I just started reading the book Godless by Pete Hauman and i am already thoroughly interested in it. It is about a boy named Bock or as he likes to pronounce it. The author has not released a lot of information about him yet but that he is a pretty chunky person. The first scene in the book was him and his best friend Chin getting approached by a bully named Henry Stagg. Bock does not describe Henry as the typical bully though he described him a very small. So at first I did not know why he was getting bullied by a little kid considering he was so big but later in the book Bock says what Henry has that he doesn't.

     Bock basically said that Henry had confidence and he didn't care what happened to him. Bock also said that if he were to punch Henry that Henry would not care because he has so much confidence in himself. I think that this is an issue in real life as well. Some kids that other kids bully have confidence which could take them a long way. Because if the bully sees that the kid does not care then he probably wont bother bullying him anymore because it wont be as fun for him anymore. I think that if we all had this trait bullying would not be an issue in the world but obviously we can not do that.

     As the book continues I think that Bock will develop as a character. I think that he might be very self conscious about his body shape, so I think that maybe the book will be a following of his road to try to be fit. Also since the books title is Godless I think that maybe he is going to persuade his parents that they can live life without god. We have already been introduced to his parents and the author has revealed they are very religious so that is why I think that. I rally hope that the book keeps on sucking me in because so far it has been a really good book.

     I recently read the book Paper Towns by John Green. It was a really great book, probably one of my favorite books this year. It is about one main character named Quentin. He has two best friends named Ben and Radar. The whole story is a lead up to one night being prom and graduation, but at the last second the story takes a dramatic twist and they all end up not going. Quentin has had a crush on this girl named Margo for a very long time. One night she goes and talks to Quentin and they spend the whole night together. The very next day Margo runs away from home. For the rest of the book Quentin's goal is to go find her from the clues that she left behind.

    I think that the author makes Margo run away from home just to see how deeply Quentin feels for her.  After the story develops it is very obvious that Quentin feels very strong about her because he goes all the way from Florida to New York just to find her. He drags all of his friends with him to New York instead of letting them go to graduation. When they get there they are soon to find that Margo has changed from the sweet person she was to kind of a jerk. Quentin's friends give up on her but Quentin himself finds a way to turn her back into the real Margo.

     I think that this story's theme is very often in real life. The saying "you cant judge a book by its cover" applys to this story. Because at first Margo seemed like a sweet person but deep down inside of her she had some issues. I think that in real life people jump to conclusions to easily. And that is exactly what Quentin did, he thought that Margo was perfect but then as he became closer to her she was not so appealing anymore. This is why I think Paper Towns is such a great book.

     In Romeo and Julliete, The character Tybalt has a lot of interesting characteristics about him. He is Jullietes cousin and the Kingsman of the Montagues. Throughout the story Tybalt keeps his eye on Romeo because he does not want him interacting with any of the Montagues. During the party hosted by the Montagues, Romeo and his friends sneak in to try to crash the party. Instead Romeo finds himself falling in love with Tybalts cousin Julliete. Tybalt sees the two of them interacting and he wants to have nothing of it. He immediately tells Montague what is happening.

     To start off the play Shakespeare uses a fight scene between the Montagues and the Capulets. Tybalt is not involved originally in this scene but then little into the fight scene he is introduced. He is the one who really provokes the whole fight. Benvolio, the Capulets kingsman wants to make peace but Tybalt refuses and  only excepts battle. I think of Tybalt as the battle starter in this play because he is always looking for trouble with any of the Montague friends and family.

     Later on into the book eventually Tybalt dies. He is killed by Romeo after he killed Romeos best friend Mercutio first. Romeo is completely steamed and decides to commit the hardest punishment of all which was having to kill Tybalt. I think Tybalt is a very interesting character because  he is put into the play as almost the evil character and I think he can display both good and bad sides. He is always constantly looking out for his family but also is always looking to start any fight that he can get into.

     In conclusion I think that Tybalt plays a very important part in the play because he almost represents the evil good in the story so I think that Tybalt is a very outstanding character in the story.

