ahhhhhh no more highschool

hello ms. fletcher!! ;] i haven't seen you in it seems like forever. but you'll be happy to know that i enrolled in a summer writing course & everything being covered, i already know because the materials they are "teaching" have already been taught in your erwc class :] thanks so much fletcher for being a great teacher.

btw, is it too late to pick up my portfolio????

-Melanie Morris '09

I miss you kids

Hey Graduates, I like reading what you write, and Lourella watching Into the Wild with her folks! I went to a big ERWC thing today in LA, and got new binders with updated units and GRAMMAR!

Here I am with my table mates in Daytona Beach -- this was the last day so we were completely bonded and also sort of insane. The guy sitting down was my table leader and he was a hilarious guy...he taught high school in Texas for umpty ump years and just retired. He got his sick leave from all those years in a check, so while we were at the reading, he had a $55,000 payday. No wonder he's smiling!

Anyway, kids...I'll keep this blog up for another year or so...if you ever want to post or stay in touch, I'll pop out here from time to time to see if anyone has written anything new. Be good, study hard, and be a true blue friend to all of the people who love you.

Graduation was one week ago today. I still feel a little discombobulated. Hard to believe that the year is over. I am working on putting your porfolios away -- sorry I didn't get them back to you before the year was out. Come back anytime next year and I'll give it to you. I'm really going to work on getting those back to kids by the end of the year next year. I see so many ways I could have done a better job -- especially today at the ERWC symposium -- but what I like about teaching is that you always get another chance to do better next year.

Love,
Alexandra Faye Fletcher -- most people call me Alex, and if you want to, you certainly can.

Just now

I was flipping through channels and guess what i saw? Into the Wild playing on showtime! Now I'm watching the movie with my parents and having this whole discussion about Chris McCandless. Even though we're not in school and our "Into the Wild discussion" is over, I still wanted to share this with everyone. Have a great summer class of 2009! Ms. Fletcher expect to see me sometime soon! :D

In Love with Edward Cullen

This quarter I read New Moon, the second book of the Twilight Series. It is a 563-page novel filled with both heartbreak, love, and adventure. I think this book works well enough as a stand alone; but like every other sequel readers will get a totally better understanding of the story and more entertainment from reading it if they read Twilight first.

The novel begins with Bella’s 18th birthday. She and Edward have been going out for six months now, and he tries to make this birthday memorable. In the midst of Bella’s birthday party at the Cullen’s, a stupid accident happens that leaves Bella covered in blood. This causes the party to fall somewhat flat, as the accident triggers a feeding frenzy in Jasper. Edward suddenly becomes distant towards Bella. He tells her that he and his family are leaving Forks for good, and that he never wants to see her again. This leaves Bella heartbroken, for her world revolves around Edward Cullen. Through the lapse of heartbreak, Bella’s world begins to fall apart as she loses most of her friends and becomes even more isolated and lonely.

As Bella loses friends, she grows closer to an old one. Jacob Black becomes Bella’s new partner in crime; she begins to explore her curiosities and go on adventures with him at her side. Although, the pain of Edward’s abandonment never subsides, Jacob becomes her best friend and he helps to fill some of the voids in her life. After spending a great amount of time with Jacob, Bella discovers he is not an ordinary boy, for part of his Quileute heritage is to be cursed to be a werewolf. And of course, it is not a coincidence that werewolves and vampires are each other’s worse enemies.

Alice returns to Forks and her extraordinary gift of being able to see the future tells her Edward is heading on a path of self-destruction –one that only Bella can advert. Bella and Alice leave Forks on a mission to save Edward, and after a series of unfortunate events and timing, they succeed. The lovers reunite, and their relationship is stronger than ever, but the big elephant in the room remains: what will happen to the camaraderie between Bella and Jacob?

This book was heartbreaking; I honestly fell in love with Edward after reading Twilight, but I hated him so much when he abandoned Bella. Regardless, I think Meyer did an excellent job in portraying Bella’s pain throughout the novel. It’s what this whole book is about. Most of the things Bella experiences in this book is a result of the overwhelming loss she is trying to bear. In addition, I believe her friendship with Jacob has a doomed quality to it not only because he loves her while she is in love with Edward but also because he is a werewolf and he naturally hates all vampires.

After reading the book, I fell in love with Edward all over again. His love for Bella runs deep, and it’s breathtaking to read about it. New Moon is bittersweet, and I totally recommend this book, as well as the whole Twilight series, to all! =)

CLASS OF 2009 ..... WE MADE IT!!!!!!
YAY...TEAR THOUGH .....WE MISS YOU FLETCHER!!!!

SSR 4th Quarter

If any of you have never heard about Anthony Bourdain before, let me explain real quickly. Anthony Bourdain gained notoriety when he wrote Kitchen Confidential, an intimate look at the restaurant business and his experiences in it. His stories are very colorful; he uses sarcasm and describes his experiences with Mafioso’s, Restaurateurs, Chefs, and bartenders.

His novel, Gone Bamboo, is written in much the same way. Gone Bamboo concerns an ex-mafia hetman named Henry, who goes to an island in the Caribbean to get away from his past, a man that he tried unsuccessfully to assassinate. Unfortunately for Henry, the US Government has other plans. The man that Henry tried to assassinate, Charlie Wagons is under the Federal Witness Protection program, until he can testify against his old cohorts, and he is being held under armed guard, right up the road from where Henry and his wife Frances live.

Henry and Frances befriend another younger couple, Tommy and Cheryl, who coincidentally live with Charlie, in an attempt to get closer to Charlie so that Henry can make his apologies for the past. Henry and Frances are almost assassinated themselves by a Mafia hitman name Little Petey, after the Mafia finds out that Henry is on the island near Charlie. They foil the assassin and kill him. That is only the least of their worries though, as a group of hired guns start a massive gun battle at the compound Charlie is staying at.

