Copy the information below for your wiki as a workspace: The goal of this activity is to provide yourself with a space that is dynamic and helpful while you are on your quest to complete two different assignments at the same time. You must change and adjust your informtion as you change and adjust your research and your writing
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family Story: Goal...to tell stories from a loved one (3 biographies /1 autobiography)
Story #1 (Biography)- This is about the time my dad walked a mile underground in the sewer with his brother and their friend. I am waiting to get this back so I can see what needs revised. (written)
Story # 2 (Biography)- I chose to use this one for my comic. It is made up of 12 cells and it is about the time my uncle fell aslepp at the whell while driving my dad and thier sister-in-law. (complete)
Story # 3 (Biography)- I am using this one as my script. It is about when my dad lit his friend on fire as a prank and his friend ran out in front of a car. The car went off the road. (in progress)
Story # 4 (Autobiography)- This is about the time when my dad had a stroke and how scared I was when it happened. I am waiting to get it back so I can revise it. (written)
Research: Goal is to research and present information that supports a thesis statement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Works Cited
Chong, Rebecca, and Erin Abrams. "UK Report: Sexual Orientation Discrimination at
Work." The Glass Hammer. 14 Feb. 2008. 24 March 2009.
<http://theglasshammer.com/news/2008/02/14/
uk-report-sexual-orientation-discrimination-at-work>.
Citizens Advice Bureau. "Civil Rights-In England." Advice Guide. 24 March 2009.
<http://adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/civil_rights/
disability_discrimination.htm.>
Dye, Lee. "Study: 'Weight-ism' More Widespread Than Racism." ABC News. 2 April
2008. 24 March 2009. <http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/BeautySecrets/
Story?id=4568813&page=1>.
Freeman, Jo. "The Women's Liberation Movement: Its Origins, Structures, and Ideas."
1971. 24 March 2009. <http://www.jofreeman.com/feminism/liberationmov.htm>.
National Organization for Women. "Come Out Against Homophobia! Did You Know."
National Organization for Women Online. 24 March 2009. <http://www.now.org/
issues/lgbi/stats.html>.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Racism Research Paper Outline
I. INTRODUCTION- (Discrimination today is based on a number of things other than just race, such as gender, sexual orientation, weight, and disabilities)
II. BODY- Discrimination based on gender
a. Women's Liberation Movement
b. How women are discriminated against (stereotype)
III. BODY- Discrimination based on sexual orientation
a. Statistics about homosexuals
b. Discrimination in the workplace
IV. BODY- Discrimination based on weight
a. Quote about how people view others that are overweight
b. How people feel that are being discriminated against because of their weight
V. BODY- Discrimination based on disabilities
a. What is a disability?
b. Laws against discrimination of disability (work, education, buying property)
VI. BODY- Racism in Maus
a. The way the Jews were treated
b. Hitler and Aryan race (true Germans)
VII. CONCLUSION- Use of [HOT TRIC] RIC
a. Restate- revisit/reword thesis
b. Illustrate- Connect racism to Maus
c. Conclusion- Witty comment about world without racism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Thesis Statement: Discrimination today is based on a number of things other than just race, such as gender, sexual orientation, and weight.
Specific Research found:
*Article from a Kent State Newsletter: http://www.k-state.edu/media/WEB/News/NewsReleases/racism33105.html
*Report of Israel's Racism Against Arabs: http://www.imemc.org/article/51925
*Book Entitled "The Laramie Project" (gay racism)
*Poem Entitled "Don't Judge Me" (sexism)
*Racism Quotes: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/racism/
*Good racism site: http://www.racismtoday.net/
***Discrimination Based on Gender: http://www.jofreeman.com/feminism/liberationmov.htm
***Disability Discrimination: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/civil_rights/disability_discrimination.htm
***Sexual Orientation Discrimination Stats: http://www.now.org/issues/lgbi/stats.html
***Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation:
***Discrimination Based on Weight: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/BeautySecrets/Story?id=4568813&page=1
*** = using for sources
Questions: What are some things people are discrimated for? What have people done in the past to fight discrimination? Are there any laws prohibiting discrimination? How does this topic relate to Maus?
Problems: My thesis was slightly off because I was focusing on discrimination and not racism, but I changed it so it works.
Body Paragraph Topics:
1) Discrimination based on gender
2) Discrimination based on sexual orientation
3) Discrimination based on weight
4) Discrimination based on disabilities
5) Racism within Maus
Assignment 11: "Exploring Your Maus Theme Within Society" March 03. 2009
Topic: Racism
Key Questions:
What groups of people are commonly discriminated against today? Is racism limited to ethnicity, or are others discriminated against as well for their religion, beliefs, etc.? How do the people feel that are being discriminated against? Has racism really improved over the years, or has it just been geared to other sorts of people?
Possible Resources To Research:
*Article from a Kent State Newsletter: http://www.k-state.edu/media/WEB/News/NewsReleases/racism33105.html
*Report of Israel's Racism Against Arabs: http://www.imemc.org/article/51925
*Song Entitled "Does It Really Matter?": http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/arts/race_songs.htmldfesw
*Book Entitled "The Laramie Project" (gay racism)
*Poem Entitled "Don't Judge Me" (sexism)
*Racism Quotes: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/racism/
*Good racism site: http://www.racismtoday.net/
Assignment 10: "Gender Glogster" Feb. 24 2009
-->My thesis is in the middle at the top because it is the focal point of this essay.
-->The right side of the Glog uses words and pictures to describe the characteristics of the guys in the play.
-->The left side is the opposite of the right. It shows characteristics of the girls from the play.
-->The left side and the right side are tilted different ways to show the gender differences, but are tilted towards one another because even though men and women are different, they are drawn to each other.
-->If you listen to the lyrics of the song, it is a man telling a girl she can come to him when she cries and he will hold her. This supported my point that women are often sensitive, and men are protective of them.
-->I chose the background and graphics that reminded me of the woods because this is the setting where the gender differences were most noticable. This is where Hermia became defensive and jealous of Helena, who stole her love. Helena shows her sensitive side because she thinks the men are teasing her. On the other side, the men are becoming very competitive for the love of Helena.
-->The quotes at the bottom of my Glog show the different points of view of the males and females as well as support my characteristics.
-->The piece of paper in the right hand corner at the top of my page says "Stereotypes- Existing Then And Now" because the gender difference still exist today, although some people have broken away from this mold.
-->My entire Glog uses darker colors because the characteristics I used are more darker characteristics, and not necessarily good ones.
