Life as we Knew it

 

 

 

Life as we Knew it by Susan Beth Pfefer

 

          Everything was normal until the moon was knocked out of orbit...

          Asteroids hit the moon all the time, but the one scheduled to hit at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 is one of the largest ones yet. To Miranda, the asteroid can only mean one thing: more homework. More homework on top of her best friends fighting, her dad's newly pregnant wife, and the fight with her mother over whether or not she can return to ice skating after a serious injury.  This asteroid however creates worldwide disasters.
       
         The moon controls many of the environmental factors on Earth, and when the moon's orbit is changed, so is the environment. Tidal waves destroy cities and states along the coast, killing millions of people. These coastal cities can not be seen anymore because all of it is under-water. Thunderstorms knock out the electricity in Miranda's school and everywhere across the country. None of it seems real to Miranda, until her mom picks her up from school early, soaking wet.  Her mother sends Miranda, her brother, and Mrs. Nesbitt, a family friend, on a grocery run to buy all the canned soup, aspirin, vitamin pills and toilet paper they possibly can.  The stores are jam packed and have people running around, screaming at the top of their lungs and trying to load everything they can into their shopping carts.  It sort of seems like war to Miranda's family.  It was a very good idea to pick up Miranda early, because if her mom didn't, their family probably would have starved to death.

“What about desserts?" I asked. "If the world comes to an end, I'm going to want cookies."
"We're all going to want cookies if the world comes to an end," Mrs. Nesbitt agreed. "And chips and pretzels. If the world is coming to an end, why should I care about my blood pressure?"
"Okay, we'll die fat," Mom said.”

 

        I will write more once I finish reading the book. I am very excited and nervous to find out how Miranda's family decides to cope with this dangerous and horrible situation.





Rockets

The first time true rockets were used was by the Chinese in 1232 AD.  At this time the Chinese and the Mongols were at war with each other.  The Chinese had manufactured “arrows of flying fire” to use as weapons to fight the Mongols.  These simple rockets were really a tube, capped at one end that contained gunpowder.  The other end was left open and the tube was attached to a long stick.  When the gunpowder was lit, the powder produced fire, smoke, and gas that escaped out the open end and created the thrust that launched the rocket.  The stick kept the rocket headed in one general direction as it flew through the air.    

          Understanding gravity and mass is critical to the study of rocketry.  Every time you jump, you experience gravity. Gravity pulls you back down to the ground.  Without gravity, you'd float off into the atmosphere, thus pulling you out into space.  You see gravity at work any time you drop a book, or toss a ball up into the air. The fact that these objects fall to the ground rather than float in the air is the product of gravity. 

The definition of gravity is “the force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth or toward any other physical body having mass”.  Even in space, gravity keeps the moon in orbit.  We know that objects with a greater mass have a higher gravitational force, but we simply don’t know why gravity exists. 

            As far as mass is concerned, it is easy to understand that moving objects with a larger mass is harder than moving smaller objects. For example, in the playground it is harder to get a bigger person moving on the swings than a smaller person.  This has an effect on the mass of a rocket as well.  In a more literal way, when a rocket is lighter, it flies farther because there is less mass, and mass brings objects to the ground.  In this situation gravity cannot control the rocket from dropping to the ground.   If objects with a greater mass have a higher gravitational force, then changing the dependent variables, length of the rocket and nose cone, will result in different distances that the rocket will travel. Smaller mass rocket components will result in longer distances travelled. 

Wonders of Poetry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moon

Oh moon,

Shining in the night

Oh moon

Are you listening?

Oh moon,

Silvery and bright,

Come again tomorrow night.

Daylight is coming soon.

Where will you go

Oh moon?

Over a cloud,

Under a hill,

See you tomorrow night.

I will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see life

I look around me as I grow,

I’d like to tell you all I know.

I see life

With all its energy.

The city streets,

The rush of time,

This is my world,

It’s where I ought to be.

So much to do,

So much to say.

Can you see it?

I sometimes sit and feel the sun

Its warmth is there for everyone.

