Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

       Towards the end of the book Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, the main character, thirteen year old Steven Alper, comes to realize how much he cares about his brother Jeffrey, five.
       In the beginning of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, Steven writes a long account of his hatred for Jeffrey in class. He talks about how annoying he is, and how all the grown ups including his parents cared about Jeffrey more.
       When Steven finds out Jeffrey has leukemia, he suddenly realizes he could lose Jeffrey at any moment, and he begins to worry about him. This is a sudden change from wishing he was an only child, and it shows the beginning of his change of feelings. Steven keeps thinking his cancer is his own fault, and that he should do something about it.
       Towards the end, Steven begins to make huge personal sacrifices for Jeffrey. He sees that he is not just an annoying older brother to Jeffrey, but that he can guide him through his sudden tragedy. Steven saves Jeffrey from getting sick by not letting his crush, Renee Albert, inside his house, skipping out on his Band Concert to go with Jeffrey to the hospital, and almost stopping his drum lessons, the most important thing in his life.
       In conclusion, Steven realizes how important Jeffrey is to his life, when he sees how easily he could lose him. This proves the saying "you don't know the worth of the water 'til the well is dry." All people should appreciate the worth of their family members, friends and others while they can.

Memoir

      I opened the door. The cold air struck me- I could feel it passing through me in the strangest way. The dark, cold sound of nighttime, the quiet drone of city lights and slowly passing cars were suddenly all around me. I could smell the rain, the streetlight flooded sidewalks, daunting and unfamiliar. Ana stepped into the doorway, tears streaming and mascara running down her face. "Hi," I said, and brought her inside.

      My house was quickly comforting again, the late night discussion of politics from my dad, the soft spices and hot soup boiling on the stove. We stepped down the hall and into my room. I could feel myself shaking uncontrollably, and I tried to stabilize myself. We sat down on my sister's bed like we had so many other times. But this time was different. My mind was racing like a flip book, with all the possibilities to why she had come over flashing by. I couldn't help but imagine the worst, and I knew I needed to help her but had no idea how to. That was probably the worst part. She smelled like strong perfume. It felt stupid, but I asked her what was wrong.

       Ana never makes any sense. Literally. It's like all the words are mixed up in her head like a kindergarten scribble and she can never say what she really wants to. She's an impulse person, always going with her gut feeling. Ana's unique in that way; since she never over thinks anything, she's the realest person I know. 

      She exploded with everything at once. Her depression. Her problems at school. Everything was happening so fast, and I had no control. She looked guilty for coming over so late with little notice, but I felt bad for worrying about my own dumb little problems. Ana had contemplating suicide. How did this happen? She wasn't one of those attention seekers either. Her life was far from perfect, and it terrified me. I thought stuff like this happened in books, or at least to people older. I kept thinking about what could've happened to her, what still could, because her life was escalating so quickly. But I had no idea. All I could do was sit there and listen. And for then, that was what she needed.

      She cried and told me how happy she was when I said she didn't have to go home, that she could stay at my house. I should be there for her more often, I realized. Maybe my friends needed me. Not just Ana.  Everyone else. Why had I been sitting back and waiting for something bad to happen? So I started paying more attention to how my friends were acting. Because everyone needs help. I just hadn't seen it yet.

Go Ask Alice

      After only the first few pages of "Go Ask Alice",  I could tell I was being sucked into something big.
      The book was published in the 70s, supposedly based on the true diary of a 15 year old girl's life at the time. Even though I've only read about the first few pages of "Go Ask Alice",  I can feel myself being dragged down into a depressing but intense and interesting look into the tragic life of a drug addicted 15-year old.
      The most exciting part about the book is that I feel like I'm there with her, and whenever I know something bad is going to happen, I'll get that terrible feeling inside like you're driving midway off a cliff and you can't do anything but watch. But nevertheless it's exciting and I'm glad I'm reading something slightly depressing because it's a life lesson, and reading it will I think, make me realize a lot about how easily things could go south in anyone's life.

