IRJE#2 The Giver

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry, is a really odd novel, it is clear yet confusing. This book is written in 3rd person. In the first two chapters we are introduced to Jonas (in this case the protagonist), an eleven-year-old boy living in a highly controlled society, that prioritizes sameness and conformity. As Jonas is preparing for the Ceremony of Twelve, where he will receive his life assignment, he reflects on the emotions of fear and uncertainty that spread through his community. The world around him is empty of color and genuine emotion, leading to sense of emptiness.

“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he felt when he was afraid of the gabble of the baby’s cry.” (p.1)

This quote highlights Jonas’s internal struggles and hints the deeper complexities of his society. It sets the tone for his journey, making his awareness of the fear that underlines the community’s front of perfection, and hints of his eventual quest for truth.

IRJE 2 – Oryx and Crake

I am currently reading a novel called Oryx and Crake. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world with most of humanity being wiped out due to a man-made pandemic. Jimmy (snowman) and Crake are both in love with Oryx. Crake and Jimmy baisically fight to win over Oryx throughout the story and they are both jelous when they see the other talking to her.

“Immortality,” said Crake, “is a concept. If you take ‘mortality’ as being, not death, but the foreknowledge of it and the fear of it, then ‘immortality’ is the absence of such fear.” (Page 303)

This Quote by Crake shows his philosiphical views of life and death. He suggests that true immortality isn’t exactly about living forever, but it is mastering how to eliminate the fear and anticipation of death.

IRJE#2

The book is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The author is J.K Rowling. Harry is having a conversation with this new Professor named Professor Slughorn. He is trying to get a memory about Voldemort. Voldemort killed Harry’s parents when he was little. Voldemort also tried to kill Harry, but Voldemort has never been successful. Harry is trying to convince professor Slughorn to give him a memory so he can use it to kill Voldemort. 

“You are the chosen one?”

“Of course I am” said Harry calmly.

“But then … my dear boy …  you’re asking me in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy-”

“You don’t want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?”.

Harry, Harry of course I do, but-”

“Your scared he will find out you helped me?”

“Be brave like my mother Professor…”

This conversation was one of the best in this book. I love how Harry tries to guilt Slughorn into giving him the memory. And how slughorn is so

INDRJE Black Boy

Black Boy this is a book about a boy who struggles with day-to-day problems, he goes through challenges and many accidents including burning down homes at age 4

 

“At the age of twelve before I had one full year of formal schooling I had. . . a convention that the meaning of living came only when one was struggling to wring a meaning out of meaningless suffering. At the age of twelve, I had an attitude towards life that was to… make me skeptical of everything, tolerant of all, and yet crucial…that can only keep alive in me that enthralling sense of wonder and awe in the face of drama of human feeling which is hidden off the external drama of life”. 

 

End of chapter 3. The principle of this quote brings me to believe that life becomes meaningful when we go through that struggle to make it.

IRJE #2 – Archie – Michael Jordan The Life

Michael Jordan the life is a biography about one of the greatest basketball players of all time. It talks about the struggles that Michael Jordan grew up with and how hard he worked to get to where he is today. This book has many inspirational and motivational quotes but my favourite was this one:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

 

This quote really shows that it is impossible to succeed without failure and that when you fail you should use it as motivation to try even harder, to do even better next time. If you don’t try theres 0% chance at success.

IRJE#2

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is about two feuding social groups, the Greasers and the Socs (short for “Socials”).T he context to this quotation is that there was a fire at their local church because someone left a cigarette and it lit on fire, all the Greasers group ran into the church to save the children in there, and when lots of them left brunt they went to the hospital, where the nurses told them Johnny was burnt the most and with fetal injuries. When Ponyboy and Dally saw Johnny, he was on his deathbed. They told him about how they beat the Socs, but he was to drained to think about that considering his injuries.

“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold… It’s a good way to be. It’s like the way you try to be, like you used to be. The way I wanted you to be when we were kids. Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” (p.148)

In the moment that Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold…” he is referencing the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy had shared with him earlier in the book, nothing gold can stay. The poems meaning is that beauty and innocence are fleeting, and that you have to hold on to it. By Johnny saying this he is saying to Ponyboy that he needs to hold on to that “gold” for as long as he can.

