Weekly Book Response #3

NAME Maddie DATE 10/19/10

TITLE Elephant Run TIME 4  HOURS

AUTHOR Ronald Smith PAGES 1- 318

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 318 

        The book Elephant Run was one of the best books I have ever read. It was a fascinating and exciting story of a boy trying to survive in World War II and save his family and friends. It was a thrilling and action-packed adventure that kept you turning the pages to figure out more. I loved reading this story and I learned a lot of new interesting things about Burmese culture. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrilling adventures and captivating plots.


      This book had a lot of very strong points but there was one line that really stood out to me. It was, "In the end, the only thing that really matters is family.  These are the people who will be beside you when you die. Or you at theirs." It was so meaningful; family is the only thing that survives through thick and thin. Family will always be there for you when you need them, they stay by your side. This book refers a lot to the importance of family but this quote meant a lot to me. Family is what it all comes down to, those are the people that you can trust, the people that know you the most. There was so much power behind those words, so much strength. The reason Nick's father pushed himself through each day at a rough labor camp was the image of seeing his son when the war had ended. Family will give anything for each other. Their bonds are so strong that nothing can break them; nothing can tear them apart. Indaw stayed at his labor camp because he knew if he escaped his sister could be killed. Families give their lives for each other, everything they have. This quote shares the importance and strength of family and the power that it holds.  


       Many of things I read in this book surprised me. The war was shocking. How could these soldiers be so senseless to shoot someone on the spot, to behead people that were in defiance. They lived every day, they slept and woke up, they ate and drank, they had families too, but they were different. These soldiers were ruthless, they killed innocent adults and children. They enslaved all of the Burmese and forced them to work as slaves or in camps. This was shocking to me. Some of these people had families and children, how could they look into the eyes of people who's children they had just killed? How could they not feel any pain when they looked at the starving people they had enslaved? Yet they felt no remorse or pain, only hatred. That was another thing that surprised me in this book, the hatred. People in this war had such strong hate for each other. They would be willing to kill the other, some of them wanted to. These people did not know each other, their back rounds or who they were, but they were willing to take their lives away. The hatred was that strong.


       I felt a lot of different emotions while reading this book, I was scared for Nick, I wanted him to escape and save his family and friends and I wanted the war to be over. Every minute Nick spent as a slave he was in danger. When he escaped with Mya every second they were at risk of being discovered. If they were discovered they would be killed. I was always scared and worried about what could happen, the dangers they were facing and the threats that it could have on their life. Everything had a risk, a chance of death, nothing was safe. I was scared for Nick and Mya and wanted them to escape. I was sad for the soldiers like Sonji that were forced to work in the war, the innocent people they had to watch be murdered or starve to death. Also, I was angry. Angry at the people who started the war, killed all these people, and separated all these families. What right did they have to take over this land and murder these innocent people? I thought about all the pain and suffering, on both sides. I wondered, is this really worth it? Through out this book I have felt scared for Nick and Mya,and felt fear and sadness for the soldiers and families lost in the war. Also, I felt anger at the people who started this war and the pain and death it caused.
  

        I think the authors message in this book was not only about the power that war has. The anger and hate of people and the fights that cost many people's lives. This story shows the life of a country that couldn't fight back even though some wanted to. A people were taken over and treated as prisoners of war. This story is about a couple people's lives as they lived through the war and eventually ran away together. The unfairness of wars and the obstacles they had to overcome. But there was another message even deeper then that. Family and friendship was one of the main themes in this book. The power that families have, they will do anything for each other. As you grow your friends will change and you will meet new people and forget about the old ones. Family is not like that. You are always family, through everything that happened, is happening, or will ever happen. Family keeps us going through the day, the people who will put our broken pieces back together. We need them and they need us, we keep each other going. The power and love that families have is a big part of this story during the war. The sacrifices people made and the pain they went through. Nick's father was dying he hung onto his life for longer than anyone could expect, he survived. It was just so he could see his sons face once again that kept him clinging for his life. That is what it all comes down to, family. These are the people that have known you forever and will know you forever. Family is the glue between our many cracks that keeps us going and patches us back together. You can always count on family. This book taught me a lot about the importance of family, I have never read anything like it. I really enjoyed reading it and learned a lot.

