Duck, Duck, Goose!

Running, running

round

and round,

a swirl of wildness

a whirl of wind

wooden desks

chairs

giggling

falling

playing children

calling.

Running, running

Stop!

Tag-- your it

Happiness that you

Are no longer it.

Running, running

round

and round

a swirl of wildness

a whirl of wind;

Running, running

round

and round.

By: Jennica Maines

Author Study

For our March book report we had to do a study on an author's. I chose to do Lauren Oliver's books Before I Fall and Delirium. Here is the link to my Prezi for it A Closer Look at Lauren Oliver.

Language Arts: Blog 3

       In the book Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry it was very unconstitutional for several reasons. First, in the end of the story a black boy, T.J., gets charged with a crime that he did not commit, two the whites believed that they were better than the blacks with the exception of Jeremy, and three a store in the book was trying to bankrupt a family because they and other families refused to shop at a their store.
       Although this really doesn't connect to the Plessy v. Ferguson case, constitutional rights are still being broken. But in a way they are similar. Both have blacks being treated unfair just because of there race and both have people who are trying to stop it.
       I think the author did a great job of supporting individual rights through the viewpoint of Cassie. The reason I say this is because you are in Cassie's shoes so you see things through her eyes as if your living it and it's through her perspective. I also liked it through her viewpoint because you really like know where shes coming from.
       Overall this was a great story with several twists that make it all the more interesting to read. I would recommend it to any one learning about the constitution, democratic ideals, and segregation.

Language Arts: Blog 2

       Right now in the book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Cassie, a young black girl, went to a market in a distant town with her Grandma. When she got to the store she was so confused on why the cashier wouldn't help her friend T.J. She just thought it was a misunderstanding by the cashier and told him that T.J. had been waiting for a long time and to help him but instead of the cashier helping T.J. all he did was call Cassie mean names and kick her out of the store.
       I don't think that they store owner had the right to do that because Cassie was just speaking her mind (freedom of speech). But also during this time period whites were more important then black and the other customers were white. Even though at the time whites were more important I don't think that it would make what he did okay.
       If I was in the same situation as Cassie I would have just waited or maybe asked T.J. why the cashier wouldn't assist him. Because even though that wasn't okay she was pushing it when she kept on asking the cashier why he wouldn't assist T.J. The reason I wouldn't do what Cassie did is because that situation ended in Cassie getting kicked out of the store.
       I think that the decision Cassie made was for her individual right. Because she has the right to be treated equal in this case she has the right to be treated like white people. I don't think this situation is okay not just because it is unconstitutional but because it isn't right. You shouldn't get different rights just because of your skin color.

Language Arts: Blog 1

     The book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is about a little girl, Cassie, who is in the times where people were still very racist. Cassie is one of quite a few people who is in a black and white people school, even though most of the students are racist.

     In the book equality is for sure being violated. An example from the book is where the school got new textbooks. One of the kids, little man, refuses to take the book. The teacher asks why and he says look in the check-out chart. On the check-out chart it had 11 all white people use it when it was poor and the last one was the 12th person, a black kid, and it was in poor condition. This made little man very mad because it seemed like the whites were just giving him the leftovers. Which is one reason why it is not very equal.

     I was not in this time so I don't know how other people would have reacted but I would have been mad too because you would have been treated way differently if you weren't white. The thing that makes me wonder is that obviously the teachers see and know whats going on but they don't really do anything to stop it. 

My Book Review on Fever 1793

Fever 1793

By Laurie Halse Anderson

Review by Jennica

1-9-2012

How much do you know about yellow fever? Did you know that it killed 10% of Philadelphia’s population? I had no idea there was even such a thing as yellow fever until I read Fever 1793 by Laurie Anderson published in 2000 by Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers. I would recommend this phenomenal book to anyone who is interested in learning about yellow fever in a fascinating and heartfelt way and I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The book takes place in 1793 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ten year old Matilda had a great life. An affectionate mother, wonderful friends, and her very best friend Eliza who is always there for her life was great, until yellow fever struck. Matilda one of many who is affected by yellow fever, a deadly and contagious disease that is spreading across the city. In the midst of people dying around her, Matilda  must learn how to take care of herself, her grandfather, little Nell who she found with no parents, and trying to find her mother who has yellow fever and is nowhere to be found.

One of the things that made me appreciate this book is that the author speaks in a way that is clear for her audience to understand, since it is targeted toward a younger audience. I think this is important because you want your audience to understand what they are reading. If the book was just full of language that did not make sense people would put the book down because they would not comprehend it. For example in my 7^th Grade Language Arts class we had to read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. The way it was written was hard to understand for at least one quarter of my class. While if we were to read something like Fever 1793 it would make sense and we would get the message easier from the book.

Along with that, it is a genuine story that is just incredible to read. It is so unbelievable to see this little girl rise to the occasion to help herself and others by giving up essential needs such as food, sleep, and time. Here is a few lines from the book to help a little bit more for what I’m going for. “Fifth Street, South of Walnut. So many blocks to walk, and I would have to do it with Nell on my hip. But it would be farther to carry her to the orphan house and still farther to the coffeehouse. Nell looked at me. There was no choice. I hoisted her high in my arms and headed south.” Also keep in mind she is only ten. Most ten year olds might have just handed Nell to some stranger, but not Matilda. She took responsibility for Nell and didn’t just leave her.

Lastly, the main reason why I love this book is because it shows the story of a young girl being brave, strong, and reliant. It makes the story all the more amazing because she is only ten. Matilda witnessed death all around her. She took care of Nell, she found people she needed for help, and got her family-owned business back up and running. She had to do all these things with barley any support except for her friend, Eliza. The reason I think that Matilda took everything and put it in a way that was her responsibility is because no one else was there to do it for her.

The author, Laurie Halse Anderson, has also written other books such as Ndito Runs, Turkey Pox, No Time for Mother's Day, The Big Cheese of Third Street, and many others. Another one of her books Chains won two awards, National Book Award Finalist and The Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Anderson’s Book Speak also won the National Book Award Finalist. I have yet to read any of her other books but I am sure they are just as great as Fever 1793.

 To sum it up, this book is a must read for children of all ages to learn about our history and the journey of a brave little girl.

The Giver: Epilouge

Gabe and Jonas eventually made it to elsewhere. But what they found out was people were already there. Jonas had talked to the other people there young and old and they had all planed their own escapes, like Jonas’s, to get where they are today. Jonas was shocked to see all the food, supplies, and clothing they had at their little camp place. Jonas saw a girl around his age and gave her a big smile.

“Hi, my name is Jonas and this is Gabe.” Jonas said while gesturing at little Gabe who was playing in the dirt.

“I’m Caroline” she said shyly putting her hair behind her ear.

Jonas looked at her with a crooked smile. He couldn’t get over how much she looked like Fiona. With curly red hair and bright green eyes.

“Oh, he’s so cute. Is he yours?” Cat asked smiling at Gabe.

“No, he was a boy who was going to be released but I couldn’t let them do that to him.” Jonas said, you could see the fear on his face.

“That’s so brave.” She said.

From that point on Jonas, Gabe, and Caroline would always hung out. Jonas and Caroline laughing at Gabe when he did the silliest things like play in the mud by the river or mimicking people around the camp.

When Jonas and Caroline were 18 they had an unofficial marriage and raised Gabe as their own supporting the camp as more people came. Eventually Gabe grew up to receive all the memories that Jonas had got from the Receiver.