he’d rather be playing the drums or thinking about Renee Albert (the most popular girl in school). One day when Steven is making Jeffrey “moatmeal” he gets a nosebleed and is rushed to the hospital. All day Steven is only worried about being punished for getting Jeffrey hurt, but really that doesn’t matter to his parents, because when he comes home that day, he learns that Jeffrey has leukemia. Steven’s life is turned upside down as he struggles to keep his family happy and normal and is forced to sacrifice things he loves in order to be a good brother to Jeffrey.

              When Steven shaved his head is shows how much he cared about his brother. Jeffrey had been bullied at school about him being bald, and it was the first time anyone had really mentioned it.

When Steven quit his drum lessons, it showed he really wanted to help his family. Even though Steven was just a 13 year old boy, he still took advantage of what he could do. Drumming was his favorite thing to do, and it was really the only thing he had to himself. But he knew he’d rather sacrifice drumming rather than his family having barely enough money. It shows how he started to become responsible and grown up.

When Steven missed out on the concert it showed that he had become less selfish. The concert had pretty much been dedicated to him and he decided to miss it. A couple of months ago, Steven would rather have died than miss out on a concert. Not only is he no longer selfish, he is also more than that. Most people would expect for a parent to go with them, but not a brother. In fact he might’ve not even gone if he hadn’t met Samantha. “Stay with your brother, Steven,“ Samantha said. Steven knew that Jeffrey needed him just like Samantha needed her sister. This really shows how Steven changed into a kind, loving brother.

As Steven goes through 8^th grade, he has to sacrifice the thinks that he loves. By the end of the book, Steven changed into a whole new, more responsible, caring person. He realized that it was time for him to start thinking about other people besides himself and Renee Albert. When a family is going through something as difficult as he was, people often change in some way. I have been through similar experiences, and I have known people in almost the same situation as Steven, and all of us changed. Knowing that someone you love is in danger affects your personality. You become more grateful and caring and try to help the situation get better. Which is exactly what happened to Steven.

Memoir

Margo Johnston 705                                                                                     12-12-12

Memoir

           

It is a warm, bright, sunny day in Jamaica, like every day. As I walk on the soft burning hot sand the refreshing smell of the ocean fills my nose. I run over to the seashore, awaiting for our boat to arrive. I see a small canoe with a motor on the shore and stop right in my tracks.

“Is that our boat?!” I asked my dad, expecting a no.

“Uh…er…I guess…? He stuttered.

I slowly walked into the swaying boat. I eyed the old life jackets stuffed into a corner as I got myself comfortable on a flimsy bench. I looked out into to the ater, it was going to be a burning hot 25 minute ride, with 9 people on a boat that holds 6. After waiting, I soon saw the other family I was vacationing with scurry out on to the sand. Finally after some squeezing and shoving, everyone somehow found their way on the boat.

It was a tight fit and for all 25 minutes we were trying to make sure we didn’t get to bad of a sun-burn and at the same time make sure we didn’t fall out of the boat. By the time we got to the place we wanted to go, a little fish shack on a sand bar, we were burnt to a crisp from the bright sun. We ran out, relieved to be safe at shore. We dipped in the cool refreshing ocean and ate delicious food from the shack. But soon, it started to grow darker. We were forced to go back on to the wooden death trap. We squeezed in again as me, my sister and my dad took a seat on the floor of the canoe-type boat. Everyone else got a seat on the benches.

“Alrighty, folks, it may be a little bit choppy on da way back,” The driver yelled in his thick Jamaican accent.

 I kept a firm grip on the bench beside me. At first the ride was smooth and pleasant, but soon the boat started to sway, left to right, left to right, left to right. The waves got rougher and rougher as we skidded across them jumping up into the air and down again. I looked back to see if the driver was worried, but instead I saw him smiling, sitting on the edge of the boat.

“Are ya alright?! I told yeh it might be choppy!” I could hardly hear him over the wails from the people as the boat rocked left and right.

 I started to sweat and think about what might happen if we drowned. I couldn’t even swim, what am I doing on a boat like this? I could tell everybody was freaking out too, because all 8 of us had to grab onto something so we wouldn’t slide off the edge when the boat practically turned on it’s side. Everybody shrieked and immediately moved to the opposite side of the boat, just to be rocked towards the opposite side again. I turned my head to see the water practically right next to my face. I was almost smiling I was so shocked that I was actually in a situation like this.

“Hold on!!” yelled the driver as we leaped in the air for half a second and come back down again, almost turning completely sideways.

“Almost there!” I looked out and saw the beach and let out a relieving sigh.

“Finally home!” I heard the driver yell.

We all quickly jump out of the boat and walk up the beach, shaking from terror.     Home again, Home again.