Quarter 4 Outside Reading #1

Sweethearts
By: Sara Zarr

For my quarter four outside reading assignment I am reading the book 'Sweethearts' by Sara Zarr. I am not too far into the book yet but so far I really like it. This book reminds me of the book 'Nectar in a Sieve' because of the way they both go back and forth in time and the main character things about things in the past a lot and as they are thinking you learn new things about them that you didn't know before. One flash-back in this book is when Jenna, the main character, is remembering her seventh birthday, "I turn to see him, Cameron's dad. He is tall, a lot taller than my mom and most of the teachers at school, and has Cameron's big eyes." This quote is significant to the book because it lets you know why it is that she hates her birthday and dreads it every year. This quote also desribes Cameron's father and lets you know more about Jenna and her past experiences. This book also reminds of me of the Private series by Kate Brian because of the way that both books are written in the point of view of the main character. I like books that let you see inside the main characters head because it really makes you feelw aht they are feeling and lets you know everything that is going on in their lifes at that time. I think this book is really interesting so far and I am looking forward to reading more and finding out what happens next.

Quarter 4 Outside Reading Book

For my quarter 4 outside reading book I choose to read the book Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. I choose this book because a few of my friends have read it and really liked it so when they told me I should read it so I decided I would. I have read a few pages of this book already and so far I really like it and it makes you want to keep reading and reading and never put it down. I am glad my friends recommened this book to me and I am looking forward to reading more.

outside reading 9

Bollywood Confidential
By: Suketu Mehta

For this blog I found an article about Bollywood written by Suketu Mehta that was posted on someones blog. This article is and Indians point of view on Bollywood movies. Mehta says, "Why do I love Bollywood movies? To an Indian, that's like asking why we love our mothers; we don't have a choice. We were born of them." I think that is how most people feel, even in America, we love american movies because that is what we are born into and that is what we are used to and what we have grown to like. I thought this article was very interesting because I found out that a true Bollywood film has between 5 and 14 songs, no blockbuster special effects, just real people singing and dancing and showing respect for their mothers. At the end of this article that author closes by saying, " My shoes are Japanese. My pants English. On my head a red Russian cap. Still my heart is Indian."

Mehta, Suketu. "Bollywood Confidential." New York Times. 14th November, 2004. 1 March, 2009.
http://nirvana73.blogspot.com/2009/03/bollywood-confidential-article-by.html

outside reading 7

Bittersweet Sixteen
By: Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman

For this outside reading assignment I read the book 'Bittersweet Sixteen' by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman. This book is about 2 best friends named Laura and Whitney who's lives are changed when a new girl named Sophie comes to their school. Whitney has always been the most popular girl at Tate Academy and everyone knows she is going to have the best sweet sixteen birthday party, until the new girl Sophie comes to their school from L.A. and changes everything. The characters in this book deal with the change by trying to get used to it and making the best of it. Laura and Whitney start by trying to become friends with Sophie and soon Whitney and Sophie have decided to have a combined birthday party and everything seems okay again. Then another change happens and the two girls get into a huge argument and make their parties seperate again. This event changes the entire school; suddenly people have to choose between the girls and Laura, who has become best friends with both, trys to stay in the middle until the two decide she needs to pick side. When Laura can not pick a side the whole school turns on her and she is forced to deal with this change. I think this book shows that the best way to deal with change is to let it happen and go along with it because if you don't things will get out of hand.

Karasoyv, Carrie. Kargman, Jill. "Bittersweet Sixteen." New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007. 22 February, 2009.

outside reading 6

Privilege
By: Kate Brian

For the outside reading about hope I choose to write about the book Privilege by Kate Brian. This book is a series of the the Private series by Kate Brian. In this book the main character Ariana Osgood is sent to the Brenda T. Trumbull Correctional Facility for Women because she murdered one of her classmates, Thomas Pearson. Ariana had a whole plan for her life and it did not include wasting her life in the Brenda T., so she plots to somehow escape and live the life she should have had. Everyday when Ariana is sitting in the Facility she is always hoping she will make it back out into the world some day and eventually she does. I think the book shows that no matter what you hope will happen, as long as you want it bad enough, can happen if you work hard for it. Even though it was a bad thing for most people that Ariana escaped, it was what she hoped for and because she never stopped working for it, it happened for her, and that is what I think Kate Brian is trying to tell the readers.

Brian, Kate. "Privilege." New York: Simon Pulse, 2008. 17 February, 2009.

outside reading 5

How China Got Religion
By: Slavoj Zizek

For this outside reading assignment I read the article called, 'How China Got Religion' by Slavoj Zizek. This article focuses on almost all of China's religions and talks about each one and how the government of China is a lot different then it was many years ago. A long time ago China was a country thats government was mainly focused on religion but now it has a seperate government and economy. I think this article was good but it was also very long and had too many facts that I do not think were necessary to put into the article. Another thing that this article talks about is how some people like Falun Gong want their religion to be seperate from the state control. Over all I thought this article was very interesting and I'm glad I had the chance to read about this because I didn't really know anything about it before.