I am reading Elephant Run by Ronald  Smith.

Weekly Book Response

NAME Maddie Menke DATE 10/14/10 TITLE Catching Fire TIME_5_HOURS

AUTHOR  Suzanne Collins  PAGES  1 - 391

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK_391  

        This book was amazing, just like the first one was, with a lot of action and suspense. I could not put it down. My favorite line is something that Katniss, the main character said. "I'm sorry, Peeta, I think. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. Save him? More likely I stole his last chance at life, condemned him, by destroying the force field. Maybe, if we had all played by the rules, they might have let him live." This quote was so meaningful to me because of the power of her words. She was going to kill him, kill them all, but it was for the greater good. To defeat the real enemy, the leader of the games. She was sad that she couldn't save him, keep him alive even though he would rather die than live in a world without her. This shows the power of their friendship. She wanted to die for him, to let him get a chance at life. It amazed me how she was ready to kill the four or five of her friends in the arena because she knew it was right, it was what she needed to do. She didn't let her feelings for them or for her own life get in the way but she fought for what she knew was right, she fought to take the Capitol down. I thought about the amazing strength she must have had to make that choice and this quote really stood out to me.

       I wondered about a lot of things while reading this book. I thought about the power of friendship and the amazing strength it has. The power of love, to protect someone, lay your life down for someone. In this book Katniss is willing to sacrifice herself for her friends, there are many examples of it throughout the story. She puts herself in between the man with the whip and Gale. She let the whip hit her in the face to protect him. Also, in the arena and throughout the book she has told Haymitch, their mentor, that they need to keep Peeta alive, no matter the cost. In the arena her only thoughts are to keep him alive. She wants to kill herself in the end and leave him as the victor of the games. I thought about the strength and power that friendship holds, the feeling that you could not manage to live without someone. Her feelings are so strong, at one point when she thinks that Peeta has been captured, she tries to find him, she wants to kill him so they wont torture him to his death. She is willing to kill him so he might not have the same horrible fate as her. This book talks a lot about the amazing power of friendship.

        What I found confusing in this book was all of Katniss's different emotions. She never knew what she felt. She had a two very interesting relationships with two boys in this book, Peeta and Gale. Both of them were in love with her but she did not know how she felt for them. She loved Peeta, she was completely willing to lay her life down for him but she didn't feel in love with him as he did for her. Everything she did was for their survival, to keep him alive. If that meant marrying him, that is what she would do. She loves Peeta and sometimes she felt like it is more than just a friendship but her feelings are always so confusing she just doesn't understand. With Gale it might have turned into something else but that is impossible now. He loved her and she loved him. He was her closest friend, she would do anything to protect him, but she never felt in love with him. She is hurting both of them, when she wants to help them, she wants them to understand. But she doesn't even understand herself.

        At the end of this book Katniss is rescued by Haymitch and reunited with her friends. They are running away from the sectors, running away from the Capitol. Now a lot of people are going against the Capitol, rioting, trying to escape. Katniss is the leader though she did not intend to be. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol even though Katniss had tried as hard as she could to protect him, she has been saved and now he is in danger. In the next book my prediction is that Katniss will go off on a journey to rescue Peeta from the hands of the Capitol and try to escape and find what could be in Sector Thirteen. They were told it was destroyed  but they show the same footage for every showing they have of it, if that is not really Sector Thirteen, what is? What is hiding there? My prediction for the next novel is that Katniss will take on an adventure to save Peeta and discover what lies in Sector Thirteen. 
         This book was astounding and I would definitely read another book by this author. Suzanne Collins has a very interesting style of writing and the way she writes books makes it impossible to put down. The suspense and action makes you hang on to every word. You want Katniss to live through the games, and you want Peeta to live through them too. But them both making it through is impossible. Suzanne Collins draws you closer to characters so you care about them when they are in danger and cry when they are hurt or die. The way she writes this story makes you feel that you are in the arena with Katniss and Peeta, you feel their fear and pain. She writes about many things that leave you up in bed at night wondering. What is right and what is wrong? What you want might not always be the best answer. Suzanne Collins talks about the power of sacrifice and the strength of friendship. Chasing Fire was an amazing book that I recommend you read!

