Blog for Week 12/14/15 - Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl

Prompt: Why did you choose this to read? Give at least 3 reasons.

One of the reasons that I chose the Diary of Anne Frank to read is that I love history. I really like reading about history and learning about history. The second reason that I picked up this book is that I am really interested in the Holocaust. I don't know why I'm so interested in it. Another good memoir about the Holocaust is The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. The third reason that I chose this book is that I have always heard about Anne Frank and her diary, and I've always wanted to read it, but I never have. Eleanor Roosevelt said in the introduction to the book, "...it is one of the most wisest and most moving commentaries on war and its impact on human beings that I have ever read." My mom always said that it is one of the best books that she has ever read. Those are the reasons that I chose to read this book. 

Prompt: What is the mood of what you’re reading (happy, sad, funny, serious, etc.)?

I think that the mood of this book is very serious. I think that most books about the Holocaust are serious. It was a very scary and horrible time for a lot of people. In the book, Anne describes what it is like to be in hiding, and what they have to go through on a daily basis. Recently, she has been talking about bombs and air raids and how they happen quite often. She also talks about how she feels awful because she left her friends and doesn't know wether or not they are alive. I think that this, and most other books about the Holocaust have a very serious mood. 

Prompt: List three questions you have about what you read.

Question 1: Anne always said that they had to keep quiet while they were in hiding, but she also says quite often that the other family that they are in hiding with (the Van Daans) scream at each other and pound on the floor and make tons of noise. What happens if someone hears them?

Question 2: Why do you worry so much about beauty, when there are so much more important things to worry about in you life? (In the entry on August 4th, 1943, it says, "Then teeth cleaning, hair curling, manicure, and my cotton-wool pads with hydrogen peroxide (to bleach black mustache hairs)...") I think that there are much more important things that she should be worrying about, rather than beauty. 

Question 3: Why is it that the Van Daans got to keep their cat, when you had to leave yours behind when you went into hiding? Also, wouldn't the cat make a lot of noise, meowing and running around the house? Aren't you trying to avoid making noise so that no one downstairs can hear you?

Blog For Week 12/1/15 - Exploring Nonfiction - Anne Frank Diary of A Young Girl

I am reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. This book is the diary of a thirteen year old Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Nazis were occupying Holland, so Anne and her family went into hiding. Here's what has happened so far. Anne and her family have gone into hiding in an old building in Amsterdam. In the last couple diary entries (October - November, 1942) Anne has not been getting along well with the rest of her family. She says that she is not taken seriously and that her family always praises her sister, Margot and "drop everything on her". She says that she wants her father's "real love" and that her parents don't notice that they treat their daughters differently. Also, the Frank family is in hiding with another family, whom which they constantly fighting.

One thing that I find interesting is that the Van Daans (the other family that Anne is in hiding with), specifically Mrs. Van Daan insult Anne and her family, constantly. I just think that in a time where they are wanted and have so much to loose, they wouldn't want to make any more enemies. Mrs. Van Daan mainly insults Anne. In the diary entry on September 28th, it says "Am I really so bad-mannered, conceited, headstrong, pushing, stupid, lazy, etc., etc., as they all say? Oh, of course not. I have my faults, just like everyone else, I know that, but they thoroughly exaggerate everything." Anne is telling her diary all of the mean things that Mrs. Van Daan is telling her. And that's not even all of them. She says that Anne was not well brought up and that she would've been so much kinder and have much better manners if she had grown up with her.  She tells Anne to her face that she is spoiled and conceited. I just find it interesting that Mrs. Van Daan would choose to make so many enemies when she has so much to lose.

Something that I have learned is that even though you fight with your family, they still stand up for you and they still will protect you. Even though Anne and her mother fight all the time, she still defends her daughter when Mrs. Van Daan insults her, or calls her lazy or conceited, etc.  I think that it is important to know that even if you fight with your family, they still love you and they still will stand up for you.

I commented on: Amilee's Blog, Brimady's Blog, and Amelia's Blog.