I see life

With all its energy.

The joy of waking

Everyday.

This is my world,

It’s where I’d like to be

So much to feel,

So much to find.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi

Jacob Sutton 708    

Hurricane Song

by Paul Volponi

          In Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi, the reader is given an inside look into what it was like taking shelter in the Superdome in New Orleans during  Hurricane Katrina.  The story centers around the distant relationship between Miles and his father, a jazz musician, who often pays more attention to his music than to his son. Miles has been living with his father for a few months in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits. Miles, his dad and his uncle try to leave before the storm, but their car breaks down and they are forced to head to the Superdome. They spend the length of the storm there, in unbearable heat, among crowds of people, with broken toilet facilities, little food and water and violent conditions. As the situation in the Superdome gets worse, Miles and his father are challenged in ways that they never imagined and their relationship takes an unexpected turn.

At the beginning of the story, Miles, a high school sophomore, wonders if he had made the right choice in coming to live with his father in New Orleans.  He has lived with his mother in Chicago ever since his parents divorced when he was small, but his mother recently remarried and Miles no longer felt that this was where he wanted to be.  Now that he is in New Orleans, he is confronted with the reality of his relationship with his dad, or lack of it, and the differences between them.  In an obvious way, his father loves to play on his trumpet all day, while Miles is a football player. Miles’ father thinks that instead of football, he should be focusing on music. And Miles thinks that his father’s music playing is taking away from their relationship together. At this point in the story, Miles and his dad do not know how to communicate with each other.

Together, Miles and his dad experience some of the worst possible conditions imaginable.  Soon after they enter the Superdome, groups of thugs, some of whom Miles knew from school, demand money, food and clothing and terrorize innocent victims of this disaster.  Miles and his father come together to try to stop some of the violence around them.  In the end, as they survive these horrible conditions, they realize what is really important and their relationship gets much stronger.

Though the conditions in the Superdome were somewhat unique, I believe this connects to humanity as difficult experiences often bring people closer together.  I can remember feeling much closer to my dad after we spent time in a homeless shelter and witnessed some of the appalling living conditions there.  On a broader level, I imagine that people who go through disasters together (as did Miles and his dad) and share those experiences, realize the important things in life and leave behind all those superficial things that do not really matter in the end.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I have just finished reading the book “Perks of Being a Wallflower’’ by Stephen Chbosky. This book is very powerful and talks about life in High School. The book is told from Charlie, the main character’s perspective. While he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Charlie is shy, and socially awkward.  Charlie is also smarter than he thinks he is.  He is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

        While Charlie does not speak much and usually prefers to be a “wallflower” he is a keen observer. He has a very hard life though. Starting his first year of High School, Charlie is attempting to find his way through the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all he needs is that perfect song on the radio to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. There comes a time to see what it looks like in the middle, “from the dance floor”. In the book, Charlie writes:

      “It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everybody was, especially me. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and than make the choice to share it with other people. You can't just sit their and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite.”

I thought “Perks of Being a Wallflower” was an excellent    book. It talks about a teenage life of a socially awkward kid and how he gets through it. This book has been one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. 

My Name

 

 

                My name is Jacob Henry Sutton and I was born in the year 2000, the year of the Golden Dragon. I would like to share the story of my name and how I came to be. My parents first met in high school, where they tell me they had a one day romance.  They did not actually start dating until they met up again here in Park Slope over seventeen years later, when they were in their thirties.  After dating for a few years, they decided to get married and have only one child (my brother Ben would be surprised to hear that).  A year after they got married, my mom became pregnant with me.  My parents decided to find out my sex before I was born. Once they learned that I was going to be a boy, they were able to focus on my name.

              In the Jewish religion, it is a tradition to name a child for someone in your family who has died.  When my parents had only been dating for two months, my mom’s step brother, who she loved very much, my Uncle Harvey, died very suddenly.  My mom wanted to name me Henry after Harvey, but my dad and my Grandpa had bad memories of a guy named Henry in their family.  Henry had a “close” relationship with my dad’s aunt when she was still married to my great uncle.  She ran off with him.  So given this issue, my mom had to compromise and my parents decided to use Henry as my middle name.  My Uncle Harvey’s Hebrew name is my Hebrew name, which is Chaim.  I am told that in Judaism, it is a great way to honor the memory of someone you love.

