Springbreak

Im at my grandmas house right now

My cousin Clayton is really funny. everytime we come over, he throws up on my mom or me. He is only a couple months old and hes really big! He was eating just now and didn't like the food my grandma was giving him. So she got the pears out and he went nuts. He wouldn't eat the vegetables or chicken and so my grandma tricked him and gave him pears and then the vegetables. It was funny.

Well ive had a good week. How about you guys? Are you guys ready to go back to school? I don't want to. Im getting my hair trimmed adn highlighted today. Tell me about ur week.

BYE!

and yes this is kendra

HEY EVERYONE!

BEACH OR MOUNTAINS?

What are y'all doing for Spring Break?!

I have to stay here but I am going to make the best of it.

I have to work like 3 days. Buttt hey, I love my job! :)

The Begining of The End

First of all I cant get Spring Break out of my head! I thought the ending of the book was alright. I wish it would have gone on for a little longer and explaind things more. I did like at the end when Boo Radley finally came out. He was just like anybody else except a little wierd. He protected Jem and scout fro Bob Ewell which was a good thing. Bob Ewell had it coming to him anyway. Ahhhhhh well I hope everyone had fun reading the book and I hope that everyone has a good time on sprong break!

Spring Break = TURKEY SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well spring break is just around the corner, but we still have to truck throgh these next few REALLY REALLY REALLY VERY hot classes. But it is worth it because i think that you have to give a little to get a little in our case it is give a little to get a lot. I hope everyone has a great spring break. i am just going to hang around my house and do nothing untill the 31 becasue that is opening Turkey Season OHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHH i am so excited. yeah so that saturday morning i am going to get up around 4:00 A.M so i can get out there early to bag me one of those beauties right in that pickture!!!!! I am going to hopfully get one!!!!!! have a great one everybody!! I'll see you all two weeks from now!!!

It's Already Over?

This week’s reading started out really boring, but then it got really good! The fact that Boo Radley came out was the best part! He turned out to be a nice guy and he was a gentleman. I thought that there was a lot to learn from the book and I liked how everything in the book tied into the very end of the book. I believe that Scout definitly learned a lot and grew from what she learned.

I learned that you should never judge someone because you could find out that they are completely different, and you should put yourself in someone else’s shoes like Atticus had said. It was hard to understand the “to kill a mockingbird,” part of the story, but the way that I interpreted it was that Scout didn’t want to tell anyone that Boo had been involved in the fight that night because if she did, it would be like killing someone that was completely innocent and didn’t hurt anything. To kill a mockingbird would be a sin because all they do is sing and don’t harm anything.

I actually really liked the end, but it was sad it had to end. I loved how Scout was talking about how her and Jem were Boo’s children because it seemed like they really were. Boo could see everything around the neighborhood and he knew everything about Scout and Jem.

Even though Boo rarely came out, he came out when Jem and Scout needed him the most. He covered them with blankets, gave them gifts, and saved their lives. Overall, there are lots of lessons to be learned from the book. I know I definitely learned something, and that is to never kill a mockingbird.

-peanutbutterisyummy- Y

I hurt my head

On Wednesday I was tumbling and I was going to do a round off back handspring back tuck on hard wood by my self.I had already did it 5 times in a row and every thing was going great.I started to run and the next thing I new I was lying on my left side on the floor.I felt like a statue my whole body was numb.it felt like I was still in the air.A coach came over and asked me what was wrong and I said that I was numb.I could still feel my hands and feet, and I got up.I then went to the baseball field to get a bag of ice for the bump on my head.I was going to go to tumbling class,but I wanted to go home.When I got home my dad took me to urgent care.I had a cat scan done on my head and a x-ray on my next.I had no fractures and I felt fine except my jaw was tingling.The doctor told me I had a moderate concussion, but didn't go unconscious.My doctor told me I had to take Tylenol because I would be suffering from post concussion insomnia.He said I would have a short attention span and headaches and I would have a short temper.My parent s had to wake me up every two hours when I went to bed to make sure I didn't have any neurological damage.I'm OK now and I going to a physician this afternoon to make sure that I'm ok.

Spring Break Is Here!

Spring break is finally here, I'm so excited. I don't know about everyone else, but I've been waiting for spring break since we came back from Christmas break. I hope everyone has a great break an a fun time. See all of you when we come back.

Bob Ewell

Bob Ewell is definately wears the black hat in this story, and I think Harper Lee did a good job using him to manifest the qualities of a "white trash" citizen in the South. Mr. Ewell and Mr. Cunningham were both poor and narrowminded, but she showed the differance between poor people and trashy people. Mr. Cunningham was generally kind and respectful, although he has his flaws. In contrast Mr. Ewell was mean, spiteful and violent. The Cunninghams were hard working and honest. The Ewells had been living off welfare for generations and often lied to cover up their problems.

THE END!

So what did everyone think of the ending? I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! I think the ending was my favorite part out of the whole book. I am still wondering how Bob Ewell died though? Who killed him? It kept me guessing though the entire time. I felt that Atticus's true character came out when he read to the children and then after he put Scout to bed she explained in the book how Atticus was not going to leave Jem's side until he awoke. I also thought is was really neat how she brought Boo back into the picture. I wasn't sure how she was going to do that! Well, I am extremely hot and I cannot think straight so I hope that everyone has a Great Spring Break!

A Boo to Scare Us All

I was in shock when Boo Radley name out to save scou and Jem. It takes a lot of guts to do somethingg out of their ordinary, especially for Boo. That to me showed us that he was kind, caring, and brave. If he had not cam out then Jem and Scout would not have even had a chance. I really have a lot of respect for Boo for what he did because that shows the care that he had for these kids even though they had never seen him.

Boo reminds me of a character named Wes in the book, "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen. This is an amazing book. In the book Wes had been in jail a few years earlier and met a girl named Macy while catering at her house. Throughout the book they fall in love and everyone knows it but each other. Macy gets a job at the sam catering place and the boss is Wes's aunt. One night she is talking to her about Wes and describes him as "silent, but brilliant." I think this is true with Wes and Boo Radley. They were both quiet, shy, and caring. They cared for many characters throughout the book, silently. In the end they showed their care for the character(s). IN the end they were brilliant and it takes a lot of guts to be brilliant. silient, but brilliant is the perfect definition of Boo Radely. I loved the way TKM ended and I really wish Harper Lee would have written another book because I know that it would have been a good one.

The End.....

Tear Tear It's over

I agree with Mrs. James and every one Else the ending is great it leaves you with such questions. Some things I was happy for but other things I was sad about. I can't wait to finish the movie. I love black and white movies.

My computer has been broken at home so I haven't got to blog or comment that much. I hope every one has a wonder full spring break.

Here is some cool things on Harper Lee! http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/harperle.htm

Where are you guys going for Spring Break?

It's All Over!

The book is done, but I don't now if I should be excited. Towards the end of the book I finally started to like it. At the beginning of the book and pretty much through it until the trial, I thought that it was boring. I really started to get interested during the trial because I am interested in law, and it just kept going on through to the end of the story. I thought that the last couple of chapters were interesting and I really liked how Harper Lee ended the story.

The Empress of Elsewhere and To Kill a Mockingbird

When Ms. James asked us to see if we had any free reading books that had any thing in common with To Kill a Mockingbird I knew exactly what book I was going to use. It is called The Empress of Elsewhere. They are similar in many different ways. For example, in The Empress of Elsewhere, the main character and his sister meet a girl over the summer who is staying with her grandma for a little while and in To Kill a Mockingbird Jem and Scout make friends with Mrs. Rachel's nephew who is also staying with her for the summer. In both stories the three friends become curious about a certain scary place. In To Kill a Mockingbird the place is the Radley house and in The Empress of Elsewhere the place that the three become interested in is the island behind the old lady's house. And in both books the people that the kids thought were mean and inhumane ended up being kind and understanding, but in order to figure this out they had to walk in that persons' shoes. In To Kill a Mockingbird, that person is Boo Radley. And in The Empress of Elsewhere that person was the girl that the main character and his sister become friends with.

I liked both of these books and would encourage you to read The Empress of Elsewhere if you enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird. Because they seemed to have so much in common.

~SUSIE

THE END!

So what did everybody think about the ending? I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was exciting and kept me guessing! I am still wondering exactly who killed Bob Ewell? I thought it was really neat how you saw that Atticus was a really kind person though when Scout explained how Atticus would sit by Jem's bed until he awakes. The last couple of chapters I got really interested at how Boo was going to come back into the picture and how the book was actually going to end. I think I enjoyed the ending better than I did the whole book. Well, I am extremely hot and can hardly think so I hope that everyone has a Great Spring Break!

Appreciating Family

The biggest theme of the book to me is we often don't appreciate the people we are closest to. This is shown in the begining of the book when the kids are complaining about Atticus being to old to do things with them. They don't realize all of the great thing he can do until. Ms. Maudie says to them that Atticus can make air-tight wills. I still don't think though that the kids understand and fully appreciate Atticus.

I also don't think Scout fully appreciates Jem. Jem's a good brother who always lets her tag along and is protective of her. If it wern't for jem in the end of the book Scout may have been dead. I also don't think Calpurina is respected enough by the kids. In the begining of the book Scout tries to get Calupurnia fired beause Cal disiplines her. Cal though, thinks of Jem and Jean Louise as her kids. She says this when she takes them to her church and says she wants them looking nice because she dosen't want anyone saying she dosen't take care of her children. I really liked that passage. I think Scout really dosen't appreciate all of the people close to her until she stand on the porch at the Radley place. Thats a huge moment for her. We all have those moments, moments when we grow up really fast and get whole new outlooks on things.

Koala

She's a Ham

A HAM? I cannot believe her costume was a ham. When I was a little girl i was a Princess three years in a row. I would have never let some one dress me as a ham. That is why i think Scout is unique because she is an individual. I think that the fact the ham costume saved her life was very ironic.

Almost everyone is nice when you get to know them!!

I think that the book was really good. I cant believe that Mr. Ewell would atack the kids instead of atticus. I also liked the book because boo helped the kids by killing Bob Ewell because he was attacking the kids. So with what Ms. James said about almost everyone is nice if you get to know them. well that is exacly what happend with scout and jem meeting boo. I liked this part of the story because you finally get to see what kind of man boo is!

BOO I Scared you! haha!

I loved the end of the book. The whole story I wondered what would happen to Boo. During a point in the book it kinda just left Boo out, and we were left wondering about him. I don't like how that happened, but it kept me wanting to know more in till I could figure out what happened to him. I agree with Ms. James when she said that she loved the ending of the book when Scout was standing on Boo's porch, telling the view of the neighborhood. I think it was an awesome way to end the book. It reflected back on the whole story. I thought it tied everything up, and was great writing by Harper Lee. He is a wonderful writer, and there are so many things I think he wanted to get out by this book.

Sometimes people are more comfortable with a stereotype than than the
truth.

This book proved this. Everyone thought that Boo was a criminal, and unsafe. Mothers were scared for children to be even close to his house. Isn't it Ironic that such a "criminal" saved two kids lives? Hm? Then, Mr. Tate, didn't want to tell the town what actually happened cause he didn't want people going around bringing him "angle food cakes" to his door. "It would be a sin." Mr. Tate was not wanting Boo's stereotype to change.

However, I think at some point or another it would come out because of how little the town was. Also, I think Scout will be the first to tell everyone about it. I think that eventually Boo wouldn't be known as the "criminal," but as a town hero!

Family Feud

"We often don't fully appreciate those we are closest to."

I can totally relate to this and I think "To Kill A Mockingbird" also relates to this. Jem and Scout didn't really appreciate Atticus. They would always just complain about how old he is and how there is nothing special about him. Later on in the book they realized that Atticus really has a lot going for him and that he is someone to look up to! I think that most people including myself don't appreciate their family enough. We all fight with our families and we sometimes get tired of each other because we spend so much of our time with them. Usually we don't realize how much we appreciate them until you see how lucky you are or until they are gone. For example when I see kids who's parents don't pay a lot of attention to them or don't seem to care about them, I really appreciate my parents for loving me and showing they care! I think it is just human nature to not appreciate those you are closest to, including your family.

The End + Spring Break 07' :]]

SPRING BREAK 07'
I thought towards the ending of the book, it was pretty good it just seemed long. But i believe that when Boo Radley came out it was pretty exciting, because he hadn't. I Think he seemed like a pretty good and nice guy, when he came out. He was very gentleman like, and he was very respectful to Scout when he walked her home, I guess it was just his gestures of himself..also when he put a blanket on Scout earlier in the book. I just wish i would have found out what happened really and not be left in the blue not knowing what really happened. I hope everyone has a Wonderfulllllll spring Break!!!!!! :]] ((stay safe!))



<3 PinkPwranGer

Rayford and Atticus

In my book, Left Behind, one of the character's names is Rayford Steele. He is a pilot. He is in his late fourties and he has been Left Behind. His wife was taken in the Rapture. He is left with his daughter Chloe. Rayford is a tall, slender guy that has to deal with the antichrist because Rayford flys his plane. Ray is put through many trials because Carpathia, the antichrist, is always playing with his mind. I can relate Rayford to Atticus in Mockingbird because they are both trying to raise kids with out a mother present. Ray has Chloe and Atticus has Scout and Jem. Ray sometimes has a hard time relating to his daughter like Atticus does. I noticed that in both cases the children really missed their fathers alot because they were gone working alot. When they were home they tried to give the kids as much attention as they could but they liked to relax from a stressful day at work instead of playing. Atticus was a lawyer and Rayford was a pilot. They are both put under a tremendous amount of stress in both of their jobs because Ray has to deal with the antichrist and Atticus has to deal with racists. Ray discovers that it is alot harder than he thought to be faithful to God and yet keep his religion a secret from the antichrist. He used inside information on the job to try and save people from the traps of Carpathia. Atticus on the other hand also has alot of pressure. He has to keep his family and friends safe from the anger and persecution of racists who are mad at him for defending a black man, Tom Robinson. Bob Ewell even tries to kill Atticus' kids. Atticus felt really guilty because he sort of stirred up this stuff but he had to do it because it was the right thing to do. These characters are alot alike and they have some of the same struggles and reactions to sticky situations. Link.