Zizek, Slavoj. "How China Got Religion." New York Times. 11 October, 2007. 15 February, 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/opinion/11zizek.html

outside reading 4

Female cops test traditional gender roles in Afghanistan
By: Mark Sappenfield

For this outside reading assignment I read the article 'Female cops test traditional gender roles in Afghanistan'. This article was about female Afghans searching for equality in their country. The Afghanistan police department is an occupation dominated by men and as women try to make it into it they are faced with a frustrating lack of opportunity. There are some 80,000 men working in this department and no more then a few hundred women. In most countries the gender role in the job area has been fixed long ago but in places like Afghanistan they are still having difficulties with the change. I do not think this article was very well written because it offered little information was filled with useless facts that made the article very long.

Sappenfield, Mark. "Female cops test traditional gender roles in Afganistan". The Christian Science Monitor. 7 January, 2009. 6 February, 2009.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0107/p01s03-wosc.html

outside reading 3

Paradise Lost
By: Kate Brian

For this outside reading assignment I finished the book Paradise Lost by Kate Brain. This book is a great example of a culture different from mine because the girls in this book go to an exclusive boarding school names Easton Academy. The girls in this book have all the money in the world and never have to worry about how much things cost. In our culture we have to worry about saving money for things like college, clothes, and for some even food. In some ways I also think the people in this book are somewhat like the people at my school because everyone cares about what the wear, what they look like, and what others think of them but the real difference is that in this book the girls have all the money they want to make sure they have all the newest and coolest things.

Brian, Kate. "Paradise Lost." New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. 8 February, 2009.

outside reading 2

Paradise Lost
By: Kate Brian

For my outside reading this week I read a new book called Paradise Lost by Kate Brain. This book is the 9th book in the series of the Private novels. In this book Reed Brennan is on vacation trying to forget everything that had happened to her over the past year. Reed finally starts having a good time until everything she got away from comes back to her and she is faced with the feeling that she is being watched. Everyone tells Reed she is just being paranoid and only thinks that because that is what happened to her last year so Reed tells herself that they are right and shes just being crazy. A few days later Reed has the same feeling and again she pushes it aside. I think this book is a perfect example of someone overcoming struggle because no one has been through as much in one year as Reed Brennan has, and managed to overcome it all. I think in other texts, the characters are faced with predictable challenges and it is obvious that they are going to overcome it but this book shows someone really struggling just to make it through one day at a time.

Brian, Kate. "Paradise Lost." New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. 5 February, 2009.

outside reading 1

Hurricane Relief for Haiti & Cuba
By: The Global Exchange

Over the month of November, Cuba and Haiti have been hit with many devastating hurricanes. In Haiti over 1,000 died and about one million are homeless due to flooding. In Cuba, 30,000 homes have been destroyed and the land is ruined. I thought this article was very well written because it starts by stating the facts about how the hurricanes and tropical storms have devastated people and their homes and also tells information about the storms. This article is not very long and does not waste time with useless information. Compared to other natural disasters, this one is probably up there on the list of ones that has affected people the most. In the article it lists some things that you can do to help them with the problems they are facing and it also tells you what other countries are doing to help.


No author. "Hurricane Relief for Haiti & Cuba" The Global Exchange. 10 November 2008. 1 February, 2009.
http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/hurricanerelief.html

Reading Minute (outside reading)

Scratch Beginnings
By Adam Shepard

For my reading minute i decided to read a book that i just started reading. This book is called Scratch Beginnings and is written by Adam Shepard. This book is about Adam search to find the "American Dream" still alive today. Adam thinks that the American Dream is starting at the bottom and working your way up to the top to achieve success. Adam started a new life with 25 dollars, a duffel bag, the clothes on his back, and nothing more. His goal was to make 2,500 dollars, have a working car, and a furnished apartment in one year. I am not to far in this book yet but I really like it so far and i think it has a good message to read to the class.

Outside Reading 8

Eclipse
By Stephenie Meyer

I started reading the book Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer and I'm already on page 267. I like this book so much I read it every night for about 3 hours, sometimes 4 hours. This book is the third book of the Twilight series and so far it is my favorite of the 3 I have read. So far in this book Bella is trying to manage dating Edward while still remaining friends with Jacob, but it is hard because Edward is a vampire and Jacob is a werewolf and those to creatures are swore enemies. At first Jacob would not talk to Bella because she had choosen Edward over him but then he realized that he could deal with just being friends for a while, and Edward finally agreed that it was not dangerous for Bella to be around Jacob so he let her go to visit him. If I was not doing this right now then I would be reading.