I am reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

Weekly Reading Response

NAME  Maddie M DATE 10/07/10

TITLE The Hunger Games TIME  3   HOURS

AUTHOR Suzanne Collins PAGES 0  - 374

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 374

         The book I read was a exhilarating novel that I could not put down.  It had suspense, action, and emotions that could make you laugh or cry for the characters. This was a thrilling story that made you feel like you were there in the book and some moments took my breath away. This book made me angry at first, I was mad when Katniss had to go to the hunger games and leave what she had behind. Her sister, her mother, her whole life. She could be saying goodbye to her life forever, it was very likely. But I was surprised at how much compassion I felt toward her as she held back her tears even though she was going into a situation that she might not live to talk about. How she held her head high even though inside she was breaking. Throughout this story I have been disgusted by the hunger games. How they are considered a sport, a game, entertainment for viewers. How could they so thoughtlessly kill twenty three innocent children every year to something they called a game? It was horrifying. I was surprised at how easily the kids could adjust to the mind set of killing each other. The hatred that flowed between each other. It shocked me at how ready to kill each other they were. How eager to survive. That was their only thought, survival. Anything they could do to live for one day longer. 

         In this book I had many different feelings. I was angry at the people who put these children in the hunger games. It was murder. Watching the horrifying deaths of twenty three children seemed like cruel entertainment. I was also scared for Katniss, every day she was in danger. Anyone could pop in front of her and kill her before she could do anything.  Every night I waited in fear that someone could creep up on her in her sleep and take away her life. In the morning when she arose I would breathe a deep sigh of relief. It was so easy to die in there. Her only way of survival was to kill all the others. You could win but at what cost? I had contradicting feelings, I didn't want Katniss to die, I wanted her to make it through with all of my heart. But what about the lives of the others? Those were people, children who had lives too. It was confusing, what I knew was right and what I wanted were impossible. Only one could win but how could she kill all the others. How could she live with herself with the death of all those people on her shoulders? If you won you became famous and it would change your life forever, if you lost you died. I didn't want anyone to die but I wanted Katniss to live, to make it through the games no matter what it cost her.  

         What surprised me was how the people and the president were convinced this solution of the hunger games was the best way to prevent people from rebelling. How they could so easily kill twenty three people without feeling any remorse. They considered it a game. It also shocked me how desperate these children were to live. Everything Katniss did was based on survival, she weighed all options of her survival and what was the best to do. It amazed me how she could live for another day with the only things she had. She always had a plan, a way of escape, a way to defend herself. They all knew that survival was only possible without the others and their own survival meant that much to them. Alliances were good until it came down just to two people. You couldn't get close to someone because you could be the one to have to end their life. It surprised me but it made sense, these were children who everyday worried about their survival. They knew how to take care of themselves. I just thought that if I was in the same situation I would not be able to end another person's life just so that I could live. It wouldn't be worth it. My life isn't worth the death of someone else and the grieving and pain that it would cost their friends and family. It surprised me the power of their will to live.

         
        This book was taken place in a future time and it made me think about our future. Could we end up like this? All our essence of humanity lost in a game of murder?  It made me think about how far we have come in our existence. The lessons we have learned. That murder is not a form of entertainment and how we do not force people to do things so they wont rebel. Our society seems much more advanced then theirs and it makes me wonder what the future has to hold for us. I think one of the themes in this book is the power and strength of our ideas and beliefs. The power of the will to survive. Katniss knows that these games are not right and she stands up against the people in charge. She will not let them make her kill her only friend in the hunger games, the one who saved her life. When she began the games she thought she would be able to kill any one of them to survive but she couldn't take his life away, he was her friend.  This book is about following what you know is right and being determined to get your goal no matter what the odds. You always have a chance, it doesn't matter how unlikely it is, nothing is impossible. Stand up for what you believe in and don't let someone make you change your views. The Hunger Games is about fighting for what you know is right and never giving up. This was an amazing story that taught me many new things.

