A Long Way Gone; Book reccomendations

Why readers should read The Long Way Gone

• It has an amazing life story

• It has great descriptive writing

• The author shows what he is going through really well

• It shows person vs person and person vs nature

    Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

      I recommend this book to ages 13 and up because there are some graphic wording and description in this book. I really loved this book because the author did a really nice job describing what he saw, touched, felt, smelt and more. Ishmael has an amazing story to tell and it really changed my perspective on things. The author goes through some major conflicts in his life and one of them being war is taking place at his town and losing connection with his family. I suggest this book to people who are interested in learning about different culture and want to listen to someones amazing true story. Jump out of your bubble and read this amazing book! It may change your life and your perspective on things.

A Letter to the Author

       Dear Ishmael,
    You wrote the book The Long Way Gone. This book was not just a book but a testimony on your life growing up. The book that you wrote inspires me to do things different or think different in many ways. Your life story has really changed my perspective on many things.You have gone through so much that I can't even imagine what you went through.
 
    This book is a story about you growing up. Ishmael tells his story about war that strikes through his town unexepectantly. Now at this time it shows person v.s person and person v.s nature. Ishamael now has to go against the rebels who are violently killing anyone they see or come near. I can't even imagine going through this. First, war is taking place, next, he is separated from his family and now he is trying to survive the crazy wilderness. He doesn't know who to trust because he could run into one person from his town or run into the rebels. I can't wrap my head around people who would not even care to kill thousands of people when they didn't do anything. This world is just crazy!

     This book made me think of how much I have. When ever we complain we should think of others and what they have gone through. Definetly, I know for sure that I am blessed with my wonderful family and everyone I know and everything I have. I loved this memoir that Ishmael shared with the world. It has truly touched my life in many ways. Thank You!

                                                                                           Sincerely,
                                                                                                      Skyler

Focusing on resiliency

       Ishmael does have resiliency throughout the book right now. The tips that he is using is he takes decisive actions which means he's taking control of his situation. Before he makes a decision he thinks about it and talks about it with his brothers. I have applied this to my life by have a situation and not knowing what to do and asking myself how to answer this and then when I don't know i ask my mom and we discuss what I could do about it or say.
       I think we all could apply this more to our lives because sometimes when we get a situation we don't even think about what we are going to say and do and then when we say it or do it it doesn't come back in the best results because we weren't patient in that situation. In the book A long way gone another tip he used was he accepted the change, he accepted that the rebels or war were takin place and he is going to keep pushing and pushing to try not to give up on his family ad there life. He was determined.
       Ishmael also keeps things in perspective, when something bad is happening he tries not to think about it, but tries to think in a positive way put right now its hard to to get these crazy images out of his head of all the adults and kids dead in the village. I think we could apply this to our lives, we always focus on the negative things in life. And I think this is another second wasted not being positive. In war there are many ways to think negative but all Ishmael is trying to do is survive and think about the memories he has with is family. He just keeps his head positive and says he can wait to see his parents. A quote that shows a positive thought " I have a feeling that we will find our families, or at least news of them" (Beah, 189). This shows that these boys are not giving up and even in this really rough time they are still staying positive, which is really hard to do if there is a war in your town. I have learned just by reading this that I shouldn't complain because a lot of people have it worse than I do in there situation.

Memoir Partner discussion

Questions we discussed about our book

       In my book the conflict has definitely emerged, the rebels have made it to the town. The rebels are going to the town and killing people and kids quickly. Everywhere you look there are people fleeing as fast as they can to try to get away from the killers. Already, where ever they look there's body's and blood everywhere.

      The kids first thought was they should go back in town to try to find food and money, but all they could remember seeing is a town with friends and familiar people dead. In chapter 2 there was a large description of the scene, it says, "The breeze brings the faint cries of those whose last breaths the faint cries of those whose lat breaths are leaving their mangled bodies. I walk past them. Their arms and legs are missing; their intestines sill out through the bullet holes in their stomachs; brain matter comes out of their noses and ears" (pg 42). After the kids did not find any money or food they decided to flee into the woods. Now in the book its Nature vs Self. They have to find food, water, and shelter to survive. Also at this time in the book it is also showing conflict as person vs person, which means nobody can trust anybody. They don't know if its the rebels or people from their village so its a main struggle to really trust anybody. So this means that there really by them self in finding food or shelter. Through out the book my question is will they trust one another and find what they need to survive the rebels?  

