PW# 7 End of World

I’ve always been really liked end-of-the-world movies. There’s something about them that grabs my attention and doesn’t let go. I remember when my parents  first introduced “2012” to me, I’m pretty sure I was ten and I just loved it! Maybe it’s the intensity of the situation, or how the movies always seem to show humanity’s resilience. Either way, I couldn’t seem to get enough of them.

One reason I love these films is because they make me think about what really matters. In most of these movies, characters are forced to face life-or-death situations, and it makes me wonder: what would I do if the world was ending? Currently I would say my top favorites are “A quite play 1,2”,  “Greenland”, “I am Legend”, “The Fifth Wave” , and still “2012”.

End of the world movies also give me a burst of excitement. The action, the suspense, the feeling of what’s going to happen next? For me those kinds of movies are the kind where when I sit down I cant rest, I always need to be alert. There’s always a twist or unexpected turn, and I love trying to guess what will happen next.

I think I also enjoy the emotional parts in these films. Yeah, there’s tons of  chaos and things going on, but a lot of these movies focus on relationships and how people deal with fear, and unexpected situations. I like seeing how the characters work together, and, in some cases, even find hope in the darkest moments.

After doing so research, I found out that “I am Legend 2” is coming out soon! Its just a to bad that it took them 18 years to make it. There is also a movie coming out made about coronavirus, which I found very interesting, and I am interested in what it is about. Overall I really like end-of-world movies, and would love recommendations.

Personal Response to “A Christmas Carol”

After reading A Christmas Carol, I thought it was pretty good. This was a classic story that i’ve heard many times. I do always enjoy reading the story or listening to it because it reminds me of my childhood and my Nana. Sometimes I did find that it got a little bit boring during parts because I have heard the story so many times and I already know whats gonna happen.

This story does bring a sense to joy as well when reading it. It brings out the Christmas spirit of me and does make me happy. I like how some of the lines make me laugh and giggle. I think it is cool how Dickens slips in little comments that make the reader laugh if you can figure it out.

In many ways the book explores the concept compassion. Scrooges transformation is a big idea because if you look at how he started from the beginning of the book to how he ended in you would see a drastic change in his compassion. After the visit of the three ghosts Scrooge became to realize that maybe he has done some wrong in life but his compassion slowly grows when he decides to change. Bob Cratchit also shows a great sense of compassion because he is kind to all and still stays humble. Even though Bob isn’t in the best place and doesn’t have a great financial situation he puts that behind him and is always happy. He puts his family first and helps his son Tiny Tim get better. Bob was probably my favourite character because he was all around a great person which I think is really important. Lastly I think Fred shows that he is very compassionate because he is always loving Scrooge. He loves his uncle and forever will even if at the start of the book Scrooge did’t really love him.

Overall I did like the book. It wasn’t my favourite book we’ve read this year it will still good ad made me get in the Christmas spirit.

Personal Response to A Christmas Carol

I found A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to be a Good book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. it is a classic book with themes of kindness, and transformation, I was already familiar with the story as I used to watch the movie adaptations when I was younger, however, I found reading the book gave me a deeper appreciation for the original story. for one I found The original book to be very detailed which allowed me to discover details that were not present in the movies I watched and also allowed me to visualize what was being described in the book easily. Even though I enjoyed the detailed description in the book, I often found myself confused and unable to understand the dialogue given that it is an older story. Another aspect I enjoyed was Scrooge’s transformation. In the beginning, he is portrayed as a lonely, rude, and selfish man, often refusing to help others or even partake in the Christmas spirit. However, through his encounters with the three ghosts, he begins to reflect on his actions and their impact on those around him and By the end of the book, Scrooge becomes a completely different person, he is generous, kind, and full of life. I really liked this part of the book because it shows that even the most stubborn person can change for the better especially when they are given the chance to reflect and learn from their mistakes, It was nice to see Scrooge embrace life and find happiness through helping others and it made the ending of the book feel hopeful and was a good lesson that personal growth can always be possible. another aspect I  enjoyed was how the book was moving in many parts, making me reflect. For instance, when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the Cratchit family’s humble Christmas dinner, it despite their poverty, the family remains happy and grateful for what they have. showing their resilience and the love they share for one another, even in difficult circumstances. This scene made me reflect on the importance of family and how easily we can take things like that for granted. Overall, I found Christmas Carol to be an interesting and impactful story that can teach you valuable lessons about kindness, and generosity change and can even cause you to reflect.

