New New New

*SPOILERS*

I have just started a new book called A Great and Terrible Beauty, the first book in the Gemma Doyle series, by Libba Bray. The book is about British girl named Gemma Doyle who lives (at the very beginning) in India with her mother and father in 1895. At the murdur/suicide of Gemma's mother, Gemma is sent to the Spence Academy for Young Ladies, in the countryside not far from London, where Gemma has always wanted to go. Gemma has some trouble fitting in at first (naturally), and has to hide the fact that her mother died from murder. Soon Gemma is part of the "popular" group of girls at Spence. But Gemma isn't like everyone else. Gemma has visions and magic is linked to her strongly.
So far I am really enjoying the book. The book is a little slow-going, but I am still enjoying it. Because I am still at the beginning, I am still getting to know the characters, so I don't have much of an opinion yet. Because of this, I'm excited to keep reading!

End of the Puzzle

*SPOILERS*

I just finished Why We Broke Up by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler. In the end, you finally discover (sort of) why Ed and Min broke up. At the end, Min finds out that Ed cheated on her with a girl that Min thought was really nice. Min felt really betrayed by Ed and the girl he cheated on her with, because Min thought they could be friends.
I was really shocked by the ending of this book. Just like Min, I was really mad at Ed when I read that Ed had cheated. I really hate cheating in relationships, so I felt really strongly. I knew this book was really good from the beginning, but when I felt betrayed by Ed as much as Min did, I realized how much I connected with the book. Throughout the book, in the letter, Min had kept saying "and that is why we broke up" which makes me think that all these things that happened during the relationship would have ended their relationship anyway. All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it if you like girly books.

Puzzle Book

I am in the middle of the book Why We Broke Up by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler. So far the book is really good and I am enjoying it a lot. The book is currently describing Ed and Min's relationship and doesn't seem to have a very strong plot right now.
The book is in letter form, accompanied by items (in the book, pictures in real life) from there relationship (movie tickets, etc.) Because the letter is going by the different items, it does not tell every second of the relationship, so there are gaps that you do not read about. Reading a book like this reminds me of a mystery or a puzzle because you are piecing the story together. I think that this way you can almost fill in the blanks and think of the missing pieces yourself. I think that this is helping me stay close to the characters and is helping me like the book better.

New Start

I just started a new book called Why We Broke Up. The book is a letter from Min, a teenage girl, to Ed, her recent ex boyfriend.

When I first opened the book I was really surprised to see that all the pages were glossy and there were full page pictures at the beginning of every chapter. I usually don't read picture books so it was a shock to see the format. However, I soon realized that the book is a novel so saying it is a picture book isn't really fair. So far I really like the book and can't wait to keep reading!

Long Time to Finish

*SPOILERS*

I just finished So Big by Edna Ferber. I really enjoyed the book even though it was on a hard level and was slow going. Towards the end of the book the chapters and point of view started changing to Dirks point of view has well as Selena's. The book had a happy, positive ending but it wasn't fake. Roelf (from the beginning of the book when he was 12) came back to the farm to visit Selena which was nice. By the end of the book Dirk had a very nice, privileged life as a business man. I felt like Selena was disappointed in Dirk because his original dream of being an architect was abandoned for money. Selena had worked hard all her life for what she had and to help Dirk but Dirk did not do the same.

If I were Selena I would also be disappointed in Dirk as well. As soon as Dirk moved into the city of Chicago, he changed. This really opened my eyes to show how much society can change you. Dirk learned the way of life in the city and abandoned his old ways. For some people, this change can be positive but for some it can be negative (like Dirk). If society can change someone's views and make them forget what they believed in then that is a negative thing. Overall I thought the book was really good and I recommend it. 

Slow Going

*SPOILERS*

I am about halfway through So Big by Edna Ferber. So far the book has taken a sad turn. Pervus (Selena's husband) has died, leaving her the farm and a son named Dirk. However, the farm is bad and does not produce any goods.

I was sad that Pervus died but I was also happy. Selena had many good ideas about the farm that would bring them more money and more goods but Pervus would always turn them down. Now that Pervus has died, Selena can use all her ideas to make the farm better. I think that I wasn't upset about Pervus dying because he wasn't in the book for very long, so I didn't become attached to the character.

New Book!