2 ways to make your writing better; what the author uses in Wintergirls

           While reading the book winter girls found a couple unique quotes from chapter 008.00. The two quotes use two main writing ideas, imagery and descriptive language. In the first quote the author uses imagery. When the author uses really good imagery this helps the reader really be the character and experience what the character is seeing and feeling. The quote that really describes the imagery says, "I bit the days off in rows, corn kernels that popped in my mouth and wedge between my teeth. Bite. Chew. Swallow. Again. Bite. Chew. Swallow. Again." (Anderson, 47). So why would the author add this? Well it helped me go into the characters shoes and helped me imagine what was happening.
Another quote that used figurative language says, " They stuffed me like a pink little piggy ready for market. They killed me with mushy apples and pasta worms and little cakes and marched out of the oven and lay down to be frosted" (Anderson, 47). I loved how the author used really good figurative language and it just really added amazing detail and you could see this in your mind all going on thats why I loved it so much. So I hope I use more figurative language and description in my writing because this adds so much amazing details. And I hope you do to because it adds a great elevation in your writing.

Authors Writing

            While I'm reading the book winter girls I'm getting an idea on how the author writes. The author uses a really unique way to describe how the character is feeling. The author really does a great job on putting the reader in the characters shoes. Some reasons why I really like her writing is because she uses similes and metaphors, and allusions. A page from the book that really shows the authors wonderful writing says "“I am the library aide who hides in Fantasy.
I am the circus freak encased in beeswax.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
When I get close, they step back. The cameras in their eyeholes record the zit on my chin, the rain in my eyes, the blue water under my skin. They pick up every sound on their collar microphones. They want to pull me inside of them, but they’re afraid.
I am contagious"  (Laurie Halse Anderson, 35).

            This automatically made me go into the characters shoes. How would I feel if I was getting mistreated like this? How would I feel? And how is she going to handle this situation? This page and the authors writing made me want to keep reading and reading this book. And I can't wait to see what happens.

New Book

        So I just finished my book battlefield of the mind by: Joyce Meyer and  my sister suggested I Should read winter girls. She told me she couldn't put it down because it was amazing. My sisters not much of a reader and this was one of her favorite books she has read. she begged me to read it because this author has a great way So I'm not that far in the book so I wanted to look up the author and learn more about her.

       So the author is Laurie Anderson and a little summary I found says
"Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer best known for children's and young adult novels. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2009 for her contribution to young adult literature. WikipediaAlso other information I found is she was...
Born: October 23, 1961 (age 53), Potsdam, NY
Awards: Golden Kite Award for FictionSpouse: Scot Larrabee (m. 2004), Gregory H. Anderson (m. 1983–2002)Parents: Joyce Holcomb, Frank Adams Halse Jr."

I am very excited to read this book and hopefully I will make you want to read it also!

BELOW I HAVE ONLY READ THE BOOK FEVER AND I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN I READ IT IN A FEW WEEKS




Books that she wrote:



Speak


1999



Wintergirls


2009



The Impossibl...


2014



Fever 1793


2000



Twisted


2007

Next Book Interview

           So I'm almost done with my book so for my next book my sister suggested was Wintergirls by Lauria Anderson. My sister recommend this because she's not a big reader but she just couldn't put the book done which is very unlikely. So I looked up the summary and it says “Dead girl walking”, the boys say in the halls.

“Tell us your secret”, the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.

I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.

I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit. 

Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery."

So this really drawed me into this book because it's mysterious, interesting, and I can already tell the author uses really good diction which is a plus! So I'm hoping I will be able to read this next.

Book recommendation

                                    ATTENTION EVERYONE! READ THIS BOOK!
                                               Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyers



 Reasons why you should read this book:
• it teaches you maxing life lessons
• it helps you fight your battle
• it's very inspirational
• it has facts and relates everything to someone who has gone through it
• it draws you closer to God
• and I give this book 5stars

            Through out this book it has impacted me in many ways. It has taught me so much and Joyce has many expierienced to a situation so she knows how it feels and she wants to help others with there battle or what there going through.
                                                   
                                                        

                                                    
           This book talks about many things that are going on in teens or in this generations do she wants to help our generation win the battle. I recomend this book to anyone and everyone because it will change your life!

A Quote to remember

A Quote to remember

          Have you ever read something and it just stuck with you for a really long time or forever? Well in the book battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer a quote form this stuck with me and it may stick with you. It said " Here's the real deal: No thing and no person can make you miserable without your permission." (Meyer, 52)

