Thursday, April 15, 2010

Poem

Oh how I love to dance twirling around.
I deeply love to hear that sound.
The music loud, free as can be.
I dance like nobody sees me.
Keep your balance steady.
Make sure you are ready.
Turn, turn make sure you spot the wall.
Don’t forget to stand tall.
Keep that beat.
while moving your feet.
Get the right movement.
Make sure you show improvement.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Important Friendships In Life

Friends are always there for you through thick and thin. They endure and sometimes experience what you feel, they help you overcome obstacles and get through hard times. In the novella, The Old man in the sea, Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship manifests and becomes essential to the understanding of the book. The book is based around friendship and problems / obstacles to overcome and how their friendship can make it through those obstacles.

Santiago is a poor fisherman who strives to make a living for himself just to survive. He fishes for marlin, tuna, and sharks. Santiago spends a long amount of time on the sea and a lot of the time spent is with Manolin. Manolin cares for Santiago and is always worried if he will be able to eat and enjoys going fishing with him. “Do you want coffee?” the boy asked. “We’ll put the gear in the boat and then get some” (26). Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship is important to the story because they both rely on each other for different reasons. Santiago relies on Manolin to keep him company and Manolin tries to rely on Santiago as a figure to look up to. “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you” (23). This quote really shows how Manolin admired Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago both are helpful to each other. When Santiago was sleeping one night in his shack, it was really cold out because it was in September so, Manolin came in and covered him up with a blanket. “The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders” (18). This shows how Manolin cared for Santiago because he didn’t have to cover him up, but out of the goodness of his heart he did it anyways. This was important to the book because Manolin deeply treasures his friendship with Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago’s bond is really strong. They both have a respect for the sea and the life in it. “He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her” (29). Santiago and Manolin understand that you have to treat and respect things that you enjoy nicely. Things can be taken away in a matter of minutes and it is important to understand the value of something. This quote demonstrates how they were alike in liking the sea. Manolin and Santiago were different though in age, but they never let that stop them from being friends and doing things they enjoy, which was fishing. Even though Santiago might have not been the luckiest man in fishing, he still persevered and mandolin looked up to him for that. Mandolin never let those so called “flaws” in Santiago stop him from forming a bond.

Santiago and Manolin’s friendship is important to the book because they both rely on each other, and worry about each other, they are both helpful and they have a strong bond. Their friendship is so strong and reliant that it is key in understanding the book and what it is about. If the book wasn’t based around friendship and obstacles then the story wouldn’t have a deep meaning like this one. This story has taught me the value of friendship and how strong ones friendship can be. This book also taught me that you have to persevere in order to get what you want. In Santiago’s case catching the Marlin made him persevere and keep trying.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Old Man In The Sea Draft

Friends are always there for you through thick and thin. They endure and sometimes experience what you feel, they help you overcome obstacles and get through hard times. In the novella, The Old man in the sea, Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship manifests and becomes essential to the understanding of the book. The book is based around friendship and problems / obstacles to overcome and how their friendship can make it through those obstacles.

Santiago is a poor fisherman who strives to make a living for himself just to survive. He fishes for marlin, tuna, and sharks. Santiago spends a long amount of time on the sea and a lot of the time spent is with Manolin. Manolin cares for Santiago and is always worried if he will be able to eat and enjoys going fishing with him. “Do you want coffee?” the boy asked. “We’ll put the gear in the boat and then get some.” (Pg26) Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship is important to the story because they both rely on each other for different reasons. Santiago relies on Manolin to keep him company and Manolin tries to rely on Santiago as a figure to look up to. “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you.” (Pg23) This quote really shows how Manolin admired Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago both are helpful to each other. When Santiago was sleeping one night in his shack, it was really cold out because it was in September so, Manolin came in and covered him up with a blanket. “The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders.” (pg18). This shows how Manolin cared for Santiago because he didn’t have to cover him up, but out of the goodness of his heart he did it anyways. This was important to the book because Manolin deeply treasures his friendship with Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago’s bond is really strong. They both have a respect for the sea and the life in it. “He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her.” (pg29) Santiago and Manolin understand that you have to treat and respect things that you enjoy nicely. Things can be taken away in a matter of minutes and it is important to understand the value of something. This quote demonstrates how they were alike in liking the sea. Manolin and Santiago were different though in age, but they never let that stop them from being friends and doing things they enjoy, which was fishing. Even though Santiago might have not been the luckiest man in fishing, he still persevered and mandolin looked up to him for that. Mandolin never let those so called “flaws” in Santiago stop him from forming a bond.

