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!