I just started reading a new book called So Big by Edna Ferber. The book is about the life of a women (19) named Selina Peake. The beginning of the book starts with the explanation of the title (kind of). The 2nd chapter starts later in the past when Selina was younger. So far in the book Selina has gone to the High Prairie near Chicago, where she used to live, and is in a Dutch community. She becomes the teacher at the school there and is living with a Dutch family. The most recent thing that happened in the book was that Selina got married to a man named Pervus DeJong, which was hinted in the first chapter because Selinas last name was different.
So far I am really enjoying this book. The book is at a hard(ish) level and set in the past. I can't wait to keep reading and get deeper into the book!

Giant Cliffhanger!

*SPOILERS*

I just finished Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley, which is part of the Flavia de Luce series. This is the newest book in the series that is currently being written about a 12 year old girl who solves the murder mysteries in her town and just so happens to be a chemist. In the end of the book, the killer of the organist, Mr. Collicut, is revealed to be Ms. Tanty one of the choir singers at the same church.
Once again, the killer surprised me and I did not expect Ms. Tanty to be the killer. Even though I did not expect Ms. Tanty to be the killer, it made sense she was the murderer and every thing clicked. Throughout the book, there had been the threat of the de Luce's (Flavia's family) house, Buckshaw, being sold because of financial problems. In the book, the de Luce's are forced to put a "FOR SALE" sign so the threat was even more present than in the other books. At the end of the book, Flavia's father calls the three sisters into the room to talk to them seriously. I thought (as did Flavia) that her father was going to tell them that they would have to sell the house. Instead, he tells them that their mother has been found. Their mother was supposedly dead on an expedition (because she was never found) when Flavia was a little kid. Then the book ends. I freaked out! Not only is that the biggest cliffhanger, but I have to wait a very long time until the next book comes out. This is definitely a giant twist for the series and I can't wait for the next book to come out so I can continue reading! But for now, I guess I will have to wait!

Halfway There

I am about halfway though Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley that is in the Flavia de Luce. In the beginning Flavia found a dead body in the crypt of the patron saint of their church who was then identified has the organist Mr. Collicut. Currently, Flavia hasn't learned much about who the killer of Mr. Collicut could be, although she has learned a lot of other things- things about her family and other people in the village.
I am so eager to keep reading this book to find out who the killer is! All the new information that Flavia is finding is really interesting. Every time Flavia learns something new I feel like I am learning something new as well! Some of the things that are happening in the story are shocking me and I can't wait to find out more!

Reunited

I have just started the new book in the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley called Speaking From Among the Bones. The book is about twelve year old detective Flavia who lives with her two older sisters and father. The series is set in the past but I am unsure as the year. Flavia continually finds murders in her small English town. Flavia is an avid chemist and at the beginning has found another dead body in the church.
I am really excited to delve even deeper into this book. I haven't read a series in a while and I forgot what it feels like to start reading a new book in a series. The feeling is great- its like picking up right where you left off! It reminds me of visiting people that you don't see often but still know them really well.I'm really interested to see how the relationships between all the characters progress. There is also a threat throughout the book that has existed the entire series that Flavia and her family will lose the castle like estate they live in due to money problems. I can't imagine the family living anywhere else so I am interested to see if they will have to move or if they will find a way to stay. And if they do leave, where will they go?  Alan Bradley, the author, is currently writing the series so this book is new. I love this series and can't wait to read even more!

The Book Thief- End

*THIS IS BEING POSTED NOW BECAUSE I DIDN'T NOW IT NEVER POSTED*

*SPOILERS*

    I have just finished The Book Theif by Markus Zusak. In the end of the book, a lot of things happened. Max had to leave the basement because it was becoming too dangerous for him to be there. Later in the book, Liesel saw Max when a bunch of Jewish people were being marched through town and she chased him down which got her whipped by a solider. In the epilouge, Death also said that Max came to visit Liesel once the war was over and "...they hugged and cried and fell to the floor." The mayors wife came to visit Liesel and gave her a notebook because Liesel had sent her a note informing her that she could not steal her books anymore. Liesel then started going down to the basement every night to write and would often end up sleeping down there. At the end of the book, Molching (the town) was bombed while everyone was sleeping and unfortunately, since no one could get to shelter because they were asleep, everyone died. Except Liesel because she was in the basement. The last chapter when Liesel was walking through Himmel Street after the bombing was incredibly. She found the dead bodies of her mother and father and she found Rudy and kissed him finally (during the book Rudy would always ask Liesel for a kiss). In the epilouge, it also explained that Liesel moved into the mayors house.

