Comments: Week 5

Caroline: "13 Reasons Why" Reading Response 3

DJ: Flash Story

My School

My school is a very interesting school, to say nonetheless.

The reason is extremely odd and uncommon, one unheard of.

I am the one and only student in the entire school.

I do not know why no one else is attending this school.

I hear about kids having fun with friends at school.

I hear about students having fun learning from their teachers.

Sadly, I have never known those leisures of life.

I have never made any friends in school because of it.

I wish I can learn how to make some friends like everyone else.

I do not know if I will ever be able to.

Harrison Bergeron

      "Harrison Bergeron" is a short story about a is set to a society where everyone is considered equal, one where someone can never be better than anyone. If someone is smarter than everyone else, they have to wear special earpieces that distract the brain from being used to the full potential. If someone is better looking than everyone else, that person would have to wear a mask. It is a world where equality has a much deeper effect.
      This story stood out to me because it takes the concept of equality, one which everyone is so used to, and takes it to the extreme. The world that takes place in this story is one without any emotion, variety, or personality. In this bland world, the character of Harrison Bergeron stands out very vividly, because he is the only person in this world who is able to be different. I think this story encourages us to be different from one another and maintain variety in personality.

Comments: Week Four

Lathan: Dear One Year Old

Sutter: Reading Response Week Four

My Literacy Narrative

      Recently, we are writing a personal narrative about an important event in our lives. In my case, I chose to write about the time I started playing music. I think that the part that I did well in writing was describing all the events that took place. I tried to be as informative as possible, adding everything that happened that I can remember. Also, I felt like I described the sensation of playing music quite thoroughly.

      The things my essay lacked in was descriptive details. Although I tried to add as much information about my past as I possibly can, I did not include vivid details that would help the reader visualize the scene then and there, but rather only the necessary information needed to understand the series. When I start writing my final draft I will have to make sure to add more descriptive details, and adding dialogues would help the readers imagining the scene that is unfolding.

Dear 13 Year Old:

      Even if you don't want to, go to that school dance party. You are in 8th grade, and you are almost stepping up into high school. If you like to go to parties, then great: just go. If you are shy or scared of what the others will think about you, I don't care: just go. This is from personal experience, but you will regret it if you do not make a good middle school memory. When you go to high school, most of your friends will all go somewhere else, and you will be going to school with complete strangers. Make middle school count.
      I have to be honest with myself: I only went to one school dance party in my entire middle school life. I always refused to go because I was scared what my friends would think about me. I was afraid I would make a fool of myself. Don't worry: everyone else thinks that about themselves too, and quite frankly, no one really cares what you do. It will be a great chance to make some new memories and friends before you go on into high school, and it will teach you what you have to do when you go up into middle school. I repeat: Go to school dance parties. It will be a total blast.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

      Right now, I am reading a book called the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy written by Douglas Adams. The main story is about a man named Arthur Dent, whose home planet, Earth, gets destroyed as early in as chapter 3. (Well, that escalated quickly.....) He and his friend, Ford Prefect, whom Arthur thought was human and actually turns out to be an alien from the planet Betelgeuse, uses the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to explore the universe. During their adventure, they run into all sorts of incidents and creatures.
      This book is so fascinating because it is so amazingly unpredictable, throwing all sorts of wacky and out-of-the-world stories that are so hilarious. Personally, half the time I am reading this book I have absolutely no idea what is going on. However, the setting of the book and the way the story unfolds is bound to crack you up and make you want to continue reading this book. The thing I like most is all the humor and jokes behind the story, and that is why I like this book so much, and the reason I am recommending this book to you.
     

Comments: Week Three

Lathan- My New Phone

Sa'Veon- World War Z

9/11 Terrorist Attack

      The citizens of New York City watched in horror as two airplanes collided into the two buildings of the World Trade Center, bringing both of them to the ground. I am talking, of course, about the 9/11 World Trade Center Terrorist Attack in New York City. On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists from the terrorist group Al Qaeda hijacked four planes mid-flight and flew two of them into the World Trade Center buildings. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in this tragedy.
      After reading this article, I found out just how severely the U.S. was affected by this incident and what measures the government has taken to prevent any accidents like these from happening anymore, such as tightening airport securities and creating the Department of Homeland Security. The affect the tragedy of 9/11 changed the U.S. greatly, and I am relieved to see so many efforts to prevent any accidents from reoccurring. The two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center buildings were not the only ones hijacked by Al Qaeda. Two other planes were hijacked that day. One crashed into the Pentagon building in Arlington, Virginia, and the other crash-landed into a remote spot in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The fourth plane was believed to be targeted for the White House or the U.S. Capitol, but was stopped by the passengers on board, who later all perished in the crash. I feel great respect for these people who stopped the disastrous 9/11 incident from getting any worse.

link:http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756477

Comments: Week 2

Lathan- My Phone

DJ- My Labor Day Weekend

Comments: Week 1

Sutter- The Great Escape

Ricky- The Warf Orange Beach

This Weekend

      "Finally!" I shouted as we pulled up into my friend's driveway. We were in Dallas this weekend to move some items into our house, and we managed to get into contact with one of my closest friends, who moved to Dallas a few years ago. They told me I could have a sleepover, which excited me so much! I haven't seen(or even been in contact with) him in so long, and I was pumped. I was so excited, I was tossing and turning in my bed the whole night. I could not wait to meet their entire family once again, to see how much my friend has changed, and to hear the stories of how they were doing in Dallas. 

      I got out of the car with all my bags, walked up the stone steps, and rang the doorbell. I immediately recognized that bark of their pet dog that greeted me. A second later, my friend opened the door and invited us in. As soon as I stepped through the door, their dog greeted us vigorously. Their cat was under the living room table, as usual. Everything was so familiar, I was slightly overwhelmed. We exchanged greetings, then went up to my friend's room. The moment I entered the room, I immediately knew I was in for a fun weekend!

Second Reading Response: the Hunger Games (spoilers)

      The Hunger Games is a book written by Suzanne Collins, and she does a great job of telling a suspenseful story. You can never predict when some event is going to happen, which makes you want to continue reading. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, lives in a nation called Panem, which is divided into twelve districts. The capitol selects two people from each district to compete against the others in a death match to remind the districts that the capitol has absolute power. Katniss volunteers to join when her sister gets picked to compete, and then she must fight to return back home.

      I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book with lots of suspense, drama, and action. Like I wrote above, you can never tell when the author is going to throw a plot twist at us, so it makes us want to read it further. The book is filled with vivid details, letting the readers imagine the scene inside their heads and immersing us with the story. The storyline is very original, and the author does a great job conveying the feelings of the main characters to us while we are reading. Katniss tries so hard to return to her home where her family awaits her with nervousness, and in the end she survives and wins the Hunger Games. The lesson I would learn from this book would be: never give up, and always persevere in times of hardships.