Reading Response

Reading Response on "New Moon"

Who has power in the text and how does that power get shown?

In New moon, Edward leaves Bella, Edward and Bella are the main characters, so when Edward leaves, Bella is alone and she has most power in the book since the book is in her perspective.

Just like in the movie, The point of view is in Bella's direction, so throughout the whole book, everything Is going to be happening through her eyes. Bella gets emotionally sick after Edward leaves, she decides to stay in Forks with her dad and her best friend, Jacob.

Many months pass and there is no sign of Edward, and instead of Bella moping around, she tries to get over the fact that Edward isn’t coming back. In the book, every step Bella takes is described, everything she sees is in her point of view so the book is written in a way where Bella sees the setting.

Bella does reckless things in order for Edward to come back, she keeps doing dangerous stunts, because Edward can see what she is doing and she has a feeling that he would come back. She sees visions of Edward when she performs stunts, but he never shows up so she continues. In the book, you can read Bella’s thoughts and feelings, and you would be able to realize how she feels about Edward leaving.

Bella describes herself throughout the book, and the reader can vision her state, the writer made the text really descriptive and It draws readers into the book.

Everything is in Bella’s perspective, so Bella has power in the book. The readers are reading about her and her life.  

You cant really read about the other characters in the book, its all in Bella’s perspective, you would be able to read what Bella thinks about the Characters.

Reading Response

How does this text address the points of view (perspectives) of other groups, especially those who don't get to tell their side?

I'm currently reading "New Moon" by Stephanie Meyers, and in this story, the point of view is from Bella or Edward, mostly Bella, and they are the main characters. 

In the story, Rosalie, Edwards "adopted" sister, shows hatred to Bella, and most of the story, you can't actually tell why, but in one part, when Rosalie is telling Bella her story, the reader is in Rosalie's point of view. In that section, you cannot tell what Bella is thinking about her story, its all Rosalie's point of view. Bella's perspective comes right after. 

"When the Cullens (Edward’s vampire family) throw a birthday party for Bella at their house, clumsy Bella gets a paper cut while unwrapping one of her presents, and spills a little blood. Jasper Cullen, still struggling with his family’s no-human diet, loses control and attacks Bella. Edward fights him off but, in the process, the boys wreck the house and leave Bella with a gushing wound on her arm. Everyone except for the head of the family, Carlisle Cullen, and Edward, hurries out with pinched noses to escape the tempting smell of Bella’s blood."  In this part, you can sense how Jasper feels about the blood from Bella, and it's a little section of his perspective. 

"Bella’s need for a mechanic causes her to renew her relationship with Jacob Black, the handy young son of Charlie’s best friend Billy, from La Push Indian Reservation. Two years younger than Bella, Jacob has had a crush on Bella since the first time they met. He also unwittingly told her that Edward was a "cold one," a vampire. Bella is surprised to see that Jacob has grown into a handsome young man. Always happy and supportive, he quickly becomes Bella’s healing balm, soothing some of the cracks in her broken heart. They become best friends. It’s obvious that Jacob has romantic feelings for Bella. Although she makes no secret out of the fact that she still loves Edward, she also has trouble curbing Jacob’s romantic advances because being around him makes her happy, something she hasn’t felt for a long time.

After Edward leaves Bella it is all Charlie's perspective and Jacob's because Bella gets traumatized and she kind of quits on herself for a long section of the book, so you can see what Charlie and Jacob is thinking and seeing in their perspective. 

In half of "New moon" you could see the other Characters Perspective not only Bella's, because in this book, Bella spazzes out. 

Argument essay

Sunzida Mahbub                                                                                                                    12/3/12

811                                                                                                                           Argument Essay

Are Child soldiers Victims or perpetrators?

            Child soldiers are victims, not perpetrators; they don’t fight or kill on their own will. They are forced into war. The child soldiers get drugged, and soon, killing becomes easy for them, and they would keep killing without knowing what they’re really doing. Child soldiers are abducted, sold, or forced into war; they are used as weapons, thinking they would be safe, going along with the child recruiters.

