Entry four- Monster SRA

The book I read for my summer reading project was Monster by Walter Dean Myers. I read this book because I thought it would be a good book because my friends requested it and they said it was interesting. I loved this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat. Throughout the whole book, I was wondering what would happen next and I was always curious of what would go down. I think that this book is different than others because it is written by the main character, also this book is written like a movie. I like this because the book was almost all dialogue and not much of the thought process. Also I liked the way the book was written because it was right down to the point and there wasn't much time spent on the specifics unless it was completely necessary to the story line. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes mystery novels or anyone that likes prison novels. Also I would like to recommend this book to anyone that likes novels that have an informal dialogue. I have really enjoyed this book because of all the suspense and the intensity that it has throughout the whole novel.

Entry Three- Monster SRA

The book I read for my summer reading assignment is Monster by Walter Dean Myers. I read this book because the cover looked interesting to me. I also picked it because one of my friends said they had read it before and said that it was good. what made me want to keep reading is how the author used different types of diction throughout the novel. "Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this King character are on trial for felony murder. Felony murder is as serious as it gets"(Myers 127/2489). I chose to use this excerpt because this was what made me interested in reading it. In this quote O'Brian explains to Stephen the intensity of what was going on. This got me hooked on the book because it made me realize that this wasn't a fairy tale and that this could have happened in real life. I also like this book because it was written like it is a movie and not a normal book. I think that the book is really different because the author didn't use a lot of advanced vocabulary to make it seem like it was written by the main character.

Entry 2- Monster SRA

In the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers, there are many different complexities about the different characters. To understand them you have to know that this book was written by the main character. This means that everything that I know about everyone except Stephen, the main character, is extremely one sided and may not be one hundred percent accurate. In the beginning of the book, Stephen says," I'm writing this whole thing down as a movie"(Myers 161/2489). Another character that plays a big role in the story is O'Brian. O'Brian is one of Stephens friends who gives advice in the beginning of the book. I predict that O'Brian and Stephens relationship will not last long because Stephen is going to court and he will either get out or be moved to a different facility. The theme of the book so far is that bad things happen to good people because I don't think that Stephen did what he is being accused of. I think that Stephen is innocent because he is very scared and doesn't seem like the kind of person that would steal. Although Stephen was the one that wrote the book so I'm not completely sure if he did it or not. This is a picture of Walter Dean Myers.

Entry one- monster SRP

The book I am reading for my summer reading project is Monster by Walter Dean Myers. This book is based on a person that is being taken to court for stealing from a store. The book is written a lot differently than the books I have read in the past. It is written like a director would wright a movie and not for someone to read in a book. The main character is Stephen, who is the one who stole from the store. There are a few other characters but Stephen is going to court soon so I don't think that they will be very important in the future. Some of the predictions I have made are that Stephen will be sent to another prison if he is found guilty for his crime. Another prediction is that the book will be based in the court and the crime itself and will be like a Sherlock Holmes movie where they try and find who the real criminal is. A questions that I have is if Stephen even did the crime because the book didn't include all of the details. I also think that the book reminds me a lot of the show Law and Order because Stephen is about to go to court and the show is all about court.

Krista Ramsey- For better vision, kids need time outdoors

The article I chose to read was called, For better vision, kids need time outdoors by Krista Ramsey. I chose this article because it interested me in a way that I can relate to. This column is about how kids are losing their vision while excessively playing on their IPhone or tablet.

The reason i like this article is that is has an amazing introduction that almost any teenager can relate to. " You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist’s office, sauntering to his car – continually hunched over his smartphone or IPad" This is the introduction to her column. I noticed that she used allusions to go into detail about what she was talking about when she said, "smartphone". I also believe that this is a great introduction because it feels like Ramsey is talking to you, the reader, specifically. The way she introduced her topic is more of a personal letter than an article. I think this helps her grab the readers attention by making them feel comfortable and more engaged in the column.

The syntax throughout the article was mostly short, to the point paragraphs that got the information across as soon as possible to keep the readers attention. I also noticed that Ramsey used a lot of quotes from other reliable sources instead of getting all of her information from one source. "Dr. Joseph Clark, a professor of neurology and rehabilitative medicine with UC Health, worries that it’s shrinking it". This is an example of Ramsey using a reliable source that knows all about the topic and is a professional. The source backed up Ramsey's point and made the reader trust her more and will most likely use her as a source in the future.

Questions for Ramsey-
1. What made you wright about this topic when it has been around for so long?

2. Is there any evidence against your point?

3. What source did you get the solution from?

Link to the article- Krista Ramsey- For better vision, kids need time outdoors

Fat Boy Chronicles- Review

After finishing the Fat Boy Chronicles, I had many questions for the author. Some of these are, why did you exaggerate the truth when you wrote the book. I asked this because I noticed that some of the events in the book were not true. I think that the author put these in because he wanted the reader to feel his emotions and he knew that the readers wouldn't understand by just reading the truth. I believe that this book was an inspiration to me because I was blown away by the obstacles that Jimmy had overcome. The theme of this book is that there is nothing that can stand in your way if you are dedicated. I chose this theme because throughout the entire book, Jimmy was trying to overcome his weight problem and he did through hard work and persistence. I would recommend this book to anyone that has in interest in a feel-good story.

