Summer Reading Assignment #4

I decided to read Looking for Alaska out of all of the other choices because my friend decided to read it too and I thought it would be nice for us to be reading the same book in case either of us had any questions about a part, we could just ask the other person.  Another reason why I chose this book is because the author, John Green, wrote The Fault in Our Stars which is a really popular book.  I still haven't read it yet but reading this book would determine if I wanted to read another book of his.  I also decided to read this book because I could download it straight to my tablet on my Kindle app, so that made it easy to read.  A connection that I made to this book is that I stand out from other people at my school because one of my hobbies is playing different instruments.  That is similar to Miles because one of his hobbies is to memorize people's last words.  It is also similar to Miles because he stands out being from a different state from everyone else.  I would recommend this book to my cousin but not until she gets a little older because there is a lot of profanity in this book.  

Summer Reading Assignment #3

A section of the book that I found "hooking" is when Chip says "Listen, I'm not going to be your entree to Culver Creek social life."  to Miles.  I found this part "hooking" because since they met, Miles thought that Chip was a little strange, but he was still nice.  Also, Miles helped Chip bring his couch from the storage room back to the room that they are staying in.  Miles mentioned that it is very hot, so why would Chip say that to him after he helped him?  Then it started to make a little more sense because Chip explained to Miles that there are two different kinds of groups at this school.  He said that there are the 'regular boarders', like himself, and then there are the 'Weekday Warriors', who are the rich kids that go to their parents mansions in the wealthy part of Alabama.  Chip told Miles that he doesn't like the cool kids, and they don't like him, so he is just warning Miles that if he came to this school thinking that he was hot stuff, he shouldn't be hanging around him very often.  Another part that I found "hooking" is when Chip told Miles not to call him Chip, but to call him the Colonel.  Then he told Miles that instead of calling him Miles, he will call him Pudge.  "Because you're skinny. It's called irony, Pudge. Heard of it?"         

Summer Reading Assignment #2

In Looking for Alaska, I think that Miles desires something that will change his life and make it more interesting and fun.  I also think that he desires new friends and activities to make his school year memorable.  I think that Chip, another character, desires to be friends with Miles because they are roommates for the rest of the school year.  I am hoping that they will get along for the whole year, and there might be some conflicts between them, but there are always conflicts between friends.  I think that together, they will make friends and create a group so that people in the group can make even more friends.  I think that a theme that is starting to appear is Discovery, because Miles is starting to discover this new school with new people, and he is also starting to discover more about himself.  Another theme starting to appear is Inner and Outer Self because Miles is finding who he is on the inside by figuring out what he likes and what he doesn't like, and he is finding who he is on the outside by figuring out who he wants to be friends with and how he wants to come across to people.  This book is structured differently from other books because it doesn't have chapters, it is just broken into small parts.  The structure of this book makes it easy to read since it is broken up in smaller parts rather than long, drawn-out chapters.

Summer Reading Assignment #1

For my summer reading assignment, I am reading Looking for Alaska by John Green.  The main character's name is Miles.  The book starts out at his home in Florida, then moves to Alabama, because that is where his boarding school is.  It takes place in the late summer, because he mentions that it is very hot but it is during the school year.  The conflict in this book is that he wants to figure out who he really is but he doesn't know how to yet.  Since he is at a new school, I think that he will meet new people and become friends with people that have similar interests as him.  Miles seems a little bored and unsatisfied with his life, and I think that he will find things to do with his new friends and have fun at his new school.  I also think that he is a little self-conscious but he once he meets the right people, he will start to feel a little more comfortable.  This book relates to Perks of Being A Wallflower because Charlie, the main character, is moving into High School and he is trying to figure out who he is.  He doesn't have any close friends until he meets some people from his school.  Both of the main characters from each book seem self-conscious in the beginning but they change by the end.