            One way children are put into war, is abduction. When children are abducted by their war recruiters, they think that they are going to be safe, with the recruiters, because they do not know where they’re going and what is going to happen to them. “They killed my mother and father in front of my own eyes. I was 10 years old. They took me with them” from the article “Children at war” by P Singer. This sentence, is about a child soldier, that was abducted at the age of ten, after his mother and father had been killed by child recruiters. He was a Liberian child. He didn’t want to go into war, he did it for his own safety. “Government forces have abducted 20,000 Liberian soldiers, forcing many of them into frontline combat” Statistics, of the number of kids that has been put into war.

            Child soldiers are scared to hold a gun at first, they are too young and they obviously haven’t done it before. The children get drugged, which brainwashes them, and once they get hold of a gun, they start killing, they’re brains don’t function right, they are fed a variety of drugs, such as cocaine and gun powder mixed together. Killing becomes easier for them every time they kill, and soon they become a great weapon to use in the war. “the first time I killed someone, I got so sick, I thought I was going to die…” this line is from the article “Children at war” by P Singer, this is about the experience of a child killing. “Killing became as easy as drinking water” – “Armed and Underaged by Jeffrey Guttlemen. This is how a child soldier described, killing someone.

            Problems of warlords and other misunderstandings between countries create war. And that causes the number of child soldiers to increase. Children are technically weapons to the warlords, and they need more weapons every time a fight/war breaks out. Kids as young as the age of 10 were placed into the war, encouraging other countries to do the same. “When conflict breaks out, children are quickly swept up”- “armed and underaged” (Jeffrey Guttlemenmen) this is how kids are recruited into war. Warlords start fights with other warlords from other countries and start war. “In some countries, hunger and poverty drive parents to sell their kids into service” not only kids are abducted, they are sold, due to poverty, by their parents. Parents don’t have any other choice.

            Child soldiers are victims, not perpetrators, They don’t choose to be in war, they are kidnapped, threatened, or sold. They don’t choose to kill, they get injected with drugs, which changes them, and make them kill. Warlords, cause the number of child soldiers to increase, and the age of the child soldiers that are swept up, get smaller. They don’t know what they are doing, they become family, and they have to do whatever the commanders say. When they are told to kill, they kill and they don’t ask for anything in return because there is nothing to ask for. Child soldiers are victims, they do not choose to be in the position they are in.

            

social awareness project

#4- a reading response on a social issue

I think that people need to start focusing on more important social issues, it is hard to focus on one, but to me, stray cats/abuse of stray cats, is a social issue to me, I think that there is too much of this going on, and many people do not seem to care, But it is something to care about, and it is important in the human world. I believe that there should be something done about stray cats.

If you compare a cat to a human being, there is a lot in common. Cats need food and water in order to survive, they breath, they have eyes, ears and a mouth, they exercise, they get sick, they die, they get hurt, they have feet, they can talk, they can hear, they can do many things just like us, but they don’t get treated like us. There are a lot of homeless people in the world, they should come first, but also people should also respect the stray cats in the world, if it can’t get a home, it doesn’t deserve to be born with no eyes or legs or something like that. Most of them die on the street out of food starvation or dehydration, or getting hit by a car and dying.

It isn’t rare to see a dead cat on the end of the curb, it happens a lot, and I also witnessed a cat getting hit by 3 cars, and not one car stopped to see what damage they have done. Cats walk round mutant, missing a family or in desperate need of something, when cats die on the street, they are kicked aside, or left there until everything is gone. Cats don’t get the respect they deserve.

A lot of animal “support” companies advertise pictures of sad, homeless animals, some even edit the pictures to make it look more serious, but those animal companies just take advantage of the animals to earn money for their own company. A lot of people get fooled and donate money to cooperation’s like those, but there some animal rescue teams like “ASPCA” who try hard and try to do as much as they can to help animals in need.

