Wonder

August isn't much different than most kids. He plays outside, jumps in rain puddles, and has an obbsession with Star Wars. But most people don't see August as the fun kid. They see him as a zombie. August was born with a rare condition causing the features on his face to be deformed. He doesn't look like other kids and most people try to avoid him completely. August was homeschooled all of his life until this year, which is his 5th grade year.

As you can imagine, it was probably incredibly difficult for August to go to a real school, considering he doesn't get much of a break out of school. The principal of August's new school invited August to take a tour of the school with some other students. These students were to act mature and kind to August. But like most people, they can't avoid looking at him, even if it is by no means rude.

August meets Jack on this tour of the school. Instantly, Jack and August become friends. "Fourthly, now that I know him, I would say I actually do want to be friends with August. At first, I admit it, I was only friendly to him because Mr. Tushman asked me to be especially nice and all that. But now I would choose to hang out with him. He laughs at all my jokes. And I kind of feel like I can tell August anything. Like he's a good friend. Like, if all the guys in the fifth grade were lined up against the wall and I got to choose anyone I wanted to hang out with, I would choose August." (Palacio, 147). This quote shows how one student, Jack, was able to overcome August's appearance and see the real August.

Jack helps August feel comfortable and confident at school, which makes August feel like he is on top of the entire world. It also makes him feel like he is just another normal kid going to school. Jack was one of the first people to see August for who he truly was, a fun, happy kid who just wants to fit in. I know this is a real issue in society because everybody is different, some just appear more different than others. I think this is what builds barriers between people-they get so caught up in silly things like image and forget about the important qualities, like character.

I hope that everybody reads this book at some time in their life. In fact, I was talking to my sister at the dinner table yesterday about this book and it just so happens that she read it in English class last year. I think it is great that a teacher is having students read the book as a class because it is an important topic and it teaches great morals and character.

Formerly Shark Girl Theme

"For so long I've been stuck, confused.
I've been waiting for a sign.
I was 'spared' for a reason, some say.
I have a 'purpose,' some say.

I've been waiting, I guess,
for that reason
and that purpose
to be made clear to me.
I've been drifting. Floating.

Now I see that I have a paddle.
Myself. I'm my own paddle.
I don't have to drift.

Defining who I am
and what I want
and how I'll get there?
It will involve parting
from the current.

It will mean choosing a direction

and beginning
to

paddle."

(Bingham, 215)

Formerly Shark Girl has many important themes. Each theme is greatly supported by the text, through Jane's thoughts and actions. One of the most important themes is only you can truly define yourself. This is supported throughout the book, as well as by the quote above. This theme is crucial to the main character, Jane, because she was attacked by a shark right before the start of junior year. People were always staring at her and whispering about her. Letting you know, yes, she lost her right arm. Was it easy to go back to regular life? Not at all. On top of the struggles of everyday life, and being talked about, numerous stories about the attack and her life began to appear in the news and the paper. This gave her the nickname Sharkgirl. Yes, Sharkgirl. First off, I think that is completely rude, considering she is probably scarred for life due to the attack. But, the name calling still happened. Even in her senior year, Jane is still followed by the press and the dreadful nickname, and worst of all, it began to define her.

She was being defined by everybody else based on name calling, the press, and letters written to her from people all throughout the country. Letters began to arrive at Jane's house saying that she was meant to do something or that she was saved for a reason or how she was such an inspiration and role model. Over time, Jane would just throw all of the letters away, not even looking to see who the letter was from or the purpose of the sender for writing the letter to begin with. Jane was asked to do an interview for a newspaper and refused because she didn't like all the questions. Somehow, the paper figured out that Jane was regularly helping at a local hospital. Immediately, letters came flowing in, explaining how Jane would be a wonderful nurse and have a fantastic future.

Jane must learn to overcome everybody else's expectations and be truly herself. Peer pressure of others has put a weight on her shoulders that she must carry around each day combined with stress of high school and life. She must let herself define who she is and who she wants to be. She has to pick up the paddle and choose a direction.

This is only part of Jane's struggle. And that's just the beginning.

Meant to Be Foil Characters

I'm so happy! For those who don't know, I had to stop reading Meant to Be because it returned itself to the online library. But it came back in and I'm reading it again. Yay! Anyways, as I was reading, I noticed that Julia and Jason were a perfect example of something we talked about in class. Foil characters. These characters are almost complete opposites and they balance each other out. But in order for them to be foil characters, they have to be related in some way. Some examples of foil characters are Romeo and Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Haymitch and Effie (The Hunger Games), and Harry and Malfoy (The Harry Potter Series).