Everything Must Come to an End!

To Kill A Mockingbird was a wonderful piece of Literature. The end was amazing to me, because it was so suspenseful and satisfying. I had been wondering since Part II when Boo would wind into the story. I know this sounds bad, but I was extremely happy that Bob Ewell died. Usually, a death is upsetting. But when someone that is that disturbed, like a dictator, their death is always a bundle of joy and smiles! Does that sound horrible or what?!?

The 'moral' in the story that really had an impact on me was that a good person can make a bad decision, but that doesn't mean they still don't have any good in them. When Mr. Cunningham was a part of the mob, he still had enough good in him to have the power to ignore his hatred, and think about the implications of his actions.

When I read the DaVinci Code, I read of a character that seemed bad, but had some good in him. Captain Fache was stubborn and only had one mission: capture Robert Langdon for a crime that he might have committed. He seemed like a little butt that whole book, until the last 5 chapters, when he shows what a good man he could be!

Appreciate What You Have

We all take things for granted whether it be having the perfect family or having a close friend that you can always rely on to be there for you. Things like these are great things to have but once they aren't there or they go away for a period of time you realize how much they really mean to you. In a story out of my independent reading book, Everything's Eventual, the main character is a teenager and all he has is himself and his mom. While he is at college he finds out that his mom has passed away and now he is all by himself. In a situation like this you would be forced to grow up quickly and you would probably wish that you would have appreciated that loved one or possesion alot more while it or they were still around. In our lives I think we have to appreciate what we have now because when you wake up tomorrow there is no guarantee that it will still be there.

OMG IT IS HOT

Well I can't think right now because i am melting so... oh ya Jem had his arm broken and stuff by Bob Ewell. Well i liked the ending more than i liked most of the book because it was a little suspenseful and you didn't know who did it! I was thinking it was Bob that attacked them but I am amazed that Boo was waching out for them the whole time. By the way i think he grabbed bob and through him down, accidently killing him in the process, which I am completely fine with. Yay for Boo Radley! ITS SO HOT IN HERE

Big Bad Boo

The book was very good, I have to admit. I didn't like the beginning but when Boo emerged it was just magic. I was so surprised to find that Boo had saved their lives. Bob Ewell was an idiot and he deserved to die.

I'm glad the book is over so I can read some free reading books. I read a book that had somebody in it like Boo. I forgot the book but it was some guy who lived in his house like Boo and never came out. The neighbors eventually got him to come out and he ended up killing everybody, it was a bad book.

Live Long and Blog.

ITS ALL OVER. HERES KINDA WHAT HAPPENED!

When the Sheriff asks, Scout explains what happened, while she was realizing that one of those weird noises she heard was Jem’s arm breaking. The sheriff saw some knife marks on Scout’s costume, and she understands that Bob Ewell had intentions to kill her and Jem. She also recognized that "the stranger" or the man who pulled Ewell off of her and saved both children’s lives was Boo Radley.

Scout, Atticus, Heck Tate, and Boo are relaxing on the front porch. Atticus began to defend Jem, and said that killing Bob Ewell was clearly self-defense. Sheriff Tate corrects Atticus, saying that Bob fell on his knife. Atticus appreciates what Heck is trying to do, but he doesn’t want anyone to cover for Jem. The Sheriff was trying to hide the fact that he was behind Jem. As the men argued, Atticus realized that Boo killed Ewell, and it is Boo who Tate is trying to protect. They finally decided that Ewell did fall on his own knife, a decision Scout fully understands.

Boo saw Jem one more time and then asked Scout to take him home. Scout allowed him to escort her to his door. She returned to Jem’s room and Atticus reads aloud to her until she falls asleep. He tucks her in her own bed, and then retreats to Jem’s room, where he spends the night. :)

I really liked this book. I didn't think that I would because I am not normally into Historical Fiction. BUT it was pretty good...

A love Story

I just finished the book and i have to admit it was really good. I dont understand how Mr. Ewell could be so mean as to hurt innocent children. It really surprised me when the man standing in the corner was Boo Radley. I am glad that Scout was able to see him before she died, at least that was her life goal. Once I started reading the end I could not stop. I understand how Harper Lee considered the book a love story because that was exactly what it was. I think it was a love story between her and her dad but also her and life itself. I think it shoes the pure innocense of children and that they know more than we give them credit for.

Just a Little Backtrack...

Coke OR Whiskey

In chapter 20 Mr. Dolphus Raymond revealed that he was drinking from a paper sack. He offers Dill a drink and Scout warns him not to take much. Dill takes a slurp and finds out that it is only Coca-Cola. Then Mr. Raymond tells the children that he just acts like he is a drunk so other white people have an explanation for his lifestyle, when really, he just prefers black people over white people.
I thought this was really sad because if someone has to act like they are a drunk just to accomadate with black people so the town will have an explanation for why that person acts like then what is our world coming to. I realize that the world is no longer this bad, but racism is still out there and I think that people need to just come to their senses and realize that the color of your skin doesn't matter.

Boo Emerges!

I thought that the ending to the book To Kill A Mockingbird was great. There was a lot of foreshadowing that Scout and Jem would meet Boo and eventually in the end he saves their lives by killing Bob Ewell. However, I found it kind of ironic that Scout didn't realize that it was Boo until she was in Jem's room with him. I thought that since they had been wanting to meet him so bad that they would be looking out for him 24/7 and would notice him if they saw him. But I guess i was wrong. I also found it ironic that Bob Ewell attacked Atticus' children instead of Atticus himself, of course, who would want to try to attack the best shot in Maycomb?? I thought the book was really good and had a great meaning to it. Any comments?

The End

I think that the end was good and bad. It wrapped up a lot of things for me but I hate it when stories just leave you to find out what happens next. These types of books drive me nuts until about a week later when I forget that I just read the book. I don't mean that I forgot what I read I just mean that I forget that I just recently read the book. I wanted to find out what happened to Jem the next day and if he was going to be better soon or if he had to go through rehabilitation. I wanted to know if he got to play football the next year or if he was the water boy again. I wish that she would have said whether or not Boo and Scout became friends or not.
Those are all the things that were what I wanted to find out but I really wish that Mr. Ewell would have lived so that he had to go through an embarrassing trial and so that he wouldn't just get off the hook. I think that there are a lot worse things than dieing before you even get punished for what you do wrong. I think that dieing before you get punished for something like this is really like getting off a free man. I think that the Trial itself would have been worse than dieing right away and I also think that the punishment would have been worse than dieing right away.

The End!

I thought the ending of the book was OK.It answered all my questions and everything turned out fine in the end.I'm glad Mr.Ewell died.I guess karma came along and got him back for what he did.Boo Radley even saved Jem and Scout's lives.I just wish I would have gotten more information on what happened.It was told from Scout's point of view and in the scene she was inside the ham and she couldn't really tell what was going on.So that part was a little confusing to me.After Boo saved the children he went back to his house and was never seen again.I found that kind of strange.He had proved he was a nice and caring man.Why would he want to stay inside forever,but then again I think he just had issues and was kind of weird.If you all could give me your opinion on anything I wrote that would be great!Ohh and yeah overall this book was really enjoyable!

Unexpected Sadness :(

Last night, we were supposed to read three more chapters in our book "To Kill A Mockingbird" and so I did my homework as assigned. I got to a very strange chapter that was about the Ladies Missionary Society! It was really confusing until Ms. James helped us understand it by reading it out loud to us and explaining it, which afterwards it made so much more since! Anyway, when I got to the end of that chapter it talked about Atticus walking in on their meeting and asking to borrow Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra to talk to them. I was curious to see what he needed to say to them and when I got all excited and worked up about it I just came to a complete standstill. I came to this rare standstill only because he informed them that Tom Robinson was dead!! Atticus told them that when it was exercise time at the prison he went out and he tried to get away! He tried to climb over the fence and he would of made it because he was strong and fast but he only had use of one arm so he couldn't get over fast enough with just one arm. By the end of his mishap escape he had 17bullet shots in his body because they shot at him so that he wouldn't escape and he ended up dying from it. Personally, I think that it was suicide to do this because he knew that there were guards everywhere with guns. I think he did it because he didn't want to hang or go in the chair and he figured he wasn't going to be set free anyway so why waste his time on letting them kill him painfully. That is just my personal opinion though...tell me what you think about it!
-Boot

"The Feather that Broke the Camel's Back"

I am almost finished with the book, and when Tom dies, it was something that caught me off guard and I did not expect. I should have been expecting it because in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. I admire Tom very much as a person. All throughout the trial, Tom acted like a gentleman and showed no temper or animosity at all even though he knew that he was innocent. There is no way that I could have kept my cool when being put into a courthouse under trial for a crime you never committed. When he was found guilty, he did not cause an uproar or anything. Maybe it was because he had lost faith from the very beginning, because back then, black men NEVER were proven innocent so why would he be an exception? I guess we will never know, but i cannot even begin to understand what it feels like to be discrimated against because of the color of my skin. Prejudice is one of those things that makes life impure. It makes me sick that people would once judge someone just because of the color of their skin. It is the saying that "People fear and dislike what is different." When Tom was killed, him running over the fence did not make me think of him lower at all. He knew he would be killed anyway, so he tried to take it like a man and do the only thing left possible to do. TKAM has really touched me and I never thought that it ever would.

Prejudice

Well I am a little behind in our the blogging but i think that last nights reading was as real as it could get with Tom getting killed and all. I think that at that time and place Tom was not really asking for it but he was putting himself at great risk. Even though I think that Tom was Innocent of the crime that he was charged with and convicted of the guards that shot him were not trying to be prejudice or anything I don't think. I just think that they were just doing their jobs. Now I don't think that they had to shoot him seventeen times but they had to stop him some how and they weren't going to catch him with the jump he already had on them. But if the jury that served in Tom's trial had done their job and let him loose like he should have been in the first place none of this would have happened. I believe that being prejudice is not only wrong but (The beginnings of the prejudice cycle.)

I also think that it brings out the wrong in us that is not normally there.

Did You like the ending?

I didn't like the ending. It was probably because I liked the book too much for it just to end like that. I wanted the book to go in to if Scout became a "lady" or not and into Jem playing foot ball again. Are there any other books that you would have wanted some more question answered before it ended? I know I have read a few of these books. I don't like it when the book just leaves you to fill in the ending for yourself. In the Kids Left Behind Books I wish that this book would've gone on forever. Also the Princess Diaries Series. I really like these books and I wish there would be more of them.

A MOVIE

I just got done reading the Da Vinci Code and I had to watch the movie! I have to admit though the movie was not near as good as the book. The movie moves really fast through the parts that the book would spend pages and pages discribing. Though if you think about it that is how most movies based off a book are. For example the Harry Potter movies are not as good as the books. Maybe it is the fact that after you are done reading a book you get a fealing of accomplishment compared to just finishing a movie in an hour and a half. Do you guys feal like you like the books or their movies better?

Town Gossip

In chapter 24, I liked how all the ladies got together and pretty much gossiped about the town and towns people. I also found that it was funny how they did not seem to stop chatting. Scout was really trying hard to keep up with their conversations, but she had a very hard time and ended up giving up. I liked the picture on the right because
the story starts with one person and every one

else turns around and tells their neighbor.

Until it all comes back to the lady who

originally started the whole thing.

That is how I felt the ladies in the story were.

They would turn to their neighbors and say somthing

like, "The poverty. . . the darkness. . .the

immortality-- nobody but J. Grimes Everett."

They sounded like chickens that could

not stop talking.

When Atticus came in so early and was white

I figured that there was something wrong

but never suspected that it was because of Tom.

I really don't understand why Tom ran

away.

I really could not put the book down and

really wish I knew why Tom ran and

why Boo stays in his house and why Mayella

did not confess what really happened.

Well those are my questions I cannot wait to finish

the book.

Town Gossip

In chapter 24, I liked how all the ladies got together and pretty much gossiped about the town and towns people. I also found that it was funny how they did not seem to stop chatting. Scout was really trying hard to keep up with their conversations, but she had a very hard time and ended up giving up. I liked the picture on the right because
the story starts with one person and every one

else turns around and tells their neighbor.

Until it all comes back to the lady who

originally started the whole thing.

That is how I felt the ladies in the story were.

They would turn to their neighbors and say somthing

like, "The poverty. . . the darkness. . .the

immortality-- nobody but J. Grimes Everett."

They sounded like chickens that could

not stop talking.

When Atticus came in so early and was white

I figured that there was something wrong

but never suspected that it was because of Tom.

I really don't understand why Tom ran

away.

I really could not put the book down and

really wish I knew why Tom ran and

why Boo stays in his house and why Mayella

did not confess what really happened.

Well those are my questions I cannot wait to finish

the book.

Tonight's Reading (Chapters 23-25)

The book is just getting better and better as I read more. I don't know if I want it to end and when it does I am not sure how it will end. I still have a lot of questions about Boo Radley and how Jem broke his arm but at least all my questions about Tom are answered. It totally shocked me when I read that he had been shot and died. I was so not expecting that. I really don't understand why he chose to run away when he still had the chance of getting let free. I really think Attticus could have got him set free being the good lawyer he is but then again there was a lot of prejudice people out there during this time. I can only wonder what would have happened if he wouldn't have tried to escape and not gotten shot. Would he have been set free? I can't even imagine all that he was going through being black and all. There must have been so much stress. It must feel terrible to be charged for something you really didn't do but not being able to do anything about it. I wonder if Mayella ever thought that by kissing him just once would change both of their lives forever.