               You might be wondering where the name Jacob came from.  First of all, my parents liked the name Jacob.  Second of all, my parents only originally wanted to have one child.  If they were only going to have one child, my dad felt that this child should be named after his dad, my grandfather Joseph.  Even though my grandfather was alive when I was born, my dad felt like he wanted his father’s name to live on after he was gone.  So they named me Jacob.

My mom tells me that in some important ways, I am like my Uncle Harvey- kind and generous.  I am glad that I am able to know my family’s history through my name.

 

                                I am like the ocean,

                                And swimming in the pool

                                My name is the lion roaring              

                                 For if I was a lion

                                 I would say

                                “Now that’s good singing”

                                I love the color blue

                                I think my name sounds like it too.

                                Like fishes in the sea

                                Calling out my name

                                Shy, but always full of soul

                                My name is Jacob.                                  

 

I often feel as though I am one with the ocean.  When I am immersed in water, I feel free, light, and unburdened.  The rush of the waves makes my spirit soar.  Similarly, the cool, crisp, water in a swimming pool heightens my awareness of my body and makes me feel  like I am a fish in the sea.  I am like a lion as I love to roar, though my roar is more like a song.  My songs help me to express who I am, as I am otherwise more cautious and shy. I think these things identify who I am.

I am Jacob.

 

My Name Essay

This I Believe:  Follow Your Passion

By Jacob Sutton  708

            All summer long, I struggled and agonized over my decision of whether or not to sing in the senior division of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.  After all, it was a huge time commitment – two afternoons a week where I would come home after 7:00pm.  My parents wanted me to consider my other commitments during the week such as Bar Mitzvah tutoring, Hebrew school, math tutoring, soccer practice and two other choruses, to name a few.  They were wondering that if I took on these additional two afternoons, how would I have time for my school work.   And I was feeling the pressure of keeping my grades up in the all-important 7^th grade year.  Trust me, if it was only my decision, I would simplify my life with only school and chorus.  Still, what was very clear was that somewhere in my heart, I knew that singing had to be a part of my life as it lifts my spirits and my confidence.  Singing is my greatest passion…and I believe that it is important to pursue your passions, no matter the obstacles.

            When I was four years old, I started singing, not seriously, but I started singing.  I committed to memorizing the lyrics from the musicals The Lion King, Mary Poppins and The Music Man, to name a few.  I can remember performing for my parents as I imagined myself to be “Curly” as he sang to Laurie his love interest from Oklahoma, or Macavity, as I imagined myself to be the master criminal and mystery cat from Cats.

            My parents watched as I matured into a more serious singer.  In third grade, I decided that I needed a place to formally explore my passion.  I auditioned for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and at that time, I was placed in their junior division.  It was there that I started to think differently about genres of music and singing in general.

            Pursuing your passion as a student sometimes comes with conflict and difficult decisions.  In 6^th grade, I had an incredible opportunity to take on the role of Kurt Von Trapp in a one night gala performance of The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall where I performed with famous Broadway stars.  It seemed obvious that I would follow this dream until I learned that the performance was scheduled for the evening before the first day of the New York State math test.  If I performed, I would need to miss the first day of the test and then I would need to take a makeup.  In the end, I convinced my mother that I should accept the offer, that this could be the chance of a lifetime to do what I love most.

            Now that I’ve had a chance to look back on my experiences, I realize that though pursuing my passion was complicated, these experiences were unique and enriched my life in significant and meaningful ways.  I imagine that there are many kids like me who struggle with similar decisions in pursuing their passions.  I hope that they are able to find the balance that allows them to follow their heart.  If you follow your heart and give it your all, you can never regret not exploring your dreams to the fullest.

