Guilty Until Proven Innocent?

This thINK post contains spoilers for The Tenth Circle.

People are wrongly convicted all the time for major crimes they did not commit. Innocent people are forced to live many years in prison because of people not telling the truth. How is that fair?

In The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult many big crimes have been committed but no one knows what really happened or who committed the crimes because everyone is lying. Trixie accuses her ex-boyfriend, Jason, of rape. When she is questioned she does not want to look like a slut so she lies about half of her story. Jason keeps saying that he did not rape her: that it was consensual. No one knows who to believe. Then, more evidence is found that reveals that a date rape drug was used, but Jason swears up and down that he did not give her the drug. Soon Jason is found dead at the bottom of a bridge. Was it suicide or murder? And if it was murder, who was the murderer? The whole book is one big case of "he said, she said," and many of the things said are lies.

After reading this book I wondered if this happened in the real world. According to this website innocent people are convicted all the time. This article explains that the main cause of wrongful convictions are eyewitness accounts. Why are eyewitness accounts considered reliable? An individual's memory can be changed easily by a number of factors. People can be persuaded into believing something really happened when really they do not remember. Why are we so quick to throw someone in prison if we do not have the proper evidence?

If so many innocent people are put into prison, then why is our legal system based on the ideal "innocent until proven guilty?" In these cases it seems more like guilty until proven innocent.

Uh Oh! (A 12 Sentence Story)

When my siblings and I were growing up we climbed on everything, the bars and beams at gymnastics, the trees and rocks outside, and the counters and walls at home. My sister and I were both tiny kids; my brother, on the other hand, was pretty hefty. Our house back then, a rent house, had to put up with many of our crazy shenanigans. One time me and my sister decided to climb inside the house by putting our hands and feet on opposite walls, climb up the walls, to the ceiling, down the walls, to the floor. My brother thought he should join in on the fun. Uh oh. I warned him that he would get hurt or that he would fall or that he would break something. Ignoring my protests, he tried to climb. On the wall, a gaping hole I saw. What did we do? We ran and hid and cried. An extra painting in the house, an absentee landlord, the thrill of keeping a secret means we covered it up and never told a soul.

Cure for Bullying?

Bullying is a tricky subject. No one really knows why people bully, because every bully bullies for a different reason. Bullying has gotten out of control, is there any way to stop it? How can we stop bullying if we do not know the cause?

This article suggests that babies might be the solution to our bullying problems. A program called "Roots of Empathy" lets school age kids bond with a baby and its mother over a series of visits. Eventually, all of the kids started becoming more compassionate, more empathetic, more understanding, less hateful.

This article covers the theory more thoroughly. Being with the babies helps the kids "understand their own feelings and the feelings of others." The idea behind the program is "perspective taking." It makes the kids think about how the baby is feeling and not only think about themselves. That is the problem with bullying; people think about only themselves. They do not stop to think about how bad they are making other people feel, they just think about how good, or bad, they feel.

Bullying obviously needs to be stopped. I know it sounds cliche, but it warms my heart to think that sweet, innocent, lovable babies could very well be the solution to the problem.

What Will I Read This Quarter?

One book that I really want to read this quarter is When It Happens by Susane Colasanti. The classroom does not have a copy of this book, but my friend Natasha owns it, so I can get my copy from her. I really want to read this book because almost all of my friends have read it, and they made it sound like it was the best book in the world. This book is my type of book: a candy read. I really enjoy reading cheesy, teen, love stories and When It Happens seems like it will be a great cheesy, teen, love story.

Another book that I want to read is The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. The classroom does not have this book, but my friend Natasha has it, so I will get my copy from her. This book caught my attention because it is a Jodi Picoult book. I always want to read her books. Natasha recommended this book to me because she also loves Jodi Picoult. After reading the back of the book, and reviews of the book, I am convinced I will like The Tenth Circle.

The third book that I really want to read this quarter is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I first found out about this book when my teacher gave a short book talk on it; I immediately thought it sounded amazing. I then went to goodreads to see if other people also thought it was good and almost every reviewer loved the book. I will definitely make time to read this book sometime this quarter.

2nd Nine Weeks Annotated Reading List

Colasanti, Susane. When It Happens. New York: Speak, 2008. Print.

Sarah wants two things out of her Senior year of High School: college acceptance and to fall in love. She has her sights set on the popular jock, Dave. He's everything she thought she wanted, but there is no connection. Tobey, a musical slacker, is convinced that him and Sarah have a real connection. Will Sarah ever give Tobey a chance to test out this real connection? The writing style in When It Happens is really interesting. Each chapter has a different narrator. One chapter will be told by Sarah, and the next by Tobey. It gives the reader a chance to see the progression of the relationships through both perspectives. (310 pages)

Dessen, Sarah. Someone like You. New York: Speak, 2004. Print.