IRJE #2 – Lies By Michael Grant

I am reading the Gone series by Michael Grant right now. I am on the second book. So far, in the book, the adults have been gone for over 1 year. In the book, there are no firefighters, doctors, or parents, and the remaining kids have spun out of control without someone telling them no. Some kids even started to get powers. But a majority of the kids remained without powers. Some kids got jealous and thought they were ‘freaks’. Those kids then formed a group led by Zil. It was called the Human Crew. ‘Freaks’ that encountered the Human Crew met a deadly fate.

It wasn’t over. It couldn’t be over.
“Actually, I could use your help,” Zil said to Lisa. “I have plans.”
“What are you going to do?” Lisa asked eagerly.
“I’m going to put real humans back in charge. Get rid of the chuds. Run things for
us, not for them.”
“Yeah!” Turk said.
“The six of us, here? We’re just the start,” Zil said.
“Absolutely,” Hank agreed.
“Zil’s crew,” Turk said.
Zil waved that off modestly. “I think maybe we should call ourselves the Human
Crew.”

This shows that there will always be an opposing side, that not everybody will agree on everything, and that it is not a good idea to leave a bunch of teens (and younger) alone.

PW#2 My Two Favorite Times of The Year

Halloween, Halloween is one of the two favorite times of the year because its a magnificent blend of creativity and haunted actions. The excitement of putting up decorations, the fun in scaring people, and the joy of eating chocolate and candy with your friends all contribute to the experience. Plus, its the time to embrace the spooky spirit that scares most people. To me, the whole season of fall – putting up decorations, going to parties, and spending time with friends- it can just be such a magical season. But so can Christmas. Christmas is a wonderful and magical time, kind of like Halloween, but not really. Some of the best thing about Christmas is that it brings food, family, and joy all together. Christmas isn’t just about those things; it’s also about putting up a tree and getting to put decorations up, as well as placing gifts under the tree to give to family. Although the feeling of waking up christmas morning and looking outside at the fresh snowfall is something truly magical, nothing could replace it.

IRJE #2 – The Summer I Turned Pretty

In the book The Summer I Turned Pretty written by Jenny Han, it dives into the concepts of life with friends and family, young summer love and the joys and struggles of being a teenager. Belly Conklin (as the protagonist), annually spends the summer at cousins beach with her family and close friends. Throughout the series, a love triangle begins with Belly and two brothers: Jeremiah and Conrad. As the book goes on, new adventures begin and old memories come back.

I loved the feeling of talking and having somebody really listen to what I have to say. It was like a high or something (142).

Whenever I read this book or think about it , I always remember how well written the book was. This book is a very popular book and is the first out of a series of three. I think the book is a great example of how life can be hard sometimes and confusing but you still have to forget about it all and still have fun. You’re only a teenager once so do what makes you happy.

 

IRJE #2: Villains Make the Stories Happen

The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani, is a series of 6 books in where 2 girls, Sophie and Agatha, are taken from their homes to the mystical school called The School for Good and Evil. Really, the school was actually 2 different schools, one magnificent, grand, and expensive school; the school for Good, and one run down, old, and dumpy school; the school for Evil. In the first 3 books, Sophie and Agatha go through their 3 years in the school, Sophie in training to be a princess, and Agatha trained to be a villain. In the last 3 books, their kingdom faces attack from the School Master, and they have to team up and defeat him. My quote is from the first book, though.

She had always found villains more exciting than heroes. They had ambition, passion. They made the stories happen. Villains didn’t fear death. No, they wrapped themselves in death like suits of armor! As she inhaled the school’s graveyard smell, Agatha felt her blood rush. For like all villains, death didn’t scare her. It made her feel alive.

This quote made me think deeply for a while when I read it, because I think there is a lot of meanings behind it. I think it demonstrates off the bat a different way of thinking. It makes you think about how villains affect the stories we read, and how if there were no villains, every hero we know wouldn’t be a hero, because they never saved anyone from anything.

PW #2 – When I met a celebrity in New York City

In late August, I was in New York City with my parents. It was a normal day for me, I had been out in SoHo for almost the entire day, and we had just left our hotel to head to a resturant in Eataly. As we were walking, a blonde lady hurried past us in the opposite direction. As soon as she passed, my mom stopped, turned around, and unsure of who it was, asked me “Isn’t that Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl?”

