Ashley Hanlon

Ashley Hanlon
May 3, 2013
Block: B
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
Dystopian
Just Right
400

1. In the book Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld.  David doesn’t like how Tally must get brain damaged, but Tally tries to explain to him that she has to do this because she feels so guilty.  In the book Tally says that on a scale of one to ten of how guilty she feels, she feels like an eleven.  So, Tally decides to tell David the truth about why she decided to come to the smoke.  Maddy already knew the truth because Dr. Cable had told her.  But David did not already know, so when he finds out he runs off.  Tally says that David will be the one to rescue her after she had become pretty.  By now, Tally has written herself a letter explaining why she’s doing this so that when she returns she will have already given her consent to the experimental pills.  Shay is also going to the city.  She is doing this because she too feels guilty.  Shay just feels guilty because she ruined Tally’s chances of becoming pretty.  But, on the brighter side, uglies who become pretties but have a criminal record automatically become very popular and the two of them will go straight to the top of the pretty social ladder.  I’m wondering if when Tally and Shay go into town, will Tally become so brain dead and not remember anything or will the pills work and she can still be herself?

2. So far I really like this book.  I love how technologically advanced it is and its fun to read about because Tally and Shay’s world is so different from ours.  Even though we have social classes they are nothing compared how extreme the social classes in their world are.  I think that in general I like the whole plot of the book, its just so different from any other book I’ve read.  Westerfeld also writes some smaller details that keep you engaged as well.  Like, the hover boards, their special bracelets, and so much more.  In the beginning of the book, I has predicted that Tally would just be conflicted as to becoming pretty or staying ugly with Shay.  I had no idea that Scott Westerfeld would write in a whole new town of its own, The Smoke.  I would definitely recommend this book to someone else and I hope that the ending is just as great as the rest of the book.

3. In the book Uglies a very large and obvious theme would be society and class.  The characters in the story are divided up between who is pretty and who is not.  Westerfeld makes it very obvious who is where on the social ladder.  He even created towns for each of the classes-Uglyville, New Pretty Town, and Crumblyville.  In the story, the separation between classes is to the extreme.  So much, that even when Peris turned pretty he could not interact with Tally at all, simply because she is still an ugly.

4.   I would have to say that my favorite character would be Shay.  Shay is one of Tally’s on and off best friends.  I love how unpredictable she is and she is also a rebel child.  Which makes the story more interesting.  Her and Tally first meet when they run into each other when Tally is running back form New Pretty Town.  Shay informs Tally about the Smoke, David, and all the other people there.  She’s the one who got Tally interested in it.  Shay only wants to go to the Smoke because of David and also because she likes to do things differently from everyone else, and going to the Smoke makes her different.

5.  My least favorite character is David.  He was born into being a Smokie because of his parents, Maddy and Az.  The only reason he is my least favorite character is because when he runs off when he finds out the original reason Tally came to the Smoke, he didn’t even give her a chance to explain to him why.  Growing up for Tally, all she was ever told was how great it is to be pretty, and how much better life is.  Everyone she knows (with the exception of Shay) aspire to become pretty.  So for her to want that too is perfectly ok.  So when David blames her for that its really not her fault, it’s the society she lives in makes all “pretty people” seem to be the best people, and in this story they are.  She didn’t know what it was like to be a ‘Smokie’ so in her mind turning in the smokies to become pretty seems like a fair deal, after all everyone wants to be pretty.  She had made her decision before she made any friendship with anyone there, before she started dating David, and before Maddy and Az told her about the dangers of the brain lesions that come with being pretty.  So David had no right to act the way he did when he found out why Tally had come, it really wasn’t her fault.  And he will never understand that because he doesn’t know what its like to live in either Uglyville or New Pretty Town.  The only life he knows is the Smoke.

6.  My prediction for the ending of this book is that Tally and Shay will go into the city but something might go wrong.  They may not be able to turn pretty, or Dr. Cable will give them another task to complete before the procedure is done.  Because of Dr. Cable’s cold personality she will possibly use Tally and Shay to do other things.  And also use the pretty surgery to make sure they do it.  After all, being pretty is all they ever wanted.

Izzy Schwarz

Izzy Schwarz
Amazing Grace
Megan Shull
Fiction
Just Right
210

1. I am really loving this book right now! I think Amazing Grace by Megan Shull is a really fun read. Right now, Grace, or Emily O'Brien is looking for Teague, her date to the annual Medicine Hat ball. She waits for him at her house and when he doesn't show up she feels like she had been stood up. Ava then lets her use the snow mobile to try and find Teague. She goes to his house and see's a sketchy guy that she saw at a party but then he clears the air by telling her that he is Teague's brother. She finally finds Teague back at her house and they take off to the ball. At the ball they eat lots of fresh food, dance and do native ceremonies. During the ceremony, Emily meets Teague's grandfather. Emily realized that she already knew his grandfather from her therapy. He was a man that she saw there but never talked to.

2. I am really enjoying this book so far! It is so different from any other book I've read and it has so much detail. I love the way Megan Shull writes the chapters, they are short and they go by so fast which to me, makes the book feel shorter. I really hope this author has more books because she is new to me and I really like her. I think that it is so cool how each character is so different from one another and they each have a big purpose. Also, the plot is really easy to follow and there are no blank spaces in the book.

3. There are many themes to choose from but I think the most prominent one is love and sacrifice. When Grace/Emily decided that she wanted to quit being a professional tennis player and a model she was taking a BIG risk. She knew she would loose all of her endowments and everything the "famous life" ever gave her. She sacrificed this for a normal teenage life back, with family and friends and school. Sacrificing this life meant that she could be with her mom and make new friends. When Grace finds out that she has to go to Alaska for a few months she was upset at first but she knew she would still have a normal life.

4. My favorite character right now would have to be Teague. This is because when Teague saw Emily lying on the side of the road he helped her clean up and was just so nice to her from there on out. Even though Teague had no clue of who Emily/Grace was, he accepted her and was so nice to her from the very beginning. Teague also gives off a really nice vibe, he seems honest and nice and fun to be around.

5. Right now I do not have a favorite character but if I had to pick one it would be Grace's mom. This is because Grace's mom is kind of oblivious to Grace's feelings. In the beginning she totally accepted her quitting her life but she doesn't contact her at all and she doesn't realize that the whole reason Grace quit was to be with her mom who she never saw.

6. I think Grace will have to tell Teague who she really is but as soon as she does, he will accept her just like he did before, for who she is. I also think that Grace will stay in Medicine Hat but her mom will be with her. I think that Ava knows Teague from living in such a small town and being around for so long.

Sadie Hyde
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sonya Sones
Holiday
Finished

1.) The ending of What My Mother Doesn't Know I thought was really intersesting. In my opinion the ending was not the best. I thought that it was really sudden and I personally did not know what was going to happen after it ended. I was left with so many questions. This is why I was thankful that there was a sequal because it answered all my questions from the first book. The ending to this book was just how Sophie chooses to sit with her new boyfriend Robin Murphy instead of her two best friends.