-->The links I used mainly dicuss gender differences as well. The links are on the GUYS and the GIRLS banners.
Pictures I Used
MSND book cover --> http://www.fullspectrumottawa.com/images/mid_summer.jpg
Protective Man & Mean Girl --> http://www.proofsheet.com/public_theater/dream/image/0743.jpg
Competition--> http://www.coolbusinessideas.com/images/beat-competition.jpg
Ballerina--> http://knp0728.glogster.com/glog-6904-3059/http://knp0728.glogster.com/glog-6904-3059/
MSND lovers--> http://www.classicmoviefavorites.com/dehavilland/midsummer042.jpg
crying girl--> http://www.classicmoviefavorites.com/dehavilland/midsummer042.jpg
Webite Links
gender differences--> http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/gender.html
gender stereotypes--> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_2003_June/ai_103381808
Link to Glog
http://knp0728.glogster.com/glog-6904-3059/
Assignment 9: "Project - Gender Thesis" Feb. 19 2009
Gender Thesis --> Males and females have very distinct behaviors, and therefore approach situations differently.
TO DO / NEED LIST
-find more pictures that clearly define male / female behaviors
-think of song possibilities that will fit my thesis
-find graphics that show characteristics of males and females
-begin to work more on my Glogster
-put song in MP3 form and place on Glogster
-put my thesis on my Glogster
-find appropriate hyperlinks
Assignment 8: "MSND Love Essay" Feb. 05 2009
Love is a deep emotion that creates a special bond between two people. However, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, there was a confusing love connection between several people that became more and more tangled throughout the book. The "love" the characters had for each other changed several times and had them doing some foolish things. In this novel, the hidden message that Shakespeare had embedded is that love and infatuation can bring out the best and the worst in people, causing them to do things the wouldn’t normally do.
This novel proves the fact that peoples’ feelings change in an instant. People fall in and out of love so fast, it’s like they were never in love to begin with. Demetrius hated Helena the entire time, but by the end he suddenly loved her. It’s not like she did anything different, so why did he change his mind and stop loving Hermia? Demetrius said towards the end of the novel, “But, my good lord, I wot not by what power, - but by some power it is,- my love to Hermia, melted as the snow, seems to me now as the remembrance of an idle gaud, which in my childhood I did dote upon.” It is odd how Demetrius's feelings towards Hermia changed so fast, and he suddenly loved Helena. The same thing happened with Titania when the love spell was reversed and she did not love Bottom anymore. “O, how mine eyes do loathe his visage now,” she stated. It’s sad how true love seems to fade so quickly, making one wonder if it was even love at all.
Love is something that just happens over time, and it’s something that can not be forced or meddled with. No matter how hard you try, you can’t make someone fall in love with you. Helena found this out the hard way. She kept pursuing Demetrius even after he told her, “Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair? Or rather, do I not in plainest truth tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?” This should have been a huge hint to Helena to move on, but still she didn’t give up. At the end, Demetrius finally said that the only person he wanted was Helena. If I were in her shoes, I would reject Demetrius like he rejected her for all those years. I wouldn’t waste my time on someone that once said they would not and could not love me.
This novel made it easy to see that love can make people do strange things. It’s no wonder that Puck said mortals are foolish, because we can be. When people are infatuated with each other, it is not always a good thing. The obsession can bring about a lot of heartache in the end if one person rejects the other. Helena did and said some pathetic things to try to win the love of Demetrius. I was absolutely shocked when she said, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will frown on you: use me as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, unworthy as I am to follow you. What worser place can I beg your love, - and yet a place of high respect with me,- than to be used as your dog?” I can’t believe anyone would risk their health and happiness like this just to please someone who didn’t even care about them. That really is just plain foolish, and Helena was acting pathetic and obsessive over someone who wasn’t worth it.
Love is a powerful thing that can change the way people act in good ways and bad. Love can make people appear foolish, and can disappear in an instant. This just goes to show that love can bring out the best and the worst in people, resulting in them doing things maybe they wouldn’t normally do. So the next time you think you are in love, step back and take a good look at yourself and the situation. Are you proud of your actions, or could you be labeled as a fool?
Assignment 7: "Act 4 Scene 2 Bubble Art" Feb. 03 2009
Assignment 6: "Foolish Boys" Jan. 27 2009
I think Puck was correct in saying that Demetrius and Lysander are foolish. Their actions clearly show this. They are arguing over a woman that neither of them wanted the day before. They basically won't shut up, and keep arguing, trying to prove themselves to Helena. In fact, Demetrius used to hate Helena and now he is in love with her, and Lysander loves Helena because Puck put the Cupid juice in his eyes. They are acting like two-year-olds, calling each other liars and trying to prove their love to Helena. They even challenge each other to a duel to decide who will win Helena in the end. Meanwhile, pathetic Helena has such a low self-esteem that she thinks this entire thing is a big trick, like they would go to all that trouble to trick her! Poor Hermia is just confused by their behavior because she doesn't have a clue what is going on, or why Lysander suddenly hates her. I would be very hurt is I was her. These men are acting foolish over a girl, so it is easy to see why Puck would call mortals foolish. This entire "love square" is just plain confusing!
Assignment 5: "Dear Abby Style Letters" Jan. 22 2009
DEAR ABBY: My name is Helena and I am in a bit of a jam. You see, there's this guy that I like a lot. His name is Demetrius, and he absolutely has no regard for my feelings what-so-ever. The more I tell him I love him, the more he pushes me away. I don't know what to do to make him love me. He does not want me to pursue him, but I have no choice. I must have him. The more he insults me, the more it makes me want him. He says that he is sick when he looks upon me, and I am sick when I look not on him. To make matters worse, he is in love with a beautiful, perfect woman named Hermia. I despise her. Oh, why can't I be more like her? He loves everything about her, and nothing about me. She does not love him back, but she loves another man. This is making Demtrius persue her, and taking his focus off of me. What can I do? Please help me!
-DESPERATE IN ATHENS
DEAR DESPERATE: Now, I know you are not going to want to hear what I have to say, but listen closely. You need to work on getting over this man! He does not love you, that is clear to see, but you are not at fault. You can not make someone love you, nor should you try. Love is a natural thing, and can not be meddled with. It is his decision who he wants to be with, and you should respect that no matter what his decision may be. Why do you want to be like Hermia? You are wonderful just how you are. Trust me. And if Demetrius was as wonderful as you think he is, he would see that too. Instead, you need to take your focus off of him (since his focus is on Hermia) and spend time doing things you truly enjoy. The right person will come along some day, and you don't want to be too busy following Demetrius to notice him. You need a man who will love you as much as you love him, and not cause you pain like Demetrius is now. You need someone who will respect you and care about your feelings. You will find true love some day...some day when you least expect it. But for right now, forget Demetrius and work on making yourself happy, because the only person that can make you happy is you. You don't need anyone else, especially someone as inconsiderate as him.
