Overpopulation

I recently read an article on SIRS called "A World Too Full Of People" by Mary Fitzgerald. It is about how the populations are getting larger, and there are less recources. Soon, there will be too many people for the wold to carry, and things will start to fall apart.

The article states, "It is predicted that, if the global population continues to grow at the present rate, the world will need the resources of a second earth to sustain it by 20 50." Our world is growing at a very fast rate. The article has the story of Leucadia Quispe, a 60-year-old mother-of eight, whose 8 children have all moved from Botijlaca, Bolivia because there was no way that they could make a living out there. Each day, she has has to carry 5 buckets of water for her pets and herself. For her, water is a scarce resource. The reason for this is the bunch of people living there tryign to do the same thing to live. But the truht is, there is not enough space anymore for people to share everything. Overproduction is leading to many problems in the world. According to the article, today the world population is 6.9 billion people. It is estimated in about 40 years that it the population will reach 9.2 billion people. This can become dangerous. More people means more crowding, more cars, pollution, global warming, etc.

This article "A World Too Full of People" addresses the problems if too many people are in the world and what is going to happen. I think that there can be ways that this can stop or we can adjust so that there will be enough recources in the future and it will not become a worry. I know that overproduction can lead to consequences, and I fear that it will happen if too many people are on the planet. People should become aware of the dangers so that everyone can come together adn help make the wrold a better place.

Stand By Me Movie

The movie "Stand By Me" is about a group of adolescent boys that go on an adventure to find a dead body of a boy their age. From the begginning and for most of the movie it shows the boys being immature and having fun being kids. Later in the movie, the boys face mature problems and learn to deal with it and leave seeing the world in a different way. Finding the dead body changed the boy's point of view and made them see reality.

The five boys Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern all have problems at home or problems with other things. Gordie's brother passed away and ever since that happened, he is almost invisible to his parents at home. Chris Chambers does not have someone to look up to in his family and he is not a good student. His brother is a terrible teenager and does things that he should not be doing. He does not hvae much family at home either. Him and his brother have bad reputations.  Teddy DuChamp has a bad relationship with his father, and he does not think before he does things. Vern is a bit timid and overthinks many things, which is not necessarily bad. For them, life at home is more serious and they have to be mature.

The adventure forced the boys to think for themselves. They had only eachother to do everything for the night. They had to get their own food, find the way by themselves, set up their own campfire, and take responsibility for their actions and what happens. Doing these things made them more mature. They learned what it was like when you had nobody controlling you and telling you what to do. Many things could have gone terribly wrong, but they took on the role of being responsible to get what they wanted.

When the boys finally find the body, that is when the world actually changes for them. They have to deal with the reality of the boy's death, and that the kid is never coming back. At one moment when the find the body, Gordie completely breaks down in tears because he had a moment of realization about the problems he is facing. He says, "My dad hates me" over and over because he was thinking about all the times that his dad ignores him. All the big problems in life seem to come to the minds off the boys. They end up leaving the body and returing home with a different point of view and the world seemed a lot smaller to them.

Many people in life have to deal with problems and learn to be mature at a very young age because of certain experiences. I think everybody has a moment in life where they have a moment of realization and where reality kicks in. This movie shows that childhood is short and there is going to be a point in life where you have to be mature and responsible.

Friar Lawrence: Interesting Character

In school we are reading the play "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare. It is about two lovers from rival families who go through obsticals to make their love work out. There have been many different and interesting characters in this book. One of the characters that stood out to me was Friar Lawrence, which Romeo goes to for advice. Friar Lawrence is a big part of the story and is a foreshadowing character throughout the book.

As I analysed and interpeted soem of Friar Lawrence's lines, I noticed that he gives Romeo tons of advice. He is like a father figure for Romeo. Romeo comes to him when he is troubled and does not know what to do. Friar lawrence also helps makes decisions for Romeo. If there was not Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet would have not have gotten married and the plot would have been completely changed. In act 2, scene 3, lines 98-99 he says to Romeo, "In one respect. I'll your assistant be, for this alliance may so happy prove to turn your household's rancor to pure love." This line is Friar Lawrence's response to Romeo's wish for him to marry Romeo and Juliet. The Friar explains that he is only willing to do it for the sake of the relationship between the Capulets and the Montegue's . He believes marrying them will stop the fued between the two houses and pure love from their marriage will appear between the rival families. Friar Lawrence is not convinced of thier love, but it willing to do it for the better good.

Another line from Friar Lawrence from act 2, scene 3, line 101 is," Wisely and slowly. They stumble that run fast." This line warns about falling in love too quicly. Those who fall quickly will stumble later, meaning there will be opsticles or consequences. I think this foreshadows a bit because later on in the book, there are major consequences from falling in love too quickly. Friar Lawrence knows the consequences and the dangers of Romeo and Juliet's love and he is still willing to marry them. Even though Friar Lawrence is giving Romeo all this advice, he is almost going against his advice and still giving Romeo what he wants.