Santiago and Manolin’s friendship is important to the book because they both rely on each other, and worry about each other, they are both helpful and they have a strong bond. Their friendship is so strong and reliant that it is key in understanding the book and what it is about. If the book wasn’t based around friendship and obstacles then the story wouldn’t have a deep meaning like this one. This story has taught me the value of friendship and how strong ones friendship can be. This book also taught me that you have to persevere in order to get what you want. In Santiago’s case catching the Marlin made him persevere and keep trying.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Outside Reading Book Review

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. Health communications, Inc, 1995. Genre: Autobiography

A Child Called It, is about a young boy who struggles through child abuse from his mother. Dave goes to Thomas Eddison elementary school and kids make fun of him because he always has to wear the same clothes because his mom won’t buy him any. He lives with two older brothers who don’t get abused, just verbally yelled at. Dave’s brothers blame things that they might have done wrong on him because he is the youngest and the easiest target to go after. Dave’s mother never used to abuse him , but suddenly something in her just snapped. He knew certain things to remember washing the dishes; never get caught stealing food off of a plate, move fast and don’t take your eyes off of the dishes or you’ll get your front teeth smashed into a kitchen counter, stabbed or even worse.

“ A Child Called It” is a heart-stopping, compelling book. It is one of the most important books of our time and a must read for anyone who searches for the secret of internal motivation”

The books writing style is written in Dave’s point of view. He talks about the experiences that he went through and describes them vividly. Dave also splits the book into chapters that are fitting to his remarkable story. The chapters have appropriate tittles, like the second chapter is called “Bad Boy” because Dave thinks that he is a bad kid and what his mother is doing to him is his fault, when his mother says that Santa gave him a letter saying that he was a Bad Boy. Dave’s mother would severely hurt him. Dave never got a full meal that wasn’t almost eaten by somebody. When the social workers came into the elementary school one of the principles gave him a box of cookies and the principle told him not to eat to fast so he wouldn’t get sick. This shoes how Dave was very eager to get a meal.

“ The summer after the burn accident, school became my only hope of escape.”

I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting and captivating. This author wrote a really good story and I’m glad that Dave ended up getting away from his life of child abuse. I would recommend this book to others, but it is sad most times in the beginning but is just a great book that teaches you about survival.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Two Minutes To Survive

It was Saturday morning, July15, 1989. Dave, Anne, and Shawn went through baggage checking along with their other fellow passengers. This took along time because Dave ended up with his bag being lost, and he had to wait half an hour before he could board the plane. It was a good thing he got there early. Dave was a lawyer who decided to go vacation with two of his best friends, Anne and Shawn. Anne and Shawn were newly weds and were doctors. They worked at Brookside Hospital and were well known for being nice people. As they went through baggage checking they talked about being so excited to go on a trip to Hawaii. Dave, Shawn and Anne all lived in Wyoming so they didn’t travel much because they were hard working people dedicated to their work.
As Dave waited in the chair with Shawn, thoughts were running through his mind like what would they do when they first got there. Shawn said, “I really want to go and see the waterfalls and beaches.”
Dave said, “I do Too.”
When Anne came out of the bathroom the overhead speaker said, “Now boarding flight 608 to Hawaii.”
That was their flight! They gathered everything and gave the woman their ticket and got on the plane. How exciting Anne thought to herself, as she smiled. When the plane took off and set for flight Anne and Shawn asked for water. While Anne and Shaw fell asleep, Dave asked the stewardess how long the flight would be and she said, “About ten hours sir.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Dave decided that he should get some rest before the plane landed because he wanted to make sure that he didn’t miss anything while he was on the trip and didn’t want to be lethargic. Five hours had gone by and Shawn, Anne, and Dave were wide-awake and felt like this flight was taking forever. It was very taciturn and the plane was very vapid. Anne had also had xenophobia of flying. Even though they had been on the plane a long time, Dave kept reminding himself where he was going and how exciting it would be.
Suddenly it started to rain hard with thunder and lightning. Dave awoke and thought oh no, this is terrible weather. People tried to be sanguine.
As Shawn and Anne tried to keep calm, they had a bad feeling that something was going to happen and they didn’t know what. “I’m really scared, Anne said.”
“ I know, Shawn said.”
Dave knew what it would take to fly this plane though. Dave had been a former flight pilot when he was in the air force. He had comfort in knowing the fact that he could fly a plane and if for some reason he died, he would know that it was in a place where he had spent a lot of his life.
The stewardess walked by and was telling people to put on their oxygen masks just for safety purposes. “Are we going to be okay?” a young girl said.
“Yes we’re going to be fine,” the stewardess, said. Dave knew that the stewardess had some hesitation, and didn’t fully agree with her answer that she told the young girl.
Then all of a sudden the stewardess started panicking, the pilot had, had a heart attack. The co pilot began to freak out and he knew that he had to save this plane and these people. Dave heard the stewardess crying and the stewardess was full of trepidation, shouting, calling the airline station for help. Dave extemporaneously bolted out of his seat and ran to the front. There the pilot layed sprawled out on the ground fading away. He hoped a benediction would happen, Dave was tenacious because he yelled to the co pilot and said, “You need help.” The co pilot was evasive.
“ How would you know, the co pilot said.”
“ I was in the air force for five years, he said.” The co pilot conquered.
“ You have hydraulic failure.”
“ Help me, the co pilot shouted.”
Dave took the controls and started to land the plane gently. The plane was very prodigious, Dave had an onerous task. When the plane landed everyone stood up crying in happiness. No one hade gotten hurt, except for the pilot. An ambulance came and rushed the pilot to a near by hospital.
“ I got to say, you’re a great pilot, the co pilot said.”
“ You’re not so bad yourself.” As Dave walked towards his friends, Anne and Shawn, they were relieved and happy to be alive. Dave knew he had done a great thing that day and was proud to tell people. Most thought it was a plausible story. Oh and if you are wondering about the pilot he survived after the doctors revived him, and people weren’t doleful anymore. Dave, Shawn and Anne didn’t end up going on their vacation to Hawaii, in stead they went home and told the people who they knew what they had gone through. Dave was a hero and everyone extolled him.

