Point of View

The book The Summer I turned Pretty is written in the point of view of Belly, a teenaged girl who is constantly looking for love. In this book she often states her opinions and emotions. She makes it sound like she's so innocent and that she should have the perfect boyfriend at her side. I'm not quite sure if I can believe her side of the stories she tells. I wish the author Jenny Han would've switched characters in some chapters so they can tell their own point of view like in "The Last Song". That would make the story more interesting. Some of the chapters in this book relate back to a different summer in the past and Belly explains a scene that happened in that summer, to give the reader some background knowledge.

This book would be very different if someone else was telling the story. Perhaps Jeremiah or Conrad. They would probably talk about what Belly means to them and how they feel about their mother, Susannah being sick or how they feel about their parents getting a divorce. It would also be different if Laurel, Belly's mom, was telling the story. Laurel would probably explain how it feels to have a best friend fighting against cancer and how she likes the beach house. She might also add that she's uncomfortable having Belly so interested in boys. The point of view is very important in a book. The story would change completely if it was in a different character's point of view.

Prediction

The book "The Summer I turned Pretty" has what every girl wants in a summer. Belly, the main character stays at the family beach house every summer with her brother, Steven, looking for a great time with her friends and family. This year her best friend Taylor Jewel is coming out to visit her. Susannah a loving caring mother of two boys is very close friends with Belly's mother Laurel. Belly seems to have very strong feelings towards Susannah's sons Jeremiah and Conrad. They are like brothers to her, and they've known each other since they were very little. They are practically part of the family. As the summers go by Belly develops more feelings for Conrad. She has a secret crush on him but is afraid to admit it. Although, he treats her like a little sister, always bossing her around and telling her what she can or cannot do.  She becomes slightly annoyed. But one night when she's invited to a bonfire everything changes for her and her love life. She meets Cam, a nice local boy that almost everyone knows. Belly and Cam are an example of love at first sight. Ever since they began talking at the bonfire they relationship has been great and Belly is starting to take her mind off of Conrad. Conrad, however, is not okay with it.

What's my prediction of what's going to happen next? I think that Belly and Cam are going to break up and her and Conrad are somehow going to get together. I think it will take some time but they will eventually both fall in love. I already know that Belly has strong feelings for Conrad she just doesn’t want to admit it yet. Conrad is jealous of Belly and Cam because I think he still cares for Belly. All of the summers in the past have led up to this. Them being together.

Life of Pi Essay

What would you do if you were stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean? How would you survive physically and mentally? In the book Life of Pi, sixteen year old Pi Patel spends 227 days on a life boat in the Pacific Ocean. He is accompanied by a wild tiger named Richard Parker and runs into some strange animals like an orangutan, a zebra and even a hyena. He also encounters a blind man who wishes to eat him. But is he really surrounded by all of these animals? Is this blind man he's seeing a real person? Or is it just his imagination taking over his mind?

While Pi and Richard Parker sat there in the middle of the ocean all of a sudden a blind man hopped on their boat . I think that Pi and Richard Parker were partly blind when this man arrived. I don't think they were literally blind but I think because they were so exhausted, dehydrated and hungry that they weren't in a clear state of mind. As soon as the blind man tries to take a bite out of Pi, Richard Parker attacks him.

When I first read about the blind man I wasn't sure if he was a real person or simply just a dream or a thought. But now, after finishing the whole book I have a theory on the blind man. I believe that the blind man is a part of Pi. Almost as if he's Pi's conscience. Because of Pi's poor nutrition his imagination is taking over his mind. This explains why the blind man wanted to kill Pi.  He thinks that suicide is the only solution which is the part of him that is the blind man. 

There is a very large amount of symbolism in this book which can cause the reader confusion. While reading the book I didn't understand it until I finished and everything fell into place. The blind man, the island, and the animals all suddenly made sense.  This book was about survival. Pi had to rely on Richard Parker to protect him and keep him safe. At the beginning of the novel,  Pi was very scared and guarded with a wild tiger on his side. But as their journey on the boat continued they became closer and shared a deep trust.

You may disagree with me about the blind man and what he symbolizes. But my personal opinion is that the blind man is a part of Pi that wants to end his suffering, his subconscious. His lack of nutrition causes him confusion and he's mentally out of it. Pi's not literally blind, but his mind is blind, out of focus and confused. Which could happen to anyone under the same circumstances.

Love Story

I sat in my room and paused my video game and searched the room for my cell phone. I grabbed it and dialed my girlfriend Sarah’s number. I really wanted to talk to her.

