I have progressed a lot since I began writing blogs. When I began writing blogs I wrote short, unspecific paragraphs. I would only write about very nonspecific topics. This resulted in my blogs being very short and not very interesting. They almost resembled the summaries on the back cover of books. I think I wrote like this because I did not know how to write a good summary. Whenever I did a prompt other than a summary I wrote two paragraphs of summary and one based on my prompt. I think I did this because I thought I could not write more than one paragraph on a subject other than a summary.
This is very different from my current blogs. As time went on my blogs got longer and more in detail. I think this is because I learned more about writing and learned that other people's blogs with more detail were better and more interesting. This helped me start putting more detail in my blogs and making them more interesting. Now I use better writing form. When I write an use a topic sentence and supporting details to prove it. I have greatly improved my blogging.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Messenger: 10/1/14
Prompt: Choose a section of what you have read in your book this week and analyze the writing techniques used by the author. Explain the affect the technique has on the writing.
Pages: 1-169 (end)
This book is about a boy named Matty who carries messages for the people of his village. He is one of the few people who has not gotten a warning from the forest that is between each village. The people of his village have traded parts of their personality to the Trademaster in exchange for things the want. This has caused them to want to close the village to outsiders. Matty wants to tell someone who lives across the forest that the village is closing and that they must come back with him to her father. The village is becoming evil and once you receive a warning you could be killed by the forest.
One of the writing techniques the author uses to develop the theme and meaning of the story is style. She uses words with negative connotation when she is describing the forest and Trade Mart. When She is talking about the Trade Mart she tells about what a woman who used to be very kind did to her crippled husband after she traded. The author says "She made a sneering face at him and she imitated his way of walking. She made fun of him." Negative word choice helps to describe the effects of the Trade Mart. Also when the author is telling about how Leader described the forest she writes, "I was going to say like a clotting of blood. Things turning sluggish and sick." Words with negative connotation help to better describe the forest. Both of these quotes show how word choice with negative connotation develop the story.
A technique the author uses to develop the feeling of the story is tone. The author uses a dark tone when she is talking about the forest and Trade Mart. An example of this is when the author is writing about the Trade Mart. She writes "There was an intentness to everyone, and odd seriousness, and a sense of worry-unusual in Village-pervaded the atmosphere." This gives a dark tone to Trade Mart. This makes Trade Mart seem like a bad thing and affects the story. Another example of this is when the author is describing the forest. She writes, "Once clear and cool, the water was now dark brown, clogged with dead insects, and it smelled of kinds of filth he could only guess at." This gives the forest a dark tone and helps provide imagery.
Pages: 1-169 (end)
This book is about a boy named Matty who carries messages for the people of his village. He is one of the few people who has not gotten a warning from the forest that is between each village. The people of his village have traded parts of their personality to the Trademaster in exchange for things the want. This has caused them to want to close the village to outsiders. Matty wants to tell someone who lives across the forest that the village is closing and that they must come back with him to her father. The village is becoming evil and once you receive a warning you could be killed by the forest.
One of the writing techniques the author uses to develop the theme and meaning of the story is style. She uses words with negative connotation when she is describing the forest and Trade Mart. When She is talking about the Trade Mart she tells about what a woman who used to be very kind did to her crippled husband after she traded. The author says "She made a sneering face at him and she imitated his way of walking. She made fun of him." Negative word choice helps to describe the effects of the Trade Mart. Also when the author is telling about how Leader described the forest she writes, "I was going to say like a clotting of blood. Things turning sluggish and sick." Words with negative connotation help to better describe the forest. Both of these quotes show how word choice with negative connotation develop the story.
A technique the author uses to develop the feeling of the story is tone. The author uses a dark tone when she is talking about the forest and Trade Mart. An example of this is when the author is writing about the Trade Mart. She writes "There was an intentness to everyone, and odd seriousness, and a sense of worry-unusual in Village-pervaded the atmosphere." This gives a dark tone to Trade Mart. This makes Trade Mart seem like a bad thing and affects the story. Another example of this is when the author is describing the forest. She writes, "Once clear and cool, the water was now dark brown, clogged with dead insects, and it smelled of kinds of filth he could only guess at." This gives the forest a dark tone and helps provide imagery.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Stranded 9/16/14
Prompt: Describe the characters.
Pages: 107-end
Stranded is about four siblings who are stuck on a island. There are four main characters in this book. One is Carter. He is very energetic and always wants to be the leader of things. This is sometimes a problem because it causes disagreements in the group. Another main character is Buzz. He is not very fit or energetic but is very smart. He spends a lot of time watching TV and he has learned some things about survival from TV shows. This makes him very helpful in coming up with plans for the group.