Text-to-text, Text-to-self, Text-to-world connections (Vixen) #3

Even though I have not read it yet, I think that The Great Gatsby could relate to Vixen.  I've seen the movie, and I have found many similarities between the two.  One similarity is that they're both based in the 1920's.  Another similarity is that it is during prohibition, so it is illegal to drink alcohol, but they do it anyway.  It was popular to smoke back then, so almost everyone did, including teenagers and even doctors.

I can relate to this book because the girls in this book are in high school and so am I.  I can relate to Clara the most because she prefers the city over a rural area.  Another reason is because she has a middle class lifestyle.  She was surprised when she arrived at her cousin Gloria's house, because she lives in a mansion and she is very wealthy.  I can also relate to Clara because she is trying to change into a better person. 

A similarity between the book and the world is that a lot of people go out to drink and have a good time, but back then it was illegal to drink.  Another similarity is that many people live in a middle class lifestyle.  

What does the work tell us about right and wrong? (Vixen) #9

When Gloria went to the Speakeasy, she knew it was wrong.  She isn't the kind of girl that would go to a place like that.  The author made it easy for the reader to understand that it was a bad decision.  When Gloria cut her hair into a bob, she knew that her parents and fiance would be angry at her.  She did it anyway because before she got her hair cut, she said "Well, if I am going to sin, I may as well sin badly. I mean, boldly" (Larkin, 39). The quote makes the reader realize that Gloria didn't care about what would happen if she did get her hair cut.  When Clara was on the train and she ran into a man who she thought was handsome, she stopped herself because she knew that it was wrong.  She even told him "I guess I'm not the type of girl you thought I was" (Larkin, 26).  The quote tells the reader that Clara wants to change so she can be respected.

Unusual patterns in the work (Vixen) #8

Each of the chapters in the book are named after the characters.  The first chapter is "Gloria".  The second chapter is called "Clara".  The third chapter is called "Lorraine".  The chapters repeat in this same order.  Each chapter is based off of the character that it is named after.  For example, if the chapter is "Gloria", the chapter will be in Gloria's point of view.  All of their points of view are different and that makes the book more interesting.  The book is broken into two parts. The first part is called "Speak Easy".  The second part of the book is called "Speak Low".  All of these things make this book different from other books.

What does the work tell us about how the society affects the individual? (Vixen) #7

This work tells us about how the society affects the individual because Gloria, one of the main characters, is supposed to be a smart, talented, good girl, but she is getting tired of the same things happening every day.  Even though drinking alcohol is illegal, people still do it anyway.  I think that factor changed Gloria's mind about drinking.  Since other people are doing it and not getting in trouble, why can't she?  I think that is one of the reasons why Gloria went to the speakeasy.  I wonder why Gloria is getting married even though she is a senior in High School.  Was that a normal thing to do back then?  Was High School the time to get married?  I wouldn't think so.  I thought that being a senior is the most stressful time in a person's High School experience.  You have to make sure you do well on your tests, you have to do well at your job if you have one, you have to keep your GPA up, etc.  I wonder if GPA's existed in the 1920's.  I feel that Gloria is under a lot of pressure with her family.  They expect her to be a perfect person, and she's getting really tired of that.

What does the work tell us about people behave? (Vixen) #6

The work tells us about how people behaved in the 1920's.  If the author made the people act like the people in our society now, the book would have been totally inaccurate.  A lot of the things that the teenagers do in this book are similar to what we do now, but not the exact same.  For example, people now go out to clubs and wear tiny dresses with 5 inch heels.  People back then went to speakeasy's in long dresses and flats.  Even though some things are different, there are some things that are similar too.  For example, people back then go to the movies.  People now go to the movies.  Nothing much has changed with that.  Exept for the cost.  In the 1920's, movies were about 30 cents.  Now they are $10.  This book tells us the difference of how people behave compared to now.