           

Opposing The Soda Ban Essay

 

Opposing The Soda Ban: Persuasive Essay

Jacob Sutton 708

   The New York City soda ban initiated by Mayor Bloomberg restricts the portion size on sugary sodas larger than 16 ounces, and applies to food service businesses regulated by the Department of Health including restaurants, food carts, sports arenas and movie theatres. This ban raises important questions on the right of government to control individual choice with the reason that they are protecting the public from consuming large amounts of unhealthy and sugary beverages.  There are several reasons why I oppose this ban.  First of all, while the overall health of citizens is something that should be taken seriously, it should not be Bloomberg’s place to limit people’s choice of what to put in their bodies.  Second of all, there are many loopholes around this ban, and if Bloomberg is so concerned with halting obesity, he should know that limiting soft drinks is just the beginning of solving a much bigger problem. Finally, instead of creating this ban, Bloomberg should consider healthier choice initiatives with more far-reaching results.

      

    According to Veronica Majerol in her article Sugar Wars in the New York Times, many people have argued that citizens should have the right and freedom to choose as they wish.  In this article, a twenty year-old college student, Zara Atal, says that it is none of government’s business. “If people want to drink their twenty-four ounce drinks, it’s their decision,” says Zara.  I believe that Americans should have the right to control what they can or cannot drink. Mayor Bloomberg seems to clearly be overreaching government’s control in people’s everyday lives. This kind of control on the rights of New Yorkers leads us to ask what will be banned next. Mayor Bloomberg could then try to ban other unhealthy habits such as smoking.  While people do have unhealthy habits and don’t always make the best choices for themselves, there are other ways to promote good health for New Yorkers.  

   There are also loopholes in the argument around the large size soda ban. According to the New York Times in an article by Michael Grynbaum, restaurants regulated by the government are not allowed to serve citizens larger than a 16-ounce soda can, though fast-food establishments like McDonalds and Burger King can still serve them. Since this is true, people can go to their regular 7-11 and buy a 54-ounce bottle of soda.  If people are seeking ways to consume large amounts of soda, there are certainly other means for them to obtain it, though it might be inconvenient. Even in the banned establishments, if people want more soda, they may just choose to get two smaller sizes.  For these reasons, the ban does not get at the core of the problem.

   There are obviously solid arguments on both sides of the ban.  Some people would argue that since 2/3 of adults in New York are obese or overweight, this ban might lower the rate of obesity levels in the city. They might also argue that it would impose more self-control for those who have none. However, research shows that soda alone is not the biggest cause of obesity in New York. It is only 43% of the added sugar in sugary drinks of the American diet according to the Alice Park in the article Goodbye Big Soda in the New York Times.  Fast-food restaurants like McDonalds serve burgers up to 1,000 calories. Therefore, it is not reasonable to blame or cite soda as the only culprit and cause in the fight against obesity in NYC.  While Bloomberg’s intentions are in the right place, he has overstepped his boundaries, and has taken on the role of a nutritionist rather than mayor.

   Mayor Bloomberg does have the right intentions for making New Yorkers healthier, but it does not seem as if he is going about this in the right way.  Instead of this ban, a better option might be to put a high tax on fatty foods and sugary drinks.  The money from these taxes could then be used to create healthy eating/nutritional education programs in schools.  There is no doubt that we must focus on making people aware of how to lead healthier lives, but we need to create programs that get to the core of this problem.  

    

    

                       

      

    

                       



Go Ask Alice

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous

          Published in 1971, Go Ask Alice is the diary of a fifteen year old teenage girl whose life is turned upside down when she gets involved taking drugs.  At her friend's party, she is given a bottle of Coke with LSD in it and loves the way it makes her feel.  This begins her journey into drugs which leads her down a path where many serious and terrible things happen to her.

