I am currently reading the book "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" by Kimberly Willis Holt. This is already a great book. Lots is already going on. For one Zachary Beaver dubbed fattest kid in the world comes to town. The whole town of Antler Texas is craning their necks to see him. But is he just a side show attraction or a real human being like everyone else.
When Toby and Cal go to visit Zachary Beaver, Cal Toby's best friend just wants to know everything about what he eats. Toby slowly keeps shrugging off the questions as if he were Zachary Beaver. He doesn't care about any of the food questions. He wants to get to know Zachary. But does Zachary want to know him? When Toby goes to see him, Zachary just keeps ignoring and ignoring all of his questions. He says lots of people have asked him questions but Toby is the first that actually wants to know more about Zachary. Zachary is locked up like an animal in a glass container keeping him away from the public. Nobody takes him seriously. I think that their relationship will get stronger throughout the book and I am excited to read more.
In conclusion people shouldn't be locked up the way Zachary is and I think Toby is one of the only people who really knows that. Does the size of a person affect their personality? Does this book relate to other people? I'm sure I will find out.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The Evolution of Calpurina Tate
The Evolution by Calpurina Tate by Jaqueline Kelly, has so far been a great read. I think it is very detailed and I really like the setting and I think it is one of the main focuses of the story. It takes place in 1889 in a town in Texas. There aren't a lot of ways to stay cool in the summer so Calpurina or "Callie" for short discovers the wild life and the world around her. With the help of her grandfather she is becoming a naturalist and studying the insects and small town rodents in her town. She is the only girl out of seven children which makes her one of the most unique.
In the beginning of the book, Callie and her grandfather weren't close. They would stay on opposite sides of the house and did not really bond like most grandfathers would. A little bit later when Callie needs to find a book that a girl shouldn't be looking at, about wildlife she asks her grandfather for help. it just so happens that he has the book and then they start their adventure. They go into the woods together and search for interesting species, go camping on the lawn and capture a bat, and talk a lot about their feelings of being a naturalist. I think this is where their relationship gets stronger.
Their are also a lot of thoughts about growing up and becoming a civilized woman that her mother has always wanted her to be. Callie doesn't think this is important. She doesn't like the idea of having to wear layers and layers of petticoats and a corset underneath. Two layers of tights and thick boots and frankly I don't like that idea either! Who would?
In conclusion this book is getting really interesting and will hopefully have a great ending and I will learn more about Calpurina Tate and her grandfather!
In the beginning of the book, Callie and her grandfather weren't close. They would stay on opposite sides of the house and did not really bond like most grandfathers would. A little bit later when Callie needs to find a book that a girl shouldn't be looking at, about wildlife she asks her grandfather for help. it just so happens that he has the book and then they start their adventure. They go into the woods together and search for interesting species, go camping on the lawn and capture a bat, and talk a lot about their feelings of being a naturalist. I think this is where their relationship gets stronger.
Their are also a lot of thoughts about growing up and becoming a civilized woman that her mother has always wanted her to be. Callie doesn't think this is important. She doesn't like the idea of having to wear layers and layers of petticoats and a corset underneath. Two layers of tights and thick boots and frankly I don't like that idea either! Who would?
In conclusion this book is getting really interesting and will hopefully have a great ending and I will learn more about Calpurina Tate and her grandfather!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
"Lost It"
I am currently reading the book "Lost it" by Kristen Tracy. I think that this is a really good and interesting book so far. I think this book has a good perspective of a typical teenage girl in her junior year of high school. She is facing love, drama, and losing her best friend and losing her parents but what I think she is really losing is her dignity.
As Tess is getting pulled farther and farther into this romance with another high school boy I am really starting to wonder what will happen when all she is doing is relying on him. So far a lot of extreme dramas are happening and it feels like she has almost lost herself! I think this because A. her parents left her because they can't stand where they live. B. Her best friend moved away to boarding school and C. she has no faith left in herself. I also think that because of her boyfriend she has discovered a lot of things about herself that the book doesn't say. Like that she is actually a good student when she always pretends that she isn't.
I haven't gotten as far into the book as I had hoped so when I blog next time I will tell you about the ending! *SPOILERS* So far I am really liking this book and hope the beginning is as good as the end.