Assignment 4: "Reaction to Video Clip" Jan. 21 2009
Being able to see the clip from a Midsummer Night's Dream really helped me to understand what is going on the story, because it is sometimes hard to follow. I think the set design and the costumes are a great touch to the play. The way they dress helps me to understand how they dressed during that time period. Also, I pictured the town they lived in to be more up-scale than it was in the clip, which was a shock. I didn't think that the scene with Quince and Bottom was outdoors, but I learned this from the clip. I pictured them discussing the play in private, but it was quite the opposite. In fact, there was an entire crowd watching them!
The personality of Bottom was completely different than I expected. It is sometimes hard to distinguish personalities by just reading, so seeing the clip helped. I pictured him more quiet and sarcastic, but in reality he is loud and obnoxious. However, he is selfish just like I pictured him. He wants every part in the play except for the one he got. He would even rather play the part of a lady than the part of a lover! I think he should be thankful that he even got a part in the play, by the way he is acting. Also, Thesus is a more gentle character than I thought. When he was telling Hermia the consequences of her decision in the book, he seemed more harsh. But in the play he seemed like he almost felt bad for her, by the tone of his voice. Seeing the play definitely helped me understand the book more. It developed the setting and character personalities so now I can picture the people in my head when I am reading. I would like to continue watching through the part with the fairies, because the way they talk is confusing to me. I think seeing the play would help me to understand because I am more of a visual learner.
Assignment 3: "Character I Connect With From MSND" Jan. 20 2009
Assignment 2: Journal Entry #2 Jan. 9 2009
The characters in Act I Scene II are funny because none of them seem to be happy with the parts in their play. Bottom is funny unintentionally because he is sarcastic. He basically tells Quince to shut up and get to the point. Also, he gets the part of Pyramus in the play and is upset that he is a lover, and not a fighter. In fact, Bottom appears to want every part in the play. This makes me believe that he is somwhat arrogant. Flute gets the part of a lady, and he is of course unhappy about this. I can't blame him. What man would want to play the part of a lady? It is almost comical to think about this. Snug gets the part of the lion, but he wants it early because he is slow at memorizing, even though his part is just roaring. It is funny that these grown men are all bickering over the parts they got in a silly little play.
Assignment 1: Journal Entry #1 Jan. 7 2009
In my opinion, Egeus and Hermia have a terrible realtionship. Although this is not specifically stated, it is definitely implied throughout the first scene. For example, what kind of father would forbid his daughter from marrying the man she truly loved? Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, even though he is not a nice person. He already had relations with another woman named Helena, even though he does not have feelings for her. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father does not approve. This father and daughter are not on the same page, and neither wants to give in. In fact, Egeus even had the guts to say, "As she is mine, I may dispose of her: Which shall be either to this gentlemen or to her death, according to our law." What kind of father would say this? They obviously do not have a good relationship and do not get along. I can't believe he thinks his daughter should die if she doesn't comply with his wishes.
In order to marry Lysander, Hermia agrees to elope with him and get married at his aunt's house in the woods. If Hermia had a better relationship with her father, I don't think she would agree to run away. If she loved him, she wouldn't want to run away because she would miss him. I think the person at fault here is Egeus. He is being completely unreasonable. If Lysander treats Hermia better than Demetrius does, and she loves him back, her father should be happy about that...not try to make her life miserable, let alone end it completely. I agree with this statement made by Hermia, "O hell! to choose love by another's eyes!" It is not fair for her inconsiderate father to force her into a marriage that will surely make her unhappy.
....................................................................................................................................................................
Independent Novel 4: The Other Boy by Hailey Abbott
Indie Reading #37 p. 24-43 05-12-09 Tues.
This chapter started to get interesting because Maddie met the boy who she is going to be working with for the entire summer, and she thinks he is really cute. She has to tell herself to stop thinking that because she is not available. She has a boyfriend, Brian, back home. It isn't wrong for her to think he is cute, as long as she doesn't start flirting with him and liking him, because then that could be considered cheating on Brian. However, I think this is exactly what is going to happen, because this boy seems like a pretty nice guy. He jokes around with Maddie and seems friendly, so it is understandable why she would start liking him. I am just not sure what is going to happen with her and Brian if she does. If he finds out, I think he will be mad at Maddie. Since Maddie is on the vineyard in the middle of nowhere, she may become desperate and go for this new boy.
Indie Reading #36 p. 11-23 05-11-09 Mon.
The main conflict in this story is that now that Maddie's parents found out that she had a party without their permission, they are making her go all the way to Napa with them and she is going to be away from her boyfriend and her friends. If I were her, I would probably not be happy at all with my parents because that is really unreasonable for them to make her leave for the whole summer. They should just make her leave for a few weeks instead of three months, because it will probably end up ruining the relationship between her and her boyfriend, which really isn't fair to her. They should punish her, but not that severely. It seems like a pretty harsh punishment for her. She just needs to sincerely apologize to her parents and hope they will forgive her. They seem pretty dead-set on their decision though, so I don't really think they would change their minds anyway.
Indie Reading #35 p. 1-10 05-05-09 Tues.
The first chapter started out pretty exciting. It wasn't boring like the exposition of other novels that I have read before. That is one reason why I really like this author. The main character is Maddie Sinclaire and she is having a house party because her parents have gone to Napa. She has the house to herself for the entire summer. The party is getting pretty out of hand, and there is a lot of drinking. Some people are even passed out. All of the sudden, Maddie is dancing and she hears someone calling her name. She then sees her dad pushing through the crowd with an angry look on his face. If I were her, I wouldn't have had the party in the first place. It is just too risky, and now she probably lost all of her parent's trust. This will probably ruin all of her summer plans because her parents probably won't let her do anything anymore, which is understandable. I will have to see what happens later on.
Independent Novel 3: What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Indie Reading #34 p. 241-259 05-04-09 Mon.
