Faith or Style?

When I sat down for breakfast this morning, something caught my eye. I saw the American Profile December issue and saw Sister Schubert on the front cover. It wasn't her rolls that caught my eye, but what she was wearing around her neck...a cross necklace. I thought that it was pretty cool to see the Sister Schubert lady wearing a cross around her neck. What really drew me to the picture was that the necklace wasn't the bling-bling or flashy kind, but just a simple necklace to show everyone her faith.

I see so many people at my school that wear the gold cross necklaces on the long elaborate gold chains or the ones that are bulky and made in different colors, but why? Why do they wear them? Why wear a bulky necklace that takes away from the cross instead of just a simple one that highlights the reason you are wearing the necklace in the first place. That is what I liked about Mrs. Schubert's cross, it was just simple.

Many girls and guys in my classes wear the flashy cross necklaces as a piece of jewelry, and I wonder why? The exaggerated jewelry distracts from the meaning, so why not just a simple one. But then again don't get me wrong...I have a friend that wears a big pink cross around her neck just like everyone else and she is the sweetest girl. She is very nice and goes to church and expresses God in her life. So not everyone wears a cross necklace just for a piece of jewelry.

These days you will see many people with crosses. There are crosses on necklaces, key chains, car windows, t-shirts. Some of them just have them for show, but others truly have faith. I'm just glad to see a famous person who simply expresses her faith by wearing a simple cross necklace. Seeing a simple cross doesn't make me wonder if she is just wearing it as a piece of jewelry.

12 Sentence Story

My Dad and I were going outside to play catch, we had smiles painted on our faces, we had gloves in our hands, and we had softball fever. I wanted to keep throwing grounders; dad insisted we move to pop flies. He threw the ball, a torpedo ready to hit its target, right up into the sky. I watched the ball move across the sky, through the summer air, and onto my little nose. I cried and cried and then saw the blood on my hands. Oh no. I hoped that my nose was not broken and that I would not pass out and that mom would not come outside to see the awful scene. If momma isn't happy, then nobody is happy. Rushing towards me, my dad I saw. What do we do now? Well, he lead me inside and checked to see if my nose was broken, and retrieved a towel and some ice, and explained to mom what had happened. Two black eyes that had already swollen up, a purple and blue flat nose that hurt like you wouldn't believe...yes, this was what my face looked like after my little incident.

What it takes to be Driven...

While I was reading Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins, I suddenly began to think about why Katniss fought so hard to take down the capital. Why did she keep fighting even when she had been beaten down and lost loved ones? Many people in our world today would just give up because things had gotten too difficult.

At this time in the book, Katniss has been burned, beaten, bruised and still fighting. President Snow has been captured and it is Katniss's duty to kill him. He has harassed her, he has killed people she cares about, he has even brain washed the boy she loves, but she does not back down because if she does then Snow will be satisfied. To her, letting Snow being satisfied is worse to her then her own pain.

Katniss is driven by the thought of her family and loved ones. She cares so strongly about them that she wants to protect them. Many of them have died for her and she hates that. I think that she doesn't want them to die in vein, so she has to do everything in her power to achieve the mission they all set out to do.

I could not be as strong as Katniss. I don't even know if I would have enough strength to be living. This book is so amazing and inspiring that I hope the people that read this book will also be inspired. Good books like this probably help people be courageous.

I realize that the book is not true, but if we had more people in our country today like Katniss, then wow...nothing could take us down.

Books I would like to read...

The first book I want to read this nine weeks is Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. This book just looks inviting and I have read one of her books before and it was amazing. Some of the girls in the class said that Lock and Key was an amazing book and that it was really good. Their opinions have definitely convinced me to read Lock and Key.

Another book i want to read is The Truth About Forever also by Sarah Dessen. When I mentioned Lock and Key to Andrea she said that I should also read The Truth About Forever. I needed some more ideas for books and her suggestion inspired me to try and read that book. I am looking forward to reading these books by Sarah Dessen!

The last book I want to read is Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I have read all the other books in the series and I am eager to read Mockingjay. These books are fantastic and thrilling and I love the story they tell. Every time I read books by Suzanne Collins I can't get enough and I want to keep reading.