Outside Reading 7

New Moon
By Stephenie Meyer

I finally finished reading the book New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I really like the way the book ended because everything was put back together and all the worries and bad things that happened were fixed, but at the same time it leaves you with so many unanswered questions and cliff hangers. This book was amazing and I am so excited to see how they turn it into a movie, even though I know that won't be for a long time. In the last 300 pages or so a lot happened. First Jacob was started to act really weird, then when he wouldnt even return Bella's phone calls she finally decided to go to visit him even if he didnt want her there. Jacob could not explain to her what was going on because he was not allowed to tell anyone so he told Bella to figure it out on her own. When Bella did figure it out she rushed over to see Jacob and found that she was right. Jacob had become a werewolf. In the very end Edward returns home after a huge adventure that I think anyone would enjoy reading.

Outside Reading 6

New Moon
By Stephenie Meyer

I am reading the book New Moon by Stephenie Meyer and I am now on page 201. All of my friends that have read this books have told me that New Moon is the worst in the series but I don't think so, so far. I really like it even thought Edward is gone and Bella is sad I think it is still exciting and entertaining. Bella has just become really great friends with a boy named Jacob that she has known since she was little, and although she knows that Jacob likes her, Bella just thinks of him as her brother and sometimes wishes he was. Edward had made Bella promise not to do anything reckless or stupid while he was gone but Bella found that when she did she could her his voice in her head and she wanted more of that. I hear the voice again Bella bought two motorcyles and asked Jacob to fix them up for her. Then the two of them rode the motorcyles and soon enough Bella could her Edwards voice like he was right there with her. I'm excited to see what she will do next.

Outside Reading 5

New Moon
By Stephenie Meyer

I just started reading the book New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. This book is the second book in the Twilight series. New Moon is 563 pages long and I have never read a book that long before. The part i just finished reading was really sad and it made me cry. I have never cried from a book before but these books just make you feel like your inside of them. In the part that I've read so far the main character Bella is perfectly happy with her life and wants Edward in it always and forever, but then suddenly Edward tells her he has to leave and him and his family take of and Bella is never going to see them again. Edward was the only one to actually say goodbye to Bella because he thought that with the rest of his family a 'clean break' would be best. I can not wait to find out what happens next.

Outside Reading 4

Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer

I finally finished reading the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I think I read this book faster then I've ever read a book in my life. I read about 300 pages in one day because I wanted to finish it before I saw the movie. I love this book and I am so glad I read it. I can not wait until I go buy the second book so I can start reading it. I think this book has something that anyone and everyone would enjoy. Twilight has adventure, romance, supense, mystery, fantansy, and much much more. Because of that I would recommend this book to everyone. Even my mom started reading Twilight.

Outside Reading 3

Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer

I read a lot more of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. This book is 498 pages long. I usually don't like to read that long of books but this book is different because it is so good. I am trying to finish this book before the movie comes out on friday but I am a slow reader so I dont know if I will be able to. In the part that I recently read Bella finally becomes closer with Edward. They are basically the two main characters. Bella knows that Edward is hidding something but she can't figure out what it is until she meets a boy named Jacob. Jacob tells Bella that people in his family believe Edwards family, the Cullens, are vampires. Bella does not want to think abot this though because if she does she will get lost in her thoughts and won't be able to think about anything else. I really, really like this book so far and I can't wait to read more. If I wasn't doing this right now I would be reading it.

Outside Reading 2

Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer

I just started reading the book Twilight again by Stephenie Meyer. I stopped reading this book a while ago because I had a nother book that came out that I wanted to read but now I have time to read it and so far i really like it. I think the theme in this book is that their are two sides to every story. I think that this is the theme because one character named Jacob thinks that he is the good guy but another character named Edward is the bad one but Edward thinks the opposite. I think that anyone would like this book no matter what kind of books you like because it has a little bit of everything. This book has mystery, romance, fantasy, and much much more. I would recommend this book to people because it has something for everyone and it makes you want to keep reading and reading and never put the book down.

Outside Reading 1

Two-Way Street
By: Lauren Barnholdt

I am almost done with the book Twp-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt. In the part I just read the two main characters had finally arrived at their college and their road trip had ended. Courtney had just found out that Jordan had kept a huge secret from her for the past 6 months and now Jordan is worried he will never see Courtney again now that they are at college and shes mad at him. I think the theme of these chapters is that you should tell people things right away and not hide it because it can make things much worse. I really like this book because it is exciting and you never know what is going to happen next. I only have about 20 pages left in this book and I think the two characters are going to get back together but I don't know how the author can make that happen in just 20 pages, but I hope she does. I would recommend this book to a lot of people because I really like it.

Outside Reading 10

Two-Way Street
By: Lauren Barnholdt

I read a lot more of the book Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnhodlt. I like this book a lot but sometimes it is confusing. This book is confusing because it is told in two different point of views and because it goes back and forth in time. This book is excited but frustrating because right when something exciting is happening in the past the chapter will end and the next chapter will be of the future again. I think the theme of this book is that you never know if you truely want something until you have it. I think this because one of the main characters Courtney always wanted to be with her best friend Lloyd, but when is finally is she realizes that it isnt what she thought it would be. Although this book is confusing sometimes and frustrating I still really like it and would recomend it for people to read.