Another main character is Vanessa. She is the oldest of the group and is a leader. She makes sure everyone gets along and comes up with plans. The other siblings are always arguing and she keeps them under control. The last main character is Jane. She is the youngest but is also the smartest. She tells her siblings about things they do not know about and helps them come up with plans. She is the youngest and cannot do difficult physical tasks.
One important supporting character is Uncle Dexter. He is the captain of the ship they are sailing on and tries to help the children escape. He is swept overboard and gets in a life raft that is floating away from the boat. He is the only one that knows about where they were when they crashed. The coast guard finds him and he helps in the search for the children. He also explained some things to the children that was important for their survival.
Pages: 107-end
Stranded is about four siblings who are stuck on a island. There are four main characters in this book. One is Carter. He is very energetic and always wants to be the leader of things. This is sometimes a problem because it causes disagreements in the group. Another main character is Buzz. He is not very fit or energetic but is very smart. He spends a lot of time watching TV and he has learned some things about survival from TV shows. This makes him very helpful in coming up with plans for the group.
Another main character is Vanessa. She is the oldest of the group and is a leader. She makes sure everyone gets along and comes up with plans. The other siblings are always arguing and she keeps them under control. The last main character is Jane. She is the youngest but is also the smartest. She tells her siblings about things they do not know about and helps them come up with plans. She is the youngest and cannot do difficult physical tasks.
One important supporting character is Uncle Dexter. He is the captain of the ship they are sailing on and tries to help the children escape. He is swept overboard and gets in a life raft that is floating away from the boat. He is the only one that knows about where they were when they crashed. The coast guard finds him and he helps in the search for the children. He also explained some things to the children that was important for their survival.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Stranded: 9/11/14
Prompt: Your focus for your blog this week will be on analyzing your novel based on it's literary style. Your focal point will be analyzing the impact imagery and figurative language have on the meaning and tone of your text.
Pages: 1-107
Imagery has a big impact in the part of my book because it shows ship, the shipwreck and the island in more detail. Rather than saying the sail was in front of him the author said, "The boat's huge white mainsail ballooned in front of him, filled with a stiff southernly wind that sent them scudding through the South Pacific faster than they'd sailed all week." That shows the sail and the conditions in more detail and enhances the story. Later in the story rather than describing the island as a circular green island the author writes, "The whole thing was a giant ring of land, encircling an enormous lagoon of the most brilliant aqua-blue water Vanessa had ever seen." That tells the island in more detail and enhances the story.
Imagery makes the story have a more overwhelming tone. It shows how large the sails of the boat are. It tells how dangerous and powerful the storm is. This is shown in the sentence, "Carter saw a bright flash from somewhere near the top of the mast, like an explosion of light and force. The sailboat itself twisted nearly all the way around with a violent turn." This shows the power of the storm. Finally imagery shows the vast size of the island they are trapped on.
"The bow of the boat looked as if it had been chewed right off." This metaphor makes the story have a scary tone. This shows how badly the ship is damaged by saying the front looked like it had been chewed off. It also compares the storm and cliff they crashed into to an animal or monster with teeth by saying it chewed off the front of the boat. This results in a negative, scary tone because both of these things have negative, scary connotations.
Pages: 1-107
Imagery has a big impact in the part of my book because it shows ship, the shipwreck and the island in more detail. Rather than saying the sail was in front of him the author said, "The boat's huge white mainsail ballooned in front of him, filled with a stiff southernly wind that sent them scudding through the South Pacific faster than they'd sailed all week." That shows the sail and the conditions in more detail and enhances the story. Later in the story rather than describing the island as a circular green island the author writes, "The whole thing was a giant ring of land, encircling an enormous lagoon of the most brilliant aqua-blue water Vanessa had ever seen." That tells the island in more detail and enhances the story.
Imagery makes the story have a more overwhelming tone. It shows how large the sails of the boat are. It tells how dangerous and powerful the storm is. This is shown in the sentence, "Carter saw a bright flash from somewhere near the top of the mast, like an explosion of light and force. The sailboat itself twisted nearly all the way around with a violent turn." This shows the power of the storm. Finally imagery shows the vast size of the island they are trapped on.
Monday, September 8, 2014
10 Favorite Books
1: The Kid Who Climbed Everest
This book is about how Bear Grylls climbed Mount Everest. It tells about how he broke his back while he was younger and why he decided to attempt to climb Everest. It also tells about the preparations and training needed to do this. What most of the book is about is the challenges he faced while on Everest. This is my favorite book because he talks about how he dealt with the difficulties on Everest and it talks about a subject I am interested in. I read this book last week.