2.) I really enjoyed this book because it was so unique. I thought that this book was so origonal. I liked how the pretty popular girl falls for the "gross" loser kid which is so unusual, and you never really know how it is going to work out. This story for me was so hard to put down and I could not wait to read this book then the sequal so that I knew exactly what would happen to this couple that no one thought would happen or work out. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and always wanting to know what was going to happen. I also really like how this book was formatted, it made the book so interesting.

3.) I thought that sacrafise was a major theme throughout this story. How Sophie scrafised her reputation and friends to be with the one that she loved. Sophie decided that instead of needing to be popular or cool she would much rather be happy by dating Robin. By doing so she gives up her social life. I think that the last chapter was really where sacrafise was shown the most because it is where Sophie decides she will allow everyone know that she likes Robin.

4.) My favorite charcter is Robin. Robin is really sweet and nice. He is so raeal in front of Sophie and he understands everything about her, also they have the same interests which makes him and Sophie connect even more. I love how at the end of the book when break is almost over Robin knows that Sophie most likely will act like nohting happened and tell noone because of the popularity and different people both Robin and Sophie hang out with. My favorite part is when Robin is wrong and Sophie goes to sit with him, and the smile that is across his face was amazing. I like how Robin knows he is an outcast but he doesn't let that stop him from chasing his dreams with Sophie.

5.) My least favorite character is Grace. I do not like Grace because she is all about herself and is really mean towards Sophie, not intentionally but I feel like somehow there is always a little hatred within those two. I think Grace makes everyone else feel bad about themselves like when Grace gets a new boyfriend and says all this stuff about how in love they are, and it makes Sophie and Rachel their other good friend feel bad about their relationships.

6.) In the end of this book I expected that Sophie would choose to sit with her firends at lunch the day that school got back, but what really happened was that Sophie followed her heart and sat with Robin. Even though that the ending was not at all what I had expected I really like how it happened. The ending had a really good twist to it.

Mike Jeffries

Mike Jeffries
The Last Apprentice: Slither
Joseph Delaney
Fantasy/Adventure
Just Right
179


1)  The Last Apprentice series is usually about a boy named Tom, who is a seventh son of a seventh son, and is in training to become the county's next spook. The spook is the person that rids the county of the dark. The dark usually consists of Witches, Ghosts, Ghasts, Boggarts, and other evil creatures. But in this story, the plot and narration is about another creature in another land. The creature is called a Haizda, and he goes by the name of Slither. Slither takes the shape of a tall man, but with a red face, sharp claws, and a tail. Slither, and all other Haizdas have the ability to shrink in size, and grow bigger in size, and their main diet is the blood of people and other creatures. In the beginning of the story, Slither comes across a farmer who he has known for a long time. Slither has an interest in the man because he wants to kill and suck the blood out of the farmers three children. Nessa, Susan, and Bryony. One day the farmer is trying to put his bull back into its pen, but the bull gets spooked, and charges right into the man and impales him with his horn. Slither, who lives in the forest a few miles away from the farm, smells the blood, and runs over to see what happened. He sees the farmer and knows that he only has minutes to live. The farmer, in his lasts minutes, makes a bargain with Slither. The bargain is that Slither must get the farmers youngest daughters, Susan and Bryony, to their cousins house safely and unharmed, and in return, Slither gets to keep the farmers oldest daughter, Nessa, to himself. Slither accepts the bargain, and when a Haizda makes a promise they must keep it until it is fulfilled. So far in the book, Slither and the three daughters have been on a hard journey with cold and snowy conditions to get Susan, and Bryony to their cousins house. But in order to get them there safely, Slither must take all three of them through Valkarky. Valkarky is the city of the Haizdas, and anybody  in that city who isn't a Haizda, is a slave, or the next meal. So will Slither be able to get the three daughters out of the city alive.

2) It has been really interesting reading a book in a series that has completely new characters in it, and a whole new setting in it. Delaney does a very good job of keeping you interested in a brand new plot, when you are so use to another plot that you have been reading about for ten books. His awesome use of detail and cliffhangers at the end of every chapter makes the book a gripping page-turner. After reading ten books in a series with the same author, I thought that I would get tired of reading the series, but Delaney keeps me interested and never seizes to amaze me.

3) So far in the book, I think the biggest theme is illusion of power. Throughout the book, you think that Slither is the most powerful, and whatever he says goes. But on a few occasions, Nessa has been able to manipulate Slithers actions and has been able to persuade him into doing things for the benefit of all of their lives. So far, you never really know which one has complete control over the other. I can't wait to read the rest of the book and see if this remains an important and big theme, or if a new theme comes along and turns out to be bigger and more important than the theme of illusion of power.

4) My favorite character in the book so far is Slither. In the beginning of the book, you think of him as a ruthless monster. But as the story goes along, you see him show care for the three daughters, and you see him show trust to keep up his end of the bargain with the dead father. Most importantly, you see him be brave enough to fight himself. In any moment in the book so far, he could have killed all three of the girls, and sucked the blood out of them, but he hasn't. I think we will see him become a real person, with true feelings and emotion throughout the rest of the book, and not just a blood-sucking, rampaging monster.

5) I really don't have a least favorite character in the book, but if I had to go with someone than it would be Susan. She is the middle sister, and she has whined and complained a lot throughout the journey. It is very scary to have your father die and then have some scary monster bring you on a dangerous journey and try to get you to your cousins house on the other side of the land, but look at what Tom Ward went though. I know he isn't part of this book, and I know Susan has never heard of him her whole life, but he had to the leave his family when he was 10 years old and go fight of the dark with a scary looking man who he has never seen before in his life, and face the chance of death on multiply occasions. I just think Susan should be a little bit more brave, and I think she will become more brave throughout the rest of the book.

6) I have no idea how the book is going to end, but I do hope that one of the characters of the normal plot reveals themselves to Slither, and the rest of the girls, and I have a strong feeling that either Slither, Nessa, Susan, and Bryony will have a great impact on he main plot, and I hope they will be able to somehow team up with Tom and his friends and take down the Fiend and the rest of his forces and be able to live in a world without chaos, and live in a world with peace.

Raffi Barsamian

Raffi Barsamian
Dice-K
Ian Browne
Biography
118

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese born all-star pitcher. He recently has been offered to play for the Boston Red Sox. In a 60 million 7 year contract with a no trade clause. I am currently reading about Daisuke's first season with the Red socks. He played his first game on April 5, 2007 against the Kansas City Royals, he pitched 7 straight inning giving up no runs with 16 strike-outs and 10 hits. This start was foreshadowing what looked to be a great season. Terry Franconia who was the head coach at the time exclaimed how pleased he was with Matsuzakas performance. All throughout the 2007 season Matsuzaka showed exceptional skill and ability in his pitching. His success carried the Boston Red Sox thorough the playoffs and to the world series. In game 3 of the series Matsuzaka started and led the team to a 10-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. Matsuzaka claimed the title as the first Japanese pitcher to start and win a world series game. In game four the Boston came out on top and in Daisuke Matsuzaka's first major league season he won the world series.