Book Similarities

      So far in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, I am noticing a lot of similarities between the book and "The Mysterious Incident of The Dog in The Nighttime".
      For example, the main character in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", Charlie, is an outcast from everyone he knows. He is both categorized into certain boxes and shoved off to the side, much like Christopher in "The Mysterious Incident".
      Also in "The Perks Of Being a Wallflower", Charlie loses a dear friend, Michael. In "The Mysterious Incident",  Christopher loses his mother. The books follow how the characters react to their losses, and change and develop because of them. So far I love the book and I'm really excited to read more!

This I Believe Essay

          I believe that everyone makes mistakes, but you have to be optimistic. When you get to the point where you're sitting in your room, not wanting to think about your insane family, your friends who you think hate you, or how how you never seem to get a good grade even though you try so hard, you only have one option; knowing things will get better.

          A few weeks ago, I decided to take the subway to school without my sister's help for the first time. Yes. This legitimately was a big deal for me. Mostly because I've lived in the same neighborhood all my life and barely know what street I live on, much less how to get to school. It's a problem. Anyway, I walked to the subway (ran, actually- I had to see Mr. Goldstein and was terrified that I'd be late) and ran down the steps. I knew exactly what to do- get the F or the G until you reach 4th Avenue 9th Street. But after I got on, something was wrong. It had been like five stops already! I stood there in anxious anticipation for about five minutes until I finally tapped a woman on the shoulder and asked if this train went to where I was going. "4th Avenue… 9th Street?" she said. I nodded. "That's in Brooklyn, honey. We're in Manhattan." I looked at her. "Oh." And bounded out of the train, sobbing. 

          After getting out, crying hysterically, watching hundreds of New Yorkers pass me by with strange looks of pity, I called everyone I knew until finally my friend picked up and I was directed back to Brooklyn. My point is, I didn't stop there. I asked the tired lady at the information desk how to get back and (after receiving an appalled glance) got on the train headed to M.S. 51. I was tear streaked and feeling not only tired but stupid. How did I make such a dumb mistake? But I realized. Everyone had stories like this. Some were much worse! This was what made me unique. Maybe a little absent minded, too, but my mistake showed me that I was really a New York City girl now. I could ride around on trains anywhere I wanted (even if it was by mistake). But it wasn't a mistake really, it showed me there was a world outside of what I knew. This kind of thing didn't just happen in books. There was a lot more for me to experience, and I wanted to. After my dramatic revelation, my friends were all excited to see me. They seemed to think I had died or something. But it made me feel better, and I eventually did get to see Mr. Goldstein (who told me I was really dumb) and finish all my homework on time.

          In conclusion, everybody makes mistakes. Not everyone is who you think they are. Accidents are adventures. Mishaps become stories. To live is not to dwell over past errors, but to think about how they serve you in the future.

Character Relationship

      In the book "The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time" which i'm almost finished with,   the main character Christopher and his father have a distant relationship.
      One reason why I think this is because they never discuss their feelings or emotions about any topic. After Christopher's mother's death, although they are both obviously troubled by it, they can never seem to get rid of the looming sadness it caused. I think they would be able to move on better if they talked about memories of her; or some other shared feeling about her to help them realize they could move past her death but still remember her.
      They also don't tell each other what's going on in their life. Communication is key in most relationships, and Christopher and his dad never seem to tell each other where they've been or what they've been doing. When Christopher goes out looking for clues as to who killed the neighbor's dog, he keeps it from his father. When he finds out about a secret about his father from one of his neighbors, he doesn't tell him that he knows.
      I think if Christopher and his dad; or anyone, is having trouble in their relationship, they should talk about it, because then at least you won't have to play the guessing game at what each other's thinking.

"Revolt Of The Evil Fairies" by Ted Poston

      Ted Poston illustrates themes of justice and determination in his short story "The Revolt of The Evil Fairies", about a young boy at a colored school in the early 1900s.

      Determination was shown when the protagonist and narrator, a young boy, wishes to be Prince Charming in his school play but can't because he is too dark skinned. He realizes this, but still he says "I went out for the Prince Charming role with all my heart." This goes to show not just that the protagonist feels a strong determination to obtain the role, but that he thinks there is a possibility things will change for his community, and that he will open up new opportunities for others.