As soon as we realised it was her, we turned around to see her quickly walking into a store. By the time we caught up to where she had entered two other people had also noticed her. When she came out, I asked for a photo and we had a short conversation before more people recognized her.

PW # 2 -Why I love October

October is probably one of the best seasons ever! (In my opinion) the weather gets so nice and cool, which means it’s finally time to wear sweaters and have pumpkin spice everything. The leaves change to all those pretty colours, and it just feels so cozy outside. Plus, there’s Halloween! Which is super fun with all the spooky decorations and dressing up in costumes. I also love October because it’s my birthday! I was supposed to be born on November 15th, but I decided I wanted to be born on October 31st which is also coincidentally my mom’s favorite day of the year. I get to celebrate with my friends and family, have a party, and dress up. I never really go tricker treating. Yes, I could but I would rather spend time with my family. Unpopular opinion I don’t really like candy, so it works out for me. October is the perfect mix of fall vibes and birthday excitement!

pw #2

My mother and I went to Ontario this summer to visit family, the day we got there at 3 am, and that same day my cousins and I went to an aquarium honestly it was pretty cool the day after we went on a wine tour, late that afternoon we (my cousins and i) went ziplining over Niagra falls I gave my mom my sunglasses to hold on to, we came back to the top where we were all SUPPOST to meet but my mother had left to go to a 3-day meeting WITH my sunglasses. That night we went for pizza and went into a haunted house it was really fun I enjoyed it a lot! it was a long drive back and when I got there I went straight into the house, walked up both flights of stairs, got ready for bed, and slept in my jeans.

 

PW #1 – The Guy with a Gun at the Tesla Charging Station in LA

In July of 2024, I was in Los Angeles with my parents. We had just come back from Universal Studios, and decided to charge our car. We pulled over to a supercharging station on Sunset Blvd, which is one of the busiest Tesla Charging Stations in LA. We arrived to a a green cybertruck already charging and line of 5 cars waiting to charge, so we decided to wait. After about 5 minutes, we heard yelling outside, a woman had decided to charge her car in a wheelchair spot without having a permit to be parked there. This guy got out of his car and started yelling really rude things at the woman, obviously if a middle aged man is yelling at a 20 year-old, people want to know what’s the problem. 3 other people which were in line and the 2 people who were in the cybertruck all got out of their cars started to yell at the man, which turned into an argument.

Now I was lowkey scared while sitting in my car because, not to sterotype but it’s America and it’s legal to have a gun in your trunk, so I was telling my parents that we should go, but they insisted we stay. After heated banter between the guys, and the woman who was parked in the wrong place had left, one of the guys started to throw hands. I can’t even remember this in full detail but the next thing I remember is someone else in the corner of the charging lot, trying to punch air. After a few people left to go somewhere, and us finally getting a charging spot, I see the man looking in his trunk and putting a gun in his pocket. Inititally I didn’t even know it was a gun until after the police came and other people who were parked closer to him told the police that he had a gun. Shortly after, the police came and my dad gave a brief description of the man and showed a video of him, and the argument that happened. We never found out if the man ever used the gun, and by the time we left the green cybertruck was still charging with nobody inside.

PW#2, How I Got Hit by a Car Pt.1

It was a Wednesday, May 16th if I remember correctly. It was a normal day at school, I can’t say I was very liked, and I had restrictions on my computer and stuff. So I can’t say it was a very good day, but every single day went like this, so I just did my work all day, and kept to myself. The only thing that was different about that day was that I had an appointment with the doctor right after school, but it was right after school ended, so I had to do the appointment right after school was over, in one of the extra rooms. I had the appointment, in which I expressed my frustration with the current state of my life, so I left angry and sad. I had ridden my bike to school that day, which meant I had to ride it home. So I got on my bike, and started biking home. I took the shortcut like I always did, because going down the big hill took to long and was a waste of time, because I added and extra 10 mins to my journey, and i had to bike a long time uphill to take the way I was supposed to, because that road was 2-way. So i decided to take the shortcut by the bus stop, because that road took me directly where I needed to go, and fast, even though the road was only 1-way, and I was going the wrong direction. The last thing I remember was me riding on my bike past the “do not enter” sign.

