Compare and Contrast: The Sky Is Everywhere and Cut

     The two books that I will be comparing and contrasting are The Sky Is Everywhere and Cut. I read both books this quarter.

     The similarity I wanted to point out was how they both involve some type of conflict with a sibling. In TSIE, Lennie's sister Bailey past away. In the book, it says, "The morning of the day Bailey died, she woke me up by putting her finger in my ear. I hated when she did this. She then started trying on shirts, asking me: Which do you like better, the green or the blue? The blue. You didn't even look up Lennie. Okay, the green. Really, I don't care what shirt you wear. Then I rolled over in bed and fell back asleep. I found out later that she wore the blue, and those were the last words I ever spoke to her." This shows how Lennie had a hard time losing her. It also taught me something very important, and that is that we should all be careful about what we say, because that may be the last time we may be able to say to that person, or it could be our last day. I've learned to try to treat each day like its my last, and I like how this book makes readers realize that. 

     In Cut, Callie has a younger brother. She would self harm because she thought it was her fault for her brother becoming ill, which brings conflict in the story. In the book, it says, "It was my fault that Sam is sick." This shows how she thought it was her fault. It also made me realize something, and that is to not blame yourself for everything. I've learned to not blame myself for taking up space in the world, because we are all human and make mistakes, and we all learn from our mistakes and our past. I believe both books allowed me to realize something I've never realized before, and opened my mind to other people's ideas. 

       The difference in these books are the main conflicts of the story. In TSIE, the story is about Lennie and two boys. One makes her forget things, and one helps her through them. So, this book is mainly about romance. But, Cut was about a problem that Callie faced, which was self harm. It didn't talk about romance anywhere in the book, and it was mainly about Callie fighting to end her self harming. 

The Sky Is Everywhere

     The book I have been reading is The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. I chose this book because I've heard many great things about this author and the books she has written. 

     The book begins with letting us know about the main character's problem, which is the death of her sister. In the book, it says, "The morning of the day Bailey died..." This shows her problem and allows us to get to know the character a bit better, and to understand the pain she may go through. 

    Something else the book introduces us to is another problem Lennie (the main character) has. In the book it says, "It's not just because my sister Bailey died four years ago, or because my mother hasn't contacted me in sixteen years, or even because suddenly all I think about is love." This confused me since this was almost in the beginning of the book, and I wasn't sure what it meant, or what it was trying to indicate for the future. I wonder if she she thinks love is the only option when alone. 

     I like this book so far because it involves conflict with Lennie and two boys named Joe and Toby. I like when there is conflict like this because I expect one to be together, but you never really know what could happen. I'm excited to read more of it. 

William Shakespeare: Playwright & Poet

      For ELA, we have been doing a project based on someone, and I picked William Shakespeare. I picked him since it fascinated me how he made so many poems and plays. It must have been a lot of dedication, and I wanted to find out how his life was.

       The book I picked was William Shakespeare: Playwright and Poet by Pamela Holl Nettleton. This book explained his early life and his success. Something that surprised me when I read this is that he left school because his father did not have enough money. In the book, it says, "By the time William was about 13, his father was struggling to make enough money for his family." This shows how even though life was hard, he was still dedicated to his work. This surprised me since I thought you needed a good education to be good at writing, but it showed me that as long as you are dedicated, you can succeed. 

     I also wanted to know what inspired him to write. On page 30, it says, "They read the great literary classics and studied Aesop's Fables. As an older student, William probably read classical writers such as Cicero, Virgil, and Ovid. William's love of these classics shows up years later in many of the plots of plays he wrote as an adult." This shows how he built interest in school. I liked learning about who inspired him, and I'd like to know why these writers attracted him since he wrote similar plots about them. 

We Can Make A Difference

     Today in ELA, we talked about a girl that has been raising money by selling lemonade to buy crayons for people in her brothers hospital. The main focus of the article is that we can all make a difference. 

     I think we can make a change in this world by showing what you believe to others. Something that I strongly believe in are to end gender roles. A gender role is rules that society gives to each gender, such as only boys can play sports and only girls can wear makeup. I believe gender roles should end since I want equality in this world, and how can we have equality if gender roles still exist? I can make a difference by not supporting gender roles, and to help other people's voices be heard. 

     One of my favorite quotes is by Ghandi, and it says, "Be the change you wish to see in this world." This shows me that I can't expect change if I'm not part of the change. 

Positively Beautiful

      The book I have been reading is Positvely Beautiful by Wendy Mills. I've only been reading it for a couple of days, but so far I know the main character is a sixteen year old girl named Erin. She has a best friend named Trina.