           Wow!! This quote really opened my eyes and stuck with me. This was exactly what I needed! I knew that I can choose what makes me mad, sad, or happy. It all depends on how you react to the situation. You can be the person that gets mad at every little thing in life and always be depressed if one person says something negative. This person will be miserable for the rest of there lives. Or you can be the person to forgive easy and learn from something. Don't let that one thing affect your personality or your mood. In high school especially there are many kids that use there words as a weapon to hurt instead of a way to lift people and friends up in encouragement. Words are powerful and we have to be careful what we say to one another. Okay I have a short story and you may relate to it but say you come to school and you look really fancy and nice and everyone gives a complement so you feel really good but say one person says something really mean about it, all of those really nice complements go down to zero. You can get 1,000 compliments and 1 negative word and all you feel terrible for the rest of the day. I think we all can relate to this situation. So why does that one negative comment stay with us? Why do we listen to that one thing? In today's world teenagers struggle with this a lot. That one person can affect our whole day or even affect us for the rest of our lives. If someone says your fat, that girl or boy (mostly girl) will hold on to that for dear life. So they may get depressed and they start believing that they are fat. So they stop eating or start trying to cover up the way they look. So now this girl believes what another person says and now this girl is miserably with how she looks and feels. :(

                Now a lot of girls can relate with this situation which is really sad. I challenge you today to use your words to lift on another up and encourage and speak life to one another. Don't use your words as a weapon to hurt someone or to make your self feel better about your self. And I also challenge you to be confident in yourself and don't believe what everyone thinks. Because you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ psalm 139:14

Half way through!

            I am reading the book Battlefield of the mind for teens By: Joyce Meyers. Im about half way into the book and I have already learned so much from it. This book really reaches out to teenagers because in these days teens have been struggling with more and more things, which really breaks my heart. But this book has taught me so many things about life.

              In the first sentence of this book it starts with a question which I love because it makes the reader more involved with the book, it states, "Are you feeling a little tired lately? Confused? Depressed? Kicked-around? Its know wonder- you're in war."

             This book also starts with a bible verse in the beginning of the chapters that relates to the message, so when your done you can go back and read the scriptures in the bible. In the book Joyce is talking to the reader, the author gives her thoughts and asks questions. She also adds a lot of true facts and articles that relates to the message. She provides many other peoples stories on there life, they tell what they have been through and how they got through it.

            Did you know that suicide is the third leading cause of death among Americans ages 15 to 24.
This is so sad... I would have never known this if I haven't read this book.  This book has taught me so much about whats happening today even though I knew a lot of it but this shows statistics and numbers. This book has really opened my eyes to whats happening. This makes me want to reach out to others. I challenge you this week to put someone else's needs before your needs and to really love one another no matter what. You never know what may be happening in someones life even if you think there perfect and everything is okay with them. But you never know what battle is going on in there mind/life.

         

         

Joyce Meyer

Battlefield of the Mind For Teens

Im reading the book called Battlefield of the Mind By: Joyce Meyer's. She is one of the worlds leading practical bible teachers. Also a #1 New York Times bestselling author according to the book Battlefield of the mind. She has written over more than 70 inspirational books. She was born on June 4, 1943 in st. Louis, Missouri. When she was born her father left to go fight in World War II. In some interviews she talks about growing up and being sexually abused by her father. She graduated from John O'Fallon Technical High School. Then right after Hight school she married. But soon after she got a divorce because her husband was cheating and took money from some of the people that worked for him. The marriage only lasted for five years. After her marriage she was usually at a bar until she met her husband Dave Meyer in January 7, 1967. According to Wikki it states Joyce Meyer said "..I didn't have any knowledge. I didn't go to church. And I had a lot of problems, and I needed somebody to kind of help me along. And I think sometimes even people who want to serve God, if they have got so many problems that they don't think right and they don't act right and they don't behave right, they almost need somebody to take them by the hand and help lead them through the early years...". Joyce now has her own serious on television called Enjoying everyday life where she does inspirational speaking. I picked this book to read because my mom reads her and we both watch her. She is a wonderful speaker and has really made a really large impact on people including me.

A Short video of her teaching :D

Confessions By: Kanae Minato

                       



                    During the summer I read the book Confessions by: Kanae Minato. This book has many themes portrayed in the book. But the main theme that stuck with me was: revenge is never the answer to settle controversy and it will never fulfill the happiness that you lost. Through the book Yūko is planning revenge to two of the students that have murdered her daughter. Through out the chapter book each chapter is a different character showing there side of the story or there perspective. They also show what they been going through and there thought's. But all of the chapters are leading up to Yūko's big revenge with killing the boys. The theme started later on in the book when you start to realize that revenge was never going to help anything get better. A quote that shows the theme states, " He said I knew I might never forgive him, but that it was wrong to repay evil with evil, and revenge would never make me feel any better. Even more importantly, he was convinced that you boys could be rehabilitated, made whole again, and he wanted me to believe it, too. He said I had to believe if I was ever to be whole again myself " (Minato, 227).



Confessions Article 
This article is about the main idea in this book. It's summarizing what is mainly going on. It gives you an idea how the book will be, and it shows and describe some main things in this book that will be a big twist in the book. So read this book to find out.

Confessions video (reenacting the first page)
This video is a class that reenacted the first page in the book.