All these books are in my English classroom. There are many other books that I want to read this nine weeks, but these books are on my top list.

Reading Reflection

I used to not enjoy reading at all, but now I love to read. You have told us to try and read "non candy reads" but that is hard for me. I enjoy reading books like The Hunger Games and City of Bones, but truer stories I struggle with.

I usually try to read every night or every other night before I go to bed. I have a busy schedule of church, homework and running, so it is hard to read every night. I wish I could read more because I enjoy reading. This nine weeks I am going to read more on the weekends and before I go to bed. Reading before I go to bed won't be hard because reading helps me relax and makes me sleepy.

Last nine weeks I did not read harder texts except for Brave New World. This nine weeks I am going to read some true stories and even some on a harder reading level. I tried to ink my thinking, but it was hard for me to dig deep into the book. I did notice that when I thought and then inked, that it helped me think about the book on a deeper level. Thinking on a deeper level was exciting for me.

This nine weeks I am going to read some true stories and not just candy reads. When I read I will also ink my thinking and think on some deeper levels.

Annotated Reading List 2nd Quarter

Collins, Suzanne. Mocking Jay. Toronto ON: Scholastic, 2010. Print. (390 pages)

Collins's final book, Mocking Jay, was another amazing read that dragged you into her made up world of Panem. Katniss and Peeta are in the action again. Katniss is officially the symbol of the rebellion. Her home has been destroyed and now everyone is living in the hidden district 13, where they are training and preparing for the rebellion war. Katniss is still her ambitious self, but her strength will be tested when the people she loves get hurt and when her true love thinks she is a monster. Katniss will have to stay strong to take down the capital and President Snow.

The setting of Mocking Jay is confusing to me because she describes a place of war, a nation that is ruled by a dictator, a nation that has so many crucial rules that if you don't follow them you could die instantly. I can not decide whether or not she is meaning for this to be held in the future, present, or even now. Our nation in the past or today does not have dictators or such harsh conditions like massive quantities of people being blown up everyday and districts that are starving as described in Mocking Jay. I certainly know that no where in our world today do countries have killing games as they do in the books. So to me the book may be set in a futuristic time that Collin's has made up or even has foreseen.

Dessen, Sarah. Lock and Key. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc, 2008. Print. (422 pages)

Dessen's Lock and Key a delicate story of a girl named Ruby who has been on her own for most of her life. No responsible or caring parents to look after her. One day when she comes home, her mother is gone. Ruby tries living on her own for awhile, but then the landlords come and she is taken away and forced to live with her sister Cora, who she hasn't seen in forever, and her sister's new husband Jamie. Ruby despises the idea because she is convinced that she can live on her own and doesn't need any help from anyone else. Along Ruby's journey, she meets interesting people that want to help her. Ruby must open her heart and let someone else hold the key or she will lose the ones that truly care for her.

Ruby is the protagonist of the story. She is a seventeen-year-old who was abandoned by her mother, but is shipped to live with her sister, Cora. Ruby is convinced she can take care of herself, but later finds otherwise. She is sarcastic and independent, but changes her cynical worldview as the story develops. In the end, she becomes caring to other people, which in return lets them become caring to her.

Weiner, Jennifer. Best Friends Forever. New York, NY: Jennifer Weiner Inc, 2009. Print. (359 pages)

Life for Addie Down was a regular normal life, but then her life changed dramatically the day Valerie Adler showed up on her small street in Illinois. The two young girls, unique in their own ways, became fast friends and stayed together through the teasing and taunts they endured, relying on one another for support. That all suddenly ended after one night in high school. Now the girls are in their thirties. Addie is on her own now, painting greeting cards and never expects to see Val again. One night Addie gets an unexpected knock on her front door. Valerie is their and needs Addie's help desperately. These two women go on a longing adventure and find out what truly split them apart and what will bring them back together.