Another part of the reading that really stood out to me was the discussion that Jem and Scout had about all the diffent kinds of people there were in Maycomb. I think Jem had it all wrong by saying there were four kinds of folks: the ordinary, the Cunninghams, the Ewells, and the negros. I agree more with Scout, there are only one kind of folks and that is folks. We were all created the same way, who cares if we look different or act different, we are all human beings and that is all that matters. I think we should all treat each other the same no matter if we aren't as intelligent as another person or are a different color then another person. All men are created equal it states that in our constitution and that is how are country should operate, no questions asked. During the trail this principle was not carried out at all. Instead of the jury listening to the story and really deciding who they felt was guilty, they sided with the white man just because they were prejudice against the blacks. This is so unfair. Everyone should be able to have a fair and equal trial and not be punished because of their race or religion. I can totally see where that survey that Ms. James gave us before we read the book fits in. There are a lot of controversial issues hidden in this book. I think it is very important for kids our age to learn about these and the different views and opinions that come along with them.

To Live on your Knees or Die on your Feet

To Live on your Knees or Die on your Feet? That is kind of the question Tom faced. He could have not ran and stayed alive longer. He could have sat their waiting for a possible death or maybe he could have survived. He had no control over that. That is why I think he chose to die on his feet. That is the only thing he could control and he took his chance. Then he got shot 17 times I think? Was his decision the right one? I mean he didn't survive so obviously he should have probably tried something else instead of running away. I mean it was not for sure he was going to die. Though when he already failed in the US Court system I guess he thought his best chance to survive was to run. I know we look at that and think why? What was Tom going to do if he did escaped? There is no where he could have been safe unless he got to Canada and never saw his family again. We look at him and say don't give up hope, pull through. We all cheered him on but was he ever going to make it? I think in Tom's eyes his best chance to survive was to run. You can criticise his decision all you want but do you know what, none of us will ever know what it feels like to be a black man. None of us will persecuted because we are black and we will never know what it felt like to be a minority in the South. We can't judge his decision because we are not black and do not understand all the prejudice against him and the entire black community in South during the depression.

Tom

I was very surprised when Tom was found guilty. At the same time though I wasn't. I knew the town was filled with prejudice people. Also that even if the knew it was the wrong thing to do they would convict a black man over a white one. Tom was innocent even the judge knew it. That is why he picked Atticus to represent him in court. I thought Atticus did a wonderful job as Tom's lawyer.

Afraid? Why??

I have come to the conclusion, that allot of people, don't treat people with respect! For example, a lady under the name of Satuskei had to change her name to sandy cause she didn't have an American name! She couldn't do anything about it. She stayed with that name till she was 35. She then realized that, that was not who she was. She was Satuskei! Who was this sandy? Her father was a poetry teacher, and thought of her name really hard. Also, people are afraid of what we Americans think of them. For the longest period of time, we have been judging people by the way they look, there religion, and where they are from. Which thus made them afraid of us.

Scottsboro- Tom Robinson

Wow I am so excited I found the perfect site that lists all of the comparisons between these two! It was so cool to have the little organized chart that laid out all of the historical references. There are also cool things about the connection of Scout and Harper Lee. I also liked the time line that had a bunch of trials in it.

Finishing the Trial.

There were many exciting parts of the trail, i think the most shocking part was when Tom was found guilty. I thought that the book was leading to Tom winning the trial. I guess i could say that i was hoping that Tom would win but i hadn't really made my decision. I also think that Atticus was humble throughout the whole thing. But, I also thought Atticus was a heck of a lawyer the way he handled the whole mess. I also think he acted fake sometimes, but he covered it up very well i was actaully suprised.

Amazing Grace

The movie Amazing Grace is based on the life of antislavery pioneer, William Wilberforce. The character William Wilberforce, shown in picture

above. The man in the picture on the left is Olaudah Equiano, a character who was sold into slavey as a child and later bought his way out of slavery as an adult. Heis showing in the picture where he was branded by his slave owner. Amazing Grace.

A Drink To Please

At first Scout was pretty convincing that Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man. He was supposidly "drunk" all the time and he was also married to a black women and had mixed children. How was he so sucessful in the town of Maycomb while having only black friends and family? I liked how that Mr. Raymond ended up being a kind man with a cause. He only pretended to drink because the people would not except him if he did not have a reason to be around black people and let alone like them? I thought that was very brave of him and I liked him for that.

I also liked that he was kind to Scout and Dill. He let Dill have a sip of his Coke because Dill was upset about how Mr. Gilmer was treating Tom. I think that Scout finally kind of understoof him, but I don't think that she has learned yet that black people and white people shouldn't be treated with difference.

Emmett Trial

I was goint through the links off of Freshman Scholars. The one I found the most interesting was the one on the Emmett Trial. I was searching around on the site, and found the actuall news-paper article, that the two men sold to the journalist. Here is the link. It really relates to the trial in To kill a mockingbird. It is obvious to that town that they were guilty, just like it was obvious in Maycomb that Mr. Edwell was guilty, and not Tom. I think that it was just plain cruel that a 14 year old boy was beaten and killed just because he wistled at a white girl. I think everything is just so unfair back then. I bet there are plenty of more trials like this. I remember from history last semester that there were multiple racial trials. I wonder at what point everything changed? Did whites just start to realize that there just the same as themeselves? How much guilt could people hold back then? How bad would the duries feel? I don't know. I just don't understand.

I could use a coke

Come on everyone could use a coke! I think it is funny how Mr. Dolphus Raymond pretends to drink alcohol, but he really drinks coke all the time. He only does it so people think he is drunk all the time and it gives him a reason why his lifestyle is the way it is. A lot of people don't like Mr. Dolphus Raymond's lifestyle, but instead of saying the hell with them he gives a reason for his lifestyle. I think people should be who they are and not put a fake image on themselves to fool other people. That happens too much in this world.

Not Surprised

I am not surprised at all that the jury decided Tom was guilty. I know Atticus knew what would happen but I am glad he had the guts to stand up for what he believed in. Anybody who does that is a man in my book. The court should have brought people from out of town who weren't racist to be on the jury. If that happpened it would have been a lot more fair. Tom Robinson was innocent and if he wasn't colored he wouldn't be charged guilty.

Everybody has been blogging about the coke bottle so I might as well do it too. I don't think it is smart for him to act like he's drinking wiskey, he should just pull the coke bottle out and drink it how it is. I wonder if the coke had cocaine in it? Hmmmm.

"The Scottsboro Boys" Trials

"The Scottsboro Boys" Trials in ways reminds me of the trial in To Kill A Mockingbird. Both trials involve alleged rape and the accused rapist's in both cases were African American boys, which was a huge deal at the time because of segregation and the hatred of African american people in the South, until the work of Martin Luther King. "The Scottsboro Boys" Trials

Great African Americans

While surfing on the web, I came across a really interesting website. It has a list of great African Americans you should know. Some of these people I have never even heard of but they did great things! When I read this website I thought back to "To Kill a Mockingbird" and how they gave no credit at all to blacks. If a white man called a black man an intelligent person, they would be shunned by the white race! It just goes to show that it doesn't matter if you are black or white, we are all people and we are all capable of doing great things! Here is a link to the website, enjoy!

Case Closed

I think that the reading last night was very good but I don't think that the verdict was far at all. I think that with all the evidence that it was not far that they convicted Tom of raping Mayella. I think that the jury convicting him just shows how weak and racist they were. With all of the times Mayella contradicted herself and went back on her word like when she couldn't remember if she was hit by Tom or not or when she wouldn't say when her father wasn't "tolalble" or not. I think that those are all signs of the convicting evidence being false. If someone can't remember if they were hit when they were raped by someone that is almost a sure sign that they were not raped by that person. I also think that Mr. Ewell not running for a doctor was a very fishy sign.

I also think that just because a man is of a different color doesn't mean that you have to convict him over another person. Whether you are black, white, Muslim, Jewish, etc. I think that they all deserve to be treated equally. I also think that even though there have been prejudices before I don't think that we should try and make up for them now with a new generation. I think that that is taking away from the privileges of people that weren't prejudice; I think that we should just make a sincere apology and live with them as equals.

Was very unfair

I feel that the trial was very unfair! I knew that Atticus would have to try really hard to win the case because at the time many people were against black having equal rights. When I was reading about the trial I knew that for some reason the trial would be unfair and they would lose. But then after I read about it more I really thought that they were going to win. And when Atticus would prove things and make it obvious that Tom really did not do what he was being accused of doing, I knew that he was really going to win. And when the judge read the verdict I got so angry that anyone could accuse Tom of being guilty when it was very clear that it could not have been Tom. I really hated it! So I looked up unfair trials on Google and found an unfair trial that has happen recently.

When I was reading it last night and I finished reading the assigned chapters I could not put the book down so I read on, but I can not talk about it. But it really gets existing!

And Liberty and Justice For All...almost always

In our pledge of allegiance, we say these very powerful words: "One country under god, and for liberty and justice for all..." When I read the outcome of the trial, I found that it contradicted the pledge. Tom was unrightfully charged, and has to pay the toll, all because some white-trash hick has no respect for himself or for the black community. It saddens me to know that our country, at one time, was one-sided and was unwilling to encourage equality. I am glad that future generations to come had enough sense and confidence to change their ancestors' harsh ways. Our country can sometimes be ignorant, but we always make up for it in the long run!

♥ ♥ ♥

Nine young black men against the world

The nine teenage boys from "The Scottsboro Boys" Trial really never even had a chance to get out of it once they were accused of the gang rape of two young white women. It's all too familiar to hear about a black man being wrongfully accused of a crime he didn't commit, or getting lynched for whistling at a white woman. It angers me to look back at some of the quotes from this trial, which was only 75 years ago. It is sad to think some of the people who said these horrible things could still be alive today and not even regret what they did. These boys remind me of Tom Robinson and how he was also accused of a terrible crime that a black man in the 1930's would never even think about...let alone go through with. This is a link to the site, even though there is also one on Mrs. James blog. Scottsboro Boys It's great to think there really were people like Atticus who understood that every man was created equal in God's eyes and stood up for folks like Tom! Hooray!

How could they do that??

I think it's crazy to think that the people of the jury would charge Tom as Guilty. It just really doesn't make sense to me. I realize it was a long time ago and people were still prejudice, but its so obvious what happened. I don't understand how you could justify voting guilty. Or how you could sleep at night.

I also don't think I could sleep if I was in Mayella's situation. The only person that has ever been nice to her and she accuses him of raping her. That's not something a normal person would do. Harper Lee really does set up a good picture of the life the Ewells live. Mayella doesn't have friends other than Tom and she doesn't treat him well. Also I think its sad how she thinks Atticus is mocking her by being polite.

During the Trial I have come to respect Atticus so much more. I think he may be the only adult I respect in the entire city. He is a lot ahead of his time in standing up for a black person. No one else in the town I think would have done that. What do you think? Did you think they would find him guilty? Or do you think Atticus was the only one who would have stood up for a black person? let me know

A Troubled Trial

I could not believe, but then I could, that Atticus and Tom Robinson had lost the case. To me it seemed so obvious that Mayella Ewell was lying. She would keep pausing and the way she answered some of her questions it seemed so obvious! I knew in my heart that the jury of Maycomb would end up choosing the winners of the case to be the Ewell's because they were white. The thing is white people can do just as wrong, even worse, than black people. Whites throughout the years have built up this horrible image and reputation that black people are just horrible and would do anything to get what they want including rape, killing, and so on. It makes me so sad that they were treated like that back then because they were and still are people, too. It isn't as pointed out when white people do that kind of thing. But it is just as bad right? Why should black people get accused more than a white person?

You know I still here such things of people calling people the n word and you know who are we to even say that? We are just as bad if we call them that even if it is just a joke. We have gotten past that and it is time we act like it. I think there should have been more people like Atticus, Mr. Dolpus Raymond, Dill, and Jem. They saw the light. They saw that it wasn't fair for people to treat others like that. I personally thought that the blacks were above the Ewell's because of how honest they were and how kind they were to everyone.

I knew that Tom wasn't going to win just because he was black. That doesn't mean however that it was right...

Cries of the Past

I was very disappointed when Tom was proven guilty, because all of the evidence and testimonies made it clear that he was innocent and what had actually happened was Mr. Ewell beating Mayella when he was drunk. I think it is awful that Mr. Ewell would blame his wrongdoings on Tom Robinson for the fact that he was a Black American who would be at a huge disadvantage in the case. I have always been interested in slavery, but this book has opened my eyes even more to the issues and evil of slavery. Just last night I was reading an article in Time Magazine, about peonage. Peonage is basically modern slavery and it told the story of a family of Black Americans in Mississippi who were forced to work on a farm for no pay throughout the fifties and sixties. They would be traded from farm to farm to work and were treated cruelly receiving severe punishments such as whippings (aftermath of years of whippings in picture to the left), beatings, and being raped which happened numerous times to the mother and daughter in the family. They only ate what they could hunt or find or eat the scraps of their owners. The most appalling thing of this was that the family did not know that this was even illegal, they thought slavery was still going on in the United States. They had no knowledge, whatsoever, that it had been abolished and they were still being treated this way when it was illegal and immoral. The family finally were relieved of their hell when they were traded to a family who treated them well and set them free. After being set free, the family then learned that slavery was abolished. This just shows the world how evil and heartless some people are and it sickens me every time I think about it.

Cries of the Past

I was very disappointed when Tom was proven guilty, because all of the evidence and testimonies made it clear that he was innocent and what had actually happened was Mr. Ewell beating Mayella when he was drunk. I think it is awful that Mr. Ewell would blame his wrongdoings on Tom Robinson for the fact that he was a Black American who would be at a huge disadvantage in the case. I have always been interested in slavery, but this book has opened my eyes even more to the issues and evil of slavery. Just last night I was reading an article in Time Magazine, about peonage. Peonage is basically modern slavery and it told the story of a family of Black Americans in Mississippi who were forced to work on a farm for no pay throughout the fifties and sixties. They would be traded from farm to farm to work and were treated cruelly receiving severe punishments such as whippings (aftermath of years of whippings in picture to the left), beatings, and being raped which happened numerous times to the mother and daughter in the family. They only ate what they could hunt or find or eat the scraps of their owners. The most appalling thing of this was that the family did not know that this was even illegal, they thought slavery was still going on in the United States. They had no knowledge, whatsoever, that it had been abolished and they were still being treated this way when it was illegal and immoral. The family finally were relieved of their hell when they were traded to a family who treated them well and set them free. After being set free, the family then learned that slavery was abolished. This just shows the world how evil and heartless some people are and it sickens me every time I think about it.