"Hello?” she answered.

“Hey hun, how are you? I replied.

“Okay… you?”

“Is something wrong?”

 “No, I’m just a little stressed out.”

“Oh ok. Well do you want to go to the movies tonight to get your mind off everything?”

“Can’t. I have a doctor’s appointment.”

“For what?”

“I just have to get a couple shots.”

“Oh ok.”

“Yeah……..”

“Well I’ll see you at school tomorrow”.

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

“Wait.”

“Yeah?”

“How much do you love me?”

“More than anything in the world.”

“Really?”

“Of course, why?”

Silence filled the air.

“Are you sure your ok?”

“Yeah. I’m fine” she insisted.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“I hope so.”

“I have a question.”

“Hit me.”

“How much do you care about me?”

“More than you could imagine.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmmmm.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

“Would you die for me?”

“I would take a bullet for you Sarah, I love you.

“Awwww, thanks.”

“Well I’ll talk to you later.”

“Yup. See you at school.”

“Ok bye.”

“Bye.”

It was the next day and I was sitting on the bus on my way to school. I was really anxious to see Sarah. After the talk last night I became a little worried about her. We got to school and I hopped off the bus and ran inside. When I got to my locker my best friend Josh was standing there.

“Hey” he said.

“Hey Josh, what’s up?”

“Not much. You?”

“Not much. Have you seen Sarah anywhere man, I’ve been dying to see her ever since our talk last night. I asked.

“No actually I haven’t seen her for 2 days, is she ok?”

“I think so, at least that’s what she said.”

“I’ll probably call her after school again.”

“Okay bro, see ya later.”

“Bye.”

After school when I got home I immediately called Sarah.

-ring-ring-ring

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“Why weren’t you at school today?”

“I was at the doctor again.”

“Are you sick?”

“Ummmm….. I have to go my mom’s on the other line”.

“I’ll wait….” I explained.

“Look Kyle I think we need to break up.”

“What?!?”

“It’s the best thing to do right now.”

“Why?”

“Goodbye Kyle.”

She hung up on me, great. I decided to call Josh. I needed to tell him about me and Sarah.

-ring-ring-ring-

“Hello?”

“Hey dude, it’s Kyle.”

“Oh hey, what’s up?”

“I called Sarah.”

“Yeah what did she say?”

“She broke up with me.”

“Really?”

“Mhmmm.”

“Sorry man.”

“It’s fine, it’s just I don’t know why she’s acting so weird.”

“Well you know girls man, sometimes they can have the biggest mood swings, she’ll befine in a couple of days.”

“What do you mean she’ll be fine, she’s not sick or anything.”

“Yes she is, she checked into the hospital yesterday, didn’t she tell you?”

“Ummmm… no, what’s wrong with her?”

“You should probably go visit her.”

“Why? Can’t you tell me?”

“It would be best if you went and visit her Kyle.”

“Ok, I’ll call you later bro.”

“Ok bye.”

I got my mom to drive me to the hospital and see Sarah. When we got there my mom sat down in the silenced waiting room and I went to the front desk.

“I would like to see Sarah Bentley please.”

“Sure, Room 114, follow me.”

I followed the lady to Room 114 she opened the door for me and left us alone. Sarah was laying in her hospital bed and turned her head to see me.

“What are you doing here?”she asked.

“I’m here to see you and figure out what’s going on, you told me you weren’t sick.”

“I know, I didn’t want you to know, who told you?”

“Josh but that doesn’t matter, what’s wrong with you?”

“I have cancer and I’m on life support,” she explained.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry,” I wiped a tear from my face.

“I wanted to tell you. But I couldn’t.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You could never hurt me.”

“I love you more than anything. I would give you the world in a heartbeat. I would die for you and take a bullet for you,” she cried.

“I love you too but why did you break up with me?”

“Young man, visiting hours are over,” the nurse exclaimed.

The boy leaves her and later that night she is taken off of life support and dies. The next day Kyle was found on the ground in the woods with a gun in his hand. In the other hand lay a note. It read….

“I told her I would take a bullet for her, just like she said she would die for me.”

