To Kill a Mockingbird Post #5

--Journal Entry--

Chapters 18-24

Jem Finch

          I watched my father walk across the floor. Pacing, talking to each witness. I watched and listened with unnerving tension during the entire trial. I felt Scout shift next to me, fidgeting. I could tell she understood none of what they were saying, she was just watching our father talk. And he was talking, there was complete silence in the room, the bustling, fidgeting, tapping, and sighing was gone. Eyes were wide and you could tell every single person in that courtroom was slowly taking in every word he said. It felt like we were slowly melting, all of us packed together in this burning hot room, but I barely felt the heat. I was too focused on Mr. Ewell and his lies, his trash talking, his not even stealthy deception, and his pure hate for all colored folks. He was a pure fraud, plain and simple. Then Mayella, how no one seemed to notice that their stories were different. Mr. Ewell said he chased Tom out of the house and Mayella claimed that he ran up to her and yelled "who done it?". Nothing seemed to matter, it was irrelevant, even with the lack of evidence, with Mayella basically admitting her father beat her instead, and the pure impossiblity that Tom could have done this. No, even with all that, Tom was black and that meant he was guilty.

         I was sure we were going to win this case at first, with all the evidence it seemed impossible to vote otherwise. We waited for two hours in the courtroom. Two hours for the court to decide, normally it would have been about five minutes for the jury to convict a black man against a white one. Scout looked like she was going to fall asleep, I subtly tried to shake her but she was bored, clearly not as an excited as me. I was wide awake, anxious for the outcome, convinced that he would be found innocent. It was so clear, clear enough for Scout to understand. But somehow, grown men with educations and experience could not understand something a simple 8 year old could.

       My breath seemed to disapear when the jurors walked out, and my heart sank. Everbody knows when the jury convicts the defendant they don't look at him, and the jurors were averting their eyes from Tom. No, I thought, this was not possible. The announcement came out, Tom Robinson was found guilty. Before I could stop them, tears streamed down my face. Sticky, and hot, and they made my eyes burn. Why? I wanted to shout, yell at them. How could you do that? How could you convict him? Were they not paying attention? There was no way he was guilty, but they couldn't believe a black man over a white one. Predjudice came before justice. White people being "better" than black people was going to send Tom Robinson to jail for a crime he did not commit. I tried to choke back my tears that were flowing down. It just wasn't right, it just wasn't. I started to realize we weren't all the same folks. We were separated into groups and nothing could ever make us get along. It was sad, we were all not joined as people, we were separated by our tiny differences. Like where we live and the color of our skin. A thought occured to me, maybe Boo Radley stays inside because he doesn't want to come out. Maybe, he doesn't want to leave and come out into this unfair world.

To Kill a Mockingbird Post #4

--Journal Entry--

Chapters 13-15

Dill Harris

       The cold floor was making my back ache along the ground. My spine felt like it was going to have a permanent curve from this awkward position. By now I had acquired a sharp pain in my legs from lack of movement. I desperately wanted to kick and shake out the pins and needles from it falling asleep but I couldn't risk making any noise. I tried to keep my breathing even and relax but it was hard to breathe the musty air and dust on the underside of Scout's bed. I ran my hands along the wood planks covering the bottom of her bed. I heard the tinkling and clattering of plates and voices in the dining room as I assumed the Finch's were eating supper. I felt my stomach growl and shake. How long had it been since I had eaten? One... maybe two days? I couldn't remember but it felt like forever. It was hard enough to think about something besides food without all the clattering of forks and knives.