My Personal Response to “A Christmas Carol”

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an enjoyable, sweet but short story. The story shows how easy it is to let greed consume us, like what happened to Scrooge. The story shows how Scrooge’s actions didn’t only hurt others but also left him lonely and sad.

The visits from Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come were important because they made Scrooge see his actions. It made me think about how important it is to reflect on my actions, and realize the impact they might have on other people.

Reading this book made me feel different emotions. In the beginning, I really didn’t like Scrooge’s attitude, but as the story went on, I liked his transformation. It teaches a lesson and shows that even the most unkind people can change if they’re willing to open their eyes and admit their wrongs.

One thing I found interesting about this story was that it focused on kindness and changes within people. It shows how living with love can bring overall happiness. The story left me thinking about how small acts of kindness can change peoples lives.

What I also liked about A Christmas Carol was how Dickens used a horror element in an interesting way to tell this story. The ghosts weren’t just there to scare Scrooge, but they all had a purpose and represented something different. The Ghost of Christmas Past reminded him of the innocence and happiness he used to have, while the Ghost of Christmas Present showed him the struggles of people who were still finding joy even in circumstances they had. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was the most powerful because it forced Scrooge to face the reality of what his future could look like if he didn’t change.

Overall, the story reminded me of the importance of having compassion and empathy for others, and making the most of the time we have with each other.

Personal Response to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

I think that A Christmas Carol wasn’t a bad book but wasn’t my favorite and there are better books that I have read before. I would rate it at around 6 out of 10. I like books with more action or books that teach you something like The Champions Mind and I just feel like the book wasn’t for me. The book is about a man named scrooge who is a miserable old man who meets three spirits and they show him the past, present, and future to show him his errors. which makes scrooge go on to change himself into a better person. I like how the story is made like how Scrooge is a selfish, cold hearted, and miserable old man in the start of the book but as the story continues he starts to change after he sees the past and the present. Scrooge really changes in the end of the book when the ghost of the future comes and shows him his future self’s grave. Which make  Scrooge change into a Generous, kind-hearted, and redemptive man and he goes on to help mutable people in the future. I like how the characters were made. I like how the last spirit in the book was made.  I like how The spirit is always quiet and only points and brings scrooge to where he needs to be. The third spirit is also the one who shows scrooge his future. I like scrooges character and how he develops through out the book, that he starts in the book as a selfish old man to a better person after the last spirit show him his future. The end of the book was good like how scrooge changes and becomes a better man and helps a lot of people who needed it. All of the other parts of the book were not bad. That is my personal response on The Christmas Carol.

PR – Christmas Carol – Suzy

I rate the Christmas carol an 8/10. I really like this classic story. I like the Christmas theme and how it also includes ghosts to make it more interesting and like a fantasy book. It is something I watch with my family multiple times each Christmas. One of my favourite movie versions is Muppets a Christmas Carol By Brian Henson. My family and I watch this movie at least 3 times each Christmas. So, when I found out we were reading the original version I was excited to see how the stories would compare. I thought that the book started off very slow but as I got further in the book things started getting more interesting. My favourite character was Bob Cratchit because he is really hard-working even though he gets paid very little. He is also very kind and loyal. My favourite part was when he was with the ghost of the Christmas Present. I found him really funny and overall, cheerful. I feel like he made the most changes to Scrooge’s overall feelings towards Christmas. My least favorite part was when Scrooge and the spirit of the Christmas Present went to visit his nephew and he was making fun of Scrooge. I also liked how Marley (in some way) was trying to help Scrooge not make the same mistakes that he did. I found it funny how to Scrooge it felt like a lot of time had passed when really he just woke up the next day completely different. I really like this book because it has some great lessons. One of my favourite lessons is that money won’t buy you happiness.

Personal response to “A Christmas Carol”

I enjoyed reading A Christmas Carol, Its a great holiday classic that I find myself reading every year. Considering this, I am very comfortable with the book and I could probably tell the story off by memory. I do really like the idea of the story; I like how Dickens had the idea to send ghosts to visit Scrooge from the past, present, and future, to warm him of what is coming if he doesn’t change. There is also a movie based on the book and I watch it every year, I find it very interesting to see all of the tiny differences between the book and the movie. Off from the beginning of the book it is a little bland and slow moving, but towards 1/4 into the book I feel like I am in the pages. Personally my favorite ghost is the “Ghost of Christmas Past” because when I think of it, I think of a tiny little many wearing yellow pajamas and glowing with light. If I was Scrooge I wouldn’t be to scared. This ghost was also my favorite ghost in addition to when it took Scrooge to see himself young, all in which he was happy and not worried about money.

