Bomb: 12/17/13

Pages: 70-187
Prompt: Describe your least favorite character and explain why. Describe your most

favorite character and explain why.

In Bomb the main problem is that Germany and the U.S. are racing to build an atomic bomb. The U.S. finds some German labs and scientists and discover that Germany was about 2 years behind them. The main goal currently is to end the war in Japan without anymore U.S. deaths. They have one bomb of uranium but these take very long to make. They need to separate rare U-235, useful to bomb-makers, from common U-238, useless to bomb-makers. There is very little U-235 and it takes a long time to get. They developed a new bomb made of plutonium. They tried using the same design as the other bomb but it didn't work. They had to develop a new type of bomb. The only way to see if this bomb would work is to do a full scale test. The test was very dramatic because none of the scientists knew if the bomb would work. After the long 20 minute countdown the scientists were thrilled to see the bomb worked.

My least favorite character is Harry Gold. He is a Russian spy who got them most of their information. He convinces scientists inside of the project to give him highly confidential information. I don't like Russia's way of getting a Atomic Bomb. They are spying on other countries building bombs and are making using them to make them a bomb. They are not trying to make it themselves and are spying on their allies.

My favorite character is Robert Oppenheimer. He is the scientist in charge of the Manhattan project (code word for the building of the Atomic Bomb.) He is always running around solving different problems around the lab. He also did not give any info to the Russians when a spy came up to him and asked for info. He joined a Communist group but it was because he admired how the communists in Germany were standing up to the Nazis. I think that he is a very smart and hardworking person.

Son 12/10/13

Spoiler Alert

Prompt: What is the title of what you are reading? How does it fit the story? If you

don’t know yet how it fits the story, what is your best guess?

Pages: 0-393 (end)

    The title of the book is Son. I think it fits the story well because most of the story is Claire trying to find her son.  At the beginning she has a son but he is taken from her and she never sees him. She then finds out his number and uses it to find him. She thinks "I must put Thirty-six out of my mind." This tells me that Claire really cares about her child. I later found out that this is because she does not take the pills.

     In the second section she is stuck with no memories. She slowly starts to remember small parts of her life. She then has to strengthen to escape and find her son. She goes through lots of hard experiences to find her son. She works for months to prepare to climb the cliff and escape the town. She does all of this to find her son.

     In section three she has found her son but cannot make herself talk to her because a curse was put on her to make her very old. She finds Jonas and together they make her son believe her. At the very end her son destroys the evil that has been destroying the town and makes Claire young again. I think that Son is a appropriate title because Claire's son creates the plot and he solves it.

The Giver 12/4/13

Pages: 80 - end

Prompt: Who are the characters? Describe who they are, what they look like and how

they are connected.

   The main character is Jonas. He was selected to be the new receiver of memory. He is very smart and learns quickly. He is brave enough to take the painful memories but they definitely affect him. He decides that the community is not a good place and that his life in it is meaningless. He decides to look for elsewhere and give the community the memories he has received. This shows that he is caring and wise because he realizes that the community is meaningless and that if he gave them memories they would have feelings and meaning in life. He then shows that he is strong and brave by traveling across the wilderness to look for elsewhere.

     The other important character is The Giver. He gives the memories to Jonas and patiently explains them. This shows that he is caring because he takes time to help Jonas even though he is weak and tired. He then helps Jonas make his plan to travel to elsewhere and give his memories back to the people. This shows that he is wise because he knows what plans will and won't work. Finally at the end of the book Jonas thinks he hears Music coming from the community. This could mean that The Giver died so he could be with his daughter and so the community would have his memories of music.

     They are connected in one main way. It is that when Jonas comes up with the idea to go to elsewhere and give the memories to the community The Giver has to help him come up with the actual plan to carry this out. Jonas can come up with great ideas but he is not wise enough because he is young and does not have many memories. This is where The Giver comes in. He is very wise and can help Jonas come up with to actual plan. The Giver and Jonas make a great team.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger 11/26/13

Prompt: Describe the main characters.
Pages: 0-90
     The first main character is Will Treaty. He is usually very cheery and goes around making jokes, smiling, and laughing. But recently he has been very grim. He is very angry that his friend died. In the first chapter of the book he is looking for the people that killed his friend. He is a Ranger. Rangers are the most skilled fighters in the kingdom and he is one of the best.

     The second main character is Madelyn, or Maddie. She is a princess in Araluen and the daughter of Queen Cassandra and King Horace, both Wills friends. She often sneaks into the woods around the castle to hunt with her sling. She is spoiled but often gets in trouble with her parents.

     The third main character is Maddie's mother Cassandra. She is the Queen of Araluen. She was a lot like her daughter. When she was a kid she would sneak out of the castle wit ha slingshot just like Maddie. But she would use the sling shot for a different purpose. She would shoot the tips of the guards spears. Although she did the same thing as her daughter she is still very strict in not wanting her out of the castle hunting.

The Giver - 11/21/13

Prompt: Write a summary of what you’ve read.
Pages: 1-79
     In the first part of the story Jonas tells his feelings for the ceremony. He comes up with the thought of apprehensive because he is nervous about the ceremony. The ceremony is when his job is chosen deciding his future. He and his parents then have a conversation about his feelings. After the conversation he feels less nervous but still doesn't know what his job will be.
     You then find out about the time when he got in trouble for taking an apple home without permission. He and he friend were playing catch when he noticed the apple change in mid air. He was confused and when he took the apple home, against the rules, he got in trouble. He then has a "stirring" and has to start taking pills.
     Finally is the ceremony. It starts with the naming ceremony for the newchildren. Then they tell about the ceremony of eights where Jonas' sister gets to start service hours. Although it is important Jonas' sister cannot wait until she is nine and gets a bike. Finally comes the ceremony of twelve. Jonas is happy that his friend Asher gets the important and fitting job of Assistant Director of Recreation. Then for some reason they skip Jonas. He is traumatized. After everyone else had been called Jonas' number was called. He was called last because he was receiving the most important job in the community, the Receiver. They rarely choose a new one. It was a huge honor for Jonas.