Why do you think the author wrote this work? (Vixen) #5

I think that the author wrote this work to tell us that life hasn't always been like this.  They didn't have iPhones and computers back then, so the author wrote this book to inform us on how people lived back then.  I feel that she tried to make it as accurate as possible.  I think that she wrote it to inform the reader and also entertain the reader.  She tried to direct it towards teenage girls so they can relate to the characters.  Adults could read it too, but they probably wouldn't be able to relate to it as much as teenagers.  I think that she also tried to direct it towards people who are interested in the 1920's.  I think that she made the setting in Chicago because a lot of things happened in Chicago in the 1920's. 

Final Blogging Assessment in English 1B

The vocabulary is different in this book from other books because this is based in the 1920's.  The author uses formal vocabulary because people spoke formally back then.  "Anyway, it was mortifying. I looked like such a bluenose. And that is why we now have to go back lickety-split, so that this time I can actually show my face. Proudly. Oh, and you can come with us, of course," (Larkin 45).  This quote is relevant to my topic because I don't know anyone who says 'mortifying', 'bluenose', or 'lickety-split'.  They didn't use the same slang words like we do now.  Everyone talks properly; from adults to children.  It's interesting to see how much has changed when it comes to vocabulary throughout the years.  The vocabulary in this book is important because you can't write a book about the 20's and use the words that we use now.  You have to use proper vocabulary to convince the reader that you know the difference from the culture back then to the culture now.  It makes an impact on the reader on how well you know the right vocabulary.

Saying 'You're the bee's knees!' was popular in the 1920's. Not many people say it anymore.

Most of the diction that I decided to use was abstract/concrete.  "You have to use proper vocabulary to convince the reader that you know the difference from the culture back then to the culture now."  I used words like 'formally', 'properly', and 'culture', because they make the concept easier to understand.  The sentence length in this post is approximately 18 words, which is medium length.  "This quote is relevant to my topic because I don't know anyone who says 'mortifying', 'bluenose', or 'lickety-split'."  This sentence has exactly 18 words in it, and not all of the sentences have 18 words, but most of them are close to about 18 words.

I have worked towards achieving my blogging goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the trimester because my goal was to post at least once a week and comment twice a week.  I haven't exactly been posting once a week and commenting twice a week, but I've been keeping up with my posts.  I made sure to stay on the topic that I chose, use compelling ideas, and use specific textual details.  I used a variety of syntactical structures, effective diction, and an engaging style.  I had a consistent understanding of grammatical conventions.

The best thing about my book is... (Vixen) #4

The best thing about my book is that the characters occasionally talk in French.  For some people, that may not be very important.  For me, it makes the book ten times more interesting.  The reason why I like it so much is because I'm taking French as my foreign language and it is one of my favorite classes.  So far, they're not saying whole sentences, just small phrases that I've learned.  I also like the way that the characters talk in general.  They talk very formally and it's interesting to compare that to the way that we talk now.  This makes the book fun to read.

Krista Ramsey Introduction Activity

Saturday open house a chance to learn about sikh faith

The Guru Nanak Society opened their doors and invited communities to come inside and find out who they really are.

"Since 9/11 Sikhs have been misidentified as terrorists and periodically targeted for violence, including the 2012 shooting deaths of six Sikhs at their gurdwara in suburban Milwaukee."

This sentence makes an impact on me because it's sad for me to know that people will make assumptions just because other individuals don't look 'normal' to them.

I chose this article because I went to the open house and it was interesting for me to see other people's lifestyles and how they are very different from mine.  For example, when we got there, we had to take off our shoes and cover our heads with scarves.  We don't have to do that at the church I go to.

Predictions (Vixen) #2

So far in my book, Gloria has gotten into the speakeasy by guessing the password correctly.  She also drank a glass of alcohol accidentally thinking it was water.  The thing that confuses me is that she's out at a speakeasy on a school night, but she's the president of the Honor Society, and she is supposed to be an example for the rest of the girls.  She felt out of place wearing a peach chiffon sleeveless dress.  She didn't realize that all of the flappers had bobbed hair, and she had to pin her long hair up.  I can't really relate to her as of right now, because I've never left my house at a late hour on a school night.  I predict that when she gets home, her parents will be upset with her and she'll get in trouble.  I also think that her fiance will find out that she was at a speakeasy and he will be upset with her.