       Slowly, the day to came to an end. After a fuss in the living room that involved Atticus and Scout and Jem’s Aunt Alexandra that I could barely hear, a fight broke out between Scout and Jem. He seemed so much older now, I was surprised that she had the guts to antagonize him. Of course, I could only see their feet but I could hear the shrieks and screams, Jem was so much bigger but Scout was putting up a good fight. I almost thought to jump out and help her, teaming up I think we could take him down but Atticus came in. I felt like I was watching a movie, lying under a bed watching the events unfold. It was interesting, when I was not dying of hunger or bored out of my mind, all alone in her messy room. I would have had a better perspective on all of this of course, with some food in my stomach. Scout crawled into bed then so I had to be quiet. I was careful not to breathe too loudly, but she bumped into me. I squirmed away in terror. I knew I was going to have to come out eventually but what were they going to think? It was too late, I saw Scout’s feet scrape the ground as she got out of bed and called for Jem. Now I knew I was in for it. Jem is smart, like Scout-plus-me-times-twenty smart. He would be able to find me. I tried to hold my breath and stayed as still as possible. A broom swooped under the bed a couple inches from my knee. I grunted without catching myself as I scrambled away in fear. “Do snakes grunt?” Scout asked, curious. That’s when Jem figured it out. I wasn’t a snake, I was a person. The next broom swipe missed my head by centimeters as I slowly emerged from under the bed. I had so carefully planned out my escape to make it infallible, but what now? What was I supposed to say? I stood there sheepish as I slowly looked at their gaping stares.

    I started off with another made up story about my parents hiding me in a cellar and barely being able to escape. I could tell they didn’t buy all my lies but they were too shocked to say anything about it. I mean, how was I suposed to say I ran away from a family that loved me? I got everything I want. They would think I was spoiled and send me back. And maybe I was, but my family didn't want me. Like I told Scout a little later, they didn't want to spend time with me. They would buy me toys and then make me go play by myself. It's not that they didn't love me, they told me they did everyday, it was simply that they didn't want to be around me. I was a nuisence. I could feel it, they wanted piece and quiet, and they gave me stern looks whenever I walked in. So I gathered my things together and took the train to Maycomb. Atticus, Jem, and Scout are more of like family, I knew that I was not wanted with my mother and step father. Now, my plan to get to Maycomb and to the Finch's place was clever. In fact, I spent all my time figuring that out that I didn't consider what might happen when they found me. So then, I found myself sitting in front of Atticus begging him not to make me go back. He was actually very pensive and calm, which I don't think a lot of grown-ups would have been if they found a boy hiding under the bed that shouldn't even be in town. He let me spend the night, and as I got ready for bed I already felt like I was back home.   

To Kill a Mockingbird Post #3

-Journal Entry-

Atticus Finch

Chapters 10-11

         

        It was late in the afternoon, my mind was spinning with laws, statements, and evidence. Papers clustered across my desk as I racked my brains for an idea. Scribbles of messy words and sentences scrawled across crumpled paper as I tried, and tried again, to write it out. I suppose the blistering heat baking through the windows wasn't helping either. It felt like I had been sitting in this stiff chair, preoccupied with my work for far too long. Then I got the call. Calpurnia said there was a crazy dog outside our house. It was not the typical time for those dogs to be out but she seemed quite sure so I ran out to get there as quickly as I could. By the time I got to the house I could see it. I skinny little thing, definitely crazy, wandering across the street, wobbling on its feet. Foam slowly dripped from its mouth dribbling along, and his eyes danced around, unfocused. I yelled for Jem and Scout to run inside, which I could tell they did not enjoy, but they did not dare to contradict me.

       We were not in grave peril, the dog was wandering around several meters down the road, but he was  dangerous for sure. He was definitely not inconspicuous, stumbling up and down the street, he would have to be shot before he hurt someone. We walked to as close as we dared get to the dog, and the Hector Tate pulled out his gun. After a bit of fumbling he glared at the gun, it was clear he did not believe he could hit the dog, and tried to hand it to me. I refused, I hadn't shot in ages, and this was not an easy shot either. But Hector was cantankerous, this was a one shot task. A miss would send the dog running and it could be hours before we could find him again. I mumbled something inaudible and reached for the gun. Pulling it into my hands I squinted, trying to aim. My hands were sweating from the heat and slipping off the gun as I gripped the sides. My hair started to slide in my face and I squinted through the gun at the dog. My glasses were slipping down my nose from the dribbling sweat. I pushed them up three times before I gave up and dropped them behind me. I would rather take the shot with bad eye sight then with those frustrating glasses slipping off. I prepared for the shot, focused and aware. I could feel the stillness in the air and there was no sound as I felt four pairs of eyes on me, watching what I did next. My finger clenched on the trigger and the gunshot broke through the silence, and with a yelp, the dog fell over. A rush of familiar excitement ran through me as I remembered those old days. When I could shoot anything from anywhere, and hit it on the first shot. I had given up the sport many years ago but that surge of energy when the bullet left the gun reminded me of those times. I went back to work after that, Jem's face of pure disbelief imprinted in my mind.   