Friar Lawrence is a very important character in this play. Without him, Romeo would not have anyone to go to with advice or to tell his problems to. I think it is important for everyone to have that one person where they can share their problems with and they don't have to worry about getting introuble because they know they can be safe and protected around them, adn that is the character that Friar Lawrence plays in "Romeo and Juliet".

Romeo and Juliet: Young Love

I have been reading the book "Romeo and Juliet" which is about two young lovers from rival families that try to keep thier love lasting. They go through many hardships to keep their relationship. But before they met, I noticed that love was being forced. I think the reoccurring theme was that love should not be forced. Juliet was being told who to marry at the age of 14, and Romeo was to find a new love when he has not gotten over his prior love, Rosaline.

In act 1, scene 4, line 103-105, Juliet explains to her mother that she will only marry Paris (capulet that she is set to marry) because her parents want her too. She will try to like him, but if she does not like him, she will  not go further than she has to with love. Juliet is only doing this because her parents want her to marry and girls in Verona, younger than her are already mothers. Juliet does not feel ready yet for love (until she meets Romeo). Juliet should not only be able to choose who she loves, but she should be able to decide when she is ready to truly fall in love and become a wife and mother. If Juliet does not feel the connection with Paris, why should she live the rest of her life thinking she could be with someone else and be happy.

A similar story happens with Romeo. In act 1, scene 4, Mercutio is talking to Romeo, who is still heartbroken from Rosaline, which he loves yet she does not love him back. Mercutio is trying to tell him that he needs to get over Rosaline and find a new lady. But Romeo is not quite ready. He does not want to go to the party and dance and have fun, he wants to sit out and watch. In this scence, I feel that Romeo is being pushed out of love. Although Juliet is being pushed into love, they are still being forced to do something they are not in for.

One similarity I noticed between Romeo and Juliet is that they like to take their time in life and not be rushed into things when they do not need to. The other characters in the book seem to think that love is something you can just get get into and come out of right away, but you have to take your time. A lot of people in middle school act like Romeo and Juliet in a way. Some kids push through relationships and don't want to take their time with thier relationships and learning their lessons on the way. I believe people will have better relatioships if they take thir time and not rush into anything if they do not have to.

Texting Problems

I recently read an article from NY Times, by Katie Hafner, called "Texting May Be Taking A Toll." It expains the problems with texting and how it can affect texters. In recent years, the number of texts that have been being sent and recieved have been very high. According to the article, in 2008, the number of texts being recieved and sent a month was 2,272. That's a lot of texting. Most people who text do not think about how it can affect them and what the bad things about texting are. Psychologists and physicians are begining to worry about the health affects and the other problems. So what is the problem with texting?

It was found that texting causes problems such as anxiety, loss of concentration in school, loss of sleep, failing grades, and stress. Loss of sleep is a big part of texting problems. Teenagers will usually stay up late texting and talking to their friends while they should really be getting good sleep. Then they go to school and sometimes it can be very hard to concentrate while trying to stay awake because they did not get good sleep. Not only that, when people text in class, they are missing out on learning and if it gets to the point where the student is not paying attention most of the time, it can result in failing grades. Texting can also cause temporary or permanent damage to your thumbs. Even thought phones are banned in most schools, students know how to get away with texting everyday in class. Most of the time, teachers don't notice, so they just keep doing it.

I think it is very hard to concentrate while texting. Most of the time while doing my homework, I have my phone right next to me. Whenever I hear it buzz, I stop doing my homework and reply. I have seen people text in class because it happens all the time and nobody really minds. Although I agree with the article on how texting can have negative affects, I do not think that texting can cause all these health problems and be the main cause of stress and failing grades, etc. I do not belive that texting in class could be stopped just because the number is so large and also it is hard to limit texting in general. I was curious as to how texting can damage our thumbs too.

It is very important to stay focused and on task and not let things like texting stop us from doing what we are supposed to. Although texting is a way of communication, it can also have negative affects on teenagers. Maybe some teenagers will realize how texting can be harmful in different ways. Loss of sleep, loss of concentration, failing grades, stress and anxiety can all be from texting. So maybe texting isn't all that good.

Bad Influences

In the book Art Geeks & Prom Queens there are two people who influence the protagonist Rio. Rio is a shy, sort of nerdy girl when she moves to her new highschool. She wears worn out clothes because thats what she feels comfortable in them. She doesn't try too hard, in fact she does not care of what people think of her.She makes friends on the first day of school. But when she meets Kristi, the typical snobby, self centered popular highschool, things start to change and Rio becomes a different person. Kristi is not really a posative influence on Rio. Although she get Rio to step out of her comfort zone, she turns into a whole new person. Rio's character goes through many changes in the book because of Kristi.

