Anderson's Twisted entertained me with it's "twisted" story about a high school student and the trouble he got into.
One theme of the book is to never judge a book by it's cover. After Tyler got into trouble with the law, everyone judged him and assumed he was an awful person to be around. Another theme would be to always be yourself, no matter what others may think or say. Tyler always saw himself as the nerd boy and it caused him to do something rebellious to get noticed. The consequences to his actions were not worth just getting noticed, and having other people's view of him changed.
Tyler is a high school student starting his senior year. He has always been very smart and thought of very highly by the people around him. In his mind, he was a wimpy nerd boy that was known as a loser. He wanted to change that. He spray painted part of the school and got caught so he had to do community service and was on probation. Throughout the book, Tyler sees the consequences to his decisions and how they have affected the new person he is. For example, he is framed for a few incidents t he wasn't involved in because of his past.
The main character in this book, Tyler, could very easily be related to students in high schools today. Everyone wants to fit in because it seems like it's the "cool" thing to do, but most of the time people are better off just being their self. I recommend this book very much. It's short and easy to read. Also, it's easy to get into so you're not bored halfway through the book.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Pro life VS Pro choice
A woman having an abortion is choosing to have the fetus inside of her removed and killed. Some people are very strong opinionated on the subject of abortion. They may be very strong pro life, meaning against abortion, or pro choice, not necessarily meaning for it but also not against it. For me, I am for the most part pro life. I do not believe abortions are right for the situations most people consider it.
I don't know whether the fetus has thoughts or feelings while in the womb, but I do know that the woman and the people around her have feelings and memories. Not only is an abortion the killing of a baby, but the woman also has to live with it after. This could greatly affect not only the physical part of a woman but also the mental and emotional part.
The majority of people that are pro life are Christians. They believe, along with myself, that every child, starting the minute the egg is fertilized, has a soul and is a gift from God. One of the main verses that makes me believe abortion is wrong is found in Job 10: 8-12 which says "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk... and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." In our world, there are many who are not Christians so it is hard to use the Bible to try to convince others to agree, but I do think it is a very good argument towards other Christians.
Another big part of my opinion on abortion is the methods they use. From the methods I have heard of and read, none of them in my opinion seem "not that bad" or "OK." To view some of the methods and facts and opinions about abortion go to http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-abortion.html.
Although I agree that women should have the choice of what is done with their own body, I do not believe that a baby inside of them is enough of their body for them to decide whether it lives or it dies.
I don't know whether the fetus has thoughts or feelings while in the womb, but I do know that the woman and the people around her have feelings and memories. Not only is an abortion the killing of a baby, but the woman also has to live with it after. This could greatly affect not only the physical part of a woman but also the mental and emotional part.
The majority of people that are pro life are Christians. They believe, along with myself, that every child, starting the minute the egg is fertilized, has a soul and is a gift from God. One of the main verses that makes me believe abortion is wrong is found in Job 10: 8-12 which says "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk... and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." In our world, there are many who are not Christians so it is hard to use the Bible to try to convince others to agree, but I do think it is a very good argument towards other Christians.
Another big part of my opinion on abortion is the methods they use. From the methods I have heard of and read, none of them in my opinion seem "not that bad" or "OK." To view some of the methods and facts and opinions about abortion go to http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-abortion.html.
Although I agree that women should have the choice of what is done with their own body, I do not believe that a baby inside of them is enough of their body for them to decide whether it lives or it dies.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Taking A Stand
In my opinion, taking a stand takes very much courage so I have a lot of respect for people who take a stand on important topics. Most people think of taking a stand as someone taking a stand against something they disagree with. I think taking a stand could also be standing up or standing for something you think is correct or good.
A senior that is in my youth group recently took a stand on something she thought was very beneficial to the people of Africa and for teens in America. From what I gathered, she has always had a desire to be a missionary in Africa, so she asked one of her friends to help her put together a benefit concert that was going to be called Scarfest. This concert would help raise money to donate to an AIDS mission in Africa and to an organization called To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit organization to give hope to those who struggle with depression, suicide, addictions, etc.
Not only was this stand for those organizations, but it was also christian based. She was also standing up for her belief in God. By taking a stand on this large of a subject and still being young, she displayed how courageous and how much faith she had in herself to make something like this be successful, which it was. I also believe she gained respect from the people around her and also gained faith from them. This act encouraged me to not be afraid to stand up for something I either agree or disagree about. It also helped me realize how much of an affect I can have on others by doing this.
A senior that is in my youth group recently took a stand on something she thought was very beneficial to the people of Africa and for teens in America. From what I gathered, she has always had a desire to be a missionary in Africa, so she asked one of her friends to help her put together a benefit concert that was going to be called Scarfest. This concert would help raise money to donate to an AIDS mission in Africa and to an organization called To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit organization to give hope to those who struggle with depression, suicide, addictions, etc.