To Kill a Mockingbird Post #2

-Journal Entry #2-

Chapters 4-9

Miss Maudie

        I have been staring at this journal for over an hour now. Looking at these blank pages wondering how to describe today. It is not that nothing happened, that I don't know what to talk about, in fact, it is quite the opposite. I am trying to find words to describe everything that happened and it is quite frustrating. It is important when things happen to put them all in perspective, not to get caught up in the little, inconspicuous challenges of life. I can only assume that bad things happen so better things can unfold. Saying that today was a bad day would be an enormous understatement. But I'm not quite sure if it was bad, true, some things did not go my way and there are some definite changes for me in the future. But, they could have been a whole lot worse.

     I was sleeping when it happened, the fire was lit in the fire place, warming the air on this chilly night. The snow was drifting down in fluffy puffs outside. This was the first time in ages that it snowed in Maycomb, a horror seeing as though it could most possibly kill a great deal of my azaleas. Little did I know that my azaleas were not the thing most in peril. It was about one in the morning when it happened. I was awoken to the awful smell of smoke charring my nostrils. I was confused for a second, drowsiness taking over my senses but the smell was growing stronger, burning my lungs every breath I took. Fire. I looked around begging for something to contradict my assumption, but I could seem bright hot flames. The thought started to sink in. My house was on fire. In a second I was in action. Don't panic, I cautioned myself. I felt everything in slow motion, everything inaudible but my pounding heart. Looking from the window I saw a clear path from my bedroom out of the front door. I threw on slippers, an over coat, and ran. The icy cold air stung at my warm skin and my hair was strewn in a mess across my head as I ran to Ms. Stephanie's. 

        By the time Atticus, Jem, and Scout made it out of their house, still groggy, the firemen were on the way. They couldn't go very fast through the snow though. Men were running, some still in pajamas, it seemed like the whole town had showed up. Splashes of orange and red seemed to engulf one side of the house. People were running through pulling out furniture now. Everyone was moving so quickly and all I could do was shake where I stood. It was freezing, yet I did not feel the cold, my eyes were entranced on the bright flames wrapping around the walls. It was beautiful, in its own horrific way. The colors and flames danced around, slowly enveloping more and more of what used to be a house. I watched as it slowly crumbled to the ground, people were out of the house now that it was falling. I stood in horror as the flames grew bigger and bigger filling the cold, stiff air. Icy water shot through the hoses launching at the fire. It was beginning to lick at the side of Atticus's house and I watched Scout's face turn to terror. Atticus seemed to be under control, he was moving swiftly, talking to people, and the men seemed to be working harder then ever. I begged the fire to stop, and I realized the whole neighborhood could go up in flames, just because of me. But soon my fears were resolved, the fire was slowly eliminated and relief flowed through me. 

         As I said it could have been a lot worse. My house is gone, that is for sure, but thanks to the help of the town I still have quite a bit of my belongings, and nobody else in the neighborhood lost their home. I am so grateful for that. I know there is a new life ahead of me now. There is no point in being cantankerous. It is not going to be easy, but you never now, something good could come out of this. I never did like that old house anyway, and now I can build a new, more contemporary one, and a bigger garden perhaps. Life is going to change of course, but with the help of these great folks of Maycomb, I will make it through. Today is a new day, what has happened has happened. Let's see what life has in store for tomorrow.