Sophie is feeling really bad because she is afraid to go back to school after winter break. She is afraid what the other students will say and do when they find out that she is dating Murphy. She is sitting in her bedroom when her mom comes in and instantly knows that something is wrong. She can just tell by Sophie's face. I think it is cool how moms can do that. Then Sophie tells her mom the whole story and her mom doesn't say much, but Sophie is glad to know that she is listening. This reminds me of what happened to me the other day. Something was bothering me but I didn't tell anyone. As soon as my mom saw me she asked me what was wrong. I didn't want to tell her, but I ended up telling her the whole thing. Surprisingly, it made me feel better just because I knew she was listening. I can relate to Sophie really well in this scene, because sometimes you just need to tell your problems to someone in order to feel better. Sophie's mom also tells her that she can see why Sophie likes Murphy, which gives Sophie the confidence to sit with him at lunch the next day. I am glad the ending turned out well. This was a great book.
Indie Reading #33 p. 216-240 04-28-09 Tues.
Sophie begins dating Murphy and she really likes him now. His personality changed her mind about him and now it's like she really knows him, while everyone else just makes fun of him because he looks funny. The only problem is, Sophie is afraid to tell her best friends, Rachel and Grace, that she is dating Murphy. She just e-mails them when they are on vacation and tells them that she is dating a kid named Robin, which is Murphy's real name...that way they don't realize who she is talking about. They are happy for her now, but she is afraid of what they will say when they find out who Robin really is. I think she should just tell them, though. If they are really her best friends, they will support her no matter what and try to get to know Murphy. Sophie shouldn't have to worry what they will think, she should just tell them because she cares about Murphy so much. Sophie shouldn't be embarrassed of him, and if she is, she shouldn't be dating him.
Indie Reading #32 p. 196-215 04-27-09 Mon.
Sophie decides to take a vacation in her hometown one day because everyone else in away on vacation during winter break. Since she lives in Boston, there is so much to do. She visits museums and goes out for coffee, and even visits the neighborhood aquarium. I think Sophie is so lucky that she lives in a town that has so much to do. I wish that our town had fun things to do in it, because most of the time I sit around bored with nothing to do. The only places to go are fast food places and the park, and that can get old after a few times. I admire Sophie for being so creative and independent, because I probably wouldn't have enough nerve to wander around my town alone all day, and I probably wouldn't even be allowed...especially in a big city like Boston! I would want to bring someone along with me, which would be fun too. I admire Sophie for being so creative and finding a good way to use her free time while everyone was away. Instead of pouting, she turned nothing into something.
Indie Reading #31 p. 166-195 04-21-09 Tues.
There is a boy in Sophie's class named Murphy, and everyone makes fun of him because he is quite "homely" looking, to say the least. One day, Murphy shows up beside Sophie at an art museum, and they find out that they both have the same favorite painting. They have a lot of other things in common too, like they both love to draw. Without thinking about what she was doing, Sophie asks him to spend the day with her, but then she worries that he will think she likes him. She even lets him hold her hand. If I were Sophie, I would have told him that I wasn't interested in him, and I only wanted to be his friend. He is taking things way too fast, but Sophie shouldn't have let him. It is sort of leading him on, because now he probably thinks she likes him. They even exchanged phone numbers! Now she freaks out every time the phone rings. I feel bad for Murphy because if Sophie rejects him, he will feel even worse now that she let him hold her hand. But then again, Sophie is sort of acting like she is starting to like him, so his heart may not get broken after all. I hope Sophie doesn't hurt him!
Indie Reading #30 p. 147-165 04-20-09 Mon.
I found a really great line in my book that Sophie says, so I just had to put on here: "I bet he's a jerk anyway. One of those real hunky, gorgeous, rich, stuck-up jerks who thinks he's the greatest thing since the invention of the cell phone." I loved this line because when I read it, I knew exactly the kind of guy Sophie was talking about. The author uses some effective words that really show you what she means. As soon as I read this line, I had a vivid picture in my head of the boy she was describing. In my mind, I pictured a tan boy with almost glowing white teeth, blonde hair, and Hollister clothing, standing on a beach, smiling at a giddy group of girls. I love when authors use these great images because it helps me paint my own picture in my mind without giving too much away, that way I am able to make up my own image. The author writes like this throughout the entire book, which really makes this book even more enjoyable.
Indie Reading #29 p. 116-146 04-14-09 Tues.
In this section, there is a Halloween dance and Sophie and her mother go shopping for a dress. Sophie falls in love with a little black dress, but her mother doesn't want her to get that one. She thinks it is too tight and looks like it is for a funeral. Instead, her mother wants her to buy this ugly dress with big flowers all over it so she can go as a "rosebush". They end up getting into an argument where Sophie tells her mother she doesn't care what she thinks, and her mother starts to cry. This causes Sophie to buy the flower dress, but later she sneaks behind her mom's back and buys the black dress. If I were Sophie, I would have tried to reason with my mom and tell her why I didn't want to get the flower dress. It was rude of Sophie to say that she didn't care what her mother thought. Maybe if Sophie would have been nicer, her mother would have finally given in. Then she wouldn't have to feel guilty about going behind her mother's back. There is a line in this part that says, "What my mother doesn't know won't hurt me." This is where the title of the book came from. It is from the popular saying, "What my mother doesn't know won't hurt her."
Indie Reading #28 p. 75-115 04-13-09 Mon.
One certain part of this chapter made me think of the book Maus that we are currently reading. Sophie is Jewish and she told a story about one time in a parking lot they had been waiting for a parking space for a long time and all the sudden an older man zipped in front of them into it. Her mother told him that they had been waiting for that spot for five minutes, and he swore at them and called them a nasty name for Jewish people. Then, one day Sophie's boyfriend's mom was having a garage sale and said that people were trying to "Jew down her prices". This is related to the book Maus because it is also about the Holocaust and racism against Jewish people. In fact, I just wrote my research paper about racism. This shows that there is still racism against the Jewish people today. There is a stereotype for Jewish people that they are all cheap (even though that isn't true), which is where the saying at the garage sale came from.
Indie Reading #27 p. 41-74 04-07-09 Tues.
I have decided that I really like the main character in this book, Sophie. She reminds me a lot of me. She likes to draw, just like I do, and our favorite class is art. She is lucky though, because she has time to draw for fun, but I am usually busy. The only time I get to draw is in art class. She likes to draw old people because they are all wrinkly, but I don't think I would be patient enough for that! Also, one day Sophie's art teacher tells her class that they have to choose someone to draw. Sophie knows that if she doesn't pick the nerd, Murphy, no one will. She picks him and they draw each other. His eyes were smiling. This reminds me of something I would do, because I try to be nice to everyone. I am sympathetic towards people that do not have a lot of friends, so I am sure I would have done the same thing in Sophie's situation. But one day people are making fun of Murphy and she laughs to fit in. I don't think that I would laugh, because I don't think it is funny when people make fun of others.