I’ll stop there as that is where the book starts getting good. I like this novel because it makes you laugh at some points, yet somehow manages to be serious when it needs to be. The characters are pretty developed, and when some die you feel for them to some extent.

my book review

Its 3:45 in the morning. Knock. Knock. Knock. Kathryn Lyons wakes out of her deep slumber confused and unaware of her surroundings. She remembers that her husband, jack, should be returning from his flight but not this early. She staggers down the stairs in her pajamas and opens her front door. A towering figure stands in her doorway. This isn’t her husband. “Mrs. Lyons?”, and then she knows.

Her feet give out on her and she falls to the ground.

This event happens in the first pages of “The Pilot’s Wife” by Anita Shreve, where Kathryn is told the news of her husband’s plane crashing off the coast of Ireland. The author goes on to illustrate the pain and grief Kathryn and her daughter Maddie endure from losing such a vital person in their lives. They are also accompanied by the union rep, Robert Hart, who helps keep the hungry press away from the grieving family and who updates them on all the rumors and information about the crash.

As the story unfolds we follow Kathryn through her grieving process and watch her strength grow as she tries to hold what’s left of her family together. It seems like the typical sad story with the typical grieving family until Kathryn begins to uncover things she never knew about her husband. We watch as she starts questioning her entire marriage and wondering if she really knew the man that she has loved for over 16 years.

The author does a great job of pulling all the pieces of the story together and depicting Kathryn’s growing doubt about her husband and their marriage. She does this by flashing back and forth from present to past and showing contrast between how Kathryn thought her husband was and the stranger she is finding him to be.

I would recommend this book but with some caution. It is not a happy romance or love story, it is sad and only becomes more depressing. It is a very captivating book and you will not want to put it down. I will not give away the ending but the author throws twists that you wouldn’t expect.

I really enjoyed reading “The Pilot’s Wife” and I found that during SSR it really held my attention despite all the side conversations and snickering that we had in class. I find that as the year went on I was able to block out all the background commotion more and more. I became a more effective reader due to SSR and I think that it was very beneficial.

Cinderella

I know that we all have read Cinderella once in our life. Or if not read it, then watched it. Recently, Ms. Fletcher had countless Cinderella books in her classroom. I decided to read some of them. You wouldn't expect how many versions there were! There were versions from Eygpt, the Philippines, France, and ect.

They all basically had the same plot. A girl lives with her father and they are happy. Along comes a horrible stepmother and one or two of her daughters. They try to sabotage her relationship ith her father and make her the "maid" of the house. She somehow gets a slipper/shoe/sandal and meets the prince. She leaves her shoe/slipper/sandal behind. The prince looks for her and then finds her. Happily ever after.

My favortie was the Eygptan version. The pictures were amazing, so colorful. They storyline was a little differnt from the original and I just loved it!

favorite part

Julia and I were in class talking when the movie was on and finally got distracted, by loud yelling in a different language. It was the t.v. that movie we watched was very interesting. I didn't know in Iran they were so strict on women. she was writing music and got in trouble. what can women do out there? whats there purpose if they have no freedom. just like my and said I'm proud to live in America and be free!

book review

so this quarter i started to read this book named twilight. First of all i was the biggest procrastinator ever! i told everyone that i refused to read the book they are extremely long, but my mind changed when i saw the trailer of new upcoming sequel "new moon." i was so prepared to see it and my friend's said i couldn't go unless i read the books so my reason for reading it. I thought the book began slow and identical to the movie and i wasn't really interested but as i read more it was so much better than the movie. new characters, scenes, and more it was amazing. I haven't yet finished because with all the end of the year activities. i love it so far and I'm excited for summer to start now so i can get a chance to read all of the novels. i recommend anyone who saw the movie and don't want to read the book to get a chance and read them, they are amazing!

To those who paid attention to the movie

Did anyone else think that movie was super sad? It made me mad to see how they treated women. And I didnt like how super conservative they were. I'm soooo glad I live in America, where I can almost do whatever I want. Just thought I would share my opinion on the movie.

True Colors for 4th Quarter

Kristen Hannah who wrote True Colors and is also New York Times Best Selling Author of Firefly Lane. This book is great! When you first start reading it it will consume you and you won't want to stop reading. It takes on family hardships, family bonds, romance, passion, betrayal, jealousy, rivalry, redemption, and forgiveness. The three Grey sisters were always close but after their mom died when they were young they grew even closer. The oldest Grey sister is Winona, she is an over-weight book-worm who is the best lawyer in their small town of Oyster Shores but needs her fathers approval. Winona doesn't seem to fit in with her family because her father is a rancher and her family lives around horses. The middle Grey sister is Aurora, she is the one who tries to be the peacemaker, she wants everyone to be happy but what her family doesn't know is that her marriage is falling apart. The youngest Grey sister is Vivi Ann, she is basically the star of the family she is loved by her father and anyone else that meets her until one day a man comes into her life and it all goes down hill.

It all starts when the Grey's need a new helper to feed the horses and clean their stalls. Dallas Raintree, he showed up at their door looking for a job when he ran into Winona. Winona ended up giving him the job while knowing her father would not really approve. This is when the fun began. Vivi Ann and Dallas worked together a lot because he fed the horses and cleaned their stalls while Vivi Ann rode the horses. Vivi Ann was dating Luke, a man the Winona had wanted all her life, when Dallas would come on to her. It took a while before Vivi Ann could not resist a tall dark and handsome man. He was everything she ever wanted, passion and adventure. Vivi Ann began sneaking around with Dallas even after she had accepted a proposal from Luke. Winona found out about Dallas and what had been happening between him and her sister and confronted Vivi Ann. Things became uneasy between them because Vivi Ann was engaged to Winona's love and Vivi Ann would break his heart. Vivi Ann broke it off and went off and married Dallas. By doing this she became disapproved by everyone in Oyster Shores and even her father. As the years went by Vivi got pregnant and had a son. Winona didn't know what to do about Luke because she still loved him and she told him that the night Luke found out that Dallas and Vivi were sleeping together. One terrible night a friend of Dallas' was killed, this night was Christmas Eve. Dallas was known for his temper but also because he was also a friend of the woman. On Christmas day Dallas was arrested. Dallas was convicted of murder and Vivi Ann was forced to live with it. She did not give up on him but one day Dallas had sent divorce papers he had signed awaiting for hers. The Greys were not all on good terms.

