2nd Quarter Reading Reflection

Books I've read:

1 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

2 Winterdance by Gary Paulson

3 Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

4 The Color of Water by James McBride

5 A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

6 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

7 A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

8 Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr.

9 Life as We Knew it by Susan Pfeffer

10 Crewel by Gennifer Albin

11 The Dead and the Gone by Susan Pfeffer

12 Scarlet Plague by Jack London

13 Grimm's Fairytales by Wilhelm Grimm

14 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
15 Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
16 On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
17 By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
18 The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
19 Little Town on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
20 These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
21 The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder*
22 This World We Live In by Susan Pfeffer
23 The Shade of the Moon by Susan Pfeffer (Such a bittersweet book!)

*I had a brief phase of childhood nostalgia and decided to reread the whole Little House Series (just because I could).

Long story short, I was working the books this quarter. 23 whole books. I brought back a lot of childhood favorites (Little House Series), which tend to be simpler books, but definitely provide lots of pleasure reading, and read a few of hundreds of books my friends recommend on a daily basis. I wasn't particularly concerned with challenging reading, because I had to read two books for class, and was really looking for a few minutes of pure pleasure reading. As of right now, I'm leaning a little more towards the dystopian fiction category, especially after watching the Mockingjay Part 2 trailers. My favorite book this whole semester was Winterdance by Gary Paulson. Winterdance is the quest of one man and his dog team to truly "dance with the winter" in Alaska by running the Iditarod. The author writes about his experiences up north and why, despite the hardships, he fell in love with the Alaskan wilderness. This was one of my all time favorites because running the Iditarod is on my bucket list, and I love the beautiful scenery in Alaska (I totally don't look up pictures of Alaska in my free time... xD). Hearing about how stunning yet terrifying the Iditarod is has fueled my dream to run it one day with my own team of dogs, and truly find myself up there.

Though some of the books on my list really did challenge me (mostly emotionally), I felt that this quarter was more about reading for fun as opposed to the boring version. I definitely increased the quantity of books read, though the quality got a bit worse (I'm sorry :(. Childhood nostalgia gets the best of us sometimes). I have to say, I'm suprised how vague my first reading goal was (I spent 30 minutes trying to find it), and it is so open to my interpretation, that I really don't know if I met it or not. Yes, I read more. No, I did not read the stack of classics I was going for. The measurable goal setting skills really need to improve.

MEASURABLE Goal: Read at least 5 classics and 10 recommended (good) teen fiction books by the end of next quarter

2nd Quarter Poetry Journal Response

Wanderer

For years I have held your hands in mine,

Waddled forward in single file,

Smushed together like two slices on a loaf of bread.

We proceeded over the rolling hills,

Castles,

Princesses,

Happy endings.

As we frolicked through the green meadows and bright prairies,

I taught you many valuable things,

Knowing that one day,

I would have to let you go.

One day,

You will step across the threshold of the Double Doors of Destiny

And my hand will slip out of yours.

You will stumble,

And reach for my hand,

But I will not offer it.

You will have to continue from this point on,

Alone,

Staggering through the dark Labyrinth we call Life,

And follow the fading path that I traveled so many years ago.

When the days are pitch black,

And there seems to be no way out,

Remember what I told you when the sun shined on the smiling timber land,

And take it wherever you wander.

One day,

You will come back again to the waterfall we visited,

And I will be waiting for you there.

We will hold hands once more,

Finish the last stretch side by side,

Take the path to the golden palace

And ascend into the light together,

like it was meant to be.

I wrote this poem (a paragraph at the time) in response the one thingy about the first swim lesson and how you need to look up to survive, or something like that (Am I rambling in four year old speak? Probably). I did add a LOT to the original, because I felt really rushed that day (I think that I was returning a book...) and didn't get to write as much as I wanted to. I also played a little with line breaks (fancier way to say that I turned it into a poem), just because I feel like condensing it into paragraph form would take away from its sentimental value (discussed in next paragraph).

This piece of poetry is a tribute to my mother, whom I am very close with, to say the least, despite her weirdness. Ever since I was little, she has held my hand and walked with me through both the dark and the light aspects of my life. She taught me a lot of valuable lessons along the way, and has showed me how to deal with pain, joy, anger, fear, insecurity, and the ups and downs of everyday life. But after all the time we have spent together, we both know that I will have to leave her someday, and roam the world on my own. As I walk on my own path, I will always remember the things that she told me way back when, and carry them with me wherever I wander.

The Life of Shakespeare (in poem form)

 

http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323/videos/william-shakespeare-mini-biography-12060739685

Shakespeare wast a quite a sir, 

One shrouded in mystery. 

Quietly that gent cameth, 

And just as quietly wenteth. 

T all started in 1564 

Born the third issue of eight

(I totally agree that children are issues)

Joan and Margaret cameth and hath passed ere that gent in quick succession

Gilbert hath stayed a little longer

(More like 40 some years longer)

Joan the second, hung around until 77

(Quite an impressive age for 1500. What's up with two girls named Joan? People back then.)