I am reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Of Mice and Men Post #5

       Rabbits are a big part of the story Of Mice and Men. They have a big meaning to Lennie. He saw rabbits at the fair once and he thought they were nice, fluffy, and good to pet. He likes to pet soft things. After that he has always wanted to have rabbits; live on a farm and tend rabbits. He has had mice which he likes to pet too but they are too small and he kills them by accident. He wants a rabbit because they will be bigger and he can pet them with out crushing them. Rabbits are Lennie's dream, he is always thinking about them and talking about them. They are always part of his decisions and consuming his thoughts constantly. The rabbits represent the dream and the reason behind what Lennie does. The rabits in the story represent the dream and the reason. The rabbits are a dream that is less like a fantasy and more like a reality.  Lennie in this story represents the child in everybody. The one who you can tell your troubles to because you know they will forget. The one who doesn't care about race or status differences, but someone who will always speak their thoughts. Lennie doesn't care that Crooks is black, he just wants a friend. He doesn't care Slim is of higher status then him and he isn't afraid to say that Curly's wife is pretty. He is just like the kid they once were and deep down still are. He represents a child with a dream that he will do anything to achieve. He is the determination and child in each of us. I was shocked when Lennie killed Curly's wife but I could tell once he started to feel her hair that he was not going to let go. He was too strong he didn't know that he could break her so easily. I was sad for Curly's wife who had a lonely life and that she had to die. I was sad for Lennie because this is the worst trouble he has ever gotten in to. This was not something he could run away from, Curly will kill him. George will not be able to save Lennie from this one. Lennie will be put in jail or killed. All of their dreams will end and all of their hopes will be crushed now all because of Curly's wife. Curly's wife was considered a tart and a women that flirts with other men. But really she was just lonely because she could never go anywhere or talk to anyone without Curly freaking out. She is lonely sitting alone at the house by herself and wishes she could have done something with her life. She represents a lost dream that is trying to get out and be fulfilled, but something keeps pushing her back and away so that she will never surface and come true. She just wants attention and to be noticed, not to be pushed away again and again. She is not a flirt just lonely like a dream that wants to happen and keeps being pushed away, and is one day killed. Curly's wife also represents loneliness and isolation because she is always by herself and just wants attention. Everything in the book Of Mice and Men has meaning, you just need to dig deep to find it.

Journal Entry- Curly's Perspective #2

Dear Diary,

     Today was a long day, I'm writin' from the infirmary where I has been stuck the last couple hours. This mornin' I met the devil reincarnations myself. Two new men workin' at this here farm. The one they call George is about my size, smaller then the other one, but the bigger one listens to every word he says. The big one don't talk much neither. They travel together which is diffrent for the folk around here, but then again, they are different. I knew from the start. George got attitude, and I don't like him one bit. But they buck barley fine though and thas' what there here for. Then big one Lennie, they says, is kinda quiet and what I hear from George, dumb. All of those people in that bunkhouse are like that though, all of  'em seem to team up against me or something, the brutes. I aint done nothing to them that they aint deserve, some folk are just like that I suppose. There aint nothin' you can do about them. 

    I'm afraid to still be talkin' about my wife, I know it's only been problems the last two weeks since we got married. She is always out and about and I 'ave to go lookin' for her. I've heard what they all say about my wife, that I spend half my time lookin' for her and the other 'alf she is lookin' for me. Yeah, I have sure heard the remarks that Candy thinks he says behind my back, he thinks she's a tart, but he's wrong. She doesn't 'ave the "eye" either. She's just a real nice girl. I never met anyone like her, she is so beautiful with them full lips and long ringlets of hair. She's sure nice too, a sweet thing, and I aint gonna let them fool boys mess with her.