Now as Noah, Vivi and Dallas's son, was getting older he wanted to now more about his father. The rest of the family had moved past all the betrayal and jealousy and were now good with one another. The family is finally getting to know what a family is and their support. Winona has found a man who she loves and loves her back, Aurora is getting a divorce because her marriage is going nowhere, and Vivi Ann is helping her son find out about his father and love.

This book was amazing. If you like romance books this is one to read. It is devastating, romantic, surprising and all together fantastic. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance novel.

Skinny

When my sister and I go out, we frequently end up at a book store. I guess it's the one place that we both can agree on going without wanting to kill one another. Lately though, the young adult section has been hit or miss, so I've moved onto borrowing books from other students, mostly Megan Turner. :) I find that with the economy, this is the best way to go and then the parents feel like they get more bang for their buck.
One book that I did find was the book Skinny by Ibi Kaslik. I will tell you right now- the book is interesting in the beginning, but by the end of it you want to scream.
The book goes back and forth from the perspective of Holly, a high schooler and Giselle, who is Holly's older sister. Giselle has a really bad eating disorder and just got out of the hospital for it. I will admit, it was nice to see the perspective of someone other than the sick, just to show how everyone is affected.
The reasons for Giselle's illness are deep rooted, starting with how her parents met and her father's death.
The book drags on, switching time periods and points of view constantly, forcing the reader to keep up.
I would give the book a C- at best.

Book Review

Like most girls, and some boys, I fell in love with the Twilight series. After reading the books over and over again, I wanted more! My friend Hannah, found this book titled, The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. The Host is about 600 page science fiction book that takes you into the future where aliens have taken over. These aliens are tiny, worm like creatures that must live in a human to survive, hence humans are called the host. Of course, there are some humans who have managed to escape and live in secret communities, plotting to take back their world. Of these humans is Melanie, a vivacious and daring young girl who will stop at nothing to protect her younger brother Jaime and her boyfriend Jared from being captured. Unfortunately Melanie is captured and her body is used as a host. Now it seems like this is the end, the main character is defeated and there is nothing left. The End.

But no, although rare sometimes humans are able to fight back once their mind and body has been invaded by the aliens. Melanie and the alien Wanda are both fight for control of Melanie's body. Neither one has complete control of the body nor the mind. Unwillingly Melanie shows Wanda how to find her brother and Jared. The hidden human community can't believe that Melanie has been able to break free of Wanda, so at first they treat the two girls really bad. As the book progresses they see that Melanie AND Wanda are both inside both actively alive. I don't want to give away too much, but the two girls continue live in the hidden human community with Jared and her brother. Many events happen including a love triangle, secret heist, and much more.

I loved this book because the ending was perfect. I hate when I read an entire book and I'm all into it and than it ends horribly. Stephenie Meyer has such a way with creating characters that you fall in love with. There always seems to be this underlying theme of forbidden love, first in Twilight with Bella and Edward and than with Melanie, Jared, and Wanda in The Host. It's strange that I enjoyed The Host as much as I did because I usually don't mix well with science fiction books. I get bored if they are too unrealistic. Although aliens invading earth and taking over our bodies is pretty far stretched I still loved it. Who knows, maybe this could happen?? Anyways if you loved Twilight, you will love The Host. It's a easy read and you won't be able to put it down.

Tell Nick Bear

Tell Nick Bear that I sat next to a teacher from a college in Southern Alabama. Not HIS college, but one that is located in Troy. (When I told this teacher that Nick was going to University of Southern Alabama, she said, "oh! That's a wonderful place.) As I listened to her accent, I realized that Nick will sound like that soon, making him even more charming than he is already, if that is even possible.

I love you kids!

I'm leaving on a jet plane,
don't know when I'll be back again,
oh babe, I hate to go.

Actually, I'll be back June 18. Be good and rock your graduation!

4th qtr book review

i read Breaking Dawn, the 4th book in the Twilight saga. it was AMAZING. everything that you have wanted to happen in the first 3 books happens in this book. Bella becomes immortal, she gets married to EDWARD, and she is able to make things right with Jacob. there are also some very unexpected things that happen too. this book is full of surprises and each page is better than the one before. i dont want to give too much away just in case some people have still not read it yet but its definitely one of the best books i have ever read. it is my second favorite right after twilight. it is full of action, adventure, and romance and even though it ends perfectly you still want more. the only thing that you will hate is when you finish you wont know what to do. its the last book and its soooo good, it made me sad when it was over. in this book you learn more about the history of vampires and werewolves and you learn something really shocking about Jacob. a new love story develops that i never saw coming. this is definitely a book that everyone should read.

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

This book must be one of the creepiest, horrible books I have ever read since there are probably people out there like the main character. Despite the sickening sexually fetish this Grenouille has it is an incredible read. The whole time I was reading it I kept saying to myself "Oh my God" because it was disturbing, but of course I had to keep reading.

It is about this guy Grenouille who was born in 18th century Paris, while his mother was working in this factory. After he was born, his mother threw him in the trash like his older siblings to die, though while in the trash he decided to start crying leading him to be discovered. His mother was found and was hung. The odd thing about Grenouille was that he did not have any scent, no fresh baby smell, nothing, which really proved really creepy to the monk who was to take care of him. The monk couldn't handle the defective infant so he took him far away to this lady who was said to have died on the inside when she was a little girl, after being beaten by her father. She didn't feel any real emotion, her only care was that she did not want to be taken to die in a hospital. For her living she took in unwanted children as long as someone paid for their basic needs and putting them to work. It was she who discovered that Grenouille had an incredible sense of smell, he could tell if a storm was coming, or where things were even if they were hidden.

When Grenouille ran out of paid time, she sold him to a tanner to do some of the most deadly work with chemicals. While exploring the city after his work, he smells somthing that he cannot resist, he follows it; it leads to a young virgin girl whom he kills receiving some sort of sexual pleasure from the event. To his dismay, the beautiful smell disappears once the girl is dead, this leads to his killing of many more girls in the future. Grenouille later becomes disgusted with the smell of humanity, so he ends up living in a desolate cave for seven years. It is after this time Grenouille realizes himself that he has no scent of his own. He then goes to Montpelier where he works for a perfumer, learning how to capture scents. From here he tries to capture the scents of the beautiful women he kills, eventually succeeds. The townspeople finally discovers that Grenouille is the one committing the murders as seeks to finish the greatest of all perfumes. The final scene is him about to be hung when he opens his perfume, as it spreads over the crowd, everyone begins this massive orgy.