As Tess is getting pulled farther and farther into this romance with another high school boy I am really starting to wonder what will happen when all she is doing is relying on him. So far a lot of extreme dramas are happening and it feels like she has almost lost herself! I think this because A. her parents left her because they can't stand where they live. B. Her best friend moved away to boarding school and C. she has no faith left in herself. I also think that because of her boyfriend she has discovered a lot of things about herself that the book doesn't say. Like that she is actually a good student when she always pretends that she isn't.
I haven't gotten as far into the book as I had hoped so when I blog next time I will tell you about the ending! *SPOILERS* So far I am really liking this book and hope the beginning is as good as the end.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
"Life of PI"
I am currently reading "Life of PI" by Yann Martel. By watching the major motion first I really made a mistake because I know when everything is and what is going to happen! The literature is a bit difficult which makes a little harder to know what's going on but for now I am going to talk a bit about the character relationship going on between the two protagonists of the story.
Piscine or "PI" and Richard Parker the tiger. After PI is left on a lifeboat with this ferocious tiger you start to think. Is the tiger real? Does it represent the feelings of staying alive, and having a reason to go on, and keep the flame of hope burning. PI was also stuck with a couple other animals witch could have represented feelings. The zebra with a broken leg: the feeling of having not a lot to survive with. The sad monkey: the feeling of losing his parents and brother. The attacker hyena: the feeling of just abandoning hope and killing himself. I think that these highly represent PI's feelings.
In conclusion I think that all of these feelings really give the story some metaphoric effect and I really like how the author got you thinking about PI's feelings.
Piscine or "PI" and Richard Parker the tiger. After PI is left on a lifeboat with this ferocious tiger you start to think. Is the tiger real? Does it represent the feelings of staying alive, and having a reason to go on, and keep the flame of hope burning. PI was also stuck with a couple other animals witch could have represented feelings. The zebra with a broken leg: the feeling of having not a lot to survive with. The sad monkey: the feeling of losing his parents and brother. The attacker hyena: the feeling of just abandoning hope and killing himself. I think that these highly represent PI's feelings.
In conclusion I think that all of these feelings really give the story some metaphoric effect and I really like how the author got you thinking about PI's feelings.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Non Fiction Blog Post
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/02/business/cosmetics-companies-quietly-ending-animal-tests.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Animal testing. In my opinion one of the cruelest ways to help the american nation. Sure, testing animals gives us research, helps us learn about products but the way they find this information out isn't ethical. Hurting animals who are helpless and innocent is not the way to help out society. Injeccting them with chemicals and rubbing products into their eyes and nose is awful. Imagine is that was you.
In this article I think the author wants us to raise awareness about animal testing and how it is stopping throughout some of the brand name cosmetics like "Cover Girl" and "Avon." But in the past they would rub chemicals into their fur, shave their fur, rub chemicals into their eyes and inject them with all sorts of gross products.
I think the author wants us to feel relieved that animal testing is lightening up around the world and that lots of animal rights groups are standing up for them.
In conclusion this article really made me feel assured that animal testing is getting better and that I know people all over the world have the same thoughts and feeling about this topic just like me!
Animal testing. In my opinion one of the cruelest ways to help the american nation. Sure, testing animals gives us research, helps us learn about products but the way they find this information out isn't ethical. Hurting animals who are helpless and innocent is not the way to help out society. Injeccting them with chemicals and rubbing products into their eyes and nose is awful. Imagine is that was you.
In this article I think the author wants us to raise awareness about animal testing and how it is stopping throughout some of the brand name cosmetics like "Cover Girl" and "Avon." But in the past they would rub chemicals into their fur, shave their fur, rub chemicals into their eyes and inject them with all sorts of gross products.
I think the author wants us to feel relieved that animal testing is lightening up around the world and that lots of animal rights groups are standing up for them.
In conclusion this article really made me feel assured that animal testing is getting better and that I know people all over the world have the same thoughts and feeling about this topic just like me!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
"So Inn Love"
So I told you I would write one final blog post about this extremely stereotypical book "So Inn Love" by Catherine Clark, which I regret reading and think was a complete waste of my time. So instead of praising how great this book was I will name several ways the author could have made it much better. Fortunately I won't have to go through this trauma of reading a dense, and slow book.