2. So far I really am enjoying this book. Since the Red Sox are my favorite baseball team I'm learning more and more about them. Things that I would have never know about the team I now know. Like how if there is an international player that your interested in. The team has 30 days to sign the contract or else they are allowed to pull out of the deal. I also really like how informational the author is. Every small detail about Matsuzaka's life is integrated into the biography. When Matsuzazka came to the united states for the first time, he was very emotional. He had never been outside of Japan and beginning a new life in a new country was a very new. The author did such a good job of describing his emotion you could feel what he was feeling.

3. I believe the theme of this book is perseverance. When Matsuzaka was younger he couldn't find his rhythm.  He struggled with his technique. The coaches sat him for many games. He began to believe e would never be able to succeed in baseball. He couldn't figure out the reason why he wasn't able to pitch, until he changed his arm motion. all the problem was, was that is arm motion was too straight. Once he was able to turn is arm he was able to hit the strike zone almost every time. He did extremely well in high school, and never looked back. from then he went on and did great things. He eventually went on to play in the Japanese Professional League.

4. My favorite character is definitely Daisuke Matsuzaka. Since he is my favorite pitcher is Matsuzaka I am really enjoying reading more about him. I really am able to admire him and see all that he has done in Japan and in America. From the outside you cant really get a chance to admire sports players, but when you are able to see what they have been through and experience you really gain respect for them. Also there is so much more appreciation for what happens behind the scenes. From the money aspect to the game aspect there is so many things that are needed to be done. With all these things that need to happen many different people are involved.

5. My least favorite character in Matsuzakas couch at his old team in Japan. The head coach of the Seibu Lions was very unhappy when he heard when his star player decided to join the Boston Red Sox. He said very unpleasant remarks toward Matsuzaka.  I didn't like the fact that this happened to Matsuzaka because he earned this, and to have his coach put him down was very saddening.

6. My prediction for this book is that Matsuzaka will greatly succeed. He will really thrive with the Red Sox. I also think he will go on to do many great things. I think he'll break records and win awards. Matsuzaka will be the next big ting in baseball. I also predict that with Matsuzaka the Red Sox will be able to win another World Series. Matsuzaka has shown to be a very big contender in the Cy Young award, which is an award for the best pitcher in the major league, I believe Matsuzaka will be able to win the award with ease.

Elizabeth Gooch

Elizabeth Gooch
Pretty Little Liars: Flawless
Sara Shepard
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
71

1. In the book Pretty Little Liars: Flawless by Sara Shepard, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are all teenage girls being harassed by the mysterious A. Currently in the book, Emily is having conflicts with A and her neighbor Maya. Emily isn't sure of her feelings for Maya and A is threatening to expose them either way. Throughout the book, A sends text and other notes to the girls forces them to do whatever A wants or threatens to expose their secrets. Some of these secrets, their even hiding from one another.

2. I do really enjoy this book so far. The author is pulling me in as a reader by withholding much information about A and the girls. Sara Shepard keeps me guessing who A could be, with and without the information that the girls find out. I also really the characters and reading about their relationships with one another throughout the book. They all have very interesting lives that makes me want to keep reading. This is not a new author to me, I have also read the first Pretty Little Liars novel and books in her other series The Lying Game.

3. I think one main theme in this book is Empowerment. This theme seems to mostly appear in characters, especially A. A is empowered because A is able to make the girls do whatever A wants because if they don't, A will tell everyone about what happened with the Jenna Thing. And the Jenna Thing is when they girls, including Ali went to Jenna's house and put a firework in her tree house without knowing that Jenna was in there, and she was blinded. Somehow, A knows about this too even though they swore to never tell anybody. A also makes Hanna question her social status with haunting of her past self, and has Spencer's family disown her. A also breaks up Emily with her boyfriend, and threatens to out Aria about her relationship with Ezra. A has much empowerment over the girls.

4.  My favorite character in the book so far is Spencer. I like Spencer because she has one of the most interesting stories of all the girls. After Ali's body was found her parents still shunned her because she is with her sisters boyfriend, Wren. They don't seem to acknowledge that she is going through a hard time  and it is captivating to read about how Spencer copes with this, and mourns her friend death. She is an academic overachiever and continues to get very stressed out trying to live up to her family's expectations. She also can make some pretty poor decisions with A, which leaves the reader wondering how she will fix what she has broken.

5. My least favorite character in this book would have to be Melissa, Spencer's sister. Melissa is always trying to control Spencer and puts a lot of pressure on her. She also get her parents against Spencer when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her sister, even though she didn't like Wren that much. She is always cruel to everyone and doesn't consider how other people may feel. She is a very mean character who tries to make life for Spencer as hard as it can be. And I  think that sounds a lot like A's job...

6. I think A is about to release something to not only the girls, but the whole town of Rosewood. A is always pushing them and pressuring them to do things that they don't want to do and threatens them with the Jenna Thing. I think A is going to make Aria tell her parents about her relationship with Ezra, which is strictly prohibited. And if she doesn't tell them, I think A will. I think this is going to happen because A has already sent Aria a note telling her that A knows about that relationship, A even has pictures.

Ben Browne

Ben Browne
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J.K Rowling
Just Right
248

1. I am currently reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K Rowling. Earlier in the chapter  Filch took Harry, Hermione, and Ron to Professor Mcgonagalls office to be punished. She accuses them of concocting the whole dragon story to lure Malfoy out of bed and get him into trouble. As punishment, Mcgonagall deducts fifty points from gryffindor for each of the three wrongdoers. Harry is horrified that his house will lose 150 points. When the bad news is circulated the next morning, Harry quickly falls from his pedestal as quidditch star. He considers resigning from the quidditch team, but Wood convinces him that doing so would be useless. Harry then decides that he should not to get involved in anymore acts that could deduct more points from his team. 

2.At this point in the book I am feeling like the others. I am really enjoying the read. Throughout the year I have really enjoyed reading J.K Rowling's books. They all have great detail and great plots. I would have liked it if I had read the books in order instead of reading them all mixed around. Sometimes the plots get mixed around but since the plots are so good you can easily figure out the order of the books. Overall this book has been very good. Maybe not as good as the goblet of fire but still very good overall. 

3.A theme that I have noticed so far in this book would have to be Curiosity. Most of the characters throughout the book have shown some bits of curiosity. Harry later in chapter 15 goes off in to the woods with Malfoy. They see a mysterious creature drinking the blood of a recently killed unicorn. Malfoy and his friend run away and leave Harry in the woods. Harry is so curious that he stays and watches the being drink the blood until a sentaur comes and takes him back to Hagrid. Harry later finds out that the being was Voldemort.

4.My favorite character would have to be Harry. He is such a strong person even though he has had to come over such bad things happen in his life. He is always trying to help others and himself. He also really cares for the lonely game keeper Hagrid. Hagrid is not thought of as a person who works at Hogwarts just some guy who lives off in the woods. But Harry realizes how good of a person he is and they are instantly friends and they always look at for each other. 

5.My least favorite character would have to be Malfoy. He is so mean to everyone, including Harry. He and his friends always bully him and make him feel bad. Malfoy thinks he can do this because his dad is a very important person in the world of magic. He also is very mean to Harry, Ron and Hermoine's favorite person at Hogwarts, Hagrid. He thinks that he is just a dirty person who lives in the woods, even though he is a very nice person.