Indie Reading #26 p. 15-40 04-06-09 Mon.
Reading this part of the book made me sad because I feel bad for Sophie. Her parents constantly fight and scream at each other, and she is always in the middle of it. She can never block out the noise and she always wants to run away to her friends' houses. It is sad when parents fight and their kids have to deal with the consequences. She is embarassed that a neighbor will hear them one day. It makes me wonder what went wrong because Sophie said that they used to really be in love when she was younger. She knows this from watching the home videos from when she was a baby. It is odd how people that once used to love each other but something changes one day, and suddenly they can't stand each other. It must be hard for Sophie to see the videos. Now all her mother does is watch soap operas and she never really pays attention to Sophie. I feel so bad for Sophie because she seems jealous of the television characters because she wants her mother to be half as interested in her life as she is in their lives. It would be awful to have a mother that doesn't pay attention to you. To make matters worse, Sophie's dad is no different. He will absentmindedly ask her what she did that day, and she comes up with some crazy response, and he doesn't even respond. It makes me appreciate the loving family I have.
Indie Reading #25 p. 1-15 03-31-09 Tues.
I began reading my new book today and I'm pretty sure it is going to be a good one. I like this book because it is written in the form of poems so it is easier to read and understand. One poem talked about the time Sophie was younger and she was walking with her two friends when a group of girls surrounded them on their bikes. They began questioning them about their religions and told Sophie's friends that they shouldn't play with her because she is Jewish. The bullies tightened their circle around the girls, but the Sophie's friend Rachel kicked the main bully in the shin and they ran away. This reminded me of the other day when my friend Kelli and I went to the park and there were these creepy boys there, They tried to talk to us but we were kind of scared of them, even though they were younger than us. They then began following us around and yelling for us so Kelli and I did the only thing we could do...we ran. This reminded me of this poem because it is scary when people that are bigger than you try to bully you when there is no one else around. I could relate to how Sophie was feeling.
.................................................................................................................................
Independent Novel 2:
Wuthering High by Clara Lockwood
Indie Reading #24 p. 246-257 03-30-09 Mon.
Today I finally finished the book Wuthering High. It seemed like it took me longer to finish this book than my other one, but I guess that is just because we are only doing two entries a week now instead of three (but I'm not complaining!). There could be a slight possibility that it took me longer because I liked the other book a little bit better than this one, but they are all pretty good. I was pleased how the end of this book turned out, even though some things weren't really clarified. Ryan was mad at Miranda for being with Heathcliff, but at the end he shows up at her house and asks her out, giving her his letterman's jacket to wear. This kind of clicked for me, because I read the book The Scarlet Letterman, and this explains how she got his jacket. I was happy that he forgave her. Also, Miranda receives a package in the mail with a little locket from Heathcliff that holds a piece of his book that keeps him in this world. I was happy because she had thought he was sucket back into the book and he could never come back. There could be a problem though, because now Miranda has two boys after her. I don't really remember what happened in the third book because it was such a long time ago. Maybe I'll read it again.
Indie Reading #23 p. 219-245 03-24-09 Tues.
This chapter confused me quite a bit. The author just started mentioning someone named Mrs. Rochester. I don't ever even remember them mentioning her in this book. I'm sure they did and I wasn't paying much attention, but they shouldn't keep mentioning someone that doesn't play a very significant role in the storyline. Also, I was confused because Heathcliff is now on Emily Bronte's side, and he even ties Miranda up. Why the sudden change of feelings? Emily says he has to do what she tells him because she is his creator, but then why was he helping Miranda all along? I just don't get it. Also, I am wondering why Cathering changed her name to Kate Shaw when she came to this world. Heathcliff didn't change his name. His name is Heathcliff in his original book, Wuthering Heights. This chapter was a confusing one. I guess I'll see if the author clears anything up, but I only have about ten pages until I finish.
Indie Reading #22 p.201-218 03-23-09 Mon.
I had mixed feelings while reading this chapter. At first, I felt bad for Heathcliff. He explained to Miranda that he did not kill Kate Shaw like everyone suspects, but she was really Cathy from the book Wuthering Heights and she chose to go back to the book. I feel bad that he is so misunderstood, and that they want to kick him out of Bard for something he didn't even do. All he wants is a friend, but people always automatically judge him. I did feel bad for him, but I also partly think it is his fault people view him that way. He appears rough on the outside and always is wearing a scowl on his face. Then, he used Parker as a human shield to get away from the Guardians and shoved her into them. That was really rude, even if she is a brat. If he wants people to accept him, he needs to stop doing things like that. It's no wonder no one trusts him. He appears to be a bully. Miranda is the only one that truly knows the other side of him.
Indie Reading #21 p. 187-200 03-17-09 Tues.
In this chapter, Miranda found out the entire secret to the school--that all the faculty are famous authors, such as Ernest Hemmingway and Mary Shelley. She also found out that Kate Shaw looked like her, and they both look like a character in Wuthering Heights. This is why Heathcliff is so obsessed with them. The teachers think that Heathcliff may have had something to do with Kate's disappearance, so the teachers want Miranda to stay away from him. Miranda says she is going to tell her parents about the secret of the school, but the teachers say once you leave the school, it is physically impossible to talk about it. If I were Miranda, I would just write home them, which I'm sure she won't think of. Although, I might be afraid to write that because all the mail is probably scanned before it is sent out, and it just might get her in even more trouble. When she went home to visit, she could just write down the secret and show it to her parents. I know I would be trying every way I could to tell my parents so I could get out of that messed up school!
Indie Reading #20 p. 159-186 03-16-09 Mon.
In this chapter, it left me kind of in shock because so many things happened at once, and a few of my questions were answered. First of all, the crazy maniac in the white nightgown was Emily Bronte, but I still don't know what her problem is or why she is evil and starting fires. She seems to know a lot about Miranda, which is really creepy. This is probably because Miranda is the relative of Cathy, who is a character in the book that Emily wrote. Miranda and Cathy may have similar qualities. This crazy lady is the one that really did release a vampire, which is the real Dracula. In this chapter, Dracula attacks Miranda and her friends, but Heathcliff just happens to show up and save the day...again. There were also man-eating plant in this chapter, which was pretty unrealistic. The book is already sci-fi enough without man-eating plants. Miranda also finds out that Heathcliff isn't pretending to be the boy from Wuthering Heights, but he really is him. If I were Miranda I would be really scared because she doesn't have much of a chance when she is dealing with the paranormal, because they will always have an advantage over her. It's a good thing that Miranda is friends with the Wiccan girl, Blade, now, because at least she knows a few tricks to rid them of these creatures.
