Meme from the Quarantimes Mason Mize

This meme Is about these crazy times and I thought about it and maybe a good laugh would make some peoples day. I'm honestly still in shock about the whole topic and it hasn't hit me yet. It sucks that our graduation will be postponed and prom will maybe be cancelled, but it is what it is at the end of the day. I'm still going to look for the fun in things and I hope everyone else does the same in these weird days. And as for the rest of the meme it speaks for itself and enjoy the coronacation ladyboys.

[KC]: Memes from the Quarantimes

Create a new post with the memes that you've created this week and an explanation of what they are commenting on. This is visual rhetoric. Beyond being humorous, they should be making some statement about life, school, and/or the human experience during this time. Be sure to title it with your First Name and Last Name and "Meme from the Quaratine"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Here is the meme that I created.

This is a weird time for everyone and as a teacher I feel pulled a bunch of different ways. This meme reflects that. The fire is the virus, but it's also the emotional toll of the time and the directives of the school district and the fact that I can't laugh and joke with my students each day in the way that I used to. It seems like things are crumbling around us as the world—the world as we know it to be—comes to a halt. As teachers, we feel at odds with ourselves. We feel pulled to teach no matter what is going on because that's what we do and that is important. Yet, we also see how important it is right now to eliminate stress and worry. We recognize the need for routine and structure in such a chaotic time. Yet, we also see this quarantine as a way to shake out of the routines that have been driving us and simply take a moment to breathe, redirect, and realign our perspective of what really matters. While this meme is usually meant to be ironic and what is described as "fine" is not actually fine, I feel like it speaks both ways in this case. At the end of the day, my job is to teach and that's what I'll do, but "teaching" might look a little different. Through a screen and through activities posted to a blog, I'll teach critical thinking and reading skills and writing, but I'll also teach kids to be creative, to show compassion, to reflect, to hope, to still dream, and to not take for granted the things that we are all missing right now. Despite the fires I am dealing with each day, this actually is fine ... because I am still a teacher and my students are still here (just in a virtual space). 

[KC]: Quarantine SSR Week 2

Reply to this post with some thoughts on what you read this week. Are you still liking your book? If you could change something about it, what would you change? What is lacking? Does this book seem similar to other books you've read before? How about other things you've watched before? After all, stories are stories regardless of the medium in which they are presented.

Be sure to come back to these SSR posts (this week and last) and comment on what others are reading.

[KC]: Enrichment Activities Week 2 (April 6-April 10)

Seniors!
The enrichment activities for this week have been posted to the google classroom. You can also view them through this link right here. Remember, we're now officially away from a classroom for basically the next 4 months. This is an opportunity for you to keep your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills sharp before re-entering a classroom setting or the work force. My advice is to take it seriously. You've worked so hard for 12 years; don't let it just slip away now. A bonus: these activities also allow us to reorient ourselves in a time of crisis. Hopefully working on some school-related assignments allow you to regain a bit of routine in this time of quarantine. Hopefully they allow you to consider the world as it is right now in relation to the things we have learned and discussed all year.

Take care of yourself and take care of your brain: both are precious.

- Ms. Colln

Wednesday Creative Day

How to make a boysenberry cobbler

https://youtu.be/QTATdTcRwyo

- Elizabeth Reza

Clara~How to Play the Ukulele

https://share.icloud.com/photos/072V8_-Q5qFvTcfk07OEbEjnQ

[KC]: Quarantine SSR Week 1

Reply to this post with your current thoughts on your SSR book after reading today/this week:
What book are you reading? Why did you choose this book? What do you think of the book so far? Can you see any connections between it and what is happening in our world today? Give the class some thoughts and ideas from your brain!

[KC]: Enrichment Activities Week 1 (March 30-April 3)

Class,
We've created some learning opportunities for this week. To open the doc, click THIS LINK to view the activities for March 30-April 3. It's important to keep your keep your mind sharp during our time away from the classroom. These activities will help do just that and they will continue to generate some ideas that we can discuss both now and when we return to class. As you're taking advantage of these learning opportunities, be sure to follow the advice on the document.

You'll see that it begins with today (Monday SSR), so keep reading those books! Speaking of SSR books, if you have one checked out from me, please keep it safe. I'll want it back once all this craziness is over. For now, enjoy it :]

- Ms. Colln

[KC]: The Rise of Livestreams

Hi kids!

In this time of quarantine, I've been thinking a lot about the role of ART in our daily lives. Obviously, being an English teacher I'm talking about literature, but I'm also talking about music and film and painting and dance and comics, etc. There are so many forms of art out there, and if you're anything like me, those are some of the things we're turning to for peace and comfort in these uncertain times. One thing that has caught my attention in the past few weeks has been the sheer number of livestreams going on. It seems like each time I open my Instagram app, the little red circles catch my eye: I see four or five lives going at a time. For artists, this has always been a way to connect with fans, to give announcements and updates, and to market themselves in a more personal way. Yet, the livestreams I've seen lately have been different. It seems there's a different perspective, a different soul with them. What do you all think? Are we seeing more livestreams because it's a way for artists to stay relevant during a time where they can't sell out concerts or set up art showcases or go on book tours or have their films be seen in theaters across the world? Or are we seeing more livestreams because ART is something we need to survive, in the way we need air and water and human connection? Are we seeing artists show their talents for free because that connection is just as necessary for them as it is for us? What do you think?

I just got done watching a two-hour livestream of one of my favorite artists (Kina Grannis) singing songs from the floor of her living room and it filled me with so much hope in these weird times. What livestreams and other pieces of art have brought you hope during this time? Comment to let us know. Let's fill this thread with thoughts on art and recommendations :]

Stay hopeful, kids!
- Ms. Colln

The Real Lolita

In the second quarter I read the book The Real Lolita written by Sarah Weinman. This is a true crime book which has 270 pages. It is about a young girl named Sally Horner and the struggles she went through when she was kidnapped from her family at age 11 for 21 months. Throughout the book it gives different details about her case and how the man who had done all this to her, Frank La Salle had gotten away with this for those 21 months. This book is different to me though because as a reader we find out that Sally never thought any of the things Frank did to her were unusual since she was so young and did not know any better. She talks a lot about the struggles after that she had with her family, friends, and how hard it was for her to after all this try and have a love life. Her mother was her biggest worry though because she had never let herself live down the fact that she was the one who let Sally actually go with this man she did not know by giving her permission over the phone. Her mother had to learn how to forgive herself because Sally had finally come home which is what she had prayed for throughout this whole book. With Sally telling her mother new things every day, her mother had a sense of happiness knowing that throughout all this Sally had so many people around her willing to help her with anything she needed.

