Reading Log

Book: Artichoke’s Heart By: Suzanne Supplee

I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up besides the fact that I liked the cover. Its brown background covered in chocolates wrapped in pink grabbed my attention. I was probably just hungry, but after reading a few pages, I decided to stick with it. And I’m glad that I did.

This is the story about a sixteen year old girl Rosemary Good, who is 200 pounds overweight. She knows she's overweight but everyone else insists on telling her that. Her mom buys a treadmill for Christmas. Her aunt always has a disapproving remark. The popular girls at school tease her and that's been going on since middle school when she wore a green puffy jacket to school and they started calling her "Artichoke." Rosemary finds comfort in the junk food she has stashed in her room.

The plot in this book is very realistic. Author Suzanne Supplee put so much into her characters. Rosemary is a fantastic character and her growth throughout the book is realistic. I was cheering her on the whole way through and felt as though I was on the journey with her. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

The character I could connect the most with was Rosie; I loved how her attitude changed as the book progressed. There's a number of times where Rosie would realize something just doesn't matter, or she'd see things a different way, or someone would say something to her that opened her eyes. In some of these instances, even my attitude was changed. It’s amazing how a novel can change your perspective and make you view yourself differently.

While I was reading I was picturing how hard it is for Rosie to lose weight and how bad she feels about herself. She obviously tries but something always happens and she gets depressed and starts eating again. Pg. 31 “I just can’t believe I’ve packed on thirteen pounds. Thirteen pounds! How did that happen? How can I make it stop? Why can’t I make it stop? What if it never, ever stops? What if I’m twenty-five and still tortured by talking scales and well-meaning bakers who keep trying to feed the fat girl. What if at my ten-year class reunion I am still the Artichoke?”

I have no problem connecting or understanding the novel. Everything the author is trying to say is written in a clear, easy and understandable way.

If I could have any character as a friend and if I could jump in the story I would definitely pick Rosie. If I was there with her I could encourage her to eat healthy without making fun of her or forcing her to do anything. I would talk to her and tell her that she should first understand that she’s doing it for her own good and not for anyone else. And I would stop her from drinking the Pounds-Away from the beginning, which would cause her fewer problems.

This book doesn’t really fit together with other books that I’ve read previously. But the plot is somehow similar. The main character has a goal he/she want to reach, he/she faces some challenges along the way but in the end their goal is achieved and the character always learns something from it.

I haven’t done anything similar to what the characters experienced in the book because the whole book is about Rosie trying to lose weight but nevertheless I really like the story and I enjoyed reading it

This book’s ending was exactly how I predicted it. It was a happy ending to a simple, easy read book.

The author uses a lot of literary term to make her story even a better read. Some of the examples are: simile (“I looked like a fat doughnut”) Characterization (“Kay-Kay is the cheerleader/homecoming court/Miss Spring Hill beauty pageant winner/bluebird club kind of girl with beautiful blonde hair up to her shoulders and sky-blue eyes.”) Onomatopoeia (“Baam” when she dropped the box and everyone stared at her) and Imagery (when she describes the treadmill as a monster that she is scared of and how it could change her life if she only tried.)

This book reminds me of my life in a way. My aunt used to be a bit overweight and she was feeling very self-conscious about it. She used to get on these diets where she only drank water for 3 days straight and we were all worried about her. But eventually we convinced her that she can get rid of her extra weight if she starts taking yoga classes and eats healthy. And in the end she did lose all the extra weight, even though it was challenging which is exactly how it happened in the story.

While reading today the part that I could visualize the most was when Rosie’s grandmother came and was very surprised to see Rosie looking really pretty, Rosie was so proud of herself that evening. Pg. 188 “Rosie, honey, you look so pretty I can hardly take my eyes of you. How much weight have you lost exactly” “As of this morning. I’ve lost a total of thirty-eight pounds (I counted my 203 weight just to make the accomplishment even more impressive)”

Reading Log 3

Book: Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Today I finished my book it is about the two main characters, a boy named Lucius Wolfe who is starting in a new high school, after the explosion that blew off his hands and left him with hooks, his family moved, changed towns. And Aurora Belle whose mother has recently died after a long illness, and she and her father need a new start in a place.

I loved the character of Lucius. I thought that, overall, he was very well-drawn with an appropriate level of complexity, although I thought his reasons for mixing the chemicals could have been better explained. Aurora, however, got on my nerves. She was sweet, but really almost too sweet. I also wondered where the grief was for her mother, neither she nor her father seemed much affected by the death of her mother.