Halley and Scarlett are best friends. While Halley is away at a summer camp Scarlett's boyfriend, Michael, dies. A few weeks later Scarlett learns that she is pregnant with her dead boyfriend's baby. While Scarlett is struggling with this Halley becomes involved with Macon, Michael's best friend. Macon is the typical bad boy so he pushes Halley to do take a walk on the wild side. Soon Macon is pushing Halley to do things she is not ready for. Halley is forced to help Scarlett deal with her problems and find out what is really important in her life. One thing I really loved about this book was the relationship between Scarlett and Halley. Even when things weren't perfect they still stood by each other. An amazing quote from the book that expresses this relationship is "life is an ugly, awful place to not have a best friend." Their friendship is one that every teenage girl either wants or has, and it is really inspiring that Sarah Dessen could capture this so well. (281 pages)


Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall. New York: Harper, 2010. Print.

Samantha Kingston, in Before I Fall, is a popular girl with a great boyfriend. She has no problem with her life until she dies and has to relive her last day over and over. She dies in a car crash after a party on February 12, so every time she is reliving that day she tries to change something so she doesn't die at the end of the night. The problem is that even when she lives at the end of the night, the day keeps repeating. After repeating the same day over and over she realizes there is only one way out of the loop. One of the characters that I think is really interesting is Juliet Sykes. She is not a popular kid: she is a complete outcast. But she wasn't always an outcast. She used to be best friends with Lindsay Edgecomb, the most popular girl in school, until an unfortunate incident involving pee in a tent on a 5th grade camping trip. After that camping trip Juliet was tormented, and she always took the teasing without putting up a fight. No one understood why she never stood up for herself. Eventually we find out that Lindsay was really the one that peed in the tent, but Juliet took the fall for Lindsay because Lindsay was going through a really tough time. I was really amazed that a 5th grader would be selfless enough put up with being tormented for something that she didn't do in order to help out a friend. (470 pages)


Picoult, Jodi. The Tenth Circle. New York: Washington Square, 2006. Print.

Trixie Stone used to be a normal fourteen-year old: she had a boyfriend, a best friend, and a family. After an unexpected breakup from her first love, Jason, she decides she will do anything to get him back. After a wild night at a party, her dad finds her sobbing in the bathroom, claiming that Jason raped her. Jason denies the accusations, saying that everything they did was consensual. Lies are thrown every which way so no one knows the truth. A court date is set for the rape case until Jason is found dead at the bottom of a bridge, now it is a case of murder. Daniel, Trixie's father, promises to do anything to protect his daughter and he turns into a fit of rage in the process. Can they figure out the truth before it is too late? One really interesting thing about this book was the writing style. The point of view changed multiple times in each chapter, and at the end of every chapter there was a comic. Daniel is a comic book artist so he writes these comics that go along with the story, but in a different setting: Hell. The events of the book are maximized and changed to fit in with the comic that Daniel has created about Hell. It put an interesting twist on the book. (387 pages)

1st Nine Weeks Reading Reflection

Reading has always been fun and easy for me. When I was young I would read whenever I wanted too, but now I have to schedule a time specifically for reading. I have tried to establish a reading habit but I haven't had much luck. My schedule is different every week so I have trouble setting aside a time for reading everyday. Even though I haven't set aside a time to use everyday, I still managed to find time to read. Admittedly, I did not always read enough some nights so I had to stay up late on other nights to make up for the lost time. Now that I know how much I have to read, I will try to form a habit so I don't have to cram all of my reading into one night.

I have no problem reading my required amount, but I have trouble inking my thinking. I read texts deeply, but I cannot seem to make myself ink my thoughts very often. I do not like to stop my reading to pick up a pencil and write what I am thinking. I just like to keep reading, and think while I am reading. I know this is wrong so I am trying to change it, but inking my thinking is not an easy habit for me to form.

Next quarter I am going to try to set aside a time for me to read every night, and actually follow this through, to the end. I will also try to stop reading more often to ink what I am thinking. Two books that I know I want to read during the second quarter are When it Happens by Susan Colasanti and Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. I am a big Jodi Picoult fan so I pretty much want to read anything she writes, and all of my friends have recommended When it Happens so I really want to read that too. Hopefully reading this quarter will be easier for me to complete.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

When I first found out that we had to do a Socratic Seminar I was apprehensive. I have no problem talking in front of people I know, but I do not really enjoy being in the spotlight while discussing deep topics that require a lot of thinking. This type of discussion makes me feel inadequate. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this discussion because it expanded my thinking on many questions I had from Brave New World.

While preparing for this discussion I made sure I would have plenty of topics and questions to talk about in order to make me feel more comfortable. Preparing for this type of discussion forced me to think on a much deeper level and really understand what I was reading.