    Today, I was lookin' for my wife and went to the bunkhouse to see if she was there. She wasn't 'course but Slim wasn't niether so I went down to find 'im. He was there but he got all worked up over my simple question of if he knew where my wife was. I wasn't gonna fight him none, its not that I'm yellow, but he is stronger then me and it wouldn't be fair. We got back to the bunkhouse and all them guys were callin' me yellow and there was Lennie. The big guy, jus' laughing. That pushed me over the edge. I went over to 'im ready for a fight. But he wouldn't fight me none. Jus' loooked at George and says that I'm hurtin' him. Now George is mad and tells Lennie to go at me, not let me do that to 'im. Lennie gets this sad look on his face as he grabs my hand and squeezes. I 'ave never felt like that in my life before. The pain made me stop dead. He was crushin' my hand like a paper cup. I could 'ear them bones snapping, each one of 'em under his big fist but he wouldn't stop. George was slappin' him now but he wouldn't let go. His eyes were wide like he was scared as he crushed the life out of my hand. Then, he let go. I couldn't speak, my face was white and dry as paper as I felt my hand throb. I was shakin' as I looked into Lennie's horrified face and I 'ave never been more scared in my life. Then Slim was talkin' and it took all my effort to listen to 'im. He says then that I better not tell and I just nod my head and the words I wont come out like a whisper. I'm scared now, I don't want no one thinkin' I'm yella' but I aint gonna go against Lennie no more. My hand got crushed in one of them machines, thas' what I'll tell 'em if they ask. I don't want no trouble. Thas' all I has time for tonight. I'll right again soon.

Curly.  

Journal Entry- Lennie's Perspective

Dear Diary,

      I has no way of knowin' for sure but I think we are gonna be stuck here a'while at this farm. I hate it here. It aint the farm, I'm fine with buckin' barley, its just Curly, he gives me the creeps. He march in today, I never seen the man before and it's like he hates me and wants to fight me. He's so pugnacious it almost makes me wanna beg George to let us go home but I know I wont. George is so imperious what I think don't matter I jus' gotta shut up and work. I'm scared, but I'm not gonna let George know, I know we need the jack but what if Curly hits me? What am I gonna do? He's the bosses son they say, so I can't touch him, not that I wanna. George says no trouble or I can't tend the rabbits and how I wanna tend the rabbits and feel their fluffy fur. Kinda like a mouse but bigger and with nice long ears and fluffy puff ball tails.  George promised I could tend the rabbits I just have to be good and not get in trouble. I don't wanna get in no trouble I jus' do. I know George don't want me none sometimes and I try real hard to be good but he gets mad at me often enough and I know it would be better for him if I were up in those hills, in a cave somewhere.

      Today we was bucking barely, and them men must be pretty weak or I did good 'cause George looked proud. I like it when George is proud of me, maybe now he will forget I broke my promise by talking when we came to work here. I didn't mean no harm to anyone, it just slipped out. It's not jus' Curly that we was having problems with, we also met his wife today. She's real purty. She has these full, rosy lips and her hair rolled down her head real nice. I don't know why George got so mad at me I was only looking, I wasn't gonna do nothing. I wish he knew how I felt, that I really didn't mean to make him mad.

     I got a puppy today! A real live puppy! George asked Slim, a man in our room if he could have one of the new pups that Slim had just had. He's brown and white and so little. He smelled of the fresh outdoors and squirmed a little in my careful grasp. If it were up to me I would sleep in the barn with them pups they was so cute. But it's not... I tried to to sneak the brown and white one in to sleep with, hid him under my shirt I did. But when I was recumbent on the bed I shifted so George wouldn't see the pup. He did anyway. He always does. I morosely handed the tiny pup over to George. I didn't do nothin' wrong I wasn't gonna hurt it but he took the pup anyways and told me to put him back. So far I like the pup but I'm still a little scared and nervous of the farm. I'm not real sure but I do know that George will protect me and I him. That's all I've got for now.

Of Mice and Men Post #2

Describe the way George treats Lennie. Explain how you think George really feels about him.


George and Lennie are best friends but their relationship is different then a regular friendship. Lennie is dependent on George like a son and father. Lennie completely looks up to George  and needs George. But George gets irritated with Lennie because he acts like a child, he is a constant burden for George and Lennie can't keep a job. George could have a much easier life by himself instead of having to look out for Lennie all the time but he stays with Lennie because he really does like him. George treats Lennie like a child, he is caring but gets very frustrated with Lennie when he forgets or does something wrong. Lennie always tries to please George and George acts like he wished he could leave Lennie but deep down George really cares about him. He understands Lennie like no one else does and is always there to protect him.


 What is George and Lennie's dream? Provide details. Do you think it's realistic or not? 