My favorite part of the book is the last stave when Scrooge wakes up and just changes, being kind to everyone and buying the little boy the biggest turkey, then giving Bob Cratchit a raise as well as a day off. Later on going to see his only family left and enjoys Christmas together as it should be spent.

Every time I read this book I feel very much in the Christmas spirit as well as joy and kindness. This book has a very meaningful lesson; teaching the reader that there is good in everyone, and everyone can change no matter the circumstances. It makes me think how lucky I am and how family is much more valuable then money.

Furthermore I liked the book and I would read it again, I liked the concept of it and the plots it had. I would rate this book a 8.5/10 and 100% recommend.

 

Personal response to “A Christmas Carol”

I found the book A Christmas Carol good but it is not my favourite. I like the idea of the book and think it’s a great read for the winter season, but found it slightly boring seeing as I already know how the story ends. I find the storyline interesting and enjoyable, though. The book is truly a classic and a fun, festive read. It’s a heartwarming book that I would recommend for Christmas. I think it’s cool that Charles Dickens was able to include ghosts in the story as well, giving it a different feel than the normal Christmas stories. I love the message the book gives as well. It shows us that everyone has the chance to behave kinder to each other, and it is okay to change your perspective once in a while. It also tells us that the pursuit of money will not make a person happy, family will. My favourite part was when Ebenezer Scrooge attended his nephew’s dinner and gave Bob Cratchit a pay raise. Not to mention the turkey he gave them since they had to order a goose due to the high price of a turkey. I enjoyed the book more towards the end as it got more interesting. I liked the amount of information and detail the story had because it added to Scrooge’s background as to why he was the way he was. I enjoyed reading Bob Cratchits parts since they included important but sad information about his child Tiny Tim. I liked that Bob Cratchit represented a hard-working man who worked in poor working conditions. The book was very short but packed with little details that made the story more realistic and just overall better. I give the book an 8/10 because of the plot and details it included. To conclude the book was fun and a good Christmas read, I just found it broing at the start.

PW 5# Trip to Vancouver.

It was the second week of winter break and I haven’t really done much but play video games and basketball with my friends. After I had my basketball practice in the morning me and my brother got picked up by my mom and she told us that we were going to Vancouver to visit our grandparents and cousins. It was going to be a two day trip one day at our grandparents and one at our cousins.  When we got off the ferry we went to our grandparents house. once we got there at around 6:00 we said hi and spent the night there. The next morning I woke up early because we were going to Tsawwassen mils for a few hours. We left and when we got there we did some shopping and got some presents for our dad for Christmas. Then we went back to our grandparents house and ate dinner. Then at around 7:00 we left  oto go to our cousins house. When we got there we said hi to our cousins and two of my cousins who live in Ottawa came to visit and they only come and visit very once a year so it was really nice to see them and ask them how have they been doing. After we said hi we watched a movie downstairs. Then we went to bed. After we woke up we watched some TV and a hour later we left for a long walk to the grocery store to get some snacks. When we got back two more of our cousins came and then we went bowling with them. After we went to go play football at the track field.  Then we had dinner together and played some video games. Then me and my brother said bye and we left then we went home. That was how my trip to Vancouver went.

IRJE#6

Boy in striped Pajamas by John Boyne. The book explores themes of innocence, friendship, and the horrors of the holocaust. The book is set during world war II and it tells the story of Bruno who is a German boy, that is the son of a Nazi commandant. Brunos family ends up forcing him to move because his father has been assigned a new post, so all of his family ended up moving closer to his fathers new post.

Mother had frowned but then shrugged, as if none of it really mattered any more anyway. ‘Come on then, Bruno,’ she said, taking his hand and locking the door behind them. ‘Lets just hope we get to come back here someday when all of this is over (pp. 41-42).

This quotation from when they are moving and this is then Bruno and his mother leaving the house. The reason of why I chose this quotation because if you read between the lines it explains that they might not survive the holocaust or world war II.