Preparing for the discussion helped me a lot, but I probably benefited most from the actual discussion. Everyone had different ideas than I did, so by listening to them I thought about many things I had never thought of. In one of my discussions we were talking about individualism. Someone mentioned that we don't really have individualism in products anymore because everything is mass produced. Interestingly, we brought up that some products now, like iPods, actually encourage individualism by allowing everyone to put different music and videos on them. On my own I never would have thought of this, but by participating in the discussion I got many new ideas.

One thing I had trouble with was clearing my mind and really listening to what the other people in my group had to say. I was usually thinking about how I was going to respond. I had to constantly remind myself that I needed to listen to what others were saying. I also had trouble finding the right time to jump in the conversation. I didn't want to step on anyone's toes so I kind of held back. If I had a do-over I would listen more attentively and jump in the conversation a little more often.

The Socratic Seminar was fun and challenging. I left the class with new ideas that I never would have come up with if we had just taken a test over the book. Socrates believed that a discussion, like we participated in, is one of the best ways to learn; based on my experience I believe this is true.

1st Nine Weeks Annotated Reading List

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print.

Brave New World tries to create a utopian society by making everything controlled and comfortable. The people living outside of this society do not really view it as a utopia. In order to create the utopia all fear, danger, happiness, religion, and love was removed from society. The book is very controversial, so it raised questions about many hot topics in our world today, including drugs and individualism. John is a very interesting character in this book. He is not from the Brave New World so he is not used to everything being controlled. When he gets there he does not like what he sees. He doesn't want stability, he wants emotion. John is one of the only characters in the book that is willing to stand up for what he believes. Because of the way he is he has a hard time fitting in with the people living in the Brave New World society. (259 pages)


Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes: a Novel. New York: Washington Square, 2008. Print.

Nineteen Minutes is an interesting story about a school shooting, and how the people deal with the consequences. Peter, a junior in high school, has always been bullied. He eventually snaps and starts shooting kids and teachers in the school. Most of the people that were shot were only shot once, except one kid. He was shot once in the stomach and once in the head. Most of the book is spent trying to figure out why this one kid was shot twice and the girl standing right next to him was not shot at all. My favorite part of the book was that the shooter seemed human. Every other book with a school shooting makes the shooter seem like this terrible person that has no human qualities at all. One character that I really liked was Josie Cormier. She was the person that wasn't shot, but her boyfriend was the kid that was shot twice. I really like Josie because she was relatable. She was popular, but had many insecurities. She loved her mom, but did not have a great relationship with her. She reminds me a lot of myself. Surprisingly, Josie plays a very important role in the school shooting, directly and indirectly. (455 pages)


Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Amusing Ourselves to Death is a non-fiction book about how television is taking over our lives. Neil Postman believes that television is not good for our society. He thinks that television is the soma (the drug used to create bliss in Brave New World) of our society. He brings up many interesting points to back up this statement. He states that images and entertainment are now more important than facts and information. The thing that I think is really interesting is the fact that this book was written in 1985, but Postman's ideas still apply. Back then television wasn't as prominent as it is now. Surprisingly, his statements not only still hold true in our world, but are more true now than they used to be. Based on what Postman said, if we continue living the way we are now then we will eventually live in a society like the Brave New World society: completely technology dependent. (163 pages)



Sparks, Nicholas. A Bend in the Road. New York: Warner, 2001. Print.

In A Bend in the Road Miles is a police officer in a small town. Recently his wife died in a hit and run; the person driving the car was never found. He is having a hard time recovering until he meets his son's young, beautiful, and single teacher, Sarah. They quickly fall in love and later realize they are more connected than they originally thought. The setting of this book is something I found interesting. It is set in a small town in North Carolina that reminded me a lot of where I live. There is a part of town that is really old, and on or around Halloween everyone goes there for a scare. That is the same here; many people go to Main Street or to a Haunted House on Halloween. Miles loved the small town life. He liked knowing everyone that lived around him, Sarah is completely opposite. She likes living in a big city, and having things around her that are exciting. The setting played an important role in the book. (352 pages)

Abundance

Pink's fascinated humor shows us that Americans who previously looked for happiness in material goods are no longer fulfilled with this abundance alone. He uses statistics about second homes and trash bags to show how much abundance America is living in. He says that 13 percent of homes purchased now are second homes. Many families in other countries do not even have first homes, but in America a lot of people are buying unnecessary second homes. He also points out that the "Americans spend more on trash bags than ninety other countries spend on everything." By stating this he puts things into perspective; our abundance has taken over our lives so much that we just throw money in the trash. Pink also states that "the paradox of prosperity is that while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged." Recently Americans have been searching for fulfillment in life through material goods and that is why America has became so obsessed with the best items. Now that they realize they have gotten all of these designer products but they still aren't happy, they are searching for fulfillment through other techniques such as yoga and meditation. Pink's examples clearly show that our outlook on what is important has shifted from material goods to the meaning of life.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos...

