Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 4

Looking for Alaska is a novel written by John Green. After reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green last summer I was hopeful and read Looking for Alaska for this summer because of John Green's writing. You could say I chose this book purely because John Green wrote it, but I also heard good things about this book from friends. The characters go to high school (boarding school) like me (shocking). I wouldn't say I live the kind of lifestyle as the characters in this book but I still found ways to relate to the characters while reading. This novel drew my attention also by the way it is written, the set up is weird and it is separated in two parts due to the events with Alaska Young.

Making recommendations to a certain audience is hard for me, I can't really generalize a book towards a certain group of people. Considering John Green is a young-adult/ teen book author I would recommend Looking for Alaska to that group of people, teens and young adults. Although anyone could enjoy this book considering the events in this book considering it being a more "mature" book. For example, The Fault in Our Stars (another teen book written by John Green) was enjoyed by my own mom. Looking for Alaska focuses around the importance of self discovery and about love isn't as clear as it may seem. This book drives askew from John Green's cliche type of books.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 3

"How could i abandon my parents, who were nice enough to pay for my education at Culver Creek, my parents who had always loved me, just because i maybe like some girl with a boyfriend? How could i leave them alone with a giant turkey and mounds of inedible cranberry sauce?" (pg 78) Pudge (formally known as Miles), the main character who from the beginning gave the reader the hint that he likes Alaska Young. I think that in this part of the book, he realizes it. He also realizes how crazy it is to like her and to want to be with a self-destructive girl like Alaska who also has a boyfriend already.

"I go to seek a Great Perhaps" A quote that Miles seems to live by, which is the last words of Francois Rabelais. In the book I got the idea that Alaska Young is the "Great Perhaps". Going with that quote it could mean that anything could happen. I think the quote on page 78 about how Miles left his parents to spend Thanksgiving with Alaska is an important quote in this book because it is the point where Miles actually realizes what he has gotten into.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 2

Almost from the start of this book the reader can see the rivalry between the Weekday Warriors and the regular boarders. The Weekday Warriors that I have mentioned briefly before are "all rich kids who live in Birmingham and go home to their parents' air-conditioned mansions every weekend.". (pg 13) They are basically the cool kids, and the Colonel hates them. Every kid at Culver Creek Boarding School is smart, and they have to be. But within this crazy boarding school are tons of drugs and destructive kids. Cigarettes seem to be a key part to this school, or at least the group Miles hangs out with. There is a cycle to buying and selling these cigarettes, it starts with Alaska who sells them to Miles (only because he doesn't want to not fit in or to have Colonel hate him, partially because he seems to be the kid who never really fits in and tends to be a follower) who then gives the pack of cigarettes to Colonel after taking maybe 2 just to fit in socially.

The way this book is set up is kind of odd. It has two parts: Before and After. I cannot go into much depth about the way this is set up considering I haven't gotten past the "Before" section and I am still confused on how this is going to work. But I would assume it has something to do with Alaska, given the name of the book. And at Culver Creek all these kids are trying to fit in and not get into trouble, which sounds way easier than it actually is, as Miles would know.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 1

The book Looking for Alaska starts with Miles who is moving to a boarding school. Miles is a junior and is studying at Culver Creek Boarding School. With this being Miles' first year at Culver Creek, he has no idea what to expect.  Miles goes through a rocky start to say the least. After he meets his roommate Chip who actually goes by Colonel and assigns Miles with the ironic name of Pudge (him being a scrawny boy it makes no sense). He is then introduced to Alaska Young, who seems to be the cigarette dealer. More characters like Takumi and Lara who I predict is going to be Miles' girlfriend after matchmaker Alaska pairs those two together.
So far Miles has also had a near death experience after a group of Weekday Warriors (super rich kids, aka rivals of Colonel and his group) punish him for being assosiated with Colonel who apparently ratted out their friend. A big rule at Culver Creek Boarding School is to not rat someone out to the "Eagle". The Eagle is the dean of the school formally known as Mr.Starnes. There is so much more to happen in Looking for Alaska with the Weekday Warriors pursuit to find out who got their friend expelled and with Pudge's search for a girlfriend (which later in the book I see him with Alaska considering the name of the book).

Book Recommendation: The Help

Unlike my last book, The Help has me so much more engaged in the book. I did not even notice how fast i was flying through this book. It may not seem like a lot but my pages read per week went from 21 to 81. Even though i probably wont finish The Help by the end of the trimester (mostly because it is 500+ pages long) but i think i will find myself finishing the book really soon.
Honestly i think any reader would enjoy this book. I like this book because it deals with real issues, even though the issues in The Help aren't really present today i think people could still learn from this book. I have not finished this book yet (obviously) but this book is so generally (not in a bad way) that anyone could read this/ enjoy this book. It is a little hard to understand and get into at first just because of the way it is written. But overall it adds to the book. It is also hard to get bored of this book even though it goes by slow. I think this is because every other chapter is written by a different character. So not only do you get the view of the help; but you also get the view of the white women and families.