Anne hath lived up to 7

Richard to 39

Edmund got his share of the years at 27

The father was John Shakespeare

The mother Mary Arden

At 18 years,

Shakespeare (William of course) dabbled in marriage,

Settling for a 26 year old pregnant woman

(What a wonderful choice)

He had 3 children,

2 of whom managed to survive and see the perilous world called adulthood

Little is known about William's education,

(Literally nothing is known about Shakespeare)

For all we know,

The person so vigorously studied in our modern Universities

May have never gone to one himself.

Immensely popular in his time

He composed 37 plays and 154 sonnets

Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Merchant of Venice

Just to name a few

He was a great man,

One who we will remember as the dread of our high school years

Never mind Shakespeare.

You are still the great playwright

And the man who controls the wildest of our dreams.

Picture This

As Jon Krakauer tries to figure out his implication in the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster, he tips precariously on the edge of a great void of grief and guilt. Krakauer is haunted by the loss of life that occurred and wants to find peace with himself through examining what about Everest makes people ignore caution and sanity to seek out the of their wildest dreams. In the not so great picture that I drew, a climber who I envision to be Krakauer, dangling from a slim ledge, about to fall into the Void of Guilt. Below him are the things that cause him grief; his implication in the disaster, the deaths of his friends, what he could have done to alleviate the damage done, etc. The mountain that he hangs on is Mt. Everest, but it symbolizes coping with the sorrow that came with the 1996 tragedy. At the end of Into Thin Air, Krakauer tells of his experiences in dealing with the blow, and the successes and failures of others to handle their mourning. He realizes that there were things that he could not prevent, and learns to deal with himself, yet recognizes that his presence as a journalist may have pressured expeditions to continue to the top even as conditions deteriorated.

1st Quarter Independent Reading Reflection

This quarter, I have read about 14 books. I have read about two-thirds of what I normally read per quarter in 8th grade. This year, I have decided to start reading some more challenging books, in order to better prepare me for the rest of my years in high school. Though my reading preferences are still varied, I tend to lean towards historical fiction, nature, and science fiction books. My favorite book from this quarter was White Fang by Jack London. After reading many of Jack London's books, one of my friends recommended this book to me. She said that she read it all in one sitting, in the stands during a swim meet. When I read it, I was stunned. Never before had any of Jack London's books so vividly described the life of a wolf-dog. Born to a female dog and a male wolf, White Fang is one of a kind, and he showcases his skills, through his puppyhood, dog-fighting years, and later life. The book instantly pulls the reader in, and we walk alongside White Fang as he grows, develops, and finds his place in the grand scheme of life. Though White Fang experiences many disappointments and trials, he is rewarded with a happy ending and a comfortable life filled with loving human beings. Throughout the book, the reader feels what White Fang feels, experiences the tragedy and the hardship that the Wild brings, and bonds with White Fang as he passes from puppyhood into adulthood. The way the Jack London crafts this book really attaches the reader to the characters in the book and brings us along for the ride.

I believe that I didn't do a lot of spiritual reading in 1st Quarter. However, there was a book that reached the spiritual aspect of reading. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers really struck a chord in my life, because of its relation to the Bible. I remember going through the book of Hosea, and yawning as my Sunday School teacher read it. Back then, it didn't make sense. It was just a bunch of words jumbled together on a page of a book that many children couldn't care less about. After reading Redeeming Love, I have come to see this particular book of the Bible, and the Bible in general, in a new light. The book explains the book of Hosea in a more appealing and accessible fashion than trying to read the 8 point font in whatever version of the Bible one might have. It explains unconditional love in a whole new perspective, using people who we can relate with. When I finished, I felt like the Bible was no longer a boring history book that might or might not be real. I now see it as a real life story about how the Lord loved us, though we betrayed him time after time after time. Now I know that, to this very day and beyond, far into the future, unconditional love will find its place in the hearts of many.

1st Quarter Poetry Journal Reflection

Sailing

Rising and falling with the tide and the wind,
lulled to sleep by incessant waves lapping against the side of the boat.
Sunset glittering on the water,
the hues reflecting off the sparkling water.
Bright pinks,
oranges,
reds,
wispy clouds dot the sails.
The purple sky slowly creeps up on the sun,
stars ready to emerge from their hiding places,
light glistening on the water.
Paintbrush resting on the canvas,
gliding gracefully across the surface of the water.
The shapes morph into the little boat,
swaying in the waves,
sun being chased along its path by the stars.
The canvas takes form,
beautiful,
billowing white,
tinged with the colors of the sunset.
Bristles on sail,
one brushstroke,
one sunset at a time.