Regards, 

Kyle

Cyberbullying

Have you ever been bullied or harassed? If you have you're not alone. Many kids all around the world are being bullied right now, at this exact moment. The worst type of bullying happens online, cyber bullying. It's really easy for a bully to bully online because the bully isn't face to face with the victim, therefore its easier to talk mean and disrespectful. When  you're being bullied online you're most likely going to feel alone and like an outcast. This is when bullying becomes serious. What is said to the victim, stays with the victim for the rest of their life and after awhile they start to believe what's been said. They will feel like they aren't worth living or breathing. Of course they wouldn’t tell an adult because they're afraid to. Afraid they will get hurt by the bully. When really it would save their life.

Scarred at the Bus Stop

There I was standing in the rain, lonesome at my bus stop. It was cold and windy and I was drenched. I had my rain boots on and my jacket hood up. I looked up at the sky and sighed, wondering where the bus could be. It had been 10 minutes and I was starting to get a little worried. I shivered and started teetering back and forth. I quietly began to sing……

Rain, Rain,                                                                                                        

Go away.

Come again another day.

Rain, Rain,

Go awa….

All of a sudden someone grabbed me from behind. I whipped my head around to see who it was. It was a tall, brown haired, middle aged man. He stared right at me and my first instinct was to run. He tried to push me into his black Honda Accord. I was not going to let him kidnap me. I’d never be seen again. I kicked for dear life and finally got him in the shin to the point where he let go of me. I dropped my backpack and lunchbox and started sprinting down the road. I didn’t want to look back to see if he was chasing me because that would slow me down. Out of nowhere his black Honda pulled up and a different man got out of the car and pushed me into the backseat. In a matter of seconds I was tied up in rope and duct tape was covering my mouth. The man that grabbed me at the bus stop was driving and the other man was sitting in the passenger seat. The driver gave me an evil grin through the rear view mirror. At that moment, I was scarred for life.

The five-hour car ride was very silent, and the only noise was the two men whispering about me and how to keep me hidden. I was in shock. How could I let this happen? If the bus would have been there, I wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped. Now I have no idea how to escape. My parents probably have no clue that I’m gone. When school see’s that I’m missing, they’ll call my parents and then they’ll come searching for me. They must, before something bad happens.

We suddenly pull up a long black driveway up to a huge yellow house. The men get out of the car and open my door. They grabbed me from my wrists and dragged me to the old rusty front door. When we walked inside they sat me in the living room on a chair and said, “Stay here. Or I will shoot a gun to your ugly little forehead". I nod with a terrified expression. He finally walks off.  I just want to go home and see my family and be in a safe place. This is definitely not a safe place, especially living with two strangers. Who knows how long I’m going to be here. I spot the brown haired man walking towards me. Again he gives me a creepy grin. It really freaks me out when he smiles at me like that.

“Follow me. I will show you where you will be staying,” he said.

I nod again, afraid to speak and stand to my feet. We walk past the dining room and the kitchen and head up two flights of stairs. It looks like an attic. There’s only one room on this floor and he opens the door and pushes me in it. I fell to the ground and landed on my right arm. Who does this man think he is?

“You will stay in here all the time unless I tell you otherwise,” he spoke.

“Ok,” I said in a crackly voice.

He slams the door and leaves. I look around me. How am I supposed to fall asleep in this place? It feels like I’m locked up in jail cell. My room back home is comfortable and warm. A place I go to, to relax and hang out. This place is the exact opposite. There’s no windows and it’s dark and scary. I don’t even have any clothes here, what am I supposed to wear? I look at the wall beside me and I spot a wooden closet. I’m a little nervous to see what’s inside. I walk over to the closet and open the door.

“Ahhhhh,” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

There was a girl about my age lying dead in the closet. I was shaking and in complete shock.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” I said to myself.

I bet these men did this to the poor girl. They probably kidnapped her too! I was really freaking out now. All of the pieces were fitting together. She probably stayed in this exact room! I need to get out of here. I need to get out of here right now. I hear footsteps coming up the steps. It’s the brown haired man.

“What’s all the screaming about?” he asked.

“Ummmmm there’s a girl in the closet and she’s dead.”

“Oh her? Yeah I forgot to mention not to go in the closet”.

“Did you kill her?”

“You’ll find out. Soon enough.”

Who Are You?

Remember when you were a kid,
and you had that one person
that you told everything to.
You did everything with,
and trusted completely?

The person you laughed with,

Over everything.

The one who understood you,

And had your back.

The person who walked in,

when everyone else walked out.
You shared your feelings, problems and ideas.
You were honest, loyal and kind.
You put them first,
and made sure they were happy.
But now they've betrayed you,
and you're not sure what to believe.
You loved them.
You trusted them.
Until you found out who they really were.