Above is an ad for the movie The Help. The women in the picture are Aibileen, Minny, and Ms. Skeeter. The book follows these three ladies and each chapter is told from one of their points of views.

Favorite Quote

I have already talked about each character a little bit so far in my posts. Aibileen is the main character. She is super nice and a good worker. She also loves the children she takes care of. As i said before Aibileen's character was based off of a maid that the author had and adored. Aibileen is obviously a good person and her love for children shows through the book.

Mae Mobley is the little kid that Aibileen cares for. Recently, Aibileen has potty trained her. But not on the "white toilet". On Aibileen's toilet that was installed in the backyard by Mrs.Leefolt who Aibileen works for. This is a problem for Mrs.Leefolt, she doesn't want her daughter "to catch diseases" in a "gross" bathroom. Mrs.Leefolt gets furious with Aibileen and Mae Mobley. And while Mae is upset, Aibileen comforts her by saying on pg 111,"You a smart girl. You a good girl."
I think this quote is very important. In the time this book takes place, the maids pretty much raise the children and are their mother figure. I also think this says a lot in the relationships between all characters in the book.

( A picture from the movie The Help of Aibileen and Mae Mobley)

Water for Elephants Trailer

Water for Elephants Trailer

About The Author: Kathryn Stockett

I think that while reading a book, it is good to know about the author as well. Kathryn Stockett is the author of The Help. The Help was the first book she has ever written. The book takes place in Jackson, Mississippi; the same place where Kathrynn was born and raised.Although The Help is the only book Kathrynn has written and published, it has sold over ten millions of copies!
Stockett was inspired to write her book by an african american domestic worker that she was very close to. The maids name was Demetrie who became the character of Aibileen. As i figured out through reading, Aibileen is a very sweet person who always takes orders and loves children. The Help was also rejected 45 times until it got published. Fortunately this book has made it to a major motion picture. Overall Stockett has a connection to her book and always looked up to her servants as a child who almost played the role of her mother.

Minny

I realized that through the chapters it does not just follow Aibleen. It follows other characters. For example Minny who is described as "never held her tounge, or held onto a job for very long." on the back of the book. Already I can see what kind of character Minny is. Even after reading one chapter through her point of view and the things said about her through other characters. And for some reason Miss Celia Rae Foote wants Minny to be her maid. Even after talking on the phone with Miss Hilly who apparently spread lies about Minny stealing from the house she last worked at. So obviously there is a catch to Miss Foote's offer for a maid. And there is; Miss Foote's husband cannot know their family has hired a maid. And with Johnny (her husband) having a slight hint of racism, Minny may not live if he finds out. She has a tough choice, but in my opinion i think she will take the job and the risk. 

New Book!

I am very excited that I (finally) finished Water For Elephants. I enjoyed the book so much. As good as finishing a book feels, starting a new one is a struggle for me. I chose to start reading  The Help by Kathryn Stocket. It is known to be an amazing book according to NPR.org "This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird...If you only read one book...let this be it." I do enjoy this book so far because i can tell there is a strong meaning to it and very serious topic.

On the other hand this book is hard to follow along with. In the past few days I've only gotten to about page 20. This is probably because of the context of how the book is written. It is about Aibileen, a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississipi. For example "a" is substituted for "of": page 5 "She set her pocketbook on the chair, kind a itch around in her clothes a second." The word "a" in replacement for "of" is starting to distract me from the book. There are other words like "ain't" and more grammatically incorrect sentences take away from the book in my perspective, but I do understand it is supposed to be Aibileen telling the story and give more insight of the character.

A Word to Describe Water For Elephants

Hostilitiy-

A word that drives this book. And more importnantly drives the characters.
Even Jacob who almost kills August with a knife. We all know Jacob as the innocent protagonist. Havoc broke loose in the circus after August's fight between Jacob and Marlena. I definately did not expect any of these events to happen. Personally I did see Marlena and Jacob together in the end (Especially after reading spoilers) but nothing like this ever crossed my mind.

This book was a little rough to start as i've mentioned in my previous posts. But all the pages I had to read that left me dragging along led me up to this point in the book now. With only 30 pages to go I still have no idea what is going to happen. The thought of getting redlighted crosses every member of the circus's mind. Nobody is safe anymore in the circus especially with the manipulative and controlling 'Uncle Al'.

