A terrible Reading Response to my coming of age book

          I finished "The Absolute true diary of a part-time Indian", by Sherman Alexie. My ideas about the main character, Junior, changed, or maybe he changed. He appeared to be hopeless, unconfident, but those words didn't reflect how he felt on the inside. Inside, I think he was just lonely. Junior went from having one, to none, and then at least 10 good friends. His had some bumps in the road, but that's what made his story good. Junior had hard moments, but that is where he learned the most about himself. And I think the truth about himself, is that he was lonely.

         
          In the begging of the book Juniors only friend is his dog. His dog was dying, and to(SPOIL ALERT) keep take the dog out of pain, his dad shot it. I think that is where his loneliness started, I think that is when he began longing to have someone to trust and talk to.My theory is that Rowdey, his only 'friend', made him lonelier. I have this theory because in the middle-end-ish, he admits he never felt like he had a good friend someone to talk to other than his grandma (who died). Rowdey was a bully, and beat other kids on the reservation up. He was tough, and physically prepared for a fight at all times. I think Junior was looking for a friend who could understand him, and take care of him emotionally, not physically. 
            
          Meanwhile trying to find a friend, he was trying to find himself, while all this horrible events occurred in his life, one after another. But what I learned fro the book, is that you always figure out the most about yourself through happy moments, you can learn about yourself through loss and despair.Junior wasn't unconfident, or hopeless, just lonely and in need of a friend, someone to speak to, while he was going through a hard time. And that is where his diary, and sketches helped him out. When there was no other way to express himself, he always had that.
But it doesn't replace a friend

my 3 wp

*A realization about the world*

When you feel like you are stuck in the middle of your life, there is more out there.

(Something Jude-my Godmother, taught me)

The universe expands at 74.2 km per second. 

Every second we spend twiddling our thumbs over silly problems,

saying things we don't mean,

taking actions which could affect the whole course of our lives

and putting your pen, on what used to be a blank piece of paper

the universe grows bigger around the earth

Beginning to believe the world is going to end? 

It just blows your mind, and the universe just continues to expand around you, everyday you may call your last.

We move on into new chapters of our lives and surround ourselves with new people, 

and a new hand to hold in yours, 

maybe even a new door to open, 

window to look out of, 

or roof to sleep under.

But, through death, loss, grief, and feelings words can't describe, 

just outside of the houses we build and streets we pave, 

there is super novas being formed, exploding stars, impulses bouncing off of different planets in the solar system, and different galaxies being explored, and a universe expanding

The world is only as small as you make it, because there is always so much more out there

READING RESPONSE------

A reading response to one half of "The Absolutely True Diary of a part-time Indian", by Sherman Alexie.

May 15th

          "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" is an intriguing coming of age book which many teens can relate to. It is a book about trying to be excepted, trying to embrace who you are, and trying to live a double life. In other words, the tough life of a teenager. Though I am only on page 116 (half way through), this book could prove to anyone that growing up is not easy.

         The main character, Junior, is an half-Indian boy, who lives on an Indian reservation with his poor parents. He is a "part-time" Indian, and also half White. Junior's life is hard. He is trying to embrace his American side, meanwhile not letting go of his traditional Indian side. He is also determining wether or not his ethnicities should determine who he is.

         Junior transfers to an all white high-school, called Rearden, over twenty miles away from the reservation. Exactly twenty two miles away from his home on the Rez., Junior is a completely different person. He is popular and well-respected, but still he is living a lie. Junior is pretending to have money, when he is really poor. But he's scared to say the truth, even though he knows it is only a 'Shelf lie.'
Junior lives in what he calls the "Poverty Lifestyle", on the Rez. Every teen wants to fit in, and I'll even admit I've lied before to try to fit in because it's hard to make your self feel like you fit in. Especially when switching schools, it's normal to want to appear 'cool' in front of your piers.

Junior's double life:

         While living the lie, in Rearden, Junior got to drive around in fancy cars, eat well at nice dinners, and attend formal dances. But still, his double life chewing him up on the inside.
      When on the Reservation, Junior's life was (in junior's words) "Less full-filling".
Junior said:
"It's sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel like you deserve to be poor. You start believing that you're poor because you are stupid and ugly. And you start believing that you are stupid and poor because you're indian. And because you're Indian you believe you're destined to be poor. It's an ugly circle, and there is nothing you can do about it."
On the reservation, Junior feels poor, hopeless, and unconfident. Many people on the reservation have bad alcohol addictions, and are able to drown their sorrows and misfortunes at a bar, with several shots.