      Something else you should know about her is that her father died when she was very young, so she lived with her mother. Something that makes her life change is when she finds out her mother has breast cancer. In the book, it says, "I have cancer," she says simply. And my life cracks into before and after just like that." In my opinion, I do not like the way she let that secret out, and it should have been more mysterious. I don't know anything else, but that's what I've read so far.   

     Some predictions I have for this book is that her mother might pass away, and she will find her way to live without her. Another prediction I have is that Erin will do anything for her mother to live, or try to make the best of her life. I know I would if I was close to losing someone I love. 

Cut

     The book I have been reading is Cut by Patricia McCormick. This book is about a girl named Callie who cuts herself, and goes to place where other girls go through similar problems. The book doesn't give an explicit reason as to why she does this, but it may have been because she thought she caused trouble to her family. I came to the conclusion of this since in the book, it says, "I thought it was my fault, Sam getting sick." This shows how she thought something was her fault, so that could be the reason she started to self harm. 

     In the beginning of the book, she would not talk. She had felt like she had lost her voice since she hadn't used it in so long. I believe this book is aimed towards teenagers who may also be going through similar conflict as Callie, and the theme may be that not evrything is your fault, and to not blame yourself for existing. I also think this story is encouraging to not self harm, and to realize that you're not alone. 

     Something that I really liked about this book was that there was a character that added more conflict into the story. Her name is Amanda, and she brought in a different idea to self harming. Most of the girls in the group would self harm because they felt alone or insecure, but Amanda said she did it for pleasure and because it made her feel good. In the book, it says, "It's a high. I mean, you feel amazing. No matter how bad you felt before. It's a rush, like suddenly you're alive." I like how Amanda brought in another perspective l, and it introduces the idea of how not everyone does certain things for the same reason. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to introduce themselves to the topic of self harm, and the different perspectives of the idea. 

Character Analysis On The Future Of Us

     I have been reading The Future Of Us for a while now, and I have been loving it! It includes a lot of conflict in this story, and it makes you want to read more and more. In the book, there are two main characters named Emma and Josh. I believe Emma is the type that falls for everything. Throughout the book, Emma is the first to believe the Facebook page truly told the future. On page 43, it says "When you say 'the people who created this,' don't you get it? At some point in the future, we created it. I don't know exactly what it is, but it looks like interconnected websites where people show their photos and write about everything going on in their lives, like whether they found a parking spot or what they ate for breakfast." This is showing how she strongly believes in this website, and brings in proof for Josh to believes. I believe Emma is gullible based on this information. 

     The other character in this book is Josh, who is Emma's neighbor. They have been friends for a long time. Josh is the type who goes with what's right, and asks for someone else's decision to complete his decisions. He doesn't fall for things as quickly as Emma does. On page 80, it says, "Are you still skeptical?" Emma asks. "I'm just...I want to..." I want to be skeptical. I need to skeptical. But this rush of impossible information is almost too much." This shows how Josh doesn't want to believe it since it's impossible to create the future that's going to happen on 15 years. 

    I really like this book, and I can't wait to read more! 

The Future Of Us

     The book I have been reading is The Future Of Us by Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher. This book is about two teenagers named Emma and Josh. This book takes place in 1996. These two characters are neighbors and they were best friends, until Josh confessed he liked Emma, and things got awkward. On page 13, it says, "It's been six months since I've been in her house. Before that, this was like my second home. But after we all went to the opening night of Toy Story, I misread things and thought she wanted to be more that friends. She didn't." Then, she received a computer and had access to a Facebook account, but Facebook hadn't been invented yet. 

     Emma and Josh discovers things about her future. They soon realize their everyday action effect their profiles on Facebook. On page 76, it says, "Everything I did differently today sent little ripples of change into the future." This shows how the things they did in the future were not permanent. 

     This book is written by alternating characters each chapter. This way, we get to see both perspectives of story, which I like. Since this book also takes place when I wasn't born, it also gives me an idea of how life was back then. I really like this book, and I can't wait to read more of it. 

Compare & Contrast

The two books that I will be comparing and contrasting are Butter and The Future Of Us. I read both of these books in the third quarter, and I really liked both of them. Some differences are that in The Future Of Us, it is written by alternating characters each chapter. This way, we get to see both sides of the situation, which I really enjoy. Butter is written as the main character's perspective, only seeing one person's view on the book. Something else that is different is the conflict of the story. In The Future Of Us, the main conflict is how everything they do in the present effects their futures. In the book, it says, ""Everything I did differently today sent little ripples of change into the future." This is showing the changes that are made in the future. In Butter, the main conflict is how Butter seems to be different from the crowd. In the book, it says, "Hey, kid, what's your name anyway?" I stayed silent, but Jeremy stood up finally, staring down at the tears on my face, they greasy mess in my hands, and answered for me. "His name's butter." This shows how he was never acknowledged at school.  