6. I think that in the next few chapters that Harry will finally confront Malfoy and give him a piece of his mind. Maybe they will fight or maybe the teachers will break it up before anything can really happen. Also I think that maybe Voldemort might appear again, seeing that he is so close to Hogwart's and the two will have a battle to the death and in the end Harry will win with the help of his friends.

Rachel Falb

Rachel Falb
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
Dystopian
Just Right
Just Finished

1) The end of the book was a total shock to me. David and Tally break everyone free from the officials and they all escape. When Tally finds Shay, she finds that she is pretty and she can't believe that this happened. David finds his mom and he finds out that his dad, Az, has died. David is torn and Maddy knows that it will be hard for them to recover. They all head out of the city and out towards the ruins. Maddy and David go the ruins to be alone and everyone else camps out near the river hiding from the officials. Once they all meet together, Maddy finds a way to cure people's lesions so they can be pretty, but they are no longer brain washed. She wants to try the medicine to see if it works. The only pretty that she has access to is Shay. Because Shay is brain washed, she won't take the medicine because she likes being perfect and pretty. The only way for Maddy to figure out that the medicine works so she can help people, is if she can try it on a pretty. Tally volunteers to become pretty and when she comes back, she'll take the medicine to see if it works. David doesn't want her to go because he thinks the operation will change her and she'll never be the same. He doesn't want the officials to treat her the way they treated his father. The book ends with Tally being picked up by a hover car to be taken into the city for her operation.

2) I really enjoyed reading this book. I took a break and read something else when I was in the middle of the book because I was kind of getting tired of this book. It reminded me a lot of other Dystopian books so I found it a little slow. I eventually came back to the book and I am glad I did. The ending was not like most Dystopians, so Westerfeld definitely pulled me in and made me more interested. For example, in the beginning of the book, I thought that Tally was going to go to Smoke and see that Shay and David have fallen in love, but by the end David and Tally end up being very close. I think that it is nice that Westerfeld leads you on to predict one thing is going to happen, but the ending ends up being the opposite. For example, I thought that Tally was going to go to Smoke and report everyone there. It turns out that Tally ends up loving it there and can't imagine going back. She brings the officials to Smoke on accident. I definitely enjoyed this book though and would recommend it to anyone.

3) A theme that I have seen appear in this book is relationships. Some of the relationships are very tight, like the relationship David has with his parents. Some of the relationships are weak though, like the relationship between Tally and her friend Peris. This theme mostly appears in the characters because all of the relationships happen between the main characters of the book. One place where I see this occur majorly is between Tally and Shay. Their friendship started when they were trying to re connect with their old friends who had turned pretty and they met up when they were trying to sneak back into Uglyville. They then became very close, but the relationship was weakened when Shay told Tally her plans of escaping to Smoke. Once Shay left, their friendship fell apart. When Tally joined her in Smoke, they started to regain their old relationship. Once David and Tally became friends, Tally seems to focus more on him. This is one main place where I see the theme of relationships appear.

4) My favorite character is Shay. When Tally comes to Smoke, she is so excited and glad that she has come to join her event though it is a huge risk to travel so far by herself. Shay doesn't suspect what Tally is up to, which shows how loyal she is to Tally. She doesn't think that Tally would ever do something like that. Not only does Shay include Tally but when Tally takes David from Shay and they become very close friends, she stays calm even though she doesn't like this. She liked David, but now that Tally has taken him from her, she feels alone because her two close friends are a couple now. I feel badly for her and that her two closest friends barely speak to her. Once Shay becomes pretty, she feels that it is her fault that Tally never got what she wanted, to become pretty. These are some reasons on why she is my favorite character.

5) My least favorite character is Tally. In my last blog post, I talked a lot about how Tally is only concerned about becoming pretty and not about her friendship. As the book has progressed though, I have learned a lot more about Tally. Not only is she only concerned about how she looks, but when she gets to Smoke she should have told the truth. I can understand how Tally would want to see what Smoke is like before she turns them in, but she should not have waited so long and then kept the transmitter. She should have told people who were more experienced so they could tell her how to disable the transmitter without bringing the officials to Smoke. This would have resolved a lot of problems and Az would then most likely still be alive. Tally is also my least favorite character because she doesn't understand that David needs space. David had a very close bond with his father so when he dies he is heart broken. Tally needs David because she is so shook up about everything that has just happened, but she doesn't realize that David needs to spend time alone with his mother. He needs space to be able to fully recover from the tragedy and Tally needs to mature and realize this.

6) The ending of this book was not what I expected to happen. I predicted that Tally and Shay would live in Smoke for the rest of their lives. Once Smoke was discovered, my predictions changed and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. When Tally is escaping from the officials and finds David hiding in a cave I knew that they would try with all of their power to save Smoke and rebuild it. This is what I predicted, but in the book Shay gets turned into a pretty forcefully by the officials and I never thought that this would happen.  Another thing that happened that I did not expect was for Az to die. It was so shocking and Westerfeld never gave any warning. I expected that both Maddy and Az would live and Tally would see them again once they came back from the ruins. Westerfeld did a very good job with making things very unpredictable and exciting.

Annie Green

Annie Green
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
JK Rowling
Fantasy
Just Right
175

1. Right now I am reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling and in the story right now Harry is learning what it’s like to go to the Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Ever since Harry arrived there have been twists and turns at every corner. Him being famous for something he doesn’t even remember. Having a whole world hidden from him till his eleventh birthday. Being a wizard and having no one tell him! He was so excited to leave the home of his aunt and uncle who are muggles (non magic folk) and go to this interesting school. Now Harry has gotten used to the popularity and the world of his new friends. As he gets further into the school year he meets two friends Ron Wesley and Hermione Granger. On Halloween night Harry and Ron have sat down in the great hall ready for the feast when all of a sudden there defense against the dark arts teachers runs into the great hall and tells everyone the there is a troll in the dungeon. When the headmaster gets everyone under control Harry and Ron slip a way to find Hermione who is in the girls bathroom near the dungeon.

2.So far I am really enjoying this book because I love all the twists and turns in the plot that you don’t find in many other books. A lot of books I have read lately have been very predictable and they all remind me of each other but not this book. Normally I don’t like fiction novels because they are fake and unconvincing but this one I think is very different from the rest and it pulls you   in and makes you want to read more and you don’t even notice that the things happen in the book are completely unrealistic. I think that the way the author wrote this book is really interesting because I think all of the characters have been developed really well and there is a whole background story that goes along with this novel that the author has start to uncover.

3.A theme I have noticed so far in the book is fear of failure I see this them mostly in the main character Harry. Harry came from knowing nothing about this life and growing up with Muggles to one day being told he was a wizard and he was going to a place to study transfiguration, herbology, and defense against the dark arts. When Harry gets there he is scared that he will be a terrible wizard because more of the first years at Hogwarts have grown up their whole lives living around magic folk and Harry was only introduces to this lifestyle a few short days ago. He is scared that he will be terrible in his classes and make a fool of himself because he is supposed to be one of the greatest wizards of all time.

