Ficton book prt. 7

For this post I'm going to write a letter to Jennifer Donnelly the author.

Dear Ms. Donnelly,

I have found your book to be quite entertaining and true to life. It deals with a lot of coming of age problems that we as teenagers must face during the course of our lives. It shows us how to become stronger people and listen to what's inside of us and not just what people around us think. I appreciate the fact that Mattie is such a strong character in a sense that she has an independent spirit and does not care what people think of her. She's very strong willed and also cares for her family to the point of fighting for them. I think one of my favorite parts in the book is when Miss Wilcox, Mattie's school teacher, reveals herself to be Emily Baxter, a famous poet of that time period who wrote poetry that was so controversial that she has to go under a different name. This is as I see it a pivital point in the novel because we finally see why Miss Wilcox wants to help Mattie achieve her dream of going to college.

I think it's very interesting how the murder of Grace Brown was incorporated into the novel. It makes stories that much more interesting when a real historical event is placed in the novel as a back story to something fictional that is happening. In the back of the book it shows all of the research that was taken into putting in Grace Browns story.

A Northern Light is a great book in that it has real history and fiction put into a book that all ages would enjoy.

Fiction Book prt. 6

At this point in the story, Mattie is still contemplating weather or not to read these mysterious letters that Grace Brown, one of the murder victims, asked her to burn. Mattie feels this pressure because she thinks that Grace wouldn't be pleased with her reading them, but she also feels that these letters might help figure out who killed Grace.

Meanwhile, Mattie has taken her exams that will determine weather or not she will get accepted into college. She has worked very hard and has studied a great amount for these exams and is hoping she will get into college to full fill her dreams of writing.

There is alot of back and forth between past and present in this novel and we're still in the stage where we're finding out about characters and development of them to see how they play out in the novel.

Fiction Book prt. 5

In the back of the book I have once again found an interesting question to ponder.

"Mattie says that at the Glenmore she learned "when to tell the truth and when not to." Under what circumstances might it be better not to tell the truth?"

This question is interesting to me especially because it reminds me in a way of good and bad ethics which is what we're doing in class right now. To answer the question I think it would be better to tell the truth when it's a minor thing. Like for instance you broke your mothers vase. She asks who did this and you should just simply reply and tell her the truth. It will save you probably a minor punishment and your mother will be happier that you didn't lie. A circumstance where it's probably better to lie than tell the truth would probably be, kind of like the example we used in class last week. Let's say Jon has 2 friends that have a website that makes fun of teachers and has inappropriate messages on it. The principle finds out and brings Jon in for questioning. Jon can either tell the truth and loose his friends or lie and pretend he doesn't know anything about it, and still have his friends trust. This can go either way but, I think Jon would probably lie to keep his friends trust and knowing others in society if this happened to them they would probably do the same thing.

Annotated Bibliography 3

Fitzpatrick, Meg. "Pros and Cons of School uniforms." Love to know. 29 October 2007. 9 Dec. 2008.

Meg Fitzpatrick has an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University in English, a Master’s degree in Education from the College of New Jersey, and ten years teaching experience in the public school system. She is a certified K-8 teacher in the state of New Jersey. The intended audience for this sight may be teachers and parents wanting to know what the pros and cons of school uniforms are. This article is very similar to all of the other articles I have researched and give a lot of the same information showing that there is a trend in what I'm seeing as to the pros and cons of uniforms. This article will help me give facts about uniforms and what others think about them.

"School Uniforms." PBS.org. 1999. 9 Dec. 2008.

Even though this article was written in 1999, it gives opinions from high school students in New York City and what it was like wearing uniforms. It also shows statistics from what happened in schools with uniforms. This article can help me put statistics in my paper and quotes from different high school students who experienced what it is like wearing uniforms everyday to school.

Annoted Bibliography 2

"Should Kids Wear Uniforms to School?(For You; The Mom Exchange; Parenting/Mom Debate)(Brief article)." Parenting 21.5 (June 2007): 26. Professional Collection. Gale. Edina High School Library. 8 Dec. 2008 .

The author uses data and information that they discovered when interviewing parents from around the country. The intended audience for this article I would say is for school advisors wanting to know if they should implament school uniforms based on the opinions of these moms and for mothers around the country, to give them information on uniforms and some interesting topics that could rise. This article reminds me of both of the articles I have cited so far because these moms are stating some of the same reasons for and opposed to school uniforms. This article illuminates my bibliography topic because it shows the real opinions from mothers around the country and gives accurate data to their opinions.

Primary Source: Katherine Pappas. Dec. 8, 2008.