Not only was this stand for those organizations, but it was also christian based. She was also standing up for her belief in God. By taking a stand on this large of a subject and still being young, she displayed how courageous and how much faith she had in herself to make something like this be successful, which it was. I also believe she gained respect from the people around her and also gained faith from them. This act encouraged me to not be afraid to stand up for something I either agree or disagree about. It also helped me realize how much of an affect I can have on others by doing this.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak reminded me to never be afraid to share with others what I'm feeling.
Melinda is a high school student at Merryweather high, an everyday high school. The cliques are in their places and aren't welcoming any newcomers. Melinda use to be in a clique, the clique that was everyone's dream to be a part of, the popular group. Now, she is at the bottom of her school. Everyone knows her name, but only because she was the girl that called the cops at the biggest party of the summer. With no friends and no encouragement from her family, Melinda must find the courage from herself to finally admit what happened at the party.
The characters are very real to me. I can see Melinda being the girl that everyone is scared to be friends with because they know the reputation she has and what rumors will go around about them. I could feel the tension and nerves the first day back to school when she had to walk by all the cliques, every staring and disgusted. The author did a great job describing the clans and the members of those clans. For example, the Marthas were the goodie-two-shoes. She described how they were always doing volunteer projects and acting sweet, but how fake everyone knew they really were.
Connections were very easily made for me while reading Speak. Although I do not know how it feeling to be competely disowned by every student but one at school, I could relate to not knowing whether to speak up on some subjects and get the courage to. The theme of this was taking a stand. Many students change themselves to fit in with a group at school just so they can have friends. Melinda did not change herself at all and was satisfied with herself, even if it was with no friends. Also, she told someone about the problem that occured at the party and took a stand by calling the police.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a good reminder that even very soft subjects that you may feel should just be left alone can really effect someone until they decide to get it out.
Melinda is a high school student at Merryweather high, an everyday high school. The cliques are in their places and aren't welcoming any newcomers. Melinda use to be in a clique, the clique that was everyone's dream to be a part of, the popular group. Now, she is at the bottom of her school. Everyone knows her name, but only because she was the girl that called the cops at the biggest party of the summer. With no friends and no encouragement from her family, Melinda must find the courage from herself to finally admit what happened at the party.
The characters are very real to me. I can see Melinda being the girl that everyone is scared to be friends with because they know the reputation she has and what rumors will go around about them. I could feel the tension and nerves the first day back to school when she had to walk by all the cliques, every staring and disgusted. The author did a great job describing the clans and the members of those clans. For example, the Marthas were the goodie-two-shoes. She described how they were always doing volunteer projects and acting sweet, but how fake everyone knew they really were.
Connections were very easily made for me while reading Speak. Although I do not know how it feeling to be competely disowned by every student but one at school, I could relate to not knowing whether to speak up on some subjects and get the courage to. The theme of this was taking a stand. Many students change themselves to fit in with a group at school just so they can have friends. Melinda did not change herself at all and was satisfied with herself, even if it was with no friends. Also, she told someone about the problem that occured at the party and took a stand by calling the police.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a good reminder that even very soft subjects that you may feel should just be left alone can really effect someone until they decide to get it out.
Taking A Stand
I am a very quiet person around people I don't know very well. I am especially quiet when it comes to expressing my opinion and views are specific, touchy subjects. I'm definitely not known in school or any other place in town as the girl who will always stand up for what she believes in. I feel that the reason I do not express my opinions well is because I don't have enough information to back it up or I fear I will be proven wrong or embarrassed. I can recall one time that I did stand up for what I believed or thought was correct.
A very sensitive subject for myself is alcohol. I feel very uncomfortable when that word even comes up in conversation so there is no way in the world I would ever want to say anything about it. Many underage kids do drink alcohol because they believe it's "fun" or helps them have more fun during their free times. I, on the other hand, completely disagree.
A person I knew confronted me about her weekends and her partying experiences. She asked if I would want to join her one weekend and I quickly responded no. Trying to avoid further conversation about the the subject, a question was proposed by her, a question I did not want to be asked at all, "why?" I began explaining to her that it was unhealthy for people under 21 to drink and reasons to back it up. I also added that many end up alcoholics and since I already had that to worry about it I didn't want to add to the chances anymore.
After a very small stand being taken by myself, I realized that it wasn't horrible. No, I didn't have as much information as I should have to completely convince her that she shouldn't party and drink in her spare time, but I don't think even if I would have had that information it would have changed her mind. Knowing that she knew my all my views on that subject and remembering how I had expressed them made me feel a lot more comfortable when an uncomfortable subject was brought up in the future.
A very sensitive subject for myself is alcohol. I feel very uncomfortable when that word even comes up in conversation so there is no way in the world I would ever want to say anything about it. Many underage kids do drink alcohol because they believe it's "fun" or helps them have more fun during their free times. I, on the other hand, completely disagree.
A person I knew confronted me about her weekends and her partying experiences. She asked if I would want to join her one weekend and I quickly responded no. Trying to avoid further conversation about the the subject, a question was proposed by her, a question I did not want to be asked at all, "why?" I began explaining to her that it was unhealthy for people under 21 to drink and reasons to back it up. I also added that many end up alcoholics and since I already had that to worry about it I didn't want to add to the chances anymore.