4.My favorite character in this story is Dumbledor, Dumbledor is the headmaster at Hogwarts, Although me as a reader don’t really know much about Dumbledor the characters in the story talk about how great he is all the time. The reason Harry is so famous is because when he was very young a dark wizard named Voldemort was very powerful and was feared by almost everyone in the wizard world. He went one night to Harrys home and killed his parents with a well-known killing curse but when he tried to kill Harry he failed and has not been seen since that day. Something about Harry stumped the dark lord that day and no one really knows what it is. The only other wizard besides Harry that Voldemort fears is Dumbledor and I think that’s really cool.

5.My least favorite character so far in the story is Malfoy. Malfoy is a boy who is also a first year at Hogwarts and he is mean and rude. In the beginning of the story on the train to Hogwarts Malfoy sees Harry with Ron and he tells Harry that Ron is the wrong sort and Harry should not be friends with him. Then later in the story Malfoy makes fun of a boy in Harrys dormitory named Neville because he is not very bright. Neville receives a gift from his gran called a remembrol and it helps people remember what they have forgotten and Malfoy takes Neville’s gift away from him.

 6.A prediction I have about this book is that I think Harry and Ron will save Hermione and they will get her out of the bathroom before they have a chance to encounter the troll. I think that kids will run into the professors when they try to sneak back to the dormitory’s because the professors have gone down to address the troll and get it out of the school. I think that the three of them will get in trouble for not being at their dormitories like everyone else.

Rachel Hall

Rachel Hall
The Truth About Forever
Sarah Dessen
Realistic fiction
Just right
140

1. The main character is going out on a Friday night with the catering crew. Macy is used to being a tom boy and she doesn't really care about what she looks like. But, when she goes over Monica and Kristy's house they decide to try and dress her up. They put her in a very tight pair of jeans that fit her, and a very low cut tank top that she definitely isn't used to wearing. She has her first beer when she's out this night, and it was definitely a memorable night for her. The girls see how flirty Macy is with Wes and so they think that Macy doesn't like Jason anymore, which is not the case. So, the girls start to tell Macy how they don't like Jason and that she should go after Wes. She doesn't choose between Jason and Wes at the end of the chapter but you know enough that you could guess she doesn't want to leave Jason.

2.     I really enjoy the book. The thing that I think I enjoy most is that there are so many plot twist. Like you can sort of think that you know whats going to happened and then you flip the page and it's the complete opposite. I also just really like the characters, each individual character came into the book with their own life story and other things that happened to them. There were no two characters that were so alike that I got them confused. I also like that you get to see a lot of Macy going out of her comfort zone and trying new things, that she normally wouldn't have. For example just changing her clothes, rolling her hair, and having her first beer. Those are all things that she hasn't done before but she found to enjoy being able to test out and experiment with.

3.       I think that a major theme in this book is acceptance. Macy has to accept the fact that her father had a heart attack at a young age and that she won't be able to give him that last hug and just to let him know that she loves her dad. Not only in this book, but acceptance in life is a huge theme. There is not  single human that was, is or ever will be walking on this Earth and be able to say that they lived the perfect life. But especially in this book, I feel like Sarah Dessen couldn't have made this theme more visible to me. Throughout this book you see that it's not just a story it's a lesson that's teaching you, you can't always just be passive. You have to just be yourself, and being accepting is a huge aspect of that. I see this mainly in the characters. The characters see that if they spend all this time wondering about why some people don't accept them, then they're missing out on a HUGE part of their life. So once they see this they let go and just be themselves. 

4.       My favorite character is Kristy. Kristy is one of Macy's good friends and she honestly is my favorite because of how unique she is. When she was twelve years old she got into a terrible car accident, and had to go to the hospital. At the hospital they had to give her an operation on the back of her head, which means they had to shave all of her hair off. Why I like her isn't just because she had to go through this terrible thing, but what she did with what she got. Kristy is very open to talking about it, and it tends to happen a lot since she has scars all over her face and head. Since she has all these scars, some people just come right up to her and ask her what's wrong with her. This is what makes her my favorite character, is because she doesn't get offended by this. Kristy would much rather have someone come up to her and ask her point-blank, rather than just staring at her and thinking up ways of why it happened. 

5.        My least favorite character is Jason. We only see a little bit of him at the beginning and he seems like this great guy and that Macy is lucky to have him. But it bothered me a little bit that he still wanted to be dating Macy even when he was leaving for overnight camp for 2 moths. At the beginning of the book Macy says that Jason is perfect, and that's exactly what she needed. I think that was a little bit of a stretch though. I don't think that they should've stayed together for 2 months when they weren't even near each other. I personally don't think that long distance relationships work. So it was almost annoying that Jason wouldn't sit down with Macy and just say that because he's going away that they should just break up for the time being and then maybe when he gets back they could try to go out again. If he was so "perfect" he would've known that it wasn't right to let her wait for him like that.

6.       I think that Macy will leave Jason for Wes in the ending. When Macy meets Wes when Jason is away, they immediately hit it off. Wes isn't the kind of guy that Macy is usually interested in. From how we know Macy she likes to feel safe and doesn't like going out of her comfort zone. So, finding out that she might have feelings for this new guy that she met over Jason is very hard for her to picture. When she's with Jason, they don't always have the most exciting of times but he makes her feel safe. I don't think that she's really thinking about what's going to happened when they break up or if they meet different people when they're apart. Which is what is happening with Wes. I think that once Macy finds a new comfort zone, maybe with Wes she'll like it a lot more than with Jason. I want her to end up with Wes in the end because from what I know now, I like Wes more. Wes seems more fun to be around and just like a living in the moment kind of guy.

Ashley Hanlon

Ashley Hanlon
Uglies
Scott Westerfield
Fantasy
Just Right
48

1.  Right now in  the book Tally is still an ugly, whereas her best friend Peris has been turned pretty.  Tally and Peris have been best friends forever, they even put scars on their hands to show that they will always be together.  Tally decides she wants to see Peris so she wants to break into New Pretty Town.  Pretties spend all their time partying so during one of their parties Tally sneaks in, its a costume party so she can easily mask her ugly face.  At Garbo Mansions, where Peris lives is where the party is happening.  At every pretty party there is always two bungee jumps where two of the guests gets to fly off the side of the building, once Tally sets off the fire alarm, some of the pretties begin to question her identity of a pretty so she decides to steal one of the bungee jumps and she flies off the side of the building and returns home back to ugly town.  But, instead of being chased by pretties the wardens (older pretties who act as cops and run the town) start to hunt her down.  Tally runs into another ugly who also likes to break into New Pretty Town, Shay.  They become fast friends and bond over being lonely because all their friends are now pretty.  Shay shows Tally how she quickly gets in and out of New Pretty Town, a hoverboard.  Shay teaches Tally how to ride a overboard and tells her how they only work over metal, because they are magnetic.  Also, there are crash bracelets and belly sensors that come with the board.

2.  So far I really like this book.  I love the advanced technology that Westerfield uses.  He writes about hoverboards, crash bracelets, and belly sensors.  Its so much fun and interesting to read about how the pretties and uglies use their technology.  Also, the whole plot is different than I have ever read.  It's about when kids turn sixteen they go under a major surgery which they turn pretty.  All throughout the kids' childhood they dream how they will look when they turn pretty, there even games and devices to predict how you will look after the surgery is done that the children use to have fun with.  There is also a board in each one of the uglies dorms where they can plan outfits and order them and they will become instantly 3D.  I thought the advanced technology throughout Uglies was very interesting and fun to read about.