Friday, December 18, 2009

second quarter outside reading book review


The Giver by; Lois Lowry Dell Laurel-Leaf Inc., 1993. Genre: Fiction


The Giver is about a family that lives in a certain community. In this community you can only have a mother, father, son and daughter. If you have two sons or two daughters then one of them is taken away. In the Giver Jonas is the main character. He lives with his mom, dad, and his sister Lilly. Jonas is eleven and Lilly is eight, they both go to a district school in the community that has rules to follow. If the young children misbehave then they get hit on their hand with a discipline wand. In this unusual community that they live in they have speakers everywhere that make an announcement for people to take their pill. The pill that they take makes them forget about things that happened during the day. Except for the giver who holds all feelings and memories of people. When the chief elder he becomes the chosen one to hold all memories and feelings of everyone since the Giver is ready to retire chooses Jonas. “ The whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable- impossible to put down; difficult to forget.”

The writing style of this author is descriptive and very informational. This books really helps you understand what takes place and what exactly is happening. I haven’t read any other books by this author, but I hope to in the future. This book captures what is happening and there is some twist and turns that take place. “ The Giver hesitated painfully, as if saying the name aloud might be excruciating. (140)

I enjoyed this book a lot because I’ve never read anything like this before. It was nice to have a book that kept me thinking what was going to happen. There were parts in this book that I enjoyed and every chapter had something new hat I didn’t know, so it wasn’t like I knew what was going to happen before I even read the chapter. There are a lot of good quotes in this book that brings the characters to life and describes the characters themselves and the scene or objects in the book. I hope to read other books by this author and I hope they are as good or if not better then this book that I read.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

"First Quarter Outside Reading Book Review."

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Scholastic Inc, 1876. Genre: fiction

The book the Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about the main character Tom, who is a troublemaker and is very adventurous. He lives with his aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. Tom comes up with different plans and ideas for adventures and ends up persuading his friends to go along with them. The are fake pirates at an island, childish yet fun, Mark Twain brings the setting to life, as the book takes place in St.Petersberg , Missouri.
“Mark Twain is now considered to be one of Americas greatest writers.”
Mark Twain is able to provide a story line that tells you how adventurous kids can truly be. His writing style is specific in the setting and describes where each adventure takes place. The author is also able to use fairly good vocabulary to enhance the piece. The characters are each individually different and only some of the same characteristics are shared. For example Tom and Huck Finn (Toms best friend) are both adventurous and have similar ideas. The author also includes language that was used back then, that had improper grammar and older slang to make you feel like you are in that lifetime.
Another book that Mark Twain has written was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I believe his book is based off the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
“ The sun rose upon a tranquil world, and beamed down upon the peaceful village like a benediction.”
The Adventures of Tom sawyer wasn’t my favorite book that I have ever read because I didn’t enjoy certain parts of this book that much because the book lost my interest at times. Even though this book was Adventurous I found it hard to understand at times because of the language. I’m not use to reading books that have improper grammar so that’s why this was a challenge for me. If the book had used better language then I think I would have liked it better because I enjoyed the plot, theme, and setting of the book. This book was light hearted and funny and wasn’t to serious which made it interesting and sometimes exciting. I would overall say that this book was fairly good and took you back in time, I would however like to look at other books by this author and maybe eventually read them.