Now, we will talk about the similarities. In both books, the topic is pretty similar. They books both revolve around the Internet, and how it impacts their life. Butter plans on a live video chat that many will view, and Emma and Josh constantly check Facebook to check how their futures are effected. These books both also take place in a school, which is where most of the conflict takes place. 

Butter

     The book I have been reading is Butter by Erin Jade Lange. This book is about an overweight boy in high school, given the nick name Butter. He received this nickname after a group of teens took him into the parking lot, and forced him to eat a stick of butter. They said that if he didn't, he would have a bad time in high school. They didn't bother asking for his real name, which symbolizes how he is ignored and forgotten at school. On page 60, it says, "Hey, kid, what's your name anyway?" I stayed silent, but Jeremy stood up finally, staring down at the tears on my face, they greasy mess in my hands, and answered for me. "His name's butter." This is showing the time when they took him into the parking lot, and they gave him his nickname. 

     He also likes a girl, named Anna, and they talk online. Anna doesn't know what he looks like, because he doesn't want to reveal himself until he feels confident in his own body. Also, he plans on "eating himself to death", which means eating so much until you die. In the book, it says, "You think I eat a lot now? That's nothing. Tune in December 31st, when I will stream a live webcast of my last meal. Death row inmates get one. Why shouldn't I? I can't take another year in this fat suit, but I can end this year with a bang. If you can stomach it, you're invited to watch...as I eat myself to death." This is showing the reason he plans on doing this, and he wants to do this because he is tired of living the way he is. After announcing this, he receives many reactions he wasn't expecting. I recommend this book!

Adversity

In ELA, we have been reading about Anne Frank. She faced many troubles in life, or adversity. A trouble she faced was having to stay in an attic, trapped so we shouldn't be taken away by the green police. I couldn't imagine living in a place for so long, not being able to make much noise, or ever go outside and breathe fresh air. Although, Anne was optimistic about the situation. She tried to make the best of it, such as on Hanukkah. On Hanukkah, she gave presents to everyone, even though she didn't have any money to buy anything. She spent her time making gifts for everyone, even when she was hiding and unable to see her friends and being able to go outside. Her family and friends didn't have gifts, but she wanted to keep the happiness and tradition alive. I can relate to Anne, because I believe traditions are important. I have also faced adversity, and it was a family issue. Two of my grandfathers passed away around the same time last year, and it was very hard on my family. Although, we tried to not allow this situation to bring us down all the time, but rather forget the past, and remember the good, happy times. Overall, even though we all face adversity, we must try and find the happiness in it, even in the toughest situations. 

Holocaust - Upstanders & Bystanders

After I read about some of the bystanders and upstanders from the holocaust, I was thinking about what I would do if I were to be in this situation. I would want to be an upstander, but knowing how I am, I wouldn't because I'd be afraid of the result. I would feel regret after knowing I could've done something to help others. I believe people would stand by and watch for multiple reasons. One of the reasons is embarrassment, because you won't know what others will say. Another reason could be because of being too afraid. They were too scared to speak because they knew what would happen if they did, and did not want to risk it. I think people would be an upstander because they were done with being treated unfairly. They were not afraid of what people would think of them. Someone that could've inspired them to speak could be other public speakers that were not afraid of what others would say.  

Speak

The book I read was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. One of the reasons I wanted to read it is because last quarter, I read Twisted which was by the same author. I enjoyed reading Twisted, so I decided to read Speak as well. My friend had also recommended it to me. This book was about a girl named Melinda Sordino. She is a freshman going into a new school, struggling to make new friends. She soon makes a friend named Heather. She knew friends before, but her old friends refuse to speak to her after Melinda called the police at a party. Even people she doesn't talk to don't like her. On page 27, it says, "The girl behind me taps me. I turn around. The girl pokes me harder. "Aren't you the one who called the cops at Kyle Rodgers's party at the end of the summer?" A block of ice freezes our section of the bleachers. Heads snap in my direction with the sound of a hundred paparazzi cameras. I can't feel my fingers. I shake my head. Another girl chimes in. "My brother got arrested at that party. He got fired because of the arrest. I can't believe you did that." This is showing how she receives many comments from people, and how people didn't like her. Sometimes so escape from attending class, she would steal late passes to be excused. She had a secret that she had to hide, or else people would give her more hate. Something I like about this book is how Melinda is funny and sarcastic throughout the book, which keeps me entertained. On page 8, it says, "I motor so fast out of the lunchroom the track coach would draft me for varsity if he were around." Overall, this book was entertaining to read, and I would recommend it!

Where I Want To Visit

A location I would like to visit is Tokyo, Japan. I would like to visit this place because everything is very fascinating! I enjoy gazing at the bright lights, and the stores seem so interesting to visit, and include items we wouldn't normally have in our country.