Kristi basically controls every action that Rio makes. She cannot be seen with certain people, she cannot wear certain things, she has to act a certain way all because Kristi tells her to. Rio has to act almost fake and perfect all the time around Kristi just to keep her good impression and friendship. Now that Rio is Kriti's friend, every girl and boy in the school want to be friends with her. She went from having 2 friends in the school to having everyone in the school as her friend. Kristi makes her feel a bit uncomfortable with herself. When Kristi asks her if she wants some drugs, even though she has never done it, Rio does it just because Kristi did. And then it became sort of her thing and Rio does it when she feels down. Rio begins to do things she would never do before she met Kristi.

Although Kristi may have a mostly negative influence on Rio, she also helps her socially. Kristi teaches Rio to be open with people. If it weren't for Kristi, Rio might have still been the shy girl who made no friends. Rio learned a lot of new things because of Kristi. Even if she did something bad, she knew in the future not to do that. Rio also enjoyed having fun and not being in her shell at the time and she had someone to tell things to. Rio could care less if she was popular and when she became popular, it gave her a whole new view on people and their personalities.

I think Rio learned a lot from being friends with Kristi. She learned the difference between are real friend and a fake friend and the reality of the highschool cycle. Even though Kristi might have taken Rio out of her comfort zone a bit too much, it was worth the experience of being her friend and realizing the things she did.  For a while, Rio was not being herself because Kristi was forcing her to be someone who she wasn't.

Same Love: Macklemore

As I read and analysed the song lyrics of "Same Love", written and sang by Macklemore, is a song about same sex marriage and stereotypes. He starts off the song explaining that in the third grade he thought he was gay. He talks about how our society abuses the word "gay". He says, "Have you read the YouTube comments lately."Man, that’s gay" gets dropped on the daily". The word gay is being used for hate, and thats not what it should be used for. He wants people to know that it is okay to be yourslef and there is no difference between being gay or straight because a person is a person and everyone should be treated the same. He wants people to know that he supports same sex marriage, with one of the lines saying, "No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it".

Today, words that assosiate with same sex marriage are being used to make jokes or say it because because they can. Why is words like gay being associated with bad things? Being gay is not a bad thing, like Macklemore says. People are who they are and society should not bring them down. Macklemore wants us to realize the harm the word can do and he wants us to fight until there is freedom by law. He also wants us to know what it can cause. In his song, he sings, "A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are". People are willing to kill themselves because of what our world has come to in terms of same-sex relationships. Bascially, this song wants to show awareness of same sex relationships. He also explains how passing a law won't change evrything, "And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all". Although gay marriage was passed, people are still going to fight against it.

It is important for people to stay true to themselves because ultimately, you cannot change who you are and how you feel about certain things. Even if there is controversy about it, there is no reason to stop loving someone just because some one else disagrees on the idea. Mackelmore writes, "Live on and be yourself". I think he mean that keep going in life and don't change who you are because your decision is yours not somebody elses. He says, "Underneath it’s all the same love". This line stood out to me because it really sums up the song. He wants us to know that after all the fighting and contoversy, that love is love and you can love anybody. The ones fighting against it should not be against it because who are they to tell somebody they cannot love.

Although this topic is not relateable to a lot of people, it is an important message to keep in mind. I know some people who are in same-sex relationships and when I see words like "gay" being used for jokes and in daily comments from teenagers, it makes me annoyed to think people would use that word negatively. It should not be associated with the bad. I wonder how people in those relationships feel when they are constantly discriminated by some people of our society.  Macklemore wants us to know, feel, and think that same sex relationships are acceptable, and at the end, it is the "Same Love".

Body Image: a sensitive topic

I recently read an article on NY Times called "BODY AND IMAGE; How to Talk to Teenage Girls about Weight? Very Carefully." This article is mostly about how the topic of weight affects teenage girls (and boys.) Many girls, as they enter and go through their teenage years, are finding ways to become the perfect weight. They are dieting, fasting, or smoking cigarettes to lose weight. Some girls are going the extreme way and taking diet pills, and throwing up anything in their system. But when it comes up to talking about the topic, girls can be very sensitive about it. Parents are trying to bring up the subject in the kindest way, but the reactions can be negative. This article gives some ideas about how to bring up the topic in a polite way without having the teen storm off. So how are you supposed to address a self-conscious teen?