I did not see that coming.

-Michelle Herrera

SSR: Watchmen

Boy, it sure has been a long time since I last looked at the blog, let alone post anything. Oh, well...

After watching the movie Watchmen, I decided it was awesome and that I had better read the comic so I knew what I was talking about. I finished reading the graphic novel some time ago, but completely forgot about the blog post! So, without further delay, here it is.

Watchmen is a very dark novel with an awesome story line and even better characters. There is no single main character, because the book jumps back and forth between a handful of characters as the plot slowly untangles. The main characters are Rorschach, Night Owl, Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, and Adrian Veidt. And of course the Comedian, but he dies at the very beginning of the story. The death of the Comedian gets the ball rolling, as Rorschach begins to contemplate the existence of a mask-killer.

At some point, a couple of characters discover a tiny piece of a dangerous, worldwide plot to achieve something big. And they don't realize how big until it's too late...

I don't want to spoil the story by telling any more. But I will say it's very neat how things unfold. The author has done a brilliant, truly genius job writing this story, and the artist makes it all understandable. 

This book is psychologically shocking, so the faint of heart (and faint of butt) should probably not read it. All in all, a great comic. Not your classic hero vs. villain comic. Better.

Look Here

IT'S DONE!!!

Please, lord, no. Not in my lifetime. Never.

Add this to the list of things I never want to see in my face:

SSR: The Greatest Story About One of Sports Greatest Dynasties

They were rowdy, they were arrogant, they were flashy, they were America’s Team. Men wanted to be them and women wanted to sleep with them. They were the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990’s and Boys Will Be Boys is an account of that team’s creation, their dynasty and downfall by New York Times bestselling author Jeff Pearlman.

The book begins with the day many Dallas Cowboys realized their dynasty was over, it was day Michael Irvin – aka The Playmaker- stabbed defensive lineman Everett McIver in the neck for cutting him in line for a hair cut. The story contains many eye witness accounts, and names other incidents The Playmaker had with breaking rules and laws (He was once found in a hotel room with two strippers, 10.3 grams of cocaine, over an ounce of pot, drug paraphernalia and sex toys to boot.) but those who played with the Playmaker all said that without a doubt Irvin was about the team and always showed up to practice and to play harder than anyone on game day.

Boys Will Be Boys then goes on to show former oil tycoon Jerry Jones’ rise to ownership of America’s Team is partly due to the fact he was the only man prior owner Bum Bryant felt would fire historic coach Tom Landry. Once Jerry Jones rises to ownership he seeks out Jimmie Johnson as his head coach, whom at the time coached collegiate powerhouse Miami, then their love when they were winning, hate when one felt the other was undermining authority or overstepping bounds. There are many accounts from former players that tell the tale of both men in positive and negative lights. Jeff Pearlman also details the fallout of Jerry and Jimmie saga with the announcement of Jimmie Johnsons firing whilst Jerry was drunk at a bar talking to a reporter.

Pearlman tells the story as if he is sitting down in your living room with the occasional smartass comment and paying attention to detail like only the best story tellers; be it Charles Haley’s obsession with walking around naked, the White House (The Cowboys secret get away that could put some ancient brothels to shame.) even some play by play from vital games each season not to mention detailed accounts of the trips to the Super Bowls and all of the off field “activities” that went on because they were THE Dallas Cowboys. Pearlman also goes as far to show Jerry Jones for the nutcase that he is, as well as practically calling out reporter Skip Bayless for devoting 10 pages to questioning star quarterback Troy Aikman’s sexual preference in Bayless’ tell all book Hell-Bent.

Jeff Pearlman has created a masterpiece that is a must read for all sports fans not just Cowboy fans. Boys Will Be Boys will toss you a beer and tell you to sit down a listen to a tale of the rise and fall of one of the greatest dynasties the sports world has seen, The Dallas Cowboys.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The novel is narrated by Reuben Land, an eleven-year-old boy suffering from severe asthma who lives with his unusual family in a small Minnesota town in 1962. His mother abandoned the family years before; his younger sister and best friend, Swede, writes epic poetry at age eight; and his father, Jeremiah, a school janitor, is a man of faith who quietly performs miracles – one of which is to bring Reuben to life after he is born dead.
The Lands' quiet lives are disrupted one night when Reuben's older brother Davy kills two intruders(Israel Finch and Tommy Basca) and is charged with murder. When he escapes from jail during his trial, the Lands leave home to go in search of him.
They go first to their best friend August Schultz's farm after receiving a discreet post card hinting that Davy might be there. When they arrive, however, they find Davy has left but also receive an update on him. From there they continue on the road. As they search, however, they repeatedly encounter a federal agent named Martin Andreeson, who is also on Davy's trail.
They adventure out into the West, which is a romantic scene for Swede, and fitting for Reuben and Jeremiah considering their lung condition (Jeremiah recently overcame an illness prior to the journey). The family has no real plan for travel, and simply makes stops where fitting. Eventually winding up at a home with a gas pump, with need for a purchase.
The woman who owns the gas pump, Roxanna, allows the family to buy gas, and rent rooms in the house during a storm. The storm is quite severe, however, and the family decides on an extended stay. Roxanna becomes like the mother that the children never had, comforting them in their losses, telling them exciting stories about her grandfather's adventures with Butch Cassidy, and even helping Reuben with his health. Finding Roxanna is considered one of Jeremiah's last "miracles".
During their stay, Reuben makes contact with Davy, meeting him in the wilderness and his fellow hideaways, Jape Waltzer and a girl known simply as Sara. Waltzer claims to have "bought" Sara from her father in Utah and raises her with the intension of one day marrying her. Waltzer also appears mentally unstable, abusing Sara and forcing eccentrics on others. The more Rueben sneaks away from the family, the worse his health becomes. While Reuben suffers from his lungs, Andreeson comes across the family once again striking an agreement with Jeremiah, after he hints he is coming close to finding Davy. Reuben warns Davy, who seems unconcerned.
Eventually, Reuben tells his family, and (after convincing from his moral father) officials in the search. A search party is formed, with Reuben in the lead, who tries at one point to disrupt the search. His attempt failed, however, and the search continued to Jape's cottage, only to find it empty, except for Martin Andreeson's discarded fedora, leading officials to believe he has been killed.
The family returns to their home in Roofing, Minnesota, where Jeremiah marries Roxanna and the family finally settles in, though Swede refuses to forgive Reuben for not telling her he had been seeing Davy. One night, three months into the family's arrangement Davy appears at their home with Sara, claiming to have escaped Jape. The family spends the entire night catching up with him, and agree that if he must get back on the road, Sara can live with them. The following morning the family walks outside to see Davy off only to Jape Waltzer waiting outside patiently. He fires a rifle once, hitting Jeremiah in the side. When Reuben runs forward after his injured father, he is shot squarely in the chest. The next chapter is a sequence in which Reuben is in a heaven-like place, where his breathing is normal and he can run freely. He is at the bank of a river, ready to go in when he meets his father, who dives into the river instead. Reuben awakes to find his father dead and he still breathing even though his father suffered only minor injuries and he suffered ones that were certainly fatal. Reuben owes his father his life for one last miracle.