Christmas carol

The Christmas carol by Charles Dickinson was In my opinion the Christmas carol is a good book but started off slow, hard to read and made me tired reading it but the parts it picked up and was getting interesting I did like reading it. I liked the way that Scrooge was seen as a grumpy man who couldn’t show happiness or remorse for anyone going through anything and not having a care in the world about anyone or anything ever. I espesally liked the way Charles Dickson portrays Christmas and the three ghosts as people and kids who weren’t there to hurt him but to guid him. I liked Christmas past and Christmas future and what they showed Scrooge and showing how no one cares about death in till you realize it’s right around the corner. I like the way he portrayed the ghosts and the lessons they teaching him especially at the end of the story teaching him to be grateful in the moment instead of taking advantage of the people around him and the people who where asking for his help, anyone who wanted to help, him and his neglect for the ones who love him. Me personally I like the amount of detail in the story and the little things like him responding to Jacob Marleys name even if he was dead or they way the ghosts where all like hallucinations where he would go on these long adventures through time and all these places to be left back at home in bed like nothing was or is happening to him. The Christmas carol was a slow moving book that felt like it was going no wear but had big meaning behind it that we all don’t have very much time to why waste it being rude and grumpy when you can enjoy the little things in life

IRJE #6

I am currently reading Keeper of the Lost Cities: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger. A girl named sophie and her friends are looking over their forms for Exilium (the school for the unworthy) to make sure everything is correct. Sophie was created by the Black Swan (a rebel group) and raised by humans to give her a different perspective on the world. One of the leaders of the organization is Mr. Forkle, who has many identities. They have just seen on the form that his full name is Errol Loki Forkle.

“Loki,” Sophie repeated, tempted to roll her eyes. “You named yourself after the Nordic trickster god?” “Actually, he was inspired by me. Do not credit me for the insane stories humans made up-especially that one about the stallion. But as I said, I’ve always been partial to that part of the world, and in my younger days I may have had a bit too much fun there. It was so easy to take on disguises and cause a little chaos. And over time my escapades morphed into the stories of a shape-shifting trickster god. So I thought it only fitting, as I assumed yet another disguise, that I accept the title officially as part of my new identity.”

I chose this quote because I thought it was funny that this very strict character literally just finished warning the kids about following the rules at Exilium and then we find out that he is Loki. It also got me curious about the stallion thing. DO NOT LOOK IT UP!

IRJE #5

I am currently reading Keeper of the Lost Cities: Neverseen which is a book about a girl named Sophie and her friends who all live in the lost cities. The lost cities are made up of elves with special abilities and the cities are built mostly from jewels and crystals. It is a place of peace, with no prejudice against skin color, or wealth, or religion. Everyone gets a birthfund (5 million lusters (one luster is equal to about 1 million dollars)) when they are born, and everyone lives in large mansions and has an infinite lifetime. The lost cities have been the perfect society for millions of years, but things are now unravelling when groups of secret rebels are being formed to try and “fix” the flaws in their society. The Neverseen are the bad guys and the Black Swan are the good guys. One of the characters is a prankster named Keefe who has terrible and emotionally abusive parents, he just found out that his mom is one of the leaders of the Neverseen. He and his friends are all fleeing to the black swan and are sitting in the foyer of someone’s house right before they leave and are all telling one of the adults things to tell their parents like “I love you” or “Don’t worry”. Then comes Keefe’s turn.

“Tell my dad… that I’ve been hiding his favorite cape in a closet one the twenty-ninth floor. But don’t tell him the door is rigged with gulon gas. Let him find that out on his own.”

For a little more context elves wear capes as a sign of status and Keefe live in a building with 200 floors, and gulons are REALLY stinky toad-like creatures.

Personal response to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (AKA also Jekyll but not at the same time)

I don’t know how I keep getting so behind on these things! Actually, I do, it’s procrastination. BUT! Getting back to the point, I really enjoyed the book and thought it was interesting with many plot twists that were unpredictable (even though I know the story so I knew they were coming). It was relatively easy to read with certain words here and there that I didn’t understand to make it a bit more of a challenge. How long does this have to be? 300 words seems a little bit excessive. I find it strange that when Dr. Jekyll transforms he looks different because it is still the same person, just the not so good side of that person. I also found it strange that he left everything to Mr. Hyde because he knows that Hyde is the evil version of himself and will most likely misuse and mistreat his things should he ever come back there would be nothing left for him to find. I also don’t think that it was wise to try and separate the bad side of himself because we will all make mistakes and be put in tough situations, but in the end it is still up to us to decide how to react. So I actually have a theory that Dr. Jekyll didn’t want to separate himself in the first place, but Mr. Hyde did. Mr. Hyde was the bad part of Dr. Jekyll so even before the experiment he was still there just waiting for a way to break free and take full control over Jekyll’s body and actions. A smart man of science would surely see the risks involved in such a process, but the illogical, uncontrollable, violent, and abusive side of him would take advantage of the situation to gain full control.