Cruel Sacarfice

 Alright guys so in the book Cruel Sacrifice the Main character goes by the name Melinda Love. The book is written by Aphrodite Jones and it is 333 pages long. The book is a true crime book so it is probably the most interesting book I’ve read all year. In the book she has a terrible relationship with her father growing up watching beat her mother. This had all taken place in the 80 ́s in Pennsylvania. Growing up since she had seen her dad be super controlling over her mother that is how she becomes in her relationships. Melinda was always the popular girl in school that everybody wanted to date and be with, but eventually she had become lesbian and fell in love with a girl named Amanda. She had become very obsessive over her and basically didn't let her out of her sight. A new girl named Shanda Sharer had came to the school and everybody now wanted her even her girlfriend Amanda. In the book Melinda had done something that she would regret for the rest of her life. She had secretly went through Amanda´s stuff and found love letters from Shanda to Amanda. Then she had found Amanda´s letters to Shanda. After finding this out she would do another thing that seemed like the right idea for a crazy person like her, but it was far from it. After she had done the deed her life and everybody's life around her had changed forever. The world would change for the worse with her as she got herself caught up in something that wasn’t planned to happen yet it did. She also had dragged three other girls into it with her that didn’t want to be there either. It’s a very intense read, but very interesting I suggest it to anybody into crime books.   

The Ragamuffin Gospel

The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning is a 258 page nonfiction, motivational book that calls Christians to understand the true meaning of God's grace as being a ragamuffin in this world. This book is very complex and has very intense wording that will cause you to have a dictionary or phone on you to continuously research words. Although it may be tiring, it is beneficial to the reader because it allows you to dive deeper and gain a stronger understanding of what the author is trying to illustrate and for you to understand. This book is for readers who are seeking to gain understanding about our gracious God who has a completely different mindset than ours and we must grasp the idea that we are insignificant. However, because of His son Jesus, we have been made righteous in the Father's eyes. It illustrates the picture of a child who is filthy and must gain a desire to go into the father's arms ready to cleanse him/her of previous failures. Furthermore, this book encourages the reader to understand the true meaning of being completely dependent on the fact that God has given us an abundance of His love, mercy, and even more. In addition, the most important teaching in this book is how God sees us beyond our failures and mistakes because He is not a God of track records, but of forgiveness and grace. In all honesty, this book was difficult to read because it made me pinpoint certain aspects of my life that allowed me to realize my ignorance and selfish desires. But, it also allowed me to grasp the idea of my loving Heavenly Father who is not seeking to "pray on my downfall", but to help lift me when I do fall, so that I may bring Him the glory, honor, and praise. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to gain a deeper understanding about our Heavenly Father who is actively searching for people to pour out His love and grace into with an open mind and heart.

Hey guys, a book that I read in first semester was the book Murder in the Bayou, written by Ethan Brown. My book was a true crime book so it was filled with very specific details with each crime that was committed. The book has 224 pages of scary, exciting, sad, gross content, but it is all worth the read. So the book starts out with a boy finding a body in the river while fishing. He calls the police and notifies them on the situation they automatically suspect him to be the killer which he is not. After that whole situation there are 7 more crimes like that throughout the book. The setting of the book is in Jefferson Louisiana and these crimes are notified as the Jeff 8. Every death that occurred in this book were all connected, and the casualties were all women. There wasn’t a main character, but you can count the women as main characters. I did not feel any type of connection with this book, due to it being a true crime book. The writing in this book was narrative, and expository, because the author got his facts by going through the city and trying to figure out who committed the crimes. I really enjoyed the book my rating would be and eight out of ten, I recommend this book if you enjoy crime.

First Semester SSR - Game of Thrones.

During the second quarter of ERW I began to read Game of Thrones, the first installment of A Song of Fire and Ice series, by George R.R. Martin. Although I didn't finish the book I really enjoyed what I did read. The author makes it very easy to understand this massive world he is building. There are so many characters and story arcs that are all beautifully woven together in a big web. If you aren't used to reading books that have so many details it is admittedly difficult. Martin also sometimes very vividly describes many gruesome and sensual scenes that are not for the feint of heart. Game of Thrones is a fantasy book that mostly takes place in the land of Westeros. When the hand of the king suddenly and mysteriously dies, Ned Stark is asked to replace him. A curious Ned Stark begins to meddle in the suspicious affairs of many of the Lords of Westeros. On another land East of Westeros called Essos, young Daenerys Targaryen is building an army to sail West and take take back the throne from the current usurper king. My favorite character would have to be Tyrion Lannister. Born an imp and being the cause of his mothers death has made his family think of him as a disappointment. His father is the Lord of House Lannister, the richest house. Although he goes through much struggle and hardship he manages to be the smartest character in the book. He has a great sense of humor and wit that I enjoy and every piece of dialogue with him in it is always entertaining. This book is very action filled and seriously a page turner, a great read.

Unbroken

For one of my SSR books, I read Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand which is a biography of a legendary, prodigy runner who turned into an unforgettable prisoner of war. I really enjoyed this book because it allows the reader to be fully absorbed into the world of Louie Zamperini. The book talks about Louie Zamperini and his journey from a little boy to becoming a famous war hero due to his courage and commitment. Many significant and exceptional moments of Louie's life was due to his incomparable spirit. From the moment he was a boy, he was proven to be rebellious and independent. However, despite this character, he was able to channel his energy into becoming one of the greatest runners to live, even going to the Berlin Olympics. It wasn't until World War 2 started that he embarked on a new chapter of his life that would define him not only as a brave man but as a living miracle. Louie Zamperini's plane was shot down during flight, but Louie and two other airmen survived. He survived for 47 days on a raft until he was captured by Japanse soldiers. At the prison camp where they kept American soldiers, he was constantly tortured, along with the other prisoners, by the prison camp leader who was called the Bird. However, even with the beatings, starvation, dehydration, and other inhumane living conditions, he was able to keep his spirit from surrendering to the Japanese soldiers. He was eventually rescued, and his story remains as something that inspires people today. This book is not boring. Many people do not like biographies because it isn't exciting enough, but Louie's life has enough excitement that can be read and enjoyed by everyone.