I really believe in miracles and that's a big reason why I really liked this novel.

Princess Academy

I just read a book, called “Princess Academy,” by Shannon Hale which a friend of mine got for me two years ago, for the first time this semester and I couldn’t help falling in love with it. It is a read meant for a younger audience but I don’t care it was really good. It was nice to read something that you don’t have to worry about and just get lost in, like i did. The thing i like about this book the most was its message that anyone and everyone can have a fairytale ending (in a matter of speaking), even those who don’t think that they do. “Princess Academy” is a romantic fantasy novel and is about... you guessed it a princess academy. Although many of you might have already read this book here’s a little of what this book is about.
Miri is a girl whose body is much weaker than that of a teenager’s. She lives in a mythical place on a mountain called Mt. Eskel, a far from Danland. She is never allowed to work with the rest of the villagers in the quarry, where Linder, the community’s main export is cut, because she is so fragile and so she feels like an outcast, cut off from the culture that is largely formed by their working life in the quarry. You see it’s really loud in the quarry so they use something called quarry speech to communicate, but know one knows how it really works and everyone thinks that it is only possible to use in the quarry. Then there is Peder, Miri's best friend since childhood, whom she is beginning to have a crush on. Basically the main plot of the book is Miri trying to find self-worth by someway helping her home.
So her prayers are answered when one of the king’s messengers announces that a prophecy of the next princess will come from Mt. Eskel, despite the lack of education provided for the villagers and despite the prejudice that exists between the mountain villagers and the lowlanders. So then they set up a princess academy, to train the young girls, like Miri, in the ways of the lowland noblemen and noblewomen, to prepare them for the prince’s arrival and choosing of his princess. Though the academy is difficult because of a strict teacher, Miri excels at learning and commerce; she even helps the village in trading with lowlanders, but is that enough to become Academy princess? Does she have what it takes to be chosen by a prince? Only time can tell as she deals with girls who wish just as much as her to be the prince’s bride-to-be, and learns that things and people are not always what they seem.
I love Shannon Hale’s writing, it’s so fluid and comfortable, and the message it send to it’s readers is warm and comforting. I loved her book so much that it only took me a couple of hours to finish the book!

4th quarter Book review

For my 4th quarter book review I decided to read one of my old favorites, The Hobbit. To me this book is a literary must, as well as a compelling adventure story. It takes place in the land of middle Earth and it follows the very exciting adventure of a some what reluctant protagonist, Bilbo Baggins. Throughout his journey he meets many suspensful situations , all just to get some treasure promised to him by his companies. I believe this novel is great because from beginning to end there is vast changes in each character, showing how experences often change people. I recommend this book to anyone who has patience and a good imagination because it is somewhat of a tedious read, and takes effort to see the books full potential

5 People

I just recently read, or finally finished, the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. I had started to read it during the first quarter but for some reason i couldn't make myself finish it. I hate starting books and not finishing them, so i picked it up again and couldn't put it down. I know a lot of people have already read the book but here's an overview:

The main character, Eddie, is an 80-something year old widower who works at Ruby Pier. On his birthday he goes to work, like he does every day, as the maintenance man. One of the coasters has something wrong with it and could harm a young girl, so Eddie risks, and loses his life to try and save the little girl. When Eddie wakes up he is in heaven. His first reaction is anger and all he cares about is if he saved the little girl. During his time in heaven he meets five people who were apart of his life. Whether he knew them or not, they played a part in how his life ended up or vice versa. He makes view changing discoveries, revisits painful memories, and in the end makes a peace-making revelation.

Albom tells the story to give people a look at how he thinks of heaven. To explain all the things that you didnt understand, show you things, and give you a better understanding of the life you lived.

I can say that i really enjoyed this book. I'm kind of upset that i didnt finish it all the way through, without taking that long break, but the book's good no matter how long it took me to finish it. I wish i could thank him for writing such a wonderful story.