Blog for Week 11/11/15 - Theme Development - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

     The book that I recently finished was Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. The book takes place during World War II in Denmark and follows a young girl named Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen. Ellen and her family are Jewish and have to escape Denmark. So the Johansen family, with a little help, take on the task of helping the Rosens escape to Sweden. 

Prompt: looking closely at character's actions, the setting, plot events, and/or the conflict, identify clues that are written by the author to help teach you (the reader) a message about life or human nature.

The theme that is best represented throughout Number the Stars is bravery and I think that the conflict and the character's actions really help show it. This is taking place during World War II, and all of the Jewish families of Denmark are being "relocated". Ellen's family is Jewish. Annemarie and her family do as much as they can to prevent "relocation" from happening to the Rosens.

One example of bravery is near the end of the book. Mr. Rosen is given a very important package that he is supposed to deliver to Annemarie's Uncle Henrik (whom they were staying with at the time). Unfortunately, Ellen's father unknowingly dropped the package on his way out the door, and it was left by the side of the house all night. Annemarie noticed the package the next morning and knew that it was extremely important, so she rushed to get it to Uncle Henrik, even though she knew that she would probably be stopped by soldiers and would have to explain everything. And that is exactly what happened. The soldiers stopped her and asked to search the basket she was carrying to try and conceal the package. She was brave and pretended to be a stupid little girl who didn't know anything about what was happening. The soldiers believed her and, after a long questioning and the destroying of Henrik's decoy lunch, she was able to get the package to her uncle. And since she was able to get the package to Henrik soon enough, Ellen and her family all got to Sweden safely.

I commented on Amelia's Blog, Yazmin's Blog, and Ethan's Blog.

1st Quarter Reflections Blog

      So far in the 40 Book Challenge, I have read six books. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis,  The Underground Railroad Diary of Julia May Jackson by Karleen Bradford, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, and Number the Stars by Luis Lowry. Through the 40 Book Challenge, I have learned that I really like Historical Fiction. I have read three historical fiction books so far: Bud, Not Buddy, The Underground Railroad Diary of Julia May Jackson, and Number the Stars. This quarter, I want to read at least seven more books, and finish one or two more categories.

      This quarter, I learned that there is a lot more violence in the world than I thought there was. The war in Syria, mass shootings in Oregon, Virginia, Colorado, South Carolina, Arizona, and that's just a few of them. I learned that people still think that having more guns will protect them, even after seeing all of these mass shootings. They still can't see that guns are the things that are killing people, not protecting them.

            This quarter, I have significantly improved on time management. At the beginning of the year, I wasn't used to having as much homework, and getting things done and turned in on time was difficult. But, over the quarter, I have learned how to manage my time wisely, so that everything gets done on time, and I still, usually, have time for fun things.

Narrative Twist

“The Double Trial”

This is a plot twist for the short story "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton.

What just happened: “Then it was that his quick and anxious glance asked the question: “Which?” It was as plain to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not an instant to be lost. The question was asked in a flash; it must be answered in another.”

Her arms lay across the wall that protected her and the king from falling off the balcony. She quickly held up her right arm slightly, and then signaled for him to wait.

She turned and looked at the king. “Excuse me Papa,” she said to her father. “I can’t…  I can’t watch this!” She fled down the stairs, ran through the barely lit passageway, and into a dark room.

The princess’s lover waited one minute, and then slowly walked to the door on the right. When he got to the door, he hesitated. He looked up at the where the Princess used to be sitting and his smile faded. 

She abandoned me, he thought. He turned back to the door and took a deep breath. The crowd held their breath as he then opened the door on the right.

Standing in the middle of the room was the Princess. She had a knife in her right hand and the lady lay dead at her feet. Blood was spattered across the wall and the floor of the room.

The King stood, petrified. The princess just stood there, with the bloody knife in her hand, her eyes demonic. After the gasps had ended, the crowd was so silent, you could hear the drop of a pin. Ten of the King’s best knights quickly surrounded the princess, each with a sword in hand.

“Drop the knife!” they said. The princess did as she was told. She stepped out of the room, carefully set the knife on the ground, and kicked it over to the knights.