2: Hatchet
This book is about a boy named Brian who was in a plane that crashed in the middle of the forest. He survives by building a shelter in a cave, drinking lake water, and eating berries at first. He then begins to fish and hunt birds and eventually kills a moose. He then finds a radio transmitter in the crashed plane and accidentally left it on. Because of this a plane finds him. This is my second favorite book because I like this topic and it shows what might happen if an unexperienced person were lost in the woods. I first read this book in fifth grade.
3: Holes
This book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who is sent to a work camp for doing something he did not do. While at this camp he meets the boy who actually committed the crime he was sent there for. They escape the camp together and live on a mountain until law officials come and take them out of the camp. This is my third favorite book ever because of how the three different stories being told all fit together. I read this book first in fifth grade.
4 The President Has Been Shot
This book describes the the details of the assassination of President Kennedy. It tells about the life of the murderer and possible motives. It tells where the murder took place and how things were set up. It tells about how the murder happened and how it could have been prevented. It then tells about how the murder was caught and how people reacted. I liked this book because I learned something I didn't know before and it was very interesting. I read this book in seventh grade.
5 Ripper
This book is a mystery fiction book about if the murderer Jack the Ripper went to America and murdered people. The main character is an orphan and is adopted by Pinkerton Detectives. He works with them and discovers that Jack the Ripper is his father. He discovers who he is going to murder next and protects them. He fights his father and traps him but he escapes. I liked this book because of how everything connects and makes sense at the end. Also when I thought it was almost finished I looked and was only halfway through. I read this book in seventh grade.
6 The Giver
This book is about a community where everything is regulated carefully. Everyone has no knowledge of the past before their community. The community has no books other than rule books and dictionaries, no dangerous or progress slowing items or geographical formations, and no color vision. When people get old they do not die but are released. This is when doctors give them lethal injections. No one except the doctors and elders know about this. I like this book because of the morals it talks about. I read this book in seventh grade.
7 Son
This book is a sequel to The Giver. It talks about the community from a different point of view and talks about different communities there also are and what they are like. The main character left the community to look for her son who was taken. She finds other communities and eventually finds her son. I liked this book because it was inspirational and thought invoking. I read this book in seventh grade.
8 Old Yeller
This book is about a dog that a family adopts. The story is about the family's hardships and how the dog helps them out. At the end of the book the dog gets very sick. By then the whole family has become very attached to the dog. The father has to kill the dog and it is very sad. I like this story because it was inspirational and interesting. I read this book in fifth grade.
9 Of Mice and Men
This book is about two men who are migrant workers. They go to work at a farm. One of the workers is not very smart and always gets in trouble. He likes to touch soft things. He is very strong and often hurts or kills small furry animals. He was feeling someone's hair and he accidentally killed them. The other man is forced to shoot him. I liked this book because it was thought invoking and interesting. I read this book in seventh grade.
10 The Right Fight
This book is about a man who is a tank driver in WWII. He is fighting in North Africa and fights in many battles. He has many good and bad experiences and makes new friends. At the end of the book the tank he is in explodes and he is the only one of his crew to survive. I like this book because I am interested in WWII and liked learning what it might have been like as a soldier. I read this book in seventh grade.
This book is about how Bear Grylls climbed Mount Everest. It tells about how he broke his back while he was younger and why he decided to attempt to climb Everest. It also tells about the preparations and training needed to do this. What most of the book is about is the challenges he faced while on Everest. This is my favorite book because he talks about how he dealt with the difficulties on Everest and it talks about a subject I am interested in. I read this book last week.
2: Hatchet
This book is about a boy named Brian who was in a plane that crashed in the middle of the forest. He survives by building a shelter in a cave, drinking lake water, and eating berries at first. He then begins to fish and hunt birds and eventually kills a moose. He then finds a radio transmitter in the crashed plane and accidentally left it on. Because of this a plane finds him. This is my second favorite book because I like this topic and it shows what might happen if an unexperienced person were lost in the woods. I first read this book in fifth grade.
3: Holes
This book is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who is sent to a work camp for doing something he did not do. While at this camp he meets the boy who actually committed the crime he was sent there for. They escape the camp together and live on a mountain until law officials come and take them out of the camp. This is my third favorite book ever because of how the three different stories being told all fit together. I read this book first in fifth grade.