Even if people can’t give cats a loving home due to all the problems in the earth, but I think that cats should be more respected, and they should be able to live a little bit like humans are in the earth. 

Social awareness project yay!

#5- A short story about a social issue :(
Billy

            I was walking home from school, when a black and white cat appeared next to me. It didn’t run away when I took a step close to it. So I took another and another. The cat stayed still.

            “meeeeeoooowwwww” I said simply

            The cat immediately replied. And walked towards me. She played with my shoe laces. This was the first time I have ever seen the cat, and I have decided to call it Billy. Billy is a smart cat, shes not afraid of human beings like us, she actually socializes with them. I decided to cut off a bit of my shoe laces since Billy was in love with them, and I walked home.

            The next day when I headed outside, everybody was crowded around Billy. I thought she died. But she was socializing with people, everybody was astonished by Billy, she was surrounded by food and toys. Billy isn’t a normal cat, normal cats usually run away but for some reason Billy isn’t afraid of dying.

            Around 11 o clock at night, there was cat cries. The drunk man at the corner of the streets dog attacked a cat, not Billy. The cat scattered away, jumped right in front of me, and I noticed it didn’t have an eye.

            I have always wondered why Billy wasn’t attacked, Most cats run away because they’re afraid that we would hurt them, a lot of human beings actually do. I don’t think it fair, how strays get abused in the middle of the street and nobody ever does anything. Every cat deserves a home; they do not deserve to be living on the streets, missing an eye or leg, and without a family. Most cats don’t understand, some are kittens.

            On TV I always see things to save the animals, and they show clips of abused animals. But what most of the people who produce those commercials use abused animals as an advantage to gain money, they’re like robber barons, they have no intention with helping the animals.

            When I was around 7, a cat got hit by 3 cars, and not one car stopped to see what happened, and the driver didn’t cringe at the bump in the road, they continued driving. There are actually a lot of humans the suffer the same, but cats are living creatures too, they can’t be given a home, but they do not need to be attacked publically.  The cat, on my block with one eye, always stare at humans, but if I take one step near the cat, it runs away, thinking I will hurt it. And Billy, socializes with random people on the street but all cats aren’t the same, and Billy is definitely a unique cat.

            I think that stray cats is a social issue, they carry around diseases from hiding in dangerous places, from us. 

Love Aubrey - 11-15-2012

Reading response on 'Love Aubrey'

At first when i started this book, i thought it was some kind of romance story, but then i find out, in some parts of the book, the main character Aubrey writes letters to her lost family members,

On a rainy day, Aubrey and her family were going out for a drive in their car. Mom, Dad, Suzanne and Aubrey. The whole family out for a drive. The rain kept getting harder and harder, and soon her dad could not see the road anymore. A truck came on to the road and crashed into Aubrey's car, leaving her unconscious. Aubrey wakes up in a hospital and asks for her family. Only her mom is there. Her dad and her baby sister Suzanne had died.

The next day Aubrey woke up, and her mother wasn't home. It was the end of the day, and her mom still wasn't home, thats when Aubrey realized, her mom has also left her. This made Aubrey think that her mom loved her little sister Suzanne then she loved Aubrey. And Aubrey decided not to look for. Aubrey lived on her own for days, until her grandmother showed up and took her to Virginia.

I could tell that Aubrey was not comfortable moving to Virginia. In the mean time, Aubrey got a fish and named it Sammy, so she would have someone to talk to. In Virginia Aubrey met a girl, Brigid, and they became really good friends.

Aubrey told Brigid everything and, Brigid's family loved Aubrey.

While Aubrey's grandmother looked for her mother, Aubrey started school, and made friends, had counseling, and lived the life as a normal girl, until her mother showed up. In the end of the book, Aubrey's mother took her back home, and they lived together till the end.

I thought that the author was very detailed with this story, she elaborated alot, and she showed alot of descriptive language, you would be able to see yourself in Aubrey's shoes, and thats why i loved the story, i could see everything Aubrey had to put with. The writer must have wiritten a very good story outline, and put alot of work into this.