Weiner's book was a more mature read for me. She also had a very interesting style for this book. In the book, she tells Addie and Valerie's high school story through out the book. She goes back in time to inform the reader about why the events are happening the way they are in the future. She also tells the story of Dan, the boy who ruined Addie and Valerie's friendship in high school, as everyone is trying to find him. She is basically telling two stories in one that later become one whole story. The book was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

In the Socratic Seminar session that we had, I encountered many new ideas and thoughts that I had never thought of. This experience helped me further more understand Brave New World and also understand the meaning of the book a little more.

When the question, what is the significance of choosing Henry Ford as God, was asked it never occurred to me that they chose Ford because he was a more stable person to "worship" or to "look up to." I merely just thought that over time the society became more scientifically advanced and started using the assembly line to make people in a more productive and quantitative way. Since the assembly line was Ford's idea, the people just accepted him as God because they were being created using his method.

Another interesting fact I learned from this question was that, the society might have chosen Ford because he was an ordinary fellow like the people in the society. The society focuses so much on equality, so their God should be someone that is equal to them. That reason to choose Ford as God never had occurred to me and I found that thought very interesting.

To prepare for this discussion, I had to reread and think deeply and gravely about the book. When I had to look at the book through John's perspective, that made me think on a higher level then I would have if I had just read the book once and blogged about the story. With having to think about these questions and then discuss and hear other person's views helped me understand the book more.

My favorite part of the Seminar was hearing the other groups discussions. I found their comments and questions fascinating. I liked that those questions led me to other questions of my own. The way the Seminar was set up was great.

The hardest part for me was thinking of comments or questions off the top of my head. Yes, I came prepared, but I couldn't predict what the other people were gonna say. I thought I did pretty good, but if I had to do the Seminar again then I would have thought harder about questions or comments that other people would have said and then written down my new questions and comments.

The Socratic Seminar was a great learning experience for me and I enjoyed it greatly.

Abundance: What is becoming of America?

Pink's humorous critic sheds light on the truth that with abundance comes want for things to not only be useful, but for them to look fashionable. We Americans have become picky.


"Only against a backdrop of abundance could so many people seek beautiful trash cans and toilet brushes," says Pink. This quote is saying that since there is so much of everything, people not only want items they buy to work, but they want them to be pleasing to the eye. Things we buy these days are not only useful, but they are also creative and beautiful at the same time.


Pink also says that," Potomac Yards is now unremarkable because you can find similar swaths of consumer bounty any place in the U.S." (Potomac Yards is a shopping center he and his family shop at). There are so many stores like Best Buy and Pet Smart that are located everywhere you go. That means when you come upon one, they aren't very special anymore. More big consumer stores everywhere means the stores are not hard to find and we Americans are becoming so used to having everything we need at our finger tips.


Pink uses many examples to critic the American culture of abundance and I agree with him. We are now more focused on the looks instead of survival. What if at some point all the abundances of things are gone? Then where will the human race be?

Ethos, Pathos, Logos...

An anti-cigarette ad trying to convince people that smoking can really kill you in reality uses good techniques, like pathos, logos, and ethos.


Pathos deals with your emotions and is used the best in this ad. In the picture, a coffin is shown holding some cigarettes and the caption at the top says "New crush-proof box." This is a quick turn off right when you look at the picture because when you see a coffin you think death. That is exactly what comes to mind me. Using the coffin the ad is trying to get the point across that cigarettes will kill you. On another perspective, the coffin and cigarettes can make people think of a loved on they lost because of cigarettes. This ad can be frightening, awakening, or even saddening.


I also found that logos, the details or statistics, were used in this ad. To get a point across you don't only need to stir the emotions, but you also need to add some facts so that people will believe what you are saying. At the bottom of the ad, the Surgeon General stated, "Smoking was bad for your health." Everyone knows that, but a reliable source stated it. More facts about smoking were also stated at the bottom. The ad said that 8mg of tar and 0.6mg of nicotine were included in cigarettes. Those are some serious facts that would make me not want to smoke.


The other form of persuasion, ethos, was also used. Ethos deals with establishing the credibility of the product. Like using celebrities or reliable sources. The Surgeon General is the leading spokes person on matters of public health. The Surgeon Generals Warning is on every package of cigarettes, so they are considered an important voice to stop smoking.