“Now!” she screamed. The Princess’s lover pushed one of the knights out of the way and scooped up the knife. He then killed two of the King’s knights. The other knights rushed to surround him, leaving the princess unguarded. She picked up a sword from one of the fallen knights and killed three more. Then, working together, they attacked the knights until all of them were dead.

The crowd was still dead silent, glued to their seats. The Princess and her lover dropped their swords, as he had picked up one too, and walked back through the door that he had entered the arena in. Even more knights surrounded the couple after they had gotten through the door. Since they had no weapons, they were both arrested and thrown in jail without a quarrel. The king could barely recognize her. It was as if a demon has possessed her. There was blood all over her body and her eyes were wild with hate.

The King had to think long and hard about putting her on trial. I mean, should he? Should he execute her? He obviously did not want his daughter to die, but he felt he had no choice. They had seen her commit the crimes.

She was obviously guilty, and guilty people must be punished. It was the law. 

People started advertising for the trial. Prices for the seats had been raised, but that didn’t stop people, for this was their favorite form of entertainment. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be at “The Trial of the Century”? The King’s men searched for the most handsome man they could find, and one of the most vicious tigers.

On the day of the trial, the amphitheater was completely full, which hadn’t happened in decades. The King sat in his throne, as white as a ghost as his daughter stepped into the arena. This time, the Princess had absolutely no idea which door had the tiger, and which had the man. She slowly walked up to the doors. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pointed. Her finger was pointed to the door on the right. She took another deep breath and opened the door.

A year had passed, and the King still had not gotten over the death of his daughter. He blamed himself, saying that it was his fault that she was dead. He prayed that he could take back the things he said, the things he did, everything. But he knew that he couldn’t take anything back. He knew that he couldn’t take back the things he did, he knew that he couldn’t take back the things that he said, and he knew that his prayers could not reverse the tragedy. He became obsessed with the thought that he killed his daughter. His mind kept replaying the situation. The tiger, the screams, the blood, the gasps of the crowd. He thought about it every waking moment. He became so obsessed with the horrible thought, that he felt he could not escape his own thoughts. He was furious with himself that he let that happen to his daughter. So, on March 19th, he joined his daughter in heaven.

Blog for Week 10/26/15 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

      The book that I just finished was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. The book is about a pig named Wilbur and his best friend named Charlotte. There is a girl named Fern who a baby pig from being killed because he was the runt of the litter. She adopts him and raises him until he is about one month old. He is then sold the Fern's uncle's farm, where he meets Charlotte, a kind spider who lives in the corner of Wilbur's pen. They become best friends, and when Wilbur learns that he is going to be killed for Christmas time (so that the family can have bacon and ham and things like that), Charlotte devises a plan to save his life. This plan involves Wilbur to become famous. When this happens, Charlotte and the other animals are certain that it will save his life.

Prompt: How does the conflict drive the character development (how does the character change)?

      The conflict definitely helps the character development. Wilbur started out as a lonely, scared, little runt, to a strong, confident pig. The strong, confident, new Wilbur was a result of Charlotte's plan, which she created because of the conflict.  In the beginning of the story, it says, "This was the worst day of his life. He didn't know whether he could endure the awful loneliness anymore." This shows that Wilbur is alone, scared, and doesn't have any friends to help him through the tough time he is having settling in to the barn. And at the end of the story, it says "'Actually,' said Wilbur, 'I feel radiant'. 'Do you?' said Charlotte, looking at him with affection. 'Well, you're a good little pig, and radiant you shall be.'" In the end, it also says, "'...in token of appreciation of the part played by this pig -- this radiant, this terrific, this humble pig -- in attracting so many visitors to our great county fair.'" These quotes show that Wilbur has changed because in the beginning of the story, he was lonely and sad, and he would've never complimented himself, or be so confident in himself. Also, in the second quote, he is winning an award for being a radiant, humble, and terrific pig. In the beginning of the story, he was a sad, lonely, and scared little runt, and turned into a humble, terrific, and radiant pig. This is all a result of the conflict because the conflict forced Charlotte to save Wilbur's life, and the only way she could think of was making him famous. Wilbur's confidence and strength changed in the process. Therefore, the conflict definitely drove the character development.