In the world today there are advertisements everywhere. Because there are so many, the creators of the ads have to find ways to make their ad stand out. By using Aristotle's Appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos, the ad catches a viewer's attention in many ways. The ad that I chose is a "vitamin water" ad that uses these three tools to make the viewer want to try the product.

The most obvious tool that is used in this ad is ethos. The ad features a professional athlete, Kobe Bryant, that is very well known. The label on the bottle in the ad says that this particular kind is used for power. By using an athlete that has been very successful in his sport and saying "1,845 bottles of vitamin water... and chugging", the ad portrays that this drink is the reason he is such a powerful player. The ad also says that he has been named MVP (most valuable player) but they changed the wording to "most valuable power" to express that the power that is inside of the bottle helped him become the most valuable player.

Pathos is used in this ad to give the viewer a sense of excitement. Because the man is blurred we know that he is moving very fast. This makes the viewer think that the drink is what made him move so fast. Also, Kobe Bryant is a very fit man. By using a man like this the product appeals to people that want to look like him. People might think that because he drinks this he has enough energy and "power" to make his body look like it does.

The use of logos in this ad isn't as significant as the other rhetorical appeals. The name of the product gives off the sense that it is healthy. The vitamins in this water are just what moms are looking for in order to keep their kids healthy. People in America are always looking for something that is tasty and good for them, and the color of this water makes the viewer believe that the water would have a good taste.

The target audience for this ad is obviously athletes and young males. But by using all of Aristotle's appeals anybody can find something in this that will make them want to buy the product.

College Fears: Rational or Not?

At this point in my life I am starting to look at colleges, and I am wondering what kind of college is right for me. I will try to get as many scholarships as possible, but if I do not get enough I will need student loans. This article, "What We Can Learn From For-Profit Colleges," got my attention and made me skeptical to even consider for-profit colleges.

I think for-profit colleges are way overpriced, and I can get an education that is just as good at a public college for a much cheaper price. When I first read the article I discovered that in the last ten years the number of for-profit colleges have increased by "60%." Judging by the way I feel about these colleges I am really confused about how this happened. As I read more of the article I started to understand the reason behind this: "people don't realize their options." Without realizing that there are better options, a person is just going to agree to whatever comes along. That makes me genuinely sad.

I usually do not click on extra links on articles like this, but I did this time and it took me to this page. I didn't get much out of the text, but the video on this page made me furious. There were so many cases that the student was lied to about the amount they would have to pay. But the worst part was that some of the advisers wouldn't let the students know how much they would need to pay until they enrolled into the college. I was completely blown away by this; to me that would be like committing to a marriage without knowing the husband. Towards the end of the video one of the advisers actually rips up a student's application just because he wants to know how much he is going to have to pay.

The thing that scares me the most about this is that it really happens. I could be tricked into paying way more than necessary to go to college. This isn't going to stop me from going to college, because a post-secondary education is way too important for that, but this definitely will make me more cautious when making my college decision.

Change the World?

Everyone is always talking about how the world is a scary place, but no one really tries to change anything. The song "Change" by Carrie Underwood made me want to change the world.

The lyrics of this song are really powerful. Most people think that the only way to change anything is to do a huge act of kindness. This song shows that the "smallest thing can make all the difference" and something as small as 36 cents can mean the world to a person that has nothing.

The song stresses that the only way to change the world is to do something, and believing that it is possible is the key. I cannot even count the number of times I have seen the ad on TV that is "flashin' up pictures of a child in need," but I never called the number or contributed to try to "save a life," and many people are the same way. They think they are "just a fool to believe [they] can change the world." If everyone would believe that changing the world is possible, we would see a much brighter tomorrow.

Carrie Underwood has contributed to many charities. She has visited and helped children in Africa that are affected by malaria and aids. She recently started the C.A.T.S foundation that helps the schools and animal shelters in her hometown. For her upcoming tour she is donating "36 cents" of every ticket sold to Save the Children's United States Programs. Carrie Underwood emphasizes that trying to make the world a better place is very important.

We often feel compelled to give in times of crisis. Many people give money to people affected by tragedies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and even oil spills, but we should want to help the less fortunate all the time because there is always something we can do to help "change the world."

Hope

When looking at this photo (photo 7) I see beauty. I see a bunch of people coming together as one. I see a strong connection between two people that will not be broken easily. I see the clear blue sky with the sun shining in the distance. Everything is alluring; it gives me hope.

Without knowing the circumstances of this image, anyone could overlook the photo without another thought. The photo would be passed off as simple and beautiful but without any real meaning. But by having the knowledge of recent conditions in the ocean, the reader of the image changes his whole perspective. Now the picture is inspiring and uplifting.

