The Genius Files Q4 Blog Post #8 - Summary & Character Analysis

The book I chose is titled "The Genius Files". Its regarding a boy and girl named Coke, and Pepsi McDonald. Yes, these are their actual names. They go on an adventure to help Coke jump off a cliff so  he cross it off his bucket list. But obviously, it's not that simple. Coke, and Pepsi get tangled in a mess of missions they must complete. While still trying to live a normal pre-teen life and hide it from there parents. You see the McDonalds twins are actually kid undercover agents trying to stop the bad guys from taking over the city, and their actually pretty good; most of the time. Honestly, I feel that this book is going to be a exciting read, and I can't wait to share more with you guys.

In my opinion I feel that the character Pepsi McDonald is kind of a bratty, sister that is very intelligent. She can always get out of a sticky situation. Like when she broke her dads treadmill and but put Cheeto dust around the handels to make it seem like Coke was eating Cheetos on the treadmill. Or that one time when she changed the files to make coke go first in the school talent show. Even though that sound extremely funny she still can be a brat around Coke. This is why I feel these traits go with the character Pepsi McDonald.

Kid vs.Squid Q4 Blog Post #7 - Summary and Thoughts

This book I'm reading is about a boy named Thatcher Hill. He is sick and tired of seeing fake mythical creatures and wanted to see a real live one. You see, Thatcher works at his uncles museum with a lot mythical creatures around him. He gets pretty border around the museum he notices a lot of things, and I mean a lot of things. He now finds people stealing some of the artifacts, so all of sudden Thatcher is on an adventure to find the criminal who stole the artifact. Can Thatcher find the criminal who stole the artifact?

I really feel that this book is going to be an interesting read. I say this because not only is the title of the book very "eye-catching" but the note that Thatcher's Uncle left was really sillily. But I am worried that the story it self well get boring and well be repetitive to most stories I've already read. But luckily from what I've read so far I haven't noticed this yet. These are just a few thoughts of what I will eventually will have of my book "Kid vs. Squid".    

Ungifted Q4 Blog Post #6 - Summary & Connections

I've just finished my book "Ungifted" and I just have to say that this book is my favorite, and that's saying a lot from the books I've read. Donovan ended up getting a close finish, and was nervous because he wanted to be the one to drive Tin Man; but he believed that his friend could do it, and win for the gifted. Once the competition had ended, Donovan had given a very distinctive quote that kind of stuck with me and made me wonder. He said that, "It was that one part the ancestory.com couldn't explain. I was working to controlling it, but sooner or later it would show up again and get me into twice as much trouble. You don't have to be gifted to know that." The reason this quote stuck with me is because I didn't understand what he meant by "controlling it." So it took me awhile to really think about what the author had wrote, until it hit me. Donovan must was talking about controlling his habit to misbehave in school; and I thought this way because of only reason he was at that school. It was because he "ungifted" (hint the title). But this what I believe to be the explanation of the author quote.

In my story of Ungifted, a character named Noah reminds me about the book that our class had once read called holes. It was one of the main characters friends named Zero; Zero was calm quiet and would always get in trouble just like Noah.  However although similar, they are also are some differences. Noah was smart and kind, Zero was liar and thief.  But even a liar and a thief can be intelligent. Making bad choices does'nt limit ones ability to be intelligent.  Though  Noah and the character Zero from holes have some different traits, they share some similar characteristics. 

This was a book that I would  definetly reccomend to my peers and friends. It kept my interest from the beginning to the end. This is a book that just about any kid could relate to. A trouble teen who thinks he's slick however someone sees through this kid and realizes that he's not as bad as people or even he thinks he is.

Ungifted Q4 Blog Post #5 - Summary and Character Analysis

Right now in my book "Ungifted" Donovan is currently facing the challenge of moving to a new school. The teachers are rough, the students there hardly know he exist, until he finds the robotics team. Donovan found the robotics team to be interesting due to the posters down the hall. Donovan builds his own robot and names it "Tin Man", and finally when he's done he's amazed at what he created.  The author even claimed, "I was pretty good at video games, but never had I felt more comfortable with a joystick in my hand than when I was driving with Tin Man." From this quote that shows to me that not only is Donovan astonished by what he has created, but that he is actually enjoying his new school.