I have seen many youtubers visit Japan, and they always buy some type of candy, so that is something I would like to try. A candy I would like to try is the green tea kit Kat! It sounds odd when I first heard of it, but I love tea, so I would love to try it. 

Another reason why I would like to visit is because of the clothing. People tend to dress more colorful in Tokyo, so I would love to see everyone's style. I like the patterns on shirts and pants, the vibrant hair colors, and the platform shoes. Not everyone is a fan of the style, but I personally find it interesting how people wear these outfits. In the U.S, I feel like everyone dresses the same, so if someone dresses like someone would in Tokyo, you would receive many glances. But if you were to dress that way in Tokyo, it is almost normal to dress in this type of way, and I like how the clothing is so unique. Although, I'm not sure if I would choose to dress in this way myself. 

Gracefully Grayson & Crazy: Compare and Contrast

Gracefully Grayson and Crazy are two of my favorite books now. They were so fun to read, and had many conflicts in the book. In Gracefully Grayson, the main conflict is the main character, Grayson, trying to reveal his true self. He is boy on the outside, and a girl on the inside. In Crazy, the main character is Jason. The conflict in this book is that Jason's father is crazy, and needs help. Jason doesn't want anyone to know about his father, because he could risk the chance of his father being taken away. Both of these conflicts seem to be similar. They are similar because they both have secrets they are hiding. They want to tell, but don't know what others will think about it. They are also a little different. They are different because in Gracefully Grayson, the problem in this book is himself. But in Crazy, the problem in the book is Jason's father. In Crazy, Jason listens to the voices in his head to ask for an opinion. In the book, it says, "I can't see them and I can't hear them; they're just thoughts in my head. But they're very real to me. I have a whole cast of characters in my head. The problem is, I like having them around. They give me good advice, most of the time, and they're kind of addictive." But, in Gracefully Grayson, he listens to himself, and doesn't care what others say. Although it seems to be the same, (listening to the voices in your head and listening to yourself) Jason describes them as people, not voices in his head. In Gracefully Grayson, it says, "Other kids could make your life miserable if you do this, Grayson. You could get bullied. You could get hurt." This shows that even after people make these comments, he ignores them and stands up for what he truly believes in. The style in these books are also different. In Crazy, it is written like in the format of a play, which is when the name is before what they say. This is because Jason has voices in his head. In Gracefully Grayson, it is written like a normal book. 

New Year

It's 2016! I like a new year because I feel it gives people a fresh start. I don't think we should completely change ourselves, but make some resolutions that you could feel that will make your life better. One of my resolutions is to procrastinate less. I procrastinate a lot, which is why I'm left with so much in the end. I like to be organized, so I will set up a time to do homework and other important things I do daily. Another resolution I have is to have a more positive aspect in life. When someone says something that insults me, I let it get to me and I don't feel happy for the rest of the day. But, to be more positive, I will ignore all the negative things and allow the positive things to effect me. Something I'm looking forward to this year is the holidays! I know it may sound weird since the holiday season recently passed, but I feel that each year, the holidays get better and better, so I can't wait to see what this year brings. Something else I am looking forward to is graduation! It will be a happy and sad time for us, but I'm excited for our end of the year. I'm also excited for high school, but also nervous. I will be surrounded by people that are older than me, which frightens me a little. But, I'm excited for a new school, new friends, and other activities. I believe resolutions should be made whenever you feel, not just the new year. Let's make this year the best!

Gracefully Grayson

Gracefully Grayson has been an amazing book. It is now one of my favorites, and I enjoyed reading this book so much. This book is about a student named Grayson, and he believes he is a girl. In the book, so many people are against him with his beliefs, but he has some friends and a teacher that support him. On page 151, it says, "I am a girl." This is just showing how he finally acknowledged that he is a girl. He receives negativity from peers, and even family members. This book made me realize that these kinds of situations are not often discussed, and we do not realize that finding who you are in so important, and there are so many people to judge you. On page 85, it says, "That guy is so gay." This comment was made by Grayson's uncle, and his uncle was talking about Grayson's teacher. This is showing how there are many judgemental people. Grayson auditioned for a school play to play as a girl, and this is when he receives many negativity in his life. There is a lot of conflict in this book, which is what I like, because it makes me want to read more and more. On page 164, it says, "it's my sisters birthday this week" I stammer. "She wanted clothes for a present." This is showing how people around us affect the way we think, such as how Grayson felt insecure on buying clothes of a girl. He was afraid of being judged. In the end, Grayson is still confident about himself, even when people criticize him. The book is left in a cliff hanger, which I like because it leaves you to your imagination. This book is so great, I would recommend it!