3.  A theme I see in this book is perfection.  The whole plot in Uglies is when kids turn sixteen years old and they go under a surgery and become what their society believes as 'perfect'.  Children's games and books are also based on what they will look like after their surgery is complete.  While these kids grow up they are taught how imperfect they are.  But, their parents tell them that when they turn sixteen they can be fixed and turned into something beautiful.  As the kids grow the only thing that they desire is to be accepted and pretty.  Being a pretty to them is everything.  When your pretty, your happy, and you have more fun.  So, being perfect is what every ugly wants.

4.  My favorite character would have to be Tally.  Tally is my favorite so far because I have only really gotten to know her.  I like how she is a rebellious teenager who goes against the society.  She breaks the rules.  Everyone else thinks she is naive for going against the rules because if she gets caught there is  possible where she will be forced to stay ugly forever.  But, I like how she goes to get what she wants and goes against the rules.  She's a free spirit and a mysterious girl, so you don't always know what she's thinking which keeps the reader on their toes.

5.  My least favorite character would have to be Peris.  I haven't learned a lot about Peris but what the writer has mentioned about him seems like he is an awful, self-absorbed person.  When Tally goes to sneak into the pretty party, when she goes to meet Peris he tells her "yeah we're still friends, just...be prettier."  This is kind of a punch in the face to Tally, he even got the scar the two of them made together removed.  She always thought that they would be best friends forever, but ever since Peris became pretty and perfect he's kind of forgot about her.

6.  I think Shay and Tally will become new best friends because they will be able to become pretty together because they have the same birthday so they will get their surgeries done together.  I also think that when Tally turns pretty and sees Peris she will be prettier than him and he'll want to be best friends with her again.  But, I think there will be a plot twist and Shay and Tally or just one of them won't get their surgeries done on schedule.  I think they will get into some trouble with the wardens.

Elizabeth Gooch

Elizabeth Gooch
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Ann Brashares
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
51

1. Currently in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, there are four best friends Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget. In the beginning of the book summer was just starting and they were all shopping together when Tibby went to try on a pair of jeans. Then Lena tried them on and then Bridget and they thought it was impossible that it could fit them. Finally, Carmen tried them on and they fit her perfectly too. They were so shocked that they decided this must have been faith giving them a parting gift as they all spent the first summer of their lives apart. They decided to make 10 rules for the sisterhood of the pants and share them over the summer. While shipping the pants from one friend they also have to write a letter telling there friends what was happening too them. So far the pants have been to Lena, in Greece and Tibby, who stayed in their hometown.

2. I've really enjoyed this book so far. One way the author is pulling me in as a reader is from the personalities of the friends. They are all so different it is fun to see how they come together. I also like the overall plot line and that the book takes place in many different places. It takes place in Spain, Greece, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Since I have never been to any of these places it is interesting to read about them and how the characters perceive them. This is a new author to me.

3. One theme that I have noticed in this book so far is Youth and Beauty. This theme seems to appear within the characters, especially the four main characters. For example, it appears with Lena while she is visiting her family in Greece. While writing a letter to Tibby she talks about how her mother is always saying how much she looks like her grandmother, but then when she met her grandmother she couldn't see any resemblance. Then, she realizes while her grandmother is telling her these stories of when she was younger that she shouldn't be so shy and start to take more chances while she is still young and beautiful.

4. My favorite character is Bridget. I like Bridget because she is so fearless around her friends and strangers. Even when her mother dies in the beginning she keeps her head held high. Her friends describe her as being a ray of sunshine when there lives gets dark which I think is pretty special. She is always there for her friends and always brings the adventure. If they weren't friends with Bridget I'm sure that they wouldn't have had nearly as exciting lives that they do have now. She just seems like the type of girl that everybody likes and admires.

5. If I had to pick a least favorite character it would be Tibby. I would pick Tibby because she can get very pessimistic at times. Especially, while her friends are all in different places and she is staying home to work in a convenience store. She doesn't seem to express herself at all either, which can get boring. I don't know if she will change at all throughout the book but I hope she does.

6. I think that Lena might fall in love during the book. I think this because, her grandmother was talking to her about her friends grandson, who is also in Greece right now. Lena then starts to worry that her grandmother was trying to choose her husband like how her mother choose hers. I also think that Tibby might film a movie because she has all of this camera equipment. I am predicting these things based on what the author has hinted at.

James Andrew

James Andrew

Ender’s game
Orson Scott Card
Science fiction
just right
Page 72

1. Many things have happened so far in the book. Ender, is a young boy who is always being picked on and nobody likes him. He is a third child, and in these times the limit on children you could have was two. Ender doesn't like being picked on by everyone, and one day when a group of boys came to pick on him, he kicks one of them and beats him up to teach them a lesson. Ender is also bullied by his brother. His brother is really mean, he always beats him up and he vowed one day to kill Ender and his sister. Then, Ender goes to the military because he was offered to go by a guy named Graff. On the ship to battle school Ender gets off to a bad start. He got into a fight and in the act of defending himself, he breaks a kids arm. Ender really wanted friends, so he sent a bad email about Bernard, the guy who Ender broke his arm. It worked and all of the kids were Enders friend.

2. So far I have really enjoyed this book. The author adds a lot of details and that makes me know the characters better and feel like I am there. He does a good job of explaining everything well and I think its really interesting. When Ender beat up one of the guys bullying him, I really wanted to know what would happen next and couldn't stop reading. There is so much action in the book as well. He uses imagery to make me try to imagine what the characters look like and some of the scenes as well, like when he broke Bernard's arm. I could imagine it really well.

3. One of the themes in this book that really stood out to me was courage. Ender shows courage in many ways throughout what I have read. He stands up to the bully's and the people who hate him and beat him up. He is small and he never gives up. Also, at the age of six, Ender leaves home. I could never do that because I would miss my family to much. He has a very bad relationship with his brother, but him and his sister are great friends and he must miss her really bad. Because he is a third child, he doesn't really have any friends besides his family. So when he left them, he must have been really lonely and depressed.

4. My favorite character by far is Ender. I like him because he is brave and never gives up. Him leaving his family at a young age was really brave. Also, being a third child means that he is always being picked on and nobody really likes him. He gets bullied all of the time, but he fights back and never gives up. Even though he is smaller than a lot of the people bullying him, he is brave and does not give up in fights.

5. My least favorite character by far is Peter. Peter is Enders really mean older brother. He beats Ender up and hates everyone. Also, he threatened to kill Ender and his sister, Valentine. That is awful and how could you even say that to your brother and sister. He hates Ender for some odd reason. It could be just that he is a bad person, but I think it is because he is a third child and t you aren't suppose to have three children then.

