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!