-Dominick Yun

Turtles All The Way Down

When I read this book in class, everyone around me started telling me that they have read the book. I don't remember the reactions towards the books, but I know it discouraged me a little because I want my own reaction to the book so I don't get any like spoilers. Little did I know that the author, John Green, wrote "The Fault in our Stars", which I heard a lot about, but never really cared to watch it. Anyway, my interest in the book is as follows.
"Turtles All The Way Down" by John Green is a young adult novel that widely revolves around the mind and life of a teenage girl and her OCD. Aza Holmes has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is trying to live a normal life her mom and her best-friend, Daisy. Aza and her mom live in Indianapolis and they have a good "mother-daughter" relationship. The other relationship in her life is, of course, her bestie. Daisy is a very eccentric person who loves to do nothing but talk about her life with Aza. But, with Aza's OCD, she tends to get distracted during those talk, and the consequences of that soon trail behind her. In Indianapolis, news reports have said that there is billion dollar fugitive by the name of Russell Pickett. Russell is a CEO and founder of Pickett Engineering, a top business, but the business continuously gets sued, so he disappears without a trace. There is also a $100,000 reward for anyone who could provide info on his recent whereabouts.
Daisy immediately hops onto the case and drags Aza along with her. While researching about the case, the two remembered that Russell Pickett had two sons, David and Noah. Noah was younger, but David was around their age and had been childhood friends with them in the past. They go to the Pickett house to investigate more, but Aza is reconnects with David and they soon date.
The savings of Russell Pickett and the company was left into the research of a Tuatara (lizard). Knowing this, they don't get any closer to solving the case. David finds out their true intentions for their visits and, in a annoyed manner, gives Aza $100,000 in cash, in a sports bag. They disconnect, and now Aza and Daisy are rich. During this whole search for answers, Aza's OCD gets bad and she constantly has to see her therapist.
Daisy, on her of time, writes fan-fictions of Star Wars' Chewbacca and Rey. But, within the stories, Daisy creates a problematic character that resembles Aza. While driving, the two begin to argue about how much Aza doesn't know about Daisy. They crash and get into a terrible accident, sending only Aza to the hospital. After a few weeks in the hospital, Aza has an anxiety attack and passes out from drinking hand sanitizer, due to her OCD of being free from C. diff (Clostridium difficile). Soon, after her recovery, her and Daisy rekindle their relationship.  They continue with the case, and discover a bad smell coming from the Pickett house area. They discover Russell's body in the sewers and solve the case of the missing fugitive.
The 286 page book is something that really gets my mind thinking. The author does a great job of portraying the mind of someone with a mental illness and that's what makes me read the book. It's relatable because of the teenagers' struggles, but the beginning of the book was un-informal because it started out in Aza's own thoughts, without me knowing her as a character yet. Other than that, the plot that Russell Pickett left his money to his lizard instead of his two sons interested me. 

LAbyrinth

        One of the books I read from first semester was LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan. The book consists of 336 pages describing the events of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls' murders, the Los Angeles police scandal of the 1990s, and the implication of Death Row Record's CEO Suge Knight. The genre of this novel falls under true-crime non fiction. Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. were both influential rappers from the 1990s, but at the ages of 24 (Tupac) and 25 (Biggie), they were murdered. This is universal knowledge as both murders were unexpected and affected many fans of the rappers. The murders occurred close to one another causing suspicions of whether they were connected. The author, Randall Sullivan, is a journalist who interviewed and gathered as much information as he could for this book about the possible reasons behind the demises of these rappers. He also discusses disturbing information about Death Row Record's CEO Suge Knight who Sullivan believes is tied with the murders of both Tupac and Biggie. 

        Throughout the book, the author builds his information starting with the alleged connections between Suge Knight and the corrupt LAPD, as well as detailing how Tupac and Biggie started as unknown men to becoming the top rappers of their time. Back in the 1990s, there were unsettling tensions between African Americans and the LAPD since the LA riots of Rodney King and the O.J. Simpson murder case emerged during this time. It was hard to believe that black LAPD officers could be corrupt and connected to gangs and Suge Knight because racism had been reaching its peak. 

        I recommend this book to anyone who takes interest in rap music, unsolved murder cases, or are curious to know how Los Angeles was in the 1990s. 

- Stephanie Ballesteros / Period 2

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

My friends love the Harry Potter series. At a first glance, I didn't think I would enjoy reading about magic, witches, and wizards, but my friends were adamant that I try it out. In middle school, I promised them that I would read the first Harry Potter book before we graduate. Just like every other assignment, I procrastinated on starting it. Before I knew it, it was my senior year, and I still hadn't read the book. To please my friends, I reluctantly chose to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first book in the series, for my second quarter SSR book. I thought it would take forever to read and that I wouldn't be interested in it, but I was shocked by how much I liked the book.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a fantasy fiction novel, is about a young boy named Harry Potter. His life is miserable; his relatives make him feel like a misfit; and he is not cared for by anyone. On his eleventh birthday, he gets a mysterious letter that invites him to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns that he is a wizard. Once he gets there, he finally feels like he belongs. Even then, he is special. He is the only one that has ever been able to survive the dreaded killing curse.

After hearing whispered conversations in the halls, he finds out that a magical object is being stolen very soon. Harry Potter believes it is up to him to stop the thief, but if he does, he is going to come into contact with one of the most powerful wizards the wizarding world has ever seen, the wizard who tried to kill him.

In these 309 pages, J.K. Rowling writes a book that is a must read. Overall, the book is an easy read which allows elementary school kids to enjoy it, but it has enough jazz that makes it entertaining for more experienced readers as well. The plot is unpredictable, and the characters have so many different sides that are uncovered as the book is read. There is also a lot of subtle foreshadowing that allows readers to make inferences and predictions themselves. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that it moved a little bit too slowly for my taste. Rowling puts in so much detail to set up the environment that Harry Potter lives in that I got a bit lost in the beginning. Other than that, I highly suggest it. And, the best part is that there are seven books in the series. If you have not read the Harry Potter series, go to the nearest library and check it out as soon as you get the chance.

- Clara Vaughn

The Distance Between Us

In the book "The Distance Between Us", by Reyna Grande, of 322 pages is a memoir based on Reyna's childhood from poverty to a border dividing up a family.  The story begins with three children who are left behind with their mother in Mexico meanwhile their father heads to "el otro lado" or the other side which is in the U.S. The father had left Reyna and her siblings at a very young age all that Reyna had of her dad was a picture frame to remember him. She referred to it as the man behind the looking glass. The Father's hope was to save up enough money to come back to Mexico and build a house for his family. The conflict starts when the mother chooses to leave behind her children for the wrong choices. The children were left in Mexico with their evil grandmother while the mother crossed the border to the U.S. to help their father. In a short amount of time, the mother had came back to Mexico but with another baby girl. The way the selfish mother was acting towards her own children, I was able to predict the major plot points.  As the story continued I realized that I developed a connection with Reyna because from my own childhood I experienced the separation of my parents. I liked how the author implied her own thoughts and feelings toward her situations. This character build up potential and set her goal since the very beginning. I recommend reading this book because it takes you through real life events that might have happened to you or can happen.

