House On Mango St.

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, is a collection of descriptions of a neighborhood and life in general through the eyes of Esperanza, a hispanic girl, as she grows from pre-teen to young adult.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about the writing style used by Cisneros. While the reading is not a challenge, the inferring and connecting required to comprehend some of what Cisneros is portraying is difficult. The racial descrimination against hispanics was evident, but I did not realize, until I was nearing the end of the novel, that Esperanza was getting older. The end did not come together as well as I hoped it would, leaving me slightly unsatisfied. Although I was not fond of this book, the unique writing style was a pleasant change from the norm.

I would only recommend this book for someone who is specifically looking for books about different cultures/social groups...not for just leisure reading.

The Giver

Lois Lowry's The Giver caused me to think about government control. The way the society in the novel is set up makes for a perfect community, or so the members believed.

These are just a few of the "checks" their government had on the community:

• Job Assignment-though requesting a different assignment was allowed
• Family-choice of spouse or children were not allowed, though a request for up to two children could be made (only 1 boy, 1 girl per family unit)
• Responsibilities-bikes were given only when a child became the "appropriate" age
  
• Meals-food was delivered at the same predetermined times each day
• Grandparents-did not really exist, no one really met their parents' parents
• Curfew-was against the law for people to be outside during certain hours (unless job-related)
• Clothing/Hair-the way children dressed and wore their hair was mandated according to age
• Social Conduct-certain behaviors were considered wrong and rude and apologies for these transgressions were standard

• Climate-while not a social aspect of the community was also controlled by government

Reading The Giver changed my perspective on many aspects of life. Everyone would benefit from reading this thought-provoking novel at least once in their lifetime.

Modeled after Wheelbarrow

So much depends upon

the devoted piano teacher

aged with experience

from the clueless students.

Well...maybe not. I don't know why I wrote about a piano teacher. The last time I took piano lessons was in fourth grade. I barely remember my piano teacher, but I know that she was always thoughtful. I guess this subject was just the first that came to mind.

NINETEEN MINUTES in Review

Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes captivated me with the novel's constantly changing plot. The story is a collage of flashbacks leading up to the nineteen minutes it takes for Peter Houghton, a seventeen-year-old student at Sterling High to kill ten students.

Josie.The main character in this novel is Josie Cormier, former best friend of Peter. As she grows up and realizes that Peter will always be an outcast, Josie ends their friendship. In highschool, Josie is picture perfect; she is the kind of person every girl would kill to be like. She is book-smart also, and she keeps her grades up. To top it all off, her boyfriend Matt Royston is a starter on the varsity hockey team. Throughout the book, Josie has to make choices involving both Matt and Peter, constantly struggling to make the right choices and live with the consequences of her actions.

The Judge. Alex Cormier, Josie's mother, was the judge assigned to the Peter's case. Alex is an excellent judge; no one could carry out her duties better. When it comes to parenting, however, she is clueless. When the two most important parts of her life (her job and her daughter) are intertwined, Alex almost falls apart.

Nineteen Minutes is a fantastic novel for anyone who enjoys a combination of mystery, criminal justice, and a little bit of romance.

*464 pages*

Favorite Techie Tool

Email is hands-down my favorite techie tool. The ability to send a message to anyone I know in a matter of seconds is a great convenience. I also value the ability to send myself an email with an attached project, so I can work at any computer during or outside of school. Also, I can get assignments from teachers or help from classmates without having to disturb them, because unlike a phone call, an email can be answered at anytime and is often more practical.

Manor-- no Animal Farm

George Orwell's Animal Farm frustrated me. I could not get over the animals' ignorance. They blindly follow the inconsistent laws created by their "Leader, Comrade Napoleon", a selfish, sly, yet incredibly intelligent boar.

The whole novel parallels the Russian Revolution, with characters such as Napoleon and Snowball, another power-hungry boar, representing the corrupt leaders Stalin and Trotsky, respectively. Having no prior knowledge of these leaders' roles in history, reading this book gave me insight on their strong personalities.

My favorite character of all is Benjamin, a cranky old donkey who, for the most part, keeps to himself. He is more intelligent than he leads on, and knows better than to trust anyone other than Clover and Boxer, two horses to which he is infallibly devoted.

Animal Farm constantly involves dramatic irony. Knowing the animals' were constantly being tricked and lied to caused me to dislike reading this book. While I did learn quite a bit about history, I would not recommend this book.

Spring Break '09

Despite having homework, I managed to enjoy a majority of my break. I spent the first few days with my older sister in her college dorm. Somewhat reluctantly, I attended one of her classes during which I almost fell asleep. (She later confessed that this particular class ranked among the more boring courses) Later we went shopping and stopped for ice cream, which made up for the prior boredom.

The next several days were reserved for lounging and relaxation at home, all alone, with peace and quiet.

When the weekend came, my mom and I drove down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to pick up my younger sisters from my grandparents' house. We stayed for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning before making the long trip back. No more sleeping in; the next day we were back at school.

Spring break never begins too early and always ends too soon. Especially since, this year, we don't have any more weekdays off from school. Only thirty-one days left, but who is really counting??