George and Lennie's dream is to get all their money together and have a little house and a couple acres of land. They will have cows, pigs, chickens, and rabbits. Lennie loves rabbits, he will be able to tend the rabbits. They will farm and raise animals and as Lennie says "live off the fat of the land".  This is a very typical dream of migrant workers, to live some place and have a home and not have to work for someone. It's not very likely that they will be able to buy some land and animals with the little money that they have and that they earn. It is a a good dream but a lot of things could go wrong so that they won't be able to have their own land or even a job. They both believe so strongly in it that I think they could make it happen and it is possible. I don't think it is very likely but it is definitely possible and they should not give up hope.


Why do you think George says that migrant workers who travel from farm to farm are the loneliest people in the world? What makes he and Lennie different?

George says that migrant workers are the loneliest people in the world because they travel from farm to farm and are constantly moving. They can never call one place their home because they move in one day and out the next. They never know what's going to happen or how long they will stay. They don't want to make new friendships in places because that will just make it harder to leave, so they don't get close to people and move on and on alone. They have no family, no life outside of their jobs, they work to stay alive, with nothing to look ahead to as they work slowly through every day. For George and Lennie it's different, they have each other, George to take care of Lennie and Lennie to take care of George. They have each other so they don't feel alone. They are together and they have a purpose, a goal. They have something to look forward to each and every day. Their dream and each other is what keeps them from being alone. They have someone who cares about them and would do anything for them. They are not alone in the world because they know they other one is looking out for them. When bad things happen they are together, they don't have to face anything alone. 

 

Pre-reading Questions

Why do we have friends?

    Friends are people we confide in, who we trust to tell us the absolute truth. Friends are people who will stand up for us, watch out for us, and pick up the broken pieces when we are hurt. Friends care about one another and lift each other up; they are people who understand each other. Everyone needs a friend, they make you happy when you see them and are always there for you. If we didn't have friends we would be lonely with no one to share our feelings with and no one to understand us. Friends help make you what you are. You need your friends to show you a different view of the world and to learn new things. We need them to support us and stand by us through hard times. We have friends because together we are stronger then any of us could be apart. 

What makes a "good" friend?

A good friend is someone who is always there for you. Someone who stands up for you and helps you when you need them. A good friend understands you, not the outside of who you are but the inside, they understand how you feel and who you really are underneath everything. They are someone you can laugh with and cry with, and someone you can trust. A good friend will support you and be there at your side when you need them. A good friend is someone who will fight for you because they are the only ones who really know you.  

What is one of your big dreams in life?

One of my big dreams is to make a change in the world. I want to start an organization that will save the starving families and displaced children from war. I want to work to show people the affect we have on the world and what we are doing to our world, our home. I want to inform people that this is all of our problems and that we all need to work together. People do not realize the impact that we are making in the world. People don't know about the people that are dying from starvation and thirst, people who are lost in wars. Some don't realize how we are destroying and polluting our earth.  We are not separated by our countries we are united as a world. I want to unite the world together to save our home. It has always been a dream of mine as I have learned about children lost in wars and people who are dying from starvation and thirst to fix it. I have always been against wars and we should all work together as a world. We all share the same earth and we all need to treat it with respect. I want to be able to join our countries and cultures together to save the people who need us. I know this will be hard because some people wont want to listen so I know there are many things that might go wrong in my future, but I want to try because its worth it.

The Best Book I Read this Summer

My favorite book I read this summer was a book called First they Killed my Father. It was a nonfiction retelling of a five year old girls life in Cambodia. It is a story of a girl named Loung and her familiy when soldiers make them leave there village and work in camps. They are taken from their homes and forced to grow crops and serve Angkar the leader. The story is about her life in the camps as their family is separated, and how the people around them starve to death from the decreasing food rations. She talks about her hunger how she always thinks and dreams about food, and what she gets is never enough. Loung retells the story of how they all separate to keep there lives. She fights as a child soldier and all she thinks about is staying alive for another day. First they Killed my Father is and amazing and heartbreaking story of a five year old girls life in Cambodia. The things she sees and the people she loses, and how she never gives up and she keeps on going and fighting for her life. This book is facsinating and compelling and I would definetly recommend it for people who like action, drama, suspense, and nonfiction. This book is not for everybody, it is very sad and harsh, it is a very real and graphic story so not everyone would like it, but it is a very emotional and deep story that I found hard to put down.