Pathos, logos, and ethos were all used in this ad. Each one is helping the ad in persuasion and the anti-cigarette ad did a pretty good job of using all three to try and get people to not smoke.

A Note of Hopefulness

In Iraq, a little boy plays the violin in a music hall that has been destroyed by war and neglect. I chose this photo because the picture inspired me and made me feel like there is hope in everything. Even in a place that doesn't have much hope, a boy can still make beautiful music with his violin.



By the look of the boy, he looks pretty well kept for a place like Iraq. He has shoes and clothes and his family is wealthy, so I figure that he is one of the luckier children. Even though he might be a luckier child, he still looks a little roughed up.



This little boy is like my hero. If I lived in a place like he did where there was war a lot then I probably wouldn't want to play my violin. I would just want to cry and give up on everything, but this little boy has hope. If you were this little boy, what would be going through your head? If I was him I would be wondering about why I should keep on playing. When I think about the question more, I would keep playing to show people that in a time of war, there is still beautiful things to do.



Music has always spoken to me and is a very powerful thing. When I am sad I can listen to music and it puts a smile on my face and just makes me feel wonderful inside. It is amazing how music can change a persons view and emotions.

The Battle of Twins

In "Twins Find Deeper Meaning in 3-Part Endurance Test", two sisters battle through both of their life crisis and become stronger runners, swimmers, and bikers to go on to win and compete in major triathlons.



I picked this article because I love sports and I figured this story would be better for me to write about. These two sisters, Rebeccah and Laurel, both have had a back ground of sports. Rebeccah got a scholarship to run for Mount St. Mary's and Laurel received a swimming scholarship as a walk-on at George Washington. Rebeccah pursued a running career and Laurel hit some speed bumps along the way to her athletic podium.



When Laurel was 23, she felt three bumps on the side of her neck that turned out to be Stage 2 Hodgkin's disease. While Laurel was having 6 months of chemotherapy, Rebeccah still ran hard.
Laurel even tried to keep her identity as an athlete by running on the treadmill at the hospital.
I can imagine being Laurel. She was an athlete and I think it would be hard to not exercise and still be in shape for that long. Laurel was probably worried.



Rebeccah won the armature triathlon and then a year later became a professional. Throughout the year, she still was improving and doing well in races and was named the 2004 elite rookie of the year. Rebeccah also had her speed bump along the way and that was when she got a pelvic stress fracture.



Rebeccah and Laurel had some bumps where they had to stop competing, but they always came back strong and still competed strongly in races. There were never hard feeling between the two sisters. I can imagine how hard it was to see the other sister win, but they both still worked hard to compete against each other.



I can understand how one might want to quit because they are losing, so I look up to these women because they were such hard workers and did not quit. They did not even quit when there lives looked the worst. Our world and leaders should be like that today. I bet sometimes the people in charge just quit because their problems get tough. If we follow the example of these women, our world might be a little better.

The Beautiful Slaves of Rabari

In the picture of the Rajasthan women, they are working for money and trying to make a living. When I look at the picture, my first impression is that these women are slaves and don't have any right or reason to be doing that kind of labor. Then my second impression, I really get to looking at the picture and see the way they hold themselves and the tools. They look strong and committed to what they are doing.



At first when I look at the picture, I think that they are being treated unfair. They have these very nice colorful dresses on that don't look like they need to get dirty. So the dresses make you think that these women are very wealthy and do not normally do this kind of work. Then I conclude that they are being forced to work.



My second thought on the picture is that these women know what they have to do to make a living. When they are working, they are holding the axe strong and to me the women look powerful. When I actually really looked at the picture, I felt a since of determination and dedication.



Below the picture, there is a small paragraph describing the picture. It says that the women turn to digging a reservoir because during the dry season they can not herd as much. When I read that, that really made up my mind to say that the women know that they have to work to make money, so digging is the only job to do and they are determined to do the job. That little paragraph told me that the Rajasthan women are strong and hard working.



Looking at this picture opened my eyes to see that women in other countries do not have the luxuries we do in the United States, but the women in other countries are dedicated to hard work and that makes them stronger women.