Bad News and Tears

This picture represents Dill and his curious self. So, the reading lately has been good on some parts and okay on other parts. Tom Robinson’s trial was full of suspense and confusion. Atticus was a really good lawyer and it was so frustrating when Tom was found guilty! Yuck! I was so mad! Atticus’s personality is so interesting! When he lost the case, he acted really weird. I think he doesn’t like to show his true feelings sometimes, and he’s just trying to be strong for other people. He’s a very humble person, but it seems like he’s hiding what he really feels.

One thing that stuck out was when Dill got upset over the case. I thought this was interesting because you got to see a more sensitive side to Dill. He had so much passion about how he felt when people treated other people like dirt! Reading the trial part of the book really frustrated me because of the way Tom was treated!

Things are getting intense and there’s a lot of crying involved! It’s really sad! Hopefully things get more cheerful!

-peanutbutterisyummy-Y

Sneaky!

I read "To Kill A Mockingbird" again last night and I am almost finished! While I was reading I was really surprised that Dolphus Raymond was just a fake! Not in a bad way though because instead of having whiskey he had COCA-COLA!! I thought that was really funny because the only reason that he did it is because people thought he was crazy! They thought he was crazy because he was a "Negro Lover" and he used his drunkenness as an excuse for his craziness! I thought that it was dishonest but I was glad that he wasn't a drunk. I would probably do it too if I was in his situation because I am ornery. I think that deep inside he is a good man because he does believe that African-Americans are equal but i don't think that he should have to make excuses for his belief!

-Boot

Tom Is Innocent!

We have just finished the court scene in To Kill A Mockingbird and it has definetly been the best part of the book so far. After hearing all of them testify I thought that Tom would have to get off the hook but then again we have to remember that no one was really on his side in the courtroom but Atticus. Tom convinced me that he was innocent and if the jury wouldn't have been so racist against him he could have been cleared of his charges. It really ticked me off how Mayella could sit up their on the stand and tell everyone that she was innocent and lie under oath but I guess it was her only choice after what her dad did to her. If that same case were to happen in today's world I definetly don' t think it would have been the same outcome. Do you?

TrIAL AnD ErRoR

I believe that the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird had a horrible ending to it!!!! I thought that maybe just one time a black man could win the trial. But I guess not! I cannot believe what the world was like. How come people were so stupid back then when it came to black and white. I wish more people were like Atticus. Because Atticus sees no difference between black and white in other words you could say he is colorblind. The fact that it was so obviouse that Tom was innocent makes me upset and angry, it is not fair he was accused of such a crime. Now he has to spend his life in prison. What did you guys think about the trial? Do you think it was wrong?

Ugg

Gosh darn it! I wanted Tom To be proven innocent. That is so unfair and Atticus is trying to repeal it and Mr. Ewell is threatening to kill him. That is not right but makes for a good story. I am glad I didn't spark note it because this book is one of the best I have ever read(I read 140 pages this weekend to catch up but now I am caught up so I am good). I wouldn't count Tom out yet they may do one of those things they do in the movies. You know lose the first one and then comes back and wins the second one. Though even if he wins the 2nd case then a lot of people in the town will hate him forever or just lynch him. Well I heard the ending was great so I guess I will have to read it tonight. Though I don't want to get ahead then type something I shouldn't. So I guess I will just read what I am supposed to. Hey this is the the To Kill a Mockingbird website for the movie.

Trial Happenings

So what did everybody think about the chapters about the trial? I was so upset that the Maycomb people couldn't make the right decision because they are so racist. I felt sorry for Atticus that his people of Maycomb let him down. You can tell from just hearing the testify that Tom Robinson gave that he is not guilty. When Mayella was talking I could tell that she was holding something back and didn't want to share. I believe that there is something else there and it will hopefully eventually come out into the open. I was really upset at the Maycomb people though that they found that Tom Robinson was guilty. I thought it was really neat that Jem, Scout, and Dill sat with the Reverend up in the balcony where the colored people had to sit. It showed that people are all equal even though the city doesn't think that. You would never see this going on in a courtroom today. It makes me really sad how people do not think that everyone is equal. I would not make it very long in that time period because I would probably get myself killed with what all I would say to the white people to tell them how everyone should be treated equal. I will be anxious to see what will happen next and see what happens to everyone that was involved with the trial.

Affirmitive Action

All this made me think of issues of race today. Affirmitive action was the first that came to mind, besides racial profiling.

Do you think it's unfair and outdated, or is it a necessary measure in preserving justice?

Just Drinkin' a Coke

I thought it was really interesting how Mr.Dolphas was really drinking Coke.He didn't care what people thought about him but he thought it was easier for people to think that he was taken by alcohol.So then there wouldn't be as much trouble and people wouldn't have been on his case.He told Jem and Scout and Dill because maybe they would understand him better and wouldn't judge him.I think if Mr.Dolphas didn't pretend to drink I bet people would shun him and his business might go down and also he might have gotten hurt by people who thought what he did was wrong.

He Gone Got Himself Drunk...On Coca-cola(o'course)

The trial scene groes more and more intense, and we find oursleves outside of the courtroom when Dill becomes emotional. Mr. Dolphus Raymond sooned joined Scout and Dill with his alcohol coca-cola in a brown paper sack. To their surprise, along with mine, he lets Dill have a sip of his intoxicated drink! Soon to find out that Raymond only tries to make the town assume he's a drunk, opposed to just being a wealthy civilian enjoying a nice soda pop. Why would one deliberately do this, and purposely get ridiculed?

In my eyes, he is a very smart man, who really sees the good in people. He sees people for what they truly are, and he likes to have them make false assumptions about him just to fulfill his odd happiness. He really is a great character, even though he is only included in the story briefly!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

P.S. I finished the book and it is Amazing!!! =)

Black v.s. White

I was so surprised how the trial ended! I honestly thought the people of Maycomb would make the right decision and not charge Tom guilty!!! Like stated in the book the trial was black verses white. It was obvious that Tom did not commit the crime because of his disability and all of the evidence stated. Therefore the jury charged Tom guilty just because he was black. I felt really bad for the kids especially Jem because he really thought his dad had won the trial and I think the people of Maycomb disappointed him.

The Survey

Taking that survey today in class was very interesting. I formed an opinion on something that I had never really thought about before. I believe that books like Mockingbird should be allowed in class because they are educational. Books with a historical content can help our society change for the better. I think that we should study books like this in school because they can help us realize our mistakes from the past. For example in Mockingbird we see racism and unfair trials and prejudice jurors. By reading this book in class we are able to see the mistakes we made and be able to ensure that we do not repeat these steps again. If we read books on policy and current events we could learn more about what is going on around us and widen our horizons as to the views of other people. This picture that I have included reminds me of the courtesy we should use when sharing opinions. We should not shout out or try to force our opinions on one another.

The Trial

The trial has definitely been the most exciting part of the book so far even though I really didn't like how it turned out. That was so disappointing and unfair. Atticus's final speech that he made to the jury was incredible. All that he said was so true and yet no one really listened and tried to live by that. I thought for sure he had it won after that. I truly believe that Tom Robinson was telling the truth and was not guilty at all. I don't think he would ever want to hurt anyone especially a young white girl. He seemed so innocent and kind when he was giving his testimony. Whenever Mayella and Bob Ewell were giving their testimonies it seemed like they were a little hesitant and really trying hard to hide something. I just think it is so weird that they never called a doctor. I mean wasn't Mr. Ewell concerned about Mayella's health??? The other thing that seems really weird to me is that Mr. Ewell is left handed and Tom is crippled on his left and whoever hit Mayella hit her with their left hand. This really makes me believe that Mr. Ewell saw Tom and Mayella kissing and then got angry at Mayella and beat her up. I think it was good for Jem, Scout, and Dill to be their for the case because it really showed them how cruel life could be.

So is the book ever going to go back to the whole Boo Radley mystery?? I really want to know what is going to happen with all that. And how did Jem break his arm??? Is she ever going to tell us??? She told us that he broke his arm at the very beginnig of the book but yet she has never said anything else about it. I am really wondering what happened. Hopefully in the last few chapters my questions will be answered. Oh yeah and the part about the trial really reminds me of the movie the "Green Mile." A black man getting convicted of a crime he never did and then getting the death penalty. It is very similar. Does it remind anyone else of that???

Trailer

Hey everyone! I went searching on You tube for a trial scene video. I thought it would help a picture be put into the minds of everyone. I did not find a trial scene, but found the movie trailer. Click here to go to it, and watch. There is a part of the trial in the trailer. I think it would help everyone, and I would recommend you go and watch it. I think the trial was the best part in the whole book. I think its truly unfair about the outcome, but it was my favorite part in the book. People like Mr. Edwell give Americans a bad name. Eventhough, I know there are many people out there just like him. Thats sad to think about. Well let me know what you think about the trailer.

♥
SuperwOmen

The Court is Ajourned!

Today in class we started the court scene. I really enjoyed it, I just wish I had a part. Everybody had really funny voices, I liked how they got into character and made something I think is boring into something that I enjoyed. The story of the court scene in the book was pretty good I just wished that the judge was Judge Judy, that would have been sweet.

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson is a series of books about a British teen. She had a crazy cat, Angus, who destroys everything and is in love with the cat across the street. She is obsessed with snogging, laughing away on a fast camel, and boy entracers (false eye lashes.) These books are hilarious. The girl is always getting herself into embarrassing or awkward situations. Her story (fiction) is in a series of books; there are seven total. In one of the stories she goes off to Hamburger-a-go-go Land (America) while her love the Italian Stallion is in Pizza-a-go-go land (Italy.) As you can probably tell that these books are filled with British slang. There is even a translator in the back of the book which translates the words into things us Hamburger-a-go-go-ers would understand. These books are a must read!! The eighth book is coming out June 2007!

Eye Has Not Seen

I just purchased Henry's new book Eye Has Not Seen tonight and I am really enjoying it. It has short stories that right when you are about to get bored with it, a new short story comes along. Henry is a current Junior at our school and this is his first published book. It sells for $6.99 and is for sale at Christian Publishers Outlet. Henry is donating some of the sales to his church. I really wish you all would read this. Not only is it really cool to have a kid at our school publishing a book, but it's a really good one too.

Time to get reading!

Ok, I don't have anything to blog about and I have to get one more blog in so I'll tell you how i have a few chapters to read. HOW EXCITING! I've read over a couple posts and i hope the next chapters are really as great as they seem, cause I'm gonna be reading for like 5 hours to catch up... but who cares. :D Sigh...Such a lame post.

Excitment

I thought this book was moving along a little slow at the beginning. But towards the 15th, 16th, and 17th chapters i thought it got pretty exciting. Especially when everyone in the county started fleeing into the town. After lunch when Jem, Scout, and Dill waited for everyone to get into the courthouse so they wouldnt make a scene sneaking through the back. The part about sneaking in seems like something i would do when i was younger i would always sneak in everywhere i went. Jem, Scout, and Dill always seem to be mysterious and i think that, that makes the story just a little more exciting and interesting. Another thing, i dont think that Tom should have been found guilty. Well i hope everyone has a great sunday! See you all tomorrow!!!

The Trial

The trial was the most exciting part of the book to me. The book had good suspense by letting you a little about what was going to happen next but it didn’t let you know the full story until you read on. The only thing that kept me reading today was because I wanted to find out what would happen next. This wasn’t one of those scenes that are so predictable that you could figure out what was going to happen; you had to read to find out and that is what I found so addicting to this part of the book.

I thought that Atticus was a great lawyer because he kept his questions very simple so that the witness could not figure out if he or she was falling into a trap until they were already in it. I really thought that it was clever when he asked Bob Ewell if he could read and write because that sounded like such an innocent question but it was one step closer for Atticus because this proved that Mr. Ewell could have done this to his daughter. This means that what happened to Mayella didn’t have to have been done by Tom.

I found it interesting that Dill was so impacted by how Mr. Gilmer was questioning Tom that he ended up crying. I could see how Dill would have gotten upset but I don’t think that he was being so offensive to Tom that he had to start crying over. I really don’t think that Dill should have cried because he didn’t even know Tom, but then again who am I to judge!

Let Freedom Ring!

I find it so hard to believe that at one time in our country all people were not treated equally. The United States of America was supposed to be a place of freedom. However that freedom did not apply to all people. I find it sad that in "To Kill A Mockingbird" it was unacceptable for Tom to say that he felt sorry for Mayella, a white woman. Tom was harshly critized for just stating his opinion. All he was doing was answering his question honestly. I think that many of us, including myself, take freedom for granted. We have so many rights such as freedom of speech that many people only dream that they could have. We are all so spoiled with these rights that we just forget to be thankful for them.

Guilty or not

I really think Tom Robison should be found not guilty.I really don't think he is lying because if he did he would probably get in even more trouble then he is in.I know Tom has been wrongly accused.Why would Mayella save 7 cents just for her siblings to have ice cream?she could have bought herself something nice or saved it for a rainy day the only logical reason she gave it to them would be to get her siblings away so she could seduce Tom.I also think Mayella is lying because I think she knows she can get away with it because everyone doesn't like blacks.The trail has been really interesting!!I have really got into the book alot more,but I still am at the point where I don't read it non-stop.I can't wait to see what the jury's decision is.

Morphine Mmmmm!!!!!!

I have been trying to keep up with the reading but it is pretty hard. I want to talk about crazy Ms. Dubose. I feel bad for Jem and Scout because they have to read to her, I was forced to do the same but not to a morphine addict, who would of thought morphine could be addictive and make you crazy, thats weird.

Aunt Alexandra goes to live with Atticus and the kids. That would suck because she is so strict, she would be a good drill seargent. My Grandma lives with me and I hate it, and she is actually kind of nice. If I were Jem or Scout I would do something to get AA out of the house.

^Ms. Dubose

How will it end?