To Kill a Mockingbird Book Response #1

     -Journal Entry-  

Jem Finch

                            

        Today was the first day of the school year, always a dreary time, our minds still buzzing with the warm summer adventures and long nights. Endless days of exploring and soaking up the baking hot sun. Now we were returning to school, in some ways this was good, seeing all our old friends and beginning another year of learning, but the long summer days still lured us back outside from our dull classrooms. This was not a typical back-to-school day. I am now in 5th grade, older than most everyone in the school, but not only that. Today was Scout's first day at school. Because Atticus is always working and busy, the job of taking Scout to school was then thrust on me. At first I was reluctant, I am not her babysitter, but enough coins had me persuaded. I tried to think back to my first day at school, surely I must have been better than how she was, but then again, she is Scout. I walk out at noontime to see Walter Cunningham tackled to the ground, Scout hitting him and pushing his face in the dirt. What a great way to start your first day. The poor kid looked like he hadn't had a decent meal in ages. Walter was smaller, no matter what started it, she should have known better. I invited him to our place for lunch. Again, Scout with her manner problems was sent to eat in the kitchen after a rude remark. She needs to learn that even though she doesn't mean what she says in a mean way, it comes out all wrong and people get offended. She needs to watch her mouth. 

          It was a pretty bad day for Scout, I heard her complaining to Atticus about never going to school again. She should know better then to ask for that but she just sees the world from the Scout way. Everything makes sense in her head and how things should be but in reality, they are much more complex. I guess it's because she's six, but it's very frustrating. Well, enough about Scout now, the more I think about her, the more she reminds me of my mother, just the little features like the way she looks and the way she smiles. Of course, Scout will never know this, she was too young to ever know our mother. She was only two years old when Mother died. I don't think about Mother too much. I like to remember how pretty she was and the good things but fantasies are always snapped when you have to come back to reality. Sulking and living in the past is not the way to live. It's easier for Scout, because she never met her she doesn't have to miss her ,but I do. I miss her a lot. Sometimes I let my mind wander and I wonder if she's looking down on us and watches us grow up. I miss you Mother. 

Novel Partner's Post #3

NAME Maddie Menke DATE 2/17/11 TITLE Lovely Bones TIME 2 HOURS

AUTHOR Alice Sebold PAGES 142-262 TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 120

What exciting events just happened? Why?

     There are three main events that happened in this section of reading. The characters grew up the most in this part of the story. Life is beginning to go on for all of them. Lindsey is graduating from college with Samuel, and Buck is in middle school. Their mom, Abigail is still gone and by now the years have counted so they are getting used to the way life is. Susie is a memory now, she is not the center of every ones life anymore. The horror has begun to pass and the town is moving on. As the years go on, no one is forgetting Susie Salmon but she has become a lost paper in the folders and folders in peoples minds. The clutter is hard enough to sift through. She is growing weary of watching her family grow up and change with out her. She has watched them get over her death and move on with their life but every time she watches her sister now, she sees her sister go and do the things she never could. Grow up, the one thing that she never would. She liked to pretend she was Lindsey still living in the world and going through life. But the truth is, her life has ended. It was tragic and short but it happened. She will never live again and she needs to move on and let her family go. Let her friends go.

     In this section some main things that happened was there mother Abigail, moved away, Lindsey and Samuel are getting married, and Jack had a heart attack. That is a serious change in the story. These are a few very main events. The day of Lindsey and Samuel's graduation he proposed to her. He told her he loved her and never wanted to be anywhere without her. They also found a house they liked. I thought this was really exciting. Samuel has always loved Lindsey and cared for her as they grew up together and now they want to spend the rest of their lives together. It is just a reminder of how fast the time is slipping by and their lives are continuing. Susie is happy for Lindsey but she knows that she missed another joy in life. Her life was ended too short, the people who loved her were greatly affected by this, but as their lives go on; she has to watch everyone grow with out her and watch them do all the things she never will. Abigail moving away was also a big part of this section. She was the mom, she was a big part of this family. As if they could take anymore pain. As if loosing Susie wasn't enough, they had to lose Abigail too. It made me angry that she could run away. I know that she was hurt and I know that she was sad. The worst thing in the world was for a mother to lose their child. But couldn't she have realized her family needs her too? She needed to be there for them. She lost one daughter how could she bare to lose her other two children? How could she think of leaving them? Leaving her husband. They are all in just as much pain as her. She is not alone. The family needed to lean on each other and become closer together to help each other through their pain. But instead they leaned outwards and away and now Abigail is gone and the family has been torn apart.