The tipping point

a Santigold moment

SSR

So I've read a total of 5 new books in the fourth quarter. Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts was one of my favorites. It was about 2 world-renowned magicians who shared a penchant for jewel thievery with different twists and secrets that come close to exposing them to everyone. In the midst a contunually growing romance sparks up between the two main characters that make a good read for any fan of romance novels. That is the basic theme in all of the books that I read, stories and plot lines may be completely different but theres always a romantic element in all of them. The next book is called The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. I was so excited to read this book and it did not let me down at all. It was a tear jerker and major romance novel (i dont think any guys would be a fan of this one) like almost all of Nicholas Sparks novels. I also read What Matters Most by Luanne Rice. I had read another book by this author and I thought it was O.K. but the setting of this book is what really caught my eye. It's set in Ireland and strings together a long line of four completely different people and eventually ties them all together with an ending I never expected. The next book was by Sidney Sheldon and it was called Master of the Game. I read this book because I read If Tomorrow Comes by him earlier in the year and I absolutely loved it. This one, however, was really enjoyable and I liked it a lot but it wasn't one of my favorites.
The last book was Malice by Danielle Steel. This book was SOO good! It was one of my all time favorite books that I have ever read, and thats a lot of books :). Anyways it was completely devastating, uplifting, and inspirational at the same time. It is a story of a young girl who struggles through her teen years taking care of her sick mother who has cancer and dies a slow painful dealth. Her father was the martyr to everyone in thier town and no one expected that he was beating his sick wife up until the day she died, nor did they suspect that he would continually rape his daughter night after night. The night of the funeral for her mom, her dad came into her room and started to rape her again, but she couldnt take it and accidently shot him and killed him. Because her father was so loved in their community no one believed her story and she was sent to prison. Their she experienced the worst of the worst and when she finnally got out she experienced many more circumstances where men tried to control her and abuse her. Her strenght and perserverence through everything was so inspirational to me and the things I mentioned were just some of the obstacles she overcame in the book. It was truly a amazing book that told an ordinary woman's story, portraying her struggle to truimph over malice and betrayal, and to transform a lifetime of pain into a blessing for others around her.

Book Review: A Gathering of Old Men

Throughout this year reading this book is one of the best thing Ms. Fletcher has had me do! As a young black man getting ready to plunge into this world, accepting its pros and cons, a novel like this is somewhat enlightening and uplifting all at once. The novel portrays race relations in the south a little before our time. The action takes place over the course of one day in rural Louisiana. A white man has been shot dead and lies in the yard of a black man's house. Eighteen old black men gather at the house and each claims that he is responsible for the killing. The brutal white sheriff conducts his investigation as the old men await the revenge of the dead man's relatives, who have a fearsome, longstanding reputation for exacting vigilante justice against black people. By the end of the day, there have been many surprises, and many of the characters have changed in ways that they could not have imagined.
The conclusion of the novel hints that although the wounds of the past run deep and still influence the present, times are changing, and in the future, black people can hold out hope for a new era in which everyone is treated equally under the law. This is a great read for anyone whether your black, white, or purple you will like this book.

Tucker Max is King!

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is a book written by Tucker Max, published in 2006, that details anecdotal stories of debauchery and belligerence. This book displays in detail what America has become for its young adults and teenagers; a rated R playground. But don't blow it off thinking its a book that embodies the true essence of ignorance and immaturity because it's so much more. If you don't believe me ask Archie, and if you don't believe Archie than your an idiot to say the least. It made the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2006, 2007 and 2008 so it must be good right.
To sum it up as best as I can, the book is composed of short stories narrated by the author, the book is told in a highly embellished style and often focuses on the narrator's humorous excess. The stories normally deal with themes of drinking (often to excess), insulting people, and embarrassing sexual encounters. In short, read it or your not American.

p.s. Ms. Fletcher if you don't read it your still American=)

+

Different is not always bad.

First of all, I would like to tell all you seniors and Ms. Fletcher that I’m going to miss you all. Congratulations Class of 09.

Well, I feel that there is a misunderstanding sometimes as to how guys treat girls or women differently and why. I mean I am completely against discriminating women, and I would not like it if I was in that position. Why do I stand against it? Mainly because I have a mother, teachers, former teachers, and a lot of friends, who are women or who are young ladies. I would find it unjust for them to be discriminated against just because of their gender. However, I do find it necessary to treat women differently. Please allow me to explain what I mean by that. I could never talk to a female friend the way I talk to my male buddies, homies, or whatever. It would feel different. I believe girls should be respected. I could never imagine even raising my hand at a girl, it’s like they say in Spanish, “a la mujer no se le toca, ni con el petalo de una flor” which means you don’t touch (hit) a woman even with a flower’s pedal. It’s difficult to change that custom. That’s the way we were raised, or at least the way I was raised. Always respect women. I mean I think many people would agree with me that it’s wrong to see a guy beating a girl, even if she’s his girlfriend, or whatever. That’s what I mean when I say we, guys, can’t treat girls like we treat each other, but we shouldn’t discriminate girls either.

Book Review

The book I read this quarter was a true crime book. It was about a woman named Kristen Gilbert who worked as a nurse at a hospital exclusively for veterans. She would have many patience who mysteriously died. Nobody suspected of her and deaths continued to rise. Ironically her friends called her the "Angel of Death". It's really sad how many people had to die before anyone began to suspect that something was not right. These events take place in Leeds, Massachusetts between 1994-1996. If anyone is interested in true crime books, I recommend it. I don't want to give any of the story away, for anyone who's interested in reading it. It's called Perfect Poison by M. William Phelps.

The Shack

The Shack
WM. Paul Young
250 pages.

Are you religious? Do you seek the help from God?

Well, it doesn't really matter as long as you are interesting in a higher power. I am reading this book called The Shack by W.M. Paul Young and it is very interesting. If you don't want the book given away than stop reading now and move on to another post, because I cannot tell you about this book unless I give it away.

There is this guy called Mac. He has a wonderful family, beautiful wife and lovely kids. One summer Mac decides to take his three younger kids off on a labor day trip. Unfortunately, his daughter Missy is abducted and is believed to have been murdered in this shack. Of course the whole family takes it very hard, but mac is thrown into this "great saddness".

One day mac gets a note saying to go back to the shack. Turns out this note is from God. Yes, God. Mac goes to the shack, even though he is skeptical and to his surprise there are three people there: a black woman, a transparent asian woman, and an arabian man. These people are the trinity. The Arabian is Jesus, the Asian is the Holy Spirit, and the Black woman is God himself (herself). They teach Mac some much needed lessons... and frankly that is how far I have gotten.

To be perfectly honest, I do not know if I am going to finish it. It is nice. It is inspirational. It really gives you something to think about, but it is not for me. I believe in God, and I do believe that God is not a big white man. (In the book it describes that God portrayed himself as a woman because he did not want Mac to think of him the way society sees him. Which makes sense, you cannot get on a personal level with someone if you are looking at them by their stereotypes. Plus, I am not against God being black because according to science civilzation started in Africa/Middle East in an area that is considered to be the Garden of Eden.) Anyway, the book is not for me, but it may be for you.