Problems Ensue...

It turns out August has problems. August's shady actions previous to where i am in the book know hinted towards his actions in the book currently. We all know August seemed weird at first even when he first met Jacob. Everything has escalated to this point where August and Jacob get into a fight. Not only were both of them left in horrible state but Marlena had bruises after August hit her. Of course after he hit Marlena they were over and Marlena reveals her true feelings for Jacob. As good as this sounds for Jacob, August on the other hand loves Marlena but is constantly troubled being Paranoid Schizophrenic. Part of me feels bad for him but due to his actions he is overall a bad person.

All of this drama causes problems for the circus as well. Not only have August and Marlena split up but now some new form of love triangle is present. The circus can't afford to loose both Marlena and August cause troubles for every member in the circus, Uncle Al specifically. Jacob is trying to keep August away from his new love, Marlena which is hard considering they are the main act of the show. It is unimaginable how everyone, Marlena in particular put up with August for so long. But things brewed up to quickly and eventually had to spill out into this new mess of a circus.

(August in Water For Elephants Movie)-Not portrayed as a nice guy.

 

Krista: locking into the magic of Legos

This column is about the perks of Legos and how Legos help kids learn and become creative.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/02/15/krista-locking-into-the-magic-of-legos/5521245/

"And out of all those wonderful things that adults want kids to master but never let them learn on their own – process, trial-and-error, deduction, elimination – chaos will turn to order. Meanwhile, a work ethic is built in: If you want to play with the toy, you have to make it first."
This quote has many different uses of syntax and diction within. This whole sentence has 50 words total to make it a very long sentence. There is little punctuation to end the sentence. Instead there are many dashes that keep the sentence continuous. Word choices like "deduction" and "ethic"show elevated diction.
Krista's voice is evident throughout all 3 pieces. "some of us appreciate", "you can't help but worry" and "Really smart parents know", these are sentences that show Krista's opinion without force. She puts her own word into the column without sounding super bias or rude.
To Krista:
Where did you go to college?, Why do you write the columns you choose?, What are your favorite types of articles to write?

Rosie's Affects

In this book August mistreats his animals severely. But most of all he mistreats Rosie. Up until now Rosie is believed to be a stupid elephant that doesn't listen. On page 227 Jacob realizes that Rosie is actually very intelligent. Jacob and Rosie "clicked" once she was brought into the circus especially with Jacob being the vet of the circus he becomes very fond of the elephant, Rosie.

When Jacob catches Greg talking to Rosie in Polish. Rosie then starts to do tricks and performs amazingly when spoken to in Polish. Jacob is astounded and proceeds to teach August Polish for Rosie's future performances. Once August knows this information about Rosie he changes into a completely new person, giving expensive jewelry to Marlena and pocket watches to Jacob. August's new behavior is suspiciously odd considering he hated Jacob before but now buys him gifts and gives him overwhelming praises and thankfulness. Is this just an act on August's part or his a genuinely better person?

Water for Elephants Summary

   This book has followed Jacob Jankowski through his journey joining the circus. Chapter by chapter we see Jacob getting closer with the circus as he tries to gain his respect. Near the beginning of the book the characters in the story didn't exactly like him. Over halfway through the book no, i see that the characters are relying on Jacob in a way; being a "vet" Jacob is always working with the animals and sometimes the members of the circus.
  
   Jacob bravely calls out his circus on page 204 he says; "Of course i'd never heard of the Benzini Brothers before i jumped on your train. Who has heard of the Benzini Brothers? The only circus i'd seen in my entire life was the Ringling Brothers, and they were great." With The Ringling Brothers being a rival of the failing Benzini Brothers this did not go over to well with August who cries and states that he "misjudged" Jacob after he says that insulting quote. Especially since things haven't been going great between Jacob and August and tension is rising I could see Jacob off the train soon.

(A poster for the Ringling Brothers circus during the time this book is placed)

 

Book Recommendation: Water For Elephants

I am really enjoying this book so far. I have yet to see the movie but I have also heard good things about that. It took a while for me to get into the book but about halfway through i started to find it more enjoyable. At first the going back and forth from the past to the present seemed very confusing to me when I started. There are few chapters where it goes to Jacob in the Nursing home. In my opinion those chapters seem important. Jacob does not only have conflict in the past where he works in the circus but also in his dreaded nursing home. For example another resident at the nursing home, Mr. McGuinty claims he "carried water for elephants" which upsets Jacob tons because he knows the man is lying. Furthermore I see more and more character development which lets the reader become more involved in the book and enjoy it. The first half was slow but the book is starting to pick up more and more now. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book isn't directed towards anyone in specific. But if you like a book with some drama this one would be good. Even though I have not finished this book there are a lot of events building up to what I believe to turn into a huge problem. 