      Currently we are reading Romeo and Juliette, one of the main themes in the book is love. In the play love is described in many different ways. It could be dangerous love, fun love or even evil love. But in this book there are so many secret ways that it is described and I think that the two people that express it in the most interesting way is Romeo and his best friend Mercutio. In the early stages they have a very heated talk about love. Romeo is heartbroken by a girl named Rosaline. Mercutio is trying to get Romeo to go to a party so Romeo can stop thinking about Rosaline and experience other fun things. So this also shows that best friends can have two completely different opinions on things and especially love.

      Early in the book in fact the beginning of the book, Shakespeare opens the book up with a fight between the Capulets and the Montagues, I think that this might mean that there are better things to come between the two rivals. This is another interesting way that Shakespeare symbolizes love, between the two houses. When Romeo meets Julliete at the party he is under disguise. So basically the two main characters are forbidden from each other. Another thing that I  like that Shakespeare did was to introduce the character of the nurse. She is the only one that treats Juliete with respect and also treats Romeo with respect.

     I think the nurse actually symbolizes love between Romeo and Julliete, because without the nurse Julliete would be helplessly lost and also definitely without Romeo. So Shakespeare introduces love in a very dramatic fight scene between the two forbidden households, and then as the story goes on he symbolizes love in a much calmer way with the nurse. Also other important characters are Benvolio and Tybalt, they are the cousins of the two households and as the story goes on they both help their cousins with help and respect, except Bevolio and Tybalt hate each other.

     Overall, Shakespeare uses love in various ways which is what make the story really interesting and i can't wait to see what other ways he uses it later on in the play.

     Recently I read a Non Fiction book called SoccerNomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, it teaches a lot of helpful tools but also teaches you a valuable lesson to keep your calm when your in a important situation. In this book it was about keeping cool in a soccer match but I think this revolves around a issue besides sports. I think that anyone can read this book whether a soccer player or not. Because every one can a valuable lesson on how to keep your cool. I think Simon and Stefan did a great job making this interesting for soccer but also for people who may not be involved in soccer but want to learn a lesson.

     One part in the book teaches you how to keep cool in a penalty shootout, this really made me think about the incident that you are in when you are actually taking the penalty because your in such a large environment that just the sounds could eat you up and make you choke. In the book it gives an example of a very famous soccer player John Terry slipping under pressure, literally slipping. When he walked up to the penalty spot he was under so much pressure that when he went for the shot he slipped and fell which caused his team to loose.

     This lesson actually relates to my picture book. In my book Welly is being picked on by some bully's and he is screaming for his best friend Gus to help him. But Gus just froze under pressure, this happens a lot in different situations and this book really shows you the situations that it can happen to you in. This book has helped me become more strategic because now I know how to keep me cool in a penalty shootout which could also connect to life situations.

     Overall this was a really intriguing book and anyone who wants to learn about keeping cool should not be intimidated be the title because even though there is a lot of soccer facts in this book it could be helpful to anyone of any age.

     Currently I am reading the book Glass Castle by Jennete Walls and I really love it. I am not positive what the message is yet because I am only about half way through the book. At times the book can be sort of tricky and misleading but that just cause you to be even more interested every time you read. The book is a bout a family who is homeless, they have 4 kids and are constantly are being chased down by the government. About every month they pack their things, get in their van and pack up for a new location where they find a new house.

     The dad of this family is a complex inventor, I would say he is the leader of his family and kind of orders them around on his demands. He has a very strong bond with his second daughter Jennete. They are always constantly building things together. The father has only one problem that he is a drug addict which sometimes causes a lot of havoc in the family. The children have learned a valuable lesson that you should be happy with what you have, a lesson everybody needs to learn. These kids know the circumstances that they are in so they have been taught to be happy with what they have. I think this is also why all the kids have learned to be so inventive because if you cant have something then why not invent it.

     A lot of people in the world are very greedy, a problem that is trying to be pointed out in this story. Because this family lives a very hard life and so do many other people in the real world. So when we cant get a toy or a shoe think about all the other people that would die for just maybe a sip of water. Some people cant see the real world and think that they have it easy going in their own home thriving off of their parents and this book is trying to say that you should buckle up for when you grow up because its not going to be easy.