I reccomend this book to everyone!

Hurricane Sandy Blogpost

Around the end of October and the beginning of November, a devastating storm named Hurricane Sandy, also referred as 'Frankenstorm' hit. The hurricane ruined alot of houses and alot people, places lost power, broke down and even flooded, many people had to evacuate their destroyed house. The article "Lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy and how we need to apply them everyday" by Roney Cameron states, what happened during and after Hurricane Sandy and how peoples lives has been affected. Roney Cameron talks about the New Yorkers who's lives had changed and all the devastated things that has happened to them. The article "The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy" states the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, and what new Yorkers thought about it, and what they should have done, because alot of New Yorkers were careless about it.

In James Heiser's article "The Aftermath of hurricane Sandy" i found out that New Yorker's referred to the storm as "frankenstorm" because of how deadly Hurricane Sandy was in certain areas. Hurricane Sandy isn't that big, compared to the biggest Hurricane on the charts, Hurricane Sandy was not in the charts, because there were alot more bigger and deadlier Hurricane's before Sandy. This was in the time of politics. Obama put his politics away and worked on Sandy recovery. Sandy was a smaller home compared to Katrina, The people who have lost their homes, their homes will be repaired, but right now they remain at a evacuation center. Sandy wasn't as big as Katrina, but it was still pretty big and left alot of people homeless. There are a lot of people donating to the homeless people which is helping them alot.

In Roney Cameron's article "Lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy and how we need to apply them everyday" was at first introduced about the harm Sandy caused New York, and what happened. The author talks about a person who lost their home, in their point of view, which showed the readers a good idea of how Sandy was like. People went through tough times, they lost alot, and there are many people helping and doing as much as they can to help New York recover. Sandy caused alot of harm and it took a while to fix it. Mayor Bloomberg was a big help, and Obama, put away his political problems and things to help hurricane recovery, Obama is doing alot, and he committed to alot of things that will help New York. During Sandy, there wasn't really alot of political news going around, since everyone was focusing on the recovery of it. Hurricane Sandy was very confusing to some New Yorkers, because some New Yorkers never went through harsh conditions like they did for Hurricane Sandy, and whenever there was a disaster in another country, they completely ignored it, so those New Yorkers weren't ready for Hurricane Sandy because they had never experienced something like it.They now realize how much people were in need. New York needs infrastructure change.

Over all i think all the damage opened the eyes of the New Yorkers who wasn't prepared and that has never prepared for a hurricane. Sandy made people more aware, and they are ready at all times, the people who lost their home will be helped, power will be fixed and so will transit. Sandy made people realize that, there are much more worse storms then it, and people have to go through it and it is in very harsh conditions

Hurricane Sandy Blogpost

Blog Post #5

"Stir it up!" a novel by Ramin Ganeshram
This story is about a 13 year old girl named Anjali, who has a strong passion for cooking. She works in her family's restaurant called "Island Spice" when i read the book, i realized that she loved cooking in the restaraunt, but she is in such a rush, she doesn't enjoy it as much. Anjali's dad wants Anjali to go to a really good school in Manhattan called "Stuyvasent high school" Angali is quite smart and does want to go, but on the same day of the test an important cooking competition, and she is more passionate about that than she is of the Stuyvasent high school test. Anjali's dad does not approve, how does Anjali's dad change from the beginning to the end about Anjali's passion for cooking?

In the beginning of the book, Anjali's dad was strong about his shop, and did not notice her passion, and how much she loves to cook, he just had her cooking for his restaurant, Anjali's dad does know that Anjali is really smart, and he has high hopes for her, he wants her to be successful, with business, not with standing in a kitchen, little does he know, that all Anjali wants to do when she grows up, is to run a TV show, starring herself.

When Anjali gets an envelope, saying that her audition to a TV show called "Super Chef Kids" she is over whelmed with joy, because she has been worrying for months about getting through. She also gets her Stuyvasent letter, and the finals, is on the same day as her Stuyvasent test. This was the main problem in the book. Anjali showed her dad the letter, and he was pretty excited, but when he found out that it was on the same day as the Stuyvasent test, he was mad, and did not want Anjali to try out, no exceptions.