      Another way determination was shown was when the protagonist said "If I had declaimed boldly in previous contests, I was matchless now. If I had bothered mama with rehearsals at home before, I pestered her to death this time." At this point, the protagonist will stop at nothing to be Prince Charming, and it shows how angry discrimination made him, which led to his desperation.

      The theme of justice came about after the play ends after being cast once again as the Head Evil Fairy. He becomes angry at Leonardius, the boy playing Prince Charming, and punches him onstage. Post play, he says "They wouldn't let me appear in the Grand Dramatic Offering at all next year. But I didn't care. I couldn't have been Prince Charming anyway." I think this shows the protagonist feels that although he never got to be Prince Charming, he defied discrimination and did himself and his school justice.

      All in all, after reading "The Revolt of The Evil Fairies" I can conclude that Ted Poston wrote about themes of determination and justice in his story. I think this story, although fiction, makes you realize how hard it was for anyone who was discriminated against, and how depressing it must have been to grow up feeling like you don't belong in your own hometown. I think "The Revolt of The Evil Fairies" is a great mentor text for writers and readers wanting to learn about that issue.

The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime

            I'm currently reading "The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime" by Mark Haddon. So far, I find it really interesting and educational. The main character, Christopher, suffers from Asperger syndrome, which is shown throughout the book.  I find Christopher to be very complex.
            Christopher is to me a very complex character, because he struggles with social awkwardness from his Asperger syndrome; not understanding peer's emotions and having trouble communicating his own- and simultaneously trying to solve the mystery of the murdered dog across the street. I find Christopher to be misunderstood; he's smart in many ways but people surrounding him don't realize it because he lacks basic social skills. I can't imagine how hard it would be to deal with having people assume things about you all the time.
             "The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime" also presents the idea that many people are narrow minded when it comes to people like Christopher. Because he seems annoying at first people think that's all there is; but if you stopped to think you would realize he is just like any other child and he has his own talents as well.
              "The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime" by Mark Haddon is a really interesting book that you can learn a lot about writing from. The writing style is very different from many others, and it opened up a lot of ideas for me.
             

Character Analysis

    The book "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech is an emotional and heartfelt tale of a girl dealing with the loss of her mother.

      The main character, a young girl named Sal, narrates the story. Throughout the book, Sal is in a state of denial about her mother's death. Because she doesn't deal with her emotions, she spends little to no time with her father and regards him as untrustworthy. She doesn't live in reality most of the time, because she tries so hard to shut out the idea that her mother is really dead. Being unable to accept her mother's death makes it even more difficult for her to live her life.

       The book focuses on an issue a lot of kids must go through after losing a loved one and especially a parent. Changing the way they act or look because they're upset inside, and shutting people of because they can't find anywhere to place their blame. 

       "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech is definitely a must read for everyone and especially people who have lost an important person in their life; in the end Sal finds a way to accept her mother's death and it helps her move on in life, which is a good life lesson to anyone dealing with similar problems.

       

Complicated Character

          In the book "The Case of The Case of The Mistaken Identity," the main character Steve is very complicated because he is both clever and dumb at the same time.
           An example of how Steve is clever is when he was locked in a limousine, kidnapped by a strange man who accused him of something he didn't do, Steve successfully escaped by hopping out of the sunroof and waddling down the street tied by ropes, straight to the police department. He didn't let himself be taken anywhere and he kept thinking of ways to get out of different sticky situations. Steve then plans to solve the case of why he was kidnapped, showing determination.
         An example of how he can be dumb is that he is constantly running away from cops and agencies for something he didn't do, when he could just explain to them that he wasn't working for this organization's (the "Librarians") arch nemesis, Mr. E. If he had just proved that he was completely innocent, he could've gone back to his normal life. but instead, he runs away making himself more suspicious.
        In conclusion, I think Steve should tell the police, the Librarians, and also his family the truth and get himself out of this catastrophe. It would save him a lot of time, and he could finally get done the English report he has due Monday.