Annotated Photo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51326319@N07/4733453381/

Of Mice and Men Analysis

Analysis of Detail

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella.

"The Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green." In this sentence, green represents sickly, jealousy, and new life. Runs deep represents strong and lots of vegetation and life within. Green represents Lennie because he is not a smart as George and runs deep represents George because he is strong and has life within him that he uses to help Lennie.

"The slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains." Rocky means rough, treacherous, or unstable and mountains means hardships and struggles. George is mentally strong and Lennie is physically strong. They both have to use their characteristics to make it through this rocky, mountainous journey they are going to come to.

"Under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp." Trees and leaves lie deep would mean a safe place to hide. The trees and leaves would be your shield from the world. In the story, that is where George told Lennie to hide if there was any trouble.

"A path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway." The path beaten hard means a journey that many have taken. Boys, in this case, means shy or not knowing of and tramps mean rude or seductive. The path beaten hard by many would represent the instances in which Curley's wife would try and talk to the men. The men would tell her to leave because she was just trouble, but she would never listen. The boy represents Lennie and the tramp of course is Curley's wife.

"The limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." The limb is worn means a path or journey that many have tried, but is useless now because the journey is far away from their grasp. The journey in the story would be that all the men want to own a piece of land, but many do not have the money for the land. Many have talked of having land, but none have actually gained any.

John Steinbeck described what happened throughout the story at the very beginning of the story through paralleling.

Analysis of Point of View

The third-person point of view shows how much Candy looks up to Slim.

"Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal." Candy is worried and troubled. He is anxious for Slim to say something so the men do not kill the dog. Slim is wise and more mature. Candy needs Slim's guidance and back up so that the other guys will not kill his dog. Candy is hopeless and is looking for someone to be on his side and say that the men should not kill his dog. Since Slim is law, Candy thinks that if Slim is on his side then the men will back off and not kill his old dog.

"...And Slim gave him none." Slim was avoiding Candy and he was not going to be the outlet to Candy's problem. Slim was escaping Candy's sorrow so that he would not have to be the way out. He did not want to be the guy to say no. If he had said no, then the other guys might have given him trouble and might have been angry with him.

These quotes are good examples of how Candy looks for Slim's opinion and help, and how Candy respects him more than anyone else on the farm.

Analysis of Tone

In Of Mice and Men, the tones of happiness and sorrow reflect George's mood throughout the book.

"George raised the gun and his hand shook, and he dropped his hand to the ground again." (pg. 105) George is about to kill Lennie, but before he does, Lennie asks George to tell him about the land they are going to have. George does and when he tells Lennie he is over come with heartache. George knows he has to kill Lennie, but doesn't want to because then Lennie will never get to tend the rabbits like he always wants to. Even though George is telling of the land the both of them have always wanted, he feels his friends pain because Lennie will never get to see the land.

"They sat by the fire and filled their mouths with beans and chewed mightily." (pg.15) George just got done telling Lennie about the land they are going to own and all the good food and nice animals they are going to take care of. They are both delighted and when they sit down to eat, they even chew their food proudly.

Steinbeck use of changing tones makes Of Mice and Men a very complex and deep book.

Theme

Am I my brother's keeper? In Of Mice and Men, this is the question I am faced to answer. With brother meaning man kind and my fellow neighbors, I think that I am my brother's keeper.

I am my brother's keeper because in the point of view analysis Candy is looking for Slim's help on whether or not the guys should kill the old dog. In a way, Candy is considering Slim as a big brother that Candy is looking to for help or advice.

Slim is like the top dog at the farm and is looked up to by all. Candy is more helpless than him. Slim is law so Candy thinks he is the one to look up to. He is looking after everyone on the farm and giving them advice or help.

We have a responsibility to look after the helpless. Even though we might not know who they are, we still should show them guidance and help them.

Reflect of Migrant Mother Photos

These photos were taking during the Great Depression. This women looks rough and has a certain hard and desperate look in her eyes. She is probably trying to figure out how she is going to provide for her children. In the photographs, they are living in a lean-to tent. The tent does not look very supportive.