The idea of having a teenage boy being a double amputee, but finding love is just brilliant. But I just couldn’t connect with any characters because they weren't developed that well and they didn't grow throughout the novel. I felt like I didn't know Aurora at all and only knew Lucius in the slightest.

While I was reading today I was picturing Lucius’s pain and sorrow for what he’s done, how badly he wants his hands back. “In the beginning I used to look at myself in the mirror all the time, repulsed by what I saw, trying to surprise my own new image by jumping out at the mirror from the sides.”

I didn’t have any problem connecting or understanding the story. Everything the author is trying to say is written in a clear, easy and understandable way. The words she uses are pretty simple and based on the paragraph you can easily understand it and there was no need to look it up in the dictionary.

I haven’t done anything similar that the characters experienced in the book because even though the book is based on the world that we live in, the events in the book have nothing in common with me. The main character in the story blew off his hands so thankfully I don’t want to have experienced anything that he did. None of the events, setting or characters remind me of my life, my life is just too different then the characters in my story.

The author uses a lot of literary features in the story such as: Metaphor (when Lucius first sees Aurora he thinks she is perfection he compares her to a dark angel. “She is some sort of dark angel.) Simile (“her eyes are like the color of serene ocean) Characterization (“Misty is a smaller version of mom, tiny, cute and blond……”) Onomatopoeia (“Baam”) and Imagery (when he is describing his room as some sort of a prison with plain white walls) These Literary features make the story really interesting. And make you want to read more.

The plot, for the most part, was well done. It was very realistic. The story was both similar and not similar enough to the traditional story of Beauty and the Beast. It was like the book was told in a more modern way then the original Beauty and the Beast. The ending was perhaps a bit rushed; I would have liked the conflict to be drawn out a little bit more.

The part of the book that I visualized the best was when Lucius actually kissed Aurora and that he realized that she liked him all along and he never understood that before. She was always the first one to reach out for him. “Yes, her lips taste like salt from the chips, sweet from soda, but I hardly notice that as I drown in the sensation of soft welcome.”

If I could have any character as my friend then would choose Lucius. If we were friends then he wouldn’t feel alone in the whole world and if I could jump in the story I would’ve probably stopped him from trying to create an explosive chemical that is similar to a bomb because he was apparently mad at everyone. Maybe if I was there he wouldn’t have done that. “What happened to me wasn’t an accident. I mean it was an accident that it happened that day, that way. But there was nothing innocent about what I was doing. I was practicing to do harm somewhere, sometime, maybe”

This book is very similar to the Beauty and the Beast book. This is like a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. In both books the main female characters that are really pretty and popular among other people fall in love with “the Best” in this case it was Lucius, a guy who had hooks instead of hands. Usually no one would even look at them but the female characters feel the attraction and eventually fall in love.

The ending was no surprise at all. It ended exactly as I thought it would. I was a bit disappointed by that because I was hoping for an intriguing ending. I know it was a short book, only 208 pages but I figured the author would have gotten to the point and not waited to the last page to have everything play out.

How Happy is the Little Stone

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Health Project GHB

Street names: Liquid Ecstasy, Scoop, Easy Lay, Liquid X, and Goop.

Drug Classification: Sedative-Hypnotics.

How it is used: Ingested in a liquid mixture; most commonly mixed with alcohol.


Length of effects: 1.5-2.5 hours

• Short-term effects: At lower doses it can cause: anxiety and produce relaxation.
  Combining use with other drugs such as alcohol: can cause nausea and difficulty breathing.
  Withdrawal effects: can cause insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating.
  
• Long-term effects: As the dose increases, the sedative effects can cause sleep and eventual coma or death.
  It has been used a lot in cases of date rape.
  It is odorless and tasteless which causes people to slip into someone's drink without detection.
  

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpoUoabm55k&feature=related

"The Pearl"

1) Family is the most important thing in life!
Agree-Family is definitely the most important thing in life. Without it you will be lonely and selfish because you only care about yourself and thus you become self-centered. For example a rich guy who achieved all his goals in life suddenly realizes that he missed out a lot by not spending time with his family and friends when he had the chance to. And now they turned their back on him, and he now understands that he has no one to share all he’s achieved with.

2) Sometimes winning the lottery is a bad thing!
Agree-Because you will suddenly become well known for your luck and many people would want to take that away from you. You will live in a constant fear for your life. Also, with all that money people might start gambling and therefore they would be in a risk of losing all their possessions.