Character Relationship

In the book "The Case of The Case of Mistaken Identity" by Mac Barnett, the main character Steve and the man he was kidnapped by, Mackintosh, have a very important relationship.
Mackintosh is part of a top secret agent organization called "The Librarians." They think Steve is helping their arch nemesis, the mysterious Mr. E, steal their secrets and use them to gain power. To prevent damage to their organization, Mackintosh kidnaps Steve and tries to get him to tell more- only Steve has done none of this.
Their relationship is important because if Mackintosh doesn't believe that Steve is innocent, his life could change forever. He could be sent to jail! But if Mackintosh does believe him, Steve could help the Librarians catch Mr. E. Steve is an aspiring detective and a very smart boy; he thinks fast and knows a lit of facts- which could help lead them to Mr. E and save the world.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

          After reading "The Borrowers" by Mary Norton, I was left with a love for the book and a lot of thoughts about the world that the book had made me think about.

          In the story, Borrowers are little people- only a few inches tall- who live in regular human's houses and steal (or "borrow") small items from them to live off of. The Borrowers you meet in the story are Homily and Pod, wife and husband, and their fourteen year old daughter Arrietty. Their lives become a whirlwind of adventure when Arrietty gets antsy and is "seen", (seen by a human being) by a nine year old boy. The story brought up a lot of interesting things to think about- like in the beginning Arrietty thinks the whole world revolves around Borrowers and humans exist solely for Borrowers to take things from. It made me think about how you live your life thinking humans are the center of everything, but they're really not. Sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture. 

          Another thing it made me think about is how people take a lot of things for granted. For example,   a lot of people are dancing about their huge houses in huge clothes and complaining about how they don't have endless trivial items when there are Borrowers (metaphorically- I mean poorer or less fortunate people) who's biggest accomplishment in life is having a nice new rug in their home, or even having a home. People should be grateful (including me) for having what they have.

          All in all, The Borrowers was a beautifully written and thought provoking book that everyone should read.

Character Analysis

Ella Walsh                                                                                                                                            705

         In the book "Pay It Forward" by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the main character- a twelve year old boy named Trevor McKinney- is very optimistic.  His father left him a year prior when his mother, Arlene, found out he had been cheating on his first wife with her. But despite his neglectful father and recovering alcoholic mother, Trevor was a very bright and innovative boy. For example, when his teacher, Reuben St. Claire, gave the class an assignment to think of an idea on how to change the world, Trevor thought of "Pay It Forward." Completely born out of his own mind, Pay It Forward was a fantastic idea that could really make a difference. The idea was that someone does three people a big favor. Then those three people each do three other people big favors. For example, you could give someone a place to live, a job offering, money, or paint their house for free. Then hopefully many people would do it and the world would be a better place. Although Trevor's life had been wrecked in a variety of ways he was able to create an idea that could turn things around for himself and many other people, and it did. 
Trevor also has high hopes for people. Maybe it was that he was young or innocent or naive but he believed that people really would pay it forward, not just take the favor and move on. I think sometimes adults have seen too many failures in life that they're not capable of believing in innocent but possible ideas. In the book, Trevor's idea changed many people's lives and I think the point the author is trying to get across is no matter how crazy or not possible an idea may sound, it's worth trying and believing in. 

4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie

Over the summer I read the book "4:50 From Paddington" by Agatha Christie, who is one of my favorite writers. It thought it was an amazing book that I learned a lot about writing from. The book, like most by Agatha Christie, started off with a murder and then seemed to move slowly to the rest of the action, which is not really what I'm used to reading but it was an interesting way to write and all the things you learn in that part of the book become important later on. It was also hard to read because the language can be difficult to understand; there were a lot of words that I had to look up in order to get what was going on. But other than that I really loved it- the main idea of the story is that a woman is riding a train and for a moment another train runs parallel to hers and she witnesses a murder. The story follows as the process of trying to find out who was murdered, where the body was and who committed the crime. 
I learned a lot about writing from "4:50 From Paddington" because throughout the book Agatha Christie describes characters in a way that describes different kinds of people in the world- in this book there was a shady businessman, a lonely but happy old lady, two young energetic teens, and a greedy old man. Her details about the characters didn't just include looks and general personality but odd quirks and things that aren't usually described in books.