I am a primary source for school uniforms becuase I had to wear them when I attended a private school for a year. I have a first hand account on what it felt like to be in uniform everyday and what others felt like wearing them as well. The intended audience for this source would be those wanting a first hand account on what it is like wearing school uniforms everyday. This primary source in similar to the one above because it shows opinion. This source will illuminate my topic because it will show a first hand account of someone who went through the experience of wearing school uniforms everyday for an entire school year. I also can use information from my other sources I have reshearched to back up my opinions and accounts.

Annotated Bibliography

Darden, Edwin. "What Not to Wear." Sirs Knowledge Source. 2008. 12/6/08.

The author for What Not to Wear at the American School Board Journal, uses the first amendment, different court cases and research on schools around the country to show when it is appropriate to implicate school uniforms. The article is most likely intended for those on both sides of the case weather school uniforms should be implicated or not. In a way, this article is similar to the pro. vs. cons. on the SIRS website. The article conveys both sides to the argument, the pros vs. the cons, and how the first amendment is used for implicating uniforms. This source definitely helps for the research I am doing on school uniforms because it conveys both sides to the argument, and how the first amendment effects the implication on school uniforms.

Grauke, Issac. "Pros and Cons of School Uniforms." Articles Base. 2008. 12/6/08.

The author of this article uses the research of teachers, parents, students and with the working of schools across the country, to discuss what they all go through with the effects of school uniforms. I believe the intended audience of this article was specifically written for parents and teachers to show the pros and cons of school uniforms and what to expect if uniforms were implemented. Comparing this source to the previous article used above, they both show pros and cons to uniforms and both the professional view on uniforms. This article will help me with more pros and cons to uniforms and how it effects our first amendment rights and responsibilities.

Fiction Book prt. 4

In the back of the book, there is a readers chat page. This page has all sorts of questions to think about when reading. A quote that stood out from one of the questions was
"God took her life and she took yours." This is referring to the death of Mattie's mother and how when she died, Mattie's life ended as well.

Because of the death of her mother, Mattie no longer has the freedoms she used to. She now has to work long hours on her families farm and accomplish more chores than she used to. She can't even go to college because her father would be furious if she left him to work on his own with the younger siblings of Mattie. It's quite sad because Mattie is a very talented writer and has worked very hard to get an acceptance to Barnard, the college of her dreams. And even though she works long hours on the farm and at the Glenmore hotel, she can't even use her money she earns to buy supplies for school or for going to college.

I think Mattie's father is afraid he's going to loose another person he loves and cares for if Mattie goes to college. And he may be worried she won't come back if she leaves. I think this is a very common thought for parents now a days as well. Even though their child might have a dream of going to college far away, they worry their child won't come back home as often and the parents will loose apart of themselves. Maybe Mattie's father will realize what he's putting on his daughter and he'll give her the freedom she's always longed for.

Fiction Book prt. 3

"She opened her gentlemen friend's suitcase and pulled a bundle of letters from it... tied all the letters together and asked me to burn them. I was so taken aback by her request, I wasn't able to answer." (p. 41)

At this point in the story, we are in the middle of a flash back where Mattie is thinking back to when Grace Brown, a guest at the Glenmore hotel, asked her to burn a bunch of letters. Mattie is very surprised by this request, but does what she is told. This makes me wonder if these letter contain something hidden that could lead to Grace Brown's murder. Why was she murdered? Where? Who? This passage brings up many questions to ponder. Maybe Mattie is going to end up being responsible for figuring out this puzzling mystery.

Fiction Book prt. 2

"Weaver always says freedom is like Sloan's Liniment, always promising more than it delivers... until white men are punished for stringing up black men, no black person will ever really be free." (pg. 33)

This quote in the book really jumped out at me for some reason. I thought it was interesting how a character in this novel would think that freedom always promises more than it delivers. I think what Weaver is trying to convey is that people promise freedom will come to the blacks but the freedom promise never really gets put into action. "Actions speak louder than words." Then again we are in the time period of the early 1900's so many of civil rights events haven't happened too much yet. Although the civil war has occurred and Lincoln has gone through the presidency, the blacks are still not feeling very free still at this point.

This quote I feel can also be true to life today. For instance, graduating from college and going off into the "real world" is like gaining your own freedom. But this freedom promises more than it delivers because you have to find a good job to support yourself after college, find a place to live etc.. So in fact the freedom of being out on your own and telling yourself and promising yourself you'll find a good job and a great place to live doesn't always deliver or you don't always get what you want or promise yourself. You may not get the job or that dream place you want to live in.