IRJE 6 Wonder

Wonder is a sad and happy story about a kid named Auggie  who was grown up with a disease that makes his face look different then others. He was homeschooled his hole life up until middle school. His parents eventually decided to send him to middle school and  he goes through lots of hate he gets bullied to the point where he needs to wear a astronaut helmet to school. He ends up making a couple real friends and in the end of the book people accept him for who he is and don’t just judge off his looks. Its a very happy ending which ties the hole story together. “I wish every day could be Halloween,” he says (p. 73). This quotation talks about how he likes to be hidden in a costume because that’s when he feels most confident when people cant see his face and don’t just know him for the kid with the weird face. He fits in with everyone and doesn’t feel different or left out. This book is great i highly recommend for everyone to read it. I feel it is mostly a message for kids to understand looks are not everything. Also that You should not judge a book by its cover.

The Song of Achilles – IRJE #6

I have now finished reading The Song of Achilles. Overall, I thought it was a great book and I believe the author, Madeline Miller, did an excellent job in capturing the essence of the book and was able to bring the characters to life, which allowed me to visualize the narrative in my mind clearly, Throughout reading, I experienced a range of emotions making it very moving and although the story had a tragic ending I thought it was beautifully written and it has now become one of my favourite books and one that I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy books that are emotional, detailed and inspired by mythology.

“Everything is in the way it is, and no one will change it, no matter how hard we try.”

This quote reflects the inevitable fate and destiny of both Patroculus and Achilles

 

PW # 5 – The Power of a place pt 2

Some memories are just memories, some are on video or through texts or letters or drawings, but most of my memories were luckly caught on video when I was with my grandparents. My grandpa always had a camera in hand, so he caugh my first smile, my first steps, and I think my first laugh. I’m not too sure about my first word. I am so thankful he videoed these memories though, because now I can go watch them (if I have a CD player). Like my aunts house, my grandparents house was a very important place in my childhood. However whatever house it was, it was more the people that made the memories. However, my grandparents live on the 4th floor of an apartment in Los Olivos, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba. They had a balcony where my grandma would hang clothes to dry, and a kitchen with a window leading out to all the garages, they had two dogs who I loved very much, they had a kitchen table and above that table on the wall was one of those clocks that would have birds pop out. I remember my garndpa and I would always go into this gate beside our garage leading to the forest where there were chickens. I also remember my grandma would always take me to this candy store that was in a plaza. And at night my grandparents would always take out the dogs before going to sleep and I would usually go with them, and the gate to the appartments had a hole which the dogs would run through before we even got a chance to open the gate. There was this big tree specifically, it was a mango tree and it had benches all around it and I would just sit and wait to go back upstairs. One time we were waiting for the dogs and it was so dark, but there were these fireflies, and I got to catch some. Then we let them go, but it’s the memories that count. I have so many memories and pictures and videos that sometimes I remember I have them and I just look at them and remember. I am really happy that I have them so that I don’t forget.

PW #4 – The power of a place

In your life you make so many memories. Some are with you friends, or your family. And those memories are made in a place. Like a beach, a house, a school, etc. One of the places that I made really good memories in was Cuba. Specifically my gradparents house, and my aunts house. My grandparents house  is in Sancti Spiritus, it is around the middle of Cuba. And my aunts house is in Havana, which is the capital. My aunt has a big house with a pool and a poolhouse, she has the ocean in her backyard, seperated by a short concrete fence. I have so many memories of running up and down 3 flights of stairs while playing hide and seek. I remember when I was little my cousin and I would play by the pool and me and my aunt would then go into the ocean and she made me wear shoes which I didn’t like, but she made me because there was rocks in the ocean. And one day I took them off and cut my foot. I then went to the pool house with cousins and I was so upset because she said I couldn’t run around until my cut healed. So instead of running around the house everyday. We would go sit on a white hanging chair every night for a week or so, and there frogs in her back yard that we would just watch. I remember watching them jump along the short concrete fence hoping they wouldn’t fall in the water. I have so many lovely memories of my aunts house, and my grandparents. But that’s for another personal writing.