I think the author, Erica Goode, answers this question in a lot of ways. She uses tips on how to talk to the teen politely and addressing the problem without them storming off into their room. One thing that parents have to realize is that the way that they think of themselves can affect the way a teenage girl or boy will judge themself. For example if a mother tries on a dress and says, "Ugh, I look so fat, I need to go on a diet", then the daughter might try on a dress and say, "We, I need to go on a diet, I look terrible in this dress." Also instead of a mother or father just straight out telling their child that they are overweight, they could simply offer them a healthier choice to eat or drink. I think the author wants us to realize that weight is a touchy subject and cannot just be brought up in any way or anytime because teenagers will react, and most likely they will not be willing to easily talk about it. Erica Goode wants us to feel knowledgeable about the topic, and make us realize how teenagers feel when they are going through rough times (losing weight.)

I agree that weight and weight loss is a very sensitive subject. Although I feel like that, I think it is necessary for teenagers to talk about the problem. Some people are very self-conscious about their weight and will do anything to lose a couple of pounds. I think that if some girls are willing to do extreme things, they should be able to have a conversation about it with their parents. I agree with Erica Goode, when she explains that there are certain ways to bring up body image and weight loss. I know that the topic can be sensitive because sometimes I get annoyed when people bring up my body weight. A lot of people say I am too skinny and hearing that over and over can be annoying, even if I'm not dealing with dieting. So many teenagers around the world have to deal with the subject of weight and body image. It is a topic that people take seriously, so it should be addressed the right way.

Criminals as teenagers: Deserves a second chance?

The article "Lifers as Teenagers, Now Seeking Second Chance" from the NY Times is about a 14 year old girl who planned to murder 4 people, and killed 2. Now, court is deciding whether she deserves a second chance or not. According to NY Times there are 73 Americans that are now serving time for a crime they commited at the age 13 or 14. Some people believe that they were young, and did not have a conscience. But others believe that they knew what they were doing, and they made the wrong decision, therefore they have to do the time. Do teen criminals deserve a second chance?

I believe that they do not deserve a second chance. It was their choice to do the bad things they did. They deserve the punishment. I think that by the age 13 or 14 you are old enough to understand what it means to commit such crimes. It's not like they are 5 years old and they accidently shot their victim. No, they planned to do it. I feel like anybody that put someone's life at risk, or hurt/killed them does not deserve a second chance at being free. Although some people might learn their lesson during their time, I still think that crimes are unforgivable. You cannot escape from something you caused, whether it was as a child or as an adult, you still caused damage to someone or something.

Some teens might commit a crime because of peer pressure, or the feeling of power, but really, where you are going to end up, it in jail. And once you are in there, there is no going back and erasing what you did. I feel like in our society, teens feel like they can do what ever they want and then they decide one day that they are going to go and do crimes. In the past couple of years, there have been about 2 fairly big shootings by teenagers. As much as this has to do with kids and thier decisions it also has to do with our security, but that is a whole nother topic.

I think that if you do the crime, you do the time, no matter what age it was commited. I do not believe that teen criminals should get a second chance because they ruined their lives for themselves.

Princess In the Spotlight: Spoiler Alert-ish...

I recently began reading the second book in The Princess Diaries series, called Princess in the Spotlight. The title of the book pretty much explains the situation the main character, Mia, is going through. Like the beginning of the first book, nothing in Mia's life seems to be going smoothly. When Mia finds out her mother is marrying, and even worse, having a baby with her math teacher, she struggles to keep it a secret. But some things in life are not as bad as she thought. Mia has a secret admirer, and is trying to figure out who that could be. I think it is important for Mia to look on the posative side of things to take her mind off of the negative things.

For example, Mr.G, her Algebra teacher, is moving in with her. She believes this is probably the most embarrassing, horrifying, worst thing that can happen. What can be worse than randomly finding out that your Mom and Algebra teacher are pregnant, moving in together, and will be married soon. When I first read this, I thought about how horrible Mia's life is. But later I realized, hey, maybe Mr. G will raise her grade, and help her with work. Maybe he won't be as hard on her and maybe, he won't be such a bad stepfather/algebra teacher. Mia has a way of turning posative things into negative things, and if she keeps doing that, she is going to get herself into some trouble.

I think I have a similar problem to Mia. I worry a lot, and I also think of negative things instead of realizing how they can benefit me. As a runner, I sometimes race with older people, like ninth graders. Recently at Nationals, I remember going through the list of girls and seeing how a lot of them were in the ninth grade. Of course, the first thing that comes to my head is "thats not fair, they are a whole year older. They have a full year of more training." But really I could say how they could make me run faster, and be stronger. I realized how they can help me throughout the race. Mia needs to realize that some things are benefitting her, and making her life a ton easier.