Dreams

Author's Note: I wrote this poem shortly after we watched the movie "Tangled" as a class in Language Arts. The movie mentioned a lot about dreams, so I attempted to write a poem about them. When I completed this poem I was very proud of it, it flows well together and sounds good overall, in my opinion at least. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Everyone has a dream.

Children have a dream.

Adults have a dream.

I have a dream.

And you have a dream.

We are surrounded in dreams.

Dreams occur constantly.

During the day.

At night.

Sunrise.

And sunset.

We never stop dreaming.

There's always something we want,

But seems impossible to have.

Some dreams are so big,

That we see them as a fairy-tale.

If people went after their dreams,

Our world would be much happier.

Less greedy.

But we don't,

Because we are scared.

Weak.

And timid.

Those who follow their dreams.

Achieve them.

The ones who sit back and do nothing,

don’t.

Why have a dream if you're not even going to try to follow it?

You know what that is?

That's like having a brilliant idea and not telling anyone about it.

Ignoring your dreams,

is like giving up on a whole life's worth of opportunities.

Ignoring your dreams,

is foolish.

Best Friends (Response to "A Secret For Two"

Do you have a best friend? Someone you can always call when you’re scared or upset a person that is always there for you? Friendship isn’t limited to only humans; animals are a major impact in relationships. For some people, their pets are their best friends. Being with an animal for a long period of time can tend to become a very important friendship. In the story “A Secret for Two”, the 75 year old man, Pierre and his old horse Joseph have a very deep bond. They have been together for over 25 years going through the same specific route delivering milk. Every day was a struggle for Pierre and Joseph. They became more weak and tired every day. One day Jacques, Pierre’s boss, announced that Joseph had passed away in his sleep. Pierre was devastated. He had lost his best friend. Pierre cried for days but he knew there was nothing he could do. The hours went on and the days caught up and every minute was still and full of silence. Pierre found himself very lonely without Joseph.  

However, when Joseph died it proved to me that death isn’t always an unpleasant thing, in this story at least. Pierre was an old blind man and his whole life depended on his horse, Joseph. Pierre trained Joseph to walk the route and lead him to the houses to deliver milk. Joseph and Pierre practically shared their life. When Joseph was alive Pierre was happy all the time and excited to begin his route. But when Joseph had left it was as if Pierre’s soul went with him. Pierre was devastated. He cried for days on end, and felt that he had no purpose to go anywhere, do anything, or even live.

Thereafter, on one late afternoon, Jacques had told Pierre to take a day off because of his loss. Pierre started to limp across the street when all of a sudden a huge truck quickly ran over him. He was killed instantly. No one knew if Pierre had stepped out into the street on purpose or if he simply didn’t hear the truck coming his way. He was blind but he was certainly not deaf. He might’ve walked right in front of the truck on purpose because he didn’t like his life without Joseph and couldn’t do much because he couldn’t see. He wanted to die. It might’ve turned out that he accidently got hit and didn’t hear it but that seems very unlikely. Maybe the situation was just proving that without Joseph, Pierre can’t live on his own. Life is easier with friends on your side.

Seeing that, I conclude that this is a normal situation. I mean, pets are going to die sooner or later. Sure it’s not easy to get over the fact that they aren’t with you, but eventually you have to let go. No person likes to see their pet, let alone best friend die. Being with a pet for so long, can make them feel like a family member because they are so close. It’s just as hard with pets dying as it is friends and family members dying. Some people are willing to die for their close friends and family. They feel like they have no purpose in life without the ones they love. Just as Pierre and Joseph in this story. 

Therefore, you may argue that this a tragedy but the mode is surprisingly comedy. It’s not a funny story but it does match up in literary analysis. It begins in normalcy, a horse and a man delivering milk. The conflict of the story is that Joseph dies. The solution was when his boss, Jacque said that he could train a new horse and everything would be fine but Pierre refused. The story does go back to normalcy, in the end. You may think that a man dying and a horse dying is nowhere near a happy ending, but surprisingly the end is happy. Pierre wanted to die, and that’s what he got. He stepped in the street and got ran over, whether it was on purpose or not he died and that’s what he wanted. 

Clearly, pets are more than just animals off the street. They have everything a close friend will give you. When you’re with them you feel warmth, love, strength and power. They listen to you, communicate with you, share their feelings with you and no matter who you are or what you look like, they will always be there for you. They share their love for you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The longer you’re with them the more attached you two become. Your relationship will grow incredibly fast. But be aware, that when they have to leave, you have to let them go. It will be hard, but it will be for the best. You just have to know they are going in a safe, peaceful place. They will always have a place in your heart. They are your best friends.