         I am only halfway through her diary, but it has really gotten me thinking about being a teenager and what can happen to a teen struggling with addiction and the social pressures of the drug world.  There are a few aspects to "Alice's'' personality (we don't know her real name) that seem to make her vulnerable and lead her to make some very poor choices for herself.  First of all, she is not very self-confident in the beginning of the story. She is not happy with her weight and she is having trouble finding new freinds and adjusting as her family has just moved to a new city.  At the party, this vulnerability leads her to accept the Coke with the LSD in order to feel accepted, boost her confidence, and fit in with other teenagers. I am hoping that "Alice" will overcome her drug use, but I will need to read on to find out if this is the direction she will follow.

Number The Stars

Number The Stars by Lois Lowry

Jacob Sutton

          This past week, I reread Number the Stars by Lois Lowry which is a work of historical fiction about the bravery of a family as they help their Jewish friends escape from Copenhagen during World War II during the rise of Nazism.  Annemarie Johansen, one of the protagonists, risks her life to help her best friend, Ellen Rosen by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's older sister.  The Nazi's have demanded lists of the Danish Jews and they are planning to use these lists to arrest and relocate the entire Jewish population.  In order to avoid being relocated, Ellen Rosen, disguised as Lise (Ellen's older sister who was killed by a car) comes to live with the Johansen's while her parents are taken in by Lise's fiance, Peter Neilsen.  One of the main themes of this work centers on the bravery of the characters during a very traumatic time in history.

          Annemarie learns the real meaning of bravery.  At first, she does not know whether she can stand up for what she believes to be right.  When she is faced with the knowledge that her best friend Ellen and her family will be "relocated" by the Nazi soldiers, she helps them escape from Denmark and risks her life several times to do so.  Annemarie learns that faced with these circumstances, even ordinary people like her must be brave.  Her Uncle Henrick tells her that "it is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything," that even brave people are frightened and if you are determined to stand up for what you believe, you do not consider the danger.

        Other characters in the book also show bravery. Annemarie's parents and sister, Kirsti demonstrate great bravery as they are confronted by the Nazi soldiers several times.  They are confronted when they are hiding Ellen, when they are on the train going to Gilleleje and also during a gathering to pay respects to Annemarie's Great Aunt Birte.  They ignore the dangers and do what they feel they need to do to protect Ellen and the other Jews.  Peter Neilsen is also very courageous as a member of the Danish Resistance.  All of them, in their own ways fight injustice and do all they can do to get their friends, who are Jewish, to safety.







Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Gathering Blue

Lois Lowry

          I read The Giver last year and had been wanting to read its' companion, Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry and I have finally finished it.  Both books depict a futuristic society where the weak are cast aside, but in Gathering Blue, they are left to die in the fields.  Kiera, the protagonist, is an orphaned girl with a twisted leg whose mother, her only protector, has recently died.  After her mother's death, Kiera is brought to The Council of the Guardians.  Her life is spared when she proves that she can embroider well and is given the task of restoring the society's most valuable possession, a robe of the singer whose job it is to annually sing about the history of their civilization. They feel it is important to remember their past. Kiera is now considered valuable to the society because she can offer something that they need; she is able to dye colors in her embroidering, though neither she, nor anyone else can dye the color blue.

          Kiera's world is full of fear and a lack of security.  Kiera learns that people with gifts like her are treated well because they serve the society, but at the same time, they are held captive by the needs of others. She is motivated with her friend Thomas to find the color blue. On the day of the ceremony, Kiera is fixing the singer's robe and as he finishes the song, Kiera notices his chained and bloodied feet which are under the robe.  At this point, Kiera realizes that she must stay and change her corrupt society.  I believe she remembers her mother's words before she died and they help guide her to try to improve the world in which she lives.                                 

                                    "Take pride in your pain; you are stronger than those who have none."

Fever 1793, Pt 2

Fever 1793   Part 2

Laurie Halse Anderson

 

     I have finished reading Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.  I can see now how the yellow fever epidemic directly effected Mattie's development throughout the book, from a typical teenage girl at the time, to victim, survivor, caregiver, and finally a mature version of herself. This crises and it's effect on Mattie is beautifully convayed as Laurie Halse Anderson describes the horrors of this time in history for her and others in Philidelphia.