Anothing thing that Mia is thinking too negativitley about is being a princess. Mia finds it totally unreasonable and terrible that she is the princess of Genovia. She thinks that her life is ruined. She will never just be a normal girl again, and she won't be a normal teenager, and do  normal teenage stuff without having a bodyguard following her every step she makes. I think there are some posative parts to being a princess. Mia already has her future picked out. Although it may not be the one she wanted, she still doesn't have to worry about what she has to do in the future. Also, maybe after Mia learns how princesses act, it might be a little fun. I think it is imortant for Mia to turn negative things in life into posative things.

Princess Diaries: Theme of Book--Spoiler Alert!

I recently finished reading the book Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. Towards the end of the book, I picked up  on the theme of the book. I learned that things aren't always the way they seem. In the end of the book the main character Mia finds out that the most popuar, most handsomist, most amazing "love of her life" Josh Richter, turns out to be the complete opposite of what she ever wished for. She found out he was only using her for the fame. Mia realized maybe she isn't made for Josh Richter, and he isn't the perfect boy like she thought.

Realizing Josh Richter was not like what he seemed like was good for Mia. She was able to see the real Josh under the perfect face. If Mia never noticed how rude and self-centered Josh was, she maybe would have stayed with him longer, and she would never know that Josh did not actually love her for her. This kind of remindes me of when people say "things happen for a reason." It remindes me of that because it was good that Josh was showing off to the public about their relationship for the publicity. It also benefited her because it saved her from later humiliation, if she realized later, or if something happened.

There have been times in peoples lives where they might have learned the same message. I know that plenty of times I have looked at people and from what I have heard from rumors, I autimatically think one way about them. But as I got to know people, I have realized that they are not the person I thought. People who I thought were stuck up girls, ended up being nice, funny girls and great friends. But also on the other hand, I always think people are nice, and outgoing, and they end up being mean, and not the person they seem to be. I think people should get to know the person more before they think they can have any sort of relationship with them.

Another example of things not always being what they seem, is Mia's grandmother. To Mia, Gradmere is annoying, mean, rude and unloving. But at the end, Grandmere is loving towards Mia and shows her that she is a very caring Grandmother, that supports Mia's ways. In these examples, they show that people are not the way they seem and they are different when you get to know them.

The Lorax Mentor Text

In class, we read the book The Lorax by Doctor Seuss as a mentor text for our picture book unit. What I want to talk sbout is the messages from this book. As a group, we gathered many messages from this book, such as being greedy can be harmful, never give up, and the message that i made myself was once you make a big decision, you can never go back. This book is about a creature called onceler that sort of took over and cut down all the truffalo trees in this fantasy world of Doctor Seuss's book. In the fantasy world, the onceler uses all the trufflao trees to make his new product called thneeds. He makes a big decision to get rid off all the truffalo trees, which causes global warming, to create a new company. Not only do I find this greedy, I find it a big mistake.

I believe the message of the this story is that once you make a big decision, you can never go back because he made the decision to cut down all the trees, andhave a mass production of thneeds. Instead he could of left the world a bright colorful place with the truffalo trees. At the end, he felt regretful and sad when all the trees were gone, and he couldn't go any further with his company. It also shows how greedy he was to take away all these trees.

I think Doctor Seuss shares this message with little kids in a great message. Although little kids may only think of the message in terms of that certain situation, it also applies for other people in life. Some people have made some decisions in life, and later on regreted it. People also do not realize that their decisions in life, or maybe their greediness may also affect other people, like the oncelers decision. If you think back, what would happen if the onceler decided to not cut down the trees, and maybe if he realized the destruction he caused, he wouldn't have done it. To connect the two messages between messages and greediness, some people make greedy decision, and regret it later on, not realizing the effect it had on them. The oncelor made a greedy decision that effects others.

I have never made a big greedy decision that effected others, besides eating the whole pack of cookies, and not leaving any cookies for anyone else, but I don't think that counts. But what I am mostly trying to say is that not that I ate the whole pack of cookies, I can't go back, and not eat all the cookies, because I aleady ate them.  Comparing that to The Lorax , the onceler cannot go back and keep all the trees, because he already made his decision and cut them down. I believe Doctor Seuss has a great way of showing a very large meaningful message through small, childish ways.

The Princess Diaries

What kinds of things are preventing your protagonist from getting to the resolution? Why? Do you think conflict has an impact on emotions? How?

The book Meg Cabot is so far about a young, clumsy, nerdy girl who is shocked to find out that she is the princess of Genovia. Her name is Mia. Mia seems to hate the idea of being a princess because she is pretty much the opposite of a princess. She cannot dress like a princess, walk like one, wave like one, and she does not look like one. She is attempting to balance out being the Princess of Genovia with school, and her friends, and her difficult grandmother.