The poor mother and children are trying to make it by with nothing. If I was one of them, I would be very scared. I would be wondering how I would get my next meal.
In the picture below, there looks like a cooking pan, but the pan has no food and looks dirty.


I really look up to the mother. She seems determined and looks like she has sacrificed everything she has so they can have food. She seems like the kind of women that would not back down from anything.

Orwell's effective use of animals as characters...

Orwell is an amazing writer! He can take real events that have happened in real life and then make a story about the events that happened using animals. Using animals helped me understand the Russian Revolution better. The animals made the Revolution more interesting.



In the book, there was a pig named Napoleon, who was used to represent Stalin. He was in charge of Animal Farm, which in real life was Russia. Just like Stalin controlled Russia and was a dictator, Napoleon controlled Animal Farm and made all the rules. All the animals listened to Napoleon. They had no idea what he was doing to the farm.



Using animals makes us look at the Russian Revolution in a different perspective. From the animals view, we see how easily the proletariat were persuaded and controlled. They had no idea what was going on, just like the other animals had no idea that Napoleon was making the farm a corrupt place.



Orwell tried and he succeeded. Animal Farm is a great book that puts a spin on a real life event.

The Giver book review

But at the same time he was filled with fear. He did not know what his selection meant. He did not know what he was to become. Or what would become of him. Louis Lowry's The Giver twisted my mind with the unforgettable story.



Jonas lives in a perfect world. There is no fear or pain or even war. There are also no choices. Everyone has their own role that they play in the community. When a person turns twelve they are to begin training in a certain area of work. Jonas is assigned to be the receiver. He is the receiver of memories that the Giver will share with him. These memories are of pain and suffering. Only the recent Givers, the Giver now, and Jonas will ever know them.



I learned from this book that there can be no "Utopias" or "perfect worlds". Everyone has their own ideas and what they think is the best or what is right. People are born with the characteristics to be jealousy and to want more, that is why we can never create a perfect world. We are always wanting more.



Do you think Jonas made it through his training? Do you think he handled all the memories of fear and pain? If you want to find out what happens then read The Giver. This book is good for all ages, especially if you are looking for a captivating story.

Sunny Day

A lot depends on a sunny
day


Whether or not children will
play


Some will complain and
mourn


others will race out of their
dorm


A lot depends on a sunny
day

Clothes, clothes, and more clothes!

Some one might cross examine me for buying clothing that I do not wear. Sometimes in a store I will see something cute and I think I have to have that shirt! But some of the time the shirt is not my taste and I would never wear it, but I still buy the shirt because I think it is cute. Most of the time I will buy an item if its on sale. Even though I will not use it.



More times than not, this happens to me especially with shoes. I am not a big fan of flip flops, but I think they are very stylish so I usually buy the pairs I think our cute. I have not worn half of the ones in my closet. Most girls would probably disapprove of that! Now days I do not waste my money.



I have gotten a lot better about choosing what I buy. I am not so wasteful, but if you looked in my closet you would still see some flip flops and sandals I have not worn yet and even some clothing with the tags still on.

Celebrate good times!

One time that I celebrated was when was my track team won State in track. We have won 5 years in a row, but I have just been on the team that won last year. Winning 5A State was very exciting because I played an important role in the team.



Along with some of my team mates, I ran the mile, 800 meters, and the 2 mile. In the picture we are starting the mile race. Running that many races in a meet is difficult but worth the State Championship! Did I mention we also get a ring!? Yes a State Championship ring. That is definitely the most exciting part to celebrate.




Every year the girls on my team and I work very hard so that we can taste the sweetness of victory. I am hoping we can get another Championship this year! Go Lady Pioneers!

I Wear the Mask Poem...

I wear the mask that laughs and smiles,
But it hides my real face,
That is an unfare disgrace.


Inside I am angry and torn
And I yell to my love I am worn.
He makes me wear the mask.


He is estatic but I am not,
I feel as if I have been bought.
He makes me wear the mask.


Someday I will break away,
To a land and will be born.
Until then I wear the mask.

What St. Patrick's Day Means to Me...

Every St. Patrick's Day a little church in Sydney, AR has a parade that my family always helps with. I have been going and helping build the float and ride on the float the church makes ever since I was little. They always like when I come so that they can have a young person on the float.