This weekend's reading leaves you with suspense. It's creepy how some man just pops out of no where and starts talking to the kids. Though Dolphus Raymond sounds alright he still is creepy to sneak up on Dill, Scout and Jem like that. Well this next week we will finally finish To Kill a Mockingbird and I am curious to how the trail will end and how Harper Lee will tie in the title. I mean we all have a pretty good guesses but it will be interesting if she saves or kills Tom Robinson. I think the book will be more uplifting if he survives. If he dies it will make it really sad but I think it will make the problem of racism in the South more real. Overall I don't want Tom Robinson to die but in the south a lot of black did die unfairly and would make the book more real. I mean if he survived it would give it some happily ever after ending and how the whole world just so peaceful. If he dies then everyone who reads this book will know what it feels like to who knows a innocent black man that died and we will learn more about history. My guess is Tom Robinson will be proven innocent but then someone lynches him. Do you guys have any ideas? That picture is really sad. =(

EQUAL POWER!!!!!!!!!!

Wow I just finished the reading this weekend and I really like the trail scenes, they are intense with the Ewell's and Tom Robinson. Obviously Tom Robinson is telling the truth. The only reason they are even having the trail is because 99 percent of that town is racist. It would stink to get punished for things you can not control. I mean nobody picks what color they want to be so why should one not receive the right to a fair trail. I know it is the south in the depression but I can't believe people actually went to some continent and pick up a bunch of people and sold them into slavery. I mean imagine if some aliens came to America and rounded us all and told us we would be slaves for a couple hundred years. Then once you gain your freedom you really don't because you still are separated and treated unfairly. Your treated so unfairly that after helping some girl for a year you get arrested for raping her when you just tried to keep her back.

Chapter 12

During chapter twelve Scout got a letter from Dill after the first few days of summer had past saying that he would not be coming to Maycomb because he found his father. Dill and his father are going to make a fishing boat and he would be staying in Meridian because he would not have time to come to Maycomb as well as building a boat with his newly found dad. Dill promised to come back and marry Scout and said that he would always love her. Scout was heart broken that Dill was not going to come to Maycomb but it made her feel a little better that she had an eternal fiancé.

Scout eventually got over Dill not coming to Maycomb that summer but to make things worse Atticus left for an emergency legislature meeting and he would be gone for two weeks. Calpurnia was to watch over Jem and Scout while their father was away for the following two weeks and she took them to church with her because she didn’t think that they would behave by themselves. Cal got them all washed up the night before church so that they would look and smell clean, she wanted her congregation to think that she kept good care of her children. Before the service started there was already trouble, one of the ladies from church didn’t want the white kids in a black church. That all got worked out and the church service ended like usual except that they couldn’t leave until ten dollars was collected for the Robinson family who could no get work. At the end of chapter twelve Cal explained why she talked different around her congregation than she did around them and that is about it.

Prejudice

It makes me so mad hearing everything that Bob Ewell is saying about Tom! I really wonder if the jury will charge Tom guilty or not. Personally, I think all of it is really unfair. Black people back then were not treated with the same respect as white people had. I have been thinking a lot about people being prejudice, after reading this book, and really there are a lot of people who are. We have a lot of that here at our school. From the type of jeans you wear, to the grades you get, the boys you kiss, what you eat, physical appearance, your friends, your cell phones, ipods, EVERYTHING is always judged. Do you guys get what I mean? I'll admit it, I am prejudice too. Every time I get on an airplane and see some person with a Middle Eastern decent I get nervous. It is normal for people to feel that way though, from what this country has gone through. However, I am starting to learn that you shouldn't take those feelings out on those people, because I shouldn't judge them because of what one person did before. Hope everyone's weekend has been good so far!

Harper Lee

Did Harper Lee keep diary entries of her life? I think she had to keep some documentation of it, to be able to remember all of these details because didn't Ms. James say it was based on Harper Lee's childhood? I think it would be amazing if people could have that good of memories. I remember bits and pieces like flashbacks from the younger part of my childhood, but I certainly do not remember as many events as Harper Lee describes in her book. I assume that she would of had to keep some sort of diary entries to recall all of these events.

The trial

I thought that the trial is where the story has really pick up to speed. I like this picture because it shows the division that was in the town. I am not saying that this is good in any way at all! But as I was reading about the trial I did realize that the African-Americans had to sit in a different balcony that the white people I thought that that was very weird. Even though the trial was a case conserning a black man. I don't know if any one else found it interesting.But I did!

To Kill A Mockingbird

So, this week's reading was pretty good! Some events in the book stuck out more than others, and some parts were really confusing! The author's writing is so in-depth! A part that stuck out to me was when Scout had talked about how she wanted to twirl at her high school! It's funny because she's so far from being girly! She doesn't act or dress like a girl most of the time! I also really liked when Scout and Jem went to Calpurnia's church! It really showed Jem and Scout a different view of another church.

Questions:
I did have a question about the "mad dog." Was the dog really mad? Or was it just sick? I thought it was really sad when Atticus shot the dog! Atticus had been known as a really good shooter and it changed Scout's and Jem's views about their father not being able to do anything. I can relate to this because I used to think my parents couldn't do anything but when they tell me the things they were good at I admire them. And what was "Entailment?" Scout mentioned this when she was talking to Mr. Cunningham during the jail scene. I was so surprised that it took an 8-year-old girl to talk the men to their senses. She forced the sensitive sides of them out. I thought it was really cool when Atticus talked about how they should have a, "Police force of children." Sometimes, children can be a bigger influence than adults. I thought it was cool, too, that Dill came back, but I wonder if he's going to go back home again. And I wonder what's going to happen in the trial.


I've started to admire Atticus a lot! He's a good father and he raises his children in a different way. He's laid back and he knows what he's doing! His pride isn't hurt when people say harsh things to him. He has his own beliefs and lives up to them, and I admire that!

A good phrase that I liked in the book was:
"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." I really agree with this because a person's conscience is really important for making good decisions.

-peanutbutterisyummy-Y

Father and Son

My favorite part of "To Kill a Mockingbird" where Scout was talking to Mr. Cunningham. I think that one of the reasons why Mr. Cunningham left Atticus unharmed was he was thinking about him son. When Scout mentioned Walter, Mr. Cunningham probably felt guilty about wanting to harm Atticus because he was a father too. Mr. Cunningham probably realized how upset Walter would be if his dad got hurt and he decided that he wouldn't want that to happen to ANY child. Also I think in these past few chapters Jem and Atticus have gained a stronger bond. Now that Jem is growing up I think he can relate more to Atticus.

Chapters 15-16

The last few chapters have actually been really good! I love to read about what is going on in the trial. Another part that I thoroughly enjoyed was the part when Jem, Scout, and Dill ran away to the courthouse to see what was going on and found Atticus and a group of men talking about Tom Robinson. Then the Finch kids joined in and let themselves be seen. I loved how Scout just started talking to Mr. Cunningham person to person. It was like she made him think about where he was and what he was doing. He realized that this was a girl that was a "friend" to his son and that he was wrong for accusing Atticus that night.

The book is still moving along quite slowly in my opinion but I am getting more and more interested as I read more. I am interested to see what will happen next and what will happen in the trial. I am actually kind of scared for Tom Robinson. It seems to me like he didn't do anything. Well, I hope that everyone else is enjoying the book and is excited about the upcoming events too!

Swing batter batter!

I wrote my rough draft about my first homerun while I was playing baseball at Cooper sports complex a few years back. I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time and it was the greatest feeling ever rounding the bases smiling from ear to ear hearing everyone clapping for me. Ever walked on air before because that was what i was feeling at the time. Anyway, it sure would be nice to cream one over the fence this year in Kickapoo's field. Who else agrees that Albert Pujols is beastly?!!!?!

Not Taken Seriously! =(

When I was a child I was carefree, and didn't really pay attention of adults or their actions, but I do know one thing: I was really intimidated of them.

I never realized that adults never took children seriously until, they did start taking me seriously, when I was in Middle School. I think its sad that adults deprive us of our knowledge, just because we haven't lived a decade or two. Children are filled with just as much knowledge, and not as much hatred and personal feelings. This makes their intentions pure and not harmful. I ask of you all to never ignore a child, because they may have the answers, just as Scout did. Even though what she did did not seem logical, it worked for the better.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Strict People

Some people are just so strict. It actually relates to the book quite well. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Aunt Alexandra is very strict. She has been very strict on the children and i dont think she is really alowing them to be kids. I mean if i was one of those kids i would be upset to not act like a kid. When i was little my parents or any other elders of mine let me do things. I was always doing something a matter of fact. I think that when you are a kid you should be able to act like one, with certian exceptions to "acting like a kid". You should still have manors but you shouldn't have the expectations of adults.

An Asian encounter

This summer my basketball team went to Las Vegas for a tournament. Through out the whole trip really funny things happened. All over Las Vegas their were Asian tourists who carry around huge cameras always taking pictures for some reason. So one of my friend's dads dared us to go jump in a picture with them! So of course we never back down from a good dare and we did it. I swear it took them like three pictures to realize we were in their with them. It was so funny. However the funniest part was when they noticed us. They were so excited to have a bunch of Americans in a picture with them. You would have thought we were famous people or something(though I bet secretly they were saying look at those stupid Americans). Either was it was sooooooo funny. My friend even peed her pants! Have you guys ever jumped in a picture with strangers?This can also be related to mockingbird when Scout sort of jumps into a picture at the jail house. It is funny how everyday things relate to the book.

Boo Radley...???

How do you think that Boo will tie into the trial? I think that Boo might actually be a part of the trial some how later on. I wonder how he could be of any value tothe trial if in fact he does have anything to do with it. Do you guys think that Boo will tie in with the trial? If so what will he do? I think that Boo might have been a witness to the crime somehow but I don't really know!

Comming Back To Alabama

Well in TKM I liked how Dill ran away to Scout's house. I thought that was very brave of him because I know that I couldn't be able to do that. Especially when I was that young of age. He was pretty young to be running away like that, so I guess he was pretty miserable back home. I can really relate to this because I used to have a friend who would come here to Springfield in the summer, but when it was over she would go back to Kansas City. Her name was Alexis and her and I were like sisters it seemed. We were so close and I was torn when ever I found out she wouldn't be comming down to Springfield anymore.

I also loved the part in Chapter 15 where Scout rushed into the group of men when her, Jem, and Dill snuke out that night to the jail. That was so suspensful and I held my breath as I read that part. I liked it though because I would have done the same thing Jem did. If my dad was going somewhere I didn't know about I would want to follow him, too. Especially if he was involved in something that people did not approve of when he did not have a choice whether or not to do it.

Southern Bells!

In class today we where talking about how the town's people where all different. Miss James little baby is so cute! She does look like a southern bell. I can just picture all the lady's with the hats and dresses. It would be fun to have the class dress up like all the characters. (Just thinking) Are group today talked about how when every one was going to the trial there where some people that people didn't even know. Some people didn't even know what the trial was about! Like people where coming out of the wood works. It was also weird how they said the people that where partial white and partial black where just black. They ask how they new they where black when you couldn't even tell and the people just said they new. People going to the trial where very racist for know reason. They just followed others.

I am really enjoying the book right now I love History. I am going to read ahead this weekend because i am going the ST.LOUIS so I will have a car ride to read.

Comments!

check outh this link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056592/ ITs about the book!

My Rough Draft

My inspiration for my rough draft came from one of my past free reading books and from my passion of baseball. I was having a lot of trouble

thinking of what to write about because none of my free writings really interested me enough to write about. In my rough draft I wrote about some of my best accomplishments from my sport and why I lke that sport.

Looking through a childs eyes will fix most disagreements

I thought it was really interesting that Scout talking to Mr. Cunningham was what solved Atticus's disagreement with the men. From Scout's point of view she was looking for a familiar face in the crowd to talk to, and she was only being polite by talking to him. But when Mr. Cunningham heard what she had to say it changed his entire point of view.

I think most of the arguments we are in in our lives could be solved if we just looked at them through the eyes of a 6-year old. If they would think the argument was stupid, then it's probably not worth fighting. Also the point is brought up that people in the story and in really life jump to conclusions without knowing backstories.

Someone is a lot harder to be upset with and fight when their 6-year old daughter is talking to you about your 6-year old son. Everyone is someones daughter, son, brother, niece, nephew, wife, husband, or daughter, and we never know what goes on in that person's life. We never know why a person is the way they are. Like Mrs. Dubose and her morphine addiction, you jsut never know. So I think we should all be careful what we say because we never know.

I'm also really excited about the trail coming up, I think it will be really interesting.

New Book :D

I have started another new book!

It's called Give a Boy a Gun.

ohhh man.

It's about a school shooting. and it is really good. its kinda scary though just to know that it could happen, at anytime. it just goes to show what picking on people can get you.
In this book these two young boys get picked on, so they bring a gun to school and kill anyone and everyone that has ever picked on them or poked fun at them. Then, they kill themselves. And it is really sad cause they write suicide letters to their poor parents. :(
You should read the book though if you like dramatic books.

March Madness

If I could only watch one thing for the whole year I would probably choose the NCAA Tournament. The tournament tipped off yesterday and will continue through early April. I filled out a few of my own brackets and on my main one I picked my final four as Florida, UCLA, North Carolina, and Texas A&M. In my Championship game I have Florida vs. North Carolina with UNC winning partly because they are my favorite team and partly because I think they have the best team this year and that they can win it all. I am anxious to see how it will all play out and since there are always some upsets and it is pretty hard to know for sure what is going to happen. I was happy however with how Duke started their tournament last night, with a loss and a trip home.

October Road

I thought it was really cool that To Kill A Mockingbird was mentioned in a new T.V. show. I also thought that it was funny that the kid told Nick (the guy who deserted his town) that the house was haunted and that Boo Radley Jr. and Boo Radley Sr. lived in that house. And when Nick returned with "Boo Radley Jr. would be my brother, and Boo Radley Sr. would be my father" the kid said "Good luck".

Im going to continue to watch this show to see if there are any other refernces to To Kill A Mockingbird.

Anyone else watch that show last night??

Post Your Brackets

I am sorry if you can't see but my champion is Kevin Durant and the Texas Longhorns. Everybody post your brackets. If you want to have a better look at it click on the picture.