   

     I chose the song Home by Phillip Phillips because it is extremely inspirational. The words encourage people to not give up and keep pushing forward. He really gets the point out that someone will always make you comfortable and be there throughout the tough journey. This song was also used in the London Olympics which is a very good pick, because if the athletes hear this song it will motivate them to keep battling and if they get knocked down then get back up. Phillip Phillips was also the winner of American Idol and sang his famous song on New Years Eve. I think everyone could learn a few things like how to believe in yourself.

      In Home a line that really stands out to me is when he says " The trouble it might drag you down, if you get lost you can always be found." I think this is probably the strongest line in this song. Its basically saying that if your struggling at something then you can always regain yourself. This could also help the Olympic contestants, because if they didn't do their best at one part of the competition then it would push them forward to do better next time. Another strong part is when he says "settle down it will all be clear, don't pay no mind to the demons they fill you with fear" this kind of telling people not to pay attention to the people that don't believe in you, just cross them out of your mind.

     Not only does this relate to the Olympics but to real life as well. If you were ever made fun of then what the song is saying is that you should ignore them because all they do is put you down. This connects to the Olympics because for all of the contestants there are a lot of critics for the competitors and often they see newspapers or articles that could offend them or put them down in anyway. Another way that you could describe this song is if you get knocked down then you should prove critics wrong by getting back up.  Which is why in the chorus he says " I'm going to make this place your home."

     Overall this song means a lot to me and I'm sure a lot of other people, it can help regain self esteem and build up confidence as well.

   

    I just started reading the Book Looking for Alaska, I am predicting that it is going to be a very dramatic book. The main character Miles seems like he is kind of lonely and is in need of company. Miles just went to boarding school and had a dramatic exit with his parents. He has a new roommate who walks in while Miles was in the shower so it was not the best greeting. I think that Miles might be in a depressed stage because he seems like he is really not happy with his life and wanted to desperately get away from his parents so I hope that Miles does not end up wanting to commit suicide.

     When Miles first got to his cabin he imagined talking to a person. This made me feel like he just wanted to be popular. I think that maybe Miles will meet someone in camp that he will love so much that he will become happy and not feel like he has no place anywhere. This could be Chip but personally I think that this character will be released more halfway through the book. I think Miles thought that he had too much of an easy life at home where he was cherished by his parents so he felt like he needed to got out on his own and explore and also follow in his dads footstep by going to boarding school.

     I have not personally had a situation where i have wanted to desperately be part of a group, but i know someone who has and I have definitely seen the affect over the years. This person had a lot of confidence but was not rude about. Now he is more stubborn about it and he wants to show off and be funny. I think if you have talents then you could brag if you're desperate for attention but keep it to a minimum, because then people will not want to talk to you anymore because all you would talk about is your talent. I think Miles might try to lie about it. I think Chip might ask him if he plays any sports and Miles will lie and brag about his fake football career.

     In conclusion I think this is going to be a great a book and it has already gotten me interested. I hope Miles does not become conceded and just keeps calm and be himself which could be a lesson for everyone who reads the book.

     When I was reading the article Up Front, there was a main passage about minorities, it really got me thinking and interested in the topic. In the passage there was this one girl named Jessica. She went to a school which was for the most part Hispanic and she quoted her self saying " I felt normal". Soon after Jessica said this she found herself having to be moved to another state. When she entered her new school she felt not included and almost out of the picture. This proving that it could be tough moving to another school and also mixing with other races.

     In my school i feel like everyone is included and that it does not matter what race you are, either way you are accepted. I think being a minority would feel completely awful because you would have no friends and would have to struggle through the same routine every single day. I think that if I was in this situation i would want to go back to my home where i would have friends and loved ones. But overall all of the races are equal and know one should ever have the horrible feeling of being a minority.

     I think that in this article they make a very good point out to children that they should always welcome in new kids and never think of someone as a minority or smaller than you because that could make someone so hurt. And to be honest racism should not be happening every one should be working and collaborating to make a better society. So i thought this article had a really nice meaning and can send a very good message out to everyone.

Exit Here by Jason Myers

     Exit Here by Jason Myers so far has been a great book. The main character Travis is loaded with issues in his life. He went on a trip to Hawaii and has returned back much different then he was before. Before he went to Hawaii he was much more daring and willing to do anything. His girlfriend Laura has not seen him since when he first left. This is a connection from Jason Myers first book, Mission. But Travis's main problem is his friends and family.