IRJE #6 – Bones & All

Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis is a story about Maren Yearly, who is a teenager with an uncontrollable urge to eat people she loves. Maren tries to figure out her past and herself, while the novel talks about loneliness, emotional depth, and identity.

Maren’s relationship with her mother is talked about in the book, as it shows the pain of her being abandoned, and the trouble of her being different. Maren finds it hard when she wants to connect with others but fearing the harm she might do to them.

During the story, Maren forms a relationship with another cannibal named Lee. Their bond grows through the story, even though their relationship is built ontheir need to eat each other.

“I want you to eat me, bones and all,” she said, her voice trembling, and I felt it like a shudder in my chest. She didn’t want to be alone anymore, didn’t want to carry the weight of it all by herself. It wasn’t just about hunger. It was about the connection, the need to feel something other than the gnawing emptiness inside us. And in that moment, I wasn’t sure if I was the one who needed to eat her, or if she needed to consume me.”

This quotation shows the complicated but deep connection between Maren and Lee, leading into their mutual dark desires and deep emotional need for each other. It’s about wanting to be consumed, both physically and emotionally, as a way to find meaning in a relationship.

IRJE#6

This book is named Surrounded by Idiots: The Theory of Human Behaviour and How to Effectively Communicate. It was written by Thomas Ericson. In this part of the book, they are explaining the different perspectives of the different cultures and helping you understand how different we are. And the meaning of the four humors.

Humoral pathology, or the theory of the four humours or four bodily fluids, has to do with the four temperaments. According to Hippocrates, our temperament is the fundamental way we react. It’s our behavior or our natural frame of mind. Our temperament controls our behavior. Hippocrates believed that your health is good when the four humors—blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm—are in balance. When we vomit, cough, or sweat, for example, the body is trying to rid itself of one or more of these substances. The word chloe comes from Greek and means “yellow bile.” Therefore, a choleric person is controlled by yellow bile or the liver. Fiery and temperamental, choleric people sometimes frighten those around them with their powerful ways. “Choleric” can be translated as “hot-blooded.” (p. 225).

I choose this part because it was fascinating how the humors are related to body fluids. This paragraph is really important because it teaches you how does the four humors work.

IRJE #6 once in a full moon by Ellen Schreiber

The story Once in a Full Moon starts with a girl Celeste Parker who lives in a small town by Legends Run. Her life turned around when a dare from Nash (Celeste’s boyfriend). To go to Legends Run and get her fortune told, a spine-chilling fortune was read and under the moon, something terrible would happen. Celeste pumps into Brandon while just barely escaping a pack of wolfs

“Are you… okay?” It was the first thing he asked.
“Am I okay? I wasn’t the one fighting a pack of wolves.”
Brandon tossed the branch into the woods. It was then a few dark red drops fell into the lily white snow.
“You’re bleeding!” I said, pointing to the red stains.
“What?” He didn’t even look at his hand. “What are you doing… here?” he asked. He was still running on adrenaline.
“You’ve been hurt,” I said. “We should get you to a doctor.”
He raised his hand. Drops continued to fall into the snow.
“You need to have that looked at,” I said. “You might need stitches.”
“It’s nothing,” he said.
“You could have rabies,” I warned.
“I’m fine.”
“Can I see?” I asked.
“Uh… sure.”

CH7 PG 45

I chose this book to read because this book caught my attention last year and this refreshes my mind about what happened in the book

IRJE #6 – Plague

Currently, I am reading Plague by Michael Grant. It is the fourth book in the Gone series. Currently Albert (see from previous IRJE) has been attacked by two boys from the Human crew (also in a previous IRJE). He was attacked by them because he has so much wealth and food. He also isn’t very nice which lead him to get attacked in the first place. When a boy named Howard found him almost dead he called the healer, Lana to save him thinking that Albert would be in his dept.

“About as close as you can get,” Lana said. “But no: he’s not dead. And this kind
of thing, at least, I can heal.”
“Boy’s going to owe me,” Howard said.
“You’re a trip, Howard, as my dad would say,” Lana said. “You are definitely a
trip.”
“You’ll tell Albert I brought you, right? You’ll tell him it was me, right?” (pg. 375)

This shows that even if a life is on the line most people will only think of themselves.