     As victim, Mattie catches this contagious and terrible disease. In addition, her grandfather is attacked by thieves when they return to there coffee house a few weeks later. There are robbers everywhere. Mattie wittnesses her grandfather painfully die on the wooden floor of the ransacked coffee shop. Now she has no one to turn to. There are very few people on the streets and she cannot ask anyone for help.

     In the book, Mattie says that she is a survivor and she is not going to give up.  She has seen and felt the most terrible things and she seems to have the ability to understand and empathize with other people. For example, she helps a four year old girl named Nell who was orphand and on the streets. Mattie took her under her wing and treated Nell as though she was Mattie's first daughter. 

     Mattie also becomes a caregiver, not only for Nell, but others as well, For example, Mattie is reunited with her former maid and friend Eliza. She soon becomes an important part of Eliza's family. When her two nephews come down with the horrid fever, Mattie is always helping, never putting herself first.

                      "Trust me. please," I pleaded. ''They'll survive, I know they will. But if we

                      bleed them, we'll deliver them to the grave. We can't cut them". 

Mattie also begins working with Eliza in The Free African Society to nurse the citizens of Philadelphia back to health. Mattie and Eliza go from door to door, giving to those without food, and to those who were ill and needed care. Mattie's character develops in amazing ways, and she is empowered by helping others. 

     In the end, Mattie realizes what is truly important to her-her family, taking care of others and making their lives easier. Mattie partners with Eliza to run the coffee shop and Nell is always by Mattie's side as an official member of her family. Her crush Nathaniel Benson starts helping out in the business and draws pictures for the coffeeshop. It is clear that Mattie has deeply been affected by this terrible disease and has grown into a mature, responsible young lady.              

                       

      

       

Witches, by Rosalyn Schanzer

Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem 

by Rosalyn Schanzer

      I have become intrigued with the Salem Witch Trials, as we are studying this topic in social studies. This past week, I read the non-fiction accounts of the Salem witch hunts and trials of 1692 in the Mass Bay colony called, "Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem, by Rosalyn Schanzer.  It's a really interesting look back into the Puritan beliefs and the simple law system in Salem in the colonial times, and the simple laws they had at the time. These true facts in the book include those who were accused, hanged, and the mass hysteria belief of withcraft. It was very strange to learn about the law system where judges of the court were not actually educated in law, and the accused "witches" were not allowed to have their own lawyers while on trial.

      In the town of Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692, two girls, Betty Parris and Ann Putnam start to exhibit strange behaviors such as seizures, twiching, contorting there bodies into strange shapes, and screaming. The village doctor could not find a remedy to cure these young Puritans.  He announces they were "Bewitched". This was the beginning of accusations that took over the entire community in Salem, and ruined dozens of lives. 

      As I continue to learn more about this fascinating, strange, cruel, and unreal topic, I am bewildered.  Rosalyn Schanzer has made me wonder about why this happened at this time in history.  What circumstances caused these irrational ideas to take over an entire community?  Was it because  of fear?  The Puritans lived with constant hardship and terror.  They came to a new land, and were deeply religious trying to find the right place to worship.  There were many struggles for basic needs, and it seemed as if these were very difficult times to live in.  Sometimes these kinds of circumstances can cause people to not think clearly.  In addition, the villagers were poor, struggling farmers, while people nearer to the town of Salem were generally wealthier merchants. Since the villagers accused the merchants, they might have envied their circumstances and caused this blame which pervaded the whole village.  In this book, we are lead to wonder about all of these factors which might potentially offer an explanation for the irrational ideas that spread throughout the community of Salem in 1692.

Guitar Boy

Guitar Boy

by MJ Auch

This past week I read the fiction book Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.  I thought this book was very compelling.  In the book, Travis Tacey doesn’t have it easy. His mom is in the hospital suffering from brain damage after a terrible car accident, and his father has kicked Travis out of the house.  Homeless, no money, and only 14 years old, Travis tries to make money from his guitar playing.  But when his cherished guitar is stolen Travis doesn’t know what to do.  With luck he gets a job a guitar maker’s shop.  With Travis’ love of music, devotion to his family, and kindness to others, he starts to make a new life for himself.