      Travis' family does not seem like they would own such a kid like Travis. His sister is much like him though. Him and his sister share the same kind of life style i which they are both involved with drugs and drink way to much. Now Travis, family is absolutely nothing like that. They are rich and wear fancy clothing and like to go to expensive restaurants. I think that Travis is a little bit insecure and feels like he is not living up to his father expectations. So that's why i think that he was different when he came back from his trip, because he wanted to impress his dad.

     Travis also has many issues with his friends, they have never been very loyal to him and are even worse then Travis. His friends have been put in jail before. This is part of the reason i think Travis left. Travis girlfriend Laura was bot talked to on his trip, so i think that Travis was really worried about her because he left very abruptly without a real goodbye. Over this book is coming to its climax and has turned out to be very dramatic.

Mission by Jason Myers

     In Mission by Jason Myers the main character Kaden faces many problems as he travels to San Fransisco.  He is going to San Fransisco to see his cousin James Morgan who he has never once met in his life. His parents have warned him about James' problems like drug addictions. Kaden did not get scared and he was still very excited to go see his cousin but in the near future Kaden gets very fed up with James. James is also a famous author in his area, so he is very stuck up about himself and thinks that he is the best author and can do whatever he wants.

     Kaden's biggest mountain is that his older brother Kenny died in a war in Afghanistan. His brother was like a mentor to him. He was depressed about his death but he was handling it well until he went to San Fransisco. Once he gets on the plane he gets out the letter Kenny sent him right before he passed away. When Kaden reads the letter it reminds him of right before Kenny gets in his car to drive, and Kenny gave Kaden his favorite Cubs hat that he had got at a game when he was just a little boy. This touched Kaden so much.

     Once Kaden is settled in San Fransisco with James, James tells him that really his father was calling Kenny a coward for not being a man and not trying new things. So Kenny felt obligated to go to war. Kaden got very annoyed because how he saw it was that his father basically killed Kenny for making him go fight in war, so James tried to settle him down.

      This is also a very frequent issue in real life. People lose loved ones to different varieties of death every day, it is probably worst feeling you could ever have. This has never happened to me with a person but with an animal. A couple of years ago my cat died on Christmas eve and then my dog on my dads birthday. Losing someone loved is horrible.

   

Mission


     In the book Mission by Jason Myers, the main character Kaden travels to his cousins house in San Fransisco. His cousin James is a well known book writer. Kaden is his parents are well aware of James problems. Like his drug addiction and his kid like brain who stays up every night. Kaden is kid who does not have a lot of friends so his parents want him to feel at home when he visits his cousin James in San Fransisco but it does not turn out the way Kaden could predict at all, therefore saying his main struggle in San Fransisco is their relationship along the way.

     Kaden has always had a very strong connection to his older brother but sadly he lost him int the Vietnamese war. I think Kaden was feeling lost and in need of an older mentor, which  is why his parents made him a trip to California. During his trip James and him have a roller coaster relationship. At first James is incredibly nice to him and greeting him but then James becomes a jerk and ditches him at KFC one night. So overall Kaden has not had the best trip.

     I can very well connect to Kaden because one time in my life i have had a friend who was completely nice to me at one point but then turned into a complete jerk and start trying to act different, so i can feel what Kaden is feeling and can connect to him about the whole situation.

     Overall i think that the fighting between Kaden and James makes this the great book that it is and i would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read a crazy story.

     I just finished Leverage by Joshua C Cohen and it came to a really exciting finish. The main character Danny is totally overwhelmed by his High School team and he wants to take a break from them so he does and many things go wrong within a day. Ronnie commits suicide and Lamar was either killed or disappeared. This teaches the lesson that you should not be judged by who you are or what your appearance is you should be excepted for who you are.

     In the book Kurt the running back is bullied because of his size. Kurt does what should be done and ignores the hurtful comments. But the name calling came to a point where Kurt had to get physical. Danny tries to defend him but he is not the largest player out there. This is the problem that drove Danny nuts and caused him to want to quit the team and this is also why people want to quit.

     This has never personally happened to me, but discrimination is one of the main types of bullying trying to be stopped in the world. People get bullied because of their religion, because of their appearance etc. But the main problem is trying to ignore it or make it stop some people say tell an adult which personally I think will start more violence. What you can do is try to ignore it. This is the main lesson in this book and also why i definitely recommend this book.