I think the main thing that is preventing Mia from getting to the resolution is her best friend Lilly. Lilly does not know that Mia is a princess yet, and I do not think that Mia is planning on telling her anytime soon. I also think she is scared to go to school dressed like a princess becasue people do not know her as a princess, they think of her more as an outcast. I think the main reason why she does not want to be a princess is because she does not want Lilly to find out. The whole process of changing into a different person is greatly affecting Mia emotionally. She says she wants to be plain old Mia, not the Princess of Genovia. Another thing that is preventing Mia from wanting to be a princess is the fact that she has to move with her dad and grandmother to Genovia, and leave her mother and her best friend. She does not like her grandmother either, so she hates spending time with her.

The conflict definitely has a great impact on Mia's emotions. She has been stressed, and sort of depressed becuase she knows there is no way for her to get out of the situation she is in. She is most likely super overwhelmed. I know I would be overwhelmed if my father just told me one night that I was a princess. Most of all, she is in shock. I still think she is trying to understand everything that is happenning in her life. Her mom is dating one of her teachers. Her dad is the Prince of Genovia, adn her grandmother is the Queen of Genovia. Her best friend doesn't know she's a princess, and she is moving to Genovia. Her life is pretty complicated. She is also furious that her parents hid such a big secret from her for so long.

There have been times in my life where I felt like nothing was going right, or too many thing were happening at once. Like this past couple of months have been hectic. Balancing highschool open houses, and insterviews, running, nationals, homework, family, friends. Everything seems to be difficult, and overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like hiding in a hole far, far away and wait until life slows down. While I read this book I wonder what it must feel like to be a Princess, and how easy our life is compared to theirs.

Being Nikki: Bad Influence

Who influences your protagonist? Is it a negative or positive influence? How have they been influenced by somebody else?

In this story, the main character Emersom Watts, who had a brain transpant, and was now the world's most beautiful super model Nikki Howard, has been influenced by her best friend LuLu Collins. LuLu Collins is not the most intelligent person, actually she is aloof. She spends her days sleeping, drooling over Nikki Howards brother, and getting massages by their housekeeper. She dropped out of highschool, and tries to explain to Nikki that school is not what she should be doing, she should be having fun, enjoying her "wonderful" life, and having photoshoots.So when LuLu Collins comes into Em Watts life, things change a bit, and not necessarily good changes.

On the other hand, Em Watts was always an A student, studied, did not care about what people thought of her or her image. She never did anything bad, or anything that she was uncomfortable with, and she spend her days playing the Journey Quest video game with her best friend Christopher while eating bags of potato chips. But it all changed when she was transferred into Nikki Howard's body. LuLu convinces Em that going to clubs until midnight is better than studying for finals or going to school. Although Em Watts tries her hardest to stay on top of her grades from school, her social life is taking over. Em Watts is slowly taking on LuLu's habits, and I'm starting to wonder if Em is going to be able to stay in school and have the good grades she wanted. Being Nikki is harder than Em thought it would be. I don't think it will be long until Em drops out of school. Maybe it is too hard juggling school, modeling, boys, and her family problems. LuLu did not think school for Nikki was a good idea in the first place, and I think Em is starting to think that too. LuLu is sidetracking her from what Nikki really needs; school.

There have been times where I have realized that I have not been doing what I needed to be doing. Plenty of times I have been sidetracked from school, and thinking about other things. I've realized in the past that I have been influenced by my friends, and I have been more focused in my social life than my schoolwork. But I have also been influenced in good ways. My parents influence me. They show me that hard work pays off, and that I should never give up until I accomplished my goal. This is what I use for my races in track. During a race I work hard, and it usually pays off at the end, and I accomplish my goal, whether it's to get a certain time or finish in a certain place. I also use this way of thinking for school. I study for my test, therefor, I get a good grade. I do all my homework, so I get a hundred on my homework grade. There have been times in my life where I have been influenced in a bad way, like Em Watts, and in good ways.

I am not sure how things will turn out with Em Watts, but she is being influenced by LuLu, and I think she needs to realize what are important things in life, and what things she can put aside for later.

"Am I Blue?" : Don't Judge

I recently finished reading a short story called "Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville. This story teaches a great lesson to everyone who has been bullied or has been in a bad situation. Nobody deserves to be judged, and you cannot assume the way people are just by the way they look, talk, or walk. In the story, an indecisive  teenage boy gets to see what the world is really like, when a fairy god father comes into his life.  Vincent, the main character, has been deciding for the last year if he is gay or not. Even though he still does not know, people think he is, so he is brutally bullied by one of his classmates. His fairy god father tells him, "You may be, you may not. The point is, you're getting picked on because people think you are- which is why I've been sent  to work with you. Gaybashing is a special issue to me." This quote supports the idea, there is no reason for people to place their judgement on others.