Mostly elderly women and men go there so they have seen me grow up and they are like my family. Everyone there is important to me. The ladies are especially nice, but isn't every elderly lady nice? I think so.


The parade has always been a tradition and in someway is a part of my childhood.

Call of the Wild book review...

Harsh, Brutal, and Strong, Jack London's Call of the Wild, captured my interest in his tale of Buck and the harsh Alaskan sled dog life.



In this book, a dog named Buck will have to test his strength and courage. This book teaches you that you can survive tough conditions, even when sometimes you want to lie down and quit. The book is saying that when there is no hope you still have to be strong.



Buck is the main character and at the beginning of the book he is not sure what is going on. He does not really know how to adjust to this weird climate and conditions. Along the way he finds himself and who he really is as a dog.



Buck is an ordinary dog until one day when his master's gardener traded him to some strange men. These men were looking for gold and they needed Buck to be a sled dog. Buck was once a house dog, but now he has to adjust to the harsh Alaskan climate and become a tough sled dog. He has to gain his new senses and fight for his survival. Along the way, he will encounter wolves, crazy men that beat him, and even some vicious dogs that try to kill him.



I recommend this book to anyone who likes an adventure. This book is interesting and has a good moral.

Characteristics of a Winner

People can consider winners to be the people that beat everyone else or the people that get the most out of what they are doing. What do you think? I think winners are the people that do their best all of the time no matter what.



Sometimes the people that we think our winners are the people that strive over everyone and are the best. Usually these people are stuck up, rude, arrogant, and even hateful. They are just winning for the glory of themselves and not for the glory of God. When those types of winners lose they are definitely sore losers, so that makes everyone else not like them. Even though they are winning everything, I would not want to be this type of a winner.



They other types of winners are sweet, respectful, good doers, and kind. Even though they might not be magnificent at everything, they still have a good heart. They strive to do their best even though their best is sometimes not good enough. These people are truly winners because they have a smile on their face and they feel good about themselves.



Neither of these winners are bad people. One is just nicer and more content than the other. What kind of winner are you?

Writer's Notebook... Persuasion

Kids our age usually try to persuade their parents to give them whatever they want. Most even have their parents "under their spell" to the extent that if the kid throws a tantrum then the parents will give in and give them what they want.


When I was younger, I never had crying fits when I could not get my way because that simply did not work. My mother would never give in. She is just as hard headed as I am. I tried a couple times, but after that, since crying did not work, I quit whining about what I could not have. I guess I was not as good as persuading my parents as other kids were.


Now that I am older, I have gotten better at persuading my parents to let me hang out with friends or whatever else I want to do. I usually persuade them to believe that I have all my homework done. I usually do, but occasionally I have to persuade them that I have all my work and chores done.


Persuasion is a powerful method and can be used in good and bad ways, but for kids persuasion is usually good.

Writer's notebook... Commitments

The athletes that compete at the Olympic level give up regular life styles. They have to spend long hours everyday practicing and working hard. They might not get to see their family often. To me that would mean total commitment and dedication to the sport.


Another commitment that is closely related to being an Olympic athlete is being married. Someone who is married might have to change his or way of life to make the other person happy. The husband may not like his wife's relatives, but is willing to visit with them just to make her happy.


Couples fight a lot and may come to the thought of divorce, but if they are really committed, just like Olympic athletes are to their sport, the couple will find a rational solution to make them both happy. Being an Olympic athlete is difficult but so is being married.

City of Bones (485 pages)

Cassandra Clare's City of Bones grabbed me and pulled me into the world of warlocks and the stunning secrets of the Shadowhunters.



Clary Fray is an ordinary girl living with her mom in New York City. She has a normal life and a normal friend named Simon, or so she thought. Clary's world turns upside down one evening when her and Simon go to the Pandemonium Club. There she first meets the Shadowhunters. They have odd markings on them and one of them draws her attention, his name is Jace. With his golden-hair and gorgeous body, Clary is drawn to him and is forced to go with the Shadowhunters when her mother is taken by a demon and she is too attacked by one.


