Poetry Response - "Dreams" by Langston Hughes

"Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow. "

      The poem that I chose to respond to is "Dreams" by Langston Hughes. This poem is about how you should never give up on your dreams, because if you do, life is depressing and dull. I like this poem because I like the comparison of hope and a bird. I think that they are very similar in some ways. They are both very delicate creatures. He says that without hope, life is like a broken winged bird and a frozen barren field. I think that this mean that without hope, life is broken and sad. And with hope, you can "fly" meaning that you can do great things if you have hope and you don't give up.
      I think that Langston Hughes wrote this poem because he wanted to tell people to have hope and to never give up because without hope, life is depressing. This poem kind of reminds me of a quote that says, "When the world says: "give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time"". This is what I think that Langston Hughes is kind of trying to say. Even if the world is against you, and you want to give up, you should keep trying because without hope, life would be really sad for you.

The first picture that I drew is about what life would be like if you have hope. It is a picture of a bird flying and on its wing, it says hope. If you have hope, you can fly and do great things. But the other picture is what life would be like it you didn't have hope. Like it says in the poem, I drew a picture of a bird with a broken wing and scattered around it are the remains of the word hope, but the letters are broken.

Sources:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dreams-2/ 

2nd Quarter Reflections

      This year was completely different from last year. We got a completely different schedule. Instead of nine, forty-five minute classes each day, we have four, eighty-eight minute classes each day, and we have an A Day, B Day schedule. It is already half way through the year (I can't believe it either), and I wanted to reflect on the Second Quarter. So, this is my reflection blog. 

      In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts? 

      I think that this quarter I have improved with studying. Last quarter I wasn't really used to the new way that we were doing vocab tests, and had never used flashcards to study before, so I didn't know the best way to do it. But, this quarter, I think that I am much more used to flash cards, studying, and the way that we do vocab tests. 

What is something you have accomplished since the new year that you are proud of?

      Something that I accomplished that I am proud of is finally reading Anne Frank's Diary. I've always really wanted to read it because I seemed so interesting to me, and this quarter I finally did. It took me a while, but I got it done. She is a really good writer and it is horrible what happened to her. I would really recommend the book people. 

What has been the most challenging part of 2nd Quarter for you and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

      I think that the most challenging part of the second quarter has been time management. I have learned that I procrastinate A LOT. I get home and I go directly on my phone instead of doing homework. And I kind of wait until the last minute to get things done. Something that I have started doing to help with this is having a family member kind of take my phone hostage until I finished my homework.

Where are you in your 40 Book Challenge? 

      I am not very proud of where I am in my 40 book challenge. I have only read a few books this quarter. I read Anne Frank: Diary of A Young Girl, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and two other books that I can't really remember right now. I really need to do better next quarter so that I can get farther in the challenge. 

Blog for Week - 1/19/16 - Book Talk Blog

      The book that I am reading right now is Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which is a young adult fiction/science fiction book. This takes place in the future after North America was destroyed. There are 12 districts around a Capital. The farther the districts get away from the Capital, the poorer the districts are. So District 12, where the main character is from, is the poorest. The main character is Katniss Everdeen. She is a strong, stubborn and just wants to protect her family. Which is why she takes her sister’s place in the 74^th annual Hunger Games. The hunger games are a competition between all of the districts. One girl and one boy are chosen from each district and put into an arena where they have a fight to the death until one victor remains. And all of this is broadcast on live television for the Capital’s entertainment. The mood of this book is serious. The book starts out with Katniss telling everyone how horrible her district is and almost all of the rest of the book is the games, which is also a horrible event. I think that one of the themes in the Hunger Games is sacrifice. Katniss sacrifices herself to save her sister, knowing very well that she could die in the games.

      I really like this book because I think it is suspenseful and has a lot of emotions. The thing that I remember most about the book is the first moment that the tributes are in the arena. I remember this because Katniss is so vivid with her descriptions and tells us about everything, from the way that it smells, to the plastic sheet that was lying by her feet. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes kind of sci-fi, dystopian books. It is suspenseful and yes, a little violent, but I think that this is a really great book. 

I commented on: Melissa's Blog, and Emily's Blog, 

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.