When I first wrote this piece, the poem on the board mentioned the first time the author went sailing. I decided that I wanted the piece to be about sailing. However, as I was writing, I chose to morph the idea of sailing in the sunset into a painting that an artist might create. When I revised the piece, I had to play a little bit with the transition from boating to painting. I used the sail of the boat to transition into the canvas of the painting. This transition is evident when "". Since the sail of the boat and the canvas of the painting are made of the same material, I thought it would be appropriate to use this as my transition.

Originally, this piece was in paragraph form. When I revised it, I turned into a poem. In order to make this change, I had to play with the wording a little bit, so that it would flow more neatly and make sense in poem form. I had to think about phrasing, especially in the lines "Bright pinks, /oranges, /reds, /wispy clouds dot the sails". At one point, those lines were all a part of one sentence and one line. However, I chose to break this up, in order to make the piece flow better as a poem.

Poetry Response

On Perseverance for Success

by Dr. John Celes

Who says that things cannot be done? 

Nothing’s impossible on earth;
Most things are possible under the sun;
But perseverance should be thine friend! 
The one who gives up with ease is a fool!
The wise person labors with determination;
Yet, one must choose the things that one can do,
And go full steam ahead, till comes success.
Perseverance is the secret of success;
By continual toil, failures can be avoided;
Great things were done by burning mid-night’s oil!
“The toiler harvests best of fruits in life.” 

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-perseverance-for-success/

              

My narrative piece, Standing Firm, reveals that perseverance through toil is hard, but gives immense self-satisfaction in the end. When the narrator's coach says, "When the going gets tough, push through the pain" (Lee), the narrator takes this to heart and applies it to her race. She pushes through the last part of her swim, and realizes that pain is only a physical barrier, and that the hardest place to instill toughness is in the mind. In the end, the narrator says that she will “never give up. Never. Not now, or as long as I live” (Lee). She has truly persevered through the pain, suffering, and travail she experienced, breaking her own limits and standards. She decides that, no matter how hopeless a situation seems, as long as you don’t give up, anything is possible. Also, the narrator realizes that standing firm creates a sense of self satisfaction that very few things can give. When the narrator acknowledges “that [Kenzie and Mariah are] faster than [her]. So what?” (Lee), she has found a sense of self confidence, not caring if others are better than her, only striving to be better than herself.

The poem that I chose, On Perseverance for Success, the author says that perseverance will always pay off in the end, and that nothing is possible if you keep on trying. In the poem, the author says that “perseverance is the secret of success” (Celes). This means that persevering is the best way to achieve your goals. Trying hard and standing firm in what you do will get you where you want to be. The author also states that “nothing’s impossible on earth” (Celes). If you try to conquer what you believe to be impossible, you find that it is, in reality, possible. However, you must put in the time and the effort to achieve such means. Finally, Dr. Celes says that one must “go full steam ahead, till comes success” (Celes). The author urges us to toil onwards, and never give up on our dreams, pushing forward at “full steam”.

Introductory Blog

“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a BEAUTIFUL WORLD” –Max Ehrmann

Hi guys! If you didn't take note of the title of my blog, I guess I'll have to go through the whole introduction thing again. My name is Mia Lee, I am a freshman, just like the rest of you, hopefully. Well that’s it for introductions, I don’t think you need to know how long it takes for me to do my hair, or how all of my goldfish mysteriously died after my dad literally dumped the whole bottle of fish food into the tank.

                                                                   

Max Ehrmann is a poet from the 1900’s and this quote is from his poem Desiderata. The word desiderata is Latin for “things desired”. Desiderata is perhaps his most famous poem, written and published in the 1920’s. It wasn’t popular then, but when the 60’s and 70’s rolled around, Desiderata became a well-known poem.

This poem has a lot of meaning for me, but the quote I strive to live by the most is the one I chose to include in this introduction. Despite life’s disappointments, heartbreak, and monotony, I try to find something good about every day that I can enjoy. You can’t always be happy, but you can always find something that will make you happy, even if that feeling only lasts for a moment.

I have always tried to embody an optimistic air in my life, reminding myself that there is always a rainbow after a storm. If any of you know me really well, there aren’t a lot of sad moments in my life. I like to jump off the walls, talk (I love talking), use sarcasm, try out a few new jokes here and there, act like the Energizer bunny, etc. Sometimes when my friends are down, I try to cheer them up with lame jokes I find on my tube yogurt everyday.

From my experience, there is a 100% guaranteed method to end the Monday blues, or just to cheer up on a down-in-the dumps day. One, eat a lollipop. Sometimes a sugar pick-me-up is all you need for a better day. Then, if that doesn't help, try thinking about something happy. Thinking about good things can help you feel more positive. And, the last resort, act like a unicorn. Though it may sound weird, acting silly actually encourages you to be more optimistic.

And even when life gets really bad, just remember that there is something out there worth living for. Maybe then, you will find a new purpose. And maybe then, you will find that it is indeed a beautiful world out there. Maybe then.