The Giver: Week of 11/25/13

Prompt: Write a quote from your reading that connects to your life. What did it mean to what you've been reading? What did it mean to your life?

Pages Read: 1-162

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

     This quote has so much special meaning. I forgot who said in the book. I wrote down this quote in my notebook but never put down which character said it. I feel really foolish for not putting who said this. If any of my classmates know please tell me in the comments.

     I admire this quote because it tells the truth. It does not only tell the truth for me but also to everyone. This quote made me realize that the pain of something mental can be cured when you talk to someone. It is like that relief you get when you talk things out with someone else. Sharing your feelings can help your mind with relaxation. This quote also teaches you a lesson with life and that lesson is that memories must be shared. 

     Jonas is the Receiver so he needs to hold a lot of memories that no one else knows. That might be a pain trying to keep something a secret. There may be many good memories that needs to be shared. Memories can also help to improve our future. Just by reading this quote you can tell that the character who might have said it has wisdom and expierence. Jonas must have gotten inspired and may have gotten more courage.

     What this meant to my life was that the only way I hold memories is by pictures. My family loves pictures because with just one scene captured in an important memory we remember how much adventure we had. The only thing is that there are no pictures of the sad memories because we remember the bad but not the good. I remember the nightmares but not my good dreams. We all must remember memories and share them incase we forget we kind of have back up. It is also important to share so that it reliefs your mind.

The Giver - Week of 11/18/13

Prompt: What was going through your mind as you read?
Pages Read: 1-34


     I first saw "The Giver" when I went to the book store Barnes & Noble. I thought it was really interesting, so I put it on my "to read" section in Good Reads. Then later on, other people in my school started telling me that it was boring and other bad things about the book. I got a little discouraged to read it. Thankfully I do get to read it!

     "The Giver" so far, is an amazing world you get sucked into! I actually feel like I live there. Which I am happy I don't because while I was reading this book I thought it was a place that was a too perfect utopia. Everything is too organized and you feel like you can not have some privacy or space. I would feel like I do not have any freedom at all. My job would get chosen for me, I would need to start doing stuff at a young age when I am still not fully responsible yet, and their rules are very strict.

    This book made me feel anger towards it but I still like it because I need to be patient and keep on reading. I thought Lois Lowry, the author, writes in a way that brings the book alive. Which is really spectacular! Her creative thoughts are very simple yet interesting. In the beginning, as I was reading, my curiosity grew more and more as to what will Jonas be. The narrator never told us the interest Jonas likes so I do not know what will his job be. Based of what I know about Jonas, I had to find out like that. By making predictions will at least get some of my questions answered.

     By the way Jonas' family thought how foreign their comfort toy looks it leaves me wondering what happened to the animals! Many things could have happened to them. Also I wonder how much has technology improved. All these questions popping in my head makes me ache for more answers. I guess what you could say what was going through my mind as I read was curiosity. This curiosity motivates me to continue reading which I will, and I must because it is an assignment for school.

Flipped - Week of 11/11/13

Slight Spoiler

Prompt: Write a summary of what you just read.

Pages Read: 1-30

    This is an amazing realistic fiction book! This is actually more than amazing. I love this book so much because of how well written it is. I know i'm still in the beginning of the book but I still get a lot of the story's plot. This book is about the life of two children growing up together and of their connections and interactions with each other. In the beginning of the book one of the main characters is Julianna and she has a crush on another main character, Bryce. A lot has happened in the story so I won't spoil it all I will just spoil one part. Which is also summarizing what I have just read.  In the book each chapter is told in both Juli's and Bryce's first person point of view. The part I will spoil is in Bryce's point of view.

      Juli loves to climb this sycamore tree that is by the school bus stop. She waits everday for the school bus on top of the tree. Bryce waits by the same bus stop as Juli along with other students. One day when they were both waiting, up on the tree as usual was Juli. Then these men came up to them and said that they need to move because they are join to cut down the tree. Everyone obeyed except Juli. Juli was protesting and asking them why do they want to take away this tree. The men replied that it was the orders of the owner. Juli yelled down to Bryce and the other kids to climb up on the tree. If everyone goes up they won't cut down the tree. Juli was mostly begging Bryce and he felt embarrassed so he just ignored her. It was until the school bus came that everyone left except Juli. Bryce does not know what happened after that. He was left curious and wondering.

    Juli wasn't at school the school whole day, Bryce also noticed she wasn't in the school bus on the way home either. When Bryce arrived home his grandfather talked to him for the first time! What I man by "the first time" is that his grandfather doesn't really have an actual conversation with him. It usually is just saying "hi" and "bye" just a few words. The downside was that the first time they have an actual conversation it's an argument... about Juli! She made the front news paper because of her refusing to get out off the tree. There was a whole story about her trying to convince other students to get on the tree. Bryce's grandpa knew Bryce was one of those students. His grandpa was upset for hating Juli and ignoring her. He thinks Juli is a special girl. Bryce is confused because his whole entire life she has been nothing else but an annoying, know-it-all girl. The conversation made him wondering which leaves me wondering too. Now all I can do as a reader, is read on.

This is how a Sycamore tree looks like

     

     

A Child Called 'It': Week of 11/4/13

Prompt: Who is the author? What do you know about the author? What do you imagine the author must be like?
Pages Read: 3 (1) - 38

     This book is about a boy around the age of six, named David, who once had once a flawless family but then it shattered into pieces because of his mom. His mom plays many menacing games with him. The games she played on him were being beaten or starved. His mom only beats David when his father isn't home. David is the only one out of 4 brothers in his family to get abused. He is forced to run to school and wear the same clothes for months which only humliates him at school.  

     The author Dave Pelzer, sets a scary melancholy feeling to his readers even though there are no fully expressed feelings in the main character because it was set in the point of view of the little boy. He does this by the actions of the character. Just by knowing the pain he is going through I can also feel David's pain. I think what probably makes this story sorrowful would be because the readers know that this is a true story. A Child Called 'It' is actually an autobiography, the child in the story who gets abused and gets turned into an "it" is the author Dave Pelzer.

     Just by knowing that the author wrote his childhood and shared it to the world makes me realize that he must be very courageous. This story is very intense, and personal because of the insane things he has done for survival. I know Dave has had a rough childhood and was a smart boy because of his schemes. Fear and hunger also motivated him to do these dangerous tasks. Later he would need to pay the price for his 'sin.' He would return home only to get beaten again. Since he was a smart kid, now as an adult he must be a really intelligent man. Just by Dave writing this book I can infer that he is brave, smart, and a wise man. I know wise and smart might be the same meaning but I mean wise as if he is wise about life because of his experience.

    I recommend this book to everyone in my class. If you are a very sensitive person then you might not want to read this. For the others I think this book will open your eyes, for what I have read this is an amazing book but full of sadness and sorrow. I know this will touch your heart and make you realize how much goodness of life you have. It will make you appreciate it. If you do read this book and read about his life of survival.

Dave as a child