PW#2 Okanagan

Over the summer I went to the Okanagan for a hockey camp. The camp was in Penticton. It was a really cool experience because I got to go out of Victoria and travel for over five hours by ferry and road, which I don’t get to do very often for a training camp. The place I was staying had a beach near by so we would walk around the beach for a bit every day. I didn’t stay too long because I was tired. One night for dinner we went to a wings restaurant which was the best because wings are one of my favorite foods. The hockey camp was the greatest because I learned lots of new things. It was really hot in Penticton but I was lucky because I did not have to worry about it because I was in the arena for most of the day.  Another great part about the Penticton camp was all the new people I met during the camp and all the new friends I made. One of the highlights about being in the Penticton camp was that I became friends with one of the coaches who is an NCAA goalie when I was there which was awesome because I want to play in the NCAA when I graduate from grade twelve.

PW#2- London

I have always found so much peace in London. Although they have quite a lot of crime, it is still one of my favourite, if not my favourite, city. The idea of living in Kensington sounds like the perfect life to me. I love the architecture they have as well. London’s neighbourhoods each have their distinct character, whether it’s the bohemian vibe of Camden or the upscale elegance of Kensington. London’s multicultural atmosphere, bustling markets, and endless opportunities make it a unique and exciting place to live. Ever since I visited in the summer, it’s truly all I have been thinking about. Some of my favourite movies were filmed there, such as Notting Hill, and Mamma Mia (only a small fraction of it was filmed there). I also love the amount of opportunities it brings. They have some of the most prestigious universities as well. In the end, living in London sounds perfect.

PW#2: A Future Doctor

Since I was 8 years old, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor. It all started when I went to Brazil to visit my family. My aunt she is a derma-pathologist that one day asked me to go with her to the lab because she didn´t have the time to leave me at home. When I entered that place, everything was ABSOLUTELY amazing, the samples, the materials, EVERYTHING! and I wanted to know more about it even though I couldn´t understand anything the doctors explained to me. Now that I´m older and I know more stuff than I did 7 years ago, everything about medicine started to make more sense to me, I started to understand it and I also started to have that sense of wanting to know more and more. Additionally, I´ve always liked to see people feel good like, it makes me feel sad when someone is sick and I don´t know what to do, I want to help but I just do not know how. That is SO frustrating. Right now, I still don´t know what especialization I´m going to do because there are so many! Maybe neurosurgeon? I don´t know, the only thing I am sure about is that I want to be a great doctor that cures their patients and does a good job, that is my goal and I am determined to accomplish it.

Diego Pw#2

Outer Banks is one of my favorite shows that i have watched. The show is about a group of friends that live a beachy kind of living off the lands life and they go on a adventure to find gold. The film is filled with drama action and cliff hangers. There was originally  3 seasons but on October 10th they dropped a season 4 this made me so happy and i am so excited to watch it. My plan for the weekend is to have my friends over and watch three or four episodes with them or until we get cant watch anymore. I have waited almost 1 and a half years to watch it that is why i am so exited to see it.

 

IRJE #1 – Wonder

“Wonder” by R.J. Palacio tells the story of a kid named Auggie Pullman, with a facial difference because of a medical problem The story follows him as he moves to a regular school for the first time in the fifth grade. But because of his medical problem the bullying, trust, and friendships makes some problems that Auggie suffers, but he also finds good acts of kindness and support. Some people see how Auggie’s presence impacts his friends’ and family’s life because the story is told from many of perspectives.

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”

This quote is about the central message that the book is trying to send to everyone. This message is that you have to be kind and respectful to people around you and it doesn’t matter what do they look like