Jail Scene

I found this picture of the jail scene from the movie. I thought it would help us picture what it was like. At the bottom of the picture you see the mob of white folks. Then in front of them is Atticuss, Jem, Scout, and Dill. I see that Scout is talking to the mob in the picture. Think of how much courage that would take to speak to a group of angry racial men. Scout seems a lot like myself. I see a lot of qualities in here that I see in myself. She is very courageous, brave, outing, and truly cares for people. I see all of them qualities in myself. Go to this link to see more pictures from the film. It might help you picture some of the scenes from the jail. It also gives you a summary of the jail scene. Do you think you would of done what scout did at the jail?

♥

New Book! WAHOOOO!

Do you guys ever get excited when the library calls you and they tell you that a book that you have had on hold for a really long tome is finally there waiting for you? I love those calls. I just got one yesterday. I have been reading the Left Behind series and I guess it is really popular because every time I finish one book I have to wait for like two weeks or so until I can finally get it. The books are so good this is just too long of a wait for me. Right now I am reading The book called Soul Harvest. The title sounds really creepy but it is really about the race for people to become Christians before the final judgement day when Jesus will return to take His followers to Heaven. It is a great book and it has excellent scriptural references! There are also a couple books on what went on before they were left behind. I have also enjoyed another series on a Biblical archeologist. These books are by the same authors I believe, Jerry B Jenkins and Tim Lahaye! Great books!

Breaking the Barrier

In the reading of "To Kill A Mockingbird" i have read this week, I have gained more interest in the story. So many things have happened from going to Calpurnia's church to the shooting of the mad dog. I have also noticed a change in the characters. Jem has obviously has began "you-know-what" and his mood changes in different parts of the story and does not seem to be the carefree, nonchalant youngster from the beginning of the book. I really admire the kind of person that Atticus' is. He is a very busy man and is constantly being criticized by the Finch family for his parenting, but he is only trying his best. He is a man who hardly lets his temper get to him and is very good at letting things go. When he is called a "****** -lover" it seems not to phase him at all and he tells Scout and Jem to ignore it all. There is no way that I could let it go and especially if it was my father that they were talking about. He is a man who seems pure amongst the racist community that he lives in. He does not follow the "bandwagon" or what anyone else thinks, but sticks up for his values and what he believes is right, and for that reason, Atticus is without a doubt my favorite and most inspirational character of the book.

My Day at Silver Dollar City

Well Spring Show has finally begun!!! I am in a show at Silver Dollar City wth Ashley and about 11 other kids!! We did our first shows today and I was kind of nervous about how we would do but everything actually went really well. I was pretty mad at myself though because today as soon as I got to SDC I realized I had accidently forgot to grab the bag my dance shoes were in, so my mom had to go to Wal Mart and buy me these really ugly black shoes. They were velcro and looked like old lady shoes not to mention they were kind of big on me, but I survived and that sould teach me to never forget them again. So this is my third year being in the show and this year we have a lot of new kids. The age rage of the kids is 6-17 so there are a lot of different varities which has been a little diffficult but we have made it with no major conflicts so far. The little kids have been a little of a struggle for me this year because it took them so long to learn the songs and dances and they have very short attention spans as most younger kids do. I have really learned a lot this year though cause I have been forced more then ever to be an example and leader to the kids which is really hard for me sometimes because I am a kid just like all of them. I wanna goof off and have fun just as much as them but I know I can't or else they will think they can act like that to!
Our theatre this year is extra cool!! We are inside at the Riverfront Playhouse and we have all these lights that switch colors all the time and even a spotlight. It makes me feel really special perfrming in such a big theatre with lights and an announcer and everything. We are usually outside so this is a pretty big change but I felt that we had a lot bigger crowds today then we usually do. This summer I will be in another show with American Kids at the Gazebo just on the weekends. I hope the rest of our days doing shows go just and well and I hope we can bless just as many people!! Wish me luck!!

Runaway Love!

When I read of Dill's runaway, I was truly impressed. I couldn't even begin to imagine being 8 years old and having enough courage and bravery to cover all that ground, by myself!! I always thought of running away as a kid, but I never had a reason to, despite the adventure of it all.

The closest thing to running away for me was when I was 6 and I hid in a JCPenny's dressing room for an hour and a half. I thought it was a wonderful idea. When I heard my mom and sister screaming my name, I just continued to sit quietly in the locked dressing room, laughing silently. It was all going swell, or so I thought, until the security guard unlocked all the dressing rooms, and there he found me, sitting in the corner rolled into a fetal position laughing. It wasn't very fun on the car ride home, when I got a huge lecture followed by a few tears. =)

Have you ever done anything cleverly stupid like that??

Runaway Love!

When I read of Dill's runaway accomplishment, I was impressed.

I couldn't believe how sneaky and intelligent he was!! I was amazed how a little boy like him easily covered that much ground safely.

I sometimes thought of running away, but I can't really think of any reason why I would wanted to, except for the adventure of it all.

The closest thing I ever did to running away was when I was at J.C.Penny's buying jeans, and I hid in the dressing room to be funny. I recall my mom and sister screaming my name, and I sat quietly in a locked dressing room laughing silently. It seemed clever up until my mom found me when the security guard was unlocking all of the dressing rooms. Then, it really didn't seem like such a good idea, and boy, did I get lectured on the car ride home!!

Have you ever done something cleverly stupid like that??

Opening Day!

Today at 12p.m. we opened for our Silver Dollar City Show! At first I did not know if it was going to go so well but it all turned out great! We had good crowds and all the kids had their dance moves memorized! I was just thankful that we did not have anything horrible happening like someone falling off the stage or all our mikes going out! That happened last year and we just kept going and didn't miss a beat so we got standing ovations! Hopefully our sound system doesn't go out this year but I think that we would be alright if it did happen. Over all the show went well and I thought that all the shows had a lot of energy and was better than any of the rehearsals! We had a really good time after the shows to we rode rides and ate good food! I even had Dip 'n' Dots and they tasted like heaven and Katelyn even shared her funnel cake with me which I might saw was also delicious! Overall I had a pretty good time and will never forget the opening day of our gospel show at Silver Dollar City!
-Boot

Green Street Hooligans

As we started writing our rough drafts, I was inspired to write a story on a subject that interests me; the world of Hooliganism.

What inspired me to do this was my favorite movie which is called "Green Street Hooligans." This movie is basically about an American who moves to England after being kicked out of Harvard and is accepted into a soccer gang for the pro soccer team West Ham United. Essentially, the story is about the different soccer gangs beating the living daylights out of each other. This is basically a British version of "Fight Club" but much better and also has a comical edge to it also. I recommend it to anyone who loves violent and action filled movies haha.http://www.warnervideo.com/greenstreethooligans/

Where did I get my insparation

I knew that I wanted to write my essay about my family. But I could not think of any thing to write about. Then I thought about movies that have big families and how funny they are. My family is not really rude and we are not out of control, but it would be funny if we were wild. So I began thinking of the movie Nanny McPhee, the kids were so bad that they could not keep a nanny for more than three days. In fact they made it a contest to see the fastest time that they could get rid of the nanny. They did things such as pretend that they cooked the baby and were eating her like a fried chicken, baking their socks into the potatoes, and refusing to go to bed. Until Nanny McPhee came and helped make everything change. Instead of having a nanny actually come in my essay, it is basically telling all the different talents and characteristics that the nanny would have to have. It states different things that makes each child in my family themselves. Not all of them are true, but for the most part they are. I made it seem like it would be impossible to be our nanny basically because we do not need one. This is simply because we have a mother who is always there for us and no one could ever take her place.

~SUSIE

the MALLARD DUCK of D.C.

Last spring break our eighth grade class went to Washington D.C. It was the most exciting trip of my life! While we were at the Roosevelt memorial(which is outside) I heard my friend screem! At first I thought she was hurt but when I ran over to her I knew that was not the case. Lets just say she smelt really bad! I looked up and saw a Mallard duck flying away. I looked back at her and I filled in the blank. She had been pooped on. immediately I started dying laughing, along with all my other friends( dont worry my friend was laughing to). For the rest of the night we all kept our distance from her. I felt bad laughing but it was just way to funny to hold it in.Have you guys ever had an experience like this?

The Rough Draft

I wrote my rough draft a few minutes ago and I wanted to tell you guys how I was inspired. To Kill a Mockingbird has got me hooked on the subject of my childhood so I went ahead and wrote about that. I had a little bit of trouble getting started on my topic because there is a whole lot of childhood in my past. I was wondering if any of you out there were inspired to write your rough draft by To Kill a Mockingbird? Are there any other subjects that you guys think would be good to write on coming from that book? I wrote in my rough draft a little of my tree climbing days because this is something I can imagine Jem, Scout, and Dill doing on a warm summer day to hang around in the shade.

Childhood Memories

Well since this week we have been talking about our childhood memories I have found that I miss them more than I thought. When we did the drawing of where we used to play and go to in our most remembered neighborhood I drew a picture of my neighborhood with our pool. When I was little during the summer all the kids used to go the pool. It was so fun. There was a ditch and a pond right by the pool, well in the pond there where alot of frogs the boys used to get the fogs out of the water and throw them at use. This used to make the girls grossed out. Also by the pool there was a big hill! During the winter we used to sled down the hill. We used to also gather all the kids in the neighborhood up and play capture the flag in the snow. When I was reading TKAM I related this to Jem and Scout's playing and adventures. I would love to go back and be a little kid again and see how fun it was.

TKM part 1

I finished Part 1 of To Kill a Mockingbird today and I am really intreuged by the story. I really can relate to Scout and Jem in their struggle with the people of the town calling her dad names. I think we all can. Our familys like Scout said are all we have when it comes down to it. When the rest of the town, even their extended family and best friends are talking about them, Atticus, Scout, and Jem stick up for each other. While Atticus would rather they didn't fight on his account I believe it is completely natural for a child to stand up for her parent and/or the people they care about.

Throughout chapter 11 I sided completely with the children. I though that Mrs. Dubose was simply a mean old lady and the children should just ignore her. In then end though I felt bad for her. Being a morphine addict she was going through a lot. I still don't think her words were justified. No matter what pain she was in she had no right to call Atticus the names she did,

In this book I am also really bothered by the racial slurs. I think growing up in this city I haven't ever really had to deal with these words. I have to go but, I really am enjoying the book.

The Boo Radley game

The Boo Radley game was very interesting to me. Three young kids trying to get a middle aged man, for all they know could be mentally unstable or even crazy, out of the house. I personally think that this could be a very dangerous game because they never know what he might do because after all he did stab his own dad in the leg. I can see how the game would be fun. It would give me a rush too; the unknown is very attractive and people want to know what they do not know because they are nosy. None of the three of Scout, Jem, and Dill have ever seen Boo Radley, they probably just want to know what he looks like. This game is also probably very attractive to Scout, Jem, and Dill because Scout's and Jem's father Atticus told them not to. Well a dad telling you not to do something is like them telling you to do something bad because kids like to disobey authority because it is a rush.

It's a sin to kill a mockingbird

When Uncle Jack gave Jem the air-rifle Atticus he said"I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard,but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit em', but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."Miss Maudie agreed with Atticus in saying that they only made music and did no harm to anything else.I wonder if this passage has anything to do with the name of the title.Maybe someone will hurt something or someone when they shouldn't have.I would love to here peoples' opinion on it or what they think the title means in relation to the story.

A special place without Hello Kitty

Have you ever had a special place you go when you get upset or when you just want to get away from all the craziness? Well, instead of having a special place that I can literally go to I like to rely on a good book. I like to get caught up in someone elses life to be able to get away from mine for a while. The book(s) I am caught up in right now are the De Vinci Code and ironically To Kill a Mockingbird. I did not expect to enjoy the story so much, it is not what I expected at all. I thought that it would be boring and that I would have trouble reading it, but that is not the case. The strory keeps me reading and I cannot wait to see what happens in chapters 10-11. So are you guys enjoying the story to or do you think it is boring? Sometimes it is noce to just be alone expecially when you have a house full of crazy animals.

the wedding 2

so yea...im still reading the wedding by nicholas sparks. So far Jane and Wilson's daught Anna is getting married and she wants a quick wedding so her and her husband can be together married cause hes going to school. Wilson took the whole week off to spend the time with his wife and Anna comes and says shes getting married. So Jane is stuck with Anna helping her with the wedding and Wilson is helping too. Wilson keeps having flashbacks of his dates with Jane when they were both in school. This is a really good book. Well gots to jet!

TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD.

THESE ARE CHAPTERS 8 & 9 :)



Chapter Eight;
For the first time in years, Maycomb endures a real winter. There is even light snowfall, an event rare enough for school to be closed. Jem and Scout haul as much snow as they could from Miss Maudie’s yard to theirs. Since there isn't enough snow to make a real snowman, they build a small figure out of dirt and cover it with snow. They make it look like Mr. Avery. The figure looks so much like Mr. Avery that Atticus makes them hide it. That night, Atticus woke up Scout and help her put on her bathrobe and coat and goes outside with her and Jem. Miss Maudie’s house is on fire and the neighbors help her save her stuff, then the fire truck came in time to stop the fire from spreading to everyone elses homes, but Miss Maudie’s house burns to the ground. Then someone just puts a blanket on Scout's head. Then everyone discovers it was Boo. Then Miss Maudie talks about her house burning down and tells the children that she didn't really like it that much. :)

Chapter Nine;
Scout almost starts a fight at school with Cecil Jacobs, a classmate of hers, after Cecil says that “Scout Finch’s daddy defends niggers.” Atticus defends Tom Robinson who is a black man that was accused of raping a white woman.
Then, at Christmastime, Uncle Jack, came to stay with Atticusm his brother for a week. Scout normally gets along with Uncle Jack, but when he came to Maycomb, she cursed in front of him. On Christmas Day, Atticus takes the children and his brother to Finch’s Landing. Scout thinks Francis is the most “boring” child she has ever met. Francis called Atticus a 'nigger lover' and then Scout cursed at him and beat him up. Francis tells Alexandra and Uncle Jack that Scout hit him, and Uncle Jack spanks Scout. After they return to Maycomb, Scout told Jack what Francis said and Jack was furious. Scout made him then promise not to tell Atticus. Jack promises. Later, Scout overhears Atticus telling Jack that Tom Robinson was innocent. :)

It Hasn't Snowed For Ages!!