Indie Reading #19 p. 138-158 03-10-09 Tues.
This chapter was where it started to get really weird. All of the sudden, there are random fires everywhere. And everywhere there is a fire, Miranda hears maniac-like laughter. I am starting to get really confused about what is going on...between the Kate Shaw thing, Heathcliff, Ryan Kent, and Blade's talk about vampires. I thought maybe there really were vampires starting the fires, but then Miranda saw a crazy lady with messy hair and wearing a white nightgown laughing. This was the same psycho laugh she has been hearing. I know this lady isn't Kate, so where does she come into the story? I am starting to think maybe it is one of the Bronte sisters that Kate was trying to warn Miranda about. If it is, why is she trying to start fires? I'm pretty sure she is a ghost or something like that because the Bronte sisters are dead. Then, Heathcliff keeps calling Miranda "Cathy" because he thinks she is the girl from Wuthering Hights. However, Miranda is related to Cathy, but she just doesn't know it yet. I only know this because I have read the other books.
Indie Reading #18 p. 117-138 03-09-09 Mon.
This is the first book where Parker come in contact with Miranda, and she doesn't like her from the get-go. She thinks she has dibs on Ryan Kent just because she grew up with him and his old girlfriend, who got killed when he crashed his car. After Ryan asks Miranda on a date (they went to high school together), Parker warns Miranda to stay away from him, and her friends begin to bully Miranda. Miranda doesn't even seem that mad about it. They flushed her backpack in the toilet, ruining her homework. If I were her, I would tell a teacher right away. I don't know why she is going to let Parker get away with treating her like that. Parker is a brat that needs to get over herself. Also, Miranda shouldn't just let Parker have Ryan. I think she should fight for him, because Ryan isn't Parker's property, and they aren't even officially dating. Miranda says, "If Parker has dibs on Ryan, she has dibs." She shouldn't have that mind-set. Plus, if he liked Parker that much, he wouldn't have asked Miranda on a date. Miranda should stand up for herself and not let people walk all over her. And as for Parker, she should be mad at Ryan, not Miranda. Ryan is the one that began to pursue Miranda.
Indie Reading #17 p. 105-116 02-03-09 Tues.
Right now I am trying to figure out what Kate Shaw wants from Miranda. At first I thought Kate may have been related to a fictional character like Miranda is, which is why she keeps haunting Miranda. She might feel some sort of connection with her. But then, Miranda saw that Kate checked out yearbooks the years the Bronte sisters "died." Maybe she was trying to tell Miranda the sisters are trying to cause trouble now. I just can't figure out why Miranda is the only one that is being affected by Kate. Why is so special about Mirnda that makes her the one Kate wants to communicate with? Miranda also found a key in her dresser and she even felt a hand. I have no idea what this key could be for. Maybe it is a key to the vault that holds all of the books of the fictional characters. I am sure that Miranda will need the key later on. This author is really good at making connections at the end, so I'm sure she will this time too.
Indie Reading #16 p. 94-104 02-02-09 Mon.
In this chapter, Miranda is the last person to the morning assembly so the headmaster gives her kitchen duty washing the dishes for the next semester. I actually felt bad for Miranda because the headmaster embarassed her in front of the entire school. Miranda should have known better than to show up late to an assembly at a school as strict as this. I would tell Miranda to try to be on time for things and be on her best behavior so she doesn't get on the teachers' bad side. Then, just as she is assigned kitchen duty, Heathcliff strolls in, earning himself kitchen duty instead. Then, he nonchalantly walked back out again, followed by a few Guardians. That was nice of Heathcliff to take the job so Miranda didn't have to do it. He says it's "below her." This shows that he has respect for women, since he is from a book that took place a long time ago in Britain. I think it is weird that Heathcliff always shows up at the right time...maybe this is even a little bit creepy. I think that Miranda will end up helping Heathcliff out somehow since he seems to always help her.
Indie Reading #15 p. 71-93 02-26-09 Thurs.
This novel is definitely starting to get good. It is really creepy now because Miranda had a dream that the ghost of Kate Shaw broke her window and looks similar to Miranda. Then, when Miranda woke up, she found that her window really was broken and her closet light was on. When she went to her closet, she found a tape and a library card of Kate, along with a carving in the floor that said "Kate Shaw was here 10/31/90." I wonder why Kate looks like Miranda? Then Miranda and her friends go to the forbidden part of the library and look at the yearbooks and find an article about Kate's disappearance. Kate really does look like the girl from Miranda's dream. I am wondering if the ghost of Kate really exists, just like all the teachers exist. Miranda doesn't know the teachers are ghosts yet, though. A clue about this is that in pictures, the teachers' faces are all blurry...and everyone knows this is what happens to "ghosts." I think eventually Miranda will come face to face with Kate's ghost and go on a quest to find out what really happened. Also, Miranda found a page of the book "Wuthering Heights" in the clostet. This makes me think that Kate knew Heathcliff, too. Miranda wouldn't make this connection yet because she doesn't really know him. She only sat with him on the bus, and she doesn't know the secret of the ghosts yet.
Indie Reading #14 p. 55-70 02-25-09 Weds.
I thought this chapter was interesting because Miranda meets two new people that are going to become her friends later in the story (Hana and Samir). They tell her some of the legends about Bard Academy, and a few of them are pretty creepy. The weirdest one is about a girl named Kate Shaw. She tried to escape Bard through the forbidden woods and she was missing for five days. On the fifth day, they found her backpack and blazer covered with blood near a stream as well as a note that said "Beware of Third Bell." I wonder what this means? I'm sure Miranda will find out what it means later in the novel. Also, Miranda tried to escape through the woods. She walked and walked, but ended up in the same place she started. This is odd because Samir, a boy Miranda met, said there is a legend about a UFO that crashed and its magnetic pulse causes people to walk in circles in the woods. Another thing that is weird is that Mrs. W. is always wet. I know she is a ghost from the previous books I read, but I want to know why she is always dripping. Another question I have is why Miranda's closet light keeps popping on. There are several strange things about this school and I am excited to find out the background information that tells me why.
Indie Reading #13 p. 23-54 02-23-09 Mon.
