week 6

Curently: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "The Second Summer of the Sisterhood" by Ann Brashares
Pages this week: 164
Pages this semester: 968
"This girls is a freeeeeeak."
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened."
"Before the traveling pants we didn't know how to be together when we were apart."

second sisterhood of the traveling pants

So I just started “The Second Summer of the Sisterhood” by Ann Brashares. I am excited to read it, because I think it will be good just like the first one. But I hope no one dies in this one, because that was soo sad. But I guess it was a lesson in a way, to show that life can be vulnerable and must be treasured.

sisterhood of the traveling pants part5

Bridget had hit a big bump in the road, because she ended up being with Eric. The book didn’t really say what happened, but I can make a guess. Because Bridget became very upset and secluded from everyone at the camp, even Eric. Everyone was worried about her. Eric was so worried he finally met with her privately to talk to her. The talk was very sweet, but it was upsetting. He basically said how in a different time it would work out, but because the rules of the camp and their age that it would not work out. I feel so bad for Bridget, because she had been through with her mom being dead. Through the whole summer all of the girls had been sending letters to each other, sometimes they would call if they could. Bridget had been sending Lena letters that worried her. So it was the day Lena and Effie were traveling back home, when Lena decided she would catch a flight to Baja, California to comfort Bridget and return home with her. She knew she had to make it all work out, because the next day Bridget would be getting on a plan to go home. Lena wanted to make she that Bridget would get on the plan and have a safe flight. Lena ended up making it to Bridget’s cabin, which surprised Bridget. Lena gave the pants to Bridget to make her feel better, because it would feel like Tibby and Carmen were there. I think Lena is an amazing friend for going to see Bridget. Lena knows Bridget so well that she knew she had to be there for her. I think friendships like that are very rare, and if it happens people should embrace it. I love how all the friends knew each other so well, and even when they are in a fight they still know what to say. I think more friendships need to be like the one in this book, I find the book somewhat inspirational.

sisterhood of the traveling pants part4

I finished “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares. It was a pretty good ending, I guess. Tibby’s one friend Bailey died. It was sooo sad, because Tibby got really close to her over the summer. Bailey was a mini Tibby. Carmen finally hit her breaking point when she was at her Father’s. She was upset about the dress fitting for her Father’s wedding. Carmen went with her soon to be step-mom, Lydia, and her soon to be stepsister, Krista. The seamstress was being very rude to Carmen, because the dress was not fitting properly. Carmen ended up leaving and taking a walk, when she realized it was really late and her Father would be worried about her. But when she looked through the window, she saw her Father, Lydia, Krista, and Paul saying grace without her. She got so upset and threw a rock through the window and ran. The author never really established how she got home though. But, Carmen did return home and hung out with Tibby and Bailey. Which was a good thing Carmen came back, because she helped Tibby deal with Bailey who was in the hospital. Plus she was there for her when Bailey had passed away. Lena ended up meeting up with Kostos on her last day, which she also got the pants back. She explained to Kostos everything and apologized to him too. She noticed how he was patient with her, because many things she was saying came out wrong or it was hard to get out. They had their first kiss too, which I wish happened a long time ago. I think Kostos seems like a good guy, especially for Lena.

sentences of the month

"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday." - from the book "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares

"Don't let the cute guy make you forget yourself." - from the book "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins

"You shine brighter than the Milky Way." - from the book "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins

I like these quotes because they are sweet and inspirational. The first quote is funny and inspirational, it reminds me not to worry so much. The second one gives any girl good advice, because people can get lost. The last one is just a cute, sweet quote.

currently 5

Current book: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares

Pages this week: 161

Pages this semester: 804

Quotes:

"When life hands you a lemon you say oh yeah I like lemons. What else ya got?"

"Time tells the truth."

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Got that?"