P.S. Mac is a real guy. He did have a spirtiually epiphany, but I am unclear as to whether or not it went as far as what the book says. Than again, I should finish the book to find out.

SSR Blog

 Or whatever you call it. 

I didn't do enough of these, procrastination is killing me. Thanks senioritis!

Anyways, happy last days of our senior lives, yeah class of 09!

Who has watched True Blood? That show on HBO people liken to Twilight, but more edgy and less.... fairytale-esque. Well, I've read all of those Sookie Stackhouse books and I've blogged about a few of them, but my sister made me take her to the library and in the Charlaine Harris section I found the start of a new series she's writing up and I finished the first book today.

The book is called Grave Sight and ... how do I start this off? The book follows Harper and Tolliver as they travel through the country performing "services" for people. Harper is somewhat of a ... seer? After being struck by lightning in her younger years she's been left with the ability to "read the dead". She can "hear" how a person has died. Every person has a buzz, every body. The older the body the less she can hear it, but it's still there. Tolliver, her "brother", but actually step brother, follows her around as her protector and constant companion. They end up in the town of Sarne for this first book of the series and spend a long time trying to figure out the mystery behind the deaths of Teenie, thought to be killed by her boyfriend Dell, and Dell, thought to be a suicide. It gets majorly messy and Harper almost gets killed a few times. 

I don't like writing this things, I don't want to spoil the book so I feel like I'm writing... one of those catch phrase things on the back of the book--and those are pretty lame.

So anyways..... I don't like it as much as the True Blood series, but for now it'll do.

SSR iS OVER!!

I cannot believe SSR is over. All year I have dreaded SSR. SSR has not been something I have enjoyed in this class. In fact SSR isn't something I like no matter what class I am in. For some reason I found it really difficult (more than any other years) to find a book and actually enjoy it. In my last SSR blog I asked for help in finding a book. Thank you for those who gave me some ideas but I still haven't found anything. Reading isn't something that I enjoy and I don't know why I dislike it sooo much. In the past years I have been able to find at least 1 or 2 books that have caught my eye. I actually would read them cover to cover and I really enjoyed them. I am not too sure why I couldn't find a book this year. Every Monday going into Fletcher's class I would be soo bored. I would sit down, bring books, and try to read them but I would get bored. I tried to stay silent so I wouldn't distract others but sometimes that was a little difficult to me. (Sorry Ms. Fletcher for talking during SSR.)

Why don't I get anything out of reading like other students? When I look at some people during SSR it same like they were enjoying their books. Why couldn't I find a good book? I would also hear students talk to Ms. Fletcher about different books and how they liked it or didn't like it. It same like people in my class were just going through books like crazy. While people have read 6 or 7 books this year maybe even more, I haven't been able to complete one.

Although I haven't been able to get anything out of SSR, I have been able to get things out of other readings we have done. As everybody knows before each writing assignment Ms. Fletcher gives us several articles for us to read. Those are probably the only things I have read this year. If I hadn't read those articles I wouldn't have been able to write a paper each time. So even though I wasn't able to find any books during SSR I was able to enjoy some of the articles that we read during the year. They were very interesting, I learned from them, and I was able to write my papers by reading and taking notes on these articles.

Free Rice is actually pretty Cool

I went on to that website Free Rice that Ms. Fletcher put up. I just went to it to see what it was and when I first got on the website I thought it was stupid but I actually learned some new vocabulary words. I really don't have a big vocabulary but that actually had a lot of words that I have never heard of. Maybe I can start using these big words on my papers. When I looked at the website I wasn't sure why it was called Free Rice. Once I started answering questions and I was getting them right I noticed the bowl on the side start filling up with rice. This website is actually pretty cool and I learned some new words today. : )

OKEY DOKEY i can't stop laughing

I have a lot of things going on in my mind when it comes to men and women and how stereotypes make the mout to be. THE ARGUEMENT that took place in one of our classes seems to be the talk of the town. While this ARGUEMENT got personal and crossed some lines, I thought it was classic male vs female. The stereotype that men have is that they are blunt, macho, and need to be one up on everyone and everything. Women have the stereotype of not taking charge and just talking around subjects. A majority of guys need to know what you want; they don't want to guess and get it wrong because when they get it wrong the girl gets all butthurt and their time together is no bueno. I personally don't fit the stereotype of how a woman should speak and many of us don't. Amari and I talk to each other at our table in class and the guys who sit with us laugh because we talk like "guys". We are straight forward, say what we feel, and we aren't ashamed to say what we think. Some girls talk around what they want and it drives me crazy. Now most men need to feel like they are in charge and to prove that they can get what they want. They always try to act like they are big and bad when they are not. Most try to act like they know everything when they don't but to say that would be seen as a weakness. I just wish people would look past the stereotypes that have been there forever! Break the mold people like really. Don't hold back your voice and don't be afraid of what others will say.

Book Review

The English patient by Michael Ondaatje is a very interesting story it takes place after the European war has ended with the Germans retreating up the Italian countryside. There are a couple of characters: Hana a nurse that stays in town with her English patient, after everyone else left to a safer place. The English patient, who was a victim of war torture, and is now being taken care of by the nurse. His true identity is hidden within the affair he had with a married woman. Another character is Kip, an Indian whose job was to defuse bomb that had left behind in the town in which Hana and the English patient were located. Kip becomes a part of Hana’s sentimental life, until the United States drops an atomic bomb in Japan and he changes his path. The way all these characters connect and the way their lives reflect some Historic moments is interesting and I would recommend everyone to read this book.

Girls vs. Boys

At first, I thought boys were the competitive ones. Honestly, they have to make everything a contest, and the skew their way into winners. Wait, I don't know that. I don't know much about guys, because, frankly, I'm not one. I'm not going to pretend to start thinking I know about guys and I'm sure going to try and avoid to accuse them of anything. Back to competing... Throughout these blogs, I have seen girls compete trying to make their stance on who's better. I mean, they make this great approach about how we're all poor communicators and then BAM, "I'm not like that." These posts have made me come to a conclusion that women do not suppress themselves but rather leave room to makes them look even better through comparing.