But Junior is a boy with a head on his shoulders. Instead of trying to drown his problems with alcohol- like people on the Rez., or throw them up- like Penelope, he is trying to cope through them.  Junior is trying to cope with his problems, meanwhile trying to discover who he is, and i admire him for not giving up on either of those things- even when he has little hope. And I hope by the end he does....

 

childhood regrets

I regret rejecting the kind invitation


I regret breaking the promise


I regret being to timid to ever express how i really felt then


I regret never telling him the truth. when every single tiny particle in me knew i should. I just felt I couldn't.


I regret all my failed attempts at running away


I regret not trying my hardest... I regretted it even while I wasn't trying.


I regret not speaking up, I was envious from the start


I regret feeling like a loser, because i never felt 'the same'


I regret not putting up a fight that day


I regret never being myself completely
I regret being too scared to.




I regret regretting all these things.

my LATE writing prompt (BECAUSE of my excused absence for the past 4 days)

It was the day after i lost my last baby tooth
the day I didn't hold Mom's hand while crossing the street
The day I didn't need a reminder to 'comb my hair' 'brush my teeth' or 'tie my shoes'
it was the day I blew out five candles on a white frosted cake
After I blew out the candles, I plucked them off of the cake, ate the frosting from the bottom, and stuck them in the pockets of my pink romper

I was thirteen, and looking through my messy closet for my favorite pair of blue skinnies,
when I find a small pink romper
and began to remember
The faded photos of me, in that small pink romper, turning five years old
and blowing out the candles from my cake

I keep all the photos from a 'long while back' under my bed
I stick my hand in the pocket of the pink romper and pull out 4 pink candles
and then take out the photos and brush the dust off all of them
as I do I feel a salt lake forming down my on my face.

That's when I fully remember, how big the world was in that small pink romper.
The innocence. The simple pleasures
of an ice-cream
playing dress-up
or watching my Dad do the magic trick where he would disapear.
Now it's no longer a magic trick.

Now
No ice cream,
or costumes
and no magic.
I even miss the gags i gave when my parents forced the vegtables down my throat.
Even the, what-felt-like, endless time outs.
But now no magic, or snack/ nap times,
no cookies and milk on the counter

so I'll ride my bike home with no training wheels on.

Reading response

Reading Response


    Katniss lives in a futuristic nation, called Panem; Panem is divided into twelve districts. Each of the districts has to randomly choose two kids- of different gender to participate in the annual Hunger Games. Though they are called the "Hunger Games" it isn't exactly a "Game". It's a competition of which one competitor can stay alive till the end! It's hard to envision a world so cruel with absolutely no mercy, but it is the one Katniss lives in. When thinking about the book for a while, I realized that Panem, in many ways, is an exaggerated reflection of our own world. You can relate: child labor, to putting children in an arena to kill each other for entertainment. You can relate: the Capitol of Panem forcing the Hunger Games upon the districts, to tyranny. You can relate: army drafting, to 'The reepings'. Etc. In many ways our worlds are not so different, both disturbed in many ways.  

       I read "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins, and craved every page of it. It was a great book, and I'd defiantly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a classic action story, with a bit of (unexpected) romance.  But for me the best part of this book was watching the main character, Katniss, grow.  I began to really admire Katniss, and when reading the book- told from her perspective, I felt as though I was completely under her influence. I admire Katniss because she is a brave girl with an incredible survival instinct. Where katniss came from, and where she is going, bravery (and survival) are constantly crucial and may just save her life. 

      Katniss lives in  a world (Just like ours), full of injustice, as I mentioned before. I admire how in her world full of exaggerated injustices, she manages to stay true to herself.There was a moment for Katniss on the way home from The Hunger Games, when she is taking the train home and looks in the mirror and does not recognize herself for a second. Even as everyone changes, and time passes by, and series of sad events occur Katniss stays brave, and in her internal monologue in the book she seems to always try to stay true to what she believes.
She stays true to what she believes as she "Battles survival against humanity, and life against love"
-Collins    
Best Quotes From Katniss:
"Panic begins to set in. I can’t stay here. Flight is essential.…But I can’t let my fear show " 
Katniss ( , Collins)
" I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun"
Katniss ( , COllins)
"The more likable he is, the more deadly he is "
Katniss ( , Collins)


...............


“ I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games”
-Peeta (Collins)

A few words for Charlie

I am sincerely sorry Charlie.

At least now you can call your self a real explorer

You were almost sucked into a vacuum cleaner,

almost eaten by our neighbors cat,

You almost went sky diving out of your cage, after your forgetful owner forgot to close it.

She feels awful, and hopes one day you will forgive her.

She loved you very much.

Even when you nibbled on her fingers

 r.i.p  My favorite Hamster