Favorite Quote

You will always miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Three Pigs in Animal Farm

By reading "Animal Farm" I found that many of the animals in it represent a unique and different person involved in the Russian Revolution. The animals' personalities and actions match up with the personalities of the real people. I think seeing the people as animals in kind of strange but also kind of interesting. I like how the author wrote this book. How he is bringing a real situation from history and making it into a book with animals.

The three little pigs in Animal Farm represent important people in the Revolution. The pig, Squealer represents Trotsky because he supports Napoleon and plans to be the future leader just like Trotsky did.  Another pig, Snowball represents Lenin because Lenin was the first leader. Snowball is very intelligent and persuasive, just like Trotsky. The last pig, Napoleon, represents Stalin because Napoleon is controlling and military-like just like Stalin was in the Russian Revolution. 

 The pigs were nicer in the beginning of the book and now they are getting meaner. Also in the beginning of the book they were strong followers of Old Major's but now they are trying to take over Old Major's place because they want to be the leaders. I think the pigs are very sneaky. They are much like Trotsky, Lenin and Napoleon.

Justin Bieber

TODAY IS JUSTIN BIEBER'S BIRTHDAY! He was born on March 1st, 1994 and entered the world in Ontario, Canada. He brought great talent to the music industry and amazed all people over the United States. He has become very wealthy because of his amazing voice and talent. At such a young age he carries fame wherever he goes and is very glad that his dream came true. Millions of girls around the country cry over him and scream whenever they see him or even hear his name. Because of him, American Idol has lowered the age to 15 hoping that we find more young amazing talent, like Justin Bieber. <3

Visit to Adventure Rock

  

On Sunday I went to Adventure Rock with my family. We don't plan on climbing any real rocks like some people, which really makes it kind of pointless, but it's fun and a way to spend time with your family. This was my brother's first time rock climbing, he's four which was the time I started. I am somewhat afraid of heights but I can still make it to the top, as you can see. I enjoyed rock climbing with my family.

Braces

Brackets placed on your teeth,
almost nothing you can eat
Constant pain throughout the day
Can't wait til that day
when they finally go away.

No candy, chips, or any hard food
You brush your teeth
after ever bite,
and you struggle
to fall asleep at night.

Years have gone by
and the day has finally come
soon in an hour you're braces will be gone
you walk through the door with excitement on your face
the doctor walks toward you
and you just can't wait,
until he said you had to wait another 28 days.

Your smile fades away
and you look at your mom
you walk out the door
your head to the floor.

The Setting of The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

 Author's Note: This book takes place in a lot of different areas but overall the setting stays within the town.

     The setting in this book takes place in North Carolina. Scenes take place on the beach and Steve Miller's (Ronnie's dad) house. Her mom's house takes place in New York, but in the book they don't describe it or mention her in New York. The setting is described very beautiful. Their house is right on the Atlantic Ocean. The nice, smooth yellow sand. The house is described a little old though. I'm very happy that the book takes place in this kind of setting, the town is very realistic and is described regularly. I like to read things that I can easily relate to.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Author's Note: The book I chose to read is "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and family. I chose to read this book because I love romance. Even though the mode of literature is Comedy it still includes a ton of romance. On this assignment I decided to add a quick summary to the beginning of my piece so the reader would know more about what's going on in the book. Enjoy!

         The main character, Ronnie Miller has been avoiding her dad ever since her parents divorce, three years earlier. Her mom believes that Ronnie and her little brother Jonah need to spend more time with their dad and bond. Ronnie is rebellious, she hated the idea of visiting for the summer, she's much rather hang out with her friends back in New York. Unfortunately her mom has forced her to stay their for a couple of months. Ronnie had no idea this trip would end up with any type of love, but as soon as she meets an attractive volleyball player, things change. Ronnie then gets accepted to Julliard, but refuses to play the piano every again, because her dad used to be her teacher. She hasn’t overcome her parents divorce and continues to ignore and avoid her father. The first few chapters begin in normalcy and the situations that the family goes through are realistic. It's just an ordinary family taking a car ride to meet their dad. Therefore, the mode of literature is Comedy. I believe that the theme of this book is that "You have to overcome the problems from the past and make the best of the present time, because you never know what tomorrow brings.