Blog For Week: 10/14/15 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis

      The book that I am reading right now is The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. This is the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, although the first book is only a prologue. There are four children: Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund. They discover a magical world and meet the White Witch who calls herself the Queen of Narnia, when really she is an evil witch who wants to take over Narnia and rule forever. But there is one thing keeping her from taking over: Aslan. Aslan is the true King of Narnia, and after the children meet him, there is a huge battle.

      Prompt: Describe a character that you would like to meet (which doesn’t mean that you

think you would like the character, but that you think the character would be

interesting). List 4 questions that you would ask.

      If I were to meet any character in the book, I would meet either Aslan or the White Witch. Aslan is a powerful lion, while also being the King of Narnia. If I were to meet Aslan, here are the questions I would ask him:

Aslan

1. Why did you abandon Narnia, as some of the other characters said you did?

2. Why did you choose to come back the moment that Peter, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan arrived?

3. Why did you leave again after the children were crowned Kings and Queens?

4. Why are you named the True King of Narnia, and how did you become King?

The White Witch is also very powerful, but uses her powers for evil. She calls herself the Queen of Narnia, even though she is evil and wants to take over the country. And if I were to meet the White Witch, there are the questions I would ask her:

The White Witch

1. How do your powers work, and why do you use them for evil?

2. When you went into the camp to talk to Aslan, why didn't you just kill the children there? (You had the opportunity.)

3. Why are you so obsessed with power and why do you use that power to kill / punish people and animals / turn them to stone?

4. And finally, why didn't you kill me when I was asking you these questions? (not that I would want that)

      Prompt: After reading, I wonder...

      After reading, I wondered what would've happened if one thing didn't happen. If there would've been a chain reaction of events. For example, if Edmund hadn't met the White Witch in the beginning. The Witch might not have found out that Tumnus (a faun) helped Lucy escape Narnia (Edmund was the one who told her that he did), which led to him being turned to stone, which wouldn't have happened. Things would be completely different if Edmund hadn't met the Witch in the woods when he first came to Narnia because saving Tumnus was pretty much the only reason why they stayed in Narnia the first night they were there. Edmund hadn't met the White Witch in the woods, the whole story might have been completely different. So, if one thing didn't happen, there would be a chain reaction of events, ultimately changing the entire story. 

      Prompt: If you were the author, what would you have happening next?

      And just so you know what is happening right now: Peter, Lucy and Susan are at Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's house and just discovered that Edmund has gone to the White Witch's house. The Beavers realized that Edmund probably told her about where they were and that her wolves (because she has wolves as slaves) were going to be there soon to punish them.

      If I was the author, the next thing that would happen is that The White Witch's wolves were going to show up and surround them. But, the wolves turn out to be on the good side and help them. So the children would escape, then travel to the Witch's house and rescue Edmund and Tumnus. But, of course, in the process, the Witch catches them. But, just as she is about to turn the children to stone, Aslan shows up at the perfect time, and eats her. They then run through the house and discover that Tumnus has been turned to stone. Lucy cries for a little bit, because she says that it was her fault, even though it was kind of Edmund's for telling the Witch. But then, Aslan comes up and roars really loud, which for some reason, breaks the spell and all of the animals / things that had been turned to stone were free. Then, Peter, Lucy, Susan, and Edmund get crowned Kings and Queens and they all live with Aslan, the beavers, and Tumnus in a huge castle for the rest of their lives (happily ever after).

I commented on: Sofia A's Blog, Evelyn's Blog and Robert's Blog

Banned Books Vlog

And Tango Makes Three

By Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Commented on: Yazmin's Blog, Brimady's Blog, and Robert's Blog

Sources:

"About Banned & Challenged Books." American Library Association. American Library 

      Association, 2015. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. <http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about>.

Crum, Maddie. "Banned Books By The Numbers (INFOGRAPHICS)." Huffington Post. Huffington         Post, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/22/banned-             books-week-infographic_n_5852234.html>.