So in fact, this quote can have many interpretations and you as the reader can interpret it any way you want to. That is why I thought this quote was interesting.

Fiction Book

The book I am going to begin is called A Northern Light. From what I can tell from reading the back, this book is going to be exciting filled with mystery and suspense.

Sixteen year old Mattie Gokey, takes a job at a hotel and soon realizes she could have signed up for more than she asked for. When a hotel guest asks her to burn some letters, and then this guest's body is found at the bottom of a lake, she discovers the letters may reveal some truth behind this murder.

This book written by Jennifer Donnelly, has won the Honor Book award and has gotten a lot of praise from critics. Even the employee at Barnes and Noble told me this book is amazing and I will enjoy this read greatly.

The Host prt. 6

In chapter 21, I thought there was a quote that I thought was significant. When Wanderer and Jaime, Melanie's brother have a chance to be alone together, Jaime brings up how Wanderer ended up in Melanie's body. He asks "That planet you were coming from before you were in Melanie, ... what was it like there? Was it like here?" (pg. 207) I thought this was significant because it shows that people are starting to open up to Wanderer and notice she's not as dangerous as they thought she was. Also the fact that Jaime is Melanie's brother makes it more significant and shows he's trying to make an effort to get to know and understand the person who is in his sisters body.

Something else I thought was significant in the same chapter was " These were not the tears of a child, and that made them more profound made it more sacred and painful that he would cry them in front of me. This was the grief of a man at the funeral for his entire family. (pg. 210) Jaime starts to cry because he's thinking of his family while Wanderer tells him how she got in her sisters body. I thought this quote was significant because it shows that not everyone in this hiding place is as strong as they seem I think Jaime's actions show how everyone feels on the inside. They know their family members have either been captured by the seekers or are hiding somewhere they don't know. These people in the hiding place where Wanderer is hiding, I think want to show these emotions but can't because they want to seem strong and intimidating to Wanderer.

Learning Curve Article

For this post, I'm going to blog about an article I recently read in Teen Vogue Magazine. The article is called learning curve and captures the events of two high school juniors and what they went through during some disturbing incidents when visiting colleges they were thinking of attending.

In the article, Sarah, a high school junior went on an overnight visit to a small college in Connecticut. When she arrived she was warmly welcomed and felt the acceptance from college students immediately. Not soon after arriving, her host for the night thought they should attend a friend's party. "It sounded fun." Sarah recalled. "But then we got in the car and drove for close to 45 minutes." She ended up at a party that was totally off campus and was very frightened for she was only seventeen at the time. The article stated that Sarah is actually not alone when it comes to this type of experience. According to a study from Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Group, 39.1% of teens who go on an overnight college visit report drinking, using drugs, or engaging in sexual activity during their stay, with 12.4% engaging in all three.

This article made me question a view on visits to colleges. If this is how things "play out" on a regular college overnight visit, this may make students reconsider visiting and experiencing the colleges they most want to attend. Even though the events that played out during Sarah's experience may have happened because of poor decision making and wanting to "fit in", these types of things should not happen when a high school student is visiting maybe one of their dream schools. It not only puts a bad reputation on for the school, but it also puts students visiting in danger and might make them reconsider the school they want to attend.

Another student, by the name of Maya, stayed overnight at a school she thought she wanted to attend. And when she was there, the students from the college basically wanted to throw a party for her to get drunk. Even though Maya knew it was a wrong decision, she wanted to fit in and therefore did get drunk that night.

Even though when visiting a college and things like this happen, there are precautions one can take before the overnight stay. Brian Glassberg a counsler at John P. Stevens High School in Edison, New Jersey states that his students view the visit as an assignment and not a vacation. "Treat it as though you're a boss interviewing the school and when you meet your host, ask if you can also meet the dorm's resident advisor." These steps can help you and guide you on your overnight stay at a college.

Overall, I thought the article was informative and precautioning high school students to stand their ground if anything should happen like what happened to Sarah and Maya. It also gave me an insight to what to expect if I ever want to go visit a school on an overnight. Because these college visits are sure coming down the road quickly and I know I want to be prepared as much as possible for anything that can happen.

The Host Prt. 5

For this post, I have found some significant quotes.

"I'd already known that she was more to me than a resistant host who made life unnecessarily difficult. We'd become companions, even confidants during out past weekends together... (pg. 164).

We see in this particular quote that Wanderer and Melanie are becoming very close and helping each other. When they were taken into hiding with Jeb, who found them in the desert, they began helping one another through their thoughts and feelings about certain events. For instance, when Wanderer meets Jaime, Melanie's little brother for the first time, Melanie becomes very sad by the fact Jaime does not think Melanie is still present. Wanderer helps Melanie through her struggle, and grants Melanie's wishes to stay in control and to help her brother get through his struggles as well.