Anjali is determined to try out for the TV show, so she sends her best friend to take the Stuyvasent, test, and she wont even try. Anjali does not win the TV show, and her father finds out and he is angry as ever, taking away all her privileges. At the last show, when Anjali was going to be sent home, her dad had changed his mind and realized Anjali's passion for cooking, and respected that fact

I guess that Anjali's dad was too worked up with working to not realize that his daughter loved cooking. When the author described the restaurant in the story, it seemed like a very busy place. I guess that Anjali's dad was a bit too hard on Anjali and he realized it.

Essay On "The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh"

The book "The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh" Is a book about this boy, named Joby, Who is 14 years old, and is to be the drummer boy of Shiloh. Joby is afraid to be the drummer boy, and he also feels like he is useless and he won't help the soldiers of the war at all even though he will. I guess thats the two main things that worry Joby throughout the whole story. But something i focused on was how Joby changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story, to me, Joby changed quite alot.

Joby had thought that he was a useless part of the war, and he wouldn't have came to use, he thought that he wouldn't have helped the war or the soldiers in anyway, being in the war joby didn't have any confidence in himself, Joby was also worried about not surviving in the war, he thought that he might be the only one that might not survive. "Me, thought the boy, i got only a drum and 2 sticks to beat it, and no shield" That proves that Joby was afraid if he got hurt in the war, he wouldn't have a shield to protect himself, and he would be unprotected. he could get hurt at any time.

Joby was crying over the fact that he isn't protected and over the fact that he wouldn't be any use in the war, made him cry. I guess like any normal teenage boy, wanted to go home to his family and not be a part of the war. Joby has no confidence in himself at all about the war. "You want to cry some more? Go ahead, i did the same last night" This sentence that the general had said in the story proves that the general could relate to Joby in some way. He knew how Joby felt about being the drummer boy.

"You'll run them through from me then, boy?" the general asked "Yes Sir" Joby replied, full of confidence, by the end of the book, Joby was happy to be the drummer boy, in fact he seemed excited. I guess it was normal for him to be excited, he got a really nice talk complimenting him and stating how important he is to the army, and how his effort and spirit beating the drums, will keep the army going, and if they win it will all be due to Joby.

"You are the heart of the army, think about that" the general spoke making Joby feel better. Joby was listening to the general carefully, the general made Joby feel confident, special and useful. The general made Joby realized that he will be safe with the soldiers  as long as he beats his drums, the soldiers will keep moving and that will keep Joby safe. In the first two paragraphs, Joby was afraid but he changed throughout the story, and was more confident about who he is.

response on "Lush" by Natasha Friend

Lush By Natasha Friend, Is an extremely amazing book. The main character is so powerful, she goes through MANY problems, and they affect her so much but she deals with them

Her dad is a druggie. He is a drug addict, he is an alcoholic, Sam wakes up every night to something crashing, her dad cursing, going upstairs and screaming at her mom.

At school things are pretty much the same, Her best friend backstabbed her by doing something that changed her reputation in school, she is constantly bullied for her appereance, and called names. She does have friends to back her up, but that doesnt change a thing.

A place Sam feels better is the library. She writes to this mysterious person "AJK" AJK knows everything about Sam, and everything about Sam's life, but Sam has no idea who AJK is.

Then there is the usual love problems. Sam has a crush on this boy at school, he also like her, but the thing he doesnt know is that shes 13 years old and still a child. One night, he got Sam drunk, When Sam was drunk, She managed to mutter "Im a Kid" this is when her relation ship with the guy she likes ends.

The next day at school, she is called names, but nobody knows the truth. Her friends get mad at her because they assume things about her, and then she is left alone.

One day, her father was drunk and smashed a bottle against her baby brother's head, severely injuring him. Her father is sent to a place where druggies are.