To me I feel that Donovan is a unique character; he is brave, and very intelligent, yet he still acts incompetent and acts up in school.  I'm not completely sure why he does this, but I believe that he does it to get attention. You see Donovan isn't so good with making friends, so I'm guessing he wants attention so someone can notice him. For example when he pulled a prank that landed him in this school, I felt he did that to seek some attention from the people at school so he could possibly make some new friends. But the main reason I feel that Donovan is brave, and very intelligent is because of his ability to make new things from scratch, and have the courage to actually show his invention off. So to me this is why believe that Donovan is a very unique character to the story of "Ungifted".  

Ungifted Q4 Blogpost #4 - Summary & Theme

    Ungifted by Gordan Korman: Fiction August 21, 2012

 In my book "Ungifted", Donovan Curtis who is the main character is in the 7th grade going through the many stages of middle school. However unlike most kids his age who are terrified of getting in trouble, Donovan is known to be a "class clown," as well as a huge prankster, and so are friends. They pull pranks across the school, mostly on teachers but Donovan manly takes the blame. His parents believe that one day he will get expelled from school and have to send him to a school were troublemakers like Donovan have to move to. But instead the school makes a very bizarre decision and decides to put Donovan in the gifted program, were goodie...goodie goods unlike Donovan have to move to. Donovan immediately declines the offer and is not up for the challenge. But his parents might say other wise in the next chapter.  

  With the just the few chapters that I've read I can already tell that the theme of my book would be about discipline. Also how sometimes when your doing something really bad you could be missing out on a lot if you were acting better. I say this because Donovan isn't really such a good student when it comes to school, but if he got the chance to see what he was missing, he might start to act better not just at school but he might start acting better when he is at home with his parents and personal life. I feel this way because if Donovan wasn't given opportunity he might end up turning to the wrong crowds. Donovan could be headed down a dark path like many other students who don't get the help they need.  

Native American Analysis Blog Post

Native Americans have been marginalized for many years now, and have even been made like they don't exist. I know this because the article claims that, "By 1879 settlers and the U.S. Army had forced most tribes off their hands, and "white man" diseases had devastated the native population. America's 250,000 remaining Native Americans were living on reservations, barely surviving on food and cast-off clothes provided by the U.S. government." This proves how Native Americans have been marginalized for many years and have also been made like they don't even exist in the world.

I believe the purpose of Shanice Britton's essay is to explain to reader how Native Americans and their culture are very similar to the average American. The author also explains how when she tells to someone that she is Native American they have a lot of assumptions of what a stereotypical Native American might do. For example, she says, "that I live in a teepee and wear moccasins and a headdress. But those are misconceptions." This is what manily I believe that author means when she says that her culture is no different then American ones.

A Life of Harry S. Truman Q4 Blog Post #3 - Summary and Character Analysis

I've just completed my book "A Life of Harry S. Truman", and the I have to say that the author did a astonishing job towards the end of the book. At the end of the book the author mentions the time Truman left office, and talks about his biggest accomplishments throughout history.  I thought this was a very nice touch to the end of novel and was very heartwarming.  I noticed this because the author wrote the quote, "Only Truman ended wars and oversaw the peace in the world, with the United Nations to maintain the peace in the future." This proved to me how Truman really did make a difference in the world, and how his achievements really did alter history.

To me,  Harry S. Truman was a really positive and motivational person; he would always stand up for others, and always had the never give up of attitude. I believe this because the Biography stated that at first Truman couldn't afford to buy back his mother's farm, but he still wanted to help out as much as he possibly could so he could never forget to buy it back later. Eventually Truman bought back the Truman farm for Eight-thousand dollars and gave the property to his mother. This piece of evidence proves how Truman wasn't just a positive and motivational person, this again proved how Truman practice and maintain his never give up attitude.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to my peers. I was also inspired by "A Life of Harry S. Truman." He held many characteristics; strength, determination, generous, up-standing and powerful individual. I appreciate his courage the most and it taught me that it doesn't matter what odds are against you, as long as you have a goal and passion for something you can accomplish anything even if that means you don't succeed the first couple of times. Keep trying and you can do anything that you put your mind and heart to.