"Frequently Challenged Books." American Library Association. American Library Association

      2015. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. <http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks>.

Machlin, Sherri. "Banned Books Week: And Tango Makes Three." New York Public Library. New           York Public Library, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 8 Oct. 2015                                                                            <http://www.nypl.org/blog/2013/09/23/banned-books-week-and-tango-makes-three>.

10 Book Blog

1. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

I first read this book last year and I loved it. It is a very emotional book. It is about a boy who is struggling with bipolar disorder (which if you didn't know is "a disorder associated with mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs") and his girlfriend, who is still grieving the loss of her sister, and now has to deal with all of his crazy moods.

2. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter might have been the first real novel that I read. I think I started reading the first one in 3rd grade and I was addicted. I think I finished the first book in about a week and a half because I could not put it down. The series is about a boy who finds out that he is a wizard and starts going to a magical school. There, he meets Ron and Hermione who help him on his journey to defeat Voldemort, a powerful wizard who kills everyone in his path (except for Harry, who is the only person who Voldemort could not kill).



3. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I first read the book series after a classmate recommended them to me and I really liked them. The writing and word choice is so weird and cool and they are really unique books. I like how all of the characters, despite being so different, all find a way to work together. The book series is about three children: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny who lost their parents in a fire and are being chased down by a man named Count Olaf who pretends to be a whole bunch of different people, just so he can steal the children's money.

4. Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I read this book before the first movie came out, and read the second and third book soon after. The book follows Katniss who is a strong, confident girl who comes from a very poor village. She volunteers in the place of her sister to be in a competition called the Hunger Games where two people from each village (so there are 24 people) are put into an arena and fight each other to the death on live TV (because apparently it's entertaining to the people of the Capital).  

5. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

I first read this book after I saw the play version with my grandma. Bud, who is 10 years old, escaped from his foster home and is searching for his father. He doesn't know exactly who the man is, but he has a couple of clues that his mother left him before she died. This book is really entertaining and I think that it is defiantly worth reading. And since the book is set in 1936, it's really interesting to see how different everything was back then.

6. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

I read this book after a family member gave if to me for Christmas. Malala has a very inspirational story and I think that she did a really great job at writing this book. The book is about Malala's life, how she grew up, a little bit of her family's background, what happened when she was shot (according to her family and friends), and overall, just how she got to be where she is today.

7. I Survived Series by Lauren Tarshis

I like this book series because the author puts a character into actual historic events and it’s really interesting to read about what’s going through their head when these tragic events are happening. It’s also think it's really interesting to see how different things were back then. Even if the book was set 10 years ago.

8. The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson

I first read this book for a project last year and I loved it. A lot of biographies or memoirs are a little bit boring to me, but this one wasn't. The author did a good job of still going into detail about his experiences, but not making it boring (in my opinion). The memoir is set during the Holocaust when the author was 15 years old. He was the youngest person working for Oskar Schindler (who saved over 1,000 jews by having them work at his factory) and Leon was so short that he had to stand on a wooden box to do his job.

9. Divergent (Series) by Veronica Roth

I received the series as a present and read all three very quickly (and Four, which is the story of Tris's boyfriend). The plot is very similar to the Hunger Games, but with it's own special twist. The story is about a society that is split up into 5 different categories, or factions. All of the children take a test when they are 16 to determine what faction thy belong in. Beatrice's results are different. It says that she belongs in more than one faction. She is divergent. She chooses to leave her family and join a different faction, where she changes her name to Tris and meets Tobias, who falls in love with her. It is a very interesting story and I think that they are worth reading.

10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Series) by Jeff Kinney

I read the first book because my brother recommended it to me and I read all of the other ones soon after. The books are funny, silly, and they will defiantly make you feel better if you are feeling bad. The books are the "journals" of a kid in middle school (Greg) having to deal with first crushes, awkward friends, weird parents, etc. Greg is weird and awkward and the books show that perfectly. I defiantly recommend the series.

I commented on Citlalli's Blog, Sumar's Blog, and Amilee's Blog