4 The President Has Been Shot
This book describes the the details of the assassination of President Kennedy. It tells about the life of the murderer and possible motives. It tells where the murder took place and how things were set up. It tells about how the murder happened and how it could have been prevented. It then tells about how the murder was caught and how people reacted. I liked this book because I learned something I didn't know before and it was very interesting. I read this book in seventh grade.
5 Ripper
This book is a mystery fiction book about if the murderer Jack the Ripper went to America and murdered people. The main character is an orphan and is adopted by Pinkerton Detectives. He works with them and discovers that Jack the Ripper is his father. He discovers who he is going to murder next and protects them. He fights his father and traps him but he escapes. I liked this book because of how everything connects and makes sense at the end. Also when I thought it was almost finished I looked and was only halfway through. I read this book in seventh grade.
6 The Giver
This book is about a community where everything is regulated carefully. Everyone has no knowledge of the past before their community. The community has no books other than rule books and dictionaries, no dangerous or progress slowing items or geographical formations, and no color vision. When people get old they do not die but are released. This is when doctors give them lethal injections. No one except the doctors and elders know about this. I like this book because of the morals it talks about. I read this book in seventh grade.
7 Son
This book is a sequel to The Giver. It talks about the community from a different point of view and talks about different communities there also are and what they are like. The main character left the community to look for her son who was taken. She finds other communities and eventually finds her son. I liked this book because it was inspirational and thought invoking. I read this book in seventh grade.
8 Old Yeller
This book is about a dog that a family adopts. The story is about the family's hardships and how the dog helps them out. At the end of the book the dog gets very sick. By then the whole family has become very attached to the dog. The father has to kill the dog and it is very sad. I like this story because it was inspirational and interesting. I read this book in fifth grade.
9 Of Mice and Men
This book is about two men who are migrant workers. They go to work at a farm. One of the workers is not very smart and always gets in trouble. He likes to touch soft things. He is very strong and often hurts or kills small furry animals. He was feeling someone's hair and he accidentally killed them. The other man is forced to shoot him. I liked this book because it was thought invoking and interesting. I read this book in seventh grade.
10 The Right Fight
This book is about a man who is a tank driver in WWII. He is fighting in North Africa and fights in many battles. He has many good and bad experiences and makes new friends. At the end of the book the tank he is in explodes and he is the only one of his crew to survive. I like this book because I am interested in WWII and liked learning what it might have been like as a soldier. I read this book in seventh grade.
Monday, August 11, 2014
The Sea of Monsters: 8/11/14
Prompt: Summarize what you read
Pages: 108-end
In this part of the book Percy, Annabeth and Tyson are trying to save Grover. They sneak onto a boat that Hermes says is going to the Sea of Monsters. Tyson says he can smell monsters on the boat. Luke catches them. He tells them he is bringing Kronos back to life by Half-Bloods joining him.They then escape and go to a Half-Blood hideout.
While they are at the hideout they are attacked by monsters. They are saved by another Half-Blood and go to the Sea of Monsters. Their boat gets destroyed while they are entering the Sea of Monsters and Tyson goes missing. They travel through the Sea of Monsters looking for Grover. At one place Percy gets turned into a Guinea Pig but is rescued by Annabeth.
They find the island but the Cyclops that had Grover trapped found out that Grover was a Satyr, one of his favorite foods. He is about to eat him when Grover suggests that he cooks him with some fruit. This gives Percy and Annabeth time to come up with a plan to rescue him. After they are rescued and are going back to camp they are captured by Luke. They are rescued by their camp directer and his cousins, centaurs.
Pages: 108-end
In this part of the book Percy, Annabeth and Tyson are trying to save Grover. They sneak onto a boat that Hermes says is going to the Sea of Monsters. Tyson says he can smell monsters on the boat. Luke catches them. He tells them he is bringing Kronos back to life by Half-Bloods joining him.They then escape and go to a Half-Blood hideout.
While they are at the hideout they are attacked by monsters. They are saved by another Half-Blood and go to the Sea of Monsters. Their boat gets destroyed while they are entering the Sea of Monsters and Tyson goes missing. They travel through the Sea of Monsters looking for Grover. At one place Percy gets turned into a Guinea Pig but is rescued by Annabeth.
They find the island but the Cyclops that had Grover trapped found out that Grover was a Satyr, one of his favorite foods. He is about to eat him when Grover suggests that he cooks him with some fruit. This gives Percy and Annabeth time to come up with a plan to rescue him. After they are rescued and are going back to camp they are captured by Luke. They are rescued by their camp directer and his cousins, centaurs.
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