IRJE #6 – A Good Girls Guide to Murder

A Good Girls Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson, is about a girl named Pippa Fitz-Amobi is in high school and has to chose a project for her senior year graduation credit. She chooses to solve a closed case of a murder in her small town that she thinks should not be closed. The following quote is from page 19, chapter 2.

“When you ask people in town what happened to Andie Bell, they’ll tell you without hesitation: ‘She was murdered by Salil Singh.’ No ‘allegedly,’ no ‘might have,’ no ‘probably,’ no ‘most likely.’ He did it, they say. Sal Singh killed Andie. But I’m just not so sure.” (p.19)

In this quotation Pip is saying how she really thinks that Salil did not kill Andie and that the town is wrong, therefore she will be trying to “solve” the case herself while not getting into the actual case as that could be dangerous. After she figures out that she might be on to something and others involved in the case see this too she begins to contact the police about reopening this case. The whole town is convinced that Salil killed his girlfriend Andie Bell, but even the police case says that they are “almost certain”. 

IJRE # 6: The Alchemist

Over christmas, I read the alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book is about a boy named Santiago who a young, adventurous shepherd. He has a recurring dream that troubles him. In the dream, he is told, by a child, to seek treasure at the foot of pyramids in egypt. He goes to a gypsy to interpret what this dream meant. On one of his journeys to a small town, he meets a man called Melchizedek. He tells him that it is his personal legend to go to the pyramids. On his way to the pyramids, he gets robbed, works for a year, and learns many life lessons as he does so. Santiago falls in love with a girl named Fatima, in an oasis, but has to leave her to pursue his personal legend. He meets the alchemist who teaches him an important life lesson, and he continues his journey. He gets to the pyramids and begins to dig where he thought the treasure would be, but he gets beat up and left half dead. one of the men tell him about his dream that he gave up on. he says that there is a treasure hidden under a sycamore tree next to an abandoned church in Spain.

“…every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons that I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.” pg 29

This quote means that if you ignore what has been put in your path, it will come back to haunt you. The Merchant’s eyes were opened to the possibilities of his dreams, so he was given the zeal to do them.

IRJE #6 – Tiger and Phil

In Bob Harig’s book Tiger and Phil, it explores one of the biggest and best rivalry’s. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are two of the best golfers to play the game and will forever go down in history. Tiger has two kids, Sam and Charlie. Sam is 17 and she is following in her dads footsteps by going to study at Stanford university next year but she does not play golf. On the other hand he has a son named Charlie and he is 15. Charlie is a very good golfer and plays in many tournaments around the United States. Phil has 3 kids and none of them are as interested in golf as he ever was. These two men have always had a rivalry as they were always winning back and forth. While Tiger woods is a little more famous and has won more events and majors, they are still both very good.

He greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that’s how I look at my life. I will be a better golfer, I will be a better person, I will be a better father, I will be a better husband, I will be a better friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. (p. 96)

This is a quote the Tiger woods had stated in an interview after shooting a 63 in a major. Tiger is said to be one of the greatest of all time or the greatest. Tiger always valued day after day and was proud if himself even if he didn’t have a good day on the course. The book explains the details of both their games, compares and contrasts both players and shows how they live their life in and out of the game.

IRJE#6

This book is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was written by J.K Rowling. In this part of the book Harry Potter and his friends Ron, Hermione and Xenophilius are trying to find out what the Deathly Hallows is after doing research in the library they find a story on the Deathly Hallows.

“That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as
he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother’s throat. “And so Death took the first brother for his own (p.333).

I chose this quotation because I found it interesting how Rowling makes the brothers get what they have wanted even though they were not good people. And later they face their consequences. For the oldest brother he got the elder wand which was the most powerful wand and even though he was the most powerful it put a target on his back. This was the oldest brothers consequence.

IRJE#6 The Messenger

In The Messenger by Lois Lowry, the main character is a young boy named Matty, who lives in a community that seems perfect at first. Matty, was an outsider, but then he became an important part of the village, trying to help others and figuring out his own purpose. The story takes place in a place where the lines between good and bad are blurry, and Matty has to decide what he will de  when he is given the responsibility to save his home and its people. This novel talks about things like change, sacrifice, and the difficult decisions.