One way I think the author could have made this book a lot better was if the main character had more of an actual personality. It seemed like the author couldn't decide what kind of impression the girl made on other people. By the end I felt like I didn't know the character well at all. For a book to be good, usually there are ways to relate to a character's actions or emotions. However, in this book, the girl (Elizabeth) didn't seem real at all--instead, I felt like I was watching a TV show with awful actors. She wasn't believable.
Adding on to that I felt like I was watching an awful TV show, Elizabeth the protagonist was constantly being "checked out" by the boy she liked. For example during the scene where they had the same job as a lifeguard on the beach when she went to go get some supplies from the shed she noticed him putting on his binoculars and looking at her in her bikini. Oh God, can it get anymore like a bad sitcom? I wonder why this author chose this to be the main focus of the book. I think she could've instead made a slightly more entertaining conflict and add the boy drama as a smaller conflict.
Overall I definitely wasn't too impressed but the book did teach me many girls in the world would actually read and enjoy the book; otherwise, it wouldn't be published. I guess I'll steer away from the author in the future.
One way I think the author could have made this book a lot better was if the main character had more of an actual personality. It seemed like the author couldn't decide what kind of impression the girl made on other people. By the end I felt like I didn't know the character well at all. For a book to be good, usually there are ways to relate to a character's actions or emotions. However, in this book, the girl (Elizabeth) didn't seem real at all--instead, I felt like I was watching a TV show with awful actors. She wasn't believable.
Adding on to that I felt like I was watching an awful TV show, Elizabeth the protagonist was constantly being "checked out" by the boy she liked. For example during the scene where they had the same job as a lifeguard on the beach when she went to go get some supplies from the shed she noticed him putting on his binoculars and looking at her in her bikini. Oh God, can it get anymore like a bad sitcom? I wonder why this author chose this to be the main focus of the book. I think she could've instead made a slightly more entertaining conflict and add the boy drama as a smaller conflict.
Overall I definitely wasn't too impressed but the book did teach me many girls in the world would actually read and enjoy the book; otherwise, it wouldn't be published. I guess I'll steer away from the author in the future.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
"So Inn Love"
I am currently reading "So inn love" by Catherine Clark. Even though I just started it, it has already proven to be in one word stereotypical. There are the "populars," the "loosers," the "jocks", and more and since she is just a newbie she is one of the "loosers" just like all of the other teenage dramas but my question is: What am I holding back on or what does my mind not want me to read? This book in my opinion will probably have a fairy tale ending and will have some extreme romantic action going on. Hopefully my opinion will not be correct and it will prove to be something more.
It takes place with a young girl named Liza just graduating high school and has scored a job at the inn where all of the cool kids hang out. Her request is to "get through this without being heartbroken" and my mind has already blocked some things out. Stupid talk about boys and more. What else do we seriously want to hear. My mind has already held back the parts of the book where she gets into fights, spills a drink on her new shirt, and has a hopeless crush who is the most popular boy around. Yeah, that kind of stuff. There are also the good parts of the book where I can actually see that that the author tried to make an effort not to make it all stupid and stereotypical. One part is where she and her new friend are talking about what they are going to do that summer and for a little while I can actually see where the story is going. My mind almost doesn't want to read the stereotypical stuff and just skips over and I move to a new page.
In conclusion hopefully this book will end up being good so I don't have to waste so much time reading it. I am holding back on everything that is stereotypical.
It takes place with a young girl named Liza just graduating high school and has scored a job at the inn where all of the cool kids hang out. Her request is to "get through this without being heartbroken" and my mind has already blocked some things out. Stupid talk about boys and more. What else do we seriously want to hear. My mind has already held back the parts of the book where she gets into fights, spills a drink on her new shirt, and has a hopeless crush who is the most popular boy around. Yeah, that kind of stuff. There are also the good parts of the book where I can actually see that that the author tried to make an effort not to make it all stupid and stereotypical. One part is where she and her new friend are talking about what they are going to do that summer and for a little while I can actually see where the story is going. My mind almost doesn't want to read the stereotypical stuff and just skips over and I move to a new page.
In conclusion hopefully this book will end up being good so I don't have to waste so much time reading it. I am holding back on everything that is stereotypical.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)