At first glance the photographer seems to want the viewer to see the bond between the two hands, and that is exactly what I saw. But after I looked a little deeper I saw much more. A few of the people seem to be praying, others just look bored. But they are all there together.

The smallest detail that caught my eye is the water bottle that is standing in the middle of the circle. This seems really ironic because the people are all coming together because of something that harmed the earth tremendously, but they still leave their plastic bottles on the beach.

Everyone is always talking about how people in the world only care about themselves. This photo shows that there are still good people with kind hearts in the world. The idea of this many people coming together with a united front gives me hope for a better tomorrow.

My Annotated Photo

This is me as a writer, reader, and person. Click to see more.

"Of Mice and Men" Analysis

Detail:

John Steinbeck, the author of Of Mice and Men, uses many features to foreshadow and parallel events or characteristics of the characters that will come to be later in the book. In the first paragraph he uses many physical traits of the land to parallel characters and relationships of the characters.

In the sentence "the Salinas river drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green," John Steinbeck uses the words "deep" and "green" to describe Lennie and George. The word green mean life, youth, fresh, and new. This is a good word to parallel Lennie to because he has a very young mind and everything he thinks is very different and new.

Another parallel comes from the sentence "slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains." By saying strong and rocky Steinbeck kind of contradicts himself, but Lennie and George together are strong and rocky. Lennie is very strong physically but rocky mentally. George is the opposite; he is strong mentally and small, or rocky, physically.

"The limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." This quote describes Lennie and George's relationship. The have been traveling together so long that everything goes smoothly. They have worked out all the rough parts of their relationship.

These quotes used descriptive words to parallel the characters and relationships in a different way.

Point of View:

The third person objective point of view expresses the fear of two characters through different point of views.

"She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie's hand came a muffled screaming." Curley's wife was very afraid, and rightfully so. This very large man was forcefully petting her head and covering her mouth so she did not know what to do. She could not get him to stop no matter what she did.

"Lennie was in a panic. His face was contorted. She screamed then, and Lennie's other hand closed over her mouth and nose." This quote shows how scared Lennie is when he starts petting Curley's wife's hair. He gets so afraid because he knows that if George catches him he will not be allowed to "tend the rabbits." He covered her mouth so George will not hear what is going on.

They were both really scared and I think that scared them more. Neither of them could figure out why the other person was doing what he/she was doing.

Tone:

The tones of lonely and longing in Steinbeck's passage reflect his ideas of the way men lived and felt during these times.

This book has a very lonely feeling. Almost all of the characters in this book are lonely. "'Come on in. If everybody's comin' in, you might just as well.' It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger." This shows how lonely Crooks is. He is happy that people are coming in to visit him so he is having trouble trying to keep up his image as a mad loner.

"How's it gonna be? We gonna get a little place.' 'We'll have a cow. An' we'll have maybe a pig an' chickens...an' down the flat we'll have a...little piece of alfalfa-' 'For the rabbits.'" This quote shows that Lennie is longing for something more. He wants friends, security, and most of all, rabbits. When he did something wrong the first thing that crossed his mind was that he was not going to be able to "tend the rabbits." Lennie just needs to be reassured that everything he is longing will eventually come to him.

The tone of this book is very reflective of the hard times that were going on during the years that this book is set in.

Theme:

The theme of Of Mice and Men is "I am my brother's keeper." This is a great theme because it applies to real life often. We are responsible for taking care of the less fortunate.

There are many times in the book that George takes care of Lennie. He makes sure he is in a safe place. Lennie offers to go find a cave and try to live on his own so George could have a better life, but George does not let him. (p. 12-13) He tries to keep Lennie out of trouble by always having a plan. (p.15)

George says he does not mind taking care of Lennie because Lennie keeps him company. Most guys that are working on ranches "get mean and don't want to talk to nobody." George is so used to going around with Lennie that he does not mind anymore. (p.41)

George took care of Lennie because Lennie was not smart enough to know what to do most of the time. I take care of my little sister in the same way. She is only two years old so she has no clue what to do about most things. I help her stay out of trouble and teach her right from wrong. The theme "I am my brother's keeper" is a great theme to live by.

"Migrant Mother" Photos

All of these photos are very strong and intense. They all make the viewer feel sad that the mother is having such a hard time.

The one picture that really struck me was the one where the mom and kids are in the tent. I am assuming the tent is their house and that really makes me sad. No one should have to live without shelter. That tent is not even covered on all four sides. If there is rain or snow, the people are going to get terribly wet and cold.

After looking at these photos I realized how strong a mom is. This mother is doing everything she can to help her kids. In almost all of the photos she is holding or cuddling at least one of the kids. By looking at her face I can tell she is worried, but she is still staying strong for her kids. Most moms would probably do this for their kids too.