When Vincent finds out that his fairy god father, Melvin, likes the same gender, he was a  little offended that Melvin had to be his fairy god father. Melvin was there to look over Vincent. He told Vincent that he wanted to be this way, that he gave up his life to be this way, and he does not care what people think of him. Melvin explains how so many people are hiding who they are because they are afraid of being bullied. That is when Melvin lets Vincent use the Gayard, which lets you spot people of "similar persuasion". This Gayard plays a huge role in this story, and it shows Vincent how many people are hiding that they like the same gender. Vincent is surprised to see how many people were judged, and that they are different than people think.

Melvin explains to Vincent that he should not let anyone define him, or to tell him who he has to be, because he can be anyone he wants, and there is not a reason to hide it. This is what everyone in the world should be like, they should not be afraid to be who they are. I have had times where I have been bullied because of the way I am. I am short, very short. Throughout elemetary school, and a little bit in middle school, people have teased me for being so small. Yes, it did hurt my feelings in the beginning, but I learned to accept it and not let anybody's mean comments get to my head. People assume that because I was short, I couldn't do things they could do, and that I couldn't stand up for myself. But these people are wrong. Being short is no different than being "normal size" or tall, besides that you could reach a book from a taller shelf.  But I realized... who are they to judge me because I'm short? Although I have never been bullied like Vincent has, and I am not in as bad as a situation that he is in, I am still able to understand that his character is being judged, and it is just wrong. Both Vincent and I have been judged just because the way we look or seem. It is never okay for someone to hurt someone else is because they are different. So many people in this world are afraid of showing who they really are because of fear.  There have been cases when bullying causes others extreme harm or even death.

"Am I Blue?" is a great story that has a very meaningful lesson. I hope one day, everybody in this world will be accepted for who they truthfully are without any problems. At the end, Vincent says, "And my third wish? I've decided to save it for when I really need it-maybe when I meet the girl of my dreams. Or Prince Charming. Whichever." This shows how Vincent changed. He realized he could like whoever he wants to like, because he is his own person and no one can tell him who to be.

The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh Response

What changes did Joby go through the story? Explain
I recently read a short story called "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury. Throughout the story, Joby goes through a big change. The reason he changed was because he had someone to encourage him, and he was able to believe in himself.
Joby is the Drummer Boy of an army, but he does not feel like he has a purpose in the army. So he hides. When the general finds him hiding and crying, he starts talking to Joby. He told Joby that it is okay to cry now, that he can't cry while war is going on. Joby is very different person before he talks to the general compared to after he talks with the general. Joby starts out the story scared, nervous, anxious, and has a lack of confidence. He did not think he was prepared for war because all he had was a drum, and two sticks to beat it. But the other soldiers had weapons. One line in the story is, "Me, thought the boy, I only got a drum,two sticks to beat it, and no shield." He was saying how he didn't have a shield so he could nto ptotect himself like the other soliders could. Though, neither Joby nor the soldiers were prepared mentally.
But when the general was talking to him, he was telling Joby that he does have a porpose, and he could really make a big change in the soldiers and how they fight in the war. The soldiers needed Joby, and so did the general. The soldiers were all over the place and disorganized. The general was telling Joby how he is needed because he needs to help organize and pull together the soldiers so they would be ready to fight tommorrow. The general said to him, "You are the heart of the army. Think about that. You are the heart of the army. Listen to me now." When these words came out  of the general's mouth, Joby realized that the soldiers needed him, and he needed to lead the army. Joby's part in the war was actually very important because he was the one who set the "mood" for the army. In the text, it explains that if Joby beat slow tommorrow, the heart of the army would beat slow. They would be lagging and not ready. But if Joby beat fast and steady, the men would be ready to fight.
Another thing that changed the negative thoughts that Joby was feeling was when the general told him that if he dies in the fight, Joby would be the one to be in charge. Joby would keep the in order. This gave Joby a small confidence boost. Joby was no longer scared,or doubtful in himself, he was strong, believed in himself, and he was ready to lead the army. He also believed he could make it out alive. Joby showed a huge change that could affect his army. Without the general finding him,Joby wouldn't have learned what he did, that he was the heart of the army. The general helped Joby find himself. Although Joby did not have any experience in war, that could no longer stop him.
I think this story showed that everyone is important and has a porpose in this world. Also to never give up, becasue good things will happen if you keep trying. Another message you could take from this story is that everybody deserves a piece in the puzzle.