    I also thought that Jack's heart attack was very important in this section. He was arguing with Buck about Susie. Buck said that Jack loved Susie more than him and he had to let her go because she was dead. Jack loved them all. He had a heart attack during this and Susie watched him from heaven. By the end of this section they are in the hospital room and they are not sure whether Jack will live or not. Some part of Susie wants him to die so he can be with her but she can see Buck crying on the bed. Buck pleads with Susie "please, I know you love him but I need him here too". Susie can tell Buck needs his dad. How much more can this family take? I hope the Jack lives. Susie may want him to be with her in heaven but he is needed down on Earth.

What does this story make you wonder about? Why?

     The most recent thing I have been wondering about is how easy it is to catch criminals. Mr. Harvey has committed many rapes and murders of girls of fifteen all the way to six. This section went through the different girls he killed and where he hid their bodies. There were so many people. One lady was even about forty nine years old. He has committed all these murders, it makes me wonder how he can sleep at night knowing that he killed a six year old girl. Ended the life of an eight year old who had family and friends who loved her. Imagine all the pain Susie's death caused. He killed so many others as well. I wonder about how he can do that, how he can live with himself after that but mostly I wonder how he doesn't get caught. He is very smart and clever. The police can be suspicious but after talking to him, everyone believes his story. I wonder how that could happen, and how many murders go on with out the murderer ever found. There are other people like Mr. Harvey and it surprises me that the police did not investigate further. But then again, it's true that they did not have any evidence. He was so clever. It makes me wonder about what other horrors go on that can go unexplained. This section was a very important part of the book so far and made me wonder a lot of new things about this story.

Novel Partners Post # 2

NAME Maddie Menke DATE 2/9/11 TITLE Lovely Bones TIME 2 HOURS

AUTHOR Alice Sebold PAGES 80-157

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 77

What exciting events just happened? What do you think will happen next, and why?

     A very recent event in this story was Susie's mother, Abigail cheats on Susie's dad with Len the police officer. She kisses him but at first he tries not to kiss her back but gives in. This really made me mad. How could Abigail cheat on her husband at a time like this? When they are grieving, when they need each other the most. I was upset that she could do that, that she would hurt her husband even more. But I knew what was going on. I didn't like it but I understood. She was in despair, her emotions filling with the loss of her dead daughter that she would do anything to push her daughter from her mind. She let her pain and sorrow take over her and she did what she knew was wrong, what Susie knew was wrong. Susie had to watch her family be split from each other as her death pulled them farther and farther apart. I think that Susie's death will continue to break apart the family and in time Abigail will leave. Abigail asked her mom if she could borrow a cabin to get away sometime if she needed and I think she might. Even if she leaves I know she will have to return. Susie's family is having problems, they are breaking apart. But they still need each other. No matter what happens they will need each other to get through this.

How did what you read today make you feel?

    I was still not over the initial shock of Susie's death. She was such a nice girl, she had a life ahead of her. A mother, father, brother, sister, and family who loved her. It's hard to believe that one day Susie could be happy with a long life stretching out in front of her, and the next it's all gone. It was shocking to me. Another thing that I felt in this reading was the family changing. They are still sad but they are growing, every moment is not consumed with sadness anymore. They are starting to live again. It will be slow but it is the beginning. If I were Susie I would be glad for this change. I wouldn't want my family to live their lives missing the dead. They need to live, because she can not. On the other hand, as Susie's family goes on with her life, she can not. She will never live again or be with her family down on Earth. She will have to watch them go through everything as they slowly move on from her death. They will never forget her but she will never live with them again. Her life is over and her family is starting to accept that, and maybe in time so will Susie so she can move on to the heaven away from Earth. I was upset but I realized that life must go on for everyone else.

Would you read another book by this author? Why?