6. I predict that Ender will become an army general after he wins all of the games. A lot of books happen like this, the main character has a major problem, which is Ender having no friends and being a third child. Then they overcome there problem and achieve great things. That would be Ender winning all of the games and becoming a general and winning a big battle. Also, the book would get really boring without a big battle because if he just was an average person who maybe wins something, nothing would really happen after that. But if he wins everything and there is a big battle, that would make the book even more action packed and interesting to read.

Ally Pastore

Ally Pastore
February 14, 2013
Block: B
Amazing Grace
Megan Shull
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished

1.  I just finished reading Amazing Grace, by Megan Shull.  This book is about a teen tennis superstar, Grace Kincaid, who realizes that this dream has not been about tennis anymore, and more about interviews and modeling.  At what seemed to be the climax of her career, she calls her mother in the middle of the night uttering 3 words: I want out.  Just 2 days later, she has a complete makeover, a new identity and has moved to the rugged, in-the-middle-of-nowhere town Mediciane Hat, Alaska -population 813- with her Aunt Ava.  There she meets her new best friend Fisher and one incredibly cute boy, Teague.  The book ends when Grace gets the news that reporters have located her and were going to be flying out as soon as possible to uncover the story of her absence.

2.  I loved this book!  It took me so long to just put the book down! I thought it was very interesting how Megan Shull introduced the new characters and how they acted towards each other.  One of my favorite things in this book was how the author tied up all the loose ends and answered all the questions I had throughout the book at the end.  The author kept me interested because I constantly had questions that kept me reading and I could never predict what was going to happen next.

3. I think a big theme that is shown throughout the book is sacrifice.  I think sacrifice has been a major theme since the beginning of the book.  It is first shown when Grace gives up her tennis career to be a "normal American teenager".  Although she was the one who wanted to give it up, it takes a while for her to process and get used to the feel (and look) of her new life.  She also sacrifices her mother.  I thought it was sad how in the beginning of the book, she had to leave her mother to move in with someone she has never met.  

4. My favorite character was Fisher.  Fisher is a bright, cheerful, optimistic girl that is about Grace's age.  I loved watching how they became best friends throughout the story.  Fisher is my favorite character because she was Grace's friend from the very beginning.  She was the one who showed her all the hot spots around the small island and everything she needed to know in order to adapt to the new environment.  Even though she didn't know Grace's big secret, it seemed like they knew everything about each other and have been friends for a long time.  I loved reading and learning more about her character.

5. I loved all the characters, but if I had to pick my least favorite, it would be Grace's mother.  I felt that even though her mom was understanding to her wanting to quit her career, I think that it would have been best if she went with her.  If I were Grace, the only thing I would want would be to be away from the chaos and with someone that she knew.  Don't get me wrong, I love Ava, but I still think it would have been best if her mother had went.

6.  Personally, the end of this book was my favorite part.  Like I said before, Megan Shull brings everything together at the end and it all makes so much sense now!  Grace has to go home, which is sad, but don't worry, she keeps in touch..especially with Teague! The reporters find Grace in Alaska, but she does tells them that she will be continuing her tennis career but this time with no strings attached.  Also, Grace puts a lot of money towards Medicine Hat and sends Fisher and her family for a wonderful vacation in California.  And for herself, well she is going to stay in Medicine Hat and hike some mountains...with a very cute boy as her tour guide!  

Sadie Hyde
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sonya Sones
Drama/Realistic Fiction
Holiday
Page: 78

1.) Currently in What My Mother Doesn't Know the main character Sophie and her two best friends Grace and Rachel are hanging out and Grace realizes that she is in love. Grace constantly talks about him to Sophie and Rachel. They are getting annoyed with how much Grace talks about this one and only Henry. Henry is new in school and has recently noticed Grace. He asked for her number and Grace starts flipping out, she is so happy. Then even better was when he called her. Grace cannot stand how much he likes him and really wants him to ask her out. They have so much in common like how they have the same number of letters in their name.Well lucky for her, her friends really want him to ask her out too because they are getting sick of her ALWAYS talking about him. So will Grace be asked out?

2.) I am honestly so into this book. It is hard for me to find a good book and this recommendation from Ali Pastore was amazing. I cannot put this book down. I am really excited to finish this book so I can get to the second story, but at the same time I really do not want to finish this book because I do not want it to end. This is definitely one of the best books I have read in a while. I think everyone who wants to know what to read really should give this book a try. I also have never read a book by Sonia Sones and this story most defiantly makes me want to read as many other books of hers as possible.

3.) A theme that I have recognized so far in this story is desire. I notice how Sophie desires her boyfriend, how she always wants to be with him. Also Sophie in my eyes desires a normal family, where her mom and dad are more involved in her life and do not fight all the time. Sophie's mother desires love from Sophie's father, but they constantly argue and never really pay attention to Sophie. Finally I believe that Grace strongly desires Henry, and for him to be her boyfriend. I have seen this theme many times throughout this book so far and based on how this book is unfolding I predict that I will see it unravel even more in the middle and towards the end.

4.) My favorite character is Sophie. I think that although she is very mute around her parents that when around her friends and boyfriend, Dylan she is herself and can trust them. I like how Sophie is able to trust people considering she cannot even trust her own parents. Occasionally when people have issues at home it shows at school, but for Sophie school and friends is an escape from her home life. Sophie may not be able to talk to, trust, and always be honest to her parents but with her friends it is exactly opposite. Although I do not agree with ostracizing your parents, the bond she has with others is amazing. I am jealous with her relationship towards Grace and Rachel, and how happy she is with two best friends and a boyfriend. This shows me that you do not need to be the popular kid or have everyone like you and be your friend, but that you are so lucky to have a couple people you love and trust and Sophie really is great at showing me this. I think Sophie in some aspects is a great role model. Sophie has amazing attributes that show throughout the whole story so far.

5.) My least favorite character is Sophies mom. I think that Sophies mom is so caught up in her own drama with her husband, that she does not realize her lack of mothering towards Sophie. For instance when Sophie says she comes home from school everyday and her dad is gone, all the t.v.'s are on, and her mom is drawn into the television watching her soaps. Sophie in a sense is like a mother to her mom. A good word to describe Sophies mom is oblivious. She is oblivious to everyone besides herself.

6.) I think that because the lack of parenting Sophie is going to completely cut her family out from her life. I think that Sophie is going to become very independent, and think that she does not always need to be with her friends but that she is a grown up and hang out with her boyfriends more. I think that once cutting her parents off, she will then begin to cut her friends out of her life because she will try to be strong but when all she really needs is her two friends.

Nick Barry
One Magical Sunday
Donald T. Phillips
Auto-biography
Just right
Just finished


1. I just finished reading One Magical Sunday, By Donald T. Phillips. The book is a biography, and at the end of the book they are describing the ceremony where he receives the green jacket, after someone wins the masters. Phil is in such a happy mood right now as his family, friends, and crowd watch as the last winner of Masters gives Phil his green jacket. Then it goes into an interview of his family and friends. That is what happens in the end of the book.

2. In the book I felt like there was a scense of uprising because a young gun comes into the Masters and wins the masters. Also I felt a scense of determination because Phil came into the Masters wanting to win and he did. Another felling I had while reading this book is, perseverance, because he beat the odds and he never gave up and won. Those are some feelings I had in the book.