-Angelica Pacheco

Born A Crime

One of the books I read during the first semester was Born A Crime by Trevor Noah. Born A Crime is an autobiographical comedy which is based off of the life of the comedian and producer Trevor Noah. The book consisted of 288 pages of Trevor Noah’s childhood and the hardships and advantages he had being born a mixed child during apartheid. In the book Trevor shares his firsthand experience of being born to a Xhosa mother and a swiss father during a time in South Africa when it was illegal for people of different races to have kids with each other. Trevor Noah did an amazing job telling the reader a lot of troubling stories of his life growing up in South Africa, from him not being able to see his dad on a regular basis because it was illegal, to him being thrown from a car by his mother so they wouldn’t be killed. While the pain of growing up during apartheid and having to survive in a racist and sexist society that kept trying to push him and his mother down was one of the major plot points of the story, another major point of his story was showing his mother's love for him through good and very bad situations and how she would do anything for him and that is a part of his story that I really connected with. Being a comedian Trevor Noah also added some comedy to the story by writing about some of the hilarious antics him and his friends got into growing up in the streets of South Africa and how he came to love comedy and hard work through the challenges he faced in his life. 

The Blind Side

The story I Decided to read was the "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis which was based on a true story. This book is based on around how a white family adopts a homeless black kid and treats him like there own and the young man goes on to play football. Micheal no longer lived with his crackhead mom and had to begin a new life. He gets accepted into a private school and ends up having a 0.6 gpa. His teachers think he cant be teached and think he is just dumb except his science teacher Mrs. Boswell who think he learns differnt. He had an interest in football considering his size and how big he was. He ended up being recruited by a major college football program and became an NFL prospect. As he lived in a new enviornment he comes up on challanges and faces them only being a teen. As for his grades he had got a tutor and came to find out he was a student athlete. The story becomes an emotional roller coaster and has its ups and downs through the family. At the end of Michal's high school career he finds out who he is and what his is ment to be.

Gone by Michale Grant

The book I read for the first semester was Gone by Michael Grant. All in all, it was a good book that had good character development and a fair amount of pages coming in at 576. The book has a simple plot which is one reason I really did not enjoy it since I like something with more suspense and not as many characters. To explain the premise of the story, It starts right off with the teacher disappearing at school as the main characters and the supporting characters are mostly all in one class. The main characters try to find their families since the whole school staff was gone. Then they realize that everyone over 15 is gone and no longer with them. As the story progress, they want to find a way home to their families. Some find out that they are within a dome and they soon see that they have no way out. Many kids start to find out about this and start to look for a hero and they see the main character, Sam, as a potential candidate. He was a hero since the beginning saving many kids, but he thinks that the kids are better off without him. Soon the kids start getting powers which was the point where the story kind of got boring for me. Sam manages to save the first kid from her powers and he also realizes he has powers, little by little it starts a spiral effect for supremacy for power with Sam and a group of other kids having the most powerful abilities. It soon starts to get to the point where they are going to start to kill and now it is up to Sam’s choice if he is willing to kill or to be the last hope. This book was great overall but it was not my type of book since I don’t do good with too many characters. The plot although simple was nice and had a good pace to it, but at points, I felt like it could use more or less explaining.    

An Abundance of Katherines by: John Green

To be completely honest, An Abundance of Katherines only caught my attention because the title included my sister's name in it. I wish I could say that the synopsis on the back of the book was so intriguing that I needed to read it, but in reality, I was a little hesitant going into the book because it seemed pretty strange. It talked about hogs and anagrams and "The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability," which seemed very random. HOWEVER, the book actually proved to be quite interesting, so I'm glad I took a chance on it.

An Abundance of Katherines is a young-adult fiction novel written by John Green and is about a boy named Colin Singleton. Throughout the book's 215 pages, Colin struggles to find purpose in his life without K-19, who was the last Katherine that just broke up with him. Colin is a child prodigy, but although he retains information quickly and is a great student, he still often feels inadequate and as if he will never amount to anything. This has led him to become overly dependent in his relationships, seeking reassurance and affirmations from his (ex)girlfriends, all whom have been named Katherine.

After a particularly hard break up with K-19, Colin's best friend Hassan takes Colin on a road trip, during which Colin finds hope and motivation as he tries to come up with "The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability," which is a math equation that should ultimately calculate how long it would take for a couple to break up. Colin and Hassan end up staying in a town called Gutshot, and are hired by their new friend Lindsey's mom, Hollis, who owns the textile shop that everyone in Gutshot works at.

My favorite part of this book was the way it was written. It wasn't your standard story that started at the beginning and worked its way to the end; rather, it would give you the excerpts of the past that were relevant at the moment. Each new development was also pretty brief, so it was easy to find a stopping point in the middle of chapters. Colin's character somewhat annoyed me with his neediness, but if he'd been perfect at the beginning of the book there'd be no plot. Overall, I enjoyed the book and learned a lot of random facts thanks to Colin's prodigy brain spewing out random facts and John Green's commentary on those random facts in the footnotes.

- Elizabeth Reza

Everything I Never Told You

One of the novels I read during first semester was Everything I Never Told you by Celeste Ng. It is 298 pages long, and it is a gripping novel about a mixed-race, middle class, Chinese American family, the Lee’s, whose middle daughter, Lydia, is found dead in a lake. Her sudden death shocks her family and tumbles them into chaos as they try to come to terms with her death and revisit painful memories in order to uncover the mystery of her death. The book explores the interpersonal relationships of the family members as they try to understand more about each other. 

I personally believe that a variety of readers will be able to relate to at least one of the multiple characters in this book. The multiple points of views paint a picture of what life in America was like in the 1970s as an Asian family. I found myself being able to relate to many of the characters in this book in one way or another. The novel covers topics such as ambition, prejudice, loneliness, disappointment, deception, and grief. 

I really enjoyed this novel because of how well-written all the characters are. Celeste Ng’s beautiful writing and storytelling kept me captivated as I learned more about the Lee family and what lead to Lydia’s death. I could barely tear my eyes away from the novel because of how interesting it was. I was driven to tears after finishing it. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who is interested in reading adult fiction.

Yosemite Murders

My book is the “Yosemite Murders” by Dennis McDougal containing a total of 354 pages and is a complete suspense book. This book contains a lot of history and information that might get boring at first but in the end you’ll notice that it’s all worth it. You’ll feel like a true investigator as the book leads you through it’s journey to try and figure out who the killer is. Bringing you multiple emotions at once and leaving you on the edge to read more. The crimes that were committed grabbed headlines around the world and stunned America. Four women dead, their bodies charred and horribly mutilated. 42 year old mother (Carole Sund), has taken her daughter (Juli Sund) and a family friend (Silvina Pelossa) to Yosemite as an end to their 3 month trip of being together. Silvina was to be going home back to her family in Argentina within the next day of being in Yosemite. They had been staying at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal and had been last seen within the Cedar Lodge restaurant, leaving their room completely undisturbed. Within the next month of searching for the victims, Juli Sund and Silvina had been found inside a truck, burned beyond recognition and completely charred. Six days later, the FBI received an anonymous letter, with a crudely drawn map and a message. Following the map, searchers found Juli Sund. FBI agents had rounded up bunch of meth-heads and sex offenders, some from Modesto, others who worked at the Cedar Lodge, and assured the frightened tourists and residents of the area they were confident they had the "TourNap" killers in custody. But the FBI’s confidence of catching the killer evaporated on July 22, with the disappearance of another woman, Joie Ruth Armstrong found in a drainage ditch. The killer was in front of the police this whole time. 