This is the dress that I imagine Gloria wearing to the speakeasy:

Explain why you chose the book that you did (Vixen) #1

I chose to read Vixen because the setting is in the 1920's and I am fascinated with that time period.   I also chose this book because I thought it would be interesting to see what teenagers did in the 20's without cellphones and other electronics.  Initially, it was the cover of the book that drew me in.  It was a picture of a girl wearing a vintage dress with bobbed hair.  It immediately caught my attention.  It didn't take long to realize that it was an interesting story from the very beginning.  The girls in the book are in high school, and since I am too, I thought I could try to see if there was anything I could relate to.  I look forward to finding similarities and differences between teenagers then and now.

part of reflection

http://gabbyyrenee.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-perks-of-being-wallflower-3rd-post.html

blog reflection 11/5/13

My third blog best exemplifies my ability to analyze complex characters because I quoted Charlie's descriptions of Sam and Patrick. I also described Charlie's own personal feelings, and how he felt when Sam and Patrick were talking to him for the first time. This is when Charlie saw Sam and Patrick at the football game and decided to sit with them. He was nervous at first, but surprised after he noticed how nice they were to him.

Then I explained what they did after the game (they went to a restaurant) and Sam and Patrick asked Charlie questions about himself. They were nice questions, and they were trying to make him feel comfortable.

Charlie mentioned that he started to like Sam. And then he started to feel bad about it, because he's younger than her. It made him really upset but he told her about his feelings for her and she laughed about it. Not in a mean way, she was very understanding about it.

I made predictions at the end of that post. I said that I predicted that Charlie will start to hang out more often. I also said that I think Charlie's life will start to get better.



The goals that I have for next trimester are to finish at least one book. I also want to fasten my reading pace because I'm a slow reader. I want to find a book that will interest me, so I don't get distracted. I want to try to read at least every other day.

For writing, I want to make the lengths of my blogs a little longer. I feel like I have enough information in the ones I have already posted, but I will probably put a little more detail into my posts.

Improvements that I want to work on for reading are to focus more in the book I'm reading and not get distracted. I really want to find something that will be interesting to me.

Improvements that I want to work on for writing are to make my posts longer. I also want to put links and pictures in my blogs. I want to be able to post twice a week and keep up with it.

the perks of being a wallflower (9th post)

Charlie went to a Christmas party at Sam and Patrick's house, and gave presents to everyone but only two people gave him presents, which made him sad but he didn't want it to ruin his Christmas. He read a poem that Bob thought was a suicide note, and Charlie hoped it wasn't the case because he liked the ending of the poem.

I wonder what everyone thinks of Charlie now. I wonder if they like him or secretly don't like him.

Now I want to see how Charlie acts after what happened with Sam. (I'm not going to spoil it for you!) I want to know if his feelings about her change or stay the same.

the perks of being a wallflower (8th post)

"I think it was the first time in my life I ever felt like I looked 'good.' Do you know what I mean? That nice feeling when you look in the mirror, and your hair's right for the first time in your life? I don't think we should base so much on weight, muscles, and a good hair day, but when it happens, it's nice. It really is."

A lot of people can relate to this quote because many people are self concious about their body image. A quote like this can help people feel better about themselves because they can know that they're not the only one going through a tough time.

the perks of being a wallflower (7th post)

Charlie said that he used to play sports when he was younger, and that he was very aggressive, so the doctors told his mom that he would have to stop. I used to play sports when I was younger, too. And I was very aggressive when it came to sports. But that wasn't the reason of why I stopped playing sports. I can relate to Charlie a lot in this book.

I don't think that Charlie is going to play any sports in high school, but I think he'll find something else that he is really in to.