sisterhood of the traveling pants part3

So Tibby and Carmen’s summer has gotten a little bit more exciting. Tibby is starting to hang out with her new friend Bailey. Tibby met Bailey at work, when Bailey collapsed on a display and passed out. Tibby tried her best to do the right thing in the situation. She called 911 and looked through her wallet to contact a parent. Also, she went with Bailey to the emergency room. I thought it was very kind of Tibby to do that, when she did not even know Bailey. Anyways the two of them are a good pair, even though Bailey is a few years younger than Tibby. I think in the beginning Tibby hung out with Bailey because she found out Bailey has leukemia. After the two been hanging out, I think Tibby actually likes hanging out with Bailey. The two get along very well with their personalities. They decide to start a documentary with different people they know. They have so far interviewed a women Tibby works with, and this nerd that play this arcade game at a seven eleven store. The last part I read was when Bailey asked to try on “the pants” to be interviewed by Tibby for the documentary. I think Lena overreacted when Kostos accidentally caught Lena skinny dipping. She made it seem like Kostos hurt her, and Lena’s Grandparents and Kostos Grandparents got into a fight. Her Grandfather, Bapi, had to go to the hospital, because he broke his nose. The only people Lena told the truth to was Carmen and Effie. I do not understand why she was even upset about it. She should have just been embarrassed, not angry and upset. I will blog about Carmen and Bridget’s vacation when I read more about it. I am at a spot where I need the whole story to understand and talk about their summer.

sisterhood of the traveling pants part2

I am in love with “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares ! I guess it really is true that the books are better than the movie. There is so much more that happens in the book than in the movie, plus the book is way more descriptive, obviously. All of the girls have gotten a little settled into their summer spots. So far I like Bridget and Lena’s vacation. Bridget is in Baja, California for soccer camp. I love how Bridget is so confident, there is this boy Eric that Bridget likes and she is trying to get him to like her back. Eric is a coach, so he is older, and it is against the rules to have a relationship with one of the coaches. Also, the description of the environment sounds so very pretty, I want to go there now. I love the beach and ocean, and I have never been to California. Lena is in Greece to visit her Grandparents with her sister Effie. Her Grandmother, Valia, tries to set Lena up with Kostos, which everyone in the little town of Oia love him. Lena is very skeptical about the situation, because every boy to her is the same. Effie is more excited to meet Kostos than Lena is, which I think is funny because Effie is younger than Lena and has more interest than Lena. Kostos actually impresses Lena a little bit, because he really is handsome and polite. But, Lena still turns the other way and does not give him a time of day. Kostos is a sweet gentleman who keeps trying to get to know her, but Lena turns him down politely. I would so get to know Kostos if I was Lena. He just seems like the perfect guy. Anyways, Tibby and Carmens summer vacation is a bit rocky and boring so far. But I will read a little more to see if it gets better. Their stories probably will get better; I just have to wait until that one moment.

claims of the day

CLAIM 1
http://daltonstuart.blogspot.com/2011/09/close-reading-of-team-iluminate-dance.html

Team iLuminate’s performance on NBC’s Americas Got Talent the groups [jerky but elegant movements, strange and breath-taking choreography, and rapid roaming use of space].

i love the video, the song is one of my favorites. the way the movements were described showed the most description.

CLAIM 2
Catherine's use of goofy clothing, fierce jumps, and precise gracefulness express a sense of energetic and explosive dance that has a playful attitude. 

i like the adjectives used in this claim.

CLAIM 3
With a curved and fluid body, a deafening roar and clean and colorful finish and the majestic way they drive on the roads, cars today express an animated and aggressive vibrance that is all themselves.

CLAIM 4
In this video clip Corgi Stampede, the puppies running towards the camera demonstrate a brief and eager excitement,  an adorable, cute, graceful, and cuddly appearance,  a loud, repetitive sound, and a fast paced, wild, and out of control energy, which exposes a sense of sweet docility, animated enthusiasm, friendly excitement, ecstatic playfulness, joyful giddiness, and frantic silliness.
CLAIM 5In this dance from the show America's Best Dance Crew, the [crew's breath-taking yet crazy, loud and exciting choreography, fast paced music, and wide range of use of space] express [a dramatic explosion and loud abstruseness.] 

claim

ELEMENTS:
color -clean, beautiful, gleaming, light, sparkling,
texture/line - distinct, precise, graceful
environment - vast, wandering. high, colossal


CLAIM:
In this beautiful beach painting, the sparkling water to the clear gleaming sky, the vast openness of the ocean, and the author’s use of graceful, yet precise lines and textures illustrates the dreamy peacefulness the author attempts to portray.

poet of the month

I copied “A Single Smile” by Paul Eluard into my moleskine. I thought his poem we wrote in class “I said it to you” was sweet. So I read more poems he wrote.

A single smile disputes

Each star with the gathering night

A single smile for us both

And the blue of your joyful eyes

Against the mass of night

Finding its flame in my eyes

I have seen by needing to know

The deep night create the day

With no change in our appearance.

curretly 4

Current books: “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares

Pages this week: 165

Pages this semester: 643

Quotes

“These are magic pants."