In this chapter, Miranda begins to look around her and judge the other kids at Bard. She calls some of them druggies, and others kleptomaniacs and pyros. It is understandable that she would judge people by their appearances, especially at a school for bad teens, but she really shouldn't do that. She thinks she can tell their life story just by looking at them, and she clearly can't because she meets some friends later on that don't exactly look normal. Her one friend is a Goth girl named Blade. I think this is what most of us do--we judge people before we get to know them. I did my Frankenstein essay on this topic, and it still stands true. I can't criticize Miranda for judging people because, although I hate to admit it, I have found myself judging others as well. It is something that I am working on, and Miranda should too. I think she will find that just because someone may look different than you on the outside, you can share some of the same interests.
Indie Reading #12 p. 11-23 02-19-09Thurs.
While Miranda is on her way to Bard Academy for the very first time, she mentions the only other time she had been away from home was when she went to camp with her little sister. This made me remember the time I went to camp for two days in fourth grade, when our entire grade went to CampMuskingum. I had fun when I first got there, but after a while I began to get sad and I just wanted to go home. It’s not the same not being able to sleep in your own bed at night or not being able to just relax in the comfort of your own home. I think that Miranda is dealing with the situation pretty well…better than I would. I know I would be distraught if my parents ever sent me away, but it seems like she is more annoyed at the fact she won’t be able to go shopping anymore than the fact she will be away from her family for months. I suppose this is because she is not very close to her parents, which is not the case with me. This is why she doesn’t mind leaving as much as I would. I guess it would be easier for her since she has a dad that doesn't seem to care much for her and a mom that's a push-over. There isn't much back home for her to really miss.
Indie Reading #11 p. 1-11 02-18-09 Weds.
Today I read the first chapter of my new book, which is another book in the Bard series. I am disappointed that I didn't realize the books had a specific order, because I read the last two, and now I am starting the first. One good thing about this, however, is that I can get some background information on what I was confused about before. For example, the first chapter explains exactly why Miranda was sent to Bard in the first place. She wrecked her dad's car after spilling coke in her lap...and she only had her permit. She had been on the way to pick up her little sister from school because there was a bully there. The fact that her parents sent her over a thousand miles away makes me think they don't really love her. I know her mom does, but it seems like she lets her ex-husband push her around. Her dad seems like a very harsh man, and even had the nerve to say it will hurt him more than it hurts her. This, we know, is not true at all. He is perfectly happy with his new wife that is young enough to be his daughter. Miranda's dad didn't even wait for her to get in the airport before he drove away, and didn't even give her a hug. It is plain to see that this dad needs some advice in the parenting department!
.............................................................................................................................................................
Independent Novel 1: The Scarlet Letterman, by: Cara Lockwood
Indie Reading #10 p. 233-256 02-16-09 Mon.
I finished the book The Scarlet Letterman today. Although I really like the author's writing style, I found the storyline of this book to be somewhat disappointing. The end of the book left me wanting more, but not in a good way. For example, the tiger escapes on a ship taking animals to a zoo. That doesn't even make sense, because how would he even get on a ship in the middle of the ocean? Also, one of the old evil teachers that was banned from Bard, Emily Bronte, was producing the voice of Blake's "angel," but the book never said if they caught her or not, or what they were going to do about her. At the end, the teachers say Heathcliff can stay for two years but he can't get romantic with Miranda. Also, Miranda and Ryan are friends again, but that's how he wants it to stay. She suddenly went from having two love interests to none. The book ends with Heathcliff almost kissing Miranda, but they get caught so he just walks away. I don't think that was the best ending for this book. She should have ended it on a happy note.
Indie Reading #9 p. 211-232 02-12-09 Thurs.
Now that the book is almost finished, I am somewhat confused about why it is entitled The Scarlet Letterman. I know there is a book titled The Scarlet Letter, but I am not familiar with it and I don't even know what it is about. Maybe this is why I am confused about the title. I am sure that it has some connection with that book. This author always uses names of real books, and then changes them a little bit. For example, the last book I read in this series was called Moby Clique (taken from the book Moby Dick). That book had to do with a whale, which is why it had a similar title. Maybe I will research The Scarlet Letter after I am completely finished with this book to see if there is a connection. I also want to read the last book, Wuthering High, which is taken from the book Heathcliff is from, Wuthering Heights. The only connection I can think of is the fact that Miranda was wearing Ryan's letterman jacket, but I don't know if there is more to the connection or not.
Indie Reading #8 p. 190-210 02-11-09 Weds.
I found it quite interesting that this past chapter mentions Shakespeare and some of the characters from his books. It is a coincidence that we just got done reading A Midsummer Night's Dream, and now this book mentions him too. I have mentioned before that this book is about a school filled with fictional characters, where basically anything can happen. Teachers are ghosts of authors, such as Mary Shelley (coincidence as well!), and there are students that are really fictional characters from real books. In this last chapter, Heathcliff, Miranda, and their friends begin to chase Blake after he releases the tiger into their gym during the annual school dance. They chase him into the chapel on school grounds, which is filled with stained glass windows that are pictures of Shakespeare's characters. Then, all of the sudden, Macbeth and Hamlet (the windows) actually come to life and begin fighting with Heathcliff! I found this quite odd and unrealistic, but I just thought it was weird that the seniors are reading Hamlet, and my book just happens to mention him. At the end of this chapter, Miranda finds out that Blake is the tiger, and he can transform himself in several seconds. He just leaped at her and then the chapter ended. I love the cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter.
Indie Reading #7 p. 174-190 02-09-09 Mon.
I haven't quite decided if I like Heathcliff or not. I feel bad for him in a way because he is all alone in the real world, with no family. But I also don't like how tough he thinks he is. It is nice that he is always trying to protect Miranda, but I sometimes think that he is too protective of her. She is not his property, and you would think that she would realize he is going a little bit overboard. I mean, he beat up a guardian outside Miranda's door at Bard to get to her. That's sweet that he would do that, but he shouldn't just go around beating up random people because he can. He could get into so much trouble for that, and maybe even get banned from our world. In that case, he wouldn't be able to help Miranda at all and that would defeat the purpose. I do think it is sweet that Heathcliff has been faithful to Miranda for such a long time, though. He has never flirted with or gone after any other girl at Bard. His main focus has always been Miranda. I guess I do like him for always protecting her, but I wish he wasn't so serious all the time. He barely talks, so he is a little too mysterious for my liking.
Indie Reading #6 p. 146-173 02-04-09 Weds.