Scott Mckissask, the owner of the shop, and his friends, treat Travis well.  When Scott’s friend Clarence finds out that Travis has been kicked out of his house, he takes him in.  Travis tells Clarence that his mother had been in a car accident and is now recovering in a nursing home, but he doesn’t know where.  Clarence knows that Travis has lost a lot and tries to find the nursing home Travis’ mother is in. When Clarence finds the nursing home, Travis is overjoyed. 

            Travis borrows a new guitar from Scott, and since Travis knows his mom loves hearing him play the guitar, he decides to bring it with him on his visit to the nursing home.  At the nursing home, Travis plays the guitar for his mom. Travis’s mom has Aphasia a result of the car crash. As a result she can think of something to say,  but can’t actually say it. Even though his mom can’t speak, Travis’s guitar playing really perks her up.  Travis convinces Clarence to take him to the nursing home everyday and Travis’ guitar playing eventually leads to speed his mother’s recovery. 

Journey to the Center of the Earth: Part 2

Journey to the Center of the Earth

by Jules Verne



          As you know from my last post, I have been reading the science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth and hve beenthinking about the characters of Axel Lidenbrock and his uncle Professor Lidenbrock.  As I am finished with the book now, I am amazed at their incredibly dangerous and unbelievable journey as they descend deeper into the depths of the earth.

          Throughout the book, Axel and the professor debate over their journey showing differing points of view and clarifying their characters.  At one point, Axel and Lidenbrock venture some way into the prehistoric forest, where Professor Lidenbrock points out in a shaky voice, a prehistoric human leaning against a tree and watching a head of mastodons.  Axel cannot be sure if he has really seen the man or not and he and the professor debate over whether or not this kind of civilization existed underground.

          Again their differences come out as they continue their journey exploring the coastline, and find a passageway marked by Saknussem where they find it blocked by a recent cave-in.  Hans and the professor are greatly disturbed at not being able to hack their way through the granite wall.  Axel goes along cautiously and with great concern as they plan to blast the rock with gun cotton and paddle out to sea to escape the blast. Axel, being the practical one, knows that if anything goes wrong, the rock could capsize  their raft and they would be done for.  They do come together as they realize that behind the rock fall was a bottomless pit, not a passage to the center of the earth.

          At the very end of the book, Professor Lidenbrock is forced to see things for what they really are.  Both he and the practical Axel realize why their compass was behaving strangely after their journey on the raft where they escape a geyser-acting volcanic chimnney.  They both realize that the needle of the compass was pointing the wrong way after being struck by an electric fireball.  While the professor had some regret that their journey was cut short, Axel is thankful for the experiences, challenges and grateful to be reunited with his fiance and life in Hamburg, Germany.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

 

 

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

by Jules Verne

 

          I am in the midst of reading the classic science fiction novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne.  It is told through the eyes of Axel Lidenbrock, nephew of the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock, professor of geology and minerology at a college in Hamburg, Germany in 1863.  Professor Lidenbrock finds a parchment with a coded message in a 16th century book by an alchemist named Arne Saknussemm who claimed that he had traveled to the center of the earth.  The professor will not rest until he finds the meaning of this message and so, he sets off on a journey to Iceland with his nephew as his assistant to find the center of the earth.

          While Axel and his uncle, the professor Lidenbrock, both share a great love for science, there are great contrasts between them.  Axel does not match his uncle's scientific curiousity and is more practical about the hardships of their journey.  He prefers the comforts of home to exploring the depths of a volcano named Snaefells in the earth that could potentially become active.  Although it is Axel who figures out the coded message on the parchment that leads them on this journey, he does not immediately reveal it to his uncle, fearing precisely the dangerous journey that this could lead to.  Axel's lack of a scientist's character is shown by his constant hunger, compared to the professor's habit of ignoring meals while involved in great scientific research.  For example, at one point early on in the planning of their journey, the professor hides the keys to the door so that they cannot get their food.  Also unlike the professor, Axel is afraid of the dangers of the voyage but manages to hide his fear in part so that he is not shown up by their guide, Hans Bjelke.  In contrast, the professor sacrifices everything, including his safety and that of his companions for his journey and quest for knowledge.