 “The change is not in the world, it’s in the way we look at it. The way we see the world depends on our hearts and minds, on our ability to understand, to accept, and to love what is.” pg. 132

This quote is important because it explains one of the main ideas of the book. How we see the world depends on how we think and feel inside. Matty’s journey is not just about how things around him change, but how he changes the way he sees those things. In the beginning, Matty doesn’t really understand the world he lives in. But when he faces tough situations, he starts to see things differently. He realizes that the way we view the world depends on how we choose to see it. This moment is important because it shows how Matty grows. He begins to understand that even in a world full of both good and bad, how we choose to see things makes a big difference. The idea that what we see depends on what is in our hearts and minds is a key part of The Messenger. It reminds us that we can always change, but it takes effort, a change of heart, and learning to accept and love the world for what it is.

 

IRJE #6 The science of Self-Discipline.

The Science of Self-discipline is a new book that I have been reading for a couple weeks now. It is written by Peter Hollins a human psychology researcher who is best known for his work on practical strategies on self-improvement, psychology, and personal development. He works with and teaches people how to unlock their potential and how to achieve success in life and he has put all of his teachings and research into this book. In this part of the book he is explaining Aristotle’s Theory of Motivation. Aristotle is a famous philosopher who created the original guides to human motivation. In this part he says how you should know what are the better motivations and to chose them over the negative motivations.

It’s up to you to be disciplined enough to avoid and resist negative motivations and to have a clear understanding of the positive motivators that can help you maintain self-discipline. (p. 47)

This quotation means that it is the person’s choice to know and be Disciplined enough to resist any negative motivations or habits that could affect them in the future like eating unhealthy foods or not doing work that you have. They have to have a good and clear understanding of the other positive things that will help them later on and to help them maintain self discipline. That is what he means in this quotation.

Pw#6

It is December 27th as I’m writing this so it’s like the day after I wrote the last one and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! It took WAY longer to clean the pantry than I thought it would. Instead of it being the casual 2 hours it turned into 4! But, anyways…. We went to go see the movie with my neighbors but we met up with my mom’s sister first for dinner. My mom started to remind me to eat quickly because we were going to see the movie and we didn’t want to be late. yeah, so I was thinking that we had like another hour almost and the theater was right there so it wouldn’t take that long. What do you know!? There truly is a first time for everything because I WAS RIGHT!!!! We literally got there like 40 minutes before the movie started and we just had to wait until the other people arrived. One the others got there we got popcorn and grabbed seats and stuff, but then our neighbor Sue (who I was sitting next to) asked if I could move over 1 seat so that she could sit with her husband Gary. I obviously said yes and didn’t think that it would be a problem. Until the movie actually started. Before I switched seats Gary had said that I could share popcorn with Sue. But now I was sitting one seat over no longer next to Sue and I had the popcorn but I didn’t know what to do with it. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be Sue’s popcorn that she could share with Gary, or if I was supposed to share it with my aunt who was sitting next to me. Now, this was a long movie. It was 2 hours and 40 minutes, so the entire time that I am watching the movie I just don’t know what to do with the popcorn because Gary hasn’t asked for it back, but my aunt hasn’t taken any either. I didn’t want to be rude by eating someone else’s popcorn, but I also didn’t want to be rude by not eating the popcorn if the neighbors had paid for it. So for literally the whole movie I just sat there thinking about the popcorn and what to do about it while every one in a while taking a small bite incase I was supposed to eat it. In the end I barely ate any popcorn and left the theatre as quickly as possible to avoid any conversation that could possibly occur about the popcorn. Now I know that if I ever see a movie with them again I should probably sit next to my parents incase of emergencies such as this one.

PW #5

I am writing this on boxing day (because i forgot to write this when it was due) and I just don’t understand adults. Like, what is up with them? My parents have been super busy lately and it’s been a challenging couple of weeks for us all with it being the final weeks for my mom to all of her orders done for her job in sales, and my dad being really stressed about the caffe not doing well and not being sure that we can keep it open (we couldn’t). Also we are supposed to be going to Hawaii on New Years Eve, and until December 24th I didn’t have a passport and we had no idea if it would come or not. So everyone has been rushing around doing last minute gift shopping and my dad and I have done 2 days of really hard work clearing out the caffe, and we had my moms sister over and a Christmas party at our neighbors (which we had to make a lot of food for). And now it is finally boxing day where we have a chance to do nothing all day and just relax and read books or watch a movie (we are going to watch a movie with the neighbors in the evening) but NO! Let’s spend the one day we can relax by not relaxing and cleaning the whole house instead. I don’t know what is wrong with them. But anyways I have to go clean out the pantry for 2 hours now, so see you in the New Year!