The key character in these past couple chapters has definitely been Mr. William Blake, who is a crazy ghost teacher at Bard. He began as a minor character that was briefly mentioned. He always talks to an imaginary "angel" he calls Gabriele, which is why all the students at Bard think he's nuts. Mr. Blake seemed like a pretty nice guy at first. He seemed like he acutally wanted to help Miranda out and he gave her and her friends the forbidden-to-students ghost faculty handbook to read. The teachers had a "court" hearing and found Miranda guilty of kidnapping the teachers (even though she didn't) and Blake tried to stand up for her. This is interesting because Miranda happens to find out later that he is the one involved in these mysterious events, but she just doesn't know how. The tiger belongs to him, and it is the same tiger he wrote a poem about. He drew pictures of it and conjured it up in the woods. These pictures are the same ones the Stalker has been leaving behind. Also, Miranda finds Heathcliff in the woods in a boathouse all tied up with bruises on his face. He has been there for more than two months. He said a man gave him food occasionally, and that the man talked to an imaginary person named Gabriele. This is how Miranda automatically knew it was Blake. I think it is neat how very minor character can suddenly become the focus of the story.
Indie Reading #5 p. 105-145 02-03-09 Tues.
I think the most interesting thing about the book so far is the connection between the Hooded Stalker, the creature in the woods, and the disappearance of a few of Bard Academy's teacher. It is odd that the Stalker just happens to leave a piece of paper everywhere he goes, and Miranda just happens to find it every time. What are the chances of that? In real life, the paper could blow away or stick to someones shoe and be carried off before anyone even finds it. Also, it's weird that the pieces of the picture are beginning to show a tiger, and the creature in the woods is also a tiger. I'm guessing this is the same tiger, and the Stalker knows something about the tiger that no one else does. The picture of this tiger is a picture drawn by one of the teachers at Bard, so it makes me wonder if the teacher secretly has something to do with all of this. Miranda sees the Stalker and it doesn't have a face, which means that it can't be Heathcliff. Why doesn't he have a face and since Heathcliff isn't the Stalker, where is he? This book has a lot of loose ends but I'm sure at the end they will all tie together nicely. This author is good at that.
Indie Reading #4 p.89-104 02-02-09 Mon.
If I were the main character in my novel, I would take a different approach than Miranda has in many situations. First of all, I sure wouldn't put up with my boyfriend spending so much time with another girl, especially a girl I couldn't stand. I would approach him about it and try to work things out and explain to him why it made me unhappy. It's not right for Ryan to spend all his time with Parker and not spend time with his girlfriend. If I was Miranda, I would probably have yelled at Parker by now, too. Miranda is more patient than I could ever be. Another thing I would do if I was Miranda would be to keep on the "down-low." She needs to stop getting involved in things that shouldn't involve her. Some of the teachers already don't like her, so she doesn't need to go trying to snoop around Coach H's room, because she's just going to make more teacher's suspicious of her. I know she is just trying to help, but she needs to just leave things alone and mind her own business.
Indie Reading #3 p. 72-88 01-29-09 Thurs.
These past few chapters were engrossing to read for the most part. A bear was found in the woods. It was all bloody and half-eaten. Whatever creature did this to the bear must be very large and dangerous, and it's scary to think that it's lurking in the woods behind a school. Im guessing that the creature that did this to the bear is the same one that Miranda saw in the woods with the glowing red eyes. Parker is the one that found the bear, and it is interesting that she is always the one that discovers things, so she always gets all the attention. It makes me think that even though she finds herself in scary situations, she likes the attention. Also, the teacher named Mr. H. has come up missing, and the book that he is from (that is kept in the secret vault), is missing. If anything happens to the book, he can be gone forever. The teachers don't know if someone took him, or if it was a type of "suicide." However, the reachers suspect Miranda has something to do with it becuase she and her friends are the only ones that know about the secret of the school. Another interesting part was when Miranda and her friends snuck into Mr. H.'s room to investigate, and the Hooded Stalker was in the room without them knowing it. He left behind another piece of a drawing before bolting out of the room and down the hallway. I'm not so sure this stalker Heathcliff anymore. I don't think Heathcliff would be attacking people and breaking into rooms.
Indie Reading #2 p. 26-71 01-28-09 Weds.
This section of the book was filled with several small conflicts that led me to wonder what will happen in this novel. Parker Rodham, the trouble-maker in this book, is up to no good. She has set Miranda up to look like she was plagiarising, and has been trying to steal Miranda's boyfriend, Ryan. I wonder why Parker hates Miranda so much? Parker is the most popular girl in school, so why is she messing with poor Miranda, who seems like a nice girl? Also, I am very curious to see who the "Hooded Sweatshirt Stalker" is. There is someone is a sweatshirt who has been hanging around Bard and trying to attack the girls. Parker was the first one that was attacked, so now Ryan, Miranda's boyfriend, has been conveniently following her around to "protect her" which is making Mirana jealous. Her boyfriend should not be spending all this time with another girl, especially one like Parker. Is the Hooded Stalker Heathcliff? And if so, why is Heathcliff hiding? He had such strong feelings for Miranda before, and now she hasn't seen him in months. Miranda wants to know where he went and why he won't talk to her anymore. What is the creature with the glowing eyes in the woods that Miranda saw, and is it related to the Hooded Stalker? There are so many questions swirling around in my mind right now, and I can't wait to see what will happen. Another thing I want to know is why Miranda has found pieces to a drawing anytime she has seen the Hooded Stalker. The drawing appears to be a cat or some other creature. Could this be a drawing of the creature in the woods? There are so many things I want to know right now, so I am anxious to read again and have my questions answered.
Indie Reading #1 p. 1-25 01-26-09 Mon.
After reading the opening chapters of this book, I am fairly confident that I will find this book interesting. Last year, I read another book in this series and I liked it, so I don't think this book will disappoint. These books are very unusual because they take place at a delinquent boarding school named Bard Academy, which is secretly run by fictional characters from famous books who have been sent into our dimension. The teachers were sent to this "purgatory" for either taking their own lives, or dying before their time, so many are unhappy and grumpy. Two of the teachers include Viginia Woolf and Charlotte Bronte. Another reason I like this book so far is because I can already see a conflict in this novel. The first conflict is that the main character, Miranda, has the cutest boyfriend in school, Ryan, but can't stop herself from thinking about another fictional character named Heathcliff. Ryan and Heathcliff are total opposites. Ryan is a typical jock and Heathcliff is a rebel. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds and to find out other smaller conflicts and how they are resolved. I am especially excited to see if Miranda chooses to stay with Ryan or go out with Heathcliff, who has mysteriously disappeared for a few months. I like books like this that are written in first person because it really allows you to get to know the character better by "getting inside their head."