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.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Monday, October 11, 2010
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.
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.
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