Water For Elephants Summary

    In my previous post on character explanations i made some predictions on a few characters. Thorough my reading, August has developed himself into a more antagonist character every page. August has shown his true colors when he interacts with the animals. While reading i discover how terrible they treat their animals but especially how August treats Rosie. As we know Rosie is the new elephant addition to the circus. August mistreats newcomer Rosie with the bull hook causing their first performance to go awry. Considering Jacob's love for animals and his growing fondness for Rosie it makes sense that Jacob is also starting to realize how smart the elephant is and that August is not doing something right.

     Some conflict between August and Jacob is starting to be present. I predict that something bad will go down soon. Marlena is in a way provoking this because Jacob is interested in her. This causes so much trouble because August is protective of Marlena. Even when a guy looks at August's wife they are in a ton of trouble with him. But something is hinting that Marlena is not happy in her relationship, in the end i can see her with Jacob.

CP Final Blogging Reflection

    Throughout my blogging experience i feel i grew as a reader. My blog posts have grown with me throught the past few months as well. I found my Blog Post on Character Explanations best exemplified my ability to see into each character and relate them to the plot to make predictions and engage myself into the book more. At the beginning of my post i describe my struggle in the book (Blog Post  2/19:"My main struggle while reading most books is keeping up with all the characters. I can read into how they feel in that moment i am reading but often is difficult to tie together their whole personality and relationships with other characters with each event in the book.") and how that blog post helped me understand and connect with the book more. In that specific blog post i also tried to identify the characters as a round or flat character and how much attention i need to pay to them as i read on in the book and how each character relates to the plot and storyline of the book. I also was able to understand and identify character develpoment as i continue to read. I have found out as im reading now that this blog post helped aid my understanding Water For Elephants and made it more enjoyable to read. [Full Link to Blog Post: http://haleighsreadingblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-main-struggle-while-reading-most.html ]

    As i said earlier in the reflection i had a few struggles that have been resolved throughout my blog posts. But as a reader i want to better my understanding and make blogger more enjoyable to work with and more exciting for others to read. My goals for next trimester are to set reading goals or checkpoints to make sure im on top of the book and understand it easily. I found myself stuck trying to write blog posts because of my lack of reading. So throughout next trimester i will try to make reading a higher priority than it is currently. Also after reading for a while it makes the book more entertaining and creates a better flow to the text which will help me finish the book easily and start new books to extend my knowledge and connection between books i have read.

Rosie

   Having the Ringling Brothers high up the scale it puts their Benzini Brothers circus to shame. Throughout the book it is said over and over again that the Ringling Brothers are the elite in the circus world. But as the reader and Jacob believe that Uncle Al despises the Ringling circus and hates them; We all know that hate comes and revolves around jealousy. We soon realize (if we hadn't already) when Marlena tells Jacob that Uncle Al wants his circus to be the Ringling Brother's circus, and that's why he hates them so much.
   
    But once the opportunity comes to get an elephant Uncle Al takes that in a heartbeat. But this elephant is not top of the line. It is a "useless" elephant who is said "dumb as a bag of hammers". So this elephant was full of personality and had never been in a circus and was the most inexperienced elephant they knew. But from my experiences with my horse, those are the best kinds of companions. In the equestrian world  i live in there are (generally) two types of horses: pushbutton horses and crazy horses. My horse was obviously a crazy horse who was inexperienced and green. Not to sound cliche but after hard work he came home with Champion ribbons every show. So i am excited to see what Rosie, the new elephant in the Benzini Brother's circus will bring.

Character Explanation

My main struggle while reading most books is keeping up with all the characters. I can read into how they feel in that moment i am reading but often is difficult to tie together their whole personality and relationships with other characters with each event in the book. I made a list of the main characters in Water for Elephants To get a better understanding of the book and connect with each character a little more helping the book move along easier and be more enjoyable to read:



Jacob Jankowski: Jacob is the narrator of this book who is shown in two different times, in the nursing home and at the circus. Jacob has compassion towards the animals and likes his job. Being the stubborn man he is, he does know when to make the right decision. Jacob is a well rounded character that represents sacrifice and honor. Jacob is the main focus in this book.

Marlena: She had married August after running away as a teenager and works with the circus. Marlena reminds Jacob of an old crush, Catherine. After hearing some spoilers and predicting on my own terms i can see Jacob and Marlena with a new relationship.