This approach is great! I'm a competitor myself, I'm often caught saying "winner" when there is really no contest, but that's not the point. The point is looking good. When someone makes a clear picture that they are definitely better than their competition, how could they lose?! I mean, if you had a really nice picture, where would you place it by.. Heidi Klum or coked up Amy Whinehouse? I'd place it by Whinehouse because I'd probably look 10x's better than if I placed by than an actual model. It's like the whole "feel-fat?-get-fatter-friends" concept. We've all heard of it and it's been so effective. It's great to hear women stand up for themselves.

I really hope that this section isn't about the difference between boys and girls. Obviously, there has to be a difference. That extra 'X' or 'Y' chromosome makes a huge difference. Testosterone, estrogen, every chemical takes a toll on our bodies and we already know that there is a behavioral difference between the sexes. I was hoping more for a cultural experience. I would like to learn about the "talk-stories" and how the asian cultlure has effected us. I would rather learn, who do politicians appeal to, minorites or their own race, and do they use culture to help that influence. I would rather learn about the cultures of other countries, how they eat, who they eat with, what they eat, things like that, to make a better distinction between cultures. Our studies seemed to be based around stereotypes, and I was hoping that we'd learn how not to think that way.

However, in a class dicussion, I realized that awareness is important. I use to be one of those people who believed that racism was over, at least in California. It seems that just because I don't practice it, or see any of it, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Same with sexism and any other prejudice. A harsh reality I've come to terms with. I couldn't do a project based on the chemistry of STD's and sex because I just so happened to be doing the project with my boyfriend. Right away, people throw in jokes about how we researched, but that just wasn't the case. Two boys or two girls simply wouldn't have to go through principals, vice principals, and adminstrators just to present an hour on this type of subject. I remember being frustrated and wished that other people would believe that we'd approach any subject appropriately and maturely. I hated how they didn't trust us to take sex seriously, just because of how old we were. It's like they expected us to follow the stereotype. How dare they put us to such low standards! I guess since prejudism is such a nasty thing to experience, that I hoped that people could surpass that and be all nice to each other. You know, all the hippie love stuff.

I've really been blind, I've always hear Mayfair complaining how we're separated into groups. Certain people, certain personalities, they always got to stick together. I assumed that this was false due to the fact that I've had classmates I've never seen before engage conversation in classrooms and how I'm always saying hi to the class of '09 outside of school. Nobody really talked badly about each other and I thought that was the only factor in separation. As long as we respected each other, categorizing ourselves and separating ourselves couldn't be possible. Still, we separate by how we're treated by teachers, and other peers. We categorize by our interests and our cultures. I'm sure it's improved from when my dad was in high school, but I'm sure that our children will be more united than we feel today.

Free Rice

Free Rice is amazing! It is like doing the two best things you can do at the same time.

This site, features on our wonderful blog is a great site. It is basically taking a quiz, but the quiz can be on any subject your wish to study: langauge, math, chemisty, art, and english. You take this quiz right, and every answer you get right 10 grams of rice will be donated to the UN food program. Great right?

So at this site you can get the extra studying you want with the initiative to feed those less fortunate. Well, I do not know, I think it is a great sight. As a matter of fact, I am going to stop blogging and continue to play.

A Little Bit Feminist

I am not going to lie, I am a little bit feminist. I believe that women are truly the most powerful creatures on the face of the earth. I believe that women can demand whatever they want, but they choose not to. Unlike men, women do not wish to put others down, they will sacrifice themsselves for others. Not because they are weak, but because they understand their power and do not wish to overpower anyone.
So this whole talk about men taking control of a conversation makes me mad a little. I posted a comment on someone's post, I can't remember who, saying how women are the true rulers of any conversation. If a women really doesn't want something to happen, they will straight out tell you. I do not know one women who would agree to eat out at a place they really do not want to eat at. If they do dance around the topic of where they want to go, it is because they want the other person to feel as if they have a say too, but the dance always comes back to what the woman really wants.
These are just my beliefs. Women really take command, we just do it in the way to make men feel as if they are in charge.

Girly Men and Manly Women...sound funny?

I have a lot of things going on in my mind when it comes to men and women and how stereotypes make the mout to be. THE ARGUEMENT that took place in one of our classes seems to be the talk of the town. While this ARGUEMENT got personal and crossed some lines, I thought it was classic male vs female. The stereotype that men have is that they are blunt, macho, and need to be one up on everyone and everything. Women have the stereotype of not taking charge and just talking around subjects. A majority of guys need to know what you want; they don't want to guess and get it wrong because when they get it wrong the girl gets all butthurt and their time together is no bueno. I personally don't fit the stereotype of how a woman should speak and many of us don't. Amari and I talk to each other at our table in class and the guys who sit with us laugh because we talk like "guys". We are straight forward, say what we feel, and we aren't ashamed to say what we think. Some girls talk around what they want and it drives me crazy. Now most men need to feel like they are in charge and to prove that they can get what they want. They always try to act like they are big and bad when they are not. Most try to act like they know everything when they don't but to say that would be seen as a weakness. I just wish people would look past the stereotypes that have been there forever! Break the mold people like really. Don't hold back your voice and don't be afraid of what others will say.

Many Many Pages Under My Belt

Aaallllllllll right. So heres the skivvy, I have read 3 and a half books since my other book review. I didn't finish the other one so here is the end of the story.......She forgives her mom, find a new life, gets with a really hot artist, and she learns alot about her life and others. BAM! pretty feel good ending=) The other books i read are called WINGS-which is about fairies and is becoming a series and anyone who likes twilight should look into these books because they are amazing- and the other book is called THIRTEEN REASONS- a girl kills herself and leaves behind this set of tapes and each tape talks to one of the 13 people who "helped" her end her life and the book takes you on a wild ride and makes you look at the world through a different set of eyes. I don't know the names of the authors by heart but if you really want to know just hit me up and I'll give them to you =)