Summer Reading Project: Entry 2

Looking for Alaska

In my novel, Miles Calavry says he's trying to "seek for the Great Perhaps," I have yet to figure out what he means by that. I believe he means he is looking for something greater than his life has already given him. So I would say that's what his desire is, seeking for a better life. As for Alaska, I think she wants to be known by every type of person there is possible, but she also wants to be laid back with no worries. She has a personality I don't really know how to describe, she likes to let everything just roll with the flow and get out of things easily. She's also very inquisitive, she is trying to figure out the quote about the labyrinth, she's determined to figure it out. Chip id kind of similar to Alaska, he likes to be seen, getting in trouble is something he's use to and he is okay with it. I believe he wants to become the rebel in the school, he'll do whatever it takes to become the most outgoing person around campus. Takumi, I haven't understood yet, I'm not exactly sure what his purpose is, he doesn't like to get in trouble and smoke like his friends do. I don't know if he's wanting to change and become more rebel like or just have friends that will accept him.  The theme I have discovered through out this book is, "one must stay strong for finding the right friends, even if it takes time." My book is structured by the counting down of days, I'm not sure what it's counting down to yet but I bet it's something big.

Summer Reading Project: Entry 1

Looking for Alaska

For my summer reading project I decided to read, Looking for Alaska by John Green, which takes place at Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama but the main character, Miles Cavalry was originally from Florida. Where Miles was from he went to a public school, but now he has to make a whole new adjustment to a private school. As he moves in to his new school he becomes friends with Chip Martin, his roommate, along with Chips friends, Alaska, Takumi and Lara. The conflict arising is Miles trying to survive at his new school or as he was saying "Seeking for the Great Perhaps." So far, he has done a better job here than he did at his old school. As he has become close with Alaska, they start to help each other out. Their on a search for a girlfriend for Miles, also known as Pudge. Alaska tries to set Pudge up with Lara, but in the end I believe the struggle will be Pudge trying to win over Alaska. As a reader, I feel a connection between them, But will Pudge end up staying friends with all of them or will the groupings change? Will Miles become a big shot in the school like his father did?

Looking for Alaska

I've heard this book is pretty decent. I decided to research it a little more and see what I think of it.


I found out it's about this boy named Miles, that's really shy and has no friends. He wants to transfer schools, where he basically lives at. He meets a guy named Colonel and a girl named Alaska. Throughout, the book they become really good friends. Miles gets in trouble with his friends and starts missing out on family things. Alaska gets in a really bad accident and everything changes.


This sounds like a book I would like to read. Many of my friends have said it's very good.

Connections

I believe relating to the book elixir is very hard. Not many people have a life where their being followed around. I sure can say I'm not being followed. But I think some of us can say we've had the feeling that someone may be watching us. Clea Raymond has been followed her whole life because of her dad. Some people out there can say this is their life story because out in our world today there are some sick people who are willing to get in trouble to hurt others that did nothing to them. Therefore, I believe this is a text verses society relationship. 

About the Author

Hilary Duff is the Author of Elixir, this video was from when she had resently gotten married. They were married for three years and then decided to split up. Hilary has been in many TV shows, like Lizzie Mcquire, or Movies, for example Cheaper by the Dozen. She was born on September 28, 1887 in Houston, Texas. She started her acting career while traveling with her sister for Ballet. As she says in the video above she never really grew up thinking she'd publish a book, but at the right time in the moment she felt it was right. Hilary has been very successful in her life.

Conflict has Arrived

Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? Or you can't sleep at night because you feel like someones in your room?

Clea has recently been going through pictures with her dads old employee, named Ben. She's very caught up in taking pictures. As she flips through all of them she notices a shadow in every single photograph. Not just any random shadow, but the same shadow everytime, of a person. Talk about feeling watched. Clea goes to bed with the lights on because she feels this shadow always around her now. She has been searching and searching on why this thing is in her photos.

Eventually, Ben comes out to show Clea her dads private office. Nobody was ever to go in there without permission. Ben took her down stairs and oppened the door. They walked in and Ben knew everything about that place. There was a secret compartment that had all of his photos in. Ben opened it and let Clea know that this shadow wasn't just following her... It had also been following her dad before he disappeared.

Now I'm where Clea wants to find this person, so she goes to Rio where her dad was last heard of to see if she could trace anything down about this so called "shadow".

Why kids should attend preschool

After Krista interviewing Ashlyn Bankes, a 5-year-old that's gone to preschool for two years now, studies show that she is advanced in her education.

"Did your child benefit from preschool? Would he have done just as well at a caregiver's house? Would your daughter have made the transition to kindergarten as easily without it? Would your grandson have read as quickly had he not gone? Could your niece have developed the same social skills at home?"

This quote from the article is all rhetorical questions.  Doing this to her articale let's reader think more without giving them a direct anwser. Many people want an anwser but really the anwsers to these questions vary to each person.  I believe this is a great way to engage a reader, it makes someone really interested in what is being said.

Krista likes to put a lot of statistics in her articles. Statistics are numbers of evidence that allow the readers put things into perspective. Krista likes to get the readers very engaged by the way she writes, for example questions. Giving the reader questions makes them focus closely on what is being said.

Some questions I'd like to ask Krista:

1.) Do you think it's really the school letting this 5 year old be advanced or could it just be a gift she has?

2.) Do you think if all kids went to preschool they'd be at the same place as Ashlyn?

3.) How do you get your ideas for writing pieces?