These photos make me realize how fortunate I really am.

Orwell's Use of Animals

In Animal Farm George Orwell uses animals to portray a utopia, or the attempt of a utopia. He uses all types of barnyard animals and gives them human qualities. Pigs are smart so they are leaders, dogs are guards, and horses are hard workers. Like all utopias, the farm quickly turned into a dystopia.

At first, the animals are unhappy because their leader Mr. Jones, a human, does not treat them well. The animals are underfed and overworked. They get fed up with this harsh treatment so they overthrow Mr. Jones. Once Mr. Jones is gone everyone is happy. Two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, take control of the farm. The animals are being fed better and everyone is getting along. The farm seems like the perfect utopia. Then Snowball and Napoleon start to disagree. Napoleon uses well trained dogs to run Snowball off of the farm.

When Napoleon is the only leader everything starts to go downhill. He starts to change rules so he gets more than everyone else. They start to run out food so the animals are underfed again. He makes them work harder than Mr. Jones did, but if the animals speak up and disagree with Napoleon in any way, they are killed. None of the animals are happy.

Orwell uses the animals to show that a utopia does not work. He used animals because the idea was different. Most authors use people so we usually say that a utopia is not possible for humans. George Orwell took this a step further and proved that a utopia is not possible. Period.

"The Giver" Book Review

What would life be like with no knowledge past your own life? In The Giver Jonas lives in a world where there are no memories of the past.

The environment that Jonas lives in is a controlled environment. There is no rain, sun, hills, or color. Everyone looks similar. They all have the same color eyes except for the very few people with special light eyes. They all wear tunics everyday and because there is no color, they all look exactly alike.

In Jonas' world every December there is a ceremony. At that ceremony every kid gets something new depending on what age they are. When the kids turn 12 years old they find out their future jobs. There is a committee in their town that observes all the kids while they are doing their volunteer hours. The committee puts the 12 year olds in a job that they think would best fit them.

Jonas is one of the people with special light eyes. When he turns 12 he gets picked to be the new "Reciever." The Reciever is very important and very respected in their community. The Reciever is the only person with memories of the past. When he first goes to his job the Giver gives Jonas pleasant memories. After a while, the memories start to be painful and unpleasant. Jonas discovers that this community is not as perfect as it seems to be. The theme of this book is that everything is not what it seems to be.

I have read The Giver three times now. The first two times I read it, I hated it. Now that I actually understand everything that was going on I really like it. I would recommend this book to anyone old enough to understand.

Cross-Examine

I have realized that being a teenager these days I have to deal with a lot of cross-examination. Teachers, parents, bosses, and the parents of the kids I teach cross-examine me all the time. Of course these cross-examinations are not near as extreme as real cross-examinations but they have the same effect.

My parents cross-examine me about homework, school, and my friends a lot. They are just doing it because they want to make sure I am doing good in school and everything, but I am a big girl so I know that I need to do my homework without asking me about it all the time.

The parents of the kids I teach cross-examine me often. I feel like I am constantly being watched and judged by them. They have good reason to do this, I guess, because I am dealing with their small children. When they first meet me I think they are surprised that I am so young and already have a job. So, they ask me all about me and how qualified I am to teach gymnastics. The whole process is very unnerving.

All adults, pretty much, cross-examine me all the time.

I Wear the Mask

I wear the mask.

I wear the mask as a fence
To keep depravity at bay.

I wear the mask to contain myself
To help me watch what I say.

I wear the mask to hide my thoughts,
The unpleasantness no one wants to hear.

I wear the mask for me,
To save myself from things I fear.

Sunshine

my life exists
with hope

from bright rays
of sun

highlighting
the day

with happiness
and warmth.

Celebrate

I can celebrate many things in my life because my life makes me happy. :)

I celebrate my family because they always make me laugh, especially my little sister. They give me love and happiness.

I celebrate my friends because they bring joy into my life. They lift my spirits on a bad day and keep them high on a good one. We have so much fun together!

I celebrate my job because of the wonderful kids I teach. They are so innocent and happy without a care in the world.

I celebrate all the little things in life that make me happy. I celebrate my life!

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is a weird holiday. Everyone dresses in green and a bunch of people get pinched.

St. Patrick's Day is a day to celebrate Irish roots. I am part Irish so I guess the holiday should mean something to me, but really I do not really care about the holiday.

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day I try to wear as much green as I can. This morning I looked in my closet and only found one green shirt. That kind of depressed me because I was planning on wearing A LOT of green today. Thankfully, Georgia brought a really cool headband and green hat to school today. She let me wear the headband. :)

I am not much of a pincher on St. Patrick's Day. I feel like punishing someone for not wearing green is harsh.

To me St. Patrick's Day is just a day to dress up and have fun.