"They all watched breathlessly as Bridget expertly jimmied the lock."

"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday."

sisterhood of the traveling pants

I started “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares. I have seen the movies, but I have always heard the books are so much better than the movies. The book gives more of a description on their childhood, and how close they have been. The book starts out with a prologue, written in Carmen’s point of view. She had got the pants from a thrift store near this water store called Yes. The purchase was random, because she just bought it to just end up throwing away. I love their friendship together, it is so strong and loving. The book is pretty much about the lives of four best friends who are going to be separated during the summer, doing their own things. The four best friends try on the pair of pants Carmen bought from the thrift store. They find it strange that the pants happen to fit all of them amazingly. They are different shapes and sizes, so they come to the conclusion that they are magic pants. I just do not understand how they could fit all of the, but I guess it is just a book. Anyways, they discover that the pants all fit them a few days before they are all separating. Tibby is staying home to work at Wallman’s. Bridget is going to Baja, California for soccer camp. Lena and Effie, Lena’s younger sister, go to Greece to visit their Grandparents. Carmen goes to South Carolina to visit her Dad and his new family. They all decide to make rules about the pants; some of them are quiet funny. I wish I had a pair of pants I could share with my best friends that fit each of us amazingly. Even though I just started this book, I definitely like it much better than the movie. I am so glad I started reading this, because if I did not read this, I would probably be reading another Ellen Hopkins book. I like her writing and ideas, I just think her books are too depressing. I like to read books that make me happy, even though they can be too fairy tale ending, I like it.

crank

I finished “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins, it was really good and bad. I liked the message and the emotion, but I hated the way things turned out for Kristina. In the beginning she was this bright girl who no one would think would be addicted to drugs, or even start them. Kristina went away to spend time with her Father in New Mexico, where she started with the drug. She met a boy named Adam, who calls himself Buddy. Oh, and Kristina tells people her name is Bree while she is in New Mexio. In the beginning when the author mentions Bree, I was very confused as to who she was. I guess she is Kristina’s other half. Bree is the wilder and darker version of Kristina, when she is under the influence. Kristina’s relationships with her family, friends, and boy friends fall apart. Anyways when Kristina met Adam she began getting into meth. Her personality changes when she is under the influence and with Adam. The two keep writing together when Kristina has to return home to Nevada. She soon meets Brendon who is also addicted to meth, who ends up raping her. Kristina gets her meth from a girl named Robyn. Then she meets a good guy named Chase, who does meth too. Chase is the only one she really has a relationship with, because he actually cares about her. Then she finds out she is pregnant, at first she thinks it is Chase’s, but then realizes its Brendon. The whole book is just an eye opener. I hated how her life turned out because she tried meth and got addicted, but it is a realization to people the effect of meth on a person’s life and the surrounding people. I don’t think I will be reading anymore of Ellen Hopkins books, they all end sad. I like happy endings.

current post week 3

Books Reading: “Burned” and “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins and “Keeping the Moon” by Sarah Dessen

Pages This Week: 153

Pages This Semester: 478

Quotes:

“Every atom of me missed him.” – “Burned”

“Don’t let some cute guy make you forget yourself.” – “Keeping the Moon”

“Anyway, Samuel’s all red and scrunched up and not pretty at all.” – “Burned”

I was not here Thursday and Friday, the day the current blog post was due.

The book I was reading at the time was, “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. I started on page 1 and ended on page 460. So I had read about 153 pages that first week.

Quotes:

“He was Chateaubriand. I was hamburger.” –“Burned”

“You shine brighter than the Milky Way.” – “Burned”

I put both the quotes on the bottom on the first blog too.

On the update week two, I messed up the page numbers and quotes. I read 162 pages on the second week. So I read 315 pages this semester. I read a few pages in “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins, but most of my reading was in “Keeping the Moon” by Sarah Dessen.

