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.