Airhead

How does the characters actions affect other people in the story?
In the book Airhead, by Meg Cabot, the main character Emerson affects many people with her actions. Emerson gets into a very bad accidennt, that changes her life forever. Em had gotten a whole-body transplant in order to survive. But the doner was a super model. When Em (Emerson) finds out that shes trapped in a supermodels body, her life seems to turn upside down for a while. She isn't who she used to be. she doesn't like the things she used to like, her family acts weird around her, and everyone thinks she is Nikki when inside she is really Em. Em doesn't know who she is anymore. She is a shy tomboy living in a rich, snobby, supermodels body. Before Em knew that she recived a whole body transplant, she thought she had just been in a small accident. But when she found out she had been in a coma for about a month, she comletely flipped, worrying about catching in school, and homework. But when she found out about the body transplant a little later, she was angry because her family hid it from her. She worried about how she wasn't Em anymore, how Em died, and now she's Nikki.
"Nikki's" friends are devestated when she doesn't remember them. Em keeps trying to explain to them that she isn't Nikki, that she is Emerson Watts. Em does everything she can to try and convince Nikki's friends that she is not Nikki. These actions scare her friends. Lulu Collins (Nikki's best friend) feels sad, and angry that her best friend doesn't remember her. When Nikki cannot remember anything about her life, Lulu is deeply affected and tries her hardest to help Nikki gain back her memory. But it is Em inside Nikki, so she won't ever be able to remember Nikki's past. Nikki's boyfriend is frustrated that she can't remember him. He got angry when Em pushed him away from her. Em feels sorry for them because they think she is Nikki, but she cannot do anything about it. She cannot convince them that she is Em.
Em also affects her family with her actions. She dissappears from the hospital for one night, making her mother, father, and sister go crazy worrying about her. Also, Em's family are the ones who kepthe secret from her that she got a whole body transplant, so when Em discovered by herself that she was now in Nikki's body, they felt sorry that they didn't tell her before. When Frida, Em' younger sister see's that Em has Nikki's body, she is shocked. I think she is mostly jealous because Frida idolizes Nikki Howard. I think she was flabbergasted to see that her idol was basically now her own sister, who she used to insult, and be ashamed to be related to such a "loser". Em is also affecting Nikki's fans. When a goup of young girls came up to her and asked her for Nikki's signature, Em told them she wasn't Nikki, and tried to leave.
Em has affected many people so far in this book, and as I keep reading, I think she will affect more people with her actions. She has to be careful how she acts around people, now that she isn't just a normal teenager anymore, she is a celebrity, a supermodel, an idol to a lot of young girls. She has to make adjustments to who she is and what she does. I think Em just wants people to understand who she really is inside, and she wants people to know what happened to her.

Reading Response on Make Lemonade

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff is a short, yet meaningful read. It tells a story of a high school girl who is trying to get a job, so she could simply save up money for college. While LaVaughn, the main character, is in school she finds a bulletin board with a number of sheets of papers asking for a housecleaner or a painter or a babysitting job. Lavaughn ended up getting the babysitting job, but she had no idea what she was getting herself into. The mother who needed a babysitter ended up being 17 years old with two children and was a complete mess.
 Although LaVaughn is only 14, she ended up playing more of the mother role than the childrens actual mother (Jolly). As a child Jolly was homeless, did drugs when she was a teenager, and ended up with two kids by the age of 17, and never got to college. LaVaughns mother starts to question the babysitting job when she notices LaVaughns school and homework patterns are changing. Before the babysitting job, LaVaughn had good homework and school habits and very good grades. But after a while of spending time with Jolly, she failed to continue completing her homework each night, and made excuses for coming home late. As her mom begged and tried to convince her to quit the job, she refused. LaVaughn felt that she needed to help Jolly and her two children Jeremy and Jilly. She wants to clean up their house, which is infested with roaches, and other bugs. She is the one who cleans up after Jilly, who is only an infant, and Jeremy, who is a toddler. She is the one who bathes them, sings them to sleep, feeds them, and treats them as a mother should. Throughout the book, LaVaughn tries to get Jolly back on track and get her to go back to school. She delt with Jolly's mood swings, but at times she felt that maybe she could quit. She never did. At the end, Jolly's life changed. One moment at the end really shows that if Lavaughn was never in Jolly's life, things would have taken a turn for the worst.
This book was one of my favorites. It showed me that its good to help someone. Even if its just something small, it could still change the way they are, or just make them happy. I also learned a bigger lesson; people come into your life for a reason. Also, dont be scared of change. Jolly was scared to change, she did not want to go back to school, she didn't want to change the way she lived. She didn't know how to change. But when LaVaughn came, she taught her how to change, she taught her that its okay to change. She made her realize that she was changing for something good, to improve her life, and her children's life.This book had so many lessons, advice, and important information that people could use thoughout their lives. One peice of advice/lesson is that its good to take changes, and see what happens, becasue it could end up helping you.
I would definitely recommend this book to middle school girls. It is a very easy read, but a nice story, and very enjoyable. I couldn't put the book down! Each chapter leaves you of to want to keep reading. I loved this book so much!