"Dear John" Book Review

What would you do if the person you loved was never with you and the only form of communication was letters? Savannah and John had to try to continue a relationship that had only just begun with over 2000 miles between the two of them.

The author's style was different than most books I have read. The author told the story from the guy's perspective. In a love story the story is usually told through the girl's perspective.

John Tyree is a guy in the army and is on base in Germany. When he is on leave he meets Savannah Curtis. Savannah is different than anyone he has ever met. She cares for everyone more than herself. When she is on a break from school she goes to Wilmington to build houses for people in need. John's dad is different. He does not speak much unless he is talking about coins. Tim, one of Savannah's best friends, is very reliable. Savannah cannot tell but Tim is in love with her.

In Dear John Savannah and John meet on the beach in Wilmington because Savannah drops her purse in the ocean and John jumps in to retrieve the purse. They spend two weeks together and fall in love. After those two weeks John has to go back to Germany. They are forced to spend a year and a half apart from each other. They write each other letters during that time to stay in touch. On his next leave he goes to visit Savannah. They get into a fight because she is spending more time with her friends than with him. He goes back to Germany and then the 9-11 attacks happen. He reenlists for another two years. Savannah starts to drift away from him and in one final letter she tells him she is with another guy. John is heartbroken.

The theme of this book is do what is best for the person you love. I cannot tell you why this is the theme because that would give away the book, but trust me that is the theme.

I loved Dear John. This book is my favorite book right now. There also is a movie based on the book but the book is way better than the movie.

276 pages

Call of the Wild

Have you ever been a leader? Some people/dogs are born to be leaders. Buck is one of those dogs.

The theme of The Call of the Wild is stand up for what you believe in. Buck takes a stand many times in the book. Learning to take a stand is a very important lesson that everyone needs to learn.

Most of the characters in the book are dogs. Buck, the main character, is a leader. He is one of the best sled dogs anyone has ever seen. When he is new to being a sled dog he was not the leader, but once he figured out how everything worked he fought the leader, won, and became the new leader. Hal, Buck's owner, is mean. Whenever one of the dogs does not mind he whips them. John Thornton is Buck's friend. Buck will do anything for John because he respects him. Spitz, a dog, was the leader when Buck joined the sled team. After a while Buck decided he should be leader so Spitz and Buck got into a fight. Buck won the fight.

The Call of the Wild takes place in Alaska. While I was reading I really did not feel like I was in Alaska. The author was telling the story so I was not as into the story as I am in other books. In most books the author is telling the story from a character's perspective but in this book the author was more like a narrator.

In The Call of the Wild Buck is an extraordinary sled dog. He defeats Spitz, the dog that every other dog is scared of, he stands up for what he knows is right, and he can pull 1000 pounds all by himself. All other dog owners are jealous of John Thornton. John Thornton and Buck have a special connection so no matter what anyone offers John, he never sells Buck.

The Call of the Wild was a pretty good book that related to taking a stand really well.

Olympics

Olympians work hard for many years to prepare for the one year that they can have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. The determination that they have is outrageous.

Most people in the Olympics have worked toward this goal from the time they were about three or four years old. They train many hours a day year round. Most have been home schooled most of their life. They are so committed to their sport that they will do anything to make them better.

Being in the Olympics would be very stressful. Many people from the country the Olympians are representing are counting on them to win.

The Olympics is the most prestigious competition for many sports. The privilege of being in the Olympics is amazing. Athletes that have competed in the Olympics are respected in their sport.

I would make a commitment like that to my family. To make a commitment that serious a person must love the thing the are committing too. My family and friends are probably the only things I love enough to commit that much.

Characteristics of a Winner

Being a winner has different meanings to everyone. Some people think being a winner is coming in first place and others believe being a winner is trying your hardest no matter what the outcome is.

Winning does not always mean receiving a tangible reward. When I win first place in something I am happy, of course. When I do my best and try my hardest and come in third place or lower I am more happy. I feel like I have won when I have done my best.

I am most proud of winning a really good grade in an advanced or hard class. I am proud because I set the goal, worked towards it, and achieved it.

Winning has more meanings than just the standard first place.

Persuasion

I use persuasion all the time. Any time I want something I have to persuade my parents into letting me get whatever I am wanting. I use persuasion more than I realize. I always knew I used persuasion when I wanted something really badly, but I use persuasion for the littlest things.

I would like to think I am great at persuading. Persuading my parents is very easy, persuading my teachers is pretty hard. I try to persuade teachers into less work/homework. Sometimes I am successful but most of the time I fail. I try to persuade by using facts. I tell the truth and if that does not work, I beg.

Persuasion is important in every one's life. Most people use persuasion everyday. On television persuasion is used during every commercial break. The point of commercials is to get people into buying something. Without persuasion commercials would have no purpose.

Persuasion is very important in my life.

Glee!