Julia is the typical nerd, maintaining a perfect GPA, staying organized, and always with her nose in a book. Though Julia has been excited for this trip her whole life (or at least since 6th grade), only one thing stands in the way of her fun experience. Jason. The rude, annoying, childish, class clown. Not only is Julia forced to work with him, but she practically has to spend every minute outside the hotel with him. But Jason isn't enough to stop Julia from being...well, Julia. She continues to flag passages in guidebooks with post-it notes, carefully think about situations, and carry around her bag containing notebooks, pencils, and her emergency phone. Julia also likes to follow the rules and prides herself on being a good student as well as being knowledgable. This is shown throughout the book, "'We're supposed to use that time fore independent tours so we can write our reflection papers,' I say, trying to mask my exasperation." (Morrill, 100). This shows how Julia always likes to follow the rules.

Jason, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Jason enjoys acting like a five year old and destroying everything in his path. He is the typical class clown. Jason is not only a trouble maker, but he also has the talent of slacking off. He makes Julia do his reflection papers and insists that they always do something fun instead of going on tours or going to a place with a single bit of knowledge or learning associated with it. This is shown when Jason talks to Julia about cultural hours, "'I think the sentence structure you're looking for is 'so I can write our reflection papers,'' Jason says. He bends down to tie his left sneaker, the lace of which is fraying and dirty. 'Besides, half the class is using that time to hit pubs and go shopping. We're actually going somewhere that Mrs. T would call culturally relevant.' " (Morrill, 100). This represents Jason's love of slacking off and breaking the rules.

Julia and Jason don't agree about a lot of topics and issues, but the biggest dispute by far, is about love and MTB. MTB is what Julia and her best friend, Phoebe, say to represent something being meant to be. Julia interprets MTB as being a fairytale and a perfect world, "I clear my throat a couple of times and try to sound casual. 'Yeah,' I reply. 'I mean, we might say, 'So-and-so are totally MTB,' as in, that couple is totally meant to be. Or 'That guy is totally my MTB,' meaning that we're totally meant to be together.'" (Morrill, 108). Jason on the other hand believes that MTB is stupid, "'What a load of crap.'...'You can't actually believe that. I mean, you're smart. You know stuff. So you've gotta know that it's all a big fairy tale. A marketing tool. Chick flicks and Hallmark cards and Valentine's Day and diamond rings.'" (Morrill, 108). This is a battle that is constantly revisited during the book. Not only do Julia and Jason competely disagree, but they ALWAYS disagree. ALWAYS. This only goes to show not just the differences of character, but the way they balance each other out.

Meant to Be in London

I have some bad news. My ebook returned intself to the library last night. This makes me sad because I couldn't continue to read it or use quotes for my blog. And somebody already checked it out. However, I still really want to post about what I read, specifically the setting of the book. As many of you know, Meant to Be is set on a class trip to London, where Julia is forced to spend free time with her enemy, Jason. So far the have seen many of the main attractions in London, against Jason's wishes. Some of these sights include Big Ben, the Tower of London, the Tate Museum and the Globe Theater. Both of which Julia could practically write a book about. Julia has wanted to visit London since she was in sixth grade, and now being in high school, she has practically researched and read everything about London. This is a major connection to my life because I went to London with my family when I was 7 years old, and I remember experiencing events very similar to the events that Julia is experiencing.


For example, when Julia visits the Globe Theater, she asks one of the employees working there if he could tell her about the plays and if somebody she was looking for had been there. Felix, the employee, replied no, it would be impossible to find out if somebody had been there. According to Felix, it was always a full house and there were always school kids visiting on local class trips. When my family and I visited the Globe Theater to see Shakespeare's Macbeth, which is one of Shakespeare's darkest tragedies, there were so many people in the theater that there was barely space to walk- or breathe for that matter. The theater is old, but was rebuilt 3 times with the newest one on the opposite side of the Thames River. Plays preformed at this theater are done without lights, special effects, or crazy stage backdrops. Instead, they are preformed so that you can focus on the power of the words that the characters say, and it is always completely silent in the theater because the actors never have any type of microphone (it is all projecting their voice).

Not only has Julia visited the Globe Theater, but she has also seen Big Ben. Big Ben is the large clock tower that stands in London. When Big Ben was first being built, there were many difficulties including lighting and accuracy for time. However, the clocktower was fixed and is known as one of the most accurate clocks. The name Big Ben comes from the name of the hour bell, which was cast by the Warners. Soon, the name applied to not just the bell, but the clock and the clocktower as well. Julia and her class were only able to drive past it and so far were not able to stop and visit. But from the looks of the group, most of them were more interested in shopping or watching sports. My family and I were able to stand right next to the side of Big Ben and it was gigantic. I felt so small standing next to such amazing architecture.

So as you can see, the experiences that Julia is having are very similar to my past experiences. The class will also be able to relate a lot to these experiences because we are reading Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare's tragedies. We also had to learn a lot of background information on the time period, language, and the Globe Theater. Hopefully, I will be able to get this book back from the online library so I can read it some more.