Sam forgets her dad for a while

Near the end, Sam finds out about the Mysterious person AJK. Apperently it's someone she would never have imagined. This person brings Sam to her Dad.

I guess i could relate to Sam in a way, we both have brother which we are very self conscious, and we are the same age.

i thought it was amazing how Sam managed to put up with much, Especially when she found out she was a born mistake, which was not true.

Sam has an amazing personality, and Natasha Friend is a really great and descriptive writer

Response on Responses!

I really enjoyed reading Hale's Response, she  connected to one of the characters (Not the main one) But she gave a reason why. She connected to a character as the same age as her. She couldn't connect with the character well because there wasn't alot going on but she still connected in some ways. Hale was connected with 2 out of 3 of the main characters in her book. Hale also connected the main character of her book to the main character of another book called "The Drummer boy of Shiloh" Hale gave reasons why she thought these characters could similar, and i would have agreed with her. The response Hale wrote was great, and she explained alot, and it seemed interesting the way she blogged it, but she wouldn't reccomend to others, so i would prefer not to!

I also read Asma's blog of "Wicked" By Sara Shepard. This is a story of the Pretty Little Liars series. I watched the whole thing and am waiting for the next season, but i also read all the books quite awhile ago, i was really looking forward to reading Asma's blog, because i wanted to see her thoughts on the book. Asma summarized the whole book, which was a great idea, so people who didn't read it could get an idea of the book, i loved how she didn't give away too much though. She jots down what she notices in the book and she goes deep into her thoughts.

Make Lemonade response

Make Lemonade
By: Virginia Euwer Wolff

How does it feel to leave your best friend? or when they have to leave you? Its a very hard decision, sometimes. Sometimes you are forced to leave them, and sometimes they are forced to leave you. It makes a big difference in your life, it impacts it. I experienced it, but i actually couldn't care less and i don't regret it all because, she didn't impact my life at all. She was just, a person, who wanted to ruin it? When your really attached to someone  you don't want to leave them, no matter what. It is a decision you have to think hard about. In the book Make Lemonade, they main character experienced it.

A fourteen year old girl named La Vaughn, needs to work, go to school and save money for college and she needed to get out of America,her mom supported her, she needed a job for that. She decides to babysit a lonely teen age mother named Jolly. Jolly had two kids. Jeremy and Jilly. Jolly loves her kids with everything they have, but the environment they live in is disgusting. No proper food, no education, and no going outside of the world at all. They have a terrible living. The beginning is fine, where Jolly goes work and La Vaughn baby sits the kids after school, and she works very hard, to finish her homework in time and babysitting, she has confidence in her self because she was a polite girl. La Vaughn gives Jeremy and Jilly lemon seeds, but they never sprout. Jolly could afford to pay La Vaughn for her escape and for herself. La Vaughn and Jolly become good friends. But then La Vaughn realizes that Jolly, cant escape. She had no education, she was completely illiterate, and she has no family, she can go to. She cant take the welfare charges, they will take away her children. La Vaughn Baby sits Jeremy and Jilly for free. La Vaughn Persuades Jolly to go to school since she lost her job. La Vaughn works hard for the kids, she even uses her own money for their clothes. But over all La Vaughn works hard for them, and so does Jolly, but La Vaughn Still needs to get out of the inner city. In the end of the book, La Vaughn leave the job with Jolly since there is a day care in her high school.

In the end of the book, Jolly tells a Vaughn that the lemon seeds she gave Jeremy and Jilly, had sprouted. and then the book ends. That part pretty much summed up the whole story, in the beginning, it wouldn't sprout because of the problems, and in the end, when they succeed the lemon seeds sprout. That explains the tite, and i think the author used the lemon seeds as a story board, which was a really good idea. And it was a great way to end the book. Throughout the whole book i was confused with the name "Make Lemonade" and the end gives away alot. When i first saw the book, i thought it would be about a girl who makes lemonade for college, but it was different. Virginia Euwer Wolff is a clever writer! I would reccomend this book to everyone in my class, its a GREAT book!