I thought it was really funny when Jem built a snowman from mud and put snow over it!They were so excited about the snow and even got snow from Miss Maudie's yard.Snow is always so exciting!!This year we finally got snow for the first time in ever!!I couldn't imagine living in a place that didn't snow.I'm sure Jem and Scout were very excited but kind of curious about it.My picture made me laugh!

Im a Giraffee! hehe=]

If I was an animal, I'd probably be a giraffe! But not just any giraffe, I'd be like the one on Madagascar! He is always worried about his appearance, and things like that! He has all of the medication tablets possible, and always worried about his spots! Ha yea, that would be me! I think I'd be a little bit more spunkier then him though, I'd go shopping for the cutest jungle clothes, and I'd have the coolest friends, and I'd always have little pen party's! =]! If you were an Animal, what kind of animal would you be?

Yours truly..

Betty~

Strange Things!

This weekend we were supposed to read chapters 5-7 and I did! I found it to be very interesting because on the last night of the summer the three children decided to explore the Radley place to try to get "Boo" to come out. My heart was pounding so fast when they were trying to escape from the Radley's place but thankfully they made it out but without Jem's breeches. I also thought the excuse (that they played strip poker) that Dill made up to the adults for the reason why Jem didn't have his pants was very strange but what was even stranger was that they believed him! I thought at first that it was silly of Jem to go back and get his pants but after he got them safely I figured that it was not as risky as I thought. Later on when I found out that his pants had been sewn and folded I thought that was kind of strange and I think that "Boo" sowed them up but that is just my opinion. I was sad for Scout and Jem when their little knot hole in the tree got filled in with cement by Mr. Nathan because now they didn't have a chance to get any more chewing gum or any cool stuff and Scout especially liked the chewing gum and now she wouldn't have anymore! I think that "Boo" was also the one filling the hole with trinkets but Mr. Nathan didn't want him to do that anymore. So I think that he lied to Jem and that the tree was not really dying! I am really excited to find out what happens next and I hope everyone else is just as intrigued as me, with this book. -Boot

I DONT KNOW.

How I feel about TMK.

I mean it's okayyy but nothing like all the great books I've read this year!

I haven't gotten any words on my sheet.

thats not good huh?

welllll. talk to me about the book. Tell me how you feel about it...

peace.

Butters and His Book

When I first started reading this book I really didn't like it. I thought is was going to be one of those books that was almost impossible to comprehend. Well at the beginning it was pretty hard for me to understand, but as I am moving farther into the book I am starting to understand it more and it is actually getting better. Usually books I have to read for school are really boaring and if they are boaring I probably wont pay attention wile I read. I think schools should let the students have input in class reading.

The Boo Radley Game

I think that the Boo Radley game is very interesting game. To me the reason that they want to get Boo Radley out of the house is because he is the unknown. People want to know what they don't know and what is mysterious to them. Boo is very mysterious to the children because they have never seen him. He is also mysterious to them because of the things that he has done. He drank in high school, he locked up in the court house for stabbing his dad and then for being locked up in the house for many years in a row. Another thing that the kids probably find very hard to resist about trying Boo Radley out is that Atticus said no so that makes it all the more interesting and fun. When an authority figure says not to do something that makes it all the more attractive to young mischievous little kids.

A Relaxing Read

This weekend I when decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird I decided to go out side and read because it was so nice outside. So I asked two of my sisters if they wanted to go read with me. They wanted to and so we went outside on the back porch with a couple of blankets and read. I enjoyed the sound of the chirping birds and the sound of nature while reading To Kill a Mockingbird. It was very relaxing. I started to really get into the book.
When I started chapter five and how she was spending more time with Miss Maudie it reminded me of when my sister and I would go to our neighbor’s house and sit and visit with her. Some times we would help her clean her house or maybe we would make cookies with her. She was a widow and had a little poodle. I thought that it was cute how Scout’s uncle would yell across the street to her every Christmas and ask her to marry him.
I also liked how Dill, Jem, and Scout were all so curious to get Boo Radley out of his house. But my favorite part in the reading for the weekend was when Dill made up the excuse that they were playing strip poker when Atticus saw that Jem did not have pants on and how quick Jem was to say that they were playing with matches and not playing cards. I think that if I was in his situation I could not come up with something that smart on the spot.
Well I can not wait to continue reading the book because it is getting so interesting.
~SUSIE

Can't Seem To Put the Darn Thing Down!!

Well, I went past Chapter 7 and am now on Chapter 9 and

I can't quite seem to put the darn thing down!

It isn't like any book I have ever read before and the plot is so interesting!

I really am enjoying this book more than I thought I would!!

I encourage you all to really read the book and not just Sparknote it,

because I think this is the type of book that everyone should take the time to read!

blog.blog.blog.blog.blog.blog.

I am really enjoying the nice weather outside. It reminds me of summer. Today the high is supposed to be seventy-four or seventy-five. I don't remember the exact number. In the summer I used to play games with my friends and we would have different roles. It was similar to how Jem, Scout, and Dill play Boo Radley. As being a girl, we would usually play house. Somebody would be the mom and the others would be the kids or the dogs. We would act as if we were our characters, as being those actual people. I can remember getting into arguments about who should be doing what; we took it way to seriously. In their game they were more of making fun of Boo, but in my game we were more honored to play the roles we had. Acting like others has always been a favorite for kids to play.

Reading Chapters 5 through 7

Friday I read chapters 5 through 7 and I am actually starting to enjoy the book and know what is happening. I got anxious when the kids went to the Radley place to see if they could catch a look a Boo Radley and they almost got caught. When the kids ran and Jem lost his pants they had to then make an excuse on the spot when they showed up at the Radley place to act like they were seeing what was going on. I thought the excuse of them playing strip poker was hilarious. I am so anxious to see what will happen next and I can't wait to start the next chapter. Does anybody have any ideas of what is going to happen next? I sure don't but I hope that I will in the next couple of days.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird is a good story. When I started out reading it, I didn't think that I would like it. The story seemed like it would be kind of boring, but now it's starting to get interesting. I like hearing about what Scout, Jem, and Dill do and about the games that they play.

All the stuff that they do kind of reminds me of what I did when I was younger, all of the fun that I used to have just messing around and using my imagination.

Chapters 5-9 of To Kill a Mockingbird

So, this weekend’s reading was actually pretty good. The whole thing when Jem, Scout, and Dill went to the Radley’s house to look into a window was really exciting! I thought, though, that it was a little weird that Jem’s pants were sewn up and everything, like whoever did it knew that Jem was coming back! I think that Jem is really tough, but at the same time he has this sensitive and scared side to him. I think that because he is the oldest, he feels that he has to take the lead and be tough, but you kind of see him change a little bit. I’m not the oldest in my family, but I see the same in my older siblings as I do in Jem.

Something that I thought was cute was when Dill kissed Scout because he was “engaged” to her. I remember when I was little and boys would either say, “EW COOTIES” or they would be attached to you!

I also thought that it was really spooky that Jem and Scout found two clay figures that represented them. I really want to know who was putting those items in the tree. But then Mr. Radley cemented the tree because it was supposedly dying. Jem asked Atticus if the tree was dying, and Atticus said no. Jem had cried for the whole evening because he was so upset. I thought that was really moving and sad because he showed a sensitive side to him.

IF YOU HAVEN’T READ CHAPTER 8 OR 9 DON’T READ THIS!!!!!

Chapter 8 was so good! It snowed in Alabama, and Jem and Scout had never seen snow! It was so funny that they didn’t know how to make a snowman, and Jem and Scout decided to make their own version of a snowman. They made it look big, like Mr. Avery! But they had to change the snowman because Atticus didn’t want Jem and Scout making fun of their neighbors. It was so weird that they didn’t know what snow was like. And Mr. Avery said that winter came when children behaved badly! That was really dumb!

But then it got really sad when Miss Maudie’s house burned down! But Miss Maudie was a strong lady and she wasn’t at all sad that her home was gone. I wish I had that strength! The weird thing, though, was when Boo Radley was possibly the one who had put a blanket around Scout’s shoulders! That’s so scary!

I’m almost done with chapter 9, but so far I’ve read about how Scout was fighting because people were disgracing her because her father was defending a black man. Atticus told Scout they he wanted to defend the man because of personal reasons. I admire her father because he’s a compassionate man and he values his relationships. I love how Atticus and Scout have a really close relationship.

Right now, it’s Christmas, and Scout is cussing way too much! I’ll blog about the rest later!

-peanutbutterisyummy-Y

To Kill a Mockingbird, A Motion Picture Film

I am actually enjoying the book "To Kill a Mockingbird." It started off really slow but it is slowly but surely speeding up. I went to Google and looked through some pictures and saw this one of the movie. I haven't seen the movie but if anybody has seen it can you tell me if it is any good because a lot of time the movies aren't like the books, especially the books that are good, The Davinci Code is a good example of that.

CONFUSED???????

Ohhhh WoW! I have to ask a question! Has anyone else read ahead? I have and I am starting to think that it isn't a good idea because all of the chapters are running together in my head and I can't divide out what happened in what chapter it is soooo confusing! Well, ummmm, I guess if you haven't read ahead I won't ruin the next couple of chapters for you (I know I hate it when a book gets ruined for me) but I'll let you know that some pretty exciting stuff happens. I just looked back through the book to make sure I only talk about the events that happened through chapters five through seven. I liked these chapters because the trio of friends gets a little bit more daring. At first they get caught by Atticus when they are trying to put the note for Boo on the window. It made me laugh about how they get caught in Atticus' lawyer trick. I hate it when my parents do that thing where they make you say something that you didn't mean to say and then you get into more trouble because you were hiding something and they caught you! Usually getting in trouble with just a threat wouldn't stop me from getting into more mischief. This proved true for Scout, Jem, nd Dill too. They took it a step further and actually got on to the Radley property and they peered in the window, got shot at by Nathan Radley, and then had to make up a lie about strip poker because Jem lost his pants. I started to get scared when Jem went back to the Radley place to get his pants. I thought it was really strange that someone had mended his pants for him. i think it was Boo! Any other guesses? I think that if I had been stuck in a house for a couple decades I might learn how to sew too. I think it is kind of sad that Nathan filled in the hole in the tree. It was probably Boo who had put all that stuff in there and that was like his only connection to the outside world.

To Kill a Mockingbird (chapter 5-8)

I have actually really enjoyed reading To Kill a Mockingbird so far. I was a little skeptical at first and didn't think I would really like the book especially cause the cover looked kind of strange. I seem to always judge the book by the cover which is not always a good thing. This is book really reminds me of Tom Sawyer which I read last year in English. Jem, Dill, and Scout are always outside playing and have no worries in the world. It really makes me miss being a kid!! I thought it was so funny when Jem got his pants stuck in the fence after they were trying to escape quickly from the Radley house. He came up with such creative answers to hide it though, I was impressed, but somehow I think Atticus nows more about what the kids are doing then they think. Then that was so weird when Jem went back to get his pants and they were folded all neat like they were waiting for him to come back. I wonder if it was Mr. Nathan or Boo who folded up the pants??? Then when they kept on finding all those things in the tree. Was Boo doing that?? I thought that it must have been hom because then Nathan was the one who filled it u[ with cement. And why did he do that?? Atticus said the tree wasn't dying at all but yet that is what Nathan told him was the reason he had filled up the hole. So did he know that Boo was leaving those things in the tree and he didn't like it??? Oh yeah and another part I thought was quite strange was when Scout heard laughing form inside the Radley house after the kids got in trouble for playing the Boo Radley game. These parts really make me curious and want to know what is going on in that house and if Boo knows exactly what the kids are up to. Chapter 8 has been about my favorite chapter so far. That was really depressing when Miss Maudie's house burned down, especially since all of her flowers died, which were her prized possessions. Then the whole part about Boo putting the blanket around Scout, that is kind of creepy. You would think she would have felt someone putting the blanket around her. I wish she would have felt it and then she could have gotten a real good look at Boo which would answer a lot of their questions about the Radley house. At least they know he is still alive. I can't wait to keep reading and discover more about the mystery of the Radley house.

A Sick Tree

I feel bad for Scout and Jem because at the end of chapter 7, Mr. Nathan Radley had filled the hole in the tree with cement. He had told the kids that when a tree is sick that you fill it with cement to make it better. This had closed up the spot that they would find gum, coins, and other things. I think that Mr. Nathan Radley knew that someone was leaving something for them in their tree so he filled it up. I felt bad for them because both Scout and Jem looked forward everyday to getting something and then their hiding spot was gone.

I am really liking this book. I loved the part when Dill proposed to Scout. I thought that was cute because little kids do that all the time and it makes me smile :]. It reminded me of first grade when kids would get "married" all the time. I wonder if children still do that in recess. Do you guys know if kids still do? Then throughout that reading passage Jem and Dill got so caught up about Boo Radley that Dill forgot all about it. Whenever he was leaving at the end of the summer he finally remebered and kissed her. Ha how funny.

Everything's Eventual

I am currently reading Stephen King's book of short stories called Everything's Eventual. There are fourteen stories and even though they are all about different types of things they all share a kind of dark vibe. King is extremely talented at connecting you to his characters and storylines. If you have never read anything by King before I would strongly recommend giving him a try as I have done. To me sometimes it is better to just read a short story or short book instead of getting deep in a 500 hundred page book. I enjoy listening to music while working or anytime and I thought that his idea of buying his own radio station was aswesome.

Jem

This week's reading made me think of myself. Jem reminds me of me. He is brave but sometimes stupid. He was brave by trying to talk to Boo Radley but yet was stupid in doing so. He almost go killed!! Though yet he was brave by discovering Boo. Though whenever you are getting cool stuff in a tree hole and all of a sudden it becomes clogged i would become curious. He also came back to the house for his dignity! He is such a STUD. Also I thought it was cool when he rolled scout into Boo Radley's house. Scout was mad! That is why Jem reminds me of me!