    I really loved this book. The last chapters made me cry and the entire book made me smile. I highly recommend this book!!!!

The Book Thief- Middle

*THIS IS POSTED LATE BECAUSE I NEVER REALIZED IT DIDN'T POST*

*SPOILERS*

   I am in the middle of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The book is following Liesel and everyone else on Himmel Street (the street she lives on now) because that is really the center of her life. Liesel has been stealing books from the mayors house and has developed a strange relationship with the mayors wife, who knows she is stealing books and is letting her. Liesel's and her foster father, Hans, has a very good relationship and Liesel and her mother, Rosa, also have a good relationship even though Rosa doesn't show it. Liesel also has a best friend named Rudy who is her neighbor. Also, a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg has come to live in the basement of Liesel's house which adds an interesting twist to the story. So far Liesel and Max have a really sweet relationship which I can wait to read more about.

   So far I am really loving this book. I really like that the narrator is Death because it gives a very interesting and creative aspect to the book but Death is also removed so its not all very narrated. I love seeing the all the relationships that Liesel has and you can really see through her eyes into her world. Liesel has a fairly normal life and her life isn't all about the war like some books about this time period even though it was a very important time. I really like this aspect of the book because it involves the war but also gives you the view of what all the 11 year old German girls were doing. I can't wait to keep reading this book and so far highly recommend it!

The Book Thief- Beginning

*THIS IS POSTED LATE BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE IT NEVER POSTED*

    I just started a new book, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The book is about a German eleven year old girl named Liesel Meminger in 1939. At the beginning of the book, Liesel and her brother are being taken by their mother to a foster home because her mother is very poor and wants a better life for her children. Unfortunately, on the way to the foster home, her brother passes away and Liesel and her mother have to stop and bury the little boy. (This is not a spoiler because it happens within the first 20 or so pages.) When she is there she steals a book that the gravediggers dropped called the Gravediggers Handbook and then they continue on to the foster home. Once at the foster home her mother leaves and the story continues.
    Right off the bat I found I really liked this book. For the first part, I am almost positive the narrator is Death but I am not completely sure because I am not that far into the book yet. So far I really like the book and can tell that the writing is really great. I can't wait to keep reading the book!

Sonnet

Melting

By Clara Napolitano 805

Snowflakes fall from the sky a dazzling white 

Melting as they touch grass and city streets

Everything seems to be brighter than light 

Covering a city as it silently sleeps 

It seems that all around the world it snows

It seems that the snowflakes will never stop

Though you will see that things will grow 

In places where the sun shines bright atop 

And where it snows light will again awake

And where things grow the dark will take suns place

And snow will melt from the dirt humans make 

Beauty taken away to another place 

Seasons will change and things will grow

But things will die and that we always know 

Martin Espada Essay

Clara Napolitano 805

            Martin Espada is a Latin poet who wrote many poems and published three books of poems. In his three poems that we looked at there are many different themes, one of the biggest themes was culture. The three poems we looked at were Revolutionary Spanish Lesson, Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877 and The New Bathroom Policy at English High School. In all three of the poems, culture was a huge theme.

            One reason culture was a theme in all of the poems was because he wrote about specific dates in Spanish history. For example, in the poem Revolutionary Spanish Lesson, it says “… I want to buy a toy pistol, put on dark eyeglasses, push my beret at an angle, comb my beard to a point…” which is describing Che Guevera, who was a leader in the Spanish Revolutionary war. Another example was in the poem Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877. The poems title describes a date in Spanish history when two Mexicans were lynched. This shows that culture was a theme in all of the poems, and one reason for this was because he talked about specific dates in Spanish history.

            Culture was a theme in all of the poems was because he wrote about discrimination. For example, in Revolutionary Spanish Lesson he writes, “… force them to chant anti-American slogans in Spanish, and wait for the bilingual SWAT team to helicopter overhead…” This shows discrimination from Spanish to Americans, which is the opposite of the other poems. It is discrimination because Republicans from Wisconsin are usually discriminate against people of other cultures so Martin Espada is being discriminate against them by assuming they will be discriminate. Another example is in The New Bathroom Policy at English High School that writes, “The boys chatter Spanish in the bathroom while the principle listens from his stall, The only word he recognizes is his own name… So he decides to ban Spanish in the bathrooms…” The principle in the poem discriminates against the boys because he doesn’t bother to understand what the boys are saying he just automatically banned Spanish in the bathroom. The last example is from Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877. He writes, “…when forty gringo vigilantes cheered the rope that snapped two Mexicanos into the grimacing sleep of broken necks…” which is discrimination because the “gringos” or Americans, cheer when the Mexicans die. This shows that culture was a theme in all three of the poems and one of the reasons for this was because Martin Espada talked about discrimination from Americans against Latinos.

