Speak By: Laurie Halse Anderson COA#2

The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a very strong and meaningful book. For me when I read it taught me a  life lesson. Some things that might change your life, may be the right things to do. After finishing this book it actually let me go through the things that the main character, Melinda, went through. The types of obstacles and challenges that the character went through were hard but she went through them and survived. It might be the part of facing the things you don't want to face the thing that helps you carry on with your life. That's the thing I learned from the book. The most important thing is to always stay strong.

The main character, Melinda,as  I said had to go through a lot of hard things one thing is friendship. She tried to go back to her old friendship, but it didn't work out very well. Her old friends will not talk to her after what she did in the summer at the party. She called the cops and they got busted. She tried to forget the past but she couldn't. the harder thing was that she had to forget the past. In her class there was a new student and she became friends with her. The girls name was Heather. but that made a even bigger problem. Heather wanted to be noticed around school. But after Heather got some new friends Melinda didn't want to hang out with other people because they hated her. So Heather just betrayed Melinda. Melinda didn't know what to do except to cry.

Melinda doesn't like to deal with her family. Her family has many secrets hidden from her. Her mom and dad can not stand each other if she wasn't there anymore they would probably get divorced.She never expresses herself to her parents. Her parents are all about work. She always looks at other peoples and see's that her life is not worth living for. She doesn't get any love.

These problems are the hardest and most common problems for "Coming of Age". I think this is what people have through . I have to say that it is not a very easy thing to go through but everybody can find a way to get around their problems. That's part of growing up and "Coming of Age".

Speak By:Laurie Halse Anderson COA #1

Do characters always have a way of describing themselves in a different ways? Well, if you really think about it yes they do. Things that the main characters  say always make sense. They say things (quotes)  that are very deep. It is very true when a teacher says " dig deeper" in books and reading. It is true , you will find things that you would've never found in the first place.

I am reading the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a very deep and meaningful book. The main character is a girl and her name is Melinda. In the book she is an outcast. She is a very insecure character in the book. Melinda has a family that doesn't give her any attention. Her mom and dad do not get along. Melinda is the only reason they are still together. Melinda's mom and dad have secrets hidden from her. It's not like she doesn't have any secrets hidden from them. It's more like she has a secret that ruined her and her life. Melinda is a type of character that feels that she doesn't fit in anywhere. That's what she thinks.

Melinda has a very hard time in school. Nobody talks to her after what happened at the party. Her friend, Heather, loves to do new things. But the problem is Melinda only wants to have a friend. She doesn't do anything except listen to Heather complain. Melinda is a very patient person. She never expresses herself to her friend. Melinda has a lot of inner and outer conflicts. But she doesn't know how to deal with her problems by herself. Melinda needs somebody to help her sort out her problems first.

In this book so far, it describes Melinda and her problems. This book is mostly " Coming of Age", it describes the struggles almost every teenager has to go through. the first problem is fitting in and finding the right friends. I have to admit it a very hard thing to do. " Coming of Age" also includes boys, schools, and basically growing up. Some things are very hard things to give up. But it's all part of " Coming of Age".

Are Ghosts Real?

I always thought ghosts are unreal when I was little. But as I grew I read a lot of stories from books and internet. I also heard stories from teachers I had. In the book The Presence by Eve Bunting I have been wondering if ghosts can really disguise themselves as humans and talk to people. This is not the first and last book about ghosts.

The main character is Catherine. She just experienced the lose of a best friend by a car accident. Her friend had another with a boy. A boy comes up to Catherine and says I talk to your dead best friend. She was shocked to find out that, but she was happy to find somebody to contact her friend with. But the problem is the "presence" is a ghost.

The author, Eve Bunting, wants to put out a fact to make the book a real good mystery but she might've also wanted to put out a fact that there is ghosts in our world. Maybe she even believes in ghosts. Eve is a probably just the study of ghosts.

This book connects to life today. People today believe in ghosts. They are not very rare. That's why ghost stories are from all over the world. There is myths and legends from all over the world. The myths and legends are based on the way cultures and religions are today. The stories that are mostly carried on are ghost stories.

 

Pretty Little Liars By: Sara Shepard

The characters in The Pretty Little Liars are different from many books. In the book Pretty Little Liars, I have been thinking a lot about the characters and the way they act. Sara Shepard, the author, gets into detail with every character like it's their own. Each girl has her own personality. Even if they are a group of friends they stick together and have their own personality.


The four girls are their own people. Spencer is a person that always takes her sister's boyfriend. Emily is always the weak one. She has a boyfriend but doesn't love him. Hanna has a problem with her mom and dad. Her mom is always busy and doesn't pay any attention to her. Her dad got married and another daughter to care about. Aria is confused about her love. she doesn't know how to keep her family together. Because her father is a dirty little secret.


The author, Sara Shepard, is trying to make every one of them special. She has made the book more interesting because there is only four perspectives of the whole story. The author is trying to make the characters the problems of the whole story. She always said in the book that " never trust a pretty girl with a dirty secret".


In this book the characters connect with groups of people today. In a club or a popular group each person should not be a follower. They should be their own person. That's what I think Sara Shepard is trying to point out in the book, The Pretty Little Liars.

The Incredible Romeo♥♥♥ and Juliet♥♥♥

Romeo and Juliet is the best movie I ever saw. The story and the problem with everything was really heart breaking.  The director of the movie really made us see the changes of the mood and the colors also changed. The movie expressed little details become bigger than they really are.

The colors really meant something else in the movie. Every color meant another mood went  in the scene. In the beginning of the movie it was not a dark background. It was light and sunny the whole time. Always things went good in a bright and a light  color. Then everything turned around once  Mercutio gets killed everything changes the background color gets darker. Even the weather changes from very nice to a very bad rain storm.

The movie expressed how well Shakespeare really thinks . It was a movie that inspired me to read the book. I Love Romeo and Juliet.
"O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright"
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1.5