Leverage

     In the book Leverage by Josh C Cohen the main character Danny faces many personal problems and also team issues. He is the captain of his high school football team and is basically in charge of drafting new players for his team. He is not the best at his job but in the end his players all come through. Their is a lot of bullying that goes on with this team but in the end one thing pulls them together.

     Each time Danny drafts a new player they have to go through a sort of ritual. This ritual seems horrible and scary but after you do it once. You will love it. This ritual involves flipping over using just your jumping ability. This is basically to see how tough you are. After Danny drafts an overweight player everybody treats him as the new kid which is not fun at all. But Kurt shows that he is dedicated and becomes a very important part of the team.

    While the new kids keep on piling in Danny plans to bring them to the teams secret hide out as they call it. At first it looks like they are driving into a huge cliff but then Kurt and the newcomers come out of the car astonished to see the great beauty of the man made water stream in front of them.

     Overall I thought it was a great book and it also taught two lessons. Don,t judge a book by its cover and don,t ever exclude someone or else it might come back to haunt you in the near future that lies ahead of you. Also it taught not to bully.

Am I Blue

     Am I Blue is truly a touching story by Bruce Coville. The main character Vincent is struggling to tell whether he is gay or not he is not sure but he is not sure if he wants anyone to know about it. Vincent wants to see everybody in the world which is kind of absurd. I think that he should let who he truly is out even though I am not one to say that. Now after my experiences i believe that you feel more comfortable about yourself if others who you live with everyday know who u really. Now I'm not saying everybody should know your secrets but they should know of any problems or your real identity.

     I have had a similar similar situation to Vincent except with my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I was the first one to realize that i had OCD and i really did not want anyone to know not even my mom or dad. Things had to be in straight line and symmetrical or else i would freak. When i had an uneven amount of apps on my phone I would have to purchase another one so i could an even number of them. I was really freaked out about my problem and not that it was a big deal but it would annoy me everyday. Sometimes i would run around a million times fixing the pillows on the couch. Recently i have told friends and family about my OCD and it has made me feel more comfortable.

     I think Vincent would feel much better after telling other people or showing who he really is, because you don't feel as if you don't have to hide anything. I do think that it would crazy for Vincent to create blue day because there are some people who would want to keep it to themselves. Overall this was a great story.

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

     In the Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradberry the main character Joby faces many conflicts. His main conflict is his insecurity about is role in the army and how he is scared that if he does notnplay his beat right then he will let the whole troop down. The general talks to Joby but still he is worried about his drumming. In the end of the story Joby finds that he plays an important role in the army and that if he plays a steady beat then the army will go into war better.

     Another conflict is that he faces is confidence. Joby really does not believe in himself, he does not think that he will be able to keep the pace of the army right and the he will fail them. The peach blossom presents his change throughout the story because its shows up when he is insecure and when he is strong in the end of the story.

     This confidence issue is huge in real life. Sometimes when you are not confident or ready it would have an effect on the people around you but after you build off of that you can feel better and maybe even inspire  people with your accomplishments.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Brooklyn Burning

     In my book the conflict is resolving relatively fast. The main character Kid was blamed for the burning of the near ware house and was sent straight to jail for it.When she got to jail her parents were there waiting for her to arrive they then grounded her as she was taken out of prison. She that she did not do it but nobody believed her one bit. It turns out that she actually did not set the ware house it was someone who had a match and they set the bottom of the door to the warehouse on fire so hopefully soon the cops will find that person and free Kid because she is innocent. So overall this conflict is going away quickly but is most likely not the only conflict.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

The Future Us

       The Future Us was an incredibly good book. It was packed with lots of action and really suprising. The two main characters Josh and Emma go to high school together. They soon find out about emailing and they are extatic to start learning about it. but litle do they know that it is a lot more then an email.They accidently stumble into another account called facebook and this lets them see in time what there futures look like. They get so overwhelmed that they try to mess with the future but little do they know they could be seriously messing with their present. In the end they end up fighting with eachother about their futures and whether its should be messed with or not, but they sware to eachother they will never tell anyone about theur future. Overall this was one of my favorite books.