            In conclusion, one big theme in all three Martin Espada poems; Revolutionary Spanish Lesson, The New Bathroom Policy at English High School and Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877, was culture. Two reasons for this are because he talked about discrimination against Latinos and because he talked about specific dates in Spanish history. 

...Another Ending

*SPOILERS*
I just finished the book I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and the book was great! It followed Cassandra as she went through her first love and how she grows up.
At the end of the book, Rose runs away with Neil and leaves Simon hunting for her. Once they find Rose and Neil, Simon realizes that Rose is not in love with him, and Cassandra realizes that Simon could never be in love with her. Then Simon goes back to America with his mother, and Neil and Rose do the same. Cassandras father starts writing again and the story ended all wrapped up. The end was a kind of fairy tale ending but it was still open to the future of Cassandra and her world.
I highly recommend this book and hate that it ended!
I really liked the book and thought that the story progressed really well. The journal entries were different than other books that are in journal form that I have read. There was no date and the entries were long and sophisticated and really told the story. This made the book even better and makes you fall in love with Cassandra and her world.

...Another Middle...

*SPOILERS*
I am halfway through I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and A LOT has happened! Two visitors came to the castle and introduced themselves as Simon and Neil Cotton, who own Scoatney, a large house (its a mansion really) and the castle that Cassandra and her family live in! Luckily, they are kind and strike up a friendship with Cassandra's family. Rose, Cassandras older sister, immediately sets her eyes on Simon as a love interest to gain some money for the family. Currently in the story, Rose and Simon are newly engaged and Cassandra is really pleased.
Throughout the story I have noticed some little differences in British life that seem almost foreign to me. For one, they have more meals in a day than we do, but I already knew that. In the story,  Simon has a beard which looks incredibly strange to both Cassandra and Rose but to me (and probably a lot of you)  it is a totally normal thing. The writing is also very different. This might sound crazy, but it has a lot more of a English feel to it. For example, there are a lot more descriptions of the scenery and of all the moments, and the writing seems more sophisticated. I can't wait to continue reading this book and to post more about it!

Another Book...

I just started a new book, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. So far the book is pretty good, but I  don't really have much of an opinion just yet. The book is a journal of a girl named Cassandra who lives in an old broken down castle in England with her family. Her family consists of her father, her fathers wife Topaz (her step-mother), her sister Rose, her brother Thomas, and their worker/adopted son Stephen. I am not far into the book yet but I already know that the family is very low on money, and life doesn't seem too bright. Nothing of action has happened yet, but the writing is really great and I can't wait for this book to get going!

Not Continuing

*SPOILERS*
I unfortunately do not think I am going to finish the Books of Ember series. The ending was good but also a GIANT cliffhanger to pull you in to the next book. However I didn't like the book enough to finish it. In the end Doon and Lina get to the new land and come to a great hole where the City of Ember is. I found it frustrating that the new beautiful land was just above them and they couldn't see it. I don't often read a book and not like it so i was disappointed that I didn't like it. Maybe the book was written at an age level too young for me, because if I was younger I probably would have liked the book more. However the book was still really good but I just don't think these books are for me.

Starting ANOTHER Series

I started the book, The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau which is the first book in the City of Ember book series. In the book the City of Ember they used to have a unlimited supply of everything but they recently have been running out of items. One of those items is light bulbs so the blackouts are becoming more common and the lights for bed go out at 9:00. In this world a kid goes to school until they are 12 and then they are assigned a job. Lina Mayfleet wants the job of messenger but instead gets the job of Pipeworks worker. Doon Harrow gets job of messenger but wants Pipeworks worker- so they switch.
Since I just started the book I am not very far in and so far I don't know if I like the book. It is moving really slowly and so far not much as happened since around the first chapter when Lina and Doon switch jobs. I don't know if this world is in the past or the future because they don't have trees or grass or the technology we have now but it doesn't seem like it was in the past because it is a different world. I haven't read much but will definitely finish it.