Quotes:

“Cat Norman was, after all, named after Norman Norman.” – “Keeping the Moon”

“The light over the medicine cabinet WORKS, BUT ONLY SOMETIMES.” – “Keeping the Moon”

“Mayonnaise is a lot like men.” – “Keeping the Moon”

crank

Now I am starting “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins, the book I originally wanted to first read. My friend gave me the book, because the school library had a waiting list and I did not have time to go to the public library. I had high hopes on this book being good, but after reading “Burned” I am not having my standards set too high on “Crank” being a happy ending book. I heard from other people that “Crank” is a good book, plus it is based on a true story. Which I think is very interesting, considering the book is about a girl who gets addicted to Crystal Meth. I have always wondered what really happens to a person, and the lives it destroys. I feel like this book has a good message to people, especially to teenagers/young adults.

finished keeping the moon



I just finished “Keeping the Moon” by Sarah Dessen. The ending was soooooo much better than “Burned”. The ending was an appropriate and mood lifting. Morgan did have a hard time with her fiancé, who ended up marrying a pregnant stripper without Morgan knowing. Morgan found out because she went to surprise visit him. That would absolutely suck, I could not imagine how she must have felt. Her friendship with Isabel went down too, because Morgan became very bitter at Isabel. Also, Morgan distanced herself from Colie. All of the friendships and relationships went through a hard time. Colie has a little thing for this boy named Josh, which hurts Norman. Isabel and Morgan push Colie to realize that Norman is a much better guy than Josh. Apparently Norman has had a not so perfect life, his Father owns car dealerships and Norman did not want to pursue what his Father wanted. Norman told his Father he wanted to go to art school, but his Father said he would not pay. Norman’s Father was really upset, because both of Norman’s older brothers worked in the dealership. Once his Father said he would not pay for his art schooling, Norman left and started on his own. When Colie and Norman get close, Norman makes a portrait of Colie for his project. Norman is very talented and everyone in the little town adores him, because he is so sweet. Anyways, the two end up together. Plus Morgan realizes she cannot keep dwelling and crying over her ex-fiancé. Morgan makes up with Isabel and Colie by dancing to the music. That was the very last scene of the story, which I thought was a perfect ending.

fnished burned

Omg, so I just finished “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins. I liked the book up until page 458, where Pattyn had to go back home. After Pattyn went home, her life went down hill. I felt so sad and angry when I finished. When Pattyn got home, her Father beat her whenever she made a small mistake. Everyone in the house was even more threatened by him. Also, her Mother had the baby boy, which was named Samuel. I felt so bad for everyone in the house; the Father was very abusive and did not care about anyone in the family, except for the new baby boy. Samuel was the first boy of the family, which the Father kept trying to have. Now there are I think seven or eight children in the house. A few weeks into school, Pattyn noticed she had not had her period in seven weeks. She then took a pregnancy test and found out that she was pregnant. She obviously kept the secret from her family, until she could decide how to act. Pattyn and Ethan would call each other durning Pattyn’s lunch at school. When Pattyn told Ethan about the baby, Carmen and Tiffany overheard. They went around and told everyone. So, obviously it got around to her Mother. Pattyn’s Mother did not tell her Father right away, instead she questioned Pattyn about the pregnancy. Anyways, Pattyn and Ethan had a plan to runaway together. Both of them were scared that Pattyn’s Father would hurt them. While they were driving away the cop lights lit up. Pattyn told Ethan to speed up, but Ethan lost control of the car while they were turning a curve in the road. Pattyn woke up in the hospital, She had lost Ethan and the baby. At first when I read that I could not believe it, I had to reread it. Pattyn had to stay in the hospital for a week, and no on in her family visited her. When she got home, her father pretty much disowned her. After the tragic event, Pattyn went crazy. She had a plan that she would kill a list of people that ruined her life. I do not know if she is really going to do it, but anything could happen.

update week 2

books: "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins and "Keeping the Moon" by Sarah Dessen

pages this week: 172

pages this semester: 632

keeping the moon, part 2

At first when Colie meets Morgan and Isabel it is a bit rocky. They get a long; it is just it is a bit awkward. Colie is the reserved type of girl; I think it is because she was insecure about her weight. Morgan and Isabel are best friends, but they are the total opposites. Morgan is the kind, nice one. Isabel is more of the tough girl. Anyways, Colie goes with her Aunt to this restaurant called Last Chance Bar and Grill, where Morgan and Isabel work. Colie ends up getting a job there. They live in a small town called Colby, North Carolina. Everyone knows everyone there. I like how this teen book is about a girl finding herself and making good friends along the way. Instead of a girl meeting a boyfriend, well at least for now that is how it is. Through the summer the girls become close and learn that they can count on each other. Colie thought Isabel was this popular cheerleader with high self-esteem back in high school. Isabel actually was not, which surprised Colie. Isabel told Colie about her life, and it sounded like Colie’s life about not fitting in. This book just shows how people are a lot different then they appear. I am going to read more of Sarah Dessen books, I love them.