Though I would never play strip poker with little boys.

A Hollywood Connection to Mockingbird

I saw the movie 300 this weekend. Twice throughout the movie, I thought of this class. There were numerous referances to Greek gods and culture, which we studied earlier. And, more related to Mockingbird, a character in the movie states that "in Sparta, all men are not created equal." Also, a reaccuring theme in the movie has to do with women's role in society. Both of these were questions on our pre-reading survey and themes in Mockingbird! The female protagonist in the movie reminds me alot of scout, because they are both very intelligent and want to be treated equally. I'm kind of surprised to find myself making connections between movies and my homework :-/

The "Boo Radley" game

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Jem and Scouts' Boo Radley game seems like something my friends and I would have played when we were younger. We would always sneek into the new houses being built and go places we probably shouldnt have just for the thrill of it all. We new if we got caught we would not be in that big of trouble; but we would pretend like we would get in HUGE trouble if we did get caught!
If I were Scout, and I found gum in a keyhole I definately would not eat it. I am a very cautiouse person(i get that from my mom). Maybe if Scout had had a Mother figure she would not have eaten the gum either. However, I have a fealing that Scout is her own person and would still eat the gum anyway.

Boo Radley!

Well I searched on Google images, " Jem and Scout Finch", and this is what I got. ( Which isn't how I pictured them at all!) I really wanted to talk about Boo Radley and how I think it is sad how he is always inside and cooped up. Wouldn't it be utterly miserable to be lonely all the time? I would think so. Not only are you lonely, but the neighborhood children make up games about you and your past! How horrible that would be!?!


Now, wouldn't your heart stop if you heard a gunshot being blasted in your direction? I think I would have gone under respiratory attack if I was some body's target. But I really hope that never happens to me!! How about you? Do you think you could have handled all that surprise and stress?


P.S. Click on this link to see a site about a To Kill A Mockingbird play!

Someone like you

I am reading Someone like you in my free time.

It is about this girl and her best friend. One of the girls goes off to summer camp. While the girl is at camp her best friends boyfriend dies. So, the girl leaves camp early to be with her friend. Later, your soon to find out that the girl is pregnant with her dead boyfriends child. This story shows how good to friends can be. They come together. I'm not to far because I just started reading it during To kill a mockingbird, and I've been busy on that. I'll post more when I found out later about what happens next!!! If you want to know more about the book go to this link for reviews and descriptions.

The Reading this Weekend

I thought this weekend's reading was very suspenseful. When they were playing Boo Radley I knew something bad was going to happen. Whenever you play creepy people and try to act like them something bad will happened. I learned that with this week's reading. When they were trying to cast the fishing pole into the house and his dad came out I thought he was going to get a spanking. Though if I found cool stuff in a tree I would be pretty curious about who gave me all these cool stuff. Then whenever he looked in the house I thought I was going to die. I bet getting shot at would be pretty scary. Boo is so weird. I wouldn't even get close to that house. Then he loses his pants. Then when Jem is caught his excuse is he was playing strip poker? Now that makes no sense. If I was caught playing strip poker I would would get in big trouble. Plus two boys playing strip poker is a little weird like some people said. Though the scariest part in the whole book would be when is pants are just laid out for Jem. Now that is just creepy. I can't wait to read more.

Post Script- That is the house. I know it.

The Weekend!

I went camping this weekend with five of my best friends, and yes that is me in the picture hammering down the stake. Speaking of that we spent about $80 on food and drinks, including 10 steaks! It wasn't exactly camping seeing how we were basically within calling distance of our houses, but who cares! To tell you the truth we ding-dong ditched a few people and made some prank calls to other friends of ours. We also dropped by to see Ghost Rider.(because 300 was sold out >.<) Good times!!!

The Miracle Game

The 1980 Olympic Gold medal team is more commonly known as the Miracle on Ice or just the Miracle. The Story of this great underdog story was made famous to younger people by the Disney movie, Miracle but there is a great book out there too called The Boys of Winter. This book has a great description of the miracle game and the lives of the players that were on the team. I have read up to where the second period is about to end. During the first period the Soviet team scored right off the bat. Buzz Schneider the United State's team leading scorer scored about five minutes after the give away goal to even it all up. Buzz's goal is followed by a number of close calls by the Soviets, which would have been goals if it weren't for the amazing goal tending by Team USA's number 1 goalie Jim Craig. Many shots were made on Craig but only one of them went in towards the end of the first period. With only seconds left in the first period the lines switched and Mark Johnson with fresh legs skated as hard as he could to his offensive end got the puck and beat the buzzer for an awesome tying goal. At the end of the first period the game was tied at two. During the second period there was one goal scored and that was the Soviet team. Again the Soviets are beating Team USA but the US is still in the game and down 2-3.

Finders Keepers Losers Weepers

Jem and scout are always finding treasure in the kn0t hole in the big tree on the Radley's property on the way home from school.They have found everything like gum,twine,pennies and soap figurines that look like themselves!Jem and scout thought it was some kids hiding place and they asked everyone at school who the owners of the items were.No one owned the stuff.When they found the twine they decided to leave the twine in the knot hole for three days then they would take it.The twine stayed there then they took it.The knot hole was like a mail book but nothing could be mailed to the person who was putting the items in the hole.I wonder who is putting stuff in the hole??Are the items meant for Jem and scout or is it just a coincidence?Is Boo Radley putting the stuff in the hole?If he is why is he being so nice??Jem and scout were going to write a letter the the person who was putting the stuff in the hole thanking them.Jem then saw the hole of the tree filled with cement.Jem asked Mr.Radley why the hole was filled up.He said the tree was sick,but the tree didn't look sick.Why would Mr. Radley fill the hole up if he was the one putting stuff in there??This is very peculiar!I would like to hear others thoughts on this topic!

I remember when I was little and I found stuff in the street I would say finders keepers losers weepers.I also remember when I was at school and I would find buttons or sequins on the floor that I liked to put on a craft we were doing.I would then again say finders keepers losers weepers.Then a kid would say to me that they had dropped what I had found on the floor,and they wanted it back so they could put it on their craft.I would tell them finders keepers losers weepers ,and that it was mine and there was nothing they could do to get it back.It was their lose and everyone abided by the rules.

Pet Idol

Hey guys!
My dog Flappers is entered into Pet Idol. If you could would you please vote for him!
Go to this link to vote for him. That would be awesome! You might need his id number, if u do it's #519. Think how cool it would be if my dog was named Pet Idol! So, if you would please vote for him. Thanks.

P.S. The picture above is the one that is sent in, so you will be voting on this picture.

Busy Busy

This weekend has been very busy for me. Dance, dance,dance with rehearsal on Friday and Saturday then a master class on Sunday. When I end the night though, I am so thrilled because I can curl up in my bed with a great book like "To Kill a Mocking Bird". This book really makes me reflect on the things I own and have. I guess what I am trying to say is that the Cunninghams don't have much but they live with what they do have. I am thank full for what I do own. This book really makes me want to go back in time for at least a day and live how they lived. It would be hard,long and sad but it would really give me an idea of how it used to be. When I say it would be challenging or hard I mean not being able to go to the store just to buy your weekly food or having to walk every where or even not wearing shoes to school. I really like what we have read so far can't wait to read more. See y'all tomorrow!

I Really Love Colored Pictures!!

Seeing all these Black&&White pics are making me really, well, depressed!

These pictures reflect the harsh times during the 1930's.

All these photos give me an idea of what Scout and her family are living through.

(I am loving the book by the way!)

Sometimes I wish these pictures had color because color gives life and warmth.

Don't you think?

I chose the 'St. Matthew's School', taken by Walter Evans, as my personal pick photograph.

Please click the link below to look at the photo and take a moment to reflect upon it!

Have a great day and I will be talking to you all tomorrow morning!

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?fsaall:3:./temp/~ammem_tdnH::

The Great Depression

Must have been a really tough time. I cannot imagine living like the Cunninghams and not knowing where my next meal was coming from. As if life on a farm wasn't hard enough already, I'm sure the financial troubles of the time must have been very scary. Not only for the children, but the maybe even worse for their parents. I would be very upset not being able to promise my kids anything.

TKM

I am really enjoying reading this book. For those who are in U.S. history right now, this book goes right along with what we are studying. Atticus is my favorite character so far, he is always calm and seems to have a pretty good understanding of how things go in Maycomb. Does anyone else kind of feel bad for Boo Radley? His life is kinda tragic, with his dad dying and all. If I had to make a prediction I would say that Scout befriends him.

To Kill A Mocking Bird

I enjoy reading 'To Kill a Mocking Bird.' It is interesting to explore the mind of a young girl in the South, from about fifty years ago. The adventures she experiences always have Jem right by her side, but it is usually the other way around Scout right by Jem's side. When Jem and Scout found the bar of soap carved to look like them I thought that had been really strange. Who would take the time to carve two kids who use a knot whole as a 'one way mailbox?' That part was a bit suspicious. If you are having a hard time reading the book now just keep reading because I have read a bit a head and it gets better.

An Entertaining Read!

I enjoyed the chapters that we were assigned this weekend in "To Kill A Mockingbird." My favorite part was when Jem tried to look inside the Radley's house to see Boo. I would have been so scared if someone would have shot at me with a shotgun! I found it hilarious how as Jem was running away from the house his pants got stuck on the fence and he had to take them off to get away. When Jem was asked why he had no pants on Dill made up a very clever remark saying that he was playing strip poker. Reading this book makes me happy and and reminds me of my own childhood adventures!

The Wedding by Nichloas Sparks is the book i am curently reading. Its a about a family of Wilson (the father), Jane (the mother), and their 3 grown up children. Jane is the daughter of Noah and Allie Colhoun from the novel "the notebook". Wilson thinks their marrige is falling apart and runs to Noah for help. This is how far i am and im only on page 26. :D yea i know. This is an intresting book so far. Having two of Nicholas Sparks's books corrispond to eachother and having the exact people and places in both books is pretting cool.

Well i hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and reading "to kill a mockingbird" I haven't YET because I finished "the notebook" and now into "the wedding". yea, how great is that? Well see you guys Monday in class!

I also think the song "tim mcgraw" by taylor swift goes along with the book "the notebook"

Crunch Time!

This weekend is crunch time at rehearsals for my Silver Dollar City shows! We open on Thursday afternoon and I am really nervous because there are a few kids in our group that are just dumbfounded and don't know how to dance. I know in the end everything will turn out just fine but I hope that we are ready and perfected by the time we open! I am so excited about the opening though because I love performing at SDC because it is fun and I get to meet new people and eat really good food like, their really yummy popcorn! So wish me luck for Thursday and I will keep everyone posted on how opening day goes!
-Boot

My Favorite Book EVER

Reading is not really my favorite thing to do, Someone Like You was my first book to read this year and i really do think that reading is one of my things now. I really didn't want to put down the book it was amazing! I really think you should try it out. Its about a girl and her boyfriend, and her best friend and the boyfriend dies and little did the girl know, she was carrying his baby. Not only have i read it but i got the book from Katie who loved it too. Well i hope everyone is having a good weekend! Always remember "readers are leaders!!!"

The Radley House

When I read To Kill a Mockingbird I read that the Radley house is all run down and beet up. I think of old worn out boards that are starting to fall off the house. I think that it has a barb wire fence and has a big tree in the back yard. The doors that are breaking the windows that are boarded up and the stairs outside that look like they creek. I think that the yard might have old farm machinery around it and cement blocks holding the house up so that it does not cave in. I see the Radley house having a big field behind it with trees and long pasture grass that grows wildly. I see the Radley house fence having a man made gate that has broken boards on it just like the rest of the house. Unlike the pasture that I picture behind the house I picture the yard just having patches of grass. I envision the house having a tin roof because it was cheap. This photograph is very close to what I picture in the Radley house and it helps me envision it even better. This photo was taken by Lee Russel in September 1938.

Praise for Eragon!!!!

I Love this book.

That means I love this book. I saw the movie and so far the book is nothing like the movie. The book is so much better. I wish I would have more time to read. I also wished I wasn't reading two books at the same time but oh well. I have game so gotta run. BYE :).

My Free Reading Book

I realize that this is somewhat off topic, but I wanted to discuss the book that I am reading now. The book is call "The A-List" by Zoey Dean. The story is about a rich girl Anna Percy who moves to LA to live with her dad. I am only on page 68 but a lot has happened already. In the airplane on the way to California, Anna meets a guy named Ben who randomly invites her to a celebrity's wedding he is attending. Anna is really falling for Ben, but what she doesn't realize is that three other LA girls attending the wedding, Cammie, Sam, and Dee are also falling for him. Personally I really think that Ben likes Anna better than the other girls because she doesn't blend in. Anna is definitely a girl who isn't afraid to be herself and that I really admire about her. I am really excited to read what will happen next!

Turning Out Well!

As you all know the new book that we started this week was called "To Kill A Mocking Bird." I had heard many different things about it and was nervous that I would not like it, but so far it is pretty interesting. The story line about "Boo" Radley is really interesting but I found it very strange that he stabbed his own father in the thigh with a pair of scissors and did not even feel bad about it afterwards. When I was a very young child I couldn't sit still and I always had to be moving and if I had to be locked up in a house for half my life like "Boo" had been, I would go insane! I would NOT be able to handle one bit of it. I would have to much curiosity about the outside world and I would want to explore! I wonder how "Boo" has felt for the last half of his life just having to stay inside with his parents? I feel bad for him and I feel that it is partly his parents fault that he ended up the way that everyone says he did. I really hope that in the end everything turns out in a happily ever after scene...I like those types of books. I also hoped that everyone else has enjoyed the book as much as I have! Well I am going to go read some more to see what happens next! -Boot

The kids of America

These are the kids I think that run around the little town in Alabama. I like my high tech swings a lot better then what they had. It would stink I think to live in a small little town. It would be so boring. To Kill a Mockingbird is an exception but really how many towns are like Mayberry? It is unrealistic to think they could possibly be that exciting but it makes a good story.