Black Dahlia, Red Rose

            I read the true crime novel "Black Dahlia, Red Rose" by Piu Eatwell.  This novel was 267 pages long.  The story being told in this book is very saddening and interesting since it's about a murder. Elizabeth Short was a young woman living in the Los Angeles area, but she wouldn't live in one place for long.  She's always had a very distinct look because of her dark, black hair.  One day a woman was walking with her child and saw what she thought was a mannequin laying on the sidewalk.  Once she came closer she saw it was a woman who had been cut in half.  This then became a huge investigation in the 1940's.  It was definitely a wake up call to all women living in that area just because of how brutally she was murdered.  I thought this was a good novel just because of how descriptive it was and how it really helped me understand how the atmosphere was during that time. I think if you enjoy learning about crime this would be a great book to read.  I would say that it can be quite hard to read at times but it really helps you understand the story of The Black Dahlia. Especially how forensic science wasn't as developed as it is now.  That played a big role in this case.  I believe Piu Eatwell did a great job investigating this case and giving the reader all of the information needed to understand The Black Dahlia case.

Unbroken

During my first semester one of the books I chose to read was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This book is a nonfiction story that is based off of a true experience of a man named Louis Zamperini. The book jumps around to different defining moments of his life, going as early as his childhood, and as late as his senior years. However after reading it all, you feel as if you have just re-lived his whole life through the story. Personally, I really enjoyed the book, it definitely has to be one of the best I have ever read. At no point was the book boring or slow, because the entire story is inspiring and unreal. The story begins in the early 20th century before World War II. As a kid Louis was always getting himself into trouble until he began running. He achieved so much through running, and even went on to compete in the Olympics. Later, he was drafted into the army as an airman. He was an excellent soldier, and had many successful missions. One day his plane went down to the ocean where he spent 47 days adrift at sea, and an additional 2 years as a POW. Throughout this time he went through countless struggles and broke through barriers that to many would seem impossible. There is a movie based on this book, but the book tells the story in a completely different and much more detailed way. I took an interest in this book because like Louis I am a distance runner, and like Louis I have joined the military. This helped me to better understand and stay interested in the book. To conclude, I would highly recommend this book to anyone considering reading it.

1922

Fernando Sanchez

Book: “1922, by Stephen King”

 Suspense with 131 page count

                     1992 is a suspenseful story that starts off with a fathers confession. The Father was confessing to the crime of murdering his wife with the help of their son. He starts from the beginning of how happy their lives were on their own farm living the country life. The son was homeschooled and the mother and father worked on the farm. The land belonged to the mother and was passed down to her from her father. The mother and father soon fell into an argument about selling the farm and moving to the city. The Father fought against this and tried to explain to his wife that it would not be a good idea and that they are fine where they are. On the other hand the mother thought otherwise, she wanted to move to the city because they could no longer take care of the farm. The father told the son what was going on and the son did not want to leave either. He had so many friends there and did not want to move to a big city where he would have to start all over. The father tried and tried to convince her to not move but she didn’t want to listen. The father couldn’t do anything with the land because it did not belong to him. He then thought that the law says if owner of the land shall die it shall go to his/her partner or next of kin. In that case it would go to him. That’s when he got the idea to kill his wife. He talked to his son about this and the son took some convincing but later agreed. Later that night the dad comes into the room and cuts the moms throat and tries to suffocate her with a pillow but she is still struggling because the dad didn’t cut deep enough. The son walks in crying, grabs the knife and stabs his mom in the heart. She then dies with tears coming down her face. The boy later develops PTSD and the dad gets rid of the body. He first throws her body into a well and has his son help him. Which ends up affecting the son even more in the head. The dad is later caught by the police and is thrown in prison. The son later kills himself because he can no longer take seeing his moms dead face in his dreams anymore. This leads to the father finally confessing and writing his confession letter. This book is very very intense but it did grab my attention and I ended up liking it. I would recommend this book but for an older audience who likes this type of suspense.

SSR First Semester

One of the  books that I read for the first semester was called "The Red Queen" by Margaret Drabble. The genre of the book is historical and can be confusing while reading because there are many transitions and references from the Joseon Dynasty in Korea to the modern times. The book is 325 pages long and includes a detailed prologue, afterword,acknowledgment, a note on sources, and bibliography. Since a large part of the book is based on The Crown Princess Hyegyong telling her life as if her spirit still existed in a memoir that is has the spirit also has a sense of the current times. The memoir of the Crown Princess was sent to another character, Barbara Halliwell, that has a connection to the Princess and her life which is the second part of the book. Similar to ourselves sometimes feeling a connection to a scenario or character in a character. It starts off mainly as a autobiography from the faintest memory of Hyegyong from her father arranging her marriage to Crown Prince Sado  when she was nine year olds. She describes her life in the royal court and becoming caught up trying to survive in a palace with mad men ( her husband Sado and her father-in-law King Yongjo). This book was hard to follow most of the time because the timelines are very different but the "spirit' is in both. If the book was just solely based as an autobiography or biography of Princess Hyegyong then it would make more sense and can keep a person more hooked on the plot. The part I liked reading about is how Hyegyong's life was a drama show although she suffered many experience, in my opinion she still was strong and level headed through it all. The book is certainly interesting as a drama and learning about the life of a historical figure but as a fictional book with weird twist in the end, it was not as entertaining.
- Nayeli Gracian

SSR BLOG

Robert Adams III

Ms. Colln 

1/23/19

Per. 2

SSR BLOG

Over the course of the first semester during SSR times I read two books. The books of my choice were “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” and “Hunting El Chapo” by Andrew Hogan. Both of these novels were eye catching but the book that  caught most of my attention was “Hunting El Chapo”. The main character was DEA Agent Andrew Hogan, the leader of the tracking and capture of Joaquin Guzman (El Chapo). Andrew was the type of human who wanted to be perfect, as a child he drew police cars down to every little detail and he claims even the slightest mistake he would start completely over. I didn't really feel related to anyone in the book or connected, but knowing the little information about Chapo the book was somewhat predictable to an extent there were mind blowing points through the book. The novels writing criteria seemed to be story lined, Chapters were storynames and within the chapters the stories were separated by month, day, year not really in chronological order but it was put together. With the story mainly being told from a government view I would like to hear Chapo's side of the case. What was it like constantly running from the government, did he feel any wrong for what he was doing? To make the story better i would want to ask Joaquin Guzman for his personal side. THe book was about finding and capturing him so give him a dynamic role. This didn't make the book bad overall it's a good informal book to read if  DEA cases catch your attention.