Glee is pretty much the most amazing show I have ever seen. Glee is better than a normal tv show because there is more than just a great storyline. They also have singing and dancing and amazing guest stars like Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel, who are both from Wicked.

Glee is about a high school glee club in Ohio and it's rise to fame. When the club first starts out there are only five members but slowly more people join.

My personal favorite character is Rachel Berry. She is very determined that she will be famous someday. Also she has a very extensive vocabulary and uses metaphors often. (That was just for you Mrs. Gillmore.)

One of the best things about this show is the slushy wars. The "cool" people of the school slushy the glee club members numerous times throughout the season. Their faces when they get slushied are pretty hilarious.

Glee has already won a SAG award and a Golden Globe award after only 13 episodes.

The only bad thing about this show is the fact that they are on a four month hiatus right now. Four whole months! That is just insane. I just know that when the show comes back it will be amazing. But, for the time being I watch my dvd of season one and visit this site often.

"Handle With Care" Book Review

Things break all the time. Willow O'Keefe, a six year old with osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disease that makes her bones very weak, knows this all too well because she has broken over 70 bones during her life. Handle With Care was an intense story with many heartbreaking moments.

Jodi Picoult's writing style is unique. She changes the point of view many times throughout the story. Each situation is told by a different character. I love that she does this because it makes the reader feel connected to each of the characters rather than just one.

Amelia is Willow's older sister. In many ways Amelia's life has been just as hard or harder than Willow's life. Amelia is a real character because she just wants to feel wanted. Charlotte, Willow and Amelia's mother, is a very believable character because everything she is doing is because she loves her daughters. Sean, Willow's father, is stuck in a sticky situation. The way he deals with this situation is interesting to read. Piper, Charlotte's best friend, is the typical hard working, loving, amazing best friend until she is betrayed.

In Handle With Care Charlotte and Sean go to a lawyer about a horrible experience they had while on vacation at Disney World. They go in with the idea of suing someone responsible for this bad experience but instead, they end up suing Charlotte's best friend and obstetrician, Piper. They are suing for wrongful birth and medical malpractice. Charlotte is trying to sue Piper because Piper did not tell the O'Keefe's about Willow's disease early enough to have the option of abortion. Charlotte gets so wrapped up in this lawsuit that she does not even realize her daughter Amelia is falling apart at the seams. The lawsuit tears the family apart and makes everyone miserable and Charlotte is too wrapped up in her own problems to realize everyone else's.

The theme Taking A Stand, is perfect for this book. Sean decides he does not want to go along with the lawsuit that basically says he wishes his daughter was never born, so he stands up to Charlotte and joins Piper's side in the lawsuit. Every character in this book is taking a stand in some way.

This book relates to the other Jodi Picoult books I have read because she uses the same writing style in all her books. Handle With Care was an excellent book and I recommend it to anyone.

477 pages

When My Parents Took A Stand

People are always taking a stand. If someone believes in something he/she is going to take a stand for it no matter what it is. One time my parents took a stand and I will always admire them for it.

Before my sister Krista was born, the doctors told my parents she would not amount to anything. She had a twin, but the twin did not ever form so they told my parents my sister would be a vegetable, at best.

The doctors suggested that they abort her and try again. My parents, being Christians, were against abortion so they told the doctors they could never do that to someone. They just prayed and everything turned out right.

When my sister was about eight we were at the hospital that she was born at. We ran into the doctor that told my parents to abort my sister and he was happy that my parents stood up to him because my sister is perfectly healthy.

If my parents did not have my sister their life would be completely different and, most likely, mine would too. I admire my parents all the time for taking a stand and not giving up on something they believed in.

When I Took A Stand

When I was younger I had a teacher that was pretty crazy and I could tell she did not like me.

One time I missed her class on a Friday because I was on a school related trip with another girl that was in the same class. She knew where I was because the school told her the names of the students that were going on the trip. I was on that trip all day Friday and most of the day Saturday. Then, as soon as I got back, I went straight to Hot Springs for a gymnastics meet that was on Sunday morning. I did not get home until about 5 o'clock on Sunday evening. Then I did the homework I knew I had and went to bed.

On Monday, in that teacher's class there was a test. I did not know about this test because she announced it on the Friday that I was gone. She did not believe me so she tried to make me take the test anyway. I have always had good grades but I usually have to study so I was furious because I did not have a chance to prepare for this test. I knew I would probably get in trouble but for the sake of me and the other girl that were not informed about the test I told her we should not have to take the test. She got mad at me and made me take the test anyways.

When me and the other girl found out what we made on the test I went to the principle and told him about our situation. He told us we could take the test again the next day because we should have been given a chance to prepare. Needless to say, the teacher was not happy with me when the principle came to her and made her let us take the test.

This may not be a huge act that changed the world, but it made me and the other girl that went on the trip happy.