3) Our lives are ruled by fate, no matter what decisions we take, our lives are already planned out for us!
Disagree- Our actions are our own and we ourselves are responsible for them not destiny or anything like that. People make their own decisions based on what they think is right, and that has nothing to do with fate. Maybe we do have a purpose in life but I think our future builds up by the actions and decisions we make. Our future changes all the time based on our choices only.

Reading Last Chace (part 2) by Sarah Dessen

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Reading Last Chance (part 1)

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10 minutes Reading

Roumors by Anna Godbersen

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Reading Contract

Democracy by Langston Hughes

Democracy will not come
Today, this year
Nor ever
Through compromise and fear.

I have as much right
As the other fellow has
To stand
On my two feet
And own the land.

I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I'm dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.

Freedom
Is a strong seed
Planted
In a great need.

I live here, too.
I want freedom
Just as you.

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Haiti Podcast

On January 12th an earthquake hit Haiti. It was the worst earthquake in 200 years (7.0 in magnitude). It was later followed by twelve aftershocks (Each greater than 5.0magnitude).

Over 200 thousand people died. It’s a global tragedy.

Now Haiti is suffering from lack of clean water, housing and sanitation. I think that hearing all this is heartbreaking. I can’t express how bad I feel for them.
How can we help? Well we can’t do anything for the people that died. But we can help the survivors. We should all donate as much as we can, anything we can. I’m happy that our school collected a lot of money for the Haitians by making bake sales and by having a non school uniform day. Also, it’s good to see that many stores here in Nicosia are selling those bracelets and necklaces to help Haiti.

We can all contribute to the cause by sending food, clothes and money. Bake sales are great, everyone likes to eat, and you collect a lot of money. Also, you can donate clothes you don’t need, because everything you send makes a difference for the poor children that have no homes.

Haiti is already one of the most food insecure countries in the world and with the earthquake they will starve. So they really need our help.

Dr. Dan Fitzgerald said "When you have 3 million people who are traumatized, have no clean water, no housing, and no food. Security is going to become a big issue," he says. "People are going to be fighting to survive."

And the conditions get worse and worse each day. Supplies are running out and even though many countries are trying to help, it is not enough to give shelter to all the people and not enough to feed every hungry child.

The Haitians are out there and they need our help.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122556026

Taste of Salt Anticipation Guide

1)Politics and political problems are a subject for adults to deal with.

I agree. Under aged, by the law, are too young to participate in any political activities. Therefore, their voice doesn’t have any effect in politics. Adults may consider opinions of under aged, but not use them to solve political problems.

2)All situations can have a happy ending if those involved work hard towards it.

I agree. For example working hard and putting a lot of effort into resolving of difficult problems or situations, good results are guaranteed. The same applies to career and education development.

3)Literacy (being able to read) is a form of freedom.

I agree- because when we read we are free to think and imagine anything. It’s a form of freedom because you can get away from all your concerns. You can freely dream.

4)Civilizations without a written language cannot effectively document history.

I agree. Based on the history of our civilization, the only time it had become possible to correctly document historical events when the written language was created.

5)Love at first site is not possible. Like all endeavors, love takes time and perseverance.

I disagree- because I strongly believe that love at first sight is not some kind of a fairytale. It could happen to anyone, anytime when you least expect it. Love is something you cannot control. You can definitely love someone just by their looks, actions, and behavior.

The Outsiders- Characterization

BE A SOC!!!!!

I think that the Socials are better than Greasers in many ways such as behavior, education, and their whole way of life is much better. So join our group and you won’t regret it.


First of all we Socials are civilized. For example we don’t mug old ladies while greasers do either out of boredom or because they can’t afford to buy certain things.


We also come from wealthy families. We ride expensive cars, wear expensive clothes and have a lot of money.


Greasers are dirty they have loads of grease in their hair which is disgusting. They also come from bad families or families that don’t care for them and they steal because they are too lazy to get a job.

We Socials are educated while Greasers are a bunch of dropouts that have to work in gas stations because they are not bothered to study or don’t have money to pay for their education.
We think of our future and only with us you will have a normal life in which you have a chance to succeed, while Greasers don’t care what happens to them, they get into fights because they think it will make them look tough and more respectable in the gangs.

Your life as a Social would be easier and more privileged. You could have a future that you’ve always dreamed of.

So now you decide who you want to be………….
We hope you will make the right decision……….