August: August does not give off a good vibe... at all. He plays himself out to be a charming guy but evil is evident in him. I trusted this character at first but as i read more and after he almost gets Jacob severely hurt by Rex (tiger) I'm not so sure about him as a person and the decisions he makes. He definitely has a sketchy vibe to him.

Uncle Al: Although he doesn't seem that important to the storyline so far he is needed. Uncle Al shows authority and gives Jacob a reason to worry about his job.So far he hasn't shown any sign of evil or any villainous traits with all that power and ego of the ringleader there is a good chance of an uprising villain.

Rosemary: Rosemary is Mr.Jankowski's nurse in the current telling of the book. Jacob seems to like her as she treats him with respect. Obviously Jacob does not like the retirement home at all and Rosemary seems to lighten the mood a little more.

Character Development (-ish)

        After reading chapters 7 and 8 i felt myself getting more attached to the book and the characters in Water for Elephants . Reading more helped me figure out the characters and read into them a little more. I found myself waiting for a more tragic or exciting chapter/section of this book to come along and it sure did (atleast to me). Jacob is still learning the ropes to his new job in this circus and comes across his first disaster, if you want to call it that.
         Marlena's favorite horse was injured before and now is not capable of doing anything really having Jacob face Uncle Al and Marlena about his decision to put this horse down. Jacob has been seeming to be hanging on to his job right now trying to get into a secure job at the circus and having to make the decision of putting the horse down risked Al's disapproval of his choice. Jacob knows whats best and puts Marlena's beloved horse down. This problem revealed a little more of each character and gave into Jacob's feelings and thoughts after the horse is [implied to be] fed to the cats.


(1930's animal wagon)

Story Develpoment, so far..

         Despite the fact that i am roughly 1/4 through this book i am still anticipating more to happen. I know the "good parts" of a book or novel don't come until the middle to end. But it seems as though the introduction of the book is dragging on. Not to be confused a lot HAS happened but not enough to get emotionally connected to this book or the characters.
 
     So far i've noticed Jacob's attraction to one of the girls in the elephant act. Jacob also got a "veterinary" position in the circus. Jacob went to Cornell university and studied equine vet. Of course Jacob did not finish because he works at a circus now. Disregarding the fact of his "drop-out" if you want to call it that i plan to go into veterinary school at Cornell as Jacob did. I see some actual conflict coming with his crush and his diagnosis on the circus's very injured horse.

About the Author: Sara Gruen

As this book went on it grew on me every chapter. I decided to do some research on the author of Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen. I discovered a list of 4 well-known books she has written:

-Riding Lessons

-Flying Changes

-Water For Elephants

-Ape house

Her books about horses drew me in obviously. Riding Lessons was her first book she had written. Flying Changes is the sequel. Her third and most known book Water For Elephants was originally turned down by the publisher. Gruen being a slightly new author has only a few awards: 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Award, The Cosmo Fun Fearless Fiction Award, the Bookbrowse Diamond Award for Most Popular Book, The Friends of American Literature Adult Literature Fiction Award and the ALA/Alex Award 2007. 

I am most likely going to read all if not most of her books. Even though i have read some horse books i did find them a little cheesy i hope that Sarah Gruen's excellent writing can be found within Riding Lessons and Flying Changes.

Water For Elephants Background

(Actual photo of the Benzini Brothers circus tent where the book takes place)


   While reading this book i found myself a struggling a little figuring out what is happening. I like to visualize what is happening in the book as i read along. Having a book set before i was born it made things difficult. With words like menagerie i decided to research a little more on the time period, the language and the circus. I had actually only gone to a circus once or twice at the Ringling brothers which are actually the rivals of the circus that is taken place in this book.

   So far ive only gotten through about 4 chapters but am finding myself more and more interested. This book has me learning more about the characters through my interest in the setting of this book. Even though so far i have not seen any character development in Jacob i am reading every chance i get to find out! I have heard from others that there is so much going to happen and so much tragedy that i want to get to.

Water For Elephants Blog Promt

     I had a rocky start through the prologue and the first chapter. I was losing interest until i read further. It took a few chapters and a few dozen pages to find myself into the book and not bored. There was an introduction to new characters. Jacob had met them in his past on a train. This book goes back in fourth from the present into the past where Jacobs story really began.
   
    Jacob met characters Bill, Grady, Camel, and more supporting characters. Jacob only meets them after he is told his parents passed and he hops on a train. While heading on a train where he is not welcomed at first he easily becomes friends with the men and is introduced into their circus. Jacob gets started in his new life shoveling manure from the percheron and the elephant, which i have done a fair share of at the barn. gross. Anyways i cannot wait to read on and see what happens at this new setting at the circus and Jacobs new job.