     I would definitely read another book by this author. It is a captivating, thrilling, and dramatic story of pain, death, and loss. It is realistic, life does not always go as planned. Bad things happen and are going to happen. Life is not a fairy tale, happy ever afters don't always happen. Things don't always work out. This book is about the pain of loss and the sense of revenge and justice. It is really descriptive it makes you feel how the characters feel. When I am reading I can not think about anything else. My mind is completely on the book, I can't focus on anything other thing. I can feel how the characters feel, their pain and hatred. I feel their sorrow and it makes me cry sometimes when I read it. This story makes you feel like you are really there. It makes you wonder. I always think for hours on end after reading a section. It raises very interesting questions and is impossible to put down. This is one of my favorite books I have read so far and I would love to read another. 

Lovely Bones Book Response #1

      I am reading the book Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It is a captivating novel about a fourteen year old girl who is raped and murdered. She watches from heaven as her family deals with their loss and people seek to find the person who killed her. My favorite line so far in this story was the very first two sentences. They completely grabbed your attention and made you want to read more. It was, "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." It set up the story by making you interested in what was going on. Someone was murdered and you had to find out who, and why. But also there was an eerie way of telling the story because the girl was talking from her grave. She was dead but still talking about her life. It makes you wonder who is she? What happened? And most of all where and what is she doing now? The afterlife is one of the many things that us humans can not comprehend. Many people have different beliefs but there is no actual proof of what happens when we die. We can't find out because the only people who do know are not around to explain it. Naturally, we are curious about the unknown. What is it like? Alice Sebold does a great job of making the story suspenseful and intriguing. With that interesting beginning it is hard to put the book down.
         This book makes you wonder about a lot of things. It is that type of novel that you finish a couple chapters before bed and spend the next hour thinking about it. There are different predictions and possibilities, questions and thoughts that are raised. It always leaves you thinking and is hard to put down. What it made me wonder about was the idea of death. What happens after people die? In this novel Susie goes up to heaven where everything she wants is possible. She has a type of guardian angel that looks after her and she makes friends and begins her life in heaven. She watches her family and friends start life again without her, and watches the police and detectives search for her killer all the while wishing she could tell them who it was. In her heaven Susie can have anything, except the only thing she wants which is her family and friends. She wants to be alive again. But she can't; at fourteen her life has ended. She will never finish high school, go to college, get a job, or get married. Her life was brought abruptly to a halt and she will never get to know. I wonder what it must be like to have to watch your family struggle with loosing you. I bet she misses them and wishes she could still talk to them. She has to watch them try to find her killer, all along knowing exactly who they should be looking for. I wonder what its like to be in heaven. I know that they can have whatever they want in heaven, but what about their families? Susie will spend the rest of her time in heaven watching. Waiting until someday her family will be there too. So really, heaven isn't all that great. Finally, I wonder what happens after that. Does she stay in heaven fort he rest of eternity or is she reborn? Can you die again in heaven? This book raises a lot of questions that really make you think.
       What surprised me in this book was how easy it was for that man to kill her. I always thought about how unlikely that would be and how it could never happen. But in reality, this is actually not that extreme. Kids naturally assume the best in everyone. It shocked me how easily a person could do that and how difficult it was for detectives to find them. In movies the police can always find the criminal but in real life it is a lot more difficult. Especially with someone as good at murder as he was. It surprised me how much the murder of one person can affect so many different peoples lives. With one person gone from the world so many things begin to change, the cycle and rythm that people cling to is broken. Everything begins to change and it affects everyone.
         This book really upset me at times. How could that man kill an innocent girl? How could he live with himself? It was clear that he was smart, definitely not mentally disabled and he knew what he was doing. He made a plan and perfectly executed it with out feeling any remorse. I wonder what kind of thoughts ran through his head when he killed her. How he could possibly justify the murder of a fourteen year old girl to himself. The next couple days he even talked to the father about how sorry he was for their loss, as if nothing ever happened. How could he look into the eyes of all the people he had hurt? How could he live seeing her family and friends suffer each and every day? I wonder what kind of person could do that, and I wish I knew what he was thinking, what any of those people are thinking when they do something as terrible as that. Over all, I really enjoyed this book so far and I can't wait to see what the next pages unfold.