The Far End Of Happy

This semester one of the books I read was The Far End of Happy by Kathryn Craft. If you are looking for a short story this is definitely not what you are looking for. The Far End of Happy is a lengthy book but, the author manages to keep the story interesting from beginning to end. Kathryn Craft wrote this book based on real events that took place in her life. This book is about a marriage that spirals completely out of control. The wife is living with her kids trying to be as normal as can be but also keeping an eye out for her soon to be ex husband. I know what you are thinking and no it is not one of the typical break up stories that end really weird and I'm telling you this because that is exactly what I thought.As the story goes on you get to see that her ex husband was struggling with many things. An event ends up happening that will involve the police and the ex husband for twelve whole hours. The only other stuff I can say is WOW I did not see the author taking that spin on her story. After I finished this book I remembered that this actually happened in her life and I do not know how herself and her kids were able to go through something that big. I could honestly say I enjoyed this book and considering I am not one who normally enjoys reading I can say I did with this book.

Mark Leynes The Life of Pi

Today, I will be writing a review and summarizing the book called “The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel and it was 354 pages. The book “The Life of Pi” is fiction explaining his life's  story. I’ll start off with Pi explaining his life in Toronto; during his high school and college. When he was younger his life was troubled in India, but he gets through this by learning zoology and religion. He met Francis Adirubasamy, a competitive swimmer, that was a business colleague to his father. Pi had a brother named Ravi and at an early age they had seen how dangerous animals could be. Pi also studied a couple of religions all at one time. Pi’s family decided to move to Canada, and go by ship with many animals. 

     While sailing the boat starts to sink and the crewmembers threw him on a lifeboat. Pi has found only some animals that were on the lifeboat with him and the tiger eventually gets on the boat. They keep going through the water and find an island. Pi finds human teeth around the fruit and believes the island people are cannibals. They went back to the sea and Pi was sent to a hospital. Pi tells his story on the ocean. 

     Most of the writing was based on Pi’s life and how he survived with a tiger as his friend.The book was decent; it was not in my interest, but to some people it may be fascinating. If you like survival books and some interesting times with animals this could be for you. 

The art of the heist: confessions of a master thief

Based on the books i read the first semester, the one that caught my attention was called “The art of the heist: confessions of a master thief”, which is a true crime book by Myles J.Connor Jr, a son of A decorated policeman and a grandson of a Mayflower passenger William brewster, connor grew up in Milton,  Massachusetts. Through his juvenility he developed a love for Rock and Roll, and art which helped him later on when he committed several crimes and unsolved rapes, he says he would never date someone younger than him, but in fact according to the evidence collected, it demonstrates he does. This story takes place mostly in the 70s and 80s in Boston and it’s mainly about his trials and time in prison, he also talks a bit about his family in the beginning of the book. While he was in prison he tried to escape jail several times and the details are very wildly unreasonable, when he mentions that he outwit the guards in Maine jail with a soap gun that he carved out as a sculpture of art. Given these points, I consider that this book is somewhat related to the corruption of law enforcement back in the 70s and the writing was simplistic with dynamic characters. If you are into true crime stories, I would suggest reading this book. Although It was not what I'd hoped, but yet wasn’t bad, I liked it because it makes you visualize how the crimes were prosecuted.

Ready Player One- Mark Montoya

So far this has been the only year where I have actually read anything outside of school and enjoyed it. If I'm being honest when it has come to SSR time in the past years I would never take the reading seriously and I can say it feels good to finish a whole book. But y'all didn't come to hear my boring story, no you came to hear my book review on my favorite book from the last semester huh? Alright fine I'll stop boring you with my story and tell you about the book that I have chosen for this review which is Ready Player One a Science Fiction novel by Ernest Cline. The book was really fun and really long for me anyways it was 372 pages to be exact also it’s just an all around good read, well only if you like the 80s and are a little bit geeky. So the book yeah its about how the world has gone to trash and everyone is hating the real world but can escape to the OASIS. The OASIS is a free vast virtual world where people can be/ do anything they have ever wanted, in the OASIS you can be anything from Hello Kitty to the Incredible Hulk and go anywhere from your favorite movie to Mount Everest. You see all this through the eyes of a high school boy named Wade Watts and how the OASIS has changed/ help his life and those around him. Well with the help of the Easter egg the is left in the virtual worlds of the OASIS by the creator James Halliday, who ever fines this Easter egg will receive untold riches and full control of the company but thing is that it's available to every user on the OASIS. There are bad people that want to make the OASIS a place with ads and just ruin everything for the people using it, also ruin what Halliday has created for self gain. So Wade with his high level intelligence of the 80s and everything about James Halliday has to go through very difficult obstacles that are ahead of him and his friends which some he meets along the way, to be able to have a better life and save the OASIS from the bad people that are trying to mess everything up for everyone. With my love for the 80s it has really been one of my top favorite books of all time due to the fact that I had such a great time reading this book and that the author owns a freakin Delorean which is one of my dream cars!! Thank you for taking the time to read my review and I hope this book can bring you the same laughter and fun experience that it has brought to me while reading this book.

The Dog Stars

The book that I decided to read in the first semester was a book named, The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Dog Stars is a 320 page post apocalyptic novel that has climatic events. Dog stars is about a man named Hig and his dog who are going through an apocalyptic event (really crazy how it started). It is just them trying to survive the world, but it is very struggling for them to adapt to their surroundings. They grow through man trials together trying to keep each other alive. Hig is a man who wants to try and make a world a better place but he doesn’t know how. Throughout this apocalypse Hig is trying to find his spiritual regeneration. Meaning trying to find himself again spiritually and mentally. Trying to be able to overcome this toxic world that he is living in. The way he overcomes everything in this novel is breathtaking. Their are many climatic moments in this novel that will keep you on the edge of your seats. If you’re a reader who likes drama, trill, and action THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. I enjoyed the way this novel had me impatient for what’s gonna happen next. Just the way Peter Heller writes it grabs your attention. The way he is able to express the situation in the novel made me imagine myself in that situation that Hig going through. I felt connected with Hig in a way. As in we both are trying to overcome these challenges to better ourselves. If I was able to change the book I would change Higs dog to a son to make it even more dramatic. Like Hig teaching him how to survive and the techniques he will have to learn to be able to be on his own.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Out of the four books I read the past semester, the one I enjoyed the most was a short 224 page novel titled The Perks of Being a Wallflower written by Stephen Chbosky. The novel is set in the 1990s following an introverted student by the name of Charlie who is going through his freshman year of high school and all the challenges he faces. The book is set up as a series of letters that he writes throughout the year. He never sends them, but based off the first page we understand that he writes these letters to help himself get better since he is struggling with mental health. Throughout the book, Chbosky writes about the issue of mental health, sexual and drug abuse which helps bring light to what teenagers have come across in their lifetime. The book introduces all these issues that you would not expect to hear coming from a freshman in highschool, issues so intense that require trigger warnings.The book was adapted into a movie a few years prior and it does a decent job portraying the story considering the author directed the movie; however, if you want to truly feel the emotion behind, I suggest reading the book because it offers something the movie can't. This book does mention and talk about issues like suicide, sexual abuse, and drug abuse so if you do decide to read this book, this is a trigger warning. Even though the book is upsetting at times, I would highly, highly recommend this book if you are into mature YA books. It is a very short read considering it's only 224 pages long, but the storyline of it is just amazing.