PW #2 How I got a concussion

It all started on September 22nd in Kamloops bc, it was a sunny day. I woke up early that day because I had a rugby tournament. So I got ready in the hotel room I shared with some of the girls in my team. I skipped breakfast because I didn’t wake up on time. I got on the bus with my team and some of the older girls from the league. We listened to music to get ready, and we finally got there. There were so many tents, there were teams from Edmonton and Toronto, all of the rugby teams in bc were there! It was a massive event. So we got ready at like 9.am and started warmup at like 10.am, our first game was at 10.30am. It all started pretty decent, we got tries, they got tries, everything was going great. We had the ball, then someone in my team got tackled, so I got into the ruck ( if you don’t know what a ruck is, it’s when you get over the person who got tackled to protect the ball so the other team doesn’t get it ) in rugby when you go into a ruck the other team is allowed to push you off, to get the ball. So when I got into the ruck another girl tried to push me off, instead, she slammed her head against mine. After that game my head started hurting, but it was sunny out so I just thought it was because of that , so I chose to ignore it. Then we had an hour break to eat and stuff. So I lied down and chilled with my friends. Then it was time for warmup again, my head still hurt a lot. We did a drill were I had to hit bags and get through, but every time i hit a bag my headache kept getting worse. It was time for my second game. I had the ball, and I was running, until I got tackled. I remember my head hitting the ground and I also remember her stepping on my head. After that I can only remember standing up confused. Then I remember crying, and then I remembered were I was and who I was with, then everything turned back to normal. Until my eye started twitching really fast, so they took me to the medical tent and asked me some questions, they knew they had to take me to the hospital. My friend’s mom offered to drive me because my friend hurt her wrist. So I got to the hospital, the doctor asked me some question and I saw some friends that also got injured. After I got back from the hospital, I made it in time to watch the last game. And that is how I got my concussion.

Pw #2 Viv

I have 11 pillows on my bed, 10 stickers above my bed frame, 9 bags on the walls, 8 vinyls hanging in patterns, 7 necklaces hanging from the walls off thumbtacks, 6 pink monster cans among the other 30 I have, 5 lego flowers in an overly fancy vase, 4 shirts hanging over my bed, 3 belts that hang from a tiny piece of string over my door, 2 baby pictures of little me and 1 build a bear birth certificate that reads on the bottom “jordynthebomb.com” from the matching build a bears we made during the summer, as well as fairy wings, a crown and a little wand I got at the dollar store for 4 dollars and 95 cents with a Starbucks vanilla frappuccino so I didn’t have to pay 40 dollars for a tiny amount of coffee. my room also has 1 pair of old dirty converse above my closet, 1 painting ms Campbell let me take from the art room, 2 a giant blankets pinned up too my wall, 11 posters from my old school, 2 bc and Alberta licence plates, 1 cat tree for bean, 3 koolaid packs decorated with whiteout by one of my friends, 3 nerd gummy cluster bags, 4 pairs of sunglasses hanging from a flag, 1 giant chicken stuffy, 4 dried flower bouquets, and one Spiderman toy attached to my roof by a purple thumbtack.

Personal Writing #1

When I was witting this I’m in my room, My dad called me for going at friday. He will come bring me, will, I need to use school bus for bring to the boat harbour, I’m not sure I can actually use it. As these day in school, I have one proplem is I can’t rember the home work. And I dont actuall cheak the massage on my computer, and I dont know the topic meaning, so I just open it some time. Most time I did not ask the teacher, door parent, it let me lose lot of fun thing. I have so bad sleep these day, I had a dream at Wedesday, I dreamed when weak up outside widow is so light, I  go see the widow, and then I see some of our chinese and outher student are line up for going outside, I ask them, they said is 2 o’cloke now, today finsh the class in a short time, I was fell my soul is out of my body, I secard and then weak up.

PW #2 My Future

In the future, I hope to do many things. I want to travel, get married, make more friends but most of all, I want to become a D1 golfer. This has always been my dream and if I work hard enough I think it is achievable.  I want to be able to go to a great golf school and play in many tournaments. I’ve already been on some team trips by myself with other kids and they have been the best weeks of my life so I can’t wait to see what that would look like in College. You never know, maybe even some of my best friends will make the golf team at the same college and that would be very cool. My ideal plan would to get a full ride D1 scholarship with many privileges including sports games, food and academic. To achieve this goal, I do need to put in a lot of work. Becoming very good at your sport is not a piece of cake, it takes a lot of time, dedication and sacrifices. Something I am struggling with at the moment is knowing that you can only be a teenager once. And you have to make a decision whether you want to give up hanging up with your friends more and going out or being at the course. After the last few months I have made the choice to go for golf because that is what I really want. I want to see my name at the top. I want someone to be able to say my name and someone else say “I know who She is” because sometimes when you really want something nothing can get in your way.

IRJE #1

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments is a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale book written by Margaret Atwood  The Testaments is set 15 years after the original story in the dystopian scitety of Gilead and is narrated from three different perspectives Aunt Lydia, a powerful member of Gilead’s, Agnes, a girl raised in Gilead and finally Daisy, a young woman living in Canada who learns about her connection to Gilead. This book explores many themes such as power, resistance, survival and betrayl.