Through all their adventures, Clary finds out that she is also a Shadowhunter just like her mother. Clary and Jace have to go save Clary's mom,Jocelyn, and stop Valentine as he tries to kill all downworlders. Clary also finds out more secrets about her and her family! To find out what they are read City of Bones.


Clare did an excellent job on all the detail in this book. I can picture the Bone City and all the battles Clary and Jace have. I can picture everything in my mind and that made the book more enjoyable. I look forward to reading the next two books in the Mortal Instrumental Series. Will you read them too?

The Arts

There are many different forms of art. For example, there are the fine arts like painting and sculpting, but there is also multimedia and photography. There are many different types of art. I enjoy the fine arts.


At my school you can only take two years of the fine arts. I do not like that because I am taking art II this year and I am only a sophomore. That means that I have two more years in high school with no art classes. Do you think my school should offer another year of art? I do. I might want to have a career in art, but I would have a disadvantage. Lots of kids at my school are taking art II now that still have another year or two left in high school and they too want more art classes. My school has talked about having some more art classes and I hope that plan carries out.


There are many great colleges for the arts, but the best are usually in New York. Here is a link to a good site about New York colleges.


Are you someone who is interested in the arts? Would you like to go to college in New York for art? Well if so then this is a good blog to be reading.

When I took a stand......

Many people are sometimes afraid to say what the are really thinking. Sometimes that is not always a good thing because by you just saying what your thinking or what is really true could change someones life.


Sometimes not saying anything at all and just doing the right things can be seen as taking a stand.


During the summer I went to a church camp that I go to every year. I have tons of friends there, but some of them are not very smart and like to do idiotic things that I do not approve of. Since this is a church camp, I try to keep my actions on the right track. Well one of the girls there said that she looked up to me because I never gave into doing the stupid activities the other kids did, like making fun of other people there or not listening to the adults. Even though I did not realize I was taking a stand, someone was still touched by my actions. The girl said that I inspired her to follow God, which made me feel great.


Just by doing something simple like doing the Godly thing can be seen as taking a stand. That girl has become one of my bestfriends and I am glad I did not give into peer preasure and was able to be a role model in someones life.

Take a stand!

Lots of people are always saying to stand up for what you believe in. I have rarely seen someone take a stand, but the few times I have have made me respect the person taking a stand.


One day at my school, there were a group of kids standing around this one younger and smaller boy. They were taunting him and calling him names. They were just being bullies. One of the boys in the group was not really saying much. He was standing there with a hurt look on his face and a little anger in his eyes. I was wondering why he might be angry. I stood there a little longer and watched the group of boys taunt the little boy some more, and then the boy with the hurt look on his face yelled stop. He told the boys that this was not the right thing to do and how would they feel if someone was messing with them.


That little boy that stood up to the group inspired me. He made me feel that no matter how big or small you are you can stand up for what you know is right. You hear that saying a lot, but when I saw the little boy yell stop, that really made think. The little boy showed no fear, and I try to do the same throughout my life.

Book review of Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson's book Twisted amazed me at how well she told the story of a nobody in high school that suddenly became a hott bad boy.


In this book, Tyler used to be a loser. A nobody, but after he spray painted the school he has become the talk of the school. Girls are fascinated by him now. Especially one, Bethany Milbury. She is the princess of George Washington High. Tyler has had a secret crush on her forever and now since he has a new attractive look, Bethany finds him interesting. In this story, Anderson writes about the exciting ups and downs that Bethany and Tyler have together.


Tyler's dad has a very stressful job and is always biting Tyler's head off and being rude to his wife. Tyler usually just backs off and lets him have a tantrum. Since he vandalized the school, his dad is stressed out because Tyler almost went to jail. Every little thing Tyler does his dad is always telling him that he is not good enough and even threatens to send him to military school.


One day Tyler has finally had enough of his dad's criticism and takes a stand. Tyler basically says I am good enough and you need to stop. Tyler was very brave and his dad respected that.


I enjoyed this book because it talked about the reality of high school. Everything was legitimate. I recommend this book to anyone, girl or boy. You will love it.