After a very small stand being taken by myself, I realized that it wasn't horrible. No, I didn't have as much information as I should have to completely convince her that she shouldn't party and drink in her spare time, but I don't think even if I would have had that information it would have changed her mind. Knowing that she knew my all my views on that subject and remembering how I had expressed them made me feel a lot more comfortable when an uncomfortable subject was brought up in the future.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar taught me about the history of Julius Caesar. This book is a play of the tragic death of Caesar and other events surrounding his death.
Since the style of this book is a play, it is unique from most books that I've read. There is no narrarator so all the information from the book comes from the characters lines or voices. The whole time of reading the book, I had many different types of voices running through my head which helped me keep the characters kept apart and kept the lines from all running together. The writing style also uses vanacular from the times of Caesar. This made the book harder to read, but also helped the reader remember what times the book was set in and what the language the characters were actually speaking in.
The setting is very different from the world today. Obviously since it was written a very long time ago about an event that happened even longer ago.
In this play, Caesar is about to be crowned king of Rome. Caesar is a very respected man, so no one dares to oppose. Brutus loves Rome and would do anything to prevent the fall of this city. When Cassius agrees with him that the only way to prevent that fall is to murder Caesar, Brutus feels like he has no other choice. Brutus and Cassius convince several others to agree with their idea and soon create a plan.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Shakespeare's plays or anyone who is interested in history, Rome, or Julius Caesar.
Since the style of this book is a play, it is unique from most books that I've read. There is no narrarator so all the information from the book comes from the characters lines or voices. The whole time of reading the book, I had many different types of voices running through my head which helped me keep the characters kept apart and kept the lines from all running together. The writing style also uses vanacular from the times of Caesar. This made the book harder to read, but also helped the reader remember what times the book was set in and what the language the characters were actually speaking in.
The setting is very different from the world today. Obviously since it was written a very long time ago about an event that happened even longer ago.
In this play, Caesar is about to be crowned king of Rome. Caesar is a very respected man, so no one dares to oppose. Brutus loves Rome and would do anything to prevent the fall of this city. When Cassius agrees with him that the only way to prevent that fall is to murder Caesar, Brutus feels like he has no other choice. Brutus and Cassius convince several others to agree with their idea and soon create a plan.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Shakespeare's plays or anyone who is interested in history, Rome, or Julius Caesar.
Perfect
Natasha Friend's Perfect taught me that no one is perfect. In Perfect, a young girl Isabelle has always wanted to be part of the "in" crowd. This would include being best friends with Ashley Barnum, the prettiest girl in school. Isabelle's looks and family just does work good enough to get her in. When Belle's mom catches her making herself throw up, she sends her to Group. Isabelle didn't know what to expect from group, but the last thing she expected was for Ashley Barnum to walk in.
The main characters in this book, like in most, are very important. These characters display average teenage students perfectly. They worry about the same things, and fear the same things as every day people. Isabelle is a young girl trying to be perfect at everything and getting jealous of everyone she sees. She feels like she would almost do anything to just fit in Ashley's group. Ashley is the perfect girl. She has the perfect hair, body, smile, face, clothes, anything anyone would ever want. But Isabelle will soon realize you can't judge a book by it's cover.
Isabelle is in high school. She is trying to figure out how to deal with her father's death. Her mother pretends like nothing is wrong and will never speak about Isabelle and her sister's father. Little does her mother know, Isabelle hears her crying and saying her father's name every night while they're suppose to be sleeping. Isabelle's sister who she refers to as Ape Face told on her when she found her sister pucking in the bathroom, Isabelle had forgotten to lock the door. When Isabelle is sent to Group she soon find out her and Ms. Perfect, Ashley, are not very different after all.
I strongly recommend this book for girls who struggle with self-confidence or struggle with being a perfectionist.
The main characters in this book, like in most, are very important. These characters display average teenage students perfectly. They worry about the same things, and fear the same things as every day people. Isabelle is a young girl trying to be perfect at everything and getting jealous of everyone she sees. She feels like she would almost do anything to just fit in Ashley's group. Ashley is the perfect girl. She has the perfect hair, body, smile, face, clothes, anything anyone would ever want. But Isabelle will soon realize you can't judge a book by it's cover.
Isabelle is in high school. She is trying to figure out how to deal with her father's death. Her mother pretends like nothing is wrong and will never speak about Isabelle and her sister's father. Little does her mother know, Isabelle hears her crying and saying her father's name every night while they're suppose to be sleeping. Isabelle's sister who she refers to as Ape Face told on her when she found her sister pucking in the bathroom, Isabelle had forgotten to lock the door. When Isabelle is sent to Group she soon find out her and Ms. Perfect, Ashley, are not very different after all.
I strongly recommend this book for girls who struggle with self-confidence or struggle with being a perfectionist.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