Quoute “Aunt Lydia said that silence, too, was a form of power.” (Agnes, Chapter 45, Page 218) This quote stood out to me because it shows how silence can be used as a tool of control in Gilead, especially in Gilead where speech is dangerous and silence can be a way to protect yourself or maintain your position of power.

IRJE #1 – Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a novel based on a woman who returns to her hometown, Los Angeles after many years. One night, she faces a decision wether to go home with her ex-boyfriend, rekindling their past romance, or to stay out with friends. Which would lead to new experiences and relationships, this moment created two parallel storylines, that alternate throughout the novel.

I can’t help but think about all the choices we make. How they lead us to where we are, and how we can’t see how it all plays out. What if I had made a different choice? What if I had taken a different path?

When I read that passage, it made me think about how our choices really shape our daily lives and how important it is for everyone to find a balance in what they do.

IRJE #1 The Sigma Protocol

“The Sigma Protocol,” by the best selling author Robert Ludlum a interlacing story between espionage and conspiracy. when Ben Stalworthy a son of a holocaust survivor who is also haunted by his past, finds himself upon an organization known as sigma, Ben finds himself in a risky game of owl and rat. As he finds chilling secrets with his friend Anna Navorro about the shadowy corridors of power. Ben Stalworthy must race against time to revel the secrets that he found about the shadowy corridors of power while tracking the clues left alone by his brother. But along the way he is questioned by the police.

Ben glanced at Schmid, who was tapping at his keyboard and no doubt listening. “I’m beginning to see that. So what am I supposed to do?” “the way it works in Switzerland, they can you for up to twenty-four hours without actually arresting you.” “You’re kidding me.”                                                     “And if you tick them off, they can throw you in a dirty little holding cell overnight. So don’t.”               “Then what do you recommend?”                              “Hartman, you can charm a dog off a meat truck, buddy boy, so just be your usual self. Any problems, call me and I’ll get on the phone and threaten an international incident. One of my many partners does a lot of corporate espionage work, point being we’ve got access to some pretty big databases. (p.40)

This quotation it’s from when Ben is taken to be questioned and being held for more than 20 hours by the police, this is a good book and I do recommend the book.

IRJE #1 Stargirl

“Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli, is a weird yet captivating story. At first I thought it was really stupid and boring, but it is actually really interesting. It is an adult-fiction novel based on a girl that was different than anyone else. It takes place in a fake city in Arizona called Mica. It follows the life of a 15 year old boy called Leo, who meets this strange but fascinating girl called Susan, but she prefers to be called Stargirl. Leo and everyone else at Mica Highschool are puzzled by this girl who shows up with her pet rat and a ukulele, at first. But then Leo discovers that Stargirl liked him, so he started liking her too, and they started dating. Stargirl is an unusual girl, but she is really kind to everyone who stands in her way.

“She is one of us. Most decidedly. She is us more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are. Or were.” p.g 32

This quote captures, the way stargirl acts, she is curious and she always stays positive. People were wondering if she was real for the way she acted, and that quote is the answer.

IRJE #1

The book Nothing More to Tell is a mystery novel by Karen M. McManus. This book follows a girl named Brynn, who four years ago, left Saint Ambrose School following the murder case of her favorite teacher, a story that made the headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Therefore, Brynn wants to be the one to solve it.  

“Things’ll get worse before they get better”. 

My reasoning behind this quotation was because it shows when Brynn was trying to solve the case, she knew she would uncover some things she did not want to uncover before she got to the truth. 

PW #2 – Some Christmas Traditions

My Family’s Christmas Traditions

Every year, my family goes to Ontario, where the rest of my family is, to celebrate Christmas with my great-grandparents. Last year was our first year staying here. Even though we didn’t go to Ontario, we still did many of our regular traditions.

Two years ago, we started a new tradition where we could have whatever takeout food we wanted for Christmas Day dinner. On Christmas Eve, we would all get dressed up and have a nice dinner. We decided to do this because with all my family around and all the other things to clean up, this made it easier for everyone.

Another one of our traditions is that my great-grandmother would make “girls’ Christmas stockings,” and all the girls in my family, who were her grandchildren, would get a super fun stocking filled with self-care items. I think my favorite tradition is my Nana’s Christmas girls’ stockings.