Fat Boy Chronicles- Summary

So far in the Fat Boy Chronicles, there have been a lot of accomplishments for Jimmy, (the main character). In the beginning of the book, Jimmy set a goal to lose 60 pounds by the end of the year. So far, Jimmy has set his mind on this goal and is making the sacrifices for to achieve it. Some of the things that jimmy is doing to lose the weight is he is trying to run almost everyday, also Jimmy is working out in his room by doing things like sit-ups and push-ups. What drove Jimmy to make these goals and be so passionate about them is because when he went to the doctor for a normal check-up, Jimmy was told that if he didn't lose some weight, he would be fat for his whole life. I like the way the author introduced Jimmy's problem because he sort of just dropped us into a problem and made us care about Jimmy. The author also used factors like bullying and Jimmy's love life to get us to relate to him.

Fat Boy Chronicles- Text to World

The Fat Boy Chronicles relates to our world in so many ways. One of these ways is that the whole book is centered around Jimmy getting bullied and trying to lose weight. This relates to our world because there are many people in high school that have weight problems and who are trying to fight it. Another connection is how Jimmy likes a girl and is afraid of telling her. This relates to our world because there are so many people with people that they like and are too afraid of saying anything. the Fat Boy Chronicles is also related to our world because it is a non-fiction book that is based in Mason high school.

Fat Boy Chronicles- Recommendations

I started reading the Fat Boy Chronicles in the beginning of the trimester and have already gotten almost all the way through the book. This book is written in the perspective of a freshman in high school. The book was written by Lang Buchanan who went to Mason high school and is written in a journal format with lots of voice. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes books that have great endings. I like this book because of the perspective and the struggle that the main character goes through to achieve his goal of losing 60 pounds. I also like the way the author describes things that are extremely because he puts suspense into it.

Fat Boy Chronicles- Introduction

I started reading the Fat Boy Chronicles in the beginning of the trimester because one of my friends suggested it and I had to pick a book to read for English class. I didn't think that I would enjoy this book because I have a history of hating reading. This book is different because it caught me off guard with its entertaining storyline and its ability to connect with the reader. This book was written by Lang Buchanan who went to mason in his high school years. The Fat Boy Chronicles is about Buchanan's life during his years spent in Mason. It is written in the eyes of a teenager that was bullied by his classmates about his weight and his journey loosing it. I have enjoyed this book so far because it had a lot of lessons to learn and it is an inspiring story.

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Recommendation- Mark of Athena

I would recommend Mark of Athena to anyone who is interested in a thrilling mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I have loved the whole series so far and I believe that it is a great book to test your imagination with. Rick Riordan's writing has fascinated me by the abstract vocabulary that you wouldn't hear on a normal day. The book has kept my interest by always leaving the reader with questions that only can be answered by turning to the next page. The Mark of Athena has proved that Riordan doesn't stop proving himself to his readers with his amazing way of telling a story that hooks you from reality and reels you in with a pen. I recommend any of Rick Riordan's books to anyone who wants to be taken from your own world into his, anyone who wants to be swooped off their feet by the creativity that no other person would imagine even in the wildest dreams. I strongly suggest that when you read this and are drawn to the library and are compelled to starting the fantastic adventure that is The Mark of Athena.

Character Symbols- Mark of Athena

In Mark of Athena, I have noticed that each character has a specific trait that makes them different than the others. These traits help the characters developed a contribution to the group. Percy Jackson's symbol would be courageous because he stands up and fights for what he cares about. Annabeth's symbol would be bravery because she is never scared of anything. Leo's symbol is creative because he is an "out of the box thinker". Leo demonstrates this in the first chapter of the book where he modifies a battleship to work with a WII controller instead of  wheel. I think that collectively, Percy, Annabeth and Leo make a great team because of their unique personalities which help them see different ways of completing things.

Vocab- Mark of Athena

I have found a few unique words in Mark of Athena. One of them is ballistae, I predict that it is similar to a sail but it is older and has to be tied down for it to work. The textbook definition of ballistae is an ancient military engine used by Greeks. Another unique word is praetor, which I predicted meant a leader or a large group of people or warriors. The definition of this word is a chief elected to serve justice to serve under other leaders in Roman times.The final word is hippodrome, I think this word resembles an arena where people race horses.  The definition of hippodrome is a track or course that Romans and Greeks race chariots and horses for sport. I think I was accurate with this prediction of hippodrome because I knew they raced horses and I knew it had to be a track of some kind.

Text to self- Mark of Athena

This is a text to self connection from Mark of Athena to myself. In my personal reading novel there are many similarities between the main characters, some of these are caused by ADHD or ADD, which cause many different traits like being hyper and craving the attention of others. I am similar to these characters because I have ADD. Other similarities include that I have an interest in mechanical engineering like some characters. I have demonstrate this interest almost all my life by taking clocks and remote control planes apart when I was just a kid. In Mark of Athena there are people that do the same throughout the book. Having this talent for mechanics helps the characters with transportation in the beginning of the book. Leo has this trait and he made a battleship that is steered by a WII controller. This helped them travel to New Rome at a fast pace.