-Marcela Perez

The black hand

So the book I read was called the black hand and was based on a man called “the boxer” also known as Rene. He got influenced by his older brother who joined  the gang arta 13. Later at the age of 11 he started selling drugs to kids at school. Basically he started off really young with doing all of the gang stuff and when he got older he was like the main one in the mafia. People knew who he was and were frightened by what he could and would do. To me he was a reckless guy because he would date older women that were with men and didn’t care. He wasn’t afraid. He ended up getting married and having children but after he got put in prison. He then was still fine because in prison they had gangs and the biggest gang there was the mafia. They would do whatever to survive and that’s how they saw it. They were vicious enough to kill just for saying one thing wrong, they had no mercy and they would sneak in weapons by shoving it into their rectum. Later on as Rene is getting older he’s realizing this is not what he wants for the rest of his life. One guard realized Rene was changing and wasn’t the same cold person. He said that a member of the mafia wouldnt even try to remember important date for example birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and anniversaries. In the end rene talks to some important people that are willing to help him get out of the gang and he’s really scared because of what they do to people who leave. They give him protection and he ends up leaving having a better life.

Reviews

          The first book I read was called the "Dragon Heir" by Cinda Williams which was a fantasy novel about a young man who lost his parents and has magic and lives with a magic school. The other characters are students who fight evil, they all gather and find ways to stop the end of the world from happening all in all an interesting book however it was far below my skill level so it was a little to simple for me and in hindsight may have chosen a book that was more interesting/mature. The next book I read was "Paradox" by Catherine Coulter, this was a murder mystery and follows a female cop who witnessed the murder in a small peaceful town. The plot goes as is, witnessed the murder follows leads and even has the character develop a relationship which later would bloom even more; the story was very compelling and much more of higher level reading as opposed to the ladder. I enjoyed both books but the second by far outweighs the first, I suggest reading Paradox if you are entertained by murder mysteries and such with a mix of romance this bool would be for you. 
           Consider the following when deciding to read either of the books, the plot on both was simple one was just more entertaining and had more detail and realistic component to it, however the other was more magical and a bit childish. 

                           -Daniel Kerlagon

The Secret

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, a 224 page self-help book, was my favorite read of the semester. The entire book is based off of what many people consider and have discovered to be the secret to a happy and healthy life. Now that I have read the book and even reread some parts several times, i have gotten the gist of it. Basically, our thoughts become our reality. Rhonda believes and stresses throughout her book that EVERY thought we have will become our reality. Do I believe that? No. There have been many things in my life that have occurred without me wishing for them. Although, I do believe that a positive mindset, decisions, and environment will lead a positive life. Throughout the book there are several philosophers and other professionals who share their knowledge on the secret and how it has affected their lives. After discussing this book with others and sharing opinions, there seems to be controversy on whether or not the secret is effective. The misconception that comes with this idea of the secret is the belief that the simple act of imagining owning a Ferrari or a mansion on the hills will make both of those magically appear. In a section of her book, Rhonda makes it clear that each desire and goal is reachable if the adequate amount of work is put in. If I could change one thing about the book, I would make it clear in the beginning that this practice only works if you take action. After reading The Secret, I have applied it to different aspects of my life and have seen positive shifts and desires appear. I definitely recommend this book if you want to figure out what the secret is, and you’re open to new ideas and ways of thinking.  

Where the Crawdad Sings

For the first semester I chose to read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (368). In the book Where the Crawdads Sing is a coming of age story and part bildungsroman centered and depicted by the main character Kya. This story follows the triumphs and hardships of this unkempt wild marsh girl. She raised herself in an isolated marsh (hence her nickname) on the coast of North Carolina. Due to her abusive father her mother and siblings fled the marsh leaving Kya to raise and fend for herself. With very little help from the towns folk Kya manages to sell claims and fish to maintain a small income. With the rest of the time being Kya distracts herself with her interest in the marsh. She collects and documents species and plants through drawings the discoveries of the marsh.
Even though she was an outcast to the townsfolk she manages to catch the eye of two young men. Hot shot Chase Andrews and Tate Walker. Tate a kind and sweet boy teaches Kya to read and write. While on the other hand Chase Andrews tried to take advantage of the outcast marsh girl. When police finds Andrews body by a tower Kya is the main suspect of this crime…

If you are into mystery and romance I would suggest reading, Where the Crawdads Sing. I enjoyed this book very much. It is one of those books that are easy to read. The book had such an easy flow to it which made it easy to picture what was going on. The author did an amazing job depicting the setting through writing.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven: Or, How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process by Corey Taylor, Dominic Diaz

When trying to figure out what book to read for the first quarter I had no idea what to read so I decided to find a book written by one of my favorite song artists, Corey Taylor, so picked up A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven. In the title the book was already ironic due to the author stating that he's an atheist multiple times inside and outside the book meaning that he neither believes in heaven or hell and should dismiss the paranormal all together. This book though is a fusion of his personal experiences with unworldly paranormal activity and his critical thinking as to how ghosts, spirits, or whatever they're called can exist. Another key aspect of the book too was his attitude being shown whenever he'd tell a story or explain the logic as to how ghosts can exist. One specific story he explains how his son, Griffin, was seeing a shadow man in his room at night when he was 3 years old and it was made clear that as a father he felt fear and anger that something he couldn't explain at the time was happening to his family. Every single part of the book was quite interesting because not only did he go in depth with the possibility of ghosts existing but the stories too were both comedic and kept my eyes glued to the book. It was something I enjoyed reading and I got a few good laughs out of it and it makes me think more differently because I now question more things with a more critical thought process than I did before.