Book Review: Lord of the Flies

                                

The book, Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a fascinating novel about a group of English boys who are forced to fight for their survival. This captivating story takes place on a unknown island far out at sea. The boys are flying somewhere on a plane during the time of World War II. They are shot at and forced to land on a deserted island. The pilot died and there is no adult alive. The boys group together to decide how to survive on the island until they are rescued. At first, all works out but some people don’t like taking orders and would rather be in charge. Soon the line is formed and sides are taken. As the days go on, rescue seems farther and farther away as each day they fight for survival. The line between their old lives and new lives is growing blurrier each day. What is right has some how faded into what is wrong. Suddenly, they are fighting for their lives and forgetting about what is important, their rescue; the only way they can be saved from the dangers lurking in the island. This was an intriguing book and a good choice for many eager, action loving, readers. The three main things that I thought were the best qualities of this story was the setting and characters, the theme, and the really interesting writing style.

    William Golding did a great job of really illustrating the setting and characters for this story. The setting takes place on a deserted island and the author makes you feel like you are there next to the open beach and warm water. Along the mountains, hills, and rocky slopes and cliffs. The setting is very important to the story and William Golding does a good job illustrating this to the readers.  The characters are also very important in Lord of the Flies. The main characters Ralph, Piggy, and Jack  are huge in this story. Ralph is the chief of the group because of his sure leadership and the way he carries himself. Piggy is the smartest one. He would be the best in charge but no one likes him because he is fat. They could learn a lot from Piggy, he is smart and logical. He can calmly understand and assess situations. Piggy and Ralph are the protagonists, working to find a way to survive. Jack is the antagonist, he is angry and aggressive. To survive they need to work together and Jack is breaking them apart. Where Ralph and Piggy are focused on rescue, Jack is content hunting and having fun. The characters in this book are all young boys from all different ages and back rounds. They are all from England and even though things get bad on the island, some still feel reminders of their past ways. As days go on and slowly some of the boys turn to savages you can’t help but thinking this could be you. How would you survive on an island? Most of us think that it would be easy and we would use our common sense and logic and be okay. But these were regular, normal, boys. Things change when you are out in the wild and William Golding did a fantastic job of demonstrating this.

    The theme of this novel also makes it a interesting book to read. The theme is about the survival of a group of young boys on a deserted island. They don’t know when they will be rescued. Or if they ever will be rescued. They fight because they disagree and by the time they learn, it is already too late. This book is about the beast inside us waiting to appear. That when the time is right and when we loose all hope it may try to conquer us. Not everyone will be right. Not everyone understands and some people are not going to like you. You have to be strong and stand up for what you believe is right and not be swayed  by others. This book is about holding on when there is no hope and fighting to your last dying breath. There is always good, never give up hope. Because it is then, when everything bad happens. Hope is our most important asset as beings. It is the motivator for all others. It gives us our purpose. If we are without purpose how do we function? This story is about not loosing our purpose, fighting at all costs even when it seems like there is nothing left to lose there is still something worth fighting for. This book is about true loss and bravery. Standing up against astounding challenges and sticking to what you believe. Never doubting, never losing hope, because when you lose that, you lose yourself.

Another great thing about Lord of the Flies was the unique writing style. William Golding used lots of symbolism, certain objects and people represented different things. Through out this story William Golding uses lots of detail and imagery to convey the setting and characters. His ideas he put into this story through symbolism and the message he shared was very interesting and made this book a very good read. The story was intriguing and captivating, filled with suspense and really made you think. This book, once you start, is very hard to put down, but you will find if you do it is very good to talk about and think about. The book brings up a lot of very good points and makes you think about circumstances and logic. Where exactly do the lines form between what is right and what is wrong? What is ethical and what makes the most sense. Because, logic and morals are two different things. Deciding what you can sacrifice and what you must fight for. This story always keeps you thinking and interested.

    All in all, Lord of the Flies was a great book that I would recommend. William Golding does a great job writing an intriguing story with a fascinating setting and well explained characters. The theme of fighting for what you believe in and not giving up hope was really meaningful. Also, the writing style made this story very interesting and a very good read. This is an action packed book full of suspense and meaning. It is sure to leave you thinking.

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.