Another quote I found that was significant was on page 186.

At this point in the story, Jared who was Melanie's love, doesn't like the host inside Melanie's body and thinks Melanie is dead. Therefore, he has punched Wanderer and abused her not only physically, but also through words as well. Ian, who is one of Jared's friends, witness's Jared being quite mean to Wanderer and begins to feel guilty for her. "Just because she isn't human, do you think that means she doesn't feel pain?" (pg. 186). I think this quote is significant because it shows that people are starting to realize that Wanderer is no harm to them and that she is not going to turn them in to the seekers. It also shows that Wanderer is experiencing the feelings people go through in life which is what I think is bringing her closer to Melanie.

The Host Prt. 4

On the Move. Right now "Melanie" is trying to find her brother and Jared, the love of her life. Not many significant events have happened except, somehow Melanie's uncle finds her when she's about to die in the desert. From the scorching heat, and hardly any water or food, Melanie tries to stay alive in the desert through persistence and courage. Wanderer who is the alien soul in her body, is not used to this type of weather. And does not know how to react to the blazing heat. Melanie helps Wanderer so she and her body can stay alive.

The Host Prt. 3

Chapter 8 I would most definitely connect to Twilight. Another one of Stephanie Meyers fantastic books!! In this chapter, Melanie is having a flash back to when she is with Jared. Melanie and Jared have an unconditional love for one another like Edward and Bella in Twilight. In Twilight, Bella is always explaining how she feels when with Edward and how she reacts to him. A quote from the Host where Melanie is explaining how she feels about Jared is on pg. 74.

"Without seeming to think about is, he reaches out and takes my hand. My skin burns where it meets his. It feels better than good, but it sets off a strange aching in my chest. He is forever touching me this way, always seeming to need to reassure himself that I am here. (pg. 74)

In this part Melanie is explaining how her skin burns every time Jared touches her. Like Bella in Twilight, Bella always explains how her heart rate speeds up when Edward touches her. In a way, Bella and Melanie are very similar in the way they feel for their significant other.

The Host prt. 2

In the section I recently was reading, there was a quote that came to my attention that seemed significant to how the story was to unfold.

"There was another human with my host, Melanie Stryder. I typed, not bothering with a greeting. His name is Jaime Stryder; he is her brother. For a panicked moment, I wondered at her control. All this time, and I'd never even guessed at theboy's existence-not because he didn't matter to her, but because she protected him more fiercely than other secrets I'd unraveled. Did she have more secrets this big, this important? So sacred that she kept them even from my dreams? Was she that strong?" (pg. 38-39)

In this section, we find out that Melanie has a brother who is in hiding from the seekers/alien invaders. It is interesting because none of the seekers at this point know there are people in hiding. Wanderer, who is the alien in Melanie's body, is explaining to the seekers through instant messaging Melanie's thoughts and dreams. Wanderer becomes scared because she does not know what secrets Melanie holds that could change their course. What I think is interesting is that Melanie, who is still present even though Wanderer is in her body, still understands what is going on. Maybe she and Wanderer will somehow find a way to save her brother and the other humans in hiding before the seekers find them. Will Wanderer become an ally to Melanie???

The Host

The book that I have begun in my outside reading is The Host by Stephanie Meyer. This novel is about a girl named Melanie Stryder who becomes a "host" to the species that have invaded the Earth. These "invaders" are aliens who are taking over the human body to live on Earth. The basic plot of this story is that when these aliens take over your body, the humans basically die. In Melanie's case though, it is different. When the alien, who is named Wanderer, is placed in her body, Melanie is some how "still there" and can still control her mind and her thoughts.

 Letter to the author:

Dear Stephanie, I am very interested in your book The Host thus far.  It's very mysterious and makes you think what could happen to the future of the human race when these aliens invade. I think it's a great idea how Melanie is still in a sense "around" and is making Wanderer see her memories. An excerpt from the book that I have found to be very interesting is from chapter 1. It's when Wanderer has just been put into Melanie's body and she's explaining what her first experience as a human is. "This was me now. The language I found myself using was odd, but it made sense. Choppy, boxy, blind and linear. Impossibly crippled in comparison to many I'd used, yet still it managed to find fluidity and expression." (pg. 9) It's interesting I think to see how someone who is not human is able to see and feel human for the first time. How a character like Wanderer can express how humans act and feel to her. It's very interesting how you described this. All in all it is a wonderful book so far and I am enjoying every minute of it!  

- Katherine 

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