Fang Girl by Helen Keeble, Sammantha Rubio

Out of the three books I read last semester, I decided to pick Fang Girl by Helen Keeble. Fang Girl is a humor and young adult fiction novel with a total of 325 pages. The book is about a 15-year old girl named Jane Greene who is suddenly dead after waking up inside a coffin with fangs, super speed, and no more mediocre life. She returns home to her family to understand the reasoning of her death while her family seem to be confused about their dead daughter at their front door. Her parents, confused on how to take care of their dead daughter, feeds her live animals, reads every book they could find, and get frightened that their daughter may or may not want to suck their blood.  Throughout the book, she learns to cope with the idea of her being dead while trying to still "live" a normal life. I really enjoyed this book because there were many funny and humorous moments in the book that really kept the momentum all throughout. This book was very enjoyable to read and never had a moment of boredom at all. The protagonist was very entertaining with some laugh-out-loud quotes, and her teen characteristics were perfectly detailed. I also really loved how supportive the characters were with the protagonist like how her family was very supportive about their daughter going through a process of her death. They were able to do anything for their daughter and how they handle situations that seemed bizarre and crazy, perfectly blended with the whole novel. I really enjoyed this book and many people who really like adult fiction novels would love to read this as well. :D

Hi classmates! Of the three books I read last semester, my favorite was Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. It is 310 pages long and worth every single one. It is an adult fiction novel about a teen girl named Madeline Whittier who does not know what the world is. She is constantly underneath a microscope when in the hands of her mother. At times, she is being taken care of by a nurse named Carla who is a bit more loose with her. Since she was a baby, Maddy had been told by her mother (who is also a doctor) that she had to be treated to an immune disorder that could cause a fatality if exposed to the germs of the outside world. Every day was a routine for her. Without giving big details, she met a guy her age and they fell in love. Her mother of course did not approve. One day, Maddy decided to go to Hawaii with the boy and they shared a life changing experience. Maddy then grew sick and passed out. When she came back on to the mainland, Maddy stopped talking to Olly. He later moved away but Maddy had to have him back. It was not long before then that she discovered that Maddy was not as sick as her mother told her to be. Her entire life seemed like a lie. She traveled to New York where her love would be rekindled.  I loved this book and everything about it. I felt that the main character, although she thought that she was sick, was a simple teen. She was not different in her personality. The way that she expressed herself at times was admirable. I truly recommend this to anyone into young adult fiction books.

[KC]: Semester 1 Blog Post

Hi, folks!

I hope you enjoyed reading the books you've committed to for Independent Reading so far. Here's your first SSR check-in:

Step 1: Create a new POST in which you review one of the two books that you read for the first semester. If you read more than two books this semester, you can choose any of them to review. In your review, be sure to clearly state the title, author, genre, and total page number of the book. Then, summarize a bit of the plot (but don't give away the major spoilers!) to give us some context. Next, discuss what you liked or didn't like about this book.

• Feel free to use these questions to help guide you, but don't feel tied to simply answering them: How was the main character? Did you feel connected? Were the major plot points predictable? How was the writing? Poetic? Simplistic? Were the characters dynamic or static? Did that hurt or help the story? If you were to change anything about the book, what would it be? 

Step 2: Once other classmates have posted their reviews, COMMENT on two other reviews. (Be sure to read the comments on your review as well and engage in conversations as necessary.)

As always, your post should be around 250 words and your comments should be at least a few meaningful sentences.

NO PLAGIARIZING!

DUE DATES
One original post: Thursday, January 23rd
Two comments: Tuesday, January 28th

[KC]: Ms. Colln's Writing Territories!

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou

Hi all! A lot of times we get stuck early on in the writing process because we think that we have nothing to write about, which is just straight-up poppycock! We have tons about which we can write! We've been on this earth a good while and we have had many different experiences in many different realms of our lives. 

This activity is meant to get you to see just how much you have up in your brain into which you can tap and from which you can write. A writing territories list shows a bit of who you are and it is also a bank of ideas to use at your disposal -- turn to it when you want to write, when you need to write, when you'll just die if you don't write! (Take a look HERE to find some ideas on what types of territories to create.) 

Notice how I've taken more broad domains and then narrowed them down to specific experiences that I've had in my life. You can do it this way or you can set it up in a different way. The creativity is left up to you!

MY WRITING TERRITORIES!

(all the areas in which I can write and write well)

FAMILY:
I am a daughter.

• wanting to make my parents proud; building things with my dad; sharing music with my mom; summer solstice parades; sand-sport super shows, car shows with dad; the divorce;

I am a sister.

• my brother, Chris; video gaming together; the first time I saw him cry as an adult; being there for his first heartbreak (and second heartbreak); 

I am a friend.

• late nights talks at Mimi's with Tati and Katelyn; getting to know people while traveling; "the band"; 

BELIEFS:
I am a Christian.

• being invited to church by my cousin; Area Bible Studies in high school; working with the K-2nd graders; going on a missions trip to Africa; speaking in FUEL

ACADEMICS:
I am a teacher.

• realizing I wanted to be a teacher in 11th grade; meeting Kenzie in the credential program; student teaching under Phinizy and Fletch; subbing for Mrs. Brown and growing our friendship; having fun at professional development days and/or workshops;

I am a reader.

• my favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, The Night Circus, The Harry Potter Series, etc.; dreaming about a book while I'm in the middle of reading it; sharing my love of a book with someone else; buying books; missing my opportunity with BJ Novak

I am a writer.

• reading through old essays; choosing to write poetry;

I am a scholar.

• wanting to remain a student forever; being in class (sharing your thoughts, trying to stay focused, meeting my classmates, forming study groups, etc); English classes at UCLA; film classes at UCLA;

I am a Bruin.

• being an athlete on campus; joining the FPS (Film and Photography Society) club (the first meeting, the short film festival); creating a friendship with my counselor and some professors (Janel, Batten, Mott, Monica); attending sporting events; Bruin Bash; Monday dinners with Claudia & Kristen; catch and dinners and classes with Troy; graduations; considering going into the PhD program; alumni events; always feeling like I'm home at UCLA;

ART:
I am a film-analyzer.

• taking film and television production at Mayfair; creating my own short films in high school; creating our softball video; having my film viewed in a festival at a theater on a big screen; 

I am a movie-goer/TV-watcher.

• My favorite movies: A League of Their Own, Pride and Prejudice, Big Fish, Hugo; sitting in a theater, talking to my friends after a movie;
• My favorite shows: Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Parenthood, American Dreams;

SPORTS:
I am an athlete.

• playing softball (Heartwell, travel ball, high school, college); one year of golf; first time traveling for softball alone (Georgia); two years at Cerritos and one state championship; walking on to the UCLA softball team; meeting some of my closest friends; learning key characteristics through the sport; learning who I am outside of that sport;

I am a coach.

• quarter-final game in Temecula Valley; our first time beating La Mirada; surprising everyone at the Division 1 tournament; the players I've coached; starting with the volleyball team;

EXPLORATION:
I am a traveler.

• Africa; Ireland; Canada; San Francisco; Hogwarts (Florida); New York twice by myself; journaling while traveling; what it means to "just be" (completely unplugged); hiking in Southern California;

Another way is to create a map of your territories. (Note: this is just a brief sketch. There would obviously be much more to mapping out a particular territory.)

Devote a FULL PAGE of your notebook to thinking about your writing territories. If you fill a page and have more to say, just keep going! Be sure to put the page into your Index to make it easy to find and work with.