Meant to Be Predictions

So this book called Meant to Be was recommended to me on Goodreads, and I must say that I never would picture myself going to the library or store, grabbing this book off the shelf, and taking it home with me. Honestly, I looked at the book recommendation and thought, "Wow. I would never read that." This was going to be a romance, and I personally like adventure or science fiction. The cover made the book look just like a romance novel. The title wasn't helping the book either. But after finishing Speak, I had nothing else to read. And it just so happened that Meant to Be was available for check out on the online library. And I thought that this book was going to be one of those perfect romance novels that just seemed too good to be true. In short, I was wrong.

Meant to Be, so far, has depicted a girl named Julia on a school trip to London. Julia was always reading Shakespeare, organizing, or studying to maintain her perfect 4.0 GPA. Sadly, none of Julia's friends were going to London with her, only the popular kids that made fun of her. The teacher has planned for everybody to have a buddy, who they must spend free time with, to make sure nobody gets lost on the trip. Which Julia was okay with until she was paired with Jason, who was the most annoying jerk that Julia knows. Then all of the sudden, Julia starts getting text messages from a mysterious boy, Chris, who claims to have met Julia in London. The only problem is Julia doesn't remember who Chris is! Now correct me if I am wrong, but this doesn't seem like a "perfect romance novel". To me, it sounds awkward and quirky, and it is definitely more adventurous than romantic.

Based on the few chapters I have read, I have come up with some predictions:

• Meant to Be is not going to be a typical romance novel because Julia does not seem like an average person. This is because she would rather study and read than hang out with her friends.

• Julia is going to change from her strict, studying, 4.0 GPA ways to a more loose, happy, free character because she is in London, and she says that everybody is telling her to find adventure and fun in this new place.

• I believe that this book will connect a lot with English class. Recently, we started the Romeo and Juliet unit, a play written by Shakespeare. Julia enjoys reading Shakespeare in her free time and has always wanted to visit the Globe Theater since she was in sixth grade and read Romeo and Juliet. She was able to answer every question that Jason asked her concerning the theater.

Hopefully, some of my predictions will be correct. Thanks for reading!

Speak Character Analysis

In the book, Speak, Melinda is the main character. She enters high school as a self-proclaimed 'outcast', with no group to sit with or friends to say hello to. Melinda believes that the only way she is going to get through high school is by staying silent and hoping that nobody will notice her. And maybe they would leave her alone, after all nobody really wanted to hear what she wanted to tell them. "It is easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say." (Anderson, 9). This quote shows how Melinda didn't expect much of herself, and that she was another person just trying to get by in life. She never had confidence in herself, and always questioned her actions, thoughts, and feelings. She wasn't sure what she felt, and wasn't sure if it was 'right' or not.

As the story continues, we see Melinda's character change. The plot advances, leading Melinda to an art class, with Mr. Freeman as a teacher. Mr. Freeman assigns Melinda a project, where she gets a subject and has to express different emotions through the subject using different mediums of art. Melinda started to break free of her old self, but was stopped, not by others, but by herself. She thought the project was going to be so fun, but soon had a difficult time expressing emotion. "Me: 'All right, but you said we had to put emotion into our art. I don't know what that means. I don't know what I' supposed to feel.' My fingers fly up and cover my mouth. What am I doing?" (Anderson, 122). This quote shows how Melinda was starting to share her feelings, but she stopped, thinking that she shouldn't be doing that. She still had an issue with her feelings, and didn't want to accept them. She did this by pushing them away into the back of her head, where she couldn't share or express them.


Melinda and Mr. Freeman from the
movie version of Speak.

Towards the end of Speak, Melinda begins to discover her feelings through her art. She comes to a realization that art helped her to relax and relieve stress. By drawing, painting, and sculpting, Melinda was able to free herself from herself, resolving her internal conflict (man vs. self). "I'm waiting for the clock to and the daily torture-by-algebra session when WHAMMO!-a thought slams into my head: I don't want to hang in my little hidy-hole anymore. I look behind me, half expecting to see a sniggering back-row guy  who beaned me with an eraser. Nope-the back row is struggling to stay awake." (Anderson, 192). Melinda realized that she enjoyed talking and expressing herself to others, and decided that she didn't want to hide away from the world anymore. But, she still hadn't fully expressed herself to others.

The last major character change occurs at the very end of the book, where Melinda actually reaches out to Mr. Freeman, who helped her express herself to begin with. She decided to sit down with him and talk about it. "The tears dissolve the last block of ice in my throat. I feel the frozen stillness melt down through the inside of me, dripping shards of ice that vanish in a puddle of sunlight on the stained floor. Words float up." Though she seemed to struggle with talking to Mr. Freeman, she still did it, and ultimately felt better. This interaction with Mr. Freeman advances the plot to the resolution.

These major changes in character and emotion proved that Melinda is a dynamic character, because she changed her attitude about her emotions and sharing them.