          Axel's decision to stay on this treacherous journey rather than turning back seems to be a vital point in this book.  Professor Lidenbrock seems to need Axel to help him be more practical and cautious.  For example, as they were approaching Snaefells, Axel raised the question about the possibility that Snaeffels was not extinct.  He said,

"Just because the monster has been asleep since 1229, does it follow that it can never wake up again?  And if it does wake up, what will become of us?"
 

As I continue to read this great classic, it will be really interesting to find out if Axel and the professor make it safely to find the center of the earth.

 

 





Jacob Sutton

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie Literary Essay

 

In the book Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, the Alpert family undergoes challenges whiling coping with the illness of their youngest son Jeffrey.  The book however primarily focuses on how this illness affects their oldest son Steven.  

Steven Alpert is a typical eighth grade middle-schooler.  He is sarcastic, self-absorbed and a gifted drummer who is a member of the school band.  Steven is also obsessed with Renee, the hottest girl in the school.  When his five year old brother Jeffrey gets Leukemia, Steven’s world is turned upside down.  Jeffrey’s illness winds up having a transformative effect as he gradually begins to grow into a mature and responsible young man.  Throughout the book, Sonnenblick shows the reader some of the ways Steven matures.

                Steven is having an emotionally difficult time with his brother’s illness.  In response to this, he falls behind in his school work.  When Renee, the girl Steven has been in love with since third grade, volunteers to come to his house to tutor him Steven can hardly wait.  He combs his hair (which he never does), wears his best shirt and even puts on cologne.  When Renee finally gets to Steven’s house and says she thinks she is coming down with a cold, Steven is put in a difficult situation.  Telling Renee, the girl of Steven’s dreams, that she can’t come into the house, is difficult for Steven, but he knows that Jeffrey’s Leukemia has made him very weak.  If Jeffrey gets even the slightest cold from Renee it could be fatal.  Here Steven has done the responsible thing.  Rather than doing what was best for him, he did what was best for his brother. 

                Another way the author portrays Steven’s growth is related to an incident that takes place at Jeffrey’s school.  Jeffrey comes to visit his class after months in the hospital.  Adam, the new kid in Jeffrey’s class, introduces himself to Jeffrey and says; “Hi, I’m Adam.  You’re bald”.  This is when Jeffrey finally realizes that his Leukemia has made him different and makes him feel very sad.  Steven shows his support for his little brother by shaving his own head.  This brings a smile to Jeffrey’s face and makes him feel supported and appreciated.    This is another way that Steven acts in the best and most responsible way he can for his brother.

                The first time Steven goes to the hospital with Jeffrey, he meets a girl named Samantha.  Samantha is Steven’s age and has been suffering with Leukemia for some time.  She tells Steven that her sister is in college and never comes to visit her.  This makes her feel unsupported and alone.  Samantha tells Steven to always be there for Jeffrey no matter what.  This encounter with Samantha winds up playing an important role in Steven’s growth.  

At Steven’s band concert, which he has been practicing for all year,  the band members decide that all the money raised at the concert should go to Steven’s family to help pay for Steven’s medical treatment.  Steven has dreams of being the star of the show.  This is clearly the biggest moment of Steven’s life.  During the show Jeffrey starts to run a fever.  Steven has a choice.  He can keep playing in his concert, or leave with his parents to take Jeffrey to the hospital.  He remembers what Samantha told him and without hesitation acts responsibly and decides to accompany Jeffrey to the hospital. 

The book Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, is mainly about the influence Jeffrey’s illness has on his older brother Steven, and how he learns from it.  Even when difficult choices have to be made, Steven winds up doing what’s best for Jeffery.  Steven gradually changes from a sarcastic and self-absorbed teen, into a caring, responsible, and mature young man.