3. The Theme for this book I think, is perseverance, because Phil never gave up in all of the 18 holes he had to play. Also he "left it on the field" and played each hole like it was the 18th hole, and he never gave up. Also he trained hard for the masters, so he wanted to finish it with a win so he had to try his hardest to win. That is why I think the theme is perseverance.

4. My favorite character is Phil because you start to see through his eyes and see how hard it is to win, and you see how hard each hole is, so you feel for him, and see how each hole is a struggle. That is why Phil is my favorite character.

5. i don't have a least favorite character, because the book is an auto- biography.

6.Yes, the book ending was what I thought, because then the book would not have been published, If Phil Mickelson lost.

Annie Green

Annie Green

Middle School the Worst Years of My Life

James Patterson

Fantasy

Just Right

134

1.    1.  I am currently reading Middle School the Worst Years of my Life by James Patterson and I am really enjoying it. In the story right now a boy named Rafe went to his first day of middle school. On the first day of school there is an assembly about rules and boring introduction stuff where they receive a booklet. In this booklet are the rules of the school and things that can earn you a detention if you break them. When the principal is droning on about these rules Rafe’s best friend Leo has a great idea; not to follow the rules. As the boys sit and plot there plan on getting Rafe to be the baddest boy around school they spy a rule that sticks out to them…pulling the fire alarm. When Rafe asks to go to the bathroom he does it!! The loudest most obnoxious noise known to man …. A school fire alarm. When Leo keeps telling Rafe how to be the worst kid in school they come up with a point system in where Rafe earns more points for the most dangerous rules he breaks. Soon Rafe begins to realize that being the bad boy is harder than it looks.

2.    2.  So far I really like this book. I like this book because I enjoy all the twists and turns that you find in the story. I think it’s fun to get another point of view from a fellow middle school student because Rafe’s life is not exactly the everyday life of a middle school student. I think it’s fun to learn about Rafe’s relationship with his creative yet quiet best friend Leo. I think Leo is really interesting because he is so smart and funny but the only way you can see that is through what Rafe tells the readers. Leo is quiet himself but only opens up to his best friend. The other thing I like about this story is the way that Rafe and Leo precept life. They view life in a very childish way and I think that that’s fun to read about.

3.   3.A theme that I have noticed so far in this book is Family Curse. The reason I put this theme with the book is because of my least favorite character Bear, Bear is Rafe’s stepfather. Rafe’s mother works really hard for her kids and in her job and Bear does nothing to help. Instead Bear sits at home, watches TV, and drinks soda. Not only is Bear really lazy but he is extremely mean to Rafe and his little sister. Bear has a really short temper and it seems that he is always getting mad at the children. I don’t think it is fair that Bear gets so mad at them because he barely knows them. He doesn’t take the time to learn about Rafe’s grades, likes and dislikes, his friends at school, and I find this extremely irresponsible.

4.   4.My favorite character is Rafe’s best friend Leo. I like Leo because I think he has a lot to offer but he is so quiet that he cannot share his knowledge with others. He is very creative; I think it’s cool that he draws so much. I find his drawings cool because he doesn’t speak that much but he speaks through his drawings. He shows Rafe what he is thinking and it’s a way for him to map out his thoughts. This is unique because a lot of people express themselves through talking and communicating with others but Leo expresses himself through his illustrations.

5.    5.My least favorite character is Bear, I don’t like bear because of his attitude toward his step children. He is so mean to them and he doesn’t care about them either. Most parents and step parents get mad at their children simply because there is trouble at work or there are stressed out. The problem with Bear is he does not work he sits on his lazy butt all day and watches TV. He doesn’t care about anyone, I’m not even sure why he got married to Rafe’s mother in the first place.

6.   6.A prediction I have about what will happen next is I think that Rafe will get in big trouble for breaking all of these rules. So far he has been called out by teachers and he has also had a few detentions but nothing to major. I think next time he does something really bad Bear and his mother will find out and get really angry with him, maybe even not let him hang out with his best friend Leo anymore. I think that Rafe will realize that this game is childish and silly and through the process grow up and mature a little.

Raffi Barsamian

Raffi Barsamian

Block B

2/11/13

The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

Realistic fiction/Dystopian

Just Right

  2389 of 3803

1. In this part of the book Katniss, Peeta, and Cato are the only three tributes left in the Hunger Games. Although there can only be one victor, there was a rule change in the middle of the games. If two tributes from the same district were still alive at the end they would both be the winners of the Hunger Games. Right now Katniss Peeta and Cato are on top of the cornucopia trying as hard as they can to kill Cato. As hard as it is to kill the best fighter in the games they still have another obstacle in their way. The game maker had programed each tribute to come back alive, but this time thee would came back as dog- type creatures. Cato is holding Peeta tight, he can hardly breathe. Katniss is standing watching with an arrow in hand, Peeta in a last resort attempt tries to break the grip of Cato but its too strong. He then points to Cato’s hand and makes an X motion with his finger. Katniss then let go of the arrow and it hit him dead on.  Falls and slides down when cornucopia. Katniss dives and grabs Peeta, they then hear the sound of Cato hit the ground. Katniss and Peeta then sit, waiting to hear the cannon sound to mark Cato’s death.

2. I really enjoy this book so far. The plot is the main reason that I am so attached to this book. I’ve never read a book with an even near plot as this book. Immediately I was grabbed into the book because I always wanted to see what came next. There was never a point in the book where a scene in the book didn’t fit into the plot. Also I was very intrigued by all of the characters in the whole novel. They each had multiple traits to them that were very unique. For instance, Katniss is cunning when it comes to hunting. She is caring when it comes to Rue and Prim. She is also very passionate when it comes to Peeta and also Gale.

     3. A theme I noticed throughout this book is inhumanity. Every year there are the Hunger Games.  In the Hunger Games children fight to the death to see who comes out as the loan victor. I think this is extremely inhumane because of the cruelness of the event. Innocent children should not have to loose their lives. Also this theme was apparent when Katniss was caught in the forest fire. The game makers have no right to nearly kill Katniss because she is too close to the border of the arena. They have no cares about anyone in the games all they want to do is put on a good show.

4. My favorite character is Rue. She is so mysterious and sly. when she first was introduced she was caught spying on Katniss during her training session. she stole Cato's knife while he wasn't looking which caused a fight between him and another tribute. I like Rue because she is very much the underdog. She is small and isn’t strong at all. But she is greatly underestimated. She uses her size to her advantage. The trees are her allies; she hides in the trees where no one can see her. Rue always knows what to do and where to go. I hope she doesn’t get herself into trouble.

5. My least favorite character is Cato. He thinks he is the king of the games. I don’t like how he is one of the tributes who train’s and volunteers. That says to me that he has no soul and he will do the unthinkable to win. He also could not be anymore cruel. When Katniss blew up the food supply, he snapped the boy who was in charges neck. He really is a mean person.

6. My prediction is that Katniss and Peeta will win the games. Also when they go home they will be heroes. I also think that life will never be the same for them. I don’t think that Katniss will like the way her new lifestyle is because of her personality. She is a very hidden humble person and with her new fame she will not enjoy her new lifestyle.